By: clifford spinola

clifford spinola — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:16:44 +0000

I just read Lucinda Ryan’s article and loved it. The idea of rewarding your customers will help everyone. Growing up in Alameda, I remember my Mom and Dad collecting what I think they called Merchant stamps. They also collected stamps for bowling on special nights at Mel’s. I think they called that Blue Chip bowling. Besides benefiting the customer and the stores it was a great (inexpensive) way to hsve some good quality time with your family. We’d all be around the table, one wetting the sponge, one ripping the stamps just right for the page, everyone wanting to glue them in. Mom usually won. And then the really fun part. Counting how many books you had and what you could get with it, and finally realizing you could get something better with just a couple more books. I don’t remember what we ever got, but just thinking about those times has me grinning ear to ear. But isn’t that what it’s all about? I hope something comes of Lucinda’s idea.

By: Kathy Goodall

Kathy Goodall — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:21:23 +0000

I grew up in Alameda as a child and have fond memories of the city by the bay. With the Navy station gone traffic is not as bad as it use to be. I live in San Leandro now and use the back way in to town from Bay Farm Island. I like several of the resturants in Alameda. I think it has it’s problems like every city in an urban area but it still has that quiet feeling.

Comments on: Alameda – love it or (want to) leave it?

By: clifford spinola

By: Kathy Goodall