Ya, what's up with the lack of ticket checkers. I have never bought a ticket because my student ID card is my free pass, but not once has anyone ever asked me to see proof of payment.

Great story Lesley! Thanks for sharing this story.

I agree that there should be a trees commission. I would be willing to help, but I'm not sure I'm qualified to do much...

Thanks for the clarification. Also, I had not heard of the old Mandela Garden, so I too would be interested in learning more about it.

I'll second Dos Coyotes, but only the one in Davis. I too love Gordo's and the Mission. The Border Burrito at Dos is good, but you might have to think of it as just holding you over until your next trip to the bay.

Check out more pictures of Antonio on my Flickr page! Copy the following and paste it in your URL field. http://www.flickr.com/photos/31726269@N05/sets/72157609011755629/detail/

I want to apologize to ECOS for taking so long to get this article out. I got sick and was unable to finish until now.

Did anyone get a chance to catch the movie? What did you think?

I was present for most of the demolition, and the team was actually very careful. Before they started, they did indeed turn off all electrical, gas and water lines.

Thanks for your comment Paul! As I was walking around the site, I was actually thinking the very same thing. 506 S was vacant for over 30 years. 30 years is a long time to let a potentially historic building sit and rot. Ron O'Connor told me that he had been aware of this house 12 years ago, and had tried to bring attention to it without any success. Ultimately, the owner did not to save it. But 506 S is gone now, and I think you are right in pointing out that there are many homes at risk of becoming safety hazards and with potential to be preserved. We can use 506 S as an example of what we don't want to happen to these other buildings. I will look into this further and see what I can dig up.

In order to view the photos in order on Flickr, Click on the Set called "506 S Street Demolition." Otherwise they appear in a haphazard order and it's difficult to get a sense of what's going on.

I just noticed that Jennifer Savin has also posted a story about the 506 S demolition. Here's the link to her story if you want to check that out too: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/217/Taken_down

The story I heard was that someone intentionally let her lawn die, with the intention of re-landscaping with drought-resistant species and methods. She recieved a fine from the city, but the fine was later revoked after public and media criticism of the policy considering the current water situation. People should always check city regulations as well as the homeowner's association regulations in their neighborhood before taking steps towards xeriscaping.

Thanks for sharing your story William! Over-watering is a really big problem everywhere, but that's terrible that it may have damaged your house. The drip system is a really efficient method. I also have read about new ways to use your house's gray water for landscaping as a sort of water recycling system. As a gardener, do you ever utilize the community garden in Southside Park?

Thanks for pointing that out Joe. I had not realized that the Google Docs were password protected. As the author, I can't correct the error, but I will let the editor know and he can correct that for me. If you, or anyone, is still interested in reading the code, it can be accessed on the internet. If enough people express an interest, I can add the code as another post of the same storyline.