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Friday Slide Show: Blending In
12 November 2021
We just discovered the overpass on Portola is named the Kensington Bridge. Rather glamorous for a concrete overpass, we think. Like London Bridge. Or the Bay Bridge. You expect to pay a hefty toll to cross something with a name like that.
We confess to rarely using it. We never feel securely balanced on it when we have to follow some intrepid companion across. It seems too narrow, the sides too low. The traffic below too fast. Dizzying. Dangerous. We steer a course right in the middle of the thing and try to walk in a straight line looking up into the hills beyond.
But we greatly prefer to just walk down a block and dodge the cars, SUVs and pickups zooming by. It's a fair fight. And we usually win.
But we had to stop the other day to read the "Hello Neighbors!" posting on the gray support post. It was an announcement of an art installation. And naturally it asked for a donation.
The above proposed artwork by artist Darin Balaban is designed to compliment the mid-century modern architecture of the bridge. This artwork will be painted on all five pillars, and will also include a green stripe across the span of the pedestrian bridge to connect the Miraloma and West Portal neighborhoods.
This is part of a neighborhood beautification plan spearheaded by Carol Dimmock, the woman who pushed for the renovation of Triangle Park and the median on Portola, all of which were getting far too seedy for a city as elegant as this.
Darin must have donated his mural design because we've never seen him around. A couple of woman, who we suspect are also volunteering their time, are painting the thing.
When we walked by the other day, the two women had left the scene for a break. So we took a few shots. It was a challenging subject so we had fun working around it.
They were back at it today in the sun when we ran into Dimmock. She was passing out flyers inviting the neighborhood to bring a brush and pitch in. We already had one, we told her.
The flyer we had retrieved from our mailbox the day before invited us to a "Neighborhood Paint-a-Bridge Day" at the Kensington Bridge.
"Bring a paint brush, join your friends and neighbors at the Bridge," it read in all caps. Saturday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m., if you're interested.
Fortunately, we have that problem with standing on the thing. We're going to have to take a pass.
