Walker Watch

Trader Joe's Fans: Cross Your Fingers

From this week's Pat Kernighan's newsletter about the old Albertson's on Lakeshore:

Finally, some progress is being made toward getting a food store at the vacant Lakeshore Albertsons. About three weeks ago, the lease owners, Sansome Pacific, and the landowners were successful in re-negotiating the terms of the lease to eliminate the percentage rent formula. This change in the lease terms now makes it financially feasible  to lease to a food store. As I have written about before, the percentage rent had been a major barrier to getting the kind of tenant the neighborhood wants. All of you who e-mailed letters to Sansome Pacific earlier this summer in response to my e-mail alert should pat yourselves on the back. It was the overwhelming community response to the proposed drug store that catalyzed their willingness to amend the lease. Negotiations are now underway between Sansome Pacific and several desirable tenants and I am optimistic that they will have good news to report in the next couple of months.

This is really significant news and is very exciting because it may very well mean that our campaign to get a Trader Joe's to move in may actually bear fruit.

Grand Lake Guardian Debuts!

Just when I create this blog, Jim Ratliff and Ken Katz put together a newspaper for the Greater Grand Lake area, along with a website. Of course, this blog could never be the kind of resource the Grand Lake Guardian will be simply because the Guardian is substantially more comprehensive in its coverage of the going-ons of the area, while this blog is just meant to help point Walker residents towards the resources, news and specific issues that concern our little block.

Fairy Land turns 56

Fairyland turns 56 this week. It also marks the first time that Arin and I have ever been to visit to take my [almost] 2 year old neice. She loved it. In fact, she pitched a total fit when we left.

You drive or jog by Fairyland and you don't get a real sense for what's inside. I had no idea there was a train kids could ride! Who knew?

Anyway, it is a fantastic place to take your toddler if you have one, and judging by all the kids in the neighborhood, or due to arrive in the neighborhood I thought people should keep it on their list of "places to go in a pinch!"