Sharon Alva

https://www.facebook.com/AlamedaCA

The island which Alameda occupies today was originally a peninsula connected to what is now Oakland south of the Lake Merritt channel. Much of the peninsula was low-lying and marshy, but on the higher ground, the peninsula and adjacent part of what is now downtown Oakland were home to one of the largest coastal oak forests in the world and the area was therefore called "encinal", Spanish for "oakland". "Alameda" is Spanish for "a stand of cottonwood trees", which must also have been growing in the area.

Due to its proximity to the Bay, wind surfers and kite surfers can often be seen along San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.Crown Memorial State Beach and Shoreline Drive. From the beach there are also views of the San Francisco skyline and the

One of the recent attractions is the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, a museum ship now moored at the former Naval Air Station. This ship was originally named USS Kearsarge, but was renamed in honor of the previous Hornet CV-8 (famous for the Doolittle raid), which was lost in October of 1942.

Alameda is also known for its large stock of Victorian houses; 9% of all single-family houses (1500) in Alameda are Victorians, and many more have been divided into 2 to 4-unit dwellings. The island city also boasts craftsman homes, 1020s bungalows, traditional cottages, midcentury homes on lagoons and near the beach and contemporraies in Bay Fram and near the Webster Tunnel.

The Naval Air Station Alameda was decommissioned and is in process of being turned over to the City of Alameda for civilian development. The area of the former NAS is now known as "Alameda Point". Portions of Alameda Point are now in commercial use, with continued movement toward increased utilization of the area. You'll find Rock Wall wineries there with its tasting room, and housing for additional smalller wineries.

Alameda is very special and unique in that it has its own municipal power service (Alameda Municipal Power) that delivers services directly to consumers.

Alameda is the home of the longest 4^th of July parade route in the United States, lasting more than four miles,

The Alameda Unified School District has the same boundaries as the City of Alameda, but has a separately elected board to oversee its operations, and its funding comes directly from the county and state governments without oversight by the City Council. The AUSD educates approximately 10,000 students each year, in 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, two traditional high schools, two alternative learning schools, one continuation school, and one high school within the College of Alameda. Most high school students attend Encinal High or Alameda High. The district also operates an Adult School and a "Child Development Center". The town is also home to three charter schools: Alameda Community Learning Center (grades 6 to 12), Nea Community Learning Center (grades k to 12) and Alameda Academy (grades 6 to 8).