Shadi garden award winners named
The El Cerrito Garden Club is honoring the three winning yards in its annual Sundar Shadi spring garden contest.
“After a winter rainfall that broke a five-year drought, many El Cerrito gardens bloomed profusely this spring, rewarding last fall’s planting efforts as well as years of nursing drought-stressed plants. In celebration of spring each year the El Cerrito Garden Club gives awards to three outstanding gardens in a contest named for Sundar Shadi, the creative and generous gardener who for many years provided El Cerrito with magnificent garden and holiday displays on Arlington Boulevard.
This year’s winners are Christa Kraus, 542 Liberty St.; Jan Jones, 2612 Tulare Ave.; and Kathy Bohrer, 832 Norvell St.
An exhibit of the three winning gardens will be displayed at the June 20 City Council meeting.
“Winners will receive a $100 check, an award certificate, and free membership in the garden club for a year. Photographs of the gardens will also be exhibited at the Garden Club booth at the annual July 4 celebration at Cerrito Vista Park and at the club’s Sept. 14 meeting of the Garden Club. At that meeting the gardeners will present a slideshow and discuss their gardening philosophies and recent projects.”
Free talk will look at Castro Adobe history
“Victor Ramon Castro and His Family at the Castro Adobe 1839-1928” will be the topic of a talk at 7 p.m. June 22 in the El Cerrito City Hall council chamber, 10890 San Pablo Ave.
Joanne Rubio of the El Cerrito Historical Society will give the presentation and slideshow about the building constructed at the southern end of the Rancho San Pablo between 1837 and 1839, once considered the most historic structure in the county.
The adobe, lost in a 1956 arson fire, was originally the home of Victor R. Castro and Luisa Martinez Castro.
Rubio will discuss the interior and grounds of the early landmark, and what the area was like in 1839.
Also on display will be a scale model built by Charlie Moran of the adobe as it looked circa 1860 and a…
