Above left: Jacaranda on May 21, 2020 Above right: Jacaranda on May 1, 2024

Jacaranda Trees

It’s ordinarily impossible to escape the lure of blooming Jacaranda trees in Fullerton this time of year. There are so many, and quite a few are huge specimens that have been around since the 1930s when a Jacaranda Festival was held.

In Mexico City, Jacarandas began to bloom in January, setting alarm bells and leading scientists to declare climate change the culprit. Rising temperatures meant the early end of Winter, triggering the bloom. Temperatures have been up and down here in Fullerton all Spring long, seemingly bringing June gloom and May gray in early instead of warm air, so it’s time to do a photo survey.

The first photo above was taken downtown on May 21, 2020, in full bloom. The second one is just beginning to bud, so there is no need to panic regarding our official city tree. Many are looking forward to the show, which appears to be coming up soon. The clean-up once all of the blooms begin to drop? They say the mighty Jacaranda is a great tree in your neighbor’s yard and the view from a short distance. The result from feedback: this is not the first time this has happened. Colder weather and mature trees, so no worries–but I’m wondering, will we have July bugs instead of June bugs this year?

New In Town

The Fullerton College Chapman Newell Instructional Building (try saying that fast) is really taking shape now, as you can see. A huge crane was brought in, and very heavy steel was being moved into place, so we can now see the outline of the new building.

Sabor de Mexico Festival

There was yet another big turnout, putting the Downtown Plaza to good use on Cinco de Mayo, and this time, classic cars were lined up on the normally closed Wilshire Avenue. Live music all day, food, art, vendors, and perfect Spring weather made for a fun and colorful scene for all ages. For more info on this event, see Sabor de Mexico Festival at the Museum Plaza online at http://www.fullertonobserver.com.

Roundabouts

Roundabouts are designed to make intersections safer and more efficient for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Since the completion of roundabouts on Wilshire between Acacia and Euclid, despite all the testing, there are residents who believe they are not doing the job. Here are some observations.

• We drove through all ten roundabouts at various times of day, talked to residents, city officials, and law enforcement, and considered comments from people firmly entrenched on either side. There is no in-between, but some observations led to testing the theory that traffic does not slow down, which is a purpose and benefit of these roundabouts.

• The speed limit is 15mph, and that’s about as fast as one can go through them safely. There have been reports of vehicles speeding as fast as 40mph. Although accidents have occurred, particularly early on at the intersection of Wilshire and Highland, we could not confirm that it was due to speeding. The lack of experience with this type of traffic control is a concern. Yet, cars seem to slow down and even stop when approaching because of that unfamiliarity, and most drivers, over time, have figured them out.

• Some who drive north and south on side streets are less aware of the speed limit and more inclined to be aggressive in proceeding through them, thinking they have the right of way. The absence of crosswalks is a common concern for residents. We found one crosswalk removed in March of 2017, and the expected bike traffic after the installation is less than predicted. Residents feel drivers don’t know how to handle the roundabouts, and that also seems to be true about the yellow left-hand arrows that allow traffic to flow at a red light if it is safe.

Photo Quiz

Send an answer to Mike at AllMedia@sbcglobal.net

Last time: Jeffrey was the first to ID the second mystery obelisk at Richman and Richman Knoll and believes it may be a plot boundary marker from the early days of Fullerton. Both have holes, indicating signage may have been installed, but we still don’t know what kind. I’m still hoping an early photo surfaces.

This time: Where is this stairway located?