The DOWNTOWN Report

Mulberry Street Ristorante celebrates 40 years!

Happy Anniversaries

Mulberry Street is 40?! Looking back on that great restaurant’s early days, it seems like forever ago, but many decades-long regulars were there, listening to live music and tasting the many freebies.

Also celebrating 5 years in business and 1 year at the downtown location, Allison’s Goods had a party and so many came, they ran out of tamales early, oh no. Lots of goodies, a free raffle, other treats, and great deals on just about everything as the shopping season kicks off early.

Shop Fullerton First Folks, and congratulations to both businesses.

Family and friends join Arboretum staff members at the planting ceremony.

Paul and his wife Kim.

Anna Baier and Arboretum Director Greg Dyment when we made the delivery.

Joshua Tree puts down roots in Fullerton

For years, master furniture builder, plant lover, Joshua Tree resident, and part-time Fullerton resident Paul Smith raised a few Joshua Trees from seed. It is illegal to harvest those trees; however, growing one from a seed is perfectly acceptable. It took ten years, but one of those prized trees finally ended up in the Mojave Desert area of our own Fullerton Arboretum.

Finally, the Arboretum has its own specimen. Also pictured here is the planting, which took place on November 15th. Some of Paul’s family and friends were on hand. Sadly, Paul passed away recently, but he was able to make his gift when he could still take great satisfaction in that, knowing it would get a good home, and maybe he even considered that it would be part of his legacy at the Arboretum he visited many times.

Note: The Arboretum does not seek plant or tree donations, but this was different, so please keep that in mind before contacting them.

New In Town

Located in the former De Vine space on Commonwealth Ave, a new Italian Restaurant has hit town. They just had their soft opening, and wow, with an expansive menu with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options plus weekday Happy Hours. Next issue, more info after we give it a try.

All The Arts for All the Kids Foundation Studio Opens in Downtown Fullerton

That’s right kids, head to 114 N Harbor and get involved, as there is now a great place downtown to get involved in Pop-Ups, family photos, mini camps, Ukulele Nights, art classes and so much else, we need to fill you in more on this in our next issue.

Off The Rails

Remnants of our distant past dot the City landscape. There are miles of abandoned rails still here, and some of you know this. Rail fans are unhappy when lines are shut down, but others may not feel any nostalgia regarding them or desire for rail traffic to return since the right of way is very close to homes near the Juanita Cooke Greenbelt & Trail. That trail is located on the land left when the Fullerton Branch of the Pacific Electric track was abandoned.

One obvious place to notice the tracks is off Laguna Road, where they are in such good condition that it would not seem impossible for a train to roll by. But, if you were to inspect the tracks from the northern stretches of Fullerton all the way to where they expire off Euclid and Bastanchury, where we were told freight trains ran towards the end of their use, a very different picture emerges. BTW, a local homeowner told us the missing rails you see in the photo were only taken out 10 or so years ago. If you want to take a video journey on these rails, go to YouTube and type in LOST Tracks U.P. in “Fullerton.”

Downtown is another story, with very active passenger and freight rails, and just in the past few years, two vacant lots preserved for decades by the college where the Red Car Line headed north to Santa Fe now have vintage, renovated homes on them, moved from just a few blocks away. Indeed, from 1918 through the 1950s, the line actually ran through the middle of Fullerton College. Imagine, The Pacific Electric was the largest electric railway in the world in 1925. Oops.

Photo Quiz

Send an answer to Mike at AllMedia@sbcglobal.net

This time: What popular trail is now located where the tracks just south of Laon Junction were?

Last time: Observant readers easily identified the Anaheim Drive-in and Orangefair Mall (now Marketplace), good call. Bob S. was first with the answers.

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