Masonic Home

The Masonic Homes of California's Union City community occupies a beautiful 305-acre hilltop site 40 miles east of San Francisco. The grounds are gated and include 10 buildings. This campus offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, secure Alzheimer's/Dementia care and hospice to approximately 300 residents.
I had the opportunity to visit the campus yesterday for a sing-out with the New Dimension Chorus. The main building, the Ralph Head Building is more elaborate inside than any hotel I've ever been in.
This magnificent house on the hill is easily recognizable to anyone who down Mission Boulevard in Union City.

Dry Creek Garden

This is Dry Creek and we bid you welcome… Famed in the early 1880s for the spirit of gaiety that reigned here in festival days, guests poured in from the rural districts of the whole county to greet their friends and make merry…
And so today, we pray you to maintain with us that holiday spirit; leave care and worry behind you; enjoy the beauties of nature here in your midst; and pause for a moment in your rush through life to give thanks to the great artist who painted this ever-changing picture of the hills and fields and streams.

—Edith Meyers, of the Meyers Ranch family

Dry Creek Cottage was a popular summer home of Edith, Mildred, and Jeanette Meyers, three sisters of Alameda who were very involved in local charities and fundraisers during the early and mid 1900s. The sisters also owned the 1,200-acre Dry Creek Ranch, which was donated to the Park District in 1979 and later opened as Dry Creek Regional Park. Upon the passing of the last surviving Meyers sister, the Dry Creek Cottage and its garden was also donated to the Park District. This beautifully restored garden and cottage sits at the end of May Road off Mission Boulevard in Hayward, and provide access to trails at the south end of Dry Creek Regional Park, which is adjacent to Garin Regional Park.

In addition to restoring the garden, pathways were rebuilt and footbridges were reconstructed over the creek, and a new parking area was built. The two-acre garden is home to nearly 200 native and exotic plants, with something in bloom just about every day of the year.

The Park District plans to eventually open the cottage for receptions, weddings, and similar events, and will also house a small visitor center inside.

The garden is open to the public every Thursday and the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The parking lot is open all week until dusk, offering easy access to the park's southern trails.

Flight 93 Memorial

The Union City Flight 93 Memorial in the Sugar Mill Landing park at the corner of Alvarado-Niles and Dyer Streets in Union City stands as a poingnant reminder at this busy intersection of those who gave their lives to prevent more lives' being lost.

The tragic events on the morning of September 11th, 2001 will forever shape world events of the 21st century. The events of that day are close to the hearts of all United States citizens and many of our friends around the world. In particular, United Airlines flight 93 bound for San Francisco, California has special significance fo those of us in the Bay Area where many of the heroes lived, worked or were traveling to that day. The individual lives on Flight 93 upon close inspection reveal lives of richness and honor. A collaborative effort and individual life stories have forever elevated the crew and passengers of Flight 93 into the consciousness and history of the United States of America. Heroism family love, strength and lives of deep meaning were revealed on Flight 93.

This memorial offers a place for feelings of remembrance for loved ones lost and thoughts of a positive hope for the future. There is an individual stone representing each passenger and crew member lost on Flight 93 accompanied by a mirror to inspire thought and reflection. The memorial encompasses several elements to help visitors remember the ultimate price each hero paid to save the lives of countless others.

The stones stand together flowing in unity with one another and in relation to the path, indicating one's life path, ever changing with direction and transition. The back and edges of the remembrance stone have been left rough hewn signifying unfinished lives. The remembrance stones begin at a "Plaza of Remembrance." Expressing strength, life and rebirth, the stones flow to the "Plaza of Hope," where visions of the future are expressed.

This memorial was built through the efforts of the City of Union city, the hero's families, local and national businesses, local trade and labor unions, and caring individuals. Our hope is that everyone who visits this memorial will reflect, be inspired and healed by the honorable and heroic lives and actions of the crew and passengers of United Flight 93.

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