Jan 8, 2004

Street Scene: Paseo Pueblo Drive

By Candy Richter
Staff Writer

Paseo Pueblo Drive is located just off Redmond Avenue, a mere stone’s throw away from Holy Spirit Church. To the north, the rolling Santa Cruz range and Mount Umunhum offer a breathtaking backdrop, while to the south, the green expanse of Jeffrey Fontana Park makes a fitting bookend to this Almaden neighborhood.
The street’s manicured lawns, well-maintained homes and idyllic setting exudes a sense of serenity and peace that belies the true treasure of Paseo Pueblo: One of the most die-hard, rock solid grassroots volleyball teams in this, or any other area in Almaden Valley.

Forget the postman, come rain, sleet, or even snow – which has yet to be put to the test – this group of neighbors meet every Sunday in Fontana Park to put not only their skills to the test, but also to spend some quality time with friends and family.

“At first, we had to call to get everyone to come out,” said Mary Bachmeier, a 10-year resident who, along with Steve Randazzo, was the impetus behind the weekly volleyball fest. “Now, they just come. They are really committed.”

Unlike baseball, soccer, or kickball, which nearly every adult has experienced at sometime or another in those formative years, volleyball is one of those sports that most people think of as the only summertime beach activitiy that does not involve water. The fact that this neighborhood was not only to field a team, but to sustain a weekly game for the past four years or so, is a real testament to the group’s comraderie and athletic prowess.
“All of us are pretty athletic,” said Bachmeier. “About half of the group had never played before, but now we’re a pretty competitive group. Steve has a net and he lives right across from the Park, so it’s easy for us.”

Definitely the reigning “jock block” of Almaden, the street boasts triathletes, tennis players, runners and now a crack volleyball team. While the group’s dedication to their weekly ritual is in a part due to the competitive nature of some of the group’s more enthusiastic participants, neighbor Kathy Randazzo, who has lived at the head of the block’s juncture with Golden Oak Drive for 12 years, emphasizes that it’s really all about having a good time and spending time with people that you enjoy being with. “I’ve lived in Almaden since I was five years old,” she said. “I really love the small town feel of this community. It’s like coming home for me.”

For Randazzo, that sense of belonging has spilled over to her involvement in the community’s push for a dog park at Jeffrey Fontana Park. “I see the same people out walking [their dogs] and I know them. The thing is, I know when my daughter, Samantha walks home from school, there are people watching out for her. We don’t just stay in our homes, or rush from our car into the house. We know each other.”

In addition to the Sunday games at Fontana Park, Paseo Pueblo is host to many summer block parties marking the various holiday weekends. “I’ve been here eight years,” said
Susan Raley. “And I ‘ve lived in other areas. This is a once-in-a-lifetime neighborhood. We moved in on December 13, and we were invited to a Christmas party that year. It’s so welcoming here, we feel very blessed.”
For the Raley’s, coming to Paseo Pueblo was truly a serendipitous experience. “We just happened to find out that our house was for sale,” she explained. “We talked directly to the owner and bought it without a real estate agent. We were really meant to be here!”

But not all of the neighborhood’s experiences have had storybook endings. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Randazzo took a trip to the grocery store and returned to find that her home had been burglarized. “We had been painting our house and left the windows open to air it out,” she recalled. “Because of the paint, our drapes were down, too. They took things from every room, and I’m still not sure that they weren’t in the house when I came home. As a new mom, this was very scary for me, and that’s when I decided to start our Neighborhood Watch.”
As a classic example of a community’s ability to turn life’s lemons into lemonade, Randazzo’s experience brought a renewed commitment to security to the area and gave neighbors another opportunity to work together for a common goal.