WELCOME – IMPORTANT INFORMATION – UPCOMING EVENTS
BAY-O-VISTA IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
(BOVIA)
Welcome to the Bay-O-Vista Improvement Association (BOVIA) website! BOVIA is a non-profit voluntary neighborhood association dating back to the 1950s that seeks to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by building a close and supportive community of friends, neighbors and residents in Bay-O-Vista.
All Bay-O-Vista residents are eligible to become a member of BOVIA and for those of you who are not currently members, we would love for you to join! For those of you who are already BOVIA members, we hope you find our website useful to keep apprised of BOVIA events, issues impacting Bay-O-Vista, various BOVIA clubs and new interest groups, special benefits and business discounts for BOVIA members, community resources and much more. More information will be continually added, so make sure you keep checking back.
If you have any questions about BOVIA, would like to provide us with information, give us feedback about the website, or have ideas on how we can make BOVIA more meaningful or effective, please feel free to email us at boviaconnect@gmail.com.
Our BOVIA members make our community a special place to live!
Warm regards,
Your BOVIA Board
BENEFITS OF BEING A BOVIA MEMBER
Being connected to where we live has become more important than ever, which is why we want you as a member of the Bay-O-Vista Improvement Association (BOVIA) to help improve our neighborhood and build a close and supportive community of friends, neighbors, and residents in Bay-O-Vista.
You’ll receive the following benefits by becoming a BOVIA Member:
- General Membership Meetings in the spring and fall, where City and County Officials or our state representative speak about important issues
- Seasonal newsletters
- Monthly emails containing events & important information about our community
- Special discounts for BOVIA members from local businesses
- Annual Shredding Event Free for members (4 boxes free)
- College or Tradeschool scholarships to Bay-O-Vista high school graduating seniors
- Help mediating conflicts, when possible, between willing neighbors involving view-blocking trees and vegetation
- Representation of Bay-O-Vista concerns to the City Council, Boards, Commissions and other public agencies
- Driveway Socials, Wine & Cheese Socials, Potluck Dinner Neighborhood Socials
- Sponsored National Night Out Potluck
- A BOVIA Book Club
- A BOVIA Breakfast Club
- A BOVIA Car Show
- A Garden Corner to exchange information and ideas (including seasonal BOVIA walking/driving tours of local resident gardens)
- Interest Clubs specifically for car enthusiasts, community seniors, parents with young kids, and pet parents too!
We provide a valuable service for a modest membership fee of $30 annually. We hope you agree to become or continue to be a dues-paying BOVIA member! Our wonderful members are what make BOVIA such a worthwhile and fun organization!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Please make sure you mark your calendar and attend our Spring General Meeting on Wednesday, April 22nd @ 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Additional information to be provided as we get closer to the date. Click on “General Meeting” here or on the menu above for further details.
Topic: BOVIA Spring General Meeting
Start Time: Apr 04, 2025 07:00 PM
Meeting ID: 836 5131 4609
Passcode: 042804
CALENDAR SUMMARY
| ACTIVITY | DATE & TIME | VENUE |
|---|---|---|
|
Chat With the Chief |
Wednesday, June 8th @ 6:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Scholarship Applications Due |
Monday, June 12th |
TBD |
|
Financial Market Update |
Wednesday, June 15th @ 7:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Garden Club Meeting |
Thursday, June 16th @ 5:30 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Wine & Cheese Social |
Friday, June 24th @ 6:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
BOVIA Garden Tour |
Saturday, July 16th @ 10:00 a.m. |
TBD |
|
National Night Out |
Tuesday, August 2nd @ 5:30 p.m. |
Starview Court |
|
BOVIA Car Show |
Sunday, September 11th @ 1:00 p.m. |
1837 Starview Drive |
|
Meet the City Candidates |
September & October (Wednesdays @ 7:00 p.m.) |
Zoom |
|
Potluck Dinner Social |
Saturday, October 8th @ 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. |
Vistagrand Court |
|
General Meeting |
Wednesday, October 26th @ 7:00 p.m. |
TBD |
|
Shredding Event |
Saturday, October 29th @ 9:00 – Noon |
Little Park on Benedict |
|
Financial Market Update |
Wednesday, Sept 21th @ 7:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Garden Club Meeting |
Thursday, September 29th @ 5:30 p.m. |
Zoom |
IMPORTANT COMMUNITY INFORMATION
On October 27, 2020, we received an incredibly informative presentation about the UNIQUE FIRE DANGER IN BAY-O-VISTA from Cheryl Miller, Executive Coordinator for the Diablo FireSafe Council, and Alameda County Fire Chief Derrick Thomas and Breanne Slimick.
Below is a summary of our last General Meeting.
- Juniper shrubs and trees that were originally planted all over in Bay-O-Vista and are still found on most of our properties are a recipe for disaster if there is a fire in our community, or if the wind blows embers from nearby or even distant fires into our area.
- Junipers (as well as rosemary, which is also common in our area) are full of volatile oils, small needles, and dry woody branches, and will ignite easily from windblown embers, placing our homes and community at risk.
- We are also at risk of fire because most of our homes are located in the hills. Fires tend to burn quickly up hillsides.
- With wildfires becoming worse in California and our location so close to Lake Chabot, we need to do what we can to reduce the risk of fire danger that could devastate our community.
This was probably one of the most important General Meetings we have had. We learned what we can do to protect our homes, the importance of having a clear perimeter around the home, and tips to minimize the risks. We also learned that Alameda County Fire will send an inspector to assess your home and give you advice about how you can make it more fire safe.
Contact ACFD Breanne Slimick at 925-833-3473 or email her at Breanne.Slimick@acgov.org.com. Other Fire Departments charge for this service, so we are fortunate to get it for free!
ANNUAL DUES
Our annual mailed Newsletter requesting the $30 BOVIA annual dues has been mailed out for calendar 2026. Please mail your check for $30 in the enclosed remittal envelope – or – pay online for an additional $2 at bovia.org. This year we are encouraging you to make an additional donation to our Scholarship Fund or our General Fund to help pay for all of the events and activities we want to continue to provide.
Bay-O-Vista has a Brand New Facebook Group Page!
You can connect with neighbors and keep up to date with upcoming events and activities. You can join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bovia94577/
CALENDAR SUMMARY
| Activity | Date & Time |
|---|---|
|
BOVIA Book Club |
TBD (Tuesday) 6:00 p.m. (zoom) |
|
BOVIA Garden Club |
April 16th (Thursday) 6:30 p.m. (zoom) |
|
BOVIA Garden Tour |
April 18th (Saturday) 10:30 a.m.
|
|
BOVIA Breakfast Club |
April 24th (Friday) 10:30 a.m. (Elio’s)
|
|
Hotdog Social
|
April 25th (Saturday) 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Benedict Drive Park at Grand Ave.) |
DETAILS ABOUT EVENTS
BOVIA BOOK CLUB: TUESDAY, TBD @ 6:00 p.m. (via zoom – link will be emailed to interested parties). The book we are reading is TBD. Our Book Club has a wonderful group of people with different perspectives and insights. Our discussions are diverse and interesting, even if you haven’t read the book! You are welcome to join us! Please email Kat at katwellman54@gmail.com for more information and the zoom link.
GARDEN CLUB MEETING: THURSDAY, APRIL 16Th @ 6:30 p.m. (via zoom – link will be emailed to interested parties). These are monthly meetings to discuss gardening issues, tips and challenges. We also plan Garden Tours in Bay-O-Vista. It is a wonderful way to meet people in our community who have a wealth of knowledge and love to garden. Novices are more than welcome! Please email Kat at katwellman54@gmail.com to join and get the zoom link!
BOVIA GARDEN TOUR: SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH @ 10:30 a.m. Join us to visit beautiful gardens in Bay-O-Vista. Email Kat at katwellman54@gmail.com if you would like to join the tour.
BOVIA BREAKFAST CLUB: FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH @ 10:30 a.m. at Elios – 260 Floresta Ave., San Leandro. Come join the wonderful group of our neighbors for great conversation and a non-hosted delicious breakfast.Please RSVP to Kat at katwellman54@gmail.comor call her at 510-427-3173 so we can make sure we reserve enough seats. (Last-minute attendees are welcome!)
HOTDOG SOCIAL: SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Benedict Drive Park at Grand Avenue. Hotdogs and sofa will be served. Invite your neighbors and Bay-O-Vista friends. Come join us and meet new neighbors. We need our community to be connected. Bring a chair if you would like to sit.
NEW INTEREST GROUPS
SEWING, NEEDLEWORK, CRAFTING: Are you a knitter, quilter, like to do needlework or crafts? This will be a way for those who love to do these things to connect and work on them together, sharing ideas or just good company. For more information or to join, please email Janet at jdavisjackson@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEER CORPS: Ever want to volunteer and give back to the community, but not quite sure how best to do it? BOVIA will be putting together one day a month where members can join together to give back to the community and help others. Please email Garry @ garry.offenberg33@gmail.com if you are interested in being part of our volunteer corps!
BALLROOM DANCING: Are you interested in Ballroom Dancing? Are you an expert or a novice wanting to learn? We are looking to start a BOVIA Ballroom Dancing group. Please email Kat at katwellman54@gmail.com if this sounds like something fun you would like to do!
CHINESE CULTURAL MONTHLY MEETUP: Are you interested in Chinese cultural events and activities? Do you want to meet other Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) speakers in the neighborhood to connect and practice Chinese language with. Due to popular demand, we are starting a monthly meet up for those who would like to connect and practice Cantonese or Mandarin as well as take part in Chinese Cultural Events. All are welcome to join. Please email Eric @ boviaconnect@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more information about the next meet up.
中国文化月度聚会 您对中国文化活动感兴趣吗？你想认识附近其他说中文（广东话和普通话）的人，一起交流和练习中文吗？由于大众的需求，我们开始每月为那些想联系和练习粤语或普通话以及参加中国文化活动的人举行聚会。欢迎大家加入。如果您有兴趣了解有关下次聚会的更多信息，请发送电子邮件至 Eric @ boviaconnect@gmail.com。
COMING EVENTS IN 2026
The following are events you can look forward to this year. Specific dates will be provided in the future. If you have any ideas for other events, email Kat at katwellman54@gmail.com.
| Coming Activity Events | |
|---|---|
|
Young Professionals Happy Hours
|
Parents & Children Fun-time Events
|
|
Dog Park Play Dates
|
Driveway Socials
|
|
BOVIA Garden Tours
|
Bay-O-Vista Garage Sales
|
|
WUI-Go! Final Phase Presentation
|
April & October General Meetings
|
|
Chat with the Chief
|
Fire Inspector & Preparing To Go Bags
|
|
Chili & Cornbread Contest
|
BBQ Potluck Social
|
|
Dog Show & Parade |
National Night Out |
|
BOVIA Car Show
|
Fall Fest Potluck Dinner
|
|
Spirit Tastings |
Shredding Event
|
|
Halloween Parade for Kids |
Eric’s Finance Classes |
CALL TO ACTION
BAY-O-VISTA WUI-Go! EVACUATION STUDY PLANNING TOOL (1st stage of Study)
This is the most important safety tool we are offering every Bay-O-Vista resident. It is an individualized, interactive planning tool to help you prepare for an emergency evacuation due to wildfire. You should all have received the enclosure with the QR code in 3 different languages with your Membership Dues letter.
- Click on Link: www.wuigo.ai/bovia/map
- Put in your Address – and press “enter.”
- Listen to the Podcast
- Take the Next Steps – Sign up for all the alerts (these are critical!)
- Read the FAQs to get more information
By taking these steps, you will be better prepared for an emergency evacuation.
PETITION TO STOP TRUCKS ON I-580
CalTrans is conducting a Study to determine if it should lobby the State Legislature to allow trucks on I-580. Allowing trucks on I-580 would be devastating for our community – greatly increasing traffic, noise, pollution, health issues, accidents, etc. on I-580.
- Highway I-580 does not run through an industrial area. Instead, it runs through diverse communities with residential homes and schools. In comparison, the Industrial Area and the Port are all along I-880 where trucks are allowed.
- Before I-580 existed, residents gave permission to CalTrans to build I-580 as long as no trucks were allowed.
- Click on this Link to Sign the Petition: https://www.nobigrigs580.org/petition/
Please sign the petition and help make your voices heard!
RE-OPEN LAKE CHABOT ROAD
We need the City to reopen Lake Chabot Road now! As we have seen from the devastating L.A. fires, we need every evacuation route to be open and free from any barriers. We need the Road opened NOW with at least one-way downhill traffic, with stop signs at either end to slow down traffic until the City fixes the road permanently for two way traffic. This is a critical evacuation route for hundreds of homes. Without it, residents will be stuck in place with a back-up of vehicles trying to get onto Benedict. Residential vehicles will be competing with ambulances needed to evacuate approximately 80 very ill patients from Kindred Hospital at the end of Benedict. The fences that exist now preventing traffic on Lake Chabot Road are not safe for evacuating residents or first responders. They could easily create a death trap for panicking residents and make access challenging or slow for first responders. Help us get Lake Chabot Re-Opened by:
- Signing a petition to the City on www.openlakechabotroad.com
- Stay ready to come to the next important City Council meeting. We will let you know when.
- Numbers count! We need your help to get this done!There are people that want to see Lake Chabot Road closed permanently.
- If you would like to volunteer to help, or have any questions or concerns, please email Kat @ katwellman54@gmail.com
BAY-O-VISTA IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
(BOVIA)
Welcome to the Bay-O-Vista Improvement Association (BOVIA) website! BOVIA is a non-profit voluntary neighborhood association dating back to the 1950s that seeks to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by building a close and supportive community of friends, neighbors and residents in Bay-O-Vista.
All Bay-O-Vista residents are eligible to become a member of BOVIA and for those of you who are not currently members, we would love for you to join! For those of you who are already BOVIA members, we hope you find our website useful to keep apprised of BOVIA events, issues impacting Bay-O-Vista, various BOVIA clubs and new interest groups, special benefits and business discounts for BOVIA members, community resources and much more. More information will be continually added, so make sure you keep checking back.
If you have any questions about BOVIA, would like to provide us with information, give us feedback about the website, or have ideas on how we can make BOVIA more meaningful or effective, please feel free to email us at boviaconnect@gmail.com.
Our BOVIA members make our community a special place to live!
Warm regards,
Your BOVIA Board
BENEFITS OF BEING A BOVIA MEMBER
Being connected to where we live has become more important than ever, which is why we want you as a member of the Bay-O-Vista Improvement Association (BOVIA) to help improve our neighborhood and build a close and supportive community of friends, neighbors, and residents in Bay-O-Vista.
You’ll receive the following benefits by becoming a BOVIA Member:
- General Membership Meetings in the spring and fall, where City and County Officials or our state representative speak about important issues
- Seasonal newsletters
- Monthly emails containing events & important information about our community
- Special discounts for BOVIA members from local businesses
- Annual Shredding Event Free for members (4 boxes free)
- College or Tradeschool scholarships to Bay-O-Vista high school graduating seniors
- Help mediating conflicts, when possible, between willing neighbors involving view-blocking trees and vegetation
- Representation of Bay-O-Vista concerns to the City Council, Boards, Commissions and other public agencies
- Driveway Socials, Wine & Cheese Socials, Potluck Dinner Neighborhood Socials
- Sponsored National Night Out Potluck
- A BOVIA Bookclub
- A BOVIA Cookbook
- A BOVIA Car Show
- A Garden Corner to exchange information and ideas (including a possible BOVIA walking/driving garden tour this spring)
- Interest Clubs specifically for car enthusiasts, community seniors, parents with young kids, and pet parents too!
We provide a valuable service for a modest membership fee of $20 annually. We hope you agree to become or continue to be a dues-paying BOVIA member! Our wonderful members are what make BOVIA such a worthwhile and fun organization!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
BOVIA 1st BOVIA CAR SHOW!!: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH @ 1:00 P.M. tO 4:30 P.M.
WHEN: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH (Please note - we have moved it to Sunday)
TME: 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: 1837 STARVIEW DRIVE (Where we held the BOVIA sponsored NNO)
Come see some cool cars! Enter a free raffle! Enjoy a grilled hot dog! Win a free car wash! Have fun meeting new neighbors and visiting with those you know! This is a fun event for all Bay-O-Vista residents!
For more information, contact DeWayne Cornelious at edeway@pacbell.net or call (925)580-8716
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
FINANCIAL MARKET UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, SEPT 21th @ 7:00 P.M. Via Zoom (Rescheduled from Sept 14th)
Understanding the importance of Estate Planning and Probate. Listen to BOVIA Board member and Financial Expert Eric Hon CFP® explain the importance of Trusts, Wills, POA, and Probate and how they fit into everyone’s overall financial plan. Contact Eric Hon @ boviaconnect@gmail.com
Topic: BOVIA Financial Market Update
Start Time: Sept 21, 2022 07:00 PM Pacific Time
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5109082695
Meeting ID: 5109082695
Passcode: 144815
GARDEN CLUB MEETING: THURSDAY, SEPT 29TH @ 5:30 P.M. Via Zoom
Are you a gardener, or maybe a “wanna-be” gardener? These are monthly meetings to discuss gardening issues, tips and challenges. It is a wonderful way to meet other people in our community who love to garden. Please email katwellman54@gmail.com if you want more information or would like to join!
CALENDAR SUMMARY
| ACTIVITY | DATE & TIME | VENUE |
|---|---|---|
|
Chat With the Chief |
Wednesday, June 8th @ 6:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Scholarship Applications Due |
Monday, June 12th |
TBD |
|
Financial Market Update |
Wednesday, June 15th @ 7:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Garden Club Meeting |
Thursday, June 16th @ 5:30 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Wine & Cheese Social |
Friday, June 24th @ 6:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
BOVIA Garden Tour |
Saturday, July 16th @ 10:00 a.m. |
TBD |
|
National Night Out |
Tuesday, August 2nd @ 5:30 p.m. |
Starview Court |
|
BOVIA Car Show |
Sunday, September 11th @ 1:00 p.m. |
1837 Starview Drive |
|
Meet the City Candidates |
September & October (Wednesdays @ 7:00 p.m.) |
Zoom |
|
Potluck Dinner Social |
Saturday, October 8th @ 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. |
Vistagrand Court |
|
General Meeting |
Wednesday, October 26th @ 7:00 p.m. |
TBD |
|
Shredding Event |
Saturday, October 29th @ 9:00 – Noon |
Little Park on Benedict |
|
Financial Market Update |
Wednesday, Sept 21th @ 7:00 p.m. |
Zoom |
|
Garden Club Meeting |
Thursday, September 29th @ 5:30 p.m. |
Zoom |
IMPORTANT COMMUNITY INFORMATION
On October 27, 2020, we received an incredibly informative presentation about the UNIQUE FIRE DANGER IN BAY-O-VISTA from Cheryl Miller, Executive Coordinator for the Diablo FireSafe Council, and Alameda County Fire Chief Derrick Thomas and Breanne Slimick.
Below is a summary of our last General Meeting.
- Juniper shrubs and trees that were originally planted all over in Bay-O-Vista and are still found on most of our properties are a recipe for disaster if there is a fire in our community, or if the wind blows embers from nearby or even distant fires into our area.
- Junipers (as well as rosemary, which is also common in our area) are full of volatile oils, small needles, and dry woody branches, and will ignite easily from windblown embers, placing our homes and community at risk.
- We are also at risk of fire because most of our homes are located in the hills. Fires tend to burn quickly up hillsides.
- With wildfires becoming worse in California and our location so close to Lake Chabot, we need to do what we can to reduce the risk of fire danger that could devastate our community.
This was probably one of the most important General Meetings we have had. We learned what we can do to protect our homes, the importance of having a clear perimeter around the home, and tips to minimize the risks. We also learned that Alameda County Fire will send an inspector to assess your home and give you advice about how you can make it more fire safe.
Contact ACFD Breanne Slimick at 925-833-3473 or email her at Breanne.Slimick@acgov.org.com. Other Fire Departments charge for this service, so we are fortunate to get it for free!
Click the link below to view the BOVIA General Meeting recording:
Passcode: knx&BX1=