Volume 22 Number 2 March 2010 Oakland Running Festival

B Y J O H N F R A N D O

Connecting the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren Freeway since 1989Volume 22 Number 2 March 2010

A Nonprofit Community Newspaper • www.macarthurmetro.org

Post Office Box 19046, Oakland, California 94619 • (510) 287-2655

xpect to see some excitedrace contestants running,jogging, and walking

streets and sidewalks through-out Oakland on March 27and 28. The inaugural OaklandRunning Festival will bringmarathon, half-marathon,and other races on courseroutes throughout Oakland.

It’s been a long timecoming. According to LenGoldman, president of the LakeMerritt Joggers and Striders, theoldest running club in the EastBay with about 250 members,“the last major road race wasthe Oakland Millenathon in2001. It had a half-marathonand an 18-miler.” It’s been evenlonger for the marathon—atleast 25 years. “It’s been so long,no one really remembers,”Len said. “Oakland is the only cont inued on page 2

major Bay Area city withouta major road race—San Fran-cisco and San Jose have races.”

Oakland native and Max-well Park resident Joe Davishas run 16 marathons aroundCalifornia and said that havingthe festival in Oakland giveshim a sense of pride and putsthe city on the map in a favor-able way. Joe is so supportivethat he volunteers with theorganizers, helping to accu-rately measure the race routesthroughout the City. “It canbecome a draw for runnersfrom all over. The routes high-light Oakland landmarks—Lake Merritt, the Paramountand Fox Theaters, and for themarathon, the panoramic viewfrom Lincoln Avenue.” Indeed,a portion of the marathonroute goes down Lincolnand Fruitvale Avenues, thensouth on Foothill onto HighStreet, before heading back to

hat is an NCPC? Forover a decade, residentswho participated in

NCPCs (Neighborhood CrimePrevention Councils) throughoutthe city believed the main focus ofthese groups was to address crimeissues. That is understandable,considering the word “crime” isin the title. However, this couldnot be further from the truth.

In 2008, residents fromMontera, Woodminster, LincolnHeights, Oakmore, and theDimond district came up with thename “Neighborhood Coalitionfor a Positive Change,” keepingthe NCPC initials. The key wordsin the title are positive change.The goal is to motivate and edu-cate residents who want to make adifference in their community andto teach them how to navigate andwork with various city agenciesfor positive change in their com-munities. Does it work? Let’ssee what happened in 2009.

BeautificationKathleen Russell, chair of theBeautification committee, has a

Oakland Running Festivaldowntown. Sequoia Elemen-tary School parent KellyMcGrath said that the school,which faces Lincoln Avenue,will have a supportive messageon its school marquee for themarathoners.

Local residents and athletesof all levels were inspiredto train and participate inthe races. Redwood Heightsresident Nicole Wilkins signedup with a friend to train withPacWest Athletics to run herfirst half-marathon. An Oak-land native, she said shewanted to run because it’s inOakland. Carlsen Street resi-dent Jason Whipple prefersto race ultramarathons and longtrail races in the hills, but de-cided to run the Oakland mara-thon “because it’s a positive im-age for the city and puts it onthe running map.” ChristineDover lives on Monterey Blvd.

passion about litter and believedthe ongoing dirt and debriswere negatively impacting busi-nesses in the Dimond District. Byworking with the Public WorksAgency through the “Adopt aSpot” program, she and anotherlocal merchant created a weeklycleanup program for the DimondMerchants who made a pointof keeping the front of their busi-nesses clean. Business ownerswho were committed to “Makethe Dimond Sparkle” were men-tioned in the MacArthur Metro.Kathleen has resigned as chairof Beautification, and the NCPCis looking for another individualto step in and continue the com-mitment of beautifying all ofBeat 22X. Thank you, Kathleen,for a job well done.

Crime and Public SafetyAngela Haller and JuleeDisgrazzi agreed to co-chair thiscommittee and together workedon various issues. By workingwith the Problem Solving Officerand the Neighborhood ServicesCoordinator of the police depart-ment, they assisted residents onMontana who were victims ofburglaries, cleaned up Boston/Palmetto to eliminate open-air

drug dealing, worked with Parksand Recreation to minimize loiter-ing/drinking in Dimond Park,and held a residential burglaryworkshop to educate residentsabout “target hardening” theirhomes. The focus in 2010 will beon CORE (Communities of Oak-land Respond to Emergencies).

Economic DevelopmentWhat better way to build a com-munity than by having residentsresearch and determine whatbusiness will benefit a commu-nity? The chair of this committeeis Carrie Campbell. Her positiveand upbeat energy has reener-gized the Dimond community.She thoroughly researches anynew businesses coming to thecommunity and encouragesresidents to patronize existingbusinesses. Are there more CarrieCampbells out there? Please letus know. We said goodbye toDel Navios and hello to sportsbar Monaghans and Taste of Joy,its partner restaurant, which justopened up in the Woodminsterarea. They recently received apositive write-up in the OaklandTribune. Monaghans will defi-nitely bring more traffic to theWoodminster area.

If you are interested in beingpart of the NCPC and learningmore about what positive thingsyour neighbors are doing, please

Neighborhood Coalition for a Positive Change Beat 22X

Vera Callendar, Keith Carson, M. Kahn & C. Guyer, Maria Mangini, Wilbur McEachin, Winifred McKee, Marilyn B. Miller,Phillis Robbiano, Nancy Siller Wilson, Linda Vaganov

You, too, can become a friend of the Metro. See page 2.

Your support helps keep the Metro alive! Become one of the Thousand Friends.

B Y A N G E L A H A L L E R

A N D R E N E E S Y K E S

WChief Batts released his Strategic Plan for the OPD too late forthe Metro to cover the story. He is looking for communityfeedback. Find out more by contacting your NCPC, or readthe Strategic Plan Framework online. Be sure to comment soyou can be part of the solution. Go to oaklandpolice.comand you will be directed to the new Web site.

OPD will hold four presentations in March.All are from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, March 3Montera Middle School5555 Ascot Dr.

Thursday, March 4East Oakland Senior Center9255 Edes Ave.

Wednesday, March 10Willie Key Recreation Center3131 Union St.

Thursday, March 11Manzanita Recreation Center2701 22nd Ave.

Ms. Elizabeth Chiment’s Bret Hartestudents (left to right), Denise Jones,

Jessica Alcantar and Luis Barerra,sign the word for “heart.” They cut

paper hearts in honor of the studentswho donated money for relief in Haiti.

See Laurel Neighborhood News on page 5.

Runners in the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders running club trainfor the marathon on Lincoln Avenue.

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come to the next NCPC meetingon Monday, February 22, 2010,at the Greek Orthodox Church,4700 Lincoln Ave.

Strategic Plan for the OPDBR

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Chief Anthony Batts

2March 2010

HOT NUMBERSPUBLIC AGENCIES

Abandoned cars 238-6030

O.P.D. Non-emergency 777-3333

Animal control 535-5602

Drug Hotline 238-DRUG

Public Works 615-5566

Truancy 224-1001

Noise Hotline 238-6777

C.O.R.E. 238-6351(Communities of OaklandRespond to Emergencies)

Oaklanders Assistance 444-CITYCenter can direct you tothe appropriate city services.

City Web Sitewww.oaklandnet.com

PRIVATE AGENCIES

A Safe Place 536-7233(domestic violence)

Seeds Community 548-2377Resolution Center(neighborhood disputes)

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Copy EditorsAnne FoxJody BerkeAdina SaraDiane Stone

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PhotographyNick LostraccoJody BerkeBryan Farley

Distributionopen position—volunteers needed

MailingGloria Wilmer

CalendarMarilyn Green

Friends and Money HoneysGloria Wilmer

Editor EmeritusToni Locke

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Board of DirectorsReuben GoldbergMarcia HenryBrian HolmesJudith OfferErnest VillafrancaBart Wright

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Opinions expressed in the MacArthurMetro are those of the contributorsand do not necessarily reflect theviews held by the publication.

©2010 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619www.macarthurmetro.org(510) 287-2655

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New Businesses in DimondFlavor Brigade, Italian Ice

and Ice Cream, opened at 3540Fruitvale Ave. Roni Deutch TaxCenter is nearby at 3544 FruitvaleAve. Welcome them to the neigh-borhood.

Sequoia Read-a-thona Huge Success

At the Sequoia Elementary SchoolRead-a-thon in February, variousactivities focused on the benefitsof reading. Sequoia’s first Read-a-thon continued for ten daysand included a Scholastic BookFair, the Drop Everything andRead Day (DEAR day), studentsponsorship, and eveningstorytelling. The Read-a-thonraised over $10,000 to supportart, garden, library, music, andphysical education enrichmentprograms at Sequoia.

At DEAR day on February10, every classroom featuredguest speakers/readers whospoke of their own readingexperiences. “Our guest readersinspired in our students the possi-bility of our dreams. The manyevents throughout the Read-a-thon cultivated an excitementfor reading and reinforced ourschool’s sense of community.It was a great pleasure to paywitness to this,” said GiovannaQueeto, parent and event orga-nizer. At the Family ReadingNight sponsored by OaklandParents Literacy Project, morethan 200 participants enjoyed din-ner and storytelling by Suellen.

Sequoia parent Will Sellman

Dimond Neighborhood Newssaid, “The Read-a-thon wasa great way to both promotereading and raise money for ourschool. Kids all love to be readto and to read themselves whenthey are able, so there was a lotof excitement and momentumsurrounding the whole event. Weswallowed at least three chapterbooks in a week at my house.”

La Farine Bakery, Dimond,had a booth at Sequoia Schoolon DEAR day and donatedsales of $560. “We feel it is mostimportant to support youth in thecommunity, and raising funds forthe Sequoia Dads’ Club is a greatway to contribute to the enrich-ment programs for the students,”said Stan Dodson, manager.

Modeled after the successfulGlenview Elementary Read-a-Thon, the Sequoia eventwas encouraged by veteranteacher Cindy Young. OrganizerGiovanna Queeto appreciates allwho contributed to this successfulevent. The February 16 newsletter(sequoiaschool.net) has more. Edi-tor Kelly McGrath was nominatedas a Local Hero for her weeklyproduction of this excellent news-letter. If you missed Sequoia's,the 12th annual Glenview Read-a-Thon is coming right up, March 2through March 16. Call SuzanneMcKaig-Laber or [email protected]

DIA Meeting: March 3Dimond Improvement Associa-tion will host a discussionregarding a Public Art plan forthe Dimond District at 7 p.m. atDimond Library, 3565 FruitvaleAve. The Fruitvale AliveStreetscape renovation breaksground in March, giving the

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district a new canvas to showthe unique character and talentsof the neighborhood. This willbe an informational meetingwith the expectation of forminga committee of local artists andarea residents to formulate a long-term vision, identify prospectivesites, and make recommendationsfor the disbursement of funds.Circus Bella will begin the meet-ing, introducing their 2010 pro-gram. For more information,email [email protected] community meeting isopen to the public. ——————————————Kathleen Russell can be emailed [email protected].

Lee Long, 2nd grade student at Sequoia, reads a story to classmateswith Kristen Caven, guest reader/speaker, at the Read-a-thon.

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RHNA Annual Meeting:Protecting Your

Investments fromNatural Disasters

On March 16, the RedwoodHeights Neighborhood Associa-tion (RHNA) will host the An-nual Neighborhood Meeting,which is planned for 7 p.m. atFirst Covenant Church next toLincoln Square Center. Thisyear’s speaker will discuss howto protect one’s investmentsfrom natural disasters. Check theRHNA Web site for more details:www.redwoodheights.org.

Celebrating Diversityin Redwood Heights

Contributed by the R.H. School Dads’ Club

On Saturday, March 20, 2010, helpcelebrate the rich diversity of thepeople and cultures in our com-munity at the Redwood HeightsElementary School MulticulturalFaire. From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,the day is filled with live on-stageperformances, multicultural cui-sine, and art projects from aroundthe world. See the February 2010Metro RH Neighborhood News formore details.

To learn more about how toget involved, send an email toSteve Barretto at [email protected].

B Y D E N I S E D A V I L A

Redwood Heights News

MarathonC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

and plans to walk the marathon.“I do a modified race walk. It’snot strolling; you really need totrain. I’ve walked the Portlandand Los Angeles marathons.”Maxwell Park runner JanHetherington intends to runin her Vibram FiveFingers,which are lightweight latexshoes that simulate barefootrunning. “It’s glorious, feelingthe ground under your feet.”

The festival begins on Satur-day, March 27 with a kick-off

cont inued on page 3

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March 2010

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igns of spring are here! Flowersand trees have started to blos-som. Wild animals like deer, rac-

coons, skunks, and opossums are be-ing seen more often. And everythingis green. At my home, we especiallyget a kick out of watching two busysquirrels becoming more active aftera winter spent high in the swayingpalm trees in our front yard. And asa matter of celebration, the floweringbulbs planted by neighborhood vol-unteers at the foot of Rusting alongMountain Blvd. last fall have jumpedout of the ground. Hooray! And forthose of you with gardens, this time

B Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y of year brings the annual declarationof war against weeds. While Oaklandhas its public issues and concerns,there’s one thing we can do for our-selves starting today, and that’s keepour homes and gardens looking asbeautiful as possible for all to enjoy.After all, as a person walks or drivesalong parts of Leona or MountainView or Mountain Blvd, it’s hard notthink of ourselves as living in a kindof park. We’re very lucky in ourneighborhood to be living as closeas possible to being in harmonywith nature. It’s one of the manythings in life we can celebrate. ——————————————Gordon Laverty can be reachedat [email protected].

Leona HeightsNeighborhood News

Miracles of Music for MLKWhen I arrived at Miracles ofFaith Community church onVirginia for the fifth annualmusical commemoration inhonor of Dr. Martin Luther KingJr., most of the pews were full.A little later the extra chairs weretaken and people were standing.

At the back of the sanctuaryI found a fascinating display ofblack and white photographs ofDr. King’s civil rights activitiesduring the 1960s, and earlier,sometimes graphic, scenes ofAfrican-American history in theSouth. Berteenia Rainey explainedthat the photos are copies fromher extensive collection. Laterthat afternoon she was amongthose to receive awards for herwork as a community advocate.

The congregation joined in“Lift Every Voice and Sing” andcalled out encouragement toyoung performers on trombone,harp, piano, horn, or drums.Gospel singer Jordana Jiltonilro’sunbelievable voice glided up toa sky-high note at the end ofher number, and young singerSheila Head followed with a syn-copated version of “Walk AroundHeaven All Day.” Other perform-ers included a young hoofer(who brought his own board),a spoken-word artist, dancers,and jazz artist Ricardo Scales.

There were also awards forcommunity service. Special hon-ors went to Actor/Director BarryShabaka, Councilmember JeanQuan, and Khali Shaheed ofthe Oaktown Jazz Workshop.Other awards recognized a vari-ety of individuals for their workin nursing education, ministries,housing, political service, andother outreach to the community.Reverend Gregg Brown was illand could not attend the service.Barbara Taylor filled in as MCon short notice with grace andpoise. Barbara told me that Rev.Brown is recuperating fromBell’s palsy and is expected tomake a full recovery.

B Y A D E L L E F O L E Y

High Street Neighborhood News

Ajetonovi. If you’re goingdancing, off to Vegas, a club, ora party, or gift hunting, checkout these clothes and accessories.Sizes range from juniors towomen’s plus, the colors arevibrant, and don’t miss thehandmade butterfly earrings.Angela began selling out of thetrunk of her car and the BerkeleyFlea Market before opening DivaDarlings on High and Brookdaleand expanding the business toa second store last fall.

Almost a Stage SetIn the empty streetThe mournful sound of his saxSweetens the night air

——————————————Adelle Foley can be reached [email protected].

Melrose Libraryand Walkers Updates

Deputy director Gerry Garzontells me that the citywide writtenexams for Children’s Librarian(including the vacancy at MelroseBranch) are being processed. In-terviews should occur in March.Melrose Branch will beclosedfrom march 13 to may 11.

The Melrose-High Hopeswalkers expanded their groupto include several with four feetand little ones in strollers andslings. They plan to walk anddistribute meeting flyers eachSaturday before the NCPCmeeting (which is on the thirdThursday of the month at HoraceMann School).

Bangles that Dangleon High Street

When I knocked at the door ofOn the Runway, a new ladies’boutique in the strip mall onHigh St. below MacArthur, Iwas welcomed by owner Angela

Melrose High Hopes walkers and flyer distributers include four-footed neighbors andbabies in strollers and slings.

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Sheila Head singing at Miracles of Faithmusical celebration of Martin Luther King

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YMarathonC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 2

party with live music at LakeMerritt and twilight 5K racesaround the lake. The longerraces leave from Broadwayearly morning the next day.Celebrations and live musiccontinue until early afternoonas the racers return. Residentsacross Oakland are encouragedto cheer racers as they passthrough the neighborhoods.

See the Web site—www.oaklandmarathon.comfor registration information,festival schedule, volunteeropportunities, and race routes.

B Y P A T P A T T E R S O N

4March 2010

PauletteAvery,

R.N., M.S.N.,I.B.C.L.C.

To Your Health

arch is National Nutri-tion Month. I find themore I read about attain-

ing and maintaining optimalhealth, the more essential good nu-trition becomes to me. So I’m shar-ing some nutrition informationabout sugar for this month’s col-umn.

Good nutrition means eatingthe right foods, at least most of thetime, and avoiding the ones thatmay harm our health. I like thesuggestion that we aim to eat well80 percent of the time and allowourselves leeway to eat some ofour favorite foods that may be lesshealthy only 20 percent of thetime. This 80/20 rule can make iteasier to choose healthful foodsmore often than not, so that whenyou can’t resist the urge to indulgein an occasional doughnut, candybar, or other less-than-ideal foodchoice, you won’t feel quite soguilty.

As Americans, most of us eatway too much sugar, a whopping150 to 170 pounds each year on av-erage! You may eat much less thanthat, but for everyone who eatsless, there are people eating abovethe average. Drinking just fourcans of soft drinks, somethingsome people do many days, pro-vides a full quarter pound of sugarintake. According to the March is-sue of Prevention, “people whoconsume more than 74 grams ofadded fructose a day (the amountin two to three sweetened softdrinks) are 87 percent more likelyto have severely elevated bloodpressure.”

Read food labels so that youknow what you are putting intoyour body. A teaspoon equals 4.2

grams of sugar. The label tells youhow many grams of sugar are con-tained in each serving, so dividingthe grams of sugar per serving byfour will tell you approximatelyhow many teaspoons of sugar itcontains. Be sure to check servingsizes too. Often the serving sizelisted on the label is less than whatmost people would eat at one time.For example, the serving size onthe label of a muffin may be foronly half the muffin. So rememberthat if you eat the whole muffin,the amounts of sugar and fat listedwould be doubled. The currentrecommendation is to limit addedsugar to six and one-half teaspoonseach day or about 27 grams.

Learn to recognize the differ-ent names that indicate sugar con-tent in a food. Some of the wordsto watch for include sucrose (alsoknown as table sugar), fructose,dextrose, maltodextrin, beet sugar,sorghum, concentrated fruit juice,and of course, high fructose cornsyrup. You’ll find high fructosecorn syrup used as a sweetener inmany foods these days, and youmay have heard to avoid it. Butfrom what I’ve read recently, it isno worse than most other forms ofsugar. If you focus on loweringyour overall sugar intake, you willautomatically lower your intake ofhigh fructose corn syrup as well.

Lowering sugar intake may beyour first step in eating morehealthfully. I think you’ll noticewithin a few days that the fruitsand vegetables you eat taste muchsweeter to you. Be well.—————————————Paulette Avery is a registerednurse and a freelance writerwho specializes in health issues.

Nutrition:Key to GoodHealth

Disaster PreparednessMaxwell Park Readies Itself

with a Walkie-Talkie NetworkDid you know that Maxwell Parkhas a network of walkie-talkies andprocedures to keep communicationopen in the event of an emergencyor disaster? Thanks to local neighborJoe Davis, our community has oneof the most critical tools in place,but our area could use additionalhelp to strengthen the network.In 2006-2007, he and several othersin the Maxwell Park EmergencyResponse Team (MPERT) investedin the handheld devices as part ofthe emergency preparedness planof the City’s CORE, Communitiesof Oakland Respond to Emergenciesprogram.

With the Haitian earthquakedisaster less than two months old,it’s a glaring reminder to tighten up

You may have seen announce-ments on the MPNCPC listserv re-garding regular exercises of thewalkie-talkie network. On thesecond Wednesday each month,at 6:30 p.m., before the MPNCPCmeeting, Joe conducts a test of thesystem. He assumes the role ofMPERT “Net-Control” and solicitsany neighbors with radios who canhear him to check in on the network.

In an earthquake, regular com-munications (home phones, Internet,cell phones) may overload or failcompletely for many hours or evendays. Walkie-talkies are low-costbattery-powered handheld radiosthat allow a solution in such anemergency. They’re also usefulfor other family or neighborhoodactivities and don’t require anFCC license. Oakland’s COREorganization encourages walkie-talkies to report neighborhoodstatus to the City of Oakland’semergency operations team.

“Talking on the devices takessome getting used to,” states Davis.“But the great thing is that one per-son might notify that their street is‘all clear, no fires or injuries,’ whileanother might report ‘serious injuryoccurred, help is needed ASAP,’and both messages are forwardedto the city’s operations center byham radio operators at neighbor-hood fire stations.”

Maxwell Park has a numberof organized Neighborhood Watchgroups, and it would be a great extrafeature to 1) identify a contact whowould have a walkie-talkie andparticipate in the monthly tests,and 2) set up or refresh your ownemergency preparedness plan byattending the CORE training:www.oaklandnet.com/fire/core.

“Being a Maxwell Park communi-cations contact doesn’t involve a lotof time, just the monthly tests as timepermits. In the event of a disaster,you could report the status of yourhouse, street, or area,” states Joe.

• Want to be a point of contactfor a walkie-talkie? Contact JoeDavis, at [email protected],534-4978.

• On April 24 the city andCORE will conduct a CitywideEmergency Response Exercise.Volunteers will respond to simula-tions, similar to a fire drill. MPERTplans to be involved. ———————————————We are looking for a neighborhoodwriter for this column. Interested? Con-tact Pat Patterson at [email protected] [email protected].

Maxwell Park Neighborhood News

Joe Davis checks out the Walkie Talkies.

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our earthquake preparedness. A keyelement is communications, and JoeDavis had the perseverance to main-tain a network, along with otherOakland neighborhoods, that link toOakland Fire Department’s (OFD)Emergency Operations Center inthe event of such an emergency.

March 2010

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Laurel Neighborhood News

B Y J O H N F R A N D O

Spelling Bee WinnersAmerican Indian Public CharterSchool sixth-grader Bryan Zhengand eighth-grader KevinCovarrubias were middle school di-vision winners at the February 4school district spelling bee. PrincipalMs. Sophath Mey said that eachschool was allowed to send twospellers to the district bee. “Their ac-complishments were even moreamazing because the district officedidn’t send us the correct officialword lists. They didn’t have achance to study the actual wordscalled at the bee, and they still won.”

Bryan tied for first place aftersix rounds when judges ran out ofwords on their lists and decided tocall a tie. He said the most memo-rable word he spelled was “tachy-cardia.” Bryan has placed in thepast three district spelling bees,winning first place in the elemen-tary division as a fourth grader atLaurel Elementary. Kevin placedfifth and said the word that bestedhim that night was “oleiferous.”

Bryan, Kevin, and 10 other topspellers will represent Oakland inelementary and middle school di-visions at the Alameda CountySpelling Bee on March 27.

Neighborhood Youth For HaitiThe images of devastation andsuffering after the Haiti earth-quake prompted youth intoaction. Laurel Elementary Schoolparent Nancy Chan describedthe fundraiser in her daughter’sclass. “Ms. Jennifer White’s classis keeping a loose change bucket,so far collecting about $107.At the end of the school year,they’ll decide where to sendtheir donation.”

The Bret Harte Has a Heartfor Haiti fundraiser has raisedalmost $800. Students who donatereceive a heart inscribed with theirname. The hearts are attached tothe school lobby walls. The hearts

began as a small cluster in thecorner of the lobby. They grew tocover the entire room.

Elizabeth Chiment, teacher ofstudents in the deaf and hard-of-hearing program, described thefundraiser. “The idea came froma faculty meeting just after theearthquake. Some staff had con-nections to Haiti, and one selectedthe nonprofit Oxfam. Through thefundraiser, students are learningto cope with the suffering of theHaitian people, feeling empow-ered to help even though they arefar away. We also had a fundraiserafter Hurricane Katrina.”

She recalled: “Students initi-ated bake sales to raise money.Ms. Morris’ class, which has beenraising money all year for a classtrip to Washington DC, donatedproceeds from an entire nachossale to the hearts campaign, about$111. Students in my class cut outthe hearts. It’s like a heart factory.”

The fundraiser continuesuntil the end of the year. Thecommunity is welcome to viewthe hearts and make donations.

Citywide ExerciseFrom 9 a.m. to noon on April 24,the Oakland Fire Department andOffice of Emergency Services willconduct a disaster scenario, a 7.0magnitude earthquake on theHayward fault, centered in NorthOakland. Organized neighbor-hood groups like MASH (a neigh-borhood watch and CORE group

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Storytelling for all ages and occa-sions. Educational, magical and fun.Professional storyteller and teacher,Mary Ellen Hill, 636-4155,m e h s t o r i e s @ n e t z e r o . c o m ,www.mehstories.com.

Handywoman Services. Minor homerepair, accessibility modifications,light hauling, and gardening. Spe-cializing in service to seniors. Nojob too small. Laurel resident forover 17 years. Ruth Ann Crawford530-7459.

CLASSIFIED RATES: Classified ads are$.50 per word. Discounted prices areavailable for five- and ten-issue frequen-cies. Send your copy along with pay-ment to The MacArthur Metro, PO Box19046, Oakland, 94619 or email yourcopy to [email protected] for submission and payment isthe 15th of the month. For additionalinformation on discounts or other infor-mation contact Krista Gulbransen at 287-2655, fax 291-2944.

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Bernice & Joe Playschool. For nearly29 years, play-based learning inour earthquake retrofitted, home-likecenter near Mills College. Thepark-like quarter-acre setting haspine and fruit trees, vegetablegarden, redwood playhouse, 20-foot sailboat, two-story woodenrocket ship, outdoor art andblock rooms. Curriculum includespre-reading, pre-math enrichment,field trips, F.I.T. gymnastics,music and Spanish lessons. Empha-sis put on socialization, verbaliza-tion. Sibling discount. Lunch,snacks provided. Ages 2 to 5years. License #010214258.Brochure. (510) 638-3529. Visit us atwww.berniceandjoe-playschool.com.

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American Indian Public Charter School 6th-grader Bryan Zheng and 8th-grader KevinCovarrubias will represent Oakland at the Alameda County Spelling Bee on March 27.

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Bret Harte students with the paper hearts made for every studentwho donated money for Haiti.

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6March 2010

Calendar of Community Events

B Y M A R I L Y N G R E E N , C O O R D I N A T O R

The MacArthur Metro calendar welcomes a range of listings. We emphasizecommunity meetings and actions that address neighborhood concerns as wellas cultural events that enrich our lives. To have your event listed, please contactMarilyn Green no later than the 12th of the preceding month at 531-9233 [email protected].

March 2010

Neighborhood Crime Prevention CouncilsMaxwell Park Neighborhood Council Meeting: Wednesday, March 10, 7 p.m.to 8:45 p.m., Melrose Leadership Academy, 5328 Brann. Check our Web sitemaxwellparknc.com, or call Jan Hetherington at 534-4978 for more info.Allendale Park Meeting: Wednesday, March 17, 7 p.m., 3711 Suter St.Melrose High Hopes NCPC: Thursday, March 18, 7 p.m., Horace MannElementary School, Congress and Ygnacio.Jefferson NCPC: Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 p.m., Global Family (Jefferson)Elementary, 2035 40th Ave. Contact: Ana Martinez 773-0469.

Dimond Library 3565 Fruitvale Ave. Information: 482-7844.Free Tax Assistance: Tuesdays through April 13, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., andThursdays through April 8, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Trained AARP volunteers offertax assistance. Call the library to make an appointment. Bring copies of yourprevious year’s tax returns and all items pertaining to your 2009 tax forms.Family Storytimes: Tuesdays, March 2, 9, 16, and 23, 7 p.m.Lawyers in the Library: First Tuesday, March 2, 6 to 8 p.m.; sign-up for lotteryat 5:45 p.m. Free legal information. Call to confirm on the day of the program.Spanish Conversation Group: First and Third Tuesday, March 2 and 16, 6:30 to7:30 p.m. Contact Sarah Hodgson 482-7844, [email protected] your skills and learn new vocabulary. Be familiar with the basics.Drop-ins welcome.Storytime: Wednesdays, March 3, 10, 17, and 24, 10:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.,10:15 a.m. for toddlers up to 2 years; 11 a.m. for ages 3 to 5 years.Teen Time: Thursdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Music, snacks, and board games.Book Discussion Group: Tuesday, March 9, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Call for currenttitle. New members welcome.Celebrate Women’s History Month Suppressed Histories: Iran: Tuesday, March16, 6:30 p.m. Local artist and curator of the Suppressed Histories Archives,Max Dashu, offers a look at 8,000 years of Iranian history. Slide presentationof ceramics and female icons of ancient Iran, including the rare snake goddessseals from Marhashi, the goddess Anahita, and the wild-side bronzes fromLuristan. Also views of women in Persian miniatures and leaders of the currentIranian revolution.Lego® Engineering Workshops: Friday, March 19, 3:30 p.m. In this innovativeengineering workshop offered by Play-Well TEKnologies, kids work in teamsto explore concepts in physics, mechanical and structural engineering, andarchitecture while playing with their favorite creations and having a great time.

Melrose Library 4805 Foothill Blvd. Information: 535-5623.Closed for two months, March 13 to May 11 for window restoration.

General CalendarJoin the Oakland Strokes Rowing Crew: Ongoing. Open to all high school stu-dents. Contact Phil Caruthers at [email protected] or 527-4595.Environmental Classes at Merritt College: Classes are ongoing.www.ecomerritt.org or 434-3840. Register online at www.peralta.edu.DeFremery Pool: Opens March 1. 1269 18th St. Lap swimming, swimlessons, lifeguard certification training, even movies! Call OPR Aquatic Office238-2196 or email [email protected] or [email protected] information.Allendale Recreation Center “After School All Stars”: Monday to Friday,through June 17. 3 to 6:30 p.m. and 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, 3711Suter Street. A full after-school program for elementary-aged youth. Programincludes a healthy snack, tutoring, environmental awareness, fitness, healtheducation, cooking, and art. Child pickup from Allendale and LaurelElementary School. 535-5635.Fruitvale Presbyterian Church Senior Center: Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m., 2734 MacArthur Blvd. 530-0915.Oakland Youth Orchestra: Saturday, March 6, 5:30 to 9 p.m., Greek OrthodoxCathedral, 4700 Lincoln Ave. Annual fundraiser concert and auction. Cocktailsand silent auction at 5:30 to 7. Dinner and live auction at 7. Go towww.oyo.org for tickets and information.Nursery Work Days: Saturdays, March 6, 20, 27, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., JoaquinMiller Park Native Plant Nursery, 3594 Sanborn Rd. Join the Friends of SausalCreek for an afternoon of native plant propagation. Wear layers, and bringwater. Minors need a guardian to sign a waiver. Contact Megan [email protected] to RSVP.Mandalas by Chuck Marut: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 6 p.m., Sundays,noon to 1 p.m., through Wednesday, March 31. Fruitvale Presbyterian ChurchChapel Gallery, 2735 MacArthur. A photographic exhibition: order andbeauty revealed from the chaos of nature. Reception for the artist March 7,1 to 3 p.m., talk by the artist at 2 p.m.Allendale Park “Feet on the Street”: Thursday, March 11, 7 p.m., corner ofDale and Minna.

Be CarefulWhat You Plant

I have had a love/hate rela-tionship with a bamboo hedgesince I first took possession ofmy home, nearly 30 years ago.It is not so much a landscapefeature as a force to reckonwith. Though the massivewall of 25-foot stalks givesmy garden a South Seas Islandfeel, picking up dead fronds,cutting back dead stalks, andmonitoring new shoots havecost me countless sweat,hours, and dollars in constantupkeep.

Judging by its girth, Iwould estimate someoneplanted the bamboo screena good hundred years ago or

TheImperfectGardener

AdinaSara

more. Someone must oncehave thought that this giantvariety of bamboo was agreat landscaping idea.

A decade or so ago I be-gan the grueling process ofminimizing the dense growth.Little by little, parts of theproperty have opened up tofall and winter sunsets anda magnificent redwood view.Shapeless and stubborn in itsgrowth habits, what remainsof the bamboo wall continuesto overwhelm the southwest-ern perimeter.

As of this writing I amclose to deciding to hire acrew to dig it all out—a deci-sion as radical and irrevocableas tearing down a wall in myhome. Yes, I’ll be rid of allthat maintenance, but whatwill happen to the birdsounds in the dusk anddawn hours? And the illusionthat I live in Tahiti?

When we make plantselections, it is important tothink of the long-term effects,both positive and negative,on the overall landscape. Ifsomeone offers you a darlinglittle redwood sprout, thinkabout what it will look likein 50 years. Will it be in a po-sition to threaten the house’sfoundation or the neighbor’sroof? Before you fall in lovewith a vine (like wisteria orpassiflora), read up on its

potential for envelopingelectrical wires or destroyingfences. Before you select aflowering perennial (like thelovely melianthus), find outhow it goes about dividingitself. Where do the rootsgo? And if you happen tosee your neighbor plantingbamboo at the property line,make a pest of yourself andask them what variety it is.

Your landscape belongsto you right now—but italso belongs to future gen-erations. Be mindful of whatyou plant.

Pruning Fruit TreesI hope by now you havepruned your fruit trees. Youcan prune into late summer,but that will control only theoverall size of the tree. Whenfruit trees are dormant,pruning helps determine thequantity and quality of nextyear’s fruit production. Sometrees (like cherries) are par-ticular about their pruningtime, whereas citrus can bepruned just about anytime.

Once a tree is grown, ifit has not been properlypruned, it can be difficultto untangle the misshapenbranches. Whatever the vari-ety, it is most important toprune a tree when it is small,giving it the shape it willhave for the rest of its life.

Oak Knoll Produce Market: Saturdays, March 13 and 27, 10 to 11 a.m., St.Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church, 7932 Mountain Blvd. Open on the second andfourth Saturday of every month except holidays. www.stcuthbertsoakland.org.Second Sunday Series: Sunday, March 14, 4 to 6 p.m. Opera Piccola ArtsCenter, 2946 MacArthur Blvd. Play readings and open mic poetry or songs.All age levels. Also, “A Create-It-Yourself Play.” We will all create a playtogether and perform it for ourselves. Phone: 482-0967 or www.opera-piccola.org. Free Admission (Donations accepted). Free parking in theOakland Ballet lot next door.Greek Independence Day Run: Saturday, March 20, 8 to 10 a.m. New BoatHouse, 568 Bellevue, Lake Merritt. 5K/10K Run, 5K Walk, celebrating GreekIndependence in 1821. Spanakopita, feta cheese, olives, kouloura, desserts,beverages, and fresh oranges in Lakeside Park (separate parking fee). Pro-ceeds benefit the Ascension Historical Society. Call Paula at 925-788-3018,email [email protected], or visit run.pahh.com.Allendale Park Beautification: Saturday, March 20, 10:30 a.m. Suter and38th Streets (Suter Triangle).Creek Restoration Work Days: Saturday, March 20, 8:45 a.m., Dimond Park,3860 Hanly Rd. Friends of Sausal Creek remove invasive species, spreadmulch, and clean up the creek. Sign in at the Scout Hut. Wear layers. Bringa refillable water bottle. Contact Megan at [email protected] for more information, or to RSVP for groups of six or more.Aquatic Insect Sampling: Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m. to noon, Dimond Park,3860 Hanly Rd. Friends Of Sausal Creek insect sampling. Wear warmclothing, bring a towel to sit on, get wet, and experience unusual local wildlifein Sausal Creek. Contact Eddie Dunbar, [email protected], 506-2837to get involved.“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”: Wednesday to Saturday,March 24 to 27, and Thursday to Saturday, April 1 to 3, 7:30 p.m.; also a 2p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 3., Skyline High School, 12250 Skyline Blvd.Annual spring musical production features over 50 student performers, $10/adults, $8/seniors & children under 12, [email protected] Names University Information Session: Thursday, March 25, 6 to 7:30p.m., Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd. Discussion about graduateprograms and adult baccalaureate degree programs. RSVP: Tammy Dain,436-1368 or [email protected] Reverie: Sunday, March 28, 7 p.m., Fruitvale Presbyterian Church,2735 MacArthur Blvd. A monthly prayer service that seeks to provide aspace for meditation, contemplation, and creative spiritual practice. We are achurch,and so claim a particular faith experience but are also open to the expe-rience and wisdom that you bring. Abby King, www.abbykk.com, 508-2809.

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composed of houses on Madrone,Albert, Steele, and Huntington)will practice responding tosimulated emergency incidents.

MASH participated last year.Members recently held the sec-ond of four meetings to preparefor the citywide exercise. Theyconducted a tabletop exercise,discussing what to do upon firstarriving at their neighborhoodincident command center. Theychecked emergency tools andsupplies and analyzed debriefingnotes from last year’s exercise.

If you or your group wouldlike to participate in the citywideexercise, contact the CORECoordinator at 238-6351, oremail [email protected] without a group willbe matched to a host group. ——————————————John Frando can be reached [email protected].

MASH member Tom Virsik checkshis CORE backpack supplies.

Laurel NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 5

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March 2010

7

$1000 and aboveMary Morris Lawrence Trust

Special acknowledgmentfor the generous gift of $2,000

$150 and aboveMaureen Dorsey, DVM

Nancy Scott & William A. InceKaty & Vito Vanoni

Jeff Kelley & Hung LiuGary D. Yee & Caroline C. Yee

Reuben Goldberg &Eileen Carlin-Goldberg

Renais Winter & Doug StoneNancy Sidebotham

Bart WrightIgnacio De La Fuente

$50 up to $150Margaret M. O’Halloran & Chris Lute

Susan AbplanalpRichard Cowan & Kathleen Collins

Sharon & George HigginsHelen LockwoodKeiko Shimada

Tarpoff & TalbertCarolyn Adams

African American Genealogical SocietyJody Berke

Lawrence J. &Margaret O. BowermanJanet & John BroughtonPhilip & Kathleen Caskey

Chris & Andy CohnDeborah Cooper

Eleanor & Michael DunnDouglas Ferguson

Michael FerroAndretta Fowler

Anne FoxJohn Frando

Jeffrey & Judy GreenhouseMarcia Henry & Gary Delgado

Erin HughesBeverly JamesLois Johnson

Stella Roda & Scott H. LambLaurel Hardware/David Vahlstrom

Phil Wong & Lisa LemusNancy MeyerWilliam Milny

Don Braden & Sue MorganLydia Palmin & Tom Daley

Susan PappsPatricia Quinn

Frank Tulleners & Christine Ralls

The Metro acknowledges contributions of $50 or more by listing your name orbusiness as a Money Honey for 10 issues. You keep our paper alive and well.

MONEY HONEYS

$50 up to $150 (continued)

Trudi & Don RobinsonKaren M. Schroeder

Virginia S. & Wade SherwoodHelen J. & William R. Shyvers. Jr.

Beverly SmithSharon Toth

Nancy Lindsay & Timothy VendlinskiVictoria Wake

Susan & Ted TanisawaJeff Green & Pat Dombrink

Hal & Lori WineNancy Erb & Dick Kolbert

Paula KimbroE. Elizabeth Summers

Benjamin VisnickFred Russillo

Michael Wirgler & Nancy TaylorSarah A. Finnegan

Lesley & Gloria WilmerRoussel Sargent

Madeline Smith MooreConstance Pfeil

Toni LockeSheila D’Amico

John R. Elk and Claude M. ElkJoan Dark & Cliff Falloon

American Legion, East OaklandPost 471, Robert Cacy, Adjt.

M.A. DrellingDavid J. PittaRuth Malone

C. A. Peddle & Pamela Magnuson-PeddleFelicity Buxton

Will & Riba EdwardsLaurie UmehMerry Luskin

John & Jo-Ann Maggiora DonivanAdelle & Jack Foley

Deborah Cooper & Kenneth ShawDiane TebaultLois Johnson

Val and Mel JonesKimiko and Yoshi Wong

in Memory of Katie,Oakland Veterinary Hospital

Susan Audap-PageSusanne Lea & Russ BrunoAna Rauch & John Torpey

Laurie SpryJane L. Stallman

Kimiko & Yoshi Wong/Komodo ToysWilliam A. & Nancy Scott-Ince

Dal & Virginia SellmanJoanna & Richard Roberts

One of more than 50 peoplewho deliver this paper to homesand businesses, longtime MetroiteDal Sellman is the face of theMacArthur Metro when he distrib-utes the paper in the Laurel andother places along the Blvd. on thefirst of the month. Dal is less visible,but no less valuable, as the chairof the Metro’s Alameda Food Bankcontingent. He wants readers toknow that several of the mostcommitted of his food bank crewhad to step back for various reasons.He’s looking for folks who canstep up and volunteer twice amonth. Contact Dal at 531-2690.

Constance Dalton sentword that on one day in February,the entire St. Elizabeth High Schoolspent the whole day in service tothe community. Student and staffteams traveled to 13 locations,where they cooked for residentsenior citizens, tutored elementarystudents, cleaned areas from storage

sheds to the shores of Lake Merritt,or assisted with sports programsfor needy kids and adults. Studentsand staff were easily identified bytheir red-on-white “CommunityService Day 2010 St. Elizabeth HighSchool” tee shirts. It may have beenthe first Service Day where thewhole school participated, butstudents and staff vowed it willnot be their last. They plan to makethis an annual event.

Rochelle Rodgers suggestslocal walkers trek over to SausalCreek. What is normally a stream,looks these days, she says, like asmall river. Not suitable for raftingor canoeing, of course, but a differ-ent environment from a walk ina dry winter.

Community Policing hasexisted in Oakland for more than15 years. Experienced membersof Neighborhood Crime PreventionCouncils are realizing that it’sgreat to encourage NeighborhoodWatch/Home Alert micro groups,and these groups will be critical inan earthquake or other emergency.But real political power exists incollaboration. Members of several

Sheila D’Amico

Metro area NCPCs are doing thatin various ways. Melrose HighHopes Beat 27X and RainbowCommunity Neighborhood Council27Y worked together to get condi-tions imposed on a local bar. Pueb-los Unidos 20X and Jefferson 24Xheld a strategy session to determinehow best to testify at a Councilbudget workshop about the needfor NSCs and made a draft NSCsupport letter available for allNCPCs to use. Millsbrae-Burbank29X’s chair is also a member ofthe Community Policing AdvisoryBoard and is in frequent emailcontact with other area NCPCs.Community Policing is a part ofthe fabric of our community.

We were sad to hear thatthe community is losing anotherlocal print publication. The BerkeleyDaily Planet will now publish onlineonly. The Oakland Tribune ran athoughtful editorial reminding“us in the business of the fragilityof the newspaper industry. Itshould remind readers and resi-dents of the important role of localjournalism. Like many things inlife, we unfortunately don’t appreci-ate them until they’re gone.”

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St. Elizabeth High School student GregGamble, ’12, with two students fromSt. Martin de Porres School.

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St. Elizabeth High School students Michael Cunningham ,’11, and Eric Sandoval,’13, cleaning up at Alameda Point.

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8March 2010

his is the year of the cen-sus—2010. It’s time to becounted. Only about two-

thirds of Oakland’s residentswere counted in the 2000 cen-sus, Norman Brown, regionaldirector of the Census, told the“Summit on Aging” gatheredat Lincoln Court on January 27.He was speaking to twelveagencies for, of, and by seniorsthat had come together to planaction on a range of issues. Hewants to put everybody in thepicture in 2010, including se-niors. Being counted would bea start. Mr. Brown lives in theDimond, and only had to stepacross the street to LincolnCourt (corner Lincoln andMacArthur) to join the group.

A concentration of seniorhousing made the Dimond anatural location for the meeting:

Beth Asher on Dimond Way (49units), on MacArthur Blvd. theAltenheim (93+80), Adel Court(30), and most recently LincolnCourt (82). Well-establishedagencies manage these com-plexes: Eden Housing, SatelliteHousing, and Self-Help forthe Elderly. Fortunately forthe community, they were allrepresented at the “summit,”ready to share and be activeon public issues, as were theseorganizations: the DimondImprovement Association,the City of Oakland HumanServices, the Oakland Commis-sion on Aging, OaklandUnified School District AdultEducation, United Seniors ofAlameda, District 4 City Coun-cil Office. Beverly Kravatz ofSelf-Help for the Elderly, theagency that manages LincolnCourt, was in charge of thethree-hour session.

“We count,” declared IshebeCarmichael of the Altenheim.“We must learn to be thesqueaky wheel.”

The United States has madea count of all its residents everyten years since 1790, NormanBrown told us. Federal fundsin the amount of $400 billion goto states and communities everyyear based on the count. Data areused to determine location ofschools, hospitals, and newhousing, boundaries for stateand local legislative and congres-sional districts, and much more.

The 2010 census needs toinclude elders, sixty-five andover, whose numbers are pre-dicted to be doubled by 2030.Today in Alameda County overhalf of them do not have enoughincome to meet their basic needs,much less the range of specialneeds. A new census count willestablish their numbers, provid-ing a sound base for organizedstrategies to meet the crisis nowconfronting them as the already

inadequate social safety netthey had is being ripped away.

As the March Metro hitsthe stands, the Census officein Oakland will still be takingapplications for part-time jobsthat pay $22 an hour for thosequalifying for a four-day train-ing. Through the mail by April1, 2010, all households shouldhave in hand the question-naires. Households shouldcomplete and mail back thequestionnaires upon receipt.There are 10 questions thatshould take about 10 minutes

to complete. In May throughJuly the census workers will goout and collect the data from allthose who have not responded.

If you want to do more thanmail your own questionnaire,you can apply to be a censusworker by calling the Oaklandoffice at 250-4340. When I calledI got, not a menu, but a clear,helpful human being with theanswers. You can also go towww.2010censusjobs.gov; orcall toll free: 1-866-861-2010.Look for future stories aboutseniors in action.

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Volume 22 Number 2 March 2010 Oakland Running Festival

Documents

Transcript of Volume 22 Number 2 March 2010 Oakland Running Festival