Month: September 2008

Chabot Telescope Class For Big Kids

Chabot Space & Science Center (map) is a local treasure, best known for its celebrity telescopes:  Leah, Rachel and Nellie.  This year, Chabot celebrates its 125th anniversary of peering into the stars.

While many of the educational programs are geared to local students and families, I’m drawn to a new Telescope Class that has been announced for big kids only.

Chabot’s Telescopes Vision Telescope Class begins this Thursday, at 7:30pm.  Instead of taking a quick look through telescopes, the class really shows you how to use them:

This course will introduce you to the astronomer’s prime tool: the telescope. Gain experience using telescopes as you explore the night sky. Learn the basics of telescopic vision—light gathering power, magnification, and resolution. Find out how to use the sky and its constellations as a roadmap to discovering its hidden treasures—nebulas, star clusters, galaxies, and more—that reside just beyond the reach of the unaided eye.

The four-session course runs Thursdays from 7:30pm – 9:30pm,  on September 18th & 25th, and October 2nd & 9th.  It costs $95, or $85 for Chabot members.  You may sign up through the Chabot Box Office, at 510-336-7373.

If this really turns you on, then start building a Newtonian telescope of your own!  Nearly every Friday night, from 7:00pm – 10:00pm, Chabot conducts a Telescope Makers’ Workshop as well.  Please reach Paul Zurakowski, at 925-447-6837, for more information.

Redwood Park Trees May Be Chopped

This summer, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) announced their plans to thin out trees in Redwood Regional Park, along the East Ridge Trail.

They began their work briefly in July, and cut down trees near the northern entrance.  Then the Park District’s efforts were put on hold, as protests were waged by citizen groups.  What impressed me was the maturity of the protest – whether you agree with it or not.

Despite years of environmental study, there were key questions raised about the sheer quantity of trees to be culled for fire safety or other reasons.  At the time, I only thought about the inconvenience of one of the most popular biking and hiking trails being closed on weekdays.

Apparently many healthy trees were slated for removal, within a 150 foot distance from the trail.  The Hills Conservation Network claimed this was overkill because “fire-safe environments and preservation of natural landscapes are not mutually exclusive.”  They produced this video showing the East Ridge Trail and raising questions along the way.

According to Assistant Fire Chief John Swanson, who works for the Park District, “We are not taking any more trees than are necessary to accomplishing those [fire safety] objectives.”  Montclair’s Rose Nied thought that some trees should be saved from the chopping block, and partially succeeded by walking the trail with Swanson.

The Park District also hosted open meetings, and received comments from hundreds of people afterwards.  Their work was placed on hold while additional assessments were made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The tree removals are scheduled to re-start soon, unless some additional litigation emerges.

Still this was the right way to protest.  There’s no need to camp out in the forest for two years, like the folks who were finally removed from the remaining Berkeley campus tree this week.

The FCC Digital Demo Fizzled In Oakland

As part of the FCC’s grand tour, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein stopped by Oakland this evening to explain next February’s transition from analog to digital TV.

Of course, technology will always glitch during demos and tonight was no exception.  “God darn it – it keeps pixelating,” muttered Adelstein as he tried to demo a new digital channel.

Outside the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (map), where the tour made a pit stop, it’s possible to tune channels 9, 11, 14 and 54 successfully.  Inside this concrete building, only channels 14 and 54 worked but there were a few problems.

As the FCC Commissioner explained the transition, his digital demo fizzled.  Adelstein noted the pixelated channel with blocky images, and shifted over to the channel that worked better.  He also mentioned that each current analog channel will be able to deliver four digital channels in its place.

Because the FCC is requiring this transition, it impacts everybody who still relies on broadcast TV without cable or satellite service.  They will need to attach a digital converter box to each TV, as the cheapest option.  This still presents a hurdle, especially for the elderly and low-income Oaklanders.

Thus the Media Alliance sponsored this event, to “get all the facts on the upcoming transition and learn how to help the elderly, disabled or english-limited members of your community” with the transition next February.

Montclarions Are Teenagers

Today I was bragging about our successful wine festival to some Peninsula folks, and realized exactly how I sounded:  like a classic rebellious teen, proud of my identity and pulling away from my comfortable Oakland support system.

Regarding the Montclair festival, the scale felt just right.  There were people mellowing out to the jazz, milling around the kids games, and even getting massages at the good-health booths.  Of course, the rest were making their way through the mostly-California wine tastings.  We had a nice Sunday.

By comparison, the recent Oakland festival was a grown-up event.  It had multiple music venues, tons of booths, and participatory art on a grand scale.  It was something you would expect from a major city.  We liked playing downtown with the whole family, over Labor Day weekend.

Montclair attempts to assert its own identity, despite having no exact geographical boundaries.  Oakland Tribune reporter Peggy Stinnett once declared: “It is not a town of its own even if it is called Montclair Village.  Children grow up there believing the village is a town and when asked, they’ll say they are from Montclair.  I guess they think it’s sort of a suburb to nearby Oakland.”

We have tried to declare independence, sort of.  “Ever so often in Montclair’s history, residents have proposed seceding from Oakland. But it has never taken hold because the people have not wanted to assume the municipal burdens the independence would involve, and many of them like being a Village in Oakland.  Also, Oakland voters would have to agree. Let’s just forget I ever mentioned it,” said Stinnett.

Willie Brown Disses Oakland, Thanks

Willie Brown, retired San Francisco mayor and political major domo, pens a weekly column at the SF Chronicle and decided to diss Oakland today about its restaurant heists.

Hey, don’t rub salt into a wound that’s healing, Willie.

While Willie cracked a joke, it was a pot-shot over the Bay to Oakland:  “By the way, there’s a new dining tip for people going out in Oakland.  Be sure to order soup.  That way when the robbery starts, you can slip off your jewelry and drop it into soup so the robbers won’t see it.”

Willie’s a little late to the party.  A few days ago, the Oakland Police nabbed the two guys (and one gal) whom they believe are linked to four of the restaurant heists.  The robbers decided to expand their scope to a nail salon, and the cops caught them afterwards.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums made a press appearance when the suspects’ capture was announced.  He declared, “We cannot allow a few people to capture the espirit-de-corps of the community.”  He meant well.

However Dellums uttered a classic double entendre.  Were these robbers able to emulate and follow the bad mojo here?  Or were they effectively bringing community spirit down?  Now that’s funny, or maybe it’s just me!