Just The News

Oakland Responds To Shelterwood Water Main

East Bay MUD fixed the main.  The main broke.  Repeat.

The water main on Shelterwood Drive has broken many times over the past few years, as reported here back in June 2009 and June 2010.  We even lost interest reporting on the breaks, though they were certainly disruptive for those neighbors.

Finally, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan reports there will be a permanent fix:

EBMUD Bumps Up Fix of Old Water Main on Shelterwood: After a water main on Shelterwood Road off of Shepherd Canyon broke for the 5th time, causing headaches for residents, EBMUD announced that it is moving up plans for a permanent replacement from May to the end of this month.

“EBMUD manages over 4000 miles of pipeline and we budget 7 to 15 miles of replacement a year. Replacement criteria for aging pipes are based on a formula that takes into account age and breaks. Once a pipeline gets into a queue for replacement, the new pipeline has to be designed before the old one can be replaced. Staffing and resources for both design and replacement are an ongoing challenge and EBMUD must constantly revise priorities,” explained Michelle Blackwell, Community Affairs Representative.

We–and the residents of Shelterwood–thank EBMUD for acting quickly on this.

Yes, Shelterwood’s made the big time.  It’s about time.

Happy New Year: No Auto Break-in

Many Montclarions have been investing in surveillance cameras, partly to catch prowlers as they check out autos which are parked outside homes or on local streets.  This past weekend, one neighbor shared a snapshot from a prowler who didn’t find anything of interest — and didn’t bother breaking into a car either.

The would-be thief arrived Saturday morning at 12:40 am, over on Merriewood Drive.  This area, right off Thornhill Drive, features many older, renovated homes which simply don’t have garages.  A couple autos have been hit up in the area, with windows smashed and valuable items gone by morning.

According to the homeowner’s report on Montclair SIC’s message board:

Our security camera captured someone walking out of our carport, presumably after attempting a car burglary.  Our doors were locked and they did not appear to be walking away with anything.  No windows were broken.

The image doesn’t show the person’s face, [and] they were wearing dark tennis shoes with white trim, blue jeans, black sweatshirt with hood and white logo on the back, and gloves.  Another reminder to lock your car doors.

We have heard, repeatedly, to lock up and make sure nothing of value is left in your car.  Even ID information like your registration and insurance should be removed, lest that tempt the fates.  Yet nothing happened here, at least this time.

First Ranked Choice Votes In!

Ranked choice elections are so interesting.

Although the results are unofficial, the District 4 Council seat will surely be filled by Libby Schaaf.  She garnered over half the vote (52.31%), followed by Jill Broadhurst (30.44%) and Daniel Swafford (17.24%) respectively.

While ranked-choices haven’t changed the District 4 outcome, they reveal the playing field as promised years ago — when we voted for and approved this new methodology.  In the first round, Libby Schaaf earned 42 percent and ran 1.9x ahead of Jill Broadhurst.  After the next choices were counted, she reached a majority of votes with a slightly smaller 1.7x lead.

Meanwhile, there’s an upset brewing in the Oakland Mayoral race from ranked choices.  Don Perata had the most first-place votes, without a majority.  When the next choices were counted from other candidates, things changed.  Our outgoing District 4 Council Rep, Jean Quan, received that majority (51.03%) with Perata behind her (48.91%).  Third-place finisher and Council Rep Rebecca Kaplan’s voters picked Quan by 3:1 ratio.  Got that?

We’re keeping a close watch, as the remaining ballots get counted this weekend — and hope you do, too.

District 4 Council Race: Libby In Lead

In yesterday’s District 4 City Council race, some 42 percent voted for Libby Schaaf and 22 percent voted for Jill Broadhurst.  Since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the first-choice vote, there will now be a ranked choice run-off.  We’ll know the outcome and official winner by Friday, at the latest.

With 100% of the 13,323 votes cast, here’s how all seven candidates fared:

  • Jill Broadhurst — 22.42%
  • Jason Gillen — 2.56%
  • Ralph Kanz — 4.12%
  • Clinton Killian — 5.81%
  • Libby Schaaf — 42.36%
  • Melanie Shelby — 11.47%
  • Daniel Swafford — 11.26%

Also in District 4, Oakland Board of Education representative Gary Yee garnered 69.43% of the vote and bested his opponent Benjamin Visnick, with 30.57%. Some 11,849 voted in this race.

Native Plant Sale

The Friends of Sausal Creek (FOSC) will hold its fall Native Plant Sale on Sunday, October 24, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Joaquin Miller Park Native Plant Nursery. A flyer can be downloaded here.

Native plant experts will be available all day to help shoppers pick appropriate plants for their specific planting areas. This year’s plant sale will feature workshops and live music throughout the day to celebrate completion of the nursery’s expanded shady propagation and growing area and new teaching circle.

11:00  Native Bees and Your Garden with Jennifer Smith

12:00  Native Bird Connections:  Live Owls and Raptors of the Watershed!

12:30  Gardening with Native Plants

1:00    Keeping Urban Chickens with Thomas Kriese

1:30    Growing and Propagating Native Plants with Karen Paulsell

There will also be tables to visit, including Alameda County Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions and “The Spider Chick” Linda Erickson with awesome live arachnids, plus face painting for the kids. Live music will be provided by Harlan James Bluegrass Band and Juke Joint Johnny. This year’s sale is an event not to be missed! Bring your family, neighbors, and friends…and, if possible, a cardboard box to get your plants safely home with you.

Douglas Iris

For more information, please visit the website, email coordinator@sausalcreek.org, or call (510) 501-3672. To volunteer to help before or during the sale, contact nursery@sausalcreek.org or call (510) 325-9006.

Directions:
The nursery is located in Joaquin Miller Park on Sanborn Road. From Highway 13, go east on Joaquin Miller Road. Turn left on Sanborn and park near the community center. Follow signs to the nursery, about 1/4 mile.