Local Events

Got Safety FUD?

Got Safety FUD?  Do you feel a little fear, uncertainty and doubt about living safely in the hills?  These sentiments are often expressed by Montclarions who have experienced home break-ins, and are starting to be shared by their neighbors.

What we do know is there’s been a crime wave in the hills.  Since the perpetrators aren’t visible and ready to catch, our Oakland Police aren’t going to come running – there’s no threat to life and limb.  Let’s review a typical Montclair story, as reported through Montclair Safety’s Yahoo Board:

The police never responded to the call.  They got the first call right as the break in happened from the alarm company around 1:30 pm.  They got another call about 30 min. later from the alarm company.  I phoned them from the driveway 45 min later, when I discovered the shattered door, and did not want to go in alone.  I waited one hour, called again, then called my mom to come help me enter the home with a buddy.  At 7 pm, when the police still had not arrived, I phoned to cancel the 911 call.

Should you throw up your hands? That’s a typical reaction when your home has been burglarized and no police show up – whether your worldly possessions are intact or gone forever.  Still you should call in all hits, because keeping track of the activities enables police officers to connect the dots.

What if there are strangers around? This is so tricky, really.  One Monday-morning quarterback wondered if he should have called the police department when he saw suspicious folks, after learning they were likely perpetrators later that day.  It’s quite hard to know what to do.

Should you get armed? Well, you may exercise your Fourth Amendment rights and own a gun.  Keep in mind that most of our hills crimes happen when you aren’t at home.  Maybe an alarm, more crime-resistance door or dog would come in handy.

What’s apparent is that fears, uncertainties and doubts are rising lately.  These feelings are not only due to the crime wave but also the likely evisceration of the Oakland Police Department, to close our city’s budget gap.  While we won’t get 100% abandoned, more discussions about private security are starting to come up.

If you are concerned and curious, then pencil in the upcoming Montclair SIC Community Meeting:  June 3rd, from 7-9pm, at the Montclair Rec Center (map).  You’ll be able to hear from Area 1 Commander Captain Anthony Toribio and Beat 13Z Problem Solving Officer (PSO) Maureen Vergara.  Neighborhood Community Supervisor Jacque Long and Police Service Technician Eddie Smith will also be on hand.

At the very least, maybe some of your Safety FUD will dissipate.

More info:   KTVU Channel 2 aired a news report about the Montclair District’s crime wave – click here.

Happy 80th Birthday, Montclair Library!

Today was an Oakland-weather day, sunny and perfect for a quick celebration.  Locals and a couple city dignitaries stopped by the Montclair Branch of the Oakland Library to honor our octogenarian:  the Montclair Branch itself.

At today’s event, District 4 Council Rep Jean Quan was on hand to thank Montclair Library Assistant Geremie Celli and Oakland Library Director Carmen Martinez.  My ears perked up when Director Martinez mentioned they intend to reorganize our library’s layout, though we didn’t hear details today.  Then Aurora School’s Head for the Hills race organizers proudly delivered a $275 donation, to wrap up the proceedings.  And we all dug into some nice, fruit-filled birthday cake from Lucky’s.

Throughout May, the Friends of Montclair Library organized and held a series of library programs honoring this 80th year milestone.  The history presentation by Kathleen diGiovanni, an Oakland Heritage Alliance member and city librarian, was very interesting.  We also heard the other book readings and events were pretty well-attended too.

In these times, at least we can celebrate our local library!  Good ‘ole Measure Q requires minimum funding levels for city libraries, though the system did cut back service days last year.  Our Montclair Library is now open five days a week:   Tuesday (12:30 pm – 8:00 pm); Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday (10:00 am – 5:30 pm); and Friday (12:00 pm – 5:30 pm).

Montclair’s storybook library has been welcoming locals since the district started getting settled, and expanded over the years as well.  While it caters to kids, this blogger likes getting lost in the travel books and recently-arrived fiction.  The place is comfortable and inviting, not to mention properly de-molded last year.

So remember to stop by the library this summer to read a paper, check the aisles, hop on a computer or just read in a quiet place.  Besides the weekly story times, there’s a a knitting class for kids (May 26th) and lawyers in the library (June 8th) ahead – just check upcoming events.

Who Were The Montclarions?

Who were the Montclarions?  We all know about the Ohlones, Spanish, Gold Rush era and later settlers.  But there’s more color and dimension to these earlier inhabitants, according to Oakland historian and librarian Kathleen diGiovanni.  She brought her well-researched and clever observations to the Montclair Library today, as part of their 80th year celebratory events.

Without further introduction, here’s a bit more about the people who lived outside, camped, planted flags and established the good life here:

  • Native Americans – Sure enough, the Ohlones populated these parts and lived in small units rather than some centralized settlements.  Decades before the Spanish arrived, these newcomers transmitted their old-world pathogens and sickened many of the natives through trade.  By the mid-1800s, the remaining Ohlones were living as virtual-slaves in the nearby missions.
  • Land Grantees – To pay their military, the Spanish government handed out land grants and Luis Maria Peralta received nearly 44 thousand acres.  His four sons ranched lands from Albany to San Leandro, including Antonio Maria around Oakland.  The Peraltas spent substantial energies proving their ownership to Uncle Sam, yet their holdings were gone by the next generation.
  • Bad Eggs – There were people who leased property from the Peraltas, all above board.  There were other people who were bad eggs, and just squatted all over the place – and even sold land they didn’t own.  Our very own version of the Wild West, right here!
  • City Fathers – Well, Montclair was the place to escape for John Coffee Hays.  He built the first amazing estate in the hills, right around Thornhill Drive.  Hays was a big shot, as a Texas Ranger, before arriving in California.  Once here in Oakland, he helped found the city and wanted that (mostly unused) home outside city limits.
  • Entrepreneurs – Now this is a species we can understand.  Everyone was rather scrappy around here, but John Percy ended up living in the same general area as Hays.  He was involved in real estate and in the water business.  However, Percy was absolutely over-extended and this came to light when his estate burned down.  The guy went broke.
  • Settlers – By the 1920s, there were many workers living here who hailed from Portugal.  There were also farmers, including the Medau family at (now) Montclair Park.  In the next decade-plus, developers built homes for modest and more well-healed buyers who arrived in droves.  Various covenants restricted ownership, and they were blatantly advertised.

From afar, these Montclarions might teach us a lesson or two.  At some level, we know it’s worth preventing infectious diseases.  Please clear deeds on your property.  Don’t do land scams.  Get fire insurance that covers replacement value.  And try living within your means.

Last but not least, everyone should be welcome to live here.  History teaches lessons, and sometimes we listen.

Fun But Crowded, At Oakland Museum Opening

It was the place to be:  the Oakland Museum of California’s grand re-opening today.  Along with other faithfuls, we entered the temple after it was fully blessed by an Ohlone tribal member and various dignitaries.  The outside hasn’t changed, although the entry shifted to Oak Street.

Notice anything odd on the wall?  Project Bandaloop performed today, with dancers held aloft by climbing harnesses!  It seemed quite difficult to maintain grace during the entire dance, but these two wall dancers succeeded in spades.

Once inside, we headed directly to the History gallery and enjoyed seeing old favorites like the 1898 steam-powered fire truck.  This expanded gallery also housed evidence of the groovy 1960s to the current day.  Getting our fill, we headed over the Art gallery and were forced to wait for others to leave first.  Opening Day crowds are an aberration, though.

Anyway, these permanent galleries are simply more interesting and far easier to navigate than a year ago.  You can tell that museum planners thought deeply about our experiences.  Interactivity means high-touch, and not just computer screens planted all over the place.

After visiting the galleries, the new museum store was next on the agenda.  While it’s located in a more centralized and open location, the offerings disappointed us today.  All the local books and materials, once sold in the old store, have vanished from the shelves.  Maybe the place hasn’t been completely stocked, so the jury’s out.

If you would like to visit the museum gratis, then head down tomorrow.  There are many great events and concerts all day, including the always-inspiring Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir between 2-4pm.

Welcome back, old friend.

Take One Of Jane’s Walks

In honor of Jane Jacobs, there are several walking tours planned around Oakland this Saturday.

You should set aside a couple hours and join one of the neighborhood tours, to appreciate all the human-level interactions in an urban setting – and to understand how Oakland presents a perfect case study of older, transitional centers.

Meet Urbanist Jane Jacobs, RIP

Almost fifty years ago, Jane Jacobs pushed against the old-school urban development parlance of high-rises surrounded by open spaces.  She recommended street-level retail and mixed uses in neighborhoods, and challenged the orthodox zoning concepts which separated uses.  She believed people would properly populate these mixed environments, and make them vibrant and safe.

In her seminal work, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs explained:

The bedrock attitude of a successful city district is that a person must feel personally safe and secure on the street among all these strangers.  He must not feel automatically menaced by them.  A city district that fails in this respect also does badly in other ways and lays up for itself, and for its city at large, mountain on mountain of trouble.

Tour Oakland On Foot, This Saturday

What kind of Jane’s Walks have been planned this Saturday?  Some trace stairways and hidden pathways, mostly in the hillier areas.  Others examine the remnants of our Key System train routes.  Still others embrace and celebrate Oakland’s original core.

All the walking tours are free to the public, and are well-organized by Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, Oakland Urban Paths and the City of Oakland’s Tourist Program.  Here’s the official line-up:

  • Old Oakland – Walk through what was once the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad!   See great, restored commercial buildings. – Runs 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.  Starts at G.B. Ratto, 821 Washington St (map), ends at La Borinquena, 582 Seventh St (map).
  • An Advocate’s Walk – Ever thought a scenic walk was too far away?  Walk from BART through Temescal, Echo Creek, Rose Garden, Whole Foods and Lake Merritt. – Runs 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm.  Starts at 555 40th St (map), ends at 1900 Broadway (map).
  • The Oakmore Stairs – The four sets of stairs in Oakmore were rebuilt as part of the original development.  Hear stories from residents and get a primer of the Key Route System. – Runs 10:30 am – 1:00 pm.  Starts and ends at Leimert and Arden Place (map).
  • Lake Merritt, Roses and Glen Echo Creek – Take several footpaths criss-crossing the city, connecting some of the city’s most stunning settings. – Runs 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.  Starts at Grand Lake Theatre, 3200 Grand Ave (map), ends at Grand Tavern, 3601 Grand Ave (map).
  • Mills College, A Creekside Oakland Gem – Learn about current efforts to restore the creek, then tour around the college campus. – Runs 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.  Starts and ends at Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd (map).
  • Crocker Highland, Grand Lake Stair Walk – Check out four historic neighborhoods, and traverse secret stairs and paths that were cut-throughs to the Key Route. – Runs 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.  Starts and ends at Azirmendi, 3265 Lakeshore Dr (map).

Honor Oakland’s Heritage All Year

Well beyond a single tour day, Oakland offers a terrific series of historical and cultural walks each year.  The Oakland Heritage Alliance organizes fee-based walking tours which are top-notch, attracting historians and experts as local docents.  Last summer there were over 20 weekend events, capped off by a neighborhood open-house in Storybook Fernwood.

In addition, the Mountain View Cemetery leads interesting docent tours twice monthly.  Introductory tours visit Millionaire’s Row and get a lay of the land.  Other tours are surprisingly creative, based on who’s resting there for eternity.  You really must check out this Frederick Law Olmsted creation.

The City of Oakland also organizes twice-weekly, free tours around the city for visitors and residents.  Local historian Annalee Allen oversees these tours with volunteers, but the whole program might get cut at this Thursday’s City Council meeting.  If you’re a tour-lover, then email your council rep now:   Jean Quan at jquan@oaklandnet.com, or Jane Brunner at jbrunner@oaklandnet.com.

Oakland’s still fortunate to have many residents who revel in our local heritage.  These experts make sure our historical, cultural and other local knowledge doesn’t vanish from memory – and you can meet some of them during Jane’s Day!