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Proof That Oakland Hills Don’t Exist

In case you wondered, Montclair and the Oakland Hills don’t really exist.  We live in a state of mind, at least from the perspective of mass transit.  BART recently revised their maps and removed curves a bit.  Then Burrito Justice created a hyperlinear version that vanquishes us, forever.

Take a look at the BART-produced map, where you can detect a slight angle south between Orinda and Rockridge.  We believe that tips the hat to Montclair, a bit.  Then notice the large curve as you head south from Rockridge to MacArthur, where there’s some space to fit the Oakland Hills.  While we don’t exist here, at least you see terra incognitas.

BART - New Linear Map

Now check out Burrito Justice, where they decided to remove all the curves from the BART transit lines entirely.  Their hyperlinear map sure looks graphically interesting, but creates big problems for us.

Yes, we have been wiped off the planet!  Note the straight line between Orinda and Rockridge, with no possibility for Montclair.  Then look at where MacArthur, 19th and City Center are placed, directly below Orinda and Rockridge.  There is literally no place for the Oakland Hills in a square world.

Burrito Justice - Hyperlinear BART

Everyone already gets confused about geo-political borders for the Montclair District and the Oakland Hills.  We describe them by the nearby highways, and that usually does the trick.  But now these BART map oversights are insulting at best and nefarious at worst.

Armed with our cheshire cat grins, we declare that “we live in an imaginary place.”  Though we swore there were people, homes, schools, parks and a downtown village around here…somewhere.

Piedmonters Unsettled On Blair Park

Piedmont political leaders seem a little unsettled about Blair Park development, in Moraga Canyon.  Since we all live nearby, Piedmonters and Oaklanders should hear about the upcoming city reviews.  We thought that sports field plans were effectively iced – but apparently that’s not correct.

The Piedmont City Council has placed Blair Park on their September 8th agenda, as part of the “EIR For Moraga Canyon Sports Fields.” There will be an environmental impact review of synthetic turf and lighting plans for Blair Park and Coaches Playfield.

Blair Park's Turkey Family

Piedmont and Oakland residents united to push back development earlier this year, when Piedmont’s school district considered placing portable classrooms at Blair Park.  At that time, talk turned to installing retaining walls, permanent playing fields, parking lots and an overhead walkway across Moraga Avenue.

Last March, Today in Montclair ran a survey to gauge opinions about playing fields and alternatives.  We asked whether Blair was the answer and more than 60 percent of survey-takers were against building soccer fields there.

We also asked about alternatives to solving the field shortage in the hills.  Over 70 percent of respondents said that local school and college fields could be used more often – and that city-owned fields could improve their schedules, too.

As the summer wraps up, it seems like what was settled is still unsettled.  Some sort of slow-moving force is pushing the Blair Park fields development by the Piedmont City Council.  Even without a clear funding path, there’s an important assessment scheduled right after Labor Day.

We don’t have details for this latest Blair Park review, because “the staff report for this matter will be available on the city web site by Thursday, September 3, 2009.”  You should be able to click here for more details.

In the meantime, we know that showing up is part of the battle.  Like before, we expect concerned hills residents to attend the Piedmont meeting – on Tuesday, September 8th at 7:30pm, in city chambers (map).  The future of Blair Park is still at stake.

First Time At Oakland Policeman’s Funeral

Today was the first time we witnessed, first-hand, the funeral respect paid to an Oakland police officer.  It’s very heartwarming to watch how the police force honors their officers.  Especially on little Thornhill Drive, we saw a massive show of group unity – an emotional and lovely sight.

We were able to snap photos as the procession unfolded for Officer Murray Hoyle, who had been part of the Oakland Police Department for 28 years.  Hoyle patrolled our Montclair district for decades, so it was appropriate that Montclair Presbyterian Church hosted his funeral.

Police Arriving

The Oakland officers came by car, foot and many gleaming motorcycles.  In the beginning of the procession, officers specifically drove to the church in formation.  Afterwards, all the motorcycles were lined up in tribute and we lost count of them.

Police At Attention

The officers lined the street and all faced south this morning.  They were directed from an officer standing on the street, and gave a long salute.  In this photo, taken shortly thereafter, you see them waiting at attention for Officer Hoyle’s casket to be carried into the church.

Police Presence

There were so many officers today!  We’re guessing that 100-200 officers were present, but aren’t quite sure.  More importantly, there was a real karmic energy at this point.  The officers were waiting to go inside, following right behind the family and friends.

Service Underway

With the service underway, the street became instantly silent.  Everyone had moved into Montclair Presbyterian by then, and we heard that the large sanctuary was filled to capacity.  Overflowing officers were able to enter the grounds, though.

It’s hard to understand the lives of Oakland Police officers and the basic stresses that lay-people don’t deal with everyday.  Officer Hoyle committed suicide last Saturday, with a single bullet.  He was respectful of his fellow officers, and even called and alerted Contra Costa 911 dispatchers beforehand.

It’s also hard to fathom any loss or death, yet the amazing support and tacit understanding from the Oakland Police was fantastic to witness.  Cops’ lives are special ones, and their common bonds were beautifully displayed during this morning’s ceremony.

Our Take On Incoming Chief Batts

After many moons have come and gone, Oakland has finally attracted what appears to be a street-smart, book-smart police chief.  Incoming Chief Anthony Batts held the top job in Long Beach, and the comparisons with Oakland are undeniable.  For a motivated professional like Batts, why not move north and take on a new challenge?

We didn’t know what to think about Anthony Batts, and decided to view CBS5’s raw footage of the recent press confab.  It helped to watch Batts give his prepared spiel and answer some questions off the cuff.  You do get a sense of his warmth and seriousness, all in one package.  And we believe this guy is a die-hard Raiders fan – his donning of the team cap is no act.

New Oakland Police Chief
Batts Comes From The Inner City

Chief Batts spent his formative years in Central LA.  He saw what happened on the streets first-hand, and wondered if anyone cared about African-American kids like himself.  To earn money for college and grad school, Batts joined the Long Beach police force – and stayed there for the past 27 years.

“I like to touch and feel,” explained Batts, who gets out of his Long Beach ivory tower by walking the streets and driving shotgun with beat officers too.  He actually spent time wandering around Oakland incognito before taking the top cop position here, and asked folks near Lake Merritt how they felt about our police and prospects.

Mostly, Batts seems to take a page out of the playbook used by successful business executives.  When the incoming chief talked about his approach, he said “the most important thing that I have done is put together a team and gotten out of the way.”

What Batts Plans To Do

Batts quickly ticked off his priorities for Oakland, which related to budgeting, crime rates, disconnects between police and other city workers, tactical capabilities and public trust.  He challenged Oaklanders from the get-go:  “If this community doesn’t want to make a difference [and is] more interested in fighting, dividing,” then he said there’s nothing much a chief could do.

He’s already familiar with the panoply of inner-city challenges here and mentioned dealing with gangs, prostitution, drugs and plain old violence.  It sounds like Batts won’t create excuses for so-called intractable problems.

Even with a cash-strapped department,  Betts doesn’t want Oaklanders to accept the bare minimum of police support.  He firmly stated that cops must do more than appear when called.  Not surprisingly, the new chief wants to rely on residents to communicate actively with cops, and prevent crimes that way.

Batts Believes In Community Power

Batts said he believes in community-oriented safety as well as governance.  In Long Beach, he worked with 17 community groups directly, and focused on addressing the needs of African American, Latino, gay, affluent and impoverished residents.  Something’s going right in Long Beach, as crime rates have dropped and are definitely lower than up here.

So we hope this newcomer, filled with intensity and clear-sighted direction, might be able to steer the Oakland ship differently – with a little help from his neighborhood friends.  Speaking of which, we wonder if Batts will move to Montclair or live nearby.

Update: If you are in the public eye, then it helps to be squeaky clean these days.  The Long Beach Beachcomer has written about domestic violence reports from 2002, which were related to Batts and his now-former wife, U.S. Congresswoman Laura Richardson.  Not pretty, but it’s out in the open.

Oakland Images: Houdini, Earhart, Seale

Today we were rummaging through the Oakland Museum of California’s online attic, and just had to share a few memorable faces discovered in their Oakland Tribune collection.  What an eclectic group!

Let’s start with Harry Houdini (1923), a grand magician who appeared in Oakland.  Houdini honed his famous straightjacket escape and routine for years, and successfully dangled from newspaper buildings all over the country.  Of course, the Tribune Tower performance fit with his famous shtick.

Harry Houdini

Then we’ll move to Amelia Earhart (1937), whom Oaklanders have adopted as their own.  American schoolchildren all learn about Earhart, the aviator who attempted to circle the globe from Oakland.  Here is the photo staged for the first attempt in March, which was grounded in Hawaii.  The second and fatal attempt also began from Oakland, via Miami, but no photos were taken.

Amelia Earhart

Finally, we take a look at Bobby Seale (circa 1966).  Oakland’s role in the civil rights movement is indisputable, with Huey Newton and Bobby Seale’s founding of the Black Panthers.  This image is interesting, since it shows Seale overseeing grocery donations right here.  Fast forward, and Seale still focuses on community activism and educational priorities nationally.

Bobby Seale

You may be wondering why we grouped such disparate characters together.  Well, we loved the images and how they put an Oakland twist on notable people from all walks of life – a world-renowned escape artist, star-crossed aviator, and 1960s leader are recorded for posterity in this Tribune slideshow.  Oakland’s got a storied past.