Grand Avenue Merchant News – by Ken Katz
We’re thrilled to report that Panorama Framing has scheduled an upcoming art exhibit curated by former owner, Patrick Cheatham. Titled Beavering Away, it will feature the artwork of two Oakland-based artists, KG Greenstein (mosaics and wireworks) and Nancy Mizuno Elliott (works on paper, stickers). The show will run through the end of the year with an Opening Night Artists Reception on October 5 with live music and light refreshments. Alkali Rye is hosting a popup (through November 30), on their second floor, featuring high-end, modernist furniture and furnishings from the inventory of Piecemeal Vintage, whose main showroom is at 2200 Adeline. Included in the popup is an elegant barbers chair, where you can indulge yourself in a haircut provided by Just Cultured Barber Studio … CONTINUE READING
Odds and Ends
1. Crime is an everyday occurrence in the Grand Lake District which has prompted a variety of responses — some of which may actually work.
2. Where there’s smoke there’s fire: city trash cans turned into makeshift barbecues.
3. The encampment under the freeway was cleared September 28.
4. Long term, can Alameda County Mental Health Services, the Care Court program, and a proposition on the 2024 ballot put a dent in the homeless population? This is and much more! CONTINUE READING
Grand Lake Neighbors September 2023 Meeting Minutes – by Eileen Morentz
1. Foot patrol officers are back on Lakeshore and Grand
2. Surveillance cameras activated in Walker lot
3. $2.1 million allocated for 911 staffing and infrastructure.
4. Ethics Commission looking for a new member
5. Group brainstorming session.
6. Neighborhood police substation under discussion. This and lots more. CONTINUE READING
Lakeshore Avenue Update – October 2023
1. A heartfelt statement from Soroush Ghaderi, the long-time owner of Mama’s Royal Cafe, regarding his plans for Shakewell.
2. Maribel featured in an Oaklandside article
3. Vegan Mob closed! Where have they moved? What’s happening to the Kwik Way site and when? CONTINUE READING
Splash Pad Park – October 2023 Update
After two straight months of doom and gloom starting with this article in the August News, we’re quite pleased to share good news. The Grand Crew’s 4th Sunday work day in the California Native garden last weekend had fifteen volunteers — the largest turnout since their Earth Day event in April thanks in large part to neighbors on Calmar and Balfour who showed up to pitch in for the first time. Large swatches of the garden were weeded and the plants that were destroyed by an unknown individual have been removed — leaving an abundance of space for replacements. Mary Jo Sutton is going plant shopping in the next couple of weeks — so the work day on October 22 from 9 to noon… CONTINUE READING
Farmers Market Update – by Ken Katz
Due to an oversight on my part, we failed to give a timely welcome to SunBlaze Ranch, which debuted more than a month ago. The motto of owners Nick and Kremi Petkov is “Together for a healthier, sustainable future,” and this is how they describe their farm: Located in Winters, California, SunBlaze Ranch’s starting point is a 7-acre plot of fertile ground that has not been planted with fruits or vegetables in more than 20 Years. This rich-in-nutrients, healthy soil gives the basic start to our products. What follows is countless hours of hand labor, devotion to the cause of healthy eating and sustainable agricultural practices. CONTINUE READING
October 2023 Calendar
by Sheila McCormick –
Sheila’s Top Picks:
1. October 5: SF Bay Bird Observatory. Burrowing Owls of the Bay area
2. October 11: Main Library’s Oakland History Room. Oral Historians in the East Bay.
3. October 24: Main Library’s Oakland History
Room. History of Mountain View Cemetery.
For full month’s calendar, click on this link.
Why were the benches and table removed from the sitting park in front of Trader Joe’s? Preventing sleeping on them seems a very lame reason, when there are sleepers in commercial doorways on a regular basis. A gem in the middle of Lakeshore was decimated – the parklet deserved care and respect, not destruction.