Susi Vogler
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Neighbor Janice Roberts Serves Seniors While Building Community
Hunger is year-round, not just a holiday season problem and Mercy Brown Bag, directed by neighbor Janice Roberts, keeps the organization running smoothly and efficiently. Meet Janice and learn about this valuable program.
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“Carving Season” with Austin of The Sharp Brothers
Whether slicing squash or carving turkey, a sharp blade makes all the difference. Grand Lake neighbor Austin Freese has been sharpening knives for fun and profit since he was a teenager. Find out more about Austin and learn how to keep your knives ready for work.
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Building Community Through Dog Sharing – Meet Kaia Colban
Neighbor Kaia Colban is working to fill a need to match dog owners with neighbors who would love to walk dogs but can’t have their own. Learn about the shareskippy.com project.
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A Journey to Tell a Story: A Conversation with Neighbor Bobby Podesta
Neighbor Bobby Podesta will be signing his new graphic novel, “North for the Winter,” at Mrs. Dalloway’s on September 12. He’ll likely read from the novel and talk about how he got it done. Get a preview here.
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Protecting our Beaches: A Conversation with Neighbor Kate Huckelbridge
As Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission, neighbor Kate Huckelbridge has a huge responsibility—to protect coastal access and mitigate climate change damage.
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The Enemies Project Seeks Human Understanding: An interview with neighbor Larry Rosen
Meet neighbor Larry Rosen. A long-time mediator, he has developed a docuseries called The Enemies Project, bringing together people with vastly disparate views on controversial topics to find empathy and understand the humanity in each other.
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Charlie Haas: A Novelist in the Neighborhood
This month’s neighbor profile is about screenwriter, journalist, and novelist Charlie Haas, who gets some of his inspiration from this neighborhood!
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Siegel’s Tuxedo Shop: Formally, a Favorite
Where Grand Ave. goes from Oakland to Piedmont, Siegel’s Tuxedo Shop has outfitted men and boys for about 50 years. Meet Bruce Johnson, shop manager for 35 years, and now owner.
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Frances Yamada: Making the Neighborhood Smile
Meet Frances Yamada, the woman behind the fun, unusual, and always-changing garden displays of gnomes, bunnies, and unique characters. “Making someone smile…that’s what I truly enjoy.”
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Lorrie Fink: Inspiration flourishes in an artist’s studio
From creating an urban forest to delving into prehistoric ferns, neighbor and artist Lorrie Fink paints to show her enthusiasm, concern and love for the natural world. See her work and learn about her life and inspiration.
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From the neighborhood to the world
Grand Lake neighbors Randy and Lucy Glover love seeing the world on their bicycles and have led more than 50 European tours to date. They also instigated and led the drive to install a community mural in the Walker parking lot. Learn more about this dynamic couple.
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David Sturdevant: Making people happy with music
Grand Lake neighbor David Sturdevant has been a working musician for decades. He writes songs, plays rhythm guitar and harmonica, and sings as well as produces other bands as Music Director at Oakland’s Plymouth Church of Jazz and Justice. Meet David and enjoy some of his music!
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Graham Lustig: Centering the Nutcracker Right Here in Oakland
Grand Lake neighbor Graham Lustig has been the Oakland Ballet’s artistic director since 2010. With the upcoming holiday performances of The Nutcracker, we thought this would be a good time to profile him.
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Terrell Lawson: Arborist / Gardener
Neighbor Profile: A long-time arborist and gardener, Terrell Lawson knows that trees and vegetation are not only important for the environment, but that they also foster community.
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Neighbor Profile: The Bicyclist
Our neighbor Francesco is an accomplished photographer and a bicyclist who’s known throughout the area for his tall bike. Learn more about what he does and the kinds of rides he loves to partake in.
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Deirdre Hormel: In Her Shoes
When your calling is to become a shoemaker, you just have to do it. Meet neighbor Deirdre Hormel and see how she’s taken the craft of making shoes by storm!
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On Air: Meet Joe White
Joe White roams the neighborhood with his Scottish Terrier, Jelly Roll Morton, but more than walking and saving dogs in the neighborhood, he is an animator and his Soundcloud program “White at Night” is a tribute to the music and musicians that he admires.
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In Bloom: A Tour Through Ann Nichols’ Garden Paradise
Sometimes a garden is much more than its plants. Meet Ann Nichols and her undulating, whimsical, and always changing nationally-renowned garden located here in the Grand Lake neighborhood.
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Lloyd Meadows Goes with the Flow
Our neighbor Lloyd Meadows has been making a living and entertaining the masses as the lead singer and rub-board player for two major Bay Area Zydeco bands. Learn more about his life and music.
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Neighbor Jenny Roberts Chases the Dream
This month’s Neighbor Profile is about Jenny Roberts. Is she a lawyer? A tech worker? She could be, but instead she has found her calling as an artist and comedian—with a performance coming up at Yoshi’s on March 26. Check out her story and let’s make it a neighborhood event!
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Neighbor Profiles
“The Urban Logger”: Jerel Mahaffey By Susi Vogler & Madhavi Athanikar Meet Jerel Mahaffey: He’s an artisan in woodworking and a local treasure. In a tiny workspace behind his home on Walker Avenue, Jerel creates original tables and benches constructed from reclaimed, repurposed, and recycled tree and lumber scraps which he collects from all over
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