Homegrown Landscape Architect – David Thorne
by Jerry Barclay – Landscape Architect David Thorne’s Oakland legacies run deep. His father, Beverley D. Thorne, was a noted modernist architect who uniquely developed the use of steel as the structure for his residential designs (more on this later). The offices of David Thorne Landscape Architect are located at 3315 Grand Avenue – the original location of Dreyer’s Ice Cream when the company was founded in 1928 – which Beverley purchased in 1993. The Thorne family thoroughly renovated the building and it became the new location for Beverley’s firm and David’s growing company… CONTINUE READING
One Less Bridge to Cross
by Ken Katz – Chances are you know more about the fictional “Bridge on the River Kwai” than you do about the pedestrian overcrossing that spans 580 from MacArthur at Van Buren to Santa Clara at the westbound 580 on-ramp. That will likely change now that Caltrans has announced plans to tear it down as part of an effort to address safety and structural deficiencies at five locations between Webster and Fruitvale Avenues. At the February 16 Grand Lake Neighbors Zoom meeting, eight representatives from Caltrans explained that the existing neighborhood overcrossing doesn’t meet current seismic standards, which is their way of saying that it could collapse. CONTINUE READING
Grand Avenue Merchant News – February 2022
by Ken Katz – Radbird Fashion and Consignment, which just celebrated the 5th Anniversary of their location in Berkeley next to the Claremont Hotel, quietly opened its second location at 3223 Grand a couple of weeks ago. The owner, Lori Tiedemann, chose Grand Avenue for a number of reasons. One being that the new shop is within walking distance of her home in Adams Point. Another factor was her long-time friendship with Freya Prowe, the owner of Brother and Sisters Flower shop. Lori was also attracted by the sense of community and the amount of pedestrian traffic she saw on Grand–something that is lacking on Domingo Avenue. CONTINUE READING
Lakeshore BID – March 2022
Kira Pascoe’s monthly BID update is going to be delayed by a few days. Please check back here for the link or go directly to their website.
Dan Foster’s Farmers Market Updates – March 2022
Market Manager Picks:
Fogline Farm – High quality humanely raised, marinated chicken
Lifefood Gardens – Micro greens for salads, sandwiches, smoothies
Here & There – Brand new vendor with amazing brisket sandwiches and more
Entertainment Schedule: March 5: Maria Ana Bija – Brazilian and World popular music CONTINUE READING
Odds and Ends – March 2022
Souley Vegan and Phat Matt’s BBQ started at the farmers market but now have brick and mortar locations. Poppy Bagels is next.
Amy Schneider, the recent “Jeopardy” phenomenon, is a regular at Heart and Dagger and Walden Pond.
Councilmember Bas will be at Mandana Green on Saturday to discuss speeding on Lakeshore CONTINUE READING
My New and Fun Volunteer Job
by Sheila McCormick – I started exploring other volunteer options in October 2020, when I stepped down from the Board of the Friends of the Oakland Public Library. In 2016 or so, I had heard a presentation from the UC-Berkeley Retirees Association that had mentioned Ashby Village. What is Ashby Village? It is not a residential facility, and it is not on Ashby Avenue. Ashby Village is a non-profit organization whose mission is to connect older adults from all backgrounds and economic means with each other, and to help them remain active, engaged, and age with dignity and purpose… CONTINUE READING
Splash Pad Calendar
by Sheila McCormick
March 2, Wednesday, 4:00pm *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
UC-Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Savor: The Terroir of Beer
Wine has traditionally been associated closely with the region in which it is produced — but what about beer? Join us for a conversation between the UC-Davis brewmaster and the founders of a Native American-owned brewery and a Bay Area craft malthouse who are breaking new ground by sourcing local, sustainable ingredients and integrating their communities’ values into innovative business models that bring a whole new meaning to the “sense of place” we call terroir. Register here.
March 3, Thursday, 7:00 *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
Oakland History Alliance
Oakland: The Good, the Could Have Been Good, the Sort of Bad, and the Very Bad
Mitchell Schwarzer’s Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption (2021) provides a comprehensive story of the city’s built environment in the modern era. In this talk, Schwarzer pulls out some of the most poignant moments of that story, the great works of architecture, the wonderful ideas sadly not realized, the projects that had clear benefits but also serious costs and, finally, the callous endeavors that ended up ruining large tracts of the city. Register here.
March 4, Friday, 7:00-8:00pm *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
Rotary Nature Center Friends
Lakeside Chat #16: Chinook Salmon in Downtown Oakland?
“Evolution right before our eyes!” exclaimed fisheries biologist Dr. Brian Allee as he viewed record sightings of Chinook salmon swimming into fresh water creeks in the East Bay this season. Dr. Allee will discuss new field and laboratory studies exploring the lives of the King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and shedding light on ways we might conserve these iconic fish. Register here.
March 8, Tuesday,7:00pm *LIVE STREAM*
KQED
Arlie and Adam Hochschild in Conversation with Michael Krasny
Bonded in partnership through common ideals and activism, they have chronicled human struggles historic and everyday – from abolition movements and WWI to the nature of emotional labor and political disaffection. They join Michael Krasny for a ranging discussion about the empathy and moral commitments that drive them as writers. Register here.
March 10, Thursday, 7:00-8:15pm, *LIVE EVENT on YouTube*
San Francisco Public Library
Earth Stories Screening and Discussion with the Storytellers
Twelve women from across the country came together to create short films about their personal connection with nature, bringing awareness to issues of equity and justice. Register here and View here.
March 10, Thursday, 12:35-1:30pm
Oakland Rotary Club
UCLA Professor Park Williams, Author of Megadrought in the American West
Are droughts getting worse because of climate change? How have droughts impacted trees and fire risks? Learn from a leader in the field.
Register here.
March 10, Thursday, 6:00pm, *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
City Lights
Still Outside: Kerouac @ 100
City Lights presents a critical appreciation of the writing of Jack Kerouac on the occasion of his 100th Birthday. With appearances by David Amram, Ann Charters, Jean-Christophe Cloutier, Ann Douglas, Tim Hunt, Joyce Johnson, Hassan Melehy, and Regina Weinreich. Register here.
March 11, Friday, 5:00-6:30pm *LIVE EVENT*
Write Avenue
Warmth of Oakland Sun: A Black Gold Storytelling Event
Bay Area storytellers (Rashida Chase, Judy Juanita, Cleavon Smith, Audrey T. Williams, Dera R. Williams) will share the migration stories of Black elders who migrated from the South to Oakland. Register here.
March 11, Friday, 7:00pm *LIVE STREAM*
KQED
Bay Area Cheese Culture with Forum
Learn about some of California’s yummiest cheeses from the people who know them best. Featuring Miyoko Schinner, Founder, Miyoko’s Creamery, and Vivien Straus, Founder and Managing Partner, California Cheese Trail. Register here.
March 14, Monday, 6:30-7:30pm *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
Foster City Library
Meet Bryant Terry, Author of Black Food
In Black Food, James Beard Award-winning chef and educator Bryant Terry explores Black foodways within America and around the world. Original essays, poetry, recipes and art from over 100 Black cultural luminaries from across the globe capture the broad and divergent voices of the African Diaspora through the prism of food. Register here.
March 15, Tuesday, 6:00-7:30pm *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
SF Library
Panel: Lesbian Game Changers
Author Robin Lowey moderates a conversation with Jewelle Gomez, Crystal Jang and Carla Trujillo—three women in Game Changers: Lesbians You Should Know About. The conversation includes crucial discussions about feminism, queer culture, intersectionality, the need for intergenerational involvement and how the pandemic has affected the mental and emotional health of the queer community. Register here.
March 16, Wednesday, 5:30-6:30pm *LIVE EVENT*
Oakland Library
An Evening with Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and community organizer. She has worked for labor rights and social justice for over 50 years. In 1962, she and Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers union. Join us as we speak with Dolores Huerta about her life, work, and legacy. There will be a Q&A session following the discussion. Register here.
March 16, Wednesday, 7:00-8:30pm *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM”
Grand Lake Neighbors
Login information available on the GLN Facebook page.
March 17, Thursday, 7:00-8:00pm *LIVE EVENT*
Peninsula Open Space Trust
The Plant and Animals of the Native Oak Woodlands
From tarantulas, moths, and rattlesnakes to ground squirrels, coyotes, and hawks, oak woodlands are positively humming with life! Join us as we dive into the rich ecology of our local oak woodlands with Kate Marianchild, author of Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants and Animals among California’s Oaks. Register here.
March 17, Thursday, 12:00-1:30pm *LIVE EVENT*
Science at Cal
The Science of Meat and Dairy Alternatives
Check here for registration link.
March 20, Sunday, 10:00-10:30pm *LIVE STREAM*
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Sunday Stories: The Birth of the Golden State Warriors
Just in time for March Madness, join for a look at the Jewish history behind one of San Francisco’s most famous teams. View today at View here today or later here
March 23, Wednesday, 7:00pm *LIVE EVENT*
KQED
Finding Asylum in California
California aims to be a safe place to land for refugees and asylum seekers, but what does relocation really look like? KQED’s Immigration Senior Editor Tyche Hendricks invites Central Valley visual artist Caleb Duarte and Bay Area refugee resettlement director Fouzia Azizi to share their observations and experiences of dislocation, migration and the quest to make California home. Register here.
March 28, Monday, 7:00pm *LIVE STREAM*
SF Library
Workshop: Extraordinary Photos from Any Camera. Lesson 3: How to Post-Process your Images. Register here.
March 31, Thursday, 6:45-8:00pm *LIVE EVENT via ZOOM*
San Francisco Neon
Oakland/East Bay Neon-Matchbook Typography Tour
Part 3: An exploration of typography used on the matchbooks and neon signs from the neighborhoods of Oakland and the East Bay. Register here.
Sheila McCormick is an Adjunct Professor Emerita in Cal’s Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. Prior to her retirement in January 2016, she had a research lab at the USDA/ARS-UC-Berkeley Plant Gene Expression Center in Albany, studying the molecular biology of plant reproduction. She also helps with editing and is a frequent contributor to the Splash Pad News, beginning with a series of seven neighborhood walks – the first of which was posted in April 2017.
