by Ken Katz – The Grand Opening of ReLove on February 18 was simply GRAND! I arrived a couple of hours after the doors opened and managed to get inside but just barely. A line of customers waiting to pay for their purchases extended up the stairway and beyond. Three hundred people (mostly their San Francisco shop devotees) had signed up online with 150 more on a wait list. Freya Prowe from Brother & Sisters Flower Shop happened to be in the front of that line and the flower arrangement in the foreground was most likely her way of saying “Welcome to Grand Avenue.” Other locals in attendance included Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and her husband as well as Nikki’s Community Liaison, Debra Israel who documented the event with photographs… CONTINUE READING
Lakeshore BID – February 2023 Highlights by Kira Pascoe – It’s been a cold and rainy month! Lakeshore has plenty of warm food, entertainment, and activities to keep the whole family feeling restored and invigorated no matter what the weather is outside. Proposition Chicken always has a cozy pick-me-up with their delicious matzo ball soup. Shakewell has several mouth-watering dishes, and their homey papas bravas hit the spot on a rainy day.Looking for something to do? Heart and Dagger Saloonhas a pool table and arcade games; drop by to check them out! Arise Yoga and Hipline has several classes during the week to help you be reflective in a warm and welcoming environment. Silver Moon Kids has books, activities, and toys! CONTINUE READING
Unlike Disneyland’s Main Street, City’s Change – by Ken Katz
Unlike the Main Street that Walt Disney unveiled to the world in 1955, cities invariably change over time. A case in point is a residential neighborhood above Mandana and east of Lakeshore that is identified in property records as East Piedmont Heights. As shown on this 1877 map, plans for developing four short blocks north of Cottage St. (now Mandana) were already in place but everything else east of what is now Grand Avenue and above what is now the freeway was a vast expanse of undeveloped land with what would later be renamed the Piedmont Paving Company Quarry at its upper reaches. A small portion of the parcel that was owned by Peder Sather (the namesake for Sather Gate and the Campanile) would be developed … CONTINUE READING
Lake Merritt Institute is Instituting New Measures – by Sarah Van Roo
Beautiful Lake Merritt was front and center again after our series of January atmospheric rivers. Following a summer of red tide drama and an enormous fish die-off, now we can add flood danger to the list of Mother Nature’s unexpected lake-related events. Now, we hopefully watch for our usual bird migrations, markedly reduced this year because of the lack of fish. Fortunately, the Lake Merritt Institute is leading the charge on addressing the causes of and solutions to these recent events. A population explosion of microscopic algae called Heterosigma akashiwo caused the summer fish die-off in Lake Merritt and throughout the Bay, an event more severe than any seen in decades. Alarmingly, cysts of the algae remain at the bottom of the lake… CONTINUE READING
Weed Warriors Wage War on Weeds and Trash – by Sarah Van Roo
Back in 2010, Jennie Gerard and Joel Peter saw that the beautiful new landscaping around Lake Merritt funded by the 2010 Measure DD could not be adequately maintained by existing city staff. Working with the Oakland Public Works Department (OPW), in 2010 they organized the Lake Merritt Weed Warriors, which was modeled on the very successful volunteer group at Morcom Rose Garden. Gerard and Peter brought many skills and talents to the task. Peter was the original Project Manager for Measure DD and Gerard had been Chief of Staff for District Two’s city council member. “Volunteers provide many benefits to the lake. It builds stewardship,” Gerard said, “and this is so important to long-term health and survival of our beautiful waters. Volunteers see how… CONTINUE READING
Odds and Ends – by Ken Katz 
Twenty-five years of Treasure Sales at Piedmont Community Church funded 350 homes for families in need in Tecate and Tijuana.
Avoid illegal clothing collection bins. Support Oakland nonprofits instead.
Allen Alden is about to publish Deep Oakland about our geological history.
An Urban Omnibus article about non-profit entities and volunteers doing what used to be done by cities.
California can solve homelessness through investments of $8.1 billion in housing, shelter and supportive services every year for the next 12 years. CONTINUE READING
Farmers Market Update – March 2023
Market Participant Spotlight
Brundo Spice Company – The Herbal Alchemist – Xiong Farm
Entertainment schedule:
March 4: Sweet Sally – March 11: Mild Manners – March 18: French American Trio – March 25: The Season of Us
AIM’s Racial Equity Fund strives to reduce financial barriers to entry, by specifically supporting BIPOC farmers, food producers, and artisans who are getting started at one of AIM’s nine certified farmers markets. Recipients receive payment for their registration fees ($150), Free stall fees for six months at one of AIM’s farmers markets (10×10 booth, approx. $1,300) … CONTINUE READING
March 2023 Calendar
by Sheila McCormick – This month’s top picks:
March 3, Friday, 7pm. Rotary Nature Center Friends. Lakeside Chat #28: Rocks of Lake Merritt.
March 4, Saturday, 7pm. Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series: The Quilters of Gee’s Bend.
March 16, Thursday, 7pm. Excavating There: Gertrude Stein’s Forgotten Oakland.
March 29, Wednesday, 6pm. An Evening with Rosa Clemente–Can’t Stop Our Blackness: Black Latinx Narratives & Resisting Erasure.
For the full month’s calendar, please click on this link.
