May 2022 edition • Issue No. 13
Produced by the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council (MPNC)
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Hello neighbors!
The MPNC is developing the Maxwell Park Emergency Response Team (MPERT) to consist of ten sub-neighborhoods, or sectors. The goal of the sectors is to make Maxwell Park better connected and better prepared to respond to a major emergency. Each sector – including about 150 households – will have a captain to share information between households and the MPNC throughout the year. We are seeking sector captains and other volunteers. Please consider joining a sector team as a valuable connection to your neighbors! Email your interest.
Wishing all the mothers – and all those mother-like figures in our lives – a happy Mother's Day on Sunday.
In this issue we share:
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Seen on a neighborhood sidewalk. (Photo by Lisbeth McKinley, Madera Ave.)
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Join the next Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council community meeting:
Wednesday, May 11, 7-8:30 p.m. on Zoom
Agenda includes Council Elections
Plus Guest speaker: David Muhammad, Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. Mr. Muhammad will discuss his pending report to the City which provides an analysis of all calls to 911 over a one year period and what type of response was given.
Register with the button below or at www.maxwellparknc.org.
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Cast Your Council Board Vote
The Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council will hold its Board election at the MPNC meeting on May 11 at 7pm on Zoom. Please join the meeting and cast your ballot. Voting will be by electronic means. The Board consists of the following officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, Membership Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Treasurer, and three At-Large Members. The description of these offices are contained in the bylaws on the MPNC website. Board members serve for two years, with one half of the Board up for election each year.
The following Board positions are up for election this year. The current members listed below are all running again.
- Vice Chair: Robert McGillis
- Membership Secretary: Jan Hetherington
- At-Large Member #2: Bill Urban
- At-Large Member #3: Anthony Mack
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Speed Bump Status on Brookdale
The installation of speed bumps on Brookdale Ave. between High St. and Monticello Ave. is scheduled for this year, among 50+ speed bumps throughout Oakland, according to Joe Wang, P.E., Supervising Transportation Engineer with the City of Oakland, Department of Transportation. Mr. Wang shared this year's installation schedule. Due to City staff vacancies, the City has to contract out the speed bump installations, and is working with a contractor on the bid process. More details will be shared as available.
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What's blooming around the neighborhood. (Photos by Barbara Hartford)
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Small Victory at the Park
The blue spigot for children’s sand play in Maxwell Park on Fleming Avenue is now functioning with its own potable water line. Time to bring your young children with their sand pails to enjoy it! Plus, the garden – in the background in front of the tree – is back in place (volunteers had to temporarily remove it to allow digging for the water pipe). Another work day will be scheduled soon to even the dirt, dig berms around each plant, spread mulch, and add edgers for the two halves.
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New water spigot in Maxwell Park. (Photo by Nancy Karigaca)
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Weeding Time
The Pierson St. traffic circle is in full bloom. On April 23, Cary Latham, Meredith Elliott, Mark McGinnis and Nancy Karigaca started on the spring weeding and pruning, but there is much left to be done. If anyone is able to help complete the work in a few weeks, please email Nancy Karigaca (nkarigaca@comcast.net).
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Progress at the Pierson St. traffic circle. (Photos by Barbara Hartford and Nancy Karigaca)
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Ghost Town Brewing
Donner Party Animal, The Spins, Chalice. You'll find these crisp brews and more, vibrant artwork of skulls and gargoyles, spacious outdoor seating, and a welcoming atmosphere at Ghost Town Brewing (3506 Macarthur Blvd in the Laurel District). During a recent mid-week lunch, this newsletter's editor and a friend enjoyed the Devastation on the Nation, a hazy IPA, and the Crusher, a Belgian-style Blonde ale. Lunch included the fish tacos (a menu favorite) and the roasted chicken sandwich (hearty serving!). In summary: cannot wait to return and enjoy more of the menu – especially the beer! – and setting.
"Our first year has been amazing thanks to all of the regulars who have supported us coming to the Laurel neighborhood. Being a neighborhood haunt was exactly what I was hoping for with the space and the folks around here are awesome!" said Amber Pearson, GM Ghost Town Laurel.
Ghost Town's beer list changes weekly, and its food menu changes every few months in order to feature seasonal ingredients. Pearson suggests "...if you’ve never tried our beer before, our flagship IPA Inhume is a must try. It really represents who we are as a hop forward, West Coast IPA loving crew."
Check out Ghost Town Brewing at ghosttownbrewing.com and Instagram, and stop by the Laurel location. Pups and children are welcome. Cheers!
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Ghost Town Brewing on MacArthur Blvd. in the Laurel district. The large sign out front directs visitors to the open courtyard. (Photos by Annemarie Henning)
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City Challenge Oakland
from Renee Jadushlever, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Operations, Mills College
I am writing to let you know about a very exciting initiative happening in our City: the City Challenge Oakland. At its heart, this project is about having Oaklanders from all over the City contribute innovative ideas on how to address some of our most pressing challenges. Beginning now and running through June 1, the City will launch the City Challenge website where any Oaklander can share solutions to address problems of illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles, homelessness, and violent crime. We know that these are enormous challenges that cannot be solved in a short time, but we also understand that to begin to address these challenges, we must amplify the voices of the people who are closest to the issues and are willing to contribute their insight and ideas. We hope this will lead to new policies and services that make a measurable difference at the grassroots level of our communities.
To participate, go to: https://oakland.mycitychallenge.org/ Please contribute your ideas!
This project is being initiated by: The City of Oakland, Oakland Fund for Public Innovation, Mills College, The Burnes Center for Social Change at Northeastern University, the GovLab.
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High Street Coalition Happenings
Thanks to the High Street Coalition (HSC) volunteers, the streets along the High Street corridor around 580 are looking tidier. On April 23 – Earth Day – HSC volunteers held a cleanup day and planted mini-gardens by Subway and Razzos at the intersection of High and MacArthur.
Since the first clean-up day in June 2020, the HSC was formed and bi-monthly clean-ups have been going since then. Shoshanna Tenn, HSC founder said "...I think our biggest accomplishment is bringing the community together: neighbors from Maxwell Park, Allendale, Fairfax and Laurel; Councilmembers; fire fighters; the Laurel District Association; neighborhood councils; volunteer groups; and Nextdoor users. All the collaboration and positive energy makes people feel gooood and love and value our neighborhood more, and especially post-Covid, we all need the community connections."
The HSC gives a special shout out and thanks to two amazing volunteers: Dasha Lebedeva and Michele Gadbois. Dasha is a landscape designer who lives in Maxwell Park who has given her time pro bono to help design a planting plan for Adopt-a-Highway standards. Michele has led the clean-up efforts since HSC began; she stores the supplies at her home, sanitizes the vests and gloves, and even wipes down the grabber tools between clean-ups. Michele is hanging up her picker at the end of this month as she is moving to Hollister to be closer to her family. She will be missed.
Volunteers are needed for upcoming clean-up days: May 14 and May 28, 8:30-10:30 a.m., meet at the Walgreens on High Street. On May 21, HSC will hold an anniversary picnic at Brookdale Park from 11am-2pm. Sign up for the potluck-style picnic and find more information about volunteering at www.highstcoalition.org and follow HSC on Instagram. If you're unable to volunteer, please consider a donation at Gofundme for funds to purchase plants and supplies.
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HSC volunteers planted mini-gardens by Subway/Razzos. (Photo by James Owen)
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ECO Tip: Help the Monarchs
from our neighborhood environmentalist
Spring is such an optimistic season. Birds, seedlings, flowers, and bees aspire to create the next generation. A balance of wet/dry, windy/calm, and warm/cool conditions make lush growth possible. It’s no wonder that Earth Day was first held 52 years ago in this season.
Monarch Butterflies bounced back slightly this winter, but still need our help. Consider planting native Milkweed in your yard, and not Tropical Milkweed because it overwinters and harbors insects harmful to the caterpillars. Lerner Seeds has them available online. Other local native plant nurseries may also have this plant available.
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Join the Maxwell Park Emergency Response Team (MPERT) contact list:
email MPERT.info@gmail.com or call/text: 510-917-9994
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Preparedness is Power
We have all seen examples on the news of people suffering around the world from a major emergency or natural disaster. You may have thought that it is unlikely to happen in your own neighborhood, but we are not immune. There is a good chance the East Bay will experience a major earthquake in our lifetime. Emergency responders cannot always reach people right away, due to demand on resources and road blockages. It’s important to prepare to help yourself, and your neighbors, in the hours or days immediately following an emergency, until more help can arrive.
Benefits of getting your family prepared:
- Making a plan ahead of time helps your family know what to do, and how to find each other afterwards
- Getting some basic first aid training can help your family deal with injury until first responders can arrive
- Storing a week’s worth of food and water, and other supplies, can help you shelter in place until help can arrive
Benefits of getting your neighborhood prepared:
- Having several CERT trained people in your neighborhood helps people get assistance faster, when emergency responders have not yet arrived
- Having several people in your neighborhood with GRMS radios helps everyone get connected faster to emergency resources
- The Maxwell Park Emergency Response Team (MPERT) is working year round to help neighbors get the info they need to become better prepared
Help us help you! Email MPERT.info@gmail.com for more information about what your neighborhood is doing to prepare.
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Little Free Libraries in Maxwell Park
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Update from Councilmember Taylor
Hey Maxwell Parkers,
It is a pleasure to bring you a few updates from my office, The City of Oakland, and the State of California! Below you will find highlights on my resolution honoring Ramadan, Passover & Easter, City Challenge Oakland, and helpful COVID-19 Do’s & Don’t’s. If you have not done so already, make sure you also subscribe to our newsletter and check out our latest edition. As always, please reach out to my office at district6@oaklandca.gov with any questions and I look forward to connecting with you all again soon.
Yours in Service,
Councilmember Loren Taylor
Honoring Ramadan, Passover & Easter
During the month of April, we saw those of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian faiths commemorate sacred moments of reflection, rebirth, service, and more. This year, I had the honor of bringing forward legislation with Councilmember Kalb recognizing Oakland's beautiful religious diversity. Regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, I encourage everyone to take this moment to give themselves to others. Download and read the full legislation here.
Also, make sure you check out the video of the item from Tuesday's Council meeting.
Help Us Tackle Our Toughest Issues Via City Challenge Oakland
Through June 1, the City of Oakland, Northeastern University, Oakland Fund for Public Innovation, Mills College, and The Gov Lab is jotting down ideas on how to tackle some of Oakland's toughest problems – homelessness, violent crime, abandoned vehicles, and illegal dumping. Your feedback will be critical in uplifting solutions directly from residents and those on the ground. Make sure you and your neighborhood's voices are heard by visiting the City Challenge Oakland website. Don’t forget to share this information with your friends.
Navigating Our New Normal with Helpful Do’s & Don’ts
As we continue to reopen our economy, it is important that we keep these common-sense safety tips in mind to protect ourselves and others:
DO:
- Get vaccinated and boosted when eligible
- Wear a mask where required and on public transit
- Turn on exposure notifications on your phone
- Get tested if you’re sick
- Honor mask rules in place at a private business
- Get tested if required by your workplace
- Wear a mask when you travel
DON'T:
- Lose your proof of vaccination
- Think you can’t get the virus or pass it on because you feel well
- Assume everyone is vaccinated
- Expect all COVID-19 rules everywhere to be lifted
- Travel into the U.S. without proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test
- Attend large events if you’re sick
- Travel if you’re sick
Click here to read more about California's current COVID-19 safety measures.
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Neighborhood Pop-ups
from City of Oakland Community Policing Advisory Board
As we begin to emerge from the lockdowns and the restrictions that have become the "new normal," many of our community members have highlighted the need to invest in building (or rebuilding) connections and relationships with neighbors and fellow residents. That makes sense – by knowing and being connected to your neighbors, you are more likely to communicate, coordinate, collaborate on projects, and advocate for policies/issues that improve the quality of life and safety of your block and neighborhood. With this understanding in mind, the Community Policing Advisory Board, in partnership with the Neighborhood Services Division, would like to share the framework of "Neighborhood Pop-ups" with you.
Neighborhood Pop-ups are informal, hyperlocal gatherings among neighbors and residents of nearby blocks with the primary purpose of connecting and building relationships with all of your neighbors, which might include residents, business owners, the unsheltered, community organizations and City Departments and Public Services agencies, like OPD, if you so choose to have us invite them. While we have created the framework for these pop-ups, they are, ultimately, community-led and require your efforts to get people to show up through door-knocking and spreading the word on your block. Sign-up here or contact Donald Dalke (dondalke42@att.net), MPNC member-at-large, for more information.
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What would you like to see?
Any suggestions for the newsletter? Would you like to contribute? We want it to be a helpful resource for building community and keeping you informed of what’s happening in Maxwell Park. Community involvement can build a better quality of life for us all. Please share with us at maxwellparknewsletter@gmail.com.
The MPNC is dedicated to improving the quality of life and safety in Maxwell Park (Police Beat 28X). The MPNC consists of a Board of Directors and a number of Neighborhood Action Teams that address neighborhood concerns such as blight, traffic, and emergency preparedness. As an authorized City of Oakland Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council, we work cooperatively with the City Council and Police Department on priority safety issues. New participants are always welcome!
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Please share this newsletter with a neighbor, who can subscribe here. If you have any neighborhood-related concerns or want to get involved as a community volunteer, please reach out to the MPNC.
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