March 2023 edition • Issue No. 18
Produced by the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council (MPNC)
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Hello, neighbors!
Rain, hail, wind, and even snow in Oakland! All the wet weather is bringing out the blossoms; see some recent beauties below captured by photographer and neighbor, Barbara Hartford. Some California regions are now being reported as free of drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
In early February, a rash of vehicle vandalism and break-ins occurred in Maxwell Park, and throughout Oakland. Kevin Jenkins, District 6 Councilmember, held an emergency meeting on Feb. 3 to address community concerns. He was joined by Oakland Police Area Captain Anthony Tedesco, who emphasized the need to report incidents to the Oakland Police Department (OPD). Reporting these incidents allows OPD to track, connect, and attempt to identify those responsible. The best way to report vandalism is to call the OPD non-emergency line (510-777-3333) or online using the Report a Crime Online Tool.
On February 22 at the West Oakland Youth Center, the Oakland Violence Prevention Coalition held the first planning session for the Oakland Peace Summit planned for June 24 at Laney College. Many community-based organizations (CBOs) came together to discuss the summit's concept as well as the breaking down of barriers between CBOs. More information will follow on this city-wide summit.
Thanks for reading! Please reach out if you have any suggestions for the newsletter, or for the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council (MPNC). The MPNC is always seeking new volunteers and fresh ideas for ways to support and improve our community.
In this issue we share:
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Join the March Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council community meeting:
Wednesday, March 8, 7-8:30 p.m. on Zoom
Agenda includes:
- Special Guest Speaker: Brooklyn Williams, Chief of Education & Community Safety. Ms. Williams has worked in public schools, community based organizations, and youth development programs in Oakland for 25 years. She has supported alternative/continuation schools in Oakland Unified School District and Alameda County for over 15 years and directed programs for youth involved in the juvenile justice system for 22 years. Brooklyn comes to the Mayor's Office after serving as Senior Advisor to the CA State Superintendent, Tony Thurmond.
- Opportunity to discuss neighborhood-related issues with the MPNC.
Register with the button below or at www.maxwellparknc.org.
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Crumble & Whisk, New to the Laurel
Cheesecakes. Cinnamon Buns. Breakfast Sandwiches. Coffeecake. These are a few of the offerings at Crumble & Whisk Patisserie at 4104 Macarthur Blvd in the Laurel District, which opened in December. This newsletter's editor and photographer recently visited Charles Farriér, chef and founder, and enjoyed sampling the perfectly-sized and creamy New York style, lemon, and strawberry cheesecakes.
Farriér launched Crumble & Whisk ten years ago with cheesecake, selling them door-to-door, including to businesses along MacArthur Blvd. He expanded to local farmers markets, and is now thrilled to have opened a storefront in Oakland. At the new location, it's not just about his popular cheesecakes. Farriér offers an array of baked goods, plus savory breakfast and lunch options such as his favorite item on the menu: the breakfast sandwich with over easy eggs, aged cheddar, housemade mayo, turkey, and arugula, on a housemade bun.
As a local business owner and an Oakland resident, Farriér said it is important to him to be a part of the community, and he has been thrilled with the reception received so far. "Come and enjoy the hidden gem in the Laurel District, and experience our infamous breakfast sandwiches and cinnamon rolls," said Farriér.
The menu at Crumble & Whisk will continue to evolve, offering surprise specials. Look for the purple awning on the east side of MacArthur and stop on by for breakfast, lunch, or a treat; take out or dine on a stool at the counter. Hours: Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-2 p.m., closed on Mondays.
Read more about Farriér's story and his creations in Berkeleyside.
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OUSD Seeking Input on MLA
from Paulette Bruder, Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council Traffic Neighborhood Action Team Chair
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is seeking input from Maxwell Park residents regarding the Melrose Leadership Academy (MLA) public school in our neighborhood, specifically as it relates to traffic issues and student safety. OUSD has $32 million from the Measure Y bond, passed in Nov. 2020, assigned to MLA for the purpose of upgrading the school's physical facilities. The school is currently located in two different campuses in Maxwell Park: a smaller lower campus on Brann, for grades TK through 2nd, and a larger upper campus at Monticello and Fleming, for grades 3 through 8.
The first decision being considered by OUSD, to be decided by the end of this school year in May, is whether a big chunk of the $32 million should be used to build an additional building at the upper campus location at Monticello and Fleming, in order to combine the two campuses, and create a mega-campus in one location, for a combined student population expected to grow to 700 students. Or alternatively, whether the two campuses should remain separate, and all of the $32 million be spent to upgrade the facilities at both campuses. OUSD is seeking input from all parties (parents, teachers, administrators, and broader community members) who have an opinion about whether a mega-campus should be created at the upper campus location (at Monticello and Fleming), or whether to keep the campuses separate.
OUSD has acknowledged that traffic is one of the factors that they will consider in the decision whether or not to merge the two campuses into one mega-campus. Currently, 435 (3rd-8th grade) students are dropped off by their parents at the upper campus at the corner of Monticello and Fleming in a 30-minute period in the morning -- creating a difficult traffic environment, at an intersection where three separate accidents occurred in a two-week period last year. (A similar, but less challenging, traffic situation occurs at pick-up time in the afternoon, over a longer time period.) If the two campuses were to be merged into the upper campus location, the number of students being dropped off every morning would increase by adding approximately 40% additional younger (TK-2nd grade) students, bringing the total to 700 students being dropped off in a similar time frame every morning.
If you would like to weigh in on the pending decision by OUSD or would like more information about upcoming community meetings that OUSD will hold to discuss concerns, please contact: Paulette Bruder, Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council Traffic Neighborhood Action Team (NAT) Chair at paulettesue@me.com. Find more information about Measure Y, at ousd.org/measurey.
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Meet Raleigh, MPERT volunteer
The driving force behind the Maxwell Park Emergency Response Team (MPERT) is the volunteer members. Raleigh McLemore is one of our neighbors working to establish an emergency plan for Maxwell Park, a plan that will allow us to collectively respond to an earthquake or other emergency. Below are excerpts from a recent "questions and answers" with Raleigh about his involvement and being prepared.
What MPERT sector do you live in?
Sector A
What is your occupation?
Retired middle school earth science teacher in Oakland and San Leandro
What emergency response related skills or experience do you have?
- While a teacher, I served as emergency preparedness coordinator at several Oakland and San Leandro schools, using Federal Educational Guidelines for emergency preparedness.
- Have used California's new curriculum for fourth grade "Preparedness Ambassadors" in the Oakland School District.
- I have a GMRS radio and ham radio; recently completed CERT training.
What made you interested in MPERT?
Based on my background and experience, I feel strongly that we need to be ready to help ourselves, as a community, because we cannot depend on the government to provide all that we need in an emergency. I feel that the Oakland community is very strong, and we are capable of helping each other in the face of an emergency.
What MPERT activities are you currently doing?
- Trying to organize Sector A to engage more neighbors.
- Trying to meet with nearby elementary school to share my considerable experience getting schools prepared.
- Compiled a Sector A emergency contact list with about 30 people so far.
Do you already have a go bag and personal emergency supplies?
- We have a go bag by the door. We have emergency supplies stored accessible from outside the house, including PPE, a Coleman trailer with a 35 gal water tank, camping gear, about 3-5 days of food, first aid kits, and a generator.
- We have important documents stored on a flash drive.
- Our house is seismically reinforced and we have earthquake insurance.
What are your other interests and activities?
- Helped repair the power supply and power supply for the Ham radio ORCA/RACES antenna just north of Caldecott Tunnel, and later joined others in tree trimming around it.
- Volunteer at the Exploratorium, helping teachers learn how to build their own experiment demonstrations, using basic shop tools.
- Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity.
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MPERT volunteer Raleigh McLemore and his wife, Beth Kean
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Join the Maxwell Park Emergency Response Team
contact list:
email MPERT.info@gmail.com or call/text: 510-917-9994
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Blossoms around Maxwell Park
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Photos by Barbara Hartford
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ECO Tip: Keep Your Body Warm
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High Street Cleanups
Do you see the bags of garbage on the corner of High and Redding Streets every couple of weeks and wonder who collected all that trash? It's the High Street Coalition! The group meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month for trash clean-up along High Street. The next clean-up Saturdays are March 11 and 25 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Meet at the Walgreens on High Street. 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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Trash collected by HSC on a recent clean-up Saturday. (Photo by HSC)
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Organic, Local Fruit Delivery
Submitted by Michael Gregor, neighbor on Rawson Street
I have partnered with Frog Hollow Farm and a neighbor to organize a pickup site for an organic all-fruit CSA in Maxwell Park. Pickups will be on Modesto Avenue on Wednesdays. This is a great opportunity to keep a steady supply of organic, local fruit in your home throughout the growing season. Frog Hollow is a widely admired farm known for exceptionally flavorful tree-ripened fruit.
This time of year, CSA boxes include winter fruits from Frog Hollow and from their partner farms around California. You can expect seasonal fruits such as apples, avocados, blood oranges, mandarins, a variety of other citrus, and even more exotic fruits like kiwis. In the summer, their CSA boxes feature mulberries, apricots, cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and pluots at the peak of their harvest seasons. Not only will you enjoy amazing local fruit, but you’ll also join the movement of conscious eaters supporting farms committed to organic regenerative agricultural practices that build healthy soil, capture carbon, and foster biodiversity.
Frog Hollow CSA offers multiple box sizes and flexible subscription plans. To join, please visit www.froghollowcsa.com, follow the steps to join, and select Oakland-Maxwell Park as your pick-up site. I’m here to try to get enough people signed up to sustain a drop off site in our neighborhood. Thanks for considering it!
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Real Estate Resource
Submitted by Martin Kojnok and Courtney Fairchild, your neighbors and Realtors® in Maxwell Park
Hello Maxwell Park Neighbors. We’re a Realtor team who live here in Maxwell Park and want to offer our help to you for when you might need it. Please feel free to reach out to us. We're always here to answer any real estate related questions you might have. Whether you're considering preparing your home for the market, would like to get a sense of its current value, you’d like to chat about the market and your goals, or just need a home-related opinion or recommendation — no question is too big or too small. We're very happy to meet our neighbors and to help in any way that we can.
Lately, the local real estate market has been a bit of a roller-coaster — especially through the fourth quarter of last year. But the great news is homes in our neighborhood are very much in demand. And, as we begin to emerge from the winter doldrums, relief for the pent up market is coinciding with the coming of spring.
Below is some information about the most recent activity in our neighborhood. We’re including sales which have closed since January and the homes currently on the market or pending. We hope you find this information useful. Again, do feel free to reach out, any time.
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Mills College at Northeastern University Update
Submitted by Renee Jadushlever, Vice President for Campus Administration and Strategic Initiatives
What’s happening on campus?
Did you know that there are 2,014 startups in Oakland and 1,250 Oakland-based non-profits? Students studying at Mills College at Northeastern University will have opportunities for experiential learning as central to their education, with co-op, research, and global opportunities available to all students no matter where they study.
Oakland students will participate in a specially developed experiential entrepreneurship curriculum relevant to their academic program. These project-based courses offer students the chance to engage with three context-driven themes: food security; technology, ethics, and creativity; and health and wellness. Whether students are interested in starting their own business or bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to their field, Oakland students will graduate ready to innovate. We hope that many of them will have their co-op or research experience in many of the organizations right here in Oakland.
Plus:
- This year, commencement ceremony will be held on an earlier date than usual: Sunday, April 30.
- For those who love to use the pool, you can find the schedule for open hours here.
- The opening reception for the 2023 Senior Thesis Exhibition is on March 18, 5-7 p.m. at the Art Museum. Join us in celebrating and wishing these students well on their artistic journeys.
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Join the Green Team at MLA
All are invited on Saturday, April 1, for a work day at Melrose Leadership Academy (MLA) at 4730 Fleming Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Work will include cleaning up the yard, watering plants, picking up litter, and weeding. Please bring garden tools, gloves, sunscreen, and water. The MLA Green Team hopes to see you there! Questions? Contact Annalisa at mlaschoolquestions@gmail.com
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Planting progress by Green Team volunteers! (Photo by MLA)
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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 10 at 7 p.m. 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.
Chair: José A. Dorado
Minutes Secretary: Matthew Giles
Treasurer: Krista Gulbransen
At-Large Member #1: Donald Dalke
Nominations are now open for all positions above. Nominations will be closed 25 days prior to the next MPNC Meeting on May 10, and all nominees will be announced.
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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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