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Volunteers Needed for Parks Oakland Parks Coalition Seeks Volunteers for City Park Survey The Oakland Parks Coalition (OPC) needs volunteers to survey several parks in various council districts on Saturday, October 28, 9 a.m. to noon. The survey information will be u...

Volunteers Needed to Survey Oakland’s Parks Oakland Parks Coalition invites you to join our survey teams at Love Your Parks Day on Saturday, September 27. The purpose of this annual survey event is to assess the state of maintenance at Oakland Parks and put park needs in the spotlig...

By Devan Reiff

Your Parks, Your Voice: Help Shape the Future of East Bay Regional Parks by Devan Reiff, East Bay Regional Parks Principal Planner The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is launching a signifi- cant new initiative to shape the future of local pa...

water quality improvements. for parks and homelessness, will assist with providing support to both. Measure Q contains strong account­ ability, Annual Financial Audits, City Auditor’s Audits, citizen oversight, clear deliverables and a special fund. The official ballot argumen...

City’s Parks Need You Hotline Established to Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse If you have thought about volunteering in a particular park, please contact us via oaklandparkscoalition@gmail.com. We can connect you with people who are already active; or, yo...

By Ben Friedman

Parks with fire trails are wide enough to easily distance yourself from others. For example, Sibley Preserve’s wide roads are a much better choice than Huckleberry’s narrow paths. Research ahead and use your common sense. Consider where you can ...

Vote Yes on Q: Improve Our Parks — Care for Our People — by Brooke Levin, former Director of Public Works, City of Oakland specific projects and services that will result from its passage. Independent community oversight of Measure Q is required. Measure Q also allows a p...

Regional Parks We are so privileged. Not only do we have state and federal parks to enjoy here, but we also are home to an amazing regional and city park system. Did you know that the East Bay Regional Park District, spanning Alameda and Contra Costa Cou...

By Susan Montauk

ince 2006, The Oakland Parks Coalition (OPC), with the help of scores of parks stewards and volunteers, has surveyed nearly every park in Oakland to determine the condition of grounds and facilities. This year’s survey event, known as Love Your Parks Day (LYPD), begin...

By Susan Montauk

by Susan Montauk, chair, Oakland Parks Coalition (OPC) We’re sure it is not news to you that Oakland is in a financial bind, facing extraordinary deficits in 2010 and 2011 and scrounging for ways to cut the budget or raise revenues that do not irreparably harm the quality of li...

...ountability to upgrade the quality and efficiency of work. The Coalition is seeking volunteers to steward each park and, eventually, each median strip in Oakland. They would survey their assigned park three times by Susan Montauk Oakland’s parks and median strips are in sorry condition, the community- based Oakland Parks Coalition found in a survey last year. Now the group is looking for resident volunteers to monitor those green spaces and report problems. Last February and again...

been living off a funding stream that was put in place in 1989 and has had no increase since then. This deficit in funding has resulted in major reduc­ tions in services to Oakland parks. Measure Q will bring specific delivera­ bles to improve park maintenance. Chapter 2. Deborah Shefler, President, League of Women Voters of Oakland 3. Rue Mapp, Founder and CEO, Outdoor Afro 4. James Vann, Oakland Tenants Union 5. Barbara ...

cost of housing in the Bay Area need assistance to avoid homelessness, and those who’ve become homeless need pathways into housing. Measure Q funds will bring back regular maintenance to our beloved Frog and Colby parks, and will fund some of the services needed to house the homeless neighbors currently living in our parks. It’s a win-win for the Rockridge neigh­ borhood and beyond. Please read Brooke Levin’s article on this page for more details on the m...

implement “new standards of excellence for the maintenance and programming of our parks.” The survey revealed that parks and play areas in Oakland are in dire need of main- tenance and upgrading. The Coalition’s park status report convinced City Council members of the urgent need to provide extra resources for park maintenanc...

¢ Parks and Open Space RCPC Welcomes New Boardmember

Parks promote physical activity, relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety and enhance well-being. A POPOS (privately owned public open space) at the CCA site would benefit residents within a half- mile radius of the site, and others well beyon...

Parks and Recreation Foundation, PO Box 13267, Oakland, CA 94661, payable to the Foundation. Note in the memo field that it’s for Scenic Streets of Oakland. The Scenic Team thanks you.” You Could Be in This Picture schedule, with a partner or no...

By Theresa Nelson

PARKS, please call Theresa Nelson at 420-0539.

By Devan Reiff

org/district-plan. As the most extensive regional park system in the country — with 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and more than 1,330 miles of trails — EBRPD plays a critical role in the East Bay’s environmental health, recreation, and quality of life. The new District Plan will help the Park District remain a strong and respon...

Parks and Recreation Department; closure of six recreation centers and three swimming pools; elimination of the tree main- tenance program;

instruction, community meetings, se­ nior events, and a variety of sports and other activities valued by residents. Additionally, our homeless population has increased to an all-time high and city services are stretched thin. from city parks and recreation areas. • Increase restroom cleaning at parks t the January Rockridge Commu­ nity Planning Council (RCPC) Board of Directors meeting, the board voted unanimously to endorse Measure Q, the measure designed to provide funds for...

Although the parks staff “works with neighbors and the homeowner to reach a resolution that satisfies everyone,” Webb says, sometimes that goal isn’t achieved. In those cases, the dissatisfied party can appeal to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission,...

Oakland Parks Coalition Seeks Stewards to Monitor Parks

a year beginning in February 2003 and monitor its condition between surveys. Training for stewards will be offered the first Saturday in February. Parks and Recreation Manager Jim Ryugo is working with the Coalition to develop a system for stewards to report problems directly to city staff. Citizens who are interested in becoming a steward of a favorite North Oakland public area may consul...

By Devan Reiff

...uly reflects the diverse needs of the East Bay. The planning process includes three rounds of public engagement, starting with the survey and continuing with community activities later this year and into 2026. Let’s build the future of our parks together. n Every Tuesday (6:30 to 8:30pm) Industry Night. Special Menu — Discount on food/drinks Every Wednesday (4:00pm to 9:00pm) Wine Down Wednesdays 30% off all wine by the bottle!

When I was head of the RCPC Parks Com- mittee in the late 1990s, we looked at many possible locations for a children’s park in Rockridge. Rockridge is a densely devel- oped area, and open spaces are few and far between. The very nice triangular park on Rockridge Boulevard,...

- Fundraising - Schools - Land Use - The Rockridge - Parks and News

By Jamie Longbine

Scenic Streets: Checks payable to the Oakland Parks and

Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation h. 510/547-3855

By Theresa Nelson

Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation a was our first and original fisca] Sponsor.

Brazen Casual Carpool Stickup Sparks Private Security Debate Following the holdup of a group of commuters in a casual carpool line, a Rockridge resident started a Crowdtilt campaign (https://www.crowdtilt.com/) to raise funds for a private security patrol. Later, a second fun...

Readying Trees and Creeks, Stones and Parks for Adventures to Come

...elcome: Come for the morning or come for an hour; you’ll be welcomed. Contact Leonora Sea, DMV Neighbors Association, leonorasea@yahoo.com, or Ronnie Spitzer, FROG Park, rcspitzer@ yahoo.com. Come Play in the Creek: Temescal Creek and FROG Parks Interim Work Party, Mid-June by Leonora Sea, DMV Neighbors The DMV Neighbors Association and FROG had spirited and enthusiastic volunteers turn out for Earth Day, and they

accomplished a lot of good work along Temescal Creek and at Big and Little Frog parks. Thank you to everyone who came and worked so hard, and to neighborhood businesses: Alem’s Coffee for morning coffee, Café Mariposa for pastries, and MailMax for printing services. June Interim Work Party Nature doesn’t stand still, though...

Hop on over to either recently reopened FROG Parks, Big FROG (Hardy Circle near Miles) or Little FROG (Redondo Avenue at Clarke), on April 16, 9 a.m. to noon, and join us for a fun, family-friendly Earth Day cleanup. Bring work gloves and gardening tools, or use ours. Activities include pl...

FROG’s Family-friendly Earth Day Cleanup: Cleanup Big & Little FROG parks * 9AM-12 noon Rain or shine Festival & Fun in the Park: Big FROG * 12 noon -2 PM Rain cancels Festival    
 
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Join Oakland Parks Coalition Annual Survey

By Susan Montauk

by Susan Montauk, chair, Oakland Parks Coalition S

Rockridge Spruces Up Parks and Creeks

Rockridge Goes Green With Pocket Parks

Rockridge Goes Green With Pocket Parks

By Theresa Nelson

According to Janet Hansen, Project Manager for Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation, staff may or may not plan a final meeting on the design. It might be in late March or early April. The DMV

You may coll the Office of Parks and

In 1988, former director of the City Parks and Recreation department, Herbye White, came up with the idea of a 52- mile drive modeled after San Francisco’s 49-mile drive (San Francisco was in- corporated in 1849, Oakland in 1852).

By Susan Smartt

A Vision for Our Regional Parks

By Mary MacDonald

¢ Studio One (the City’s Parks and Recreation Art/Exercise Center) — Proposed Closure for Seismic Retrofitting

...n, the centerpiece of which is Frog Park, the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt Park. Throughout the years, you have been an incredible resource for us, providing direction, resources, information and strategies about developing and maintaining parks in Oakland. Frog Park involved Oakland’s first-ever community-built park, which required getting permission to do all sorts of things not usually allowed in parks, and fostering working relationships with Alameda County, CalTrans, DMV, and...

By Karen Hester

...e challenge of keeping more than 3,000 acres of parkland, medians and landscaped grounds clean and green with minimal staff is daunting ; further cutbacks would be disastrous. The survey report gives a clear picture of the condition of our parks at a moment in time. It is the After a welcoming continental breakfast, surveyors are trained and sent out in teams to assess 3-5 parks. Safeway Critique Email us at oaklandparkscoaltion@ gmail.com if you are interested in participat­ ing ...

By Susan Killebrew

 PERALTA CELEBRATES, PAGE 4 beautiful Oakland is a healthier community. Come find out how you can partner with Oakland’s clean-up programs to benefit and beautify the City’s neighborhoods, parks and creeks. Speakers include:  Cliff Feldman, City of Oakland: Public Works Agency, Environmental Services Division, Recycling Program. An update on the new recycling program and answers to your questions on the weekly GRAY cart recycling...

...nd historic recreational destination for future generations.” Dredging is the Solution “Ultimately, the solution will be dredging the lake to remove the accumulated silt,” says District Board Member Dee Rosario, who represents Oakland-area parks. “The plan we’re considering also includes improve- ments to the retention ponds and For more about East Bay Regional Parks, visit www.ebparks.org. n

...t (510) 777-3333, or fill in OPD’s Online Crime Reporting form at www.oaklandca.gov/services/report-a-crime- online. If you do need to call 9-1-1, be sure to only use a landline. Use these numbers to send OPD an Anonymous Tip: Pet-Friendly Parks The Department of Parks and Recreation is mandated to release a comprehensive list of parks that allow dogs by July 1, 2020. Crime Stoppers of Oakland: (510) 777-8572 Homicide / Robbery Tip line: (510) 238-7950 Vote by Mail Ballots sent vi...

By Leonora Sea

...ss’ name yet, write to editor@rockridge.org to ensure your business is included. – Kevin Faughnan ■ ■Frog Park was featured in the February, 2014, issue of Landscape Architecture magazine as an exemplar of community bootstrapping for local parks. Frog Park was one of a handful of Bay Area parks built with grit, alternative funding, and volunteer labor. (We’re glowing! Visit our website for the full article.) ■ ■On April 14, Greater & Greener, a biannual international conference on...

partnering with FROG on these events. Meet at Big Frog Park, which is open during the cleanup. Hope to see you this month! Rain cancels. — Ronnie Spitzer, Treasurer and Maintenance Officer Parks Survey; Frog Survey; Find a Project Frog completed the Oakland Parks Coalition (OPC) all-city park survey, as it has for many years (sponsored by OPC, oaklandparkscoalition.org, a city-wide association). FROG continues to advocate for park...

parks like Colby Park. Through the Kevin Faughnan Memorial Grants Program, RCPC distributes small grants to groups and individual com- munity members to carry out projects for the improvement of their immedi- ate neighborhoods. Membership on the...

parks is becoming as scarce as hens’ teeth. Small areas of greenery can provide a welcome respite and can help relieve sidewalk congestion. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind: 1) The city does not have the resources to maintai...

...borhood’s open space and recreational resources. Rockridge has a population of roughly 12,500 residents served by approximately 4.7 acres of open space and recreation areas. According to the American Plan- ning Association and the National Parks and Recreation Association, Rockridge has about half the mini- Making the Most of What We Have Chabot ball fields and tennis courts are valued (though minimally main- tained) single-purpose resources for tennis and baseball that could use ...

20 years. Through the General Plan, the City aims to create livable and con- nected neighborhoods where people have access to everything they need, such as grocery stores, entertainment, shops, libraries, parks, safe transporta- tion and necessary public facilities and infrastructure. plan for housing and jobs? What should the City focus on to make transportation, parks, and recreation even better? Phase 2 will address the following elements: • L...

...ont, working on issues of local planning, housing develop- ment and affordability, inclusion, and community enhancement. The Transportation Committee tackles traffic and transit, as well as pedes- trian and bicycle safety improvements. The Parks Committee looks after our precious green space, collaborating with the FROG Park Committee, and working to steward our pocket parks like Ayala and small neighborhood

...rmer FROG Chairs Steve Costa and Jennifer Cooper attended the cleanup and the cere- monies, along with other volunteers who were part of the Big Build. Councilmember Dan Kalb and Coun- cilmember Treva Reid attended the event, as did Acting Parks Services Manager Clinton Pugh, longtime Frog Park maintenance manager, and Parks Supervisor Henry Zavala who handles Kids enjoyed decorating wood frogs at the celebration. frontline projects. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, FROG unveile...

By Leonora Sea

the FROG Park Committee — and also working on pocket-parks like Ayala and small neighborhood parks like Colby Park. Through the Kevin Faughnan Memorial Grants Program, RCPC distributes small grants to groups and individual community members to carry out projects for the improvement of their immedi...

...e for all ages under 12 years; and Little Frog for the area near FROG, from previous page FROG, see next page Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt Park, lovingly referred to as FROG. FROG worked with the City of Oakland and the State Department of Parks and Recreation to identify some available bond funding, and a com- mittee was formed to raise awareness and private funds for the new park. Around this time, in the year 2000, several Oakland parks were being

By Ben Friedman

...e. Part of our deep and abiding love for Rockridge is its environmental setting. We are both thrilled to have access to the wild East Bay hills and are immeasurably grateful to the East Bay Regional Park District for its stewardship of our parks. The ability to enjoy runs and hikes up Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve and other nearby parks is a gift few other urban communities can boast. Addition- ally, the riot of wisteria, roses, and countless other flowers that burst forth is...

can thrive for years to come. I currently serve as the RCPC Parks Chair and, in this capacity, I host service events and build relationships with the City and stakeholders to ensure our parks are resilient spaces for kids and adults to have positive nature-based experiences. I also helped run the previou...

By Susan Montauk

communal environment. n reetings neighbors and happy winter. In this month’s report on RCPC’s Parks Committee work, I’d like to dedicate space to a program run by the City of Oakland called “Adopt-A-Spot.” In the City’s words: “Oakland’s Adopt-A-Spot program supports vol- unteers in the upkeep of parks, creeks, shorelines, storm drains, ...

By Don Kinkead

on pocket-parks like Ayala and small neighborhood parks like Colby Park. Through the Kevin Faughnan Memo- rial Grants Program, RCPC distributes small grants to groups and individual community members to carry out projects for the improvement of their imme...

By Robin McDonnell

...an Community Grant Pro- gram. Now is the time to put your creative side to work and improve your neighborhood. The program will provide up to $750 per project and is designed to accommodate block/neighborhood needs. Volunteer For Rockridge Parks community’s outdoor opportunities. Whether you enjoy daily strolls through FROG Park, take your kids to Colby Park, or soak up sun on the Rockridge Park green, we have all appreciated the nature around us a little extra this year. I look f...

By Robin McDonnell

now, and I am currently working to revitalize our Parks Committee to celebrate open space in our neighbor- hood. I walk in the footsteps of many volunteers who have come before me in creating, improving, and cleaning up our parks, and I plan to build off of these efforts to grow our ZϬϭϮϲϱϴϳ...

— By Skip Fogarty Lake Temescal is a crown jewel among our East Bay Regional Parks. One of the system’s three original parks, which opened in 1936, Temescal provides recreational oppor- tunities rarely found in an urban setting. Generations have sunned them- selves on the beach, learned to swim, trained as lifeguards, an...

...R TO EDITOR Recycling — Yes or No? other countries. However, should we abandon all the lessons we’ve learned over the past decades and give up on providing recycling bins for future generations? Today, hundreds of kids using play- grounds, parks and sports fields have no option other than dumping their recyclables into garbage cans and bins. Shouldn’t we use these areas to teach kids sound recycling habits? Unfortunately, the City of Oakland is erasing years of recycling knowledge...

istration seems to be a resounding NO. After the current contract with California Waste Solutions was signed, all recycling bins and recy- cling services were eliminated from Oakland public parks. Moreover, having personally reviewed 70 percent of Oakland parks, it’s clear only one percent offer any recycling bins, which appear to be neighborhood monitored and main- tained. I understand that recycling today is very challenging — es...

...part in making Rockridge a truly neighborly community. We wish you lots of luck in your new digs and new endeavors. I have lived in Rockridge with my partner, Alex, since early 2018 and spend much of my personal time exploring our regional parks on foot — Redwood Regional, Sibley Volcanic, Huckleberry Botanic, Claremont and Wildcat Canyons, and Lake Temes­ cal — are nearby favorites of the more than 30 East Bay Regional parks I’ve had the fortune to visit thus far. The Rockridge N...

...om page 12 pole, with initial costs around $95,000. Complete survey options can be viewed at www.frogpark.org. We’re Getting the Ball Rolling To make the community’s vision a reality, FROG has begun working with the city’s Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments, and planning with our city project manager. Oakland Parks and Recreation will fund much of the project management costs. We hope to start construction within a year, but need funding to secure all desired featur...

...s. workshops at the historic Palace Theater. There are walking tours of downtown Hilo taking in the 1920s architecture and col- orful shops and restaurants. A visit to the Tsunami Museum is highly recommended, as are visits to the bayfront parks created as tsunami barriers. South of town are four beach parks easily reached by local buses. You can ride the local buses around Hilo or even to the inland town of Volcano or

By Carol Behr

...inator; Mike MacDonald, bathroom project; Kate Runyan, Oceanus Mural restoration project; Phase Two steering committee; Big Build captains, committee leaders and volunteers; City and County staff: Ignacio de la Fuente and staff; Jim Ryugo, Parks Facilities Manager; Zac Wald, Nila Kim and Kate Whitlow; Gene Mazza, Alameda County Public Works Agency; Luciano Cortes, FROG gardener; Rockridge Community Planning Council; Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation; community maintenance volu...

By Theresa Nelson

Look for news of the February FROG meeting on the website, www.frog- park.org, or e-mail: chair@frogpark.org. from page 4 structure’s opening — July 2011. ■ ■Parks Coalition Survey Completed the Oakland Parks Coalition Stewardship Survey – September 2011 ■ ■Annual Fall Maintenance Day Hosted the 10th annual fall Main- tenance Day with almost 100 students from College Preparatory High School — Septemb...

...y individual wheelbarrow loads. At Redondo, nobody anticipated the extensive redwood trees’ root invasion into the Fibar. Volunteers and city staff spent countless hours chopping away at the roots. Gardeners were reassigned from other city parks to help remove the remaining Fibar and install the ground level geotechnical fabric. Completing this job cut into service levels at those other parks. This project would not have been pos- sible without the strong community support and the...

...w fibar. Redondo should be open by mid-January. In the meantime, the play area is closed. Children should not be allowed to play on the gravel in the area. FROG seeks a Certified Arborist to design and implement a redwood root Support FROG Parks Please consider supporting the FROG Committee’s work, either through a monetary donation or volunteer labor. We have contributed roughly $10,000 towards repairs so far and anticipate further expenses. Funding will be needed for critical pa...

By Karen Hester

...donation will help add to the library. Middle School. • For additional details, go to www.rockrid­ The Rockridge Runway and New Style Motherlode stage at Forest will feature geoutandabout.com. only city-wide park survey in Oakland. Survey: Parks Coalition Surveyors are needed for the final day of the Love Your Parks Day (LYPD) event this year. The event meeting place is the Garden Center at Lakeside Park (666 Bellevue) on Saturday, October 2, at 8:30 a.m. Thank you for your help e...

...������������������������������Advertising &  An enthusiastic crowd dedicated the latest Rockridge public art project “Views of the Greenbelt” by artist Mark Brest van Kempen on a rainy day in Rockridge. Installed between Hardy and Redondo Parks along the Greenbelt (see accompanying map, page 11), the strategically placed sculptures of native flora and fauna, sculptural viewing devices and a tactile podium centrally located pay homage to Temescal Creek history and ecology. The pro...

...y structures began with laying out the site, progressed to half-built structures, below, and then finished, next below, as the park is today. How is a park built? In 1997, some Rockridge residents realized that local children had no nearby parks to visit. The group formed a sub-committee within RCPC called PARKS (People Advocating for Rockridge KidS), co-chaired by Theresa Nelson, and began planning for land, fundraising, and equipment. Today, maintenance of much of FROGPark, the ...