Serving the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren Freeway since 1989Volume 17 Number 4 May 2005

A Community Newspaper • P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619 • (510) 287-2655

www.macarthurmetro.org

“Try Every Other Possibility”—A Church and Pastor in Transformation

cont inued on page 4

New Arches Over the Laurel.

See Shenanigans on the Boulevard on page 2.

ith fanfare and greatfun, Bret Harte MiddleSchool will celebrate its

75th anniversary on Saturday,May 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Coinciding with EXPO, BretHarte’s annual open house, theschool will open its doors to fam-ily, alumni, neighbors, andfriends. Activities include a

barbeque, student perfor-mances, raffle, classroom tours,stories from the past, luncheonfor former staff, faculty-studentgames, and birthday cake for all.

Bret Harte opened in 1929as a junior high. The schoolwas located at the back of theblacktop in the sunken area nowfondly called “the pit.” Otherbuildings followed, includingthe gym that faces MacArthur

B Y M I C H E L E L E P R O H N

t Fruitvale Presbyterian,the fronds on Palm Sun-day are modest, the

congregation sparse but en-thusiastic, and the young pas-tor, Monte McClain, dressesin street clothes, engaging hisaudience as he delivers hissermon standing in the aisles.

McClain grew up in largePresbyterian churches thatprovided him with many op-portunities for discovery andgrowth. He became a leaderin both church and school, buthis decision to become a pas-tor involved a long thinkingprocess. “I would say I wasnever hit by a bolt of lightning.I did know that when I wasthe most passionate or feelingthe most alive was when I wasworking at church.”

McClain recalls how thepastor he grew up with alwaystold him, “If you feel called to

be a pastor, try every otherpossibility.” He ultimatelyrejected other career options,studying Divinity both inDavis and abroad in Franceand the Swiss Alps. After heworked in various churchesin France, he and his wifereturned to the United States,and in 2002 he became anordained pastor at FruitvalePresbyterian.

McClain explains, “Ourchurch is sort of a specialchurch. It’s called a congrega-tion in transformation.” It’s achurch that is looking to berevitalized and is open to do-ing things differently. “It’s akind of intervention program,”a financial life raft provided bythe Presbyterian Church to aidcongregations with dwindlingmemberships and resources.Ultimately, the bottom line isthat the pews must be filledif the church is to survive,and McClain faces many

Pamela Baker, James A. Barr, Nancy Benson, Supervisor Keith Carson, Amy Graybeal, Helen Lockwood, Gisela Merker & Marilyn Miller,Suzette & Elmer Meredith, Phyllis Robbiano, Trudi Robinson, Sue Shallenberger, Stan Smith, Tarpoff & Talbert, Karen Thomas

You, too, can become a friend of the Metro. See page 2.

Your support helps keep the Metro alive! Become one of the Thousand Friends.

B Y M E R E D I T H F L O R I A N

Achallenges in his earnestdesire to accomplish this.

He notes that in the 1950sthe church had about 500members with “tons of kids.”Then the 580 Freeway wentin. “It changed everything,demographics, in regard torace, class, education. I don’tthink we knew how to adapt.Usually you have a lot of timeas a neighborhood changes,but the Dimond changedreally quickly.”

In spite of the challenges,McClain has a clear andpassionate vision of howto revitalize the church.Through social action anda persistent message of“inclusivity,” he hopes toengage the surroundingcommunity. “The vision Ihave for our church is being acommunity center where lotsof things are happening. Notnecessarily faith-based things,

Fruitvale Presbyterian’s young pastor, Monte McClain.

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Boulevard, the two buildingsthat now make up the mainpart of the school, and of course,the portables at the back.

A time capsule was discov-ered under the cornerstonewhen the original structure wastorn down around 1980. Eventorganizers are on the trail of thiscopper box, hoping to open it atthe 75th celebration. In addition,

ear over fire safety rages onRettig Avenue even thoughrepair work on the landslide

started in December.Residents and community

members are looking to the cityfor a final decision about howRettig Avenue will be used andhow Peralta Creek will be pro-tected after the slide is finallycleared off the pavement. Manyare afraid that if traffic is rein-stated on the single-lane road,residents could be trapped by ve-hicle congestion in an emergency,just as people were on CharingCross in the 1991 fire. If fire trucksand residents are forced into theheavily wooded area, they don’twant the tiny roadway obstructedby traffic in critical moments.“Rettig’s been closed for sevenyears. We forgot it’s even there.It only makes sense to use it foremergencies,” neighbors say.

After the 1991 fire, theOakland Fire Departmentrecommended that the city “des-ignate and sign evacuation andemergency response routes” in

urban-wildland areas like upperLaurel/Redwood Hts. Residentsand community members wantto implement the OFD’s recom-mendations on Rettig Ave. Theysay, “If developers can buildhomes on the most steep, nar-row, winding, dead-end streetsin the Oakland Hills, they candirect their driveways to accom-modate an emergency evacua-tion route on Rettig Ave.” It’shard to disagree with the logic.Rettig Ave. is located on a creek,in the Wildfire PreventionDistrict, in the Alquist-PrioloEarthquake Fault Zone, and ina landslide zone, after all. Thatshould count for extra safetyprecautions, shouldn’t it?

To view an aerial photo ofthe Rettig Ave and Upper Laurel/Redwood Heights area, go to:www.google.com/maps. Click on:Map –“Satellite.” Input an addresssuch as: 4205 Rettig Avenue Oak-land, CA. Use the scale on the side ofthe screen to zoom-in and zoom-outof the image.

For more information aboutRettig Avenue and Peralta Creek,or about how you can help, e-mailrettig_ave@yahoo.com.

A Fire-Slide ChatB Y H U G O E V A N S

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The original Bret Harte Junior High circa 1929.

Bret Harte Celebrates 75 Years

cont inued on page 7

W

2May 2005

HOT NUMBERSCITY OF OAKLAND AGENCIES

ABAT—the Alcoholic 777-8670Beverage Action Team

Graffiti hotline 238-4703

Abandoned cars 238-6030

O.P.D. Non-emergency 238-3333

Animal control 535-5602

Beat Health (drugs) 777-8630

Drug Hotline 238-DRUG

Noise Hotline: 238-6777(Oakland CEDA,property complaint line)

C.O.R.E. 238-6351(Citizens of OaklandRespond to Emergencies)

City Tree Unit 615-5850

Oaklanders Assistance 444-CITYCenter knows the answerto all problems with cityand other governmentalservices in Oakland.

PRIVATE AGENCIES

A Safe Place 536-7233(domestic violence)

Conciliation 763-2117Services of Oakland(neighborhood disputes)

Sentinel Fair Housing 836-2687(free landlord-tenantcounseling anddiscrimination investigation)

Managing EditorToni Locke

Associate EditorSheila D’Amico

Copy EditorsAnne Fox, Roussel SargentFinances/BookkeepingReuben GoldbergAdvertising ManagerKrista GulbransenArt DirectorAndreas JonesWord ProcessingDavid RaichPhotographyJody Berke, Clifford StevensonDistributionPeter BondMailingMaggie DorseyCalendarMarilyn GreenFriends and Money HoneysMary Seastrand

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Also, a special thanks to allvolunteer writers, artists,photographers, and distributors.

Printing by Wesco Graphics, Inc.,Tracy, California, (209) 832-1000.

Opinions expressed in the MacArthurMetro are those of the contributorsand do not necessarily reflect theviews held by the publication.©2005 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619,www.macarthurmetro.org,(510) 287-2655.

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here can be no mistakingthe heart of the Laurel Dis-trict. Two grand arches—

one at MacArthur Boulevardand High Street and a second atMacArthur and 35th Avenue—mark the center of our vibrantneighborhood.

“The original idea consistedof poles, banners, and inscrip-tions,” said Leslie Golden,owner of Golden Associates,who designed the arches.

Golden Associates’ portfolioincludes the Bancroft Avenuemedian improvement in Oak-land, the Mission Creek Parkin San Francisco, and the WestEstudillo Downtown HistoricImprovements in San Leandro.

Golden suggested some-thing a little less ephemeraland sketched out an arch. “Wewanted to create a memorablesense of place,” said Golden,who holds a bachelor of artsin landscape design and amaster’s degree in architecturefrom UC Berkeley.

The city agreed withGolden’s idea and commis-sioned her to create the arches.She drove around the Laurelto get a sense of place, whichshe wanted to translate intoher creation.

“I was impressed with theneighborhood, with the quality

craftsmanship in its Arts andCrafts bungalows and the ArtDeco commercial buildings,”she said.

Her commission called forthe creation of three alternativesto present to the neighborhood.She chose three different stylesfor these alternatives: Art Deco,Classic, and Arts and Crafts.She was pleased that the neigh-bors chose her personal favorite,the Arts and Crafts arch thatfeatures the laurel leaves.

Arrow Signs executedGolden’s design. The companyalso installed the arches onceit completed its work. “There’smore to these arches than whatyou presently see,” said ArrowSigns’ Jack Abele, who oversawthe steelwork.

DennisEvanosky

Shenaniganson the Boulevard

Arches Over the Laurel

Golden’s design includesstucco cladding for the arches.“This cladding will have stonesset in a rich terra-cotta color,”she said.

The word “Laurel” thatforms the arch’s keystone willbe lit so it can be easily seen atnight.

“We worked closely withLeslie and the folks at Ray’sElectric to get this done,” saidAbele. “It was a team effort.”

Golden echoes Abele andstresses the collaborative effortthat went into project fromidea to execution. “There’smore to come,” she said. “TheCrucible in West Oakland isalso involved and will delivertree grates, bike racks, and trashreceptacles.”

“We’re doing this projectto show our appreciation tothe City of Oakland andCity Councilmember JeanQuan,” said Michael Sturtz,the Crucible’s founder andexecutive director.

“Crucible steelworkerStewart Port is crafting thepatterns, metalworker BuzzVoelker is fabricating the steel,and senior operations managerJohn Altermus is supervisingthe project for us.”

“I had the honor of design-ing the tree grates myself,” saidSturtz. “I drew on Leslie’s arch

T

DOROTHY OKAMOTO

Optometrist

3714 MacArthur BoulevardOakland 530-2330

Over 20 years in the Laurel District

design for inspiration.”Golden hopes the arches

will provide a spur for eco-nomic revitalization.

The enthusiasm at ArrowSigns, Golden Associates, andthe Crucible reflects the yearsof neighborhood action. BothGolden and Quan’s chief ofstaff Richard Cowan were im-pressed with the neighbors whoattended the meetings aboutthis project.

There has already been onepositive result that goes beyondthe arches. The neighbors in-sisted on—and got—left-turnarrows for the traffic lights. Thecombination of the teamworkthat created the arches and thecommunity involvement behindthe entire streetscape bode wellfor the Laurel.

Stay tuned.

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Leslie Golden.

The Laurel Arch nears completion.

May 2005

3

ransportation has been anexciting subject in our areaever since the Gold Rush

Days of 1849. Oakland wasfounded in 1852, and by 1869was the western terminus ofthe transcontinental railroad.

Leona-area quarry materialsand mine products were trans-ported by steam train from1888 until about 1890, whenthe Leona line was electrified.Around 1891, electric trolleysbegan running along theCourtland Creek route andup to the car barn at the end ofthe line at Laundry Farm in thecanyon immediately below theold Chabot Observatory site.

The Leona Trolley (espe-cially on old No. 16) was aromantic, Toonerville Trolley-flavored sort of ride that tookpeople from developed Oak-land to “the great out-of-doors”of Laundry Farm, the OaklandHills, Anthony Chabot’s Obser-vatory, and The Leona Hotel.

Never having ridden thattrolley myself as a youngster,I have often wondered whatthe experience must have beenlike. Then I had the pleasure theother day of interviewing MariaPerry O’Connor, who now livesin Redwood Heights but oftenrode the Leona Trolley in heryouth. What a good time wehad talking of the old days!

In the early 1930s she hadlived on Potter Street in theFairfax neighborhood. To getto the trolley stop, she wouldwalk over what is now FairfaxAvenue, go down by Courtlandto the stop, and “wave down”the trolley. She loved to pay herdime fare, to climb on carryingher lunch bag and her butterflynet, and ride out to the end ofthe line, where she would then

B Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y run free “into the wilderness.”The trolley, she said, was

run by one motorman in ablack uniform and a stiff, roundblack hat with a visor. The ridewas pleasant and not at alljerky, she said.

The stops had differentnames, dependent on nearbydestinations. From Fairfax stopone could go up to what is nowMacArthur Boulevard, to thestop where Roberts Tires usedto be; then onward a block tothe Beulah stop, which origi-nally served the Beulah Homeand similar senior residences;then to the Mills College stop;and finally to the car barn.

Going back the otherdirection, the trolley would gofrom the Fairfax stop, downCourtland onto Foothill Boule-vard, down Foothill to a stopnear Lake Merritt, then repeatits route back to the car barn.

This interview materialwill continue in the June/Julycolumn. In addition DennisEvanosky, Steve Mix, and EricTurowski are acknowledgedfor information gleaned fromtheir calendar, The LaurelHistory—1998.

Thanks to Desley BrooksOur neighbors wish to thankpublicly our Councilperson,Desley Brooks, for going tobat for us with respect to aview-taking building violationon Mountain View Avenuerecently. It is vital for citizensto demand from the City ofOakland Building and PlanningDepartment officials completedisclosure and information re-garding our complaints whendevelopers do not build whatthe city is told in writing theywill build, and to act beforeviolations are built, if that bepossible.

Leona HeightsNeighborhood News

Melrose BranchLeads the Way

Library Assistant PeteVillasenor attended a seminaron computers in libraries andquickly put what he learnedinto practice. The Branch staffhas already created the firstOakland Library blog. Sign on tolivejournal.com, and search forthe username MelroseLibrary.You’ll find book reviews, infor-mation on new books, DVD, andCD’s, plus a chance to post com-ments and suggestions. Early inMay the Branch plans to initiatean instant message pilot. From10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 4 to 5p.m., library staff will be avail-able to answer reference ques-tions online. To participate,sign on to aim.com messageservice, and add MelroseLibraryto your list of buddies. I’ll report

more as the pilot progresses.The PASS homework ses-

sions also have a new twist—scavenger hunts. The cluesrevolve around a topic, like NewZealand, in honor of a staff mem-ber leaving for the Pacific Island.They direct the students to booksor articles through a Library ofCongress number or author.The students locate a book orspecific information or copy apicture. Children’s LibrarianSharon Sensor reports that thehunts have been popular, andthey introduce the kids to libraryresources beyond the computers.

Stop by the Branch onWednesday, May 11, at 3:30 p.m.,to celebrate Mother’s Day withTlamantine’s Spanish folk songs.

Pastor GreggComes to Oakland

Right under the sign for theMiracles of Faith Church on

B Y A D E L L E F O L E Y

High Street Neighborhood NewsVirginia Street are two smallersigns: one for Head Start andthe other for English as a SecondLanguage. I had a chance to talkwith the Reverend Gregg Brownwho arrived in Oakland just overa year ago. Now he and his wife,Mary, live next door to thechurch.

He’s particularly concernedabout adults working withyoung people, investing in edu-cation, and providing role mod-els to help youngsters becomegood citizens. He’s formed con-nections to help support anotherenergy source, the Boys andGirls Club a few blocks up HighStreet, and encourages the com-munity to volunteer and raisemoney for the Club.

Inspired by teachers in ablack Texas college who gave thestudents much more than wasrequired, Reverend Gregg wantsto harness God’s spirit to help

Dimond Neighborhood News

B Y H O A N G L E B A N H

Business ImprovementsKudos to Brent Uridge, the newmanager of Long’s Drugs atFruitvale and Montana. Underhis care, the store has beencleaning the grounds, manicur-ing the trees, painting inside(lovely pastels), renovating thephoto center and customer-service desk, and consideringplans for a drive-thru pharmacy.

DIA MeetingsIt’s another month of back-to-back Dimond ImprovementAssociation meetings. On May 4,the Dimond Public Safety Coun-cil (a DIA committee) will meetfrom 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at DimondLibrary, followed by the generalmeeting of DIA from 7:30 to 9p.m. Neighbors will share an-nouncements and provide com-mittee updates. More DimondT-shirts will also be available.

Rummage Sale andPancake-Flipping Dads

The Sequoia Dads’ Club VarietyShow in March was again a suc-cess. The next event will be theannual Rummage Sale, Saturday,May 14. For more information,including the exact time, callthe school office, 879-1510. TheSequoia Dads’ Club PancakeBreakfast is Sunday, May 15,from 8 a.m. to noon. Both eventswill be at Sequoia School, 3730Lincoln Ave.

Fruitvale Alive!The third community meetingin the Fruitvale Alive! planningprocess will be held May 18,6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the PattenUniversity Student Center, 2433Coolidge Ave. Refreshmentswill be served. At this thirdmeeting (out of four), theDimond and Fruitvale neighbor-hoods will be introduced tomore design concepts for

beautification by Urban Blue-prints, as well as more recom-mendations from CHS, thetraffic consulting firm. Thesemeetings will help the neighbor-hoods create and prioritize aproject list by fall in order to be-gin applying for constructionfunds in 2006. For more informa-tion and to post comments, go towww.dimondnews.org, or viewthe binder at the Dimond Libraryreference desk. You may alsocontact the project manager atthe City of Oakland: WendySimon, 238-6430, WLSIMON@oaklandnet.com. To assist withoutreach, contact Hoang Banh,at dia@dimondnews.org or 333-8022.

Spanish, Arts, Music, andMore at Senior Center

Fruitvale Presbyterian ChurchSenior Center will have aFundraiser Celebration on May26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Moreover, thesenior center, located at 2735MacArthur Blvd. (at Coolidge),has many activities from whichto choose: Bingo, line dancing,arts and crafts, exercise, Spanishclasses, music, and more, everyWednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m. Call 530-0915 for moreinformation.

Native American EldersCeremony

Grupo Cuauhtonal will holdits second annual CeremoniaHuehuetlatolli on Saturday,May 28, in Dimond Park. ThisElders ceremony is meant tohelp build bridges betweenelders and youth throughpassing words of wisdom andknowledge. There will be song,drumming, and dance perfor-mances from morning to earlyafternoon. In addition, therewill be regalia, rattles, andother artisan wares for sale.

Save the Date!Dimond Improvement Associa-tion is planning a large commu-nity picnic in Dimond Park forSunday, July 24. Magic Danwill put on a magic show forkids of all ages in the morning.Woman’s Will, an all-womentheater company, will put ona Shakespeare in the Parkproduction in the afternoon.There will also be food, games,and much more. —————————————Hoang can be reached atdia@dimondnews.org, andmore updates are available atwww.dimondnews.org.

Rachel, as “Marina the Magnificent,” performing her magic act with Sequoia PrincipalKathy Maloney as her assistant at the Sequoia Dads’ Club Variety Show on March 18.

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More Neighborhood News on pages 4 & 5

cont inued on page 4

4May 2005

PauletteAvery,

R.N., M.S.N.,I.B.C.L.C.

To Your Health

f you are one of the 12 millionAmericans who have beendiagnosed with macular de-

generation, there is hope on thehorizon. Instead of hearing thatthere is no cure and little effec-tive treatment for this leadingcause of blindness in peopleover age 65, your doctor maysoon offer you new options.

Although there arethree forms of macular degen-eration, including one calledStargardts’s disease that can af-fect children, most commonlythe disease occurs in olderindividuals and is referred toas age-related macular degen-eration (ARMD). Within ARMDthere are two types, “dry” and“wet.” The “dry” type, whichaccounts for about 90 percent ofcases, may progress to the moreserious “wet” type. In all typesof macular degeneration, visionis lost as light-sensitive cellslocated in the center, or bull’s-eye, section of the retina calledthe macula, lose their ability tofunction. As a result, the imagesthat would normally be trans-mitted to and interpreted bythe brain are lost. Because thelost cells are those that providethe most vital color and fine de-tail images of vision, their losscan be devastating. To get someidea of how vision is affected,imagine covering the center ofyour glasses with black paperand then trying to read.

Although most cases ofARMD probably result from acombination of environmentaland genetic causes, genetic re-searchers have recently identi-fied a gene that can increasethe likelihood of developing thedisease. Screening for this genemay allow doctors to identifyat-risk individuals and imple-ment treatments to slow, andone day even prevent, thedevelopment of the disease.

If you or someone youknow has been diagnosedwith ARMD, the followingrecommendations may slowthe progression of the disease.These suggestions come from

the Macular DegenerationFoundation Web site,www.eyesight.org, and canbe healthful for all of us:

• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

• Wear sunglasses withUV protection.

• Eat at least two servingsa day of leafy, dark green vegetables.

• Avoid smoking and expo-sure to second-hand smoke.

• Include foods and supple-ments rich in vitamins E and C,and lutein. Lutein is an antioxi-dant found in high quantitiesin foods such as spinach, kale,and other dark green, leafyvegetables.

One current treatmentoption mentioned in a recentarticle in the Contra Costa Timesis a multivitamin that containsvitamin C and E, beta carotene,and zinc. Studies indicatethat taking this product canslow and perhaps restrictthe progression of maculardegeneration. It doesn’t repairdamage but may keep it fromworsening. You can buy itover the counter.

Other drugs are in develop-ment or in clinical trials. Checkwith your doctor for updatedinformation.

Products used to helppeople with ARMD are improv-ing, too. Magnifiers and strongreading lenses can be used toimprove near vision, whileminiature telescopes are avail-able for mid-range and distancevision. Special light sources andother products may also helppeople with ARMD to improvetheir ability to see.

If you notice your vision hasbecome slightly blurred, centralvision is impaired, or straightlines appear wavy, see your eyedoctor for evaluation. Catchingthe disease in the early stageswill give you a better chance atminimizing its progression. —————————————Paulette Avery is a registerednurse and a freelance writerwho specializes in health issues.

B Y P E T E R B O N D

Dear readers: This writer doessearch for individuals andbusinesses worthy of inclusion inthis column, but he relies mostlyon input from others. So, pleasee-mail your ideas for Onions& Orchids to bpbond@aol.com.

Orchids to Anne Fox, thechief copyeditor for the Metro,for having the honor of being in-cluded in Elizabeth Lyon’s newbook, The National Directory of(Freelance) Editors and Writers.

Orchids to the owner andthe manager of LaFranchi Liquorstore, corner of 35th andMacArthur, for the sparkling newpaint job and the continuedmonitoring and removal of graf-fiti on the building.

Onions to the Laurel PostOffice for their failure to main-tain the MacArthur Blvd. side oftheir building. Weeds and litterlurk behind their fence.

Orchids to all the neigh-borhood groups who participatedin Earth Day, April 23, by work-ing to clean and otherwiseimprove their neighborhoods. Tomention just a few: AllendaleNCPC, Avenue Terrace Park,Courtland Creek/Melrose NCPC,Lincoln Neighborhood Assoc.,Dimond Business ImprovementAssoc., Laurel ElementarySchool, Laurel Village Assoc.,Maxwell Park NeighborhoodCouncil, Maggiore & DonivanCo., Redwood HeightsImprovement Assoc., Friends ofSausal Creek, Upper High St.Neighborhood Assoc.

New Optionsfor TreatingMacularDegeneration

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Laurel Neighborhood News

Laurel Village AssociationThe Laurel Village Associationis growing and expanding itsmembership. The MacArthurCoalition and L-CAP havecome and gone. It’s our turnnow. To best serve the commu-nity, Laurel Village is aimingfor nonprofit status. The fol-lowing officers have beenelected: President, ReinerBohlen; vice president, ScottLamb; treasurer, Renais Win-ter; and secretary, KathleenRolinson. Meetings are heldat 7 p.m. on the last Thursdayof the month, at World GroundCafé. The Laurel Village Website, www.laurelvillage.org,provides information onmeetings, joining LVA, andupcoming activities and events.

All those who live, work,play, or shop in the Laurelare welcome to join.

StreetscapeNears Completion

Spanning the 35th Avenueand High Street entrances toMacArthur Blvd., gorgeousgreen, leaf-embossed archeswelcome all to the Laurel.The Laurel streetscape projectnears completion, with justa few finishing touches re-maining. Colored sidewalks,vintage gas lamps, stylishbenches, and raised brickcrosswalks help give theLaurel a new look. Thestreetscape is the conclusionof years of hard work by Lau-rel community and businesses.

A dedication ceremony isplanned for June. Stay tunedfor the date and time.

people with material riches giveto those who don’t have them.Welcome to the neighborhood!

Sign Up for Sports andCamp at Brookdale Rec

After great basketball tourna-ments over spring break, soft-ball is under way, and ManagerDanni Gamidge is lookingahead to summer. Kids fromage five to 12 can attend Short-ies Camp weekdays, from 7a.m. to 6 p.m., for $50 a week. T-ball will begin the first week inJune. Call 535-5632, or drop in,for more information. —————————————Adelle Foley can be reached atjandafoley@sbcglobal.net.

Diane Earl McCanNeighborhood Realtor

To preview homes, see comparablesales and info visit me atwww.dianemccan.comor call me at (510) 338-1352

Specialist in home sales in the Laureland Dimond Districts

and Redwood Heights since 1984

Specialist in home sales in the Laureland Dimond Districts

and Redwood Heights since 1984

Where Hip Dogs and Cool Cats Shop2023 MacArthur Blvd. (2 blocks west of Fruitvale) • 510.336.0105

Tues-Thurs 10-7Fri & Sat 9-6

Sun 12-5(Closed Mon)

FREECommunity Event

Feeding Bones & Raw Food—a presentation by Primal Pet FoodsSunday May 15, 3-4pm

B Y K A T H L E E N R O L I N S O N

McClainC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

but recognizing that we havea building here for a reason—to provide people with differ-ent opportunities.”

The church already boastsan impressive array of socialprograms, including tutoring,a food pantry, and a seniorcenter. For McClain, whois actively involved in the

“You only knowwho you are inrelationship tosomeone else.”

High Street NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

Dimond ImprovementAssociation, faith “isn’t justabout what you do inside thechurch; it’s about what youdo in your whole life. Thereare no stories about Jesus in achurch—he’s outside with thepeople.”

For the articulate McClain,“The dialog and exchange be-tween people is what it is allabout.” He sees the Judeo-Christian perspective as hav-ing a unique focus on rela-tionships that can assist so-journers on a spiritual path.“I think a lot of it comesdown to relationships, thatGod is personal, not private,but personal and involvedin the community and withindividuals. We are all calledto live in communities. Youonly know who you are inrelationship with someoneelse.”

Often when he has beenidentified as a pastor, a lotof walls come up. “You can’tbreak walls down by pushingthrough. You just have to say,‘This is who I am, but I amwilling to talk.’”

McClain embraces anegalitarian approach with thecongregation, explaining that

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There’s so much to do outside,don’t forget a book!Oh, and sunscreen.

May 2005

5

METROCLASSIFIED ADS

INSTRUCTION

RENTALS

Bernice & Joe Playschool. Fornearly 25 years, play-basedlearning in our earthquakeretrofitted home-like center nearMills College. The park-like quar-ter-acre setting has pine and fruittrees, vegetable garden, redwoodplayhouse, 20-foot sailboat,two-story wooden rocket ship,outdoor art and block rooms.Curriculum includes pre-reading,pre-math enrichment, fieldtrips, F.I.T. gymnastics, musicand Spanish lessons. Emphasisput on socialization, verbal-ization. Sibling, discount. Lunch,snacks provided. Ages 2 to 5years. License #010214258.Brochure. (510) 638-3529.Visit us at www.berniceandjoe-playschool.com.

Saxophone & Piano. Play musicfor the joy of it! Have fun learningjazz, blues, improvisation. Patient,supportive teacher. Ages 10 & up.Speciality: Adult beginners. Eva436-0504.

Licensed marriage and child thera-pist. Life transitions should be anopportunity for new challenges andexciting changes. Counseling/Psy-chotherapy may help facilitate thattransition. Please call LawrenceFoster, M.S. (LMFT #29517), 261-7167 (Maxwell Park Area).

S.I. Computers. Repairs/Upgrades/Retail. Hablamos Español. 510-530-0204, 2710 MacArthur Blvd,Oakland, www.sicomputers.net

Personal Assistant and Petsitting.Light sewing, errands, home andoffice organization, word process-ing. $20/hour. References. Call(510) 533-5235.

Find it List it @ OaklandCon-nection.com. List events, find a job,sell your stuff, find a home, join adiscussion, arts and culture, andmany more community matters.

Business Owners! Expose yourbusiness to the growing local onlinemarket in Laurel and other Oak-land neighborhoods. Mention thisad for a 25% discount. VisitOaklandConnection.com.

Antique Repair & Finishing.Experienced and knowledge-able. All types of furniture. Newfinishes, repairs, waxing,p/u & delivery available. Family-run since 1990. E-mail picturesfor estimates and questions.bruce@BayAreaAntiques.com,or call 510-534-0603.

Oakland Hills Massage. Profes-sional therapeutic massage, spe-cialty working with neck problems.Swedish, sports, deep tissue, 20years experience. Located in Lin-coln Square Shopping Center,4110 Redwood Road. Appoint-ment only, 530-6154.

SERVICES

Apartments Available. MaxwellPark Apt. w/view, 2BD/1BTH,$1,000.00. Maxwell Park Apt. w/deck, Big 3BD/2BTH, $1,400.00.Brookdale Ave. apt. w/balconyNice! 2BD/1BTH, $1,000.00. Allhave spacious bedrooms, carpet,lots of closet space, coin laundry,garage parking, Hwy. 580. Con-tact: Alli at (510) 261-6299.

2 bedrooms, 1 bath. South Berke-ley, near BART, storage, and park-ing. $900/month. Call Mr. Lewisat 510-763-4302.

WANTED

SERVICES

Interior Painting. Jacob Hart,530-6247. Lic.#705262.

African-American manicurist,located in the Laurel District,specializing in manicures, pedi-cures w/paraffin wax treatments,sculptured nails, silk and fiberglasswraps. Over 15 years experienceand service in this area. Call (510)482-3229 for appointment.

Affordable local licensed therapist.Individual, couple, family and childtherapy for the Metro/Oaklandcommunity. Everyone needs helpsometimes. Supportive; practical;sliding scale. Helen MontgomeryLockwood MFCC #27283, (510)874-4722.

Garage to Rent: Must be secure.530-6154.

Computer Savvy Person. To helpremove viruses, setup new pro-grams. 530-6154.

Moving Into a NewNeighborhood

When it came time to buy ahouse, I spent a year going toopen houses in different partsof Oakland. I finally foundwhat I was looking for inMaxwell Park.

It was quite a transitionfrom an apartment to a house.I could no longer walk to visitthe local merchants. I saw oth-ers in the neighborhood whenI drove by. It wasn’t like myold neighborhood. But I slowlybegan to meet my neighbors,and we started a Neighbor-hood Watch group to workon crime and loitering at thecorner store and speeding onour street. I met more neigh-bors and gradually reestab-lished a sense of community.

Meeting New MaxwellPark Neighbors Today

Today, you can move into

Maxwell Park and immedi-ately connect with over 400neighbors through the Yahoogroup. The e-mail chattergives us an expanded aware-ness of each other—we havesuch a variety of opinionsand interests.

But can the need forhuman contact and sense ofcommunity be satisfied bye-mail alone? The CommunityBuilding Neighborhood Ac-tion Team believes that com-munication is the cornerstoneof community building.

The CommunityBuilding Mission

The mission of the Commu-nity Building NAT is to workwith neighborhood residents,merchants, and institutions tofoster social cohesion withinthe Maxwell Park Neighbor-hood. They will organizegroups and activities thatcelebrate diversity, supporteducation, foster pride, andpromote trust to further

B Y S A R A H H I P O L I T O

Summer Classesat the Rec. Center

Give the kids something to dothis summer. Registration forsummer classes begins on May 9.For more information, call theRec. Center at 482-7827.

New Marketin Lincoln Square?

What would you think if Safewaywere to purchase its own portionof Lincoln Square ShoppingCenter and dramaticallyredesign the current store?

Safeway has already rede-signed over a hundred of its

supermarkets with hardwoodflooring, refined displays, andsofter lighting. The new super-markets are called “Lifestyle”stores and commonly feature anupscale deli and prepared-foodsmarket, a quality bakery, florist,coffee bar, a wine, cheese, and ol-ive shop, and a wider variety ofproducts.

According to an East BayBusiness Times article, the corpora-tion hopes that its new Lifestyleline of markets will draw backcustomers who commonly shopat competitors such as WholeFoods and Trader Joes. “Safewayplans to have 86 percent of itsstores designed to Lifestylespecifications by the end of

Redwood Heights Neighborhood News2008,” says the business journal.

If you think the supermar-ket at Lincoln Square is readyfor a face-lift, tell Safeway howyou feel about the current storein Lincoln Square and how youwould feel about shopping atLincoln Square if the Lifestylestore is built.

If you want a change, speakup! Send a letter now to bothof the following people:

Christian Borges, StoreManager, Safeway Store—Lin-coln Square, 4100 Redwood Rd.,Oakland, CA 94619.

Karl Schroeder, DivisionPresident, Safeway CorporateOffice, 5918 Stoneridge MallRd., Pleasanton, CA 94588.

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What time is it?It’s Graduation time! Congratulations to all you seniors!

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B Y D E N I S E D A V I L A

Maxwell Park Neighborhood News

There Is a There, There! neighborhood networking.This NAT is planning a

“mega block party” for Max-well Park, slated for nextsummer. Helen da Silva,Krista Gulbransen, JoseDorado, Adrian Kirk, RachelMichelson, Jeremy Gluskin,and Miki Morimoto are busyironing out the details for thisevent. They will keep our firstmega block party in a smallscale in order to gain experi-ence in organizing such anevent. There is a lot to plan—logistics, money, food, stageperformances, booths/ven-dors, and activities. Volunteersare welcome to lend a hand.If you are looking forward togetting to know more of yourneighbors, the MP Mega BlockParty will be “the place tobe!” Why not get started now?

Helen da Silva, chair,can be reached at HDS2288@aol.com for further informa-tion. Jan Hetherington,secretary@maxwellparknc.com,moderates the MP NCPC e-mail group. The MaxwellPark Web site is http://maxwellparknc.com.

Past Issues ofthe Metro

with a searchable database

available online atwww.macarthurmetro.org

Classified RatesThe rate for classified ads is$.50 per word. Discountedprices available for five-and ten-issue frequencies.Please type or write yourcopy clearly and mail it withyour check to The MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19406,Oakland, 94619. Deadlineis the 15th of the month.For classified-ad frequencydiscounts and display-ad information, pleasecontact Krista Gulbransen at287-2655, fax: 291-2944.

Celebrating 20 Years in Oakland!

PRESCHOOL, PLUS ALL-DAY CARE!

• Serving Infants through Five-Year-Olds• Diapers, Home-cooked meals, Naps and Nurturing Included• 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Year-round Care• Play-based Developmental Program Supporting Growth at Each Age• Building children with Self-esteem. Confidence and Social Competence

AOCS The Association of Children’s Services3021 Brookdale Avenue (near Coolidge)Oakland • 261-1076

6May 2005

Calendar of Community Events

B Y M A R I L Y N G R E E N , C O O R D I N A T O R

The MacArthur Metro calendar welcomes a range of listings. Weemphasize community meetings and actions that address neighborhoodconcerns as well as cultural events that enrich our surroundings.

To have your event listed, please contact Marylin Green no later thanthe 12th of the preceding month at 531-9233 or marilynmetro@aol.com.

May 2005St. Jarlath Senior Center: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Fruitvaleand Pleasant. Quilt class, crafts, line dancing, exercise, bookclub, and more. Volunteer opportunities available. Call 532-2068 for more information.

Fruitvale Presbyterian Church Senior Center: Wednesdays, 8:30a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 2734 MacArthur Blvd (at Coolidge). Bingo,line dancing, arts and crafts, exercise, Spanish classes, music,and more. Call 530-0915 for more information.

Dimond Public Safety Council: Wednesday, May 4, 6:30 to 7:30p.m., Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale. A DIA committee; formore information, call Neighborhood Services CoordinatorRenee Sykes, 777-8718.

Dimond Improvement Association: Wednesday, May 4, 7:30 to9 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale.

Mothers’ Day Celebration: Wednesday, May 11, 3:30 p.m. to4:30 p.m., Tlamantine’s Spanish folk songs at the MelroseBranch Library, 48th Ave. and Foothill Blvd.

Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council: Wednesday, May 11, 7to 8:30 p.m., Mills College, 5000 MacArthur at Pierson. Checkin at main gate for meeting location. Go towww.maxwellparknc.com for more information.

Poetry Reading and Dance Performance: Saturday, May 14, 7to 9 p.m., 1870 Antonio Peralta House, 2465 34th Ave. A fes-tive exploration of early California music and dance with Califor-nia Poet Laureate Robert Hass and Mexican folk dancers SolMejica. Presented by Friends of Peralta Hacienda HistoricalHouse; free, donations accepted.

Chamber Music Series: Sunday, May 15, 7 p.m., Holy NamesUniversity, Regents’ Theater in the Valley Center for the Perform-ing Arts, 5300 Mountain Blvd. Program features the Elgar PianoQuintet, Geraldine Walther, SF Symphony principal violist,with violinists Nadya Tichman and Amy Hiraga, and cellistPeter Wyrick. General admission $20, seniors $15, studentswith ID $5. Call 559-8535 for more information, or visitwww.masterguild.org.

Fruitvale Alive! Community Meeting #3: Wednesday, May 18,6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Patten University Student Center, 2433Coolidge Ave. Refreshments will be served.

Friends of Sausal Creek Meeting: Wednesday, May 18, 7 to 9p.m., upstairs at the Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale. All arewelcome to the monthly meeting, which includes discussion ofongoing projects plus a presentation by Susan Schwartz, Presi-dent of the Friends of Five Creeks, on walks that can be takento view current and future creek restoration projects. Call532-0994 for more information.

Dance Production Jazz II: Wednesday through Saturday, May 18to May 21, 7:30 p.m., Farnsworth Theatre, Skyline High School,12250 Skyline Blvd. Tickets $8.

Melrose/High Hopes NCPC (beat 27X): Thursday, May 19, 7p.m., Horace Mann School, Congress and Ygnacio.

Vocal Music Concert: Wednesday and Thursday, May 25 and26, 7:30 p.m., Farnsworth Theatre, Skyline High School, 12250Skyline Blvd.

Senior Center Fundraiser Celebration: Thursday, May 26, 9 a.m.to 1 p.m., Fruitvale Presbyterian Church.

Spring Instrumental Concert: Thursday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.,Farnsworth Theatre, Skyline High School, 12250 Skyline Blvd.

Jim Gardner Construction Inc.FOUNDATIONS • DRAINAGE

RETAINING WALLSEARTHQUAKE RETROFIT

510 •655-3409www.jimgardnerconstruction.com

Since 1980 • Lic.# 444635

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Reform Theology viewseveryone as a minister. “Thepastor is no greater than anyof the people.”

Since he has no AssistantPastor, lay leadership iscrucial in the congregation.Unlike in large churches, herean individual can really makea difference. If someone ismissing one Sunday, peoplewill notice. “You can’t neces-sarily be a consumer in ourchurch, but you can be aparticipant.”

If you’d like to learn moreabout Fruitvale Presbyterian,call 530-0915, or visitwww.FVPC.org.

McClainC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 4

THE METRO GETS AROUND—TO HAWAII!

Top: Metro writer Meredith Florian in Maui. Bottom: Russell Yee’s daughters, Julia and Erica, atopDiamond Head (overlooking Honolulu).

percent of teachers who areHealthNet subscribers. Withinthe next two years, the districtcould cap Kaiser benefits aswell, leaving teachers withconsiderable out-of-pocketcosts to pay. For those of uswith families to support, theadditional health-care burdenwould make it hard to makeends meet.

The Metro Supports a Free,Publicly Funded, Locally

Controlled Educationfor Every Child

The Oakland Unified SchoolDistrict, under the leadershipof Dr. Ward, is responding tothe punitive federal sanctionsof No Child Left Behind andthe decline in state funding foreducation by closing schoolsand reconstituting them or re-opening them as privatelyfunded charters. We not onlyoppose OUSD’s current con-tract proposal, but we call for astop to a privatization of publiceducation as a whole that willleave many children behindand our country without one ofits most important democraticinstitutions.

May 2005

7

C. A. & P. Magnuson-PeddleSonja Proulx

Pat SawanwatanaDiane & Charles Trost

Kathleen RolinsonDr. Susan Harman

Scheberies, Inc.Merri Brown & Kris Wilson

J. Conrad BirdieNancy Sidebotham

Sharon TothWilliam R. Shyvers. Jr.

Susan AudapDimond Improvement

Association, Inc.Shoshana Finacom

Gary HarrisKate Phillps

Margarget WelchLeslie Bialik & Gene Tucci

Mike FerroJacob & Linda Hart

Steven LaVoieKate Phillips

Dr. Elizabeth PrestonBen Visnick

Carolyn VallergaGuy & Shirley Moore

Renata MaynardVic & Nancy MiloslavichJanet & John Broughton

Victoria WakeRichard & Nancy BankerChristine & Andrew Cohn

Hung Liu & Jeff KelleyLucky Donuts

Phillip W. WongMarcia Henry &Gary DelgadoCeleste BurtonLisa Ruhland &Michael Cowan

Karen Marie SchroederDolphin WaletzkyWilliam A. Ince &Nancy Scott-InceKeiko Shimada

Eugene CrenshawHamachi

Richard L. WeinsteinBarbara A. Ginsberg

Roussel SargentJacob & Linda Hart

Knud DanildJoan Dark

Deborah CooperElaine Lyford-Nojima &

Dana NojimaRussell Bruno &

Susanne LeaLydia Palmin & Tom Daley

Richard CowanWilliam & Susan Bagnell

John & Claude ElkJohn Coffey

Diane Earl McCanDavid Vahlstrom/Laurel

Hardware

The Metro acknowledges contri-butions of $50 or more by listingyour name or business as a MoneyHoney for 10 issues. You keepour paper alive and well.

MONEYHONEYS

Teaching in a state thatstands 48th in the nation inschool funding and first in thechallenges of language and eth-nic diversity is tough enough.But, adding insult to injury, arecent Oakland Tribune columnattacked teachers now engaged,through their union, inbargaining for a new contractwith the State-run school districtunder Dr. Randolph Ward. Theteaching staff of Sequoia Elemen-tary School wrote a letter pre-senting their side of the story.The Trib has yet to print it. TheMetro is happy to present the fol-lowing highlights of that letter:

Teacher Prep TimeNot a “Perk”

Our current contract requires usto work from 8:15 to 3:15, Mon-day through Friday. We arealso required and expected toresearch and plan appropriateunits of instruction for LanguageArts, Math, Social Studies, andScience; differentiate instructionto meet the needs of all students;copy needed materials; correctand grade student work;

communicate with parents; col-laborate with colleagues; planfield trips; and counsel students.If teachers are teaching in theclassroom from 8:30 to 3:00,how are we to accomplish theremainder of our duties withoutthe aid of prep time?

“Work to Rule”Our current bargaining strategy,working just 8:30 to 3:00, is de-signed to show that teachers, ona regular basis, spend incredibleamounts of time and energydoing things for our studentsoutside of our contractual duties.This donation is taken forgranted by the district and goeslargely unacknowledged untilwe suddenly stop doing it. Thenwe are demonized for being self-ish and are forced to withstandinsinuations that we are lazyor uncommitted! This is an emer-gency measure that in no waydiminishes our dedication to thechildren, and we ask for parentsupport.

Oppose Caps on Health CareThe School District contractproposes caps that affect the 40

LettersC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 8

By Toni Locke

Teachers Under Fire

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a new time capsule will be filledand tucked away for futuregenerations.

An exhibit of photos andother mementos from BretHarte’s past is on display atthe Dimond Library throughthe month of May. Graduatesinclude actor Tom Hanks andmany parents and grandparentsof current students. For more in-formation, please contact theBret Harte Parent Center at879-2068 or bhparentcenter@yahoo.com. The school is at3700 Coolidge Avenue.

that the construction is over,we hope more people will comeand shop.

Well, last week I thought Iwould have lunch at a Laurel-district cafe and then walkaround. I parked at a parkingmeter and put in 25 cents, and,to my surprise, I got only 12min. This will only push peopleto hurry for whatever they’redoing and leave.

We want people to come andshop. The parking meters shouldbe extended or taken out.Jerry Scheberies

Bret HarteC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

Serving your neighborhoodfor over 25 years with30 professional Real Estate Agents

• If you are thinking of selling, we offer free property evaluation.• If you are thinking of buying, we offer many 1st time buyer loan

programs with down payments as low as $500.• If you are thinking of renting, call us for a list of rentals.• If you are tired of managing your property, call us for professional

property management.Lynn A. Worthington, Broker

5942 MacArthur Boulevard • 510-562-8600

8May 2005

friendly letter came in tothe Metro, too long toprint, from 80-year-old

Allen Marshall and his wifeLinda, of 3930 Maybelle Av-enue. When they are not athome in the Laurel, they arebusy on their five-acre ranch inCovelo, where they raise or-ganic food and redwood trees.

Planting redwoods aroundthe Willits Boy Scout Camp andelsewhere has been a 30-yearproject for Mr. Marshall, and heoffers free, five-foot specimensto our readers with the warningthat they grow fast. He invitesthose interested to view thetrees in his front yard onMaybelle.

Since 1960 the Marshallshave made their income from a

home-printing venture calledthe Marshall Arts Press. TheBible tracts they have printedin the millions and given freeof charge have brought themletters of thanks from all overthe United States.

To take advantage of theMarshalls’ generosity, call 531-5702 to catch them when theyare here and not in Covelo. Weare grateful for the final wordsin Allen Marshall’s letter to us.They were, “I like your paper.”

ditor:After your paper said

Jerry Scheberies, the mayor ofMacArthur Blvd., I thought may-be I should contribute some wordsof wisdom. A used-car dealer isnear the level of a politician.

A lot of money was spent tomake the Laurel district morepleasant to the eye after disrupt-ing the area for months, trafficbacked up in front of my busi-ness for blocks. It was difficultfor people to get in or out. Now

ZHI DAO GUAN

THE TAOIST CENTERDr. Alex Feng LAc, PhD, OMD“One of the Ten Best Complementary MedicinePractitioners in the Bay Area”—SF Focus Magazine

3824 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland510-336-0129 www.thetaoistcenter.com

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Second Annual TAOIST GATHERING Oct. 28-30, 2005

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DIMOND KIDS’ DAY CAMPat Fruitvale Presbyterian Church

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Allen Marshall cutting the grass at his little ranch in Covelo.

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