Week 5, July 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasures are the hard-working idealists operating The Tides Foundation.
From their website:
“Our mission is to partner with philanthropists, foundations, activists, and organizations across the country and across the globe to promote economic justice, robust democratic processes, and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected.
We offer an array of services to simplify and amplify your efforts. From donor advised funds to fiscal sponsorship, from green nonprofit centers to programmatic consulting, from grants management to risk management and more, Tides gives you the freedom to focus on the change you want to see.
Each Tides organization pursues a distinct yet related strategy to promote the Tides mission. Tides Foundation works with donors to increase and organize resources for positive social change. Tides Center is sponsor to nearly 200 projects nationwide working to advance progressive social change. Tides Shared Spaces operates and supports green nonprofit centers.”
Most of us in will never forget the news of a deranged man who opened fire on the police officers who stopped him on I-580 in Oakland as he was allegedly on his way to target members of this organization in San Francisco. If anything good can come from such a crime maybe the increased notoriety can help The Tides Foundation accelerate their good work.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Thursday Night Live: 1st and 3rd Thursdays in Oakland. From the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau website: Thursday Night Live Concert Series is a free concert the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, June-October featuring some of the Bay Area’s finest Live Salsa. TNL features a street Margarita and Beer garden, Salsa dance lesson prior to each performance, held by Club One and a Kid’s Art Zone by Mocha. Check it out in Old Oakland… just follow the sounds of salsa in the streets!
Bay Area World Guitar Show: This Saturday in San Rafael. From the Chronicle: This show features buy, sell, trade guitars, amps, banjos, sound equipment, new, used, old, rare items. Includes manufacturers, builders, dealers, buyers, authors, collectors, stars, appraisers, retail stores. Bring all you can carry to sell or trade at no extra charge. This is the 157th show by the Texas Amigos and California World Guitar Shows.
Indonesia Day at Union Square: This Saturday in San Francisco. From the Chronicle: INDONESIA DAY, A Uniquely San Francisco Tradition, continues to be the biggest Indonesian event in the United States. ADMISSION IS FREE! This exciting event will be held on Saturday, July 31, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm at Union Square, San Francisco. Featuring performance of traditional and contemporary Indonesian dances,music and authentic Indonesian cuisine.
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Pic of the Week:
Sundays on the San Mateo County Coast
Week 3 July, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasures are the progressive citizens of Oakland who are the true soul of this town.
Recent events in Oakland have sent shockwaves through the neighborhood conversations in Oakland where we almost can’t believe the dramatic scenes that have played out. As a citizen of Oakland I can tell you that most people here recognize how Oakland can be a stage for some unwanted theatrics. Too often it is here in Oakland where those from neighboring areas choose to act out their aggressions and discontents toward the greater community. It’s ironic that such is the case when Oakland could easily be considered a national epicenter for American progress on so many fronts that seek to erradicate the roots of poverty, exploitation and injustice. (See the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action, Color of Change, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and many more headquartered in Oakland.) And consider where Oakland stands on perhaps the most pressing issue facing human existence today ranking #4 in the Popular Science list of America’s 50 Greenest Cities. The truth is that the unwanted theatrics played out on the Oakland stage are representative of the challenges facing the greater community of this whole country— if not the whole planet— most of which are being sincerely addressed in a broad spectrum of ways by very dedicated, progressive-minded citizens of the city of Oakland. The truth is that Oakland is at the forefront of the progressive movement that seeks justice and liberty for all. And those of us who live here know it. So this edition of WeekendWanderings salutes the soul of Oakland embodied in its citizens who stand for progress on so many fronts in spite of any and all who try to violate her spirit. In short, WeekendWanderings says God bless Oakland, California and the causes she champions!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Art Under the Oaks at Alen Lane Nursery: This weekend in Livermore. From their website: This year promises to continue to delight the art, wine, music and fruit lover! We’ll have local wineries pouring samples, local artists will be on hand demonstrating their craft, music will fill the grounds, and Dave Wilson Nursery will hold their Annual Summer Fruit Tasting, so yummy, you won’t want to miss it. You can purchase tasty treats from Sweet & Savory Bakery and Café while taking in the event. The Valley Woodcarvers will be presenting a special show to include carvings from the old flagpole from downtown Livermore.
All Shook Down Live Music in North Beach: This Sunday in San Francisco. From their website: SF Weekly and Scion are proud to present All Shook Down, a showcase of eclectic local, national, and international music in the heart of San Francisco’s historic North Beach neighborhood. Featuring live music from more than 30 artists on an outdoor stage and in the unique intimate venues on Grant & Green streets. With production support provided by North Beach Jazz Fest veterans Sunset Promotions and promotional partners Eye Heart SF, Nate Mezmer Presents, Crawl SF and 1M Entertainment. Headlining the event will be internationally acclaimed pop artist NEON INDIAN and future-soul diva JANELLE MONAE. All Shook Down will also unveil the nominees for the 2010 SF Weekly Music Awards, and attendees will be able to submit their votes on-site. Many of the nominees will be performing at the festival.
Bikes4Life Bike Ride for Peace: This Saturday in Oakland. From their website: B4L’s mission is focused on empowerment, leadership development, and community development. A successful uniter B4L’s bicycle adventures attract a large diverse group of enthusiastic youth and seasoned riders of all ages and backgrounds. Bikes 4 Life Annual Peace Ride happens in July dont miss the next one. Bikes 4 Life is a community bicycle shop in West Oakland. It started out as annual ride and now has become One Fam’s social enterprise creating a model for self sufficiency. It brings together diverse members of the community to enjoy biking and repair and has the best prices for quality bicycles around.
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Pic of the Week:
How we grow ‘em in Oakland
Week 2 July, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the group of concerned citizens calling themselves Fair Trade Berkeley. From their website:
We are a local coalition of motivated Berkeley community members who want to see our city embrace the mission of the Fair Trade movement.
From the East Bay Express:
The Berkeley City Council will vote Tuesday night on a resolution formally declaring the city to be a supporter of international fair trade, a movement that advocates worker equity and sustainable development. The resolution was drafted by the Fair Trade Berkeley Steering Committee and the City Manager’s Office. Under the resolution, the city would commit to purchasing fair trade products when they’re readily available, city-standard compliant, and competitively priced. “For a long time the city has supported healthy working conditions, fair wages, and environmentally friendly production methods,” said Sharon Thygesen, the city’s general services manager. “We try to look at fair trade products and this resolution codifies that.” If adopted, the city would also “consider” working to ensure ongoing education about fair trade and taking a more active role in the movement’s future issues. As an item on the council’s consent calendar, the resolution is expected to pass, barring any objections from the public. If passed, Berkeley will join San Francisco, Chico and sixteen other US cities as a fair trade city.
Weekend Wanderings salutes Fair Trade Berkeley for their work to add Berkeley to the short list of American towns embracing this important ideal.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
24th Connoisseur’s Marketplace 2010: This weekend in Menlo Park. From the Chronicle: The long, laid-back days of summer are here, bringing with them the very best of the Bay Area’s popular festival season. For a sun-splashed weekend featuring world-class art by 250 of America’s top artists, two days of great music, engaging chefs’ demos, fabulous food and drink, tons of fun for kids, artisan specialty food purveyors, a new collector car show, home and garden exhibits, health and wellness displays and an organic and green products showcase, head to downtown Menlo Park for the 24th Annual Connoisseurs’ Marketplace, July 17-18.
San Francisco Bachata International Festival: This weekend in San Francisco. From the Chronicle: The San Francisco Bachata International Festival will feature two days of professional dance performers from all over the world. If you want to enjoy summer dancing in the great city of San Francisco then this is it. This year’s festival has collected 7 of the hottest international Bachata bands.
Target Arts and Wonder Free Family Event: This weekend in San Francisco. From the Chronicle: San Francisco’s leading museums are having a free for all and you’re invited! It’s one big weekend of fun as the de Young Museum, Asian Art Museum, SFMOMA, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora, Zeum and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival take turns welcoming families with free admission, free art activities and family-friendly free performances.
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Pic of the Week:
Egbert in the squash
Week 1 July, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the Haiti Action Committee. From their website:
The Haiti Action Committee is a Bay-Area based network of activists who have supported the Haitian struggle for democracy since 1991. Our members travel frequently to Haiti and are in close touch with Haitian grassroots activists, legal and human rights workers, and victims of repression. With demonstrations and civil disobedience, Congressional lobbying and educational events, publications and community organizing, we are working to build a strong Haiti solidarity movement.
From the East Bay Express:
It’s been six months since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, but the outpouring of volunteers — and the need for them — hasn’t abated. Members of the Haiti Action Committee, a Bay Area activist network that formed in 1991, will be relaying their experiences in post-earthquake Haiti at La Peña Cultural Center (3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley) on Saturday, July 10, with photos and video to boot. 4-6 p.m., $7-$20 sliding scale (no one turned away for lack of funds).
Weekend Wanderings salutes the Haiti Action Committee for their tireless work in Haiti whether the news cameras are there or not.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
North American Unicycling Championships: This weekend in Berkeley. From their website: The North American Unicycling Championships and Convention, also known as “U Games”, is the largest gathering of the year of unicycle enthusiasts in North America and has activities for unicyclists of all ages and skill levels. There are non-competitive activities such as fun rides, workshops, games and social events for all unicyclists. Non-unicyclists are welcome and encouraged to attend–we’ll get you started!
JC Cellars Beach Party: Saturday in Oakland. From their website: When Jeff Cohn was the winemaker at Rosenblum Cellars, annually he crafted more than 70 different wines. Today, at his Oakland-based warehouse winery, the irrepressible vintner now limits himself to a mere 21 bottlings, focusing on Rhône varietals. Cohn’s longtime relationships with some of California’s top growers and vineyards enable him to source some of the state’s finest fruit, including Rockpile in Sonoma County, Fess Parker in Santa Barbara County and Stagecoach in Napa.
Alameda County Fair: Through Sunday in Pleasanton. From the East Bay Express: If the start of summer doesn’t evoke a yearning for deep-fried twinkies and pig racing, you’ve probably never experienced the many exquisite pleasures of the Alameda County Fair (4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton). Now in its 98th year, the fair offers a head-spinning array of activities spread out over 268 acres: tractor pulls, a petting zoo, horse racing, cook-offs, nightly concerts, amusement park rides, themed weekends, a hot-dog eating contest, and more. This year also promises the introduction of chocolate-covered bacon, a sheep-riding contest for kids, and what’s billed as “the world’s largest waffle cone.” Wednesday, June 23 through Sunday, July 11. Mon., Wed., and Thu.11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Tue.closed. Admission $4-$10, parking $8-$20, unlimited ride wristband $20-$28.
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Pic of the Week:
Carmel on my mind
Week 4 June, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is Our Oakland: Eastside Stories. From their website:
Our Oakland : Eastside Stories is an integrated public art project by artist Rene Yung that will beautify the new East Oakland Community Library and create a new platform for community storytelling about East Oakland. The overall theme of the project is Mutuality + Transformation, meaning that as members of a community, each of us is interconnected and we have the power to individually and collectively take action to make positive changes in our communities.
This project consists of three parts:
- Public Art in the Library with art glass in a 64-foot clerestory window and an Interactive Pod
- A Digital Archive of Community Stories about East Oakland
- Community building activities including forming new partnerships and hosting storytelling events to build a new community online that will help build community on the ground.
If you’ve ever traveled through east Oakland you know there are plenty of challenges there. The under side of the glitz and glamor of America’s big cities is pretty consistent in this regard. But low income does not have to equate to low-pride and low-joy, certainly not if equal justice under the law is truly protected. WeekendWanderings salutes Our Oakland: Eastside Stories for its commitment to cultivating pride and joy from within in an area that knows all too well how its reputation precedes it.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Music and Meditation at Nyingma Institute: Saturday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: Music can alter the human brain’s rhythms in ways that facilitate stillness and open the mind to new modes of thinking ñ and not thinking. At the Tibetan Nyingma Institute (1815 Highland Pl., Berkeley) on Saturday, July 3, performer/composer/scholar Tracy McMullen leads a workshop titled “Music and Meditation,” which offers techniques for listening to music in different ways and is part of the institute’s “Emotions, Intelligence, and the Mind” series. 9 a.m., $15.
Independence Day Celebration at Ford Point: Saturday at Richmond waterfront. Inside the historic Ford Point Building on the waterfront in Richmond, a patriotic celebration for the whole family featuring live music, food and fireworks. Free show features the Oakland EastBay Symphony, Khalil Shaheed, Oaktown Jazz Workshops, and Hilltop Community C’hurch Choir. Have a great Independence Day weekend!
Interdependence Day Celebration: Sunday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: It wouldn’t be Independence Day in Berkeley without a few counter-celebrations. Among the most sublimely seditious is Tikkun magazine’s Interdependence Day Celebration, which promises to turn the rah-rah patriotism of Sunday, July 4, on its head by celebrating our dependence on each other and the environment, as well as individual and collective independence from corporate power, the military industrial complex, and the like. The event at Strawberry Creek Park (1260 Allston Way, Berkeley) also features a vegetarian potluck followed by affirmations and singing; bring songs, stories, food, and drinks to share. Free, 1 p.m.-4 p.m
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Pic of the Week:
A Friday afternoon view from Oakland
Week 4 June, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is Children’s Fairyland at Oakland’s Lake Merritt. From their website: Just imagine: a ten-acre park on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt where children’s literature comes to life and kids can be kids. Since 1950, Children’s Fairyland has been delighting children and their parents with whimsical storybook sets, gentle rides, friendly animals, wonder-filled puppet shows, and inspired live entertainment. One modest admission fee covers a whole day of imaginative fun. And we’re available for birthday parties, summer sleepovers, summer camp, field trips, and special events as well.
I’ve had the unique pleasure of dropping-off and picking-up a seven-year-old who has been attending the summer camp at Fairyland this week. And considering the little girl’s mother, aunt and grandmother all visited Fairyland as children themselves, it seemed to me that the depth of this treasure trove was actually extraordinarily deep. And evidently, in addition to inspiring legions of young boys and girls for sixty years, this park is one that was visited by the one and only Walt Disney when he was developing his idea for the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim. In fact, Mr. Disney hired Fairyland’s first executive director, Dorothy Manes, to help launch the Magic Kingdom. Pretty awesome stuff! Right here in Oakland! Check it out!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Free Swabacher Summer Concert in Yerba Buena Gardens: Sunday in San Francisco. From the Chronicle: Is there anything better than great opera performed outdoors in the sunshine? What about if it was FREE! Bring a picnic and your sunscreen to experience this free community presentation on Sunday, July 25th, at Yerba Buena Gardens. The Schwabacher Summer Concert is perfect for the seasoned opera lover or the novice, so invite your friends and family to join you!
Four Paws Society Paw-A-Thon: Saturday at San Leandro Marina Park. Fundraiser for San Leandro Dog Park includes talent show for best dog trick, dog costume contest, petting zoo, pets available for adoption, low cost vaccinations, animal licensing in San Leandro, free pet spaying and neutering for qualified applicants, learn pet cpr and first aid, and more!
Hapa: Academy of Hawaiian Arts: Free concert at Stern Grove San Francisco. From the website: Hapa is one of Hawaii’s most popular recording groups, incorporating oli, or traditional chant, with virtuoso slack key guitar and modern sounds. The Academy of Hawaiian Arts, based in Oakland, keeps the culture of the Islands alive with beautiful hula performances. Check out the beautiful Stern Grove for this free show of Hawaiian music!
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A sun-seeking Peruvian Lily in the back yard
Week 3 June, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is CUESA: the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture is dedicated to promoting a sustainable food system through the operation of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and its educational programs. We are a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation organized in 1994 to educate urban consumers about sustainable agriculture and to create links between urban dwellers and local farmers. We have managed the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market since 1999. A food system is the inter-relationship of agricultural systems, their economic, social, cultural, and technological support systems, and systems of food distribution and consumption. A sustainable food system uses practices that are environmentally sound, humane, economically viable, and socially just. Learn more about sustainable food systems here >
Weekend Wanderings salutes CUESA for their innovations and commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture… and for making the Ferry Plaza such an awesome destination!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Vertical Challenge 2010: At the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos. From their website: “Vertical Challenge” Helicopter Air Show is a unique event that allows visitors to see first hand helicopter operations. The show is devoted to demonstrating to the public of how helicopters affect our daily lives from traffic and news reports to its unique life saving ability, to the National Defense of our Country. Good fun for kids and aviation buffs alike.
Marin Art Festival: At Lagoon Park in San Rafael. From their website: Art, Dance, Music and Wine. Over 250 fine artists in a spectacular setting by the Lagoon in the Marin Civic Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, fifteen minutes North of the Golden Gate Bridge. Directions here.Festival foods range from Louisiana gumbo and crawfish, Greek salads, South Western chicken breast sandwiches, fresh crabcake, grilled oysters and French pasteries.
North Beach Festival: From their website: The event is situated in the historic North Beach District, known to locals and visitors alike as San Francisco’s Little Italy and the home of the famed beat generation. The Festival site includes numerous quaint streets and the beautiful Washington Square park in the heart of the district.The 2010 event will feature over 125 arts and crafts booths, 20 gourmet food booths, three stages of live entertainment, Italian street painting, beverage gardens, children’s activities and the blessing of the animals.
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Pic of the Week:
Welcoming Sammy to the crew of nutties.
Week 2 June, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the Kala Art Institute in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express regarding an exhibition there currently:
It seems like just yesterday that our free-market fundamentalists were drunkenly bellowing “Drill, baby, drill!” How time flies! Now that we’ve all entered a new phase of environmental consciousness — call it BPCE, the BP Common Era — the Kala Gallery‘s Groundswell show, curated by Betti-Sue Hertz of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, bears a timely and incontrovertible message: It’s time to stop fouling our nest. The artists here would undoubtedly agree, yet their artwork is anything but polemical. Elliot Anderson, Mitra Fabian, Nathan Hodges, Suzanne Husky, Joan Margolies Kiernan, Rebecca Najdowski, Emily Payne, and sonicSENSE (Jennifer Parker and Barney Hayes) combine, in Hertz’s view, a “poetic … acknowledgment of the unsteadiness of the culture/nature split” with an exploration of our relationship to “water, air, mineral, and plant life” through scientific data and methods. Anderson has created a hydroponic garden, “Nonsite: Alamitos Creek,” that cleanses mining-polluted waters; with glass-housed plants irrigated via plastic tubes, ventilated by an oscillating fan, and illuminated by garish yellow light, it suggests both science lab and Biosphere — an apt metaphor for our polluted planet. Link to article…
As one who appreciates how art reflects our times I’m pleased to see this local gallery take on this vital subject connecting both art and science. Many other unique installations in the exhibit as well.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Renee Green: Endless and Time-Based Streams: From the Chronicle: Renée Green: Endless Dreams and Time-Based Dreams is a solo exhibition featuring the work of internationally renowned artist Renée Green. For more than 20 years Green has been creating works of art that critically assess the intersection of ideas, processes and creativities around a range of topics including cultural history, transnational travel, feminism and biography. At the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
World Cup Opening Party: Friday night at Butterfly on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. From their website: An exclusive international World Cup set by DJ Aykut Trevor Simpson, Samba Dancers, Leblon Caipirinhas, and our fabulous drummer ‘Mirza”. Come Join us on Friday June 11 at ‘Butterfly’ Pier 33 and wear the colors of your favorite world cup team in soccer jerseys, hats, make up, flags.
Marcus Miller, Tutu Revisited: the Music of Miles Davis featuring Christian Scott: From their website: Miller’s 2008 release, Marcus, finds him mastering keyboards, guitar, percussion and bass clarinet, while holding everything together with his uniquely funky bass foundation. For this SFJAZZ appearance, Miller delves into the vast repertoire of his own compositions including work from Tutu — the immortal 1986 Davis album he produced. Special guest Christian Scott is one of the leading young trumpeters on today’s music scene. His fourth CD for Concord Records, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, will be released in March.
Pic of the Week:
A Spring Sunday in the Dry Creek Valley
Week 1 June, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the lending and savings Opportunity Fund in San Jose and San Francisco. I recently went on a mission with a friend to buy something from an ad on Craigslist and the journey took us through a part of the east bay that some might call a “bad neighborhood”. I mention it because I noticed there were two things conspicuously missing from that neighborhood for blocks and blocks: there was no grocery store and no bank. We were looking for a bank, any bank, so we could stop and use the ATM. But there were no banks to be found. These were so obviously absent and it seemed plainly ridiculous that someone who lived in the area would apparently have to ride a bus to reach either of these types of businesses. But at least on the banking front we can thank Opportunity Fund for making a concerted effort for this financially under-served demographic of America. As a lending and savings entity “Opportunity Fund advances the economic well-being of working people by helping them earn, save, and invest in their future. We help our clients get a foothold and get ahead. We help them join the financial mainstream. We achieve this by lending a helping hand, through our award-winning approach that includes financial education, microfinance loans, matched savings accounts, and affordable housing financing.” In other words, with an innovative approach they are stepping in where our “Too Big To Fail” institutions are not. If America is rebuilding its entire financial system perhaps it’s innovations like these that truly may help us live up to the ideals we inscribe on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. WeekendWanderings.com salutes the Opportunity Fund for developing innovative financial solutions for the under-served communities of the Bay Area.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
7th Annual Berkeley World Music Festival: From their website: The Festival showcases the Bay Area region’s vibrant world music scene. In People’s Park, Zydeco Flames headlines with rising stars Khi Darag! and Sekhou Senegal. Zydeco Flames is recognized as the West Coast’s premier Zydeco band, with one of the tightest rhythm sections in the business. Khi Darag! mixes Persian, Klezmer & Psychedelic Rock in a riveting array of instrumentation with female vocals. The Kouyate Twins lead Seyhou Senegal in moving African melodies and high-impact dance grooves. The twins continue a long family line of “Griot” storytellers who carry on the oral history and arts of West Africa.
Bluegrass for the Greenbelt Benefit at Dunsmuir Historic Estate: featuring Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen, Crooked Still, Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands, the Wronglers, Nell Robsinson & more. From their website: For 50 years, we have worked with local communities and partner groups to help secure long-term protection for more than 1.1 million acres of open space, establish urban growth boundaries around 26 cities and five counties, and endorse the creation of 60,000 homes within existing urban areas.
San Francisco’s Union Street Eco-Urban Festival: From the Chronicle: In its 33rd year, The Union Street Festival is one of San Francisco’s largest free annual events. In 2008 we added an eco-zone to the event where we reserved two blocks of the six block Festival for green exhibitors. This year the east entrance of the Festival, will again feature arts and crafts created with recycled and sustainable materials and eco-friendly exhibits. The Festival showcases 150 arts & crafts booths, 25 gourmet food two stages of live entertainment and bistro style cafes.
Pic of the Week:
A Dedicated Worker
Week 4 May, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, CA. We’ve all seen the horrific reports of the BP/Transocean oil rig disaster blasting daily thousands of gallons of crude oil and toxic gases into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s an unimaginable tragedy, and one we’re recently familiar with here in the Bay Area as our own coast was soiled by oil spilling from the crash of the Cosco Busan tanker into the Bay Bridge in 2007. I remember quite well having feelings of outrage when I saw what that spill did to some of my favorite coastal areas around here. I remember watching the daily reports of volunteers racing to get trained to safely work on oil spill clean-up details, and of all the nasty gook washing ashore for miles and miles, and of all the birds and sea creatures either killed or soaked in that toxic gook. It is not a sight to see without hoping we as a culture may somehow find the proper expiation for such a crime against nature. And well, considering all of that, the continuing spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has been reported by NPR to be as much (or even more) as four times the Cosco Busan spill PER DAY FOR OVER A MONTH! It’s a tragedy whose consequences are hard to even conceive, but on the frontlines we can be proud and thankful for this group of naturalists and veterinarians and disaster relief crew at the IBRRC who today choose not to expend the bulk of their energy on blame and politics, opting for an alternative mission instead: saving however many affected birds as they possibly can. In fact, that’s been their mission since 1971 and they’ve been at over 200 oil spills saving birds since then. While it’s without question that we have a colossal disaster in the Gulf, it’s those men and women whose hands are soiled with muck working on the solutions— rather than those who are attempting to wash their hands of responsibility— who deserve this week’s utmost admiration from WeekendWanderings.com. Thanks so much to those of you working on THE SOLUTIONS in the Gulf of Mexico.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
BAMscape at the Berkeley Art Museum: From the East Bay Express: Art meets life meets free-Wi-Fi study hall in BAMscape, the BerkeleyArt Museum’s new interactive sculpture: undulant, Cheeto-hued, and wired. The eminent Berkeley architect and artist Thom Faulders executed the design, employing digital and traditional vellum technology to encourage “dynamic relationships between users and environments … active and opportunistic.” A hard foam framework supports a skin of painted 3/8″-thick furniture-grade plywood. At nearly 1,600 square feet spread over 150 connected modules, this gigantic Op art environment invites gentle, shoeless mountaineering as well as hammock-style socializing. Festively inaugurated during the January L@TE: Friday night (with singing by Anne McGuire; projections by Steven Dye, Peter Conheim, and Owen O’Toole; DJing by Wobbly and Jon Leidecker; and a no-host bar, this is not your father’s BAM), the recyclable BAMscape runs through November 30, 2011.
San Francisco Carnaval 2010: From their website: The Festival draws hundreds of thousands of people for two days of dancing Salsa, Samba, Reggae, Tango, Hip- Hop, Merengue, Calypso, Cha Cha Cha, Cumbia, and Mambo into the evening. Food vendors offer traditional delicacies, while others sell crafts native to the Carnaval countries of their heritage. Giant stages sparkle with continuous entertainment. The 2010 Festival will take place on Saturday, May 29, and Sunday, May 30, 2010. Festival Location: Harrison Street between 23rd Street & 16th Street in the Mission District, accessible by BART and Muni.
Acrosports and City Circus Presents “Echo’s Reach”: From the Chronicle: This spring City Circus premieres ECHO’S REACH, an imaginative new production by Tim Barsky that reunites him with circus performers from City Circus/Acrosports and a top-notch group of collaborators in urban music, hip-hop dance, and aerial acrobats. The production employs a new, thrilling hybrid performance style called Urban Circus Arts – a genre unique to City Circus – which crosses traditional circus arts (acrobatics, aerial acts, and contortion) with contemporary city-born forms (breakdancing, parkour, beat boxing, and hip-hop theatre).
Pic of the Week:
First fruits of the season.
Week 3 May, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is SFkids.org. In their own words they are: San Francisco’s Official Family Resource Guide… a collaboration between the City & County of San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth & Their Families and the non-profit organization GoKid.org. Its mission is to be a dynamic information resource for all San Francisco families with children, from a parent perspective. Together with their partners SFkids.org has organized a vast amount of resources in one place for children and parents alike. From one glance at their website you’ll see links to Activities, Adventures, Childcare, Community, Education, Family Finds, Health, Out of School Time, Parent Resources, and Special Needs. With school just weeks (or even days) away from letting out it’s no secret that it can be a challenge to find enough activities (and especially enough that are affordable) for kids to participate in over the summer. Find links if, for example, your teen needs a job or you’re hoping to send your kids on an adventure out of the city (or in the city), or also find links if you’re having family trouble or a family crisis. Lots of free events are posted in their Family Events Calendar. For example, did you know that as part of their neighborhood free program this coming week if you live in zip codes 94117, 94127, 94131, and 94132 you can get free admission to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park? Just one of the many great insights you’ll find at SFkids.org. Weekend Wanderings salutes them for helping kids and parents to find their way through the summer on any budget.
Let’s find some fun ’round here…
San Francisco International Arts Festival: From the Chronicle: The Seventh Annual Festival kicks off on May 19 and runs through May 31. SFIAF 2010 will feature more than 60 performances presented by 30 arts organizations and ensembles at the Fort Mason Center and multiple other venues. The opening concert will feature the Agatsuma Ensemble from Japan. Other headliners in week one include DEREVO (Russia), Al-Khareef Theatre Troupe (Syria) and the Bay Area’s Rumen Shopov with the Brass Liberation Orchestra.
34th Annual Marin Home Show: From the Chronicle: With hundreds of exhibits, the Marin Home Show offers the best and newest products for home and garden projects, with experts on site to answer all your questions on home & garden improvement projects. The 34th annual Marin Home Show will feature state-of-the-art kitchen and bath displays, spas, sunrooms and home theater and more. Buy a ticket on Saturday and return for free on Sunday!
Beethoven’s Eroica Conducted by Herbert Blomstedt: From the Chronicle: Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony is a landmark in music history. This monumental piece, conducted by San Francisco Symphony Conductor Laureate Herbert Blomstedt, forms the boundary between the Classical and Romantic eras. Inside Music, an informative talk free to ticketholders, begins one hour prior to concerts. Have a listen to the amazing Eroica by clicking here.
Pic of the Week:
Summer at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
Week 2 May, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library. Their mission is stated in their website and is wholly focused upon defending the seed production of the community’s vegetation from this: In the last two decades, the majority of the world’s family-owned seed companies have been bought out by multinationals such as the Monsanto and Novartis corporations. These companies are not interested in creating sustainable food systems and communities. They are busy replacing carefully bred strains of vegetables and flowers with their own hybrids and patented varieties. Hybrids don’t produce viable seed, and the seed from patented varieties cannot legally be collected and used. Instead, the seeds must be bought fresh each year, forcing gardeners and farmers to purchase from corporate seed sources annually. Genetic engineering enables “life science” corporations to control plant traits by “programming” the seeds. Monsanto’s infamous implementation of trait-control technology is often referred to as the “Terminator” seed. “Terminator” seeds yield plants that produce no viable seed of ther own. Trait-controlled plants that breed with traditional varieties may pass on engineered traits to the offspring. If non-evolved plant varieties are permitted to squeeze out natural and/or carefully cultivated varieties, seed saving may nearly disappear. Our nourishment or hunger might then depend on chemically dependent or infertile trait-controlled plants. And they conclude: Traditional knowledge of seed saving and plant propagation techniques exists in fewer and fewer minds and communities. In order to create a positive ecological future for the planet, we need to begin teaching each other the skills necessary to save our own seeds. We’ve got to engage with traditional agricultural knowledge, and work to anticipate the needs of future generations. I, frankly, could not write it any better than they did so I chose to post this description of their work in their own words. Weekend Wanderings salutes the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library for being such smart folks taking action to sustain healthy seed production.
Let’s find some fun ’round here…
Wildflower Explosion at the San Francisco Botanical Garden: From the Chronicle: Come see Spring exploding. The Native Plant Garden at the San Francisco Botanical Garden will be at the height of its spectacular bloom in April and May. Predictions are that this will be one of the best years for California wildflowers, and with hundreds of plants flowering, there is no closer place for San Franciscans to see California’s famous wildflowers doing their thing than right here in Golden Gate Park. I can personally attest to the current explosion of wildflowers on our ranch in Loma Rica. Beautiful!
6th Annual Asian Heritage Street Festival: From the Chronicle: Largest gathering of Asian and Pacific Americans, the Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration is Saturday, May 15, 2010, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., outside the Asian Art Museum leading up to Little Saigon in San Francisco. Two stages of non-stop performances, an Anime area, mah jong court, wine tasting, children’s rides and activities, Thai kick-boxing, dance competition, and diverse Asian cuisines define this event. Great Asian-themed arts and crafts make for an exclusive shopping experience. Free admission!
Oakland Greek Festival: From the East Bay Express: Parishioners from Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral (4700 Lincoln Ave., Oakland) began cooking all the spinach pies and meatballs in March, and by the first week of May were ready to transform their church into a warren of food booths. This week they set up the tables and let the pots simmer. On Saturday, the meaty smell of lamb shanks and stewed tomatoes will mix with the sweet fragrance of baklava. Aside from gorging, guests can enjoy non-stop folk dancing, liturgical choirs, culinary demos, and a huge bazaar where vendors sell sacred artifacts and secular goods. Friday through Sunday, May 14-16. Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; $6, children under 12 free.
Pic of the Week:
A shutterbug visits the financial district
Week 1 May, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the umbrella organization for the Bay Area food banks: BayAreaHunger.org. I became clear on at least the theme of this week’s highlight after reading this article in the East Bay Express regarding the concept of “Food Insecurity”: how our government describes not just those who can’t afford to buy food but “ those who’ve had to reduce the amount they eat, skip meals, or eat food they know isn’t good for them, because they can’t afford what it really takes to eat.” Since we are constantly peppered with messages about how happy we’ll be if we buy this or buy that, how those who are buying it are happier than you are, and how material gain is the backbone of our economy I find it fitting to completely buck that insidious meme and perhaps advance a different one— one that’s been advanced by great ones (Mahatmas, if you will) for many eras of history and one that’s at the root of most religions. Perhaps the Greek word Agape best describes the concept, and whether you’re an atheist, a Christian, or you’re following the Bodhisattva Path, when we move beyond ego to that place of infitinite compassion here we begin to find a pathway to true happiness. According to the article I linked to above from the East Bay Express, citing the US Department of Agriculture it says in 2008 approximately 49 million Americans were “food insecure” (which includes 16 million children, by the way). In the great nation the United States of America, we all ask? In MY neighborhood, we ask? Since we’re good citizens, as we dutifully watch the television news this coming weekend and we see the parade of ads telling us what we need to be happy (and perhaps calculate in our minds how much has been spent on political ads as well), maybe for a moment or two we might take the opportunity to buck that agenda for something more meaningful, something like Agape. Weekend Wanderings applauds the Bay Area food banks for advancing the agenda of infinite compassion.
Let’s find some fun ’round here…
Stamp Out Hunger Nationwide Food Drive: This Saturday, May 8th, you can leave non-perishable food in a bag near your mailbox and your letter carrier will pick it up for delivery to your local food banks. Download the flyer for the event here. This is the nation’s largest single-day food drive and you can easily become part of it. Sort of on the small step for man, giant leap for mankind level, and for sure one worthy of the few minutes it will take to participate.
17th Annual Artists Warehouse Sale: From the website: Join us for a gigantic five-day sales event supporting Bay Area artists as well as SFMOMA’s exhibitions and programs. Artworks are available in all media from a wide range of artists at prices from $50 to $5,000. May 5-9, 2010. A little info on the SFMOMA gallery at Fort Mason: In keeping with its mission to promote Northern California art, the SFMOMA Artists Gallery presents eight exhibitions each year in its main gallery. Focusing on both new and established artists, the exhibition program consists of solo, group, and thematic shows, and represents a diverse range of art practices, including painting, sculpture, photography, and new media works.
11th Annual How Weird Street Faire: Sunday at 2nd and Howard in San Francisco: Ten blocks of art, performances, colorful costumes, unique vendors, food and drinks. Plus ten stages of electronic music, non-stop fashion shows, and healing arts. And a new world record that you can take part in! The faire is a fusion of different styles and communities, united in fun. All ages are welcome. Costumes and dancing are encouraged.
Pic of the Week:
Office mates.
Week 5 April, 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is the The Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, CA. From the ESY website: The Edible Schoolyard (ESY), a program of the Chez Panisse Foundation, is a one-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom for urban public school students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. At ESY, students participate in all aspects of growing, harvesting, and preparing nutritious, seasonal produce. Classroom teachers and Edible Schoolyard educators integrate food systems concepts into the core curriculum. Students’ hands-on experience in the kitchen and garden fosters a deeper appreciation of how the natural world sustains us and promotes the environmental and social well-being of our school community. View Video.
From Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: By the words, “necessary of life”, I mean whatever, of all that man obtains by his own exertions, has been from the first, or from long use has become, so important to human life that few, if any, whether from savageness, or poverty, or philosophy, ever attempt to do without it. To many creatures there is in this sense but one necessary of life, Food. It just seemed appropriate to mention this perspective from Mr. Thoreau when considering what of earthly life is most important to teach to children. Indeed, while there are many things that qualify perhaps it is nature’s cycle of life-sustenance that should be taught first. If you seek religion you will find a pathway to its essence in the garden. And for children, to learn how the earth provides for them may give them more comfort than any amusement anyone can offer. Weekend Wanderings salutes The Edible Schoolyard for teaching children what’s “necessary of life.”
Let’s find some fun ’round here…
Totally Intense Fractal Mind Gaze Hut: I just couldn’t resist after seeing the name of this place. From what I’ve found so far, this is apparently a warehouse in downtown Oakland (where people live, by the way) that puts on quite interesting concerts. Their MySpace page says it’s by invitation only, but other listings show that at least this Saturday’s show— Dominique Leone and Ash Reiter— is open to all guests. I don’t know much more. It’s an adventure. Check it out at LoudFarm.com.
Oakland Museum Grand Re-Opening: From the website: Celebrate with OMCA! The newly transformed Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opens Saturday, May 1, with 31 hours of continuous, round-the-clock free programs and events until we close at 6 p.m. Sunday. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 1, on the street in front of the new Oak Street entrance with a Native American Ohlone blessing, a marching band, Project Bandaloop performing a spectacular aerial dance, and more. And the non-stop celebration continues through 6 p.m. Sunday, May 2.
3-D Film Festival at the Grand Lake Theatre: Friday thru Thursday, April 30- May 6, featuring “Up”, ”Avatar”, and “Coraline” for $5. From their website: The Grand Lake Theatre is pleased to present a special one week festival of Digital 3D films to celebrate the installation of a powerful new 3D projection system in the main auditorium which is now the largest non-IMAX 3D screen in the Bay Area. Looks awesome, and for a great price!
Pic of the Week:
Our garden’s first artichoke!
Vid of the Week:
3D mapping onto the side of a 1000-year-old castle… with some rockin’ too!
ACDC Vs Iron Man 2 – Architectural Projection Mapping on Rochester Castle from seeper on Vimeo.
From the Contra Costa Times:
OAKLAND — Claiming they are still in the game when it comes to keeping the A’s in Oakland, city officials and others trying to keep the team in town released results of a study today claiming a new waterfront baseball park is worth millions to the city’s coffers and billions to the local economy.
The study, commissioned by the nonprofit group Let’s Go Oakland, claims that building a new 36,000-seat, $500 million baseball-only stadium in the city’s Jack London Square area immediately would create 1,661 new construction jobs in Oakland while also generating about $2.6 billion in total economic activity for the city over the next 30 years.
“We really need and want the A’s to stay in Oakland,” said City Council President Jane Brunner. “The real reason we need to have the Oakland A’s is for economic development.” Link to article…