Week 1, September 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
The East Bay Regional Park District
From their website:
The East Bay Regional Park District, established in 1934, has a fascinating history and an inspiring story. We began with a vision of far-sighted civic leaders seeking to preserve excess watershed land in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. Their goal was to create a park district as part of the community, one that retained a balance of recreation opportunities and wilderness features, ideas unheard of at the time. Members of a grassroots land preservation movement placed a measure on the ballot. During the depths of the Great Depression it passed by a surprising 71 percent and created the first regional park agency in the nation–the East Bay Regional Park District.
Thanks to the support of residents throughout the past seven-and-a-half decades, the East Bay Regional Park District now encompasses all of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Spanning more than 100,000 acres with 65 parks and over 1,100 miles of trails, our District is the largest regional park district in the nation. True to the ideas of our founders, our mission continues to be providing recreational opportunities, preserving the natural beauty of the land, and protecting wildlife habitat. These parks truly do belong to all of us, and, in celebration, we’ve planned a year’s worth of wonderful events, discoveries, contests and more…
Any of you who have ever explored these parks know what jewels there are to be found out there. Have a GREAT Labor Day weekend!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Gourmet Walks Visits Hayes Valley: Friday in San Francisco. From the SF Chronicle: Hungry for an off-the-beaten path San Francisco gourmet food experience? Join us as we explore one of the citys trendy and exciting new neighborhoods, Hayes Valley. We will talk about the origins of California cuisine as we visit restaurants that were among the first to offer seasonal, local, market based menus.
Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers: Saturday in Berkeley. From their website: Lavay Smith is internationally recognized as The Queen Of Classic Jazz & Blues in the authentic style of the 1940′s and 1950′s. Lavay’s last album received a prestigious 4 & 1/2 Star review in Downbeat magazine. For quotes and reviews from critics like Bob Blumenthal, Don Heckman, Phil Elwood and Frank-John Hadley. Saturday at Ashkenaz!
Enkutatash: Ethiopian New Year: Sunday in Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, then bring your family and friends to this celebration which will include delicious traditional dishes, poetry, music, children’s programs, Reggae Band Selamta, Waheed and the Resistance, West African Highlife Band, Ethiopian Musicians Haileye Tadesse, Neway Afardew, and much more.
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Pic of the Week:
An encore publication of this classic photo. Happy Labor Day!
Week 4, August 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
Oakland’s “Eat Real Fest”
From the East Bay Express:
It’s a wonder this is only the second iteration of Eat Real Fest. The East Bay is, after all, an area notoriously saturated with foodies, farmers, and do-it-yourselfers; where Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, and urban farmsteader Novella Carpenter are elevated to celebrity status; where food trucks slinging artisanal tacos, sandwiches, and cupcakes attract around-the-block lines on a regular basis; and where a festival-happy populace manages to throw events celebrating everything from salmon to beer to tomatoes. Suffice it to say that pooling all of that enthusiasm for fresh, local, affordable food into a three-day celebration was a bit of a no-brainer.
At least that’s what Susan Coss and Anya Fernald thought, and it turns out they were more right than they ever imagined. The two had worked together to organize Slow Food Nation, a festival of artisanal food in San Francisco in 2008, and though they were inspired by that event’s success, Coss said they wanted to do something a little more casual and accessible, a celebration of the cheap, tasty street food they loved. What Coss said was originally conceived as a laid-back tribute to taco trucks and beer quickly morphed into something bigger and more ambitious. But, Coss said, “always, at the heart of it was this whole idea that good food can be accessible and affordable — and more than that, that it should be. “Full article here…
If you’ve ever been through parts of town where a grocery store is nowhere to be found, but where liquor stores are on every corner, you know how important it is that we bring this good food knowledge and preparation to the streets. And why not have a fun time doing it too? Have a fun visit to the Eat Real Fest in Oakland’s Jack London Square this weekend!
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Beres Hammond and the Harmony House Musicians, Inner Circle, and Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill: Friday in San Francisco. Three shows in one Friday night at The Independent. This is a great venue for live music and these three look like some fantastic musicians to see. From the description of Beres Hammond on the website: “And oh, what a voice it is! Beres’ delivery, as rich and flavorfully bittersweet as dark chocolate, embodies the spiritual passion heard in the secular ballads of Sam Cooke, the laid back cool of Marvin Gaye and the gut wrenching “Pain In My Heart” grit of Otis Redding.”
Gardening and Cooking Class with the Pros: Saturday in Berkeley. From their website: Join us for a Saturday afternoon of cultivating, cooking and eating. Berkeley’s Kitchen and Friends of Kenney Cottage Garden (FKCOG) are joining forces to bring you a class on urban gardening and summer cooking. The class covers the basics of urban gardening from seed planting to harvesting; and also includes a hands-on cooking session that incorporates seasonal ingredients.
Egyptian Oracles Lecture: Sunday at UC Berkeley. From the East Bay Express: In ancient Egypt, oracles played a role somewhere between lawyers and priests. During civil and criminal disputes, these spiritually adept individuals were tasked with asking the appropriate deity to dole out opinions, verdicts, and sentences. At 20 Barrows Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on Sunday, Aug. 29, Terry Moore delivers a lecture titled “Ask the God: Oracles in Pharaonic Egypt.” 2:30 p.m., free.
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Pic of the Week:
Which way is the Top of the Mark?
(Re-opening on Friday, August 27th at 4:00 pm)
Week 3, August 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
The Oakland Art and Soul Festival
From their website:
Art & Soul is delighted to have been recognized as Best Presenting Organization of the Year by the 2010 West Coast Blues Hall of Fame Awards. Art & Soul was honored with a Readers Choice award from Oakland magazine in the Where to Let It All Hang Out Once a Year category. Art & Soul has also been voted Best Annual Event by the East Bay Express in their 2010 Readers Poll.
With three main stages set up in the closed-off streets of downtown Oakland these streets with buildings towering over them become cathedrals of the groove. For ten years the Art and Soul Festival has been bringing both local and internationally-acclaimed acts to town for a weekend of fun in sunny Oakland. Probably the best ticket deal you’ll find west of the Mississippi, this two day show begins around noon on Saturday where if you buy tickets in advance the website says adults are $10, youths and seniors are $5, and kids under 12 are free! I won’t list all the acts playing in this year’s show because there are just too many to list here. I can tell you I have attended this event MANY times, and it really is a great time. Check out the line-up yourself and come to downtown Oakland for a true taste of our diverse local culture diggin’ the grooves.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
I Love Bugs Day At Habitot: Friday in Berkeley. From their website: (For kids of all ages!) Discover the wonderful world of bugs! A full day of activities devoted to those backyard wigglers, hoppers and crawlers from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Build a cricket home in a terrarium with dirt, leaves and sticks in our Art Studio. Check out our worm box and learn how worms help plants grow. Hear real crickets chirp and see all different kinds of bugs including hissing cockroaches, mealworms and more. Storytelling about bugs from 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
First Annual West Coast Jug Band Jubilee at The Freight and Salvage: Saturday in Berkeley. From their website: Come on out and jug till you can jug no more! This all-day all-jug band extravaganza features two separate concerts, workshops, and more hand-made, home-grown music than you can shake a gut-bucket at! The afternoon show features Jugtown Pirates, Devine’s Jug Band, Skiffle Symphony with Kenny Hall, Lavay Smith & her Red Hot Jug Band, and Toshio Hirano.
Albany Streets: Sunday in Albany. From the East Bay Express: It may not feel much like summer lately, but as long as you layer up, there’s plenty of fun in the sun (or fog) to be had. To that end, and following the success of a similar event in Oakland last month, Albany will block off one of its main streets to traffic on Sunday, Aug. 22, for dance classes, a block party, a water-balloon toss, and other family-friendly outdoor activities. The event takes place along Key Route Boulevard between Solano Ave. and Portland Ave. in Albany. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free.
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Pic of the Week:
At the Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park
Week 2, August 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
From their website:
On September 1, 1996, Ella Baker Center opened payroll. Named for the civil rights movement’s unsung champion of students, sharecroppers and everyday people, Ella Baker Center proudly proclaimed, “This is not your parents’ civil rights organization.” Seeing the denial of voting, housing and employment rights as symptoms of a much deeper sickness, Ella Baker Center wanted to heal society by transforming it. Driven by that passion and a willingness to take on tough fights that nobody else would, we chose our mission: to document, challenge and expose human rights abuses. Not many thought we would survive our first year. But within a few months we became embroiled in a heated campaign in San Francisco that would show everyone that we were here to stay.
We feel a strong connection to the courageous freedom fighters who have come before us and are steady in our commitment to build a society where peace, opportunity and justice are a reality for all. The Ella Baker Center will continue to challenge injustice in our communities with campaigns that allow everyday people to create and participate in a hope-fueled movement.
In keeping with the most current thread of saluting those in the Bay Area who work for equal justice for all Weekend Wanderings salutes the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights for their service to all of us.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
Off The Grid: An Evening of Mobile Gourmet Food: Friday in San Francisco. From their website: ”Off the Grid is roaming mobile food extravaganza that travels to different locations daily to serve delicious food, with a free side of amazing music, craft and soul. We’re bringing all your favorite gourmet food vendors together to create a market like you’ve never seen before. Look for us to begin adding some spice to your neighborhood the summer of 2010.”
Candlestick Park Antiques and Collectibles Faire: Sunday in San Francisco. From the Chronicle: San Francisco’s newest show will be at Candlestick Park on August 15 with up to 500 booths filled with the most exciting selection Antiques, Arts and anything Collectible! All items sold must be 20 years or older. This event is held rain or shine, free parking, sorry no pets unless they are guide dogs, or licensed companions.
Market SF Artist Market: This Saturday in San Francisco. From the Chronicle: San Francisco’s new weekly artist market featuring over 25 different artist and designers each week. Every saturday from noon to 6pm at 2565 Mission Street (@22nd). Music will be playing all day with DJ’s starting around 2pm. The bar will also be offering drink and food specials all day!
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Pic of the Week:
Napa General Store Mosaic Fountain
Week 1, August 2010
This week’s highlighted local treasure is
California Northern District Court Judge Vaughn Walker.
From the ruling he made Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 regarding the constitutionality of California Proposition 8:
CONCLUSION
Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis,the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Source
Money-quote from bmaz at FireDogLake.com:
“The opinion is, again as predicted, extremely well written, consummately detailed, brilliantly structured and contains a foundation of extremely well supported findings of fact and conclusions of law. In short, Vaughn Walker has crafted as fine a foundational opinion as could possibly be hoped for, and one that is designed with the intent to withstand appellate scrutiny not just in the 9th Circuit, but in the Supreme Court as well.”
Weekend Wanderings salutes those working to ensure the United States of America upholds its greatest ideal of equal protection under the law FOR ALL.
So, let’s find some fun ’round the bay…
AfroSolo Performance For Peace: Sunday in San Francisco. From their website: AfroSolo hosts this exciting multicultural, cross-cultural, and intercultural performance showcase in which actors, dancers, musicians, poets, and performers representing different cultures and backgrounds emphasize the bonds that we all share in performances highlighting compassion, understanding, joy, and peace. Performers include: Colette Eloi, Paco Gomes, Genny Lim, Raymond Nat Turner, and Dr. Brenda Wade.
San Francisco Ballet in Stern Grove: Sunday in San Francisco. From their website: San Francisco Ballet returns to Stern Grove Festival in its only Bay Area summer appearance. Renowned for its incomparable level of innovation and exuberance, San Francisco Ballet is one of the premier ballet companies in America. Remember: Stern Grove shows are FREE!
Antipanico Festival: This weekend in San Francisco. From their website: Tango Renaissance, USA presents Antipanico San Francisco 2010, a four-day Argentine tango festival including workshops, performances, live orchestra, milongas, practicas, and of course—don’t panic—chill vibes. This all-level fête promises a relaxed and content-driven learning atmosphere held in San Francisco’s eclectic Mission District. Our goal is to link students and masters through progressive instruction, artistry, music, and the celebration of our tango culture.
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Pic of the Week:
Goldie in the fish nets
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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Pic of the Week:
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.