Temescal News & Views

ThE vOIcE OF nOrTh OaklanDs TEMEscal nEIghBOrhOOD May/June 2012

Published bimonthly by Temescal Neighbors Together (TNT)
Our MIssIOn

TNT seeks to enhance the quality of life in our diverse community through revitalization of our homes, business, schools, and public services by providing an ongoing forum for community education, interaction, and empowerment.
EDITOrIal POlIcy

Bites Off Broadway, 45th Street between Lawton and Broadway, last October.

Photo by Carolina Abolio

TN&V publishes submissions from community members. We do not fact-check, although we correct inaccuracies when we find them. We strive to achieve an unbiased tone and may edit articles accordingly, but ultimately TN&V reflects the point of view of the authors and not that of the editors. Please email submissions to: temescalnewsandviews@gmail.com. Editor: Dana Hull Layout: Lasell Whipple Copy Editor: Phoebe Weiss Distribution: Tomi Kobara Advisors: Viki Maxwell, Jeff Norman Printing: Piedmont Copy

Bites Off Broadway returns Friday nights, May 11-Oct 12

ver 2.5 billion people eat street food everyday and so shall those of you who enjoy Bites Off Broadway. Your neighborhood yummy pod is back May 11th for year two. Stroll down 45th St. to enjoy the best in mobile grub and to be part of an international food movement. This year Bites will again bring the vibe of a neighborhood block party and picnic to the front of Studio One, at 465 45th St. between Lawton and Broadway. You can enjoy a rotation of over 15 food trucks including many returnees from last year such as Oakland trucks Tina Tamale, Docs of the Bay, Fist of Flour, Nicks Breakfast Truck, Breads of India (Annakoot), as well as some of the taco trucks that make Fruitvale their home. The word has gotten out to the larger food truck community and newcomers with famed reputations like Suzies Lunch Box and Conklins Catering (Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean and Halal) are itching for you to try their flavors as part of our Temescal food frenzy. For me the event has always been as much about the community as the food, and I have received positive feedback from almost everyone, including parents who told me they make it their date night or send their teenagers there by

themselves. Neighbors meet and greet on blankets and folks from adjoining cities come to sample our reputation as Oaklands first recurring food pod. Also every week we will have a hula hooper, face-painter, and some family movies, both at 6pm indoors and at dusk outside, sponsored by Studio One. Look for live music as well. Who comes to Bites? This writer for the Bay Citizen described the crowd well:

Thank You!
This issue of Temescal News & Views has been generously funded by
The Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District
(BID) www.temescaldistrict.org

And it looked like Oakland: families of all races and sexual orientations with babies in Bjorns or SUV-style baby carriages, hippies, college kids in flip flops, a few shirtless weirdos and Pixarish looking creative-class types.
How did Bites go from being a rebel and rule-bending operation to a business model embraced by City Hall? The answer is that the local neighborhood supported the vision of Bites and came out Friday after Friday. Then the City Council offices of Brunner and Kaplan recognized the potential income and community building that food pods could provide and championed our cause. Oakland food truck owners and producers
continued on next page

May/JunE 2012

Temescal street cinema returns

Bites Off Broadway

continued from front page

emescals free outdoor movie series featuring work by Bay Area filmmakers is gearing up for its 5th season, which begins Thursday, June 14th. We are very grateful to our neighbors, fans and local businesses for contributing to a successful fundraising campaign thats made our upcoming season possible. Were fortunate to work in a neighborhood that values the arts and community events. Special thanks to 17 Jewels Salon and Spa, Lapham Realty Company, Reed Brothers Security, Ron Kriss of Lawton Associates and Temescal Square for their significant contributions to our efforts. Wed especially like to thank the Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District for supporting us in full for the last four

years and contributing $1,000 towards our current season. The BIDs invaluable support has enabled us to grow into a local institution, gaining the broader support of the neighborhood that made recent fundraising efforts a success. The Street Cinema, which Catarina Negrin and I started four years ago, has evolved into a well-attended annual event that is currently organized by a small nexus of local artists. Films are shown for six Thursdays each summer at dusk on the side of the Bank of the West Building at Telegraph Avenue and 49th Street. We open each week with live music and free popcorn. Seating is limited, so come early and bring a chair! u
Suzanne LHeureux, Temescal Street Cinema

such as myself worked with City staff to draft a temporary mobile food policy that passed the City Council last December. The ordinance still has some unintended restrictions that I hope can be amended in the permanent version. We especially need a new policy for the individual trucks that should be serving all over town. I hope Bites Off Broadway has shown that food trucks are good for our neighborhoods; they employ folks, bring food culture into food deserts and add to the quality of life that is the beauty of Oakland. To be added to the Bites mailing list, please visit http://www.bitesoffbroadway. com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. u
Karen Hester, owner of

Bites Off Broadway

Broadway Bikeway closer to completion

icycling continues to grow in Oakland, and the City is keeping up with the rising demand by painting or striping additional bike lanes. Bicyclists are not the only ones enjoying the new accommodations; many businesses recognize the importance of good bike access for their customers. Temescal has one of the highest rates of bicycling in Oakland. New bikeways, or bike lanes, are coming soon to Shattuck Ave., Piedmont Ave., and W. MacArthur Blvd., as well as upper Broadway. The City of Oakland is accelerating plans to repave Broadway and stripe bike lanes from 38th St. to Broadway Terrace as part of the Oakland Bicycle Master Plan. The new bike lanes are possible because the City is taking Broadway down from 6

EBBC member Garner Chung. Photo by Karen Hester

lanes to 4 lanes of travel to better match the existing demand for traffic. Traffic engineers call this a road diet, and it is not only good for cyclists: it will be safer for pedestrians as well. Students at Oakland Technical High School and Park Day School will really appreciate the improvement. The City is accelerating the project to meet a Federal funding deadline and final approval is expected in May, with

repaving beginning in 2013. This stretch of Broadway is a key gap in the Broadway Bikeway Corridor between Rockridge and downtown Oakland. Currently, bike lanes exist south of 38th St. and run all the way down to 14th St., via Webster St. and Franklin St. downtown. In addition, mitigation money from the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore Project is being used to stripe bike lanes on Broadway along Highway 24 all the way up to the K overcrossing of the freeway and back down Tunnel Road into Berkeley. You can find out more about the project at www.ebbc.org/broadway. And dont forget to participate in Bike to Work Day on Thursday, May 10! u Dave Campbell, Program Director, East Bay Bicycle Coalition

TEMEscal nEws & vIEws

new lights Brighten Telegraph nights

aglow. And lovely they are to behold! An Oakland redevelopment grant financed Phase One of the effort, procured by the BID. For Phases Two and Three, the BID is leveraging all its available assets, including borrowing against future revenue, to bring all the lights on board sooner rather than later. We think this should have a big impact on the security and aesthetics of our district, said Darlene Drapkin, the BIDs executive director. The board was eager to get it completed as soon as possible, even if it meant borrowing the money. Phase Two, which includes an additional 42 lights continuing up Telegraph from 42nd St. and across 52nd St. to the Temescal Library, should get started in a couple of months and be fully online in 2012. Phase Three will add lights down 52nd St. toward Dover St. and Childrens Hospital, and may take a bit longer as its part of the Fourth Bore mediation efforts. All told, the lights are by far the BIDs biggest project to date. Once completed, it will be a crowning achievement in efforts to make the Telegraph/Temescal corridor Oaklands most enlightened destination. u Gary Turchin for the Temescal Telegraph BID

Telegraph street lights. Photo by Darlene Drapkin

Temescal Street Fair July 8th

The 9th annual Temescal Street Fair returns on Sunday, July 8 from 12 pm - 6 pm on Telegraph Ave. from 42nd to 51st Streets. This family-friendly fair features three food courts, four stages showcasing local performers, and 140 booths teeming with handmade crafts and local artistry that represent the areas culturally rich milieu. To have a booth or become a sponsor, visit http://www.temescaldistrict.org/ hip_happenings.

ew pedestrian-oriented street lights are now raining their LED radiance upon Telegraph Ave. between 40th and 42nd Streets. The classically-inspired street lights, with the latest LED warm-glow technology, actually represent Phase One of a long-held vision of the Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District (BID) Board. After years of planning, pursuing funding opportunities, and massaging the citys bureaucracy, the first 13 lights are

First Fridays in the alleys of Temescal square

hile you may already enjoy the quarterly Temescal Art Hops, did you know that First Fridays are happening in Temescal every month? Every First Friday in the two alleys along 49th St. (between Clarke and Telegraph) you can enjoy live music, delicious artisanal food and monthly art exhibits. As recently highlighted in the Temescal News & Views, the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Style Section, both alleys are currently teeming with a creative mix of independently owned shops, with more on the way. The alleys, affectionately named Temescal Alley and Alley 49, are part of a broader

complex of properties known as Temescal Square, which includes the buildings that house Sagrada, restaurants Dona Thomas and Pizzaiolo, and Article Pract. This past First Friday saw the opening of Minds Eye Vintage and Bounty and Feast along Temescal Alley. Hannah Hoffman, owner of Doughnut Dolly, to be located in Alley 49, enjoyed a successful Kickstarter campaign and raised 105% of the funds she needed to open her doughnut shop. Most of the shops along both alleys host their own monthly art exhibits, which debut every First Friday. From June through August there will be several art exhibits at the Willis C. Kauffman Fine Art

and Antiques gallery space before Professor Kauffman retires in September, when the space will transition into another gallery. All of this complements the emergence of so many great art venues in Temescal, including Smokeys Tangle, Rise Above Print Shop, The Royal Nonesuch Gallery and The Arbor. The next First Friday, May 4th, is right around the corner. Make a night of it in Temescal! Start at Alley 49 and Temescal Alley where each First Friday you will always find something yummy to eat, free live music, intriguing monthly art exhibits, people to meet and unique shops to explore! u Suzanne LHeureux

May/JunE 2012

help for the aging in north Oakland village

Are your adult children bugging you to move out of that big house and into a retirement home? Do you hate the idea of leaving the home and neighborhood that you love? Check out North Oakland Village, a membership support network that provides a variety of services for people who want to stay in their own homes as they age. About 150 of these villages, each independent from the others, have been established in communities across the nation, and more are in the process. Members call a central number when they have a need and are connected with a volunteer who will give them a ride to the doctor, take them grocery shopping, do minor repairs in the house, drive them to the airport, help with a computer issue, or myriad other personal or household needs. The Village concept of aging in place is a cost-effective plan that provides an enhanced social network as well as the services already listed. The Beacon Hill Village in Boston, established in 2002, was the first. North Oakland Village was organized five years ago. We have about 20 members and serve all of Oakland. There is a fee; for one person, its $600 a year. The North Oakland Village office is located in the Rockridge Shopping Center at 51st and Broadway, between Starbucks and CVS. It is open from 10 am to 2 pm Monday through Friday. On Mondays, join others as you do your mending or handwork. Come to a drop-in information session on the last Saturday of every month. Or stop by during regular office hours for more information, to pick up a brochure, or to talk to some of our volunteers. You can also call us at 547-8500 or visit our website at www.northoaklandvillage.org. u

TEMEscal cOMMunITy calEnDar

GoT AN iTEm For ThE CAlENdAr? E-mail: temescalnewsandviews@gmail.com

Every sunday, 9 am 1 pm. Temescal Farmers Market, 5300 Claremont Ave., DMV parking lot. Please bring your own bags. The farmers market also accepts WIC coupons. sundays, 9 am. Keep Temescal Clean &

Tuesday May 8, 5:30 pm. Emerson Elementary

monthly PTO meeting. Potluck dinner at 5:30; meeting in the library at 6 pm. Childcare provided and everyone is welcome. 4803 Lawton Ave., 654-7373. Repeats June 12.

Beautiful meets to pick up trash and clean graffiti. 43rd & Shafter. Rain cancels. Gloves, bags and litter pick-up tools are provided. Call Tim Anderson at 698-2393 or AndersTim@gmail. com with questions. More information at http:// www.facebook.com/KeepTemescalClean.

Friday May 11, 5:30 - 8:30 pm. Bites Off Broadway. Meet your neighbors and and enjoy delicious food from local food trucks in the front of Studio One, 465 45th St. between Lawton and Broadway. More info at www. bitesoffbroadway.com. Friday May 11, 7:30 pm. Poetry Saloon

Every Mon - Fri, 9 am - 3 pm. The North Oakland Senior Center is open for members of the community. The annual $12 membership entitles seniors 55 and older to qualify for discounts on activities and trips. Come enjoy arts and crafts, health insurance counseling, exercise and dance, trips and tours and computer classes at 5714 MLK Jr. Way, 597-5085. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3 6 pm. The East Bay Childrens Book Project, which gives books free of charge to professionals who work with children in need, is open in its new location at the Mosswood Recreation Center, 3612 Webster St. Info: 408-READ or www.ebcbp.org. wednesdays, 10:30 am. Preschool story time.

meets at 472 44th Street. Potluck dinner at 6 pm, reading at 7:30 pm. Bring poems by you and others to share, or come just to enjoy. Repeats June 8 and second Friday of every month. Call 654-6495 with questions.

Temescal Library, 5205 Telegraph Ave., 597-5049.

saturday May 12. Ride for a Reason, a bike ride from Oakland to the State Capitol to draw attention to the budget crisis for public schools in California. This years ride hopes to raise $60,000 and the funds will be split evenly between Emerson Elementary, Claremont Middle, Oakland Technical High School and Oakland International High. To register, volunteer or donate go to: www.rideforareason. dojiggy.com. wednesday May 16, 7 pm. The Temescal

Tool Lending Library meet at the Kingfish pub, 5227 Claremont Ave. Repeats June 6.

wednesday May 2, 7 pm. Friends of the

saturday May 5, 11 am - 1 pm. First Saturday playdates at Emerson Elementary. Come to the kindergarten playground on Shafter to meet neighborhood families, play together and learn about all thats happening at Emerson. Free coffee and bagels! Repeats June 2.

Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) meets at Faith Presbyterian Church, 49th and Webster. For more information contact Lee Edwards at 507-7929.

Thursday June 14, dusk. This summers

Temescal Street Cinema begins, with films shown on the side of the Bank of the West Building at Telegraph Ave. and 49th St. Seating is limited, so come early and bring a chair!

Volunteers are doing the work of putting out this newsletterbut we still need to pay the printer! If you value this community publication, please consider making a donation. Any amount will help. Make your check payable to TNT, and send it with this form to: TNT, c/o 4826 Webster St., Oakland, CA 94609. Thank You!

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Ruby Long, board member and volunteer with North Oakland Village

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