it's fire season again

In an annual rite, people across the Oakland hills are clearing away underbrush, cutting the grass, and trimming tree branches in preparation for fire season. It's something that's never too far from people's minds in the hills, at least since the 1991 firestorm.

According to the Tribune, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said, "Already this year we've responded to a 50 percent increasing in wildland fires than last year." Eep. We didn't have an especially rainy year, but we did have some rain late. That means more growth, and more hazards.

One of the lessons of the 1991 firestorm was that eucalyptus trees are particularly hazardous. Not only are the trees not native to the Bay Area, people actively planted them. Joaquin Miller planted pines, cypress, acacia, and eucalyptus in what is now the park bearing his name. Developer Frank Havens imported millions of seedlings from Australia. He started the Mahogany Eucalyptus and Land Company, thinking that eucalyptus would be a good source of lumber for railroad ties. They weren't—they grow too fast and twist, and split and warp when dried. Further, the eucalyptus trees have a high oil content, and tend to drop lots of dry, very flammable leaf litter. There were various factors that led to the 1991 firestorm being so horrific, but eucalyptus trees were a significant part of it.

Today we got a reminder. A small fire broke out in Joaquin Miller Park overnight. Once they located it, the fire department made short work of it and had it under control by 4:30am. Then this afternoon a fire in Orinda meant a circling helicopter east of Oakland, an ominous sound to hear in the hills. So lets be careful out there, and be fire safe.

In Search of the East Bay's Best Ribs

If you enjoyed Dave Cambell's guest post The Improving State of the Pulled Pork Sandwich, be sure to check out his recent post on the new lOAKal blog, In Search of the East Bay's Best Ribs.

upcoming Oakland events

Lots going on this week. The biggest event is the 41st annual Oakland Greek Festival, but there are walking tours, concerts, plays, the Malcom X Jazz Festival, Bites off Broadway, and more.

Wednesday

Oakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

Friday

Bites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. Beginning May 10th. My favorite food truck event returns for 2013. Read more about Bites off Broadway. (free)

Compared to What? play - May 10,11,12,17,18,19,24,25 - A play by Judith Offer about the Pullman Porters and life in West Oakland. Held at the First Christian Church. ($15-$20)

Oakland Greek Festival - Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The 41st annual Oakland Greek Festival. Celebrate the food, music, and culture of Greece. (free-$6)

Saturday

Walk to End Poverty - Saturday, May 18, 9am. A walk to help end poverty around Lake Merritt. The first 400 people to bring a non-perishable food item (no glass, please) will receive a free t-shirt. (free)

Oakland Walking Tours - Saturdays, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

"Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words" - Saturdays, 10am-4pm. The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts an interfaith art exhibit. In conjunction with Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Each work incorporates words, text or letters in unique expressions that underscore interfaith understanding, spirituality, peace and cultural dialogue. (free)

Malcolm X Jazz Festival - Saturday, May 18, 11am-7pm. The 13th annual Jazz Festival in San Antonio Park. Featuring a wide variety of musicians and dancers, plus a children's area and food court. (free)

Go in Peace - CD release concert - Saturday, 7pm. Free concert to celebrate the release of Katarina Stenstedt's debut album, Go in Peace. (free)

Notes & Words 2013 - Saturday, May 18, 8pm. Writers Mary Roach, Billy Collins, Kelly Corrigan and Lauren Graham join forces with musicians G. Love & Special Sauce, Good Night, Texas, Vocal Rush and LaToya London to raise money for Children's Hospital Oakland, at the Fox Theater. ($50+)

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Oakland Urban Paths walk (2nd Saturdays)
  
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Piedmont Avenue Stroll (3rd Thursdays)

looking further ahead:

Rod and Custom Car Show at JLS - Saturday, May 25, 10am-4pm. More than 65 classic cars from the 1920s to 1960s will be on display. Enjoy live music, food and fun! (free)

Oakland Indie Awards - Thursday, May 30, 6:30-10:30 pm. Join the celebration for Oakland's local economy, a party for locals by locals. Enjoy an evening under the stars on the beautiful Kaiser Rooftop Garden and Terrace, overlooking Lake Merritt. Read about last year's awards and party. ($10-$15)

ACCFB: Empty Bowls - Thursday, May 30, 6-8pm. Join the Alameda County Community Food Bank for their annual Empty Bowls program to raise money for their work of feeding the hungry in Alameda County. In addition to enjoying a delicious soup dinner, guests will enjoy the music of accordionist Duckmandu, take home a hand-painted bowl and bid in a silent auction. ($25)

Gallery of California Natural Sciences at OMCA opens - Friday, May 31. The long-awaited reopening of the natural sciences section of the Oakland Museum.

Fairyland Gala Costume Party - Thursday, June 6, 6:30-9:30pm. Help support Children's Fairyland by attending this special adults-only gala party in Fairyland. ($75-$125)

Love Our Lake: Oaklavia + Measure DD Celebration - Sunday, June 9. Come celebrate the work accomplished as part of Measure DD, improving the areas around Lake Merritt. Streets around the lake will be closed for pedestrian and bicycle friendliness. There will be food trucks, live entertainment, and activities for kids. (free)

Love Our Lake Day - celebrate with Oakland+WOBO June 9th

Come walk, bike, and paddle Lake Merritt with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. Join WOBO and the city of Oakland for safe, car-free fun on streets and parks around Lake Merritt on Sunday, June 9 from 11am to 4pm. A special grand opening ceremony at Lake Merritt Boulevard amphitheater and pedestrian bridge will take place at 2pm to commend and thank the residents of Oakland for approving an unprecedented bond measure (Measure DD) that made beautifying the area around the Lake possible.

Many of the streets around Lake Merritt will be closed off to traffic making them available to pedestrians and bicycles. There will be food trucks, music, and a wide variety of activities. Lake Merritt is an incomparable jewel in Oakland, and this is a great opportunity to see it sparkle!

Visit Oaklavia.org for more information.

Go In Peace - CD Release Concert

An upcoming event I'm particularly excited about is the CD release concert for my wife's first album, Go in Peace. The concert is this Saturday, May 18th at 7pm at College Avenue Presbyterian Church and admission is free. Katarina will be performing with our friends Tess Evans Clark and Bobby Medcalf, plus one or two other special guests. CAPC is generously providing the space and snacks.

The album features ten songs, all written and performed by Katarina, with Bobby on drums and percussion. The creation of the album has been a labor of love; I did the engineering on the album and designed the artwork, and we've both put in ridiculous amounts of time over the past year to make it happen. For samples of the songs, album notes, and more, check out Katarina's website, Sleep on the Hearth. Hope to see you there on Saturday!