tall ships visit Oakland

The other week two tall ships visited Oakland. The Hawaiian Chieftain and the Lady Washington cruise up and down the west coast, teaching kids and adults about sailing and history. Both ships belong to the Historical Seaport which runs the educational programs. The Hawaiian Chieftain is designed similar to an 1800s sailing ship, but was built to haul cargo in Hawaii, and so has a steel hull with three keels and a very shallow draft. The Lady Washington is based on an actual ship design from the 1700s. There were designs drawn up for two, but they couldn't afford to have the second one built. Instead, the larger sister ship was built and now sails around Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland.

more pictures:

upcoming Oakland events

Awide variety of events, as usual. Please note the marrow registry drives—you could help save a life! If you know of something interesting going on in Oakland that I haven't listed, let me know in the comments.

First 2012 WOBO Volunteer Meeting - Thursday, February 23, 6-7:30pm. Learn the many ways to get involved in building a more accessible and safer community with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. (web page)

Second Start Adult Literacy Program Thursday, February 23, 6-7:30pm, Grand Opening, celebrating with good food, good music and good company. Free books will be given to kids. At the main library. (free)

art: A Woman’s Perspective - Thursday, February 23, 6-8:30pm. Opening reception for Nancy Hom's new show, with images of women, mothers & children. At the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on 388 9th Street #290. The show runs from February 8 - April 29. (free)

ComicCon: ImageExpo Friday-Sunday, February 24-26. A comic book convention of independent comic book creators. (website)

Oakland Walking Tour: New Era, New Politics - Saturday, February 25, 10am-12p. In celebration of Black History Month. I've been on all of the walking tours, and they're a great way to learn about Oakland and its history. This one focuses on more recent Oakland history and politics. (free)

marrow registry drives - Saturday, February 25. A simple cheek swab can tell if you're a potential match for leukemia patient Janet Liang. She has until April to find a match, and you could help save her life. There's a marrow drive Saturday at 525 4th Street in Oakland from 10am-4pm. Other nearby drives are at Paddy’s Café Union City 10am-1pm, and E&O Trading Co Restaurant San Francisco, 11-3. Can't make a drive? Get a test kit from Be the Match. Find other drives on the Asian American Donor Program website.

Monthly News Cafe - Tuesday, February 28, 8-10am. Join Oakland Local in a discussion about the economy and how social media is a powerful tool for connecting people, causes and local events. Panelists include Oakland local staff, local leaders, and neighbors. (website; admission $4-$7)

Oakland Home Energy Workshop - Tuesday, February 28, 6pm-7pm. Learn how to get up to $4,000 in rebates on a home energy efficiency upgrades. At the Dimond Library. (free)

looking further ahead:

Color and Climate: A Vertical Landscape of Sound - Tuesday, March 2, 6pm. Join Youth Radio to celebrate the unveiling of its soundscape stairwell exhibit, Color and Climate. (free)

Explore Oakmore with Oakland Urban Paths - Saturday, March 10, 10am-12:30pm. Join Oakland Urban Paths to check out how local pathways connect to watershed and regional trail systems. (free)

Creative Growth Fundraiser - Friday, March 16, 6-9pm. "Beyond Trend". A gala fundraiser for the Center for Creative Growth, with DJ music, a silent auction, and great-sounding food. (more info)

Beyond Emancipation fundraiser Wednesday, March 28, 5-9pm Dine out and help foster youth succeed and thrive. Italian Colors will generously donate a percentage of your dinner bill to support Beyond Emancipation's programs for current and former foster youth in Alameda County.

Oakland Veg Week - April 15-21. Thought about eating vegetarian? Oakland Veg Week will have a variety of events to introduce people to the idea. (website)

plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

black history month: Captain William T. Shorey

William and Julia Ann Shorey

When most people think about early black history in Oakland, they think of the Pullman Porters. Less well known is William T. Shorey, who was captain of a whaling ship in the 1880s, the only black captain operating on the west coast at that time. He was known to his whaling crews as the 'Black Ahab'.

William was born in Barbados in 1859, went to sea as a teenager, and made his first whaling voyage in 1876. Whaling brought him to California, and he married Julia Ann Shelton, the daughter of a leading African American family in San Francisco. He was a skilled captain and navigator, earning his masters license which allowed him to command any size vessel anywhere in the world. He and Julia Ann had 5 children, living in West Oakland at 1782 8th Street. William retired from the sea in 1908, as the whaling industry was winding down as petroleum was discovered.

Active in politics before and after his retirement, William hosted a dinner in 1903 honor of Booker T. Washington, who spoke to raise funds for his school at Tuskegee. William died in 1919, one of many victims of the Spanish flu pandemic. Some of the influenza victims from Oakland are buried in plot 53 in Mountain View Cemetery, but William is in plot 14B. Julia Ann (-1944) and their daughter Zenobia Pearl (-1909) were also buried there. Their grave is prominently marked on the maps the cemetery provides. Nearby is a marker for William T. Shorey, Jr. (1902-1969), presumably their son.

Following his death, Shorey Street in West Oakland was named after him. He was the first black resident in Oakland to be honored by the city fathers.

more on Captain William T. Shorey:

• William Shorey (Lives of the Dead)
• influenza plot (Lives of the Dead)
• black Captain Ahab (Black History Album)
• William Thomas Shorey (BlackPast.org)
• William Shorey (Wikipedia)
• Shorey House (blog about their home)

Historical photo from the Oakland History Room at the Oakland Public Library.

More Tapophile Tragics from around the world.

detain the rain with low cost rain barrels

CM Jane Brunner and
homeowner Terry Galloway

Anyone who's lived in the Bay Area for more than a few years knows we generally have dry summers and wet winters (this winter notwithstanding). But what newer residents may not know about are the occasional fires in the urban/rural interface of the hills. The immediate event is devastating, but the longer-term effects can be devastating, too. Denuded hillsides don't hold the rain, leading to mudslides, and roads and homes destroyed.

Hiller Highlands in the north Oakland hills has experienced all this, and resident Terry Galloway knows first-hand about the effects. He lost his home in the 1991 Oakland Firestorm that killed 25 people and destroyed almost 3,800 homes, apartments and condominiums. Then he watched mudslides when the rains began that winter. But even in years when there hasn't been a recent fire, normal rains can cause mudslides which damage property and roads. It's a difficult problem.

One answer is to build a network of storm drains and storage tanks, but Oakland doesn't have the estimated $200 million+ needed for it. A much more economical solution is to detain the rain on individual properties, and make the peak water flow lower by spreading it out. Or as Lesley Estes, the city's Watershed Program Supervisor said, "to control the firehose effect." Galloway already had two 65 gallon 'Moby' rain barrels, and Estes, council member Jane Brunner, and Matt Freiberg of the Watershed Project came to see more storage installed.

Matt Freiberg of
the Watershed Project

Much of the prep work for this install was done by two interns in Merritt College's Environmental Science program, but Freiberg described how simple a typical install can be. It does require some plastic pipes and fittings, and usually cutting the existing downspout, but overall it's fairly easy. Galloway said the hardest part was getting the new 305 gallon tank from the street to its final location behind his house.

The city has a federal grant which significantly reduces the cost of the rain barrels. The 65 gallon barrel retails for $219, but is available through the city program for $48.50. There are larger tanks like the 305 gallon tank installed at the Galloway residence, all the way up to a 620 gallons. Buying one is as easy as going to the city's rain barrel program website and placing your order. You can either pick up the barrels or arrange to have them delivered. I bought two of the 65 gallon barrels a couple of years ago.

BUT (you knew there was a 'but' coming), the federal funding for the program runs out at the end of 2012. Which means to get the barrels for the lower cost, you need to order and take delivery before then.

There are benefits besides erosion control. If you have any sort of garden or plants, you can use the collected rain to water them and reduce your water bill. Galloway has a drip system connected to his existing barrels, and uses rainwater to provide water for the small greenhouse built behind his home. The new tank will be used to water six fruit trees. I was also impressed because he has a solar hot water system for providing hot water in the house and heating the small pool in the backyard, as well as photo voltaic panels to generate electricity.

more pictures from the install:


For more information about the program, see www.oaklandpw.com/rainbarrel

Also check out the coverage at Oakland North.

bikes + beer + benefit = fun!

This past Sunday was a great event combining several of my favorite things: beer, bikes and Oakland. It was the Tour de Bière 2012, led by The Grand Cru, as a fundraiser for the East Bay Bike Coalition. With a full day of biking and beer tasting, plus discounts at several destinations, it was a bargain at $25 per person. So it was unsurprising when tickets sold out for it in 4 days.

We met at Trumer in Berkeley to sign in and start off with some coffee and snacks. The group split into two for a tour around Trumer's brewery. Outside are a number of large silos for grain, and giant temperature-controller fermenters. Trumer Pils is known for being a 'bright', clear beer, so they've got an amazing filtration system, but because EBMUD water is so good, they don't need to filter or treat the water. I worked at a brew on premises / brewpub for a while, and was interested in beer before that, so I'm familiar with the brewing process. That said, I still found the tour at Trumer interesting and informative.

Linden Street Brewery

From there we headed down to Linden Street Brewery in Jack London Square. I'm a huge fan of Linden Street, not just because founder Adam Lamoreaux is incredibly supportive of different non-profits around Oakland, but also because Linden Street Beers are incredibly tasty (love the Burning Oak Black Lager and the Urban Peoples' Common Lager). LSB has been growing at a healthy pace, and Adam is hoping to outgrow the space in Jack London Square. But even if that happens, he plans to keep the Linden Street location going forward, as a 'brewery incubator'. Currently LSB hosts Dying Vines Brewing, but going forward they'd love to host more.

Triple Rock

The group again split in two. Most people headed for Elevation 66 in El Cerrito and the rest of us headed for Triple Rock in Berkeley. Triple Rock is the granddaddy, one of the oldest operating brewpubs in the U.S., and opened when I was in college in 1986. They were having their 'Sour Sunday' which drew a lot of fans, so the brewpub was packed. I had some of their IIMax DIPA, a big, hoppy beer.

We then headed over to Elevation 66 in El Cerrito. It's the new kid on the block, having just opened in 2011. I'm not in El Cerrito very often, but I'll definitely keep it in mind for future visits.

To finish off the evening, we rode down to Pyramid in Berkeley, not far from where we started. Our ranks had thinned a bit by then, but those remaining happily toured the large brew house and sampled a variety of Pyramid's beers.

The tour was about 20 miles, plus I had another 6 miles each way to and from BART, so about 32 miles of riding for me. Despite that, I only used the electric assist on my ride home; the rest of the ride was flat and slow enough I didn't need it.

It was a long day with a lot of riding, but hella fun. Thanks to The Grand Cru for organizing the Tour de Bière and to Trumer, Linden Street, Triple Rock, Elevation 66, and Pyramid for hosting us and supporting the East Bay Bike Coalition!

lots more pictures from the ride:


More pictures from The Grand Cru.

Tamales y Vino

Last Friday was a fun little event with Tina Tamale at Urban Legend Cellars called "Tamales y Vino". It was a thank-you for the crowd source funders of Tina's new tamale truck and cart, as well as a change of pace for folks coming to Urban Legend for wine tasting. It was a lot of fun, with live music from Carlos Godinez, sweets from Semita Dulce, and of course, Urban Legends wines to taste and Tina's tasty tamales, sopas, and salads to eat.

pictures from the event:


Also check out Paula Wirth's great photos from the event, including a couple with me in them.

upcoming Oakland events

As usual, there's a variety of things to do in Oakland. Celebrate and explore Oakland! If none of the listed events appeal, maybe it's time for you to try one of the regular events, like the Saturday Art Stroll, or gardening at Wood Park, Lakeside Park or the Montclair Railroad Trail. And as always, if you know of something interesting going on that I haven't listed, let me know in the comments.

Oakland Walking Tour: New Era, New Politics - Wednesday, February 15, 10am-12pm, and Saturday, February 25. In celebration of Black History Month. I've been on all of the walking tours, and they're a great way to learn about Oakland and its history. This one focuses on more recent Oakland history and politics. (free)

Paramount movie classics: The Sting - Friday, February 17, 7-10pm. A fun con-man movie set during the Depression. It won 7 Oscars in 1974, and stars Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Robert Shaw. ($5)

Rooftop Garden at E.C. Reems Academy - Saturday, February 18, 9am-1pm. Join Ella Baker Center's Soul of the City and Oakland Food Connection for a day of service in East Oakland. Repair garden beds, paint barrels, and prepare the soil for growing. (more info)

Montclair RR Trail Work - Saturday, February 18, 9-11am. Friends of the Montclair RR Trail do monthly maintenance, but they could use an extra hand this Saturday spreading wood chips from the city. (more info)

Tea Tasting Mixer - Saturday, February 18, 2-4pm, At the AAMLO. A collaboration between AAMLO, FAAMLO and Take Your Sister To Lunch, Inc., the mixer encourages women to come together, share their experiences and make a difference.

Tall Ships return to Oakland - February 10 - February 22. Tours, sailing trips, and more. Read more at Oakland North.

looking further ahead:

First 2012 WOBO Volunteer Meeting - Thursday, February 23, 6-7:30pm. Learn the many ways to get involved in building a more accessible and safer community with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. (web page)

Explore Oakmore with Oakland Urban Paths - Saturday, March 10, 10am-12:30pm. Join Oakland Urban Paths to check out how local pathways connect to watershed and regional trail systems. (free)

Creative Growth Fundraiser - Friday, March 16, 6-9pm. "Beyond Trend". A gala fundraiser for the Center for Creative Growth, with DJ music, a silent auction, and great-sounding food. (more info)

Oakland Veg Week - April 15-21. Thought about eating vegetarian? Oakland Veg Week will have a variety of events to introduce people to the idea. (website)

plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)