Creek to Bay Day cleanup this Saturday

Oakland has lots of waterways, from Temescal Creek in the north to San Leandro Creek that empties into the estuary near the airport. The creeks and lakes grace parks across Oakland. Unfortunately, they're local low spots so garbage tends to collect in them as water flows in.

So on Saturday, September 17, people all across Oakland will work to clean them up during the 16th annual Oakland Creek to Bay Day. It's part of a larger event, International Coastal Cleanup Day, during which thousands of volunteers all over the globe will clean up their local waterways. Besides trash pickup, some locations will be removing invasive plants and other activities.

• The first 1,000 volunteers will receive a reusable aluminum water bottle.
• All volunteers will receive seed packets and other treats from event supporters.
• Dress appropriately; wear long pants and sturdy closed-toe shoes.
• No pre-registration required (unless you're bringing a group of 10 or more).

I blogged recently about volunteering to make Oakland better. This is a great opportunity to get your feet wet (as it were) with volunteering. It's 3 hours, with no special training or long-term commitment required. So get out there and help make Oakland better!

See the website for more details and a list of locations.


View Creek to Bay Day 2011 in a larger map

upcoming Oakland events

No festivals (that I know of), but still lots of fun stuff happening in Oakland. And if you haven't done one of the regular events (e.g., city walking tours, Bites off Broadway, etc.), you should definitely check them out. For example, check out Oaktown Life's post on the Piedmont Avenue Art Walk. And check the events calendar at the right for even more events.

Waterfront Flicks - Thursday, September 15, sundown at Jack London Square. This week's movie is No Reservations. There will be food from Miss Pearl's Jam House, beer from New Belgium via East Bay Bike Coalition, and cooking demos. (free)

Park(ing) day - Friday, September 16. PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event that invites citizens everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good. Check the hashtag #oakparklet on Twitter, and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland for more info. (free)

Creek to Bay Cleanup - Saturday, September 17. All across Oakland people will be helping cleanup Oakland and the environment at the 16th annual Creek to Bay Day. Find an event near you. (free)

Taste of Temescal - Tuesday, September 20, 6-8:30pm. The 3rd annual Taste of Temescal features an evening of food, drink, live music and fabulous prizes. Proceeds benefit: Emerson Elementary School, Claremont Middle School. Lions Center for the Blind, Women's Cancer Resource Center, and Oakland Tech High School. ($30)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Blog Action Day - Saturday, September 24.
Oaktoberfest - Saturday, October 1, in the Dimond.
Parlor and Politics - Saturday, October 1. A celebration of women's suffrage in California.
Suffrage Parade - Sunday, October 2. Continuing the celebration of women's suffrage, a parade starting Lakeside Park at Lake Merritt.
PedalFest - October 22nd. Bikes, beer, food, fun at Jack London Square.

taking the train

JLS Amtrak

Last week I went to Sacramento for work, and was able to take the train to get there. It was a double bonus -- a spare the air day, and it was hecka fun.

I rode down to the Amtrak station at Jack London Square to catch an early train for the capitol. It couldn't have been easier; I locked my bike, walked into the station, used a machine to buy my ticket, then stepped out into the early morning light to wait for the train to arrive. I could have even taken my bike with me if I'd wanted, as there are racks on the lower level of each car (hear that, BART?). My boss got on in Martinez, and we watched the scenery go by until our arrival in Sacramento.

It took a bit longer than driving (2 hours vs. 1 hour, 33 minutes), but was a lot more fun and a lot less stressful (particularly coming home at commute time.) Taking into account parking and gas, it was probably cheaper than driving, too. A highly recommended way to get to Sacramento from Oakland, that gives a unique view of the Oakland waterfront, the delta, and beyond.

signs: Happy Time Liquors

From the other week when I was in West Oakland for the walking tour with Luke. Not a great sign by any stretch, but one of relatively few signs in West Oakland.

Actual Cafe -- still lovin' it

building planters

I first blogged about Actual Cafe almost a year and a half ago. I don't get there as often as I'd like, because it's about as far north in Oakland as you can get, not on the way to anywhere else in Oakland for me. But I loved it then, and I still love it.

I was over there last Sunday to help with the rebuilding of their parklet for Park(ing) Day. Park(ing) Day temporarily transforms parking spaces into mini-parks. But Actual Cafe, the Golden Gate Community Alliance, Bike Man Dan, A Place for Sustainable Living, and others from the community are also working to improve the neighborhood. In addition to the parklet, we worked on permanent planters to put in front of nearby businesses like James and the Giant Cupcake. A few businesses got concrete planters from the city some time back, but there aren't more for the other businesses. So rather wait until the city has money again, the community decided to make things better themselves.

But improving the community is only part of why I like Actual Cafe. They've got really good food, a nice drink selection and friendly staff, like you'd expect from any good coffee shop. But they've also got indoor bike parking. Regular art exhibits. Live music every week. Laptop-free weekends to encourage real community instead of virtual. Next you're in the area, check it out.

If you'd like to help with the parklet and the neighborhood planters, come by tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, if you're not off doing something else to make Oakland better. Note: the parklet work is being done at the Center for Sustainable Living, across San Pablo on 64th.











more pictures:

Actual Cafe