High Street Neighborhood News

by Adelle Foley

Nominations Are Open The Melrose/High Hopes NCPC will meet at Horace Mann School on Thursday, September 16, at 7 p.m. The floor will be open for nominations for NCPC officers under the by-laws adopted at the July meeting. All those who live, work, or own a business in beat 27X are eligible to run for office. The election will take place at the November 18 meeting. The September meeting will also include the regular reports by our Community Policing Officer, as well as a Code Compliance report, updates on priority issues, and the chance to talk with city staff privately. Melrose Library Still Between Pillar and Post The Melrose Branch of the library closed in mid-June for renovation. Two months later it is still closed. If you call the branch number, you reach a recording indicating that the temporary site will open in September or October and that the message will be updated. The message refers the caller to the Library Administration at 238-3134 for further information. Perhaps we need to remind the Acting Director (238-3281) how important the branch is and urge a speedy completion of the temporary site. Courtland Creek Events The Courtland Creek crew celebrated the summer Youth Employment Partnership on August 14 by painting the pergola (arbor to those of us learning a new term) and planting native trees and bushes at the Brookdale end of the park. Over the summer, the young people learned about the creek's ecology. They helped to rebuild the stairway to the creek, and cleared nonnative plants. One Fremont High student demonstrated his new knowledge with a mini-plant tour. COPA (the Community Outreach Program Alternative) celebrated its fifth anniversary at the site. COPA rehabilitates bikes confiscated by or unclaimed at the Oakland Police Department and gives them to youngsters who have performed 60 hours of community service. The Discovery Center will participate in the next round of the bike program. The High Street Neighborhood Alliance will sponsor a fall cleanup at Courtland Creek on Creek to Bay Day, Saturday morning, September 18. History at Your Feet Next time you take a walk, keep your eyes on the sidewalk. You'll find that the cement work is signed. My path took me down Brookdale from Maxwell to High Street. In Maxwell Park, most of the signatures were from the 1930s; but when I turned on to High Street, I found that Hutchison Co. had left its mark in "9-1917." The contractors advertising their work were usually a family business. Some signatures are a simple name; many include a "son" or "brothers." Almost all were in Oakland, although two gave their address as "Fruitvale" Calif., even though Oakland had annexed Fruit Vale in 1909. Some contractors were located nearby on High Street, 35th Ave, and Allendale. One listed a phone number: LAKE 6638. Another told the world that his work was "Union Made, local 594." Many of the original signatures are lost to repaving or 60-plus years of foot traffic. The dates are hard to read because they were scratched in the wet cement by hand. The newer cement work is smooth and unsigned, except for the occasional initials of a daring youngster or a paw print.