High Street Neighborhood News

by Adelle Foley

Boys and Girls Club: Breaking Ground Soon

Executive Director Cal Stanley is happy to report that the Oakland Boys and Girls Club plans to hold their groundbreaking ceremony for the new clubhouse at 3300 High Street in early October. If all goes well, they hope to be open for business next summer. The club is working with traffic engineers on ways to address traffic-related issues on busy High Street. In the interest of safety, they are considering engineering remedies (crosswalks, bulb-outs, etc.) to slow traffic at the site. Look for specifics on the groundbreaking in the next Metro and on flyers around the neighborhood.

Productive Teens at Melrose Library

I dropped by the Melrose Branch on a hot afternoon and met some young people hard at work. Irene Lu, a freshman at Oakland High, got her summer job through Oakland's Youth Employment Program. Volunteer Christina Chen, a senior at Fremont, was working on her community service requirement. She told me that the Fremont Business Academy took home first place and a $4,000 grant in the spring competition at Chico State. The student-run business brings food on campus during lunch hour, supplementing the cafeteria fare and reducing the number of teens who leave the overcrowded facility.

The Branch is pleased to welcome Elizabeth Cole, the new Children's Librarian. She'll be on board just in time for school visits and tours. Call 535-5623 or stop by for information on the PASS homework-assistance program. While you are there, check out the display of photos from the summer "Teen Life in Oakland" program.

Library Assistant Pete Villasenor is a member of the Oakland Library's Teen Services Committee. The group helps branches build their teen collections, develops reading lists, and organizes programs. He's responsible for our quiz. How many of Oakland's 70 homicide victims were 18 years of age or younger? (Answer at the end of the column.)

Melrose/High Hopes: Redevelopment Update

Catch up on plans for the Central City East redevelopment project from our NCPC representative to the project area committee, on Thursday, September 19, at 7 p.m. If you're new to the beat, introduce yourself to Neighborhood Services Coordinator Araina Richards, who rejoined 27X at the July meeting. The NCPC meets at Horace Mann School on Congress and Ygnacio.

Courtland Creek Fall Cleaning

High Street Neighborhood Alliance invites you to celebrate the equinox (September 21) by joining the cleanup at Courtland Creek. We'll meet at San Carlos and Courtland at 9 a.m. and quit about noon. Bring gloves, a hat, and your enthusiasm for our bit of country in the city. For more information, call 436-6423.

Autumn at Brookdale Rec

Autumn and back-to-school will usher in a new season of football (for third- through fifth-graders), the Homework Club (all ages), and a new session of Early Birds. The pre-kindergarten program for three- to five-year-olds introduces ABC's, colors, and numbers Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

During the early August heat wave, I watched a softball game in progress. A little girl retrieved the ball and told the pitcher: "Don't let it get through your legs, mommy." The spectators huddled in the shade, grateful for the trees. For more information, call 535-5623, or drop in.

Answer to the quiz: There were two juvenile victims (through age 18). Many in the Oaklandcommunity associate violence with teenagers. The deaths are all tragic, but our perceptions can use a reality check.

Adelle Foley can be reached via e-mail at jasfoley\@aol.com.