High Street Neighborhood News

by Adelle Foley

Three Walks and a Meeting Maxwell Park is a well-connected community. A Yahoo! Group of over 500 households ensures that news travels fast, and it's not always good news. The year began with a series of alarming incidents. Four neighbors were held up at gunpoint, and a neighbor's dog was shot and killed in its own yard. The community was troubled and uneasy, but the response was to come together, not to hide behind locked doors or check out listings east of the hills. On neighborhood walks over three weekends, we put our feet where our hearts and mouths were. Two walks looped around the blocks where the robberies took place. The first was on a cold and damp Saturday, the second on a beautiful, bright Sunday. The third walk was in honor of the dog, Molly. At that walk (someone called it a dogathon), people and dogs streamed in from all directions, gathered for a group photo, and then walked up and down hills, escorted by the Oakland Police Department's Canine Corps. There were 56 people and 36 dogs, from little Cosmo and Rosebud to the largest dogs, Bear and Spencer. The dogs were quite well behaved, and the people misty-eyed but happy to be together. The walk brought some neighbors from the same block together for the first time. Flyers posted on telephone poles and distributed throughout the neighborhood informed the community of the crimes and the importance of participating in Neighborhood Watch, listed safety tips, and invited everyone to the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council Meeting. The meeting was moved to a large room, and volunteers were recruited, but no one predicted a turnout of about 300, many of whom had not participated before. After a dialogue led by chair Jose Dorado and our new Police Lt. Sharon Williams, almost 50 people came forward to organize Neighborhood Watches on their streets. We're working to solve the crimes and maintain the momentum. If we succeed, a bad beginning will have a hopeful ending. Calling All Friends Melrose Branch Library manager Sandra Toscano told me that she is planning to reactivate the Friends of Melrose Branch. The group meets monthly and works together with Sandra to support the library. Recent Friends events have included movies with a message and lobbying for library resources. Future activities will depend on the interests, skills, and time available to the members. If you'd like to join or just want more information, contact Sandra at 535-5623. If reading and discussing books is your passion, mark your calendar for the fourth Monday of each month and join the new Melrose Branch book club. Library Assistant Vic Vickers convened the first meeting in January, when they chose Night, by Elie Wiesel, for the February meeting and Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas, for March. Suggestions are always welcome for future meetings. We'll Miss You, Lumumba The Majied home on Brookdale has been a bright spot on our family walks. We hadn't seen Lumumba or Naeem for a while and were very sad to learn of Lumumba's death early this year. Lumumba was full of vitality, always learning something new a positive energy source and a good neighbor. We're happy she lived in our community and extend our sympathy to her husband, Naeem. Adelle Foley can be reached at jandafoley\@sbcglobal.net.