Maxwell Park Neighborhood News

by Sarah Hipolito

Second Annual Party in the Park

It's time to party in the park, Maxwell Park style. On Saturday, September 15, the park will be filled with sounds of music, singing, laughter, yelling, and talking the sounds of fun.

Come prepared to enjoy children's activities throughout the day, as well as the Oakland Police Department's Talking Car, our local fire fighters on their big red fire truck, and fingerprinting for child safety. Adults will not be left out, as there will be continuous performances on the musical stage.

Back by popular demand, Youth Uprising (YU) will sell barbecue plates. YU, adjacent to Castlemont High, is a program of activities for youth. Their catering department offers young people the chance to gain valuable job-preparation experience in culinary arts.

Especially welcome are our elders. If you or your neighbor is a longtime Maxwell Park resident, please come share your story with us so we can begin compiling an oral history of our neighborhood.

Maxwell Park is on Fleming, just down the street from Maxwell Park Elementary School. Fleming will be closed to traffic from Monticello to Courtland.

The Community Building Neighborhood Action Team (NAT), led by Helen Da Silva and Krista Gulbransen, is working feverishly to put the final touches on the Maxwell Park party. It is not too late to volunteer your talents to help make the day a success.

Traffic Safety

Sounds of summer fill the air children playing, birds singing, backyard parties, tires squealing, and the occasional boom of a collision as cars race down the street, thunking on the speed bumps.

The Traffic Neighborhood Action Team comes to reduce the traffic concerns in Maxwell Park.

Adelle Foley, Rosetta Egan, Jan Hetherington, Joe Davis, Nancy Kiriaga and Paulette Bruder-Dorado work together, in conjunction with the Oakland Police Department, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Araina Richards, Oakland's Traffic Engineers and Councilmember Jean Quan's staff. They identify dangerous intersections and streets prone to speeders at the monthly Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council meeting.

Araina Richards relays the information to traffic enforcement. Traffic officers then concentrate on that spot to identify violators of traffic laws, issuing citations and giving warnings to drivers.

The group is focusing on High Street and Redding, particularly drivers who ignore the yield sign when they turn left from the 580 exit.

Next on the list is the concern over drivers who use the left-turn lanes on High Street as their own private speedways. Some of these drivers object to slowing down and react with dangerous, violent behavior. High Street is a major concern of both Maxwell Park NC and Melrose/High Hopes NCPC members. The groups will work together. Traffic calming doesn't stop at beat boundaries.

As a result of this partnership, our neighborhood receives much-needed deterrence of traffic crimes. We also get the expertise of state and city traffic engineers to find solutions for dangerous intersections. The next time you go on a walk or drive through the neighborhood, you may find it a safer place to be, thanks to our T-NAT.

Contacts: Community Building NAT, krista_gulbransen\@yahoo.com, (415) 352-3229 or hds2288\@aol.com; Traffic NAT, Adelle Foley, ajoanfoley\@sbcglobal.net; Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council, maxwellparknc.com

Sarah Hipolito can be reached at shipolito\@sbcglobal.net.