Laurel Neighborhood News

by John Frando and Kathleen Rolinson

Volunteer & Beautify

Help make a difference as a volunteer in one or two upcoming neighborhood events.

On Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. to noon, join us for Creek to Bay Day at Peralta Creek, at Wisconsin Street and Rettig Avenue, for general cleanup and weeding. This is an ongoing kid-friendly creek restoration project. Efforts continue on Saturday, October 6, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., as the Laurel District Association merchants and property owners install Phase 2 of the MacArthur Boulevard terra-cotta planter project. Project volunteers should sign in at the Hollywood Video parking lot and watch a planting demonstration.

For more information, contact John Frando at jfrando\@gmail.com.

Maple Avenue Petroleum Pipeline

A subsidiary of Shell Oil Company periodically mails "Call Before You Dig—It's The Law" pamphlets to residents living near its pipelines. Residents on Maple Avenue live close to a subterranean pipeline running from Skyline Boulevard in the Oakland Hills toward Derby Street near the Fruitvale bridge at the Alameda estuary.

Dan Coburn, Regional Public Awareness Program Administrator for the Shell Pipeline Company, described its pipeline under the Maple Avenue corridor: "The 10-inch-diameter pipeline is currently idle, filled with inert nitrogen gas. There are no plans at this time to reactivate or remove it."

It's state law that anyone conducting excavation activities contact the local One Call notification center at least two days, but not more than 14 days, prior to digging. Mr. Coburn said that professional excavation contractors are required to register with the One Call network. However, their biggest concern is the homeowner or smaller subcontractor firm that might accidentally rupture their pipeline while, say, replacing a home sewer line.

Anyone planning to dig or excavate should call the charge-free One Call center phone number, 811. Based on the phone message, the owners of all underground pipelines and utilities in the area will call you back with location information. They may come out to mark the precise location or even supervise the excavation work around their pipeline or utility.

Mr. Coburn said that the depths of Shell pipelines vary and that pipelines in residential areas might not have highly visible line markers. If Shell decided to reactivate the Maple Street pipeline to carry petroleum, no public notification would be required. "However we would consult with the State Fire Marshall and City officials," he said.

To view the location of pipelines in Oakland or throughout the country, click on the "NPMS Public Map Viewer" button on the Web site www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov.

Laurel Village Association Guest Speakers

The Laurel Village Association will host the following guest speakers at its October and November meetings, held from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at World Ground Café, 3726 MacArthur Blvd.

On Thursday, October 25, Oakland City Attorney John Russo will discuss the role and function of his office. On Thursday, November 29, Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation boardmember David Stein will discuss the possibility and options of creating a city park or open space in the Laurel.

All are invited to attend. For more information, contact Kathleen Rolinson at krolinson\@gmail.com.♦

John Frando can be reached at jfrando\@gmail.com, Kathleen Rolinson at krolinson\@gmail.com.