Dimond Neighborhood News

by Daniel Swafford

View from Prospect Hill, 1894 looking down Hopkins, what is now MacArthur, toward Fruitvale and the Altenheim. Photo courtesy Oakland History Room.

Dimond Hosts Oakland's First Oktoberfest, Saturday October 4

Beer gardens will once again line MacArthur Blvd., recreating the scene from the 1894 photo, taken when the street was named Hopkins. The towering Queen Anne Altenheim, a German retirement home rebuilt after a fire in 1908, overlooked the street then and still stands today.

Oktoberfest, hosted by the Dimond Improvement Association and the Dimond Business and Professional Association, was conceived as a way to bring friends and neighbors out to the streets of the Dimond district, to enjoy the area's German heritage and celebrate today's diverse community and the resurgence of dining and shopping that is once again making Dimond an Oakland destination.

Oktoberfest will not be your typical street festival. Adorned with traditional German regalia, the district will have the sights, sounds, and flavors of Munich in the fall. There will be German performances, and vendors will offer traditional foods and of course beer!

Over a dozen breweries will be in the Bier Garten, including locals Trumer, New Belgium, and Linden Street. Tasting packages come with a commemorative stein, which will help guests support the green theme of the event by eliminating disposable plastic cups.

Dimond Ave. will also be filled with vendors and lead attendees to the Root Bier Garten and kids' activities located in the La Farine and Peet's parking lot.

Over 60 vendors and community groups and two stages will offer something for everyone. The festival lineup and participant list can be viewed at OaklandOktoberfest.com.

To learn more about Dimond, visit www.oaklandhistory.com and dimondoakland.blogspot.com

NCPC September Meeting and October Dates

On Monday, September 15, the 22X NCPC met to discuss and work on current safety issues. The beat's Problem-Solving Officer, Rick Coglio, reported that the recent victims of the home-invasion robberies on Laguna and Montana streets were targeted by the criminals in what was most likely a drug related attack. Officer Coglio also informed us that the three suspects in the Laguna case have been apprehended.'

22X NCPC Beautification Committee " Neighborhood Walk: "Don't Trash Oakland...It's Home" will be held on Saturday, October 18, 10 a.m. to noon. Bring work gloves, drinking water, and invite neighbors to remove and discourage litter. Meet new friends, get some exercise, and help make 22X NCPC a "litter- and graffiti-free community." Meet at Lincoln Ave. and Alida (near Head Royce). The group will be walking downhill to Farmer Joe's parking lot.' Contact Kathleen Russell: krussell\@russell-gordon.com

Join neighbors to create positive change in your community. The next NCPC meeting is October 20 at 7 p.m. in the Sequoia Elementary School auditorium.