Laurel Neighborhood Newsby Renais Winter and Doug Stone | |
Precious Gem Found in the Heart of the Laurel | |
Patron Saints of the Hubcaps, John Donivan and Jo-Ann Maggiora Donivan. Photo by Renais Winter.
Click to enlarge. |
|
|
 |
You may have seen her, a lone avenger, removing graffiti from walls and street signs or picking up abandoned hubcaps from the side of the road. She does not wear a cape and tights, at least not in public, but she has been dubbed The Graffiti Buster and is a certified Local Hero (2011, District 4).
A true native of Oakland and the Laurel, Jo-Ann Maggiora Donivan lives in the house her parents bought on Wisconsin St. in 1953. She attended Laurel Grammar School and St. Lawrence O’Toole. She graduated from Holy Names High School and later earned her teaching credential from Cal State Hayward.
Maggiora Donivan has witnessed the ups and downs of the neighborhood. Recalling the Laurel of her youth, Maggiora Donivan described a vibrant business area with a library, two grocery stores, and Lady Ann’s Bakery, the source of her birthday cakes. “I remember when they put in the 580 freeway. We had a really bad winter that year, and a little boy drowned in the partially dug trench.”
“The freeway changed the dynamics of the neighborhood,” she added. “MacArthur Blvd. used to be the main thoroughfare, but after the freeway, people got in their cars and went elsewhere to shop. When they built the Dimond Library, they closed the Laurel Branch.”
Buying her childhood home made her feel more invested in the community, Maggiora Donivan said. She also felt inspired by the opening of World Ground Café after a period of decline in the Laurel. She realized that if the community improved, it became more desirable and more people would invest their energy and resources here in the Laurel.
Maggiora Donivan explored neighborhood groups and attended Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) meetings. She gravitated toward the Laurel Village Association (LVA) because of its focus on neighborhood improvement projects. She found her niche at first in battling graffiti. She worked with the LVA to produce the annual Summer Solstice Music Festival, and to weed medians and plant bulbs.
Maggiora Donivan, now President and board member of the LVA, transformed the green space at 35th Ave. and the entrance to the 580 Freeway into the Laurel Art Garden. The space now features decorated hubcaps mounted on wood frames built by her husband John Donivan. She walks with Feet on the Street and continues to attend NCPC meetings as well as the Laurel Gardeners Group. Through the LVA listserv, Maggiora Donivan often serves as communication central, passing on information gleaned from her many connections.
Artistry and creative thinking come naturally to Maggiora Donivan, who labors by day as a jeweler. She and her husband create original jewelry and traditional pieces at their workshop in San Francisco. She enjoys the creative challenge of repair and restructuring antique pieces of jewelry. They have made jewelry for the very rich as well as for outlaw bikers.
When asked about her commitment to the Laurel, Maggiora Donivan’s eyes glisten with emotion. “I love the Laurel. It’s our home.”