OAKLAND
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board of Directors and staff recently celebrated the grand opening in the Oakland hills of the Alder Creek and Leatherwood Creek Restoration Project at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, the largest creek restoration project in the park district’s 90-year history. This project restores 3,000 linear feet (about a half-mile) of previously culverted creek to more natural conditions and is now open to the public.
The Alder Creek and Leatherwood Creek Restoration Project, formerly known as the McCosker Project in honor of the last family who owned and worked on the property, provides natural habitat for special-status or protected species, including the California red-legged frog and others.“This is an area of Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve that has undergone great transformation,” said Elizabeth Echols, the park district’s board president. “The project is the largest creek daylighting project in the entire Bay Area, with new access to the beautiful and important Alder and Leatherwood creeks in the upper San Leandro Creek watershed.”
The 250-acre site is situated within a deep canyon of dense oak woodland at the bottom of a ridgeline of rolling grassland hills. When the park district acquired the property in 2010, the creeks within the property had been buried underground in culverts to make room for the rock quarrying operations that historically took place there. The culverts were deteriorating, creating hazardous conditions and jeopardizing the surrounding recreation areas.
“You may not realize it by looking at it today, but this land was once graded flat and used as a homestead, ranch, farm, paving and quarry operation and equipment yard,” said park district board member Dee Rosario, whose Ward includes Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. “The project restored 3,000 feet of previously culverted creek back to a more natural condition to function as riparian habitat — a great feat for the park district and a success story for all environmentalists fighting to protect the environment and restore habitat.”
The restoration area within Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve is open to the public and includes an 11-car staging area off Pinehurst Road with connections to the McCosker Loop Trail and trails that follow the creeks on the property. Temporary restroom facilities are available while Phase 2 of the project is underway to establish a group campsite and permanent restroom facilities. Visit bit.ly/3wXjhM1 online for more information.
— EBRPD
PIEDMONT
Register for Asian cooking classes offered at adult school
Discover the vibrant flavors of Asia this summer with Piedmont Adult School’s popular cooking classes. In these small, hands-on sessions, you will learn about key ingredients and techniques that make Asian cuisine so distinctive. Each class will end with a chance to sit down and enjoy your delicacies with your classmates.
Instructor Chat Mingkwan, a native of Thailand, began preparing Thai food as a child, working alongside his mother and aunt in their successful restaurant and hotel. He was classically trained in cooking in Rayon, France.
Mingkwan has traveled throughout Southeast Asia, studying the local cuisines. He is a cooking teacher, author, food and restaurant consultant and Asian antique trader. All classes will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays.
The class is $85, and the scheduled sessions are as follows: Basic Knife Skills Workshop (June 8), Korean Cuisine (June 15), Asian Vegetarian Cooking (June 22), Delicious Dim Sum Workshop (June 29), Asian Grills and BBQ Workshop (July 13), Vietnamese Summer Meal (July 20), Summer Sushi Workshop (July 27), Curry Workshop (Aug. 3). To register, visit piedmontadultschool.org or call 510-594-2655.
— Piedmont Adult School
Citizens can review, comment on city’s proposed budget
The city of Piedmont’s proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal is now available for review and comment. The budget, adopted annually, serves as a major policy document and describes how Piedmont intends to finance its services and infrastructure in the coming year.
The proposed budget would maintain existing service levels citywide and include one new full time position for an emergency services dispatch supervisor, the second of two new dispatcher positions made possible by the city’s passage of Measure F.
The proposed budget also includes funding for several projects aimed at improving service delivery and helping city staff work more efficiently, including a public works workflow and asset management system, digitization of paper records, online business licensing, online public records requests and an upgraded city website.
To view the proposed budget online, visit bit.ly/44ReZ5u. Piedmont citizens are encouraged to share feedback and ask questions about the proposed budget using the city’s online engagement portal at piedmont.ca.gov/BudgetFeedback.
The City Council will hold public hearings on the proposed budget at 6 p.m. Monday and June 17 in the council’s City Hall chambers at 120 Vista Ave. in Piedmont. Community members are welcome to provide comment at both meetings in-person or via Zoom. To attend online, visit piedmont-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/82141110391.
The council is expected to adopt the budget at the second meeting on June 17. The city’s Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee met May 14 to review the proposed budget and will provide a letter to council with their findings and recommendations in advance of budget adoption.
Police station walk-in services to be limited temporarily
Walk-in services at the Piedmont Police Department will be temporarily limited starting in June, as the police station is reconfigured to accommodate construction for the department’s dispatch center relocation project.
With the reception area under construction, visitor accommodations similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic will be put in place, with commonly requested forms and a phone to connect with staff available outside the building.
The project, which is intended to improve 9-1-1 response capabilities, will relocate the dispatch center into the space that now jointly serves as the city’s emergency operations center and the Police Department’s conference and interview room.
Visible construction work will start in June, but behind-the-scenes preparations have been underway for months as police and city public works staff reconfigure the police station to accommodate a 32% reduction in workspace. For more details, visit bit.ly/3V1rvvQ online.
— city of Piedmont
Donations can help those in need in Africa, Latin America
Recent contributions to the Piedmont-based Lantern Projects charity organization in March and April provided much-needed supplies to people in need in the developing world. All funds received by the organization go to the projects, and every donation really helps.
Lantern Projects is accepting donations now to fund school uniforms in Kenya (project #494), a school playground in Cameroon (project #495), food relief and deworming medicine in Haiti (project #496) and costumes and uniforms for a ballet school in Cuba (project #497).
Tax-deductible donations in any amount (please identify which project number is being funded) can be made online at lanternprojects.org or sent by a check payable to Lantern Projects at 51 Glen Alpine Road, Piedmont, CA 94611-3522.
— Lantern Projects
OAKLAND
‘Meals for Gaza’ fundraiser Sunday to feature food, music
“Meals for Gaza,” a volunteer community fundraiser for Anera, a humanitarian organization based in Washington, D.C., will feature Middle Eastern food, music, cultural performances and a silent auction from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Uptown Body & Fender Shop at 401 26th St. in Oakland.
The Anera organization has provided aid for more than 56 years to refugees and families impacted by Palestinian, Lebanese and Jordanian conflicts. Since last October, Anera has provided more than 25 million meals to the displaced people of Gaza.
East Bay supporters of Anera organized “Meals for Gaza” in response to Gaza’s current catastrophic conditions and to sustain the humanitarian work on the ground there. Advance tickets for the event are available online at support.anera.org/a/meals-for-gaza-event.
“100% of the proceeds will feed families and provide medical assistance,” said Judy Barsalou, a member of Anera’s Board of Directors. “Every dollar we raise goes a long way toward saving lives.”
— Sandina Robbins
Montclair Beer, Wine & Music Festival happening June 15
The Montclair Village Association (MVA) and generous presenting sponsor Ken Betts Co. are excited to announce the 10th annual Montclair Beer, Wine & Music Festival from 12 to 6 p.m. June 15 in the Oakland hills’ Montclair Village business district.
Several blocks will be closed for this community celebration and fundraiser that drew more than 3,000 attendees last year. Proceeds will benefit the MVA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has served the Montclair Village district and surrounding community for 75 years.
Funds raised will help improve safety, beautification and ensure free family-friendly gatherings continue throughout the year. For tickets and more details online, visit bit.ly/3wtvwzM.
— Jody Colley
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