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Abdo Alawdi -- The Spirit of Thanksgiving |
 Abdo
Alawdi, owner of Two Star Liquors in the Dimond, has been
nominated before but his generosity in providing a massive
gourmet quality Thanksgiving Lunch this year deserves
another nomination. Over the years Abdo has worked with
neighbors to improve the quality and variety of the products
in his store. He is also the major donor of food for the
Annual Summer Dimond Picnic. This year he involved even more
neighbors in cooking and serving hundreds of Thanksgiving
lunches to his Dimond seniors, immigrants, and other
neighbors.
(Above) Abdo on the right and volunteers on Thanksgiving.
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Claire Antonetti -- Beautification Efforts
in Maxwell Park |
 Claire
is a leader in the
Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council and heads up the
Maxwell Park Beautification Neighborhood Action Team. She
works closely with our office and Mills College in the
planning and grant process to develop a pedestrian/bike
pathway between the Laurel shopping district and Mills
College, coordinating communications with her neighbors as
the project progresses.
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Reginald Archibald -- "Coach Archie" at
Allendale School |
 Coach
Archie works tirelessly with students at Allendale
Elementary, usually from 7:30 in the morning until 6 pm at
night. A former East Bay Conservation Corps manager, he has
won many awards for his community service. He guides
students on nature walks and involves them in Oakland creek
conservation projects and community awareness. He also takes
groups of students to the local nursing homes to introduce
students to ingenerational awareness. In addition to his
work at school, he coaches football. Over the last several
years his teams have represented Oakland at the Superbowl
Tournament (Pop Warner) in the ages 5-16 year old division
(Junior Pee Wees) and won the Northern Regional Championship
for 2006-2007. He has a very positive outlook
on life, and his enthusiasm is contagious for parents,
teachers and students. |
Mark Baldwin, Stella Lamb and Kathleen Rolinson --
Laurel Summer Solstice |
 Mark
Baldwin, director, Stella Lamb, co-director and Kathleen
Rolinson, organizer of music and performers, for the
Laurel's Summer Solstice Celebration and their leadership
over these past two years to bring this tradition from
France to the neighborhood. Dozens of musical performers
perform throughout the neighborhood from cafes, to front
lawns, parking lots and schools. They are being recognized
for the many hours of coordinating volunteers, lining up
the musicians, dancers and artists, and finding locations
for the participants on businesses & private property
sites! They are already planning this year's event
sponsored by the Laurel Village Association.
(Above) Pianist entertains crowd at Laurel School last year.
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Hayward Blake -- Beautification and Safety
in the Glenview |
 I
call Hayward our "fairy godgardener" because he transforms
sad and ignored patches of earth and inspires us to work
together to make them beautiful. Long before the current
well funded median project on Park in the Glenview, you
would see him weeding and planting bulbs there. Years later
dozens were out there with him and in recent years the
Glenview Neighborhood Association took on the project with
generous funding from Councilman Delafuente (and a few from
me). The beautiful gardens at Glenview School and then Edna
Brewer Middle School began the same way and owe much to his
green thumb. Recently, Hayward is one of the regulars in
the
Glenview Walking group which meets Tuesday and Friday
evenings for exercise and as a deterence to crime; they
liven up the neighborhood with singing, stories about the
Glenview houses and history, and political debates!
Hayward (left) and other
members of the walking group gather for their walk.
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Meg
Bowerman and Daniel Swafford -- Organizing the Expanded Beat
22 X NCPC |
Meg Bowerman, a resident of Lincoln Heights, and Daniel
Swafford, co-chair of the Dimond Improvement Association
(DIA), have led the long process of bringing local
neighborhood groups into a united Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council for Beat 22 X, which includes Dimond,
Oakmore, Lincolcn Heights and Woodminster. While the new
NCPC just held its first meeting, they are building on the
long-time experience of the
Dimond Improvement Association,
Oakmore
 Association,
and strong neighborhood alert groups. Meg helped organize
her neighborhood alert group and has worked on both parking
and crime issues. Dan has led many DIA projects including
putting together its recent
2008 Calendar.
(Above) Meg
Bowerman; Daniel Swafford distributing DIA information in
Dimond Park (right). |
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Chris Burgardt -- Adoption of McCrea Park |
 For
the past few years, Chris has organized his neighbors to
work on cleaning up McCrea Park in Redwood Heights. He
organized a number of work days that have cleaned the City's
fly casting ponds and creek, removed ivy that is killing
oaks on the hillside, and improved the picnic area. He is
also active in theRedwood
Heights Homeowners Association, focusing on traffic
safety and other neighborhood issues. |
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Jim Clardy -- Short Line Pocket Park in
Montclair |
 Jim
Clardy has been the backbone, literally, in the creation of
MSIC's Short Line Pocket Park which we helped fund with a
matching grant at the corner of Moraga & Thornhill. He has
created signs and sign holders for the Park, poured concrete
for the park bench foundation, and installed a water line to
feed Park plants and installed parts of the rock wall.
Whenever there has been a need to plant, weed, or install,
Jim has been the person the
Montclair Safety and Improvement Council has looked to
for guidance and help. The hours he has devoted have helped
us keep the Park on budget and looking great. In addition
he serves as a representative of his homeowner's
association, the Fernwood Group, and serves as chair of
MSIC's Nominations and Finance committees.
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Roberto
Costa, David Pratt and Steve Reuss -- Allendale NCPC Feet on
the Street Team |
 This
hardy band of volunteers walks regularly throughout
different blocks within Beat 24Y, looking for malfunctioning
street lights, pot holes, graffitti and other blight and
safety issues which they report to public works and the
local beat officer when necessary. They trained with the
City to learn the most effective ways to remove graffitti
and apply them regularly to keep the Allendale looking
bright and beautiful.
>> David
Pratt, Steve Reuss and Roberto Costa with their graffiti
clean-up kits and check off lists.
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Jose
Dorado -- Maxwell Park Leadership & Measure Y Advisory
Committee |
Jose Dorado has chaired the
Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council, considered one of the
most successful in the city, for over 5 years. Its
moderated, large and active listserv and bulletin board
serves nearly 800 residents. Through Subcommittees they
have successfuly completed several beautification projects,
school support efforts, and have identified over 80 block
captains to organize against crime. Jose is also an active
business owner in the Fruitvale District and serves as my
appointee to the Measure Y Advisory Committee.
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Claudia Falconer -- Land Use/Design
Volunteer |
 Claudia
has shared her expertise as an architect with numerous
volunteer groups: chair of the
Shepherd Canyon Homeowners Association (SCHA) Design
Review Committee and member of the SCHA Board of Directors,
and more recently as Chair of the
Montclair Village Association (MVA) Land
Use/Design/Beautification Committee as well as a member of
the MVA Board of Directors.
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Elaine Geffen -- Beautification of Marj
Saunders Park |
 Elaine
has been a long time
Piedmont Pines Association activist and board member.
Elaine was the impetus behind the
renaming of the Sulphur Springs Park at the intersection
of Ascot and Chelton to honor one of our first local heros,
long-time park and open space advocate Marj Saunders, who
will be celebrating her 99th birthday this year. Elaine
continues to organize workdays in the park, initially during
Earth Day and Creek to Bay Day, and now on a monthly basis.
The park-- noted for its frequently painted rock and creek
-- displays beautiful daffodils, irises and other plants
thanks to Elaine's work. <<Elaine
with Marj at last year's Earthday clean up of Marj Saunders
Park.
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Barbara Goldenberg -- Beautification,
Vegetation Management and Student Mentoring |
 I
originally met Barbara when she was a parent activist at
Montclair, Montera and Skyline. Today she continues to
volunteer at Montclair school, helping elementary students
to develop their reading skills. When she retired, she
became active with the Hillside Gardeners, serving as their
President in recent years. The Hillside Gardeners recently
partnered with
Joaquin Miller School to install a beautiful new front
garden last year, as well as maintain the gardens at Joaquin
Miller Community Center. She serves as one of our District 4
representatives on the
Wildfire Prevention District Advisory Board, and as
treasurer of the
Montclair Safety and Improvement Council. She is a prime
example of an active retiree still working to make a
difference in Oakland.
Shown here with Assistant
Fire Marshal Leroy Griffin and Mike Petouhoff at last year's
demonstration of hydroblaster technology eradicating pampas
grass in front of Fire Station 24 during Earthday.
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Patricia Grima -- Minna Avenue
Neighborhood Watch |
 Minna
Avenue Neighborhood Watch block captain Patricia Grima and
neighbors started the group in the beginning of 2007 and
since then they have mitigated vandalism to private property
in the area, organized a block yard sale, and organized a
great National Night Out Block Event this past August. She
also serves as the Minna Avenue representative to the
Allendale Park NCPC. |
Bennett
Hall, Doug Mosher, Barry Schamach --
Skyline Traffic Group |
 When
bicyclist Ed Weiss died in a motorcycle/bicycle collision on
Skyline Blvd in July 2005, these Skyline neighbors took it
upon themselves to organize their neighbors to work with the
city, bicycle groups and motorcycle clubs to improve safety
on this busy, scenic route. They worked diligently with City
traffic engineers and patrol officers to improve signage and
increase police presence to reduce speeding cars,
motorcycles and bicycles on this narrow, winding road.
Recognizing that it takes the 3 E's -- engineering,
enforcement and education -- they have begun an outreach
campaign to motorcyclists and bicyclists to remind visitors
that Skyline is a residential neighborhood, not a speed
raceway. They continue to keep their neighbors informed of
new developments through emails and meetings.
Doug Mosher, Barry Schamach
and Bennett Hall on Skyline Drive.
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Peggy Hulse-- Gardener
Extraordinaire at Joaquin Miller School |
 A
longtime resident of nearby Chelsea Drive, Peggy Hulse has
become an indispensible force at Joaquin Miller school, long
after her children and grandchildren moved up to higher
grades. She's the idea and effort behind the Ecology Club,
bringing science, conservation and love of gardening to
1st-5th graders, for the last several years. She was
instrumental in getting the $50,000
landscaping and teaching garden completed last year at
the school, obtaining corporate sponsorships, a matching
grant from out office, the services of a landscape
architect, and amazing neighborhood support. An
indefatigable volunteer, she also runs a flower therapy
program for seniors residing at Waters Edge in Alameda, and
is active with the Hillside Gardeners.
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Richard Kauffman and Wendy Tokuda --
Restoration of Beaconsfield Canyon |
 In
recent decades, the City has been purchasing lots in this
verdant canyon at the foot of Beaconsfield Road in Montclair
accumulating five acres of open space and preserving the
headwaters of Sausal creek. Unfortunately, this undeveloped
canyon has become overgrown with broom and other invasive
and highly flammable vegetation. For the past two years,
Richard and Wendy have regularly organized work parties
(third Saturday
mornings) and have successfully cleared paths and much of
the hillsides of these invasive plants. Now, working closely
as an affiliate of the
Friends of Sausal Creek, they are embarking on a program
of planting natives as part of restoring one of the few
remaining open spaces in the Oakland hills.
Wendy (left) has
become an expert on the dangers of the highly explosive
broom plants, and Richard organizes volunteers (right).
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Jeff Kelley -- Boy Scout Leader for 15
years |
 Jeff
Kelley has been a scoutmaster for 10 years and Eagle project
advisory for Troop 2002 for 15 years. The troop, with over
30 scouts, is run by the scouts themselves--boys between 11
and 18 who learn leadership skills as they run their own
program. Jeff has shown how to lead by example. He has led
13 high adventure trips, spending two weeks a year taking
youth on a backpacking or canoeing trip to Philmont Scout
Ranch in New Mexico, the Tetons, or the Colorado River, and
another week a year at summer camp, where he works primarily
with the younger scouts. As Eagle adviser he has worked with
youth on over 35 projects over the last 15 years. Many past
projects have helped us improve local parks, they include a
new sign at the Joaquin Miller dog walking areas, numerous
other construction projects in Joaquin Miller park such as
bridges, fences, trail maintenance, and book and blood
drives. He spends many hours with individual youth helping
them work through problems.
Jeff Kelley,left, and his
hardy scouts of Troup 2002.
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Marilyn Miller -- Dimond Improvement
Association Leader |
 Marilyn
is a major force in the
Dimond Improvement Association's growth and
accomplishments over the past two years. As co-chair, her
organizational skills and community relations have been
critical in directing very limited resources toward
achieving the maximum impact. In addition to the DIA Board,
she serves as a community liaison for Lincoln Court Senior
Housing, and is the DIA point person for the Fred Finch
Youth Center re-design and re-organization process. She
initiated outreach and the process for the recent
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council beatwide expansion.
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Beverly Pachner -- Crime Safety Organizing
in Butters Neighborhood |
When residents in the Robinson, Rubin and Butters
neighborhood saw an increase in break-ins this summer,
Beverly Pachner got on her computer and began to organize
her neighbors to fight back. She contacted Renee Sykes, the
Neighborhood Services Coordinator for Beat 22Y, and learned
what steps neighbors should take to improve their safety.
She walked door to door handing out leaflets with safety
tips, regularly posted on the neighborhood listserv and
became the neighborhood representative on the Bret
Hart/Joaquin Miller NCPC. As a result communications within
the neighborhood and with the police has helped make their
neighborhood a safer place. Bev is also a leader PTA
activist at Joaquin Miller and Montera Schools.
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Mike Petronzio -- Supporting Muscular
Dystrophy Association |
 In
the Bay Area over 1,800 people suffer from muscular
dystrophy. For the past five years Mike has raised money
for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He started in 2001
with $1,600. He's raised more every year and his total at
five years was $19,612. He's raffled off everything from
Harley-Davidson mugs to a Harley Sportster motorcycle. He's
held spaghetti feeds (he makes a great spaghetti sauce) and
has held auctions where friends have donated items. He
recruited the She Devils Motorcycle Club to help send 30
kids with muscular dystrophy to camp. He's also raised
money with his blues band Krazy Kat. Mike plays lead
guitar. |
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Maretta Rhone -- Allendale School
Volunteer |
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For the past two years, Maretta Rohone has volunteered in
the kindergarten class of Nancy Lee at Allendale Elementary
School. Maretta is the grandmother of one of Nancy's
students last year. A couple of months into the school year,
she began volunteering in the classroom on an occasional
basis, eventually coming in on a daily basis, sometimes for
the entire day. She made it her business to help everyone,
not just her grandson...so much so that eveyrone in the
school thought she was part of the staff! As though she
hadn't done enough, Maretta returned to Nancy's classroom
this year. She comes almost every day. Past events prevented
Maretta from continuing her post-secondary education, but
her experience at Allendale inspired her to enroll at
Merritt College to get her A.A. in Early Childhood
Education. "Maretta is a trule role-model for our children--
she isn't a famous athlete or movie star, but she is a real
person right in the backyards of our neighborhood children,
spending time with them, guiding them, counseling them,
helping them, and making them feel loved. She is a true hero
in my eyes!" (Nancy Lee) |
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Barbara Taylor-- Back to School Support
for Needy Students |
 I
think of Barbara as the Mayor of Monticello Avenue. Whether
its traffic or crime problems, she's on it. On National
Night Out over a hundred Maxwell Park neighbors gather in
front of her house for hot dogs and potluck. For the past
several years, Barbara Taylor has led an effort with the to
raise funds and supplies so that needy children in Oakland
can get off to a good start at school with backpacks filled
with necessary school supplies. She is active in the Maxwell
Park Neighborhood Council and a wide variety of groups in
the city.
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Claudia Ward -- Parent Activist and
Volunteer |
 Parent
colleagues at Thornhill School nominated Claudia Ward, not
only for her leadership as the fundraising organizer for
Thornhill Elementary, but also for volunteering at Montera
School, while still having the energy to be a supportive and
loving mom to three grade-school children! |
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Doug Wong -- Emergency Preparedness and
Vegatation Management |
 Even
before Doug Wong retired as a firefighter in Contra Costa
County, he devoted much of his free time to teaching first
aid and emergency preparedness through the Red Cross, CORE
and other volunteer groups. As Redwood Hts, Montera, and
Skyline High parents, he and his wife Linda worked with me
to pioneer school disaster planning and emergency
preparedness training for parents and school staff. He
volunteered with our office to help conduct CORE training in
our neighborhoods. He serves on the Board of Directors of
the American Red Cross of the Bay Area and is a member of
the Wildfire Prevention Assessment District Advisory Board.
Doug
Wong teaching Emergency Preparedness.>>
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Sue Yascolt -- Traffic Safety and NCPC
Stallwart |
 Sue's
house sits right on the curve at Victor and 35th
Avenue, which has unfortunately been a crash site too many
times when speeding cars fail to make the turn. She's worked
with the Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller NCPC (Beat 22 Y) and our
office to keep this issue on the front burner with the
City's Transportation Services Department. As a result, the
City installed the first radar speed feedback sign going
down hill last year and will be installing another one going
up hill in a few weeks. She has been involved with the
Redwood Hts NCPC for the past five years, and recently
participated in training as part of a pilot volunteer radar
gun program that will begin on 35th and Redwood Road in the
next few weeks. Sue has been a long time neighborhood
activist and former PTA President.
<<Sue Yascolt learning how
to use a radar gun at last month's class.
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Alan Yee -- Preserving Low-Income Housing |
  Oakland
native and Redwood Hts resident Alan Yee is known for his
pro bono legal work on behalf of Asian community groups and
civil rights issues. He served two terms on the Community
Policing Review Board. He has been nominated for his
leadership and advocacy in the four year struggle on behalf
of
low income tenants who were evicted at Pacific Renaissance
in Chinatown. As a result of his work the City's
settlement will provide 50 affordable apartments for
purchase by low income families at Pacific Renaissance and
will provide substantial funds to build another 80-100 low
income senior units nearby. |
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