07.01.08
Posted in DoGooder, Grand Lake at 5:09 pm by OaklandGoods
I had a sighting of our former mayor yesterday. He was hopping into a car at the corner of 27th and Harrison, and a little put off that I was staring at him. I was staring because I was considering begging him to call the current mayor and offer him some help/advice/anything. Oh well.
I was on my way to take part in one of my favorite activities: walking around Lake Merritt. Recently, my walks have been tainted by a broken sprinkler at the corner of the sculpture beach. It’s been dribbling rivulets of water onto the walking path for at least six weeks and driving me nuts. I pointed it out once to a parks employee and she said she’d look into it. That was a month ago. So today, I went online and filled out this handy form. I also called and reported the problem the Public Works Call Center at 510.615.5566. The woman at the call center seemed very concerned about the wasted water. I’ll let you know if the sprinkler gets fixed!
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05.08.08
Posted in DoGooder, OaklandGoods at 11:00 pm by OaklandGoods
While reading about the Oakland Indie Award nominees, I came across local artist Jenny Hurth, who makes gorgeous bags out of repurposed vinyl billboard and display materials. This isn’t innovative - lots of young designers are salvaging the colorful material - but Hurth’s bags are some of the classiest you’ll find. She also makes notebooks, portfolios, and (and this one is innovative for sure) door curtains. Check them out at http://www.jennyhurth.com/home-new.html.
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04.22.08
Posted in DoGooder, OaklandGoods at 5:43 pm by OaklandGoods
image from MichelleKaufmann.com
Oakland-based architect Michelle Kaufmann, known for her inspired indoor/outdoor house designs, keeps an awesome blog in which she showcases great everyday ideas. For Earth Day, she has compiled a special kit of projects including building an energy saving WaterWall (above), making plantable paper, and others. Check it out for inspired projects you can do anytime. I particularly like the bird houses made from take-out chopsticks.
http://blog.michellekaufmann.com/
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04.18.08
Posted in DoGooder, Events at 9:00 am by OaklandGoods
For Earth Day activities, visit Oakland Earth Day 2008. There’s a downloadable list of projects and volunteer opportunities that spans the city.
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04.17.08
Posted in DoGooder, OaklandGoods at 7:40 pm by OaklandGoods
In further honor of Earth Day (or “annual reminder of things you should do all the time”), I bring you a selection of my favorite Oakland-themed, plastic-free shopping bags. I keep a stash of the green ones in my car for the supermarket, a couple of canvas ones in the kitchen for the farmer’s market, and a rip-stop nylon one that’s compact and cute in my purse for shopping emergencies.
Aside from the politics of plastic, which have been getting a lot of media and city government attention recently, consider how much less waste you create when using canvas and how much litter could be stopped if we all carried a reusable bag with us. Last weekend, I went to see the San Jose Earthquakes’ season opener at the Coliseum. The amount of garbage beneath the BART overpass was depressing - and most of it was unsightly, wadded up plastic grocery bags. And while it’s true that the bags can be recycled, only five percent ever are.
So do your part to reduce reliance on bags. You can even do it right now from your computer. Online, check out customizable Oakland totes from Gemini65 on Zazzle or snag a now classic “I Hella Heart Oakland” canvas tote at CafePress. I also like Place it Here’s interwoven oak tote. OaklandUnwrapped and OaklandPride (whose proceeds benefit OaklandUnwrapped) also have a selection of totes. The best by far is “Plastic Bags BLOW Away”.
A final note: Many supermarkets, including locally owned Piedmont Grocery (which has been promoting bag reuse for years), will give you a bag credit or make a donation when you BYOB.
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04.15.08
Posted in DoGooder, Events at 3:36 pm by OaklandGoods
Yes, it’s April, the month in which everyone remembers to reduce, reuse, recycle, and bike to work (at least for a day, that is). The First Christian Church of Oakland is offering free electronics recycling Saturday in its bid to help save the Earth.
Drop off your e-waste at the church parking lot any time between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., this Saturday, April 19th.
Feel free to leave computer monitors, TVs, laptops, receivers, scanners,
wires, dvd/cd players, printers, and telephones. Someone from the church will be
there to take it off your hands. (Not sure about batteries…)
Everything will be picked up at 1:00 p.m.
First Christian Church of Oakland
111 fairmount ave
510.451.8822
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04.11.08
Posted in DoGooder at 9:38 am by OaklandGoods
I have to credit A Better Oakland for turning me on to most of the other Oakland blogs I read. Today, a read through her links revealed WOBO, Walk Oakland - Bike Oakland. The blog includes items on guerilla bike lanes, events, and bike parking. The larger mission of the organization is to improve the quality of life for Oaklanders through safe, fun walking and biking.
The group has monthly gatherings, a blog, and great links to resources including Oakland’s pedestrian and bicycle master plans. For WOBO events, including Bike to Work Day and the afterparty, visit www.walkoaklandbikeoakland.org.
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03.20.08
Posted in DoGooder, OaklandGoods, Downtown, Events at 11:38 am by OaklandGoods
The Second Annual Oakland Indie Awards are coming up in May, so now’s the time to nominate your favorite business at OaklandUnwrapped. The Indie Awards recognize the small businesses and longtime favorites that make our community stronger. Nominations close March 30. 2007’s event was really fun, so after you nominate your favorites, grab some tickets to this year’s soiree - they’re discounted until April 15.
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02.27.08
Posted in DoGooder, OaklandGoods, Events, West Oakland at 3:46 pm by OaklandGoods
Rumor has it that the Oakland Museum of California’s White Elephant Sale is the largest in Northern California. They collect donations all year to fill a 96,000 square-foot warehouse, and then throw it open for two days as the public packs in to buy buy buy. Well known for their stash of Hawaiian shirts and other collectibles, this is way better than the average flea market — it’s thrice as classy, and the proceeds benefit museum programs.
Be forewarned: the sale is NOT at the museum. You think they have 96,000 spare square feet?
white elephant sale
white elephant sale warehouse
march 1 and 2, 2008
333 lancaster st.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
*To donate for next year’s sale, call 510.536.6800.*
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01.27.08
Posted in DoGooder, Events at 8:41 pm by OaklandGoods
Monday morning at 10 a.m., on the steps of City Hall, councilwomen Nancy Nadel and Jean Quan will hold a press conference in support of Oakland’s anti-plastic bag ordinance. The law is designed to conserve resources and protect wildlife. Show up and get a free Oakland canvas bag for shopping (see below, right). In the event of rain, the conference will be held in hearing room 1 on the first floor of City Hall.
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