Yesterday's 15 Mile Kayak Voyage Around Alameda Benefiting St. Elizabeth Elementary School Completed!

Thanks to you  all for supporting my voyage around Alameda to benefit Oakland’s St. Elizabeth Elementary School!

I completed the course as planned, all the way around Alameda in 6 and a half hours. The 15+ miles went smoothly thanks to superb weather conditions and a couple months of training!

San Francisco Bay at the mouth of the Oakland Estuary was about 2 hours after my 9:09 AM departure from the launch site at the foot of Derby Ave in Jingletown.

 The seawall end of the NAS runways,
West Alameda shore in the background

Two hours of rowing were in open Bay water west of  former NAS Alameda with stunning views of The City.

The City from open water west of Alameda

The home stretch for 2 and a half more hours took me past the USS Hornet, down South Shore and around in San Leandro Bay to ending my trip at the Estuary launch site.

USS Hornet CVA-12 Museum Ship 

Harbor Seal float near Breakwater Beach

Fruitvale Bridge - Home stretch against tide 

Landed at 3:29 PM

I've including how to donate to St. Elizabeth below. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Thanks for supporting St. Elizabeth!

Frank

Frank Matarrese

St. Elizabeth Class of 1969

Donation Information

Donations should be made directly to St. Elizabeth's. On-line donation can be made via the following links

https://saintelizabeth.us/donate

https://www.seesdevelopmentboard.com/donate/

Donations by check; payable to St. Elizabeth Elementary School,  can be sent to:

St. Elizabeth Elementary School
1516 33rd Avenue
Oakland CA 94601

Sunday's Kayak Trip Benefiting St. Elizabeth School Oakland is a GO!

This Sunday, May 22,  I am paddling my way around Alameda to benefit Oakland’s St. Elizabeth Elementary School. 

After months of training I'm ready for the 15+ mile voyage. Weather reports for Sunday are  looking great! 

Beautiful conditions today, May 18th, for my early morning training session. 
I paddled up the Estuary and saw NOAA Ship (S 220), Fairweather as it embarked from its Coast Guard Island berth. Seeing the 231 foot vessel turning in the narrow channel was quite a sight!
(See my course for Sunday's voyage and scenes from today's launch at the end of this post).

There's still time to make a pledge to support St. Elizabeth!

Blue and White $3 to $6 per/mile* ($45 - $90, or any amount up to $120)

Elizabethan $8 - $16 per mile ($120 -$240, or any amount from $120 up to $300) 

Assuring the Future $20 - $100 per mile ($300 - $1500, or any amount over $300)

*Based on the 15 mile voyage

Please contact me with your pledges:

f.j.matarrese@gmail.com

Thank you for being a part of the St. Elizabeth's mission!

Donation Information

Donations should be made directly to St. Elizabeth's. On-line donation can be made via the following links

https://saintelizabeth.us/donate

https://www.seesdevelopmentboard.com/donate/

Donations by check; payable to St. Elizabeth Elementary School,  can be sent to:

St. Elizabeth Elementary School
1516 33rd Avenue
Oakland CA 94601

My Course Around Alameda

Derby Avenue Launching (May 18th)

Derby Avenue ("Jingletown") Launch facility 

Low tide at 0828 was -1.9 ft. for Inner Harbor 

Unacceptable Hazardous Conditions on Oakland's 42nd Avenue Interchange CA-77

 

On April 13 I wrote to State  Senator Nancy Skinner and Assembly Member Mia Bonta about the dangers to due to the chronic accumulation of debris along the 42nd Avenue Interchange in East Oakland (California Highway CA-77).  Neighborhood residents are at risk, especially those living on the streets 

 

I got a reply from Sen. Skinner's office a day later:

“Thank you for contacting our office regarding litter in a state road. To ensure issues are properly reported and tracked, please submit a report to Caltrans. This will ensure that the matter is brought to their attention and provides an ability to track the issue until it is resolved. https://csr.dot.ca.gov/”

Though rapid, I found this reply unsatisfactory. It did not answer my question to the Senator about her plan to address this hazard.

I submitted a work request to Caltrans and reiterated my question to the Senator about her plan to address this condition. I also noted that other State Highways in her District (i.e., CA 13) show little signs of of this type of neglect.

Here is the Caltrans link to report this condition:

https://csr.dot.ca.gov/

Assembly Member Bonta has yet to respond to my concern.

I encourage everyone in the neighborhood to contact our State representatives to take action on addressing this dangerous condition. 

Hopefully they will work with our City and County officials to fold this into r ongoing efforts toward reducing homelessness, clean-up and protecting the environment.

Here is their contact information:

Honorable Nancy Skinner California State Senate District 9

District Office

1515 Clay Street, Suite 2202 Oakland, CA 94612

Capitol Office

1021 O Street, Suite 8630 Sacramento, CA 95814

District Phone: (510) 286-1333  Capitol Phone: (916) 651-4009

https://sd09.senate.ca.gov/email-senator

 

Honorable Mia Bonta California State Assembly District 18

District Office

1515 Clay Street, Suite 2204 Oakland, CA 94612
Tel: (510) 286-1670

Capitol Office

1021 O Street, Suite 5620  P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0025
Tel: (916) 319-2018 

 https://a18.asmdc.org/contact

Kayak Trip to Benefit Oakland's St. Elizabeth Elementary School

This coming May, I will be paddling my way around Alameda to benefit Oakland’s St. Elizabeth Elementary School. 

The Voyage

Tides are optimal during the first week of May for this appropriately 15 mile journey. I am monitoring weather conditions for this timeframe and will lock the date based on forecasts closer to that week.

Launch site - Oakland Estuary, foot of Derby Street

The voyage begins in the Oakland Estuary, heading into San Francisco Bay and on to San Leandro Bay before returning to the Estuary launch site.

It's a Good Cause

The Dominican Sisters of San Jose and lay educators at St. Elizabeth's have been serving children in Oakland’s Fruitvale District since 1898. Their continuing mission is to provide Catholic education in a safe and nurturing environment that prepares its students to become spiritually aware, socially conscious and lifelong learners. See the school website for more information.

https://saintelizabeth.us/

As a graduate of St. Elizabeth's (Class of 1969), I am asking you to join me in supporting St. Elizabeth's ongoing educational  mission. 

Please consider pledging your support with a donation. The following levels are offered as a guide for your pledge.:

Blue and White $3 to $6 per/mile* ($45 - $90)

Elizabethan $8 - $16 per mile ($120 -$240) 

Assuring the Future $20 - $100 per mile ($300 - $1500)

*Based on the 15 mile voyage

Please contact me with your pledges and/or for more information:

f.j.matarrese@gmail.com

Thank you for being a part of the St. Elizabeth's mission!

Donation Information

Donations should be made directly to St. Elizabeth's. On-line donation can be made via the following links

https://saintelizabeth.us/donate

https://www.seesdevelopmentboard.com/donate/

Donations by check; payable to St. Elizabeth Elementary School,  can be sent to:

St. Elizabeth Elementary School
1516 33rd Avenue
Oakland CA 94601

Another Gem of a Mural in Fruitvale

 

Corner of Fruitvale Ave and San Leandro Blvd

Worth A Watch: Interview of President Joe Biden

Historian Heather Cox-Richardson posted a video of her February 25th interview with President Joe Biden giving insight into his presidency up to this point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Ks3BnFymQ

The video of the interview is about half an hour, but gives a great perspective that's worth watching.

Street Living - In full view in Oakland

Fruitvale in East Oakland has some squalid encampments of people living on the streets.  

What drives people to the point of living on the street? How do we prevent more people from being homeless? 

How can those living on the street  become become housed, along with their possessions, in better conditions? 

How are health and safety dangers stemming from wretched encampment conditions being addressed?  

How does the mess spreading from these sites get cleaned up?

I will be looking for answers, starting with current information. Note that the County set February 23, 2022 as the day for a Point-In-Time Count of Unsheltered Residents and the City of Oakland Commission on Homelessness meets on March 23.

Reference

https://everyonehome.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FINAL-PRESS-RELEASE-EveryOne-Counts-2022_02_22.pdf

https://www.oaklandca.gov/meetings/commission-on-homelessness-meeting-5

Photo Essay

Encampments between High Street and Fruitvale Avenue, below East 12 St and the Oakland Estuary as of March 1, 2022.

Remains of a camp on the east side of Home Depot's parking lot

Camp among rubble east of Home Depot lot

Alameda Avenue, along the Estuary

Ramp from 42nd Avenue up the High Street at East 12th