Third Annual Kayaking for Oakland's St. Elizabeth Elementary School Completed Saturday November 23

 

After three days of high winds, storm and small craft advisories on SF Bay, weather cleared enough for my 2024 Kayaking for St. Elizabeth voyage on Saturday 23 November.

At 9:50 AM, three hours before low tide, I launched off Alameda’s Southshore Beach at Willow Street and Shoreline Drive. Southerly breeze and SF Bay's bouncing chop coming on shore SSW made it impractical to take pictures while heading north toward the end of Alameda Island. You can follow my journey through the pictures I was able to take after conditions lightened up:

Rain clouds passing while crossing the old NAS Alameda ship channel, past the breakwater at the SW tip of Alameda. San Francisco and the Bay Bridge in the background. 

Last stretch of open-water paddling along the end of Alameda. Bay waters begin to calm compared to the waters on the first hour and a half of the voyage (Port of Oakland Outer Harbor in the distance). 

A squall hits, San Francisco in the background, while making the turn to enter the Oakland Estuary

Entering the sheltered waters of the Estuary, Port of Oakland Inner Harbor container docks to the left.

Passing Coast Guard Island heading for the Park, Fruitvale and High Street Bridges

Smooth paddling through the narrows approaching the High Street Bridge before entering San Leandro Bay to go around Alameda’s eastern shore.

San Leandro Bay’s sheltered expanse ending in marshes at its eastern end. The Oakland Coliseum Complex and hills in the distance

Heading out of San Leandro Bay ready to pass under the Bay Farm Island Bridge

After paddling NW along Alameda Southshore Beach, the final approach to the launch point. Back on dry land after 4 hours and 45 minutes on the water.

2024 Kayaking for St. Elizabeth route showing 15.15 miles (courtesy Google Maps)

How to Donate to St. Elizabeth Elementary School

Please join me in supporting St. Elizabeth. Donating on-line is easy by going to the school’s website and clicking on Donate button on the upper right of the home page.

https://saintelizabeth.us

Donations may also be mailed directly to St. Elizabeth:

St. Elizabeth Elementary School

Attn: Kayaking for St. Elizabeth

1516 33rd Avenue

Oakland CA 94601

Feel free to note if your donation is in memory of someone special to you connected to SE or to designate a specific need (i.e. tuition assistance, CYO, art, math, science, etc.).

Thanks!

Frank Matarrese

St. Elizabeth Elementary School Class of 1969

Just 26 Days before November 5th!

Kamala Harris for President: Official Campaign Website

https://kamalaharris.com/

 Just 26 more day left before the election of a lifetime! Get out there and volunteer for Kamala where it's needed most. I'm phone banking or North Caroline Democrats (remotely). They are energetic and working so hard. 

Join me in supporting their efforts every weekday 5pm EDT/2pm PDT. They will also share the weekend schedules during the intro.

https://meet.google.com/tja-vivc-rxj

If this doesn't seem to be a good fit for you, the main campaign link has lots of options

https://kamalaharris.com/

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle Interviews Vice President Harris

 Well worth a watch!

Kamala Harris’ first solo network interview as 2024 candidate I MSNBC exclusive

Making Calls for Harris and Oprah Winfrey

 I'm phone banking to North Carolina for Harris today!

 At 5pm PDT I'm signed up for the live-stream with Oprah Winfrey hosting Vice President Harris

I encourage everyone to join the campaign. There are lots of options to help

Kamala Harris for President: Official Campaign Website

2024 Election - It's about Harris for President

I'm dusting off my old blog to use as a tool for getting Vice President Kamala Harris elected our next President. I know it's a very small contribution to Vice President Harris' campaign, but I want to use every means I have to reach out to my contacts, share information and do my part to win this race. 

It will take a lot of hard work to win on to November 5th! Please join me in volunteering for the Harris Walz campaign. And... please watch Presidential debate on September 10!

Much more to follow!

References:

https://www.cnn.com/newsletters/5-things

Memorial Day 2024 Honoring All Who Gave Their Lives for Our Country

 

Today we honor generations of Americans who gave their lives for our country. Recalling history, words of one of those Americans spoken some 159 years ago seem especially fitting:

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations."

President Abraham Lincoln deilivered these words in his second inaugural address, March 4, 1865.

A little more than a month later, while in serve to our country, Preident Lincoln died by an assanin's bullet, April 15 1865.

"Recall the past, live in the present, give to the future"

Honor the Past - Commemerating Black American Day, March 5, 1971

February was first designated as Black History Month nearly fifty years ago in 1976*. As February came and went, I was reminded of growing up in Oakland. Recently, my long time friend, Phillip Jackson sent me these medallions. During March of our sophomore year at St. Elizabeth High School, Phillip handed these out to mark a new event for us, "Black American Day"! 

Before there was an official Black History Month, California held its first Black American Day" on March 5, 1971, which was championed as a holiday by Assembly member Willie Brown.  A brass medallion, the  "People's Gold", was issued featuring  the dates 1619 and 1971. 1619 marks the first arrival of Africans in Virginia.*

*References:

First commemoration of Black History Month

https://www.voanews.com/a/february-is-black-history-month-in-the-us/7466915.html

History relayed on coins

https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n06a33.html