February 13, 2005 - OAKLAND -- WATERFRONT ACTION is the name of a group of local activists and shoreline "fans" who are dedicating themselves to highlighting Oakland and Alameda's relationship to San Francisco Bay.
The mission is to promote public access to the region's waterfront by holding
frequent public meetings on planned improvements and new development projects.
The goal is also to speak out at public forums, host a Web site and e-mail
newsletter, and promote events designed "to showcase the beauty, accessibility
and fun that our waterfront can provide," said executive director and
organization founder Sandy Threlfall.
In keeping with Waterfront Action's lively agenda, the group recently hosted a
kickoff kayak "race" to promote the "Year of the Estuary," a comprehensive
calendar of events and activities relating to the East Bay's waterways.
"We invited the mayors of both Oakland and Alameda to get out on the water in
the kayaks and have a go," said Threlfall. "Alameda's Beverly Johnson was a good
sport and took us up on it."
Also participating was Alameda Councilmember Frank Mataresse, Oakland
Councilmember Nancy Nadel, and Beverly Lane, president of the East Bay Regional
Park District.
"I am really excited that Alameda and Oakland are starting to work together with
respect to estuary issues," says Threlfall. "And looking at the estuary as a
'bridge' between the two cities rather than a barrier."
Some of the ongoing events highlighted in the calendar (which can be accessed at
www.waterfrontaction.org) include cruises on the USS Potomac (offered on
Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays starting in April), the artisan marketplace and
farmers market on Saturdays and Sundays at Jack London Square, and guided
walking tours, sponsored by the Oakland Tours Program (May through October).
Coming up in February are bird-watching opportunities at Lake Merritt, bicycle
trips sponsored by the Golden Gate Audubon Society, and wetlands planting
workdays at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, to name a few.
"Our plan is for organizations, large or small, to promote their events at no
cost, using our calendar site. We will be updating the calendar periodically, as
the year goes along. And we are grateful to our partners, the East Bay Regional
Park District, the Port of Oakland, and sister groups such as 'Save the Bay,'
and the Jack London Aquatic Center for helping us sponsor this," Threlfall
added.
Threlfall, a 30-year Oakland resident, born in San Francisco and raised in San
Jose, did not fully start to appreciate the estuary's opportunities until 10
years ago when, as a member of the local League of Women's Voters chapter, she
signed up to participate in a league study group about the waterfront.
"We were particularly interested in public access to the water and when we
embarked on the year-long study, I thought most likely the views at Jack London
Square were the extent of 'public access.' Our study group members were amazed
to learn how much more there was to know on that score," Threlfall said.
"Our study, titled 'The Waterfront: It touches the world. How does it touch
Oakland?' was published in 1993 and immediately attracted considerable public
attention. We continued to meet as a group, inviting representatives from the
port, from like-minded organizations, and from developers with proposals seeking
public comment," Threlfall said. "I guess you could say the league study was
really the catalyst for all that has come along since then."
The full contents of that groundbreaking study are available on the Waterfront
Action Web site and offer not only a concise yet comprehensive overview of
waterfront history, but assessments of land use and economic development
opportunities for the city and the port. It also includes a summary of the
issues, along with implementation recommendations, particularly as increased
levels of public access are concerned.
"We are looking forward to hosting our second annual 'Horace Carpentier' dinner
in the spring," Threlfall said. "As Oakland history buffs well know, shrewd and
feisty Horace single-handedly ruled the town and the waterfront in the early
years, until the courts forced him to give up control."
For more information on Waterfront Action, or to learn where to pick up a copy
of the calendar, visit www.waterfrontaction.org.