  BPWA Walks Walks take place rain or shine and last 2-3 hours unless otherwise noted. They are free and Berkeley’s open to all. Walks are divided into four types: Theme Friendly  Power Self Guided  Questions about the walks? Contact Keith  Skinner: [email protected] Vol. 14 No. 3 BerkeleyPaths Path Wanderers Association Fall 2011  510 520 3876.  October 9, Sunday - 2nd An- BPWA Annual Meeting Oct. 20  nual Long Walk - 9 a.m. Leaders: Keith Skinner, Colleen Neff, To Feature — Sandy Friedland  Sandy Friedland Can the Bay Area continue to gain way people live.” A graduate of Stanford  Meeting Place: El Cerrito BART station, University, Matt worked for an envi- main entrance near Central population without sacrificing precious  Transit: BART - Richmond line farmland, losing open space and harm- ronmental group in Sacramento before  All day walk that includes portions of Al- he joined Greenbelt. His responsibilities ing the environment? The members of  bany Hill, Pt. Isabel, Bay Trail, , Greenbelt Alliance are doing everything include meeting with city council members East Shore Park, Aquatic Park, Sisterna they can to answer those questions with  District, and Santa Fe Right-of-Way, ending a resounding “Yes.” Berkeley Path  at North Berkeley BART. See further details Wanderers Asso-  in the article on page 2. Be sure to bring a ciation is proud to water bottle and bag lunch. No dogs, please.  feature Greenbelt October 22, Saturday - Bay Alliance at our  Trail Exploration on New Landfill Annual Meeting Thursday, October  Loop - 9:30 a.m. 20, at the Hillside Club (2286 Cedar  Leaders: Sandra & Bruce Beyaert. St.) The event begins promptly at 7  Meeting Place: Bay Trail staging area. Take p.m. and is free and open to the public. Richmond Parkway from I-80 or I-580 and We will begin with a brief business  turn west on Parr Blvd. toward San Pablo meeting, a report on BPWA’s latest  Bay. Bear left to cross and path building efforts, and the election  then left into trailhead paved parking area of officers and board members. Then just beyond solar panels. Matt Vander Sluis, Greenbelt’s senior  Transit: Sorry, no viable public transportation field representative for , Con-  Enjoy a new three mile loop of SF Bay Trail tra Costa, and Solano Counties will  around a former landfill on Richmond’s present "Grow Smart Bay Area: A northern shoreline. See tidal marshes where path to a sustainable region."  Wildcat and San Pablo creeks enter San Greenbelt Alliance is a fifty-year old  Pablo Bay. Pass an array of resource recov- organization whose mission is to “pre- Master pathbuilder Charlie Bowen  ery and recycling operations before reach- serve open spaces and promote vibrant unveils her ceremonial shovel on La ing tidal wetlands teeming with wildlife and Loma Path. The annual meeting will  spectacular vistas. Rain cancels. No cities that are not choked by traffic and dogs, please. pollution and that have affordable hous- include a report on path building progress.  ing.” The research arm of the organiza- about protecting open spaces, leading  November 5, Saturday - Rock tion identifies at-risk areas and works to outings, and performing technical analyses  Parks Walk With Greenbelt promote balanced land-use policies. Alliance - 10 a.m. of proposed development, such as build-  Leaders: Bob Johnson, Greenbelt Alliance In an illustrated presentation, Matt ing a transit village near a BART Stop. will explain one of the main initiatives  Meeting Place: NE corner of Solano and The “My favorite part of this job” Matt Alameda adjacent to Indian Rock Path. of the Greenbelt: Grow Smart Bay said, “is helping concerned residents  Transit: AC #7, #18 bus Area. He also will describe Greenbelt’s to understand their ability to influence  This walk, co-sponsored by the Greenbelt extensive program of outings, which the decisions that determine how their  Alliance, is a companion walk to the pres- features guided and self-guided hikes communities will grow.” entation at the Annual Meeting. We will along beaches, through forests and As a follow-up to the Annual Meet- visit seven small parks centered on large farms, and in the Bay Area hills. ing program, Greenbelt Alliance rock formations and some fine vistas, Greenbelt also sponsors urban outings, Board Member Bob Johnson, will lead quintessential Berkeley neighborhoods which highlight model developments a special walk for BPWA on Saturday, with varied gardens (and more rocks) as well as pedestrian paths and stairways. in East Bay communities. Nov. 5 that will feature small parks of Matt grew up in Napa and says he  Bring a bag lunch for our mid-walk break. North Berkeley that are centered Well-behaved dogs on leashes permitted. always has been fascinated with “the around large rock formations. (See  shape of cities and how that impacts the walk listings on this page.)  (Walks are continued on page 2) 1

(Walks continued) Join BPWA’s Second Annual Long Walk November 15, Tuesday - Sunday, October 9 , 9 AM to 4 PM —Keith Skinner LeRoy Steps Centennial - 10 a.m. This year's Long Walk will include provided a local walk leader. It was a Leader: Keith Skinner. three cities and lovely parts of the Bay great adventure that was well attended Meeting Place: In front of Dominican Trail. It will begin at 9 a.m. sharp and very hot. School of Theology, 2301 Vine St. near Sunday, Oct. 9, at El Cerrito BART. This year, we’re simplifying the walk Arch St. Our first stop will be to ⎯ BPWA will lead the entire walk ⎯ Transit: AC bus #18, #65 buses observe the restoration. Then we’ll and we should catch some cool breezes climb using one of Albany’s along the Bay. Celebrate the 100 year anniversary of few hidden the LeRoy Steps. To add context to the stairways. event, we will visit several other his- From there we toric paths and staircases in the area. will head Rain cancels. Well-behaved dogs on northwest to leashes permitted. Pt. Isabel, December 7, Wednesday - Coffee where we will Constitutional - 10 a.m. pick up the Bay Trail. We Leader: Jacque Ensign. will focus on Meeting Place: Peet’s on Domingo across some of the from the Claremont Hotel. less-traveled Transit: AC buses #49 and #51B parts of Pt. Meet at Peet’s over a coffee, and then ex- Isabel that are plore the Claremont area on a low impact, outside the dog leisurely walk. Well-behaved dogs on park area, in- Remote areas of Point Isabel will be featured in this year’s long walk leashes permitted. cluding Hoff- man Marsh, , Meeker December 18, Sunday - Ukuleles Slough and . We will then Secret Stairs East Bay for Peace - 3 p.m. retrace our steps just a bit so we can Charles Fleming, the Southern Cali- Leader: Keith Skinner continue along the Bay Trail to the south fornia author whose 2010 walking Meeting Place: Top of Fountain Walk on beach of the Albany Bulb for lunch. guide Secret Stairs turned the hidden Marin Circle Fortified and rested, we’ll start the public staircases of Los Transit: AC buses #7, #18, #25 second half of the walk by skirting Angeles into popular Join us for a non-secular, non-political fields () to hiking trails, has come show of peace and goodwill as the Ber- pick up the Bay Trail in the East Shore north. He was intro- keley Ukulele Club strums up a storm and State Park. After stopping briefly at duced to the paths of we send out positive vibes to our neigh- Sea Breeze Market, we will cross the Berkeley through his bors and the world at large. The pace will Pedestrian Bridge that leads to Aquatic daughter, an undergrad be moderate with frequent stops but Park and view the murals around the at Cal. His new East some hills. Well-behaved dogs on Amtrak Station. We then will go east Bay book maps out 38 leashes permitted. to the historic Sisterna District, that one to two hour self-guided hiking features some treasured Victorian Featured Self-Guided Walk: loops between El Cerrito and Oakland. houses. Finally, we’ll make our way BPWA will be selling the book at Outdoor Campus Sculpture along the Santa Fe Right of Way (West street fairs and our Annual Meeting. Explore many of the outdoor sculpture St) to the North Berkeley BART Station. treasures on the UC campus with Alan We expect to reach North Berkeley Kaplan as your docent. Be sure to down- BART no later than 4 p.m. Partici- BPWA in the News pants should wear comfortable, sturdy load the map and notes from our website: Check out The New York Times http://www.berkeleypaths.org/walkhando shoes and bring a refillable water bot- article on Berkeley’s pedestrian path- uts/110612outdoorcampussculpture.htm tle, as well as lunch and snacks. We’ve Some photos are also provided. carefully planned the route to include ways in the July 2 edition. Find the restroom and water breaks. article by typing Berkeley Path Wan- The first BPWA Long Walk a year derers in the Times’ search window. ago, “Trail of Four Cities,” was a com- BPWA president Colleen Neff appeared BPWA Board Meetings plicated daylong trek with four different on KQED’s Forum in a program titled The BPWA Board meets on the third leaders. It began at the Rockridge Urban Stairs of the Bay Area. Listen Thursday of each month (except April, BART station, skirted the East Bay to Colleen and authors Adah Bakalinsky Oct, and Dec). Meetings are at 7 PM at hills for 13 miles, and ended at the El and Charles Fleming chat with Dave Cerrito BART station. We coordinated Live Oak Community Center in Live Oak with an organization in each city who Iverson. Simply type Colleen Neff in the Park. Board meetings are open to all. search window of the KQED website. 2

containing a map of the Kensington Paul Grunland: One paths and a walking route that covers Bay Trail Q&A With many of them. The BPWA walk Paul of BPWA’s True led last fall revisited this tour of Kensing- TRAC’s Bruce Beyaert Originals — Glen Lindwall ton. Paul, together with Bryce Nesbitt of We recently chatted with Bruce Beyaert, the Kensington Improvement Club, Chair of Trails for Richmond Action Many years ago Paul Grunland was brought fellow wanderers up to date on Committee (TRAC), the organization leading back-pack trips. As training, he current efforts to improve Kensington’s dedicated to completing and promoting would hike straight up Marin Avenue. It paths. the Richmond portion of the Bay Trail. was on his meandering walks downhill that Working with the City of Richmond, he first encountered many of Berkeley’s paths. the East Bay Regional Park District, and Paul has been active in the Path Wander- private partners, 30 miles of Bay Trail ers since the group began. He was at the have been completed. Bruce and his first general meeting and served on the first wife Sandra will be leading the Oct. 22 board. He continues to be active on the BPWA walk that will showcase the map committee and as a leader of walks. newest addition to the trail system. Paul is a World War II veteran who BPWA: Where is the Landfill Loop worked in retail merchandising for Cap- Trail? well’s department stores and later owned BB: It’s uniquely located on between the rich tidal marshes at a family clothing store in El Sobrante for the mouths of Wildcat and San Pablo 18 years. Paul expressed regret that the Creeks on Richmond’s northern shoreline. clothing manufacturers and distributors BPWA: Why is TRAC so excited about discontinued many of the clothing lines the new trail? he had carried. His was the last store of BB: We’re always excited by closing its type in the region; he chose to retire a major gap in the Bay Trail. What’s rather than to remake the store. very special here is that this trail opens Paul, of course, never really retired. He up the only public access to the shore- has been active in a number of local organi- line between Miller/Knox and Point zations, especially when he can combine his Pinole Regional Shoreline Parks. This love of local history with his love of hiking creates an impetus for opening more of and walking the paths. He leads walks not Paul Grunland savors the view from the terra incognita that constitutes just for the Path Wanderers but also for the the bench mid-way up Atlas Path Richmond’s northern shoreline on San Pablo Bay. Berkeley Historical Society and for the Paul lights up when he talks about the Oakland Museum. His walks are often BPWA: What special features does it origins of Berkeley’s paths. He’ll speak of offer? nearby, like his tour of the rocks of the Duncan McDuffie, one of Berkeley’s Thousand Oaks neighborhood, but he also BB: This Bay Trail Loop offers an un- original developers, who was also an usual combination of natural vistas, goes farther afield, like the popular walk he active environmentalist, and of Charles led over the . Paul has flourishing tidal marsh ecosystems with Huggins who worked for McDuffie laying an abundance of waterbirds in the win- also worked with UC Berkeley’s Jepson out many of the paths. Paul speaks of the Herbarium, helping to develop trip ideas, ter and an array of recycling and re- 1993 Luk-Milani report and its conclusions source recovery operations. Where else though he has not himself led any of their about the value of the paths for safety, could you take a three mile hike viewing walks. He says “I try to do outreach with illustrated by the 1991 Oakland hills fire. osprey, white pelicans, avocets, Mt. Ta- the enviros, trying to create synergies.” This was a major part of the modern re- malpais, green waste composting, power The paths of Kensington are a special birth of interest in the paths and Paul has generation from landfill methane and 89 favorite. Paul has written a pamphlet been there helping to make it happen. giant solar panels tracking the sun?!

Tax-deductible household memberships BPWA Membership/Donation Form Please print clearly in the BPWA are $5.00 and cover one calendar year. Benefits include a news- letter and other BPWA mailings and Name emails. If you can give more, please con- sider a donation. You can join or donate online at www.berkeleypaths.org or by Address sending this form and a check, payable to our fiscal parent BPFP (Berkeley Partners for Parks) to: E-mail Telephone Number (optional)

BPWA I am enclosing $5 for membership new renewal 1442-A Walnut Street - #269 Berkeley, CA 94709 I am also enclosing a donation of Please make checks payable to our fiscal parent, Berkeley Part- I am interested in volunteering ners for Parks (BPFP) 3

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association Fall 2011

Dedicated to the creation, preservation, and restoration of public paths, steps, and walkways in Berkeley for the use and enjoyment of all.

The Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, an affiliate of Berkeley Partners for Parks, is a volunteer group of community members who have come together to increase public awareness of the city of Berkeley’s pathways. Our activities include guided path walks, the mapping of Berkeley’s path network, the building of paths that are proposed, and the restoration of those that need maintenance.

Berkeley artist David Lance Goines has pro- duced a new poster celebrating the Paths of Berkeley. BPWA is delighted and honored to be recognized along with The Hillside Club.

Goines is famous for his posters, a number of which celebrate local Berkeley institu- tions, most notably his many posters for Chez Panisse. Goines is also a writer and book illustrator and won the the 1983 American Book Award for his book, A Con- structed Roman Alphabet.

The Hillside Club commissioned the poster and generously donated a group of unsigned copies to the Path Wanderers. We will be selling them at street fairs, at our meetings, and through our web site.

Thank you Hillside Club and David Goines.