Wichita’s gardeners and water conservationists won a significant victory Tuesday when the City Council approved an amended drought plan that exempts food growers and commits to a continued push for water conservation.

The new drought plan exempts food-producing gardens that use drip irrigation or hand watering from watering restrictions until the city reaches drought crisis levels. And water conservation will remain a focus, council members say, through continued marketing efforts and the possible renewal next year of the city’s rebate program for energy efficient appliances.

And it may mean that landscaping requirements will be relaxed during a drought, city officials said.

“This is a very proactive program for us as we move forward,” council member Lavonta Williams said.

Still under consideration is how the city will handle conservation in the future and what stance it will take on landscaping requirements during a drought. City Manager Robert Layton said the city’s planning department will review the longer-term issues.

Council member Janet Miller said she didn’t want to lose sight of conservation during normal rainfall periods like this one. She asked for a review of conservation measures at the end of the year, including a possible extension of the city’s rebate program for energy-efficient appliances.

Officials also said they are investigating reports that city water meter readers are telling customers they have been ordered to no longer offer advice on water conservation because the city’s water revenues are falling.

Layton and public works chief Alan King said Tuesday that any such statements are “in direct violation of city policy.” King is investigating the reports.

Earlier this summer, Layton told the council that the city’s water rates, and annual increases of around 5 percent, had been structured to avoid any significant budget issues in the water department.

The drought plan approved by the council includes these stages:

• Voluntary conservation: Triggered when the 12-month Cheney water level average moves below 90 percent. No penalties or mandatory restrictions will be imposed. The city will offer rebates to encourage conservation, and a multifaceted public marketing campaign will be launched to raise drought awareness. The water conservation measures launched last summer by the city will continue.

• Mandatory restrictions: Triggered when the 12-month Cheney water level average moves below 70 percent. Customers will be restricted to one day a week of outdoor water use during the coolest part of the day from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. First-time violators will receive a warning, followed by penalties of $50 and $100. Businesses generating economic activity directly from outdoor watering, like golf courses, car washes and greenhouses, will be exempt, as will food gardeners. City fountains still will operate.

• Irrigation bans: Triggered when the 12-month Cheney water level average drops below 50 percent. All outdoor water use will be prohibited, except for businesses exempted under mandatory restrictions and the specified gardeners. Violators will receive a warning after the first infraction, followed by penalties from $250 to $500. The city will rush all repairs to water main breaks and irrigation leaks and will cut operating hours at public fountains.

• Water emergency: Triggered when the 12-month Cheney water level average moves below 35 percent. All outdoor watering, including by businesses, will be prohibited. All customers will be ordered to decrease indoor use by 15 percent, except for hospitals. At this level, gardeners will be prohibited from outside watering. Penalties would range from a warning to a $500 fine, with a flow restrictor installed on the water meters of three-time violators. All city fountains will be shut off.

In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale drafted the Black Panther manifesto in a two-bedroom bungalow on 57th Street in Oakland.

Last year, that house – refurbished with hardwood floors, drought-tolerant landscaping and quartz countertops – sold for $425,000.

Such is the story of West Oakland and its environs these days. The heart of African American culture in the Bay Area, if not the West Coast, is now a real estate agent’s dream. Thousands of transplants from San Francisco, mostly younger, mostly white people lured east by lower rents, have discovered the sunny enclaves of West Oakland and staked their claims.

“West Oakland is really vibrant right now. Young people, young families, are finding it to be an edgy, dynamic, urban place to live,” said Andrea Gordon, a top-producing real estate agent with Coldwell Banker’s Oakland office. “They can get a Victorian here that would cost $400,000 more a mile away in Rockridge.”

In some West Oakland census tracts, the number of white residents has doubled in the past 10 years, bringing their numbers to nearly equal with their African American counterparts. Asian and Latino residents have increased, as well.

Over the same period, thousands of African American families have left the neighborhood, mostly heading to eastern Contra Costa and Solano counties.

Some African Americans say the influx of white people has triggered a rise in rents and housing prices, pricing out black families from the neighborhoods their families have lived in for generations. Others say African Americans started leaving West Oakland years ago due to crime and schools, leaving vacancies for newcomers – in this case, mostly young people enticed by the good weather, proximity to San Francisco and block after block of affordable Victorians and ultramodern condos.

In any case, West Oakland looks a lot different than it did a decade ago. New condominiums have proliferated, old Victorians are undergoing renovations, shuttered factories are now artists’ studios, and blight has decreased. But gone, too, is a certain pride that sprung from what was once known as “Harlem of the West.”

“It hurts. I’m not going to say I’m content with this,” said Leander Muhammed, 34, a third-generation West Oakland resident who runs after-school and sports programs for kids in the neighborhood. “Suddenly there’s nonprofits and community gardens on every corner. Community gardens? I don’t get it – my granny was planting collards and tomatoes here for decades. It all seems crazy to me.”

Vibrant immigrant town

West Oakland is loaded with more history than possibly any other pocket of the East Bay, if not the Bay Area. It was one of the first American settlements in the East Bay, as thousands of Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, African Americans, Irish and others settled along the waterfront in the 1850s to work on the docks and later railroads.

Oakland grew out from the waterfront, but West Oakland remained pretty much the same: modest homes and businesses catering to dock, railroad and other industrial workers – most of whom were immigrants – and their families.

In the 1930s and ’40s, African Americans from Louisiana and Texas began pouring into West Oakland, most coming through the historic 16th Street train depot, and settled. African Americans had few choices about where they could live due to discriminatory housing covenants, but by nearly all accounts West Oakland was a thriving, vibrant community. In fact, it was the largest African American community in Northern California.

Seventh Street was lined with upscale restaurants and jazz clubs on what was known as the Chitlin Circuit. Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, among others, were regular performers. Black-owned florists, barbershops and groceries flourished. Just about everyone knew each other.

MC Hammer, Pointer Sisters

“We didn’t even lock our doors,” said Ellen Wyrick Parkinson, who’s lived in West Oakland for more than 60 years. “But you couldn’t go outside West Oakland unless you were wearing an apron or chauffeur’s cap. Bushrod Park? No way. You’d be told to leave.”

Dozens of big names came from West Oakland, including Bill Russell, MC Hammer, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, the Pointer Sisters, and, of course, the Black Panthers.

But over the decades, the jobs began to vanish – just as industrial jobs have disappeared across the country – and crime and poverty inched upward. Much of Seventh Street is boarded up. Even Esther’s Orbit Room, a mainstay of West Oakland nightlife, closed two years ago. In its place, nearby, is a natural food cooperative.

Parkinson said she’s happy with the neighborhood’s newest incarnation.

“I love it,” she said, noting that the neighborhood looks better than it has in decades. “I think the new people have done a beautiful job cleaning things up. These old houses needed fixing. I just hope it keeps going on.”

Ayodele Nzinga, a theater director who’s lived in West Oakland for most of 30 years, said she fears the history will be lost.

“There’s nothing inherently wrong with single white people moving in,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with clean parks and Starbucks. We want that, too. But it terrifies me that all this culture and history will be over-written.”

Trying to preserve history

Preservationists are busy designating as landmarks what they can in West Oakland, including the entire Oak Center neighborhood and the Victorian that once housed Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. The city also offers assistance for those wishing to build or remodel there. Nzinga wants to see the city do more to help African Americans living there currently – such as jobs, substance abuse and mental health services – instead of catering to newer residents.

Epli, 32, an artist from North Carolina of Chinese and Irish descent, is one of those newer residents. She moved to West Oakland in 2008, knowing nothing of the area except that she could find a room for $400 a month, and was surprised to learn the neighborhood’s history. She was also surprised at some of the tensions and misunderstandings she saw between older residents and newcomers. The conflict inspired her to organize an art show, scheduled for Oct. 26 at DeFremery Park, addressing gentrification.

She gave cameras to five longtime residents and asked them to document their own stories of West Oakland, and hopes the images will trigger a discussion about the prejudices, myths and vastly different perspectives surrounding the neighborhood.

“Really, it just comes down to acknowledging people exist as you walk down the street,” she said. “Anyone can say ‘Good morning.’ It seemed to me that this is a conversation we should we having.”

As for Muhammed, one of the participants in Epli’s project, the conversation is welcome.

“I heard about this and thought, why isn’t a black person doing it? Why does it have to be a white person?” he said. “Then I thought, who cares? I just want to talk about it, and I’m glad someone finally brought it up.”

‘Here Before’

The photography exhibition and panel discussion on West Oakland gentrification is set for 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at De Fremery Park, 16th and Adeline streets, Oakland. For information, go to “Here Before” on Facebook or e-mail eplimade@gmail.com.

Carolyn Jones is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: carolynjones@sfchronicle.com

In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale drafted the Black Panther manifesto in a two-bedroom bungalow on 57th Street in Oakland.

Last year, that house – refurbished with hardwood floors, drought-tolerant landscaping and quartz countertops – sold for $425,000.

Such is the story of West Oakland and its environs these days. The heart of African American culture in the Bay Area, if not the West Coast, is now a real estate agent’s dream. Thousands of transplants from San Francisco, mostly younger, mostly white people lured east by lower rents, have discovered the sunny enclaves of West Oakland and staked their claims.

“West Oakland is really vibrant right now. Young people, young families, are finding it to be an edgy, dynamic, urban place to live,” said Andrea Gordon, a top-producing real estate agent with Coldwell Banker’s Oakland office. “They can get a Victorian here that would cost $400,000 more a mile away in Rockridge.”

In some West Oakland census tracts, the number of white residents has doubled in the past 10 years, bringing their numbers to nearly equal with their African American counterparts. Asian and Latino residents have increased, as well.

Over the same period, thousands of African American families have left the neighborhood, mostly heading to eastern Contra Costa and Solano counties.

Some African Americans say the influx of white people has triggered a rise in rents and housing prices, pricing out black families from the neighborhoods their families have lived in for generations. Others say African Americans started leaving West Oakland years ago due to crime and schools, leaving vacancies for newcomers – in this case, mostly young people enticed by the good weather, proximity to San Francisco and block after block of affordable Victorians and ultramodern condos.

In any case, West Oakland looks a lot different than it did a decade ago. New condominiums have proliferated, old Victorians are undergoing renovations, shuttered factories are now artists’ studios, and blight has decreased. But gone, too, is a certain pride that sprung from what was once known as “Harlem of the West.”

“It hurts. I’m not going to say I’m content with this,” said Leander Muhammed, 34, a third-generation West Oakland resident who runs after-school and sports programs for kids in the neighborhood. “Suddenly there’s nonprofits and community gardens on every corner. Community gardens? I don’t get it – my granny was planting collards and tomatoes here for decades. It all seems crazy to me.”

Vibrant immigrant town

West Oakland is loaded with more history than possibly any other pocket of the East Bay, if not the Bay Area. It was one of the first American settlements in the East Bay, as thousands of Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, African Americans, Irish and others settled along the waterfront in the 1850s to work on the docks and later railroads.

Oakland grew out from the waterfront, but West Oakland remained pretty much the same: modest homes and businesses catering to dock, railroad and other industrial workers – most of whom were immigrants – and their families.

In the 1930s and ’40s, African Americans from Louisiana and Texas began pouring into West Oakland, most coming through the historic 16th Street train depot, and settled. African Americans had few choices about where they could live due to discriminatory housing covenants, but by nearly all accounts West Oakland was a thriving, vibrant community. In fact, it was the largest African American community in Northern California.

Seventh Street was lined with upscale restaurants and jazz clubs on what was known as the Chitlin Circuit. Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, among others, were regular performers. Black-owned florists, barbershops and groceries flourished. Just about everyone knew each other.

MC Hammer, Pointer Sisters

“We didn’t even lock our doors,” said Ellen Wyrick Parkinson, who’s lived in West Oakland for more than 60 years. “But you couldn’t go outside West Oakland unless you were wearing an apron or chauffeur’s cap. Bushrod Park? No way. You’d be told to leave.”

Dozens of big names came from West Oakland, including Bill Russell, MC Hammer, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, the Pointer Sisters, and, of course, the Black Panthers.

But over the decades, the jobs began to vanish – just as industrial jobs have disappeared across the country – and crime and poverty inched upward. Much of Seventh Street is boarded up. Even Esther’s Orbit Room, a mainstay of West Oakland nightlife, closed two years ago. In its place, nearby, is a natural food cooperative.

Parkinson said she’s happy with the neighborhood’s newest incarnation.

“I love it,” she said, noting that the neighborhood looks better than it has in decades. “I think the new people have done a beautiful job cleaning things up. These old houses needed fixing. I just hope it keeps going on.”

Ayodele Nzinga, a theater director who’s lived in West Oakland for most of 30 years, said she fears the history will be lost.

“There’s nothing inherently wrong with single white people moving in,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with clean parks and Starbucks. We want that, too. But it terrifies me that all this culture and history will be over-written.”

Trying to preserve history

Preservationists are busy designating as landmarks what they can in West Oakland, including the entire Oak Center neighborhood and the Victorian that once housed Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. The city also offers assistance for those wishing to build or remodel there. Nzinga wants to see the city do more to help African Americans living there currently – such as jobs, substance abuse and mental health services – instead of catering to newer residents.

Epli, 32, an artist from North Carolina of Chinese and Irish descent, is one of those newer residents. She moved to West Oakland in 2008, knowing nothing of the area except that she could find a room for $400 a month, and was surprised to learn the neighborhood’s history. She was also surprised at some of the tensions and misunderstandings she saw between older residents and newcomers. The conflict inspired her to organize an art show, scheduled for Oct. 26 at DeFremery Park, addressing gentrification.

She gave cameras to five longtime residents and asked them to document their own stories of West Oakland, and hopes the images will trigger a discussion about the prejudices, myths and vastly different perspectives surrounding the neighborhood.

“Really, it just comes down to acknowledging people exist as you walk down the street,” she said. “Anyone can say ‘Good morning.’ It seemed to me that this is a conversation we should we having.”

As for Muhammed, one of the participants in Epli’s project, the conversation is welcome.

“I heard about this and thought, why isn’t a black person doing it? Why does it have to be a white person?” he said. “Then I thought, who cares? I just want to talk about it, and I’m glad someone finally brought it up.”

‘Here Before’

The photography exhibition and panel discussion on West Oakland gentrification is set for 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at De Fremery Park, 16th and Adeline streets, Oakland. For information, go to “Here Before” on Facebook or e-mail eplimade@gmail.com.

Carolyn Jones is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: carolynjones@sfchronicle.com

In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale drafted the Black Panther manifesto in a two-bedroom bungalow on 57th Street in Oakland.

Last year, that house – refurbished with hardwood floors, drought-tolerant landscaping and quartz countertops – sold for $425,000.

Such is the story of West Oakland and its environs these days. The heart of African American culture in the Bay Area, if not the West Coast, is now a real estate agent’s dream. Thousands of transplants from San Francisco, mostly younger, mostly white people lured east by lower rents, have discovered the sunny enclaves of West Oakland and staked their claims.

“West Oakland is really vibrant right now. Young people, young families, are finding it to be an edgy, dynamic, urban place to live,” said Andrea Gordon, a top-producing real estate agent with Coldwell Banker’s Oakland office. “They can get a Victorian here that would cost $400,000 more a mile away in Rockridge.”

In some West Oakland census tracts, the number of white residents has doubled in the past 10 years, bringing their numbers to nearly equal with their African American counterparts. Asian and Latino residents have increased, as well.

Over the same period, thousands of African American families have left the neighborhood, mostly heading to eastern Contra Costa and Solano counties.

Some African Americans say the influx of white people has triggered a rise in rents and housing prices, pricing out black families from the neighborhoods their families have lived in for generations. Others say African Americans started leaving West Oakland years ago due to crime and schools, leaving vacancies for newcomers – in this case, mostly young people enticed by the good weather, proximity to San Francisco and block after block of affordable Victorians and ultramodern condos.

In any case, West Oakland looks a lot different than it did a decade ago. New condominiums have proliferated, old Victorians are undergoing renovations, shuttered factories are now artists’ studios, and blight has decreased. But gone, too, is a certain pride that sprung from what was once known as “Harlem of the West.”

“It hurts. I’m not going to say I’m content with this,” said Leander Muhammed, 34, a third-generation West Oakland resident who runs after-school and sports programs for kids in the neighborhood. “Suddenly there’s nonprofits and community gardens on every corner. Community gardens? I don’t get it – my granny was planting collards and tomatoes here for decades. It all seems crazy to me.”

Vibrant immigrant town

West Oakland is loaded with more history than possibly any other pocket of the East Bay, if not the Bay Area. It was one of the first American settlements in the East Bay, as thousands of Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, African Americans, Irish and others settled along the waterfront in the 1850s to work on the docks and later railroads.

Oakland grew out from the waterfront, but West Oakland remained pretty much the same: modest homes and businesses catering to dock, railroad and other industrial workers – most of whom were immigrants – and their families.

In the 1930s and ’40s, African Americans from Louisiana and Texas began pouring into West Oakland, most coming through the historic 16th Street train depot, and settled. African Americans had few choices about where they could live due to discriminatory housing covenants, but by nearly all accounts West Oakland was a thriving, vibrant community. In fact, it was the largest African American community in Northern California.

Seventh Street was lined with upscale restaurants and jazz clubs on what was known as the Chitlin Circuit. Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, among others, were regular performers. Black-owned florists, barbershops and groceries flourished. Just about everyone knew each other.

MC Hammer, Pointer Sisters

“We didn’t even lock our doors,” said Ellen Wyrick Parkinson, who’s lived in West Oakland for more than 60 years. “But you couldn’t go outside West Oakland unless you were wearing an apron or chauffeur’s cap. Bushrod Park? No way. You’d be told to leave.”

Dozens of big names came from West Oakland, including Bill Russell, MC Hammer, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, the Pointer Sisters, and, of course, the Black Panthers.

But over the decades, the jobs began to vanish – just as industrial jobs have disappeared across the country – and crime and poverty inched upward. Much of Seventh Street is boarded up. Even Esther’s Orbit Room, a mainstay of West Oakland nightlife, closed two years ago. In its place, nearby, is a natural food cooperative.

Parkinson said she’s happy with the neighborhood’s newest incarnation.

“I love it,” she said, noting that the neighborhood looks better than it has in decades. “I think the new people have done a beautiful job cleaning things up. These old houses needed fixing. I just hope it keeps going on.”

Ayodele Nzinga, a theater director who’s lived in West Oakland for most of 30 years, said she fears the history will be lost.

“There’s nothing inherently wrong with single white people moving in,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with clean parks and Starbucks. We want that, too. But it terrifies me that all this culture and history will be over-written.”

Trying to preserve history

Preservationists are busy designating as landmarks what they can in West Oakland, including the entire Oak Center neighborhood and the Victorian that once housed Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. The city also offers assistance for those wishing to build or remodel there. Nzinga wants to see the city do more to help African Americans living there currently – such as jobs, substance abuse and mental health services – instead of catering to newer residents.

Epli, 32, an artist from North Carolina of Chinese and Irish descent, is one of those newer residents. She moved to West Oakland in 2008, knowing nothing of the area except that she could find a room for $400 a month, and was surprised to learn the neighborhood’s history. She was also surprised at some of the tensions and misunderstandings she saw between older residents and newcomers. The conflict inspired her to organize an art show, scheduled for Oct. 26 at DeFremery Park, addressing gentrification.

She gave cameras to five longtime residents and asked them to document their own stories of West Oakland, and hopes the images will trigger a discussion about the prejudices, myths and vastly different perspectives surrounding the neighborhood.

“Really, it just comes down to acknowledging people exist as you walk down the street,” she said. “Anyone can say ‘Good morning.’ It seemed to me that this is a conversation we should we having.”

As for Muhammed, one of the participants in Epli’s project, the conversation is welcome.

“I heard about this and thought, why isn’t a black person doing it? Why does it have to be a white person?” he said. “Then I thought, who cares? I just want to talk about it, and I’m glad someone finally brought it up.”

‘Here Before’

The photography exhibition and panel discussion on West Oakland gentrification is set for 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at De Fremery Park, 16th and Adeline streets, Oakland. For information, go to “Here Before” on Facebook or e-mail eplimade@gmail.com.

Carolyn Jones is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: carolynjones@sfchronicle.com

In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale drafted the Black Panther manifesto in a two-bedroom bungalow on 57th Street in Oakland.

Last year, that house – refurbished with hardwood floors, drought-tolerant landscaping and quartz countertops – sold for $425,000.

Such is the story of West Oakland and its environs these days. The heart of African American culture in the Bay Area, if not the West Coast, is now a real estate agent’s dream. Thousands of transplants from San Francisco, mostly younger, mostly white people lured east by lower rents, have discovered the sunny enclaves of West Oakland and staked their claims.

“West Oakland is really vibrant right now. Young people, young families, are finding it to be an edgy, dynamic, urban place to live,” said Andrea Gordon, a top-producing real estate agent with Coldwell Banker’s Oakland office. “They can get a Victorian here that would cost $400,000 more a mile away in Rockridge.”

In some West Oakland census tracts, the number of white residents has doubled in the past 10 years, bringing their numbers to nearly equal with their African American counterparts. Asian and Latino residents have increased, as well.

Over the same period, thousands of African American families have left the neighborhood, mostly heading to eastern Contra Costa and Solano counties.

Some African Americans say the influx of white people has triggered a rise in rents and housing prices, pricing out black families from the neighborhoods their families have lived in for generations. Others say African Americans started leaving West Oakland years ago due to crime and schools, leaving vacancies for newcomers – in this case, mostly young people enticed by the good weather, proximity to San Francisco and block after block of affordable Victorians and ultramodern condos.

In any case, West Oakland looks a lot different than it did a decade ago. New condominiums have proliferated, old Victorians are undergoing renovations, shuttered factories are now artists’ studios, and blight has decreased. But gone, too, is a certain pride that sprung from what was once known as “Harlem of the West.”

“It hurts. I’m not going to say I’m content with this,” said Leander Muhammed, 34, a third-generation West Oakland resident who runs after-school and sports programs for kids in the neighborhood. “Suddenly there’s nonprofits and community gardens on every corner. Community gardens? I don’t get it – my granny was planting collards and tomatoes here for decades. It all seems crazy to me.”

Vibrant immigrant town

West Oakland is loaded with more history than possibly any other pocket of the East Bay, if not the Bay Area. It was one of the first American settlements in the East Bay, as thousands of Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, African Americans, Irish and others settled along the waterfront in the 1850s to work on the docks and later railroads.

Oakland grew out from the waterfront, but West Oakland remained pretty much the same: modest homes and businesses catering to dock, railroad and other industrial workers – most of whom were immigrants – and their families.

In the 1930s and ’40s, African Americans from Louisiana and Texas began pouring into West Oakland, most coming through the historic 16th Street train depot, and settled. African Americans had few choices about where they could live due to discriminatory housing covenants, but by nearly all accounts West Oakland was a thriving, vibrant community. In fact, it was the largest African American community in Northern California.

Seventh Street was lined with upscale restaurants and jazz clubs on what was known as the Chitlin Circuit. Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, among others, were regular performers. Black-owned florists, barbershops and groceries flourished. Just about everyone knew each other.

MC Hammer, Pointer Sisters

“We didn’t even lock our doors,” said Ellen Wyrick Parkinson, who’s lived in West Oakland for more than 60 years. “But you couldn’t go outside West Oakland unless you were wearing an apron or chauffeur’s cap. Bushrod Park? No way. You’d be told to leave.”

Dozens of big names came from West Oakland, including Bill Russell, MC Hammer, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, the Pointer Sisters, and, of course, the Black Panthers.

But over the decades, the jobs began to vanish – just as industrial jobs have disappeared across the country – and crime and poverty inched upward. Much of Seventh Street is boarded up. Even Esther’s Orbit Room, a mainstay of West Oakland nightlife, closed two years ago. In its place, nearby, is a natural food cooperative.

Parkinson said she’s happy with the neighborhood’s newest incarnation.

“I love it,” she said, noting that the neighborhood looks better than it has in decades. “I think the new people have done a beautiful job cleaning things up. These old houses needed fixing. I just hope it keeps going on.”

Ayodele Nzinga, a theater director who’s lived in West Oakland for most of 30 years, said she fears the history will be lost.

“There’s nothing inherently wrong with single white people moving in,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with clean parks and Starbucks. We want that, too. But it terrifies me that all this culture and history will be over-written.”

Trying to preserve history

Preservationists are busy designating as landmarks what they can in West Oakland, including the entire Oak Center neighborhood and the Victorian that once housed Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. The city also offers assistance for those wishing to build or remodel there. Nzinga wants to see the city do more to help African Americans living there currently – such as jobs, substance abuse and mental health services – instead of catering to newer residents.

Epli, 32, an artist from North Carolina of Chinese and Irish descent, is one of those newer residents. She moved to West Oakland in 2008, knowing nothing of the area except that she could find a room for $400 a month, and was surprised to learn the neighborhood’s history. She was also surprised at some of the tensions and misunderstandings she saw between older residents and newcomers. The conflict inspired her to organize an art show, scheduled for Oct. 26 at DeFremery Park, addressing gentrification.

She gave cameras to five longtime residents and asked them to document their own stories of West Oakland, and hopes the images will trigger a discussion about the prejudices, myths and vastly different perspectives surrounding the neighborhood.

“Really, it just comes down to acknowledging people exist as you walk down the street,” she said. “Anyone can say ‘Good morning.’ It seemed to me that this is a conversation we should we having.”

As for Muhammed, one of the participants in Epli’s project, the conversation is welcome.

“I heard about this and thought, why isn’t a black person doing it? Why does it have to be a white person?” he said. “Then I thought, who cares? I just want to talk about it, and I’m glad someone finally brought it up.”

‘Here Before’

The photography exhibition and panel discussion on West Oakland gentrification is set for 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at De Fremery Park, 16th and Adeline streets, Oakland. For information, go to “Here Before” on Facebook or e-mail eplimade@gmail.com.

Carolyn Jones is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: carolynjones@sfchronicle.com

You don’t need to live on the prairie to have a prairie garden. Natural landscapes featuring mainly native plants are being sown in yards across North America as environmentally friendly alternatives to turf grass.

These durable plant combinations include flowers, shrubs and trees. They require little attention, add year-round color and interest and provide wildlife-friendly habitat.

“Many species found in prairies are native to other plant communities found outside the Midwest, such as woodland openings, meadows and barrens, as well as mountain and desert habitats,” says Lynn Steiner of Stillwater, Minn., author of “Prairie Style Gardens” (Timber Press. 2010). “And even if these plants aren’t native to your area, they are still often better choices than exotic plants that come from outside North America.”

City and suburban gardens often aren’t large enough to support meadows, but many prairie plants adapt well to smaller spaces, she said.

“They tolerate less fertile soils, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. They thrive on less water, reducing water use. And they don’t require heavy fossil-fuel input from mowing and trimming,” Steiner said in an email.

Margaret Brittingham, an extension wildlife specialist with Penn State University, said it takes some effort to get prairie plants established “but once done, they’re easy to handle.”

“They’re great for attracting birds and butterflies,” she said. “You can use them for cut flowers, too.”

To keep neighbors happy and win official approval from municipalities, make the conversion from lawn to meadow look tended and not unkempt, Brittingham said.

Some design suggestions:

— Create borders using hedges, mowed edges, low fences or walkways. They act as buffers, keep plants from obstructing sight lines and frame an otherwise natural landscape, Brittingham said.

— Start small. Save money by converting from turf to meadow in manageable yet visible pieces. First, eliminate any trouble spots on the lawn, and then expand gradually, mimicking nature’s processes of gradual succession.

— Find the right plants for the right sites. Don’t plant sun-loving prairie flowers under shade trees, or plants that like their feet dry in low spots that collect run-off.

— Go native. Non-native species generally have less wildlife value, Brittingham said, and are often invasive, eliminating many native species. Check the noxious weed control lists issued for your area and ensure that none are included among the seeds you sow or in the containers you plant.

— Help spread the word. Draw a map of your natural landscape and make it available through brochures placed around your yard. “You might even include a listing of the plants you used and where you got them,” Brittingham said.

— Humanize the project. Add yard art or something personal and whimsical, Steiner said. “For accent and embellishment, rusted iron sculptural pieces blend nicely with the casual look of a prairie landscape. Sundials are nice additions to gardens featuring these sun-loving plants. Birdbaths made of ceramic or stone are practical as well as beautiful.”

By illustrating that your landscape is cared for and designed intentionally, you’ll show that you haven’t just allowed “weeds” to take over, Steiner said.

___

Online:

For more about prairie gardens, see this Penn State University Fact Sheet:

http://www.extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-5

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

You don’t need to live on the prairie to have a prairie garden. Natural landscapes featuring mainly native plants are being sown in yards across North America as environmentally friendly alternatives to turf grass.

These durable plant combinations include flowers, shrubs and trees. They require little attention, add year-round color and interest and provide wildlife-friendly habitat.

“Many species found in prairies are native to other plant communities found outside the Midwest, such as woodland openings, meadows and barrens, as well as mountain and desert habitats,” says Lynn Steiner of Stillwater, Minn., author of “Prairie Style Gardens” (Timber Press. 2010). “And even if these plants aren’t native to your area, they are still often better choices than exotic plants that come from outside North America.”

City and suburban gardens often aren’t large enough to support meadows, but many prairie plants adapt well to smaller spaces, she said.

“They tolerate less fertile soils, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. They thrive on less water, reducing water use. And they don’t require heavy fossil-fuel input from mowing and trimming,” Steiner said in an email.

Margaret Brittingham, an extension wildlife specialist with Penn State University, said it takes some effort to get prairie plants established “but once done, they’re easy to handle.”

“They’re great for attracting birds and butterflies,” she said. “You can use them for cut flowers, too.”

To keep neighbors happy and win official approval from municipalities, make the conversion from lawn to meadow look tended and not unkempt, Brittingham said.

Some design suggestions:

— Create borders using hedges, mowed edges, low fences or walkways. They act as buffers, keep plants from obstructing sight lines and frame an otherwise natural landscape, Brittingham said.

— Start small. Save money by converting from turf to meadow in manageable yet visible pieces. First, eliminate any trouble spots on the lawn, and then expand gradually, mimicking nature’s processes of gradual succession.

— Find the right plants for the right sites. Don’t plant sun-loving prairie flowers under shade trees, or plants that like their feet dry in low spots that collect run-off.

— Go native. Non-native species generally have less wildlife value, Brittingham said, and are often invasive, eliminating many native species. Check the noxious weed control lists issued for your area and ensure that none are included among the seeds you sow or in the containers you plant.

— Help spread the word. Draw a map of your natural landscape and make it available through brochures placed around your yard. “You might even include a listing of the plants you used and where you got them,” Brittingham said.

— Humanize the project. Add yard art or something personal and whimsical, Steiner said. “For accent and embellishment, rusted iron sculptural pieces blend nicely with the casual look of a prairie landscape. Sundials are nice additions to gardens featuring these sun-loving plants. Birdbaths made of ceramic or stone are practical as well as beautiful.”

By illustrating that your landscape is cared for and designed intentionally, you’ll show that you haven’t just allowed “weeds” to take over, Steiner said.

___

Online:

For more about prairie gardens, see this Penn State University Fact Sheet:

http://www.extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-5

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

You don’t need to live on the prairie to have a prairie garden. Natural landscapes featuring mainly native plants are being sown in yards across North America as environmentally friendly alternatives to turf grass.

These durable plant combinations include flowers, shrubs and trees. They require little attention, add year-round color and interest and provide wildlife-friendly habitat.

“Many species found in prairies are native to other plant communities found outside the Midwest, such as woodland openings, meadows and barrens, as well as mountain and desert habitats,” says Lynn Steiner of Stillwater, Minn., author of “Prairie Style Gardens” (Timber Press. 2010). “And even if these plants aren’t native to your area, they are still often better choices than exotic plants that come from outside North America.”

City and suburban gardens often aren’t large enough to support meadows, but many prairie plants adapt well to smaller spaces, she said.

“They tolerate less fertile soils, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. They thrive on less water, reducing water use. And they don’t require heavy fossil-fuel input from mowing and trimming,” Steiner said in an email.

Margaret Brittingham, an extension wildlife specialist with Penn State University, said it takes some effort to get prairie plants established “but once done, they’re easy to handle.”

“They’re great for attracting birds and butterflies,” she said. “You can use them for cut flowers, too.”

To keep neighbors happy and win official approval from municipalities, make the conversion from lawn to meadow look tended and not unkempt, Brittingham said.

Some design suggestions:

— Create borders using hedges, mowed edges, low fences or walkways. They act as buffers, keep plants from obstructing sight lines and frame an otherwise natural landscape, Brittingham said.

— Start small. Save money by converting from turf to meadow in manageable yet visible pieces. First, eliminate any trouble spots on the lawn, and then expand gradually, mimicking nature’s processes of gradual succession.

— Find the right plants for the right sites. Don’t plant sun-loving prairie flowers under shade trees, or plants that like their feet dry in low spots that collect run-off.

— Go native. Non-native species generally have less wildlife value, Brittingham said, and are often invasive, eliminating many native species. Check the noxious weed control lists issued for your area and ensure that none are included among the seeds you sow or in the containers you plant.

— Help spread the word. Draw a map of your natural landscape and make it available through brochures placed around your yard. “You might even include a listing of the plants you used and where you got them,” Brittingham said.

— Humanize the project. Add yard art or something personal and whimsical, Steiner said. “For accent and embellishment, rusted iron sculptural pieces blend nicely with the casual look of a prairie landscape. Sundials are nice additions to gardens featuring these sun-loving plants. Birdbaths made of ceramic or stone are practical as well as beautiful.”

By illustrating that your landscape is cared for and designed intentionally, you’ll show that you haven’t just allowed “weeds” to take over, Steiner said.

___

Online:

For more about prairie gardens, see this Penn State University Fact Sheet:

http://www.extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-5

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

You don’t need to live on the prairie to have a prairie garden. Natural landscapes featuring mainly native plants are being sown in yards across North America as environmentally friendly alternatives to turf grass.

These durable plant combinations include flowers, shrubs and trees. They require little attention, add year-round color and interest and provide wildlife-friendly habitat.

“Many species found in prairies are native to other plant communities found outside the Midwest, such as woodland openings, meadows and barrens, as well as mountain and desert habitats,” says Lynn Steiner of Stillwater, Minn., author of “Prairie Style Gardens” (Timber Press. 2010). “And even if these plants aren’t native to your area, they are still often better choices than exotic plants that come from outside North America.”

City and suburban gardens often aren’t large enough to support meadows, but many prairie plants adapt well to smaller spaces, she said.

“They tolerate less fertile soils, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. They thrive on less water, reducing water use. And they don’t require heavy fossil-fuel input from mowing and trimming,” Steiner said in an email.

Margaret Brittingham, an extension wildlife specialist with Penn State University, said it takes some effort to get prairie plants established “but once done, they’re easy to handle.”

“They’re great for attracting birds and butterflies,” she said. “You can use them for cut flowers, too.”

To keep neighbors happy and win official approval from municipalities, make the conversion from lawn to meadow look tended and not unkempt, Brittingham said.

Some design suggestions:

— Create borders using hedges, mowed edges, low fences or walkways. They act as buffers, keep plants from obstructing sight lines and frame an otherwise natural landscape, Brittingham said.

— Start small. Save money by converting from turf to meadow in manageable yet visible pieces. First, eliminate any trouble spots on the lawn, and then expand gradually, mimicking nature’s processes of gradual succession.

— Find the right plants for the right sites. Don’t plant sun-loving prairie flowers under shade trees, or plants that like their feet dry in low spots that collect run-off.

— Go native. Non-native species generally have less wildlife value, Brittingham said, and are often invasive, eliminating many native species. Check the noxious weed control lists issued for your area and ensure that none are included among the seeds you sow or in the containers you plant.

— Help spread the word. Draw a map of your natural landscape and make it available through brochures placed around your yard. “You might even include a listing of the plants you used and where you got them,” Brittingham said.

— Humanize the project. Add yard art or something personal and whimsical, Steiner said. “For accent and embellishment, rusted iron sculptural pieces blend nicely with the casual look of a prairie landscape. Sundials are nice additions to gardens featuring these sun-loving plants. Birdbaths made of ceramic or stone are practical as well as beautiful.”

By illustrating that your landscape is cared for and designed intentionally, you’ll show that you haven’t just allowed “weeds” to take over, Steiner said.

___

Online:

For more about prairie gardens, see this Penn State University Fact Sheet:

http://www.extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-5

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

October 7, 2013—

Folks on the Michigan Technological University campus have another place to sip a Starbucks and relax outdoors. The John Rovano Patio, between the Van Pelt and Opie Library and Rehki Hall, affords a new place to chill, before it’s too chilly.

Lynn Watson, University gardener, says she had to work between the two “pale expanses of the library and Rekhi Hall” and “black slate at eye level, which can further isolate a person from a natural setting.”

The result is the patio and two new gardens, one of which is a strip between two sidewalks. They all run north and south.

Watson views the Tech high rises and tall trees as a “visual canyon.” She says, “This is exciting because there is great richness in a canyon floor that is not present in the surrounding areas. The arching bridge between Rekhi and the library reinforces this entering in. The evergreen planting of the vertical elements reinforces this feeling of entry, even looking in from US 41.”

The plaza and garden were built in response to students who requested more seating and opportunity to enjoy the beautiful UP summer and fall. An extension of the Library Café, this is the first development of the planned Alumni Way, thanks to a generous donation from Dave Brule ’72. A door from the café to the new plaza is next on the construction list.Watson calls her finished work a “relaxed, visually flowing garden.” The curves in the design are intentional.

“Slow down, relax,” she says. “Find a quiet, private space to unwind, converse, study, think.”

Watson also acknowledged Brule’s contribution.

“The caliber of the donation, with the vision of people, plants and relaxation on campus, was very generous and will benefit students, staff, faculty and visitors of all ages for many, many years,” she says. “Thank you, Mr. Brule!”

Eric Halonen, assistant vice president for advancement, agrees. “We are extremely grateful for the Brule gift. The Library patio, with its new garden, is a great example of what can be expected as additional funds are raised to continue the Alumni Way campus mall westward.”

It’s a great first project, Halonen says, for Alumni Way.

“Alumni Way will truly add to our campus and provide students with inviting seating areas; a gathering area for all with our mascot, a Husky sculpture; commemorative tributes to Michigan Tech alumni; and enhanced green space with more landscaping such as that at the Library Plaza,” Halonen added. “The Alumni Way will be a place to make memories for new students and celebrate our legacy with all alums and friends of Michigan Tech.”

Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.