Dedication of ‘Field of Dreams’ for local neighborhoods
It’s been a long time coming for the kids of
North Oakland
. And it’s been a labor of love for a devoted group of
Oakland
Technical
High School
parents, students and neighbors.
“It’s still a diamond in the rough, but it’s a jewel compared to what we’re used to,” says Oakland Tech varsity baseball coach Eric Clayton as he surveys the field. “The kids are so excited to have a home field they can call their own.”
Located near
45th St.
and
Telegraph Ave.
in
Oakland
on the site of the former
Carter
Middle School
playground, the field is taking shape, thanks to a grass-roots community effort that has raised nearly $300,000 in cash and in-kind donations, and required countless hours of grueling, hands-on field work by scores of dedicated volunteers of all ages.
More than a year in planning and construction, it’s been dubbed the “Field of Dreams” by the volunteer committee behind the project. Next Tuesday, April 1 at 4:00 p.m., the field will be officially dedicated.
Invited special guests include: Ken Korach (Oakland A’s play-by-play announcer); Bob Milano (retired Cal Baseball Coach & member of Cal Hall of Fame); Sam Bercovich (legendary Oakland baseball figure whose family sponsored local youth teams from 1929 to the 1980s); Vincent Matthews (State Administrator/Trustee, Oakland Unified School District); Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums (Oakland Tech ’53); State Senator Don Perata; and City Councilmember Jane Brunner. Representatives from local youth leagues will also be on hand to show their support.
“This project promises to have a profound, positive effect on the entire neighborhood,” says Oakland Tech’s varsity baseball Coach Eric Clayton. “The availability of the former middle school playground area provided an unexpected opportunity to bring baseball much closer to the school, and create excitement not only among the kids at Tech, but throughout the entire
East
Bay
.”
Paul Brekke-Miesner, father of a Tech baseball player and one of the driving forces behind the Field of Dreams Committee, points out that the facility will serve not only as the Bulldogs’ home baseball and softball fields, but will also benefit the local community and beyond.
“The first time I saw this empty school yard, I sensed an opportunity to create a first-class baseball and softball field,” Brekke-Miesner says.
“The high school and community baseball and softball leagues sorely need a well-maintained field in the neighborhood. In fact, North Oakland has the least amount of open space and ball fields in all of
Oakland
.”
The Field of Dreams Committee is partnering with other organizations to make the field available for local programs such as Oakland Babe Ruth’s BuddyBall and N. Oakland/S. Oakland Little League’s Challenger and Seniors divisions.
Too often characterized by delinquency and violence, a number of urban Oakland neighborhoods nevertheless produced some great ballplayers, including Rickey Henderson (Oakland Tech ’75), Dave Stewart, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, Vada Pinson and Joe Morgan, many of whom played on Bercovich-sponsored teams as teenagers. But that was a generation or two ago. Today, due to lack of local facilities, funds and volunteers, many
Oakland
kids never get a chance to play ball in their own neighborhood.
For the moment, future plans to build an adjoining girls’ softball field and add a scoreboard and other amenities will have to wait for additional financial support. For that matter, the Field of Dreams Committee is actively seeking donations to cover the recently-installed backstop, dugouts and outfield fences. But thanks to local families and business people, and successful partnerships with the
Oakland
Unified
School District
and Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation, the Field of Dreams will be ready for baseball this season.
Observes Phil Williams, a Tech parent and Field of Dreams Committee member who’s been heavily involved as a construction and fundraising volunteer: “For our kids at Tech, it’s gratifying to see the community rally around this project. It’s particularly satisfying to think that this field will also serve youngsters who haven’t even picked up a ball or bat…yet.”
Field dedication ceremonies begin at 4:00 p.m. (gates open 3:45 p.m.) on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at Carter Field in
Oakland
,
45th St.
between
Telegraph Ave.
&
Webster St
. The public is invited.
Contacts for media questions & requests:
Coach Eric Clayton (510.867.0917) or Skip Fogarty (415.602.5961)
Contacts for promotional or partnership opportunities:
Paul Brekke-Miesner (510.535.0429), John Carrese (510.213.0642) or Jeff Williams (510.910.4820).
The Home Stretch
The Field of Dreams Project continues at breakneck speed. Go by the field to check out the progress ...
The final three major components are under construction or under contract:
Backstop/dugouts
Warning track
Outfield fence.
I predict these will be complete within 3 weeks. Clear your calendar for the following upcoming events:
Dedication Ceremony on April 1 @ 4 pm. (details to follow)
First Home game, vs. Skyline April 4th.
Before THAT ...
Every weekend day from now until March 30, there will be tasks to do ... Painting, sanding, raking, shovelling, weeding, and a plethora of other simple tasks. A supervisory Dreamer will be on-site from at least 9 am - 3 pm each day.
Our very own "Bleacher Dave" Yungert is leading the bleacher rehabilitation project (fan comfort division), and will be working each Friday in March, plus all the Saturday afternoons. Come on out
and help him sand, paint, bolt, etc. Unsolicited advice welcomed.
See y'all at the Park.
Regards.
Phil Williams.
Coach Clayton interviewed on Marty Lurie's "Inside Baseball"
Oakland Tech Varsity Baseball Coach Eric Clayton discussed the Field of Dreams project on Marty Lurie's "Inside Baseball" program, Thursday February 14th on KYCY 1550 AM. Use the Windows Media Player control below, or click here to listen to the interview.
Windows Media Player
$60,000 in Six Weeks
Dear Friends (and friends of Oakland youth baseball),
On behalf of the Field of Dreams Committee, I ask that you consider a year-end, tax-deductible contribution--in any amount--to facilitate Phase I construction of a baseball and softball field for
Oakland
Technical
High School
and the local community. The site, at the former
Carter
Middle School
in North Oakland (recently decommissioned by the
Oakland
Unified
School District
) is two blocks from Oakland Tech.
Our non-profit partner isFriends of
Oakland
Parks
and Recreation (Tax ID #94-2751052), to which tax-deductible donation checks should be made payable (with “Field of Dreams Project” on memo line) and forwarded to Paul Brekke-Miesner,
2400 38th Ave.
,
Oakland
,
CA
94601
.
Below is a current summary of our project (including overall budget numbers), and attached is a Donor Recognition Chart. We're working feverishly to complete rudimentary tasks so that baseball can be played on the field in February. Meanwhile, the Committee is urgently seeking donations.
1. BackgroundThe
Oakland
Unified
School District
passed a Resolution in December 2006 that Oakland Tech could develop this unused field space as a baseball home field. Our plan is to locate home fields for both Tech’s baseball and softball programs on this single field space, and we’ve drawn field layouts to accommodate this plan. We estimate that funding to realize the full plan is approximately $1.2 million, but recognize that we will not be able to secure this funding in short order, State Bond funds and other foundation funding will take 12-18 months to put in place.
In the interim, we decided to ensure that the space will be reserved for our eventual purpose by building the baseball field. Please understand that even a rudimentary, low-cost installation will be a great improvement for Tech’s program, compared to the distant, rough, highly-scheduled City field (Bushrod) that has been Tech’s home field as long as anyone can recall. Three major improvements will be a grass infield, a home run fence and a “place of our own”!
Equally important, the field will also benefit the youth of
Oakland
, who sorely lack park facilities for baseball and other sports. In fact, the North Oakland neighborhood in which the field is located has among the fewest parks and open spaces within the City of
Oakland
. For this reason, the Field of Dreams will also have a significant, positive effect on the larger community, including "at risk" youths.
2.BudgetOur projected budget to have baseball played on the Carter field space in February 2008 (start of Tech’s baseball season) is $200,000. We started work in early September 2007. Some big-ticket items in our budget estimate have recently been taken care of through in-kind donations from local companies. For example, McGuire & Hester (in partnership with S&S Trucking and Waste Management OAC) broke up and removed 22,000 sq. ft. of blacktop, to make room for our right-field area. Less than a week later, McGuire & Hester trucked in about 430 cubic yards of soil from another Oakland job (where they were removing an athletic field) to fill that same right-field space. We estimate the combined value of this donated work to be around $60,000-$70,000. This work will also ensure that our outfield grass will have plenty of time to be ready for baseball play early next year.
We estimate that residual work to have our field ready in February 2008 will cost about $125,000, and we are actively pursuing additional contributions to fill our needs. For example, on October 25th, State Senator Don Perata hosted a fundraiser in a Temescal District store, at which we raised more than $10,000.
3.Urgent Cash NeedsWe estimate that the combination of in-kind donations and “sweat equity” will reduce actual cash requirements for completing this work to approximately half of the remaining $125,000. That’s why we currently view our critical cash needs at $60,000-$65,000. Any funding in excess of that required to complete Phase I will go towards Phase II work, installation of the girls’ softball field, and upgrade of the entire field space to a facility level appropriate to host softball and baseball tournament play.
We strongly encourage you to come out and look at the field. Everyone who has viewed the transformation of the area over the past couple of months has left as a true believer: Oakland Tech will be playing baseball on this space in the coming (2008) season!
Oakland Tech Varsity Baseball Coach Eric Clayton discussed the Field of Dreams project on Marty Lurie's"Inside Baseball" program, Thursday February 14th on KYCY 1550 AM.
Because Phase I has such a near “end date,” ensuring that we have adequate cash in hand to implement each segment of the project has been an exercise in logistics. For example, outfield sod will need be purchased and installed over the next week or two--at roughly $10,000--to give it plenty of time to be ready for February baseball. Once all our soil is in place and the grass is growing, we then need to raise money and install more expensive items, such as outfield and foul line fences, infield mix for the “skin” area and warning track, etc.
We would be delighted to have your support to help us make this dream a reality. Working with our local community, businesses and leaders, together we can show that a grassroots association of parents, players, staff and friends can make a big project like this happen.
Questions or requests for a site tour can be addressed to Coach Eric Clayton at 510.867.0917, or to Matthew Gable at 415.436.2614 (day).
Field of Dreams Work Day: Saturday, November 17th
Have a free Saturday on the 17th? Or even an hour or two? Come on by the Carter School Field, check on the new sod on the infield, and help get Oakland Tech's Field of Dreams ready for the upcoming baseball season. Here are the details:
The work day will run from 9am-3pm, and will include a Potluck BBQ & drinks at lunch. All members of the 2008 JV & Varsity Baseball Teams are encouraged to attend....Coach Clayton will be informing players about this year's Christmas Tree sale fundraiser.
The actual work/jobs will fall into the following categories ...
Cleaning storage containers, priming/painting
Sanding and filling bleachers, priming and painting
Moving bleachers into the construction area
Moving goalposts out of the construction area
Weeding the outfield (LF-CF)
Moving rocks and debris
Putting up the infield fencing
Maybe moving infield mix to put around our new infield sod area
Bring work gloves, wear work clothes, bring weeding tools, sanders, sandpaper, extension cords. Make sure everything you own (and want) is clearly marked with your name.
Field of Dreams Needs Your Help
Fellow Tech Parents, Staff and Friends:
We need Money, Materials, Man-power, and Moxie.
The Field of Dreams is a project to provide Oakland Tech with Baseball and Softball home fields on the Carter Middle School campus at 45th and Webster, just two blocks from Tech. Historically, the baseball teams have played at Bushrod, and the softball team plays at Mosswood. Both sites are remote from Tech and make getting to practices and games a chore for everyone -- players, coaches, fans, parents ....
The Field of Dreams has two phases, and will cost 1.2 million dollars. Phase one is on a fast track. We broke ground on September 8, 2007 and plan to be ready for February 2008 baseball, with a projected cost for this
initial phase of $200,000. Installation of the softball field and extensive upgrade of the overall space will be the focus of Phase 2.
Raising the funds for the full project will take more than a few months. Having been granted a window of opportunity to convert this space for Tech, we decided to quickly establish the baseball diamond, thereby reserving the remaining area for complete development, once the total resources are organized.
Donations of money are urgently needed, at any level, to maintain our momentum, and ensure that Phase One goes to completion by February 1.
Our non-profit partner is Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation. Tax deductible donation checks should be made payable to Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation (FOPR) with Field of Dreams Project on the memo line, and forwarded to:
Paul Brekke-Miesner
2400 38th Avenue
Oakland, CA 94601
Please take a moment to reflect on your own friends and acquaintances who might be able to contribute significant funds, services, or connections. Alumni, former pro players, political figures, contractors who could donate services? Let us know your ideas.
Questions or requests for tours can be addressed to Coach Eric Clayton at 510-867-0917.
Please share in our excitement, and help make this dream a reality. Let's show that a grassroots association of parents, players, staff and friends can make a big project like this happen.
Go Bulldogs!!
The Oakland Tech Field of Dreams Committee
9/25/07
Field of Dreams Makes the News
On Sunday, September 16th, KTVU Channel 2 News reporter Jana Katsuyama interviewed parent and coach volunteers as they worked to get the Carter Middle School field ready for the upcoming baseball season. View the story on KTVU's web site
And this story appeared in the Oakland Tribune on October 2nd.
10/2/07
Make a Donation
Anyone interested in supporting this project can make a tax deductible donation to:
"Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation", Tax ID#: 94-2751052.
Checks should be sent to:
Paul Brekke-Miesner
2400 38th Ave.
Oakland, CA 94601
or placed in the box at the Oakland Tech front office labeled: "Field of Dreams Committee--Baseball Field."
Here is the Project Information on the "Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation" web site.
9/16/07
Field of Dreams Yahoo Group
Would you like to keep up-to-date with the Field of Dreams Project?
The renovation of Carter Field in the heart of north
Oakland
is a dream for
Oakland
Tech
High School
and the surrounding
North Oakland
community. In partnership with the
Oakland
Unified
School District
, the City of
Oakland
and
Oakland
Tech parents, the field is located in one of the most historic baseball areas in
America
and two blocks from the Tech campus. This project holds the potential to provide Oakland Tech athletes and North Oakland youth the opportunity to play ball on a beautiful facility and deliver much needed baseball programs to youth 15 to 18 years of age.
When
Carter
Middle School
closed last year, the
Oakland
Tech community seized the opportunity to develop a much-needed ballfield on the property. With the approval of the school district, the “Field of Dreams” Committee is now working hard to raise $1 million to create a state-of-the-art facility.
There are several reasons why Carter Field is so important. The distance to the current home field for Tech’s baseball team impacts the safety of young athletes and fans. Tech students have been accosted in route to practice and home games two miles from campus. Participation in team sports is also impacted as a result. Renovation of this field would contribute to greater safety, school spirit and provide a new facility in an area of the city with the least amount of open space and parks.
The “Field of Dreams” is a golden opportunity right now for our community. It is a chance to build a state of the art facility for our youth, ensure usable open space for the community, and help guarantee that Oakland’s baseball legacy is not just about the past but also our future.
We hope you share our excitement!! Our goal is to have the facility ready for the 2008 baseball season. To accomplish this, we must move fast to secure the necessary funding and begin construction. Please step up to the plate and join us in building a “Field of Dreams” in
North Oakland
.
Fact sheet
Young people
Unfortunately, all children do not start on a level playing field. Despite the fact that
Oakland
’s children and youth have enormous potential, many do not have access to the support needed to become healthy andproductive adults.
Safe Passages
Statistics tell the sobering story of harm’s way for the youth of Oakland. Youth under 25 years of age represent 52% of all felony offense victims; of these children and youth under age 18 make up 62% of felony offense victims.
For youth ages 15 to 18 in
Oakland
, organized baseball is now nearly non-existent. This is a sad statement in a city that has won national championships in American Legion and Connie Mack baseball in decades past.
The Carter Field project has the potential to service 2,000 youth, ages 15-18 with year-round programs and leagues.
Most programmatic money in
Oakland
, such as Oakland Fund for Children and Youth and Safe Passagesis targeted at young children or middle-school youth. Youth ages 15-18 are generally left out because of the prevailing theory that prevention and early prevention is the highest need area. While these age groups are important, the 15 to 18 age group also need programs.
Parks &Open Space
Parks and Open Spacein
North Oakland
- The National Recreation and Park Association suggests a minimum standard for local communities: for every 1000 residents, 6.25 to 10.5 acres of parks should be available. Given this yardstick, the amount of parks and open space in
North Oakland
is wholly inadequate for the needs of its population.
Bushrod
Park
is the only major park facility in the heart of
North Oakland
and as a result, it is currently overwhelmed with usage.
Development in North Oakland – there is a major increase in development in
North Oakland
- 1700 units have either recently been built or are planned for construction in the very near future. Additional parks are needed in
North Oakland
to accommodate this influx of new residents.
Baseball
The
North Oakland
area was once a baseball mecca. Players such asTaylor Douthit, Cookie Lavagetto, Bud, Tom and Will Hafey, Curt Flood, Len Gabrielson, Jr., Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Billy Martin, Joe Gaines, J.W. Porter, Rickey Henderson and Josh Lowery, and legendary coach George Powles, all contributed to its baseball legacy. But today, organized baseball for the 15 to 18 year old age group is almost non-existent.
8/28/07
Here are the generous donors and sponsors to date of the Field of Dreams Project, without whom Oakland Tech's Field of Dreams could never have come true:
I am writing to urge you to lend financial support to Oakland Technical High School's "Field of Dreams" baseball and softball field project. As the parent of a Tech senior/student/baseball player/softball player, active member of our PTSA and other volunteer role(s), I have seen first hand what Tech is all about and I have been impressed.
Sports at Tech is a big deal. There are plenty of options and each student is encouraged to get involved in a sport. But for decades, baseball and softball at Tech have suffered for lack of a home field.
Currently, the baseball teams must travel to Bushrod Field, which is a sub-standard facility by high school baseball standards, and is located nearly 2 miles away from Oakland Tech. Transportation to Bushrod has always been a problem for Oakland Tech's baseball players.
Similarly, the softball team must travel to Mosswood Park, a half mile away, for their practices and games.
I have been following the up-and-down developments over the last years about the possibility of Carter School's field being used by Tech. I am thrilled that it is finally becoming a reality, but at a price. Hopefully, you understand how critical public education, and the extracurricular activities that schools offer, is to all to Oakalnd students and families. I believe that this project is worthy of your support.
I learned recently that Tech's enrollment has gone up and that we are now at capacity (1800 students) at a time when the district is losing students. Tech's teacher turnover is very low. I am at the school frequently, and I can say that the environment is calm and friendly almost all the time. Despite a host of problems the school confronts, Tech is on a palpable upswing and has been for a number of years. This project is part of that trend. The parent community is a remarkable driving force at Oakland Tech. They, and the students, truly deserve your support for a project which will impact this and future generations.
Thank you for taking the time to consider supporting this worthwhile project.
Sincerely,
Sunday 3/16/08
The outfield fence is installed....
October 14th, 2007
The infield starts to take shape
October 9th, 2007
McGuire & Hester delivers soil to the outfield
October 4th, 2007
Chew it up & spit it out....the crew from McGuire & Hester uses heavy machinery to remove the asphalt in right field.
September 9th, 2007
There's no place like home...looking from behind the plate toward left field ...and Hooper's Chocolates beyond the fence.
Down the first base line toward right field.
Looking down the right field line toward home plate, and 45th Street.
From right field toward left....and the Golden Arches on Telegraph beyond. The asphalt area in the foreground has been ripped out, courtesy of McGuire & Hester, to make way for right field.
