Meet BPWA's New Treasurer: Karen Ebadi

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm Karen Ebadi and live in North Berkeley. I grew up in Livermore. I work as an accountant and in my free time I enjoy reading, riding my bike, and traveling.

How did you become interested in Berkeley's paths?

I like to hike/walk and was looking for some walks close to home when I found BPWA. I like that the walks are usually about 3 hours, leaving time for errands later in the day. I enjoy the people I've met walking with BPWA and I'm always amazed at how many new places I see on the walks, which are right in our backyard.

What do you hope to achieve as a BPWA board member?

I'd like to facilitate the continuation of the work that BPWA does, maintaining the current paths, adding handrails and building new paths. I also think it would be great if we could find an artist to do a mosaic stairway on one of the paths (similar to the mosaic stairways that are in San Francisco).

Meet BPWA's New Emergency Preparation Liaison: Chris Cullander

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born 3 score and 11 years ago, and have been told that I learned to wander early on. I live in Berkeley and grew up just outside of Washington, DC. I’m enjoying retirement — reading, concerts, travel, volunteer work, and the occasional talk. 

How did you become interested in Berkeley's paths?

When we moved to Berkeley, I wondered where the fire trails at the top of Dwight Way and Derby Street led, and one path led to another.

What do you hope to achieve as a BPWA board member?

I’m the emergency preparation liaison, keeping BPWA connected with Berkeley’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Berkeley’s  Office of Emergency Services and Public Health’s Emergency Preparedness program. I hope to bring the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission into this mix and to establish links with the Berkeley Disaster Preparedness Neighborhood Network (BDPNN) and NALCO, an amateur radio group that performs fire patrols around the Berkeley parks and Hills area during fire alert days.

GoFundMe Campaign for Terrace View Paths

GoFundMe Campaign for Terrace View Paths

The Alliance’s fundraising target is $70,000, which will enable the addition of handrails to the most popular paths to make them safer for residents, especially those who might be mobility impaired or elderly. The funds will help to complete Columbia Path and potentially build Del Mar Path, and to make improvements in Glendale Path, Atlas Path, and Wilson Walk.