Cedar Street Path (Path #107)
Path data:
Lower Street
(Adjacent Addresses) |
Upper Street
(Adjacent Addresses)
|
Notes |
| Top of Cedar (at La Loma) |
La Vareda |
wooden steps |
Photos (click on thumbnail to display photo):
Young Path Builder Completes Cedar Path by Sandy Friedland
Berkeley Path Wanderers Association Newsletter -- Spring 2007 -- Vol. 10 No. 1
When Shifra deBenedictis-Kessner volunteered to build Cedar Path, the most daunting challenge for the then 16-year old was not tackling the stubborn weeds and brush that had obscured the path and the sidewalk at the bottom. Nor was it re-grading the lower portion of the steep little hill the path traverses, nor even working in full sun on the hottest days of the year.
“The hardest part was getting my crew to understand that the work had to be done perfectly,” Shifra recalls. “The whole path depends on each step. There was no reason to put in all the time and effort unless the results were excellent.”
This drive for perfection, along with her perseverance and high energy, were quickly apparent when Shifra began attending BPWA work parties two years ago to complete her community service requirement for school. She continued to show up long after she had logged her hours, impressing all the adult volunteers.
“She was competent, sensible, and cheerful and quickly became a seasoned veteran,” says Charlie Bowen, who leads BPWA’s path building efforts.
Last year Shifra asked Charlie if she could build an entire path as the project for her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout may earn. Charlie was skeptical.“ I told her I appreciated her enthusiasm and vision, but she didn’t know how much work a whole path was. I suggested that she tackle just part of an un!nished path.
Shifra listened politely to Charlie’s warnings but still insisted she could handle an entire path. “I really wanted to do something that would make a difference,” says Shifra. Finally, she and Charlie settled on Cedar Path, which was supposed to connect La Loma Avenue and La Verada Road, but never got built.
Charlie thought that adult BPWA volunteers could pitch in to help if needed. But Shifra had her own ideas. She recruited friends and other Scouts, and they began working what would turn out to be 13 Sunday mornings, starting July 9. Her coed crew ranged from three to 20 and installed a total of 76 wooden steps and secured them with rebar.
“I would go crazy running up and down the path trying to keep people busy and making sure everyone did a good job,” says Shifra, who also had to create a new access ramp from the sidewalk to the steps. In the process, she learned far more than how to set and level steps. “Shifra trained and supervised her crew, and they did a high-quality job,” Charlie reports. It’s not trivial to lead a crew on a big job like this, and she rose gracefully to the demands.”
Shifra got lots of encouragement from neighbors of the path and passersby, and the path has been getting heavy use since it was completed in October. For her efforts, Shifra was honored at the BPWA annual meeting last year and has been nominated for a National Young Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts.
“Those Sunday mornings were really fun AND productive,” says Shifra, now 17. “I miss working on the path. It’s my baby. Isn’t it gorgeous?!
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