But three longtime campers banded together and saved it just weeks before the season was to begin, forming a nonprofit group to run the camp.

With a minimal subsidy from the city for the caretaker and utilities, Camps in Common ended the shortened season last year with $11,000 in its checking account, said co-director Terry Cullinane.

This year, the group has negotiated a three-year contract with the city and is taking reservations for a full season at the Sierra foothills retreat.

Several new programs have been added, including a social justice camp for teenagers and a performing arts camp for kids.

The camp also will celebrate its 80th anniversary.

"We have really cleaned up the camp, and it looks beautiful," Cullinane said. "We are keeping things pretty much the same, but what we are trying to do is get in there with a toothbrush and clean the grit out of the cracks. It's very laid back and relaxed, and people like that because they have time and space to do what they want."

The city had run the camp near Quincy, a four-hour drive from Oakland, since 1924.

The land is leased from the U.S. Forest Service under long-term contract. But unlike camps run by Berkeley and San Francisco, which usually have long waiting lists, Feather River Camp has been somewhat of a secret and attendance had fallen off.

Former Parks and Recreation Director Harry Edwards threatened the camp with closure two years ago after he discovered it had been running $160,000 over budget. Last year he said the deficit was even larger, and the city had no choice but to close it or start closing recreation centers.

But Cullinane and her Camps In Common co-directors, Jill Rose and Judi Marquardt-Norris, argued the city's numbers were off.

They gathered their own financial information, and presented officials with a plan to run it without a deficit starting this year.

"We don't know how they ever came up with their numbers, because it doesn't seem possible it could have had such a large deficit," Cullinane said.

The group had to scramble when the city turned the camp over to it last summer. It ran a shortened season with lower enrollment, but glowing reviews, Cullinane said. This year the women hope enrollment will be back up.

Feather River will continue its traditional programs. The family camps run July 5 to Aug. 7, with a different theme each week, including guitar, storytelling and folk dancing.

The children's camps run June 27 to July 24, with weeks for girls, boys, teen leadership, performing arts and the new Camp Amandla for politically active teenagers.

There will be a week for adults over 50 and an adult art camp.

Fees have been increased slightly for the children's camps and from $41 to $47 per day for adults for the family camps. A limited number of children's scholarships are available, and preference is given to Oakland residents.

Some of the old staff, including the cook, caretaker and maintenance people, are continuing on. Most of the recreation staff are new, and Cullinane said she is in the process of hiring for the summer. City living wage requirements mean the $11-per-hour minimum salaries are high, at least compared with traditional camp counselor rates. The group is trying to hire the staff from Oakland.

As in years past, a work weekend will be held during the Memorial Day weekend. Free meals and lodging is provided in exchange for labor.

"Oakland deserves to have this place, and we hope people will take advantage of it," Cullinane said.

More information is available on the camp's Web site, www.featherrivercamp.com

The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
(510) 208-6447
(510) 208-6477 Fax
lmclaughlin@angnewspapers.com Email