The past week has been a heart-breaker for all of those Alameda and East Bay residents who love their beaches, their birds and their environment.

For those of us who may have casually wondered before what an oil spill would look like, we unfortunately got our answer.

The U.S. Coast Guard in cooperation with state and county agencies was in charge.

The “guilty party,” meaning the owner of the Dubai Star, outsourced the cleanup. And these outsourced cleaners outsourced much of the hands-on cleanup work on Alameda’s beaches and shoreline.

While it’s true that many local bird-watchers got indirectly involved by staying in touch with wildlife officials and volunteer organizations, there was no real direct work for those Alamedans who care deeply about the local environment and who want to act when they see the environment being devastated.

Certainly, the oil spill was considered hazardous, and the mess that showed up on the Alameda shoreline was toxic.

Still, residents are asking, “Why couldn’t we help?”

Over the next few weeks, that question will be put to local, state and other officials.

It seems that those who most care about their own environment and its impact should be able to have an important role in how it is cared for, especially after a trajedy such as the Dubai Star oil spill.

Such a role needs to be carefully crafted in advance, so that damage to Alameda can be further minimized in the future. It’s worth exploring — not just for the nearly 40 birds that were rescued and lived, or for the 24 birds that have died, but for all the wildlife that’s been affected and the thousands of us who want the environment — our environment — to be protected from such preventable destruction.

Changes in the weather today and tomorrow may lead to oil sheens on the Bay, the Coast Guard is announcing.

Alameda residents and visitors who see sheens can call: The National Response Center at 800-424-8802 or the California Emergency Management Agency at 800-852-7550.

While crews are still cleaning the shoreline on Alameda and Bay Farm islands, more birds are being rescued. The total number of birds rescued alive is 45, though 8 have died in captivity and 16 have been recovered dead.

Several hundred workers remain on the scene cleaning hazardous waste from the October 30 oil spill, and the shoreline of both Alameda and Bay Farm islands - including Crab Cove (see photo above) - is closed to swimmers and fisherman. Paths along, but not on the beach, are open to pedestrians and others.

Some 40 birds have been rescued alive after the October 30 oil spill in the bay, 14 picked up dead and 5 died while in captivity, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two were picked up early today, treated at a Crab Cove temporary unit (see top photo) and taken to the Bay Area’s Oiled Wildlife Care Center near Fairfield.

No dead fish have been found.

Crown Memorial State Beach, Encinal Beach north of Ballena Bay and Bay Farm Island are still being cleaned and reviewed for impact. And wildlife rescue crews (see bottom photo) remain on patrol.

And on Wednesday the California Department of Fish and Game lifted fishing and shellfish harvesting restrictions on areas around Alameda, including Oakland Middle Harbor north to the Bay Bridge, Oakland Inner Harbor, San Leandro Bay and shoreline areas south of the southern boundary of Oakland Airport to the San Mateo Bridge.

The Alameda shoreline on the Bay remains closed for public-health reasons.

The clean up of Friday’s oil spill continues on Alameda beaches, with the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities saying the work is 80 percent done.

Meanwhile, bird rescue attempts on both Alameda islands are keeping local volunteers, Bay Area wildlife workers and state officials busy.

Bird watcher and Bay Farm resident Betsy Diaz has been on patrol and has found some oiled birds. Today, she says, she waited for two hours, keeping people and dogs away while trained staff with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network could arrive and tend to the coots.

“The coots were preening themselves trying to get the oil off,” Diaz said. “One was pretty badly oiled, and I worry for it. It was clearly uncomfortable - with its wing twitching”

“Sadly, the staff weren’t able to catch the coots, but they did catch a grebe that was oiled,” Diaz shared.

The U.S. Coast Guard says clean-up crews continue to work in several areas of Alameda that have been affected by the October 30 Dubai Star oil spill, while wildlife experts search for and capture any animals impacted by the spill.

Wildlife recovery specialists have recovered 36 live birds affected by the oil and 11 dead oiled birds since Friday. (Two of the 36 live birds died during treatment at the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center in Cordelia, Calif.)

The state also has set up a mobile treatment, or stabilization, center in Alameda near Crab Cove.

To report affected wildlife, call 1-877-823-6926.

Clean-up work at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach is about 80 percent finished, while the situation at Ballena Bay and Bay Farm Island is still being assessed.

Crown Memorial Beach, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, remains closed as a result of the spill, and fishing is suspended from the San Mateo Bridge to the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Two-day clean-up efforts at the Ballena Isla Marina in Alameda were completed earlier today, according to marina management. “We didn’t get much of the spill in the marina at all,” said Tim Leathers, Almar Marina’s regional vice president for Northern California. “We’re lucky.”

Ballena Isle, which has more than 300 boats at its slips, said the oil spill affected a dock with about 20 vessels. “There were globs of the bunker fuel, but they were easy to get out of the water,” Leathers said.

A crew hired by O’Brien’s Response Management,  handling the clean-up on behalf of Dubai Star’s owner – South Harmony Shipping, and the contracted cleaners — National Response Corporation – had about 25 individuals in the Ballena Isle Marina on Sunday and Monday, according to Leathers.

“The crews are now working on the west side, or the bay side, of Ballena Bay, and they are using materials to sop up and catch any oil that the wind could push into the area,” Leathers said.

At Marina Village on the Oakland Estuary, none of the oil spill came into the harbor, according to Sheila Maher, assistant harbor master of the Marina Village Yacht Harbor.

The claims number for those affected by the spill is (800) 421-0863.

This week has been as colorful for the Bay as the sunset picture taken at Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda today at 6:48 p.m.

The birds were feeding nicely, and no oil had appeared, fortunately.

Exactly 12 hours earlier, the U.S. Coast Guard got news that the tanker Dubai Star had suffered a rupture in a fuel lines and released an unknown amount of fuel into San Francisco Bay about 2.5 miles south of the Bay Bridge.

Some 11,000 feet of boom was deployed to contain the spill more than three hours later. And the Coast Guard says that the no more fuel is leaking into the Bay.

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) activated the Oiled Wildlife Care Network to conduct wildlife search and reconnaissance operations. So far, there have been no reports of oiled wildlife, and volunteers have not been called into action yet.

Alameda residents active in the Bay Farm Nature Connection plan to volunteer as the need arises.

The public is asked to not attempt to rescue oiled wildlife, the Coast Guard says, as this may cause injury to both the individual and the animal. Instead the public should report sightings of oiled wildlife to 1-877-823-6926.

However, according to the Coast Guard, “Oil trajectory models predict potential shoreline impacts tonight starting this evening at North Alameda Island, Bay Farm Island, Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island.”

Also, the Coast Guard is limiting the movement of boats in the Oakland Estuary, the Oakland Bar Channel and within the spill area.

We will continue to monitor this situation.

And in news about 700 miles south of the Bay, a boat owned by the J/World Sailing School is reported to have sunk after leaving San Diego and encountering a pod of whales.

J/World, which has facilities in Marina Village, participated in this year’s Baja Ha-Ha rally. The annual event includes about 200 sailboats this year – many from Alameda — traveling from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas from October 26-November 6.

On Tuesday, the San Diego Union Tribune reported that five people in a life raft had been rescued. And the sailing monthly Latitude 38 , which organizes the Baja Ha-Ha, says skipper Eugenie Russell and four crew members may have had only five minutes to get into the raft.

J/World opened its office in Alameda in 2002.

For trick-or-treaters looking to experience an encounter with a very special Halloween spirit, Alameda resident Lois Baptiste has “the” spot in town: the Alameda Food Bank barrel at 908 Lincoln Avenue, between Wood and Ninth streets.

This is a critical time for many families on the Island, and Baptiste will reward generous trick-or-treaters who stop by from 4 to 8 p.m. with some special goodies.

The food bank says these items are most needed: cans of beef stew, fruit, chili with beef, tuna and corn, as well as one-pound bags of rice.

Other drop-off points include the Alameda Free Library Main Branch, Alameda Marketplace, Bank of Alameda on Park Street, and Color Me Mine at Alameda Town Centre.

The Alameda Food Bank gives food to low-income Alamedans throughout the year and says it is “woefully short” on turkeys for Thanksgiving. To donate a turkey, call 510-523-5850.

And thanks to all the ghosts and goblins who donate on Halloween and during the holidays.

While Mayor Beverly Johnson and the Alameda Chamber of Commerce have issued written statements explaining their lack of support for SunCal’s Alameda Point Revitalization Initiative, one resident is having a bit more fun with his criticism of the plans.

Alameda resident David Howard, a member of Action Alameda,  is handing out “scary” SunCal-themed tricks and treats.

Howard calls the plans a “Frankenstein initiative,” and has printed candies with the names of “some of SunCal’s more than two-dozen bankrupt California projects,” he says.

According to Howard, the trick bags represent SunCal’s “empty promises for traffic mitigation, a sports complex and a levee to protect their development against projected sea-level rise at the site.”

Howard plans to be at the Webster Street Farmer’s Market at noon this Saturday to pass out some of the treats.

It will be interesting to see if SunCal plans a counter “trick-or-treat” demonstration – and how the various parties are costumed for Halloween.

With the Bay Bridge closed indefinitely as of Tuesday evening, there is now word on extra ferry routes from Alameda to San Francisco for October 29. 

Normally, there are five ferries that travel between the Main Street terminal and San Francisco every weekday morning and eight return trips in the afternoon. Now, with the bridge closure, there are 11 ferries in the morning between the Main Street terminal and San Francisco, and 14 return trips to the East Bay in the afternoon.

From Harbor Bay to San Francisco, there are now seven morning trips and nine afternoon return trips, while there are usually three morning trips and four afternoon journeys.

The impact of the latest Bay Bridge closure comes at a tough time for ferry-riding commuters. Rain and high winds led to some cancelled trips between Alameda and San Francisco earlier this month, during bad weather on October 13.  

There is a new weekend schedule going into effect on November 7 that will run through December 27 for the Alameda-Oakland-San Francisco ferries.

And don’t miss the 33rd annual Lighted Boat Parade on Saturday, December 5, and the ferry that leaves the Alameda Main Street terminal at 5:15 p.m. and returns at 6:45 p.m.

For commuters traveling by ferry who want to learn as soon as possible about possible delays and cancellations in ferry service, sign up for voice-mail alerts.

We will keep you posted.

The Alameda Sports Cards & Comics shop at 1412 Park Street is planning an obituary — for the unique business it’s shared with the area for the past 24 years.

Due to issues regarding its lease and rental playments, the shop should be moving off Park Street in December.  It’s last day will most likely be December 26, so the current owner (Patty) says she plans to publish an obituary.

“Downtown is beautiful, but it’s time to move on,” she said. “It will be the death of a Park Street institution, but we hope to have an even better store in the future.”

The business has sold action comics, sports and other amusement cards, as well as sci-fi-themed items and lots of other entertaining products and memorabilia, for 12 years (since 1987) at its present location. And for the 12 years proceeding this span (1975-1987), it was located across the street at 1419 Park.

Stayed tuned for news about the store’s new digs in town.