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Moving Oakland Forward Together |
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Dear Jean, I'm off to Viet Nam on vacation with my family
and will return with lots of photographs and interesting stories. While I will
be back in town for a short time in late August, I will immediately leave for
a League of Cities meeting in San Diego. Meanwhile, Richard Cowan, Claudia Jimenez, Sue
Piper and Jennifer Argueta will be holding down the fort in my absence.
On Labor Day weekend, I'll join the city
recycling staff at the Art and Soul Festival downtown to explain our Zero
Waste Goals and the new ban on polystyrene take out food containers. September Montclair Office Hours .
Instead of hosting our office hours on our usual first Sunday or Labor Day
weekend, we will have our booth at the Montclair Wine & Jazz Festival
on Sunday, September 9th. (Above) Jean with the Prescott Clowns at last
year's Laurel Street Fair.
Thousands of neighbors -- and a few from outside
of Oakland -- discovered what those of us who live in the Laurel have known for
some time-- the Laurel is the heart of Oakland! Throughout the day, we
enjoyed World Music performances by professional musicians and local talent
and scoured the street fair with over 80 local artisans, merchants, community
groups and international gourmet cuisine. At our booth, we distributed
information about city servces, emergency preparedness, recycling and a
survey asking people for what programs and services they'd like to see in a
new Laural Library. Close to 150 people resonded. To add your thoughts,
download the survey and return it to the Oakland Neighborhood Library
Coalition at 333 Market Street, Oakland, CA 94607 or fax it to 843-6768.
OPD is currently conducting an investigation
and has a few leads. We are asking the public to report any suspicious
activity to OPDs Theft Section at 777-8602. Furthermore, a notice is
being sent to all scrap metal recyclers in the region notifying them to be on
the lookout for these stolen containers and warning them that recycling
stolen municipal property is illegal. How much do these cans cost? Due to an
apparent math error in the Chronicle story, local media has
incorrectly reported the cost of the cans as being half a million or $8000
each. Fortunately, we are not buying these from the Pentagon's suppliers. The
cans were purchased with a state grant, funded by bottle deposit fees on
beverages, to increase recycling in the city These tough stainless steel
trash cans have compartments on the top for recycling bottles and cans. To
buy, ship, and install, they may cost up to $1500 each. A NICE CONTRAST: Boy Scouts
install trash containers at Joaquin Miller Park. Thanks to John Bouey,
the Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association and our Joaquin Miller Park
Working Group, Boy Scouts will be installing concrete pads, bollards and
trash containers in the park along Skyline Blvd. The work has been organized
by Eagle Scout Kevin Terashima, a senior at Bishop O'Dowd High School and
Piedmont Pines resident, who plans to study medicine. The team has
refurbished old cans and continues work over the next few weekends, forming
the frames for concrete bases, and pouring the concrete. (Above l-r):
Kevin Terashima, Bryan Ong, Sawley Vickrey, Michael Traylor.
Warren Freeway Sign Replacements Scheduled
for November/December. CalTrans has
informed our office that exisiting signs within the gore areas at various
exit ramps will be replaced with overhead signs at three locations on Route
13: northbound off to Carson Street; southbound off to Moraga Avenue, and
southbound off to Mountain Blvd. Construction is slated to begin in
November/December 2006. Cinderella/Sunset Trail Slide Repair: For those of you who hike the Cinderella or Sunset
Trails in Joaquin Miller near Castle Canyon, please be aware that city funds
to repair the slide which closed parts of the trails and threatened the creek
have been approved by the Council. A contractor is now being selected and
work may close the trail in the fall. Dog Park Delay: Due to difficulties of
running water lines out to the new Dog Park in Joaquin Miller Park, it
appears that we will not be able to open until the fall. For questions or
more information, contact Sue Piper in our office: spiper@oakland net.com or 238-7042.
Use Window Locks and Sturdy Doors: Home
burglaries pick up every summer as we forget to lock bathroom and upstairs
windows. There has been a lot of discussion on neighborhood listservs about
second story entries. Tables, garbarge cans, trees, cars, and even ladders in
your backyard may make it easy for someone to climb into a second story
window. Home invasion robberies during the evening are also a danger as we
leave doors, especially back doors, open to cool down the house. Invest in
inexpensive window locks that let you open the window without letting someone
in, sturdy screen doors, motion detector lights or alarms for gates, doors,
and windows. Pesky Door-to-Door Sales: We get frequent complaints about door-to-door sales
persons. They are suppose to have a permit registered with the city, ask to
see it. Many are legitimate, some are exploitive of the young students they
drop in the neighborhood. Because they try to get information on neighbors to
use in their sales pitches, there are some fears that they are casing out the
neighborhood. The best practice is to not open your door to anyone you don't
know if you are uncomfortable or alone. And--here's where having e- mail
contact information for your neighbors comes in handy. Many Home Alert groups
maintain listservs of local residents so that they can communicate safety
information quickly. Fake Honeywell or Comcast Inspectors: We also have had a rash of so-called alarm or cable
television "inspectors" entering peoples backyards. Ask for
identification, if in doubt call the police.
Our office is working with the Office of Parks
& Recreation to enhance the programs and equipment at Brookdale Park. As
part of that process, we have designed a quick survey for park users. Please
complete and return this survey
to Claudia Jimenez by September
1st. Fill out the Brookdale
Park Survey....
At Founders Day this week many of the people who had the vision to keep the center
open for new generations of Oakland students gathered. The most honored
guests were the dedicated members of the East Bay Astronomical Society, the
core of unpaid volunteers who care for the telescopes, and Kingsley Wightman,
the Oakland teacher, who dedicated 44 years of his life to making science
"fun" and who probably did more to save the center than any other
individual. Kingsley worked for a decade after his official retirement
without pay. Generations of children remember him as "Mr. Science."
(Above) Jean and Kingsley at the dedication of the third and current
Chabot Science Center at its dedication 6 years ago. Don't forget that on these warm and clear
nights, the Chabot telescopes are free to the public on Friday and Saturday
nights. They are the largest telescopes in the nation open to the general
public. More about Chabot's
history....
Kids Ride Free Saturdays on BART in August: Each paying adult can bring up to 2 kids free on
Satudays this month, thanks to Giant Viz Media, the people who make the
Pokemon toys. In addition, $5 tickets for Saturday's, August 12th A's game
against Tampa Bay and $5 tickets for the August 19th Ringling, Barnum
& Bailey Circus performances are available. Bicycle Trails Council of East Bay Trail
Cleanup on Chaparral Trail in Joaquin Miller Park, Saturday, August 26 at 8 am. Volunteers will finish
their prunning work along the Chaparral Trail to improve sight lines. Tools
and water will be supplied by BTCEB. Dress appropriately, as there is poison
oak in the area. Meet at the parking area by the restrooms near the Sequoia
Arena gate (off Skyline) at 8 am. Take the Joaquin Miller/ Lincoln Avenue
exit off Highway 13 (Warren Freeway). Proceed up the hill (east) on Joaquin
Miller about 1 mile and take a left onto Skyline Blvd at the light. Continue
on Skyline 1.2 miles and take your first left into Joaquin Miller Park. Circle
around to your right to the rest rooms. Non BCTEB members are welcome to join
the work party. Dressage Show at Sequoia Arena. Stop by the Sequoia
Arena in Joaquin Miller Park Sunday, August 19, starting at 9 am to see
riders and their horses at their best. For details, call 531-5449. Beauty and the Beast , opens at the
Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park Friday, September 1 and runs
through Sunday, September 10. Free tickets to children 16 and younger
who are accompanying paying adults to any performance. These tickets are not
reserved; present your adult ticket at the box office between 7 -8 pm on the
night of the performance and receive a free child's ticket as close to your
seats as possible. If the adult tickets were purchased with a group rate, a
free child's ticket will be issued per TWO adult tickets. For information, www.woodminster.com
Lake Merritt Gondolas are back. For $75 you can take your sweetheart out on Lake Merritt
for an hour. If you must take the kids or friends, its only $10 more per
person. You can make reservations or buy gift certificates online at Gondola
Servizio or call 866-737-8494.
5th Annual Sistahs Steppin in Pride East
Bay Dyke March and Festival, Saturday,
August 26, Lake Merritt. March gathers at the Lake Merritt pillars at 11 am
and marches at noon. Bring friends, your drums to join the SSIP Drum Corps.
Contact Afia Walking Tree at 534-9603. The free festival continues from 1-6
pm in Snow Park's Sistah Village (Harrison between 19th & 20th Streets)
with vendors, information, children's area, elder space, food and performers.
Art and Soul, Labor Day weekend, September
2-4, 11 am-6 pm, Live rock, blues, jazz,
gospel and more makes Downtown Oakland rock with 60 bands on five concert
stages, an Oakland Expo of our food and wine industry, children's area,
poetry, and many arts and food vendors. Adults $5, children under 12 free. There's
no better way to end the summer! Montclair Wine & Jazz Festival,
September 9-10, noon-7 pm. For one
magical afternoon, the town is transformed into a street fair featuring live
music, wine and food booths, arts, crafts and kids activities. For details,
go to Montclair
Village Association A Day in the Park at Maxwell Park. Come join neighbors and friends at the First Annual
Maxwell Park Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Picnic on Saturday,
September 16, 10 - 4 pm at Maxwell Park. Watch for details. For a full schedule of
performers at Oakland's Art & Soul Festival....
VIP Seating & food
available. Call 238-3092 for reservations. http://www.oaklandcitycenter.com/images/topbluena
v.gif http://www.oaklandcitycenter.com/images/topbluena v.gif Free Wednesday Noon Concerts at City
Center: Steps away from the 12th Street BART, enjoy the variety of
restaurants and music this summer. Coming up, Noon-1pm:
Free Wednesday Evening Homegrown Blues
Concerts in Old Oakland at 9th Street and Broadway, 5:30-7 pm: After work
head for Old Oakland and enjoy one of 40 restaurants, 33 galleries, 40 clubs
and bars, and many other attractions. My current favorite is the new Breads
of India at 948 Clay Street near Ninth Street. They're all listed in this guide.
On Wednesdays the Bay
Area Blues Society has put together great free concerts.
Meet Authors at A Great Good Place for
Books. Celbrate the launch of the 2006
Bookies by the Bay on Thursday, August 17 at 7 pm for an us. Janet
Majerus, author of The Best Laid Plans, will be reading from her debut
novel on Friday, August 18 at 7pm. Local author Adina Sara will
be discussing her collection of stories, 100 Words Per Minute: Tales from
Behind Law Office Doors, on Thursday, August 24 at 7 pm. Mark your
calendar for the Second Annual Bookies by the Bay! event, set for Thursday,
September 21. The event celebrates the legacy of A Great Good Place for
Books founder Debi Echlin. Tickets are $50; proceeds benefit Alameda County's
adult literacy programs. The Joy Luck Club shows August 19 at
the 2006 Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema. Free
parking at 8th and Washington Streets. Bring chairs and blankets for an
outdoor experience at 9th Street between Broadway and Washington. The showing
begins at dusk. For details call the Oakland Film Office at 238-4734 or visit
Old
Oakland Outdoor Cinema website Celebrate Laurel Book's 5th Anniversary
this month! Congratulations to Luan
Strauss who opened her independent book store on MacArthur five years ago on
September 15th. The Book Store will have a booth at the Laurel Music Festival
this weekend with special guests Erika Mailman signing copies of Oakland's
Neighborhoods. Oakland Youth Chorus Auditions!.Auditions for the 33rd Season of the award-winning
Oakland Youth Chorus are going on from now through September at Arts First
Oakland/First Congregational Church of Oakland,2501 Harrison St. Oakland,
94612. Concert Chorus has space for youth ages 14 to 21 for the 2006-07
concert season! (Rehearsals Tuesday and Wednesday 4-6pm) Auditions will be
held at Please contact Rachelle Rogers-Ard at (510) 287-9700 x101 to set up
an audition. For more information, visit oakland
youth chorus. Walking Tours of our Local Neighborhoods.
Oakland Heritage Alliance hosts its 25th Annual Walking Tours of Oakland
including the Redwoods. On Sunday, August 13, 10 am-12:30 pm, join
Dennis Evanosky and Richard Schwartz on a tour through Leona Heights.
This tour is limited to 30 experienced hikers by reservation only. Extra
tours have been scheduled for Sunday, September 17 and Saturday, September
23. For details, go to the Oakland
Heritage Alliance website
For our district office we rent a small office
space at 4137 MacArthur conveniently located in the Laurel near Maybelle
Avenue on MacArthur. We share a kitchen and conference room with non-profits
and small businesses. Our landlord has recent expanded the number of small
offices available. If you are interested, please contact Kevin Rath at
499-6136 or go to the
Laurel Office Center website
If passed, the Library Bond Measure would fund a
new branch in the Laurel. While we don't know exactly where it might be
located at this time, we are interested in community input concerning
programming you'd like to see at a new Laurel Library. Please feel free to
download our survey and send it back to us. Save the Date, September 16th: The Oakland Neighborhood Library Coalition is sponsoring
a fundraiser September 16th at the African American Library and Museum
downtown featuring Oakland authors. This building was Oakland's first main
library and has been beautifully restored. The Coalition is forming
outreach committees for each branch library. If you can help, contact Sue
Piper in her private role (she only works for us part-time): sgpiper@sbcglobal.net What's at Stake for District 4? The Library Master Plan proposes several important
improvements for our district:
To view the Library
Master Plan & Kaiser Center Proposal...
For more information
about AB 32 or to contact State Legislators....
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