|
 |
Moving Oakland Forward Together |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Admittedly the post-season for the A's is not going the way we would like, but our family continues to hope and cheer! So when you're not watching the A's in the snow in Motown, enjoy our mild Oaktown (sweater) weather this weekend... perfect for working on your favorite school or neighborhood project (see #3)...or for imagining Oakland's beginnings at the Peralta Hacienda celebration (see #5)...or for getting some early Christmas shopping done at the Montclair Pacific Arts festival (see #5).
October is a busy month with many special holidays including two of
my favorites Halloween and Day of the Dead. Mark your calendar for
the many local and neighborhood celebrations.  Jean Quan Vice Mayor, District 4 Council Member
(Left) KC & Company closes last Sunday's gospel concert. We want to thank those of you who joined us for this first fall series. Sundays in the Redwoods evolved out of discussions to broaden the use of Joaquin Miller Park; our dream of quality, free live performances; and our hope of bringing the community together across generations and cultures. We enjoyed great performances in a beautiful venue and learned valuable lessons about using this huge outdoor theater and promoting events there. While the audiences were not as big as we can accommodate, nearly 1500 attended the series. We are pleased that at least half of the audience at each performance had never visited Woodminster before, many more had not been there in many years. My office and the Parks and Recreation Department will begin almost immediately to debrief and plan for next year. We welcome your comments and suggestions, contact Sue Piper in our office, 238-7042.
Over the years we have worked with neighbors, especially in retail areas, to address the health hazards posed by large populations of pigeons. The Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council has asked neighbors not to feed pigeons in the Walgreen's Parking lot and in the Laurel retail area. Recently, Richard Cowan, who works on retail issues for our office, worked with representatives of merchants, the Dimond Improvement Association, and the county vector staff to address the issues in the Dimond. As a result City staff has thinned trees to discourage nesting in front of stores. We will also be talking to merchants about netting, moveable owls, and other devices on their buildings to discourage roosting. Experts tell us the most important thing we can do, is to discourage the public from feeding the pigeons in these areas. I am considering authoring an ordinance similar to those adopted in other large cities which would prohibit the feeding of pigeons in commercial areas. This would not affect parks or other species of birds. Address comments or questions to Richard Cowan, Chief of Staff, 238-7041.
Allendale Recreation Center Planting Project/Film: Saturday, October 14, 12-5 pm. The center has been given 40 wine barrels pots, soil and seeds for a "Family Day" planting event. The Allendale NCPC and I are contributing additional native plants to get project started. Bring gloves, shovels, any gardening tools and plant cutting donations. Food will be served between 2-3pm, the movie 'Akilah and the "B"' will be shown 3-5 pm. Come by and meet the new center director, Michael Foster. (Above) Allendale NCPC crew on Earth Day working on the 38th Ave median. Friends of Sausal Creek's project for this Saturday, October 14, 9am-Noon, is to remove the invasive, non-native Cape Ivy that is crowding out many native plants in the watershed. Meet at the corner of Joaquin Miller Road, and the upper loop of Sanborn Road. Skyline High Theater Clean-Up Day:Saturday, Oct 14th, 10am-2pm. Farnsworth Theater, where Tom Hanks got his start, is one of the nicest high school theaters in the area thanks to the loving donations of school bonds, parents and alumni (including Tom). Help prepare this beautiful home of the Skyline Performing Arts School for this years student performances. Please bring extra brooms and dustpans, if available, and be sure to wear your grubbies. Lunch will be provided. Contact Elizabeth Benhardt, skylineseats@yahoo.com Glenview School, Sunday, October 15, starting 9:15 am: Hayward Blake, the "fairy god gardener" of the Glenview (he started the original Park median project, many of the gardens at Glenview & Brewer Schools), needs help to pull out bushes and stumps in preparation for next week's School Workday. Contact him at 531-2215 or by email.
Over the next five years approximately one-third of the City's 5,000 plus workforce is eligible for retirement. If you ever considered working for the City, Saturdays' Open House at Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall (14th & Broadway) is for you.
POLICE RECRUITMENT: Oakland is in fierce competition with cities around the state for police recruits. San Francisco is seeking nearly 300 officers, Sacramento 125, CHP 500, Los Angeles 600. The good news is that nearly all the recent Oakland academies are full with 45-50 cadets. The bad news is that each new officer requires nearly a year of training, half in the academy and half in street experience with a training officer. Applicants interested in the Police Department are especially encouraged to come: Meet Chief Tucker; see demonstrations in canine handling, motorcycles, helicopter operations; and tour the Police Recruitment Offices.
Indigenous Peoples' Day and Grand Opening at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, Sunday, October 15, noon- 5 pm. The Peralta Hacienda Historical Park grand opening celebrates its new $3 million park -- a tot lot with climbing structures shaped like native grizzly bears and redwood trees, a 100-foot long, 3-foot thick adobe wall that commemorates the Peralta family rancho, (left) the first European-built structure in the the East Bay; Native Plant Garden; and outdoor exhibits. Enjoy live entertainment, a community art project to decorate the adobe wall, docent-led tours, craft vendors, craft/archaeology activities for kids, food and community information booths. For details, call 532-9142. Montclair Arts & Crafts Festival, Friday and Saturday, October 14 & 15 . Stop by Montclair Village any time between 10 am and 6 pm on Saturday, October 14 or 10 am and 5 pm on Sunday, October 15 to view and purchase works from more than 90 talented artists who line the streets of the Montclair Business District. Visit the Montclair Farmer's Market on Sunday, as well. For details, call Montclair Village Association, 339-1000 or Pacific Fine Arts at (209) 296-1195 Family Day at Brookdale Park. Stop by Brookdale Park between 3 - 8 pm on Saturday, October 14 for a family fun day at the park. Kids' activities from 3 - 6 pm include: Potato Sack Races, Tug-of-War contests, Wheel Barrow Races, Horse Rides, Rocket Launching and other Hands-on Science Activities. Spaghetti Dinner from 6 - 7 pm and Social Hour from 7 -8 pm. Children must come with an adult/adults must come with a child. Sponsored by the Brookdale Discovery Center (2521 High Street) and the Brookdale Recreation Center (2535 High Street). For details, call 535-5632. Movies at Dimond Park launch Saturday, October 14, 6:30-9:30 with "Dora's Halloween" and the classic from 1985,"The Goonies". Films will be blasted up onto the Big Screen at the "stage" behind the Building in Dimond Park (off Wellington and Canon). In case of inclement weather, movies will be shown in the Rec Center. Future movies will be shown on the second Saturday of each month. For information: Michelle Doppelt, 482-7831. Family Camp Fire at Joaquin Miller Park, Saturday, October 14, sunset at the meadow. Bring the entire family for a fun-filled evening of stories and songs around the campfire. For details call Stephanie Benavidez at 238-3739.
Starting October 17, Mayor-Elect Ron Dellums is holding a series of events to provide residents an opportunity to discuss the issues they care about.
The Cleveland Cascades are stuck at 13th, let's get them into the top 10! American Express Partners in Preservation is running a web poll which will be used in distributing over a million in funds. Two great Oakland sites are among the twenty-five choices and need our help. The Fox Theater, the amazing downtown art deco era theater that is about to be reopened after decades sitting empty, is in third place. The Cleveland Cascades near Lake Merritt slipped out of the top ten to thirteen! The neighborhood near the lake has been organizing a great grass roots effort to research the original design and raise funds. This Sunday, October 15, each of the 25 projects will have an Open House from 1-4 p.m. This is an opportunity for the public and media to learn more about the projects and make comments on the plans. And... it's also an opportunity for members of the Advisory Committee of the National Trust -- who will be deciding who gets funding and how much -- to visit and learn about the sites.
You can vote once every day until October 31st!
Please help these grand beauties!
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. WING IT: Practice for Transforming Your life, Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Conference , Saturday, Oct 14, 9 am - 5 pm, Mills College Conference Center, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., sponsored by SISTER (A program for women), Mills College and the Oakland Police Department. For information on registration, contact Sandra V. Sanders-West at 777-8720. For the third year, my office joins together with leaders combating domestic violence and the sexual exploitation in Oakland to discuss new efforts to fight these problems and critical needs. Join us Monday, October 30th, Noon to 2 pm, in the City Council Chambers for our report. Speakers include:
If you or someone you know needs help. The Alameda County
Family Justice Center's
Alameda County Family Justice Center is the place to
start for help.
In the last few weeks, several neighborhood listserv's have discussed the issues of disputes over parking, safety on narrow streets, vandalism, etc. Some have arrived to the solution of encouraging the cleaning out of garages and parking our cars in them where possible! My garage is currently filled with various campaign boxes and lots of Measure N signs, so I am also guilty although we try to keep our cars in the driveway. So here are a few ideas: Did you take advantage of your Bulky Pick-Up This Year? Call Waste Management of Alameda County (WMAC) at 613-8710 to schedule your pickup appointment before the end of the year. For more information.
Parking Spaces: The demographic bulge of late teens
adds to parking congestion as some families acquire more
cars. While most of us think of the spaces in front of our
homes as "ours"...the street is public property.
Consideration and mutual respect are the best guidelines.
Storage of cars on the street is not allowed. Commercial parking: Occasionally, we get complaints that home businesses are taking up too many spaces. Each case can be different, I suggest you contact your neighborhood services coordinator on the Police Department's website to discuss your problem. A common complaint is a car repair business, in many cases this kind of business is not allowed in residential areas. Do not block narrow streets: Our fire engines are 8.5 feet wide, do not park so they cannot pass...lives and homes are at stake. Almost monthly, an ambulance or fire truck is forced to get out of their trucks and knock on doors to pass. Fire inspectors have been deputized to issue parking tickets.
(Left) Dimond resident and Senior Program leader Julie Jones welcomes new residents of Lincoln Courts, formerly the site of the infamous Hillcrest Motel and fourth worst crime spot in the city. Self Help for the Elderly, an established senior service organization, is managing the building and will conduct a fundraising effort to furnish and complete the community service/meeting rooms. With the Altenheim senior apartments opening next year, we hope the Dimond will become a model neighborhood to "age in place." Our office is bringing representatives from the four senior residences in the Dimond together to coordinate services and plan a "senior friendly community." One of our first projects was obtaining a grant for senior shuttle services in the Dimond. For more information, contact Richard Cowan in our office.
Presentation on Invasive Cord Grass and its Impact on the Bay at the monthly Friends of Sausal Creek meeting,Wednesday, October 18 at 7 pm at the Dimond Library. Erik Grijalva, of the State Coastal Conservancy, will present an overview of the non-native Spartina (cordgrass) issue in the San Francisco Estuary, including the impact of Spartina on tidal marsh ecosystems, identification, regional coordination of treatment efforts, approaches, and structure. Glenview Solar Celebration Friday, October 20, 2-3 pm, in the upper rear yard of Glenview Elementary School. Learn about equipment installed as part of a PG & E Solar Schools Program. Learn how to make your own solar oven treats and solar prints, and view the online monitoring system showing Glenview's solar energy production. You can check it out now by logging on to the site Upcoming Friends of Sausal Creek Workdays. Individuals and groups are welcome to join our restoration efforts within the Sausal Creek Watershed. Please contact Restoration Coordinator, Kathren Murrel Stevenson at 338-5676 if you are interested.
Glenview Elementary School Garden Work Days, Sundays October 22 and November 12, 9 am to 1 pm. . Join parents and students in planting a scented garden for the visually impaired students, as well as a long sunny border of native and drought tolerant plants. Bring marked tools and gloves. If you are interested in donating to the project or would like more information, please contact Carla Moore, 530-5065. Celebrate United Nations Month throughout October. Come to Jack London Square on Sunday, October 22, 11 am for a flag raising ceremony, followed by a luncheon at Scott's. For details, East Bay United Nations Association at 849-1752. Creating Inclusive Environments for LGBT Families in East Bay Schools . The Family Coalition (OFC) and the East Bay Community Foundation hosts an elementary school forum on Wednesday, October 25 from 5:30-8:30 pm at the James Irvine conference Center, 353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The forum is designed to give parents, school administrators and teachers an introduction to some of the groundbreaking strategies for creating inclusive and welcoming environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents and children. A light dinner will be served at 5:30 pm. The program begins promptly at 5:50 pm. Free child-care available. For details, contact Kevin at (415)981-1960. Please be sure to note if you will require child care. Women's Initiative: Taking Care of Business, Wednesday, October 25, 7:30 am - 5:30 pm at the Oakland Marriott. A full day conference to help women sharpen their business management skills. To register, to Women's Initiative Registration or call (415)641-3469. Sequoia Elementary School Annual Harvest Festival, Saturday, October 28. A great family event with food, games, crafts, bake sale and 5th grade car wash to raise funds for Science Camp. Proceeds from the Harvest Festival go to the Playground Beautification Fund. If you are interested in helping, contact Kelly McGrath at 482-1824. Supervisor Nate Miley Sponsors Oakland Town Hall Meeting, Monday, October 30, 6:30-8:30 pm at Sequoyah Community Church, 4292 Keller Avenue. Hear about the 2006-07 County budget; Countywide Violence Prevention Plan, Services to and Collaboration with Oakland and Q & A. For details, contact Darryl Stewart at 891-5586.
Our mention last week of local products from our district brought several emails about other Oakland products. One of the largest corporate brands not always associated with our hometown is Clorox. This week Clorox's Hidden Valley Dressing division launched a national program to get kids to enjoy their veggies and salads (with their Ranch dressing, of course) with a gift of a beautiful salad bar (left) and $15,000 for Sequoia's nutrition and garden projects. Honey From Laurel Bees: Neighbors Susanne Lea and Russ Bruno are beekeepers with four hives in their Laurel back yard. Their late summer "harvest" honey is on sale at Farmer Joe's at 35th Avenue and MacArthur. I Love Oakland T's and Buttons: Maxwell Park's Walter Williams sells his I Love Oakland products online at www.iloveoakland.com
If he had been this funny and direct during the presidential campaign, he would be president today... Former Vice-President Al Gore examines the scientific evidence for global warming in this feature-length documentary film. I promise it isn't boring. Interspersed with anecdotes from his own life, Gore makes a compelling case for the phenomenon and suggests ways to halt the effect on the planet and its inhabitants. If you haven't seen it yet, it is free (part of general admission) on Sunday's 3 pm at Chabot. On Fridays and Saturdays, at 6:30 or 8:30 pm, $8/adult, $7/student.
The Oakland Rotary's E-Waste Recycling Event, Saturday, October 28th, 8 am-5 pm at RPM Warehouse, 414 Lesser Street. Acceptable items include: Televisions, consoles and monitors; computer systems & components (keyboards, mouses, internet devices, etc; copy and fax machines; stereo equipment, CDs & DVDs (players and discs); printers & toner cartridge; MP3 players; scanners, cameras; cellular phones & batteries and household phones. If you have 20 or more computer systems (or large items), contact Greg Rosenberg at Universal Waste Management at 888-832-9839 to schedule a pick up prior to October 28...be sure to mention that items are being picked up for the Rotary Event. For details, contact Alex McIntyre 812-6544. Another great resource for recycling computers is the Oakland Technology Exchange where the computers are refurbished and made available to Oakland families. Oakland Technology Exchange is located at 14th St. and Willow in West Oakland. Students enrolled in OUSD who need a computer can get one there for free and get training on how to use it. Peripherals are available with a little volunteer work.
PGE Starts Skyline Repairs: Over the next weeks, PG&E crews will be repairing the hillside along Skyline Blvd, damaged by last winter's storms. There may be some lane closures. EBRP Serpentine Prairie Resource Restoration Plan. Many dog walkers use the Serpentine Prairie, extending from Redwood Road northwest to Skyline Blvd. for off-lease recreation with their pets. This area has a high density of serpentine rock on which uncommon native plants occur, including the largest population of one of the rarest plants in the state, the Presidio clarkia (above). Because of damage over the years by a variety of recreational uses,the East Bay Regional Park District will launch a restoration project this fall and may close off some of these areas. Joaquin Miller Dog Park Progress Water lines to the new dog play areas in Joaquin Miller Parks parking lots 4 and 5 have been installed. Fences will be installed next. We anticipate completion by November 1. Watch for details about the park's opening. Skyline Retaining Wall Project.Slide repairs off Skyline Road above Arrowhead Drive will run into November, requiring one lane be closed to through traffic during regular work hours. The detour route is Manzanita with signs posted at Shepherd Canyon and Snake.
Community Policing Advisory Board Appointee: After careful consideration I want to thank Laurel resident Bob Vaughn for agreeing to serve on the CPAB. Bob is a retired police officer and active in Laurel community projects including the campaign for a new Laurel library. Bob will take the seat of Marvin Smith, education and business leader and also a former police officer, who passed away earlier this year. The City's Public Ethics Commission is accepting applications for the position of Commissioner. The term begins on January 22, 2007 and will expire on January 21, 2010. Commissioners receive no compensation and may serve no more than one consecutive three-year term. For details and qualifications, contact Dan Purnell at 238-3693. Completed applications and resumes must be received no later than Friday, October 27 at 5 pm.
The City of Oakland Fire Department and BART host the Oakland/Berkeley Firestorm 15th Anniversary on Saturday, October 21 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Rockridge BART Station in Oakland. The Remembrance Ceremony will begin at Noon. There will be family and neighborhood fire prevention activities and a commemoration BBQ in the Street sponsored by the Rockridge Market Hall Pasta Shop at 1 pm. For a history of firestorms in the East Bay Hills, this presentation for the establishment of the Wild Fire District is still relevant.
Love Your Parks Day: The Oakland Parks Coalition invites friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation Centers to conduct citywide park surveys on Saturday, October 28 from 9am noon. Results of the surveys will be tabulated and submitted to City officials. With the failure of the Landscape and Lighting District update, city park maintenance resources are stretched. If you want to support OPCs effort to improve funding and maintenance for our parks, please be a survey volunteer, email loveyourparksday@gmail.com or phone 287-2693
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |