• October's always remind me of 17 years ago when Loma Prieta shook Oakland and San Francisco. I had just become a school board member and we waited over a few tense days to see if damaged schools would have to be closed, Oakland Tech became the home of hundreds of homeless Oaklanders. My husband, then medical director of Highland Hospital, directed operations at the trauma center. Two years later we would evacuate from our home and I would look in wonderment afterwards to see that fire resistant roofs at Kaiser and Hillcrest saved those schools while nearby homes were in ashes.

I served on the city's first Emergency Planning Board and over the years worked to retrofit schools, ensure funding for better communications systems, and on-going disaster preparedness. While we have made progress, there is still more we all can do to be prepared. The Wildfire Prevention District, now in its second year, will finalize a vegetation plan this year. I am working to ease the process and reduce fees for earthquake retrofitting. At least half of the residents of many neighborhoods were not here for the earthquake or firestorm. Take some time this month to go over your family disaster plan, check you supplies, reach out to new neighbors and update your street or block plans.

• Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies (CORE) Classes: A series of free classes to help families and neighborhoods organize for disaster preparedness. Upcoming CORE I classes on Home & Family Preparedness are available for Wednesday, November 18, 6:30 - 9 pm, or Tuesday, December 5, 3-5:30 pm. All classes are held at the Office of Emergency Services, 1605 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Advanced registration required.

• Other Training Opportunities:

• CORE I training at Redwood Heights School on Wednesday, October 25 from 6:30 - 9:30 pm.
• CORE Disaster Safety (First Aid) Training, Sunday, November 5 at 6232 Estates Drive, Noon to 4:30 pm, rain or shine. Eagle Scout candidate Stephen Bennett and his Boy Scout Troop 202 will play "victims" as you practice your First Aid skills under the guidance of Arthur Hsieh, Chief Paramedic of San Francisco. For details, contact Barrett Johnson at 338-0254.

 

Help restore the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Center. Many of you know that Sue Piper of my office and her husband, Gordon, are active fire survivors dedicated to preventing another Oakland firestorm. The Pipers led the efforts to build the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center--the observation deck that looks like a house without a roof overlooking Highway 24 (pictured above). Recently, someone vandalized the site. The City cleaned up the graffiti and repaired the railing, but educational panels needs to be replaced, at a cost of approximately $2000 The stolen Panel, called "Prevention and Preparation are Key" talks about protecting yourself, your belongings, your neighborhood and your assets--the key message of the exhibit. If you can help, please send your donation to the North Hills Landscape Committee, noting it is for the Gateway repair, 9 North Hill Court, Oakland, CA 94618. For details, contact Gordon Piper
 

For more information on Disaster Preparedness, Oakland CORE site...

(Left) Oakland residents learn about city jobs at job fair last weekend. The Police Department has on-going academies for new officers.
• Welcome Officer Loud: The Melrose Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council met one of the city's new police graduates this week, their new Problem Solving/Community Policing Officer assigned to Beat 27X, Gregory Loud. Contact him at gloud@oaklandnet.com

• Fairfax and High: Now that the M&W site is closed again, Officer Loud has been helping us reduce drug dealing at this corner. Evidence of drug dealing at other businesses at this corner has led to the eviction of other businesses near this problem corner. Keep reporting any evidence of drug dealing on the streets, in or near businesses to 238-DRUG.

• Allendale NCPC Wins Eviction: Thanks to the hard work of neighbors and police, council, and nuisance property staff, tenants of a problem property at 2877 38th Avenue near Allendale School have been evicted. This apartment had multiple issues with drug dealing and loitering activities. Our office, the Allendale NCPC and Police have been working on this situation for almost two years. An agreement with the tenant was reached earlier this week.

• Penny Saver Improvements: Melrose neighbors ranked the drug trafficking in the parking lot at this market on Foothill as one of their top three concerns. We have worked with the owner on improving lighting, parking lot landscaping, and restricting access. The result is a brighter store front and parking area resulting a marked reduction in loitering and suspected drug activity. Thank the owners for their cooperation if you're in the neighborhood!

• 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.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
 

• 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:

• Nola Brantley, coordinator of programs recently funded by Measure Y to work with sexually exploited teens.
• Charmin Bock, District Attorney, who has recently prosecuted the first case of sex trafficking in the state and who has prosecuted both "pimps" and" john's" involved in teen prostitution for felony convictions
• Progress Report on the Family Justice Center, the innovative one stop center for domestic violence support
• Officer Randy White, Oakland Police Department Special Victims Unit
• Robert Chenault, District Attorney, expert on the use of the Internet to solicit minors for sex

 

• 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.

•A Safe Place Alternative Needs Office Equipment . The Family Justice Center plans on opening a Safe Place Alternative (SPA) at the Family Justice Center on October 23rd, but requires at least two computers, two printers, a fax machine and Internet service. The SPA will be open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm. This Safe Place Alternative will be a drop in site for sexually exploited minors providing services and counseling; it will also provides a central location where professionals and community members can access information and resources for Sexually Exploited Minors. If you can help out, please contact Nola Brantley
 

The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)...

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, slipped to fourth 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.

You can vote once every day until October 31st! Please help these grand beauties!
 

Help Preserve These Oakland Treasures, To Vote Go to....

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.

• Saturday, October 21, 5:30-8:30 pm, Education, Arts & Youth; McClymonds High, 2607 Myrtle St.
• Saturday, October 28, Public Safety, City Government, Civic Participation; Castlemont High, 8601 MacArthur Blvd

 

Pre-registration encouraged, but not required...

<< Enjoying the new playground at Peralta Hacienda Park last Saturday.

•Help Horace Mann Elementary Reclaim its Library. The school library was dismantled in 2002 when the building modernization project began. The books are now ready to be cleaned up and put back on the shelves. Two workdays are scheduled: Thursday, October 26 from 9:30 am -12:30 pm and Thursday, November 2 from 9:30 - 12:30 pm. For details, contact Jeanne Nixon.

• 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.

• Montera After School Jazz Band: Montera Middle School, known for its strong music program, lost the director of their after school Jazz Band when Thom Kwiatkowski was promoted to Vice Principal. The club will be taught by Kahlil Shaheed of the Oaktown Jazz Workshop, students and parents have raised $2200 of $4,500 to cover his costs. If you can help, send checks to "Montera Music Program" c/o Ms. Angela Archie, Music Director, Montera School, 5555 Ascot Drive, Oakland 94611. Donations to the program are tax deductible. The Jazz Club is having a fundraiser at Compadres Restaurant on Park Blvd. November 7-9. 15% of all proceeds from diners using coupons from the club (available at Montera and Compadres) will be donated to the program. For more information, Carolyn Marringa

• Teen Rap & Poetry Contest,The Dimond Branch Library is sponsoring a contest for teenagers ages 12 to 19 and will sponsor free workshops to prepare submissions. Teens may submit up to three raps or poems by Friday, November 17. Gift certificates will be awarded to the top three poems or reaps, and all submissions have a chance to be published in a Teen Chapbook.

A free workshop will be offered On October 26 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm . For details, call Giovanna Capone at 482-7844 or email her at Giovanna. Be sure to include author's name, age, phone number and email address on each submission.

<< Admiring Sugar Skulls at the Day of the Dead festivities in the Fruitvale.

• This Sunday's free Community Celebration, October 22, noon–4 pm is the highlight of the Oakland Museum's Day of the Dead festivities. There will be craft activities, food, music and dance performances, ceremonia (opening procession), and a mercado (market).
This year's exhibit celebrating the colorful Latino/Chicano tradition of honoring the dead, Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts: Dias de los Muertos 2006 is on view through Sunday, December 3.

• Dimond Howl-o-ween Parade & Pet Costume Party, Saturday, Oct. 28, 6-9 pm: Paws & Claws, the Natural Pet Food Store & Bathhouse in the Dimond, 2023 MacArthur Blvd. organizes an annual event for humans and their pets. Meet in front of Paws & Claws at 6 pm to parade through the Dimond District to collect treats. Return to "Paws & Claws" at 6:30 pm for an outdoor party behind store.

• The annual Halloween Parade in Montclair is sponsored by the Lion's club. Gather on Halloween, October 31st, 3 pm at the Montclair Park entrance near the Bank of America. For more information, contact the Montclair Lions Club at montclairlions@gmail.com

• Dia de Los Muertos Fruitvale Festival, Sunday, November 5th, on International Boulevard between Fruitvale Avenue and 41st Avenue and in the Fruitvale Village Plaza near the BART station. This is one of my favorite holidays, feeling very much like a trip to Mexico. Oakland hosts the largest celebration in the Bay Area, with more than 100,000 people are expected, 150 vendor exhibitors, and expanded arts and crafts displays with over 40 altars ranging from local merchants to non-profit organizations and public agencies. Food vendors will line the streets offering up their goods and services. Five entertainment stages with live music and dancing feature a diverse musical lineup, ranging from world-class artists to local youth performers and various types of music including Salsa, Merengue, Afro-Cuban music, Banda, Cumbia, and Norteño music.Traditional dance will include Aztec Dancers as well as Ballet Folklórico and others .
 

Day of the Dead Schedules....

<< Mr. Hamilton and other young volunteers prepare planters at Allendale Rec Center last Saturday.

• UniverSoul Circus in Town from October 21 through October 29. This lively African American circus is here for its annual visit. They are camped at Oakport and 60th at Zhone Way. Tickets available at Ticketmaster. For groups of 20 or more, call 800-316-7439.

• 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. This Saturday, October 21, 9-Noon: Redwood Site-help divert erosion causing storm water off of the switchbacks in preparation for the winter rain. Meet at Monterey Blvd. trail head.

• 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.

• Women's Initiative: Taking Care of Business, Wednesday, October 25, 7:30 am - 5:30 pm at the Oakland Marriott to help women sharpen their business management skills. To register, to Women's Initiative Registration or call (415)641-3469.

• 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. For details, contact Darryl Stewart at 891-5586.

• Thomas Cahill Speaks about our Fascination with Knights,Castles, and all things Medieval,Thursday, November 2 at 7:00 pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Avenue. In his new book, Mysteries of the Middle Ages (the fifth volume in his Hinges of History series), Thomas Cahill answers these questions and more. Co-sponsored by A Great Good Place for Books and St. Paul's Episcopal Church. $5.00 suggested donation

• 6th Annual Small Business Symposium. The City and Councilmember Larry Reid sponsor a Small Business Symposium Thursday, November 2, 8 am - 5 pm at the Oakland Marriott/ Convention Center,1001 Broadway. Dozens of workshops will be offered throughout the day with topics ranging from business plan development, bookkeeping and accounting for start up businesses to how to gain access to capital. Advanced registration is required. Call 986-2855 or register on-line

• Become a Master Composter through a free certificated course. Participants receive training in the art and science of basic and worm composting, soil health, and Bay Friendly gardening techniques and use this knowledge to train others through a community outreach project. Participants receive a compost bin, composting and gardening books, including the East Bay Municipal Utility District's "Plants and Landscapes for Summer Climates of the SF Bay Region." Teachers who complete the program are eligible for a $200 stipend to use towards school gardens and/or classroom compost activities. Complete an application by January 12, 2007. Classes will meet Tuesday nights early February to mid-May, with 2 Saturday field trips.

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.
• Cars must move every 72 hours. To report abandoned vehicles parked on the street for over 72 hours, call the Abandoned Auto Detail at 510-238-6030. Fax information to 510-238-6044. Or email the location, description, and license number of the vehicle, if known, to abandonedauto@oaklandnet.com
 

• 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.

• Fruitvale School Seeks Food Donations for Thanksgiving Food Box Giveaway . Fruitvale Elementary School in Oakland will be providing Thanksgiving Food Boxes, on Friday, November 16 and 17th during the day to community members, many of whom have relocated from New Orleans to Oakland. Donations of food, turkeys and Gift Cards are needed and are being accepted from now through November 16th. If you have received a Thanksgiving Food Box from the school before or are in need of one this year, please call the school to reserve a box. Please contact Mrs. Cherie Ivey, Principal @ 510-879-1170.

• The Melrose Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council provides baskets for needy families at Horace Mann School each year. If you can donate a turkey or other food, contact Carmen Perez in our office.

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 OPC’s effort to improve funding and maintenance for our parks, please be a survey volunteer, email loveyourparksday@gmail.com or phone 287-2693