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1. Have a Safe
Memorial Day Weekend |
- Work Day in Beaconsfield Canyon, Saturday, May 26,
9-Noon: Join local volunteers as they clear dead wood and
debris and eliminate flammable, non-native plants in Beaconsfield
Canyon, between Ascot and Chelton. Discover one of Montclair's
"hidden" canyons and help reduce the heavy fuel load before the
height of fire season. Meet at the bottom of Beaconsfield
Place-second street off of Chelton as you go up Ascot. Bring work
gloves & garden tools if you have them. Other work days are planned
for the last Saturday of every month. For details, contact
Richard Kauffman at 531-1237.
- Reggae at the Oakland Zoo,
Sunday, May 27, 11:30 am & 1 pm: ZooKids
family concert featuring music by Asheba! Come sing and dance
to songs all about our animal friends! Show is free with the price
of Zoo Admission. Children under 2: free; Children 2-14: $6; Adults
15-54: $9.50; Seniors 55+: $6; Parking $6.
- Memorial Day Observance:
Monday, May 28, 11 pm, at the historic Evergreen Cemetery, 6450
Camden, sponsored by American Legion Oakland Post 471, 451-7782.
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 USS
Hornet Museum - Memorial Day Ceremony: A Memorial Day
ceremony will be held onboard the USS Hornet Museum from 1-2 pm on
Monday, May 28, honoring veterans of past and present wars. Tours of
the ship 10 am-5 pm. The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays, 10
am-4 pm and is berthed at 707 W. Hornet Ave, Pier 3, in Alameda.
Regular admission price is $14 for adults and $6 for kids, 521-8448
or
www.hornetevents.com.
- Next Ten's California Budget Challenge, Tuesday, May 29,
11:30-1 pm at Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak Street: This
statewide project uses a sophisticated program to educate
Californians about the state's budget challenges. It looks at 16
policy options, including such topical choices as whether to levy a
carbon tax, restructure Prop 13, provide universal healthcare, or
cut income taxes. The results will be reported to the Governor and
state policy makers. You can also participate on-line:
http://www.next-ten.org/challenge.php
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2. CORE
Promoted at Giants and A's Games |
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KTVU Channel 2 and KICU Channel 36 are producing a six-week
advertising campaign for CORE (Citizens of Oakland Respond to
Emergencies) that will run during Giants and A's games. The campaign
launched this past weekend and will run through June 30.
 If
you haven't organized a CORE group for your block, sign up now!
It's not difficult. You can take a 2-hour CORE I class at CORE or,
if you can round up 10 neighbors, CORE will come to your home.
You'll learn the basics of emergency preparedness for your family,
and your neighborhood. It can start with something as simple as an
ice cream social, which is what neighbors on Moraga did this past
weekend. Two weeks ago, Sue Piper of our office held a CORE fest in
her neighborhood, where residents spent 5 minutes at each of the
seven tables that represented the seven CORE team responsibilities.
In a little over 30 minutes, residents learned how to use an FRS
radio, how to stop bleeding, how to correctly do search and rescue,
how to turn off a gas line, and overall, how to organize neighbors
following a major disaster. Make it fun and more people will
participate. For details, call
CORE at 238-6351.
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3. Council Continues Budget Hearings, Next D4
Hearing June 2nd
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City Council hearings continue on the next two year budget as we
examine proposals department by department. The Mayor and City
Administrator proposals were summarized in this past
newsletter. Council members will likely make additional
proposals, but a $13 million projected deficit means tough
decisions. The Council has final budget authority and a budget must
be passed by June 30th. For an overview of the City Budget, budget
schedule and more:
Budget Facts.
You can participate in the discussion. As Finance Chair I will
participate in the following hearings:
- Tuesday, May 29th, 4-8 pm:
Special Council Meeting, City Hall, presentation on the current
budget (3rd quarter report), master fee schedule, department
reorganization, Public Works.
- Thursday, May 31, 7-9 pm, Ascend Elementary School,
3709 East 12th Street at 37th Avenue, two blocks past Fruitvale BART
Station, in the multi-purpose room.
- Saturday, June 2, 10 am-Noon, Altenheim Senior Housing,
1699 Excelsior Avenue, in the Priory Hall, Joint District 4 & 5
Hearing.
- Wednesday, June 6, 7-8:30 pm, Special KTOP Hearing:
Viewers will have an opportunity to call in questions to Council
President Ignacio Delafuente, myself, City Administrator Deborah
Edgerly and the Mayor's Budget Director Dan Lindheim.
Q: How is the budget spent?
A: The following charts shows the
break down by department, Public Safety (Police and Fire) account for
62% of the budget.
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4. Help Us
Attract Retail, Online Oakland Shopper Survey |
 The
City of Oakland is working with a team led by Conley Consulting Group
to create a citywide strategy to attract more retail stores and to
improve the retail experience in Oakland. An important part of the
process is to learn about consumer perceptions and preferences. This
online survey measures the shopping patterns of Oakland shoppers. Upon
completing the
survey, you will be able to enter a drawing for a free Apple iPod
Nano. |
5. Wildfire Season, $11K Reward for Information
on Goat Slayings
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- This week a small group of goats, penned
for return to their herder's ranch, were found shot to death near
the King Estates recreation area in East Oakland. Sgt. Cronin of the
City of Oakland's Animal Services Division reports that the goats
were probably killed with a .22-caliber rifle. The goats were part
of the herds "rented" by the Wildfire District to munch on
vegetation and overgrown weeds in steep hilly areas to increase fire
safety.
Park rangers have beefed up patrols in the area
while police continue to look for the person or persons responsible.
The reward for information about the killings has been raised to
$11,000 thanks to donations from the East Bay SPCA, In Defense of
Animals, Friends of Oakland Animal Services and Voices for Pets of
Walnut Creek. Anyone with information about the killings or any other
harassment of the goats should call Oakland Animal Services at
535-5640 or email
Sgt. Cronin.
- Fire
season inspections: Residents within the Wildfire Prevention
District will be receiving reminders about cutting back vegetation
in the next few weeks. Soon after Oakland Fire Fighters will begin
their annual inspections. For more information on vegetation
control and making your home safer, go to the
Oakland Wildfire Prevention District website.
- Green Plant Recycling Practices:
Don't forget that residents of the Wildfire District can have their
branches reduced to water conserving mulch. For more tips on how to
recycle vegetation to enrich your soil, reduce green house
emissions and landfill, go to
StopWaste.org.
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6. Limits on Feeding Pigeons Goes to Council |
 Following
a series of complaints to my Office about the negative impact
to commercial districts caused by feral pigeons, we researched the
best ways to control the feral pigeon population. This research
indicated that banning pigeon feeding in commercial zones was the
easiest and most humane method to reduce pigeon impact in these areas.
On Tuesday the Life Enrichment Committee heard from Dimond Improvement
Association Chair Daniel Swafford and resident Marilyn Miller, who
described the problem pigeons create for merchants and customers. The
proposed ordinance passed the committee unanimously. This will
not affect feeding pigeons on private property or parks. It goes to
full Council on June 2nd. |
7. New Date for Plastic Bag Ban and More Green News
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 Proposed
Plastic Bag Ban: Because of our heavy legislative schedule and
budget hearings, the date to introduce the plastic bag legislation has
been pushed back to June 26th.
Council Member Nancy Nadel and I will introduce an
ordinance banning plastic carry out bags from large retail stores
similar to the legislation recently passed by San Francisco. Each year
12 million barrels of oil go to produce over a trillion single use
plastic bags. Californians use over 19 billion bags and throw 600 away
every second, resulting in over 147,000 tons of litter. Thousands of
marine animals die from ingesting bags or entanglement. To comment on
the ordinance, contact
Richard Cowan of our office 238-7041.
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 Enter
Our Free Raffle; Battery Recycling Made Easy in Oakland:
State law bans batteries from residential garbage so it's a good
time to switch to rechargeable batteries, flashlights, and
appliances. I have been pleased to work with Stop Waste and our
Public Works Department to have Battery Recycling Containers placed
at public libraries, recreation centers, fire stations and other
public buildings. It's part of our effort to reach Zero Waste by
2020! When you drop off your batteries at our libraries you can
enter a raffle for battery charging equipment.
At District 4 libraries -Dimond,
Montclair, Melrose - we will also be raffling off rechargeable
flashlights; perfect for your emergency preparedness kit or car.
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25 Ways to Keep Oakland Green:
Help us pass on our
new leaflet listing 25 ideas for a greener Oakland, including
many valuable resources.
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8.
Community Policing/Crime Prevention News
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- Be a Nosy Neighbor: The Maxwell Park listserv
was busy catching burglars last week. First, a neighbor came home
from work in the afternoon to see a
new Public Storage truck with no license plates in front of
her house. Her front door was open. They saw her and asked if she
lived there, and then ran when she said yes. She immediately called
the police who recovered the truck. This week neighbors noticed two
teens ringing bells and going into back yards, later another
neighbor saw them breaking into a home and called the police.
Thanks
 to
the good descriptions and alert neighbors, the youth were found a
few blocks away and some of the stolen goods were recovered.
Maxwell Park has over 80 block captains and may be the most
organized Neighborhood Council in the city.
Does your block have a neighborhood
watch?
Neighborhood Watch is all about neighbors looking out for others
on their block. If you see something suspicious, don't hesitate to
call the City Dispatcher. If you think a crime is in progress, call
9-1-1. Otherwise, call the non-emergency number 777-3333.
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 Allendale
Tackles Graffiti: Right now there is a rash of graffiti in
neighborhoods all over the city. The City removes graffiti from
public property, owners are responsible for removing
graffiti from private property. To report graffiti on public
property call the
Public Works Call Center,
615-5566. Quick removal of graffiti is the best way to discourage
this practice, sometimes it takes several rounds. If graffiti is
not removed from private property, you can also report that to the
Call Center. Volunteers in the Laurel Neighborhood Crime Council
work with Laurel merchants, especially Ace Hardware, to keep
graffiti down in the commercial area. Now the Allendale
Neighborhood Crime Council has decided to put together anti-graffiti
kits to help neighbors. The kits are available on loan, they include
basic with grey spray paint for graffiti on walls and cement and a
can of Goof Off which can be used to clean off signs and other
smooth surfaces, gloves and rags. If you live in the Allendale
area, kits can be checked out from Dave Pratt, 368-2521 or
dbp2908@gmail.com
or from Steve Reuss 536-9551 or
sgr@att.net
 More
Crime Prevention Tips for Summer
- Talk to your kids about fireworks and matches.
- Do not let your children play alone.
- Do not leave your garage door open.Many burglaries are
committed through open windows, especially kitchen and bathroom
windows. Check them before leaving home.
- In summer we open more windows and doors, make sure you have
window locks or other protections.
- When home alone or with your children, keep doors locked.
- If you leave the residence to do yard work, lock the door behind
you.
- At parks and community pools, do not leave children or valuables
unattended (or wrapped in a towel).
- Keep an eye on all of your valuables while shopping or attending
area festivals. Watch out for pickpockets.
- The Police have made some recent arrests involving local
robberies. If you have information that could help police, contact
your local Lieutenant, Problem Solving Officer or Neighborhood
Services Coordinator. You can find their information by clicking on
the map at:
http://www.oaklandpolice.com/youroff/contoff.html.
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If you witness a robbery or crime, this
Identification Sheet might help police get the information we
need to make an arrest.
More Robbery Tips
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Use Your NCPC to Help Set Community Safety Priorities:
Our office tries to monitor the many listservs in our District where
neighbors register concerns about crime and traffic safety but you
cannot consider this the same as contacting police or our office
directly. Police beat priorities are set at theNeighborhood
Crime Prevention Councils (NCPCs). We encourage neighborhoods and
representatives from Neighborhood Watch Groups to participate in
their NCPC's.
Schedule
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9. More Summer Safety Tips
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 Open
Hydrants- A Serious Problem: This summer the Department
of Parks & Rec wants to work with communities to provide more water
play. Opening fire hydrants on a hot summer day is illegal
and dangerous. Water shoots from hydrants at very
high pressure and can lead to accidents and injuries. Oakland
Ordinance No. 12414 makes tampering with a fire hydrant punishable
by up to six months in jail and/or a
$1,000 fine. In 2006, there were at least 379 illegally
opened fire hydrants in Oakland, more so than any other East Bay
City, which resulted in the loss of
3-4 million gallons of water.
Please report
open hydrants immediately to 1-866-403-2683 or report
online. Open
hydrants also:
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Lower pressure
in nearby homes and makes it harder to fight fires.
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Wasted water
can make water shortages worse, especially during droughts.
With the limited rains of last winter, EBMUD is soon going to ask
users for voluntary water conserving measures; we are close to an
Emergency Water situation in California. If this drought
continues, or goes up, we can look forward both to more water
restrictions
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Please, encourage your family and friends
to use one of the City's many
swimming pools.
- Vacation Tips--Before Leaving, Secure Your Residence:
- Have good locks on doors and windows.
- Make sure your house looks lived in, not empty.
- Leave shades and blinds in a normal position.
- Ask a neighbor to watch your house.
- Test your smoke and burglar alarms.
- Stop ALL deliveries--mail, newspaper, etc.
- Arrange for someone to mow your lawn.
- Have your neighbor put your garbage cans out/in.
- Plug in timers to turn lights and a radio or TV on/off.
- If you have call forwarding on your phone, forward your phone
calls to a trusted friend or relative.
- Don't announce your absence on your answering machine.
- Ask the police department to place your house on VACATION
WATCH, by calling 239-3455.
- Vacation Tips--On the Road:
- Never carry large amounts of cash; use travelers checks.
- Do not stop to offer help to a stranded motorist. Go to the
nearest telephone and call for help or use your cell phone.
- If your car breaks down, raise your hood and attach a white
flag to the antenna or door handle. If someone stops to help, it
is advisable that you stay in your locked car and ask them to call
the police or a garage. If you must abandon your car, keep all
passengers together.
- Carry your purse under your arms.
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10. Traffic News: Car Seats, Drive Safely |
- Street Resurfacing and Sidewalk Repairs: Work
has begun on resurfacing High Street
from Foothill Blvd. to Redding Street and is anticipated to
be completed by approximately Thanksgiving. Resurfacing of
Joaquin Miller Road is
anticipated later this summer. Sidewalks where tree roots were
creating uneven surfaces are also scheduled for repair. The
sidewalks on La Salle between the garage and Mountain were repaired
this week.
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 Click-It-Or
Ticket Campaign Underway: Through next month the Oakland
Police Department is part of a statewide effort to randomly stop
motorists to inspect seat belt usage including child car seats. If
you have any doubt about this, today's papers note that City
Attorney John Russo was ticketed yesterday on Piedmont Avenue after
leaving Fenton's. Fines run from $80 up to over $400 for failure to
have a car seat for children.
· All children who are
younger than 6 years and/or weigh less than 60 pounds must be
properly restrained (seat belts fastened) in a correctly installed
car seat.
· All children who are younger than 1 year and/or weigh less than 20
pounds must be properly restrained (seat belts fastened) in a
correctly installed car seat facing the rear of the car.
In Alameda County it is estimated
that up to 90% of car seats are installed improperly. Make
sure your child's car seat is safe, make an appointment for an
inspection; call 1-800-441-1888. Do NOT use an used car seat, free
or low cost car seats for low income families are available as part
of prenatal programs in many community health clinics, other sources
are:
Alameda County Public Health,1000 Broadway, Suite 500, 267-8000
Children's Hospital Oakland (including Clinics), 747 52nd Street,
428-347
Family Day Care Support Network, 2370 Grande Vista Place, 532-0102
- Drive 25, Keep Kids Alive!: We usually see
these signs posted near our schools in the fall, but given the
number of phone calls our office has been receiving lately about
speeding cars on our streets, we remind residents to slow down-- not
only when driving, but also in scheduling. It seems that we all try
to cram in too many activities when there are only so many hours
during the day. This leads to people being in a perpetual rush and
not as alert as they should be when they're behind the wheel.
Whether on Snake, Moraga, Mountain, Skyline or 35th Avenue--to name
a few of our current hot spots--please keep to the speed limit. The
City's traffic patrol has been out in force ticketing speeders and
drivers who don't stop at stop signs. You don't want to be one of
them!
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11. School & Youth News |
- Summer Employment
Opportunity for Teens and Young Adults: The Office of Parks
& Recreation is currently seeking candidates for Recreation Leader &
Recreation Aide positions. The Recreation Leader Application
Deadline is Tuesday, May 29. Recreation Aide Application opens
Tuesday, May 29 and closes Friday, June 1.
Click here to access position descriptions and an employment
application.
- Skyline Performing Arts
Events: Affordable entertainment, a good cause, and a great
way to introduce children to performing arts.
- Thursday, May 31, 7:30
pm, "I Can See Clearly Now" Vocal Concert performed by
the three school choirs, directed by Aretha Cooper at Skyline's
Farnsworth Theater. Tickets in advance, $5; at the door $7,
children under 12, $3.
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Friday, June 1, 7 pm, Second Annual Skyline Film Festival.
Short films and documentaries written, directed and produced by
current and former students of Skyline's Video Production teacher
mark Frey. Free at Farnsworth Theater.
- Prescott Clowns School Tour:
Oakland's Prescott Circus Theatre showcases its talented students at
two school performances at Prescott School, 920 Campbell Street--
one on Friday, June 1 (10;15 am and 12:30 pm) and the other on
Monday, June 4 (10:15 am and 12:30 pm). For
details, call 482-1674.
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 Kids
Go Green: De-Bugging Your Garden, June 9, 11 am- 4 pm:Chabot
Space & Science Center's Kids Go Green: Be part of the
Solution is a climate change initiative by kids - for
kids, families and the community. Developed by the Galaxy Explorers
- Chabot's youth volunteer program - Kids Go Green was
designed to show both children and adults how to take practical,
daily steps to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas
emissions. June's theme, Recycling & Gardening, will showcase
a wide array of hands-on activities, including composting. At
1:30 p.m. Buzz Bertolero, "The Dirt Gardener" who appears
weekly on KRON-4 TV's Henry's Garden, shows kids and families
how to keep bugs out of the garden without using pesticides.
Everyone wearing green will receive $1 off admission.
Bring in an inkjet cartridge for free Chabot-made compost.
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 Oakland
Family Fun Day, Saturday, June 9:
Hosted by Mayor Ron Dellums and the City of Oakland. Oakland
families can take advantage of FREE
admission to our four premier family attractions: the Oakland
Zoo, the Oakland Museum of California, Chabot Space & Science Center
and Children's Fairyland. Each venue will host special activities
that day as they roll out the red carpet for families to experience
the magic of Oakland together. I'll be up at the Chabot Space &
Science Center, please come by.
http://www.oaklandnet.com/familyday/
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 Library's
Summer Reading Game Kick's Off with Celebration ot Thacher Hurd
Mural: On Saturday, June 9, at 11 am the Library will
celebrate the completion of author/illustrator
Thacher Hurd's colorful paintings on the walls of the Main
Library's Children's Room and the start of the 2007 Reading Game,
"Get a Clue @ Your Library." The artist will discuss his work and
lead a brief tour to showcase his lovable characters. The mural
project was funded by the Zimmer Family Foundation and other
sources. For details, call 238-3615 or visit their
website.
Photos
- Tiger Summer Day Camp
at Brookdale Recreation Center: June 18-August 24, 8 am to
6 pm, Monday through Friday, ages 8-14. Only $55 per week. Register
in June as space is limited. Call 535-5632.
- Family Camp Out in the Large Meadow, Saturday, June 23
through Sunday, June 24: You don't
have to drive far to have a "Sierra" camping experience. Bring your
tents and the kids and camp in Joaquin Miller Park! This is a rare
opportunity, as the park does not usually allow overnight camping.
For details, contact
Stephanie Benavidez
at 867-0669.
- Sign up for Oakland
Feather River Camp: Family Camp programs at Oakland's camping site
outside of Quincy in the Sierras run from July 1 to August 5. There
are daily activities for all ages, along with special themes each
week with guest instructors from Chabot Space and Science Center,
Stagebridge and the Rotary Science Center. For horse lovers, there
is Wrangler Camp, for campers ages 10-15. Oakland Feather River
Camp, with space for 350 campers, is available for rental groups
large and small. For information, call 336-CAMP or visit their
website.
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12. More Community Events
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The State of Black California --
Oakland Town Hall Meeting, Saturday, June 2, 1-3 pm, Oakland City
Hall: The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce invites the
public to join Assemblyman Sandre Swanson and the California
Legislative Black Caucus at a Town Hall Meeting. The California
Black Legislative Caucus has released a report that provides a snap
shot of the status of Black Californians. Based on the data, the
Caucus introduced a legislative agenda that addresses the issues
outlined in the report. For more information, contact the Office of
Assemblymember Sandre Swanson at 286-1670.
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 Children's
Fairyland 12th Gala Event, June 7: Come to the 12th anniversary Gala
with an evening of merriment and wonder. For the first time,
Fairyland will host the event on the grounds of the newly remodeled
park, creating a magical backdrop for an event featuring cuisine
from top Oakland restaurants, live performances, and a silent
auction offering getaways and goods from all over the Bay Area.
Fairytale attire encouraged!! 699 Bellevue Avenue.
For details, call 452, 2259.
- Oakland Civic Orchestra, Sunday, June 10, 3 pm:
The Oakland Civic Orchestra,
conducted by Artistic Director Martha Soddard and Assistant Director
Kate McLoughlin, presents its second "Young Artists" concert at St.
Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Avenue. The program includes
Mendelssohn's Hebrides
Overture, Mozart's
Horn Concerto No. 1 in D Major,
Boccherini's Cello Concert in B-flat
Major (featuring Alana
Shannon, cello), and Dvorak's
Wind Serenade. Admission is
free. For more information, call 238-7275.
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 Fourth
Annual Montclair Pet Mayor Race:
The Montclair Veterinary Hospital Pet & Wildlife Fund are real
angels when neighbors find injured wildlife in our area. They
invite Montclair businesses to sponsor an entry into the Fourth
Annual Montclair Pet Mayor Race. Nominate a dog, cat, bird, rabbit
or any other pet candidate to represent your business. The community
votes during the month of June and the winner will be announced at
the June 24th Farmer's Market at 1 pm. Zoe, the incumbent sponsored
by Crogan's Restaurant, may be the first female mayor in the city.
For details, contact Lee Richter, Executive Director of the
Montclair Pet & Wildlife Fund, at 339-2400.
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2nd Annual Summer Solstice Music Festival in
the Laurel, June 23: Legendary jazz Saxophonist Hal Stein, Korean
Folk Singer Miena Yoo, Jazz-Pop-Funk-Fusion Duo Gemini Soul, and
Western Swing Sextet Lipsey Mountain Spring Band will return to
perform in Oakland's Laurel Neighborhood at the Second Annual Laurel
Summer Solstice Music Festival from 1-7 pm.
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Traditionally,
this is a getaway weekend for families...but if you're not going out
of town this weekend, we hope you will enjoy some of Oakland's many
parks and institutions. Visit
