ProArts Open Studio, June 7-8 and June 14-15:

• 5th Annual Temescal Street Fair, Saturday, June 7, Noon - 6 pm: Check out good food, music and crafts at the 5th Annual Temescal Street Fair, a project of the Temescal Merchants Association and the Temescal Telegraph BID. For details, call 654-3646, ext 2.Valet bike parking available.
   
• Sudden Oak Death Detection Workshop, Saturday, June 7, 10 am at Trudeau Center, 11500 Skyline Blvd:  Help protect our namesake by fighting Sudden Oak Death, a serious exotic disease that threatens the survival of tan oaks and other oak species in California. Meet in the Trudeau Center parking lot at 10 am for training. From 11:30 am-1 pm on Saturday, June 7 or Sunday, June 8, you'll collect samples on your own in Tilden, Wildcat Canyon, Redwood or Briones Regional Parks. Turn in your samples 5-7 pm on Saturday, June 7 or Sunday, June 8,  4-6 pm. Free. 
   

• Kids--Save Energy, Save the Planet, Saturday, June 7, 11 am- 4 pm at Chabot: What can you do at home to save energy, money and lower your greenhouse gas emissions all at the same time? Explore the latest techniques and technologies for energy conservation at home, work and school.. Chabot's Kids Go Green program will inspire your kids to make environmentally aware decisions in their every day lives. Activities are FREE with general admission. Chabot Space & Science Center is located at 10000 Skyline Blvd. in Joaquin Miller Park just off Highway 13.
   
• Summer Splash at the Jack London Aquatic Center, Saturday June 7, 10 am-2 pm: Learn more about the Jack London Aquatic Center's water activities at this open house. Learn to Kayak, try the rowing machines, experience the giant rowing barge and ride the groovy dragon boat! The Jack London Aquatic Center is located at 115 Embarcadero. Call 208-6067 .

• FOSC In the Field, Saturday, June 7, 9 am-Noon--Dimond Canyon Restoration Workshop. Friends of Sausal Creek meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park for a day of invasive plant removal and weeding of the El Centro trailhead and the trailside vegetation project,  field@sausalcreek.org
   
• La Pena 33rd Anniversary Celebration Kicks off Saturday, June 7, 6 pm-midnight: This humble stage has featured international voices of liberation and social justice for decades. Students from the center's music and theater workshops perform to celebrate. Free. 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley. Call 849-2568 for details and the rest of the June Anniversary schedule.
   
• Brian Copeland Discusses Not a Genuine Black Man at a Great Good Place for Books, Sunday, June 8 at 2 pm: Local comedian and talkshow host Brian Copeland will discuss his memoir based on the longest-running one-man show in San Francisco history. A Great Good Place for Books is located at 6120 La Salle Avenue in Montclair.
   

• District 4 Budget Hearing at Redwood Heights Recreation Center, Monday, June 9, 7 pm:  This is your chance to hear about the the Mayor's proposals to balance the budget for Fiscal Year 2008-09, cutting over $15 million. We are interested in hearing your recommendations for funding priorities. Speakers include Budget Director Sarah Schlenk;  Sabrina Landreth, Legislative Analyst to the Finance Committee, and myself as the chair of the Finance & Administration Committee. The second full Council Budget Hearing on Wednesday, June 11 at City Hall from 5- 8 pm. (see item #3 below)
   

• Authors at Laurel Books, 4100 MacArthur:
  • Tuesday, June 10, 7 pm: Laurel Anne Hill reading and signing of her book Heroes Arise.  It's an adventure great for young adults as well as adults.
  • Wednesday, June 11, 7 pm: District 4's Amelia Marshall is coming to share her book on Oakland's Equestrian Heritage.  This is in the Arcadia series of books on local histories and it's packed with info and photos of the horsie history of Oakland.

Measure Y Program Evaluation at Public Safety Committee, June 10, Hearing Room 1, 7:30 pm:

• MSIC/MVA Public Meeting, Wednesday, June 11, 7 pm, Zion Lutheran Church:  Learn more about the Montclair Village Association's (MVA) streetscape plans when the Montclair Safety & Improvement Council (MSIC) and MVA co-host a public meeting at 5201 Park Blvd.

• Best-selling Author Andrew Sean Greer Reads The Story of Marriage at a Great Good Place for Books, Wednesday, June 11, 7 pm, 6120 La Salle Avenue in Montclair:  The author of the New York Times best-selling Confessions of Max Tivoli will read from his new book.
   

• Town Hall with Barbara Lee on Immigration, Friday, June 13, 5-6:30 pm: Congresswoman Barbara Lee will host a Town Hall to listen to reports from constituents on the recent Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) Raids in the community. A panel of community leaders will deliver their concerns in person and the community is invited to provide written statements about their ICE raid experiences in the 9th Congressional District. St.Columba Church, 6401 San Pablo Avenue at 64th Street. Seating is limited. Please RSVP to 763-0370 by Tuesday, June 10.

Combined with the apparent passage of the Landscape & Lighting District increase which eliminates the necessity of cutting an additional $9.5 million in park, lighting, and median maintenance(certification of the election comes to Council on June 17th), Oakland will be less hard hit than feared for this year.  San Francisco will cut 450 positions,  Los Angeles over 700. In addition to freezing over 300 positions, Sacramento is considering rolling fire station closures. Hit by the economic recession plus real estate turn down and foreclosures, almost all cities are cutting or freezing positions, planning shut downs and reduction in services.

   However, the cuts facing the city will still be painful.  The Mayor's budget for next year assumes a $15.39 million shortfall.  However, there a several uncertainties in revenues and the following factors might still increase that shortfall:

• Additional state cuts are likely because the Governor's budget is not yet balanced and cuts deeply into education and services to the poor and elderly.
• The projections for Real Estate Transfer Tax and Property Taxes may be too high based on recent county information.
• Oakland and most state and local agencies face rising pension costs; one issue is whether we start addressing this now or push it into the future realizing costs will compound.
• We face a major shortage in public safety vehicles due to increased numbers of officers and unbudgeted maintenance and replacement costs.

 How does the Mayor propose to balance the budget:

• The gap is funded primarily through a 3 percent across the board reduction or enhancement of funds by each department; and
• A 12 day or monthly shut down of all non essential services during the next fiscal year starting July.  The shutdown is basically a service reduction and almost a 5 percent pay cut for all city employees except for 24/7 positions such as police officers, fire fighters, or 911 staff. 
• In addition, the number of vacant city positions rate would be increased from 4 to 6 percent, essentially freezing hiring in many areas.
•  Over $3 million in capital projects would be delayed. 
• Where to find the budget reports?   

• A DISTRICT 4 BUDGET WORKSHOP & HEARING  IS SET FOR MONDAY, JUNE 9, 7 PM, Redwood Heights Recreation Center, 3883 Aliso Avenue (at Redwood Road & Highway 13).
   
• Full Council Workshop /Budget Hearing on the FY 2008-09 Midterm Budget Amendments, Wednesday, June 11th, 5-8 pm, City Hall  
• Adoption of Final Council Budget, Related Budget Legislation --Tuesday, June 17, 6-7 pm 

"The Federal Transit Administration proposed to ban public transit agencies from providing supplemental school service.  AC Transit provides 60,000 school trips a day.  Some are on regular lines, but most are on our supplemental school service. The proposed policy would make all of AC's supplemental service (lines with 600 numbers) illegal.  The most dramatic of the banned service would be the 22 buses waiting at Skyline High in Oakland every day to take students home.  Those students would either have to walk to MacArthur Boulevard or the School District would have to set up its own bus system.  The intended beneficiary of this proposed policy are the private (often non-union) companies that contract with school districts to provide "yellow school bus" service.  The Feds seem unaware ...that most of the private companies are not interested in providing service in difficult urban areas.  It also seems to be unaware that urban school districts around the country, but particularly in California, do not have the millions of dollars it would take for them to operate their own bus service."

•  Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov   Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
• U.S. Post or Express Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.

• Governor Extends CHP Help:  Putting the Governor on the spot this week, as he hosted him for a discussion of the State Budget at City Hall, Mayor Ron Dellums was able to get the Governor to extend a program started last August where 20 California Highway Patrol Officers work 3 nights a week in Oakland freeing up our officers to respond to other crimes.  In many neighborhoods traffic safety problems are a priority, including reckless driving, speeding, driving under the influence, street racing, side shows, stolen cars and an unacceptable rate of hit and run collisions. In the last four months alone, the CHP made more than 2,000 traffic stops, issued nearly 2,000 citations, assisted the Oakland Police Department on nearly 300 incidents, and dealt with nearly 100 DUI cases.
   
• District 4 Celebrates the Same Sex Marriage Ruling: My district is home to one of the largest concentration of LGBT residents and families in the country.  Almost lost in the waves of other political change this year, the May 15th decision of the California Supreme Court opens the way for same sex marriages beginning June 17.  Our office discussed how we can celebrate the diversity of District 4 families and have decided to host an informal party our at the Velvet Lounge, 3411 MacArthur Blvd on Sunday, June 22, 4-7 pm.  We will provide cake and a no-host bar. We are asking people to bring finger foods for potluck. Everyone--gay or straight, female and male--is welcome as we toast what promises to be a new era and an important advancement of civil rights. For details, contact Leslie Bonett, 238-7273.
   

New Build It Green Brochure for Remodeling: Check out the new brochure from Build It Green that explains how you can use green building techniques when remodeling.

• Fire Inspection Notices Out--Inspections Begin June 15:  Now's the time to work on your 30-foot defensible zones, if you haven't already trimmed back your vegetation. Santa Clara fire fighters battling wildfires last month said that having defensible space was a key factor in the homes they chose to make a stand at. Keep in mind that you must comply with regulations concerning creekside properties and preservation of rare and endangered species (pallid manzanita, Tiburon buckwheat, presidio clarkia and the most beautiful jewel flower). Free curbside tree and brush clipping service is available for residents of the Wildfire Prevention District.  Call 238-7388 to schedule. Check out the handy new and practical WPD home fire safety and protection calendar. For details about the Wildfire Prevention District and how to enhance your vegetation management, check out their website.
• When does the City cut our areas?  With the drought we are getting more questions about when do contractors with the Wildfire Prevention District hit certain neighborhoods.  The goats above are now in north Oakland and have a schedule through August.  Median and roadside work is sometimes delayed until native poppies and presidio clarkia (right) have seeded.
   
• New Hours for the Animal Shelter: The Oakland Animal Shelter is now open 7 days a week--Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Noon-7 pm; Thursday, Noon-8 pm and Friday, Saturday and Sunday Noon-4 pm.

• Summit on Diabeties and Obesity, Friday, June 27, 9 am-2 pm, Elihu Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street in Downtown Oakland: Assemblymember Sandre Swanson and the Legislative Black Caucus Foundation sponsor a day-long Health Summit on Diabetes & Obesity:--The Growing Epidemic Among California's Minority Communities. Hear from researchers from California's top universities; legislators, hospitals and community health organizations, Assembly Health Committee members and pharmaceutical representatives. Registration deadline is Monday, June 23. Call 323-294-2700 or register online.

• Please join us in welcoming Farmstead Cheeses and Wines at 6218 La Salle Avenue in the Montclair Village. Operated by Montclair residents Jeff Diamond and his wife Carol Huntington, the new store builds on the success of their flagship store located in Alameda. In addition to offering cheeses, pates, cured meats and wines, Farmstead will conduct weekly educational wine tastings (Fridays 6 - 8 pm) and winemaker dinners at top restaurants. Farmstead's Alameda location was recently named Best Wine Store in the East Bay by Oakland Magazine and the East Bay Express.  Image from fromageblog.com
   
•  Nominate Local Stores:  I'm often annoyed that restaurant reviewers never seem to get past College or Piedmont Avenues. For example Phom Penh or Full House Cafe in the Laurel, Southern Cafe or Tacqueria Comales in the Dimond, and Italian Colours in Montclair are some of the city's best. Support our local businesses by voting in the East Bay Express' Best of the Bay Awards Program. It takes just a couple of  minutes to fill out their online voting form (they require a name and email address), or you can print out a pdf form and mail it in.  Deadline for ballots is June 16. The winners will be published in the June 25th edition.
   
• New Dimond Facades:  Our office has worked with the City's facade  program to brighten up stores all along MacArthur.  Tim Chapman took this photo to congratulate Dimond Improvement Association member Lyn Hom for his new storefronts.

• Upcoming Training for District 4 Pilot Radar Gun Program:  Our office is currently seeking more volunteers for the Citizens Pilot Radar Program. During our first phase of this program, with the help of Officer Dan Tirapelli from OPD's Traffic Division, we taught 16 citizens to use a traffic radar gun and eventually sent out over 300 warning letters to drivers who were caught speeding along 35th Avenue. The program has been so successful that we are now seeking to train many more volunteers to work in other areas of our district that have been impacted by speeding. If you are interested, please contact Michael Johnson at 238-4742 to sign up.

• Broadway Off Ramp Repair: The Broadway ramp off of Hwy 13 is closed for repairs  Monday through Friday, 9 am - 3 pm. Vehicles are directed to the Moraga/Thornhill off ramp as a detour. According to CalTrans, this southbound  off ramp  to  Broadway  Terrace  had  9  guardrail  accidents during the three year period from 2003 through 2005, with speeding as the primary collision factor; this is higher than the state average. CalTrans is installing  transverse  Rumble Strips (ground in) to alert motorists to slow down.  Diagonal or chevron markings will be installed on the gore area and  left  shoulder of the off-ramp to discourage motorists entering this area and the off-ramp will be widened, replacing the existing  metal  beam  guardrail  with a concrete  barrier.  Construction began on the $400,000 project should end by August 22.
   
• Permanent Solution to the Sink Hole on Shepherd Canyon Presented to City's Public Works Committee on June 10: For years, residents using the major arterial Shepherd Canyon Road have complained about the periodic sink holes after the winter rains, especially along the stretch of road from Shelterwood to the park. Each time, the City's Public Works Division temporarily repairs the sink hole, only to have another one occur because of the deterioration of the infrastructure under the road.. On Tuesday, June 10, the Public Works Division will ask the Public Works Committee to approve a $920,000 project for a permanent repair which will repair the drainage pipes and infrastructure.  The plan calls for using emergency reserve funds for design and applying for Emergency Hazard Mitigation federal funds.
   
• EBMUD Hosts 5th Meeting for Public Input on 5 Different Approaches to Renovating Estates Reservoir,Wednesday, June 25, 7 pm at the Joaquin Miller Community Center. East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) has scheduled a 5th Public Meeting on the five different approaches to renovating the Estates Reservoir first released on May 8. One version kept the roof top fountain in place; two versions employed adaptive reuse of the fountain, and two versions were completely new designs. Given the current water rationing situation, however, if the first version were selected, it would not have a water feature, as EBMUD will no longer permit fountains on its property. Consequently, versions #4 and #5--the new designs--seemed to have the strongest favorable response. See last week's newsletter for sketches. Following the June 25 meeting, EBMUD will begin the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process using the design that has the most community interest. To comment, contact Michelle Blackwell, EBMUD community relations representative at mblackwe@ebmud.com

Sign up Now for National Night Out, August 2:

• Free Home Safety Inspections: The Oakland Police Department will come out to your home and survey it for free to determine what can be done to make it more secure from crime.  For those of you who are interested, please contact Police Services Technician Eddie Simlin at 238-6200.
   
• Daily Crime Reports Posted On-line:  One of the 200 plus daily emails I read each day are the cumulative statistics of crime reports. The police are now posting them online.  Basically they track what we call "Part 1 Crimes," which are tracked nationally by the Department of Justice. For Oakland these crimes reached a high in the early nineties and declined until a trend up in the last two years. In recent months these crime stats have been relatively flat except for murders.  In the last two years rising murders mostly involving young men touched by gang and drug crimes or women victims of domestic violence.  Encouragingly since the reorganization of the police 3 months ago, quality of life crimes such as car thefts (-4), home burglaries (-9) and robberies (-1) have declined slightly. 

Aggravated assaults are up by 10 percent, but much of this reflects the increased trend of charging in domestic violence cases which have tripled in the last three years. This is largely the result of the better police training and more support to victims funded by Measure Y.

• While the official deadline isn't until July 1, we encourage drivers to practice using hands-free telephone devices when driving. Motorists 18 and over may use a hands-free device. Drivers under the age of 18 may NOT use a wireless telephone or hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle. It will be the state law as of July 1, 2008.
   
• Program Your Cell Phone for the Oakland Fire Department and Medical Dispatch:  In addition to 777-3211, which will connect you directly to the Police Dispatchers from your cell phone when you are in Oakland (9-1-1 on your cell connects you to the Highway Patrol),  you may also want to program into your cell phone Oakland Fire Department and Medical Dispatch at 444-1616.
   
• Crime Summit Involves Over 400 Citywide:  Neighborhood activists came together last weekend to help organize our neighborhoods. Our office through Michael Johnson made a special effort to involve youth; "Turf Dancers" from a local youth dance group called "Pay-Per-View" perform during a break.
   
• New Phone Numbers for the Reorganization:  Now that most assignments are completed, the Police Department is trying to update its website.  In the interim they have posted lists of new phone numbers for Area and Problem Solving Officers/Beats.
   
• The Measure Y website and e-newsletter contain a wealth of practical information and an area list of services and programs, www.MeasureY.org.
• For a list of Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils in District 4.
• To organize a Neighborhood Watch Group on your street call 238-3091.
• How to file a Police Report: Police use crime reports to plan patrols and follow crime trends. Commanders determine their priorities based on the number and severity of crimes reported. You don't have to rely on the police to actually make the report; for non-urgent crimes such as auto break-ins or after the fact home break-ins you can download a citizen's crime report  from the City's website. 
• Make anonymous calls for drug activity to 238-DRUG.
• Truancy Tip Hotline is 879-8172.

• FEMA Safety & Preparedness Expo, Wednesday, June 25, 11 am-3 pm on the plaza at City Hall:  Free demonstrations and displays on citizen preparedness, urban preparedness, health & wellness and safety. More than 30 vendors and exhibitors. door prizes and giveaways, sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security and the City of Oakland.
   
• Retrofit Program Picks Up:  As we near our first year of the program that I authored, the number of home applying for a permit for a retrofit at the flat fee of $250 will reach about 200; up from only 7 applications last year.  Details of the next phase of the program -- matching grants up to $10,000 for low income owners in the redevelopment district -- will be available by the month's end.
   
• Chinese Earthquake Relief:  Council Member Henry Chang and I sponsored a resolution for our Friendship City Mianyang which is located near Chengdu, Sichuan, the site of last week's 7.9 earthquake, the largest in China for 30 years.  They are facing 50,000 dead 200,000 injured, and half a million destroyed buildings.  To contribute to the Red Cross on-line.

>>Rescue team finds student trapped in collapsed Sichuan school.

• Organizing Your Neighbors/Preparing Your Family: Sometimes thinking about what do to in an disaster is so overwhelming that people avoid any planning. Sue Piper, who has chaired her neighborhood CORE group since 1993 and is a 1991 Firestorm survivor, suggests that people take a few minutes to plan every time they hear or read of a disaster somewhere else in the world. What would you do if you were in China during the earthquake, or Myanmar during the Cyclone, or Santa Cruz during the fire? Your first response will likely be the same no matter what the disaster --earthquake, hurricane or fire. The American Red Cross offers an easy to follow list of questions that will help you make your personal disaster plan, or stop by our booth at the Montclair Farmer's Market on Sunday, June 8 to pick up an easy-to-use form. Then, take a look at the various workshops offered by Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies (CORE). Call 238-6351 or go to the CORE website.

• Friends of Sausal Creek's June Schedule: Join friends and neighbors and learn more about the native habitat of Sausal Creek:
   
  • Friday, June 13, 9:30 am-12:30 pm---Seed Hike. Email nursery@sausalcreek.org for details.
  • Saturday, June 14, 1:30-4:30 pm: Propagation Workday at Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery. No experience needed; just bring a water bottle. RSVP for groups over 6. Email nursery@sausalcreek.org
  • Sunday, June 15, 9:30 am -Noon--Aquatic Insect Sampling. Call Emma Brown at 527-2507 to confirm.
  • Saturday, June 28, 9 am- Noon--Restoration Workday at Dimond Park. Meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park for invasive plant removal and creek access in the area immediately adjacent to the tot lot. Email field@sausalcreek.org to RSVP.

• Saturday, June 28, 9am-Noon--Beaconsfield Canyon Restoration, part of the upper Sausal Creek Watershed. The little-known, 5-acre canyon runs between Ascot and Chelton Drives. You can help clear fallen debris and invasive plants, reduce the fuel load, extend trails and learn about native plants. <<Wendy Tokuda exhibits dangerous broom plant removed from the canyon. No experience necessary. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants and sleeves. Bring work gloves and hand garden tools if you have them. Meet at the end of Beaconsfield Place, second street on the right as you go up Chelton from Ascot. From Hwy 13, exit Park Bl. Go east to dead end and turn right on Mountain. Bear left as it becomes Ascot Drive. Then left on Chelton and right on Beaconsfield. Contact Richard Kauffman for details.
   
• FOSC Free House & Garden Audit Presentation to Neighborhood Groups: Friends of Sausal Creek will present, free of charge, a fast-paced, mostly-pictures PowerPoint, introduction to The House and Garden Audit: Protecting Your Family's Health and Improving the Environment by Laurel Marcus, a long-time watershed consultant. It offers a comprehensive overview of actions that individuals can take in the house and garden to help keep themselves and our creeks and watersheds healthy. It has lots of photos, lots of tables that provide a great reference, and lots of websites and other sources for people who want more. Call Karen Paulsell at 655-0818 for details.
   
• Allendale Beautification Team:  Saturday, June 21, 10:30am-12 noon,
  Starts at Allendale Park Triangle, 38th Avenue and Suter Street intersection. 
   
• East Bay Regional Parks' Ivan Dickson Vounteer Trail Maintenance Program: Oakland relies on volunteers to help maintain our miles of trails in our open spaces such as Joaquin Miller Park. Volunteers also help the East Bay Regional Park District in maintaining more than 1,150 miles of trails throughout Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Volunteers are welcome from age 10 and up. Volunteers under 18 years old work alongside an adult, with a minimum ratio of one adult to five youth. Individuals and groups are welcome. Pre-registration is required. A team will be in Redwood Regional park this weekend, June 7. For other upcoming locations, call 544-2631 or visit the East Bay Regional Park District website.

Upcoming Graduations & Promotions:Congratulations to our District 4 families celebrating graduations and promotions this June:

• Mandela at Fremont, Monday, June 9, 6 pm at Holy Names University
• Architecture at Fremont, Friday, June 13, 6 pm at Holy Names University
• Oakland High, Wednesday, June 11, 11 am at the Paramount Theatre
• Dewey, Wednesday, June 11, 1:30 pm at Oakland High School
• MetWest, Wednesday, June 11, 3 pm at Holy Names University
   
• Far West, Wednesday, June 11, 5:30 pm at Oakland High School Theatre
• Bret Harte Middle School Promotion, Wednesday, June 11, 10 am at Scottish Rite Center
• Melrose Leadership Academy Promotion, Thursday, June 12, 9 am at Melrose Leadership Academy
   
• Montera Middle School Promotion, Thursday, June 12, 11 am at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park.

•   Catch the Reading Bug Summer Reading Program:  Kids, ages 13 and under are encouraged to buzz on in to one of our branches, the bookmobile, or the Main Library's Children's Room to sign-up and start reading their way to valuable prizes, including books and tickets to some of Oakland's hottest attractions. Pre-readers can participate by having someone read to them.  AND, for the FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, ADULTS can also Catch the Reading Bug.
   

• Library Celebrates Gay Pride Month: Throughout June, the Main Library (125 14th Street) will exhibit the Lavender Scrolls Project. These illustrated scrolls portray the lives of 8 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders. Each scroll features photographs, live-story excerpts and quotations that defy stereotypes about being old and gay, while also demonstrating the realities common to all elders. The project is presented by Oakland personal historian Cathy Cade.
  • Saturday, June 14, Noon - 2 pm, LGBT Elders Dialogue with Teens will take place in the Main Library's West Auditorium.
  For details, call 238-7352 or visit the library's website. 
   
• The Radical Jack London at the Oakland History Room at the Main Branch, Thursday, June 19, 6:30-7:45 pm: To help launch this book, newly published by the University of California press, editor Jonah Raskin will discuss the often overlooked political writings of Oakland's best-known literary figure, Jack London.  The Oakland Public Library Main Branch is located at 125 14th Street.

• Oakland Parks & Recreation--offers a wide range of programs at their 25 Recreation Centers for kids of all ages. Call 238-7275 or download the 2008 catalog. 
   
  • Summer Sailstice Open House at the Lake Merritt Boating Center, Saturday, June 21, 6:30-9:30 pm: Lake Merritt Boating Center, 568 Bellevue Avenue, 238-2196.
     
  • Play Day on the Plaza, Friday, June 27 11 am-2pm, Frank Ogawa Plaza-- the official kick off event celebrating National Recreation & Parks Month in July.

   

• MOCHA Summer Art Camp-- June 16-August 22 (kids Ages 6 and above). MOCHA camps provide age-appropriate, fun and enriching art activities; no previous art experience is required. Call 465-8770 for a catalog.
   
• Oakland Fine Arts Summer Session: Parents need to enroll students in both sessions - morning program is at Glenview Elementary School 8:30am-12:45pm, and an afternoon program at Oakland Parks & Recreation 12:45-5:30 pm. Download both applications from on-line registration.
   
• Chabot Space Explorers Summer Camp: Chabot Space & Science Center offers week long half-day and full-day camps for young people ages 6 - 13 (entering grades 1-8) interested in having fun with science! Camp dates from July 7 - August 15. Camps for 2008 include the Green Avengers and Kitchen Science. To receive a catalog email camp@chabotspace.org or see the entire list of options on their web site.
   
• Parents Press offers a fairly comprehensive listing of opportunities.
• The City of Oakland's Shining Stars catalog is another great resource.

• Summer U.S. Youth Games hosted by Oakland in 2008! Oakland Hosts the 42nd Annual U.S. Youth Games July 16-19. The U.S. Youth Games host thousands of youth from across the nation, participating in Olympic-style competitions.
  • General Information & Team Registration: Melvin Landry  238-4722
     

• Environmental Internships for College Students at Chabot Space & Science Center: Applications are currently being accepted for three paid winter/spring college internship positions at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland. Positions must be filled by June 22nd,  and 200 hours must be completed by August 31st,  2008. If you are interested, fill out and submit the application available on the Chabot website. This internship focuses on waste management and recycling practices and environmental education. Applicants must be majoring in Geography, Environmental Studies/Sciences, Society and Environment, Environmental Economics, Law and/or Policy, or a related major.
   

• DooF-a-Palooza, A Magical Food Extravaganza  for parents & kids, Saturday, July 12: 11 am-3 pm, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View. We know this is outside of Oakland, but encourage families to attend. DooF is an innovated television series for children, set to air on public television in 2009, that gets kids excited about good food through humore, science, live action, animation, music and cooking. The Doof-A-Palooza ticket price includes food, a free eco-tote-bag, parking, a commemorative Foodbackwards Passport with your photo inside, and dozens of hands-on activities for kids and parents. $20 for adults: $12 for 17 and under, kids under 5 free. Sign up online.
   

• Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival: Free Activities at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Pacific Renaissance Plaza, 2nd Floor, 388 9th St., Suite 290. National Dishes Workshops-- Register by calling 637-0462:
   
  June 7, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, South Asian Samosas
  June 21, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Chinese Dumplings

• 3rd Annual Summer Solstice Music Festival in the Laurel, Saturday, June 21, 1-7 pm: Come join the fun. Volunteers are also needed. The festival is free and open to the public and takes place along MacArthur Blvd and other select sites nearby in the Laurel District. Call Sara at 410-6807 or Shel at 410-5592 if interested in volunteering.

• Thursday Night Live in Old Oakland, 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 5:30-9 pm , June - October: Thursday Night Live takes place inside and outside the food establishments along 9th and Washington in Old Oakland. Besides the usual drink specials associated with happy hour, there's a stage featuring live music, outdoor concession stands, and beer and beverage "gardens" where people can mix and socialize. Free to the public.
   

• Fourth Friday Summer Nights @The Dunsmuir: Movie Night: Friday, June 27, 6:30-9:30 pm at the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court. Bring a picnic supper to the front lawn of the Mansion for a  viewing of Burnt Offerings, with Karen Black, Oliver Reed and Bette Davis. This classic 1970's horror film was filmed at Dunsmuir. Rated PG-13. Gates open at 6 pm. Admission: $5 at the gate. Call 562-0328 for details.
   

• Two Free Small Dogs Only Playtime at Gizmoland, the small dog Park: Saturday, June 7 and Saturday, June 21, 4-5 pm: Little Paws Big Adventures sponsors these two "play days" for your favorite canine family members.

• Mark Your Calendar for These Dog Park Closing Dates: As you know, the Joaquin Miller Park Dog Play Areas are used as parking lots when the Woodminster Amphitheater is active. On those dates, the Dog Park will close at dusk the day before and reopen by 10 am the day after:
  • June:
  • Thursday, June 5-Saturday June 7: Oakland Military Institute Graduation
  • Thursday, June 12-Sunday, June 15:
      Montera Middle School 8th Grade Promotion
      Caribbean Celebration Concert, 8 am-10 pm
     
  • July:
    • Friday, July 11-Sunday,July 20   "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" Musical at Woodminster Amphitheater
    • Saturday, July 26-OPR Special Event
  • August:
    • Friday, August 8-Sunday, August 17  "Seussical the Musical"  at Woodminster Amphitheater
    • Saturday, August 23: OPR Special Event