Passing the Torch:  A relay team of students, staff, and volunteers passed a torch from Lafayette Square to the second Chabot site on Mountain Blvd donated by Mills College after gas lights installed downtown started to interfere with the telescopes; then finally onto the new center. <<Relay team in green T-shirts carry the torch under the Laurel arches.

• Tom Hanks visited Chabot as a Bret Harte and Skyline student.  He has said that the experience helped inspire his production of Apollo 13.  We are looking for stories of how the Center has touched the lives of Oaklanders for the last 125 years.  Can you help us?  Send us an email or upload a video at our YourTube site. Remember to include the approximate date of your visit. Call 336-7373 for details.

• Free Family Fun Day, Saturday, June 21, 10 am-6 pm, launches off at 10 am with special guest Bill Nye, The Science Guy from PBS, and music, costumed characters, refreshments, big screen movies, planetarium shows and fun--all free of charge!.
  
  Space Games:
  • Solar Ball- Bowl the planets into their proper spots in Space.
  • Space Bingo- The ultimate space challenge.
  • Rocket Rally- design a rocket & send it to Jupiter or beyond.
  • Universal Space Hunt- Explore our exhibits in a whole new way
  • Solar LegoTM Car Challenge- design, build and race LegoTM solar cars
  • Mars Drop Challenge- do you have the right stuff to land your probe safely?
  • MoonQuest- a hands-on, simulated spaceflight.

• 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.

• Two Beautification Efforts This Weekend:
  • Allendale Beautification Team:  Saturday, June 21, 10:30am-12 noon,
    Starts at Allendale Park Triangle, 38th Avenue and Suter Street intersection.
  • Carl Munck School Garden Project: Saturday, June 21, 9 am at 11900 Campus Drive. Seeking volunteers who especially "love" to do skilled labor, such as screw drilling and/or bolt drilling and plain old shoveling of dirt.

   

• 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. Schedule. 

Dressage Schooling Show, Saturday, June 21, 9 am, Sequoia Arena in Joaquin Miller Park:

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

• New Exhibit at the AAMLO- Celebrating Our Own- Bay Area's Finest Artists: Opening Reception Saturday, June 21, 6 pm. The opening is free-- the exhibit runs from June 21-June 28. The African American Museum and Library is located at 659 14th Street. RSVP- 637-0200.

• Montclair "Pet Adopt-a-thon" Sunday, June 22, 9 am-3 pm:  Mountain Boulevard and Antioch Court in the Montclair District will transform into a pedestrian and pet zone where rescued pets from over 20 local agencies will be available for adoption. Besides a public appearance of the Pet Mayor of Montclair, the Pet Adopt-A-Thon will feature an "Ask-a-Vet" tent, a Pet Look Alike Contest, and a Pet Fashion Show.

• Conversation in the Park, Maxwell Park (between Fleming and Allendale), Sunday, June 22, 3:30-5 pm: Help make this park a better place by coming to a Community Conversation in the Park, sponsored by the Maxwell Park NCPC in cooperation with the City of Oakland and our District 4 office. Hear about park history and past work, and brainstorm on current possibilities for improvement. Bring food to share. If you can't come, you can still help by joining almost 100 neighbors who filled out the on-line internet survey that will help guide park improvements. The survey consists of 6 easy pages and it's very quick and easy to complete.

• District 4 Celebrates the Same Sex Marriage Ruling with a PARTY Sunday, June 22, 4-7pm, Velvet Lounge, 3411 MacArthur Blvd.: Our district is home to one of the largest concentration of LGBT residents, couples and families in the country.  The May 15th decision of the California Supreme Court opens the way for same sex marriages, and Mayor Dellums officiated in the first Oakland same sex marriages this week. >>Dimond merchant Ruth Villasenor and her partner Diane Pfile (left) marry at City Hall Monday.

Our office is celebrating this landmark ruling and the diversity of District 4 families by hosting an informal party & reception.  Our guest speaker will be Emily Doskow, co author of Nolo Press' Legal Guide for Gay and Lesbian Couples. She has 18 years of experience practicing LGBT family law and is on the board of NCLR, National Center for Lesbian Rights. We are providing cake and a no-host bar. Please drop by and, if possible, bring finger food for the 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. Please drop by Velvet and meet your neighbors!

• 1.5 percent across the board reduction or enhancement of funds by each department; and
• 5 day or monthly shut down of all non-essential services during the week between Christmas and New Years; employees may use vacation for one day. We felt this was less disruptive than the Mayor's proposal of one day each month and would have less impact on services and on our lowest paid workers.
• Eliminating 28 vacant positons from the budget:  By permanently eliminating these positons we are beginning what we believe will be a necesary downsizing of the city workforce during this economic downturn.  We tried to focus on jobs that had been vacant for over a year; some of the data was incomplete and we invited the administration to provide an alternate list by July 15 for Council's approval.
• Rejecting some of the proposed fee hikes for Park facilities. Approving parking fees for Lake Merritt aimed at charging commuters while minimizing costs to park users.
• Restoring the second year cuts to the 2-1-1 system, School of the Arts, and the Seismic Program. 
•  Delaying over $3 million in capital projects. 
•  Replace older cars with more fuel efficient and alternative fuel cars.  Immediately eliminate 50 cars and increase car pool and car share options. Another 90 cars which are used less than 400 miles/month will be assessed over the next three months for elimination.
• Approving purchase of police cars for new recruits and emergency vehicles for the fire department by use of restricted reserves and other funds.
•  Police cars and motorcycles may no longer be driven home except for a handful explicitly approved by the Chief. Currently several dozen are driven home.
• My proposal to adopt a specific $50 fine for leaving garbage cans out instead of charging the $600 blight inspection fee was adopted.  The first complaint would generate a warning, a second $50 fine, a third $100, and thereafter $150.
• My resolutions requiring regular public reports on overtime, vacancies, travel and management benefits were also adopted.

There are  revenue uncertainties and other factors which might require further cuts in the fall: 

• The projections for next year's Real Estate Transfer Tax and Property Taxes may be too high based on recent county information.
•  Rising gas prices, police overtime, and other factors may put this year in further deficit.  We will know when we get our year end report in the fall.
• The State budget will not likely be settled for several more months and may include more cuts.

• City Wins Over $70 Million in State Infrastructure Bonds:  For the last year my colleagues and I have been working on the Association of Bay Area Government's policy that recommends that the recently passed state infrastructure bonds should go to central cities.  With global warming and rising gas prices, Oakland along with San Francisco and San Jose are expected to have the most housing development.  This week the State Legislature awarded our city over $70 M in infrastructure:  MacArthur BART Transit Village $34 M,  Tassafronga Village $16M, Saint Joseph's Senior Apartments $7 M, Central Business District/Uptown $9 M, 6th & Oak Senior Homes $2 M.
  
   
• Pilot Graffiti Abatement for Neighborhoods: The graffiti on public and private buildings over the last few months has increased dramatically.  The main way to stop it is to take it off as quickly as possible and repeatedly but Public Works is drowned in requests. The Public Works Agency's  Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful Division has initiated a  graffiti abatement pilot program for volunteers.  Interested volunteers simply need to complete the Adopt A Spot form on the City's website.  Volunteers in the Laurel and Allendale are currently running similiar projects. Check off "Graffiti" and then fax the form to the number listed.  Keep Oakland Beautiful will supply you with cleaning supplies and instructions in a kit. (Above) Student artists demonstrates spray paint art that is more permanent without vandalizing buildings at the Allendale Peace in the Parks event last Saturday.  Send us photos of graffiti in your area or anyone you see defacing public property with markers or paint.
  
   
• Free Re-Assessment of Your Property:  Since real estate values have been declining recently, the Alameda County Assessor's Office  is reviewing their upcoming 2008-2009 Proposition 13 assessments to determine if a reduction can be provided. All property owners will receive a pre-tax bill notification in July, detailing their 2008-2009 assessment and indicating any reduction provided. Many property taxpayers in Alameda County have recently received a solicitation from a private company that charges $95 for an opinion of value of properties that the Alameda County Assessor is reviewing at no charge, without even being asked.

  If property taxpayers wish to request an individual informal review of their property's 2008-2009 assessed value, they may do so by returning a simple, printable form available on the Assessor's website http://www.acgov.org/assessor/Prop8. This completed form is the same document being submitted to the Assessor by the private company after receiving $95 from the homeowner. The Assessor estimates thousands of properties will receive reductions in assessment without any need for costly assistance from outside parties. Questions? Call 272-3787 weekdays between 8:30 am and 5 pm.
  
   

• Summit on Diabetes 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.

•  City Audit of Public Works: The City Auditor's office seeks public input as part of her audit of the Public Works Department on: Sidewalk maintenance and repair, tree trimming, street paving and pothole repair, storm drainage and flooding, maintenance of parks and medians, street lights, recycling, graffiti abatement and other public works functions. A meeting will be held in District 4, Tuesday, June 24  6-7:30 pm,  Allendale Recreation Center, 3711 Suter Street  

Fireworks Warning: As we near the 4th of July celebration, we would like to remind readers that it is illegal to possess fireworks in the City of Oakland. The City's Fireworks Hotline --238-2873-- allows callers to anonymously leave a message and report street addresses where fireworks are stored or are sold.  Oakland Police  respond and take action prior to the 4th.  Report past problem properties where callers have seen huge firework displays.  Police and fire fighters will visit and leaflet those areas prior to the holiday.  You can also call into the OPD non-emergency line 777-3333, especially on the 4th of July. The reporting party should have all the specifics:  Name(s), address, if fireworks are being sold,  how they operate their transactions.  
 

<<Red flags, designed by the Diablo Fire Safe Council, are flown at hills fire stations on red flag days.
 

Use Common Sense on Red Flag Days:  Park Ranger Kent McNab reported recently, that in the midst of the Red Flag notice, several young people were cited for lighting a bonfire in Joaquin Miller Park!  Please discuss the meaning of Red Flag Days with members of your family especially young people who may gather at parks this summer.

• First, don't ignore the "park closed" signs. Joaquin Miller Park closes on Red Flag days.
• Second, fires in the park except for charcoal fires in designated barbecue pits, are prohibited.
• Third, fires of any kind anywhere in the hills are prohibited on Red Flag days.

Additional  Tips for "Fire Weather Watch Alert" or Red Flag Day: Red Flag Day means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. As a resident, there is nothing specifically you need to do, but you can be extra vigilant around your own property.

• Please have any maintenance or construction crews who are working for you to be extremely cautious of sparks caused by equipment (which has historically been a primary cause of fires).   They are required to have at least 2.5 gallons of water and a fire extinguisher at hand.
•  Keep roadways free of construction materials, dumpsters, and equipment that could block access by responding emergency vehicles.
•  Please have your family, guests and neighbors obey all parking regulations so that streets and roadways remain open.

 Level 1 - Fire Danger Restrictions

•  No Smoking
• No  Open Flame Fires (BBQs Permitted in Designated Areas)
•  Increased Monitoring and Patrol B park Rangers, Park Personnel And Fire Inspectors
•  No Cross Country/Off Road Travel
• Additional "No Parking" Areas Designated on Specific Narrow or"Loop/Dead End Streets
   

Level 2 - Very High Fire Hazard  Prescriptions:  All of above requirements plus

• Restricted use of Open Space and Trails/Unimproved Areas
• No Power Tools or Gasoline Powered Tools in Affected Areas
• Roving Patrols Activated

Level 3 - Extreme Fire Hazard Prescriptions:   All of above requirements plus

• Road Closures as Specified
• Park and Facilities Closures as Specified
• Contractors Working in Area Must be Supervised by OFD 

• Radar Gun Training For Volunteers Set for Monday, June 30, 6-9 pm: at Eastmont Police Substation. Our office is sponsoring a pilot project where volunteers clock speeding vehicles on selected streets and then forward the information to the Police Department, who then send warning letters to the speeders. We would like to train volunteers for our third location -- Foothill  between 50th Avenue and Cole. Our first effort on 35th Avenue, Redwood Road netted 300 warnings. The second effort is occurring on Skyline Blvd. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Michael Johnson at 238-4742.

• Speeders Beware:  Lt. Anthony Banks, who supervises the City's Traffic Patrol, reported that OPR handed out 164 traffic citations on Skyline Blvd. between March 30 and June 14-- 40 of them on Saturday, May 3 alone! You may want to take note-- between the Radar Gun Warning Program and OPR's actual ticketing operation, if you speed on Skyline you better beware!
   
• Pass it on---For those of you entering retirement-- or just cleaning your closets--Allyson Rickard proposed a great suggestion for passing on suits and other office attire that is in good condition--Wardrobe for Opportunity even has a drop off site at Bank of the West in Montclair.

• Caution When Parking Near Tot Lots: A word of caution to parents driving to tot lots anywhere in the city, but especially if you frequent the tot lot on Joaquin Miller Road. Please be careful about traffic and ALWAYS have your children exit the car on the side opposite the traffic. The Joaquin Miller Park tot lot is particularly challenging, because a curve in the very steep road limits visibility of drivers coming down the hill. Please take a few minutes to be extra careful.

• Fund Raising for New Tot Lot at Dimond Park: After months of planning, the Dimond Park Advisory Council has launched a fund raising campaign to install a new tot lot play area in place of the fire engine now located in Dimond Park. The new tot lot will include:
  • safe, enclosed play area for 2-5-year-olds
  • sand box
  • 2 play houses
  • 3 slides
  • multiple climbing features
  • interactive panels
  • learning lab
  • cushioned rubber surface

If you would like to make a contribution, make checks payable to the Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation Dimond Tot Lot, and send it to Michelle Doppelt, Recreation Director at Dimond Park, Dimond Park, 3860 Hanly Rd, Oakland, CA 94602

 

• 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. Construction began on the $400,000 project should end by August 22.

• 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 past newsletters 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

• Curbside Battery Recycling:   After last year's Waste Management lock out was settled, I reported in this newsletter that the City negotiated additional curbside recycling.  Starting July resident can recycle their batteries by putting them into a resealable clear plastic bag on top of their brown can starting July 1st.

•  Wide Mouthed Plastic Containers Also Go Into Gray Bin Starting July 1:   This includes yogurt, cottage cheese, dip and many other food containers. This expanded recycling begins July 1. Look for more information in your next bill from Waste Management of Alameda County.
   
• Many East Bay Cities Join Styrofoam Ban:   Almost every week I am contacted by another city considering the ban of styrofoam foodware.  The cities of Albany and Hayward are the latest; last year San Francisco, Alameda and Emeryville joined Berkeley and Oakland.  I expect most Alameda County cities will join us by next year.

• More BPA Warnings:  One of the many reasons I proposed the styrofoam ban was because the medical studies showing that Bisphenol A or BPA was dangerous to our health. This chemical is released from styrofoam and other plastics when exposed to high heat from microwaves, dishwashers, and some hot  foods.  Recent warning about plastic baby bottles join the list.  

Bill Moyers Journal on PBS just exposed the most outrageous information about the bias of federal government panels, literally controlled by representatives of the plastics industry, in suppressing consideration of BPA studies indicating medical consequences!

Sign up Now for National Night Out, August 2:

• 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 involve young men killed in gang and drug crimes or women victims of domestic violence.  Encouragingly since the reorganization of the police 3 months ago, quality of life crimes have declined slightly.  As of yesterday: car thefts (-5), home burglaries (-8) and robberies (-2).   

• 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.
   
• New Phone Numbers for the Reorganization:   Lists of 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.

• 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 exhibitions. door prizes and giveaways, sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security and the City of Oakland.

• Amateur Radio Field Day in Sequoia Arena, in Joaquin Miller Park, Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29:  Next week is Amateur Radio Week, and on the weekend of June 28 and 29 amateur radio will conduct its annual Field Day disaster-response exercise all across the United States and Canada. Oakland's ham radio club (Oakland Radio Communications Association--ORCA) will participate, and visitors, especially Oakland CORE trainees, are encouraged to observe and even participate. During Field Day, thousands of ham radio operators across North America simulate a disaster response by assembling two-way radio stations quickly, outdoors, and off the commercial power grid. They then make as many contacts as they can with other ham radio operators across North America and even overseas. The contacts can be by voice, Morse code, or any of several digital methods. Sometimes a voice contact can be made with the International Space Station. No WiFi or cellular phone signal is used: it is all done by radio waves, independent of the telephone network and Internet. Actual radio operations will extend from 11 am Saturday to 11 am Sunday. ORCA members will be camping on the site and will operate during much of the 24-hour period, duly taking some time off to sleep and eat.

• 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. (See Item #1.) 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 first Sunday's 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:
   
  • 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.  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 Blvd. 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.

• 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

• Measure K, Kids First! Seeks Youth Members for the Planning & Oversight Committee (POC): The POC is the only city committee in which young people can directly decide where to allocate 2.5% of unrestricted City of Oakland general fund revenues (roughly $12-$14 million a year). Students must be between the ages of 14 and 21 years, live in Oakland, and be able to attend 3 hour meetings on the 1st or 2nd Wednesday of the month.  We are especially seeking someone from District 4. For more information, call or email Jasmine Dawson at 238-2209. Interested students should send a resume and cover letter to Oakland Fund for Children & Youth, Attention: Jasmine Dawson, 150 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Suite 4216, Oakland, CA 94612.
   

• Free Lunch Program at City Recreation Centers & OUSD School Sites: Starting between June 23 and June 30, 41 Recreation Centers or churches and 57 OUSD schools will offer free meals for youth, except infants, during the summer. This allows children under the age of 18 to take advantage of the free meals, regardless of their income level or enrollment status in OUSD summer programs. The program is a project of OUSD, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, and AT & T. To find the summer lunch program near you, please call the Oaklanders' Assistance Center at 510-444-C-I-T-Y or call Jennifer LeBarre at OUSD, 879-8345. District 4 (and nearby) sites include:
  • Recreation Centers
     
  • Allendale Recreation Center - June 16-August 15 (noon - 1 pm)
  • Brookdale Recreation Center - June 16-August 15 (noon - 1 pm)
  • Boy & Girls Club-Ana Marie Branch-June 16-Aug 15 (12 - 1pm)
     
  • Schools
  •  Allendale--June 24-July18
  •  Fremont Federation--June 29-August 1
  •  Fruitvale--June 24-July 18
  •  Glenview--June 23-August 1
  •  Horace Mann--June 24-July 18
  •  Melrose Leadership--June 24-July 18
     

• 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.

• Planning your Calendar for the Family for Next School Year? You can now download the OUSD school calendar for 2008-09 at their website.

• Book Signing of Love, Grandma, Grandmothers Against the War--Saturday, June 28, 3 pm at the AAMLO. Come listen to the life stories, poems, expressions of hope and grief, war and peace, social action and history from the hearts and lives of grandmothers as activitists. Free at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, 659 14th St. RSVP 673-0200.

College Day 2008, Saturday, July 19, 8:30-11:30 am, Oakland Convention Center:

Kids Come Free at Woodminster This Summer:

• July 11-20  Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• August 9-17 Seussical
• September 5-14 Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance

• 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. 
   
  • 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.
• 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
     

• 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.
   

• Health Fair at Eastmont Town Center, Friday, June 27, Noon -6 pm: Free health screenings, including HIV, Cancer, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and more. Food, music performances, kids area, raffles and more. Eastmont Town Center is located at 7200 Bancroft. Contact Get Screened Oakland at 238-3141.

• 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.

• 33rd Annual Fine Arts Sidewalk Festival in Montclair, June 27, 28 and 29 on Mountain Blvd. at La Salle. 10 am- 6 pm, Friday and Saturday; 10 am - 5 pm on Sunday. Sponsored by Pacific Fine Arts Festivals.

• Annual Dimond Picnic in the Park, Sunday, July 27. Bring friends and family to this annual event, sponsored by the Dimond Improvement Association.
   

• Laurel Street Festival, Saturday, August 9, 1-6 pm:  Celebrate Oakland's Diversity in the heart of Oakland-- the Laurel District-- MacArthur Blvd. between 35th Avenue and High Street. Details to come.>>Last year's event

• 6th Annual Montclair Jazz and Wine Festival 2008, Sunday, September 7, 11 am-6 pm. Admission to the Festival is free. Wine Tasting 1-6 pm-wine tasting tickets are $30; $5 off coupon on the website. Couples package$50. Beer is available at the Beer Garden from 11 am-6 pm, $4.00.

• Dimond Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 4, 11 am- 4 pm on MacArthur Blvd.

• Maxwell Park Day, Saturday, September 13-- a day in Maxwell Park, 4618 Allendale Avenue. Details to come.
   

• 14th Annual Fine Arts & Crafts Fall Fest in Montclair, October 4-5: Mountain Blvd. at La Salle, 10 am- 6 pm, Saturday; 10 am-5 pm, Sunday. Sponsored by Pacific Fine Arts Festivals.
   

• 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 closes at dusk the day before and reopens 10 am the day after:
  • 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
  • September
     
    • Friday, September 5-Sunday, September 14: Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" at Woodminster Amphitheater
    • Sunday, September 21:  Sundays in the Redwoods
    • Sunday, September 28: Sundays in the Redwoods
  • October:
     
    • Sunday, October 5: Sundays in the Redwoods
    • Sunday, October 12: Sundays in the Redwoods
    
     
• BadRap's Code597 Comes to Oakland: The City's Animal Services Department is about to launch Code597, a partnership with BadRap (Bay Area Dog owners Responsible About Pitbulls) and players from the Oakland Raiders. The name is taken from CA penal code 597 which is the code that addresses animal cruelty.  The goal of this program is to combine the knowledge we have collectively about proper animal care along with the resources and celebrity the Oakland Raider's Players can lend to the program to educate dog owners and provide assistance to them so that they can learn to become more responsible and humane guardians of their dogs. With such strong role models as the Oakland Raiders and some financial assistance Animal Services hopes to reach many people in the community and change the tone of animal control from one of strict enforcement to an agency that can also provide assistance to those who are willing to commit to their animals but just do not have the knowledge or the finances to do so.  For details, contact Adam Parascandola, Director of Animal Services, at 535-5640.

• Throughout the City, Dogs On Leash is the Rule: Just a reminder to dog caretakers that dogs must always be on leash no more than 6 feet away from the caretaker, except when on your own property or in a named off-leash dog area.(OMC 06.04.070) Dogs are not permitted in most city parks, with a few exceptions -- and then, they need to be on leash (OMC 06.04.080). On Wednesday, while the Rangers were patrolling Dimond Canyon, a professional dog walker was encountered.  He had 8 dogs running off leash in the Bridgeview area.  He was cited for one dog off leash (A $200 ticket).  He was given a warning for the other 7 dogs off a leash. If he had been cited for all 8, it would have been $1,600.