"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at Opens at Woodminster Amphitheater This Weekend: This is a great way to enjoy the beauty of Joaquin Miller Park and enjoy a musical at reasonable prices.  Kids come free with adult tickets. Check out the new handrails that our office helped install (See #4). You can purchase tickets on line or at the gate. Go to their website to purchase tickets for this and the two other performances this season: Seussical the Musical and Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Note that the Joaquin Miller Park Dog Play Area will be closed between July 11 and July 20, reopening at 10 am on Monday, July 21. (See #12 below).
 

• Self Awareness/Defense Course, Saturday, July 12 or Saturday, July 19 at Dimond Recreation Center: 9 am-Noon. The Beat 22X Neighborhood Coalition for Positive Change (NCPC) hosts two different sessions of this self awareness/self defense course. To register, download the form and fax it back to Renee Sykes, Neighborhood Services Coordinator for Beats 22X, 22Y and 25X, at 238-7685. The deadline for the July 19 session is Thursday, July 17. For details, contact Renee at 238-7929.

Annual Open House / Carnival & Parks for Peace Day at Redwood Heights Recreation Center, Saturday July 12, 10:30 am-2 pm: 3883 Aliso Avenue. The children in our Summer Escape Day Camp worked all week long, designing and putting together carnival type booths where you can earn "carnival dollars" to exchange for small prizes, cotton candy, Sno-cones, and/or popcorn. Also planned for the same day is the Parks for Peace Day. Families can decorate a tile that will be added to the mosaic wall at the Recreation Center.  For details, please call 482-7827.  (Above) Face painting at Allendale Rec Center's Parks for Peace Event.

 

It seems to be weekend to celebrate "international island cultures:"

• Second Saturdays@ Peralta Hacienda--Saturday, July 12, Puerto Rican Cultural Day: Free celebration with music, dance and mouth-watering cuisine. Create traditional arts and crafts of the island. Fun for the entire family! Co-sponsored by Orden Fraternal de los Hijos de Puerto Rico. FREE!
   
• 34th Annual Scottish Highland Games at Dunsmuir House, Saturday, July 12-Sunday, July 13: Two days of Highland games, crafts, food and more at Dunsmuir House & Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, 10 am-6 pm. $5-12, 6 and younger free. Call 562-0328 for details.

• Bikes for Peace will ride around Lake Merritt Sunday, 2 pm, starting at the Lakeside Playground, 468 Perkins.  A movement of mostly young men trying to fight the wave of violence with positive activities will lead the event with their scraperbikes -- colorfully decorated spokes.  The event winds up at DeFremery Park with a barbecue and music. http://www.scraperbikes.net/

>>Scaperbike leader speaks at Oakland Community Organizations rally against youth violence.

• Let's Go to the Movies--LWV Free Sunday Salon at the Parkway Speakeasy Theatre, Sunday, July 13: View Paper Clips, a thought provoking movie, and then participate in a discussion. When the students of Tennessee's Whitwell Middle School began studying the Holocaust as a way to learn about intolerance and diversity, nobody could have predicted the results. In 2001, the Paper Clip Project culminated in a unique memorial that changed the lives of those who created it, and touched Holocaust survivors and countless communities. 1:45 pm - Pre-film Welcome and Introduction; 2-3:30 pm - Film; 3:30-4 pm - Discussion. For more information, LWVO website or 834-7640.  

• Oakland Municipal Band at Lakeside Park Bandstand, Sunday, 1-3 pm: Bring your beach chair, picnic and friends for this free concert by the Oakland Municipal Band, now in it's 97th Concert Season. Concerts offer an array of jazz, contemporary, pop, big band, international, classical, marches and show tunes.  Donations are welcome
   

• Poetry Reading by the Foleys, Sunday, July 13, 3:30 pm, 4690 Tompkins Ave. Hear District 4's resident poets Adelle and Jack Foley read poetry. The theme of the reading is the diverse and often contradictory currents of the human heart.
   

• Governor Signs SB1137 for Foreclosure Relief, Honors East Oakland Activists:  Dorothy Hicks, an East Oakland resident and Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) activist, received the first copy of the bill which will require mortgage lenders to talk with homeowners before foreclosing, give tenants more time (90 days) to vacate foreclosed properties and require banks to maintain foreclosed properties and prevent blight. Ms. Hicks almost lost her home of 39 years because of a predatory loan, but was able to refinance.
   
• City Hall Shake-Up Continues:  This week Assistant City Manager Cheryl Thompson was put on administrative leave, her employment with the City ends in August. A reported severance package allegedly granted to her by former city manager Edgerly is expected to be contested by the City.  Meanwhile, Dan Lindheim has assumed the reins as acting city manager and the Mayor's budget for an executive search goes to Council next week.  In case you've been out of town or missed this issue, I wrote an extensive piece on this controversy in this previous newsletter.
   
• Various City Reform Measures Introduced:  A flurry of measures were introduced this week by every branch of government.
  • Expanded nepotism proposal:  Council President Delafuente is introducing a revision to the city's nepotism policy (see below) that would expand rules to people cohabitating and otherwise romantically involved, forbidding them from participating in or attempting to influence hiring.
  • City's Whistleblower Policy sponsored by Council members Delafuente and Kernighan and Auditor Ruby is expected to pass on Tuesday. The city policy is based on new State legislation already supported by the Council.
  • Ethics Program:  Would expand the ethnics training now required for elected officials for supervisors. (City Attorney & Auditor)
  • Records Management:  Would establish a task force to improve records management and would expand retention of emails from 90 days to 5 years.(City Attorney & Auditor)
  • The Mayor has implemented a series of administrative actions: a freeze on new hiring (except fire & police), a moratorium on new travel requests, and review of credit card policies. 
  • Meanwhile, I introduced new policies for the Finance Committee to consider to clarify the Council policies on salaries for city employees and officials. http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/19894.pdf    This has been the product of about six months fact finding and legal discussions in response to the Auditor's report on payroll practices.  It attempts to improve transparency on salaries and related benefits, define the scope of the city manager's authority to set salaries, and resolve the oversight and authority of the City Auditor and City Attorney over their own salaries.  Some of the most controversial issues will be over what items the City Manager may grant employees above contract and normal civil service promotions and whether the City Auditor and City Attorney can authorize their own pay and related benefits and whether they can continue to give themselves up to an additional 3 weeks pay as a bonus. 
     
  • Personnel Investigation:  In addition to charges about possible interference in a police investigation, some reporters have made charges about nepotism. The City Attorney's office released an opinion on how the City's Nepotism policy applies to the City Manager.

  Section 907. Nepotism. The Mayor or City Council shall not appoint as an employee or officer, to receive any compensation from the City, any person who is a relative by blood or marriage within the third degree of the Mayor or anyone or more of the members of the Council, nor shall the City Administrator or any other appointing authority appoint to any such position any relative of his or of the Mayor or any member of the Council within such degree of kinship. (Amended by: Stats. November 1988 and March 2004.)

  As a result it seems everyone from the Mayor, Council President, Auditor, and myself are calling for an investigation of  hiring practices which may go back as far as several years.  I will be recommending that the City employ one of the outside investigators recommended by the California League of Cities Institute for Local Government's Ethics Program to look at charges of nepotism, to review our hiring processes and make recommendations on how to ensure fair personnel practices.

• Mayor's Police Proposal Goes to Council for Fall Ballot, 105 Additional Officers Over Three Years: Both the Mayor and I have criticized a proposed measure that would have required the City to add 300 new officers without new revenues. The estimated cost would have increased police costs to about half of the City General Fund, making public safety or police and fire about three quarters of the entire City budget.  If both this proposal and the new Kids First initiative to double funding were passed, the rest of the City would have to run on less than 20 percent of the budget. Does this sound like Vallejo?

In response, the Mayor, working with the Police Chief, has sent a proposal  to be discussed this week to the Council for a fall ballot measure. In January, we will reach police staffing that matches our fully budgeted positions including the additional 63 Measure Y officers. To maintain these positions and to reach the number estimated by Chief Tucker as the desired level of staffing the proposal would increase police staffing by 35 officers and 25 police technicians each year for three years for a total of 105 police and 75 police technicians. This would bring our police force to 908 sworn officers and about 130 police technicians.

• The cost to a single family house would be phased in at an average of $86 more per year for a total increase of $266.
• The use of police technicians would improve investigations and give faster service to citizens at lower cost than more police alone.
   
• Police technicians are especially effective in collecting and analyzing data on crime trends to help us focus police resources and can do much of the tracking and follow-up needed to monitor parolees and sex offenders.
• This would free up police for more crime response, less paper work.
• It would bring the police-to-citizen ratio up to one of the higher ratios in California.
• It would require the City to increase the police as new housing and the population both increase.
• It is a reasonable schedule for training and recruitment at currently budgeted levels, given the highly competitive market for police and expected retirement levels.

• 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 26 vacant positions from the budget:  By permanently eliminating these positions we are beginning what we believe will be a necessary 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 and they have submitted revisions which fund an executive search for a new city manager and reduced the number of positions cut from 26 to 20..
• 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.

• New Handrails for Woodminster Continues Joaquin Miller Park Improvements: Our matching grant for Woodminster Theater handrails is the latest park improvement thanks to the efforts of the Woodminster Theater Producer Associate Board Member Don Weiland and support from the Office of Parks & Recreation. The growing audiences of the Woodminster Theater Musicals and the Sunday's in the Redwoods concerts are bringing more multigenerational groups to this beautiful outdoor amphitheater above the bay; we hope these rails will improve access and safety. >>Jean and Bob Ferguson, volunteer and contractor admiring the new rails.
   
• Laurel Focus Wednesday, July 23: Part of our City strategy to improve neighborhoods and reduce crime is to blitz with coordinated services from all departments.  In the week around July 23, over a hundred city employees will be taking a concentrated look at issues in the Laurel Commercial district.  You can expect to see code, building and litter enforcement inspectors; public works street, tree, grafitti, and sidewalk crews; extra traffic and parking enforcement officers looking for abandoned cars and other violations; youth outreach works with job applications; and neighborhood service coordinators asking merchants and neighbors to keep their lights on at night.  Our office will be out in force, too.  To participate or give suggestions contact Michael Johnson in our office or Neighborhood Services Coordinator Renee Sykes.

• Welcome Opera Piccola to the Laurel: Opera Piccola, the music/performing arts program that has served  500,000 children, adults and families in libraries, schools, senior centers, parks, malls, homeless shelters and other accessible gathering places, since 1989, has moved from Rockridge to the Laurel. The new address is 2946 MacArthur Blvd, 482-0967.
   
• Beat 22X Neighborhood Coalition for Positive Change (NCPC) Meets July 14 and Schedules Neighborhood Walk/Clean Up in the Dimond for Saturday, July 26, 10am-Noon:  Beat 22X is one of our newest NCPC's and is already moving head enthusiastically with several projects. Earlier this week, a small traffic task force met with Sue Piper in our office to discuss and prioritize traffic issues in the beat. A neighborhood walk has been scheduled for Saturday, July 26 to remove trash and discourage litter. Meet at the Dimond Park entrance at Fruitvale/Lyman (near tennis courts).  Bring work gloves, kids, neighbors, drinking water and join us for our monthly "Don't Trash Oakland...It's Home" neighborhood walk. Meet new friends, get some exercise and help make 22X NCPC a "litter and graffiti-free community". The next NCPC meeting is Monday, July 14 at the Greek Orthodox Church at 7 pm. For details, contact Meg Bowerman at  531-7139.
   
• Dimond Tot Lot Fundraising:  You or your group can sponsor a panel in the new play structure for the tot lot and get your name or any person you wish to honor inscribed on it. Check this list and send a check to:  "Oakland Parks and Rec/Dimond Tot Lot."  Write your panel choice in the memo line. Then either mail or hand deliver your check to:  Michelle Doppelt, Recreation Supervisor, Dimond Recreation Center & Park, 3860 Hanly Rd, Oakland, CA 94602 
   

• E-Waste Recycling at Woodminster Amphitheater on Saturday, August 2, 9 am - 4 pm: Save your outdated computers, printers, cell phones and other e-waste for recylcing at Woodminster Amphitheater. Monitors, television, laptops, flat screens, cell phones and ink cartridges are free; $5 fee for other electronics.  Make recycling checks payable to C & T Recycling Company. Last year's program was extremely successful.
   
• 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! You may want to take note-- between our District 4 Radar Gun Warning Program and OPD's actual ticketing operation, if you speed on Skyline, you better beware!
   
• Next Radar Gun Project Scheduled for Foothill Blvd:  We trained more volunteers for our next radar gun project.  If you would like to help us clock speeders, please contact Michael Johnson in our office.

• Volunteers Staff OPD Bike Patrol in City Parks: Vicki Camilleri, one of the 11 volunteers who patrol the trails of Joaquin Miller Park and Dimond Canyon on bicycle, recently published an article in the Mountain Bike Forum, Dirt Rag. The article provides an overview of the history of the patrol, and their day-to-day experiences on the trails. We'd like to double the number of volunteers. If you are interested, please email Vicki..  (Above) Photo by Mike Alden 
   
• White/Light Blue Truck Sought in Hit & Run at Castle & Mountaingate:  On Thursday night at about 10 pm, an older truck with an open back bed moving down Castle side swiped an SUV going uphill.  When the SUV owner tried to stop the truck to get insurance information, the truck rammed the SUV injuring the other driver. If anyone has information about this incident or has possible information on the truck (possibly a service, construction or delivery vehicle) please contact the police.
   
• Sign up Now for National Night Out, August 5: Sign up for National Night Out and your group will be visited by a representative from the Police, Fire and/or Public Works Department, as well as our office. We all usually bring freebies (last year it was free compact fluorescent light bulbs and whistles). But most importantly, you begin to build community, which is the first step in organizing your block for both crime prevention , emergency preparedness and fun.
  

We are happy to announce that we have secured free tubs of Dreyer's Ice Cream again.  We have only 10 tubs left!  Contact Michael Johnson if your group would like one. Here's a perfect way to get to know your neighbors--invite them to a pot luck, ice cream social or coffee and desserts as part of the 25th Annual National Night Out event. Last year, District 4  had 79 different National Night Out parties!  NOTE: you need to sign up with the City AND our Office.
 

• 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.  Most recent report I have viewed this week: car thefts (-4), home burglaries (-11) and robberies (-1).   

• 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.

• Waste Management assures our recycling staff that all trucks have compartments to hold batteries separately, but driver training may not have caught up.
• Put the batteries in zip lock bags.
• Contact the City recycling staff at recycling@oaklandnet.com or 238-SAVE (7283) with questions, problems or complaints.

<<Big Sur resident waits on Hwy 1 with his most valued possessions in his car.

 

Organizing Your Neighbors/ Preparing Your Family: Sometimes thinking about what do to in an disaster is so overwhelming that people avoid any planning. 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 first Sunday's to pick up an easy-to-use form. 

 

New CORE Newsletter; Summer Schedule of Disaster Preparation Classes:   Trying to save money, the Citizens Organized to Respond to Emergencies (CORE) Newsletter is now available on-line here.  Take a look for updates, a full schedule of classes including new classes on issues like "Managing Strees During Emergencies."
 

Retrofit Program Picks Up:  As we near our first year of the program that I authored, the number of homes applying for a permit for a retrofit at the flat fee of $250 will reach about 200; up from only 7 applications last year. A 2900% increase!  
 

Now there are two ways the City can assist homeowners seismically strengthen their older homes:

1. New Homeowners--may apply for the New Homeowners Seismic Strengthening Incentive Program, but must sign up within the first 60 days of taking ownership. If you meet all the requirements, you can be eligible for up to $5,000 reimbursement.

2. Low Income/Fixed Income Homeowners--starting July 1, eligible homeowners may apply for up to $10,000 matching grant to seismically strengthen their older home. Homeowners must meet the City's low income threshold (family of 2 not exceeding $53,000 a year, for example) and live in one of the City's Redevelopment Project Areas.

3. All homeowners who retrofit according to the City's standards are eligible for a flat $250 retrofit permit fee--saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

In both cases, interested homeowners should first contact the City of Oakland's Building Department at 238-3891 for information about the City's Seismic Retrofit Program.  Eligible low-income homeowners will then be referred to the City's Residential Lending and Housing Rehabilitation Services Program, which also offers no-interest loans for other home construction improvement projects (including foundation work). >> Students experience a 8.0 earthquake at FEMA Fair this week.

 

• Friends of Sausal Creek's July Schedule: Join friends and neighbors and learn more about the native habitat of Sausal Creek:
  • Saturday, July 12, 1:30-4:30 pm, Propagation Workday in the Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery. Sowing, transplanting, weeding and other tasks. RSVP for groups over 6. Contact Molly Bolt for details.
  • Saturday, July 19, 9 am- Noon: Restoration Workday in Dimond park. Meet at the Scout Hut to work on invasive plant removal and the installation of erosion control along the creek banks in Dimond Park. Email Kathren Stevenson to RSVP.
  • Saturday, July 19, 1:30-4:30 pm: Propagation Workday in the Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery. Sowing, Transplanting, weeding and other tasks. RSVP for groups over 6. Contact Molly Bolt for details.
  • Sunday, July 20, 9;30-Noon: Aquatic Insect Sampling. Call Emma Brown to confirm at 527-2507.
  • Saturday, July 26, 9 am-Noon: Restoration Workday at Beaconsfield Canyon. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants to help clear debris for fire prevention, pull invasive plants, plant and mark natives, and extend trails. Contact Richard Kauffmann at 531-1237 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 Power Point 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.

• Updates Sought for New Creek & Watershed Map of Oakland: The Oakland Museum is updating its Creek and Watershed Map of Oakland and Berkeley, and seeks input on changes made to the creek since its last printing (Sausal Watershed). If anyone knows of small changes that they'd like to share, please contactr Christopher Richard at the Oakland Museum. 

• Keep Oakand Beautiful Grants: Designed to foster local solutions and community improvement, grants in the amount of $200 - $500 will be distributed from funds raised by Keep Oakland Beautiful. There are two funding cycles: summer and winter. Deadlines are April 30 (summer) and September 30 (winter). Grants will be awarded to individuals or groups that demonstrate creativity and/or community renewal. Evidence of sustainability of the project after the grant funding terminates is also a criteria. The use of partnerships to leverage the scope of the project and public visibility are also factors which will affect how the applications are ranked by the organization. For details contact Keep Oakland Beautiful at 434-5126.

• Merritt College Offers Environmental Courses for Fall 2008: Take a single class, trasfer, prepare for graduate school or recei e a certificate or degree. Courses available on Environmental Jobs, Engergy Alternatives, Green Building, Outdoor Education, Sustainable Urban Planning, Native Plants & Restoration, Growing Sustainable Food and Environmental Justice.  All ages welcome, low cost and fee waivers available. Fall semester begins mid-August. For details call 434-3840 or go to the website for the Merritt College Environmental Program.

• Prescott Clowns Peform at Malonga Casquelourd Theater, Wednesday, July 16 & Thursday, July 17: 24th Annual Out the Box, featuring Oakland's Prescott Clowns. Peformances at  11 am and 1:30 pm both days. Malonga Casquelourd Theater is located at 1428 Alice Street. Show lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. For groups, please reserve in advance by calling 482-1674.
   
• OUSD Names Interim Superintendent and New Oakland Athletic League (OAL) Commissioner: As the next step to local control, the School Board has hired Hawaii native Roberta Mayor to take over day-to-day operations moving the District toward full control. She will also lead the board in the search for a permanent superintendent to be accomplished by the end of her one year contract.  State Administrator Vince Matthews will have veto power over financial and academic affairs.  Mayor has been part of the Financial Audit team that has reviewed the district for the last 5 years; she will be expected to lead the Board in making tough decisions about school closures because of the declining enrollment. 

Veteran administrator Michael Moore, Sr. has been assigned the role of Oakland Athletic League (OAL) Commissioner as one of his many administrative responsibilities. As OAL Commissioner, Moore will represent the Oakland Section of the California Interscholastic Federation at the local, state and national level, while developing a long-term growth strategy for the League. Moore is also tasked with facilitating the development of a District-wide K-12 athletic curriculum and instructional programs designed to increase athletic achievement for all students and professional development opportunities for athletic instructional staff.

•  Measure K, Kids First!, Seeks Youth Members for the Planning and 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.
   
• Planning Your Calendar for the Family for Next School Year? You can now download the OUSD school calendar for 2008-09 at their website.
   
•  College Day 2008, Saturday, July 19, 8:30-11:30 am, Oakland Convention Center: College Day 2008, sponsored by State Farm, is a special component of Black Expo 2008. It is designed to help parents and youth (grades 7-12) to get more information about and to encourage them to take the steps necessary to get into and pay for college. The event is free if you come prior to 10 am. Black Expo 2008 runs July 19 and 20, 11 am-7 pm; For details, call 839-0690 Admission $7 in advance; $10 at the door. To register online.
  
  
  Kids Come Free at Woodminster This Summer: Thanks to Chevron, major corporate sponsor for Kids Come Free, one child 16 or younger will be admitted free with each adult ticket purchased for any of the summer performances at Woodminster Amphitheater. Free tickets cannot be reserved in advance, present your adult ticket to the box office between 5:30 pm and 8 pm and receive one child's ticket as close as possible to your adult ticket. To be seated together, purchase your adult ticket on the night of the performance. Seussical Special: two kids are admitted free with one adult at performances of Seussical, August 9-17, on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays (Regular offer applies on Saturdays).
   
  • July 11-20  Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  • August 9-17 Seussical
  • September 5-14 Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance

          Call Woodminster Amphitheater at 531-9597 or email Harriet Schlader.
 

When it comes to planning summer activities for children, the sooner the better, as many programs fill up quickly. Here are a few programs to consider:

• 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. 
   
• A Few Spots Remain for Chabot's Summer Camps! Send Your Child on an Unforgettable Adventure this Summer- Sign up for Space Explorers Summer Camp Now!  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, Green Dollhouses and Fun in the Sun. 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.

Live Jazz in Downtown Oakland Every Monday Night:

Oakland Public Conservatory of Music.

<<Glen Pearson, session leader

• 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. July's Schedule:
  • 7/3/08 Native Elements (reggae)
  •  7/17/08 Dynamic Band (hip hop)

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

• 
   
• Lakefest '08 Wine Art and Wine Festival., Saturday, August 2 to Sunday, August 3. Showcases 30 wineries along with live music and an arts and crafts fair with over 100 artisans and local vendors. Admission is free,food and wine tasting packages begin at $10. At the crossroads of Lakeshore and Grand Avenues.

• 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.
• 
  
• Sundays in the Redwoods--2008: Bring friends and family for a picnic and FREE music at this annual series of concerts at the Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park. Concerts begin at 3 pm:
  
   Full house at last year's performance by Goapele>>
  
   
• World Music - September 21, 2008: Skyline High School, Rank-N-Screw, OBA JIMI, 2 Four y Los Mios (Cuban Jazz), Julius Melendez

• A Thousand Strings - September 28, 2008: Strings of Soul and the Oakland EastBay Symphony, Michael Morgan conductor    

• The Sounds of Inspiration - October 5, 2008: Castleers from Castlemont High School, Kindom Travelers, Kathy Copeland - KC and Company, James Newton and Jon Jang

• Jazz Neo Soul - October 12, 2008: Oakland School of the Arts, Matrix, Khalil Shaheed

• 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.

Dogs on Leash; It's the Law!  We've received several reports of off-leash dogs attacking on-leash dogs in Dimond Canyon. This is a serious problem throughout the City. Responsible dog owners know that the City requires dogs to be on  leash, no longer than 6 feet from the guardian, and under the control of the guardian at all times when not on the guardian's private property. In general, dogs are not allowed in City parks, except for: Joaquin Miller and Leona Parks east of Mountain Boulevard, Dimond Park east of El Centro Avenue, Knowland Park east of Golf Links Road, Glen Daniel/King Estate Park, north of Fontaine Street, and the Montclair Railroad Trail. And when in these parks, they must be on leash, except for the City's three off-leash areas:

•     Hardy Park
•     Joaquin Miller Park
•     Mosswood Park

Dogs  can be unpredictable and at least when they are on leash, they can be better controlled. Citations for this offense can get expensive: $50 for the first offense; $100 for a second offense within one year, $500 for a third offense within one year. As set forth at Section 1.28.020B, "any violation beyond the third conviction within a one-year period may be charged by the City Attorney or the District Attorney as a misdemeanor and the penalty for conviction of the same shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than six months or by both."  OMC 6.04.070 & .080
 

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.