This Sunday I'll staff an informational booth at the free Jazz Concert at Woodminster Theater 3-6 pm. (Left) Mo 'Rockin is just one of the many groups playing Sunday.

Next week we'll hold office hours in our booth at the Montclair Farmer's Market on Sunday, October 8 from 9 am until 1 pm. This will be the last time Sue Piper and I will be at the Farmer's Market until warmer weather returns in April. As of November 5, we will be holding Montclair Office Hours at Alain Pinel at 6211 La Salle Avenue from 10 am until noon.

Carmen Perez now staffs our Laurel Office on Wednesdays from 4 until 6 pm and we rotate staffing Saturdays from 10 am until noon. Richard Cowan is at the Police substation at the Dimond Safeway on Thursdays 4-6 pm...And you may always contact us at our office--238-7004.

Each year our office joins Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley in sponsoring a Walk Your Child to School event. This year, we'll be at Horace Mann Elementary School from 8-9 am, with signs and police enforcement officers, to remind drivers to slow down and watch out for children. With child obesity and diabetes reaching epidemic levels, our focus is on encouraging students to walk and bike to school regularly and on making their routes safety. Parents are asked to fill out safety surveys with their students.

Last year we focused on Joaquin Miller School (Above -Jean, Nate, Principal Lu, and student volunteers). It was so successful that the parents at Joaquin Miller School are repeating the experience with a new twist-- they are sponsoring three "walk to school" routes for students. Parents will meet students on Mountain at the Union 76 gas station, on Monterey next to the Tunnel, and in front of the Woodminster Grocery Store on Mountain near Joaquin Miller Road. They will walk the group of students to the school to demonstrate safe walking behavior and to promote walking to school as an alternative to driving. If you live in the neighborhood, you'll know that traffic from both Joaquin Miller and Montera schools is the heaviest between 8:20 and 8:45 am. You may want to find an alternative route or plan on leaving home a little earlier or later than usual.

Other schools serving District 4 that are participating in the National Walk Your Child to School Day are:

• Glenview Elementary,4212 LaCresta
• Fruitvale Elementary, 3200 Boston Avenue
• Laurel Elementary, 3750 Brown Avenue
• Redwood Heights Elementary, 4401 39th Avenue

 

Juvenile Obesity - Tips for Parents....

In the third FREE performance of our fall series, Four Flavors of Jazz, Sunday, October 1, 11-7 pm will give us a vibrant menu of East Bay jazz performers.
Youth and student groups begin at 11am: Khalil Shaheed, Oaktown Jazz Workshops, Oakland Music Conservatory and the Youth Jazz Band, and the Oakland School of the Arts. Beginning at 3pm: The Count Basie Tribute Band, Mo'Rockin Project, and Babatunde Please help us build this tradition of free quality live performances here in Oakland. Please send this onto your family and friends. Come early and enjoy the cascades, picnic areas, and trails of this 500 acre park. Directions & Map

This series has evolved out of our discussions to broaden the use of the Joaquin Miller Park; our dream to bring quality, free live performances to Oakland; and our hope of bringing the community together across generations and cultures. We hope to build this into an annual event.

OUR LAST SUNDAY FEATURES GOSPEL NEXT WEEK
 

• Gospel at the Woodminster, Sunday, October 8, 3 - 7 pm, featuring the Men's Missionary Choir, Peace, and KC Gospel Group

 

For a Copy of the Poster....

Our neighbors in the Glenview are asking everyone to slow down on Park Blvd. Park is a major route for people living all over the hills, Oakmore, Glenview or just traveling between Hwy 13 and 580. Too many race through the area endangering students at several school and pedestrians in the commercial areas. The Glenview Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council's traffic committee has worked with the city to reduce speeds and end the confusion between different speed zones on Park. The speed is now 30 miles per hour between Leimert Blvd and 580. The exception is in front of schools (Brewer Middle, Corpus Christi, Zion Lutheran Schools) where it is 25 miles per hour.

When M&W Liquors at 2400 High was closed earlier this year, the owner of the building promised to work with the community to find a new tenant. (Left) Captain Kozicki at announcement of the closure of M&W. When it reopened this summer as Saalem Market looking much like the old store without alcohol. Many people were worried that it would continue to be a magnet for drug dealing. We were not surprised to find that this new “convenience store” did not have the correct permits and it was closed by the city.

The Saalem Market applied for a conditional use permit to open as a convenience store and neighbors were preparing to oppose the permit next week. Last week the Market owner said they were withdrawing their application. Then neighbors told us the store seemed to be receiving deliveries last weekend. Jean and Carmen Perez visited the store with city inspector Bill Singman. As a result the building owner and operator of the store were instructed that they did not have the correct permits to keep the store open. The owner has until Monday, October 2 to close the store or pay penalties. Our office and Nuisance Enforcement Officer Arturo Sanchez will meet with the building owner next week to discuss options for the store.

If the old M & W/Saalem Market is seen "open" or with doors "half open" after Monday, please contact Carmen Perez in our office at 238-4742.

The proposed AMG senior residence project was discussed at the Design Review Committee of the Planning Commission on Wednesday evening, the first formal step of the city process. AMG presented their plan for development, their efforts at community outreach, and the changes they have made so far to accommodate community needs and concerns (1700 plus ft of retail, a community room, additional lighting and landscaping to match the Laurel Streetscape). Many neighbors and merchants voiced their continuing apprehensions about the project building's height and desire for more retail on the ground floor; others voiced questions about security and the possible health impacts of the freeway. Our office expressed our support for more retail, especially on High Street; less height, and affordable senior housing.

Based on comments given at our meeting and at committee, the Design Review Committee recommended that AMG revise their plans. Specifically, the Committee encouraged the community and developers to work together on a compromise on height and mass and retail.

American Express Partners in Preservation is running a web poll which will be used in distributing over a million in funds. The two great Oakland sites are among the twenty-five choices slipped slightly this week and need our help. The Fox Theater, the amazing downtown art deco era theater that is about to be reopened after decades sitting empty and the Cleveland Cascades near Lake Merritt. The neighborhood near the lake has been organizing a great grass roots effort to research the original design and raise funds. Right now you can see the steps, but as they have started cleaning and planting you can begin to imagine the possibilities. You can vote once every day until October 31st! Please help these grand beauties!

(Above) The Fox Theater exterior marquee has been restored but little interior work has been started.

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

• ROBBERY TIP SHEET: Robberies are up this year and victims in our district tend to be individuals who are alone at the time, walking in less busy areas or very early or late hours. Shoppers with full arms getting into or out of cars are easy targets. This tip sheet is a good reminder for all of us. If you do witness a crime, write down information as soon as possible. This identification worksheet helps organize information.

• Police Service Area 4's Lt. Ricardo Orozco leaves for the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia on September 30th. Many of our top officers get this training opportunity which lasts up to six months. PSA 4 covers parts of the Dimond, Bret Harte, Oakmore, Allendale, Fruitvale, and Laurel. In the interim Sgt. Vierra will be acting Lieutenant. He can be reached at 777-8522.

• New Problem Solving Officer: The newest class of graduating officers started September 26th. Officer Ryan Chan will temporarily cover Kami Jackson's former area – Beats 22 X & Y (Dimond/Bret Harte), 24X & Y (Allendale), and 25 X & Y (Laurel). Kami, who was out on pregnancy leave, has decided to take a position in San Leandro. As new officers graduate these beats will be assigned to new Problem Solving Officers.

• Daffodil Days are Back! Imagine more than 150,000 daffodils blooming all over Oakland this spring. For the third year, the City's Keep Oakland Beautiful hopes to plant another 50,000 daffodil bulbs donated by Home Depot. In most places they seem to have naturalized very well coming back with more blooms in many locations.
You can register for up to 200 free daffodil bulbs for planting in public locations. Once you plant them, you are considered the area steward and agree to keep the site looking nice, litter and weed-free. The bulbs must be planted in public owned areas such as parks, median strips, or schools. Official planting days are November 3-5, but you can plant bulbs anytime before the end of November. To reserve your free daffodil bulbs, call 434-5139 or go to the Keep Oakland Beautiful website and fill out an online request. The deadline is this Monday, October 2nd.

• Love Your Parks Day: The Oakland Parks Coalition invites friends and lovers of Oakland Parks and Recreation Centers to conduct citywide park surveys on Saturday, October 28 from 9am – noon. Results of the surveys will be tabulated and submitted in a report to City officials. With the failure of the Landscape and Lighting District update, city park maintenance resources are stretched. If you want to support OPC’s effort to improve funding and maintenance for our parks, please join us. To be a survey volunteer email us at loveyourparksday@gmail.com or phone 287-2693

• Native American Health Center Pow Wow Saturday and Sunday at Head Royce School, 4315 Lincoln Avenue. This 2 day contest powwow will award prizes in youth and adult categories. Specials include a drum contest, switch dance contest, and a hand drum contest. There will also be a car seat check event to check correct car/booster seat use for your child's age and size. A free Cradle With Love t-shirt is available to participants while supplies last. For more information, contact Cathy Wisdom at 535-4495 or Eulalia Valerio at (415) 621-1170.

• Meet the women of "The Secret Lives of Lawfully Wedded Wives" at a Great Good Place for Books on Saturday, September 30, 7 pm, 6120 La Salle Avenue in Montclair. 27 female writers - -half who write anonymously--share the often hidden truths that lurk in married women's lives, both scandalous and sweet. Editor Autumn Stephens will be joined by contributors Elizabeth Fishel, Kat Meltzer, Rachel Trachten, Susan Parker, Joyce Thompson, Orit Weksler and Janis Newman.

• OUSD PARENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: On Saturday, September 30, OUSD in partnership with the Marcus A. Foster Educational Institute will be holding the Oakland Parent Leadership Conference at Patten College, 2433 Coolidge Ave, 8 am - 4 pm. To register, contact the Marcus Foster institute 835-0391 or info@mafei.org. Free childcare services are available, breakfast and lunch are provided.

• Join Assemblywoman Wilma Chan at Spruce Up for Kids at Fruitvale Elementary Volunteers will garden, paint, improve playgrounds and clean up. No experience is necessary, just energy and elbow grease. In District 4, Assemblywoman Chan and crew will be at Fruitvale Pre-School and Elementary School, 3200 Boston Avenue, at Harold on Saturday, September 30 from 9 am to 3 pm. Continental breakfast and lunch provided to all volunteers.

• Rally for the Athletics Monday, October 2nd, 5 pm: Hosted by the A's TV announcer Glen Kuiper, festivities begin with live entertainment from Wonderbread 5, Q & A session with former A's players, and a beer garden at Max's Bar and Diner. By attending the event, you'll receive a 2006 postseason rally towel and have the chance to enter a raffle drawing with prizes including ALDS tickets, game-used memorabilia, and autographed items from current & former players. So throw on your green and gold and come support your A.L. West Division Champion Oakland A's as they make their run for the 2006 World Series title!

• Free Job and Resource Fair, Friday, October 6 from 9 am to 3 pm in the garden of the Oakland Museum at 100 Oak Street. Sponsored by Oakland Adult and Career Education, exhibitors will include Macy's, Kaiser Permanente, Farmers' Insurance, Port of Oakland, Safeway, AC Transit, UPS, City of Oakland, Comcast, OUSD, California Highway Patrol, Oakland Private Industry Council and others. There will be workshops and resume clinics, as well as seasonal employment opportunities. For more information go to their website.

• Upcoming Friends of Sausal Creek Workdays. Individuals and groups are welcome to join our restoration efforts within the Sausal Creek Watershed. Please contact Restoration Coordinator, Kathren Murrel Stevenson at 338-5676 if you are interested.

Saturday, October 7, 9-Noon: Grassland Site-cut and cover cottoneaster stumps, pull broom, whack acacia re-sprouts. Meet at Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery.

Saturday, October 14, 9 - Noon, Cape Ivy Site: pulling and bagging cape ivy. Meet at the corner of Joaquin Miller Road, and the upper loop of Sanborn Road.

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

 

• Living Alternatives for Seniors, a free seminar for seniors and those who care for and about seniors, Saturday, October 7, 9 am to 7 pm, Kaiser Elementary School, 25 South Hill Court. A community service seminar presented by Realtor Terry Kulka, Estate Planning specialist Patrick Z. Riley, Esq., Marty Appel, loan consultant, and Linda Fodrini-Johnson, Executive Director of Eldercare Services. Topics include: Choices to assist with age-related changes; reverse mortgages; home care choices; housing choices; selling a home, estate planning tools. Seating is limited. Register now by calling Marty at 463-0143 or Terry at 339-4789.

• Park Blvd. Median Clean up, Saturday, October 7, 8:30 am-1:30 pm. Meet in the business district on Park Blvd to pick up your safety vest. RSVP so lunches (free) can be reserved, 481-3128.

• Community Multicultural Chautauqua Celebration, Saturday, October 7. Chautauqua is a Native American word meaning "Gathering of People". The Oakland Diocese, St. Lawrence O'Toole and St. Cyril Parish, 3727 High Street, welcome the community to celebrate Oakland's cultural diversity. At 10 am there will be a procession, a multicultural, multilingual Liturgy celebrated at 11 am. At Noon, enjoy ethnic foods, live entertainment and children's activities at this free event. (Food sold at nominal fee.) For details, contact Terry Gleeson at 436-6993.

• Mills College Landscape Lectures: History and landscape fans will enjoy this series of three lectures. They are free and will take place from 5:30–7 pm in the Mills Bender Room, Carnegie Hall, 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz presents the first lecture "The Design of Mills College: A Campus Rooted in Hope," Wednesday, October 11th. The Sydenham Clark Parsons Professor of History at Smith College, she will discuss the buildings and landscape of Mills College in the 19th and early 20th centuries. She will examine distinctive features of the College's evolving landscape heritage plan, and how they reflect the College's future as well as women's colleges nationwide.

•Movies at Dimond Park launch Saturday, October 14, 6:30-9:30 with "Dora's Halloween (rated G), and the classic from 1985,"The Goonies". Films will be blasted up onto the Big Screen at the "stage" behind the Building in Dimond Park (off Wellington and Canon). In case of inclement weather, movies will be shown in the Rec Center. Future movies will be shown on the second Saturday of each month. For information Michelle Doppelt, 482-7831.

•Family Camp Fire at Joaquin Miller Park, Saturday, October 14, Sunset at the meadow. Bring the entire family for a fun-filled evening of stories and songs around the campfire at Joaquin Miller Park. For details call Stephanie Benavidez at 238-3739.

• 12th Annual Montclair Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Saturday, October 14 from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, October 15 from 10 am to 5 pm. Sponsored by the Montclair Village Association, this free event offers works from more than 90 talented artists who line the streets of the Montclair Business District. For information: Montclair Village Association,339-1000 or Pacific Fine Arts at (209) 296-1195 or www.pacificfinearts.com

• Celebrate United Nations Month throughout October. Come to Jack London Square on Sunday, October 22,11 am for a flag raising ceremony, followed by a luncheon at Scott's. For details, East Bay United Nations Association at 849-1752.

If you missed last month's E-Waste Recycle Event at the Coliseum, don't let two October E Waste Recycling opportunities pass you by. On Saturday, October 7 from 9 am to 3 pm, Rebuilding Together Oakland and Electronic Waste Management will host a free Electronic Waste collection event at the Lionel Wilson College Prep Academy, at 400- 105th Avenue.

The Oakland Rotary's E-Waste Recycling Event, Saturday, October 28th, 8 am-5 pm at RPM Warehouse, 414 Lesser Street..Acceptable items include: Televisions, consoles and monitors; computer systems & components (keyboards, mouses, internet devices, etc; copy and fax machines; stereo equipment, CDs & DVDs (players and discs); printers & toner cartridge; MP3 players; scanners, cameras; cellular phones & batteries and household phones.

If you have 20 or more computer systems (or large items), contact Greg Rosenberg at Universal Waste Management at 888-832-9839 to schedule a pick up prior to October 28...be sure to mention that items are being picked up for the Rotary Event. For more information, contact Alex McIntyre 812- 6544.

For more information on where to recycle items...

• Airport Repairs May Impact Noise. Over the next month, the Federal Aviation Administration repair the roof of one of its buildings, shutting down one of the instrument aides used to reduce noise from departing planes. Normally, OAK air traffic is turned left over the bay to minimize night time noise on Bay Farm Island and Central Alameda residents. Pilots will be following verbal instructions instead of instrumental instructions during this time; residents may experience higher levels of aircraft noise. Aircraft noise concerns may be directed to the airport's Noise Hotline at 563-6463.

Airport Repairs May Also Impact Air Traffic. Another airport project entails work on Runway 29 through the weekend until 6:30 am on Tuesday, October 3. In the event of delays, commercial jet aircraft may be redirected to use the North Field runways for arriving traffic. This may impact noise in the area.
If you have concerns, call the Airport's Noise Hotline at 563-6463.

• Joaquin Miller Dog Park Update. Work will begin soon on installing a water line to the new dog play areas in Joaquin Miller Parks parking lots 4 and 5. We anticipate completion by late October. Watch for details about when the park's opening.

•Skyline Retaining Wall Project. Last Winter's rains caused a land slide off of Skyline Road above Arrowhead Drive. Construction will run for approximately 45 days, requiring one lane be closed to through traffic during regular work hours. The detour route is Manzanita with detour signs posted at Shepherd Canyon and Snake.

• Cinderella/Sunset Trail Slide Repair: Measure DD funds to repair the slide which closed parts of the trails and threatened the creek were approved by the Council. Work may close the trail in the fall.

Many thanks to over 200 volunteers who helped clean and restore the watershed and creeks at seven sites in District 4. We usually put together a web page of pictures. If you have pictures, please send us some. (Left) Friends of Sausal Creek volunteers inspect resident turtles at the Dimond Rec Center.

We also give A's tickets to those volunteers who find the most unusual items in the watershed. So far we have three entries...if you found an unusual object send us a note or picture.
 

The City of Oakland Fire Department and BART host the Oakland/Berkeley Firestorm 15th Anniversary on Saturday, October 21 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Rockridge BART Station in Oakland. The Remembrance Ceremony will begin at Noon. There will be family and neighborhood fire prevention activities and a commemoration BBQ in the Street sponsored by the Rockridge Market Hall Pasta Shop at 1 pm.

For more information....

• Check out Glenview Schools' new Solar Monitoring System from your home! You can access online viewing of energy being produced by the new solar equipment donated by PG & E at Glenview School. Go to the Glenview Solar Monitoring Website.

• Give E-Scrip to Help Raise $ for Sequoia School's New Play Structure: A painless way to give to any Oakland School is to participate at the programs at Albertson's and Safeway. Every time you buy groceries a small percentage can go to the school of your choice. Sequoia is asking that you go to http://www.escrip.com and enter the school name, if you shop at Safeway. Sequoia is listed as "Sequoia School PTA." I will be giving them a matching grant. You can also help by sending donations to The Sequoia Dad's Club, a United Way member with tax-deductible status. They'll send a receipt for taxes. Mail checks to: Sequoia Dad's Club/Playground Improvement, c/o Sequoia Elementary School, 3730 Lincoln Ave, Oakland, CA 94602.

Email: jquan@oaklandnet.com

Phone: 510 238-7004

web: http://www.jeanquan.org