DISTRICT 4 NEIGHBORHOOD
NEWS #111 
You’re Invited:
Reception to Honor District 4 Local Heroes
and Award Ceremony
When: Saturday, February 12th,
Where: Jean Quan’s
District Office
Do you know of a District 4
resident who is a local hero? An
inspirational neighbor who has done work on behalf of our community? Nominees
may win tickets to an A’s Game and the top five Local Heroes will be chosen to
designate $1000 in capital improvements to the public (city or school) project
of their choice.
The following is a list of
this year’s nominees so far. The deadline is Monday, February 7th, Noon.
For more inspiration read about last year’s 30
inspiring nominees, all who are still doing great work for our
community. We hope they’ll come,
too.
Please join us to honor and
meet these Good Neighbors and to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a Lion
Dance and Chinese Pastries.
1.
Nommi Alouf, a member of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood
Council, has organized over 200
neighbors to participate in the city’s tree program. Thanks to her coordination we will be paying
for trees around
Nommi with a newly planted
Flowering Pear Tree in Maxwell Park.
2.
Jim Ballay was a retired grocery clerk and manager, who
defined “Good Neighbor” to many in Maxwell Park. He was robbed and beaten while
walking far from his home on a late night stroll on or about
Neighbor after neighbor, representing the spectrum of Maxwell Park, spoke of the many little kind acts he performed over the years at his memorial service. He was a man who carried recycling and garbage down steep steps for elderly neighbors, who lent money to a recently divorced mother who was ill and unable to pay her mortgage, who left snacks for neighborhood cats and dogs, who put newspapers on your porch or left his own light on when neighbors came home late. Friends and relatives hope to build a memorial to their good neighbor. One of the sites being considered is Maxwell Park below.
3.
Herb and
Adrienne Bryant are the leaders of the Shepherd Canyon Eco Pullers. Every
other Saturday morning they lead efforts to manage vegetation for fire safety
and to beautify
4. Tim Chapman, for his electronic organizing. A member of the Dimond Improvement Association, Tim’s volunteer work on their website http://www.dimondnews.org/forum/ has kept democratic and civil dialogue going in this rapidly changing and diverse neighborhood divided by major streets and a highway! He is a strong advocate for transparency in government and has given us good advice as we have developed our District 4 website.
- Dimond Gardeners Tricia Christopher,
Dimond Gateway (corner of Lincoln & MacArthur), Heart of the Dimond (Champion and MacArthur)
7. The Dimond Librarians for hosting community so well. Dimond Library is one of the busiest libraries in Oakland. One of the reasons is because the librarians here are so welcoming. The library is really the heart of the neighborhood, hosting every important community meeting, hundreds of latch key students, after school programs, and more. We are pleased that the City Library Master Plan calls for an expansion.
- John Frando and Stella Lamb for their work with
Stella & John (left & center)
on Earth Day 2004.
10.
Friends of Sausal Creek: The Friends are advocates for
environmental issues throughout the Sausal Creek
watershed. Sam Cohen, Ralph Kantz, and Karen Paulsell are
nominated for their work to save and restore the endangered Pallid Manzanitas near the
11.
Gerry Goeres,
chair of the Laurel Merchants Association, has helped organize the “Beautiful
and Green People” to adopt and work at the beautiful native plant garden at the
entrance to the 580 freeway on
Gerry (left) and B.A.G., Earth Day
2004. Gerry speaking at the Streetscape
Groundbreaking.
12.
Barbara
Goldenberg a Team Leader for the Montclair Safety and Improvement Council (MSIC)
worked on improving emergency preparedness and response in the
13. Sue & Paul Hyler, Redwood Ht School parents, have led the work at this neighborhood school for over four years to make their play ground accessible to all children. The PTA and Dads Club have donated funds and hundreds of hours of work to design and augment the standard school structure so that children of varying degrees of mobility can play together. Parents built ramps so wheelchairs and other physically challenged children can play on the structure. I think it’s a city model.
Paul (left) and Sue (3rd from left) at the dedication of phase 1 of the Redwood Hts play structure with then School Board member Jean Quan.
14.
Deborah
Koppman and Sequoia School: Debbie
is both a parent and artist-in-residence at
Debbie and Sequoia
students in 2004 Parade.
15.
Gordon and
Marge Laverty. Many of us know the
Laverty’s for their gardening advice in the MacArthur
Metro. We’re honoring them for their
work to organize a reunion at
May
Reunion of Swett alumni and staff. Rev. McClain (#16) and Mrs. Laverty
(#15) with Sue Piper at the August painting and gardening days to prepare the
school for the New Swett-Tilden School.
16. Rev. Monte McClain and the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church for hosting a community Thanksgiving dinner and their growing senior program and for involving their youth group in the John Swett School Clean-Up.
17. Kevin Rath and Mrs. Lee for speaking out and helping us to organize neighborhood seniors and home care workers about the cuts and changes by AC Transit and their impact on Laurel and MacArthur Boulevard routes.
3rd of several meetings with AC Transit
leaders at
18. Otto Rodriquez, newly elected Allendale Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Co-chair, for outreach to neighbors, especially bilingual residents, expanding the Allendale NCPC.
19. Karen Schroeder—retired Dimond Librarian. Karen is shows up at every clean-up or beautification project in the Dimond.
Karen (left) with
Dimond neighbors on Creek to Bay Day in September working with Dimond merchants
to clean the Dimond District.
20. Luann Stauss, for making her bookstore Laurel Books, the heart of cultural life in the Laurel, her outreach to neighborhood youth, and her support of the public libraries.
- Laurie Umeh, Melrose Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Secretary, has coordinated the community and youth efforts to clean and preserve Courtland Creek.
Laurie (5th from R,back row), neighbors, and Brookdale Science Kids on Bay to Creek Day, September 2004.
Working with Jean at
21.Walter Williams: When a neighborhood child had his bike stolen by older kids, most people would have said “ too bad” or told their children to stay closer to home. Walter, a member of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council, organized Friday Walks of Maxwell Park neighbors to demonstrate that the community will keep its eyes on the streets and make them safe for everyone. http://maxwellparknc.com/
Walter, front & center, with neighbors walking the
neighborhood.
22.
Isabel White
organized a Home Alert group on
23.
Liese Wong, owner
of Komodo Toys, was nominated for her work develop the Laurel Business
Improvement District and her work with youth in the neighborhood. Liese is also the leader of the annual Lunar
New Year festivities
in the
Liese (right) organizes merchants, neighbors
and city representatives for a photo at the Laurel Streetscape Groundbreaking.
24. Gene Zahas, Oakmore resident, past president of the Rotary, longtime public school volunteer, Marcus Foster Foundation Board Member, District 4 appointee to the Budget Advisory Committee, and alumnus of the Oakland Public Schools, for his dedication to helping the public schools and young people in this city. Last year Gene was the treasurer for Measure E, his 4th Campaign for the public schools, and turned his business Johnstone Supply into campaign headquarters for Measures Q & E (schools and libraries) and Measure Y (violence prevention and police). Gene is proud of his education in Oakland Schools and is continually giving back to the city and its schools.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT
JEAN QUAN
Council Member, District 4
City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza
510 238-7004, 986-2765 fax
