• Assemblyman Sandre Swanson Holds Hearing on the State Budget, Saturday, February 2, 10am-Noon, 1330 Lakeshore Ave, Lake Merritt United Methodist Church.  Faced with a $14.5 billion deficit, the Governor is proposing major cuts to schools, parks, health care and more. What are the alternatives?  These are some useful resources to help understand the issues and options:

• The Governor's Proposal
   
• The Legislative Analysts Report on the Budget:  The independent LAO always cuts through politics. She recommends that the legislature 1) prioritize programs and not cut across the board and 2) consider new sources of funding (such as tax credits or deductions that can be modified or eliminated, and/or costs that can appropriately be supported by user and regulatory fees).
• Budget Process:  Basic pamphlet on the steps and timelines
   
• League of Women Voters  Budget principles, recommendations, articles
• The California Budget Project:  Reliable information from this non-profit focuses on the impact of the budget on low and middle income Californians
   
• The California Budget Challenge:  This interactive site lets you try to balance the budget yourself.

• Beaconsfield Planting Rescheduled to This Saturday, February 2, 9-Noon:  Take a stand for native plants and for reducing the threat of wildfire in Montclair. The Friends of Sausal Creek Nursery is donating several hundred native plants for Beaconsfield Canyon (between Ascot and Chelton) and need volunteers to get them in the ground. Native species are much less fire-prone than non-natives. Volunteers have been clearing out non-natives for 9 months in preparation. For details or in case of rain, contact Richard Kauffman at 908-2563. << At left Piedmont Pines neighbor TV Anchor Wendy Tokuda shows neighbors a spray of the highly flammable and invasive Scotch Broom.  "The Fire Marshall says the plant is like a fire bomb in a wildfire. Now is the time to pull them while the soil is soft and before each plant generates thousands of seeds that can germinate for years."
   

• Stolen Property on Display, Saturday, February 2, 10 am - 3 pm at the Oakland Police Administration Building, 455 7th St. Thanks to neighborhood tips and undercover work, the Oakland Police closed down a fencing operation in West Oakland and recovered about half a million in stolen goods.  They will be on display tomorrow; suggest you bring police reports or other evidence of goods that have been stolen. >>Tribune Photo
   

• Nursery Work at FOSC Native Plant Nursery, Saturday, February 2, 1:30 -4:30 pm: Help propagate native species and other nursery work at Friends of Sausal Creek's Native Plant Nursery in Joaquin Miller Park. Call Molly Bolt at 501-3672 for details.

• Openings at the Altenheim Senior Housing: Do you have a friend or family member 55 years or older who is looking for housing? Studios and one bedrooms are now available at the Altenheim, located at 1720 MacArthur Blvd.. Tours are available Saturday, February 2, 2 pm or call 431-6389 to schedule an appointment. For details, go to their website.
   

• Oakland Museum, Sunday, February 3rd, 12:30-5 pm, Family Explorations- Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions. This Pan-Asian celebration of the Year of the Rat opens with a spectacular lion dance featuring Chinese and Vietnamese lions and mochi pounding and tasting. The day includes Dan Chan the Magic Man; readings by authors Oliver Chin, Carl Angel and Eddy Zheng; Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble with Vanessa Vo; drumming by Korean Youth Cultural Center; and traditional Asian New Year family activities. Participate in a Japanese tea ceremony hosted by Yoshie Akiba and watch demonstrations of martial arts from Chinese Shaolin monks and the Philippines. Learn about Oakland Chinatown's rich history. This is one of my favorite events, especially for children, all activities are included in the admission, $8 adults, $5 seniors & students, kids under 5 free. <<Playing Chinese Butterfly Harp at Museum last year.

• Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra & Skyline Jazz Band, Sunday, February 3, 2 pm,  Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater, Skyline High School, 12250 Skyline Blvd. Adult admission $18, students $10.Big Band veterans and Skyline students team up to benefit the schools award winning jazz program.   More information.

• Join Oakland High School in FOSC Planting at Redwood Restoration Site, Monday, February 4, 1-3 pm: Students will work with Friends of Sausal Creek staff planting natives at their Redwood Restoration site. Meet at the Monterey Trailhead or call Kathren Stevenson for details at 388-5676.

• "Who Speaks for the Children? Parent Engagement and the Racial Achievement Gap, Monday, February 4, 7-8:30 pm, 5555 Ascot: The Montera Middle School PFSC presents this timely discussion featuring Will Walker, Ph.D., nationally noted for his work with parents and school districts addressing the racial achievement gap. He has conducted research and/or created curricula in the areas of cross-cultural leadership, after-school program development and community partnerships for the Rockefeller Foundation, California Endowment, Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. and On Track Program Resources. The meeting is open to the public. For details, contact Melia Franklin, Parent Education Coordinator.
   

• Residents/Merchants Invited to Beat 22 X NCPC Meeting, Monday, February 4, 7-8:30 pm, Greek Orthodox Church, 4700 Lincoln Avenue: Please join this newly formed Neighborhood Safety Council covering the Woodminster Shopping District to the Dimond Shopping District including Joaquin Miller Rd and Oaklmore.  For details, contact Richard Cowan in our office at 238-7041.

• North Hills NCPC Public Wednesday, February 6, 7 pm, Highlands Country Club, 110 Hiller Drive:  Residents of  Beat 13 Y (Montclair north of Thornhill up to the UC Berkeley border around Panoramic Way) are invited to attend the Town Hall Meeting on the Oakland Police Reorganization with Area 1 Commander Captain Anthony Toribio, and election of officers. For details...

• Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller NCPC (Beat 22X) Meets Thursday, February 7, 7 pm at Imani Church, 3300 MacArthur Blvd:  This NCPC alternates meeting locations between Imani Church this month, and the Joaquin Miller Community Center next month. For details, contact Michael Johnson  in our office at 238-4742.

•  5th Annual Oakland Public Schools Jazz Festival, Thursday, February 7, 6:30 pm, Skyline High, 12250 Skyline Blvd. Free. In the early 90's the Oakland Schools almost eliminated its music program.  The fight to restore music brought me onto the School Board and into Oakland politics.  This  joyous event brings young musicians from around the city for a day of workshops, followed by this concert. Famous locals are known to drop in; last year the great John Handy taught workshops and performed with the students. Featuring musicians ten middle and high schools AND performing for the first time anywhere, the Oakland Music Teachers' Big Band. Bring the whole family. If you want to know why you should continue to support Measure G, the school parcel tax, these students are just one of many reasons.

    About 20 percent of Oakland's population celebrates the Lunar New Year; this is 4706 according to the Chinese calendar upon which it is based.  On Febrary 7th the Year of the Rat begins according the Chinese Zodiac.  In my family this means we try to clean house and decorate the house with lucky symbols.  Oranges & tangerines for prosperity, plum blossoms for growth & perseverance, fish for a surplus of food, and calligraphy.  I  hang the red calligraphy poems over and at the sides of the door. "Peace to those who enter and leave," "prosperity," or "good health & long life." We throw away chipped rice bowls and buy new ones.  Children get new clothes and slippers (preferably red).  Children or unmarried family members get "lucky red envelopes" (right) filled with new, crisp bills...my unmarried nieces and nephews in their thirties are still collecting!  We light incense for our ancestors, visit relatives, and the whole clan gets together for dinner.  Extended family associations based on family name or the region we come from hold banquets for weeks.  Other Asian groups including Vietnamese, Koreans, Mien, Lao, also celebrate Lunar New Year or Spring Festival.

 

• Saturday, February 9th, 1-4 pm, Oakland Asian Cultural Center Lunar New Year, 388 9th St, Second Floor, inside the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. Free. This Pan Asian event includes lion dance, folk dance, Mongolian dance and music from Mien Legend, kung fu and qi gong demonstrations, and more. Several exhibits will also be available for viewing along the hallway galleries, including "In Search of Roots," based on a program where young Chinese Americans go to their ancestral homes in the Pearl River Delta Region in southern China; "Driven Out: The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans" based on Jean Pfaelzer's book; and the Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project. <<Map on left shows communities where violence was used to drive Chinese immigrants off the land and into the cities.
   

•  Lunar New Year in the Laurel,  Saturday,  February 16th:  The Laurel District Association will have a Lion dance down Mac Arthur Blvd visiting local stores.  They will jjoin us around noon at Laurel School, 3750 Brown Avenue, for a special District 4 program following our Local Heroes award ceremony featuring local kids performances, Chinese music, and snacks! >>Jean feeds the lions at last year's local hero recognition.

• Oakland Symphony, Friday, February 22nd, 8 pm, Paramount Theater, "Sounds of China: Celebrating Chinese New Year":  Always reinventing the American symphony, Conductor Michael Morgan celebrates the Lunar New  Year by combining works by two Chinese composers -- jazz musician Jon Jang and Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) -- as well as John Adams' entertaining Chairman Dances, inspired by his opera Nixon in China. In his new Chinese American Symphony, commissioned by OEBS and the Sacramento Philharmonic, Jon Jang gives musical voice to a history that has been silent, paying tribute to the Chinese laborers who built the first transcontinental railroad. The classical Chinese instrument, the erhu, is featured with the orchestra. (Above) Jang describes the sounds of sadness and joy of Chinese immigrants arriving in America with Michael Morgan.
   

• SF Chinese New Year Parade, Saturday, February 23, 5:30 pm, even though it's in that other city...it's the only one like it in North America.
   

Please join us in two weeks at Laurel School, 3750 Brown Avenue, to honor our Local Heroes. We received almost 30 nominations to honor outstanding local volunteers doing "good" in our neighborhoods. We are working on a special edition of the newsletter for next week. In addition to recognizing the nominees, we will announce the winners who will receive funds to designate to a public capital project ($1000 for top winner, $500 for up to 4 runners up).

Immediately following the awards ceremony at about 11 am, we will feature some local talent in a Laurel celebration of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rat.  Join us for Chinese snacks and entertainment:
 

• Laurel Elementary School Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Fest Winners
• Laurel Circus, a satellite of the Prescott Circus Theatre program
• Buck Sing Choy Lay Fut Lion Dancers
• Gung fu demonstrations, music and more.
   

We'll also be providing information in English and Chinese on ways that individuals can organize their blocks and neighborhoods into Neighborhood Alert and CORE groups, join Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils and other useful tips.

• Be Part of the Solution for Well Maintained, Safe Parks: The City, Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation and the Oakland Parks Coalition invite any regular user of our parks and open spaces to attend a special workshop to develop a new on-line work-management system. Your participation will help develop a tracking system for problems such as graffiti, trash and dumping. If it's done right, reports of problems will be speedily dispatched and addressed, and you will be able to log on and track the problem from your first report to its resolution. Please mark your calendar for Saturday, February 23, 9-11 am, Sailboat House, Lakeside Park, 568 Bellevue. Tell the park attendant at the kiosk that you are attending this meeting and the parking fee will be waived. For details, contact Kathy Raymond at Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation, 465-1850.

• City Disparity Study Hearing, Wednesday, February 27, 6:30 pm: Local contractors who have or would like to do business with the City of Oakland are invited to attend a meeting at the Redwood Heights Recreation Center to discuss opportunities and obstacles to doing business with the City of Oakland. For details, contact Richard Cowan at 238-7041.

• State to Expand Enterprise Zone in Oakland: The Governor's Office named Oakland one of 8 Enterprise Zones for new terms of 15 years.  The enterprise area encompasses most of non-residential Oakland along the bay. Contact Susana Villarreal at 238-7794 or go to www.oaklandwib.org for more information.
   
  • Firms can earn $37,440 or more in state tax credits for each qualified employee hired.
  • Corporations can earn sales tax credits on purchases of $20 million per year of qualified machinery and machinery parts.
  • Up-front expensing of certain depreciable property.
  • Lenders to Zone businesses may receive a net interest deduction.
  • Unused tax credits can be applied to future tax years, stretching out the benefit of the initial investment.
  • Enterprise Zone companies can earn preference points on state contracts.
  • Up to 100 percent Net Operating Loss (NOL) carry-forward. NOL may be carried forward 15 years. 

• Oakland Airport Named Number One by U.S. News & Reports: Using a ranking system that looked at the most on-time flights (80.5 percent) and least crowded airplanes (67 percent full) Oakland came in first, followed by Houston and San Jose.
   

• Seismic Updates: Just as scientists were saying that the chances of a major earthquake in the Bay Area are greater than predicted before, this week we held two productive meetings for our seismic retrofit incentive program. About 60 people attended our second public workshop Wednesday. On Thursday 10 local contractors and seismic engineers joined us to develop additional, easy to understand, materials about how to retrofit older homes to Oakland's standards working closely with Colin Blaney of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC). Even in this slow economy, 67 people took out retrofit permits in the first six month and most have signed up for the new homeowner reimbursement program. (Above) Colin Blaney at the January 30th Workshop.

• Monday, February 11, 8:30-10:30 am, Quarterly Joaquin Miller Working Group Meeting, Joaquin Miller Community Center (Note Date Change). The public is invited to join this active group of park users to plan and work on improvements for this 500 acre plus park.

• Dimond Streetscape Meeting Draws 30 Residents for a lively meeting on the Dimond streetscape on Wednesday at Lincoln Courts senior residence.  The Dimond is part of a larger Metropolitan Transportation Commission funded Fruitvale Alive project to improve safety on two miles of Fruitvale Avenue and small portions of MacArthur Blvd. The meeting focused on improvements to the Dimond business district with special emphasis on the Champion/ MacArthur intersection, the 580 freeway environs and Fruitvale Avenue from Harold to Coloma. The design features increased lighting for pedestrian safety and  pedestrian friendly elements such as sidewalk extensions into the roadway known as bulb outs.  It will develop a transit plaza at Champion and MacArthur, create signage and kiosks for way-finding and stress the relationship of the Dimond district to Dimond Canyon and Sausal Creek.  Additional funding from my office, Peets Coffee, and Council President Ignacio De La Fuente will allow for a number of artistic features that go beyond the basis of the MTC grant. This was the first in what will be a number of meetings on this important streetscape project.  If you are interested in participating in the meetings or submitting a proposal for art work, please contact Richard Cowan in my office at 238-7041.
   

Seeking Applicants for City of Oakland Budget Advisory Committee:  As chair of the Finance Committee, I have an opportunity to appoint an additional volunteer to the Budget Advisory Committee, which analyzes different aspects of the City's budget and makes recommendations to the Council. This year is particularly important as the City, along with other communities in California and across the nation, faces a significant budget deficit due to the slowdown in the economy and the resulting reduction in revenue. Please send a letter describing why you wish to serve on this committee and your resume to Richard Cowan, Chief of Staff 238-7041.
 

• Fire Department Needs Volunteers to Serve on Review Panels:  Firefighter applicants who received a passing grade on their written exam last week will begin oral interviews during the week of February 25th.  We need community volunteers to serve on the oral interview panels because more than 1000 people took the written exam. Breakfast and lunch but no pay are offered.  To volunteer you must:
  
  • Participate a minimum of two full days from 8 am - 5 pm
  • Not be related by blood or marriage to any of the candidates
  • Be willing to represent the diversity of the City
  • If panelist can serve more than two days, it is welcomed *

• New Phone Numbers for the Reorganization:  Now that most assignments are completed the Police Department is trying to update its website.  In the interim they have posted lists of new phone numbers for Areas and Problem Solving Officers/Beats.

• Increase in Graffiti: Several neighborhoods have reported an increase in tagging.  Please call in graffiti on public property as soon as possible. Use this form or call the Graffiti Hotline at 238-4703 or Public Works Call Center at 615-5566. Graffiti on private property is the responsibility of the owner, if you see graffiti that has not been removed on private property after a reasonable amount of time you can report it to a Code Enforcement officer at 238-3381.
   

• Over the past few weeks, several list servs in the hills have been abuzz about various solicitors (roofing, magazines, food, etc) knocking on doors in the rain at night. Some of the solicitors ask questions about you and your family.  In one case this week it was reported that the salesman pretended to be the son of a neighbor; in other cases, people fear their home is being cased for a burglary.  Most of the solicitors seem to be from legitimate companies, but several are in violation of the city's requirement that they have a permit.  This is especially true of some of the groups that seem to be exploiting young people. If you open the door and are interested, ask for their city permit.  If there are problems call the police non-emergency number 777-3333; patrols have been able to respond in some cases. Also, let your problem solving officer know.

Oakland Citizens Police Academy Taking Applications: Want to know more about criminal law, crime prevention, police procedures, and meet officers from all sections of the Police Department?  Classes meet every Saturday, 9am-Noon, from February 16 to May 17.  For more information and applications:  OPD Neighborhood Services Division, call 238-4523 or contact Paula White.
 

• Citizens' Police Review Board Seeks Volunteers: The Citizens' Police Review Board is actively seeking a limited number of volunteers to join and advise the Board starting in February 2008. The Citizens' Police Review Board investigates and reviews complaints regarding conduct of Oakland police officers. I have attached the application  for joining the Board and a copy of the CPRB 2006 Annual Report.

• Maxwell Park NCPC Seeks Board Members: The Maxwell Park NCPC (MPNC, Beat 28X) is probably the best organized Council with the widest range of activities in the city.  They invite neighbors who live in the Maxwell Park Neighborhood to come to their Wednesday, February 13 meeting at 7 pm at Maxwell Park Elementary School to help elect Board Members.  If you are new to the neighborhood or have lived there for a long time, here is a quick way to meet your neighbors and work on safety and traffic issues to improve your neighborhood.

• The Measure Y website and e-newsletter contain a wealth of practical information and an area by area list of services and programs.  The new website is www.MeasureY.org; you can sign up for the newsletter there.

• 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.

• You can also make anonymous calls for drug activity to 238-DRUG.

• Truancy Tip Hotline is 879-8172.

•  Truancy Program Report:   Last year with funding from Measure Y, Oakland Police performed 2335 "retrievals" of students taken to the Truancy center.  70% of the students taken to the center were not truant again during the school year.  77 families were referred to the District Attorney last year; 99% of the families who appear in Court have been able to get their students to school and have avoided fines and other legal penalties.  The Truancy Task Forces, which I sit on, seeks funds for case management of the most chronic truants (10 absences or more per year) about 4400 students or 11%.

• First Crew of 15 Trained for Pilot Radar Gun Program: After two training workshops, we now have 15 volunteers who will be monitoring speeding vehicles on 35th Avenue/Redwood Road starting later this month. This is a pilot program that I've funded for District 4. Volunteers, in teams of 3, will periodically monitor speeding traffic and keep records of which vehicles are traveling above the speed limit. The information will be transferred to OPD's Traffic Patrol. They will match the license plate with DMV information and will send out a warning letter to the vehicle owners. No tickets-- but we hope this will be yet another reminder to local residents to take their time and drive safely. For details, contact Michael Johnson in our office at 238-4272. (Above) Officer Dan Tirapelli trains our Radar Gun volunteers last weekend.

• The Metropolitan Transportation Commission grant to re-time 9 city traffic signals along our busy High Street corridor. The re-timing should help alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality. The project will study the collision history, traffic patterns and operations, and on-street parking occupancy. It will also count vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle volumes.  If you have comments or observations on this project, please contact Michael Johnson in our office and we will pass them onto the study group.

• Skyline Blvd to Reopen on an Emergency Basis: Ever since winter rains caused a landslide on Skyline Blvd. near Snake on January 4, the road has been closed to through traffic. The City's Engineering and Construction staff and Cal Engineering and Geology geotechnical engineers have prepared a plan for temporary emergency repair to open one lane of Skyline Blvd. for emergency access only. Work is expected to begin the week of February 4, weather and availability of materials permitting. The goal is to have this work completed by the end of February. Plans for a permanent repair and identification of funds are also underway. Staff will make an oral report on the status of the situation and the potential for state or federal emergency relief funds at the February 5th Council meeting. The estimate to repair the damaged roadway and debris clean up is $1.5 million. The governor's office has proclaimed a state of emergency, as did the City's office of Emergency Services (OES) and the City Council. The governor forwarded the request to the President's Office for the release of federal funds. Presidential approval is pending. For details,
  • Geotechnical Work: contact Wlad Wlassowsky, Transportation Services Manager, 238-638, or Michael Neary, Deputy Director, 238-6659
  • Status of occupancy of the homes on Oakwood Drive: Ray Derania, City Building Official, 238-4780
  • Emergency calls regarding drainage problems, more mudslides or slippage, contact the Public Agency Call Center at 615-5566, 24 hours a day.

    I've learned  much from my service as a member --and now as chair-- of the Alameda County Recycling Board that I've tried to pass this onto my Oakland constituents. This year I requested additional workshops in Oakland on Bay-Friendly Gardening.  The Oakland mini-workshops with great local professional designers are free, a full-day conference has a fee.


 

• Bay Friendly Gardening Planning & Design Seminar for Oakland Residents  One last chance to attend a small meetings with professional designers to help you get started on creating an aesthetically pleasing garden while reducing waste and protecting the watersheds of San Francisco Bay. To participate, register online or call 444-SOIL. Some prep work required. Wednesday, February 13, 7-9:30 pm, at Dimond Library. (5 spaces left--please register before February 6, 2008) Free. (Above) District 4 neighbors pick plans and draw designs for their Bay Friendly gardens.
   

• Bay Friendly Landscaping & Gardening Conference--Making the Leap to Sustainable Landscaping: Discover how Bay Friendly can help you cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste, conserve water and prevent pollution. Especially practical for public and private landscape professionals and advanced home gardeners. Friday, February 29, 8 am-5 pm at UC Berkeley. To participate, register online.(Fee)

• Volunteer Opportunities with Friends of Sausal Creek: FOSC hosts a number of work parties to restore the Sausal Creek watershed and nurture native plants:
  • Saturday, February 9,  9-Noon- Planting Oak understory natives at the Cape Ivy Restoration Site at Sausal Creek. Call for directions---388-5676 or contact Kathren Stevenson 
  • Friday, February 15, 9:30-12:30 pm-Seed hike to collect seeds to propagate native plants in the Sausal Creek Watershed. Call for directions---388-5676 or contact Kathren Stevenson 
  • Saturday, February 16, 1:30-4:30 pm-Propagate native species for fall planting and other nursery work in the FOSC Native Plant Nursey at Joaquin Miller Park. Contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672 for details. 
  • Sunday, February 17, 9:30 - Noon- Aquatic insect sampling on Sausal Creek. Call Emma Brown at 527-2507 to confirm.
  • Friday, February 22, 10:30 am-3 pm-Assist with plant propagation workshop with Oakland High and Earth Team in Dimond Park. Call Molly Bolt  at 501-3672.
  • Saturday, February 23, 9 am-Noon-Planting and non-native plant removal in Beaconsfield Canyon. Contact Kathren Stevenson at 388-5676.
  • Saturday, February 23, 1:30-4:30 pm--Propagate native species for fall planting and other nursery work in the FOSC Native Plant Nursey at Joaquin Miller Park. Contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672 for details.

MOCHA Recycling Art Exhibit at City Hall Until February 7th:  The winners of this year's Recreate Contest conducted by the Museum of Oakland Children's Art fill the third floor in front of the Council Chambers. Other parts of the Recreate Traveling Exhibit are on view at the Lake View and West Oakland Libraries.

From whimsical sculptures like this one to the left, to paper mache seascapes of marine animals endangered by plastics pollution in the ocean, all items are made from recycled materials. 






 

• China Bans Plastic Bags,  In California Plastics Industry Sues Oakland to Halt Ban:  Earlier this month, China announced a ban on plastic bags, an effective savings of 37 million barrels of oil or 3 billion bags a day.  Meanwhile here in California where Oakland's Plastic Bag ban was to go into effect on January 18th, in a delaying tactic the plastics industry is asking the city to do an Environmental Impact Report before implementing the ban. We went to Court this week and now await a decision. Chronicle Article (Above)  The Save the Bay Pelican joins us at  a press conference urging Oakland retailers to voluntarily comply.
   

• In the interim we urge Oaklanders to bring their own bags and to encourage their retailers to voluntarily comply with the plastic bag ban. Whole Foods announced at our press conference above that they will phase out plastic bags nationally by June. In our discussions with Farmer Joes, Diane and Joe agree to stop using plastic bags after their current supply is gone. Other stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes are  in compliance.  Each year 12 million barrels of oil go to produce over a trillion single use plastic bags. Californians use over 19 billion bags and throw 600 away every second, resulting in over 147,000 tons of litter. Council Member Nadel and I authored this ordinance to ban plastic bags and encourage reusable shopping bags: Ordinance to Ban Petroleum Based, Non-Biodegradable Carry Out Bags at Large Retail Stores.
   

• TURN's Bill Busters Arriving in Oakland Libraries: The Utility Reform Network (TURN) is partnering with the Oakland Public Library to bring TURN's Bill Busters to libraries throughout the City from January to March 2008. A team of experts with years of experience in lowering utility bills and handling disputes with utility companies offer tips on how to lower electric and gas usage and how to take advantage of programs to make homes or apartments more energy efficient. Bring copies of your bills to the following locations:
  •     Monday, Febuary 4, 6 pm--Melrose Branch, 4805 Foothill Blvd.
  •     Thursday, February 21, 6 pm--Oakland Main, 125 14th Street
  •     Saturday, March 1, 1 pm --Montclair Branch, 1687 Mountain Blvd.

For details, go to the OPL website or call 238-3134 for other dates and locations within the City.

Free Tax Help at the Library: The Oakland Public Library has partnered with the American Association for Retired Persons to offer free tax assistance from February 1 through April 15, 2008. Bring copies of last year's federal and state tax returns and all materials pertaining to your 2007 tax forms for you and your spouse (if filing jointly). Seniors, aged 60 or over, will be given preference at walk-in sites only. For details, call 238-3134. Please call ahead to confirm times:

 

• Oakland Main Library, 125 14th Street, Mondays, 10 am-1:30 pm; Fridays, 12:30-4 pm and Saturdays, 10 am-3 pm. 238-3134. Walk-ins only, no advanced appointments.
• Cesar E. Chavez Branch Library, 3301 East 12th Street, Suite 271, Mondays, 12:30-5:30pm, Wednesdays, 10 am -3:30 pm. Bilingual Spanish/English, 535-5620. Call for appointment.
• Dimond Branch Library, 3565 Fruitvale Avenue, Tuesdays, 12:30-4:30 pm, Thursdays, 10 am-2:30 pm. 482-7844. Call for appointment; some walk-ins accepted.
• Temescal Branch Library, 5205 Telegraph Avenue, Wednesdays, 10 am-3 pm. 597-5049. Call for an appointment.