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Moving Oakland Forward Together |
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Dear Neighbor, For me, last Saturday's Farmer Joe's opening was a moving experience. For 7 hours I watched literally thousands of neighbors and friends from all parts of our district come to celebrate and shop. The community pride in having a quality food market comparable to any in the East Bay was infectious. I talked to hundreds of neighbors and over and over again, I heard comments like, "we want healthy/quality food, too....we deserve a place like this." Or, "now I don't have to drive all the way to Berkeley Bowl..." Laura Casey's Montclarion article captures the spirit. (See #2) When I came into office over three years ago, the old store was closed and a blight. We were all frustrated when Albertson's (following their policy) subleased to a non-food store. But in the interim we were able get Safeway's to remodel and expand their Dimond store, now one of the largest in the city. We worked to attract another market, including Trader Joes and Berkeley Bowl. Finally, we were able to get the owners of the building to consider bringing back a market...specifically, a new Farmer Joe's. Joe and Diane Tam have taken a huge risk. They have probably put themselves and every friend and relative who invested in them deeply in debt. They could have built a more modest store and chosen cheaper, lower quality or less organic products. Instead, they put 60 Oaklanders to work and improved the quality of food and nutrition for thousands. On this Fourth of July, the Tam's are striving for the classic American Dream...they deserve our support. Across the country supermarkets merging into fewer and fewer chains are leaving urban areas and towns that "don't have the right demographics." Locally owned stores like Farmer Joe's are filling the gap. In this case, we have a better and more responsive market than the one they replaced. If they are successful, it will send a message to the investors and retailers, who don't believe cities like Oakland can be profitable .  Jean Quan Vice Mayor, District 4 Council Member
• Fireworks Hotline 238-2373: As we get closer to the 4th, we can all hear more illegal fireworks. Some neighborhood groups are using professional fireworks that only licensed technicians should be igniting. Some of the fireworks we confiscated last year are equal to half a stick of dynamite each...enough to kill or maim nearby observers. The sale or use of fireworks of any size is illegal with fines up to $1000 Download multilingual flyers below. You can help the Fire Department and Police get a head start by helping them identify problem locations and people engaged in illegal sales. Fire and police staff are visiting areas reported to them and are already making arrests. They are developing maps of problem areas to be targeted for extra patrols on July 4th. Call the anonymous hotline at 238-2373. We are asking you to be very specific with the information: block or address, vehicle license plates, names, or photos. You can also contact Lt. Orozco at rorozco@oaklandnet.net with the information. • On Monday, July 3rd, the Oakland A's puts on a great fireworks program at the Coliseum. The theme is "4TH ON DECK: SALUTE TO THE TROOPS." The game broadcast at 7:00 PM PDT coincides with Tuesday, July 4th in many time zones in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Following the game, FSN Bay Area and the American Forces Network will stay on the air for an additional 45 minutes to show live fireworks in High-Definition to viewers at home and U.S. troops serving around the world. Live-Feeds from Troops and Video Messages to/from Troops will replace some commercials. • 4th of July Celebration at Jack London Square, 1-9:30 pm: Enjoy live music performances, festival foods, arts and crafts, jump house and carnival games. The fireworks show explodes over the estuary beginning at 9:15p.m. Event Information (866) 295-9853 or www.jacklondonsquare.com • Montclair 4th of July Block Party and Bus to Jack London: On July 4th, 3-7 pm, food, music, karaoke, face-painting, and games on LaSalle (where the farmers market is held). You can sign up to have a table to promote your business or group. Email montclairvillage@sbcglobal.net By pass the parking hassle and take the Fireworks bus Jack London Square for $10, reservations 339-3053. •4th of July Band Concert: The 95th Concert Season of the 35 member Oakland Municipal Band will present a special July 4th concert, "All Sparkling, Red White & Blue" in Lakeside Park under the direction of Robert Farrington. Please bring family and friends along with a blanket or lawn chairs on Tuesday July 4th at 1 pm to the bandstand in Lakeside Park on the shores of Lake Merritt. Picnics and flag waving are encouraged. The concerts continue on Sundays: July 16, July 23, July 30 and August 6 All concerts include jazz, contemporary, pop, big band, international, classical, marches and show tunes.
•More than 4,000 people from all over the city came out on Saturday to welcome Farmer Joe's to the Dimond. More than 40 local groups--including our office--set up booths in the parking lot. Free food samples, musicians and performers made it a real festival. The new Farmer Joes is open from 9 am to 8 pm. They are considering going from 8 am to 9 pm. With a new store, with new workers and products...Joe and
Diane want to know what you think and how they can improve.
To contact the Tam's:
joe@farmerjoesmarketplace.com • The 2nd Annual Dimond Improvement Association (DIA) picnic and Dimond Park/Lions Pool Open House will be July 16th 2006 from 11-3 pm. Enjoy a great summer picnic with your Dimond neighbors and organizations. A relaxing and delicious way to learn more about the Dimond area.
•Due to the Fourth of July Holiday, our office has rescheduled Montclair office hours from our usual "first Sunday" to Sunday, July 9, 9 am-1 pm at the Montclair Farmer's Market. We stock information from the city and local organizations, and are always happy to discuss issues of concern or to answer questions. •Our other regular office hours elsewhere in District 4: Wednesdays from 4-6 pm--Claudia Jimenez staffs our Laurel Office at 4173 MacArthur Blvd; Thursdays from 4-6 pm--Richard Cowan staffs our Dimond Office at the Police Substation at Dimond Safety, 3550 Fruitvale Avenue; Saturdays from 10 until Noon--I and my staff rotate at the Laurel Office at 4173 MacArthur Blvd, 2nd Floor. •We will host a booth at several summer street fairs and neighborhood block parties. If your neighborhood is hosting a block party, please contact Jennifer Argueta in our office at jargueta@oaklandnet.com or call 238-7004. (Above) Chinese Lions bless the New Farmer Joe's in front of our booth.
Whether the historic Kaiser Convention Center continues as a public building or is converted into a Trade Center office building, may be determined in the next few months. After 4 years of community meetings, the Oakland Public Library presented its Facilities Master Plan to the Life Enrichment Committee this past Tuesday. The Committee accepted the Master Plan, but withheld a decision on the Main Library. Councilmember Pat Kernighan and I voted to support the Main Library move to Kaiser, with Councilmember Books and Chang abstaining because they wanted to hear more about the Trade Center option for the Kaiser Convention Center (see below). They also asked staff to come back to committee on July 11 with more information on a phased implementation plan for the branches and the new Main, and details on a possible bond measure. Architects recommend that the city remodel the Kaiser Convention Center for a new Main Library, finding it less expensive in the long run without disruption of services. The plan would uncover the building's skylights and build floors around the center. Calvin Simmons theater would remain open perhaps as part of joint use with the Oakland Museum and Laney College next door, creating a new cultural center for the city and linking with Lake Merritt park improvements across the street. MAIN LIBRARY DEBATE: Also on Tuesday, the Council Committee on Economic Development considered an alternate proposal for the Kaiser Building by developers of a World Trade Center, who asked for a 50 year lease. Details on how much they would pay and whether they considered other Oakland sites is unknown at this time. My main concern is whether this historic public building should be converted to essentially a private commercial use. It's location on the Lake puts in the heart of Lake's Measure DD renovations and cultural activities. The two items are coming to Council on July 18. If you want to keep the Kaiser Convention Center for
public use and see it remodeled as a new Main Library,
please send your comments to Council members or plan on
attending the July 18th Council Meeting, which begins at
7 pm.
You need to sign-up prior to the meeting.
•The Public Works Committee approved a resolution, sponsored by myself and Council President Delafuente, asking the State Fish & Game Commission to ban fishing in all Oakland creeks. The Commission takes recommendations only once every 3 years for changes and makes its next review this fall. This comes before the full City Council on July 18. The Friends of Sausal Creek (FOSC) lovingly clean and restore creek areas for the local steelhead trout to spawn (above). Each year more are sighted, but they are still rare. Currently Alameda County allows fishing in creeks from the end of April to October. However, a license is required and only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. The bag limit is 0, which means any fish caught must be released. Karen Paulsell of FOSC notes: "Our urban fish have a tough time -- very high storm water flows, due to all the fast runoff from hard surfaces; occasional sewage spills; water main breaks that contain chloramine which is toxic to fish (and also kills the insects they eat), kids and dogs play in the shallow areas where trout lay their eggs; dams prevent them from migrating upstream... The last thing they need is the stress of being hooked and reeled in, even if the fisherperson is doing catch-and-release." The ban applies to all creeks, streams and fresh waterways, with the exception of Lake Temescal, McCrae Park and Lake Chabot, which are stocked with farm-raised fish for sport fishing. If it is approved by the Department of Fish and Games, it will take effect in December 2006. • Styrofoam Ban: Imitation is the Highest Compliment? Earlier this week, Council gave final approval to a ban on Styrofoam and the requirement that compostable or biodegradable food ware be used as affordable (equal to the cost of alternatives). This week, San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin submitted the Food Service Waste Reduction Act that would require San Francisco restaurants and city departments to stop using Styrofoam and other brands of polystyrene. The ban for San Francisco would take also effect January 1, 2007. Several other cities around the county and state have asked us for copies of our legislation. We are hopeful with San Francisco and several other Bay Area cities moving in this direction, that we be able to create a real market for earth friendly food ware.
• Crews continue to work on roadside clearance on City overlooks in the hills--especially a long Skyline and Shepherd Canyon--in light of the upcoming 4th of July weekend. In addition, extra fire crews will be patrolling the Wild Fire Prevention District over the holiday. For a complete schedule of the Wildfire Prevention District's annual vegetation management plan, go to annual vegetation plan. (l) After the 1991 Oakland Firestorm If you have questions, requests for inspections, or problem spots, call the Wildfire Prevention Hotline at 238-7388. Live people will answer the phone during regular office hours. If you recall, last year the hotline was overwhelmed with calls. This year, there are far fewer calls, perhaps because more residents have gotten the message. For an update on progress within the Wildfire Prevention District go to the WPAD monthly snapshot • This weekend I hope to work on my "defensible space" around the house, cutting tree branches and pulling weeds. You can make your home safer by considering the design and plants in your garden. EBMUD's book on Firescaping is one of the best guides. Avoid planting invasive species which crowd out natives and are a fire hazard. Stop by our table at the Farmers Market and we will give you a copy of "Don't Plant A Pest," a brochure by the California Invasive Plant Council or go to their website for a list of plants to avoid in our area. • If you would like to organize your neighbors into a CORE group, contact the City of Oakland's CORE program at 238-6351 or email core@oaklandnet ..com.A CORE volunteer will give a free presentation to groups of 10 or more.
•(l) Paul Robeson sings for Oakland ship builders 1942. Paul Robeson: The Tallest Tree in Our Forest is an original exhibition honoring the contributions and legacy of Paul Robeson, scholar, singer, actor, athlete, and human rights activist. The multimedia exhibit features photographs, original art, documents on loan from the collection of the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee, as well as video and audio presentations about Robeson's early life, his careers on stage and in film, and his political awakening. It will be on display through July 8, 2006, at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO), 659-14th Street, free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5:30 pm. For more information, call 637-0200, or see the Library's Web site: www.oaklandlibrary.org. • The Oakland Public Library’s computer network upgrade has been completed and you should find that the speed of Internet access on our computers and our Web site vastly improved. We thank the community for the passage of Measure Q over 2 years ago, which funded this major network upgrade. • Lawyers in the Library: Dimond Branch Library on the first Tuesday evenings, 6-8pm. Sign up at 5:45 pm, names of those persons present will be selected by lottery, 3565 Fruitvale Ave, 482-7844. Schedule of other locations. • The Teen Summer Reading Program at the Oakland Public Library, July 1-September 5,lets entering 7th to 12th grades earn prizes when they read for school or pleasure. Teens can write reviews of what they read which the library will publish online at and in a printed collection, Oakland Teens Tell All!(About Reading). Teens can visit any Library to register and learn more. Reading books, blogs, magazines, comics, and even CD-liner notes all qualify toward participation in the program. After just four hours of reading, each teen will get a free paperback book. When they reach eight hours, they can choose another prize from a selection of items. Call (510) 238-7332, or see the Library's Web site.
• The Altenheim Senior Housing on MacArthur Blvd (left) will be accepting applications mid-July. The beautiful gardens and main hall of this historic complex built in 1908 as a retirement home for German settlers will be preserved. Non- profit developer Citizens Housing plans 174 senior apartments. Specific information about the availability of applications will be mailed out in the next few weeks. If you are interested in being added to the mailing list, please contact Nina Berkson, Transition Coordinator at Altenheim Senior Housing, PO Box 440, San Francisco, CA 94104. Their Lease Up information Line phone number is (415) 986- 7285. • On Saturday, July 15th, 9 am, Lincoln Courts (the former Hillcrest Motel) will conduct tours of this new senior apartment complex. The entire community is invited to come and visit the facility. Some volunteers will also work on planting the inner court yard. Looking at the attractive building nearing completion at Lincoln and MacArthur, it is hard to remember the blighted Hillcrest Motel which ranked as the fourth worst crime hotspot in the city three and half years ago when I took office. A formal Open House & Dedication will be held in the fall when tenants have moved in.
For the 13th year, Rebuilding Oakland gathers ordinary citizens to repair and remodel 30 homes and eight non-profit facilities during the month of April 2007. Help us find qualified homeowners, who:
Applications are due on or before October 16, 2006. Contact Rebuilding Together Oakland, 1111 Pine St, Suite A, Oakland, CA 94612, 625-0316 or rachel@rebuildingtogetheroakland.org
July is National Recreation and Parks month and the City of Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation is celebrating by hosting events throughout the City. For additional information call 238-PARK. Here is a sample of free activities in our district and more:
• According to Kathleen Rollinson the Summer Solstice Music Festival in the Laurel last weekend came from "Fete de la Musique" an event inspired 30 years ago by the French Minister of Culture, who asked Parisians to take their musical instruments out of their closets go the streets and play them to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Now on June 21st over 220 villages, towns and cities around the world celebrate with music of all genres by musicians of all abilities and ages. Congratulations to Laurel Village, Laurel merchants and all those who brought a wide range of musicians to our community. (l) Asian harp played at Phnom Penh. • 7th Golden Gate International Children’s Choral Festival, June 26 – July 1, 2006. Piedmont Choirs presents young singers from China, Austria, Benin, and across the United States in a weeklong celebration of beautiful music, friendship and cultural exchange. Highlights include a spectacular opening ceremony and concert June 27, free community performances throughout the Bay Area, and the Festival’s incredible 400+ voice massed-choir finale July 1st. Call Piedmont Choirs at 547-4441 for tickets and information, or visit their website. •Joaquin Miller Community Center Open House, Saturday, July 8, 10 am-1 pm. Are you planning a wedding, anniversary, reunion or meeting? Consider hosting it in our own back yard, in the beautiful Joaquin Miller Community Center in Joaquin Miller Park. The Office of Parks & Recreation will be hosting an open house on July 8 so that you can check out the possibilities. For details, contact Gail McMillon at 238-3186 or gmcmillon@ oaklandnet.com. • Monthly Outdoor Movie Series Returns to Old Oakland on July 15 . The highly successful Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema series returns for a third season beginning Saturday, July 15 with the screening of "Network." Once a month, the series transforms Ninth Street between Broadway and Washington into an outdoor cinema with movies beginning at dusk. Limited seating is available: filmgoers are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. For more information, call the Oakland Film Office at 238-4734 or visit www.filmoakland.com •Historical Summer Excursion at Joaquin Miller Park, Saturday, July 29. Author, naturalist and historian Rex Burress will share the life of Joaquin Miller and the park at a special event sponsored by the Alameda County Historical Society. The program includes lunch on the roof of the Woodminster Amphitheater and Cascade and a tour of the monuments in the park via car. Lunch begins at 11:30 am, the tour at 1 pm. Send your check of $15 per person by Friday, July 21 to the Alameda County Historical Society, PMB #307, 484 Lake Park Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610. For additional information, contact Anne Woodell at 339-2818. Postcard above of Joaquin Miller in front of his home still standing in the park. •First Annual Day in the Park: Maxwell Park, Saturday, September 16, 11 am-4 pm when local musicians, artists and neighbors gather to celebrate the diversity of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood at Maxwell Park (Fleming Avenue). Volunteers are needed. If you can't donate time to help, perhaps you can donate $10 or $20 to the cause. All the money goes towards this event. For details, contact Krista Gulbransen at krista_gulbransen@yahoo.com.
Oakland has successfully achieved the 50% waste reduction goal mandated by state law (AB 939), primarily through voluntary participation in residential recycling collection programs and free market recycling services available to businesses. This year the Council adopted a Zero Waste Goal understanding that Zero Waste strategies will be necessary for Oakland to reach Alameda County's goal of 75% waste reduction by 2010. Proposed new strategies will be discussed at a Town Hall Meeting at City Hall Hearing Room #4, Wednesday, July 19, 7-9 pm. Or, to share ideas and information, join this Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZeroWasteOakland
• National Night Out August 1st, 7-9 pm, is the nation's night out against crime. Join with your neighbors to have a block party, ice cream social or other outdoor event to build neighborhood spirit and unity - the first defense against crime. Research shows, that when neighbors know each other and look out for each other, crime goes down. Every party in our district will receive at least one visit from our office and other city officials, police officers, or city employees. We already know of a half-dozen in District 4 and anticipate more. • Want to Know More About 911 and How Calls for Police Response are Prioritized? The Dimond Public Safety Council will host a 9-1-1 presentation by Communications Dispatch Supervisor Regina Harris on Wednesday, July 5, 6:30 p.m. at the Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave.
If you drive in the evening or live near the Warren Freeway/Hwy 13, you have noticed Caltrans is closing one lane of both north and southbound lanes at various locations between Highway 24 and Interstate 580 for approximately three weeks. To upgrade several overcrossings and undercrossings on the highway, several ramps will also be closed at various times. Crews are applying highly durable methacrylate sealant to decks, which some residents have mistaken for the "smell of something burning." They are also replacing expansion joints, a fairly noisy process. The northbound lanes will close as early as 8 pm, while the southbound lanes will close as early as 9 pm so crews can finish the noisier tasks (bead-blasting and jack-hammering) before midnight. Crews will work at any given location for no more than four days. Lanes will be re-opened by 5 am The schedule is as follows: Monday 6/26/06 through Saturday 7/01/06, 8 pm- 7 am ( Replace Seal joints) Route 13 SB connector to EB 580 Redwood Rd. Overcrossing SB 13- Moraga Ave. Undercrossing NB 13 - Moraga Ave Undercrossing - The Moraga on-ramp to NB 13 will also be closed, Detour traffic NB 13 connector to Hwy 24 will be closed at 10 pm. Detour traffic. NB13 connector to WB 80.
Sequoia School (on Lincoln Blvd) parents fear their kindergarten play structure is badly in need of replacement. I will be giving them a matching grant. You can 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.
This spring, photographers Heike Liss, Johanna Arnold, and Bob Hsiang roamed up and down MacArthur Boulevard capturing “portraits” of the merchants of the Dimond and Laurel districts, now in the midst of a major renaissance. The project is part of a larger historical initiative sponsored by Mills College, with support from the James Irvine Foundation. The stories, collected in detailed photo captions, and the photo portraits will be put into the digital archives at Mills College’s Library and the Oakland Public Library’s Oakland History Room for public access and use. For more information, or to arrange for an interview with the MacArthur Boulevard Portrait Project, contact Patricia Wakida, Macarthur Boulevard Portrait Project Coordinator at 261-1573 or Nancy MacKay, Mills College’s Oakland Living History Program Coordinator at 430-2028.
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