About 20 percent of Oakland's populations 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 (left), 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" 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.

 

• 18th Chinese Lunar New Year Bazaar: The Year of the Rat celebration in Oakland Chinatown this weekend, January 26 & 27, 10 am-5 pm, sponsored by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (OCCC).Chinatown's atmosphere will be colorful, festive and bustling with shoppers and visitors during these two drawing over 30,000 attendees. I'll be speaking at the Opening Ceremony, which starts at Noon on Saturday, January 26 at the Renaissance Plaza Courtyard on 9th Street.

• 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. <<Making a Chinese lion mask at last year's event.

• 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.

•  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 lion 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.
   

• White Elephant Preview Sale, Sunday, January 27, 10am-4pm, 333 Lancaster Street: This is a chance to shop at Oakland's premiere "garage sale" before the public at-large.  For $15 you can get a chance to go shop early at their 96,000 sq ft warehouse and support the Oakland Museum. The regular sale is March 1-2, 10 am-4pm; it is free.  Last year I got a silk shirt for $3, a crystal plate for $5, and beautiful antique Venetian glass beads.
   

• Free Oakland Civic Orchestra Concert, Sunday, January 27, 4pm: Popular Bay Area guitarist Patrick Francis will join Martha Stoddard, conductor, and the Oakland Civic Orchestra for its Bitter/Sweet: Music for the Soul concert at the Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Avenue. The concert is free. For more information, call 238-7275 or visit the Orchestra's website.

• Rain or Shine--Montclair Winter Fest and Wellness Open House in Montclair, Sunday, January 27: 10 am-4 pm. Winter Wellness Open House (chiropractic, acupuncture, skin and hair care) at 2070 Antioch Court, upstairs; fresh veggies at the Montclair Farmer's Market, 9 am-1 pm. Ice skating cancelled due to rain. For details...

• "Stir the Pot" at Dimond Library, Monday, January 28, 5:30-7 pm, Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Avenue. The League of Women Voters Oakland hosts public discussions of issues important to Oaklanders. These topical and lively discussions "stir the pot," and have resulted in grassroots community action. This month's meeting on Open Government in Oakland features Sukey Wilder, outgoing member of the Oakland's Public Ethics Commission, and Dan Purnell, Executive Director of the Public Ethics Commission.   For info call LWVO at 834-7640 or check www.lwvoakland.org
   

• Piedmont Pines Goes Green: Annual Meeting, Monday, January 28-- 6--9 pm: Residents of the Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association are invited to the annual meeting at Chabot Space & Science Center. A Green Community Fair, with booths from local environmental and other organizations, will take place at 6 pm. The  meeting begins at 7 pm and will include discussion about the upcoming undergrounding project. Sue Piper and I will be there to answer questions, as well. Pick up free compact florescent light bulbs, learn about environmentally safe gardening and household practices, learn more about emergency preparedness and much more.
   

• 2008 Spirituality Forum with Author Paul M. Barrett, Tuesday, January 29, 7pm:  Piedmont Community Church and A Great Good Place for Books cosponsor a meeting with Paul M. Barrett, author of American Islam: The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion. A $5 donation is suggested, but no one will be turned away. Call 547-5700 for details. 400 Highland Avenue, Piedmont.
  
   
• Dimond Streetscape Design Phase Meeting Wednesday, January 30, 7 pm, Dimond Library: After receiving and completing a planning grant to improve the Upper Fruitvale and Dimond Streetscape (pedestrian & traffic safety improvements), we are now in the design phase.  If the designs are approved we will see major capital improvements similar to those in the Laurel District. In addition we will incorporate the mural replacement funded by Peets and additional improvements funded by my office.  If you are interested in either the Laurel or Dimond project, please contact Richard Cowan in my office, 238-7041. (Above) Dimond Gateway pocket park.
   

• <<Check out page 310 of your Yellow Pages for ad about Oakland's Seismic Strengthening Incentive Program.
   
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• Wednesday, January 30, 6-8 pm: Community Seminar on Retrofitting Your Home, 1528 Webster Street-- 15 seats left!  Please register with Sue Piper at 238-7042.

• Wednesday, January 31, Contractors Seismic Retrofit Workshop: Hearing Room 3, City Hall, 4-6 pm.  Contact Sue Piper at 238-7042. 

• Author Beth Lisick at A Great Good Place for Books, Thursday, January 31, 7 pm: Featured on KQED's Forum this week, the author of Helping Me Help Myself; One Skeptic, Ten Self-Help Gurus, and a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone, will read from her book and answer questions at a Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Avenue, in Montclair. 

• Are You Eligible for an EITC Rebate? Low-income Oakland families  received over $4.4 million back into their hands as a result of the City's 2006 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaign-- "Earn It! Keep It! Save It!"  The City kicks off its 2008 EITC Campaign on Thursday, January 31, 10 am on the steps of City Hall. 12 FREE community based volunteer Income Tax Assistance Sites throughout the City will be staffed by 155 volunteer tax preparers.
   

• 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.

• Merchant's Survey: The City is exploring the feasibility of developing a Small Business Assistance Center. The center would provide small businesses with information, tools and qualified referrals to departments, organizations and other helpful resources. The Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum is conducting a feasibility study and seeks your input. Deadline is January 31. If you have any questions or need additional information contact David Schecter at DSchecter@oaklandnet.com or 238-6151, or Aziz Khatri at 368-8347.

• The Proposed AMG Senior Project for High and MacArthur  was approved by the Design Review Committee and passed on to the full Planning Commission.  The new designs improve the exterior texture and provide an opening on the MacArthur side, parting it into two buildings.
   

• Green Homeless Shelter Opens:  Each night about 6,200 Alameda County residents are homeless, over half of them live in Oakland.  During the year 16,000 will be homeless at some point.  While most homeless residents are single men, often veterans with drug or mental problems, 43 percent are families and 28 percent are children. This week the new Crossroads Shelter on International Blvd replaces an old drafty warehouse facility with makeshift plywood walls in many places with a clean and green building for 125 people. There are rooms for five families on a separate floor, men's and women's 10 bed dorm rooms, and (below) a  respite wing for people just released from the hospital but with nowhere to go. Solar panels supply electricity and water-based hydronic heaters warm rooms. The facility was primarily built with federal funds, including some City Community Block Grant allocations and a Green Planning Grant from the Alameda County Waste Authority/ StopWaste.org Board that I sit on. (Above) Former resident explains how the shelter allowed him to stabilize his life after prison and helped him find a job.
   

• Oakland test scores continue to improve; it is ranked the most improved urban district.  This continues a trend started before the takeover with reforms in the reading and math programs.
• The school district is seeking a renewal of its parcel tax with Measure G.  The measure would keep the tax the same.  I helped author the original parcel tax 3 versions ago to help preserve music and library programs, reduce class sizes, provide science and other school supplies because California's per pupil spending is way below the national average. With the new cuts proposed by the Governor these funds are more important than ever.
• Truancy Program Report:  Council and School Board members began a discussion on truancy and agreed to continue to work together on the issue.  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%.

• Truancy Tip Hotline is 879-8172. 
   

January 29th  is the last day to request to vote by mail

Note that the three Indian Casino Propositions 94, 95, and 96 qualified at the last moment. They are not in the original Voter Handbook.  You can find information about them at the Smart Voter site below.

 To find your polling site or for good information on local and state propositions, the League of Women Voter's Smart Voter website is an invaluable tool.  

• Alameda County Registrar:  Not Sure If You Are Registered?  Haven't received voter materials?  1225 Fallon Street, G-1, in the County Courthouse by the lake.  272-6973

• Want to vote early? Request an absentee ballot or go to the Registrar's Office above and cast your ballot now.
   

• Register to Vote Online or Download Form

• New Rules for Decline to State Voters:   Many new voters decline to state a party   when they register.  This year some parties including the Democratic Party will allow "Decline to State" voters to participate in their primary.  Follow this link for more info.

• Official California Voter Handbook

• League of Women Voters Smart Voter Guide to State and Local Propositions

Free election literature about issues and candidates is available at local branches of the Oakland Public Library. Copies if the Easy Voter Guide and other pertinent information are available at the "election table" in each branch.

• 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.

• 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.

• Beat 22X-Upper Dimond NCPC meets Monday, February 4: Please join this newly formed NCPC at the Greek Orthodox Church, 4700 Lincoln Avenue, on Monday, February 4, 7-8:30 pm. This NCPC covers the Woodminster Shopping District at the bottom of Joaquin Miller Road  as well as the Dimond Shopping District and points in between. For details, contact Richard Cowan in our office at 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 *

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.

• The Metropolitan Transportation Commission grant to re-time 16 city traffic signals including nine located along our busy High Street corridor; the other seven are located in the MacArthur Boulevard/Harrison Street area in the vicinity of the I-580 freeway ramps. The re-timing should help alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality on streets that are bounded by high density neighborhoods and carry high volumes of commuter traffic. 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)

<< My husband Floyd and Arroyo Viejo volunteer load debris from the creek into a giant green bin on MLK Day.












 

• 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, January 26, 9-Noon-Planting Day in Beaconsfield Canyon (meet at the bottom of Beaconsfield Place). Contact Kathren Stevenson at 388-5676.
  • Saturday, January 26, 1:30-4:30 pm-propagate native species for fall planting and other nursery work at the Joaquin Miller Park Native Plant Nursery.Contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672.
  • Monday, February 4, 9-Noon- Planting at the Redwood Restoration Site. Meet at the Monterey Trailhead. Call for Directions---388-5676 or contact Kathren Stevenson 

<<Fifty volunteers from Service Volunteers for Peace joined neighbors from the Shepherd Canyon Homeowners Association in the cold and rain on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in removing invasive plants in the Escher Meadow and planting wildflower seeds, regrading and mulching the paths from the meadow to the soccer field, and  improving the entrance at Escher gate.

 

• 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 go to Court on January 29th and will be holding a press conference at 10 am on Monday, January 28th.  Our attorney's have advised us to suspend the effective date until after this court date. In the interim we urge Oaklanders to bring their own bags and to encourage their retailers to voluntarily comply with the plastic bag ban.  Many stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes are already 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.