• Joaquin Miller Elementary School Yard Sale/Fund Raiser, Saturday, May 3, 8-2 pm: Stop by to see what bargains are available, and help support the Joaquin Miller School Parent Group.
• Sequoia Elementary Pre-Kindergarten Play Date, Saturday, May 3, 10 am - Noon at the Sequoia School Playground. For details, contact Suzanne Furrer.
   
• Thornhill Elementary School Carnival, Saturday, May 3, 10 am-3pm: The Parent Faculty Club hosts fun activities for families: dunk tank, jump house, snow cones, games, international food, Dad's Club American BBQ, dessert cafe, face painting, cake walk, performances by children and parents. Free admission. 5880 Thornhill Drive. Details, call 879-1570 or go to their website.

Celebrating Elephants at the Zoo, Saturday, May 3, 10 am-3 pm:  Experience a special once a year behind the scenes tour of the elephant barn. $5 donation requested. Friday, May 9: 6-9 pm - Reception and Silent Auction followed by a Lecture featuring, Pat Derby, co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and leader in animal welfare and rescue.

• Mosaic Mural Installation at Allendale Recreation Center, Saturday, May 3, 9:30 am- 3 pm and Sunday, May 4, 10 am-1 pm: The mural, on the Suter Street side of the Allendale Recreation Center at 3711 Suter Street, depicts an oak tree with peace doves on top and the words "Allendale Recreation Center" on a multicolored background. Local artist Beverly Shalom will mentor children on the art of tiling on Sunday. A BBQ will follow the grouting and the completion of the mural on Sunday. For details, contact Elena Bermeo, Allendale Recreation Center Director, at 535-5635.

• Town Hall Meeting on the State Budget: I'll be joining Assembly Member Sandre Swanson at a Town Hall Meeting on the State's Budget and its impact on schools and other services, Saturday, May 3, 10 am-Noon, Encinal High School, 210 Central Avenue, Alameda.

• Redwood Heights Community Picnic, Saturday, May 3, 4-6 pm at Redwood Heights Recreation Center. Dancing, BBQ ($5) and crafts. The picnic follows Redwood Heights Elementary School's annual Walk-a-thon. The Dad's Club will be grilling up a wonderful dinner. The Redwood Heights Neighborhood Association (RHNA) is providing crafts and live music with Marty Wehner's Groove Band - a mix of R&B, soul, funk etc. Cost is $5 per person, seniors free (complements of RHNA). All proceeds benefit the Redwood Heights Dads Club.

• Sequoia Dads' Club Pancake Breakfast, Sunday, May 4, 9 am- Noon: Sequoia Elementary School Cafeteria, 3730 Lincoln Avenue.  If you live in the Dimond area, this is neighborhood tradition.  Come by for breakfast and a chance to meet your neighbors.  Other ways to help.

• Cinco de Mayo in the Fruitvale, Sunday, May 4, 10am parade, followed by day long festival featuring 200 booths and 5 stages of entertainment.

>>Earlier this week over 2,000 rallied at City for a third year in support of immigrant rights.

• Fiori D'Amore Orchid Sale for Mothers Day, May 3-10, 9am-4pm, 4526 Fair Ave:  (Closed Mother's Day)  This Redwood Heights business sells orchids once a year from their greenhouses in the neighborhood. You've seen them at Farmer's Markets. If you love orchids, it's worth it just to visit.

• North Hills NCPC (Beat 13Y) Town Hall Meeting, Wednesday, May 7, 7 pm, Highlands Country Club: 110 Hiller Drive. The focus will be on mail theft, identity theft and bank fraud, featuring OPD Sgt. Rhee and Wells Fargo Bank officer Nancy Pagen.

• Taste of Spring, May 8, 5:30-8 pm, The Rotunda Building, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza:  The Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation's annual fundraiser to support projects throughout Oakland. Live entertainment, wine tasting, appetizers, live and silent auction. To purchase tickets call 465-1850.

• Literacy Night at Maxwell Park School, Thursday, May 8, 6-7:30 pm:
   
  Dinner will be served, storytelling and free books will be available to children,  and an overview of the New Maxwell Park School will be given. There will also be an opportunity to give input regarding the naming of the New Maxwell Park School and to learn about ways you can become involved in supporting the school.

• 4th Public Meeting on EBMUD Estates Reservoir Replacement/Dingee Reservoir Removal, Thursday, May 8, 7 pm, Montera Middle School Auditorium. EBMUD's architectural consultants will present several alternative conceptual designs for public comment for the Estates Reservoir site.  EBMUD will host another meeting a few weeks later to solicit additional input on the alternative conceptual designs presented at this meeting. For additional information, please contact Michelle Blackwell in Community Affairs at 287-2053.

• From Prevention to Policy: Responses to HIV/AIDS in the African-American Community, Friday, May 9, 10 am-Noon, West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline Street: Congresswoman Barbara Lee hosts this special event, featuring guest speaker Dr. Julie Geberding, Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Seating is limited. Please respond to Daniela Quintanilla at 763-0370.

• Ancient Art of Notan, In and Out, Friday May 9, 3:30-5 pm, Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Avenue. Join Robin Goodfellow in learning the ancient Japanese art form that uses negative and positive space. Ages 7 and older welcome.

<< Harvard Bound:  Three Oakland Tech Seniors, all accepted at Harvard, speak out for the public education they have received and against the budget cuts.

   I attended several events this week that reminded me what I miss most from my years as a school board member -- watching incredible young people blossom in our multicultural, public schools.  Despite disgraceful underfunding, our city's schools regularly welcome children, who have recently arrived from refugee camps in Liberia or Thailand or who have grown up in foster homes, and sends them to some of the best colleges in the country.  This week's rally against the Governor's proposed cuts in education asks all of us to defend our schools-the city's future.  The School Board, parent leaders, and teachers are asking all of us to contact the Governor and friends in Republican legislative districts to help break the budget deadlock.  Go to this page for information on what you can do.

This is what the Governor's Proposed $4.8 Billion in Cuts to Schools Mean:

• Oakland Schools will  have to cut $23 million; that's $800 per student.
• Even without budget cuts, California spends $1900 less per student than the national average.
• California ranks 46^th in the nation in School Funding, apparently we're going for last place.
• The cuts are the equivalent to increasing class sizes by 35% or closing all schools for a month.

Last week, the City Administrator predicted that next year's shortfall would be about $15 million.  If the City approved closures and negotiated no raises for employees the amount could be reduced to about $6.7 million.   This however did not include possible failure of the Landscape and Lighting District (about $10 million, increased state and federal budget cuts, utility tax changes, and employee benefit costs that could range from $20-$70 million.  Departments are being asked to plan for a minimum of a 4 percent cut or enhancement of revenues; other reductions are expected. The Administrator's goal is to reduce the budget additionally through attrition rather than layoffs. Budget Report

• LANDSCAPE & LIGHTING DISTRICT (LLAD) OUT TO A VOTE: 

BUDGET WORKSHOP & HEARING SCHEDULE:  The public is encouraged to attend the Council's budget workshops in Council Chambers at City Hall; additionally I will hold at least one hearing in the district:  
 

• Workshops/Budget Hearings re FY 2008-09 Budget Amendments
  • Thursday, May 15, 5-8 pm
  • Thursday, May 29, 5-8 pm
• Adoption of Budget Amendments, Related Budget Legislation
  • Tuesday, June 17, 6-7 pm

1. Sexually Exploited Minors
2. Non-Violent Tools for Conflict Resolution
3. Disaster Preparedness
4. Dealing with Problem Properties and Nuisances
5. Get Heard:  Engaging the Voices of Young People
6. Understanding and Recognizing Gang Activity (English & Spanish Workshops)
7. Personal Safety and Self Defense
8. Youth Led Dialogue on Youth Culture & Violence
9. Effective & Productive Meeting Facilitation
10. How to Build Strong & Cohesive Neighborhoods
11. Reducing Truancy & Supporting Schools

• Violence Statistics:  In some recent news articles and in neighborhood chatter on some listservs, it has been noted that violent crimes in the last year are either flat or lower.  In fact. compared to when I entered public life in the 90's violent crime is considerably less.  

This week some people have been posting a chart which shows over the last four years, however, a massive jump in violent crimes and calling for the removal of the Chief of Police.  What this chart reflects is the charts I have run for increased domestic violence reports over the last five years.  Thanks to better police training and support services such as the new Family Justice Center, the number of domestic cases has tripled over the last five years; a significant number of these include physical assault, a violent crime.  Within 24 hours any victim of domestic violence will receive a visit from a Measure Y funded counselor offering family counseling, counseling for children, legal and other support services.  While there may be a real increase because of the worsening economy, most of my colleagues working with me on this issue believe the increase mostly represents better reporting and better support services that allow the victims to take legal action.  This is one of rare cases where a higher crime rate may be a good thing (deaths due to domestic violence are down); unfortunately, its being used to club the police and the city.

• Sexually Exploited Minors:  As a school board member I ran into children who were sexually exploited by their parents and guardians.  But in recent years the industry has grown to sophisticated networks and culturally young boys think it's OK to pimp their girl friends.  As a member of Public Safety Committee I rode along with police and looked at our procedures.  Girls were booked as "prostitutes" and were frequently out and back with their pimps on the same night. Many concerned leaders across agencies working with the girls began a push for a change. We didn't think girls under 18 should be treated as criminals, we wanted to offer them resources as victims and give them a chance to get off the streets. We wanted tougher prosecution of pimps, both male and female, and to charge men who seemed to flock to certain neighborhoods specializing in girls under 18 to be charged as pedophiles.   The series in the Tribune and several radio programs this week report and the changes and some progress. (Tribune Photo)

WHO ARE THE SEXUALLY EXPLOITED MINORS?  A 2007 survey of 100 minors served by Oakland-based Sexually Abused and Commercially Exploited Youth found:

88 percent had run away from home or from caretakers
 

75 percent had been raped some time in their lives
 

70 percent have been assaulted while working the streets
 

53 percent had lived in a foster care group home at some time
 

48 percent had been physically abused

Five years later this issue is no longer a secret or easy to push under the rug. A special DA Sharmin Bock, featured in the series, is prosecuting the pimps and getting sentences up to 15 years. A small group of five women and one man has grown to a network of over 30 agencies that regularly meet to coordinate strategies-- the DA, police, health, social service, and advocacy groups.  OPD officers have been trained to treat the girls as victims and have resource cards and numbers to offer.  Thanks to Measure Y funds the first diversion program for the girls have started and have some promising results. Girls are asked to attend a program for a month in exchange for dropping legal charges. Roughly a third of the girls are from out of town, often working a circuit, and they seem to disappear. Another third finish the program and leave. The remaining third are actively trying to get off the streets and continue with educational, employment and counseling programs.

We are now trying to coordinate with other cities around the Bay and the state.  One of the great needs is to find funds for "safe houses" where the girls can get away from their pimps.  It is not unusual to hear of pimps literally grabbing a girl out of a group home.  Measure Y has provided some funds now matched by the County and we are on a mission to raise the remaining amount.  This is a project that I am doing solicitations for and would appreciate any tips, contributions or funding leads from this newsletter network.  Finally, we are encouraging Neighborhood Councils and groups to invite speakers from the Sexually Exploited Minors Network (SEMS) to speak at your meetings. Contact Michael Johnson of my office for more information, 238-4742.

• Oakland Seeks Volunteers to Help Recruit Police Officers: Citizens interested in lending a hand to help the City of Oakland reach its goal of having 803 police officers by the end of 2008 have an opportunity to participate in this important effort. The Oakland Police Department needs community volunteers to serve as oral board panel assessors for the hiring of Police Officer Trainees. Interested candidates must meet one of the following criteria 1) live in Oakland, 2) work in Oakland or 3) own a business in Oakland. The upcoming oral board dates are currently scheduled for:
  • Monday, July 21, 2008
  • Monday, August 25, 2008
  • Monday, September 22, 2008
  • Monday, October 20, 2008
  • Monday, November 17, 2008

Community members interested in serving on the boards should email opdjobs@oaklandnet.com with their contact information, including name, address, phone number and email address and note the dates they are available. 

• Laurel Corridor Focus:  This is part of an upcoming focus on recent problems in the neighborhood including graffiti, shoplifting, and complaints regarding youth obstructing businesses. We need neighbors to help by documenting complaints and identifying persons responsible for the graffiti.  The Problem Solving Officer for this area is Officer Ann Pierce at 238-2053.  The Neighborhood Services Coordinator is Renee Sykes at 238-7929.
• "Club Campaign" Planned for the Laurel:  We monitor the crime trends in each of out neighborhoods on a regular basis. Last month the Laurel neighborhood area was hard hit with car thefts and car break-ins. In cooperation with the NCPC and the Laurel ACE hardware we are walking next week to increase the number of residents using a "club" type device and for more eyes on the street. The Laurel ACE will give a 20% discount, we are producing a bilingual leaflet which we will walk door-to-door.  The beat officer recently made an arrest catching some young people breaking into a trunk and the stats have fallen, but car thefts come and go in cycles. It is best to be prepared.  If you would like to help distribute the leaflets, please contact Michael Johnson in our office 238-4742.

• 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 Area and Problem Solving Officers/Beats.
   
• The Measure Y website and e-newsletter contain a wealth of practical information and an area list of services and programs, www.MeasureY.org.
• For a list of Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils in District 4.
• To organize a Neighborhood Watch Group on your street call 510-238-3091.
• 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. 
• Make anonymous calls for drug activity to 238-DRUG.
• Truancy Tip Hotline is 879-8172.

• Two competing State Propositions on Eminent Domain.  The City Council and League of California Cities supports Proposition 99.  Both defend individual homeowners from government taking private homes to transfer to a private developer, but the rival Proposition 98 contains hidden agendas that would: 
  • According to the Attorney General's analysis eliminate Rent Control and other Renter Protections.
  • Would threaten use of eminent domain for Public water projects.
  • Is written so broadly that most environmental protection laws would be threatened and almost all zoning decisions would be open to legal challenge.
• City Council and School Board Races in Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 and the At-Large City Council Seat.
• A hot race for the State Senator representing Oakland, Hancock v Chan. 

• Public Workshops on Estuary Crossing Feasibility Study: The City of Alameda, with support from the City of Oakland, is conducting a study to determine alternatives to the Posey Tube for bicyclists and pedestrians wishing to cross the Oakland-Alameda Estuary. For more information, go to their website.

• Save the Date: Bike to Work Day is Thursday, May 15, 7-9 am: Every year, I join members of the Bicycle Coalition on a trip from Montclair leaving around 7:30 am to City Hall in celebrating Oakland's 15th annual Bike to Work Day. Sign up at any official site and get a free bike bag and other useful gifts. Please join us! Along the way we usually meet up with a team lead by Council Member Pat Kernighan on Grand Avenue as we wind our way to City Hall. As in past years, the City will host a free pancake breakfast and raffle drawing in Frank Ogawa Plaza. Stay tuned for details about our route starting from Montclair Village.
• More Oakland Biking Information
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission
• League of American Bicyclists

• Clean up Behind Walgreens on High Street, Sunday, May 18, 9 am-Noon: Please join the Maxwell Park NCPC clean up crew for their monthly clean up behind Walgreens on High Street.

• Friends of Sausal Creek's May Schedule: Join friends and neighbors and learn more about the native habitat of Sausal Creek:
  • Friday, May 16, 9:30-12:30: Seed hike to collect seeds to propagate native plants. Contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672 for details.
  • Saturday, May 17, 9 am-Noon: Beautify riparian zone next to tot lot. Contact Kathren Stevenson at 501-3672 for details.
  • Saturday, May 17, 1:30-4:30 pm: Propagate native species and other nursery work at the FOSC Native Plant Nursery in Joaquin Miller Park. Details, contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672.
  • Sunday, May 18, 9:30 am- Noon: Aquatic insect sampling. Contact Emma Brown at 527-2507.
  • Saturday, May 24, 9 am-Noon: Weed native plant garden and erosion control project. Contact Kathren Stevenson at 501-3672 for details.
  • Saturday, May 24, 1:30-4:30 pm: Propagate native species and other nursery work at the FOSC Native Plant Nursery in Joaquin Miller Park. Details, contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672. (Above) Buyer at last week's annual native plant sale at the nursery.
  • Friday, May 30, 9:30-12:30 pm: Seed hike to collect seeds to propagate native plants. Contact Molly Bolt at 501-3672 for details.

• Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Work Day at Children's Fairyland, May 10 & May 31:  Volunteers, under the direction of the Park's Chief Horticulturist Robin Taylor,will help with weeding, moving compost, planting preparation, and actual planting (probably on the 2nd Sat.) in anticipation of the Grand Opening of the new Aesop's Children's Theatre in June. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own hand-tools and gloves. See Dan Altemus to sign up and get further details. 893-4676.

• Ygnacio Traffic Circles:  After five years of scraping together funds, choosing the design, and recruiting volunteers the Ygnacio Traffic Circles are done! Last weekend members of the Melrose High Hopes NCPC planted the native plants (left). The circles will not only beautify the street, but slow traffic in front of Horace Mann School and hopefully give the neighborhood some protection from sideshows on this street.
   

• Library launches "Book a Librarian" Service:  Now you can reserve a free 30-minute one-on-one reference or training session with a professional librarian at Oakland's Main Library, 125 14th Street. This free service is best used for complicated reference questions that require time beyond the usual walk-in reference help, or for more in-depth instruction on how to use the library's catalog, reference data bases, and the Internet. To make an appointment, call 238-3138 during open hours for available times. The Main Library is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, 10 am-5:30 pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays, Noon-8 pm, Fridays, Noon-5:30 pm and Sundays, 1-5 pm.

• Visions Toward Tomorrow: The African American Community in Oakland, 1890-1990, at the AAMLO: Opening reception is Saturday, May 10, 6:30 pm at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 659 14th Street. For more information, contact Veda Silva at 637-0200.<<The Jenkins Family

• Sip for Sequoia! at the Silent Auction & Wine Tasting on Saturday, May 17 at Joaquin Miller Community Center, 4-7 pm. "Educate your palate...educate a child." Advance ticket donations are $20 per guest. Reserve now online.

• Groundbreaking for the new East Oakland Community Library at 81st Avenue, Friday, May 30, 10-11am:  The new East Oakland Community Library--at 21,000 square feet--will be the largest branch in the Oakland Public Library system. This is one of my longest on-going projects.  I worked to get the joint application through the School Board in collaboration with Ignacio DeLaFuente; then as a Council Member helped keep the project on course.  It will also be the first joint public library-school facility in Oakland.  The $14.3 million project is funded by a $6.5 million grant from the State of California's Proposition 14 and $4 million from the Oakland Redevelopment Agency. OUSD has committed the land and a total of $497,065 for site development and construction of the common use areas. The Oakland Public Library is raising the additional funds from private donors to purchase new furniture. The new branch is located at 81st Avenue and Rudsdale in East Oakland.
   

• "Catch the Reading Bug" Summer Reading Program:  Kids, ages 13 and under are encouraged to buzz on in to one of our branches, the bookmobile, or the Main Library's Children's Room to sign-up and start reading their way to valuable prizes, including books and tickets to some of Oakland's hottest attractions. Pre-readers can participate by having someone read to them. 
   
  • The fun begins with a Summer Reading Program Kick-Off Party on Saturday, May 31, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Main Library's Children's Room, 125 14^th Street.  Children who sign up for the Summer Reading Program (June 7-August 9) will receive a free hot dog or veggie dog. In addition, they'll be treated to performances by the Prescott Clowns, Teng Fei Lion Dancers, and a live reggae band, La Raza Farians. Finally, kids will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to "Dunk the Librarian!"
  • Families with children, ages 2 to 7, can get involved by attending an Early Reading Fun Workshop at one of 13 libraries, a family literacy night sponsored with a generous grant from the Stocker Foundation.  These special literacy programs, planned in partnership with the library's Second Start Family Literacy Program, will combine crafts and story time with tips on how families can nurture the next generation of readers.
     
  • On Sunday, August 10, 2008, come celebrate when the Oakland Public Library and the Oakland Museum of California partner to host a Summer Reading Program Finale from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. This event will be held at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street.
     

• Oakland Parks & Recreation--offers a wide range of programs at their 25 Recreation Centers for kids of all ages. Call 238-7275 or download the 2008 catalog.

• MOCHA Summer Art Camp-- June 16-August 22 (kids Ages 6 and above). MOCHA camps provide age-appropriate, fun and enriching art activities; no previous art experience is required. Call 465-8770 for a catalog.

• Oakland Fine Arts Summer Session: Parents need to enroll students in both sessions - morning program is at Glenview Elementary School 8:30am-12:45pm, and an afternoon program at Oakland Parks & Recreation 12:45-5:30 pm. Download both applications from