Kids playing on new junk boat play structure on Lincoln Square playground
REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK
Should a Fatburger restaurant open in the Kwik Way building on Lake Park Avenue? Let me know your thoughts this week via an online forum at:
http://www.kitchendemocracy.org/26
The Kwik Way property at 500 Lake Park Avenue has been the subject of much neighborhood discussion over the past three years. The owners have a new proposal to lease the property to All-Pro Eateries to operate a Fatburger restaurant. Though this is not the development that some had hoped for, it is a definite improvement over the current blighted property.
I want to get a sense of what the neighborhood thinks about this, as neighborhood opinion may affect the outcome of the proposal. Should we encourage this development and see a definite improvement soon? Or should we wait - possibly many years - for the current owners to sell the property to a developer, and hope for something better?
I am asking you to share your opinion on the Kwikway location via the Kitchen Democracy website because it can handle a large volume of responses and post the vote tally and comments for all the public to see. You can also read the background information I’ve posted there so you can make an informed decision.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Feb 7: PWA’s Volunteer Appreciation Day
Feb 8 Community Meeting re Proposed Improvements to Mandana Plaza Park, Barnett Hall behind the Lakeshore Ave Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Feb 9 – 11: Black Choreographers Dance Festival at Malonga Casquelourd Arts CenterFeb 10 and 11: Chinatown Lunar New Year Festival
Feb 11: Oakland 2007 Tet Festival celebrating Vietnamese New Year
Feb 25: Take Back the Night--Turn on Your Lights!!!
And Coming in Early March...
Mar 1: Eastlake Safety & Streetscape Maintenance meeting w/ merchants
Mar 3: Dedication of the Renovated Pergola
REPORTS
My Recommendation on Upper Lakeshore Traffic-Calming Proposal
Oakland High School MLK Day of Service
Nate Miley Senior Housing
$6.5 Million Awarded to Oakland Schools for After School Programs
THINK GRAND, SHOP GRAND, BE GRAND!Children’s Book Project update
Get Free Help to File your taxes
Oakland Parks Coalition Reports on Park Survey...and Congrats to OCP!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Feb 7: PWA’s Volunteer Appreciation Day
Volunteer Appreciation Evening The City of Oakland Public Works Agency & Keep Oakland Beautiful are celebrating the good work and giving thanks to all its volunteers. The Volunteer Appreciation Evening will be held from 4 pm to 6 pm, in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. Light refreshments will be served. Please join us and extend this invitation to any other of the City’s volunteers. For more information, contact ngallo@oaklandnet.com or (510) 615-5415. Click here for flyer.
Feb
8 Community Meeting re Proposed Improvements to Mandana Plaza Park, Barnett
Hall behind the Lakeshore Ave Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave, 6:30
pm to 8:00 pm
By the time Alameda County removed the staging area in the Fall of 2005, which had been used for its months' long Lakeshore Ave sewer project. the toddler play area in Mandana Plaza Park (on Lakeshore Ave at Prince St) had suffered from grit and dirt, and the fencing had been nicked by large equipment. Since then I have met twice with parents of the park’s small users to determine what needed to be done to put the play area back into working order. The City replaced the dirty sand in the sandbox but parents had other safety issues to address. Because the play area is so close to Lakeshore, children too small to know better easily dart into oncoming traffic even with the protective fencing already there. Additionally, larger children playing in the open lawn closer to Mandana run into the street chasing balls. The parents’ highest priority is more fencing to make the play area safer for children.
On Thursday, Feb. 8 I'll hold a community meeting at 6:30 pm at Barnett Hall behind the Lakeshore Ave Baptist Church to discuss the proposed plan for safety improvements to the park. The plan has been developed by Oakland landscape architect Chris Pattillo in consultation with parents and my staff. Included is a fence on three sides of the toddler park (Lakeshore on the downhill side, and adjacent sides) with a gate from the sidewalk. Also proposed is a fence stretching from the toddler play area almost to the bus stop at Mandana along Lakeshore (downhill side of the park), with an opening by the toddler play area for access. The fencing would look like the fencing already there: three feet high and clad in black vinyl. The planting strips near the toddler play area would be replaced with decomposed granite. Click here to see the plan.
If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to comment, please contact my aide Jennie Gerard at jgerard@oaklandnet.com or 510.238.7023.
Feb 9 – 11: Black Choreographers
Dance Festival at Malonga Casquelourd Arts Center
Go see some great dance this weekend by a variety of Bay Area dance companies, including Oakland’s own Savage Jazz (whose artistic director Reginald Ray Savage is a long-time District 2 resident). Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 students.
See here for details.February 9-11
Friday & Saturday - 8:00 pm
Sunday - 7:00 pmMalonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts
1428 Alice Street (@ 14th St), Oakland, CAFeaturing:
Alonzo King performed by Robert Henry Johnson
Chloe Arnold
Paco Gomes
Reginald Ray Savage / Savage Jazz Dance Company (Fri & Sat)
Jason Samauels Smith
Mahea Uchiyama
Asatu Hall* (Fri)
Dorcas Sims* (Sat)
Feb 10 and 11: Chinatown Lunar
New Year Festival
All day festival and performances on stages throughout Oakland Chinatown. See here for schedule of events.
Feb 11: Oakland 2007
Tet Festival celebrating Vietnamese New Year
Festivities, music, fun! Held at the Clinton Park on Sunday, February 11. See here for flyer.
Feb 25: Take Back the Night - Turn on Your Lights!!!
The event will be held at the Pine Knoll Park on the corner of Wayne, Hanover and Lakeshore, from 8 to 9 pm.
Sponsored by the 200 Wayne Ave Block Group, this will be a community gathering from 8:00 – 9:00 pm to voice concerns regarding neighborhood safety. The event will take place in Pine Knoll Park on the corner of Wayne, Hanover and Lakeshore. Residents of Beat 15X or the 200 Wayne Ave Block Group may request an opportunity to speak (boundaries of Beat 15X beat are the Lake, E. 18th St, Park Blvd, and I-580). If you are a Beat 15X resident and would like to speak, or if you would like to volunteer to make the gathering run smoothly, please contact Susan Kay Gilbert at susankaygilbert@yahoo.com.
Mar 1: Eastlake Safety & Streetscape Maintenance Meeting with Merchants,
March 1, 3:30 pm, Adult School at Clinton Park
Come meet your Problem Solving Officers for the Eastlake Area and discuss ways to make the Eastlake area safer! Our office, in conjunction with Neighborhood Services Division, will be presenting a community public safety meeting for merchants on Thursday, March 1, at the Neighborhood Centers Adult School located at Clinton Park (750 International Blvd), at 3:30 pm. Edith Guillen, Neighborhood Services Coordinator for the Eastlake area and our office will introduce members of the Oakland Police Department covering the NCPC 19 area, as well as conduct personal and merchant safety presentations. Afterwards, the Keep Oakland Beautiful office of Public Works will hand out trash bags, rakes, and other cleaning supplies to coordinate a streetscape cleaning and maintenance effort with the merchants. Click here for the flyer.
Mar 3: Dedication of the Renovated Pergola
Funded by Measure DD, the dedication of the renovated pergola will take place at 11 am across from the Lakeview Branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero.
March 3 will be Preparedness Saturday and the American Red Cross, Bay Area Chapter is offering free CPR Training in 3 languages. You will learn Adult CPR, rescue breathing, care for choking victims and how to better prepare yourself and your family for disasters.
English classes will be offered at Acts Full Gospel Church
Call 1-800-520-5433 for information in English.
Spanish classes will be offered at Patton College.
Call 510-595-4429 for information in Spanish
Chinese classes will only be offered in San Francisco at Galileo Academy of Science & Technology, 1150 Francisco St., SF. Call 415-427-8911 for more information in Chinese
Registration begans on February 3, for online registration go to www.redcrossbayarea.org.
REPORTS
My Recommendation on Upper Lakeshore Traffic-Calming Proposal
For those of you who have been following the issue of the lane-reduction proposal for five blocks of upper Lakeshore (between Mandana and Harvard/Winsor), I am ready to make a recommendation. (If you haven’t heard of this issue before, please click here to read an earlier article on the topic.
I have now read all the email messages (92) from residents that came in during the last couple of weeks, as well as a several phone calls and a couple of weeks of Montclarion letters to the editor, and added that to the input we received in response to mailings, listened to both sides debate at a January community meeting, and reviewed the traffic engineers assessments. There was a clear majority of neighboring residents that favored the new configuration. Out of the 92 new responses, it was 64 in favor, 22 opposed, and 6 other. (There were a few people in both camps who don’t live close enough to drive on this stretch of Lakeshore, but most were immediate neighbors.) The feedback of 106 responses to the October mailing was 69% in favor. At the January 10 community meeting it was closer, 18 Yes to 16 No of those who actually live on Lakeshore, and a greater majority counting all in attendance.
With all that in mind, I recommend that the City proceed with the lane re-striping that would change the configuration to one traffic lane and one bike lane in each direction, with a center lane for left turns. As stated before, the re-striping would be done at no extra cost wehn this segment of Lakeshore is re-paved in a couple of months. It would not eliminate any parking spots.
My reasoning is stated below. But first, I want to advise that both opponents and proponents of the plan may speak to the issue when it is considered on February 27 at the City Council’s Public Works Committee. The Public Works Committee meeting is held in Hearing Room 1 at City Hall, begins at 12:30 and ends roughly at 2:00 p.m. I encourage any of you who feel strongly about the proposal to attend the meeting and share your opinion with the Committee. Speaker’s card can be submitted in advance online here or just before the beginning of the meeting itself. More information on the Committee agenda and schedule is available at the City Clerk’s webpage here.
Now, my reasoning in recommending the re-striping plan:
Why it is needed: I have been receiving complaints from residents for many years about speeding cars on this stretch of Lakeshore. Sporadic enforcement by OPD has no effect on the problem. In the recent emails I read many pleas from residents of Lakeshore to implement the new plan, as they have witnessed numerous accidents in front of their houses (most of which do not get reported to OPD). Other neighboring residents also recounted many near misses as pedestrians.
Will it help? Studies show that a reduction to one traffic lane in each direction will slow cars to the speed of the slowest driver when there are multiple cars traveling in a block. When there is no one else on the road, it may not make any difference. In general, it tends to reduce the worst speeding. It has been used effectively in Oakland on segments of MacArthur and Bancroft with good results. The addition of the bike lanes not only helps cyclists, it also gives a margin of safety for cars backing out of their driveways onto Lakeshore.
Will it create undue congestion or otherwise cause problems? Our traffic engineers are confident that the new plan will not unreasonably congest the street. Their assessment is based on traffic volumes measured in 2003, when the Albertsons was still open. The 24-hour volume (counting cars in both directions) on Lakeshore north of Mandana was 6,720 at the highest and 6,500 average. Compare this with the highest volume on Mandana between Lakeshore and Grand of 35,001. Mandana is only one lane in each direction and still carries that amount of traffic without serious problems. The maximum peak hour volume for upper Lakeshore is 387 vehicles per hour, contrasted with Mandana’s 2,174 per hour. So, it seems pretty clear that Lakeshore’s traffic, even if it increases considerably, can still flow quite well with the new configuration.
Our traffic engineers have seen no studies or evidence here in Oakland that similar configurations increase traffic accidents or impair the operation of emergency vehicles.
I realize that change is often difficult, and that there is some uncertainty involved. However, an objective assessment of the situation leads me to the conclusion that the change is very likely to help, and quite unlikely to create significant delay for motorists driving on these five blocks. (Which includes me—I drive it every day.)
What happens if it creates serious problems? Assuming that the project goes forward, I pledge to have Public Works do an assessment of congestion one year after it has been installed. If egregious congestion is shown by measurements such as an unreasonable number of cars regularly waiting in a queue at the traffic signal at Mandana and documentation of cars waiting more than 3 cycles of the traffic signal to get through the intersection, I would use my Paygo funds to remove the striping and return to the old configuration. (It is actually quite expensive to grind out the lines.) I will work on getting a baseline determination of the current numbers before the new striping is installed. So, to be clear, I would only undo the project if truly serious congestion results, as documented by a traffic study, not just because some residents still don’t like it.
I apologize to my neighbors who don’t like the proposal, but I am going to support the new configuration based on my review of the facts as well as the majority of neighbors who expressed support for it.
On Saturday, January 20th, the Wa Sung Community Service Club celebrated the completion of the Junk Boat Restoration project with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Lincoln Square Park at the Junk Boat. It was a tremendous occasion, with many of the officials of the area represented. The Wa Sung Club is to be congratulated on their leadership and fundraising which resulted in the major renovation of this iconic play structure. Many adults who played on the original junkboat when they were children will be delighted to see it looking so good and being enjoyed by a new generation of childern.
On Saturday, February 10th, the City’s Parks and Recreation department will be on hand to dedicate an official celebration of the unveiling of the junk boat. The program will begin at 10 am, followed by a "parade" of dignitaries to the Chinatown Street Bazaar around 11:30 am.
Oakland High School MLK Day of Service
Oakland High School students celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service with School Board member, Noel Gallo, on January 15.. "Make it a Day On, Not a Day Off" was a partnership between Service For Peace, the City of Oakland, and Oakland High School. Students and community folks came out to re-landscape, paint bleachers and do phenomenal work together.Again, thanks to Noel Gallo and to our principal, Clement Mok, for one of the most successful service days ever.
Please inform any active senior friends, family, and relatives you know who are looking for brand-new, clean and affordable housing about the exciting new senior community forming at THE NATHAN A. MILEY GARDENS at EASTMONT. Located at 7200 Bancroft
Avenue in Oakland this brand new facility is now pre-leasing studio and one bedroom units. Income limits apply and you must be 55+ years to qualify. For more information, call 1-866-123-4567 or go to www.ForRent.com/ or open the attached flyer for more information.
Click here for the flyer.
$6.5 Million Awarded to Oakland Schools for After School Programs
The California Department of Education recently released their awards for the After School Education and Safety Program (Proposition 49) and schools within the City of Oakland were EXTREMLY successful! Oakland Unified School District and a number of other schools were awarded over $6.4 million in grants for after school programming. Schools in District 2 who received awards include Bella Vista Elementary and La Escuelita Elementary. Congratulations!!!
THINK GRAND, SHOP GRAND, BE GRAND!
The Grand Avenue Business Association has just come out with their beautiful, new directory. It lists all of the businesses by category, with addresses and phone numbers to help you find all you need on Grand Ave. Copies can be found at the Grand Lake Neighborhood Center @ 530 Lake Park Ave.
Often I am asked for suggestions as to places where people can go to volunteer. On my website under “Get Involved” is a listing of ways to get involved in District 2, but I will be adding more Oakland opportunities as my office becomes aware of them. If you have a special organization you would like us to highlight, please pass the contact information and specific need to Kathy Dwyer @ kdwyer@oaklandnet.com.
Alameda County Food Bank
http://www.accfb.org/volunteer.htmlHEROES (Helpers Engaged in Reaching Oakland's Excelling Schools)
http://www.oaklandheroes.org/
HEROES is the volunteer placement program for the Oakland Unified School District. Our mission seeks to enhance the quality of educational experience for Oakland students by promoting volunteerism within the community.Faith Network of the East Bay
www.faith-network.com, 510-836-5100
Faith Network of the East Bay is in need of tutors, homework helpers, playground monitors and library assistants for children in Oakland elementary schools. www.faith-network.com
Children’s Book
Project update
The Children’s Book Project (www.childrensbookproject.org) was founded to help build literacy by putting books into the hands of children who have little or no access to them. In May 2005 a dedicated group of volunteers started the East Bay Children’s Book Project and they are happy to announce that as of January 30, 2007 they have now given away a grand total of 107,000 books to disadvantaged children!The Book Project is located at the Grand Lake Neighborhood Center, 530 Lake Park Avenue, between Grand and Lakeshore Avenues. They are open Tuesdays & Thursday from 3:30 – 6pm and teachers and other non-profits benefiting children are welcome to come and take up to 25 books free of charge. Exciting new books arrive daily.
If you would like to donate books, organize a book drive, donate money or just have any general questions, please contact Ann Katz @ 510-238-2301.
Get Free Help to File your taxes
If your family earned under $42,000 in 2006, you can qualify for FREE tax filing help. U.S. citizenship NOT required and all information is kept confidential.
United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Bay Area program provides free tax preparation assistance to help local, hard-working families claim a possible earned income tax credit and build financial security. To qualify you must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien and have earned income in 2006, either part or full-time.
What to Bring:
- Social Security card for each family member (or ITIN number for each working adult)
- W-2 forms for all jobs worked
- 1099 forms and other income forms
- Child care provider information
- Bank routing and account numbers for checking and savings accounts
- Name, address & phone number of landlord (if you have one)
- In 2007 you can have your refund automatically deposited in up to three accounts (e.g. checking, savings).
Call 1-800-358-8832 to find a nearby tax site location. Or go to www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org. This service is available from February 1st to April 15, 2007.
Oakland Parks Coalition Reports on Park Survey...and
Congrats to OPC!
Councilmember Jean Quan and I recently asked the Oakland Parks Coalition to report to the City Council on its Fall survey on the condition of the City's parks. Five years ago OPC made its first report after marshalling more than 100 residents to survey 130+ parks. Since then OPC has helped City Council members understand how important parks are to Oaklanders and what condition they are in. Once again OPC has pulled together park lovers for a one-day survey. To read the findings, click here.
A conclusion I draw from OPC's work is testimony to the importance of volunteers tending their parks. The parks in the best condition are the ones where volunteers regularly help with the on-going cleaning and greening efforts. If you are interested in becoming involved in the care of a park near you, please contact OPC board member Anne Woodell at 510.339.2818 or awoodell@bayrep.com.
I’ve just heard that the Oakland Parks Coalition is to be honored in Sacramento on March 9th. The California Commissioners & Board Members Association will present a special award to the Oakland Parks Coaltion for its outstanding work. Very few cities have this sort of watchdog group, which inspires elected officials, parks workers and community members to transform the parks into well-tended oases for recreational enjoyment and appreciation of natural beauty. And, to think, this organization is entirely volunteer-driven! Congratulations to all the volunteers who make up the Oakland Parks Coalition. You do wonderful work for Oakland.
Construction to Begin on Trestle Glens Stairs
District 2 residents have been awaiting the renovation of the stairs that run between Trestle Glen Road and Bowles and Van Sicklen places since 2003. The tentative start date is March 26th. However, this date is subject to change based upon rainy season conditions.
Aging public stairways in hilly Bay Area neighborhoods have been on the City’s radar, but the repair projects have had to be prioritized. Stairs throughout the hills were built as part of a development plan in the 1910s and '20s. They once provided access to the Key Route streetcar system and still serve as pedestrian shortcuts to avoid the long switchback roads commonly found in the area. For many residents, the stairs system also provides a fire or other emergency escape route.
The Public Works Agency (PWA) received bids from contractors in November. The project is fully funded. The funding for the project is provided by the ACTIA half-cent sales tax. Construction costs are estimated to be approximately $350,000.For more information about this or other stair projects, contact Eric Uddenberg, Architectural Associate, Public Works Agency, Engineering & Design Division at euddenberg@oaklandnet.com or 510. 238. 3543.
The Asian Employees Association (AEA) of Pacific Gas and Electric Company sponsors an annual scholarship program for college-bound high school seniors. As an employee organization, AEA is dedicated to supporting and adding value to the utility's corporate goals, partly by enabling its members and other employees to play key roles in the company and in the communities they serve.
In 2007, AEA plans to award at least ten (10) $2,000 scholarships to students living within the PG&E service territory. The deadline for the application is Thursday, March 1, 2007. The ceremony will take place in downtown San Francisco and is tentatively scheduled for the 1st week in June. You must be present to accept your award so please plan accordingly. For more information and to download the application forms, please go to http://www.pge.com/about_us/community/scholarships/aea.
Other Scholarships:
Ronald McDonald ScholarshipOpen to all seniors
DUE: February 15, 2007
http://rmhc.org/rmhc/index/programs/rmhc_scholarship_program.html
Straight forward Media
http://www.straightforwardmedia.com/scholarships/index.php
Car Donors Scholarships
Open to all seniors
DUE: March 15, 2007
http://www.cardonors.com/car-donation-scholarship.html
Lapiz Family Scholarship - Asian Pacific Fund
Open to child of a farm worker who is going to a UC
DUE: March 30, 2007
http://www.asianpacificfund.org (click on scholarship/awards tab)
Yuchengo Memorial Journalism Scholarships - Asian Pacific Fund
For Filipino students attending a Bay Area College going into Journalism
Due: March 30, 2007
http://www.asianpacificfund.org (click on scholarship/awards tab)
UCLA Alumni Scholarships (there are 2 separate scholarships posted below)
$4,000 - $15,000 in Alumni Scholarships Available
The scholarship application postmark deadline is Feb. 21.2007-08 Dr. Ralph J. Bunche Alumni Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes and supports students from historically underrepresented backgrounds who add to the diversity of the UCLA community.Freshman Alumni Scholarship
These scholarships recognize students who have demonstrated strong leadership in extracurricular school and community activities.
Students may be eligible to apply for both the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche and Freshman Alumni Scholarships however, they can receive only one award. Both award amounts range from $4,000 to $15,000 and are paid out over four years. You are required to provide 30 hours of service annually to UCLA and the Alumni Association in order to renew for the second-, third- and fourth-year of your scholarship.
If you have any questions, please call 310-825-0947 or go here.
Achievement Award Program (TAAP)
UC Berkeley Scholarship
$23,000 over four years
Deadline: February 15, 2006
A scholarship and support program for first-year and new transfer students to Cal
http://alumni.berkeley.edu/taapPlease also see website for more details on TAAP and other scholarship opportunities:
http://alumni.berkeley.edu/scholarships