UPCOMING EVENTS
Jan 8 -14: Inauguration of Mayor Ron Dellums
Jan 10: Oakland Celebrates the Dream Opening Ceremony
Jan 10: Community Meeting Regarding a Proposed Lane Reduction and Bike Lane Implementation on a Five Block Segment of Lakeshore Avenue North of Mandana Blvd (in the residential area only)Jan 11, 12 and 13: African American Health Summit
Jan 13: Hands Around the LakeJan 13: LGBT Party at Lake Merritt Hotel on Saturday Night
January 20: Junk Boat Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Lincoln Square Park
Starting January 21: History and Technique of the Tumbadora (conga drum) at the new Eastside Cultural Center
REPORTS
Pat’s Thoughts on Her Inauguration
Oakland Shifts to Greenware as of January 1, 2007
Parking Impacts of the Future Trader Joe's on Lakeshore Avenue
Lincoln Square Recreation Center Director Gilbert Gong Recognized as Oakland's Employee of the Year for 2006
Volunteer Story Readers Needed: Help Improve Oakland’s LiteracyParenting Seminar Hosted by Redwood Day School
Eastside Arts Alliance Opens New Facilities Space at 23rd and International
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jan 8 -14: Inauguration of Mayor
Ron Dellums
Check out http://www.mayorrondellums.org/ for events related to the Inauguration of Mayor Ron Dellums.
Jan 10: Oakland Celebrates
the Dream Opening Ceremony
Keynote speech by Henry Cisneros, a former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and the first Hispanic mayor of a major American city, San Antonio, at the fourth annual Oakland Celebrates the Dream Opening Ceremony at Frank Ogawa Plaza (in front of City Hall, 11:30 am to 1:30 am). The ceremony will include a tribute to Coretta Scott King, wife of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., entertainment by Pride & Joy. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the auditorium in the Elihu M. Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street.
Jan 10: Community Meeting Regarding a Proposed Lane Reduction and Bike
Lane Implementation on a Five Block Segment of Lakeshore Avenue North
of Mandana Blvd (in the residential area only)
The meeting will be held on Jan 10, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM, at Barnett Hall behind Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Avenue. Also click here to refer to an article in the October E-Newsletter. Please note that the lane reduction applies to only a five block area segment of Lakeshore from Mandana Blvd heading north toward the hills. The proposal will not apply to any of the commercial area.
The construction of a relief sanitary sewer taking place on Lakeshore Avenue presents an opportunity to potentially re-stripe the lanes of Lakeshore Avenue between Mandana Blvd and the Harvard Road/Winsor Avenue intersection. Residents in the area have long reported that speeding motorists are a hazard to pedestrians and residents pulling out of driveways located on Lakeshore.
Lane reduction on upper Lakeshore was suggested by residents and evaluated by the North Lake Traffic-Calming Committee. This volunteer traffic committee, comprised of neighborhood residents, decided on the lane reduction as a priority to reduce speeding on the street. The Public Works Agency (PWA) - Transportation Services Division has evaluated the area and determined that lane reduction is feasible and will not significantly impact motor vehicle flow. The PWA has also proposed inclusion of bike lanes in the area as called for in the City’s Bicycle Master Plan. The Public Works Agency mailed a notice concerning the proposal, including a request for comments, to approximately 1,100 Lakeshore neighbors in October 2006. Of the nearly 100 comments received, 75% supported the proposal.
Existing (top) and proposed (bottom) lane configuration:
In addition to soliciting written comments, Councilmember Kernighan is convening a meeting to ensure that the community has the opportunity to be further informed and to enable people with varying views to participate in a discussion. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Barnett Hall, 3534 Lakeshore Avenue at the Lakeshore Baptist Church. PWA staff will be present to answer questions about the proposal. Please join us for the meeting.
Jan 11, 12 and 13: African American
Health Summit
To be held at the Marriott Oakland Civic Center, 1000 Broadway, Oakland. For more information about this event, click here.
Please join Mayor Dellums & Friends at HANDS AROUND THE LAKE, a city-wide celebration of Oakland, on Saturday, January 13.
The schedule is as follows:
9:00 am – Meet at the Boat House to walk around the Lake with Mayor Dellums prior to linking hands around the lake.
10:30 am – Prepare to Link Hands, the goal is 5,500 people
10:45 am – Linking Hands
This event is free and open to the public. They plan to walk, rain or shine. Please wear a white shirt and colored gloves (bringing an extra pair to donate to someone in need). For more information email: callen5933@aol.com or phone (510)464-3198.
Jan
13: Oakland’s LGBT Community Hosts First Inaugural Celebration for
Mayor at Lake Merritt Hotel
WHAT: For the first time in Oakland's history the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) hosts a gala celebration and reception as part of the official “Inaugural Program of Events” for the incoming mayor of the City, Ronald V. Dellums.
WHO: Oakland has the second largest LGBT community in the country (in cities over 500K population*). This event recognizes the significant place the LGBT community holds in the city of Oakland, providing invaluable political, professional, financial and cultural leadership.
WHEN: Saturday, January 13, 2007, 7 – 10 p.m.
Special appearance by Mayor Dellums – scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison Street and Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA
WHY: In the past, Oakland communities have been identified primarily by geographic neighborhoods and racial or ethnic groups within those neighborhoods. The LGBT community is distinguished by a great number of business leaders, professionals, community service leaders, artists and musicians, not to mention moms, dads, teens, seniors, and LGBT families.
Oakland Gay and Lesbian Statistics:
Oakland is ranked as #2 in gay and lesbian population in cities over 500k
Oakland is ranked #5 overall in total gay and lesbian population
Zip Code 94602 is ranked in the top 10 in lesbian households in the country.
Top zip codes with gay and lesbians in Oakland 94619, 94602, 94618, 94609, 94610
*The Gay & Lesbian Atlas, Gary J. Gates and Jason Ost, Urban Institute Press (May 2004)
EVENT HIGHLIGHTSPerformances by: Montclair Women’s Big Band, Ellen Seeling, Director; Vocalist Vicki Randle, Tonight Show Band; Guest vocalist Lonnie Tuck; DJ Page Hodel; Hors d’oeuvres courtesy of the Lake Merritt Hotel. No host bar.
This event is produced by Barbara Price and Peggy Moore. Performances by: Montclair Women’s Big Band, Ellen Seeling, Director; Vocalist Vicki Randle, Tonight Show Band; Guest vocalist Lonnie Tuck; DJ Page Hodel; Hors d’oeuvres courtesy of the Lake Merritt Hotel. Tickets ($25) are available at the door. Ticket information: 510-339-1832. Online Tix here.
January 20: Junk Boat Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Lincoln Square Park
The Wa Sung Community Service Club invites everyone to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating the completion of the Junk Boat Restoration project. This event is scheduled for Saturday, January 20, 10am, at Lincoln Square Park at the Junk Boat.
In addition to the ceremony, the staff at the Lincoln Square Recreation Center will have a display for the Lincoln Square Master Plan, a long-term plan for the parks's development.
Starting January 21: History and Technique of the Tumbadora (conga drum)
at the new Eastside Cultural Center (2277 International Blvd, @ 23rd Ave)
John Santos’ Conga Workshop is a 10-part lecture/demonstration series on The History and Technique of the Tumbadora (Conga Drum). Featuring guest performances by John Santos and members of his now disbanded Machete Ensemble. The project is designed to foster a better understanding of the vibrant history of this drum and it’s unique role in American (United States as well as Latin American) traditional and popular culture, and to provide a solid, fundamental base for all those interested in playing this popular drum, whether for fun and health or professionally.
Workshops will take place every Sunday during a ten-week period beginning January 21st, 2007. The first half of each two-hour session will focus on the history surrounding the tumbadora through lecture, slides, and rare video and audio recordings from the instructor’s legendary collection. The second half will revolve around the fundamental technique and theory of actually playing the instrument – a hands-on experience where the instructor will share the secrets, tricks, advice and love gained through forty years of studying and playing with some of the greatest musicians in the field. Each week, the class will build upon what was presented the previous week, so that by the end, the participants will have acquired considerable information and skills.
For more information, click here.
REPORTS
Pat’s thoughts
on her Inauguration
The past year and a half as Councilmember for District 2 have been engaging to say the least. Though I had been on the Council staff for the preceding six years, I've found that actually being the elected representative entails another realm of responsibilities, some of which are rewarding and some of which are agonizingly difficult. I've had to make a lot of tough decisions, but that's the essence of the job. Arriving at a consensus among Oaklanders is a rarity, so I do my best to listen to all sides and arrive at balanced decisions.My staff and I have worked hard to involve the community in the resolution of a number of big issues, such as the tree removals for the Measure DD Lake Merritt improvements, the Oak to Ninth waterfront development project, taking on the Oakland Housing Authority over neglect of their properties scattered throughout the San Antonio, and finding a good tenant to replace the old Albertsons on Lakeshore
And if all that wasn't enough to keep me busy, I also had to campaign hard, twice, to keep my Council seat. I am proud and happy to have won the election, and am very relieved not to have to do that again for four years. I am extremely grateful to the hundreds of people who volunteered in one way or another to help me get re-elected. I am also very cognizant that a lot of people voted for someone else. I want to encourage all residents of District 2, whether or not they agree with my approach or my politics, to continue to make your voices heard, to participate in community forums, and to share your ideas with me. The best decisions are made after informed debate, and with parties on all sides working engaging to come up with practical solutions.
I am eager to get started on my first full term and to accomplish good things for the people of District 2 and Oakland. There are a number of neighborhood issues that need to be addressed, but none so important as restoring safety and security on our streets. The crisis of violence in Oakland is both tragic and unacceptable. We must bring a halt to the shootings and random armed robberies that have left many people fearful to leave their apartments or homes at night. Thus, my main focus will be on reducing crime and violence in all our neighborhoods. I believe the City can do a better job of law enforcement, so I will work with our new Mayor, Police Chief and fellow Councilmembers to manage our police resources in more effective ways. I also believe we can and must do more to get involved in the lives of the young people who are caught up in the cycle of violence. In addition to City and County sponsored programs, I will work to involve more ordinary people in Oakland in the lives of children and teens in our poorest neighborhoods, as mentors, role models, tutors, and school volunteers. There is so much that is wonderful about living in Oakland, and I am not ready to let it be lost or overshadowed by violence and crime.
On a final and positive note, we are entering a new era with the leadership of Mayor Ron Dellums. He brings a great deal of energy and optimism for Oakland's future and the ability to motivate people to do what needs to be done. I know that all the members of the City Council are ready and willing to work with him to make Oakland a great place to live for all of its residents.
Oakland Shifts to Greenware
as of January 1, 2007
By now, everyone knows that polystyrene foam is an environmental problem of huge proportions, whether by clogging landfills or harming wildlife or polluting our public spaces or using more oil. In 2006 the City Council adopted a Greenware Ordinance. Starting January 1, all Oakland food vendors/restaurants may no longer use polystyrene foam disposable food packaging. Additionally, all Oakland food vendors and restaurants (even those who never used foam) must change to biodegradable/compostable disposable food packaging such as paper or “bio-plastic”, when it is affordable (same or less cost). Violations may result in fines. Restaurants should be able to get the proper food service ware from their existing distributors.
In spite of the City’s outreach to restaurateurs, some may not yet know about the new ordinance or how important to you and other residents their compliance is. You can help educate them. Visit http://www.oaklandgreenware.com for information you can provide to the restaurants you visit. Call the City of Oakland Recycling Hotline at 238-SAVE (7283) for a list of biodegradable food service ware suppliers, or for any questions related to this ordinance. Together, we can conserve resources, clean our City and waterways, and protect public health.
Parking Impacts of the Future Trader Joe's on Lakeshore Avenue
Beginning in January 2007, more of the private parking lot in front of the old Albertsons store, soon-to-be Trader Joe’s market will be closed to create a staging area for construction equipment and materials, while the store is undergoing interior renovation and façade improvement. The parking lot in front of the store is private property and is controlled by the owners and/or leaseholder of the property. Parking will still be available in the City-owned parking garage, which will be time limited at a maximum of two hours. The time limit will be strictly enforced. An access lane will remain open from the Lakeshore Avenue entrance of the lot to allow access to the City-owned parking garage. The garage can also be reached from Wesley and Lake Park Avenues.
Many people have raised concerns that the future customers of the new Trader Joe's will bring an increased demand for parking to the Lakeshore Avenue area. People on nearby residential streets are concerned about possible spill-over into their neighborhoods. While no one can know exactly what the increased parking demand will be, we are studying some options for handling an increase. City traffic engineers, my office, local merchants, and the Trader Joe's people have had conversations to come up with possible solutions. I plan to hold a community meeting in February to discuss ways of managing the parking. We will advertise the meeting well, as there seems to be great interest in the topic.
I do want to comment that for the past year, there has been no enforcement of the two-hour limit for parking in the structure or surface lot in front of the old Albertsons. The lot is often full because commuters and store employees are parking there all day. When the two-hour limit is enforced again, that in itself should free up a lot of spaces. I will keep you posted on future discussions of this issue.
Congratulations to Gilbert Gong, Recreation Center Director for Lincoln
Square, Recognized as Oakland's Employee of the Year for 2006
Each year each City department selects the outstanding employee of the year to celebrate. This year, Parks and Recreation's Gilbert Gong, Lincoln Square Recreation Center Director, was selected as the outstanding employee for the City of Oakland! Congratulations, Gilbert!
Gilbert is committed to insuring that the Lincoln Square community has the best. He was successful in partnering with the Golden State Warriors in resurfacing the outside basketball courts, in addition to having the Warriors provide free clinics for over 300 boys and girls in the community.Gilbert’s efforts are evidenced by the great increase in program participation at Lincoln Square for this last fiscal year; enrollments are continuously gaining for youth, adults and seniors alike. Enrollments increased by 1,569 to a total of 2,810, generating over 200,000 hours of attendance. At the same time, there was an average of 30,000 drop-in patrons every month.
Gilbert’s outgoing and friendly personality enabled him to form relationships with various community partners, allowing Lincoln Square to offer substantially more program activities and special events this year. The partners include Pleasant Valley Adult Education, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Cantonese-Speaking Citizens Academy Alumni, Asian American Committee on Crime, Lincoln Square Table Tennis Club, FM Smith Table Tennis Club Seniors, Boys and Girls Scouts of America, Wa Sung Service Club, UC Berkeley, Circle K Service Club, Tax Aide, Dragon Boat Team and Kaiser Permanente. Through these partnerships, Gilbert attracted volunteer hours valued by the City at $213,000.
Volunteer Story Readers Needed: Help Improve Oakland’s Literacy
Share your love of books with a new generation of readers in Oakland. Books for Wider Horizons, a program of the Oakland Public Library, is seeking volunteer story readers to present weekly story times to preschoolers throughout Oakland. New volunteers must complete a seven-class series on how to select and share books and present engaging story times for preschool children ages 3 – 5. Bilingual volunteers are needed, especially in Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Cambodian. These classes begin Tuesday, February 6 at the Rockridge Branch Library (5366 College Ave.) and are being taught by a true professional, Gay Ducey. Ms. Ducey has been featured on The Mr. Roger’s Show and is the co-founder/director of the Bay Area Storytelling Festival. Call (510) 238-7453 to reserve a spot for this very fun and worthwhile activity.
Parenting Seminar hosted by Redwood Day School
Redwood Day School Parents’ Association invites the community to attend Parent University on January 20, from 8:30 am to 1:15 pm. The event will take place at 3245 Sheffield Ave in Oakland. The idea behind this event is to help parents better understand children and teenagers and to provide a variety of tools and strategies that they can use immediately.
The keynote presenter is author Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D., author of “Spoiling Childhood: How Well-Meaning Parents Are Giving Too Much, But Not What They Need.” She will highlight proven principles and strategies that increase parents’ success and competence in raising their children. Also, Mike Riera, an educator, speaker, author and media figure on issues of child and adolescent development will present a workshop called “Parenting Through the Ages.” He will discuss various stages of child development, how the role of parent shifts in each stage, and offer age-appropriate parenting strategies for kindergarten through eighth grade parents.
For more information on this event go here.
Eastside Arts Alliance Opens New Eastside Cultural Center Facility at
2277 International Blvd (at 23rd Avenue), Oakland
Eastside Arts Alliance (ESAA) is a collective of artists and community workers based in East Oakland’s San Antonio district, one of the Bay Area’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods. Since 1999, ESAA has provided free multimedia arts workshops to neighborhood youth; organized the reputable, annual Malcolm X JazzArts Festival in San Antonio Park; and presented music, dance, theater, spoken word, video, and town hall events in the community.
Now, ESAA is making history by being one of the only grassroots organizations, comprised of artists of color, that will own and operate an independent community cultural center. This new landmark institution is the Eastside Cultural Center. The new Center just celebrated its grand opening on New Year's Eve.
With the continued and anticipated support of government, philanthropic organizations, and private donors, the Eastside Cultural Center will be more than a place for people to gather and receive services. The ESCC will offer:
A new state of the art cultural arts center;
A new facility for a troubled urban core city that addresses blight;
After school programming that serves at-risk teenagers and addresses youth-specific issues;
Safe, vibrant nighttime activities in an underserved community;
Promotion of civic engagement and community pride;
Affordable housing that boasts beautiful studios and one-bedroom apartments; and
A signature model of micro-enterprise/small business development that incorporates two storefront, community-based businesses
1) Tumi’s, a web and graphic design firm born in from the Fruitvale district; and
2) Oakland Ready to Learn, a non-profit organization providing children ages 0-5 and their families with supports, services, and activities.
One of the key cornerstones to the conception and fruition of the Eastside Cultural Center is the partnership between ESCC and Affordable Housing Associates. This partnership has allowed the development of a property that will not only serve as a first rate cultural center, but also as a home for 16 units of affordable housing and two live/work storefronts for community-based businesses.For more information on programs and activities at the Eastside Cultural Center, please contact:
510-533-6629, www.eastsideartsalliance.org
Alameda County Human
Relations Commission Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Combat the
Sexual Exploitation of Children through Prostitution
I joined members of the Alameda County Human Relations Commission, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the District Attorneys from Alameda and San Francisco Counties, and fellow City Council members Ignacio De La Fuente, Jean Quan and Larry Reid’s representative at a recent news conference announcing the launch of a Bay Area Public Awareness Campaign aimed at shining a spotlight on the issue of child “prostitution” and the work surrounding the sexual exploitation of minors. Officials from the Interagency of Children’s Policy Council, Cal-Pep, George P. Scotlan Center and other local service providers gave presentations on the work of their organizations in combating the sexual exploitation of minors.
The campaign launches with 60-second Public Service Announcements (PSAs) sponsored by Alameda County Board of Supervisors and Human Relations Commission. The PSAs are intended to educate the public about the pervasiveness of sexually exploited children. The ad campaign will help to reframe the discussion and dispel some commonly held stereotypes, for example, that children who are sexually exploited through prostitution, some as young as nine, somehow deserve what they get because their abuse is viewed as self imposed
The numbers are staggering:
• 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.
• 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.
• 1 in 5 children is solicited sexually while on the internet.
• 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood
An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children (many are only 11 or 12 years old, some as young as 9) are involved in prostitution nationwide and an estimated 10 million children worldwide are involved in the $20 billion-a-year sex industry. Each year, an additional one million children enter the industry.
This precedent setting Bay Area Public Awareness Campaign is one of a kind nationally and regionally. While much attention has focused on prostitution involving consenting adults, little to no attention has been directed at the growing numbers of adults who solicit children (boys and girls) for sex through prostitution. This growing crisis gave rise to Assembly Bill 3042 (co-authored by Speaker pro Tempore Leland Y. Yee, D-San Francisco, San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala D. Harris and SAGE, Standing Against Global Exploitation). Enacted into law in 2004, AB-3042 in its simplest terms is designed to protect children from sexual exploitation through prostitution. The law represents a shift in how we approach the sexual exploitation of children, from how it is defined, to how it is prosecuted across the state. It calls for greater penalties for adults who solicit sex from children and it changes the status of sexually exploited children from being labeled "prostitutes" to being classified as victims. This simple change in terminology affords sexually exploited children the much needed support from the Victims of Crime Compensation Fund.
The Public Awareness Campaign will run throughout the Bay. It is the intent of the Human Relations Commission to collaborate with SAGE, ICPC (Interagency Children Policy Council), Youth Uprising, George P. Scotlan Center, local municipalities and other agencies to expand the campaign to include billboards, bus ads and other marketing as additional campaign resources are generated.
For more information on the Bay Area Public Awareness Campaign, please contact Human Relations Commission Chairperson, Shonda Scott, at (510) 891-8900. For additional information on sexual exploitation of minors go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, http://www.missingkids.com
During the months of December, January and February, heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires. In just the last week, the Oakland Fire Department has responded to a number of home fires that could have been prevented by following their tips.
Here are some tips to prevent a fire in your home or business:
* Space heaters should be kept a minimum of three (3) feet from anything that can burn.
* Portable heaters should shut off automatically if tipped over. If your heater does not have that feature, replace it with a newer model that does.
* When leaving a room or going to bed, TURN OFF all portable heaters.
* Hire a qualified technician to clean and service your furnace.
* Hire a professional chimney sweep to inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney.
* Keep children away from heaters.
* Keep combustibles in your home to a minimum.
* Make sure every level of your home has a working smoke detector alarm, and be sure to check and clean it on a monthly basis.Do not hesitate to call the City’s Fire Prevention Bureau for any questions or concerns you may have @ (510) 238-3851. The Oakland Fire Department is committed to the safety of its residents, business owners and visitors.