Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2009
at one of Oakland's many events
(Photo licensed by The Estate of Martin Luther King Jr.)
Saturday, January 17: Senior Rally and Walk for Unity and Safety at Manzanita Community School
Saturday, January 17: Oakland Public Library TeenZone Opens at Main LibraryDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Celebration Events:
MLK Day Service Events
Sunday, January 18: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Day: A King and an Emperor, Live Performance at Oakland Museum of CaliforniaSunday, January 18: “In the Name of Love,” 7th Annual Musical Tribute Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Oakland Scottish Rite Center
Monday, January 19: The Dream Lives On: Multicultural Peace Celebration and Rally at ILWU Warehouse HallMonday, January 19: African American Museum & Library at Oakland’s MLK Theater
Monday, January 19: REJOICE! Oakland’s Pre-Inaugural Gospel Concert – Star Bethel Church
Tuesday, January 20: Special Community Viewing of Inauguration of President Obama at Oracle Arena, Doors Open at 7 am
City-Sponsored Events
Tuesday, January 20: City Council Public Hearing on Consideration of Revisions to the Analysis for the Oak to Ninth Project Environmental Impact Report and Possible Recertification of the EIR
Thursday, January 22: Community Workshop: Harrison/Oakland Traffic Calming
Wednesday, January 28: Zoning Update Committee Continue Discussion of Central Business District Rezoning
Other Events
Saturday and Sunday, January 24 and 25: Year of the Ox Lunar Chinese New Year's Bazaar featuring Cultural Entertainment, FoodSunday, January 25: Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale: Preview
...Coming in February and March
Oakland Public Library Events in Celebration of Black History Month
Tuesday, February 3: City Council Consideration of an Ordinance Regarding Property Owner’s Responsibility for Sidewalk Safety and MaintenanceSaturday, March 21: Lakeshore Neighborhood Plant Exchange/Spring 2009
REPORTS
Lincoln Elementary Earns Title I Achievement Award for Fifth Consecutive Year
A Rough Start to the New Year in Oakland
Sidewalk Liability Issue Deferred until Council meeting of February 3
JLAC Announces Spring Introductory Single-Sculling Classes
Updates on Lakeshore Ave and Lakeside Drive Measure DD ProjectsYouth Grants 4 Youth Action: What Would You Do With $5,000?
Become a Volunteer Docent at the Oakland Museum of California
Wish List of Items for Teen Families
EVENTS
Saturday, January 17: Senior Rally and Walk for Unity and Safety at Manzanita
Community School
The Rally and Walk starts at 10:30 am at Manzanita Community School, located at 2409 East 27th Street.
Vice Mayor Ignacio De la Fuente, Councilmember Jean Quan and Oakland’s Department of Human Services invite local seniors to join the Senior Rally and Walk for Unity and Safety. The Walk is an effort to bring the community together and raise safety awareness among seniors in a positive way that emphasizes health as well as safety.
Just before Thanksgiving, an elderly Asian-American woman was severely attacked by three men while she was collecting recycled material. We want to make sure this kind of thing does not happen to anyone else. The walk will proceed from Manzanita Community School to the nearby site of the attack, and back.
Free whistles, pedometers and senior safety information will be distributed. For more information or to learn how you can participate, contact either Michael Johnson, District 4 Policy Analyst, at 510.238.4742, or Claudia Burgos, District 5 Policy Analyst, at 510.238.7051.
Saturday, January 17: Oakland Public Library TeenZone Opens at Main Library
Main Library is located at 125 14th St .
The Main Library’s new TeenZone, planned with input from its Youth Leadership Council, will offer Oakland’s youth a warm, inviting place to study, hang out, display their artwork, and find the materials and reference help they need to learn and to prosper.
The new space includes an Apple iMac Computer Lab, private group study spaces, a video area for programming and instruction, innovative Tarrazzo loop bars and crescent work areas, improved display areas to showcase teen artwork, comfortable seating, carpeting and vibrant colors. The regular hours of the TeenZone and the Main Library on Saturdays are from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
A public celebration of the new TeenZone will take place on Wednesday, January 28, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
Saturday, January 17: Celebrate "17th on the 17th." Support
Our 17th Street Merchants This Saturday and Everyday
The 300 block of 17th Street, a tree-lined, fun shopping district that represents all the diversity of Oakland in the many small, minority and women-owned businesses, was hard hit by the violence in downtown Oakland last week. Some stores have temporarily boarded up and business has been affected.
The Lakeshore Business Improvement District, the Oakland Merchant Leadership Forum and the SOBO Merchants’ Association with assistance from Oakland Events and the City of Oakland are sponsoring the Celebrate 17th on the 17th. The street will be closed to traffic from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm for your strolling enjoyment along with that of merchants, musicians, and community groups, and businesses will stay open into the evening. There also will be an Open Forum Wall where all can express their grief over the death of young Oscar Grant and promote their hopes for change.
Most of all, you are invited to shop, dine and enjoy the afternoon in this unique community, home to generations of entrepreneurs and artists offering unique goods and services. As Gracie B on Yelp said, “Many of us who call Oakland home are saddened by both the shooting of Oscar Grant and the toll that the protests took on our local businesses. I hope that folks throughout the Bay Area will come to Oakland to support our local merchants.”
Oakland boasts 40 neighborhood shopping districts and 7 business improvement districts. You can find out more by visiting ShopOakland.com or OMLF.org. Contact: Pamela Drake-593-3721 or Ada Chan-757-5646.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Celebration Events
The 2009 celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has special significance in light of the election and inauguration of our nation's first African-American President, Barack Obama. If you're not going to Washington, D.C. to see it all in person, celebrate here in Oakland at one of the many events and service activities honoring Dr. King. A list follows.
President-Elect Barack Obama, together with community leaders and nonprofits from across the nation, has called upon Americans to follow the lead of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commit to service and volunteering. The official day of volunteering is set for Monday, January 20; however, some events are taking place on Saturday or Sunday. Following are several events set in Oakland:
Saturday, January 17: Lake Merritt Clean-Up at Sailboat House
The Sailboat house is the big, blue building on the lake banks, located 568 Bellevue Ave. Event is from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Join in helping to keep Lake Merritt beautiful and responding to the Obama/Biden Administration's call for community service. The clean-up will take place in conjunction with the Lake Merritt Institute and Keep Oakland Beautiful to clean up the lake and surrounding area. Gloves, trash bags, barrels and nets will be provided. Be sure to wear clothes you're willing to get dirty. Organizers urge participants to wear their Obama pins to let everyone know what brought them out! For more information, please contact Peggy Rehm here.
Monday, January 19, 2009: Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day / East Bay Regional Park District’s 75th Anniversary Restoration Projects
Volunteering for the restoration projects starts from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Free Admission.
Participate in coastal cleanup and restoration work at any one of four Oakland locations: (1) Damon Slough parking lot on Zhone Way & Oakport Street, (2) Garretson Point parking lot at the end of Edgewater Drive, (3) Martin Luther King, Jr. Grove off of Swan Way, and (4) Arrowhead Marsh parking lot off of Swan Way.Presented by East Bay Regional Park District, Save the Bay, San Francisco Audubon Society, Earth Team and Hands on Bay Area, 510.544.3182 or go here.
Monday, January 19: Day of Service at Morcom Rose Garden
The day of service begins at 9:00 am and runs to 1:00 pm. There are many projects for all levels of volunteers, including spreading wood chips to suppress weeds, planting of new plants and trimming roses. Bring gloves and your favorite hand tools, or you can use the City tools. Bring your own water bottle and friends.
Monday, January 19: Volunteer to Spruce Up at Bella Vista Park
The event is located at 1025 E.28th, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
Join in response to President-elect Obama’s call to service! To all Bella Vista Elementary School students, neighborhood groupies, 17Y/Bella Vista NCPC members, and people of good will and good cheer:
President-elect Obama has asked us to dedicate a day of community service on the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
This call goes out to join in sprucing the park. Meet neighbors, greet friends, and enjoy refreshments while working together! Bring rakes, shovels, gloves, trowels, and other gardening tools. See you there!
Sunday, January 18: Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Day: A King and
an Emperor, Live Performance at Oakland Museum
The performance will be held at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street at 10th Street, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. There is an admission fee.
The similarities between the lives of Dr. King and political activist, athlete, singer/actor Paul Robeson are highlighted by Paul Von Blum, senior lecturer in African American Studies at UCLA. Program includes performances by spoken-word artist Ise Lyfe, baritone Autris Paige and Jetaun Maxwell from Dance Theater of the Gospel. Families can make their own front pages from African American newspapers of the King and Robeson eras. In collaboration with the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee. Contact 510.238.2200 or go here.
Sunday, January 18: “In the Name of Love,” 7th Annual Musical
Tribute Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Oakland Scottish Rite
Center
The musical will be held at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center, located at 1547 Lakeside Drive, at 7:30 pm. There is an admission fee.
“In the Name of Love” is a stunning tribute to one of the greatest humanitarians of our time, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With Barack Obama as President-Elect, and only two days from his historic inauguration, this year’s event promises to be a profound celebration of civil rights. Congresswoman Barbara Lee is tentatively scheduled as the keynote speaker and radio personality Clifford Brown, Jr. will serve as emcee. Performances from Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra featuring Faye Carol, Kenny Washington, Jeannine Anderson and Nicholas Bearde as well as the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company and the Oakland Children’s Community Choir with the Oaktown Jazz Workshop.
Presented by Rhythmic Concepts, Inc. with reduced admission rates thanks to the generosity of Target, 510.287.8880 / 1.800.838.3006 or go here.
Monday, January 19: The Dream Lives On: Multicultural Peace Celebration
and Rally at ILWU Warehouse Hall
The event will be held at the ILWU Warehouse Hall # 6, located at 99 Hegenberger Road. 9:30 am - doors open. Event from 10:00 am to noon. Free Admission.
This annual celebration will be held during the day on the eve of the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. Keynote speakers: Hon. Keith Carson, Alameda County Supervisor, and Rev. Byron Williams, Columnist and Pastor.
Presented by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rally Committee. Contact (510) 632-1670 for more info.
Monday,
January 19, 2009: 11th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday
Celebration, “Make The Dream Real” at Taylor Memorial Methodist
Church
The MLK National Holiday Celebration will be held at Taylor Memorial Methodist Church, 1188 12th Street, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, with a luncheon following. Free Admission.
This event aims to encourage more Americans to celebrate this National Holiday as a day of service in communities and to bring people together around the common focus of service to others. Kokomon Clottey will open with sacred drumming, honoring our ancestors. There will also be youth performers and three Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Awards will be given to deserving community members who are doing exemplary service work. The upcoming celebration highlights the power of service and what ordinary citizens can do to bring change to our communities. This year, Danny Glover has been nominated to receive a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award for the years of exemplary service work for social and racial justice globally.
Presented by the Attitudinal Healing Connection, Inc, Taylor Memorial Methodist Church, Rev. Ron Swisher and Dr. Matthew Fox. 510.652.5530 or go here.
Monday, January 19, 2009: 10th
Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, Economic, Health
and Peace Fair at Star Bethel Church
5800 San Pablo Avenue, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Free Admission. Learn important skills to live a healthy, peaceful lifestyle at this free celebration. Presented by Embracing the Dream, 510.978.6470
Monday, January 19: African
American Museum & Library at Oakland’s MLK Theater
659 14th Street, 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Free Admission. The matinee is at AAMLO, 659 14th Street, from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Free admission.
Live the life experience of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as AAMLO presents films from its extraordinary film archives, including “The Rise and Death of a Great Leader.”
Presented by the African American Museum & Library. R.S.V.P. encouraged,
510.637.0200 or go here.
Monday, January 19: REJOICE!
Oakland’s Pre-Inaugural Gospel Concert – Star Bethel Church
5800 San Pablo Avenue, 7:30 pm, doors open at 6:30 p.m., $20 suggested donation.
Oakland's celebration of President-Elect Barack Obama and the First Family. Featuring stellar award-winner gospel artist Jonathan Nelson plus many local artists, choirs and groups. Program to benefit people living with HIV/AIDS and local young Brothers of Barack, a mentoring program to inspire our community's young men.Presented by Embracing the Dream, 510.978.6470 /510.663.7979, ext.119 or email here.
Tuesday, January 20: Special
Community Viewing of Inauguration of President Obama at Oracle Arena,
Doors Open at 7 am
Come celebrate this historic moment with a viewing of President-elect Barack Obama’s historic inauguration on the Arena’s big screens. There will be a series of faith-based services to pray for the success of President Obama. Arena tickets are $5 each – available at the Coliseum Box Office (no service charge) or TicketMaster here with a service charge. For more information, call (510) 272-6695 or go here. Click here for flyer.
Tuesday, January 20: City
Council Public Hearing on Consideration of Revisions to the Analysis for
the Oak to Ninth Project Environmental Impact Report and Possible Recertification
of the EIR
The hearing is at City Council Chambers, Oakland City Hall, after 7:00 pm., as part of the regular City Council meeting.
To view Revisions to the Analysis in the Oak to Ninth Project EIR; Oak to Ninth Avenue Project: Responses to Comments on Revisions; and the staff report, go here. For a copy of the Revisions to the Analysis in the Oak to Ninth Project EIR, and/or a copy of the Oak to Ninth Avenue Project: Responses to Comments on the Revisions, contact Marge Stanzione here. To speak at the public hearing (item 14.1), you can sign up on line by going here.
Thursday, January 22: Community
Workshop: Harrison/Oakland Traffic Calming
The workshop will be held at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, located at 2501 Harrison St. @ 27th, Reidenbach Hallk, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
For those on and along the Harrison Street and Oakland Avenue corridor, from Grand Avenue to the City of Piedmont border, this is the first of several important workshops to attend.The plan is being funded by a Caltrans Planning Grant. Once this planning process is
complete, the City and community groups can apply for an implementation grant (several million dollars) to make capital improvements.
Project Goals:
- Calming traffic and improving neighborhood livability along Oakland's Harrison Street/Oakland Avenue Corridor.
- Improved Access & Safety for Pedestrians
- Improving Bicycle Facilities
- CalmingTraffic
- Improving 1-580 Signage & Access
- Improving AC Transit Stops
For more information, contact Alisa Shen, Project Manager here or 510.238.2166.
Saturday and Sunday,
January 24 and 25: Year of the Ox Lunar Chinese New Year's Bazaar featuring
Cultural Entertainment, Food
The New Year's Bazaar will be held at the Pacific Renaissance Plaza’s Courtyard at 338 9th St and surrounding streets of Chinatown, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The Chinese regard the Lunar New Year as the most important and largest holiday of the year. The holiday is synonymous in scope and size with the celebration of Christmas in western culture.
As part of the Chinese New Year celebration, Chinese Americans come to Oakland Chinatown every year to buy presents, decorations and special foods. In addition, Chinatown's restaurants become a hub for families and friends to gather for traditional Lunar New Year dinners.
The Chinese New Year Bazaar, created in 2001 by the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, occurs every year on a weekend either in late January or February, depending on when the new year falls on the lunar calendar. The outdoor bazaar allows local businesses to sell traditional flowers and gifts in celebration of Chinese New Years.
The Bazaar features approximately 100 vendor booths, diverse cultural entertainment, exquisite food demonstrations, fortune telling, and a Little Prince and Princess Contest sponsored by Oakland Chinatown Lion’s Club.
The event offers an opportunity for Chinatown residents and visitors to enjoy traditional Lunar New Year festivities and performances from Chinese culture. For more information, go here for more information.
Sunday, January 25: Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale: Preview
The White Elephant Sale is the biggest, the best and certainly the most enjoyable rummage sale in Northern California.
Better yet, all proceeds from the sale go to support programs and exhibitions at the Oakland Museum of California!!
There are 17 departments in the White Elephant Sale with everything from sporting goods to boutique items, books to furniture, art to electrical items, dishes to shoes, children's clothes and toys to furnishings, or Hawaiian shirts to vintage clothing. All are spread out in the 96,000-square-foot warehouse, sorted according to departments. You will find treasures of all sorts.
The 2009 Preview Sale DateDate: Sunday, January 25, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PMTickets are $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door.
Tickets will be available at the OMCA Information Desk through January 24th, or by mail:
White Elephant Preview Sale
P.O. Box 11605
Oakland, CA 94611
Make your check or money order payable to "WES Preview".
Please include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope).When ordering tickets by mail, please allow enough time prior to the Preview Sale to ensure delivery of your tickets.
The 2009 March Sale Dates
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PMand
Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PMAdmission is FREE for the March Sale weekend. We accept cash, checks with identification, debit and credit cards for payment of purchases. Click here for more info.
Wednesday,
January 28: Zoning Update Committee Continue Discussion of Central Business
District Rezoning
City Hall, Hearing Room 1, after 6:00 pm.
Oakland Museum's Calendar of
Events Througout January
Come see your favorite authors, poets, artists, and filmmakers and more at the Oakland Museum! Click here to see a listing of upcoming events for January.
… Coming in February and March
Oakland Public Library Events in Celebration of Black History Month
Programs featuring James Henry and J.P. Myrick are sure to captivate children while imparting a growing appreciation for African American music and history.
James Henry, a percussionist and energetic educator, presents his Music and Drum Workshops. The versatile and charismatic Mr. Henry, a master of over 100 percussion instruments, fuses African, jazz, and other world music styles in his original compositions and arrangements of traditional folk songs. He has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, the San Francisco Symphony, and members of the Grateful Dead. In his fun workshops, children of all ages can learn to play a variety of percussion instruments. Eight events are scheduled:
- Piedmont Ave. Branch, 160 41st Street, (510) 597-5011, Thursday, February 5, 10:30 a.m.
- Elmhurst Branch, 1427 88th Avenue, (510) 615-5727, Friday, February 6, 2009, 1 p.m.
César Chávez Branch, 3301 East 12th Street, (510) 535-5620, Saturday, February 7, 1 p.m.- Temescal Branch, 5205 Telegraph Avenue, (510) 597-5049, Friday, February 20, 10:30 a.m.
- Brookfield Branch, 9255 Edes Avenue, (510) 615-5725, Friday, February 20, 1 p.m.
- Dimond Branch, 3565 Fruitvale Avenue, (510) 482-7844, Tuesday, February 24, 7 p.m.
- Montclair Branch, 1687 Mountain Blvd., (510) 482- 7810, Thursday, February 26,
- 10:30 a.m.
- West Oakland Branch, 1801 Adeline Street, (510) 238-7352, Thursday, February 26, 1 p.m.
Dramatic storyteller J.P. Myrick aims to entertain, educate and motivate with her depictions of African American women who left their mark on history. In a pair of performances at library branches Ms. Myrick will portray scientist and inventor Madame C.J. Walker and underground railroad hero Harriet Tubman.
- Lakeview Branch, 550 El Embarcadero, (510) 238-7344, Thursday, February 5, 1 p.m. (Ms. Myrick will portray C.J. Walker.)
- Martin L. King Jr. Branch, 6833 International Blvd., (510) 615-5728, Tuesday, February 10, 2:30 p.m. (Ms. Myrick will portray Harriet Tubman.)
For more information, please call (510) 238-3615, or see the Oakland Public Library’s Web site here. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.
Tuesday, February 3: City Council Consideration of an Ordinance Regarding
Property Owner’s Responsibility for Sidewalk Safety and Maintenance
The hearing is at City Council Chambers, Oakland City Hall, after 7:00 pm.
See story below and to view the latest supplemental staff report, go here after close of business on Friday, January 16. To speak at the public hearing (item 15), you can sign up on line by going here.
Saturday, March 21: Lakeshore Neighborhood Plant Exchange/Spring 2009
– 3811 Lakeshore Avenue – 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Now¹s the time to make a list of the plants you¹ll want to thin out of your garden in March and trade for new plants at the free Lakeshore Neighborhood Plant Exchange. For additional information, visit here.
Want to volunteer to help with this event? Contact Odette at 510.866.8482 or email here.
REPORTS
Lincoln Elementary Earns Title I Achievement Award for Fifth Consecutive
Year
Oakland’s Lincoln Elementary has been selected for a California 2008-09 Title I Academic Achievement Award, marking the fifth time in as many years the school has earned the honor. The Academic Achievement Award honors schools that produce sterling academic results while serving a socio-economically disadvantaged population. Title I schools like Lincoln educate high concentrations of students from low-income families and often have large English Language Learner (ELL) populations. California is home to more than 6,000 Title I schools and just 200 of them, or 3 percent, received this week’s Title I Award.
The Title I Academic Achievement Awards salute schools whose students demonstrate strong academic performance and reinforce the belief that, given the proper conditions, all children can learn and achieve. All of the winning schools have student bodies where at least 40 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch, yet, in every case, they more than doubled the State’s academic growth targets. Lincoln Elementary, where nearly 90 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced lunch and many students speak languages other than English at home, proves that socioeconomic or linguistic challenges need not stand in the way of excellence. Congratulations to the students, parents, teachers, and principal for their hard work and excellent achievement!
A Rough Start to the
New Year in Oakland
Just when one is hoping for fresh, new beginnings at the start of a new year, our beloved but beleaguered city gets a new calamity instead. The tragic killing of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer caused public outrage and protest, especially among young people of color. BART’s apparent lack of response in the beginning heightened the anger. While many of us were confident that the case would be investigated fully and appropriate consequences meted out, many people in Oakland had no trust in the process whatsoever. The reactions to this event illustrate a number of things: for one, how important it is that public institutions establish a record of dealing fairly with people and thus build trust among those they represent, and two, how divided we are as communities in Oakland. The perception of the police is completely different in middle and upper income neighborhoods than it is in neighborhoods where most residents are poor and people of color. In some neighborhood, people call the police when they need help, while in many poor neighborhoods they are often feared, especially by young men. People can argue about whether that fear is justified, but the video of Oscar Grant confirmed the worst fears. To some, the shooting looked like a horrible mistake of some kind, to others it was an intentional execution. The tragedy of Oscar Grant’s death highlighted the level of distrust in our institutions and system of justice, and that is certainly a wake-up call to all of us who work in those institutions.
I applaud the youth and adults who channeled their outrage into a peaceful protest march and rally. But I absolutely deplore the self-styled anarchists who hijacked the January 7 protest and gleefully wreaked havoc on downtown Oakland. The victims of their premeditated destruction were totally innocent people, mostly small business owners whose windows were smashed, and residents and restaurant workers whose car windows were bashed in or even burned. This is profoundly discouraging to the many people who have spent so much time and energy trying to create a lively and healthy downtown by opening businesses or making their homes here. This utterly stupid vandalism is a big set-back in many ways. The “riot” was widely covered in the national press, adding to the already negative perceptions of Oakland. One of the maddening things about this is that Oakland gets the bad press while the great majority of the vandals don’t even live in Oakland. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that more than 70 of the 105 people arrested live in Berkeley, San Francisco and elsewhere.
It is particularly galling to me that these wannabe revolutionaries do this damage in the name of helping oppressed people of color, when their actions are having the completely opposite effect. How are we going to create jobs for young people when businesses are too afraid to come to Oakland? How are the small entrepreneurs who are already here going to survive this onslaught? The entire thing repeated itself last night, as an extremely well-organized and peaceful protest of 1,500 people went on for several hours, almost everyone went home by 6:30 pm, and then a small band of anarchists came out later to trash some businesses in City Center. The cost of overtime for the Oakland Police Department is huge for these two nights. (It will be calculated and the City will try to be compensated by BART.) While the anarchists think this is hurting the Police Department, it is not. It is hurting the average Oakland taxpayer who is going to receive less in services in some other way since our very limited resources are being spent on police. I am intent on seeing that every vandal who was caught gets prosecuted to the full extent possible.
Our City government did step up right away to help the damaged businesses. Our economic development department will help cover some of the cost of repairs that are not covered by insurance. Also, some auto repair and glass shops are giving discounts to people whose car windows were smashed. If any of you want to contribute to help out some of the people who cars were completely burned, please contact me.
Also the Mayor’s Office held a meeting today with downtown businesses, large and small, to come up with a short term security plan. The City will be hiring a private security company to augment the police force for 60 to 90 days in downtown. You can read the details here. The Mayor and City Council will also be working with downtown stakeholders to coordinate sending a very different message to the media—one of a community coming together to support each other, and maintaining peace in our downtown.
Other Challenges
Though not receiving as much press, the City’s continuing financial shortfalls are bad news for Oakland. It will certainly mean further cuts in City jobs and City services. The City Council held its first budget workshop last week to review financial projections and begin planning for next fiscal year. Once again we are looking at a huge deficit, at least $50 million. The decisions we will have to make are going to be very difficult, and City leaders want the public to be informed and weigh in on the options. At least three community meetings on the topic of the City budget will be held the next few months and will be widely announced. I will also be writing in more depth on budget issues in upcoming E-News editions. Go here for the excellent new budget report.
Looking on the bright side
The short term outlook for Oakland is troubled, but it won’t last forever. I think we are in for a difficult two to three years in the general economy, and a year or two past that for shortfalls in the City budget. As discouraging as things look right now, I am certain that Oakland will not only survive, but flourish in the long run. We are a resilient community, and we’ve survived a lot of other difficulties. We’ve made progress economically in the past four years, and there are many people who’ve invested here who are committed to Oakland’s long-term future and plan to stick around, as do those of us who have lived here a long time. The national economy will come back in a few years, and when it does, Oakland’s economy will take off due to its inherent positives: location, weather and cultural vibrancy. Our nation also will have a much more enlightened federal administration, which will be a great help to urban areas like Oakland as well.
The next couple of years are going to be tough, but I do believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there, folks! There is still so much going on here that is positive -- we need to keep it alive. I know that I will work hard to get our City bureaucracy shaped up so that we are getting the best use of the resources we've got. Best wishes to all, and be kind to each other.
Sidewalk
Liability Issue Deferred until Council meeting of February 3
Last month the Council’s Public Works Committee heard a proposal from City staff to pass an ordinance that would make property owners jointly liable along with the City for damages occurring due to unsafe conditions on sidewalks. The issue will be considered by the City Council on February 3.
To understand this issue more fully, I encourage you to read the City Attorney’s staff report; go here. There will also be a further staff report coming out on January 23, which will be available on the City Clerk’s agenda website. I will attempt to describe the issue briefly here.
Maintenance responsibility. Quite a few residents had written me with concerns about this proposal, and many of them assumed that the City was responsible under current law for maintaining sidewalks. Actually, not so. Since 1911 it has been the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the sidewalk on their property according to State law (California Streets and Highways Code Section 5610). Only if a sidewalk defect is caused by the City, such as by tree roots of an official City street tree, is it the City’s responsibility to repair the sidewalk.
Liability for injuries. If someone is injured in a fall due to damage by a City street tree or other City cause, the City would continue to be liable for that damage even under the new ordinance. But if the damage is solely or in part caused by a defect for which the City had no responsibility, then the adjacent property owner would be liable for their share of the damages proportionate to their fault under the ordinance. (Please don’t take this as legal advice — I’m doing my best to summarize, but consider it a layperson’s perspective.)
This proposed Ordinance is modeled after similar ordinances already in place in most California cities. Many of our surrounding cities have passed this ordinance in the past four years. The Supreme Court case that stimulated the ordinances is Gonzalez v. San Jose and is discussed in the City Attorney’s report. I hesitate to try to summarize the holding, but very generally it said that the liability of the property owner for injuries on a sidewalk on their property must be explicitly stated in an ordinance in order to be imposed.
Many people who wrote me were concerned that the possibility of homeowner liability would cause a spate of lawsuits and it would cause homeowner insurance rates to go up. Our City litigators pointed out however, that when someone is injured on a sidewalk, they already name the property owner as a defendant as well as the City. Also, in informal checking with other cities, the concerns expressed have not materialized. (You may want to do some checking yourself.) Just to put all this in perspective, the average amount that the City pays out in settlements each year for sidewalk injuries is $260,000 total. (Some residents assumed it was millions). We have asked the City Attorney to tell us how much of that is due to street trees and how much is not.
The Council Committee asked for further information from our Public Works Agency (PWA), which will be available in the upcoming staff report available on January 23. One of our main concerns is that PWA does not currently do a good enough job of informing property owners of what their responsibility is to keep their sidewalk in a safe condition. As I further consider this proposal, I will keep in mind what I think is fair treatment of property owners while finding the most economical ways of repairing sidewalks in our city.
Your help is greatly needed to stem the tide of truancy in Oakland. Beleaguered school clerks are often responsible for determining attendance as well as performing many other duties, all with constant interruptions. Because of that, calls to parents to follow up on student absences are often not made.
If you have a daytime hour or two a week, you can provide invaluable help to a school clerk by making calls to truants’ parents. Volunteers will be trained and assigned to a convenient school. A child back in school has great results:
1. The opportunity for the student to learn,
2. Less likelihood of the student getting hurt or into trouble in the streets, and
3. Increased income for the school, which is based on average daily attendance
OUSD would like to have one volunteer for each day of the week for each school. Please share this email with someone you know who would be a trustworthy volunteer with daytime free hours.
It takes a village.....
For more information, and/or to volunteer, please contact Angela Haick, 510.879.1958 or email here.
JLAC Announces Spring Introductory Single-Sculling Classes
Learn to single-scull, just like they do at Harvard, Yale and UC Berkeley! This spring, the Jack London Aquatic Center (JLAC) will offer introductory single-sculling classes for adults on the tranquil waters of the Oakland Estuary. During two-day Saturday-Sunday classes, JLAC instructors will teach the basics of water safety and the skills of single-sculling. Classes are limited to four students; students must be able to swim.
The JLAC is located in Oakland’s Estuary Park, on the Embarcadero, between Oak Street and Fifth Avenue.
Cost is $100 per student, for each two-day class. Spring 2009 class dates are: January 10-11; January 31-February 1; May 16-17; June 20-21. For more information or to enroll, go here, or contact JLAC Director of Rowing DeDe Birch at 510.208.6060 ext.3.
Updates on Lakeshore Ave and Lakeside Drive Measure DD Projects
I’ve received inquiries about the path at Lake Merritt’s edge next to Lakeshore Avenue. Those of you who walk or run around the lake have noticed that the path is closed off while Measure DD improvements are being made. The concrete curb and retaining wall work underway now should be finished in a couple of weeks, weather permitting. The path surface placement would normally follow next, and should take perhaps two weeks. The work is very dependent upon the weather. If it starts raining, all bets are off. It’s possible that the path could re-open in a couple of months, weather permitting. When the lakeside path re-opens, then the contractor will close the sidewalk along the street to build a multi-use path and make other improvements on the street edge of the park.
I’ve also gotten questions about the status of the Municipal Boat House. The Measure DD renovation of the basic building is essentially complete, and the exterior looks wonderful. Currently, the restaurateur is installing the kitchen and making other improvements, aiming to open for business as the Lake Chalet as early as this Spring. The landscape contractor is to begin street work on Lakeside Drive between 14th St. and 17th St. this week, beginning with installing temporary K-rail to close off the right two lanes, and leaving a 5-foot pedestrian path behind the K-rail and two open travel lanes for cars. Parking on the west side of Lakeside will remain undisturbed; parking on the east side in front of the Municipal Boathouse will be eliminated until the parking aisle and other site work are complete. The landscaping and consolidated parking lot work will wrap up in time for the restaurant’s opening.
Youth Grants 4 Youth Action: What Would You Do With $5,000?
YG4YA gives $300 - $5,000 FREE to youth groups which want to create community projects.
* * Application deadline: Feb. 2, 2009 * *
Who can apply?
- under 21 years old
- 3 or more people per group
- Oakland-basedTypes of projects: sports, art, business, environmental, educational, and many more
For info, contact Peggy, Emmanuel, or Jessica at (510) 777-9909 or email here.
Become a Volunteer Docent at the Oakland Museum of California
The Oakland Museum of California is looking for enthusiastic Oakland residents to train as docent volunteers in anticipation of the reopening of the exciting new History and Art galleries. Docents will be essential to the operation of the revitalized museum, offering tours to schoolchildren on weekdays and families and adults on weekends.
The Museum staff will be training volunteers to serve as docents in both the new Art gallery and the new History gallery. Go here for a flyer. Here is the information in a nutshell:
• Training for History docents begins February 17, 2009 and continues on Tuesday afternoons through March 2010, with a three-month break over the summer. History docents are required to take a California history course at a local college concurrent with their museum training. The application deadline is February 1, 2009.
• Art docent training begins in May 2009, and continues through March 2010. Classes meet once a week for three hours, with a three-month break over the summer. The application deadline is April 15, 2009.
• There is a $150 fee for either of these trainings; scholarships are available. For an application please call the Docent Center at 510.238.3514, or email here.
• An Open House for potential docents will be held during the museum's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr celebration on Sunday, January 18, at 1:00 pm. Guests will meet current History and Art docents, and enjoy a docent-led tour of our exhibition The Art and History of Early California. Please contact the Docent Center at (510) 238-3514 to RSVP.
Wish List of Items for
Teen Families
East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC), a non-profit organization based in District 2, provides valuable services for Oakland residents, and works with many students and teens in Oakland Public Schools as well as neighborhood youth. EBAYC's Street Team Counseling Unit, a Measure Y-sponsored program, works specifically with high-risk teens, some of whom are teen parents. Below is EBAYC's wish list of items they would like to provide to the teen families. If you can provide any items, including gently used ones, EBAYC will work to get them to the teen families in need. Please contact Peter Kim here or 510.533.1092, ext. 33 beforehand to make arrangements for drop off at EBAYC's office at 2025 E. 12th St.
Wish List: boxes of diapers, car seats, cribs, changing tables, walkers, strollers, clothes, baby dresser drawers, bumpies. baby slings, bottles, breast pumps, formula, nursing bras, baby bath tubs, high chairs and quilts.
Sausal Creek Homes are NOW on sale. Apply before March 15th and receive up to $25,000 in downpayment assistance and closing costs. Additional downpayment assistance may be available. Currently two and three bedrooms are still available. Contact: Victor Jin (510) 523-1115 OR Sausal Creek Homes Hotline (510) 287-5472 to come view the homes. Check out the homes here. Click here and here for the flyers.