On June 19, 2006, Councilmember Pat Kernighan announced a community benefits agreement between the Oak to 9th Community Benefits Coalition, Signature Properties, and the City of Oakland.

Important Meetings This Month

Public Hearings on Proposed Sale of School District property at Second Avenue. This is a very important issue - Please consider attending one or more of these hearings.

6:00 pm, Wednesday, July 12, 2006
6:00 pm, Wednesday, August 16, 2006
6:00 pm, Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Location: Board Room, Paul Robeson Building, 1025 Second Avenue

The State Administrator in charge of the Oakland Unified School District has entered into a Letter of Intent with a New York housing developer to sell 8.25 acres of school district land that currently houses the old administration building, La Escuelita School, Met West High School, and several other buildings. The land is located on both sides of 2nd Avenue between E. 12th and E. 10th Streets.

This is an extremely important issue for anyone concerned about the long-term health of the Oakland schools as well as for those living in the vicinity of the property. The School District is holding three hearings this summer on the question of whether the proposed sale will be a benefit to the school district. I urge you to attend at least one of the hearings, learn more about the proposal, and speak your views.

A crucial first issue is whether the land will be needed in the future to house schools. If the District sells all the land now, it could be in worse shape down the road when it needs to find sites for new schools. The Letter of Intent contains two alternatives: 1)sell all 8.25 acres, or 2) retain the southern portion which hosts La Escuelita Elementary and Met West High School, but sell the rest for housing development.

The sale of the land is being considered as a way of paying off the $65 million loan owed by OUSD. However, the sale price will vary depending on how many housing units are eventually permitted. The maximum proposed selling price is $55 million paid over 5 years, assuming that 1,000 units of housing are built. The 1,000 units would be built in 4 very tall towers, if all 8.25 acres are sold.

Even if OUSD decides to go through with the sale the property, the developer will still have to seek approval to build on it from the City of Oakland. Given a project of this magnitude, this land use process could be lengthy and would involve a comprehensive EIR. I will make sure that any planning process offers substantial and meaningful opportunity for public input. The developer is proposing much more density than the property is currently zoned for. It also borders the Lake Merritt Channel, which raises environmental issues.

I will participate in these important School District hearings and I encourage all neighbors of the area and all parents interested in our public schools to participate also.

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July 10th Community Meeting on the Abandoned Construction Project (big excavation) at 601 MacArthur Blvd.

I have invited staff from the Community Economic Development Agency to join me in meeting with the community regarding the excavation and construction site at 601 MacArthur (corner of Wesley). The builder has abandoned the project, and we will be discussing the options to make sure the site does not remain in its current condition. The meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, July 10th, 7-8:30 pm at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 498 Wesley Ave. You are invited to come and learn more.

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July 12th PRAC to Consider Lakeview Dog Park

During the planning for Splashpad Park in 2002, a recommendation was made to create a dog park on the other side of the freeway, in the field near Astro Park, which abuts Lakeview Library. Oakland Dog Owners Group (ODOG) has developed a plan for a dog park, which is proposed to be located along MacArthur Boulevard between Grand and Lakeshore Avenues. The plan encompasses an 18,500 square foot, fenced off area, a small portion of which would be available for small dogs only.

Councilmember Nancy Nadel (in whose district the proposed Lakeview Dog Park would be located) has hosted meetings to gather community comments. Since this field is also used heavily by constituents of District 2, I want to make sure that you all have an opportunity to comment on what is proposed. I have already heard from quite a few of you on both sides of the issue of whether this is the right location for a dog park.

The plan will go before the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission for its consideration at its Wednesday, July 12th meeting, 4:30 pm in the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Avenue. Then the plan will go before a Council Committee on September 12 and to the City Council on September 19. You can see the plans for the dog park here. If you want to be heard on the topic, please send your comments to Marisa Arrona, Policy Aide to Nancy Nadel, at ArronaM@oaklandnet.comand/or to ODOG’s Nancy Rieser at gofindnancy@yahoo.com. Please also copy my aide Jennie Gerard at jgerard@oaklandnet.com.

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July 13th – Council’s Rules Committee to Consider Instant Runoff Voting, 10:30AM, in City Council Chambers, Third floor, City Hall

Two weeks ago, Councilmember Nadel and I were successful in persuading the Rules Committee to schedule a hearing on the merits of Instant Runoff Voting. In conjunction with the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, Fairvote.org and several other organizations, we are proposing that the City Council put a measure on the November ballot allowing Oakland voters to decide whether they want to implement Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for City elections.

IRV is also called Ranked Choice Voting. It allows voters to rank the candidates in order of preference, so that if no candidate gets over 50% in the first count, then the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and the second choice of those ballots is counted. This goes on until one candidate gets over 50%. This method eliminates the need for run-off elections, saving money for the City and relieving candidates of having to raise money for two elections. Initially, there will be significant voter education costs, but over the long run will save a lot of money be eliminating the June primary for City offices.

In November 2000 Oakland voters approved Measure I which provided that alternative legal voting methods such as instant runoff voting (IRV) would be used to the greatest extent feasible in order to increase voter participation. In January 2002 an Elections Task Force, on which I participated, submitted a report recommending in part that the Spring nominating elections with their notoriously low turnouts be eliminated by consolidating all municipal office elections into the November general election and by implementing IRV. In June 2006 Alameda County, which conducts the City’s nominating and general elections, approved a contract for voting machines and software that can support IRV beginning in November 2007. In order to implement IRV for Oakland elections, a Charter Amendment must be passed by the voters.

For a long time I’ve viewed Instant Runoff Voting as an important step in increasing the number of voters who participate in making the important decisions about who represents us. Thus, I am delighted that the County finally is in a position to support IRV in Oakland. The report on IRV which is going to the Rules Committee on July 13 can be viewed at: http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/14030.pdf..

The Council’s Rules and Regulations Committee will discuss Instant Runoff Voting and will decide whether to forward the matter to the City Council at its July 18th meeting. The Council must vote before the Summer Recess in order for IRV to go before voters in November. The Rules Committee meeting will start on or shortly after 10:00 am on Thursday, July 13th. For more information on Instant Runoff Voting, please go to http://www.OaklandIRV.org.

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Reports

Recent Controversy over Implementation of Community Policing and Commitment to Measure Y

I am a very strong proponent of community policing, having worked closely with our Lieutenant and Problem-Solving Officers for several years, and having seen first hand how effective this mode of policing is. Consequently, I am concerned that a recent decision of the City Administration to redeploy our Problem-Solving Officers (PSO's) to patrol one day a week will undermine the whole concept of community policing.

This issue came before the Public Safety Committee of the City Council in June. Residents from Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils all over the City attended the hearing to speak in opposition to the use of PSO's for patrol. I was impressed by the unanimity of the community in endorsing the effectiveness of the community policing work done by our Problem-Solving Officers. Regardless of neighborhood, income, race or age, they all spoke with a single voice on this issue: Do not reduce the time that our PSO's can devote to community policing.

The Public Safety Committee referred the issue for further discussions among the Police Chief, the Community Policing Advisory Board (CPAB) and the Measure Y Oversight Committee. However, because I believe that this issue is squarely one of policy, and the City Council is the policy-making body in Oakland, I have pulled the issue from Committee to the agenda of the full City Council for discussion on July 18th.

The City Council formally declared its policy in favor of community policing in 1996 via Resolution 72727, which also defines what community policing shall consist of. The voters further endorsed community policing when they approved Measure Y in 2004 – Measure Y provides funding for a beat officer in every one of Oakland’s 57 beats. Eighteen months later OPD is struggling to hire and train officers fast enough to fill those positions as well as vacant patrol positions. Of the ten beats in District 2, only two – Chinatown and Grandlake – now have beat officers. OPD reassigned our walking officer in the Eastlake to other duties last year. District 2 also has two Problem-Solving Officers, who do great work under the direction of our area Lieutenant. These are the only officers in District 2 doing exclusively community policing.

I well recognize the critical need for more patrol officers as well. The Oakland Police Department is working hard to recruit officers both for Measure Y and patrol positions. The Chief's decision to redeploy Problem-Solving Officers one day a week to patrol is a way of addressing the shortage of police officers who can respond to emergencies. I recognize that OPD patrol is shorthanded, but this is not the way to solve the problem. I am insisting that the PSO's not be routinely assigned to patrol. No other specialized division of OPD is being asked to give a day a week to patrol. I support the Community Policing Advisory Board’s position that we should not lose ground. If you have an opinion on this subject, please come to the City Council meeting on July 18th or e-mail me with your thoughts at pkernighan@oaklandnet.com

For the latest update on where OPD is in filling the positions funded by Measure Y, go here:

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Oak to Ninth Mixed Use Development Project Approved

After much debate and over a year of negotiations among many parties, including the City, the developer, and numerous community organizations, the City Council approved an amended version of the Oak to Ninth Mixed Use Development project on June 20th. The final documents will come before the City Council on July 18th for final approval. Six Council members voted for the project, including myself and Nancy Nadel, in whose districts the project lies. Desley Brooks and Jean Quan abstained. (Ms. Quan actually was in favor of the project, but abstained in order to register her disagreement that it did not include a new school.)

Please note that the Oak to Ninth approval was solely a land use approval and did not include sale of any City land. The land is owned by the Port of Oakland, which previously made the decision to sell it to Signature Properties, the developer. Some opponents of the project have erroneously stated that the developer is receiving a “deep city subsidy.” Fact: There is no City subsidy whatsoever for the Oak to Ninth project or developer. Quite the opposite, the developer has agreed to provide millions of dollars worth of community benefits in exchange for the right to build on the land.

I studied the pros and cons of this proposal for a year, engaged in many discussions with community members advocating on the issues, read hundreds of e-mail messages from residents, and lead negotiations on the issue of affordable housing among the Oak-to-Ninth Community Coalition, the developer and the Redevelopment Agency. Since this project is located mostly in District 2, I took special responsibility to see that it is a project that will benefit all of Oakland and address the several special issues raised by various constituencies in the city.

Here are some of the key points:

Clean-up of contaminated industrial area – The Oak to Ninth area is primarily old industrial and port area, which currently blocks public access to the waterfront. Though I’ve heard pleas not to “wall off our waterfront,” I wonder if the people saying this have actually tried to go to the site. Right now there is almost no public access at all at Oak to Ninth --our waterfront is mostly walled off already by old industrial and warehousing buildings. The great benefit of this project is that the site will be cleaned up and new waterfront parks and trails will be created at the developer’s expense. Our Measure DD funds are a fraction of what it would take to clean up and build out all the parks envisioned for the entire area. The City has $18 million in Measure DD funds allocated to the Oak to Ninth area. We will use the DD funds as intended for Estuary Park and other trail improvements, but without the developer’s much larger contribution, the rest of the parks would be several decades away, if at all.

Parks – 50% of the Oak to Ninth area will be parks and open space for the use of the general public. The end result is 32.5 acres of open space out of the total project area of 65 acres. The Council removed the proposed housing on the west side of the Channel and is reserving that entire area to expand Estuary Park to nearly 9 acres. The City will get that land at no cost, the developer will pay for the toxic remediation of that site, and Measure DD funds will be used to build out Estuary Park. All the remaining parks and public space in the project will be built and maintained in perpetuity by the developer. The parks will be built in phases along with each phase of the adjacent housing.

The Bay Trail – will be built out by the developer for the full length of the project. A temporary trail for the full length will be built in Phase I, until the permanent trail is built in succeeding phases.

Market-rate housing built according to Smart Growth principles – The City and developer entered into a 20-year Development Agreement that sets forth the site plan and design guidelines for the whole project, which will be built in phases over 20 years. A total of 3,100 units are permitted, 2,635 of which are market rate housing, to be built in a mix of building heights. The project was endorsed by the Greenbelt Alliance and other environmentalists for being the kind of well-designed, dense housing that should be created in urban areas, rather than suburban sprawl on agricultural and wild lands. Several view corridors from Embarcadero to the Estuary are part of the design. Several new modes of public transit are part of the plan, including a shuttle to the nearby Lake Merritt BART station.

Affordable Housing – 465 units of affordable housing will be built on site. Of those units, 75% will be for families earning between $25,000 to $50,000 a year and 25% will be for low-income seniors. This is a much deeper level of affordability than required by State Redevelopment law. It is also a special achievement in that vacant land is scarce in the surrounding neighborhoods and there are few sites available on which to build affordable housing. The affordable units will be funded by a combination of developer contribution, Redevelopment taxes generated by the market rate housing in the project (25% of which are required by law to be used for affordable housing), and State housing funds and tax credits. I am proud to have partnered with the Oak to Ninth Community Coalition to negotiate for a Cooperation Agreement which guarantees this affordable housing will be built as agreed. The Coalition represents hundreds of low-income families in the San Antonio and Eastlake and 16 community-based organizations, including Oakland Community Organizations (OCO), Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) and the Urban Strategies Council. The Coalition invested over two years negotiating for the community benefits contained in the Development Agreement.

Jobs and Job -Training. The Community Coalition also reached agreement with the developer to hire 300 Oakland residents who are new to the construction industry and put them into the apprenticeship programs to train them for a lifetime of well-paid work. This is about 25 – 35% of the apprenticeships created by this project. The project is endorsed by the Labor Council because of the hundreds of union construction jobs it will provide.

Potential to Save and Re-Use the 1920’s half of the Ninth Avenue Terminal. Historic preservation advocates wanted to save as much as possible of the huge old maritime warehouse building known as the Ninth Avenue Terminal. The developer’s studies showed it was not economically feasible. Just to make sure we were not missing some hidden opportunity to save and reuse the Terminal building for public use, I moved to put out an RFP to solicit a private investor who would take on the financial responsibility to restore and operate part of the building for public use. The RFP will go out on September 15 and responses are tentatively due February 15, 2007. If no responsible proposals come forward, the developer is required to save and restore 20,000 square feet of the Terminal, which will be used for things like cafes, bike rentals, and a small maritime museum. It also could open up to the new park as part of the venue for concerts or other large public gatherings.

New Waterfront Destination. In sum, the new project will create a lively new destination on Oakland’s waterfront that includes parks, marinas, restaurants, small retail and outdoor activities and continuation of the Bay Trail. The end result will take some years to realize, as the project is so large, but my hope is that in 15 years the completed project will be a beautifully designed urban waterfront that we all can use and be proud of.

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Lakeshore Albertsons: Drugstore Averted for Now!

I have been soliciting community input on the future of the vacant Albertsons over the past six months and held two community meetings on the subject. Close to a thousand people have shared their opinions, either through my website survey or direct e-mail. The nearly unanimous consensus is that the community wants a quality food store at the old Albertsons site.

I have shared that information numerous times with the company who bought the Albertsons lease. Consequently, when the company told me a couple of weeks ago that they were preparing to lease the site to a drug store, I knew the community voice had to be heard more directly. So, on June 18th I sent a blast e-mail to the subscribers to my E-news alerting you to the proposed lease to a drug store and asking you to send your opinions directly to Sansome Pacific, the new lease-owner. By noon the next day, Sansome Pacific had received e-mail letters from over 200 of you! Many of you copied me on the letters—they were powerful and eloquent. Your letters had the desired effect, at least temporarily. Instead of proceeding directly with the drug store lease, Sansome is now re-exploring possibilities for a food store. We have since found out that Walgreens is the drug store under consideration for the site. If you would like to share your opinion of Walgreens moving to the site, please contact them at their corporate headquarters at (847) 914-2500 or email them here.

Though it seems like a no-brainer to lease to a food store, given the neighborhood sentiment, it is actually a very difficult situation economically. Despite the recognition by grocery store companies that the Lakeshore neighborhood is a very desirable location, the lease terms at the Albertsons site are a huge obstacle. As I have explained in previous newsletters, Sansome Pacific has not yet found a way to make it economically feasible for themselves to lease to a food store. The lease that they purchased from Albertsons, written 25 years ago, contains a rent formula that is disadvantageous to high volume tenants such as grocery stores. The rent is calculated as a percentage of the gross sales volume of the tenant. Thus, a high sales volume tenant, such as a Trader Joe's, would trigger a very high rent payment due from Sansome Pacific to the land-owner. On top of that amount, Sansome Pacific would have to charge its sub-tenant even more in order to make a profit. That scenario does not make economic sense for Sansome Pacific or for Trader Joe's. In contrast, SP could make a good profit by putting in a low sales volume store such as a drug store. Hence the difficulty in getting them to rent to a food store. By focusing more community pressure on Sansome Pacific I am hopeful that they will be more willing to consider other creative options or agree to participate in mediated conversations with the landowners.

I also held an emergency community meeting on June 22nd to discuss this situation. About 40 people, including some economists and retail professionals, joined me to try to figure out some strategies to achieve our objective. Everyone agreed there is no easy fix, but we did come up with several strategies, which I am pursuing (but which I don't want to put in print here).

In summary, the community pressure was successful: your e-mail messages to the leaseholder have successfully forestalled a drug store for the time being. Great work, people! I will continue to work with you to get the quality food store you deserve.

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Seton Senior Center saved!

Councilmember Kernighan announces plans to save Seton Senior Center

Since assuming office, I have been working with non-profit service providers and community organizations to ensure that our senior community continues to flourish. Recently, I have advocated for City funding to support senior services at the Seton Senior Center, the only center in Alameda County devoted to serving Vietnamese-American seniors. I am pleased to announce that I have secured a grant of $80,000, which will ensure that the Seton Senior Center will continue providing services. The Center was in need of immediate financial support to continue its operations, as support from its principal funder, the Daughters of Charity, had come to an end. It continues to receive partial funding from Alameda County and private contributions.

Located on 2nd Avenue and Foothill just east of Lake Merritt, the Seton Senior Center promotes the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the seniors, most of whom do not speak English and who are otherwise socially isolated. The Center provides a warm, welcoming place for seniors to socialize, eat and remain connected to their cultural community.

This month the Center is saying good-bye to its much beloved director, Sister Maria Nguyen, its founder, who has served as Executive Director for the past 8 years. The Center has recruited several energetic new board members who will help raise funds and direct its work. Anyone who is interested in supporting the work of the Center can contact setonsc@sbcglobal.net or (510) 663 4681.

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District 2 School News

While working with parents and faculty at several District 2 schools, I have become aware of construction and safety improvements necessary to make those schools more accessible and safer for their students and I am happy to announce the following actions.

During this summer at Cleveland Elementary School, 745 Cleveland Ave, the school will have a new roof installed. Currently contractors are removing the top layer of the existing roofing, repairing the substructure and installing new roofing to stop future leaks. After the new roof is finished, the complete playground will be repaved this summer. Parents and faculty have long complained about the cracks and areas of uneven surface of the current playground, which makes for accidents during recess and lunch time outdoor play. This new roofing and repaving are long overdue and I am happy to report that the Oakland Unified School District is finally addressing these problems. The Cleveland play yard is also in need of a play structure and other improvements. I will continue to work with the parents toward those goals.

Previously, my office worked with concerned Cleveland parents to improve student safety by changing the dedicated location of the school bus loading area. This enabled an improved and enlarged area for the parent-directed “valet” drop-off and pick-up service, thereby improving traffic flow during busy school hours.

Councilmember Kernighan and local parents address pedestrian safety at Garfield Elementary School.

Garfield Elementary School, at 1640-22nd Ave, faces major pedestrian safety challenges, as it is bordered by Foothill Blvd. where a large volume of cars speed by. I have been working with parents, faculty, East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) and District 2 School Board member David Kakishiba on making the surrounding intersections safer for children to cross. Over a year ago, we applied for Safe Routes to School funding. We’ve just learned that Oakland will receive a total of $385,000 for pedestrian safety improvements at four schools. Garfield is one of them. Sidewalk bulb-outs will be installed at two very busy intersections at the corners of the school, 22rd Avenue/Foothill Blvd. and 23rd Avenue /Foothill Blvd. The bulb-outs will increase the visibility of pedestrians waiting to cross and reduce the distance they have to cross. Additionally, on 22nd Ave and Foothill, I have allocated $8000 of my capital improvement discretionary funds for new countdown pedestrian signals to be installed. The countdown signals will show children how much time remains to cross the street. Teachers will work with students to teach safer crossing techniques. By using the countdown signals, students will learn to judge whether there is enough time to cross the street safely.

Garfield School is also nearing the end of a major renovation of its building funded by one of the District's past capital improvement bond measures. Hopefully by next year all classes will move from the portables back to the main building. The play yard at Garfield is still in need of major improvement.

Last summer and fall OUSD completed a $2.5 million modernization project at Crocker Highlands Elementary School, 525 Midcrest Road. The project included classroom renovations, electrical and plumbing upgrades and replacements, renovation of the multipurpose room, painting of interior and exterior buildings and a variety of other safety updates. OUSD also worked with the Crocker Highlands PTA to complete a jointly-funded renovation of both play structures and play area surfacing. However, neither project included the renovation of the school playground or courtyard. The hope with the playground is to create new student lunch areas, update existing play equipment, and to create a better flow and transition from school to playground. With the courtyard they hope to provide a safe outdoor environmental classroom or learning area, develop a lunch area for teachers and staff, and increase the safety and beauty of the school grounds.

I am pleased to say my office will be partnering with the Crocker Highlands PTA, OUSD, and Golden Associates in order to complete the playground renovation and the courtyard renovation, hopefully by the opening of school in September. A big thank you goes to Golden Associates who is volunteering landscape architecture and design services.

I would like to thank all the many volunteers, staff, Principal Clara Roberts, and particularly project manager, Gordon Piper, for the beautiful landscaping improvements and gardens at Lakeview Elementary School, 746 Grand Ave, directly across from the Grand Lake Theater. The long neglected hardscape is now transformed into wonderful new teaching gardens and an exterior garden design that is a delight to behold.

Coming in 2007 are more improvements at intersections heavily used by students walking to La Escuelita Elementary School andLincoln Elementary School. With the recently awarded A Safe Routes to School grant, the City will build bulbouts at sidewalks at nearby intersections.

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Re-surfaced Crosswalks at Hotel Oakland Senior Residence

The crosswalks at 13th & Harrison gets a fresh "pave" over!

For the over 300 senior residents living at the Hotel Oakland, 270 13th St., and many other constituents who regularly walk and patronize businesses around the Hotel, crossing the street at 13th & Harrison and 13th & Alice has become safer and less prone to injury. For many years the pedestrian crosswalks at those intersections have been riddled with uneven pavement, ruts, and cracks. Seniors had a very hard time using the crosswalks as their walkers would get stuck in the cracks. I was contacted by the president of the tenant’s council at the Hotel Oakland requesting new paving and street painting for the safety of the residents living there. Due to my persistence, I am happy that the City Public Works Department made this a priority, recently repaving and repainting the pedestrian crosswalks on 13th St at Harrison and Alice St. Seniors and all people using those intersections can now walk with more confidence and safety.

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EVENTS

I wish to share with you various activities happening in District 2. If you would like to include in future issues of my E-news a special event happening in your neighborhood, please send the information to my aide, Kathy Dwyer at kdwyer@oaklandnet.com.

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July 15th, 1 pm -- Musical Conversation with Halau 'o Keikiali'i

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center sponsors events that showcase Asian cultures. Coming soon is a musical conversation with Halau ‘o Keikiali’i, presented in cooperation with the Stern Grove Festival. The Halau ' o Keikiali'I is a traditional Hawaiian Cultural Group based in San Francisco. Since 1994, the Halau's goal has been to educate the general public about the Hawaiian people and their traditions and customs. In addition to offering classes, the Halau performs throughout the year at festivals and events. The event will take place at 1 pm at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center at Ninth and Webster. Admission is free. For more information about OACC’s offerings, go to http://www.oacc.cc/cal.htm.

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2006 Oakland Municipal Band Concerts – July 16th, 23rd, 30th, and August 6th

Come to Lakeside Park, bring your beach chair & picnic, and hear the oldest municipal band west of the Mississippi!

Upcoming concerts will take place on the following Sundays: July 16th, July 23th, July 30th and August 6th. On more concert will be held on August 13th if adequate funds are received. All concerts take place from 1 pm – 3 pm at the Lakeside Park Bandstand. The concerts will offer an array of jazz, contemporary, pop, big band, international, classical, marches and show tunes.

Funding for these concerts comes in part from private donations. You can make a tax deductible contribution by making out a check to Friends of the Municipal Band, and sending it to 1724 Indian Way, Oakland, CA 94611.

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July 19 and 20 – Prescott Circus Theater, 22nd Annual Circus Show “Work It Out”

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of watching these entertaining kids, I suggest you try to attend one of their free summer shows at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice Street, Oakland. See www.prescottcircus.org for more information.

Wednesday, July 19 @ 11:00 am & 1:30 pm
Thursday, July 20 @ 11:00 am & 1:30 pm

Celebration of East Bay Children's Book Project includes Pat with tall buddies Clowns on Stilts from Garfield School.

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August 1st -- National Night Out 2006

Once again I’m inviting you to participate in National Night Out 2006 on August 1st. National Night Out originated as a way for neighbors in crime-challenged neighborhoods to "take back their streets." In Oakland it has expanded to all neighborhoods as a way of building community and getting to know your neighbors.

Everyone is invited to celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm by organizing a barbecue, ice cream social, block party, or similar event. The City of Oakland welcomes the participation of any neighborhood or community group, and encourages you to utilize this event as a way to bring people together and to have fun!

City of Oakland elected officials, police officers, and city employees enjoy visiting National Night Out events as a way to strengthen the ties between residents and the City. This year, every party will receive at least one visit from a team of officials, police officers or city employees, so register early!

To register your party on line, go to the City of Oakland website www.oaklandnet.com, look under “Events” and click on “National Night Out”. Or, contact Brenda Ivey at 238-3091. The deadline to register is 5:00 pm on Friday, July 21st. Only registered groups will be eligible for a visit! If you call, please provide the following information:
• Name, address and contact information of host(s)
• Specific location and nearest cross street of your outdoor event
• Approximate number of adults and children who will be attending
• Approximate start and end time of your event
• If you plan to block off your street, please note that you will NOT need to obtain a block party permit this year or complete a petition but you do need to let the City know by July 21st.
• Download a copy of the City of Oakland’s National Night Out’s Block Party Guide here:

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48 events in 31 days... Join us in celebrating National Recreation and Parks Month!

July has been designated the National Recreation & Parks Month, and Oakland’s Office of Parks & Recreation will be offering a number of open houses, free swimming, special events and celebrations at parks and recreation centers throughout the city, for a total of 48 events in 31 days! Check out www.oaklandnet.com/parks for a complete schedule.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Kevin Liao Joins My Staff

Kevin Liao has joined the District 2 Council staff as Legislative Aide. In his previous life, Kevin worked as a patent attorney for Bay Area law firms. Currently, he is focused on public safety, pedestrian safety, urban planning, and parks and recreation issues in the Chinatown, Eastlake, and San Antonio neighborhoods. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys volunteering for local and national political campaigns, catching up on current events and political/historical non-fiction, training at the gym, playing the electric guitar and tending to his better half. Kevin lives in the Eastlake area and speaks fluent Mandarin. He can be reached at (510) 238-7022 or kliao@oaklandnet.com.

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Bringing Books to Children Who Need Them

We’ve all read the results of studies on the importance of children developing reading skills in order to get ahead. The Children’s Book Project East Bay was created in order to get new or gently used books, free of charge, into the hands of professionals who work with children in need of books. Under the leadership of Ann Katz, the Book Project East Bay was launched a year ago to bring to Oakland the successful model that has worked in San Francisco. She and other volunteers already have collected donations of books and distributed more than 35,000 books to teachers, social workers, day care centers and others! Some of the bigger clients are pediatric clinics, including Children's Hospital Oakland, Clinica de la Raza, East Bay Pediatric, Siva Clinic and Tiburcio Vasquez Clinic. Oakland Housing Authority also has selected books for its residents.

If you have books appropriate for children up to the age of 18 that you would like to donate, please contact 238-2301 to drop off books or arrange for a pickup. The Grandlake Neighborhood Center located at 530 Lake Park Way, home to the Book Project, is open every day 9 am to 5 pm, and open for book selection Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 pm to 6 pm.

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Please email Councilmember Kernighan at pkernighan@oaklandnet.com if you have any questions or comments aobut this edition of E-News. Thanks!