Walter Hood, Landscape Architect who designed Splash Pad Park, has been
selected by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum as the 2009 winner
of their National Design Award for Landscape Design. See story below.
(photo courtesy of Marion Brenner)
REPORTS
"To Charge" or "Not to Charge" for Parking at the Lakeshore Avenue Garage?
CITY BUDGET: Libraries, CORE Training and more
The Oakland Open: A Public Art Opportunity
Waterfront History Map: A Nifty Resource on the History of the Oakland’s Waterfront Just Got More UsefulOakland Public Library’s Summer Passport Program Encourages Teens to Get Out to Bay Area Hot Spots
National Night Out Registration Begins
EVENTS
Oakland Museum: African Presence in Mexico
Come see the work of photographer Tony Gleaton and learn about his experiences traveling throughout Latin American in search of the African Diaspora. Click here for more info.
Saturday,
June 6: Second Annual Summer Splash Open House at the Jack London Aquatic
Center
115 Embarcadero – 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm.
This is a great opportunity to check out kayaking, rowing and dragon-boating activities. For more information about the open house and JLAC's youth and adult programming this summer, go here, or call the JLAC at (510) 208-6060.
Sunday, June 7: 50th Anniversary Jubilee at the Marsha J. Corprew Memorial
Garden Center and Gardens at Lake Merritt
Sponsored by the Oakland-East Bay Garden Center, Inc. and the Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt, along with the Office of Oakland Parks and Recreation. Located in the heart of Lakeside Park at 666 Bellevue.
Join the Celebration featuring music, gardening demonstrations, art, children’s activities, food and fun. Go here for a schedule of events. Visit seven acres of specialized gardens. Go here for layout of the gardens. Don’t miss the unique Bonsai Garden (one of the finest open air collections in the US) and the Sensory Garden, recently renovated by dedicated volunteers of the East Bay Garden Society. Go here for more on the Gardens at Lake Merritt adjacent to the Garden Center. Featured music will include Pacific Boys Choir, noted Shakahachi (Japanese flute) performer and teacher Masayuki Koga, a Renaissance woodwinds group, folk artists, jazz groups, and a children’s violin group.
Thursday, June 11: Downtown Business Safety Seminar
What: FREE - Learn about Downtown public safety improvements, meet yoru police officers and area commadner, learn safety tips, and watch self-defense demonstration
When: 11:45 am to 1 pmWhere: Oakland Convention Center at Marriott, Room 208, 2nd Floor, 1001 Broadway
Sponsored by OPD, Councilmember Kernighan and others. Click here for the brochure.
Thursday, June 18:Uptown Unveiled! A Street Fair
5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
The Uptown District is home to some of Oakland’s grand cultural venues as well as a hot new dining, nightlife and arts scene. Uptown Unveiled!, a free street fair, will offer a glimpse into the hip, happening downtown neighborhood. Centered in and round Telegraph Avenue from 16th Street to West Grand/Broadway, the event will encompass and feature live music on three stages, activities at the famed Fox Oakland Theater, Oakland School for the Arts, Oakland Ice Center and the new Fox Square mini-park in addition to area art galleries, restaurants, shops and nightspots. Also the launch event for Oakland’s two new greater downtown community benefit districts, Uptown Unveiled! is the perfect way for foodies, families, fun-seekers and urban dwellers of all ages to celebrate the start of summer!
Uptown Unveiled! is a great opportunity to visit the recently restored Fox Oakland Theater. Free tours will highlight the lavish interior that blends Indian, Moorish, Medieval and Baghdadian elements into a fantasy setting. Built in 1926, the restored movie palace is now a live performance venue and, along with the Paramount Theatre of the Arts, a major cultural anchor in the Uptown District. Free 30-minute guided walking tours will begin at the Fox at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 and highlight Uptown’s landmarks and vivid architecture before arriving at the Paramount.
Admission to Uptown Unveiled! is free. For more information, visit MeetDowntownOAK.com.
Thursday, June 18: Third Community Workshop to Develop Central Estuary
Plan
6:30 to 9:30 pm, Fruitvale-San Antonio Senior Center, 3301 E. 12th Street, suite 201
This will be the 3rd meeting to discuss the City of Oakland's plan to develop a Specific Plan and environmental document that will help define a common vision for the Oakland Central Estuary. Specifically, the topic for this 3rd meeting will focus on Plan Area existing conditions. This plan will provide a framework to support development and enhancement of the area. It will balance land-use goals with the environmental, economic, quality of life and health-related interests of the community. The plan will build upon previous visioning efforts, including the 1999 Estuary Policy Plan, which was shaped around the community’s desire to see the Estuary become a diverse, multifaceted destination connecting Oakland and the bay.
In addressing access to parks and open space, transit, and other quality of life issues, the Specific Plan will also rely heavily on input and participation from the community. The City of Oakland will be convening several community workshops to gather public input throughout the planning process, and strongly urges you to attend.
For more information, go here.
Saturday, June 20: Vietnamese American Family Festival - all are welcome!
Hosted by Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay (VACCEB)
2:30 pm to 6:00 pm, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th Street, 2nd floor
The festival will feature entertainment, food, demonstrations and exhibits that celebrate the Vietnamese culture. There will also be a health fair designed for the Asian community and activities for children. Admission is free.
While you are here, stick around for the debut of the Chinatown Night Market, hosted by the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, which will take place nearby at the Renaissance Plaza from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.Click here for flyer.
Saturday, June 20 and Every
Saturday Thereafter Through July 25: Chinatown
Night Market at Pacific Renaissance Center
4:00 pm to 9:00 pm, 388 9th Street, 2nd floor, Oakland.
The Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will launch its first ever NIGHT MARKET in Oakland Chinatown in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza on 9th Street between Franklin and Webster Streets. The Oakland Chinatown Night Market will be held on Saturday evenings starting June 20th and will go through July 25th from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The Night Market will feature cooking demonstrations by chefs from local restaurants, food sampling, cultural performances, entertainment, and vendors selling products. Coupons will also be distributed to guests offering discounts at participating Chinatown merchants and businesses.
Click here to see the brochure for more info.
Monday, June 22: Lakeshore Parking Garage Community Meeting
Key question: to charge or not to charge for parking in the future.
7:00 pm to 8:30 p.m., Lakeshore Baptist Church, Barnett Hall (rear of church on left side) at 3534 Lakeshore Avenue. See report below for detail.
Thursday, June 25: Community Meeting to Discuss Partial Use of Open Space
at Park Blvd. and 5th Avenue as a Dog Park
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at The Church of All Faiths, 2100 5th Avenue.
Our office was contacted by members of the community who are interested in using a portion of this city-owned, open space as a sanctioned dog park. We have also been contacted by neighbors who have concerns about this type of usage in the open space. We invite you to attend this discussion to share your point of view on the topic, learn more about areas where dogs are legally permitted to be walked/exercised off-leash and the process to establish such dog areas in the City of Oakland.
Sunday, July 4, 12, 19, 26 and August 2: 98th Season of the Oakland Municipal
Band Free Summer Concerts at the Edoff Memorial Bandstand
Edoff Memorial Bandstand, 666 Bellevue Ave – Bring friends and children, a picnic, blanket, and chairs!
Thursday, July 9: Community
Meeting regarding Upper Broadway Retail Specific Plan
First Presbyterian Church, 2619 Broadway - Meeting room access via 27th St entrance – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
The City is beginning the development of a specific plan for the Broadway Retail Corridor (Broadway from West Grand to I-580) to support the need for destination retail in Oakland. This is the first of seven interactive workshops to discuss plans for the Broadway area. The meeting will be facilitated by lead consultant WRT.
Please attend to become familiar with the specific plan process. You can find additional information here.
REPORTS
"To Charge" or "Not to Charge" for Parking at the
Lakeshore Avenue Garage?
I want to hear from you and other Lakeshore shoppers and merchants about a proposal that the City is considering for the Lakeshore parking garage (next to Trader Joe's). The proposal is for the City to lease the structure to a private entity to operate and maintain it. The main impetus for the idea is to raise the revenue needed to maintain and upgrade the garage. The revenue would be raised charging a fee for parking after a first free hour. Here are the main pros and cons of the idea:
Pros:
1. The parking garage is old, gloomy, and in need of a major upgrade to make it a more pleasant place to park. The City has no money to maintain, repair or do upgrades on the garage.
2. The only feasible way to raise revenue to maintain and upgrade the garage would be to charge for at least some of the parking (for instance, charging $1.50 per hour after a first free hour).
3. If the City leased to a private entity to do the maintenance and management of the garage, that entity would be required to invest at least $300,000 up front in major upgrades and would maintain a clean, well-cared-for faciltiy thereafter.
4. Customers could park longer than the present two hour limit if they paid for the subsequent hours. Advantage: no risk of getting an expensive ticket for an expired meter, as often happens with street parking.
5. Potentially, paid monthly parking for employees and others could be offered on the roof.
Cons:
1. Two hour Parking in the garage is now free. In the new proposal, customers would have to pay after the first free hour of parking.
2. Depending on what method of fee collection was used, there could be inconvenience or traffic delay. (Options could include pay boxes inside, or an entrance and exit "arm").
I held a community meeting on March 23 on this proposal. There was a lively discussion among the 20 people who attended and general consensus that the new arrangement was worth pursuing. However, following the meeting, I heard protests from people who were outraged at the idea of paying for parking and thought my announcement of the meeting had been inadequate in that it did not explicitly say the lease proposal meant charging for parking. Therefore, I am now very explicitly describing the proposal here and asking for your email feedback. I am also holding another Community Meeting on June 22 to hear your comments (see events above for more detail on the meeting).
So far I have heard mixed reactions to the proposal. Some residents and merchants are afraid that charging for parking willl discourage shoppers from coming to Lakeshore Avenue. Others feel that a cleaner, better lit, safer facility with a reliable elevator is worth having to pay for the second and third hours. (Presumably, the lot would be free after 6:00pm, so long as the street meters are free after that hour.) Please let me know what you think about all of this via email.
CITY BUDGET: Libraries, CORE Training and more
The City budget situation is almost too depressing to talk about. Revenue projections for the General Fund keep dropping every week, due to falling property tax and sales tax revenues. The orginal deficit of $83 M is likely to be $95 M or more due to the State raid on local tax revenues. Closer examination of the Mayor and City Administrator's proposed budget revealed that it is not really balanced. $25M of their $83M balancing measures was done by deferring payment for new expenditures to the 2011 - 2012 fiscal year. Now that that issue is well understood by the Council, we believe it is very imprudent to defer current operating costs to future years, and thus we need to make even more cuts than proposed by the Mayor. Our proposals need to be made by the City Council meeting of June 16. Final adoption of the budget is on June 30. All Council meetings are televised on the City's KTOP channel (Cable Channel 10).
You can read a summary of the Mayor's proposal here. There are also more documents about the budget posted on the City's website.
Residents have been very vocal in opposition to several proposed cuts to basic services. Here are my responses to the many emails I've received regarding maintaining library hours and the CORE Emergency training position:
Libraries
The Mayor's budget proposed cutting six branch libraries to two or three days a week. I do not support this and neither do most other Councilmembers. In these hard economic times, people need to have libraries more than ever. The Lakeview branch was one of those proposed for the drastically reduced days of operation. Many people have pointed out that even in the Great Depression libraries remained open. I anticipate that we will have to make some reductions, but not to the extent proposed. I am hoping that we can manage to keep branches open five days a week instead of the current six.
CORE Emergency Training position
The CORE (Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies) training prepares residents to respond to earthquakes and other disasters. The training program is excellent and relies on a "train the trainer" approach. Several weeks ago, it was feared that the City was cutting one of the three positions that trains volunteer trainers. That will NOT be the case. The Fire Chief now confirms that a different position is being shifted to a grant and that all three trainer positions will remain.
Everything Else
Practically all services that the City provides are on the chopping block. While the Council endeavors to identify what are "core" services, it doesn't really solve the problem, as most of what the City does is "core." We need to eliminate $95M in expenditures out of a $495M budget. With Police and Fire Departments amounting to 70% of the General Fund budget, and debt service payments taking up another $41M, you can see the challenge in trying to maintain "core" services.
As a point of information, almost all of the City's Public Works department (streets, infrastructure and maintenance) are paid for out of non-General Funds, such as gas tax, sewer fee, garbage fee, and many grants. Most of those funds are reduced as well, so cuts are being made across Public Works functions, but not as drastically as in the General Fund. The hardest hit part of Public Works is in parks maintenance, because that function is paid for mainly out of the LLAD fund (Lighting and Landscape Assessment District). The LLADis a flat assessment that has not kept up with inflation. In October we cut about 45 parks maintenance positions, and sadly, now we will need to cut many more.
Sorry for the all the bad news. I'm doing my best to identify non-essential positions for elimination before cutting essential services.
The Oakland Open: A Public Art Opportunity
DEADLINE: JUNE 29, 2009A unique opportunity for Oakland-based artists, Oakland Open Proposals invites artists and local communities to collaborate on the creation of temporary and permanent public art projects throughout all the neighborhoods of Oakland. Through Open Proposals, the City's Public Art Program seeks projects that relate specifically to Oakland and to the history and natural environment of Oakland’s neighborhoods. Projects should involve a community organization or neighborhood group. While projects must be based in the visual arts, innovative projects are encouraged and may include interdisciplinary components if relevant.
The Open Proposals program has been made possible by a grant from the Open Circle Foundation, a supporting foundation of the East Bay Community Foundation. The Open Circle Foundation is dedicated to funding projects, programs and services that encourage a positive dialogue between the arts and the natural and urban environment.
Applicants may request up to $10,000 for temporary projects and up to $14,000 for permanent projects. Proposed projects with matching funds will receive preference. For FY 2009-2010, a maximum of $100,000 in project funding is available.
Click here for the brochure to see eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Waterfront History Map: A Nifty Resource on the History of the Oakland’s
Waterfront Just Got More Useful
A year ago you read about the Waterfront Action’s nifty website map that permits viewers to click on sites of major projects along Oakland’s waterfront to see their current status (go here to review). That same website, brainchild of Oakland Waterfront booster and founder of Waterfront Action Sandy Threlfall, now is even richer. Go here where you’ll read about how the shoreline has changed since the1800s and as Oakland's maritime trade has taken hold. Click on the map’s dots for more background on specific Historic Waterfront Sites. Now you, too, can be a knowledgeable waterfront booster!
Mayor Dellums Launches Web Site to Help Public Track Oakland’s Pursuit
of Stimulus Funding through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009
Mayor Dellums announced that the City of Oakland has launched a new website to help the public track Oakland’s pursuit of economic stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The new web site — www.oaklandstimulus.com — is designed to enhance the accountability and transparency of the City’s economic stimulus and recovery effort by helping the public stay informed about the application process, what programs and projects are being funded, and how and where tax dollars are being invested to help renew and revitalize Oakland’s economy and infrastructure.
The federal government must move quickly to get economic stimulus resources to cities like Oakland. Currently the City is monitoring, planning and applying for grant opportunities to:
· Support infrastructure projects;
· Hire police officers and cover costs for unbudgeted sworn personnel;
· Enhance workforce development, especially for vulnerable populations in growth-sector industries;
· Sustain energy efficiency and conservation;
· Support economic and human development models; and· Bolster public safety strategies.
To date, Oakland has received commitments amounting to nearly $39 million in economic stimulus funding, mostly from formula-based allocations (see website for details). In addition, the City has applied for nearly $95 million in competitive grants and is tracking the other grant opportunities whose guidelines have yet to be released. The City will regularly update the stimulus website to provide information on Recovery Act employment and contracting opportunities.
Oakland Public Library’s
Summer Passport Program Encourages Teens to Get Out to Bay Area Hot Spots
The Oakland Public Library urges teens to get out and see local sights this summer with a Teen Summer Passport. With prizes such as a laptop computer, an iPod Nano, and a Flip camera, the Teen Summer Passport Program is sure to entice teens, ages 12 – 18, into the library and out to cultural venues around the Bay Area. The program begins June 13 and concludes August 15.
Here’s how it works: Teens can pick up their Teen Summer Passport at any branch of the Oakland Public Library. They will also receive a list of recommended Bay Area Hot Spots to explore, including museums, farmers’ markets, skate parks, and cemeteries. Each time a teen visits one of these cultural sights, they can get their passport stamped. In addition to visiting local attractions, teens can also collect passport stamps by reading and writing short reviews; attending library programs; producing a self-portrait for their passport (digital, photo, or drawing); and/or volunteering. Three passport stamps will earn a raffle ticket. Each teen can accumulate a maximum of 8 raffle tickets. The raffle will take place at a party at the TeenZone in the Main Library, 125 14th St. 2nd floor, on August 29, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The party will feature live music by the Bay Area Girls Rock Camp.
For more information about the program, please call (510) 238-7232 or (510) 238-7234, or visit the library’s website. Your branch can also provide you with a calendar of its events.
National Night Out Registration Begins
National Night Out Party on Haddon Hill, August 2007
(photograph taken by Casey Oto)This year, National Night Out is on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Amazing how time flies!!!
The National Night Out website is up and ready to take your registrations here. Or, it can be accessed from the City of Oakland homepage, under "Events."
Traffic Changes at El Embarcadero Coming
Soon
Work on the new traffic signal at Lakeshore and El Embarcadero is nearly complete, so be prepared for changes to the traffic pattern there. Sometime in the second half of June the two legs of El Embarcadero (between the Pergola and the Lakeview Branch Library) will be closed for most of a day, while the signals are made operational and temporary striping is painted on the roadway. Then the leg closer to the Library will be opened for two-way traffic. Some congestion is likely until drivers get used to the new configuration, so please allow a little extra time when you pass this way. The new layout was envisioned as part of the Greenlink Plan, which was incorporated into the Lake Merritt Master Plan adopted by City Council in 2004, and is referred to in the Measure DD bond, which is paying for the work. The layout will be much safer for pedestrians, and allow the leg of El Embarcadero nearer Lake Merritt to be transformed into a pedestrian plaza. Other work on Lakeshore Avenue from El Embarcadero to E.18th Street will continue, and the entire street will be re-paved later this year.
P.S. Most of the current road excavation in the area of Lakeshore near Lakeview Library is due to another project being done by PG&E.
Splash
Pad Park Garners Prestigious Award for Walter Hood, Local Landscape Architect
with International Reputation
Walter Hood is the winner of the 2009 Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum National Design Award for Landscape Design. We are very excited that our own Splash Pad park in District 2 was a featured project in Walter Hood’s receipt of this pretigious landscape design award. Walter is a former Chair of UC Berkeley’s Landscape Architecture Department and is internationally known. Walter lives and works in West Oakland and is known and loved locally for designing the Splash Pad Park (Lake Park and Grand Avenues) and Lafayette Park (635 11th St) in Downtown Oakland as well as the DeYoung Museum Park, among other sites. The National Design Award is based in particular on the landscape design that accommodates substantial use. The thousands of visitors to the Splash Pad Park each Saturday for the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market definitely qualifies. Congratulations to our local hero!
You might want to check out an article about this in the Splash Pad news. For anyone interested in keeping up with happenigns in the Grand Lake neighborhood, I recommend subcribing to the Splash Pad news. Go here, or subscribe by sending an email here.