www.patkernighan.com | Volume 2, Issue 5 | May 2006


The City of Oakland's 2006 Arbor Day celebration
in San Antonio Park was a smashing success!
May 2006 Issue:


OAKLAND CELEBRATES ARBOR DAY 2006

Oakland celebrates Arbor Day each year with a tree planting project.  This year it was in San Antonio Park with the volunteers being a class from nearby Roosevelt Middle School.  The students learned from a Forest Service representative about the origins of Arbor Day in the plains of the Midwest.  Dan Gallagher, the head arborist for the City of Oakland spoke with the kids about the benefits of trees in our urban environment and demonstrated how to properly plant a tree so it will grow strong.  Other City Public Works staff were there to do some of the heavy lifting and help the students plant a row of elms along the edge of the park.  The kids had a great time, and will take pride in knowing that they planted the trees that will be making the neighborhood beautiful for years to come. Special thanks to the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) for inviting the students from Roosevelt.

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IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY IN DISTRICT 2

Keeping people safe is the first responsibility of local government.  Oakland has struggled for a long time with the issues of crime and safety.  While some of our neighborhoods, usually in the hills, have been relatively crime-free, others have consistently experienced chronic drug-dealing, property crime and too often, armed assaults and homicides.  As a former staff member for the District 2 Council office, I have been working for 4 years with OPD and Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils in the neighborhoods between 580 and 880 to reduce crime.  By targeting our resources, we have cleaned up numerous sites in the San Antonio.  But our efforts have always been hampered by the fact that the Oakland Police Department is under-staffed.  Though OPD now has the funds from Measure Y to hire more officers, they can't hire and train people fast enough to get to their authorized strength.

While OPD resources have been focused on the areas with the most crime, the safer areas had relatively little visible police presence.  The Mayor and Police Chief had made the strategic decision to use their limited resources in the area of highest crime.  While that is understandable, it also left large areas in the middle of the City with little visible police presence.


Chief Tucker addresses a large audience of residents at our town hall meeting on Thursday, 4/27 at Barnett Hall.

Though the exact causes are unclear, in the past couple of months violent crime has come to neighborhoods on the north side of 580.  As many of you are aware, Grand Avenue, a usually very safe area, has suffered several armed robberies in the past month and two murders.  This has been very shocking and sad for the whole Grandlake community.  At my behest, the Police Chief has now assigned a much increased police presence to the Grandlake area, which I'm sure you have observed by now.  In addition, he agreed to restore a walking officer to the commercial areas of Grand and Lakeshore.  The community and I had asked for this numerous times over the past year, but the Chief had not deemed it a priority, given the other crime issues he had to deal with.  The recent spate of violent crimes changed his position.

The position of Grandlake walking officer has been temporarily filled by Problem-Solving Officer Jill Encinias, but by May 15, a new person from Patrol will permanently take on the job.  There are several other neighborhood commercial districts in Oakland that are also in need of walking officers, (including the Eastlake in District 2) and I am advocating that they also get this service from OPD.  At my request, this issue will come before the Council's Public Safety Committee on June 13 at 7:30pm (Meeting location: City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room 1).

While we continue to address the crime problem with police resources, community members also must be more alert and vigilant.  I encourage you to organize with neighbors on your block into Neighborhood Watch groups.  One of the most effective crime prevention tools in a residential area is knowing your neighbors. 

Many of our neighborhoods already have active Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils (NCPCs) that you can join.  Each group covers a whole Police beat and meets once a month.  To connect with the NCPC in your area, please see the list on my website under "Get Involved".

The Neighborhood Service Coordinators (NSCs) who staff the NCPCs can also help you get organized at the block level into Neighborhood Watch groups.  (Also, see the article in this newsletter welcoming Hoang Banh, the new NSC for the Grandlake and Haddon Hill area.  Hoang's email is hbanh@oaklandnet.com)

My highest priority is to restore peace and safety in all our neighborhoods.  Ultimately, that requires a balance of law enforcement and violence prevention programs.  Such programs are just getting underway via Measure Y.  I will continue to advocate for improved police response to meet our immediate safety needs, as well as to support our Police Chief as he strives to improve the management of the department and to move toward the implementation of community policing.  In the very long term, I will support policies to address the root causes of crime which include poverty, joblessness, and underperforming schools.  In the meantime, I will do everything in my power to maximize police protection for Oakland citizens.

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LAKEVIEW SCHOOL GROUNDS GETS A FACE-LIFT

The hard-working volunteers. This is what I love about Oakland--people coming together to make good things happen.

Earth Day is never over in District 2.  On May 6 and 7, an energetic group of volunteers transformed the neglected landscape at Lakeview School into wonderful new gardens.  The school is across the street from the Grandlake theater.  Please stop by and see how beautifully it turned out. 

(below right) Gordon Piper, project organizer
and all-around good guy, and Clara Roberts,
Lakeview School principal. 

This rather monumental project was made possible by about $50,000 in donations of money, plants and labor from over 25 local businesses and organizations.   Planning and solitications of all the help was organized by Oakland resident Gordon Piper.  Gordon, who lives in Hiller Highlands, is a veteran organizer of garden projects.  This one was really huge.  The preparatory work was done over the past two months.  New retaining walls were built, tree stumps were removed, planter boxes constructed.  Yesterday new soil was added and beautiful grasses and plants were planted in the prepared boxes and beds.  This a truly wonderful gift to the students at Lakeview School.  The gardens are going to be used as an educational experience and the students will learn to care for the plants.

The project is funded by a $2000 grant from the Scott’s Miracle Gro company, $5,000 from Keep America Beautiful, $18,000 in-kind donation of retaining wall stone, installation and shipping from Basalite corporation, one week of labor from Bricklayers Local No. 3, tree removal by Graham Tree Service, $3,000 in materials and labor from Home Depot, dumpsters from Waster Management, labor from Oakland Unified School district, donation of landscape plan and consultation by Danielle Ziolkowski and Salvador Davila,  $2,000 grant from Oakland Rotary, $2,100 from Lake Merritt Breakfast club Foundation, plants from Jackson and Perkins, Hines Nursery, Four Winds Nursery, Western Star Nursery, California Horticultural Society, Jeff Anhorn Nursery, and Grandlake Ace Hardware. I also made a donation from my capital improvements discretionary fund.  

Volunteer support included Lakeview parents and teachers, and folks from First Presbyterian Church, Friends of Lakeview, Circle K. Club at UCB, Grime Busters, Service for Peace  and Keep Oakland Beautiful board.

A huge Thank You to Gordon Piper and all these businesses who are giving back to the community!

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PROUD PARENTS GRAND STROLL, MAY 13th AT 9:30 AM

The Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) is sponsoring the Proud Parents’ Grand Stroll on Grand Avenue on Saturday, May 13, 2006 at 9:30 am.  Historically on this day before Mothers Day, GABA sponsored a Mothers Day Stroll to coincide with the Mother of the Year Award at the Morcom Rose Garden.  But this year, in celebration of the diversity of families in our community, GABA invites all children and their caregivers -- mothers, fathers, grandparents, foster parents, gay parents, step parents, godparents, nannies and daycare providers -- to join in the celebration.

Children and their caregivers are encouraged to decorate their strollers or baby slings and come in festive attire or costumes.  Bring artwork your child made for you. Participants are asked to gather at the Farmers Market at the corner of Grand and Lake Park Avenues at 9:30 AM for the sidewalk parade from the Farmers Market to Safeway and back. This is a fun walk, a way to show our pride in parenting and to honor everyone who cares for children.

All participants will be entered in a prize drawing.  Several Grand Avenue merchants have donated prizes to be given at the close of the stroll.  These include LaTaza de Café which donated a $100 gift certificate for brunches or dinners; AVC Video Production which donated a $120 photo montage on DVD; Upaya Health Center which donated a $150 health evaluation; and other prizes from such shops as Cultural Crossroads, Keller Williams, Silver Moon Children’s Shop, General Computer and Uhuru Furniture. 

This event is free of charge and open to everyone.  Just bring a child and a smile.  Click here for a flyer to post or hand out. For more information call Joel Hamburger at GABA at 510-763-3342.

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DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT BEATRICE WONG TO BE HONORED AS OAKLAND'S MOTHER OF THE YEAR - MAY 13

One of District Two's most prominent citizens, Beatrice Wong, affectionately know as "Bea", is being honored at Oakland’s Mother of the Year for 2006.  The ceremony will be at the Morcom Rose Garden, 700 Jean Street, on May 13th at 10:30am.  In addition, the City Council presented Bea with a resolution signed by all the Councilmembers at the City Council meeting preceding Mothers Day.

I have known Bea for many years and am happy that she is being so honored and given this prestigious award for her long history of volunteerism and contributions to the City.  She was nominated by Family Bridges, Inc., an organization that assists senior immigrants in adapting to life in the US.  Bea has been described as a ferocious fund-raiser, formidable leader of causes and most importantly a compassionate and giving friend and mother.  Bea is a third generation Chinese American and resides in Oakland with her husband George, with her children and grandchildren living nearby.

Organizations that have benefited from Bea’s efforts include:  Alta Bates Medical Center, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Friends of the Asian Library, Oakland Library Commission and Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. 

Oakland's Mother of the Year is a project of the Office of Parks and Recreation and was initiated in 1954 to publicly honor an Oakland citizen whose contributions to the community symbolize the finest traditions of motherhood.  With this honor, Bea joins a long list of honorees whose plaques line the Mothers Walkway in the Rose Garden and serve as an inspiration to all of us.  As the Councilmember in whose district Bea resides, I congratulate her and thank her for years of service to the community and dedication to friends and family.

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COORDINATOR, HOANG BANH 

Council District 2 finally has all three of its Neighborood Service Coordinator positions filled!  These are the folks who staff the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils.  Edith Guillen staffs the San Antonio area, Monique Tsang staffs Chinatown and downtown, and Hoang Banh is taking over as NSC in the District 2 neighborhoods of Grand Lake (14Y/16X), and Lakeshore (15X), as well as Adams Point (Beat 14Y) in District 3 and Glenview (16Y) in District 5.

Hoang is a 17-year Oakland resident, a proud Oakland Tech and Cal grad, and a person who strongly believes in supporting neighborhoods.  She has served as a council aide for Councilmember Jean Quan, has been involved in the Diamond Improvement Association, the Mosswood Neighbors and NCPC Beat 8X. 

She has become instantly involved and will be scheduling individual meetings with as many interested residents and other key stakeholders as possible to discuss interests, concerns and successes in the various neighborhoods.  She will serve as a great conduit to share resources and link our neighborhoods.

Hoang is also a former Neighborhood Watch block captain and a big believer in organizing at the block level. Her experience and enthusiasm will help residents form new block groups while also supporting and, if necessary, revitalizing existing groups.  She will be compiling a list of existing and new block groups, assisting with neighborhood training meetings and staying in touch with block captains even after Neighborhood Watch signs have been posted.

She will support the NCPC at meetings and work to make sure each NCPC has a steering committee. She will coordinate resources and provide technical assistance so NCPC priorities around crime as well as broader neighborhood concerns and interests are achieved.

Hoang is already hard at work supporting our neighborhood and we welcome her enthusiasm.  Please feel free to contact her at hbanh@oaklandnet.com or 510-238-6566.  You can also visit http://www.oaklandpsa3.com for your NCPC meeting schedule, instructions on joining an NCPC yahoo group, to receive crime alerts and prevention tips, and general information and resources.

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EQUAL ACCESS ORDINANCE - STATUS REPORT TO FINANCE COMMITTEE MAY 9

The City Council's Finance and Management Committee will hear a status report on the implementation of the Equal Access ordinance on May 9 from 2:00-4:00pm, City Council Hearing Room 1.  Numerous community members have conveyed their concerns about the City's progress on implementing the ordinance, which called for the hiring of more bilingual people in public contact positions (PCP) to assist residents who have limited English skills and need direct city services.  This is critically important for emergency services such as Fire and Police.  The Ordinance was designed to provide all Oakland taxpayers with access to City services regardless of their ability to speak English.  The Ordinance targets language groups of over 10,000 residents, which at present includes Chinese and Spanish.  Under the Ordinance, informational brochures on city programs are also translated into Spanish and Chinese.

I am working with the Law Center for Families, Family Bridges, and the East Bay Asian Youth Center to organize community members and service providers to speak up for the hiring of more bilingual City employees in pulic contact positions.  According to the staff report from the Equal Access office (documents available here: staff report, attachment), the City has a long way to go to provide sufficient city services to Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish speakers.

I encourage you to attend the Finance and Management Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 9 or the City Council meeting on Tuesday May 16, where this issue will be discussed by the entire City Council.

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COUNCIL PRESIDENT IGNACIO DE LA FUENTE PITCHES IN FUNDING FOR DISTRICT 2 PROJECTS

I am happy to accept an investment of $100,000 from City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente's funds for capital improvement for District 2 projects. His investment will help implement capital improvements planned in two locations:  new sidewalk "bulb-outs" on either side of Lakeshore at the intersection of the I-580 off-ramp to improve pedestrian safety, and the very popular tot lot at Mandana Plaza Park (see the stories below for more details).

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PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON LAKESHORE AVENUE

Last year, I convened a meeting of interested residents to talk about needed safety improvements to the Lake Park/Lakeshore and MacArthur/ Lakeshore intersections. I am happy to announce several changes that have occurred or are in process to help alleviate the pedestrian safety problems that were identified.

The community asked for bulb-outs on Lakeshore Avenue at Lake Park/Rand Avenue because it is too wide and is unnecessarily dangerous for pedestrians using the Lakeshore crosswalks.  With a substantial investment from the capital improvement fund of Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and of my office, bulb-outs are being designed and will be built at the intersection of Lakeshore and Lake Park/Rand Avenue enabling pedestrians a safer crossing while conducting business on Lakeshore and proceeding to Grand Ave, Splash Pad, and the Farmers Market. 

The Traffic Engineering Division of Public Works has also agreed to re-visit the request from the community to increase from one dedicated left turn lane under the 580 freeway to two dedicated lanes in an effort to avoid the back-up of traffic turning from Lakeshore onto Lake Park.  They also agreed to install “KEEP CLEAR” signage at Lakeshore and MacArthur Blvd to stop cars blocking that intersection.

A new GPS clock has been installed on all light controllers at the 4 intersections of Grand and Lakeshore at MacArthur and Lake Park Avenues.  The GPS clock synchronizes the mechanism controlling the traffic lights to respond more appropriately to varying traffic conditions throughout the day.  This GPS clock system allows for separate timing implementation for Weekday AM, PM, and Night hours with separate timing for pedestrian traffic during Farmers' Market hours. 

Lastly, I continue to hear from constituents complaining of speeding along Lakeshore in the residential portion of the street and have asked for a traffic count and study of that portion of Lakeshore and whether it would be a candidate for a “Standard Road Diet. (SRD)”   An “SRD” is a means of decreasing the number of lanes with allowances made for turning by use of a special left turn pockets and class two bike lanes.  Before any decision is made, I would convene a meeting of interested residents to explain and discuss such a change in greater detail.

I want to thank the community members who came to my meeting, the dedicated work of the Lakeshore Pedestrian Safety committee and the Traffic Engineering Division for their input and hard work on making Lakeshore Avenue safer.

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MANDANA PLAZA PARK IMPROVEMENT COMING SOON – PLANNING MEETING ON THURSDAY, MAY 25TH AT 7:00 PM

At the intersection of Lakeshore Ave and Mandana Blvd is a narrow park with a small tot lot. Its two play structures and sandbox, especially its water feature, are beloved by the under-five set. However, the many months of work on Alameda County’s flood control project right next to the park left the tot lot dirty from construction dust and dirt. The County will soon clean the play structures, replace the sand, and replant the planting strip along Lakeshore Ave.  In addition, the nearby residents and I are working on plans to make further improvements to this very well-used little park.

Improvements being considered include new benches, permanent trash containers, and low fencing to prevent small children from running into the street. If your children use the park and you have ideas for making it safer and more comfortable, please attend our meeting at Barnett Hall on Thursday, May 25th at 7 pm to contribute your thoughts.

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LAKESHORE ALBERTSONS - NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS?

There is still no decision on a tenant for the vacant Albertsons on Lakeshore.  My April E-newsletter included a summary (click here) of the community meeting with the owners of the lease and the economic realities concerning the vacant Lakeshore Albertsons store.  There have been no developments since then.  In one sense this is good news.  While the lease owners pursue discussions with the landowners to buy the property, they are not in a rush to put in an undesirable store just to pay the rent.  However, the community is getting impatient at having the store being vacant for so long.  I will have discussions this month with the lease owners about interim uses for the store, until such time as they make a permanent decision.  While the majority of the community is yearning for a Trader Joe's, I have heard from several folks that in the meantime they would like to see a collection of small food purveyors, somewhat like a farmers market or the Marketplace in Alameda.  I will advocate for this as an option.

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CHINATOWN CHAMBER CELEBRATES 21st ANNIVERSARY

On April 26, the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (OCCC) celebrated its 21st Anniversary Spring Banquet.  The Oakland Chinatown Chamber began in 1985 as a merchant organization devoted to representing the interests of Chinatown merchants and the Chinatown community to the broader Oakland community.  In the last several years, the Chinatown Chamber has teamed up with Asian Health Services to help improve pedestrian safety in Chinatown through the Revive Chinatown Plan and the Revive Chinatown Streetscape Improvement Project. 

This year’s spring banquet at Restaurant Peony (one of the best Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area, I might add) attracted over 300 guests.  Emceed by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Delbert Gee and Past President of the Chinatown Chamber Jean Dunn, the banquet featured a dazzling fashion show and dance performance as well as community service awards to Wil Hardee, Vice President of Public Affairs at PG & E, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland Asian Students Education Services (OASES), and me (see photo above). 

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JOIN ME ON BIKE-TO-WORK DAY THURSDAY, MAY 18TH

This year I’m spearheading Bike-to-Work Day in order to draw attention to the great environmental benefits of biking as transportation. Here’s a simple way to get good exercise on a daily basis – and spare the air, too! So put some air in those tires, and come ride with me. Don’t have spandex or the latest in bikes? Don’t let that stop you. I don’t either.

We’ll meet at 7:55 am on Thursday, May 18th in front of the Grandlake Theater at Lakepark and Grand. From there we’ll ride together around Lake Merritt to City Hall for pancakes and high-fiving.

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Bay Area Community Services - Meals on Wheels Senior Survey

BACS Meals On Wheels is dedicating the month of May to honor our community’s seniors – especially those who are struggling to remain independent.  There are over 5,000 seniors in Oakland who are living on less than $10,000 a year. For these seniors, the cost of food competes with rent, utilities and medicine – and too often, seniors are going hungry. 

BACS Meals On Wheels is the largest senior nutrition program in Alameda County and the only program that serves Oakland seniors. ¾ of our clients are low-income and nearly that many are women –many who are living alone. For them, Meals On Wheels is the only sure way that they eat every day.

To be safe in our homes with food on the table - it’s the very least any of us ask for. Working together, we will make sure that our Oakland seniors can count on that.

We invite the community to help us raise awareness and in turn help support those seniors who are struggling. Please consider any of the following ways that you can join this effort to end senior hunger in our community:

  • If you own a business, display a poster during May recognizing Oakland Seniors and keep a tip jar by the register to collect donations that will support Oakland seniors.
  • Make a donation to BACS Meals On Wheels.
  • Become a Meals On Wheels volunteer driver.

BACS is currently conducting an online survey to better understand the needs and concerns that our community’s older adult population faces.

If older adult issues concern you, this is an opportunity to voice your ideas. It will provide one of Oakland’s most comprehensive social services agencies with important feedback that they can use in the development of future services.

Help make Oakland a great place to grow old by taking a moment to fill out the survey below and forward the survey link to your friends and acquaintances.

http://www.askdatabase.com/campaigns/?a=21765&c=&b=325

If you are not familiar with BACS, this is a great time to learn more. BACS Meals On Wheels program has a number of events during May to inform the public about Oakland’s Meals On Wheels program.  For more information, visit:  http://www.bayareacs.org/mealsinmay.htm

Working together to support seniors doesn’t have to end in May. We welcome opportunities to work with community members year round.

Mary Frizat at BACS can provide further information including posters and tip jars. Her direct line is 510-613-0323 or e-mail her at mfrizat@bayareacs.org. She looks forward to hearing from you.


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