Earth Day Clean-up at F.M. Smith Park with Mayor Dellums and volunteers from EBAYC/Roosevelt Middle School (photo by Victor Ono)
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 9: Community Focus Group - Citywide Sports
May 11 and 12: Tavis Smiley presents: Road to Health - A Free ConferenceMay 11: Eliminating Childhood Obesity - A Free Symposium
May 12: Mother of the Year Award Ceremony at Morcom Rose Garden
May 12: Grand Avenue Business Association’s 2nd Annual Proud Parent StrollMay 12: Great American Clean-up, the nation's largest community improvement program
May 17: Bike to Work Day
May 17: Town Hall Meeting with Assistant District Attorney Tom RogersMay 19: 7th Annual Malcolm X JazzArts Festival at San Antonio Park...... and afterwards Afro-Brazilian Dance Party back at EastSide Cultural
Center, 2277 International Blvd
May 19: Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival – FREE to the Public
May 22: Public Health Community Forum at the Greater St. Paul Baptist Church
May 25: Road to Freedom Bay Area Stop: Presentation of Disability History, Community, and Technology at Oakland City Hall
...And Coming in Early June
June 9: 2nd Annual Life Academy High School Team Triathlon
June 9: 2007 National Learn to Row Day
June 25: Jack London Aquatic Center Summer Programming for Youths and Adults
REPORTS
Planning for Future Development around Lake MerrittLooking for Oakland Youth Leaders
Bike to Work Day – No-Pollute Commute
Oakland High School Visual Art Academy Student Exhibit at Oakland Museum
Rebuilding Together Oakland in District 2 on Vallecito Place
Summer Job Opportunities for High School and College Students
Oakland Police Department is Proudly Offering a Student Summer Internship Program
Mayor’s Summer Job Program
Road to Health Conference Needs Your Help - Volunteers Needed for May 11 and May 12
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 9: Community Focus Group - Citywide Sports
Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave, 6:30 pm Join Office of Parks & Recreation’s Director Audree Jones-Taylor for a community meeting to discuss citywide sports programs, recreation and park maintenance in your neighborhood.
May
11 and 12: Tavis Smiley presents - Road to Health - A Free Conference
Presented by Kaiser Permanente, the event will feature healthy cooking demonstrations and free samples; health management and disease prevention workshops; beauty makeovers, massages, holistic medicine; and fun for the entire family. The event will be held at Oakland Marriott City Center at 1001 Broadway, on Fri from 8:30 am to3 pm, and on Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Go to www.RoadToHealthTour.com to register and for more details. See article below.
May 11: Eliminating Childhood
Obesity: A Free Symposium
Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the event will be held at Oakland Marriott City Center at 10 am. See article below.
May
12: Mother of the Year Award Ceremony at
Morcom Rose Garden
The Office of Parks and Recreation is happy to announce that Colleen Brown has been chosen as Oakland’s 2007 Mother of the Year. Ms. Brown has been very active in community development and crime prevention. She has organized several Neighborhood Watch Groups, served on the Oakland Home Alert Coalition, and established the Burbank-Millsbrae Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council among her many community service activities. She was nominated by the City of Oakland’s Community Policing Advisory Board which describes her as “a selfless volunteer public servant with strategic follow-through skills” and “a community activist with a leadership style that emphasizes doing the heavy lifting needed to get things done.”Ms. Brown will be recognized during the 54th Annual Oakland Mother of the Year Award Ceremony, scheduled to begin at 10:30 am on Saturday, May 12, 2007 at the Morcom Rose Garden, 700 Jean Street.
May
12: Grand Avenue Business Association’s 2nd Annual Proud Parent
Stroll
The Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) is sponsoring the Second Annual Proud Parents’ Grand Stroll on Grand Avenue on Saturday, May 12, 2007. 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 in front of the Grand Lake Theater at the corner of Grand and Lake Park Avenues at 9:30 a.m. for the sidewalk parade from the Grand Lake Theater to Wildwood Avenue and back. This is a fun walk, a way to show pride in parenting and to honor everyone who cares for children. The event is free of charge and open to everyone. The sidewalk parade and stroll will start at 10:00 am. At the end of the parade prizes in the form of merchants’ gift certificates and gift baskets and other prizes. For more information call Stu Sweetow at GABA at 510-839-2020.
May 12: Great American Clean-up, the Nation's Largest Community Improvement
Program
Keep Oakland Beautiful (KOB), an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage citizens in taking personal responsibility for improving their community environments, will host the third annual Great American Clean-up, a local grassroots effort to clean-up, green-up and revitalize West Oakland on Saturday, May 12, 2007 from 9 to noon.
This year’s focus area will be in the area of West Grand Avenue to 35th Street, between San Pablo and Market Streets and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenues. Click here for the flyer.
The Saturday event will be preceded by citations and enforcement by City departments on Friday, May 11.
Contact Cookie Robles-Wong at 434-5126 or crobles@oaklandnet.com for questions.
Meet Councilmember Kernighan at the Grand Lake Theater at 7:55 am to pedal to City Hall. See article below for what awaits bicyclists at Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall. See below for article.
May 17: Town Hall Meeting with
Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers
Come meet Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers and his colleagues at the Garfield Elementary School Auditorium, located at 1640 22nd Ave (corner of Foothill) from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. This is your chance to find out how the District Attorney’s office prosecutes crimes and to share your thoughts with the DA.
May 18: EastSide Arts Alliance kicks off its 7th Annual Malcolm X JazzArts
Festival Special at an Opening Reception and Concert featuring the Billy
Harper Quintet with special guest Amiri Baraka
The opening reception and concert will be held at the EastSide Cultural Center, located on 2277 International Blvd at 8 pm on May 18. Cost of admission is $20.
May 19: 7th Annual Malcolm X JazzArts Festival at San Antonio Park......
and afterwards Afro-Brazilian Dance Party back at EastSide Cultural Center,
2277 International Blvd
All day, free! The festival will be held at San Antonio Park, located at Foothill and 16th Ave, from 11 am to 7 pm. Afterwards, enjoy the Afro-Brazilian dance party back at the EastSide Cultural Center, located at 2277 International Blvd, at 9 pm. Cost of admission is $10.
May 19: Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival – FREE to the Public
Join us in celebrating APA Heritage Month with performances from Oakland Asian Cultural Center resident artists Nitya Venkateswaran, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, The Song-Shan Shaolin Monks, and much more!The event will be held at the OACC, located at 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, on Saturday, May 19, from noon to 4 pm. Ample parking available at reasonable price in Pacific Renaissance garage--enter on Franklin Street, north of 9th Street.
May 22: Public Health Community Forum at the Greater St. Paul Baptist
Church
Alameda County Public Health Department invites you to participate in developing a long-term strategic plan to improve the health status of all people in the County. The event will be held at the Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, located at 1827 MLK Jr. Way, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Click here for more details.
May 25: Road to Freedom Bay Area Stop: Presentation of Disability History,
Community, and Technology at Oakland City Hall
Held at the Oakland City Hall from noon to 4:00 pm, the exhibit - displaying a year-long, 50-state, cross-country journey and multimedia presentation of disability history, community, and technology - will make its only Bay Area stop in Oakland. Join Jim Ward of ADA Watch and local leaders in encouraging Americans to keep the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act: freedom, inclusion and opportunity for people with disabilities.
...And
Coming in Early June
June 9: 2nd Annual Life
Academy High School Team Triathlon
Support Life Academy, our small Oakland public high school, located on International Blvd and 22d Avenue! Life Academy of Health and Bioscience, our small Oakland high school right here in District 2, is having a fundraiser to provide “LIFE SUPPORT” for the unique programs at this school. Donations will support major programs such as internships and other field work, class trips, college tours and environmental education experiences. The school also has an after school study hall for additional academic support for all of their students. And as in most schools, additional resources are always needed in the areas of technology, physical education equipment, and supplies for student-led site improvement projects.You can support this school and its students by registering a team and/or making a direct donation. The event includes 9 miles of bicycling in Alameda, 3 miles of kayaking across the Oakland estuary to Jack London Aquatic Center, and then a 2 mile run along the Oakland Estuary. There will be games, food, music and awards at the big finish celebration. The event is from 9:30 am to 2 pm on Saturday, June 9. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Erik Rice, Principal, if you are interested (510-879-4110 or Erik.Rice@ousd.k12.ca.us). Click here for the flyer.
June 9: 2007 National Learn to Row Day
USRowing and Concept2 are excited to announce the seventh National Learn to Row Day will be held on June 9, 2007. Please mark your calendar. The “call for interest” form is available below. All organizations that renew their membership also will receive one in the mail.
As was the case in 2006, clubs must be organizational members of USRowing to participate in National Learn to Row Day. Participation is a member benefit. If your organization is a member of USRowing in 2007, please return the form expressing interest in participating and your club will receive all National Learn to Row Day materials to assist it in hosting and promoting the event.
If you have any additional questions, please contact Suzanne Lewis at (317) 596-8773 or via e-mail at suz.lewis@sbcglobal.net. Also, continue to check www.USRowing.org for additional information regarding National Learn to Row Day.
Thanks and please participate in this event to help grow the great sport of rowing.
June 25: Jack London Aquatic Center Summer Programming for Youths and
Adults
For Youths beginning June 2007: Water Sports
Join our summer water sports camps! For youth ages 12-17. These one-week camps are a great introduction to water sports using a variety of water craft including kayaks, a rowing barge, and dragon boats. These classes focus on teamwork, water safety, boating safety, and fun. Recommended items to bring along: sandals (with a strap), sunglasses with a retainer strap, bathing suit, towel, T-shirt, shorts, hat, sun screen, and water bottle. JLAC provides boats, personal flotation devices, paddles, and wetsuits (if needed). Participants do not need to know how to swim. Cost: $100 per session.Session 1AC: Jun 25 - Jun 29 9:00 am to noon
Session 2AC: Jul 16 - Jul 20 9:00 am to noon
Session 3AC: Jul 30 - Aug 3 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Session 4AC: Aug 6 - Aug 10 9:00 am to noon
Session 5AC: Aug 6 - Aug 10 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Sign me up!
Scholarships are available! Please do not let money stop you from joining these programs. JLAC's goal is to include all youth who have a genuine interest in water sports. Partial scholarships, payment arrangements, and work exchange are available. Please contact DeDe Birch at 510.208.6060 or email director@jlac.org.
For Adults beginning June 1: Friday Twilight Kayaking
Need a healthy way to unwind after a brutal workweek? What better way than to come down and paddle on the Estuary with us! We will explore parts of the Lake Merritt Channel and the Estuary. JLAC provides kayaks, equipment, life vests, a guide, and inspiration! Some of the best kayaking in the Bay Area. Cost: $20 per sessionSession 1: June 1, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 2: June 15, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 3: June 29, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 4: July 13, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 5: July 27, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 6: Aug 10, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 7: Aug 24, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
Session 8: Sept 7, 2007 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Open
REPORTS
Planning for Future Development around Lake Merritt
City planning staff has initiated a Zoning Study for the perimeter of Lake Merritt at the request of Councilmember Nancy Nadel (District 3) and me. The purpose of the study is to refine the existing development guidelines for the area around the Lake. General policy guidelines and concepts currently exist in the City’s General Plan and Lake Merritt Master Plan, but more specificity would be helpful to make sure that future development enhances, rather than detracts from, the unique open space and recreational areas around Lake Merritt.
We have sponsored two community meetings where participants have heard about the zoning tools available to the City to address issues including: access to sunlight, excessive shadows or wind, protection of important views to and from the Lake, compatibility with the visual character of existing neighborhoods surrounding the Lake, and protection of historic resources around the Lake, among other issues. Updated zoning would provide greater protection for public benefits and more certainty to potential developers.
To that end, the next community meeting of the Zoning Study is expected to take place late summer or early fall at which time City Planning Staff will present alternatives. The entire process – including compliance with California Environmental Quality Act and public hearings before the Planning Commission and City council – is anticipated to be complete by June 2008. If you would like to review the materials developed by the City Planning staff, please go here. To make comments, please e-mail Marisa Arrona on Councilmember Nadel’s staff at arronam@oaklandnet.com with a copy of your comments to Jennie Gerard on my staff at jgerard@oaklandnet.com.
Pictures from Earth Day @ Chinatown, FM Smith Recreation Center, Oakland
High School & Edna Brewer and Rose Garden
Residents of Chinatown, including the Cantonese-Speaking Citizens' Academy, prepare for Earthday Clean-up at Lincoln
Come back soon to see more pics!
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Looking for Oakland
Youth Leaders
The Oakland Youth Advisory Commission is a group of 25 young people ages 13 to 21 who are appointed by the Mayor and City Council to advise the City on important youth
issues. There are also three adult advisors who support the Commission.The Oakland Youth Advisory Commission is looking for applicants for the 2007-2008 School Year. If you know any youth leaders who would be interested in making a difference in their community, improving their leadership skills and meeting diverse youth throughout the city, please encourage them to apply to be on the City's Oakland Youth Advisory Commission. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2007. For information, check out this website: www.oaklandhumanservices.org, or call (510)238-3245. For an application, send an e-mail to: ATacdol@oaklandnet.com.
Bike to Work Day – No-Pollute Commute
Celebrate Oakland Bike Month during the month of May with a series of great events,
including Oakland's 14th annual Bike to Work Day celebration at City Hall on the morning of Thursday, May 17, 2007. Join in the annual no-pollute commute and enjoy:
- A free pancake breakfast (7-9 am), courtesy Palapas Taco Bar and Tully's Coffee
- Free Club One day pass for showers
- Free all-day valet bike parking, courtesy East Bay Bicycle Coalition
- Free bike mini-tune-ups, courtesy Bay Area Bikes
- A canvas bag with goodies (including companion-fare coupons on Amtrak) and bicycling info
- A raffle with prizes donated by local businesses and agencies
- Tables with information about low-impact commuting, bicycle-friendly projects, and sustainable transportation and land use
- Press conference and prize announcements (8:30 a.m.)
Oakland's Bike to Work Day celebration is brought to you by the City’s Public Works Agency and a variety of local businesses, agencies and non-profits.
Recycle Household Batteries Safely and Enter the Raffle: Oakland Public
Library Branches Host Battery Recyclers
Starting last week, recycling of household batteries, including AA, D and 9-volt, got much easier at 75 Oakland City buildings during normal operating hours. State law prohibits disposal of batteries as trash, and the City’s goal is to inform the public about this new restriction while providing a convenient recycling alternative. Now you can take your household batteries for recycling to any Oakland Library or Recreation Center. Look for the Battery Recycler, a circular container one foot high shaped like a battery.
The Oakland Public Library is hosting a raffle drawing for a battery quick charger with four AA rechargeable batteries to help promote household battery recycling. The raffle will be held monthly at groupings of Oakland Public Library branches starting this week and continuing through August 2007. Through May 18th, raffle entries will be taken at three branches in District 2: Main, Lakeview and the Asian Libraries.
Rechargeable batteries can last for hundreds of charge cycles, potentially saving thousands of dollars over the course of a few years. Switching to rechargeable batteries can save you money and reduce the amount of toxic waste in the environment.
The City’s Public Works Agency, Environmental Services Division provides recycling programs for Oakland residents and businesses. For more information about the Oakland Recycles Recycling Program, visit www.oaklandrecyles.com or call the Oakland Recycles Hotline at 238-SAVE (7283).
Oakland High School Visual Art
Academy Student Exhibit
The Oakland Museum of California is presenting an exhibit entitled “Told From a Totem” which displays student sculptures from the Oakland High School Visual Art Academy. The students have created an exhibition of contemporary urban totems, telling the story of their culture, their family and themselves. The exhibit will run from April 27, 2007 until January 27, 2008. The Oakland Museum is located at 1000 Oak (Oak @ 10th Street, one block from the Lake Merritt BART station). For more information about this exhibit, please call 510/238-7351 or go to www.museumca.org.
Is your home filling up with unused monitors, computer systems, televisions,printers, etc. and you don't know what to do with them? Universal Waste Management is a state approved e-waste (electronic waster or "Tech-junk") collector/recycler. They hold public collection events, but you can also drop off your e-waste at their warehouse FREE OF CHARGE and they are there to unload your vehicle. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8am - 4pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. For more information just go to www.unwaste.com.
Rebuilding Together Oakland
in District 2 on Vallecito Place
Nick Bulgar enjoys his renovated home with some of the Rebuilding Together volunteers
On April 28th, 2007 Keller Williams Realty Oakland and American Home Mortgage sponsored a Rebuilding Together Oakland Project here in District Two, by Highland Hospital. Nick Bulgar, ninety years old, has lived on Vallecito Place for over forty years. Nick is a retired plumber who is still active and full of spunk, but needing some help around his house. Hannah James, longtime Highland resident nominated Nick for the program. Ellen Lynch, longtime Brooklyn resident, was house captain for the project. Chris Freck of AHM was Volunteer Coordinator. Folks from both companies and Lake Veterinary Clinic on Lakeshore, showed up and went to work on a beautiful day. Most of the exterior of Nick's house was painted, his yard was cleaned and organized, flowers and veggies were planted, his kitchen cleaned and painted. An electrician added some badly needed outlets, and a plumber will be coming to install a new kitchen counter and sink. There will be one more lighter work day next week to finish up the painting. Everyone who participated said they had a great time and want to come back and do a project next year! Nick is appreciative and happy. A good time was had by all.
Summer Job Opportunities for
High School and College Students
For those of you who are in high school/or college or who know of outstanding young
people, please pass this information on.
The Port of Oakland is recruiting summer interns. This is a PAID internship for high school students in Oakland or for college students majoring in a Port-related field (i.e. maritime, aeronautics, engineering, environmental, law, etc).
Please note the deadline is May 11. This is a very competitive process. Note that the application needs to include a transcript...so, you must act quickly.
See application here.
Oakland Police Department is proudly offering a Student Summer Internship
Program
The college student internships will begin on May 14 and end on August 3, 2007.
The high school internships will begin on June 18 and end on August 3, 2007.
Applicants 16 and 17 years old will earn $10/hour, maximum hours per week is 30.
Applicants 18 – 20 years old will earn $12/hour, maximum hours per week is 37.5.
Minimum qualifications:• Youth ages 16-20 years old.
• Currently enrolled full-time and attending high school or college, or acceptance into a university.
• Minimum 2.0 grade point average.
• Must possess social security card.
• Minors will need parental consent.
• 18-20 year old must possess California I.D.
Please contact the Oakland Police Department Recruiting and Background Unit, 510-238-
3339, for more information and to obtain an application.The City of Oakland is an EEO/ADA employer.
Click here for the application form.
The Mayor’s Summer Job Program has opportunities for the youth in Oakland to have jobs this summer, but also for the private sector to create 300 jobs to train our future workforce.
Last year the MSJP trained over 800 Oakland youth and this year they expect to train close to 1000 young people. The City of Oakland will hire 200 of these youth this summer, twice the number hired in 2006. In addition, several hundred jobs will be created in the nonprofit sector. The MSJP recruits, screens, trains and places them with employers who benefit from young, motivated workers. The jobs begin in June and end in August, the position can be part or full-time, and should provide pay-appropriate wages for a 16-21 year old entry level employee.Individuals and businesses can also create jobs with donations. Non-profits need temporary
employees and cannot afford to pay for the additional support. You can make a tax-deductible contribution of any amount; please make each check payable to Oakland PIC-MSJP (Oakland Private Industry Council-Mayor’s Summer Job Program) and send it to Oakland PIC, 1212 Broadway, Suite 300, Oakland 94612.For youth between 16 to 21 years of age, you can now register for a job at the Oakland Private Industry Council, Youth Employment Partnership, Scotlane Youth & Family Center, or Youth Uprising.
For potential employers and employees, please go here for more information and to download the appropriate forms. You can also contact the program director, Dynell Garron Lewis, @ 510-768-4405 or msjp@oaklandpic.org.
Road to Health Conference Needs
Your Help - Volunteers Needed for May 11 and May 12
On May 11 and 12, Mayor Ron Dellums and OUSD State Administrator Dr. Kimberly Statham are co- hosting the Oakland Road to Health Tour presented by Tavis Smiley at the Oakland Marriott Hotel.
This event is supported by U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Kaiser Permanente and
many others.
Two hundred volunteers are needed to assist 4,000 middle school students navigate through the host of planned activities scheduled for Friday, May 11, and one hundred fifty volunteers are needed to assist the expected 3,000 community members attending on Saturday, May 12.
Volunteer orientation is scheduled for Thursday, 6:30 p.m., May 10. If you are unable to attend the orientation, you can still volunteer arriving at the Marriott by 7 am on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 to allow for a walk-through of the facilities.
Please see details below and HELP US TO REACH VOLUNTEERS.Call for Volunteers!!!
Friday, May 11th and Saturday, May 12th 2007
Free Parking!!!
Free Lunch!!!
Free Volunteer T-Shirt!!!
Click here for the brochure.
Trader Joe's on Lakeshore - An Update
Everyone is asking when the Trader Joe’s is going to open. For many eager shoppers, it seems like the construction project taking a long time. I am told the projected date for the store opening is now early September. Not soon enough for many anxious people, but at least within sight.
Many of you have already heard that the old Albertsons will house not only Trader Joe’s, but also a Walgreen’s. Trader Joe’s wanted only part of the building, as their store model is always a certain size. They will take a little over half, and Walgreen’s will occupy the rest with a full service drug store. I’ve heard from some residents who wanted something a little more exciting than a Walgreen's, but the choice of tenant was a business decision made by the lessors and is not within the control of the City. The Walgreen’s should come in handy for household items and sundries. On balance, the project is a very good thing for the community, as it includes what we really needed--getting a food store back on Lakeshore.