UPCOMING EVENTS
Every Saturday: Free Art & Music Program for Children Ages 0 to 5 Years Old
October 11, October 30: Voter Education Forum on New Sequoia Voting Machines and Instant Runoff Voting
October 14: Careers in Public Safety Open House, Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (in front of City Hall)October 15: A Chef's Delight hosted by Wa Sung Charity Fund and American Cancer Society
October 18: Informational Open House on Improvements at Lake Merritt Channel
October 28: Another Chance to Recycle Electronic Components at RPM Warehouse, 414 Lesser St, OaklandOctober 28: Volunteers Needed to Survey Parks Throughout the City
REPORTS
City of Oakland's Violence Prevention Plan
Lakeshore Albertsons SiteMadison Square Park - Next Home of Tai-Chi Exercisers
Proposition 87 - Clean Energy Initiative
Citizen Proposed Lane Reduction on Lakeshore Avenue North of Mandana Blvd.Cleveland Cascade & Fox Theater Need Your Help
Another Safety Feature at Garfield Elementary School
Calling on Oakland Housing Authority to Improve its Housing
Lakeview Elementary School Mural Project
City of Oakland's Cultural Funding Program 2007 - 2008 Guidelines and Applications
Every Saturday Thereafter: Free Art & Music Program for Children Ages 0 to 5 Years Old
Bring your child (age 0 to 5 years old) to a free morning play group, Children's Art & Music Program sponsored by Lotus Bloom. The program is designed to strengthen children’s social, emotional and cognitive skills. Children will learn basic socialization skills, and share in-group activities like reading, singing, dancing, movement and body recognition. These activities typify the building blocks of school readiness and child development. Parents are required to remain on-site during the program. To engage the parents, there will be services for them such as parenting classes, helping parents find competent preschools, and neighborhood resources.
Every Saturday, 2006, 10:00am - 12:00pm
12:00pm - 1:00pm Info & Resource Referral/Free Lending Library
Location: Oakland Ready-to-Learn
2285 International Blvd @ 23rd AveQuestions? Contact Angela at (510) 910-0805 or Asante at (510) 938-1787, or email lotusbloom510@yahoo.com
October
11, October 30: Voter Education Forum on New Sequoia Voting Machines and
Instant Runoff Voting
Come to an informational voter educational forum to get acquainted with the new voting equipment that will be introduced at the polls in November. Learn how to use Instant Runoff Voting if Oakland Measure O on the November ballot passes!
Jacqueline Lam from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters will provide a brief explanation on how voting will be conducted this fall at the polls, and show sample paper ballots and their use on the new Sequoia electronic voting machines. During the second half of the forum, Family Bridges, the League of Women Voters of Oakland as well as my office will present a voter education session on Measure O, the charter amendment that would permit Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). This different system of voting enables voters to rank their choices of candidates. Councilmember Nancy Nadel and I worked to bring to voters the opportunity to decide whether they would prefer IRV. Click here to learn more.
I am pleased to join Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker and Family Bridges in sponsoring this Voter Education Forum, which is being presented by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, the League of Women Voters of Oakland and Family Bridges. The second event will be a repeat of the first for those who cannot attend the first date. The first event will be held at Hotel Oakland, 270 13th Street, Oakland, CA 94612, on Wednesday, October 11 from 10 to 11 am, and the second event will be held at the Seton Senior Center, 106 International Blvd., from 10 am to 11 am, on Monday, October 30, 2006. Translation in Cantonese will be provided by Family Bridges.
Please click here to see the brochure for the event.
Saturday, October
14: Careers in Public Safety Open House, Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (in front
of City Hall)
The City of Oakland is holding an open house from 11 am to 2pm on Saturday, October 14, to present opportunities in careers in public safety. You will be able to tour the new Oakland Police Recruiting Office, see police demonstrations in canine handling and motorcycle riding, and meet and talk with police cadets. There will be kids’ activities, too, including a jump house and face painting. Plus, there will be music, snacks and a raffle.
I’m pleased to announce that I will be a celebrity judge (aka “Iron Chef”) at the Ninth Annual Food & Wine Tasting Festival benefiting the Wa Sung Charity Fund and the American Cancer Society – East Bay Metro Unit. Proudly Wa Sung has joined efforts together with the American Cancer Society to educate and support the East Bay Asian community on cancer awareness programs. This event will be held on Sunday, October 15, from 2 – 5 pm at the Hilton Oakland Airport.
Fellow District 2 resident Katie O’Shea (KGO Airborne Traffic Reporter) will be the Emcee, unveiling the secret ingredient at the start of the competition on the day of the event!
For ticket information call 510 - 869-2589 or e-mail chefsdelight1@sbcglobal.net.
October 18:
Informational Open House on Improvements at Lake Merritt Channel
Design and engineering work is underway for the improvements planned at Lake Merritt Channel, which are to be funded by Measure DD, the Oakland Trust for Clean Water and Safe Parks, and a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy from Prop. 40 funds. The projects are based on design concepts in the Lake Merritt Master Plan and the Greenbelt Plan for the Lake Merritt Channel. This informational open house will highlight improvements to the Lake Merritt Channel to create easier access for pedestrians, bicyclists and small boats. The improvements will increase tidal circulation between the Estuary and the Lake, restoring wetlands and enhancing the shoreline.
Questions? Contact Jose Martinez, Project Coordinator, 510.238.6864 or jcmartinez@oaklandnet.com
Open House will be held on Wednesday, October 18 from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm at Laney CollegeTower Administration Building Lobby, located at 900 Fallon Street, Oakland, CATo see the informational flyer for this event, click here.
October
28: Another Chance to Recycle Electronic Components at RPM Warehouse,
414 Lesser St, Oakland
Oakland Rotary 3 is working with Universal Waste Management to provide an opportunity for the community to have those hard-to-get-rid-of electronic items recycled at no cost. Please let your friends, family and business colleagues know about the upcoming E-Waste Recycle Event.
Electronic components that anyone can bring include: televisions, computer systems; computer components (keyboards, mouse, internet devices, etc); monitors, copy machines; fax machines; printers; MP3 players; scanners, cameras; cellular phones and cellular phone batteries; household phones; stereo equipment; miscellaneous wiring; CD's (both players and discs); DVD's (both players and discs); toner cartridges.Or, if you have 20 or more computer systems (or large items), Universal Waste Management will pick them up between now and Oct 28th. For pick-ups in advance of the event, contact Greg Rosenberg at Universal Waste Management at 888-832-9839 to schedule. Be sure to mention that the items being picked up arefor the Oakland Rotary e-waste recycle event on October 28.
Questions? Phone Alex McIntyre (510) 812-6544.
October 28: Volunteers
Needed to Survey Parks Throughout the City
As residents of Oakland , we enjoy more than 2,300 acres of parkland. Unfortunately some of our parks do not get the attention they need to keep them beautiful and inviting. On Saturday morning, October 28th from 9 am until noon, Oakland Parks Coalition is planning a city-wide survey to determine the condition of our parks.
Data from this survey will be analyzed and compiled into a report which will be presented to Mayor-elect Dellums and the City Council. OPC's survey will bring to the attention of city officials specific maintenance concerns that need to be addressed.
To conduct the survey OPC needs lots and lots of volunteers. Come to the Garden Center in Lakeside Park, 666 Bellevue at 9 am . After refreshments and instructions about how to conduct the survey, volunteers will fan out in small groups to assess several parks in each Council district.
I hope that you can spare a few hours of your time for this important undertaking and that you will refer others to OPC. To sign up for Love Your Parks Day, please reply to: loveyourparksday@gmail.com. Please provide OPC your full name, phone number and Council district. OPC will get back to you with parking instructions and more information about this event.
REPORTS
City of Oakland's Violence Prevention Plan
Everyone I talk to is saddened and dismayed by the tragic and growing number of shooting deaths in our city. People are rightfully looking to the City to take action, and it is. The City's Violence Prevention programs, adopted by the City Council in May 2005, are just hitting the streets this fall. The programs are funded by Measure Y, and are the result of thoughtful planning process that included City, County and social service professionals. This is a many-pronged approach that we all hope will reduce the prevalence of violence in our neediest neighborhoods. The types of programs include:
- Youth outreach counselors
- After-school and in-school programs for at-risk youth
- Domestic violence and child abuse counselors
- Ex-offender and parolee employment training and wage incentives
- Gang prevention and intervention
- Conflict resolution and violence prevention training in the schools.
The Measure Y website has more information:
http://www.oaklandhumanservices.org/initiatives/VPPSA/VPPSAViolencePreventionProgramsandFunding.htm
"Measure Y (VPPSA) was passed in November 2004, and provides approximately $6 million to fund violence prevention programs, as well as additional funding for the Oakland Police and Fire Departments. VPPSA will create a well integrated violence prevention system, where strong links among the social services, school district, police, workforce development, and criminal justice agencies result in greater leveraging of scarce resources, better coordination of services and better outcomes for participants. Prevention programs are designed to work together with community policing to provide a continuum of support for high risk youth and young adults. Interventions will reach out to those youth and young adults most at risk for committing and/or becoming victims of violence."
There is a Measure Y Ctizen's Oversight Committee, and the programs will be evaluated for effectiveness.The Measure Y Violence Prevention Programs are an excellent beginning at combating the many factors that contribute to violence among our youth. Clearly, however, we must do even more to support and guide our young people. I will be calling upon members of churches and other community leaders to convene a dialogue on how to involve the larger community as part of the solution.
In the next few weeks I expect that Sansome Pacific, leaseholders of the Lakeshore Albertsons site, will have secured a desirable tenant for the Lakeshore Albertsons site. Until the leaseholder and tenant have come to a final agreement, there is no announcement I can make. So, please stay tuned!
Madison
Square Park - Next Home of Tai-Chi Exercisers
Next summer BART will begin deconstructing the now-vacant BART Administration Building next to the Lake Merritt Station because it is seismically unsafe. The hundreds of people who have been exercising on the plaza for the last couple of decades need a new home for their morning exercises. The underutilized Madison Square Park, which is adjacent to the BART Plaza, presents a good new home for the exercisers. I called a community meeting on Saturday, Sept 30 to present a plan for adapting the park for that use. The turnout was great, as almost 80 Tai-Chi exercisers who had been exercising that morning and neighborhood residents showed up to discuss short-term and long-term improvements to Madison Square Park.
Carl Chan, president of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, ably provided translation so that English speakers and Cantonese speakers all could participate. My thanks go to Carl for a job well done. We took a lot of questions from audience members throughout the meeting. I appreciate all of you who voiced your concerns and suggestions regarding Madison Square Park.
Presenters included David Lau, the City's Public Works Project Delivery Manager, who described the design alternatives that would create more flat space in the park, the BART Project Manager for the Lake Merritt Administration Building’s dismantling, and Kerry Hamill, who is BART's Division Manager of Local Government and Community Relations. They discussed the dismantling of the LMA Plaza Building and the safety issues involved, such as asbestos remediation.
I presented a plan to increase the flat surface available in Madison Square Park as an interim solution to accommodate the exercisers. This plan would remove some of the existing mounds and pave an additional 8,100 square feet. Add that to the existing concrete paving area, and there would be a total exercise area equal to the BART plaza. Many in attendance were pleased with this solution.Based on the comments heard, our Public Works Agency will refine plans for creating the level spaces. That plan will be presented to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission later in the fall (look for a specific date in my November E-News.)
In addition to the short-term fixes to Madison Square Park, we also discussed developing a long-term plan to renovate the park. Gilbert Gong, Lincoln Park Recreation Center Director, talked about the need for planning for recreation areas in Chinatown to accommodate families and children. To that end, I had invited the Trust for Public Land to present a short overview of the sort of community planning process this conservation organization has used in its work at Bella Vista Park and Bertha Port Park among other Oakland parks. Early in 2007 I plan to launch a long-term planning process for Madison Square Park that will take into account the needs of the exercisers and Chinatown families.
The short term improvements that we have presented are estimated to cost around $135,000, a relatively small sum considering the scope of what we’re trying to do. As for funding this project, I have committed $75,000 from my Pay Go account toward the short-term fixes. With my $75,000 and the privately-raised funds of nearly $30,000 pledged by the Tai-Chi groups, we are within striking distance of our goal. We are also attempting to secure a significant contribution from BART.
Funding for long-term improvements is another matter. While this park is sorely in need of renovation to, there is no major funding left from previous state park bond measures. Passage of Prop. 84, the Clean Water, Parks and Coastal Protection Act in November would make money available on a competitive basis for renovating urban parks like this one.
The Madison Square Park community meeting is just the beginning of our renovation efforts for Madison Square Park. There is enthusiasm for the short term plan that will add enough surface to the park. I will continue to work with you to envision a long term renovation plan that all of us can be proud of.
Proposition 87 - Clean
Energy Initiative
Undoubtedly, many of you have seen the TV commercials regarding Proposition 87, California’s Clean Energy Initiative, which will direct $4 billion dollars to reduce California’s dependence on gasoline and diesel by 25% over the next 10 years. Since this is such an important ballot measure, I co-authored a resolution calling on the City Council to endorse Prop 87, the California Clean Energy Initiative. The resolution was approved unanimously at last week’s City Council meeting.
With the uncertainty of the sustainability of our country’s energy plan, Prop 87 comes at an opportune moment when voters get to decide on a new energy policy for California that will make us less dependent on foreign oil and help us achieve cleaner air, alternative energy sources, jobs for our state, and funding for our schools.
The funds will be generated by oil drilling fees paid by oil companies, not consumers. It will also fund the development of improved and new technologies, and bring alternative fuel and energy technologies to the market faster.
It’s not often that what we do in Oakland has an impact on the rest of the state or country. However, by taking this symbolic stance, we can send a positive message about the importance of achieving a viable energy policy that benefits the environment as well as the public.
Citizen Proposed Lane Reduction on Lakeshore Avenue North of Mandana Blvd.
The construction of a relief sanitary sewer taking place on a segment of Lakeshore Avenue this Fall and Winter presents an opportunity to also provide a much-needed traffic calming effect on Lakeshore between Mandana Blvd and the Harvard Road/Winsor Avenue intersection. Our office has worked for nearly two years on traffic calming concepts with the Grandlake Traffic Calming Committee, which is coordinated by Jerry Cauthen and has dedicated participation from many neighborhood residents.
Reducing the lanes from four to two on upper Lakeshore has been a suggestion which the Committee set as a priority in order to reduce speeding on the street. The sewer construction project will necessitate that the section of Lakeshore Avenue north of Mandana be resurfaced toward the end of the project, which is expected to end April 2007 barring any delay. Given that re-striping of that section will also be necessary, the Public Works Agency - Transportation Services Division has studied the area and determined that lane reduction is feasible and will not significantly degrade motor vehicle flow. The Public Works Agency has also proposed inclusion of bike lanes in the area as called for in the City’s Bicycle Master Plan. Lakeshore neighbors should receive a flyer in the mail shortly requesting comment on the bike lane proposal.Benefits of this project include:
• Reduced speeding and improved pedestrian safety
• Improved access and safety for cyclists
• Completion of one mile of the bikeway, which is already part of the City’s Bicycle Master Plan
• Easier access to parked vehicles by creating a buffer from the travel laneIf you would like more information on this project or would like to comment on the bicycle lane proposal, please e-mail bikeped@oaklandnet.com or fax comments to 510-238-6412 by October 23. Please also copy my office at jkarchmer@oaklandnet.com
Cleveland
Cascade & Fox Theater Need Your Votes
These two Oakland landmarks are the only two Oakland entries in a seven-county Bay Area web competition to help allocate $1 million in preservation grant funding. The grants are offered by the Partners In Preservation, a partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express.
But the process isn’t over and these two projects need your help in the form of your votes.To decide which of those 25 projects will receive funding and how much they’ll get, a Web-based competition is currently underway. Until October 31 you have the chance to vote for your favorite project(s), not once, but you get to vote once per day, every day. Please go to the Partners in Preservation site @ http://partnersinpreservation.com and vote Oakland! Many projects will receive funding, and hopefully with your help the Cleveland Cascade and the Fox Theater will be among the funded projects.Thank you for your support.
On Wednesday, October 4, thousands of Oakland school children and their families from 26 different elementary schools left their cars behind and joined millions of school children worldwide in walking to school. This event encourages students, their parents and guardians, faculty, and staff to walk to school to promote three key issues: 1): pedestrian and driver safety near schools; 2) the benefits of walkable neighborhoods; and 3) walking for physical activity and public health.I spent the morning greeting students and families at Lakeview School while Jennie was at Garfield, Kathy went to Franklin, Kevin helped out at Lincoln, and Joanne was busy walking her own child to school. We helped to distribute information on safe walking tips, plus there was information regarding safe drop off practices for those families who did drive to school. The “Oakland Walks to School” pencils were also a big hit with the kids. Some of the school locations also had representatives from the Oakland Police Department and the Oakland Fire department, plus fire trucks and police motorcycles.
As you know quality education and the safety of our children are two of my top priorities. I encourage all parents and guardians to be as involved in their children’s education as possible and that starts with getting them to school safely every day.
Another Safety Feature at Garfield
Elementary School
Garfield Elementary, at 22nd Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, is one of two elementary schools with the highest incidence of pedestrian-vehicle accidents in Oakland. Dangerous intersections, especially along Foothill Boulevard, pose a real threat to children and the adults walking with them to school. In my on-going effort to increase their safety, I used Pay Go funds to install pedestrian countdown signal devices on the existing traffic signals at Foothill and 22nd Avenue and Foothill and 23rd Avenue. The signals were installed in late August 2006 in time for the new school year. Please let me know what you think of them.
Calling on Oakland Housing Authority
to Improve its Housing
Last week I delivered a Letter of Understanding to the Oakland Housing Authority calling for improvements to its housing. I want to ensure that housing in Oakland is safe, clean and habitable for our low-income families, and a positive contribution to the neighborhoods that surround them.
My call for a formal agreement comes after a year-long effort, working along side community members, to improve OHA properties. The largest provider of low-cost housing, OHA has 3300 dwelling units, 1600 of these in buildings too small for on-site management. Called “scattered sites”, they are buildings with up to a dozen or so units. They were built in the 1970s, poorly constructed then and not well maintained since. Today, far too many of them stand out because of their blighted condition. I’m calling on OHA to sign a formal agreement with the City to bring its properties up to the standards expected of all Oakland residences. My Letter of Understanding also calls on OHA to strengthen and enforce its lease agreements with respect to nuisance activity taking place at its sites.
I understand that funding for public housing throughout the country has been slashed. OHA’s source of funding is no exception. However, I’m confident that OHA can improve its performance. I will continue to press for that improvement and accountability.
Lakeview
Elementary School Mural Project
On Tuesday, October 3, at the monthly Grand Lake Community Council meeting, community members had the opportunity to hear directly from Stephan Tompkins, Director/Producer of the Lakeview Mural Project, and Peter Lee, the lead artist, who will be collaborating with as many as 11 other artists on the mural project. Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Lee presented their vision for the project and sketches of what the mural will ultimately look like. The sketches and more information about the project can be viewed at http://www.lakeviewmural.org/.
The mural will be painted on the embankment that separates Lakeview Elementary School from the I-580 entrance/exit ramp. The area where the mural will be painted is school property owned by the Oakland Unified School District. Mr. Tompkins approached Lakeview Elementary School Principal, Clara Roberts, with this idea to beautify this prominent intersection. Ms. Roberts attended the meeting on Tuesday to listen and consider community opinion about the project. Reception from those at the meeting was generally positive and Ms. Roberts indicated that she is inclined to move forward with the project. Thus far, the artists have been volunteering their time on the project. Mr. Tompkins indicated that the group was still in the process of fundraising to support the project. There was also a recent article in the Grand Lake Guardian on the subject at http://www.grandlakeguardian.org/.
City
of Oakland's Cultural Funding Program 2007 - 2008 Guidelines and Applications
Good news from the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program! The 2007 - 2008 Guidelines and Applications for Individual Artist Project, Organization Project, and Art in the Schools are now available. Go to www.oaklandculturalarts.org, select Cultural Funding Program, then click on Applications & Forms, or link to: http://www.oaklandculturalarts.org/main/applicationcontractforms.htm