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Thursday-Saturday, September 15-17 |
Project Bandaloop Premieres "Bound(less)!" - On the Great Wall of Oakland (Grand Ave at Broadway) - 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Internationally-recognized aerial dance troupe, Project Bandaloop, has chosen the Great Wall as the site to celebrate its 20th anniversary and present the world premiere of Bound(less)", a breath-taking feat of aerial performance where the dance floor is turned on its side. Go here for more about Project Bandaloop.
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Saturday, September 17 |
Creek to Bay Day: Coastal Cleanup Day the Oakland Way- 9:00 am to 12:00 pm - Various locations throughout the City - Go here for a map of the locations where you can volunteer to make a difference.
Free reusable metal water bottle for the first 1,000 volunteers. | |
Saturday, September 17 |
McElroy Fountain's 100th Birthday Party Celebration - Corner of Grand Ave and Perkins St in Lakeside Park - 11 am to 1 pm
Learn about the recently renovated McElroy Fountain and enjoy cake, children's activities, docent tours of the Gardens at Lake Merritt:
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Saturday, September 17 |
International PARK(ing) Day in the Grand Lake District
The Grand Lake District will celebrate International PARK(ing) Day on September 17. Latest plans are for a temporary parklet in front of the vacant China Lake Express Restaurant with musicians scheduled to play throughout the day in front of Arizmendi. This parklet is being constructed and installed by Garden Hortica. A second parklet will be on Grand Ave in the street in front of the soon-to-be-opened Monkey Forest Road with furnishings provided by Urban Furniture, treats courtesy of Boniere and Grand Bakeries, a mini-golf course and most likely, live music as well. Ace Garden Nursery has agreed to lend trees and/or shrubs for both locations.
-- based on a report in the Splash Pad Neighborhood Forum newsletter
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Tuesday, September 20 |
City Council to Consider the Building Services Division's Reponses to the Alameda County Grand Jury Final Report - Oakland City Hall, City Council Chambers - 6:30 pm
For the Building Services Division's report, go here and at Attachments, click on "View Report.PDF"
For recommendations of the Alameda County Grand Jury, go to the 2010-2011 Final Report here, pages 63-98.
Those of you who have been frustrated in your efforts to get the City's code enforcement staff to take action on severely blighted properties will be interested in this matter. You have probably read that the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury wrote a scathing report about the City's Building Services department. I agree with what the Grand Jury report said and am grateful that their report has created the pressure for the City Administration to finally commit to overhaul this department. I have been complaining for years about the dysfunction in this department to no avail. Fortunately, our new Mayor and City Adminstrator are taking the problem seriously and have committed to a complete re-design of the code enforcement process and re-structuring of the department.
If you have a story to tell, please consider speaking at the City Council meeting. To sign up to speak at the Council meeting, go here. This is item S-10 on the Council's agenda.
Ironically, most of the instances of abuse that were cited by the Grand Jury involved excessive uses of power (such as demolishing a house without proper due process), however, the problems that my constituents have experienced were on the other end of spectrum--lack of action on seriously blighted properties despite repeated requests from the neighbors to the Building Services department. The good news is that action is finally being taken to re-structure the department's processes.
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Tuesday, September 20 |
Certification of Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Highland Hospital Acute Care Tower Project to be Considered by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors - Board Chambers, 5th Floor, Alameda County Administration Building at 1221 Oak St.
The Draft and Final Supplemental EIR are available here. | |
Saturday, September 24 |
East 18th Street Streetscape Improvement Project: Groundbreaking Celebrations - At two locations, one at each end of the project area in the Lake Merritt Parkway business district.
- East 18th Street & Lakeshore Ave - 11:30 am
- East 20th Stat Park Blvd at the Lotus Bloom Strollathon - 1:00 pm
Join Councilmember Kernighan, Lake Merritt Business Association, and the City's Redevelopment Agency and Public Works Agency staff as they celebrate the beginning of this streetscape construction project that will make the area more inviting and safer for pedestrians.
Lotus Bloom Strollathon and Block Party!- 2000 Park Blvd - 11:00 am. From 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
12:00 noon to 4:00 pm - BBQ, Block Party, Performances and more.
$20 for Walk, $35 for Walk, Food, Party, T-shirt, Jumper, etc.
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Thursday, September 29 |
4th Annual Teacher Fishbowl - presented by the Oakland Schools Foundation - Jack London Aquatic Center, 115 Embarcadero - 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Listen in as Oakland teachers share their daily experiences with Oakland students and families, discussing their challenges and successes as well as OUSD's vision for full-service community schools.
RSVP by September 20: 510.788.4528 or Kenya@oaklandschoolsfoundation.org.
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Coming in October... Saturday, October 1: Oakland Parks Coalition's Annual Love Your Parks Day Survey - Meet at 8:30 am in the Ebell Room of the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue. Once again it's time to survey the condition of the City's parks and report back to the City. Your participation as a volunteer on this day is crucial to reaching the goal of surveying the more than 120 parks in Oakland. Meet at the Ebell Room for breakfast refreshments and directions, then join a team to survey 3-5 parks. It should take two hours so you can plan on finishing the surveys between 11:00 am and noon. Please RSVP to oaklandparkscoalition@gmail.com if you can participate and let OPC know if you will be driving or can help carpool a team. *** Saturday, October 1: Mind Your Money: Free Financial Planning Clinic - Sponsored by Mayor Jean Quan, State Senator Loni Hancock and State Assemblymember Sandre Swanson - Oakland City Hall - 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, registration begins at 9:00 am. See flyer below for information: 
*** Sunday, October 2: Oakland Suffrage Parade: Celebrating the Centennial Victory: Winning the Right to Vote! 1911 - 2011 - Meet at the Edoff Bandstand in Lakeside Park at 11:00 am 
March up Grand Avenue in costumes and return to the Bandstand. Go here for lots more information about the parade and to purchase a commemorative sash to wear in the parade (and help defray costs). *** Saturday, October 8th, 2011 Come Join us for the 2nd Annual Uptown Oakland Block Party, an annual bar crawl to raise money for Oakland schools. The event will be from 5pm to 8pm. 
By visiting hip venues in the exciting Uptown District in Downtown Oakland, you will help us get proceeds that will go to benefiting the Oakland Public Schools (District 2 Schools are Cleveland and Lakeview).
East Bay Loop and Amanda Vail Events (in association with Ozumo Restaurant) last year hosted a smaller version of this event and we raised $14,000, which was donated to the Oakland Public Schools. This Year's Block Party promises to be our most successful as we strive to reach our goal of raising $60,000, which the Oakland Public School System needs desperately. Tickets are on sale right now for $30 pre-sale. A ticket is good for one complimentary cocktail at each participating venue. There will be registration tables at designated locations to take donations during the day of the event as well.
How can you participate? Buy tickets, get your friends and family involved, spread the word to your local communities, and come visit some great venues.
If you would like to make a general donation, contact oaklandpublicschools@eastbayloop.com. You can also purchase tickets here or purchase them at the event in the Lukas Taproom & Lounge. Help spread the word by sharing this event with your friends on Facebook by clicking here.
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Saturday, October 15: 2011 Neighborhood Safety Summit - Laney College, 900 Fallon St - 8:00 am to 1:30 pm. Register by Saturday, October 8 at 510.238.3128. Attend this free Neighborhood Safety Summit to help stop the violence and share strategies for stronger neighborhoods.
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Saturday, October 15: Free Fall Neighborhood Plant Exchange- 3811 Lakeshore Avenue - Easy on-street parking - 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
Take home new plants for your yard and have an instant new garden! All types of plants are welcome, from cuttings up to full size. Garden accessories and accents welcome: Umbrellas, clippers, pots, books on gardening, stepping stones, tools and supplies-even goldfish. You can also donate plants before the event.
This is a great way to meet new neighbors and foster community spirit. Volunteers help make the experience smooth and easy. For more information, go to www.plantexchange.wordpress.com. Or call 510.866.8482 or plantexchange510@gmail.com.
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Sunday, October 16: Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation's Fall Festival - Dimond Park, Corner of Fruitvale Ave and Lyman Rd - 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Events include: face painting, three-legged races, BBQ lunch, pies, pumpkins and Fall fun for family and friends. All funds raised at the event go directly to Friends' Oakland Youth Champion scholarship program. RSVP online by clicking here.
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Parking Policies for Disabled Placard Holders
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 Parking Policies for Disabled Placard Holders
In response to recent complaints by Grand Ave merchants regarding charging disabled drivers in City parking lots as opposed to on city streets, Mayor Jean Quan has asked the City Administrator to:
- Clarify City Policy on charging in City parking lots and garages
- Rescind any parking tickets to disabled parkers in City lots and garages for the period from August 22 to September 1 by contacting Noel Pinto, Parking Manager, at npinto@oaklandnet.com
- Refrain from ticketing parkers with legal disabled placards until the policy is clarified and properly noticed
- If the policy is confirmed, post appropriate signage and give a two-week notice to the public before implementing
- Meet with the merchant associations in each affected area before implementation
Mayor Quan also has called for resurrection of the Parking Task Force including representatives from the Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum, which represents small businesses, and neighborhood leaders from across the city in order to develop a citywide policy that helps promote small businesses. The California Department of Motor Vehicles provides details on Disabled Person Parking Privileges at here. -- Based on a bulletin from the Office of Mayor Jean Quan
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Neighborhood Watch Meeting
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I want to encourage everyone to attend an important meeting about Neighborhood Watch coming up on Tuesday, September 20, at FM Smith Recreation Center, 1969 Park Blvd, starting at 7:00 pm. This will be a great opportunity to learn how to set up a system to communicate with your neighbors and learn how to work with the Oakland Police Department to solve problems that are affecting you and your neighborhood. A representative of the Oakland Police Department will discuss crime prevention techniques including home and personal security. Cantonese interpretation will be provided.
For more information, contact 510.507.1901.
What is Neighborhood Watch?
Neighborhood Watch is a partnership between neighbors and the Oakland Police Department to improve safety and prevent crime. Forming a Neighborhood Watch group on your block is the first step to making and keeping your neighborhood safe.
For information on the Neighborhood Watch, go to the website here.
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City's Mandatory Business Closures
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Mandatory Business Closures and the unpaid time off taken by City employees on such days were agreed to by employee labor unions as part of the package of employee concessions to balance the City's $58 million budget deficit. Every City employee agreed to contribute nine (9) percent of their compensation to minimize the reduction of vital City services to the public. While the City Administrator's employees are out of the office on Mandatory Business Closure Days, the City has a plan in place to call in additional resources if a situation arises that requires more staffing. Police, fire and emergency services are not affected during mandatory business closures.
In addition to the fixed business closure days, City employees also agreed to take additional unpaid days off to reach the nine (9) percent reduction target (between four and eight days, depending on the bargaining unit). Employees will schedule these floating unpaid days with their supervisors and take them throughout the year. The additional floating unpaid days will not result in citywide business closures.
Public Works
- No street sweeping will occur.
- Serious emergencies-such as sewer overflows, traffic signal outages, objects completely blocking the street to vehicle traffic and major flooding conditions- should be reported to 510.777.3333 and will be responded to.
Oakland Animal Shelter
- Closed on Monday, September 5 and Monday, September 12.
- People who find stray animals on MBS days and cannot hold them until the next day should call 510-777-3333 to be put in touch with a Shelter representative.
Oakland Parks and Recreation
- Visitors will have access to parks; however gates and restrooms will be closed and staff will not be on site.
Remaining Mandatory Business Closure Days for Fiscal Year 2011-12 (Business closure days generally occur once a month in conjunction with observed City holidays).
For FY 2011-12, the 10 remaining days are scheduled as follows:
- Monday, October 10, 2011
- Thursday, November 10, 2011 (Friday, November 11 is Veteran's Day, a City holiday)
- Monday, November 28, 2011 (Follows the two-day Thanksgiving Day holiday on November 24 & 25)
- Tuesday, December 27 - Thursday, December 29, 2011 (Monday, December 26 and Friday, December 30 are City holidays)
- Friday, January 13, 2012 (Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a City holiday)
- Friday, February 10, 2012 (Monday, February 13 is Lincoln's Birthday, a City holiday)
- Friday, March 30, 2012
- Friday, April 13, 2012
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Art Competition for Official Logo of National Conference on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
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Enjoy art? Interested in joining the movement to combat domestic minor sex trafficking?
Then submit a work of art that can be used as the official logo for a national conference on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC).
Youth will need to submit a jpg image to bahc@acgov.org by October 28th, 2011. The winner and runners up will be notified in November 2011.
About CSEC: According a study by Richard Estes, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Work Center for Youth Study, "The commercial sexual exploitation of children is the most hidden form of child abuse in North America today. It is the Nation's least recognized epidemic." according to the study:
- About 1.7 million youth run away from home every year in America; one in three children who runs away is lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.
- An estimated 300,000 American children and youth are "at risk" each year of becoming victims of CSEC (e.g. child pornography, juvenile prostitution, and trafficking in children for sexual purposes).
- The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12 to 14 years old.
Competition Guidelines:
The art logo must contain the following text:"National Conference on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children 2012". Applicants must be 25 years or younger to be eligible for this competition.
Both the winner and runners up must agree to give the Alameda County District Attorney's Office (ACDAO) full rights of their artwork upon submission, and must agree to allow the ACDAO to display and advertise the artwork throughout the conference and on any other materials that may be distributed. Both the winner and runners up must attend the conference award ceremony in order to receive their award.
The winner will receive free admission to our conference to learn about CSEC and gain valuable tools to continue their activism at home. Winners will also have their art logo featured as the official logo for the conference, be displayed on the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (H.E.A.T.) Watch website, and receive a pair of A's tickets and $25 gift card to Target.
Runners up will have their art logo displayed at the conference venue, be displayed on the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (H.E.A.T.) Watch website, have a discounted admission price to the conference, and receive a receive a pair of A's tickets.
For more information, contact the H.E.A.T. Watch Coordinator at BAHC@acgov.org.
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Update on the Dog Park
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Several of you have asked what is the latest with action on the dog park proposed in the Lakeview field near the Astro Park tot lot. The last thing to happen was a hearing before the Parks and Recreation Commission in July, at which the vote was a tie. The next step is for the sponsors to submit an application to the Planning Department for a Conditional Use Permit for the dog park. The official sponsor of the project is the Parks and Recreation Department on behalf of Councilmember Nancy Nadel and the ODOG group. A CUP is a necessary step because dogs are not generally allowed in City parks. When the application is flied, the planners will post notices in the park stating where interested community members can write in support or opposition. They will also notice the date of the Planning Commission meeting where the matter will be decided.
I am also asking that at the time of noticing, the planners place markers on the field to show the perimeter of the proposed fenced area. You may have seen such markers recently, but those have been placed by community members, not the City.
I will also notify the public of any official meetings or actions in this newsletter as well as other neighborhood listserves.
In summary, no action is taking place at the moment. When the application for the CUP is flied, there will be ample notice to the public and opportunity to state your opinion.
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