Goapele (left) headlines this Sunday's concert - the Jazz and Neo-Soul Experience - featuring young Bay Area artists.We expect our largest turnout yet at this week's free concert at Woodminster Amphitheater. This is an outdoor theater, so please be sure to bring hats, umbrellas, sun screen, sun glasses, and drinks. We have vendors selling gelato, food and drinks, but you might want to pack a picnic. We hope you will help us grow these concerts by bringing your friends and family! The larger the audiences, the more sponsor support and better line-ups for next year.

Gates open at 2 pm, concerts begin at 3 pm. Children are welcome -- the Office of Parks & Recreation has a special kids' arts and crafts table set up in the back should your children need a chance of pace. Schedule for free shuttle from Fruitvale BART.

For more information on the final concert featuring Goapele, Trace Ellington, and the Mark Wright Sextet this Sunday.

• Slow Down & Watch Out for Other Users on Our Trails:  Much of the work we did last weekend was to improve visibility and safety at trail intersections.  Whether you walk, run, or ride bikes or horses on our trails, please be courteous to other users.  Remember that some narrow trails are closed to bikes. Ironically, last weekend one biker hit a rock and veered off a trail, falling over 30 feet.  Luckily rangers and volunteers were able to quickly rescue her.

• Councilmember Jean Quan, Public Safety Committee
• Officer Randy White - Oakland Special Victims Unit
• Sharmin Bock - Alameda County District Attorney's Office
• Nadia Lockyer - Domestic Violence Collaborative
• Alicia Perez - Safe Passages
• Cheri Allison - Family Violence Law Center
• Nola Brantley - Safe Place Alternative for Teens
• Teen Panelists

• Phase II of the Laurel Streetscape-- The Laurel District Association installed an additional 40 planters along MacArthur Blvd. last weekend as part of Phase II of their streetscape. Our office provided some of the funding for the planters installed last year as well as this new effort. Congratulations!

• Estates Reservoir Replacement/Dingee Reservoir Removal, Wednesday, October 17, 6:30-9 pm: EBMUD has scheduled a second meeting with interested neighbors at Montclair Elementary School to continue discussions about plans to downsize the storage volume in the Estates Reservoir and to eventually remove the nearby smaller Dingee Reservoir. Both reservoirs are more than 100 years old and do not meet current seismic standards. EBMUD will respond to questions received at the first September 19 meeting and by email, take additional comments, and explain the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) process.  For information contact Michelle Blackwell, Community Affairs at 287-2053.

• Redwood Road Traffic Calming Meeting, Wednesday, October 17, 7 pm: On May 9 our office held a meeting to address traffic safety on the portion of 35^th Avenue running from MacArthur Boulevard to the Warren Freeway. As residents know, accidents on the curves of this roadway are common. Since the May meeting, my staff has been meeting with the city Traffic Services staff to discuss various traffic calming activities; in addition, the Police Traffic Division Department has increased periodic enforcement of  the speed limit.  On Wednesday, October 17, 7 pm at the Annual Meeting of the Redwood Heights Neighborhood Association at Redwood Heights Elementary School, 4401 39^th Avenue our office is cosponsoring a second meeting with the Traffic Planning Staff reporting back on issues raised at the first meeting.  This discussion will follow the Association's brief annual business meeting. 
  

• Proposed Emancipation Village for Aging-out Foster Youth at Fred Finch: Originally an orphanage, Fred Finch has recently been home to services for emotionally disturbed and sexually abused children.  Alameda County is proposing a new role with the possible conversion of the current inpatient facilities to 20-30 transitional residential units with support facilities for Foster Youth who are over 18 (aged-out) at the campus at  3800 Coolidge Avenue. Each year over two hundred Oakland youth in foster homes find themselves homeless when they turn 18.  I have been working on a state task force urging the state to provide more transitional support including housing, education, employment and counseling services for foster youth 18 to 21.  Fred Finch has scheduled on-site tours for interested neighbors.  For details, contact Kate Durham at 986-1611.

• Continuing Efforts at Traffic Calming by Joaquin Miller/Montera Schools: Parents, neighbors and the principals at Joaquin Miller and Montera schools met with our office, City police and transportation services staff to see what additional efforts could be made to improve the traffic situation in front of the school during drop off and pick up times. Both schools have made major efforts to inform their parents of the safety issues around blocking driveways, stopping in lanes to drop off or pick up kids or otherwise create traffic and safety hazards. Our office is working with the City and OUSD on completing an application for a highly competitive Safe Routes to School grant to construct a pathway from Scout Road to Ascot, to repave the OUSD trail from Ascot to Joaquin Miller School, and to install new concrete curb and sidewalk in front of Joaquin Miller School. Oakland traffic police periodically run operations near the schools with many tickets issued. One of the ideas at this week's meeting was to offer incentives to students who take the bus and parents who carpool.

• Montclair Parents Developing Teen Program at Montclair Recreation Center: Mimi Rohr and Deanne Rifai, parents of three Montclair teens, are working with Montclair Recreation Center Director Mark Zinn to develop activities for teens, especially on the Oakland Public Schools Wednesday minimum days. "Many teens flock to Montclair Village to socialize and be seen. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, the problem is that there is little for them to do in the village. Probably bored, some become disruptive and even resort to vandalism. The community reacts; the teens are not welcome in the village and teens react...We certainly do not want our teens to be involved in illicit activities, yet neither do we want them to feel unwelcome in their own community." They propose teen activities at the Montclair Park baseball diamond-- sports equipment for pick-up games, skateboard ramps, etc. supervised by recreation department staff.  They would also like area vendors to set up concession stands in the park selling food at discounted prices. They would like this program to be free, funded by donations from our community. Several families have pledged contributions. They propose to start the program on Wednesday afternoons starting Wednesday, October 31.  For details, contact Mimi Rohr.

• Don't pour toxic chemicals, oils, paint or other construction waste etc. down the storm drains; they end up in our creeks.  Help educate neighbors that storm drains collect pollutants and dump them untreated straight to our creeks, Lake Merritt, and the Bay by volunteering to stencil curbs near storm drains in your neighborhood with the message "No Dumping, Drains to Bay" at 238-6600.
• Minimize the use the pesticides.  If you must use them, don't use them on rainy days or in ways they might run off into the gutters or creeks.
• If you live near a creek and notice unusual run-off or contamination; report it immediately to the Creeks & Watershed staff at 238-6600.
• Adopt-A-Creek
• Support Friends of Sausal Creek, Butters Land Trust, or Friends of Temescal Creek  by volunteering or donating.
• Oakland Creek Maps, Creek to Bay Day and other Resources

8. Legislative Updates: Smoking Ordinance To Be Settled at Full Council, Dogs  to Council, Sharks to Manage Ice Rink

"POOPER SCOOPER" LAW, 15 MINUTE TETHERING AND OTHER CHANGES TO CITY'S DOGS AT LARGE CODE MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL ON TUESDAY:

Proposed changes to the City's regulations concerning Dogs at Large (OMC Chapter 6 6.04.070), specifically questions about tethering dogs on public property, were approved by the Life Enrichment Committee on Tuesday after a second hearing. Changes move to the full Council for approval on October 16. Questions? Contact Sue Piper in our office at 238-7042.  The following are the two most important changes:

A requirement that dog guardians pick up after their dogs on public property and private property that they do not own and that they dispose of the waste properly. A change in the prohibition of tethering dogs on public property.  The current OMC makes no allowance for tethering of dogs on public property.  This proposal would permit dog guardians 15 minutes to tether their dog on public property to run quick errands. This is not to be confused with a new State Law that allows a maximum of 3 hours of tethering a dog on private property. PROPOSED SMOKING CHANGES ON OUTDOOR SMOKING ON GOLF COURSES AND OUTSIDE BARS TO BE DECIDED TUESDAY:  A debate over how far from the front door/window of a bar patrons must be to smoke and over whether public golf courses should be included in the outdoor park bans have been delayed to the October 16th Council meeting.  Staff will bring options of 5 to 25 feet for bars and a choice of including or excluding the public golf courses. Sharks Take Over Oakland Ice Center Management: Eleven years ago the Oakland Redevelopment Agency lent the funds to build and operate the Oakland Ice Center, described as one of the ten best public rinks in the nation to skate by Kristi Yamaguchi. A year later the Center went bankrupt and City took over; for a decade a series of management firms operated  with deficits and no repayments of construction loans. Equally disturbing as the financial issues, the Council found that very few Oaklanders used the facility.  The majority of regular figure skaters, hockey teams, and others came from out of town. As the chair of Finance, working with Council Members De La Fuente and Kernighan over the last year, we negotiated in improved 3 year contract with the San Jose Sharks that requires: Ten percent discounts for Oakland residents and additional discounts for schools. At least 1000 Oakland public school students will be offered free lessons at no cost to the School District; plus at least four opportunities for after school programs/year and additional scholarship opportunities for OUSD students. The Sharks will work with OUSD to create at least one high school hockey team. No more subsidies for operations and profit sharing if the revenues go over costs. The Sharks will contribute at least $100,000 for capital improvements. There will be no increase in skating fees for at least 6 months; thereafter, increases must be in line with area facilities and must be approved by City staff. A community advisory group will be established.

• 
• The Laurel duplex at 3701 38th Avenue--will be open to both buyers and press today at 1 pm.  We believe it will be the first building to qualify for a rebate of transfer taxes under Oakland's new retrofit program. >> District 4 Staff Sue Piper and Steve Edrington display the simple handrawn page of Plan Set A approved for basic retrofits in the City of Oakland.  This plan was used for the Laurel duplex.
  

• Willie Monroe Featured the Laurel House in ABC Story on the New Retrofit Program:  Watch Willie Monroe's story on our Retrofit Workshops; it does a great job describing the program in a very short clip. 
  

• Oakland Magazine has included Sunday's in the Redwoods in its blog section.  Leave your comments here and help us build awareness and audience.

• Friday's Montclarion printed a nice opinion piece on Sundays in the Redwoods.
  

• "We've seen it in SoMa, downtown LA, and Brooklyn: An edgy hipster vibe combines with growing affluence and burst of development to transform a raw urban landscape into the place to be.  And now it's Oakland's turn."
                                                         SF Magazine
  
  If you haven't seen it, this month's San Francisco Magazine is about Oakland.   Two District Four neighborhoods - Laurel District Redwood Heights (Sunny Diversity for the Middle Class and Up) and Piedmont Pines (Nature for Folks with Serious Cash) - are featured in the neighborhood section which starts out with, "The good life just got calmer, sunnier and cheaper."  It also covers Crocker, Glenview, and has some of the best writing on the New Downtown that I've seen.

• The 2008-2009 Cultural Funding Program Applications and Workshop schedule is now available.  In addition to our regular City Hall workshops, this year a special community workshop has been scheduled for District 4 on October 24 at the Allendale Recreation Center at 6 pm.  We hope artists and non-profits from District 4 will attend to learn about funding opportunities.  For details, call  Kathy Littles at 238-7531 or go to their website.

• Volunteer Adult Advisors needed for Oakland Youth Advisory Commission: The Youth Advisory Commission is looking for members and three adult advisors to serve in a non-voting capacity. Staff and advisors support the 25 young members in implementing a variety of civic engagement/community projects. The Youth Advisory Commission meets Monday nights from 5 to 7 pm. For details, contact Andrea Tacdol, Youth Leadership Coordinator, at 238-3320.

• Ethics Commission Needs Members: The 7 member commission, 3 nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council and 4 chosen by the commissioners, has two commission nominated vacancies for three year terms (January 27, 2008 through January 21, 2011). Members must be Oakland residents and registered to vote in Oakland. Duties include:  monthly meetings, committee meetings, oversight of campaign related ordinances, conflict of interest regulations, review of ethics laws and recommendations of amendments to the Council, developing public outreach & educational programs, and annually adjusting Council salaries. For applications due Friday, October 26, 5 pm.

• Who to Contact If You Are a Victim or Suspect Domestic Violence:
  1 in 5 female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Abused girls are are 4 to 6 times more likely to get pregnant and 8 to 9 times more likely to have tried to commit suicide.More information on Teen Dating Violence Here are a few useful numbers, check out this month's special newsletter on Domestic Violence for more information.
  
  • Call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate physical harm
  • Oakland Sexual Assault / Child Abuse Tip Line 637-0238
  • The Oakland Police Special Victims Unit Direct Line is 238-7910
  • To report Senior Abuse, contact Adult Protective Services 577-3500

• How to Run More Effective Meetings: Attend a free Meeting Facilitation Workshop for active NCPC members on Saturday, October 20 from 8:30 am to 3 pm in Hearing Room 4 at City Hall. Free parking in the Clay Street Garage at 14th Street. Learn simple tools for running effective, interesting and dynamic NCPC meetings. Space is limited. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Spanish interpretation will be available. Register by October 10 with your Neighborhood Services Coordinator or with NSC Hoang Banh at 238-6566.

• Seniors are often targeted for phone scams. If you were among the first to register on the Federal do-not-call list -- the list that was established in June 2003 as a way to avoid unwanted calls from telemarketers -- keep in mind that you need to reregister every five years. The do-no-call list has a built-in expiration date of five years. So millions of people who signed up early will drop off the list next year, unless they sign up again. It's simple -- call 1-888-382-1222 or go online to www.donotcall.gov.  Legislation is currently being debated at the federal level,  that would make the do-not-call entries permanent, but it's not official yet.

• For a complete list of Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils in District 4.

• How to file a Police Report:  Police use crime reports to plan patrols and follow crime trends. Commanders determine their priorities based on the number and severity of crimes reported. You don't have to rely on the police to actually make the report; for non-urgent crimes such as auto break-ins or after the fact home break-ins you can download a citizen's crime report  from the City's website.

Don't Throw Away Those Yellow Pages:  This year's Yellow Pages include a tabbed section with Emergency Preparedness information. <<It also has information on our new Retrofit program under "Earthquakes."

• Benefit for Greek Fire Victims, Friday, October 26, 7:30-Midnight, Greek Orthodox Ascension Cathedral, 4700 Lincoln Blvd.  Greek hor d'oerves, Greek bands with a special appearance by Margarita Bezaitis, $40, $20 students, www.hellenicfederation.org

• Join or start a CORE group on your block -- first step is to get to know each other and share contact information. Learn more at the City's website for Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies (CORE). If you are already CORE trained, consider taking additional training through CORE or the American Red Cross. Consider the following CORE courses (all require advanced registration):
  
  • CORE Refresher (required for all 2003-2004 CORE graduates) - October 13, 9 am -1 pm
  • Managing Stress During Emergencies - October 27, 9 am - 1 pm
  • Managing Your Neighborhood Command Center Operations Effectively - November 10, 9 am - 3 pm

• Montclair-wide CORE/MON exercise on Saturday, November 17: Montclair has organized more than 50 blocks of CORE or Neighborhood Alert Groups under a program called MON (Montclair Organized Neighbors). They are running a simulated disaster exercise on Saturday, November 17 from 9 am to 11 am. For details, please contact Doug Mosher at 530-0774.

• Another Earthquake Retrofit Workshop Set for January 30, 2008: Our first round of Earthquake Retrofit Workshops were so well attended last  week that we've scheduled another for Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 1526 Webster Street. Space is limited so please rsvp to Sue Piper at 238-7042. We were able to tape one of the workshops and hope to broadcast it on KTOP, Channel 10. >>Tool kit from the Temescal Tool Lending Library on display at this week's workshop. 

• Saturday, October 13:       Uptown to the Lake
• Wednesday, October 17:  Old Oakland Historic District
• Saturday, October 20:        Chinatown
• Wednesday, October 24:    Jack London Waterfront
• Saturday, October 27:       Preservation Park
• Wednesday, October 31:    Uptown to the Lake

•  8th Biennial State of the Estuary Conference, October 16-18: The public is invited to a biennial ecological assessment of  the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary -- the latest information about the estuary's changing watersheds,  major stressors, recovery programs for species and habitats & emerging issues. Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Drive. For information, 622-2398 or sign up online.

• E-waste Drop off, Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27 at Park Blvd. Presbyterian Church: The Glenview Neighborhood Association and the Park Blvd. Presbyterian Church have contracted with Universal Waste Management, a California-certified eWaste Company, for an easy, drive-thru e-waste drop off on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27.

• Re-Create Art Contest for Oakland students, K-12: Re-Create is a recycled art competition and exhibition that is open to students (K-12) in Oakland schools. Students are invited to create artwork using discarded or reused materials and to compete for prizes. Practice the 4R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot (Compost) to meet Oakland's zero waste goal. The Art Contest & Exhibition is sponsored by the City's Public Works Agency.  For details, call 465-8770, ext. 310 or visit MOCHA's website. >>Last year's winners at artist's reception.  
  

Daffodil Days 2007: This year's daffodil pickup date is Sunday, October 28. Over the past three years, Oaklanders have planted 150,000 daffodils, and another 50,000 are going to be available to plant in medians, school gardens and other public places.  Contact Cookie Robles-Wong at 434-5126. 

• Native Plant Fair Saturday, October 20 & Sunday, October 21: The East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society hosts its annual Native Plant Fair at the Native Here Nursery in Tilden Park in Berkeley. Thousands of plants native to Alameda and Contra Costa County, as well as books, free presentations and beautiful plant themed arts and crafts. Please bring boxes for carrying your plant purchases; cash or check only. Saturday, 10 am - 3 pm; Sunday, Noon - 3 pm. For details, visit their website.

• Metro Garden Club's Garden Swap, Saturday, October 20: Bring plants, cuttings, seeds, garden equipment, books, garden art, flowers, harvested goodies, questions...to share with other gardeners when the Metro Garden Club (the area of Oakland covered by the MacArthur Metro) hosts its event at a home garden in the Laurel District. Contact Adina by October 16 for details.

• Bicycle Safety Program at Dimond Library, Saturday, October 20, 10 am-3pm: Safe Routes to Schools hosts a Family Cycling Clinic for parents who want to bicycle with their kids and for kids who want to bike with friends. Learn drills and techniques to teach and assess your bike handling skills. Bring your bike, helmet, adequate clothing for a relaxed bike ride (4 miles). There are bikes to borrow, if needed. Space limited to 30 people, parents and kids over 9 years of age encouraged to attend together. Lunch and admission is free. RSVP to Melanie at 749-3150, ext. 332.

• DOOF-A-Palooza at Google, Saturday, October 20, 11 am - 4 pm:  The Alameda County Public Health Department invites families with children ages 6 to 9 to a one-of-a-kind food celebration on Google's Mountain View Campus and get messy in a range of activities with some of the Bay Area's top growers, chefs, purveyors and cookbook authors. DooF-a-Palooza, a fund raising event to help DooF (that's "food" spelled backwards)  produce a new kind of public television show that gets kids excited about good food & promotes healthy eating. For details.

• Bret Harte Autumn Work Day, Saturday, October 27:  The Bret Harte Middle School Site Improvement Committee is developing plans for the Autumn Work Day set for Saturday, October 27.Neighbors are welcome to join in.

• Good Cents for Oakland host City-wide Service Planet at Dimond Park, Sunday, October 28, 9:30 am-Noon:  Good Cents for Oakland teaches young children how to make Oakland a better place through community service. In its Penny Roundup Program, students select where they want to donate their pennies and learn about leadership, philanthropy and making a difference. Families will clean and beautify Dimond Park; launch a community garden; collect materials that would go into the landfill and donate them to East Bay Depot for Creative Use; learn about open space, recycling and the importance of the Sausal Creek watershed; and create a Halloween-themed art project using materials from East Bay Depot for Creative Use.  For details call 444-7100 or check out their website.

• Laurel Village Halloween Decoration Contest: Local residents may enter yourself or nominate someone whose decorations you like. Houses will be photographed and posted on the Laurel Village Website. Categories in the past have included "most ghoulish", "best theme," "most humorous" but surprises sometimes merit their own category. Plan to have your decorations up prior to Halloween evening because photos will be done in daylight. Please contact Renais Winter for details or to nominate your favorite.

• Oakland Museum of California Dias de los Muertos exhibits & events are an amazing cultural experience:  For details, go to the OMCA website.
• October 10 - December 2- Ancient Roots/Urban Journeys: Expressions for Dias
  
• Sunday, October 21, Noon - 5 pm: 14th Annual Community Celebration for the Days of the Dead -- Participation in the celebration is free; admission to the museum galleries will be half-price all day.
  

• Pardee Museum Director David Nicolai  outside of this historic building built  1868 -1869 by Enoch Pardee, an eye doctor who became mayor of Oakland. >>  Halloween at Pardee Museum, 672 Eleventh Street in Downtown Oakland: Saturday, October 20, 1 - 4 pm . Don't miss Brian Scott's Magic Show in the Spooky Carriage House-- 1st show, 2 pm, seating limited; 2nd show, 3 pm, reservations required. General Admission $15, Kids under 12, $8, Magic show included with reservation. Enjoy croquet, jacks, badminton, and Halloween games. Costumes encouraged. Contact 832-3456 or email the Pardee Home Museum.

• Oakland Public Library Celebrates Halloween and Day of the Dead: The Three Witches will return to the Dimond Branch Library on Tuesday, October 30 at 7 pm  with scary stories, songs and riddles.  Open to children ages six and older -- come in costume. Day of the Dead Altar Workshop at Melrose Branch on Tuesday, October 23, 3:30 pm. For additional information, call 238-3134 or go to the Oakland Public Library's website. >>Altar from last year's Dia de Muertos Celebration in the Fruitvale.

• Sequoia Elementary School's Annual Harvest Festival, Saturday, October 27, 9 am-2 pm: This is an event for the entire family. Games, bake sale, art booth, food and fun! Even a car wash by the 5th graders and their parents! All proceeds benefit Sequoia's students and school activities. Car wash earnings to to the 5th grade Science Camp Fund. Want to volunteer or make a donation? Contact Kim Conner at 316-2867.

• 4th Annual Dimond Howl-a-ween Pet Parade and Costume Party, Saturday, October 27, 6-9 pm: Dogs, kids and adults are invited to arrive at Paws & Claws (2023 MacArthur Blvd.) at 6 pm and parade through the shopping district collecting treats. Then return to Paws & Claws for an outdoor party behind the store with a campfire and spooky games for kids. Dress warmly! Donations will be accepted for the Oakland Animal Shelter.

• Montclair Lion's Club Annual Halloween Parade, Wednesday, October 31, 3 pm.: Meet on Mountain Blvd. by the tennis  courts in costume. The parade circles from Mountain to La Salle to Moraga and the Montclair Park.