There is a LOT going on this week, particularly on Thursday, when there will be events throughout the morning, day, and night. I hope to see you at some of these events.
Monday, May 11th – Get Out the Vote with the East Bay Young Dems
EBYD is teaming up with Oakland Rising, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Just Cause, Urban Habitat, and EBASE to defeat Props 1D and 1E. Come phonebank with us on Monday, May 11 at the Ella Baker Center (344 40th Street, Oakland). Training at 5:30pm, phoning for justice from 6:00pm to 9:00pm and cocktails to follow at Marc 49 in Temescal.
Wednesday, May 13th – Special City Council Meeting to Discuss Dellums’ Budget Proposal
Last week, Dellums unveiled his budget proposal, and this week we’ll get to find out what the City Council thinks about it. For background, I highly recommend checking out V Smoothe’s coverage of the budget, which is really the only in depth budget coverage you’ll find anywhere. The meeting will be held from 4-7pm at the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.
Thursday, May 14th – Bike to Work Day
Though I don’t bike in Oakland, and Bike to Work Day makes me feel lame, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t celebrate. There is a ton going on. Via the City of Oakland:
All eight Oakland City Council members are scheduled to bike downtown for Oakland’s 16th Bike to Work Day celebration at City Hall, Thursday, May 14, 2009. They will be joined by Nate Miley, Vice-President of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Over five hundred bicycle commuters are expected to ride in for the annual affair, which features an assortment of enticements for those participating, including:
- Pancake breakfast (7-9am), courtesy Palapas Taco Bar, Tully’s Coffee and Whole Foods Market
- Club One Day Pass for showers
- All-day valet bike parking, courtesy of East Bay Bicycle Coalition (7am-6pm)
- Bike mini-tune-ups, courtesy of Bay Area Bikes and Wheels of Justice Cyclery
- Canvas bag with goodies and bicycling/transit info
- Raffle with 18 great prizes including round-trip tickets for two to Santa Barbara on Amtrak
- Displays on low-impact commuting, bicycle-friendly projects and programs, and sustainable transportation and land use, including AC Transit bus-bike rack demonstrations
- Press conference (8:30am) with remarks by Council Members and Supervisor Miley
Thursday, May 14th – BART Board Meeting on the Oakland Airport Connector
After you grab a pancake breakfast in front of City Hall, head Uptown to to the BART Board meeting to speak out against the wasteful rail Oakland Airport Connector and in favor of a rapid bus solution.
Please join us at the BART Board meeting to reclaim transit funding for BART, AC Transit, and other Bay Area transit agencies and to secure a project that make sense for the region:
What: BART Board Meeting on the Oakland Airport Connector
When: Thursday, May 14th @ 9am (TransForm recommends showing up by 8:30 if you’d like to get a seat in the Board room; if not, there is an overflow room.)
Where: Kaiser Center – Third Floor, 344 20th Street in Oakland
If you cannot make it to the meeting, but want to tell the BART directors how you feel, please send an email via TransForm’s action page. You can find a pre-written message there, but I encourage you to take the time to personalize the email, as non-form letters are always more effective.
For more information, check out my post about the meeting and TransForm’s RapidBART proposal.
Thursday, May 14th – Mix It Up East Bay
Join us for a monthly happy hour bringing together young activists, organizers and leaders in the East Bay. In honor of Bike to Work Day, this month’s event will focus on alternative means of transportation. Speakers include:
- Rocky Fernandez, President, AC Transit Board of Directors
- Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)
- Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO)
Please note the new location for 2009.Mix It Up East Bay is held every 2nd Thursday of the month from 6-9pm at Shashamane at 2507 Broadway. It’s accessible by 19th Street BART station or by AC Transit lines 1/1R, 51, 59.
Thursday, May 14th – The Oakland Builders Alliance Presents at Night at the Fox with Don Perata
The Oakland Builders Alliance presents “An Eye on the Oakland Mayor’s Race” with former Senator Pro Tem and Mayoral Candidate Don Perata at the historic Fox Theater. This event is sponsored by OBA members PG&E and Architectural Dimensions. The event will be held from 5:30-8:30pm at the Historic Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Avenue. RSVP via Facebook.
Friday, May 15th – 3rd Annual Oakland Indie Awards
The Oakland Indie Awards are hotter than ever this year! Join us at The Crucible on Friday, May 15th as we celebrate Oakland’s innovative, socially- and environmentally-responsible businesses and artists. Winners will be announced at the event—come help us celebrate! You’ll get to taste Oakland wine, beer, chocolates, teas, baked goods, dips, sauces, tapas and so much more! Talk to hundreds of other Oakland lovers, and chill to Oakland tunes. The event will be held from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Crucible, 1260 7th Street, Oakland, 1260 7th Street. Tickets are $20 and you can find out more at the Indies website.
Saturday, May 16th – TransForm’s 12th Annual Summit
WINDFALL FOR ALL: Saving Our Economy, Pocketbooks, and Planet with World-Class Public Transportation and Walkable Communities
This year, the Summit will focus on the critical role of transportation and land use in the health of our economy, pocketbooks, and planet – and highlight solutions that can help on all three fronts. Between the devastated stock market, unemployment rates, and impending climate doom, it’s a wonder any of us get out of bed in the morning. But we do – and it’s because we sense that all three of these challenges can be addressed by the very things we’re working for: world-class public transportation and walkable communities in the Bay Area and beyond. The summit will be held from 8:30am-4:00 pm at Laney College 900 Fallon Street. Registration is $25 and more info can be found on TransForm’s website. This event is accessible by Lake Merritt BART station or by AC Transit lines 11, 13, 14, 15, 35x, 36x, 40, 59, 62, 82.
Living in the O 
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