September 7-13 Oakland Political & Community Events

Thursday, September 10th – Mix It Up East Bay

Join us for a monthly happy hour bringing together young activists, organizers and leaders in the East Bay. Climate change is no longer something that only the polar bears have to worry about – and it’s something we can all do something about. Come out and hear (brief) presentations on the range of work on the range of local work on climate change issues by:

Debra Berliner, The Ecology Center
Alex Cotton, Rising Sun Energy Center
Hilary Moore, Mobilization for Climate Justice

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, September 10th – Oakland Community Economic Leadership Forum: “Oakland Bill of Rights”

This forum should be interesting. Hosted by D&N Institute with The East Bay Social Justice Center & East Bay Small Business Council, the forum is intended to “plan and discuss Oakland residents and small business participation on some Major Oakland Projects.” The list of projects to be discussed includes the Army Base, several hospitals, and… the Oakland Airport Connector. Because you know, BART has promised this will bring jobs to Oakland so we should just trust them and assume it will. Speakers will include Councilmembers Larry Reid and Rebecca Kaplan, BART Directors Carole Ward Allen and Lynette Sweet, and OUSD Board Members Chris Dobbins and Alice Spearman. The event takes place from 6-8pm at Lafayette School, 1700 Market Street.

Saturday, September 12th – Community Workshop on AC Transit’s Proposed Service Changes

AC Transit will hold a community workshop to present its proposed Service Adjustments Plan and gather feedback from the public. If you’re concerned about losing your bus line or just want to hear more about the extensive service adjustments, this will be an important meeting to attend. In October, the Board will likely make its final decision on the service adjustments, taking into consideration all public comments received. The Board could accept, modify, reject, or defer each of the proposed changes. If service adjustments are adopted, they likely would be implemented in January 2010. Take the bus: All lines serving downtown Oakland (also BART to 19th Street). The meeting will be held from 10:30am-12pm at the AC Transit offices, 1600 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor Board Room. Find further info at AC Transit’s website.

Sunday, September 13th – Bike Love Festival & Swap Meet

Need a new seatpost? Looking for a better set of handlebars? Considering a custom frame? Pick up sweet deals on gear, check out local handbuilt frames and enjoy the biketopia that is the first-annual Bike Love Festival. This “swap meet plus” features discounted and used gear from bike shops and bike geeks, free coffee and donuts, and a raffle. WOBO is the beneficiary of this first-time event, so they’ll be on hand to talk about their mission (or bikes and walking, if you like), hand out popular (free) WOBO-brand stickers and send out positive vibes. And if you’re not a WOBO member, the Bike Love Festival is the perfect time to join as WOBO will be offering an event-special annual membership for just $20! The event will take place from 8am-2pm at 2400 Valdez St. For more info and to RSVP, visit the Facebook page.