March 8-14 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, March 8th – Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board Meeting

This month’s Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB) meeting has several items of interest on the agenda. First, there’s the report of the initial staff research into view corridors. Staff analyzed 5 corridors across the lake — 3 views to City Hall and 2 views to the Tribune Tower. Staff will present on their determined maximum heights that could be allowed to preserve the view corridors. Next, there’s an item on proposed heights in historic districts as part of the commercial corridor zoning process. Also, there will be a sub-committee report on the Broadway-Valdez Specific Plan. This is important because there will be a full LPAB review of the plan for April and public input can help guide the process. The meeting takes place at 6pm at Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room One. You can also watch it on KTOP. For more information, see the meeting agenda.

Monday, March 8th – Oakland LGBT Roundtable

Topics will include:
– The Survey Committee will give an update about the status of the needs assessment survey.
– Oakland Pride committee will give an update on the developments of East Bay Pride.
– Presentation about the history Oakland’s 1879 “Immoral Dress Code.” And update on getting this ‘cross dressing’ law ended in 2010.
– Councilmember Kaplan’s intern, Stephanie McLeod, will give a presentation about her trip to Washington DC’s LGBT Community Center.

This meeting takes place from 5:30-7:30 pm in Hearing Room 4, Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. Contact Ada Chan in Councilmember Kaplan’s office at 510-238-7083, or Achan1@oaklandnet.com, if you have any questions about the roundtable.

Wednesday, March 10th – Public Meeting to Discuss Options for Setting Bay Area’s Target For Curbing Greenhouse Gases from Cars and Light Trucks

MTC and ABAG will host a public meeting to learn about and comment on options for setting a “target” or goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks for the San Francisco Bay Area. To reduce greenhouse gases, a major goal set by state legislation, regions will be given specific targets by CARB to meet for reducing vehicle-related emissions. Senate Bill 375, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2008, requires that CARB set such a target by September 30, 2010. A draft target is expected by June 30, 2010. The law also, among other things, calls upon regional agencies to develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy, or SCS, in conjunction with the long-range regional transportation plan. That effort is slated to begin this spring, with an SCS and updated transportation plan adopted in 2013. This meeting takes place from 2-4pm at Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium, 101 Eighth Street (across from the Lake Merritt BART Station).

Thursday, March 11th – Mix It Up East Bay

Join us for a monthly happy hour bringing together young activists, organizers and leaders in the East Bay. Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan will be the featured speaker, giving a talk entitled, “It’s the Economy, and We’re not Stupid: Creative Approaches to Job Creation.” Free Snacks! Drink specials ’til 7 pm! Speaking program begins at 7 pm. 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. For more info and to RSVP, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Friday, March 12th – Estuary Art Attack

First Fridays are not the only day of the month to check out art galleries. Jingle Town and Alameda artists have joined together to start the Estuary Art Attack, a monthly event held on second Fridays to showcase the area’s galleries, restaurants, and bars. The Art Attack will be held from 6-9 pm throughout Jingle Town and Alameda. Check out their website for more details.

Saturday, March 13th – Screening of FRESH:  New thinking about what we’re eating

Come see a screening of FRESH the MOVIE, food-friendly documentary. Sign up for a CSA that delivers fresh food in your neighborhood like Eatwell Farm featured on the History Channel or Shooting Star CSA located only 40 miles from Berkeley. Talk to Farm Fresh to You about having a CSA box delivered to your door, or sign up for a special heirloom tomato CSA with Tomatero Farm of Watsonville. Volunteer for a community garden like Funk Town Farm or meet urban farmers from Phat Beet Produce, a North Oakland non-profit. Enjoy food from Oakland vendors like Taco Grill, proudly serving Neiman Ranch Beef in Fruitvale. Free Valet Bike Parking! Doors open at 6pm for “DIGEST” an Art Show , Food Vendors, CSA Info booths, community garden booths and other Oakland food organizations. The event takes place at Regeneration Church, 238 E 15th St. Oakland. Suggested Donation at the door: $5-$10. Proceeds will subsidize CSA food boxes for low income families.  For more info and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.

October 5-11 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, October 5th – Commercial/Corridors Technical Advisory Group Meeting

Thus far, the TAG has reviewed a framework for ten new zoning districts for the City’s corridors and commercial. The TAG has also reviewed detailed activity tables and design regulations for each of the proposed zones and a framework for appropriate height limits. At this TAG meeting, staff will present a conceptual map showing the proposed location of these new zones and a methodology for determining the location of the different height areas. The next meeting will be devoted to a discussion of a proposed map of height areas. The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, in Hearing Room 4 (this is on the 2nd floor). For more information, visit the Zoning Update website.

Monday, October 5th – Title IX: Gender Equity in Sports & Educational Programs 37 Years Later, We Still Have a Way to Go

Diane Milutinovich had served as a coach and athletics administrator at California State University Fresno for 22 years when she was told her position was being eliminated due to budgetary reasons.  Yet in the next 2 years, the university’s athletics budget went up $2 million, and they added 17 new positions.  Spending per male athlete went up $17,000; for female athletes, $8! It took 5 years, but she won her gender discrimination lawsuit.  Diane will share her experience and paint a broad picture of the state of compliance today.  While she will focus mainly on sports programs, she will also discuss the other areas Title IX covers including admission to universities, sexual harassment, and discrimination due to pregnancy or marital status. This event takes place from6-7:30pm at Buttercup Grill, 229 Broadway at 3rd Street. The event is sponsored by the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Tuesday, October 6th – Oakland City Council Meeting

After the last Council meeting, I posted a poll asking if you’d like to see more in depth coverage of Council meetings either before or after them. More than half of you said you’d like to see coverage before, so I’m going to start that feature tomorrow or Tuesday and will cover the full Council agenda in depth. But so you can plan, the two most contentious items of the night are the rollback of parking meter hours to 6pm and a resolution opposing the Oakland Airport Connector. It should be a very long night again for the Council. See the full meeting agenda and check out my post about how to watch and understand City Council meetings if you need some guidance on how or where to view the meeting. The non-ceremonial parts of the meeting start at 7pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Wednesday, October 7 – Alameda County Democratic Central Committee Meeting

Every month, the Central Committee meets to discuss party business and to make plans for the future of the Democratic Party in Alameda County. This month’s program sounds extremely interesting and informative – “Eye on Alameda County Water Boards” featuring Andy Katz from EBMUD and Marty Koller from Alameda County Water District. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Democratic Party, this is a great way to do so. The meeting will be held from 7-9pm in the San Leandro Main Library, Dave Karp Room, 300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro, CA 94577.

Thursday, October 8th – Rebecca Kaplan’s Birthday Party

Celebrate Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s birthday! Join us for a “happy hour’ reception (with great food and birthday cake) to celebrate Rebecca’s 39th birthday!   Socializing, fun people, and time to share in the events of the past year, and hear about Rebecca’s plans for the coming year. The party takes place from 5pm – 7pm atJoyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th Street (Next to Geoffrey’s Inner Circle), near the corner of Broadway and 14th st in downtown Oakland. Suggested contribution, sliding scale $390 – $39. Visit Rebecca’s website to contribute, or to RSVP, contact Earp Events & Fundraising at 510-839-3100 or laurie@earpevents.com.

Thursday, October 8th – Mix It Up East Bay

Join us for a monthly happy hour bringing together young activists, organizers and leaders in the East Bay. The challenges of foster and former foster youth impact communities across the Bay Area. Come out and hear (brief) presentations on the range of local work supporting foster and former foster youth by:

• Letitia Henderson-Souza, Casey Family Programs
• Kevin Bristow, Renaissance Scholars Program, Cal State University East Bay
• Reed Connell, Alameda County Foster Youth Alliance

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-Sunday, October 8th-11th – Big Sale at Bookmark Bookstore

The Bookmark Bookstore, operated by the Friends of the Oakland Public Library, will have its 30% off fall sale October 8 – 11, 2009 (Thursday – Sunday). The Bookmark will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day this sale is happening. The Bookmark is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Bookmark is located at 721 Washington St in Old Oakland. When you shop the Bookmark, you are supporting the Oakland Public Library! Call 510-444-0473 for more information, or visit the Friends online.

Friday, October 9th – Special Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board Meeting

LPAB is holding a special meeting this Friday to discuss a proposal to “Develop more restrictive Demolition Findings based on Historic Preservation Element.” This is the first step to address demolition findings that along with view corridors were omitted from the recent passage of the downtown Oakland Zoning Update rules. The meeting will be held at 5pm in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room 2.

Friday, October 9th – Estuary Art Attack

First Fridays are not the only day of the month to check out art galleries. Jingle Town and Alameda artists have joined together to start the Estuary Art Attack, a monthly event held on second Fridays to showcase the area’s galleries, restaurants, and bars. The Art Attack will be held from 6-9 pm throughout Jingle Town and Alameda. Check out their website for more details.

Saturday, October 10th – Oaktoberfest

Oakland’s Dimond District hosts this one-of-a-kind Fall Festival, welcoming thousands with entertainment, arts, and ecology. The Dimond continues a tradition as an entertainment destination, begun in the early 1900’s when Beer Gardens and German vacation resorts lined the boulevard. Oaktoberfest will bring world-class beer to the giant tented beer hall, serving steins of traditional German flavors regional brew pub favorites. Highlighting this years festival will be a traditional Biergarten, the Eco Fair, a Kid’s Area with Root Biergarten, a homebrew competition, and vendors from around the Bay. Celebrate Oktoberfest, Oakland style, in the Dimond at Fruitvale and MacArthur. The festival takes place from 11am-6pm on MacArthur Blvd. at Fruitvale Avenue. Visit the Oaktoberfest website for more information.

Saturday, October 10th – Life is Living Festival & 3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle

Life is Living is a FREE concert and caucus to affirm urban life through hip hop, intergenerational health, and environmental action. Activities will include a concert featuring Phroahe Monch, Kev Choice and Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Mighty 4 B-Boy Battle,the 3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle, youth town hall on health care sponsored by President Obama’s non-profit wing, Organizing for America, the Official opening of Town Park featuring Hood Games, a Skate and Bike competition, environmental Service Learning project with The Natural Builders, writing, visual Art and fashion Workshops, health screening for elders, healthy food/ healthy planet models presented by the Oakland Food Connection, City Slicker Farms, Food and Water Watch, and The People’s Grocery, and much, much more. The festival takes place from 11am-5pm at deFremery Park, 1651 Adeline St. For more info and to RSVP, see the event’s Facebook page.

Saturday, October 10th – Jane Brunner’s October Community Advisory Meeting: Meet Oakland’s New Chief of Police

This Saturday, Council President Jane Brunner will be introducing Oakland’s new police chief, Anthony Batts, to Oaklanders and he will be there to answer your questions. This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon at Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd Street. To learn more, call 238-7001.

Sunday, October 11th – Sundays in the Redwoods – Ledisi

This free concert features Ledisi. Bring sunscreen, hats and water– it can get very hot in the sun. Gates open at 1:30– concerts start at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road. To reserve a picnic table, contact Renee Tucker at 238-4720. Find more info at the Sundays in the Redwoods website.

After a two month long recess, the Council is back in action this week and this first meeting is full of important and contentious issues. Among many other items, the Council will discuss and vote on an emergency moratorium on nail salons and laundromats, the Public Works Agency performance audit, the City Auditor’s whistleblower program report, and the authorization of incoming Chief of Police Anthony Batts’s salary. That is, they’ll be discussing all of those items if they can get past the most contentious topic of the night – parking. Pat Kernighan, after being targeted by a pro-parking mob, has proposed rolling back meter hour to 6pm from 8pm. The problem is that this would blow a $1.3 million hole in the city’s incredibly tight budget. Kernighan’s solution is to crack down on disabled placard parking fraud, but staff recommends not rolling back the meter times and Rebecca Kaplan sent the Council a copy of Donald Shoup’s presentation on “The High Cost of Free Parking.” See the full meeting agenda and check out my post about how to watch and understand City Council meetings if you need some guidance on how or where to view the meeting. The non-ceremonial parts of the meeting start at 7pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.