League of Women Voters Honors Oakland Bloggers with Making Democracy Work Award

A couple months ago I got a call from Helen Hutchison of the League of Women Voters of Oakland. My first thought was that my membership with the League must have lapsed because I couldn’t think of any other reason Helen would be calling me. I couldn’t have been much further off. She was calling me to inform me that the League planned to give Oakland bloggers the Making Democracy Work award at their annual luncheon.

I was ecstatic and I’m pretty sure a few tears welled up in my eyes. Much as Vsmoothe wrote in her blog post about the award yesterday, I never expected this blog to help make democracy work, and I certainly never expected to receive an award for that. I started this blog mostly as an outlet to write about my growing love for Oakland and never knew a substantial number of people would read it.

May 3-9 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, May 3rd – Baffled by the Ballot?

Still unsure how to vote in June? Come hear pro and con speakers on the many important initiatives on the June ballot. Please plan to arrive at 6pm so you can order your dinner before the program begins. This event takes place from 6:00-8:00pm at Buttercup Grill, 229 Broadway at 3rd Street. The event is sponsored by the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Tuesday, May 4th – Oakland City Council Meeting

At this week’s meeting, the Council will be discussing an appeal of Nic Nak Liquor Store’s permit (which you can read a ton about at Fight Blight), a resolution denouncing Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, the Countywide Transportation Plan and the merging of ACTIA and CMA, funding for IRV voter education, and more. 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 6:30pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Wednesday, May 5th – 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, we’ll be discussing California Democratic Party convention, the June primary, and voting on an endorsement for Alameda City Measure E. 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, May 6th – Friends of Oakland Parks Taste of Spring 2010

Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation is holding its annual Taste of Spring event on May 6th at the Rotunda building in downtown.  This event raises money to improve Oakland’s parks and provide scholarships for sports, aquatic and other recreational activities for Oakland’s youth. This year’s seventh annual event will feature great food and wine, live and silent auctions, and special entertainment including acrobatic aerialists. The event will take place from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Rotunda Building, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. Tickets are $50 advanced and $65 at the door. Find out more and purchase tickets at the Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation website.

Thursday, May 6th – League of Women Voters Candidate Forum

At this forum, there will be presentations by and questions for candidates for Alameda County offices on which Oakland residents will be voting in June: District Attorney, Supervisor District 3, Superintendent of Schools, Board of Education Area 3. The forum takes place from 6:00-8:15 p.m. at Oakland City Hall, Hearing Room 1.

Thursday, May 6th – Community Workshop on Draft Energy & Climate Action Plan

The Draft Oakland Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) was released on Earth Day, April 22nd. Visit the City’s website to download a copy of the draft Energy and Climate Action Plan. Two identical Community Workshops will be held to provide an overview of content in the draft Energy and Climate Action Plan and receive public comments. The workshops will be held at 3-5pm and 7-9pm at The Elihu M Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street, Meeting Room 1. To assist with planning for needed space, please RSVP, identifying which workshop session you plan to attend, to climateaction@oaklandnet.com.

Friday, May 7th – Art Murmur

Check out the monthly evening of art gallery shows and entertainment in Uptown. Read my review of the art murmur here. The Art Murmur runs from 6-10pm but individual art gallery times vary. The galleries are mostly located in Uptown, between Broadway and Telegraph, and Grand and 29th. Visit the Murmur’s website for more info.

Saturday & Sunday, May 8th & 9th – The Sweet Shoppe

This indoor confectionery festival will take place Mother’s Day Weekend in Jack London Square. The two-day event celebrates our regions pastry chefs, confectioners, cupcake fairies, local restaurants, specialty vendors, cheese makers, vintners and more. On Saturday, the event runs from 11am-10pm and on Sunday it runs from 11am-6pm, in Jack London Square. For more info and to buy tickets, visit the Sweet Shoppe website.

March 22-28 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, March 22nd – League of Women Voters Forum: 50/50 by 2020: Pipe Dream or Reality?

Women comprise 50% of the U.S. population but only 17% of the U.S. Congress. Can women become half of the Congress by the time the 19th Amendment turns 100? New networks are taking on the task of recruiting, training, and helping elect women candidates across the country. Leading off the discussion on how they do it will be campaign and community organizer Barbara Ellis of AJE Partners.This forum will be held from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at Redwood Heights Community Center, 3883 Aliso Avenue (Off Redwood Road below Highway 13).

Tuesday, March 23rd – AC Transit Service Change Information Table

As you may already know, on Sunday, March 28, AC Transit will be implementing major service changes that affect almost every bus line in its service area. To give you an opportunity to pick up helpful materials about the changes and to ask questions, AC Transit has set up a series of Community Information Tables at public locations from Richmond to Fremont. This Tuesday, there will be an information table set up from 4-7pm at the Cesar Chavez Branch Library, 3301 E. 12th St. It’s accessible by lines 1, 1R, 14, 19, 47, 50, 53, 54, 62, and 63.

Wednesday-Saturday, March 24th-27th – Skyline High Performing Arts Presents Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat

From Jean Quan’s newsletter: “This blockbuster musical by the team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is a humorous and splashy retelling of the rags-to-riches tale of Joseph and his coat of many colors. The eight performances will feature a large, talented cast which includes student vocalists from Bret Harte and Montera middle schools. At 7:30 pm on March 24-27 & April 1-3, with a Saturday matinee at 2 pm on March 27. Tickets: $10 general, $8 for children under 12 & seniors over 65. Farnsworth Theater at Skyline High School, 12250 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Contact skylineseats@yahoo.com for more information.”

Thursday, March 25th – LAMMPS Community Based Transportation Plan Meeting

“This Thursday, there will be a community meeting for LAMMPS – Laurel access to Mills, Maxwell Park & Seminary Ave. As MacArthur Blvd. curves between Seminary and High Street, there are challenges to walking, riding, crossing or otherwise attempting to use the sidewalks, paths and crosswalks. The City of Oakland is launching a planning effort to make travel along this corridor easier, safer and inviting among the nearby neighborhoods. Come learn about this important community planning project and share your concerns and visions!” This meeting will be held from 7-9pm at The Gathering Hall, Mills College School of Business, 5000 MacArthur Blvd. For more info, visit the LAMMPS website.

Thursday, March 25th – Walk Oakland Bike Oakland Meeting

“To inject a little more fun into this month’s WOBO meeting, we’ve decided to hold it at Pacific Coast Brewery. Join us to socialize and sign up for one of our Bike to Work Day volunteer opportunities. We’ll supply the finger food! WOBO will be organizing three energizer stations and participating in the Pancake Breakfast at City Hall for Bike to Work Day on May 13, 2010 – help us make it a huge success! Volunteer needs include: stuffing BTWD bags, putting up posters, participating in pedal pools with City Council members, and recruiting new WOBO members at our energizer stations. See you Thursday!” The meeting will be held at Pacific Coast Brewery, 906 Washington Street, Oakland from 6:30-8pm.
For more info, visit WOBO’s website.

Thursday, March 25th – OaklandSeen Launch Party

Join OaklandSeen as it unveils its new website, OaklandSeen.com. There will be music by DJ fflood, no cover, and a cash bar. The party will be held from 6-9pm at Somar, 1727 Telegraph Avenue. For more info and to RSVP, see the Facebook event.

Friday-Saturday, March 26th-27th – Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company production of Asylum

The internationally regarded model of youth arts and violence prevention organizations, Destiny Arts Center in Oakland, marks the beginning of its third decade as a creative community epicenter with the world premiere of Asylum, a movement/theater work created by the young artists of the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company. Created in collaboration with Artistic Directors Sarah Crowell and Rashidi Omari and acclaimed Bay Area performing arts professionals, the full-length work features hip-hop dance and music, theater, spoken word, modern dance, aerial dance, video backdrop art, rap and a cast of over 40 talented youth ages 7 to 18. Asylum frames the current state of world affairs as a circus turned inside out, where heroes are questionable and villains run free. It is a powerful glimpse into how young Americans see  the state of the world and what can be done about it. Shows start at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2pm show on Saturday at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St, Oakland. For more info and to buy tickets, visit the Destiny Arts website.

Saturday-Sunday, March 27th-28th: Oakland Running Festival

Experience all the sights and sounds that Oakland has to offer at the new Oakland Running Festival featuring Oakland’s first marathon in 25 years! Runners will begin on Broadway, race along Piedmont and College Avenues, pass by beautiful Lake Temescal and then tackle the hills of Montclair. After a breathtaking view of the Cities by the Bay, runners will journey through the vibrant neighborhoods of Dimond, Fruitvale, Chinatown and historic Jack London Square. Then it’s a final lap around sparkling Lake Merritt and a sprint to the finish at City Hall. If you’re not a serious runner, there will still be plenty for you to enjoy at the festival, including live music and a kid’s fun run. Find much more information at the festival’s website.

February 22-28 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, February 22 – East Bay Young Democrats’ February Confab

On Monday, February 22nd, EBYD will be holding our first membership meeting of 2010. This will be an exciting meeting that you don’t want to miss. We’ll be determining priorities for the club for the year, reviewing our endorsement calendar, making plans for the CDP/CYD convention, and hearing from a couple of guest speakers about statewide initiatives. We’ll also be electing a new At-Large Executive Committee member, as Christine Smith has resigned after moving to Pennsylvania. Current nominations have been submitted for Anthony Sanchez and Dorian Peters. Please join us to shape the direction of the club. All are welcome and encouraged to participate! The meeting will take place from 6:30-8:30pm at Spice Monkey, 1628 Webster Street (Btwn 15th & 17th and 3 blocks from 19th Street BART). For more info and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.

Monday, February 22 – Mayor Dellums’ State of the City Address

Mayor Ron Dellums will address Oakland residents during his third State of the City address, likely trying to convince the audience that his tenure has been successful and Oakland is improving because of him. The address will be held at 6pm in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. You can read my brief review of last year’s state of the city address and V Smoothe’s in-depth review of the first state of the city address.

Wednesday, February 24 – League of Women Voters Forum: Do Oakland Citizens Need a Public Ethics Commission?

The Public Ethics Commission (PEC) administers Oakland’s Sunshine Ordinance. What does “sunshine” mean in the affairs of our city and our rights as citizens to know what and how city government is doing? Andrew Wiener, past PEC chair, will lead off what should be a lively discussion. The League of Women Voters of Oakland sponsors monthly HOT TOPICS roundtable discussions to inform members and the public, and to seek ways we can come together to address important issues facing our community. This forum will be held from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at Redwood Heights Community Center, 3883 Aliso Avenue (Off Redwood Road below Highway 13).

Wednesday, February 24 – Missing Links Town Hall

Join The American Institute of Architects, East Bay, for a panel discussion and town hall forum discussing missing vital transportation links between Oakland and Alameda. Wine and cheese will be served after the program. Citizens of Oakland and Alameda are strongly encouraged to participate! Panelists include Patricia Kernighan, Oakland Council Member; John Knox White, Transform; Jeff Cambra, BikeAlameda Board Member; and John Eddy, ARUP. The event begins at 5:30pm and will be held at AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland. The event is free and open to the public, but registration required. Click here to register.

Thursday, February 25 – The Worst is Yet to Come: An Economic Budget Forum

The Alameda County Budget Workgroup and its Chair, Supervisor Keith Carson, are hosting a free public forum that will examine how Alameda County finances are being squeezed by the current Federal and State Budgets and the effects on residents, community-based organizations, and service providers. This forum will be held at 9:00am at the Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium, 1500 Clay Street, Oakland. To RSVP, please visit www.acgov.org/budgetforums.htm.

Thursday, February 25 – AC Transit Community Forum on Line 1R Service and Reliability Study

The results of the Line 1R Service and Reliability Study will be presented at a community outreach forum. The study, which began in October 2008, was designed to yield data and analysis that could help improve the line’s reliability, overall efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Bus riders and members of the general public are invited to attend, hear about the study’s findings, and discuss with AC Transit planners how best to apply the results to improve the service. The forum will be held at AC Transit’s General Offices, 1600 Franklin Street in Oakland, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Read the full study at AC Transit’s website.

Thursday, February 25th – Walk Oakland Bike Oakland Meeting

Meet Michael Flocchini, AC Transit’s Education and Training Manager, at the next WOBO Member Meeting. Michael will share AC Transit’s current project to update driver training to improve bike/ped safety. We’d love to have you there, because Michael wants to learn from you – he’s interested in your constructive ideas on how buses, bikes and pedestrians can all share the road! This meeting will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm at Bay Area Wilderness Training, 2301 Broadway, Suite B – enter on 23rd Street. For more info, visit WOBO’s website.

January 25-31 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, January 25th – The Future of Oakland and the School Board

Via the League of Women Voters: “The excellence of Oakland’s schools directly ties into the health of our city. Youth who graduate from high school with skills to continue their educations, fill jobs, and contribute to their neighborhoods will not be adding to our national reputation as a top-tier crime scene. What is the role of our school board in promoting OUSD student achievement? How does our school board support effective principals and teachers and personalized learning environments for OUSD students? LWVO invites its members and the larger community to attend this gathering. School Director and LWVO member Jody London will join us in a discussion of issues.” This event will take place from 6:30-8pm at Redwood Heights Community Center, 3883 Aliso Avenue (Just off Redwood Road near Highway 13).

Tuesday, January 26th – Temescal Neighborhood BRT Meeting

Oakland is preparing its recommendation for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system running through the heart of the East Bay from San Leandro through Oakland to Berkeley. Throughout the month of January the city will be seeking the input of Oakland residents on what they want to see from the Bus Rapid Transit program and how they want this new service to run through their communities. This process will culminate in the submittal of Oakland’s Locally Preferred Alternative to AC Transit to be included in the range of options they consider when they build the BRT system. I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of Oakland’s plan at December’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting, and it’s pretty astounding, especially the significant pedestrian improvements. This meeting is part of a series of seven meetings throughout Oakland, and I highly recommend attending at least one to see the plan for yourself and to ask questions. This meeting will be held from 6-8 PM at Faith Presbyterian Church, 430 49th St. You can read more about the BRT proposal at dto510’s excellent post about this issue and at OaklandBRT.com.

Wednesday, January 27th – MTC Vote on Oakland Airport Connector & Rally for Justice and Jobs

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will vote this Wednesday on whether to reallocate $70 million in stimulus funds, since the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) is withholding these funds from BART for the Oakland Airport Connector until BART conducts a full equity study of the project. BART likely does not have enough time to comply – if the study isn’t completed and the funding isn’t approved before March 5, the $70 million in stimulus funding will leave the Bay Area forever and be redistributed to another region. Join us on Wednesday to tell the MTC to redistribute the funds to BART, Muni, AC Transit, and other transit agencies for maintenance. These funds would be hugely helpful to these agencies, all of which are facing huge budget deficits. At 9:00am, meet outside of MTC headquarters, 101 Eighth Street to Rally for Justice and Jobs. Then, at 9:45am, speak at the MTC meeting to urge them not to gamble the region’s funds. For more information on Wednesday’s rally and vote, or to send an email to MTC commissioners, visit TransForm’s action page.

Wednesday, January 27th – Insight Prison Project Kick-Off Celebration

From OneCalifornia Bank: “Insight Prison Project and OneCalifornia Bank invite you to attend the Insight Out Kick-Off Party. Insight Out is a bold new initiative that employs a select team of ex-offenders to work with youth to prevent crime and promote healing in Bay Area communities.” Come to this event to learn more about this new project. There will also be a performance by local youth group and appetizers and drinks will be served. The event will be held from 5-7pm at OneCalifornia Bank, 1438 Webster Street, Suite 100. Find out more at the event web page.

Wednesday, January 27th – Downtown Area BRT Meetings

Oakland is preparing its recommendation for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system running through the heart of the East Bay from San Leandro through Oakland to Berkeley. Throughout the month of January the city will be seeking the input of Oakland residents on what they want to see from the Bus Rapid Transit program and how they want this new service to run through their communities. This process will culminate in the submittal of Oakland’s Locally Preferred Alternative to AC Transit to be included in the range of options they consider when they build the BRT system. I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of Oakland’s plan at December’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting, and it’s pretty astounding, especially the significant pedestrian improvements. These meeting are part of a series of seven meetings throughout Oakland, and I highly recommend attending at least one to see the plan for yourself and to ask questions. These meeting will be held from 11am-1pm in Hearing Room 2 and 5-7pm in Hearing Room 4 at Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. You can read more about the BRT proposal at dto510’s excellent post about this issue and at OaklandBRT.com.

Thursday, January 28th – Broadway Auto Row Planning Meeting

This will be the third in a series of meetings to help plan the revitalization of Broadway Auto Row. At this meeting, project alternatives will be presented. If you’re interested in this corridor (and you should be), please attend this meeting. It will be held from 6-8pm at First Presbyterian Church, 2619 Broadway at 27th. More info on the Auto Row planning process can be found here.

Thursday, January 28th – Walk Oakland Bike Oakland Meeting

This meeting is your chance to meet the newest member of the WOBO family – Kassie Rohrback, WOBO’s first Executive Director! Kassie will be at the Volunteer Meeting to introduce herself, answer your questions, and – with the help of WOBO campaign leaders – give you an update on what campaigns they’re actively running, where they stand, and how you can help out in 2010. Since this meeting is designed to be your chance to get acquainted with Kassie and WOBO’s campaigns, there will be time (and refreshments) after the meeting, so you can get more information about their campaigns and sign up to volunteer. This meeting will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm at Bay Area Wilderness Training, 2301 Broadway, Suite B – enter on 23rd Street. For more info, visit WOBO’s website.

Thursday, January 28th – Elmhurst Neighborhood BRT Meeting

Oakland is preparing its recommendation for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system running through the heart of the East Bay from San Leandro through Oakland to Berkeley. Throughout the month of January the city will be seeking the input of Oakland residents on what they want to see from the Bus Rapid Transit program and how they want this new service to run through their communities. This process will culminate in the submittal of Oakland’s Locally Preferred Alternative to AC Transit to be included in the range of options they consider when they build the BRT system. I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of Oakland’s plan at December’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting, and it’s pretty astounding, especially the significant pedestrian improvements. This meeting is the last in a series of seven meetings throughout Oakland, and I highly recommend attending at least one to see the plan for yourself and to ask questions. This meeting will be held from 6-8 PM at St. Luis Bertrand Church, 1410 100th Ave. (@ International Blvd). You can read more about the BRT proposal at dto510’s excellent post about this issue and at OaklandBRT.com.

November 16-22 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, November 16th – Oakland Local Community Meetup

Via the Facebook event: “Oakland Local is one month old! Come join us at our first community meetup in downtown Oakland–community partners, OL bloggers & reporters, people interested in being involved with OL and anyone else who wants to support us are invited to our first meetup at TechLiminal. We’ll have beer, wine, snacks, schwag–and a chance to meet–and join–the Oakland Local team. If you’d like to do blogging or community reporting for this site, this is a chance to sign up and get hands-on instruction–or just hang out and build community.” The meetup takes place from 6:35-8:40 at Tech/Liminal, 268 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

Tuesday, November 17th – Oakland City Council Budget Workshop

Before the regular Council meeting, there will be a special budget workshop to discuss plans for closing the $19 million budget gap. This will be an important meeting, and V Smoothe has given an overview of the staff proposals. See the full staff report 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 budget workshop is scheduled to run from 4-6pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Tuesday, November 17th – League of Women Voters Forum on State Governance Reform Efforts

If you’re at City Hall, stop by this event in between the budget workshop and the Council meeting. Years of legislative stalemates, budget deficits, and declining service levels have led many to the conclusion that decision making in California government has become largely dysfunctional. The League has been closely following the growing number of proposals for reform, from changes in the budget processes to a constitutional convention. Several are in initiatives being readied for the 2010 ballots. A representative from the State League will outline these proposals and discuss the League’s positions. This event will take place from 6:00PM-7:30PM at Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room 3 (just inside the 14th St. entrance).

Tuesday, November 17th – Oakland City Council Meeting

After two hours of budget discussion, the City Council still will have to conduct their regular meeting, and there is plenty to discuss. Among other items, they will be discussing Rebecca Kaplan’s billboard proposal, Oakland’s federal legislative agenda, participating in Alameda County’s obesity and tobacco prevention programs grant, a stimulus grant update, and the Oakland Fundy for Children and Youth (OFCY) 2010-2013 strategic plan.  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, November 18th – Planning Commission Scoping Session on College Ave Safeway

As John Gatewood wrote about last week, the Planning Commission will be holding an EIR scoping session on the College and Claremont Safeway project (not to be confused with the Pleasant Valley Safeway, which already had its scoping session). This scoping session will help determine what the EIR will study, and though public comments should stick to those issues, the neighbors who oppose this project will be out in force in an effort to try to stop the project. Whether you love the current project or not, if you’d like to see the current monstrous parking lot and ugly store updated, please come to this meeting and help balance the statements made by those who oppose it. The Planning Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 15th at 6:00 pm in Hearing Room 1, City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza and the full agenda can be read here.

Wednesday, November 18th – AC Transit Meeting: Vote on Accepting MTC’s Conditions for Fund Swap

The AC Transit Board will be voting on the acceptance of conditions from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in order to swap BRT capital funds to operating funds, in order to stave off some of the planned service cuts. If you haven’t been following this issue, check out V Smoothe’s two thorough posts about it. The Board will also be discussing the creation of a funding task force, communication between the Board and the BRT Policy Steering Committee, and an employment agreement with the interim general manager, Mary King. This meeting will take place at 6pm in the 2nd floor board room, 1600 Franklin Street. You can read the agenda and see the relevant memos here.

Wednesday, November 18th – Community Convergence for Climate Action

Join the Oakland Climate Action Coalition in celebrating and supporting the community-based solutions we hope to see in Oakland’s Energy & Action Plan. Don’t miss this inspiring evening of live performances, free food, and community as we showcase the solutions that will make Oakland a model green city. Convened by the Ella Baker Center, the Oakland Climate Action Coalition is a cross-sector coalition of community-based social justice organizations, environmental experts and advocates, labor unions, and green businesses working for an equitable and just Energy & Climate Action Plan for the City of Oakland. This event takes place from 6-8pm at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St @ 9th Street. Find more info and RSVP at the Ella Baker website.

Thursday, November 19th – Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting

Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meets monthly to discusses bicycle and pedestrian issues. This month’s agenda covers the Kaiser Hospital—MacArthur Blvd Median Crossing Design, the Alameda County Union Pacific Railroad Oakland Subdivision Corridor Improvement Study, and Safe Routes to Schools Projects designs. The BPAC is extremely inclusive – any Oakland resident who attends three consecutive meetings becomes a voting member of the committee – so if you’re interested in bike and ped issues, you should consider attending. The BPAC will be meeting from 5:30-7:30pm in Hearing Room 4 of City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Thursday, November 19th – Walk Oakland Bike Oakland Meeting

Come to WOBO’s Nov. 19th volunteer meeting for an “advocate training session.” Have you ever wondered how to get your elected official’s attention and raise awareness about the importance bicycle and pedestrian improvements in Oakland? At this month’s volunteer meeting we will have a representative from the Oakland Heritage Alliance (OHA) speaking about effectively lobbying city hall. Some of the topics Naomi Schiff will cover include how to give effective public testimony, and how to work behind the scenes to persuade elected officials to champion a cause. Participants will leave with ideas for effective advocacy. The meeting will be followed by a pub crawl – not to be missed! This meeting will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm at Bay Area Wilderness Training, 2301 Broadway, Suite B – enter on 23rd Street. For more info, visit WOBO’s website.

September 21-27 Oakland Political & Community Events

Tuesday, September 22nd – Oakland City Council Meeting

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.

Tuesday, September 22nd – Walk Oakland Bike Oakland Meeting

Since attendees of past Volunteer Meetings have asked for more speakers on local bike/ped issues, expect to see more “special guests” at WOBO’s monthly meetings. We’re kicking things off with speaker Joel Peter, the Measure DD Coordinator, who will get us up to date on the Measure DD projects. We’ll also talk about the status of WOBO campaigns in progress and leave time for announcements from attendees (just let us know before the meeting that you’ve got an event or info to share). As always, there will be snacks and lots of bike parking.This meeting will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm at Bay Area Wilderness Training, 2301 Broadway, Suite B – enter on 23rd Street. For more info, visit WOBO’s website.

Wednesday, September 23rd – Public Hearings on AC Transit’s Proposed Service Changes

AC Transit will hold public hearings 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, these will be important hearings 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 workshops will be held from 2-5pm AND 6-8pm at the AC Transit offices, 1600 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor Board Room. Find further info at AC Transit’s website.

Wednesday, September 23rd – League of Women Voters State Budget Forum

From the League’s website: “At the kick-off meeting on September 15 we will have heard about budget issues from a local perspective. What is the state perspective? We will have a resource person from Assemblymember Sandré Swanson’s office to bring us up to date on the latest information on the state budget. Come learn and talk about what you can be doing to make things happen both here in Oakland and in Sacramento.” The forum will be held from 6:30-8 PM at Lincoln Court Senior Housing, 2400 MacArthur Blvd. (corner of Lincoln and MacArthur).

Thursday, September 24th – Special Meeting of the Public Ethics Commission

The Public Ethics Commission will be holding a special meeting to discuss proposed amendments to Oakland’s lobbyist registration act. The commission will discuss 1) whether registration and reporting requirements should be limited to paid, professional representatives of an organization or include volunteer representatives as well; 2) should persons who lobby City officials have to communicate a minimum number of times or devote a certain amount of their time to lobbying before triggering a registration requirement; and 3) should people be except from registering if the communications they make are a) made in writing or at a public meeting or, b) made on behalf of certain non-profit groups that operate on City property and provide a public service.These proposals sprang from a commission hearing in May at which John Klein had launched a complaint against Carlos Plazola for not registering with the City for certain lobbying activities. For background, you should read the account by Max Allstadt of the initial hearing and the lengthy discussion that followed it. The meeting will be held at 6:30pm in Hearing Room 2, City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. You can read the meeting agenda here.

Thursday, September 24th – Wellstone Democratic Club Meeting

The Bay Area Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club will present and discuss”Americans and the Climate Crisis: Attitudes and Social Change” featuring Aaron Pope, Director of Sustainability Programs, California Academy of Sciences. The meeting will be held from 6-9pm at the Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street in Oakland. For more information, visit the club’s website.

Friday, September 25th – Dancing Under the Stars at Jack London Square

Due to the success of Dancing Under the Stars, Jack London Square will offer an additional four-event series of free outdoor dance classes on select Friday nights through the end of September. Singles and couples alike can practice their sizzling salsa moves, learn new Latin dances like the Cha Cha, or do the Hustle while listening to disco. Live bands will add a new level of entertainment to the program. Novices and experienced dancers are all welcome to spend the evening dancing outdoors on Oakland’s celebrated waterfront.  No reservation is required, and all ages are welcome. Dancing Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 PM for professional dance lessons and 8:30 PM for open dance  at the foot of Broadway. This Friday, they’ll be teaching Rumba and Cha Cha.

Friday, September 25th – Fourth Friday Summer Nights: A Little Princess

This summer, the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate is hosting free movies on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, they’ll be showing Finding Neverland. Via V Smoothe, “The grounds open at 6 PM for picnicking and wandering. Music is provided before the movies, which begin around 8:30, once the sun sets. And if you don’t have a car, no problem! AC Transit line 45 drops you off maybe a 10 minute walk (or less, depending on how fast you walk, I guess) from the Estate and runs until midnight.” The estate is located at 2960 Peralta Oaks Ct.

Saturday, September 26th – Love Your Parks Day

Each year, in the fall, Oakland Parks Coalition (OPC) conducts a city-wide survey of Oakland parks to determine their condition. This year the survey is more important than ever due to the maintenance cutbacks. We need lots of volunteers to ensure that all parks are surveyed. The data from our annual surveys is used as a basis for an OPC annual report, 2007 Community Report Card on the Maintenance of Oakland Parks, which is presented early each year to the Life Enrichment Committee of City Council. The written report and a Power Point Presentation are tools used by OPC to advocate for improved and enhanced maintenance services in Oakland Parks. Meet at 8:30am at the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland. After a continental breakfast you’ll be sent out in teams to survey 3-5 Oakland parks. To find out more information and RSVP, visit OPC’s website.

Saturday, September 26th – Democratic Unity Dinner

The Democratic Unity Dinner is the county’s largest party fundraiser. This year, speakers include Attorney General Jerry Brown, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, and Board of Equalization Chair Betty Yee. The Party will be honoring ACDCC long-time member Maggie Gee for all her hard work on behalf of the Democratic Party over the years. The Oakland United Democratic Campaign (UDC) will receive the 2009 Democratic Club/UDC award recognizing co-chairs Elizabeth Echols and Rodney Brooks in particular for their success. The monies raised for this event helps support our six county UDCs for 2010. Cocktails at 6 pm and dinner at 7:30 pm at the Oakland Airport Hilton, One Hegenberger Road. Find more info and purchase tickets on ActBlue.

Sunday, September 27th – Rockridge Out and About

The Rockridge District Association organizes its annual street festival to attract residents, visitors and new businesses to College Avenue.  For one magical afternoon, 10 blocks are transformed into a street fair featuring live music, cooking demonstrations, artisans and food booths, arts, crafts and kids activities. I’ve always enjoyed this street festival, but this year they’re adding an awesome new feature – a Cookbook Exchange! Bring a used cookbook and exchange it for another (remaining books will go to the Rockridge Public Library). The festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on College Avenue from Claremont to the Rockridge Library, in the Rockridge shopping district. Find more info at the festival’s website.

Sunday, September 27th – Sundays in the Redwoods – The Oakland Symphony

This free concert features the The Oakland Symphony & John Handy. 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.