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NCPC picks up ball dropped by Mayor
	Last fall, city leaders announced a program to clean up Beat 6 by concentrating city resources and services in the area. After a few months of hoopla, little was heard of the plan. But now, neighborhood volunteers have continued what city leaders seemed unable to do. For the full story, click here!
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Mile High Club re-opens
	Eli’s Mile High Club, which closed May 1st due to a rent dispute between then-club owner Sam Marshall and the property owners, has re-opened under new management. The club is open M-Th 5 pm – 2 am and Fri-Sun from noon to 2 am. The bar boasts cheap drinks on certain nights, as well as a tasty Tillamook cheddarburger and fries.    But will the club offer live music, as it has for much of the past 34 years? For full details, or to post a comment, click here! The club has a storied history as the "Home of the West Coast Blues." Read the whole story.
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Where have all the values gone?
	This property on 46th Street recently sold for $285,000, according to the San Francisco Chronicle; it last sold less than three years ago for $640,000. A property on West Grand Ave sold for $120,000, compared to the $540,000 paid for it in 2006. Now is the time to invest in our neighborhood! To view more opportunities, click here!
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Bike lanes on 40th Street
	The West Oakland Project Area Committee discussed funding bicycle lanes on 40th Street at its August 7th Planning Subcommittee meeting.    Early this year, the City completed a study that recommended narrowing the median on 40th Street to allow bike lanes to be striped in both directions. If funding can be identified, construction may begin in 2010. The WOPAC will invite City staff to provide more details on the bike plan at future meetings. For more info, click here!
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Hoezannah's hosts successful open house
	Hoezannah's House, one of many half-way houses located in our neighborhood, hosted a successful open house and fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13th.    The institution offers "life-enhancing strategies including peer-supported continued recovery and treatment, education, intervention and prevention." Located at 3856 West St. near Apgar, it serves women with chemical dependencies. The organization is celebrating its first anniversary in the neighborhood. Learn more about the fundraiser. Hoezannah's House is seeking volunteers and contributions of store gift certificates and a large vehicle. For further information, contact Veronica Wells or Ophelia Wynn at 510-593-8987 or 510-350-7046.

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Oakland Police propose camera network; no public access
	The Oakland Police Department plans to pilot a new surveillance camera system in West Oakland. But the cameras will be part of a closed network that the community will not be able to access. Read the whole story. . . The proposed camera locations include one on Apgar Street. View a map. A report was given by the City Administrator's office to the Public Safety Committee. Read the official memo.

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Neighborhood Improvement Grants
	On March 4th the City Council adopted the West Oakland Project Area Committee's proposal for a Neighborhood Project Initiative Program. Grants for one-time physical improvements will range from $1,000 to $50,000. Grants will be for crime deterrents, neighborhood beautification, neighborhood identity projects or community facility upgrades, and must be located south of 40th Street, since residents in the area north of 40th Street voted in 2001 not to contribute tax dollars to the redevelopment area. The program details, including an application form are available here.  Applications must be submitted by September 30, 2008. Read the WOPAC's vision statement  for the area below 40th Street.
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City Council gives green light to MacArthur BART Transit Village
	On Tuesday, July 1st, the Oakland City Council voted unanimously to approve the next step in the creation of the MacArthur BART Transit Village. Earlier the same day, the Oakland Tribune reported that the project had secured state funding of $34MM to assist in the construction of the BART parking garage. Citizens Planning Committee chairperson Walter Miles received a round of applause from the City Council when he spoke about the long history of the project -- initial community discussion began in 1992 -- and the effort invested by all involved to reach this momentum.  Mr. Miles wore a black suit but no tie. He stated that he would add the tie when ground was actually broken for the project. Several other community members, including Lynne Horiuchi of the West MacArthur Neighborhood Council, spoke in favor of the project.  No speaker opposed it. By voice vote, the council approved the development permits and a revision to the zoning to an S-15 Transit Oriented Development characterization.
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WOPAC mulls purchase of 880 West MacArthur
	The Planning subcommittee of the West Oakland Project Area Committee discussed on July 3rd the possibility of purchasing a vacant lot at 880 West MacArthur. The lot in question was once a Chevron gas station. Several years ago, the station closed, the tanks were removed, and a developer planned to construct 39 tiny condominiums above ground-level parking. The Planning Commission approved the development, but no ground was broken once the mortgage meltdown occurred.  In March of 2008, the property was again for sale, with the entitlement to build the condos, but no offers were received. Meanwhile, the lot sits ugly and blighted, used as an open-air rug market. The WOPAC noted that the property lies at the gateway to Oakland from the 580 off-ramp and from Emeryville, and calls for signature architecture and neighborhood-serving commercial use. However, there may be toxic issues remaining, related to its former use. Any purchase by the City would have to follow careful due diligence, and likely would depend upon a successful issuance of redevelopment bonds.
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Faced with audit, Public Works jumps to fix our street lights
Courtney Ruby, City Auditor	Courtney Ruby, the recently elected City Auditor, held a meeting at Bushrod Recreation Center on Saturday, June 28th, to gather community input about the performance of the Public Works Agency. An audit of Public Works was started in May and is anticipated to conclude in September. The Public Works Agency, with some 700 employees, handles issues such as overflowing litter containers, illegal dumping, graffiti removal, flooding, sewer overflows, tree pruning, park and building maintenance, street sweeping and potholes. Ms. Ruby would like to know what your experience has been with this agency. You can contact her by e-mail at cityauditor@oaklandnet.com, or by phone at 510-238-3378. To test the Agency's commitment to service, I recently sent them a list of 18 streetlamps that were out. Most of the lamps were fixed within three working days. Now, that's service. Did I mention I copied the City Auditor on the service request? View the service request. . . Public Works neglect of our neighborhood may not be unique, but it is widespread. You can request Public Works action by contacting their Call Center at 615-5566, or by e-mailing pwacallcenter@oaklandnet.com.

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Local activist honored for community service
	Local activist Madeline Wells was honored on Sunday, June 22nd at Councilmember Jane Brunner's summer picnic. Ms. Wells was presented with a City Council proclamation that recognized her years of service to the North Oakland community, including the areas of JAMMI covered by the West Oakland project area, Beat 06X and the planned MacArthur BART transit village. Ms. Wells is co-chair of the Beat 06X Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council, sits on the West Oakland Project Area Committee and is a long-time member of the MacArthur BART Citizens' Planning Committee. The Chair of that committee, Walter Miles, recommended Ms. Wells for the award. Shown at left is Ms. Madeline Wells with Walter Miles.

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New streetscape to grace MacArthur BART underpass
	Wondering what all the construction was at 40th and MLK? After four years of planning, workers are busy improving the sidewalks, median and underpass on 40th Street at Martin Luther King. The $2.8MM project will add bike lanes, crosswalk improvements, a traffic signal, new lighting, new surface treatment over the pebbled concrete walls of the underpass, and bike storage lockers at BART. According to Kathy Kleinbaum of the redevelopment agency, the project should be finished in 4 to 5 months. A seismic retrofit planned by BART has been delayed six months, so the contractors will start the improvements to the underpass itself (including new lighting, wall treatments, and bicycle lanes) once they have finished the current work outside the underpass.   Eventually, BART will strengthen the pillars in the center of the street under the overpass and narrow the median.  The gaps between the pillars will be narrowed but not completely walled off.

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