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New community association forms
	The Longfellow Community Association held its first organizational meeting on Thursday, March 4th, at the North Oakland Community Charter School. Some thirty neighbors showed up to discuss how the association should be organized, and what its initial priorities should be. The impetus for the group comes from the guerrilla gardeners who transformed the 40th Street median from an embarrassing dirt strip into a lush and varied landscape. Neighbors want to take the momentum from that community-building experience and effect other positive changes in our neighborhood. Areas of immediate concern are the proposed cell phone towers at 42nd and Linden, the deteriorating condition of Linden Park, a problem commercial property at 45th and Market, and the use of public parkland at 44th and Linden for parking for a condo complex. Interested in participating? Notices for the next monthly meeting will be distributed soon.
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Verizon to erect cell phone towers nearby
	At the February 24th Beat 10Y NCPC meeting, it was announced that Verizon Wireless has obtained City Planning Commission approval to erect cell phone towers on a vacant commercial building across the street from the North Oakland Community Charter School. Some local residents are concerned about possible esthetic and health effects from the nine cell phone towers planned for the site. They are appealing the Planning Commission's February 17th ruling, paying for the $1,200 cost for the appeal with donations from the community. Appeals of this type are heard by the City Council. Appeal of Planning Commission rulings has been an effective tool for the neighborhood in the past. About five years ago, a developer intended to construct condominiums at the California Linens site on 41st Street and Linden. A neighbor appealed and delayed the process; the condos were never built. There has been intense debate about the dangers, if any, of cell phone towers, but much of the debate occurred some ten years ago. With few actual studies to support contentions on either side of the debate, a stark contrast can be found between the allegations of health risks and the assurances that such allegations are ungrounded. One bone of contention for human rights advocates is that the 1996 Telecommunications Act forbids communities from banning cell phone towers based upon environmental concerns, which has been interpreted as a restriction on the right to speak out about the purported health effects of the towers. The FCC's standards for cell phone towers, by the way, are less restrictive than those in place in Russia and Eastern Europe. Perhaps the Chernobyl experience made those countries more sensitive to health concerns posed by radiation-emitting industries.
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Neighbors plan grant proposals
	Neighbors met Thursday night, February 11th, to discuss proposals being developed for Neighborhood Project Improvement grants. For the second consecutive year, the West Oakland Project Area Committee is offering small grants for neighborhood improvements, not to exceed $75,000 per project, with $300,000 total funds available. In our neighborhood, community leaders plan to take advantage of the offer by "spot greening," which means landscaping small, select nooks and niches on public property or private, if the owner is amenable. Additional ideas include improving the 40th Street median to make it easier for volunteers to weed and maintain the space, continue landscaping that median from Lusk to MLK, improve certain bus benches, and foster neighborhood identity with signage or banners designed by community members. A lengthy question and comment period among the dozen attendees followed the presentations of these proposals. At the same meeting, it was announced that the "Longfellow Rules!" association would become a formal neighborhood organization under the moniker "Longfellow Community Association." The name comes from a local school that closed years ago, which in turn had been named after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, at a time when schools were named after famous writers. No information was provided about what this name has to do with our neighborhood, really, (Longfellow never set foot here) or how the name fosters neighborhood identity. A search in Facebook for "Longfellow Community Association" returned information about an organization in Kansas City, MO.   Anybody consider "JAMMI?"
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Night club killer up for parole
	Frankie Williams, who shot down Eli Thornton in 1979, has been approved for parole, according to a story in the Oakland Tribune (Feb 5th). Mr. Thornton and his wife, Alberta, were the owners of Eli's Mile High Club, the blues venue that later became widely renowned under the management of Troyce Key. Ms. Williams was convicted in 1982 of gunning Eli down at the club, where she was a singer, during a heated argument. Ms. Williams was said to be Mr. Thornton's mistress at the time, Alberta having filed for divorce in 1978. The Tribune pleaded for Ms. Williams' release by portraying her as a victim of abuse, not normally prone to violence.  The paper reports "the idea of Williams turning violent was hard to believe for many of her family and friends."  However, accounts published at the time of the murder, such as an East Bay Express story on June 1, 1979, tell a different story.  "Frankie was known for her quick temper," the Express notes, relating a story about Ms. Williams attempting to run two people down with a car in front of the club in 1978.  Nearly 30 years later, the Tribune suggests the 74-year-old Ms. Williams is a victim of political reluctance to grant parole to anyone convicted of murder, regardless of how much of a threat to society they may currently pose. To read a history of the club, click here. After a long series of ownership changes, the club has persisted under new ownership for a year and a half, despite being denied a cabaret permit by the city after neighbors expressed concerns about noise, rowdy behavior, crime and parking problems, based upon their experience with previous club owners. For more details on the permit issue, click here.
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School plans community projects
	Students at the North Oakland Community Charter School ("NOCCS") are planning community improvement projects as part of their course work. Students presented their ideas to the community on January 27th. NOCCS is located at 1000 42nd Street, adjacent to Linden Park. Sixth and seventh grade students are designing the projects for their service learning/community outreach curriculum. Principal Marissa Berman assembled a panel of community members, who listened to oral presentations from the students about what they hope to accomplish. One of the community service projects the students will engage in is planting and maintaining new turf in Linden Park.  Once a week, students will learn the value of contributing to the community by watering and caring for the grass in this park, which the cash-strapped City government has announced they will no longer maintain.
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West MacArthur Blvd to be repaved
	In conjunction with street median improvements planned for this May, sections of West MacArthur Boulevard will be repaved. According to a community member in contact with redevelopment staff, the City has decided to repave West MacArthur at the same time the street median is relandscaped, although the scope of the landscaping does not include street work. Landscaping is being done by the Community and Economic Development Agency, as part of their Neighborhood Project Improvement program. While the street is not in as bad shape as 37th Street nearby, it does have substantial potholes and cracks that need attention. The City's decision is a welcome indication of interest in a community that is reeling from lack of park, median and infrastructure maintenance due to budget conditions.

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Grant funding available for neighborhood improvements
	The West Oakland Project Area Committee is offering $300,000 to community members for neighborhood fix-up projects as part of its Neighborhood Project Initiative program. Individual grants may run as high as $75,000. Applications must be received by March 15th. Last year's program totalled $150,000 in grant funding, which was awarded to various projects. In our neighborhood, funding was received for a security camera on West MacArthur Blvd, a dog run in Grove-Shafter park, and landscaping on West MacArthur. The camera is in place and the landscaping is supposed to start soon. In response to community interest, funding was doubled this year. The program targets small-scale, grass roots projects that have no other funding source. Categories include crime deterrent improvements, neighborhood beautification, community identity establishment and community facility upgrades. Projects must be within the West Oakland redevelopment area, which extends as far north as 40th Street, between MLK and Emeryville. To get an application or learn more, click here or call Ms. Hui-Chang Li at 510-238-6239.
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Vandals disrespect the neighborhood
	The holiday season was blemished by a tagging crew who vandalized private residences on 40th Street during the night before Christmas Eve. Numerous buildings along 40th Street and Telegraph Avenue were hit by taggers who used several colors of paint. The tags do not seem to be gang-related, based upon their crudeness and placement. The uninspired markings were found on houses, apartment buildings, street poles and bus signs. One resident was out the next day, removing tags from a wooden utility pole with an electric sander. But with Public Works on furlough and residents distracted by holiday duties, it will probably be awhile before all the damage is repaired.
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City nixes road diet on 40th
	After conducting a series of six community hearings about bike lanes on 40th Street, the City has decided that neighbors' call for reduced traffic flow is a non-starter. In August, the City had applied for a $242,500 grant from Safe Routes To Transit to begin the bike lanes. That grant was recently awarded. The bike lanes are strongly supported by Councilmembers Brunner, Nadel and Kaplan. The grant application asserted there was no "significant local opposition". In our neighborhood, the 40th Street median would be narrowed by six feet in order to widen the street enough to allow bike lanes. Some community members, who landscaped the median at their own initiative last summer, oppose narrowing the median, and instead had proposed reducing the traffic lanes to one in each direction, instead of two. The City has rejected this "road diet" idea, citing "significant and unavoidable traffic impacts." But they will instead study the feasibility of adding to the median at the expense of existing turn lanes. The City Council will decide to accept the grant money in April or May. For more info about the City's proposal, click here!

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NCPC holiday potluck honors unsung heroes
	The holiday gathering of the Beat 6X Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council on December 3rd paused to recognize various volunteers, city employees and clergy who, through their efforts, have helped to improve the neighborhood. The noisy crowd of two dozen or so neighbors hushed to hear Chairperson Madeline Wells recite the contributions of various activists while she presented those who were present with certificates of appreciation. Among those cited were Pastor Jasper Lowry, attorney Leila Moncharsh, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Annie Sloan and others. The individuals honored are rarely appreciated, but consistently make a difference in the community with their hard work and persistence. Following the presentations, everyone chatted while enjoying a smorgasbord of casseroles, fried chicken, salads and desserts, many homemade.
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Somebody's got money
	A camera to spot red-light violators has been installed on 36th Street at Market. Just when you thought the State was broke, an expensive-looking camera has been installed at the corner of 36th and Market, pointed at the freeway off-ramp. One might conjecture it is designed to record and ticket anyone foolish enough to run the light or to make an illegal right turn from the off-ramp. Is this the work of CalTrans? A community group offered OPD $200,000 in redevelopment money to purchase crime surveillance cameras, and OPD recently turned them down, citing insufficient staff to monitor such cameras. It seems unlikely, therefore, that this is the work of the City (even though it is installed on city property). In any event, be careful at that intersection. Those red light fines run around $500 these days.

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AC Transit blinks on service cuts
	AC Transit has tempered its proposed service cuts in our neighborhood. The F transbay bus will continue to service Market Street to 40th, the new 26 line (replacing the 14) will start at 5 AM instead of 6 AM, and will run to midnight instead of 10 PM. Service on the 57 will remain every 12 minutes instead of every 15. The C bus, however, will make fewer trips. A community open house will be held December 1st, from 5 PM to 7 PM, at 1600 Franklin Street.  For more information on the revisions, visit the AC Transit website. To comment, call 510-891-4854, or e-mail planning@actransit.org.

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Landlady agrees to spruce up properties
	Absentee landlady Elizabeth Williams reached an agreement with the City on October 22, 2009 to further repair her rental properties in Oakland, including several in our neighborhood. As part of the agreement, tenants will be able to report issues via a 24-hour hotline, and will expect a response with 24 hours and a resolution by the end of three days. The City filed a lawsuit against Ms. Williams three years ago, alleging that her 13 properties were maintained in substandard, dangerous, unhealthy and unsanitary conditions. Since that time, Ms. Williams has taken an active interest in our neighborhood, joining a neighborhood watch group while repainting and repairing properties. As part of the settlement, Ms. Williams agreed to conduct background and eviction checks on potential tenants, and to allow quarterly exterior and semi-annual interior inspections of her properties. The City in turn forgave a portion of the civil penalties that had accumulated against her. We hope that this agreement becomes a model for responsible rental property management.
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Destiny Arts Center plans to move
	Destiny Arts Center plans to move to a larger space when their lease runs out at the end of June 2010. The local non-profit, known for its dance (excuse me, "movement arts") and anti-violence programs engaging local youth, has enhanced the area of 42nd and Linden for several years. The organization was founded in 1988. It currently offers martial arts, hip hop dance, modern dance and youth theater classes for children 3-18 years old. The classes are held in a building shared with the North Oakland Community Charter School. The center has outgrown the space and is planning to move to a larger facility at an undisclosed location in North Oakland. On November 4th, an $800,000 fundraising campaign was launched. On January 23rd, a "move-a-thon" will be held at 1000 42nd Street, from 10 am to 10 pm. Donors can pledge funds to help with the move.

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You can't teach an old dog new tricks
	The effectiveness of anti-graffiti coatings has long been debated, with various manufacturers touting the ability of their particular products to make graffiti disappear with power washing or by scrubbing with special compounds.  The State of Texas even has a written procedure for testing and comparing the coatings.  But if the coatings are ignored by Public Works and merely painted over, any potential they have is moot.   The 40th Street underpass at BART was remodeled last year.  The ugly pebbled concrete walls were replaced with smooth cement that was coated with a shiny anti-graffiti coating.  The improvements were not yet complete before it was tagged, and city workers painted over the graffiti instead of washing it off. The oversight was brought to the attention of Redevelopment staff prior to a walkthrough with the contractor, and the anti-graffiti coating was replaced. The memories of city workers are, apparently, short.  Over the summer fresh graffiti appeared, and the City's response was to paint over it, rather than to wash it off.  The result is the too-familiar patchwork of unsightly mismatched paint. The issue was again brought to the attention of redevelopment staff, who contacted public works.  On November 10th, Arthur Watson (awatson@oaklandnet.com, 434-5112) responded that a passing worker saw the graffiti and painted it out with paint at hand on his truck.  Mr. Watson promised the worker would return and correct the error by repainting the wall "with the right paint."  Does that mean the anti-graffiti coating will be replaced?  So far nothing has been done.

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Local businessman narrowly loses council race nailbiter
	You may remember Frank Flores in his role as John Protopappas' frontman promoting the long-delayed condo conversion project at 3900 Adeline Street, which spans the Emeryville/Oakland border in our neighborhood. Frank just conducted a spirited race for a seat on the Emeryville City Council, only to be disappointed with a loss by seven votes in an extremely close race. Frank is a native of Boston who has been living in the area for seven years or so. After earning a Master's in Urban Planning from U.C. Berkeley in 2002, he joined Protopappas' Madison Park Financial group on 46th Street near Linden, where he is Director of Development. Frank resides in the Bakery Lofts nearby. He has served for three years on the Emeryville Planning Commission, and earlier was on the Housing Advisory Committee. Condolences to Frank on his narrow loss.

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Burley's goes belly up
	Burley's Auto Detail, at 657 West MacArthur on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, appears to have closed down. The property lies idle during business hours, graffiti has appeared, their website no longer works and no-one answers their phone. A fixture of the neighborhood for some 35 years, the business was one of the few commercial enterprises that has survived in that area, and employed local residents to clean cars. The closure, apparently, was abrupt--when asked, a nearby resident stated he had been out of town and was unaware it had closed. Reviews on the web indicate it was open in September. The barbeque stall remains outside, a garbage can awaits emptying, and a van with Burley's advertising on it is parked at the back of the property. A former employee attributed the closure to tax issues.  We hope that owner Mary Syon remains in good health.
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City takes a pass at buying blighted lot
	A community advisory group recommended the City pass on a proposal to purchase the empty lot at 3701 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, corner of 37th Street. City staff had proposed purchasing the lot for as much as $153,000, as part of a package to take control of properties owned by the now-bankrupt Community Development Corporation of Oakland. But the WOPAC Planning Subcommittee, at their November 5th meeting, felt the price was way too high for a lot with known toxic problems. Site of a former gas kiosk and car wash, the property contains monitoring wells and barrels of contaminated groundwater. Likely, the property will now sit vacant for years. The City had loaned CDCO $109,909  to purchase the closed service station with the intent of building low-income senior housing on the site. But those plans never went anywhere. CDCO folded, sticking the taxpayers with the loss. Meanwhile a southern California party, recognizing the historical merit of the picturesque kiosk, purchased the structure and transported it down south. The community gets stuck with a garbage-strewn lot, where once was a building of architectural worth.
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Halloween in the 'Hood
	Halloween used to be a non-event in our neighborhood. Parents were afraid to walk their children down the street after dark, and neighbors were reluctant to attract local youth to their front doors with candy. Rather then hike down long streets lined with darkened doorways, people would drive their children to more prosperous neighborhoods to go door-to-door. But now, people seem to be more inclined to invest time and effort into creating a sense of community. Several buildings boast lavish front-yard displays. Could Halloween be a good excuse to take your family and introduce yourselves to your neighbors?

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Auditions held for new youth dance company
	Destiny Arts Center, at 1000 42nd Street, held auditions on October 5th for a new dance/theater company for 7 - 12 year olds. Some 30 children tried out. They were asked to perform mundane material like reciting the alphabet or the happy birthday song while demonstrating their stage presence, vocal abilities and body movements. A crowd of parents watched with riveted attention while staff encouraged the children and taped the auditions. The Destiny Junior Company will perform modern dance, spoken word and theater in collaboration with professional artists. Requirements are rigorous, involving participation in three different classes. For more information, check out the Destiny Arts website.
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Is the cafe open, or isn't it?
	Your Community Cafe, on the corner of 45th and Martin Luther King, seems to be closed again.  It reopened briefly in September as the Kingdom Come Lounge, after having been closed for a couple of months due to problems with the Health Department.  But the sign in the window quickly disappeared, and the place is shuttered most nights, although at unannounced times some event or another occurs. The Holistic Halal Cafe opened the week of December 15th at 4501 MLK, a block from the Lighthouse Mosque. "Halal" is an Arabic word that, in this context, refers to food that has been prepared in accordance with the laws of Islam. The eatery offered a variety of burgers, including tofu, veggie, beef, turkey and chicken, fish sandwiches, as well as an assortment of pies and other desserts. Less than two months later, the black-on-purple sign was replaced by a purple-on-black banner proclaiming the place to be "Your Community Cafe". For a while, the place was open seven days a week, and offered free tutoring, open poetry readings, and Saturday night Rhythm and Blues. On some evenings, the small room was packed. But bad publicity and alleged association with Your Black Muslim Bakery may have scared patrons away. The cafe was owned by 23 year old Joseph Jamall Robinson, and the café’s baker was said to be Daulet Bey. Both individuals have been connected in the past with Your Black Muslim Bakery, but neither has been convicted of any crime. That fact did not stop an irresponsible journalist from branding the café’s owners “lunatics behind the murder of Chauncey Bailey” (they have not been charged with involvement of any kind in that crime), inspiring blog responses like “just burn it down” and “get out of MY community”. It didn't help that a cafe employee, Gary Popoff, was arrested in April at the cafe on a parole violation. Then, on May 24th, suspected Craigslist bandit Damien Bell ran from the cafe after police responded to a tip, and was arrested trying to scale a fence nearby. OPD officer O'Connor also says there were two shootings and a hit-and-run in the vicinity.  And on May 29th, a reviewer on Yelp claimed to have seen a rat while eating there, and called the Health Department. On Labor Day weekend, activity resumed at the cafe as workers moved furniture around and took down the signage.  An employee stated that the Health Department had identified some shortcomings in the kitchen that were not up to code, but those problems have been addressed. The cafe quietly reopened with a "grand opening" on September 25th, no sign or publicity, but Atlanta crunk rapper Kountree at the mic. In this incarnation, the place was called the "Kingdom Come Lounge." But its hours were erratic and the Lounge was short-lived.
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A million dollars for a new library
	On September 16th, the WOPAC voted to set aside $1,000,000 as seed money for a new library in our neighborhood, or close by. The West Oakland redevelopment area extends as far north as 40th Street. The proposed library would serve the "Hoover/West MacArthur" neighborhood from 40th Street south to 24th Street, between San Pablo and the 980 freeway. There are several purposes for setting the money aside: to start accumulating the necessary funds to build such a public work, to start serious conversations about where a library might be located, and to attract grants by indicating commitment and providing matching funding. The WOPAC is currently seeking a volunteer to represent businesses in the Hoover/West Mac neighborhood. If you run a business in the area and are interested in advising the City Council on how redevelopment funds should be spent, contact Hui-Chang Li at 238-6329.
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42nd Street barbeque is all about food and community
	42nd street neighbors held a block party on September 19th. It was all about food: barbequed chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, fruit, home-made bread and desserts. . . but more, it was about community: getting to know your neighbors, sitting in chairs in the street and enjoying a warm, sunny afternoon. Long-time activist and 42nd Street resident Verdis Whittaker was a motivating force behind the event, Tanya organized it, and many people helped out. At one point, some fifty-four people mingled.  A four piece band played.  It was a mellow event.
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OPD says "No thanks" to funding for security cameras
	After two years of vacillation, the Oakland Police Department has declined to accept $200,000 in redevelopment funds offered by community activists to purchase a dozen state-of-the-art security cameras for use in high crime areas of West Oakland. OPD had gone before the WOPAC citizens committee in 2007, pleading for funding for the cameras, and the WOPAC had responded by earmarking public funds for that purpose. But the author of the proposal, OPD Lieutenant Paul Berlin, retired, triggering two years of studies, committees, budget cutbacks, unexplained delays and politics. In mid-2008, then-Chief Tucker sent then-City Administrator Edgerly a memo enthusiastically outlining a vast plan for a citywide camera program, involving a new monitoring center at Eastmont Mall and dedicated staff.  The City Administrator endorsed that plan and sent it on to the City Council.  A $5.6 million camera proposal was floated in hopes of attracting stimulus funds from the Federal government. In May 2009, the Mayor's office caught wind of the modest West Oakland plan and made inquiries through the City Administrator. The City dealt with draconian budget cuts in June.  Next thing you know, WOPAC was informed via a memo from redevelopment staff that the camera project "had been determined to be infeasible". The memo carefully avoided mentioning who had made that determination (it was Deputy Chief Kozicki), but reported that OPD had neither the funds nor the staffing to make effective use of the cameras in the long run. On September 16th, WOPAC reluctantly returned the funds to their unallocated reserves. Read the memo! Do security cameras reduce crime? Click here to read the 411 !
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WOPAC picnic unfazed by hurricane Linda
	The West Oakland Project Area Committee ("WOPAC") hosted a picnic in the rain on Saturday, September 12th at Durant Park.  A couple brief showers, courtesy of hurricane Linda, did not deter the nearly 50 picnickers who attended. WOPAC members, curious neighbors and representatives of other community groups braved the hostile weather to munch hot links, veggies and chips while discussing plans for Durant Park and other neighborhood issues. The redevelopment area includes the blocks surrounding Durant Park, and extends north to 40th Street in our neighborhood.

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Tree planting transforms West Mac
	On Saturday, August 22nd, Urban Releaf returned to our neighborhood to plant fifty more trees on West MacArthur, as well as on San Pablo Avenue. From 10 am to 2 pm, 150 volunteers continued the work started on April 2nd by extending the tree plantings west to Market Street. Additional trees were placed on San Pablo, in locations requested by property owners. It then becomes the property owner's responsibility to water and care for the tree.   The event was organized by Urban Releaf, in partnership with the Ella Baker Center, CommuniTree, the cities of Oakland and Emeryville, the Peace Corps and numerous other organizations.  A video about the planting can be viewed on the Oakland North website.
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Redevelopment PAC supports community garden
	A month after one redevelopment committee voted to recommend the use of public funds to acquire an empty lot for a community garden, a second committee voted unanimously to recommend funding the necessary improvements to the property. The property in question is the empty lot on the corner of 39th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Public records and neighbors' recollections indicate that the lot has been vacant at least since the 1930's. Maps from 1911 indicate there were two small structures, perhaps workers cottages, on the property at that time. The Broadway/MacArthur/San Pablo Project Area Committee voted on July 2nd to support funding the purchase of 3881 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in order to establish the community garden on the site. A non-profit community group calling itself the Oakland Crossroads Unity Garden submitted a proposal to that PAC requesting that $160,000 in redevelopment funds be offered to purchase and maintain the site. On Wednesday, August 12th, the West Oakland Project Area Committee voted to chip in $100,000 to pay for running the irrigation and electricity, building a fence and planter boxes, and other necessary improvements. The vote was unanimous by acclamation, and followed by applause from committee members. Both recommendations require approval by the City Council before any funds can actually be spent. The owner of the property, Community Development Corporation of Oakland, an affordable housing provider active in our neighborhood, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leaving uncertain the fate of several vacant lots the organization had land-banked for eventual use as sites of low-income housing. One of those sites is 3881 MLK. But the nonprofit did have some successes. What happened, and what can we learn from it? Read more!
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Outdoor church service embraces community
	Harvest Fellowship Church, at 42nd and MLK, hosted an outdoor church service on August 9th with free food and entertainment. 42nd Street was blocked off between MLK and the 24 freeway from 10 am to 2 pm in favor of a sound truck and outdoor seating area. A crowd of some 80 people was entertained by live gospel music from the Sacramento-based youth group Jon Harris and Voices.  A sermon was held, followed by a free lunch of hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. A bounce house entertained the children. The church gave away bags of groceries to people in need, and free backpacks to school children.
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Neighbors eat in the street
	Tuesday, August 4th, was National Night Out, and neighbors hosted block parties at two locations in JAMMI: 42nd and Market, and Apgar and West. People from the vicinity mingled in the street under the watchful eye of OPD officers, eating homemade dishes and chatting about local issues. At 42nd and Market, tables sporting an array of food and juices provided a magnet for a diverse mix of residents, both long-term and recent arrivals. Girls displayed their prowess with a jump rope, enticing a couple adults to join in. PSO Trode posed for photos with the crowd, taken by a representative of Jane Brunner's office. Meanwhile, a few blocks away on Apgar between West and Lusk, a bounce house entertained small children while adults enjoyed recorded music.
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Heartbeat of Oakland invigorates neighborhood
	On Saturday, July 25th, some two dozen Oaklanders and neighbors gathered at 40th and Market, then marched to Mosswood Park, where they celebrated community with a picnic, live entertainment and activities. Called the "Heartbeat of Oakland," this community walk and picnic was hosted by "community members," and was billed as a "community dialog." In liaison with Silence the Violence, the Measure Y Street Outreach workers and local clergy, the group swelled to some fifty participants at the park. Rappers including J-Million, Diamond, O-Zone and Marquis entertained the crowd, as did the gospel group Purchased, although the sound system was less than ideal. While the adults munched hot dogs and lounged on the grass in the sun, the kids made crafts with recycled materials provided by the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.  Marquis got the crowd dancing for a video shoot with his upcoming release, "Going Green."
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Cougar Cadet Drumline entertains commuters
	The Cougar Cadet Drumline, a diverse area musical group of precision drummers, entertained commuters at MacArthur BART on July 24th while soliciting donations. Billing itself as a disciplined and creative group of current and former students of widely varying ages, the Drumline seeks donations to purchase equipment as well as to allow the students to participate in drumline competition and performances. For more information, contact Lester Dixon, Director, at cougar.cadets@yahoo.com.

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Pastors reclaim Grove-Shafter Park
	A nearby park, abandoned by the City and used mostly by the homeless, has been reclaimed by a coalition of local pastors. Grove-Shafter Park, owned by CalTrans and leased by the City, has long been a litter-strewn refuge for the homeless. The grass has been left to die, trash collection is infrequent, and most locals shun it as a dangerous, blighted eyesore. But on Friday, June 26th, church leaders organized a clean-up drive that filled eight yard bags with litter. The following day, the pastors held a "Takin' It to the Park" event with live gospel music by "Purchased," Quaker Oats giveaways and a barbeque. Pastor Jasper Lowery, a leader of the Measure Y street outreach workers, was a driving force behind the event. As he explained at a recent Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council meeting, the pastors plan to return to the park regularly and turn it into a focal point for the community, in the process connecting with local street people and providing them with counseling and services. While the weekend's cleanup was limited to the portion of Grove-Shafter Park bordering 34th Street and MLK, the volunteers hope to expand the effort to the other two sectors of the park, including the "Marcus Garvey" area in our neighborhood, in the near future.
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Local artists open their studios
Benny Alba with Bandit	JAMMI artists opened their studios to the public in early June as part of the annual ProArts Open Studio event. Every June, artists throughout the East Bay who are affiliated with the ProArts cooperative exhibit their work to the community. In JAMMI, participating venues included the Alba Studios and Gallery at 4219 MLK, and the Nitty Gritty Studios at 733 37th Street. Steinman Studio at 4227 MLK also participated. Alba Studios featured the varied works of 12 artists: Benny Alba, Josefina Jacquin, Sherry Wacker, Michelle Levy, Matlena Hourula, Olivia Eielson, L. Hickox Robinson, Catherine Herdering, Alys Briggs, D. Love, Maggie Cockrell and Jennifer Downey. Upon entering, one was greeted warmly by an apprentice and invited to sign the guest book. About the room were works by Alba, ranging from small enameled pieces to an installation evoking a fountain replete with rubber ducks. To the right, one entered a dark room with artworks on the wall and a table surrounded by statues of card players. Given a flashlight, one was allowed to explore various quotations on the walls as well as the paintings of the moon above pine trees. Through another door into the main chamber of the spacious studio, other artists presented their works at tables and in three small lofts. The work was varied, including photographs, prints, paintings, jewelry, enamel work and more. Next door, Susan Leibovitz Steinman was exhibiting dark, murky paintings surrounding assemblages including a tire roped to a chair, with a log strapped on top, and several broken eggs threaded onto a thin pole, below three carved birds. Most works were for sale and, at Alba Studios, a gong was rung every time a work was sold.

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Earth Day street fair delights the kids
	While no sanctioned Earth Day cleanups were scheduled in our neighborhood, the City of Emeryville hosted a street fair in Temescal Creek Park, which spans the city line between Oakland and Emeryville at 47th Street and Adeline. The event featured the obligatory hook-and-ladder, a sound stage with live music, a couple of food-and-drink stands, and no fewer than five inflatable bounce-houses for the kids, including one shaped like a submarine, another with inflated basketballs and hoops, and a tricycle race track with an inflated finish line that tended to blow over in the mild spring breeze. But the kids didn't mind. There were also crafts booths to make your own newspaper hat, and create your own jewelry. Off to the side, in the park itself, were informational booths about recycling, weeds and garden pests, and a proposed Emeryville recreation center. It was a fun little event on the nicest, sunniest afternoon so far of our new Spring.
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Manzanita offers a quality vegan dining experience
	If you are looking for a good vegan restaurant, or simply want a different dining experience, the Manzanita Restaurant at 40th and Linden Streets awaits. The restaurant offers refreshingly different fare in a quiet, relaxed setting. The restaurant is somewhat unique in that each meal is prepared "comida" style; everyone get the same thing. Your only decision is portion size (full meal or moderate), although a "simple meal" is available for those on a tight budget. Service typically starts with a bowl of soup, followed by a plate containing a wheel of five delightful entrees, with a rice dish as the hub. Tea or water comes with the meal. Items can be ordered a la carte. A recent meal began with a hot bowl of yam, squash and miso soup swimming with a few brave slices of green onion. The plate that quickly followed was anchored by a scoop of baked rice with quinoa, surrounded by sauted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and carrot, soy beans with onion, garlic and ginger, a mixed green salad with dressing of lemon-mustard and almond butter, and steamed greens with an eye-catching pink sauce of beet, apple, onion and shitake mushrooms. During nice weather, the patio on Linden Street offers your choice of sun or shade under the flowering vines. The patio boasts a large wire sculpture of a unicorn by Mardi Storm.  Inside seating is arranged in two rooms to allow quiet conversation without one having to strain to be heard.  Service is prompt but unobtrusive. In the 1990's, the site housed the Macrobiotic Cafe.  That establishment offered meal cards for daily patrons.  Volunteers were encouraged to work at the cafe in return for board.  A small store offered for sale the types of ingredients used in preparing the restaurant's dishes. The current enterprise rests on the shoulders of Julie S. Ong, head chef and a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and the Kushi Institute.  From time to time, Ms. Ong hosts a macrobiotic workshop at the Manzanita. The Manzanita Restaurant (510-985-8386) is open seven days a week at 4001 Linden Street, with lunch from 11:30 to 2:30 and dinner from 5:30 to 9:00. Daily menus are posted on the www.manzanitarestaurant.com website.  Mastercard and Visa are accepted. While not exactly a restaurant district, JAMMI features other dining opportunities. Cafe Dejena, Las Palmas, and Eli's Mile High Club offer a small variety of dining options. The cuisine varies from burgers and hot dogs to Eritrean specialties and Mexican food. Read more about these restaurants, and share your own opinions!

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