earthquake safety

You can practice earthquake safety, hands on!   Volunteers needed asap for the Great California Shake Out.  We will spend a morning pretending that we are responding to a citywide  emergency (earthquake, fire, etc).  No previous skills needed.  You will assess, rescue and run a command center.    I am trained and can take the lead.  Lets do it!  Ruby Stein 510 229-9984.

Lake Neighbors Meetings 2013

Mark your Calendars!
Location: Regeneration Church, 238 E 15th St @ corner of E 15th St and 3rd
ALL Thursdays (dinner included):

Jan 24 - 6:30 to 8:30pm (Regeneration Church, Chapel room)
April 25 - 6:30 to 8:30pm (Regeneration Church, Chapel room)
July 25 - 6:30 to 8:30pm (Regeneration Church, Chapel room)
October 24 - 6:30 to 8:30pm (Regeneration Church, Chapel room)

Oct Mtg Notes

Lake Neighbor’s Meeting on October 4th, 2012

 

Thanks to… 

·        Our hard-working Sasha Esposito San Roman for running the meeting….

·         Debra Capitan for the delicious lasagna and salad (if you all had known what you were missing you would have been there)

·         Mwende for the drinks, helping with set up and pitching in to start tracking minutes...

·         And Re:generation Church for hosting!

 

Introduction to the Lake Neighbors by Sasha

Concepts:  Safety, Strong Positive Events, Healing the Cause

The Lake Neighbors asks that you choose something you can do -  little or big – to make our neighborhood a better place.

 

Other members of the team:

Ruby Stein – Emergency Preparedness

Open Position – Event coordinator  (many thanks to Betsy Johnson for all her hard work)

Sean Henry - Coordination with OPD District 15

 

Please contact Sasha if you might want to fill the role of the events coordinator – either semi-permanently or for a single event

 

Introductions

Each attendee introduced his or her self 

·         Marilyn Clark lives at E 20^th and 7^th Ave.  She is interested in better relations between OPD and the neighborhood.  It’s important that police and citizens have a good relationship.

·         Andy Blackwood lives at E 19^th and 11^th Ave.  He is concerned about public safety.

·        Len Montalvo of Intervention Group, a private security firm.  He has professional and personal interests in security issues in Oakland and is also a lake neighbor. It’s great to see folks getting together.  He’s interested in developing a movie night.

·        Patrick Graham, also of the Intervention Group.  He’s feeling discouraged about the state of Oakland, but has hopes for improvements.

·         Sean Henry was born in Oakland.  He’s lived at 1800 Lakeshore since 1997.  He’s working with his immediate neighbors on getting drug dealing out of the neighborhood.   He’s also working on improvements to Pine Knoll Park. 

·         Brittany Ceres and Noki live at 5^th Ave and E 19^th St with Brittany’s wife Carol.  They created the website for the Lake Neighbors and run the blog.  Please contact them if you have anything to post.

·         Laura Jerrard lives at E19th St and 11^th Ave.  She takes the meeting notes for the Lake Neighbors

·         Debra Capitan lives on E 19^th between 10^th and 11^th Avenues.  She’s been involved in Lake Neighbor’s events – including our recent Valentine’s Day Pancake breakfast – and hopes we can keep up making things happen and connecting neighbors.

·         Mwende lives in the Vue du Lac Apartments.  She loves Oakland for its many positives, its great mix of people, its thriving art and cultural scene.  She blogs about Oakland on www.gobanter.com

·         Jennie Gerard, Council Member Pat Khernighan’s Chief of Staff came say hello, find out what’s going on and answer questions

·         Javier and his family recently moved to E 24^th St. and 8^th Ave. His project is movies to be screened from O’Reilly’s parking lot on the outside of the Parkway Theater Building.  

·         Sasha Esposito San Roman needs no introduction.  She lives at E 17^th and 3^rd Ave.  She does admin for the Lake Neighbors and has been running the meetings.  She and her husband Hector provide internet service to the neighborhood

·         Ruby Stein, our Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, wishes that we were all totally up to date with earthquake preparedness and that we all knew what to do in an emergency.  See below for her updates.  She also has a plum tree in her yard that is bearing fruit.  Neighbors are welcome to come in and pick it in the back yard at 2001 5^th Avenue.

 

Safety Issues and Oakland Police Department

 

Officer Dimitrius Fowler visited the meeting.  He’s the PSO for Beat 15, the area bounded by E 18^th St., Lakeshore, Park and 580.   He’s been with OPD for 5 years.  He may soon be reposted to a CRT team, a team that works on special projects.  He hasn’t been in the neighborhood that much later because he’s been pulled out for special projects.  These include hunting murder suspects and narcotics dealers and a big operation to stop Khat distribution in West Oakland.  It was being distributed by a taxi driver to 10 liquor stores.

 

The PSO works on neighborhood issues as a project.  Some issues he’s been working on lately include making the OPD presence felt outside some of the new massage parlors on Park Blvd., working on security at 633 Alma apartments, working with Sean and the neighbors on drug dealing along Lakeshore.  His email address is on line.  Feel free to contact him with beat issues.  Also the Lake Neighbors could use Sean as the liaison.

 

Debra said that the lack of consistency in beat officers and PSOs is disheartening for the neighbors.   Other members of the group agreed.  Andy said the neighborhoods used to have a better working relationship with police officers on the beat.   Until there are more police officers on the street Officer Fowler doesn’t see the current pattern changing much.  Neighbors can do a lot by getting to know each other and watching out for one another.

 

Sasha and her husband, Hector, who live next to the Walgreens and across the street from the Lucky’s have a lot of surveillance cameras focused on the street.  They acquire all kinds of information including videos of drug dealing going on a regular basis.   They’d love to get this to OPD but in spite of calls haven’t been able to connect.  Officer Fowler asked that Sasha send him an email. 

 

Jennie Gerard spoke about the “Dear John” pilot program in the San Antonio neighborhood.  Citizens are being trained to identify men who are engaging with prostitution.  When they report vehicle information to the police, a “Dear John” letter will be sent out to the registered owner of the vehicle letting them know that their car was seen in an area known for prostitution.  EDALDC has been spear-heading the effort.  If it has an impact it may be made available in other neighborhoods.

 

Crime to watch out for in the neighborhood

·         Cell phone and computer snatching.  Do not use your phone while walking around.  Do not carry electronic devices openly. Thefts are a huge problem. Turnaround on stolen devices happens very quickly.  Do not encourage people to  become criminals by being careless

·         Lately there have been some purse snatchings when drivers are stopped at stop lights (E 18^th and 8^th Ave.)  Lock your doors when you drive.  

·         An elderly man (named Mr. Ellison?) has a mobile flea market at Lake Merritt Park.  This is a front for drug dealing.  He doesn’t actually sell the items that he has spread out but uses them as his excuse to be at the lake engaging in transactions all day long.  He used to set up right across from Pine Knoll Park, but has moved down the road towards 2000 Lakeshore under pressure from Sean and his neighbors.  Keep an eye out and call the drug hotline if you see him engaging in any drug transactions.

 

Crime fighting tips:

·         Make reports on the drug hotline – 238-DRUG.  The police do tallies of call coming in to the drug hotline.  The more calls that are logged over a specific situation or area, the more resources that area will receive.  

·         Remember for program the direct line for local emergency numbers into your cell phone.

·         Oakland Crime Spotting is a website published by OPD that gives information about location and nature of crimes committed in Oaklandhttp://oakland.crimespotting.org

 

Other Neighborhood Gossip

 

“The Man of Steal” Rickey Henderson recently bought a property on Lakeshore.  He owns a number of properties in Oakland and is said to be a good landlord.

 

The Econo Lodge on the corner of E 12^th and 1^st Ave has been closed for a year by a judge because of the prostitution problem.  What will it become?

 

Strong Positive Events and Actions

 

Since we have no permanent events coordinator, and no one willing to take on the job permanently, but plenty of people willing to help, we’re going to try having people step up for one event at a time.   This is going to include setting up and running the meetings.  We’ll plan a couple of events in advance so that we don’t lose momentum.

 

The neighbors at Pine Knoll Park (the grassy hill with a restroom across the street from the Lake).  A garden has been installed.  Neighbors are working on another garden,  signage,  clean-up and lighting.

 

Hector is always looking for ways to expand free internet service.  If you live in a tall building and might be able to place a repeater on your roof please get in touch to discuss.

 

Trunk or treat is coming up - Monday, Oct 31, 2011 5:30p to 9:30p

 This is a Halloween event for children in the parking lot of Re:generation Church. 

Safe Trick or Treating for neighborhood families! Pumpkin Carving! Art and Crafts! Bounce House! Carnival Games! Taco Truck and Bake Sale! Trunk or Treat is a Halloween event where children in Oakland can trick-or-treat safely. Volunteers will be stationed in the parking lot and children will go from trunk to trunk for candy. Kid-friendly movies, and fun and games in the community center!  Volunteers and donations are needed.  Or just come on down. 

 

Javier has been working on showing an outdoor movie on the side of the old Parkway Theatre building.  He approached O’Reilly’s to ask permission to have a gathering in the parking lot.  He was turned down, ostensibly for liability reasons.  Many members of the group expressed support for the idea and volunteered to be part of an email campaign.  Sean suggested direct action. 

 

Len is going to work on setting up a movie night at our new beer garden and restaurant, Portal at Foothill Blvd. and 2^nd Avenue.

 

Progressive New Year’s Eve Party.  This is always a great event.  Several people are willing to host or help, so we’re on for this year.  Yay!

 

Emergency Preparedness by Ruby

The Lake Neighbors have prepared a flyer on emergency preparedness.  It includes a coupon for a discount on a gas shut off tool (courtesy of Ace Hardware Grand Lake).  Knowing where and how to shut off the gas at your house is one of the most important ways you can prepare for an emergency. 

 

Marilyn and Ruby walked a few blocks providing people with the flyer on and making them aware that they need to know how to shut off their utilties.  They found that some valves had been painted open; some people couldn’t access their valves.  Everyone talk to you neighbors about this important issue.

 

There is a “Shake-out” at October 18^th at 10am.  A Shake-out is a practice session for a major emergency.   Citizens come to a command center and practice.  Teams go out for assessments and rescues.  Ruby volunteered to be a victim last.  She’d like to run a practice session in our neighborhood this year.  Please contact her if you’re interested.

 

CORE stands for Citizens of Oakland Responding to Emergencies.  It’s a great training program.   Everyone should do it.

 

Ruby has a lot of information on operating during a disaster and is happy to share it with anyone.  For questions or to register email Ruby at rstein94606@yahoo.com

 

Resources

These are the resources that were brought up during the meeting.

·         SeeClickFix a smart phone app that makes it sweet and easy to report illegal dumping

·         You can also report illegal dumping through Oaklandnet.com or the DPW dumping hotline 510-615-5566

·         City of Oakland, Drug Hotline 237-drug!

·         CORE emergency response training by the City of Oakland

·         www.gobanter.com blogging about and for Oakland

·         Free internet service is provided to neighbors by Sasha and Hector

·         Portal, our new beer garden and restaurant

·         http://lakepeeps.blogspot.com/ The Lake Neighbor’s blog!

 

Next Year’s Meetings

The group agreed that the time and schedule for meetings was working well – especially if we can keep events going between meetings.  We will be talking with Re:generation Church about continuing meetings there.  And, we’re going to try a new format with people rotating through setting up and running each meeting. Sean’s first; Andy’s second.  Jump in if you want to take on a meeting.  The mail effort in that role is to keep things solution focused and proactive -- everyone's position respected.  Keep it in action oriented direction (we all know the problems -- this short time is on knowing eachother, exchanging information, making specific plans and implementing them).

 

The Next Meeting

The next Lake Neighbors’ Meeting will be the Thursday the 25th in January, 6:30pm to 8:30pm.  Sean Henry will be running the meeting and providing food.    If anyone can help food it would be much appreciated.  If you don’t know how to contact Sean, contact Sasha and she’ll set you up.

 

Another great Lake Neighbor’s Meeting.  Thanks to all!