MTG: 10-06-09

The Lake Neighbors

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING MINUTES (10/6/09)

Hi Lake Neighbors! The main issue discussed was Disaster Preparedness and I will highlight that discussion. After that, we mostly covered events and that follow.

As a group we identified a location to come to should we have a major disaster event. This is our current operating plan and it is up for adjustments as we get better prepared/trained….we just need to have something in place right now.

The agreed first choice location to meet and work from: The block of E. 17th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues – we will have a workplace set up with what we have there with the different yards/fences and garages…It is close enough to everything and also tucked out of the way from bigger streets – it is small enough for easy containment. IF SOMETHING UNFORSEEN IS WRONG WITH THIS LOCATION AT THE TIME OF DISASTER…2nd place to go to then will be Regeneration Church. More than likely whatever we make happen will be a combination of places.

We meet in 2 weeks (10/20) Tuesday night at 6:30 pm at Regeneration’s church Café to set up emergency packs (we are hoping to invite a woman Sharleshia knows who sells these at a reasonable price…$35?). Please try to make it if you want to be involved. At that time we will also map out our houses and number them in case we need to assign tasks, etc.

In the mean time, over the next week:

· Collect water, and water treatment items

· Collect canned foods

· Collect basic medicines

· Get walkie talkies – we use channel 90 (they are $20 ea. @ home depot)

· Keep gas tanks over ½ full as a practice

· Suzanne has a commitment to collect herbal 1st aid (she is an herbalist – she is also planning to hold classes for this soon if you have specific needs, she can design classes around those)

· Jessica will email me the handout she gave at the meeting to help people plan (we want to prepare for 7 days on own)

· Next meeting a woman named Gabriana will try to be there (she is a neighbor – who also sells insurance as there was an interest in equake insurance at the meeting.

We may try to have a fundraiser at the next outdoor movie to collect items for e-prep (emergency preparedness)

CORE UPDATE: CORE III Training is available ONLY at their site @ Mills College…they do not have dates set yet, but next set will be in Jan/Feb & we can put our names on the list now (it will most likely be 1 eve. 6:30-9 for 3 weeks and then a Saturday class)

ALSO…MAKE UP CLASSES FOR CORE 1: 11/3 6:30 9pm Mills College & MAKE UP CLASSES FOR CORE 2: 11/10 6:30 9pm Mills College

WATCH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS vigilantly – crime is WAY up and we have to pull together. Call or Email Officer Scott Hewitt (shewitt@oaklandnet.com ). Suzanne reported that her friend was held up at gunpoint (several guns, several assailants) at 6th & E. 15th at 10pm. Remember to track these things because Sean is looking to start a neighborhood patrol soon – keep a log of times of day and incidences so we can plan accordingly.

FUN:

HAPPY HOUR IS HERE…almost! THIS Thursday (TODAY!) between 6 & 7pm, cruise by and say hello and visit at the combined porches of Sasha & Hector AND Jessica & Richard on E. 17th between 3rd & 4th Ave. We are right in the middle of our tiny little block & we will be easy to find. Happy hour for us is NOT necessarily alcohol related – just happy.

Next movie night – Steve Ma’s Jam Fest PART 2 is this coming Saturday (was parceled because of the weather – he wants to follow with a movie which will start soon after 7pm because it is getting darker earlier now. He needs our help pitching in – please try to be there to help. Contact me if you are able. JAMFEST PART 2 starts earlier in the day on Saturday (10/10) 3 to 6pm over by Woody’s…the Movie follows at 7pm or soon after.

HALLOWEEN Trunk or Treat – Bring your car (can be decorated to be Halloweeny) and park at Regen Parking lot on E. 15th St. and 3rd Ave with treats in the trunk for kids to have…for more info check in with Dave Kim – you can email me and I will pass on questions and I can re-announce and update as I get more info. Sounds like a fun thing, to do, though, right?


TEA FUNDRAISER AT THE FARM…SUNDAY 10/25 (and every last Sunday of the month) will be Bee Tea at Funktown farm to fundraise – $5 gets you all the tea and tea food you want and helps the farm raise money (this time for bees!!!!).


THE PARKWAY: Steve Ma let us know about an effort on the part of the iliketheparkway people to secure some time at The Parkway Theatre over the holidays but this is fraught with obstacles and challenges and may not be possible. We will let you know if we hear more!


FYI: The group was interested in offering help to the people living in the house that recently burned down (@ East 18th St. & 5th Ave.) – I contacted the Red Cross to see if we could do anything to help out and they said that all their needs have been met.

OTHER FYI: Steve Ma let us know that the next LMBA (Lake Merritt Business Association) meeting will be on Tuesday 10/13 from 12-1 and that there will be a representative for “Streetscapes Improvement Project” that is slated to bring their improvement efforts ($1.7 mil) to E. 18th and also up Park in 2010. The meeting is held in an office right next to Woody’s Café.

See you all over the neighborhood,

Sasha