Trunk or Treat

You've got less than three weeks to plan your TRUNK OR TREAT costume!

What:
TRUNK OR TREAT is a safe place for neighborhood families to come trick or treat on Halloween! Create a costume for yourself AND your car, then host a trick-or-treating trunk in the parking lot of Regeneration Church, corner of E. 15th St. and 3rd Ave.

When:
October 31st, 5:30-9:30

How The Lake Neighbors Help:

TRUNKS! The more fun trunks the more fun the kids will have. Bat Man and the Bat Mobile, Scooby Doo and the Mystery Van, spider webs, flashing lights, let loose and get creative!
To participate as a Trunk, contact ken@regenerationweb.com

MASKS! Every kid should be able to dress up for Halloween, so the Lake Neighbors sponsors a mask-making table to make sure everyone gets in the spirit. We need at least four volunteers to man the mask-making table.
To volunteer at the table, contact betsy.tyler@gmail.com

SPREAD THE WORD! Everyone is invited, so tell your neighbor (and your neighbor's kids) about Trunk or Treat!

sign up now! CORE Emergency Training - nov 2011

We have an opportunity to participate as a neighborhood group in a free emergency emergency preparedness and response program called Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies, (CORE).
November 2nd for CORE 1 and November 16 CORE 11.

Both are Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9:00pm at the F.M. Smith Recreation Center, 1969 Park Blvd. Just RSVP Ruby Stein (510) 229-9984.

No forms to fill out. Please talk it up with your family and neighbors as we must have 15 people signed up or it will be cancelled

community mtg: Lake Merritt Station Area Plan

Greetings!

The City of Oakland ’s Community and Economic Development Agency is excited to invite you to attend an open house for the Lake Merritt Station Area so you can offer your ideas about draft conceptual proposals for the future development of the area. If you live , work , visit , or study in the Planning Area (see map below) , we strongly encourage you to join in the planning process!

We would like to hear your thoughts on draft conceptual proposals for improvements to streets and sidewalks , and land use guidelines for new development in the area within half a mile radius from the Lake Merritt BART Station. The draft concepts are based on an ongoing community process to create a Station Area Plan that will help guide how this area develops into the future.


Lake Merritt Emerging Concepts Open House

Laney College Student Center/Cafeteria
900 Fallon St. ( @9th Street )

Open House: 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

The meeting is open house format , so you can arrive at any time. There will be various stations with information on the draft concepts. A staff person will be at each station to answer questions and you will be invited to make comments on a feedback form. Light refreshments will be served.

Monday’s open house was inadvertently scheduled on the same day as this year’s Full Moon Festival which is an important cultural event to many in the community. Therefore , if you are unable to attend the open house and want to provide feedback , you will have until the end of the day on Wednesday Sept. 14th to submit your comments. Open house materials will be on display at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center ( 388 9th Street). Email all comments (completed Feedback Forms) to lake_merritt_plan@oaklandnet.com , or deliver in person to the City of Oakland Planning Department , care of Alicia Parker , Planner II , 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza , Suite 3315

Please also check out our most recent Newsletter for more information:
English – http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca/groups/ceda/documents/report/oak025982.pdf
Chinese –
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca/groups/ceda/documents/report/oak025983.pdf

Workshop Announcement Flyer in English and Chinese (also attached to this email):
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca/groups/ceda/documents/report/oak030583.pdf

Thank you!

Lake Merritt Station Area Plan
Strategic Planning Division , Community and Economic Development Agency , City of Oakland
250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza , Suite 3315 , Oakland , CA 94612

Email: lake_merritt_plan@oaklandnet.com
Telephone Message Line: (510) 238-7904
Project Website: http://www.business2oakland.com/lakemerrittsap

At last! I have scheduled earthquake preparedness courses for Lake Neighbors folks. We have neighborhood CORE classes 1 and 11 scheduled. November 2nd for CORE 1 and November 16th, CORE 11. There are 11 of you already signed up and we need a minimum of 15. There is no limit they will teach but we are limited to the amount of space at the F.M. Smith Recreation Center. I think that space could handle 50. So bring your friends and neighbors. You can sign up with me, at rstein94606@yahoo.com. , or you can also sign up at the Oakland Earthquake Preparedness website. I still need to send them a message to open up the site, but I thought to wait a bit to make sure Lake Neighbors signed up first, in case their is a huge interest by the public and space fills up. (I am be dreaming). For more info, go to the Oakland website, address at the bottom of my note. You can also call me for questions (510) 299-9984 or (510) 629-3213. Remember, if you want to sign up at the City of Oakland website, give me a few days to let them know to open it up to the public. Here is their web page. http://www.oaklandnet.com/fire/core/training.html

Suess 'hood camping' Story

I will not camp. -Andy

From the desk of Andy Seuss: (aka Rich)
I will not camp under a tree
I will not camp for pay or free
I will not camp with gun or mace
I will not camp in any place

Thank you, thank you, Dev-I-Am

(Sasha) Andy doesn't camp??? I can SO see Andy camping! We should all go camping together -- or camp out on our block one night as our own NNO as practice and then Andy can ease into it -- city camping first, then wilderness.
Hood camping, then?


(Chimene) “Would you , could you with some beer? :-D”
I would not, could not with a beer
I would not, could not with a deer
I would not, could not with a tarp
I would not, could not with a harp

(Betsy)
You will not camp....
SO you say.
Try it, try it...like it you may!

Sasha!
If you will let me be,
I will try it, You will see.
Image: andy in a tent in sashas back yard..

Say! I WILL camp!
I WILL camp with a beer
I WILL camp with a deer
I WILL camp with a tarp
I WILL camp with a harp
I would camp under a tree
I would camp for pay or free
I would camp with gun or mace
I would camp in ANY PLACE!
I do so like to camp and camp, thank you thank you, Sash-I-Am(p?)

(bbc) Wow-- to create such a fuss,
Andy, c'mon-- camp with us!
(Laura)
Friends, I wish it was otherwise but....

He's not like the fox in socks
He wants to stay home in his box

Nor is he like Sam I am
he likes a comfy indoor can!

He will not camp on a bank
He does not like the froggies dank.

He will not camp on a plane
He does not like the snow and rain

He will not camp in a cave
But not because he isn't brave

He will not sleep in a tent
and wake up with his neck all bent

He will not sleep by a creek
to be feasted on by mosquito's beek

He will not camp with his honey
He will not camp when it's sunny
He WILL NOT CAMP for love or money!
--from Laura and Andy
with love

National Nite Out Block Party 2011

Thanks to everyone who joined the Lake Neighbors at National Night Out on E. 17th last night! We really enjoyed how you livened up our block this year.

A special thanks to:
Skye, Devin, Dave, Kylan, Nico and Thom for setting up and tearing down.
Regeneration church for tables, chairs and side walk chalk.
And thank you for the donations from:
Subway for the amazing 6 foot sub
Merritt Bakery for those delicious cookies
Arezmendi for their famous pastries
Walgreens for ice and bottled water

And all the lake neighbors who brought food to share like hot dogs, grilled zucchini, lemonade, soda and more!
Together we make a pretty great party, hope we can do it again next year! Consider hosting one on your block, too!

Cheers,
Betsy Johnson
Lake Neighbors Events Volunteer

mtg notes from 7/21

Hi Lake Neighbors!

Really nice meeting – good turnout. There are a few things below that need your input, please write back with thoughts, ideas, responses.

Thank you to Lois at FM Smith Park Rec Center for letting us use their space all this year…one more meeting to go for 2011 and then we revisit our meeting frequency and format and location and plan for 2012. If you have input, ie: if you would have an eaiser time if something in particular was different then email me and we will put it into the mix when we figure out if we are going to make any adjustments. We definitely would like to move upstairs if we are going to continue to use FM Smith because of the battle for sound we have with the loud freezer we have in the room and the professional ping pong practice going on above us. Lois mentioned a change in day of the week would give us a better chance if we want to continue there.

Before meeting there, we used to rotate through houses, we also met at Regen Church quite a lot. How are you all feeling about how it has been having it at FM Smith Rec?

SO…we had great guests. The SF Fire Dept, J. Moses from the New Parkway & also our OPD came by – so we had a lot to talk about.

The Oakland Fire Department – firehouse #16 – came and gave us an overview of all they do (which is vast) and also about the free trainings we all have access to for First Aid, CPR and Emergency Preparedness (CORE). They made sure to let us know that they are all very open to being approached when we see them in the neighborhood -- or if you want to drop by – if you have anything you want to discuss with them.

Ruby, our Emergency Prep lead is currently organizing a 2nd round of CORE1 & CORE 2 trainings for us (we did this a while back and there is more, new interest). CORE 3 has to be done on their sites (because you get to light and put out a fire!). Please email Ruby (rstein94606@yahoo.com ) if you want to get those trainings under your belt or you can go directly through the regular program (core@oaklandnet.com).

J. Moses from The New Parkway also came from his home in Berkeley to fill us in on where things stand for his process with the Chengs who own the Parkway.

There was MUCH discussion all over this subject because we all are so deeply effected by the loss of our Parkway and are heartbroken to have it gone for a minute much less 2 years!!! But it all boils down to this: 1) The New Parkway effort is now looking for other possible venues nearby…they are ready and funded, but they have tried every thing to make it work out at the Parkway with the Chengs and they feel that it won’t work there at this time. 2) The Chengs are very good, kind people – very likeable (which is important for us to know)…and their ideas about business are deeply set and vastly unlike anything most of us would operate from. 3) The Chengs do not have a mortgage to carry on the Parkway, and while of course they have taxes, etc to cover and they are obviously losing rental income all this time – they are not as strongly financially motivated. 4) The Chengs want to be a part of the operations of the theatre and this complicates every step for whomever manages to actually get an agreeable agreement through with them. 5) MANY many different people have tried extensively to work this problem out (the iLikeTheParkway people, many business neighbors, Pat Kernighan to name a few…most recently Moses with The New Parkway). 6) It can still happen, it will likely be another year or more – in the mean time there can be a few theatres with the same concept that come first. This type of business is very successful, even in hard financial times. Thank you Moses for coming and for your tremendous effort under the pressure of our immense hopes and for delivering the difficult news in person.

OPD have us an update of a trend that to watch out for that at 10pm there is a current pattern of muggings that are happening to people coming home, getting out of their vehicle. The attackers are hiding until the person gets out of their vehicle to come inside and a gun is held to their head. Be super awake coming home always. Things happen in the daylight, too.

Adding vigilance does NOT mean losing any of your warmth and friendliness to passersby – make sure to always greet the people around you.

More safety talk was had about neighbors putting up cameras (Hoang mentioned a helpful video on youtube (called “FBIcaughtoncamera”) that is supposedly helpful for those planning cameras. One thing be sure to do is to put the OPD emergency # (510 777-3211) on your cell phone (program it to the number 9, even), and you can also put the non-emergency # 510 777-3333. ALSO, I have all the neighbors I can on my cell phone with the cap letters NBR first so I can find them fast and that has been helpful often.



It was mentioned that the new captain (captain Tull) may be a good possibility for that missing piece we have been seeking for FAST info on crimes in our neighborhood so we can be immediately informed and also possible extended eyes and ears when needed.

On the restorative justice front – there was a training at Berkeley Public Library I believe this weekend! Keep an eye out, there is great interest and great need. If anyone was able to make it to that training and would be willing to share what happened and would like to join forces with other Lake Neighbors in this please email!!! I looked up the speaker and will try to track down a possibility for us there.

EVENTS! Betsy and Chimene from our events crew were there to let us know all the great things they have going for us...we are closing off our block on E. 17th between 3rd & 4th Aves (close to Luckys & Walgreens) for National Night Out this coming Tuesday from 7 - 9 pm...we are looking for food donations, but we will have music and things to do and great neighbors to hang out with. It is an alcohol free event. Come early to help set up (around 6)...!

Betsy will send out the plans (the amazing plans) she designed for the Walgreens garden we have in the beginning stages...if you want to get involved with that you can email her or wait until she sends out her email about this.

Another event coming up is the next OUTDOOR MOVIE -- we are only doing one this year, so make sure you don't miss it. It is a really fun time, and we are aiming for one of the last 2 weekends in September. Bring anyone you like, bring a picnic, bring chairs to sit in and bring layers so you can be warm if the temperature goes down as night comes. We always start when the sun goes down, but people get there early to visit, help set up get good seats. We project a movie onto the apartment building from Regeneration Church's parking lot on E. 15th Street and 3rd Ave. We are still choosing the movie, but we will try to have a cartoon first and maybe some music playing while we wait for the sun to go down.

Our great friend Jennie Gerard (from Pat K's office) came as she often does and she pitched in some new info on the development going on around here – she let us know that the traffic light on Park at Newton should be up in August AND that the 12th street project is 3 weeks away from opening up one of the 2 bridges!

Our next meeting is October 20th from 6-8 @ FM Smith Recreation Building.

Okay, that is all for the moment…stay tuned and involved. Write back and make sure to get over to all the upcoming events.

Much Friendship!

Sasha