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Serving the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren Freeway since 1989Volume 19 Number 5 June/July 2007
A Nonprofit Community Newspaper • www.macarthurmetro.org
izaan is an Arabicword meaning beautyand balance—a per-
fect name for the boutiquegaining popularity at 4050MacArthur Blvd.
The beauty is in the kalei-doscope of colors and alluringclothes. The balance is fromthe juggling act coordinatedby Oakland native LindaZareef and her seven daugh-ters, ages 18 to 36, who man-age everything from school tofamilies to second jobs in orderto create a sanctuary of spirit.
Mizaan has a friendly,family atmosphere where awoman can explore a gardenof silks, soft-knits, and linensand still have money left overfor lunch.
“My soul speaks to thestore,” says matriarch andOakland native Linda Zareef,
James A. Barr, Marilyn Miller, Egan & Connie Pfeil
You, too, can become a friend of the Metro. See page 2.
Your support helps keep the Metro alive! Become one of the Thousand Friends.
who’s been hand-craftingjewelry and working art fairsfor nearly two decades.
One reason she can keepprices down: “We’ve beenblessed with this location,”she says. “People come inand say ‘You should take thisto Jack London Square.’ AndI say, ‘Why can’t we supportour own neighborhood?’”
And this is the Zareef’sback yard. Here among one-of-a-kind clothing items isa celebration of local artistswho contribute paintings,bible covers, journals, andgreeting cards. The storehas also been a stage forlocal musicians to performon Sunday afternoons. It’snot unusual to find Mizaanopen to Laurel social events.
“It’s therapeutic; it’s agood, fun business,” saysdaughter Zinzi Zareef, who
The Metro needs a new word processor. Are you thatperson? You will receive copy from all the writers andprepare it for the copyeditors. After copyediting, you willapply corrections from the marked-up copy and send thecorrected version to the typesetter. Good English, spell-ing, and grammar skills are necessary, as well as atten-tion to detail and proficiency with WordPerfect or Word,and the ability to handle incoming copy in a variety offormats. Macro programming abilities a plus. The jobtakes three to four evenings a month. To volunteer, call287-2655, or e-mail [email protected].
lot of people makeassumptions aboutschools,” says
Denise J. Burroughs, principalof Carl B. Munck ElementarySchool, which is locatedjust off Redwood Road nearMerritt College. The Metro wasinvited for a first-hand visitwith this school on the hill.
On the afternoon I visited,Munck hosted to an irresist-ible book sale featuring thenewest titles in children’sliterature. The students I metat the sale were delightedwith their book purchasesand couldn’t wait to startreading. Offering a fine firstimpression, the book saleis just one of many positivethings happening at Munck.
Principal Burroughs,who holds a master’s degreeand administrative credentialfrom Mills College andhas been in the district formany years, joined the schoolin 2005. Under her direction,Munck has continued toincrease its Academic
Family Business Gives Back to CommunityB Y D I A N E H A R R I G A N
The family that brings us Mizaan: Linda Zareef (lower right) and four of her daughters: (from upper left)Siddeeqah, Ebony, Saudah, Zinzi.
School Up Top: Carl B. Munck
Principal Burroughs and Carl Munck students enjoy the book sale.
Performance Index (API)scores, and currently has astatewide school ranking ofseven on a ten-point scale.To Mrs. Burroughs, however,“One test given once a yeardoes not determine thesuccess of any school.” Shebelieves that creating life-long learners is just as impor-tant to API scores. She strives
to foster an “upbeat learningenvironment” with an empha-sis on differentiated instruc-tion, which accommodates thelearning styles of every child.
This year, the studentsin the Gifted and TalentedEducation (GATE) programat Munck are participating ina Web-page design class to
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Metro Volunteer NeededB Y D E N I S E D A V I L A
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These students of the American IndianPublic Charter School have not missed
a day of school in the past year.
See Boulevard Bites, page 11.
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Summer programs in the libraries. See page 10.
Post Office Box 19046, Oakland, California 94619 • (510) 287-2655
2June/July 2007
HOT NUMBERSPUBLIC AGENCIES
ABAT—the Alcoholic 777-8670Beverage Action Team
Graffiti hotline 238-4703
Abandoned cars 238-6030
O.P.D. Non-emergency 777-3333
Animal control 535-5602
Beat Health (drugs) 777-8630
Crime Stoppers 238-6946
Drug Hotline 238-DRUG
Public Works 615-5566
Truancy Tip Line 879-8172
Noise Hotline: 238-6777(Oakland CEDA,property complaint line)
C.O.R.E. 238-6351(Citizens of OaklandRespond to Emergencies)
City Tree Unit 615-5850
Oaklanders Assistance 444-CITYCenter can direct you tothe appropriate governmentalservices in Oakland.
PRIVATE AGENCIES
A Safe Place 536-7233(domestic violence)
East Bay Community 548-2377Mediation (neighborhood disputes)
Sentinel Fair Housing 836-2687(free landlord-tenant counselingand discrimination investigation)
Managing EditorSheila D’AmicoCopy EditorsAnne Fox, Sheila D’AmicoCarol Lundgaard, Adina SaraFinances/BookkeepingReuben GoldbergAdvertising ManagerKrista GulbransenArt DirectorAndreas JonesWord ProcessingDavid RaichPhotographyNick LostraccoJody BerkeClifford StevensonDistributionPeter BondMailingAvailableCalendarMarilyn GreenFriends and Money HoneysMaggie DorseyEditor EmeritusToni Locke
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Board of DirectorsMaggie DorseyDouglas FergusonReuben GoldbergMarcia HenryBrian HolmesRobert JosephErnest VillafrancaBart Wright�
A special thanks to allresidents, associations, andmerchants for their support.Also, a special thanks to allvolunteer writers, artists,photographers, and distributors.Printing by Wesco Graphics, Inc.,Tracy, California, (209) 832-1000.Opinions expressed in the MacArthurMetro are those of the contributorsand do not necessarily reflect theviews held by the publication.©2007 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619,www.macarthurmetro.org,(510) 287-2655.
We welcome yournews and ads;
deadline the 15th.
Publication in thefirst week of each
month exceptJanuary and July.
ISSN 1091-1111
To contribute by credit card, go to www.macarthurmetro.org. Click on Network for Good.
How to Reachthe Metro
WRITE US A LETTER. Sendyour comments to Lettersto the Editor, MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19046,Oakland, CA 94619; or [email protected]
GIVE US A CALL. Our voice-mail number is: 287-2655.
Letters may be edited forlength or clarity. Please in-clude name, address andphone number. We do notprint anonymous letters.
THE WORLD,
cont inued on page 3
Lettersto theEditor
e love the Laurel andDimond districts andthe wonderful people
who patronize our stores. Wehave a loyal and fabulousworkforce. Joe and I provideover 75 well-paying jobs inthe East Bay (predominatelyOakland residents). We espe-cially welcome and hire handi-capped and disabled people.Since January 26, 2007, ourstore(s) have been targetedby the UFCW, Local 5.
We are delighted to an-nounce that all unfair laborpractice charges filed by theunion (UFCW) with the Na-tional Labor Relations Board(NLRB) against Farmer Joe’shave been dismissed by theNLRB or withdrawn by theUFCW. Farmer Joe’s hasalways adhered to all appli-cable national, state, and locallaws and regulations. We willcontinue to do so in the future.
On another note, we arehonored to have received theRipple Award at the OaklandIndie awards ceremony on May
4. This award is given by Oak-land Unwrapped!, a nonprofiteconomic-developmentorganization in Oakland thatpromotes ethical and sustain-able local ventures.
The Ripple Award is givento a business or artist who“supports other local busi-nesses and artists by ‘shoppinglocal’ for their supplies andservices, creating an economicripple effect as money circu-lates within the community.”The winner is determined bya community nomination andvoting process.
Based on the voting re-sults, Oakland Unwrapped!informed Farmer Joe’s, “Mem-bers of the Oakland commu-nity think you’re special andtold us that you are an assetto the city.” We wish to thankeveryone who believed in usand made this special honorpossible. We are fortunate tohave a chorus of customersand supporters so vested inFarmer Joe’s success.
We continue to invest inour community, move for-ward with our employees, andserve the community we loveand are proud to call home.
Thank you again for theopportunity to serve Oakland.
Joe and Diana Tam
Carl B. MunckC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1
or almost 20 years the voicesand images of our commu-nity have appeared in the
Metro each month, and for free.Seven thousand copies go tohomes, businesses, and neigh-borhood locations—and all thisfrom an organization that hasno physical office space. Butwhat does the future hold fora small nonprofit communitypaper with a budget under$50,000 and a projected annualdeficit of almost $20,000?
The Metro has been a giftof volunteers who write anddeliver it, of business advertisers,and of a small number of peoplewho donate typically less than$100 per year. Outstandingamong gifts was our EditorEmeritus, Toni Locke, whovolunteered her services for al-most 18 years and whose recentretirement made us realize theenormity of her contributions.
Almost all mass-circulationdailies or free papers are 70 to80 percent advertising. TheMetro is a different kind of news-paper. Your Metro is 80 percentnews and stories and 20 percentadvertising. Can we keep theemphasis on community news?
If the Metro were not here,this is some of what you, ourreaders, might not know about:
• Our schools, with storieson Sequoia’s principal KylaTrammel, Allendale’s SteveThomasberger, Laurel’s RonSmith, and Bret Harte’s TeresaWilliams.
• Reports from the Dimond,High Street, Laurel, Leona
Heights, Maxwell Park, Red-wood Heights, and Sausal Creekabout neighborhood problems,people, and projects.
• Music festivals in theLaurel, Farmer Joe’s grand-opening celebration, and thecontest to design the DimondLibrary Book Bag.
• Stories of Michael Fosterteaching drumming toAllendale’s teens, the EachOne Teach One program fortroubled youth, the Manosservice connecting trained work-ers with those who need helparound the home, the renovatedAltenheim, Equine Educatorsworking with challenged chil-dren, Claudia Jimenez workingwith the City Council Presidenton community concerns, andongoing reports of the potentialSenior Housing developmentat High and MacArthur.
But now the Metro faces adaunting challenge. For the firsttime, we have to ask many morein our community to join the fewwho have kept us going. In thecoming months we will be ask-ing for more support from ourreaders and our advertisers. Andwe ask for your ideas as well.
Will you please take a mo-ment now to make a contribu-tion as a Money Honey orFriend? Don’t think your contri-bution will be too small andwon’t make a difference; it will.And, of course, don’t think yourcontribution will be too large;we love major donors, too.Every donation helps to keepyour Metro operating and con-tinuing its role as a newspaperfor all who live and work inour community.
WCommunity News: AnEndangered Species?
BY DOUGLAS FERGUSON, CHAIR,MACARTHUR METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
F
Jim Gardner Construction Inc.FOUNDATIONS • DRAINAGE
RETAINING WALLSEARTHQUAKE RETROFIT
510 •655-3409www.jimgardnerconstruction.com
Since 1980 • Lic.# 444635
“THE STRUCTURAL SPECIALIST”
update the school’s Web site.Another group of studentsparticipates in a video-produc-tion class that debuted at theschool’s open house. Mrs.Burroughs is making use ofthe school’s modernized tech-nology to broadcast video toevery classroom, and shehopes to create a school televi-sion station in the near future.In the meantime, she will be
EDITORIAL OPINION
using the school’s state-generated discretionary fundsto stock the computer lab with26 new iMac computers fornext year.
While approximately 15percent of Munck’s studentsparticipated in GATE in 2006,approximately 16 percentare served in the school’sprograms for students withspecial needs. Munck hasthree full-inclusion and re-sources programs, servinglocal students with autism,
June/July 2007
3
cont inued on page 8
he time has come forLeona Heights residentsto improve Home Alert
efforts to fight the rash ofhome entries recently re-ported. It is vital that everyresident contact the threeor four closest and trustedneighbors, exchange phonenumbers, watch the neighbor-hood, and call each other atthe slightest suspicious activ-ity observed. They should call911 on a home phone, or 777-3211 if on a cell phone, to no-tify police. Even if the policecannot respond immediately,the incident will be recordedand will let the Oakland PoliceDepartment know we shouldbe given higher priority.
When a suspicious eventis observed, it is importantto write down personal ap-pearance and characteristicsof people, dress description,and what seems about to oc-cur. Vehicle descriptions in-cluding make, estimated year,license number, color, andtype of vehicle are important.
It is also time to reviewwhat, if any, outside and
B Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y inside motion-alarm equip-ment you should install. Recentproblems include breakingwindows to gain entry. Inside-window bars at latched win-dows can be quickly removedin the event of emergency forexit from your home. Sensingdevices can trigger alarms,lights, or turn on sound pro-ducers to make an unwantedperson go away. Ace Hardwareon MacArthur Blvd. is offeringmotion-detector equipmentat a cost reduction to cooperatewith surveillance programs.Some of our neighbors areinstalling pole- or home-mounted video recordersto record persons and eventsnear their property.
You may want to installa front-door peep hole or amore sturdy metal lockablescreen door to see who is atyour door so you will not haveto open it or expose yourselfto danger. Despite the out-ward negativity of thesesuggestions, they can assureyou and your neighbors ofa more happy summer. —————————————Gordon Laverty can be reachedat [email protected].
Leona HeightsNeighborhood News
TPicnic & Walk-A-Thon BBQDelicious food, spectacular salsamusic, good conversation, crafts,and games all combined tocreate a wonderful, relaxingand thoroughly enjoyable Mayafternoon in Redwood Heights.
For the first time, the RHNAand the RHS Dads’ Club com-bined their efforts at picnic mak-ing. The Dads’ Club did whatthey do best: BBQ. The RHNAsponsored a free live concert andhosted activities for the kids.
Conjunto Karabali enter-tained the crowd with their “oldschool” salsa, bringing a joyfulenergy and swing to the picnic.At one point, the children gottogether for a lively conga linethat wound its way through thefield and around picnic blankets.
Children enjoyed the facepainting provided by the tal-ented Rec. Center volunteers.Butterflies and wizards, dragonsand stars appeared on faces andcheeks at every turn. The foamvisor crafts proved to be helpfulin the hot afternoon sun, andmany children were sportingthem.
A tremendous thanks goesto the Dads’ Club and MarkCollins, in particular, for orga-nizing the food; to the neighbor-hood volunteers who assistedwith setup, crafts, and especiallycleanup; and to the RedwoodHeights Recreation Center forthe amazing face-painting artiststhey provided.
School Enrollment UpdateRHNA is pleased to reportthat neighborhood familieswho were not assigned to Red-wood Heights School have since
B Y D E N I S E D A V I L A
received assignments at RHS,and their children will be attend-ing their neighborhood school.
Nevertheless, RHNA hascontinued to hear from affectedfamilies and future RHS familiesthat this system is broken andneeds to be addressed. In aneffort to work on this issueand produce results, RHNAis actively working with theRHS Parent Teachers Associationand interested neighbors todemand that OUSD meet withthe community and addresstheir concerns, including trans-parency of decision making,clarifying policy, and instituting
Welcome Michael FosterIn April Brookdale RecreationCenter welcomed a new man-ager, Michael Foster. Alreadymanaging the Allendale center,Michael is splitting his timebetween the two sites. Youcan find him at Brookdale onTuesday, Thursday, and Fri-day. Brookdale’s current focusis summer camp and working
toward the initial celebrationof Parks for Peace in August.
Camp for elementaryschool youngsters starts June18. Tennis will begin early inJune, and seven- to 11-year-olds can join a Cub Scouttroop on Mondays, from 3 to 4p.m., thanks to a partnershipwith the Boy Scouts.
Partnerships are crucial toMichael’s vision of the emerg-ing Oakland Parks and Rec.We’ll have more about him
B Y A D E L L E F O L E Y
High Street Neighborhood Newsand Brookdale’s programsin future columns. For infor-mation, call 535-5632.
A Clean and GreenEarth Day
Each year we have more waysto celebrate earth day. TheCourtland Creek contingent,known for finding treasureamong discarded objects, res-cued a bride with her headlessgroom and a ceramic lamp
Redwood Heights Neighborhood News
a process to verify addresses.Another meeting with
OUSD and school councilmembers has been requested.We hope to report back to theneighborhood with concrete re-sults in an upcoming newsletter.
If you would like to bepart of this working group,please contact Mary Dalsin([email protected]).Additionally, Kim Cole([email protected]),a member of the working group,is organizing families withyoung children who will beentering kindergarten after thefall of 2007.
Solar Signon Redwood Road
Notice anything different?The new radar-speed sign onthe westbound side of RedwoodRd. (between Monterey andJordan) was installed the weekof May 1. Directly behind theelectronic read-out is anothersign: 25 Miles Per Hour. Wehope these new measures willlead to safer traffic through the“Crash Curve” area. —————————————Denise Davila can be reached [email protected].
Above: Families enjoy the 2007 Picnic in Redwood Heights. Below:Kids weave a conga line through the picnic.
KURT
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Eddie and Angelique McCarthy show their approval of the new speed sign.
JIM M
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Asperger’s syndrome, andother special needs.
Serving families fromall over the city, PrincipalBurroughs has also ensuredthat there are a variety of af-ter-school programs. Someare provided by the YMCA.Others are fee-based and in-clude Mad Science, Spanish,and guitar classes. From theDragon Track Club, gener-ously sponsored by the 100Black Men of the East Bayorganization, to Mad Science,
to the Chess Club, there issomething for everyone.
One parent who spokewith me wishes that morefamilies would consider CarlMunck. She appreciates theprograms available to herson and likes that the schoolis in her neighborhood. Mrs.Burroughs agrees. She says,“Munck is a wonderful, invit-ing school where the wholeschool community workshard.” The new principalalso says she is going to finda way to make even morethings happen. We can lookforward to more news fromCarl Munck in the future.
Carl B. MunckC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 2
4June/July 2007
PauletteAvery,
R.N., M.S.N.,I.B.C.L.C.
To Your Health
ets add so much to ourlives. The unconditionallove and affection show-
ered on us by our pets hasreal health benefits. Owninga pet may lower your bloodpressure as well as yourcholesterol and triglyceridelevels. Pet owners feel lesslonely and have greateropportunities for exercise,outdoor activities, and social-ization. But it is wise to re-member that along with allthe goodness pets offer us,there also can be potentialrisks to our health fromexposure to disease andinjury. Here’s some informa-tion you should know tokeep you and your familywell while enjoying your pet.
Fortunately, most animalillnesses are not passed tohumans. The relatively fewillnesses that are transmittedto humans are calledzoonoses (pronouncedzoo-uh-no-seez). You can be-come infected by a zoonosiswhen you are scratched orbitten by an animal or bycoming into contact with ananimal’s urine, feces, saliva,or dander (flakes from theskin, feathers, or hair). Youcan also be exposed to dis-eases such as Lyme diseaseand Rocky Mountain spottedfever from ticks and fleas thatmay live in your pet’s fur.
Two zoonoses you mayhave heard about are cat-scratch fever and toxoplas-mosis.
Cat-scratch fever resultsfrom getting bitten orscratched by a cat or kitteninfected with bacteria calledBartonella henselae. Usually,the animal shows no signs ofthe infection, but people maydevelop swollen or tenderlymph nodes, fatigue, fever,and headache. Fortunately,only about a third of thepeople infected have anysymptoms, and the diseaseusually disappears withouttreatment. In some cases,
B Y D E B B I E F R A N C I S
To our readers: If you know ofa neighbor in our communitywhose behavior is worthy of note,either good or bad, please contactme at [email protected].
Orchids to LeaseWong, owner of Komodotoys on MacArthur Blvd.,for holding a care event forour troops and inviting thecommunity to participateby creating care packages forour troops.
Orchids to DeniseDavila, Keith Stover, BobVaughn, and VeronicaVaughn for their workspearheading the NativeEnvironment WatershedTransformation project atPeralta Creek Park. Since2005, the program hasbrought children from localelementary schools to thecreek to learn about ecologi-cal culture and the historicalimportance of preservingPeralta Creek.
Orchids to Breht Clarkat Redwood Heights Recre-ation Center for coordinatingwith the Office of Parks andRecreation to help commu-nity students attend the AfterSchool Learn to Sail Programfor free boating lessons.
antibiotics may be prescribed.If you or a family member isscratched or bitten, wash thewound immediately withsoap and running water.
Toxoplasmosis infectionscan occur after contact witha parasite found in cat fecesor undercooked meat. Thesymptoms are similar to thoseof cat-scratch fever, withthe addition of muscle pain,cough, sore throat, and a rash.This infection can be verydangerous when it affectsa pregnant woman becausethe unborn child may developvision problems and mentalretardation. It is safest forpregnant women to avoidall contact with litter boxes.
It is rare for humans to getill from contact with birds,but because of the risk of sal-monella poisoning, it is bestfor children under five yearsold to avoid touching babychicks and ducklings. Adultsand children can also becomeill from salmonella bacteriaafter touching reptiles or theircages, so good hand washingis important after such contact.
Here are several sugges-tions that will help you keepyour pets and your family ingood health:
• Take pets to the vetregularly for exams, and besure their vaccinations areup-to-date.
• Make use of one of themany products available tocontrol ticks and fleas onyour pet.
• Wash hands often, andespecially after touching, feed-ing, or cleaning up after a pet.
• Learn how to safely ap-proach a strange dog, andteach this skill to your childrento help protect them andyourself from being bitten.
With a little care, your petwill continue to be a sourceof love and enjoyment. —— ————————————Paulette Avery is a registered nurseand a freelance writer who specializesin health issues. She can be reachedat [email protected].
Petsand YourHealthLaurel World Music Festival
Mark your calendars for thisyear’s Laurel World Music Festi-val, August 11, noon to 6 p.m.
If you missed last year’sfestival, you have another op-portunity to see what all theexcitement is about. The Laurelbusiness district, MacArthurBlvd. between 35th Ave. andHigh Street, will transform intoa pedestrian zone to host thou-sands of Laurel residents andvisitors from the Greater BayArea. The festival will includetwo stages featuring live musicand performances highlightingsome of the greatest Bay Areatalent, gourmet food booths, astreet fair with over 100 vendors,and Kid’s World (sponsored byOakland Veterinary Hospital)with carnival games, ponyrides, rock climbing, and more.
We are currently acceptingapplications for vendors. Arti-sans and local businesses arewelcomed as vendors at theevent. Vendor packages startat $120 for a 10x10 space. Tentsare required but not included.Download an application fromour Web site www.laureldistrictassociation.org, or e-mail Helenat [email protected]. Sponsorshipsare available.
We are seeking dedicated,hard-working individuals asevent staff. Volunteers willreceive a free T-shirt, lunchor snack during the day, andthe chance to become an impor-tant part of the Laurel WorldMusic Festival. Some of youwill even get the chance to usea walkie-talkie. To sign up,please contact Lease Wongat [email protected] or482-5921.
Musicians, please submitpress kits to Helen Wyman,3834B Wisconsin St., Oakland,CA 94619 by June 15.
We encourage your partici-pation in this exciting eventand appreciate your support.For more information, visit ourWeb site.
New Consignment StoreOh, What A Find! Consignment
Laurel DistrictAssociation News
Store, at 4140 MacArthur Blvd.,is open Monday, Wednesday,and Friday from 5 to 7:30 p.m.;Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; andSunday, noon to 5 p.m. It carriesnew and previously loved furni-ture, art, home decor and giftitems, featuring local artistcreations, fair-trade products,and decor for every room inyour home at affordable prices.Consignment terms are 60-daystays and a 50 percent shareof the sale.
Security UpdateThe Laurel BID made securitya top priority for 2007, and weare happy to announce that thebusiness district has hired AllAbout Security to patrol be-tween 9 a.m. and 2 a.m. in amarked security vehicle. Youmay have seen the blue truckwith yellow branding in thearea. Vehicle patrols are randomthroughout the day and late atnight. The Merchant SecurityProgram began in April andprovides merchants with awalking agent from 6 to 10 p.m.,Monday through Friday. Theagent is available to escortemployees to their cars and isavailable by cell phone duringthe shift. For more informationabout the security program,please call Eric Jefferson at839-8675, or e-mail him [email protected].
The LDA has been workingclosely with Renee Sykes, OPDNeighborhood Services Coordi-nator for the Laurel area, theLaurel/Redwood Heights/Leona Heights NCPC, All AboutSecurity, Jean Quan’s Office, andthe OPD lieutenant covering theLaurel to address the recent in-crease in violent crime and bur-glaries along MacArthur Blvd.We are doing our best to makethe Laurel a safe place to liveand own a business. Supportthe merchants by continuing toshop and dine in the Laurel.
HOUSE OF PRODUCESpecial Prices Every Day!
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Personal, Nurturing CareKindergarten ReadinessYear Round Program
510-569-06008800 Fontaine St., OaklandJust off 580 @ Keller Ave
A Ministry of United LutheranChurch of Oakland
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Fair Trade,Organic Coffees
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B Y H E L E N W Y M A N
Past Issues of the Metrowith a searchable database
available online atwww.macarthurmetro.org
June/July 2007
5
METROCLASSIFIED ADS
INSTRUCTION
Move your at-home office to privatesmall office in professional buildingat 3215 MacArthur Blvd. Janitorialand parking, $300.00. Call Will-iam at (510) 289-0200.
Mendocino coast cottage: Charmingfurnished 1BR plus living room sofabed, fireplace, fully equippedkitchen. Minimum 3 days, $90/day,$550/week. (510) 482-5577.
SERVICES
Bernice & Joe Playschool. For nearly25 years, play-based learning in ourearthquake retrofitted, home-like cen-ter near Mills College. The park-likequarter-acre setting has pine andfruit trees, vegetable garden, red-wood playhouse, 20-foot sailboat,two-story wooden rocket ship,outdoor art and block rooms.Curriculum includes pre-reading, pre-math enrichment, field trips, F.I.T.gymnastics, music and Spanish les-sons. Emphasis put on socialization,verbalization. Sibling discount.Lunch, snacks provided. Ages 2 to 5years. License #010214258. Bro-chure. (510) 638-3529. Visit us atwww.berniceandjoe-playschool.com.
Saxophone & Piano. Play musicfor the joy of it! Have fun learningjazz, blues, improvisation. Patient,supportive teacher. Ages 10 & up.Speciality: Adult beginners. Eva436-0504.
Piano lessons. Classically trainedpianist with 30 years’ teachingexperience in a variety of styles.Ages 7 and up. Free interview,lesson. Andrea Simms, 510-336-1556.
RENTALSave you ever wondered ifyou can make a differencein your community?
Do you think you need a largegroup to have an impact? Don’tlose heart. You can have an im-pact, one family at a time. Thinkof a goal, then start with smallsteps, and don’t look back!
That’s what Gus Kostosand Helen Argyropoulous did.They wanted to help out collegestudents. In 1974 they createda scholarship program with10 shares of Mutual of Omahaat $147.39. The fund has beengrowing ever since, one dona-tion at a time. This year’s $1,000scholarships went to sevencollege students, and, whenpossible, scholarships are re-newed for returning students.
When Gus was 10, hismother taught him how toknit, and several years later helearned needlepoint at ClarkJunior High in the Bronx, NewYork City. One of the waysthey raised money for the schol-arship program was by sellingneedlepoint kits Gus and Helendesigned.
In addition to selling the kitsto raise scholarship money, Gusused his needlepoint skills toreach out to children. While hiswife Helen was a teacher’s aideat Elizabeth Sherman School, hevolunteered in the classrooms,teaching needlepoint to theyoungsters there and at MaxwellPark Elementary. His instructionmade lasting impressions. Eventoday, parents and formerstudents stop him to reminisce.Gus is no longer teachingneedlepoint, but he still reachesout to Maxwell Park children.
Gus and Helen live acrossthe street from Maxwell ParkElementary School. One day,Helen and Gus noticed a groupof students on a walking fieldtrip to the fire station. That gavethem the idea of opening uptheir garden for classroom tours.
The garden contains well-
organized plantings of succulentsgrown in individual cups tomake for easy giveaways to thestudents. Since Gus already had along history of growing palms togive to the neighbors, it seemednatural to grow succulents togive to the touring youngsters.
What a gift to the MaxwellPark Students! What a legacy forthe neighborhood! Gus can walkaround and see palm trees inmany neighbors’ yards that heplanted. What will your legacybe? What special thing can youdo for local students? How canyou contribute to the success ofthe neighborhood?
Make a Difference!Michael Foster, director ofAllendale and BrookdaleRecreation Centers, recentlyannounced that he is seekingneighbors to provide individual
and group activities. A contribu-tion of time and talent couldmake a difference to a youthwho does not have someonespecial in his or her life.
Maxwell Park CommunityBuilding Neighborhood ActionTeam (CBNAT) is currently re-cruiting helpers for the SecondAnnual Day in the Park, a familyevent that last year drew over400 neighbors. Your contributioncould be in planning, setup,tear-down, children’s activities,or entertainment. Interested inlending a hand and making newconnections? See contact infor-mation below.
Contacts: Michael Foster,Recreation Centers, 535-5635;Krista Gulbransen, CBNAT,[email protected]. —————————————Sarah Hipolito can be reachedat [email protected].
B Y S A R A H H I P O L I T O
Maxwell Park Neighborhood News
Top: Maxwell Park Elementary students show off the plants from their field trip (leftto right Michael Evans, Ra’melo Mixon, Olatunji Ajala, Heleana Jordan, JamesGrasty, Kevion Parker, Orlanda Pineda- Hernandez, Brejai Boudreaux). Bottomleft: Gus Kostos, tour guide. Bottom right: Helen Argyropoulous, tour guide.
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CLASSIFIED RATES: The rate for classified ads is $.50 per word.Discounted prices available for five- and ten-issue frequencies.Please type or write your copy clearly and mail it with your check toThe MacArthur Metro, P.O. Box 19406, Oakland, 94619. Deadlineis the 15th of the month. For classified-ad frequency discounts anddisplay-ad information, please contact Krista Gulbransen at287-2655, fax: 291-2944.
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Harry Potter Party10pm Friday, July 20!
Interior Painting. Jacob Hart,530-6247. Lic.#705262.
African-American manicurist,located in the Laurel District,specializing in manicures, pedicuresw/paraffin wax treatments, sculp-tured nails, silk and fiberglass wraps.Over 15 years experience andservice in this area. Call (510)482-3229 for appointment.
Deep Tissue Therapeutic Massageoffered in Maxwell Park studio.Strictly non sexual. 60 Minutes for$40. Contact [email protected] call (925) 708 2512.
6June/July 2007
The Metro Gets Around
The Photography of Nick Lostracco
This page left to right: Leslie Bialik & Gene Tucci with Metro at the Arctic Circle in Finland, in late March, 2007 (photo taken by a friendly Spanish couple); Andreas Jones, MetroArt Director on the beach in Maui, Metro in hand (photo by Eva Ruland). Facing page top tp bottom: Kathy Mooney, C.O.O. SuperNutrition, Chiang Mai, Thailand Temple (photoCourtesy Maggi Ward); Jolene Jacobs and Rosa Bazarbaeuna read the Metro in Chimgan village, Uzbekistan (photograph by Dr. Miraliev, DVM); Jo-Ann Maggiora Donivanreads the Metro in Vararzze, Italy (photos taken by John Donivan).
Professional photographer Nick Lostracco has been taking photos for the Metro for more than a year. You can see more of his work at www.lostracco.com.
June/July 2007
7
Dimond Neighborhood News
B Y D I A N E H A R R I G A N
Dimond Community Getsa Lesson in Labor Law
In May, Dr. Steven Pitts of theBerkeley Center for Labor Re-search and Education and ArtWatkins, former co-owner of theFood Mill, volunteered their timeto shed light on unions in the foodbusiness in a lively panel discus-sion coordinated in conjunctionwith Councilmember JeanQuan’s office and the DimondImprovement Association.
Although not Farmer Joe’s-specific, the panel convened toexplain procedures related tolabor negotiations and elections.One issue dealt with how a voteon whether to unionize shouldbe conducted: the “majority ofsignatures” method (also knownas a “card check”), or the “tradi-tional secret-ballot election”monitored by the NationalLabor Relations Board (NLRB).
Why would sign-up versuselection be a big deal? Employerscan get deeply involved in theelection process under the secret-ballot method, according toPitts. He said critics argue it al-lows companies time to beatback the unions with expensiveantilabor campaigns. He pointedto a Rutgers Study that foundmanagement coercion occurred46 percent of the time in anelection versus 23 percent ofthe time in a majority sign-up.
As for how an anti-laborcampaign sometimes works,Pitts said it could involve every-thing from employee-hiredconsultants holding captive-audience meetings with workersto companies being advisedwhom to hire and not to hire.
Ironically, all of this comesas Congress debates a measurethat, if signed into law, wouldgive unions a big advantage.Under the Employee Free ChoiceAct passed by the House ofRepresentatives, workers couldchoose how to vote instead ofa company retaining the rightto insist on an NLRB election.
Unions and grocery storescan be a “good marriage” if doneright, according to Watkins, whocomes from a strong rank-and-file background. He said there’s
more loyalty and less turnover,but has one major frustration,namely that unproductive work-ers sometimes get a free ride.“The union defends people whoshouldn’t be defended, and it’svery hard to get rid of them,”he said.
But Watkins found a way towork with the union and thrive.The Food Mill has a splitworkforce. A compromise wasreached where certain new-hireand part-time workers are al-lowed to be nonunion. Watkinsemphasized that there are alwaysbenefits and challenges whenrunning a business. “There’sno perfect world when you’reworking with people,” he said,“whether it’s union or nonunion.”
Neighborhood OpenArt Studios & Dimond
Group Art ShowIn collaboration with thisyear’s Pro Arts Open Studios,the Dimond Business &Professional Association hasorganized a Dimond GroupArt Show, on display duringJune and July at various retailersthroughout the Dimond District.For more information, visitwww.shopdimond.com.
Professor Steven Pitts (left) and Art Watkins (right) shed light on unions in thefood business in a lively panel discussion coordinated in conjunction withCouncilmember Jean Quan’s office and the Dimond Improvement Association.
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prides herself on accommo-dating everyone.
“We have 12-year-oldswho come in and say, ‘It’s mymom’s birthday; I only have$5.’” Those customers are justas important to the Zareefs asthe students from Mills col-lege or the woman with a six-figure income.
“A lot of people just comein to feel good,” says LindaZareef.
“I have one lady whocomes in. Everything is ar-ranged for her wheelchair.
And she came in the otherday and came right to thisoutfit right here,” Linda says,running over to display a rawsilk pantsuit. The Zareef’sknow their customers, andthey appeal to their tastes,whether they fit into a size2 or size 20.
It’s no wonder that thiswas an important campaignstop for Ron Dellums whenhe was running for mayor—a store that aspires to hisdream to harness the bril-liance that exists in theOakland community.
“It’s a woman thing. It’s arefuge for them,” says LindaZareef. “I’ve been blessed
with so much. I want to passit onto other people.”
Also involved with localliteracy programs, Zareefbelieves in giving back atevery level, creating thattotal balance that definesmizaan. When asked whenshe’ll know if her store, justa year-and-a-half old—has“made it,” she pauses for aminute.
“We’re not getting rich,but we’re blessed,” she says.“We’re working hard forthis to be a quality stop inthe community with goodhospitality.” And in hereyes, that may be the truestmeasure of success.
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Over 20 years in the Laurel District
June/July 2007
8
n 1900 Joseph and HenriettaWestall hired civil engineerGeorge E. Fogg to lay out
Laurel Grove Park—the resi-dential tract that would givethe Laurel District its name. TheWestalls may have named thesubdivision for a grove of laureltrees that grew along the creekand created the property linenear School Street.
Fogg used a pair of existingstreets, School and Quarry,to form two of the tract’sboundaries. (Quarry Street wasMaple Avenue’s original namebecause it once led up the hillto O’Brien’s Quarry.) PeraltaCreek and property lines thatlater became Midvale Avenueserved Fogg as the third bound-ary, and the newly createdKansas Street as the fourth.
Fogg laid out streetsrunning from School Streettoward the hills, naming themfor states: Maine, Vermont,Jersey, Delaware, Ohio,Georgia, Idaho, Florida andKansas. He divided the tractby running Laurel Avenuedown its middle.
The land had first belongedto Don Luis Maria Peralta, whohad procured it as part of his1820 land grant from the Kingof Spain. The Peralta familydeeded the property to a farmerwith the patriotic-soundingname George WashingtonAdams. By 1869 attorneySidney L. Johnson owned thetract. In 1900 the Johnson familysold to the Westalls.
The couple had alreadybegun developing property onthe other side of today’s LaurelDistrict along Maybelle Avenue,which they had named for theiryoungest daughter, Mabel. TheWestalls turned to real-estatedeveloper Henry Z. Jones to de-velop and sell the Laurel GrovePark lots. Jones also developedthe Jesse Jones tract, which hehad named for his daughter,on Bayo Street and Vale Avenuenear the Westalls’ tract.
Real estate developmentdotted the area that becamethe Laurel. Homes appearedon today’s 39th Avenue aboveBayo Street. Thirty-ninthAvenue appears on earlymaps first as Brooklyn Avenue(named for the Brooklyn
Development Company), thenas Franklin Avenue.
Albert and Elizabeth Rhoda,whose farmhouse still standson Rhoda Avenue, developedthe tract just across LaurelGrove Park’s Kansas Street.They named the street in thetract for their daughterMadeline.
Francis Marion “Borax”Smith’s Realty Syndicatestepped in and planned “KeyRoute Heights” in the heart oftoday’s Laurel. Smith’s Oak-land Traction Company openedthe neighborhood to the out-side world with the “LieseAvenue Car Line,” the Number11, on today’s 38th Avenue.
The City of Oakland builta school in the midst of KeyRoute Heights, but named itLaurel School. Perhaps theschool district, as well as theneighbors, thought LaurelSchool, with its echo of LaurelGrove Park, had a better ringto it than Key Route HeightsSchool.
The Syndicate extendedHopkins Street from where ithad ended at Quarry Street(Maple Avenue) and ran itthrough Key Route Heightsto High Street. The OaklandTraction Company laid a setof tracks on the extended street.The Number 10 streetcarcarried passengers fromDimond to Laurel Avenue.
The Syndicate then devel-oped the Fremont Tract belowthe newly laid-out HopkinsStreet. By then the area hadmyriad tracts with seeminglyinnumerable names. ElizabethSillers, who lived on PattersonAvenue, had enough of theconfusion. She spearheadeda movement that named theentire district “Laurel” afterthe school near her home.
Note: Laurel Walking Tour,10 a.m., Sunday, August 12. Meetin the Albertsons parking lot.
The Laurel School was built in 1909 in the midst of Key RouteHeights. Rather than naming the school after “Borax” Smith’s KeyRoute System, the school district likely looked to nearby Laurel GrovePark for inspiration.
The Laurel District: What’s in a Name?
The No. 10 streetcar approaches 35th Avenue on Hopkins Street from Dimond. The No. 10 was one of threestreetcars that served the area; a second ran up 38th Aveune from East 14th Street to Hopkins Street, and athird ran from Sather Station (near today's Fruitvale BART station) along Courtland Creek to Mills College.
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base, and gave them anotherlife decorating neighborhoodgardens.
The Discovery Centerkids cleared rocks and debrisfrom the creek bed to get thecreek flowing again. Otherneighbors pruned trees,weeded, and cleaned thepark. At Horace MannSchool, a great turnout ofneighbors, school families,and faculty members pre-pared the school garden forspring planting, weededabout the 37 trees plantedat earlier events, and cleanedthe school grounds. Orga-nizer Jeanne Nixon wasespecially impressed bythe number of capable schoolchildren who worked likecrazy and had a good time.The Maxwell Park contingentat Redding near Walgreenswas especially energeticand dedicated, workingwell into the afternoon.Their weeding and cleanuptransformed the landscape.
The hard work was
rewarded with refreshments,thanks to Jean Quan’s officeand World Ground Café.
Summer’s Here atMelrose Library
Summer arrives on June 9at Melrose Branch Librarywhen children can join Geta Clue, the summer readingprogram, and begin to clocktheir eight hours of readingneeded to win a book andother prizes. See the “Summerin the Libraries” schedule inthis issue.
Library Assistant VicVickers was happy to reportthat the new security systemis operational, providingstaff a view from eight cam-eras outside the building andrecording the informationon tape.
Search Team,Do You Copy?
On April 28 the earth shookat almost 40 emergency com-mand centers participatingin the citywide emergencypreparedness drill. Led byNick Stoughton, co-chair
High Street NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3
dozen neighborhoodartists are participatingin Pro Arts’ Open Stu-
dios on Saturdays and Sun-days, June 2 to 3 and June 9to 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visittheir studios in the Glenview,Dimond, Oakmore, and Laureldistricts. These studios repre-sent a rich diversity of art me-dia, styles, and prices, includ-ing painting, pottery, jewelry,and sculpture. Each artist willhave maps of the other artistsin the area. Here is a samplingof the artists and their work:
Rita Sklar, an award-win-ning painter, on 3826 FruitvaleAvenue in the Dimond Dis-trict (near Dimond Park be-tween Whittle and Tiffin). Fora preview, visit her Web siteat www.ritasklar.com. Openboth weekends.
Debra Koppman has beenmaking things almost exclu-sively out of recycled materi-als. She will be participatingon Saturdays only, June 2 andJune 9, at 2307 Damuth, be-tween Lincoln and Fruitvale.
Margo Rivera-Weissshares studio space with
Helen Krayenhoff at 2607School Street, one block westof Fruitvale. Rivera-Weissand Krayenhoff will be show-ing watercolor paintings.Also available will be mosa-ics, recycled art, and Hebrewcalligraphy. Images can beseen at www.geocities.com/incajew. They will be openthe first weekend only.
Andrea Ciak and MargoScarpulla will be featuringtheir pottery at 3898 CoolidgeAve. They will be open bothweekends.
Neighborhood Artists Open StudiosB Y R I T A S K L A R
cont inued on page 9
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Painting by Helen Krayenhoff.
Ceramic bowlby Margo Scarpulla.
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June/July 2007
9
ollars Plaza moved acrossthe street and down a fewblocks from its former lo-
cation recently, but everythingelse about this neighborhoodshop has stayed the same. Strollinto the small, well-organizedplace, and you’ll still receive awarm welcome from ownersAlbert and Ling Lee, who offereverything from A to Z, sevendays a week.
Every time I visit, I feel I’vebeen let loose on a relaxed andself-paced treasure hunt. That’sbecause the friendly husband-and-wife team has stockedevery shelf and filled every boxwith big, small, practical, andwhimsical items that are rea-sonably priced. I uncoveredthe following on my last trip:
B Y J O H N F R A N D O A N D
K A T H L E E N R O L I N S O N
Summer SolsticeMusic Festival
On Saturday, June 23, between1 and 7 p.m., the Laurel willagain celebrate the summersolstice with live music. Over80 groups, double the numberfrom last year, will performalong MacArthur Blvd. andaround Laurel ElementarySchool. Several artists arereturning from last year,including legendary jazz saxo-phonist Hal Stein, Korean folksinger Miena Yoo, jazz-pop-funk-fusion duo Gemini Soul,and western swing sextetLipsey Mountain Spring Band.
Pick up a festival programat the Laurel Lounge,MacArthur at 38th Ave. Therange of music is huge—rock,pop, alternative, folk, Cajun/zydeco, metal, classical, fla-menco, jazz, country, latin,blues, funk, calypso, soul,bluegrass, opera, hip hop,rap, and many types of worldmusic. Use the program tofind the time and location ofyour favorite music, or evenbetter, wander through theneighborhood and samplethe many groups.
The festival, produced bythe Laurel Village Association,is free to the public. Formore information, call MarkBaldwin at 967-1255, or visitwww.LaurelVillage.org.
Laurel LoungeRenowned saxophonist HalStein was recently showcasedin a series of performancesat the Laurel Lounge.
On May 12, husband andwife co-owners Gregg andMei McGlinn listened alongwith the audience, drawnlargely from the neighbor-hood. “It was Hal’s neighborStella Lamb who helpedarrange these appearances,”Gregg said.
The couple purchased the
lounge with its iconic signat 3932 MacArthur last year.They refined it to suit neigh-borhood residents with a largeaddition of microbrews, fullliquor bar, television tunedto favorite sports games, andteam pennants on the walls,along with a pool table anddarts.
Mei noted that businesshas been very good as neigh-bors, who used to bypass thebar, now stopped and discov-ered that it is a great hangout.
When you go, look forthe couple’s dog Sabrina,who helps greet patronswith a friendly tail wag. Visitwww.LaurelLounge.comfor more information.
Café ResumesEvening Hours
Nearly two weeks after thearmed robbery of an employeeon April 11, the popularWorld Ground Café resumedregular summer eveninghours, staying open until 9p.m. The manager reportsthat the injured worker hasreturned to work, but the sus-pects have not been found.
At the May 11 Neighbor-hood Crime Prevention Coun-cil meeting, Neighborhood
Laurel Neighborhood News
Services Coordinator ReneeSykes outlined new andongoing measures that thepolice are undertaking tocurb crimes such as the armedrobbery.
“There has been a patternof criminals, some clean-cutlooking, casing potentialrobbery victims, followingthem home late in the eveningfrom the business corridor,”she said.
Lorinda Ochoa of theDistrict Attorney’s officeattended and spoke, “We areseeing an unprecedentednumber of armed robberiesin areas of Oakland likeyours. Violent criminals aremoving from other areaswhere residents have morestreet smarts to areas whereresidents are less cautiousand have more to steal.”
Renee advised residentsto take measures to help en-sure their own personal safetyand that of their immediateneighbors, noting, “This areahas one of the lowest numberof registered NeighborhoodWatch groups in Oakland.” —————————————John Frando can be reached [email protected], and KathleenRolinson at [email protected].
Laurel resident Michael “Scooter” Marriner of Coyote Signs (at top and center)surprised Earth Day 2007 volunteers at Peralta Creek with a donation of a new sign.
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embroidered lipstick case withbuilt-in mirror ($1.89), set ofbamboo clothespins (a steal at69 cents), stickers for my grand-children, household cleaners,and manila envelopes. Suchbargains, each priced under $2,along with Albert and Ling’scheerful and personal touch,keep me going back to DollarsPlaza, now in its tenth year inour Laurel community.
By the way, I’m going backsoon for items I’ve been eyeing:spool of royal purple ribbon,100-percent cotton T-shirt,slippers, and more art andparty supplies.
Dollars Plaza is at 4000MacArthur Blvd., on the cornerof MacArthur Blvd. and 38thAve. Store hours are Mondaythrough Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Albert and Ling Lee in front of their new location.
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of Maxwell Park EmergencyResponse Team, the groupat Maxwell Park School fo-cused on communications.Search teams used hand-held radios to report fires,collapsed buildings, and inju-ries in the neighborhood. The
communications team loggedthe information and success-fully passed on critical situa-tions to the city’s commandcenter through a ham radiooperator at the fire station.In just a few daysFrom green fruit out of reach toRipe plums under foot —————————————Adelle Foley can be reached [email protected].
High Street NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 8
10June/July 2007
Calendar of Community Events
BY MARILYN GREEN, COORDINATOR
The MacArthur Metro calendar welcomes a range of listings. We empha-size community meetings and actions that address neighborhood concernsas well as cultural events that enrich our lives.
To have your event listed, please contact Marilyn Green no later thanthe 12th of the preceding month at 531-9233 or [email protected].
June/July 2007Minna Neighborhood Watch Yard Sale: Saturday and Sunday, June2 to 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Minna Ave. between Penniman andAllendale.
Open Studios: Saturdays and Sundays, June 2 to 3 and June 9 to 10,11 a.m. to 5 p.m. See article elsewhere in this issue.
Meet the Author: Tuesday, June 5, 7:30 p.m., Laurel Book Store,4100 MacArthur. Gordy Slack, local author of The Battle Over TheMeaning of Everything; Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a SchoolBoard in Dover, PA. 531-2073
Allendale Park NCPC Walking Group: Wednesdays and Thursdays,June 7,13,14,27 and July 5,11,12,25, 6 p.m., Saturdays, June 9,23and July 14,28, 11 a.m., Wednesdays, corner of Viola and Penniman;Thursdays, corner of Minna and Penniman; Saturdays, corner ofPenniman and Eastman. e-mail [email protected],or visit www.allendalepark.com
Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller NCPC (beat 22Y): Thursday, June 7, 7 to8:30 p.m., Imani Church, 3300 MacArthur. [email protected] [email protected]
Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council: Wednesdays, June 13 andJuly 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Maxwell Park School Library, 4730 Flemingat Monticello. www.maxwellparknc.com
Friends of Sausal Creek: Wednesday, June 20, 7 to 9 p.m., DimondLibrary, 3565 Fruitvale Ave. Presentation on balancing the needs ofnative special-status species with invasive plant removal. 501-3672or [email protected]
Allendale Park NCPC (beat 24Y): Wednesdays, June 20 and July 18,7 p.m., Allendale Recreation Center, 3711 Suter St. June guestspeaker Oakland auditor Courtney Ruby. www.allendalepark.org,[email protected]
Melrose/High Hopes NCPC (beat 27X): Thursdays, June 21 and July19, 7 p.m., Horace Mann School, Congress and [email protected]
Summer Solstice Music Festival: Saturday, June 23, 1 to 7 p.m.,along MacArthur Blvd. and Laurel Elementary. 967-1255
Deepwoods Insect Outpost: Saturday and Sunday, June 23 to 24,evening, Joaquin Miller Park. A nighttime exhibit of insects from allover the park. Oakland Park and Rec’s Great American [email protected], 506-2837
East Bay Vivarium: Tuesday, June 26, 6 p.m., César Chávez Library,3301 East 12th St. Learn about the habits and habitats of snakes,lizards, and creepy crawlies!
Jefferson NCPC: Thursdays, June 28 and July 26, 6:30 p.m., JeffersonElementary School, 2035 40th Ave. 595-5689
Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller NCPC (beat 22Y): Thursday, July 5, 7 to8:30 p.m., Joaquin Miller Community Center. [email protected] [email protected]
Allendale Sports & Life Skills Camp: starts July 9, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Allendale Recreation Center, 3711 Suter St. Five weekly sessions.535-5635 or www.oaklandparks.org
Book Release Party: Friday, July 20, 10, p.m., Laurel Book Store,4100 MacArthur. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows releases atmidnight; magic, giveaways, fun, and games! 531-2073
Summer in the LibrariesGet a Clue @ Your Library is this summer’s children’s readingprogram for young readers age 13 and under. From June 9 toAugust 11, they can check out books they want to read and earnpoints toward prizes.
Besides checking out books, kids from toddlers to teens canenjoy these programs at the Melrose and Dimond branches.Check the library’s Web site, www.oaklandlibrary.org, for pro-grams at the main and other branch libraries.
Melrose Library, 4805 Foothill Blvd., 535-5623Early Reading Fun for Toddlers and Preschoolers, June 13 and
July 14, 10:15 a.m.Family Storytime, stories and songs, July 30, 6 p.m.Ventriloquist Steve Chaney with his sidekick puppet, Cornelius
Crowe, June 21, 3:30 p.m.Opera Piccolo, The Stolen Aroma, July 5, 3:30 p.m.Crafts with Sharon, July 19, 3:30 p.m.Harry Potter #7 read-aloud, July 23, 4 p.m., continuing through
Saturday until the book is finished.Bitzy the Clown, July 26, 3:30 p.m.Melrose Tween Time, ages eight to 12, Thursdays, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave., 482-7844Family Storytime, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.Toddler Storytime, under 3 years old, Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m.Preschool Storytime, ages three to eight, Wednesdays, 11 a.m.Early Reading Fun for Toddlers and Preschoolers, June 13,
10:15 a.m.Puppet Art Theater, Super Tommy, June 12, 7 p.m.Bitzy the Clown, magic and comedy, June 19, 7 p.m.Jean Paul Valjean, magic & juggling, June 26, 7 p.m.Gary Lapow’s Get a Clue @ Your Library, The Musical,
July 24, 7 p.m.Teen Time, music, snacks, board games, Thursdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Laurel: The Bookmobile does not have an assigned parkingspace. Look for it on MacArthur between 35th and High from2-2:45 p.m. on June 20, July 11 and August 1 and 12.
The Joy of CompostingI treated myself to a top-of-the-line composter. It camewith hundreds of tiny partsthat required a full day’s
TheImperfectGardener
AdinaSara
concentration to assemble. Ialready had a composter—thekind the city gave away yearsago with three tiered squaresthat never fit together andonly produced piles of frus-tration. So this new andgreatly improved CompostTumbler, designed to be easyon the back and promisingperfect compost in two weeks,seemed a worthy investment.
The 23-page instructionbooklet was only mildlyintimidating. I skimmedthrough the temperaturegraphs and mathematicalequations, discovering thebenefits of 4:1 carbon/nitro-gen ratios, shredded newspa-per and grass clippings, andadequate moisture and aera-tion. Everything boiled downto maintaining a balance ofbrown and green matter. Not
to mention a willingnessto commit. Composters area little like pets. They needa great deal of care and at-tention.
And so I find myselfgoing around the garden insearch of perfect compostfood. Dead blooms anddried leaves are collectedcarefully and with greatenthusiasm. I am not nearlyas interested in the spectacu-lar roses, finding myselfmuch more excited by theold decrepit flowers thatwill add valuable carbon tothe compost mix. I clip driedbranches into compost-bitesizes and forget to noticethat the watsonia and irisare bursting open. I turnthe compost drum dailyand open the door toofrequently to suck in thesmell—a musty sharp blendof decay and hot steam(it’s not for everyone)—toreassure myself that thesystem is indeed working.
Swept up in compostmania, I bought an artsyceramic food-scrap containerfor the kitchen counter andset a larger bucket on theporch to hold overflowingcoffee grounds, tea bags,and yesterday’s salad. Fromkitchen counter to compostarea, an assembly line ofcontainers filled with chickenmanure, grass clippings, anddead leaves help keep theflow moving. Even the oldplastic three-tiered compostbin is coming in handy againto contain plant materialsneeding to be cut down tocompost-friendly size.
More than likely, this isa temporary phase. I hopeto eventually turn my atten-tion back to the more color-ful parts of the garden, butfor now I am reveling inthis new relationship. It isstill too soon to know whateffect the seething dark dirtwill have on next season’svegetable crop, but beingthis close to the process oftransformation has alreadyproven to be reason enoughto compost.
On the other end of thegardening spectrum, tinysquash and scarlet runnerbeans have sprouted fromseeds given to me last yearat the Metro Garden Clubplant exchange. There isno way I can plant them all,unless I want to trip overmonstrous squash leavesall summer. It is so hardto decide which perfectlyhealthy seedlings to plantand which to toss out. Atleast, this year the loserswill be sent to the compostbin, where they just mightget another chance to join inthe garden’s rich cycle of life.
Our local gardencommunity exchanges ideas,plants, and gardeningresources. Send an e-mailto [email protected], and askto be added to the growinggroup of Metro gardenenthusiasts.
Briana Valdez was the first one thatwas chosen to read a story (Somo theRabbit) with Warrior Stephen Jacksonat the Warriors Read to Achieveprogram at the Dimond Library.
according to Jamal, “Kids saythere’s no stigma when theywalk in because, as theysay, ‘You’re going to knowsomebody.’”
In addition to the indi-vidual tutoring at the Laurelsite, AFS also contracts withOakland Unified SchoolDistrict to operate learningcenters at five schools inOakland, including SkylineHigh School and AllendaleElementary. AFS has also
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created a track-and-field teamfor athletes from ages 10 to 18.Student athletes must main-tain a grade-point averageof 3.0 or participate in manda-tory academic tutoring.
“As educators,” Jamalsays, “we need to give stu-dents a reason to want tocome to school, to the site,and to the classroom. Weneed to create school pro-grams to give kids a placeto go—midnight basketball,the track club—so there’ll befewer lost boys and girls.”
AcademicsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 2
For more information, e-mail [email protected].
June/July 2007
11
$150 and aboveJohn Coffey
Douglas FergusonAnonymous in Honor
of Diana & Joe Tam & staffat Farmer Joe’s
Janet & John BroughtonKate Phillips
Nancy Sidebotham
$50 up to $150Yoshi Wong—Komodo Toys
Richard CowanBeverly J. James
Katy & Vito VanoniJerry Scheberies/Scheberies, Inc.
Laurel District AssociationDeborah Cooper
Chris & Andy CohnJoan Dark & Cliff Falloon
Nancy MeyerKathleen Rolinson
Nancy Scott-Ince &William A. Ince
Ruth Malone & T.C. SayreC.A. & Pamela
Magnuson-PeddleDavid J. Pitta
Diane & Charles A. TrostAmerican Legion,
East Oakland Post 471Terri I. Elliott
Farmer Joe’s Marketplace(Dimond)
Farmer Joe’s Marketplace(Laurel)
Joanna RobertsVee & Ashley Thomsak
Norma YaglijianMargaret Welch & Fruitvale
Presbyterian ChurchLarry & Meg Bowerman
Shoshana & Dave FinacomMargaret O’Halloran
Adina SaraMargaret Elizares
Toni LockeBonnie Henriquez
Andretta I.R. FowlerLeslie Bialik & Gene TucciGreg and Nancy Fredericks
Linda & Jacob HartKathy & Phil
Keiko Shimada
The Metro acknowledges contributions of $50 or more by listing your name orbusiness as a Money Honey for 10 issues. You keep our paper alive and well.
MONEY HONEYS
Dr. Ben Chavis, princi-pal of the American IndianPublic Charter School in theLaurel, received the Depart-ment of Education’s NationalBlue Ribbon award. Thisaward from the No Child LeftBehind—Blue Ribbon SchoolsProgram honors K-12 schoolsthat are academically superioror that demonstrate dramaticgains in student achievement.Congratulations to Dr. Chavis,to the teachers, and to thestudents whose hard workand achievements qualifiedthe school for the award.
I asked Laurel bee-keeper Russ Bruno if he’snoticed any signs of a colonycollapse. Russ says, “So far, Ihave not had any indicationthat any of my four activehives have a ‘collapse’ prob-lem. I believe a couple of thecolonies swarmed a few weeksago, depleting those coloniesof about 50 percent of theirbees, but that is a normal oc-currence at this time of year.Also, I had to add additionalbees and a new queen to a hivethat had a minimal populationand not many newborns. Ithink the old queen just ranout of steam.” Russ also saysFarmer Joe’s still is selling thelocal honey he delivered lastfall. “It has crystallized, butthat is normal, and the honeycan be reliquified by heating
it in a microwave for about aminute and then stirring.”
Former Melrose BranchChildren’s Librarian, NinaLindsay, now Children’sLibrarian at the Main Library,is chair of the AmericanLibrary Association’s NewberyAward committee. She islooking for readers in gradesfive through seven to help re-view the newest titles eligiblefor this award. If you knowyoung readers who love booksand may be interested in thisgroup, which meets Fridays,June 29 through August 10 at2 p.m., let them know aboutthis opportunity. For more
By Sheila D’Amico
information, call Nina at 238-3615.
ight here in the backyard of all Metro read-ers, we have an often-
overlooked treasure trove.
$50 up to $150(continued)
Victoria WakeReuben GoldbergMaggie DorseySheila D’Amico
Bart WrightMichael WirglerZarka Popovic
Lark Schumacher Coryell &Roger Coryell
Gary & Caroline YeePhillis Robbiano
Pat SawanwatanaIgnacio De La Fuente
Kitty MuntzelTrudi & Don Robinson
Gary HarrisThe Banh Family
Elizabeth CallawayTom George & JoAnn Yoshioka
Mary SeastrandMark BaldwinNancy Cowan
Millicent Morris-ChaneyJoan MorrowLaurie UmehSonja Proulx
Dr. Susan HarmanSharon Toth
Helen & William R.Shyvers. Jr.
Susan Audap & Dick PageDimond Improvement
Association, Inc.Mike FerroBen Visnick
Carolyn VallergaNancy & Vic Miloslavich
Hung Liu & Jeff KelleyPhillip & Lisa Wong
Marcia Henry & Gary DelgadoLisa Ruhland
Karen Marie SchroederJacquelyn & Eugene Crenshaw
Hamachi & WasabiRichard L. Weinstein
Roussel SargentSusanne Lea & Russell BrunoLydia Palmin & Tom DaleySusan & William Bagnell
Claude & John ElkDavid Vahlstrom/Laurel
Hardware
Dr. Ben Chavis (in back) with multiple-achiever students of the AmericanIndian Public Charter School.
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WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATESINCOME TAX
BUSINESS SERVICES
TAX SERVICELaurel Neighborhood
PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCEwith a PERSONAL TOUCH
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Robert E. Williams, Licensed Tax Practitioner
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Serving your neighborhoodfor over 25 years with30 professional Real Estate Agents
• If you are thinking of selling, we offer free property evaluation.• If you are thinking of buying, we offer many 1st time buyer loan
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property management.Lynn A. Worthington, Broker
5942 MacArthur Boulevard • 510-562-8600
Woodminster Summer Musicals—A Hidden Treasurein Our Back YardB Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y
The 1,500-seat WoodminsterAmphitheater in JoaquinMiller Park, 3300 JoaquinMiller Road (at SanbornAvenue), is the home of greatfamily-oriented Broadwayshows in July, August, andSeptember.
The shows for this year are:• July 13 to 22, West Side
Story• August 10 to 19, The
Wizard of Oz• September 7 to 16, Joseph
And The Amazing TechnicolorDreamcoat
All shows begin at 8 p.m.Call the box office at 531-9597to arrange for a rewardingfamily evening. More info atwww.woodminster.com.
R
Check with your NCPCor other neighborhood groupto see if your neighborhoodwill be hosting a block partythis year. If there’s one in yourneighborhood, be sure to joinin the fun. Hope to see youat one of those block parties,a music fest, Woodminster,or just shopping in the ‘hood.Meanwhile, if you have articleideas or would like to volun-teer, e-mail [email protected], or leave avoice message at 287-2655.Have a wonderful summer,and look for the next issueof the Metro in August.
June/July 2007
Academics For Success
12
nless you are lookingfor Academics ForSuccess (AFS), you
might not notice the store-front site at 4138 MacArthurBlvd., or know it’s a placewhere learning is happening.The Laurel location is oneof two sites in Oaklandof this private tutoringbusiness, started in 2000 byJamal Cooks and his wifeCharemon.
“We started the businesson June 19, on our weddinganniversary,” a personableJamal tells me. I should becalling him Dr. Cooks; Jamalholds a Ph.D. in Literary Ed.from the University of Michi-gan. He grew up in Oakland,attended Redwood Heightselementary and Montara
Jamal Cooks (at right) and the staff of Academics for Success.
middle schools, and gradu-ated from Skyline. Charemongrew up in Los Angeles. Sheholds a master’s in PublicHealth from Emory U. Theytook a chance when theystarted the business, Jamalsays. “We had $100 in ouraccount at Wells Fargo.”
Now Charemon is theExecutive Director of Aca-demics For Success. Jamalis the Lead Educational Of-ficer. He is also an AssistantProfessor at S.F. State andcoaches track at Skyline.
Jamal says he learnedwhile growing up and as aneducator that schools werenot all equal, and studentswere not all equal, either.When he was in high school,there were lots of programs.After grad school, he foundthat the same programswere no longer there. It also
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continued on page 10
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B Y S H E I L A D ’ A M I C O seemed that the gaps be-tween haves and have-notswere bigger. “The learningenvironment makes a differ-ence. What if there’s nodining-room table to dohomework, no parentalsupport, no help at home?”Jamal wanted to provide aspace to make a difference,and that’s what AFS is doing.AFS offers homework help,builds basic learning skills,and teaches study habits. Italso offers ACT/SAT collegeentrance exam and CaliforniaHigh School Exit Exam(CAHSEE) preparation.
What makes AFS unique,Jamal says, is one-to-onetutoring. Unlike other tutor-ing programs, AFS’s com-puter program is supplemen-tal, not the primary sourceof teaching. In some cases,tutors, who have come from
Mills, Holy Names, S.F. State,St. Mary’s, Cal State EastBay, and Cal Berkeley,become mentors. AFS staysopen late until 9 p.m. so theycan focus on secondary stu-dents along with elementaryand middle, on studentathletes, and students who
are into extracurricular activi-ties. Lots of other programsfocus on elementary-levelstudents. AFS helps withcalculus and statistics andalso with college essays.There’s appeal for secondarystudents. Additionally,
U
