Serving the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren FreewayVolume 14 Number 10 December 2002/January 2003

A Community Newspaper • P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619 • (510) 287-2655

ntering Brookdale Center,dodging basketballs andhappy, noisy children, I

felt engulfed by a maelstromof activity. At the eye of thisstorm is Center Director andmatriarch Daphne “Danni”Gammage, who herself grewup on the playgrounds of Oak-land. Danni, at the helm for thepast 24 years, has a B.A. inRecreation and a master’s inCounseling. She originallystarted at Lockhaven on East14th but moved to Brookdalein her early twenties whenLockhaven was closed.

As I spoke with this athletic,youthful director in her cozyoffice, surrounded by years ofmementos and pictures of herRec Center kids, she expressedhow her job quickly turned intoa calling.

“I wanted to go downtownbecause I couldn’t see someonemy age working in the field.But time goes rapidly, and I’mstill here, and it’s fine. I don’thave any problems. You get

s this column is beingwritten, Oakland hasjust experienced its

100th homicide in 2002.Most, but not all, involvedyoung African-Americanmen. Most occurred in EastOakland or West Oakland,but some occurred right inthe heart of the Metro read-ership area. For monthsnow, the increasing numberof homicides has alarmedthe city. Pastors, largelyfrom African-Americanchurches, called for anend to the violence at arally this summer. Ameasure to increase policewas put on the ballot in No-vember. Suggestions havebeen made to call in theNational Guard. Citizens,and groups from all acrossthe city, from ACORN toPUEBLO to OCO to theNCPCs, are calling for theviolence to end and are

Brookdale Rec Serves 1000 Kids

Eugene and Jackie Crenshaw, Koch/Delay, Robin Goodfellow, Roussel Sargent

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.

ear Laurel ElementarySchool Community:

Congratulations! TheCA State Academic Per-

formance Index (API) ranksLaurel Elementary School num-ber 13 out of 63 Oakland publicelementary schools. Laurel’s2001-02 API exceeds that ofCarl Munk, Sequoia, John

cont inued on page 7

really close to these kids, andthey’re my kids.”

When Danni started anddidn’t know the names of allthe kids, she simply calledthem “baby.” Soon the onesshe knew by name started toask, “Why can’t I be calledbaby, too?” So nurturing is acritical part of the programsoffered at Brookdale, whichserves a largely African-American population, witha total of 1,058 individualvisits in November alone.

Given its small size, theCenter offers an impressivearray of programs catering toteens and younger children:Simba, a mentoring programthat tutors mostly African-American young men; EarlyBirds, a preschool for tots;Homework Club, with avail-able computers and tutoring;Drill Team, a band programthat prepares young musiciansto march in local parades;and Girls’ Club, which islargely made up of teens whoparticipate in Junior Leaders,

working to find a way tomake it happen.

The Metro took a lookat what two such groupsare currently doing.

Crime Stoppers is aname most readers of ho-micide reports in the dailynewspapers have seen.This group, staffed by thepolice, is a nonprofit orga-nization governed by acitizen board. Crime Stop-pers offers rewards foranonymous tips that leadto arrests and the solvingof a crime. Sgt. DonaldWilliams administers theprogram at the police de-partment. “This is a citizengroup,” Williams said,“that wants perpetratorsto get the message that youare going to get caught.We’ve already receivedtips from anonymous wit-nesses on five homicides.”

One Crime Stoppersboard member agreed totalk with the Metro on the

Stop the Killing

Laurel Elementary School Soarsin Academic Performance

Swett, Glenview, Fruitvale,and Allendale. This puts LaurelElementary squarely in thetop 20 percent of Oakland’selementary schools.

Prospective parents andcommunity members are en-couraged to meet the dedicatedparents, staff, and communitycollaborators responsible forour phenomenal success. Forinformation regarding meeting

dates/times, tours or to arrangeclassroom observation, pleasecall Principal Cheryl Garrettat 879-1310, or Parent Liaison& Academic Tutor PhalinaArmstrong at 879-3656, orPTA President Kaye Stewartat 482-8250.

Please pass this message onto those who may be interested.Also, regarding transfers,

HappyHolidays!

The Metroreturns

February 1.

B Y M E R E D I T H F L O R I A N

B Y K A Y E S T E W A R T

B Y S H E I L A D ’ A M I C O

Danni Gammage and Jeffrey Taylor at work at Brookdale Rec Center.

Rodney Rainey, Sammy Allen III, and Kane Hollie practice footballplays at Brookdale Rec Center.

E

cont inued on page 6

D

A

cont inued on page 5

JOD

Y BE

RKE

JOD

Y BE

RKE

Oakland Boy and Girls ClubGroundbreaking.

See story on page 5.

CLIF

FORD

STE

VEN

SON

HappyHolidays!

The Metroreturns

February 1.

2December 2002/January 2003

HOT NUMBERSCITY OF OAKLAND AGENCIES

ABAT—the Alcoholic 238-7103Beverage Action Team

Graffiti hotline 238-4703

Abandoned cars 615-5713

O.P.D. Non-emergency 238-3333

Animal control 535-5602

Beat Health (drugs) 615-5808

Drug Hotline 238-DRUG

Noise Hotline: 238-6777(Oakland CEDA,property complaint line)

C.O.R.E. 238-6351(Citizens of OaklandRespond to Emergencies)

Truancy Hotline 479-2199

City Street 615-5850tree-planting unit

Oaklanders Assistance 444-CITYCenter knows the answerto all problems with cityand other governmentalservices in Oakland.

PRIVATE AGENCIES

A Safe Place 536-7233(domestic violence)

Conciliation 763-2117Services of Oakland(neighborhood disputes)

Sentinel Fair Housing 836-2687(free landlord-tenantcounseling anddiscrimination investigation)

Managing EditorToni LockeCopy EditorsAnne Fox, Roussel SargentFinances/BookkeepingReuben GoldbergAdvertising ManagerBeverley BrownArt DirectorAndreas JonesWord ProcessingDavid RaichPhotographyJody Berke, Clifford StevensonDistributionPeter BondMailingDiane TrostCalendarMichael CarsonFriends and Money HoneysMary Seastrand

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Opinions expressed in the MacArthurMetro are those of the contributorsand do not necessarily reflect theviews held by the publication.©2002 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619(510) 287-2655.

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eighbors on Buell Streetnear the Home of Peacehave lived with a “con-

struction site” far too long.The property owner has failedto secure the site and renewthe permits, the neighbors said.The site has lain fallow in onephase of construction or theother for over a year.

A truck on the site hasdamaged a phone line. Debrislitters the neighborhood, justone of the results of havingno fence on the site. I went tohave a look. I discovered thatthe public sidewalk endedabruptly in a trench, and asecond open trench ran alongthe same sidewalk, with nowarnings or barriers.

I also watched with someconcern as a child played onthe site. When I asked thechild what she was doing,she disappeared into one ofthe half-finished buildings.

I photographed thesidewalk and trenches ande-mailed the pictures to thecity attorney’s office. I poseda question as the devil’s advo-cate: What if someone fell intothe open trench in the dark,injured him- or herself, andsued the city?

I heard from a deputycity attorney, saying he wasinvestigating the case. His in-vestigation, however, turnedout to be a phone call to a codecompliance supervisor. Thesupervisor e-mailed the deputywith assurances that all thepermits had been renewed.The supervisor also told thedeputy that he was “contentwith the progress at the site.”

Closer inspection showedthat the supervisor himselfrenewed the permits oneday after the deputy sentthe e-mail. This raises someconcern about the way thissupervisor does business.

DennisEvanosky

Shenaniganson the Boulevard

Would the permits havebeen renewed at all had I notcalled the city attorney?

Did the supervisor renewthe permits without contactingthe property owner?

Did the owner pay therenewal fees?

The deputy city attorneyended his e-mail with myfavorite bureau-speak sentence:If there’s anything else I can do,don’t hesitate to call me. Politetranslation: Have a nice day;I’m through with you. Mytranslation: Kiss off!

I e-mailed the deputy andassured him I was not finishedwith him, I was just gettingstarted. The same day, I gota call from the neighbors:EBMUD was working at the

was anxious to talk before mydeadline (a frequent plea fromcity bureaucrats). I returnedher call with some simplequestions.

Why did the constructionsite remain open despitecomplaints that date backto last August?

Have inspections everbeen done at this property?

Have there been anypenalties assessed against theproperty for not securing thesite and for working on the siteafter the permits had expired?

The city attorney wasgracious enough to speak tome about the issue. He wasnot sure about any regulationrequiring a property owner tofence off a construction site.He found the response fromthe city “troubling,” especiallythe lack of returned phonecalls dating back to August,he said. He requires his em-ployees to return e-mailsand phone calls within oneday. His deputy did so, I mustpoint out.

“Our job is to providedirect service,” he said.

It’s a shame other depart-ment heads in the city don’tfeel the same way.

There is some good news.As I reported a while ago,hoodlums had chosen theintersections of Aliso andElinora Avenues and CarsonStreet in Redwood Heights to

spin “donuts” at all hours. Theneighbors, led by fellow Metrowriter Meredith Florian,turned to the city for relief.

The city bureaucrats gavethe neighbors the mandatoryhoops to jump through, anddid not do anything more. Theneighbors called the Metro.I got Dick Spees involved.He called from Oregon andset up a meeting.

The large turnout forthe meeting—scheduled inthe middle of a weekday forthe city bureaucrats’ conve-nience—showed the strengthof the neighbors’ case. Thecity promised to install“Bott dots,” the round plasticdevices used to define thecenter or the edge of the road.They would install the dotsall across the intersection. Thedots would not affect normaltraffic but would prevent thehoodlums from having theirfun. The city did install themand on time. The result?

“Things do seem to bebetter. I am hopeful,”Meredith says. “This mayhave been a small victory, butit’s great news for our area.”With one exception, which shefeels was retaliatory, she says,“I actually haven’t heard anydonuts since the dots arrived.”

Now let’s see if some“small victory” lies ahead forBuell Street.

Stay tuned.

“Why did theconstructionsite remainopen despitecomplaints thatdate back tolast August?”

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site. I photographed the work-ers at the site and sent a seconde-mail to the city attorney andhis deputy.

Silence.Then I got an e-mail from

the deputy. He told me thatEBMUD had “finalled” (sic)—more bureau-speak—theirwork. The trenches would befilled in the next few days.Translation: Yes, we knowabout the dangerous opentrenches, but don’t worry,someone will take care ofthem “in the next few days.”Would the city attorney’soffice issue flashlights inthe meantime, I wondered?

I had more questions forthe supervisor who issuedthe permits. Intrigued by howquickly it was done, I won-dered if he had even involvedthe property owner or justrenewed them so the paper-work would look right. Thisbureaucrat’s statement, relayedthrough the deputy, that hewas “content with the progressat the site,” disturbs me.

I am currently playingphone tag with the employee’ssupervisor who answered mye-mail with a phone call. She

December 2002/January 2003

3

Toward a Walkable CityCity Council approved thePedestrian Master Planunanimously and adoptedit into the city’s General Plan.The Plan provides a 20-yearvision for pedestrian safetyand access, with an emphasison seniors and youth. Itsadoption is another exampleof Oakland’s commitment toa walkable city and the hardwork of the Advisory Boardand Pedestrian Safety staff.Congratulations all around.

Be a Friend/Bring a Friend

The Friends of MelroseBranch Library reestablishedthe group early in November.A lively brainstorming ses-sion focused on keeping thelibrary’s environment safefor the entire community,from young children toteenagers to seniors. Thegroup came up with a listof projects, which would in-volve having fun while help-ing the branch. New friendsare welcome to the nextmeetings on Wednesday, De-cember 4, and on January 8(because the first Wednesday

B Y A D E L L E F O L E Y

High Street Neighborhood Newsis New Year’s Day), at 7 p.m.

Hoops at Brookdale RecAs the cooler weather sets in,think basketball. Sign-ups willbegin early in December forthe 2003 program. There stillis room for your preschoolerto play and learn twice a weekat Early Birds. School-ageyoungsters should stop byafter school, Monday throughThursday, for the homeworkclub. For information on theseprograms and other plans forDecember and January, call595-5632 or drop in.

Welcome toOur Teen Librarian

When I strolled into theMelrose Branch on a wetSaturday afternoon, the staffwas excited about a new col-league, Teen Librarian RachelAranowitz. A recent graduateof San Jose State, Rachel willdevelop teen collections andprograms and coordinatewith teachers and administra-tion at nearby Fremont High.

Library Aide MarcoFrazier, a student at HolyNames, was pulling mint-condition paperbacks out ofa shopping bag and thankinga generous neighbor who hadbrought them in. Marco has

been working at the MelroseBranch for the last year whilehe’s studying to be an elemen-tary school teacher. He gotright to work preparing thebooks with a letter (author’slast name) and stamp. LibraryAssistant Pete Villasenorlocated a book on prostitutionin the Old West in responseto a telephone inquiry, beforetaking the new paperbacksto be catalogued.

I also learned how to checkup on location, hours, andevents at the Branch throughthe Internet. Sign ontowww.oaklandlibrary.org.To the right of the streetlight,click on Locations and Hours.Scroll down, and click onMelrose. Admire the photoof the Branch, and take a lookat photos of recent events andinformation about libraryprograms.

Don’t Missthe NCPC Election

Melrose/High Hopes NCPCelections will be held Thurs-day, January 16, at HoraceMann School, Ygnacio andCongress. The meetingbegins at 7 p.m. —————————————Adelle Foley can be reached bye-mail at jasfoley@aol.com.

Get Phased InIt’s almost a year sinceFriends of Sausal Creekvolunteers began planting20,000 plants on the slopesin the restoration area ofDimond Canyon, after clear-ing invasive ivy, blackberry,and other plants. The lush-ness and variety of plantshave been a delight, espe-cially near the creek. Thealders have grown severalfeet, and the dogwoods andwillows are already promis-ing small thickets. We’ve hada good show of wildflowerstoo, from the early blue-eyedgrass to the yarrows andsneezeweed, with the glow-ing red California fuchsiastaking us into fall.

As this winter’s rainyseason begins, we’re gettingready for phase two: keepingthe invasive plants fromreinvading, and plantinganother 2,000 plants in thecanyon. Please consider stop-ping by some Saturday soonto help. To halt the invasion,we’ll be filling in the blankswhere some plants didn’tsurvive and increasing thediversity with new species ofplants. These work sessionsare held every Saturday from9 a.m. to noon. Meet in

Friends of Sausal CreekDimond Park where El Centrocrosses the stream. And atthe nursery, we’ll be workinghard to get the plants ready,transplanting small seedlings(a pleasant “sit-down” chore)in a spot with a stunningview. Nursery work sessionshappen every Saturday, from1:30 to 4:30 p.m., in JoaquinMiller Park, next to theWoodminster Amphitheater.

In addition to help fromindividual volunteers, we’rehappy to have large groupssuch as middle-school (andolder-aged) classes and scout-ing groups. Please contactKristen Hopper at 387-9744or field@sausalcreek.org toschedule a date when workcan be planned to match yourgroup’s abilities, or for direc-tions and more information.

Peralta Creek RestorationPublic Meeting

Everyone is invited to thePeralta Creek restorationmeeting, Wednesday, Decem-ber 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.,at 1900 Fruitvale Avenue,Suite 2A, upstairs from theCésar Chávez Branch Library.The final design for the resto-ration project on Peralta Creekin César Chávez Park will bepresented. Don’t miss yourchance to comment on thedesigns for the restoration.

Leona Heights Neighborhood News

e who have livedin Leona Heightsso many years find

that answers to our questionsabout the Leona QuarryDevelopment go unanswered.The clock ticks on. City groupmeetings are gaveled to aclose, and we feel that thewhole city machine is arrayedagainst us. The city BIR grouphas to salute the PlanningCommission; the PlanningCommission has to salutethe City Council; and thesame Councilmembersseem beholden to theirother supporters. Fortunately,there is recourse to the courts.

During all the city proto-cols, we deal with city-paidstaffers who may deal withdeveloper-paid consultants,who are supposed to protectus as one facet of their duty,while we citizens, who are un-paid, have to search for facts,

B Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y

Professor of journalism Burt Dragin of LaneyCollege will speak on “The Importance of LocalJournalism” at the annual Metro Workshop forstaff, board, and old and new volunteers onSaturday, January 18, 2003, 9:30 a.m. to1 p.m., at the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church,MacArthur Boulevard corner of Coolidge.For reservations, call Toni Locke at 530-8079.

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attend meetings, and pay ourown way through the morass.

There needs to be a betterway in our land of best ways.

It is a shame that we whowill be impacted dramaticallyand live in the developmentarea can see quite well whatwill occur soon, while oursociety takes the view, “Let’sjust go ahead, and we’ll fixlater whatever mistakes mayhave been made.”

The Leona Quarry devel-opment is too large, has beenunderengineered, and canimpact so disastrously down-stream residents, that now isthe time to take the time to getthe data and correctly workout the plan flaws. Pressingthe schedule too fast can leadto uncorrectable future events.But that’s all right. For bythe time the unwanted eventshave happened, the Councilmembership will havechanged, and there will beno one to hold accountable.

And now, to sharpen myquill about the city trafficengineering leadership . . .again. During the rains ofNovember 7 or thereabout,another westbound car trav-eling much too fast downMountain Boulevard andonto the Rusting 580 onrampcrashed into the onrampwall. This is about the tenthsuch accident in the pasttwo years. When we resi-dents ask for a reduction ofthe speed limit on MountainBoulevard between Semi-nary and Rusting as well asa stop sign on the eastboundlane at Rusting, we usuallyget a muted response. Theneed to control traffic betterboth directions on thisstretch of Mountain Boule-vard is so plain that a childcan see the need. Ho-hum.So we shall write anotherletter and hope that noneof our neighbors are killedbefore action is taken.

WPlanning Metro 2003

4December 2002/January 2003

StayingHealthy forthe Holidays

PauletteAvery,

R.N., M.S.N.

To Your Health

he holiday season isupon us once again,so I’m going to devote

this month’s column to waysyou can keep yourself ingood health during this oftenhectic time of year. Althoughmost of us enjoy this season,the busy-ness that accompa-nies the period from Thanks-giving to the New Year canmean stress and a weakenedimmune system. Add to thatthe flu bugs and colds thatbecome both more commonand more easily spread thistime of year, and the need forself-care becomes apparent.Here are a few tips to keepthis holiday season a brightand cheerful one for you.

eating as much as we like ofall these foods will mean sev-eral extra pounds to carryaround in 2003. So indulgeyourself, but do so with com-mon sense, choosing onlyyour favorite foods and eatingthem in moderation. ComeJanuary, you’ll be glad youdid. And don’t forget to eatplenty of healthful foods suchas fresh fruits and vegetables,and whole grains.

Health aids. If I feel acold or other illness comingon, here’s what I do to getback to good health as quicklyas possible. You may remem-ber several years ago whenI recommended zinc lozengesto head off a cold. Theyworked for me but left anunpleasant taste in my mouthand upset my stomach unlessI made sure to eat somethingfirst. Now there’s a productcalled Zicam that works justas well as the lozenges butwithout the unpleasant sideeffects. Zicam is a zinc gelthat you squirt or swab intothe opening of your nostrils.The directions are to use itevery two to four hoursuntil your cold symptomsdisappear. You can find Zicamat drugstores, and I highlyrecommend it for use at thefirst sign of a cold. The sooneryou start using it, the moreeffective it is likely to be.

My other weapon is elder-berry capsules. You can takeone a day as an ongoing boostto your immune system, butI use them only when I feelan illness coming on. Again,starting them at the first signof illness makes them muchmore effective. I usually takeone when I feel the first signsof illness, such as a major dropin my energy level, and thenrepeat the dose once or twicemore that day and the nextcouple of days until I feelbetter. You can find elderberrycapsules at most health foodstores.

May your holidays befilled with the blessings ofjoy and good health! —————————————Paulette Avery is a registerednurse and a freelance writerspecializing in health issues.

B Y P E T E R B O N D

Dear readers: This writer doessearch for individuals andbusinesses worthy of inclusion inthis column, but he relies mostlyon input from others. So, pleasee-mail your ideas for Onionsand Orchids to bpbond@aol.com.

Onions to DimondRealty at 2715 MacArthur,next door to Fruitvale Presby-terian Church at MacArthur& Coolidge, for displayingseveral signs for the “No onEE Campaign” all day onElection Day. The churchbuilding is a polling place,and the Realty is within 100feet of this polling place.The Realty was repeatedlyasked by individuals toremove their signs but didnot. The Alameda CountyRegistrar of Voters confirmedthat any campaigning, includ-ing signs, within 100 feet ofa polling place is illegal.

Onions to the AlamedaCounty Registrar of Votersfor not sending an official toDimond Realty to have thecampaign signs removed.

Onions to the owner ofthe vacant “Pizza” buildingat 3100 High Street for thecontinued blighted appear-ance of this building. Therehas been a large brokenwindow in the front of thisbuilding for at least a month,barely covered by a board.The windows are otherwisecovered by newspapers thatdate from December 2000.

Orchids to the ownersof the building that housesSt. Louis Vet. Clinic, LyLuck Restaurant, andDimond Printers at 3537Fruitvale for the façadeimprovements. With thebuilding improvements bySafeway across the street,this section of Fruitvale isnow attractive and enhancesthe neighborhood.

Orchids to FarmerJoe’s Market for theirattractive new wooden signsituated by their parking loton the 35th Avenue side.

“Indulgeyourself, butdo so withcommon sense.”

Take time for yourself. Somuch to do, so little time, maybe your mantra, but makingtime for you should be a toppriority, especially if you arethe one in your family whopulls it all together for theholidays. With shopping,decorating, meal planning,entertaining, and attendingholiday events, our calendarsmay become so full that justgetting a normal amount ofsleep at night may seem achallenge. Remember thatbeing stressed and exhaustedwon’t help you or anyone else,so give yourself a break. Justtaking 10 or 15 minutes in themorning to meditate, take awalk, or do any activity thathelps to relax and focus yourmind will help you not only tofeel better, but also to be moreeffective in getting throughyour busy day. And if makinglists is one of the things youdo to stay organized, remem-ber to put that time for your-self at the top of your list!

Eat right. I love all thegoodies that accompany theholidays. It has become atradition for my mother-in-law to send us a box filledwith her home-baked sugarcookies decorated for Christ-mas, handmade mint candies,divinity fudge, and a hugebag of Chex mix. We eagerlyawait the arrival of this gifteach year and just as eagerlybegin devouring its contents.Then there are the boxes ofcandy, the parties where richfoods and tables filled withdesserts are the norm, thepotluck lunches at work,not to mention the feastsconsumed for Thanksgiving,Hanukkah, Christmas, andthe New Year. For most of us,

T

Rat. A Mole. Friend-ship. A long trekthrough the snow. And

a group of children from theaudience chosen to participateat each show. These are thekey elements of the OaklandPublic Theater’s winteroffering, Wind in the Willows:Chapter V, Dulce Domum. Thistouring show is another in-stallment of OPT’s re-storyingproject, classic literaturetranslated to theater withdiverse characterizations andthe engagement of audiencesof all ages on several levels.

Having successfullylaunched its ambitious Windin the Willows project to wideacclaim in the libraries lastsummer with Chapter One,OPT is already changing theorder of things. This winterproduction skips to ChapterFive, where our heroes,Rat and Mole, are trudginghome through the snow oneevening when somethingstrange happens.

“While it’s not actually a

holiday story,” says ManagingDirector Elizabeth Carter, “thistale is wonderfully appropri-ate to the season. It celebratesthe beauty of winter, thepower of home and friendship,gatherings around the fire-place, and even has a groupof caroling field mice!”

WITW: V, Dulce Domum(Latin for “home sweet home”)is touring libraries throughoutOakland. The show willalso perform one weekend,December 13-15, in Lisser Hallat Mills College, where OPTis currently in residence.The project then returns toits proper sequence withChapter Two in the spring.

Directed by GendellHernandez, Dolce Domum starsArtistic Director Norman Geeas Rat and Taz Balbuena asMole and features ManagingDirector Elizabeth Carter. Chil-dren from the audience willbe selected at each show toparticipate as a group of carol-ing field mice. “We’ll teach thewhole audience a simple songbefore we start,” says Carter,“then have a few volunteersjoin us onstage.”

“This projectallows us to com-bine our love ofbooks with our loveof theater,” Geepoints out. “Wealso like to high-light the inclusiveaspect of thesetraditional favoritesand show how suchstories reflect har-mony in diversity.Whether you’retalking about ani-mals or people, thatmessage is alwaysworth repeating.”

Wind in the Wil-lows: Chapter V, byKenneth Grahame,in Oakland librarybranches Decem-ber-January (calllocal branch for

Wind in the Willows, Chapter Five

Norman Gee (Rat) & Taz Balbuena (Mole) inWind in the Willows with Oakland Public Theater.

BY NORMAN GEE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,OAKLAND PUBLIC THEATER

A

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Interior Painting. Jacob Hart, 530-6247. Lic.#705262.

Video Services. We Can Transformyour slides, snapshots, and filmsinto a charming video—with musicand effects. Or have a professionalcameraman videotape your socialand business events. Call HaroldLawrence at 530-0628.

African-American manicurist,located in the Laurel District,specializing in manicures, pedi-cures w/paraffin wax treatments,sculptured nails, silk and fiberglasswraps. Over 15 years experienceand service in this area. Call (510)482-3229 for appointment.

Affordable local licensed therapist.Individual, couple, family and childtherapy for the Metro/Oaklandcommunity. Everyone needs helpsometimes. Supportive; practical;sliding scale. Helen MontgomeryLockwood MFCC #27283, (510)874-4722.

Fast, neat, interior painting bywoman, 534-9772.

Your local fiduciary. SuccessorTrustee, Executor, Conservator ofestate, SS or VA payee. Trustwor-thy, knowledgeable, I can do it allor provide crucial help. ElizabethCallaway Trust Services. 530-1720.

Handyman (510) 387-3654.

Discount Quality Merchandise(giftware, jewelry, toys, electronics,novelties, collectibles, and more).Save/Make money! For mail-ordercatalog, send $10.00 (refundable)to TaurGemi, P.O. Box 19128,Oakland, CA 94619-0128.

Established Flower & Gift Shop (withor without 2-year-old Chevy van).Call Eileen, Agent (510) 326-4627.

RENTALS

Mendoc ino coas t co t tage :Charming, furnished, 1BR plus liv-ing room sofabed, fireplace fullyequipped kitchen, $90/night(three-night minimum), $550/week. (510) 482-5577.

Cozy Redwood Heights home avail-able 12/1/2002. 3 bedroom, 1bath, separate studio/home office,fireplace, $2200/month. One-year lease. 510-528-1212.

FOR SALE

Bernice & Joe Playschool. For over20 years, play-based learning inour home-like setting near MillsCollege. Earthquake retrofitted onquarter-acre wooded lot with fruitand pine trees, vegetable garden,20-foot sailboat, two-story woodenrocket ship, art area, block area.Pre-reading, pre-math enrichment,computer play, field trips, F.I.T.gymnastics, music classes but withan emphasis on socialization, ver-balization. Sibling discounts.Lunch, snacks provided. Ages 2 to5 years. License #010214258.Brochure. (510) 638-3529.

Saxophone & Piano. Play musicfor the joy of it! Have fun learningjazz, blues, improvisation. Patient,supportive teacher. Ages 10 & up.Speciality: Adult beginners. Eva436-0504.

Academics For Success (AFS)tutors and workshop leaderswanted. Flexible hours, salarybased on experience. Faxresume to AFS, 482-9588, e-mailafs706@aol.com.

BREAKFAST LUNCHALL DAY 11AM-2:30PM

Tuesday-Sunday 7:30am-2:30pm (Closed Mon)

3719 MacArthur Blvd (across from the KFC) • 482-2200

Calvester Stanley (right) andCouncilmember Moses Maynes. Councilmember Dick Spees joins the groundbreaking group.

Left: Councilmember DesleyBrooks and Calvester Stanley,President of Boys and GirlsClubs of Oakland, at thegroundbreaking ceremony.

Boys and Girls Club Groundbreakingow that the galagroundbreaking is over,the community will be

eagerly tracking progress asthe Oakland Boys and GirlsClub transforms 3300 HighStreet into a clubhouse.We’re as happy to welcomethe club to the neighborhoodas they are to build andopen their new facility. Ourkids need the opportunityto play and grow in our backyard. —Adelle Foley

Stop the KillingC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

condition of anonymity. “Thisis a truly a safety issue,” theboard member said. “Peopledo have this thing about‘nobody’s bothering me, it’snot affecting me.’ Or they areafraid of retaliation, but weall know citizens have to getinvolved before we can doanything. We want citizens toknow that in Crime Stoppers,anonymity is preserved. Ifsomeone has information andthey are afraid of retaliation orjust scared, they can call [238-6946]. The caller will be givenan ID number and will not beasked his or her name.” Tipinformation is passed to policeinvestigators, who follow upon the tip. If an arrest is madebecause of the tip, the case isreviewed by the independentCrime Stoppers board, who

can authorize a reward up to$1,000. Meanwhile the callercan call in, using the ID num-ber to find out if an arrest hasbeen made. “Nowhere in theprocess,” the board memberwanted to assure readers,“is the caller’s name revealed;nobody knows it.”

“NAACP isplanning aself-help summitin January”

Crime Stoppers only reac-tivated at the end of last yearand has just recently begunto publicize their activity,so there’s not much of a trackrecord to look at. Both Sgt.Williams and the boardmember said that althoughthere had been a few phonecalls, the word still has toget out.

NAACP, another groupthat wants people to getinvolved, is planning a self-help summit on January11 and 12 at the OaklandMarriott. Executive DirectorVelma Chavis says, “We’rebringing in some experts andinviting people from othercities who had our problemand asking, ‘How did you doit?’ We’re not trying to reachthe bad actors with this con-ference, or the parolees; thisis to give the people tools.We’re focusing on the Afri-can-American communitybecause that’s where mostof the suffering has been asvictims and perpetrators. Weneed to band together to fig-ure out what’s wrong, howto cure it. Kids beg all thetime for guidance. We’ve gotto stop leaving it to them tomake the decisions. We’vegot to understand it reallydoes take a village.”

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Classified Rates

The rate for classified ads is$.50 per word. Discountedprices available for five- andten-issue frequencies. Pleasetype or write your copyclearly and mail it with yourcheck to The MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19406,Oakland, 94619. Deadlineis the 15th of the month.For classified-ad frequencydiscounts and display-adinformation, please con-tact Beverley Brown at287-2655, fax: 531-6629.

6December 2002/January 2003

chocolate mint. My favoriteis the ginger geranium. Theleaves are velvet to the touchand provide a delicate dimen-sion to the landscape. Andyes, when you crinkle theleaves, you get a sweet,pungent whiff of ginger.The flowers of the scentedgeraniums are mostly violetto white, not as spectacular assome of the brilliant red vari-eties, but it’s a fair trade-off.The attar of roses is the stron-gest of the scented varieties,though it has a tendency togrow wild and clumpy andinterfere with its neighbors.I cut it back mercilessly at theend of winter, and it comesright back. For aromatherapyin your garden, the rosegeranium is hard to beat.

The variegated geraniumsoffer interesting leaf colora-tions—deep greens framedin white, tricolor shades ofgreen to reddish brown. Theymake beautiful centerpiecesbecause of their foliage alone,and that’s not including theviolet, salmon, or soft pinkblooms.

The only thing that gerani-ums don’t seem to like isfrost. Gardening bookswill tell you that they bloomcontinuously from springthrough autumn, but in ourlucky Laurel climate, it ispossible to enjoy the multicol-ored blooms year ‘round.When everything else is dullor dead, there is nothing quitelike a large splash of brilliantred to wake up the landscape.

And now for the best part.The only tool you need topropagate geraniums is anopposable thumb. One clean

The Joy of GeraniumsWhere I grew up in suburbanSouthern California, everyhouse on the block shareda common landscape theme,perfectly square lawns framedby unremarkable rectangularshrubs, with regulation redgeraniums peering out atpredictable intervals. And soI came to think of geraniumsas boring, the cliché of gar-dens, and vowed never togrow them.

That was before I learnedthat geraniums come in allkinds of sizes, shapes, tex-tures and colors, not tomention exquisite smells.

Over the years I’ve be-come acquainted with severalvarieties, and in the right spot,they have become the mosttrusted and versatile addi-tions to my garden. If youare looking for scented variet-ies, there are a lot to choosefrom—lemon, apple, lime,nutmeg, peppermint, even

snap, directly above the linewhere two leaves form, andyou have the easy makings ofa new plant. Remove the nextrow of double leaves alongwith any blooms, leavinga shoot that is about threeto five inches long. Set thecutting directly into anyhospitable soil, somethingsoft enough to poke a fingerthrough with no effort. Addwater, of course. No Rootoneor Vitamin B necessary. Theplant just seems to knowwhat to do next.

Geraniums are excellentin pots, where they can bemoved into the sunniestwinter spot for continuousblooms. If you set a newshoot directly into the gar-den, remember that it thriveson neglect and will get awhole lot bigger with noeffort on your part.

With the holidays coming,geraniums can offer a greatalternative to poinsettias.(Are you tired of them too?)An easy, economical gift,snap off a small geraniumshoot, put it in a decorativepot, and it should take rootin time for the holidays.

Check outwww.laeom.com/geraniumphotographs.htm for a greatselection of photographsto whet your appetite.

Gardener’s ExchangeRose and ginger geraniumcuttings are available, alongwith red, apricot, and varie-gated leaf varieties, for inter-ested Metro gardeners. E-mailimperfectgardens@attbi.com,and ask for a cutting. Yoursfor a snap!

B Y M I K E C A R S O N , C O O R D I N A T O R

To have your event listed, please contact Michael Carson no later thanthe 12th of the preceding month at 482-8211 or sfboys@mindspring.com.

December 2002/January 2003

Neighborhood MeetingsFriends of Melrose Library: Wednesday, December 4 and January8, 7 p.m., 4805 Foothill Blvd. Call 535-5623 for information.

Dimond Neighborhood Improvement Association: Wednesday,December 4, 7:30 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave.Call 238-3674 for information.

Maxwell Park NCPC: Wednesday, December 11, 7 p.m., MillsGrove Christian Church, 5410 Fleming Street. (Starting January2003, meetings will be at Sherman Elementary School.) Call534-4978 for information.

Laurel Elementary PTA: Wednesday, January 15, 6 p.m., LaurelElementary School. Community welcome.

High Street Terrace Neighborhood: Wednesday, January 15, 7p.m., 3693 High Street. Call 530-0122 for information.

Melrose/High Hopes NCPC (beat 27X): Thursday, January 16, 7p.m., Horace Mann School, Congress and Ygnacio. Officer elec-tion for 2003.

Community Activities and Cultural EventsA Christmas Carol: Sunday, December 1, 2 p.m.; Thursday-Satur-day, December 5-7, 7:30 p.m., Mills College, Lisser Hall. $5-10.Call 430-2252 for information.

Antique Rock Roadshow: Wednesday, December 4, 4 p.m.,Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. For infor-mation, call 336-7373 or www.chabotspace.org.

Frosty the Snowman: Thursday, December 12, 7:30 p.m., ChabotSpace & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. Music and stories,$12/$7. For information, call 336-7373 or www.chabotspace.org.

Storms From the Sun: Thursday, December 12, 7:30 p.m., ChabotSpace & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. Lecture & dessert,$5. For information, call 336-7373 or www.chabotspace.org.

New Electronic Music: Friday, January 31, 8 p.m., Mills College$5-10. Call 430-2252 for information.

Ascension Senior Center: Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 4700Lincoln Ave. Dancing, fitness, calligraphy, crafts, and more. Call531-3400 for information.

St. Jarlath Senior Center: Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Pleas-ant & Fruitvale Ave. Ongoing activities, including quilting. Call547-7199 for information.

Calendar of Community Events

Laurel is unlikely to be on theinterdistrict transfer list for the2003-04 school year. OUSD will

Laurel SchoolC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

Music at MillsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 8

TheImperfectGardener

AdinaSara

Bill MillerYour Area Real Estate SpecialistRelocation and Corporate Services Available

510-534-4500LandmarkCS@aol.com

NeighborhoodResident since 1980

music” encompasses a widerange of styles—from sparsecompositions for individualinstruments to densely lay-ered sounds created andaltered synthetically—andthese all rest on the founda-tions of classical music.

If classical music is whatyou prefer, come back tocampus on Friday, February7, at 8 p.m., to hear pianistAngela Hewitt perform

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Colonial ChapelFuneral Directors FD-461

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On behalf of the Staff at Colonial Chapel we wish to thank the Metro community for yourcontinued support. We will always be dedicated to those we serve.

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Call 24 Hours/7 Days: 536-54542626 High Street (between Foothill and MacArthur Blvd.) • Ample parking

“Laurel Elementarysquarely in top20 percent”only provide lateral transfers toLaurel residents because theschool is not underperforming.

Bach’s English Suites No.4 in F Major and No. 5 in EMinor, Liebestod, by Wagnerand Liszt, and Sonata in BMinor by Liszt. Tickets are$10-15.

But why not try some-thing new?

The Fine Arts Division atMills College welcomes par-ticipation from the Oaklandcommunity. For informationabout events or to join oure-mail list, please contactShauna Jones, OaklandCommunity Publicist, at 430-2252 or shjones@mills.edu,or visit www.mills.edu.

December 2002/January 2003

7

Roussel SargentBetsy Callaway

Jacob & Linda HartKnud Danild

Mary Lee PetersonStan & Naomi Cohen

Dave & Shoshana FinacomJoan Dark

Deborah CooperVic & Nancy MiloslavichMs. Desley Brooks, Esq.

Mike Carson &Ron SteigerwaltDavid A. Stein

Elaine Lyford-Nojima &Dana Nojima

Rochelle Wald & Sara WynneSusanne Lea & Russ Bruno

Niccolo DeLucaSusan HarmanAndrew Cohn

Michael CooperLuqman

David VahlstromGary & Caroline Yee

Beth WalukasJanet BroughtonMerriam LuskinKeiko Shimada

Phillis RobbianoAndretta Fowler

Douglas FergusonWilson Riles &

Patricia St. OngeNancy & Rick Banker

Jim Locke & Sandy WarrenCheri Ivey

Karen Marie SchroederHamachi

Tom & Katherine SamwayRichard Weinstein

Nancy & Chris MeyerJean Quan & Floyd Huen

Lydia Palmin & Tom DaleyRichard Cowan

Bonnie HenriquezJeff Kelley

Dolphin WaletzkyWilliam & Susan Bagnell

Leslie Bialik & Gene TucciRenate MaynardLinda FarabeeKate PhillipsJohn Elk lll

Lisa Ruhland &Michael CowanCarolyn Vallerga

The Metro acknowledges contri-butions of $50 or more by listingyour name or business as aMoney Honey for 10 issues. Youkeep our paper alive and well.

MONEYHONEYS

Thank You!to Our

Distributorsou go to your local mer-chant, and there is theMacArthur Metro. Or

you look on your doorstep,and there is the MacArthurMetro. How do these papersappear? Through the volun-teer efforts of individuals,many of whom have beendelivering Metros for years.

The following volunteers(listed alphabetically withnames hopefully spelledcorrectly) deserve a sincerethank-you. Without theirefforts, the 7,000 monthlypapers would not reach you.

Edie AlleynePeter Bond

Jerry BowlingColleen Brown

Kathy BurnsChristine C

Sparky CarranzaCarol CassaciaGraham Carter

Deb CooperLena DuckettRosetta Egan

Martin FishlerEula ForestJacob Hart

Jim HillSue Hodges

Wilbur JordanT.J. Junko

Dianna KellyStan Lake

Lucia LaroccaGordon & Marge Laverty

Mary LawrenceMarion LeeToni LockeDan May

Annette McCordMary Neal

John & Edy NicoliniMark Oberle

“Papa” PopovichKaren Schroeder

Karl SchuckDal Sellman

Stan ShepardNancy SidebothamDorothy Thompson

Diane TrostFrank Tulleners

Vernadine VinellaFred Zierten

35th Avenue from 580up to Redwood Road nowmakes a smooth connectionbetween the Laurel and Red-wood Heights neighborhoods.Thanks go to the Public WorksDepartment and our taxes forthe upgrade and resurface.

Laurel residents will beinterested to know that twodevelopers are hovering in thewings. Paul Wang continuesto negotiate with the cityover the corner of 35th andMacArthur. Alex Hahn has

almost completed a dealwith the Roberts family forownership of the corner atHigh and MacArthur, wherephase one of the toxic cleanupis done, and phase two, in-volving some deep digging,lies ahead. Mr. Wang proposesa mixed-use developmentwith shops and housing.Alex Hahn’s intentions remainto be seen and discussed byinterested parties.

In 2003 our readers willbe served by the following

By Toni Locke

City Councilmembers:Desley Brooks for District 6,call 238-7006; Ignacio DeLa Fuente for District 5, call238-7005; Jean Quan for Dis-trict 4, call 238-7004. An up-coming issue will provide amap for you to see whereyou belong. Or call 444-CITY.At present the city is redraw-ing district lines.

Expect your nextMetro on February 1, 2003.Holiday greetings and aHappy New Year to you.

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a program teaching job andleadership skills.

During my visit, I metLinda, a Minh-Americanteenager who does much ofthe computer work for Danni.“She knows more about it thanI do,” Danni tells us.

In the summer, formerclient Brian Foe leads the popu-lar “Shorty’s Camp.” Kids comein at 7 a.m. and are here until6 p.m. They do different thingsevery day.

Throughout our visit, Dannipointed out that communityparticipation is critical, “Thisis not my Center.” She reliesheavily on the assistance ofCoach Paris Bradford, whoruns the athletics programs,Rev. Randy Rowden, whoprovides the instruments forthe band, and particularly RayRoberts and Jeffrey Taylor,former “kids” of hers who re-main faithful to the Center andalways help out when Dannineeds them.

Unfortunately, the specterof insufficient funding andbudget cuts has always hungover this raucous sanctuary foryouth. “They [Brookdale] origi-nally had two full-time people.That was back in the days whenthere was more federal funding.I don’t remember what thepark budget was, but it hasn’tincreased.” Apparently, whenOakland “started running outof money,” the other staff posi-tion was eliminated. Danni,however, is hopeful about thefuture. Through Ignacio De LaFuente’s advocacy, the city has

Brookdale RecC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

approved another full-timeposition for the Center. How-ever, that person has not yetbeen hired. Danni laments atime when “we were the num-ber-one recreation program inthe nation” and when scoresof playgrounds not only offeredstructured programs, but linkedthem to the local recreationcenters.

During our visit, I met JeffTaylor, one of Danni’s former“kids,” now a teacher at LowellMiddle School in West Oak-land, a successful outcome thathe attributes to his “comingup in the recreation departmentas a kid.” As a young childliving on 85th Ave., he partici-pated in programs at his localplayground. “Brookdale iswhere I got involved workingwith kids. I started at 16 as asummer worker, and then the

Brookdale Rec Center leaderParis Bradford with palsRodney Rainey, SammyAllen III, and Kane Hollie.

“It’s been a longtime since everyplayground wasopen—it’s beenyears.”

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next year I was hired as arecreation aide.” At 18 hetaught himself how to coachbasketball, and his teamfinished second in the city.

Like Danni, Jeff alsomourns the loss of recreationfunding, “The playgroundsare where you cut your teeth.It’s been a long time sinceevery playground wasopen—it’s been years.” Jeffhas several practical solutionsfor improving Oakland’s rec-reation system: schools andrecreations centers need to“partner up”; services shouldbe monitored to make surethere is not duplication andthat the most needy kids aregetting services; parental sup-port should be encouraged.But most critical is the needfor more funding. “Parks andrecreation doesn’t pay well.Often you can only get somany hours because the city

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doesn’t want to pay benefits.So if that staff person is forcedto leave, the kids won’t come.Programs aren’t enough. Kidsdon’t come because of theprograms; they come becauseof the staff.”

As further commitment tohis advocacy, Jeff, sponsoredby Moses Mayne, applied fora position on the Parks andRecreation Advisory Board.Unfortunately, he has had noresponse.

I spoke with Jeff and Dannithe day before the election, andboth discounted the idea of“100 new police” as a solutionto the violence in Oakland.They emphasized jobs andrecreation opportunities foryouth. After meeting both ofthese warm, energetic mentors,I think that having a 100 moreof them might be a fine begin-ning. If you would like to learnmore about Brookdale Center,please call 535-5632.

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8December 2002/January 2003

alking around theMills campus,you’ve heard the

sounds of students talkingto each other as they headto class, birds twitteringabove the tree-lined paths,and the soft gurgling of thestream. You’ve also admiredthe historical architecture.But when the students arein their classrooms and thebirds are silent, have youever listened to the buildingsthemselves?

The creak of that onestep on the staircase down toyour basement or the rattleof your kitchen window ona windy day—each physicalspace is imbued with its ownquirky yet familiar sounds.Maggi Payne, composer andco-director of the Center forContemporary Music (CCM)at Mills College, has not onlynoticed these peculiar noises,she’s also transformed theminto music.

Rather than traditionalinstruments, Payne’s new

WB Y S H A U N A L A U R E L J O N E S

Composer Maggi Payne premiers her piece Fluid Dynamics onJanuary 31 at Mills College.

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work, Fluid Dynamics, em-ploys, among other sounds,“a raucous faulty faucet inthe men’s washroom near[the Mills] Concert Hall anda gently squeaking gas ser-vice regulator outside ofLisser Hall,” both of whichshe has processed electroni-cally so that their originalrhythms are almost unrecog-nizable. The large dynamicrange of the piece allowsthe listener to experience theintricacies of the recordedsounds, which are unraveledand enhanced through theprocessing.

On January 31, at 8 p.m.,Payne will premiere FluidDynamics at the first MillsCollege Concert Series eventof the year, along withfellow CCM composer JohnBischoff and internationallyacclaimed Japanese musicianToshimaru Nakamura.Tickets are $5-10 at the door.

Mills has long been atthe forefront of contempo-rary music, and this concertproves no exception; all threecomposers are innovative in

their use of technology.Bischoff explains his piece,Synthetic Relations, asinvolving “computer activa-tion of instrumental sounds,electronic noises, andexternal resonant objects, allaccording to an interactivetiming scheme I’ve pro-grammed on my computer.”In other words, composerand computer will work to-gether to perform the piece,which will play throughfour loudspeakers aroundthe hall. The resonantobjects will be displayedonstage as well.

While contemporarymusic is often misunder-stood by the uninitiated, theimportant thing to bear inmind is that contemporarycomposers often experimentwith texture, tone quality,and techniques of produc-ing sound. This is radicallydifferent from the classicalmusic most of us are usedto, often governed by me-lodic lines and fixed meters.However, “contemporary

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cont inued on page 6

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Ring in the New Year with New Music at Mills

HappyHolidays!

Withheartfeltthanksfor your

continuedsupport.

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