NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK GARAGE SALE, this Saturday, September 20, 9am-4pm

NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK GARAGE SALE, this Saturday, September 20, 9am-4pm. Neighbors along Oakland Avenue between 29th and Pearl Streets (and nearby, of course!) are invited to participate in a shared garage sale. It's time to clean out those garages and closets again and make a couple bucks (and maybe some new friends too)!! Bring your sellable stuff(good condition)to the curb outside your apt/home and spend the day selling your wares and meeting your neighbors. The more the merrier (and the more we attract customers and make more sells!) So come out, show your support (sell or buy) and pass a few hours with the friendly folks of Harri-Oak! Rumors of BBQ's to follow in the aftn/evening. Questions? Contact Stefanie 510-978-2554

National Night Out is coming. HarriOak will be holding block parties at 29th and Fairmount and at 264 Oakland Avenue in Perkins Way. Please drop by and say hello to your neighbors! Bring a snack or a beverage to share. If you are musician, bring an instrument and join in the jam.

Thursday, July 19: Hearing on New Marijuana Dispensary on Broadway

Heads up: There will be a hearing Thursday afternoon on an application by the Tidewater Patients Group to open a new dispensary. One of the proposed locations, 3020 Broadway, borders on the HarriOak neighborhood.

The hearing will begin Thursday at 4 p.m. in Hearing Room One at City Hall, Frank Ogawa Plaza. People who are interested in filing an objection will have an opportunity to do so at that time. You can find the notice of the meeting here.

View Proposed Marijuana Dispensaries in a larger map

About the Vernon Market

Over the years, the liquor store at the corner of Harrison and Pearl Street has been a source of neighborhood contention. It is primarily patronized by associates of the Pearl Street Gang, an offshoot of the Circle Boys, that commute to the neighborhood in order to sell drugs on the street. (Those little airplane liquor bottles are kept in stock just for them.) A number of shootings, including one homicide, has occurred in the vicinity of the Vernon Market, in addition to ongoing nuisance activity that includes loitering and public urination. Although, truth be told, the nuisance activity has dramatically diminished since the neighborhood got organized a year or so ago.

People to look out for
Joey McWoodson, a leader of the Pearl Street gang who has a stay-away order for the neighborhood, reliably turns up at the Vernon Market. McWoodson is a medium-size African American man with dark skin, large brown eyes and braids that hang to the middle of his back. You've probably noticed him: he's the guy who likes to walk around without his shirt on.

Where the dealers are
If you are new to the neighborhood and wondering where all the action is, favorite places to deal include the corner of 29th Street and Harrison, Stanley Place and until recently, Oak Park. Those guys you see loitering around, yep, they're dealing. It is true that these guys will sell you marijuana (along with other drugs) but they will also hold you up while you are walking down the street early in the morning or walking home from Whole Foods. So by all means fight for the legalization of marijuana and patronize your local dispensary, but please think twice before encouraging violence in our community. If you see activity please call 510-777-3333, and join the dozens of other neighbors who are fighting for to keep our little corner of Oakland safe. You can also call the 510-238-3784, the anonymous drug hotline.

Stay-away order for neighborhood drug dealer: Elijah Isiah Jones

 Elijah Isiah Jones, 21, also known as "Juicy," (far left) received a second stay-away order from the neighborhood from Judge Carrie Panetta and was sentenced to 180 days in jail after being arrested repeatedly for selling drugs, including cocaine base, in the neighborhood. His last offense, on March 22, 2012, occurred while he was out on bail for previous offenses. At a hearing on April 10, 2012, Jones was sentenced to five years of probation for the drug offenses, and he received a stay-away order to keep 300 yards away from the 400 block of Fairmount (a notorious rendezvous for dealers) and 300 yards away from the 100 block of Stanley Place (the handoff spot of choice). Jones almost immediately violated the order, and was arrested again, which is how he came to be sentenced by Judge Panetta, who on May 23, 2012, in the excellent tradition of Alameda County judges, immediately gave Jones 90 days credit and cut his sentence in half.

 You can be on the lookout for him to join his friends around the Vernon Market area and Stanley Place in August.

 If the name "Juicy" sounds familiar, in the spring of 2008, a juvenile who went by the street name of "Juicy" alleged held up neighbors on the corner of Oakland Avenue and Pearl Street with a fully loaded semiautomatic. As of May 2008, "Juicy" was in jail on weapons charges. It is not known whether they were related to the alleged incident on Oakland Avenue or not.

 The picture above is from a Photobucket account and was titled "Thugginonpearl.jpg" It follows a picture of a large quantity of prescription cough syrup called "syrup."

 Since the "ThugginonPearl" photo was taken a few years ago, Elijah Jones got in a knife fight and almost lost an eye. As a result he's been under the care of the Bay Area Retina Associates at 491 30th Street. This came up in court discussion of the restraining order because it is about 1 mile from the HarriOak neighborhood. A more recent picture of Jones is here:
 

As far as we know, he's never lived in the neighborhood. When he was arrested his address was 775 15th Street, which is a 28 minute commute if you take the 51A bus.

Frankie the Cat has come home!

Thanks for everyone who kept an eye out.

Lost Cat

"Frankie" has disappeared from an home at Harrison and Orange, He is timid but affectionate and probably hasn't wandered far. He is an orange tabby with distinctive black spotting on his nose and gums. He's neutered, fairly skinny, and has licked the fur off his lower belly and the insides of his back legs.

If you have seen him, can you please call Barbara at 415-742-2723. There is a reward for his safe return.

Local HarriOak Project Darreis needs your help

Dear Community,

Project Darreis at TGN Foundation is a 501c3 non profit organization assisting in the struggle against violence.

Project Darreis is currently preparing for their 4th annual Christmas celebration commemorating the Life of Darreis S. Toyfoya and others who have lost theirs live to crime and violence. The Christmas celebration will take place on December 10th, 2011.

We all know that during these trying times, crime and violence is on the rise in our communities. What many don't realize is that during the holiday season, crime and violence often spike. On December 10th, 2011, Project Darreis seeks to bring the community together and thereby stave off the expected increase in violence, by providing resources, gospel singing, spoken word performances, gifts for adults, toys for children, and a turkey/ham dinner with all the trimmings for families in need.

Project Darreis would like to invite you to contribute to this holiday mission and is requesting gift cards, monetary donations and toys in hopes of fostering a peaceful, safe and happy holiday season.

Please consider what you could give to this local HarriOak based non profit and know that any gift or offer is appreciated and honored.

To give or for further information, please contact Belinda Gilchrist-Day, founder of Project Darreis at 510-467-5053 or email projectdarreis@yahoo.com.


Thank you and blessings.

HarriOak Block Yard Sale Sat Sept 24 9am-4pm!

Please spread the word and please JOIN US at the

HarriOak Block Yard Sale, Sat. Sept. 24 9am - 4pm!


This is the 3rd year we've done this and it's a great way to get to know neighbors and get rid of the old, perhaps to make room for the new. If you'd like to participate, all you need to do is get your stuff ready this week and set up in front of your own house/apt on Sat. Sept 24 to SELL YOUR STUFF!

Make some $$, and enjoy the late summer sun with your neighbors.

If you’ve got questions, call Stefanie 510-978-2554

Even if you don't participate, please help us spread the word by forwarding this post and don’t forget to come by 360 Oakland Ave, say hi, and see what treasures you might find for CHEAP

including: nice furniture, clothes, lamps, rugs, collectible 1960’s WHITE sewing machine + fabric, books, CDs, piercing jewelry, bikes, computer supplies, framed art and so much MORE!!!

Hope to see you Saturday!

Important Conversation about Public Education

The First Christian Church at 111 Fairmount and Prepare the Future have been hosting a series of conversations around the public education crisis in Oakland. As they continue to meet, they've begun to prioritize creating a Youth Council along with internet advocacy and mobilizing faith communities to support public schools as their three key priorities. Tomorrow, May 17, will be an important conversation with key leaders in the room both talking and listening.

Basic details:
Special Guest Speakers:
Lewis Cohen, Senior Policy Advisor, Education Office or the Mayor
Jumoke Hinton‐Hodge, Oakland Unified School Board Member
& representatives of The San Francisco Foundation FAITHS Initiative

Tuesday May 17, 2011 @ 6:30 pm
FCC Oakland/Oakland Peace Center
Shelton Hall
111 Fairmount Ave, Oakland Ca , 94611
510.451.8822

Feel free to RSVP to Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152726344792898

Internet Advocacy, Community Engagement, Commitment to Bay Area Youth

All are invited. This event is free to the public.
Main Contact:
Rev. Ken Chambers
Prepare for the Future California (Bay Area Organizer)
510.239.6969 / kenchambers1@yahoo.com

City Council Seeks Input on Budget from Citizens

Oakland City Council to Host Town Hall Meetings
Community Input Sought on Fiscal Year 2010-11 Budget
as City Faces Significant Deficit

The Oakland City Council is hosting a series (3) of town hall-style meetings this month to solicit input from Oakland residents and businesses about how to close a $31.5 million budget deficit.

Wednesday, June 9, 7:00 - 9 p.m.
Glenview Elementary School
4215 La Cresta Avenue

Monday, June 14, 7:00 - 9 p.m. – East Oakland
Eastmont Substation
2651 73rd Avenue

Thursday, June 17, 7:00 - 9 p.m. – North Oakland
Peralta Elementary School
460 63rd Street

Open Studios This Weekend!

Hey all you art lovers out there, this is your weekend! There are almost 500 artists exhibiting their work throughout the East Bay for Open Studios. Wow!

With so much to choose from? Where to start?

Start at 204 Frisbie St. / corner of Fairmount. to pick up your Free Artist Directory to help you plan your East Bay Art adventure.



Plus we're featuring 3 artists in our space: Lanell Dike, Becky Jaffe and Scott D.S. Young. See what we've been up to!

And there are more HarriOak neighbors showing their work - check out:

Debra Jan Bibel (Map number 372)
Jane Barker (Map number 371)

Hope to see you this weekend for art + conversation from 11am to 6pm.

Neighborhood Art Show * May 21, 22 and 23

We're having another Art Show + Community event at 204 Frisbie St. (corner of Fairmount.) All are welcome to attend this free gathering (no drugs or alcohol.) Hope to see you there! All the details are below. We'll have live music too and art activities.

- Lanell

-----------------------------------------------------------

Mirror Image: An Art Show about Body (Mis) Perceptions
May 21, 22 & 23, 2010
Curated by Becky Jaffe, Carrie-Andrea Kaye and Lanell Dike



Featuring 24 Artists! And live music, spoken word, art activities for kids & adults and of course, community + fun. The show is one weekend only: May 21, 22 and 23.

Show Schedule:



Friday, May 21
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m
Show Opening, Performance piece by About Face & Live Music by Vanessa and Her Many Moons

Saturday, May 22
2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Art Activities for kids/adults, Reading by Leroy Moore of Sins Invalid & Live Music by Waste Band and Ryan James

Sunday, May 23
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m
Show Closing, Art Activities for kids/adults
Body Image Workshop from 1:30 to 3pm

Exhibiting artists:

Myles Boisen * Bruce Temuchin Brown * Mercy Calman * Carrel Crawford * G.M.M. Coghlan * Lauren Davis * Deanne Emmons * JJ Fryzel * Evert Grobbelaar * CJ Grossman * Maia Huang * Becky Jaffe * Molly Kate Taylor * Frank King * Abby Kojola * Matthew Kowalski * Linda Shanti McCabe * Courtney McCutcheon * Diane Rosenblum Althoff * Elisa Salasin * Michael Slack * Mollee Weaver * Gary Wilson * Scott D.S. Young

About Frisbie St.

Frisbie St. is an alternative art space in Oakland, CA for artists to exhibit their work and for the community to gather to enjoy and create art together. We host one-weekend shows to highlight emerging and innovative artists in solo and group Art Shows and monthly Art Days with fun, hands-on art activities for adults and kids.

Oakland Indie Awards this Friday!

This is a great event that happens every year in Oakland celebrating the Indie spirit of Artists and local businesses. Don't miss it. There will be tons of great food, music and art + everyone in Oakland. See you there!

Party - Friday May 14, 2010
5:30 - 9pm
Jack London Pavilion
98 Broadway, Oakland
(formerly Barnes & Noble)

Tickets On Sale Now: http://indieawards.eventbrite.com
$20 each
*Sponsorships for starving artists, entrepreneurs and others for whom ticket price is a barrier. Contact us for details.

Festivities
Tastings of Oakland Food, Wine, Beer, Tea, and more! Lots of veggie-friendly food options.
-Award Presentations
-DJ spinning all-Oakland tunes
-Displays from Unwrapped! vendor artists and businesses

More Details & Photos from Last Year
http://www.oaklandindieawards.com

Oakland Underground Film Series @ Jack London Square

Cool! Check out this new free film series at Jack London Square in Oakland. Located in the old Barnes & Noble store - now the Pavilion Theater.

Upcoming Film Schedule:

FRIDAY APRIL 23rd - Leading Local Talent, Filmmakers in attendance!
7:30PM: EVERYDAY BLACK MAN, dir. Carmen Madden, 2009
9:30 PM: A DAY LATE IN OAKLAND, dir. Zachary Stauffer, 2009, followed by
A LIFE TAKEN, dir. by Josh Banville, 2010

FRIDAY APRIL 30TH - Major Music: Sonic Youth & Kurt Cobain
7:00 PM: Special music guest JESSE MORRIS and THE MAN COUGARS
8:00 PM: SONIC YOUTH: SLEEPING NIGHTS AWAKE, dir. Michael Albright + Project Moonshine
9:30 PM: ABOUT A SON, dir. AJ Schnack

Location:
Jack London Square
Pavilion Theater (formerly Barnes & Noble)
98 Broadway, Oakland, CA

Keep Oakland Beautiful: Small Grant Program - Deadline, April 30

Keep Oakland Beautiful announces its Small Grant Program spring application period.

Now in its third year, the Small Grant Program happens every spring and fall. The program awards grants ranging from $200 to $500 for individuals, neighborhood groups, and organizations to use in undertaking highly-visible neighborhood improvement projects such as pocket park makeovers and cleanup and beautification of median and easement strips.

Deadline for the spring round of applications is April 30, 2010. For more details go to: Keep Oakland Beautiful.

String of burglaries in the neighborhood

Houses on Orange and Fairmount/Frisbie were burglarized on Wednesday evening. It appears someone is casing houses in our neighborhood.

Here is the report from a neighbor: "Someone parking her car heard my house alarm going off, and then saw three young
Af. Am. men run out of the side yard. She went to tell my neighbor what was up. Neighbor called the cops. It seems that someone is casing the houses as there are 3 of us in my house, and we left only for 1.5 hours that day. Someone had to be watching to see when we had all left. Another place around the corner on Fairmount was hit pretty quickly thereafter, same night. Not sure if anyone saw
who had done it. Cops told me. Let's watch out for one another."

Art Murmur Tonight!

Well, it's the night of indecision as you try to decide where to start your Art Murmur wanderings. There's a lot to see and fun to be had around Oakland tonight.

Ashley Jones has a new series of work showing at Mama Buzz (that's her painting above), Githinji Wa Mbire has some of his mixed media pieces on display as the Artist of the Month at Farley's East and you can see 25 artists at the Crucible's Cathedral Gallery (such a cool space on Broadway @ Telegraph) in a show called ‘Cast’ which highlights art utilizing the casting process.

And of course there are tons more! Walking or bike is the best way to get around so that you don't have to worry about parking. Have fun!

Help Save Oakland Arts

A Message from the Oakland Cultural Trust:

SAVE OAKLAND ARTS NOW! Stop the 50% Arts Cut!

The Council needs to hear from us again! The community prevailed when we raised our voices against similar cuts in October 2008. WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!

The Oakland City Council considers a 50% Cut to Oakland Arts at a special budget session on Thursday, April 1, 2010, 7pm. This is one move closer towards the elimination of the Cultural Funding Program, the long-established, competitive City program to provide arts and cultural services with attendance over 1.4 million.

3 STEP CALL TO ACTION:

1. Get the Word Out! FORWARD this alert to constituents, colleagues, students, friends, families, neighbors, friends-of-friends-- Cut & Paste this alert or Send Facebook Alert

2. CALL, EMAIL or WRITE your Council Member NOW! You can make the difference- Cut & Paste sample text or write your own message (See Sample below); Remain Positive and Respectful in your communications. We need the Council's support!

3. Be There April 1 at 7 pm! TAKE ACTION & MAKE A DIFFERENCE during the special City Council BUDGET MEETING at

City Hall, Sign-up for speaker cards at the meeting or in advance online -Agenda Item tba.

***Strategy & Info Meeting at Pro Arts, Tuesday, March 30, 6:30 pm 150 Frank H Ogawa Plaza at Oakland Art Gallery

Learn about public comment at Council, sign-up for a speaker card, review talking points, and get your message to Council!

What's at Stake: The City Council faces an unprecedented budget challenge. The additional proposed 50% cut to the Arts 1) is disproportionate to other City program cuts, 2) stands to cripple the arts sector, and 3) significantly reduces City tax revenues. Oakland is currently 13th in the nation for Arts Businesses per capita.

For every $1 the City invests in arts and culture, the City gets back $4 in fees, licenses and taxes. Nonprofit Arts in Oakland generate over $103 million in total gross annual economic activity and provide more than 5,000 jobs. The proposed cut means less revenue, more arts organizations closing their doors, loss of jobs and irreversible damage to the sector's infrastructure. The Arts are a means of economic investment and renewal for Oakland! STOP THE 50% ARTS CUT!

---

Supporting Documentation & Resources:

A. SAMPLE Letter/Email:
Dear Council Member ________________,
Oakland Arts are the means to Oakland's economic renewal and are fundamental to our quality of life. It has come to my attention that the City Council is considering a disastrous and disproportionate 50% cut to the Cultural Funding Program.
As a concerned citizen, I understand that difficult choices need to be made to ensure that essential services and infrastructure remain in place. I also understand that there are no easy solutions to our budget crisis. However, I believe a disproportionate cut to the arts exacerbates the crisis, cripples Oakland's nationally ranked arts sector, and undermines our economic competitiveness, the compassion within our communities, and our investment in our future. I call upon you to mitigate the Arts cuts through a lens of equity and proportionality. Thank you for your leadership in investing in a better Oakland.
Sincerely,

B. Council Contacts:
District 1, Jane Brunner, jbrunner@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7001;
District 2, Pat Kernighan,pkernighan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7002;
District 3, Nancy Nadel, nnadel@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7003;
District 4, Jean Quan, jquan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7004;
District 5, Ignacio de la Fuente. idelafuente@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7005;
District 6, Desley Brooks, dbrooks@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7006;
District 7, Larry Reid, lreid@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7007
At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan, rkaplan@oaklandnet.com (510) 238-7008

Not sure who your council member is? Click here to find out: http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/councils/

C. Key Talking Points - Nonprofit Arts in Oakland:

• 13th in the nation for Arts Businesses per capita.
• Generates over $103 million in economic activity
• Provides more than 5,000 jobs.
• Produces more than $ 4 million in revenue to local government
• Arts funding is a Low Cost Investment with High Economic and Cultural Return
  
• Arts are a means of community and cultural development
• Art serves public safety, violence prevention and saves lives
  
• Arts education contributes to academic success and increased skill development for youth
  
• Art generates revenue; If the arts decline then other businesses decline in a ripple effect.
• Oakland benefits from one of the largest artist populations in the country
  
• Art Cuts = Bad press for the City and undermine national and regional marketing campaigns
  

Additional Resources and References available online: http://www.proartsgallery.org/oaklandCulturalTrust/artsAction20100401.php

---

Community Organizing is our best option for ensuring the survival and sustainability of Oakland Arts. Please forward this email to friends, colleagues and mailing lists; the arts have strength in numbers.

Thank you for your support,
Margo

Chair, Oakland Cultural Trust

Mission: The Oakland Cultural Trust advocates for a vibrant, safe and sustainable Oakland by policies and action that support and nurture the vitality of Oakland artists and cultural organizations. More Info: http://proartsgallery.org/oaklandCulturalTrust

Oakland Indie Awards! Nominate & Save the Date

OneCalifornia Foundation, in conjunction with East Bay Express are happy to invite you to the 4th Annual Oakland Indie Awards held Friday, May 14th at The Pavilion in Oakland's Jack London Square.

We hope you will save the date and that you will help us honor and celebrate Oakland businesses and artists by nominating them for an award.

Nominate by March 24
Nominate the Oakland businesses and artists that make a difference in our neighborhoods for categories like Oakland Soul, Ripple, Greenie, Innovator, and more!

Winners will be announced at the party - come help us celebrate! You'll get to taste Oakland wine, beer, chocolates, teas, baked goods, dips, sauces, tapas and so much more! Talk to hundreds of other Oakland lovers, and chill to Oakland tunes.


Party - Friday May 14, 2009
5:30 - 9pm
Jack London Pavillion
98 Broadway, Oakland
(formerly Barnes & Noble)