Serving the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren FreewayVolume 13 Number 7 September 2001

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

Sam Berry, Desley Brooks, Mary Lou DeLauer, Robin Goodfellow, Arthur Gray, Larry Gremillion, Tanya Joyce,Rewanna and Charles Kimbrough, Carol Ann Kuelper, Roxana Labrador, Hoan Le Banh, Rose and Tom Luey,

Suzette Meredith, Sonja Proulx, Elizabeth Seaton, Carole Schein, Joan Trivitte, Laurie Umeh

Carolyn Burks, box clerk, greets stampcustomers at the Laurel Post Office. See

Boulevard Bites and more photos on page 7.

rivately owned LeonaQuarry, situated in theOakland Hills off I-580,

could be converted into a40- to 60-megawatt solar

slide later on, so they mustalso establish enough vegeta-tion to anchor the rock andprevent erosion. The DeSilvaGroup is confident that theycan do this, but their responsi-bility ends when the land issold. The vegetation anddrainage must also be main-tained after being planted. TheDeSilvas propose to establisha Geologic Hazard AbatementDistrict (GHAD) to pay forthis maintenance insteadof a simple Homeowners’Agreement. How popular theGHAD will be with potentialnew residents remains to beseen, once they learn aboutthe characteristics of theGHAD and that anyone in aGHAD must by law discloseit when selling their property.

In contrast, ground-installed solar panels will helpprotect the rocky land surfacefrom weathering and erosion.Drainage is easier to control.Maintenance of a solar farmrequires security to protect the

A photographic rendition of what Leona Quarry would look like with solar panels.

B Y C H E R Y L C H R I S T I A N

cont inued on page 7

few months ago,Oakland’s police chiefRichard Word angered

DennisEvanosky

Shenaniganson the Boulevard

cont inued on page 2

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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.

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many in East Oakland whenhe said that citizen apathycontributed to neighborhoodcrime. I wrote my Shenanigansarticle that month citing ex-ample after example of policeapathy. The most galling inci-dents involved telling thepolice of suspicious activity,having the officer involved sayhe or she will do something,then watching the officerdrive off and do nothing.

Just before the Metro wentto press, I decided to pullthe article, based on somevery negative and somewhatthreatening comments that

Some of history we live. See story page 3.

Gordon Laverty, left, and Roger Johnson, both U.S. Army, in frontof General MacArthur’s C-54 at Nielson Field, Manila, 26 August1945. Note insignia and stars on plane’s nose.

farm. The idea comes fromthe U.S. Department ofEnergy’s “Brightfield” pro-gram. To date, local ownersand developers have pro-posed converting the quarryinto either commercial or

high-density residential space.These are risky projects noteasily adapted to a site config-ured as a box canyon, withrestricted access and contain-ing the hazards left fromalmost a century of mining.

In contrast, “Brightfields”are actually “Brownfields,”usually landfills or otherdangerous sites, which havebeen covered with fields ofsolar panels feeding energyinto the power grid of theirlocal communities. The pointof a Brightfield developmentis that a piece of land, other-wise difficult to reuse, can beinexpensively recycled intoa productive piece of realestate instead of being fencedoff and abandoned. Thereare Brightfields in Chicago,San Diego, Sacramento, andelsewhere.

What this means for thequarry owners is that thereclamation of the land, whichthe state requires of them,can be made simpler andcheaper. The land could bekept more as it is now, yetstill be developed.

The current residentialproposal by the DeSilvaGroup requires them tomove a lot of rock, which isexpensive. The rock could

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Come to the Laurel Sidewalk SaleThe Laurel Merchants Association invites all readers to our annual Sidewalk Sale Eventon Saturday, September 15. Join your neighbors and friends and explore all the shops,services, and great food the Laurel has to offer. We will have activities for the kidsand live music, so put on your walking shoes and come on out! —Maureen Dorsey

Another Great Laurel Jazz FestivalSaturday, September 15 from 2 to 5p.m. at the Laurel School Cafeteria. FeaturingVicky Grossi, Benny Rietveld and many more. Local musicians playing free of charge.All proceeds to the Laurel Elementary School. Admission $10. —Toni Locke

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a member of OPD made tomy neighbors. Since thishappened, I have had a seriesof very positive experienceswith OPD.

Officers quickly respondedin full force when we caughta burglar red-handed. Theywent out of their way to seeto it that the thief returnedthe stolen property and wentto jail. They even allowed usa word with the little criminal.We advised him never toreturn to our neighborhood.He has not.

It always delights me to see

2September 2001

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

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

PRIVATE AGENCIES

Safe Streets Now 836-4622(drugs)

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 Locke

Copy EditorsAnne Fox, Roussel SargentFinances/BookkeepingReuben GoldbergAdvertising ManagerSuzanne Tipton

Art DirectorAndreas JonesWord ProcessingDavid RaichPhotographyJody Berke, Dal Sellman

DistributionDal SellmanMailingDiane TrostFriends and Money HoneysMary Seastrand

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Board of DirectorsCamille ChristianDouglas FergusonReuben GoldbergBettie GrandisonBrian HolmesLori HopeLuqmanPatricia St. Onge

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A special thanks to allresidents, associations, andmerchants for their support.Also, a special thanks to allvolunteer writers, artists,photographers, and distributors.

Imagesetting by CameraGraphics,Lafayette, California, (925) 283-2473.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.©2001 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619(510) 287-2655.

We welcome yournews and ads;

deadline the 15th.

Publication in thefirst week of each

month exceptJanuary and July.

ISSN 1091-1111

How to Reachthe Metro

WRITE US A LETTER. Sendyour comments to Lettersto the Editor, MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19046,Oakland, CA 94619.

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.

he Sheffield AvenueNeighborhood Associa-tion will go before the

Oakland City Council onSeptember 11 to make theircase against the previouslyapproved Major ConditionalUse Permit. This permit willallow a 41 percent enrollmentincrease from 275 to 387,and the approval for neweducational facilities of24,000 square feet for theRedwood Day School, aprivate K-8 grade school ona 31/2-acre site, located intheir neighborhood.

he Laurel Book Storewill “highlight the com-munity name,” according

to Luan Stauss, proprietor ofthe soon-to-be-added neigh-borhood business.

Opening her venture asa general bookstore with alimited initial inventory, Luanplans to add stock of “whatpeople say they want.” Fornow, she has no plans to givethe store an overall themeother than to serve the LaurelDistrict. She is currently con-structing shelves, with helpfrom friends, and has set agoal of opening September 15,or possibly a few days before.

Neighborhood Protests Planning Commission PermitB Y R O S E L U E Y

The Laurel Book Store

The Oakland City Plan-ning Commission grantedthe permit despite theneighborhood’s concernsregarding the ultimateincrease in traffic to alreadycongested streets, the pro-posed placement of newbuildings for 171 middle-school students only 25 feetfrom abutting neighbors’backyards, the lack of citystaff review regarding theincreased enrollment’s impacton surrounding city parks,and security issues for theneighbors and the schoolwhen blind spaces are createdby 13 one- and two-story

buildings that will be denselybuilt on the small site.

One of the residents whowill be severely affected bythe placement of a building25 feet from her backyard is101 years old and has livedin her home since 1927. Shewill have to endure theboisterousness of 171 middleschoolers every school day.

The Sheffield AvenueNeighborhood Associationis an organization of residentsliving on Sheffield Avenue,McKillop Road, Sausal Street,and Morrison Avenue, andis a working-class neighbor-hood that has supported the

The location is 4100MacArthur Boulevard, abuilding of about 1,000 squarefeet of floor space and formerhome of East Bay Produce.Luan says that the old signwill come down. She hasreceived financial help instarting this business fromthe Small Business Adminis-tration, the Oakland BusinessDevelopment Corporation,and the Service Corporationof Retired Executives.

“I want to have a businessthat serves the community Ilive in,” she states, havingbeen a Laurel District residentfor over five years. Luan hasyears of experience in booktrades. Besides having

Redwood Day School in theirrequests for variances to ex-pand and to increase theirenrollment in 1994, 1996,and 1997.

The association does notsupport this new plan becauseof the negative impacts on theneighborhood and on thequality of the residents’ lives.

To give your support orto receive more information,please call Sheffield AvenueNeighborhood Associationco-chairs Lenore Gallin at533-8381 or StephanieWoodbury at 261-7988.

worked in a bookstore, shehas also worked for apublisher’s representativewhose office is in the Laurel

Luan Stauss, owner of the Laurel Book Store, opening this monthnear 39th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.

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District. She has worked atbook fairs selling scholasticpublications and children’sbooks.

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officers parked in theAlbertsons parking lot nearwhere I live. They have thank-fully chosen this venue to taketheir breaks and do their pa-perwork. Their presence pro-vides a sense of security.

Two weeks ago, however,officer apathy appearedagain. I noticed some suspi-cious activity on my street.I went to the Albertsonsparking lot and saw anofficer parked on MacArthur

Boulevard. I told him of thesuspicious activity. He askedme if I saw any crime beingcommitted. I said no. I wasjust suspicious and wouldappreciate if he could driveby and check it out. Often anofficer driving by is all it takesto make the criminals go else-where.

Well, the officer told me,I did not see any crime. Hewas not eager to get involved.He did not want any lawsuits.Is it really OPD’s policy not tocheck out suspicious activity?

In the end, he agreed tocheck out my suspicions. I

walked away satisfied. Thena few minutes later, I watchedhim get into his vehicle anddrive off down MacArthurand away from my neighbor-hood. I resigned myself toofficer apathy. About 10 min-utes later, I saw the officeragain. I questioned why henever bothered to go by andcheck out my suspicions.Well, he let me have it. Whowas I to question someonewho put his life on the line ev-ery day, he wanted to know.How could I possibly knowhow busy he was? Besides, he

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

cont inued on page 4

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September 2001

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uch of history weread, but some ofhistory we live. This

month’s column is historylived by the writer. We solicitsimilar writeups from LeonaHeights residents who wishto contribute them for Metrouse. If interested, call GordonLaverty at 531-4860.

In late July 2001 I had theprivilege to donate a photoI took while in the U.S. Armyin the Philippines in 1945to the General DouglasMacArthur Memorial inNorfolk, Virginia. Here isthe story of the photo.

The atomic bombs had justbeen dropped on Hiroshimaand Nagasaki, Japan, and asa consequence, Japan capitu-lated by 14 August 1945.General Douglas MacArthur,for whom our MacArthurBoulevard is named, wasSupreme Commander of U.S.Army Forces, Pacific, and waspreparing to fly from NielsonField in Manila to AtsugiAir Base in Japan, and on 2September 1945, officiate atthe formal surrender agree-ment signing on the USSMissouri in Tokyo Bay.

Because the war in thePacific was finally over, manyof us in MacArthur’s signalintelligence group at SanMiguel, Tarlac, P.I. now hadtime on our hands. On 26August 1945, I had flown bycourier plane from Clark AirBase about 60 miles north ofManila into Nielson Field. Mymission was to return a book

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

Melrose Library:An Interim Manager and

a Broken Book DropWhen I stopped by the li-brary, the staff was excitedabout the arrival of JaneGonzalez, interim BranchManager. Jane comes tothe Melrose Branch from theBusiness Information Centerat the Main Library.

September’s schedule in-cludes two special Saturdayprograms. On the 8th, NicoleAtkinsen-Roach will host amini-African-American filmfestival from 1 to 4 p.m.A week later, Los Olmecaswill help celebrate MexicanIndependence Day with abilingual Ballet Folklóricofrom 2 to 3 p.m. If you’relooking for homework assis-tance for the new school year,call the Branch at 535-5623in mid-September.

Returning library bookson time is always a challenge.It’s even harder since thebook drop at the MelroseBranch has been broken,

limiting book returns to busi-ness hours. Let’s remind theLibrary Administration thatfixing the book drop is highon the customer-servicepriority list. Call the LibraryDirector at 238-3281 or cus-tomer relations at 238-3271.

Brookdale Rec:Ready for Fall

After extending the camp sea-son though the end of August,Brookdale Rec will take ashort breather before fall pro-grams begin on September 17.Preschool children (3 1/2 to 5)are welcome at Early Birdson Tuesday and Wednesdayfrom 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., free ofcharge. Older youngsters canparticipate in football or jointhe ongoing band program.Drop by, or call 535-5632 fordetails.

Autumn Cleaning atCourtland Creek

We’ll be celebrating the lastweekend of summer at theCourtland Creek cleanup.Come on down to Courtlandand San Carlos at 9 a.m., Sat-urday, September 15. Enjoy

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

High Street Neighborhood Newsthe park, our local creek, andworking with like-mindedneighbors. Bring your gloves,a hat, and suntan oil, andtake home a new T-shirt.

Planning the New Boysand Girls Club

If all goes according to plan,we’ll be attending a dedica-tion ceremony for a new Boysand Girls Club on High Streetat the end of 2002. The Clubis looking at potential de-signs that will renovate theinterior of the Laurel Chapelproperty and add a gymna-sium. For now, entry tothe parking lot has beencordoned off to discouragedumping in the creek, andthe Club has hired a gardenerto keep up the property.

Sorrow on High StreetThe corner of Santa RitaStreet and High Street be-came an impromptu shrinein memory of 20-year-oldAntron Crawford, who wasborn and raised in the neigh-borhood where he was killedearly in August. On a light

I had borrowed earlier froman Army buddy, RogerJohnson, whose camp wasjust two blocks from the air-field. I delivered the bookand was accompanied byRoger back to the airfield formy return trip to Clark.

We arrived at Nielson a

reetings, neighbors! Ihope this month youmake time to attend

your Neighborhood CrimePrevention Council. You willbe amazed at what’s happen-ing in your own backyard.

Frequently, our sessionsare informative and positiveregarding the success of Com-munity Policing. At othertimes we vent our frustrationsabout chronic problems thatseem insurmountable.

The month of July was adifficult time for the neigh-bors of Maxwell Park. Ourcrime statistics increaseddramatically. In May therewere two stolen vehicles inour community; in July, therewere nine. Likewise, therewas an increase in auto bur-glaries from one in May toseven in July. These highnumbers are unusual for ussince the OPD realignmentlast year.

One of the benefits of at-tending NCPC meetings isto find out what’s happeningso we can be more vigilant asneeded. Many neighbors areunaware that there has beena rash of burglaries just oneblock away from their home.So the people of MaxwellPark and the OPD are on highalert for suspicious activity.You can find the crime statis-tics for your neighborhoodat www.oaklandpolice.com.Your NCPC and communitybeat officer can provide dates

Leona Heights Neighborhood News

bit early for the courier flightand, noticing a big, green air-craft parked nearby, found itto be named “BATAAN” aspainted on the plane’s nose.The name was accompaniedby five bright silver stars (ageneral’s rank) and a paintedmap of the Philippine archi-pelago. It was indeed GeneralMacArthur’s personal plane,

a C-54! We had another G.I.take our photo by the plane,using the old Kodak bellowscamera I had carried throughthe New Guinea campaign.

No sooner was the phototaken than up drove a big,black, shiny limousine I’dseen before in Hollandia,

New Guinea. When the lim-ousine was parked near theplane, out stepped GeneralMacArthur himself and othermembers of his official party.Just before they took off forJapan, I took the accompany-ing picture. I will never forgetthe incident! As far as I know,this was the only photo of theevent taken that day.

Maxwell Park NCPC Newsand locations of crimes.

We had a guest speakerat our August meeting,Officer Ronald Ward fromAlcohol Beverage ActionTeam (ABAT). Officer Wardwas once our CommunityPolicing Officer, so it wasgood to see him again. Ourarea has a long history ofproblems with The WhiteHouse Market—manyneighbor complaints rangingfrom loitering to drugs.Officer Ward is workingwith us to help the Marketbecome a good neighbor orclose. The challenging partof working with the systemis that it is so slow! Most ofus want immediate action.Officer Ward is encouragingus to keep the faith, and hegave us some solid informa-tion on action currentlybeing taken by the ABC.We will not give up or stopapplying pressure on thecity, county and state.

One neighbor hasreached her limit with cityservices regarding a publicnuisance home in the areaand is leading neighbors ina civil suit. This method hasbeen effective in dealingwith public nuisance resi-dences in our city. OPD hasan officer who is availableto help any group of citizenswho believe they have ex-hausted all other resourcesand choose this legal route.Contact your NCPC formore information.

We were very happy tohave Councilman MosesMayne present to hear allof our issues. We gave hima lot to digest, and we planto continue to call for hissupport and assistance inkeeping our neighborhoodssafe and clean.

Our next meeting isWednesday, September12, at 7 p.m., 5410 FlemingAve at Mills Grove ChristianChurch. See you there!

General MacArthur, left, Col. Bill “Dusty” Rhodes, his pilot, and Col.Courtney Whitney, Philippines Subsection Chief, all U.S. Army. After thisphoto was taken, the party on MacArthur’s C-54 flew to Japan to receiveJapanese surrender on USS Missouri, 2 September 1945.

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4September 2001

lanked by IES repre-sentatives, Sen. DonPerata, and the mayor

of Alameda, City Council-member Ignacio De LaFuente announced onAugust 14 that IES (Inte-grated EnvironmentalSystems) would reducemedical waste incinerationby 70 percent within oneyear. This announcementcame a week after a protestby members of the Coalitionfor Healthy Communitiesand Environmental Justiceblocked access to IES andresulted in several arrests.The Coalition, as readersof the Metro who have fol-lowed this story will know,is made up of neighborsin the Fruitvale and HighStreet areas and activistgroups from throughoutthe community.

At a meeting on the dayfollowing De La Fuente’spress conference, Coalitionmembers declared that theannouncement marked major

Coalition to Keep Pressure on IESprogress toward the goalof zero dioxin emissions.Earlier, the Coalition hadvowed to continue proteststo force IES to stop allincineration and to replacethe incinerators with safernonincineration technolo-gies.

“Still,” Brad Angel ofGreenaction noted, “it is asignificant turnaround fromthe position taken by IESGeneral Manager Strykerin face-to-face negotiationson July 23. At that time heinformed the Coalition ofIES’s intention to keep theincinerators operating at 100percent capacity.” At Metropress time, it was still un-clear how the “70 percentwaste incineration” wouldbe enforced and exactly whatit meant. Although Angelreported that Stryker saida 25 percent reduction wouldoccur very soon and 70percent would occur in sixmonths, Coalition membershad not yet seen the agree-ment. Concern was evidentover whether the reductions

told me, there had been a rob-bery at the 7-11. He drove off.

I went to the nearby 7-11and asked if there had been arobbery. The clerk looked atme as though I had just landedfrom the planet Zebo. WhenI asked had anyone called thepolice that day, the clerk saidno. I drove home to do whatmy instructors at the Citizens’Police Academy taught me:Report the very type of behav-ior I had just experienced.When I arrived on my street,I saw the same officer in hisvehicle. It astonished andangered me to see him lookneither left nor right as hedrove by the suspiciousactivity and do nothing.

I called Internal Affairsand spoke with a very helpfulsergeant. He assured me Iwould hear from the officer’ssergeant. Three weeks andmore have passed, and Ihave heard nothing.

Is this an isolated incident?Is there more of this sort ofactivity out there that ChiefWord should know aboutbefore he speaks out againabout citizen apathy?

Last month’s article abouttrash in the Laurel broughtswift and interesting results.The chief of staff for themayor and city manager,Gilda Gonzales, called me.Before the day was over, the

ShenanigansC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 2

B Y S H E I L A D ’ A M I C O were to be written into theBAAQMD and operatingpermits, and if so, when thatwould happen, whether re-ductions included the 9.5percent of nonmedical/gov-ernment contraband wastepresently being burned, andwhat reductions at the incin-erator on High Street wouldmean. Would the burningactually be stopped andalternative technologiesused, or would they bemoved to another low-income community of color?

Members were also con-cerned that the Coalition hadnot been informed about DeLa Fuente’s press conferenceand only learned about it atthe last minute through aleak, and that the makeupand goals of the Coalitionwere being misrepresented.The goals have always in-cluded safe jobs and notshutting down the incinera-tor. Further, Coalition mem-ber Billy Trice, Jr. said, “DeLa Fuente is representing theCoalition as being all whiteand against the workers.I’m an African American,and there are people of colorconcerned with this idea.”Cesar Alvarado of the Span-ish Speaking Citizen’s Foun-dation was to meet with DeLa Fuente and intended toaddress these issues.

Anyone wishing tofind out more about theCoalition or the incineratorcan call Oakland’s Centerfor Environmental Health at594-9864.

F

Carol Robbiano510-531-7000

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city had removed the tireand trash from my street. Thepiles of garbage at 35th andMacArthur had disappeared.

I mentioned in the articlethat someone had throwntrash onto a vacant lot. Thisvacant lot in our neighbor-hood was once the scene ofongoing drug dealing, drugusing, and prostitution. Theseconditions no longer prevailbecause of a long campaignof cooperation between thecommunity and many cityagencies, underscored byGonzales’ efforts in gettingthe city manager and city at-torney involved. At that timewe presented City ManagerRobert Bobb with a thank-youplaque written in the five lan-guages spoken on our block.

In last month’s article Iasked for some phone callsabout trash problems andgot an earful. I was wonder-ing if anyone else might havea story about apathetic policeofficers. OPD has many dedi-cated officers, but the chiefshould also know of the apa-thy on his force. An officeroffering to help, then drivingoff and doing nothing, is nosolution to crime. I find itparticularly frightening whenan officer makes up storiesto cover his tracks. It scaresme, though, when the apathyreaches the sergeants whocannot call a citizen to checkon the behavior of their offic-ers. Does that mean OPD con-dones such behavior? I don’tthink so. I hope not.

Just Neighbors by Helen Malkerson

Mister Garcia lives across the streetA few doors down. We wave a greetingFrom the porch or walk.We do not talk, though we would speak.Except we do not share a mother tongue.

In the house next door to me but oneLives Harry’s widow once a picture bride.She bows to me as courtesy demands,So sorry! I don’t understandHer language either, but I bow and smile.

Joyce’s son, whom she has raised aloneIs growing tall. He’s good at basketball.Maybe he’ll get a scholarship this fallI’ve “treated” costumed youngsters every year,Seen neighbors move away, new ones appear

From various places, cultures quite diverse,Looked for the best in others, not the worst;We’ve tried as best we could to get alongAs members of but one race – understoodWe’re only human, in this neighborhood!

Metro Neighborhood Public SchoolsCLIP AND SAVE THIS LIST FOR EASY REFERENCE

1- Allendale Year-Round School .............. 3670 Penniman ......... 879-1010

2- Bret Harte Middle School ...................... 3700 Coolidge Ave. .. 879-2060

3- Calvin Simmons Middle School .......... 2101 35th Ave. .......... 879-2050

4- Fremont High School .............................. 4610 Foothill Blvd. ... 879-3020

5- Fruitvale Elementary School ................. 3200 Boston Ave. ...... 879-1170

6- Laurel Elementary School ...................... 3750 Brown ............... 879-1310

7- Maxwell Park Elementary School ........ 4730 Fleming Ave. ... 879-1390

8- Redwood Heights Elem. School ........... 4401 39th Ave. .......... 879-1480

9- Sequoia Elementary School .................. 3730 Lincoln Ave. .... 879-1510

10- John Swett Elementary School ........... 4551 Steele ................. 879-1560

11- Horace Mann Year-Round School ..... 5222 Ygnacio ............. 879-1360

12- Jefferson Year-Round School .............. 2035 40th Ave. .......... 879-1280

13- Elizabeth Sherman Elem. School ....... 5328 Brann Ave. ....... 879-1530

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AUTO REPAIR

Bernice and Joe Playschool. For over20 years, play-based learning inour home-like setting near Mills Col-lege. Earthquake retrofitted on quar-ter-acre wooded lot includes 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 gym-nastics, music classes; however, weemphasize socialization, verbaliza-tion. Sibling, pre-payment discounts.Lunch, snacks provided. Ages 2 to5 years. License #010214258. Bro-chure (510) 638-3529.

Piano Lessons: 25 years experi-ence with children and adults.Located in Redwood Heights.Call for information or an inter-view-lesson. Andrea Simms,336-1556.

INSTRUCTION

Mendocino coast cottage: Charm-ing, furnished, 1BR plus living roomsofabed, fireplace, fully equippedkitchen. $90/night, $500/week,$1850/month. (510) 482-5577.

SERVICES

RENTALS

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

Video Services. We Can Transformyour slides, snapshots, and filmsinto a charming video—with mu-sic and effects. Or have a profes-sional cameraman videotape yoursocial and business events. CallHarold Lawrence 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 andchild therapy for the Metro/Oak-land community. Everyone needshelp sometimes. Supportive; prac-tical; sliding scale. Helen Mont-gomery Lockwood MFCC#27283, (510) 874-4722.

Kamiya Construction. Additions,remodeling, kitchens, baths,decks, seismic & more! Free con-sultation. License # 546464. (510)532-0193.

Garden Doctor. Consultation,specializing in: creekside garden-ing; restoration of older gardens;managing your maintenance gar-dener; how to take care of yourown garden without a horticulturedegree; $40/hour. (510) 531-9558.

Handyman. Repairs, carpentry,electrical, plumbing, painting, treetrimming. (510) 530-2037.

Colonial ChapelFuneral Directors FD-461

Locally Owned and operated Since 1941Families Helping Families • Full Service MortuaryAll Faith Services • Pre-Arranged Planning • Personalized ServiceDomestic and International Shipping Specialist

A Leader in Low Cost Traditional Memorial & Cremation Services

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.

Paul F. Scudder - Owner/Director FDR-646

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

See your State Farm Agent:Jain Williams

4222 MacArthur Blvd.(510) 530-3222

Auto • Home • Life • HealthState Farm Insurance CompaniesHome Offices: Bloomington, Illinois

Like a good neighbor,State Farm is there.®

STATE FARM

INSURANCE®

Auto

Life Fire

LAFRANCHI’SLIQUORS

Fine Wine& Spirits

Domestic &Imported

BeerImported

Cigars

Open 7 Days!Sun.-Thurs. 8am-Midnight

Fri. & Sat. 8am-2am.

35th & MacArthur482-8208

A Mural for LaurelElementary School

Team Oakland members practice their design skills for the Laurel School Mural.

Left to right: Claire Philips of Artspark, Anthelesia Cozart of TeamOakland, and Erica Sheets of Artspark.

Claire Philips and GeraldCalip Jr. of Team Oakland.

Anthelesia Cozart.

pole hung two T-shirts:“TWAN RIP,” framed by theoutline of a tombstone; andthe picture of a young manwith the inscription “K.O.King.” Above them, a whiteboard with messages: “Seeyou when I get there,” “LoveYou,” “Miss you 4 EVA,”“Blue Dog 4500, High StreetBank Boys.” At the baseof the pole, a plaid jacket,black tennis shoes, a purple

scooter. On the sidewalk,a single red rose, flowersin a brandy bottle, stuffedanimals, an inflated plasticWoody Woodpecker, ababy’s bib. A Bible lay opento Psalms 67 and 68 next tomemorial candles, a miniNew Testament, a religioustract on death. Along the redcurb, a ring of Remy Martinbottles provided a picketfence. This was a memorialfor and by the young.

As of mid-August, thepolice told me they were in-terested in any information

High Street NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

the public could offer aboutthe murder (call 238-3821). —————————————Adelle Foley can be reached bye-mail at jasfoley@aol.com.

Footprint of Many and Maine Attraction present

The 1st AnnualBack—2—School

Fashion & EntertainmentDinner

Proceeds to fund Back to SchoolSupplies and Uniforms for

Footprint of Many Children and Youth

Friday, September 7, 7:30pm-10pmRedwood Heights Community Center

3383 Aliso Avenue, Oakland

Oakland’s Secret HideawayThai Food by Boon & Family

915 45th Ave, Oakland • 536-6303(near the Vulcan Foundry)

Classified RatesThe rate for classified ads is $.50per word. Discounted pricesavailable for five- and ten-issuefrequencies. Please type or writeyour copy clearly and mail itwith your check to The MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19406, Oak-land, 94619. Deadline is the15th of the month. For classified-ad frequency discounts anddisplay-ad information, pleasecontact Suzanne Tipton at287-2655, fax: 534-3429.

To Your Health will return next month.

PHO

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6September 2001

dry, open spaces in the bed.Cut back fuchsias and trim

back Felicia daisies and mar-guerites as well as perennialslike bachelor buttons, del-phiniums, pansies, and violasto encourage a second bloomin the fall.

Feed your houseplantson a monthly basis. VF-11 is ahighly recommended fertilizer(black and white bottle readilyavailable at stores). It is alsogood as a spray on outdoorplants as a fertilizer.

Water your garden in themorning. It helps to preventfungal and bacterial diseasesin your garden and also con-serves water. Exception wouldbe on those extra-hot dayswhen another early eveningwatering is fine. Hanging bas-kets need to be watered daily.In hot spells, twice a day isnot overdoing it. Plants incontainers should be wateredthoroughly. Use saucers tocatch overflow. Suck up excesswater with a turkey baster.If soil is compacted, use aRoss Root Feeder to deep-wa-ter and fertilize shrubs andtrees down to the level of theroots of the plant, where it be-longs. The addition of one

September Things to DoDivide and replant bird ofparadise. Divide bearded irisif they are crowded or did notbloom much last spring; breakoff and discard older centralrhizomes with no foliage, al-low young, healthy rhizomesto dry (out of the direct sunfor several hours) so a callusforms over the break beforereplanting them (the same asis done with geranium cut-tings). Have other bloomingflowers available to fill in for

MargeLaverty

Leona HeightsGarden Club Tipof the Month

tablespoon of Master NurserySoil Penetrant per gallon ofwater will break down thecrust that sometimes developson the top of the soil duringthe summer.

Build basins around shrubs,trees, and even around veg-etables that need wide spacing.This will prevent runoff. Usethis guideline to build a basinaround your plants: A basinthat holds one gallon of waterfor one-gallon-size plants, fivegallons of water for five-gallon-size plants, and 15 gallons ofwater for 15-gallon-size plants.

Decorate Your GardenDecorate your garden withanything that appeals to you.Antiques such as tools, toys,figures, art pieces, wateringcans, red wagons, and evenold tub-type discarded wash-ing machines, driftwood, andmirrors can be artfully placed .After all, it is your garden.

Spruce up your plain-looking fence by attachingpotted plants and fancy bird-houses. You can use colorfulceramic pots and fill with suc-culents and cascading plants.The pots are held by sturdyholders. And you can wire ondriftwood. On a dark winterday, your yard will sparklewith color.

Tips for Uninvited Guestsat a Garden Barbecue

To repel mosquitoes, rub a newsheet of fabric softener on yourarms and other exposed places.To repel flies, put a sprig ortwo of mint on the side of yourplate. Bugs don’t like the odorof mint, but cats sure do, ascatnip is a form of mint.

Calendar of Community Events

HELP NEEDEDFor another month, we have no coordinator for this column. Ourall-volunteer staff puts out the Metro month after month to make iteasier for people to be active in their neighborhoods. For thiswork, the calendar provides a vital link, strengthening the networkof problem solvers. For example, two new residents attended theirbeats 22X/22Y NCPC meeting because they saw the notice in theMetro, the only NCPC notice last month because we had nocoordinator. By donating a couple of dedicated hours a month,someone out there among our readers can add immeasurably tothe quality of our paper. Please call Toni at 530-8079 to volun-teer. Other jobs are available. Just call.

To have your event listed, please contact the Metro no later thanthe 12th of the preceding month at 287-2655.

September 2001

Neighborhood Crime Prevention MeetingsDimond Oakmore/Woodminster/Temple Hill and Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller NCPCs (beats 22X/22Y): Tuesday, September 11,6:30 to 8 p.m., Purofirst, 2860 MacArthur Blvd. New HomeAlert Coordinator for the OPD, Officer John Bakhit, will againspeak.

Community ActivitiesCreek to Bay Day: Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. to noon,locations throughout Oakland. Free T-shirt to first 100 volunteers.Call 238-7611, or go to oaklandpw.com/creeks for information.

Community Cleanup Day: Saturday, September 22, 7:30 a.m.to noon. To join in, come to Walgreens on High St. at I-580.Sponsored by Supervisor Nate Miley: Neighbors helping neigh-bors to keep our community clean. Equipment and refreshmentswill be provided. To volunteer, call Darryl Stewart at 632-8775.

OngoingTrue Grit: Seven Female Visionaries before Feminism: September7 to October 21, Mills College Art Museum, 5000 MacArthurBlvd. Museum hours Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Free.

In Spite of Everything, Spring: Jacqueline Lamba 1910-1993:September 7 to October 21, Mills College Art Museum. Seeabove for details. Call 430-2164 for information.

Bill MillerYour Area Real Estate SpecialistRelocation and Corporate Services Available

510-534-4500LandmarkCS@aol.com

NeighborhoodResident since 1980

Everything You Needfor a Meal!

•FRESH & ORGANICPRODUCE

•FRESH FISH Daily•ORGANIC POULTRY•FRESH GOURMET

BREADS•FINE FOOD DELICACIES

Free Parking

OPEN 7 DAYSMonday-Saturday 9am-8pm

Sunday 9am-7pm

482-817835th & MacArthur

—MARKET PLACE—

DOROTHY OKAMOTO

Optometrist

3714 MacArthur BoulevardOakland 530-2330

Over 20 years in the Laurel District

Great Coffee Comes to the Dimond“When I’m in town, I’ve got to have a ‘Diem Mocha’”

—R. L. Hensley, Santa Rosa           

Come See Why!

2224 MacArthur Blvd • 510.482.0299Mon-Sat 6:30am-6:30pm • Sun 7:30am-4:00pm

$1.00 Off Any “Incredible Diem Mocha”with this ad. Limit 1 per customer. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 9/30/01.

THE METRO GETS AROUND

Peruvian tour guide Ivan Gallegos and Metro photographerJody Berke peruse the Metro outside the cathedral in Cusco, Peru.

September 2001

7

Roussel SargentBetsy Callaway

David Locke & Cathe ReadJacob & Linda Hart

Knud DanildMichael CooperBeth Walukas

Mary Lee PetersonAndretta FowlerNiccolo DeLuca

Nate MileySusan Harman

Nancy & Chris MeyerRebecca Kaplan

Christopher WarrenStan & Naomi CohenChris & Nancy Fisher

Art & Barbara HildebrandtNaomi KamiyaJoanna Roberts

Graham & Smilja CarterRichard Banker

Peter Pan Nursery SchoolJames Fey

Law Offices of Michael KinaneDavid Vahlstrom

Dorothy OkamotoJanet Broughton

Dave and Shoshana FinacomSusan Jaeger

Pamela Calvert & Helen HaugCarole Ward AllenJohn & Claud Elk

Phil & Kathy CaskeyIgnacio De La Fuente

AnonymousRichard Cowan & Kathleen Collins

Elmarise Owens, Cal Fed BankKatharine Samway

Lydia Palmin & Tom DaleyRichard Weinstein

Cherie IveyRuth Malone & Terry SayreUtterman/Forster Family

Abelina Carmona & Teresa CroceLisa Ruhland & Michael Cowan

Bonnie R. HenriquezMacArthur & High Trailer Park

Jeff Kelley & Hung LiuHamachi

Karen Marie SchroederOakland Veterinary Hospital

Libby Jacobsohn & Jerry BowlingCaffe Diem

Bill and Susan BagnellBarbara Reynolds

Joan DarkDeborah Cooper

Vic and Nancy MiloslavichMs. Desley Brooks, Esq.

Nancy SidebothamMike Carson & Ron Steigerwalt

The Metro acknowledgescontributions of $50 or moreby listing your name orbusiness as a Money Honeyfor 10 issues. You keep ourpaper alive and well.

MONEYHONEYS

hat a differenceclean windowsmake to a storefront!

Thanks to Team Oaklandand Laurel Hardware,merchants along MacArthurBoulevard between 35thand High now have cleanwindows, and it didn’t costthem anything. Some of thelucky shop owners are NewConcept, Marquardt Realty,Graham & Co., High StreetPharmacy, State Farm, VistaMadera Feed & Tack, andDr. Okamoto’s office. For allthose who missed out, lookfor Team Oakland and thewindow-washing projectnext summer.

panels and inverters, but mostother maintenance associatedwith a typical power plantis not needed. There are fewmoving parts to a solar farm.Solar panels are sturdy,lightweight, and keep theirefficiency for over 30 years.Traffic to and from the quarrywill be minimal, benefitingcommuters and the antici-pated residents of the nearbyOak Knoll development alike.

The largest photovoltaic(PV) equipment manufacturerin the world has sent their vicepresident of manufacturing toOakland to look at the quarry.He has proposed buildinga manufacturing plant inOakland to provide the solarfarm’s panels. It would bringnew, long-term jobs to Oak-land and possibly cheaper PVpanels for the mayor’s solarrooftop program. With a PVmanufacturing plant inOakland, the city would netroughly 50 percent more tax

Green EnergyC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

B Y C A R O L Y N K N O L L , L -CAP

By Toni Locke

Laurel and RedwoodHeights residents have beenreceiving letters appealingfor support for a projectcalled either Childhood Pro-ductions Ltd. Of California,Theatre for Youth Develop-ment, or Actor’s Studio,located at the old buildingof the Laurel Post Officeon Maybelle Street. Mr. AlAmorino, President/CEO,led a similar venture onFruitvale near InternationalBoulevard. After that failed,he mounted another atthe church on the cornerof Brown and MacArthurnow occupied by VictoryOutreach. The program,mostly Saturday movies,candy sales, and no plays,also failed. What will bethe fate of this third effort?

Our Oakland Post-master, Lawrence Barnes,perhaps to stem thecommunity’s mounting

complaints, held in Augustthe first “town meeting” for94619 patrons whose mail car-riers are deployed from thenew Laurel location on HighStreet. Some 40 residents wereushered into the roomy workarea, fed well, and treated toa smoothly operated sessionwhere each complaint wasnumbered and taken downverbatim by a stenographer.Mr. Barnes made promises,one of which was to installlock boxes in an apartmentbuilding by noon the nextday. The Metro found Mr.Barnes as good as his word.

Matching many tales ofpoor, inefficient service weremany outpourings of praiseand affection for mail carriers.The following week, LaurelBranch Manager Jesse Landtold the Metro he was workingon the list of complaints daily.He is available, together withMs. Gladys Evans, to hearyour problems. Walk in and

ask for him. Man Fung isthe new custodian pledgedto neat, clean grounds. Un-fortunately, everyone knowsthat funds and staffing arenot there for a big changein the level of service. Manyproblems are nationwidein origin. But there shouldbe zero tolerance for substan-dard work on the taxpayers’payroll.

Carriers for zip code94602 are dispatched fromthe West Grand station, notDimond.

Once again the Metromust apologize for failureto print neighborhood re-sponses to the postal-servicequestion. We have sufferedan unexpected loss of person-nel. Thanks are due to allwho sent in messages bothpro and con. Many carrierswill find their ears burningfrom the compliments theyreceived.

They DoWindows!

CleanerStorefronts in

the Laurel

W

Toni Locke, Metro editor, watches as Gladys Evans, carrier supervisor,greets Jerry Scheberies, whose car lot abuts the post office building.

Man Fung, new custodian atthe Laurel Post Office.

Lawrence Barnes, Oakland Postmaster, listens to Lila and JackWahrhaftig of Redwood Heights.

The Contractors’ Rental Center Commercial Accounts Welcome

Builders • Roofers • Painters • PlumbersLandscapers • Masons • Janitors

WE REPAIR & SERVICE POWER TOOLS

Ryder Truck Rentals • Open 7 Days2969 MacArthur Blvd • 482-5545

“. . . the citywould netroughly 50percent more taxrevenue annuallyfrom the solarproposal . . .”

revenue annually from thesolar proposal than from thecurrent DeSilva proposal.

California has funds avail-able to get the plant built andoperational. Refinancing isavailable once the sale of elec-tricity begins. The loans will

California Power Authority.Oakland discussions with

the DeSilva Group began wellbefore any public announce-ment of their project, so thereis no level playing field forother development proposals,even ones better for Oakland.A potential power plant de-veloper wants the same kindof assurances as the DeSilvaGroup is getting before theywill make an offer on thequarry land.

Last year Mayor Brown’smanifesto, “Why Oakland isthe World’s Largest GreenPower City,” announcedhis commitment to makeOakland’s electricity come en-tirely from sustainable energysources free of CO2 emissions.He said, “In the new millen-nium, each of us must takeresponsibility to do our partto cut pollution and reduceglobal warming. Purchasinggreen power is an importantfirst step.” Producing greenpower is the next step.

For more information, visit“www.oaklandncpc.org” on theInternet.

be paid off by selling electric-ity at “peak load” rates underlong-term contract. Californiais committed to achieving abalanced portfolio of naturalgas and renewable energysources for electricity. Eitherindustry will offer a blend, orthe state will buy from mul-tiple sources to achieve thepower mix mandated by the

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8September 2001

mong grandparentsraising their grand-children are many

incredible stories of effortand determination to savethese children from “thesystem,” as foster care isknown.

Just one among these isthat of a great-grandmotherin her eighties who, overten years ago, took theresponsibility of raisingher grandchild’s twochildren. Both boy and girlare now on the threshold ofthose stressful teen yearsthat strain the patience andenergy of even young par-ents. Although the teenculture is intimidating,she reaches out for any re-source that helps her keep

The Best-kept Childcare Secret in Oakland

PRESCHOOL, PLUS ALL-DAY CARE!

• Serving Infants through Five-Year-Olds• Diapers, Home-cooked meals, Naps and Nurturing Included• 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Year-round Care• Play-based Developmental Program Supporting Growth at Each Age• Building children with Self esteem. Confidence and Social Competence

AOCS The Association of Children’s Services3021 Brookdale Avenue (near Coolidge)Oakland • 261-1076

BROCK’SFLOWER

SHOPUnique Designs

For All Occasions

Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pmSat 10am-4pm

4140 MacArthur Blvd.(near Maybelle)

(510) 530-1000

Fair Trade,Organic Coffees

Fresh FruitSmoothies

ScrumptiousPanini & Salads

Expanded Space

DSL /InternetAccess(MacArthur’s 1st!)

OPEN EVERYDAY6:30AM-9PM

3726 MacArthur Blvdin the Laurel

482-2933

BREAKFAST LUNCHALL DAY 11AM-2:30PM

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

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

ResidentialBrokerage

Montclair Branch

6137 La Salle Ave.Oakland

NADER DAVARITop 10 Producer of 2000

Your Friendin Real Estate

510-339-4795 Direct Line510-382-9999 Residence510-339-4791 Fax

VISA MasterCard

FINE CANTONESE AND SZECHUAN CUISINE

4245 MacArthur Blvd. OaklandTake-Out or Reservation 530-8880 • 530-9898

Delivery Service Available ($20 minimum order and $3 delivery charge)

Back to School!Back to School!

MAKING ENDS MEETCHILDRENS RESALE STORE

New Wooden Puzzles

Back-to-School Clothing &Doodle Board Lunchboxes

3544 Fruitvale Ave. • Oakland510-531-1135

Open Mon-Sat 10-5:30 • Free Parking

Fine Quality New and UsedChildren’s Clothing

Brand NewToddler and Booster

Car Seats

LAUREL HARDWARE4024 MacArthur 530-1966OPEN M-F 8-8, SAT 9-6

Don’t Miss Our

Up to

75%

OFF

and

more!

Parking Lot Sale

September 159am to 5pm

Day of Laurel Merchants Sidewalk Sale—One Day Only!

GreatDeals!

them out of foster care.To help this effort, the

Association of Children’sServices (AOCS) createda support service, AGAIN,located in the FruitvaleCommunity at 3035Brookdale Avenue, nearthe corner of Coolidge.

At AGAIN meetings,grandparents maynetwork and shareexperience in handlingthe challenge of parentingagain. AGAIN provideschildcare, scholarships,social services, legal ad-vice, respite care, andparent education. Alsoavailable are a smalllibrary and speakers totalk on issues confrontinggrandparents and thechildren in their care. Sothat working grandpar-ents can come, a monthly

Grandmothers of AGAIN: (L to R) Marie Johnson, Hannah Johnson, Carmelita Taylor, Peggy Woodruff,Rosie Munson, (glimpse on far right) Glendora Patterson, coordinator of program.

AGAIN: Grandparents Raising GrandchildrenB Y P E G G Y W O O D R U F F

evening support groupmeets every fourth Thursdayat 3035 Brookdale. Those in-

A

terested in attending maycall AGAIN leader GlendoraPatterson at 261-1076.

Childcare and transporta-tion are available as neededfor attendees.

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Cool New Toys and Holy toHorrifying Halloween Supplies!

Tuesday-Saturday 12:00noon-5:30pm4004 MacArthur Boulevard • 482-5921

Email: KomodoToyz@aol.com • Fax: 510.482.3921

Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies

Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies • Toys & Hobbies• T

oys

& H

obbi

es •

Toy

s &

Hob

bies

• T

oys

& H

obbi

es •

Toy

s &

Hob

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• T

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& H

obbi

es •

• T oys & H

obbies • T oys & H

obbies • T oys & H

obbies • T oys & H

obbies • T oys & H

obbies •

Making a difference, just a little

bit at a time