Preparations are underway for the Jack London District National Night
Out event which will be held on Tuesday, August 5th. The event will
be a fun way to socialize with your neighbors while making our
community a safer place. We have been making good progress, but we
need some help with additional people in the community who are willing
to spend a couple of hours to make this a quality event. Below is a
brief summary of what has been done so far, and list of what areas we
could need your help with. If you are able to spend *any* time
helping in one of the areas below, please send me an email at
nightout@jldcpc.org or give me a call at 510-289-8956.

Thanks for your participation!

Bill Dailey
JLDCPC Chair

What has been done already:

• Location picked (on Harrison between 3rd and 4th)
• We are registered with national organization and City of Oakland (no permit is required)
• Our Neighborhood Services Coordinator (Annie Sloan) will work with
• OPD and OFD to have a presence at the event
• We have tables and chairs available (thanks, Gary)
• JLDA has graciously donated some funds to cover expenses not covered by donations
• An article about the event will appear in the July issue of JLDA Call

What we REALLY need help with:

• Arrange food and drink donations (this is the one we need the most help with)
• Find volunteers to cook/prepare/serve food at event
• Involve community groups and ask them to attend and set up info tables (Covenant House, JLDA, English Center, etc)
• We would like to allow people to bring their dogs to the event. Any ideas on what we would need to do to make that successful?
• Design promotional flyer
• Distribute posters/flyers to locations in community

Labels: announcements, crime, frontpage

At the June 16th board meeting of JLDA the eight members of the board present voted unanimously to oppose the resolutions to amend the parking plan set forth below which briefly:


specifying a rationale of "In Order To Maintain The Program's Cost-Neutrality"

The grounds for JLDA board opposition were given as:

a) the resolutions were prepared completely without prior consultation of JLDA, a body that aims to represent the Jack London District and was central in proposing, defining and supporting the permit plan and which devoted countless hours of work over many years to make it happen - a role that was explicitly recognized in the City of Oakland resolutions introducing the Permit Parking ordinance in 2007, and the ordinance itself.

b) the permit plan already requires for yearly review of the plan for cost neutrality and performance and the board feels that extremely premature to make changes on the basis of cost-neutrality when a financial analysis has yet to be performed. Furthermore the immediate and future impact of extending the permit plan boundaries to include business addresses with a very large number of employees (which will apparently also include all future JLS office space) is unknown, unstudied and unplanned for in the original permit proposal.

Our District 3 council member Nancy Nadel has recommended the finance and management committee support the resolutions. The Staff report on which the recommendation was based is available here: http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/19541.pdf.

The Staff report cites issues regarding cost neutrality but unfortunately presents no facts or figures to back up those claims - whereas it is known to JLDA that in six weeks permit sales have already raised $54,600 in revenue, and $70 parking tickets are being issued at a rate of 20 to 30 per day netting over $20,000 in additional revenue per month for the City general fund. As best we can tell there has been no additional cost other than administrative ones for issuing permits. Compared to the previous parking usage, and any other permit plan in the City (all of which lose money) it is hard to see, without further evidence, how our plan is now unfortunately being characterized as a financial burden to the City in a deficit year.

As JLDA is apparently out of the loop then if you have comments on the increase in visitor permit fees to $10 per day or $50 per two weeks, the modification of permit boundaries, or even the process by which the resolutions were introduced without prior community consultation, then please contact the office of Nancy Nadel directly at:

Nancy Nadel,
City Hall 2nd Floor,
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza,
Oakland, CA 94612,
(510) 238-7003
email: clstarks@oaklandnet.com
nnadel@oaklandnet.com

Alternatively you can also contact the finance committee members directly who will be reviewing the resolutions before recommending (or not) their passage to City Council:

Jane Brunner, District 1; jbrunner@oaklandnet.com
Nancy Nadel, District 3: nnadel@oaklandnet.com
President Ignacio De La Fuente, District 5; idelafuente@oaklandnet.com
Chairperson, Jean Quan, District 4: jquan@oaklandnet.com

Labels: announcements

The office of Nancy Nadel has notified us that the City Council Finance and Management Committee will discuss the following two issues regarding the JLD Permit Parking Program on June 24, 2008 at 1:30pm, agenda item 7. The committee meets in Hearing Room 1, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (City Hall) and the public has an opportunity to comment.

(1) Adopt An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 12809 C.M.S. (Master Fee Schedule), As Amended, To Modify Permit Fees Assessed By The Parking Division For The "Interim Mixed-Use Parking Permit Program For The Jack London District," As Follows:
(a) Modify The Cost Of One-Day Permits From One Dollar ($1) To Ten Dollars ($10); And
(b) Modify The Cost Of Two-Week Permits From Five Dollars ($5) To Fifty Dollars ($50),
In Order To Maintain the Program’s Cost-Neutrality.

(2) Adopt An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 12864 C.M.S., To Modify The Boundaries Of The Jack London District Interim Mixed-Use Permit Parking Program, As Follows:
(a) Move The Southern Boundary Of The Permit Parking Area South One Block From Embarcadero West, Between Franklin Street And Washington Street Only, To Include The Businesses On Water Street;
(b) Move The Northern Boundary Of The Permit Parking Area North One Block From Fourth Street, Between Washington Street And Broadway Only, To Include The Southern Side Of Fifth Street Only.

The Staff Report regarding the resolution is available online at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/19541.pdf. You can access the Committee calendar here: http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/calendar/#current

Labels: announcements, frontpage, parking

Jack London Aquatic Center Hosts its 2008 Summer Splash, a Free Water Sports Open House for Youth and Adults Ages 12 and Up

When: Saturday June 7, 2008 from 10:00AM – 2:00PM
Where: the Jack London Aquatic Center, 115 Embarcadero, Oakland, CA, at Estuary Park (between Oak Street and Fifth Avenue, one mile east of Jack London Square along the Embarcadero)

The Jack London Aquatic Center is excited to announce its first annual free “Summer Splash” water sports celebration on Saturday, June 7 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, for youth and adults ages 12 and up. This is your chance to come and try out the sports of rowing, kayaking, and/or dragon boating. Every half-hour participants will leave from the dock and receive an introduction to sweep-oar rowing, kayaking, or dragon boating. Meanwhile, on land, participants can celebrate Oakland’s Estuary with lively sea shanties from the Roving Tars musical group. Participants do not need to know how to swim: everyone will be fitted for personal flotation devices and will be required to sign a waiver on site.

For more information call JLAC at 510-208-6067 or see their website JLAC.org

Labels: announcements, frontpage

Waterfront Action has just launched a new Waterfront Access Map that shows areas of public access to our waterfront in Oakland and Alameda. It shows waterfront parks, the path of the Bay Trail, where Measure DD bond money is being spent, and new and proposed waterfront development. The map is available online and in printed form - you can pick up at copy at California Canoe and Kayak in Jack London Square.

Labels: announcements, frontpage

Around 30 community members and other interested parties turned out Monday night for the candidate forum arranged by JLDA for the District 3 City council election in June. Although time was limited the audience was able to ask the candidates several questions and hear their statements and positions on various issues. All agreed this was a useful event and if there is a need for a run-off election in November JLDA would like to provide the candidates another chance to come address Jack London District voters.

Thank you to Steve Lowe and Bernice Straub for making the arrangements, our President Ben Delaney for moderating, and to Portobello for providing us with an excellent venue for the forum.

Labels: announcements, frontpage

In April 2008 the City of Oakland sent out a letter to over 1,500 Jack London District residents and business owners describing the new mixed-use parking permit plan, scope, eligibility criteria, cost and procedure for getting the permit along with an application form. These materials are available from the links below:

• Click here for a copy of the letter
  
• Click here for the map showing the streets it affects.
• Click here for the application form

If you did not receive the letter, lost it or are new to the area and need a parking permit please review the documents above, then print and fill out the application form indicating it is for an Area M permit. Mail the completed form, other supporting documentation as required, and a check for $150 payable to the City of Oakland to:

City of Oakland Parking Division, Administration
250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza #6300
Oakland, CA 94612

Note that permits are issued for a specific car and must be affixed to the car, there are no transferable permits. For instructions on how to affix the permit once you receive it click here.

If you purchase an annual Area M permit ($150) you may also purchase temporary visitor permits as follows: each 1-day permit costs $1.00 per vehicle and each 14-day permit costs $5.00 per vehicle. No more than five 1-day and five 14-day visitor permits may be purchased at any one time. If you include payment, you may order visitor permits on the application form sent out by the City (see link above).

Please note, JLDA does not issue, administer, or benefit financially from the Area M mixed use parking permit plan - if you have any questions you should direct them to the City of Oakland, specifically Marcela Pardo-Espinoza who can be reached at (510) 986-2690.

Labels: announcements, frontpage, parking

For employees of non-profit organizations to be eligible for parking permits, the non-profit must have a business license. Perhaps you already know this, but it is news to me that all non-profits are supposed to register with the City. Apparently there is no penalty if you don't, so the non-profits I have been associated with haven't bothered. To get a business license, the non-profit must submit an application along with a "one time fee" of $30. After that, an annual tax return must be completed and submitted to the City, but no additional taxes are required. The New Business Application form can be found at: http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/fwawebsite/revenue/pdf/Newbusapp.pdf or you can go to 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 1st floor and do your paperwork there.

Labels: announcements, parking

Let us know what crime and safety issues are more important to you!

The JLDCPC is conducting a short online survey design to gauge what crime and safety issues are most important for us to focus on in the coming months. We will be sharing these results with Oakland Police Department representatives. You can complete the survey online at http://jldcpc.org/survey or email bill@jldcpc.org to get a PDF or paper copy of the survey.

Labels: announcements, crime, frontpage

A big thank you to everyone who showed up, cleaned, organized and supported our ninth annual neighborhood Trash Bash*. Around fifty people volunteered and picked, shoveled, and bashed their way through piles of trash from our streets filling the entire back of a City public works truck. Cigarette butts, broken bottles, weeds, litter, even parking tickets were among those items removed during the process. Afterwards Steve Sacks fired up the grill and helped us to burgers, and Polish sausages donated by his company Prime Smoked Mats. Chips, snacks and sides to go with them were donated by Word Ground Cafe and Sierra Deli.

Among the many volunteers was a strong contingent from Covenant House who worked hard with us and joined the BBQ afterwards - thanks guys! After the BBQ JLDA President Ben Delaney presented awards in recognition of service to the Jack London District community to Steve Sacks, Joanna Adler and Karl Augenstein.

We would particularly like to thank Winnie Anderson and her husband Paul for organizing the event this year, Gary Knecht for the use of his space at The Egghouse, Steve in his sixth year as BBQ Masterchef, Bernice for the use of her pickup, and all our donors and other volunteers who made the day possible and a great success. Thank you!

Some photos from the event are available at jlda.org/trashbash/trashbash9 and there will also be a write up in the May edition of JLDA Call - out soon!

* Just in case you are wondering what happened to Trash Bash 10 - well there was a little confusion about how many there had been before, yes we've had so many now we are losing count. But rest assured this is the ninth and next year will be the tenth. The good news is we'll be able to use those poster all over again!

Labels: announcements, frontpage, trashbash

A Presentation by Margaret Gordon, Oakland Port Commissioner
Monday, May 5, 6-7:30pm
Buttercup Grill, 229 Broadway at 3rd St.

Come and listen to Margaret Gordon speak about the little-publicized health impacts and environ- mental consequences of diesel trucks idling for hours as they wait in line to load and unload, among other things.

Labels: announcements

This CalTrans project is to earthquake retrofit the bridge over Lake Merritt Channel on Embarcadero. The project is expected to start late 2009 and last at least a year. During that time Embarcadero will be completely blocked to traffic in both directions while the bridge is rebuilt. Truck traffic to the Port of Oakland which uses this bridge as an alternate route to 3rd Street (which is a truck route) will be diverted during construction.

CalTrans expects to hold a community meeting to discuss the project about 6 months before it starts. JLDA will keep the community informed.

Labels: announcements, development

The Jack London District Association is working hard to provide a website that is the number one destination for anyone researching living, working, shopping and visiting the district - as well as learning about its historic and community resources and participating in its improvement. We have a business directory, maps, photos, historic and new development information, and lots of news about life the area.

If you have a local businesses that is looking to attract customers in the area and support a local non-profit community organization then look no further than placing an advertisement on our website which is seen by thousands every year. Last month we had over 3,000 page views and we expect over 35,000 for 2008. The good news is when you become a JLDA business supporter we include advertising on the site for a year. Ad space is shared with all other advertisers but there is no extra charge unless you want to run more than one ad, have time limited ads posted, or want priority placement on the page.

Advertising on our site is a simple two step process - just sign up as a JLDA business supporter by making a tax deductible donation to support us, suggested donations start at just $50 per year for a small business. After you have made your supporter donation just drop us an email at info@jlda.org and let us know you'd like to place an ad on the JLDA website. We will then help you select the appropriate image size and locations for your ad.

Both text and banner ads are available on the JLDA website - currently in the sidebar and footer of every page on the site. For any business patron or business sponsor supporters we will provide a special top of the page banner location just for your ads so you gain maximum exposure. We are of course looking to provide tasteful ads that are informative and useful to local residents, visitors and businesses so all ads are subject to approval - but we will work with you to ensure all business supporters can have a suitable advert placed on our site, so let us know if have any questions at info@jlda.org

Labels: advertise, announcements

JLDA is deeply saddened to report that our Vice-President Steve Jimenez, died in his sleep Sunday, December 30th. Steve joined the JLDA Board of Directors in November 2006 and also lead the Growth & Development Committee.

Steve's good deeds weren't limited to JLDA, he was also on the Board of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Alameda County and a co-founder and Director of the Oakland Rainbow Chamber of Commerce and Labor. He was a Partner at the law firm Adelson, Testan, Brundo, & Jimenez and has lived in Oakland almost five years. For those that knew Steve, one of his friends has set up an online memorial where you can find photos and stories about his life.

Steve is survived by his mother Marian and his three children - Dylan (16) Clayton (14), and Courtney (13). Our condolences go to Marian, Dylan, Clayton, and Courtney. Steve was a great joy to have at meetings and made an important contribution to our community, we will all miss him.

Labels: announcements, frontpage