Month: December 2008

The United Neighborhood Councils of Oakland Rises

By now, you are likely familiar with Montclair’s two neighborhood safety groups which cover residents living north of Thornhill (police beat 13Y) and south of Thornhill (beat 13Z) respectively.

Montclair Councils

Now there’s a brand-new effort to address issues among all 52 neighborhood councils scattered throughout Oakland. The United Neighborhood Councils of Oakland – dubbed “UNCO” – is putting its bylaws to a vote tomorrow.  Their mission aims to:

  • Promote coordination of effort and advocacy on issues of concern on behalf of the citizens of Oakland
  • Provide assistance, support, and resources to all Neighborhood Councils, including the exchange of best practices
  • Facilitate and promote the full implementation of Community Policing as delineated in City Council of Oakland Resolution 79235 CMS

Back in 2005, the City Council implemented Resolution 79235 “to provide a structured approach to community involvement.”  While the individual police-beats and groups have been developed since then, the UNCO is another way to communicate safety priorities at a more unified level with Oakland’s police and other departments.

What’s interesting is that UNCO could function as an escalation path for the neighborhood councils.  So when a specific council has some question, say about solicitors, the unified group seeks hyper-local and city-wide responses too.

The UNCO organizers invite everyone to attend their fifth organizing meeting and watch the bylaw approvals.  Delegates representing each of the 52 councils are eligible to vote.   The proceedings take place Tuesday from 7pm-9pm, at Eastmont Police Sub-Station, 2651 73rd Avenue (map).

More info:  Visit the United Neighborhood Councils of Oakland’s first online home, which includes an interactive map of all neighborhood councils.

Charity Drop-Offs In The Village

We were recently asked about charity drop-offs in the Village, and searched around for different holiday appeals.  Here’s a list of organizations now asking for food, clothing and toys.  It’s easy to donate essentials and gifts, and make a difference.

Gift For You

Food: Let’s start with the most urgent request for food, from the Alameda Food Bank.  Their stocks are low this year, and the group wants to collect 750,000 pounds over the holidays.  You just donate food in the red and black bins at Lucky’s and Safeway.  Better yet, the Food Bank also accepts financial donations online.

Letters: For kids, you can play Santa in a few different ways.  The best idea comes from the Oakland Post Office, which receives letters kids write to Santa and needs assistance with the mail.  They are looking for helpers willing to respond to these letters directly, or as Santa via the North Pole.  While not required, you’re free to send gifts as well.

The Oakland Tribune described how to get kids letters:  (1) call the Santa Hotline at 510-251-3371 and leave your name, address and phone number;  (2) await a form sent to you; (3) visit the local post office with your completed form and a photo ID; and (4) await letter or letters from kids.  Then it’s up to you to write back to the kids, and show them you care.

Toys: Give to Oakland kids through the 28th Annual Oakland Toy Drive.  According to A Better Oakland, checks may be sent to: United Way of the Bay Area, Oakland Toy Drive, Attention: Cashier’s Office, 221 Main Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Alternatively, you can donate actual toys to Alameda County kids through the Toys For Tots.  Just drop toys into the local bin at at Wells & Bennett, off Park Blvd (1451 Leimert Blvd, Map).  Or send checks to: Toys For Tots, Alameda County, United States Marine Corps Reserve, 2144 Clement Ave, Alameda, CA 94501.

Clothes: As the chill sets in, provide some warmth for kids.  East Bay Sotheby’s is collecting winter coats for Oakland kids, and then distributing them via the Lincoln and Fred Finch Centers.  So look at what your kids have outgrown, and drop your coats at Sotheby’s (1986 Mountain Blvd, Map).

Also consider helping new mothers, who need support caring for their newborns.  Loved Twice,  run by Montclarion Lisa Klein, delivers baby essentials to moms through local hospitals.  They welcome donations of used infant clothing at Cool Tops Cuts for Kids (in Oakland or Lafayette).

Any other charity ideas this holiday season?  Please share them here.

TGIF At The Farmstead

Did you see this news?  The Oakland scene is usually defined by other places, but Montclair’s been declared “in the mix” by Oakland Magazine – and that’s a long time coming.

In the December issue delivered today, reporter Derek Richardson says “the sidewalks tend to roll up with the twilight”  in Montclair Village.  However he says there’s a Friday night buzz now at  Farmstead.

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines (map) invites locals to its TGIF wine tasting party on Fridays, from 6pm-8pm.  Since it’s only $3 per flight, you can’t go wrong.  They e-mail folks about what wines will be available and encourage everyone – in a pretty low-key way – to stop by for tastings.

Owner Jeff Diamond says “it’s become something of a social scene.”  Typically some 30-40 folks show up after work to greet the weekend, and the numbers are growing.

Diamond opened this Montclair shop last May, after perfecting his first and ongoing Alameda shop for many years.  Since then, he has encouraged Montclarions to try wine and artisan cheeses without any intimidation.  He offers tastings as well as organizes dinners.

Between this new Friday night buzz and our well-regarded Jazz and Wine Festival, we are slowly gaining a vino-related reputation around here.

Visit The Fungus Among Us

2009 Fair Update:  This year’s 40th Annual Fungus Fair will be held at the Lawrence Hall of Science, in Berkeley (map).  This great event takes place on December 5th-6th, from 10am-5pm on each day.

**********************************************************************************

Just picked up the buzz about the Fungus Fair!

This weekend, the Oakland Museum and Mycological Society of San Francisco are hosting the 39th Annual Fungus Fair.  Local mycologists collect specimens throughout the Bay Area, and this is the “go-to” event to put your hands on some specimens  – and otherwise revel in nature’s oddities.

Take a break from the more mundane, and visit the fungus among us.  The Oakland Museum’s (map) hours are:   Saturday from 10am-6pm; and Sunday from 12pm-5pm.  Daily admission is $8/general and $5/students, and kids under 5 are free.

Annual Fungus Fair

The fair schedule is packed with lectures, demonstrations and even entertainment along with exhibits.  Kids can make mushroom ice cream (ugh), create jewelry, play with clay models and take home a fungus-growing kit.

The lecture line-up also sounds great, covering everything from reproduction to magic medicine.  Various cooking and mushroom-dying demos will take place both days.  For pure entertainment, there’s a topical movie called  Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People.

Fungus Fair 2007

Anyway, it’s worth a quick trip to see the ‘shrooms alone, like Maryjane’s picks from last year.  Some of the specimens look like cousins of what we buy at the farmer’s market, while others seem sort of disgusting to me.  Do you see the “hairy” looking ones above?  Or the one that resembles a cow pie?

I’ll never be a mycologist (!) but love the edibles and look forward to the weekend festivities.  However if you can’t make the Fungus Fair, then pay a virtual visit to MykoWeb – it’s an amazing resource, put together by a former president of San Francisco’s Mycological Society.

Nice Montclair Photo Tour, Peter

Montclair Village may look like nothing special to outsiders, but it’s ours.  Photographer Peter Henderson recently decided to share his Montclair snapshots.  What I really like is that you see the stores and streets without special adornment or emotion.

Let’s start with the core showing Peet’s in the frame, and food row on the right.  Nearby you see folks milling around, which always happens because there are a few open chairs and tables right here.  It’s a bit empty and must be a weekday.

The Peets View

The rest of the shots are different views around two blocks, hitting LaSalle, Mountain and Antioch.  Starting on the left, you can see the classic clock on the intersection of LaSalle and Mountain.  How long has this feature been around, can someone tell us?

Moving clockwise, notice the plain building with Mountain Yoga on the left and Grinder’s Subs on the right.  Even photographer Pete points them out as “the signs of happiness for us both.”  Personally I like to combine the experiences, by taking a late weekend class and picking up a big sandwich as a quick reward.

Montclair Street Shots

The street view on lower LaSalle includes Montclair Pharmacy, one of the oldest businesses which also sits right on the Hayward fault line running through the store.  This is book row, with The Book Tree located on the left side of the pharmacy and A Great Good Place for Books across the street.

Finally we end this quick tour back at the LaSalle and Mountain intersection, this time looking towards Mountain.  The all-important Le Bon Bon chocolates is under the green awning, followed by the barber shop and Glamour Paws.  There are a few spots changing hands, notably the new cafe which will occupy the defunct Royal Ground soon.

You weren’t expecting anything surprising, right?  We’re just a settled place and prefer things that way.  Of course, things will be bustling Thursday night – remember to drop by for the Holiday stroll and festivities.