Local Events

Leonard Cohen Coming To Town

Suzanne takes you down, to her place by the river….

Remember Canadian poet, songwriter and singer Leonard Cohen?  He’s going to be performing in Oakland this month, and worth hearing for what may be the last time.

Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Cohen was a pretty popular guy.  He had a distinctly laconic and laid-back style, and we used to think Cohen was oh-so-profound.  You can chill out by listening to his greatest hits here:   Suzanne – Hallelujah – Famous Blue Raincoat – I’m Your Man

Leonard Cohen Sings Hallelujah

What’s happened to the poet?   After hanging out at a Zen retreat, Cohen emerged a few years back and wrote more poems and songs.  It turned out that he had no choice, because his life savings were ripped off while he was finding himself.   Now the 74-year-old has embarked on a World Tour and will land in our faire city.

Cohen will be performing at the Paramount Theatre, and seats are available on April 13th, April 14th and April 15th.  Tickets are expensive but not completely catastrophic, ranging from $69.50 to $251.00 per person.  All concerts start at 8pm, and should be a guaranteed trip down memory lane – or a new experience for younger folks.

More info:   Leonard Cohen Site – Rock & Rock Hall of Fame – I’m Your Man Movie – NPR Interview with Terry Gross – The Leonard Cohen Files

New Montclair Fundraiser In The Works

We’re always game for a good cause, especially when bribed by food and drinks.

The Montclair Village Association has announced a brand-new Restaurant Walk this spring, which is destined to become an annual charity event.  Coupon books are getting printed now, and will soon be sold for $25/pop at these locations.

Then you’ll be set to nosh your way through 18 places – all in one April night.  The coupons list what each restaurant or shop will offer, so you’ll be able to plan ahead for  the key pit stops.

Montclair Restaurant Walk

This April 21st event is actually a joint effort between the Montclair Village Association and Lions Club.  Proceeds will be donated to the Lions Club as well as other charities.  After years of the same Easter Egg Hunt and Halloween Parade, it’s about time the Lions branched out!

For more info, please click here or e-mail  montclairvillage@sbcglobal.net.

Neighborhood Policing Lives On

Community-based policing in Oakland is, at best, a work-in-progress.  Among the 57 beats scattered through the city, there are great differences in whether neighbors get involved in crime prevention councils.  We understand that beat officers are not spending 100% of their time locally, either.

In Montclair, we have two active councils that communicate priorities to Beat 13Y and 13Z officers.  We let them know where to patrol and share other concerns on a regular basis, and we often complain about slow response times when calling for help.  Our crimes are mostly about burglaries and stolen cars, rather than murders.

Like all Oaklanders, we still wonder when community policing will hit its stride.  This combination of neighbors and local cops, working together, shows real promise but hasn’t been fully realized yet.

Tagami Interviews Tucker

Tucker Talked The Talk

Wayne Tucker, Oakland’s soon-to-be former police chief, has been chanting “the mantra” of geographic and local policing efforts for several years.  In this 2007 interview with Phil Tagami (part one, part two), he focused on filling 22 of the 57 problem-solving officer (PSOs) positions and reaching 803 officer positions overall.  Tucker also believed the force should add another 300 officers.

Chief Tucker will make his swan-song this Wednesday, at the Neighborhood Watch Steering Committee meeting.  Montclair’s Nick Vigilante said the Chief plans to “address the major achievements at OPD under his command, as well as what still needs to be done and what role the residents of Oakland can play in it.”

  • You’re invited to this presentation on Wednesday, from 6:30 – 8:30pm.  It takes place at City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, in Hearing Room 4 (map), and please RSVP to Felicia Verdin at fverdin-at-oaklandnet.com or 510-238-3128.

With Tucker’s retirement as well as the severe budget gap, we wonder about changing priorities within Oakland Police department.  Will some of the community efforts fall by the wayside?  Or will it be up to citizens to keep things going?

Community Policing Might Suffer

Just today, City Attorney John Russo jumped into the fray regarding policing priorities:  “We must confront the painful truth that too many good Oakland residents live as if under siege.  We need more officers, but we don’t need them doing desk jobs that a civilian could do. We need more officers investigating and solving violent crimes.  We must have a commitment to to effective crime fighting and continued, serious reform of the Oakland Police Department.”

The Alameda County Court recently issued a tentative ruling in Marleen L. Sacks v. City of Oakland.  Judge Frank Roesch ruled that Measure Y funds were used improperly by the City.  In particular, he found that funds had been used for general police training and not specifically for community-policing functions.  Appeals have been filed by the City Attorney’s office at this point.  [Feb. 24th:  The City Attorney’s office expects to recommend an appeal filing, if the ruling is affirmed.]

Meanwhile, the budget continues to crash and burn, and the actual gap isn’t known yet.  The City Council’s Finance and Management Committee, headed by our City Rep Jean Quan, is looking at additional taxes to solve problems and is gamely trying to repeal the Measure OO which passed last year.  At some point, there have to be tougher calls which reduce headcount and salary levels – just like the private sector.

Power To the People, UNCO

Today the crime prevention councils function solely at the beat level, and citizens share safety concerns with their beat officers.  Perhaps by unifying and giving a larger voice to councils’ concerns, there could be more coordinated responses from their assigned PSOs or other cops on duty.

With this goal in mind, the first-ever United Neighborhood Councils of Oakland (UNCO) Congress is taking place tomorrow night.  The original drafters, including Montclarion Jim Dexter, believe this group will enable more direct communications to Oakland Police brass and other city officials.

  • Everyone’s welcome to participate in this first Congress on Tuesday, beginning 7:00 pm. It takes place at Patten University Activity Center, 2433 Coolidge Avenue (map), and no RSVP is required here.

By attending, you have opportunities to run for UNCO leadership roles as an Executive Committee officer or as a Public Safety Area (PSA) representative.  The meeting will also break into the six PSAs, so neighbors can begin identifying local issues as well.

Regardless of Oakland’s budgeting travails or police reforms, it’s heartening to see that citizen volunteers are trying to amplify their contributions anyway.  This kind of volunteerism should help keep community policing alive – even in the most troubled times.

Feb. 28th Update: It’s the last day for OPD Chief Wayne Tucker, with coverage by the Tribune, Chronicle, and NBC News.  Earlier this week, KTVU and Tribune reported about the Neighborhood Watch meeting.  Tucker said the city was “woefully inadequate in terms of responding to property crimes.  We just don’t have staff to do those kinds of things.”

Mom-in-Chief Appears In Montclair

No, Michelle Obama did not make a stealthy appearance in Montclair Village recently.  While the First Lady defines herself as a Mom-in-Chief, she’s clearly not alone.

There are many mothers trying to “get their acts together” at home, and they frequently rely on leadership skills learned at work.  Oaklander Jamie Woolf decided to share these approaches through Mom-in-Chief, a spiritual bible for would-be chiefs everywhere.

She published the bible last week, and began her speaking tour at A Great Good Place for Books.  See Woolf in action below, sitting on our favorite counter in the Village.

Mom-in-Chief appears in Montclair

Mothers should be able to reduce the chaos, explained Woolf, by learning how to motivate their kids.  Start the new school year, for example, by sharing a positive attitude.  “If every other word out of your mouth conveys how much you dread getting up early, supervising homework, running to sports practices and music lessons, and so forth, your child is hardly going to be enthusiastic about it either.”

The key is to set goals that matter to you and your kids.  Once the goals are established, it’s up to you to provide the right tools, chart out specific tasks, get back on track when things go awry, and remember to celebrate endings and beginnings.  Wow, that does sound a lot like the workplace!

Of course, parents want different things for their kids so these goals vary widely.  Try out the short quiz (PDF) to rank your parenting priorities.  There are some soul searching questions which help rank what you value most:  achievement, relationships or individuality.

No one said parenting was easy, but it appears that you are appreciated more than you realize.  Woolf pointed to a recent MTV/AP study which said that “the majority of teens find the most happiness in family.  What’s more, most respondents listed their parents (i.e. you) as their heroes.”

Anyway this new bible should provide sound strategies and inspiration, for fathers as well as mothers.  Hail to the Chiefs.

White Elephant Sale Celebrates 50th

2011 Sale Update: Yes, the 52nd Annual White Elephant’s alive and well, and it’s called the Wild, Wild WES.  The preview sale takes place on Sunday, January 30th from 10 am – 4 pm.

Ticket prices have increased this year, running $20 at the door.  In advance, you may buy a $15 preview ticket by snail-mailing this form (through the 25th) or by visiting the Oakland Museum’s reception desk (through the 29th).

Of course, you can chance it and wait for the main sale which doesn’t charge admission. But cool your heels, since that takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6th, from 10 am – 4 pm.

Oakland White Elephant

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2010 Sale Update: Yes, the 51st Annual White Elephant’s alive and well. The preview sale takes place on Sunday, January 31st from 10 am – 4 pm, and costs $15 at the door. Then the main sale doesn’t charge admission, and takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7th, from 10 am – 4 pm.

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In Oakland, the best-known White Elephant Sale is about to celebrate its 50th birthday!  There’s a preview sale tomorrow, followed by the full event in March.

The Oakland Museum Women’s Board (OMWB) organizes this annual extravaganza to raise funds for the museum.  They raised only $500 back in 1959, the first year the sale was held.  Fast forward, and the OMWB hauled in a whopping $1.28 million last year.

When’s the event?

The official White Elephant Sale takes place on March 7-8th, and admission is free.  However true aficionados know they can pay for earlier access, during this Sunday’s preview sale.  For a $15 entry fee/person, you get “first dibs” at this huge rummage event.

Doors are open from 10 am – 4 pm tomorrow, down at the White Elephant Warehouse – 333 Lancaster Street (map, directions).  Kids under 12 are free, but strollers must be checked at the door.

There’s some paid parking at the Fruitvale BART station or you can take BART.  There will be a shuttle running between the station and warehouse, which begins an hour before doors open.

What will you find?

Some 17 different departments of goods are presented in the 96,000 sq ft warehouse.  The sale depends on donations from Oaklanders and other East Bay residents, which are collected all year.  There are estate items along with all kinds of cast-asides (see photos), plus strict guidelines about items not accepted too.

Last year, the Women’s Board reported that furniture, jewelry, art and books/photos/music were the four largest departments, which jointly contributed over a half-million to the total $1.28 million sales.  Who knows, this could be your chance to discover a future Antiques Roadshow winner.

Yet this White Elephant draws attendees from the entire Bay Area, because you can find practical things you want or need too.  There’s a huge array of household items, which can help furnish your apartment or house.  Of course, loads of adult clothes and kids stuff are available as well.

What’s great is that all the proceeds are for the Oakland Museum – so you can’t go wrong here.