Local Events

Looking for 168 Good Campers

This Saturday, Oakland Parks is looking for another 168 good campers to spend the night at Joaquin Miller Park.  There’s plenty of room left on the Great Meadow for your family.

As part of this year’s Great American Backyard Campout, you would join more than 20,431 campers (as of last count) across the country.

Just bring the family, some clothes and a tent.  You’ll have time to commune with Mother Nature, including these beautiful hikes in the Park.

For $8.50/person, Oakland Parks will serve you snacks, dinner and breakfast.  That’s camping in style, without any heavy lifting.

At this late date, I would reach Stephanie Benavidez at 510-867-0669.  You can also pay online.

Celebrating New Civil Rights

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know that same-sex couples can now be legally wed in California.  Gays may experience the rights and responsibilities of wedded bliss.

Our city rep, Jean Quan, says that District 4 is “home to one of the largest concentrations of LGBT residents, couples and families in the country.”  So she has arranged a local tribute this weekend.

Everyone is invited to a civil rights celebration and teach-in:  Sunday, from 4pm-7pm, at Velvet Lounge (3411 MacArthur Blvd, map).

The celebration will feature speaker Emily Doskow, a noted expert in lesbian and gay domestic matters.  A potluck dinner is also planned, so bring a contribution or two.

Doskow specializes in LGBT family law, helping couples with partnerships, parenting, adoption and other legal rights.  She has written several books for Nolo Press, including co-authorship of A Legal Guide fo Gay and Lesbian Couples.

I think Emily’s take on the continued morass will be very interesting to hear.  The airwaves have been filled this week with confusion.  With marriage, what rights have actually been granted by the State?  How do these conflict with other jurisdictions?  Time for the teach-in.

Make Montclair Village Shine

We are a vocal bunch about ways to improve the Montclair Village streetscape – but our voices are merely mumbles among friends and neighbors. Now we’re getting organized.

Tonight there’s a joint meeting between the Montclair Village Association (MVA) and Montclair Safety & Improvement Council (MSIC), to bring “shoppers and merchants together to brainstorm ways to improve the look and ambiance of the Village.”

The meeting takes place at Zion Lutheran Church (5201 Park Blvd, map), at 6:30 pm tonight. If you can’t attend, then send ideas to MVA Executive Director, Roger Vickery: MontclairVillage@sbcglobal.net.

MVA and MSIC want to consider everything that beautifies the town. Some of the topics include views, traffic flows, intersections, signs, benches, and other forms of spit-shine.

I think its safe to say that we need better “hang out” space. I like the idea of pedestrian areas without cars, but I’m sure there are opponents. Anyway, let’s see what we can develop collectively.

After ideas are gathered, a landscape architect will prepare drawings and costs and share them publicly. A master plan will be finalized – to trigger the funding, permits and actual improvements.

What are your hot buttons? How would you improve the Village? Please comment here, thanks.

Brian Copeland’s Here, Sunday at 2pm

One of our East Bay celebs, Brian Copeland, will be at A Great Good Place for Books (map) tomorrow. It’s worth going to see him – even if you normally don’t “do” bookstore readings.

KGO listeners know Brian pretty well. He airs commentaries during the afternoons and also hosts a show on Sundays, from 9-11am (KGO-AM 810).

Copeland will discuss Not a Genuine Black Man, based on his one-man show about racism. Learn more in this NPR interview with Farai Chideya, or CBS5 profile by Barbara Rodgers.

The book and show reflect Brian’s feelings about the East Bay, too. He grew up as one of the few African-Americans in a white suburb: San Leandro in the early 1970s. While the place didn’t welcome him, 35+ years have passed and he still lives there today.

Brian’s a comedian and has a wry take on life. As proof, here’s a KGO audio clip called 7 Words, which is all about the dirty words you’re not supposed to say on air. Who needs bombastic or offensive ways to say the same thing?

Anyway, Copeland will begin speaking after the Farmers Market wraps up, at 2pm. I hope A Great Good Place won’t be too crowded – it’s not that large a shop.

Vote Tuesday For Your Reps

Although it may have been thrilling to vote in the early U.S. Prexy primaries, the Tuesday election is much closer to home. You’ll make a difference by casting a ballot for your state and local reps: