And so it begins…

After the trucks had rumbled up Oakland and parked themselves in front of my house, all but one backing itself into place, with its loud warning signal screaming into my bedroom at well before 8 and while the movers shouted greetings to one another, my wife, bitter resignation clearly evident in her voice, said “and so it begins.”

So begins the Summer of Construction during which, for seven days a week, the neighbors of Havens will enjoy the dulcet tones of demolition and construction beginning at 8, 9 on Saturday and Sunday (though that clearly doesn’t apply to movers) and ending at the earliest at 4 p.m., later during the week, and if there is a possibility that they won’t be able to get the portables up in time for the fall, no doubt later on the weekends.

Someone asked my not so long ago, when I was arguing for reasonable hours of use at the new Havens’ Field, “what did you expect?”  Well the answer is that in a place that purportedly prides itself on its “sense of community/small town character” I expect my neighbors, my community, and by extension their governing bodies, to do what I would do for them – and that would include letting y’all sleep a bit on the weekends.

d

Tri-School Dads Club Softball Game

It’s almost here! The Dads Club rivalry continues.

Root for the Baja Padres (Beach Dads), the Havens, or the Wildwood Dads this Saturday, June 13th, 2-5 at Coaches Field.

Come out and support your school at the 3rd annual tri-school softball game.  BBQ and games for the kids in deepest right field. Proceeds benefit the APCP program of the winning school’s choice.

How Green Is The Havens Relocation?

“Dumpster Day” – That’s what the kids called it when they installed giant dumpsters on the Havens playground in preparation for the move to Emeryville.  Binders, gloves, vases, chairs, pens, electronics, and many other “reusable” items are simply being discarded in the move.  Though some of the best things are being grabbed by the volunteers, it looks like we could have done a better job here, particularly given that we’ve had years to empty the “condemned” buildings

Preliminary Results Show B and E Passing by Large Margin

According to the preliminary results posted by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (at http://www.acgov.org/rov/current.htm), Measure B is passing by a margin of 77.77% to 22.2.3% and Measure E is passing by a margin of 72.73% to 27.27%.

Vote Tuesday on Measures B & E

I believe that Measures B & E are good for Piedmont, both for the schools and for the community. I know that there is opposition to both measures, but overall, as you drive through town, you’ll see an abundance of Yes on B & E signs. Piedmonters are proud of their community and the schools are a big part of what makes Piedmont a great place to live.

No one moved to Piedmont because of the low property taxes. People move here for the small town community, the police and fire services, and most of all, for the excellent public schools.

It’s clear to me that the state government will take what it can from cities, counties, schools, and health services to cover budgetary shortcomings. The parcel tax is money that stays in Piedmont no matter what the legislature does. It goes directly to Piedmont schools.

Whatever your position, take the time to vote on Tuesday. The community’s decision on that day will affect you as a homeowner and resident whether you have children in the school or not. You should be part of that decision. I hope you’ll join me in supporting B&E.

–L

Parkway Theater

This community meeting notice came to me from the City Homestead blog. Check out the meeting at Rooz Cafe on Piedmont Avenue this Sunday…details below.

When: THIS Sunday, May 31st, 3 pm to 5 pm
Where: Rooz Cafe, 1918 Park Boulevard
Why: Learn what the future may hold for the Parkway, and provide your own ideas and input.

From the organizers:

“We will bring the lowdown on the recent investor activity regarding the Parkway Theater. You will bring your diverse and rich experience, and a passion for movies, food, and drink. Together, we will construct our collective vision for the new Parkway.

The visioning process has already been done at previous I Like The Parkway meetings and through the spare time of various volunteers. This go-’round, we’ll be working off of those initial efforts to distill the community’s true desires for their beloved Parkway into a nice, digestible package for potential investors. The results of these discussions, along with our survey, will be part of the toolset that we will present to the investors that will help guide them in their processes, and ultimately will help us determine if we as a community should endorse them (we hope so!). Come join us!”

Can’t make it to the meeting? You can still offer your ideas through the group’s web survey.

Havens – Emeryville Bus Routes

Curious where the bus routes from Piedmont to Emeryville will be for Havens students next year and/or whether there might be a stop in front of your house?  Check out this site:  http://www.piedmontschoolbus.org/.   I’m told the routes might change before the June 4, 2009 public meeting (7:00 at the PMS Multi-purpose room) – which is why they aren’t currently advertised for comment to the general public – but if you have some thoughts now, please contact your school board or bfeusier@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

Drew

Bike-to-Work Update

Click to learn more about commuting by bicycle.

So, it’s Bike Month and Bike-to-Work day was almost two weeks ago. We’re still riding in. So far this month I have a 4 for 5 and two 5 for 5 weeks. Four other coworkers are committed to riding as part of the Team Bike Challenge. We also have a couple of other coworkers who occasionally ride or at least ride at lunch instead of taking the car.

How many of you participated in BTWD? How did it go? Did you stop at an Energizer Station? Congrats to Dale, who rode in a couple of days that week. Readers, please leave a comment if you participated.

From Guatemala, with Love

Piedmont High School Graduates start a scholarship program in Rabinal, Guatemala and bring back letters of hope and gratitude

After witnessing the dismal health conditions faced by Guatemalan families living in poverty, Piedmont High School 2004 graduates Michael Bakal and Amy Yam founded Voces y Manos por el Derecho a la salud (Voice and Hands for the Right to health) an organization dedicated to addressing health needs in Guatemala.  They began their work in 2007 by coordinating community health fairs that provided comprehensive preventive and curative health services.  But when they heard Guatemalan Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu declare: “it is not until we have more Indigenous doctors and nurses who speak the language of the people will health conditions truly be improved”, they realized they had to broaden their vision.

Heading Menchu’s call, Voces y Manos established a scholarship fund that has assisted Guatemalan youth embark on the academic journey to careers in nursing, education, and medicine.  The community health fairs have thus become a springboard to something much greater: an opportunity to inspire local Indigenous youth to bring health to their communities.

Voces y Manos is hosting an open house event at the Kehilla Synagogue—1300 Grand Avenue—in Piedmont On Sunday, May 31^st, 2009 from 4-6pm. The Bay Area community, along with current and past sponsors, are invited to attend.  Letters from scholarship recipients will be read by Piedmont Middle and High School students, light refreshments will be served and all will be invited to enjoy items in the Guatemalan art and artifacts display.  You will also get a chance to hear what Voces y Manos and partner organizations have planned for this summer.

If you would like to bring art or artifacts from Guatemala, or to share your own story about the human right to health please, contact Lisa Gardner-Event Coordinator at 510-867-9221.  For more information, to volunteer or to donate to Voces y Manos go to www.vocesymanos.org or contact Michael Bakal at michaelbakal@gmail.com.

Bike-to-Work Day is Thursday, May 14th

May is Bike Month and this Thursday is Bike-to-Work Day. Get out your bike and ride!

In addition to a group of us meeting to ride to work on Thursday, my coworkers and I are participating in the Team Bike Challenge. On our team of 5 riders, we have three riders who ride to work 4 or 5 days a week and as often as possible on weekends and are committed to riding during the month of May. The other two riders on the team try to ride as often as they can, even though it’s not everyday. Sometimes it’s as simple as riding the bike to get your latte instead of hopping in the car. The farmers market, a quick trip to Trader Joe’s, or to the local park or market are all good reasons to ride the bike. I rode my bike to coach soccer my son’s team last fall.

If you are heading out on Thursday, be sure to check out the “Energizer Stations” where you can pick up a musette bag of goodies and bike-related SWAG. Some stations also offer refreshments. See the full list of Energizer Stations in the east bay.

For route planning, check out Bikely.com, a great bike mapping resource. For more info on local biking, see Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (aka WOBO) and the East Bay Bike Coalition.

Hope to see you on the road Tuesday!

–L