Serving the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren Freeway since 1989Volume 19 Number 2 March 2007

A Community Newspaper • P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619 • (510) 287-2655

www.macarthurmetro.org

hat does the AlamedaCounty Board of Super-visors do for us that our

City Council does not? The presi-dent of that board, Keith Carson,spent an informative hour educat-ing us about the duties of thatbranch of government. Eachcounty in each state has itsequivalent of our supervisors,sometimes called commissioners,who work with and support thecity. The county can go to the stateand/or directly to our lobbyists inWashington for grants and fund-ing, which funnel down to thecity. Simply put, the county servesas a “safety gap” between the cityand the state. “Call the County”is often the mantra of the Counciland of the citizenry in general.They, along with their counter-parts on the City Council, are in-volved in nearly every aspect ofthe welfare of our community.

Working closely with law en-forcement, the county is respon-sible for those arrested while theyare tried in court, sentenced, andremanded to Santa Rita CountyJail or Juvenile Hall. HighlandHospital, 19 community clinics,school-board clinics, and mental-health facilities are all the respon-sibility of the county, as is thewell-being of an estimated 7,200homeless in Alameda County.

Keith Carson met recentlywith city mayors and selectedcity councilmembers, includingJean Quan, to address waste cont inued on page 2

Sondra S. Harris, Kinuko B Oiye

You, too, can become a friend of the Metro. See page 2.

Your support helps keep the Metro alive! Become one of the Thousand Friends.

management and recycling issues.Drainage problems, which willsoon be exacerbated by our prom-ised rainy season, are a countyresponsibility. Weights and mea-sures and fair pricing also fallwithin its jurisdiction, under theumbrella of environmental health.

One of the ways the countyinvolves itself with education isto get students, middle and highschool, to involve themselves inthe process of government as itrelates to their own lives. Studentsare invited to and have input intothese meetings. The county hostsinterns from our high schools andoffers seminars and courses aimedat encouraging our youth to gointo science or business and to beinformed of their many choices.

Together with Kaiser, thecounty is currently running a se-ries of seminars aimed at helpingpeople who are caring for olderrelatives or friends and are alsopreparing caregivers for theirown advancing age.

The county is working withprofessional futurists, who esti-mate that in fifteen years or so,the population will be dividedthis way: 80,000 citizens 65 andolder; 20,000 between 25 and 64;and 60,000 under 25. How willthe 20,000 in the 25-64 age groupmanage to care for the 80,000over 65 and the 60,000 under 25?Where will the professionals comefrom? Who will do the work?What about affordable housingand transportation? One of theorganizations Keith Carson chairs

lmost 200 people filledImani Church onValentine’s Eve to hear

representatives from Bostonpresent their youth violenceprevention model. The event,organized by Oakland Com-munity Organizations (OCO),opened with Imani Pastor Dr.George C.L. Cummings tellinglisteners that “our faith calls usto respond to the needs of thecommunity around us.”

Anthony Braga, of HarvardUniversity, noted that Bostonfound the key to solving theproblem of youth violence inpartnership. “No one agencycan go it alone. You can’t arrestyour way out of the problem.You can’t hug your way out ofthe problem. You need to de-velop partnerships based ontrust.”

Braga also noted, “It is

Boston Violence Prevention Modelimportant to have a very gooddescription of the problem.In most places, it is a smallnumber of people—kids—whoare caught up in the violence.You need a sense of fairness.Intervene only when kids arebehaving violently. On theintervenor’s side, you needtransparency; you can’t appearto be discriminatory.”

The Boston model is basedon partnerships between com-munity activists, including streetworkers and faith communities,the police department, socialservices, health agencies, andpeople with access to jobs.

Tracy Lithcutt is the formerdirector of the Boston StreetWorker Program. “We had toleave our egos at the door. With-out having a relationship withthe Boston police department,we were not going to be effective.The Boston P.D. is crucial to ourgetting funding, for advocating

NIC

K LO

STRA

CC

O

B Y M A D E L I N E S M I T H M O O R E

W

for us to have more streetworkers, for help in job cre-ation. Partnership is critical.”

Deputy Superintendent ofthe Boston Police DepartmentGary French says, “We aregood at responding to crimes,traffic accidents, etc. Butinterventions with city-basedworkers get a lot more outof working in partnershipsto reduce youth violence.”He said it is important to haverole models out there for kidswho won’t go to school, to aclinic, or to any other sourceof help. French noted that byjailing the statistically smallnumber of most violentyouthful offenders, moreresources will be availableto salvage countless others.

The Rev. Jeff Brown, withthe Boston Ten Point Coalition,said that it’s important to seethe community of faith as avolunteer resource for workthat is so labor intensive.“You have to commit beyondwhat you have been doing.We can no longer live likethis anymore; we have toown the problem.”

Nnamdi Huntsman ofImani Church, who wasfacilitating the meeting, saidthat leaders of OCO are inter-ested in moving forward withthis conversation. He askedJosie Camacho, representing

Keith Carson, president of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Mayor Dellums’ office, if shewas willing to report back to themayor for his support. “He isa master of partnership andcollaboration,” Camacho said,“Yes, yes, yes, absolutely.”

The Boston model waspresented to Oakland before,

on May 10, 2004. ChristopherByner, from Boston Centers forYouth and Families, reported onthe model at a Special Concur-rent Meeting of the Oakland Re-development Agency and CityCouncil Violence Preventionand Reduction Workshop.

B Y S H E I L A D ’ A M I C O

Volunteer for the Metro

A

Almost 200 people filled Imani Church on Valentine’s Eve to hearabout Boston’s youth violence prevention model.

AN

GIE

TA

YLO

R

Keith CarsonKeith Carson

CO

URT

ESY

GIL

WRA

N

The Laurel Theater in 1939.See story page 3

Are you good with figures? Are you well organized?Can you use Excel software? The Metro needs a coordinatorto manage the Money Honeys and Friends database. Tovolunteer, e-mail metroreaders@earthlink.net, or leave amessage on the Metro voice mail, 287-2655.

2March 2007

HOT NUMBERSCITY OF OAKLAND AGENCIES

ABAT—the Alcoholic 777-8670Beverage Action Team

Graffiti hotline 238-4703

Abandoned cars 238-6030

O.P.D. Non-emergency 777-3333

Animal control 535-5602

Beat Health (drugs) 777-8630

Drug Hotline 238-DRUG

Noise Hotline: 238-6777(Oakland CEDA,property complaint line)

C.O.R.E. 238-6351(Citizens of OaklandRespond to Emergencies)

City Tree Unit 615-5850

Oaklanders Assistance 444-CITYCenter can direct youto the appropriategovernmental servicesin Oakland.

PRIVATE AGENCIES

A Safe Place 536-7233(domestic violence)

East Bay 548-2377Community Mediation(neighborhood disputes)

Sentinel Fair Housing 836-2687(free landlord-tenantcounseling anddiscrimination investigation)

Managing EditorSheila D’Amico

Copy EditorsAnne FoxSheila D’AmicoCarol Lundgaard

Finances/BookkeepingReuben Goldberg

Advertising ManagerKrista Gulbransen

Art DirectorAndreas Jones

Word ProcessingDavid Raich

PhotographyJody BerkeNick LostraccoClifford Stevenson

DistributionPeter Bond

MailingAlecia Johnson

CalendarMarilyn Green

Friends and Money HoneysMaggie Dorsey

�

Board of DirectorsMaggie DorseyDouglas FergusonReuben GoldbergMarcia HenryBrian HolmesRobert JosephWilliam MilnyErnest VillafrancaBart Wright�

A special thanks to allresidents, associations, andmerchants for their support.Also, a special thanks to allvolunteer writers, artists,photographers, and distributors.

Printing by Wesco Graphics, Inc.,Tracy, California, (209) 832-1000.Opinions expressed in the MacArthurMetro are those of the contributorsand do not necessarily reflect theviews held by the publication.©2006 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619,www.macarthurmetro.org,(510) 287-2655.

We welcome yournews and ads;

deadline the 15th.

Publication in thefirst week of each

month exceptJanuary and July.

ISSN 1091-1111

To contribute by credit card, go to www.macarthurmetro.org. Click on Network for Good.

How to Reachthe Metro

WRITE US A LETTER. Sendyour comments to Lettersto the Editor, MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19046,Oakland, CA 94619; or tometroreaders@earthlink.net

GIVE US A CALL. Our voice-mail number is: 287-2655.

Letters may be edited forlength or clarity. Please in-clude name, address andphone number. We do notprint anonymous letters.

I STILL BELIEVE

magine Oakland a vast savan-nah of spring-green grassand wildflowers. Through

these grasslands, trout-filledcreeks tumble from oak-forestedcanyons in the hills to marsh-lands by the Bay. Wild geeseand eagles soar through thesky; grizzly bears and mountainlions lumber through the trees.

The Yrgin tribelet of OhloneIndians lived in such a settingthe day, in late March 1772,when Capt. Don Pedro Fagesled a small party of Spanishexplorers north along theOakland foothills. The soldierswere engaged in chartingSan Francisco’s contra costa(opposite shore) for Spain.

The explorers kept copiousnotes in their journals, includingdetails about the Indians theyencountered. It is interesting thatFather Juan Crespi, the party’schaplain, mentioned meeting noIndians in the Oakland area.

One can only imagine howstrange fully clothed Europeansriding on horseback appearedto the Yrgin, who lived alongthe East Bay creeks. Native menwore little, save the occasionalrabbit-skin cape to keep out the

Trailing MacArthur Boulevard:Spanish Explorers in the HoodB Y N I N A E G E R T , P H .D .

Come and celebrate the Cat inthe Hat’s Birthday—Friday, March 2!We’re ready for all birthday parties!

cold; they had never seen ahorse. Most likely, Yrgin, wit-nessing Fages’ approach alongwhat is now MacArthur Blvd.,hid in terror. Then again, per-haps the natives were simplytoo busy with the spring salmonrun to greet the strangers.

Four years later the AnzaParty explored a similar routealong the foothills. Theydocumented meeting severalgroups of Indians in the area.Some natives hid; some fainted.Some welcomed the horsemen.The Spanish traded glass beadsin exchange for native giftsof soaproot and dried geese.

Gentle reciprocity betweenEuropeans and Yrgin did notlast. When the Spanish returnedto the East Bay two decadeslater, they built Mission SanJosé, then transported Ohlonefrom all over the region towork there as neophyte con-verts. Other natives were forcedto labor on the cattle ranchesgranted to the Spanish explorers.In 1829 Gen. Vallejo’s troopsmassacred any resistive Ohlone.

In the 1830s and ’40s, Anto-nio Peralta, a descendant of theAnza Expedition, presided overa rancho in East Oakland froma hacienda along Peralta Creek(the creek that runs through the

Laurel and Fruitvale Districts).Yankee settlers began squattingon portions of the Peralta prop-erty, and in 1850, Californiabecame a state. The haciendaof the once powerful Peralta dy-nasty is now a small city park.

Most traces of Yrgin culturewere lost. What little knowledgeremains of Oakland’s nativeheritage was passed downthrough word of mouth,then documented by anthro-pologists at the Alisal Reservein Pleasanton in the 1920s and’30s. Some surviving Ohlonedescendants are currentlyreconstructing portions of theirhistorical identity.

On Saturday, March 31, from11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as part of theweek long Native/SpanishContact Commemorative Event,the Peralta Hacienda HistoricalPark, 2465 34th Ave., will hosta dialogue between native andSpanish descendants. Historicalfoods will be served.

On Sunday, April 1, from9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Bev Ortizwill guide a walk through LeonaCanyon Regional Open SpaceReserve (behind Merritt College)to learn about native plant uses.

For a full list of all events, goto www.vinapafoundation.org.

Keith CarsonC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

Ohlone descendant Ruth Ortaprepares traditional acorn meal.

©EN

E O

STER

AA

S-C

ON

STA

B LE

Dr. Alex Feng LAc, PhD, OMD“One of the Ten Best ComplementaryMedicine Practitioners in the Bay Area” —SF Focus Magazine

3824 MacArthur Boulevard,Oakland • 510-336-0129www.thetaoistcenter.com

TAOISM CLASS and MEDI TAT ION:Last Friday of every month at 7pm (Mar. 30, Apr. 27,May 25, June 29) FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC

THE TAOIST CENTER OFFERS:• Traditional Chinese Medicine Care and Consultations with Dr. Feng

• Hand selected herbal teas and herbal customized prescriptions• Classes in Tai Ji, Qi Gong and Judo/Jujitsu, Taoism and Meditation

• Tai Ji or Qi Gong instructional DVD by Dr. Feng• Bodywork sessions • Sparring classes • Yoga classes

• Feng Shui reading of the home or business

ZHI DAO GUANTHE TAOIST CENTER

PHO

TO B

Y N

ICK

LOST

RAC

CO

I

is Economic DevelopmentAlliance for Business, aimed atgrowing businesses, large andsmall, with a view to filling thisgap between age groups. Mr.Carson and his staff, collaborat-ing with their counterparts onthe City Council, will combinetheir resources to solve therapidly approaching problem.

Keith Carson’s term as Presi-dent of the Board of Supervisorsruns out in 2007. However, theBoard of Supervisors has noterm limits and, after meetinghis staff and catching their en-thusiasm and respect for Mr.Carson, I can imagine he will seeus well into the next 25 years.

March 2007

3

A Tale of Two SchoolsIt seems to me that Oaklandcan’t succeed without improv-ing its schools. Without goodschools, we can’t attract and re-tain the families our communityneeds. Good schools improvethe quality of life for our chil-dren and our city. Two of ourneighborhood schools—Max-well Park and Horace Mann—are under scrutiny. Their futurecould range from restructuringto closing down. Or new,possibly charter, schoolscould emerge in their place.

Both schools have experi-enced significant reductionsin enrollment and disappointingperformance. Turnover is highamong the student population.Ironically, during the last18 months, the schools haveshared a significant increasein support from the surround-ing community.

Maxwell Park’s new princi-pal, Rubin Aurelio, arrivedin September 2005. Since thattime, Maxwell Park has becomean Arts Anchor school. There isa free after-school program, aswell as tutoring and a Scrabbletournament organized bya math teacher on special

B Y A D E L L E F O L E Y

High Street Neighborhood News

he Laurel/Redwood/Leona Heights Neighbor-hood Crime Prevention

Council (NCPC) met on Thurs-day, February 8, at the OaklandCity Council District 4 office ofJean Quan, 4173 MacArthurBlvd. In alternate months, theNCPC meets at RedwoodHeights Community Center.You should plan to attend thesemonthly meetings, which runfrom 7 to 8:30 p.m. and do notgo later.

Subjects covered include lat-est reports of crimes and trendsin our area, updates by OaklandPolice Department Neighbor-hood Services Director ReneeSykes, and comments from theService Area Commander, Prob-lem Solving Sergeant, and Prob-lem Solving Officer for ourneighborhoods. The discussionsare led by Bobbie Bonds, a localresident, who presents topicsand presenters and also does agood job of keeping the agendaon schedule.

At the February 8 meeting,specific subjects included thegood and bad approaches tooccupant eviction for landlordsand citizen participants,

B Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y MacArthur Corridor merchantactivities to protect themselvesand customers, good done bythe Boys & Girls Club, and theproblems and cures for graffitiactivity. (If you observe a graf-fiti problem, call 615-5566, andreport the address and locationof the graffiti to start the ballrolling.)

To close the meeting, the im-portant things residents shoulddo to protect themselves werecovered: In general, keep youraddress and telephone numberto yourself, shred all throw-away financial papers, andpromptly report to the policesuspicious activity you observe,and let the police take action—don’t try to do their job. If youuse your cell phone to call po-lice in an emergency in the Oak-land area, use 777-3211. If youdial 911 on a cell phone, youwill get the Highway Patrol.

We, as residents, can do agreat deal to help the OaklandPolice Department protect ourfamilies and friends. But wehave to know what to do andhow to cooperate with them.Come find out what you can doby attending the next NCPCmeeting on Thursday, March 8,at the Redwood Heights Com-munity Center.

Leona HeightsNeighborhood News

assignment. The community hasplanted trees, cleaned theschool, and chosen the site forits NCPC meetings and emer-gency response exercises.

At Horace Mann, PrincipalAlanna Lim and Vice PrincipalPatricia Sheehan have alsoworked with the community onlandscaping, planning a mural,and reconstruction of a library.

Community leaders at bothsites—Ashley Keller at MaxwellPark and Jeanne Nixon atHorace Mann—are passionateabout the future of the schools.Positive momentum is building.Maxwell Park has received a

Former Laurel TheaterFor Sale

After 11 years in the Laurel,Victory Outreach Church hasoutgrown its home in the formerLaurel Theater building at 3814MacArthur Boulevard. Thechurch has put the building onthe market with an asking priceof about $2.5 million.

On Saturday, February 10,Silvia, the wife of Pastor LarryVigil, gave about a dozen excitedneighbors a tour of the formertheater building. She explainedthat the marquee sign, box office,theater seats and original lightfixtures were gone before thechurch moved in, but much ofthe former theater remained, likeoriginal plaster ceiling detailing,the chandelier hoists, and wiringfor the old marquee sign. Sylvialed visitors through the theaterspace, behind the stage, upstairsto the balcony, and outsideto rooms at either side of theentrance doors, which might beleased out as separate tenantspaces. The adjacent parkinglot is included with the building.

A motivated group of resi-dents and merchants, who sees acommunity theater as an asset tothe neighborhood, has organizedto discuss the possibilities of pur-chasing and restoring the buildinginto a movie theater. They pointto the restoration of neighborhoodtheaters like the Parkway Theater

near Lake Merritt, the CerritoTheater in El Cerrito, and theAlameda Theater in Alameda.

To participate in the group’sdiscussion, join its online Yahoolistserv group at groups.yahoo.com/group/Laurel_Community_Theatre.

High and MacArthurProject, Revisited

Over 40 residents and merchantsgathered Thursday, February 15,to hear from the developer of theproposed senior apartment com-plex on High and MacArthur. A

Laurel Neighborhood News

1939 Photo of the Laurel Theater. It also operated as Cine 7 before closing forgood as a theater in 1984. It has been home to Victory Outreach since 1996.

previous version of the projectwas rejected by the PlanningCommission’s Design ReviewCommittee because of thenumber of variances and lack ofcommunity support. Althoughthe Design Review Committeegave instructions to developerAMG and Associates to workwith the community on theproject, AMG made changeswithout collaboration and thenbrought the revised project tothe community. The meeting atCouncilmember Quan’s office

Ten Years of Protecting theSausal Creek Watershed

Ten years ago, Dimond Park wasan unsavory place, and SausalCreek looked more like a drain-age ditch than the open, healthycreek it is today. Today it is aplace where fish and birds live,inviting hundreds of people tohike the calming trails each week.

What happened? The Friendsof Sausal Creek (FOSC) came tothe rescue.

Now we are ready to celebrateour ten years of success with abig birthday party. On March 24we will get together at the JoaquinMiller Community Center, and,with the help of our neighbor-hood star Wendy Tokuda and

the renowned Malcolm Margolin,we will celebrate our growth.

Launching a grassroots com-munity group like FOSC was anorganic process. A confluence ofgroups came together, includingneighbors, the Aquatic OutreachInstitute (AOI), the City of Oak-land, and the Alameda CountyFlood Control Department. AOIspearheaded the early meetingsthat helped come up with a nameand advised on how to proceedwith projects.

FOSC became involved, andremains so today, in taking anarea back from the dank smotherof invasive plants and thedumped rubbish that trashed it.Today, the babbling stream beck-ons kids from the renovated play-ground to get wet, and motherswith strollers walk the trail that

Friends of Sausal Creek

BY SARA MARCELL INO, EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR, FRIENDS OF SAUSAL CREEK

HOUSE OF PRODUCESpecial Prices Every Day!

International Foods & GroceriesFresh Organic Produce, Soy

& Dairy ProductsFresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Delicious Fine Foods

4020 MacArthur Blvd.(510) 530-5158

Mon-Sat 8:30am-7pm,Sun 8:30am-5pm

FREE DELIVERY within 2 mileswith a minimum $30 purchase

Where Kids Grow with God2.9-6 years

Low Teacher-Child RatioChristian Education

Personal, Nurturing CareKindergarten ReadinessYear Round Program

510-569-06008800 Fontaine St., OaklandJust off 580 @ Keller Ave

A Ministry of United LutheranChurch of Oakland

AAnn IIMMAAGGIINNAATTIIVVEE aanndd FFUUNNApproach to Dance

� Ballet, Tap and Jazz � Creative Movement� Mommy and Me classes� Gymnastics, Hip-Hop

� African Dance � Odissi Indian Classical Dance� Musical Theater � Shows on Stage� Costumes and Props � Birthday Parties

3369 Mt. Diablo Bvd., Lafayette 925.284.7388and now in Oakland: 3841 MacArthur Blvd. 510.531.4400

www.kidsndance.com

NEWOAKLAND LOCATION3841 MacArthur Blvd.510.531.4400

NEW3841 MacArthur Blvd.510.531.4400 Gift Boutique

Mon–Fri 10:30–6, Sat 10–6

4050 MacArthur Blvd. Oakland(510) 530-8300

mizaangifts@yahoo.com

Custom Made Jewelry, Clothing,Unique Gifts, Accessories,Candles,

Vases, Art, and Much More

cont inued on page 4

CO

URT

ESY

GIL

WRA

N

con t inued on page 7

cont inued on page 4

T

B Y J O H N F R A N D O A N D

K A T H L E E N R O L I N S O N

4March 2007

PauletteAvery,

R.N., M.S.N.,I.B.C.L.C.

To Your Health

olorectal cancer is thesecond leading cause ofcancer deaths in the U.S.,

and March is Colorectal CancerAwareness Month. For PatriciaAncelet, Metro reader and resi-dent of Redwood Heights, thismonth is a painful reminder ofthe recent death of her mother,Charlotte Cortese, from coloncancer, and a call to action. OnMarch 20 Ancelet, an activemember of the Colorectal CancerCoalition, will testify beforeCongress about her mother’s21-month battle with coloncancer, with the goal of securingmore money for researchagainst this deadly disease.

Like any cancer, better out-comes occur when colon cancer iscaught early. As a result, regularscreening is recommended, be-ginning at age 50, earlier whenthere is a strong family historyof the disease. Unfortunately,Charlotte Cortese’s cancer wasnot diagnosed until it was at anadvanced stage where treatmentis difficult and usually unsuccess-ful. According to a study releasedin 2006 at the American Collegeof Gastroenterology’s annualscientific meeting, an increasein the rate of cancer screeningtests has resulted in a decreasein new cases of colon cancerfrom 1988 to 2002.

Several tests can detect coloncancer early, when it is easilytreated, or can find and removepolyps that may become cancer-ous. The first test is a fecal occultblood test (FOBT). The FOBTinvolves collecting stool speci-mens on three different days.The specimens are analyzed forthe presence of occult (hidden)blood, which may indicate can-cer. Because certain foods suchas red meat and citrus can causea false-positive result, doingthe test involves avoiding thesefoods for several days beforecollecting the specimens. If theresults are positive, additionaltests are needed to determinethe cause of the bleeding.

A newer test, similar tothe FOBT, is the fecal immu-nochemical test (FIT). The FITis more specific than the FOBTand has fewer false positives.

The second test is a flexiblesigmoidoscopy, which involvesthe insertion of a small, flexible,lighted tube into the rectum andlower colon. The tube can beconnected to a video camera andmonitor to allow better viewing.

ColorectalCancerAwarenessB Y D E B B I E F R A N C I S

To our readers: If you know ofa neighbor in our communitywhose behavior is worthy of note,either good or bad, please contactme at psych7045@sbcglobal.net.

Orchids to Eric, the tal-ented artist, for painting thebeautiful murals on the walls ofFarmer Joe’s Market, 3426 Fruit-vale Ave., for all of us to enjoy.

Orchids to Stephanie,owner of Dimond Beauty Salon,3427 Fruitvale, for donating giftcertificates to Sequoia Elemen-tary School to help make theirfundraising events a success.

Orchids to Luan Staussof Laurel Book Store, 4100MacArthur Blvd., for coordinat-ing a book donation betweenthe community and local schoolsand creating a bridge for much-needed resources.

Orchids to Tommy Youngof Superior Martial Arts, 3823MacArthur, for his outstandingcommitment to the community,for giving college scholarshipsto his students after they achieveblack belts and for mentoringthe child who was shot in Iraq.

Orchids to Bobbie Bonds,who received a 2007-2008 Cali-fornia Senior Leader award forher work on the Commissionon Aging.

Lincoln SquareA new building has been ap-proved for development in Lin-coln Square on Redwood Road.The 5,000-square-foot addition isplanned for the vacant site adja-cent to the Chevron gas station.People can look forward to newretail and food service as earlyas summer 2008. Longtime localresident and owner DaveSeyranian tells the Metro that de-velopment is in the early phasesand that specific businesses havenot yet been determined.

Members of the communityhave some suggestions. The re-sults of the 2006 Public OpinionSurvey about Lincoln Squarewere just published by theRedwood Heights NeighborhoodAssociation. One hundred sixty-two people participated. Seventy-three percent of the peopleindicate that more types of foodoptions are important to servingthe community. Top recommen-dations include a deli, bakery,Mexican restaurant, Italian res-taurant (with pizza), and café/coffee house.

While the prospects of newfood options at Lincoln Squaremay be exciting, the survey re-sults indicate that other issues are

B Y D E N I S E D A V I L A

Redwood HeightsNeighborhood News

even more important to address.For example, 78 percent of therespondents say that they cur-rently drive outside of the area toshop for food and grocery items.One person writes, “We only goto Lincoln Square on an emer-gency basis.” Another one says,“I’d rather drive to Montclair.”Compare this statistic to the 84percent majority who say thatthey would shop at the LincolnSquare Safeway more often ifthe supermarket were renovatedto accommodate a greater diver-sity of products and services.

With regard to safety, the re-sults convey strong sentiments, aswell. Seventy-nine percent of thepeople responded that installinghighly visible pedestrian walk-ways and improving traffic flowand parking layout are importantto serving the community. “Get-ting there by foot is dangerous,”a resident writes. “Especially forchildren,” adds another.

Seeing change to existing areasof Lincoln Square may requiregreat patience. The land at theshopping center is parceled, andeach section is independentlyowned and managed. Some own-ers are local; others live in com-munities out of state. Here’s hop-ing that the momentum plannedfor one parcel will inspire a posi-tive domino effect across others.

The test may be uncomfortablebut should not be painful. Ifabnormalities are found, acolonoscopy is the next step.

The third test is acolonoscopy, which allowsdoctors to view the entire colonand also to remove small polyps.Larger polyps can be biopsied.Because it takes longer and ismore involved, patients receivemedications to relax them duringthe procedure.

Current guidelines forcolorectal cancer screeningfrom the American CancerSociety are as follows:

• A FOBT every yearbeginning at age 50, or

• Flexible sigmoidoscopyevery 5 years, or

• A double-contrast bariumenema every 5 years, or

• A combination of theFOBT yearly, plus sigmoidoscopyevery 5 years (considered thepreferable choice).

• In addition to the above,a colonoscopy every 10 years.

If an abnormality is found,future screening should occurmore frequently.

Unfortunately, because manypeople find the tests unpleasant,these recommendations oftenare not followed. Tests such as avirtual colonoscopy have beendeveloped but are, at this point,less effective than the above op-tions. I hope that as technologycontinues to improve, testingmethods that are more acceptableto most people will soon beavailable, and screening willbecome more universal. —— ———————————Paulette Avery is a registerednurse and a freelance writer whospecializes in health issues.

Dog Walking • Pet Sitting

Tracy’s TLCFor your pets and home

www.tracystlc.com (510) 504-2180

Mention this ad for our special “Neighbors” discount

Dog Walking • Pet Sitting

C

Your Neighborhood Video Store

Located in the Lincoln Square ShoppingCenter on Redwood Road (across fromLongs and Safeway) • (510) 531-8168

VideosToniteVideosTonite

VHS & New Release DVDs2- and 3-day rentals

We are a community store that also has cablepackages available to help save on high cable costs.

Also: Internet access, wireless or land line at $9.95 for all-day use in the store

Tue.-Sat. 12-6pm4004 MacArthur Blvd

510-482-5921Email:

KomodoToyz@aol.com

Making a difference, just a little bit at a time

Toys & H

obbies • Making a difference, just a little bit at a tim

e • La

Dolce

Vita ••

Toys

& H

obbi

es •

La

Dol

ceV

ita •

Mak

ing

a di

ffer

ence

, ju

st a

litt

le b

it at

a t

ime

Yu-Gi-Oh!Master TournamentSaturday, March 17th,

10:30am

~Ditch Your Kids Day!Saturday, March 24th9:30a.m.-12:30p.m.

once was a test of courage. “Youused to never see a soul at ElCentro,” explained Eleanor Dunn,a cofounder of FOSC who volun-teers on its Board of Directors.“Now it’s different; you’re alwaysrunning into someone else enjoy-ing nature and experiencing thecreek there.”

FOSC not only looked to pro-tect and enhance the green spaces,such as in Dimond Park andDimond Canyon, but also the ur-ban spaces around them. “FOSC

helped build a place to be proudof,” explained Dunn. “Not onlydid FOSC restore and improvean ecological place, it was oneeffort to revitalize the Dimond,Glenview, Laurel, and othersurrounding neighborhoods.”

Michael Thilgen, also acofounder, added, “We hadthe long-term vision, improvingthe ecological health of ourwatershed and raising publicawareness, with nature in ourmix. Those two came into focusover the first few years.”

A dynamic group of individu-als collectively led community

Sausal NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

cont inued on page 6

Continuous School Improve-ment Plan grant; Horace Mannlooks great after a multimillion-dollar renovation. The schoolsare central to the neighborhoodas a place where young peoplecan see the community workingtogether, respecting its diversity,and caring about the childrenand their future.

At the end of February theSchool District will make itsrecommendations to the SchoolBoard and the State Administra-tor. The resident NCPCs ofboth schools are speaking outin their support. Will the deci-sion makers listen?

Improving Brookdale ParkOn a Saturday morning inFebruary, a diverse group ofneighbors turned its attentionto Brookdale Park. Sponsoredby Councilmember Jean Quan’soffice, the community meetingfocused on how to make the

High Street NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

continued on page ???

cont inued on page 5

March 2007

5

METROCLASSIFIED ADS

INSTRUCTION

Interior Painting. Jacob Hart,530-6247. Lic.#705262.

African-American manicurist,located in the Laurel District,specializing in manicures, pedicuresw/paraffin wax treatments, sculp-tured nails, silk and fiberglass wraps.Over 15 years experience andservice in this area. Call (510)482-3229 for appointment.

Affordable local licensed therapist.Individual, couple, family, and childtherapy for the Metro/Oaklandcommunity. Everyone needs helpsometimes. Supportive, practical,sliding scale. Helen MontgomeryLockwood, MFT #27283, (510)874-4722.

SERVICES

Bernice & Joe Playschool. For nearly25 years, play-based learning in ourearthquake retrofitted, home-like cen-ter near Mills College. The park-likequarter-acre setting has pine andfruit trees, vegetable garden, red-wood playhouse, 20-foot sailboat,two-story wooden rocket ship,outdoor art and block rooms.Curriculum includes pre-reading, pre-math enrichment, field trips, F.I.T.gymnastics, music and Spanish les-sons. Emphasis put on socialization,verbalization. Sibling discount.Lunch, snacks provided. Ages 2 to 5years. License #010214258. Bro-chure. (510) 638-3529. Visit us atwww.berniceandjoe-playschool.com.

Saxophone & Piano. Play musicfor the joy of it! Have fun learningjazz, blues, improvisation. Patient,supportive teacher. Ages 10 & up.Speciality: Adult beginners. Eva436-0504.

Piano lessons. Classically trained pia-nist with 30 years’ teaching experi-ence in a variety of styles. Ages 7and up. Free interview, lesson.Andrea Simms, 510-336-1556.

Classified Rates The ratefor classified ads is $.50 per word.Discounted prices available for five-and ten-issue frequencies. Please typeor write your copy clearly and mail itwith your check to The MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19046, Oakland,94619. Deadline is the 15th of themonth. For classified-ad frequency dis-counts and display-ad information,please contact Krista Gulbransen at287-2655, fax: 291-2944.

WANTED

Fix our Ferals seeks stray catcolonies in Oakland, Berkeley,Piedmont, Albany, Emeryville.We offer FREE trapping and spay-neuter for strays/ferals. Infoat www.fixourferals.org or (510)433-9446 (winter cat campaign).

Maxwell Park Gateway:Envisioning Successful

CollaborationYou’re driving on Highway 580,returning home from Haywardor Berkeley. You pull into theexit lane at MacArthur Boule-vard, then turn onto MacArthur.You’re almost home, ready torelax at the end of a hard day.As you calm down after thefrenetic pace of highway traffic,you look forward to the comfortof your castle.

But if you look around, youwill see some ugly sights. Underthe freeway sits an abandonedlot. A gas station is surroundedby a chain-link fence, frontedwith dead foliage and garbagetossed from passing cars bypeople who have absolutely nosense of pride in their city. Downthe road is the beautiful entranceto Mills College, making thecontrast all the more evident.

Wouldn’t it be wonderfulif this gateway to Maxwell Parkreflected the beauty and diversityof the neighborhood? That’s justthe sort of project the MaxwellPark Blight & BeautificationNeighborhood Action Team(B&B NAT) takes on. Currentmembers are Claire Antonetti,Jan Hetherington, RobertMcgillis, Jennifer Vasquez, KatePhillips, Loren Routh, NancyKarigaca, Mona Thaler, JoyceNichelini, Suzanne Dupont,and Nommi Alouf. There is alot of work to be done, so joinnow to share your expertise!

The B&B NAT and MillsCollege join Laurel District andLaurel Village Associations, JeanQuan’s office, City of Oakland,Caltrans, and AC Transit for thisventure. Neighbors are welcometo join the process to contributetheir creativity and expertise.Why not team up to work onthis endeavor to envision andplan a series of improvementsto the area and regain a “spiritof place” for our community?

Caltrans: A pocket parkbelow the overpass, footpaths

and bicycle lanes to the Laureldistrict, slowed and redirectedtraffic, and landscaping designedto create a cohesive esthetic forthe entire area are envisioned.

Gas Station: The owner,Caltrans, and the Oakland Plan-ning and Traffic Division willwork to continue upgrades tothe station, to traffic patterns,and to landscaping aroundthe area.

AC Transit: The bus stop andcrosswalks will be redesigned toallow safer access for foot traffic.

Other projects in the works:The B&B NAT collaborateswith the city’s Tree Plantingproject, suggests maintenancefor Caltrans on/off ramps, plantsand maintains the Courtland

triangle and other Adopt-a-Spots, and plants daffodilsthroughout the neighborhood.

Warning:A Note of Caution!

A Maxwell Park neighbor washeld up at gunpoint and robbedby two men, apparently follow-ing her as she drove home oneevening. A driver may havedropped them off and waitedfor them down the street. Manyneighbors have installed mo-tion detectors to eliminate darkareas in front of their houses.Please be careful when drivingup to your house. If you thinkyou are being followed, driveto a safe place like the Eastmontpolice substation.

B Y S A R A H H I P O L I T O

Maxwell Park Neighborhood News

Ugly sights at the Maxwell Park Gateway: Under the freeway sits an abandoned lot.

ROBE

RT M

CG

IL LIS

Everything You Needfor a Meal!

•FRESH & ORGANICPRODUCE

•FRESH FISH Daily•ORGANIC POULTRY•FRESH GOURMET

BREADS•FINE FOOD DELICACIES

Free Parking

OPEN 7 DAYSMonday-Saturday 9am-8pm

Sunday 9am-7pm

482-817835th & MacArthur

—MARKET PLACE—

WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATESINCOME TAX

BUSINESS SERVICES

TAX SERVICELaurel Neighborhood

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCEwith a PERSONAL TOUCH

Open Year Round

Robert E. Williams, Licensed Tax Practitioner

Laurel Office Center4173 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland

(510) 530-3001THE

TAX MANTHE

TAX MAN

Serving your neighborhoodfor over 25 years with30 professional Real Estate Agents

• If you are thinking of selling, we offer free property evaluation.• If you are thinking of buying, we offer many 1st time buyer loan

programs with down payments as low as $500.• If you are thinking of renting, call us for a list of rentals.• If you are tired of managing your property, call us for professional

property management.Lynn A. Worthington, Broker

5942 MacArthur Boulevard • 510-562-8600

DOROTHY OKAMOTO

Optometrist

3714 MacArthur BoulevardOakland 530-2330

Over 20 years in the Laurel District

park a more attractive resourcefor the neighborhood. The ar-ticulate Nevil Street contingentcited problems of illegal activityand noise near their homes.Rec Center manager Jose Ortizpointed out that staff could notsee most of the park from thebuilding. The group suggestedimproved lighting, trimmingfoliage, and installing a gate onthe Nevil side of the park. Theyalso suggested relocating someactivities to improve visibility.Ortiz and Discovery Center’s

Rich Bolacek looked forwardto working together. Theenergy and focus on solutionsbodes well for the future ofthe park. In March, staff willpresent the suggestions andcost estimates to the RecCenter’s Advisory Committeeas the basis of future projects.

Shades of pink and roseDespite the chilly morningValentine blossoms ——————————————More High Street NeighborhoodNews for this month can be foundat macarthurmetro.org.——————————————Adelle Foley can be reached atjandafoley@sbcglobal.net.

High Street NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 4

17,000 Books On Sale 30% OffUncommon Books, Videos, Records, More

Wed-Sat April 4-7 10:30-5:30Friends of Oakland Public LibraryBookmark Bookstore

721 Washington in Old Oakland • 444-0473

6March 2007

Calendar of Community Events

B Y M A R I L Y N G R E E N , C O O R D I N A T O R

The MacArthur Metro calendar welcomes a range of listings. We emphasizecommunity meetings and actions that address neighborhood concerns as wellas cultural events that enrich our lives.

To have your event listed, please contact Marilyn Green no later than the12th of the preceding month at 531-9233 or marilynmetro@aol.com.

March 2007Ongoing Events and Meetings

St. Jarlath Senior Center: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Fruitvale andPleasant. 532-2068.

Family Storytime: Tuesdays except March 6, 7 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565Fruitvale Ave. Stories, songs, and fingerplay for preschoolers and theirfamilies. 482-7844.

Fruitvale Presbyterian Church Senior Center: Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m., 2734 MacArthur Blvd. 530-0915.

Toddler Time: Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m., Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave.Stories, songs, fingerplay, and fun for toddlers to two years and their adults.482-7844.

Preschool Storytime: Wednesdays, 11 a.m., Dimond Library, 3565 FruitvaleAve. Stories, songs, fingerplay, and fun for ages three to five years and theiradults. 482-7844.

Tween Time: Thursdays, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Melrose Library, 4805 FoothillBlvd. After-school activities for ages eight to 12 years.

Internet 101, Computer Basics Class: Saturdays, 10 to 11 a.m., DimondLibrary, 3565 Fruitvale Ave. No sign-up required.

Dimond Children’s Book Club: Friday, March 2, 4 to 5 p.m., Dimond Library,3565 Fruitvale Ave. Dave at Night, by Gail Carson Levine. Ages nine through12. Refreshments.

High St. Litter Pickup: Sundays, March 4 and 18, 8:30 a.m. Meet in front of theHigh St. Post Office. Bring gloves. 530-6706 or 530-0122.

Teen Time: Thursday, March 8, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565 FruitvaleAve. Music, snacks, board games. Come hang out with your friends.

Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council: Wednesday, March 14, 7 to 8:30 p.m.,Maxwell Park School Library, 4730 Fleming at Monticello. maxwellparknc.com.

Melrose/High Hopes NCPC (beat 27X): Thursday, March 15, 7 p.m., HoraceMann School, Congress and Ygnacio.

Dimond Teen Book Club: Saturday, March 17, 4 to 5 p.m., Dimond Library,3565 Fruitvale. Ages 13 to 18. Call 482-7844 for this month’s title. Refresh-ments.

Friends of Sausal Creek: Wednesday, March 21, 7 to 9 p.m., Dimond Library,3565 Fruitvale Ave. Pat Bacchetti discusses gardening for birds, using nativeplants around your yard. 501-3672 or coordinator@sausalcreek.org.

March Events

Lawyers in the Library: Tuesday, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565Fruitvale. Sign-up lottery at 5:45 for free legal information and referral. Pleasecall to confirm on the day of the program.

Celebrate the Great Dr. Seuss: Tuesday, March 6, 7 p.m., Dimond Library,3565 Fruitvale Ave. Party for preschoolers on up, with stories, activities,refreshments and fun. Wear your Cat-In-The-Hat HAT or any hat at ALL, join usall and have a BALL!

Artist Fred Alvarado: Tuesday, March 13, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., César ChávezLibrary, 3301 E 12th St., suite 271. The artist discusses creating communitymurals and the painting and drawing in his exhibit, Urban Dreamscapes:Paintings and Drawings, on display this month.

Sequoia Dads Club Variety Show: Friday, March 16, 7 p.m., Sequoia Elemen-tary School Auditorium, 3730 Lincoln Ave. Support new play structures for theschool; kids $2, adults $5.

Friends of Sausal Creek’s Tenth Anniversary Party: March 24, 4 to 7 p.m.,Joaquin Miller Community Center (just inside the park, off Joaquin MillerDrive). Featuring Wendy Tokuda, KRON anchor and watershed activist, andMalcolm Margolin, Heyday Books Publisher and raconteur extraordinaire.Music, drinks, snacks, silent auction. Tickets $20. Contact us for advancetickets. 501-3672 or coordinator@sausalcreek.org.

César Chávez’ Birthday: Tuesday, April 3, 1 p.m., Melrose Library, 4805Foothill Blvd. Celebrate with Active Arts Theatre’s presentation of Manzi: TheYoung Adventures of César Chávez. Ages five and up.

Aladdin Jr: March 31 and April 1, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., 3841 MacArthur Blvd.Children ages six to 12 perform, presented by Kids ‘N Dance ‘N Theater Arts.Tickets $7, two-year-olds and under, in lap, free. 531-4400.

Peraltas and Native Americans Talk to Each Other: Breaking Centuries ofSilence: Saturday, March 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Peralta Hacienda HistoricalSociety, 2465 34th Ave. Site walk with Ruth Orta, Ohlone descendent. 532-9142.

Guided Walk: Ohlone Plant Uses: Sunday, April 1, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., LeonaCanyon Regional Open Space Preserve, behind Merritt College parking lot E.Registration required. 636-1684.

cont inued on page 4

B Y D A N I E L S W A F F O R D

Dimond Neighborhood NewsFarmer Joe’s prefers to bring

in a neutral party, fearing a union-directed vote is prone to coercion,citing the union’s distributionof print and electronic statementscontaining what they consider tobe untruths about store practices.The UFCW wants more opportu-nity to share information with em-ployees.

Alliance for McKillop SlideThe slow, heart-wrenchingmovement of the earth on the2500 block of McKillop Roadhas recently claimed one home,condemned three others, includ-ing the Kingdom Hall Church,and spurred the city to takeextensive steps to save theroad from imminent collapse.

Pinpointing the cause ofthe hill’s movement has beena long, unresolved process.Residents in the area have largelybeen left on their own to addressproperty damage and to tacklea problem dating back to a largeslide in 1953. The Alliance forMcKillop Road, a nonprofit com-pany, recently formed to addressthe hazards faced by residents.“These are brilliant, hard-workingpeople who have taken it uponthemselves to fight for the safetyand rights of fellow neighborsin what has become a hostileand uncooperative environment,”says Diane Dring, who at the mo-ment has cracks only in her drive-way and retaining wall. The AMRis funded by donations from af-fected and concerned residentsand has hired geotechniciansand legal advisors to help assessand remedy the problem.

On January 30 the City ofOakland took a leadership role byfiling a lawsuit against EBMUD.The suit seeks $3 million compen-sation for the repairs to the roadand for damages to the publicland based on its failure to ad-equately repair leaks and cracksin the nearby Central Reservoir.Due to contingencies with the use

of some FEMA funds for therepair and legal limitations ofthe city, there was no allowancefor the recovery of private lossesin the suit.

The objectives of the AMRare to find legitimate solutions forthe instability and to encourageEBMUD to cooperate in determin-ing how their 164-million-gallonreservoir affects the surroundinghillsides.

Analyzing the slide has ex-posed long-standing concernsabout the safety of the CentralReservoir. Built in 1910, the reser-voir holds over 600,000 tons ofwater on a hillside above thou-sands of Oakland residents. Theproximity to the Hayward faultshould be enough cause to createa safe and secure structure. Cur-rently, there is no flood-warningsystem and little-to-no educationon the dangers of living so closeto the reservoir.

Picketing DimondThe Friday-evening picketscontinue at Farmer Joe’s. Thedisagreement resulting in theUFCW’s action is not whetherthe store should unionize, butrather how to proceed in deter-mining if the employees do, infact, want to join the union. Thetraditional method of gaugingemployee interest in unionizationis to invite the National Labor Re-lations Board (NLRB) to conductan anonymous vote. Farmer Joe’sownership has agreed to allowthe NLRB to facilitate the votingprocess. The UFCW prefers tohave its union representativesconduct the vote by contactingstore employees directly.

; Superior Natural Nail Carefor Men and Women

Sterile and Disposable Equipmentused to ensure client safety

Pipeless Spa Chairs to Ensure SanitationManicures • Pedicures

Full Body Waxing • Hair Care Services

Bare Canvas Natural Nail Spa & Studio1470 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland

located in the Glen View District

510-482-8211Due to limited seating, children not allowed

unless being serviced

(510) 530-06902504 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland

CAR CAREAUTOMOTIVE

Domestic & Japanese ImportsComplete Auto Repair &

Smog Inspection

We perform Engine Tune-Ups,Electronic Ignition Testing,and Fuel Injection Service

as well asRegular Engine Maintainance

Jim Gardner Construction Inc.FOUNDATIONS • DRAINAGE

RETAINING WALLSEARTHQUAKE RETROFIT

510 •655-3409www.jimgardnerconstruction.com

Since 1980 • Lic.# 444635

“THE STRUCTURAL SPECIALIST”

Lucky DonutsBakery & Sandwiches

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

NOW ALSO SERVING BAKED GOODS:Birthday Cakes, Croissants, Pastries, and more

4010 MacArthur Blvd.510.482.4348

members through work days.Also, environmental education,outreach (like this Metro article),a speaker series at the DimondLibrary, and our newsletter gotthe word out. As a result, FOSChelped pave the way for otherssuch as the Friends of BaxterCreek and Friends of FiveCreeks.

While some of the success ofFOSC was planned, much of itwas serendipity. “There’s alwaysa real need for people to take ona higher level of commitment andresponsibility,” explained Thilgen.“We’re always looking for peoplewith a mix of skills and talents,like lawyers, people running theirown businesses, teachers, andsome with training in ecology.”

“And we still need the help,”emphasized Dunn. “Anyone whocares about these neighborhoodsshould join us. We’re always look-ing for community input, so comeshare what you’re thinking about.”

For more information aboutFOSC’s 10th anniversary party,visit www.sausalcreek.org, orcall 501-3672.

Sausal NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 4

March 2007

7

Margaret ElizaresToni Locke

Bonnie HenriquezAndretta I.R. Fowler

Leslie Bialik & Gene TucciGreg and Nancy Fredericks

Linda & Jacob HartKathy & Phil

Keiko ShimadaVictoria Wake

Reuben GoldbergMaggie DorseySheila D’Amico

Bart WrightMichael WirglerZarka Popovic

Lark Schumacher Coryell &Roger Coryell

Gary & Caroline YeeLaurel District Association

Phillis RobbianoDavid J. Pitta

Pat SawanwatanaIgnacio De La Fuente

Kitty MuntzelTrudi & Don Robinson

Sister Marie de Porres TaylorBonnie Henriquez

Gary HarrisKate Phillips

The Banh FamilyElizabeth Callaway

Tom George & JoAnn YoshiokaMary SeastrandMark Baldwin

Christine & Andrew CohnNancy CowanRuth Malone

Millicent Morris-ChaneyJoan MorrowLaurie Umeh

C. A. & P. Magnuson-PeddleSonja Proulx

Diane & Charles TrostKathleen RolinsonDr. Susan Harman

Scheberies, Inc.Alice Grace LapinNancy Sidebotham

Sharon TothHelen & William R. Shyvers. Jr.

Susan Audap & Dick PageDimond Improvement

Association, Inc.Mike FerroBen Visnick

Carolyn VallergaNancy & Vic MiloslavichJanet & John BroughtonHung Liu & Jeff KelleyPhillip & Lisa Wong

Marcia Henry & Gary DelgadoLisa Ruhland

Karen Marie SchroederNancy Scott-Ince &

William A. InceJacquelyn & Eugene Crenshaw

Hamachi & WasabiRichard L. Weinstein

Roussel SargentJoan Dark & C. Falloon

Deborah CooperSusanne Lea & Russell BrunoLydia Palmin & Tom Daley

Richard CowanSusan & William Bagnell

Claude & John ElkDavid Vahlstrom/Laurel

Hardware

The Metro acknowledges contributionsof $50 or more by listing your name orbusiness as a Money Honey for 10 issues.You keep our paper alive and well.

MONEYHONEYS

At Council presidentIgnacio De La Fuente’s District 5community breakfast, he urgedabout 150 neighborhood repre-sentatives to “all collectivelypush our city to do what it issupposed to do.” Not a surprise,crime was tops when neighbor-hoods identified their specificconcerns. Attendees heard thatAttorney General Jerry Brownoffered his office resources tohelp tackle Oakland’s fingerprintbacklog. Representatives of oneneighborhood noted that havinga walking officer could establishtrust between residents andpolice. Other neighborhoodsreported illegal dumping andtraffic as major concerns. Parks,schools, daffodils, and theMelrose branch library were

pointed to as neighborhoodpositives.

You can now use creditcards to make tax deductiblecontributions to the Metro. Go towww.macarthurmetro.org. Onthe left side of our home page,you’ll find a link to Network forGood. Click the link to make asecure donation. We hope you’llbecome a Money Honey with acontribution of $50 or more, ora Friend with a contribution upto $50. Prefer to contribute bycheck? Use the coupon on page 2.

If you are at the corner of18th and Castro in San Franciscoanytime soon, check out the“Stop Aids” project photos in thekiosk. Those photos were taken

By Sheila D’Amico

by one of the Metro’s own photog-raphers, Nick Lostracco. Nick isa professional photographer. Youcan find out more about the “StopAids” project at www.stopaids.org.See more of Nick’s photos atwww.lostracco.com.

Ruth Villasenor of Pawsand Claws tells us that organizersof the monthly peace vigil atLincoln and MacArthur areholding an Envisioning Peaceconcert on March 24, at FruitvalePresbyterian Church. “I havealways seen the Metro as part ofthe web that builds community,”Ruth says, “and when we havea strong community and supportand respect each other, weinspire peace.” You can reachRuth at 530-0915.

Anne FoxC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 8

of computers and printers,editors have to be especiallyvigilant. Manuscripts look sogood that it is hard to imagineanything could be wrong.“And, of course, there are mis-takes. So I realized I should notbe bamboozled, mesmerized bythe look of the page.” Luckily,the Metro has never been be-sieged by bad writing. But if weshould stray into verbosity,reality will always save us—”Space creates its own limits.”

What Anne enjoys mostabout her work is the camara-derie of working with herfellow volunteers. “I do loveworking with the language.There are not many placesyou can do that or talk toanyone who cares.”

After years of writingand working as a professionalfreelance copyeditor, Anneknows what makes vibrantwriting: Style, tone, knowledgeof structure, writing clearly,knowing what you are writingabout. A good writer must belike a good chef, have a respectfor the work he is doing, havea respect for language. And,critically, writers must also bereaders, something that manyfledgling authors neglect.

Anne’s hopes for the futureof the Metro include more hu-morous pieces and some seri-ous restaurant reviews. Inter-ested? Join us, and contribute toyour community while you getthe benefit of Anne’s free pro-fessional copyediting! Call theMetro for more information.

OPEN EVERY DAY6:30AM-9PM

3726 MacArthur Blvdin the Laurel482-2933

order online:www.worldgrounds.com

Fair Trade,Organic Coffees

ScrumptiousPanini & Salads

Fresh FruitSmoothies

Now serving

Now servingDraft

MicroBrews& Organic Wine

by the Glass

DraftMicroBrews

& Organic Wineby the Glass

Where Hip Dogs and Cool Cats Shop2023 MacArthur Blvd. (2 blocks west of Fruitvale) • 510.336.0105

Tues-Thurs 10-7Fri & Sat 9-6

Sun 12-5(Closed Mon)

was the community’s first oppor-tunity to see the revised plan.Quan’s chief of staff, RichardCowan, previously presentedthe revised design to the LaurelDistrict Association to mixedreviews.

At Metro deadline, AMG wasscheduled to go before the Plan-ning Commission on February 28,two weeks after the communitymeeting. When I asked Jean whyAMG was not required to bringthe project back to design review,

she said they had met all the re-quirements DRC had indicatedand that the DRC didn’t askthem to change much. The designreview requirements were notposted on the city’s Web site,so the changes required wereunverifiable by deadline.

The new design includes aheight reduction from 72 feet to60 feet, still in excess of the 35-footzoning restriction. A reduction inapartment units (from 141 to 115)and parking were required toaccommodate the height changeand addition of retail space.The new design calls for 3,100square feet of retail, comprisedof a kiosk space on High Street

and larger space on MacArthur.Community concerns were fo-

cused around the building heightand mass, traffic flow, parking,safety, and health concerns for theresidents, given the proximity toInterstate 580. Residents also ex-pressed concern for the precedentthat would be set with this project.The area is zoned C31, which lim-its the height to 35 ft., requiresretail on the ground floor, anddisallows parking on the groundfloor. Four conditional-use per-mits are required for the currentdesign, overriding the C31 desig-nation. Such a precedent could al-low future developers in the areato ignore the zoning limitations.

Laurel NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

March 2007

o you ever wonder whatmakes the Metro such asuccinct, literate news-

paper? Well, here’s one reason:the precise, acute eyes andears of Anne Fox, a seasonedprofessional copyeditor, oneof three dedicated volunteerswho spend several hourstwice a month to ensure thereadability of our best sourceof neighborhood news.

Anne, who grew up inSouthern California, viewsbecoming an editor as a “trickof fate.” Educated at UCLAand UC Berkeley, she hadplanned to teach Spanish butdecided not to after she mether husband. She eventuallygot a credential in AdultEducation and taught basiceducation courses and ESL.

Fortunately, the 1970s

launched her literary future.She began taking writing classesand learned about an editorialworkshop. “So I went to that,and it was like the click—filingsto a magnet. All the disparateinformation that I sort ofknew from doing thingscame together. It had a unity;I understood more.”

Anne continued to studywriting and to do freelanceediting. Her bookshelves,lined with a wealth of bookson writing, reflect how muchshe learned on her own as well.Though she wrote a range ofcolumns for the Montclarion,she changed direction after“the Gulf War. I was very upset.Everything I did seemed totallysilly, so I stopped.” She thenbegan a more serious focus oncopyediting. Anne sees herselfas a reactive editor. “I react. I’mreading something, and it getsme one way, or it bothers me,

and I respond with notes to thewriter.” She’s on the alert forsentence clarity, structure, dic-tion, arrangement of sentences.

A good editor must beaware of her own biases andbe careful not to inject her owntone, which, she adds, is a com-mon complaint of writers, evenof letters to the editor. Annehopes that through her role asa professional copyeditor, writ-ers will learn something andnot make the same mistakesmultiple times.

When reviewing Metroarticles, the volunteers sit downtogether and evaluate the mate-rial simultaneously. “There is adiscussion about changes or notchanges. Ideally, the copyeditorand the editor try to have thewriter’s work be stronger be-cause of the changes. You haveto ask, ‘What is gained or lost?’Each person has something toeither assert or defend. And we

The Unity of Copyediting: A Behind-the-Scenes Visit with Anne Fox

judge the strength of that de-fense or assertion.” One couldsay that the group works onconsensus because, as Annestates sardonically, “We do getthe paper out.”

But the world of editing isn’talways so gentle. “When you do

copyediting, you go into thematerial with the assumptionthat there is something wrong.”While she acknowledges thatthis may sound harsh, shenotes, “You have to stay alert.”And now, with the high quality

8

Anne Fox is on the alert for sentence clarity, structure, diction, arrangement of sentences.

JOD

Y BE

RKE

✔ Only a One Hour Minimum!✔ Experienced Craftsmen✔ Licensed, Bonded, Insured

510-531-4300www.HandymanMatters.com

We specialize in the small repairthat other contractors won’t do!

Family owned since 1933.

“Come on Down”

Discover

For Your Healthy Life Style!

3033 MacArthur Blvd.Oakland • 482-3848

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKMon-Fri 8:00am - 7:30pm

Sat 8:00am - 6:30pmSun 9:00am - 5:30pm

FREE PARKING

Your Natural Food Marketplace

Hwy 13 Redwood Exit

580 West toFruitvale/Coolidge Ave

580 East to35th AveExitH

igh

St

35th

Ave

Fru

itval

e A

ve

Hwy 580

3033 MacArthur Blvd

�

��

�

ORGANIC PRODUCE

NUTRITIONAL CONSULTANTON DUTY

WHOLE GRAIN BAKERY

HUNDREDS OF BULK HERBS,SPICES, GRAINS, FLOURS

LAUREL HARDWARE4024 MacArthur 530-1966Open M-F 8-8, Sat 8-6, Sun 10-4

With this coupon. While supplies last.Not valid with any other offer. Coupon expires 3/31/07.

—Limited Supply—141 PC. Multi-Purpose

TOOL SET

Tool for the Right Job—Home, Office, or Auto

$19.99Reg. $29.99

curves.com

Over 10,000locations worldwide.

Dimond District3483 Champion St.

At MacArthur& Fruitvale

(510) 531-5300

In The Laurel4158 MacArthur Blvd.

Near High Street

(510) 482-4826

The power to amaze yourself.®

Bring a bag of non-perishable food items between March 1st andMarch 10th to your local Curves and join with no service fee.All groceries will be donated to local food banks.*Offer based on first visit enrollment, minimum 12 mo. c.d. program. Not valid with any other offer.Valid only at participating locations. ©2007 Curves International

9 T H A N N U A L F O O D D R I V E

Celebrate St.Patrick’s Day with us!

Free Live JAZZfeaturing local legend HAL STEIN

and his QuartetSaturday, March 17 @6pm

Fine Beer • Wine • Cocktails • Microbrews on TAP!!!Pool • Darts • Games • Sports on large screen TV

B Y M E R E D I T H F L O R I A N

D

cont inued on page 7

Past Issues of the Metrowith a searchable database

available online atwww.macarthurmetro.org