What are you itching to do this week? Celebrate the power of community-building? Audition for a dance company? Tell an incredible story through LEGOs? It’s all here, gentle reader: the construction of all the community, art, and other good stuff to satisfy that itch to build, create, and of course… enjoy!
Friday, September 13
Creative Impact Event
5:30 – 7 p.m.
Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street
Creative Impact, an alliance of arts and education organizations representing individuals and communities across the San Francisco Bay Area, will be hosting a family-friendly Creative Impact Culmination Event at the Oakland Museum of California featuring performances by artists, food trucks, art activities, and a resource area with information about arts and education organizations that serve schools, families, and educators in the Bay Area. Local leaders who are committed to working together to connect and create sequential ongoing creative experiences for Bay Area students and their families from both sides of the Bay will take part in a special program and reception.
For more information, visit www.artiseducation.org/.
57th Street Gallery Presents Don Ramsey
8:30 – 11 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.)
5701 Telegraph Avenue
Don Ramsey plays funky jazz music from Grover Washington, David Fathead, Billy Strayhorn, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Art Porter, Jr., Carlos Joabin and Joe Henderson. Don is a long-time musician and retired music teacher in the Bay Area playing the tenor, alto, and soprano saxes, as well as flute. Musicians will be announced at the performance.
Admission is $15. For more information or to make reservations (recommended), visit www.57thStreetGallery.com.
Saturday, September 14
Three Corners Neighborhood Group Saturday Neighborhood Cleanup
9 – 10 a.m.
The corner of 66th and San Pablo
It’s the second Saturday of the month: time for a Saturday Neighborhood cleanup! Join neighbors to walk the block and pick up the trash that’s accumulated. Bring a pair of gloves and a trash bag and meet up. It’s a great way to meet neighbors and make things cleaner, too!
For more information, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThreeCornersNeighborhoodgroup/cal.
Free Week of Breema Events Begins
9:30 a.m.
The Breema Center, 6076 Claremont Avenue
Breema is a simple, natural form of touch and body movement supported by universal principles. The aim of Breema is to bring us to a tangible experience of presence that becomes our foundation for a new dimension of health, consciousness, and self-understanding. The Breema Center offers classes, workshops, and intensives for all levels. Free classes this week include: “The Breema Touch and the Nine Principles of Harmony,” “Deepening the Connection to the Body,” “Experience Breema Evening,” and “What Is Real Health?”
For more information, visit http://www.breema.com.
OHA Tour: “Beneath the Redwoods and Behind the Scenes”
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road
Designed by a team coordinated by Oakland Park Superintendent William Mott, Jr., and built as a WPA project, Woodminster Amphitheater was dedicated in 1940 as a memorial to California writers. The Woodminster Amphitheater is a classic open-air performance facility that seats over 1500. In its early years, it was host to a variety of performances, pageants, and events. Then, in the summer of 1967, a fledgling Oakland arts organization called Producers Associates began to produce Broadway musicals at the venue.
Join Oakland Heritage Alliance and Producers Associates, Inc. co-founder Harriet Schlader for a behind-the-scenes tour of this unique historic treasure! For many Oaklanders, Woodminster was their first exposure to live theater, and they remember being brought there as children for a picnic supper and the summertime magic of music under the stars. Hear about the history of the Woodminster Amphitheater, as well as the tradition of performance in Oakland.
Enjoy refreshments and socialize after the tour with other participants!
For more information about Oakland Heritage Alliance events, call the OHA office at (510) 763-9218, email info@oaklandheritage.org, or visit www.oaklandheritage.org.
Phat Beets Free Food ‘n’ Justice Series Workshop: “Intro to the Cottage Food Laws”
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
North Oakland Farmers’ Market, 942 Stanford Avenue
The workshop will be focused on the steps necessary to become a Cottage Food Operation, and especially on information resources, what the law states, and how to fill out applications. The facilitator will describe the process he went through from conceiving a business idea to the interview with the health department. It’ll be a breakdown of how it can work for prospective business owners, who can benefit from the new law, and how to create a CFO.
For more information, visit http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/.
Traci Bartlow / Starchild Dance Auditions
12 – 4 p.m.
Eastside Cultural Center, 2277 International Boulevard
Traci Bartlow / Starchild Dance is seeking dancers for local, national and international performance opportunities. Dancers proficient in hip-hop, house, jazz, Lindy Hop, and African dance styles are preferred. Please bring a picture and resume and be ready to dance!
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/StarchildEntertainment.TraciBartlow or call (510) 473-2928.
Integrative Health Fair
12 – 4 p.m.
Simple Family Health, 1 Rio Vista Avenue
Learn how to stay healthy this fall and winter, naturally. Learn new skills to use in the real world, free! The health fair will be hosting classes every half an hour from 12 – 4 p.m. Between classes, get a free session with one of the amazing practitioners.
Simple Family Health is a community-based integrative clinic serving Bay Area families. Its focus is to help its community get well and learn ways to stay healthy through natural therapies, diet changes, lifestyle choices and preventative medicine. They hope to fill the gap in our current medical model and to empower the whole community through holistic and sustainable health care practice.
For more information, visit http://www.simplefamilyhealth.com.
8th Annual Day in the Park at Maxwell Park
12 – 5 p.m.
On Fleming between Monticello and Courtland
Maxwell Park Community Building Neighborhood Action Team (NAT) presents its annual signature event. As always, the street will be closed, and there will be a live music stage with some awesome music and musicians, children’s activities, vendors, food, raffle prizes, and lots more!
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/MaxwellParkCBNAT.
Youth Science Fiction Writing Workshop
2 – 6 p.m.
African American Museum and Library, 659 14th Street
Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link, Inc. (SEM Link), through its Math and Science Career Academy, is partnering with the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The I.S.I.S. Project to host a Science Fiction Film and Writing Festival for Bay Area youth. The purpose of the festival is to show the intersection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), film and writing, as well as provide an opportunity for students in grades 3-12 to develop their STEM literacy skills. “Students who like STEM and have a creative side such as writing and/or film-making are often told they have to choose between STEM and their creative sides,” says Ms. Tokiwa T. Smith, SEM Link Founder and Executive Director. “With this festival, we will show youth the connection between STEM, writing and film, therefore exposing them to additional STEM-based careers.” The festival continues until October 12.
For more information, visit www.semsuccess.org, email info@semsuccess.org or call (888) 600-6294.
LEGOs and Beer at Tech Liminal
3 – 7 p.m.
Tech Liminal, 268 14th Street
Join Tech Liminal for an afternoon of fun, building stuff from LEGOs while enjoying delicious beer. The Tech Liminal community has some truly epic LEGO construction skills, as well as many, many bricks and sets of various kinds. Also: beer.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/290259961113013/.
“New Drawings” Artist Reception at Studio Quercus
4 – 6 p.m.
Studio Quercus, 385 26th Street
Studio Quercus is pleased to present “New Drawings,” a two-person exhibition of recent works by John Fadeff and Sam Vaughan. The exhibition is on view Friday, September 6 through October 12, 2013. The artists will be present for this reception.
John Fadeff and Sam Vaughan — two accomplished draftsmen with an extraordinary love of the drawn line — work in traditional materials of graphite and pen-and-ink. Open to exploring the medium, the artists’ mistakes and deformations, in both subjects and the drawings themselves, lend a sideways juxtaposition to the meticulously intricate detail both artists use to create their works.
For more information, visit http://www.studioquercus.com/.
3rd Annual Pio Pico Lecture
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Center for History and Community, 2488 Coolidge Avenue
Enjoy an exciting lecture by Fruitvale’s own Carlos Salomon as part of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month! Salomon breathes life into the story of Pio Pico, who became one of the wealthiest men in California, thanks to real estate holdings. Of mestizo-black heritage, he was the last major Californio political figure with economic clout. Salomon traces Pico’s complicated political rise during the Mexican era, leading a revolt against the governor in 1831 that swept him into that office. During his second governorship in 1845, Pico fought in vain to save California from the invading forces of the United States.
For more information, visit http://www.peraltahacienda.org.
Comedienne Tina Kim at Oakland Asian Cultural Center
8 p.m.
388 9th Street, Suite 290
Doors open at 7 p.m. for the general public and regular seating ($20). VIP preferred seating begins at 6 p.m. and includes meet-and-greet-reception with the performer, free food, and two drinks ($40). This show is 18+.
For more information and to get tickets, visit http://oacc.cc/.
57th Street Gallery Presents Joel Fleisher
8:30 – 11 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.)
5701 Telegraph Avenue
Joel Fleisher has literally been singing all his life, and is delightedly unable to say what kind of music he most loves, either as a listener or a performer. His career has spanned multiple cities and musical stylings, from suburban Philadelphia wedding bands, to New York chorus calls, to a stint at The Sea Witch in Ghirardelli Square, to lounge singing, to musical theater and chorale performance. Now, having retired from teaching, Joel has rediscovered his joy in singing jazz and has launched himself on the next great segment of his life as a solo jazz vocalist, having come full circle to his classical and jazz musical roots. Musicians are Joel Fleisher, vocals; Glen Pearson, piano; Ken Okada, bass; James Bailey, reeds; Yancie Taylor, vibes; Butch Haynes, congas; and Leon Joyce, drums.
Admission is $15. For more information or to make reservations (recommended), visit www.57thStreetGallery.com.
Sunday, September 15
OMCA Bike Tour: Oakland on Two Wheels
10 a.m.
Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street
An annual favorite is back: OMCA’s popular bike tours! Explore Oakland and its environs with the Museum’s bike-tripping docents on the third Sunday of the month. Discover the incredible history of Oakland on two wheels during this leisurely two-hour ride through downtown Oakland. The free tour highlights local history, architecture, and community stories.
Bring your bicycle, helmet, repair kit, and adventurous spirit! Participants must be 12 or older. Please RSVP to docentcenter@museumca.org or (510) 318-8470.
Summer of Science: The Great Sunflower Project at OMCA
1 – 3 p.m.
Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street
Join Gretchen LeBuhn of San Francisco State University’s Great Sunflower Project to learn how you can help monitor and protect our most important pollinators: bees. These insects are responsible for a third of all food in the U.S., as well as important natural products like medicines. In monetary terms, bees are worth trillions of dollars. In human terms, they are crucial to our survival, but studies have shown that bee populations are experiencing severe declines. Since 2008, thousands of citizen scientists have helped the Great Sunflower Project build the largest single body of information about bee pollination in North America.
With the Great Sunflower Project, explore insect specimens inside the Gallery of California Natural Sciences and then search for bees in the Museum Garden. Afterwards, you can check out LeBuhn’s book, Field Guide to the Common Bees of California: Including Bees of the Western United States, available in the OMCA Store.
Meet in the Oakland Section of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. For more information, visit http://museumca.org/.
LGBT History Tour
2 p.m.
Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street
Celebrate Oakland Pride Month with an LGBT History Tour in the Gallery of California History, led by an OMCA docent. Discover historic LGBT artifacts and explore the stories behind California’s vibrant, diverse LGBT culture. Take a trip through LGBT history, including the rise of sexual identity questioning in the early 20th century, and the gay liberation movement during San Francisco’s beat and hippie eras. Hear stories from LGBT lives, and share your own experiences.
Meet at the entrance to the History Gallery. For more information, visit http://museumca.org/.
Tuesday, September 17
Oakland City Council and Oakland Redevelopment Agency Meeting
5:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers, Third Floor, Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza
The City Council is the governing body of the City of Oakland, and consists of eight members who are elected directly by the citizens of Oakland: one representative from each of seven districts, and one at-large representative. The Council sets goals and priorities for the City, as well as approving the City budget, adopting ordinances to help the City serve its citizens, and appointing members to various boards and commissions. The City Council meets 2 – 3 times per month, on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays. A downloadable agenda is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/calendar/.
For more information, visit http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityCouncil/ or call (510) 238-7370.
Wednesday, September 18
Celebrate a Year of the Closing of the National Lodge
6 – 7:30 p.m.
1711 International Boulevard
In August 2012, united San Antonio residents and businesses closed the National Lodge for allowing prostitution. The new owners of the building are committed to find a community-friendly use for this property. Come walk with your family, your neighbors, and EBAYC to celebrate this community victory, and learn about plans for a new use of this building.
Invited guests include Mayor Jean Quan, Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent, City Council President Pat Kernighan, City Attorney Barbara Parker, and Area 3 Commander Ricardo Orozco.
Cheese Making 101: Yogurt, Fresh Cheeses & Feta
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Location in North Oakland
Learn about equipment, ingredients and cultures used in cheesemaking and get hands-on practice making yogurt, a fresh cheese, and a feta cheese. The cost of this workshop is $40 – $70, plus a $12 materials fee, due on the day of class.
For more information and to register, visit http://iuhoakland.com/calendar.html.
Golden Gate NCPC 10X Monthly Meeting
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Golden Gate Recreation Center, 1075 62nd Street
This monthly meeting of the Golden Gate Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council recurs on the third Wednesday of each month, except for December. For more information, or to get in touch with the organization, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NCPC-10X/cal.
Allendale Park NCPC Meeting
7 p.m.
Allendale Recreation Center, 3711 Suter Street
For more information about this organization’s meetings, or to get on its mailing list, please email allendale_ncpc@yahoogroups.com.
Michael Castleman Discusses and Signs Killer Weed at Diesel
7 p.m.
Diesel, A Bookstore, 5433 College Avenue
Killer Weed, the fourth installment in the Ed Rosenberg mysteries, yet again blends thriller with local history — this time, the potsmoke-filled sixties in Haight-Ashbury. Ed Rosenberg, an out-of-work journalist, is tasked with a much-needed assignment to find out what happened to a tech billionaire’s murdered mother. Meanwhile, his wife is caught up in the aftermath of the assassination of a mayoral candidate who was a staunch supporter of cannabis policy reform. Are these two crimes, despite the intervening forty years, connected? Unraveling the mysteries, he soon finds himself embroiled in the underground world of dope-dealing. Then someone starts shooting at him.
Michael Castleman is a prolific writer with more than thirteen books in health and sexuality, including Great Sex, The New Healing Herbs, and When Someone Dies. He also writes the popular Ed Rosenberg series of San Francisco-based mysteries, which starts with The Lost Gold of San Francisco.
For more information, visit http://www.dieselbookstore.com.
Thursday, September 19
Oakland City Council Rules & Legislation Committee Meeting
10:45 a.m.
Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room 1
The Rules and Legislation Committee usually meets at this time (although it is recommended to confirm the day and time, as this is subject to change). A downloadable agenda is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/calendar/.
For more information, visit http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityCouncil/ or call (510) 238-7370.
Oakland Food Policy Council Meeting
5 – 7:30 p.m.
1000 Broadway, 5th Floor, Room A or B
The mission of the Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC) is to establish an equitable and sustainable food system in Oakland. It strives to: ensure access to healthy, affordable food within walking distance of every Oakland resident; bring under-served neighborhoods to the food policy table and increase “food literacy” among Oakland residents; put food, hunger, and food systems on the City of Oakland’s agenda and contribute to the national dialog on food policy; and turn the Oakland food system into an engine for local economic development and involve local and regional agricultural communities.
For more information, visit http://www.oaklandfood.org/.
Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting
5:30 p.m.
Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room 4
Oakland’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) committee was chartered in 1995 to advise the City on the design of bicycle and pedestrian facilities and related issues. Two-hour meetings are held in City Hall the third Thursday of the month and begin at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend all or part of any BPAC meeting.
For more information, visit http://www.oaklandpw.com/Page124.aspx.
OSD Advisory Committee Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Hunter Hall, on the fourth floor of the Paul Robeson Administrative Building, 1025 2nd Avenue
Representative parents, staff, students and community members make up the District Advisory Committee (DAC). The DAC provides a community perspective to the Board of Education and the District leadership on important educational issues. They also assure the District and individual schools are in compliance with state accountability laws. Each school appoints a representative to the DAC.
For more information, visit www.ousd.k12.ca.us.
Melrose High Hopes NCPC Beat 27X Meeting
7 p.m.
Horace Mann School, 5222 Ygnacio
The NCPC is the main organizing group for the neighborhood. The Steering Committee, which is the NCPC leadership team, makes decisions about monthly meeting agendas and major events (e.g., speakers, priorities for OPD, elections, and projects like the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Annual Block Party, Courtland Creek Rejuvenation Project, Support for our Neighborhood School, Redevelopment on Foothill, and the like). The monthly meetings at Horace Mann School are a great opportunity to let the designated City Council Member and Community Policing Officers know about neighborhood concerns and engage them in helping the neighborhood. Visit the organization’s website for updated agenda items, general information, or to get on the mailing list for future meetings.
For more information, visit http://www.ncpcbeat27x.org/.
OHA Lecture: “High-Tech Historic Preservation: 3-D Scanning for Architecture”
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue
Learn about an exciting technique the historic preservation community is using to document vulnerable historic resources: 3-D laser scanning! Scott Page, a specialist in this field, will discuss and demonstrate how he uses unique scanning equipment to capture as-built conditions rapidly and precisely. He will show how assembled scanned images reveal building relationships in ways that are otherwise difficult to imagine, let alone measure, and discuss how this information is relevant to the historic preservation and architectural design communities.
To register for this lecture, visit https://oha-lecture-sept2013.eventbrite.com/.