There are so many different kinds of love in the human experience that it’s kind of unfortunate for English that it only has the one word for them all. However, in Oakland this week, there are lots of ways to show that love: to your sweetie, the multiple communities we each belong to, the universe, our children, those who came before us and sacrificed so that we could be who we are today, and lots more. It’s a lovey week in Oakland — Enjoy!
Friday, February 14
Paddle Together on Valentine’s Day
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
California Canoe & Kayak, 409 Water Street
Enjoy a leisurely paddle along the Oakland waterfront. Bring a guest and they paddle for free as a 2-for-1 special! Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are available, weather permitting. CCK’s motto: “Those who play together stay together.”
Valentine’s Day Sunset Cruise
Boarding at 4 p.m.
U.S.S. Potomac, 540 Water Street
Treat your valentine to a sunset cruise on the Potomac! Enjoy an evening to remember cruising on board the FDR’s Presidential Yacht Potomac while gazing at the Bay’s beautiful sunset. Coffee is provided, bring your own snacks. For more information, visit usspotomac.org.
Introducing the Supper Club at Chabot
6 p.m.
10000 Skyline Boulevard
Dine with your darling under the stars, then whisk away to the red planet in a simulated space mission to Mars. You and your date embark on a voyage of space travel inside our interactive onsite mission control and spacecraft simulator. Adventure awaits as you work as a team with other couples to rescue the space transport capsule from calamity. The voyage includes romantic music, hands-on assignments, beer, wine, and sweet treats. For reservations, visit chabotspace.org/supper-club.htm.
Peace ‘n’ Justice Walk, North Oakland
6 p.m.
Bethany Baptist Parking Lot, 5400 Adeline
Come out and share some warm drinks, meet your neighbors, and learn about a growing call for restorative justice in North Oakland. Join Rev. Leggett of Bethany Baptist Church, Members of St. Columba Church, Memorial Tabernacle Church, Phat Beets Produce, the PLACE for Sustainable Living, Growing Together and many others for this monthly Peace ‘n’ Justice walk in North Oakland. Rev. Leggett will lead the group on an short walk through North Oakland, where we will stop at sites of recent violence or conflict. The purpose of the walk is for neighbors to meet each other, build community and feel safe outside at night in Oakland. We aim to build a multi-faith/class/race neighborhood movement to address violence through community-initiated restorative justice work. Free hot drinks will be provided by Phat Beets Produce and neighbors like you. To RSVP for the walk, click here.
57th Street Gallery Presents the Michael Marcus Quartet
8:30 – 11 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
57th Street Gallery, 5701 Telegraph
Michael Marcus is a jazz clarinetist, multi-woodwind player, and composer/arranger. Since releasing his debut recording as a leader, Under the Wire, he has appeared on over thirty records for multiple labels. Marcus has also written and recorded over 125 of his original compositions, and was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Individual Artist Grant. Having toured the U.S. and Europe extensively, performing at major festivals and clubs with his own group and others, Marcus continues to tour domestically and internationally. His newest release is For Yes! Admission is $15. For more information or to make reservations (recommended), visit 57thStreetGallery.com.
Saturday, February 15
Annual Sweetheart Breakfast
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Memorial Tabernacle Church, 5801 Racine Street
Celebrate love, community and healthy hearts at this annual breakfast. All donations support the outreach efforts of Memorial Tabernacle Church, such as their Homeless Holiday Giveaway and Community Health Fair & BBQ. Tickets available after the 10:30 a.m. Morning Glory Worship Service, online, and at the door.
“Love Don’t Hurt” Community Forum
3 – 6 p.m.
East Oakland Youth Development Center, 8200 International Boulevard
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in partnership with Love Never Fails, East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC), and Oakland Unified School District present “Love Don’t Hurt,” a community forum highlighting the issue of sex trafficking in Oakland. This event features 52 Letters, a stage play bringing awareness to the tragedy of sex trafficking, written and performed by Regina Evans. In addition, there will be a panel discussion on combating child sex trafficking in Oakland and the Bay Area. Join us for this informative and empowering event.
Moonlight Kayaking
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
California Canoe & Kayak, 409 Water Street
Moonlight kayaking is enchanting! The water is calm and glassy on the Oakland Estuary and the city lights add to the ambiance. Enjoy a leisurely pace as the sun sets and the moon rises, illuminating a delightful evening. Novices may paddle in a double kayak with an experienced friend. For more information or to sign up online, click here.
A Reading by Two of Oakland’s Brightest Literary Talents
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Marcus Books, 3900 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
Oakland has long been known as an incubator for the arts – blues, jazz, hip hop, and rap – and is now enhancing that reputation in the areas of spoken word and murals. Help rebuild an Oakland art form that was once part of our proud heritage, but has been too long neglected: the literary arts. Celebrate the Oakland arts renaissance as J. Douglas Allen-Taylor reads from his novel, Sugaree Rising, and Colette Wincock reads from hers, Undoing Crazy.
57th Street Gallery Presents the Larry Douglas & Jorge Pineda Alltet
8:30 – 11 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
57th Street Gallery, 5701 Telegraph
With a tone that the dean of American jazz critics, Leonard Feather, described as “velvety and silky,” Larry Douglas has ruled as one of San Francisco’s top trumpet/flugelhorn players for more than three decades. As a member of Johnny Otis and His Orchestra, his playing was featured on four albums including the Grammy-nominated Spirit Of The Black Territory Bands. The recipient of a Master’s of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory, Douglas has shared his knowledge with students at Aptos Middle School from 1981 until 1990, and Galileo High School of San Francisco, since 1991. He also teaches a jazz history course at Vista Community College. Jorge Pineda graduated from the Audio Production and Engineering program at Metalworks Institute in 2012. Right after graduation, he began an internship at Howl Studio. Jorge then had the opportunity to work in several roles in the entertainment industry from musician, DJ, producer and now entrepreneur with his company. As a musician, Jorge has performed on Breakfast Television, the Waterloo Jazz Festival, at the Hershey Centre, and in many gospel concerts. His DJ experience has led him to work with the City of Guelph, the Kidney Foundation of Canada, Credit Valley Golf Course, Whistle Bear, University of Guelph and numerous private clients. Admission is $15. For more information or to make reservations (recommended), visit 57thStreetGallery.com.
Sunday, February 16
New Carnatic Music
1 – 3 p.m.
Avonova Music House, 417 Avon Street
Gautam Tejas Ganeshan has been dubbed a “local treasure” by SF Classical Voice, and “a magnet for local Indian classical musicians” by the SF Chronicle, inflecting a tradition through himself so that listeners feel it speaks directly to them, and that its subtle beauty has grown new roots. Gautam sings classical Carnatic music with distinction, innovation, and an inimitable personal style. His performances feature original compositions adorned with the extensive improvisations for which South Indian classical music is known, delivered in chamber ensembles with a traditional rhythmic rapport and a life of their own. For more information, visit avonovamusic.com/gautam-tejas-ganeshan.
Honoring Art and Spirit with The Cosmic Mass
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
American Steel Studios, 1960 Mandela Parkway
The Cosmic Mass, born from the vision of theologian Matthew Fox, is a participatory and integrative celebration of life that incorporates organic dance, electrifying beats, soul-moving performance, mind-expanding discussion, and transformative ritual, bringing together a diverse community of beings to embody the sacredness of life in a cosmic context. This event will honor the raw relationship between art and spirit and the alchemical role art plays in the evolving human experience. This mass will feature the work of dozens of artists from a variety of genres. The artwork, as it is melded with the moment in this participatory ritual, may move many to deep communion with the cosmos and a revelation of their own souls. Please join us as we dance together to invite the continually-emerging spirit of life to transform and refresh our community at this month’s Cosmic Mass! Artists wishing to participate should email thecosmicmass@att.net.
Monday, February 17
A Tribute to Our Elders
9:30 p.m.
EastSide Cultural Center, 2777 International Boulevard
This is a tribute to the greats of the Black Arts movement. With the transitions of Amiri Baraka, Richard Dedeaux (of Watts Prophets), and Gil Scott Heron, we take time to celebrate our culture and Black Arts. This event features Father Amde Hamilton (Watts Prophets), members of Gil Scott Heron’s Amnesia Express Band, Marvin X, Ama Evolution, Ayodele “Word Slanga,” and more, with food by Taste of Africa. Admission is $10. For more information, visit eastsideartsalliance.org.
Tuesday, February 18
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 here. For more information, click here or call (510) 238-7370.
The Motherhood Archives
7 p.m.
The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th Street
The New Parkway in Oakland will screen award-winning new documentary, The Motherhood Archives, followed by a question-and-answer session with local filmmaker Irene Lusztig. Archival montage, science fiction and an homage to 1970s feminist film-making are woven together to form this haunting and lyrical essay film excavating hidden histories of childbirth in the twentieth century. After several years of buying films online and working in historical archives, award-winning filmmaker Irene Lusztig amassed an unusual and fascinating collection of found footage aimed at teaching women how to be pregnant, give birth, and look after babies, along with training films for obstetricians and health care professionals, and a handful of home movies. “The Motherhood Archives puts contemporary debates about motherhood in a broader historical context by showing the long history of pregnancy and childbirth being simultaneously ‘natural’ events and opportunities for women’s bodies to be trained and monitored by experts,” said Jillian Sandell, Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies at San Francisco State University, who will be moderating the Q&A after the film. Tickets and more information are available here.
VAMP and Bar 355 Present “New Arrivals”
9 p.m.
355 19th Street
“New Arrivals” is VAMP’s newest DJ adventure. This night will feature all vinyl, all styles, all for sale from VAMP Records. That means that everything they play is for sale and has been specially pulled from the new arrivals at VAMP! New Arrivals will be happening every third Tuesday of the month at Bar 355. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, February 19
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, email allendale_ncpc@yahoogroups.com.
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 groups.yahoo.com/group/NCPC-10X/cal.
Isabel Allende Discusses Her Novel, Ripper
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison Street
New York Times bestselling writer Isabel Allende, born in Peru and raised in Chile, long since a California resident, is the author of ten works of fiction, four memoirs, and three young adult novels. These have been translated into 27 languages. Two of her novels were made into major motion pictures: The House of the Spirits, and Of Love and Shadows. With Ripper, Allende reinvents herself — an extraordinarily bold move for an internationally-established author — by presenting us with a riveting thriller involving an ensemble cast of eccentrics set in the San Francisco Bay area. Click here for tickets and more information.
Thursday, February 20
Oakland City Council Rules and 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 here. For more information, click here or call (510) 238-7370.
Oakland Food Policy Council Work Group 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 oaklandfood.org.
Scott’s Bridal Boutique
5 – 8 p.m.
Scott’s Seafood, 2 Broadway
Happily ever after begins here! Save the date for the Scott’s Jack London Square Bridal Boutique. This complimentary event will be held in the beautiful waterfront pavilion. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and champagne while you engage with specialty vendors hand-selected by the Scott’s catering team. Please RSVP to Haleyk@scottsjls.com.
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. Meetings are held in City Hall the third Thursday of the month. Members of the public are welcome to attend all or part of any BPAC meeting. For more information, visit oaklandpw.com/Page124.aspx.
OSD Advisory Committee Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Hunter Hall, 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.
Oakland Heritage Alliance’s 2014 Partners in Preservation Awards
7 p.m.
Rockridge Masonic Hall, 5449 College Avenue
The Oakland Heritage Alliance (OHA) is pleased to honor 2014 Partners in Preservation Award winners at a ceremony to be held during the organization’s Annual Membership Meeting. OHA presents Partners in Preservation Awards to individuals, organizations, agencies, or institutions for activities or accomplishments that promote Oakland’s historic and cultural heritage. This year’s event will recognize:
5806 Ross Street, Rehabilitation Award
Girls Inc. Simpson Center for Girls, Rehabilitation Award
The Food Mill, Stewardship Award
Oakland Wiki, Education Award
John Bliss & Kim Thompson, Advocacy Award
Oakland Art Murmur, Leadership Award
City of Oakland Mills Act Program, Leadership Award
Yancie Taylor, jazz musician, Lifetime Achievement Award
Lewis Mahlmann, Children’s Fairyland master puppeteer, Lifetime Achievement Award
To register for this event, click here. Donations will be accepted in support of Oakland Heritage Alliance advocacy and public education programs.
Melrose High Hopes NCPC Beat 27X Meeting
7 – 8:30 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 ncpcbeat27x.org for updated agenda items, general information, or to get on the mailing list for future meetings.
Oakland is Hellzapoppin’! Featuring the Queen of Swing, Norma Miller
7 p.m.
EastSide Cultural Center, 2777 International Boulevard
The Queen of Swing is back in Oakland! 94-year-old legendary Norma Miller is back at Eastside for a third time celebrating the birth of urban dance in this unique dance party, “Oakland is Hellzapoppin’ #3.” This event features dancing to live music, hot DJs and a history talk by the Queen herself! For more information, visit eastsideartsalliance.org.
To list an event for February 21 – 27, email the details to meg@oaklandlocal.com by noon on Tuesday, February 18.