OAKLAND
Three opportunities for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service will take place Jan. 20 in Joaquin Miller Park. Adults and children are invited to participate. Volunteers can just show up or register in advance at OaklandMLK.org, where work details and area maps can be found, along with Friends of Joaquin Miller Park’s website, fojmp.org.
The Cascade Restoration will be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 3232 Joaquin Miller Road, about a quarter-mile up the hill from the Woodminster Market and Highway 13. Volunteers will add mulch to the large flower beds around the perimeter of the oval pond, the reflecting pool, and weed and clean up other areas around the Cascade. Last year, 85 volunteers showed up. See more details online at woodminstercascade.org.
Work at the Fern Ravine will also be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. At the Sequoia Arena Gate (the entrance is n Skyline Boulevard across from the Redwood Bowl staging area) walk down the trail to the picnic area to get there. Crews will protect and improve restoration areas by removing non-native plants and reducing the fire fuel load along Skyline Boulevard and in Fern Ravine. More details are available at sausalcreek.org/event-calendar.
Volunteer service at the Ranger Station and two nearby outdoor sites will take place from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at 3590 Sanborn Drive. Phase 1 of the proposed new use of the Ranger Station includes deep cleaning of the walls, windows, floors and educational displays; organic debris removal from the decks; bathroom painting; leaf and pine needle raking and debris removal at two nearby outdoor sites, one to be a future picnic area. Contact Linda Brown at berkeley-cwc.org.
For all sites, please bring your own water bottle and gardening or heavy-duty work gloves and wear old clothes that will likely get dirty or paint-stained: long sleeves, pants and sturdy shoes are recommended. Look for the on-site coordinator wearing a neon-yellow vest. The city of Oakland supports this National Day of Service by committing staff to plan and coordinate with volunteer groups and by supplying hand tools and more and requires a brief safety orientation and your signature on a waiver for each adult and a parental release for children younger than 18.
— Friends of Joaquin Miller Park
PIEDMONT
Council to weigh changing accessory dwelling unit rules
Piedmonters who relied on Piedmont’s City Charter and voters rights to protect single-family zoning in Piedmont have lost their authority under new state legislation changing Piedmont and housing in California by opening development opportunities while eliminating City Charter rights and public input in determining housing requirements.
Piedmont housing has been potentially affected dramatically by the October signing of state Assembly Bills 68 and 881 and state Senate Bill 13, all of which were unopposed by Piedmont’s City Council. The laws essentially eliminate Piedmont’s single-family zoning, which was controlled by Piedmont’s City Charter and voting rights. While some cities have strenuously resisted the legislation, Piedmont’s City Council, guided by the city’s Planning Department, has stepped in line to become a different city by discarding Piedmont voters’ rights specified in the Piedmont City Charter to either support or oppose the changes.
Developers that for decades have wanted to change and densify Piedmont will now have the ability without public input to expand Piedmont properties to up to three units on formerly single-family properties. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21, the council will consider and could approve the first reading of a proposed ordinance amending Chapter 17 (Planning and Land Use) of the city code to conform Piedmont’s regulations regarding accessory dwelling units to new state laws. The council meeting will be held at Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Ave. in Piedmont and will be televised via the city website.
— Piedmont Civic Association
King Day celebration set for Jan. 20 at veterans building
Join the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Committee (PADC) from 12 to 2:30 p.m. in the Piedmont Veterans Memorial Building at 410 Highland Ave. for this year’s Martin Luther King Day celebration. Events will include inspirational performances by the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company and Oaktown Jazz Workshops. Comments will be made by U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee and David Lai from the King Institute at Stanford University. Tickets are free, but attendees are asked to register on eventbrite. For details visit padc.info/mlk-2020.
— PADC
LWV forming Great Decisions discussion groups
The League of Women Voters of Piedmont is forming discussion groups to participate in the 2020 Great Decisions program on world affairs.
Sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association, Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on global matters. The program is a series of eight meetings, lasting about two hours each. Participants receive a Foreign Policy Association briefing book that provides background and context for group discussion. Each session starts with an insightful video created by the Foreign Policy Association, followed by a lively discussion of the week’s topic. Chosen by a panel of foreign policy experts, this year’s topics are:
- Climate Change and the Global Order
- India and Pakistan
- Red Sea Security
- Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
- U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle
- China’s Road into Latin America
- The Philippines and the U.S.
- Artificial Intelligence and Data
The program offers two sessions: Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants can attend either session. The Wednesday session will meet at 40 Highland Ave. starting on Feb. 12. The Thursday session starts Feb. 13, meeting at the Piedmont Police Department Conference Room, 403 Highland Ave. Both sessions meet every other week, with the eighth and final sessions ending May 20 and May 21, respectively.
To RVSP, please visit LWVPiedmont.org online and click the “Great Decisions Discussion Group” link. The program costs $32, and payment via credit card, debit card, PayPal or check is accepted. Checks should be payable to the League of Women Voters Piedmont and sent to Ward Lindenmayer/40 Highland Ave./Piedmont, CA 94611. Please note in the check’s memo section that it is for Great Decisions and indicate whether you prefer to attend daytime or evening sessions. Regardless of which way you pay, please send your email contact to Ward at wardandelaine@comcast.net.
Last year’s Great Decisions program attracted 60 participants, nearly twice as many as in the past. Great Decisions is open to all; being a League member is unnecessary to join. Briefing books are now available for pickup at 40 Highland Ave. in Piedmont. Please sign the sheet when you pick up a book and leave a check in the envelope if you have not previously paid.
— Piedmont LWV
OAKLAND
Apply by Jan. 31 for Dimond district community grants
The Dimond Improvement Association (DIA) has launched a community grants program to fund projects that advance its mission “to make Oakland’s Dimond district a vibrant, safe and beautiful place for everyone to live, work, shop and play.”
Oakland-based individuals and groups may apply for grants of up to $1,500. Projects may include, but are not limited to, physical installations and improvements, such as art and landscaping; educational, community engagement and service programs; and events. Projects must have a clear public benefit and have a direct impact on the Dimond district. Up to a total of $6,500 will be awarded in this round. Guidelines and an online application form are on the DIA website at dimondnews.org/grants. The due date for applications is Jan. 31. Awards will be announced mid-February and projects must be completed by February 2021. Email grants@dimondnews.org with any questions.
— DIA
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