Oakland
Lake Merritt Residents Seek Solutions to Noise, Sideshows
Many of the antics around Lake Merritt are creating a dangerous and precarious situation for the neighborhood’s residents, including those that reside at 1200 Lakeshore.
Late-night partying and vehicular antics are not new to this area but have alarmingly increased with the onset of the pandemic.
To be sure, everyone is sick and tired of being on lockdown and not having the ability to socialize and enjoy their friends and neighbors. People want to get out. But residents say that is not the problem. On the streets around the Lake, people are participating in semi- sideshows, and performing dangerous doughnuts in the cul-de-sac and the streets right outside the buildings where people live. Residents report that people are playing loud music throughout the night that is sometimes so loud it shakes the glass of apartment windows 18 floors above the street.
These activities place senior citizens in danger of being hit by speeding cars and deprive residents and children of sleep at night. Now, residents who are on lockdown like everyone else, complain that they suffer from sleepless nights and dangerous conditions when they walk across the street to the park.
Last week, over 60 residents from 1200 Lakeshore and the neighborhood met with City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas and city staff to voice their concerns and demand remedies to the pervasive problems that plague their neighborhood. They wanted to know what the Council Member and city staff was going to do about sideshows, noise and garbage thrown into the street.
Over a two-hour Zoom session, Council Member Bas fielded comments from frustrated residents. She and city staff promised some solutions and further work on other issues.
“You have our attention,” said Joe DeVries, from the city administrator’s office. On the issue of traffic violations and doughnuts in the cul-de-sac in front of the building, he and the Department of Transportation committed to install speed bumps. “We are going to speed that process up and cut through bureaucratic hurdles.”
Residents were pleased until they received a follow-up email that said “speeding up the process” meant the speed bumps would be installed in the Summer of 2021. Residents are asking what they are to do until then. Every day of delay is a day that residents feel their lives are threatened by dangerous drivers. Bas responded that the Department of Transportation would do what it can to finish the work sooner, but she added, there is a 19-case backlog of other speed bump projects.
“These issues are more than an inconvenience, but are also health and life safety concerns, especially to elderly residents,” said Greg McConnell, a spokesman for the property.
McConnell said he hopes to continue working with Bas to craft a slate of interim measures to mitigate dangerous driving until more permanent solutions can be put in place and to resolve other issues.
Council Member Bas also promised to work with Public Works department officials to increase the number of garbage cans and increase garbage pick-ups in the area.
Other ideas in the works include the creation of a volunteer ambassador program manned by neighborhood residents to foster stewardship, clean up, and maintain great relations between neighbors and visitors to the lake.
But the most vexing problem that remains unresolved is the late-night blaring music that disturbs the sleep and peace and quiet of residents of the apartment buildings that line the street across from the lake.
“Lake Merritt is an Oakland treasure, and everyone has the right to enjoy it” said McConnell. “But waking people up at 2, 3 and 4 in the morning to loud music is not right. We look forward to coming up with solutions that work for everyone.”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Bay Area
BART to Retire Legacy Trains in Public Ceremony April 20
The Richmond Standard
Bay Area Rapid Transit’s final dispatch of legacy trains will take place on Saturday, April 20, and will be accompanied by a retirement ceremony and a final legacy ride.
At 1 p.m., the public is invited to celebrate the last run of BART’s legacy trains during a ceremony that will take place in the free area of the plaza at MacArthur Station in Oakland.
Following the ceremony, the public is invited to board a legacy train and ride from MacArthur to Fremont Station, mirroring the initial service BART provided when it opened Sept. 11, 1972.
“It’s a 45-minute trip that travels along approximately 24 miles of the original section of tracks,” BART officials said.
Multiple legacy trains will run for the event, and all will make station stops and may turn around at Bay Fair depending on the number of attendees waiting to ride. Regular fares will apply.
“These train cars are part of the history of the Bay Area,” said Bob Powers, BART general manager. “While we are excited to modernize the system, we recognize the profound cultural importance of these cars, and we want to celebrate their rich history and give them a proper send off.”
BART is now running train cars from its Fleet of the Future project.
Those nostalgic for the older trains will be able to view three of them soon at Western Railway Museum in Suisun City.
A handful of other legacy cars will be transferred to be repurposed for short-term rentals, entertainment venues, and training facilities, according to BART. Most of the legacy cars have been recycled.
Bay Area
Mind, Body, and Spiritual Well-Being for Women Addressed in NAACP Forum in Oakland
The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church. Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.
Special to The Post
The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church.
Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.
The forum will feature renowned experts, healthcare professionals, and advocates from Genentech, John Muir Health, Sutter Health of The East Bay, Kaiser Permanente, and the Alameda County Public Health Department.
Our expert panel will address various aspects of women’s health, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and healthy relationships. The forum will encompass a wide range of topics such as breast cancer, menopause, reproductive health, nutrition, mental health awareness, preventive care, and much more.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend informative sessions, interactive workshops, and panel discussions led by experts in their respective fields. Additionally, there will be wellness activities, screenings, and informational booths offering valuable resources and support.
This forum is open to women of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging inclusivity and diversity in the conversation surrounding women’s health. Whether you’re seeking information for yourself, a loved one, or simply looking to connect with other women, this event promises to be enlightening and empowering.
For more information and to register for the Total You Women’s Health Forum, please visit https://www.naacpoakland.org/ or contact Dr. Delores Thompson. WIN chairwoman at (510) 328-3638.
The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is dedicated to empowering women, and young teen girls. We look forward to your participation in this important event.
To register, go to https://www.naacpoakland.org/events/the-total-you-womens-health-forum
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