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Help Decide Where Federal, State and Local Dollars Should Go in Our Community

The Measure W geographic boundaries include all of coastal West Marin from Muir Beach to Dillon Beach and inland communities including Nicasio and the San Geronimo Valley. The taxes paid by vacationers amount to about $1.2 million each year, about half of which may be devoted to housing-related projects. West Marin has a severe shortage of affordable housing for its workforce.

Published

2 years ago

September 17, 2022

Oakland Post

The Measure W Working Group will help set allocation priorities for ongoing housing needs in West Marin.

County seeks volunteers to help recommend distributions for community needs

Courtesy of Marin County

It’s time to distribute federal, state and local money set aside for nonprofits and public agencies for various community purposes in Marin County. The County of Marin is looking for volunteers to participate in decision-making committees about who gets what for the greater good. Applications close Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.

The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) has opened the application period for its Countywide Priority Setting Committee and two groups that will make recommendations on how to use revenue from a West Marin Transient Occupancy Tax on short-term rental properties called Measure W.

The Priority Setting Committee (PSC)

The PSC oversees the distribution of federal and state funds to support affordable housing, community facilities and public services.

There are four openings on the PSC for community members representing the interests of historically marginalized communities including people with disabilities. This year, the openings are for community members from the following regions, including neighboring unincorporated areas of:

Larkspur, Corte Madera, Kentfield, and Greenbrae
Novato
San Rafael, including the Canal
West Marin, including the coastal and inland communities

Upon selection, committee member terms will go through Fall 2024. More information about this committee can be found in the recruitment announcement.

Measure W Working Group

Working Group Members can live and/or work in the Measure W tax area. The purpose of the Working Group is to evaluate current priorities in connection with ongoing housing needs in West Marin. These priorities include:

Rental support
New construction
Housing for seniors and people with disabilities
The Working Group comprises up to nine members. Upon selection, Working Group Member terms will go through Fall 2024.
Measure W Oversight Committee
Oversight Committee Members must live in the Measure W tax area.

The Oversight Committee reviews where Measure W tax dollars are going to make sure they are within the Measure W tax area and for the purposes approved by voters through Ordinance No. 3692, with half of funds for fire and emergency services, and the other half for community housing.

The Committee consists of five members. Members must live in the West Marin Tax Area and should possess working knowledge in subject areas beneficial to the work of the Committee.

More information about both Measure W committees can be found in the recruitment announcement

Applications for the two Measure W committees are on CDA’s Measure W website, by emailing the CDA staff, or by calling (415) 473-6279. The application deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

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WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.