Would you be surprised to learn that drinking alcoholic beverages on the streets and sidewalks of Albany is legal? People are legally able to stroll down Solano Avenue or walk by a school with a beer or Jack Daniels whiskey in hand. According to the Albany Police, our city lacks something called an Open Container Ordinance which would make drinking in public illegal. All of the cities that surround Albany have Open Container Ordinances in place: Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, and Richmond. One police officer I spoke with said Albany may be the only city left in Northern California that doesn’t have an ordinance.

The City of Albany’s Social and Economic Justice Commission will be considering an Open Container Ordinance at its meeting March 10 at 7 p.m. at City Hall on San Pablo Avenue.

This loophole in Albany law is causing some very real problems for certain Albany neighborhoods and a growing threat. The Orientation Center for the Blind at the north end of Adams Street, a school for the newly non-sighted, suffers the impact of this loophole when young hard-partying crowds especially on weekends leave broken liquor glass strewn across the property which then greets non-sighted students and staff. I’ve learned that the broken glass is not only a dangerous hazard on the Orientation Center for the Blind property, but also on the sidewalks of Albany that they use as training ground to learn mobility skills where one false move can result in a bloody foot injury. Even innocent guide dogs are put needlessly at-risk by this dangerous liquor litter.

In a different neighborhood near Albany Hill, twenty-somethings of all backgrounds park their cars in the evening and drink beer and liquor, party hard and loud on the streets in my neighborhood before moving on to their favorite corner bar in Albany. On most mornings, my neighbors and I are left to clean up the broken liquor glass, bottle and beer can litter off the sidewalks and streets. It’s both a severe nuisance, but also public safety hazard for walkers in Albany of all ages and types, and their pets who join them.

The problems seem to be growing, and are also completely avoidable with a simple ordinance. That’s why in January I asked that the Albany City Council adopt an Open Container Ordinance to provide the basic peace and public safety that we have come to expect in Albany. It’s clear our laws haven’t kept up with the times and “sleepy” Albany is getting more urban problems and it needs to stay current. If this issue matters to you, I urge you to show up and express yourself next week, March 10th at 7 p.m., the City of Albany’s Social and Economic Justice Commission meeting where the proposed ordinance will be discussed.

Contact:
Jordan Sampietro
(510) 847-2011

A small band of Albany residents has formed “Transition Albany,” one chapter in a growing global movement to foster community resilience in the face of climate change and related challenges of peak oil use and the economic crisis. (visit www.transitionalbany.org)

Transition Albany is the 59th official Transition Initiative in the United States, according to Transition US. The Transition Movement represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people in strengthening theircommunities against the effects of these challenges, resulting in a life that is more abundant, fulfilling, equitable and socially connected, Transition US says.

This coming weekend, Transition Albany is showing the acclaimed 2008 British independent docu-drama on climate change, “The Age of Stupid,” at Albany’s movie theater on Solano Avenue, on Sunday, March 7th at 11:30 am.

Transition Albany was launched by Catherine Sutton, an Albany resident who then gathered an Initiating Group.

“What excites me most is that we seem to be surfing a wave and people are responding very positively. Strengthening bonds between
neighbors makes sense, and to have a compelling reason like creating resilience just seems to make it all
the more inevitable,” Sutton said.

Sutton said they will be presenting the film, “in the hopeful context that Transition ideas generate.”

Transition Initiatives start when a small collection of
motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges and opportunities of peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis? This small team of people begins by forming an initiating group and then adopts the Transition Model with the
intention of engaging a significant proportion of the people in their community to kick off a Transition Initiative.

Transition US is a nonprofit organization that provides inspiration, encouragement, support, networking, and training for Transition Initiatives across the United States. They are working in close partnership with the Transition Network, a UK based organization that supports the international Transition Movement as a whole.
For more information about the Transition Albany,
email Catherine Sutton at catherine@sonic.net

Albany waterfront visitors, and those who might be visitors if conditions were different, will have a chance soon to offer suggestions concerning dogs on the publicly-owned 88 acres at the waterfront.

The City of Albany’s Waterfront Committee (WC) on July 27 voted to ask City staff to provide a report of conditions and issues related to dogs at the waterfront. This vote followed extensive discussion of a report prepared by committee member Francesco Papalia. Papalia researched waterfront conditions by interviewing park visitors onsite this spring. He concluded that Albany’s waterfront is “a de facto off-leash dog park without any enforcement of any rules.” (read Papalia’s report at These public parklands are contiguous, with few boundary markers, so Papalia’s report encouraged coordinated rules for an ordinance.

Papalia noted that many human visitors are professional dog-walkers who don’t live in Albany but find Albany’s waterfront good for their business: no rule enforcement, no business license needed, no limit on the number of dogs walked at one time, no penalty for failure to clean up after the dogs. His report listed twelve issues about dogs at the waterfront, and several possible solutions. Most solutions would require a City of Albany ordinance.

Most solutions also would require coordination with the East Bay Regional Park District, which operates about 55 acres of East Shore State Park on Albany’s waterfront, at the beach, neck, and plateau. The City owns another 33 acres at the bulb plus a right-of-way on the Neck. Map:

Albany’s City Council adopted in June an ordinance concerning dogs in other Albany parks. The ordinance was proposed by Albany’s Parks and Recreation Commission, after it held public meetings at all other Albany parks. This new ordinance can be expanded to include rules for dogs at the waterfront, according to Albany Recreation Director Penelope Leach. (A staff report for the July 27 Waterfront Committee meeting said WC had declined an offer from the Parks and Recreation Commission to include the waterfront in the ordinance earlier this year, because the committee wanted more time to get public input about “more complicated” issues.)

During the discussion July 27, several WC members supported the suggestion that Albany consider adopting East Bay Regional Park District rules, which in general require dogs to be on leashes, limit the number of dogs a visitor may bring at any one time, and prohibit dogs on swimming beaches. Nearby public dog parks including Point Isabel, and Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley, have similar rules.

Issues relating to dogs at Albany’s waterfront are likely to be on the next Waterfront Committee meeting agenda, September 14 at 7:30, at Albany Community Center ) The public is invited to the meetings, which usually are held second and sometimes fourth Mondays. Waterfront Committee meetings are broadcast live on KALB 33 in Albany, and are webstreamed on the City’s site. Videos of prior WC meetings are available online (scroll under “Community Videos”) at this link.

Dear fellow Albany residents,

I want to invite you to join me on a very important project, to start a “Transition Albany Initiative.”

When I was in England this Spring I saw a premier of the movie Age of Stupid and vowed to put my best energy this year into moving as many people as I could influence towards a lifestyle that would begin to lessen our effect on global warming and climate change.

A few weeks later I discovered Transition US and took a Training for Transition in Oakland with 35 other people of all ages and demographics. I brought away a lot of good information about the seriousness of the triple threat of Climate Change, Peak Oil and economic insecurity, and, most important, on a positive way to look at the opportunities they present in our very own communities.

Grassroots communities around the world are gathering their resources under the banner of the Transition Initiative to relocalize their food and energy production, currency and other basic necessities so that they can face an uncertain future together with maximum resilience. It’s not only “green-minded” people who are responding. Everyone has a voice, everyone is facing the same threat and everyone’s input is needed and valued. Even the emotional turmoil that inevitably arises as people realize the enormity of the challenge we face, even this has a place.

I would like to invite you to join me in heading up a Transition Albany initiative.

Clearly there are many organizations already working towards the same goals – Green Albany, the City’s Sustainability Committee, Strollers and Rollers, to name a few – but the concept of “Transition Albany” can possibly offer a more visible and united impetus to all the good efforts that are already going on, and provide a focus on educating and inspiring participation from a greater number of Albany residents of all ages and ethnicities.

For myself, a lifelong dream of living in a supportive community has suddenly become more possible, as I realize that I don’t have to go anywhere to realize it. Right here in Albany, as we get to know one another and share our resources, talents and inspiration and build a resilient infrastructure that is ready for the great “powering down” of our oil-addicted society, we can have strong, connected communities of neighbors.

To that end I would like to get together with as many of you as are interested in spearheading an initial push in that direction, with a focus on awareness-raising and community-building through a strong program of public films and talks that not only give the facts about climate change and peak oil, but also offer an opportunity for people to talk to one another and share inspiration and ideas.

We could start with a presentation on Transition Inititatives and how they work. I have some resources from the training. Just so you know, from the beginning, we plan the demise of our little leadership group, preparing to step back in a few months when we have created enough support to hand over the lead to a number of grassroots focus groups that will together design an Energy Descent Action Plan for Albany that addresses all the basic areas where we are currently reliant on oil: food, energy, work, transportation…. the list is very long.

Is this definitive? No. I am just putting out an idea, and I have no doubt that whatever evolves will have its own momentum, with or without me. That’s great! Let’s get moving! Let’s inspire City government! In the words of the anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

If this message rings true for you, there will be a meeting for those interested at my house 943 Madison Street, on Tuesday July 14th at 7.15pm. Please RSVP Catherine at 510-528-2261.

Thank you for your commitment.

Catherine Sutton
943 Madison Street, Albany
510-528-2261

 The City of Albany has joined the East Bay Green Corridor Partnership, which should open the way for Albany to participate in the green jobs creation and green business recruitment that its neighboring cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville and Richmond pursue.

 Joining should also help Albany to benefit from $76 million in federal Stimulus money awarded to the Partnership for weatherization, green job training, bio-energy research and carbon capture endeavors.

 “We are a small city,” without the space or clout to attract large businesses, said Albany Mayor Marge Atkinson. “But by leveraging strengths with the other cities and sharing information,” Albany can participate and benefit by the burgeoning green economic activity, she said.

 Atkinson, and the mayors of El Cerrito, Alameda and San Leandro, along with the Chancellors of the Peralta Community College District and Contra Costa Community College District and the President of California State University joined the East Bay Green Corridor Partnership at the organization’s annual summit last week. 

 The East Bay cities of Oakland and Richmond have become nationally known for pioneering work in creating green jobs training programs, the Oakland Green Jobs Corps and Solar Richmond, while Berkeley and its institutions are known for ground-breaking research in renewable energy, as is underway at the University of California at Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  Emeryville, meanwhile is becoming a mecca for bio-fuels research because of a new research institute founded there, the Joint Bio-Energy Institute.  This Institute, which is researching ways to create affordable bio-fuels, has already spawned numerous start up companies, said Emeryville Mayor Dick Kassis.  And Berkeley is pioneering a solar installation incentive program with its tax rebates to residents who install solar.

The mayors of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Emeryville along with the chancellor of UC Berkeley and director of Lawrence Berkeley Lab formed the Green Corridor Partnership two years ago.

Albany has been active in making itself “green “ by developing a plan to lower its carbon footprint, see Albany Climate Action Plan, see http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=256  and by encouraging businesses and residents to do the same.  Recently, it has made home energy audits available through Rising Sun Energy Center, a program based in Berkeley. http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?recordid=256&page=303

But Albany has not pro-actively recruited green companies or green jobs programs. Atkinson said space limitations are one issue. However, one idea that emerged at the Voices to Vision meetings about use of the Albany waterfront is to attract a world-class renewable energy firm or research institute. The East Bay is ripe for attracting investment in green companies, officials with the East Bay Green Corridor said.  For one thing, Lawrence Berkeley Lab has 170 graduate students working on ideas for renewable energy and carbon capture. Paul Alivisatos, director of the Lab, said some of these ideas could become new business start-ups.

 The $76 million in federal Stimulus grants awarded to date to Partnership members include

-  $30 million over five years to fund two Energy Frontier Research Centers at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley Lab for researching how to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it permanently underground.

-About $18 million was awarded for weatherization, energy efficiency and green job creation in the Green Corridor cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Richmond.

-  $24 million grant to Lawrence Berkeley Lab to figure out how to clean up underground contaminants

- $4 million grant to the Joint Bio-Energy Institute to purchase equipment for bio-fuels research.

 “The expansion of our East Bay Green Corridor partnership is phenomenal,” said Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.  “Leaders have come together to stress the importance of building a green economy and we are perfectly poised to be the model of innovation, economic and business development, and job training.”

 Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said, “Working across city boundaries with our educational partners, we have created green tech businesses, leveraged our stimulus funding, and the expansion of green jobs for our residents. “

Albany resident Mindi Ritzman and Jennifer Dyment wrote the letter below to urge city officials to solve the problems with two dilapidated houses on their block:

“We live on the 900 block of Jackson Street, which contains two abandoned houses – 947 and 953 Jackson Street. Over the years individuals in our neighborhood have asked the city – Community Development Director, Building Manager, City Attorney, Council Members, and other city staff – for help in correcting these problems. Unfortunately, all of our individual requests have been disregarded. So we created a petition to ask, as a large group of residents affected daily by these properties, that our elected officials on the City Council simply do what is outlined in Chapters 12 & 18 of the Municipal Code.

Over the past several weeks we have circulated a petition among our neighbors. The response has been very, very positive. People are tired and frustrated by the condition of the properties and the city’s indifference. The petition currently includes over 100 signatures of neighbors and parents of students at nearby Ocean View Elementary School. We wrote to the City Administrator and Mayor Atkinson asking to present the petition at the City Council’s June 15th 2009 meeting. If they will not add us as an agenda item we will still go as a group and present it during the public forum. We have created a web site and email group to share information and ideas. Please email us for more information: JacksonStNeighbors-owner@yahoogroups.com

Some background on these properties: One (#947) has been abandoned for over 20 years and the other (#953) has been abandoned for over 6 years. Shortly after the City passed its nuisance abatement law in 2003, the owner(s) of the home that has been abandoned for 20 years began the process of obtaining City approval for proposed improvements to the home.

After several years of delay, aided by multiple extensions of design review deadlines from the City, the property owners(s) took out a construction permit for the house in January 2007. Minor demolition work was completed between September 2007 and October 2008. In November 2008 the house was raised approximately 10 feet above the ground and supported on stacks of wood cribbing. As of the date of this letter, the house is still raised. The old foundation has been demolished, but there isn’t a new foundation to put it on. Often, weeks go by with no work done on the house, and when someone does come to work, it is never for more than 2 hours at a time.

The owner of the other abandoned home moved to Southern California approximately 6 years ago. There is an abandoned car in the driveway that has several smashed windows, the backyard is completely overgrown with vegetation, and the neighbor takes it upon himself to periodically cut down the weeds in the front yard. As far as we can tell, no one ever comes to check on the house and the Southern California phone number that the owner gave the neighbor stopped working about 3 years ago.

Mindi Ritzman                      Jennifer Dyment

Residents successfully petitioned the City to act on a dilapidated house on Talbot Avenue last year. Click the links below to read several articles on the story published by Albany Today in 2008:

Neighbors urge city to act on “haunted house”

City of Albany moves to deal with nuisance property

City of Albany inspects Talbot house for health and safety violations

After years of neglect, Talbot house eventually gets sold

“Both of us, along with all the members of the City Council, have supported a visioning process, so that we can hear everyone’s ideas, including those who think we should do nothing.”

Dear Readers of Albany Today:

We are glad to see that Albany’s “Voices to Vision” community visioning process with Fern Tiger Associates is already generating ideas.  We respect Mr. Barnes and Mr. Blanchard, the authors of the latest opinion piece in Albany Today, about this planning process.  We hope that they will participate in the community meetings in their neighborhoods and express their ideas.

Groups such as the California Climate Action Team have predicted that the sea level may rise up to one meter within the next one hundred years and this would certainly increase the land area that would be at risk for a coastal flood event.  The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is encouraging communities to develop plans related to changing shoreline configurations.

Both of us, along with all the members of the City Council, have supported a visioning process, so that we can hear everyone’s ideas, including those who think we should do nothing.

We believe that it is important for us to plan together for the future.  We look forward to participating in the community meetings which Fern Tiger Associates has organized for us.  This is an important opportunity for all of us to speak up about Albany’s future.

Thank you.

Marge Atkinson,
Mayor, City of Albany

Joanne Wile,
Vice Mayor, City of Albany

“As Albany residents,the two of us do not want our tax dollars spent to acquire and upgrade land for parks that will soon  be submerged. And we certainly wouldn’t want to live there, either.”

The controversy surrounding the Albany waterfront is presented as a choice between two opposing positions — commercial development or parkland. But these two positions are not really so different. They are both models of development.

The supporters of both flavors of waterfront development are ignoring a painful environmental reality — the lifetime of the waterfront as we know it is will be measured in decades. By the end of the century, due to rising sea levels, the waterfront will most likely be a tidal basin.

There is a third position, one that is both environmentally sound and fiscally responsible. Do nothing and enjoy the waterfront just as it is. As Albany residents, the two of us do not want our tax dollars spent to acquire and upgrade land for parks that will soon enough be submerged. And we certainly wouldn’t want to live there, either.

On weekend of January 10––11, we headed down to the Albany waterfront to see the effects of the 7.4 foot high tides that occurred late in the mornings on both those days. We didn’t have to look far for evidence of flooding. The lower reaches of the parking lot already have traces of debris that have washed up onto the asphalt during winter storms.

We did some quick checking with simple homemade surveying equipment (we are happy to provide details for anyone interested in a science project) and a detailed contour map provided by the County of Alameda. We found that with one meter of sea level rise, most of the waterfront will be underwater at high tides, leaving the Albany bulb and the racetrack grandstands as islands.

We can conservatively expect one meter or more of sea level rise this century, as two articles in Science magazine point out (see issues of 9/5/2008 and 2/6/2009). The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) uses similar figures for its discussions of the coastal impacts of rising sea levels.

Rising sea levels will also bring bring increased risks of flooding during storms. According to the PPIC (California Coastal Management with a Changing Climate, Ellen Hanak and Georgina Moreno):

Within the San Francisco Estuary, which is protected from the most violent wave action, the incidence of coastal flooding is expected to increase considerably. Models indicate that a one-foot rise in sea level (likely by mid-century) would shift the 100-year storm surge-induced flood event to once every 10 years (Gleick and Maurer, 1990).

In addition to whopping insurance premiums, long-term commercial development of the waterfront will require landfill and levees — levees that must be expanded regularly as the sea level continues to rise. Sort of like New Orleans, but with earthquakes.

Alternatively, public funds could be used to acquire the land for parks. This possibility is the motivation behind the city council’s $600,000 visioning process. The inevitable rise in sea level suggests a much cheaper visioning process — envision the waterfront underwater, at least at high tides.

A grim long term fate awaits Albany. Climate change will bring more violent storms and the need to upgrade city infrastructure. Perhaps a few centuries from now, assuming the sea level rises by only 50 feet, the San Pablo corridor will be submerged, Albany hill will be an island, and students at Cornell elementary will be able to play in the bay during recess.

Let’s enjoy our funky, feral piece of waterfront land just the way it is while we still have the chance, and instead of using resources on a disappearing waterfront, let’s use them to begin planning for the painful changes to come.

If you’d like to comment on the topic, please leave your message under the article or send them to linjun9913@berkeley.edu.

It was eight o’clock at night. I looked through the emergency classroom bag inventory sheets filled out by the Albany High faculty members. I sighed. None of the sheets showed satisfactory results for the emergency classroom bags. Some bags were missing non-aspirin, while others were missing bandages. None of the emergency classroom bags were ready for disasters.

The inventory was done in November 2008, two weeks after the PTSA and Red Cross Club finished the disaster supplies closet inventory, which addressed the same concern: many materials were expired or missing. But why does it matter? After all, disasters happen very rarely, especially not during school hours. So why should we spend so much time worrying about them while we could spend more time on education?

Imagine this scene: a big earthquake occurs, and you are stuck in your work place. Let’s say your boss is smart and has everything ready for the disasters. You are indeed stuck, but at least you are safe. But wait–what about your 16-years-old son? And his 18-years-old sister? The phone system is not working, and they are both stuck in school because no parents or guardians are available to pick them up. What if your children are injured and the high school does not have enough bandages or sterile gauze for everyone? Forget about the first aid–what about water? What if the school can only provide enough water for half of student body? Remember, the government cannot provide help immediately. So you just sit there and cry and wish your kids are, by any chance, safe.

All right, that was just a scene, but it is definitely a terrible possibility if the school is indeed not prepared enough for the disasters. As the President of the Red Cross Club, I feel responsible of making the school more prepared for the disasters. That is why I decided to work with Joanne Lee from the PTSA to do a big inventory for school emergency supplies. The result was unsatisfactory, but I am not blaming the school administration. There are already more than enough items to discuss, but we cannot overlook the importance of having the school prepared for emergencies.

Lee has already raised some money from parents, while the Red Cross Club raised about fifty dollars from a bake sale. Yes, there is money from the AHS emergency supplies fund, but not enough to replenish all of the supplies. One fifty gallon water barrel, for example, can cost ninety dollars.It is not surprising that the funding will run out very fast.

Disasters can happen anytime, so we have to act quickly. Now, the question is can you provide help? The answer is absolutely!

All you have to do is write a check to AHS PTSA Emergency Fund and place it to the PTSA box in the main office or simply send it to the school address 603 Key Route Blvd, Albany, CA 94706. We will accept donations through late January.

Lee, who started working on the emergency supplies back in September, urges the Albany residents to provide help, “Any amount is welcome and appreciated- $5.00, for example, can buy a lot of band-aids!”

Before you drop your check to the mailing box, we would like to assure you that every cent you donate will go toward purchasing the emergency supplies, and you will have a better night’s sleep by leaving the rest of the job for us.

Keng Lam

There are really three issues being discussed.  First, no board member denies the value of small group reading instruction. I personally believe this program is enormously valuable. Second, the value of adding instructional minutes, which I personally believe is very questionable – more minutes does not necessarily mean more learning. We have not yet received an evaluation of the impact of the additional minutes that we added to the 1-3 grade schedules this fall.

Third, the very difficult childcare / family arrangements required by the staggered start times that we currently have for grades 1-3. Which I said represent a hidden tax on families of small children to pay for the small group reading program.

All of the schedules presented maintained small group instruction in some form – but some of them were impossibly expensive and some reduced the small group time to about a half an hour.

“Scenario 3″ simply adds 20 mins of instructional time without giving parents any relief from the child care problem in the mornings. Some parents would still have drop off times as late as 9:10 – others would have to contend with getting small children up earlier in the AM to get to school by 8:10. Since it doesn’t help parents with the real problem that they have and it does present significant risks to our program by changing the schedule without sufficient evaluation of the potential impact on teaching and learning, I will not support it.

The real solution here is additional on site childcare and enrichment options in Albany. I believe we all need to join in working very hard on this so that we can have new childcare and enrichment programs – probably fee for service programs, but also scholarships for families that are struggling with the cost of childcare, available by the Fall of 2009.

If I can remember correctly, I was a late bird all throughout 1st to 3rd grade at Ocean View Elementary School. But I had two luxuries 10 years ago that some elementary students don’t have now: a stay-at-home mom and a stable economy.

Childcare had never been a problem for my family; in fact, it had seemed a daily privilege that I was excluded from. I was jealous of my friends who made sushi or watched movies or just hung out after school at Kid’s Corners or other after school programs. I guess I didn’t know how lucky I was that I had a parent waiting at home to pick me up at 3:05 pm every day.

The success of the early bird/late bird staggered schedule can be vouched for by generations of former Albany elementary students, parents, and teachers, but its existence faces challenges posed by our current economy.

The theme of 2008 has been change. But that change doesn’t always have positive consequences. Governor Schwarzenegger recently declared California to be in a state of fiscal emergency. Parents, who were once stayed at home or worked only part-time, find themselves working full time just to make ends meet. With Albany’s unique staggered schedule, they only have two options: to either go to work later-which is sometimes nonnegotiable-or to pay for childcare. Some have been asking for another option, to lengthen school days or provide childcare or an alternate service for their children.

I am personally all for lengthening school days. According to AUSD Board Member David Glasser, Albany Unified is the only school district in California that waived the minimum instructional minute requirement. In other words, Albany elementary students are getting less instructional time than any other school in the state. While the quality of those limited minutes is higher than the majority of schools that are meeting that requirement, more instructional time may not help but it certainly cannot hurt.

One proposed scenario was to dissolve the staggered schedule altogether but still keep the instructional reading time. Students would arrive at 8:30 am and be dismissed at 3:05 pm daily. During the early bird hour, half the students would study with the teacher and the other half would go to art, PE, or music. The groups would consolidate for the regular school day and then switch for the last hour of class. This way, we can increase the school day for all students as well as provide more time for music, art, and PE.

It seems like the perfect solution until we consider the hundreds of thousands of dollars this plan would require, $375,000 more per year to be precise. Given the current economic situation, this is simply not feasible. Staying with the current staggered schedule, whether we lengthen the day by 20 minutes or not, brings us back to the drawing board and the issue about childcare.

Albany elementary education is going to require change. But that change is going to come at either the cost of parents, teachers, or most likely both. But isn’t it worth it for the sake of our children’s education?

The Berkeley Daily Planet front page headline reports: “Golden Gate Fields for Sale as Magna Reorganizes.” It was only a few short weeks ago that GGF was reassuring us that the property was not up for sale.  That may or may have not been true back then, but it’s surely wrong today.

Now is not the time for us to put our heads in the sand and trust the Canadian owner, Mr Stronach, to do what is right for Albany.  We need a plan.  Now.

Witness what’s happening to the sister mall to be built alongside Santa Anita racetrack:  still stuck in the planning process four years later.  Recently the EIR put forth by Rick Caruso for the mall at Santa Anita was found inadequate after a lawsuit was filed.  And it’s back to the drawing boards–unless they terminate the whole project afterall.

We also discovered through the waterfront visioning process that Magna had not long ago contracted with a bidder to start the process for building a casino at GGF along with the mall.

What a mess we avoided here in Albany.   It was folly to support a mall then, just as it’s folly to terminate the visioning process today. We need a plan for the waterfront. Pronto.

Unfortunately, it likewise may prove shortsighted for Albany voters not to have passed the property transfer tax increase this last election; otherwise, Albany would benefit from the sale of GGF this time around.  (When the previous owner, Ladbroke, sold the track to Magna, Magna avoided paying increased tax on certain parcels by retaining ownership in, and then buying up Ladbroke Holdings.)

To accomplish what is best for Albany, from time to time we surely may need close relations with our higher elected officials on the county, district, and state levels; as well as, the expertise of outside organizations.

*Bill Dann is a member of the Waterfront Committee. He is also the co-chair of Citizens for the Albany Shoreline.

The recent election results appear to reflect a surprising change in voter sentiment since 2006. As most of you know, candidate Peggy Thomsen received the most votes, followed by Farid Javandel, with incumbent mayor Robert Lieber coming in third. But a further analysis may tell us a bit more about the temper of Albany voters than we’ll learn by simply looking at individual results. I’ll try to address that here and also consider the question of who will be the next mayor of Albany when the new council is formed.

While there were no formal candidate “slates”, I think it’s fair to say, based on looking at endorsements and campaign fliers, that the six candidates formed up into two groupings:

Members of the Lieber/Panian/Toomey group relied heavily on endorsements from politicians and organizations representing issues and constituencies broader than those related specifically to Albany. Organizations such as the Sierra club, the California Democratic Party, and the Green Party of Alameda County, were some of these. Robert Lieber also chose to list endorsements from organizations that had no apparent relevance to the business of the Albany council, including the California Nurses Association, the California Labor Federation, and the Alameda County Central Labor Council. For campaign literature this group chose to use aggressive, full-color glossy fliers that spoke of big money and big time politics. PACS supporting them tended toward the same approach.

By contrast, members of the Thomsen/Javandel/Pilch group ran on a more individual basis and relied almost exclusively on endorsements from local people. Campaign literature reflected a far less costly approach and focused primarily on Albany issues.

As a result, the difference between the two groups in terms of endorsements, issues, and presentation techniques was striking and well defined. It is of interest, then, to total the number of votes received by each group, including the winners and losers:

TOTALS BY GROUP VOTES AND PERCENT

Thomsen*/Javandel*/Pilch 10,318  53.00% ; Lieber*/Panian/Toomey 9,147  46.90%
*Elected/re-elected to council

THINKING ABOUT IT

Going back to the 2006 election, two council seats were in contention, and the Caruso development controversy was the paramount issue. Candidates Marge Atkinson and Joanne Wile, who opposed the Caruso “mall” proposal and were endorsed by the Sierra Club and related groups, received close to 58% of the votes cast, and both were elected. This time, as we see above, the candidate group with generally similar backing received less than half of the votes cast (46.90%)–quite a swing from 2006.

What does it all mean? I did no exit polling, but will hazard a couple of guesses. First, when it comes to our city’s government, a number of Albany voters now appear to have shifted their support to candidates who look like they’ll focus their energies mainly on the issues that specifically affect the interests of Albany; rather than candidates whose allegiance lies with politicians, groups, and causes focused less directly on the needs of our city.

Second, candidates supported by the Sierra Club and allied organizations continued to emphasize the “Caruso mall” controversy, as if it were still a burning issue and uppermost in minds of voters. But with the waterfront issue now firmly in the hands of an established planning process, that issue has apparently lost some of its steam with a number of voters–who now appear ready to participate in the process and review the results, before taking a chiseled-in-stone position.

Results regarding measure Y and measure DD are also interesting. Measure Y (directly elected mayor) went down to defeat by a percentage which closely tracked the “group” vote percentages noted above-that is 53.18 % “no’, 46.82% “yes”. This seems to confirm that a majority of Albany voters are still ready put their faith in qualified local public service-oriented people, rather those who aspire to become professional politicians and look to backing from outside interests. There may also have been some dissatisfaction about the way this measure was placed on the ballot.

Measure DD (proposed increase in property transfer taxes), was defeated by a larger margin (56.01% “no”, 43.99% “yes”) and the results here suggest that Albany voters are starting to show some resistance to periodic fee (tax) increases, possibly in part because the city has historically made little effort to communicate its financial position in terms that voters can understand.

So, the election shoe has dropped. But there is a second shoe of interest that has yet to do so. Who will be the next mayor of Albany? After the 2006 election when the new council took office, Farid Javandel (as vice mayor under departing mayor Allan Maris) was in line for the job in accordance with Albany’s long-standing rotating mayor approach. However, with newly elected council members Marge Atkinson and Joanne Wile now in place, Robert Lieber declared that the voters of Albany “had spoken” and had, in effect, given him a mandate to press forward with his shoreline policies and his “progressive” agenda for Albany. After some discussion, the city attorney made it clear that the council was not legally bound by the rotating mayor convention, and simply had the power to select the mayor. As a result, supported by Atkinson and Wile, Lieber elected himself mayor. The same thing occurred when the council convened for 2008. After some discussion about past precedent relative to mayors serving two years in a row, Lieber again elected himself mayor.

This time, the voting results would indicate that whatever “mandate” Mayor Lieber may have had in 2006 no longer exists. But assuming the continued unwavering support of Atkinson and Wile, Mayor Lieber could, if he chose, elect himself mayor again. This question will be addressed in the council meeting scheduled for December 15, and surely all those interested in Albany politics won’t want to miss it, either in person or on channel 33.

The bond of trust between a teacher and a student is something that cannot be easily formed. It is often impeded by the pupil’s inability to receive information or the lack of communication between the two people. A teacher must give enough of herself in order for the student to have confidence and feel comfortable in learning,  but she must also protect the student by drawing lines in their relationship. It is a difficult equilibrium but once balanced, the trust between the teacher and the student can last a lifetime.        

Teachers are essential in middle school and high school, when teenagers are beginning their search for their identities. As someone who graduated from Albany Middle School three years ago, I personally know of the impact a compassionate and open teacher can have on an impressionable adolescent. There are times when we trust our teachers more than our parents. They lead us, not only as instructors but also as mentors, into an unprecedented stage of our lives. We view our teachers as examples of adults we ourselves could become.

When that bond of trust is broken, perhaps the most searing pain comes from the emotional betrayal. When that bond is broken, a student is rendered unable to trust. School becomes a foreign place; how can one learn if one cannot trust the nature of the teacher? Isolated, they suddenly learn that they are alone because they are unable to trust anyone after that act of betrayal. Students begin to doubt themselves, other teachers, and other students.

When I first learned of this case, I was, to put it mildly, stunned. But after further contemplation, I became furiously angry and deeply hurt. It hurts to think that this could have been me. This could have been my best friend. This could have been my sister. To think that I had this woman as my teacher and trusted her! How can we even call the teacher a “victim”? She who broke the trust of a child, how can we defend her?

Do not only view this woman as the beloved, much-respected teacher she once was thought to be. Think about the real victim, the unnamed heroine who returned to a place of abhorrent memories, who is only asking for the protection of future generations of Albany children. Will we deny her a voice? Will we not listen to her story? Albany students, parents, community members, let us open our minds and hearts to this courageous woman.

We must become a community that puts the safety and well being of our children first, regardless of the cost. The slower we are to act, the more predators will take advantage. It is my firm belief that regardless the outcome of this particular trial, the trust between a teacher and her students has been broken beyond repair. Rather than being concerned about what if the teacher will ever be trusted, we should worry if the students will ever trust again.

To quote the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you”. The act of violation itself is shocking enough, but the fact that we, as students, cannot trust our teachers is much more chilling.

“I am celebrating the awesome victory of Barack Obama. On the local front, the Albany City Council was INCREDIBLY close, between all six candidates. I, alas, did not prevail.

Conventional wisdom held the day — two seats were won by the two incumbents, with the third seat (and highest vote count) going to a well-known, long-time candidate re-entering city council. The closeness of the race plus other factors were in no way conventional, though!

I wish to thank you, thank you, for your support and for helping me run a clean campaign. My votes received, per dollars spent, is very respectable — especially for a new name.

Positive energy put out into the world is never wasted! (I’ll keep looking for the proper quote to illustrate this sentiment — is it by the Dalai Lama? Emma Goldman? Mother Teresa? Nelson Mandela? Barack Obama?)

I’m going to repeat (for some of you) what I’ve learned in this campaign:

From knocking on doors all around town I’ve learned that people in Albany are amazing! Generous, insightful, probing, humorous, concerned, and keen on connection.

From those of you who gave me your immediate support, I’ve learned to trust the connections we’ve created. From those who asked some questions and from those of you who grilled me on issues and/or about my orientation/alliances/allegiances — then took that leap of faith to endorse me — I’ve learned that mutual respect and understanding are vastly more important and powerful than our differences.

And:
Our community and our kids require us to be at our very best, to effectively and creatively meet massive economic and environmental challenge. No need to manufacture more conflict of our own! And along with very real challenges, individual and collective, we are blessed with abundance and freedom unknown in most of the world. We can play to each others’ strengths, hear each other’s interests and concerns, get the best information available, look at existing models of what works, and make the best-informed decisions possible.

Yours in gratitude, in delight for the big victories, in solidarity for the work ahead,

Ellen”

Those who follow Albany issues are well aware of the $600,000 waterfront “visioning” exercise which is currently underway. But there is another visioning process that is far more critical to the future of Albany.  Take a little quiz:

What does the city currently spend in a year to “run” Albany? Where does our money come from? How is this money spent?

Are expenditures rising faster than revenues? What future cost increases (salaries, pensions, etc.) are already built-in? Do you know what the city is paying to service debt (bond issues) already on the books? We are told the budget is “balanced”. Do you know what, if any, needed infrastructure projects (e.g. filling potholes, sewer repairs, etc.) were postponed or dropped in order to achieve this? Have you searched out the budget on the city website? If so, could you make heads or tails (or anything in between) of it?

Relax. This is a self-graded quiz, and no one needs to know how much you, or the rest of us, understand about Albany finances. The city certainly doesn’t make it easy for you, as anyone who searches the city’s website will discover. And while a look at the latest City of Albany Fall and Winter newsletters will tell you how to recycle food scraps and the best way to handle fallen leaves, they don’t contain a peep about Albany’s current financial condition and future prospects. We learn about the many plans and activities in place to assure that Albany is “sustainable” from the standpoint of contributing to a greener world, but we see no discussion, plan, or vision as to how Albany is going to financially sustain itself as a livable and viable city for the long haul.

There is some urgency here, since it appears that Albany will be looking at general revenue deficits in the near future, possibly as soon as 2009. And from what we can see, here is what the city is banking on for additional revenues:

–Increased taxes in the form of fees. A property transfer tax increase is on the ballot. But even if passed, revenues maybe down due to the slow housing market.

–Parking meters. Since this is not a popular one, the city has been a bit stealthy about developing a proposal. Depending on election results, this proposal could surface soon after November 4.

–Windfalls. Recently U.C. and Safeway have come forward with proposals to Albany that would be helpful in generating some economic revenue. But rather than recognizing such proposals as good fortune with a few wrinkles to work out, the city’s first reaction often tends toward a negative concern that green and other interests of the city could be trampled on.

–And, of course that old standby, property tax increases for home owners. No need to be concerned with economic justice here, or the fact that the buyer of a $500,000 house in Albany currently takes on roughly one grand a month in taxes. These folks are always good for a little more, it seems.

We would include “economic development” in the mix, but as of now the city’s efforts have been so feeble that realistically, little progress can be expected here under the present council. In the last two years, not a single significant business has been attracted to Albany. Hiring part time consultants does not revenue generate.

If the shotgun approach outlined above doesn’t quite get it for you, maybe it’s time for an organized and serious effort to plan for Albany’s continuing financial health in the years to come. What might such a project look like? Here’s a cut:

Education: That is, develop clear answers and explanations in respect to the questions in your quiz above. Several knowledgeable volunteers picked from our deep bench of Albany professional people could work with the city’s capable financial analyst to put a picture together for us that we could actually understand.

Periodic Reporting: Publicly held companies issue quarterly and annual reports to keep shareholders abreast of their financial condition. Why can’t Albany? Currently, the budget is published in an arcane format which is “mandated” by the State of California for the benefit of bureaucrats in Sacramento. We need to create and publish an “Albany friendly” version on a regular basis so that taxpayers can keep up with what is going on.

Visioning: A “vision” is described in Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as “something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy”. While this maybe an apt description of what goes on in the waterfront arena, for Albany’s financial future we need something a bit more concrete, based on sound financial projections, an assessment of future problems and opportunities, and possibly a look at some hard choices. All this in order to avoid a dive into the pool of red ink where many (most?) of our neighboring cities are currently swimming, or perhaps drowning.

What would all this cost? With the right people working as a volunteer Financial Planning Committee for Albany, maybe not much at all. Let’s hope the new city council puts something like this together.

Click to read another commentary by the same author: A City Council of One

 ”How self-serving of Ms. Wishner to publicize her support of Sierra Club candidates for Albany City Council without disclosing that she was a member of the Sierra Club committee that interviewed Council candidates for inclusion on its slate.The one objection she notes to this slate of candidates is that their election “will create an all-Progressive council”. My concern is far more specific than the label a candidate might–or might not–affix to his or her political philosophy: I am deeply suspicious of any candidate endorsed by the Sierra Club.

I am not”anti-Sierra Club”. I am, politically-speaking, a liberal, and I have been a long-time supporter of the Sierra Club and its conservation and education efforts. But during the last election the Sierra Club–as a political organization–and its candidates did much to create a serious rift in our community. Those Sierra Club candidates and their associates produced and distributed literature that was misleading (proposing a conference center that included land that was unavailable for sale or use) as well as nasty (campaign hit pieces). These same Sierra Club “operatives” filed a lawsuit against valued Albany community members–a lawsuit determined by a local court to be a SLAPP suit (a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). That case was found to be without merit and was dismissed and the bringers of that lawsuit–associates of the Sierra Club’s candidates–were charged with the costs and fees of the defendants. As far as I know, they have yet to pay a dime to the defendants.

It is time for the people of this community to recognize that the Sierra Club, notwithstanding its history and many laudable, and historical, endeavors, is no longer the 501(c)(3) charitable or educational organization people remember. Today it operates as a 501(c)(4) political action organization. And when Albany voters defer to selections made in closed meetings by “progressives” like Nan Wishner, they’re getting candidates who serve someone else’s agenda, and not the broader interests of our community.”

*Albany Today encourages open and constructive discussion on the current election and other issues of public concern in the community. All voices of reason from Albany residents are welcome. You can post your opinions under the articles or send them to me through email linjun9913@berkeley.edu

“Here’s why I plan to vote for Robert Lieber, Leo Panian, and Ellen Toomey for Albany City Council:

Robert Lieber has a solid list of environmental and progressive accomplishments from his four-year term, including leading both the Albany City Council and the mayors of Alameda County to take a strong stand opposing aerial pesticide spraying of the Bay Area for the light brown apple moth (LBAM). If not for Lieber’s courage and vocal leadership on this issue, we would already have been enduring airplanes spraying pesticides over our homes for as long as eight months. As Chair of the City’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Task Force, I worked closely with Lieber on this issue and saw firsthand his ability to speak out effectively, persuade those who disagreed, communicate to the media the urgency of the threat, and get results.

The LBAM spray is only one of Lieber’s accomplishments to improve the quality of life for residents of Albany and the region. Others include:

staunchly opposing a shopping mall on the Albany waterfront;
initiating formation of the city Social and Economic Justice Commission;
unwaveringly supporting the city’s new IPM and public art ordinances;
supporting banning environmentally damaging styrofoam containers in Albany;
pushing the city to develop a climate change action plan;
supporting a waterfront planning process that for the first time will bring Albany residents together;
working to stop expansion of urban gambling in San Pablo and Richmond, and introducing resolutions on numerous issues of state and national importance including ending the war in Iraq, supporting universal health care for Californians, supporting the rights of gay and lesbian Californians to marry, and creating a federal Department of Peace.

I have lived in Albany for 16 years, and I have never seen a mayor or council accomplish so much for the social good in such a short time.

These accomplishments have earned Lieber endorsements from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Assemblymember Loni Hancock, Assembly candidate Nancy Skinner, and all the members of the Albany Board of Education.

Some criticize Robert Lieber for his strong leadership. Launching personal attacks rather than focusing on the issues and Lieber’s positive accomplishments does a disservice not only to Lieber, who deserves respect for his outstanding record, but to all of us who are trying to understand and vote for the best policies and ideas. Many people talk about what they propose to accomplish. Robert Lieber doesn’t just talk; he gets things done, and we all benefit, in the short and long term.

Leo Panian has served as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner for the past 4 years and has demonstrated over and over his strong analytical mind and ability to grasp the full import of an issue and vote for what is right despite pressure from special interest groups. He stood up to the wireless industry to vote and apply the provisions of the city’s cell antenna ordinance, which protects homes and schools from exposure to dangerous RF radiation on a 24-hour basis. He supported Brightstar Montessori school’s new location in the face of unreasonable but vocal opposition. He has consistently supported and inclusive, community based waterfront planning process to allow Albany residents to craft our vision for our waterfront rather than be forced to continue responding to proposals by outside developers. He understands and votes for pedestrian- and bicycle- friendly city planning.

Along with candidate Ellen Toomey, Panian also understands the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we currently have at the Gill Tract – that the University’s desire for development at UC Village is a negotiating point to obtain commitments for the open space and organic farming that Albany residents want to see at the Gill Tract. This vision along with the new community garden at Ocean View Park, will provide community food security.

Campaign signs on Buchanan Street, Albany. Photo by Linda (Linjun) Fan.

Ellen Toomey has a long record of working for the good of the community: to preserve the Gill Tract, founding SchoolCare and working to get pesticides out of our schools. As a small business owner and for many years a Girls Softball League parent, she understands the needs of businesses and sports field users. She is able to both listen and take strong stands, and her skills, varied community connections, and the values by which she lives as a yoga teacher will serve her well in facilitating consensus and problemsolving on the council.

I have heard an objection that electing Lieber, Panian, and Toomey will create an all-progressive council. I don’t have a problem with a council committed to the progressive values of environmental stewardship and social justice that I believe most Albany residents share. And I have no illusion that these candidates will agree on everything. these candidates are independent thinkers and will disagree as thinking people do, just as Lieber and the other two current progressive councilmembers, Marge Atkinson and Joanne Wile, have disagreed on many issues, from the Pierce Street bike path to funding of the city’s IPM program to the City Hall remodel.

All three of these candidates have been endorsed by the Sierra Club, Democratic Party, and Green Party of Alameda County. I hope you will join me in supporting their progressive policies on election day.”

*Nan Wishner is a member of the Albany Arts Committee and served as Chair of the Albany Integrated Pest Management Task Force. Albany Today encourages open and constructive discussion on the current election and other issues of public concern in the community. All voices of reason from Albany residents are welcome. You can post your opinions under the articles or send them to me through email linjun9913@berkeley.edu.

“Let’s start with a look back at the last election:

In 2006 the Atkinson/Wile team received 6538 votes while O’keefe and Papalia received 4774. That’s roughly a 58% to 42% split and represented a clear rejection of the Caruso development proposal by the majority of Albany voters. But it also showed that a substantial minority of voters had an interest in seeing a development plan make it as far as a measure C vote, where all the voters in Albany could express their sentiments on a complete and detailed proposal. Caruso’s last proposal did include 17 acres of park along the waterfront (roughly 17 football fields in size).

Based on the campaign it was clear where Atkinson and Wile stood on waterfront issues. But by electing them the people of Albany got more than just temporary relief from the development controversy. What couldn’t be foreseen on election day was that the two:

Must surely have known that a move would be made to scrap Albany’s established rotational approach for choosing it’s mayor.
Would without question support the Council Member Robert Lieber as the new mayor; and
Were inclined to vote with him right down the line, whatever the issue under consideration.

With the support of Atkinson and Wile, Council Member Lieber was quickly able to elect himself Mayor Lieber. And since he has become mayor, these two council members have voted with him right at 100% of the time-with maybe one or two minor exceptions. In the face of strong and well-framed opposing views on important and controversial issues by council members Farid Javandel and Jewel Okawachi (as well as committee members and thoughtful citizens) , Atkinson and Wile have come through for the mayor every time, often with minimal comment, as if on cue. They support any motion he chooses to make, and oppose any he opposes.

Upon assuming his new office, Mayor Lieber could have expressed an intention to become the mayor for all the people of Albany; and to respect and consider the views of all our citizens. Instead he announced that, in electing Atkinson and Wile, “the people of Albany had spoken”, and had in fact, given him a personal mandate which justified his self-appointment as mayor and indicated approval and support, in advance, of all his views on how to move the City forward. He has since exercised that mandate vigorously and pushed through ordinances, and governmental changes, a number of which were clearly not supported by all “the people of Albany”. And a few of these moves, I think many will agree, appear to have been motivated more by political ambition and self interest than the good of the city. With the unwavering help of his support group he has also passed a number of resolutions in the name of Albany, that were not directly related to the business of the city, but (as he himself points out) were based simply on his strong personal need to “speak out” about what “we know is right.”. And perhaps build a record for a broader audience?

Since we now understand that time at Council meetings is clearly precious and not to be wasted, we would suggest a method for saving it. The city clerk can dispense with polling the full council on each motion and simply poll Mayor Lieber. With two council members in his pocket on virtually every vote, conclusions are foregone. Opposing votes by the remaining two council members may be of interest and have merit, but can never prevail. In the present circumstances, polling the full council can only achieve the same result as polling the mayor alone, so why bother?

If Mayor Lieber is re-elected to the council, he’ll surely appoint himself mayor for a third (and most likely a fourth) term. With council members Atkinson and Wile still in place, this will mean that for the next two years we will continue to have an Albany City Council Of One.”

*Editor’s Note: Albany Today encourages open and constructive discussion on the current election and other issues of public concern in the community. All voices of reason from Albany residents are welcome. You can post your opinions under the articles or send them to me through email linjun9913@berkeley.edu.

Dear Mr. Barone,

I was shocked when I heard a few days ago that you decided to release the three teachers in the resource department.  I also heard that your reason was that the way the resource department had been structured up to now, does not fit your vision of Albany High School.  It is very sad for me as the parent of a resource student to hear this…

I am wondering if you are aware of the huge impact the resource department has made for students with disabilities and their options, not only at AHS but in life…

I know that my son, Florian, who is very bright yet also dyslexic, would have probably not made it through high school without the support of Mr. Carlson. Mr. Carlson is more than a teacher to Florian; he is also a companion and a trustworthy friend.  Somebody who would believe in him and support him at all times, especially during the times when Florian lost confidence in himself.

This kind of engagement at school is invaluable. It makes it possible for smart kids who happen to be learning in different ways than most other kids to make it through high school and actually have a positive experience. For Florian it made the difference between feeling lost at school, often doubting his intelligence, and getting a GPA of above 3.5 in his junior and senior year.

In the name of all the resource students who have been in this fabulous program and the kids who are yet to take advantage of this opportunity, I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to cut back this invaluable program.

With kind regards,

Sabine Geiger