City of Oakland announces public meetings around selecting a new police chief

From the city of Oakland:
The Administration is embarking on a several-month process to conduct a national search for a permanent Police Chief for the Oakland Police Department (OPD). Our goal is to ensure that the best and brightest candidates emerge from a nationwide recruitment process that reflects the values of the community we serve and the Police Department workforce.
The Administation will engage the community and the Police Department workforce early on, including targeted outreach to our diverse and multi-lingual communities to ensure that the best possible candidates are considered in the selection of a successful permanent Police Chief.
There are a number of ways you can provide input: community meetings; an online survey available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese; emailing your input directly to OPDChiefRecruitment@oaklandnet.com, participating in an online conversation through www.engageoakland.com or by calling 510-238-2300. Input will be considered throughout the entire candidate evaluation process right up to the appointment of the permanent Police Chief.
The community survey and facilitated discussions at community meetings will focus on five questions:

1. What are the most important issues/priorities that you would like the new Police Chief to address?
2. What experience and track record should the new Police Chief have?
3. What skills and characteristics are the most critical for a new Police Chief to succeed in Oakland?
4. Is there anything else you would like the City to consider when selecting the new Police Chief?
5. What are you willing to do or contribute to help the new Police Chief?

The recruitment schedule is presented below:

Tentative Schedule:

• Community and Stakeholder Outreach Meetings : October-November
• Release of Position Profile Brochure/Advertise Position : November 1
• Open Application Period : November 1 – 29
• Screening of Candidates : December
• Selection Process : January-March 2014

Your input will help make this recruitment a success. We invite you to weigh in and help us select a high-caliber, permanent Police Chief whose skills, values and experience will serve our community well.

Northern California Regional HTEC Conference

date : Friday, November 1 & Saturday, November 2
time : 8:30am – 3:30pm
locale : Laney College 900 Fallon St (2nd floor)
Oakland CA 94607
more info : Northern California Regional HTEC Conference

This FREE conference is open to educators, students, manufacturing companies, counselors, labor personnel, policymakers and anyone interested in learning about manufacturing. Hosted by Laney College (900 Fallon St., 2nd Floor) Learn about manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and Northern California, and the training programs to meet those needs. Speakers from industry and education, tours and break-out sessions. Friday session focused on industry issues and Saturday on machine shop instructors and educator issues.
Register here for this free conference by Oct. 31.

We are proud to announce the start of an organic fruit and vegetable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pick up at AmSteel! All you have to do is sign up and chose either picking up from AmSteel or having your farm fresh produce delivered to your home. We had the chance to talk with Brandon from Albert and Eve Organics about the new CSA program and what his company does.   Here is what he had to say:

Albert and Eve Organics is a CSA for a the Agricultural Land Based Association (ALBA), a small-farm business incubator helping farm workers and other low-income individuals to create their own farm businesses. ALBA has 275 acres of farmland, all the farm equipment (tractors etc) and a classroom where the participants learn all the skills needed to be successful organic farmers, and at the end of the 6-7 year free program, we help the graduates lease or purchase their own organic farmland. One of my favorite things to do is to lead the farm tours for our members to meet the farmers and get their hands dirty picking strawberries and veggies to take home.

We are unique from other CSAs in allowing our members to choose the contents of their produce boxes if desired. Once an initial order is placed members will receive an email every Wednesday afternoon containing a list of produce selections for the following Monday through Friday delivery cycle. Members then have the option of visiting our website (www.alberteve.com) and customizing their boxes before our cut-off time of 9am on Friday, or if we don’t receive a customization we deliver the ‘set box’ for the week. We deliver to the Oakland area on Thursdays, or a Tuesday drop off is possible if that better suits your groups needs. Weekly or Bi-Weekly delivery schedules are available as well as One Time Only orders.

We also offer an ever expanding selection of all organic and local artisan foods. For example we offer pastured eggs, almond butter, hummus, jams, pickled veggies to name a few. We will soon be the only CSA in the area offering organic local pastured beef and chicken. We are also proud to be assisting Kirk Lombard in starting a truly sustainable Bay Area seafood CSA.

Delivery options are easy.  Pick up your order at AmSteel and we offer a 10% discount. We also are happy to deliver to your participants homes.

Sign up here and start enjoying your farm fresh produce!

Sustainable Community Supported Seafood, now at AmSteel!  This family run business is helping bring sustainable seafood to our neighborhood.

Sustainable Seafood Subscription
Kirk Lombard, fisherman, educator, entertainer and founder of Seaforager Tours now offers delicious seafood that you can feel great about. Sea Forager Seafood is a Community Supported Seafood (CSS) membership program that provides super fresh, sustainable seafood and a wealth of information about what makes it sustainable, how to prepare it, and tasty recipes.

Monthly fish parties
More than just seafood, Lombard offers an educational experience, including a monthly rotating fish party where people are encouraged to get out of the kitchen and meet the fishermen and women, sing along to sea chanteys, and learn about featured seasonal species from a man who loves to talk (and sing) about it.  Lombard also includes a free ticket to his Fisherman’s Wharf walking tour with each sign-up, so that members can get a more in-depth (and entertaining) understanding of local seafood resources and how to find and conserve them. Pick up your seafood package each week (bi-weekly service also available) from a conveniently placed cooler near you.

Become a Member
Order your fresh fish package online and pick it up every Friday from 5- 7:30pm at American Steel Studios. Select your package of mixed seafood or fish fillets for two or four servings, (weekly or every other week options available).  You can opt for as few as 4, or as many as 52 packages to cover an entire year!

This Friday and next, October 11 and 18, Kirk will “man” the distribution area himself to answer any questions you may have, regale you with tales from the wild Pacific, or just to say hello!

To learn more about Kirk’s sustainable seafood service or coastal foraging tours, visit www.seaforager.com.

PS:  Some of you may remember Kirk from the San Francisco band, Rube Waddell, for which he sings, plays the tuba and plucks home-made one string slide guitars.

date : October 19, 2013
time : 12 – 4pm
locale : 1960 Mandela Parkway, Oakland (enter on 20th street)
more info : www.thecraftyavenger.com

Hosted by American Steel Studios and The Crafty Avenger

Join Rebecca Peters on Saturday, October 5th, 2013 

Preorder your tasting tickets. Save your cash for food and skip the cash only line. Just  bring your receipt or smartphone

Celebrating Oktoberfest in Oakland, San Francisco Bay Area. Oaktoberfest (Oakland + Oktoberfest = Oaktoberfest) is a non-profit, family friendly street festival. Visit the About Oaktoberfest page for more information. Stage and on street entertainment is FREE to the public. Local food and crafts will be available for sale. Beverage tickets are available for a minimum donation so that they can be traded for microbrew, wine or root beer.

Oaktoberfest is a 501(c)iii non-profit fundraising event, donations go toward on-going community development efforts, Thanks to our Fiscal Sponsor Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation, Fed ID 94-2751052.

On Saturday, October 19th Kitty and Eric Gordon will be riding 35 miles in Pleasanton and Livermore as part of the Wheels For Meals Ride to help raise money for the Alameda County Food Bank. Kitty makes art from bikes, and she loves to ride them too!

The ride features well stocked rest stops and an end of event BBQ. The routes range from “family friendly” to white knuckle steep inclines and fast descents.

Alameda County Meals on Wheels supports the delivery of over 2,200 meals to homebound seniors every week day across the county.  The Wheels for Meals ride raises money through registration and rider solicited fundraising.

Thank you, Kitty and Eric for your efforts to bring much needed support and awareness to this cause!

Support Kitty and Eric in their efforts here
Register to be a rider here

Joel Key, who paints over in Poplar studio #7, also serves as chair of the board of an amazing new theater company in Oakland called Gritty City Rep (GCR).  American Steel Studios is excited to be hosting GCR’s gala as they launch their second season of edgy, powerful youth theater productions.

date : October 12, 2013
time : 4 – 8pm
locale : 1960 Mandela Parkway, Oakland (enter on 20th street)
more info : www.grittycityrep.org

GCR is the only full-fledged youth theatre company in Oakland.  They produce edgy, relevant, professional work with young performers who attend or are recent graduates of Oakland public schools.  They work with 14-20 year olds who are all untrained; most begin with no theatre experience; many have never even seen a play.  The company provides at least a year of theatre training and performance for each participant, and is completely free for youth and their families.  One of GCR’s main goals is to increase the theatre attendance of young people in Oakland, as they believe that theatre is a natural, exciting, and vivid community building experience that develops empathy and connection amongst the players AND the audience members.

GCR produces two or three shows per year with a two-week run of each show, performing modern and devised theatre in the fall and Shakespeare in the spring.  This year, their season opener, Caught Up, takes a hard look at American policies of mass incarceration, and poses the question: “why are so many young Black men caught up in the system?”  The devised new work includes many voices, both local and national, and uses physical theatre and a strong point of view to educate and galvanize their audience to action.

After a successful $10,000 indiegogo fundraising campaign, GCR had the honor of being offered a spot as a resident theatre company at Flight Deck, a brand new theatre complex currently under construction at 1540 Broadway.  Please see their website (www.grittycityrep.org) for more information!

Carl Stieger

gala reception : Friday, Oct 4, 6-9pm

dates : October 5-27, 2013
time : 11am – 6pm
locale : 5699 Bay Street (in Bay Street Emeryville)
more info : www.emeryarts.org

The 27th Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition presents a selection of works by 84 artists who live or work in Emeryville. American Steel Studios artist Carl Stieger will be showing

Music by Collaboration Trio
David Sydney Scott
Dorian Bartley
Bob Johns

Free to the public.

Mens Amplio is a 15 foot tall model of a human head and brain, designed by Don Cain and built by a team of artists from a wide range of disciplines. The brain incorporates an array of light and flame effects controlled by a participant through the use of an EEG headset. The headset translates the participant’s shifting mental and emotional state into patterns of light and fire mimicking the images of clinical brain scans in real time. The MA crew brings together expertise in brain imaging and neural interfaces, LED and flame effects, and metal fabrication to create a sculpture that bridges the worlds of art and science.

After their much anticipated opening at Burning Man, the DSC showed for Yahoo, and now are offering to bring Mens Amplio to Bay Area schools to inspire our youth with the power of their own minds. Stay tuned for information about the upcoming Educators Preview to be hostessed at American Steel Studios.  In the mean time, take a sneak peak at what could be happening to inspire your child’s school and check out the Brain in Action!