The Brooks Blotter May 2014

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

Help us make a difference in our community.

Council Member Desley Brooks is building a new playground in your neighborhood in JUST ONE DAY!

Your help is needed to prepare for this exciting day in District 6.

Councilmember Brooks wrote and was awarded a grant

to build a new play structure at Burkhalter Park. In partnership with KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit

dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most-

Councilmember Brooks, community volunteers, City of Oakland, and OCCUR will build a great new place for

kids to play in ONE day.

DATE: Friday, June 20, 2014

How it works/How to get involved:

The play structure will be designed by kids from the community. A KaBoom build is like an old-fashion barn raising where the community comes out and builds the structure in one day! We need you to help us build this play structure on June 20th. To volunteer to be a part of our play structure team please call Councilperson Brooks' office 510.238.3971, email us dbrooks@oaklandnet.com Help create positive change in your neighborhood.

Why build a playground?: Councilmember Brooks aligns and identifies with KaBoom!'s assessment that there is a "play deficit" in America. More and more of our children trade in play time for staring at TV and Ipad screens for hours. However, studies show that not only does playing increase a child's physical health, it is a major factor in developing social skills and reinforcing confidence and self esteem in young people. The more we encourage our children to be active and see having a safe place to play as a right, not a luxury, the more character and strength we build in our youth and future society. About KaBoom!: KaBOOM! is a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America's children. Their mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities. Ultimately, KaBoom envisions a place to play within walking distance of every child in America. To learn more about KaBoom visit www.Kaboom.org

Made possible by: :

The Brooks Blotter May 2014

ENGAGE/EDUCATE/EMPOWER Empowerment is a word that is often thrown around loosely in our community. In it's truest form, empowerment is achieved when a person or people are equipped with what they need to sustain a healthy and thriving life; where one can independently provide for themselves and their families with dignity and pride. Councilmember Brooks has developed a workshop series in District 6 designed to empower residents with both information and opportunities to reinforce a great quality of life in our community.

The Empowerment Series will be hosting two special sessions in the month of May. We will have guest speakers at both meeting: Captain Tull, Oakland Police Dept and Paul Hora, Alameda County District Attorney's Office will be speaking to the community on what to look for when reporting illegal dumping activities. Also, the sessions will inform residents on what to look for, how to properly document information, and how or what should be submitted to the District Attorney's office for further prosecution.

Public Safety and Justice Monday, May 12, 2014

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Faith Baptist Church 2680 - 64th Avenue

Oakland, CA Guest Speakers:

Captain Tull, Oakland Police Dept. Paul Hora, Alameda County District Attorney's Office

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Arts & Culture/Public Works Saturday, May 17, 2014

10am to 12:00noon Last Day Revival Church

2001 73rd

Ave. Guest Speaker:

Captain Tull, Oakland Police Dept.

District 6 Empowerment Committees meeting are held monthly: 1

st Saturday - Economic Dev. 10:00am to Noon -Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship- 7272 MacArthur Blvd

2nd

Monday – Public Safety 6:00pm to 8:00pm – Faith Baptist Church -2680 64th Ave

3rd Saturday – Public Works-10:00am to noon –Last Day Revival Ministries- 2001 73

rd Ave.

The Brooks Blotter May 2014

S P O T L I G H T O N E X C E L L E N C E C E L E B R A T I N G O A K L A N D C O M M U N I T Y

M E M B E R S B U I L D I N G G R E A T T H I N G S

E A S T O A K L A N D N A T I V E L I L A O W E N S H A S A

C U P C A K E E N T E R P R I S E T H A T ' S T A K I N G O F F

L I L A O W E N S G R E W U P O N T H E E A S T S I D E

O F O A K L A N D , C A A T T E N D I N G S K Y L I N E

H I G H S C H O O L A N D T H E N G O I N G O N T O

H O W A R D U N I V E R S I T Y . O V E R T H E L A S T T W O

Y E A R S S H E ' S B E E N B U I L D I N G A B U D D I N G

B U S I N E S S W I T H G R E A T P O T E N T I A L :

C U P C A K I N ' B A K E R Y A F T E R H U G E

I N D E P E N D E N T S U C C E S S S E L L I N G H E R

C U P C A K E S T O A L O Y A L A N D S A T I S F I E D

B A S E , M S . O W E N S I S T A K I N G T H E B I G L E A P

A N D O P E N I N G H E R O W N B A K E R Y T O H O U S E

H E R D E L I C I O U S T R E A T S ! C U P C A K I N ' B A K E R Y

W I L L B E L O C A T E D O N D U R A N T S T R E E T I N

B E R K E L E Y B U T T R U E T O I T ' S O A K L A N D

R O O T S W I L L C O N T I N U E T O C A T E R C U P C A K E S

A N D S E R V I C E T H E E N T I R E B A Y A R E A !

L I L A A N D H E R T E A M H A V E S T A R T E D A

F U N D R A I S I N G C A M P A I G N F O R 1 0 K T O

S U P P O R T T H E K I T C H E N B U I L D O U T F O R

T H E I R N E W B A K E R Y A N D T H E I R A L R E A D Y

H A L F W A Y T O T H E G O A L !

Councilmember Brooks highly encourages Oakland

residents to be informed on the issues being discussed on

your behalf at City Hall. You can always visit the city's

website and view upcoming agenda items. Click here to visit

site and review upcoming agendas. Below are some of the

important issues before your city government

'ShotSpotter' program hangs in the balance in Oakland.

ShotSpotter technology is a program that through high tech sensory systems alerts law enforcement instantly when a gun is fired in a particular area and pinpoints the location of the shots. This is a major tool in helping police officers hone in on where firearms are discharged in our city, versus the common and often challenging process of having to guess or speculate where gunshots are coming from. Recently there has been talks of discontinuing the ShotSpotter program in Oakland because of it's cost, an estimated $250,000 annually according to an SF Chronicle report last year.

This same report found that both residents and city council members do not want to see the program vanquish. Councilmember Brooks: "In the past I've played a role in getting Shotspotter reactivated and funded. It has been a program that I have long supported. I believe that it is a useful tool in helping our police department address gun violence in our community."

It's no secret that gun violence in Oakland is an issue. The enormity of it all may not be as known though. For example, in February of this year alone the ShotSpotter system documented 258 reports of gunfire across East and West Oakland.

This is definitely an issue to not only know about but add your voice and opinion to. The next City Council meeting is Tuesday May 6, 2014 at 5:30PM in City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor- City Hall. Again, to see the full agenda for this meeting and upcoming

meetings be sure to visit www. oaklandnet.com

The Brooks Blotter May 2014

Councilmember Desley Brooks would like to give a Big THANKS to Oakland Unified Superintendent

Tim White!

At the end of last year several Skyline area residents contacted me about their concerns with the Skyline High School fence. According to them there were several issues which compromised the security of the fence as well as

the overall aesthetics of the fence.

In January I met with Deputy Superintendent, Tim White, at Skyline and shared the residents' concerns. We walked the perimeter of the fence and asked questions of people we encountered while there. At the conclusion of our meeting, Deputy Superintendent White agreed to the following improvements to and along Skyline fence: 1. Replacement of the fence in phases 2. Removal of built-up pine needles along the fence 3. Removal of the tires stored along the fence 4. Removal of other items stored along the fence Last week the portions of the fence were replaced. The fence is being replaced in phases as funding becomes available. The pine needles, tires, and other items have been removed. Thank you Deputy Superintendent White for partnering with my office to make a difference in our community.

Councilmember Desley Brooks

The Brooks Blotter May 2014

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Councilmember Desley Brooks Presents...

Did you know that the Oakland Public Library has an online hub called the 'Teen Zone' with all sorts of opportunities and programs for teens in Oakland? It's awesome! This site is about way

more than books and libraries (though we love our books and libraries!). You have to check it out and share with youth you know in our City.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE TEEN ZONE SITE

It's almost that time of year again! Summer is just around the corner and we are excited to announce this years 3 on 3 basketball competition! I am so grateful to the Golden State Warriors and Goodwin Sports Management for their support of such a fun, safe, and inspiring event in Oakland! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER

The Brooks Blotter May 2014

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Easter Egg Hunt and Schools Out Resource Fair was a

huge success at Arroyo Park!

Councilmember Desley Brooks sponsored her 10th Annual Easter Extravaganza and School's Out Resource Fair. Over 700 kids were in attendance all enjoying here 3 hunts with lots of candy! The kids gushed in shear joy as they raced to find candy to place into their Easter basket. At the School's Out Fair over 20 organizations that provide After School and Summer Camp programs for children and youth were there to talk to young people and their families. Some of the programs that participated were the David Glover Technology Center, Children's Fairyland, Oakland Police Activity League, Oakland Head Start, Parks and Recreation and more. Parents were able to sign-up their kids on the spot for participation in the programs. Each year the Oakland Black Police Officer's Association distributes pre made baskets to outstanding kids. So many wonderful Oakland children and their families were in attendance, and all the music, egg hunting, and information exchanging was a true blessing on this sunny Saturday in District 6! Special thanks to all the people who helped make this such a great event.

For information, news, and events in District 6 and Oakland wide "Like" me on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Desley-Brooks/135189713236208