Dimond News

by Ann Nomura

Destination Dimond We got trees! Many thanks to Dan Gallagher from Oakland Parks and Recreation for going out of his way to get us four lovely flowering pears in the business district. A Subway Sandwiches franchise will soon be opening in the Dimond, and Mel's Diner did attractive fa?ade improvements and sign repairs. The Shop Oakland Contest winner won two Southwest Airline tickets at Making Ends Meet, Oakland's best child and baby boutique, on Fruitvale Avenue. New countdown lights were installed at Fruitvale and MacArthur. Neighbors and merchants have decided to follow the Laurel's example and apply for grant funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The grant would provide for re?ngineering and streetscaping of the business district. Lara Dutto, Shari Godinez, and the DIA have taken the lead on the project. Get involved, get online at dimondnews.org. Dimond Kids In March, Fruitvale Elementary opened a prekindergarten school, which serves 42 children and should prepare them for success. State Assembly majority leader Wilma Chan has adopted Fruitvale School and is fighting at the state level to protect school funding. Students from Dimond's Renaissance School will be some of the contributors to the "Celebration of Children's Creativity" exhibit, which opens Saturday, May 11, at 5 p.m., 54 Washington Street in Jack London Square. Meanwhile, Sequoia kids have begun to make masks for their June 6 Mask Parade. Don't miss it. To get involved with Sequoia School, contact kellyandkids\@earthlink.net. Redistricting Revisited Under considerable pressure from Dimond neighbors, Council president Ignacio De La Fuente revised his redistricting map. Ca?on and below MacArthur Blvd. to Champion Street were returned to District 4. This still leaves large pieces of the Dimond in De La Fuente's district, but both De La Fuente and Councilmember Quan have promised neighbors that they will work together to serve the needs of the Dimond. "Now that Councilmember De La Fuente has the Glenview and a big piece of the Dimond, what does he intend to do with it?" asks neighbor Robin Goodfellow.