Dimond Neighborhood News

by Carol Lundgaard

Farmer Joe's

Don't miss the celebration for the opening of Farmer Joe's on Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the parking lot between Champion St. and Fruitvale Ave. (See story page [?].)

Dimond Improvement Association

The DIA Business Support Committee and the Dimond Business and Professional Association have formed teams to work for the benefit of the business district. The teams will address making the Dimond a destination, attracting new business, and cleanliness. To join one of these teams, e-mail carolynvallerga\@yahoo.com.

The clean team will steam-clean sidewalks (equipment donated by Booker Clark of First Building Maintenance), pull weeds, clean tree wells, garden, and pick up trash the last Saturday morning of each month, staging from the Giant Burger parking lot. Next scheduled cleanup is June 24 (coinciding with the Farmer Joe's opening day celebration), from 7 to 10 a.m.

National Night Out

The Dimond will participate in the 23rd annual event (www.nationalnightout.org) on Tuesday, August 1, to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Contact Ed Goehring, ebgb\@sbcglobal.net, to participate.

Dimond Public Safety Council

The DPSC participated in a citywide disaster drill on April 29. Chair Ed Goehring reports.

In addition to walkie-talkie tests, Dimond saw well executed drills by the CORE groups on Everett, Laguna/Hearst, and Whittle/Forest Hill. Special thanks to neighbors Sora Counts and Joan Cardellino, Robin Goodfellow, the firefighters of Station 16, and the CORE groups for their participation and help.

Contact Ed Goehring at ebgb\@sbcglobal.net.

Sequoia Elementary School

The school is in immediate need of two new playground structures, with the ultimate goal to beautify the entire playground. They need to raise $100,000 for the playground structures, matting, and installation, and are planning a combination of fundraisers, grants, and donations. They have raised $9,000 to date. If you have grant writing experience, know of specific foundations that support school beautification, or would like to donate funds, please contact Principal Kyla Trammell at 879-1510.

Neighborhood Block Groups

Rhoda Avenue (3500-3700) block captain Art White reports that they are continuing efforts to get speed bumps and are only a few signatures short of the 67 percent needed.

Rhoda will participate in the National Night Out (NNO) for the second time. They are proud to have two representatives, Shelley Gardener and Michael Munk, participating in CORE training. And they want to nominate neighbors Duong Cong and My Tran for an "Orchid" for beautifying the MacArthur end of the block with their charming front garden at 3516 Rhoda Avenue.

To start a block group, call Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Brenda Ivey at 238-3091, or e-mail bivey\@oaklandnet.com.

Artistic Pleasures

A celebration of Dimond artist Debbie Koppman's beautiful new mural near the eighth-gradeportables at Bret Harte Middle School was held Saturday, May 13. Thanks to all who assisted, including Sharon Higgins; art teacher Ms. Brubaker and her students, who created sketches that were incorporated into the mural; Alan Marcus, who helped prep the wall and arranged for the scaffolding; Malia Dinell; Principal Mary Hamadeh; Bret Harte PTA; and the East Bay Community Foundation, for funding this project.

Visit www.dimondnews.org and join the list. Write Carol at dimond.metro\@gmail.com.