Dimond Neighborhood News

by Daniel Swafford

Welcome Lincoln Court Residents On October 1 Lincoln Court Senior Apartments, at the corner of Lincoln Ave. and MacArthur Blvd., will be fully occupied. This highly anticipated opening completes the development phase of the once infamous Hillcrest Motel property. Co-managed and owned by Self Help for the Elderly, Lincoln Court has 82 mostly one-bedroom units with street level parking and two large multi-use rooms, one being a computer lab and the other a case management facility. Special Projects Coordinator Beverly Karnatz admires the energy and interest of the new tenants, who wish to be active participants in the community. She envisions Lincoln Court as a focal point in the district, where service providers can meet to work with the community and make the Dimond a better place to live. Beverly will see that a variety of opportunities are available to tenants by enlisting a number of program providers already offering senior services in the area, including Fruitvale Presbyterian, St. Jarlath, Dimond Park, Dimond Library, and the soon-to-open Altenheim. Lincoln Court's programs and facilities are not exclusively for residents. Neighbors will be invited to participate in programming and to utilize the common spaces. Welcome! Events St. Jarlath School hosts its annual Parish Festival on October 1. Father Francisco Figueroa and Principal Francesca De Luca welcome guests to their historic red brick school and church, at 2634 Pleasant St., just off 580 at Fruitvale, for a day of activities at their community fair. The Peace Vigil will be held the same evening. Meet at Lincoln and MacArthur at 7 p.m. to promote peace in the Dimond neighborhood and in the world. Your message matters. Call 530-3099 for more information. Crime Wave Abated in Dimond Many have heard about the August 27 arrest of a father and son responsible for over 26 robberies in Oakland and Alameda. OPD Officer Chris Saunders made the arrest as the assailants fled the 7-Eleven in the Dimond. Officer Saunders had just left the scene of another crime and made the decision to check on MacArthur businesses. The Dimond community thanks Officer Saunders for being an example of proactive community policing. Improved safety is still a major concern of local residents and is seen by many merchants as necessary to attract new businesses and bring more shopping dollars to the business district. Edward Goehring chairs the DIA Public Safety Council and encourages attendance at the monthly meetings. Help find viable solutions with city and police officials at the October 4 meeting, 6:30 p.m., in the Dimond Library.