Laurel Neighborhood Newsby John Frando and Kathleen Rolinson |
Second Annual Summer Solstice Music Festival |
Saturday, June 23, the Laurel Village Association will host the second annual Summer Solstice Music Festival. Modeled after the international Fte de la Musique, this free festival will feature musical groups from the Bay Area and beyond, performing in public spaces in the Laurel. Musicians of all skills and types as well as volunteers are needed to run the event. Contact Kathleen at krolinson\@gmail.com. For updates on the festival schedule and fundraising events, visit www.laurelvillage.org. Repainting the Laurel and Beyond
On any given day in the Laurel, graffiti defaces commercial, residential, and city property. From continual taggings at the old Valero station on 35th to high-rise letters on the new Farmer Joe's in the Dimond, incidents of this vandalism appear to be increasing, bringing fears of potential gang activity and turf wars. Score one for the good guys, though. Weekly, and sometimes daily, Jo-Ann Graffiti-Buster takes to the streets with a bucket of chemicals, paints, and an unending determination to keep the unwanted artistry to a minimum. Armed with solvents, brushes, and gloves, our hero removes tags and repaints tagged public areas from Redwood Heights to Foothill Boulevard, while educating homeowners along the way on what chemicals work best and how to remove the paint themselves. Jo-Ann Graffiti-Buster focuses mostly on public areas, such as street signs and utility boxes. For city property, she recommends calling the city of Oakland Graffiti Abatement hotline, 615-5566, and providing the exact location of the tagging. Business owners and residents are responsible for keeping their own property clean. Vacant properties, such as the Valero on 35th Avenue, are continually repainted by the property owners, but often the tag artists return the next day. Staying vigilant is key, says Jo-Ann. Keep contacting the city and
business owners when new incidents appear. She adds, "With the new administration, efforts to keep Oakland beautiful will be given even greater emphasis". The Laurel Village Association is sponsoring a workshop on graffiti removal in the spring. In the meantime, we are grateful to citizens like Jo-Ann Graffiti-Buster and others who keep the Laurel looking sharp. John Frando can be reached at jfrando\@gmail.com, Kathleen Rolinson at krolinson\@gmail.com.
|
