Laurel Neighborhood News

by John Frando and Kathleen Rolinson

Summer Solstice Music Festival

On Saturday, June 23, between 1 and 7 p.m., the Laurel will again celebrate the summer solstice with live music. Over 80 groups, double the number from last year, will perform along MacArthur Blvd. and around Laurel Elementary School. Several artists are returning from last year, including legendary jazz saxophonist Hal Stein, Korean folk singer Miena Yoo, jazz-pop-

funk-fusion duo Gemini Soul, and western swing sextet Lipsey Mountain Spring Band.

Pick up a festival program at the Laurel Lounge, MacArthur at 38th Ave. The range of music is huge—rock, pop, alternative, folk, Cajun/zydeco, metal, classical, flamenco, jazz, country, latin, blues, funk, calypso, soul, bluegrass, opera, hip hop, rap, and many types of world music. Use the program to find the time and location of your favorite music, or even better, wander through the neighborhood and sample the many groups.

The festival, produced by the Laurel Village Association, is free to the public. For more information, call Mark Baldwin at 967-1255, or visit www.LaurelVillage.org.

Laurel Lounge

Renowned saxophonist Hal Stein was recently showcased in a series of performances at the Laurel Lounge.

On May 12, husband and wife co-owners Gregg and Mei McGlinn listened along with the audience, drawn largely from the neighborhood. "It was Hal's neighbor Stella Lamb who helped arrange these appearances," Gregg said.

The couple purchased the lounge with its iconic sign at 3932 MacArthur last year. They refined it to suit neighborhood residents with a large addition of microbrews, full liquor bar, television tuned to favorite sports games, and team pennants on the walls, along with a pool table and darts.

Mei noted that business has been very good as neighbors, who used to bypass the bar, now stopped and discovered that it is a great hangout.

When you go, look for the couple's dog Sabrina who helps greet patrons with a friendly tail wag. Visit www.LaurelLounge.com for more information.

Café Resumes Evening Hours

Nearly two weeks after the armed robbery of an employee on April 11, the popular World Ground Café resumed regular summer evening hours, staying open until 9 p.m. The manager reports that the injured worker has returned to work, but the suspects have not been found.

At the May 11 Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council meeting, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Renee Sykes outlined new and ongoing measures that the police are undertaking to curb crimes such as the armed robbery.

"There has been a pattern of criminals, some clean-cut looking, casing potential robbery victims, following them home late in the evening from the business corridor," she said.

Lorinda Ochoa of the District Attorney's office attended and spoke, "We are seeing an unprecedented number of armed robberies in areas of Oakland like yours. Violent criminals are moving from other areas where residents have more street smarts to areas where residents are less cautious and have more to steal."

Renee advised residents to take measures to help ensure their own personal safety and that of their immediate neighbors, noting, "This area has one of the lowest number of registered Neighborhood Watch groups in Oakland."♦

John Frando can be reached at jfrando\@gmail.com, Kathleen Rolinson at krolinson\@gmail.com.