Serving the neighborhoods from Fruitvale Avenue to Seminary Avenue and from Foothill Boulevard to Warren FreewayVolume 11 Number 10 December 1999/January 2000

A Community Newspaper • P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619 • (510) 287-2655

“Please excuse our magic dust dur-ing renovation,” read the sign at theentrance to Children’s Fairyland.Autumn leaves swirled in the No-vember air as I hurried to this specialcorner of Lake Merritt Park. Insidethe park’s entrance, a uniformeddoorperson in the emerald-green ofthe City of Oz greeted me. From be-neath her towering chapeau flowedwaist-length wavy blonde hair. Herangelic appearance was tempered byan au courant pair of wire-rim spec-tacles and a mischievous grin.Twelve-year-old Sarah Uttermannled me to Fairyland’s office, and, to-gether with Executive DirectorNancy Stark, we settled in for a chatabout Sarah’s three-year stint as oneof the park’s Personalities.

hile Stella Lamb ofPatterson Avenue,with the help of all

her neighbors, was engineer-ing the planting of two hun-dred City of Oakland treesto beautify her Laurel Schoolneighborhood, she metneighbor Haybert Houston ofCalifornia Street, publisher ofJazz Now magazine. Thence

Confessions of aNew Parent.

See back page.

You, too, can become a friend of the Metro. See page 2.

Your support helps keep the Metro alive! Become one of the Thousand Friends.

Charles R. Marshall, Eugene Maddy, Gerry Murphy, Jill Neely, Carol & Mason Moss, Eugene & Jacquelyn Crenshaw,Richard, Helen & Robert Hope, Julliette & Steve Lucas and Virgina Leskowski, Mary M. Jones, Betty Perez, Marion Mills,

Morton Marcus, Rachel B. Carr, Jody Lerner and Mike Volk, Marilyn Miller, Alan Harper, Donovan Family, Claire Jeannette

andlords are obliged tomaintain their properties.The law can and will pe-

nalize them for neglect. TenLaurel District families onMaybelle proved this. Theirlives had been burdenedby blighted rental propertyoccupied by troublesometenants. They found theirsolution in Oakland’s BlightOrdinance and the SmallClaims Court strategy pio-neered by Safe Streets Now!

As reported in the March1998 Metro article by Peter

Sarah in Fairyland

The Laurel JazzFestival Is Born

Metro: When did you first cometo Fairyland, Sarah?

Sarah: I guess I was about twoyears old. From that time, I mostremember the shoe where theOld Woman lives. It’s just theright size for really little kids. Iwas delighted to find somethingthat was for me, not for bigadults. I started theater trainingwhen I was five. And then, whenI was eight, I auditioned and be-came a Fairyland Personality.The Personalities are a group of30 kids 8 to 10 years old who per-form at Fairyland.

Metro: Is performing here dif-ferent from your other theaterexperience?

Sarah: It’s much more relaxed.

Bond, the neighbors, assistedby Community PolicingOfficer Kevin Reed andNeighborhood Services officerRenee Sykes, tried the friendlyapproach but found that onlythe threat of a hefty fineforced the absentee landlordto evict troublesome tenants.

The property remainedblighted however, so the tenimmediate neighbors put ina claim asking for $5000 each.The court ruled that theparties should meet with anarbitrator first, then returnfor a final ruling. During thisperiod, the landlord made

Landlord Pays for Neglect

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Enjoy yourholidays.The Metro

returnsFebruary 1.

Fairyland’s Sarah Uttermann.

sprang the vision of a jazzfestival at the Laurel Schoolto raise money for landscap-ing and play structureswhere asphalt and chain-link fences now blight thearea.

A magical series ofconnections led Stella fromJulien Bond, pianist atnearby Cornerstone BaptistChurch, to the BerkeleyHigh School Jazz Ensemble.

B Y P E T E R B O N D substantial improvementsand put the property up forsale.

Although the problemswere abated, the valiant tenwent back to court seekinga ruling that would informother communities abouthow to penalize neglectfullandlords. The decision wasin their favor. The blightedproperty was found tohave caused approximately$20,000 in damages to thosewho brought suit, and thelandlord was ordered topay that sum.

Speaking for his group,Peter Bond concluded, “Wenow know that there are or-dinances in Oakland that canprod owners into action. We

cont inued on page 4

B Y T R I S H W E S T

Third graders at Laurel School perform ”multiplication dance” aspart of the Laurel Jazz Festival.

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Neighbors win settlement: (L-R) Inge Engel, Evelyn Kirby, BobbieBond, Margie Bailey, Peter Bond, Dan Kirby.

cont inued on page 2

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HappyHolidays!

2December 1999/ January 2000

HOT NUMBERSCITY OF OAKLAND AGENCIES

ABAT—the Alcoholic 238-7103Beverage Action Team

Graffiti hotline 238-4703

Abandoned cars 615-5715

O.P.D. Non-emergency 238-3333

Animal control 535-5602

Beat Health (drugs) 615-5808

Drug Hotline 238-DRUG

Noise Hotline: 238-6777(Oakland CEDA,property complaint line)

C.O.R.E. 238-6352(Citizens of OaklandRespond to Emergencies)

Truancy Hotline 479-2199

Oaklanders Assistance 444-CITYCenter knows the answerto all problems with cityand other governmentalservices in Oakland.

PRIVATE AGENCIES

Safe Streets Now 836-4622(drugs)

A Safe Place 536-7233(domestic violence)

Conciliation 763-2117Services of Oakland(neighborhood disputes)

Sentinel Fair Housing 836-2687(free landlord-tenantcounseling anddiscrimination investigation)

Managing EditorToni Locke

Copy EditorsPaulette AveryAnne Fox

Finances/BookkeepingReuben Goldberg

Advertising ManagerSuzanne Tipton

Art DirectorAndreas Jones

Word ProcessingDavid Raich

PhotographyJody BerkeRisha Hess

DistributionDal Sellman

MailingDiane Trost

�

Board of DirectorsMichael BroadJanet BroughtonDouglas FergusonReuben GoldbergBettie GrandisonLori Hope

�

A special thanks to allresidents, associations, andmerchants for their support.Also, a special thanks to allvolunteer writers, artists,photographers and distributors.

Imagesetting by CameraGraphics,Lafayette, California,(925) 283-2473.Printing by Alternative WebPrinting, Oakland, California,(510) 261-3666

Opinions expressed in the MacArthurMetro are those of the contributorsand do not necessarily reflect theviews held by the publication.© 1999 by the MacArthur Metro,P.O. Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619(510) 287-2655.

We welcome yournews and ads;

deadline the 15th.

Publication in thefirst week of each

month exceptJanuary and July.

ISSN 1091-1111

How to Reachthe Metro

WRITE US A LETTER. Sendyour comments to Lettersto the Editor, MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19046,Oakland, CA 94619.

GIVE US A CALL. Our voice-mail number is: 287-2655.

Letters may be edited forlength or clarity. Please in-clude name, address andphone number. We do notprint anonymous letters.

I want to support THE METROTHE THOUSAND FRIENDS (A donation of $10 to $49)

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Mail to The MacArthur Metro, P.O.Box 19046, Oakland, CA 94619

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City Public Worksand County Officeof Education Grow

More GreenIn the San Leandro hills nearthe Oakland border lies theWilmont Sweeney EducationCenter, a high school run bythe Alameda County Officeof Education for first-timejuvenile offenders. One of thecenter’s amenities is a green-house, which had fallen intodisuse. Last spring, city andcounty staff developed a planto renovate the greenhouseand use it and a nearby lathhouse to grow riparian(creekside) plants using thelabor and care of WilmontSweeney students. Oakland’sWatershed ImprovementProgram, administeredby the city Public WorksAgency, has an ongoingneed for riparian plants forvolunteer groups such asthe Friends of Sausal Creekthat are carrying out restora-tion projects with the city’ssupport. Greenhouse repairswere started this summer,and plant production hasalready begun.

The collaboration iswin-win-win: students gainmarketable greenhouse skillsand participate in a hands-onenvironmental educationprogram with a local focus.Also, the County’s green-house is used for its intendedpurpose, and the City getshard-to-find riparian plantsat a reduced cost. The SausalCreek Watershed benefitstoo, as volunteers, students,and city and county staff col-laborate to collect seeds, takecuttings, and grow hundredsof plants that will eventuallybe returned to the watershedto help restore native plantcommunities.

For more informationabout the Wilmont Sweeneyprogram, call JenniferStanley, City of OaklandEnvironmental ProjectsSpecialist, at 238-6889. Tojoin the Friends, come to thenext monthly meeting, onWednesday, December15, from 7 to 9 p.m. at theDimond Library, or join ournext workday, on Saturday,December 18, from 9 a.m. tonoon at Dimond Park. Formore information about theFriends, call Anne Hayes at231-9566.

Friends of Sausal Creek

B Y A N N E H A Y E SAnything goes here, so we cantry out new things and impro-vise. The show is a little differ-ent every time we put it on. Wecan write new songs and addnew lines. That keeps it fun forthe performers.

Metro: One of the 1999 playswas Wizard of Oz. What wasyour part?

Sarah: I was an MC, which isa job for Personality graduates.I worked the sound system,cued the music, helped the di-rector, and was an understudyfor all the roles. Because thesound system is kind of tem-peramental, I got to use myfavorite phrase a lot: “We’rehaving tech-ni-cal difficulties.”

Metro: Were there other kindsof difficulties as well?

Sarah: The funniest was whenGlinda the Good Witch wassinging the closing song. Alittle boy in the front row musthave really liked the CowardlyLion, because he kept growlingall through the song. Roarrrrr!His sister was embarrassedand put her hand over hismouth. So he did as any reallion would do—he bit her!On stage, we were laughingso hard.

Metro: What role has beenyour favorite?

Sarah: My first year, I was apig in a Chinese fairytale.That’s my favorite animal. Noone else seems to like them, soI say, hey, stand up for the un-popular animals!

Metro: I guess it’s inevitablethat Fairyland gets comparedto Disneyland. How do yourate the two parks?

Sarah: Disneyland is muchmore commercial. You’re con-stantly encouraged to buy, buy,buy. Fairyland is smaller andfriendlier. I think it’s more at-tuned to the needs of little kids,who might get scared by somesix-foot-tall talking mouse.At Fairyland, the Personalitiesdon’t wear masks, and we’renot that much older than thechildren who visit. The ridesare smaller and gentler, justright for little kids.

Metro: Has Fairyland been an

important source of friends foryou?

Sarah: I’ve known some kidshere for years—like CharlieO’Malley, who played theScarecrow in Oz. He alwayssays that some day he’ll takeNancy’s job as park director,and everyone believes that hewill!

Metro: Does Fairyland havea place in your growing-upplans?

Sarah: I’d like to get my workpermit when I’m fourteen andwork here, just like puppeteerFrank Oz did a long time ago.Of course, there are all sorts ofother things that I like to do—drawing, acting, playing thepiano, singing, using the com-puter. Maybe someday I’ll bean author/actress/marinebiologist/zoologist.

Metro: Do your school activi-ties include performing arts?

Sarah: I attend Redwood DaySchool, which has extracurricu-lar music classes three morningsa week. I play piano in the jazzband and sing in a chorus.

(Although Sarah was reluc-tant to tell me, her mom, Anne,proudly revealed that her daughterhad recently received the school’sWill Gold Award for Creativityand a Passion for Learning.)

Metro: What else do you likeabout school?

Sarah: I love to read, read,read! I prefer fantasy stuff toslice-of-life stories. One of myfavorites is The Chronicles ofNarnia, which I read before Iwent to kindergarten. All thekids in kindergarten knew meas “the girl who could readchapter books.” I also lovedLord of the Rings.

Metro: And how about theHarry Potter books?

Sarah: Everyone has readthem. They’re not just somelittle “quiet” books that onlya few people like. I think thatpeople who feel the books aresupporting the occult are a littlebit crazy. If Harry Potter booksget kids reading, yeah, go for it!

Metro: Do you think some dayyou’ll bring your own childrento Fairyland?

Sarah: Yes. I think Fairylandwill be even better then but still

FairylandC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

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the same in the important ways.I don’t know quite how todescribe it, but it has kind of aheavenly aura. I guess you cantell that I like that word!

Metro: Do you have any lastwords for Metro readers?

Sarah: Yes! Come to Fairyland!

Meet Sarah and the other Person-alities on weekends year-round.Auditions for prospective Person-alities, children 8-10, will be held inJanuary 22 and 23. Call ChrissieHoffman, 238-6878 #3, for moreinformation.

“Come to Fairyland”.

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t a recent dinner meet-ing at Leona Lodge,the Leona Heights

Improvement Associationcharted a course lookingahead to Y2K. Strengtheningthe home alert program,cooperation with the localdrainage program of theCoalition of Hill Area HomeOwners and City of OaklandPublic Works Department,the welcoming and educationof new residents, and partici-pation in local issues willcontinue.

We will continue support-ing a development of theLeona Heights area that issensitive to the historic back-ground and natural attributes

of the neighborhood. The re-cent application for three-lotsubdivision of the old Joe andNina Stern property is mov-ing along with apparent ap-preciation of local residents’interest in the history of thatproperty.

Home alert “cell” leadersare still being sought.Those interested shouldcall 531-4860.

Improvement of the dan-gerous traffic situation atthe intersection of MountainBoulevard and Rusting Streetis being discussed withCalTrans and city trafficdepartment officials. Speedalong Mountain Boulevard isexcessive as drivers speed upto enter the westbound I-580onramp.

Leona HeightsNeighborhood News

B Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y

-CAP officers for the year2000 were elected at theOctober meeting. David

Finacom is the new Chair,Elizabeth Callaway is Co-Chair Volunteer Coordinator,Sandra Weese and JacquelinePalacios will share the Co-Chair position of OutreachCoordinator, Demetrius Lealis Treasurer, and Andrea Lealis Secretary. Four of the sixnew officers are relative new-comers to L-CAP—a sign thatthis organization is not onlygrowing new members butnew leadership as well.

A new subcommittee—bringing the energies ofNCPC and L-CAP together—

has volunteered to researchpossibilities of finding openspaces in the Laurel suitablefor a park and playground.The Maybelle/Masterson cor-ner, adjacent to Kragen’s AutoParts, has been a prime focusand starting point for thisproject. Anyone interested injoining this subcommitteeshould contact the L-CAPnumber (986-9021) and leaveyour name and number.

No news may or may notbe good news for the impor-tant corners at 35th andMacArthur and High Streetand MacArthur. Until we heardifferently, we are anticipatingthe development on thesecorners to go as planned—Ladyfingers and Mail BoxesEtc. at the corner of 35th and

December 1999/ January 2000

3

El Pollo Loco at the corner ofHigh Street.

The city is movingforward in the all-importantstreet redesign project.Councilmember Spees’ officehas assured L-CAP of fund-ing, and we are hopeful thatadditional funding will beforthcoming from HenryChang’s discretionary fund.

Even with all the positivesigns of change, we need to bevigilant about the continuingproblems of blight, vacancies,and still inadequate varietyand quality of businesses toserve our community. If youwant to make a difference inyour community, come toour next L-CAP meeting, onDecember 8, 7 to 9 p.m., atthe World Ground Café.

NCPC Election ResultsCongratulations to thenewly elected officers of theMelrose/High Hopes NCPC:Chair Bill Ashley; Vice Chair,Preston Turner; Secretary,Brenda Cooper; MembershipCoordinator, Chris Ralls; andTreasurer, La Verne Kuess.The next meeting will be at7 p.m. Thursday, January 20,at Horace Mann ElementarySchool, Ygnacio and Con-gress.

Neighborhood LifelineThe little bus that makes itsrounds from Mills or LeonaHeights to BART (and backagain) plays an importantpart in the life of the neigh-borhood. Many mornings,it’s standing room only onthe way to BART. The pas-sengers come in all sizes—ababy with the endearing ten-dency to hold on to a handyfinger; a little girl who thanks

B Y A D E L L E F O L E Y

High Street Neighborhood Newsthe driver without beingprompted. School kids movetheir backpacks when some-one needs the seat. A passen-ger loans her copy of theTribune funnies to a middle-school kid for the duration ofthe ride. It’s a crucial connec-tion with the outside world—on a daily basis, or when acar is out of service.

Seven Days a WeekSince mid-October, serviceon the 48 Line—from LeonaHeights down High Street toFruitvale BART—has becomeavailable on Saturdays, Sun-days and holidays. The hero-ines of this story are ourneighbors, Frances Nappoand Edna Barner, who circu-lated a petition and wrote toAC Transit, cheered on by theHigh Street NeighborhoodAlliance. So spread the wordand hop on the bus. It runsevery half hour from dawnto dusk.

Disclosure: In the interestof truth in reporting, I’ll

s secretary of the Im-provement Association,I must say I’ve had

some very positive dealingswith certain city departments:Park and Rec, when workingon Avenue Terrace Park; andrecently, the Police and Firedepartments, when workingon our annual meeting. How-ever, the issue of secondaryunits is bringing out what stillneeds to be fixed in the areaof “customer service.”

Our neighborhood hasbeen dealing with a home onVirden Ave. for 10 years.There is a running policerecord on this home. It hasbeen divided into three sepa-rate living areas, with threedifferent tenants, none ofthem the owner. Currently,there are two tenants. Asidefrom the illegal tenant situa-tion, the home has beendeemed unsafe and not upto code. The owner was sup-posed to remove the extrakitchen units, and her ownwords to me were that she“was not going to do any-thing.”

A letter dated May 26, fromJustin Horner, Community Ser-vices Coordinator, explains thatcode compliance is aware of theproperty and keeping close tabson it. Because of the owner’s in-action, the city can go forwardwith other action, includingdemolition.

When we spoke to ClarkGertner of code compliance inJune and July, we were takenaback. He was not followingthrough on the actions on theproperty. He said, “Do youwant me to go after all of theillegal units in the area? Thereare more in Montclair too.” Hewould not answer any ques-tions about what should orcould be done. I finally estab-lished some time line to followup but have heard nothing.

As the many articles on thissubject are pointing out, it’shard to accept more lenientpolicies on secondary unitswhen enforcement is so lax.Adding more staff would help,but the current staff needs toshape up. No matter what hap-pens with the changes, fixingthe current problems would goa long way towards improvingOakland neighborhoods.

Dimond ImprovementAssociation News

ur meeting on November3 began with the an-nouncement by Niccolo

DeLuca that the DimondSafeway’s lease expires on June30. A number of neighborhoodpeople depend on Safeway andhope that we can encouragethem to remain. Other people inthe neighborhood want Safewayto renovate and present a wider

selection of produce and delica-tessen items. We also learnedthat the present tot lot in the rec-reation center at Dimond Parkwill be undergoing an ADA up-grade and that funding is pos-sible.

Councilmember-at-largeHenry Chang spoke to the groupabout attracting businesses toOakland and our own Dimondarea. If stores that are already in

B Y K A R E N M A R I E S C H R O E D E R

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Redwood HeightsNeighborhood News

B Y G I N G E R R E D I N G

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admit that my day job is atAC Transit. But I turn intopure customer as soon asI approach the bus stop.

And to Think That I Sawit on East 14th Street

A few blocks from HighStreet, I discovered “ThinkModern,” tangible evidenceof Oakland’s restoration oflandmark buildings. It’sworth a visit to 4820 Interna-tional Blvd. just to see thebeautiful façade. InsideThink Modern, MeyerShacter will show you furni-ture and furnishings fromthe ’40s through the ’60s,talk about the art on his highwalls, and tell you about hispositive experience workingwith CEDA. This new,one-man retail operation isgenerally open weekdayafternoons, but Shacter hon-ors requests for appoint-ments at other times. Tryhis store phone (532-1213) orhis cell phone (919-7300).

Laurel Community Action Project News

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O I want to purchase the Laurel History 2000 Calendar. Enclosed is my

check for $11.50 ($10.00 plus $1.50 for shipping and handling) per calendarpayable to Dennis Evanosky. Allow 3 weeks for delivery. Please print clearly:Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________________________________________________

Mail order form and check to:Laurel Calendar, c/o Pauline Evanosky, P.O. Box 19055, Oakland, CA 94619

YES!I would like to relive Oakland’s historyat the turn of the last century.From the creator of the OHAaward-winning 1998 Laurel Calendar.

They make great holiday gifts!

Walkingfor Health

f trips to the gym, runningaround a track, or thirtyminutes on a home exer-

cise machine don’t exciteyou, here’s good news.Walking, plain old walking,may be the best exercisethere is. Since getting exer-cise helps keep our heartshealthy, our weight in theproper range, and our bonesstrong, isn’t it nice to knowwe can do all of that by sim-ply walking regularly?

It makes sense if youthink about it, as the No-vember issue of HarvardWomen’s Health Watch notes.But only in the last decadeor so, and in studies involv-ing women, have resultsindicated that walking hasmany benefits. And sinceit requires no special equip-ment (except some goodshoes) and no training orskill, some consider it theideal exercise.

Studies indicate manybenefits from walking. Oneis a reduced risk of cardio-vascular disease. Resultsfrom the Nurses’ HealthStudy found that three hoursa week of brisk walkingbrought health benefitsequivalent to getting 15 to20 minutes a day of vigorousexercise. Women whowalked or did more vigor-ous exercise had a 30 to 40percent lower incidence ofheart attacks when com-pared with sedentarywomen. Additionally, walk-ing benefits those who al-ready have cardiovasculardisease by lowering bloodpressure, reducing choles-terol, boosting HDL (goodcholesterol), and slowingthe progression of athero-sclerosis.

Walking helps to main-tain bone density, contrib-utes to weight loss, reducesthe risk of diabetes, im-proves your mood, andreduces cancer risk.

How much walking youmust do and at what speeddepends on the benefits youwish to achieve. If your goalis to increase your bone den-sity, the longer you spend onyour feet the better. Pace is

4December 1999/ January 2000

PauletteAvery,

R.N., M.S.N.

To Your HealthB Y S T E L L A L A M B

To submit your star or gripe, call531-0972 and leave details andyour name and phone number.

Stars to Ed Garcia, Chairof the Bret Harte MerchantsAssociation. To beautifythe Boulevard, he got helpfrom the city to create ahandsome new storefrontfor his business, Purofirst,at 3860 MacArthur Blvd.

Stars to StuartRichardson’s third-gradeclass at Fruitvale ElementarySchool for the lovely flowergarden with bird housesalong School Street at Boston.

Stars to Kaye Stewart forall of her hard work and ac-complishments during her1998/99 term as the Chair ofthe Laurel NCPC.

Stars to Niccolo DeLucafor his wonderful efficiencyas Dick Spees’ assistant.

Stars to Yvonne Longfor her dedication to theAllendale District long aftershe left the neighborhood.

Stars to the volunteerswho helped plant approxi-mately 200 trees in the LaurelDistrict east of MacArthur,primarily between HighStreet and 35th Avenue.

Stars to Officer JohnO’ Reilly for the enormousdrug bust—keep up the goodwork!

Gripes to the peoplewho vandalized a citysign and broke a tree onMasterson.

Laurel JazzC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

not important. But if youwant to lose weight, yoursuccess depends on bothspeed and duration. Youshould walk fast enough tokeep your heart rate andbreathing elevated; a lei-surely stroll isn’t going todo it. But you should still beable to carry on a conversa-tion. According to theNurses’ Health Study, a paceof at least three miles perhour is necessary to achievea 35 percent reduction inheart-attack risk.

If you are just beginning awalking program, check withyour doctor first. Begin withjust a few minutes a day, andincrease the speed and dura-tion of your walks as yourstamina increases. Wearshoes made for walking thatprovide the support andcushioning needed to protectyour joints. Synthetic socksdo a better job of absorbingperspiration and preventingfriction than cotton socks.Walking with a partner mayprovide the commitment youneed to walk regularly. I en-joy the companionship of awalking partner and find Iwalk further because ourconversation makes the timepass more quickly than whenI walk alone. If you don’thave a partner, listening toa tape or the radio on aWalkman can also be helpful.And don’t forget the impor-tance of staying adequatelyhydrated. Drink water be-fore, after, and, if possible,during your walk.

You may find you liketo walk the same route everytime or, if you are like me,may want to vary your path.I like to explore differentparts of our neighborhoodand vary the intensity of mywalks. When I’m feeling am-bitious, I choose a route withsteeper hills. On low-energydays, I prefer a more levelarea to walk. But whereveryou walk in the comingweeks, may you find peaceand joy this holiday season. —————————————Paulette Avery is a registerednurse and a freelance writer whospecializes in health issues.

Their outstanding artists,trumpets AmbroseAkinmusire and JonathanFinlayson, pianist ColinHogan, and drummerValentino Pellizzer-Salgado,were glad of a venue fortheir talents. Bevan Manson,Director of Jazz at UCBerkeley, arranged forthe Jonah Minton UC JazzSextet to perform. CurtisBuckley, a leader of theLaurel/Redwood HeightsNeighborhood Council,had heard bass guitar VickiGrossi of “Blue and Tan”perform at World GroundCafé one Sunday andbrought her on board.Haybert Houston obtainedthe participation of cellistMarcie Brown, also happyto help the school.

With the talent lined up,Stella Lamb and five others,now named Friends of theLaurel School, set to workto make the event happen.Katie Babcock and GerryGoeres worked on publicity,posters, and T-shirts. ReneeJackson, Laurel School par-ent, worked as liaison withthe school. Stella and ScottLamb mounted a citywidepublicity campaign. Top-notch Festival music filledthe Laurel School audito-rium from 2 to 6 p.m. onOctober 23. $2,000 wasraised toward the goal of$30,000 for the new playequipment. Don’t feel badif you missed it. You maystill send a check payableto the Laurel School P.T.A.with a designation for play-ground equipment, or leaveyour contribution at WorldGround Café, attentionFriends of the Laurel School,c/o Stella Lamb.

“This was just the begin-ning,” Stella says. “We in-tend to do this next yearwith more musicians andmore publicity.”

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to work, the karmic wheel hascome back to bite him by giv-ing him a recurring dream thatit is 6:30 a.m. (when he nor-mally rises for work). Nowhe frequently awakes at 1 a.m.,thinking it’s time to rise. As forme, I have spurts in betweenthose in-the-still-of-the-nightfeedings where I am so tiredI literally cannot get back tosleep. Some four months intothis baby-rearing adventure,Brian and I are beginning torealize what most parents al-ready know: we’ll be shorton sleep for years to come.

That’s not to say havinga baby is not worth this con-stant state of zombiehood.Dog-tired though we may be,we are blessed with an amaz-ingly sweet son. Very earlyon, this kid figured out the lawof natural selection: he knewhe had better do somethingdarling to endear himself tous rather quickly so that wewould continue to serve himwith slavish devotion. He be-gan smiling and cooing justweeks after birth. He can beannoyingly perky and cute at5 a.m. Now Brian and I spareourselves no humiliation, pub-lic or private, if we can merelyelicit a giggle from his sweetlips.

Before my son was born,I wondered how I would dealwith the exhaustion, the end-less diapers and drool. Butwhat I’ve learned is this: youdon’t dwell on those things.Yes, the diaper pail stinks, andI’ll be sporting wash-and-wearclothes for many moons. Myback aches from carrying myprecious cargo, but I don’tcare. I pick him up all themore. Maybe for me, the sleepdeprivation has a numbingeffect, dulling all my pain-eliciting nerve endings andhelping me to focus on howtruly amazing my boy is.

I have taken six months offfrom work to be with my son

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Call (510) 261-1076

METROCLASSIFIED ADS

Do you have a VW bug, Golf, Jetta, Rabbit?For brake, clutch service and gen-eral repair, give me a call. Alsomost other German and Japanesevehicles. Frank Tulleners Automo-tive Service, 1421 High St., nearE. 14th (510) 533-3943.

Bernice & Joe Playschool. For18 years, play-based learning in ahome-like setting near Mills College.Quarter-acre wooded lot has fruitand pine trees, a garden, 20-footsailboat, rocket ship, art area, blockarea. Pre-reading, pre-math enrich-ment, computer play, field trips, F.I.T.gymnastics, Kindermusik. Socializa-tion, verbalization stressed. Berniceis an Early Childhood MentorTeacher. Sibling, pre-payment dis-counts. Lunch, snacks provided. Ages2 to 5 years. License #010214258.Brochure. (510) 638-3529.

Piano Lessons with experiencedteacher and international per-former. Jazz, classical, rock andpopular styles taught; all ages andlevels welcome. (510) 482-0796.

INSTRUCTION

Fast, neat interior painting by woman.Free estimates, excellent refer-ences, 534-9772.

Interior Painting. Jacob Hart, 530-6247. Lic.#705262.

Video Services. We Can Transformyour slides, snapshots, and filmsinto a charming video—with music and effects. Or havea professional cameraman video-tape your social and businessevents. Call Harold Lawrence at530-0628.

African-American manicurist, lo-cated in the Laurel District, spe-cializing in manicures, pedicuresw/paraffin wax treatments, sculp-tured nails, silk and fiberglasswraps. Over 15 years experienceand service in this area. Call (510)482-3229 for appointment.

Affordable local licensed therapist.Individual, couple, family andchild therapy for the Metro/Oakland community. Everyoneneeds help sometimes. Support-ive; practical; sliding scale. HelenMontgomery Lockwood MFCC#27283, (510) 874-4722.

Kamiya Construction. Additions,remodeling, kitchens, baths,decks, seismic & more! Free con-sultation. License # 546464. (510)532-0193.

Classical Homeopathy: NaturalRemedies for Children andAdults. Bonita Richman, B.S.N.,835-6043.

Pre-Paid Legal Service has majorlaw firms to handle all your legalmatters. Low-cost and tax-deduct-ible memberships. J.W. Castillo.JWCastillo@aol.com (510) 532-9764.

Painting, Mudding/Taping: 20years experience interior/exteriorpainting; sheetrock, plaster, stucco& window repair. Senior discount.Fai Coffin (510) 532-7636.

Piano Lessons: 25 years experi-ence with children and adults. Af-ter many years in Rockridge, mystudio is now located in RedwoodHeights. Call for information or aninterview-lesson. Andrea Simms,336-1556.

Gutter Cleaning, Painting-Interiorand Exterior, waterproofing decks.Special winter rates for interiorpainting. 20+ years experience.Excellent local references. Free es-timates. Dave Davis Maintenanceand Painting Service. (510) 530-1464 or cellular (415) 305-8099.

December 1999/ January 2000

5

n a sunny October 30, agroup of child and adultAllendale neighbors

gathered to celebrate thecompletion of the new tot lotat the Allendale RecreationCenter. Speakers at the dedi-cation ceremony includedCouncilmember Dick Spees,Interim Director of OaklandParks and Recreation AntonioAcosta, Center Director TerryGammage, Chairperson ofthe Parks and RecreationAdvisory Commission AnneWoodell, Janet Hansen,Project Manager with Friendsof Oakland Parks and Recre-ation, and Allendale Recre-ation Center Advisory BoardChairperson Denise Mauldin.

The new play equipmentwas funded by the citizensof Oakland through MeasureI and is part of $3 millionworth of playground im-provements at 35 Oakland

Allendale Dedicates New Tot Lot

sites. The Allendale tot-lotrenovations include a sand-and-water play area, compos-ite play structure with curlyclimber, slides, transfer plat-form and seat, and a two-bayswing set with two tot seatsand two belt seats, as well as

a turf area and new syntheticsafety surface and concretewalks that make the play ar-eas and events accessible toeveryone.

After the speeches and rib-bon cutting, recreation centerneighbors and advisory boardmembers, at Dick Spees’ sug-gestion, discussed futureimprovements at the site withMr. Spees and Mr. Acosta. Mr.Spees noted the lack of recre-ation facilities, particularly inthe Laurel area, and offeredto work with the neighbors,advisory board, and the De-partment of Parks and Recre-ation to help find funding toremodel and/or expand thenearly 50-year-old recreationcenter building. Any Laurelor Allendale residents (orfriends) interested in helpingprepare plans and a costanalysis for this redesign/expansion project can contactCenter Director TerryGammage at 535-5635.

SERVICESAUTO REPAIR

HELP WANTED

Seeking Spanish Tutor. AdvancedBeginner needs tutor for intensiveSpanish classes. Prefer Mexicanwith some advanced education,weekday mornings or evenings.Alan, 482-2867.

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know that action as a unitedcommunity gets more atten-tion than individual actions.We know that in court, evi-dence is needed—police re-ports, pictures, damage esti-mates, etc. We know that ourneighborhood solved a sub-stantial problem, and otherscan do the same.”

LandlordC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

District 4 Councilmember Dick Speescelebrates the opening of Allendale’snew children’s play area and suggeststhe neighborhood plan for the future.

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in his earliest days. And as mystint as a stay-at-home mom isdrawing to a close, I realize Iwould not trade the exhaus-tion for anything. To strollwith Will through the MillsCollege campus on a warmautumn day and see his de-light at a Monarch butterfly,to run into (not literally, even

in my sleep-deprived state)my pal Dal Sellman onMacArthur Blvd. and listen tohim sing the praises of myboy, to catch Will’s amaze-ment over the color of rad-ishes at the House of Produce,to soak up the genuine goodwill that has come our wayfrom friends and strangersalike who simply love babies(especially mine, it seems) isworth all the “sweet, butterysleep” in the world.

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Call Carolyn Corneliusat 261-1484 or 261-1479or page her at 382-5497

The rate for classified ads is $.50per word. Discounted pricesavailable for five- and ten-issuefrequencies. Please type or writeyour copy clearly and mail itwith your check to The MacArthurMetro, P.O. Box 19406, Oak-land, 94619. Deadline is the15th of the month. For classified-ad frequency discounts anddisplay-ad information, pleasecontact Suzanne Tipton at287-2655, fax: 534-3429.

Classified Rates

6December 1999/ January 2000

Calendar of Community EventsB Y S A N D Y J A E G E R , C O O R D I N A T O R

To have your event listed, please contact Sandy Jaeger no later thanthe 12th of the preceding month at sandyjaeger@hotmail.com or642-9537.

December 1999Snapdragon Puppets: Friday, December 3, 3:30 p.m., “TheMousecracker,” a delightful puppet version of Tchaikovsky’s “Nut-cracker Suite,” performed by Roger Mara and the Snapdragon Puppets,César Chávez Branch library, 1900 Fruitvale Ave. Free admission.Call 238-3615 for more information.

Holy Names College Chamber Singers: Friday, December 3, 8 p.m.,“Star in the East,” responses to the Christmas story from medieval tomodern times, Holy Names College Regents Theater, 3500 MountainBlvd. $6 general, $4 students and seniors. Call 559-8535 forinformation.

A Tale of Two Brothers: Friday, December 3, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday,December 4, 7:30 p.m., presented by First Covenant Church 4000Redwood Rd. Tickets $6 for adults, $3 for children. General seating.Call 531-5244.

Holy Names College Orchestra Concert: Sunday, December 5, 3 p.m.,Holy Names College Regents Theater, 3500 Mountain Blvd. $6general, $4 students and seniors. Call 559-8535 for information.

Mills College Contemporary Performance Ensemble: Tuesday, December7, 8 p.m., Mills College Concert Hall, 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Works byPauline Oliveros, Fred Firth, Anne LeBaron, Cornelius Cardew, andKarlheinz Stockhausen. Free admission. Call 430-2296 for moreinformation.

Laurel Community Action Project: Wednesday, December 8, 7 to 9 p.m.,World Ground Café.

Dimond Improvement Association: Wednesday, December 8, 7:30 to9 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave. Contact Janet Broughton,532-1645.

Allendale NCPC: Wednesday, December 8, 7:30 p.m., AllendaleSchool. General meeting. Call Donna Blank at 535-0908 for information.

Laurel/Redwood Heights NCPC (beat 25X): Thursday, December 9,7 to 9 p.m., Laurel School, 3750 Brown Street. Annual holidaycelebration potluck. Contact Luqman, 482-8560.

American Beauty: Sunday, December 12, 3 p.m., Holy NamesCollege Studio Theater, 3500 Mountain Blvd. Handel cantatas,Charles Ives hymns, world premiere of Sonata Rondo by Robert K.Greenlee. $12 general, $8 students and seniors. Call 653-8420 forinformation.

Laurel Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons:Tuesday, December 14, 10:30 a.m., Fruitvale Presbyterian Church,2735 MacArthur Blvd. New members welcome.

Friends of Sausal Creek: Wednesday, December 15, 7 to 9 p.m.,Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave. New members welcome. Call231-9566 for information.

Redwood Day School Winter Concert: Thursday, December 16, 7 p.m.,The Mormon Temple. A free multicultural concert for all. Call AnnUtterman, 531-5584, for more information.

Poetry In the Java Spotlight: Thursday, December 16, 7:30 p.m.,World Ground Café. Open reading follows.

Friends of Sausal Creek Workday: Saturday, December 18, 9 a.m. tonoon, Dimond Park, 3860 Hanly Rd. Children under 15 need adultaccompaniment. Call 231-9566 for information.

Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller NCPC (beat 22Y): Tuesday, December 21,Bret Harte Middle School, 3700 Coolidge Ave. Contact Luqman, 482-8560, for time.

Kwanzaa Celebration: Monday, December 27, 5:30 p.m., EastmontTown Center, 7200 Bancroft Ave., Suite 211. Janette Coleman andCompany perform a dramatic presentation of Sojourner Truth and talkabout the principles of Kwanzaa. Sponsored by the Friends of theOakland Public Library. All are welcome. Contact the Eastmont BranchLibrary, 615-5726, for more information.

January 2000Friends of César E. Chávez Library: Wednesday, January 5, 6:30 p.m.,1900 Fruitvale Ave. Call 535-5620 for information.

Dimond Improvement Association: Wednesday, January 5, 7:30 to9 p.m., Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave. Contact Ann Nomura,530-7759.

Laurel Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons: Tuesday,January 11, 10:30 a.m., Fruitvale Presbyterian Church, 2735MacArthur Blvd. New members welcome.

Maxwell Park NCPC: Wednesday, January 12, 7 p.m., Mills GroveChristian Church, 5410 Fleming Street. Contact Jose Dorado,535-0577.

you select a plant that will lastthroughout the holiday season:

(1) Choose one that is notwilted.

(2) Avoid plants with foli-age that is beginning to yellow.

(3) Do not fertilize now.(4) Make sure the plant you

choose still has an abundanceof not fully opened cyathiases.

(5) If the plant has had plas-tic or paper sleeving around itfor a long time, the green leavesmay turn yellow and drop be-fore the holidays are over.

Locate your plant in a spotwith bright, natural light butnot exposed to direct sunlightfor more than one to two hoursa day. If in a sunny location,make sure the plant never driesout. If your plant has a foilwrapper, pierce the bottom toallow proper drainage andplace the plant in a waterproofcontainer to catch seepage.Keep your plant away fromdrafts and heat from appli-ances, radiators and ventilationducts.

Some poinsettias can lastindoors throughout the yearor can be planted outside.

Research shows that poin-settias should not be consid-ered poisonous, but if eaten bychildren or animals they couldcause discomfort. Some, how-ever, still believe that ingestionof the plant is harmful (seeOver The Hedge magazine,Nov/Dec 1999).

Care of a LivingChristmas Tree

Living Christmas trees can bekept indoors for a short period

ur last garden-tips articlefor 1999—imagine! Wewonder what new plants

and ideas will develop in 2000and what the weather will be.

PoinsettiasThis Christmas plant is now inits second century in the U.S.,having been brought here fromMexico in 1825 by the first U.S.ambassador, Joel RobertsPoinsett. Today many colors,sizes, and shapes of poinsettiasare available. Eighty-five per-cent of flowering plants pur-chased during the Christmasseason are poinsettias, 77 per-cent being red. The actual flow-ers of the poinsettia plant arethe golden yellow clusters(cyathias) in the center of thecolored bracts, plant’s leavesthat change color to attract in-sects to assure pollination.

The following tips will help

of time. After the holidays,you have something to plantin your landscape. Among thevarieties of living Christmastrees, a favorite is the Colo-rado blue spruce. It gives aneat layered look and makesa nice landscape tree forplanting later. Keep awayfrom heat sources like televi-sions and fireplaces, heatersand the like. You can put elec-tric lights on your tree. Whilechecking the lights for wornor frayed cords, make surethey don’t emit too muchheat. The new miniaturelights are fairly cool. Turnlights off when you leave thehouse and before retiring.Never let water level be de-pleted on live trees. The rootball must stay moist.

Some Seasonal Thingsto Do

Plant shrubs and trees now.The soil is still warm enoughfor good root growth, and thewinter rains will stimulateroot growth for stronger,healthier top growth in spring.

Feed shrubs and trees thatwill bloom in January andFebruary. If azalea and garde-nia foliage is light or yellow-ish green, water with solutionof chelated iron. Prune de-ciduous fruit trees now, fol-lowing up with a dormantspray.

Have a happy and safeHoliday Season!

MargeLaverty

Leona HeightsGarden Club Tip

of the Month

Laurel/Redwood Heights NCPC (beat 25X): Thursday, January 13, 7 to9 p.m., Laurel School, 3750 Brown Street. Contact Luqman, 482-8560.

Friends of Sausal Creek Workday: Saturday, January 15, 9 a.m. tonoon, Dimond Park, 3860 Hanly Rd. Planting and maintenance con-tinue at the Sausal Creek restoration site. Children under 15 need adultaccompaniment. Call 231-9566 for information.

MasterGuild Series: Program 2—Quartets: Sunday, January 16, 7 p.m.,Holy Names College Regents’ Theater, 3500 Mountain Blvd. $15 gen-eral, $10 seniors, $5 students. Call 559-8535 for more information.

Friends of Sausal Creek: Wednesday, January 19, 7 to 9 p.m., DimondLibrary, 3565 Fruitvale Ave. Plan 1999 restoration and plantingprojects. Call 231-9566 for information.

Redwood Heights Improvement Association: Wednesday, January19, 7:30 p.m., Redwood Heights Recreation Center, 3883 Aliso Street.Contact Richard Cowan, 482-3471.

Poetry In the Java Spotlight: Thursday, January 20, 7:30 p.m., WorldGround Café. Open reading follows.

East Bay Habitat for Humanity Open House: Saturday, January 22, 10 a.m.,370 105th Ave. Affordable housing available through the Habitat’s home-ownership program. Join them at the open house or call 251-6304 for info.

Holy Names College Faculty Concert: Saturday, January 22, 8 p.m.,Holy Names College Regents’ Theater, 3500 Mountain Blvd.Schwungvoll presents “California Champaign.” $12 general, $8 se-niors, $6 students. Call 559-8535 for more information.

Hotels/motels along MacArthur: sponsored by Traci McKnight, O.P.D.Wednesday, January 26, 6:00 p.m., Fruitvale Presbyterian Church,2735 MacArthur Blvd. Call 535-5687 for information.

OngoingArts and Crafts and Theater Workshops for Children: Saturdays, 3 to 5p.m., World Ground Café. 3 to 4 p.m. for 5- to 8-year-olds, 4 to 5 p.m.for 9- to 12-year-olds; sponsored by the Mills College Outreach pro-gram. Arts and crafts and theater on alternate weeks. Call 482-2933for information and reservations (a must).

Dunsmuir House and Gardens: Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,2960 Peralta Oaks Ct. Gardens open to the public. Christmas atDunsmuir celebration, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays December 4 to6, 11 to 13, and 18 to 20. Call 615-5555 for information.

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December 1999/ January 2000

*RepeatMoney Honeys

*Roussel Sargent*Hon. Jean Quan& Dr. Floyd Huen*Douglas Ferguson*Katherine Dunne& Michael Vecchio

*Gary Delgado & Marcia Henry*Karen Marie Schroeder

*Knud DanildPhillip W. Wong & Lisa Lemus

*Janet Broughton*Fong Wing

*Mary Lee PetersonPat Sawanwatana/Old Weang

Ping Village Restaurant*Betsy Callaway*Richard CowanSupport Net, Inc.

MacArthur & High Trailer Park*Nancy & Chris Meyer

Stuart Richardson& Mailinh Dang Truong

Phillis Robbiano*Ethel Sandal

Vic & Nancy MiloslavichBennet & Arlyn Christopherson

Pamela Calvert& Helen Haugt

*P. Oliveri & F. Baer,Royal Hi ApartmentsPhil & Kathy Caskey

*William & Susan Bagnell*Redwood Heights

Improvement Association*Nancy & Rick Banker

*Frederik SchultzJared McFerrin

*Andretta Fowler*Bernice Huisman-Humbert

& Joseph Humbert*Councilmember Dick Spees

*Jim and Sandra Wright*David Locke& Cathe ReadSharon Toth

*Ellen Griffin & Brian Stein*Joan DarkAdina Sara

*Sandy Bredt & Ryan YoungLisa Ruhland & Michael Cowan*Ruth Malone and Terry Sayre

*Barbara Reynolds*Carie Carpenter

*Jacob & Linda Hart*Richard & Linda Weinstein

*Abelina Carmona& Teresa ColeCherie Ivey

Oakland Veterinary HospitalLinda Palmin & Tom Daley

*Jeff Kelley & Hung Liu

The Metro acknowledgescontributions of $50 or moreby listing your name orbusiness as a Money Honeyfor 10 issues. You keep ourpaper alive and well.

MONEYHONEYS

7

ret Harte MiddleSchool’s principal,Mary Hamadeh, an-

nounced her satisfaction atthe opening of the Alterna-tive School Program at anOctober 21 press conferenceat the Fruitvale PresbyterianChurch, home of the newendeavor. Caroline Ander-son, a former Bret Harteteacher, leads the programdesigned to reinforce math,English, history, and readingskills.

At the press conference,the Reverend Mark Newton,Fruitvale Church pastor,said “We care about the chil-dren in the community. Aday lost in a child’s educa-tion is a day lost forever.”Jose Padilla spoke for thestudents, saying, “I amhappy to be in the programbecause Ms. Anderson is agood teacher.”

Community organiza-tions pulling together toimplement the programinclude the Oakland School

business look attractive andwelcoming, others are encour-aged to open shops nearby.Mr. Chang has persuaded land-lords of empty stores to allowartists and other merchants toerect advertising displays inthe empty shop windows.Lighting up and decoratingseem to be an inexpensive wayto attract new businesses.

On surveillance cameras,Mr. Chang feels that privateenterprises should be allowedto use them but that governmentusage should be controlled.

“I try to build bridges be-tween districts,” stated Mr.Change when asked what acouncilmember-at-large does.He also reminded us of the im-portance of promoting morebusiness with Pacific Rimcountries. He sees expandingtrade as providing job opportu-nities for Oakland. He wants toput Oakland on the map withresearch on the panda. Maybethere will be a new pandacouple at the Oakland Zoo!

Finally, on education inOakland, Mr. Chang believesthere should be more safe placesfor kids to be after school in ad-dition to more homework cen-ters. The schools should begiven a chance to continue thechanges that they have started. Ifprogress fails to be made after areasonable amount of time, thendifferent tactics could be taken.

Our next meeting will be aboard meeting on December 1.If you have a question or con-cern, please contact our Website at www.dimondnews.org.

high hopes,” she stated.“Bret Harte is a strong

model school due to parentalinvolvement,” said SchoolBoard District 4 representa-tive, Jean Quan. Pastor ChrisShiber, Montclair UnitedMethodist Church, indicatedstrong support for theprogram.

The program operatesfour days a week and willinvolve access to moderntechnology.

D.I.A. NewsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

Bret Harte Alternative Program OpensB Y G O R D O N L A V E R T Y

Bret Harte Alternative School Program teacher Carolyn Andersonis shown with four students at the school opening.

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Department, Oakland Coali-tion of Congregations, andBret Harte/Joaquin MillerCrime Prevention Council.Healthy Start fundingmatched by the OaklandSchool District can support20 students in the program.Program Coordinator ElaineLyford-Nojima expressedgreat confidence. “Thisprogram is geared to pro-duce results for which we,with the families, have

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8December 1999/ January 2000

Close your eyes, close your eyes,go to sleep now, my darling.There’s a sandman golden-white,bringing happy dreams to you.Settle down, go to sleep, throughthe quiet night rest. You are safein my arms, in my arms holdingfast. Now the moon, riding high,turns the shadows to silver, andthe night beams, with a sigh,whisper soft across the hills. It’sa bright, enchanted land, wherethe unicorn dances, ‘till the starsdisappear, and the whole world isday. (Close Your Eyes, wordsby William Engvick; music byJohannes Brahms)

Notice a running themethrough baby ballads? Thereis a reason that new parentsthrough the ages have beenconcerned, nay, obsessed,with getting their babies to

A Farewell to Rest: Confessions of a New Parentsleep. Before my son Willwas born last August, wise,informed people (all parentsthemselves) warned meabout resting up. And I tooktheir advice and grabbedsome extra winks. But myhusband Brian and I had noidea just how exhausting anewborn baby can be. Sleepdeprivation is the constantthread linking all our shakythoughts and exhausted ac-tions.

So when Metro EditorToni Locke called to ask me tosubmit an essay on parent-hood, I wondered how Icould possibly oblige. Lackof sleep has taken from meeven the basic ability to spell,let alone come up with some-thing new on this topic. Ithas also robbed me of whatlittle judgment I have, and ina very confused and weak Ellen and Will shopping in the Laurel.

moment, I agreed. So here I siton the day my copy is due, mybaby napping for who-knows-how-long? And instead ofcatching 40 winks, I am ham-mering out copy that will nodoubt need quite a bit of helpfrom the Metro’s crack team ofeditors (thanks in advance, la-dies). What else can I focus onbut sleep? Or, as Brian calls it,“sweet, buttery sleep.”

For baby Will’s firstmonth, Brian and I were luckyto have friends, family, andeven hired help come over sowe could catch some shut-eye.And the devious Brian hadanother trick that he keptthreatening to deploy: go tothe store for diapers and thensleep in the car in the parkinglot. Whether or not he actuallydid this has never been con-firmed. But now that he’s back

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Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Celebrating Our11th Anniversary!

Relax, Rejoice, Revitalize

Mini Day SpaAcupressure • Massage • Therapeutic PedicureFacial • Body Wrap • Lymphatic Drainage

Healthy By Nature (510) 533-501430331/2 MacArthur Boulevard (next to Food Mill)

$5 OFFwith this ad!

December 4, 10 & 11 at 7:30 p.m.December 5 & 12 at 2:00 p.m.

Lisser Hall, Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 94613Box Office: 430-3308 (Reservations Recommended)

General Admission $8 Students & Seniors $5Youth (17 and under) $4*

(*1 FREE Youth ticket with each adult ticket purchased)

Mills College Theatrepresents

A Christmas CarolAdapted & Directed by James C. Wright

SWAIN’SQuality

CUSTOM WINDOW

FASHIONS

510 482-2313ESTIMATES - PICK-UP & DELIVERY

3016 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland

Aubryana’s

Boutique

GRAND OPENING

Holiday Sale 25%-50% Off

Aubryana’s

BoutiqueNew & Gently UsedDesigner Clothing

Jones New York • Ann TaylorLiz Clairborne • BEBE

and many more

3645 MacArthur Blvd. @Loma Vista510-482-2009

Upscale

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BREAKFAST LUNCHALL DAY 11AM-2:30PM

Tuesday-Sunday 7:30am-2:30pm (Closed Mon)

3719 MacArthur Blvd (across from the KFC) • 482-2200