Economically Challenged

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Irene

After attending the Economic Development Commission meeting at city hall on October 18, I came away dismayed by the commission’s lackluster interest in planning the reuse of Alameda Point.

The occasion marked the first of three public presentations on the latest economic development strategy for Alameda Point.  Noting that the city faces tough competition due to a glut of commercial space from Berkeley to Fremont, the city’s consultant—Keyser Marston Associates, Inc.—offered several suggestions.  As the lone public speaker, I added another.  The commission offered none. Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Economic Development | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Counting one, two, three

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Irene

It’s the same ol’ backward story I hear over and over again about ranked-choice voting being complicated.  Wrong.  It’s as simple as one, two, three.

The conversation I have with people goes something like this:  “Ranked-choice voting is hard for voters (but not me) to understand—to wrap their head around.”  I respond by saying, “There’s nothing hard about ranking your first choice, your second choice, and your third choice.  The computer does the rest.”  Next comes, “Yeah, I know.  But then you get something like what happened in Oakland where Don Perata didn’t win because most of the voters there chose him as their third or later choice.”  To which I say, “Then democracy won because the result reflected the will of the majority.”  Dead silence. Continue reading →

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Wait and Switch

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Irene

Our local elected officials and leaders have told us negotiations are “delicate,” that we should wait patiently on the sidelines to see the plans for the runway area at Alameda Point.  But with 770 acres of contiguous open-space, including wetlands, wildlife habitat, shoreline, and public access hanging in the balance, waiting around doesn’t look promising.

The City has already jeopardized plans for a new 147-acre regional park by demanding money from the East Bay Regional Park District for city-run sports fields.  And now we hear that the Veterans Administration (VA) no longer plans to support a wildlife refuge at Alameda Point. Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Parks and Open Space | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hold Your Applause

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Irene

I don’t get it.  We’re supposed to cheer when housing prices rise.  Politicians and pundits look to rebounding housing prices as the gauge for a recovering economy.  I don’t think so.  A sustainable, stable housing market is what we should strive for, not one in which fewer and fewer people can afford a home.  Continue reading →

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Pedal Pushers

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Irene

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wished I could borrow a spare bicycle or two.  When hosting out-of-town guests or babysitting and looking for something fun to do, a bike ride would have been the perfect entertainment.  Now it’s possible!  We can rent bikes and more at Alameda South Shore Center. Continue reading →

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The Right Site for VA Clinic

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Irene

Sometimes you think you’ve hit on a winning deal, but once you look closer you find out otherwise.  That’s what I’ve come to realize about the site currently being proposed for the veterans’ clinic.

I originally got excited when I learned there had been a collaborative effort among the Navy, VA, US Fish & Wildlife Service, East Bay Regional Park District and the city in choosing the Northwest Territories as the Alameda Point location where the VA clinic would be built.  Serving our veterans is a shared value we all hold dear.  Now I have second thoughts about the site that was selected.  A superior alternative site is available.

Continue reading →

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Take the High Road Down Shore Line Drive

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Irene

It’s a familiar scene to those who regularly bike or walk along the beach side of Shore Line Drive.  Startled pedestrians jump, looking over their shoulders, after a bicyclist shouts, “On Your Left.”  Bicyclists often need to stop or maneuver as parents struggle to pull children out of the way or blaring headphones drown out the cyclist’s call.

The city recognizes the problem and is trying to decide how best to serve the public while accentuating the prime location.  Because it has received a Caltrans grant, the city has been focusing mainly on altering the striping and layout on Shore Line Drive to accommodate all.  In addition to motor vehicle travel lanes, we need parking, bus stops, walking paths and bicycle lanes. Continue reading →

Posted in Parks and Open Space | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Open Space Plans at Risk

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Irene

Red line = Northwest Territories. Blue line = Wildlife Refuge. Yellow line = Where security fence is proposed.

A feasible plan recently emerged for creating and managing parkland and a bona fide wildlife refuge on the 770-acre runway area at Alameda Point.  It’s the first since the Naval Air Station closed 15 years ago.

But two things stand in the way.  The City of Alameda is delaying the effort by requesting money from the East Bay Regional Park District for land the city is getting for free. And the Navy plans to deny public access to a section of the wildlife refuge and scenic open space by erecting a security fence around 110 acres on the refuge shoreline.

At the June 6 city council meeting where the disposition strategy for Alameda Point was being discussed, environmentalists spoke out on both issues concerning the Point’s open space plans.

Continue reading →

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What does a bail bond company and the USS Hornet have in common?

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Irene

They are both big, respond in a moment’s notice, and support in times of need!  At least that’s what Aladdin Bail Bond company says.

I was caught by surprise when I was watching television last night.  A commercial came on that featured Alameda’s own USS Hornet, with Enterprise Park and the site offered to the Berkeley Lab in the background.  Below is a shorter, faster version of the commercial I saw.

Posted in Alameda Point, Media | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Buzz from City Hall

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Irene

The problem with distortion in the television audio feed from city hall that I wrote about on January 26, 2012 was fixed, but now it’s back.  Recent broadcasts of city council and planning board meetings were difficult to endure.  Who or what is to blame?  The audio technicians, the “new” equipment, the cable provider, aliens?

Posted in City Hall, Media | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment