Dec. 15: Melrose Community Collaborations in 2021

The name "Melrose Community", the Melrose Community Newsletter, and the www.MelroseCommunity.org website will continue to be used to communicate with and connect folks who want to collaborate on projects within Melrose and our growing East Oakland Oakland (EON) network of communities. We will not focus on Public Sector updates from elected officials, or OPD, in order to maintain focus on specific projects we're working on together. To stay informed on collaboration projects you do not need to change anything because you are subscribed to the MelroseCommunity.org Newsletter.

Write me with your collaboration projects so I can add your ideas to our growing list we'll start planning early 2021. Here are some of the most popular project so far:

  • Artist Registry for Community Beautification Projects,

  • Community Gardens w/ a Garden Registry,

  • Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies (CORE) Training,

  • East Oakland Neighbors (EON) Champion Network,

  • EON Newsletter Featuring Collaboration Success Stories,

  • Garden Harvest Sharing Network,

  • Learning How Communities Can Leverage Public Sector Data for Change,

  • Lost & Found Pet Rescue (hyper-local rescue response),
    Murals and Beautification Projects

  • Using Data to Build Safer Communities

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Stephanie HaydenChange
Sept. 23: Melrose Elects New Chair, Marissa Bowman and nominates more leaders

We held elections last week and we have great news that Marissa Bowman has been elected the new Chair of Melrose NCPC 27x.

You’ll be hearing more from Marissa in coming weeks as we work together to transition Chair responsibilities from me to her along with looking at some other developments in leadership.

We have 3 nominations for which we will hold a vote next NCPC 27x monthly meeting which will be Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7pm. Stay tuned for the Zoom meeting invite.

Vice Chair

  • Andre Isler, Isler’s Liquors - has accepted the nomination

  • Stephanie Hayden, Metropolitan Intelligence - considering the nomination

Treasurer

  • Evelyn Gibb - has volunteered and been nominated

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Stephanie Haydenelections
July 21: 1:30pm Oakland City Council Budget Meeting re; Funding Oakland Police Department

Stephanie Hayden here, Chair of Melrose Community, and I’m writing to share there is a City Council meeting today where the mid-year budget cycle will be re-addressed to consider amending the updated proposal for changing the Oakland Police Budget.

I am not advocating any position here, other than to relay part of the Mayor’s message to ask folks to join the meeting today at 1:30pm to voice their opinion on funding of OPD.

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Stephanie HaydenCity Council meeting
July 21: National Lawyers Guild SF Bay Area Meeting re; What to Do if Federal Police Come to Oakland

The NLG-SFBA will oppose and actively resist Trump's unconstitutional calls to unleash federal agents in response to the Bay Area movement exercising its first amendment rights. This call is not only unconstitutional but a dangerous escalation towards fascism. For close to 100 years, the NLG has resisted violations of civil and human rights. We will continue defend movement organizations, social justice activists, and frontline communities targetted by the federal government.

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Legal ProtectionStephanie HaydenFederal Police coming to Oakland
July 20: President Trump Threatens to Send Federal Police to Control Anti-racist Protestors

From Mercury News: July 20, 2020 President Trump threatened Monday to send federal law enforcement into Oakland, but the latest in his long feud with Democratic-run cities and their leaders amounted to a “racist campaign tactic,” the city’s mayor said in a sharp response. The president on Monday said he could send federal agents to several cities across the country, including Oakland — which he called “a mess” — though it wasn’t immediately clear what his reasoning for sending such a response was. Federal police have been seen in Portland, Ore., clashing violently with protestors and, in some cases, whisking suspects away in unmarked vans. Oakland, a city long known for major protests both peaceful and chaotic, hasn’t seen sizable clashes between police and demonstrators in weeks. The president has asserted that politicians in traditionally blue regions are “afraid” of protestors, who Trump referred to as “anarchists” on Monday. The remarks seemed to further irritate Bay Area politicians and activists tired of the president’s rhetoric.

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SafetyStephanie Haydenprotests
June 10: East Oakland Coalition Co-Creating Public Safety, Beautifying Spaces, Funding Ourselves, & Voting Nov. 3

I want to provide you a little background for this event if you’re not familiar with the last meeting we had, so if you'll allow me to explain...

This is a follow up to May 13's meeting where 145 Oaklanders met with the City of Oakland's Chief Violence Prevention Officer, Guillermo Cespedes, and considered what we can all do together in East Oakland, and
sometimes with the City of Oakland and OPD, to prevent violence and make our communities safer.

Many wanted to take immediate steps following May 13 and agreed to meet at least every month, on the 2nd Wednesdays, to define what we can all work on for 6 months to make an impact for ourselves and for our
neighbors.

Two weeks later on Memorial Day, May 25, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police with video evidence for the world to witness. How can we talk about Violence Prevention in communities where this still
happens and no real change occurs?

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East Oakland CoalitionStephanie HaydenGeorge Floyd
May 14: Neo-Nazis Target, Hack, and Terrorize East Oakland Community Member Zoom Meeting

I still can’t believe I’m writing this but you all need to know about a horrifying incident that occurred on May 14 to our friends in the Havenscourt NCPC 30x.

Havenscourt was hosting their monthly community meeting when Neo-Nazis hacked their session and began a visual and verbal assault delivered to terrorize their group of about 40 members.

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SafetyStephanie Haydenterrorism, Neo-Nazis, Zoom Bombing, racial slurs, swastika
May 27: Melrose Monthly re; Violence Prevention, Online Security, Safe Communities Initiatives

AGENDA

7:00-7:05 pm Hellos, Security Announcements, and Kick Off meeting

7:05-7:15 pm Debrief from the East Oakland multi-community meeting held w/ Chief Officer of Violence Prevention from Mayor’s Office and 140 + East Oaklanders - next steps

7:15-7:30 pm Member brainstorm ideas about existing priorities and which intersections we should focus on for the next 6 months to reduce number of casualties by December

7:30-7:45 pm Review Melrose Call to Action Letter 3 Campaign Draft c/o Braunz Courtney: “Environmental Safety Hazards in Melrose Intersections”

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Environmental Safety, Letter Writing Campaigns, Monthly Meeting Recap, Monthly Member MeetingStephanie Hayden
May 13: Virtual Meeting re; East Oakland District 6 Has Seen 4 Murders in 6 Weeks - Stop the Violence Now

May 13, 5:30-6:30pm Join Maxwell Park, Melrose, and Millsmont neighbors with the City of Oakland’s Chief Violence Prevention Officer, Guillermo Cespedes, for a multi-neighborhood, virtual, Community Town Hall to help find solutions and stop escalating violence on our blocks.

Purpose of the Meeting: Introduce the new City of Oakland’s Chief Violence Prevention Officer, Guillermo Cespedes, to Maxwell Park, Melrose, and Millsmont community members to create a baseline understanding of what the Violence Prevention Plan is for Oakland, what neighbors can expect to see over the next 30, 60, 90+ days, and how they can become part of the solutions.

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Safety, Environmental SafetyStephanie HaydenViolence, Guillermo Cespedes
Feb. 26: Melrose Members Set 2020 Priorities, Volunteer, and Prepare for Melrose March Elections

2020 Priorities

Join us to review and confirm areas of focus, actions, and initiatives we’ll use and work with OPD to:

  • Create Safe Streets
    Slow down traffic, decrease injuries, and prevent traffic-related deaths on Foothill & Bancroft

  • Increase Environmental Safety
    Increase safety inside and outside our homes by decreasing the number of shootings, armed robberies, residential break-ins, and homicides.

  • Achieve Equity & Justice
    Increase safety in Central East Oakland and bring justice to victims of physical and property crimes.

Adopting a Spirit of Community Service in Melrose
Preparing for Melrose March Elections

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Monthly Member MeetingStephanie HaydenVoting, Elections
Feb. 22: District 4 Local Heroes Event Includes Braunz Courtney & Marissa Bowman of Melrose

Today is our District 4 Local Heroes! This will be a big, family-friendly community event that will feature local leaders that have worked every day to make Oakland a better place. Not only will there be FREE food BBQ'd by your favorite firefighters (don't worry vegetarians, there'll be veggie patties), but we'll also have tons of great entertainment from local performers like Giant Puppets Save the World, Lion Dancers from the Buk Sing Fu Kung Fu Academy and DJ Square keeping us all moving!

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Stephanie Hayden
Nov. 13: Council Alert DOT & Mayor's Office DOT Policy Lightning Round Panel Q/A

We now have Wladimir Wlassowski, Assistant Director DOT, Joe Wang, Supervising Transportation Engineer for the City of Oakland, and Warren Logan, the Policy Director of Mobility and Interagency Relations for the Oakland Mayor's Office joining us to directly address our demands outlined in the Melrose Street Scape Letter Writing Campaign from Oct. 4.

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Letter Writing Campaigns, Sideshows & SpeedingStephanie HaydenDOT, Mayor's Office
Oct. 23: Melrose Victim Impact Letters to DOT re; Traffic Deaths on Foothill are Working

Our community members have witnessed 4 traffic-related deaths in the last 6 months on Foothill Blvd.

Melrose community members decided to take immediate action following the last death on Oct. 1 on Foothill and Cole to write letters the our four representative Council Members, the Mayor’s office, the Department of Transportation, and the Oakland Police Department to demand immediate protections and actions to protect Melrose neighbors and our nearby communities.

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Letter Writing CampaignsStephanie Haydenletter writing campaign
Oct. 8: District 5 Reminder to attend Public Safety Meeting re; Bond Street Encampment Oakland City Hall 4:00pm

This is a message from Rosa Velasquez, Special Assistant, to District 5 Council Member Noel Gallo
Good afternoon Community Partners and Members,

FRIENDLY REMINDER of tomorrow’s Public Safety Meeting in regards to the Bond Street encampment. Oakland Charter Academy (OCA) - students, parents, and staff, Bond Street residents and surrounding businesses need your support. The enforcement of safe and drug free zones, as well as the clearing up encampments around schools - due to the illegal activity that occurs by the residents living in the encampments, should be a priority for the safety and wellbeing of our students in our City.

Before 4:30pm tomorrow, please reply to this email or call us at 510-238-7005, if you will be attending and/or speaking at the meeting. This is the link to the online Speaker Registration Form (  https://solar.oaklandnet.com/Speaker/form ), and the paper form will also be available before the meeting (please arrive early for assistance in filling it out and submitting it before the meeting starts.)

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Municipal AnnouncementStephanie HaydenDistrict 5, Rosa Velasquez
Sept 25: Melrose Elects New Leadership - Braunz Courtney is now Vice Chair

I am Braunz Courtney, your new Vice Chair and my interests lay in building collaboration between Melrose and other neighboring East Oakland districts.  As a collective group I want us to constructively identify present and arising issues, brainstorm solutions and create action items that hold ourselves and local government accountable. I want to see our efforts display impactful change in our communities.   As a Bay Area Realtor and Public Health professional rooted in Harm Reduction, I strive to increase awareness and access to tools that enhance the quality of life for us all to stay healthy, alive and able to thrive.  

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Melrose LeadershipStephanie HaydenBraunz Courtney, HEPPAC