KeepAlamedaFlat

Alameda NAS Redevelopment

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Alameda Council Member and Mayoral Candidate Frank Matarrese recently blogged about an opportunity to attend an Association of Defense Communities conference in New Mexico. Defense contractors, state and local governments and private sector representatives met to share ideas and hear testimony of military base re-use. Frank reported that “much attention paid to the idea of using closed military bases as locations for the testing and development of clean fuel and other forms of climate-friendly energy technologies.”

A simple Google search reveals many examples of clean tech businesses operating on closed military bases. Defencetalk.com reports on 5 California bases that have been attracting businesses promoting environmentally friendly products and services. McClellan Park in Sacramento (identified as the green giant of the five bases) houses companies that manufacture ”net-zero energy” homes, paper recyclers, organic fuel processors, Renewable Energy and Carbon project developers, and research facilities for all kinds of new technologies. The other California bases including Mather in Sacramento, George in Victorville, Castle in Atwater, March in Riverside, and Norton in San Bernardino, house green tech training facilities, electronics recyclers, and energy efficiency technology developers.

These examples of base redevelopment provide an interesting opportunity for the city. Encouraging organizations and companies that develop and research green technology to locate on the island could create local employment opportunities on the west end. Van Jones in his book, The Green Collar Economy, encourage local governments to enact policies that create green collar jobs through the development of sustainable urban centers. Local governments have opportunities to promote innovation, create incentives and invest in green collar jobs. Jones’ ideas for local governments include creating jobs to green existing buildings, establishing green assessment districts for neighborhoods to work together to pay for neighborhood greening, and to create intentional mixed use urban centers that are sustainable and walkable spaces that reduce the necessity to utilize cars.

How can the city encourage Green Tech companies to consider investing in Alameda? Jones suggests creating incentives for green tech companies to relocate to the city. Chicago, for example encouraged a solar panel developer to operate in Chicago by promising to buy $5 million worth of solar panels. Those panels were turned around and used for a city program promoting home solar instillation.

The Alameda NAS redevelopment is an opportunity to invest in green tech jobs through incentive programs, zoning for sustainable living communities and investing in renewable energy project development. In addition to creating jobs for Alameda, encouraging green industry to operate from the base would increase the tax revenue, helping to keep the base self-sustainable and fund its redevelopment.

Bike To Work Day is on Thursday, May 14, 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:16:00 +0000

Bike to Work Day, Thursday, May 14. Bike to Work Day is a grand celebration that promotes bicycling as a healthy, fun, economical and viable form of transportation.

For the 9th year in a row BikeAlameda will run the four morning energizer stations and this year add one new afternoon station on the West side. Alameda Bicycle has agreed to have a mechanic at the City Hall station for quick bike checks. Chipolte is donating free burritos for the Marina Village afternoon station. Bike to work and visit us!

BikeAlameda Energizer Stations — Locations and Hours

The following list of energizer stations:

City Hall 2263 Santa Clara Avenue	6:30AM - 9:30AM
Bay Farm Bridge (wooden walkway) Harbor Bay Island side	7:00AM - 9:30AM
Main Street Ferry (on-board) 2990 Main Street Alameda/Oakland/SF	6:15 AM - 9:25 AM runs
Harbor Bay Ferry (on-board)	6:30 AM - 8:30 AM runs
Data 911 Marina Village 2021 Challenger	1p-5p

Volunteers are needed to put up posters in town, stuff bags at REI on 5/1 and hand out bags at energizer stations on 5/14. To volunteer on Bike To Work Day, please Contact Us.

For Energizer station locations outside of Alameda go to East Bay Bicycle Coalition

Let's Produce Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:52:00 +0000

If we continue to pursue hope then we had best become a producer of it, rather that a consumer of it. Let it be an offer rather than a demand. Let us offer hope to our leaders, since we create them, because they need all the support they can get.
-Peter Block

What hope does our community see within us? What hope are we contributing as a member of the community?

How are we supporting our leaders?

-Bryan
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Asset Based Community Development ABCD Video

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:21:00 +0000

Asset Based Community Development is the heart of what we do at Crosstown Community Center. I would like to start a conversation at Crosstown with the community about these principles and get involved with those people in organizing our community to make positive changes. Email me if you are interested in ABCD Community Development! Bfgower@yahoo.com

Art in Oakland

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:48:00 +0000

Kelly Alterman, local bay area artist paints to a sound track of house music at Oakland bar Radio. Her rendition of Lazerous leaving the tomb captivated bar customers and was a terrific example of a public display of art in process.

Very inspiring
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Team Alameda

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:52:00 +0000

I woke up this morning inspired to go on a bike ride. I have been following Bike Alameda and heard that Team Alameda has open rides for the public. I was a little late leaving the hose to meet them at 9am in front of Kaiser on Central, but as luck would have it, they passed me as I road down central from my house. I road with them for about 15 miles today. The weather was a bit nippy but but it was a great day to ride.

We road up to the naval air base to see the words largest chalk drawing. Our route off the base took us along a running path to the Alameda Rock Wall and Encinal Launching and Fishing Facility. We followed central back to a public access path that is just before crown drive. That path brought us back around to Crown Memorial State Beach. From their we wound around to Shoreline Drive. We ended up taking shoreline to Broadway and Broadway over the Furitvale bridge. We stopped at this great little coffee shop near the Bart Station called Powderface to have tea and Beignets.

I think I will try to ride with them more often...and not just for the beignets :)

The Dark side of Public transit

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:15:00 +0000

I have been riding the Amtrak train from Oakland to Santa Clara for over a year now. I estimate that using the train has saved me $400- $500 per month on gas bills. It has been a great option. It is days like today however that makes me think telecommuting would be the best alternative. Not only would I save even more on gas, I would not be at the mercy of unexpected delays such as engine failure or "trespasser incidents" (read people on the track)

Today I rode my bike from my home in Alameda through the Webster Tube (I will blog about that next) to see what it would be like and as a measure to use even less gas. The train has been sitting at the first stop (Oakland Coliseum) on our way to Santa Clara after experience mechanical problems. I hope they will let us on to the next train so that I can get to work at some reasonable time.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

It's Not Easy Being Green

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:10:00 +0000

I have been playing around with what it means to be Green for a few years now. If you have not at least heard of reducing your carbon footprint you have to be living in a cave. Global warming has been the debate in government for the last 8 years and being ‘Green’ is the rage among corporations who are taking advantage of the great press you receive from environmental sustainability. Virgin Atlantic, PG&E, Safeway and even the National Hockey League are just some of those attempting to promote environmental awareness by going ‘Carbon Neutral’. They do this through buying energy efficiency or renewable energy technology offsets from projects that have been certified to have met a carbon reduction baseline. For more information on this, you can look into environmental commodity registries such as the Gold Standard and the Reserve created by APX .

I was reflecting about environmental stewardship this week with my friend McNair who pointed out that while a great deal of focus is placed on large multi national corporations who are offsetting their Jets and doomsday scenarios of melting glaciers and drowning polar bears; there seems be less of a since of how and by what means I (Jane and Joe Alameden) can live sustainably.

I want to do more than just promote hype. I want to be a catalyst for people for ideas about being Green in Alameda. Building community for me is about opening our networks to each other, building a shared base of information, meeting needs, and sharing our lives with each other. I am working with Crosstown in one form to build this kind of community through environmental stewardship.

Stay tuned for interesting stories from one person finding ways to live sustainably and building community.

High School Students come to Crosstown to Serve the Community

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:49:00 +0000

Crosstown hosted a group of students from Contra Costa Christian High School on May 15th and 16th. They came to learn about Asset Based Community Development and to serve in our neighborhood by working on projects in the community center and by working with our Americorps Community development specialist to survey the neighborhood.

The basic idea of Asset Based Community Development is that the talents, skills, resources and all assets required to build and strengthen the community exists within the community. This is a shift away from community development that focuses on problems and needs for which resources need to be solicited and help from outside resources are dependent. Community Development under the 'ABCD' model is community driven.

Crosstown has received an Americorps volunteer to help with our first stages of ABCD.

Dave hardly working

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:12:00 +0000

This is my buddy Dave. He is a hard working community networker. He likes to think out of the box. Dave came up with the idea to open a community center coffeehouse where creativity and conversation intersect. We actualized his dream together as Crosstown Community Center and Coffeehouse in Alameda where we do Asset Based Community Development.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Alameda Theater is Almost Complete

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:30:00 +0000

The Alameda Theater will once again entertain us with cinematic pleasures.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Why I take the train everyday!

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:53:00 +0000

Who can afford these prices?!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Alameda Bike to Work Day !

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:42:00 +0000

Thursday, May 15 marks the San Francisco Bay Area's 14th annual Bike to Work Day
Riding your bike everyday promotes a healthy body and healthy environment!

Bike to Work Day is promoted by a local non profit called BikeAlameda I first came to know BikeAlameda on May 15th 2006. I was riding my bike early in the morning to the construction site of the nonprofit community center I was opening 'crosstown' when I saw bicyclists congregated outside city hall drinking water and eating fruit & Cliff bars. I stopped to see what this was about (because I love to gawk) and I met the President and Cofounder of BikeAlameda Lucy Gigli. I introduced myself and it just so happened that I needed a Bike rack for my community center and she knew that Towne Centere had one that they were looking to donate. I love public interest groups like BikeAlameda who work to rally the public to better our community. Building community networks is the future.

For more information about Bike to Work Day or for a Bike Map of Alameda or for a coffee on your way to work, Visit Crosstown Community Center and Coffeehouse @ 1303 High Street, Alameda, Ca

BikeAlameda.org is sponsoring Energizer stations:
The following list of energizer stations:
City Hall; 2263 Santa Clara Avenue 6:30AM - 9:00AM
Bay Farm Bridge; Harbor Bay Island side; wooden walkway 6:30AM - 9:00AM
Main Street Ferry; 2990 Main Street; Alameda/Oakland/SF; on-board 6:15 AM - 9:25 AM runs
Harbor Bay Ferry, on-board 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM runs
Union Point Park on Oakland Embarcadero 6:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Volunteers are needed to staff the Alameda energizer stations that will be set up on May 15th. Volunteers get to cheer on the participants and distribute food and giveaways. To volunteer on Bike To Work Day, please Contact Bike Alameda.

For Energizer station locations outside of Alameda go to East Bay Bicycle Coalition

Crosstown is the City of Alameda’s 2008 Green Business of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Hopeful) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:53:00 +0000

Crosstown is the City of Alameda’s 2008 Green Business of the Year
It was a great honor to receive recognition for being a green organization in Alameda. There are several reasons why an organization would want to voluntarily become green. Some of the best reasons that come to mind are: financial incentives of reducing energy and water consumption; giving your organization a competitive edge by mitigating the future costs of regulated energy efficiency before their competitors, and creating a positive reputation with the public. Crosstown is certainly interested in all of those reasons for becoming a green business; however, none of these reasons are why Crosstown Community Center and Coffeehouse is committed to being 'Green'. Environmental stewardship is an important virtue for us as people of faith because we believe that gross unsustainable exploitation of the natural resources we have been given is bad stewardship. I am convinced that reducing our ecological foot print is not just a good thing to do because it helps to save our organization money or because it is makes for a great public image, rather I believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that our consumption is not exceeding our environment's sustainable limits.

As a Community Center, Crosstown’s purpose is to engage in community development. Consulting, hosting classes, and providing information about how our community can be better ecological stewards at home, work and in the community are just some of the ways that Crosstown fulfills its purpose.

If you would like to know know more about Crosstown Community Center and Coffeehouse visit us on the web at http://www.crosstowncoffee.org or visit us at:
Crosstown Coffeehouse and Community Center
1303 High Street
Alameda, CA 94501