Emeryville Live Blog

Another New Emeryville Blog: In Emeryville

2008-10-15T15:30:00.001-07:00

Another blog has popped up in Emeryville called In Emeryville… and it looks like a great resource. Here’s a description from their site:

In Emeryville is about fresh, in-depth local news coverage. Honest stories and honest perspectives. Listening to community voices, and reporting on them so others can hear too.

But what we’re really about is you—the people who live, work and study in Emeryville.

We are six women journalists who share a passion for community reporting and a knack for multimedia storytelling. We’re graduate students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and our project is funded in part by a grant from the Ford Foundation.

Have an issue your neighbors should know about? Want to recommend a hidden gem in Emeryville? Or invite us to your high school football game (we’re already fans!)? We welcome your feedback on our stories and your suggestions for new ones.

And we look forward to seeing you around town … in Emeryville.

22nd Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition

2008-10-14T12:15:00.001-07:00

The 22nd Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition is currently in progress, featuring works from local Emeryville artists. Be sure to check it out and show your support!

5815 Shellmound Way Emeryville, CA 94608
emeryarts@aol.com
510-652-6122
Open Daily 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
October 4-26, 2008

A New Emeryville Blog has Popped Up

2008-10-10T16:58:00.001-07:00

The Secret News. Not sure what to think exactly, seems to be run by conspiracy theorists with bags over their heads. ;)

And they copied my post without even a little mention. But regardless, I do respect people voicing their opinions and the more information available to you, the reader, the better off you are in forming your own opinions.

Emeryville Home to New DOE Bioenergy Research Center

2008-10-09T11:04:00.001-07:00

The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a $125 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Research Center, has announced an agreement with Wareham Development to lease space at EmeryStation East, a new state-of-the-art laboratory building in Emeryville, CA.

Jay Keasling, the CEO of JBEI, and his team of 150 students and scientists is engineering bacteria to convert waste-plant material (cornstalks, wheat chaff) into the hydrocarbons (the petroleum products) our economy relies upon. They're already making small amounts of jet fuel.

“We have very high hopes for JBEI in our quest for major scientific breakthroughs needed to make biofuels a commercially viable alternative to imported oil and other fossil fuels,” Orbach said. “It is our hope that this modern laboratory space in EmeryStation East, located in the heart of Biotech Country in San Francisco’s East Bay, will be a crucible for transformational discovery.”

JBEI is a partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) whose mission is to speed the development of renewable biofuels – liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in plant biomass. JBEI’s other partners are Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the University of California campuses of Berkeley and Davis, and the Carnegie Institution.

Sources: NSTI, Esquire

Family Friendly Club Opens in Emeryville

2008-10-04T10:21:00.001-07:00

Instead of video games and bad food like Chuck E. Cheese, Blue Sky in Emeryville offers good, organic food with activities such as Arts & Crafts and a climbing wall.

Read Amy Graff’s review at the SF Chronicle.

Video: September 16 City Council Meeting

2008-09-22T10:02:00.001-07:00

Residents and workers call to question how Council Members address the issues important to them and demand more benefits out of development. Most of the discussion is about the Bay Street expansion.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Bay Street Expansion Under Fire

2008-09-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

An email from John Fricke:

Dear Emeryville neighbors,
Another large development project is moving toward city council approval. Informally referred to as "Site B," the project would expand the Bay Street shopping mall to the north with a department store, a 30-story hotel, and a parking garage. This project is one of several to which the city council will likely give millions of dollars in subsidies to the developer. I would like to report to you the amount of the subsidy contemplated, but the other city council members refused my request to make this information public.

Before I was elected to the city council, I often wondered what occurred in closed session city council meetings (held just prior to the public meetings). After two years of attending these closed meetings, I have observed that the details of development deals are ironed out over several months, and that the eventual city council vote in a subsequent public session is somewhat of a formality.

Given the large subsidy and the scope of the Site B project, I feel that the public should be informed about how much the developer is requesting as a subsidy, and how much the city council is willing to grant. At the end of last night's closed session, I requested that these two pieces of information be made public. The other city council members present (Ken Bukowski, Nora Davis, and Dick Kassis) did not support my request to make this information public. (Ruth Atkin was excused from the meeting.)

We are now in a period of ironing out the broad details of the Site B project, what amount of retail/hotel/residential will be constructed, how long the developer will have to construct the project, how much subsidy the developer will receive, etc. During this period a developer can hold private meetings with each of the council members, hoping to obtain support of the project by the individual council members. The eventual vote to approve then becomes a formality.

There is an agreement that governs the negotiation between the developer and the city. The agreement includes a confidentiality clause. (I have included this clause at the bottom of this message.) I did not request that we reveal confidential financial information that the developer has disclosed. I simply want to make public the amount of subsidy that the developer is requesting, and the amount that the city council is willing to give as a subsidy.

If we value vigorous public debate, then waiting until the final city council vote to grant the subsidies and entitlements is too late. The public should be able to weigh in now about the merits of giving millions of dollars in subsidies for a project that will exacerbate traffic congestion, and provide no concrete community benefits in return. The other council members prefer to keep this information confidential.

I am therefore limited to reiterating information that the city manager provided two years ago; information I shared with you in my progress report at the end of 2006. Two years ago, the subsidy that was contemplated from the city to the developer was $47 million. (The developer was willing to pay $10 million for the land after toxic remediation. The city expected to pay $17 million to acquire the land, and $10 million to do toxic remediation. The department store was to receive a $22 million subsidy, the hotel $8 million.)

The subsidy money would be drawn from the city's budget for capital projects. Here is a partial list of projects that the city council has identified as worthy projects, for which no money has been set aside (2006 estimates):

Railroad Quiet Zone, $2M
Park Avenue Park, $3M
Replace police station, $15M
Cultural/Performing Arts Center, $14M
Recreation Center, $5.5M
Improving pedestrian access on Powell Street Bridge, $15M
Bridge over Interstate 80 at 65th Street, $10M
Bridge over Interstate 80 at Temescal Creek, $10M
Extending Bay Trail south of Powell Street, $2M

At a June meeting, the city council voted (4-0) to spend money to create a PowerPoint presentation focusing on the benefits of major development projects while excluding the negative impacts. (I missed the meeting because I was on vacation with my family.) I doubt that the PowerPoint presentation will mention the tens of millions of dollars that the city is doling out in subsidy money. Here is the staff report:
http://www.johnfricke.com/StaffReport17june2008.pdf

And here is an article about this issue in Emeryville's new online newspaper, The Secret News:
http://e-villenews.blogspot.com/2008/08/in-case-youre-not-convincedcity-council.html
http://e-villenews.blogspot.com/

The city council has hired a PR firm to provide one-sided information to the public, but refuses to make public the subsidy amount that will likely be granted to the Site B developer.

www.JohnFricke.com

Emeryville's Charles Chocolates is Google's Willy Wonka

2008-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Charles Chocolates is the official Chocolatier for Google, providing bite-sized goodness to all of Google's employees around the Google campus... and of course this is free to their employees as is all their food.

Since Charles Chocolates was founded in 2004 in the San Francisco suburb of Emeryville, sales have soared, with revenues on track to double to more than $3 million in 2008. That growth rate far outpaces that of the premium sector, which grew 29% in 2007, according to AC Nielsen. The overall packaged chocolate market, meanwhile, grew 4.2%.

Nice work Chuck! If you haven't had a chance to check it out, I would recommend stopping by, they have a really nice little shop at the factory where you can buy (and taste) some of their creations.

More info at CNN Money

Bay Street Condo Development Sold

2008-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

General Investment & Development Cos. sold all of the 284 condo units above Bay Street, the Emeryville shopping mecca, to Richard Ross and Socorro Vasquez for $108 million ($380,282 per unit). The property was roughly 66% occupied at time of sale.

Built last year, the four-story multifamily building, known as Windsor at Metropolitan, is a portion of Bay Street Emeryville, a mixed-use retail and residential complex about 4 miles from Oakland. This transaction includes 284 residential units totaling 275,000 square feet, 20% of which is designated as affordable housing. The unit mix is comprised of 114 one-bedroom/one-bath units and 170 two-bedroom/two-bath units, ranging from 715 square feet to 1,424 square feet.

Why they sold is another question.

More...

Faces of Emeryville a Success

2008-03-24T11:42:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Emeryville! Despite dark clouds and predictions of rain, the sun shined in on March 15th through the "Faces of Emeryville: An Arts making Community Event!" More than 150 people - community members, EmeryUSD students and families, City of Emeryville staff, white, beige, brown and black folks, old and young - participated! Truly, it was a powerful event - one that was all that it was intended to be. We collected information and shared visions for our community's future, demonstrated the power of arts integration to educate and promote expression, nurtured networks and new partnerships, made art and made friends, communicated across our phenomenal diversity, and captured the wonder of it all - in pictures, film, words and artifacts...and in our hearts!

Are you sorry that you and yours missed it? You have another opportunity to add you face to our Emeryville photo collection! "Faces of Emeryville: Take Two!" has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 2 from 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Emery Secondary School (located at 1100 47th Street at San Pablo Avenue). Bring your family, club members, co workers or crew in to sit for a professional portrait photographed by Nita Winter. Receive a FREE print and be counted among the myriad faces of Emeryville in future community arts projects. Get to know your neighbors and your local schools. Please...take a moment to stop by, sit and smile with those with whom you live, love, and learn. Emeryville and its schools look forward to knowing you...

For further information, contact De-Iso Quadir at 510.601.4750 or deiso.quadir at emeryusd.org or Wanda Stewart at 510.601.4907 or wanda.stewart at emeryusd.org.

City Council Votes to Pursue Street Widenings

2008-03-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Emeryville neighbors,

At Tuesday's meeting, the city council voted 3-2 (Atkin, Fricke voting against) to move forward with a plan to widen streets to accommodate more vehicle traffic. Bukowski, Davis, and Kassis took this action despite the city staff acknowledging that widening streets will cause more traffic, and may negatively affect pedestrian and bicycle access.

In September 2007, the city council held a special meeting to discuss how further development in Emeryville would affect traffic congestion. At this Sunday morning meeting, the traffic engineers recommended widening streets, among other things, to accommodate more traffic. (See below for a link to the report.)

Many of you who attended this Sunday morning meeting asked that the city not commit to widening streets until after alternative transportation options were explored. At that meeting, the city council unanimously and repeatedly supported holding off on street widenings until an outside consultant (Nelson\Nygaard) completed its Alternative Transportation Study of Emeryville. Here is a four-minute excerpt (2 clips) of the September, 2007 meeting:

At last Tuesday's meeting, Ken Bukowski, Nora Davis, and Dick Kassis broke the promise they made to the community last September.

The aforementioned Alternative Transportation Study has not yet been completed. The consultant, Nelson\Nygaard, was sidetracked by the city council's request to review the traffic engineers' street-widening proposals. Nelson\Nygaard's review strongly criticized the traffic engineers' proposals. (See below for a link to Nelson\Nygaard's Feb. 2008 memo.)

Nevertheless, the city council voted to move forward with the traffic engineers' proposals to widen streets, change the timing of signals, add dedicated left and right turn pockets, etc., all with the intention of maximizing the flow of vehicles in Emeryville.

Ruth Atkin aptly stated that improving vehicle access often comes at the expense of pedestrians and bicycles.

Please email the city council and ask the three in the majority (Ken Bukowski, Nora Davis, and Dick Kassis) to rescind their vote:

citycouncil@emeryville.org

Best,

John Fricke

LINKS:

The Big 4 Traffic Study (Sept., 2007)
http://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/gov/pdf/agenda/study/091607.pdf

Nelson\Nygaard Memo (critique of Big 4 traffic study) (Feb., 2008):
http://www.johnfricke.com/NelsonNygaardReport-Revised04feb2008.pdf

City of Emeryville Staff Report (recommending street widenings) (Mar., 2008):
http://www.johnfricke.com/TrafficStudyStaffReport18mar2008.pdf

My previous email messages regarding traffic congestion:
http://www.johnfricke.com/12-22-05.html
http://www.johnfricke.com/02-22-06_2.html
http://www.johnfricke.com/05-26-07.html
http://www.johnfricke.com/09-11-07.html
http://www.johnfricke.com/01-31-08.html

My position papers on sustainable development and progressive parking policies:
http://www.johnfricke.com/development.html
http://www.johnfricke.com/parking.html

My art piece, It Won't Pencil, a critique of Emeryville's current development path, and its inevitable outcome:
http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnFricke01/ItWontPencil
http://www.johnfricke.com/ItWontPencil-text.pdf

"Faces of Emeryville: An Arts making Community Event"

2008-03-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

Dear Neighbors:

Emery Unified School District - in partnership with the City of Emeryville, the Chamber of Commerce, the Emery Education Fund and Art IS Education - urges you to join us in making art and community while capturing Emeryville residents in photographs on Saturday, March 15th, 10 am - 5 pm at Emery Secondary School! We're documenting community...and we'd like both your face and your voice included!

All of Emeryville - residents, school families, churches, City employees, business groups and clubs are invited to join in an interactive "arts making community" party. Receive a free, professionally photographed portrait of you and yours. Add your voice to conversations (and art) on Emeryville living, community and school partnerships, and the future of our schools.

10 am - 12 noon @ Anna Yates School - "Relocation to Renovation" - Tour the school, learn about our renovation plans, participate in focused art groups to make design decisions...from playgrounds to paint colors and more!

10 am - 12 noon @ Emery Secondary School - "Mapping Emeryville" - Discover Emeryville's culture, uncover our patterns of living through map making fun.

12 noon - 1 pm @ Emery Secondary School - FREE LUNCH FOR ALL!

1 pm - 3 pm @ Emery Secondary School - "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Future" - Through storytelling and doll making, learn about Emeryville history, envision our schools as community centers.

3 pm - 5 pm @ Emery Secondary School - "Partners for Community Life" - Build strong ties across our diversity through Community-based theater and movement, learn about getting involved in new community initiatives.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE TAKEN AT EMERY SECONDARY SCHOOL AT 1100 47th STREET.

For information visit our website at www.emeryusd.org or contact Wanda Stewart at wanda.stewart@emeryusd.org or 510.601.4907.

February 2008 Emeryville Crime Statistics

2008-03-07T07:57:00.001-08:00

Greeting Emeryville residents, here’s the monthly crime statistics for the month of February. I’ve included the criminal stats for the entire city.

This newsletter is being promoted to continue a united working relationship between the Emeryville Police Department and the residents/merchants of Emeryville.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Volume #

COMMENTS:

459A (Auto Burgs) There were 26 auto burglaries this month compared to January’s total of 27, showing a decrease of 1. District 4 was the hardest hit area.

459C (Commercial Burgs) There were 8 commercial burglaries this month compared to January’s total of 14, showing a decrease of 6. District 2 was the hardest hit area. In district 2 at Dream Builders, 5900 Hollis St Ste #R5 two burglaries occurred. POE: Unknown, no signs of forced entry. LOSS: Power tools and $15,000 cash. In district 3 at Avenue 64, 6399 Christie Ave., POE: Door – Pried. LOSS: Power tools. In district 4 at Bay Super Shell, 1800 Powell St., POE: Storage room – key used. LOSS: 15 cartons of cigarettes. In district 5 at the Four Points by Sheraton, 1603 Powell St., POE: Room door possibly left ajar. LOSS: Guest’s wallet. In district 6 at Icon at Park, 1401 Park Ave., POE: Door. LOSS: Two TV monitors. In district 7 at Longs Drugs, 4349 San Pablo Ave., a suspect used a screwdriver to pry open two registers and remove the cash. LOSS: $200. In district 8 at Construction site at 3801 San Pablo Ave., POE: Office door- window smash and door pried. LOSS: NONE

459R (Residential Burgs) There were 3 residential burglaries this month compared to January’s total of 3, showing no change. In district 1 at 1258 59^th St #5, POE: Front door – forced open. LOSS: Cell phone and $300 cash. The suspect returned the items a few hours later. In district 3 at Avenue 64, 6399 Christie Ave #230. POE: Front door – Unlocked. LOSS: Purse. In district 4 at 1 Captain Dr. #159, POE: Door – No sign of force. LOSS: Keys, vehicle 2005 Honda Accord (recovered by SFPD), laptop (recovered) $80 cash, credit cards, and GPS unit. A suspect was arrested by OPD.

484P (Petty Thefts) There were 22 petty thefts this month compared to January’s total of 22, showing no change. District 9 was the hardest hit area.

487P (Grand Thefts) There were 17 grand thefts this month compared to January’s total of 16, showing an increase of 1. District 5 was the hardest hit area.

851R (Recovered Vehicles) There were 8 vehicles recovered this month compared to February’s total of 7, showing an increase of 1. Other law enforcement agencies reported these vehicles stolen.

851V (Stolen Vehicles) There were 17 stolen vehicles this month compared to January’s total of 14, showing an increase of 3. Thefts were citywide. Honda Accords & Civics, Toyota Camry’s and other Toyota model vehicles were popular. 15 vehicles were recovered, 8 of which were recovered intact, 3 vehicles suffered damages only, 3 vehicles were damaged and stripped, and one vehicle was minor stripped.

211P (Robberies) There were 3 robberies this month compared to January’s total of 12, showing a decrease of 9. District 5 was the hardest hit area. In district 5 at Abercrombie & Fitch, 5680 Bay Street a female shoplifted a stack of shirts. Upon the manager making contact with the female, the female grabbed the manager by the throat, forced the manager to the ground, and fled the area. Suspect: Female, Black, mid to late 20’s, 6’0”, 300 lbs, wearing a black v-neck shirt and blue jeans. At the Shoe Pavilion, 5777 Christie Ave., two female juveniles set off the alarm as they exited the store. A store employee attempted to make contact with the juveniles, however a male juvenile held back the employee and struggled with the employee as the females fled on foot. The male juvenile fled the scene on foot shortly thereafter. LOSS: Shoes and a handbag. In district 7 at Kilohana Grill, 4115 San Pablo Ave., an armed robbery occurred. Suspect: Black male, 24-25 years old, 5’10”, 175 lbs, wearing a red and white hoodie and red pants. LOSS: $150.00. In the 1300 block of Stanford Ave., an attempted robbery occurred. A male subject punched a female in the head and face and searched through the female’s pockets. There was no loss. Suspect: Black male with long dreadlocks, wearing a red striped shirt.

215P (Car Jackings) There were 0 car jackings this month compared to January’s total of 0, showing no change.

242P (Simple Assaults) There were 3 simple assaults this month compared to January’s total of 4, showing a decrease of 1. In district 5 at Coach, 5641 Bay Street, an irate male customer struck an employee in the face with a key chain. EPD arrested the subject shortly thereafter. In district 9 at Pak N Save, 3889 San Pablo Ave., a shoplifter struggled with Loss Prevention while being detained. EPD arrested the subject shortly thereafter. At Home Depot, 3838 Hollis Street, a female transient spat on a security guard.

245P (Aggravated Assaults) There were 0 aggravated assaults this month compared to January’s total of 3, showing a decrease of 3.

261P (Sexual Assaults) There were 0 rapes this month compared to January’s total of 1, showing a decrease of 1.

187P (Homicides) There were 0 homicides this month compared to January’s total of 0, showing no change.

Arrests: Juveniles: 4 Adults: 58

Total: 62

Year to date: 137

Sgt. R. Davis

Emeryville Police Department

Pedestrian/Bike Bridge Community Meeting this Saturday, 9:30am

2008-03-06T11:07:00.001-08:00

Dear Emeryville neighbors,

Please attend an upcoming community meeting to provide your input on (1) the design of the future bridge across the railroad tracks, and (2) the park on the east side of the bridge:

Saturday, March 8th, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Middle School Building
1275 61st Street (@ Doyle Street)
(light breakfast will be provided)
Here's a preview (2.4 MB):
http://www.johnfricke.com/MtgSlideShow.pdf

(The above slides were shown at last week's meeting of the project design committee. Based on input from the committee, some of the slides will be revised for Saturday's meeting.)
More information about this project is available at
http://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/econdev/sbpedbikebridge.html

Best,
John

p.s. Upcoming workshop on preventing predatory lending and foreclosure, Sat., March 22nd:
http://www.johnfricke.com/WorkshopFlyer.pdf

John Fricke
1057 43rd Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
510/601-8846
www.JohnFricke.com

South Bayfront Pedestrian Bicycle Bridge: Mark your calendars for the next meeting

2008-02-22T17:21:00.001-08:00

Dear Emeryville Community Members,

On Saturday March 8 from 9:30 to 12:30, a community meeting will be held about the pedestrian/bicycle bridge being planned from Bay Street to Horton Street. The meeting will be at the middle school building at 1275 61^st St near Doyle St, so we will have room for breakout sessions. A light breakfast will be provided. For more information or to comment on the bridge planning, you can contact Ignacio Dayrit at idayrit@ci.emeryville.ca.us or 596-4356.

We hope to see you there!

Diana Keena, AICP, Associate Planner

City of Emeryville, Planning and Building Department

Peet's Coffee Had a Great 2007

2008-02-15T17:18:00.001-08:00

Peet's Coffee & Tea reported a great Q4 with profits growing substantially over the previous year.

Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc. reported a profit of $3.3 million for the fourth quarter and $8.4 million for the year.

The Emeryville company (NASDAQ: PEET) made a profit of $2.2 million in the fourth quarter a year ago, and made a profit of $7.8 million in 2006.

Via San Francisco Business Times

January 2008 Emeryville Crime Statistics

2008-02-15T17:14:00.001-08:00

Dear Resident:

I am providing you with the monthly city-wide crime statistics for the Month of January, 2008

I will attempt to provide the residents with a copy of this information each month. If you have received this e-mail in error, or if you do not want to receive any information, or if you no longer live in Emeryville, please send me a reply email with the word REMOVE in the subject line.

It is very difficult to maintain a list with over 1,000 recipients, and keep it accurate.

Please pardon any mistakes in spelling or any duplicate messages. I hope this information is useful The police department just hired 7 new officers and is now up to full authorized strength.

The below text was copied from another format and the apostrophes and some of the other characters are inaccurate.

Best:

Mayor Ken Bukowski

----------------------------------

459A (Auto Burgs) There were 27 auto burglaries this month compared to December's total of 21, showing an increase of 6. Districts 3, 4, and 8 were the hardest hit area.

459C (Commercial Burgs) There were 14 commercial burglaries this month compared to December's total of 11, showing an increase of 3. District 3 was the hardest hit area.

In district 3 at Archstone Apartments 6401 Shellmound St., an unknown suspect burgled the break room. LOSS: Employee work I.D., 2 coats, and keys.

At Wells Fargo Bank, 5801 Christie Ave., two suspects entered the bank with the intent of fraudulently passing checks on a closed account. EPD arrested both suspects shortly thereafter.

At Wells Fargo Bank 5801 Christie Ave., a male suspect attempted to cash a stolen check.

At Public Storage, 6501 Shellmound St., a series of burglaries occurred, a suspect burglarized five storage containers. EPD arrested a female suspect and recovered property from previous burglaries. EPD returned the property to the owners.

In district 5 at Circuit City, 5795 Christie Ave., a suspect attempted to purchase merchandise (establish credit) using a fictitious Driver License. EPD arrested the suspect shortly thereafter.

At Ikea, 4400 Shellmound St., POE:(point of entry) front doors – forced open. Suspects attempted to force open the change dispenser with negative results and fled the area.

At Coach, 5641 Bay St., a “Grab and Run” occurred. Suspect: Black female, 30-40, 5’6”, 135lbs, wearing a blue hat, black coat and blue jeans. LOSS: Several purses, Value: $2136.00.

At Abercrombie & Fitch 5680 Bay St., two suspects entered the store carrying a shopping bag. One suspect distracted the employee while the other suspect filled the shopping bag with perfume. LOSS: 32 bottles of cologne.

In district 9 at Pak N Save, 3889 San Pablo Ave., a female suspect was arrested for shoplifting.

At Babies R US, 3938 Horton St., a female suspect purchased a child restraint with counterfeit bills. Later in the day, a male suspect returned the child restraint for a cash refund. Suspect: #1 Black male, 5’8”, 165 lbs, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans.#2 Black female, 25-30 years old, 5’6”, 130 lbs.

459R (Residential Burgs) There were 3 residential burglaries this month compared to December’s total of 2, showing an increase of 1. District 1 was the hardest hit area.

In district 1 at 1275 62nd St., POE: Side door – forced. LOSS: Digital camera.

At 6200 Doyle St # 13, POE: Window – Screen removed, lock slipped. LOSS:
Playstation, DVD player, and CD player.

In district 4 at 5 Admiral Dr # F213, POE: Unlocked door. LOSS: Wallet.

484P (Petty Thefts) There were 22 petty thefts this month compared to December’s total of 28, showing a decrease of 6. Districts 5 and 9 were the hardest hit areas.

487P (Grand Thefts) There were 16 grand thefts this month compared to December’s total of 6, showing an increase of 10. Districts 3 and 5 were the hardest hit areas.

851R (Recovered Vehicles) There were 7 vehicles recovered this month compared to December’s total of 5, showing an increase of 2.

851V (Stolen Vehicles) There were 14 vehicles stolen this month compared to December’s total of 8, showing an increase of 6. District 8 was the hardest hit area. The most popular vehicles were Honda Accords and Civics, Toyota Camrys, and Acura Integras. 12 vehicles were recovered, 9 of which were recovered intact and 3 suffered minor stripping.

211P (Robberies) There were 12 robberies this month compared to December’s total of 7, showing an increase of 5. Districts 3 and 5 were the hardest hit areas.

In district 1 at 59th/Doyle Streets, a strong-armed robbery occurred. A male suspect approached a female from behind, grabbed the females’ arm and demanded her money. LOSS: $30. Suspect: Male, no further description.

In district 2 at Chevron, 1400 Powell St., two suspects entered the store, suspect #1 pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money from the safe and the register. while Suspect #2 acted as a lookout. Suspects: #1 Black male, 25-30 years old, 6’2”, 180lbs, wearing a black hoodie. #2 Black male, 25-20 years old, 5’10”, 220 lbs, wearing a black hoodie. LOSS: $2473.00.

In district 3 in the parking lot of Wells Fargo Bank, 5801 Christie Ave., a suspect punched a Starbucks employee in the face and robbed him of the daily deposit. LOSS: $1900. Suspect: Black male, 28 years old, 5’8”, 200 lbs. EPD arrested the suspect days later.

At the bus stop in front of Border’s Books, 5903 Christie Ave., 3 females took another females’ cell phone, punched the female and pulled her to the ground. Suspects: 3 Black females, 16 years old, no further description.

At Wells Fargo Bank, 5801 Christie Ave., A suspect handed the bank teller a note demanding all of the cash. EPD arrested the subject at the teller window shortly thereafter.

In district 5 at Cingular Wireless, 5691 Bay St., two suspects entered the store, selected an I-Phone. One suspect assaulted a store employee in an attempt to flee the store. Suspects: #1 Black male, 507, 160 lbs, wearing a black and white checkered hat and black hoodie. #2 Black male, 5’6”, 160 lbs, wearing a black hat with a white bill, gray jacket and black hoodie.

At Sunshades, 5685 Bay St., A suspect entered and asked to see two pair of
sunglasses to compare them. When the suspect had both pairs of glasses, he fled the store and pushed an employee out of the way. The Suspect then fled in a car. Suspect: Black male, no further description. Suspect Vehicle: Silver 4-door sub-compact car, no further description.

At Barnes and Nobles, 5604 Bay St., 3 black male juveniles, 15 years old, robbed an Asian male victim in the restroom. LOSS: I-pod and wallet.

In district 7 in the rear parking lot of IHOP 4133 San Pablo Ave., two suspects robbed an Oaks Club patron at gunpoint while the patron was sitting in his vehicle. LOSS: $450 cash and wallet. Suspects: #1 Black male adult, 20-30 years old, wearing a black beanie, black jacket and point a black handgun at the victim. #2 Male, no further description. Suspect Vehicle: Chevy Camaro2-door gray.

In the 1000 block of 43rd St., 3 black males, robbed a male victim at gunpoint. LOSS: Cell phone and wallet.

At Subway Sandwiches, 3999 San Pablo Ave., a male suspect purchased a soda. When clerk opened the register, the suspect jumped the counter and pointed a gun at the clerk. The suspect removed the cash from the register and fled the store. Suspect: Black male, 30-40 years old, 6’0”-6”2”, 190 lbs, dirty appearance, wearing a tan jacket, gray hoodie, and black pants.

In the parking lot of Home Depot, 3838 Hollis St., a group of juveniles and one adult robbed a male victim at gunpoint (BB gun). LOSS/Recovered: I-Phone, charger, $52, credit cards, and Velcro straps. EPD arrested all subjects shortly thereafter.

215P (Car Jackings) There were 0 car jackings this month compared to December’s total of 1, showing a decrease of 1.

242P (Simple Assaults) There were 4 simple assaults this month compared to
December’s total of 4, showing no change. District 5 was the hardest hit area.

In the parking lot of the Courtyard Marriot, 5555 Shellmound St., an argument between acquaintances resulted in a fight between two men.

At Cingular Wireless, 5628 Bay St., an employee pushed a co-worker.

At the AMC Theater, 5614 Bay St., #220, a customer pushed another customer over a seat in the theater.

In district 8 at 3850 San Pablo Ave., an argument between female relatives resulted in one relative hitting the other.

245P (Aggravated Assaults) There were 3 aggravated assaults this month compared to December’s total of 3, showing no change. District 3 was the hardest hit area.

In district 3 at 6400 Christie Ave., #2405, an argument between mother and son resulted in the son throwing a porcelain statue at his mother, narrowly missing his mother’s head. EPD arrested the son days later.

At 6363 Christie Ave., #2617 a male choked his girlfriend as result of an argument over the girlfriend being intoxicated. EPD arrested the male shortly thereafter.

In district 7 in the parking lot of 5514 Doyle St., an unknown suspect threw a brick at the victim, missing the victim’s head by one foot.

261P (Sexual Assaults) There was 1 sexual assault reported this month, which occurred in November 2007. The rape occurred in district 8. A female reported being raped by a male acquaintance while visiting him at his residence.

187P (Homicides) There were 0 homicides this month compared to December’s total of 0, showing no change.

Arrests:    Juveniles:       9          Adults:      66
Total: 75
Year to date:              75

Site Cleanup Plan - Public Comment Date

2008-02-03T14:14:00.001-08:00

NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

ANALYSIS OF BROWNFIELD CLEANUP ALTERNATIVES AND DRAFT SITE CLEANUP PLAN FOR THE FORMER UNION PACIFC PARCEL D PROJECT AREA

Northeast Corner of Sherwin Street and Halleck Street, Emeryville, California.

The Emeryville Redevelopment Agency is considering approval of an Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) and Draft Site Cleanup Plan (SCP) for the cleanup of soil contamination at the former Union Pacific Railroad Parcel D Project Area (Parcel D). The Redevelopment Agency is soliciting public comment on the Site Cleanup Plan during the period from February 1, 2008 to March 3, 2008. The Redevelopment Agency welcomes your participation in the review and comment of the ABCA and Draft SCP.

A brief summary of Parcel D environmental investigations completed to date and the proposed cleanup actions are provided in a fact sheet, which is available on the City of Emeryville website or by contacting the project manager or site manager at the addresses provided below.

The ABCA and Draft SCP, which contain more thorough discussion of the proposed project, are available for review from the Emeryville City Clerk’s Office located at 1333 Park Avenue in Emeryville and at the Oakland Public Library, Golden Gate branch. The reports are also available electronically at the following website: www.ci.emeryville.ca.us in the Spotlight section.

A public meeting to present an overview of the ABCA and Draft SCP and to receive comments will be held on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at Emeryville City Hall, Garden Level, 1333 Park Avenue, Emeryville, CA. Comments on the ABCA and Draft SCP may be submitted at the public meeting or in writing to the Redevelopment Agency’s project manager (email preferred) at the address below on or before 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 3, 2008. Redevelopment Agency staff are also available to answer questions about the ABCA and Draft SCP.

Please contact:

Project Manager Site Manager

Ignacio Dayrit Susan Colman

Community Economic Development Coordinator

City of Emeryville

City of Emeryville Tel: 831-336-8155

Tel: (510) 596-4356

Warner Music Sues Emeryville Based Music Search Engine Seeqpod

2008-01-26T13:08:00.001-08:00

Warner Music Group is suing Emeryville, California-based SeeqPod. Other music search engines have been getting the same treatment from the major labels.

"SeeqPod searches for a particular type off content -- music--that SeeqPod knows is overwhelmingly copyrighted. The results that SeeqPod returns are links -- many of which SeeqPod itself solicits from is users -- to sites containing unauthorized and illegal copies of copyrighted music," according to the federal court lawsuit. (.pdf) "With simple clicks of a computer mouse, SeeqPod will play the work without authorization; will add it to a user's 'playlist' collection; will give the user the link where an unauthorized copy may be downloaded; and will embed the link on social-networking sites, like MySpace and Facebook, where the entire cycle of willful copyright infringement is repeated without end."

Via: Wired

LeapFrog to Cut 85 Jobs by April

2008-01-26T12:51:00.001-08:00

LeapFrog (NYSE: LF) announced a net loss of $2.8 million, or a loss of 4 cents per share, on net sales of $144 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2007. That compares with a net loss of $49.7 million, or a net loss of 79 cents per share, on sales of $184.7 million for the third quarter of 2006.

This has lead LeapFrog to cut jobs, 20 already in January and 85 more by April. Too bad for a company that brings educational toys to our kids, lets hope they can get back on their feet.

Via: East Bay BusinessTimes

Trader Vic's in San Francisco Closes Doors, Emeryville Location Stays Open

2008-01-16T07:45:00.001-08:00

The Trader Vic's location in San Francisco closed it's doors:

And over in the Civic Center, closed doors, at Trader Vic's (555 Golden Gate Ave., near Van Ness), presumably just for the holidays prompted concerned e-mails and phone calls.

Indeed, the mai tais will flow no more - the tiki restaurant with a long and storied background is no longer operating, and the answering machine says it's closed for good.

The San Francisco institution ran for many years in the space that currently houses Le Colonial. After closing 12 years ago, it opened in 2004 in its current location, the previous Stars. But it seems the reopened spot was never quite able to get on its feet.

Repeated phone calls and messages to Trader Vic's offices went unreturned, so it's anyone's guess as to what ultimately was the final straw. Two other Bay Area locations - one in Emeryville and the other in Palo Alto - remain open.

Luckily we still have our Trader Vic's, and their amazing Mai Tai's, in Emeryville.

via: http://tikitalk.astropad.com/archives/trader-vics-san-franciso-closes-for-good/

Novartis to cut 2500 Jobs Globally, No Cuts for Emeryville

2007-12-26T01:06:00.001-08:00

Novartis plans to cut their global work force by 2500 jobs to save $1.6 billion. Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics division in Emeryville and the bulk drug manufacturing facility in Vacaville will be unaffected.

Berkeley hopes to restore its downtown to life... like Emeryville

2007-12-17T17:54:00.001-08:00

I just read this article in the San Francisco Chronicle about Berkeley's plan to revitalize it's downtown core, near Shattuck and University, where "Shuttered businesses dot the streets like tumbleweeds in a ghost town".

And the best excerpt from the article:

"Berkeley's downtown plan has resulted in a wonderful, vibrant, mixed-use community. It's called Emeryville," said Will Travis, chairman of the city committee charged with revitalizing the beleaguered commercial district around Shattuck and University avenues.

EUSD Board of Trustees' Roles and Responsibilities

2007-12-13T15:10:00.001-08:00

The Emery Unified School District is pleased to announce new roles and responsibilities for the members of our Board of Trustees that were agreed upon at their regular meeting on Wednesday, December 5, 2007. Effective immediately, the members have assumed their new positions as follows:

President - Joshua Simon
Vice President - Kurt Brinkman
Clerk - Melodi Dice
County Representative - Miguel Dwin
Board Member - Cheryl Webb

We are thankful for their continuing efforts on behalf of our students and the Emeryville community!

In Service,

Wanda L.Stewart
Public Information Exchange Officer
Emery Unified School District

Gingerbread House Parties at Arizmendi Bakery

2007-12-09T14:38:00.001-08:00

Arizmendi's is hosting their third annual Gingerbread House Parties on the following dates:

Monday, December 10th from 5-7 PM and

Sunday, December 16th from 6:30-8:30 PM.

Gingerbread, frosting, and some candy decorations will be provided, but all house-builders are encouraged to bring their own decorations for sharing. Space is limited, so drop by the bakery to reserve a spot at these popular events. The cost is $10 per house and can be paid at the door; there will also be some light refreshments for sale. Be sure to bring your children of all ages (and don’t forget that inner child as well).
FYI - Arizmendi is a worker owned collective associated with Berkeley's Cheese Board.

ARIZMENDI EMERYVILLE BAKERY & PIZZERIA
4301 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville, CA
Hours: Mon 7-3, Tues-Fri 7-7, Sat 8-7, Sun 8-6
www.arizmendi-bakery.org ~ (510) 547-0550