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RELEASE DATE | WINTER 2016
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In this Issue
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Alameda County's $580 million affordable housing bond was approved by voters to create affordable housing for our most vulnerable residents, low-income families with children, veterans, and people with disabilities.
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AC Transit’s Parcel Tax Renewal was approved by voters and reauthorized a tax first passed in 2002 to preserve essential local transportation and bus maintenance services.
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BART's bond proposal was approved by voters and focuses on paying for upgrades to electrical and train-control systems, rails and stations. |
For a complete list of election results, visit the Alameda County Registrar of Voters
First-Ever Eden
AG DAY
First-ever Eden Area AG DAY was an educational enrichment opportunity for students to learn about agriculture and careers in the industry. Hosted at Rowell Ranch, the event was developed by Supervisor Miley's Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) Agriculture Group. It was led by Rick Hatcher AG DAY Committee Coordinator and HARD Board Member.
WHO PARTICIPATED?
- 900 third graders from Castro Valley, San Lorenzo and Hayward unified school districts.
- 200 parent chaperones
- 100 volunteers
- 38 teachers
Superstars Program
During the summer, students from the Eden Area came out to the REACH Ashland Youth Center for the Superstars program. Superstars was designed to prepare new students and their families for a transition to middle school. The program provided enrichment, academic development, and knowledge on how to successfully navigate middle school. Students visited U.C. Berkeley, conducted science experiments, learned how to deal with bullying, practiced yoga, and learned how to code. The program was developed by Supervisor Miley’s Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) Education Working Group.
Sister Butterflies Montclair Gateway Mural
The south entrance to Montclair Village recently got a makeover. Thanks to a team of artists, volunteers and residents, the once-gray retaining wall at the Montclair Boulevard exit of Highway 13 is now graced with a delicate mural of California sister butterflies and a California live oak tree. Funded by Supervisor Miley and other contributors, the mural was designed to reflect both nature and the peaceful community.
Walk and Roll to School Week
Supervisor Miley and his staff participated in International Walk and Roll to School Day. They greeted students in Oakland and the Eden area arriving at school. Students were encouraged to walk and bike all or part of the way to school every day for a week. The effort was coordinated by Safe Routes to School, Alameda County.
Nate's NextGen
Nate's NextGen is a new two-fold initiative by Supervisor Nate Miley's office to support training young people for political leadership and to collaborate with the tech's industry diversity push. In October, Supervisor Miley's office began working with Uber and the Kapor Center for Social impact. Our office teamed up with Kapor to promote the Oakland Summit on Blacks in Tech and Startup Weekend Oakland Latinx Tech Edition. The goal was to encourage career possibilities for African Americans and Latinos in the tech community.
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A Welcome Message from the Supervisor
Ashland Cherryland FamFest 5K
Fun Run for Wellness
 Ricardo Guerra lives Cherryland and will do whatever it takes to support his community. For him, that meant running in the FamFest 5K Run-Walk-Roll along East 14th Street with more than 500 other participants.
"During the race I saw neighbors cheering us on and it was very special to experience the love and connection to the Ashland and Cherryland communities."
The fun-filled family event was organized by Supervisor Nate Miley's office and supported by Sutter Health Eden Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente.
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The goal was to promote the health and well-being of the community by celebrating its diversity and to build tradition. The 5K race was among many of the activities featured including health screenings, a medicine take-back, community resource booths, live entertainment, and much more.
A Cherryland resident of 10 years, Guerra works at the REACH Ashland Youth Center as a program assistant, connecting youth to counseling and employment services. He said he felt a sense of pride and belonging while competing in the race through his neighborhood. Guerra invited his family and friends to participate in the 5K and is looking forward to doing it again next year.
Eden Night Live: Revitializing the Community
Eden Night Live was the perfect place for small business owner Kate Bartolomei to sell her educational books.
A weekend event held at a vacant lot at the intersection of two unincorporated areas of Hayward/San Leandro -- Ashland and Cherryland--became a destination spot during the summer and fall months for local residents and merchants to come together.
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“I love the idea of seeing the area revitalized and coming to life again,” said Bartolomei.
She has lived in both Hayward and Castro Valley neighborhoods for 40 years. “I wanted to do anything I could to be a part of that.”
So on most Fridays and Saturdays at Eden Night Live, Bartolomei set up her educational fiction and non-fiction award-winning books on display to showcase and sell.
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“I had so many people and kids who wanted to look at my books, talk about books and tell me about what they were reading in school. It brought the community to life for me," Bartolomei said.
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Organizers of Eden Night Live say they are pleased with Bartolomei’s experience, the sense of ownership and pride it brings to the community and the much needed attention given to a neglected space. The Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce and The Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League created the weekend event series, which was supported by Supervisor Nate Miley’s office.
Currently, there are several options under consideration to permanently transform the vacant lot into a vibrant space for the community. In the meantime, organizers are hoping to see more growth and success in planning for 2017 Eden Night Live.
Look Up! Don't Rush Safety Campaign
Protects Distracted Students
 The Look Up! Don’t Rush Safety Campaign is a partnership between several public agencies: Supervisor Miley, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol (CHP), Public Works Agency, Safe Routes to Schools, BikeWalkCV, and the Castro Valley, San Lorenzo and Hayward school districts.
The campaign was kicked off at the start of the school year with a news conference at Colonial Acres Elementary School.
The goal was for safety officials to help raise awareness about the dangers associated with distracted students walking while talking, texting or gaming on their mobile devices.
Campaign members also worked to improve traffic through road engineering, safety education and law enforcement.
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A traffic signal box was painted at the school as an artistic reminder of the campaign for the community.
“It's of paramount importance to encourage student safety at schools. During my 25 years in public office, this issue has been a top priority of mine.”
~ Supervisor Nate Miley
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Alameda County Responds to Oakland's Homeless Encampments
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Oakland is experiencing a housing crisis exacerbated by gentrification and displacement throughout the region. As a result, homeless encampments are popping up near freeway ramps with few, if any, bathrooms or trash bins. These blighted scenes have become commonplace --and unfortunately, have attracted outsiders to Oakland as an illegal dumping ground. |
Recognizing the political complexities of housing policy, Supervisor Miley co-chaired a joint Social Services and Health Committee meeting in October to discuss ways to strengthen the collaboration between Alameda County and the City of Oakland. An Oakland resident and former Oakland City Councilman, he has long been committed to working with colleagues and a broad coalition of practitioners to seek both short and long-term solutions.
Here’s a list of some
of immediate ways the County has responded to encampments:
- Provides mobile health and mental health crisis teams.
- Offers van rides to sobering stations.
- Makes referrals to the TRUST Health Center, for adults with disabling
conditions and histories of homelessness.
- Provides housing locator and rental assistance management services.
- Increases contracts with providers for substance-use treatment and dental care.
- Enhances licensed board and care homes.
The County's $580 million affordable housing bond Measure A1 passed by voters in November and is a long-range plan that will do the following:
- Provide affordable housing for our most vulnerable residents--low-income families with children, veterans, and people with disabilities.
- Protect our seniors from displacement and help them with critical home repairs, like ramps and accessibility features.
- Help get homeless people off the street, out of parks and encampments and into safe, supportive housing with services that get them back on their feet.
The County’s new $150 million Whole Person Care Pilot Program is a long-range plan that will do the following:
- Provide data-sharing and care coordination systems between health care, behavioral health and social services.
- Provide housing navigation services to homeless and Medi-Cal beneficiaries through case management.
- Provide client move-in and landlord funds.
- Provide housing education and legal assistance.
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Supervisor's First Wednesday Reports on TV-30 Keeps Us Informed
 Pleasanton constituents can tune in to the Tri-Valley CommunityTelevision (CTV30) every first Wednesday of the month to hear about Supervisor Miley's work in District 4 and information about countywide issues. On a recent show Supervisor Miley discussed the ways that Measure A1 will help address the need for more affordable housing. He also talked about the challenges associated with the Oakland stadium that includes paying off the Coliseum debt and putting forward a viable option for Raiders owner Mark Davis and the NFL. Supervisor Miley also participated in the Pleasanton Hometown Holiday Parade this month where he mingled with constituents, listened to their concerns...and of course, spread a little holiday cheer.
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 Shanele Allen, a community advocate and urban farmer, is planting more than just food – she is sowing seeds of hope in her community.
A member of the Eden Area Food Alliance, Shanele helps to teach and organize gardening educational projects for residents affordable housing communities in the Ashland area. She works with resident coordinators of the Eden House Apartments and Ashland Place to provide garden education classes.
Many families and youth participate in the inter-generational experience and learn about soil, composting, food hydration and nutrition.
“The proudest moment is where you can take a seed and watch it grow," Allen said.
Working on gardening projects is also deeply personal for Allen. Currently, she lives in a house that was once blighted property and she has begun renovating it into a farm. The property was previously occupied by squatters and drug dealers, but Allen and her family rent the 1920s style home and transformed the backyard to grow food in the garden and care for their many chickens and bees.
“Learning how to garden helped me to stay in my community and this house has become a food hub,” she said. Allen believes that the landscape of her community is tied to positive opportunities and health outcomes.
Her passion for gardening is also a way to educate people about food justice issues, reduce the carbon footprint and beautify the community. In 2017, Allen and Eden Urban Farms will host educational workshops at Paradise Community Garden on the first Saturdays of the month throughout the year, from January to June.
“We've moved so far away from agriculture but we must understand that we are very connected to the earth,” she said.
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Get involved in a District 4 Board or Commission:
For descriptions and complete listings please visit http://www.acgov.org/bc/
Please send resume and application to dist4@acgov.org to apply.
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