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Lack of performance on Xmas Day alarm

Editor:

There's a bit more to the two items under the headings "False call" and "Same story, same place" in your Dec. 29 Fire Wire.

While it's true that the alarm went off at around 3:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve, the alarm was not turned off until around noon on Dec. 26. I'll repeat that: the alarm continued to ring from the middle of the night on Christmas Eve until noon two days later, approximately 33 hours.

The alarm company, Performance One, refused to send out a technician to check out the problem because it was Christmas Day. So rather than inconvenience one employee and pay them overtime, they chose to ruin the Christmas holiday for about 10 families. I thought that Alameda has noise ordinances, but apparently not, at least on holidays.

As for the alarm company, their name should really be "Lack of Performance" or how about "Performance, my a$$." I hope that the Garner Learning Center, where the alarm rang for 33 continuous hours, will reevaluate their relationship with this non-caring company and hire someone more effi cient.

While I assume the learning center teaches the children who attend some respect, it's apparent they don't share that same respect for their neighbors.

— Michael Manushaw

AEF thanks Adopt-AClassroom donors

Editor:

It was happy holidays indeed for 20 Alameda classrooms, which were each presented with $500 donations in November and December as part of the Alameda Education Foundation's Adopt-A-Classroom (AAC) program. The Alameda Education Foundation (AEF) would like to thank the following donors for their generosity (recipients and schools in parentheses): The Casper/Iron and Roemer/ Buckner Families (Martha Lopez, Alameda); Kathleen and Christopher Kelly (Judith Manalili; Heather Demarest and Anna Faria-Porter, Franklin); Perforce Foundation on behalf of employee Gunnar Ostergren (Debby Meyer and Tat Lam, Franklin); Friends and Families of Ms. Collins' class (Ann Collins, Franklin), Janine Boehm (Christy Ha and Sarah Noble, Wood; Candace Block, Encinal); The Eyestone Family (Stephanie Krause, Nea); Wellguard Insurance Solutions (Mary Butler, Lum); The Yap Family (Randy Meader, Edison); The James Irvine Foundation on behalf on employee Agana Moreno (Paisley Spencer, Earhart); Linda Schowalter on behalf of great nephew Noel Hecht (Elizabeth Struble, Earhart); The PG&E Corporation Foundation on behalf of Holly Larsen (Katy Zaugg, Wood; Lisa Pilch, Island); Cargill Incorporated (Kitrena Swanson, Paden); On behalf of Caleb's class from Aunt Jonica (Ingrid Ryan, Paden); Families of Ms. Sabbatini's 2011-2012 Class (Nancy Sabbatini, Lum); The Family of Jack Toyama (Nicole Jones, Haight); and Maggie Cramer/Catie Long (Shauna Mack, Earhart).

Congratulations to these teachers who will use the donations to best meet the specifi c needs of their classroom or program. You do not need to have a specifi c teacher or program leader in mind to make a donation. In fact, AEF encourages unspecifi ed donations, which are directed to classrooms or programs most in need. To become an AAC donor, visit www.alamedaeducation. org.

— Kathleen C. Woulfe

Adopt-A-Classroom Chair Relay kickoff a success

Editor:

The Relay for Life of Alameda committee gratefully acknowledges the generosity of companies and individuals in our community in supporting the work of the American Cancer Society. The Alameda Theater held a raffl e on New Year's Eve with the proceeds divided between Relay for Life and the Alameda Hospital Foundation; our thanks to the theater management and staff, to the local businesses that contributed prizes and to the patrons who purchased tickets.

We also are very grateful to Shadi Movafah and Linguini's Restaurant for hosting our 2012 kickoff on Jan. 3. More than 30 people enjoyed complimentary pizza and pasta while gearing up for another great Relay for Life (to be held June 23-24 at Encinal High School).

To learn more about this 24- hour event in which we celebrate the growing number of cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fi ght back through education, research and awareness, visit www.RelayForLife.org/AlamedaCA or phone Lisa Leverton 834- 3800 or Helene Onaga 846-3908.

— Anne Marie Fourré

Relay for Life of Alameda Committee

Say "no" to dispensary

Editor:

I am concerned about the proposed marijuana dispensary at 4709 Tidewater Ave. in Oakland, just over the High Street Bridge from the Fernside neighborhood in Alameda. Despite the close proximity to Alameda, the city of Oakland did not inform or confer with Alameda city offi cials on the location. There is only a short window left to protest the potential impact to the adjacent neighborhoods in Alameda. The matter may be decided in as little as a week. I cannot understand why this matter has not surfaced in our local papers. It's almost like the trees on Park Street all over again!

Road conditions around Tidewater do not afford safety to passenger vehicles, cyclists or pedestrian traffi c that would result from the proposed dispensary. The additional traffi c would interfere with routine operations of loading and unloading industrial goods in the area resulting in congestion. If the conditions produce traffi c jams as has been suggested, where will the cars go? Over the bridges into Alameda, parking on our streets and creating congestion for us! There will be an impact on Alameda, one way or another, or in multiples.

In addition to the potential impact to Alameda, there are other issues with the location. The proposed location is only 1,000 feet from the established Oakland Strokes boathouse which serves youths ages 12 to 17. The location is also in close proximity to the Bay Trail and the Martin Luther King Shoreline Park, now under development.

I urge Alameda residents and city offi cials to communicate their concerns regarding the proposed marijuana dispensary to Arturo Sanchez (asanchez@oaklandnet. com), Oakland's hearing offi cer for the Tidewater location.

— Terry Sommerauer

Beware of paving scammers in town

Editor:

I was contacted last week and today by "paving contractors" looking to pave my driveway for $2 per square foot of asphalt. The two men with dark hair, slight accents (and very soft hands) were driving a very beautiful, spotless black pickup truck.

They said they were contractors for the sewer project up the street.

They needed a small job for the "rest of the load" after working on a CalTrans project up the street on Central Avenue. The supervisor said they do their own asphalt and do not use contractors.

They are bogus. The card they gave me had phone numbers for a company in Houston, and Philadelphia; no data of any kind in Los Angeles. A-1 Paving lots has addresses in Texas, nothing in California. Their address, 307 W. Gladstone, Los Angeles, CA 91773, is a vacant lot. Help pass the word. Tell your neighbors.

— Susan L. Jeffries

Adopt-a-Bed update

Editor:

Many thanks to those individuals and groups who have contributed to the Midway Shelter for abused women and their children.

Donors who contributed from Dec. 1 through Dec. 31: Jerene Meissert and Michael Robey, Anonymous I, Carol McKevitt, Arlette Walls, Betty Sanderson, Johanna Hall, Dena Helling, Noel and Cathy Folsom in memory of Jean Sweeney, Marguerite Lacy, Bay Area Chinese Bible Church — Ladies Knitwork, Virginia Krutilek, Emily Shea, Brownie Troop #31847 — Tracy Corbally/Leader, Kaiser OPDC Miles and Amanda, St. Philip Neri Church, Howard and Mary Brownson, Jan Ortner, Juanita Matsuoka, Adoracion Ludwig, Alice Cabrera, W. M. and E. D. Rogers, Sheila and Thomas Lewellyn, John and Johanna Schuitema, Lance and Sandra Russum in memory of Evelyn Bain, Roland J. Henderson, Dorothy Haak, Gus Psara, Samson Manuel, Jean Sweeney, Andy Anderson, Ray Ratto, Sallie Bradford and Dr. Alice Challen; First Christian Church, Keith Nealy, John Gardner, Terri and James Anderson, Suzanne and Jerry Chow, Twin Towers United Methodist Church, Boris and Paulina Kirola, Mark W. Fraser, Darlene J. Simmons, Deg Powers, Beverly Church, Mary Butler, Bridget and Cgharles Guylseth, Judith and Roger Ecker, Diane and Donald Runyan, Isle City Institute YLI #51, Lois Pryor, Genette and Eugene Beardsley, Bill and Judith Norton, Chapter UN — PEO, Aisling O'Callaghan, Abbott Laboratories, Shari Yu, Julie Bonachea, Carole and Arthur Glaser, Immanuel Lutheran Ladies Aid Society, Jim Hager, Lynda and Kenneth Hild, First Presbyterian Church, George E. McDonald, L.M. Molzan, Susanne and John Gallagher, Marian Williams, Barbara and Walter Morris, Aludia and Reynaldo Ramos, Susan and Richard Osanna, Jean Smith-Castle, Yun- Wen and Elaine Hung, Robert Cowart, Beulah Circle — Twin Towers United Methodist Church, Trout Properties, Kristin L. Johnson, Alice Garvin, Donna Sylvestri in honor of Ronald Pieretti, Eric and Ann Cross, Douglas Skinner, Karen Kenney, Richard Pipkin and Mary McGrath, Marian Roth, Kiwanis Club of Alameda, Debbie and Roland Gregoire, Margaret Dos Santos, Dawna Dowdell, Ed and Joen Barbera, Merry Thomas, Sylvia Scher in honor of Gretel Gates, Jean and Barbara Gaskill honoring Clara Sigmund, The Eisens, The Andreasens in celebration of Christmas, Susan Giddard, Paul Svec, Zach Vickers, Christine Buck, Lee Maguire, Cal Fox Inc. Management, Patricia Gannon, Tony DeSimone, Joseph and Gail VanWinkle, David and Elizabeth McGaffey, Ankie Schuitema in honor of the Hovermale Family, Mavis and Randy Guber, Barbara Krummel and Russell Higuchi, Barbara Capon, Ann Naffziger and Paul Canavese, Larry Mar and Losa Wong, Cindy and Walt Grady, Marian Abdullah, David Graber, Gregory and Yoshimi Reichert, Lauren Willis and Jonathan Weissglass, and Diane Coler-Dark.

Further donations may be sent to Alameda Homeless Network, P.O. Box 951, Alameda 94501. For further information about donating, call 523-2377 or go to www. midwayshelter.org

— Ginny Krutilek

Please don't feed the pigeons

Editor:

About the pigeon problem mentioned in the letters to the editor ("Park Street corner going to the birds," Jan. 5): I think it would help if the neighbors on the 1200 block of Park Street would stop feeding these critters.

The neighbors throw seed, bread crumbs and food in front of the house, and out upstairs windows.

Maybe if the pigeons stopped getting fed, they would go elsewhere.

— Karen Goodeill

An open letter to Mayor Gilmore

The Alameda Sun received a copy of this letter.

Editor:

We have just learned that a cannabis dispensary facility has been proposed for 4709 Tidewater Ave. This location is within very close proximity to Alameda schools, parks and residences. It has the potential to strongly and negatively impact public safety in our community and city.

I understand that the applicant has completed Phase 1 of the application process and public hearings took place Jan. 4 at Oakland City Hall. It is my understanding that the city of Oakland has four permits to award and this particular dispensary is ranked No. 3.

As a concerned parent and longtime resident of Alameda, it is my hope that our Alameda public servants and elected representatives, as well as residents and teachers, are involved in this process as the dispensary's location will certainly have a negative impact on our community. Additionally, I hope that Oakland's city council will take into account the fact that the edge of Oakland is also the beginning of Alameda, and is not in fact an industrial wasteland.

I encourage our elected city leaders in Alameda to engage on behalf of the residents of Alameda to voice opposition to this proposal. Please do all you can do to help, particularly given that residents aren't even aware of this situation and will have insufficient time to voice objections to the proposal.

— Tracy Coté