Towne Crier #21
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
This is the weekend to fall back, and have it get darker earlier.
LUNAR ECLIPSE
Our roof was a great place to watch the Lunar Eclipse Wednesday night. We have some spectacular vista provided by Mother Nature, all for free on our very own roof.
WELCOME NEIGHBOR
ERIC CHENG has moved into Loft #301. He is a friend of the former owners, JEFF and JULIA, who moved to Boston so Julia could pursue her Master's Degree. Jeff said he probably would be returning for business now and again.
Eric, a Stanford grad, is an underwater photographer (still photos and exhibits) and musician. After he gets back from some of his exotic trips, he plans on some musicales. He plays cello and has a piano. Eric also does software work, but that isn't his preference. He travels to exotic and/or far away places for his work. Eric also conducts seminars at conferences, usually in places which have no water. Go figure.
Eric has some interesting redecorating ideas for his corner loft and is looking for some contractor/building referrals.
BUILDING UPDATE
We have a new motion sensor light switch in the Trash Room, as of a week ago Wednesday. It's all automatic so our hands are free to put trash and recyclables in their proper place without having to set things down and forget. The light stays on for 20 minutes.
The room also got cleaned, spackled, patched and painted Friday and the dry wall patched and repaired. Let's keep it clean.
The ceiling electric outlet is in place in our front patio. That's in preparation for the ceiling fan which will drive away the bugs.
In the basement, water leak repair is ongoing and hopefully will be completed soon. Other maintenance work is being done including removal of useless, obsolete pipes and dry wall patching. There appears to be junk removal also.
There is other tidying up and repair maintenance going on throughout the building.
GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
The good news is that the preparations we have observed in the lot across the street on the corner of Third and Alice is preventative maintenance for winter storms. The bad news is that Signature Properties really does plan to move ahead with its plans for 91 units and will break ground next year. The latest date set is now March 2005.
FREE BUILDING
We've missed the deadline of 18 October 2004 set by the owners of the Wheelink building across the street on the corner of Fourth and Alice. It was posted that the building would be given away free. The only catch was the taker had to be responsible for moving costs and liabilities. Could this be a precursor to the demolition said to be coming? The posted permit says the building can be demolished after 17 October 2004.
ANNUAL MEETING
Wednesday 3 November 2004 is our Fourth Street Lofts Home Owners Association Annual Meeting. It will take place at 7:35pm in Loft 402. If you can't be present, please utilize your proxy, which was mailed out to you with the notice of the meeting. Instructions for exercising proxies is included with the notice. Among other business to be transacted will be the Election of Directors for the 2005 Board.
VOTING/ELECTION DAY
The deadline for registering to Vote in Alameda County for the local, state and national Elections has passed, and Absentee Ballots had to be received this past Tuesday. Election Day is Tuesday 2 November 2004 and our Polling Place is the (closed down) Jack London Fire House.
For the future, Absentee Ballots can be requested in person from the Registrar of Voters office, which is at 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland CA.
RECYCLING GUIDE
Eventually each tenant will receive an up to date Alameda County Recycling Guide. In the meantime, try www.oaklandrecycles.com. Click on Recycle At Home, and then Click on "Where to Recycle Almost Anything." There is a long, complete and comprehensive alphabetized list of recyclables.
Another good website is www.stopwaste.org.
For those who have Household Hazardous Waste to move on, the next local Drop Off date is next Thursday, Friday or Saturday, 28-30 October 2004 between 9am-1pm at 2100 East 7th Street, Oakland. Use the stopwaste website, click on Household Hazardous Waste and then click on Oakland which will give the days, times, and a link to print out a Waste Delivery Form. It is a couple of miles from here, and it's drive-thru. No need to even get out of your car.
AMTRAK
We have an Amtrak station a block away. Amtrak has a new website, www.amtrak.com. Travel & Leisure Magazine named the website as one of the 35 best travel sites, in the October 2004 issue.
Currently there is a 10 percent discount on most Amtrak reservations.
http://amtrak.p01.com/u.d?jEhgzWwoi09CkJZ=190
FUEL FURY
The price of gasoline in our neighborhood is out of sight. I think we have the priciest fuel in the Bay Area. Gas stations in Alameda on Webster and Park Streets are at least 13-15 cents a gallon cheaper. I even got gas today at Blackhawk 13 cents a gallon cheaper than the station on Oak and Fifth Streets.
KCBS.com website has on its Home Page a constantly updated scrolling list of cheap fuel prices in the Bay Area. They also do a daily radio feature updating cheaper gas prices. KCBS, the SF CBS all-news affiliate, is 740 AM on the radio dial.
TWILIGHT MARKET
Tuesday 26 October 2004 was the last night for our summer Twilight Market. It was in Jack London Square, from 4pm-8pm. With the coming of Standard Time, the market ends for this year.