Jazz on the Patio, Sat. August 1, 2009

Farmer Joe’s Marketplace on Fruitvale Avenue is hosting another free live jazz event on their covered patio this Saturday, August 1, 2009 from 2:30 until 4:30pm. The guest artist will be award-winning jazz vocalist and Glenview resident, Adam Blankman. Adam will be accompanied by pianist extraordinaire Dan Zemelman. The performance is free and all ages are welcome. Bring the whole family and enjoy the afternoon.

Free Live Music on the Patio

3rd Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, June 20, 2009, 1 – 4pm
3424 Fruitvale Avenue Oakland California 94602
FREE FOOD ~ LIVE MUSIC ~ FREE RAFFLE
Raffle starts at 4pm. You must be present to win, and no purchase is necessary.

Diana and Joe would like to thank the wonderful community and their employees for another great year at Farmer Joe’s

Free Class on Pet Bonding

Beth Murray, CCH, RSHom (NA), and Homeopath at Creature Comfort Holistic Veterinary Center in Oakland will be offering a free class, “Animals and Us: The Bond is Deeper than We Think.”
Class Location: Paws & Claws 2023 Macarthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94602
Date: Sunday, Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m.
For more info: (510)336-0105

Lion Dances

January 26, 2009 marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Ox. Dancers, drummers, and lion will herald in the New Year with a lion dances at both Farmer Joe’s stores. Don’t miss these dynamic celebrations. Join the lion at Farmer Joe’s!

Sunday, February 1, 2009
Ben Shaolin Kung Fu Lion Dancing Group
        Little Joe’s: 10:40 to 10:50am
        Fruitvale store: 11:00 to 11:20am
Please Note: Lion keeps appointments as best he can, but he is dancing many places on Sunday so times are approximate. Please arrive a few minutes early.

Saturday, February 7, 2009
Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut Lion Dancers
        Little Joe’s: between 10am and 12:00noon

Deepest Sympathy

My deepest sympathy and condolences goes out to the family of Oscar Grant, Joe and Diana Tam, all of Oscar’s friends at Farmer Joe’s, his co-workers, and his friends in the community. Oscar, I will miss your smiling face behind that meat counter at Joe’s. No words can express my sense of loss and outrage at what has happened. Things have happened that simply shouldn’t, and now you are gone.

Dimond Winter Festival

Shaan for All and All for Shaan

I popped in the open door of Shaan Indian Cuisine Restaurant on Fruitvale Avenue near Farmer Joe’s this week. The owner was there and said barring any imminent disasters or paperwork mishaps, he plans to open this week. The interior is gorgeous. I know I speak for the neighborhood when I say, “We can’t wait for naan.”

Wild Silver Brite Salmon SPECIAL

Farmer Joe’s is having a Customer Appreciation Special starting TODAY on their Alaskan Wild Silver Brite Salmon. Customers can get the fish whole or halved for $3.88/lb. or fillets at $5.99/lb. at both stores. Customers can buy any quantity of the fillets. Prices are secured through a special deal with the fishermen, and the Customer Appreciation Special will run until supplies are exhausted. Diana and Joe would like to tell the community, “This is our special way of saying thanks to our customers for their friendship and loyalty.”

Dimond Howl-o-ween

Pet Parade & Costume Party

Dogs, kids, and adults are invited to the 5th Annual Dimond Howl-o-ween Pet Parade and Costume Party. Meet in front of Paws & Claws at 6pm and parade through the Dimond District collecting treats from participating store vendors. Then return to Paws & Claws for an outdoor party behind the store with a campfire and spooky games for kids. Dress warmly!

$5 Donation benefits BadRap
(Bay Area Responsible About Pit Bulls)
Sign up for family portraits by Joyful Dog Designs.

Where: Paws & Claws, 2023 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland
When: Friday, October 31, 2008, 6pm – 9pm
More Info: (510) 336-0105

Blessing of the Animals

Saturday, October 18, 2008
Fruitvale Presbyterian Church
2735 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 530-0915

10:00am
Registration, Coffee, Introductions, & Information

10:30am
Blessings Begin
 
Bring the 2 legged, 4 legged, feather, hooved, and scaled members of your family for a free non-denominational blessing on the church patio! We all love our wonderful animal family members. Have them blessed by Monte McClain, preacher of the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church, for the upcoming year. For additional information and more pictures of last year’s blessings, bounce over to Monte’s blog. Blessing of the Animals is truly an extraordinary event for you and your pets.

Co-Sponsored by Paws & Claws

2023 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 336-0105

Great Pumpkin Contest

The Great Pumpkin Contest is going on now at Farmer Joe’s in the Dimond District. Guess the weight of the huge pumpkin. The person, who guesses closest to the actual weight, wins first prize of $50. The person guessing second closest, wins $25, and third closest guess, wins $10. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Winners revealed after Halloween, and winners need not be present to win. Happy Halloween from your friends at Farmer Joe’s!

Dimond Shopping District is Flourishing

You betcha. The Montclarion published a great article in their real estate section Friday, October 10, 2008. Unfortunately, The Montclarion does not always carry online what they do in print. So, I’m hyperlinking to the author’s web site. Wonderful article, Don. We feel the same way you do!

Oktoberfest in Oakland’s Dimond District

October 4, 2008, 11am until 6pm

Come and join us on MacArthur Boulevard at Fruitvale Avenue for our first annual Oktoberfest. We’re going to celebrate with beer gardens, German food and dance, history tours, food booths, local artisans, a kid’s carnival area, a Green Living and Wellness Expo area and so much more! Don’t miss this extraordinary event. For those interested in making it all happen, we are still looking for volunteers. Please contact Helen Wyman via email or Oakland Event’s web site. For more info on the Dimond District’s Oktoberfest, follow the link.

East Bay Aids Walk at Lake Merritt

Saturday, September 6th, 2008
Around Lake Merritt with registration starting at 9:00am
For more info visit the web site

Nama Sushi

NAMA IS OPEN!!! The sushi restaurant is located next to Farmer Joe’s at 3400 Fruitvale Avenue in Oakland’s Dimond District. The grand opening is tomorrow, but the place was packed tonight with neighbors and sushi aficionados at the pre-opening. We sat at a back table, waiting impatiently with our chopsticks for our Dragon, Dream Gina, and House Special rolls. They were DIVINE! Delicious. Superb. Okay, maybe I am going on a bit, but they were wonderfully tasty. Before we finished eating, a line formed out the door. I can see the place becoming a big draw. I can also see a lot of the neighbors inside. I can also see myself eating a lot more of that Dream Gina roll. For more information, roll yourself on over to Monte’s blog.

Laurel Street Festival

Saturday, August 9, 2008 1 – 6 pm
MacArthur Boulevard between 35th and 38th Avenue

Dimond Picnic

Summer, summer, summertime in the Dimond with the Dimond Picnic, where else but in Dimond Park THIS SUNDAY, July 27, 10am – 3pm. The festivities start at 10am sharp with Dennis Evanosky leading his historic tour of the district. This tour is truly amazing. Last year, Dennis presented old black and white photos, discussed such topics as our former beer gardens and turn-around cable cars. Don’t be late and don’t miss it this year. When the tour ends, the food begins. Our food sponsors are our wonderful Farmer Joe’s, Two Star Market, and Peet’s Coffee. It is a picnic with delicious delights for everyone. Dimond Merchants’ Association is sponsoring a raffle, and entertainment abounds. Crafts and games. BELLY DANCING. Need I say more? Woman’s Will is staging a new twist on a classic. Lion’s Pool is sponsoring a free swim. Come one. Come all. For Food. For Fun.

Estancia Grass-Fed Beef Tasting

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 12, 1 – 5 pm. Estancia is grilling their grass-fed beef at Farmer Joe’s Marketplace for a free public tasting. Estancia Beef has an exceptional taste, and for good reasons. Their cattle are 100% grass fed, and free range, wandering the pampas, eating lush grasses, never enclosed in fences or feedlots. Estancia beef is naturally exercised and naturally fed. No hormones or growth promoting antibiotics are ever added. For more information visit the Estancia Beef web site, and feel free to speak to their representatives on Saturday at Joe’s. Hope to see you there!

Anniversary Celebration

Let the good times roll. Farmer Joe’s Marketplace is having a repeat performance of their anniversary celebration. It’s their second year, and Farmer Joe’s is inviting the whole neighborhood, their friends, loyal customers, and employees to a free barbeque with live music and a free raffle. Please come join Farmer Joe’s in their celebration as they thank the community and their employees. I got a sneak peak at some of the raffle prizes today. In all honesty I can’t say what is the grand prize. On Saturday, Joe’s will be raffling off a bicycle, an MP3 player, a set of golf clubs, Joe’s gift certificates, and an All-in-One – a printer, copier, scanner. WOW! I also heard some whispering about a 5 star wine tour. Remember, all raffle tickets are FREE. The raffles start at 5pm, and you must be present to win. Don’t miss out on the food and fun this Saturday at Joe’s Marketplace.

Where: Farmer Joe’s Marketplace at 3426 Fruitvale Avenue
When: Saturday, June 21, 2008, 2 – 5pm

Art Up

This is the new mural at Farmer Joe’s. I love it. The colors are so vibrant and the subject is our beloved Dimond District. It’s painted on the outside of the store on the patio, along with the other must-see murals.

Around the corner, at the Dimond Café, Rita Sklar’s watercolors are on exhibit. Stop, have a cup of jo, and enjoy the free Wifi. It’s turned on and ready for surfing.

Further down the street at Paws and Claws, the front window has been painted by our local artist Amy Jo Karn. The window has a cat, dog, and rabbit frolicking in the spring grass. For those of you with pets, don’t forget this coming Sunday’s free class at Paws & Claws, Dealing with End of Life Issues. The class will be guided by Dr. Gary Richter, DVM, MS. Follow the hyperlink for details.

Buzz in the Burg, Dimond District Style

There’s so much buzz going on in the Dimond District of Oakland these days, I hardly know where to start. New stores are opening.

Arabella and Company, at 2006 MacArthur Boulevard, had their grand opening on Friday. It’s a great place to buy unique furnishings and pieces for your home and garden for yourself or as gifts.

A couple of doors down, New to You, children’s boutique opened at 2010 MacArthur Boulevard. They offer new and gently used children’s clothes, toys, accessories, and furniture.

Further up the street near Coolidge Avenue at 2710 MacArthur Boulevard, Lipstick had a hopping red carpet opening from 7 – 11pm Friday night. It was an extravaganza. Lipstick carries hip fashions for the ladies.

The next new store is technically in the Laurel District, but I’m claiming them because they’re so cool. It’s the Oakland Acupuncture Project at 3576 Laurel Avenue. They offer acupuncture at a very reasonable rated sliding scale.

I’m putting Dimond Café in the new store section because they have literally reinvented themselves. Located at 3430 Fruitvale Avenue, they used to sell primarily donuts and coffee. They now offer coffee, pasties, a café atmosphere, and WiFi.

I’ve also heard another location to get WiFi in the burg is at the Dimond Library located at 3565 Fruitvale Avenue. My sources tell me you can hook onto their WiFi for free.

Besides all these actual openings, a rumor is floating that our beloved Los Comales might be opening up a second Mexican restaurant in the Laurel District. YEAH! There ain’t no better carne asada quesadilla anywhere, than there. Keep your fingers crossed on that one.

New stores aren’t the only happenings in the Dimond. New classes!

Our pals at Paws & Claws are offering a class Sunday, March 30, 2008 5 – 6:15pm on Dealing with End of Life Issues. This free class is offered at Paws & Claws, 2023 MacArthur Boulevard. The speaker is Dr. Gary Richter, D.V.M., M.S. For those of us with pets, this is an important class to attend. We all want to recognize and do what’s best for our four legged friends at the appropriate time. Dr. Richter is going to talk about these delicate issues during this important class.

And let’s give a big “Hooray” for Loka Yoga located at 2701 MacArthur Boulevard. Wonderful Alice has added a children’s yoga class, ages 6 – 9, Wednesdays 4 – 5pm. She has also changed the time of one class and added another to accommodate our 9 to 5ers. She now offers a Tuesday night class levels 1 – 3, from 7:30 – 9:00pm. She added another level 1 – 3 class, Thursday nights from 7:30 – 9:00pm. Her Yoga Sutras class has been moved to the last Friday of the month with an hour of open practice starting at 6pm.

The next class I’m mentioning is not new, nor is it in the Dimond, but I’m claiming this one too because it’s so much fun. It’s the Aqua Maids, water aerobics class in the outdoor pool at Mills College. The class is most Sundays at 9am.

If you’re not into an organized water class, don’t forget you can swim laps throughout the year at the Dimond Park’s heated pool. The pool is located at 3860 Hanly Road.

New stores, new classes – what more could you ask for? More events!

During the month of April, Rita Sklar’s original paintings, entitled “Diversity in Play,” can be seen at the Dimond Library, La Farine (3411 Fruitvale Avenue), Café Diem, and Dimond Café (3430 Fruitvale Avenue). Two receptions will be held to meet the artist. The first will be at Café Diem, Friday, April 18th from 3 – 6:00pm. The second will be at Dimond Café, Wednesday, April 23 from 4 – 6:00pm.

And last but not least, we might be getting an Oktoberfest in the Dimond. YAH!! I can only wish. The rumor mill says some streets will be closed for beer, schnitzel, sauerkraut, and lederhosen. Wooo Hoooo. Polka, baby. It’ll be a huge undertaking, but the rumor mill also says Helen Wyman is thinking about tackling the project. I have my fingers doublely crossed. Helen heads up the Laurel World Music Festival and the Montclair Jazz and Wine Festival every year. She’s the right man, er woman, for the job.

The Intraweb

I like Chip Johnson, and there’s a reason for that. He doesn’t kowtow to anyone, including Oakland’s politicians. He says it like it is, whether it’s the popular opinion or not. Today, I enjoyed his column about bloggers. I bounced over to the blog Chip identified as one of Oakland’s best. It’s called “A Better Oakland.” The blog’s author, VSmoothe, writes, “Blogs like this will always be supplementary sources for a small, self-selecting audience that desires far more detail that the average person.” I like VSmoothe. I’ve added her to the links on the right over there. Chip likes her too. He says she “has flair, style and consistency, and that draws steady traffic to the site.”

Speaking of sites, Farmer Joe’s online has been updated. Check it out. I could brag on it, but you might as well click on over and get the full effect.

If you’re still in a surfing mood, Oakland Magazine has posted their monthly online copy. Their hardcopies have not quite hit the stands. March’s issue has an article entitled “Oakland’s All-New SuperMarkets.” It’s a good read and the concluding quotes are from our Diana Tam, Mrs. Farmer Joe.

Lion Dance

The lion danced at both stores today. Gongs and a brilliant golden drum resonated throughout Farmer Joe’s, accompanying his performance. The beautiful creature paraded through the stores, heralding in the Chinese New Year.

He promised to bring luck to the community while warding off evil spirits. He took a brief turn toward the beautiful cakes. I was worried for a split second he was going to munch on them, but he headed out the door and snacked on some lettuce swinging from the entrance. Organic, no doubt.

Attention Animal Lovers

Dimond’s beloved pet store, Paws & Claws is hosting a fabulous free class on Homeopathy for Animal Emergencies, Saturday, January 19, 2008 4 – 5:15pm at their store. Beth Murray will teach the class. Beth, CCH, RSHom (NA), is certified in classical homeopathy and a registered member of the North American Society of Homeopaths. She consults at Creature Comfort Holistic Veterinary Clinic, the Oakland Zoo, and Back to Life Wellness Center in Alameda for the human population. For more information, please click through to the hyperlinks provided. For all us animal lovers, this class is a must, and it’s FREE, provided in joint partnership by Paws & Claws and Beth.

More Loka Yoga

Alice is expanding! YAH! More yoga classes for everyone. I’m working on wrapping my mind (and body) around the child’s pose, so I’m thrilled Alice is opening up another beginners’ session, Sunday mornings 9 – 10:30am. Here’s the new schedule. Alice has also started a Yoga Sutras class on Thursday nights 7 – 8:30pm. Come and join us. I’m a novice Yoga-ite and I’m having a blast. We concentrate on our breath, our poses, some chanting, and Alice is hilarious. I’m not sure you’re supposed to say that about Yoga teachers. Oh, and the music at Loka Yoga is great too. Plus, afterward I come out feeling all put together in a responsible meditative sort of way, kind of like ice cream for the soul.

DIA Calendar

The Dimond Improvement Association’s calendar is on sale at Farmer Joe’s for $12. This full sized 8 ½ x 11 inch calendar contains historical black and white photos for each month, along with information about daily events in the Dimond and neighboring districts. My favorite photo is from the month of September, a 1908 Fruitvale Avenue streetcar.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

There’s still some great looking Evergreens at Farmer Joe’s for all you Christmas minded folks. We got a small one today for about $15. We put the twinkly lights on it and some silvery icicles. I hope Santa can squeak some gifts under it.

Dimond Winter Festival

Saturday, December 8, 2007, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Fruitvale Presbyterian Church

7th Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner

Join us this Sunday, November 18, 2007, for the 7th annual community Thanksgiving dinner. A scrumptious turkey dinner, with all the trimmings, will be served from 4:00 – 5:30pm at Fruitvale Presbyterian Church, located at 2735 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland 94602. For more information, please call (510) 530-0915 or visit Fruitvale Presbyterian Church online. We’ll see ya there!

The Great Pumpkin Contest Winners for 2007

The Great Pumpkin weighed in at whopping 468 pounds. First prize, $50, was awarded to Kathleen R. with the closest guess of 467 pounds. Second closest guess was 465 pounds and received $25. Third prize, $10, went to three lucky people, each guessing 463 pounds.

Howl-o-weening

Howl-o-ween came to Farmer Joe’s on Saturday. Our group of costumed adults, dogs and children started at Paws and Claws and worked our way down to the store, where Diana Tam greeted us with sacks of goodies. Okay, yeah, I yelled “trick or treat” with the kids so I could get some candy. My favorite item in my bag was an iced pumpkin cookie. Delicious. A little Dachshund thought the cookie looked yummy too. The small dog jumped up and snagged one from a child. I laughed at the hungry dog until I saw how disappointed the kid was. Diana quickly replaced her cookie, and this time the kid held it out of the dog’s reach.

This year’s Howl-o-ween was better than ever. People and dogs wore some fabulous costumes. I was really torn which were my favorites. I liked the pugs that were ticks, and the Chihuahua/Chinese Crested mix that was a fairy. The little girl who was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz was adorable. Her mother was the wicked witch. One of my favorite dogs showed up wearing a Cinderella costume. The dog’s human said, “My dog is so embarrassed wearing that costume.” Later in the evening at the Howl-o-ween bonfire at Paws and Claws, the dog strolled by us with a big grin on her face and no costume. The dog had removed the costume herself. Embarrassed, indeed. We took a flashlight and looked around but we could never find the pup’s outfit.

Loka Yoga

Loka Yoga is opening up Saturday, October 20, 2007, at 2071 MacArthur Boulevard in the Dimond District in Oakland. Loka Yoga’s open house starts at 4:30pm with 108 Sun Salutations. I don’t know what that means. I think it’s some yoga speak, and since I don’t speak yoga, I’m coming to the other part of the open house that says “Tea and Cookie Open House at 6:30pm.” I darn well know what “tea and cookie” means.

Like everyone in the neighborhood, I’m excited about our very own yoga studio opening up. Alice, the yoga master – and forgive me Alice if I am using the wrong term – transformed a shell of a building into a beautiful place for us to work on our bodies and spirits. I have never tried Yoga but I see, by the schedule, Alice is offering a beginner’s class Wednesday night. She is also offering classes to accommodate all skill levels. I hope to see everyone there!

Blessing of the Animals

Saturday, October 13, 2007
Fruitvale Presbyterian Church
2735 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 530-0915

10:00am
Registration, Coffee, Introductions, & Information

10:30am
Blessing Begins
 
Bring the 2 legged, 4 legged, feather, hooved, and scaled members of your family for a free non-denominational blessing on the church patio! We all love our wonderful animal family members. Have them blessed by Monte McClain, preacher of the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church, for the upcoming year. If you have never attended a Blessing of the Animals, check out an interfaith blessing that just occurred at Long Beach, California. Blessing of the Animals is truly an extraordinary event for you and your pets.

Co-Sponsored by Paws & Claws

2023 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 336-0105

Dimond Howl-o-ween

Pet Parade & Costume Party

Dogs, kids, and adults are invited to the 4th Annual Dimond Howl-o-ween Pet Parade and Costume Party. Meet in front of Paws & Claws at 6pm and parade through the Dimond District collecting treats from participating store vendors. Then return to Paws & Claws for an outdoor party behind the store with a campfire and spooky games for kids. Dress warmly!

Donations will be accepted for the Oakland Animal Shelter

Where: Paws & Claws, 2023 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland
When: Oct. 27, 2007, 6pm – 9pm

The Great Pumpkin

This Halloween pumpkin is at Farmer Joe’s on Fruitvale Avenue. The store is holding a contest to guess the correct weight of this behemoth. First prize is $50. Second prize is $25, and third prize is $10. I saw an engineer with a calculator and a tape measure working on the pumpkin and her guess three days ago. Her friend was standing by, laughing at the great lengths the engineer was taking calculating her estimate. Yesterday, I saw 4 year-old Malcolm formulating a guess. He hung on his Dad with his finger stuck in his mouth. He told his Dad a number and his Pappa wrote out the entry and dropped it in the guessing box. Be sure to drop your entry in the guessing box next time you visit the store.

Do the Right Thing

These are the vacant stores in the Dimond District within a one-block radius of the Farmer Joe’s on Fruitvale Avenue. It’s a sad state of affairs in Oakland. 10 million dollars a year are lost in tax revenue from shoppers going to other cities to spend their disposable income. My burg reminds me of a ghost town at times. The taggers spray paint these abandoned buildings on a regular basis. When the Payless Shoes pulled out, I called the corporate office and begged them to stay. They replied it was not feasible. They said they were losing too much money. When Blockbuster Video packed up, they told me too many people in my neighborhood stole.

 
This store used to be a vacated boarded up hole-in-the-wall for 7 years before Diana and Joe Tam took it over, renovated and opened up their first Farmer Joe’s on MacArthur Boulevard in the Laurel District. This is now what we neighbors fondly call “The Little Store.” It’s the original Farmer Joe’s grocery Joe and Diana Tam opened 13 years ago. When the Tams first started out, they sold only fruits and vegetables. Diana will laughingly tell you half the store was potatoes. Joe will tell you neighbors approached him and said, “Joe, you have to start selling milk and meat.” For a couple of years, Diana and Joe worked the store by themselves. Joe and Diana did everything from checking to order writing to hauling garbage. Gradually, they began to hire employees to help them. Like today, they remained deeply involved in their business, working side-by-side with their employees, cultivating a family atmosphere and getting to know a lot of their employees’ families. For the first 8 years in the life of The Little Store, the Tams took only 2 days off from work, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even on those 2 holidays, they drove to The Little Store to insure the electricity was running, and their food was safe and ready for sale the next day.

From looking at this picture, it’s hard to believe or remember what a physical dump and eyesore this building used to be. This is the new Farmer Joe’s on Fruitvale Avenue. Prior to being Farmer Joe’s, it was stalled out Crazy John’s, a failed Albertson’s and a closed Lucky.

Oakland politicians like to give a lot of airtime to renovating the city. They like to talk about helping the neighborhoods and throw around terms like sustainability. Joe and Diana Tam took the terms and did something tangible out of their own pocket. Since they opened their store on Fruitvale Avenue, Peet’s Coffee moved in across the street from the newer Farmer Joe’s. La Farine French Bakery opened a beautiful store also across the street. La Farine renovated the abandoned Payless Shoe Store. The Tams invested in our neighborhoods where others gave up. People call the new Farmer Joe’s an anchor store. Realtors are advertising now by their proximity to “the anchor.”

And then there’s this statement from Ron Lind, President of UFCW Local 5, “Locally, we’re working with elected officials to help protect our union market share by limiting the growth of non-union stores.” That statement makes me wonder what this conflict between the union and Farmer Joe’s is really about. Is it about the rights of the workers? If so, why won’t Local 5 agree to an NLRB secret ballot election to let the workers simply vote whether they want a union or not? Or is the real crux of the matter with the union, the union dues, declining union membership and the fact two other non-union groceries, Whole Foods and Trader Joes, are moving into our immediate area? Is the union picking on the Tams because they thought Farmer Joe’s would be an easy target? And why would the union think that? Because the Tams are first generation Chinese immigrants? Because they are a family owned business?

And what about the politicians Ron Lind claims he is working with so hard to limit the growth of non-union stores? It doesn’t sound much like he is concerned with employees’ rights. It sounds like he and the politicians are at a mutual back scratching party. Is that what this is about? Party down from out of town; screw Oakland. So, what about Oakland’s growth, expansion and helping our little burgs into a better place, whether they are union or not? The politicians need to do the right thing here – the right thing by their constituents, by the people that live here, by the people that support the store. It’s time for the politicians to step up to the plate and do what we elected them to do. They need to support us, the store, our community, and Oakland.

30 Days

UFCW Local 5 is not at the store for 30 days, harassing everybody. According to this article that ran in the Contra Costa times on Septmber 21, 2007, “There should be a cooling off period to ensure that all parties are working towards an atmosphere where negotiations can be constructive,” Paul Rose, spokesman for Mayor Ron Dellums’ office said. “In a statement, the union said attempts to unionize stores that serve ethnic communities, including Farmer Joe’s and Super Mercado Market, have failed because of its common ‘confrontational approach.’” Ya think?So, let me get this straight. We’re supposed to be “cooling off” after UFCW local 5 called for a boycott at Farmer Joe’s, attempting to break their bottom line when that grocery has been the best thing for this neighborhood in a long, long time. The union harassed, threatened, and lied to the store and the whole community for the last 8 months. In other words, we were attacked, but now we’re supposed to act like everything is cool. Umm, sure. The article goes on to say, “The union will employ a new strategy to convince stores that a partnership would be of mutual interest to the store owners, employees and the community. There will be no picketing, boycotting or leafleting at the Fruitvale store during the cooling off period.”But I guess it’s okay for the union to leave this button up on their web site’s home page. It’s still clickable and urges UFCW members to wander over to store and rally every Friday yelling, “Boycott this place” at Farmer Joe’s shoppers. And I guess it is still okay to for them get on this blog and leave harassing comments I have to delete. I guess really what’s okay is what has always been okay with the UFCW – lies, threats, and harassment.Richard Cowan from Jean Quan’s office is quoted in the article that he hopes “the union uses the cooling-off period to win community support.” Win community support? Does Richard assume the community can be bought off with cheap trinkets? Maybe Halloween candy. Or perhaps he thinks the community has a bad memory or maybe did not experience first hand what the union did day after day. The truth is the community did. They lived through it, supporting the store every step of the way. I wish I could say the same for Richard and Jean. Since I don’t think either of them have seen the real ugliness of the day-to-day harassment, I’m posting some video.This video is a professional UFCW local 5 organizer on his typical day at Farmer Joe’s. The security guard asks the organizer to step away from the entrance because he is attempting to block shoppers from entering the store. The security guard says the organizer’s actions are “going to lead to confrontation.” The organizer replies, “It doesn’t matter.” At one point, the person shooting the video asks the organizer what the zip code is. He doesn’t know. He has no idea. He comes from out of town to disrupt our neighborhood. The organizer says that the man shooting this film hates Mexicans. Sometimes he would harass and threaten shoppers to the point we would call the police. When the police arrived, he would tell them we hated Mexicans and we were racists. He would tell the police we threatened and harassed him. All the statements were common lies the organizer used in his day-to-day rhetoric. In the video, he yells, “Boycott. Boycott. Boycott. Support workers’ rights” and yet his union has never asked for representation of a single employee at the store or there would have been an NLRB election. According to the NLRB, Farmer Joes’s petition for an election was dismissed because “Although Local 5’s actions appear to be part of its attempt to organize the Employer’s employees, there is no evidence that it has ever demanded that the Employer recognize it as a majority representative of its employees.”

UPDATES:

10/3/2007 The union’s boycott button was removed today from their web site’s home page, but this is still on their dues refund page. I can’t decide if they’re deliberately being ornery or their web developer needs to be fired, or both.Then this appeared on their news pages. ”Local 5 President Ron Lind stated ‘the union is prepared to meet any time and any place to resolve the issues that effect Farmer Joe’s Worker’s and the community.’” Excuse me? Issues that affect the community? You and your hommies are the ones driving from San Jose to Oakland to cause the ruckus over here. You are “The Issue.”

Picketing the Plywood

I have to give the whole UFCW local 5 theatrical scene yesterday a two thumbs down. First, they started late. The union’s “rally” was supposed to commence at 5pm. Local 5 has to drive in from out of town so someone is always holding up the show because of bad traffic. Finally, their “rally” got started with a little over twenty people – executive board members, paid organizers, and the hourly non-UFCW folks you’ve seen in the parking lot who don’t speak much English and don’t really care what’s happening. The manager of Pete’s popped her head out the door and told them to take the freak show away from her store. The “rally” walked down the sidewalk and was left circling in front of the plywood of the soon to be opened La Farine French Bakery across from Joe’s on Fruitvale Avenue. Their bullhorn broke.

I guess it was about that time I lost interest in the bad production. I walked back to Farmer Joe’s entrance and talked to customers. Some were laughing. Some were rolling their eyes. Some wanted harassment forms. All are sick of the union coming into our neighborhood and disturbing it. One shopper thought they were picketing the La Farine’s. I thought the person was kidding.

“Yeah, someone inside the unopened store called the UFCW,” I joked.

“Really?” she asked.

I shook my head though I wouldn’t put it past something local 5 would claim considering what they have said about Farmer Joe’s.

The only shining light to the whole afternoon was Saundra Andrews. She showed up from Barbara Lee’s office. She is the first and only person that has showed up in the trenches. She got a first hand view of the sideshow. She got to see how we get treated by local 5.

In all honesty, my attention had waned so there at the end, I don’t know if she stopped the “rally,” or local 5 stopped it, or the broken bullhorn stopped it. The next thing I knew the union was claiming they were taking the high road by calling off the boycott and the picketing. I squinted into the sun when they said this, not so much because the sun hurt my eyes but what they said hurt my brain. That’s kind of like saying, “I’m going to take the high road and quit beating my wife for a while.” Screwed up logic. Even while they were saying that, they had 2 organizers in Joe’s parking lot passing out leaflets with lies. Saundra Andrews called across the street to the UFCW and told them to get their boys out of Joe’s lot. The UFCW called back across to Joe’s lot and told the jokers to leave. Of course, they couldn’t just leave the premises. They intimated they were going to sue me for the blog as they strolled by. “Corn Dog, it’s gonna cost you,” the organizer sneered. “You better get your money ready.” That’s some high road.

So, I went and chatted with Saundra Andrews. I like her. She kicked two harassers out the parking lot by shouting across the street. She is a strong woman. She says her background is labor relations. She has a funny little car with a missing hubcap. Someone broke in it and stole the ashtrays looking for money. It is all Oakland. Can she help? I don’t know. She says she is interested in the workers and the small Oakland businesses.

She gave me her business card. She told me if I saw local 5 in the parking lot harassing, picketing, or passing out leaflets in the next 30 days to call her. I intend to, but I worry the union is using her. Local 5 needs 30 days right now to go off and fry bigger fish. According to their own web site, they are currently in contract negotiations in Northern California with the major grocery chains and things aren’t going well with Safeway. Does this mean they are going down the block and cause a big scene there? Another high road?

Neighborhood Happenings

Maxwell Park’s A Day in the Park

Maxwell Park is hosting their second annual Day in the Park. Come and have fun Saturday, September 15, 2007, in Maxwell Park, Fleming Avenue between Courtland Avenue and Monticello Avenue. Local musicians will be featured along with a variety of other talent, activities for the kids and youth, delicious barbeque, neighborhood businesses, and of course – neighborhood chit chat. Fun, music, food and comradery!

Montclair Village’s 5th Annual Jazz and Wine Festival

Fruitvale Presbyterian Church’s Fundraiser