oakland business review december 2011 / january 2012

April 2010 | 1

THEHOLIDAYSAREHERE!LET THE ‘WINING’ BEGIN1

THE AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION OF THE OAKLAND METROPOLITAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE |

Oakland Business Review

www.oaklandchamber.com | VOL XXXVIII NO. 12 Dec. 2011 / Jan. 2012

East Bay Women in BusinessNicole Taylor to speakPage 22

The annual America’s Children’s Holiday Paradeattracted 100,000 spectators. See page 3.

> Engage more deeplywith Oakland schools,says Superintendent Smith

> Mayor meets with Chamberto strengthen partnership

Mayor Jean Quan met with theChamber of Commerce Boardof Directors recently toenhance the critical city-business partnership forOakland.

“We have faced incrediblechallenges over the last 11months,” said the Mayor, “yetas Mayor my commitment toOakland and its economic vi-tality is unwavering. It’s timenow for us to come togetherand focus on the important is-sues we care about – creatingjobs, attracting and supportingbusinesses and delivering themajor economic developmentprojects on our horizon.”

The Mayor covered a number of topics, from the city budget andpublic safety to education and promoting business and internationaltrade.

The Mayor told the Chamber Board that the budget – while difficultafter years of declining revenue – was more transparent and better setup with reserves than had been true in the past. She appreciated theconcessions made by labor groups, and was confident that the loss ofthe parcel tax (Measure I) would not imperil city services.

Mayor Quan indicated that she expects to continue to streamlinecity services to make the most out of city resources, and expressed con-fidence in her new management team, City Administrator Deanna San-tana and Assistant City Administrators Scott Johnson and FredBlackwell, all three of whom have been with the city for just 3-4months. “This is the best executive team we’ve had in a decade,” shesaid.

The Mayor also spoke on a variety of other subjects:On crime – The Mayor added 25 police officers last month and will

assign them outside local middle schools. She also spoke highly of se-curity cameras in Oakland neighborhoods and hopes to put up more.“Security cameras are working in some very tough neighborhoods,” shesaid. She also said that some 80 percent of Oakland police officers liveoutside the city. “I’d like to hire some home-grown kids,” she said, andadded, “There will be more police walking the streets next year.”

On education – She’s created an education cabinet hosted at MillsCollege to focus on pre-school children and programs to keep olderkids in school. “It will give children in this city a second chance,” sheadded.

On business – She’s already met with some of Oakland’s top CEOsand plans to meet with more. She’s also creating a Positively Oaklandcampaign to help jointly market the city, and insists that if residentspurchased 25 percent more from local stores, that would raise an addi-tional $10 million in sales tax. “We need to work together to change theimage of the city,” she said.

On Occupy Oakland – The encampment, she insisted, was openedby young people and was overtaken by “anarchists and homeless.”Now, she said, “the city’s much more unified.”

On the Port of Oakland – If the Port could double exports, shesaid, some 5,000 jobs would be created. �

There’s no quickfix to the problemswith Oaklandschools, saysOakland UnifiedSchool DistrictSuperintendent Dr.Tony Smith. “We’rein for the longhaul,” he says.

Smith, whospoke at a recentChamber of Com-merce Power Break-fast, does have a “wish list” for three years from now – thatevery fih grader is ready for high school, that Oaklandstudents have the highest quality teachers day in and dayout, and that the District has narrowed the gap between thegrades of African American and Hispanic students and therest of the student population.

“No one can do everything,” said Smith, “but everyonecan do something.” As a result, the superintendent askedall businesspeople to engage more deeply with the schooldistrict.

> New ‘JuniorCEOs’ created

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamberof Commerce and Oakland UnifiedSchool District have collaborated tocreate the Junior CommunityEntrepreneurs of Oakland (JuniorCEOs) to encourage OUSD highschool students in the process ofcommunity/civic engagement andbusiness development.

The program, Junior CEOs, willdevelop youth leadership and youthvoice, and will engage students inthoughtful discourse and action toimprove relationships between youthand business. This will in turnpositively affect OUSD studentopportunities as the district worksto build full-service communityschools.

The mission of the Junior CEOsprogram is to support and encourageOakland youth with entrepreneurialskills to develop business enterprisesand participate in complementarycivic processes.

Student program goals include:• Learning about building

development – zoning, licenses, fire,police and community development

• Working collaboratively andconnecting to their communitieswith the support of their families,community partners, schools andcivic organizations.

• Understanding city of Oaklandlegislative processes

• Developing critical 21st centuryleadership skills (public speaking,civic engagement, collaboration)while conducting action researchand creating a peer support network

• Building supportive mentorrelationships as they plan for highschool graduation and post-secondary success

Students will participate in aseries of monthly after-school work-shops at the Chamber of Commerce.The workshops will alternateentrepreneurial training and civicleadership exploration. Uponcompletion of the first year program,students will have the option toreturn in their 11th and 12th grade yearsto the Junior CEOs as peer mentorsto new 10th grade members or aspaid or unpaid interns with Chambermembers.

Junior CEOs is a greatopportunity to create connectionsbetween youth and businessthroughout the city of Oakland. Thefocus upon Linked Learningopportunities allows young peopleto grow and learn through hands-onexperiences in “real-life” settings. Formore information contact the OUSDCollege and Career Readiness Officeat (510) 273-2360.

Home for the holidaysA holiday gift from Wells FargoPage 19

� The Chamber’s recent Board ofDirectors meeting featured visitsby Mayor Quan as well as theheads of various ethnic chambersof commerce in the city. Picturedleft to right are John Nelson, theMetro Chamber’s chairman of theboard; Wil Hardee, president andchief executive officer of theOakland African-AmericanChamber; Mayor Quan; MetroChamber President Joe Haraburda;Carl Chan, president of theOakland Chinatown Chamber ofCommerce Foundation; and JoseDuenas, president and chiefexecutive officer of the HispanicChamber of Commerce AlamedaCounty.> 100,000 enjoy

12th annual paradeSome 100,000 spectators filled the streets of downtownOakland on Dec. 3 to witness a great holiday tradition – the 12thannual America’s Children’s Holiday Parade.

The traditional holiday event, sponsored again by Comcast,saw records being broken. The parade not only contained some100 units on the streets of downtown Oakland, but it also had arecord number of marching bands (22), including twointernational bands – a rocking band from Jamaica (picturedbelow) and another from Guatemala. This is the only holidayparade in the country that features bands from outside theUnited States.

For more information and pictures from the parade, seepage 3. �

– continued on page 22

CHAMBER MEMBERRESTAURANTSGuide to fine and fun diningPage 14

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com2

ParadeSponsors

Title Sponsor

Santa’s Helper

Toyland Sponsor

Children’s Delight

Friends of the Parade

December 2011 / January 2012 | 3

> 12th annual HolidayParade will be seenaround the worldThroughout the country, in parts of Canada, and in

areas overseas, millions will enjoy the sites and sounds of

family fun in Oakland this holiday season. The 12th

annual Comcast America’s Children’s Holiday Parade,

which was held earlier this month, will be telecast

around the world, thanks to PBS stations nationwide

and by the American Forces Network in 175 different

countries.

This year the parade set records, with more than

100 units on the streets of downtown Oakland, more

children’s characters (42) than ever before, a record

number of balloons (14), and a record number of

marching bands (22), including two international bands

– from Jamaica and Guatemala. This is the only holiday

parade in the country that features bands from outside

the United States.

Other highlights included live performances by

Mr. Steve, the star of PBS KIDS, by recording artist

Comcast America’s Children’s Holiday Parade12th annual

Celeste Kellogg, and by The Honeybee Trio, three young

women who specialize in hits from the 1930s and ‘40s. There

were also children’s characters Cat in the Hat, the Berenstain

Bears, Snoopy and Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts

gang, the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees, and of course Santa

himself.

For the last number of years more than 100,000 people

have lined the streets in downtown Oakland to see the

beautiful floats, enormous balloons and marching bands.

The parade is one of only three Christmas parades in

America to be broadcast nationally. This year it will be picked

up by PBS throughout the country and in parts of Canada,

Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as by stations throughout

California. It will also be broadcast to 175 countries via the

American Forces Network and broadcast locally by KTVU

Channel 2 and KQED in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area,

by KICU in San Jose, and by Comcast and Peralta TV.

The parade was founded and is managed by the Oakland

Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

The Comcast America’s Children’s Holiday Parade is also a

holiday championship for the marching band circuit, sanc-

tioned by the Northern California Band Association. �

> Catch the paradefrom the comfortof your homeThe 12th annual Comcast America’sChildren’s Holiday Parade was a grandsuccess on Dec. 3, attracting some100,000 people to the streets ofdowntown Oakland.

But if you missed the parade inperson, you can view it on KTVUChannel 2 at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.17 and then again on Christmas Day at2 p.m. Or, check KICU Channel 36 at 2p.m. on Dec. 18 and at noon onChristmas Day.

You can also view it on Peralta TV(channel 28 in Oakland, Piedmont andEmeryville and channel 27 in Berkeleyand Alameda) at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 15,1:30 p.m. on Dec. 20, 1 a.m. on Dec. 21,1:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 1 a.m. and 11:30am. on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1:30p.m. on Dec. 29, and 1 a.m. on Dec. 30.

For more information, visitwww.oaklandholidayparade.com orcall the Chamber at (510) 874-4800. �


Names in the news

• Bringing a combined total of nearly four

decades’ experience in land use and environmen-

tal law, Patricia Curtin and Todd Williams join

Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP as partners.

Curtin will lead the firm’s Land Use practice.

Formerly principals with Walnut Creek’s Morgan

Miller Blair, Curtin and Williams represent both

private and public sector clients throughout the

state and contribute to the breadth and depth of

Wendel Rosen’s core practice areas.

• TenKaiser Permanente northern California

hospitals have been named 2011 Leapfrog Top

Hospitals, an honor that rewards medical centers

for outstanding success in such areas as using

electronic health records to reduce medication

and other errors, lowering infection rates,

maintaining appropriate physician and nursing

staffing, and other measures of safety and

efficiency. Eight Kaiser Permanente hospitals in

southern California also received the honor,

which means that 18 of this year’s 65 Top Hospitals in the U.S. are Kaiser

Permanente facilities in California.

• The Port of Oakland has hired Marily Mora

as assistant director of aviation for Oakland

International Airport. She is responsible for the

day-to-day operations of the airport with direct

responsibility for the airside, landside, security,

administration, and facilities departments. Prior

to her appointment, Mora was the executive vice

president and chief operations officer of the

Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority for the past 12

years.

• The Oakland office of the international design and architecture firm

Perkins Eastman is expanding with the addition of three professionals.

New hires include Trish Callo, senior associate; Sayo Kawamura, interior

designer; and Carolyn Dowd, marketing manager. In addition, Heather

Kilday has been promoted to senior associate.

• TheOakland Builders Alliance (OBA)

has appointed civic leader Mark McClure as

president of the Board. Born and raised in

Oakland, McClure brings a long history in public

service and nonprofit experience to the OBA.

His past appointments include a member of the

Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors,

chairman of the Oakland Planning Commission,

commissioner for the Port of Oakland and

president of The Crucible. He currently serves as

Board member of the Oakland Zoo.

• Capture Technologies is working to install 19 new surveillance

cameras and one NVR at the Pacific Renaissance Plaza in the Chinatown

district of downtown Oakland. Previous to this new solution, the plaza

only carried analog cameras, which were leaving some areas vulnerable

to crime. Due to a high rate of unreported crime in the area, the Oakland

Police Department encouraged businesses to upgrade their systems.

By providing them with the security solution they need, Capture

Technologies has helped shed some light on uncovered areas, while

providing service that is only a few minutes away.

• Biotech Partners has been selected as a finalist in Ashoka

Changemaker’s Partnering for Excellence: Innovations in Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math Education (STEM) competition, in

partnership with Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Opportunity

Equation. Biotech Partners is one of only ten organizations and programs

selected from 265 applications received from around the country,

including Alaska and Hawaii.

• TheOakland Unified School District’s Peralta Elementary School has

been named a 2010-2011 National Blue Ribbon School, one of the highest

honors available in K-12 education. The school is one of two in Alameda

County, one of four in the Bay Area, and one of just 21 in the state of

California to earn this recognition. The program recognizes schools that

are “national models of excellence,” as demonstrated by superior overall

achievement. �

Patricia Curtin

Todd Williams

Marily Mora

Mark McClure


Good news from the Chamber

Working for your success

From the President | Joe Haraburda

Let us be vigilant – What is at stake? As observers of the Oakland Chamberknow, we have been against the unlawful occupying of both city and privateproperty. We will continue to openly support business and the strength itbrings to a community! Our focus must remain steadfast to stand up forbusinesses in every part of Oakland and to bring new businesses to our city.Jobs are a key factor to improved public safety and a good quality of life.

Let us be vigilant and speak out as many of you have to protect ourinvestment!

Congrats – Wells Fargo is to be congratulated for its generous $975,000grant to Habitat for Humanity and $650,000 to the East Bay’s SchoolFoundations! Our major corporate members have made a significantdifference in Oakland because of all they do to support the nonprofitcommunity.

Hats off as well to Kaiser Permanente, The Clorox Company and Bank ofAmerica for supporting so many worthy organizations!

Junior CEOs – The Chamber has just embarked on a new partnership –Junior CEOs, a program to encourage Oakland Unified School Districtstudents! It’s a chance to mentor.

Join us in this newly formed program to engage high school students in theprocess of community/civic engagement and business development.

In the past several days OUSD staff and volunteers have interviewed anumber of students applying to participate in the program. Mentors will beneeded!

For more information, please contact Courtney Riley [email protected].

The bands played on… The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce,which founded and manages America’s Children’s Holiday Parade, thanks thevolunteers who planned and implemented a delightful day for thousands ofchildren worldwide on Saturday, Dec. 3.

The traditional holiday event, sponsored again by Comcast, saw recordsbeing broken. The parade not only contained some 100 units on the streets ofdowntown Oakland, but it also had a record number of marching bands (22),

We stand up for businesses in every part of Oakland.

including two international bands – from Guatemala and Jamaica. This isthe only holiday parade in the country that features bands from outside theUnited States.

Special thanks go to our sponsors, who saw the value in promoting aparade that sent a clear message to a nation-wide and world-wide audience –that Oakland is a family-friendly city with countless things to do.

Special thanks to our still photographers, Auintard Henderson and SamiYousif, and to the parade co-anchors – Claudine Wong and Dave Clark (bothfrom KTVU) and Miss Rosa (from PBS KIDS).

In case you missed the parade, keep in mind that it will be shown on TVlocally throughout the holiday season. See page 3 for a complete list ofchannels and broadcast times.

Mobile food vending plan – The city of Oakland will experiment withmobile food vending in 2012. The City Council has approved a plan thatwould allow group mobile food vending or “food pods” to operate in manyareas of the city – generally business/commercial areas of Council Districts 1,2, 3 and 4 (mobile food vending has been in force in the Fruitvale District ofOakland for more than 10 years).

An organizer could apply for a food pod permit on private property, withthe approval of the owner, on a parcel at least 100 feet from a restaurant. Thefood pod would include three or more mobile food vendors who would oper-ate for four hours, no more than two days a week and no more than 40 days ayear. The organizer will be responsible to assure all licenses, permits and rulesare followed by vendors and customers in the food pod.

After all business and property owners within 300 feet of the proposedfood pod are notified, the City Administrator will decide whether to approvethe permit.

The Chamber and Oakland Restaurant Association worked with city staffto assure the concerns of existing restaurants were addressed.

Have a wonderful holiday season – All of us at the Chamber wish all ahappy and healthy New Year and that your holiday season brings joy andhappiness! We are grateful for the support you have given us this year andcommit to working on your behalf for a prosperous and successful 2012! �

Creating a strong economy


economic development

The Chamber’s November EconomicDevelopment Forum covered two top-ics: (1) Art Dao, executive director of theAlameda County TransportationCommission discussed theReauthorization of Measure B (on theballot in November 2012) and (2) LesliePritchett of Friends of the Gateway andMike Anderson of the East Bay RegionalParks shared plans for the development ofGateway Park at the base of the easternspan of the Bay Bridge.

More than 10 years ago, the Bay Bridge design team identified a unique op-portunity to create a park that would provide a memorable gateway to Oakland atthe point where the new bridge touches down in the East Bay. The park wouldoffer an unprecedented way to experience the bay and the new bridge. Represen-tatives of nine agencies are working to explore the possibilities of a new park forlocal residents, commuters, businesses, international travelers, environmental-ists, boaters, cyclists, and others.

Anderson’s presentation detailed how the park could be a marquee entranceinto Oakland and provide a good link to the new bridge’s bike and pedestrianpath. He also reviewed other proposed features of the park, including bay trail ac-cess at Radio Beach, a new transportation museum, new concert venue, and areasfor both passive and active recreation.

Next, Pritchett, project co-director of Friends of the Gateway (FOG), de-scribed FOG as an expanding community of artists and innovators who championthe creation of a unique public art space at the foot of the new Bay Bridge. Pritch-ett demonstrated how large art installations can be a catalyst for new investmentand tourist attraction, citing how Christo’s saffron-colored gates in New York’sCentral Park netted almost $254,000 to the city during just a two-week installa-tion.

She also reviewed a number of art/sculpture installation projects currentlyunderway in West Oakland, including the “Big Rig Jig” and a number of sculptorBruce Beasley’s works.

Pritchett stressed that the Gateway space is large and will need a big idea tocomplement it – the Friends of the Gateway think that the power exists here inOakland to generate that “big idea” with art.

Then, Art Dao described how his organization is working to improve trans-portation opportunities for all citizens throughout Alameda County. He explainedthat the Alameda County Transportation Commission is a new agency whose goalis to plan, fund and deliver transportation programs and policy for a vibrantAlameda County. ACTC is funded with two different sales taxes that were passedby the voters. Measure B, Alameda County’s half-cent transportation sales tax,was originally approved in 1986, which brought revenue into Alameda County andenabled transportation projects to move forward. The funds went to administer-ing timely project and program delivery on capital projects, local transportation,transit operations, and special transportation programs like paratransit.

Voters reauthorized the half-cent sales tax in November 2000 to deliver afresh set of transportation improvements including bicycle and pedestrian safetyand transit center development.

In 2000, The Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA)was created to deliver the new set of authorized projects. In June of 2010, theACTIA merged with the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency(ACCMA), whose primary responsibility is to coordinate a congestion manage-ment program designed to assist local governments in tackling the complexproblem of traffic congestion. The newly formed agency, the Alameda CountyTransportation Commission, will take the reauthorization of Measure B funds tothe ballot again in November of 2012.

> Proposed Gateway Park andReauthorization of Measure B

> Green your businessDistinguish your business in the marketplace as an environmental leaderby becoming a certified green business. A certified green business operatesefficiently with consideration to the community and the environment.

It is not difficult to become a certified green business if you are operatingunder principles of resource conservation and pollution prevention. Currentlythere are 500 certified green businesses in Alameda County, almost 3,000 in theBay Area. And recently the Governor signed AB 913, which recognizes the GreenBusiness Program statewide.

What are the benefits of becoming a certified green business?• Marketing edge among conscientious consumers• Respected third party review of your environmental performance• Inclusion in the ”green supply chain”• Recognition as a good community neighbor• Enhances employee morale, health and productivity• More efficient operations• Visibility via website online directoryBecause restaurants use a good deal of water and energy and potentially

produce large volumes of waste, the Green Business Program is an opportunityfor improved management and cost savings. Many green restaurants reportsignificant savings on their water and energy bills. Even office operations havedemonstrated savings in their utility bills.

Oakland is home to approximately 100 certified green businesses, and thecity of Oakland is committed to assisting the business community in dramati-cally increasing that number. Green business experts stand ready to assistOakland businesses through the certification process, bringing in additional ex-pertise and resources (maybe rebates!) from partners including Oakland Shines,East Bay Municipal Utility District, and Pacific Gas & Electric.

In order to become a green business, visit www.greenbusinessca.org andclick on “Apply.” There will be a short questionnaire – what kind of business, size,etc, to send you to the right checklist that offers you a set of “best practices” inwater, energy, waste and recycling and pollution prevention. You indicate whichmeasures you currently practice or plan on implementing. If you meet therequired number of measures in each category, you are ready for the onsiteaudit. Representatives from the program and water and energy utilities willcome to your site and review your practicesto verify that you are doing what you indi-cated on your checklist.

Remember, if your business is located inOakland, you are entitled to special technicalassistance in meeting the checklistrequirements.

For more information, contact OaklandRecycles at (510) 238-SAVE (7283) or [email protected]. �

by Eleanor Hollander, AICP

� At the Economic DevelopmentForum (left to right) – ChamberEconomic Development DirectorEleanor Hollander; Mike Anderson(East Bay Regional Park District);Tess Lengyel and Art Dao (AlamedaCounty TransportationCommission); Leslie Pritchett(Friends of the Gateway); andCharissa Frank (SwinertonBuilders), chair of the Chamber’sEconomic DevelopmentDepartment.

When the two former agencies merged in mid-2010, there was an efficiencysavings of nearly $3 million, and Dao got 22 new bosses! The “bosses” are actu-ally the commissioners of the board which include representatives of the 14 citiesin Alameda County, AC Transit, BART, and a representative from the AlamedaCounty Board of Supervisors. The unique structure of the ACTC allows nearly $57million to be awarded to direct service contracts for improving transportationcountywide.

Projects that were funded with sales tax alone include the 5.5-mile BARTextension to Warm Springs, the I-238 widening to improve trucking, HOT (high-occupancy-toll) lanes on I-680, the Oakland Airport Connector, the San LeandroSlough bike bridge on the bay trail, and numerous Safe Routes to Schoolsprograms throughout the county.

So, to continue their work, ACTA is going to the voters again in 2012, andasking to extend the half-cent sales tax in perpetuity, and add on a half-penny taxto be affirmed by a simple majority of voters every 20 years. To show how themoney would be spent, right now, ACTA is developing a new TransportationExpenditure Plan (TEP) that outlines transit improvements based on identifiedneeds and are compatible with regional and local comprehensive long-rangeplans (30-year scope).

The development of the TEP has (and continues) to involve extensivecommunity outreach, including a citizen watchdog committee. Currently thereauthorization of Measure B on the 2012 ballot is polling at 79 percent approvalrate. To get involved with ACTA visit www.alamedactc.org. �

Eleanor Hollander, AICP is the Chamber’s economic development director.


SPECIAL SECTION Small business

CHAMBER VOLUNTEER

> Ambassador of the Month

Marvin Clark has been honored as theChamber’s Ambassador of the Monthfor October.

Clark is a principal of First BuildingMaintenance Company (FBMC), whichspecializes in green cleaning. ThisOakland-based building and facilitymaintenance company has been providinghigh quality service to the Bay Area fornearly 50 years.

Working alongside family members Booker and Marcus, Clark and thecompany handle all things in the cleaning line – general janitorial, windowwashing, carpet cleaning, steam cleaning, street sweeping, garage cleaning,landscaping BID, and other handyman services.

Clark’s Chamber involvement as an Ambassador has provided him theopportunity to meet new people, understand their businesses, and makefriends.

In addition to the Ambassador Committee, he’s also involved in theChamber’s Nonprofit Roundtable (which meets the third Tuesday of each monthfrom 2:30-430 p.m.) and Toastmasters Club (meets the first and third Friday from12:30-1:30 p.m.), both at the Chamber offices.

Clark is also a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Iota AlphaSigma Chapter, and is the co-founder and advisor of the Greater Bay Area SigmaClub (SBC), which is a nonprofit mentoring organization that prepares middleand high school young men for college.

The Sigma Beta Club has developed a partnership with Holy NamesUniversity, and the school has become the regular meeting place for theorganization.

To learn more about the service provided by First Building MaintenanceCompany, or to get more involved with the Sigma Beta Club, contact MarvinClark at (510) 482-8900 or at (510) 867-8436, or via email [email protected].

The Sigma Beta Club will host its Christmas gathering on Sunday, Dec. 18 atHoly Names University and will partner with the Oakland Raiders for a fundraiseragainst the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, Jan 1. Contact Clark for ticketinformation.

The club is also sponsoring the 34th annual College Fair with emphasis onBlack Colleges on Saturday, Jan. 7 at St. Stephen CME Church, 2301 Union Ave.,Fairfield, CA 94533 at 2 p.m. �

Over the years, Congress has repealed, underpressure from the World Trade Organization,many trade incentives that have been availableto U.S. businesses. However, one powerfultax-savings vehicle remains – the Interest ChargeDomestic International Sales Corporation, or“IC-DISC.”

The IC-DISC has been in place since 1984, howeverit was not until passage of the Jobs and Growth TaxRelief Reconciliation Act of 2004 (“JGTRRA”) that itsuse could provide significant tax savings. Under thisAct, dividends paid by an IC-DISC qualify for the

favorable 15 percent tax rate on dividend income.Follows is a discussion of how a U.S. business can take advantage of this

favorable tax rate.

How does an IC-DISC work?Generally, a business that manufactures goods in the U.S. for export will set upa corporation (the IC-DISC) here in the U.S. In order to qualify, the goods mustmeet the “50 percent content” rule, meaning that 50 percent of the value ofthe exports must be U.S.-based (i.e., cost of parts, labor and markup).

A tax-deductible commission, based upon the amount of income fromsales of exported goods, will be paid to the IC-DISC. The commission will bethe greater of 4 percent of gross export sales or 50 percent of net income fromexport sales; this rule may be applied on a product-by-product basis.

The IC-DISC is a tax-exempt entity; therefore no tax is assessed to theIC-DISC on the commission income received. In turn, the U.S. business hasreceived a corresponding tax deduction for this payment.

The IC-DISC can make dividend payments to the owners, who will be taxedat a maximum 15 percent rate on the amount of dividends received. The result?A permanent 20 percent tax savings for qualifying U.S. exporters.

TRADE INCENTIVE FOR U.S. BUSINESSES

> Tax savings for exportersby Tom Neff

� Earlier this year Ambassadorof the Month Marvin Clark(right) was congratulated forbeing named 2010 ChamberAmbassador of the Year.Providing the honors wereoutgoing Ambassadors ChairMaryAnne Kaplan and ChamberPresident Joe Haraburda.

Tom Neff

To summarize the benefits of the IC-DISC:• Permanent tax savings on export sales;• Increased liquidity for shareholders or the business;• Ability to leverage the cost of capital (since IC-DISC earnings need to be

distributed to the shareholders);• Opportunities to create management incentives (for example, by giving

shares in the IC-DISC as a commission for generating export sales);• Means to facilitate succession or estate planning (by drawing tax-

advantaged cash out of the business)One important point is that it is not necessary for the U.S. business to be

the exporter of the goods; a situation in which the business sells the goods toa distributor/wholesaler for export will also qualify.

Please contact your RINA tax professional if you would like a furtherexplanation of this tax savings strategy. �

Tom Neff is a stockholder with RINA Accountancy Corp.


SPECIAL SECTION Small business

More and more companies lately have chosen to ditch the traditionalsheetrock jungle office environment for a more creative and collaborativeoffice environment that includes an open floor plan, high ceilings, andnatural light. With the recent tech boom in the Bay Area you are hearing about“creative space” more than ever. But this coveted “creative space” doesn’t justexist South of Market in San Francisco; there is an incredible wealth of creativeoffice space right here in Oakland in Jack London Square, Old Oakland, the CityCenter area, and Uptown.

Let’s start in Jack London. Many of the classic waterfront brick and timberwarehouses have been rehabbed into exceptional and one-of-a-kind creativeoffice environments. Take 318 Harrison, for example, home to the Saroni SugarCompany from 1922-1956. It now makes an ideal space for an expanding tech orcreative firm.

Another great example of creative space in Jack London can be found at331 Jefferson. The advertising firm Jocoto was located in San Francisco until they

took a look at 331 Jefferson anddecided to make the move acrossthe bay to Jack London.

Go up the street on Broadway acouple of blocks and you will findOld Oakland. Once the westernterminus of the TranscontinentalRailroad, it now offers a variety ofunique and creative office space.The Arlington building has idealcreative space with exposed brick,high ceilings and great natural lightin each suite and is home to thecreative firm Bedrock Consultants.

Across the street from theTribune Tower near City Center youcan find elegant brick and timberhistorical buildings like 414 13th St.Also known as the Perry Building,this classic structure has been ren-ovated and modernized to accom-modate a wide variety of officeuses. Mars Advertising now callsthis building home.

Up the street in Uptown youcan find the iconic I. Magnin

building. A premiere department store for almost 60 years, the space wasextensively rehabbed in 2000 and now offers an ideal creative office environmentwith 20-foot ceilings and open floor plans. During the dot com boom in 2000,Doubletwist.com saw the potential in this building and spent millions of dollarsrenovating it into the perfect home for a tech company – but unfortunatelyturned out to be another dot-com casualty in 2002.

Many tech companies and start-ups have found the technology infrastructurein Oakland has more than enough to handle their needs. Oakland is home to avast telecommunications network with hundreds of miles of fiber-optic runningthroughout primary corridors in downtown and Jack London Square, so whateverbandwidth your company requires, Oakland has you covered.

Not only does Oakland have a quality inventory of “creative space,” the priceper square foot is more than 100 percent less than the South of Market area ofSan Francisco. Now more than ever tech companies, start-ups, and other creativefirms are choosing to locate to Oakland and take advantage of the unique spaceit has to offer at an incredible discount compared to San Francisco, Emeryvilleand Berkeley.

How does an IC-DISC work?Generally, a business that manufactures goods in the U.S. for export will set up acorporation (the IC-DISC) here in the U.S. In order to qualify, the goods mustmeet the “50 percent content” rule, meaning that 50 percent of the value of theexports must be U.S.-based (i.e., cost of parts, labor and markup).

A tax-deductible commission, based upon the amount of income from salesof exported goods, will be paid to the IC-DISC. The commission will be thegreater of 4 percent of gross export sales or 50 percent of net income from exportsales; this rule may be applied on a product-by-product basis.

The IC-DISC is a tax-exempt entity; therefore no tax is assessed to the IC-DISCon the commission income received. In turn, the U.S. business has received acorresponding tax deduction for this payment.

The IC-DISC can make dividend payments to the owners, who will be taxedat a maximum 15 percent rate on the amount of dividends received. The result?A permanent 20 percent tax savings for qualifying U.S. exporters.

To summarize the benefits of the IC-DISC:• Permanent tax savings on export sales;• Increased liquidity for shareholders or the business;

TECH COMPANIES, START-UPS, CREATIVE FIRMS

> ‘Creative space’ – the newbuzz wordby John Dolby and Dane Hooks

� The brick and timber building at414 13th St. has been renovated andmodernized to accommodate a widevariety of office uses.

• Ability to leverage the cost ofcapital (since IC-DISC earnings needto be distributed to the shareholders);

• Opportunities to create manage-ment incentives (for example, by giv-ing shares in the IC-DISC as a commission for generating export sales);

• Means to facilitate succession or estate planning (by drawing tax-advantaged cash out of the business)

One important point is that it is not necessary for the U.S. business to be theexporter of the goods; a situation in which the business sells the goods to adistributor/wholesaler for export will also qualify.

Please contact your RINA tax professional if you would like a furtherexplanation of this tax savings strategy. �

John Dolby is senior vice president and Dane Hooks is an associatewith Grubb & Ellis Company.

� The advertising firm Jocoto waslocated in San Francisco until theirrepresentatives took a look at 331Jefferson St.


by Justin Lehrer

Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce members werewell represented among the 2011 StopWaste Business Efficiency Awardwinners, honored at a recent ceremony at the Oakland Asian CulturalCenter. The annual celebration, co-hosted by public agency StopWaste.Organd the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, recognizes Alameda Countyorganizations for outstanding achievements in waste reduction, environmen-tal performance, and mentoring peers on business efficiency practices.

Three StopWaste awards in the Business Efficiency category, out of a total ofseven awards, went to the Chabot Space & Science Center, the Amtrak Operations& Maintenance Facility and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. A fourth Oaklandcompany, GSC Logistics, received an Honorable Mention. The Business EfficiencyAwards honor organizations that have not only cut waste significantly, but alsostreamlined their operations in the process, often realizing significant financialcost savings.

A well loved and respected educational institution, Chabot Space & ScienceCenter has developed earth-focused activities that include teaching waste reduc-tion concepts in their classes, composting food scraps, and encouraging childrento pack zero waste lunches. Chabot's fun and inspiring programs reach thousandsof youth and instill values around resource efficiency to our future workforce,while their comprehensive recycling programs keep over 13 tons of material out ofthe landfill each year.

Also right on track with their efficiency initiatives is the Amtrak Operations &Maintenance Facility in Oakland, which maintains 18 locomotives and 83 passengercars. The facility recycles more than 58 tons of maintenance materials each year, inaddition to recyclables collected from passengers. They also compost an impres-sive 20 tons of food scraps annually, and prevent hazardous waste by launderingoily rags – instead of throwing them away.

An innovative “Blue Glove Pledge” has actively engaged staff to help keepdisposable gloves from contaminating the recycling.

Another industry increasingly embracing “lean and green” operations ishealthcare. Kaiser Permanente is not just telling their members to “Thrive,” butthe Kaiser Foundation Health Plan division in Oakland can boast of their thrivingsustainability efforts. This regional headquarters and administrative center forKaiser diverts almost half of its wastewith the help of 1,400 employees whorecycle paper and cardboard andcompost paper towels. Taking effortseven further, the facility is currentlyrolling out food scrap recycling to the

cafeteria and kitchenettes.Congratulations to all of this year’s

winners! To read their full stories, visitwww.StopWastePartnership.Org andclick on “Featured Success Stories.” Wehope these champions of efficiencyinspire you to examine your own operations for waste reduction opportunities.Will your business be recognized in next year’s StopWaste awards? �

Justin Lehrer is a program manager at StopWaste.Org. For moreinformation about the StopWaste Partnership and how their freeservices and resources can help your business improve efficiency,visit www.StopWastePartnership.Org or email [email protected].

> Three Chamber members winStopWaste Awards

� StopWaste award winnerChabot Space & Science Centerinspires thousands of kids to reducewaste with their innovative ZeroWaste Lunch program.

� The staff at the AmtrakOperations & MaintenanceFacility in Oakland, one of the2011 StopWaste PartnershipBusiness Efficiency Award winners.

> Oakland small businessesrecognized for creating jobsSix Oakland-based businesses received national recognition onNov. 10, 2011 in New York City at a job creation event. Prior to the InnerCity Capital Connections (ICCC) invitation-only “Increasing Access toCapital” event, ICCC selected 275 inner city businesses out of more than3,000 applications to meet with 150 investors, representing privateequity, venture capital, angel networks, mezzanine financing and debt.Working alongside family members Booker and Marcus, Clark and thecompany handle all things in the cleaning line –general janitorial,window washing, carpet cleaning, steam cleaning, street sweeping,garage cleaning, landscaping BID, and other handyman services.

Out of the 275 businesses, six are based in Oakland, and three ofthose are Chamber of Commerce members – ABE Security Services, Inc.,Acumen Building Enterprise, Inc. and Revolution Foods. The companiestraveled to New York to raise money and create jobs.

A partnership between the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City(ICIC), Bank of America and the U.S. Small Business Administration, ICCCincreases the financial sophistication of inner city entrepreneurs and in-troduces them to capital providers, and in turn, transforms communities.

Ana Chretien, the president and chief executive officer of ABC SecurityServices, Inc. was in attendance. ABC is growing rapidly and creating jobs.It employs certified security personnel who provide safety and securityprotection and loss prevention services. The company has been honoredas one of the top 25 minority-owned businesses in the East Bay, and is oneof the top 500 largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S.

Another Chamber member, Acumen Building Enterprise, Inc., isfocused on creating jobs in Oakland and the greater Bay Area andimproving the local community. Walter Allen, president and chief execu-tive officer, believes that passage of President Obama’s American Jobs Actof 2011 will fuel growth for Acumen, Oakland and the nation. His companyis a professional consulting firm that delivers top-flight engineering,cost-effective project controls and ground-breaking technologyimplementation.

Allen says he plans to finance Acumen’s growth through capitalfunding to expand operations and launch the AcuFare Smartcard ReaderSystem designed for small transit agencies, hospitals and securityapplications.



SPECIAL SECTION Wining & Dining in Oakland

by Kevin Brown

Once again the holidays have arrived (it keeps coming fasterevery year, doesn’t it?) and the pressure is on to get giftspurchased, the house decorated, meals planned, visits tofamily and friends, and final projects for the year completed.I’m getting tired just thinking about it.

Last year I suggested that you depart from the road well traveled and

let your palate experience things you had not tried before. This year I will

still suggest the same thing, but as Chef Emeril Lagasse likes to say, “Let’s

kick it up a notch!”

This year, as you plan meals or visits with family and friends, make

your wine choices as free wheeling and experimental as possible. Like

Christmas with lots of wrapped gifts that you have no idea what’s inside,

let your imagination run wild with possibilities of pairings. Try and pick

wines from several different categories to match with a course or meal.

Pick a sparkling wine, a crisp white wine, a rich full-bodied white, a light-

styled red, a robust full-bodied red, and don’t forget dessert wines.

As you look at the myriad of options available to you, let go of

conventional pairings and make your meal an adventure.

The most important thing to know about wine is that it’s very personal

as to what you like and

what you don’t. Ratings

are not necessarily a

good indication of a wine

that you will like, but it

does tell you that others

have thought highly of it

so it is at least worth a

try. If you find that your

taste likes and dislikes

are similar to a wine

writer’s, then ratings can

be a guide – but you can

never go wrong with

your own taste buds.

Trust your own palate!

The more things you try,

the more you will

discover those attributes

of wine that you like and

those that you don’t, and

the more comfortable

you will become in

making selections to go

with your meals.

There is no better way

to “educate” your palate

than to visit the tasting

> The holidays are here again –Let the ‘wining’ begin

rooms of the East Bay wineries. There are more than 20 different wineries

in the East Bay, and they offer an amazing diversity of wines for you to

experience.

Last year, for example, I mentioned that there were more than 20

different Zinfandels alone to try from the East Bay Vintners. This year,

that number has almost doubled. And that’s just Zinfandel. There are

over 20 other varietals to choose from with numerous examples from

the different wineries – that’s right, over 200 different wines all for your

tasting and pairing pleasure! All right in your own back yard. And these

offerings are world class in quality.

The great part is that you get to experience a varietal like Zinfandel in

depth and in lots of different styles. From soft and supple to dark and

brooding, there are a remarkable variety of flavor profiles for you to try

and enjoy.

Maybe you want your wine pairings to be in a single varietal but from

several different producers. You will get to see how different “artists”

interpret the same varietal.

And the one thing you can count on is that each of the winemakers

will have their own idea of what that wine should taste like. The fun part

is the tasting! Find that new wine that you can share with your family and

friends as your new “discovery.”

The chances are you will also get to meet the owners and winemakers

at the East Bay Vintners tasting rooms since most are very hands-on and

usually there minding the store.

So not only will you

get to taste, but also

ask questions and get

the story behind the

wines. You will also be

meeting some of your

neighbors and making

new friends. What

better way to enjoy the

holidays than visiting

with friends old and

new over a glass of

wine.

So this year, make it

an East Bay holiday.

Not only will you be

supporting local

businesses, but you’ll

be discovering the

wonderful wineries

that are part of the

wine country that’s in

your own backyard. �

Kevin Brown is

owner/winemaker

at R&B Cellars in

Alameda.

> This year, make it an East Bay holiday. Not only will you be supporting localbusinesses, but you’ll be discovering the more than 20 wonderful wineries that are

part of the wine country that’s in your own backyard.



Founded by Herman and Eugenia Sack,Piedmont Grocery Co. opened its doors forbusiness in 1902. Located at the corner of 41stStreet and Piedmont Avenue, the business wasmoved after a fire destroyed it in 1904 andrebuilt one block down by the Key Train stationat the end of the San Francisco line where itremains to this day.

In the beginning, Piedmont Grocery Co.

meant sawdust-covered floors, scattered pickle

barrels and wooden crates displaying “good

things to eat” with unparalleled service.

Through earthquakes, fires, economic highs

and lows, Piedmont Grocery Co. has remained

consistent with its promise to deliver quality

foods with outstanding personal service that

has endeared the store to generation after gen-

eration.

In the early days, clerks would pull items

from the shelves at customer request. Dorothy

Rickard, Piedmont resident and daughter of

H.Sack, Herman’s son who ran the business

until 1956, recalls the old store, “You just ask for

it, and they bring it to you.”

Soon H.Sack established Piedmont Grocery

Co. as one of the first self-service grocery

stores in town. The company even offered a

daily delivery service until 1965 – originally by horse-drawn wagons, then

by a fleet of green trucks which oftentimes delivered the mail along with

the groceries.

Piedmont Grocery Co. was purchased from the Sack family in 1957 by

Charles Larson who, as an ambitious 16-year-old in 1920, started work at

Piedmont Grocery Co. as a delivery driver. Charles worked his way up to

buyer and store manager and eventually to general manager before

becoming president and owner. Piedmont Grocery Co. is currently

owned by Charles’ son David Larson.

In this time of hurried pace and electronic interaction, Piedmont

> Piedmont Grocery – Now in its 109th year

Grocery Co. remains a place where

relationships are established and

cherished. Many customers have

shopped there for decades and

many of Piedmont Grocery’s em-

ployees have worked there for

just as long. It is a place where

friends and neighbors greet each

other while picking up their

holiday turkey and children and

grandchildren of customers grow

up before our eyes.

Today in its 109th year, the

store has been updated, but the

philosophy of offering the finest

foods and best service to cus-

tomers and the community re-

mains the same.

Piedmont Grocery Co. features

a full-service butcher shop, and

exceptional selection of gourmet,

specialty and prepared foods,

hard-to-find cooking ingredients,

and an outstanding wine and

liquor department, making Pied-

mont Grocery Co. a popular

destination for local residents

and visitors alike. �� The meat counter at PiedmontGrocery.

The store offered a dailydelivery service until 1965 –originally by horse-drawnwagons.

From Ethiopian to Korean to Caribbean, Oakland is known to have

an eclectic mix of cuisine. It’s no surprise, as the city has been deemed one of the

most diverse in the country. Think of dining out in Oakland as an adventure – you

will always be pleasantly surprised with something on the menu that you probably

never expected to try. In addition to the array of foods from different cultures,

Oakland chefs are also known for mixing unique ingredients to create

innovative flavors. Many restaurants utilize sustainable, seasonal

ingredients, developing daily and monthly menus with the freshest

products from the farmers market.

In Oakland’s Chinatown, you won’t just find Chinese dishes. As one of

the largest Pan-Asian communities in the United States, Chinatown

includes a mix of Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese foods. You can spend

weeks exploring each bakery and restaurant and still find new things to try.

The Koreatown-Northgate district, bordering Uptown and Temescal, is

of course known for its Korean delicacies, but that’s not all. Phat Matt’s BBQ

is a favorite American eatery, and the area is also filled with Middle Eastern

foods.

Head to Temescal and you'll find a little bit of everything – Japanese,

Ethiopian, Burmese, Southern and Spanish Tapas, all within a few blocks

radius. This neighborhood continues to thrive as a “foodie” destination,

with publications such as Sunset magazine and the Wall Street Journal

taking notice of the restaurants.

Great cultural cuisines are not limited to these neighborhoods –

Fruitvale, Grand Lake, Jack London Square, Montclair, Old Oakland,

Piedmont Avenue, Rockridge, Uptown and West Oakland are filled with a

multitude of exciting restaurants. Take advantage of the plethora of options

that have been creating so much buzz.

For more information, see visitoakland.org/foodanddrink, or check out

Twitter @visitoakland and on Facebook at Facebook.com/VisitOakland. �

> Never go hungry with Oakland’sdiverse culinary offerings

�



As the new year approaches and the holidays come to an end, get out of thekitchen and head to Oakland’s delicious restaurants during Oakland RestaurantWeek, coming Jan. 20-29.

Visit Oakland, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, will host the 2nd an-nual event, held in correlation with Visit California’s Restaurant Month. Several ofOakland’s top restaurants will feature special prix fixe, multi-course menus at setprices of $20, $30 and $40. Participating restaurants are located throughoutOakland in popular visitor and residential neighborhoods such as Grand Lake,Jack London Square, Montclair Village, Old Oakland, Rockridge and Uptown.Details can be found at visitoakland.org/restaurantweek.

The ten-day event is an excellent opportunity for visitors to get a taste ofOakland’s diverse restaurants, recognized as being some of the most innovativein the country. It’s also an important time for locals to show support for the com-munity, since January is notoriously a slow time for dining and retail.

Last year, 90 percent of the participating restaurants said that their businessincreased during Restaurant Week. Fifty-four percent of the restaurants saw a10-25 percent increase, while 18 percent said that they saw a 26-50 percentincrease. All of the restaurants who participated said they would definitely beinterested again this year.

The media took notice of Oakland’s first Restaurant Week last year, andOakland’s culinary scene has continued to garner attention from publicationsand blogs such as Travel + Leisure, the New York Times, the Boston Globe,the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Traveler, Chow.com, andInsideScoop SF.

So far, the participants for the 2nd annual Restaurant Week include:

Consider trying a few restaurants or inviting some friends into town for theevent. Make a weekend out of it and stay at one of Oakland’s affordable andconvenient hotels, found at www.visitoakland.org/hotels.

For more information on Restaurant Week, check Visit Oakland’s RestaurantWeek page at visitoakland.org/restaurantweek, as well as the Twitter feed@visitoakland and on Facebook at Facebook.com/VisitOakland.

For additional questions, contact Visit Oakland at (510) 839-9000. �

> Celebrate great food during the2nd annual Oakland Restaurant Week

Office Parties • Corporate Events

In the Heart of City Center

Phone: (510) 451-6400Fax: (510) 451-5480

www.fountaincatering.com

Salad Bar • Hot BarDelicatessen • Catering

Oakland’s City Center has always been a popular lunch spot for the localworkforce with a number of excellent eateries. And since 1995, Fountain Café hasanchored that local food scene, becoming popular not only as a lunch spot, but asa caterer for area businesses. Owned and operated by brothers Elias and SamerSalameh, Fountain Café is a family business with a metropolitan flare, and islocated just steps away from the City Center/12th Street BART station. Thebrothers have joined forces and dedicated their knowledge and culinarybackgrounds to offer lunchtime delicacies.

The atmosphere is busy, energetic and dynamic, filled with hungry patronssatisfying their appetite.

“We have a unique concept,” says Elias Salameh, president and chiefexecutive officer in charge of kitchen operations, catering and menu planning.“Make your own plate the way you like it.”

That’s because Fountain Café offers an exceptional variety of healthy,seasonal choices. Food ranges from the well stocked and colorful salad bar to ahot buffet station with daily gourmet specials that range from panko crusted fishfilet and roasted chicken to potatoes au gratin, pasta de giorno, Yankee pot roast

and southern barbecue pulled pork.Not in the mood for salad or a hot

entrée? “You have to visit our deli for asandwich that you would appreciate,” says Samer, who manages the deli and thefront of the house operation. The deli comes complete with everything fromhouse roasted turkey sandwiches, an American favorite, to European delightssuch as fresh mozzarella and pesto sandwiches on focaccia bread and chickencordon bleu.

With dedication to quality and attention to detail, Fountain Café offers avariety of catering options for any corporate event and office meeting. Morningorders range from coffee and tea service to house baked muffins, scones, danishand fresh fruit platters. The lunch menu includes exceptional cookies andbrownies.

For more information, visit www.fountaincatering.com or call (510)451-6400. �

> Fountain Café a local favoritein City Center

• Amba

• B Restaurant

• Bay Wolf

• Bellanico

• Bocanova

• Brown Sugar Kitchen

• Camino

• ChopBar

• Cosecha

• Disco Volante

• Encuentro

� Elias (left) and Samer Salameh,owners of Fountain Café.

• Paragon Cafe at the

Claremont Hotel Club & Spa

• Picán

• Scott’s Seafood Grill

& Bar

• Seison

• Sidebar

• Spice Monkey

• Tamarindo Antojeria

• The Trappist

• YaYu

• Yoshi’s Jazz Club

• Flora

• The Grand Tavern

• Hudson

• iSquared

• Lake Chalet

• Level Two at the Oakland

Marriott City Center

• Marzano

• Mezze

• Montclair Bistro

• Ozumo

> Picán honoredPican, located at 2295 Broadway inOakland’s Uptown District, is amonga select group of East Bay restaurants toreceive the prestigious and internation-ally acclaimed Michelin Guide “Bib Gour-mand” award. It’s the second such award in as many years for Picán.

The restaurant has also been recognized in Zagat as being among the top“Southern / Creole / Cajun” restaurants, and Diablo magazine gave it a nod under“ones to watch” in its annual food issue.

Picán is owned and operated by Michael LeBlanc, the co-chair of theChamber’s Oakland Restaurant Association. �

> A gift from Kincaid’sNow through Dec. 31, when you purchase $100 worth of gift cards atKincaid’s, located at Jack London Square, you’ll receive a $20 bonus card as agift to you.

Purchased cards can be used at any Restaurants Unlimited location and donot expire.

For more information, call Kincaid’s at (510) 835-8600 or visitwww.kincaids.com. �



DINE AT THESE OUTSTANDINGCHAMBER MEMBERRESTAURANTS

AIRPORT / COLISEUM AREAAmelia’s(within Hilton Oakland Airport)

One Hegenberger RoadOakland, CA 94621(510) 635-5000

Buttercup Grill & Bar1000 Cotton St.Oakland, CA 94606(510) 535-1640

Diamond Sports Bar(within Holiday Inn – Oakland

Airport)

77 Hegenberger RoadOakland, CA 94621(510) 638-7777

Francesco’s Restaurant8520 Pardee DriveOakland, CA 94621(510) 569-0653

Sports Edition Bar(within Hilton Oakland Airport)

One Hegenberger RoadOakland, CA 94621(510) 635-5000

Wing Town Cafe, Inc.1462 High StOakland, CA 94601(510) 842-8315

DOWNTOWNCity Center Grill(within Oakland Marriott City Center)

1001 BroadwayOakland, CA 94607(510) 451-4000

Fountain Café499 14th St., Suite 125Oakland, CA 94612(510) 451-6400

> Guide to Chamber member restaurants and caterersLake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill1520 Lakeside DriveOakland, CA 94612(510) 208-5253

San Francisco Soup Company1300 Clay St.Oakland, CA 94612(510) 763-7687

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery155 Grand Ave.Oakland, CA 94612(415) 362-2052

Tay Ho “West Lake” Restaurant344 B 12th St.Oakland, CA 94607(510) 836-6388

Terrace Room at Lake Merritt1800 Madison St.Oakland, CA 94612(510) 832-2300

Uncle Willie’s BBQ & Fish614 14th St.Oakland, CA 94612(510) 465-9200

JACK LONDON SQUARE & VICINITYButtercup Kitchen – Family Restaurant229 BroadwayOakland, CA 94607(510) 444-2976

Chop Bar247 4th St., #111Oakland, CA 94607(510) 834-2467

Home of Chicken and WafflesRestaurant & Bar444 Embarcadero West.Oakland, CA 94607(510) 836-4446

Il Pescatore57 Jack London SquareOakland, CA 94607(510) 465-2188

It’s A Grind Coffee House555 12th St., Suite 105Oakland, CA 94607(510) 268-9902

Kincaid’s Bayhouse1 Franklin St.Oakland, CA 94607(510) 835-8600

Miss Pearl’s Jam House(within Waterfront Hotel)One BroadwayOakland, CA 94607(510) 444-7171

Numi Tea Garden2230 Livingston St.Oakland, CA 94606(877) 686-4832

Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar2 BroadwayOakland, CA 94607(510) 444-3456

MONTCLAIRMonaghan’s on the Hill2820 Mountain Blvd.Oakland, CA 94602(510) 482-2500

OLD OAKLANDB Restaurant499 9th St.Oakland, CA 94607(510) 251-8770

Levende East / Liege Spirits Lounge827 Washington St.Oakland, CA 94607(510) 835-5585

Pacific Coast Brewing Co.906 Washington St.Oakland, CA 94607(510) 836-2739

ROCKRIDGEÀ Côté5478 College Ave.Oakland, CA 94618(510) 655-6469

UPTOWNOzumo Oakland, LLC2251 BroadwayOakland, CA 94612(510) 286-9866

Picán2295 BroadwayOakland, CA 94612(510) 834-1000

NEARBYCafé Aquarius1298 65th St.Emeryville, CA 94608(510) 655-2782

Meritage(within Claremont Resort & Spa)41 Tunnel RoadBerkeley, CA 94705(510) 843-3000

Panera Bread Bakery Café2249 South Shore Center DriveAlameda, CA 94501(925) 408-7713

Paragon(within Claremont Resort & Spa)

41 Tunnel Road

Berkeley, CA 94705(510) 843-3000

USE THESE CHAMBERMEMBERS FOR YOURCATERING NEEDS

Blue Heron Catering, Inc.3100 35th Ave.Oakland, CA 94619(510) 533-0781

Bon Appetit Catering1547 Lakeside DriveOakland, CA 94612(510) 891-2304

Fountain Cafe499 14th St., Suite 125Oakland, CA 94612(510) 451-6400

Miraglia Catering & EventPlanning2096 Burroughs Ave.San Leandro, CA 94577(510) 483-5210

Red Door Chefs and Producers248 Third St., #843Oakland, CA 94607(510) 459-6212�



As the year draws to a close, ourthoughts often turn to the comfortsof home, family and food.

At the Alameda County Community FoodBank, more than 65 staff and thousands ofvolunteers are working hard to ensure that noone goes hungry in our neighborhoods – butthey need your help to do it.

Last November, the Food Bank referred3,466 households to emergency food in theirneighborhoods – then the highest ever – butthis wasn’t unexpected, as the holidays are atough time for families in need. But by April,that record was broken – then subsequentlyagain in July and August.

Although the holidays have historically beenthe Food Bank’s busiest time, this SeptemberFood Bank staff and volunteers helped arecord-shattering 3,770 families find a foodpantry or soup kitchen to get them throughthe month – or even just through the evening.

“Families are now lining up for food up tothree hours before their neighborhood pantry opens. Hundreds offamilies calling to our helpline each month are reaching out to us for thefirst time,” said the Food Bank’s executive director, Suzan Bateson. “We’rehearing from many families where both parents are working fulltime, butit’s not enough to cover rent, utilities and food – and the food budget isthe first place they can cut. We’re hearing from people who’ve moved inwith relatives and friends to share expenses, but even that’s no longerenough to make ends meet.”

> Food Bank needshelp to keep pace with growing needs

Meanwhile, despite strongpartnerships with communitygroups, local media and businesseslarge and small, collections fromfood-drive barrels throughout thecounty are about the same as theywere last year. “We’re working hardto keep up,” said Bateson. “Wesimply need more support fromour community to keep pace withthe need.”

This year, the Food Bankopened a one-acre addition toits warehouse to accommodate

more volunteers who are responsible for sorting and packaging the 22 millionof pounds of food the Food Bank will distribute this year. More than half thatamount is farm-fresh produce.

Bateson said that with volunteer shifts already filled through the endof the year, the best way for people to make an impact is through financialcontributions. “For every $1 donated, we distribute $5 worth of food,”Bateson said. “That’s a fantastic return on your investment, and one of themost efficient ways to get healthy, high-quality food to those who need itmost.” She added, “Hunger doesn’t end after the holidays. We’re in needof support – food donations, financial contributions and volunteers –year-round.”

The Alameda County Community Food Bank relies almost entirely oncontributions from the local community. “If you’re reading this, we needyour support” said Bateson.

To donate, start a food drive, or find out more about how to help theFood Bank, visit www.accfb.org or call (510) 635-3663. Check donations canbe mailed to P.O. Box 2599, Oakland, CA 94614. �

� (bottom left) Food BankExecutive Director Suzan Bateson(center) thanks Oakland Raiders(left to right) Manase Tonga,Terrelle Pryor, Rock Cartwright andMarcel Reece (with his wife Tera)after the players helped sort andpackage food for families in needthis holiday season.

(left) Two young Food Banksupporters got the chance to meetOakland A’s stars Tyson Ross (left)and Jemile Weeks after theplayers donated food during arecent drive at the Food Bank.

Ingredients6 oz. butter1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into small pieces2 c. diced onion1 cup peeled and diced carrot1 cut diced celery6 large Portobello mushroom caps, grilled and diced4 c. chicken stock4 c. fresh country bread cubes, crust removed and lightly toasted1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme1 tbsp. chopped fresh sageSalt and pepper to taste2 tbsp. butter

Directions• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.• Butter an 8” x 12” baking dish.• In a large sauce pot over medium high heat, melt the butter and cook the

sausage, onions, carrots and celery in the butter until the sausage is browed andthe vegetables are tender.

• Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes• Add the stock, turn up heat to high and bring to a boil. Shut off.• Transfer vegetables and sausage mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Fold in

bread cubes and herbs. Season to taste.• Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. �

Recipe courtesy of Rosenblum Cellars.

> Recipe for the holidays –Grilled mushroom and sausage stuffing

�


Public PolicyCreating a strong economy

Helping California cities find solutions to common challenges. That couldbe the mission statement for the League of California Cities, a grouprepresenting nearly 460 of the 480 cities in the state. Eric Figueroa from theLeague joined Chamber members for our December Inside Oakland breakfast.

Figueroa told us the League promotes more local control in California policymaking. That is true across a range oftopics from pension reform to taxationand redevelopment. Of course ques-tions of local control always includequestions not just of how a programshould be run, but also where themoney to operate the program comesfrom.

An example of the local controland funding is the battle overRedevelopment Agencies. The statevoted earlier this year to abolishRedevelopment but allow a

Redevelopment Agency to continue if it shared some tax revenue it receives withthe state. The League has sued the state of California to save the RedevelopmentAgencies. The California Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on that lawsuitin January.

Figueroa said that the two key questions to be decided are (1) is it legal toabolish redevelopment and (2) is it legal to have a payment structure to keep aRedevelopment Agency in operation? We should know the answer to thosequestions next month.

The Chamber’s next Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum will be held on Friday,Jan. 27 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Our guest speaker is yet to be determined. �

Paul Junge is the Chamber’s director of public policy.

by Paul Junge

> City Hall highlights – 2011

> Chamber guest asks, ‘Is it legalto abolish a Redevelopment Agency?’

� Paul Junge, the Chamber’s directorof public policy (right), welcomes guestspeaker Eric Figueroa to Inside Oakland.

2011 has been an eventful year in Oakland city politics. It began with a newMayor but many of the old challenges.

The Mayor and a divided City Council did find a way to close a $58 and $76 milliongeneral fund budget shortfall for the next two fiscal years as required by the Charter.The agreement involved some service cuts and concessions from all of the laborgroups. The Redevelopment Agency, which funds many city services, faced elimina-tion and its fate, as well as redevelopment programs throughout the state, will bedetermined by the California Supreme Court next month.

The city’s only elected City Attorney, John Russo, left for Alameda and his topdeputy, Barbara Parker, was selected by the Council to complete the final 18 monthsof that term. The election for that job as well as for five of the eight City Council seatswill dominate Oakland city politics in the year ahead.

The city came together in July to urge the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to bringits second campus to Oakland – a decision the lab has delayed but hopes to announcesome time soon. Whatever the outcome, this effort was a model for disparate parts ofour community to come together and promote opportunities for economic growth inOakland.

The national, and state, economy continues to present challenges, and Oaklandhas felt the hard edge of foreclosures and joblessness. Those hardships and otherswere among the issues that fueled the Occupy Wall Street movement that spreadacross the country, including Oakland. Our city worked to find the balance betweenfree speech and public safety. It appears for now that the harmful effects of theovernight camping at Frank Ogawa Plaza are over and we can work towards buildinga strong and sustainable future for the city.

Public safety continues to be a challenge. Public discussions about gang injunc-tions, curfews and other law enforcement tools dominate the headlines, but thereis progress in other areas. Our new Police Chief Howard Jordan, who led the effectiveremoval of the overnight encampments, is working with federal monitors to resolveremaining issues in the Riders case, where a federal judge will make a decision aboutthe future of OPD in January.

Opportunities abound as well. The improvements in and around Lake Merritt arenear completion and the arts and restaurant scene in Oakland continues to grow andflourish.

A new City Administrator, Deanna Santana, and her two top assistants, ScottJohnson and Fred Blackwell, are working with the City Council, the Chamber and

by Paul Junge

JOINChamber members for this informative breakfast at theOakland Chamber of Commerce, 475 14th Street.

This event is free to Chamber members and $10.00 for non-members. To attend, you must RSVP by Wednesday, January 25.VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER ONLINEwww.oaklandchamber.com. Have questions? Contact Paul Junge at (510) 874-4817 or at

[email protected].

Come to “Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum” and hear frompeople who affect the policies andprogress of the city in which welive and do business.

Come to “Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum” and hearfrom people who affect the policies and progress of thecity in which we live and do business.

January 27 | 8:30 – 10 a.m.



SPECIAL SECTION Education

Medicine program at CSPM, agreesthe need for additional research is asreal today as it was in back in 1977.

“I am inspired by the dedicationof one of the research rooms in thefuture MARC, to a man who had suchan impact biomechanics,” said Dr.Choate. “Just as the pioneers of Root,Weed and Orien developedfundamental concepts in lowerextremity biomechanics, this roomand the MARC at SMU will act as avehicle for the development of LowerExtremity Biomechanics at CSPM andSMU. As an alumnus, I am proud of theefforts over many decades, by manyindividuals to keep Biomechanics partof the core curriculum at CSPM and inthe field of PodiatricMedicine/Surgery.”

The new state-of-the-art MARC atSamuel Merritt University will beutilized by faculty and students insupport of education, research andpatient care. In the arenas ofeducation and patient care, the MARCwill expand learning and the clinicalapplication of knowledge in bothnormal and pathological studies ofbiomechanics, upper and lower bodymotion analysis, gait and the effect oftreatment modalities. The MARC willalso greatly expand opportunities forcurrent clinical trials program intoareas of corporate product research,product comparison studies and newproduct trials.

“Controversy surrounds many ofthe theories and treatment modalitiesemployed by modern daypractitioners,” explains Jeffrey Root,president, Root Laboratory, Inc.“Sound research is required to pavethe path for future practitioners sothat they will have an even betterbasis on which to make theirtreatment decisions.”

The Root Lab gift will matchdonations made to the university byDec. 31, 2012 on a one-to-one basis.For every $100 the university raises,Root Lab will contribute $100 (up to amaximum of $12,500) towardsnaming a research room in Dr. Root’sname.

Samuel Merritt University isgrateful to all who have donated tothe MARC and especially to Root Labfor their support that has enabled theinstitution to advance its facilities forcurrent and future students.

Samuel Merritt University, locatedin Oakland, has been educatinghealth science practitioners who arecommitted to making a positivedifference in diverse communitiessince 1909. Nearly 1,400 students areenrolled at SMU, with campuses inOakland, Sacramento, San Franciscoand San Mateo. The university offersan undergraduate degree in nursing;master’s degrees in nursing,occupational therapy, and physicianassistant; and doctoral degrees innursing, physical therapy andpodiatric medicine.

For more information, visitwww.samuelmerritt.edu. �

Elizabeth Valente is the associatedirector of publications andmedia relations at SamuelMerritt University.

by Elizabeth Valente

Samuel Merritt University (SMU), a health sciences institution based in Oakland,has received a matching grant from Root Laboratory, Inc., a Northern California companyknown in the podiatric medicine profession for its development and manufacture ofprescription foot “orthoses.”

The matching grant from Root Lab has made possible the renovation and technologicalupgrade of the Motion Analysis and Research Center (MARC) lab at the university’s Oaklandcampus. A research room inside the lab, located in the atrium of the Health EducationCenter, will be named after Merton L. Root, DPM.

Dr. Root is known as a biomechanical pioneer and graduated from the California Collegeof Podiatric Medicine (CCPM), now known as the California School of Podiatric Medicine(CSPM), a school within Samuel Merritt University, in 1952. He served as chair ofbiomechanics at CCPM from 1961 until 1968 when he returned to teaching part-time.

In the podiatric medical community Dr. Root is considered one of the most influentialeducators in the profession. He posed theories that laid the groundwork for the modernorthotic industry, which have helped to advance sports medicine and podiatry in general.

In 1977 Dr. Root wrote, “The practitioner must have the best possible basis upon which tomake treatment decisions. He cannot wait until sufficient research has been conducted toconclusively prove how the foot functions.” (ref. Normal and Abnormal Function of the Foot).

While there has been significant advancement in the understanding of the function ofthe foot and lower extremity since Dr. Root wrote those words, Cheri Choate, DPM andassistant professor in the Department of Applied Biomechanics in the Doctor of Podiatric

> Samuel Merritt names researchroom after biomechanical pioneer

“The practitionermust have thebest possible basisupon which tomake treatmentdecisions. Hecannot wait untilsufficient researchhas beenconducted toconclusively provehow the footfunctions.”

– Merton L. Root,DPM



by Nicole Taylor

Editor’s note: Nicole Taylor will be the guest speaker at the first East BayWomen in Business Roundtable luncheon of 2012, which will be held at theWaterfront Hotel in Jack London Square on Friday, Feb. 3.

The success of anybusiness lies with the skillsof its workforce.

I have listened to busi-ness leaders over the years,and I know the importanceof recruiting and retaininga staff of high performers.

With this need in mind– and with an awareness ofhow the availability of aprepared workforce con-tributes to the regionaleconomy – we decidedto ensure young childrenacquire the fundamentalsof learning so they aresuccessful in the educationsystem and so they emergefrom the educationpipeline ready to get agood job.

We aim to build askilled workforce in theEast Bay by buildingsuccessful students.

Research indicates that those who succeed in the education system haveacquired third-grade literacy and computational skills on time. That means theprocess of creating successful students must start early by:

• Improving child care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers;• Supporting parents as children’s most important teachers and advocates;• Helping children make a transition to kindergarten and become proficient,

lifelong readers; and• Enabling children to build a foundation of competence in math and science.In the past three years, we’ve supported a network of nonprofit organizations

throughout the East Bay that gets results by focusing on this work. Here in Oakland,we’re committed to strengthening a number of these organizations because of theirextraordinary results, because their programs are based on research and modeling,because their management and governance are strong, because they measure andassess their impact, and because the quality of their leadership is evident.

Who are they?• Bring Me A Book – Ensures access to children’s books and inspires reading

aloud to children by providing libraries of books and workshops in underservedcommunities.

• Brighter Beginnings – Provides home-based support and center-basedservices promoting healthy births and the healthy development of babies andyoung children.

• Kidango – Provides quality care and education to more than 2,500 youngchildren daily to promote their cognitive, language, physical, and social-emotionaldevelopment and prepare them for success in school.

• Lawrence Hall of Science – A resource for science and mathematicseducation, including pre-school and early-childhood educators serving childrenfrom low-income East Bay families.

• Oakland Literacy Coalition – A collaboration of literacy-service providers,schools, businesses and funders to ensure Oakland students are reading at aproficient level by the end of third grade.

• Reading Partners – Transforms struggling young readers into confidentreaders excited about learning through one-on-one instruction by trainedvolunteers.

• Super Stars Literacy – Works with children in grades K-2 with delays inreading-skills development.

You can help build the workforce you need by supporting our work – our workwith these specific organizations, our other work to create successful studentsprepared to become one of your valued employees, or our work to assist those withbarriers to employment develop job skills.

Here are four ways you can help build the workforce you want and need: • Contribute to our Community Leadership Fund that supports our work with

the organizations described above.• Contribute to our Oakland Education Fund, which assists the Oakland Unified

School District create an excellent education environment.• Contribute to our Workforce Development Fund, which helps create a job-

ready workforce.• Open your own charitable fund with us and we can help you direct your

philanthropy and charitable giving. Join our efforts to build a great workforce. �

Nicole Taylor is president and chief executive officer of the East BayCommunity Foundation.

> Building a great workforce inthe East Bay – It begins early

� Nicole Taylor (left) of the East Bay CommunityFoundation and Brian Rogers (right) of the RogersFamily Foundation welcomed Oakland UnifiedSchool District Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith tothe Chamber’s recent Power Breakfast. TheRogers Family Foundation was honored with aChamber of Commerce “Education First” Awardat its 2011 Annual Meeting.

> Youth UpRising – Servingthe Castlemont community

Youth UpRising (YU), located at 88thStreet and MacArthur Boulevard in East Oak-land, grew out of a plea by local youth to pub-lic leaders after racial tension erupted intocommunity violence. Youth identified pooreducation, limited employmentopportunities, lack of recreational outlets,and threat to personal safety as root causes ofthe problems they faced.

In response, Youth UpRising was createdwith a mission to transform East Oakland intoa healthy and economically vibrant commu-nity by (1) developing the leadership of youthwho are inter-generationally disconnected;(2) helping public and private systems im-prove community and life outcomes; and (3)advancing a community economic development agenda that increases the flowof capital into the community and labor force attachment of residents.

YU offers a comprehensive range of integrated services and supports foryouth ages 13-24. Its programs fall in four primary areas – Health and Wellness,Career and Education, Arts and Expression, and Civic Engagement. YU realizedearly on that youth lacked the skills and training necessary to compete in thelabor market. In response, the organization created a social enterprise hub withfour youth-led businesses that provide industry-specific job training in high-growth sectors that facilitate youth’s transition into the workforce.

While building its institutional capacity to serve youth, Youth UpRising madea commitment, through its systems change and community development efforts,to reform the service delivery and resource allocation of public systems and theconditions of the environments that impact their lives.

YU builds on these concepts by applying them to the Castlemont communitywhere the demand for all of the essential elements of community life – education,recreation, employment, health, safety – exceeds the supply.

In this spirit, YU has developed relationships with an impressive network ofyouth and community residents, local businesses, public systems, and local uni-versities in helping advance a continuum of place-based solutions to ensure indi-vidual and collective growth and financial security through quality education,housing, community assets, business ownership and career opportunities in theCastlemont community.

Youth UpRising believes by investing in people, improving the systems thatserve people, and bringing resources to the place, community transformation ispossible. �

� The Chamber ofCommerce recently held anAfter Hours Reception atYouth UpRising in EastOakland. Pictured at theevent, where ChamberPresident Joe Haraburdapresented an Oakland coffeetable book, were (left toright) Nancy Rodriguez,Youth UpRising’s cateringmanager; Manuel Garvin, theorganization’s socialenterprise account manager;and Clive Harrison, seniordirector, social enterprises.



Wells Fargo recently madethis holiday season brighterfor 17 different East Bayschool foundations at anevent held at the AlamedaCounty Office of Education.Micky Randhawa, presidentof Wells Fargo’s East Baymarket, presented $245,000in grants to 17 schoolfoundation representatives.

“By providing funding toschool foundations, parentsand foundation leaders canaddress schools’ most press-ing needs,” said Randhawa.“What is most important isthat the funds go where itmatters the most – rightinto the classrooms with thestudents.”

Randhawa says thecompany has a long-standing commitment to local education. In November2011, Wells Fargo announced $1 million in new grants to benefit educationthroughout the Bay Area. Including the $1 million, Wells Fargo has donatedmore than $13.3 million to schools and nonprofit organizations for educationalpurposes in the Bay Area since 2009.

The grants presented at the event are designated to benefit select schooldistricts with significant enrollment from students coming from low-to-moderate income families.

Dan Quigley, executive director of the Oakland Schools Foundation, wasexcited to accept a check for $50,000. He said the funds donated last yearhelped to hire staff that provide direct services to students.

This year’s grant will help expand collaboration with the Oakland UnifiedSchool District to provide full-service community schools. “It means makingschools a hub for services needed for kids to succeed – health, nutrition and

> Wells Fargo presents $245,000in education grants to East Bayschool foundations

� Dan Quigley (left), executive director of theOakland Schools Foundation, thanks MickyRandhawa, president of Wells Fargo’s East Baymarket, for a $50,000 grant that will benefitOakland students.

> Habitat for Humanity announces Wells Fargo grant

This is the single largest corporate gift inHabitat’s combined 24 years of service in the BayArea.

The grant is made possible through fundingprovided by the Wells Fargo Housing Foundationas well as team member volunteerism. WellsFargo is participating in several such effortsacross the country this year. Its HousingFoundation supports local neighborhoodrevitalization initiatives, enabling Habitat forHumanity Greater San Francisco and Habitat forHumanity East Bay to construct, repair andrehabilitate affordable housing with low-incomefamilies in markets hit hard by foreclosures.

“Wells Fargo has supported Habitat’saffordable housing work for nearly 20 years,which is one example of our focus on doingwhat’s right for our communities,” said TracyCurtis, president of Wells Fargo’s San Francisco

Market. “Together we have made a difference with low-income families whonow have homes in which they can take great pride – a mission that WellsFargo has always deemed critically important.”

“Wells Fargo is proud to demonstrate our commitment to help familiesachieve and sustain the dream of homeownership by providing funds andvolunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity,” said Micky Randhawa, president ofWells Fargo’s East Bay Market. “We are glad to have the opportunity tocontinue to strengthen our local communities where our customers and teammembers work, live and raise their families.”

Donation to ‘Friends of Oakley’Wells Fargo has announced a $4,000 donation to the Friends of Oakley, anonprofit association which was recently burglarized of $4,000 worth of toysand food intended for 300 families, including 840 children, in Eastern ContraCosta County.

“When I learned about the burglary of toys and food, I was touched,” saidBob Ceglio, president of Wells Fargo’s Mount Diablo market. “I understandthat many people were involved in collecting items, donating items, and evenmaking homemade blankets. I am glad that we are able to help Friends ofOakley share some holiday warmth to families in need.”

For more information, visit www.friendsofoakley.webs.com. �

Habitat for HumanityGreater San Franciscoand Habitat for Hu-manity East Bay re-

cently announced thatWells Fargo & Com-

pany has made a grantin the amount of

$975,000 and morethan 1,450 of volun-teer hours to supportlocal families, stabi-lize Bay Area neigh-borhoods and createmore sustainable andaffordable housing inlocal communities.

after-school programs,” Quigley said.Genevieve Getman-Sowa, board member of the Livermore Valley Education

Foundation, was also ecstatic about the grant. “The grant money Wells Fargodonated to us last year went a long way to help us fund a music program forfifth graders in our schools,” said Getman-Sowa. She said she already had plansfor this year’s allocation to help fund its Reach for the Stars fundraising event.Money raised will be used to fund the three “A’s” – academics, arts and athletics.

Wells Fargo is a top corporate philanthropist in the country and locally. For2010, the company was ranked as the number three largest cash donor in thecountry, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Last year the companydonated more than $20.7 million to nonprofits and schools in the Bay Area. �

> Earn a medical degree at Everest College

A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held at Everest College inHayward when it joined the Chamber of Commerce as a new member.

Everest College has many campuses across the country, and each schooloffers students an opportunity to earn their degree in a variety of popular fields.In Hayward, at the 22336 Main Street campus, the curriculum has a theme ofmedicine – where students can receive degrees in medical administrativeassistant, medical assistant, medical insurance billing and coding, and massagetherapy.

Hands-on training is also an important component of an Everest Collegeeducation.

At the ribbon cutting above, Darryl Richardson, director of career services(holding the scissors), welcomes instructors as well as Chamber Ambassadors.

For more information, call (510) 582-9500. �



The College and Career Readiness office has announced that it ispartnering with Bloom Associates, MDRC and the Career Academies Project tobring ECCO! (Exploring College and Career Options) to Oakland.

This project seeks to strengthen the capacity of career academies and pathwaysto offer quality work-based learning and college preparation experiences to helpmore students become engaged in high school, make informed choices about theirfutures, and learn the skills they need to succeed in career and post-secondaryeducation.

During its first year in the district, ECCO! will serve five career pathways in theOakland Unified School District (OUSD) and will expand to even more in thefollowing years.

Students will:• Learn about college and career options.• Make connections between what they learn in the classroom and college and

careers.• Understand and practice “21st Century Skills.”• Stay in high school and graduate with clear plans to pursue college or career.Using the quality curriculum from the Career Academies Project paired with

generous partners across the Bay Area, students will participate in the followingECCO! components:

• Career exploration visit. Students will tour a workplace and interact withemployees in small groups. During the visits students will expand their awareness ofcareers and work environments, and make connections between what is learned atschool and what is expected in the workplace.

• College readiness. The goal is to inform all students about post-secondaryeducation options and prepare them with the skills and knowledge they need toenroll in and succeed in college.

• Internships. ECCO! students will participate in a high quality internship eitherduring the summer between junior and senior year or during their senior year. Stu-dents will participate in weekly classroom seminars.

Business community members interested in partnering with the ECCO! shouldcontact the College and Career Readiness Office at (510) 273-2360. �

> ECCO! comes to Oakland > Bread Project provides bakedgoods for students

“As a nonprofit ourselves,” notes Lee, “we arepleased to be able to provide fresh, nutritious anddelicious products and meals to school programsand other organizations at an affordable price. Inaddition, these contracts provide our trainees withactual on-the-job training.”

According to Jesper Jensen, director of bakeryoperations, “Our goal is to not only simulate theactual environment of the workplace, but morespecifically, be a workplace where our trainees canreceive the satisfaction of actually preparing foodsthat others will eat.”

Programs that receive Bread Project baked goods include the school mealprograms at both school districts, which receive such items as vegan applesaucemuffins, fresh-baked banana bread and cookies. Bread Project is also the primaryprovider of bread products to Project Open Hand’s grocery centers in Oaklandand San Francisco.

“When the Bread Project first contacted me, I couldn’t believe my good luck,”says Dan Schuman, director of operations at Project Open Hand. “A nonprofitthat makes delicious, healthy bread and provides vital job-training to people inneed? Where do I sign up? The relationship between our two organizations isthe very definition of a win-win: our clients get wholesome, tasty bread at aprice that I can live with and our purchases support another mission-basedorganization.”

Founded in 2000, the Bread Project empowers individuals with limitedresources on their path to self-sufficiency through skills instruction, on-the-jobtraining in its bakery and kitchen, and assistance with establishing a career in thefood industry.

For more information, visit www.breadproject.org. �

The Oakland Unified School District(OUSD) recently extended its leadershipposition in providing on-site health careservices to students when it celebrated thegrand opening of a school-based healthcenter at the Havenscourt Campus, hometo Coliseum College Preparatory Academy(CCPA) and Roots International.

Operated by La Clínica de La Raza, Inc.,the School-Based Health Center (SBHC) willprovide medical care, mental health, dentalhealth, nutrition services and health education.Since 1971, La Clínica has been dedicated toimproving the quality of life in the diversecommunities it serves.

The Havenscourt center will offer youthdevelopment opportunities for students tobecome peer educators and youth leaders oncampus. More than 200 youth will be servedduring the first year of operation, a critical signof progress in a neighborhood beset by crimeand some of the most negative healthindicators in the city. �

> A tremendous resource

The Bread Project hasannounced bakery

contracts and cateringagreements with the

Oakland and Berkeleyunified school

districts and a numberof other nonprofits,

according to executivedirector John Lee.

In honor of Franz Liszt’s 200th birthday,Holy Names University will hold a HungarianMusic Festival on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 1 to 9p.m. Attend an afternoon concert from 1 to 6p.m., an evening concert from 7:30 to 9 p.m., abanquet of Hungarian good, or indulge in all ofthe events for a full day of festive activities.

The concerts include performances byfaculty, students and graduates of Holy Names’Music Department and Preparatory MusicDepartment.

The festivities will be held at the school’sValley Center for the Performing Arts oncampus at 3500 Mountain Blvd. in Oakland.For information, call (510) 436-1404 or visitwww.hnu.edu. �

> Holy Namesto host Hungarianfestival


> Work for hire: Who really owns‘your’ copyright?

> How’s this for relaxation?

A four-hour message? Can you imagine? Yes, it’s true, and it’s avail-able at Melt Massage, which recently celebrated its grand opening for a newlocation in the Montclair District of Oakland.

Melt Massage, which has been in Montclair for ten years, recently openedat 6180 Antioch St., and now offers massages that run from 15 minutes to fourhours in length. “We address your stress while you have a relaxing, therapeuticmessage that’s customized to meet your own unique needs,” says owner HanaLevin (pictured at the ribbon- cutting holding the scissors).

For more information or an appointment, call (510) 418-4262 or visitwww.meltmassage.net. �

> “Merely calling something a‘work for hire’ in an agreement

does not make it so.”

by Eugene Pak

One misconception business owners have isthat anything created by an independent or “free-lance” contractor for their business is a “work for hire”under copyright law. But the law is not so clear-cut.For example, if you retain a software programmer towrite specialized accounting computer software foryour business, an artist to create a logo for yourbusiness, or an advertising consultant to createmarketing text or slogans, you do not necessarilyhave ownership rights in the software, logo, ormarketing materials merely because you hired thecontractor or consultant.

As to works created by independent contractors,such as consultants or freelance artists, the “work for hire” doctrine only appliesto certain types of works under federal law, and these works do not necessarilyinclude software or logos. As to independent contractors, a “work for hire” isdefined in the Copyright Act (15 U.S.C. § 101) as “a work specially ordered orcommissioned for use as a contribution to a collective work, as a part of amotion picture or other audiovisual work, as a translation, as a supplementarywork, as a compilation, as an instructional text, as a test, as answer material fora test, or as an atlas.”

These are the only types of works created by independent contractors thatcan constitute “works for hire.” Merely calling something a “work for hire” in anagreement does not make it so, unless it falls within these specified categoriesof works. In addition, to constitute a “work for hire,” the parties must have anexpress written agreement to this effect, signed by both parties. While somesoftware programs may be considered an “audiovisual work,” other softwareprograms would not. And whether a graphic logo is covered or not coulddepend on how it is used.

Consequently, business owners who hire independent contractors shouldmake sure they have written agreements specifying that the works created are“works for hire” (assuming they fall within the specified categories listed above)and also require contractors to assign ownership of any works to the employer.1

Notably, an assignment of copyright ownership must be in writing; an oralagreement is not sufficient to transfer copyright ownership. (15 U.S.C. § 204).

As more and more businesses retain independent contractors andconsultants, rather than hiring fulltime and part-time employees, they shouldpay special attention to this issue. The consequences of failing to take thesesteps can be very problematic, particularly if there is a dispute over payment orwork quality with the contractor or consultant. That said, a business may stillbe able to use a work created by a contractor, even if the business does notown the copyright in the work, under the theory that there is an implied licensegranted from the contractor to the business.

In contrast to works created by independent contractors, if an employeecreates a work within the scope of his or her employment, then the work isconsidered to be a “work for hire” and is owned by the employer, by operationof law. Still, the more cautious business owners will have employees sign em-ployment agreements that transfer ownership of works, ideas, inventions, andother items conceived in connection with their employment with the employer.

Copyright law only protects the expression of an idea or concept, in atangible form, and does not protect the idea itself. Because many employeesoften work from home or off-site, and at odd hours, it can be unclear if aconcept or idea conceived by an employee was in the course of his or heremployment.

The toymaker Mattel, Inc., maker of the Barbie dolls, faced this situationrecently in a highly publicized case involving the competing Bratz dolls madeby MGA Entertainment. A former employee of Mattel had conceived the ideaof the Bratz dolls while still employed by Mattel, and claimed to have conceivedthis idea outside of work hours. When that employee move to MGA and theBratz dolls became a hit, Mattel sued for infringement, among other claims.Although the employee had signed an employment agreement with Mattelin 1999 in which he agreed to assign all “inventions” he conceived during hisemployment to Mattel, and “inventions” included “discoveries, improvements,processes, developments, designs, know how, and data computer programs,”an appellate court found that he had not agreed to assign “ideas” to Mattel,even if work-related, and denied Mattel’s claim of ownership.

So, business owners should take care to ensure they have written agree-ments in place giving them ownership and/or rights in the works created byindependent contractors, and the relevant ideas conceived by their employees.�1 Note that under California state law, this may require the employer to have to pay

workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits as to the contractor. See California

Unemployment Insurance Code §§ 686 and 621(d); California Labor Code §3351.5(c). A

business owner should weigh these considerations in deciding how to obtain ownership.

Eugene Pak is a partner at Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP, where his practiceincludes counseling and litigation related to clients’ intellectual property. He canbe reached at (510) 834-6600 or at [email protected].

Eugene Pak


> Women defining the East Bay’s future

The East Bay Women in Business Roundtableis proud to present their 2012 speaker series“Women Defining the East Bay’s Future.” Some ofthe Bay Area’s most influential women are slatedto speak.

You’ll want to hear about the new trendsthey’re defining – in business and problem-solving. The speaker series starts Feb. 3, 2012.

Mark your calendars now. You won’t want tomiss any of these inspiring and forward-thinkingspeakers.

February 3: Nicole Taylor,president and chiefexecutive officer of theEast Bay CommunityFoundation, providing grantmaking, change-making initiatives, and advocacy on importantmatters of public policy. The San FranciscoBusiness Times recognizes her as among the BayArea’s Most Influential Women. “Emerging Economic Trends for Women”

April 6: Teresa (Terri) Swartz,Dean of theCollege of Business and Economics and Professorof Marketing at California State University, EastBay. The San Francisco Business Times once againrecognized her as among the Bay Area’s MostInfluential Women. ”Transforming Yourself Through Education”

June 1: Jenny Kassan, an a^orney specializing insocially responsible ventures, she is the managingdirector of Katovich & Kassan Law Group. Shealso co-founded, with John Katovich and MichaelShuman, a consulting business called Cu^ing EdgeCapital that focuses on capital raising, communitydevelopment, and sustainability.“Finding Non-traditional Sources of Capital”

August 3: Special Healthcare speaker TBA“Healthy Lifestyle / Healthy Business”

October 5: Jessica Steel, Singer-Songwriter, Executive Vice President ofBusiness and Corporate Development at Pandora, she was part of themanagement team that redefined radio. The internet radio service,recommendation service, and the custodian of the Music Genome Project.The San Francisco Business Times recognizes her as among the Bay Area’sMost Influential Women. “The New Era of Business: Technology Trends”

Let the East Bay Women in Business Roundtable inspire you and become aresource for your business, knowledge and interpersonal change. We inviteyou to connect with us for this series of moving discourse created by agroup of women just like you – leaders.

Women in BusinessEAST BAY

Nicole Taylor

Jessica Steel

Jenny Kassan

Teresa Swartz

Dr. Smith relayed some rather frightening statistics – that California is nowthe 48th state in the country in educational funding, which he called “crimi-nal.” And, he added, “If our children are not well prepared, shame on us.”

He called education “a life and death situation for our kids,” and askedbusinesspeople and their companies to partner with the school district to “in-vest more deeply in each kid” and show the courage and strength to serve thechildren.

Oakland students, he said, are only as good as their teachers. In order toa^ract the finest teachers, he urged businesspeople to partner in organizingsupport by calling the East Bay Community Foundation, and remindingeveryone that it’s imperative for “Oakland to advocate for Oakland publicschools.”

Should you wish to help Oakland students and show your support, contactthe East Bay Community Foundation at (510) 836-3223. Please note that NicoleTaylor, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, will be thefeatured speaker of the East Bay Women in Business Roundtable luncheon onFriday, Feb. 3 at the Waterfront Hotel in Jack London Square. �

> Oakland schools – continued from page 1

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OBR OAKLAND BUSINESS REVIEW (ISSN 1092-7220)is published monthly at $100.00 a year by the OaklandMetropolitan Chamber of Commerce, 475 14th Street,Oakland, CA 94612-1903. Membership dues includesubscription. Periodicals postage at Oakland, CA.Contents can’t be reproduced without permission.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OAKLANDBUSINESS REVIEW, 475 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

Editor

HHAANNKK MMAASSLLEERR,, ((551100)) 887744--44880088

[email protected] | www.oaklandchamber.com

Design/Production Editor

CCAARRTTEERR DDEESSIIGGNNSS

The articles published in this publication do not necessarily

reflect the policies or opinions of the Oakland Metropolitan

Chamber of Commerce.

EEXXEECCUUTTIIVVEE CCOOMMMMIITTTTEEEEChair of the BoardJOHN NELSONmurakami/Nelson

Vice Chair MARIO CHIODOChiodo ArtDevelopment

Vice Chair SHANNON PEDDERBRAND: CREATIVE

DAN COHENFull Court Press

CHARRISA FRANKSwinerton Builders

ERIC KISSHAUERPankow Builders

DICK SPEESHonorary Member

ZACK WASSERMANEx Officio CorporateCounselWendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP

KEN WHITEFidelity Roof Company

MICHAEL ZIEMANNSummit Bank

BBOOAARRDD OOFF DD IIRREECCTTOORRSS

MANETTE BELLIVEAUVisit Oakland

ALICIA BERTPG&E

TERRY BRADYSecuritas SecurityServices

DAVE CANNONBarney & Barney LLC

ANA CHRETIENABC Security Service

KIM DELEVETTSouthwest Airlines

JOHN DOLBYGrubb & Ellis

CHRIS DONOHOECIM Group

SOLOMONETS-HOKINColliers International

MARK EVERTONWaterfront Hotel /Miss Pearl’s JamHouse

ALLYSON FATTORESunwest Bank

JOHN GOODINGThe Quadric Group

GEORGE GRANGERAT&T

STAN HEBERTCalifornia State University, East Bay

MICHAEL HESTERMcGuire & Hester

VICTORIA JONESThe Clorox Company

ISAAC KOS-REEDPort of Oakland

MICHAEL LEBLANCPicán

KEN MAXEYComcast

IKE MMEJEAlta Bates SummitMedical Center

NATHAN NAYMANVisa

NATHANIELOUBRE, JR.Kaiser Permanente

MICKY RANDHAWAWells Fargo

EMILY SHANKSBank of America

DAVID TUCKERWaste Managementof Alameda County

ELÑORA TENA WEBB,PH.D.Laney College

RICHARD WHITEFitzgerald Abbott &Beardsley LLC

JOSEPH HARABURDAPresident and CEO

Keeping you connected and informed

> december

13 | Annual Holiday Mixer| 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.Claremont Resort & Spa, 41 Tunnel Road,no charge for Chamber members, $15 fornon-members

14 | Ambassador Committeemeeting | noon - 1 p.m.

14 | Economic DevelopmentForum | 3 - 4:30 p.m.featuring guest speaker Dan Richard,director, California High Speed Rail Board,discussing “The Practical Realities ofBringing High Speed Rail to California

> JANUARY


11 | Economic DevelopmentForum | 3 - 4:30 p.m.Grace Crunican, general manager of BART,discussing “BART’s 2012 Plan”

11 | Nonprofit RoundtableCommittee meeting | 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Jan.26 After Five Reception

19 | Breakfast at the Chamber | 7:30 - 9 a.m.hosted by Chadwick Spell of Comcast,an update of Chamber activities forprospective, new and long-time members

26 | After Five Reception | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.offices of CB Richard Ellis, 500 12th St.,Suite 105 in City Center, no charge forChamber members, $15 for non-members

27 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum | 8:30 - 10 a.m.no charge for Chamber members, $10 fornon-members

> february

3 | East Bay Women in BusinessRoundtable luncheon| 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.featuring Nicole Taylor, president andchief executive officer of the East BayCommunity Foundation, WaterfrontHotel in Jack London Square, $35 forChamber members, $45 for non-members


8 | Economic DevelopmentForum | 3 - 4:30 p.m.featuring Solomon Belette, chiefexecutive officer of Catholic Charitiesof the East Bay, discussing “CorporateSocial Responsibility, StimulatingWorkforce Development ThroughPartnerships”

16 | Breakfast at the Chamber | 7:30 - 9 a.m.an update of Chamber activities forprospective, new and long-timemembers

21 | Nonprofit RoundtableCommittee meeting | 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

23 | After Five Reception | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.no charge for Chamber members, $15for non-members

24 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum | 8:30 - 10 a.m.no charge for Chamber members, $10for non-members

CB Richard Ellis500 12th St., Suite 105 in City Center

No charge for Chamber members.$15 for non-members.

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

All events held at Chamber offices, 475 14th Street, unless otherwise noted. Call 874-4800 to confirm dates and times. Meetings are open to all Chamber members.

January’s After Five Reception| January 26 at 5:30 p.m.Offices of CB Richard Ellis

East Bay Women in Business| February 3Nicole Taylor to speak, “Emerging EconomicTrends for Women”

Economic Development Forum| February 8“Corporate Social Responsibility”

other community groups to developplans for economic development andgrowth. New grocery stores areexpected to be built in areas of the citygreatly underserved while other retaildevelopment is needed. The BARTAirport Connector project is underway.

The future looks bright and willrequire all of us to work hard to makepositive change a reality. �

Paul Junge is the Chamber’s directorof public policy.

> City Hall– continued from page 16

At Revolution Foods, co-founderKristin Richmond is also helping tocreate jobs and build communitiesthrough her company’s approach tofresh meals and nutrition educationfor schools.

Says Acumen’s Walter Allen, “Iwas very impressed that five otherOakland-based businesses wereinvited to attend the event. I’m proudof the work our companies are doingto create jobs throughout the city,and I look forward to theopportunities that more access tocapital will bring.” �

> Creating jobs– continued from page 10

SPECIAL SECTION Oakland Restaurant Association

Kim Alter, Haven Restaurant

www.havenoakland.com

BACKGROUNDManresa, Aqua, Acquerello

First job? Acquerello.

Education? California Culinary Academy.

Residence? San Francisco.

BUSINESS STRATEGYBiggest challenge that you face? The size of

the restaurant.

Personal goal yet to be achieved? Being

able to not worry about things I can’t control –a

daily struggle.

Why people like working for you? I like to

teach every step of the process and allow people

to be creative in the kitchen.

Mentor? David Kinch (Manresa) and Ron Boyd

(Plum/Plum Bar).

What do you like most about your job?Creative freedom.

What do you like least about your job?Work/life balance.

Best meal/dish you ever created and towhom was it served? A tuna tartare for my

mom. It’s kind of her favorite and even though it

has never been on any of my menus, I always

make one for her and she feels super special.

Most respected competitor? Ron Boyd.

PREFERENCESStranded on a desert island; what

cookbook would you want? “The Complete

Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and

Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them.”

Lunch with Julia Child - one question forher? What was your hardest struggle being a

woman in this field?

Favorite cause?A cure for cancer.

Favorite movie? Goonies

Favorite restaurant? At the moment, Shan

Dong (a Chinese restaurant in Oakland).

Favorite way to spend spare time? Sleep-

ing and going to flea markets.

On your iPod? Murder City Devils.

Automobile? Scion �

> Chef’s CornerKim Alter

> Oakland restaurants – Working with the community

Every restaurant generates fat oil and grease (FOG) through its use of dairyproducts, dressings, sauce cooking byproducts and fryer oils. Restaurantsmust handle their used cooking oil and grease byproducts in a responsiblemanner. Disposing of grease and oil by poring it down the drain is not anacceptable option. Clogged drains and sewer lines can have a devastatingeffect on the restaurants and the businesses and residents that share theunderground sewer lines. Grease can generate acid fumes that corrodeand eat away at sewer lines and connections causing breaks and ruptures.Untreated grease and oils end up in the bay and in Lake Merritt.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the operator ofOakland’s sewage treatment plants, has a specific FOG program withguidelines and requirements that restaurants in Oakland must follow. Inaddition to collecting used grease and oil, EBMUD is able to convert theseused byproducts into energy at their plant near the Bay Bridge toll plaza.

Used oil and grease collection by a tallow or oil collection company isthe most common way for restaurants to manage their used oils and

grease. We have all seen the large tank trucks on the streets of Oakland.Collected grease and oils typically are used in three different ways. Formany years the cosmetic industry was a big consumer of fats and oils, tobe used in the manufacture of cosmetic and soap products. Used oil thatis collected by the various “tallow” companies is sold to cattle feedmanufacturers, and the restaurant’s used oil ends up being “recycled”back into the food stream through cattle and livestock feed.

The recent revolutionary use of used oil is in the production of biofuels. It’s true that sometimes a diesel car or truck that passes by can leavea lingering odor of French fries as fryer oil is being burned by the vehicles

diesel engine.Oakland is fortunate to have its own bio fuel company. Sirona Fuels (formally known as Blue Sky

Bio Fuel) is located on 49th Street in Oakland. Sirona currently collects oil and grease from more than700 restaurants in the Bay Area and over 75 restaurants in Oakland alone. Sirona currently producesover 50,000 gallons of bio-diesel fuel a month that is used by many fleet trucks and delivery vansin Oakland. It’s ironic that the U.S. Foods trucks that deliver food and cooking oil to Oakland’srestaurants are burning the same oil that came from the very same restaurants.

Sirona’s commitment to our local community includes a “give back” program. Restaurants selectan Oakland public school that they wish to sponsor. In addition to paying the restaurant for theirused oil and grease, Sirona makes a donation to the restaurant’s school of choice.

In addition to keeping our bay and waterways cleaner, the involvement of Oakland restaurantswith Sirona makes Oakland’s air much better to breathe while also helping out our public schools.Next time you have those greasy fries from an Oakland restaurant, don’t feel guilty; instead thinkabout how you are helping our environment and our children.

Next month’s article: Alameda County’s Green Business Program – why we should support greenbusinesses. �

Mark Everton, the co-chair of the Chamber’s Oakland Restaurant Association, is general managerof the Waterfront Hotel and Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Jack London Square.

by Mark Everton

A recent nationaladvertising campaignfeatured a parody of

the grease and oil thatfast food restaurants

produce. The adfeatured employeesslipping and slidingthrough a kitchen.

While the adwas promoting a

restaurant’s non-friedmenu, the dramatiza-

tion of the oil andgrease is a reminder

that cooking oils are aconsistent byproduct

of all restaurants.

5 1 0 . 6 5 3 . 2 1 5 3 • c c @ c h e r i e c a r t e r d e s i g n s . c o mC O M M U N I C A T I O N D E S I G N T H A T R E A L L Y M E A N S B U S I N E S S

BrandstormingWe work with you and your team to connect your product

or service with your target. We create quality publications

that help build your brand – annual reports, brochures,

logos, corporate newsletters

and sales kits.

==C A R T E RD E S I G N S

Mark Everton

oakland business review december 2011 / january 2012

Documents

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port of oakland

oakland neighborhoods

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