Posts
The next few weekends will be busy ones here in Alameda, with at least two theater productions, benefits for Alameda Hospital and the Alameda Animal Shelter, and the Webster Street Jam on the calendar. And this weekend will be no exception.
For starters, tonight Rhythmix Cultural Works will be hosting Time to Tiki! featuring the art, music and dance of the Pacific islands. Featured artists will include former Pagan Babies lead guitarist Chris Planas, dancers Kumu hula Lani Cid and Halau Makana and artists Charles Valoroso, Jinan Wong and Rocky Laguna. The art gallery opening is at 6 p.m., and that’s free; dance and music start at 7 p.m., and admission is $10, $5 for kids under 12. For more information, call 865-5060 or click here. Rhythmix is at 2513 Blanding Avenue.
From noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Speisekammer Restaurant will host its annual Oktoberfest. Sie haben bier! Und musik! Und tanzen! Und Einfach Leben (okay, my grasp of high school German ends there). They’ll also have a children’s area. And grilled meat! Admission is $10, free for kids under 12. Speisekammer’s at 2424 Lincoln Avenue. For more information, click here.
Last but not least, Alameda Civic Light Opera continues its series with a production of “Grease,” which opens at 8 p.m. Saturday and runs through September 21 at Kofman Auditorium. For tickets and information, click here.
The Alameda Unified School District’s finance chief laid out the impacts of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal for next year, and they are grim. Under the proposal, the district could lose more than $4 million in state funding for the current year and 2009-2010. And that’s not counting the $650,000 it will lose when the new Nea Community Learning Center charter school opens next year, taking an anticipated 250 students off the district’s rolls.
If the governor’s plan were to be enacted, the district could face layoffs and even the loss of five days of the school year, district chief financial officer Tim Rahill said, though it could allow the district to take money out of “categorical” programs – money that is designated for specific programs that can’t be used for any other purpose.
Declining enrollment and increasing costs – Rahill said worker’s compensation costs, for example, will probably rise – will also impact the district’s budget.
“Alameda is facing a state budget crisis. We are facing the opening of a charter school. Also, we’re experiencing declining enrollment,” Rahill said.
He said parcel tax dollars generated by the passage of Measure H could also be used to help cover the cuts, if the board wishes to use those. This year, the district is slated to get $4 million in Measure H tax funds, and it has only budgeted $1.2 million of that.
Schwarzenegger has proposed a number of additional taxes to bridge $31.3 billion in budget shortfalls between the 2007-08 and 2009-10 fiscal years.
The district wants your input on its budget situation. They’ve scheduled budget workshops for February 11 and April 2. We’ll update you when times and locations are available.
If the governor’s plan were to be enacted, the district could face layoffs and even the loss of five days of the school year, district chief financial officer Tim Rahill said, though it could allow the district to take money out of “categorical” programs – money that is designated for specific programs that can’t be used for any other purpose.
Declining enrollment and increasing costs – Rahill said worker’s compensation costs, for example, will probably rise – will also impact the district’s budget.
“Alameda is facing a state budget crisis. We are facing the opening of a charter school. Also, we’re experiencing declining enrollment,” Rahill said.
He said parcel tax dollars generated by the passage of Measure H could also be used to help cover the cuts, if the board wishes to use those. This year, the district is slated to get $4 million in Measure H tax funds, and it has only budgeted $1.2 million of that.
Schwarzenegger has proposed a number of additional taxes to bridge $31.3 billion in budget shortfalls between the 2007-08 and 2009-10 fiscal years.
The district wants your input on its budget situation. They’ve scheduled budget workshops for February 11 and April 2. We’ll update you when times and locations are available.
posted by Michele Ellson at 9:00 AM on Jan 28, 2009
2 Comments:
The art show here at Rhythmix - Time to Tiki has some AMAZING paintings of Alameda Island. Local artist Charles Valoroso does incredible photorealist paintings in the style of Robert Bechtle - really great work! Also the Hula group who is dancing is from Alameda too! The gallery opens at 6pm and the Hul starts at 7pm!
There's a special "kid-friendly" showing of "Grease" on Sunday, September 7 at 2 pm. Kids are half price and there's a backstage tour and meet the actors gathering afterward. The PG-13 elemements are toned down, so it's the best time to bring the younger kids. The attendance at all Bay Area theater events is way down with the economy being what it is. Here's a chance to support the arts and get a lot more for your money, too!
Post a Comment