OAKLAND
On April 24, join the Oakland-based East Bay SPCA in celebrating National Pet Care for All Day. This special day recognizes the importance of making pet care accessible to all pet owners and marks the 150th anniversary of the organization’s founding on April 24, 1874.
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National Pet Care for All Day is being founded this year by the East Bay SPCA to raise awareness about animal welfare and promote compassionate care; recognize the invaluable companionship, emotional support and overall well-being pets bring to our lives; and encourage communities to unite in supporting pet owners
“Our organization was founded with a commitment to serve our community,” said Allison Lindquist, the East Bay SPCA’s president and chief executive officer. “National Pet Care for All Day is an evolution of that mission.”
One way to help on Pet Care for All Day is to share Information: Spread the word about the East Bay SPCA’s veterinary services, pet food pantry and pet training programs. Another way is to volunteer your time and effort by offering to be a foster owner and provide temporary care, taking a dog on a field trip or giving a dog a break from the shelter with a sleepover.
Lastly, those who want to help can make a donation. very contribution, no matter how big or small, can make a difference. Celebrate with us on April 24 and help strengthen the bond between pets and their loving owners. For more information, visit eastbayspca.org.
— East Bay SPCA
PIEDMONT
Panel’s design awards gala for home improvement April 24
Piedmont residents can get inspired for their next home renovation project at their city’s Planning Commission Design & Sustainability Awards Gala, at which officials will celebrate the best in construction, landscaping and sustainable home improvements in Piedmont. The gala will start at 5:30 p.m. April 24 in Piedmont Community Hall at 711 Highland Ave.
Each year, the Planning Commission recognizes a small number of exemplary projects with a design award. This year officials have added a new dimension to the event with the introduction of sustainability awards, which celebrate property owners who have incorporated green elements like heat pumps, solar panels and greywater systems into their homes.
The gala is an opportunity to learn more about the projects selected for recognition, meet the contractors and design professionals who made them possible and hear directly from property owners about their experiences.
Seven projects were selected to receive a 2024 design award for excellence across a wide span of project types, ranging from garage-to-ADU conversions to outdoor living areas. For more information and a list of award recipients, visit piedmont.ca.gov/news/design_awards_gala_april_24_2024 online.
Sustainability Award recipients will be highlighted in a forthcoming announcement. For questions about the awards program, contact Assistant Planner Steven Lizzarago at slizzarago@piedmont.ca.gov.
City’s annual Arbor and Earth Day Celebration on April 26
Kids will have a chance to meet a raptor, see the Public Works Department’s big trucks and make wildlife-themed crafts at Piedmont’s annual Arbor and Earth Day Celebration 2024, hosted by Piedmont Public Works and the Piedmont Park Commission from 3 to 5 p.m. April 26 at Piedmont Community Hall, 711 Highland Ave.
The annual Arbor Day event, which dates back to 2007, celebrates the nearly 9,000 trees Piedmont Public Works Department maintains in the city’s parks and public spaces. The theme of this year’s event, selected by the Park Commission, is “Wildlife in the Parks.”
The event will feature a raptor meet-and-greet: Get up close and personal with a live hawk or owl, courtesy of the East Bay’s Lindsay Wildlife Center. Kids also will be able to climb up and sit in the cabs of the trucks that Public Works staff uses daily in their work to keep Piedmont’s trees and public spaces healthy and beautiful.
Adults in attendance will have plenty to learn as well, with informational tables from the Piedmont Garden Club and the City’s Sustainability Division. The Arbor Day celebration will also feature the announcement of the 2024 class of Piedmont Heritage Trees.
The Heritage Tree program, now in its seventh year, aims to raise awareness of and appreciation for Piedmont’s diverse urban forest. Heritage Trees are nominated by community members and selected by the Park Commission. Email questions to nkent@piedmont.ca.gov or visit bit.ly/4b0HjnY online for more details.
Council appoints 13 to fill openings on various city panels
The Piedmont City Council made 13 appointments to fill vacancies for city commissions and committees at a special March 25 meeting. Thirty applicants from all ages and stages of life, ranging from fifth-generation Piedmonters to those who arrived mere months ago, volunteered for the appointments.
After lengthy deliberations, the City Council made the following appointments:
• Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee: Teddy King, Robert McBain;
• Civil Service Commission: Laura Isaacs, Justin Suhr;
• Park Commission: Barbara Giuffre, Sharon Shoshani;
• Planning Commission: Chris Harvey, Julie Ortiz;
• Police and Fire Pension Board: Sean M. Lewis;
• Public Safety Committee: Erich Detert, Georgina Russell;
• Recreation Commission: Lisa Gardner, Christopher Hart.
Newly appointed commissioners will serve three-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms. For more information online, visit bit.ly/3TGMZfH.
— city of Piedmont
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