Call 434-5113 to Stop Use of Toxic Weed Killer in Oakland Adopt-A-Spot on 40th St/Broadway

Dear North Oakland, Greater Mosswood, Temescal Neighbors:

Re: City Applied Weed Killer on Volunteer Plantings 3/31/07 on 40th St!

Please Call 434-5113 Today (leave a message). Please ask them to stop and to (e-)mail you proof that they have stopped applying weed killers. This is an officially adopted spot.

These weed killers unnecessarily expose workers, neighbors and VOLUNTEERS from your neighborhood to extreme health risk.

There are many neighbors and myself on 40th Street "Hill" median from Broadway to the end of 40th closest to Piedmont who have been seeding, planting and watering this median for over a year. Many of us have been working each weekend on this project. Many $100's of your neighbors' dollars have already been spent on interesting plants and seeds donated (more were purchased for this median even today) and planted and there is much more about to go in. The volunteer development of this piece of land is in it's early stages. It will not look like much for several years. I have developed other medians over the years and it is vitally important that you call the City and make sure that they immediately and forever stop the use of any weed killers in these medians where neighbors and yourselves and your children are exposed. City workers and urban beautification volunteers are exposed, as well. These killer toxic chemicals are BANNED by law in all Oakland Public Parks already. They need to be banned NOW in all Street median applications especially in spots that have been officially adopted, as in this one (Dan Haggerty is the official adopter).

Please call and write Zachary Wald in Jane Brunner's (both are excellent and love our tree planting efforts and support same) office, Sandra Steen and Cookie Robles Wong (very helpful workers in the Adopt-A-Spot program) and ask them to please make sure for real, verified in writing, that all weed killer application will stop on all of 40th Street medians from Telegraph through Broadway to the end of 40th St. nearest Piedmont--FOREVER. Oakland Public Works Department at 615-5566, Adopt-A-Spot 434-5113 or 238-7630, Ron Dellum's Office: 238-3141 and anyone else you can think of.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Frank Snapp
North Oakland