July 2003 Volunteer of the Month Our neighbor Lara Dutto is the Dimond Improvement Association's volunteer of the month. Lara has taken the lead in Dimond's application for an MTC-TLC Planning Grant. Many of the line items within the neighborhood vision/plan drafted by the DIA and merchants' association last year will fall into the scope of this project. It will be a way for our groups to define our priorities and goals with regards to transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian issues, and to spearhead a community building and outreach effort within our neighborhood. This grant would pay for neighborhood outreach, studies, documentation of existing conditions, and a schematic urban renewal streetscape plan. We have the chance to receive up to 75,000 to hire consultants to do this work, which will then be the means by which we apply for a capital grant to implement the plan (like the Laurel). Besides partnering with our Merchants' Association, Lara has been working on getting the support of our city sponsors, which include, the Oakland Transportation Department, CEDA and our city councilmember Jean Quan. An immediate benefit of the MTC-TLC Planning Grant project's work is our councilmember's support for a Dimond survey. The Oakland City Auditor's office will perform the survey (available in three languages) via telephone. Hard copies will be available at Dimond Library and will be distributed throughout the area by community groups, local merchants, and our city council office. You can also download a copy at Thanks, Lara! More info about the MTC-TLC Planning Grant Project is on the Dimond message board: http://www.dimondnews.org/message.html
