“Bringing the Express Back Home,” editor’s note, 5/23
It’s great
Congratulations on your East Bay Express news! I think it’s great and I know you’ll have much continued success.
Kelly Mayfield, Los Angeles
We had the story, too
I enthusiastically applaud the news in today’s Chronicle indicating the Express once again being an independent alternative newspaper. I wish you the best on the road ahead.
Steve Indig, Landmark Theatres, San Francisco
May you, too, gain independence one day
I just read the news. Congratulations on the purchase! This is truly amazing news.
Ariana Cha, Shanghai, China
Give us hell
I used to regularly read the Express, but I stopped many years ago when the paper was redesigned — and Life in Hell was dropped. I hope you bring back LiH and do a better redesign!
Neal A. Parish, Oakland
Give us royalty
East Bay Express: Free at last! Congratulations! I note that you’ve dropped Dan Savage as your sex columnist. That’s cool, as I can always read him in SF Weekly. But how about bringing back Dr. Carol Queen to offer sexual advice? After all, she did the job before 2001 when the Express became “enchained.” She’s smart, funny, and informative.
Harry Siitonen, Berkeley
Give us quirky
I don’t want sharpened news coverage; I want quirky and random and entertaining features. I have absolutely zero interest in the conventional hot-button issues: you know, the GM foods and the global warming, Democrat/Republican politics, and blah blah. I can read about this same crap from a thousand bad blogs. Who cares.
Maybe do features analogous to that This American Life radio show, like the old paper did a long spread on the mosquito-abatement guys. Find people local to the area with stories. It’s okay to be political now and then, but don’t expect that to be a draw.
Cathryn Mataga, Berkeley
Give us guidance
Congrats on the change of ownership. I’m looking forward to some of the changes in the mix, but most of all I’m looking forward to a Table of Contents. Now that shouldn’t be too hard.
Brian West, Oakland
Yes, guidance
Congratulations on re—seizing EBE from those Grinches of the past who deleted the table of contents! I trust you will restore it.
Dr. B.R. Wheaton, Albany
“Parsky’s Party,” Feature, 5/9
The roar of irony
After being hounded by e-mails, I finally took this banal university online ethics course that uses hypothetical scenarios involving misuse of university resources and the like as a pedagogical tool for the university’s ethics policies.
After completing my course successfully, I was greeted by a streaming video of Regent Gerald Parsky (transcript below) congratulating me on helping the university uphold the ethical standards to which it has honorably and faithfully adhered. After reading Chris Thompson’s article, I was blown back by the roar of irony …
Conclusion by Board Chair Parsky:
I’m Gerry Parsky, chair of the Board of Regents.
The briefing you have just completed is one part of an effort the regents have launched to ensure that the university meets the public’s expectations with respect to accountability and ethical conduct.
Since the adoption of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation in 2002, institutions throughout the nation have been working to strengthen their standards in this area, as well as the educational materials they provide to their employees.
The regents have adopted new Standards of Ethical Conduct, with the goal of raising awareness throughout the university of the need for integrity, transparency, and accountability.
This briefing supports that goal. On behalf of the regents, thank you for the time you have taken today. We value the work you do for the university, and we urge you to apply the principles from today’s briefing in your daily work.
Trey Williams, Berkeley
“Farmer Joe’s Woes,” Water Cooler, 5/9
Caring, warm people
My husband and I have been loyal customers of Joe and Diana Tam since they first opened their store on 35th Avenue in Oakland. We were thrilled to find a store of this caliber in that neighborhood, where you could buy fresh meats, poultry and fish, organic produce, and high-quality products at reasonable prices. The Tams took a great chance in opening this store in the Laurel, which, at that time, was a very different place then it is now.
They have undertaken the same quest in opening the second Farmer Joe’s in the Dimond district, as you say in your article, “replacing the bleak 99-cent store Crazy John’s” and before that a Lucky’s/Albertsons that was, at best, marginal.
I have known Joe and Diana Tam for many years as a customer and have always found them to be caring and warm people who have tried to provide their customers with merchandise they sought. You would ask for something and the next time you shopped, there it was. Most of their staff on 35th Avenue remained the same for all those years; many of these people are now working in the Dimond. I feel your article is extremely biased and wonder why you did not include one interview with any of their current employees, who might have told you a different story.
I am very saddened by your attempts to poison the neighborhood against these pioneers who have worked very hard to bring sustainable, organic and healthy choices to Oakland.
Ilene Denaro, Oakland
Beware union spin
Please look at the information that resides at all checkstands at Farmer Joe’s. There are two sides to every story. It follows (two leaflets). Also be aware that there is NO “card check” law in California. There is a tremendous amount of spin going on in the media right now regarding this issue.
The law that governs in a situation at Farmer Joe’s is the NATIONAL LABOR RELATION BOARD. The NLRB’s Web site says it is “an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector.” Isn’t it time the UFCW takes out the eraser on their pencils, erase “Farmer Joe’s,” and puts in an appropriate target like “WAL-MART”?
I’ve been to the Friday night parties Joe and Diana are providing for their customers and their community. They are fun-filled, happy events with a broad spectrum of folks from every walk of life — old/young/white/African-America/
Asian/working-class/middle-class/upper-middle-class/
handicapped/physically enabled — all wearing smiles as they patronize their neighborhood grocery store. Please be aware that the UFCW is a powerful union with lots of PR people, lots of attorneys, lots of clout across the board.
Local 5 of the UFCW recently added “a ‘full-time political director’ and a plan to advocate the union agenda on the local, state and national level.” Ron Lind, president of Local 5, says they “will be working with elected leaders to protect the union market share by limiting the growth of nonunion stores.” Hmm, this comment may explain Oakland’s District 4 Councilmember Jean Quan’s standing with the UFCW at the kickoff of the UFCW activities on 1/26/07 in front of Farmer Joe’s (the new store at 3426 Fruitvale Avenue).
Please use your critical thinking skills. My last union steward now shops at Farmer Joe’s. She had the ability to listen to both sides of the story. Come out and join my neighborhood as we celebrate living in Oakland and shopping at our neighborhood grocery store. Let’s support democracy in America. Let’s support small business in Oakland. Let’s support people with ethics, heart, and compassion.
LEAFLET #1 at the checkstands at Farmer Joe’s May 7, 2007
UNION’S UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE CHARGES RESOLVED IN FAVOR OF FARMER JOE’S
Joe and I were recently notified by US mail that the NLRB has resolved all the “unfair labor practice” accusations filed by the UFCW in February and March 2007. The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector.
Allegation #1 32-CA-23020 In a letter dated 4/30/07, Alan B. Reichard, Regional Director, of the NLRB notified the UFCW and Farmer Joe’s that: (1) No complaint will issue on charge No. 32-CA-23020. (2) The UFCW’s charge of unlawful conduct by management at Farmer Joe’s is dismissed.
Allegation #2 32-CA-23063 (Termination of Victor Blanco) In a second letter dated 5/1/07, the NLRB informed the parties that “the charges in the above-captioned matters have been withdrawn” by the UFCW.
Thank You for Your Support During this Difficult Time Live Music every Friday through May
On Friday the 13th (4/13/07) the UFCW commenced a boycott of Farmer Joe’s every Friday. Despite the boycott, Joe and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support — especially on Fridays. We thank our community for “voting with their feet” and altering their shopping patterns to support Farmer Joe’s. Many of you were in attendance at our “Customer Appreciation” Event on Good Friday, 4/6/07. With less than five days notice, more than 2,000 of you appeared at our new store located at 3426 Fruitvale Avenue. It was a three-day weekend and many of our families were out of town for the Easter school recess. What a wonderful time we had! On April 30th, Joe and I began providing live music for your shopping pleasure on Fridays. On Friday, May 4, Calvin Keys*, noted jazz guitarist, serenaded our wonderful customers in front of our new Fruitvale store. The Calvin Keys Duo will be providing music every Friday in May from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. There will be also be age-appropriate activities and treats for children. Please come join us. We are honored to be a part of Oakland’s small business community. Thank you so much. * “Jazz is freedom of expression * no boundaries. I play what I feel; people call it whatever they like.”
LEAFLET #2 at the checkstands at Farmer Joe’s May 7, 2007
Dear Farmer Joe’s Customers,
We are delighted to announce that all unfair labor practice charges filed by the union (UFCW) with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Farmer Joe’s have been dismissed by the NLRB or withdrawn by the UFCW. Farmer Joe’s has always adhered to all applicable national, state, and local laws and regulations. We will continue to do so in the future. On another note, we are honored to have received the Ripple Award at the Oakland Indie awards ceremony on May 4, 2007. This award is given by Oakland Unwrapped!, a nonprofit economic development organization in Oakland that promotes ethical and sustainable local ventures. The Ripple Award is given to a business or artist who “supports other local businesses and artists by ‘shopping local’ for their supplies and services, creating an economic ripple effect as money circulates within the community.” The winner is determined by a community nomination and voting process. Based on the voting results, Oakland Unwrapped! informed Farmer Joe’s that “Members of the Oakland community think you’re special, and told us that you are an asset to the city.”
We wish to thank everyone who believed in us and made this special honor possible. We are fortunate to have a chorus of customers and supporters so vested in Farmer Joe’s success. We continue to invest in our community, move forward with our employees and serve the community we love and are proud to call home. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve Oakland. Joe and Diana Tam
Anne Kerr, Oakland
Editor’s note
[See our Farmer Joe’s follow-up, which ran the next week.
Letters policy
Please provide your full name, address, and daytime phone number, although we’ll only print your name, city, and affiliation. Send letters to Le*****@************ss.com or Letters, East Bay Express, 1335 Stanford Ave., Emeryville, CA 94608. Letters are edited for length and clarity.
