The 2018 Alameda Firefighters Toy Program (AFTP) is underway. The program will ensure that all low-income Alameda parents who sign up at the Alameda Food Bank receive age-appropriate holiday toys for their children from newborns to age 12 and $25 gift cards for youth ages 13 to 17.
Parents needing toys can sign up at the Alameda Food Bank on or before Saturday, Dec. 8, by visiting alamedafoodbank.org or calling 523-5850. The program especially needs donations of crafts, sports balls and items for older children.
Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) reports that thieves helped hemselves to the contents of its two payment drop boxes at 2000 Grand St. over the weekend. According to AMP, the Alameda Police Department responded to a call on Sunday, Nov. 18, that a resident noticed that the drop boxes appeared to be open. APD determined that the boxes had been pried open.
The City of Alameda recently released the winners of a random lottery of 36 artist applications for its Art in City Hall program in 2019. In each quarter, the City Hall galleries will feature a different local artist and art organization.
Alameda Municipal Power customers can now apply to use battery-storage systems. At its Sept. 17 meeting, the Public Utilities Board approved these systems, which customers can use to save energy they can use at any time.
To qualify, battery-storage systems must be paired with renewable energy systems, like a solar-power system. AMP, however, prohibits these systems from sending energy back to the city’s own distribution grid.
The city recently released a sneak preview of its new website, which it plans to launch in January 2019. Visitors will see a blue alert bar with a link to submit feedback.
According to the city, the site’s content management system is easier to use and more secure than its existing site. “The new website has a powerful predictive search tool, is mobile-friendly and available in multiple languages,” the city stated in a press release.
