Showing our Pride! Join Alameda’s LGBTQ+ community, friends, and allies to celebrate the inaugural “Pride in the Park.” Enjoy family-friendly activities for all ages, food trucks, and entertainment. Saturday, Oct. 8, 1 to 5 p.m., Chochenyo Park, 2430 Encinal Ave. For more information visit alamedapride.com

The Book Sale is back! For more than 40 years, the Friends of the Alameda Free Library’s Semi-Annual book sales have raised funds to support the summer reading program, art docent lectures, and Alameda Reads adult literacy program, purchase new library equipment, and more. You’ll find low prices on thousands of carefully curated items and support your library at the same time. Friday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Oct. 23 at the O Club, 641 W. Red Line Ave. For book sale hours, and to sign up to volunteer, visit www.alamedafriends.com.

Help solve the housing crisis: Be a Section 8 landlord. — The Housing Authority of the City of Alameda is looking for landlords with one and two-bedroom apartments, and studios to rent to Housing Choice Voucher households. Section 8 landlords help alleviate the housing crisis by making safe, decent, affordable units available to qualifying individuals and families who need housing, and landlords benefit, by receiving stable rental income and on-time monthly payments. Approximately 400 Alameda landlords currently participate in this program; some have done so for 20, 30, and 40 years. For more information and assistance with the simple enrollment process, call 510-747-4300.

It’s flu season so be sure to get your flu shot and avoid the discomfort, and potentially more severe symptoms, of the flu. Alameda Hospital will host a free community flu shot clinic, while supplies last, in the hospital parking lot, 2070 Clinton Ave., Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Get your COVID booster, too! You may think you’ve moved on from COVID, but it hasn’t moved on from you. Despite what you may have heard recently, the pandemic is not over. The new bivalent COVID-19 booster includes a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against COVID-19, and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. (www.fda.gov) Vaccines are available locally at CVS, Walgreens, and Safeway pharmacies. To schedule an appointment, visit www.vaccines.gov.

Finally, the neighbors threw a loud party recently: Over the Sept. 24-25 weekend, music from the Portola Music Festival at Pier 80 on San Francisco’s eastern waterfront could be heard throughout the East Bay, including in Alameda, into the evening. After receiving multiple complaints from Alameda residents, I shared my concerns with San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s office. As a result, Alameda staff were connected with representatives from San Francisco’s Entertainment Commission, the permitting agency, and the Port of San Francisco, Pier 80’s landlord. Going forward, these individuals will communicate with Alameda staff before large-scale music events, allowing the city to advise our residents in advance, and have contact information if issues arise with other events.

Stay engaged! Stay healthy! Stay Alameda Strong!