ALAMEDA<\/p>\n
Bay Area veterans and elected officials held a news conference Monday to denounce an announcement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that it intends to terminate plans to build a VA health care facility and columbarium at Alameda Point, citing severe consequences that would result.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes after a decade-long wait for the project, which was intended to provide vital physical and mental health care services, and a final resting place closer to home for tens of thousands of Bay Area veterans.<\/p>\n
Last week, a formal letter of concern signed by Bay Area U.S. Reps. Lateefah Simon and Nancy Pelosi and California\u2019s U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff was sent to VA Secretary Douglas Collins demanding substantiation for the announced decision. Monday\u2019s speakers called the decision \u201cunacceptable\u201d and \u201cirresponsible\u201d and demanded that the VA reverse its decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not turning our backs on you,\u201d Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft said to veterans. \u201cYou didn\u2019t turn your backs on this country. We stand up, we fight back, and that\u2019s what we are going to do. This is not a partisan issue. This is about the health and well-being of our veterans and the dignity that we pay to those who take their last breaths and want to be buried in a VA cemetery or columbarium.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2014, 624 acres of the former Naval Air Station Alameda was transferred from the U.S. Navy to the VA for a new \u201cOne VA\u201d health care clinic and columbarium. Over the last decade, Congress approved $395 million to build a 158,000 square-foot outpatient health care center and veterans benefits service center and columbarium with the capacity to serve veterans and their families for the next 100 years or more.<\/p>\n
The remaining land was to remain undeveloped to support the colony of endangered California least terns and other bird species. For more information online, visit bit.ly\/4pT5UTl<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn August, the Department of Veterans Affairs canceled the Alameda Point health care facility and columbarium without warning,\u201d said U.S. Rep. Simon. \u201cNo notice to the city of Alameda, no extensive reasoning or clear communication to Congress.<\/p>\n \u201cLast week, my office led with Senators Padilla, Schiff and Speaker Emerita Pelosi in demanding answers directly from the VA Secretary and calling for the reversal of this cancellation. We will not let this stand \u2014 28,000 veterans live in my district. They deserve quality health care close to home, and their families deserve a place to honor their loved ones when they pass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 city of Alameda<\/p>\n Historic church to host Christmas caroling Monday evening<\/p>\n The public is invited to a free, fun and festive Christmas carol singalong next week starting at 7 p.m. Monday at Alameda\u2019s Immanuel Lutheran Church. Music and fun for the whole family will include a children\u2019s book giveaway and hot chocolate and cookies after the caroling.<\/p>\n Free parking is available in the historic church\u2019s parking lot at the southwest corner of Santa Clara Avenue and Chestnut Street. Please use the entrance at 1420 Lafayette St. Call 510\u2013523-0659 with any questions.<\/p>\n \u2014 Immanuel Lutheran Church<\/p>\n New Year\u2019s Eve gala fundraiser planned aboard USS Hornet<\/p>\n The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum will hold its annual New Year\u2019s Eve gala fundraiser aboard the historic museum ship. The event will feature live music from big band 3 O\u2019Clock Jump and the Nick Rossi Swing Band. There will be a silent auction, food and beverage for purchase, a countdown to midnight and more.<\/p>\n Parking is free, and the hangar bay will be heated, with three dance floors and tables and chairs throughout. Black ties are optional, and vintage wear is also encouraged. For more information and to purchase tickets, go online to uss-hornet.org\/event\/new-years-eve-big-band-gala-2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 USS Hornet<\/p>\n Kiwanis Club foundation\u2019s yearly fundraiser set for Jan. 31<\/p>\n The Kiwanis Club Alameda (KCA) is excited to invite the public to its 24th annual Alameda Kiwanis Foundation fundraiser from 5 to 9 p.m. Jan. 31 in the Al DeWitt Officers Club at 641 W. Redline Ave. on Alameda Point.<\/p>\n This fun tradition supporting the Alameda community will feature a full barbecue dinner (meat and sides with a vegetarian option), a music trivia competition among tables of participants, a Bingo contest for gift card prizes, our famous silent auction for donated merchandise baskets and merchant gift vouchers, a raffle and a live auction and music played by a DJ.<\/p>\n The club\u2019s goal every year is to raise more than $20,000, which will entirely be awarded to nonprofit Alameda groups benefiting youths and families. Bring a friend, colleague or your family for a great evening packed with surprises! For more information or to learn more about the KCA, visit k01025.site.kiwanis.org<\/a> online.<\/p>\n \u2014 KCA<\/p>\n To submit an item for the Alameda Journal\u2019s \u201cIn brief\u201d section, which is now usually published in print on each month\u2019s third Friday, please email it, at least three days before print publication, to njackson@bayareanewsgroup.com<\/a>. Each item should be 90 to 180 words and include a short headline along with the name of the group or individual to credit for it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALAMEDA Bay Area veterans and elected officials held a news conference Monday to denounce an announcement from the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80168,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[3764,143,145,144],"class_list":{"0":"post-99157","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oakland","8":"tag-community-briefs","9":"tag-oakland","10":"tag-oakland-headlines","11":"tag-oakland-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}