Five Things: City Budget Cuts Loom, Arts Need Support and Memorial Day

Five Things appears Mondays on Alameda Patch and offers a window into what's happening on the Island in the week ahead. Look also for Patch's Weekend Things feature on Thursday. Send ideas for Five Things to janonpatch@gmail.com.

1. Today is Memorial Day. In Alameda you have two options to recognize the contributions of those who have served, and died, in the military. There’s a ceremony sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans at on Bay Farm Island at 11 a.m. Another starts at 1 p.m. on .
2. Despite its image as a sleepy small town, Alameda is actually a hotbed of creativity, home to arts and cultural organizations that draw interest from around the Bay Area. But the economy has been tough on them, prompting budget cuts and urgent fundraising campaigns. So it’s important Alamedans support them. The Frank Bette Center has an to introduce a new exhibit of works by center sponsor Frank Bette himself. Meanwhile, is raising money through a match that expires on Tuesday. And another of Alameda’s one-of-a-kind cultural institutions is the on Webster Avenue; there’s an exhaustive account about its growing pains  in last week’s East Bay Express that’s worth a look.
3. Travel to the fifth largest country in the world without a trip to the airport. The West End branch library’s focuses on Brazil. It's Thursday at 7 p.m.
4. As the City Council prepares to wrangle with some likely budget cuts for this year, there have been several community meetings to discuss priorities. Another is scheduled for Thursday, sponsored by Councilman Rob Bonta and including several other city officials.
5. Tuesday night’s special meeting of the City Council will consider some proposed budget cuts to a number of city departments, including police, fire, recreation, library and more. The Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority holds Wednesday. And the Historical Advisory Board meets Thursday to consider the addition of some structures to the Historic Study List and an evaluation report for the fire station behind City Hall.

Plan ahead: Think about pulling together a team to join  on Saturday afternoon (June 4). It’s a fundraiser that’s based on television’s The Amazing Race. And it ends with a party at . Sounds like fun.