Five Things You Need to Know for Your Week in Alameda

Five Things appears Mondays on Alameda Patch and offers a window into what's happening on the Island in the week ahead. Look on Thursday for Get Out, your guide to Alameda on the weekend. Send ideas for Five Things to janonpatch@gmail.com.

1. The city’s business marches on this week: The  meets Monday night to review its recent annual planning public workshop as well as some of the challenges and opportunities of electric vehicles. The  gets together Monday at 6:30 p.m.; the agenda includes changes to paratransit shuttle and taxi services. The  considers a parking ticket fee increase Tuesday night. And the  Wednesday looks at to one of the Point buildings near and .
2. The continues. The San Francisco Chronicle reported over the weekend that Oakland's City Attorney John Russo is one of three top contenders for the . And The Island reports there are two other names on the short list, former assistant city attorney David Brandt, and Millbrae City Manager . Acting City Manager Ann Marie Gallant was in December, 2010
3. Alamedans are a week and a day away from the .  is a school parcel tax that would help keep school services at current levels during .
4. An Island-wide book club: Alameda's librarians have chosen two books for everyone in Alameda to read together, with opportunities later in the month to discuss them. There’s one for adults called Farm City by Novella Carpenter; the author will be at the library March 31 to discuss her story of creating a small urban farm in an abandoned Oakland lot. There’s also a selection for kids, Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. Plus, on Tuesday the library will launch its new . 
5. our city was photographed from one end to the other by local artists. Did you see photographers out and about? Were you one of them? The Patch story is .

Plan ahead: There is a bullying prevention workshop on Saturday, March 12 at Wood Middle School. The event is co-sponsored by the Alameda Youth Collaborative, Alameda Unified School District, the Social Services Human Relations Board and the Police Department. Look for more information as the date comes closer.