Photo by Ariel Luckey.

BY KATE KILPATRICK // Residents worried about foreclosure on their homes can attend a free educational workshop this weekend at the Emeryville Senior Center.

A panel of housing advisers will discuss the foreclosure crisis—the scope of the problem and pending litigation—as well as warn against predatory lending and foreclosure rescue scams. HUD-certified counselors will also be on hand for individual guidance.

The workshop, sponsored by the Emeryville Redevelopment Agency, is part of the city’s eight-point strategy adopted in January to address the financial industry’s credit crunch and the rising number of homes being foreclosed.

A report released recently shows U.S. foreclosure filings soared 71 percent in the third quarter of 2008 (July through September) compared to the same period last year. RealtyTrac, a foreclosure-tracking service, predicts that by the end of the year one-third of all homes for sale nationwide will be foreclosed, bank-owned properties.

California alone makes up more than a quarter of all foreclosure filings nationwide. According to a 2007 article in Realty Times, high home prices in California can force buyers into loans they can’t afford. The article also cites California as third in the nation for mortgage fraud, behind Utah and Florida.

Emeryville’s HomeBuyers Program coordinator Janet Anderson has been tracking foreclosures locally. She’s found 94 properties in Emeryville that have entered some stage of foreclosure since December. Of those, 20 have been foreclosed.

“Most of them are condos because most of the housing stock in Emeryville is condos,” said Anderson.

Recent studies suggest a rise in foreclosures in a neighborhood can decrease property values, reduce city revenues, displace communities and increase crime.

“The city’s trying to be proactive and let people know there are resources out there,” said Anderson.

Katrina Vizinau, senior housing counselor at the Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC), and a guest at Saturday’s panel, warns at-risk homeowners against wasting their limited funds on foreclosure rescue scams.

“There are a number of HUD–approved counseling agencies homeowners can get counseling from. And most of these agencies offer the service for free. So why pay when you’re already struggling? You may need that money to actually get into some form of agreement with your lender,” said Vizinau.

Vizinau also encourages home buyers, owners and renters to get educated on the issues.

“A lot of the legislation coming out is very vague,” said Vizinau. “It’s only going to help a handful of individuals, and in order for more assistance to come to them, [people] need to understand what exactly is being voted on and really advocate for themselves. Because nobody else is going to do it for them—not to the degree they can do it.”

Predatory Lending Prevention and Foreclosure Intervention Workshop
Sat., Oct. 25, 1-4pm. Emeryville Senior Center, 4321 Salem St. Free. Guests are encouraged to pre-register to speak with a housing counselor. For more information contact Janet Anderson at janderson@emeryville.org

BY KATE KILPATRICK // The shampoos and relaxers were stowed away on Sunday afternoon as Serendipity hair salon (5653 San Pablo Ave.) opened its doors  for a fundraiser, fashion show and voter registration party. “We want to motivate people, help people get where they’re trying to go,” said salon owner Dalila Dynes. “And it’s unanimous where everybody’s trying to go—everybody’s trying to get Barack Obama into office.”

After a series of questions on domestic policy, moderator Bob Schieffer asked both candidates what makes their running mate more qualified than their opponent’s. In his response McCain cited Gov. Palin as a role model to women, a reformer who’s faced down the oil companies, and a breath of fresh air who will sweep out Washington’s old-boy network and cronyism.

“And by the way,” he added, “she also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise. That we’ve got to find out what’s causing it, and we’ve got to reach out to these families and … give them the help they need as they raise these very special-needs children. She understands that better than almost any American I know.”

Palin’s youngest son Trig was born last year with Down’s syndrome.

Obama fired back by saying McCain’s support for an across-the-board spending freeze on government programs would make additional funding for autism research unlikely.

Regardless of the political motives that had the candidates talking about it on national TV, autism is a hot topic in the media. Numerous blogs and articles debate the link to vaccinations, and whether autistic children are better served by individual attention or being added to mainstream classrooms.

InEmeryville went to the Blue Sky Family Club at the EmeryBay Public Market and found several moms with strong opinions on the topic. Here’s what they had to say.

McCain supporters found at Emeryville’s historic eatery.
BY KATE KILPATRICK // Gathered around the copper bar at Emeryville’s upscale Townhouse restaurant on Tuesday night were a handful of folks seldom found in these parts: McCain supporters.

The volume on the flatscreen TV above the bar was turned down as Senators John McCain and Barack Obama faced off in the second of three presidential debates before election day.

MSNBC correspondent Tom Brokaw moderated the townhall-style Q&A, which was hosted by Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. The audience of undecided voters joined Internet participants in posing questions on a range of issues from foreign policy and health care to tax reform and—no surprise here—how to fix the economy.

In Emeryville’s previous neighborhood coverage of the TV debates turned up Obama fans in abundance. So much so that we began to wonder where in Emeryville all the McCain supporters were hiding.

“Ninety-five percent of my friends are liberal,” said Bob Blane, a retired engineer and small businessman who’s lived in Emeryville the past 36 years. Blane said he supports abortion rights and gay marriage, but is staunchly pro-business and aligns himself with Republicans on most economic issues.

“I don’t want big government to take care of me. I’ll take care of myself,” said Blane, his cheeks reddening as the bartender refreshed his martini. “I work for private enterprise. I have employees and their families to support.”

Sitting at the end of the bar were coworkers Brooke Grosskopf and Scott Craig, both staying in Emeryville on business.

“I’m from Montana so I’m Republican all the way,” Grosskopf said between bites of asparagus risotto. “It’s been really interesting for me working down here because I have to watch what I say.”

Although she hasn’t been following the election trail “a ton,” Grosskopf said one issue matters to her most. “My husband and I are very pro-gun, so obviously there’s one candidate who’s more pro-gun than the other.”

Craig, a Tennessee native now based in Portland, Ore., said he’d like to see Ron Paul in the White House, but will probably vote for McCain.

Following the closed captioning onscreen, Craig found it hard to tell who won the debate.

“McCain’s body language … he’s gesticulating a lot,” said Craig. “He’s obviously trying to make his point and be very forceful. And Obama appears … Obama’s a great orator. I have no idea if he’s tripping over his tongue, but I don’t think he is. He appears to have an answer for everything.”

A few seats over from Grosskopf and Craig sat Don Jacobs, a Boston native who works at a tech company in Emeryville.

“Such words, words, words,” said Jacobs, holding a slow-roasted beef taco halfway between his plate and mouth. “They all [give] the same scripted answers. I have election frazzle.”

According to Jacobs, the issue of greatest national importance is fiscal responsibility.

“The only reason I’d vote for John McCain right now is to have a mixed government—a Republican in the White House and a Democratic Congress,” he said. “Historically the government does better in terms of fiscal responsibility when you have that dichotomy.”

As the nominees exited the stage and the bar guests settled their bills, Texan-born Ed Gaspredes, a Townhouse regular, was left watching the post-debate analysis alone.

He was unimpressed by what he’d seen.

“Neither candidate addressed anything that has to do with the well-being of me or the country,” Gaspredes said. “If I had the opportunity I would ask, ‘What are you going to do to fix the country?’ It’s far more reaching than Afghanistan or the bailout.”

Gaspredes said he wants a leader who will fix the economy, deal with the Bush legacy, figure out a solution to social security, and appoint Supreme Court justices who support personal rights.

“I don’t know at this point,” he said, when asked whom he plans to vote for. “I don’t know that either of them represent who I want as president.”

BY KATE KILPATRICK // Chau Thuy Huynh, whose pedicure footbaths caused a major anti-commie backlash earlier this year, is working on a new series of drawings that honor Vietnamese boat people. Huynh recently spoke at an “educational tea” at Compound Gallery (6604 San Pablo Ave.) on the Oakland-Emeryville border. Before the event she sat down with In Emeryville to talk about her communist upbringing, the unexpected outrage surrounding her artwork, and why she feels she didn’t do anything wrong.

A breakdown of the reported crimes in Emeryville from last year.