Unions protest Quan’s proposed budget at City Council meeting
Some 250 workers rallied on City Hall steps ahead of Tuesday's City Council meeting to protest the mayor’s proposed budget, which focuses on investments in...
Vanessa Rancaño
Stories by Vanessa
At swaps, women find clothes and community
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
People in the Bay Area are turning to creative alternatives to buying new. Clothes swaps have been around for a long time, but they're more...
City Council talks OPD complaint intake, new job center and cutting ties with Goldman Sachs
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Several dozen people gathered on the steps of City Hall ahead of Tuesday’s city council meeting to show support for a resolution to fund the...
Oakland by the ZIP code: Photos from the 94610
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Enjoy the photo gallery for our weekly series, The Pulse of Oakland. This week’s featured ZIP code is 94610. The area includes Grand Lake, Trestle...
Union protest overwhelms early Oakland City Council budget talks
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
As the city gets ready to tackle a new two-year budget, councilmembers heard a presentation on Oakland’s fiscal future at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Whoops,...
Oakland seniors team up with district associations to make it easier to get around
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
A group of seniors in Oakland's Gold Coast neighborhood is collaborating with the local district associations to tackle issues the affect the senior community.
At estate sales, people find more than just “stuff”
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Every weekend there’s a sign posted on some telephone pole for an estate sale. Maybe you’re someone who follows the signs, but if you’re not,...
Despite cuts, operators of the Free B shuttle hope to keep the free rides coming
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Now that one of the primary funders of Oakland’s Free Broadway Shuttle has decided to cut its contribution to the program by half, those who...
One month after deadly shooting, First Friday returns with a focus on peace
By Ashley Griffin and Vanessa Rancaño Posted
One month after a homicide forced city leaders and event organizers to question the future of Oakland’s First Friday art festival, the event returned this...
Warriors’ Landry meets kids at East Oakland boxing gym
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
The children and youth who participate in health and education programs at the East Oakland Boxing Association got the chance to meet Golden State Warriors...
Organizers aim for a shorter, smaller First Friday with a new focus
By Vanessa Rancaño and Ashley Griffin Posted
City leaders met with First Friday stakeholders again Tuesday night to discuss the future of the city’s most popular art festival, which could lead to...
After shooting, First Friday organizers discuss how to keep future events safe
By Vanessa Rancaño and Ashley Griffin Posted
Nearly a week after the post-First Friday festival shooting that killed 18-year-old Kiante Campbell and wounded 3 others, event organizers say they’re waiting for a...
City hands out free reusable bags as Oakland shoppers adjust to bag ban
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Alameda County shoppers are adjusting, if reluctantly, to the single-use bag ban that went into effect January first. The Reusable Bag Ordinance, passed a year...
At alternative court, homeless find second chances
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Judge Gordon Baranco donned his robes at the last minute, putting them on over a grey suit and a tie on which a reindeer tugged...
Farley’s East cafe will collect donated winter coats today
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Alameda County is holding a coat drive Thursday at Farley's East cafe during a special happy hour event...
Planning, preparations underway for new Uptown Art Park in Oakland
By Vanessa Rancaño Posted
Community activists bucked a proposal to turn an empty lot in Uptown into a parking lot, advocating instead for a temporary sculpture park. Years later,...
