12/22 What happened, Oakland? 2000-2009

Ten days from now, the calendar will change and usher in a new decade. The last time this happened, it was a slightly bigger deal, as we were changing centuries and millennia along with it. But still, a lot has happened in the past 10 years.

Computers didn’t melt down during Y2K, but it wasn’t long before the United States was attacked on 9/11 and entered two wars that remain with us. Here in California, Arnold Schwarzenegger led a recall and then stayed around for a second term. The Bay Area’s dot-com bubble burst. The economy heated up again with a real estate boom, but nosedived in 2008 at the beginning of “The Great Recession.”

And what about here in Oakland? We’ve had Jerry Brown and Ron Dellums in City Hall. Barbara Lee against the wars. The Raiders in Super Bowl (2003? Really?). Rickey Henderson in the Hall of Fame. Schools under state control, then back in local hands. And in 2009 alone, the tragic stories of Oscar Grant, Hasanni Campbell and four Oakland police slain in the line of duty.

We’re asking Oakland North readers to write in and tell us what Oakland events from the last ten years mattered most to you. You can write us at staff@oaklandnorth.net, or just add your ideas to the comment box below. Remember to include your name and, if you live in Oakland, tell us how long you’ve been here and what neighborhood you call home.

We’ll compile your comments and share some of the results on New Year’s Day, 2010.