Downtown Oakland streets close for election festivities

Members of the Oakland Police Department cordoned off several streets on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for some pre-planned election night parties, as well as other less formal street celebrations, as media gathered in downtown Oakland to cover two of the nation’s most high-profile electoral contests — the California governor’s race and the fate of Proposition 19.

Raiders ruin homecoming for Oakland Tech’s Lynch

Marshawn Lynch, the often written and talked-about NFL player who graduated from Oakland Tech High School, made his hometown pro football debut during a trip to Oakland this weekend as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

He was fresh off a trade that sent him from the Buffalo Bills to the Seahawks. But the visit home didn’t go quite as he had expected.

Local boxing gym hosts weekend “Showdown in Oakland”

Former professional boxer Roberto Garcia, who moved here from the Philippines, is the head boxing trainer at Pacific Ring. Garcia has held the position for nearly two years, but has had more than a three-decade-long history with the sport, spending the last 16 as a trainer.

For student athletes, defibrillators remain out of reach

Today would have been Nicholas Rotolo’s 24th birthday. Rotolo, a Berkeley High School student and club hockey player, stood a brawny 6’2″ tall, weighed 220 pounds, and had no apparent health issues. But on February 5, 2004, the 17-year-old suddenly collapsed on the rink at Sharks Ice in San Jose while competing in an exhibition for his San Jose Junior Sharks team.

Oakland Tech wins varsity football season opener

Despite some early turnovers, the Oakland Tech Bulldogs defeated the visiting Balboa Buccaneers of San Francisco, 41-20, in Tech’s varsity football season opener Friday night. The non-conference matchup marked the Bulldogs’ only home game of the season.

“Nation Celebration” pumps hopeful Raiders fans

To the untrained eye, Friday evening’s Raider Nation Celebration in Frank H. Ogawa Plaza was just another glorified salt-and-pepper-colored pep rally for the local professional club, stringing longtime supporters along for what could be yet another disappointing season.