Nicole Jones

Oakland fruit enthusiasts promote neighborhood foraging

Oakland residents Kim Di Giacomo and Michele Senitzer co-founded Found Fruit as a way of connecting with other neighborhoods who have produce and foraging skills to share. Flowering trees will soon start to produce fruit such as plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots and will ripen starting in June. Foundfruit.com lists where to find wild plum trees in public areas.

Star Apple Edible Gardening teaches modern urban homesteading

Chickens, cilantro and compost – oh, my! These were just some of the options for guests at the San Francisco Flower and Garden show as they walked through the 5,000 square feet of edible gardens arranged by Oakland-based Star Apple Edible Gardening. The company displayed what a modern urban homestead can look like. Throughout the four days of the show, Leslie Bennett, one of the three co-owners spoke to garden growers. “For reasons hard to comprehend, not everyone is growing…

Oakland nonprofit helps parolees land on their feet

Veronica Hays stares out the window of a 12-person van cruising down I-580. In front and behind her, other passengers chat quietly with one another. Riding in a van with other parolees like herself on their way to volunteer has become a regular Saturday routine for Hays. This week they’re heading to the Alameda Food Bank where they will spend the afternoon organizing food donations. For Hays, just the thought of her sitting in this van, sober and out of prison, is enough to make her smile.

Youth mentors share hard-learned lessons in East Oakland

With homicide numbers already deep in the double digits this year, Oakland has a reputation for being one of California’s most violent and crime-plagued cities. But that won’t stop students at Castlemont High School in East Oakland from working hard to change that.

Controversy continues over proposed Fruitvale gang injunction

Last October, Oakland City Attorney John Russo proposed a gang injunction against 40 alleged members of the Nortenos gang in the Fruitvale neighborhood. This is Oakland’s second proposed gang injunction. It’s a controversial legal theory that says gang activity is a public nuisance that prevents non-gang members from enjoying peace in their communities.

Mustaches required for this Oakland bike ride

From drawn-on to wax-tipped, mustaches of all shapes and sizes were invited to this party. Over 150 riders of all ages, experiences and bike types fashioned a ‘stache for this month’s East Bay Mustache Ride Theme Bike Party.

Police search for Livermore robbery suspect in North Oakland, lock down Tech

On Thursday evening, Oakland and Livermore police officers were still searching for an armed man who robbed a Livermore Bank of America earlier this afternoon and fled to North Oakland. At 4:30 p.m. police officers blocked off 41st Street in between Gilbert Street and Broadway Avenue after receiving witness reports that the suspected robber was seen in the area. They also briefly locked down the Oakland Tech campus.

Tiny gallery brings together art, community

Blade, 29, describes Sight School as a studio with multiple platforms for supporting Bay Area artists. ”I’m trying to build this as an art space for learning how to see together as a community,” she said, noting the limitless possibilities for how she can use her space. Starting next month, Blade is introducing Café Sunday, a weekly brunch in the studio prepared by guest chefs for neighbors.

At Safe Routes to School Workshop, parents brainstorm auto alternatives

Only one generation ago, almost half of all children in the United States walked to school. But today a look at the car-jammed streets outside of schools in the morning and afternoon tells a different story. Only one in ten children now walk to school regularly, with the number of walking and bicycling trips to school made by children down by 65 percent over the last 40 years, according to the U.S Department of Transportation. Parents’ concerns about traffic safety are…