Townes yipped and squealed as his owner led him near the fence at North Oakland’s Hardy Dog Park. He saw a few friends inside the dog run and strained against his red collar and leash to say hello. Townes’ owner, Bonnie, led him through the gate, bringing a black hound, a collie, and a black and tan Australian sheep-dog running to greet the newest member of the morning run. Townes bounded in.  He’s 11 months old and big.  He pawed…

The Federal Transit Administration’s Office of Civil Rights will review the social equity aspects of BART’s current projects within the next several months, a process that could lead to further delays or even kill a plan to build an elevated rail connector to the Oakland airport.

John “JC” Cho sells grills on Broadway near 21st street, and is Oakland’s self-proclaimed “Gold Teeth Master.” But with gold at $1,100 an ounce, business is tough and he’s had to figure out how to deal with the extra expenses while still pleasing his customers.

A proposal to speed the conversion of apartments to market-rate condos hit resistance at Oakland City Council committee meetings Tuesday, with housing advocates calling for a comprehensive reform of the city’s affordable housing rules.

When the Bay Bridge closed last month for an emergency repair, record numbers of commuters began riding buses, ferries, and BART. But the public transit numbers are dropping again, and planners wonder if there’s a way to keep at least some commuters out of their cars for good.

In the second in our local food series, Oakland North caught up with Kathryn Boyle, the newest addition to Board of Directors at the People’s Grocery in Oakland. She shared with us a favorite recipe that reminds her of autumns back east. “I love making homemade applesauce. I make it a little chunky so that you actually have to chew the apples chunks. It makes the house smell delicious, too, bringing back memories of picking apples in the crisp Virginia…

You made it, Oakland! Happy Friday! Tonight from 5-8pm, you can celebrate the “return of free evening parking” with Oakland retailers throughout the city. Your Black Muslim Bakery is back in the news again this week as the Trib reports BART Board of Directors awarded half of a seven-figure energy-efficiency upgrade deal to Nadir Bey, an associate of deceased Your Black Muslim Bakery founder, Yusuf Bey. The Trib reports that Nadir Bey won the contract despite the fact that he…

Good morning, Oakland California’s Courts are closed today, in an attempt to plug a $414 million hole in the State’s budget. The monthly furloughs are estimated to save $94.3 million dollars this fiscal year. Tend to your inner foodie revolutionary tonight at an outdoor screening of Food Fight! at Trattoria Laurellinos in Laurel. The screening is co-sponsored by local food group, the Oakland Food Connection. Its Wee Wednesdays at the Chabot Space and Science Center with special classes and activities…

Happy Monday Oakland, A couple of items to start the week: Last week’s torrential rain can’t hold Oakland’s foodies back! Taste of Temescal is alive and well and kicks off Tuesday night! Oakland’s new Police Chief, Anthony Batts, assumes command of the Oakland Police Department today. His swearing-in ceremony is set for Tuesday’s City Council Meeting. On Saturday, Bay Area residents gathered at the Cypress Freeway Memorial Park, in West Oakland in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the Loma…

After nearly four months of spaceflight, the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission sacrificed itself for science Friday morning and the audience at Oakland’s Chabot Space and Science Center experienced the impact live.

As you read this a satellite is rocketing at 2,668 mph on a one-way trip to the moon. Early Friday morning, NASA scientists plan to drive two pieces of the satellite into the surface of the moon to look for signs of water.

After a long session of impassioned public debate stretching into early Wednesday morning, the Oakland City Council yesterday passed a largely symbolic resolution in support of the Oakland Airport Connector.

If you’re waiting on that new fluff ‘n fold to open down the street in North Oakland, you’d best not hold your breath. The City Council has approved a new hurdle for potential laundromat holders, arguing that too many of these unsupervised businesses turn into a problem in some areas.

Oakland North set up a camera near the Rockridge BART station on a recent Sunday afternoon. We asked more than 40 people the same question. Here’s what they said. Video by Mario Furloni and Tom Gorman.