Titania Kumeh

Oakland Zoo to treat endangered California condors for lead poisoning

Prehistoric animals with wingspans the length of automobiles will be arriving at the Oakland Zoo soon to receive treatment for the health effects of a chemical that continues to threaten their survival. The California condor, the largest flying land bird in North America, has been on the endangered species list since 1967, and now sick pairs of the bird are slated for arrival at the zoo’s new condor treatment center in March.

MacArthur B Arthur, an art gallery and a home, launches its final show

Through the windows of 4030 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Kevin Clarke can be seen lounging in a chair, typing away at his laptop with his full-sized bed in full view. Clarke’s bed and lounge chairs sit near the front window of a 2,000 square foot warehouse space, where everything from the vintage stove in his kitchen to his niece’s scribbled drawing tacked on his work space wall are all part of the gallery experience. “I like that it’s a little…

New plastic bag ban receives mixed reactions from customers, storeowners in Oakland

Behind the counter at Nick’s Liquor store in West Oakland, owner Abdullah Albasir tries to calm customers annoyed that they have to pay 10 cents for a bag now that Alameda County’s new regulations on plastic bags have gone into effect. “I don’t got 10 cents,” one customer says loudly, sliding a gallon jug of water and packages of Marie Callender’s TV dinners across the counter. “You charge 10 cents, too?” asks another customer overhearing this conversation. “Damn!” Albasir explains…

Dr. Comics store welcomes novices and serious buffs alike

Michael Pandolfo’s childhood comic store was dark, dingy, and intimidating. He remembers the shop was full of the condescending comic book fans he calls “rules lawyers”—comic book experts who show disdain for non-experts. It wasn’t a welcoming place for any but the most shunned, resentful reader. This old store, where he bought his first issues of Conan the Barbarian, loomed large in his mind when he opened his own comic shop Dr. Comics & Mr. Games on Piedmont Avenue in…

Oakland vegetarians and vegans celebrate Thanksgiving meat-free

Some meat-free Oaklanders will be eating veggie “meat” on Thursday, others will focus on traditionally vegetarian side dishes, and others are just looking forward to sitting down with friends and family, no matter what’s on the table. “A rainbow on the table” is how Breakroom customer Tiana Trutma describes her Thanksgiving meal.

“Naked Ladies” art show brings feminist flair to Oakland venues

Images of naked and unashamed women are part of the show “Naked Ladies: Sexy. Raw. Owning it,” which began its run at a crowded reception during the First Friday Art Murmur on November 2. The exhibit features female-centric paintings, photographs, video art and mixed media created by 30 artists—mostly women—whose works deal with women’s ownership of their bodies, emotions and sexuality.

With absentee ballots and special volunteers, helping the infirm vote

For Oakland’s sick and elderly population, voting today presented a litany of obstacles, from immobility to sickness to mental illnesses. But the Registrar of Voters is tackling what seems to be the biggest hurdle: patients who physically cannot walk to a polling station. “Most people here are in wheelchairs,” said Stephen Kutchko, the director of social services at Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, on 29th Street near the hospital center in North Oakland. “Most people can’t walk or get out…

Oakland residents drop off jumbo-sized trash

More than a hundred Oakland residents descended into San Leandro over the weekend to participate in the free Bulky Item Drop-Off event. The event, sponsored by the Oakland Public Works Agency and Waste Management of Alameda County, took place at the Davis Street Resource and Recycling Center.