Blogs
Dubbed as America’s worst urban fire since the Great Chicago Fire, Wednesday marks the 19th anniversary of the Oakland firestorm which left 25 people dead, 150 injured and over 3,000 homes destroyed. To honor those who fought and those who were lost, the Firestorm Community Mural Project was erected in 1994. Located outside the Rockridge BART station, the mural features over 2,000 hand-painted tiles. [This video and timeline are no longer available.]
BART will be giving away hundreds of prizes according to a recent announcement. Those who enter by Monday, October 18 before midnight have a chance to win prizes like free tickets to an October 23 Cal football game or free tickets to the Oakland Museum’s celebration for Days of the Dead. More information at http://www.mybart.org/contests/index.php. Also important news for Monday: starting at 8:00 am, Oakland residents can get up to 20 sandbags and up to 50 feet in plastic sheeting…
A harvest moon party is taking place right in Oakland, hosted by the Oakland Fukuoka Sister City Association and the Golden State Bonsai Collection North. There will be Japanese food, entertainment, and moon viewing at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave. Festivities start at 5:30 pm. On the politics front, former President Bill Clinton will be stopping by San Jose State University to rally for fellow Democrats Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom. Brown is vying in a close…
As the election approaches, it’s important to know about the candidates and where they stand. Great Oakland Public Schools, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Oakland children, has posted a Video Voter Guide detailing positions of the four candidates for Oakland school board. The four are campaigning for three seats (two unopposed and one contested). The guide includes an opening statement and questions about teacher retention, school district and City Hall partnerships, and board priorities. Check out the Video Voter…
In most cities, it’s Columbus Day… but in Berkeley, it’s Indigenous Peoples Day. Grass dancers shook to the beat of drums and non-Native Americans had the opportunity to learn about Native American culture through food, arts and craft, and traditional clothing at the city’s annual pow wow yesterday. According to the Berkeley Indigenous Peoples Day’s website, the city renamed Columbus Day in 1992–the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage–and after the inaugural year, a free pow has been held in Berkeley’s…
Sgt. Nevis, a 650-pound California sea lion that was shot in the face 10 months ago by a fisherman on the Sacramento River, is recovering from a 2-hour facial reconstructive surgery performed Friday morning at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, according to a statement on the Marine Mammal Center website. The center rescued Sgt. Nevis at Knight’s Landing in Yolo County in December. The sea lion was named after Sgt. Michael Nevis, a member of Yolo County Sheriff’s Office…
San Francisco Fleet Week is here and the itinerary is packed with activities–take a tour inside of a Guided Missile Destroyer ship, watch fireworks from a yacht while enjoying a gourmet dinner, or watch The United States Navy Blue Angels in an air show. The flight path spans from the Marina District to the docks along the Embarcadero, so where should spectators go to get the best views of the air show? Look at our handy map of the hot…
Hundreds of UC Berkeley students, faculty and workers started chanting at noon during a rally in response to fee hikes, layoffs and furloughs. Early this morning, people were scattered around the campus, picketing and handing out flyers to students on their way to class. A noon rally will lead into a march and a sit-in until 5pm today. Follow us at twitter.com/northoaklandnow for live updates of the protest, and check out oaklandnorth.net for detailed coverage and photos. If you’re not familiar with…
A group of East Oakland homeowners, including many facing foreclosure on their homes, plans to announce their participation in the Home Defenders League, a newly forming, statewide homeowners advocacy group. The group plans to meet 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Bienati Way and Fruitvale Avenue, and enter several nearby banks to declare they want an end to foreclosures.