Blogs

Today is the first Friday of May, which means it’s time for Oakland Art Murmur. More than 20 galleries will be open tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. Among them, Rock Paper Scissors Collective (2278 Telegraph Ave) will have a one-night-only display of large, human-powered machines, part of its “Beyond Bicycles” exhibit. This weekend, the Sweet Shoppe comes to Jack London Square. A two-day celebration of everything sweet, the event will have pastry chef demonstrations, a hands-on children’s area, and…

The long-awaited 12th Street reconstruction project along Lake Merritt officially begins today with a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. across from 1200 Lakeshore Ave.  The project, which is expected to take two years, will move the road away from the lake and create new parkland along the shoreline. The city will host two identical community workshops this afternoon and evening to provide an overview of its Draft Energy and Climate Action Plan. The meetings, from 3 to 5p.m. and 7…

Oakland Unified School District teachers have voted to authorize a longer strike of up to 10 days. The Oakland Education Association announced the voting results last night, and the Oakland Tribune has more. The Community Police Review Board and the Planning Commission both meet at City Hall tonight at 6 p.m. The Planning Commission agenda is available here. In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeno Band will be performing at noon today at Oakland City Center, 12th…

Some East Oakland residents are upset after police killed a deer that wandered into their neighborhood on Saturday. Under the headline “Oakland Police chase and gun down ‘Bambi,’” the Chronicle reported that OPD officers shot the deer seven times after the disoriented animal was spotted walking through the neighborhood. A neighbor caught the shooting on tape, and the video was soon aired on local TV news broadcasts. Neighbors were quick to criticize the OPD for frightening neighbors with the sounds of gunfire and…

Oakland’s Cinco de Mayo festival has been cancelled for the second time in two years because of a lack of funding. The Oakland Tribune has more. Tonight’s City Council meeting promises to be action-packed, with several hot-button issues on the agenda. A few highlights: – an appeal hearing on Nic Nak Liquors, which was approved for a permit to sell alcohol by the Planning Commission, an act opposed by some neighbors. – a resolution denouncing Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, which…

Oakland Unified School District teachers will vote this afternoon at 4p.m. to decide whether to authorize an extended strike. The Contra Costa Times has more. A bicyclist killed by a car in North Oakland Friday evening has been identified as Peter Webster, 60, of Oakland. The Oakland Tribune has the story. Kaiser Permanente East Bay is offering free bicycle safety classes at the Oakland Medical Center. The last class is Thursday, May 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the Fabiola Building,…

The Oakland Tribune provides an update on the condition of Tristan Anderson, an Oakland resident who remains hospitalized in Israel after being severely injured last year in a protest in the West Bank. The National Women’s Political Caucus Alameda North is hosting an info session Monday night about the June primary election. From the Caucus: “Which way will you vote on the ballot initiatives for the June 2010 Primary?   Come learn about the issues, pro and con, and learn where…

A 60-year-old bicyclist was reportedly killed Friday night when hit by a car at the corner of Market and 52nd streets at about 6 p.m. The Oakland Tribune has more: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14998661