Blogs

Oakland North Now: March 7, 2009

Good morning, North Oakland. Lawyers for the Oakland Police sergeant investigating the Chauncey Bailey case say the recorded conversations he had with suspect Yusef Bey IV were ” an indication of how Longmire deals respectfully even with people who are possible targets of criminal investigations.” The Trib is also reporting that OPD is investigating allegations that “Bey IV provided women to Longmire for sexual favors.” Good news for those who filed tax refunds. Controller John Chiang says almost $2 billion…

North Oakland Now: March 6, 2009

Happy Friday. This morning, The Chronicle is reporting that the lead investigator into the death of journalist Chauncey Bailey was recorded telling a possible suspect in the case that he would “defend their friendship.” The story says that the 2008 conversations between Sgt. Derwin Longmire and Yusuf Bey IV were recorded in the Santa Rita jail when Bey was being held  on other charges. The City of Berkeley is proposing a $10 million dollar roundabout at the intersection of Gilman…

San Pab Diaries: Tienda Mexicana Blues

(WARNING: spontaneous use of unitalicized spanglish. Read con precaución.) OK. I’m an East Coast Mexican transplant tryin to make my way en la Bahía.  So my first weekend in Berkeley back in August involved the necessary search for my local tienda mexicana. My mexican store. No way I was gonna live off those hippy wheatgrass tortillas they got at Whole-Trader-Bowl. I need me some maíz, foo.  I knew there was paisas in Fruitvale, so I drove aimlessly into Oakland, mapless…

San Pab Diaries: 17.3 miles of yummy contradictions

Prologue This blog is about what I see, eat, do, buy, who I meet and everything in between on San Pablo Ave. According to trusty Google Maps, San Pab is about 17.3 miles running from downtown Oakland to a place called Crockett just off the I80 right before crossing the Carquinez Bridge into Vallejo. 17.3 miles–that stretch like a living corridor of the East Bay and all its yummy contradictions. The ladies of the night hustlin along the Oaktown-Berkeley border,…

Oakland Bites: Punny Eateries

A friend of mine was recently in at the San Francisco Civic Center watching an argument before the California Supreme Court, when she stopped by the building cafeteria and it was called…the Justice Served Cafe. Chances are, you’re either gagging or giggling, but count me among the gigglers. I love punny restaurants, with the exception of Brandon Davis’s inappropriately-themed taco joint—you probably know what I’m talking about, but I’m not linking to it—and here’s hoping you can Google if you…

Busline Blog: Perilous Rides

Yesterday morning a bus was in an accident around 12th and Webster streets in downtown Oakland; a driver ran a red light and barreled straight into the bus. No injuries were reported, though moderate damage was reported to both the bus and the vehicle. The accident follows an incident last weekend in which a man was robbed on a bus at the corner of International and Seminary in East Oakland. Police released stills of the incident yesterday and are still…

North Oakland Now: March 5, 2009

History could very well be in the balance as the state supreme court hears arguments on the constitutionality of Prop 8, the measure that define marriage as between a man and a woman.  According to San Jose Mercury News, there’s quite a ruckus in the city. And the Associated Press reports that the Cook County, IL. (which includes Chicago) sheriff is filing a federal lawsuit against the popular website Craigslist for promoting prostitution on a major scale.  Regardless of merits of the…

Do Something About It: Rebuilding Happiness

If you’re looking for a project that will have a sure and immediate impact on someone’s quality of life, you might be interested in Rebuilding Together, a non-profit committed to improving the lives of low-income senior citizens and disabled persons through free repair work or improvements to their homes.  Next month is National Rebuilding Day, when volunteers nationwide spend two days rehabbing homes in a blitz of positive and transformative work.  Whether it’s installing grab bars, fixing leaky roof, or…

Missing pieces

It’s no fun getting parts stolen off your bike, and striped-down bikes can be seen all over the East Bay. The quality or age of the bike doesn’t matter, it’s always still a little sad when you see a missing wheel, seat or frame-R.I.P.