Community
When the reforms called for by the Affordable Care Act go into effect January 2014, in addition to enrolling thousands of people who were previously uninsured, a number of Baby Boomers will also enroll in Medi-Cal and Medicare. For Alameda County health care experts, the challenge will be to explain the differences in the two similar-sounding programs and to help recipients understand the complex rules of each.
Aalijahri Robinson, 18, found out about financial aid for college while she was a senior at Rusdale Continuation High School, located in East Oakland. The Oakland native hoped to attend college in California, but with unanswered questions about her Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) application and long lines at her financial aid office at school, she ultimately decided not to file her forms last March. “I was just discouraged,” said Robinson. She said her high school did bring in…
Last fall, neighbors saw a once dark and quiet gallery transformed into a bright and open space with brick walls, open shelves and light floors when Umami Mart, a store that carries a variety of Japanese specialty barware, opened in the historic Old Oakland district. Umami Mart opened its doors thanks to an organization called “popuphood” which helps small business owners establish retail shops in an area that is otherwise lacking them. The stores begin as temporary spaces, and if successful are given…
This week, as part of our weekly photo series, the Pulse of Oakland, we are showcasing some of the community contributions to the Flickr stream.
Oakland, California, is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Reporter Débora Silva followed an Oakland resident whose first-hand experience with gun violence dramatically changed her life.
When Jenny Schwarz decided that she was ready to start a new restaurant in Oakland, she took to the Internet, rather than the banks.
Every week, Oakland North will publish a photo submitted by one of our readers. This week’s photo is by Sean Reinhart.
On Friday, the Betti Ono art gallery in downtown Oakland hosted a panel discussion about women and Hip-Hop. The “My Art, My Culture: Women, media, and Hip-Hop” three-part discussion was the product of the combined efforts of a number of Bay Area arts organizations including Beats, Rhymes, and Life, which uses Hip-Hop to empower young people, and the Daughters of Dilla Project, which offers media arts programs for girls.
Oakland North is continuing with our feature. Every week, Oakland Animal Services will spotlight an “Animal of the Week” that’s up for adoption at their facility. This week it’s a cat named Yoshimi. Yoshimi is a smart & loyal girl, approximately 2-3 years old, who is part Maine Coon and part Samurai warrior. Like all good samurai, Yoshimi cautiously observes her surroundings before settling in. Once she feels safe, however, she is very affectionate – she loves to snuggle close to her human…