Community

For almost 12 years, residents and city officials have debated whether to section off nearly 20,000 square feet of Astro Park at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Lakeshore Avenue to create a run for off-leash dogs or leave the area “green.” During Tuesday night’s council meeting, hundreds showed up wearing yellow and black paw prints on their shirts to show support for the park, while others brought signs that said “Not Sustainable.”

When word spread that there was half a box of Twinkies still on a shelf at the A&A Market on Sunday afternoon, people of all ages gathered to get their hands on a small cellophane-wrapped piece of what was left of the Hostess legacy, and reflected on what the Twinkie—the “snack with a snack in the middle,” as the ads used to say–meant to them.

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 rabbit named Jilly.

Sounds of Christmas music, cheering and motorcycles at the Oakland Parade seeped through the windows of City Hall, but didn’t stop discussions on youth and technology, the freedom of information act and the digital divide in Oakland at the first annual CityCamp, organized by the OpenOakland brigade. Over 120 people, including programmers, city officials, bloggers and community members, attended the “unconference,” or interactive forum with topics of discussion that attendees themselves choose.

The galleries of Oakland’s Jingletown, a pocket East Oakland community once dominated by immigrants and working warehouses, opened this weekend to display the work of over 35 local artists, all part of the seventh annual Jingletown Winter ArtWalk. The weekend event highlighted a variety of work, from photography and oil painting to metal work and textiles.

Community activists bucked a proposal to turn an empty lot in Uptown into a parking lot, advocating instead for a temporary sculpture park. Years later, Uptown Art Park is almost ready to open.

On November 30, the community of Oakland celebrated the reopening of the once popular Parkway Theater in its new downtown location. But for some community members, the event was not joyous, but rather full of longing for the original theater, which was located east of Lake Merritt. Click on the player above to watch the video.

Isrnail Abdullah Mohammad is a Sudanese man that came to the United States when he was 8 years old. Over the years Mohammad has adapted to living here in the United States and carries out his day to day activities in the city of Oakland.

Imam Ali Ahmed Mukasa, an immigrant from Uganda, has been head of Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland for the last eight years, although for six of those years he has been on a visitation visa. Though he has applied for adjustment of status through a family petition with his wife, his future is uncertain as he waits for an interview that will determine whether he can stay in the country.