Community
Whew! What a year, Oakland! Even before Occupy Oakland provided a year’s worth of news on its own, 2011 was a banner year for city news. Oakland came close to shuttering most of its libraries due to a $58 million budget deficit, as the school board faced repeated protests over its controversial decision close five elementary schools, as a judge weighed the fate of the Fruitvale gang injunction, and voters began to petition for the recall of Mayor Quan.
Need a New Year’s drink? Oakland North has put all 21 of our Nightcap bar profiles together on one page, so you can check out the local watering holes at a glance.
Looking for a fun way to ring in the New Year in Oakland? Here are a few of our suggestions for stuff to do around town on Saturday.
Homeowners and apartment renters have several different options from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority about how to dispose of their trees, while two tree lots in Oakland send what’s left of their supply to the Oakland Zoo.
Placemaking–using art to create places of meaning and significance–is catching on in the Golden Gate District with a new project created by neighbors that aims to tell the story of the area, both its history and what people would like to see in the future.
Just hours after two Oakland Police Department officers escorted a man who identified himself as a property owner of a plot in West Oakland encamped by members of Occupy Oakland, police raided and disbanded the camp, leading to at least one arrest. On December 22, occupiers set up camp at a triangular lot at 20th Street and Mandela Parkway, a plot they believed to be owned by the city. But city assessor’s records show that the plot is indeed owned…
In the heart of Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood is Yasai Market, a small, independently-owned produce store. The shop is located on College Avenue, directly across the street from a Safeway grocery store, but owner Bo Pak is not afraid of having a chain supermarket as her neighbor.
For Dimitri Thompson, it’s all or nothing. Whether its the rectangular chillers to keep the milk cold and sanitary, the energy-efficient espresso machine that draws little power or the reused materials that make up most of his furniture, Thompson left no detail unattended while crafting the blueprints for his Noble Cafe. His ultimate goal: a carbon neutral cafe — the first in the United States.
Oakland North is continuing with our feature. Every week, we will publish a photo submitted by one of our readers. This week’s photo is by Ashlee Willett.