Community

Photo project: 24 Hours in Oakland

We sent ten reporters out with their cameras, and invited community members to help us capture images of a day in the life of the city. Work and play, rest and motion: Just an ordinary 24 hours in Oakland. There will never be another one exactly like it.

The New Parish joins the Oakland music scene

Off of 19th and San Pablo in downtown Oakland lies an unassuming two-story building; if it’s a quiet night, the only giveaway that something is going on inside is a big bouncer with an ear-piece standing out front and a small black and white sign that says “The New Parish.” But inside, the New Parish is Oakland’s newest music venue.

Guerilla knitters “yarn bomb” sculpture on Oakland-Berkeley border

The “HERE” and “THERE” sculptures on the Oakland-Berkeley border have become the site of a dispute between the City of Berkeley and an anonymous group of guerilla knitters, who have created a “T cozy” over part of the sculpture. On Sunday, the group held a “T party” to bring attention to their piece.

Exposing the sensuous red velvet cupcake

What’s behind the popularity of red velvet cake? Is it the texture, enhanced by the chemistry of buttermilk? The cream cheese frosting? Or perhaps, it’s the color red. Anrica Deb explores the food science behind the cupcake craze.

Oakland youth bring spirit to South Berkeley

Something has recently changed in South Berkeley—big colorful paintings are popping up in formerly vacant storefront windows. They were all made by low-income youth, mostly from Oakland, paid to paint by an organization called Youth Spirit Artworks — an organization that hires teens to beautify local neighborhoods.

Lakeside Garden Center showcases roses

It’s rose season — and to celebrate this perennial, on Sunday the East Bay Rose Society held its 63rd rose show at Oakland’s Lakeside Garden Center at Lake Merritt.

Three schools, three visions, one neighborhood

The three schools in the Golden Gate neighborhood are Santa Fe Elementary, a traditional K-5 public school; Civicorps Elementary, an environmentally focused K-5 charter school; and Berkley Maynard, an Aspire K-7 charter school. Each school has its own character and its own focus, according the principals of the schools and the many community members we spoke with.  Above you will find slides that take you through the raw data for each school, and below you’ll find a little information about…

Follow the money: OUSD projected staffing cuts

The Oakland Unified School District is set to cut $85 million from its budget next year.  Inevitably, this will include some cuts to staffing.  The infographic above reflects the projected staffing cuts in the Oakland Unified School District for the 2010-2011 school year. Staffing cuts in the district are allocated based on the idea of “Full Time Equivalencies” or FTEs. One FTE is the equivalent cost of one full-time job, but it does not necessarily make up an individual position….