Community
At a quiet school board meeting on Wednesday night, Oakland’s school board renewed the charters for two local schools: North Oakland Community Charter School (NOCCS) and Lighthouse Community Charter.
Bay Area residents have the chance to be fairy godparents by opening their closets and hearts to help a young women attend their high school proms. The Princess Project, now in its eighth year, is a volunteer effort to give accessories and new and gently used prom dresses to teens who otherwise couldn’t afford them.
In the era of Proposition 8 — the state constitutional amendment that says marriage is only legal between a man and a woman — same-sex couples are doing what they can to express their commitment to each other. Lindsay Nelson and Chelley Putzer participated in a Valentines Day instant wedding hosted by UrbanDaddy.com and the W Hotel. The ten couples who were married throughout the day had everything provided for them. For Lindsay and Chelley, that meant everything but a marriage certificate.
Oakland residents filled the City Council chambers last night, pleading for a reprieve from an additional $15.3 million in city budget cuts to close the deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
It’s been six months since Hasanni Campbell disappeared from outside a Rockridge shoe store, but the supporters who gathered outside the downtown Oakland police station Wednesday night continue to hope for his safe return.
A sustainable garden, hip-hop and multimedia production — the Green Youth Arts and Media Center opened on January 14th in Oakland. It’s mission: to connect environmental sustainability to cultural practices and to mentor Oakland’s future leaders. Jun Stinson reports.
After the earthquake, Haitian dancers Portsha Jefferson and Colette Eloi were hearing from loved ones in Haiti who needed help. So they came together with other artists in Oakland, California to perform at a benefit concert. The money they raised was sent directly to friends and family in Haiti, where it will be distributed in their communities. Kate McLean reports. Photos courtesy of Congo SQ West, Rita Daniels and Rara Tou Limen.
Mike “DREAM” Francisco, a graffiti artist from Alameda who was murdered 10 years ago during a robbery, inspired young artists and his memory brought them together Friday for “Dream Day,” a celebration of his life and hip hop culture.
In an effort to keep Actual Cafe an actual cafe, starting this weekend owner Sal Bednarz will embark upon a month-long social experiment to create the kind of social atmosphere that existed before wireless internet and mobile computers. Bednarz wants people to step away from their Facebook profiles and connect face-to-face.