Culture

IS THERE A MONSTER IN LAKE MERRITT? SCIENTIST SAYS YES!

Few know what lurks the depths of the murky, brackish, crustacean-filled Lake Merritt. Few know what beastly beast, what cryptid, what leviathan, what man-eating monster could be swimming below, slithering through those fetid waters. Few know… but many have seen.

Summer treat series: Refreshing drinks

Throughout the month of June, Oakland North is featuring a weekly food and drink series of summer treats that can be found in Oakland. This fourth installment focuses on cool beverages that can be found all over the city and includes watermelon slushy with boba pearls, minty lemonade, Vietnamese sugar cane juice and a traditional Mexican drink made from sweet fermented corn poured over shaved ice.

Summer treat series: Latin treats in Fruitvale

Throughout the month of June, Oakland North is featuring a weekly food series of summer treats that can be found in Oakland. This third installment focuses on Latin treats that can be found in Fruitvale and includes nopal cactus quesadillas filled with sautéed squash blossoms, corn ice cream, tamarind lollypops and fresh corn in a cup topped with lime, salt, chili, mayo and parmesan cheese.

Leaders in education and research talk compassion and big ideas at TED conference

Big ideas about education and emotion flowed through the Craneway Pavillion at the TEDxGoldenGateED conference over the weekend. The ideas found a receptive audience in the roughly 700 in attendance at the Saturday conference that attracted teachers, parents, therapists and others from throughout the Bay Area. The day included a packed schedule of speakers, performers and workshops that revolved around the central theme of compassion.

Mama Buzz brings free concerts to cafe patrons

Mama Buzz Café and Gallery is located on Telegraph Avenue in the heart of Oakland’s young art scene. In addition to showcasing new artists’ work each month, Mama Buzz invites musicians several times a week to play free concerts in the intimate setting of the café.

Bites on Broadway kicks off weekly summer mobile food fest

Like one giant neighborhood picnic, “Bites on Broadway” officially launched its weekly food extravaganza last Friday. People laid down blankets on the grassy lawn of Oakland Tech High School in Temescal and sampled food from a handful of a different food trucks and tents, including El Taco Bike, Fist of Flour Pizza Company, Sue’s Sassy Pies, Go Streatery and Tina Tamale.

Program partners kids, elderly for cooking and crafting visits

North Oakland Senior Center had some young visitors on Friday as a group of third graders from Peralta Elementary School came to visit the seniors of an adult day care program in the center. Together with the elderly, the kids prepared salad and lemonade for lunch.

Summer treat series: Middle Eastern corridor on Telegraph

Over the next month, Oakland North is featuring a food series on summer treats in Oakland. This second installment in the series focuses on Middle Eastern treats that can be found along Telegraph Avenue around 30th Street, which includes everything from Syrian rose watered pistachio baklava to Afghani cornmeal-coated fried chicken to clarified butter spiced with both black and white cumin.