Economy
Oakland activist group Genesis is campaigning for the creation of a free bus pass for students in Alameda County. During a town hall meeting the group organized at the First Congregational Church on Thursday evening, hundreds of supporters showed up and chanted “Get on the bus!” to a rolling video camera, urging elected officials to invest in the bus pass program.
It’s summertime, and Oakland’s community gardens are thriving. But in a city with only about 200 plots for 40,000 people, waiting lists are long, and the Office of Parks and Recreation is expanding the gardening program as fast as it can.
The Oakland City Council’s Public Safety Committee passed an ordinance by consensus Tuesday evening that will double the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, if approved by the city council.
Youth Greening Oakland (YGO) is an eight-week “earn and learn” summer program that hires teenagers to work in urban gardening projects while also learning about environmental justice and food sustainability issues.
Rockridge residents are raising money to fix up the area around a Highway 24 on-ramp and off-ramp on Claremont Avenue.
The City of Oakland firefighters’ union voted to approve a new contract with the city Thursday, a deal they say will save the city close to $30 million over three years by cutting firefighters’ salaries, among other concessions. All five of the city unions approved contracts with the city this week, helping shave off $23 million from a $58-million budget gap. All unions agreed to give back approximately nine percent in compensation, according to Mayor Jean Quan. Along with the…
Checking out tools here is as easy as checking out a library book. With nearly 3,000 tools available for loan, including books and how-to videos, it’s a DIY heaven for crafty and inspired Oaklanders.
For 10 years, Rachel Saunders made jam on the side, mostly for friends. Then, she said, making jam “sort of became more of a hobby.” But ultimately it became North Oakland’s Blue Chair Fruit Company — see how they make one of their artisan marmalades.
Furniture retail giant IKEA is putting solar panels on its store roofs all over the globe, including the one on the Oakland-Emeryville border. If you drive across the highway overpasses nearby, you can see the array coming into shape.