Education

Oakland’s newest sex shop is cut from a different cloth

Feelmore510, Oakland’s newest adult store, opened—somewhat appropriately—on Valentine’s Day this week, but it has not been universally welcomed. When Nenna Joiner applied for permits to open the store two months ago, opponents complained that Feelmore510’s Uptown location would put it within 500 feet of several major gathering places for young people, including Youth Radio, a foster housing agency called First Place for Youth, and Oakland School for the Arts. But not everyone objects to the store.

Poll finds California youth optimistic about the future

A newly released poll of 600 young Californians shows that kids today are as optimistic about their futures as ever. The poll, conducted by New America Media and published on Monday, found that 82 percent of respondents believe their lives will be better in 10 years than they are now, and 95 percent believe that if they work hard they will achieve their goals. At the same time, the 16- to 22-year-olds polled said it was taking them longer to…

Cisco donates routers to give Oakland students Internet access

Students at Oakland’s ARISE High School will soon have all the equipment they need to access the Internet at home; on Monday they received a donation of 220 wireless routers from Cisco. They’re also eligible to get free computers from Oakland Technology Exchange West (OTX West), a non-profit that offers refurnished PCs and computer training to all Oakland students in grades 6 to 12.

For an Oakland school garden program, it’s harvest time

The Oakland Based Urban Gardens organization — or O.B.U.G.S. — provides healthy food options for Oakland youth ages two to fourteen in six local school gardens. Reporter Lauren Callahan joined West Oakland Middle School students as they harvested greens and learned to make kale salad.

The new 81st Avenue Library opens its doors Saturday

At a time when local governments talk more about cutting public services than providing new ones, Oakland’s newest library branch bucks the trend. No modest affair, the new 81st Avenue Library opens its doors Saturday in one of the city’s most troubled areas.