Health
Dozens of wooden crosses, painted white with a number and name hand-written across the front, stood in the front lawn of St. Columba Catholic Church on Friday. Behind, a big cement cross was hung with a pine wreath and a sign that read: “These crosses represent those killed by homicide in Oakland this year.” There were 94 crosses in total.
Before the November 2010 election, medical marijuana was legal in 14 states and Washington, DC, but nine electoral contests this year put states’ pot laws on the ballot. With this interactive map, reporter Abby Baird breaks down the outcomes of those elections, and reveals where medical marijuana is legal now.
Plans to open a sex boutique in downtown Oakland near a school and several youth program offices have caused some mixed reactions among neighboring businesses, although opponents seem unlikely to appeal a recent decision by the Oakland City Planning Commission allowing the shop to operate within close proximity to a school.
For North Oakland residents who don’t live near a farmers’ market, there’s now a new way to purchase organic produce. Phat Beets Produce, a volunteer-run collective that aims to connect small farmers to urban communities, is now taking orders for their “Beet Boxes.”
Recent studies show that the amount and frequency of your chuckles are proportionally linked to stress levels and general well-being. Like the science but aren’t one of those who can chuckle on cue? You might want to join the Lifefire Laughter Club of Oakland.
This November, eight California counties had marijuana related legislation on their local ballots. Here’s an interactive map showing what passed and what didn’t.
During the holiday season people tend to get presents of new computers, cell phones, televisions and more. While it’s exciting to upgrade your electronics, it leaves you with old gear that’s often hazardous to simply throw away. Here’s a guide to where to recycle electronics in Oakland.
The East Bay Agency for Children’s Therapeutic Nursery School in Oakland cares for pre-school age children with behavioral or emotional problems, often a result of past traumatic experiences including abuse, neglect or prenatal drug exposure.
Circled by three freeways, scattered with industrial factories and a stone’s throw from one of the largest ports in the United States, West Oakland has a high pollution rate. That’s why this neighborhood has become the centerpiece of a new partnership between a local environmental justice group and a high-tech research company to develop a cell phone that can measure pollution.