Health
Big bikes, small bikes, kid’s bikes and tall bikes — they were all out in force on Sunday. It was Oakland’s first Oaklavía—an event that closed down the Broadway corridor, from Grand Avenue to Jack London Square, to all cars. Bikes, pedestrians, unicyclists and rollerbladers cruised up and down the street checking out the booths and activities on the sidewalks.
With Oakland’s fire season expected to begin within the next few weeks, Oakland North reporter Dara Kerr spoke with Fire Chief Gerald A. Simon about what it means to be the head of Oakland’s Fire Department, what led him to the job, and about Oakland’s unique fire and safety needs.
Some were in spandex, others in dresses or suits and they rolled into downtown Oakland for Oakland’s 16th Annual Bike to Work Day.
They say that running barefoot is like gardening naked in the backyard: it’s not for all seasons, and your neighbors will probably stare. But is this trend only for the serious runner, or is this an opportunity for the rest of us to kick our Nikes to the corner? Mary Flynn has the story.
Can you farm in a city like Oakland? Some local urban farmers, community groups and university researchers think so. Working with the City of Oakland, they are re-envisioning the city’s food supply
The “official” Earth Day 2010 is Thursday, April 22, but Oaklanders have been at it for days now. Browse through their pictures to see what folks have been up to. And remember, it’s not to late to add your own!
Anyone who has shopped for food in a poor urban neighborhood, in Oakland or elsewhere, knows how it goes: Twenty varieties of malt liquor, potato chips, and frozen burritos and one bruised-up, waxy apple. Maybe a half-peeled onion. It’s so common that it’s almost a fact of life in America. Unhealthy food is as intrinsic to poor communities of color as are midnight gunshots and Newport cigarette billboard ads. Click HERE to see the special project
“There’s another one there,” the undercover cop says to me from the driver’s seat. He gestures up the street with a nod. Half a block ahead, I can see who he is talking about: a young woman crosses the street wearing tight jeans tucked into black leather knee-high boots with tall, spiky heels. Her black hair hangs in a braid pulled through the white sequined baseball cap covering her head. She wears a black tank top with thin straps, and…
Have you looked closely into your neighbor’s backyard recently? If you have, you might have noticed a beehive and thousands of buzzing bees. Turns out, backyard beekeeping is a growing trend in the Bay Area.