Environment

As the economy sinks, homeless people move onto abandoned boats

As the number of homeless and illegal boat dwellers has increased, they say, so has a chronic wave of thefts that has kept marinas on both sides of the Oakland estuary under siege. Meanwhile, they complain, the illegal estuary dwellers are causing a host of environmental problems by disposing of sewage in the water or abandoning their boats, which can leach toxic substances as they disintegrate.

County board of supervisors urges governor to keep shelter law on the books

Angie Markle is proud of her dog, Regie, a small, black Chihuahua Terrier mix. Regie is a social therapy dog with Paws for Healing, a nonprofit that provides canine assisted therapy. Markle takes him around to visit children and veterans in the hospital, and sits with kids when they’re reading in the library or nervous because they’re in court. Markle carries around business cards with a picture of Regie sitting like a good boy on the front, and information about his breed, and his story, on the back.

“Ready, Set, Grow” jobs forum spotlights employment in health and food industries

Discussions of food, community well being, and employment intersected in West Oakland on Wednesday at the city’s first “Ready, Set, Grow” event, a forum on jobs in sustainable food systems and health. Put on by the Alliance for Oakland’s Food Systems, which is headed up by People’s Grocery, the event brought together a who’s-who of Oakland’s non-profits that are hiring, and people looking for work to help them prepare for and find jobs.

Shelters may shorten the amount of time animals can stay to 72 hours

Animal activists are up in arms over the budget cut they say turns back the clock on animal welfare over 100 years. Governor Brown recently proposed repealing the Hayden Act which guarantees animals will be held in shelters 4-6 open business days. The repeal would mean municipal shelters would only be required to hold stray animals and pets for 72 consecutive hours from the moment of impound and shelters would not be required to treat animals with medical care.

A creek ran through it

The physical evidence today is scarce, but Temescal began with the creek. Most of the section of Temescal Creek that runs through the Temescal district has been covered up. Over the years, the creek was gradually culverted through the flat lands of North Oakland, and many younger residents of the area today may not know that it even exists. But where the bustling intersection of 51st Street and Telegraph Avenue is located today was once a popular relaxation destination for…

A conversation with Oakland chef and activist Bryant Terry

Oakland-based chef, author and activist Bryant Terry has a way with food. In his newest cookbook, “The Inspired Vegan,” he continues a longtime quest to bring flavor-intense but nutritionally rich eats to a larger audience, and to have a little fun while he’s at it.