Politics
A state-wide sigh of relief was heard at 7 o’clock this morning because California finally has an emergency budget plan in place. (Now we just wait until the pain of the impending budget cuts meets the burden of tax increases for the real misery to set in). In light of the tragic events surrounding the death of Oscar Grant, two assembly members introduced a bill that would form a civilian oversight group over the BART police, intending to increase…
Another day of showers around the Bay Area messed with people’s plans, including delays at SFO and Oakland Airport, power outages and flooding – but it still won’t be enough to end the water shortage. In a really heinous move, someone burgled a local food giveaway over the weekend. Hopefully we’ll start to see some positive changes with the $787 Billion stimulus plan signed into law today by President Obama, but the California Senate is still one vote shy…
By ANNA BLOOM At Thursday’s opening ceremony for “Oakland Celebrates the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” leaders reached for the wisdom of King to weave together the tragic and auspicious first month of 2009. The ceremony was held the afternoon following the second of two citywide protests over the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant III on Jan. 1 at the Fruitvale BART station. Newspapers led the day’s paper’s with the story that the former BART police officer,…
In this audio slide by Anna Bloom, local classroom teachers and their students reflect on the classroom promise and challenges of this extraordinary election. Click here to play.
In these commentaries, Oakland North writers weigh in on 1) keeping Black Friday in perspective; 2) keeping certain kinds of humor in the back room, where maybe it ought to stay; and 3) how the new secretary of state selection looks through the eyes of a journalist raised in West Africa.
by ANNA BLOOM DEC. 1—Guests at a City Hall World AIDS Day Community Awards Ceremony got an early glimpse tonight of a 50-foot long bronze monument planned for a new city park in downtown Oakland. “We are here as a testament of what is truly important and that is us, the livelihood and survival of our community,” Vashone Huff, deputy of intergovernmental affairs for the city of Oakland, said before a scale version of the statue, less than one-tenth the…
Named after a Rockridge pediatrician who was murdered a decade ago, this free service brings volunteer doctors to children who need them. Click here for the story.
By MARTIN RICARD The 100 people who funneled last Thursday into the former downtown campaign office of newly elected at-large city councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan were welcomed by jazz music, food, and a number of familiar faces. They chatted, exchanged hugs and shared laughter during a post-election celebration of her victory. And then about half an hour into the event, here came Kaplan—striding toward a makeshift podium in the darkened room, blowing one long blast toward the ceiling with her signature…