Sports
Fred Thompson was 18 when I met him, and I had never seen a body so large move so fast, and with such agility. He was what makes quarterbacks wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. Sunday would have been his 20th birthday.
“Love, respect, care, responsibility, honor, and peace”—that’s the Warrior’s Code that East Bay youth are being taught at Destiny Arts Center as part of the Growing Peaceful Warriors Program. Instructors teach young people self-defense and conflict management skills to deal with possible real-life dangerous situations through the martial and performing arts.
This busy part of 8th Street is the site for one of the many proposed bikeways in Oakland. However, some Chinatown leaders said the city should think twice before adding bikes to the mix on 8th Street, as well as parallel 9th Street, which has a similar bustling vibe.
On Monday evening, the Oakland Scraper Bike Team rolled through East Oakland for their 5th Annual Scraper Bike Halloween Ride. A scraper bike is a custom designed bike that includes flashy wheels, a spray-painted frame and a unique design. Some scraper bikes even have sound systems installed.
On Thursday night, a cast of about 40 characters gathered under the lights of the Rockridge BART parking lot for the annual pre-Halloween version of FourSquare East Bay, dubbed “Costume Square.”
Oakland Strokes is a co-ed junior rowing program with about 200 kids on its roster from schools around the East Bay. The Strokes are one of the top youth rowing clubs in the country, boasting six national titles for the girls’ team and two for the boys. There’s a non-competitive middle school program, a novice team for first-year rowers, and a varsity team.
In recent years, Oakland has emerged as a major entry point for Mongolian immigrants. Nine years after Oktyabri’s arrival, more than 1,000 are believed to live in Oakland’s downtown alone, with more living in surrounding neighborhoods.
The Oakland Raiders Booster Club gathered Thursday for its first meeting since legendary owner Al Davis died. Some of the members discussed what they think the future holds for the team, and the city, now that Davis and his larger-than-life persona are not around any more.
Game Day is a new series that will feature Oakland teams and athletes every Wednesday afternoon.
This week, it’s the Oakland Tech girls tennis team.