Posts Tagged ‘Oakland’
Mehserle protests end with limited damage, lots of arrests
Oakland’s streets are quiet again. Peaceful protests turned into a night of vandalism Friday after the announcement of a two-year sentence for former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle. Police officials said 152 people were arrested after protesters at a peaceful rally in Frank Ogawa Plaza stormed the streets of Oakland Friday night. Protesters marched through…
Read MorePolice call for calm following Mehserle sentencing
Store owners boarded up windows and residents gathered in front of City Hall as news of a sentence in the Johannes Mehserle trial began to spread across Oakland Friday afternoon. The two-year sentence handed-down by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry is the lightest possible prison term for Mehserle’s conviction of involuntary manslaughter. Many Oakland residents were hoping for the maximum 14-year term while others wonder how Oakland will react as the day develops.
Read MoreHodge campaign spending raises questions
While walking the streets of East Oakland, Marcie Hodge is greeted by encouraging words from residents. But Hodge’s campaign spending and qualifications for office have been scrutinized, and as of Friday she had not filed mandatory campaign spending paperwork.
Read MoreJobs scarce for released inmates, Oakland’s working poor
When James Smith was released on parole in 2007, the Department of Corrections gave him $200 and pointed him out the door—he had no support, nowhere to go, nothing but the clothes on his back. It had been years since he had been on the outside. In a matter of months, Smith was asking his parole officer whether he could be sent back to prison rather than finish parole. Without a job, life outside proved to be difficult—too uncertain. “I couldn’t find a job,” said the 45-year-old Oakland native. “It’s like being a pariah.”
Read MoreOakland’s fixed-gear fixation
Bicycles have long been ingrained in the Bay Area’s transportation culture, so it’s no surprise that fixed-gear bikes—single-gear bikes with no rear freewheel, making it impossible for the rider to coast—have found a home in Oakland.
Read MoreCan “Superman” save the conversation on education? New films explore reform
Hundreds of moviegoers were more than willing to brave the 45-minute line in front of the Piedmont Theater on Wednesday night for a free screening of Waiting for Superman, the controversial new documentary that some movie reviewers say could change the face of American education. The screening, which included a question and answer session with Oakland Unified School District superintendent Tony Smith, received about 1,000 RSVPs, but was only able to accommodate the first 412 people.
Read MoreNeglected Oakland parks get some love from residents
Listen to how Oakland residents spent a day surveying conditions of the city’s parks and other recreational areas, many of which have fallen into disarray.
Read MoreUnlicensed foods joyfully consumed at first Oakland Underground Market
This weekend, hundreds of hungry people turned up the East Bay’s first Underground Market, a food event somewhat akin to a farmer’s market except it’s only for members, and –- more significantly –- it doesn’t require vendors to have permits or to use commercial kitchens.
Read MoreThousands to lose county assistance funds on April 1
On April 1, Alameda County will cut off funding to thousands of recipients of General Assistance, a safety net program provided to indigent adults without dependent children who have little or no savings and no source of income. Two Oakland men who depend on General Assistance share their stories with Oakland North, as well as their concerns about life after April 1.
Read MoreA tale of two cities, health care edition: Uninsured in Oakland and San Francisco
Alessanda Chesley has a job she loves, but lost her employer-provided health insurance in August. If she lived in San Francisco, she’d be eligible for Healthy San Francisco, the city’s health care program for the uninsured. But she lives in Oakland.
Read MoreThe graffiti canvas: A modern medieval manuscript?
In this video, leading artists working on pieces in Oakland’s DeFremery Park at 18th and Adeline Street earlier this fall give a beginner’s lesson on graffiti aesthetics and explain how their art derives lessons from the medieval masters.
Read More“What is justice?” Inside a death penalty trial
In 2001, Christopher Evans murdered two people at 85th Avenue and International Boulevard in East Oakland, setting him up for either the death penalty or a sentence of life without parole. This week, a jury of his peers would return a verdict on his fate. A look at what they considered and what they decided.
Read MoreGraffiti artists do battle at DeFremery Park
Twenty four of the most talented graffiti artists from California, Chicago, Hawaii and New York battled in West Oakland last Saturday.
Read MoreGreen Day’s rock opera hits home
Midway through the rock opera “American Idiot,” the main character Johnny, his rebel girlfriend Whatsername, and an ensemble of urban youth belt out their message of isolation in the city: “My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, my shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, sometimes I wish someone out there will find…
Read MoreCouncil bows to protests, rolls back parking hours
Amid calls for civility and compromise, members of the Oakland City Council apologized last night for their handling of unpopular parking hikes and voted to roll back meter hours from 8:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
In a six to one vote, the council passed a rollback proposal from two weeks ago, with the recommendation that the city recoup a reported one million dollars in lost revenues though parking and other endeavors—including a crackdown on the misuse of handicapped parking permits and the sale of new billboard space.
Read MoreOn horseback, complete with rhinestones, Oakland Black Cowboys hit downtown
Cowboys? In Oakland? Locals hit the streets with their trusty steeds and ten-gallon hats for the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s annual parade. Story by Paige Ricks/Oakland North
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