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I've got this news from a number of sources, but this emailed article says it best: Democracy may be messy, but this was unexcusable Article Last Updated:01/10/2007 05:49:03 AM PST DEMOCRACY is messy, indeed. But what happened at the Paramount Theatre on Monday is unacceptable. Prior to Ron Dellums being publicly sworn in as Oakland's 48th mayor, the council selected its leadership. When Ignacio De Le Fuente was nominated for another term as council president, the audience at the Paramount erupted in jeers. There were those in the crowd who heckled, some saying they were "sick" of De La Fuente, and a chant of "no more Nacho" — referring to a nickname — could be heard. A healthy "boo" or vocal expression of displeasure in this democracy is fine, but some in attendance crossed the line. Racial slurs were tossed by some in the audience. Someone went so far as to mock the council president's accent and urged him to "go back where you came from...

From the Neighborhood Message Board... Dear PSA 3: I am the 200 Wayne Avenue Neighborhood Watch Block Club Captain. We will host a "Take Back the Night--Turn on the Lights!" Action at the completely unlit (no lights) Pine Knoll Park, on the corner of Wayne Avenue, Hanover and Lakeshore, on Sunday, Feb. 25th at 8 PM. The purpose of this Action is to: 1. Get the City of Oakland to add lighting to the light-less Pine Knoll Park, which serves as a breeding ground for prostitution, gang activity, drug deals and homeless campouts. Can we "adopt" this park in order to get funding for lighting? We also need two more lights on our dark 200 Wayne Avenue block, which has been riddled with robberies. Can we "Adopt" this park? Who can assist us in this process? We have had dozens of muggings in the last two years, in the Athol/Wayne area that we KNOW of and probably dozens more that went unreported. I think that a group of perps wait and watch for theatre-goers and/or ...

Oakland kidnapping deserves scrutiny - Peggy Stinett Inside Bay Area THE lengthy silence that has strangely characterized a horrendous Oakland kidnapping may soon be broken as police take an official look at how fellow officers have handled the case. It has been more than seven months since the kidnapping of an Adams Point woman from her home by a bold intruder who stole $4,000 in cash in an armed robbery and then drove six hours with her as a captive in the family car. She escaped the kidnapper — unhurt but terrified — in Merced County, where the Sheriff's Department later found her abandoned Mercedes. But for all this time, the Oakland police who were supposed to be investigating the case have not contacted the woman and her husband to let them know what is going onor, more aptly, what is not. When I checked with the victim yesterday, she and her husband still had no information about the case, although the Police Department's internal affairs division has opened its own inve...

This came from the Yahoo! Message Board for the Adams Point area. The note below was posted by a concerned citizen. What hurts so much about this is that the woman who was assaulted is undoubtedly tramatized by all of this. "My apologies to my Adams Point neighbors. I heard about the alleged second mugging late Monday night and was given to understand that it happened in front of my building to a resident's daughter. Tonight I was able to talk to the resident and it turns out that her daughter was the victim of the mugging on Perkins and Palm last Thursday around 8pm. Her daughter was visiting from Europe and has already returned there. The muggers took her credit cards and were able to pay a couple of utility bills (not too smart) before the cards were stopped. She is doing fine physically. Her mother is going to check to see if her daughter's social security card was in the wallet that was stolen. I sincerely hope not. The way the assault was pulled off was one ...

I don't like how the neighborhood and city are evolving at all. I read about the man who was shot over a parking spot on Pearl Avenue and not far from me, and thought of what just happened to me. I just moved over to Palm Avenue, and had to park my car to get back home to see my Mom who said she was sick. I didn't realize that where I parked my car just barely -- by later measure -- was in the space of the neighbor's driveway. But rather than leave a note - they were able to back out -- they had my car towed. I got the car back the next day, but geez. Suppose I didn't have the means to do that? Really, the car -- I didn't park in the driveway, so it didn't warrant a tow. It was a really mean thing to do on the part of the people at 384 Palm, but I forgive them. Me? I'd have just left a "Hey Neighbor" note. I am going to write them a friendly letter, but what gets me is that acts of incivility like this are all too common around here....

Parking spaces can kill? What is this town coming to? Father and husband killed over parking space dispute By Harry Harris Article Last Updated: 01/09/2007 07:00:08 PM PST OAKLAND - A nine-by-20 foot stretch of pavement cost Samuel Navarro his life. That's the size of the parking space at Navarro's Pearl Street apartment complex which prompted an argument Monday night that left the 33-year-old father of two shot to death, police said.. Homicide Sgt. Tony Jones was almost in a state of disbelief Tuesday that a dispute so petty could result in murder. "It was a parking space. A parking space," said Jones. "To be killed over something like that is almost unbelievable," he said. "There had to be another way to settle that argument. Certainly not by shooting someone. "How do you explain that to his children, why their father died? This is just madness." Jones, who is investigating the case with Sgt. James Morris, said Navarro and another man were ...

Dellums promises Oakland revival By Heather MacDonald MEDIANEWS STAFF OAKLAND - With the hopes and expectations of a city riding on his shoulders, Mayor Ron Dellums publicly took the oath of office Monday, becoming Oakland's 48th mayor. In a fiery and eloquent speech, Dellums pledged to end the violence that has long plagued Oakland, limited the city's progress and stained its reputation. "Let us unite to bring peace to the streets of Oakland," Dellums said, bringing the standing-room only crowd at the historic Paramount Theatre to their feet. "Peace is about justice, and we have a responsibility to bring justice to the streets of Oakland." Dellums, 71, reiterated his pledge to turn Oakland into a model city by eradicating poverty and establishing the right of every citizen to a healthy life, including access to health care and freedom from crime and drugs. "I challenge all of Oakland to see itself in larger terms," Dellums said, adding the city...