Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

The email from the City of Oakland's media contact had a title that was clear as a bell: "Oakland City Administrator Appoints Howard A. Jordan as Interim Chief of Police." So, this blogger immediately thought it was a misprint. After all, the Oakland City Charter that now-California Governor, and then Mayor Jerry Brown worked hard to get Oakland voters to change to give the Mayor of Oakland the power to make one key appointment and to be responsible for showing "community leadership." To that end, every Mayor of Oakland has presented their choice for Chief of Police, even as it's really the task of the City Administrator. With Jerry Brown and Robert Bobb, the selection was Richard Word. Under Mayor Ron Dellums, Anthony Batts was the choice, and Dellums led the press conference to introduce him: Even though the Oakland City Charter gives the Mayor the power to appoint only the City Administrator, that hasn't stopped Mayors Brown and Dellums from ...

Two years ago, Calpine Energy Company embarked on an effort to build a new power plant that has a voluntary cap on greenhouse gas emissions. This blogger talked to Norma Dunn about the-then proposed Rusell Energy Center in 2009: Now, it's one of the largest construction projects in the Bay Area is underway right now in Hayward with 200 workers on site. Here's Calpine's description of the project: The Russell City Energy Center is a proposed 619-megawatt combined-cycle electric generating facility that will bring much-needed energy capacity to western Alameda county and the San Francisco peninsula. The facility will serve the needs of 600,000 households. The Energy Center, which will use clean, natural gas for fuel, will allow for a greater than 90 percent reduction of emissions and will be 40 percent more fuel efficient than older, fossil-fueled generating facilities in the Bay Area. To celebrate the beginning of construction, Calpine CEO Jack Fusco will be on the ...

A lot of Oakland, Ca. news, so let's get to it. (Oh, and that's Oakland, California, for international readers who may not know.) First, this blogger was a late attendee at a party thrown by "Men of The East Bay" for Emerge California. The idea was created by AC Transit Board Member Joel Young as a way to welcome Emerge California (the non-profit organization that mentors women who want to enter local politics) after its move from San Francisco to Oakland. Held at Hibiscus Restaurant at 17th and San Pablo in downtown Oakland Thursday night, the event (which costs $20 for attendees) was well-attended and well-received by all. That Young, who has been fighting a domestic violence accusation, produced the event for women raised more than a few eyebrows. But the good news is everyone was supportive of Young's effort, even his rival candidates for the 18th Assembly District seat, Kathy Neal and Able Guillen, who were in attendance. The only bit of grous...