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Showing posts from 2008

C Diane Howell Passes On Chrismad Eve - Memorial Service Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, at 11 a.m. at the Oakland Marriott Convention Center in downtown Oakland

This is shocking and hurtful news.  Diane was a force in the Oakland business community, not just for Blacks, but for Oaklanders.  Her Black Business.  The Globe Newspaper reports: Renowned throughout the Bay Area for her steadfast commitment to the African American community, Howell used Black Business Listings, Black Expo and SEEDS as her platform on which to advocate on behalf of African American businesses. A social and political powerbroker in her own right, Howell used her multifaceted enterprise to promote issues of economic empowerment, education access and political and social activism in every way conceivable. A native of Chicago, Howell was born on July 20, 1950, to Doris Howell and the late William Howell. She was baptized at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., and was confirmed at St. Edmond’s Episcopal Church in Chicago. Ever active in her faith community, Howell was a longstanding member of the Oakland-based East Bay Church of Religious Science, under the l

Antioch's Closet Racism Finally Exposed - Inside Bay Area

More at the Tribune From Tribune: ANTIOCH, Calif.—As more and more black renters began moving into this mostly white San Francisco Bay Area suburb a few years ago, neighbors started complaining about loud parties, mean pit bulls, blaring car radios, prostitution, drug dealing and muggings of schoolchildren. In 2006, as the influx reached its peak, the police department formed a special crime-fighting unit to deal with the complaints, and authorities began cracking down on tenants in federally subsidized housing. Now that police unit is the focus of lawsuits by black families who allege the city of 100,000 is orchestrating a campaign to drive them out. "A lot of people are moving out here looking for a better place to live," said Karen Coleman, a mother of three who came here five years ago from a blighted neighborhood in nearby Pittsburgh. "We are trying to raise our kids like everyone else. But they don't want us here." -- Antioch has been known for a kind of c

Piedmont boys await punishment in racial hate crime case at Havens Elementary School - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area and at Piedmont USD : “Three 12-year-old Piedmont boys are waiting to learn their punishment for spray-painting the "N" word across a Havens Elementary School wall. Police are calling it a hate crime targeting teacher Marjorie Lawson, since it was scrawled outside her office. Lawson is one of two African-American educators in the Piedmont Unified School District. It's still not clear why the young suspects came forward on Dec. 4, but Piedmont Police Department Capt. John Hunt said the boys voluntarily gave statements to both school officials and a detective about the crime. "We then contacted the victim (Lawson) again, to let her know what we learned," he said. "She already had some information from Havens, but we wanted her to know we notified the juvenile probation department and it's up to them how they proceed legally," explained Hunt, who couldn't give too many details since the suspects are underage. "I can te

Kevin Gilbride to Coach The Oakland Raiders?

By The Blue Screen - NY Daily News : “The Giants have won 22 games in two seasons, and followed up a Super Bowl championship by earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. So really it’s no wonder that other NFL teams would be interested in raiding their coaching staff. And apparently defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn’t the only one drawing interest. The Oakland Raiders are reportedly going to contact the Giants about speaking to offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, too. Gilbride, who was the Giants’ quarterbacks coach from 2004-2006 before stepping up to offensive coordinator last season, was instrumental in the development of Eli Manning and helped turn the Giants into one of the most powerful and diverse offenses in the NFL.He also has head coaching experience, with the San Diego Chargers in 1997-98.” -- For some reason I'm not excited about Gilbride and that's because I view his offenses as static and inflexible. I also don't think he has the right temperment to coach

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING - PRAY FOR THE HOMELESS | Jaeson Ma

See Jaeson Ma This is a touching account by Ma and has a great video at the site as well: “This past weekend after Christmas, I went with my sister to West Oakland to pass out food, clothes and prayers to the homeless. We went to Wal-mart the day before and bought a bunch of warm sleeping bags, got warm clothes from Goodwill and loaded up our car to do what we could the next morning. When I got out to the streets, my heart was shocked and broken at the same time. People were lined up waiting for us to give them any kind of help they could get. As I opened up my bag full of clothes the homeless swarmed quickly to take what was best for themselves. All the clothes disappeared in a matter of minutes. I was sad, because I wish I had more clothes to give but I only had so much.”

The Late Jeannette Sherwin's Open Letter To Councilmember Jean Quan

See: OaklandNews: An open letter to Jean Quan I really miss Jeannette Sherwin's candor, regardless of who it was aimed at. In this case, it was in an "Open Letter To Jean Quan" that bears repeating because Councilmember Quan thinks she's going to be Oakland's next Mayor and because what Ms. Sherwin wrote below still applies today, unfortunately. I think Councilmember Quan would do well to follow what's written here: “Dear Jean, If you want truly fair and democratic processes, and if you want to feel less defensive, then you might do these things: An Open Letter to Jean Quan 1) Don't make up your mind in advance about development in your district, such as a replacement for the Hillcrest Motel. Residents have very, very good instincts and ideas about what they want and what will work Trust your constituents. 2) Don't take credit for things you haven't done. It pisses the real workers off. 3) Stop talking. 4) Listen. 5) Demand that the city counci

De La Fuente Attacks Dellums In SF Chron Article - Mayoral Run Again?

From - “At midterm, Dellums faces growing criticism” : Of all of the people who tossed grenades at Mayor Ron Dellums, we have Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente saying this: “City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who ran against Dellums in 2005, said the mayor has shown an unwillingness to make decisions. While the two men meet weekly, De La Fuente said many of his suggestions fall on deaf ears. "It's our job to manage and respond with more or less money," De La Fuente said. "Until someone says 'I want it tomorrow,' it won't happen."” -- Ok. This means that Ignacio is gearing up to run for Mayor again. Yes, he's shooting from the hip and that was not a calculated statement, but I know Ignacio well enough to assert that he feels Dellums is vulnerable, Perata would give his blessing, and the Mayoral prize would be his. Now if Robert Bobb were to run against him, Bobb would win. City Attorney John Russo could beat both

Bay Bridge Seismic Retrofit Stopped By Labor Issues - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “Essential work in the Bay Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project will not go forward today while a Port of Oakland labor dispute is negotiated, according to the California Department of Transportation. A ship carrying steel supports for the project has remained unloaded at Pier 7 since its arrival in Oakland on Friday, Caltrans reported. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union blocked the unloading work at about 5 p.m. Friday, protesting that Caltrans and its construction partner, American Bridge Fluor Enterprises, awarded the job to other port workers in violation of longshoremen rights, a union member said.” --

BIG VINNY: Industry Source: Ted Robinson Set to become New SF 49ERS Play-by-Play Man

More at Big Vinny's Bay Area : “A 'good tip' from someone in the biz: not confirmed, but developing...Monday, Dec. 22, 2008 Ted Robinson, a prominent national and Bay-Area broadcast veteran, is set to become the new radio voice of the San Francisco 49ers, according to an industry source. Robinson, who is NBC's lead announcer at Wimbledon and who also covers the US Open Tennis Championships for USA Network, is set to take the prestigious spot vacated by Joe Starkey, who announced he is leaving after the conclusion of this season, Starkey's 20th year. He will continue to announce Univ. of California college football.” -- Big Vinny's the source for all that's happening in Bay Area media! Check him out!

Al Davis to miss Raiders game at Tampa Bay due to health reasons - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “Jon Gruden will be on the sideline with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with general manager Bruce Allen in a suite. Rich Gannon will be in the television booth, lending commnentary for CBS. Rumor has it that even Lane Kiffin may attend, with his dad Monte in his final home game as the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining his son at the University of Tennessee. The only thing missing when the Raiders visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium Sunday will be the man responsible for bringing them all to Oakland _ Al Davis. Davis, with leg and ankle problems, has heeded the warnings of his physicians, did not make the trip, and reconsidered the idea of taking a private plane Saturday, Raiders executive John Herrera confirmed. "The doctors told him it's probably not the best thing to spend 10 or 12 hours in the air," Herrera said, referring to the roundtrip from Oakland to Tampa.” -- Get well, Mr. Davis!

Port of Oakland facing $12 million shortfall - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “The resolutions are in, and it's shaping up as a lean, mean new year for the Port of Oakland, which also operates Oakland International Airport. Despite layoffs and other cost-cutting measures this year, the port's number crunchers say the predicted gross revenues of $298.7 million this fiscal year will fall $12.1 million short unless steps are taken to reduce costs or increase operating revenues before then. Given the global economy, the dire state of the airline industry, and the declining number of shipments coming in and going out of the port's marine terminals, the former seems a more likely solution, said Marilyn Sandifur, the port's public information officer.”

Oakland Warriors Upset Boston Celtics - Inside Bay Area”

More at Sports at - Inside Bay Area” : “OAKLAND — Swingman Stephen Jackson straggled from the shower and took a seat at his locker. Tape recorders and microphones descended upon him, looking to get his reaction to the Warriors' biggest win of the year. But his expression contradicted the atmosphere at Oracle Arena after he scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Warriors' to a 99-89 upset of the Boston Celtics on Friday. He slumped in his chair, spoke with a drag and didn't smile once.”

Johnikka Jackson Remains found behind Oakland - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — Skeletal remains found Nov. 7 behind Skyline High School have been identified as those of an 18-year-old woman who was a former student at the school, authorities and relatives said Friday. But how Johnikka Jackson died has not yet been determined, and homicide Sgt. Lou Cruz said police are still "trying to determine if foul play was an element of her death." Her remains were found in a canyon behind the school by students who took some of the bones to the principal's office before police were called. The bones were found near a crude shelter made of wood and sheets. Personal items found at the scene and dental records led to Jackson's positive identification last week.”

Rasselas Jazz Club: Concerts for Change Benefiting Homeless & Hunger December 28th

I just got this email regarding this event at Rasselas Jazz Club on December 28th: Concerts for Change – Benefiting Homeless & Hunger Featuring some of the Best Jazz Funk Bands in the Bay Area: Messy Guest Quartet (jazz, funk)                                       Dec 28 th An up and coming high-energy band that will keep you dancing. Fil Lorenz Soul-Kestra, 14 piece soul-jazz-funk orchestra.    Jan 25 th A world-class band, impeccable, and limitless in its capabilities. Joe Bagale, with an 8-piece band and unstoppable grove.    Feb 22 nd These guys will make sure your booty is shakin' & souls are breaking. Free Ticket Raffle:  visit  Progressive-Alliance.org  to find out more. Ages:     All Ages until 10 pm , After 10 pm 21+ Only Cost:      Only $9 on line , and Only $12 at the door Dates:    Sundays Dec 28 th, Jan 25 th, Feb 22nd Time:     doors 7 pm, show 8pm Place:     Rasselas Jazz Club & Restaurant 1534 Fillmore Street  bet: Geary & O’Farrell Or

East Bay Express Chris Thompson Didn't Get Robert Bobb Salary Memo

I just read the East Bay Express' Chris Thompson's blog about the fact that Mayor Ron Dellums still has not named a City Administrator.  That's because the one person Dellums wants -- former City Manager Robert Bobb -- reportedly asked for $350,000  !  That's too much for the cash-strapped City of Oakland to stomach.  

Oakland Tribune Owner MediaNews Group In Trouble - San Francisco Business Times:

More at San Francisco Business Times: : “Moody's Investors Services on Thursday rated MediaNews Group Inc. -- owner of 29 newspapers in Northern California -- as being in “substantial risk” of default on its debt. Denver-based MediaNews owns the Oakland Tribune, the Contra Costa Times, the Argus in Fremont, and the San Jose Mercury News, among other local papers. The ratings service downgraded its “corporate family rating” of the privately held media company to Caa3 from B3 on $962 million in debt. It also lowered its “probability of default” rating to Caa3 from Caa1.” -- And the Trib's plan to charge money to online readers for content access is not going to stop this slide.

David Cohen Latest Bay Area News Layoff Victim - Editor and Publisher

More at Editor and Publisher : “CHICAGO David Cohen founded the newspaper group in California that became Silicon Valley Community Newspapers (SVCN), and became its principal owner and CEO when it was spun off as a separate group. It grew from six to 11 weeklies. When Cohen sold SVCN to Knight Ridder, he stayed on as group publisher and retained the position when the weeklies ended up with MediaNews Group as part of its acquisition of the San Jose Mercury News. But now Cohen joins the large ranks of newspaper veterans laid off by the brutal industry economy. In a literal exit interview with his newspaper, the publisher told reporter Dale Bryant he understood the move. ”

Oakland's Fox Theater Preview - SF Gate.com

More at SFGate.com : “(12-25) 16:54 PST -- It's difficult to say what is more remarkable about the hallucinogenic interior of the Fox Oakland Theater: the Moorish details that flood the ceilings and walls, or the fact it survived decades of neglect. "It's a wonderful glimpse of the past," said Kurt Schindler, a principal of the Berkeley architecture firm ELS. "These picture palaces were about glitz. They were designed to take you into another era, offering fantasy and escape." Schindler's firm is one of many consultants that had a hand in bringing the Fox back to life. It reopens Feb. 5 - a little more than 80 years after its premiere and 43 years after the theater last was used with any sort of regularity.”

Oakland Survey Shows Young People Want Jobs : postnewsgroup.net

More from The Oakland Post : “The young people based their findings, which they presented to board members Nov. 18, on a survey they conducted of 1,000 youth in West Oakland, Sobrante Park, Cherryland and Ashland. In West Oakland, 91 percent said drugs were a problem, and 8 percent said violence was a problem. In Sobrante Park, 73 percent said violence and drugs were a problem. When asked how violence can be stopped, the majority of young people said they needed more jobs, sports and dance groups, and a recreation center,” -- Old news at the Post, but needs to see the light of day.

Budget Deficit Faces Oakland City Council - Oakland Tribune

More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — City officials will be swimming in red ink once again when they return to business after the New Year. Mayor Ron Dellums released a budget report this week projecting a general fund deficit of $50 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009, and $58 million the year after that. The bleak projections are due to an economy in recession and expected increases in spending on children's programs and employee benefits and pension obligations, among other things, Dellums' report said. The mayor will meet with the City Council on Jan. 12 to begin hammering out a spending plan for the two-year period beginning July 1 and to take stock of the city's fiscal picture over the next five years. "Most public agencies nationwide, as well as private businesses large and small, local and global, face a daunting financial future," Dellums said in a statement. "The city of Oakland is no exception. The economic downturn that we face is u

Saul's Deli in Berkeley Has Hanukkah Dinner Special!

Hey, if you've never visited Saul's at 1475 Shattuck Ave in Berkeley, this week's the time to do it.  They've got a Hanukkah Dinner special I'm told is really great.  It has: Goat stroganoff (Niman's Ranch goat), Matzo crusted rock cod with fish from Monterey Market and a local fishery, Moroccan chicken tagine with organic chicken from Petaluma Farms, vegetarian tagine, spinach cumin latkes, traditional potato and onion latkes, and Niman Ranch braised. It's through December 28th.    

Politically courageous act of the year - SFBG Politics Blog

More at SFBG Politics Blog : “As the year winds down, I’d like to note what I consider to be the most politically courageous act of 2008: Attorney General Jerry Brown’s decision to reverse his position and urge the California Supreme Court to overturn Prop. 8. This was a deeply principled decision that went against Brown’s political self-interest considering the fact that he’s planning to run governor in a state where a majority has approved Prop. 8. And that political danger was exacerbated by Brown’s post-election statement saying he would defend Prop. 8, as attorneys general are generally required to do, opening him up to the dreaded flip-flopper label. But his new position is consistent with important constitutional principles (as I outlined in the Guardian almost a month before Brown adopted his new stance) and well-worth taking a gamble to do what’s right, the kind of act that is all too rare in modern American politics. ” -- And I second that award. Jerry Brown did act in a way

Oakland's OnlineNIC Loses - Verizon awarded ‘largest-ever’ cybersquatting judgment - MashGet

More at MashGet : “A federal court in Northern California has awarded Verizon $33.15 million in what the company is calling the largest cybersquatting judgment ever, Verizon announced Wednesday. Verizon filed the case against OnlineNIC, a San Francisco-based Internet domain registration company, claiming it used Internet names--663 to be exact--that were chosen to be easily confused with legitimate Verizon names, according to Verizon. It might hard, however, for Verizon to actually collect on the judgment, which was a default ruling, or one entered against a defendant who fails to answer a summons. No one appeared in court on OnlineNIC's behalf or in its defense, Verizon said.”

Oakland Budget deficit could reach $113 million by 2012 - SFGate.com

More at SFGate : “Dellums said the city's deficit, which was $42 million this year, could balloon by 2012 to nearly $113 million, with revenues that year projected to be $456 million and expenditures at $569 million. The city has relied heavily upon property transfer taxes which have dwindled with the mortgage meltdown. Retail sales taxes are floundering while the costs of providing police and fire service and maintaining parks and other basic city services are rising.” -- This is a great time to create new Redevelopment project areas, if only to capture whatever property tax revenue we can, otherwise it had to be shared with BART, AC Transit, and other entities. Regardless, the zero-sum game is not fun and will lead to their loss. The end answer is a going to be a total bailout by the Federal Government, in some kind of way.

Oakland Budget crises threatens lives of Oakland shelter animals

Tails Of The City : Budget crises threatens lives of Oakland shelter animals : “CORRECTION: Oakland Animal Services will now be exempt from the holiday closure and will remain open in order to protect the welfare of animals. More than 180 adoptable animals at Oakland Animal Services may be euthanized during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day because of a City-ordered shutdown. Because no animals can be adopted during the mandatory shutdown, and stray animals will not have completed their state-mandated holding period, the shelter will be forced to euthanize more than 20 adoptable animals daily from December 26 through January 2.”

Wade Sanders - California Lt. Gov. adviser pleads guilty in child porn case - Inside Bay Area

California Lt. Gov. adviser pleads guilty in child porn case - Inside Bay Area : “SAN DIEGO — An adviser to Lt. Gov. John Garamendi has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer. The U.S. attorney's office says Wade Sanders admitted Monday in federal court in San Diego that he possessed a computer with more than 600 sexual images of minors. The computer also had a 21-minute sex video depicting prepubescent girls. The 67-year-old Sanders was Garamendi's senior adviser for veterans and military affairs at the time of his arrest. He also served as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy under President Clinton.” -- All I ask is why do that?

Wayward Sea lion rescued near Oakland airport runway - Inside Bay Area

/More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — An emaciated-looking California sea lion that wandered to the edge of an Oakland International Airport runway was sent to a marine animal hospital Tuesday. Marine Mammal Center workers recovered the animal by 1:30 p.m., after airport workers had noticed it a few hours earlier. "Our rescue workers waded through the water and found the animal acting pretty lethargic until they netted it," Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman Mieke Eerkens said. "It doesn't appear to have any other major injuries, but we'll check it out when it arrives in our Sausalito hospital."”

Oakland's White Blogger Get-Together Not In The Sprit of Oakland

I have to write with more than the usual amusement regarding the postings I've seen on the recently-held " Oakland Blogger Get Together  " because this blog you're reading is the only one that's updated daily, gets more traffic than the others, and doesn't ignore parts of Oakland, and has the only writer who actually worked in Oakland politics -- me.   So, as they do, they formed their own meeting -- an entire "White's only" gathering.  That's sad.  Perhaps I'll host my own gathering, but it will be of a different kind to be sute.  First, racially mixed.  Second, reflective of those who are at the cutting edge of New Media in Oakland, and that's beyond the small group of bloggers that got together.  As I said to Paul Cobb  , there's a "White Blogger group" and true to form, these folks proved it.  And its not as if they don't know who I am; they do and could have invited me.  In fact, that's the problem: they

Spot.us - Pitch: Oakland Police Blues

Visit Spot.us : “What's really wrong with OPD? The reported failings of the Oakland Police Department are serious and well-known. Cops lie to obtain search warrants. Brass assign detectives with known ties to the suspects they are investigating. On any given day, the department has an absentee rate of 30 percent. Morale is in the cellar. The current chief has taken a leave of absence, and from the outside, it's not clear who's running things at 445 7th Street. By interviewing current and former Oakland police officers I hope to arrive at a deeper understanding of what ails OPD, what internal culture gives rise to the failings described above. This is not the sort of reporting that is likely to turn up evidence of concealed wrongdoing, but rather it seeks to shine a light on problems that are hiding in plain sight.” -- Only $31.73 to go to raise money for Alex Gronke and The Oakbook to cover this story. It's part of a new website company called "Spot.us" where

Zennie62 On Seesmic.com

Happy Holidays! I'm Zennie Just saying 'hello' to the Seesmic Community! After months of thinking about doing it, I finally did it: contributed a video on Seesmic.com  , Loic Lemur's video conversation venture, featuring my friend Cathy Brooks, who was one of his first staffers. I remember when Cathy was totting around a laptop showing Seesmic at work; that was last year, 2007 at a STIRR Founder Hacks Meetup! Wow, how time flies!

Oakland's Lake Merritt Trash and Pollution Problem

This gem of a video presents the trash and pollution problem around Oakland's Lake Merritt, and what people like Dr. Richard Bailey are doing about it. Bailey explains that storm drains put trach into the Lake and says that we should ask if the drains are regularly cleaned to prevent this from happening. For more information go to http://www.lakemerrittinsitute.org, or help Bailey clean the Lake!