Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

This is from today's Oakland Tribune. This person is still at large. Robber kills restaurant employee Laos native slain on last day managing Bangkok Palace in Oakland By Harry Harris, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND — Monday was supposed to be Sonethavy Phomsouvanhdara's last day managing a Grand Lake district restaurant owned by family friends. It turned out to be his last day alive. Phomsouvanhdara, 29, who hoped to own his restaurant someday and was picking up the needed experience, died Tuesday morning from a gunshot wound he received during a robbery at Bangkok Palace, 3300 Grand Ave. Police said Phomsouvanhdara had managed the restaurant almost since it opened about a year ago. He and a few other employees were in the process of closing just before 10 p.m. Mon- day when a robber appeared. Police Sgt. Lou Cruz said a man with a gun entered the restaurant through a back door, confronted Phomsouvanhdara and the others and demanded money. The robber shot Phomsouvanhdar

A visit to "Radio" on 13th Street, near Broadway was the scene of my latest information on a rumored new establishment to be located where the once-popular "Fifth Amendment" raged on weekend nights. The new establishment, to be owned by a combination of one of the current owners of Radio and others, is to be called "Easy." It's set to open on the second week of June. The new place is named after "The Big Easy" and because the lead owner hails from New Orleans. "It's totally different," I'm informed by Radio's DJ. "The drop-ceiling is gone and there's going to be a totally open atmostphere. You won't know the place. There's going to be way more space. There will be over-stuffed couches and in general a nicer atmostphere." Well, stay tuned. It's hard to replace a legend, but they seem to want to try. It's not easy. But rather than replace "The Fifth" I think they're reall

I just returned from a trip to The Alley, on 3325 Grand Avenue, where I learned of yet another murder. This one just accross the street and at the famed Bangkok Palace Restaurant on 3300 Grand Avenue. Paul, one of my friends who plays a gig Tuesday through Wednesday night's at The Alley told me about it. "They thought it was a robbery, but now, no one's for sure," he said. "Police have been crossing by since last night." It's still a mystery why a crime of that magnitude would take place at -- of all places -- there. But it seems like in the Oakland of 2006, the reach of criminal activity is longer and broader than ever before. Stay tuned. And stay alert.

Brenda's right -- spot on here. Oakland's City Council has always had to deal with crime, but when crime problems are brought to them by white and / or well-moneyed Oaklanders, only then is it a state of emergency. But that written, I fit somewhere on the fringe of that, so as far as I'm concerned, there is a state of emergency. Too much crime in my hood. Plus, the whole "Beach Chalet" matter smells bad, in my view. Race has a hand in Oakland concerns Brenda Payton - Oakland Tribune RACE is the subtext of a number of issues in Oakland, unspoken yet unmistakable. Every now and then, the curtain falls, and there it is right in our faces. Some weeks ago a group of Oaklanders showed up at City Hall to protest an increase in crime in the city and inadequate police response. It wasn't the first time residents have come to City Hall to complain about crime. The racial composition of the group may have been a first in recent times. As depicted in a photograph of th

This information came from our Yahoo! Message Board and it's well worth reporting. It seems that there's a lot of criminal or just plain annoying activity of late, and to counter all the fun things to do around here. This came from concerned residents. All of these incidents occured last Friday: 1) Last night at 4 a.m., at the corner of Bellevue and Van Buren, the black Acura-styled 2-door that was in the neighborhood a couple of weeks ago returned to again spin numerous doughnuts in the intersection. It has no license plate on back, and there are large white numerals on the right-front windshield. I'm pretty sure the numbers are "211." We called the non-emergency line, where someone picked up right away. When that car was last identified here in Adams Point, it seemed to match the description of a car that had been seen elsewhere in conjunction with other crimes. And even if it's not the same car, it's been through our area at least twice now, bringing

The only thing the Oakland Tribune seems really good at covering are the police blotters and sports. Here's the police end. It's clear something must be done about this...like better jobs opportunities for parents and better schools and more community centers. Simple solutions. Sex biz sees troubling teen trend Conference will address local exploitation and trafficking issues By Harry Harris, STAFF WRITER, OAKLAND TRIBUNE, TUESDAY APRIL 25th OAKLAND — In a sting operation last week, Oakland police arrested more than a dozen prostitutes, including one who was just 15. In similar enforcement efforts, those arrested have been even younger. In what has become a disturbing trend in Alameda County and other areas, the number of underage prostitutes — or sexually exploited minors, as law enforcement officials call them — is growing, while the girls themselves are getting younger, authorities say. "It's been a terrible problem for five or six years, and it's getting wors

Jerry Brown outpolls his Attorney General challenger Rocky Dellgadillo in the latest Field Poll. But there's a catch for both candidates: their negative responses are close to their positives in each result. 45 percent of those asked had a positive view of Mayor Brown where's 38 percent expressed negatives. "Rocky" wasn't in better shape: 18 percent expressed negative views, over 16 percent positive views. But the wild card is few know Rocky's name or backround. It's Brown's race to lose.

This appeared in SF Bay View online and was written by local contractor Joe Debro. Jerry Brown's Uptown plantation by Joe Debro - I examined all of the legal documents produced by the City of Oakland for the Forest City project. Contrary to the impression that Jerry Brown took the lead, this project was initiated under a Black mayor, Mayor Elihu Harris. Regardless of that fact, Jerry Brown elevated this project to a much higher level of developer greed. The mayor probably got paid. His payment was probably much like the $50,000 he was paid by Zhone Technology after selling them Oakland land for $1.5 million below market. Forest City is not required, by contract, with sanctions, to provide any community benefits. The City of Oakland leased them all of the land at below market prices. The City of Oakland provided all the financing for this project. The City of Oakland used eminent domain to take some of the property from two business owners and give it to these private developers. T

After attending the Mayor's Debate and meeting a friend in SF, I visited one of my favorite Oakland places Cafe Van Kleef last night, and seemed to wander into a rather sticky matter. Peter Van Kleef -- the energetic owner of the bar and music place -- had sat down with me to have a cocktail just after calming his wife. It seems they just saw the East Bay Express news, and it was posted in large print at the front entrance of the establishment. I hope they can work out something. Peter's got a great place and has worked hard to make it a fun venue. If you have a chance, pay a visit to 1621 Telegraph in Downtown Oakland. Here it is: The Party's Over? "Saloon guy" Peter Van Kleef fights for his bar's survival, while "lifelong Democrat" Bill McCammon fights to prove his partisan bona fides. By Will Harper Article Published Apr 19, 2006 Justin Page Take Out: Celeb Cachet — Jerry vs. Rocky Details Who / What: Peter Van Kleef Bill McCammon Peter Van Kl

I learned that the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce is having a mixer today at 6 PM at the Community Bank of The Bay, 1750 Broadway, downtown Oakland. Here's the board of directors: Oakland African-American Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Bishop Bob Jackson, Chairman Victoria Jones, Vice Chairman Merlin Edwards, Secretary Ralph Grant, Treasurer Ray Carlisle Board Members: C. Diane Howell, PhD Frank Tucker Carita Shanklin Walker Dr. Geoffrey Watson Harold Jones George Holland Robert C. Bobb, President Kelvin McCaskle, Executive Director

The "Oakland" Tribune's without Peggy Stinnett and Brenda Payton. The website reads, "no current entries." The paper itself is less than a blog; it's a collection of AP reports and stuff I can get on the police blotter. Only it's sports section has any sign of life. Other than that, it's a zombie paper. It wasn't always this way. When I was columnist for The Montclarion from 1993 to 1996, we had a friendly war with the Oakland Tribune to cover the Big People and The Big Stories. Today, the combination of The Internet and high newsprint costs have clobbered and hammered the size of news staffs such that what was once is no more. Oakland's now without any newspaper that covers what's really going on, leaving the politicians to do either good -- or ill -- without a watching eye. The only blog on cyberspace that comes close to filling this gap is the one you're reading and for a host of reasons that are hard to top and part of th

Oakland teachers, district reach deal STRIKE IS CANCELED, BUT STUDENTS ARE STILL GIVEN THE DAY OFF By Kimberly S. Wetzel Knight Ridder A one-day Oakland teachers strike set for today has been called off after teachers and district officials announced a tentative contract agreement ending two years of labor unrest. The president of the teachers union, Ben Visnick, told KRON-TV on Wednesday night that today will remain a day off for students, but that teachers could come to school, with pay, for voluntary staff development exercises. He also said an afternoon rally for teachers was planned at an Oakland park. Among the sticking points finally resolved Wednesday night was a dispute over health care. In back-to-back news conferences Wednesday, the union and district had said significant progress was made during marathon talks that started Tuesday night and continued through late Wednesday. But both sides had braced for the worst, as the union announced it was moving forward with strike pla

M. Joe Hunt wrote this interesting blog, which I've reprinted and linked to here. He also writes that De La Fuente suffers from AGS: Al Gore Syndrome! "“The enemy of your enemy is not always your friend” -unknown Having sat in the front row for many of the recent Oakland Mayoral Debates and Forums, I have begun to notice something in one of the candidates that has me very concerned for both his current campaign and the duration of his political career. While I concede that I am no doctor, I do fancy myself as a keen observer of body language, social mannerisms, verbal tendencies, and a little something people in the business refer to as “vibes”. And now having spent the last few months observing each one, listening as they each take turn after repetitive turn explaining how they see best fit to turn Oakland around I am convinced that Ignacio De La Fuente has become stricken with a condition I refer to as Al Gore Syndrome. Is it politically deadly? No. Is it potentially debili

What's this man really afraid of? I wonder.

I just checked SBS' Oakland Focus stats and noticed that our old friends at the Oakland Mayor's office are back and in a big way! 10 page views from one visitor, and going through all of the Oakland Focus archives! Thanks for the traffic. We'll keep writing and I'm sure you'll keep giving us stuff to write about!

Airport concession workers score 'living wage' Vote guarantees $9.90 an hour beginning in May 2008 By Paul T. Rosynsky, STAFF WRITER OAKLAND — With few exceptions, all employees working concessions at Oakland International Airport's expanded terminal will be paid a "living wage" in two years, the Port Commission decided Tuesday. The vote closes a loophole that exempted companies from the living-wage law if they had 20 or fewer employees. It guarantees a minimum wage of $9.90 an hour for employees with health benefits and $11.39 an hour for those without. The action came as the port seeks a new company to build and operate concessions inits two existing terminals and its Terminal 2 expansion, expected to open later this year. Advocates of the law were concerned the new company would subcontract its concessions to smaller businesses to circumvent living-wage requirements. Port officials agreed that everyone working at the airport should get a fair wage. "We bel

I still think this is a case of two women who may have been a bit angry at everyone after getting tossed from the nightclub, and Jerry was right there at the wrong time. He should go to Cafe Van Cleef instead of 17. OAKLAND — District Attorney Tom Orloff said Tuesday he will not charge Mayor Jerry Brown with a crime after two women accused him of breaking a cell phone and making racist statements outside a downtown nightclub. Orloff said not enough evidence existed to bring charges in the matter, which stemmed from an incident early March 5 outside @17th, a popular club near Telegraph Avenue. Orloff's office investigated the alleged vandalism rather than the Oakland Police Department to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. "It's obvious that the mayor has been completely exonerated," said Gil Duran, the mayor's spokesman. "The charges were ridiculous from the start." Ayesha Wilson, the Manteca woman who leveled the charges against the mayor,

I saw that information in today's Oakland Tribune... Basketball star fatally shot near Oakland club High schooler likely in wrong place at wrong time; police still seeking killer By Kristin Bender and Harry Harris STAFF WRITERS - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND -- A few years ago, Ronald Hall Jr. was living in a run-down East Oakland apartment without lights or power and without money or hope for the future. His mother was on the streets -- again -- living on heroin and welfare checks. She would return home from time to time to pull the state checks from the mailbox, but she was strung out and unable to care for her teenage son, a star basketball player, say those who knew him. Still, he stayed with her, fearful that she would be injured or killed -- by her own hand or by angry drug dealers. He stayed away from drugs himself. And he tried to avoid violence. But it found him early Monday morning when he was shot dead around the corner from a Jack London Square nightclub. His death -- the 42

I think Peggy's idea is the best way. Let the voters of Oakland make the choice! LET'S VOTE ON HUGE HOUSING PROJECT PEGGY STINNETT, Oakland Tribune March 23, 2006 ALTHOUGH the Oak to Ninth waterfront condo project has been around since 2003, when the port gave Signature Properties an option to buy the public property for $18 million, it's far too soon for the Oakland City Council to approve the controversial plan. Serious long-term financial questions remain unanswered. In fact, the questions have not even been asked by the council. Instead, the council seems hellbent on hasty approval of developer Michael Ghielmetti's proposal, which has grown to a $1.2 billion development. This deal could become one of the city's most devastating financial blunders since the days of Horace Carpentier, Oakland's first mayor. Remember Carpentier? He was the mayor who stole the waterfront from its rightful owners in a scam that took 60 years of litigation to untangle. It appears

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Jason Arnold 510.328.1350, cell 510.326.4353 jarnold@yoshis.com http://www.yoshis.com YOSHI'S WORLD CLASS JAZZ HOUSE & JAPANESE RESTAURANT ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & PUBLICITY JOAN ROSENBERG, FORMER MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR BILL GRAHAM PRESENTS, TO LEAD YOSHI'S THROUGH EXCITING GROWTH WITH NEW SAN FRANCISCO FILLMORE STREET VENUE INTERIM PUBLICIST JASON ARNOLD TO CONTINUE MANAGEMENT OF THEME PRODUCTIONS AND PR FOR MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL & OTHERS April 7, 2006; Oakland, CA; The coolest gig on the planet is officially off the market. Yoshi's World Class Jazz House and Japanese Restaurant is proud to announce that Joan Rosenberg, former Marketing Director for local concert promoter Bill Graham Presents (owned by Live Nation), has been appointed as Yoshi's new Director of Marketing & Publicity. Rosenberg will assume the duties of the position officially on April 17, 2006, ending a lengthy nationwide search and sev

I saw this at the Rockridge Community Planning Council's Website: "The April 20 Candidates' Night will consist of two events: a debate between the three candidates for the mayor of Oakland and a brief presentation by each of the seven candidates for the Board of the Rockridge Community Planning Council. (Details, page 3). Attendees will also have an opportunity to vote for candidates for the Board of the Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL). (Details, page 5). The event begins at 7 pm at the College Avenue Presbyterian Church Sanctuary, 5951 College Avenue" Here are the details, again from the RCPC: Oakland Mayoral Debate by Cy Gulassa, Editor You've watched them on TV, read about them in the papers, and listened to critics; now it's time to come hear for yourself what Ron Dellums, Ignacio De La Fuente, and Nancy Nadel have to say about the future of Oakland and Rockridge. What's to be done about schools, libraries, crime, traffic, parks, redevelopment,

I saw this post over at this random blog which read: "Dinner in Berkeley We dined last night with our friends Penny and Dave (both excellent chefs and foodies) at a restaurant of their choice called Dona Tomas (5004 Telegraph St.). They serve high-end Mexican cuisine and yum yum, it was great. The margaritas on the rocks were not too sweet and just perfect...." Reenie Cooks, you were in the Temescal District of Oakland, and not even a stone's throw from Berkeley. It's amazing to me how many people seem to think the nicer parts of Oakland aren't in Oakland at all. Geez.

Hmm... Personally, I'd read it Ignacio, but it wasn't a great campaign move at all. That written, I do know you have a story to tell. But it's better done online using a camcorder. There's your campaign hint.

(Tagami with Mayoral Longshot Candidate Ignacio De La Fuente and Charlotte Laws. Yeah, Phil's supporting the longshot.) I saw this at the New Home Builders News Blog and almost choked: "Phil Tagami, a developer who restored the Rotunda Building and is working to rehabilitate the dilapidated Fox Theater in downtown Oakland, said he and others want to hear specifically what it means for a development to embrace diversity.." For as long as I've known Phil -- and that's since 1991 -- he's always had a very weird, unfortunate view of the matter of race and diversity. We've had a lot of arguments about this. Sometimes I thought he seemed to be picking fights with anyone who called for it. Now, in my little playground that's this blog and away from the more rough-and-tumble matters of SBS, I get to adress this issue of diversity and developers and Phil and Oakland. Phil, listen up! Diversity is simply making the choice to find and work with people of co

Yep. After chiding the Bay Area Reporter for asking his stance on Gay and Lesbian marriage, a deparate-to-win Jerry Brown finally "comes out." Anything to be California's AG.

I've seen her signs around Lake Merritt, so I decided to check out her site. She's spot on about the Port of Oakland, if brief. Here's the rest of her message: "I want to use the District 2 City Council seat to insure that the needs of Oakland's working families come first. We can make Oakland better by increasing funding and support of locally-controlled schools and youth recreation programs, bringing community policing to every area, expanding home ownership opportunities in the city, and creating living wage jobs for our people. We need a more open government so that every member of the community can be part of key decisions on city contracts and development deals, and can influence how our tax dollars are being spent, including Measure Y public safety and Measure DD park expansion funds." "Myth – Oakland does not have the resources to fund education, libraries and parks and recreation. Fact – The Port of Oakland could provide the city with resources

There's a school of thought that Nancy Nadel's the longshot candidate for Mayor. I'm here to tell you that she out-polls Ignacio De La Fuente, and now to such an extent that he, not she, should be considered the longshot candidate. Nancy's a threat to win because in a city that treats its female politicians well at the polls, Nadel's the first woman to launch a credible campaign for the city's top job. Frankly, all she has to do is pound the pavement and stay out of the Dellums / De La Fuente media battles -- waged by De La Fuente -- and she at leat scare the heck out of Dellums. I can't see her winning, but I can see her forcing a runoff. She's the number two player in the campaign.

Someone recently presented an idea that would remove one of the largest generators of sales tax revenue -- it's a documented fact -- in Oakland for a new stadium for the Oakland A's. Not good and shows a complete lack of understanding of Oakland not to mention redevelopment economics. Just to properly prep the land -- with all of the impact from the storage of cars -- would cost over $100 million. Plus, the land is worth more than just the buildings -- the cars are counted too. Without going into more detail, I'll close by saying it's time to close that idea. It's too much of a win-lose. Pick another site, like Oak to Ninth.

Wow, with his name recognition, you'd think Mayor Jerry Brown would be light years in front of Rocky Delgadillo, his challenger for the California Attorney General's Office. But he's not. Rocky's raised $3.8 million versus Jerry's $4.2 million. That's a near dead heat. Here's Rocky! Rocky shoots for the `Moonbeam' Delgadillo vs. Brown shapes up as competitive attorney general primary BY RICK ORLOV, Staff Writer In one of the most intriguing political races of the season, an upstart Latino politician from East Los Angeles faces one of California's best known - and most controversial - political figures of the last generation. It's Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo vs. the mayor of Oakland and former two-term governor Jerry Brown. At stake in the June 6 primary is the title of Democratic candidate for California attorney general. The winner will face Republican state Sen. Chuck Poochigian of Fresno, who is unopposed in the GOP primary.

This project was first proposed way back in 1991. The fact that it's took this long to get it off the ground is a clear sign of Oakland Redevelopment Agency's lethargy and the determination of Oakland's District Six Councilmember Larry Reid. BART's airport monorail on track Officials seek private help for connector targeted to run by 2011 By Paul T. Rosynsky, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND — A plan that would have a private company build and operate BART's monorail to Oakland International Airport appears to have gotten the long-stalled connector project back on track. After years of delays due to a $141 million funding shortage, BART officials now say they believe the job can be done and expect the $377 million monorail to open by 2011. The optimism comes as the agency seeks proposals from private firms that would be willing to cover a $141 million funding gap to get the project. In return, the winning firm would operate the system and collect fares from

OAKLAND, CA (KCBS) -- Public works crews have closed a stretch of Alvarado Road where several homes were evacuated earlier this week after flooding and slides. The city determined that four homes on Alvarado near Claremont were not safe for habitation and yellow-tagged the houses. As a precaution, Oakland's Public Works Director, Raul Godinez, decided to close the road in front of those homes on Saturday evening, making a major road through the Oakland hills impassable. “This is how I come in and out,” said Abby Conover, who took advantage of a break in the rain to walk her big dog Trickster. Four times this week, crews have cleared mud and debris from the road, and the rain continues to send parts of the hill-sometimes just pebbles, other times larger rocks-tumbling down. “Given the fact that we're getting more rain, we thought that it was prudent to go ahead and close the road,” Godinez said. Two doors down from the closure, Carol Kerbel was keeping one eye on her neighbor&#

I understand that the "grassy knoll" is being considered for a parking lot as part of the Boathouse Redevelopment Plan for that part of Lake Merritt, but I must agree that removing it would be a massive blow to the park-like image of that area. Well, heck, it is a park, right? Besides, if people want to come to the new restaurant, let them walk there. Force them to take BART and park along Grand Avenue. Also, send the AC Transit "!2" Bus down the avenue to serve the facility. That's a better way.

Check out my post on the SBS Baseball Business Blog.

I saw this post over at "Drinking Liberally" about the recent Mayor's Debate. Seems that commenters look at either Ron Dellums or Nancy Nadel. I think Dellums is the better choice.

According to the Oakland Post, several thousand people came to hear Tavis Smalley's presentation of The Covenant With Black America." Included were Oakland Mayora Candidate Ron Dellums. The report that over 3,000 people were turned away at the door should given one an idea of Black America's displeasure with current events. The question is will this translate into votes come election day. I think so.

Chabot hopes Oakland provides funding The Space and Science Center has made cuts but still faces a deficit in June By Eric Kurhi STAFF WRITER The Chabot Space and Science Center is hoping the city of Oakland will help it cope with a predicted financial shortfall caused by lackluster attendance and reduced federal funding. Alex Barnett, the center's executive director, said they have made some cuts and increased fund-raising efforts, but because of lagging box-office revenues they still might come up short at the end of the fiscal year this June. "Unless we dramatically increase the gate, there is a significant chance we may end the year a few hundred thousand dollars adrift," she said. Federal cuts have also hurt -- for example, cuts to NASA's budget meant the institution could not offer Chabot any assistance this year. The city, on the other hand, is looking at an $8.5 million budget surplus, mainly due to a booming real estate market. Barnett said she hopes some of

On March 27th and without ceremony, Oakland Tribune Columnist Peggy Stinnett wrote her last column for the newspaper. It was sad to read the last work of a person I've known and was a competitor too. It was even sadder to see her last day not given a special color. Oakland's lost its real chroniclers. It's not worth it to pick up a newspaper now, because it's so hard to discover the pulse of the city. It wasn't always this way. One could pick up The Trib or Montclarion and see what was going on. That was the time before the year 2000. It was a time when some people never heard of email, and called each other. It's a different world now. I like some aspects of it, but not this one. I'll miss ya Peggy.

I found this email in the Adams Point Yahoo Group. It shows Oakland Councilmember and Mayoral Candidate Nancy Nadel's view of the Oak To Ninth Waterfront Plan that's proposed by Signature Properties. I personally have no problem with the developer making money from the project -- that's what they do. I do agree that this "new town in town" needs to be well-studied before approval. Plus, I'd like to see a baseball stadium there as well. From: "Nadel, Nancy" wrote:From: "Nadel, > Nancy" > To: 'Nina Serrano' > Subject: RE: Fwd: [15X_NCPC] Oak-to-Ninth: Important City Council > meeting Tuesday night > Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 15:36:14 -0800 > > I think the city and the port approached this project backwards. We > should have done a specific plan and then found developers who > would do what we want. When I asked the planning director why that > wasn't the process as outlined in the Estuary Plan, she

This was a post on the Adams Point Message Board on Yahoo! I heard a woman screaming outside my window at approx. 1 a.m. in the morning on Sunday, April 9th. I live on Bellevue and I immediately sat up in bed and opened my window to see a man running away from a woman with a bag in his hand. She was almost directly across from my house and I called out to her to see if she was OK. She said she was but very shaken up and I directed her to come inside. We called the police but we were put on hold for at least 2 mins but after getting through the police arrived within 15 mins. They took a description and then radioed it in to another car to look around the neighbourhood. No luck finding the guy but this was the same style of mugging we have heard in the past. Single woman cruising through the neighbourhood looking for parking and once parked and out of the car she saw this man walking towards her and in a threatning voice told her to drop her bags (she had two and only dropped one which

I talked to a very good and well-placed friend of mine about why the Oakland City Council voted to give the right to create a restaurant to The Beach Chalet, a San Francisco Restaurant, versus any Oakland retauranteur. "They (the Council) looked at the deal points and frankly, The Beach Chalet was a better deal." My friend reported that the organzation which runs the very popular eatery on Ocean Beach came through with tenant improvements that were over $1 million more than, for example, Everett and Jones Restaurant. For those of you who don't understand what this means, $1 million in tenant improvements translates into a very nicely remodeled boathouse, sure to be a popular destination along the Lake. As to the allegations that Mayor Jerry Brown's aide Gil Duran tried to bribe Dorothy King of Everett and Jones, my friend said "Either one of them could be lying, given their track records." My take on this matter is that the City of Oakland should know h

Ignacio De La Fuente voted to bring in a San Francisco Restaurant, The Beach Chalet, to run the unused boathouse facility at Lake Merritt. Moreover, most of the Oakland City Council selected them and over locals like Everrett and Jones. With this, why should I buy my car at Broadway Auto Row? Why should I "Buy Oakland?" A good question. And one the Oakland City Council must answer.

This year Oaklanders who care have ran accross the name of a key aide to Jerry Brown. His name is Gil Duran. I most often see Duran with Mayor Brown at local bars, most notably Cafe Van Kleef. On one occasion, on a Wednesday of the week that President Bush's aide Karl Rove's involvement in the CIA Leak Scandal was being reported, I ran into Duran and Mayor Brown at Peter Van Kleef's establishment. I asked Jerry what he thought of the Karl Rove matter. Pointing at Gil, Jerry said "He's Karl Rove. Right there." After reading the story about Everett and Jones today, I think I understand.

Article Last Updated: 04/08/2006 3:16 AM PDT Restaurateur: Brown pledged lease for favor Mayor, who supported another eatery's boathouse bid, denies quid pro quo agreement By Heather MacDonald, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND — The owner of Everett & Jones Barbeque said Friday that Mayor Jerry Brown promised her a lucrative lease for a new eatery at the Lake Merritt Boathouse if she defended him from charges of racism. Through a spokesman, Brown, whose term expires Jan. 1, called the allegation "crazy" and denied the existence of a quid pro quo agreement. Earlier this week, Brown broke a tie vote of the Oakland City Council in favor of the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant in San Francisco, passing over the popular barbecue joint in Jack London Square. "I was devastated," Dorothy King said, adding she had no doubt that the decision was motivated by racism and politics. Brown, running for state attorney general, declined to directly address King'

When I served as Economic Advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris, the last thing I had time to do, and never took time to do, was comb the Internet looking for negative information about my boss. I especially didn't do this on City of Oakland time. What I did was meet with constituents, building developers, attend and run meetings, do research on and create ideas for development projects and meet with the press. I not only never had time to sit down at the computer to fire off hot emails at immagined "ememies of the mayor," I never used City of Oakland taxpayer money to do it. But that's certainly not true for some of Jerry Brown's staff. ' Every time they've visited the Oakland Focus site and attempted to leave a comment, my traffic recording system noted their IP adress and location: "City of Oakland." I was able to match that with the time and location of the comment. And in one case, a staffer emailed me because Jerry himself was picking on her

Lewis Cohen, the fomer aide to Oakland Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, cleared the air regarding his rant last October in The Daily Kos. In an email response to my question regarding the Daily Kos post, he wrote: "It's from me. It speaks for itself. nowhere does refer to any personal problem between me and Ignacio. It is about a disagreement over our views on development, police accountability and schools. There is nothing that refers to Elihu in any way shape or form. Administration refers to the school district." There you go.