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Today as I was passing by City Hall, I saw a familar face pass by at a distance and rushing toward the 14th Street side entrance of Oakland's City Hall. Bill Claggett. For those of you who don't know the name, Claggett was hired by Elihu Harris when Harris was Mayor Of Oakland and as one of three economic consultants, including myself. I stayed on as Harris' Economic Advisor while Glaggett moved on, but then returned as Economic Development head after the departure of Kofi Bonner. Currently, Bill's listed as a "Management Consulting Consultant and Contractor" according to his Linkedin listing. Glaggett remained under Mayor Jerry Brown, and was considered as the one person who pushed through the Mayor's 10K program and his casino idea, as well. Eventually, he and his deputy Bob Lyons were let go by Jerry Brown. Glaggett was replaced by Dan VanderPriem, who departed last year. The news was unpopular with not a few community political operatives, some o...

This area continues to be plagued by night-time crime. While District Two and District Three councilmembers plan a town hall meeting on high rises around the Lake, people are planning to hold up, mug, rape, and in some cases murder other residents around the Lake. This is ridiculous. To me, the answer is simply for people to be nosy. To get to know each other. To ask questions. To be watchful. I mean look at the chatter from the Yahoo! Message Board: I am just amazed by all of the stories...it is never ending. Lighting will help, driving around and surveying your area will help, but ultimately they have the power and are our own breed of terrorists - people's livelihoods are being ruined. Have there been any arrests ever? I never hear of any! -----Original Message----- From: 15X_NCPC@yahoogroup s.com To: 15X_NCPC@yahoogroup s.com Sent: Fri Jan 19 08:03:19 2007 Subject: RE: [15X_NCPC] Another car break in A man who lives in the 300 block of Wayne was mugged at gunpoint. He had ...

Assembly bill seeks to limit state oversight by Kerry Hamill, North Oakland School Board Member - Rockridge News, January Oakland’s new state Assembly member, Sandre Swanson, will likely spark some long overdue discussions in Sacramento this year about the future governance of Oakland public schools. On Swanson’s first day as a member of the Oakland delegation, he introduced a bill which would put the school board back in control and protect the district’s students from any risky financial decisions by keeping budget veto power in the hands of a state-designated trustee. If passed, the bill would allow the school board to resume power in 2008 and select a new superintendent. To that end, current state administrator Kimberly Statham will likely be on a short list of possible candidates. She continues to earn high marks in the school community for her ability to listen, accept good advice and embrace changes that have worked well for students. Central to any discussion about restoring lo...

Well, the Oakland Robbery Problem is everywhere. It even struck Oracle Arena, where the Golden State Warriors play. In this case, the heist was well-planned and only took 17 minutes. Security firm fired after theft at Oracle ABC Security will take over for WSB and Associates By Paul T. Rosynsky, STAFF WRITER Article Last Updated: 01/19/2007 02:55:45 AM PST OAKLAND — A private security firm that patrolled the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex the night plasma televisions and ATMs were stolen has been fired. WSB and Associates, a San Francisco-based firm that has patrolled the complex the past five years, will be replaced by ABC Security, an Oakland-based firm with deep political connections at City Hall. ABC Security will take over patrols at the complex Monday, said Mark Kauffman, an SMG employee and general manager for the complex. The decision to fire WSB and Associates was made by SMG, a firm hired to manage the complex. Kauffman said the Jan. 4 robbery played a role in th...

I found this article in "The Black Commentator" and posted it because given Oakland's population mix and the racial hostilities that were present at last week's inauguration, it seemed timely. It's time to take not only a look at this problem, but steps to eliminate the problem of bad Latino / Black relations. Roots Of Lation / Black Anger - Long Time Prejudices, Not Economic Rivalry, Fuel Tensions - Tanya K. Hernandez The acrimonious relationship between Latinos and African Americans in Los Angeles is growing hard to ignore. Although the New Year weekend's Black-versus-Latino race riot at Chino state prison is unfortunately not an aberration, the Dec.15 murder in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Cheryl Green, a 14-year-old African American, allegedly by members of a Latino gang, was shocking. Yet there was nothing really new about it. Rather, the murder was a manifestation of an increasingly common trend: Latino ethnic cleansing of African Americans from m...

UPDATE: NEWSOM AND DELLUMS DIFFER ON FATES OF PRO SPORTS TEAMS 01/17/07 4:10 PST SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums expressed contrasting opinions today about their ability to keep professional sports teams from leaving their cities. Speaking at an annual business forum sponsored by the San Francisco Business Times, Newsom said the San Francisco 49ers' plans to move to Santa Clara "are by no means a done deal.'' Newsom said, "I don't know how the math works out'' to make the proposal to move to Santa Clara successful. Newsom said he believes "it's in the best interests of the San Francisco 49ers to stay in San Francisco, where they've prospered for 60 years.'' He said he believes his recent proposal to build a new stadium in the Hunters Point area along with affordable housing and community projects is a good one. "I hope the 49ers participate,'' he said. Newsom noted t...

This is terrible news that must be reported. What are medical institutions doing with the money made from record health care costs? It's not being spent on safe buildings at all. I hope more people spread this story. Half of hospitals won't meet seismic deadline Report warns of possible medical building closures, earthquake risk By Rebecca Vesely, STAFF WRITER Article Last Updated: 01/18/2007 02:51:27 AM PST Half of California's hospitals requiring seismic retrofitting won't meet a 2013 state deadline, which could lead to hospital closures or put patients at risk if a large earthquake hits, according to a report issued today. The problem is especially great in the population-dense Bay Area and Los Angeles, where 80 percent of the hospitals needing retrofits are located, according to the study by the California HealthCare Foundation and the RAND Corporation. The biggest issue is cost of compliance, expected to reach a staggering $110 billion, according to the report....

Councilmembers Nancy Nadel and Pat Kernighan are hosting a Lake Merritt Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, January 31st at 666 Bellevue in the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. This notice was posted on the Yahoo Message Board system and seems to have appeared without commentary of any kind. There may be a reason for this, and it may be that the group members are just being nice, but the town hall meeting is out of touch with what's happening around the Lake. The topics will be on zoning and high-rise issues around the Lake, which is interesting. In fact, their notice states the meeting will focus on: o Blocked view corridors - for pedestrians, autos, and residents o Creation of wind corridors o Light/glare o Shadows on open space and the lake o Adverse impacts to existing visual/neighborhood character o Community input on height standards/alternatives But I really think they need to focus on the crime problem and right now. With...

Police report robbery spree through Oakland From Staff Reports - Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated: 01/16/2007 01:04:09 PM PST OAKLAND _ Three men took a car at gunpoint Monday night and then used the vehicle to commit at least four robberies and possibly more, police said Tuesday morning. The carjacking and four confirmed robberies by the same suspects were among 13 robberies across the city between 6 p.m. and midnight. Investigators were still waiting for reports Tuesday and details were sketchy. The carjacking happened at 5:48 p.m. in the 3000 block of Capp Street when the three men took a Toyota Camry at gunpoint from the owner. In the next two hours or so the men used the car to rob people on the street in East Oakland. Those robberies occurred in the 1900 block of 69th Avenue, the 1600 block of 80th Avenue, the 4000 block of Foothill Boulevard and the 2300 block of 86th Avenue. Each of the victims lost personal items, police said. Other East Oakland robberies happened in the 4...

Occasionally we get and allow comments from "Anonymous" poster. Well, as of today, we're not allowing them any more. Not at all. The reason for this is about 82 percent of the time, the posters write something insulting or nasty..or racist. That happens a lot and comes from so-called Oaklanders. What a joke they are. The very act of this is cowardly to me. I've come to the belief that the people who do this have nothing better to do than to waste time. Thus, the party is over. If one wants to make a comment, they'll have to identify themselves.

Renowned barber college still stylin' in new location Moler transplanted to Telegraph Avenue By Cecily Burt, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND — The spacious Moler Barber College salon on Telegraph Avenue was crowded with would-be barbers and stylists giving shaves and facials early one recent morning. Despite being a normally talkative bunch, no one uttered a peep. For a full hour, the students silently honed their straight-razor shaving techniques, folded hot towels in the precise way and perfected the art of rejuvenating facial massages — all in preparation for rigorous practical state board exams in March. That this scene happened at all is amazing, because it wasn't so long ago that Oakland's 95-year-old barberschool — one of the few in the Bay Area — was in danger of closing for good. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, which is expanding its North Oakland campus, had purchased the storefront building on Broadway, where Moler students had shampooed, shaped and styl...

Click here to read my post on this over at SBS NFL Business Blog.

This was from the Yahoo! Message board today I wanted to report an armed robbery. My husband and I were robbed at gun point at 1:20A this morning in front of our apartment building at 376 Staten Avenue . Three young black youths dresses in Black-hooded sweatshirts and baggy jeans, with shoes with rubber soles. They held a gun on my husband, took his wallet, and took my purse with wallet, cell phone, make-up, etc. inside. We did call the police, they came out, we made a report. The youth used two of our credit cards at three gas stations: An Oakland 76 Station, A McArthur Valero, and Son T. Nguygen station at 3:00Am, 3:05 AM, and 3:15 AM. Hopefully this will give the police something to go on. We want to let you all know.

As a note, I ran into Rep. Barbara Lee at the Montclarion Albertson's while shopping late with my mother. Rep. Lee informed us that she'd been flying the red-eye back and forth from here to Washington DC. Lots of work to be done, as this article will reveal. Lee hits ground running in 110th Congress By Josh Richman MEDIANEWS STAFF Rep. Barbara Lee clearly doesn't believe in starting slowly. While five Bay Area members of Congress have yet to introduce a bill in the 110th Congress convened last week and four more have introduced one bill each so far, Lee already has introduced 17 pieces of legislation. For Lee, D-Oakland, the early blitz is partly a matter of staking out her turf. "These are critical issues, not only to the people of my district but to the entire nation, and I am not going to wait for an invitation to stake out my position or take a leadership role," she said Tuesday. "These are issues that I have been working on, many of them for years, an...

THE TOWN CRIER: GINNY PRIOR Of The Montclarion Beast dwells in murky waters of Lake Merritt I've always suspected something was lurking, just below the murky green surface. Now it's been confirmed -- Oakland's Lake Merritt has a monster. Like Scotland's Loch Ness and Lake Champlain's Champ, this creature eludes all but the most vigilant observers. Richard Bailey, the resident expert, has seen the great head of the beast -- with its glowing red eyes and spiked horns. "It's got six or seven humps like you'd see on the Loch Ness," he proclaims, adding that the creature measures more than 10 feet in length. Frightening? You bet! But Bailey says it's also a tourist attraction, if you don't get too close. He's sent out a letter to the City Council asking that the creature be protected as an endangered species. Perhaps the company Monster.com would like to buy the naming rights.

Plummer ends five-decade career in law enforcement Outspoken Alameda County sheriff started with Berkeley police in 1952 By Chris Metinko STAFF WRITER - THE MONTCLARION After more than 50 years in one career, it's not uncommon to think about what one would have done differently. Monday, on his last day on the job, Alameda County Sheriff Charles Plummer had his own thoughts. After a retirement ceremony that included helicopter flyovers, bagpipes and what seemed like thousands of handshakes, the former Berkeley and Hayward chief of police sat in his office afterward and voiced that one regret. "I wish I would have hit some people harder during the riots," said Plummer, speaking of the riots in Berkeley in the late-1960s. "I regret that." It was a fitting answer for a man who has made a 54-year career not just out of law enforcement, but also out of speaking exactly what was on his mind -- usually using the kind of spicy language shied away from by most public offi...

Starting today, Rich Lieberman, the Oakland-native and Skyline High graduate commonly known as "Big Vinny" from his two-year stint as the character "Big Vinny" for Round Table Pizza, has joined the Blogsphere. Currently, Rich appears in the online column section for Matier and Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle. Rich has a long history in Bay Area media circles and knows what's going on with whom and where. Rich's new Blog is called "Big Vinny's Bay Area" and features items, jokes, and news from one of the best connected people in the Bay Area. Visit http://bigvinnysbayarea.blogspot.com

This video is simply a call to help save the Oakland Stables, which always seem to be on the City of Oakland's chopping block when the budget is low. For more information, go to Oaklandcitystables.org

City leaders condemn remarks to De La Fuente Some say inauguration incident shows tension between Latino, African-American communities too seldom discussed By Heather MacDonald, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE Article Last Updated: 01/12/2007 03:15:50 AM PST OAKLAND — About a dozen community and civic leaders gathered Thursday to denounce the treatment of Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente at Monday's public inauguration of Mayor Ron Dellums, saying that racism has no place in Oakland. Gilda Gonzales, CEO of the Unity Council, called what happened when De La Fuente beat back a challenge from occasional ally Councilmember Larry Reid (Elmhurst-East Oakland) "shameful and damaging. "This level of racism hurts us all," Gonzales said, adding that it is unacceptable for the city's highest-ranking Latino elected official to be shown disrespect and verbally assaulted. The crowd at the Paramount Theatre erupted in jeers when De La Fuente won a 6-2 victory ...

Smitty's Originally uploaded by lunchmeat . As silent as the media has been about this, I figured I should report that Smitty's -- a local watering hole on Grand Avenue -- was the focus of a robbery two weeks ago on Tuesday. My good friend who owns an establishment on Grand Avenue told me that just before closing two people walked in with guns and held up the patrons, while a third person was behind the wheel of the car. To my knoweldge, they are still at large. I've not been to Smitty's in a long time -- over a year at least, I guess. But given occurences like that one, it makes you wonder if it's a good time to start going. I think I'll stick to home movies. Just kidding. Actually more people out should deter crime, right? It's best for all to be watchful and observant as there have been a large number of robberies and assaults along Grand Avenue. Why all of this is happening, in my view, is due to a large class of underemployed -- not u...

Victory for downtown! Originally uploaded by mcjohnnyz . I had to post this because it actually is the best photo of Pat Kernighan I have seen to date. It captures her as natural and happy. It's not a campaign photo at all. I can't agree with "Mcjohnnyz's" assertion that Aimee Allison is anti-growth, however. And the tag of "extremist" is a bit, well, extreme.

aimee_RonDellums.JPG Originally uploaded by oaklandcentric . Well, from this photo you'd think she got his support but then with his hands clasped rather than loose, perhaps that's a tell-take sign. At any rate, one wonders how the District Two election would have turned if Ron came out for her and Aimee was a Dem rather than a Green Party member.

Pretty Colors Originally uploaded by mcjohnnyz . This is the new face of Oakland, well, sort of. But if you've been here since 1974 and saw that facade contain various types of businesses, then it is. For a long time before it was the bar called Radio that door was the entry to a total dive no one would be caught dead it. It was a haven for people who were totally on the edge, and a total smoke-filled room to boot. Now, at least it's a clean joint just next to the Tribune Tower.

Oakland Ice Sculpture Originally uploaded by mcjohnnyz . No, I missed this party due to family matters -- Mom in town -- but mcjonnyz didn't. Thus this photo of the amazing Oakland Ice Sculpture that graced the middle of the party room. I wonder if it's melted?

Oakland Temple 2 Originally uploaded by Chapter 1 . Regardless of your religious background or interest, it's hard to argue with the sheer beauty and grandure of the Mormon Temple off Lincoln Avenue in the Oakland Hills. It was the first structure I noticed when I moved here from Chicago at 12 years old. It has the look and feel of permanence. While the Palm trees always reminded me of LA, they just seem to fit the style of the building.

Jetset Originally uploaded by theclipshow . Someone managed to capture me doing what I do best -- talking. This was at last year's very successful event called "The Vloggies." The Vloggies is a first-of-its-kind awards show for video-bloggers, which I guess includes me. The person who took this elected to entitle it "Jetset" which I guess explains how someone I don't know sees me. That's interesting. At any rate, Oakland should have its own vlog meetup. It would be nice to know who's doing what around here. It would also be very cool to have an awards show in Oakland as well. Maybe I could coax Irina Slutsky -- the creator of The Vloggies -- into having it here in 2007.

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...

This is an example of what people are talking about with respect to the higher than reasonable black arrest record in San Francisco. San Francisco State professor Antwi Akom was arrested last night and placed in county jail for going into his campus office. He was released earlier this evening. Many people are alleging the incident to be based on racial profiling. “I think that [the officers] are racist pigs,” said Matthew Shenoda a lecturer the Ethnic Studies department, who has been talking to Akom.“It’s a really clear cut case of racial profiling.” Campus police refused to comment on the incident. While in jail, he spoke with numerous friends and colleagues in the Ethnic Studies Department to tell them what happened. Among them was Shenoda, his teaching assistant Ashley Moore, and Dean of Ethnic Studies Kenneth Monteiro. According to these friends, Akom came to campus around 10 p.m. Tuesday evening to pick up a book he needed for teaching his class. When he arrived in the fro...

HIGH BLACK ARREST RATE RAISES CALL FOR INQUIRY Range of explanations offered by experts, officials for S.F.'s disparity with other cities Susan Sward, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, December 17, 2006 San Francisco police arrest African Americans for serious crime at a much higher rate than officers in California's other biggest cities. Black people in San Francisco are arrested for felonies at nearly twice the rate they are in Sacramento. They are arrested at twice the rate of black people in Fresno, three times the rate in San Jose, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, and four times the rate in Oakland. The disparity between San Francisco's black felony arrest rates and the seven other largest cities' -- measured by the number of African Americans arrested per 1,000 black residents -- is so large that many experts and civic leaders who reviewed the numbers said they are "disturbing" and require an investigation. The numbers prompt several questions, all o...