Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

For some reason, the driver of this car you see decided to do 80 MPH on Grand Av Thursday night.  According to sources, after hitting the pole at the median where it starts after Bay Pl, the driver got out of the vehicle and ran when a person tried to see if he needed help.    Stolen car, perhaps?

Radio Bar in Downtown Oakland, California on 13th St near Broadway has a wild happening where they set the bar on fire while a girl in a bikini dances on it - Thursday nights. It's one of those things you have to see to believe and will have you saying "pour me another one!"

Oakland crime - too much of it. We had the robbery of The 7-11 across from the Whole Foods Oakland Store on Valentine's Day night last week. Then... two homicides that Saturday (that we know about). Now.. An Oakland woman reports seeing not one, but two car break-ins this Wednesday morning - more detail below. Meanwhile Oakland Councilmembers Libby Schasf (District 4 - Oakland Hills) and Lynette Gibson McElhaney talk about the Oakland City Council's decision to pay the California Highway Patrol 162K for 60-days of service in the form of five cars of two officers each, and one supervisor sergeant - all twice a week for that period. Here's Councilmembers Libby Schasf (District 4 - Oakland Hills) and Lynette Gibson McElhaney: And on the car break-ins: This report popped up in an email to me from an Oakland Yahoo Group (I didn't detail it to protect the name of the person) this morning: Hi Neighbors - Unfortunate news to report this morning. There w...

We welcome Kraig Debro, who's best known as the KTVU TV Reporter as recently as last January.

Beth Schnitzer is a masterful marketing and sponsorship professional, and friend of this video-blogger, who stepped down from her position as Vice President Of Strategic Alliances for Pier 39 in San Francisco, and to focus on her new company, Spritz Marketing. Beth has represented Pier 39 in her position for 12 years, and for two years before that, John Bosch, her predecessor, told Ms. Schnitzer he wanted her to have his position when he stepped down. In 2000, Bosch made good on his promise, and Beth took his place. Since then, and for 12 years, Beth has stewarded the growth of Pier 39 as a recognized leader in providing excellent value-added to its sponsors and vendors.: More about Beth and Spritz Interactive Marketing at Zennie62.com > Beth Schnitzer Leaves Pier 39 To Run Spritz Marketing SF

On Monday, the City of Oakland held a meeting on the Art Murmur - First Friday shooting that was the focus of this Zennie62 video: More at Zennie62: Art Murmur – First Friday Oakland Shooting Focus Of Monday Meeting

This is happening today at 3 PM: This Sunday afternoon, February 10th from 3-5 pm at Holy Names University, Oakland's nationally-renowned crime consultant Robert Wasserman will be leading a critical community dialogue about controlling crime in our great city. I hope you will join us there. We all care deeply about public safety and know that we, as a community, must engage in conversation and reach some common conclusions to move forward in making our city the safe place it deserves to be.  Holy Names University has generously offered to host this event in their beautiful Valley Theater for the Performing Arts. Holy Names is conveniently located right off the Hwy 13 Redwood Rd. exit, at 3500 Mountain Blvd. (served by the 54 Bus Line).  Robert Wasserman is the Chairman of the Strategic Policy Partnership, which assists public agencies with policing strategy development and performance improvement. He is the author of Guidance for Bu...

There's an online petition this blogger will not link to that wants smoking banned around Lake Merritt here in Oakland.  I'm not a smoker, but others lighting up a cigarette or cigar outdoors does not bother me; it should not bother anyone at all. That it does, and that an online petition to ban smoking around Lake Merritt, thus leading to one more reason for the police to write unnecessary tickets, is the best example of the almost insane levels of neurotic behavior that have been allowed to grow in the Oakland of the 20th Century. There's so much green space, so many trees, and so few smokers, that the only way this kind of idea could float to the place of civic recognition is via the mind of an unhappy soul.  This person must walk outside and rather than think happy thoughts, is obsessed with what they think others should or should not be doing. Such a person is but one step from madness. Oakland is already not a fun place to be.  We have people who have been ...

Who is the sexiest woman in Oakland? This space would saw Megan Avalon if she were still a personal trainer at what is now FitnessSF. That's a question that no person or publication has ever asked in the entire history of Oakland.  Think about it. When we think of Oakland, we are almost programmed to think of crime news or budget deficits, or police brutality.  But the sexiest woman in Oakland?  Someone would get angry for objectification of the female form. But considering who the sexiest woman in Oakland might be is a more mentally healthy and positive endeavor than thinking about the next shooting.  At the end of the day, what would come out of such a practice is that a lot of women would feel really good about being recognized for looking good. Oakland has never done that, and if we're to really change this city, we have to inject a more positive image into it.  That starts with how we look at each other. So, the question remains: who is the s...

Christopher Jordan Dorner, who wrote this manifesto - Christopher Jordan Dorner: Uncensored Manifesto Of Ex-LAPD Officer, Cop Killer - and is accused of killing a couple in Irvine and police officers in Riverside, is waging a war against the LA Police Department. Christopher Dorner sent a page to CNN's Anderson Cooper, which contained references to a coin that was given to him by William Bratton. Bratton, now a consultant to the Oakland Police Department, was the LA Chief of Police at the time Dorner was an officer. Bratton told Cooper he didn't remember Dorner, even though there's a photo of the two of them together. Stay tuned.

There's a memorial planned for 18-year-old Kiante Campbell, who was murdered during last Friday night's Art Murmur Shooting .  The memorial will be held at The First Place For Youth at 1601 Telegraph Avenue at the corner of Telegraph and 16th Street in Downtown Oakland.  It starts at 5 PM and goes to 8 PM.   

Reports are that the Oakland Raiders plan to reduce seat numbers in the upper deck for the 2013 season.  That's an obvious ploy to make it reasonable to increase ticket prices, but if the Raiders don't put a winning team on the field, all of that seat manipulation will not matter. The Raiders real problems rest in its front office, which, under GM Reggie McKenzie, has not made the kind of moves that are expected of an organization that's supposed to be on a winning track. From firing Hue Jackson, to bringing in an unproven and inexperienced head coach in Dennis Allen, then breaking up the coaching staff after a terrible season,  McKenzie has the Raiders on a path to failure. Sadly.

Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan has issued a statement in the shooting death of Kiante Campbell during last Friday night's Art Murmur Festival in Downtown Oakland. Here's that statement Rebecca D. Kaplan, Art Murmur Shooting: Oakland City Council President Statement : The shooting that took the young life of Kiante Campbell in Oakland Friday night was tragic – my prayers are with the victim’s family – and is evidence of a gun violence epidemic throughout our city that we must act to end. Our community is committed to ending gun violence – no matter where it occurs. From Telegraph to Trestle Glen, Brookdale to Bancroft – an injury to one is an injury to all. The men and women of the Oakland Police Department deserve our most sincere gratitude for their swift action to identify and arrest the shooter in Friday’s violence. As a city, we are committed to sending a clear message to anyone with disregard for law or life: if you take a shot, you will get c...

This was a pretty bad incident that happened on February 1st and Whole Foods should be concerned about the community reaction to it. Oakland vlogger Matt Gratz is to be thanked to the video work of, as he lives next to the store. Whole Foods Oakland security guards are caught on Matt's camera making a mistake that could cost the 55,000-square-foot store at 27th and Oakland Avenue thousands of dollars in a lawsuit. The two guards, not black, are caught on camera holding the African American woman, who’s obviously upset that she is being manhandled over a misunderstanding, and this happened on Friday, February 1st – the day of the same night the First Friday shooting happened. The receipt she has is in full view in the video, yet the two ham-handed private security men waste no time in trying to make an arrest and accuse her of theft. More at Zennie62: Whole Foods Oakland Security Guards Violent With Black Woman

Oakland music artist and friend Emily Palen will appear at The Hotel Utah this evening at 8 PM. If you remember, Emily last appeared here to talk about her new album, Glass: She writes in this email: Dear friends and family!! I am playing at the Hotel Utah in SF tonight with my full band!! KnightressM1! We are going on at 8, followed by two incredible bands. The music I have written for KnightressM1 is so close to my heart, it is the air I breathe and I am so thrilled to finally be playing it out for all of you. If you are free and inspired please come join us. I would love to see you! I will also have my new CD "Creation" there for you to swoop ;) Many blessings ~ Emily Hotel Utah Show KnightressM1 8pm (Emily Palen - vocals violin keys, Rob Ahlers - drums, Joshua Layton - bass) Yonat and Her Muse 9pm Alma Desnuda 10pm Doors at 7 ~ $5 Hotel Utah, 500 4th Street, San Francisco CA 21 and Over Stop by and listen to Emily's newest sou...

As the video shows, San Francisco's North Beach was silent and almost empty after the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34 to 31. Also, a big thanks to Oakland's Lake Chalet for hosting this video blogger for The Super Bowl. More: Niners fans upset over outcome.

Oakland Art Murmur Shooting rocks Uptown, Oakland. The Oakland Art Murmur's positive energy was ruined by the negative energy of a homicide. A four people were shot, one killed, between 20th and 21st and Telegraph Avenue - the local heart of Oakland's "First Friday" or "Art Murmur" gathering. More: http://www.zennie62blog.com/2013/02/02/oakland-art-murmur-shooting-friday-night-4-shot-one-dead-video-74341/