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  I attended the opening event for what promises to be a great restaurant called Pican, when Councilmember Larry Reid informed me that Cleveland Bellow, a long-time friend who I got to know first when I was a columnist for The Montclarion between 1993 and 1996 passed away and his memorial is tomorrow, Thursday, at Taylor Methodist Church.   It's sad when a person who was known for so much life leaves this Earth.  Cleveland was a ball of creative, expressive energy who never seemed to age and was always a joy to be around.  This description of him on his website says it all: Oakland Bay Area artist, Cleveland Bellow, began his lifelong career as an "activist" artist back in the heady days of the Civil Rights Movement. Influenced by the words and deeds of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, the leaders of the Black Panther Party, and campus reformers, he became a dedicated and tireless contributor to the community. Edu...

There's an interesting but not reported on item -- ignored by the Oakland Tribune -- coming up on the Oakland City Council agenda, and it's called the "East Oakland Sports Complex Development." The resolution "on the table" will transfer $2 million from the Oakland Redevelopment Agency to the City of Oakland to fund the construction of this proposed project. There's nothing that's online about it that's immediately obvious to the lay person. which is terrible. But that written, and before I discuss the ELS website information, this is a project I know about and that Councilmember Larry Reid has spent years -- years -- trying to get moving. It started in 1996 with an idea Councilmember Reid had with then-Otis Spunkmier founder and CEO Ken Rawlings.  Both wanted to change the fact that while East Oakland had a population of familes with kids and teenagers, there was very little for them to do, if anything. To the end of changing that st...

Councilmember Laurence E. Reid City of Oakland 7th District Councilmember Laurence (Larry) E. Reid represents the interests of District 7 residents in the City of Oakland. Larry was elected in November 1996, and was sworn in to a four-year term on January 6, 1997. Larry's motto and mission is "to make a difference and improve the quality of life of those who elected me." Larry Reid is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio where he began his career in politics. Following a distinguished tenure in the military, Larry became a political aide to the Mayor of Cincinnati. Shortly thereafter, presidential hopeful Walter Mondale hired Larry to work on his campaign staff. During this period, Larry ventured to California where he met then Assemblymember Elihu M. Harris, which began a long and productive relationship. Larry accepted a position as legislative aide to Assemblymember Harris, serving in the State Assembly for six years. When Assemblymember Harris put in his bid fcr Mayor of Oakl...

This is old news, but timeless in the way Robert Gammon tells it. Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid's lost attempt to gain Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums more City Council power is beautifully told here. But Larry's past and blind support of Oakland Council President Ignacio De La Fuente may have hurt him, here. In a way, it reminds me of when Larry voted with Ignacio toward an "action of no action" on the Super Bowl Bid, and even though he was Chairman of the Super Bowl Bid Committee. I was told he did so because he believed he was going to get a key committee chair position from Ignacio, and then it never happened. Behind the Fracas at Dellums' Inaugural When Larry Reid moved to unseat council president Ignacio De La Fuente, he bet that the new mayor would jump at the chance to control the Oakland City Council. He bet wrong. By Robert Gammon - East Bay Express Published: January 24, 2007 Ron Dellums passed on a chance to seize control of city hall just hours befor...