Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

Part II When we moved to Oakland and I was about 12, Dennis Richmond was "doing the news". Now, he's retired and will be missed as he's like a part of the Bay Area's furniture. This video above is from the night he signed off.

Patrick McCullough is an Oakland hero. In 2005, he stood up to attack by drug dealers -- a gang that he reported to Oakland police, but who were still at large at the time. In defending himself against the gang, Pat shot and wounded one of the gang members. Mr. McCullough was found to have been acting to defend himself, and thus the D.A. did not press charges. Pat is one who was and is trying to take back his neighborhood. The ultimate action is the one he's taking today: running for Oakland City Council. This blog post in an endorsement of an Oaklander who can and has made a difference. It's not a matter of being against the incumbent Jane Brunner, but for a remarkable and remarkably brave person in Pat McCullough. A person with a resolve and will to stay in Oakland and help make it better. Oakland Residents For Peaceful Neighborhoods tells McCullough's story: Patrick McCullough: Triumph of a Hero Patrick McCullough, the north Oakland resident who stood up

If one can get over the shake and compression issues with this video, it's worth listening to as it features the Oakland District Three candidates on Measure DD implementation (Measure DD raised and prioritized money for improvements around Lake Merritt) and has what is now a familar pattern: Hodge and Sullivan attacking, and with Greg Hodge giving a spirited explaination of how the Mayor and City Council inaction is to blame for Measure DD execution problems, with Nadel, the incumbent explaining that "We're working on it." To be fair to Nadel, it is a large undertaking and the law calls for public imput throughout the process. That alone makes it a complicated undertaking. This video's had only six views before I found it for a host of technical reasons that boil down to a lack of infrastructure and engineering knoweldge on Vsmoothe's part. That stat should change dramatically.

Burma Resolution @ Oakland City Council , originally uploaded by jeffluger . I know this room intimately from working as former Mayor Elihu Harris' economic advisor. It's located within the Oakland City Council Chambers and is used by the various councilmembers for meetings. This meeting, featuring Oakland District Two City Councilmember Pat Kernighan, was held in April of this year and on the Burma Resolution matter, the city would take up the matter of expressing its concern for the Burmese impacted by the recent disaster there.

John Russo and Matt Gonzalez , originally uploaded by allaboutgeorge . John Russo's had a knack for stagging interesting and off-beat political functions and this is the best example. This was in 2006 when Russo was running for the open California Assembly seat against now-Assemblyman Sandre Swanson. Heres, Russo and former SF Supervisor and now running-mate with Ralph Nader Matt Gonzalez are at the Parkway Theater talking about the meeting of the movie Network. I was there, sitting over to the right -- you can't see me. Russo's running unopposed for City Attorney in 2008.

As we get closer to the weekend, we're going to have posts on who's endorsing whom. This one starts with the SF Bay Guardian, who took Nadel for District Three, and my good friend Oakland City Attorney John Russo, who's running unopposed, to name some of their choices. I will refrain from insulting those who pick a certain candidate I may favor, unlike some other bloggers. Its your thang, but I've got mine. Here's what the SF Bay Guardian wrote, in their own words: Oakland Races City Attorney JOHN RUSSO John Russo, who has made no secrets of his political ambition, failed in a bid to win the State Assembly seat for District 16 in 2006, and now he's running unopposed for reelection. Russo has voiced some pretty ridiculous sentiments: he told a magazine for landlords in May 2006 that he opposed all forms of rent control and was against laws requiring just cause for evictions. That's a horrible stand for a city attorney to take in a city with a huge popula

Laura Kelly is a female Cal student, who, according to Chris Treadway over at the West County Times , has made more prize money than any woman in the history of the 'Jeopardy' show tv. All I can say is "Go Bears!"