Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

From Zennie62.com: Downtown Oakland was once again the focus of the window smashing work of anarchists, some who have been incorrectly identified as being with Occupy Oakland. Bar Dogwood on 17th and Telegraph got the brunt of the violence, as its windows were smashed, once again. That is a small, woman-owned establishment trying to make a go of it in Oakland. There was no reason to attack Bar Dogwood, or any Oakland business. The people who did this should seek ways to change laws and improve race relations. But this doesn't help anyone. More at Zennie62.com: George Zimmerman Verdict: Bar Dogwood In Downtown Oakland’s Windows Smashed - http://www.zennie62blog.com/2013/07/14/george-zimmerman-verdict-bar-dogwood-in-downtown-oaklands-windows-smashed/

The BART Strike that has impacted the travel and commute patterns throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and especially from the East Bay to the West Bay, is over. BART released the following statement from General Manager Grace Crunican: “I am happy to announce the BART system will be open and fully operational at 3pm on Friday. More at Zennie62.com: BART Strike Is Over, Trains Operating Now, At 3 PM - http://www.zennie62blog.com/2013/07/05/bart-strike-is-over-trains-operating-now-at-3-pm-88690/

Bryan Parker, the Oaklander and a vice president with Davita Health Care, has raised $52,000 as of June 29th and for his run for Mayor of Oakland. Here's a YouTube commenter on Bryan: Bryan is an awesome candidate. I am impressed by his fiery passion and genuine desire to be a servant leader. His vision is well informed and he listens to the people. His candidacy is inspiring and energizing the city in a way I have never witnessed at the local level. He's got my vote! Vote for Bryan Parker for Mayor, and visit the website at http://www.bryanparker.org

The City Of Oakland Workers Strike means no parking enforcement work on Monday. The standard work of writing parking citations is not a police-done activity in Oakland. Parking enforcement is a public works operation, and is set to be impacted by the same one-day strike. More at Zennie62.com: City Of Oakland Workers Strike, Parking Free-For-All Monday - http://www.zennie62blog.com/2013/06/29/city-of-oakland-workers-strike-parking-free-for-all-monday-38862/

According to Zennie62.com, The Oakland Raiders may move back to the Los Angeles Basin, and to Torrance, CA, but only if a business man succeeds in his effort to buy the organization. This was told to me by a high-ranking source and the same person also explained that the expected financing for the Oakland Coliseum City project, a proposed 800-acre sports and entertainment complex, did not “come through.” A key Oakland official was expected to present the exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) document this week (a contract that is the guiding organ for talks between the City of Oakland and a developer) but the financing snag has delayed that. That ENA would be between JRDV Urban International, the project manager, and its organizational team: HKS Sports and Entertainment, a stadium developer, and Forest City Real Estate Services. More at Zennie62.com: Oakland Raiders Move To Torrance, Ca? Coliseum City Financing Problem Dooms Stadium Project - http://www.zennie62blog.com/2013

Bryan Parker, Mayoral Candidate, Oakland Oakland News: Parker For Mayor Buzz, Fruitvale Station At Grand Lake Bryan Parker Bryan Parker For Mayor Of Oakland Reaches Successful Campaign Milestone Bryan Parker, the Oakland digital company exec who’s running for Mayor Of Oakland, held a campaign fund raiser last night at Liege in Old Oakland that was so successful, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan should be on alert. The Bryan Parker For Mayor effort set $20,000 as a reachable goal for their preliminary fund raising efforts, and more than surpassed it. As Mr. Parker, who this blogger’ supporting in his run, said today “We are at $24,000 now, and it’s just the day after (the event).” For the rest on Fruitvale Station, see Zennie62.com: Oakland News: Parker For Mayor Buzz, Fruitvale Station At Grand Lake

Ok, Oakland, here's a review of Man Of Steel , which I hope you saw at The Grand Lake Theater at Grand and Lake Park in Oakland, at Zennie62.com: Man Of Steel Review: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Effects Shine - Part 1

Transbay Transit Center San Francisco is progressing toward its eventual 2017 completion and opening. And to the end of keeping you informed of not just the construction progress, but also areas of San Francisco that are impacted and may compromise your travel if you’re not planned for them, here’s the latest update, this one for June 14th to June 23rd. More at Zennie62.com: Transbay Transit Center SF 10 Day Construction Update: June 14 – June 23

The Second Annual MISSSEY GALA this Saturday, June 15th at 5 PM at The Oakland Rotunda (300 Frank H Ogawa Plaza Downtown Oakland, CA), is an event I’m personally asking that you attend, and not just because it will be fun – the program will include dinner, a no-host cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception during the silent auction, and a lot of fantastic people – but it will be informative and perhaps life-changing for you. Get your tickets here, first – http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/334595 – then please watch the video and then read below it. MISSSEY GALA: An Important Event To Inspire Change - more at Zennie62.com: MISSSEY GALA: SATURDAY JUNE 15TH, OAKLAND ROTUNDA 5 PM

From Zennie62: Godzilla is still being filmed in Surrey, BC, and while that outdoor work is going on, there’s a photo from an indoor set that’s getting a lot of buzz, and another that was virtually ignored by the media, but gives the biggest clue yet to what is going to happen when the movie’s released on May 16th 2014. Let’s start with that one, because it strongly implies the title of this blog entry: that Godzilla’s going to attack San Francisco! The question is, will Oakland be devastated, too? More at Zennie62.com: Godzilla 2014: SAN FRANCISCO WILL BE ATTACKED BY GODZILLA

The New Parkway Oakland at 474 24th Avenue in the Uptown District, is something to see. It’s kind of tucked way in a warehouse that’s much larger than it looks, and is just around the corner from a corner cafe on Broadway and 24th that has been several different businesses over the years. The hosts for our video tour were Randy and Karen, who are the managers and operators and caretakers of The Parkway Oakland Theater for its owners – a group of 87 investors who gathered together and put blood, sweat, and tears into the renovation of a space that was once used by the Occupy Oakland Movement. Now, it picks up on the spirit of the original Parkway Oakland Theater, where you can lounge on big, overstuffed couches and eat great pizza or drink gourmet beer and wine – or just watch a movie. More at Zennie62.com: The New Parkway Oakland Theater Video Tour

Oaklanders who follow these things know what’s happening with the city budget. As our City Council gets ready to pass a new two-year budget between now and July 1, we have the following: The Mayor’s proposed budget; The City Administrator’s updates (here and here - and we understand more are coming); City Council President Kernighan’s “Proposed Amendments to The Mayor’s FY 2013-2015 Proposed Policy Budget” (we’ll call it “APB1”, for amendments to budget 1); “ FY 2013-2015 Budget Proposal Submitted By Council Members Brooks, Reid and Gallo” (we’ll call this one “APB2”). In this post, and the two that follow, we will show that the Mayor’s budget, with APB1, is an imperfect but reasonable approach. But as we will also show, APB2 constitutes an assault on efforts to restore public safety to Oakland. It is a potential public policy disaster, and it is based on millions of dollars in errors and wrong assumptions. More at Zennie62.com: Make Oakland Better Now! Looks a

Oakland News, more of it today. EVENT ALERT: On Saturday, June 15th at 5pm, MISSSEY will host its second Annual Inspire Change Gala at Individual tickets are now on sale for $125, couples for $200 and are available if you click on this link: MISSSEY 2nd Annual Inspire Change Gala The program will include a no-host cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception with live music, silent auction, dinner, live auction, and dancing. Please contact Jude Wellington for event information or sponsorship opportunities at 510-214-3701 or jude.wellington@gmail.com the beautiful Rotunda Building in Downtown Oakland. The event will raise money to support MISSSEY’s goal of “Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth”. More Oakland News at Zennie62.com: Oakland News: MISSEY EVENT, Glover Memorial, Mayor Ruby, Love Our Lake, Schaaf