Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

More in SFGate : “(12-20) 23:34 PST RICHMOND -- Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of four men who allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped for nearly an hour a 28-year-old Richmond woman, who was left naked when they fled in her car.”

I was a special guest of of Liza "The Wine Chic" Zimmerman at this Hangar One Holiday Cocktail Mixing event at Macy's SF and which introduced Hangar One Vodka and Mixologist Scott Beattie. Hangar One is made in Alameda, California

I have received information from a very good source that former Oakland City Manager, Robert Bobb, who's currently serving as a consultant to the City of Oakland on administration matters in the wake of the firing of City Administrator Deborah Edgerly, wants $350,000 to come back to Oakland as City Administrator. The trouble is, the City of Oakland does not want to spend that kind of money in the face of a reported $40 million deficit and a record-setting recession. Bobb will have to substantially reduce his "ask" if he wants the job.   Apparently, that salary matter is the big delay in Mayor Ron Dellums ability to secure the popular public official as the next city administrator.  

More on Lend A Hand Foundation - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — The Lend A Hand Foundation toy drive is special for Jeanette Lewis and her 12 children every year. It's a time when their hearts are touched by the warmth of others through holiday giving. The sixth annual event held Saturday in East Oakland provided gifts to 200 youths who reside in homeless shelters, foster care and to others needing support with toys, educational items, clothing and food. "The foundation helps my family because sometimes times are too hard," said Lewis, 40. "I teach my kids that they can't have everything they want but just to be grateful and thankful."”

On Friday, December 19th, Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich stood before the cameras and said he would address the charges against him. What would help is a sex scandal with ex-Hugh Hefner girlfriend Holly Madison!

Jerry Brown orders scrapping of Prop. 8 - Inside Bay Area : “SAN FRANCISCO—California Attorney General Jerry Brown changed course on the state's new same-sex marriage ban Friday and urged the state Supreme Court to void Proposition 8. In a dramatic reversal, Brown filed a legal brief saying the measure that amended the California Constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman is itself unconstitutional because it deprives a minority group of a fundamental right. Earlier, Brown had said he would defend the ballot measure against legal challenges from gay marriage supporters. But Brown said he reached a different conclusion "upon further reflection and a deeper probing into all the aspects of our Constitution." "It became evident that the Article 1 provision guaranteeing basic liberty, which includes the right to marry, took precedence over the initiative," he said in an interview Friday night. "Based on my duty to defend the law and the entire Constitut

Free Class Information : postnewsgroup.net : “The course is directed toward the parents, grandparents, and caregivers of middle and high-school students, but others are welcome to attend as well.  The class is free, open on a first-come, first-served basis and will feature information, activities, refreshments, resources and prizes. The class is scheduled for three sessions beginning in mid-January in downtown Oakland.   Parents can sign up by sending an email to parentclasses2009@gmail.com with your name, phone, email, the school your child attends and his/her grade.    If you do not have access to email, you can send a note to Parent Classes 2009, P.O Box 10103 Oakland, California 94610.”

Publisher’s Blog : postnewsgroup.net LOL!!! After his handshake and talk about having me help him -- no charge from me -- Paul Cobb of the Post Newspaper Group and the start of this video series where Paul expresses a desire to team-up -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFEDJaW8M74 -- has what is the most awful blog I've seen by a newspaper. Well, that's what he gets for not following up with me -- a disaster of his own creation. It makes so many technical errors I'm in stitches! If someone in house convinced Paul they could do it on their own, they were just nuts in my view. The result's just not workable and proves that people violate this rule: "Having a blog is more than having a blog" -- again and again.

Body found - Inside Bay Area : “BERKELEY — A wooden coffin containing human bones, found entombed behind a false wall in a Berkeley apartment building, was hauled out this morning by police and firefighters during a follow-up investigation of a suicide earlier this week, authorities said. The remains are apparently a man's, according to police, but no other information has been released about a possible identity, age or how long the coffin may have been there. Wearing hazardous material suits and oxygen masks, firefighters were going into the Ashby Avenue complex with shovels today and hauling out red trash bags full of unknown materials and huge pieces of wood, including a 6-foot box that looked like a homemade coffin.”

During dinner with a good friend, I had a chance conversation with Oakland Police beat officers in the Lake Merritt area. After a lively talk, they told me to share with you this message: do not walk by yourself at night. Even as the area is safer after the arrest of the "Takeover Robbers" the terrible economy leaves many vulnerable. There's an increased police presence around Central Oakland, but the police totally do not want you to walk anywhere by yourself at night. Period.

After several months of work, the mural at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland is finished. The work of Oakland artist Rocky Rische-Baird, it is a step back in time as much as it is a celebration of downtown Oakland and a landmark for 1100 Broadway itself. I talked to Rocky Rische-Baird about his new classic work.

"Liza The Wine Chic" Liza Zimmerman On SF "View From The Bay" 1/9/2009 : “Liza Zimmerman, my friend who's based in San Francisco and locally  known as "Liza The WIne Chic" just sent this email: Dear All, Please join me for my Bay Area TV debut! I was on Captain Kangaroo many years ago, but this will be more fun. The show tapes live on Friday January 9th from 3pm to 4pm, so members of the audience will need to be there by between 2:15 and 2:30pm. Tickets are free and it's going to be fun! Here are the RSVP directions: Please direct people to our website www.viewfromthebay.com and click on "be in our audience" and fill out a ticket request form. In the request form they would request the date that you will be on the show and under comments they can comment that they are a friend or family member of "Liza who will be on the show that day" or something along those lines. Or they can also call me at 415-954-7733 to request tickets. A

Diane Feinstein gets nod to chair intelligence panel - SF Gate : “California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been tapped as the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday, a post that would give her immense clout over U.S. intelligence agencies and the power to shape policies on wiretapping and the treatment of detainees. Feinstein's promotion was welcome news for other state Democrats, as well as Republicans who plan to run for governor in 2010. The 75-year-old senator has flirted with the idea of running for governor but has told friends and allies she would be unlikely to make a bid if she got the top post on the intelligence panel. She would be the first woman to lead the committee in its 32-year history.” --- That paves the way for a gubenatorial battle between SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and Cal AG Jerry Brown.”

Eddie Neon Blues at Jack London Square,Oakland Ca (Free show) : “Wednesday Dec 17th 8 PM show at "Silk Road Lounge." 101 broadway Jack London Square, Oakland Ca . R&B / Blues with some funk and jazz edges. Eddie & his Blue Roux horn section will do 2 free sets Merry Christmas to Oak Town Y'all http://www.myspace.com/eddieneonbluesband”

Assistant's resignation leaves Tom Cable fuming - Inside Bay Area : “ALAMEDA — Former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin won't be receiving a Christmas card from current Raiders coach Tom Cable anytime soon. Not after the manner in which Kiffin lured away assistant offensive line coach James Cregg to join him at the University of Tennessee. Cregg phoned Cable after Sunday's game against the New England Patriots and informed Cable of his resignation, effective immediately. Cable likened it to quitting on the Raiders. "You got to understand offensive linemen," Cable said during his weekly news conference Monday. "This is our world. If I can speak freely here, it's about pride, it's about commitment, it's about trusting everybody next to you. So, to walk ... out of here is about as bad a deal as you could possibly do to that group of guys." Cable didn't mince words when he gave his thoughts on Cregg, Kiffin and the way the situation unfolded. In resp

Delayed raid likely cost Chauncey Bailey his life - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — The August 2007 raid on Your Black Muslim Bakery was postponed 48 hours to accommodate the vacation schedules of two senior SWAT commanders, a delay that likely cost journalist Chauncey Bailey his life, according to police sources and a lawyer representing an officer deeply involved in planning the raid. During the delay between the first scheduled date, Aug. 1, and the raid Aug. 3, a masked gunman killed Bailey — a slaying in which authorities believe bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV was involved. Officers familiar with the raid's planning and execution say Bailey's killing could have been prevented if not for the delay. While police did not know Bailey was being targeted, they strongly suspected bakery members had begun a killing spree that had resulted in two July 2007 deaths and described the need for the raid as paramount. Police have for 15 months denied delaying the raid. "I was never given a

President-Elect Barack Obama continues to introduce members of his cabinet, today officially bring in Dr. Stephen Chu, Lisa Jackson, and Carol Browner. Dr. Chu is a legend in the halls of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and known for his leadership and knoweldge. Ms. Jackson is a policy-driven public official who reportedly improved the formerly politicized New Jersey EPA Department. And Carol Browner is a well-known environmental public official having served as the head of the EPA under both Clinton Administrations, the longest serving head of the EPA in history. Nancy Sutley, Los Angeles's deputy mayor for energy and environment, will chair Obama's White House's Council on Environmental Quality. If you're keeping score, Obama has introduced three women and one man today. I also have to add that I think Obama's appointing more Asians and women to top posts that ever before, but they're also trail-blazers in their fields.

Body found next to train tracks in East Oakland By Sean Maher, Oakland Tribune Posted: 12/15/2008 07:48:41 AM PST OAKLAND - Police found the body of a 44-year-old Oakland man who had apparently been struck by a train near tracks in East Oakland Sunday afternoon. Officers responding about 3:45 p.m. to 98th and Railroad avenues, found the naked body lying next to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, police said. Alameda County Coroner's officials were able to identify the man through a fingerprint match to criminal records, said Deputy Ronnie Kaho'ali'i at the coroner's office. The man's name is being withheld pending notification of his family. Officials found two known addresses for him, one in Watsonville and one on 55th Avenue in Oakland, but are still investigating whether the man was currently homeless. They are treating the Oakland address as his last known. Two trains had gone by recently and investigators are trying to determine which of them struck the man

Marin singer/songwriter Kathryn Keats calls her debut CD, "After the Silence," an apt title that celebrates her new life, a second chapter free of the relentless fear of being hunted down and killed, murdered by a psychopath who had once been her songwriting partner, her mentor, her lover. read the full story here....

BART Board Director James Fang Calls Eleanor Mason Ramsey "Incompetent" - SFGate This is from today's "Matier and Ross": “BART barking: Quite a tempest at BART headquarters the other day, as a dozen African American and Chinese American contractors led by Hunters Point activist and trucker Charlie Walker confronted the board over what they view as a lack of transit jobs going to minorities. Walker and his pals lit into the board, complaining that they were losing out on contracts while BART hemmed and hawed over completing the necessary "disparity study" to prove that, in fact, minority contractors aren't getting enough work. Unless things changed pronto, Walker warned, he would make sure President-elect Barack Obama (whom he claims to know personally) halted all federal contracts with the financially strapped transit agency. Having had enough of the rant, board member James Fang of San Francisco tried to duck out of the meeting, only to be corrall

Exodus of blacks saddens Oakland - Inside Bay Area : “If new estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week are correct, Oakland has about 27,000 fewer African-Americans than it did in 2000. Many local experts and officials question the magnitude of that decline, and the methods census officials use for measuring it, but few doubt that the actual drop has been significant. In 1980, the census counted about 47 percent of Oakland as African-American, the highest census rate reported after a four-decade growth spurt. Today, after three decades of decline, the estimate is closer to 31 percent.”

Daughter of "Real Housewife" adjusting to Berkeley - Inside Bay Area : “By Kristin Bender. Oakland Tribune BERKELEY — After "The Real Housewives of Orange County" aired on Tuesday night, UC Berkeley student Kara Keough said she had more than 200 friend requests on her Facebook page. She ignored most of them but accepted the people who go to Cal. "You never know, I might meet some of them some day," she said sitting in a coffee shop in the shadow of UC Berkeley this week. Keough, 20, has changed her stance on Berkeley after angering some people last month when she bashed Berkeley on the reality television show that features five "housewives" living in an Orange County gated community.”

Oakland families get homes for the holidays : “Santa paid an early visit to East Oakland on Saturday, when nine low-income families received keys to homes they helped build themselves. "I know I was somebody before, but now I've got a piece of the rock," said Lynette Knight, 58, a Wells Fargo manager who now owns a three-bedroom home on Edes Avenue. "I told the kids, 'We're going home. This is ours.' " The homes are part of a 54-home Habitat for Humanity development on a former auto junkyard near the San Leandro border. So far, 26 homes in the development - the largest Habitat for Humanity project ever in the Bay Area - have been completed, and the rest are due to be finished next year.”

Undercurrents: The Bay Area’s Lack of Local Day-to-Day Media Reporting. Category: Columns from The Berkeley Daily Planet - Thursday June 19, 2008 : “By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor Thursday June 19, 2008 One of the great ironies of these times—something historians in our grandchildren’s time will probably better be able to understand and explain—is that we are experiencing an explosion of information and internet discussion concerning local events while simultaneously seeing a drying up of direct news media reporting on those events. The Berkeley Daily Planet, bless our hearts, has two reporters covering Berkeley city government, and another to cover the Berkeley Unified School District and the various dealings of the Berkeley School Board. But that is a rarity. Across the border in Oakland, no media outlet—aside from the East Bay News Service’s Sanjiv Handa—regularly covers Oakland City Council or Oakland city government, no media outlet at all regularly covers the Oakland Unified School D

Raiders' losing becoming historic - Inside Bay Area : “The Raiders went 33-15 in their 48 regular-season games from 2000-02. They enter today's game against the New England Patriots enmeshed in a 22-71 tailspin that isn't losing much, if any, of its momentum. By comparison, the Patriots are 74-19 during the same period. A loss today by the 3-10 Raiders, or in any of their final three games, would cement their place in the annals of the Advertisement NFL as the first team with six straight seasons of at least 11 losses.” -- The Raiders are an organization in search of true leadership. The problem starts in the front office and from what I'm told, a culture that fosters fear and backbiting.

Bakery leader embraced guns long before editor's killing - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — Yusuf Bey IV was heavily involved in guns and gun violence well before the killing of journalist Chauncey Bailey last year — a killing he is suspected of ordering — despite his claims to police that he didn't allow weapons at Your Black Muslim Bakery and disavowed their use. Recorded jailhouse telephone calls and three statements given to police before and after Bailey's Aug. 2, 2007, killing implicate Bey IV in a 2006 shooting of a car belonging to the former boyfriend of a woman with whom he was involved and a June 2007 shootout at a San Francisco nightclub. He was not charged in either incident.”

llinois Governor Rod Blagojevich paid the price for defying President-Elect Barack Obama. In setting-up a pay-to-play scheme for Obama's vacated Senate seat, he rejected Obama's choice Valerie Jarrett and in doing so, caused Obama to pull the strings to have Rod Blagojevich arrested.

Haaziq4News YouTube channel features this police follow-along story on how the City of Richmond is cracking down on foreclosure crimes. It was done for KRON but is on his channel.

Sex and the other city: Women in Oakland outnumber men - Inside Bay Area : “Teenagers and women in Oakland between the ages of 15 and 64 outnumbered teens and men of the same age range by a count of 17,199, according to recent U.S. Census figures. That includes people who were never married, are separated, widowed or divorced. They share the gender gap with their sisters in many large cities around the world, according to economists. The worst mismatch was in the New York metro area, where women outnumbered available men by 210,000. That is little solace to Tessa Poppe, an Oakland accessories designer in her early 30s. Even for a creative woman who owns her own business, WikkitZ, it's a tough area for dating. "It's great if you're a guy. You're stoked."” --- And if we factor in sexual preference, then it's even better for straight men! While Oakland's considered to have the highest population of lesbian women, that has not perfectly translated into

Lead investigator in Bailey case being transferred - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — Homicide Sgt. Derwin Longmire, whose investigation of journalist Chauncey Bailey's 2007 killing is itself the subject of investigation, is being reassigned to the patrol division in February in what commanders said Friday was a move based solely on department transfer policies. Calling Longmire a good investigator, Assistant Chief Howard Jordan said Friday the transfer was not for disciplinary reasons or because of his handling of the Bailey case. Jordan said Longmire is "termed out" in how long he could stay in the Criminal Investigation Division, of which homicide is a part. Jordan said if the department "makes an exception for (Longmire), we have to make exceptions for other people," which can't be done. The Chauncey Bailey Project reported in October that Longmire failed to document in his case notes on the Bailey killing evidence that pointed to a conspiracy to kill the jo

Dan Kilman sent this YouTube video to me in response to a video I made covvering Oakland protests of Prop 8, and which he made on October 31st. Dan passed way, perhaps due to a hate crime, on November 25th 2008. His body was found on December 1st of 2008.

Chip Johnson SF Chron: - Loyalty or else in King Dellums' realm : “The city of Oakland no longer operates under a representative democracy - it's now a monarchy. And within the confines of that form of government, any criticism or disloyalty directed at the king - whether real or imagined - is dealt with. Her crime: She gave an affectionate hug to an elderly woman who spoke at a City Council meeting against a Dellums appointment to the city's housing authority commission in early October.” --- This is unfortunate but nothing new. It's what happens when you are in an arena where people are not compensated for creating wealth but for artificially giving loyalty just to get paid. Thus, the way to rise in such organizations is via the backstabbing Johnson points to. It's why we didn't get the 2005 Super Bowl. Forget the Raiders and the legal matters, it's this kind of rampant disfuction that is the reason. It's fair to say if you see a person of

Why Are Newspapers Dying? - O'Reilly Broadcast : “The emergence of the Internet proved newspapers' most challenging competitor, and the one that ultimately may have managed to do the newspaper industry in altogether. Most newspapers, from the veritable New York times on down, launched their own websites, reasoning that this was simply another medium in which to publish their own writers, but this viewpoint may have been somewhat shortsighted. In 2003, the term blog first entered into the modern lexicon, an online editorial or journal written not by professional journalists but by eager amateurs who could publish by overcoming a far smaller barrier to entry - setting up a blogging site. With contemporary tools, the blogger could effectively start producing his or her own "news" within a few hours, and if they happened to be reasonably competent, were willing to invest some time into promotion and consistent in publishing content, they had a good chance to gain more &qu

East Bay Express | News | Darkness on the Edge of Town : Express: “Aaccording to a hard-hitting recent audit obtained by the Express, Oracle Arena remains an "underutilized" and "underperforming" public facility that falls short of expectations for a major event center in the middle of the nation's fourth-largest market. "The arena should be a 'must-play' by promoters of touring shows, including concerts, family shows, and special entertainment events," the audit stated. The arena also has fallen short of expectations in terms of offsetting the $20 million public subsidy that Oakland and Alameda County give to the arena and coliseum complex each year to keep it afloat. According to the audit, which was requested by the Golden State Warriors and completed last month, Oracle Arena has averaged just 99 events a year over the past three years, including 43 basketball games annually. By contrast, HP Pavilion drew 169 events last year alone, includin

Oakland forum tonight to address police-involved shootings - Inside Bay Area : “Forum on officer-involved shootings: Oakland's Citizens' Police Review Board will hold a public forum tonight on officer-involved shootings after the city saw a string of them earlier this year. The event begins at 6:15 p.m. in City Council chambers at 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. Patrick Caceres, Citizens' Police Review Board analyst, said the forum will include presentations from the Oakland Police Department on use of force and what procedures the department goes through when officers do fire their weapons. Also scheduled to attend is Jim Chanin, an attorney who has represented clients in a number of police misconduct cases. "The main reason this was organized is because there were a number of high-profile officer-involved shootings at the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008," Caceres said.”

Don Perata shifted $1.5 million from PAC to his legal defense - Inside Bay Area : “By Josh Richman Oakland Tribune Contributors to Don Perata's political action committee this year might have thought their money would bankroll the attempted recall of state Sen. Jeff Denham or opposition to a legislative redistricting reform measure. But a day after the Nov. 4 election, and with only a few weeks left as state Senate President Pro Tem, the Oakland Democrat moved $1.5 million from Leadership California into his own legal defense fund, formed to counter a years-long FBI corruption probe. This sum dwarfs the California Democratic Party's $450,000 contribution to Perata's legal fund over the past year, which had caused an outcry from some party activists. It also towers above the $555,000 Perata had moved from his Taxpayers for Perata committee — ostensibly created for a 2010 Board of Equalization run — into his legal defense fund in several chunks since 2005. The transferred amo

llinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been indicted for ethics violations connected with a string of actions, including attempting to sell the now vacant Senate seat held by President-Elect Barack Obama. Of the persons considered for the seat, it's reported that Senator #5 offered to raise over a million dollars for the Governor -- it's rumored that the person is Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. Jackson moved swiftly to address this issue, holding a press conference where he said that he did meet with the Governor, and for 90 minutes. But he did not offer anything in the way of money. That press conference is here.

http://www.buffithegymgirl.com -- Jose Mercado is the general manager of Gold's Gym on 600 Grand Avenue in Oakland, and the place where "Buffi The Gym Girl" was created. Jose was kind enough to take time to talk about the business of running a gym. In the video he emphasizes something one would not expect to hear: the need to listen.

Think Progress » Who Is Steven Chu? A Nobel Physicist Who Believes In Bold Energy Transformation : “Numerous media outlets are reporting Dr. Steven Chu will be President-elect Obama’s choice to head the Department of Energy. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, is the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California where he has been addressing the climate crisis by pushing breakthrough research in energy efficiency, solar energy, and biofuels technology. Colleagues who know Chu best say “he’s not a manager, he’s a leader.” In an interview with the Wonk Room, David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at UC Berkeley, described Chu as a “very distinguished researcher” and “an extremely effective manager of cutting edge technology initiatives.””

Opening: Ozumo Oakland : “Ozumo, the popular Japanese restaurant on San Francisco's Embarcadero, has crossed the bay with a new location in Oakland's Uptown district. The team: Jeremy Umlaud, who opened the San Francisco Ozumo in 2001, has brought two chefs to the Bay Area. Executive chef Jennifer Nguyen apprenticed with "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto and most recently worked at Chicago's Aja Steak, and chef de cuisine Christian Geideman has returned to his native Bay Area after seven years cooking in Santa Fe. Ozumo Oakland, 2251 Broadway (at Grand), Oakland; (510) 286-9866 or ozumo.com. Dinner nightly. Starters, $5-$14; small plates, $5-$18; sushi and sashimi, $6-$42; entrees, $28-$36; desserts, $8-$10. Full bar. Reservations and credit cards accepted.”

City to settle lawsuit over public housing - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — The city will settle its public-nuisance lawsuit against the Oakland Housing Authority today, hoping the agreement ultimately will improve the conditions of the city's public housing. City Attorney John Russo and Housing Authority Executive Director Jon Gresley are scheduled to sign the agreement at a 10:30 a.m. news conference at a Housing Authority property in the 2100 block of East 28th Street. When the city sued the Housing Authority in February 2007, Russo described the agency as the city's largest slumlord and said rundown housing units posed problems for public health and safety. Russo said Tuesday the number of complaints his office has received about Housing Authority properties has declined, and he believes the settlement will put the city in a stronger position to help people living in public housing. "I'm confident that this is the beginning of a much better coordination and approach

Oakland internal affairs wants state to take over Bailey probe - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — Police internal affairs detectives investigating the handling of journalist Chauncey Bailey's slaying will have state investigators present when they interview members of their department's command staff. Investigators from the attorney general's office will be there to monitor the interviews, according to a letter the Department of Justice sent to Mayor Ron Dellums in November. But the Justice Department won't take over the whole investigation — which is apparently what Oakland internal affairs investigators wanted, the letter stated. "We do not believe, as has been suggested by the Police Department's Internal Affairs investigator, that the Police Department investigation be halted or postponed pending our review," George B. Anderson, Director of the Division of Law Enforcement, wrote to Dellums on Nov. 26. While urging the mayor to order police to keep probing

Morning fire damages West Oakland home - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND - Firefighters extinguished a blaze in a single-family West Oakland home this morning less than half an hour after it was reported, officials said. The one-alarm fire at 949 W. MacArthur Boulevard was reported just before 6 a.m. and under control by 6:30 a.m., according to dispatchers. Nobody was reported injured and investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

An Insurmountable Task , originally uploaded by 4horsemen . This is a totally funny photo that shows that the unexpected can happend when an unusual event is held. In this case, that even is the Thursday, December 4th grand opening of Ozumo Restaurant on the corner of West Grand and Broadway. I don't know what this kid was thinking!

Living in the O reports - Safeway stakeholders meeting canceled (or postponed?) « Living in the O : “I’ve been planning to write another long post about the College Avenue Safeway rebuild, but haven’t quite found the time. I did want to alert everyone who’s interested that the meeting that was planned for this Tuesday, December 9th has been canceled. Unfortunately, there’s no further info on Safeway’s site about when the next meeting will be or if there will be one so that’s all the information I have.” -- The main problem is still the scale of the development proposed. Plus, the process of design did not include the residents from the start, so in perfect Oakland fashion, they're going to clobber it until Safeway understands and changes the process.

Dance This Mess Around! Benefit Concert : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music : “he Mills Dance Collective are putting on a benefit fundraiser show this Tuesday at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland. Proceeds will go towards the Mills College dance program and their scholarships, as well as the local music scene.”

Randy Johnson could land in Bay Area | DailyHeadlines.org

SFist: Oakland Man Convicted in Remote Control Murder : “23-year-old Patrick Allen was found guilty today of murdering 18-year-old Laney College football player Robert Atkins Jr. Over the use of a remote control. It seems Allen shot Atkins "multiple times at point-blank range" over a dispute between him and his sister over the TV clicker, if you will.”

- From the aricle: "Students Successfully 'Kickin' Asthma' in Oakland Schools | MedHeadlines : “The Oakland Unified School District educates 42,000 students, a good many of whom struggle with the energy-zapping symptoms of asthma.  Its urban location and high number of low-income students made the Oakland school district a prime destination to study the merits of an asthma awareness program developed to educate asthmatic children on their medical condition.  Researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars Program hoped the program would help children better manage their medical care in order to prevent absences from school and reduce the number of emergency room visits these children often face. Almost 6.8 million US students (close to 10%) suffer from asthma, a chronic medical condition that jeopardizes a patient’s ability to breathe freely.  Asthmatic kids must often restrict physical activities, making play time not so much fun.  Br

BusinessWorld Online: Chevron eyes higher production of ethanol-blended fuel