Oaktown's topics - tribe.net

The big ole Oakland Corruption thread

NeonBunny — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:12:58 GMT

Seems like every day, there's a new scandal happening in Oakland. Corrupt city officials with gang connections, fixed election results, skyrocketing murder rates.

Rather than start a new thread for each scandal, I thought it would be nice to have one thread to post all of the inside gossip, newslinks, etc... All about the dirty city we call home.

posted in Oaktown - 22 replies

Dog shot and thrown from car in east Oakland - needs foster care and a forever home - also reward for any tips

Snake — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:34:06 GMT

The story made me cry my eyes out along with numerous co-workers.
He was shot and thrown from a car along with another dog who died. He is a little guy, needs additional surgeries but mostly he needs foster care and a loving home.
I begged my other half, I called crying today begging to take him in. I was reminded that I have 4 animals and that I work full time and travel a lot. And it would not be a good idea - damn bf and his rationality!!!

He needs a home....pass this along. he is at the Oakland Shelter. There is also a reward for information on his shooters.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/BA58129IHB.DTL

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply

Top Chef Just Cause, Coming Right Up-August 16

whittlesjh — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:10:12 GMT

Come sample BBQ chicken and ribs cooked by JCO's finest member-chefs competing against each other for the Top Chef Just Cause Title!

There is nothing like a good summer BBQ and this event promises to be all that. You do not want to miss it! We have:

** Performance by the Legendary Oaktown Passions
** Donated BBQ grub from Uncle Willie's BBQ,Lady's Place and Loonies Smokehouse BBQ
** Amazing raffle and competition prizes from Chez Panisse, Macy's, Costco, The Wok Shop, and more
** Air Jumper and games for the kids!

WHAT: Top Chef Just Cause Summer BBQ and Cookoff
WHEN: Saturday, August 16th, 12-4pm
WHERE: St. Patrick's Church in West Oakland, 1023 Peralta Street
HOW MUCH: Sliding Scale $5-$20 and no one turned away
WHO: Everyone is invited but please RSVP to cora@justcauseoakland.org so we can make sure and have enough food

There is still room for one or two more teams to compete in Top Chef Just Cause. Do you have what it takes? If you are interested, contact Molly at our office, molly@justcauseoakland.org, 510-763-5877 by August 8th.

Finally, we need grills and we need volunteers! Do you have a good, clean BBQ grill you can lend us for August 16th? With 10 teams competing, we are having a hard time getting everyone equipped! Contact Molly@justcauseoakland.org if you can help that day or if you have a grill to loan us.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Aug 5 - West Oakland Night Out - You are Invited

*NetworkGirl* — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:22:29 GMT

So my block is doing a block party for West Oakland night out...so I thought it might be cool to meet some people off Tribe.

16th Street Between Chestnut and Adeline. 6:30-9pm
Bring some Snacks.

The Police will be out with toys for kids; so bring the family.

posted in Oaktown - 8 replies

If your closet floods..... does your landlord owe you anything?

Mobber — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:23:06 GMT

ok here's the deal.

Friday water coming from closet, landlord notified immediately.
puts it off, ignores it, tells the upstairs tenant to turn of his toilet and he will fix later.

Saturday it happens again while I am not home, landlord has yet to fix.

Sunday while I am out of town I guess it went on for hours.

I told him Friday, he blew me off, my clothes have all been ruined, brown stains from who knows what, closet smells like mildew, carpet is wet.

I am offered $241 off rent so I can wash them at a laundry mat.
What if I am so pissed off, do not want moldy toilet water clothes washed no matter what.
What if I think they need to be thrown out and replaced. This shit is probably perma stained anyways. Yellow and brown ass white shirts.

what are my options?

Why am I cleaning this up? Shouldn't he have a team?
Why does my apartment smell like mold? Why do I feel sick?
Why is my bathroom a disaster too? (yes it went through both)
Why is no one cleaning it but me? Why am I assigned to this?

what can I do?
I'm estimating thousands in clothes damage.
Carpet is still wet, walls are destroyed, just ARGGGGG

posted in Oaktown - 8 replies

Crown city rockers this thurs 5.30-9 FREE 9th/broadway

tracy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:53:10 GMT

www.oaklandevents.net

Oakland Events presents Thursday Night Live, a bi‐monthly concert series
taking place in Old Oakland on the first and third Thursdays from June through
October. Specialty cocktails, wine and beer will be available for sale at
beverage tents. The event will also feature artisans, local non‐profits and
merchant booths.

Thursday Night Live
9th & Washington Intersection in Old Oakland
5:30‐9p
Free to the public
Thursday Night Live will be held on the first and third Thursdays, from June
through October from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

Live Music Schedule

8/07/08 ‐ Crown City Rockers hip hop funk soul
8/21/08 ‐ Saoco Dos Four Cuban reggaeton
9/04/08 ‐ Fito Reinoso Latin
9/18/08 ‐ The Sonando Project Latin Jazz
10/02/08 ‐ Bayonics hip hop, funk, and reggae
10/16/08 ‐ Julio Bravo salsa

About Crown City Rockers (August 7)
Crown City Rockers is a genre‐blending hip‐hop sollective whose music is original, powerful and provocative all in the same
breath and follows in the storied footsteps of such pioneers as The Roots, De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest.
With an organic blend of lush, funk‐drenched grooves, riveting classic soul samples, sharp live instrumentation and of course
old‐school inflected rhymes, Crown City Rockers is a welcome breath of fresh air in today's commercially cluttered hip‐hop
cosmos. Comprised of stellar emcee Raashan Ahmad, producer Woodstock, keyboardist Kat Ouano, bassist/producer
Headnodic, and drummer Max MacVeety, Crown City Rockers formed in Beantown's Roxbury section during the late nineties.
Crown City Rockers' epic full‐length LP, Earthtones is poised for release. It is an astonishing achievement, seamlessly fusing all
of the group's sonic facets together. Indeed, the album overflows with Raashan's battle raps, poetic musings and emotionally
fraught tracks about life and love. The lyrics are, in turn, melded with Kat's keyboards, Max's drums and Headnodic and
Woodstock's beats ‐ which run the creative gamut frum funk and soul, to jazz, to straight classic hip‐hop.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Good Local Welder

Dan — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:52:48 GMT

The lumber rack on my truck needs some modifications and I need a good local welder who will modify as needed and also do some custom cab protection work. These are straight-up utilitarian projects but I'm open to artisan/artistic welders if they have experience with the former.

posted in Oaktown - 2 replies

Today Grooves in the Park Free Day Party BBQ, Music and beer!

Mobber — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:45:36 GMT

check it out.
Hope to see you out there!
http://oaklandmofo.com/blog/grooves-in-the-park-day-party-bbq-oakland-sat-july-12th/
It'll be a great Saturday indeed!

posted in Oaktown - 2 replies

Good local plumber?

jaew — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:46:24 GMT

when the washing machine is running on the second floor, the sink in the first floor kitchen fills up and clogs.
Does anyone know of a local, good plumber they can recommend?

thanks!

posted in Oaktown - 5 replies

Work Independently? Derby Creek Co-working co-operative

Jerlina — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:09:07 GMT

Hello Oaktown!
I am a grad student and am tired of working 40 hours a week from my bedroom and Peete's coffee. I'm organizing a co-working co-op. If you are interested please email me with what you do and your work space needs. Thanks! And here is an article about co-working- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/19/MN7CV2JFE.DTL

Derby Creek Co-working Co-operative
6601 Telegraph St. jerlina@berkeley.edu

The Derby Creek Co-Working Co-operative is a co-working space, a space shared by a number of people to pool workplace resources such as internet connections, while retaining the amenities of working from home or a coffee shop. Members of Derby Creek are graduate students, freelancers, consultants, artists, and other independent types preferring flexible workplace conditions. Co-working is an incredibly new and popular way to work and this will be the first co-operative co-working group in the world.

Why chose Derby Creek over working at a café?

We believe that you deserve to have a work environment that is quiet, clean, comfortable but also communal and anti-consumer! At Derby Creek you can feel comfortable hanging out for hours and bringing your own food. You can also feel relief in knowing that there will always be a place available for you to sit and an outlet for you to plug into. You might even enjoy becoming part of a community of people who also work independently in your neighborhood.

Facilities-
* Shared open table layout, can accommodate 15+ people
* WiFi
* Unlimited tea, coffee and snacks
* Full kitchen w/ refrigerator for co-workers
* Desk lamps, power outlets
* Lockers to store your stuff
* Numerous public transportation options: AC Transit 1 and 1 Express
* Easy street parking
* Two blocks away from Whole Foods
* Across the street from the White Horse Bar
* 5-10 minute bike ride to UC Berkeley Campus

6601 Telegraph is between Down at Lulu’s Vintage Boutique and the White Horse Bar, the corner of Telegraph and 66th st. We are two blocks away from Whole Foods and one block away from the Book Zoo and Café Colucci. You can catch the bus across the street to UC Berkeley campus or ride your bike. We are also in walking or biking distance to the Elmwood shopping district.

As a co-operative we will communally manage the facilities and finances. This will be our autonomous zone where we create the best work environment on the planet!

Hours-
For the first few months we will have limited hours. We’ll be open 7 days a week 10am-10pm. As membership increases so will our hours.

Rates-
Join us for only $150 a month (work trade available). Not ready for a commitment? Drop-ins are welcome, donations of $5-10 a day are welcome.

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply

Oakland Police Academy

eastby4 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:31:01 GMT

Good luck guys and girls. This looks like one very tough city to work in. If the crooks dont get you it will be the politicians. Oh, and then everyone else who thinks that they know your job better than you do.

Oakland police academy graduates 30
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Article Last Updated: 07/25/2008 09:02:05 PM PDT

OAKLAND — Thirty new officers graduated from the Oakland police academy Friday, giving the department the most officers it has had in decades.

The 30 graduates bring to 778 the number of positions filled in the 803-officer department, the most since the 1970s. Two other ongoing academies with more than 30 recruits each will graduate in November.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Scottish Rite Center, attended by more than 350 relatives, friends and other officers who welcomed the new officers with a loud standing ovation.

Police Chief Wayne Tucker told the new officers — members of the 164th Basic Police Academy that started Jan. 28 — that he has been in law enforcement 44 years.

"It is still a pleasure for me to see young people like you matriculate into this career," the chief said. "This is a life-changing event for you.''

Public safety needs are particularly demanding in Oakland, Tucker said, adding that he was confident the graduates would meet the challenge and become competent professionals.

"I want to congratulate all of you for achieving success — not only for yourselves, but for the citizens of Oakland," he said. "The city comes first, then the department.''

Two of the new officers are former Oakland police cadets. One, Andrew Bicker, was the class valedictorian. The other is Chanelle Del Rosario, whose father, Norman Rosario, is a former Oakland officer. As a cadet,

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Chanelle Del Rosario helped homicide investigators solve a case by luring a suspect to a meeting by posing as someone he wanted to date.

Another new officer is Erik Arriaza, whose wife, Maria, gave birth to their second child, daughter Natalie, at 3:14 a.m. Friday. Holding his 21/2-year-old son, Jason, in his arms after the ceremony, Arriaza said it was a doubly happy day for him, and that his wife did not want him to miss his graduation.

"She actually was pushing me out of the (hospital) room,'' he said.

The other new officers are Dominic Ayala, Jo Balaoro, Eric Brown, Gordon Dorham, Christopher Flores, Ronald Freeman, Wenceslao Garcia, Jeffrey Gimenez, Terry Hoang, Terry Jones, Ethan Katz, and David Lloyd.

Also graduating were Donald Lockett, Matthew Lopez, John McDonell, Jose Pereznegron, Pheareak Phan, Evan Pomar, James Pulsipher, Kristian Razmilovic, Derek Russell, Megan Sheridan, Brandon Taylor, Joseph Turner, Eric Van Scoy, Nathaniel Walker and Yun Zhou.

Another graduate, Rene-John Otico, is expected to join Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Oakland First-Time Homebuyers Program

alih — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:57:36 GMT

Interesting stuff: http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/hcd/loansgrants/firsttime.html

Price of home cannot exceed $503,500 (OK, that seems fine).
But WAIT A MINUTE, there are income limits....whoops, I don't qualify because I make over 80% of the median income ($46,350).
http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/hcd/policy/docs/IncomeLimits2008.pdf

Why have a $500K limit on a house? Shouldn't that be more like $250K if one is making under $46K?
Doesn't make any sense to me. Or is that the point: make the program so impractical that one can't use it.

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply

6/3 Election - SEAN SULLIVAN for City Council (West Oakland)

alih — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:48:59 GMT

Met him the other night at our next-door neighbor's house. He's fresh, ambitious and I like what he has to say.
Let's boot Nancy Nadel...try someone else for a change.

From his website (http://www.seansullivan.org):

Everybody, Up, Together!

Oakland's Third Council District needs a new representative who can combine bold ideas with the ability and willingness to work constructively with all the people that make up this diverse and complex constituency.

I live in West Oakland, where daily my neighbors and I are faced with unsafe and unhealthy environments. I work in Jack London Square, where residents and businesses struggle to enhance their neighborhood without a partner in City Hall. From Adam's Point to Pill Hill to Prescott, District Three needs responsive and responsible city leadership. I am committed to providing that leadership, and I ask for your vote this June 3rd to make the change Oakland needs now.

posted in Oaktown - 49 replies

Best of the Bay party at the Oakland Museum

liabear1 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:36:08 GMT

Did anybody go? I had a blast! A great diverse crowd, totally chill.

posted in Oaktown - 7 replies

I need Oakland T-shirts!

alVacado — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 06:12:39 GMT

hello all,
my new and cool job is having a meeting next week and wants to get a few Oakland T-shirts. Not A's or Raiders, city of Oakland. I've seen some with a logo that I can't remember, maybe a city scape? I've looked at the city of oak website, tried to find the city commerce link and ........nada. Anyone?

posted in Oaktown - 27 replies

Port of Oakland offering FREE Harbor Tours

Mobber — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:07 GMT

Yes!
I've gone twice this season already.
Well I work here so I just tell my department head I'm taking a 2 hour lunch to join the tour. lol

But check it out!

http://oaklandmofo.com/blog/port-of-oakland-free-harbor-tours/

It really is neat.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Thursday Night Live Block Party in Old Oakland 1st & 3rd Thursdays!

Mobber — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:01 GMT

Block Party, live music and drinks.
1st & 3rd Thursdays 5:00pm to 9:00pm
9th between Broadway and Washington

more info and schedule here:
http://oaklandmofo.com/blog/thursday-night-live-block-party-in-oakland/

check it out.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

July 16 Meeting on Downtown Rezoning and Building Limit Heights

John — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:20:05 GMT

The City's Zoning Update Committee will be discussing and taking public comments on rezoning the Central Business District on Wednesday July 16 at 4:00 pm at City Hall in Hearing Room One. Please visit our blog for more information about how you can help CALM pursuade the commission to adopt building heights limits along the downtown edge of Lake Merritt. Everyone is encouraged to attend if possible that day.

Thanks!

http://lakecoalition.blogspot.com/

posted in Oaktown - 2 replies

Nina Reiser's body found

eastby4 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:44:02 GMT

Reiser finally gave up the information and told the police where his wife was buried. I gues this removes any doubt about his guilt or innocence. But, another thing I thought about this came to mind that really bothers me.

During the trial Reiser was being portrayed by his attorney, William Dubois, as being innocent. It was suggested that his wife had run out on him returning to Russia or that there was some type of Russian mafia involvement. It was said that Resier also wondered about the whereabouts of his wife, Nina. Now, it was said in the paper that before the trail began that this same offer was made to Reiser and that he choose to roll the dice and fight the charges. Now, this would mean that his attorney knew that his client was quilty. And, he defended him as an innocent man. Ok, I believe in all of our rights and if Reiser was guilty it is his attorney's job to make sure that he is afforded all of his rights.

But to sit there and portray him as an innocent man ? That is wrong. It may not be illegal but it is definatley wrong. I am not going to sit here and say that Dubois is as bad as Reiser but he is very morally wrong. Call it a breach of ethics, an immoral act or a sin. Whatever it is he should be ashamed of himself. What if he got Reiser off ? How wrong would that have been. William Dubois, you are very wrong. If I did what you did I could not sleep with myself. You bring shame on every lawyer. Shame on you.

posted in Oaktown - 15 replies

Building Height Limits at Lake Merritt - Community Meeting Saturday July 12 at Snow Park

John — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:21:58 GMT

Hello all,

There will be a community meeting this Saturday, July 12, at Snow Park at 1:00 pm. The meeting will last for one hour during which CALM will provide updates and information about our efforts to limit building heights at Lake Merritt. We'd also simply like to meet all of you and have everyone who supports us get to know each other on a personal level and to build support and commitment for this effort.

Perhaps zoning is not very sexy or exciting, but accomplishing this purpose will solve the on-going disagreement in the community about development at the Lake. As many of you know, a lot of Oakland residents have been asking for development controls by the Lake and this is exactly what the 55 foot height proposal will accomplish. Therefore, your continued interest and assistance is both necessary and greatly appreciated.

See you Saturday at the CALM table near Harrison and 19th Streets.

John

http://lakecoalition.blogspot.com/

posted in Oaktown - 5 replies

Russo and Ruby propose reform package for Oakland city government

alih — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:42:05 GMT

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 - 10:55 AM PDT
East Bay Business Times - by Mavis Scanlon Staff reporter

Oakland City Attorney John Russo and City Auditor Courtney Ruby will propose a package of five reforms to make the city government more accountable, more transparent and more effective for the taxpayers of Oakland.

The proposals come in the wake of the scandal involving former City Administrator Deborah Edgerly, who was placed on leave for allegedly interfering with a police investigation of a relative who also worked for the city, and then later was fired.

"The people of Oakland have made it clear that they are frustrated with loose practices and murky policies at City Hall -- and so have we," Russo and Ruby said in a joint statement. "With the recent shakeup at City Hall, the City Council has an opportunity to enact real administrative reform in Oakland. With these reforms in place, taxpayers can be confident that city government is working for them on the level."

The reform package, which Russo and Ruby plan to announce at a press conference on Wednesday, includes:

* a whistleblower protection ordinance.
* a strong anti-nepotism ordinance.
* reform of flawed personnel department procedures.
* a new employee ethics program.
* reform of the city's inadequate records management practices.

The anti-nepotism ordinance is sponsored by City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, and the whistleblower ordinance is co-sponsored by Council member Pat Kernighan.

posted in Oaktown - 6 replies

Par courses

AnathemaD — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:36:20 GMT

I found the little teeny parcourse in a school near my house (off Alcatraz in Oakland). Those who went outdoors in the 70s will likely remember this phenomenon--various exercises set up in an area where you can also run outdoors. It's brilliant and I have no idea why they fell out of favor--I assume just that there's no profit model, it's something a city installs for the good of its citizens, and we know how popular that is these days.

So now I'm hooked. I discovered that there's another, much more extensive one alone the Ohlone Greenway in Berkeley this weekend. Does anyone know where there might be others? Funny thing, but pushups, chin-ups, jumping jacks and the like are actually (gasp!) harder work than the machines at the gym. Almost like those drill sergeants were onto something . .

posted in Oaktown - 2 replies

Grand Jury Final Report

cynthia — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:42:38 GMT

Check out credit card charges starting on pg 16, police staffing recommendations on pg 59 and the fire dept hiring info is pretty grim too.
But.... I still like living in Oakland.

http://www.acgov.org/grandjury/final2007-2008.pdf

posted in Oaktown - 3 replies

Death in the Park

flint — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:51:15 GMT

Just walking past Lake Merritt park on Grand and Perkins. Seems to be a lot of police presence and a coroner's vehicle by the fountain. Also, a sheeted gurney. Any news on this?

posted in Oaktown - 21 replies

City Administratot

eastby4 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:28:01 GMT

No wonder things are so bad in this town. The city administrator is a crook. Tsk tsk, everyone is always suspicious of and accusatory of the officers in Oakland. Looks like we all should have been looking at the boss all along. I read where she was going to make an Internal Affairs complaint. For what ? Her and her nephews own wrong doing ? I feel sorry for the Oakland officers if this is the kind of crap they have to put up with. A boss that commits a criminal act and then threatens you on top of it.

She needs to go to jail.

Oakland administrator suspected of interfering with police investigation
Article Created: 06/19/2008 03:22:30 PM PDT

By Kelly Rayburn and Harry Harris

STAFF WRITERS

OAKLAND — City Administrator Deborah Edgerly could face disciplinary action for possibly interfering with a June 7 police investigation related to Tuesday's massive crackdown on the Acorn drug gang of West Oakland.

Mayor Ron Dellums was investigating the matter Wednesday, said spokesman Paul Rose. The mayor's office kept mum about what repercussions might come out of it, but the Police Department released a report revealing that Edgerly arrived on the scene at 1200 Market St. after a gun was found in a car driven by William Lovan, 27, of Concord. Edgerly told police Lovan was her nephew.

Lovan was one of 34 suspected gang members arrested across the East Bay on Tuesday. He was picked up in Concord on suspicion of possessing a firearm related to the June 7 incident. Police responded that day to a report at about 8:50 p.m. as part of the ongoing "Operation Nutcracker" that culminated Tuesday.

Lovan's car was reportedly locked with the keys inside and a firearm in view. As officers prepared to have the car towed, Edgerly asked why the car was being taken away, the police report said. At one point, Edgerly said she was on the phone with Assistant Police Chief Howard Jordan and that she would be contacting the department's Internal Affairs Division over the matter, the report said.

Jordan confirmed that he spoke to Edgerly on June 7 and said he relayed what happened to Police

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Chief Wayne Tucker. Jordan declined to comment further except to say that police notified the proper authorities about the incident.

Rose said Wednesday evening: "We're aware of the allegations and we're taking them very seriously and as we speak we're looking into them. But beyond that, on the advice of counsel, I can't comment any further."

He did add: "We're going to get to the bottom of it."

Attempts to reach Edgerly on Wednesday were not successful. She refused to answer a reporter's question Tuesday night at a City Council meeting about her relationship to Lovan, who is a city employee and remained in custody Wednesday.

Little information about Lovan's employment with the city was known except that he was a parking meter repairman who has been employed by Oakland since July 2003.

Police said they had learned from a source that Lovan had talked with the Acorn gang's purported leader, Mark Anthony Candler, 34, about the gun in the car he was driving.

Police released the report Wednesday in response to public records requests from numerous media outlets.

Edgerly is a longtime city employee who was tapped by then-Mayor Jerry Brown in 2003 to be City Manager before the city switched to a City Administrator form of government.

The City Administrator is directly responsible to the mayor and City Council for the overall administration of the city, including enforcing Oakland's laws and ordinances and making recommendations to policymakers on important city issues.

Rumors that Edgerly is nearing retirement have been swirling around City Hall for more than a year. She told the Tribune in March that she planned to retire either in July or December of this year.

She grew up in West Oakland and served as Finance Agency director before she became City Manager.

A City Hall source confirmed Wednesday that Lovan is Edgerly's nephew, though it was not clear whether the two are blood relatives or related through marriage.

Early morning raids Tuesday by Oakland police and 16 other law enforcement agencies completed a two-month investigation that, police said, ended with more than half of the Acorn gang behind bars.

Leading the investigation for Oakland police was the Targeted Enforcement Task Force.

Dellums released the following statement about the raids Tuesday evening: "I am proud of Police Chief Wayne Tucker and the courageous men and women of the Oakland Police Department for this extraordinary effort to help bring peace to our streets."

Contact Kelly Rayburn at 510-208-6435 or krayburn@bayareanewsgroup.com.

posted in Oaktown - 24 replies

Recomendations for lunch in the East Bay on Friday?

Ronald — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:16:34 GMT

I'm meeting a friend for lunch in the east bay for lunch Friday, any recommendations?

Hayward-Oakland area, rather not go much further south, or as far north as Berkeley (make a good case, and I'll consider it).

Looking for interesting and good, pretty open and adventurous, but I've not lived here long enough to know good places. I'm looking for something like Askew or Cheese Board Pizza (well, a bit fancier that Cheese Board Pizza, though their food is wonderful).

posted in Oaktown - 14 replies

hub crawl

toomanyTomcats — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:46:46 GMT

Pink Buhnny and I decided to throw together a last minute hub crawl tonight. (you know- on bikes, hubs are on bikes, etc)

First stop is The Missouri Lounge on San Pablo. 5:15ish.
Eventually we will make it to the Kona Club for BnB's birthday party.
Eli's, The Graduate, and Seranader is on the list, and maybe a late night excursion to the White ho too.

So grab your bikes, meet us at the misery and ride to the next place, wherever that may be.

posted in Oaktown - 2 replies

What will this tribe be like without Tomcat in town?

dmacleay — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:30:10 GMT

Will he still post from his new undisclosed location?

Will someone else take up the task?

Who will Glenzzz get to answer his rants?

Will our source of comments on crime, bikes and cats will ever be the same?

Am I the only one who will miss him?

posted in Oaktown - 13 replies

Choppers in the Laurel last night

ikasaurus — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:55:26 GMT

Anybody know the scoop? around 10ish and a little more concentrated than the periodic flyby's or chases.

posted in Oaktown - 3 replies

Nancy Nadel needs to go. Now.

toomanyTomcats — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:35:38 GMT

this is a long one, but maybe you'd be interested in the original link:

http://www.abetteroakland.com/nancy-nadel-needs-to-go-now/2008-05-28

Nancy Nadel needs to go. Now.
V Smoothe | Nancy Nadel, oakland, oakland city council, elections | Wednesday, 28 May 2008

I met Nancy Nadel for the first time about a week after I moved to Oakland, to a beautiful and perfect downtown apartment, when I went to a meeting I had seen a notice for in the newspaper about retail revitalization in downtown Oakland. The meeting was really weird. It turned out to not be about retail revitalization at all, but a panel discussion about the Uptown development, with some representatives of Forest City, Nancy Nadel, Danny Wan, and a reporter from the Oakland Tribune (I kind of think it was Robert Gammon, but I’m not 100% on that). Jerry Brown came in about halfway through, clearly stopping by from running around the Lake, drenched in sweat, and stood in the back of the room, watching. The moderator kept asking him to weigh in, and he kept declining, saying he was just there to listen. At the end of the meeting, the moderator again asked Brown for a statement, and he went on this really weird thing about how he just returned from a trip to Florence, and he thought it was really pretty with their cute orange roofs, and he’d really support anything we could do to make Oakland look like Florence. Later he approached me and said he liked my bracelet. So bizarre.

Anyway, I didn’t get a chance to ask my question, so afterwards, I went up to my Councilmember, Nancy Nadel, to ask her. I introduced myself and said I’d just moved to Oakland, and wanted to ask about retail attraction in other parts of downtown. She asked me where I lived, and when I told her, she said that I wasn’t in her District, and should go talk to Danny. I said that was pretty sure I was, because I had looked it up on the City’s website, and could I ask her anyway since I was already talking to her. She said no, she was sure I wasn’t in District 3, that if I had questions, I really should talk to Danny, then turned and walked away. Things only went downhill from there.

Just in case anyone reading this hadn’t already picked up on this, I’m voting for Sean Sullivan on Tuesday. And tomorrow, I’ll tell you why you should, too. Today I want to talk about Nancy Nadel, and more specifically, why it’s time for her to go. So here you go:

* She has the wrong priorities.

As Oaklanders have watched crime skyrocket over the past few years and for the last year have clamored for improved public safety, Nadel made her legislative priorities banning smoking at bus stops and banning plastic bags.

Look. Oakland has serious problems, particularly around public safety. Real problems deserve real policy solutions. Crime is the number one issue here in Oakland, and people deserve at least an attempt on the part of their representatives to address the problem. Nadel just doesn’t get it. See her comments from the Public Safety Committee on September 11, 2007 and then the City Council on September 18, 2007.

And for those who don’t want to view it, here’s what she says. First:

Of course being attacked on the street is a safety issue. But smoking is a safety issue too…We can’t say one is more dangerous than the other.

Then:

Exposure to smoke can be as deadly to them as being shot in the street.

No. Just no. I don’t care how much you hate smoking, there is a difference between being exposed to secondhand smoke outside within 25 feet of a bus stop and being violently assaulted, and you can say which is worse. It’s the latter. The attitude is just not acceptable. This is just one example of Nadel’s abysmal record on public safety, but I think it’s a particularly revealing one. We need someone sitting in that seat who has their priorities in order, and Nancy Nadel just doesn’t get it.

* She does not want to work full-time for her constituents

When she was first elected, Nancy Nadel was a strong advocate of increasing Council salaries to full-time pay, because she felt that it was too burdensome to properly fulfill her duties as a Councilmember while also working another job. I agree with this position, and honestly, I think the City Council should be paid more than they currently are. In October of 1997, Nancy Nadel, then working a second job to make ends meet, testified to the City’s Public Ethics Commission (PDF!) “I’m working constantly, and it’s not healthy. I’d happily leave my other job if I were paid an equivalent amount to work full-time here.”

Being a City Councilmember, making good choices, and really delivering for your District is a huge job. And as everyone who has ever started or run one knows, so is operating a small business. It is completely beyond me why Nancy Nadel thinks that she can devote the necessary amount of time to her City Council duties while at the same time starting a chocolate company. If Nancy Nadel wants to make chocolate and help Jamaican farmers, I think that’s admirable. I really do. But if that’s her passion, then that’s what she should be doing. Even if I had no other issues with Nadel, the fact that she’s starting another business would be an absolute deal-breaker for me. We need someone in this office who is devoted to working full-time for their constituents, and Nadel isn’t. End of story.

* She doesn’t like the job, and isn’t taking the initiative to bring new things forward.

Like I said before, I know that being a Councilmember is tough. No matter what you do, you’re never going to make everyone happy, and you’re always going to piss some people off. So I understand that it must get really frustrating at times. But when you’ve gotten jaded enough to state publicly “I find limited joy in my work,” as Nadel has, it’s simply time to move on.

At the last three candidate forums I attended, Nadel, in her introduction, said that the reason she’s running for her fourth term is “to bring some long-term projects to completion.” It’s just not good enough. District 3 and Oakland as a whole are burdened with so many problems. We need someone representing us who will constantly bring forth new ideas, new projects, and new initiatives. We need energy. Representing Oakland has got to be about more than finishing what you started.

* She discourages public input.

It’s so hard to get people to go speak at Council meetings. Seriously. I’m always desperately trying to get people I know involved in City politics, and for the most part, they just don’t care at all. But even when you manage to get someone worked up over some specific issue, getting them to show up to a meeting and wait for hours to speak for a minute on one item is like pulling teeth. So I find it particularly upsetting when people do show up and speak, only to be treated incredibly rudely by the Council, and Nancy Nadel is by far the worst culprit on this. (I know people complain about Ignacio being rude to people, but I swear, I’m sure I watch more Council meetings than most people, and I just don’t see it at all. Yes, he stops people after they’ve gone 10 or 15 seconds over their alloted time, but that’s his job. Personally, I think it’s rude of those people to assume the same rules that everyone else abides by shouldn’t apply to them. But while people are speaking within their time limits, I always find him polite and respectful. At least he looks at you and pretends to listen, unlike certain other Councilmembers who can be seen reading magazines or napping during public comment.)

Anyway, Nancy Nadel is just consistently gratuitously rude to public speakers, and I find it really upsetting. A couple examples from the past year off the top of my head. Of course, there’s the time Max spoke to share his concerns about displacement, and Nancy Nadel responded by telling him that the people in question should just move. Then there was the time during the Public Safety Committee hearing on the smoking ordinance, when a bar owner got up to speak about being concerned for the safety of his patrons and the impact on his business if they were forced to stand down far down the street from his business and out of sight of his security staff at night, and she interrupted him and to grill him and lecture him about how he was currently breaking the law (he wasn’t). After the exchange, two other people who had signed up to speak tried to leave out of fear of what she’d do to them, and I had to beg and plead with them to say and talk. It was terrible!

And it isn’t just with people she disagrees with. For reasons totally beyond me, Nadel seems to feel the need to be similarly rude to people who favor ordinances she supports! Take this exchange, which I found absolutely shocking!

OK, so this poor girl seemed really nervous, which I totally get. I don’t know how many of you have ever spoken at Council meetings, but I’m not someone who generally has a problem with speaking in public, and I find it seriously intimidating being down there and looking up at all of them on that high dais and seeing yourself on that huge screen, especially if the room is crowded and you have all these people staring at you. I’ve done it lots of times, and even though I prepare and rehearse my remarks, every time I get up there, I get so nervous I shake and spend the whole time terrified that my legs are going to give out and I’ll just collapse on the floor like a freak. Anyway, so like tons of people do all the time at every meeting, this girl showed up to speak in support of something the Council was going to pass that night (as did like a dozen other people) and what does Nadel do the second she leaves the podium? Responds with a nasty comment about how someone should inform the girl that they “already did that,” which they, um, hadn’t. It was so unnecessary! Do you think she’s ever going to speak at another Council meeting ever again? I sure as hell wouldn’t.

It’s exactly like Sean said at the League of Women Voters forum (beginning of this video): “We’ll have more citizen participation in this city when we start respecting our citizens who are actually willing to become involved.”

* She’s a barrier to people trying to make a difference in their neighborhood.

Plenty of my commenters have described here their efforts to get improvements in their neighborhoods, and the resistance they faced from Nancy Nadel. People who want dog parks, stop signs, community gardens, street lighting, permit parking, and so on, all have to fight tooth and nail to get it, with no help, and often, opposition, from their Council office. Maybe more will chime in. But let’s look, for now, at just one example - Bordertown skate park. When a group of people tried to start a skate park in West Oakland, they faced opposition from CalTrans, but with the help of the City, worked the problem out. Although Nancy Nadel ultimately ended up voting for their lease, she did so only after trying to halt the project. Even after Caltrans soil tests found that the low levels of PCBs on the site where within acceptable levels, and that any environmental safety concerns would be ameliorated simply by capping the site, Nadel said that the group should simply give up (PDF!) on the site, because she was building one at Jefferson Park. This was in 2005. As we all know, there is still no skate park at Jefferson Park. Violence prevention isn’t just about police or job programs - it’s also about providing recreation opportunities for our youth. We need somebody in this office who is going to help, not hinder, ordinary citizens who want to improve their neighborhoods. It should be a no brainer.

I could go on and on and on. She’s nowhere on food security and food access. She does nothing for bicycle, transit, and pedestrian improvements. Restoring the Broadway Shopper Shuttle is part of her platform now, but it got cancelled five years ago on her watch! Where’s she been since then? One local activist recently told me he was reluctant to criticize Nadel’s newfound advocacy for transit issues, saying “Yeah, she’s concerned now that she’s running for re-election. Whatever. I’ll take what I can get.” Fair enough. But where’s she been for the last four years? And where will she be once she doesn’t have to worry about getting votes? She chairs Public Works, so you’d she’d be helping with the bike parking problem, but bicycle advocates had to turn to Finance and Management and Ignacio De La Fuente for help!

She cannot see the big picture. She opposed the Council’s resolution in support of a high speed rail alignment that would have benefitted Oakland (which would have almost certainly ended at the Coliseum BART station), delaying passage of the resolution for over a month, until after the MTC had already recommended the alternative route, and when it finally passed, it only did so after she insisted on adding a provision about boring tunnels and undergrounding BART. She can’t even be trusted to stand up for things that are allegedly her priorities. Nadel is supposed to be the City Council’s big advocate of medial marijuana rights. Why then did she vote in favor of selling one of our police officers to the DEA so they can run around busting dispensaries? She voted for it at the Public Safety Committee last November, and again at the City Council meeting in December.

She places ideology over the realities of the market and hard data. Back in 2006, I was corresponding with her about industrial preservation, trying to explain to her about the real problems I, as somewhat working in industrial real estate, was seeing with business attraction for West Oakland. I tried to offer her data about vacancy rates, lease rates, and TI costs, and her response was “If you are working for an industrial brokerage, when the brokerage closes a deal for a housing project on industrial land, you’re making a lot more money on that deal than a purely industrial deal. Your self-interest is an important factor.” Not only was this incredibly rude, it was also ridiculous. One, as a researcher (which I had already explained to her I was), I earned an hourly wage, making no more money on any one deal than on any other. Two, leases are the bread and butter of industrial real estate! Of course the brokerage community doesn’t want to lose the industrial land - if we did, they’d be out of business! But Nadel is so blinded by her hostility to the idea of anyone (gasp!) making money, that she won’t listen to the input of people who work with these issues every day.

She isn’t available to her constituents. She hosts monthly coffee hours to meet with people in Jack London Square, but cancelled over half of them over the last two years. Her approach to governance and Oakland’s needs is simply too abstract. Last week, she was talking about buses, and was saying something about how we need the bus because we’re going to be oil independent in 12 years. No! We need the bus because people need to go places. Not in 2020. Now. She doesn’t care about transparency or public access to government. In 2003, when the City was facing some budget issues, her plan to free up money was to cut the Public Information Officers (PDF!) positions from the police, fire, and city attorney’s office. I don’t even have words on that one! She’s divisive. She can’t get things done. She lies. She doesn’t listen to people. She’s fiscally irresponsible (I’m sure I don’t need to remind my readers again about the $850,000 of our money she spent on an empty building that we have absolutely zero funds to turn into a teen center (meanwhile, we cut funding for teen recreation programs at the YMCA across the street). She does not value oversight, accountability, or implementation. She says she wants to bring jobs to Oakland, but supports a zoning proposal that would hurt our ability to build office space that will accommodate large employers. This could go on forever, but I’m going to have to stop eventually. Now seems as good a place as any.

Look, I don’t think Nancy Nadel is a bad person. I really don’t. She may be really mean to her constituents a lot of the time, but I have absolutely no doubt that she cares, and cares deeply, about helping people in West Oakland. But she is a bad Councilmember, and what she’s doing isn’t helping them, and it isn’t helping the rest of the people who live in District 3, or the rest of people who live in Oakland. It’s like Sean Sullivan is always saying at the candidate forums. Results matter. This is about who can get things done, who can actually help people in need in a meaningful way, and who can best move this City forward. Nancy Nadel has consistently shown that she just can’t deliver on these fronts. And that’s why it’s time for her to go.

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply

Uhuru was robbed may 4th.... there is truly no honor among thieves.

toomanyTomcats — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:39:25 GMT

After a May 4 armed takeover robbery at Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles on Grand Avenue, staff at the nonprofit store — a project of the African People's Education and Defense Fund — are announcing that such thefts "go hand in hand with the sharp escalation of desperate poverty in Oakland's black community," as manager Joel Hamburger puts it. "The repercussions of slavery and colonialism have never ended," he told Apprehension, outlining a desire for political and business leaders not to hire more cops but rather "to change economic conditions, starting with a massive infusion of capital into the impoverished communities — of course, we're talking about the black communities." His ideas include interest-free loans for African-American-owned businesses. Calling the theft "your garden-variety armed takeover," he is "hesitant to go into details," as this would obscure "our vision of our future together, a vision for Oakland." Mass media haven't been lining up to talk with him. By contrast, "when Milano got held up," Hamburger says of the nearby bistro, "you couldn't turn 'em away. When we get held up — a store representing the African working-class struggle — we hear, 'Hmm, we're not sure our viewership is interested.'"

posted in Oaktown - 10 replies

East Bay BM theme camp party

NeonBunny — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:24:49 GMT

And now for something completely different. A Burning Man theme camp party from a Oaktown based theme camp. Should be lots of fun:

Camp Zoom!, a Black Rock City original, invites you to join us for a night of Dancing, Art and Fire...

Performances by the Fire Arts Collective

Dance music by DJs:
NeonBunny (dish, camp Zoom!)
J.C. (KZSU, camp HOTD)
Lord Kook (FSLD, Poop Funnel camp)

Downtempo and Ambient Grooves by DJs:
Xan-X (Ambi-Sonic)
Pepe Mapache (Guadalajara, Mexico)
Mak (Hotel W's famous Friday Happy Hour)

Sculptures and Installations by Starboy & Cary; NeonBunny
Video by 2Xintheface; Starboy

$10 (pssst- only $5 in costumes)

Food available until midnight

view the flier here:
http://neonbunny.com/events.html

view the video flier here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK3GO5NJjtk

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply

An assessment of OPD politics by a retired Police Officer..........

toomanyTomcats — Sun, 25 May 2008 19:33:53 GMT

I've been getting these emails in my inbox for months now. Juicy stuff. makes you a little sick reading how dismal the morale of OPD is at this point......

Sunday, May 25, 2008 7:08:09 AM

What's In Demographics For Us?
[May 24, 2008]

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts an annual statistical American Community Survey and issues comprehensive population data. Oakland's is interesting, on its own and in comparison with Richmond and San Jose.

You will recall that Oakland's Violent Crime rate went up 51% from 2000 to 2006, while in the same time period we lost 22,228 citizens of our population in an exodus. There are some who would jump to conclusions based on general impressions of age, race, poverty, and other demographic factors. Perhaps the following findings by the Census Bureau might cause some second thinking:

1. Oakland lost a dramatic number of youth, especially those likely to commit crimes. From 15 to 24 years, Oakland lost 17% of that population. From 20 to 34 years, Oakland lost 21%.

2. Oakland's older population, those above 55 years and least likely to commit crimes, gained 17% population.

3. Whites gained in population by 3%, and now comprise 34.1% of Oakland's citizens.

4. African Americans lost 28,118 citizens since 2000 to other locations, about a 20% reduction. They now comprise 30.3% of the citizenry.

5. Asians lost about 3.2% of their Oakland population and now comprise about 15.6% of the total.

6. Latinos increased 11.7%, and now constitute 25.9% of Oaklanders.

7. Oakland's foreign born population has increased less than 3% and comprises 28.9% of the population.

8. Individuals living under the poverty line in Oakland dropped by 6,577 since 2000, or about 8.5%. They comprise about 18.8% of the population.

9. Affordable housing is a hot topic. The median price for a home in Oakland increased from $235,500 to $590,800. Yet, home ownership increased by 832, about 1.3%. It is the renters who have moved out, from 88,301 to 81,426, for a drop of 7.8%. The vacant housing units increased 187% from 6,718 to 19,296. There were 30% more housing units built in the five years before 2006 than before 2000; 4,655 compared with 3,593.

10. In 2000, 62% of those over 16 were employed. The highest category, 39.2%, were employed in managerial, professional, or related fields. 59.5% of the households earned less than $50,000. The median family income, those equally making more and less than this number, was $44,384. Unemployment was at 5.14%.

11. In 2006, 64.8% of those over 16 were employed. The highest category, 40.5% were employed in managerial, professional or related fields. 53.4% of the households earned less than $50,000. The median family income, those equally making more and less than this number, was $45,552. Unemployment was at 5.27%.

San Jose and Richmond are often looked to for comparisons, especially since we're neighbors and our populations share ties. San Jose's Violent Crimes went down 28% since 2000. Richmond's Violent Crimes were almost flat, experiencing only 24 more Violent Crimes in 2006 versus 2000.

1. San Jose's African American population is only about 2.9% of the total, but significant is that it also dropped - 14.5% since 2000. Their Latino population is 32.2% of its total citizens, and that increased 9.2% since 2000. San Jose's foreign born population is 38.6% of the total, and has increased 7.3% since 2000. 10.3% of individuals live below the poverty line, but that number has increased 17% since 2000.

2. Richmond is currently 30.1% White, 28.5% African American, and 35.4% Hispanic. That represents no real change for Whites since 2000, an 18% drop for African Americans, and an over 38% increase for Latinos. Foreign born comprise 30.7% of the population and that represents an increase of 23% since 2000. Richmond's population living under the poverty line is 14.0%, and that is coincidentally a 14% decline since 2000.

Comments:

There is nothing in the demographics above to suggest any reason or offer any explanation as to why Oakland should have experienced a 51% increase in Violent Crimes since 2000... or any increase for that matter. Oakland had a very dramatic drop in youth in the ages when crimes are most likely committed by them. On the contrary, there is just as dramatic an increase in the older population where we wouldn't find many criminals. This is astounding.

Poverty has also gone down, so those who tie poverty to crime should have expected a drop in crime. Those who feel that perhaps Oakland's foreign born (3% increase and 29% of the population) are responsible for crimes, and that feeling could only come from bigotry, should look at San Jose and Richmond. They both have significantly more foreign born, and a much higher rate of increase in that category. Income, unemployment and housing factors have all either had slight improvements or exhibited little change.

Given all the comparatively benign factors, individually or collectively, Oakland should have been able to at least match the prevailing Violence reductions in California cities over 100,000 and the drops in national cities over 250,000. There has been only one change to affect Public Safety in Oakland, the introduction of Chief Tucker in the beginning of February, 2005. A 39-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department, having little knowledge or experience with the OPD or City of Oakland, Mayor Brown must have felt his experience in running a tight ship in the predominantly custodial arena qualified him to constrain the violence in Oakland. It is common knowledge that Mayor Brown sincerely tried to dismiss Tucker 17 months ago. Chip Johnson had a similar report. After almost 40 months at the helm of OPD now, Tucker has cast the Police Department and its employees into confusion and turmoil, and the City is in the grips of violent chaos. By the end of 2006, 23 months later, Tucker reigned over a 43% increase that year compared with the five-year average of his predecessor. Murders were up 61%, Felony Assaults were up 60%, and Robberies were up 32%. Violence in California over that same period was down 14.3% and across the US it was down 13.2%. Robberies were down 26% in California and down 12% nationally. At the end of 2007, Violent Crimes in Oakland were higher yet, and 2008 looks like another record setting year for the paradigm escalation of Violent Crimes.

When you hear the Police Chief recite his hypotheses and generalizations why Oakland's Violent Crime rate has increased so dramatically, ask him for real, complete, and hard facts. When you hear others recite their theories, give them the real facts. When you hear that the Chief intends to lower the crime rate, ask "How?" and do not accept eyes-to-the-ceiling excuses. His version of Area Command and 12-hour shifts are not "how," they are blind-folded dart throwing without metrics. Staffing shortages, the OPOA, and insufficient money are long-running crutches of the can't-do. The precepts of Beats and 24-hour command, and the priorities of Response and Investigations, have been tossed out or de-structured by this Chief as "old practices" garbage. He's made it very tough to pick up the pieces and reconnect with the problems of public safety, but we can do it. The men and women of OPD are ready for changes that are inspiring and constructive, to replace the last few years of intimidation, neglect, and destruction of efficiency and good-will.

As for me, I've in previous essays slowly debunked the myth of baby-boomer attrition that was used to justify the panic-grab of Measure Y funds and many other hollow excuses. I've listed the fifteen harmless "side letters" with the OPOA since 1998 that the Chief told Chip Johnson kept him from being a Chief. I've recited many examples of gross inefficiencies in current police operations, including the very harmful closing of the Jail, elimination of the Patrol Division, loss of Planning and Research, decimation of Investigators, the total lack of any consistent stream of information, the overweight and isolation of the Eighth Floor, the wasteful money-handling, the low OPD morale and high job dissatisfaction, the absolute lack of definitive justification for fiat Area Command, the capriciousness and unsubstantiated claims for the 2-2-3-2-2-3 configuration of 12-hour shifts, the abandonment of priorities for Response and Investigations, the neglect for either the Patrol or PSO Beat systems, and many other cold reality reasons why accountability for the Violent Crime rate should be at Chief Wayne Tucker's doorstep.

It is with a deep pain that I and many on OPD have watched the dismantling of OPD during the past 39 months, along with the disintegration of Public Safety in Oakland. I cannot fathom the political support for Chief Tucker. In the chronic absence, incompleteness, habitual delays and consistent misguidance of City-staff generated information, the policy makers might have an excuse, but to attribute the violence as if it's some sort of bad weather pattern or earthquake fissure outside of our ability to do something about it is inadvisable.

A prognosis of terminal illness was never cured with a wait-and-see attitude.

ronoz

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Dellums on crack

NeonBunny — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:53:23 GMT

Dellums is taking a break from treking around the world in his permanent working vacation, to announce he plans to significantly raise property taxes to pay for more police!!!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/20/BASI10P63G.DTL

Ok, I'm the kind of person who will call myself a left-wing liberal, yet I see something wrong with this.

Let's see. Someone who bought a house in 2006 in the area around 98th/International. Ok, so they shouldn't have gotten that questionable loan. And they are struggling to keep up with those payments. And now, they find out that they will be paying an extra $500/month in taxes. Well, forget about it, walk away, another house foreclosed.

Will that house sell right away, or will it lay vacant, a once nice house, until kids break the windows out with rocks, the city then comes and nails boards over the windows, thieves break in and steal all the copper plumbing and the furnace leaving the house unihabitable, and a potential magnet for further criminal activity. (This is exactly what happened to the house next to me).

Ok, so Dellums has a nice job. He also has a house he bought up in the nice part of the Oakland hills in the 80's. Guess who's paying more in property taxes, the person who bought in the worst neighborhood in 2006, or the person who bought in the nicest in the 80's.

There will be another initiative on the ballot in November. This to raise the police force up from 700 to 1100, and to do so without raising taxes, and causing even more distressed neighborhoods. Instead, it would cut unnecessary city positions (such as politcal advisor to district supervisor Jean Quan).

Even if you rent and never paid property taxes, think twice before voting for this bill, it will cause more damage than good.

posted in Oaktown - 13 replies

New Ecstatic Dance in Oakland

nurturingtouch — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:12:45 GMT

Beginning May 25th
at the
Historic Sweets Ballroom
1933 Broadway, Oakland
1 block from 19th St. BART
9-10 yoga $5
10:30-1:00 dance $15

with gas prices so high I have been looking for dances closer to home. Do not know the folks but saw this posted at Whole Foods
http://www.ecstaticdanceeastbay.com
if you make it there before me let me know how it was
thanks
Zeke

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

muffler work - where to go?

whittlesjh — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:06:14 GMT

I need my rear muffler replaced - where would you suggest I take my car?
I love my mechanic for most things, but she says mufflers aren't her strong point.

thanks.
m

posted in Oaktown - 4 replies

need a fence installed

toomanyTomcats — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:49:14 GMT

Anyone have a recommendation for someone to remove a rotted fence on a property line, and install a new one? I live in Oakland.

posted in Oaktown - 4 replies

Saturday 6.7.08 THING at the QUEEF

alih — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:38:20 GMT

C'mon out to Cafe van Kleef...bring the debate offline...meet your neighbors and other awesome people, listen to a couple of my favorite bands, and raise a glass to toast my birfday.

SATURDAY 6.7.08 (7pm-2am)
Cafe van Kleef - 1621 Telegraph Ave (16-17th Sts), OAKLAND
Bike or BART to 19th St (exit 17th St steps)
$5 cover

MUSIC:
Ricky Lee Robinson - http://rickyleerobinson.com
Boxcar Saints - http://www.boxcarsaints.com
with a special appearance by Thea Izzi

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

The Uptown - Thurs nite New Wave + dance party!

Skip — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:45:40 GMT

RETRO ACTIVE PRESENTS...

CRASH
Classic New Wave, Goth, and Industrial with current Electro and Indie
Crash is every Thursday night at
The Uptown Nightclub
1928 Telegraph Ave, Oakland

http://tribes.tribe.net/oaktown/photos/ac2ba66b-6183-4c18-8b17-434ba63b6f3b

With rotating DJ's:
Gatzby (Short Shortz)
Low-Life (New Wave City, 1984)
Mike W (Retro Active)
Orko (Shark Attack)
Buddy Ravell (Short Shortz)
Skip (New Wave City, SOMETHING)
Starr (Bondage a Go Go, Shark Attack)

Thursday, March 6, 2008
DJ Skip (New Wave City, SOMETHING)
Mike W (Retro Active)
Short Shortz

Check calendar for weekly DJ lineup
http://www.uptownnightclub.com/Calendar.html
http://www.clubretroactive.com/

posted in Oaktown - 19 replies

When Obama clinches the nomination....

mrcurtain — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:29:57 GMT

When Obama clinches the nomination, where's the best party going to be?

posted in Oaktown - 16 replies

Sideshows again

eastby4 — Sun, 04 May 2008 05:19:51 GMT

Yep, just a bunch of innocent kids trying to have fun

05-03) 07:32 PDT OAKLAND --

A man was found shot and killed in a crashed car early today in Oakland and two other people were shot and wounded in the latest spate of violence that police believe was related to illegal street rallies known as sideshows.

At about 2 a.m., police found a man fatally shot in a car that had crashed on the 4200 block of Foothill Boulevard. His name was not immediately released.

Another car was found crashed and riddled with bullets at 51st Avenue and Foothill, a half-mile away. Two people who had been shot in that car took themselves to a hospital. Their wounds were not considered life-threatening, police said.

Police said the triple shooting appeared to be related to sideshows, the reckless displays of stunts and speed by drivers who often are intoxicated and typically don't have licenses.

"I think we have to kind of put the responsibility back on the parents," Oakland police Lt. Jim Meeks said today. "We have to remind parents as well as young people that there has to be some moral liability to allowing your child to take a vehicle. Basically, you're giving him a weapon - it's like giving a little kid a gun."

The slaying comes two weeks after a 22-year-old woman was killed when her car was hit head-on as she participated in a sideshow at 47th Avenue and Foothill, which sits between the two crash scenes from today's incident.

The woman was killed at about 4 a.m. April 19 after reportedly "profiling," in which drivers weave across all lanes of traffic. That kind of driving tells people that "I own the lane, I own the street, because I can go back and forth," Meeks said.

At about 4:20 a.m. April 12, two cars apparently involved in a sideshow plowed through the front yard of a bungalow-style home at 2040 90th Ave. near Bancroft Avenue in East Oakland, breaking a gas line and touching off a blaze that destroyed most of the three-bedroom residence.

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.

posted in Oaktown - 5 replies

Personal Training in beautiful beachfront studio in Alameda

Margo — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:40:43 GMT

Perhaps your new year's resolutions have worn a bit thin by now?
Maybe you like a boost towards better health and comfort in your body?
Margo Rose here, and I have been a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for about 6 years now. I'm currently offering a 1/2 hour mini-session free of charge so potential clients can check out my wonderful studio and start learning a few new exercises.

In general my clients are women, but if you are a guy of integrity let's consider working out together.

For more information, check out my website at (www.functionalfitness4you.com). Let me know if you have any questions...
Best wishes and take care!

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Save Rent Control in California, Fight Proposition 98!

whittlesjh — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:08:21 GMT

Proposition 98, disguised as "eminent domain reform," is a nefarious scheme by wealthy California landlord associations to end rent control state-wide. Aside from invalidating current rent control laws and prohibiting future ones, Prop. 98 would jeopardize renter protections like just cause for eviction ordinances, 60-day notice requirements, and the return of security deposits; prohibit affordable housing requirements in new developments; and put environmental and living wage regulations at risk.

Just Cause Oakland is a mass-based organization dedicated to fighting for affordable housing for low-income people of color in Oakland. We are reaching out to friends, supporters, and volunteers to join us in our fight against Prop. 98 on the June 3rd ballot.

With such wide-reaching effects, it's important that as many folks as possible get involved in defeating this measure. We will be walking precincts in West and East Oakland and phone banking over the next 8 weeks to mobilize residents to vote NO on Prop 98 in June.

We will be having some training on our electoral work for volunteers at the Just Cause office (1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 415, in downtown Oakland). This training will give some background on the work JCO has done in the past to protect affordable housing in Oakland, give information on Prop. 98 and the competing measure, Prop. 99, and help prepare volunteers for the fieldwork we'll be doing over the next two months.

If you'd like to find out more about our upcoming electoral work on the NO on 98 campaign, please call Lauren at the Just Cause Oakland office at 510-763-5877 or email lauren@justcauseoakland.org.

www. justcauseoakland. org

posted in Oaktown - 58 replies

The People of Oaktown are taking it back

Rebren — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:51:10 GMT

This is what happens when the police don't do their jobs. Which maybe is exactly what they're hoping for. Be cafeful who you rob. They might just be ready for your ass:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/22/BAO5109V45.DTL

Oakland burglar shot: 'We're going to defend ourselves,' neighbor says
Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

(04-22) 14:11 PDT Oakland - --

A North Oakland resident shot and critically injured a suspected burglar this morning in the resident's home, police said, the third time in a week that a would-be crime victim in the city has fought back with gunfire.

The shooting happened about 8 a.m. in a home on the 600 block of 59th Street near Shattuck Avenue, police spokesman Officer Roland Holmgren said. Police did not immediately release the name of the suspect or the resident.

Today's shooting took place a block from where 59th Street resident Patrick McCullough shot and wounded a 15-year-old boy outside his home in February 2005 after 15 young men surrounded him in his front yard, shouting, "Kill the snitch." The shooting capped a series of confrontations between McCullough and young men who police believed were drug dealers.

"We're going to defend ourselves by any means necessary," said McCullough, who is running for Oakland City Council, after today's shooting. He was not home at the time of the shooting but said he returned quickly after receiving a call from his alarmed wife.

He said residents and businesses need to arm and defend themselves because Oakland lacks enough police officers and effective anti-crime programs, including productive opportunities for young people.

"It shows crime is out control and that the people in charge of bringing crime under control are not doing their job," he said.

On Saturday night, an armed man who tried to rob Ed's Liquors on 23rd Avenue in East Oakland was shot three times and wounded by the store owner, who also was wounded in the leg in an exchange of gunfire, police said. Two days before that, a clerk at Wah Fay 8th Avenue Corner Market shot and wounded and 18-year-old Pittsburg man who allegedly tried to rob the store.

Based on descriptions from 59th Street neighbors, McCullough said he recognizes the wounded burglary suspect as someone he has seen hanging out on the street and staying at a house that has been the target of complaints about drug-dealing and other criminal activity.

A man at a home close to the house where the burglary suspect was shot said drug-dealing occurs continuously on the street.

"They do drugs all day long," said the man, who asked not to be identified to avoid potential retribution. "It's really, really bad."

He said many problems seem concentrated around Klippers barber shop around the corner on Shattuck Avenue where one night two weeks ago he heard between 17 and 20 gunshots, followed by three men fleeing on foot and attempting to run between houses on the street.

No one answered a reporter's knock this afternoon at the two-story house where the shooting occurred.

posted in Oaktown - 8 replies

Hans Reiser - guilty of first degree murder

Rebren — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:48:10 GMT

Not sure if any of you have been following this fascinating trial. The Jury just came back with their verdict: guilty of first degree murder.

Henry Lee of the Chronicle kept an amazingly detailed trial blog throughout the proceedings. A very interesting read for anyone with an interest in local crime and/or forensics in general. A first degree murder conviction without a body is pretty rare.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/localnews/index?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/28/BA9O10D8B4.DTL

Now, if only he weren't such a controlling dick and woudl reveal where her body is so the family can say their proper good-byes and have a final resting place for her that tehy can visit. Such a sad, sad story.

posted in Oaktown - 2 replies

Oakland Restaurant Robberies

eastby4 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:25:34 GMT

This is a shame. This is only hurting Oakland and people all around. But I am sure there will be someone who will blame the rest of us for not offering the poor children activity alternatives. I was at Milano a few hours before the robbery occurred. It makes a person want to carry their firearm on them. One positive I can think about this is that the Milano robbery actually counts as like 20 something counts of robbery since they robbed everyone in the resturant also. Lets hope they get a good long sentence.

OAKLAND — The number of restaurants targeted by "takeover"-style robbers in the past two weeks grew to six Tuesday when police added a Montclair pizza parlor to the list.
But at a police headquarters news briefing, investigators stopped short of saying the same suspects are involved in all of the crimes.

Separately on Tuesday, Berkeley police reported that armed robbers wearing ski masks hit two Berkeley businesses in "takeover"-style robberies in the last five days. Officials there don't know if the cases are related.

There are some similarities in the Oakland cases — the main one being the "takeover" style employed by the robbers — but not enough yet to definitely say the same group is responsible, according to Oakland police Officer Roland Holmgren, the department's public information officer. In addition to the five robberies already being investigated, police said they now believe Cybelle's Pizza, 6468 Moraga Ave., which was robbed about 10 p.m. April 7, may be part of the Oakland series.

Although only one robber entered Cybelle's, witnesses reported seeing two possible accomplices waiting nearby, police said.

At the briefing, police released a video of the most recent robbery, which happened about 9:15 p.m. Sunday at Milano, a popular Italian restaurant at 3424 Grand Ave.

At least a dozen diners and 10 employees were inside the restaurant when four suspects — two of them carrying guns — entered and ordered workers

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and customers to hand over their money, police said.
Other restaurants targeted in a similar fashion include:

-Happy Garden Restaurant, 4112 MacArthur Blvd., which was robbed Friday night.

-Rainbow Cafe, 725 International Blvd., robbed April 5.

-Pho 84 at 354 17th St., robbed April 8.

-Red Boy Pizza, 1500 Leimert Blvd., robbed March 31.

Ski masks and guns

In the Berkeley incidents, a man with a gun wearing a black ski mask locked two employees of the Famous Foam Factory in a back room Tuesday afternoon and made off with $200, police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said.

The business, at the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Channing Way, sells futons. Neither of the employees was injured, and no customers were there at the time, Kusmiss said.

On Friday, four men wearing black ski masks and carrying handguns ordered five employees of Cafe Clem on 7th Street to the ground and robbed a safe of $2,500, Kusmiss said.

The men entered the cafe at closing time around 5 p.m. and pointed guns at all the employees. One of the men forced a female employee to open the safe while holding a gun to her neck, Kusmiss said. None of the employees was injured.

Before leaving, the men told the employees not to get up until they counted to 100.

Kusmiss said she did not know if the robbery at Cafe Clem is connected to the robberies in Oakland.

Undercover patrols

Extra police, including officers working undercover, are patrolling the areas of Oakland where the restaurant robberies occurred, Lt. Lawrence Green said. Some of the undercover officers can pass for teenagers while others look like they are in their 60s, he said.

The robbers are getting small amounts of cash, because diners typically use credit cards to pay for meals, Oakland police Capt. Rick Orozco said. No one has been injured so far in any of the Oakland robberies, he said.

The community can help police in such cases, but not by physically confronting the suspects. Holmgren said

Police believe the suspects may park getaway cars near the restaurants, he said. If residents "see some guys who don't look quite right, like if they are masked up or hooded up," then they should call police and try and get a license plate number or description of the vehicle, he said.

'Chickenhawk' sought

Police on Tuesday also released a video and a new surveillance photo of a man suspected in at least 18 robberies of fast-food restaurants, minimarts and other small businesses city-wide since Jan. 31.

The man, dubbed the "Chickenhawk" because of his propensity to rob restaurants that serve chicken, has not struck since March 26, police said. He may be in jail on unrelated charges, they said.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $5,000 in reward money in each of the six Oakland restaurant robberies for information leading to the arrest of suspects. Up to $10,000 in reward money is being offered for information leading to the Chickenhawk's identity.

Anyone with information can call police at 510-238-3326 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-3211 or 510-777-8572.

posted in Oaktown - 23 replies

dying fabric, and buying lots of hoodies

Drew — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:24:16 GMT

does anyone already dye they stuff?

i need to dye 2 pairs of jeans black.

im nervous bout using my washing machine and i dont really wanna buy a huge pot to dye 2 things on the stove

if you are already dying, id pay ya for some shoelaces (that i will provide) dyed tie-dye style red and blue

and where would you go if you wanted to buy 10 hoodies at once? of fairly nice construction, but im willing to look at lots of places. i know theres a garment district in LA where you can buy blanks in mass quantity all day, anyone familiar wit things like that here?

posted in Oaktown - 5 replies

Welcome to World Dance!

mahealani — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:23:53 GMT

Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance Celebrates
National Dance Week
April 25 - May 3, 2008

Join us for these FREE events!

27 April - 6 - 7:00PM
Free Hula Class with members of the
KaUaTuahine Polynesian Dance Company

27 April - 7 - 8:00PM
Free Tahitian Ori Class with members of the
KaUaTuahine Polynesian Dance Company

29 April - 6 - 7:00PM
Free Balinese Dance Class with Kompiang Metri-Davies

4 May - 11 -12:00PM
Free Kathak Dance Class with members of the
Chitresh Das Dance Company

National Dance Week Cornerstone Event!!!
World Dance Salon
Saturday, May 3rd, 8:00PM
An evening of dance and live music featuring the
Chitresh Das Youth Company
(Kathak Dance of North India),
KaUaTuahine Polynesian Dance Company,
(Hawaiian and Tahitian Dance)
and Kompiang Metri-Davies
(Dance of Bali)

All events (except for the Kick Off Event) take place at our studio,
729 Heinz Avenue in Berkeley, California.
For more information
please contact visit http://www.mahea.com or call us at 510-845-2605

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Looking for a new home . . .

Trinket — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:30:40 GMT

Hello There,

We are moving from San Diego to the Oakland the first of May and are looking into the areas known as Rockridge, Elmwood, Lake Merritt, Temescal and Piedmont. I'm looking for a place that has craftsman style, hardwood floors, w/d on premises, parking and loads of windows with easy access to the BART, walking/biking distance to coffee shops and has neighborhood charm. Anyone out there know of any place available?

Thank you neighbors ! ! !
TRINK

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Sideshow behavior

eastby4 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:47:43 GMT

I have had it with the sideshow. Too bad the drivers didn't go up in flames.

"Sideshow" Driver Crashes, Destroys Home

At 4:30 a.m. Saturday, April 12, 2008, the Tupa family, asleep in their home at 2040 90th Avenue, were awakened by the crash of a vehicle into their house. The car hit the gas line, causing an explosion under their house, which was set on fire and destroyed.

A participant in a nearby "sideshow" of reckless driving lost control, and his vehicle broke through the chain link fence. The resident Tupa family suffered no loss of life when the roof collapsed into the structure, but they lost almost all their possessions as well as their home.

The fire department arrived promptly and fought the flames but was unable to turn off the broken gas line. It took some time for PG&E to be summoned to turn off gas supply at another valve.

There are conflicting reports about the incident. According to the Oakland Tribune website, two sideshow cars lost control, collided, and crashed into the house. According to a neighbor at the scene, the sideshow was several blocks away; a reckless driver was evading a pursuing police squad car at high speed and crashed into the house.

posted in Oaktown - 31 replies

Admin. Assistant wanted--perhaps a HUNK-ra-tery?

Margo — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:11:16 GMT

Hello Oakland! Margo from Alameda here. I'm looking to hire a computer-saavy and organized person for a few hours a week of business administration help. I run a personal training studio and am also in the process of launching some web-based businesses.
The work would be relaxed and easy for the right type of person, I'm just not a strong "techie".
Example: It would be great to have someone help me decide what type of computer system I should get next (a MAC iBook?) and get me feeling more independent using it. Pay would be in the range of $25 and hour, perhaps just 2-3 hours per week to start. Schedule can be somewhat flexible. Direct trade of services could be possible for someone interested in personal training.

Extra points for skillful web design, video talents, fun taste in music and, well, for being a hunky-looking man if possible. My fitness clients are all women and a little eye candy might balance that out nicely.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

NOT A EVENT

Drew — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:41:13 GMT

so, people who know, please tell me where in oak is the spot to get

tools
bicycle things
sewing supplies
discount fabric
expensive fabric

and whats the good thrift store?

posted in Oaktown - 11 replies

Room Beautiful Rockridge $650

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:20:08 GMT

I have a room opening up April 15 in my lovely 2 bedroom house in Rockridge. The building is a duplex and this is the upstairs unit - sunny, cozy and charming. Lots of arts and crafts details. A big open living room and dining room. A great kitchen with dishwasher/ disposal. The whole house has hardwood floors, and there is a parking space as well as plenty of street parking. There is also a lovely area behind the house for gardening and a nice porch and garden box in the front. I am not a big gardener, but do care for some nice plants. The house is very near everything - a 5 minute walk to BART, as well as super close freeway access, shopping - Trader Joe's, fun shops - and good neighbors. It is a wonderful home and I have lived here for several years.

I am a teacher in Oakland and also a musician. (I sometimes have rehearsals from home.) I love to be outdoors as much as I can: hike, swim, but I also love watching movies and being homey. I like to have people to engage with, and I like some alone time and tend to get to bed early most of the time. I live with an orange angel kitty - the best ever, so you get that added bonus!

I am looking for someone who has successfully lived with others before - is respectful and communicative and fun to be around. Also someone who is pretty neat and clean and takes care of their home. Write me if you are interested and tell me about yourself.

Thank you!

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

Mono Restaurant

patti — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:50:10 GMT

Mono Restaurant opened for dinner tonight. They're located at 247 4th Street, between Jackson and Alice, in the Jack London Square neighborhood. I'm absolutely delighted to have them in the neighborhood. Todd and Eloisa, the owners, have done an excellent job of turning the old Cuckoo's Nest space into something new and wonderful.

The food is excellent without being pretentious, and everything that I've had has been delightful. I'm particularly enamored of the grilled asparagus with prosciutto and reggiano parmesano, and topped with a fried egg. Tonight's entrees-- pan seared scallops for me, clams and mussels for my companion-- were both delicious. It's easy to get seafood wrong, and much harder to get it just absolutely perfectly right. For dessert, spicy gingerbread with citrus cream and sweet walnut relish really hit the spot.

Their lunch menu is also quite good. I've tried both the roast beef and the grilled cheese sandwich, and I'd happily reorder either of them.

I have no connection with Mono except as a neighbor and a satisfied customer. I really want to see them do well, since I like having them in the building. If you stop in, feel free to say that Patti recommended them.

http://www.monorestaurant.com

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply

Affordable Pilates mat classes in Berkeley! (yeah, I know - see note...)

arize — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:06:30 GMT

I'm broke right now and this is my shameless plug,
but the service I provide is totally cool so I don't even feel bad or anything.
(note: and, yeah, I'm looking at spots in Oakland to do this but it hasn't materialized that way yet. maybe this summer. please don't be mad. I'm an Oakland resident!)

$$ COST - DONATION$$ no one turned away for lack of funds

I'm a Pilates instructor and I teach 2 mat classes every week that are strictly donation basis payment. This means don't pay if you can't. It also means pay what you can so that I can keep doing this.

The idea for me is to make Pilates more accessible. I want to help people get healthy and become more aware of their bodies. At my classes there are activist, including a 60 year old tree sitter, mamas, cyclists, self-conscious people, confident people, thin people, thick people, beginners, old hands, athletic types, desk potatoes, 20 somethings, 60 somethings all in the same class and its FINE! GREAT in fact! **Everyone is Different** and we get to learn something about that. You work from YOUR level **NO SHAME** and my job is to help you figure out where that is so you can improve.

Pilates is GREAT for over all health as it focuses on the "core" which will really improve your everyday movement and posture and back and pretty much whatever activity you do when applied correctly. You can feel freer to move how you want!

here's my website: www.pilates2thepoeple.com
you can find all the info there as well

here's the schedule:

Both locations are in Berkeley

Fridays 6:30-7:30pm
2566C Telegraph Ave. btwn Dwight and Parker @ The Works

Tuesdays 6:15-7:45 (we don't usually go for more than an hour)
3124 Shattuck Ave., 2 blocks east of Ashby BART @ The Long Haul

feel free to ask questions here or contact me.

posted in Oaktown - 0 replies

an question

Drew — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:14:27 GMT

hey
can i have some change?
i just need 50 cents

im a pioneer, get it? the first muhfucka spangin on the innernets

posted in Oaktown - 14 replies

2008 Oakland Indie Awards

mskayasattva — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:24:04 GMT

Time to nominate and celebrate your favorite Oakland Artist and Independent Business!

check out http://www.oaklandunwrapped.com/indies/ for more details.

Peace.

posted in Oaktown - 4 replies

West St Watch intro meeting

toomanyTomcats — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:15:13 GMT

From: weststreetwatch1@hotmail.com
Subject: West Street Watch Introduction Meeting
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008

In response to the dramatic rise in shootings and 3 murders this year alone in our immediate 12 block West Street Watch (WSW) area, WSW is holding a special introduction meeting for new members and the greater North Oakland community to explain the successful 'WSW' model. The WSW area is currently bordered by MLK, Market, 37th, and 41st.

You do not need to be within the WSW area to participate and learn about and use our crime reduction techniques. This meeting is open to the wider community as an opportunity to connect and learn about community policing resources available to North Oakland Residents. Invited featured speakers/resources will include:

OPD PSA 1 Captain Toribio
OPD Problem Solving Officers
NCPC Beat 6X and 10Y Representatives
Market Street Corridor President
Assistant to the City Administrator/Nuisance Abatement
West Street Watch Attorney

Community policing starts with community and we want to see as many Oakland residents as possible becoming active and engaged in solutions.

Monday, March 31st, 6:30pm to 8pm
North Oakland Senior Center
5714 MLK Ave, Parking Lot off 58th St

posted in Oaktown - 1 reply