SPEAK UP! Youth Conference [12/1/2020]: Navigation Covid-19 Academic and Mental Health Needs From YouTube Channel: December 2, 2020 at 12:24AM ONN – https://ift.tt/33ZETFR Learn more: https://ift.tt/33XTu4H SPEAK UP! Youth Conference [11/17/2020]: Addressing COVID Safety & Awareness. We are so proud of our students who participated including: Jonathan Piper II, Chabot College (host) Chloe Armstead, Oakland … Read more
Dear Oaklander, Given the record-breaking surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Alameda County has joined other Bay Area health departments and the City of Berkeley in implementing the State’s Regional Stay Home Order in an effort to prevent our health care systems from being overburdened and to reduce lost of life. In Alameda County, the … Read more
Oakland — On Monday, December 7, 2020 the Oakland Finance Committee heard the FY 2019-20 Q4 & FY 2020-21 Q1 R&E Report. According to the Report from the Interim Director of Finance, dated November 30, 2020, “FY 20-21 year end expenditures are projected to exceed the budget for a total of $62.29 million deficit, which … Read more
Port Of Oakland Saves $87 Million In Refinancing Costs, Should Loan $62 Mil To City Of Oakland ONN – Port Of Oakland Saves $87 Million In Refinancing Costs, Should Loan $62 Mil To City Of Oakland – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Port Of Oakland Saves $87 Million In Refinancing Costs, Should Loan $62 Mil To … Read more
Oakland, CA – The Oakland City Council’s Finance & Management Committee will hear a report from City staff this Monday afternoon that contains a stark warning: without timely action to curb spending and bring expenditures in line with projected revenues, the City of Oakland could face a $62 million shortfall by the end of this … Read more
Oakland Natural Gas Ban Done Without Economic Impact Analysis, Needs Affordable Housing Exception ONN – Oakland Natural Gas Ban Done Without Economic Impact Analysis, Needs Affordable Housing Exception – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council passed what would be a ban on natural gas use in all new building construction if … Read more
City of Oakland outdoor youth programming, senior programs, homeless services and library sidewalk service continue without change Oakland, CA – Due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases (10,733 current cases as of November 30, 2020 in Oakland per Alameda County Public Health Department), and coupled with the fact that the holiday season and gatherings … Read more
City Councilmember Dan Kalb and Mayor Libby Schaaf Introduce Legislation to Improve Public Health, Enhance Safety and Reduce Carbon Emissions by Requiring New Construction to Be All-Electric UPDATE: Oakland City Council Natural Gas Ban Will Cause More Gentrification City Councilmember Dan Kalb and Mayor Libby Schaaf Introduce Legislation to Improve Public Health, Enhance Safety and … Read more
COUNCILMEMBER LOREN TAYLOR, THE OAKLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY LEADERS SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR RELEASE OF OAKLAND’S RACE AND GENDER DISPARITY STUDY On Tuesday, November 24, 2020, Councilmember Loren Taylor, the Oakland African Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders, held a press conference to demand that the City publicly … Read more
A Conversation with Dee Rosario, Ward 2 East Bay Regional Parks District From YouTube Channel: November 20, 2020 at 07:49PM ONN – City of Oakland: A Conversation With Dee Rosario, Ward 2 East Bay Regional Parks District Join KTOP for a conversation with Dee Rosario, Ward 2 Board-member for the East Bay Regional Parks District. … Read more
Oakland Community Cabins // Project Spotlight From YouTube Channel: November 20, 2020 at 04:21PM ONN – With six tiny villages throughout the City of Oakland, this is the behind-the-scenes discussion of how a community is coming together to end homelessness with transitional rapid shelter. Starring: -Talia Rubin, LCSW // City of Oakland (Government Lead) -Joe DeVries // City of Oakland (Government Lead) -Jim … Read more
Sideshow Seizures From YouTube Channel: November 20, 2020 at 09:33PM ONN – Oakland Police YouTube Video Shows Cars Nabbed As Part Of Sideshow Seizures Program OPD writes: Today, with the help of CHP – Solano and Newark PD, eight sideshow vehicles were towed and seized with 30-day holds as part of an investigation lead by … Read more
David Oertel, The President of Humanist Hall located at 390 27th Street, Oakland, CA, is in trouble. But, from the looks of things, the man who owns the facility that was once the home of The Wellstone Democratic Club I was a member of, thinks he’s getting into what the late Representative John Lewis would … Read more
City of Oakland Says Anyone, Including You, Can Submit A Coliseum Land Stadium Development Plan ONN – City of Oakland Says Anyone, Including You, Can Submit A Coliseum Land Stadium Development Plan – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube City of Oakland Says Anyone, Including You, Can Submit A Coliseum Land Stadium Development Plan The latest bit … Read more
Oakland Sought Proposals From White Developers To Compete Against Black NFL Group For Coliseum ONN – Oakland Sought Proposals From White Developers To Compete Against Black NFL Group For Coliseum – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube City Of Oakland Sought Proposals From White Developers To Compete Against Black NFL Group For Coliseum Former Oakland Raiders / … Read more
Sean Laffan: Oakland Assistant Fire Chief Who Died In The Line Of Duty At 42 Remembered On Facebook ONN – Sean Laffan: Oakland Assistant Fire Chief Who Died In The Line Of Duty At 42 Remembered On Facebook – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Sean Laffan: Oakland Assistant Fire Chief Who Died In The Line Of … Read more
The Oakland Army Base and The American Dream From YouTube Channel: March 10, 2010 at 04:20PM ONN – The Oakland Army Base and The American Dream: Oakland Army Base Oral History Project of 2010 Oakland Army Base Oral History Project writes: The Oakland Army Base Oral History Project is an in-depth, interview-based research project funded … Read more
New App Makes It Easier to Schedule Building Inspections Oakland – The City of Oakland’s Planning & Building Department launched a new application called, Oakland Building Inspection Request, making it easier for customers to schedule building inspections. Once downloaded to a mobile device, applicants and contractors can use the new tool at their convenience to … Read more
Oakland, FAD – Thanks to the County of Alameda’s Registrar of Voters, Zennie62Media has a table for each rank-choice-voting election in the races for Oakland City Council. As the Alameda Registrar of Voters sends new updates, those will be posted below the first set for each race. Here they are, starting with the Oakland City … Read more
Here Are The Full Oakland California, Berkeley, California Election Results For The 2020 Election, Including Measures, And Results For Piedmont And San Leandro Who will win the 2020 Election for Oakland City Council? Will Lynette Gibson-McElhaney retain her District Three Seat, or will Moms 4 Housing leader Carroll Fife emerge with 51 percent of the … Read more
Warriors Owe Coliseum $60 Million, Zennie Abraham Said Spokesperson Raymond Ridder Was Wrong In 2016 From YouTube Channel: May 23, 2014 at 06:25PM ONN – Warriors Owe Coliseum $60 Million, Zennie Abraham Said Spokesperson Raymond Ridder Was Wrong In 2016 On Zennie62 YouTube and Zennie62.com, Zennie Abraham, now CEO of Zennie62Media, Inc, said in this … Read more
Community Bank of the Bay Earns $1.24 Million in Third Quarter 2020; Deposits Increase 32% and Loans increase 21% Year-Over-Year; Lower Loan Loss Provision Quarter-Over-Quarter As a note, Oakland’s Community Bank of The Bay was started in 1996 by The City of Oakland and with the intention of being the first, true, city-owned bank. A … Read more
Oakland Economic Recovery Council 1st Meeting Monday, May 18, 2020 The City of Oakland reports: The Mayor and the Vice Mayor/Chair of the City Council Community and Economic Development Committee are inviting Oakland community and business leaders to participate in an Oakland Economic Recovery Council. The Advisory Council is co-chaired by Mayor Schaaf and Vice … Read more
OUSD Board of Education Votes to Adopt Climate Emergency Action Resolution Oakland – On Wednesday, October 28, the OUSD Board of Education took bold action in declaring a climate emergency and outlining what the District is doing, and will do, to develop a comprehensive plan to increase the District’s environmental sustainability. The Board passed a … Read more
Oakland Approaches Alameda County About Housing Homeless At Fairgrounds In Pleasanton From YouTube Channel: October 28, 2020 at 10:43PM ONN – A new proposal to move homeless people from the City of Oakland to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton is drawing criticism from county leaders as well as Tri-Valley residents. Katie Nielsen reports. (10/28/20) … Read more
Oakland – The City of Oakland sent a press release to provide more background on the funds Eliane Brown secured for her housing project. Oakland reports that as part of its Project Homekey Initiative, the State of California has awarded the City of Oakland nearly $17.5 million of Project Homekey funding for two innovative housing projects that when complete, will offer 104 units of housing for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, including those recently released from incarceration.
The Inn at Temescal is a 22-unit hotel located at the corner of MacArthur Blvd. and Telegraph Avenue. Near to downtown Oakland, The Inn is close to BART and other service amenities, making for an accessible residential area.
Using a combination of City funds and Homekey grant funds from the State Housing & Community Development Department, community-based organization Operation Dignity and for-profit developer Danco Communities have entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement to acquire the property. This project will expand affordable housing opportunities and provide direct services to residents. Operation Dignity will lease the units to homeless individuals, working with them to secure longin partnership with the Oakland Housing Authority and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Sponsor team plans to acquire the site by the middle of December 2020. The Inn at Temescal is service-enriched housing for currently homeless veterans that will provide 21 units for residents, and one unit for a service manager.
392 11th Street, at Franklin
392 Franklin St. is an 82-unit SRO (Single Room Occupancy) hotel that will provide housing for individuals recently released from nearby jails and prisons who are most impacted by COVID-19 and are at extraordinary risk of homelessness. BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) will act as the service provider and work in collaboration with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to house those rapidly released due to overcrowding and the escalating spread of Coronavirus in the State’s prison facilities.
The City will partner the funds from Homekey Project with Oakland & The World Enterprises, Inc. (OAW), a local nonprofit organization, McCormak Baron Salazr, Memar Properties, Inc., and FPI Management to acquire the property.
“With these two projects, Oakland just created more than 100 new units of housing for our unsheltered residents, and with a special priority to take care of our American heroes — our veterans,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “Our City staff works tirelessly to end homelessness in our streets, and I’m grateful for Gov. Newsom’s leadership and his partnership, as we all work together to urgently address this crisis.”
“These two projects are excellent examples of how state and local funding merge with projects rooted in community organization to support sustainable solutions for combating the homeless crisis.” said Shola Olatoye, Housing & Community Development Director for the City.
Both projects will be complete and open to welcome residents in early 2021.
Congratulations to Elaine Brown, the famed and legendary Oakland Black Panther, who is now CEO of the nonprofit Oakland & the World Enterprises, successfully gained $21 Million in Homekey program funds. Brown and her team will use the money to purchase the former Traveler’s Hotel at 392 11th Street, at Franklin, in downtown Oakland, from owner NDO Group, LLC.
Elaine-Brown-Oakland
The purpose of the innovative Homekey program is to fund the “purchase and rehabilitation of hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties to convert into housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.” Brown, who has been a prisoner advocate for decades, stated, “There is no population at greater risk of homelessness than people being released back into society, who suffer wholesale denial of housing and employment solely because of their former incarceration, most of whom are black men and women. We are grateful to have this opportunity to provide a place for some of them.” The building will be renamed The Huey P. Newton.
Partners Ali Kashani and Adhi Nagraj thanked the Governor, the State Department of Housing and the City of Oakland’s Housing Department, under the leadership of Director Shola Olatoye, not only for facilitating the award process but also for providing $7 Million of the total award from City funds, as required by the State Housing Department. The group also thanked the Oakland City Council for unanimously approving the City’s contribution.
All participants acknowledged the critical role in this effort of the nonprofit organization BOSS, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, and its Executive Director Donald Frazier. Frazier worked hard to secure agreements with both the County Probation Department and Health Care Services Agency to house the men and women returning to the community from prison. BOSS is committed to operate and oversee supportive services for the newly-housed residents at 11th and Franklin.—Frazier stated he is constantly hunting for decent, affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families, and applauded this opportunity.
Note: this post based on a press release issued by Elaine Brown.
Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Through the Oakland CARES Arts Technical Assistance Fund, $193,000 has been allocated to provide technical assistance to help Oakland-based arts organizations and artists develop a robust online digital presence.
From November 9 to December 10, Youth Speaks, in partnership with YR Media and Zoo Labs, two Oakland artists-centered organizations, will offer 14 free, virtual workshops to train participants on available tools for programming and production; producing content utilizing low-cost tools and technology; the aesthetic associated with virtual presentations; social media and marketing strategies; and strategies on how to monetize one’s presence. For details on the workshop offerings and registration, please visit lifeisliving.org
“The County’s Shelter-in-place Orders to keep Oaklanders safer have prevented many artists, performers and arts organizations from enriching our community through performances and exhibitions,” said… “These workshops will help our cultural practitioners make the leap to online performances to share their artistic expression and generate much needed income.”
“With our desire to navigate and cross several artistic fields (theatre, poetry, production, music, and beyond), we felt it was important to sculpt bold and precise experiments to help our organizations and partners to navigate this moment in time,” said Joan Osato, Producing Director at Youth Speaks. “We’re thrilled to be able to pass on what we’ve learned to our beloved community through this project.”
Youth Speaks & Life Is living Cohort Workshops
Session 1: Monday, November 9, 4-5:30 p.m.
Grounding Rituals – Facilitated by Hodari B. Davis, and Joan Osato (Life is Living Cohort) Coaching Session that aligns and codifies shared understanding, language and connection to mission, strategy and content. Identifying your audiences and engagement strategy.
Session 2: Monday, November 9, 6-7:30 p.m.
Seeds – Transferring skill sets to virtual engagement and production. How to utilize, train up your existing staff and artists for virtual programming; a 101 tutorial on pre-production, production and post-production, as well as how to budget for it. Training on online tools and platforms including pros and cons of each system, costs and skill sets that are transferable to online programming and production.
Session 3: Wednesday, November 11, 4-5:30 p.m.
Zoomlife – 101 Tutorial on everyday use/user friendly platforms. Zoom world practical applications, tricks and tips. Tech Guide in safety, connectivity, equipment. Producing content and media assets utilizing low-cost tools and technology. Britt White, Life is Living’s Production Manager takes you through the backstage into organizing and running your show. Tech guides included.
Session 4: Wednesday, November 11, 6-7:30 p.m.
Advanced Tutorial on everyday use/user friendly platforms. Bringing the aesthetics of your organization, artists and engagement priorities into the design of your program. Defining aesthetics, goals, participants and barriers and how to address them. Setting your stage, capture process in the time of COVID-19. Editing, and Rehearsal and Tech. This training involves aesthetics, and innovative practice in virtual presentations and programming. Includes examples of presentations, process and technology by which they were achieved.
Session 5: Monday, November 16, 4-5:30pm
Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) & Wirecast Introduction and tutorials. In this session we’ll introduce you to advanced programs that help you capture, produce and stream your content for broadcast. Maximiliano Urruzmendi, Life is Living’s Technical Director takes you through the basics of how the programs work. Handouts Included.
Session 6: Monday, November 16, 6-7:30pm
Principles of Streaming, Wirecast, YouTube, Twitch platforms continued. Now that you have the basic outline of how the platforms work and are in communication with each other, it’s time to plot out your workflow and take it into broadcast. Maximiliano takes you through various streaming services and platforms and the pros and cons of each. Handouts included.
Session 7: Wednesday, November 18, 1-3 p.m.
Merchandising, Monetizing and Creating Earned Revenue Streams – Yavette Holts, founder of BAOBOB (Bay Area Organization of Black Owned Business, Life is Living Cohort) – high level overview of ecommerce platforms in order to support business owners and nonprofits who need help optimizing their online store(s) . We’ll take the participants through the platform WooCommerce.
Session 8: Wednesday, November 18, 6-7:30 p.m.
Pivoting your Organization and Practice (now what?) – We’ll facilitate a conversation about strategies and frameworks for a sustainable future for
organizations and artists and guide and support participants in visioning next steps. Breakout Sessions and Consulting on Scenarios will look at Social media and marketing strategies that apply to virtual programming, including Branding, Analytics and their use in fundraising and strategies for monetizing your platforms. Social Media Toolkit included.
YR Media Workshops
Tuesday, December 1 to Thursday, December 3, 6-7:30 p.m.
Social Circles: Building an Audience in Apocalypse (three-part series)
Now that your fans can’t experience you in a live venue, what do you do to retain and build an audience? How can artists create a personal brand? In this three-part conversation, YR Media’s social team and youth social contributors will show you how to start, and then nurture, an authentic social presence, with recommendations of which platform(s) to target depending on your demographic.
Zoo Labs Workshops (Recommended for Artists/Collectives working in music)
Session 1: Tuesday, December 8, 5-7 p.m.
Your Story Brand – Attendees will learn how to digitally tell a story that can sell and market their brand to their customers. Presented by Mashama Thompson of 510 Media.
Session 2: Wednesday, December 9, 5-7 p.m.
The Digital Roll Out Strategy – Attendees will learn how to strategically engage fans and create buzz around music, videos or other online content. Presented by Lance Coleman, Fuze the MC.
Session 3; Thursday, December 10, 5-7 p.m.
How to Get Paid and Follow the Trends – Attendees will learn how to collect money through their digital royalties and understand their data to know what is working in order to make future strategies. Presented by United Masters.
The workshops are for Oakland residents and reservations are required. Participation in the program is on a first come, first served basis.
This is the latest CARES Act-funded program launched by the City of Oakland. Previously, grant programs for small businesses, individual artists and arts nonprofits, home-based businesses, community-serving nonprofits, and low-income renters and homeowners were announced. Additionally, free legal advice webinars and consultations on lease negotiations are being supported by CARES Act funds. Learn more about the City of Oakland’s $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: oaklandca.gov/CaresAct
About Youth Speaks
Through the intersection of arts education and youth development practices, civic engagement strategies, and high-quality artistic presentation, Youth Speaks creates safe spaces that challenge young people to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of societal change. They are the producers of Life is Living is an eco-equity, interdisciplinary festival that centers historically underserved neighborhoods and communities with programming in public spaces that have been otherwise neglected. For the last 13 years, the Life is Living Festival has taken place at De Fremery Park in West Oakland
About YR Media
YR Media is a national network of young journalists and artists who collaborate with peers around the country and top media professionals to create content that matters. It is non-profit production company that builds critical skills in journalism, arts and media.
About Zoo Labs
Zoo Labs a not-for-profit accelerator that bridges art, entrepreneurship, and capital to conduct 3 high level workshops for musicians specifically around branding, music production and entrepreneurship.
Post based on press release from The City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
ONN – Oakland City Council’s Weird Agenda: Oakland A’s Coliseum Closed Session Thursday Is Black NFL Group – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube
Oakland City Council’s Weird Agenda: Oakland A’s Coliseum Closed Session Thursday Really Black NFL Group
The Thursday October 29th, 2020 Special Oakland City Council Closed Session Meeting is worded as if the attendees would be representatives of the Oakland A’s. But the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) headed by Ray Bobbitt was under the impression the meeting was supposed to be a first-introduction of their proposal and a progress report to the Oakland City Council.
So, the naming of the meeting is a head-scratcher to the group – and to this vlogger.
According to one person connected with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), Oakland District 7 Councilmember Larry Reid told them that the title of the meeting was “a place-holder”. That would seem to imply the name would be changed to point to the business of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG). But there’s another complication.
Rick Tripp, a man with a history of trying to get involved in sports economic development in Oakland, and whom I talked about in this livestream, wrote on his Facebook page that…
First response is already in regarding our Oakland stadium redevelopment proposal. For those of you who might be interested, I’m going to be a bit more diligent about posting the progress of the proposal. With that said, a multi-term Councilmember emailed me today that he had passed the proposal on to staff in the Economic Development Dept. That’s it for now. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
On top of that, Tripp explained that he was asked to submit a proposal, but he wrote that he could not say who asked him to do so. On Sunday, Councilmember Reid revealed that it was he who advanced Tripp’s proposal to Oakland’s economic development staff.
But why?
Why is an African American Oakland Councilmember advancing Tripp’s proposal and allowing by appearances others to think, or at least me, that he’s not for the African American Sports and Entertainment Group? Knowing Larry, my spider-sense tells me he’s a bit miffed that African American Sports and Entertainment Group did not include him directly in the group, from the onset. I want to be wrong here. I hope I am. Larry should be concerned about African American economic development first, even beyond matters of protocol.
Oakland has to rid itself of its crabbarrel mentality, especially where it applies to us: to Blacks in Oakland. Too often we’re ready to not support each other economically, and for the most ridiculous reasons. Too often, too many Blacks in Oakland have been all too willing to do anything to discredit someone else who’s black, even if it’s “Oh, he can’t do it” or “She doesn’t have any money”. Why do I think the reasons behind black-on-black crime are the same ones causing the Oakland crabbarrel problem? (And for the record, neither me nor Zennie62Media has either Ray Bobbitt or his group as a client. But, we are all friends, and I once worked for Robert Bobb when he was the Oakland Chief Administrative Officer. Bobb put me in charge of Oakland’s Super Bowl Bid Project. Given no chance to win, Oakland emerged from 11 cities to be one of three finalists for the right to host The 2005 Super Bowl that eventually went to Jacksonville.)
Toward A New Oakland Sports Economic Development Process
The problem is that, absent a process, other competitors like Tripp will step forward and claim they have a proposal – and many of them will be white, if not all of them. So, all of this should go through a task force within the office of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (which technically includes the Oakland Chief Administrative Officer). Oakland has to take a pro-active stance and say that it wants to see the first black NFL ownership group represent Oakland. That can’t happen just by words – it has to happen by legislation, too. (And since this does not involve public contracting, one can’t claim such a focus violates California Proposition 209. Moreover, the group Bobbitt’s formed includes black millionaires and billionaires, so it would stack up to any other team, regardless of color. That said, given the history of racism that’s clouded NFL team ownership and blacks, a coherent process is needed.)
Given that there’s a ton of case law favoring an elected official publicly stating they want a particular developer for a project (and with that rules against “pay to play” relationships) what the City of Oakland should do is draft a new agreement structure that recognizes the Oakland A’s first, and then the African American Sports and Entertainment Group as a subordinate, and then a process where any other interested developer or investor has to send their materials to a designated person at The Oakland Mayor’s Office, who then informs both the A’s and the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, and goes about a process of vetting.
That would help bring clarity to the Oakland Coliseum Stadium and Coliseum City issue, and at the same time, reduce the ambient political noise that’s already audible with Ray Bobbitt’s effort.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media’s Zennie62 YouTube and Oakland News Now Today Blog SF Bay Area: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
The Oakland Unified School District sent this press release regarding possible Public Safety Power Shutoff or power shutoffs to Zennie62Media:
Dear Oakland Community,
We have learned that there is expected to be a major weather event in the coming days that will likely prompt PG&E to issue a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) once again. In a worst case scenario, the PSPS would begin on Sunday, 10/25 and last until Wednesday, 10/28 or later. That means some of our schools could be without power for three straight days, and homes in the neighborhoods could be affected, as well. Based on what we know so far, this PSPS could affect at least eleven schools. We will know more about the scheduled impact later in the weekend. The eleven schools are:
◦ Chabot Elementary
◦ Community Day
◦ Grass Valley Elementary
◦ Hillcrest K-8
◦ Joaquin Miller Elementary
◦ Laurel Elementary
◦ Montclair Elementary
◦ Montera Middle School
◦ Redwood Heights Elementary
◦ Skyline High School
◦ Thornhill Elementary
If indeed the power is out and students are unable to attend their classes, they will be asked to do their school work asynchronously, and report in to their teacher the first chance they get, letting them know they were unable to get online. Everyone is asked to charge their computers, WiFi hotspots and cell phones ahead of time, so they can do work during the PSPS. Obviously, if the PSPS lasts three days, that could make charging anything problematic.
Here is some more information from PG&E through the City of Oakland:
● To prevent wildfire and other natural disasters, PG&E has planned a PSPS starting Sunday, October 25, between 4 PM – 8 PM until at least Wednesday, October 28, at 12:00 PM. Around 24,000 Oakland customers could be impacted- a much larger impact in Oakland than the previous outage.
● To determine whether a home or neighborhood will experience an outage, PG&E customers should visit the PSPS page on the PG&E website and type in the address at: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/updates/. This information will likely change as conditions change.
● The Oakland Fire Department is up staffing during this event, with OFD Engine companies conducting roving patrols as is customary during Red Flag Warnings events. OPD will be patrolling impacted neighborhoods. OPS will be stationed at impacted intersections
● PG&E is the sole manager of PSPS planning, contacting Medical Baseline customers, power shut-off, and power restoration.
When we receive additional information, we will pass it along to you as quickly as possible.
The video reported “Today marks 29 years since the deadly Oakland Hills fire. Here’s a look back at KTVU coverage of the 10th anniversary,” but for me, since I was in it, I have something to share, too.
That day of the Oakland Hills Fire was a Sunday morning. I met my friend from Skyline High School days (Class of 1980), Valerie Ostrom, for breakfast at Lynn & Lu’s Escapade Cafe Cafe on Grand Avenue near Elwood. We probably should have went to church, considering what was about to unfold.
We had an outdoor table on a bright, sunny, hot fall morning, and so were direct witness to what was unfolding. A group of people standing in the street, and collectively peering to our left – uphill, on Grand. As I recall, no cars were driving by at that specific time. Because of the way the street curved at that point, we could not see what they were looking at. Once we went out to join them, it became apparent what was happening: a giant-sized smoke plume from the Oakland Hills, and in the general direction of Valerie’s parents home on Proctor Avenue.
So, and because Valerie was concerned about her folk’s dogs (she thought her parents were away from home), we drove up to see about them. As it turned out, it got darker and darker, as we drove, and what started out to be a check-in, turned into an evacuation. I wound up driving Valerie and her parents out of the neighborhood and to another relative’s place – away from their home.
Talk about dark and scary. At one point, I wondered if we would get out of there, because we were also in traffic with others trying to escape. We made it, and thanks to what we then called the police, and now call “first responders”.
That Oakland Hills Fire changed Oakland, dramatically, and forever. It started because someone put out a cigarette in a giant brush and during a heat wave with no cool air to reduce the temperature. It damaged most of the homes in the Upper Broadway Terrace area. But, after some time, the area was rebuilt – but it lacked the woodsy charm of my youth. What it gained was a new set of politically-active Oaklanders, who never had to deal with City Hall, before.
That said, I give credit to The City of Oakland’s satellite permit response effort – something that emerged because so many people received insurance money to rebuild their homes. What came from that marked the area’s appearance today.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – City of Oakland to enact new EMP Policy by Derrick Soo
City of Oakland City Council APPROVED a new Encampment Management Policy that will change current policy. Oakland Administrators did this before, FORCING people to live in close proximity to dangerous Street Gang Members, Rapist, Criminals and violent people without proper safety at those sites. Currently Administrators are going to COMPRESS 142 Homeless Encampments into a “Proposed” 40 Sanctuary Sites.
Oakland also has placed size Limitations on Shelter “Footprint” of 12’x 12’. Not possible in most instances, too small. City demanding that ALL of ones possessions fit into that shelter.
EMP now BANS, Propane tanks, appliances, grills, heaters, lights from ALL sites at all times. With Winter coming, Administrators tell us to wear extra clothing to keep warm. Very Unreasonable!!! Solar is discouraged and out of most peoples ability to buy. People begin dying on the streets during the winter, this camp has lost 3 to FREEZING to DEATH.
I’ve been working tirelessly to turn this CRISIS around! My PATH Program (Permanent Access To Housing) addresses our CRISIS with proven solutions to the Affordable Housing Crisis everywhere. But, Mayor Schaaf and City Council Members are negligent in at least looking into these viable solutions that are working in other parts of our country. These Programs deal with all issues of Housing Affordability across every income level, including ZERO income.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Scott McKibben Has Been An Asset To The Oakland Coliseum JPA As Executive Director
In my opinion Scott McKibben was wrongly set-up by the Board of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority. Scott was asked to do the work of finding a naming rights agreement partner – in other words, doing work a marketing consultant normally does – then basically accused of asking for the normal additional fee such work commands.
The Coliseum JPA Board and the City of Oakland Lawyers never told him not to ask for that, or what conflict of interest looks like in that case, even as they put him in that position. None of that should mark the excellent work Scott has done in turning an organization that has been a plaything for elected officials into a serious municipal corporation tasked with running an iconic sports venue.
Scott McKibben got the Coliseum JPA into the financial black after over a decade of losing money. Why? Because previous directors did not know how to ask for what the facility was worth in rent. Scott did.
Scott was asked to jump through all kinds of hoops by the Coliseum JPA Board. He did, and then they punished him for doing so. It sends a message that no good sports professional should consider working in Oakland.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
COUNCILMEMBER LOREN TAYLOR PRESENTS COMMUNITY DISCUSSION IN EAST OAKLAND WITH RESIDENTS AND MAYOR SCHAAF REGARDING COVID-19 CRISIS AND OTHER CONCERNS
Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor District Six
Since the Mayor and Councilmember Loren Taylor are asking you to miss important football programs on a Sunday, make it worth your while and ask them about the many economic development programs available, and ask about what they’re doing to lobby for more financial aide.
Here’s the press release that was sent:
Who:
City of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Councilmember Loren Taylor, District 6, and the Black Cultural Zone
What:
Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor will host Mayor Libby Schaaf in a socially distanced community circle conversation with East Oakland residents at the new Akoma Outdoor Market located in Oakland’s Liberation Park (6955 Foothill Blvd). The discussion will be guided by the priorities of attendees, and is expected to cover topics ranging from (a) addressing the disparate impacts of COVID-19, (b) tackling illegal dumping and neighborhood blight, (c) solving the city’s homelessness crisis, and (d) increasing economic opportunities for East Oakland residents. Media are invited to experience the Akoma Market and observe the community circle.
The Akoma Outdoor Market – This new weekly market launched at the beginning of September to fill a major gap in access to healthy foods, local business opportunities, and positive COVID-19 compliant community gathering during the COVID-19 shelter in place. The market is operated by the Black Cultural Zone, with support from the City of Oakland and Councilmember Taylor. At this formerly vacant lot, the overgrown weeds and litter have been replaced by a array of booths featuring Black businesses and community resources ranging from fresh produce from local farmers to health and beauty products, to freshly prepared foods such as cakes, teas, cajun food, and empanadas.
In addition city and nonprofit resources are featured and distributed for free including children’s arts kits and books, housing security and eviction protection resources, information to help community members beautify our neighborhoods, and vouchers for low-income residents to purchase produce from vendors at the market.
To ensure COVID compliance and to minimize the risk of spreading the virus, all residents are temperature checked prior to entering the market and they must wear masks. Also, there is a handwashing station at every booth.
Where:
6955 Foothill Blvd (73rd and Foothill Blvd) Oakland, CA 94605
On Wednesday, Scott McKibben, now the former Executive Director of The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority and currently President Of The Oakland Panthers of The Indoor Football League, accepted a misdemeanor plea-bargain deal in the case where he was accused of violating a government law prohibiting self-dealing. The problem is, the case and the mainstream media reporting, masks a great deal of facts that, in total, show an organizational system beyond the control of McKibben, and where he was asked to be an actor in it, then burned by it.
Scott McKibben was accused of violating California Government Code Section 1090, which prohibits public officials and public employees from “making” public contracts in which they have a financial interest. The fact is, Scott was asked by the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Board to secure a naming-rights marketing agreement with Ring Central. Scott was, contrary to the law, listed contractually as an independent consultant – just like the other marketing consulting firms the Coliseum JPA has hired over its existence, since its creation in 1996.
That Scott asked for, but did not receive, a $50,000 fee from a $4 million deal with Ring Central, should not have raised any eyebrows considering that the Coliseum JPA Board asked him to do the deal, he’s an independent contractor, and the City of Oakland and the County of Alameda at no point at all gave Scott any instructions regarding the law. Indeed, the persons who should have done that are Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker and Alameda County Counsel Donna Ziegler.
Moreover, the other persons who should have done that comprise the same Board of Directors of The Oakland Coliseum JPA, and many of whom are friends of mine, and should not have let Scott take a fall like that, and they know it. Folks like Alameda County Supervisors Scott Haggerty and Nate Miley, Oakland City Councilmembers Larry Reid and Loren Tayor, and JPA Commissioners Yui Hay Lee (famed Oakland architect), Ignacio De La Fuente (himself a former Oakland Councilmember), and Chris Dobbins (everyone’s favorite local lawyer), and Christine Smith, both who are no longer on the JPA Board.
And I add myself to that list, because, in 2019 for the NBA Finals Game 4, Scott gave me a ticket – way up in the damn rafters, but it was a ticket. When he invited me to visit the Coliseum JPA Box, my friend Chris was there, as was Barbara Parker, among others.
“California Government Code Section 1090 (“Section 1090”) – which prohibits public officials and public employees from “making” public contracts in which they have a financial interest – is notoriously vague, broad, and malleable. Section 1090 provides that California’s elected and appointed public officials and public employees may not be “financially interested” in “any contract made by them in their official capacity. California courts have interpreted these terms broadly, making it dangerously easy to violate the statute without even knowing it. Most troublingly, Section 1090 does not require bad intent for a conviction or a fine. A public official, public agency, or employee may violate the statute if they act knowingly – that is, knowing about their financial interest and knowing what they are doing in connection with the contract – even if they don’t realize that their conduct is prohibited. In fact, because of that low general intent requirement, California courts have rejected the defense of “advice of counsel” or that they obtained prior approval from an attorney. In other words, a California official or employee might violate Section 1090 even if the public entity they work for, and its attorneys, told them that their conduct was lawful and not a violation of Section1090.
And in Scott McKibben’s case, no one told him about Section 1090 to start with. For Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley to seek to charge McKibben for a felony makes me wonder if her office was aware of how poorly the law was written and just decided to go ahead and go after Scott, anyway? And why? Well, to answer that question, read on.
The Warriors Playoffs And Coliseum Sports Ticket Distribution Scandal That Should Not Be, But Is
And in addition, the JPA Board was served by the Oakland Chief Administrator’s Office, and I attended a meeting where then Oakland Chief Administrator Sabrina Landreath served as the secretary for the meeting. But did you know Sabrina Landreath scored a Warriors playoff ticket valued at $5,000 in 2016? And did you know Yui Hay Lee was signed up for and received $35,000 in Warriors playoff tickets? And before you say Scott McKibben signed off on them, I instruct you to look online at the many Form 802 filings going back to 2016, because Councilmember Reid, and Yui Hay Lee signed off on some of them, too. http://oraclearena.s3.amazonaws.com/doc/OACCA-Form-802-May-2016-5576c104a9.pdf
Yui Hay Lee Warriors 2016
And did you know Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker scored $840 worth of Oakland A’s tickets in 2016, as did my friend Coliseum JPA Commissioner Chris Dobbins? (And this is something Barbara Parker herself admits too, so there, but its wrong for some news media to blast Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney for the same perk that Barb Parker herself obviously enjoyed. Moreover, its wrong for Reid and Parker to make Scott McKibben look bad, when they could have defended him, and put him in the bad position to start with.)
Barbara Parker got $9,250 worth of Golden State Warriors regular season tickets for free, March 2016.
Barbara Parker Gsw Tickets
And I happened to randomly find that information about Yui Hay Lee in opening the link to the Form 802 page. I wasn’t going on a witch hunt against Yui Hay Lee (even though he did use part of my Oakland City Hall Plaza Design Concept I made at Skyline High School in 1979 for the actual plaza). I’m only demonstrating that the truth is the entire Coliseum JPA culture, and that of the City of Oakland and The County of Alameda, is to blame for what the Alameda County Coliseum District Attorney accused Scott of doing with respect to Ring Central. You can see all of the ticket request reports here: https://www.theoaklandarena.com/about-us/coliseum-authority/public-information
Now, I have long argued that the law should allow for public officials who run a giant sports complex should, to enjoy some small benefit of doing so, like occasionally scoring tickets to events – just don’t sell them. Look, how the heck is any official to see how their facility is managing a large sports event it that person can’t even attend the event? Logical, right?
Anyway, here’s a newsflash: doing that – getting sought-after-tickets – failed to become an big issue for years – or until The Golden State Warriors got real good at NBA Basketball. Prior to that, the Oakland Coliseum had not enjoyed a team that won so much, tickets to their playoff games were valued over gold.
Then, when Golden State became the daring of the NBA, those who did not score Warriors playoffs tickets and were somebodies, were railing over those who did – particularly public officials. Moreover, the public officials were getting seats so good that Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi wound up on national television during the 2016 NBA Finals.
And she too had an appetite for $8,650 worth of regular season Warriors tickets, all in March of 2016…
Susan Muranishi Gsw Tickets
Then, while the Oakland Public Ethics Commission was formed in 1996, it did not became the new cultural tool for use against elected officials that the folks in control of it did not want to protect, until the last seven years. So, rather than defend themselves and explain the rationale for having tickets, the officials who were enjoying that ability to get tickets went into hiding.
And then had no problem trying to remove the one person they went to for tickets: Scott McKibben. Think about that. Rather than help their “ticket friend”, if you will, they stabbed him in the back, in my humble opinion.
The trouble with the mainstream media is its institutionally racist and when its not that, it’s myopic. One news organization was all too willing to try and take down Scott because some of its editors remember him from when he ran ANG Newspapers and they worked for him in the early 2000s. So, for them, making Scott look bad was a just reward for low pay they received as journalists, back then. Fact is, they did not tell you that, and it masks the truth I’m telling you. (And why I am a blogger and not a journalist.)
The real truth is that public governance in Oakland and in California has degenerated into a culture where someone is always looking to use poorly written California laws to take down someone else, for whatever reason. It chases away good people like Mr. McKibben, my friend who ran The Rose Bowl, and was the one reason the Oakland Coliseum managed to land rent agreements with the then-Oakland, now Las Vegas Raiders that put the organization in the black after years of red ink. And it covers up the truth: that when something like Warriors playoffs tickets are to be had, the culture will figure out a way for someone to land them, and then blast someone like Scott.
You know the saying that rules are made to be broken? Well, in California, the rules are made to be used against those people who were set up by others to break them. The Coliseum JPA Board of Directors set Scott McKibben up to fail, and is the worst for it.
Scott McKibben Was The Best Sports Business Negotiator In Oakland’s History
In Scott McKibben, the Coliseum JPA lost the best sports negotiator it ever had. And, starting in 1996 when I represented Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris as his Economic Advisor, I have worked with and advised to some extent all of them since 1996: Ezra Rapport, Denna McClain, Mark Kaufmann, Ann Haley, Doug Thornton, Denna McClain again, before Scott McKibben came in (and even though the original first choice was a former elected official who had zero experience in the business of sports).
Moreover, I defend Scott because he bailed out the City of Oakland’s 2005 Super Bowl Bid in May 10th of 2000. I was the head of the Super Bowl XXXIV Bidding Committee and Executive Director of the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission, which I formed in 1999.Paul Tagliabue, then The NFL Commissioner, had invited us to give a presentation at NFL Headquarters in New York. After showing up 20 minutes late, then-Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown left our meeting with then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue early, and unexpectedly.
Commissioner Tagliabue, who budgeted two hours of his valuable time for us, was fuming.
Thus, we were left with just Scott McKibben and two other board members from the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission to be there, in addition to me, as head of the meeting. At the other side of the room and for the NFL were Tagliabue, Executive Vice President Of Football Operations Roger Goodell, then-NFL Head of Special Events and Mr. Super Bowl Jim Steeg, and then-head of NFL Legal Derrick Haggens, Jennifer Gonsalez, and Sue Robichek. Scott spoke up for the Oakland / East Bay business community and saved our meeting with Paul. A good thing, because Tagliabue was so upset over Jerry Brown’s actions, he threatened to stop the meeting. An action that would have killed our chances to land the Super Bowl Game.
Just 10 days after that meeting, The NFL selected Oakland as one of three finalist cities (the other two Jacksonville and Miami) for the right to host the 2005 Super Bowl. As then-Oakland District One Councilmember Jane Brunner told me later that year “none of us gave you a chance.” Ultimately, we lost to Jacksonville.
On the way to that NFL meeting, I had to create the damn Oakland sports commission from scratch, and because then Oakland City Attorney Jane Williams had stood in Oakland City Administrator Robert Bobb’s way (as did McClain) with roadblocks explaining why Oakland could not even do a bid! On top of that, the Coliseum was managed by SMG and Sally Roach, who, with Deena McClain, famously told Mr. Bobb that a former employee of the Coliseum I was working because he was the architect, had stolen the facility’s drawings. Everyone believed them but me. As I told Bobb then, how can we operate the Coliseum without the drawings? The whole claim just smelled bad to me.
So, I went on my own investigation and found the drawings (which we needed for our NFL Super Bowl Bid) via an engineer with HNTB in Marin County, Ca.. That same person then said “Sally Roach says you can’t have the drawings”! I hit the ceiling, called Robert Bobb, and Sally was removed from running the effort, and Bobb told her to work with me. I wanted her fired.
Point is, Oakland had many stories of people trying to stop other people from making government work for the people, and doing great things (take Phil Tagami, Insight Terminal Solutions, and the whole Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal coal issue, for example). Scott McKibben is the latest casualty in this.
Stay tuned.
Post script: The giant list of $139,013.50 worth of sports ticket issued by the Coliseum JPA and that (I was told by a source who does not wish to be named) claimed were approved by the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, but the docs show the Coliseum JPA did as well:
2016-137 events=$139,013.50 + ???
January-0 events
February-3 events=$2,500.00
02/06/2016-Warriors v OKC=$1,100.00
02/09/2016-Warriors v Rockets=$1,100.00
02/14/2016-Charlie Wilson Concert=$75.00 x 4
March-16 events=$13,074.00
03/01/2016-Warriors v Hawks= $700.00
03/03/2016-Warriors v OKC =$1,100.00
03/04/2016-Prince: Piano and a Microphone=$600.00 x 4= $2400.00
03/05/2016-Festival of Laughs Comedy Show=$93.00 x 4= $372.00
03/07/2016-Warriors v Orlando=$600.00
03/09/2016-Warriors v Jazz=$700.00
03/11/2016-Warrior v Portland=$600.00
03/12/2016-Warriors v Phoenix=$600.00
03/13/2016-Bruce Springsteen= $158.00 x 4= $632.00
03/14/2016-Warriors v New Orleans=$800.00
03/16/2016-Warrior v Knicks=$1,100.00
03/23/2016-Warriors v Clippers=$1,300.00
03/25/2016-Warriors v Mavericks=$700.00
03/26/2016-Andre Ward v. Sullivan Barrera=$105.00 x 4= $420.00
03/27/2016-Warriors v 76ers=$350.00
03/29/2016-Warrior v Wizards=$700.00
April-23 events=$20,608.50
04/01/2016-Warriors v Celtics= $700.00
04/02/2016-Oakland A’s= $112.50
04/03/2016-Warriors v Portland=$500.00
04/04/2016-Oakland A’s= $100.00
04/05/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/05/2016-Warriors v T’wolves=$600.00
04/06/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/07/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/07/2016-Warriors v Spurs=$1,200.00
04/10/2016-Carrie Underwood Concert= $134.00 x 4=$536.00
04/11/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/12/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/13/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/13/2016-Warriors v Memphis=$650.00
04/15/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/16/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/16/2016-Warriors v Rockets (Game 1)=$5,000.00
04/17/2016-Oakland A’s= $90.00
04/18/2016-Warriors v Rockets (Game 2) )=$5,000.00
04/23/2016-The Class Reunion Concert= $75.00 x 4= $300.00
04/27/2016-Warriors v Rockets (Game 3) )=$5,000.00
04/29/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/30/2016-Oakland A’s= $100.00
May-24 events=$37,568.00
05/01/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/02/2016-A’s v Seattle= $90.00
05/03/2016-Warriors Playoff)=$5,000.00
05/03/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
05/04/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
05/04/2016-Hill Song United= $32.50 x 4= $130.00
05/07/2016-Rihanna=$157.50 x 4 = $630.00
05/11/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/16/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/16/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
05/17/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
05/18/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/18/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
05/19/2016-A’s v NYY= $90.00
05/19/2016-The Who= $149.50 x 4= $598.00
05/20/2016-A’s v NYY= $100.00
05/21/2016-A’s v NYY= $100.00
05/22/2016-A’s v NYY= $100.00
05/26/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/28/2016-A’s v Detroit= $80.00
05/29/2016-A’s v Detroit= $90.00
05/30/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/30/2016-A’s v Detroit= $80.00
05/31/2016-A’s v Detroit= $80.00
June-17 events = $41,130.00
06/02/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/05/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/08/2016-Warriors Watch Party=$20.00
06/10/2016-Warriors Watch Party=$20.00
06/12/2016-KMEL Summer Jam=$62.50 x 4= $250.00
06/13/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
06/13/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/14/2016- A’s v Texas= $80.00
06/15/2016- A’s v Texas= $80.00
06/16/2016-Warriors Watch Party=$20.00
06/17/2016- A’s v Angels= $90.00
06/19/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/19/2016- A’s v Angels= $90.00
06/21/2016- A’s v Brewers= $80.00
06/22/2016- A’s v Brewers= $80.00
06/29/2016- A’s v Giants= $120.00
06/30/2016- A’s v Giants= $120.00
July-11 events = $1,080.00
07/01/2016-A’s v Pittsburg= $90.00
07/02/2016-A’s v Pittsburg= $90.00
07/03/2016-A’s v Pittsburg= $80.00
07/09/2016-Louis C.K.= $60.00 x 4+ $240.00
07/15/2016-A’s v Toronto= $80.00
07/17/2016-A’s v Toronto= $90.00
07/18/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
07/19/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
07/20/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
07/21/2016-A’s v Tampa Bay= $80.00
07/23/2016-A’s v Tampa Bay= $90.00
August-11 events = $2,962.00 + ?
08/02/2016-Adele= $274.00 x 4 = $1,096.00
08/03/2016-Dream Team= $156.50 x 4 = $626.00
08/05/2016-A’s v Cubs= $90.00
08/06/2016-Andre Ward v. Alexander Brand= $165.00 x 4 = $660.00
08/07/2016-A’s v Cubs= $90.00
08/08/2016-A’s v Orioles= $80.00
08/11/2016-A’s v Orioles= $80.00
08/14/2016-A’s v Mariners= $80.00
08/22/2016-A’s v Cleveland= $80.00
08/23/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
08/27/2016-Raiders v Titans = ?
September-18 events= $2,821.00 + ??
09/01/2016-Raiders v Seahawks=?
09/02/2016-A’s v Boston= $90.00
09/03/2016-A’s v Boston= $90.00
09/04/2016-A��s v Boston= $90.00
09/05/2016-A’s v Angels= $90.00
09/06/2016-A’s v Angels= $80.00
09/07/2016-A’s v Angels= $80.00
09/09/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
09/11/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
09/15/2016-Black Sabbath= $205.00 x 4 = $820.00
09/18/2016-Raiders v Falcons= ?
09/19/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
09/20/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
09/21/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
09/24/2016-A’s v Texans= $90.00
09/24/2016-Sonu Nigam & Atif= $88.00 x 4 = $352.00
09/25/2016-A’s v Texans= $90.00
09/30/2016-Bad Boys Concert= $137.25 x 4 = $549.00
October-10 events= $6,623.00+ ??
10/01/2016-Sia=$149.50 x 4 = $598.00
10/04/2016-Warriors v Clippers= $675.00 x 4 = $268.00
10/07/2017-Dixie Chicks=$89.50 x 4 = $358.00
10/09/2016-Raiders v San Diego= ?
10/10/2016-WWE Raw=$99.75 x 4 = $399.00
10/14/2016-Golden State Music Fest=136.50 x 4 = $546.00
10/16/2016-Raiders v Kansas City=?
10/21/2016-Warriors v Trail Blazers= $675.00 x 4 + $2,700.00
10/25/2016-Warriors v Spurs= $1,350.00
10/26/2016-Disney on Ice= $50.50 x 8 = $404.00
November-0 events
December-4 events= $10,657.00
12/03/2016-Warriors v Suns= $1,000.00 x 4 = $4,000.00
12/18/2016-KMEL Hip Hop Holiday House of Soul= $125.00 x 4 = $500.00
12/24/2016-Raiders v Colts= $275.00 x 4 = $1,357.00
12/30/2016-Warrior v Mavericks= $1,200.00 x 4 = $4,800.00
Here’s the record of who approved what tickets; there are 62 results:
Oakland District Two Councilmember Nikki Bas’ Digitized Newsletter
Last week, I was so moved to see #MomsHouse on Magnolia Street finally become community-owned as permanently affordable, transitional housing for unsheltered mothers.
Congratulations to Dominique Walker, Tolani King, Misty Cross, Sameerah Karim and Carroll Fife for leading this movement to end corporate speculation and house more Oaklanders. I am proud to have stood with them over the last year to call attention to making housing a human right, together with Council President Rebecca Kaplan, Councilmember Dan Kalb and Assemblymember Rob Bonta.
Moms 4 Housing
Sustainable, Healthy Use of Lake Merritt – Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program Update
Coming out of the second weekend of our Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program, we were excited to be joined by Parks and Recreation Advisory Commissioner Dwayne Aikens, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kev Choice, the Oakland Black Vendors Association and neighbors to:
• Promote health and safety during COVID-19,
• Support struggling small businesses and entrepreneurs in this difficult time, and
• Ensure sustainable, equitable and inclusive long-term use of the Lake.
This pilot program for merchandise vendors will take place through November 22nd on El Embarcadero and along Lakeshore to Beacon from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
This weekend, Community Ready Corps (CRC) will be joining the pilot to promote public health during COVID. Volunteers will distribute COVID kits that have face masks, hand sanitizer and gloves to help promote compliance with the County Health Order.
My team is grateful for the collaboration of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC), the Oakland Black Vendors Association, James “Old School” Copes, city departments, and the community to ensure access, safety and equity at the Lake for everyone in our city.
This is what an Oakland for all of us means to me — working with a coalition of diverse stakeholders to ensure the Lake, as our city’s pride, is an enjoyable public space that each of us can use.
Moms 4 Housing
TUESDAY 10/20: Oakland City Council Meeting Preview Homeless Encampment Management Policy and Community Safety
Tuesday, October 20th’s 1:30pm City Council meeting will include the following important agenda items:
Item 6: COVID-19 Emergency Response And The Creation Of Clean Air Buildings For Use Of The Community During The COVID-19 Shelter In Place Emergency.
Thanks to our awesome District 2 constituent and outgoing Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council Co-Chair Rachel Broadwin for introducing us to Dr. Rupa Basu, Section Chief for the Air and Climate Epidemiology Section of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at CalEPA. At our September Council meeting, I expressed concern that our air quality and temperature triggers were too high to fully protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable residents. At my urging, our Fire Department staff met with Dr. Basu to discuss recommendations for activating extreme weather Emergency Respite Centers (ERC) in Oakland. As an outcome of the conversation and further discussions with internal stakeholders and community feedback, the activation triggers for the City of Oakland have been lowered to an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 200 – Very Unhealthy (versus what was previously 250) and temperatures forecasted to reach/exceed 95 degrees for 2 consecutive days or 100 degrees in one day. We are grateful for Dr. Basu and Rachel’s important expertise as we navigate these challenging times!
Item 7: Gun Violence Top Law Enforcement Priority resolution from President Kaplan to prioritize the decrease in illegal guns and gun violence by increasing gun tracing, improving response time to shooting notifications, and prioritizing response to gun crime.
Item 8: Homeless Encampment Management resolution, which proposes to designate priority areas for encampment management and outlines actions including the criteria for assessing what locations will be prioritized for enforcement or other homelessness interventions from the city.
Item 14: Adopt either the resolution proposed by the Oakland Police Commission or Oakland Police Department banning the carotid restraint and all forms of asphyxia.
Item 16: I’m co-sponsoring with President Kaplan, a resolution Terminating the Oakland Police Department’s Participation In The Joint Terror Task Force to ensure compliance with our local and state laws and focus on threats based on evidence, not bias or racial profiling.
See details to join the meeting and provide public comment. You can also share e-comments here.
TUESDAY 10/27: Community & Economic Development Meeting – Impact Fees, Economic Recovery Recommendations
On Tuesday October 27th at 1:30pm, the Community and Economic Development Committee will discuss two important items:
Item 2: Informational report on Impact Fees for Affordable Housing, Jobs/Housing, and Transportation and Capital Improvements, and
Item 3: Informational report on the Economic Recovery Council’s Draft Recommendations.
Oakland Workers, Know Your Rights! COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave
Oakland Workers Rights
Thank you to East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) for creating Know Your Rights materials on the emergency protections for Oakland workers passed by Council earlier this summer, which I was proud to co-sponsor.
The City’s Emergency Paid Sick Leave policy requires certain employers to provide leave to workers who test positive for COVID-19, present symptoms, are caring for family members who were exposed or present symptoms, or are at high risk from an infection. Check out and share the flyers in English and Spanish so that Oakland workers are aware of their rights!
City of Oakland; District 2 News and Resources
County Reopening Updates, Small Biz Legal Support, Grants for Home-Based Business
New County Health Orders Allow Additional Business Operations: Effective October 9, Alameda County now allows: hotels & lodging for tourism with their fitness centers and indoor pools restricted; museums, zoos & aquariums indoors at < 25% capacity; personal care services indoors with modification (services requiring removal of face covering still prohibited); gyms and fitness centers indoors at < 10% capacity with restrictions on aerobic exercise and classes. While the update allows partial reopening of libraries, Oakland Public LIbrary will remain closed for indoor services until plans are in place for safely reopening the buildings.
Beginning Friday, October 16, Alameda County will permit additional outdoor activities, including playgrounds, that follow the State’s guidance. Additionally, Alameda County is preparing to update the local Health Officer Orders to permit additional activities during the week of October 26. These activities will include: indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; expansion of indoor retail and malls at up to 50% of capacity and permitting limited food courts.
County Guidance on Safe Halloween Practices: Bay Area health officials recently released guidance on how to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos safely. Gatherings, celebrations, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted unless conducted in compliance with local and state health orders. Please avoid participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door and do not have trunk-or-treat where treats are handed from car trunks lined up in large parking lots.
Many traditional Halloween celebrations, such as parties and door-to-door trick-or-treating, pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19 and are strongly discouraged by CDPH
Not only do traditional celebrations pose a spread risk, they would also result in great difficulty in conducting appropriate contact tracing
Local Health Departments may have additional, more stringent restrictions
CDPH recommends that families begin planning for safer alternatives.
Legal Help for Oakland Small Businesses with Lease Negotiations: Oakland has allocated $150,000 of California CARES funding to the nonprofit Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area to provide legal advice and assistance on lease negotiations to small businesses that have suffered revenue losses due to COVID-19. Business owners can access these free, multilingual legal services here, such as commercial leasing webinars through mid-December, 1:1 one-hour consultations and longer-term assistance which may include lease negotiation, pre-litigation and settlement negotiations or representation in a court proceeding.
$2-4K Grants for Home-Based Businesses: Income from a home-based business is often a big source of household income for our city’s entrepreneurs. The Oakland CARES Act Home-Based Business Grant program will distribute $500,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses. Apply here by 11:59pm on Monday, November 2 in 4 languages. Priority will be given to businesses representing a broad geographic diversity in Oakland, especially those located in low-income areas or otherwise historically vulnerable communities; those who have received $4,000 or less in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program; and those with annual gross business revenue under $150,000.
Several Grants Extended:
The Oakland CARES Act Small Business Grant Program will accept applications until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 23. This program will provide $10,000 grants to qualifying Oakland small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and have gross revenues under $2 million. Online applications and eligibility requirements in four languages are available at: mainstreetlaunch.org/oakland-cares-act-grant/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Nonprofit Grant Fund has been extended to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28. This program will award grants of up to $25,000 to qualifying community-serving nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $1 million that address the impact of COVID-19 and the needs of low-income residents and businesses in the following areas: Health & Human Services; Economic & Workforce Development; Legal Support; Food Security; Homeless and Renter Support Services; and Education. Online applications and eligibility requirements are available at: communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Fund for Artists and Arts Nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 has been extended to 1pm Friday, October 23. The program will distribute awards of up to $20,000 to arts nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $2.5M, while supporting individual artists with grants of up to $3,000 each. Learn more here.
Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation’s 1st Citywide Parks Workshop: Whether you’re an experienced community leader or a new volunteer, join this free workshop taking place on Saturday, November 14, from 9:00am to 1:00pm to collaborate and learn about strategies and tools to improve Oakland parks. Learn more and register here.
East Bay Community Energy’s Resilient Home Program: Oakland has partnered with nonprofit public electricity provider East Bay Community Energy to launch a solar + battery backup program for homeowners. EBCE has partnered with Sunrun to provide no-cost / obligation-free consultations and will provide a proposal for your consideration. If you decide to move forward, there is a $1,250 incentive to homeowners that enroll their battery in the program and share power with EBCE during peak times when there isn’t a power outage. Since launch in August, nearly 700 homeowners countywide have registered for consultations. Sign up for your consultation and learn more at upcoming webinars.
Voting Reminders
Vote Early!
Given the pandemic and the threats to our democracy, please vote early. All registered voters will be sent an absentee ballot automatically to limit COVID exposure. You must register to vote to receive an absentee ballot!
You can vote in person or drop off your ballot at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters: 1225 Fallon Street, Room G1, Oakland, or put it into one of the official, free 24-hour drop boxes anytime by November 3rd 8pm. If you use a USPS mailbox, postage is free, and it’s critical to vote early!
You can also sign up to track your ballot.
October 19th is the last day for regular online voter registration.
October 20th – November 3rd, you can do same day voter registration.
On November 3rd, you can vote in person or drop your ballot off at your polling place by 8pm.
With many measures on the ballot, my go-to guides are Oakland Rising’s Voter Guide and the CA AAPI Voting Guide in seven AAPI languages.
With Oakland Love,
Nikki Fortunato Bas
Councilmember, City of Oakland, District 2
ONN – Rep Barbara Lee Issues Statement On Nov 2020 Endorsements Counters Oakland Mayor Schaaf Voting Guide
I received an email that contained a statement from U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and here’s the text, verbatim:
Statement regarding Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Endorsements for the November 2020 Election
Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s campaign released the following statement today regarding Rep. Lee’s endorsements in the 2020 election.
“Congresswoman Barbara Lee has not endorsed any candidate running for the Oakland City Council, nor has she endorsed any candidate running for the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees. Any reference to Congresswoman Lee on a voter guide or slate card endorsing Councilmembers or Trustees, or any reference to prior Congressional recognition by any of the candidates or the candidates’ supporters, is inappropriate and misleading and should not be viewed as an endorsement in any form.”
For a list of Congresswoman Lee’s official endorsements please see below:
President & Vice President: Joe Biden & Kamala Harris
Yes on 15; Schools and Communities First
Yes on 16: Opportunity for All
Yes on 17: Free the Vote
Yes on 18: Vote for Our Future
No on 20: Stop the Prison Spending Scam
Yes on 21 : Keep Families in Their Homes
No on 22: Protect Drivers and Customers
Yes on 25: End Money Bail
Yes on Measure SS: Oakland Police Accountability
Yes on Measure II: Berkeley Police Accountability
Yes on Measure Z: For an Inclusive, Affordable, and Livable Alameda
Yes on QQ: A Vote for Oakland Youth
The statement is a direct counter to this paragraph by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf in Oakland News Now, here: https://oaklandnewsnowblog.com/oakland-mayor-schaaf-picks-lynette-gibson-mcelhaney-treva-reid-more-in-2020-voters-guide/u-s-news/13/10/2020/63626/
…and from her letter that’s a voting guide:
“I’m also super passionate about electing Derreck Johnson for At-Large City Council – as is Kamala Harris. A 3rd-generation, gay, African American Oaklander raised by a single mother in the Acorn housing projects, he graduated from an HBCU and started House of Chicken & Waffles in Jack London Square, where 70% of employees have been formerly incarcerated. He’s the former Chair of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board and in 2012 Congresswoman Barbara Lee presented him with the City of Oakland’s Citizen Humanitarian Award. His life experiences are particularly needed as Oakland meets this moment to advance racial justice and help our economy recover.”
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
#OaklandUndivided Reaches Major Milestone in Effort to Provide 25,000 Oakland Students with Free Computers and Internet Access; Media is Invited to Laptop Distribution Event on Thursday
The press release sent from The Oakland Unified School District to Zennie62Media is below:
Oakland, CA — Eric Yanez (below), a 4th-grader at Hoover Elementary School, had problems with distance learning. But many of those challenges have evaporated as Eric now has a computer and internet access through the #OaklandUndivided campaign. “My son got a Chromebook from #OaklandandUndivided and it has helped tremendously,” said Guadalupe Canchola, Eric’s mother. “We both are so grateful as it has helped to ease the new way of school with distance learning. Initially, he would use my phone for the zoom class and a borrowed tablet for the actual school work and it was just so different and a little frustrating a lot of the time.”
Eric Yanez
Those challenges are exactly what the #OaklandUndivided campaign is designed to address for all Oakland public school students in need. The campaign, which is a joint venture of Tech Exchange, Oakland Promise, Oakland Public Education Fund, the City of Oakland and Mayor Libby Schaaf, and OUSD, began about five months ago with one goal: to ensure every public school student in need has access to a computer, internet, and tech support. While the work is far from over, this is an important update for the community on some key milestones coming out of last week’s National Digital Inclusion Week, during which the campaign handed out devices at 25 schools across Oakland and highlighted the impact these devices and resources have had on families and teachers.
Oakland OUSD Student
Most importantly, this week, the campaign expects to reach the halfway mark and hand out the 12,500th computer of the original 25,000 units. These devices are for students to keep at home and to provide consistent access for families.
On Thursday, October 15 the campaign will host a computer distribution event with Mayor Schaaf and OUSD School Board District 7 Director, James Harris at Castlemont High School.
The focus for the #OaklandUndivided team after that will be to get the rest of the 25,000 computers into the hands of Oakland students in need.
“Everyday we get closer to closing the digital divide in Oakland,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “This week marks a critical milestone, but it is only progress achieved — not mission accomplished. We’ll continue to work with our amazing community partners until the digital divide is closed for good, and every child and family in Oakland has a device and the consistent internet access they need to reach their full educational potential.”
Until they receive the #OaklandUndivided computers, Oakland students in district-run and charter schools who have needs for technology at home, still have one of the more than 23,000 computers and 7,000 hotspots that were loaned out by schools since the shelter in place took effect last March. “We are pleased that the #OaklandUndivided campaign has made such important progress,” said OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “It’s obvious that in this time of distance learning, we have prepared our students for success by ensuring that they have the tools they need at home to fully access their education. I thank the #OaklandUndivided team for all their hard work. It has indeed paid off!”
Oakland OUSD Students Get Computers
Almost all students have either a loaner or an #OaklandUndivided device. But the campaign knows there are some students who remain disconnected. If you are a family in Oakland public schools, make sure to fill out the Tech Check survey to receive your device(s) to ensure your student has access to a computer and the internet. If you know of a student or family in need who does not currently have access to technology resources, including a computer to participate in remote learning, please complete the OUSD Technology Intake Form. OUSD will ensure that the students identified there receive a computer within 48 hours.
One of the most important aspects of this effort has been the tech support supplied by the campaign. OUSD students can be confident that any issues they encounter with their device or internet access will be addressed quickly. So far, there have been a few problems, which the team quickly resolved. If families are having any issues with #OaklandUndivided devices such as mic issues, error messages, etc., they can contact Tech Exchange for support by texting or calling 510-866-2260.
Parents are clearly pleased with the results. “His interaction in class has been awesome and his weekly grades have been 100%,” said Guadalupe Canchola, mother of Hoover Elementary student, Eric Yanez. “Thank you all again for providing and donating such an important tool for our kids to continue learning despite anything new being thrown their way.”
WHAT: #OaklandUndivided High School Device Distribution Event
WHEN: 2:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15
WHERE: Castlemont High School, 8601 MacArthur Blvd
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Of that amount, the Oakland CARES Act Home-Based Business Grant Program will distribute $500,000 in grants of $2,000 to $4,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses in Oakland. Working Solutions, a Bay Area nonprofit, is administering the application and grant-making process. The grant application period closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, November 2. Online applications in four languages are available at: https://www.workingsolutions.org/oakland-home-based-grants.
“We recognize that revenue from a home-based business is often a major source of household income for our entrepreneurs, and losses due to the pandemic are pushing vulnerable populations to the brink of economic and housing insecurity,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “This grant program supports Oakland’s entrepreneurial spirit reflected in the wide variety of home-based businesses found in The Town.”
Priority will be given to home-based businesses representing a broad geographic diversity in Oakland, especially those located in low-income areas or otherwise historically vulnerable communities; those who have received $4,000 or less in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); and those with annual gross business revenue under $150,000. The grant amounts of $2,000 to $4,000 will be based on gross revenue of the home-based business.
“Working Solutions is proud to partner with the City of Oakland to make grants to home-based small business owners in Oakland who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sara Razavi, CEO of Working Solutions. “This grant program will provide immediate relief to local home-based business owners, who face their own unique challenges during this crisis, and is an important follow-up to our work with the City this spring and summer through the Oakland Small Business Emergency Grant Program.”
In order to be eligible for this grant program, the business must:
Be verified as a for-profit, home-based business in Oakland;
Have a valid Oakland business license;
Have been in operation prior to March 1, 2019;
Be able to demonstrate negative impacts to the business from the COVID-19 pandemic;
Certify that the home-based business income represents the majority (>50%) of the applicant’s total individual income; and
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (due to restrictions associated with federal CARES Act funding sources).
Business owners who previously received a grant from the Oakland Small Business Emergency Grant Program (between April and July 2020) are eligible to apply for this grant program.
Grant funds may be used for COVID-19-related costs and losses, such as payroll; rent or mortgage payments; utilities or other operating expenses; or fixtures, supplies, and other non-construction site modifications needed to satisfy COVID-19 distancing and mitigation requirements. Funds may not be used for new construction or building improvements.
Other Grant and Support Programs Available
This is the latest CARES Act-funded program launched by the City of Oakland. Grant programs for small businesses, individual artists and arts nonprofits,
community-serving nonprofits and low-income renters and homeowners were announced in September. Additionally, free legal advice webinars and consultations on lease negotiations for small businesses were announced last week. Businesses may only receive a grant from one CARES Act-funded program. Learn more about the $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: oaklandca.gov/CaresAct
About Working Solutions
Working Solutions is a nonprofit microlender and the First to Believe in start-up and early-stage businesses. As a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Working Solutions provides diverse entrepreneurs with affordable capital, customized business consulting, and community connections to increase economic opportunity in the San Francisco Bay Area. To date, Working Solutions has made over $27 million in microloans and grants to more than 1,300 local businesses and provided over 14,000 consulting hours.
This post based on a press release from the City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
Earlier this week, I ended my 2020 State of the City address by recognizing that this November’s election is so consequential it could chart a new path for our state and our nation. I meant it.
I hope you’re as fired up as I am about this Presidential race, and how proud we can all be to vote for native Oaklander Kamala Harris for Vice President along with Joe Biden.
If you want to help turn out voters in critical states it is easier than ever to do right from home. Check out these easy phone banking options with SwingLeft or Indivisible. If you’re too shy to phone bank, www.voteforward.org is an easy way to send personalized, nonpartisan letters out to simply encourage folks to vote.
And there are some transformational California Measures on the 2020 ballot! I’m most excited to vote for Schools & Communities First – Prop 15! It will close corporate property tax loopholes to reclaim nearly $12 billion every year for schools and vital services for our local communities, while protecting residential properties and small businesses. (In fact, with Prop 19 seniors and disaster survivors will have more residential property tax protections than they have today). We also need Prop 16 to pass, so we can consider diversity and racial equity in public decisions and level the playing field. And to advance criminal justice reform, vote for Props 17 & 25 and against Prop 20.
I’m also super passionate about electing Derreck Johnson for At-Large City Council – as is Kamala Harris. A 3rd-generation, gay, African American Oaklander raised by a single mother in the Acorn housing projects, he graduated from an HBCU and started House of Chicken & Waffles in Jack London Square, where 70% of employees have been formerly incarcerated. He’s the former Chair of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board and in 2012 Congresswoman Barbara Lee presented him with the City of Oakland’s Citizen Humanitarian Award. His life experiences are particularly needed as Oakland meets this moment to advance racial justice and help our economy recover.
Since Oakland created the At-Large seat 40 years ago, it has never been held by an African American. Its current incumbent Rebecca Kaplan has made budget proposals deemed “reckless” and “designed to appease special interests.” She tried to kill Oakland’s Department of Transportation, which not only is fixing Oakland’s broken and dangerous streets, but is nationally recognized for its commitment to equity. And the East Bay Express criticized her for a “shady political campaign” and “poor decision-making” which “raises concerns about her ethics.”
Here’s my complete Voter’s Guide:
I’m supporting all of Oakland’s Congressional, State and Special District Board incumbents, with the exception of challenger Jean Walsh for AC Transit.
Here’s where I stand on State & Local Propositions & Measures:
Yes on Prop 14 to expand stem cell research.
Yes on Prop 15 to permanently increase public school and local services funding by closing a big corporate property tax loophole.
Yes on Prop 16 so our public institutions can consider diversity and racial equity in our work to lift-up ALL Californians.
Yes on Prop 17 to restore the right to vote for parolees.
Yes on Prop 18 to let 17 year-olds vote in primaries if they’ll be 18 before the general election.
Yes on Prop 19 to allow seniors, people with disabilities and disaster survivors to maintain their tax base on a replacement home.
NO on Prop 20 sentencing reform rollback because over-incarceration don’t work.
Yes on Prop 21 to expand rent control options for cities.
NO on Prop 22 to protect new hard-earned rights for gig workers.
Yes on Prop 23 to improve standard of care at Dialysis Centers.
You decide Prop 24 RE: Consumer Privacy. There are pros & cons.
Yes on Prop 25 to end the unjust money bail system.
Yes on Measure V to extend a utility tax on unincorporated Alameda County for their services.
Yes on Measure W to increase sales tax by a half-cent to fund county services, especially public health and homelessness.
Yes on Measure Y to upgrade & repair our classrooms.
Yes on Measure QQ to allow youth to vote for School Board members.
Yes on Measure RR to allow city fines to exceed $1000.
Yes on Measure S1 to strengthen Oakland’s Police Commission.
Oakland City Council Races
You know I love Oakland. Please trust my careful assessments in these Oakland City Council Races:
At-Large: Derreck Johnson – deeply-rooted Oaklander and small business & workforce leader made for this moment.
District 1: Dan Kalb – ethical, progressive hard-working legislator and environmental champion.
District 3: Lynette Gibson McElhaney – grieving mother & grandmother herself, a powerful advocate for violence prevention & community development.
District 5: Noel Gallo – with deep roots & decades of public service, a tireless worker for clean streets and public education.
District 7: Treva Reid – East Oakland couldn’t ask for a more competent, deeply experienced & compassionate new leader. Marchon Tatmon has my #2 for his Budget Advisory Commission & homeless services experience.
Oakland School Board
You know I’m passionate about public education and OUSD’s success. Please support these Oakland School Board candidates:
District 1: Austin Dannhaus – former teacher, focused on educational equity, quality schools for all students and results; Board and finance experience critical for during this time. Sam Davis has my #2 due to his past experience with families in Oakland and commitment to dialogue.
District 3: Maiya Edgerly and Mark Hurty (Dual Endorsement)-
*Maiya-founder of an non-profit that supports students to get into HBCUs, that is aligned with Oakland Promise’s vision to support students be first in their family to complete college.
*Mark-former Oakland teacher, passionate about educational equity; kind and open to dialogue, presently helping to lead an non-profit aligned with #OaklandUndivided’s vision to close the digital divide.
District 5 – Leroy Gaines and Jorge Lerma (Dual Endorsement)-
*Leroy- a former teacher and OUSD principal for >10 years – selected OUSD principal of the year, kind, demonstrated leadership, strong relationships with educators, students & families, history of results.
*Jorge- a former Oakland teacher, principal and leader for decades, founded Latino Education Network; a gentle soul, committed to equity, pre-K, K12 experience, and a champion of Oakland Promise.
District 7: Cliff Thompson -a teacher and principal for >40 years with deep roots, Oakland education experience; kind soul who cares deeply for equity & quality schools for all students, demonstrated leadership.
So much is at stake this election! As I said in my State of the City, we must vote — and volunteer — like our lives depend on it.
