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Greenway Golf Wins Chuck Corica Golf Complex

Published on 2012-05-25 15:18:23

By Erica Madison With ninety percent of the crowd voicing support for Greenway Golf, it came as no surprise when City Council unanimously voted last week for Greenway Golf to take over management of the Chuck Corica Golf Complex. City of Alameda staff clearly favored Kemper, and City Manager John Russo spent the [...] > read more

Raymond Zack Family Sues City of Alameda and County of Alameda

Published on 2012-05-25 14:25:27

Today, relatives of Raymond Zack, an Alameda man that drowned at Crown Beach last Memorial Day, filed a lawsuit against the City of Alameda and the County of Alameda over his death, claiming unspecified damages. The case is RG12632015 in Alameda County Superior Court. According to the suit, first responders on the scene [...] > read more

BREAKING NEWS: Raymond Zack Family Files Lawsuit Against City of Alameda

Published on 2012-05-24 18:44:18

BREAKING NEWS: Raymond Zack family files lawsuit against City of Alameda over Memorial Day 2011 death while first responders stood on beach. More news as its available. > read more

More Airline Traffic Coming to Oakland Airport

Published on 2012-05-24 13:54:09

A new report by the Regional Airport Planning Committee (RAPC), released this week, recommends encouraging airlines to add more flights to Oakland International Airport, to shift passengers there from San Francisco International Airport. The result could be more noise for Alameda residents. According to the Regional Aviation Activity Tracking Report, from 2007 to [...] > read more

Artemis Racing to Prepare for America’s Cup in Alameda

Published on 2012-05-24 10:15:06

Artemis Racing, representing the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, will prepare for next year’s 34th America’s Cup in Alameda. The City of Alameda announced yesterday that the team will be leasing a 110,000 square foot former airplane hangar as its base of operations at Alameda Point. “Alameda offers convenient shoreline water access to our [...] > read more

Projected Alameda Budget Shortfall Grows

Published on 2012-05-23 10:58:03

The projected Alameda general fund budget shortfall for the 2012 to 2013 fiscal year has grown from $4.4 million to $5.1 million. Part of the problem is rising pension costs for city employees in the public safety and miscellaneous categories. A presentation prepared by city staff for a May 29th City Council budget [...] > read more

Social Rewards Internet Startup Launches in Alameda

Published on 2012-05-22 08:17:08

An Alameda-based social rewards Internet startup company, Givegoods, was launched on May 18th. Givegoods works with local businesses to provide discount coupons in return for a charitable donation. For example, a local restaurant might over $20 off a $40 dinner in return for a $20 charitable donation through Givegoods’ website. Of the $20 [...] > read more

City Asks for Proposals for Website Redesign

Published on 2012-05-21 10:04:21

The City of Alameda has issued a request for proposals to design a new website. According to the call-for-proposals document, “The goal is to have a cost-effective, architecturally sound website that is easy to use and maintain yet flexible enough to support future upgrades and initiatives.” A new website design was previously launched [...] > read more

School District Says It’s Reached a Tentative Agreement With CSEA Local

Published on 2012-05-18 16:46:16

The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) says that it has reached a tentative agreement in negoations with the California School Employees Association #860. AUSD says it will provide Maintenance, Operations and Food Service Unit members a one percent one-time increase in compensation at the end of this school year, and a one-and-half percent [...] > read more

Alameda to South San Francisco Ferry Service to Begin June 4th

Published on 2012-05-17 07:01:13

A new ferry service will begin June 4th to take passengers from Alameda and Oakland to South San Francisco, and the first week is free. The ride from the East Bay to Oyster Point in South San Francisco – a biotech hub – will take 40 to 50 minutes, according to the Water [...] > read more

PG&E Closes Gas Leak at Cardinal Point

Published on 2012-05-16 22:24:21

Early this evening, PG&E secured a natural gas leak near Cardinal Point. At around 6:00 p.m., Alameda Police had Mariner Square Drive north of Marina Village Parkway closed as police and firefighters responded to a 4″ natural gas relief valve “off-gassing” near the Cardinal Point assisted living facility. Previously, officials had issued a [...] > read more

Mother Has Unanswered Questions on Anniversary of Son’s Death

Published on 2012-05-16 07:01:37

by Tammy Sorensen As the one year anniversary of my 13 year old son Brandon Sorensen’s death approaches, there are many questions still left unanswered and some rumors I’d like to clarify. Since the tragic day of May 16th, 2011, I struggle every day with what happened and how the case was handled. [...] > read more

National Police Week

Published on 2012-05-15 09:56:41

This week is National Police week, which recognizes officers killed in the line of duty. According to an announcement from the Alameda Police Department, the names of 362 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, this year. These 362 names [...] > read more

City Council to Give John Russo a Performance Evaluation

Published on 2012-05-11 11:10:08

In a closed session meeting on Tuesday, Alameda City Council will give City Manager John Russo a performance evaluation. Mr. Russo is up for a $10,000 per year salary increase. John Russo, formerly the City Attorney for Oakland, started a five year contract on June 13th of last year with an annual salary [...] > read more

Alameda Solidier Killed in Afghanistan

Published on 2012-05-08 10:03:06

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of a soldier from Alameda, who was killed in Afghanistan. According to a media release, Staff Sgt. Thomas K. Fogarty, 30, of Alameda, died on Sunday, in Ahmad-Kheyl, from injuries after his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to [...] > read more

Alameda Municipal Power Website Hacked

Published on 2012-05-07 18:05:31

Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) announced today that its website was hacked last week and links to outside sites were inserted in its web pages. The City of Alameda-owned utility said that no customer sensitive data was compromised, as it is located in a separate secure server. Action Alameda New readers alerted this publication [...] > read more

FPPC Says Hospital Board Doctor Has No Conflict of Interest

Published on 2012-05-07 07:01:46

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has ruled that Dr. Robert Deutsch, M.D., who operates a pulmonary practice out of Alameda Hospital and sits on the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors, does not have a conflict of interest when voting to impose the Hospital’s annual parcel tax. Alameda Hospital is [...] > read more

Expect Airport Noise This Weekend

Published on 2012-05-04 09:56:55

The City of Alameda is warning residents that a temporary runway closure this weekend at Oakland Airport is likely to generate noise for Alameda residents, as flight activity shifts to the north field. The 10,000 foot long runway 11/29 will be closed temporarily for a taxiway reconstruction project from 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, [...] > read more

Alameda Hospital Director Speaks Out on Financial Condition

Published on 2012-05-03 10:04:54

Through a parcel tax, Alameda taxpayers subsidize Alameda Hospital to the tune of roughly $6 million per year. Recently, in an exchange of op-ed articles in the local press, former Alameda City Councilmember Frank Matarrese suggested that we can no longer afford to support a full service hospital in Alameda, and Alameda Hospital CEO [...] > read more

Alameda Resident’s Equality Bill Passes Assembly Health Committee

Published on 2012-05-02 11:10:21

A bill intended to equalize access to fertility medical care for LGBT people, conceived by an Alameda resident, has cleared the California Assembly Health Committee. Bill AB2356, driven by Alameda family nurse practitioner Leland Traiman, passed committee yesterday on a 13 to 5 vote and moves on to the State Assembly. The bill [...] > read more

Alameda City Council to Consider Approving Alameda Point Development Strategy Next Week

Published on 2012-05-02 11:00:37

At a special city council meeting next week, city staff will ask the council to approve a development and disposition strategy for Alameda Point. The City of Alameda expects that significant portions of Alameda Point will be transferred from the U.S. Navy to the City this year. The latest development strategy from the [...] > read more

City Cancels Special Budget Hearing Due to Lack of Clarity

Published on 2012-04-30 23:33:51

The City of Alameda has cancelled a planned special budget hearing for May 8th, citing lack of sufficient clarity on key general fund variables such as changes in investment assumptions by the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). In February, CalPERS notified public agencies that it was considering changing its investment assumptions; when [...] > read more

California’s Job-Housing Plan Puts Financial Pressure on Alameda

Published on 2012-04-30 10:03:22

By Erica Madison On April 23, 2012, Planning Manager Andrew Thomas revealed a flaw in California’s new green plan for the Bay Area. In an effort to reduce greenhouse gases, California passed the Sustainable Communities Strategy—Senate Bill 375(SCS). The bill’s author, which was passed in 2009, believes building homes closer to core job [...] > read more

Bank of Alameda Parent Announces First Quarter Earnings

Published on 2012-04-27 10:06:26

Yesterday, NorCal Community Bancorp, the parent company of Bank of Alameda, reported earnings for the first quarter of 2012. Profit for the quarter was $269,000 or $0.03 per diluted share; in the same period in 2011, the company realized a net loss of $195,000 or a loss of $0.02 per diluted share. In [...] > read more

Report: California sees large returns on higher-ed investments

Published on 2012-04-26 13:45:06

By Sarah Butrymowicz, The Hechinger Report Is it worth it for California to invest in higher education? That’s the central question posed by a new report examining the state’s spending on its university system and how much graduates end up contributing back to the state budget. The answer? “A resounding yes,” said Michele Siqueiros, [...] > read more

Metropolitian Transportation Commission Seeks Residents to Fill Policy Advisory Council Vacancies

Published on 2012-04-24 21:48:22

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is seeking Bay Area residents to fill four vacancies on its Policy Advisory Council. At least one position can be from a resident of Alameda County or any of the other eight Bay Area counties. The at-large representative of the economy or the environment may be from any of [...] > read more

Alameda Police Seek Graffiti Vandals

Published on 2012-04-20 15:01:16

Alameda police are seeking information on whomever is painting graffiti across the city. Police say the photos taken below are of the side of the Alameda theater, and that there are eight documented incidents of similar acts of graffiti across Alameda. Some of the graffiti reads “Dirty Boy(z)” and “Cop Killer.” Police ask [...] > read more

Councilmember Asks For Review of November 2010 Election

Published on 2012-04-20 13:07:20

Alameda City Councilmember Doug deHaan has put a referral item on the May 1st City Council meeting agenda that would have city staff perform an analysis of campaign financial activities during the November 2010 election, based on the proposed Campaign Financial Reform Ordinance proposed by the Sunshine Task Force. Councilmember deHaan is also [...] > read more

Alameda Municipal Power Hikes Rates

Published on 2012-04-19 15:03:21

At Monday’s Public Utilities Board meeting, the board approved an overall 3.25% rate increase for Alameda Municipal Power. The new rates become effective July 1 of this year; they are the third increase in a planned five year rate increase plan. According to a media statement from the utility, the average residential customer [...] > read more

Stop Wasting Taxpayer Dollars

Published on 2012-04-18 07:01:36

City Staff: Stop Wasting Taxpayer Dollars by Eugenie Thomson, P.E. Have you ever said to yourself, I wish bureaucrats understood real money? Or thought, why does City Hall make things so complicated and expensive? Those are my thoughts of late, not to mention wondering why, as a retiree, I’m spending my time trying [...] > read more

City of Alameda Hires Amy Woolridge from Pinole for Rec and Park Director

Published on 2012-04-17 11:26:06

The City of Alameda has hired Amy Woolridge, most recently the Recreation Director for the City of Pinole, to serve as Alameda’s new Recreation and Park Director. Ms. Woolridge replaces Dale Lillard, who recently retired. According to a media release from the City Manager’s office, Woolridge was the recreation director with Pinole since [...] > read more

Park Street Planting Proceeds

Published on 2012-04-16 13:27:01

Roughly six months after mature trees were removed from Park Street, the major business district in Alameda, to much uproar, the trees are no returning. There was a huge outcry from Alameda residents last fall when mature trees up and down Park Street were ripped out, leaving the street bare just before the [...] > read more

Thanks for Reporting on Grants for Alameda Firefighter Wildfire Training

Published on 2012-04-14 08:47:39

Dear Editor, Thank you for reporting on the grant that Alameda’s firefighters received to learn how to fight wildfires. Once as children, my brother and I accidentally ignited some dead grass with a magnifying glass. We were able to put it out before our mother caught us. We have lived in fear of wildfires [...] > read more

Another Schools Parcel Tax on the Ballot on June 5th

Published on 2012-04-13 11:50:02

In addition to Measure C, Alameda voters will consider on June 5th a $48 per parcel tax put on the ballot by the Peralta Community College District. Measure B would tax all parcels in the district, including parcels in Alameda, a flat $48 to raise money for the College of Alameda, Laney College, [...] > read more

Who Gets Access to Publicly Owned Swimming Pools?

Published on 2012-04-13 07:01:46

A letter from Action Alameda News publisher David Howard Measure C promises to build yet another swimming pool in Alameda, which we surely can’t afford to maintain better than any of the existing four pools. Construction generally amounts to 1/3rd of a facility’s total lifetime cost to operate, and Measure C provides no operating [...] > read more

City Reaches Agreement with Jim’s on the Course

Published on 2012-04-12 13:04:39

The City of Alameda announced this week that it has reached a 25 year lease agreement with Jim’s on the Course at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex. According to a media release provided by the City of Alameda, the agreement will allow Tom Geanekos, the owner of Jim’s, to renovate and expand by [...] > read more

Residents Push Back on Public Works, Allege False Filings with Feds

Published on 2012-04-11 15:48:09

A group of east-end Alameda residents is pushing back on a City of Alameda Public Works plan to modify a neighborhood intersection, amidst allegations of false statements on federal grant applications. The intersection in question is that of Gibbons Drive and Northwood Drive and Southwood Drive, just north of Lincoln Avenue. The City [...] > read more

Alameda Municipal Power Budget Workshop, Rate Increase, Next Monday

Published on 2012-04-10 10:44:53

Alameda Municipal Power, a city-owned utility, will host a public budget workshop next Monday, April 16, in advance of finalizing its 2012/2013 fiscal year budget. The budget workshop will begin at 4 p.m. at the Alameda Main Library at 1550 Oak Street; utility staff will present its proposed 2013 fiscal year budget to [...] > read more

Questions abound as districts shift to merit pay for teachers

Published on 2012-04-09 16:09:34

By Scott Elliott, The Hechinger Report Raymond Park Intermediate Academy Principal Ryan Russell sits in on the fifth-grade classroom of Jen Hess for a three- to five-minute “walk through” evaluation of her class. If your child’s teacher seems a little bit on edge this year, it might not be your imagination. Education [...] > read more

Update on Golf Complex Finances Tomorrow

Published on 2012-04-09 11:54:59

The Alameda Golf Commission will get an update on the golf complex finances tomorrow from Kemper Sports. According to the staff report, revenue is up. Revenue for February was $260,775, up $76,925 from the same month in 2011. Golfers played 8,488 rounds in February, up 2,296 rounds from the same month in the [...] > read more

City of Alameda to Receive $271,135 Federal Grant for Wildland Firefighting Equipment

Published on 2012-04-06 13:02:52

On April 17th, Alameda City Council will consider a staff recommendation to appropriate $54,227 in matching funds from the City’s general fund to secure a $271,135 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program for the Replacement of of Wildland Firefighting Personal Protective Equipment and Firefighter Survival Training. [...] > read more

Issuing Bonds Against Measure C will Increase the Cost of All Purchases

Published on 2012-04-06 10:45:05

Dear Editor, When I was Vice-Mayor and advocating for a new fire station on Bay Farm Island (BFI), I walked into the old BFI station for a tour. I was greeted by firefighters in lounge chairs watching pornography. They got all the cable channels. Their full kitchen and living quarters were better than [...] > read more

Alameda Police Focusing on Distracted Driving This Month

Published on 2012-04-05 22:37:38

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has designated the month of April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Alameda Police will be focusing on distracted driving all this month. The most common distractions while driving observed by Alameda Police are: talking or texting on mobile phones, using smartphone maps, eating, applying make-up, [...] > read more

Alameda Municipal Power Says Birds and Balloons Cause of Last Night’s Power Outages

Published on 2012-04-04 16:48:47

Alameda Municipal Power spokesperson Bill Garvine said that birds and mylar balloons were the cause of power blips and outages that affected Alameda last night. Not all the details were confirmed, but Mr. Garvine said a “blip” at 10:11 p.m. affected about 1,000 east-end customers, and a roughly four hour outage began at [...] > read more

Special City of Alameda Budget Meeting Planned for May 8th

Published on 2012-04-04 16:01:14

At a Kiwanis Club luncheon meeting today, Alameda City Manager John Russo said that at a special budget meeting planned for May 8th, city staff will present to council a plan to address the city’s general fund deficit through fiscal year 2015/2016. A handout provided by Mr. Russo indicated a budget deficit of [...] > read more

Q&A with Steve Barr: Lessons from charter schools in L.A. and New Orleans

Published on 2012-04-04 13:13:50

by Sarah Carr, Hechinger Report. Reprinted with permission. Steve Barr has often found himself in the minority as a charter school founder who supports teacher unionization, albeit of a transformed nature. About 12 percent of charter schools nationally employ unionized teachers, according to recent data from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. [...] > read more

Alameda Teachers Reject Tentative Bargaining Agreement

Published on 2012-04-03 12:43:50

Updated: April 3rd, 12:26 p.m. – AUSD Superintendent Kirsten Vital comments on union rejection of agreement. Late last week, Alameda teachers rejected a tentative agreement with the Alameda Unified School District that would have provided them a 1 percent raise for the 2011-2012 school year, and kept K-3 class sizes at 25. A [...] > read more

Rain Bumps Spring Egg Scramble

Published on 2012-04-02 12:24:55

Wet and wild weather on Saturday forced the City of Alameda to re-schedule the Spring Egg Scramble for this coming Saturday, April 7th. The free event is now scheduled to take place this Saturday, April 7th, at 10 a.m. at Crab Cove. There will be arts and crafts, photos with the Easter bunny [...] > read more

Alameda Police Shoot, Kill Pitbull

Published on 2012-04-01 22:21:55

Alameda Police said tonight that an officer shot and killed a pitbull dog on the 3200 block of Fiji Lane after responding to a report of a disturbance. The Alameda Police Department said that at about 5:45 p.m. on Sunday evening, police responded to a call from an adult male reporting that his [...] > read more

Alameda County Transportation Tax Increase, Extension, on Ballot in November

Published on 2012-03-30 10:18:57

In addition to Measure C in June, and a State of California Sales Tax Increase in November, voters in Alameda and environs will also have a chance to vote in November on a transportation tax increase sponsored by the Alameda County Transportation Commission. The measure would double the Alameda County “Measure B” half-cent [...] > read more

City-sponsored Easter Egg Scramble at Crab Cove on Saturday

Published on 2012-03-28 23:15:33

The annual City of Alameda-sponsored (Easter) egg scramble will be held this Saturday at Crab Cove at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach. The event is free to the public and begins at 10 a.m. and runs to 11:40 a.m. In the event of rain, a “rain or shine” make-up event will be held [...] > read more

Special Alameda City Council Meeting Next Week

Published on 2012-03-28 23:10:58

Alameda City Council will hold a special meeting next Tuesday, April 3rd, at 6pm, in the City Council Chambers conference room. The closed-session items for discussion are: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – EXISTING LITIGATION (54956.9) Name of Case: Liz Williams v. City Council, et al. Superior Court of California, Alameda County Case No. [...] > read more

Alameda Police Search for Alleged Cosmetics Thieves

Published on 2012-03-27 16:40:39

Alameda Police are looking for a man and a woman alleged to have stole over $1000 in cosmetics from the CVS drug store at Harbor Bay Landing Shopping Center. According to police, a man and woman entered the store on the afternoon of Saturday, March 24th, and placed over 130 items in a [...] > read more

511 Trip Planner Released as an iPhone App

Published on 2012-03-27 07:01:51

A free 511 Transit App for the iPhone is now available on the iPhone App Store. An Apple iTunes account is required to download the application. A version for Android phones is also available on Google Play. According to a statement from the Metropolitan Transit Commission, “he app provides door-to-door transit trip planning [...] > read more

City of Alameda Approves Housing Authority Deregulation

Published on 2012-03-26 22:06:01

By Erica Madison Starting April 22, 2012 the Housing Authority will become an independent organization. The details were ironed out at a Special City Council meeting on Tuesday March 20, 2012. In order for the Housing Authority to become an independent entity, Alameda City Council had to relinquish their roles as the Board [...] > read more

School District Reaches Tentative Agreement With Teachers

Published on 2012-03-26 07:01:54

The Alameda Unified School District says that it has reached a tentative labor agreement with the bargaining unit representing teachers in the district. According to a release provided to the media on Friday by Kerri Lonergan, Superintendent’s Assistant for AUSD, negotiating teams for both the district and the Alameda Education Association reached an [...] > read more

Approval of $7.7 Billion Transportation Tax Measure Delayed by Alameda City Council

Published on 2012-03-23 15:06:16

By Erica Madison Alameda County Transportation Commission presented their thirty year one-cent tax proposal to Alameda City Council on Tuesday March 20, 2012, but Alameda City Councilmember Lena Tam pushed to delay the council’s decision, citing “a lack of education” as the reason. The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) wants to update measure [...] > read more

Public Meetings on Single-Use Bag Reduction Ordinance

Published on 2012-03-20 11:18:40

Recently, the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA) adopted an ordinance to reduce the use of plastic bags provided by stores. The City of Alameda almost opted out of the program, but, in the end, did not. Now, the City of Alameda Public Works Department will hold two public meetings on the matter. [...] > read more

Upcoming Hearing on State Budget Impact on Subsidized Child Care and Early Education

Published on 2012-03-19 07:01:11

On Wednesday, there will be a meeting where Alameda County representatives will discuss with the public the impacts of state budget cuts on subsidized child care and early education. Alameda resident Caroline Topee, who has worked in the past to preserve the services provided by the Woodstock Child Development Center told Action Alameda [...] > read more

West-end Commuters to Get Caffeine Relief When Starbucks Re-opens

Published on 2012-03-16 09:28:37

Monday morning should be a better day for commuters in the West end of Alameda, as the Starbucks at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Webster is set to re-open. The store was closed roughly 10 days ago for renovation and expansion, after the neighboring Togo’s sandwich shop closed. A spokesperson for [...] > read more

City of Oakland Denies Pot Dispensary Proposed Near High Street Bridge

Published on 2012-03-15 13:20:40

The City of Alameda alerted the media today that an application for a cannabis dispensary proposed in the City of Oakland at 4709 Tidewater Avenue, near the High Street bridge in Alameda’s East end, was denied. The location set off alarm bells with some Alameda residents, who objected to the club’s proximity to [...] > read more

Alameda’s Wind River Receives Customer Excellence Award

Published on 2012-03-15 11:40:49

Wind River, and Alameda-based technology company, announced this week that it has been awarded a MarketTools Achievement in Customer Excellence award. According to a company statement, to be eligible for the award, contenders must have conducted one or more surveys to assess customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, or partner satisfaction between October 1, 2010 [...] > read more

Estuary Crossing Shuttle Funded for Another Year

Published on 2012-03-13 10:32:27

The City of Alameda Public Works Department has announced that the San Francisco Bay Area Air Quality Management District has granted a second year of funding for the Estuary Crossing Shuttle. The shuttle runs between West Alameda and downtown Oakland, and is designed to help pedestrians and bicyclists overcome the challenge of getting [...] > read more

Federal Education Data Shows Racial Disparities in Alameda Schools

Published on 2012-03-12 07:01:06

Released last week, new federal education data highlights stark disparities among students of different races in a school district that promises “excellence & equity for all students.” The conclusions come from an analysis of data by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. According to ProPublica, which provided the story we [...] > read more

Alameda Firefighters Hire Media Relations Consultant

Published on 2012-03-10 16:04:32

In the wake of the controversy over the drowning death of Raymond Zack, when first responders stood on the beach while the Alameda resident drowned in shallow water last year, the Alameda Firefighters union, IAFF Local 689, has apparently hired media relations consultant. The website for Duffy & Capitolo, a political campaign management [...] > read more

Alameda’s Coast Guard Island Participates in Naval Research Lab Satellite Test

Published on 2012-03-09 10:03:30

The United States Naval Research Laboratory announced today that the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, participated in a successful experiment with the laboratory’s TacSat-4 communications satellite on January 24th, by communicating with Coast Guard cutter Healy in the Bering Sea, roughly 260 nautical miles south of the Arctic [...] > read more

Alameda City Council Puts Sales Tax Increase on the Ballot

Published on 2012-03-08 10:14:07

Alameda City Council voted last night to put a one-half percent local sales tax increase on the ballot, increasing the tax to 9.25 percent. The stated purpose of the tax is to pay for a number of items, including a new police vehicle fleet, a new emergency operations center, a new 50-meter swimming [...] > read more

Alameda City Council Rejects Mif Albright Land Swap Proposal

Published on 2012-03-07 11:12:26

Last night, Alameda City Council voted 5 to 0 to reject a controversial land swap deal that would have seen developer Ron Cowan build 130 new homes built on a portion of the Chuck Corica Golf Complex. Mary Theresa Anderson, President of Protect Our Alameda Parks, told Action Alameda News, “I am very [...] > read more

School of Hard Knocks: Fed Education Data Shows Racial Disparities, Unequal Opportunity

Published on 2012-03-06 13:28:00

by Marian Wang ProPublica, March 6, 2012, 1:25 p.m. Eastern Schools serving the most black and Hispanic students are less likely to offer rigorous subjects such as calculus and physics and more likely to employ teachers with only a year or two of experience. Those findings come from a new data analysis [...] > read more

Mif Albright Swap Proposal Before Alameda City Council Again Tonight

Published on 2012-03-06 10:37:34

The controversial question of a proposal to turn over a portion of the Chuck Corica Golf Complex to local developer Ron Cowan will be considered by Alameda City Council tonight. Mr. Cowan has proposed exchanging undevelopable land his firm owns on North Loop Road for a portion of the golf complex, where he [...] > read more

Earthquake Wakes Alameda at 5:33 AM

Published on 2012-03-05 08:08:50

The East Bay, including Alameda, was shaken by a magnitude 4.0 earthquake this morning just after 5:30 am. The US Geological Service put the epicenter of the quake 1 mile north of El Cerrito, and 5.5 miles deep. By 6:00 am, over 140 Alameda residents had filed a report with the service. > read more

Alameda Sales Tax Increase Proposal is a Rush to Folly

Published on 2012-03-05 06:01:54

A letter from Action Alameda News publisher David Howard. Alameda City Manager John Russo’s proposal to increase the sales tax rate in Alameda to 9.25 percent won’t solve the current general fund deficit problem, and is not likely to raise the money to pay for all his promises in a meaningful time frame. What’s [...] > read more

Alameda City Council Holds Private Town Hall Meeting for Pro-Swap supporters

Published on 2012-03-04 06:01:47

By Erica Madison The Mif Albright swap forces a race against time, between members of Alameda City Council and the citizen action group Protect Our Alameda Parks. There is a lot of opposition against the Mif Albright swap for North Loop Road property. The Protect Our Alameda Parks citizens’ action group was created [...] > read more

Alameda Citizens Debate Over Winners and Losers in Mif Albright Swap (Part 1)

Published on 2012-03-03 13:46:50

By Erica Madison Golf, youth sports, traffic increases, infrastructure pressures and $7.2 million dollars have divided Alameda Citizens; a passionate debate leaves children as the common denominator in the middle of it all. Section 22-12 of the Alameda City Charter says: public parks cannot be sold without a vote of the public, except [...] > read more

Alameda Citizens Debate Over Winners and Losers in Mif Albright Swap (Part 2)

Published on 2012-03-03 13:46:17

By Erica Madison [Go back to Part 1] Bail’s dream come true is actually a nightmare for the opposition. Jane Sullwold, who is president of the Golf Commission has many reasons for her opposition. Here’s the problem the Mif Albright Swap presents: The City of Alameda will give the Chuck Corica Golf Complex [...] > read more

City to Kick-in Another $46,154 to Corrupted Social Services Agency

Published on 2012-03-02 10:06:17

Alameda City Council will vote next week on a recommendation from City Manager John Russo to contribute another $46,154 to the winding down of the Alameda County Associated Community Action Program, a social services agency that failed last year and whose executive director has been charged with felony grand theft and misuse of public [...] > read more

Alameda City Manager John Russo to put 1/2% Sales Tax Hike Before Council on March 7th

Published on 2012-02-29 19:12:32

Alameda City Manager John Russo will present his idea for one-half of one-percent sales tax hike to Alameda City Council on March 7th. Will it help or hurt Alameda? The current sales tax rate in Alameda is 8.75 percent and the one-half percent would take that rate to over 9 percent. Mr. Russo [...] > read more

Police Seek Help in Identifying Metro PCS Theft Suspect

Published on 2012-02-29 18:16:39

Alameda police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who took items from Metro PCS on February 20th. Police allege that the man in the photographs below, whose name is unknown to them, twice entered Metro PCS offices at Marina Village Parkway on February 20th and stole a number of [...] > read more

Alameda: More taxes, Higher Fees and Less Services to Bridge $4.4 million Deficit in 2012-2013

Published on 2012-02-29 10:14:19

By Erica Madison “We’re cutting out the bone marrow now. I don’t think we can absorb more cuts, City Councilmember Lena Tam said, at the second special City Council five year budget forecast meeting. The City of Alameda is facing hard decisions in terms of generating enough money to prevent dipping below their [...] > read more

Parks Protectors Proceed With Ballot Initiative

Published on 2012-02-29 06:01:36

Citing Alameda City Council’s refusal last week to place an initiative on the ballot to tighten restrictions on the sale of city-owned park land, “Protect our Alameda Parks” is moving forward to collect signatures to put it on the ballot themselves. A circular from the group notes that they have already begun gathering [...] > read more

Alameda Planning Board Approves Landscape and Open Space Plan for Target Retail Center

Published on 2012-02-28 13:29:59

Last night, the Alameda Planning board approved a resolution, with conditions, allowing the Alameda Landing retail center, which includes plans for a Target discount department store, to go forward. The conditions centered mostly around changes to landscaping, the pedestrian experience, and signage plans. City of Alameda Planning Services Manager Andrew Thomas promised [...] > read more

Alameda Hospital Sued for Medical Malpractice

Published on 2012-02-28 10:42:54

Last week, a medical malpractice lawsuit against Alameda Hospital was filed in Alameda County Superior Court, claiming damages of less than $10,000. Plaintiff Paul Simms claims that on August 20th, 2011, he was at Alameda Hospital for x-rays, and asked to sit down because he felt dizzy and faint. “At this time, plaintiff [...] > read more

Alameda Resident Drives Introduction of Fertility Equality Legislation in Sacramento

Published on 2012-02-27 06:01:06

Last Friday, California 14th Assembly District representative Nancy Skinner introduced assembly bill AB 2356 into the state legislature. The bill would ensure that single women and same-sex female couples using a known sperm donor would have the same access to fertility services as heterosexual women seeking to conceive using a male partner, and the [...] > read more

Bank of Alameda Parent Company Posts Fourth Quarter Profit

Published on 2012-02-24 15:34:19

This week, NorCal Community Bancorp, the parent company of the Bank of Alameda, reported a 2011 fourth quarter profit of $205,000 or $0.02 per share, fully diluted. The quarter compares favorably with the same period in 2010, when the company reported a net loss of $2.0 million or ($0.27) per share. For 2011, [...] > read more

Poetry Tomorrow at Frank Bette Center for the Arts

Published on 2012-02-24 11:54:54

As part of its ongoing “4th Saturday Poetry & Prose Reading Series,” host Jeanne Lupton will feature two poets tomorrow at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts. Luke Warm Water of Oakland has been featured at the Geraldine R. Dodge poetry festival and was the first spoken-word poet to receive an Archibald [...] > read more

Alameda City Council Declines to Put Parks Protection Initiative on the Ballot

Published on 2012-02-23 11:19:58

At Tuesday’s Alameda City Council meeting, the council refused a request from member Doug deHaan to put an initiative on the November ballot that would tighten restrictions on the city’s ability to sell or exchange park land. Earlier this month, residents had filed an intent to circulate a petition with Alameda City Hall [...] > read more

Samsung Selects Wind River for Android Smartphone Development and Testing

Published on 2012-02-22 09:42:38

Wind River, an Alameda-based technology company owned by Intel, announced yesterday that Samsung Electronics is using its software for development and testing on Android smartphones. Android is a smartphone operating system produced by Google that, when paired with a mobile phone handset, competes with Apple’s iPhone. Samsung is using Wind River’s Framework for [...] > read more

Alameda City Hall Busy With Parks Initiative, Living Wage Ordinance Idea

Published on 2012-02-21 21:23:15

Alameda City Hall was busy tonight with two distinct groups assembling to voice support for councilmember referral issues. “Protect our Parks” supporters gathered for a rally at Alameda City Hall to support a councilmember referral that would tighten restrictions on the sale or exchange of city park land. The movement behind the initiative [...] > read more

San Francisco Bay Bridge Opens Well in Advance of Tuesday Morning Commute

Published on 2012-02-20 22:06:42

The westbound deck of the San Francisco Bay Bridge re-opened at 7:00 p.m. Sunday night, 34 hours ahead of schedule. The westbound lanes of the bridge closed at 8:00 p.m. Friday evening to allow CalTrans to complete work that adjusted the westbound approach southward, to facilitate ongoing work on the Oakland touchdown of [...] > read more

Alameda Tongue Twisters Toastmasters Club to Hold Open House

Published on 2012-02-20 06:02:55

Alameda Tongue Twisters, a local public speaking and leadership skills club sanctioned by Toastmasters International, will host an open house tomorrow for guests who are interested in learning more about Toastmasters or becoming members. Kellie Wood, a current member and Secretary for the club, said, “What sets Toastmasters apart from other leadership training [...] > read more

Special Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday

Published on 2012-02-18 16:33:14

The Alameda Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. In closed session, the board will discuss labor negotiations with teachers and other staff, and a lawsuit against the district identified only as “J.J. v. AUSD.” The board will also discuss certificated layoff issues, including [...] > read more

Delivery Service Fills Pot Hole in Alameda

Published on 2012-02-17 06:01:04

Following the shutdown of the Purple Elephant medical marijuana dispensary on Webster Street, and controversy over a new dispensary in Oakland in the vicinity of the High Street bridge comes word of a collective that offers to deliver to Alameda. On a “find your bud” medicinal marijuana dispensary locating website, the Greenline Collective [...] > read more

Median Home Prices in Alameda County Dropped in January

Published on 2012-02-16 09:49:05

According to data released today by the California Association of Realtors, median home prices in Alameda County dropped 9 percent from the same month a year ago. For January 2012, the median home price in Alameda County was $395,830, down 12 percent from December 2011, and down 9 percent from January 2011, when [...] > read more

Last Transbay Bus Tomorrow Night at 8:30 p.m.

Published on 2012-02-16 06:01:43

The last transbay bus from San Francisco to the East Bay until Tuesday night will leave at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night, in advance of the Bay Bridge closure. The westbound deck of the Bay Bridge will be closed through the weekend as CalTrans makes modifications to accommodate the new eastern span. The bridge [...] > read more

Signal Timing Initiative Should Boost Mobility, Reduce Emissions

Published on 2012-02-15 13:52:59

The Program for Arterial System Synchronization (PASS) program, a joint effort of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), in partnership with Caltrans and local governments, is coming to Alameda to improve streetlight signal timing. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, in a media announcement yesterday, said that $1.25 million was spent on 339 traffic signals in [...] > read more

Judge Throws Out SunCal’s $100 million Claim Against City of Alameda

Published on 2012-02-14 14:01:00

This morning, the City of Alameda announced that a federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit claim by former would-be Alameda Point developer SunCal, which had sued the city for $100 million in lost profits. According to a prepared statement from Alameda City Hall, United States District Court Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the [...] > read more

Overnight Murder-Suicide on Alameda Avenue

Published on 2012-02-14 09:45:58

Two lovers are dead this Valentines Day morning after an apparent murder-suicide on the 2100 block of Alameda Avenue last night. Alameda police say that last night around 6:36 p.m. they received reports of gunshots on the 2100 block of Alameda Avenue. When they arrived, police found a 30 year-old Alameda woman and [...] > read more

Environmental Group to go Door-to-door in Alameda

Published on 2012-02-14 06:01:34

Forests Forever, a non-profit and environmental lobby will be soliciting door-to-door in Alameda through March 31st. Alameda police received a courteously notice from the group who will be soliciting until 9:00 p.m. during the week and until 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Door-to-door soliciting can be a concern for residents, particularly in Alameda which [...] > read more

Alameda City Hall Offering Valentines Day, Leap Day, Weddings

Published on 2012-02-13 06:01:11

Alameda City Hall is offering Valentines Day wedding ceremonies tomorrow. Frugal grooms may want to defer to February 29th of this year, when Alameda City Hall offers “The Groom’s Special” – wedding ceremonies on a date that provides an anniversary only once very four years. Alameda City Hall had eleven wedding ceremonies on [...] > read more

Action Alameda News to Live Tweet Alameda Police Department Ride-along

Published on 2012-02-10 09:46:34

Follow Action Alameda News tomorrow, Saturday, February 11th, from 2pm to 6pm, as we live-tweet during a ride-along in a patrol car courtesy of the Alameda Police Department. You can listen to police dispatches here, and follow Action Alameda News tweets on Twitter. > read more

Group Files to Circulate Petition Blocking Swap of Park Land

Published on 2012-02-10 09:39:31

An Alameda group has filed a notice of intent to circulate a petition to modify Alameda’s City Charter to prevent the exchange of park land without voter approval. The move was prompted by a proposal to exchange a portion of the Chuck Corica Golf Complex with developer Ron Cowan. In a prepared statement, [...] > read more

Alameda City Manager Proposes Budget Cuts Across Departments

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

By Erica Madison Fire, Police, Public Works, Libraries, Parks and Administrative services in City Hall, will all receive a budget cut. According to acting City Manager Lisa Goldman at last week’s special joint meeting of the Alameda City Counc > read more

City of Alameda Calls for Independent Investigation Into Raymond Zack Incident

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

A City of Alameda press release distributed to the media late today says that Alameda City Council unanimously called for an “independent review” into the Memorial Day drowning of Raymond Zack. However, there was no formal vote at last ni > read more

City of Alameda Cancels Workshop on Managing the Unexpected

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The City of Alameda has canceled a workshop, “Managing the Unexpected,” previously scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, at the Alameda Main Library. No explanation was given for the cancellation, and the City did not provide a future date for > read more

Alameda Deputy Fire Chief Says Budget Cuts Are Not the Reason Man Drowned

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

By Erica Madison In a telephone interview with Alameda’s acting Deputy Fire Chief Daren Olson, the Deputy Chief said the Fire department’s budget cuts in no way impacted their decision to watch 52-year-old Raymond Zack drown. For a week now the > read more

Alameda Residents Cry for Criminal Prosecution Over Beach Drowning Tragedy

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

By Erica Madison Last week, Alameda residents expressed their anger over the Robert Crown Memorial Beach drowning at a special joint meeting of the Alameda City Council, Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority and Community Improvement Commission. > read more

Action Alameda News Launches The Raymond Zack Project

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Over the weekend, Action Alameda News launched the Raymond Zack Project, an ongoing inquiry into the unfortunate death of Alameda resident Raymond Zack at Robert Crown Memorial Beach on Memorial Day, 2011, while police officers and firefighters looke > read more

Alameda Fire Department Planned and Budgeted for Eight Emergency Water Rescue Responses this Year

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Detailed department-by-department budget documents available on the City of Alameda’s website indicate that the Alameda Fire Department was budgeting and planning for eight emergency water rescue responses in Fiscal Year 2010/11 and ten in Fisc > read more

Rescue Boats Stood Ready, but Alameda Never Requested Them

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

According to the Alameda County Fire Department, County rescue boats stand ready in San Leandro, but contrary to an Alameda Police Department press release earlier this week, Alameda public safety officials never asked for them to be dispatched in re > read more

Alameda Fire Department Memo Contradicts Department Claims

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

A memo produced for the media by Interim Alameda Fire Department Chief Mike D’Orazi to defend firefighters’ actions on Crown Beach this past Memorial Day, when police and firefighters watched for over an hour as Alameda resident Raymond Z > read more

Alameda Point Sustainability Workshop

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The City of Alameda issued a press release this morning reminding citizens that it’s workshop, “How to Make Alameda Point a Sustainable Community” will take place June 14th at the Albert H. DeWitt O’Club, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:3 > read more

House Fire Blocks Central Avenue

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

A house fire blocked Central Avenue at St. Charles today in Alameda at around 6:15 p.m. At least six fire trucks and engines responded to the scene. The fire seemed to be out when Action Alameda News arrived, but westbound Central Avenue drivers wer > read more

Pictures from La Val’s Pizza 8th Annual Car Show

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Action Alameda News captured these pictures below, today, from the first of two events in La Val’s Pizza 8th annual car show series at the Harbor Bay Shopping Plaza. Jerry Clancy of Alameda had just finished buffing his ’56 Chevy Bel Air > read more

City Promises Policy Changes in Wake of Beach Death

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The City of Alameda is promising policy changes at the Alameda Fire Department in the wake of the death of an Alameda resident who evidently took his own life by standing in the waters of the San Francisco Bay 150 yards from the shore of Robert Crown > read more

Annexation of City of Alameda into Alameda County Emergency Medical Services District Moves Forward

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda property owners have a chance to protest the proposed annexation of of the City of Alameda into the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) District. If the annexation goes through, residential property owners will see a new fee of $2 > read more

Alameda Point Infrastructure Upgrades to Cost $650 million

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda Point infrastructure upgrades are estimated to cost $650 million, excluding public benefits such as a sports complex and public library, according to a City of Alameda presentation delivered to the public via webinar on May 18th. The presenta > read more

City Moves to Evict Nelson’s Marine From Alameda Point

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The City of Alameda, through the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority, has moved to evict Nelson’s Marine from Alameda Point for failure to pay rent. Attorneys for the City filed an unlawful detainer action with Alameda County Superior Co > read more

Group Holds Second Community Forum on City of Alameda Budget

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Last night, at the Alameda Main Library, the community group “Alameda Citizens Task Force” (ACT) held its second workshop on the Alameda city budget. Alameda City Treasurer, Kevin Kennedy and Alameda City Auditor, Kevin Kearney were on ha > read more

Alameda Unified School District Scores a D+ on Serving Minorities and Low-Income Students

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

A new report from The Education Trust—West called “A Report Card on District Achievement: How Low-income, African-American and Latino Students Far in California School Districts” gives the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) a poor o > read more

Bank of Alameda Closes Bay Farm Island Branch

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The Bank of Alameda has closed its branch at Harbor Bay Shopping Plaza on Bay Farm Island. A recent visit revealed that the former branch had been mostly cleaned out, and signs posted on the doors. One sign announced that the branch was closed, and > read more

Kapler Lawsuit, Lawrence Berkeley Labs Proposal on Closed-Session Agenda Tomorrow

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Tomorrow night in closed-session, Alameda City Council will conference with legal counsel, and real property negotiators, regarding the lawsuit against the City filed by former Alameda Fire Chief David Kapler, and the City’s proposal to host La > read more

Mayor Gilmore Appoints Mike Henneberry, David Burton, to Planning Board

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

At Tuesday’s Alameda City Council meeting, Mayor Marie Gilmore nominated Mike Henneberry and David Burton to the two vacant positions on the Planning Board. David Burton is a founding member of CASA (Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda) > read more

Alameda Municipal Power Says Nuveen Lawsuit Dismissed

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda Municipal Power and the City of Alameda announced yesterday that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has dismissed a more than $15 million lawsuit against the City for losses that investors incurred with the demise > read more

Councilmember Lena Tam to Sue City of Alameda?

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda City Council will meet in closed session tonight to discuss an item that suggests that Alameda City Councilmember Lena Tam may sue the City of Alameda to recover legal expenses she incurred defending herself last year against allegations of o > read more

Forum Tonight on De-Mystifying the City Budget

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The Alameda Citizen’s Task Force is sponsoring a forum tonight on the City of Alameda’s budget, with City Treasurer Kevin Kennedy and City Auditor Kevin Kearney. Billed as an “explanation of the Alameda city budget – where we > read more

City of Alameda to Consider Mandatory Recycling Rules for Commercial Buildings

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The City of Alameda is considering implementing recycling regulations that would be mandatory for commercial and multi-family buildings. To that end, the City will hold two community meetings for businesses and multi-family property owners. The City > read more

Where are the cops?

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Action Alameda News received this letter before noon on Monday, May 16th. Dear Editor: Where are the cops when people are speeding down every street (including in school zones), running red lights and stop signs, and failing to stop for pedestrians? > read more

Frank Bette Center Call for Art

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The Frank Bette Center for the Arts has put the call out for submissions for its “Rhymes with Orange” exhibit, June 3rd to July 30th. Receiving day is Sunday, May 29th at the Center. The themes for this exhibit include the color orange, > read more

AC Transit Approves Fare Increase

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The AC Transit Board of Directors has approved a fare increase that automatically raises fares at regular intervals over a 10-year period. Action Alameda News previously reported on the proposed increases last month. The transit agency announced the > read more

Early Morning Service This Sunday to a Subdued Bay to Breakers Run

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The Oakland/Alameda Ferry will offer early morning ferry service this Sunday, May 15th, for the Bay to Breakers run in San Francisco. The event this year promises to be more subdued after a crackdown on public intoxication along the route. The speci > read more

Alameda Point on Short-List for Lawrence Berkeley National Labs Second Campus

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Earlier this week, the City of Alamada announced that the City’s proposed site at Alameda Point was one of the finalists for a second campus for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The LBNL main campus is located in the Berkeley > read more

Dr. Deutsch Responds to Latest Allegations

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Yesterday, Action Alameda News published a letter regarding allegations against Alameda Hospital’s Dr. Robert Deutsch. By press time, Dr. Deutsch had not responded to a request for comment on the allegations. However, after publication, we rece > read more

Allegations of Abuse of Power and Conflict of Interest Against Alameda Hospital’s Dr. Robert Deutsch

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Last week, Action Alameda News received a copy, for publication, of a letter, below, addressed to the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors. Action Alameda News tried to reach Dr. Robert Deutsch of Alameda Hospital for comment but we’ > read more

City to Kick-off Alameda Point Workshop Series, Including Webinar on Financing Redevelopment

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

The City of Alameda is starting a fresh round of workshops to educate the public about Alameda Point redevelopment, including a May 18th Internet webinar covering the “financial basics” of redeveloping Alameda Point. According to a state > read more

Schools to Face Cuts Despite Measure A Win

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

In an April community newsletter, released to the press yesterday, Alameda Unified School District Superintendent Kirsten Vital warned that the school district still faces program cuts despite the passage of Measure A in March. “The unfortunat > read more

Alameda City Council Names John Russo City Manager

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

At a special closed meeting last night, Alameda City Council approved a contract naming John Russo as Alameda’s City Manager. Russo is currently the Oakland City Attorney. Russo will start with an annual salary of $215,000 that will rise on hit > read more

City to Restructure Boards and Commissions

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

A staff recommendation before Alameda City Council tonight would fold the Alameda Film Commission into the Economic Development Commission, and the Public Art Commission into the Planning Board. The report justifies it on the basis of cost-savings. > read more

Michele Ellson Shutters “The Island”

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Last Friday, local independent reporter Michele Ellson announced that she is shuttering her news website, “The Island.” “After more than three years of being your daily local news source,” she wrote, “The Island is shut > read more

City of Alameda to Buy John Patrick’s Bar

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Next Tuesday, Alameda City Council will consider a resolution authorizing the city manager to purchase John Patrick’s Bar at 1813 Park Street, which has gone into tax default. The City plans to buy the property for the price of the defaulted ta > read more

Oakland City Attorney John Russo Set to be Named Alameda City Manager

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Agenda documents for next week’s City Council meeting show that the City of Alameda is set to appoint Oakland City Attorney John Russo as Alameda’s latest City Manager. In last year’s council election, Russo contributed money to May > read more

SunCal and City of Alameda Move to Resolve Lawsuits Through Mediation

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Court filings in federal court and Alameda County Superior Court this month show that the City of Alameda and SunCal will try to resolve SunCal’s Alameda Point and California Public Records Act lawsuits, respectively, against the City of Alamed > read more

AC Transit Set to Raise Fares

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

AC Transit is set to raise fares in August. The agency will hear public comments on proposed fare structures and increases tomorrow at its downtown Oakland office. Under the proposal, local adult youth rates would rise from the current $2.00 to $2.5 > read more

Jessica Robinson to Help Raise Awareness of Breast Cancer though Orange County Pageant

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Jessica Robinson, an Alameda resident and actor who has participated multiple times in the Miss California USA pageant as “Miss Alameda,” will participate this year in the “Real Crown Champion: Ms. and Mrs. Orange County Regional Pa > read more

Monday’s Planning Board Meeting Jam-packed

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda’s planning board faces a full agenda this coming Monday. At least two items should be of broad interest to Alameda residents. Item 9-C covers the City of Alameda’s response to a joint Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) an > read more

Former Fire Chief David Kapler Lawsuit Against the City of Alameda

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

On April 14th, former Alameda Fire Chief David Kapler filed a lawsuit against the City of Alameda, and others, for wrongful termination, breach of contract, defamation and other causes, over his dismissal from the City of Alameda late last year. In h > read more

The Otaez Series – Part VII

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As part of a week-long series, Action Alameda News is publishing photographs from Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2nd, 2010, election party at Otaez Restaurant on Webster Street in Alameda. The pictures were downloaded from Mayor Gilmore’s > read more

Former Firefighter Wins $680,000 Judgment Against City of Alameda

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

In a case that dates back to 2006, a former City of Alameda firefighter has won a judgment of just over $680,000 in a wrongful dismissal suit against the City of Alameda. The jury verdict comes after an appellate court reversed an earlier decision in > read more

The Otaez Series – Part VI

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As part of a week-long series, Action Alameda News is publishing photographs from Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2nd, 2010, election party at Otaez Restaurant on Webster Street in Alameda. The pictures were downloaded from Mayor Gilmore’s > read more

Murder on Buena Vista

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda police responding to reports of a disturbance on the 500 block of Buena Vista Avenue just before noon this morning arrived to find an adult male dead, apparently of gunshot wounds. One man was detained at the scene and is being questioned as > read more

The Otaez Series – Part V

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

CORRECTION: In a photograph caption in yesterday’s posting in this series, we incorrectly identified Jon Spangler as a member of the City’s City Manager citizen selection committee. The caption has been corrected. We regret the error and > read more

The Otaez Series – Part IV

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As part of a week-long series, Action Alameda News is publishing photographs from Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2nd, 2010, election party at Otaez Restaurant on Webster Street in Alameda. The pictures were downloaded from Mayor Gilmore’s > read more

Alameda Firefighters Threaten Legal Action Over “Otaez Series”

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

This morning, the president of the local firefighters union, Domenick Weaver, president of IAFF Local 689, asked Action Alameda News to remove, on threat of legal action, the pictures of Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2010 election party, poste > read more

The Otaez Series – Part III

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As part of a week-long series, Action Alameda News is publishing photographs from Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2nd, 2010, election party at Otaez Restaurant on Webster Street in Alameda. The pictures were downloaded from Mayor Gilmore’s > read more

The Otaez Series – Part II

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As part of a week-long series, Action Alameda News is publishing photographs from Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2nd, 2010, election party at Otaez Restaurant on Webster Street in Alameda. The pictures were downloaded from Mayor Gilmore > read more

Alameda Earth Day Festival

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda’s Earth Day festival at Washington Park was sparsely attended this year, however visitors that did come enjoyed clear skies, balmy temperatures and entertainment. Sponsored by the City of Alameda and Alameda Municipal Power, the event > read more

The Otaez Series – Part I

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As part of a week-long series, Action Alameda News is publishing photographs from Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore’s November 2nd, 2010, election party at Otaez Restaurant on Webster Street in Alameda. The pictures were downloaded from Mayor Gilmore > read more

Minor Sues City of Alameda and Alameda Unified School District for Injuries

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Through her guardian, an Alameda child has filed suit against the City of Alameda, the Alameda Unified School District, and a city employee for injuries she sustained after the employee, Joey Ogden, allegedly fell on the child during playground game > read more

Local Actor Jessica Robinson in Newly Released Hip Hop Video

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Local actor Jessica Robinson appears in a newly released video, “Bad Girl,” by Pleasure Ellis and produced by MC Hammer. The new video was released early this week. Like MC Hammer, Ms. Robinson was born in Oakland, however, she now calls > read more

League of Women Voters Charges $10 for Access to Elected Officials

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore donated her time and accessibility to the Alameda League of Women Voters tonight, at a fundraiser for that organization that promised access to “your elected and appointed officials” for $10 per head. The fund > read more

Alameda Celebrates Earth Day This Saturday

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Alameda will celebrate Earth Day with a festival this Saturday, April 16th, at Washington Park, at Central Avenue and Eighth Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The festival will feature exhibitors, live entertainment and an environmental film festi > read more

Firefighters Comment on City of Alameda Budget Issues

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Opinion-Editorial by Domenick Weaver, President of Alameda Firefighters Citizens of Alameda and beyond, As we once again enter the process of developing the budget of the City of Alameda, many questions have been raised about the fiscal practices and > read more

Residents Comment on City of Alameda Budget Issues

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Opinion-Editorial signed by various Alameda residents. The City of Alameda is facing the most serious budget crisis in its history. The financial commitments to the firefighters’ union and other unions in the long-range budget currently before the > read more

No Response Yet From City on SunCal’s Motion for $1 million in Sanctions in Federal Lawsuit

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

As of last Friday, the City of Alameda has not filed an opposition response to SunCal’s motion for $1 million in legal sanctions for spoilation of evidence against the City in their federal lawsuit. The case number is 10-cv-05178 in United Stat > read more

Naval Air Station Alameda Restoration Advisory Board Meeting Tonight

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Tonight’s Restoration Advisory Board meeting will provide an update on the Seaplane Lagoon cleanup. Details on the cleanup are provided by the United States Navy in their January 2011 fact sheet. The agenda will also cover planning for a July > read more

Alameda Public Affairs Forum This Saturday

Published on 0000-00-00 00:00:00

This Saturday, April 9th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Alameda Public Library, the Alameda Public Affairs Forum will discuss the turmoil in the Middle East. “Upheaval in the Middle East: End of the Washington Consensus and the Fight for Democratic Self > read more

City Seeks Direction on Secondhand Smoke Law

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Tonight, at the Alameda City Council meeting, city staff will ask Council to provide direction on improving the City’s secondhand smoke and tobacco control policies. The staff report to council breaks down the considerations into four major ar > read more

School District Asks For, Receives, Extension to File Measure H Appeal Brief

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Attorney’s for the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) have requested, and received, from California Appellate Court, 1st Appellate District, a time extension to respond to the appeal filed in the Measure H lawsuit, George Borikas as Trustee > read more

City Manager Selection on City Council Agenda Again Next Week

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The issue of a new Alameda City Manager will be back before Alameda City Council next Wednesday, April 6th, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. It has been reported and widely rumored that Oakland City Attorney John Russo is the leading, if not chosen, candi > read more

Planning Board Shoots Self in the Pedicure

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Dear Editor, Under “Beauty Salons & Services” in the 2010 Alameda Telephone Directory, there are 97 entries (I counted). It appears some are hair, some nails, others facials & waxing. But most overlap in these areas & many > read more

Google High-speed Fiber for Communities Going to Kansas City

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Google announced today that Kansas City, Kansas, was selected for their free high-speed broadband network project. The City of Alameda had applied to the program just over a year ago. In an announcement, Google wrote that, “In selecting a city, > read more

Planning Board Public Hearing Regarding 1348 Weber Street

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[Editor Note - the correct address is 1348 Weber Street, not Webster Street. We apologize for the error.] The Planning Board of the City of Alameda will hold a public hearing regarding the parcel at 1348 Weber Street at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 11t > read more

School Boundary Changes on AUSD Agenda Tonight

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Tonight, the Alameda Unified School District Board of Trustees will consider a resolution to change the attendance zones for Ruby Bridges and Paden elementary schools, to alleviate overcrowding at Ruby Bridges school. The existing attendance zone bou > read more

Planning Board Public Hearing Regarding 1348 Webster Street

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The Planning Board of the City of Alameda will hold a public hearing regarding the parcel at 1348 Webster Street at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 11th, 2011 at City Hall. The proposed change for the 2,738 square foot parcel is a rezoning. It would be re > read more

Special Closed-session City Council Meeting Regarding City Manager on Tuesday Night

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Tommorow, Tuesday, March 29th, at 5:59 p.m., the Alameda City Council will hold a closed-session special city council meeting to discuss the vacant city manager position. The meeting will be in the City Council Chambers Conference Room in City Hall, > read more

Upcoming Meetings on Alameda City Manager Candidates

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Tomorrow and Saturday, at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., respectively, the City of Alameda will hold special meetings pertaining to the selecting of a new full-time City Manager. Both meetings are open for public comment on the agenda items only, for a max > read more

Alameda Rent Review Advisory Committee Accepting Applicants

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The Alameda Rent Review Advisory Committee is accepting applications from tenants who would like to serve. The Committee mediates between landlords and tenants over complaints about rent increases. The Committee meets on the first Monday of the month > read more

Habitat for Humanity Warehouse Liquidation at Alameda Point

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Habitat for Humanity’s East Bay ReStore, a not-for-profit retail store, will hold a warehouse liquidation sale of new and used building materials at its Alameda Point warehouse on April 1st, 2nd and 3rd. According to a spokesperson for the agen > read more

Alameda Municipal Power to Issue RFP for Study of Electricity Rates and Technology Trends

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Tonight at the Public Utilities Board meeting, Alameda Municipal Power staff will ask for input from board members on a Request for Proposal (RFP) they want to issue to study emerging trends in electricity rates and electrical utility technologies. T > read more

Alameda’s Celera to be Acquired by New Jersey’s Quest Diagnostics

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In a joint announcement today, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated of Madison, New Jersey, announced that it would acquire Alameda-based biotech firm Celera Corporation for approximately $344 million. According to the announcement, Celera generated revenu > read more

Alameda Unified School District Special Closed-session Meeting Tonight

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Tonight, March 16th, 2011, at 5:00 p.m., the Alameda Unified School District will hold a special closed-session meeting to conference with labor negotiators. The meeting will take place in the Superintendent’s Conference Room at 2200 Central Av > read more

Alameda Ordered to Update Sewers

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Under a stipulated order announced yesterday, the City of Alameda and six other local municipalities in the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) will upgrade sewers and rainwater collection systems to prevent sewage overflows to the San Franci > read more

Attempted Kidnapping Near Washington Elementary School Yesterday

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Update: March 16th 2:00 p.m. – From Alameda PD, “After further follow-up, the focus of the investigation will now concentrate on the possibility that an unknown suspect may have touched the victim inappropriately, rather than an attempted > read more

BioTime Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2010 Financial Results

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BioTime, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Alameda on Bay Farm Island, reported today financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010. The company reported a 91% increase in total revenue year-over-year for the fiscal year. Fo > read more

Former City Attorney Files Claim Against City of Alameda

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Today, former City Attorney Teresa Highsmith filed a claim against the City of Alameda for personal injury damages pertaining to her dismissal on December 28th, 2010. In a claim filed by her attorney, William Rapoport, of Redwood City, Ms. Highsmith > read more

State Controller’s Report Faults Redevelopment Agencies for Missed School Payments

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An audit of 18 California redevelopment agencies release last week by California State Controller John Chiang found that five of the 18 agencies failed to make $33.6 million in required payments to schools within their redevelopment areas. The missed > read more

Dennis Green, 1940-2011

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Dennis Herbert Green September 13, 1940 – March 4, 2011 Dennis passed away on March 4, due to complications from septic shock. He was 70 years old and lived in Alameda, California. Born in Eugene Oregon, Dennis was the only son of Herbert and L > read more

City of Alameda to Appropriate $1.3 million in Federal Funds for Islander Hotel

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At the March 15th Alameda City Council meeting, Council will consider a recommendation to appropriate $1.3 million in federal HOME funds to be used to rehabilitate the Islander Motel at 2428 Central Avenue. Last November, Alameda City Council members > read more

Ann Marie Gallant Files Claim Against City of Alameda

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Former Interim City Manager Ann Marie Gallant has filed a claim against the City of Alameda citing damages sustained at a closed-door Alameda City Council meeting on December 28th, 2010, wherein three council members voted to effectively terminate he > read more

Alameda Police Recover Portion of Stolen Human Remains

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The Alameda Police Department announced yesterday that they had recovered a portion of the human remains previously stolen from Clergy at the Christ Episcopal Church on March 5th. According to police, on Saturday, while the family of the deceased mad > read more

The Next Parcel Tax

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Dear Editor, Please advise the public of the next parcel tax to be considered by Alameda voters in a special tax election (regardless of the outcome of Measure A). I suppose no one will want to vote against this one because it ‘s for EMS (emerg > read more

Vote “No” on Measure A

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A letter from Action Alameda News publisher David Howard… Having tracked the issue closely since the defeat of last year’s school parcel tax, this publication took an early position against the Alameda Unified School District parcel tax b > read more

Measure A Election Results

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The polls closed at 8:00 p.m. tonight. Vote by mail ballots have been reported. Stay tuned and check back on this page for updates! The measure needs a 2/3rd majority to pass. 10:22 p.m. Measure PASSING “Yes” votes are 68.43% “No > read more

New Toastmasters Club for Alameda Job Seekers

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A new Toastmasters club launches in Alameda next week, aimed at furthering the career aspirations of those who are employed, and helping those looking for work find it. The new Career Seekers club will hold its inaugural meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesd > read more

Where to Vote on Measure A

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The vote on Measure A, the Alameda Unified School District parcel tax special election, will be an ‘in-person’ vote with ballot boxes and polling stations. Be sure to go to your correct polling station to be able to vote. Here is a list o > read more

Yes on A Campaign Filing Complaints

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[Editor note: Bolding and italics are present in the original...] Dear Editor: The pro Measure A folks have filed a complaint about a letter I wrote. Their complaint states: “In the last three years, Alameda has had two parcel tax elections in > read more

Alameda County Property Taxes Due April 10th

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The second installment of your Alameda County property taxes is due April 10th. After that date, unpaid property taxes will be considered delinquent. Your second installment for the 2010-2011 fiscal year is due April 10th, 2011; you may pay online at > read more

Real Estate Developer Calls for End to Redevelopment Agencies

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There’s an e-mail circulating in Alameda urging readers to “Email, write, fax and call your state senator and assembly member and tell him or her that you support the governor’s proposal to eliminate redevelopment agencies. Then email o > read more

Alameda Rotary Club Holds Measure A Forum Today

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The on-again, off-again, Measure A forum at the Alameda Rotary club is on-again for today at 12 noon. AUSD Trustee Trish Spencer will speak in favor of the Measure A, and Alameda resident Leland Traiman will speak in opposition to the Measure. The fo > read more

John Russo’s SunCal Connection

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Oakland City Attorney John Russo is rumored to be in the running for the job of Alameda City Manager. As Oakland City Attorney, he’s had extensive dealings with SunCal and Lehman Brothers regarding the stalled Oak Knoll Naval Hospital redevelop > read more

Don’t Just Sit Back and Do Nothing on Measure A

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Dear Editor: One way for good people to lose is to sit back and do nothing. Normally supporting schools means supporting the children and that is a great thing for everyone and our future. Not so in Alameda. We have a district with too many administr > read more

11 Reasons Why You Should Vote “No” on Measure A

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Dear Editor, Can you please publish my letter. 11 Reasons why you should vote NO on Measure A Dear Alameda Voters, I am a parent of four children that attend schools in AUSD. I want to urge you to vote no on Measure A. Here are 11 reasons to vote no. > read more

No More Money Maintaining Business as Usual at AUSD

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Action Alameda News was provided with a copy of the following letter for publication, which the author sent to neighbors… Dear Neighbors, See Measure A per parcel list below for our blocks on Pacific Ave. Expect that most households with senior > read more

Miss Alameda, Jessica Robinson, Wraps-up Filming for “Recycle Woman,” Moves on to Editing

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Local actress Jessica Robinson has completed principal photography for her short film “Recycle Woman,” which was shot at various locations around Alameda. Robinson has competed in the Miss California USA pageant as Miss Alameda. Robinson > read more

Public Information Forum Tonight at Encinal High School

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Tonight, in the cafeteria at Encinal High School at 210 Central Avenue, student Dylan Moore will host a public information forum on Measure A, the latest AUSD school parcel tax, on the ballot March 8th. The forum is a project for Mr. Moore’s pa > read more

State Legislative Analyst Office Spars With California Redevelopment Association

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As Alameda residents get ready to vote on another Alameda Unified School Parcel Tax, Measure A, on the ballot on March 8th, the non-partisan California State Legislative Analyst’s Office is sparing with the California Redevelopment Association > read more

Time for Alameda SOS to Celebrate? Not so Fast.

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By Dennis Green Two huge, full-page ads endorsing the school parcel tax, Measure A, printed in the Alameda Journal and Alameda Sun, and signed by Harbor Bay developer Ron Cowan! What a coup for AUSD and SOS! And all those endorsements by the City Cou > read more

Rain Swamps Alameda

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The return of steady rain after some balmy weekends has some Alameda streets looking like lakes. Cars parked along the curb in one west Alameda neighborhood were up to their axle’s in standing water for the length of one block. The rain is like > read more

Special Closed Session Weekend City Council Meeting Tomorrow

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Tomorrow, Saturday, February 19th, at 9:00 a.m., Alameda City Council will hold a special weekend closed-session meeting at the Hampton Inn & Suites at 1700 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda. A single item is on the agenda – “3-A PUBLIC > read more

Alameda’s Wind River to Work With McAfee on Security for Mobile Devices

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Yesterday, Alameda’s Wind River announced an agreement with McAfee, the anti-virus software company, to develop and market security solutions for devices other than personal computers, such as mobile devices. Wind River is a wholly owned subsid > read more

Alameda Free Library Programs and Events for March 2011

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The Alameda Free Library has released an agenda of programs and workshops for the month of March, focused around this year’s theme, “Grow, Eat and Read Local.” Here is a list of the events as provided by the Library: The grand openi > read more

Measure A Based on Fraudulent Plan B

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Dear Editor, The Draconian plan of school closures the Alameda Unified School District says it will have to implement if Measure A fails is a fraud. This plan, known as Plan B, was not written by educators or even the school district’s accounta > read more

Broadway Management Installs Alameda’s First Public Chargepoint Station for Electric Vehicles at 1516 Oak Street

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Broadway Management, with the help of Alameda’s REJ Electric Company, and the ChargePoint America program, has installed Alameda’s first public Chargepoint charging station for electric vehicles at Broadway Management’s building at > read more

Alameda Public Affairs Forum on Net Neutrality Tomorrow

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Tomorrow, Saturday, February 12th, at the Alameda Free Library at 7:00 p.m., the Alameda Public Affairs Forum will sponsor a hearing on net neutrality and the Internet – will the information superhighway be a freeway or a toll road? Peter Franc > read more

AUSD Parcel Tax Guide

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Dear Editor, PARCEL TAX GUIDE Here is a simple guide to help you figure your tax under the proposed Measure A school tax. The tax is based on the size of your building. 1000 sq.ft. $320 2000 sq.ft. $640 3000sq.ft. $960 4000sq.ft. $1280 5000sq.ft. $16 > read more

Alameda’s Wind River Plays Role in Carrier Drone Aircraft Development

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Earlier this week, Wind River, of Alameda, announced that it has provided software for Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned drone aircraft that would launch from and land on aircraft carriers and refuel in-flight. The X-47B completed its first fli > read more

Measure A and Reduced Class Size

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Dear Editor, AUSD argues that it needs another $12 million in parcel taxes, on top of the $73 million per year it already receives, in part to preserve “class size reductions.” They say that smaller classes permit greater individual atten > read more

AUSD Special Board Meeting Tonight

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The Alameda Unified School District has scheduled a special Board of Trustees meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the third floor conference room at the District’s head office, at 2200 Central Avenue. The agenda follows. Additional documents are av > read more

SunCal Loses Fraud on Claims Against Gray 1 CPB LLC

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Court documents filed late last month in southern California show that SunCal has lost their counter-claim of fraud against Gray 1 CPB LLC and Central Pacific Bank over loans the bank made to SunCal for a development project. Gray 1 CPB had purchased > read more

Concerns About Chain of Possession of Letter from Acting City Attorney

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Dear Editor, I have grave concerns about the chain of possession of the letter from Acting City Attorney Donna Mooney addressed to me and other Alameda citizens, dated 1/25/11. Between the time it was signed by ACA Mooney and delivered to my home, it > read more

Council Commits Alameda Taxpayers to over $820 million Debt Burden

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When Alameda City Council approved agreements totaling $326 million in future redevelopment projects earlier this week, they effectively committed current and future Alameda taxpayers to a future debt burden of over $820 million. Trying to circumvent > read more

Sources Describe “Stalinist Purge” At Alameda City Hall

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Sources close to Alameda City Hall describe events there this week as a “Stalinist purge” intended to get rid of employees that had any involvement in the investigation of Lena Tam, and strike fear in the hearts of employees to warn them > read more

Residents React to City Manager Dismissal

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Alameda online communities erupted last week in reaction to a 3-2 decision by Alameda City Council to effectively dismiss Interim City Manager Ann Marie Gallant, with at least one blogger urging residents to demand an investigation from the Alameda C > read more

City’s Attorney Asks for Protective Order to Prevent SunCal’s Abusive Deposition Tactics

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The attorney representing the City of Alameda in SunCal’s public records lawsuit against the City has filed a motion for a protective order “to prevent abusive deposition tactics and the deposition of defendants’ counsel and for the > read more

Gilmore, Bonta Form Subcommittee to Find City Manager

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At the regular meeting of the Alameda City Council last night, Mayor Marie Gilmore disclosed that at the December 28th special City Council meeting, a subcommittee of council consisting of Gilmore and Vice-Mayor Rob Bonta will lead the search for a f > read more

Registrar of Voters Relents on Fifth Measure A Opposition Signature

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The Alameda County Registrar of Voters has backed down on its refusal to add a fifth name to the rebuttal argument against Measure A, the school parcel tax on the ballot on March 8th. The registrar reversed course after an attorney representing the C > read more

Horst Breuer Resigns Chair of Alameda Economic Development Commission

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In a letter released to local media yesterday, the Chair of the Alameda Economic Development Commission, Horst Breuer, announced that he would resign his position as Chair of the Economic Development Commission in response to the dismissal of Interim > read more

Alameda County Democratic Central Committee Gives One-Sided Endorsement of Measure A

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Sources close to the proceedings of Wednesday’s regular monthly meeting of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee say that the committee voted to endorse Measure A at that meeting, after a Measure A proponent gave a presentation that w > read more

Alameda Power Outage

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Alameda Municipal Power is reporting this morning that power has been restored to roughly 6,800 Alameda residents after an outage. According to a statement from the utility, the outage began at about 4:18 a.m. this morning and affected customers in a > read more

Jerry Brown Goes After Redevelopment in the Name of Schools

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A letter from Action Alameda News publisher David Howard… Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal to eliminate some 400+ redevelopment agencies across the state of California comes as the Alameda Unified School District reaches out to voters yet agai > read more

Attorney’s for Borikas File Appeal Brief in Measure H Lawsuit

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Late last month, attorney David Brillant filed with the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, an appeal on behalf of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit over the uniformity of the Alameda Unified School District’s (AUSD) 2008 parcel t > read more

Pursue Lawrence Berkeley Lab for Alameda Point

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Dear Editor, I really hope the City aggressively pursues bringing the Lawrence Berkeley Lab 2nd Campus to Alameda Point. There is an RFQ that seeks almost exactly what the Point has to offer. Here’s the link: http://www.lbl.gov/Community/second > read more

Argosy University and City of Alameda Team Up on Presentation Skills Presentation

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On Wednesday, February 2nd, the City of Alameda and Argosy University will present a seminar at the Alameda Elks Lodge on successful presentation skills. The event is free. Argosy University is a for-profit university with a San Francisco Bay Area ca > read more

City Says Gallant Firing Legal, Brown Act Compliant

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In a press release issued yesterday by Lisa Goldman, Acting City Manager for the City of Alameda, the City said that the Council’s actions on December 28th, including the firing of former Interim City Manager Ann Marie Gallant, were legal and i > read more

City’s Use of Mayers Nave Law Firm Provokes Consternation

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Dear Editor, CC: Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley CC: California State Attorney General Kamala Harris CC: the State Bar of California We have been following the recent actions in which the newly elected Mayor/Council, within days > read more

City of Alameda Charter Violations

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Dear Editor, You’re kidding, right? Openly advocating violation of our City Charter by elected officials is “Mayor, council acted properly”, “made the right move?”, “strong leadership”?? Have any of you READ > read more

Alameda Start-up Vook Raises $5.25 million in Venture Capital

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Alameda-based Vook, a self-described leading digital publisher of mixed-media reading, announced yesterday that it closed a $5.25 million Series “A” round of venture financing. Investors include VantagePoint Venture Partners and Floodgate > read more

Alameda Point on Planning Board Agenda for Next Monday

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Alameda Point will be back on the agenda before the City of Alameda Planning Board again next Monday night. Item 9-A for the Planning Board Agenda for January 24th is called “Going Forward Community Planning Strategy for Alameda Point,” a > read more

Special City Council Meeting Next Tuesday

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There will be a special joint meeting of the Alameda City Council, the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) and the Community Improvement Commission of the City of Alameda next Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers Con > read more

Coast Guard Changes Rules Following November Fuel Odor Event

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Late last month, the United States Coast Guard changed the rules regarding the transfer of oil and hazardous materials between water-based vessels and facilities. The move came in response to oil transfer activities at Public Service Marine in Alamed > read more

Alameda Unified School District Special Board Meeting Tonight

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In advance of its regularly scheduled meeting, the Alameda Unified School District tonight will hold a special meeting at 5:15 p.m. to discuss labor negotiations, and on-going and pending litigation. The special meeting will be held in the superinten > read more

Alameda’s Wind River Works with Magneti Marelli on In-Vehicle Infotainment

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Wind River, an embedded and mobile software maker based in Alameda, announced today that it is working with Magneti Marelli of Italy on an in-vehicle infotainment solution for the automotive industry. In a prepared statement, Alexander Kocher, vice p > read more

Council Makes Few Decisions in Closed Session Meeting

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In a closed session meeting last Tuesday, Alameda City Council considered several items but rendered few decisions. Documents obtained by Action Alameda News show the score. The first item, “anticipated litigation,” – widely believe > read more

Island City Toastmasters to Hold Valentine’s Day ‘Meet and Greet’ Open Meeting

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Local chapter of Toastmasters, an non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills, says it has a history of match-making. The club normally meets on Monday evenings, and this year, Valentine’s Day falls on > read more

Alameda Hospital’s Dr. Robert Deutsch Under FPPC Investigation

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Documents provided to Action Alameda News indicate that the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is investigating Alameda Hospital doctor and Alameda Health Care District Board Member Dr. Robert Deutsch following citizen allegations > read more

SunCal Public Records Lawsuit Grinds On With Minor Victory for the City of Alameda

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Late last week, Judge David Hunter of the Superior Court of California, Alameda County partially granted a motion for a protective order requested by the attorney representing the City of Alameda. The order was requested to protect against “abu > read more

School District Misses Deadline to File Response Brief in Measure H Appeal

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Notations on the California Appellate Court docket for case A129295, the appeal of the Measure H lawsuit ruling, indicate that attorneys for the Alameda Unified School District missed the end-of-May due date to file their brief in response to the pla > read more

Alameda Firefighters Union Has Filled Leadership Vacuum

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Dear Editor, Here are two letters to the editor that I have sent to the local papers: We are all to blame As outrageous as what happened on Memorial Day weekend at Crown beach is, we, the citizens of Alameda are all to blame at some level. I for one > read more

Alameda City Council Considers Outsourcing Animal Shelter

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By Erica Madison and Staff Reports Eliminating nine police officer positions or outsourcing the animal shelter. This is just one of the many choices and alternatives acting City Manager Lisa Goldman provided the City Council with at last week’s > read more

John Russo Replaced by Barbara Parker in Oakland

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The City of Oakland announced today that outgoing City Attorney John Russo has appointed Oakland Chief Assistant City Attorney Barbara Parker as the City of Oakland’s Acting City Attorney, effective 11:30 a.m. this morning. Russo begins work in Ala > read more

City, County, Drag Heels on Releasing Raymond Zack Records

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Both the City of Alameda, and the Alameda County Fire Department, are dragging their heels on responding to public records requests for documents and records related to the death of Raymond Zack on Memorial Day at Crown Beach. The Alameda County Fire > read more

Alameda City Manager Appoints Mike Noonan Police Chief

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Former Oakland City Attorney John Russo started his first day on the job yesterday as Alameda City Manager. His first order of business? Appoint Interim Police Chief Mike Noonan as Police Chief. Mr. Noonan had been serving as Interim Police Chief si > read more

Summer Sailstice Moves to Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda This Year

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Summer Sailstice, a global celebration of sailing that began in 2001 and takes place annually on the solstice, has moved this year from San Francisco’s Treasure Island to the Encinal Yacht Club, on the island of Alameda. Sailstice takes place t > read more

VF Outdoors Changes Building Plans for its Alameda Campus

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By Erica Madison and Staff Reports Located on Harbor Bay Parkway, VF Outdoors‘ construction is on schedule to bring its business to Alameda, thanks to a recent unanimous parcel map approval from the Alameda Planning Board. Since 2010, construction > read more

Call for Alameda City Council to Delay Vote on Firefighters Contract

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Dear Editor, I write today to ask every Alamedan to email the Mayor, Council members, City Manager, and Fire Chief, and urge them to postpone the approval of the firefighters contract by the Mayor and City Council on Tuesday, June 21, 2011. Please c > read more

On July 13th Alameda Residents are Invited to Woo Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

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By Erica Madison “We want everyone on their best behavior,” laughed Planning Services Manager Andrew Thomas, at Monday’s Planning Board meeting. At the meeting, the Planning Services Manager invited Alameda residents to a barbecue on July 13th > read more

America’s Cup Class USA 76 Racing Yacht Comes to Alameda

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Alameda residents attending Summer Sailstice at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda today got a chance to see close-up and board an America’s Cup class yacht, USA-76. According to the International Sailing Federation’s website, USA-76 was > read more

City of Alameda Settles Lena Tam’s Claims for Legal Expenses

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Late last Friday, the City of Alameda announced that it had settled a claim with Alameda City Councilmember Lena Tam for some $47,000 in legal expenses she incurred last year to defend against charges of official misconduct. A June 16th report from > read more

Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter Get Their Shot

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Yesterday, the Alameda Police Department announced that the City of Alameda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter and the Humane Society of Alameda that would allow the two groups to transfer operatio > read more

Alameda City Council to Vote on Firefighters Contract Tonight

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Alameda City Council is set to vote tonight on a new 3-year agreement with the firefighters union, IAFF Local 689. The item is #5-N on the Alameda City Council Regular Meeting agenda. The contract, which starts retroactively on January 3rd, 2010, an > read more

Alameda City Council Approves Firefighters Contract

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Last night, in a 4-1 vote, Alameda City Council approved a three-year contract between the City and the International Association of Firefighters Local 689. The contract begins retroactively effective January 3, 2010 and runs until June 29, 2013. Se > read more

City of Alameda Secures $6.2 million in Low-income Housing Tax Credits for Conversion of Islander Motel

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The City of Alameda announced yesterday that it has secured a $6.2 million allocation of low-income housing tax credits to help convert the Islander Motel into a low-income housing site. Located two blocks from the corner of Park and Central, the con > read more

Alameda Fire Dispatch Phone Recordings Paint a Picture of Confusion, Equipment Failures

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Telephone recordings from the Alameda County Fire dispatch center during the Raymond Zack incident paint a picture of confusion and equipment failures among first responders and responding agencies. Action Alameda News obtained a copy of the recordin > read more

Alameda City Council to Vote on Budget Tomorrow Night

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At a City Council meeting tomorrow night at City Hall, Alameda City Council members will vote on a resolution adopting a capital and operating budget for the City of Alameda for the fiscal year (FY) 2011 to 2012, which begins July 1st, 2011. Document > read more

Alameda Unified School District Board of Trustees Special Meeting Tonight at 5:31 p.m.

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In addition to tonight’s regular meeting of the Alameda Unified School District Board of Trustees, there will be an Board of Trustees special meeting tonight at 5:31 p.m. At 5:40 p.m. yesterday, Kathleen Brooks, Administrative Assistant to AU > read more

Alameda Residents May Face Higher Local Taxes to Fill Future Budget Deficits

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Opening last night’s Alameda City Council discussion on the 2011-2012 budget, Assistant City Manager Lisa Goldman told Council, “We are facing $7 million to $9 million deficits for the next 5 years, absent corrective actions…These c > read more

United States Coast Guard Opens New Interagency Operations Center on Yerba Buena Island

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Earlier this week, the United States Coast Guard, Eleventh Coast Guard District, opened a new Interagency Operations Center on Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco. In a prepared statement, Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown, commander of the Coast Guard > read more

City of Alameda to Pay Consultant $19,500 to Conduct “Independent Review” of Raymond Zack Death

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The City of Alameda is set to pay a consultant $195/hour, plus expenses, for about 100 hours of work, or, roughly, $19,500, to conduct what the City has previously characterized as an “independent review” of the events leading to Raymond > read more

Former Firefighter Questions if Ruben Grijalva Can Give an Honest Report on Raymond Zack Death

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When Andrew Jentzsch learned that Ruben Grijalva would be investigating the death of Raymond Zack on Crown Beach on May 30th, he thought, “What did I do to deserve this?” Mr. Jentzsch was a firefighter for twenty years with the City of Pa > read more



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