Interesting and popular stories from the first quarter of 2023
As 2023 draws to a close, we are taking a look back at some of the stories we published about Alameda this year. We will be publishing a roundup for each quarter in the coming days. Read Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 (once they’re published).
We wish you and your family a healthy, happy, and joyous new year, and we hope you’ll stay with us for our coverage of Alameda in 2024!
January 2023
The New Year soaked Alameda with massive rain and flooding, starting with a total of 15 inches of rain in December—five inches on New Year’s Eve alone—as one atmospheric river system after another created a deluge that had people paddling down their streets in kayaks in some parts of town. By January 4, the City proclaimed a State of Emergency. Sandbags were no match for the constant downpour, which added up to 18 inches in January, downing trees, closing streets, and filling basements.
“Two Birds from Alameda,” an editorial cartoon by Alameda native Brice, featured two angry crows arguing about the rain—or overall lack of it. And in other avian news, a pair of bald eagles decided to nest in a tree in Corica Park on Bay Farm Island, making local headlines and thrilling birdwatchers near and far.
In Part 1 of a two-part interview, new City Manager Jennifer Ott talked with Post publisher Adam Gillitt about her background and Alameda’s future, including housing and transit. In Part 2 of the interview, Ott talked about transportation, challenges, and trying to get back to normal life after the pandemic.
Karin K. Jensen reported that Bay Farm Middle School families and students were shocked and dismayed—and many felt blindsided by the lack of communication—when it was revealed that Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) had proposed to close the California Distinguished School. Later, angry parents gave the AUSD Board an earful at their January 24 meeting.
Meanwhile, Ken Der joined the hundreds gathered on a sunny afternoon for the grand opening of Bohol Circle Immigrant Park, named to honor Filipino-Americans and celebrate immigrants of all backgrounds. Maurice Ramirez photographed the near-complete construction at Dignity Village, an interim supportive housing project to provide unhoused individuals with shelter and connections with services. Rusty Blazenhoff shared her adventures at a Boomer Dance party held at Mastick Senior Center.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced the formation of the Public Accountability Unit to investigate the death of Mario Gonzalez and other officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.
Our first walking tour of the year was a lot of fun despite the chilly weather. More than 50 people joined Dennis Evanosky on Paru Street to learn about local history. Here’s an excerpt from the tour discussing what Bay Farm School is constructed upon.
February 2023
February started with awards, appointments, and the end of Covid restrictions at City Hall. Wildlife photographer Nicolas Bamberski won a prestigious Audubon Photography Award for his beautiful video of great blue herons, Recreation and Parks Director Amy Wooldridge was appointed Assistant City Manager, and City Council resumed in-person meetings.
FEMA and California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) opened Disaster Recovery Centers in Alameda County to help people who suffered damage to their homes or businesses caused by the storms and flooding in January. Karin K. Jensen reported that City Council unanimously authorized additional funding for the Warming Shelter at Christ Episcopal Church so it could remain open seven days a week through April 30.
At a third meeting following the proposal to close Bay Farm Middle School, Jensen reported that community members continued fighting to keep the school open. Despite many objections, AUSD voted to phase out sixth through eighth grade at the school starting in August.
The floods were history, but the island’s worst power outage in recent memory started at a PG&E substation in Oakland and affected three of four Alameda bridges as well as traffic signals over most of the island. Thousands of residents were without power as the outage continued for at least four hours. The widespread outage, traffic gridlock, dead cell phone signals, and lack of real-time information or any apparent plan to handle the issue prompted Post publisher Adam Gillitt to write an editorial entitled, “Are You Prepared?”
Anchored-out vessels have been clogging up the Estuary and creating environmental and public health hazards but cleaning them up has been a balancing act. Ken Der shared stories of what can go wrong with wayward vessels and why it’s so tricky to keep the waterways clear.
Fortunately, there was a lot of good news as well. Former Alameda Poet Laureate Gene Kahane filled us in on the films, guest presentations, expert panels, and fantastic parties we could look forward to at the Alameda International Film Festival, and wrote a love letter to our town with his poem, “A Valentine to Alameda.” And Adam Gillitt reported that almost a thousand people attended the film festival, which featured 45 feature and short films from around the globe.
For the first time in 40 years, FAAS announced it would need to empty it’s kennels in order to perform state-of-the-art upgrades and asked the community to help by adopting or fostering dogs. In a special Bear’s Eye View column entitled “Gimme a (New) Shelter),” Jeff Cambra offered to buy dinner ($100 gift certificate) for those who fostered dogs during the refurb. Later, in unrelated matter, the City of Alameda Healthcare District appointed Cambra to fill a vacancy on their board.
City Council voted to fund a new City Aquatic Center at the west end of Jean Sweene Open Space park. And we said goodbye to Akiko “Faith” Yamato.
March 2023
Alameda is a small island, but our residents represent cultures from all parts of the planet. Toba Adina-Jao shared the story of her family’s flight from Afghanistan and what it was like to grow up as a refugee in Alameda. Adina-Jao explains her children’s book, “‘Me, Mommy, Mantu’ celebrates Afghans all around the world. Get to know us, celebrate with us, sit down and enjoy an Afghan dish with us.”
The Quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama were honored at a reception at Rhythmix Cultural Works. Famous for quilting with bold colors, unique designs, and asymmetrical patterns, their gorgeous quilts have been handed down through the years, surviving even the hardships of the antebellum South and Jim Crow. The quilts are highly sought after by collectors and museums.
Ramiro & Sons has been an Alameda mainstay since 1985. When the Ramiro family retired and sold the business to their longtime manager Juan Garcia, generations of customers stood in line for the reopening. Liz Barrett was there and reported that the name had changed to Taqueria Mi Burrito but everything else is just as it always has been. The menu is as old school as ever—and customers love it.
In what felt like déjà vu, the City issued an emergency alert for flooding and high winds, and Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft wrote an op-ed column addressing recent power outages and offering tips for upcoming storms. Later in the month, a fierce “bomb cyclone” left a trail of fallen trees, wind damage, and power outages across Alameda. The Post took a moment to thank all the City staff, police, firefighters, rescue teams, and emergency workers who sprang into action to help.
In February, over 50,000 PG&E customers lost power, and even Oakland International Airport was forced to halt activity. In AMP vs. PG&E, Ken Der dug into the details for how Alameda gets power and why the outage was so significant. He also covered the Community Forum on Homelessness, where local leaders discussed the warming shelter and solutions in the works to address homelessness.
The floating raft of harbor seals off of Alameda Point started out as an experiment. Richard Bangert reported on the remarkable success of the installation, which is now influencing harbor seal research and conservation efforts.
The Clement Avenue/Tilden Way project moved forward and is expected to begin construction in 2024. Karin K. Jensen reported this and other news from the City Council meeting, including limits to third-party food delivery charges and new police hiring bonuses.
