Support local news in Alameda. Give Now!

News Briefs

Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame nominations, pet portraits for the Warming Shelter, AMP undergrounding plans, and positive ferry feedback.

Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame seeks nominations

Alameda Post - a group photo from the Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame

Multitudes of women give tirelessly to the community to make things better for everyone. But many of them do not get the recognition they deserve for all their achievements and accomplishments. Since 1993, Alameda County holds a special Awards Ceremony and Luncheon during the springtime to honor some of these women and induct them in to their Hall of Fame.

The Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding women for their achievements and contributions to the county and its residents. There are more than 250 inductees in the Hall of Fame so far. Following a pause after 2020 for COVID, the awards have resumed for 2023.

To nominate a worthy candidate, fill out this form and identify both the nominee and nominator, choose the category for which she should be recognized, and describe her experience, achievements, and distinctions. Nominating categories include Business & Professions, Environment, Philanthropy, Community Service, Health, Science, Technology and Engineering, Culture and Art, Justice, Sports and Athletics, Education, Non-Traditional Careers, Youth (11th and 12th grade females), or Emerging Leader. A list of all rules is on the Hall of Fame Nominations web page.



Please note that elected officials and members of the Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women and the Hall of Fame Planning Committee are ineligible for this award. All other women who live or work in the county may be nominated. The deadline to make a nomination is January 30, 2023, and the winners will be announced at their luncheon and awards ceremony on March 25, 2023.

Olive Little’s pet portraits raise funds for Warming Shelter

Alameda Post - side by side photos of pets and the corresponding portraits by Olive Little
Pet portraits by Olive Little. Photos courtesy Heather Little.

Olive Little is at it again. The Encinal High School 2022 graduate, now a freshman at Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington, painted pet portraits and watercolor cards to raise money for her former high school and Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS). Now she’s doing it again to help Alameda’s Warming Shelter at Christ Episcopal Church, 1700 Santa Clara Ave.

“When the Warming Shelter was opened just before Christmas, the intention was to only have it open Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, with the city providing 70% of the funding… and Christ Church providing the rest,” Olive’s mother, Heather Little, who also is President of the Alameda Unified School District Board of Education, wrote on Facebook. “But as the weather deteriorated, the idea of telling people they had to leave each morning into a torrential rainstorm, or to not even be open, became untenable. So, a plan was made to keep it open 7 days—and nights—a week.”

The Warming Shelter provides a warm place to sleep, breakfast and dinner, showers, and other services to unhoused people. The cost of such an undertaking is huge, and in this case relies largely upon the kindness and generosity of volunteers and community donors. So Olive has once again stepped up to help.

Through the end of February, if you commission her to do a pet portrait, or any nature-themed image you desire, she will donate a portion of the proceeds to support the ongoing efforts to keep the shelter open. To learn more or order a portrait, email Olive Little at [email protected]. See examples of her work at her Etsy shop.

To learn more about the shelter, volunteer, provide meals, or make a direct donation, visit the Warming Shelter website.

AMP seeks feedback on moving utility lines underground

Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) will hold a virtual town hall planning meeting for the next Underground Utility District (UUD) project. The UDD project will move all overhead utility lines within the district underground.

At the town hall, AMP will give a presentation on the history of undergrounding in Alameda, an overview of the program, the current status, and next steps. AMP will also begin collecting feedback on the proposed UUDs.

The proposed areas for undergrounding utility lines are the block of Broadway from Buena Vista Avenue to Clement Street, the Webster crossings from Taylor Avenue to Buena Vista—including Eagle Avenue, and along Central Avenue from Eighth Street to Webster.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, January 25, 2023 from 6 – 7 p.m. using Microsoft Teams. You can join with this meeting link. You may submit questions or feedback on the Undergrounding Program via email to [email protected]. If you are unable to attend, the event will be recorded and made available at https://www.alamedamp.com/262/Undergrounding.

Survey shows 99% of riders are happy with the ferry

This ‘high-speed’ ferry is now traversing the S.F. Bay. Here’s how you can catch a ride
Photo SanFransiscoBayFerry.com

Alamedans love the San Francisco Bay Ferry—and we’re not alone! The most recent passenger survey conducted by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) shows that 99% of SF Bay Ferry riders from around the Bay Area were pleased with the overall experience of riding the ferry. That’s up from 88% in 2017—and dramatically higher than other Bay Area transit operators.

The top three reasons passengers said they preferred the ferry over other means of getting to San Francisco were avoiding traffic and parking hassles, enjoying better ride quality than on other forms of transit, and, quite simply, the ferry is relaxing. Who doesn’t love those views? It’s also cheaper than other modes of transportation, a preference factor that has increased dramatically over the past five years, from 7% in 2017 to 18% in 2022.

Another reason people said they prefer the ferry is the ability to multitask. That’s true whether you want to work, check out Facebook, or enjoy a snack and a coffee while you cross the Bay. Riders who participated in the survey also said it’s faster and cheaper than other options.

And although it wasn’t on the survey, how about the fact that the ferry participates in our annual Lighted Yacht Parade? That’s pretty darn awesome.

The entire survey—complete with almost 60 pages of charts, methodology, and analysis—is available as a PDF on the WETA Passenger Survey Report web page.

KQED Curated Content
Thanks for reading the

Nonprofit news isn’t free.

Will you take a moment to support Alameda’s only local news source?
Thanks for reading the

Nonprofit news isn’t free.

Will you take a moment to support Alameda’s only local news source?