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NEW SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TAKES SEAT AND GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS

PART 2: Into The Thick Of Things With Margie Sherratt READ PART 1 HERE Veteran AUSD Educator and past Alameda School Board Member, Margie Sherratt,  sees her interim appointment through the lens of a wealth of past experience and contemporary insights. In an interview that took place not long before she entered into the Alameda City Council Chambers on January 9th  for her first School Board meeting since leaving as its President in 2015, Sherratt  provided key perspectives on the province… [READ MORE].

AUDIO INTERVIEW ON ALAMEDA CITY COUNCIL PREVIEW AND REVIEW FOR JANUARY

Important, Upcoming City Council Agenda Items and Review Of The City Council’s Gaza Ceasefire Vote, Local Slacking On Covid Vaccinations And Much More Audio Interview by Sarah Henry and Larry Freeman, summary by Larry Freeman LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW HERE AUDIO CONTENT SUMMARY: In this podcast, Alameda’s PIO, Sarah Henry, provides a forward look at pressing issues on The Council’s Jan 16th meeting agenda and reveals  substantive detail about The  Council’s non- approval of  issuing formal position statements on the controversial  Gaza Ceasefire… [READ MORE].

OVERVIEW OF AUSD’S PARCEL TAX PROPOSAL SET FOR MARCH BALLOT

When they cast their ballots, Alameda voters will decide whether or not to approve what is called a “Replacement Parcel Tax” to combine and terminate two existing measures, A and B1,  passed in 2016 and 2020 respectively.  The Alameda Unified School District unanimously approved on November 14, 2023  the placing of  parcel tax “Measure E” on the March 5, 2024 election ballot. Should it pass, Measure E will assess each residential and commercial  “building area square foot” at $0.585, the… [READ MORE].

AUSD SCHOOL BOARD’S NEWEST MEMBER, MARGIE SHERRAT, BRINGS DEEP ROOTS AND EXPERIENCE

Recently Appointed Local  Has Spent A Lifetime  ‘At School’ In  Alameda PART 1:  A Bio Of Extraordinary Community Connectedness By Larry Freeman Margie Sherratt, Alameda’s newly appointed School Board Member, has a vast professional and personal lineage with Alameda Schools tracing back to her Kindergarten year at Alameda’s Franklin School over half a century ago. During her deep and wide journey across the many worlds of public education, the Alameda High graduate learned the ins and outs of  Alameda schools from… [READ MORE].

ALAMEDA CITY COUNCIL LACKS MAJORITY TO TAKE STAND ON ISRAEL GAZA WAR

Dec 2 Meeting Awash With Public Input On Hot Button Issue The Alameda City Council deadlocked, 2-2 in the wee hours of January 3rd failing to agree on endorsement of a U.S. House Of Representatives Resolution calling for de-escalation and a ceasefire in “Israel and Palestinian Territories.” Before that matter failed to gain The Council’s approval, the four members present, Mayor Ashcraft, Vice Mayor Daysog and Councilpersons Jensen and Spencer, heard from scores of the public expressing their views on… [READ MORE].

CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ISSUING LETTER CALLING FOR “IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE” IN GAZA

Members To Decide Upon Mayor’s Draft Letter In Open Session On Jan 2 The Alameda City Council, in its January 2nd meeting, will look beyond the borders of The City and potentially take an on the record stand about an issue of grave national and international importance:  whether or not to call for an “immediate ceasefire” in war ravaged Gaza. Israel’s retaliation for the Oct 7 Hamas attack and kidnapping of Israelis and others near the Gaza border draws daily… [READ MORE].

FIRST-EVER “CHRISTMAS TREE LANE BY DAYLIGHT” PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

Local Shutterbugs’ Artful Entries As Mother Nature Provides The Lighting Mother nature didn’t make things easy for avid local photographers to take up the challenge of shooting Thompson Avenue’s holiday light and decoration extravaganza during the daytime before electricity enhanced their allure.  Gray skies, punctuated by sometimes heavy rains, minimized the supply  of Winter’s golden light that often enriches the festive eye candy of yards, windows and rooftops before the electricity powers on at dusk to light up the scene…. [READ MORE].

DREAM OF FIRST RATE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AT ALAMEDA POINT GETS BIG BOOST

City Enters Into Negotiations With Radium Presents To Move Ambitious  Project Forward An ancient Chinese proverb holds, quite truly, that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and Alameda’s Radium Presents organization took its first step in what will be a long trek indeed after The City Council approved an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with the group to one day build a gleaming, 500 seat Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Alameda Point. Radium’s webpage proffers the PAC… [READ MORE].

HOW WATCHDOG GROUP SNARED AN ALLEGED LOCAL ONLINE CHILD PREDATOR

The “Wolf Project” Lured Purported Predator Into Their Set Trap PLEASE LISTEN TO THE POWERFUL AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH WOLF FOUNDER GABRIELLE HOPKINS HERE: APD’s November arrest for alleged online solicitation of a minor by Alameda resident, David Baldwin Carlson, came as an important accomplishment to police, a community safety victory for Alameda residents and an absolute joy to Gabrielle Hopkins, the grounded, inspired 25 year old founder of The Wolf Project (WOLF) whose volunteer, citizen group was instrumental in snaring… [READ MORE].

PROSPECTIVE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE AT TONIGHT’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Remote Public Comments, Live Animal Testing, Teacher Housing and Monetary Issues Also On Agenda A major focus of the City Council Dec. 19th meeting will center on whether or not to enter into an “Exclusive Negotiating Agreement” (ENA) to someday build a large, indoor Performing Arts Center (PAC) with “Little House Opera Inc.” local community arts and music enterprise. While many may not have heard of the entity’s formal business name, thousands of performers, event goers and vendors have enjoyed… [READ MORE].