City Government

West Oakland Rocks ‘Friday Night Live’, Despite Youth Center Hold Up

Published

13 years ago

July 26, 2013

Despite funding issues forcing the West Oakland Youth Center to remain closed for now, last week staff kicked off Friday Night Live, a new series of community events that will run through August.

Approximately 150 people attended the event. Some residents danced to the tunes of a DJ spinning popular music while others enjoyed the food offerings. Most of the kids either got their face painted, rode their bikes or joined in the basketball tournament.

“I just heard the music and wanted to know what was going on,” said sixteen-year-old Edna Miller who lives nearby.

Sponsored by the City of Oakland, the County of Alameda, Healthy Oakland, YMCA, and District 3 Councilwoman Lynette McElhaney, organizers hope the new weekly event will give residents of the crime-ridden West Oakland community something to look forward to.

The Neighborhood Services Division decided on 33^rd and Market streets as the event venue in hopes of bringing energy and enthusiasm to residents of the area, Community Building Coordinator Dylan Hamilton said, citing the neighborhood as a “target area” in the Neighborhood Services Division.

West Oakland residents come out and support ‘FNL’

“It’s a message to the neighborhood that we’re going to use this as a positive space,” Hamilton said, adding they he also wants to drum up excitement for the youth center’s opening.

The $7.6 million West Oakland Youth Center began construction in 2008 under former District 3 Councilwoman Nancy Nadel. The grand opening was set to happen last Friday with the kickoff event, but according to Hamilton it was delayed due to issues with permits, licenses, and safety requirements.

Other reports in local media suggest that the center is ready to open but that the City of Oakland does not have the $340,000 needed to operate the facility. Mayor Jean Quan’s budget proposal released in June stated that the “City cannot absorb” the cost of operating the center. Oakland North attempted to reach Mayor Quan but she did not respond for comment.

Despite Mayor Quan’s budget, the City Council recently adopted an all-in budget providing the needed funding to support the Youth Center, according to McElhaney.

McElhaney also noted taxpayers made it possible last election, passing “Measures Y and A that fund the City-County Neighborhood Initiative,” she said.

The Neighborhood Services Division is still working to inspire residents in the community to come out and enjoy this family event. Some residents employed through the Mayor’s Summer Job program are tasked with canvasing the area to increase the community’s awareness about the event.

“We look forward to working with Supervisor Keith Carson and Alameda County on an ongoing collaboration to provide a safe place for youth in one of the most impoverished but culturally rich corridors in the City,” McElhaney said.

At last Friday’s event, local teen Miller gave her approval. “I am enjoying it and I’m going to come out again next week,” Miller said.

Friday Night Live will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 23. For more information, call Dylan Hamilton at (510) 238-2164 or email at dhamilton@oaklandnet.com

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Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

1 week ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.