City Government
Gallo Pushes to Ban Online Gambling at Local “Internet Cafes”
Councilmember Noel Gallo, District 5, presented a report Tuesday afternoon at the Public Safety Committee Meeting to ban Internet cafés that may be conducting illegal online gambling operation.
“We need to shut it down, close it down, and not let it expand,” said Gallo in an interview with the Post on Wednesday. “We need to establish some order in Oakland.”
Basedon a report from the City Administrator Office, staff has received numerous inquiries in regards to Internet cafes that are being used to conducts illegal gaming and gambling online.
According to the report, “Internet Sweepstakes cafes purport to sell their customer time on computers that are connected to the Internet,” but the businesses permits” customers to play gambling-themed games on computers to win cash prizes.”
Get Connected, an Internet café located on 33rd Avenue and International Boulevard, is one business where illegal gambling activities are being reporting, according to Gallo. He says the company lied on its business permit and that the State Gambling Control Association has visited the site and is saying it is an illegal operation.
The cities of Hayward and San Leandro have been working with California state legislators to fix the “regulatory hole” that allows these businesses to appear legitimate.
Gallo says he is proposing to bring the ban to the City Council, approve it, and pass an emergency ordinance that would immediately shut down all such business and not allow any more to come to Oakland.
“Oakland needs to step up and make our streets safe and clean,” Gallo said.
Get Connected, LLC in Oakland was contacted but refused to comment on the allegations against the business.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
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