City Government

City and County to Open Long Awaited West Oakland Youth Center

Published

10 years ago

January 23, 2014

After sitting idle and vacant for many years in a community that’s in dire need of helpful resources and programs for young people, the West Oakland Youth Center will finally open its doors as the city enters an agreement with the County of Alameda to begin to offer youth services for a year starting Feb. 1, with two one-year options to renew the agreement.

< p>The city will provide funding of up to $470,000 for the operation of the center and the development of youth programming.

The youth center has long been a work in progress, first led by former city councilmember Nancy Nadel, who back in 2009 engaged residents and youth to create a report on what programs were needed in the West Oakland community.

The report identified “free activities and services, job training programs, and age-specific programming” to be the most key needs for youth in West Oakland.

Under the agreement, the county will conduct a planning process by forming an advisory board with city staff, community and youth participation to decide what programs and activities will best serve the youth today.

With a focus on job training, programming will be provided through partnerships with community organizations, nonprofits, and other existing programs.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilmember Desley Brooks argued that members of the community, not city and county staff and administrators of nonprofits, should hold a majority of the seats on the advisory board to engage in the planning process.

Agreeing, Lincoln Casimer of the Alameda County Public Health Department said, “Our role is to make sure this is done in an inclusive way.”

Casimer has been appointed as the youth center coordinator and is also a member of the West Oakland Health and Safety Collaborative (WOHSC), which has been intricately involved in the process of getting the youth center open and running.

“We want the community to define it,” said Councilmember Lynette McElhaney.

“The community is really advising and guiding the work at the center…We want to make sure the process is transparent,” she said.

According to McElhaney, there will be part-time programming at the center expected to start soon after the planning process begins.

Kharyshi Wiginton, chair of WOHSC, is looking forward to the full range of services that the center can provide.

“We want the young people in our area to have somewhere where they have a safe space. This is just the beginning,” said Wiginton.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 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.

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

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.

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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.

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

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.