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Council Approves Plan to Hire Staff for Fisher’s Howard Terminal Project

Explaining her compromise, Kaplan said the city needs more staff and more effort “to serve transportation projects throughout the City of Oakland, including traffic calming measures, speed bumps and ways to reduce speeding… which have been waiting for some time… When the word equity is thrown around, we have to be sure that it’s made real.”

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“East and West Oakland are in a state of emergency,” and need resources from the city, said Councilmember Noel Gallo, who is shown here cleaning up illegal dumping during one of his weekly cleanups in District 5, which he represents. Photo courtesy of Noel Gallo’s office.
“East and West Oakland are in a state of emergency,” and need resources from the city, said Councilmember Noel Gallo, who is shown here cleaning up illegal dumping during one of his weekly cleanups in District 5, which he represents. Photo courtesy of Noel Gallo’s office.

Schaaf’s plan includes $150 million in funding that would require local taxes

By Ken Epstein

Oakland City Council members had to make a tough decision this week, under pressure to decide whether to approve Mayor Libby Schaaf’s proposal to commit nearly $450 million in public funds to begin planning the infrastructure to support billionaire John Fisher’s Howard Terminal development on public land at the Port of Oakland.

On one hand, many Oakland residents are strongly opposed to the deal. Nearly every public speaker at Tuesday’s Zoom City Council meeting spoke against the proposal. Many oppose the privatization of public land at Howard Terminal.

Others are critical of the mayor’s “Town for All” plan to divert public funding for years to come to create infrastructure to support Fisher’s new city by the Bay, while starving East Oakland and West Oakland neighborhoods that desperately need speed bumps, traffic safety upgrades and cleanup of mountains of out-of-control trash dumping.

Many people are also concerned that this resolution looks like an end run around democratic processes, allowing hiring and planning on Howard Terminal to start now without public input, before all necessary studies and evaluations are completed, and before the entire project receives a go-ahead by the City Council.

On the other hand, council members are under pressure from building trades unions, which are on board with the Fisher project and have a history of raising massive amounts of money and fielding campaign workers to unseat elected officials who fail to support their agenda.

In addition, there is pressure from state Democratic legislators who have paved the way for Fisher’s deal, granting the city hundreds of millions of dollars that can only be used for Howard Terminal-related infrastructure projects.

Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan

Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan

Seeking a compromise, Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan proposed a motion to change the wording of the resolution, including dropping the name ‘Town for All,’ which she referred to as Orwellian. Her proposal modified the original resolution on the council agenda, which was to hire 13 staff for as much as $11 million to start planning the Howard Terminal infrastructure project, utilizing the $431 million fund already created by the mayor, which is still short by $104 million in funding.

Schaaf’s plan also includes $150 million in funding that would require local taxes.

In Kaplan’s proposal, the new staff would be used not just for Howard Terminal but also for smaller neighborhood safe streets and neighborhood improvement projects. Of course, it is not clear where the money for neighborhood projects would be located if staff time, funding and other resources are concentrated for six years or more on Howard Terminal-related construction.

Councilmember Sheng Thao

Councilmember Sheng Thao

On the first vote, Kaplan’s compromise failed, falling one short of the needed five votes. Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Noel Gallo voted no, and expressing serious concerns, Councilmember Sheng Thao and Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas abstained. The others — Kaplan, Dan Kalb, Treva Reid and Loren Taylor — voted yes.

Only a few minutes after the vote, President Bas called for a re-vote, saying she wanted to change her position. This time she voted yes, giving Kaplan’s motion the five votes it needed to pass. Unchanged, Councilmember Thao abstained, and Fife and Gallo voted no.

Explaining her compromise, Kaplan said the city needs more staff and more effort “to serve transportation projects throughout the City of Oakland, including traffic calming measures, speed bumps and ways to reduce speeding… which have been waiting for some time… When the word equity is thrown around, we have to be sure that it’s made real.”

Fife explained her opposition, “I don’t think what was stated today was sufficient. When it comes to traffic safety, this money is being concentrated in one area, (rather than throughout the city); it seems like public comment is irrelevant, it is not (considered) necessary. I’m very disappointed how this process is rolling out,” how all this money will be spent, she said.

Gallo said he was concerned about providing all the hundreds of millions of dollars for one small part of the city, to benefit one individual real estate developer. It’s what the state legislators did, arranging the funding specifically to support a billionaire’s Howard Terminal deal, he said.

Before reversing her vote, Bas said, “I have a lot of concerns from the community… about the need for traffic safety, traffic calming, street lighting. I’m extremely frustrated,” she said, that she and other councilmembers cannot tell people when the city will respond to their needs.

“We need equity, we need flatland communities being served,” she said.

Concerned about long standing racial disparities in the city’s hiring of contractors and consultants, the council voted down a companion resolution to hire a consulting firm to kick off the Howard Terminal work.

“There needs to be a fairer process,” said Thao. “It’s just racism.”

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Alameda County

The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

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Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.
Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984

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Activism

The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft Speaks at National Probate Reform Coalition Meeting

Evangeline Byars and Carmella Carrington lead the STOPDEEDTHEFT.org movement, fighting rising deed and title fraud, which disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities nationwide.

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Left to right:  Evangeline Byars  and Carmella Carrington are gaining nationwide attention with their STOPDEEDTHEFT.org movement.
Left to right:  Evangeline Byars  and Carmella Carrington are gaining nationwide attention with their STOPDEEDTHEFT.org movement.

 

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By Tanya Dennis

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has learned that aside from rampant theft of properties occurring through probate court, deed theft extends even further with the support of banks, police, judges, attorneys and “the system” to steal Black and Brown properties.

Deed and title fraud are rising, with FBI data showing over 9,300 complaints and $173.6 million in losses in 2024 alone.

To that end, NPRC invited Evangeline Byars of The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft as their keynote speaker on May 7.

Deed theft victims reach out to Byars because she has a reputation of getting things done.  Introduced to community organizing at Medgar Evers College in 2011, Byars was mentored by Harry Belafonte and gained further movement training in 2012-13 through his “Gathering for Justice.” Byars also trained with the Youth Brigade 32BJ, Union in 2012 where she learned to map, target, and execute actions.

With that knowledge as an advocacy worker, Byars ran for president of TWU Local 100 for transit workers.  During challenges of the union and political changes in New York when unions no longer had friends in government, they organized.

In 2025, deed theft victims approached Byars and told their stories.  Byars investigated, and discovered rampant, unrelenting theft of properties, primarily from Black and brown families, got involved and helped them with their fight, teaching them how to sustain their fight at the grassroots level while remaining politically independent.  This independence gave them the ability to move without co promise.

Deed theft is the taking of someone’s deed through fraudulent mortgages or a stranger that accesses property records, prepares paperwork and files for an owner’s property. New York is a’ first notice’ state, which means whoever appears first on record is the designated deed holder.

Deed theft escalated between 2013-23, the outcome of the subprime market, when people faced mass foreclosure and short sales. By 2014 people, primary Black and Brown, were fighting for their property.

In California, title theft (deed fraud) is a fast-growing threat often targeting high-equity homes, vacant land, and rentals. As of 2024, California leads the nation in real estate fraud with over 1,583 cases costing roughly $24.8 million in losses in a single year, reflecting the state’s prime position for scammers due to high property values, the FBI reports.

Byars says, “Deed theft affects Black and Brown people: it is by design, leading to the erasure of people of color homeownership that is happening nationwide. In every big city across the United States, towns and municipalities, we are witnessing a mass exodus of Black and brown people.  This theft cannot occur without judges, notaries and law enforcement, it is a syndicate of players working together for the removal of people by illegal ejectment or eviction.

The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft does court watch and constantly highlight the inequities in the court system.

Byars says, “This is a human rights crisis.  Because of Wall Street and what New York signifies to the nation, know that no state is safe.  Any person can come and create paper terrorism, slap forgery notes on homes; engage in illegal guardian procedures; initiate foreclosures; apply for fraudulent loan modifications; then there’s outright theft and forgery, just taking people’s homes.  Believe me, it’s happening nationally and on the daily, These predators also target seniors over the age of 60 and women.”

The People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft take direct actions against perpetrators and are working with the New York District Attorney to create an office dedicated to gighting deed theft.

“Two ways to protect your deed is to keep a note, never satisfy your mortgage, because the bank is the biggest gangster, but if you’re making a payment, it keeps them in check.  Or put your home in a living trust, once you have a trust, it hides the owner’s name and protects the person from predators.”

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Alameda County

Mayor Barbara Lee Declares ‘Delroy Lindo Day,’ Presents Acclaimed Actor with Key to the City

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee honored acclaimed actor Delroy Lindo with the Key to the City and declared “Delroy Lindo Day” to celebrate his contributions to film, television, and theater.

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Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee presents Oakland actor Delroy Lindo the key to the cCity Council chambers of Oakland City Hall in downtown Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas. 
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee presents Oakland actor Delroy Lindo the key to the cCity Council chambers of Oakland City Hall in downtown Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas. 

By Carla Thomas

Oakland honored one of its most distinguished residents on May 6 as Mayor Barbara Lee presented acclaimed actor Delroy Lindo with the Key to the City and an official proclamation declaring “Delroy Lindo Day.”

The event, titled “Rooted in Legacy: Honoring Delroy Lindo,” took place at Oakland City Hall and brought together community leaders, artists, and young people for an evening centered on storytelling, cultural pride, and intergenerational connection.

Lindo, a critically acclaimed artist who lives in Oakland, was recognized for his extensive contributions to film, television, and theater, as well as his impact on the global African diaspora. Most recently the Oscar-nominated artist was recognized for his phenomenal role as a bluesman in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” a winner both critically and at the box office.

His celebrated body of work included roles in “Unprisoned,” “Malcolm X”, “Clockers,” “Get Shorty,” and ”Da 5 Bloods,” among others.

“He’s brought depth, inspiration, and authenticity to the screen,” said Lee.

The program highlighted both Lindo’s artistic legacy and his influence as a mentor. A centerpiece of the evening was an intimate fireside conversation between MLee and Lindo.

“I am a living, breathing example of somebody who has achieved the American Dream,” said Lindo. “The other side of that is I walk through the world as a Black man of African descent.”

At 5 years of age, Lindo played King Balthazar in a Nativity play. And years later on Easter of 1973 in New York the Negro Ensemble Company’s play, “The River Niger” left a great impact on him.

“Seeing that production and so many Blacks in the audience, gave me an understanding that maybe I could have a career as an actor,” said Lindo.

Students from the Oakland School for the Arts delivered powerful monologues, adding a dynamic and emotional layer to the program. The students’ instructor, Tavia Percia, chairman of the school’s theatre department, watched the performance proudly. Their performances emphasized the importance of arts education and demonstrated the next generation of talent inspired by figures like Lindo.

Five young men from All Tied Up Academy had the honor of presenting the “Rooted in Legacy” plaque to Lindo with Lee.

The evening also featured a cinematic showcase of Lindo’s work, offering a retrospective glimpse into his decades-long career.

The Golden State Warriors presented Lindo with a custom jersey, symbolizing the city’s appreciation for his contributions both on and off the screen.

The highlight of the evening came as  Lee formally presented Lindo with the Key to the City and read the proclamation establishing “Delroy Lindo Day.” The recognition marked not only his artistic achievements but also his enduring connection to Oakland and his commitment to community engagement.

Celebrities, including filmmaker Ryan Coogler, congratulated Lindo via a video presentation. Lindo did not hold back the tears of gratitude. “I carry Oakland with me wherever I go,” said. Lindo, who is Jamaican via the UK, said he chose the Bay Area to call home with his wife and raise his son.

When young men who grew up with his son entered the council chambers, Lindo welcomed them to the stage for a hug and acknowledgement. “These young men are all honorable. I’ve watched them grow up, and they are the future,” he said. “These are three people that give me hope for this country.”

Addressing the audience, Lindo said, “You are part of the infrastructure of my life. My life would not be as it is without you. You give me more than I give you. Wherever I go, I bring Oakland with me.”

advised everyone to push past negativity of the world.

“Hold onto your dreams, particularly now in this country being fed the constant narrative that ‘we are less than,’ because we know we are more than. And kudos to Mayor Lee at the forefront for decades repping us for Oakland and America.”

“Everyone, hold fast to your purpose and charge as a human being and to the young; go for yours!”

Lindo thanked his many fans, friends, and family in the audience. Attendees included broadcaster Dave Clark, attorney John Burris, former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Dr. Albert Brooks who delivered his son, and First African Methodist Episcopal Church  Rev. Rodney Smith. Screenwriter David Webb Peoples, who gave him his first film role in Australia, “The Blood of Heroes, was also in attendance.

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