Community

Mootz Pizzeria and Bar pays it forward one slice at a time during cold days in Detroit

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — Warming centers have popped up all over the Detroit area and Mootz Pizzeria and Bar owner Tony Sacco wanted to do his part by helping those in need.

Published

8 years ago

February 6, 2019

Oakland Post

By Branden Hunter

Detroit has set extreme record lows this week thanks to a polar vortex, with the temperature falling to as low as negative 15 degrees in some parts of the metro area. Warming centers have popped up all over the Detroit area and Mootz Pizzeria and Bar owner Tony Sacco wanted to do his part by helping those in need.

Sacco delivered 22, 18-inch cheese and pepperoni pizzas to veterans at the Detroit Veterans Housing Program Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) shelter in midtown Detroit (253 East Milwaukee) on Wednesday. According to a study conducted by the personal finance website, Wallethub, Detroit is the worst big city in the United States for America’s heroes to live in and with the harsh winter weather, it makes their situations worse.

“The veterans were very excited and happy,” said Sacco, who surprised them himself with free pizza. “They were very thankful and gave us a tour of the facility. We talked to the main chef and he introduced us to all the people that worked there. We got to see some of the veterans eat the pizza and it was really nice.”

Sacco could have chosen any shelter in Detroit to deliver free pizza to, but he chose the VOAMI because he has had a close tie to veterans over the years. As a resident of Monroe for the last 30 years, Sacco helped opened up Monroe County Chapter 142 in Monroe in the 1980s, supplying an office and paying the rent for a few years, enabling veterans to receive proper assistance. His daughter was also a social worker who worked with veterans returning from the war, so his willingness to help veterans comes from the heart.

“Veterans have always been close to my heart,” said Sacco, who grew up in Detroit. “I grew up in the Vietnam era and I’ve always felt like the Vietnam veterans have been mistreated. I personally know a lot of them and I thought it would be a nice opportunity on a cold day to help others out.”

Sacco said his plans to deliver community service to veterans in the area will not stop once the weather breaks and plans on continuing his good deeds like he has been doing for the past 30 years.

“When God blesses you with something, you need to reach out and help wherever you can,” Sacco said. “Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth and others are less fortunate. Veterans went to war to fight for our country and to see them come home to nothing is pretty sad.”

Mootz Pizzeria and Bar opened January 28 and is divided up into two components — a full service dining room with a bar, and a small counter with slices for carryout called the Side Hustle. The New York-style slices are $4.50 and up and the restaurant is cashless. The bar, which sits 100 people, specializes in wines, cocktails, and has 20 beer tabs.

Mootz is located at 1230 Library street and will be open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

1 hour ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

3 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.