Community
Pick Up Tennis Rackets, Not Guns, Says Former Athlete
“Raise Rackets Not Guns”, will take place Thursday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bushrod Park at 59th and Shattuck in Oakland. Youth will receive free tennis rackets, tennis balls, t-shirts, and tennis lessons.
Mike London, the founder of ‘Raise Rackets, Not Guns’, calls the event a dream come true. By promoting tennis participation to communities of color, he is encouraging young people to build social skills rather than increase the crime rate in minority communities.
Atan early age, he was introduced to tennis, and he used the sport to release frustrations that could have led to violent acts. London went on to become one of the Bay Area’s best players, garnering acclaim during the 1970s and 1980s.
His sports career suffered a setback when he fell from four stories in 2001 suffering multiple fractures and severely damaging his leg. Doctors had no other choice but to amputate it.
But it wasn’t until he was robbed at gunpoint, twice in a four-day period, that he realized his life, from both the fall and the robbery incidents, had been spared for a purpose.
“I began praying for a direction to my life,” London said.
Fixed with a prosthetic leg and a spirit of thankfulness, London now uses his life to inspire young minority youth to leave the street life. “Raise Rackets, Not Guns” is his way of using the sport that saved his life as a way to give back to his community.
His goal is to teach 50 youth and schedule ongoing tournaments throughout the year to focus their attention on the positive instead of the violence and negativity plaguing their communities.
For more information about Raise Rackets, Not Guns, contact Mike London at (510) 689-3473 or Alisha Harrell at (510) 502-0509.
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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