Community

Town Hall Meeting in East Oakland Demands Environmental Justice

Published

6 years ago

September 8, 2018

The East Oakland Congress of Neighborhoods holds a Town Hall meeting Aug. 29 at Allen Temple Baptist Church to build community power to fight the toxic effects of air pollution in East Oakland.

The East Oakland Congress of Neighborhoods recently met with concerned community members at Allen Temple Baptist Church to raise awareness and build community power to fight the toxic effects of air pollution in East Oakland.

At the town hall, held Aug. 29, community members learned about local polluters, such as AB&I Foundry and the SCI Crematorium, and the health impacts of air pollution. Residents also shared their personal stories of living with these health impacts. They then took some time to discuss and propose their own solutions to ensure everyone’s right to breathe clean air.

“It was very important that we had this town hall, because the air and what is in it is not being taken as seriously as it should be,” said East Oakland resident Cesar Fragoso. “We need to understand that the air we breathe is fundamental to our survival.”

East Oakland is primarily home to Oakland’s low-income Black and Brown residents. According to the Alameda County Public Health Department, these community members suffer from double the asthma emergency room visits and hospitalizations, the highest rate of both stroke and congestive heart failure, and the lowest life expectancy in Alameda County, by as many as 10 years. Many residents are unaware that they face these elevated health risks.

Despite the known health hazards, both the City of Oakland and the county continue to allow heavy industries to operate in close proximity to homes, schools, parks, churches and communities in East Oakland, according to activists.

In January 2018, after years of legal battles, a new mega-crematorium owned by Service Corporation International (SCI) began operations only half a mile away from the residential neighborhood of Columbia Gardens, adding dangerous particulate air pollution from the burning of 3,000 bodies a year to a neighborhood already heavily burdened by air pollution from nearby I-880, according to activists.

Lifelong East Oakland resident and community organizer Esther Goolsby said, “I hope that my neighbors take all this information and spread the word across Oakland and Alameda County. We need to take care of our air.’’

For more information, contact Esther Goolsby at (510) 686-3307 or esther@cbecal.org

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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

11 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

4 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

4 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.