By Y’Anad Burrell

The UC Berkeley Cal Bears Women’s Basketball team has a new fireball of energy and excellence by way of sophomore Jayda Curry. While she is a star basketball player, her motto is GOD, FAMILY, HOOP — in that order.
Jayda was born in Corona, California, and has played basketball since age four. Growing up, she would play golf with her father occasionally, but Jayda gravitated to basketball along with her sister Layla Curry, who plays for LMU. Jayda chose a unique academic track studying American Studies with an emphasis on Interdisciplinary Studies (ISF), where students choose the classes they would like, which can cross multiple disciplines.
Jayda shared that her priorities in life are consistent and have not changed even with her popularity as a star basketball player. Her faith in God keeps her grounded, and she has an extensive gospel song playlist on her phone and a routine of not listening to rap music before Noon every day. Instead, her music therapy playlist has many songs from several religious genres of music and a short list of her favorite artists: Marvin Sapp, Jessica Reedy, Jonathan McReynolds, Kirk Franklin and many others.
Athletes often have the challenge of balancing their mental health and sports careers, and Jayda found a balance through journaling, something she has done for a long time, well before entering college. Finding a healthy balance with academic success is often, as well, a challenge for athletes. Jayda attributes her success in this area to good time management. Staying tenacious about studying and completing school assignments while on the road with the team has become a habit that gives Jayda academic success while performing at a high level on the basketball court.
Jayda cherishes her love for family and shares how deep down she is truly a ‘kid at heart.’ A Lego wonderland moment and enjoy hanging out with family, teammates, and friends is the best for Jayda on any given day.
Jayda has many athletes that she admires. To name just a few, they are
Candice Parker, Sirena Williams, Gabi Douglas, Steph Curry, Damion Lillard and many more. It was no surprise to hear that she would like play for the WNBA one day, but succeeding in college is just as important to Jayda.
Jayda is well on her way to gracing the national stage while fulfilling her dreams and aspirations, given the path she has chosen and thus far managed well. Soon she may be another big name in basketball for other up and comers to admire.
But her fashion career is happening in real-time, not in Jayda’s future. She launched an apparel collection that can be found in Oakland stores and online at www.jaydacurry.com. Jayda’s collection will also be available in stores in her hometown of Corona.

By Mike Kinney

A parade is being planned to celebrate the Pinole Valley High School football team’s historic championship season, Principal Kibby Kleiman said. School officials are considering holding the parade on Feb. 4, 2023, although an official date has not yet been confirmed.

Photos courtesy of Pinole Valley High School.

The parade will start at the Pinole Valley Park and will proceed to the Pinole Valley High School football field. The high school’s marching band, cheerleading squad and color guard will participate, along with clubs and service organizations connected to the school.

“It will almost be like a mini homecoming event,” Kleiman said.

The Spartans football team captured its first ever state title last fall, defeating Mendota High 34-21 in the Division 7-AA California State Championship. The victory marks the first time a West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) school has earned a high school state football title.

Photos courtesy of Pinole Valley High School.

The Spartans earned their bid to play in the state championship after defeating Justin-Siena (Napa) 7-0 on Nov. 25, 2022, capturing their first North Coast Section title in 43 years.

Kleiman noted the team will also be recognized in a ceremony at Pinole City Council in February.

“We could not be prouder of the level of support coming from the community and the school,” he said. “It is wonderful to feel valued and honored. We are extremely proud of our Spartan football team!”

Report says A’s proposal “underestimates” costs and “overestimates” revenue projections

By Post Staff

Dr. Nola Agha, a nationally recognized sports economist and University of San Francisco professor of Sport Management, this week presented findings of her study on the revenues, costs, and economic impacts of the A’s proposed development at Howard Terminal to the Oakland City Council’s Community & Economic Development (CED) Committee.

Agha’s independent study was commissioned when the city failed to provide the independent economic analysis of the project’s proposed development agreement and financing framework requested by City Council in April.

Agha’s report at Tuesday’s CED meeting was based on information about the proposal available to the public, provided by the Oakland A’s, Oakland City Administrator Ed Reiskin, and the City Council’s July 2021 non-binding term sheet, and includes updated projections based on the current economic forecast.

Outgoing Mayor Libby Schaaf’s administrative team argues that an economic analysis of the impact of the Oakland A’s $20 billion real estate development at the Port of Oakland is impossible to analyze until behind-closed-door negotiations between City staff and A’s owner John Fisher’s team are completed, and there is a final deal.

The danger, however, is that once a final deal is completed, there would likely be a rush to pass it without looking at the details and economic analysis behind it.

The report was commissioned by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which has significant concerns about the impact the proposed project would have on the survivability of the Oakland Port.

The report focused on three primary concerns with the A’ proposal:

• Revenue projections are overestimated;
• Direct cost projections are underestimated;
• Indirect, unanticipated, and often inconspicuous costs have not been accounted for.

Summarizing her findings,  Agha said, “Both the team and the City have made a lot of assumptions in designing the financing framework for this project, all of which put the City and taxpayers at greater risk down the line.

“A close look at the available information reveals that the project requires a historically large and growing public subsidy to be financially feasible. Publicly funded stadiums typically don’t pay off, and this one is unlikely to be any different.”

To read the full report, go to: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/oaklandstadiumalliance/pages/109/attachments/original/1664404798/Evaluation_of_the_revenues_costs_and_impacts_of_Howard_Terminal_-_Sept_21_2022.pdf?1664404798