Mervyn’s conversion in San Lorenzo postponed because of increasing project costs
SAN LORENZO, Calif. — Plans to turn a vacant Mervyn's department store in San Lorenzo into a mixed-use apartment complex have been postponed because of "rising interest rates and escalating construction costs," according to a Tuesday press release. On Tuesday, Nov. 28, 3rd District Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam and Sacramento-based developer Demmon Partners announced that the construction of the Village Green Apartments on Hesperian Boulevard is being indefinitely postponed because of "adverse economic conditions." …
Several southern Alameda County elected officials join call for long-term ceasefire
Several elected officials in southern Alameda County are calling on Congress and the Biden administration to facilitate a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and to condition future U.S. funding to Israel "on a genuine path to peace." The Nov. 26 letter denounces both the violence of Oct. 7 and Israel's retaliatory actions since, stating that the temporary ceasefire, which went into effect Friday, Nov. 24, was a positive step. However, it emphasizes more needs …
Alameda County briefs | District attorney takes steps to hold wrongdoers accountable, public defenders fight for reasonable bail
Trial set to begin for slaying of Kevin Nishita 2 years ago OAKLAND — On the two-year anniversary of his death, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price reaffirmed her office's commitment to seeking justice for Kevin Nishita, a former police officer who was killed in Oakland while working as a security officer for journalists. “The murder of Kevin Nishita is a heartbreaking tragedy for this community,” Price said in a statement. “Our victim advocates have …
Letter to the Editor | Fremont’s collective act of evasion
Dear Editor, As a concerned resident, I am compelled to express my apprehension regarding the recent handling of unexpected sales tax revenue in Fremont, as reported in the Mercury News and East Bay Echo. The revelation that Fremont received an unanticipated $37 million in sales tax revenue, inaccurately attributed to volatile new auto sales, is disconcerting. What’s even more unsettling is the city council’s seemingly passive response to this issue. Rather than addressing the misallocation, …
Fremont City Council OKs displacing unhoused community to build dog park, pickleball courts at Vallejo Mills Park
FREMONT, Calif. — The Fremont City Council has signaled its lack of regard for people struggling with homelessness in favor of expanding recreational opportunities for the well off. About a week ago, the Fremont City Council unanimously awarded Guerra Construction Group a $1.9 million contract to construct a dog park and four pickleball courts at Vallejo Mills Historical Park, located at the corner of Niles Canyon Road and Mission Boulevard, where several people struggling with …
Surplus turns sour: Fremont may have been overpaid $28M in sales tax revenue
FREMONT, Calif. — The city of Fremont has gotten substantially more money through sales taxes over the past two years than expected, but it turns out that was by mistake. Earlier this month, city staff shared a year-end budget report with the Fremont City Council that showed that the city's tax revenues, primarily driven by sales tax, exceeded May projections for fiscal year 2022-2023 by $8.7 million. However, the state Department of Tax and Fee …
Castro Valley Pride holds vigil to honor lives lost on Transgender Day of Remembrance
HAYWARD, Calif. — About two dozen people from across Southern Alameda County came together in Hayward on Monday night to honor and remember the lives of the hundreds of transgender people who died this year. During a candlelight vigil held in front of the Alameda County Office of Education, Austin Bruckner Carrillo, president of Castro Valley Pride and a candidate for the Hayward Unified School District Board of Education, joined about 20 other people in …
Muwekma Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh launches campaign for Congress
SAN JOSE — In the process of fighting for her tribe's federal recognition, Charlene Nijmeh has seen the corruption of the Democratic Party firsthand. Rather than forsaking the party, Nijmeh aspires to reform it so it can once again be the party of the people. On an overcast Saturday afternoon at St. James Park in San Jose, the chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe officially launched her campaign for the 18th Congressional District seat, currently …
New Costco opens in Newark tomorrow
NEWARK, Calif. — Costco's new warehouse is opening in Newark tomorrow. The 152,000-square-foot warehouse is located at 350 Newpark Mall Road, adjacent to Newpark Mall, and is set to open its doors at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, according to a Costco press release. In addition to its usual bakery, deli and produce departments, the warehouse includes a 32-pump gas station, an optical department with an independent optometrist, pharmacy, hearing aid center and more. The …
Rep. Eric Swalwell urges Secretary of State Blinken to address extremist settler violence in West Bank
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-District 14) is among three members of Congress leading a call to address extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to a Friday release. Swalwell, along with Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, sent a letter, signed by 55 other members of Congress, urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address the escalating settler violence in and around the West Bank, …
Muwekma Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh plans to unseat Rep. Zoe Lofgren
SAN JOSE — The Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh is officially declaring her candidacy for Congress this week, aiming to combat corruption and address the housing affordability crisis plaguing the country. “Entrenched incumbents sit very comfortably in Congress, entirely detached from the struggles that families endure to keep a roof over their heads," Nijmeh said in a statement. "I feel that struggle. In the Bay Area, that burden is very heavy. It’s too heavy.” …
Artist Louis Chinn shares plans for ‘The Living Basket’ memorial commemorating Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s past, present and future
HAYWARD, Calif. — The United States has a problematic history of memorializing people and events that glorify domination, colonialism and imperialism, like statues of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and missionary Junipero Serra. The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is working with the city of Hayward to change that. During a talk at Chabot College on Wednesday, Nov. 15, multidisciplinary artist Louis Chinn shared a rendering of "The Living Basket," which is going to commemorate the past, …
UPDATE: Bay Area residents shut down Bay Bridge, demand President Biden call for ceasefire
UPDATE: The Bay Bridge reopened to westbound traffic and several protestors have been arrested, says a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol. The bridge reopened to westbound traffic just before noon after police arrested protesters at the scene and towed multiple cars. The exact number of people arrested and cars towed was not yet available. The spokesperson urged drivers to be patient as CHP works to get westbound traffic moving again. SAN FRANCISCO — Bay …
Hayward considers next steps for underused city jail
HAYWARD, Calif. — The city of Hayward makes limited use of its city jail, but the chief of the Hayward Police Department still thinks it's an important resource that can save the city money and officers time. On Tuesday, Nov. 14, acting Hayward Police Chief Bryan Matthews presented the assessment of the jail facility, conducted by consulting firm Jensen Hughes, to the council. That assessment found there were several issues with the way the jail …
Constituents call on Rep. Eric Swalwell to support ceasefire in Palestine
CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. — A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a protest at the district office of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-District 14) last week, calling on the legislator to sign onto a ceasefire resolution that would temporarily stop the unrelenting bloodshed in the Gaza Strip. On Thursday, Nov. 9, roughly 20 to 30 demonstrators, including several members of the Hayward Community Coalition, staged a protest outside Swalwell's office, carrying signs and chanting slogans of solidarity …
‘Judging Juries’ highlights need to pay jurors more than $15 per day
OAKLAND — A jury of one's peers is the cornerstone of the U.S. criminal legal system, but a new documentary by filmmaker Abby Ginzberg reveals that remains a rarity for many Black and brown people charged with a crime in Alameda County and beyond. "Judging Juries" follows Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods, who frequently finds that the people he represents are not being judged by a cross-section of their community, which has major implications …
Covenant House gets $485,000 to continue construction of Hayward youth shelter
HAYWARD, Calif. — The Alameda County Office of Education has granted nonprofit Covenant House of California $485,000 to help it deal with the increasing costs of building a shelter for Hayward area youths. During the recent Alameda County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, Superintendent Alysse Castro announced the allocation to support the construction of the Hayward/Mid-Alameda County Navigation Center. Initially projected to cost $1.7 million in 2021, the center's expenses have surged …
New Haven Unified school board swears in Vanessa Hernandez
UNION CITY, Calif. — Residents of Decoto and a portion of South Hayward have a new representative on the New Haven Unified School District's Board of Education. The board officially swore in Vanessa Hernandez, a lifelong Decoto resident and New Haven mother, at a ceremony attended by her family and friends on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Hernandez was appointed to represent Area 2 through the November 2024 general election at a special meeting last week. Hernandez, …
Fremont nurses push back against Washington Hospital’s proposed staffing strategies, slashed benefits
FREMONT, Calif. — Nearly six months into contract negotiations, Fremont nurses say they are close to reaching a fair contract with the management of Washington Hospital Healthcare System, but there are two major sticking points: proposed cuts to their health care benefits and a proposal requiring nurses to cover different units in cases of unexpected staffing changes, known as "floating." More than 200 members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United joined an informational picket …
Hippies Brew Coffee closes Smith Street location, teases taco takeover
UNION CITY, Calif. — Hippies Brew Coffee bid farewell to its Smith Street location in Union City a few weeks ago, but the owner says closing one chapter of the company's story is allowing it to open another. Sone Estrada, owner of Hippies Brew, told the East Bay Echo on Monday, Nov. 13, that the coffee company is set to embark on a new culinary adventure — tacos. Chulo Tacos is set to make its …