The family-owned North Oakland shop’s entrance was recently smashed apart by a truck but neighbors have rallied to support it.
Author Archives: Ricky Rodas
Ricky Rodas is a member of the 2020 graduating class of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Before joining The Oaklandside, he spent two years reporting on immigrant communities in the Bay Area as a reporter for the local news sites Oakland North, Mission Local, and Richmond Confidential. Rodas, who is Salvadoran American and bilingual, is on The Oaklandside team through a partnership with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Alameda Health System’s COVID-19 memory archive shares stories of frontline workers
Launched the day the national COVID emergency was lifted, the multimedia project chronicles the experiences of health care workers during the pandemic’s toughest days.
Posted inBusiness
‘A taste from home’: Despite a war, a small shop brings Ukrainian and Russian foods to Oakland
When Suman Acharya purchased Euromix Delicatessen in 2021, he didn’t foresee how a distant conflict would upend the global supply chain.
Posted inBusiness
Broken guitars and dirty sneakers: What does the future of repair look like in Oakland?
We asked a DIY researcher, sneaker cleaner, guitar repair person, and a knife salesman about the state of local repair shops.
Posted inBusiness
‘A restaurant for all kinds of people’: Tigrai Cafe showcases Tigrayan culture
After 18 years of working various jobs, Feven Kahsay’s family achieved their dream of opening a restaurant in Oakland.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Fruitvale safety summit brings community together to discuss violent crime
Business owners, residents, and officials debated ways to reduce gun violence, robberies, and other dangers.
Posted inHealth & Environment
What’s next for Oakland’s guaranteed income program?
The pilot, which lasted two years thanks to an anonymous donor, is coming to an end in June.
Posted inHealth & Environment
How much damage did this winter’s atmospheric rivers do to Oakland’s roads?
It’s been a season of washed out roads, toppled trees, and landslides. A new city report assesses the destruction.
Posted inBusiness
Video Room, Oakland’s decades-old video rental shop, is closing
Streaming and the pandemic have finally caught up with the Piedmont Avenue staple, which boasts a collection of over 40,000 movies.
Posted inBusiness
A downtown Oakland salon serves as a hangout spot for Oakland’s Mongolian community
The hand-painted sign for Saraa Puntsag’s salon has become a beacon for Mongolian immigrants.
Posted inBusiness
Listen: For this Bolivian father and son, tailoring is a way of life
Gabriel and Efrain Escobar are continuing the family tradition at their shops in Oakland and Pleasant Hill.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Can Lake Merritt be saved from another fish kill?
Stewards of Oakland’s wildlife refuge are fundraising to create oxygenated refuges where fish can escape harmful algae blooms.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
3 Oakland leaders announce runs for federal and state offices
Barbara Lee, Lateefah Simon, and Dan Kalb each recently announced their campaigns for the 2024 election.
Posted inArts & Community
Oakland Asian Cultural Center is hosting its third annual “virtual” night market
The online directory, which started during the pandemic, will spotlight local businesses throughout March and April.
Posted inArts & Community
‘We will rise again’: A devastating fire won’t stop the East Bay’s oldest Black church
This isn’t the first time its 165-year history that Oakland’s First African Methodist Episcopal Church has had to rebuild.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
What is a ransomware attack? An expert explains.
As Oakland struggles to get systems online, we asked a cybersecurity expert about what makes cities vulnerable, and who’s often behind the attacks.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
As Oakland braces for winter storms, ransomware attack has partially downed 311 system
The city’s call center for non-emergency services, OAK311, is experiencing an outage.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Ransomware attack: some city of Oakland services are back online while recovery work continues
The city remains tight-lipped about the cyber attack.
Posted inBusiness
‘Envios de dinero’: The importance of money transfer businesses in East Oakland
Dozens of international delivery shops line the Fruitvale district. It’s a service that has remained despite the neighborhood’s shifting demographics.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Ransomware attack causes Oakland to declare local state of emergency
A cyberattack that began Feb. 8 has taken several of the city’s non-emergency systems offline.
