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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 inArts & Community
In East Oakland, a garden reconnects Laotian elders with their past
Local elders have been growing mustard greens, sugar cane stalks, and snap peas at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park since 2003.
Posted inBusiness
Fruitvale businesses meet with local officials over public safety concerns
Small business owners and others called on Oakland police, BART, and city officials to do more about crime in the neighborhood.
Posted inBusiness
Creating styles and community at Showin’ Out Hair Gallery in Oakland’s Laurel District
We’re highlighting Laurel businesses like LuTillian Hudson’s 30-year salon, a magnet for longtime residents.
Posted inBusiness
Helping Oakland’s immigrant business owners get online—and get to the next level
Unity Council’s Onward Oakland: Adelante Oakland program helps Fruitvale entrepreneurs build their digital presence, apply for permits, and more.
Posted inBusiness
Laurel Cyclery, a haven for Oakland youth who love bikes
The bike shop is intentional about hiring locally and found it needed to grow fast in the pandemic.
Posted inBusiness
Laurel’s Mischief gives local BIPOC artists a place of their own
Co-owner Don Johnson always dreamed of owning a business in the neighborhood he grew up in. Now, he and his wife Tiffany are living out that dream together.
Posted inBusiness
Parklets are here to stay. Will East Oakland get to enjoy more of them?
From safety concerns to better outreach, shop owners along MacArthur, International, and other East Oakland corridors reflect on why Flex Streets aren’t as popular near them.
Posted inBusiness
Dimond and Laurel business owners meet with attorney general, OPD chief to talk crime concerns
Shop owners questioned AG Rob Bonta, Chief LeRonne Armstrong, and councilmembers Sheng Thao and Noel Gallo about longstanding problems like property crime, and the recent spike in shootings.
Posted inBusiness
Parklets forever? Oakland could make Flex Streets permanent
The program has helped local businesses stay afloat during the pandemic, but it’s been less active in East Oakland.
Posted inBusiness
Construction on Montclair Village Plaza is underway
The project will turn Antioch Court from a regular street into a semi-permanent community space.
Posted inNosh
La Perla celebrates a year on Fruitvale Avenue
The Oakland Puerto Rican restaurant looks back on an intense first year.
Posted inHealth & Environment
People are fishing in Lake Merritt. Is that ok?
The history of angling in Oakland’s wildlife refuge is long, but the rules are murky.
Posted inBusiness
In Chinatown and Little Saigon, small businesses get ready for Lunar New Year
From the kumquat trees at Kelly Smoke Shop to the bahn tet at Pho Vy, local businesses have been a big part of many Oaklanders’ celebrations.
Posted inBusiness
Local businesses push back on attempt to waive contracting rules
With $40 million in city paving contracts up for grabs, minority biz owners say dropping the rules now would make existing inequities worse.
Posted inNature
Rare salmon sighting in creek near Lake Merritt is good news, experts say
Lake stewards say more salmon sightings are an exciting sign that conservation efforts are working, but there’s more to do.
Posted inNosh
This Queer Oakland cafe works to fight anti-immigrant sentiment
Cafe Gabriela serves up resistance and resilience alongside its menu of salads and sandwiches.
Posted inBusiness
The people behind the storefronts: Looking back at a year of small business reporting
The Oaklandside’s Ricky Rodas shares some of his favorite reporting moments of 2021.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Salmon in Lake Merritt? More rainfall is causing some fish to wander into Oakland’s lagoon
The fish are returning to East Bay streams for the first time in decades, and some are winding up in the unlikeliest of places.
Posted inBusiness
More liquor stores in Oakland are selling fresh produce, with help from Saba Grocers Initiative
Organizing within Oakland’s Arab and Yemeni communities sparked the initiative, which is now helping convenience store owners stock their shelves with healthy food options.