Uncategorized

Cajun/Zydeco Music Festival Coming to East Bay

Published

10 years ago

July 21, 2015

Conservationists and environmental groups have been working for years to protect bobcats in California, where they’re sometimes trapped for their fur.

But in the East Bay Regional Park District, the short-tailed felines are thriving, fully protected and common sights at some of District’s more remote parks.

Bobcats can be spotted at most parks – and probably even in some backyards – east of Interstate 680. Sunol, Del Valle, Brushy Peak, Round Valley and Morgan Territory offer ideal bobcat habitat, with ample grasslands and wooded areas for hunting and shelter.

They’re most active at dawn and dusk, and, like most cats, are expert rodent hunters. In the East Bay, they’re an important part of the food chain, helping keep the mouse, rabbit and squirrel populations in check.

Bobcats are slightly larger than house cats, ranging from 11 to 30 pounds, and are easily recognized by their short tails, wide ruffs around their faces, and muscular bodies. They’re active throughout the year, but these warm summer dusks are a great time to spot them stalking prey in a field or traipsing through a woodland.

One of the Park District’s most popular events, the Cajun/Zydeco Music Festival, returns for its 19th year at Ardenwood Historic Farm on Aug. 15.

This year’s line-up includes: Andrew Carriere and the Cajun/Zydeco Allstars, Corey Ledet and his Zydeco Band, Andre Thierry, and the Pine Leaf Boys. Cajun and creole food, dance lessons and specialty vendors round out the festival bill.

Advance tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for youth. Proceeds benefit the Parks Express, which provides transportation to East Bay Regional Parks for low-income young people, seniors and people with disabilities.

Bring a blanket, lawn chairs and your dancing shoes. The festival is from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Ardenwood, 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont. To purchase tickets online, go to www.ebparks.org or call (888) 327-2757, option 2.

You don’t need to schlep all the way to the Sierra if you want to go camping. The East Bay Regional Park District offers hundreds of campsites for families, groups, equestrians and backpackers. Summer weekends are typically pretty crowded, but plenty of great campsites are available mid-week for a quick getaway to the great outdoors.

Family campsites are at Anthony Chabot Regional Park in the hills between Oakland and Castro Valley, and at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore. The cost is $25 per night, or $35-45 for sites with RV hookups. Dogs are $2 extra.

Campsites for groups of 11 or more people are available at 30 different parks throughout the District. Group campsites at Chabot and Del Valle have access to showers and flush toilets, while group campsites are 30 other parks throughout the District have portable toilets and no showers. The campsite capacities vary, from fewer than 50 people to 300 people. Costs range from $75 to $200.

Horseback riders can take advantage of special sites at Chabot, Del Valle, Las Trampas and Tilden to camp with their four-legged friends. Costs range from $75 to $200 per night.

For the most adventurous campers, dozens of backpacking sites are also available. Most of the sites are several miles from a parking lot and campers must carry their gear in. Most of the sites include places to pitch a tent, picnic tables and pit toilets. Cost is $5.

To make reservations, go to reserveamerica.com or call (888) 327-2757.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Uncategorized

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.