Community

California Waste Solutions Unveils Plans

Published

5 years ago

July 20, 2019

Oakland’s recycling company unveiled their design for their new state -of-the art facility at the North Gateway district of the former Oakland army base at a community meeting in West Oakland on Monday.

Waste Solutions (CWS) told an audience of nearly 50 community members that they have been diligently working with the City of Oakland to relocate their current West Oakland facilities to the Oakland Army Base’s since 2012.

“We are growing. We want to move,” said David Duong, CEO of CWS. “We made a deposit of $600,000 in 2012 (on the North Gateway property). But guess what? We are still here today. We still want to move. We know that if we move people will have a better life.”

“We recognize that it is not desirable for us to be in a budding neighborhood,” said Tasion Kwamilele, director of community engagement for CWS. “We hear you and we are doing everything we can to move. It is a two-way process with the city.”

When CWS located their facilities in the Lower Bottoms district of West Oakland in 1991, it was a predominately industrial area. Today, Lower Bottoms has become a residential neighborhood.

“We want you to know that we are not moving just to do what we are now doing. We are investing millions of dollars to make a state-of-the-art facility that the people of Oakland and ourselves will be proud of,” Duong said.

The new facility will feature a fully enclosed 170,000-square-foot gold LEED certified building, with solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations and a bioswale, a landscaping feature that removes sediment from surface runoff water.

The City Council voted to enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with CWS in July 2018 and executed the agreement in December 2018.

The timeline for completing the requirements for the ENA and entering into a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA), which will allow CWS to purchase the land, and begin the intricate process of finalizing their design and obtaining building permits.

“There are a few things administratively before putting a shovel in the ground,” said Pat McGowan from the Oakland Planning and Building Department.

If all goes according to plan, CWS should be ready to begin construction in late 2020. The building should be completed within three years.

The move will help CWS and Oakland become leaders in the green economy. In addition to the LEED certified construction, the new facility will bring employment opportunities to residents. The company pledges to continue and expand their partnerships that organizations the increase employment for minorities.

“We are working very hard to making our move to the north gateway a reality,” Kwamilele said.

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Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025

Published

3 days ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

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Supreme Court Decision Confirms Convicted Felon Will Assume Presidency

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In a 5-4 ruling, the court stated that Trump’s concerns could “be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal” and emphasized that the burden of sentencing was “relatively insubstantial” given that Trump will not face prison time. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, with four conservative justices dissenting.

Published

4 days ago

January 10, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s emergency request to block criminal proceedings in his New York hush money case, ensuring that a sentencing hearing will proceed as scheduled on Friday. The decision makes it official that, on January 20, for the first time in its history, the United States will inaugurate a convicted felon as its president.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court stated that Trump’s concerns could “be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal” and emphasized that the burden of sentencing was “relatively insubstantial” given that Trump will not face prison time. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, with four conservative justices dissenting.

Trump was convicted in May for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to intervene in a state criminal case, particularly before all appeals in state courts were exhausted.

Trump’s legal team claimed the sentencing process would interfere with his transition to power and argued that evidence introduced during the trial included official actions protected under the Supreme Court’s prior ruling granting former presidents immunity for official conduct. Merchan, the New York judge who presided over the trial, ruled in December that the evidence presented was unrelated to Trump’s duties as president.

Prosecutors dismissed Trump’s objections, stating that the sentencing would take less than an hour and could be attended virtually. They said the public interest in proceeding to sentencing outweighed the President-elect’s claims of undue burden.

Justice Samuel Alito, one of the four dissenting justices, confirmed speaking to Trump by phone on Wednesday. Alito insisted the conversation did not involve the case, though the call drew criticism given his previous refusals to recuse himself from politically sensitive matters.

The sentencing hearing is set for Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Manhattan. As the nation moves closer to an unprecedented inauguration, questions about the implications of a convicted felon assuming the presidency remain.

“No one is above the law,” Bragg said.

Stacy M. Brown

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Activism

Barbara Lee Launches Campaign for Mayor of Oakland

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided, but a community united,” she Lee. “If elected I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city, so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

Published

6 days ago

January 8, 2025

Oakland Post

By Post Staff

Barbara Lee on Wednesday morning formally announced her candidacy for Mayor in Oakland’s April 15 special election.

“Time and time again, Oaklanders have faced our toughest obstacles by uniting to meet our challenges,” said Lee.

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided but a community united,” she said. “If elected, I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas, and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

“As Mayor, I’ll address our homelessness crisis, prioritize comprehensive public safety and mental health services, and lead with fiscal responsibility to deliver the core City services residents and business owners deserve. Let’s do this – together.”

“I’ve never shied away from a challenge,” said Lee. “I’m always ready to fight for Oakland.”

Watch her campaign video here, which is online at BarbaraLee4Oakland.com