Uncategorized

“Rumor Central”

Published

12 years ago

June 29, 2013

By Terri Schlichenmeyer,
The Bookworm Sez

Have youheardabout…?
Those are four words that are music to your ears. You hear them, and you lean in close because you know you’re about to hear something too juicy to ignore, something too cool to avoid, something you absolutely must know.
Gossip is fun and you love hearing it – until you’re on the receiving end. And in the new book “Rumor Central” by Reshonda Tate Billingsley, one tattletale finds her tail in a bunch of trouble.
Nobody in South Florida under the age of 21 missed an episode of Miami Divas.
Starring Maya Morgan, the show also featured her friends and classmates as they partied, shopped, and dished on must-haves for everyone who was anyone. They had the best of everything; they were style-makers. Every week, the ratings were off the chain – so it was a surprise to Maya that the show got cancelled.
But the producers had another little surprise for her: they wanted Maya to star in a new TV program that would be filled with gossip.
They wanted Maya – but not her friends.
This, of course, made Bali, Shay, and Sheridan jealous. Weren’t they all for one, and one for all? Maya didn’t think so. Why couldn’t they understand that this was the opportunity her fabulous self deserved? It was what she’d been waiting for, for ages.
Yes, her friends were jealous – green with envy, in fact, because Maya was meeting and hanging with all kinds of stars and making all kinds of money.
They were jealous enough to try and ruin what Maya was doing. One of them even stole Maya’s boyfriend, so imagine how happy they were when the new show, Rumor Central, flopped.
To boost ratings and save the show, Maya had to come up with some real gossip. It had to be sensational – something that would make Miami stand up and notice.
Fortunately, Maya’s former-friends had been pretty loose with their lips and she knew a lot of secrets. So, while a totally nerdy classmate did her schoolwork for her, Maya Morgan went on-camera and spilled Miami ’s hottest gossip.
But someone wanted her to keep her mouth shut. Someone wanted to nix the news. And for Maya Morgan, payback would be a…
Okay, I hated Maya Morgan. She’s nasty, self-centered, spoiled, obnoxious, and not very nice. I’ve never wanted a come-uppance for a character more than I wanted it for her.
Yep, Maya’s a total brat who only kind-of-almost learns a lesson in this book (the first in a new series) – and that “almost” wasn’t near enough to endear her to me one bit.
Author Reshonda Tate Billingsley has made Maya just too selfishly incorrigible, and it’s hard to feel anything for the girl but a lingering distaste.
I can handle a dastardly character – most good fiction has at least one – but the villain in this book is insufferably awful.
Try this book if you must. Give it a whirl if you have to – but to me, “Rumor Central” is nothing to whisper about.
“Rumor Central” by Reshonda Tate Billingsley, c.2013, Dafina Teen, $9.95, 263 pages.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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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.