Had a story updating what’s going on at the San Leandro Marina, with a focus on the “liveaboards” who call it home. Story was long, never got around to certain aspects such as the crime that accompanies blight. Clipped this part:

Reverse racism! Also, beware the satanic thug and his evil can of hot pink paint.

“There is crime,” said boat owner Oliver Campbell. “Prostitution, and drugs. You run around out there and you got to be careful or you’ll get a needle stuck in your foot.”

Up around the bend in the jetty, past the fenced off former Boat Works site that is now a haven for feral cats, hot-pink and black tags marred the outside wall of a public restroom.

“I’ve been coming here for years, but this is the first time I’ve seen this,” said James Mason, pointing at a pair of hateful little symbols. “It must have been kids – they didn’t even do the swastikas right, they’re going the wrong way. But the intent is still there.”

It should be noted that while I was going through archives I came across a lot of stories related to crime at the marina back in better days. It was once quite a party hangout for teenagers, and there were also some interesting tales of out-of-control incidents at the Blue Dolphin.

“It’s like that with any public park that’s open at night,” said harbor master Delmarie Snodgrass. “You’re going to get people out there, some of them looking at the water, others just to party.”

Snodgrass added that when it comes to big  displays of illegal behavior – think sideshows – “police have been on top of that.”

She said if necessary, cops have a handy way of isolating and catching troublemakers.

“They will close Marina Boulevard and Fairway Drive,” she said. “They’ll box them in if they start doing that stuff again.”

By now you’ve probably heard about the various “Occupy Wall Street” protests that started on the East Coast and are now taking root in cities across the nation. They’ve garnered support from a lot of our local U.S. reps, saw an Oakland councilwoman join them in their tent city and are starting to pop up in places that usually don’t see very many demonstrations: San Ramon on Tuesday, Walnut Creek on Wednesday and on Friday, MoveOn.org will bring it to the Bank of America near Bayfair Mall in San Leandro. Find the press release after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re being rebranded. Here’s the story, feel free to discuss. The Hayward Review first published on Nov. 5, 1891. The name change to the East Bay Tribune takes effect Nov. 2.

The walkability index is a guide that rates cities and neighborhoods based on proximity to nearby amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools, parks, and public transit. 

Here is Hayward’s data and a pretty cool map in which green is good and red is bad in terms of legging it around town. Notice that while the overall number isn’t very impressive, some areas of town are indeed very walkable according to their methodology. In particular, North Hayward is up there at 77, which isn’t bad considering the 85 rank enjoyed by the country’s two most walkable cities of New York and San Francisco. San Lorenzo also got a 58 overall score, while San Leandro was somewhat higher at 65. Castro Valley faired poor for walkers, with a score of 45.

Fun feature: Enter an address and find a walk score particular for where you are. I’ll have you know that the Daily Review’s address is a “Walker’s Paradise” with a score of 98. The Castro Valley neighborhood where I grew up rated a dismal, “Car-Dependent” score of 28, but I could have told you that it wasn’t much fun getting around pre-car without the rating. 

 Here’s the press release from Walk Score.

According to the website, “The 372 largest cities in California have an average Walk Score of 50. The most walkable cities in California are West Hollywood, Albany and San Francisco.  The least walkable cities are Mead Valley, Prunedale and Adelanto.”

Just announced: Hayward school board will have another meeting on board governance and goal setting from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday at the district office board room.

And if you’re concerned about close encounters with raccoons, possums or other esteemed representatives of wild Hayward, the Hayward Animal Shelter will hold an informative meeting on interacting with our native wildlife at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in room 2A at City Hall, 777 B St.

Remember, if you are interested in a more comprehensive list of Hayward government-related events, check out the City Clerk’s site, with links to the various agendas. This week, that includes Library Commission, Youth Commission, Downtown Business Improvement Advisory Board, Climate Action Management Team and a weekend cleanup event at Weekes Park. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s what’s going on this week, according to the Review calendar and government listings. On Saturday, there’s going to be a ribbon-cutting dedication of Suzanne Gayle’s latest mural work at Winton Middle School. Press release, calendar after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

We had a story about the base API scores being released this week. The scores aren’t new — they are rejiggered from the growth API scores that were released in the fall. There are variables that change in the formula for calculating the scores each year, so once those variables are figured out, the previous year’s score is put through the calculations to come up with a base for comparison in the fall.

If you need a recap, here’s a guide to the state’s Accountability Progress Reporting system.

There are links in the story, but click here if you’d like to jump directly to scores for Alameda County’s schools. As you can read in the story, none of Hayward Unified’s schools make it into the statewide top 50 percent. But some fare better when compared with schools similar in terms of student’s socioeconomic status, number of English language learners and other factors, which the district pointed out in a press release you can find after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

The Hayward-based Family Emergency Shelter Coalition was recently surprised by a donation from the last will and testament of Gertrude “Trude” Bloomfield Campe, a San Leandro resident who died nearly a year ago.

According to a FESCO spokesperson, Campe was “a retired nanny, an immigrant from England and a woman of modest means.” Read more about Campe and her gift in the press release after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s what’s going on this week. Also, check out the slideshow on the Castro Valley artist who carves fish out of wood. They’re pretty impressive pieces, and you can see them at The Book Shop on B Street.

Community Calendar items can be faxed to 510-293-2490, mailed to 22533 Foothill Blvd., Hayward, CA 94541, or e-mailed to jketchum@bayareanewsgroup.com. Questions? Call 510-293-2464. Read the rest of this entry »

 April 7
How is San Leandro doing? — 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. State of the city is assessed by Mayor Stephen Cassidy at a luncheon sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce — members and nonmembers are invited. Luncheon is at the Senior Community Center, 13909 E. 14th St., San Leandro. Prepaid registration is required. Cost: $30 for chamber members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at: sanleandrochamber.com, click “events” link. For more information, call 510-317-1400. Read the rest of this entry »