Oakland Tribune Outtakes

Free Election Night Party & Celebration Nov 4th
Come Party, Celebrate Change & Unity, and Watch the Election Results
Free live music featuring the Angry Tired Teachers Band playing their new hit song, “Get Up, Stand Up for Barack” ~ (That guy has some serious coattails and he hasn’t even been elected!)
No Cover Charge
Hors d’oeuvres
Obama tee-shirts will be raffled off
Flat screen TVs
All ages permitted
When?       Tuesday, Nov 4th, 7pm to closing

Where?       Rasselas Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1534 Fillmore St, San Francisco (415) 346-8696

Who? Please RSVP to: paul@progressive-alliance.org

When Berkeley Police Officer Joseph Ledoux stopped a gold Acura at 9th and Parker streets on a Sunday afternoon late last month, he didn’t know that he was about to uncover a massive drug stash in the car and in the driver’s home.

The driver had done something we’ve probably all done from time to time: he rolled through the stop sign, commonly referred to as a “Hollywood Stop” by police.

Smelling the odor of marijuana, Ledoux searched the 1994 Acura, turning up about eight grams of cocaine, 20 Percocet pills, 49 Oxycontin pills, a few pills of Ecstasy and a quarter pound of marijuana.  Police obtained a search warrant for his home in the 2200 block of Curtis Street in Berkeley, where they uncovered more drugs_ about a half pound of weed, marijuana cookies, a digital scale, more pills and lots of cash.

The drugs are worth between $5,000 to $8,000 on the street, said police spokesman Officer Andrew Frankel.

Two brothers, Michael Fikaris, 25, and Nicholas Fikaris, 22, were arrested for a number of drug charges, including possession of drugs for sale. Michael Fikaris, the driver, was driving on an expired license and the car was towed.

Both men were jailed.

Ledoux has been on the force less than two years.

“It’s a big hit for (him),” Frankel said. “We’re all very proud of him.”

Ledoux downplayed the arrest. “I’m just out there trying to make the community safer one care stop at a time.”

Some dancers just do it bigger. Dance At Large, Big Moves Bay Area’s all new
dance spectacular, celebrates this not so small fact in style with plenty of
big dance from big dancers who aren’t afraid to show you what they’re made
of.  Featuring the Phat Fly Girls, Big Moves Bay Area’s resident dance
company for the curvaceous and confident, Dance At Large is coming to Laney
College Theater (900 Fallon St. in Oakland) on November 7th and 8th, 2008 at
8pm.  Tickets are $12 at the door ($10 for students) or $10 in advance ($8
for students) available now at http://www.bigmoves.org .
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