Enjoyed a free first-rate local film projected onto the wall of a bank lately - with free popcorn and live music included? No?! Well, every Thursday evening from June 17 through July 22, beginning at 8 p.m., anyone stopping by 49th and Telegraph can be treated to just that.

This just in - It’s officially summertime in the O.

The summer solstice may be a few weeks off, but if the nice weather at Sunday’s Temescal Street Fair is any indication of what to expect in the meantime, it’s time to put those winter clothes away (if you haven’t already) and get down in the sunshine - just like that Roy Ayers song says.
 

Lighting, pollution and increased parking associated with the massive rebuild of the Kaiser Medical Cen

So, as you know, the Merritt Bakery has asked the city for another $150,000 in loans to help keep it afloat and keep its staff working, this after borrowing more than $800,000.

Despite many Oakland Local community members' comments on OL and Facebook that most of the food is overpriced, the vegetables taste canned, and the people running it don't seem to understand fiscal management on the most basic level (don't mix your personal checking with your business checking), it's pretty clear that Dellums, at the June 1 City Council meeting, is going to make sure the Council approves the loan.

Temescal is a hotspot this summer for festivals celebrating local businesses, sustainability and community. (See the map here.)  

In April 2009, a cryptic sign appeared in the window of a run-down building on the 43rd block of Telegraph Avenue. Black print on white paper shaped a question mark, whose dot was a hand-drawn coffee mug. People slowed as they walked past, seeming to wonder: Is Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood finally getting a coffee shop?

Last year, Mike Napolitano heard something at a school meeting that upset him.  “We learned that we were going to lose about 15% of our site budget.  It was demoralizing.” 

Napolitano decided to take action:  he sent an email to other parents suggesting a bike ride to Sacramento to bring attention to the budget cuts.

Construction of a new five-story parking garage at the MacArthur BART station could begin as early as 2011 as part of a plan to revitalize the area in the coming years with new housing and retail.

If you’ve lived in Oakland long, you’ve probably seen them outside a dive bar or gallery, the skinny-jeaned hipsters with long bangs and eyeliner smoking in packs, possibly clutching cans of Pabst. For those who don’t know better, this manifestation of “indie,” or independent, culture may be as far as the idea goes.

What do you get when one reformed stock-analyst turned foodie, one ex-computer-programmer with a penchant for swiss kitchen gadgetry, and one professionally trained pastry chef all join forces? How about a company making what has to be the BEST sorbet you've ever tasted-- Scream Sorbet.

About 3,400 Oakland residents around Temescal and Piedmont Avenue are eligible for free parking permits for the next 50 years, courtesy of Kaiser Permanente.

From the Temescal Telegraph Business District's Web site: