Almost spring

"It is not quite spring here in the Bay Area but is very, very close. It's the one place that I've lived where the official season start-dates nearly hold true. March 21 will just about be officially spring in our garden, at the farmer's market, in the nearby park where the cherry blossoms bloom, and also in our tiny orchard where the peach tree lives. Oh, heart! Oakland is almost full of intoxicating blossoms and the most vibrant greens and the palest pinks, peaches, and mauves."

Days after the March 4th education Day of Action, activists and concerned citizens around the city are having discussions about the value and impact of the protests, especially the movement onto the 980 Freeway that led to 150 arrests, many of young people.

Well, yesterday was certainly exciting in Oakland. People protesting budget cuts at all levels of public education turned out en masse in downtown Oakland, at UC Berkeley, and in other locations around California and the nation. They briefly shut down I-880 in both directions.

Here's some of what Twitter was saying yesterday about the Bay Area protests:

March 4 Education Day of Action events are happening throughout the state. Here's a way to follow along, via flickr:

Today is the March 4th Day of Action, with demonstrations, protests, and events throughout the public education system.  OL will be following the demonstrations at local high schools and colleges and bringing you coverage.

Is that some photo or what?

@BigNews, aka local anchor Kris Sanchez shared this photo of the AC Transit bus that got stalled on the train tracks 6:30 am at 66th Avenue and San Leandro Street in East Oakland and got hit by an AMTRAK Capita Corridor train and got sliced right in half. The driver was in the bus, but was unhurt--and there were no passengers on board.

If all is right with the world, in a short time scientists and academics the world over will be adding Oakland's beloved "Hella" to their formal lexicon. As in "that number is a hella big." Cross your fingers.

It seems hard to believe it's Monday again that that it's now March. Soon, we're heading for spring--the signs are out already, with flowers bloming despite the heavy rains. It's also Women's History Month, and Ryan Van Lenning has a good list of ways to celebrate.

With an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hitting Chile, and a tsunami-watch across the Pacific affecting 53 countries--it's hard not to worry that California will be affected--not only is there a tsunam watch in effect--but we have those little things know as faults running under our state, hey, pract

The U.S. immigration system is indeed pretty broken (as Working East Bay points out) -- but it is what it is, and for now, folks must deal with it.

If you or someone you care about is wrangling with immigration issues, check out this free workshop on immigration at Oakland City Hall, Saturday Feb. 27, 10 am - 3 pm. Theme: How to avoid being defrauded. Consultations available in Spanish, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

It may be a mad, mad world, but Oakland offers all kinds of ways to stay cool this week (in addition to some news that may drive you crazy, especially if you're an animal-lover).

There's a fundraiser in Fruitvale tonight for two of the area's top wordsmiths to help them get to Ohio in March for the Women of the World Poetry Slam. The evening will feature music and performances from poets Kim Johnson and Tatyana Brown, as well as the chance to buy signed copies of their chapbooks.

As usual, the library system abounds with fascinating, free resources. The African American Museum & Library at Oakland is wrapping up its Access to Life exhibit this Saturday. The show features photographs by eight artists from Magnum Photos and documents the international fight against AIDS. And the Asian Branch of the library will hold a free blogging workshop for teens on March 6.

California pets are making headlines, with an Oakland man charged with two counts of animal abuse after neighbors videotaped him, police say, beating his pit bull with a crowbar and axe. The dog, now named Blueberry, is recovering in the "penthouse suite" at the city shelter, Oakland officials said. Who knew?

From the buzz around the Oakland Gang Injunction to Instant Runoff Voting and Dellums' State of the City address there's never a dull moment in Oakland. Here are a few of the most promising cultural events over the next few days along with some other news around The Town.

Tonight filmmaker, writer and Oakland Local contributor Nijla Mumin is screening a working version of her film "BACK UP: Concrete Diaries" for a small audience at The Theater on Telegraph. The film is structured as a series of interviews addressing issues of street harassment. The screening is being hosted by MAAAN UP! an organization dedicated to addressing patriarchy and male privilege, particularly among African American men.