Did you shop locally this holiday season? Even if you traveled to a big box in the E-town, Oakland shares territory and sales tax with a percentage of Emeryville’s big box districts ... and you may have consciously spent a percentage of your holiday dollars in Oakland.

In recent years, our political leaders have become aware of the importance of shopping locally. Our new Mayor, Jean Quan, even spoke to the significance of the issue in her inaugural address. She asked Oaklanders to buy 25 percent more of their goods at home as a way to help pay for more police staffing. New Councilwoman Libby Schaaf is even leading by example - she told me that she only shops in Oakland. Her inaugural outfit was purchased in Montclair.

I found World Ground Cafe in 2002, when I lived on 35th Avenue and MacArthur, in the Laurel District. My roommate and I used to check out the cute lesbians who came in to study.

Yeah, you've been celebrating Halloween for a while.

There was the pumpkin patch last week, those drinks/dessert/whatever at work Friday and that party Saturday night.

The community is hereby invited to check out LAMMPS’ proposed preferred design concept for the MacArthur Boulevard corridor around Seminary Avenue and High Street. The plan will be presented at a community meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Gathering Hall, Lorry I.