A Wild River in Peril?

Environmentalists contend that the Smith River, California's last remaining undammed river, is threatened by a Caltrans proposal to widen two highways along its banks.

• By Robert Gammon
• Tags: Eco Watch, Smith River, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Caltans, Highway 199

Bad Training by OPD Led to Three Deaths

An arbitrator rules that poor training by the Oakland Police Department — not poor decisions by police commanders — led to the deaths of two officers and a murder suspect.

• By Robert Gammon
• Tags: Seven Days, Oakland Police Department, Lovelle Mixon, Bay Bridge, Jerry Brown

Can Pot Help Cure PTSD?

New research suggests that the main ingredient in marijuana may help alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

• By David Downs
• Tags: Legalization Nation, Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, marijuana, THC

Costly Tax Loophole Remains Open

A reform measure that would end a lucrative tax break for corporations and wealthy investors has stalled in the state legislature.

• By Darwin BondGraham
• Tags: News, Prop 13, tax loophole, property tax, Tom Ammiano

A People-Focused Solution

Restorative justice programs may offer the best new hope for reducing violence in Oakland schools and the city overall, but their future funding is uncertain.

• By Jean Tepperman
• Tags: Feature, Restorative justice, Oakland Unified School District, suspensions, Montera Middle School

Letters for the Week of May 22, 2013

Readers sound off on debt, developers, and disabled parking.

Swarm Gallery's Farewell Exhibition Shows Fresh Perspectives

Fictional/Familiar subverts conventional perspectives in the representation of space.

• By Alex Bigman
• Tags: Visual Art, Swarm Gallery, Swarm Studios + Gallery

Unveiling a Secret City

A new film by Spencer McCall offers a peek inside the bygone alternate-reality project the Jejune Institute.

• By Azeen Ghorayshi
• Tags: Events, Jeff Hull, Jejune Institute, The Institute, Scott McCall, New Parkway, Oaklandish, The New Parkway Theater

The East Bay Poetry Summit Brings Poetry Out of Bookstores and Into People's Homes

A weekend of poetry parties at various East Bay residences.

• By Alex Taitague
• Tags: Culture Spy, East Bay Poetry Summit, poetry

Getting Closure

But opening up to crossdressing and watersports.

• By Dan Savage

Video

Frances Ha

Such a gorgeous kid like Greta.

• By Kelly Vance
• Tags: Movie Review, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Video

Video

What Maisie Knew

And when she knew it.

• By Kelly Vance
• Tags: Movie Review, Onata Aprile, Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Scott McGehee, David Siegel, Alexander Skarsgård, Video

One-Night Stands

Repertory film listings for May 23-29, 2013.

The Art and Science of the Grilled Cheese

We sampled three versions: at The Melt, Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop, and Bar Dogwood.

• By Luke Tsai
• Tags: Restaurant Review, grilled cheese, The Melt, Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop, Bar Dogwood, Sacred Wheel Cheese and Specialty Market

The Cottage Food Industry Finds a Home at Berkeley's Homemade Market

Plus Genny's BBQ suffers from a fire, and Sumo Grub and Guest Chef shut their doors.

• By Luke Tsai
• Tags: What the Fork, California Homemade Food Act, Bay Area Homemade Market, Genny's BBQ, Guest Chef, Firehouse Art Collective

The Singular Obsession of Colin Herrick

His Alameda record label, Time Released Sound, specializes in limited-edition handcrafted works of art.

• By Whitney Phaneuf
• Tags: Music, Time Released Sound, Colin Herrick, Alameda

Daft Punk

Random Access Memories

• By Ellen Cushing
• Tags: CD Reviews, Daft Punk

Lightly Treading Fame

With a new album on Hardly Art and facing a major lineup change, Shannon and the Clams works to stay its weird self.

• By Alex Taitague
• Tags: Music, Shannon and the Clams, Hardly Art, Dreams in the Rat House

Snowden

No One in Control

• By Kathleen Richards
• Tags: CD Reviews, Snowden, Brick & Mortar Music Hall

Will Calhoun

Life in This World

• By Lee Hildebrand
• Tags: CD Reviews, Will Calhoun

Local Licks

This week, we review Justin Loans, The Wild Kindness, and The Trophy Fire.

• By Whitney Phaneuf
• Tags: Local Licks, Local Licks, Justin Loans, The Wild Kindness, The Trophy Fire, Cafe du Nord

Guest Chef: The End of a Grand Experiment

• By Luke Tsai
• Tags: Guest Chef, Scott Cameron, pop-up restaurants, Commissar, Ken Sarachan

Treasure Island Music Festival Lineup Announced: Atoms for Peace, Beck, Animal Collective, Many More

• By Ellen Cushing
• Tags: Breaking News

Video

What We Like: OkCupid Juggalos, Street Art, Trappist’s Truffled Grilled Cheese

• By Whitney Phaneuf
• Tags: OkCupid Juggalos, Kid Snippets, The Trappist, healthy recipes, Video

Brick & Mortar Music Hall: Limited to Eighty Decibels

• By Whitney Phaneuf
• Tags: Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Entertainment Commission restrictions, noise violations

Streetcars Might Make a Comeback in Oakland

• By Vanessa Rancaño
• Tags: Transportation, Free B Shuttle, Broadway Shuttle, Mayor Jean Quan, Oakland streetcar, Broadway-Valdez development

Friday Must Reads: State Orders Oakland to Pay $32.5 Million; Bay Area Activist Medea Benjamin Heckles Obama Over Guantanamo and Drones

• By Robert Gammon
• Tags: Politics, Education, Transportation

Weekender: This Weekend's Top Five Events

Video

Protesting City Workers Turn to YouTube

• By Vanessa Rancaño
• Tags: Oakland budget 2013, Oakland budget, Union protest, IFPTE Local 21, union budget protest, Video

Video

The Colbert Report on 'Marijuana Makes You Skinny' Research

• By David Downs
• Tags: Health & Medicine, marijuana, diabetes, cannabis, metabolism, the colbert report, stephen colbert, Video

Thursday Must Reads: Oakland Council Adopts Transparency Rules for Budget; Berkeley Picks Hayward Supe to be Its New Schools Chief

• By Robert Gammon
• Tags: Politics, Business, Education

Los Angeles Votes to Cut its Number of Dispensaries by About Two Thirds

• By David Downs
• Tags: Regulation & Legislation, Los Angeles, measure D, medical marijuana, city council, measure f

Wednesday Must Reads: Badly Designed Bolts on Richmond Bridge, Too; Santa Clara to Host Super Bowl

• By Robert Gammon
• Tags: Business, Sports, Transportation

Mid-Week Menu: American Oak Reopens, Chez Panisse Soon to Follow; Guest Chef and Sumo Grub Close

• By Luke Tsai