Readers Say The Darndest Things: People & Places

How you voted in 2010.

Best Charity
Alameda County Food Bank
They are facing unprecedented need right now. — jazgonz

Bay Area Girls Rock Camp
Empowerment for girls through music. hell yeah! — melco

Berkeley Humane Society
Had a fire, needs help. — BJexpress

GRID Alternatives
Solar for low-income. The shit. — dandumo

Best College Professor
Ananya Roy
She's a progressive, urban planning rockstar woman of color at Berkeley. — ccbchunks

Hubert Dreyfus
Great work applying Heidegger to the limits of AI. Terrific teacher, also. — Teed Rockwell

Janet Adelman
RIP. She was wonderful. — Hillman, Melissa

Best Community Organizer
Brahm Ahmadi
The man behind People's Grocery is the people's powerhouse. — Sussu

Gary Knecht
Since 1937! — BDelaney

Jean Quan
Jean works with neighborhood groups to help them empower themselves, whatever their goals or needs. — kathyk

Van Jones
Glad we've got him back. — susan sherrell

Best Company to Work For
Arizmendi's
The workers all own the store in this Oakland bakery and pizza place. — GailChiarello

Stupid Fun Club
They make robots! Robots! — Gulm

Chevron
They don't spill oil. — gregcross

Best Grassroots Political Movement
Richmond Progressive Alliance
In a few short years, has put progressive candidates in two city council seats and raised one to the office of Mayor. The Alliance has led the way in changing Richmond from a company [Chevron] town. — richmond

Tax Cannabis 2010
Proposition 19 is on the ballot! — Maxwell Fisch

Best Homegrown Internet Phenomenon
Our Oakland Eastside Stories
East Oakland is the forgotten section of Oakland. Home to rolling hills dotted with bungalows, Jingletown, Eastmont Mall/Town Center, storefront churches and the Coliseum, it is also home to a mind-boggling mix of cultures and ethnic groups. This web site lets those of us who live here, express our love for Oakland's much maligned eastern section. — pamela magnuson-peddle

Runramsey.com
Great web site to find people to run or bike with, training tips, and where to go. — Lynn Horowitz

Best Hometown Hero
Baby the pitbull BEBHS
Baby woke her owner just in time to save her and the other animals in the Humane Society fire. In four more minutes, all would have died. This would be great publicity for pit bulls, a much maligned breed. — Floatingclouds

Diana Stork
Her Festival of Harps brought Harp music from all over the world to new audiences, bringing fans of classical, and few boys and men to play and perform harp for the first time with her Bay Area Youth Harp Ensembles and Mission Harp Ensemble. — Teed Rockwell

Mark Becker
Designed a brand new school in Piedmont all pro bono. — tamiray

Greg Mortensen
The guy who wrote Three Cups of Tea. — kimchi mama

Sherry Padgett
Crusader for the right cleanup of toxic sites on the Richmond Southeast Shoreline. — heathercb

Best K-12 teacher
Ann Gallagher OUSD
District Librarian for OUSD who works tirelessly as mentor and advocate for Oakland youth, supports and treats her staff of librarians with kindness, encouragement and respect, and always goes the extra mile for equitable educational opportunities for all youth. An inspiration for all who know her. — Floatingclouds

Annie Prutzman, Bishop O'Dowd
She's like Miss Frizzle from The Magic Schoolbus ... her students are engaged, lifelong learners when they emerge. All teachers should have this enthusiasm. — DangerGirl2000

Judy Klinger
Who else would leave a successful law practice to go teach high school? Judy's an old fashioned teacher with high expectations of her students, and the result is a solid educational experience. — tangolindygirl

Best Local Idea
Dimond Beautification
An all volunteer group of residents who clean up and garden the business district. — Ruthie

Best Local Innovator
Valerie Landau
Check out her typing glove! — enlayuma

Best Local Religious Movement
Congregation Netivot Shalom
Egalitarian, participatory, spiritual community. — bbbiel

Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Interfaith
All faiths in harmony, bub. — mary_ford

Religious Science
The choir at East Bay Church of Religious Science will land you in heaven even if you don't believe in it! — Lynne Elizabeth

Atheists for Christ/Buddah/Mohamed
There is no good religious movement. — BDelaney

Best Neighborhood
Chinatown!
Still not gentrified :) — Blobby

Downtown Berkeley
I'd argue that downtown is the most diverse place that attracts the widest range of people. It is an incredible mixing place. — Amanda

Downtown Oakland
People forget about it, but it's close to everything and has awesome dive bars and incredibly cheap rents. Actually, stay away, I like it here. — ek

Lake Merritt
Has been feeling good. — balanceman

South Berkeley
It's blowin' up. — M

Temescal
When did all the cool kids move in? — mr.adambeck

Woodminster
In the beautiful Oakland hills. — Heather.P

Best New Cause
Fight to end human trafficking
There are more slaves today than any other time in human history. This is happening on our own soil in a country that is supposed to be the land of the FREE! — calchrissy

Immigration reform and health-care reform
Vote no to Arizona's approach and yes to healthcare for all. — BB

Slow Money Alliance
It's really time to invest at home — in the things you use every day, the people you know, or the places where you shop and dine — much like a vote with your fork. Bring your money home. SlowMoneyAlliance.org. — joyce Sigman

Best Pickup Spot
Alameda Dog Park
It may be a cliche, but wouldn't you rather meet someone who has a dog like you, than someone who drinks? — BethLM

Grocery Outlet
Nothing says sexy and desperate like frugality. — santopeligro

International Blvd. and High St.
100% Succcess rate! — haildaqueen

The bar at the UC Faculty Club
If you like dating the tweedy, rumpled type! — GailChiarello

Best Place to Get Lost
Albany Bulb
Also in the running for Best Place to Drop Acid. — Oakonnor

Berkeley Pathways
BerkeleyPaths.org — cathypants

East Bay Regional Parks District
I have! Many times! — balanceman

Best Place to Hang Out
Any of our spacious backyards.
Suck on that San Francisco! — jaytothesea

Best Rising Political Figure
Gayle McLaughlin, Mayor of Richmond
Green Party mayor; takes not a dime of corporate money. — richmond

Best Under-21 Hangout
The Teen Zone
At the Oakland public library!!! — melco

Most Influential Person
Marty Glick
Lets keep the A's in Oakland. — ascarly@aol.com

Nina Serrano
Poet, author, activist, story teller, Fairyland fairy godmother (in years past ), popular icon and beloved person, received Woman of the Year Award this year. — susan sherrell

Sal Rosselli, National Union of Healthcare Workers
Is working to get SEIU out of representing healthcare workers in California with substandard, company-dominated contracts. — jazgonz

Van Jones
Yes, still. — arianajl