Island City Beat Podcast

Island City Beat joins Alameda Parks & Rec and 50 volunteers who recently planted 10 native cedar trees in Linear Park between Main Street and the Bayport neighborhood.  We introduce people from the three city groups responsible for organizing and running this important 'green' event:  The Rotary Club - Alameda .. 100K Trees For Humanity .. Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA). 10...

 Jeff Gould walks and talks with 2024 city council candidate Thushan Amarasiriwardena on the streets of Alameda about his affection for our city and where his career in AI, other tech is taking him. We touch on Thushan's ideas around the potential abundance thinking holds, his run for council, housing development at the former Svendsons Marine site on Clement street and related transportation issu...

In January Julia Owens took over as head of the 40-year-old organization that has stepped in where school funding for many activities has been cut. She comes from a background in non-profits focused on children's needs, and is excited about continuing AEF's vital work in Alameda.  She describes its many roles from providing the school district's middle school sports program to offering enrichment...

It's been six-plus years since Alameda approved the transformation of aging federal buildings on McKay Avenue into a facility to care for and house homeless seniors discharged from hospital stays. Spearheaded by the Alameda Point Collaborative, this humanitarian project was delayed by a stubborn clutch of naysayers, the Covid pandemic and federal intransigence. Now, it's set to open next March and...

Alameda Backyard Growers board president Jillian Saxty wants to spread the ethic of growing your own food as far as possible.  Over 15 years ABG has developed a volunteer gleaning program that provides fresh produce to the Alameda Food Bank as well as offered free instruction to countless Alamedans with backyard and container gardens.  Saxty describes ABG's current goals of developing community ga...

Five years ago this weekend, the killing of George Floyd, just two days after the controversial arrest of Mali Watkins here in Alameda, prompted the city council to establish the Racial Equity Police Reform Task Force. Jennifer Rakowski, who served on it with 50 other Alamedans, talks about one of its successes -- the Care Team -- and some of its unrealized goals.  She also tells us why she is an...

Chris is the founder of the All Good Living Foundation begun in honor of his father's legacy and owner of All Good Living home goods and apparel store in downtown Alameda. Neil Tam, who died in 2015, (pictured above) was a beloved Alameda school teacher, principal and school board member.  Chris describes his father's influence on the charitable work of AGL Foundation and how its programs have bee...

With a white collar recession in the digital tech field and layoffs in the government sector, many people are looking for a new job.  Life coach and career counselor Amanda Gerrie has some advice on how to maneuver and even take advantage of the influence of Artificial Intelligence in the entire process. But some old school techniques are still valid. Listen to what she has to say. 

She'll talk about the agency's history, the programs and services it offers to the nearly 500 residents at the Point as well as how she wants to make it stronger.  We'll also get an update on the Mckay Resource & Respite Center. 

Sophia works as the Chief Program Officer for East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO) and is also an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ.   With Affordable Housing Month coming up in May, she describes how EBHO sees itself as a leader in bringing housing justice and better policies to Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. She'll also outline how people can get help with affordable housing...

In the second part of our interview trans activist, artist & parent Theo Hopestill explores the range of terminology referring to transgender people.  To wrap things up Theo discusses their artistic talents and activity with several long standing art-based businesses in Alameda.

In the first of a two-part interview Theo, who was assigned female at birth, is a parent and artist who lives in Alameda with their partner and 10-year-old son .. Theo Hopestill is a transgender activist who asserts: "It's important to make room for many different narratives of being queer."      In a second follow up episode Theo explores the range of terminology for referring to transgender peop...

Elected to the Alameda City Council in 2024, Greg is a fifth-generation Alamedan who attended local schools, went on to obtain degrees in political science at UC Davis, law at Georgetown University, and public administration at Harvard University. Angie Watson-Hajjem interviews Mr Boller via Zoom ..

Following a brief musical introduction our new Alameda City Council member & Vice Mayor Michele Pryor does her first interview here on our podcast.   She talks about the need to face climate change, the housing crisis and the possibility of using public banking to support local financial resiliency .. and, of course, why she loves our island city.  

East Bay native Savanna Cheer came to Alameda in 2018, fell in love with our town & has been galvanized by local issues.  She helped found the community group Transform in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing. Transform has challenged Alameda city officials around the tragic death of Mario Gonzales , helped form the city’s Guaranteed Income Program & pushed for a People's Budget for the...

 Angie Watson-Hajjem talks with pastor emeritus Michael Yoshii of Alameda's Buena Vista Uniited Methodist Church regarding his life and career - Hear Pastor Yoshii discuss his congregation's work with the Palestinian village of Wadi Foquin. (starting at 18:53) Alameda City Council will consider a Sister City relationship between Alameda and the West Bank community of Wadi Foquin at this Tuesday's...