It's that time of year when Oakland parents of entering Kindergarteners, sixth graders and ninth graders get their letters. And although many parents simply enroll their kids in the neighborhood school, most do not.

In this blog post, I am encouraging you to support a retreat for Women of Color...even if you are not a Woman of Color yourself. First, I need to tell you a little bit about what this kind of experience can mean and why it's important. 

The SHERO Women's Sexual Empowerment Conference will take place on Saturday, November 13th, 2010 from 9:00am - 3:30pm at the Oak Center Cultural Center (1324 Adeline Street in Oakland). There are spaces for 20 participants and not all of the slots have been filled.

Here is an update on the workshops that will be offered during this day of Personal and Community Development:

If you're the kind of family that loves everything about the harvest season, here are a couple of activities you do not want to miss.

If you like DIY costumes, you can join in on one of two Mask Making Workshops on Thursday, October 28. The first will take place from 3:30-5pm at Studio One Art Center. The second will happen later that evening, from 6:30-8pm at the Malonga Casquelord Center for the Arts Annex. Tickets are free if you RSVP in advance by leaving a message for Oakland Parks & Recreation Specialist Ms. Neal-Madison at (510) 238-2786 Or, a $5 donation may be given at the door.

Need a school calendar from OUSD? We have'em in 4 languages--download right here.

School calendars:

After all the fireworks of the last two weeks, you might find yourself craving some sun, sky and quiet.

Thankfully, July is National Recreation and Parks month. The East Bay is home to some amazing parks - courtesy of the city, county/regional and state parks systems - and several of them are celebrating important anniversaries this year.

Oakland's relationship to Hollywood cinema is well known. The city's hometown heroes include such icons as Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks and Bruce Lee. It's also been the filming site for many a fiction feature including "Made in America" "The Pursuit of Happyness" "Rent" and "The Matrix Reloaded."

Oakland Local first covered James Berk's work when he presented (and won) at the Akosha Youth Venture Panel. Now his efforts will be recognized by the Redford Center in Berkeley.  

Good News for the Oakland Film Office: the NBC drama "Parenthood" is doing well in the ratings and a second season is predicted.

Sponsored by the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau, this annual contest gives amateur and pro photographers the chance to celebrate the diverse beauty of our great city. If you have an image that showcases Oakland as a premiere destination, go ahead and tag it OCVBPhoto2010 in your flickr and send an email to destinationoakland@yahoo.com to confirm receipt.