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City of Alameda, California
Flag of City of Alameda, California
Flag		 Official seal of City of Alameda, California
Seal
Nickname: The Island City
Location in the state of California and Alameda County
Location in the state of California and Alameda County
Coordinates: 37°45′50″N 122°15′25″W / 37.76389, -122.25694
Country United States
State California
County Alameda
Government
 - Mayor Beverly Johnson (D)
 - State Senate Don Perata (D)
 - State Assembly Sandré Swanson (D)
 - U. S. Congress Pete Stark (D)
Area
 - Total 23. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Alameda County is a county in the US state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The US state of California is divided into fifty-eight counties. Alameda County is a county in the US state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Beverly Johnson is a California attorney and political leader currently serving as the Mayor of Alameda California. The California Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California. The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U Don Richard Perata (born April 30, 1945) is a California Democratic politician, who is the current President Pro tempore The California State Assembly is the Lower house of the California State Legislature. Sandré Swanson (born 1948 was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2006 Fortney Hillman "Pete" Stark Jr (born November 11, 1931) is an American politician from the state of California. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 0 sq mi (59. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 5 km²)
 - Land 10. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 8 sq mi (28. 0 km²)
 - Water 12. 2 sq mi (31. 5 km²)
Elevation 33 ft (10 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 72,259
 - Density 2,930. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 1/sq mi (1,131. 3/km²)
Time zone PST (UTC−8)
 - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC−7)
ZIP codes 94501-94502
Area code(s) 510
FIPS code 06-00562
GNIS feature ID 0277468
Website: City of Alameda

Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−8 is a band of Timezones separated from the Universal Coordinated Time by 8 hours Daylight saving time ( DST The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−7 can be observed in Mountain Standard Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time Zone Canada The ZIP code is the system of Postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks North American area code 510 is a California Telephone Area code which covers most eastern Bay Area cities in Alameda County (except Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout Alameda County is a county in the US state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It is located on a small island of the same name next to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento An additional part of the city is Bay Farm Island, which is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. Bay Farm Island is a section of the city of Alameda California, though it is separtated from the rest of the City by an estuary Oakland International Airport ( also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public Airport located ten miles (15 km) south of The city has a small-town feel with its Victorian homes and tree-lined neighborhoods. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 72,259. Alameda is a charter city, rather than a general law city, meaning that the city can provide for any form of government. A charter city is a City in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than by state provincial regional or national laws Alameda became a charter city in 1916, and adopted a council-manager government then, which it retains to the present. In the council-manager form of government an elected city council (typically between five and 11 people is responsible for making Policy, passing Ordinances voting Appropriations

Contents

History

The island that Alameda occupies was originally a peninsula connected to Oakland. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Much of the peninsula was low-lying and marshy, but on higher ground the peninsula and adjacent parts of what is now downtown Oakland were home to one of the largest coastal oak forests in the world. The area was therefore called "Encinal," Spanish for "oak grove. " "Alameda" is Spanish for "grove of poplar trees" or "tree-lined avenue,"[1] and was chosen in 1853 by popular vote. [2]

The inhabitants at the time of the arrival of the Spanish in the late 18th Century were a local band of the Ohlone tribe. The Ohlone people also known as the Costanoan and as the Muwekma, are the indigenous people of Northern California who have lived in the The peninsula became part of the vast Rancho San Antonio granted to Luis Peralta by the Spanish king who claimed California. Rancho San Antonio, also known as the Peralta Grant, was a 44800 Acre (181 Km²) Land grant by Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá, the The grant was later confirmed by the new Republic of Mexico upon its independence from Spain. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

The city was founded on June 6, 1853, and originally three small settlements were located in the town. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common "Old Alameda" referred to the village at Encinal and High, Hibbardsville was at the North Shore ferry and shipping terminal, and Woodstock was on the west near the ferry piers of the South Pacific Coast Railroad and the Central Pacific. The South Pacific Coast Railroad was a narrow gauge steam railroad running between Santa Cruz California and Alameda, with a ferry connection in Alameda Eventually, the Central Pacific's ferry pier became the Alameda Mole, featuring transit connections between San Francisco ferries and local trollies, Key System buses, Southern Pacific (formerly Central Pacific) commuter lines. A mole is a massive structure usually of stone, used as a Pier, breakwater, or junction between places separated by water The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

The Alameda Terminal was the site of the first train across the Transcontinental Railroad into the San Francisco Bay Area on September 6, 1869. Alameda Terminal was a railroad station located in Alameda, California on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. Transcontinental Railroad is a Railroad that crosses a Continent from "coast-to-coast" Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The transcontinental terminus was switched to the Oakland Mole two months later on November 8, 1869. The Oakland Long Wharf, later known as the Oakland Pier or the SP Mole was a massive railroad Wharf and Ferry pier in Oakland California Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

In 1917, an attraction called Neptune Beach was built in the area now known as Crab Cove. Neptune Beach was an amusement park on the shore of San Francisco Bay in the city of Alameda California. Often compared to Coney Island, the park was a major attraction in the 1920s and 1930s. Coney Island is a Peninsula, formerly an island in southernmost Brooklyn, New York City, USA with a Beach on the Atlantic Ocean The original owners of the facility, the Strehlow family, partnered with a local confectioner to create tastes unique to Neptune Beach. It is not widely known that both the American snow cone[3] and the popsicle[4] were first sold at Neptune Beach. A snow cone (or sno cone. Spanish raspado) is a dessert item usually made of crushed or shaved ice flavored with brightly colored Sugary syrup usually Popsicle is the most popular brand of Ice pop in the US and Canada. The Kewpie doll, handpainted and dressed in unique hand-sewn dresses, became the original prize for winning games at the beach - another Neptune Beach invention. The Strehlows owned and operated the beach on their own, even filling in a section of the bay to add an additional olympic-size swimming pool and an exceptional roller coaster which must have given riders a tremendous view of the bay.

Neptune Beach's two huge outdoor pools hosted swimming races and exhibitions by famous swimmers like Olympian Johnny Weismuller, who later starred as the original Tarzan, and Jack LaLanne, who started a chain of health clubs. Johnny Weissmuller (June 2 1904 &ndash January 20 1984 was an American swimmer and Actor who was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s winning Jack LaLanne (born September 26, 1914) is an American fitness, Exercise and Nutritional expert celebrity lecturer Unfortunately, the park closed down in 1939 because of the Great Depression, the completion of the Bay Bridge, people circumventing paying the admission price and in general, the rise of car culture. Once the Bay Bridge was complete, the rail lines, which ran right past the entrance to Neptune Beach on the way to the Alameda Mole and the Ferry, lost riders in droves. People began using their cars to escape the city and the immediate suburbs like Alameda and travelling further afield in California. Alameda lost its resort status as more distant locations became more attractive to cash-rich San Francisco tourists. Youngsters in town became aware of ways to avoid paying the dime for admission to the park. Strong swimmers or even waders could sneak in on the bay side, just by swimming around the fence.

Some of the resort homes and buildings from the Neptune beach era still exist in present-day Alameda. The Croll Building, on the corner of Webster St. The Croll Building, in Alameda California, was the site of Croll's Gardens and Hotel famous as training quarters for the some of the greatest fighters in Boxing and Central Ave. , was the site of Croll's Gardens and Hotel, famous as training quarters for the some of the greatest fighters in boxing history from 1883 to 1914. James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Jim Jefferies, Jack Johnson, and many other champions all stayed and trained here. Today this beautiful preserved building is home to Croll's Pizza and the New Zealander Restaurant. Neptune Court, just a block away on the corner of Central Ave. and McKay Ave. , provides another glimpse of what resort life was like in Alameda in the 1920s. A short walk near Crab Cove will reveal many more historic gems.

The vast majority of the Neptune Beach structures - the hand-carved carousel from the world-famed Dentzel Company, the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, and other rides - were auctioned off in 1940 for mere pennies on the dollar of their original cost. A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a Nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas attached Today, an Alameda resident Michael Schiess looks to preserve some of the historic artifacts from the Neptune Beach era at the Neptune Beach Amusement Museum or NBAM, specifically dedicated to the resort and all "amusement machines. " While the existing and more general Alameda Museum has quite a few artifacts from Neptune Beach in its collection, this new museum will focus more on the games, rides and other machines that brought amusement to Alameda's bay shore.

As the Neptune Beach era faded and Park Street developed into the major thoroughfare of the city and the location of the main Alameda train station, residents of Old Alameda pulled up stakes and moved across town to the new downtown. The street's location was chosen by two landowners who wished to attract tenants and development to their land. As a result they designated their mutual border as Park Street.

The need for expanded shipping facilities led to the dredging of a canal through the marshland between Oakland and Alameda in 1902, turning Alameda into an island. Most of the soil from the canal was used to fill in nearby marshland. The area of Alameda called Bay Farm Island is no longer an island, but is attached by fill to Oakland. In his youth, author Jack London was known to take part in oyster pirating in the highly productive oyster beds near Bay Farm Island, today long gone. The Alameda Works Shipyard was one of the largest and best equipped shipyards in the country. The Alameda Works Shipyard, in Alameda California, United States, was one of the largest and best equipped Shipyards in the country In the 1950s, Alameda's industrial and ship building industries thrived along the estuary, where the world's first-ever, land-based, containerized shipping crane was used. Today, the Port of Oakland across the estuary serves as one of the largest ports on the West Coast, using the shipping technologies originally experimented with in Alameda. The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for Container ships It is now the fourth busiest container As of March 21, 2006, Alameda is a "Coast Guard City," one of seven in the country. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [5]

In addition to the regular trains running to the Alameda Mole, Alameda was also served by local steam commuter lines of the Southern Pacific (initially, the Central Pacific) which were later transformed into the East Bay Electric Lines. The East Bay Electric Lines was a division of the Southern Pacific Railroad which operated a system of electric Interurban -type trains in the East Bay region Southern Pacific's electrified trains were not streetcars, but full-sized railroad cars which connected to the mainland by bridges at Webster Street and Fruitvale (only the latter bridge survives today). A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The trains ran to both the Oakland Mole and the Alameda Mole. The Oakland Long Wharf, later known as the Oakland Pier or the SP Mole was a massive railroad Wharf and Ferry pier in Oakland California In fact, one line which ran between the two moles was dubbed the "Horseshoe Line" for the shape of the route on a map. Soon after the completion of the Bay Bridge, Alameda trains ran directly to San Francisco on the lower deck of the bridge, the ferries having been rendered unnecessary.

In the 1930s Pan American Airways established a seaplane port along the fill that led to the Alameda Mole. A seaplane is a Fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting on water This was the original home base for the famous China Clipper. The China Clipper (NC14716 was the first of three Martin M-130 four engine Flying boats built for Pan American Airways With the advent of World War II, a vast stretch of the marshy area southwest of the Alameda Mole was filled and the Naval Air Station Alameda established. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Naval Air Station Alameda ( NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda California, on San Francisco Bay This major Naval facility included a large airfield as well as docks for several aircraft carriers. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with It closed in 1997.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 0 square miles (59. 5 km²), of which, 10. 8 square miles (28. 0 km²) of it is land and 12. 2 square miles (31. 5 km²) (52. 98%) is water.

Today the city consists of the main original section, with the former Naval Air Station at the west end of Alameda Island, "Southshore" along the southern side of Alameda Island, and Bay Farm Island, which is part of the mainland proper. The area of the former NAS is now known as "Alameda Point. " The Southshore area is separated from the main part of Alameda Island by a lagoon; the north shore of the lagoon is located approximately where the original south shore of the island was. Alameda Point and Southshore are built on bay fill.

Not all of Alameda Island is part of the City of Alameda. Although nearly all of the island is in Alameda County, a small portion of a dumpsite west of the airstrips at Alameda Point pokes out into San Francisco Bay and, therefore, slightly into the City and County of San Francisco. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

Coast Guard Island which is a small island between Alameda Island and Oakland is also part of Alameda and is the home of Integrated Support Command Alameda[3]

Demographics

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 72,259 people, 30,226 households, and 17,863 families residing in the city. Coast Guard Island is in the Oakland Estuary between Oakland and Alameda, California. Integrated Support Command Alameda (ISC Alameda is a large operating base of the United States Coast Guard, located on Coast Guard Island[http //www A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 6,693. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 4 people per square mile (2,583. 3/km²). There were 31,644 housing units at an average density of 2,931. 2/sq mi (1,131. 3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56. 95% White, 6. 21% Black or African American, 0. 67% Native American, 26. 15% Asian, 0. 60% Pacific Islander, 3. 29% from other races, and 6. 13% from two or more races. 9. 31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 30,226 households out of which 27. 7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43. 7% were married couples living together, 11. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40. 9% were non-families. 32. 2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 35 and the average family size was 3. 04.

In the city the population was spread out with 21. 5% under the age of 18, 7. 0% from 18 to 24, 33. 6% from 25 to 44, 24. 6% from 45 to 64, and 13. 3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92. 3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89. 5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $56,285, and the median income for a family was $68,625. Males had a median income of $49,174 versus $40,165 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,982. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 6. 0% of families and 8. 2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 4% of those under age 18 and 6. 1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Vehicle access to the island is via three bridges to Oakland, a bridge to Bay Farm Island, and two one-way tunnels leading into Oakland's Chinatown. Bridges at Fruitvale Avenue, High Street, and Park Street, and the tunnels at Webster Street and Harrison Street (the latter called the Posey Tube) connect Alameda and Oakland. The Posey Tube and the Webster Street Tube are two parallel underwater tunnels connecting the cities of Oakland and Alameda California, running beneath Public transportation includes the AC Transit buses (which include express buses to San Francisco) and two ferry services — the Alameda-Oakland Ferry and the Harbor Bay Ferry. AC Transit (in full Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District) is a regional Bus agency serving parts of Alameda County and Contra Costa County The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Both ferry services may soon be transferred to the Water Transit Authority. The island is also close to the BART train service, with the closest stations being Lake Merritt, near the exit to the Posey Tube, and Fruitvale, near the Fruitvale Bridge.

Even though the island is just minutes off Interstate 880, the speed limit for the city is 25 mph (40 km/h) on almost every road. Interstate 880 (I-880 is an Interstate highway in the San Francisco Bay Area connecting San Jose and Oakland, running parallel to the southeastern Many unaware drivers fail to slow down after exiting the highway. Groups like Pedestrian Friendly Alameda and BikeAlameda advocate stronger enforcement of speeding laws. Alameda has a reputation for vigorous enforcement of the 25 mph (40 km/h) speed limit. [7]

Attractions

Victorian house in Alameda
Victorian house in Alameda

Due to its proximity to the Bay, wind surfers and kite surfers can often be seen along Crown Memorial State Beach and Shoreline Drive. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail Kitesurfing, kiteboarding, uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small Surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a Wakeboard) From the beach there are also views of the San Francisco skyline and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

One of the recent attractions is the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, a museum ship now moored at the former Naval Air Station. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with History Construction 1940 to 1943 The contract to build Kearsarge had been given to Newport News Shipbuilding on 9 September For ships that are not original see Ship replica. For preserved incomplete ships see Ships preserved in museums. This ship was originally named the USS Kearsarge, but was renamed in honor of the previous Hornet CV-8 (famous for the Doolittle raid), which was lost in October of 1942. The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese home island of Honshū

Alameda is known for its large stock of Victorian houses; 9% of all single-family houses (1500) in Alameda are Victorians, and many more have been divided into two to four-unit dwellings. The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of Architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. [8] It is said that Alameda has more pre-1906 earthquake era homes than any other city in the Bay Area.

Alameda is home to the official offices and training facility of the Oakland Raiders American football team. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The training facility features practice fields, a full- featured weight room, locker room, player meeting rooms, an auditorium, a state-of-the-art television studio and spacious offices and is also home to The Raider Image, the merchandise arm of the franchise, to which all the public can visit.

At the turn of the 19th century, the city of Alameda took a large chunk of Charles Froling's land away to build a street. Froling had planned to build his dream house on the plot of land he received through inheritance. [9] To spite the city and an unsympathetic neighbor, Froling built a house 10 feet (3. 0 m) wide, 54 feet (16 m) long and 20 feet (6. 1 m) high on the tiny strip of land left to him. [9] The Froling spite house is still standing and occupied. A spite house is a Building generally found in an urban environment that is constructed or modified because someone that the builder feels has wronged him does not want [9]

Alameda is also famous for it's Fourth of July parade which is one of the largest in the state of California. It features homemade floats, classic cars, motorized living room furniture, fire breathing dragons, marching bands and lots of enthusiastic people.

Economic development

The (old) Alameda Theater
The (old) Alameda Theater

The Naval Air Station Alameda was decommissioned and is in process of being turned over to the City of Alameda for civilian development. The area of the former NAS is now known as Alameda Point. Portions of this area are now in commercial use, but the transfer process has been slowed down by disputes between the Navy and the city regarding payment for environmental cleanup of the land. In late July of 2006, the City of Alameda announced a deal with Navy that would turn the land over to the city for $108M. The preliminary development concept calls for 1700 housing units to be developed at Alameda Point. In September, 2006, the developer, Alameda Point Community Partners, withdrew from development of Alameda Point. In May 2007 the City selected the SunCal Companies as the Master Developer of Alameda Point, and as of July 2007 the parties are negotiating terms for a development agreement.

After two previous failures, voters in the city passed a ballot measure in 2000 authorizing a bond measure for construction of a new library to replace the city's Carnegie library, damaged during the Loma Prieta earthquake. A bond measure is an Initiative to sell bonds for the purpose of acquiring Funds for various Public works projects such as research transportation For other uses see Carnegie Library (disambiguation, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Free Library and Carnegie Public Library The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Quake, was a major Earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay The city also received state funds for the new library and opened the doors to the new facility in November of 2006.

Theaters

City officials continue to seek ways to spur economic development on the island, including the restoration of the historic Art Deco city landmark Alameda Theater. Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939 affecting the decorative arts such as Architecture, Interior design, and Industrial The theater restoration project is currently in progress, along with a multiplex to make the project financially feasible and a parking structure to accommodate patrons of the theater and avoid excessive impact on parking in the Park Street area. Following some setbacks during construction the public opening was May 21, 2008, with a gala event.

The South Shore Mall Twin Cinema opened in 1969 and served as a prominent theater on the island until its closure in 1998. In 2002, the building was demolished and its former site is now a parking lot in the Alameda Towne Centre (Formerly South Shore Center).

Alameda currently has only one other operating movie theater. Central Cinema, which opened in December of 2004, is a 42-seat house at 842 Central Avenue (near the western end of Webster Street). The building, which has been both a community center and a mortuary, is now home to this neighborhood movie house. Although it only has one screen, the theatre has a family atmosphere and is complete with an assortment of couches and armchairs.

Local newspapers

Alameda's first newspaper, the Encinal, appeared in the early 1850s and the paper's editor was instrumental in the movement to incorporate the city. Following the Encinal, several other papers appeared along geographic lines, and the Daily Argus would eventually rise to prominence. Around 1900 the Daily Argus began to fade in importance and east and west papers The Times and The Star combined to take the leading role as the Alameda Times-Star in the 1930s. Under the ownership of the Abe Kofman family, the Times-Star thrived until selling to the Alameda Newspaper Group (an out-of-town news corporation) in the 1970s. ANG Newspapers (Alameda Newspaper Group based in Oakland California, is a former subisidary of the Denver Colorado based MediaNews Group that is now

As a response to the lack of a local news source, Alameda realtors John Crittenden and John McNulty decided to combine their two publishing efforts into a new East End voice, Alameda Journal, in 1987. Crittenden had published a real estate homes list to real estate agents, while McNulty was known for the Island Journal, which focused on local news, history, humor and advertising. The new publication found itself the hometown paper of choice. It sold to the Hills Newspapers chain owned by Chip and Mary Brown. The Browns, Oakland residents, had assembled a chain of five East Bay weeklies and biweeklies: the biweekly Alameda Journal, The biweekly Montclarion (serving the Montclair district of Oakland), The Piedmonter (Piedmont), The Berkeley Voice, and The Albany/El Cerrito Journal.

In 1997, the Hills Newspaper chain was bought by Knight Ridder, at the time, the second-largest newspaper chain in the U. For the unrelated television series see Knight Rider. For other articles see Knight Rider (disambiguation Knight Ridder S. Following the buyout, former Hills Newspapers employees recognized the lack of a local community voice in Alameda, and again formed a new locally-based newspaper, the Alameda Sun, in 2001. In 2006 Knight Ridder announced its impending sale to McClatchy Corp., a Sacramento-based publishing firm. The McClatchy Company is an American Publishing company based in Sacramento California, that operates a number of Newspapers and Websites McClatchy Corp. has put the Contra Costa Times, which under the Knight Ridder reorganization included all five of the original Hills Newspapers, up for sale. The current owners of the Alameda Times-Star, MediaNews, Inc., based in Colorado, have announced a strong interest in buying both the Contra Costa Times chain and the San Jose Mercury News, consolidating the daily newspaper market of the East Bay, effectively under one owner. MediaNews Group, based in Denver Colorado, is one of the largest Newspaper companies in the United States. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The San Jose Mercury News is the major daily Newspaper in San Jose California and Silicon Valley. The California State Attorney General, as of June 2006, has been investigating the sale of the former Knight Ridder properties to MediaNews in the event of a potential breach of anti-trust laws. The upshot of the sale to MediaNews would be the original victor of Alameda's newspaper wars losing in the end, being bought out by the newspaper company once considered vanquished.

Alameda Power and Telecom

Unlike surrounding communities, Alameda has a municipal power and telecommunications service, Alameda Power and Telecom, (APT) that delivers services directly to consumers. Alameda Power and Telecom is a municipal utility for the city of Alameda California.

During the California electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001, Alameda Power and Telecom did not raise electricity rates, while residents in most of the state endured significant price increases. The California electricity crisis (also known as the Western U [10]

Alameda Power and Telecom produces 84% of its energy from renewable sources, primarily geothermal plants located near Calistoga, California, and hydroelectric sources on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River. The utility also uses wind and solar power. Recently, APT has entered into agreements with four municipal landfills to capture methane released from the landfills (which is otherwise released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gas), and convert it into energy. [11] AP&T also provides cable television and high speed internet services at competitive prices.

Arts and culture

The Alameda Arts Council (AAC) serves as the local Alameda City arts council. The Alameda Arts Council (AAC is the Alameda California Arts council serving the arts in the Alameda area An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Arts mainly by funding local artists awarding prizes and organizing events at

Alameda has been home to many movie sets. Some of the movies filmed on the island have included "Bicentennial Man", "The Net", "The Matrix Reloaded", "The Matrix: Revolutions", "Bee Season", Original 1968 "Your, Mine and Ours" and the movie musical "Rent". The Bicentennial Man is a Novella in the Robot Series by Isaac Asimov. The Matrix Revolutions is a 2003 Film and the third and final Film in ''The Matrix'' trilogy. Bee Season is a 2000 novel by Myla Goldberg. It follows a young girl as she attempts to win the national spelling bee, and the repercussions Parts of Alameda High School were animated for the Animatrix episode Kid's Story. The Animatrix is a collection of nine animated Short films released in 2003 and set in the fictional universe of ''The Matrix'' series A massive hangar at the former Naval Air Station Alameda was used to film special scenes requiring computer-generated imagery for movies such as Bicentennial Man, Flubber, What Dreams May Come, Mission: Impossible II and many scenes from the Matrix trilogy, including the signature bullet time scene. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics Flubber is a 1997 film produced by Disney starring Robin Williams and Marcia Gay Harden. What Dreams May Come is a 1998 dramatic film, starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr Mission Impossible II, or MI-2 as it is also known is a 2000 film directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise, The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction - martial arts - Action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and Bullet time (or bullet-time) is a computer enhanced simulation of variable speed (ie The open space of the decommissioned naval base often hosts MythBusters' more dangerous experiments. MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the

Alameda Civic Ballet

The Alameda Civic Ballet and its affiliate school, the Alameda Ballet Academy, were founded in 2003 by former Oakland Ballet principal ballerina Abra Rudisill. The Alameda Civic Ballet (ACB founded in 2003 by the Artistic Director Abra Rudisill is the official Dance company for Alameda California, USA Since their founding, both the academy and school have grown steadily, offering a full schedule of classes for dancers of all ages in downtown Alameda.

Alameda Civic Light Opera

The Alameda Civic Light Opera, which performs Broadway-style musical productions. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located was founded in 1996.

Dance Arts Project

The Dance Arts Project was founded by noted instructor and choreographer Michaela Lynch and has continually offered classes and performance opportunities for Alameda's children for more than a decade. Still under the direction of Ms. Lynch, the Dance Arts Project has become a fixture in the community and the premier locality for performance arts training in Alameda.

Shining Stars In The Arts

Held in May, Shining Stars In The Arts is an evening event that celebrates community members who have made an outstanding contribution in the arts in the city. It features a fundraising silent art auction, food, and music, and concludes in an award ceremony for the Shining Star honorees.

Sister cities

Since 2004 Alameda participates in a sister city agreement with Wuxi, China. Administration The Prefecture-level city of Wuxi administers 9 county-level divisions, including 7 districts and 2 county-level

Another sister city is Lidingö, Sweden. Lidingö is an Island situated north east of central Stockholm, the Capital of Sweden, and also the name of the largest urban area "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The initiative came from Alameda in 1959 and was part of President Eisenhower's people-to-people-movement, whose purpose was to develop better understanding among people from different countries after World War II. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general People to People International was first established on September 11, 1956 by President Dwight D Both Alameda and Lidingö are islands with a bridge connecting them to a big city.

Famous residents

Schools

Community College

Private schools

Public schools

Main article: Alameda Unified School District

Like almost all cities in California, the municipal government and the school administration are two separate entities. College of Alameda is a two-year Community college located in Alameda California. The Peralta Community College District is the Community college district serving northern Alameda County California. St Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda California is a coeducational Roman Catholic high school The Alameda Unified School District serves the city of Alameda, USA The Alameda Unified School District has the same boundaries as the City of Alameda, but has a separately elected board to oversee its operations, and its funding comes directly from the county and state governments without oversight by the city council. The Alameda Unified School District serves the city of Alameda, USA The AUSD educates approximately 10,000 students each year, in eight elementary schools, three middle schools, two traditional high schools, three alternative learning schools, one continuation school, and one high school within the College of Alameda. See also Primary education An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory education known as elementary Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution The Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC formerly Arthur Andersen Community Learning Center is a 6th-12th grade Charter school located in Alameda CA, sharing A continuation high school is an alternative to a Comprehensive high school primarily for students who are considered at-risk of not graduating at the normal Most high school students attend Encinal High or Alameda High. Encinal High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12 Alameda High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12 The district also operates an Adult School and a Child Development Center. Two elementary schools were closed at the end of the 2005-2006 school year. However, a new elementary school, Ruby Bridges, opened for the 2006-2007 school year. Ruby Bridges Hall (born Ruby Nell Bridges September 8

See also

References

  1. ^ alameda - Spanish-English Translation and Pronunciation - Yahoo! Education
  2. ^ A Brief History of Alameda - City of Alameda California
  3. ^ "Around Town - Alameda, CA". There are many islands in San Francisco Bay. This list includes Alameda Island Alcatraz Island Angel Island Bay Farm Island is a section of the city of Alameda California, though it is separtated from the rest of the City by an estuary Retrieved on 2007-12-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev  
  4. ^ "Alameda Museum Quarterly Newsletter", pp.  8. Retrieved on 2007-12-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song.  
  5. ^ After 80 years, Alameda named 'Coast Guard City' | Oakland Tribune | Find Articles at BNET.com
  6. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  7. ^ SpeedTrap Exchange
  8. ^ East Bay Express | Page not found
  9. ^ a b c Rubin, Sylvia. (January 7, 1988) San Francisco Chronicle Neighbor against neighbor; Mediators can resolve disputes. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H Section: People, Page B3.
  10. ^ [1]Alameda Produces Its Own Energy Island residents sustain low rates SF Chronicle, Jan 13, 2001 (archived)
  11. ^ [2]Alameda Power & Telecom Website

External links

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