1. Ranger danger: Park may get ax

    by Richard Parks

    The city's park ranger positions are once again on the chopping block as Oakland seeks to close a $42 million deficit. The City Council heard recommendations for budget cuts from Mayor Ron Dellums on Tuesday night — among them eliminating all park ranger positions and replacing them with city police.


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  2. Agency plans grand finale for 'Seed to Harvest' campaign

    by Richard Parks

    Doing good and eating well, Bay Area Community Services will celebrate its harvest of cash and a charitable commitment to sustainable food next week. BACS invites the community to commemorate the final phase of its summer-long "Seed to Harvest" fundraising effort, which has raised nearly $100,000. The proceeds will go toward a green cause — funding the nonprofit organization's switch to sustainable, farm-to-table practices for its Meals on Wheels program.


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  3. Parking permits just got pricier

    by Richard Parks

    A City Council committee approved a hike in parking permit fees and recommended the "inefficient" permit program for a performance audit. The Finance and Management Committee on Tuesday voted to increase fees for residential and business parking permit applications and renewals, which have remained constant since the program's inception in the 1980s.


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  4. Spring tulip, art festival primed to bloom

    by Talia Kennedy

    With a flurry of flowers, fine art and fun, the Piedmont Avenue Merchants Association will celebrate its third annual Tulip and Art Festival beginning today and continuing throughout April. The monthlong event, which kicks off with the planting of 30,000 tulips at Mountain View Cemetery, will include jazz performances, an antique car parade and historical tours.


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  5. Cowboy dreamin'

    by Alison Satake

    Backstage in the dressing room, the nervous energy was high as each cowboy primped before a vanity mirror. For some, like "Antonio Rios," the nerves came from more than a little stage fright. "Antonio Rios is 24," said the worker from the avocado orchards of Michoacan, Mexico, who is actually 21. He assumes this fake identity when he goes to gay clubs.


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