ALAMEDA<\/p>\n
A bill (AB 2624) from state Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, that its supporters say would protect the private information of immigration nonprofit employees, is being criticized by fellow Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, as an attempt to silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.<\/p>\n
DeMaio has gone as far as dubbing AB 2624 the \u201cStop Nick Shirley Act\u201d for what he says is the chilling effect it will have on free speech.\u00a0AB 2624 comes as independent journalists (or right-wing social media figures, depending on one\u2019s viewpoint) like Nick Shirley have used viral videos to expose alleged fraud and abuse in government-funded programs using on-the-ground footage and firsthand documentation.<\/p>\n
DeMaio says that though AB 2624 is supposed to protect immigrant organizations from \u201cthreats of violence,\u201d it would really apply to any left-wing group that claims to provide any services to legal or illegal immigrants. During a recent Assembly committee hearing, DeMaio directly confronted Bonta, who is also state Attorney General Rob Bonta\u2019s wife, over language that DeMaio says would let individuals affiliated with certain groups demand the removal of video recordings \u2014 even if taken in public \u2014 and even impose costly financial penalties against those who publish the videos online.<\/p>\n
DeMaio warned the bill would be used to block investigative reporting and intimidate journalists, watchdog groups and members of the public documenting wrongdoing. For more details online and DeMaio\u2019s full statement on the bill, visit bit.ly\/bontabill-demaio<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 Asm. DeMaio\u2019s office<\/p>\n New city manager announced, starts in position on June 30<\/p>\n The city of Alameda, at its council meeting next week, is set to appoint Gerry Beaudin as Alameda\u2019s new city manager, a position appointed by and reporting directly to the mayor and City Council. Beaudin is expected to begin work on June 30, when, as the city\u2019s chief administrative officer, he will provide leadership and organizational direction for city operations.<\/p>\n He currently serves as Pleasanton\u2019s city manager, a position he has held since 2022, and as the Joint Powers Authority executive director of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department.<\/p>\n Beaudin\u2019s appointment follows an extensive recruitment process. He brings 23 years of public management experience to Alameda, including serving as Alameda\u2019s interim and assistant city manager (August 2019 to May 2022), a post at which he oversaw the Public Works, Recreation & Parks, Library, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Finance departments.<\/p>\n He also previously served as Pleasanton\u2019s community development director, Mountain View\u2019s zoning administrator, and as a planner for the cities of South San Francisco, Los Altos and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He holds a master of science degree in planning from Canada\u2019s University of Toronto and a bachelor of arts degree from Queen\u2019s University, also in Canada.<\/p>\n City officials also wish to acknowledge and thank Interim City Manager Adam Politzer for his service during the recruitment process for a new city manager. For details online, visit bit.ly\/3QaHyYk<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 city of Alameda<\/p>\n Church hosting Spring Arts & Crafts Boutique on April 25<\/p>\n Alameda\u2019s Immanuel Lutheran Church will host its annual Spring Arts & Crafts Boutique from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 25 at 1910 Santa Clara Ave. (on the corner of Chestnut Street).<\/p>\n Featuring 30 local artisans offering fine handcrafted gifts, treats and treasures for the whole family, the boutique will take place on the church\u2019s parking lot, courtyard and inside its parish hall. The event will also feature a raffle and children\u2019s book giveaway. Admission is free, but only street parking will be available and please enter from Chestnut Street. For questions, call 510-523-0659 or visit immanuel-alameda.org\/church-events<\/a> online.<\/p>\n Church also giving away preschool supplies at same time<\/p>\n Attention preschool teachers and parents: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 25, Immanuel Lutheran Church will give away supplies from its many years in the preschool business to make room for their incoming tenant, Our Island Preschool.<\/p>\n Come adopt the church\u2019s preschool supplies: toys, preschool equipment, art supplies, children\u2019s books and classroom holiday d\u00e9cor. Cash donations will be gratefully accepted. The preschool items will be at the church\u2019s entrance at 1910 Santa Clara Ave. during the church\u2019s annual Spring Boutique. Parking will be available on area streets only. For questions, call the phone number or visit the webpage above.<\/p>\n \u2014 Immanuel Lutheran Church<\/p>\n Pee-Wee Paws group brings together small dogs across Bay Area<\/p>\n The Pee-Wee Paws Small Dog Meetup Group is bringing together small dog lovers and their pups for fun, social and community-driven events across the Bay Area. Designed specifically for dogs weighing less than 20 pounds, the group hosts monthly meetups, group walks and special events that create a safe and welcoming space for little dogs to play and socialize.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s monthly meetups take place at 3 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month at the Alameda Small Dog Park (1300 Eighth St. at the corner of Otis and Westline drives), along with additional pop-up events at various parks throughout the region. Pee-Wee Paws continues to grow, connecting dog owners from different communities and encouraging friendships among pets and people.<\/p>\n Participation is free, and all small dog owners are welcome to join. For more information, find Pee-Wee Paws on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, DogHood, Meetup (meetup.com\/peeweepaws<\/a>) or attend an upcoming event.<\/p>\n \u2014 Darlene Young<\/p>\n Apply by Friday for Alameda Kiwanis Foundation scholarships<\/p>\n The Alameda Kiwanis Foundation encourages graduating seniors from Alameda\u2019s high schools to apply for its 2026 college scholarships. Application forms are now available at school sites\u2019 counseling offices and online at k01025.site.kiwanis.org. The awards are open to residents and nonresidents of Alameda, provided that the applicant graduates from an Alameda school and meets the eligibility criteria.<\/p>\n Community college-bound seniors are also urged to apply. Applications and documents must be completed and submitted no later than Friday this week, and incomplete applications will not be considered. Mail applications to Alameda Kiwanis Foundation, P.O. Box 1217, Alameda CA 94501 or email them to alamedakiwanis@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 Alameda Kiwanis Foundation<\/p>\n To submit an item for the Alameda Journal\u2019s \u201cIn brief\u201d section, which is now usually published in print on each month\u2019s third Friday, please email it, at least three days before print publication, to njackson@bayareanewsgroup.com<\/a>. Each item should be 90 to 180 words and include a short headline along with the name of the group or individual to credit for it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALAMEDA A bill (AB 2624) from state Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, that its supporters say would protect the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":269461,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[3764,143,145,144],"class_list":{"0":"post-269460","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oakland","8":"tag-community-briefs","9":"tag-oakland","10":"tag-oakland-headlines","11":"tag-oakland-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}