Mayor, AASEG Sign Coliseum Sale Terms Signed, Sealed, Delivered It’s Ours
AASEG Founder Ray Bobbitt signs Coliseum Purchase Term Sheet while Mayor Sheng Thao and City Administrator Jestin Johnson witness the signing. Photo by Magaly Munoz. By Magaly Muñoz Oakland has taken a big step towards securing funds that will save the city from major budget cuts by signing a term of agreement for the sale of the Coliseum stadium. Mayor Sheng Thao and City
Administrator Jestin Johnson signed the term agreement with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) on Tuesday morning. The agreement lays out the plan for the sale including payment scheduling and deed
The Mayor announced that the City of Oakland, including the City Attorney, had verified the financial capability and proof of funds of the AASEG and Loop Capital’s ability to complete the Coliseum purchase. Photo by Magaly Munoz. restrictions. “What we’ve done today is we’ve changed for the better, because what we’re doing is we’re investing not just in today, but we are investing in an Oakland for tomorrow,” Thao said at a Tuesday morn-
ing press conference. The sale of Oakland’s half-ownership of the stadium to AASEG was announced in late May and was painted as a way to help save the city from the large deficit they battled with for weeks in June.
Left to right: Ray Lankford, CEO of Oakland Private Industry Council; Ray Bobbitt, AASEG Founder; Samantha Wise, AASEG board member; Mayor Sheng Thao; Jonathan Jones, chair of AASEG Finance Committee; Richard Johnson, founder of Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back organization; and Oakland City Council President Nikki Bas. Photo by Paul Cobb. The City Council passed a bud-
fire departments.
get dependent on the sale, avoiding
Had the sale fallen through, cuts
cuts across all departments, partic-
would’ve needed to be immediately
ularly to departments responsible
made in September to bridge the
for public safety like the police and
Oakland Post
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“Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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Weekly Edition. Edition. July 31 - AUGUST 6, 2024
‘Respect Our Vote – No Recalls’ Says Community Coalition
61st Year, No. 30
Knot Our Kidz: Monee Brown is on a Mission to Keep Your Children Safe
Alameda resident Sarah Lynn New has been charged with three felony cuonts of Embezzlement. Photo: abc7news on X.
Stock image.
By Ken Epstein A new grassroots coalition has formed in response to what it calls a major conservative threat to voters’ rights in Oakland and Alameda County, bluntly calling itself: “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls.” “We already voted! We shouldn’t have to pay for another expensive election because a handful of multimillionaires from Piedmont and San Francisco, along with a few billionaires across the country, don’t like the results of the election we
D.A. Pamela Price Charges Alameda Swim Team President with Multiple Counts of Embezzlement already had,” said longtime Oakland activist Mariano Contreras, reflecting a sentiment of some politically aware residents from many groups and neighborhoods across Oakland. While outside monied interests are paying for the recalls, other recall backers include supporters of those who lost the last election and those who are opposed to progressive reforms, according to anti-recall organizers. “I can disagree with some acContinued on page 8
Robert L. Allen. Courtesy of U.S. Naval Institute
Robert L. Allen, 82, Leaves Legacy of Civil Rights Activism and Scholarship
By Ken Epstein
Robert L. Allen, historian scholar, and civil rights activist, died on July 10 at 82. One of his important works, “The Port Chicago Mutiny,” played a significant role in the struggle that ultimately led to the exoneration this month of the African American sailors who were convicted of mutiny during World War II for going on strike following a deadly munitions explosion that claimed the lives of hundreds. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on
May 29, 1942, Allen learned at an early age about social responsibility from his parents, who were community activists, developing a lifelong commitment to social justice. Allen was 13 when Emmett Till, who was 14 when he was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955. “This is when I realized that the white people were not only dangerous, but they were dangerous to all of us, including me, because he was my age,” Allen said in an interview quoted in the New York Times. Continued on page 8
Special to The Post
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced that Alameda resident Sarah Lynn New, 45, has been charged with three felony counts of embezzlement in violation of Penal Code Section 503. If convicted and sentenced on the three felony charges, Ms. New faces nine years in prison. The complaint alleges that on or about April 1, April 17, and April 18, Ms. New withdrew thousands of dollars from the bank account of the non-profit Alameda Gators Swim Team. Ms. New became the president of the team in the City of Alameda in September 2023. Investigators believe that she unlawfully embezzled thousands of dollars from the team during her presidency.
The investigation into her alleged criminal activity is continuing, and Price did not rule out the possibility of additional charges. “As the lead fiduciary of a community program, Ms. New’s alleged conduct is a shocking betrayal of the trust of the parents and children participating in this worthwhile activity. These kinds of programs are essential to building a safe and harmonious community, and therefore, the impact of the alleged conduct can be extremely harmful. “Anytime an adult betrays trust, and it involves children, that is remarkable. We want to teach our children to be responsible civic-minded members of our community,” Price said. The Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.
Hasheem Bason Receives 15 Years to Life Sentence for His Role in the Murder-for-Hire Deadly Shooting of Lili Xu
Special to The Post
Hasheem Bason, 35, was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison following a no-contest plea to second-degree murder for the Aug. 21, 2022, deadly shooting of Dr. Lili Xu. The investigation of the case revealed that Xu’s murder was orchestrated by her romantic partner, Nelson Chia. The month before she was killed, Xu discovered that Chia was involved in multiple acts of infidelity while he was simultaneously trying to take control of her sizable assets. Further investigation uncovered evidence of Chia openly discussing how he could capitalize on Xu’s death. After the murder, video evidence showed Chia held a banquet
in Xu’s honor and attempted to raise money for his own foundation, playing the role of the grieving partner while being the mastermind of a murder-for-hire scheme responsible for her death. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Hasheem Bason as one of the participants in Chia’s scheme to murder Xu. The investigation also revealed that Chia had allegedly established an inappropriate exploitative relationship with Bason when Bason was a vulnerable youth. Years later, Chia allegedly tracked Bason down and threatened to reveal the secrets of his youth unless Bason assisted him in the plot to murder Xu. InvestigaContinued on page 8
Author, speaker, advocate and founder of Knot Our Kidz, Monee Brown. Photo courtesy of Knot Our Kidz. By Carla Thomas Monee Brown has dedicated her life to cyber security and keeping children safe. Through her company, Knot Our Kidz, an initiative dedicated to promoting online safety among youth, Brown has generated a movement in the community as a staunch advocate against human trafficking. A retired deputy probation officer in Alameda County, Brown lists the many ways children are vulnerable and how parents and guardians sometimes unassumingly create pathways that predators may take advantage of. Brown, who is based in Oakland, says she witnessed first-hand the alarming trend of youth being solicited and groomed through their cell phones unbeknownst to their parents. “Oftentimes parents were unaware of online predators, hadn’t informed their kids of the dos and don’ts of the internet, and weren’t actively monitoring their children’s devices,” she said. “This experience inspired me to create resources to help bridge this gap in knowledge and safety.” With over 22 years of experience in law enforcement and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Brown says she is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and has written three books to highlight the dangers of online predators. Her book, “Ready, Set, Game,” highlights the dangers of online gaming. “Operation Don’t Chat Back,” exposes the risks of chatting with strangers online. Her guide for parents on protecting their children from online predators is entitled “Cyber Pimp: What Every Parent Needs
to Know.” “It’s crucial to educate parents and anyone who has an instrumental role in a child’s life, be it an aunt, grandparents, an uncle, or godparents. These books provide practical tools and engaging narratives that empower children and parents alike to navigate the digital world safely.” Brown says when children are given digital devices, parents typically don’t know what they are engaging in beyond schoolwork. “Computers could also expose a child to engaging with strangers and potential predators online. For parents that don’t want their child on the computer, what are the alternatives? Are the students monitored online? What are the precautions taken to protect youth from encountering predators online? According to Brown, although it may be innocent, sharing information about children on social media easily exposes youth to potential predators. “When proud parents post pictures on social media of their child’s graduation from middle school, this exposes the child to thousands of people online, because each person has about 500 friends on social media, she says. “If the proud parents post a Cash App to bless a child financially, a predator could use this gift as an act to gain a child’s attention, build trust, and further entice the child.” Brown says she welcomes organizations and individuals willing to join her in combating predators who target children away and fighting for more protections for children in the cyber world. For more information visit: www.knotourkidz.com