Ginny Prior

Photo by D. Ross Cameron

OAKLAND TRIBUNE: July 13, 2012

She was our eye in the sky for 12 years. Oakland Realtor and longtime broadcaster Katie O’Shea took her last look at traffic from the seat of a Cessna, June 30, after KGO Radio eliminated airborne traffic reports in a cost-cutting move under new ownership.

It was the end of an era for the venerable news-talk station, and O’Shea could see it coming. “With cameras everywhere and people calling in — I think it’s a dying breed,” she says of the concept of traffic reports from a chopper or plane. “It’s still great for covering fires and protests — stories that filter over to news.” (more…)

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OAKLAND TRIBUNE: February 24, 2012

What prompts a man to walk across the United States six times? Moreover, why would he wrap up his 12-year journey in Montclair?

When Steve Fugate, 65, enters the Montclair Village Saturday, he will have walked more than 30,000 miles with a singular theme: to love life. It’s an amazing mantra for a man who has had more than his share of tragedy. (more…)

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OAKLAND TRIBUNE: November 11, 2011

Anyone who doubts that America is still the land of opportunity has only to look at Jose Trinidad Garcia, the new owner of Viva Voce Café at 5761 Thornhill Drive in Montclair.

“Trini,” as his friends call him, didn’t speak a word of English when he fled El Salvador’s devastating civil war at the urging of his mother in 1984. (more…)

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SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE: October, 2011

Kusum Singh sits in a sun-kissed corner of her kitchen with the warmth of a woman completely at peace. At 78 and newly-retired from a 27-year teaching career at Saint Mary’s College, she’s entering a stage where she can listen more clearly to her heart. “In every little thing, I find peace and joy,” said Singh, who spent much of her academic life studying the work of Gandhi. “I used to have to prepare so much for class. Now I just sit and enjoy my reading and writing.”  (more…)

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OAKLAND TRIBUNE: June 24, 2011

Alice Ly lives to make people happy. In fact, it’s been her life’s dream since coming to America from Vietnam at the age of 19. Last month, it all came together when she opened Natural Nails Plus on Grand Avenue in Oakland.

What makes this shop different from the dozens of other nail salons in Oakland is Ly’s story. She was 9 when her father left Vietnam on a small, crowded boat for America. He would carve out a new life on Oahu, then send for his wife and three daughters. Ly thought the day would never come, but her family was finally reunited a decade later. (more…)

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CONTRA COSTA TIMES: JUNE 17, 2011

National Men’s Health Week is June 13-19. If only there were more to celebrate.

Consider the facts: Men die more than five years younger than women; Men are at greater risk of getting a serious disease or life-threatening injury; Men are fatter than women, use more tobacco, make fewer doctor visits and have less healthy diets.

So what’s the good news? “Nearly all of these key factors can be modified or controlled,” says men’s health expert Dr. Will Courtenay. (more…)

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OAKLAND TRIBUNE: June 11, 2011

In the world of fashion, nothing is more basic than the classic white blouse. Yet, for Oakland businesswoman Dawn Wheeler, it was as elusive as a pair of comfortable stilettos, until she decided to start her own clothing business.

Meet the online indie fashion site BobbePin (www.bobbepin.com), featuring clothing and accessories from independent designers hand-picked by Dawn and co-owner Lisa de la Sol. (more…)

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ALAMEDA MAGAZINE: June/July 2011

Who:  Thierry Attias, 47, of Alameda

What: He’s an Oakland bike shop owner (Cycle Sports) who, along with his friend and business partner Greg Raifman, owns one of the world’s top professional cycling teams — United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team.

When: Attias and Raifman formed the team and Momentum Sports Group LLC after sitting down with a group of pro cyclists and brainstorming. “When you own a bike shop, you have a lot of groups of clients coming in and
you support them. Bike clubs want sponsors.  It kind of got my gears going.”
(more…)

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Red Boy Pizza family owners with Oakland Citycouncilwoman Libby Schaaf

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: May 20, 2011

If you want to make dough in the pizza business, it helps to have a hook. For the Oakland hills family who owns the Red Boy Pizza franchise, it begins with the sourdough crust.

“The mother dough was started in Italy in 1942,” says Farid Radwan, an Egyptian-born restaurateur who goes by the name “Fred.” He came to this country in the mid-1970s and fell in love with his Italian wife, Antoinette, when they were going to Cal State Hayward. They married, had children and bought Bordenave’s Bakery in San Rafael in 1996. (more…)

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