Rob AriasIn this edition of our Semi-Monthly Newswire, we share five stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed, including:
- Emeryville Spotlighted in local publication as “Biking Oasis”
- Critics look for answers for Elio’s disappointing box office results
- Oakland Loses Latest Coal lawsuit
- E’ville Eye + EHS Summer Scavenger Hunt
- Bay Bridge Jumper Rescued by Fish Emeryville chartered History Cruise
League of CA Cities Publication Spotlights Emeryville as ‘Biking Oasis’
Western City, a print and online publication by the League of California Cities, recently published a story spotlighting the cities of Davis and Emeryville as “Biking Oases.”
Davis has long been at the forefront of biking culture but Emeryville is “nipping at its heels” according to the story.
What Davis and Emeryville have in common is being flat, and having the political will to prioritize bike safety over car convenience the story goes on to detail.
Emeryville’s transformation into a bike-friendly community has been decades in the making with former Councilmember John Bauters getting a lot of the credit by local media for leaning into the city’s efforts over the past decade.
Pixar’s Elio Posts Studios “Worst Ever” Box Office Numbers
On the heals of the impressive box office performance of Inside Out 2 that has grossed nearly 1.7B, Pixar’s latest animated feature film is unfortunately trending in the opposite direction. In fact, Elio’s $21M opening weekend performance is the worst ever for the animation studio that has called Emeryville home since 2000.
The pioneering computer animation studio, and its critics, are questioning ‘what went wrong.’ While some have blamed poor marketing efforts, others have pointed to turmoil in the production process and erasure of queer themes that ultimately made the film “about nothing.”
Apparently fed up with the criticism they have endured for relying too much on sequels and not on original content, they posted a short Instagram reel “clapping back” at these critics. “Stop complaining that Disney doesn‘t make original stories if you don’t show up to the movies and support them in the first place,” a woman can be overheard saying before promoting the film.
The video is recorded using a popular TikTok trend has users looking away from their cameras and spilling “truths” that others may not want to hear.
Oakland Loses Latest “Coal War” Lawsuit Appeal
The City of Oakland, already down millions in legal fees, may be on the hook for millions more after losing their appeal against the developers of the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (AKA “OBOT”) at the former Oakland Army Base.
The project goes back over a decade breaking ground in 2013 with then congresswoman, now Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee handling ceremonial duties.
When the intentions of using the terminal to ship coal emerged, the city passed a resolution preventing coal traveling through their city and eventually canceling their lease. In 2016, Emeryville was one of 11 cities to sign a symbolic letter opposing the transport of coal through their cities to the terminal.
Litigation continued for years with Judges siding with the developers in a 2018 ruling, a 2022 arbitration and a 2024 appeal. The city appears to have exhausted all of their legal avenues and the project is poised to finally move forward.
Developers of the project have attempted to mitigate what they refer to as “myths” about the project in the FAQs section of their website.
E’ville Eye + EHS Summer Scavenger Hunt
In partnership with the Emeryville Historical Society, The E’ville Eye has launched a “Scavenger Hunt” to encourage locals to exploring the city by foot and learn something new about the city’s fascinating history.
Every week through July, we’ll hide an evil eye charm bracelet with a QR code attached to it at one of the 26 stops along their Greenway walking tour. Find it, and you’ll win a free item of your choice from our E’ville Threads shop.
Follow The E’ville Eye and The Emeryville Historical Society on Instagram for clues and updates.
Emeryville Marina Staging Area for Wild Rescue
Every week, passengers board boats charted through Fish Emeryville at the Emeryville Marina for the popular history cruises narrated by East Bay Yesterday’s Liam O’ Donoghue.
Last month, one such voyage became the epicenter of a rescue of a man who had jumped from the Bay Bridge. It was by shear luck that they spotted the man and were able to come to his aid.
Now, Donoghue is on a mission to uncover the identity of the survivor whose life he helped save.
