BY ALBA MORA // On Friday, Nov. 28, participants of the Sacred Sites/Shellmound Peace Walk finished their two-week, 250-mile walk around the San Francisco Bay. Their last stop was Bay Street mall, where they honored their ancestors and prayed at the destruction of an old burial site.

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BY ALBA MORA // Are you going away and cannot take your dog with you? Don’t put them in a kennel. I offer loving care in my home. Give your dog(s) the vacation they deserve while you are away on yours.

The Internet is flooded with ads like this, where pet-sitters and dog walkers offer their services to pet owners. When Thanksgiving approaches, pet-sitters get busy. But not this year.

“I had several cancellations,” said Christine Moore, 38. “There’re not so many people going on holidays.”

The economic meltdown, high travel expenses and consumer unease have impacted Thanksgiving holiday weekend for Californians. According to the most recent AAA Northern California travel survey there’s a 2.3 percent decrease in holiday travel from last year. And when people travel less, that means their pets need fewer services from people like Moore. Read the full story

BY SHIKIRI HIGHTOWER AND ALBA MORA // LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., a local company known for their technology-based toys, has fallen victim to a harsh economy like many other businesses.

On Friday, the Emeryville based manufacturer, announced it was slashing 10 percent of their global workforce.

“We had to reduce operating expenses” said Mischa Dunton, the LeapFrog spokesperson. “We are proud of LeapFrog’s people and so this action is one we would prefer not to have undertaken.” Read the full story

BY KATE KILPATRICK AND ALBA MORA // Inkwell Tattoo celebrated its grand opening party this weekend. Read the full story

BY ALBA MORA  AND AMANDA MARTINEZ //
After a pow wow with her 90-year-old grandmother, Kimberly arrived at the polls at 6:35am. She says voting this morning was the start of a glorious day.

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BY ALBA MORA AND AMANDA MARTINEZ // InEmeryville was at the polls talking to morning voters about the big day.

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4060 Hollis Street

BY ALBA MORA // Emeryville City Council wants to build a new community art center. But first, they have to clean up the proposed site to protect landscapers and construction workers from health risks associated with exposure to contaminated soil.

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Max Rubin and Michael Wu.

BY ALBA MORA // Early Saturday morning, the AMC Theater at Bay Street was packed with excited high school students, parents, grandparents and friends. They didn’t come to watch a Hollywood feature. Instead, the students’ own animation films would soon appear on the screen as part of the 2nd Annual Bay Street Animation Film Festival. Read the full story

BY ALBA MORA // Looking for a place to have breakfast in Emeryville? Try Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe at 4081 Hollis Street – it’s the place for the hungry or the hung-over. Watch the video and check it out.

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