Happy Thursday, everyone!

August is going out on a free weekend. Sunday brings over 150 comic artists and makers into Faction Brewing for Cape and Cowl Con, and it’s free to walk in. Friday night, ARPD puts The Goonies on a screen at Leydecker Field, with games for the kids beforehand.

On the news side, a plan for 2,300 homes at Alameda Point has snagged on 25 housing vouchers, the old Del Monte cannery landed its first two shops, and a fleet of drones built in an Alameda Point hangar is sailing toward the equator to study El Niño.

Plus we ate our way through Saltbreaker and filmed the whole thing, so our Restaurant of the Week comes with a reel.

Let's dive in!

In this week's email:

• Featured Events: Cape and Cowl Con at Faction & The Goonies under the stars

• Alameda News: 2,300 homes stalled over 25 vouchers, Star Harbor's first shops & the Roots stadium workshop

• Restaurant of the Week: Saltbreaker, and the reel of everything we ate

• This Week's Events: 25 things to do, August 27 to September 2

• Houses on the Market: New Alameda Listings

Read time: 8 mins

Free This Sunday: 150 Comic Artists Take Over Faction

Sunday, August 30 | 11 AM to 6 PM | Free entry | 📍 Faction Brewing.

Cape and Cowl Con is back at Faction Brewing this Sunday, and entry is completely free. Over 150 artists and vendors will be set up inside.

From the outside it's a brewery on Monarch Street. Inside, for one day, it turns into a full comics convention, and it's all ages.

You'll find independent comics, original art, prints, handmade goods, and the artists themselves behind the tables ready to talk about their work.

The con is put on by Cape and Cowl Comics, the Oakland shop that has run it since the beginning.

The Goonies, Outside, For Free

Friday, August 28 | 6:30 PM games, movie around 8:15 PM | Free | 📍 Leydecker Field, Bay Farm.

ARPD puts a screen up at Leydecker Field this Friday and runs The Goonies for free. Games and crafts for the kids start at 6:30 PM, and the movie rolls once it’s dark, usually right around 8:15. One more after this one: Jurassic Park on Friday, September 18 at Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.

Bring lawn chairs and blankets, and dress in layers. Snacks are for sale and the money goes to ARPD’s youth and teen programs. No grills, no alcohol, no pets.

Get Connected in Alameda

Most people live here for years without seeing how the island actually runs. Leadership Alameda takes you behind the scenes, one class a month for ten months.

Each session opens a different door: civic and government, island history, public safety, housing, transportation, economic development at Alameda Point and Harbor Bay, nonprofits and social services, and sustainability.

You will meet the Mayor, tour Semifreddi's, go aboard the USS Hornet, try on the gear at the fire station, and close the year with a private tour of the State Capitol.

Ten days total. You leave knowing this island from the inside, and knowing the people who run it.

Tuition is $1,495 for Chamber members and $1,995 for nonmembers, plus a $100 application fee. Applications close September 1; the first session is September 10.

Alameda News

A Fight Over 25 Vouchers Could Stall 2,300 Homes at Alameda Point

The next phases of housing at Alameda Point could add as many as 2,300 homes, a quarter of them affordable, and right now they're tangled up in a dispute over 25 federal housing vouchers. The immediate project at stake is Stardust Gardens, an 80-unit building designed by MidPen Housing.

Stardust Gardens is meant to move people out of the crumbling World War II-era barracks they're currently living in on the base. Its entire financing depends on the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda agreeing to move 25 federal vouchers over to the new building when it opens in late 2028. Housing Authority Executive Director Vanessa Cooper says that transfer would break the rules HUD sets for how vouchers work, which leaves the project and the phases behind it waiting.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The Old Del Monte Cannery Just Landed Its First Two Shops

Star Harbor, the 1927 Del Monte cannery converted into apartments at Buena Vista and Clement, has signed its first two ground-floor businesses. They're LuxFit, a fitness studio, and Highwire Coffee Roasters, which will be taking 1,500 square feet.

For Highwire this is a second Alameda location, and for LuxFit it’s the San Francisco brand’s first location outside the city. It takes 5,000 square feet indoors plus another 1,500 outside and opens in October. The residential side of the building is reported at about 96% full, so these are the first storefronts to fill in underneath all those units. LuxFit vice president Amber Woolcock said the company “designed this space around how this community actually lives, trains, and spends time together.”

Source: Hoodline

The Roots Stadium Went Back to the Planning Board Monday

The Oakland Roots proposal to put an 8,000-seat stadium at their Harbor Bay training facility went to a special Planning Board meeting on Monday, August 24. The plan on the table covers up to 24 matches a year at the site.

The board did not vote. Monday was a second workshop, not an action item. The club brought noise and traffic studies. The noise consultant said the projected 54.5 decibels meets city code but would still be audible in a quiet neighborhood. Traffic is the harder problem: about 90 percent of fans are expected to drive, and a sellout would need roughly 1,500 remote parking spaces plus shuttles from Coliseum BART.

The Port of Oakland’s letter is the part worth watching. It backs continued coordination, but it also notes the airport’s land use plan prohibits stadiums inside the airport influence area as “an intolerable risk,” and says the city has to send the project to the county airport land use commission, which takes it up September 16. Of the 14 letters filed for the meeting, 12 backed the plan, and the pushback came from Bay Farm neighbors worried about traffic, lighting and late-night noise.

Source: East Bay Insiders

Quick Hits

• Alameda-built drones are chasing El Niño. Saildrone launched a fleet from Hawaiian waters this month on a four-month, 3,000-mile run toward the equator. The vessels are 23 feet long with 16-foot wings, run on sun and wind, and are built in a historic hangar at the old Naval Air Station. The mission wraps in December. KTVU

• The school board met Tuesday on how to fill its open seat. AUSD was choosing between appointing someone to Jennifer Williams' former seat or calling a special election that staff estimates could cost upwards of $900,000. The term runs through November 2028. AUSD

• Put October 16 on the calendar for the animal shelter. Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter has set its 15th annual After the Ball gala for Friday, October 16, 6 to 9 PM at Gold Bar Whiskey on Monarch Street. Ticket prices haven't been announced yet. FAAS

Restaurant of the Week

Saltbreaker

We just ate our way through Saltbreaker's dining room and filmed it, so you can see exactly what lands on the plate.

It's at 2350 Saratoga Street, open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 PM, closed Monday and Tuesday. The Yard out front is a separate operation with its own hours, no reservations, doors at 11 AM.

Here's what we ordered. A bowl of thin fries in a creamy, herb-flecked sauce. The Cast Iron Chicken, $28, a browned breast over a ring of pesto. Scarlett's "Crazy" Cactus Cooler, $16, prickly pear and jalapeño with your choice of mezcal or tequila. And the Steak Frites, $45, a 6 oz filet with sauce lyonnaise and tarragon aioli. Dessert was layered pastry with strawberries and cream.

You don't have to spend $45 to eat well here. The house made focaccia is $11 and comes with whipped garlic butter. The Caesar is $17 and uses a miso dressing. Burrata is $18 with Spanish serrano ham and grilled sourdough.

This is the spot for a date night, a birthday, or the night you want to eat like you're out of town. Full menu at saltbreakeralameda.com, or call (510) 263-8232.

This Week's Events

Markets & Pop-Ups

Thursday @ The Avenue | Thursday, Aug 27 | 5 to 7:30 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Ave near Park St. Live music, outdoor games and vendor pop-ups in the parklet. More info

Alameda Farmers' Market | Saturday, Aug 29 & Tuesday, Sep 1 | 9 AM to 1 PM | Free | 📍 710 Haight Ave. Year-round market, produce and prepared food. More info

Workshops & Crafts

Postcards from the Future Workshop & Closing Reception | Saturday, Aug 29 | 2 to 4 PM | Free, RSVP required | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works. Closing day of "O Say Can You See," plus a postcard workshop. More info

Ocean Hoptimism: The Urban Upstream | Thursday, Aug 27 | 7 to 8 PM | 📍 Faction Brewing. Talk on tracking Bay pollution back to its sources. More info

Live Music

Larrie Noble's Phree Thinkers | Friday, Aug 28 & Saturday, Aug 29 | 7:30 to 10:15 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. Five decades of pop, soul, R&B and rock. More info

Groove is in the Start: '80s End of Summer | Friday, Aug 28 | 6 to 10 PM | Tickets online only, 21+ | 📍 Faction Brewing. Dance party, vintage beachwear and prom looks encouraged. Get tickets

The Mio Flores SalSazz Trio | Thursday, Aug 27 | 7:30 to 10:30 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. Weekly Thursday salsa night, dancing encouraged. More info

Groove Alchemy | Sunday, Aug 30 | 3:30 to 6:30 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. Rock, New Orleans funk, ska and Latin originals. More info

Karaoke with KJ Melemel | Wednesday, Sep 2 | 6:30 to 8:30 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. First and third Wednesdays, sing whatever you want. More info

Shows & Entertainment

Sips on the Ship | Saturday, Aug 29 | 5 to 8 PM | $70, $90 VIP | 📍 USS Hornet Museum. Twelve Livermore wineries, keep the glass. VIP adds 4 PM entry. Get tickets

Games, Drinks, & Vibes

Cars in the Cellar | Sunday, Aug 30 | Free | 📍 Almanac Adventureland, 651 W. Tower Ave. Show cars parked under 25-foot oak vessels and redwood timbers. More info

Free Malthouse Tour | Sunday, Aug 30 | 3 to 3:30 PM | Free | 📍 Admiral Maltings. Every Sunday, learn how malt actually gets made. More info

49ers vs Raiders Preseason | Thursday, Aug 27 | 5 to 8 PM | 📍 Alameda Brewing. Preseason Bay Area matchup on the taproom screens. More info

Trivia Tuesdays | Tuesday, Sep 1 | 7 to 9 PM | 📍 Alameda Brewing. Weekly taproom trivia, one of four East Bay locations. More info

Trivia Night | Tuesday, Sep 1 | 7:30 PM | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. Weekly trivia in the Webster Street lounge. More info

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic | Wednesday, Sep 2 | 7:30 PM | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. Bring a song, sign up when you get there. More info

Trivia Night | Wednesday, Sep 2 | 6:30 PM | 📍 McGee's Bar & Grill. Sunset Trivia runs it, teams welcome. More info

Family & Kids

Crab Cove Fish Festival | Saturday, Aug 29 | 10 AM to 4 PM | Free | 📍 Doug Siden Visitor Center, Crab Cove. Mobile fish tank, a swell shark, live music, free face painting. More info

Gaga & Lawn Games | Sunday, Aug 30 | 12:30 to 3 PM | 📍 Alameda Gaga Court, Crown Beach. Low-impact dodgeball variant, players rotate in fast. More info

Get Active & Give Back

Weekly Classes at Rhythmix | Most days | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works. Fourteen weekly classes: bhangra, salsa, zumba, bomba, karate, yoga and barre. More info

Kindred Running Club | Thursday 6:30 PM, Saturday 8 AM, Wednesday walk 9 AM | 📍 1436 Webster St, Thursday run meets at Park Station. Three-mile Thursday run, 5K or 10K Saturday. More info

Low Back & Sciatica Relief Stretch Class | Sunday, Aug 30 | 10 AM | 📍 Alameda Beach at Shoreline Dr. Mobility class on the sand, all levels. More info

Civic & Community

City Council Meeting | Tuesday, Sep 1 | 7 PM | Free | 📍 Council Chambers, City Hall. Regular meeting, and the agenda is already up. More info

Mastick Birthday Celebration | Thursday, Aug 27 | 12:30 to 1:30 PM | Free | 📍 Mastick Senior Center. Trivia, prizes, music, dancing and snacks. More info

Mastick Movie Matinee | Wednesday, Sep 2 | 12:30 to 3 PM | Free | 📍 Mastick Senior Center. This one's "A Complete Unknown," and the popcorn is free. More info

HOUSES ON THE MARKET

Under $1,000,000

Want your business in front of thousands of Alamedans? Email us at alamedapulse@gmail.com

Got an event we missed? Submit an Event and we'll take a look for next week.

- For Frankie