Week In Review

One of the goals of the Patch model is to give voice to people from the community and last week a "First Person" article by Angela Marrujo garnered enough attention to catapult it into the ranks of most-read news stories.

The story was about at the state's public universities and took a shot at administrators' salaries. It was her second such missive. The first was on the being shouldered by people in her generation.

Thanks to you for reading and thanks to Ms. Marrujo for writing, and before I move on let me tell you a small world story.

Her contributions were prompted by a Patch story on that I linked to on the San Leandro Patch Facebook page. Two students commented: Angela Marrujo an Robert Marrujo, a sister and brother who were unaware of each other's remarks.

Stranger still

As I was sitting in the downtown plaza across from Safeway, working outdoors on my computer with a "Patch" emblem on the outside, Angela Marrujo passes by and introduces herself. Prior to this we had only corresponded. She was on her way to have lunch with her brother Robert.

What a pleasing set of coincidences that exemplify what this site strives to be about: forging links in our community.

(If you want to blog for Patch on any topic that interests you, please e-mail me at tom.abate@patch.com).

In other the top stories

There was intense interest in two developments around the Walmart parking lot shooting on Black Friday.

The first was Oakland resident Tony Phillips as the first of what has turned out to be four suspects in the case.

The next development occurred when and issued a warrant for the arrest of a second Oakland man, Detwone D. Watson.

Police believe Watson fired the shot that wounded Christopher Murillo of San Lorenzo in the neck.

Murillo has been released from the hospital and is recovering. Watson is at large, and is armed and considered dangerous.

Two other suspects have yet to be identified.

Police blotter and Chief's presentation

A summary of routine police incidents reappeared Monday after a hiatus and the interest it generated insures that it will become a regular feature at the beginning of each week.

Finally, there was a well-read story about a presentation that Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli gave the City Council. In it, she said that a is likely because of a program called realignment that is meant to reduce prison overcrowding. It's an importantand complex issue and if you missed that story, let me suggest you go back and give it a read.