Happy Thursday, everyone!

School's back in session. The first bell rang Tuesday, and this year, phones are off in every AUSD classroom. That's new, and it applies to every grade.

Luckily, the weekend makes up for it. Saturday night, there's a live swing band playing on the hangar deck of the USS Hornet, and Hawaiian shirts are encouraged. Plus, the circus dinner show at Alameda Point is down to its final two weekends. Both are the kind of experiences you don't get just anywhere.

We're also trying something new this week. Down below, you'll find five real job openings in Alameda, all at our local schools. Several even follow a school-day schedule. If you find this helpful, we'll keep it going.

Let's dive in!

In this week's email:

• Featured Events: Swing dancing on the USS Hornet & The Soiled Dove

• Alameda News: Phones off in every AUSD classroom & the November ballot is set

• Now Hiring in Alameda: Five open jobs, including two that fit a school day

• Restaurant of the Week: Levy's Bagels & Co., the West End bagel shop that took the crown

• This Week's Events: Record swap, swing night, trivia & more

• Houses on the Market: New Alameda Listings

Read time: 8 mins

FEATURED EVENTS

Dinner Under The Big Top - Last Weekend

The famous circus dinner experience is back in Alameda! It’s a 21+ show that only has 15 shows a year.

From the outside, you just see a large circus tent. But inside, you’ll step into a completely different world inspired by 1890s San Francisco.

It’s an immersive night with live performers dancing in the air, dangerous stunts, and music. You’ll also enjoy a 3-course dinner, with even the waiters being part of the show.

This is the last weekend to get 20% off your tickets. And there are only 13 shows left.

The Soiled Dove runs Friday & Saturday at 7:30 PM, with shows going into September.

General Admission is $75, with a VIP Experience that includes:

• An exclusive first-act performance

• Multi-course dinner service

• Post-show social hour with the cast and guests

Discount code: ALAMEDAPULSE20 for 20% off through Aug. 15.
Valid only on Dinner & Main Show options.

South Seas Swing on the USS Hornet

Saturday, August 15 | 7:00 to 10:00 PM | $40, free for museum members | 📍 USS Hornet Museum.

A live swing band on the hangar deck of a WWII aircraft carrier is a hard thing to beat. The Death and Taxes Swing Band plays a WESTPAC steel beach party, and the museum is asking people to turn up in Hawaiian shirts, vintage clothes, and shoes you can actually dance in.

Doors are at 7, music starts at 7:30. There are heavy hors d'oeuvres for sale from Pacific Fine Foods and a cash bar. Parking is free, which almost never happens for a Saturday night out.

Members get in free and pick up a drink ticket and dessert, up to two admissions per membership. Everyone else is $40, and that ticket includes a free pass to come back and tour the museum another day. The hangar deck is accessible, and tickets are available at the door if you decide last minute.

Get tickets

Meet Five Strangers Over Dinner

This Tuesday, over a dozen mystery dinners will be happening across Alameda! The catch? You won’t know who’s at your table until the day of.

The Alameda Dinner Club is for people in the East Bay who want an easy way to meet new people and make new friends.

It happens once a month. Everyone takes a short quiz and gets paired with 5 other strangers for dinner at a local restaurant. You’re matched based on things like age, interests, personality, and budget.

And after dinner, everyone meets at a local bar for drinks, to hang out, and a chance to meet even more people.

The next dinner is Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 PM, and it’s $20 to reserve your seat.

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

ALAMEDA NEWS

Phones are off in every AUSD classroom this year

Alameda Unified's new smartphone policy took effect Tuesday, August 11, the first day of school, and it covers every grade. Elementary students keep phones off and away all day. The rules tighten or loosen by grade level from there, so check what applies to your kid.

The change comes out of California's AB 3216, which requires every district in the state to adopt a phone policy. AUSD posted the updated rules ahead of the school year rather than waiting for the first conflict. Read more →

Source: Alameda Unified School District

The November ballot is set

Alameda's filing deadline passed August 7 and the November slate is locked. Three candidates are running for mayor: Tony Daysog, Tracy Jensen, and Malia Vella. Five are running for the two open council seats.

Voters will also see the $300 million SAFER Alameda Act bond, which the council placed on the ballot in July to pay down a long list of deferred infrastructure work.

Quick hits

• The rebuilt Wood Middle School campus opened with a ribbon-cutting on August 7, and it's already hiring a PE teacher (see below).

• Rhythmix in the Parks has one more show after Friday's puppet night. The summer series wraps at the end of the month.

• Altarena Playhouse comes out of its summer dark period on August 21 when Fallen Angels opens.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Now Hiring in Alameda

New section, and we want your help filling it. Five open jobs on the island right now, all with Alameda Unified. Two of them run on a school-day schedule, which is the whole reason we started here.

• Noon Supervisor, Otis Elementary | $18.80 per hour | Open until filled. Lunch-hour shift, so you're done before pickup. Apply

• Physical Education Teacher, Wood Middle | 1.0 FTE | $73,154 to $131,733 | Deadline Saturday, August 15 at 5 PM. The new campus. Apply

• Librarian Teacher, Encinal Jr/Sr High | 0.80 FTE, grades 6 to 12 | $73,154 to $131,733 | Open until filled. Apply

• Paraprofessional II, Paden Elementary | General education | Pay depends on experience | Open until filled. Apply

• Food Service Assistant I, Alameda High | 6 hours | Pay depends on experience | Deadline January 29, 2027. Apply

Hiring, or saw a Help Wanted sign in a window? Reply to this email and we'll put it in next week's list. Free, for any Alameda business.

Restaurant of the Week: Levy's Bagels & Co.

Alameda has four bagel-only shops, which is a lot for an island this size, and the school paper gave the crown to this one. Encinal Jr/Sr High's Echo ran a blind taste test of all four back in December and put Levy's on top. That's a student opinion column, not an award, but it's the closest thing to a local ruling anyone has published.

These are New York style bagels, boiled before they go in the oven. That's the part most places skip, and it's why the crust holds up. The Echo's top-ranked combination was the onion bagel with garlic herb schmear, and it's the right call. There's a full board of schmears, plus sandwiches and a case of cookies if you're bringing something home.

They're at, and they close early. Monday through Saturday it's 6:30 AM to 3 PM, Sunday 6:30 to 2, and they're closed Tuesdays. A few of the delivery apps have those hours wrong, so go by the door.

This Week's Events

Markets & Pop-Ups

Alameda Record Swap | Sunday, August 16 | 11 AM to 5 PM | Free entry | 📍 Faction Brewing. Diggers, dealers, and a beer garden. More info

Alameda Farmers' Market | Tuesday & Saturday | 9 AM to 1 PM | 📍 Haight Ave & Webster St. The reliable one, twice a week. More info

Workshops & Crafts

Dream Maker Art Party: Sunset Paint and Sip | Saturday, August 15 | 5 to 7:30 PM | 📍 Faction Brewing. Paint Mother Nature, drink a beer. More info

Live Music

The Mio Flores SalSazz Trio | Thursday, August 13 | 7:30 to 10:30 PM | 1 drink minimum or $5 | 📍 Cinema Grill. Salsa every Thursday, and people actually dance. More info

Airwaves | Friday, August 14 | 7:30 to 10:15 PM | 1 drink minimum or $5 | 📍 Cinema Grill. Bay Area dance and party band. More info

Larrie Noble's Phree Thinkers | Saturday, August 15 | 7:30 to 10:15 PM | 1 drink minimum or $5 | 📍 Cinema Grill. Five decades of pop, soul, R&B and rock. More info

Jesse Manibusan & Friends | Sunday, August 16 | 3:30 to 6:30 PM | 1 drink minimum or $5 | 📍 Cinema Grill. Three Alameda musicians, acoustic, Sunday afternoon. More info

Faith Luster and Friends | Friday, August 14 | 8 PM | From $23 | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. Get tickets

Games, Drinks, & Vibes

49ers Preseason: Titans vs 49ers | Thursday, August 13 | 6 to 9:30 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Brewing. Football's back, every preseason game on the big screens. More info

Karaoke with KJ Melemel | Wednesday, August 19 | 6:30 to 8:30 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. First and third Wednesdays. More info

Trivia Night | Tuesday, August 18 | 7 PM | 📍 Alameda Brewing. More info

Trivia Night | Tuesday, August 18 | 7:30 PM | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. More info

Trivia Night | Wednesday, August 19 | 6:30 PM | 📍 McGee's Bar & Grill. Run by Sunset Trivia. More info

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic | Wednesday, August 19 | 7:30 PM | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. More info

Singles Mingle | Saturday, August 15 | 6 PM | Free entry, 21+ | 📍 McGee's Bar & Grill. More info

Get Active & Give Back

Weekly Classes at Rhythmix | Most days | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works. Fourteen weekly classes including Bhangra Fundamentals Mondays 6:30 PM, plus salsa, zumba, bomba, karate, yoga and barre. See the schedule

Kindred Running Club | Thursday 6:30 PM run, Saturday 8 AM long run, Wednesday 9 AM walk | Free | 📍 Park Station. All paces. More info

Civic & Community

Mastick New Member Orientation | Thursday, August 13 | Free | 📍 Mastick Senior Center. More info

Mastick Movie Matinee | Wednesday, August 19 | Free | 📍 Mastick Senior Center. More info

Later This Month

Free Craft Night | Thursday, August 20 | 6 to 9 PM | Free | 📍 Faction Brewing. More info

Sips on the Ship | Saturday, August 29 | 5 to 8 PM | 📍 USS Hornet Museum. More info

Cape and Cowl Con 4 | Sunday, August 30 | 11 AM to 6 PM | Free | 📍 Faction Brewing. 150+ creators, kids area, fourth year. More info

Got an event we should know about? Submit an Event

HOUSES ON THE MARKET

Over $1,000,000

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