The Marinade with Lee Thomas

The Alameda County Fire Department covers San Leandro. Local 55 union president Sean Burrows sits down with Lee Thomas for the biggest GrilleeQ spread ever! Dino ribs, longanisa, Korean short ribs, plus two muffins - blueberry and honey cornmeal - along with an experimental bacon-wrapped pickle. Sean chats about the benefits of The 'Dro partnering with county fire, why the switch was made, Local 55 participating in the political process, recruitment struggles, and much more. This episode of The Marinade is brought to you by Lane Mortgage. For more info, visit lanemtg.com.

Nobody loves GrilleeQ barbecue more than Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez. She cleaned her plate before we started recording! The new sheriff dishes on reforming the sheriff's department, civilian oversight, military equipment, and answering to her mom when any police officer acts badly. This episode of The Marinade is brought to you by San Leandro Realtor Louis Heystek. For more info, visit https://www.compass.com/agents/louis-heystek/

San Leandro City Manager Fran Robustelli sits down for a GrilleeQ brisket sandwich, smoked tri-tip, bacon-wrapped shrimp, and blueberry cornbread muffins. "This is over-the-top," Robustelli said. Robustelli talks about having seven bosses (councilmembers), running the day-to-day business of the city, getting hired in the middle of a pandemic and a high-profile police shooting, her "city manager homies," and an update on the San Leandro Marina. This episode of The Marinade is brought to you by San Leandro Realtor Louis Heystek. For more info, visit https://www.compass.com/agents/louis-heystek/

Bob Bailey, the chair of San Leandro's new Community Police Review Board (CPRB), joins Lee Thomas for a GrilleeQ lunch of grilled chicken Cali thighs, bacon-wrapped shrimp, grilled corn on the cob, smoked peaches, and blueberry cornbread muffins. Bob details what the CPRB does, how it was created, ts future in San Leandro, and his unique background in police accountability. This episode of The Marinade is brought to you by Lane Mortgage. lanemtg.com

What does public works do? San Leandro Public Works Director Debbie Pollart, yet another BBQ aficionado at City Hall, answers this question and others with Lee Thomas over a spread of GrilleeQ hickory-smoked tri-tip, mushrooms, blueberry cornbread muffins, and grilled peaches. In short, Pollart's department maintains the city's important infrastructure. About all those potholes: they're not all under the city's jurisdiction, so stop complaining! And all you ever wanted to know about city trees.

Southern Alameda County housing provider Tom Silva is a polarizing figure in San Leandro, but hear him out. Lee Thomas chats with Tom over GrilleeQ smoked salmon on a cedar plank, citrus-marinated Cali chicken thighs, and Burmese garlic noodles. Tom lays out the housing landscape in San Leandro, the city's limited housing stock, the stark financial difficulties for residents to buy property, and his belief state leaders will not push housing regulations outside of transit centers, and more.

San Leandro Community Development Director Tom Liao, a BBQ connoisseur, discusses the city's need for market-rate housing, business development, the status of its vaunted fiber-optics loop, and San Leandro's infamous snub from Trader Joe's over GrilleeQ's smoked brisket, chicken thighs, asparagus, and a blueberry muffin.

San Leandro historian, community activist, and former school board trustee Mike Katz-Lacabe chats with Lee Thomas over a delicious GrilleeQ brisket. Katz-Lacabe covers the city's surveillance cameras, police, schools, politics, and San Leandro's "All-Star" city council team.

San Leandro Police Chief Abdul Pridgen recaps his first year heading the department, moving to San Leandro, surveillance cameras, and his plan for retaining officers and recruiting the next generation, in a wide-ranging conversation with Lee Thomas over GrilleeQ short ribs, BBQ shrimp, corn-on-the-cob, and smoked peaches.

San Leandro Councilmember Deborah Cox, born and raised in Iowa, sits down with Lee Thomas. "I'm meat and potatoes all the way," Cox said. Nevertheless, she loved GrilleeQ's cedar plank roasted salmon. Over lunch, Cox talks about governing during the pandemic, losing touch with her colleagues during Zoom meetings, and the city's quick economic turnaround.

Former San Leandro school boardmember and current city commissioner Louis Heystek tore through GrilleeQ's smoked ribs in this week's episode. "Are you going to finish that?" he asked host Lee Thomas, "My meat inventory is very low." Heystek is also a local Realtor and former politcal consultant. He chats about concerns for the housing market in San Leandro, and candidate outreach in the city's fall election.

Alameda Labor Council leader Liz Ortega joins Lee Thomas for a special Labor Day lunch with BBQ beef back ribs, "screaming" shrimp, and r mushrooms. The 20th Assembly District candidate talks about her role in the local labor movement, Howard Terminal, and leading unions during a pandemic. 

Youth advocate and educator Lisa Jackson headlines the season finale of The Marinade with Lee Thomas (there will be a Season 2 in early 2022!). Lisa dines on GrilleeQ salmon smoked on a cedar plank, longanisa sausage and blueberry cornbread muffins. She says students need to feel connected to their community, and there needs to be more city investment in youth programs. Plus, Lee makes his big announcement!

San Leandro housing advocate Rob Rich discusses the affordable housing scene in the city with Lee Thomas over a GrilleeQ lunch of short ribs, grilled tomatoes and asparagus, and (very) hot links.

East Bay real estate expert David Stark joins Lee Thomas for a smorgasbord of GrilleeQ pulled pork, chicken thighs, asparagus, smoked mushrooms, and blueberry muffins. Stark says government has a big role in increasing housing supply, and not much will happen until a jobs and housing imbalance is alleviated. Ultimately, the change needed won't come until residents agree to live differently, he said.

Morgan Mack-Rose, the executive director of the San Leandro Improvement Association, chats with Lee Thomas over GrilleeQ short ribs, grilled squash and tomatoes, and hot links, about her ideas for a more vibrant downtown, and the need for city officials to be more ambitious in their vision for San Leandro.

San Leandro Police Officers Association President Mike Olivera tells Lee Thomas that the city needs more cops, and the rise in crime is "worse than I've ever seen in 22-plus years on the force." Amid rumors of a GrilleeQ burger, generous portions of juicy tri-tip, Portobello mushrooms and corn on the cob is on the menu.

A good tri-tip should be medium rare, says Lee Thomas's guest this week, San Leandro school trustee Peter Oshinski, who is also a former culinary instructor. While dining on GrilleeQ tri-tip, smoked mushrooms, and corn on the cob, Peter talks about the school district's early response to the pandemic, and how he thinks students will adjust to the lost classroom time.

Surlene Grant is the first African-American to sit on the San Leandro City Council. She discusses with Lee Thomas the resistance she felt following her appointment and election to the city council, the future of Black representation in San Leandro, and reparations. On the menu: BBQ chicken, "screaming" shrimp, and corn from GrilleeQ.