Teachers Rally for Education, Union City Gets Greener, Some Bad Guys Get Pinched (and Some Get Away)

Here’s a look at some of the top stories from this past week:

Sunday, March 13

We reported on an example of bad parenting that occurred earlier in the week. On Thursday, a mother who was dropping her son off at Alvarado Middle School on Tuesday . The parent's son and the victim were involved in a large fight the previous day. The parent was arrested on two felony assault charges.

In last week's , crimes included the previously mentioned assault on a teenager, panic about the tsunami reaching Bay Area shores and two armed robberies at the 7-Eleven on Whipple Road.

And, though not "local," we ran several stories about the tsunami in Japan over the weekend, including a of the earthquake's aftermath by a former Patch contributor.

Monday, March 14

We reported on an that occurred the previous night at Wingstop. Four masked suspects, two of them armed with handguns, entered the restaurant shortly before 11:30 p.m., ordered everyone inside to the floor and took money from the register and safe before fleeing on foot.

A new report released by BART showed that ridership increased in the last year. The new figures also showed where folks boarded and exited. In Union City, about 3,800 people enter and 3,800 people exit each weekday. See the full story .

Patch participated in this week to promote and celebrate the freedom of information.

Tuesday, March 15

With more than 65 layoffs issued to New Haven Unified School District staff, a majority of which are teachers, education supporters gathered at Alvarado Middle School to urge lawmakers to approve the governor's tax extension proposal. The event, held early in the morning, was part of "Red Tuesday," a day of similar events held throughout the state. Read the full story .

Police arrested a man on Tuesday who led a on Monday that started in Fremont, ripped through Union City and ended in Hayward when the suspect evaded officers. Police and witnesses said he drove at 100 miles per hour in his 1988 Ford Mustang while gunning down Whipple Road. He was arrested without incident the next day when officers located him at a friend's house.

With St. Patrick's Day coming up and her children on the hunt for leprechauns and pots of gold, family columnist Neena Barreto discussed when you should tell your children the truth about their favorite holiday heroes. Read "The End of the Rainbow" .

Union City's first newspapers, , will soon come back to life in digital force thanks to the efforts of the Union City 50th Celebration Committee and the Union City Library.

Wednesday, March 16

According to new Census data released last week,white and African-American populations are declining in the East Bay while Asian and Hispanic populations continue to grow. In Union City, Asians now account for just over 50 percent of the total population. Read the full story .

Union City Patch got word from police that they on Monday. According to police, the suspects stole property from three homes in the residential areas near Dyer Street and Regents Boulevard. They were detained and arrested near the tennis courts at Veterans Park. 

In this week's , we rounded up a variety of local deals, from a $40 massage at ChiroSports USA to discounts on driving school.

There are a lot of fun events that you can attend with your children. See what's going down on this week's .

In this week's Mom Talk, our council of mothers weighed in on whether being a "Tiger Mom" is good or bad. We encourage you to with your thoughts, too!

Thursday, March 17

We highlighted the efforts of Nelson Kirk, the public works supervisor for the city's grounds division, who is helping to "green" Union City one tree at a time. See the full story and find out about upcoming tree planting events.

In his latest Viewfinder photo gallery, Patch contributor Paciano Triunfo hopped on the Niles Canyon Railway for a special train ride. See the photos .

After heightened paranoia of radioactivity reaching the U.S. from damaged reactors in Japan, health officials issued a statement that there would be to California residents.

Friday, March 18

Police issued a release Friday that a 16-year-old girl reported an Thursday evening while walking home near the BART station. Police also included a composite sketch of the suspect.

After a tornado scare in San Mateo County, the East Bay was struck with that will continue until Tuesday.

, having jumped a nickel in most this past week. Union City's Abe gas station, located on Mission and Tamarack is among the cheapest in the region.

Alameda County will be the first county in the nation to enroll uninsured children for publicly funded health insurance. Read the full story .

Saturday, March 19

With recent cuts and layoffs leaving the New Haven School District in distress, there was still some good news: struggling students are performing better with increases in reading scores and a continued drop in expulsions. Read more about it .

This week's includes a report of domestic violence, fights and an robbery in which the suspects threw a strange caustic liquid at their victim.

We also brought you the highlights from Friday night's multi-cultural potluck and silent auction at Kitayama Elementary the previous night. Children performed while community members got a taste of dishes from all over the world. View the photo gallery .