“Rotten City” no more – The history of a tiny town’s transformation | East Bay Yesterday Podcast
For the local history podcast’s 110th episode, host Liam O’Donoghue interviews former Emeryville City Manager Joe Tanner and E’ville Eye founder Rob Arias on the seedier times of Emeryville and its long transformation.
Stream the episode through Soundcloud below or read more on the East Bay Yesterday website.
Paul Palmer
When I bought my house in Emeryville in 1974, I had to go to the Town House where John Lacoste, the Police Chief, was holding court. He gave me permission to make the buy. I had to evict Spurgeon Midelle, a gay, black man who owned the house but had stopped paying the mortgage because he had to pay his lawyer instead to defend him against a heroin possession charge. I was gaily stupid (young) so I changed the lock on the basement apartment where Midelle lived. It was all painted black inside with gold stars painted all over. I waited for him to show up. At 2AM he showed up with a trick. I heard Midelle say This lock doesn’t work. Then I stepped forward and said “You don’t live here any more”. Can you imagine. How did I survive? Midelle skedaddled. The purchase price was $15,000 to the bank. I lived there for 30 years, fixed it up, birthed three sons there and sold it for a million dollars in February 2006 at a peak in the real estate market.