Every week we will be providing an offering of events in Richmond. Here's what's happening from July 10th through July 17th. Continue reading

RICHMOND, Calif. — The battle over Chevron's plans for a $1 billion expansion of its Richmond refinery came to a head Wednesday night as dozens of locals weighed in during a public forum. Continue reading

The Richmond Progressive Alliance does not file proper paper work with the city when holding a protest. This unfair practice not only puts Richmond residents safety at risk, but also sends a message that the RPA is not required to follow the same rules as everyone else. Continue reading

From the outside, Sa Wa Dee’s distinctive signage stands out from the other storefronts along this block of San Pablo Avenue, enticing Richmond residents to try the culinary delights of Thailand.  Continue reading

I wanted to update you on our crime stats for the first half of the year as we start July--and the information is very positive!  Thanks to excellent police-community partnerships, very good prevention efforts, strong investigative and follow-up strategies, and high quality crime-analysis work, we have seen significant reductions in both violent and property crime.  The following stats compare the first half of 2014 to the same period in 2013.  2013 was also a good year for us, but this progress is even more impressive: Continue reading

Chevron’s modernization project continues its public review process this week at the Richmond Planning Commission, with continued opportunities for public testimony. Continue reading

RICHMOND -- Teresa Tingle watched as four of her code enforcement workers hacked at a dusty tangle of weeds and shrubs in the front yard of an empty white ranch-style house in the 300 block of 35th Street. Continue reading

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”   --  Harry S Truman Much of the July 1st council meeting focused upon the budget where again the mayor called three recesses with confrontations between her and councilman Booze. With the initial 20 plus million dollars budget shortfall, the question being asked is why can not a councilmember question and receive accurate information regarding the budget. The lack of previous oversight and questions by our full time mayor McLaughlin and finance chairperson, vice mayor Beckles and her committee regarding the financial status of the city is exactly one of several reasons why we are in this current predicament. Had questions been proposed earlier,  maybe, just maybe we would be more financially healthy. For the mayor and some councilmember to shut off debate and rubber stamp a budget that is questionable is irresponsible. Continue reading

The Richmond City Council came within a single vote last week of making a wise decision, which ranks as man-bites-dog news for one of the most dysfunctional governing bodies in Contra Costa County. Continue reading

Richmond is again facing a serious financial deficit while the City Council distracts the public from their culpability by creating drama and uproar over unrelated issues such as personal conflicts. A prominent recent example of this behavior is the ongoing dispute between Councilmember/Finance Committee Chair Beckles and a handful of angry residents. This dispute makes front page news while the much more critical issues of the Council’s intention to reduce City services and push for another regressive sales tax is glossed over. The Council and the City Manager are threatening the public with cutbacks in important services such as police, firefighters, code enforcement and street repair unless we vote for an increase in the sales tax in November. Why should we pay for their mistakes and negligence?  Continue reading