The following story on last night’s City Council meeting doesn’t quite get the facts right. The story states, “Tuesday's meeting was abruptly ended by Mayor Tom Butt after councilmembers who support rent control wanted to extend the meeting past 11:30 p.m. Butt, who opposes the ordinance, did not and announced that the meeting was over.” Continue reading

A plan to thin trees in the East Bay Hills — including Wild Cat Canyon and Point Pinole in Richmond — is causing controversy and confusion on social media and in the hills that are the target of the project. One person’s fire prevention method is another’s tree eradication plan.  Continue reading

“Dear Diedre” is a column on Radio Free Richmond. With life coach experience and an intimate knowledge of Richmond, Diedre Goree offers her advice to members of the community. Do you have a question for Diedre? Email [email protected]. Continue reading

The draft Rent Control Second Reading of the Rent Control Ordinance continues to be tweaked by City Staff, as they discover typos, errors and inconsistencies. In order to be legally adopted, the Second Reading has to exactly match the First Reading, except for typos and insubstantial changes. I’m not sure it conforms to this test, but one thing is for sure; it has all the hallmarks of a hastily-adopted ordinance that is ridden with errors, omissions and inconsistencies, indicating that the drafters have minimal understanding about how the rental real estate market actually works. Some that have been brought to my attention include: Continue reading

Before Fontino Hardy, Junior, 29, was shot July 14 in the Monterey Pine Apartment parking lot, he spent the afternoon speaking to youth at a local community center about the risk factors of violence and how to avoid them. Tino, as he was more commonly known, was a community figure; a success story in a city with rough neighborhoods.  Continue reading

Al entrar al Gran Milan, uno inmediatamente nota sacos de café italiano, aroma a pan recién hecho, y quizás inesperadamente, música synthpop. Esta panadería pequeña produce ricos pasteles de hojaldre, enormes tartas de fruta, y donas rellenas con mermelada. Continue reading

Tom Butt’s latest E-Forum (reprinted below) is designed to throw gasoline on the fire. There are numerous false statements and exaggerations. Continue reading

The adoption of rent control and just cause in Richmond seems to be driven by more than simply trying to help out people struggling with rents. Continue reading

RICHMOND -- A showdown is brewing over the county's trash, one that pits the city of Richmond against its neighbors in a fight bound to get stinky. Continue reading

The warm and hearty aroma of freshly baked bread, large bags of Italian coffee beans, and —oddly —1980’s synth pop consumes your senses upon walking into Gran Milan Bakery and Café. The tiny bakery produces just about any pastry one could desire, from enormous tarts stacked high with fruit, to jelly donuts lightly dusted with powdered sugar.  Continue reading