In a surprise move that has decision makers scrambling as never before for answers, Chevron announced late yesterday plans for a phased shutdown of the Richmond Refinery."Frankly," said spokesman Dean O"Hair, "we can manufacture product offshore and ship it to the...

At last night"s city Council meeting, the City Council unanimously approved a set of four resolutions intended to advance a plan for moving City staff back to the old City Hall and construct a new Hall of Justice, all at a cost of $78 million. This initiative has been...

The Richmond Greenway is a community bicycle and walking trail that will bring new recreational opportunities and open space to Richmond residents (see attached PDF file). Construction will start next month. Join City of Richmond staff, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy,...

Following is a story from the February 21, 2006, Berkeley Daily Planet about continuing inaction by the City of Richmond regarding public safety concerns at two Richmond quarries. Although staff has advised that a citations has been issued for the Canal Boulevard...

The following articles appeared in the March 25, 2006, San Francisco Chronicle and the February 27, 2006, East Bay Business Times. After years of false starts, the magnificent former Ford Assembly Building, called "Ford Point" by its developer, Eddie Orton, at the end...

After a couple of years of acting like a responsible legislative body providing good stewardship of public funds, the Richmond City Council, sometimes aided or at least enabled by staff, seems to have taken a turn for the worse, returning to the type of practices and...

The second item acted on irresponsibly by the City Council on March 21, 2006, was a contract with DP Security for Point Molate security. DP Security is a small Richmond business owned by Michael Davenport that has provided security under various contracts, totaling...

At least one member of the State Board of Equalization thinks oil refineries deserve a tax break. This is an email I received from Bill Leonard, member, State Board of Equalization (See Tax Break For Chevron May Hit Home, March 7, 2006. You may recall that proposed...

Actually, the Richmond Wastewater Treatment Plant smelled remarkably sweet as some 20 City officials including Mayor Anderson and Councilmembers Butt, Rogers and McLaughlin sipped coffee and munched donuts last Tuesday morning while gathering for an up close and...

The Contra Costa Watershed Forum will host a regionally focused creek and watershed symposium on April 5, 2006, 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Contra Costa College Liberal Arts Building, Room 100. The symposium will focus on activities in West Contra Costa related to creeks and...

There will be a public hearing on the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the proposed casino on land owned by the Scotts Valley band of Pomo Indians on the Richmond Parkway just north of the Richmond city limits at the Richmond...

The Richmond Environmental Defense Fund Annual Meeting will feature a presentation from Richmond native Suzanne Jones, Ph.D.,"Facing the Urgent Challenge of Global Climate Change" When: March 26 4:00-5:30 PM WHERE: First United Methodist Church, Martina & W....

As the Contra Costa Times editorialized against massive proposed property tax reductions for local refineries (see story below), the City of Richmond took the unprecedented step of notifying Chevron that its now routine request to use the alternative "maximum tax...

The Contra Costa Watershed Forum will host a regionally focused creek and watershed symposium on April 5, 2006, 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Contra Costa College Liberal Arts Building, Room 100. The symposium will focus on activities in West Contra Costa related to creeks and...

In 2002, Richmond had the worst pedestrian safety record for a city of its size in the U.S. for children 15 years and younger. In 2004, Richmond improved its ranking to No. 16 in that category, but clearly a lot more needs to be done. Contra Costa County is teaming...

We City Council members received yesterday five volumes that constitute the FY 2003-2004 audit by Caproricci & Larson. These include: City of Richmond Basic Financial Statements and Independent Auditors" Report for the year ended June 30, 2004. Richmond Joint...

The following editorial appeared in today"s Contra Costa Times. There are those in City Hall who would have you believe that the sewer problem is the fault of City employees who have already departed and that today"s new proactive administration is doing everything...

Betty Reid Soskin who currently heads up community outreach projects for the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond is one of ten women nationwide being honored in 2006 by Lifetime Television and The National Women"s History...

According to an article in today"s San Francisco Chronicle, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is moving ahead to use eminent domain to acquire the bulk of what has become known as the "Breuner Property" or "Breuner Marsh." This move would leave approximately...

As the City of Richmond continues to take no substantive action on the two illegal quarries in Richmond, the State Mining and Geology Board meets in Sacramento to consider ordering each of them to correct illegal conditions (see attachment). Apparently, no one...