The second Railroad Quiet Zone in Richmond, West One Quiet Zone, goes into effect today, July 15, 2006. This is the West Richmond Avenue grade crossing in Point Richmond. Under the Quiet Zone rules, BNSF can no longer sound a horn as a warning before crossing West...

An illustrated version of this is attached as a PDF file. If you would like the historic preservation analysis of the Civic Center, I can email a 2 MB file. A proposal to place a new Hall of Justice (Police building) facing Barrett Avenue in front of the Richmond Art...

It may sound like it, but this is no April Fool"s joke. Port of Richmond staff has been quietly exploring the idea of building a large container port on Richmond"s northwest shoreline, roughly in the area between the Chevron refinery and the West Contra Costa landfill...

(For an illustrated version, download the attached PDF file) For perhaps the first time ever in Richmond, a plant invasion edged out a home invasion for attention from the local press. The West County Times set off a mad scramble to identify and eradicate local...

Some 20 years after adoption of a utility users tax by the City of Richmond with a special exemption in the way of an alternative tax carved out for Chevron, a new day has dawned. For the first time ever, Chevron has declined to seek, for the current FY 2006-2007, an...

Get ready for the second event of the 2006 Point Richmond Summer Music Festival this Friday, July 6. Details at http://www.pointrichmond.com/prmusic/index.htm. 5:30-6:15 pm, David Thom Band " Bluegrass 6:25-8:00 pm, Billy Boys - Porch Music I hope to see you there!

It is not often these days that government agencies stick up for the people, but the California State Board of Equalization was looking out for Richmond yesterday. See Tax Break For Chevron May Hit Home March 7, 2006, and the following story. You may also want to get...

Divided by old loyalties to the politically active firefighters union Local 188, the City Council followed a contentious debate with a vote on June 20 to direct Fire Chief Michael Banks to reinstate automatic aid with the Contra Costa Consolidated Fire District which...

Correction:I made an error in reporting below that the Planning Commission had approved the Point Richmond Shores Project on June 1, and I apologize for that. What the Planning Commission did was vote 6-0 to continue it to tonight, June 22.. I remain critical,...

I have placed the attached item on the June 20, 2006, City Council agenda to provide an immediate but admittedly temporary resolution to the four-year old impasse between the City of Richmond and the Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire District that unnecessarily...

Our granddaughter, Cecilia Jordan Butt arrived right on time June 4, 2006, for proud parents Andrew and Kimberly Butt, their first. It was a little bit of tight scheduling for Kim, who just a few days earlier completed a Master"s Degree in Architectural History at...

From the June 06, 2006 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0606/p18s02-hfks.html Rosie was a riveting war hero Meet the women who shaped World War II history - one rivet at a time. By Nancy Robison Have you ever heard of Rosie the Riveter? Do you know who she was?...

The Contra Costa Civil Grand Jury came down hard on both the County and the City of Richmond for not resolving the long-simmering jurisdictional dispute over El Sobrante (see They Fiddle While El Sobrante Burns, January 14, 2006). I wish to thank City Manger Bill...

Last week, it was the police who were confused. This week, it"s the firefighters. In the aftermath of a tragic fire that killed three Richmond children, the Richmond Fire Department is having trouble finding a coherent response. According to firefighter Will Bachman...

Eddie Orton, a commercial developer, is renovating a vast 1930's Ford assembly plant in Richmond, Calif., for factory, commercial, restaurant and residential use, as part of an effort to lift the city's economy. New York Times By JOHN McCLOUD Published: June 7, 2006...

The good news is that City Manager Bill Lindsay requires department heads to provide monthly written reports about what they are doing and tracking progress on various initiatives. Some of these are provided as computer files that can be downloaded and transmitted to...

The June 2, 2006, West County Times carried the following letter to the editor from Charles T. Smith: Fight back! At 7 p.m. Tuesday, in the Richmond City Council chamber, there will be a hearing on a proposed sewer-use rate change, amounting to an increase of more...

More than two years after passing perhaps Richmond"s most controversial ordinance ever, it appears that City staff is moving to implement it. Residents have begun receiving mailers reminding them that permits are required for all fences and that amnesty for existing...

It"s back, bigger and better than ever! The summer Point Richmond FREE music festival opens this coming Friday, June 2, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM in downtown Point Richmond. For more information, see the attached PDF file, or visit Point Richmond Music 2006. " 5:30-6:40 pm:...

A Tour of Richmond"s WWII Historic Sites By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor (05-26-06) It"s not at all strange for a bus half-filled with important local officials to roll through the streets of a California city, pointing out tracts and plots and buildings along the way. It...