In addition to being a member of the cast of Richmond"s weekly municipal soap opera, I actually do have a "day job." Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Interactive Resources, the architecture-engineering firm that I participated in founding in Richmond on October...

Aloha! After a few days in Hawaii for the wedding of a daughter of a friend of more than 55 years, the E-FORUM is back on line. I was impressed by the action that Rebecca Rosen Lum"s recent investigative reporting piece provoked at 514 Macdonald (See...

When Richmond rolled out "Blight to Bloom" in August, it was supposed to be a new day for code enforcement. The City Manager had reorganized the abatement apparatus, moving it to the Police Department where Sgt. Ron Berry was enthusiastically in charge. Berry...

The September edition of the FOGHORN, the official newsletter of East Brother Light Station is now posted at http://www.ebls.org/news/vol1_issue2.htm, or go straight to the DF file at http://www.ebls.org/news/Newsletter%20Volume%201,%20Issue%202.pdf.

According to published agendas, the City Council will meet in the City Council Chamber at 1:15 PM, Tuesday, September 23, to vote in open session whether or not to accept a quitclaim deed from the Navy. This vote was supposed to have taken place on September 16, but...

Weirdness is no stranger to Richmond. On September 16, the City Council was scheduled to hear the inside story from the FBI, the Navy and the Coast Guard about terrorist threats to the ChevronTexaco Richmond Refinery and what relationship, if any, there is between...

On September 16, 2003, the Richmond City Council, meeting as the Richmond Reuse Authority, will consider whether to accept the deed to Point Molate, which consists of 290 acres (415 acres, including water) of prime waterfront property with spectacular views. Without...

At the end of the day (in this case, literally), I have one thing for which to be really thankful to ChevronTexaco. The corporation, and especially its Richmond operation, provides so much material to write about. So I couldn"t resist closing out this week by copying...

On the September 16, 2003, City Council Agenda is an item entitled "Resolution From the City Council in Support of City Manager Isiah Turner"s Performance of Duties." The item was placed on the agenda at the request of several City Council members who apparently felt...

Richmonders have a unique opportunity to view America's Cup boats up close and personal along the Bay Trail in Richmond at the KKMI boatyard on Cutting Boulevard. The Swiss boat, Alinghi, which currently owns the America's Cup, and Larry Ellison's Oracle boats are...

West County residents will have an opportunity to vote on Tuesday September 16, on Measure C, which will authorize bonds to pay for additional construction and modernization of schools throughout the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), including many...

It appears the Navy selected a card from ChevronTexaco"s Chairman and CEO Dave O"Reilly"s deck of tricks. Instead of responding personally to O"Reilly"s letter of August 25, 2003, the Secretary of the Navy forwarded it to a subordinate, who informed O"Reilly: "The...

For those of you who are frustrated with political officials at all levels of government having all but given up in finding any solution to the long trains and senseless horn blowing by railroads operating in Richmond, you ain"t seen nothing yet. Remote controlled...

According to Direct Action to Stop the war (DSAW), there will be a rally, expected to be attended by from 2,000 to 7,500 people, that will begin on West Cutting Boulevard 5:30 PM, Tuesday, September 9, 2003, and end at the ChevronTexaco Richmond Refinery front gate....

On August 22, 2003, Richmond City Manager Isiah Turner wrote to his fellow CEO, David O"Reilly, out at ChevronTexaco headquarters just over the hill in San Ramon, requesting a tete-a-tete between some unnamed Richmond City Council members and the chairman. After all,...

There was once, in a faraway land, an idyllic village called Dnomhcir (pronounced dee-nom-cir) situated next to a beautiful bay surrounded by velvety mountains. In that village lived a man named Gens Faisant. Gens was, perhaps, the best-known inhabitant of the...

The Community Warning System maintained its perfect record this evening for not working as intended. At 6:39 PM today, there was a 4.1 earthquake that was, according to the media, centered. somewhere near Piedmont. Within a minute, sirens from the Community Warning...

ChevronTexaco continues its lobbying effort to foil the development of Point Molate to its highest and best use for the benefit of the citizens of Richmond. Gary Fisher, General Manager of External Affairs at the Richmond Refinery first wrote the City of Richmond on...

The full text of the proposed Design Review Ordinance amendment is now available and is attached at the end of this posting. There are three key changes proposed: The threshold for discretionary review of residential additions would be raised from the current 250 SF...

View school-by-school, district-by-district, and county-by-county comparisons of each STAR test. 2003 STAR test scores are now available for viewing on STARscores.com. The California Standardized Testing And Reporting (STAR) Program is the key component in the State...