Get High on Grass
A little known fact is that Richmond has some of the largest remaining remnants of native coastal prairie in the San Francisco Bay Area. One such area is on the San Pablo Peninsula, which includes land owned by the Navy (former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot), Chevron...
Rails to Richmond
Those who are familiar with Richmond history know that before 1900, Richmond was essentially a cattle ranch. Two things happened about the same time that made Richmond a city. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) established Richmond as its western transcontinental...
First Annual Baltic Bike and Car Show
The 100-year-old Baltic Restaurant at 135 Park Place in Point Richmond will be sponsoring the 1st Annual Baltic Car & Bike Show Sunday May 18, 2003. The show is open from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM . Live music great B.B.Q. will be featured as well as 80 cars and...
Richmond Art Center Takes Media Award
The East Bay Express has recognized the Richmond Art Center as the "Best Community Art Resource" of 2003. The Richmond Art Center is located at 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond, 510-620-6772; www.TheRichmondArtCenter.org. The story follows: This center has been around...
When the Lights Go Out – Demystifying Street Lights
There are approximately 7,500 street lights in the City of Richmond. Approximately 50% of the lights are owned and maintained by PG&E and approximately 50% are owned and maintained by the City of Richmond. To report a non-functioning street light, it is helpful if...
Mildred Carlton Tapped for Public Service Award
Mindell Penn, Chair of the Richmond City Council Public Safety/Public Services Committee has been notified that Richmond resident and activist Mildred Carlton has been selected for the People Who Make A difference Award 2003 by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors...
Cinco de Mayo in Richmond
Rain or shine you are invited to attend the annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Saturday, May 3rd from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Richmond Civic Center Plaza. IF IT RAINS, the majority of the event will be held in the Richmond Convention Center. Some of the...
Wig Wags Saved!
In a stunning decision by California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Anne Simon published on April 30, 2003, the City of Richmond was granted its request to prevent removal of the 80-year old wigwags from the West Richmond Avenue grade...
Macdonald Avenue Revitalization Project Information and Workshop Schedule
Since Macdonald Avenue"s heyday during World War II, when workers from Richmond"s Kaiser shipyards filled the streets and sidewalks, the street has reflected the common patterns of American downtowns. Many businesses have struggled to maintain economic viability in a...
Join the Grand Jury, Investigate Government
Superior Court Judge Richard S. Flier is looking for a few good men and women to serve on the Contra Costa County Civil Grand Jury. Applicants from West County are particularly invited. Now is your chance to look inside government in an official capacity. The Civil...
This Weekend: Events, Events, Events!
CHRISTMAS IN APRIL: Join Tom Butt and other Richmond Rotary Club members doing "paint up - fix up" work on a home at 760 39th Street. Work starts at 8:00 AM on Saturday, April 26 and continues through the morning. Bring work clothes and gloves. Tools and materials...
Obituary for a Building
I report with great sadness and anger today a murder in our fair city. For a City more familiar with homicides (Latin for "murder" -- of a person), today marks a aedificiumicide, probably really bad Latin for murder of a building. The Boiler Assembly Shop of the...
Ride the Bay Trail on Earth Day
Phil Maynard of TRAC's (Trails for Richmond Action Committee) Steering Committee will be conducting a special bike tour of Richmond's Bay Trail to the West County Earth Day Festival on April 26. As described below, you may join Phil and the entourage either at Central...
Treat Yourself to a Concert – Then Protect the Environment
Two events of note next weekend: First, OAKLAND EAST BAY SYMPHONY FINAL 2003 WEST COUNTY CONCERT. The City of Richmond will present the Oakland East Bay Symphony in its final concert of the 2003 West County Series on Saturday, April 26, 2003, 7:00p.m., Richmond...
The Renegade
In an April 8, 2003, story in the West County Times, reporter Rebecca Rosen Lum referred to me as "renegade Councilman Tom Butt." I've been called a lot of things, but I have to say I kind of like the title "renegade" best. It has a nice ring to it. For a year, I was...
National Parks Magazine Features Richmond’s National Park
The March-April issue of "National Parks" (http://www.npca.org/magazine/) features a story, "Remembering Rosies" on Richmond's own Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park. the piece is attached as a PDF file. In related news, the...
WCCUSD Board Meetings to Move to DeJean Middle School on April 30, 2003
WHO: West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education WHAT: Change of location for school board meetings WHERE: Lovonya DeJean Middle School Multipurpose Room, 3400 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond, CA 94805 (directions follow) WHEN: Beginning with the special...
Alternative Futures
You don't have to look further than the Sunday paper for information on what Richmond's economic development options are. I commend to you two stories in today's West County Times. If you don't subscribe and don't wait too long, you can view both on the Internet. The...
Richmond: An Underwater Wonderland?
Marine life of Richmond's Inner Harbor are featured in a colorful photo on the cover of the new April-June issue of Bay Nature magazine. It looks like a pristine Caribbean underwater scene! To view the cover page photo on line, see:...
Street Sweeping Part 4 , CRWQCB Responds
Following my third E-FORUM on street sweeping (http://www.tombutt.com/forum/030331b.htm) the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Region 2, staff person in charge of this type of NPDES permits, responded as follows: "You have done a good job in summarizing...