Largely due to the work of numerous volunteers over the last two decades, Richmond has built an enviable historic preservation program that has brought regional, and even national, recognition to the City, as well as millions of dollars in grants for treasures such as...

The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) announced that the City of Richmond has been awarded $245,500 to be used for rehabilitation of the Richmond Municipal Natatorium (The Plunge). The project qualified for the grant funds because it is a contributing...

During the continuing Richmond street sweeping wars, a number of individuals (City staff and citizens, alike) have made reference to the "legal" requirement for street sweeping and interpreted it inconsistently. To satisfy my own curiosity, I have finally obtained an...

In an about face that caught many by surprise, the Richmond City Attorney's Office has issued a series of legal opinions that essentially gut the decades-old prohibition on development of substandard lots where multiple lots small lots are under a single ownership....

An article in today's New York Times (see below) featured Richmond's Pacific East Mall as representative of the new American Asian Mall where " ... different streams of Asians become Asian-American." The Pacific East Mall in Richmond was developed by entrepreneur...

On March 19, 2003, City Manager Isiah Turner announced layoffs affecting 59 full-time employees and plans not to fill another 32 vacant positions in order to close a $3.7 million deficit in FY 2002-2003 and a looming $7 million deficit in FY 2003-2004. This is nearly...

I have forwarded all comments received in response to the March 9, 2003, E-FORUM "Street Sweeping Ballot Hits the Streets." to the Richmond Public Services Department. Meanwhile, I have attempted to craft a general response to those who have offered their opinions and...

SHAPING OUR FUTURE COMMUNITY MEETING The public is invited to attend a presentation of an illustrative plan developed from the results of comments and ideas gathered from Richmond residents who have attended previous community workshops about the Contra Costa County...

After setting an all-time Richmond attendance record on January 25, 2003 (see http://www.tombutt.com/forum/030128.htm), the immensely popular Oakland East Bay Symphony returns for another free performance open to the public on Sunday, March 16, 2003, at 3:00pm, at the...

The Hotel Mac hosts a St. Patrick's Day fundraiser benefiting NIAD (National Institute for Arts and Disabilities) Art Center. March 16th 4-8 pm. $45 per person. This is the first non-profit event that the Hotel Mac is hosting for 2003. Call the Hotel Mac at 233-0576...

The "Harvard Study" cited by Senator Perata (March 5 E-FORUM, http://www.tombutt.com/forum/030306.htm) can be found on the Internet at http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/hpaied/docs/PRS00-1.pdf. Additional information is at http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/hpaied/docs/98-1.pdf.

In a surprise move at tonight's Richmond City Council meeting, developer Stan Davis, through his attorney, requested that the City Council sustain the appeal of the previous certification by the City's Environmental Assessment Panel (EAP) of the Final Environmental...

The long-awaited ballots for neighborhood self-determination in the Richmond street sweeping wars are in the mailboxes of tens of thousands of Richmond residents. Printed in English and Spanish, the mailers explain the two options available for street sweeping: (1)...

Just as an unprecedented challenge to the EIR for the Breuner Marsh Mitigation Bank and Edgewater Technology Park shapes up for the City Council meeting of Tuesday, March 11, a simmering rumor of the plan's demise has just surfaced. Probably at no time is recent...

In a letter dated February 28, 2003, to Mayor Irma Anderson, Senator Don Perata made a strong plea for Richmond to reject the urban casino proposed by an Indian tribe. Perata cited a recent Harvard study of 100 communities with Indian casinos that found that retail...

Like an expeditionary force poised on the borders of Iraq, an army of environmental, transportation, community and other organizations has united in opposition to the City of Richmond"s proposed certification of the Final EIR for the Breuner Marsh Mitigation Bank and...

In the E-FORUM of February 28, 2003, Railroad Grade Crossing Blockages, http://www.tombutt.com/forum/030228c.htm, I conveyed the understanding that blockages are limited by PUC Rule 135 to 10 minutes. That may not be accurate in all cases. County Supervisor John...

City enlists help from community, business and youth to stop proliferation of graffiti Richmond City officials invite business owners and residents to participate in a community forum about how the City plans to solve the problem of graffiti vandalism. The forum will...

I have received a number of inquiries recently from people upset about long waits at railroad grade crossings while trains are passing. Generally, people want to know what their rights are and what action they can take. Grade crossing blockages by trains are regulated...

I am often asked "Whom do I call in the City for _____?" Following is a list of the most commonly used contact numbers for the City of Richmond. The best place to get information without having to call anyone is via the Internet. The City's website is...