First Annual Point Richmond Music Festival
The Point Richmond Stroll is Thursday, May 16, 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Chuck and Melanie Wise at the Baltic are considering starting the First Annual Point Richmond Music Festival to follow the stroll. There would be entertainment Thursday night, Friday night, and then...
Richmond Guts Urban Forest Program
Without informing the City Council of the consequences, the administration has gutted the Urban Forest program, moving $50,000 designated by the City Council for street tree planting to other unspecified programs, eliminating a lead tree worker position, and...
Responses To 2001 Year End Report
Between January 31 and February 5, 2002, I received a number of memos from various City staff members addressing issues in my 2001 Year-End Report. Inasmuch as I did not request responses, I appreciate the request by the city manager to have staff address the various...
Why People Are Skeptical Of Government
Three weeks ago, a Richmond homeowner noticed sewage overflowing from the drain of his washing machine. He called Rescue Rooter, which responded by attempting to run a "snake" through the line from a cleanout to clear it. After the attempt was unsuccessful, the Rescue...
Goat Population Explosion
I have several neutered male goats (wethers), mostly Angoras, available this spring. Some are newly born and some are a year old. I use them for controlling brush on steep hillsides, which they are very good at. Many public agencies, such as the EPRPD, now use goats...
Vacations In Richmond?
Richmond"s East Brother Lighthouse is featured in Forbes.com, Lifestyles, as one of ten "spring flings." See http://www.forbes.com/2002/02/28/0228feat_10.html . For more information about East Brother, see www.ebls.org .
Assembly District 14 Race
With election day coming up, many people have asked me who I support in the State Assembly District 14 race and why. This race includes Dave Brown, Loni Hancock and Charles Ramsey. All three candidates are good people and have substantial qualifications, experience...
Lisa Owens-Viani Chosen For Hall Of Fame
I just found out yesterday that our nomination for Lisa Owens-Viani for the Contra Costa Commission for Women Annual Women"s Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in the category "Women Preserving the Environment" was successful. Lisa will be honored at the annual Awards Dinner...
Fire At The Urban Wildlands Interface
A number of residents continue to express concern about fire management of parklands near residential development. Here is a series of conferences that may provide some answers. INVITATION EAST BAY FIRE AND WATERSHED CONVENTION Merritt College March 15-17...
More Creeks, More Jobs
Cerritos Creek at Pacific East Mall (Pacific East Mall is in Richmond) Please joint us this Saturday, Feb. 23, planting oaks and riparian trees on Cerrito Creek at Pacific East Mall! This is the reward for all our clearing last fall -- we can finally start "positive"...
Dedication Of Lucretia Edwards Park
The Public Is Cordially Invited LUCRETIA EDWARDS SHORELINE PARK GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY Friday, March 1, 2002 10 a.m. to 12 noon Foot of Marina Way South Reception immediately following ceremony at City offices, 1401 Marina Way South LUCRETIA EDWARDS is an active...
Help Save A Creek This Week
Adults are urgently needed to help supervise youth volunteers at the Friends of Baxter Creek work party this Saturday, Feb. 16th, from 9 a.m. to noon at Booker T. Anderson, Jr., Park in Richmond.In October, FOBC volunteers worked at the park with three adults and 24...
Changes At West County Times
Pursuant to information I received from what I believe to be credible sources, I asked Contra Costa Times Editor John Armstrong to comment on whether or not "further downsizing is taking place in staff covering West County and Richmond." Armstrong responded as...
More On City Council Agenda Process
In the February 10, 2002, E-FORUM ("MAYOR AND CITY OFFICIALS MOVE TO GAG COUNCIL MEMBERS"), I complained about my agenda requests not being honored. The mayor has since explained that staff absences and communications misunderstandings were responsible in that...
Investor(s) Needed For Locally-Owned Business In Baltic Square
Some people were critical of a non-locally owned corporate business (Starbucks) coming to the new Baltic Square Building in Point Richmond. Now we have a locally-owned art gallery and frame shop that wants to lease the space next to Starbucks. The owners, however, are...
Ordinance Introduced Making Discharges Requiring Sirens A Nuisance
As promised in the February 5, 2002, TOM BUTT E-FORUM, I have introduced legislation that would result in a fine of $6,000 per minute for any discharge that results in activation of the Community Warning System sirens. In order for this not to be a deterrent to timely...
Mayor And City Officials Move To Gag Council Members
For the entire time since I was first elected to the Richmond City Council in November 1995, it has been the unwritten prerogative of any City Council member to place an item on the City Council Agenda. Once the item is on the agenda, the city Council then can act on...
Readers Speak Out On Sirens And Related Issues
Following are what readers of the E-FORUM are saying about recent issues involving toxic releases, the Community Warning System and the philanthropy of one of our local businesses. As always, the E-FORUM is intended to be provocative, and some people take exception to...
You Were Wondering What Happened To “People Do”
The following story that appeared in Faultline ( http://www.faultline.org/ ) relates what we always suspected about the cheesy "People Do" stories, that is, they were substantially all actions required by regulators rather than spontaneous acts of environmental...
Enough Is Enough
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Thomas K. But Vice-Mayor, City of Richmond February 5, 2002 On January 31, 2002, at 1:26 PM, 22 warning sirens in Richmond and San Pablo were activated. Some people who knew the drill sheltered in place. Others, not seeing or smelling anything out of...