Alexis Kenyon

Richmond: Voices and Images

From January through May of this year, reporter Alexis Kenyon wandered through the neighborhoods of Richmond taking photos and audio recordings of the people she met. She asked individuals to tell her anything about themselves or Richmond. These are the people she met and what they had to say.

For CyberTran movement in the right direction, albeit not yet high-speed

It may take a lot of baby steps before public transit technology can take a huge leap forward. CyberTran International, the Richmond-based “ultra-light rail” start-up that secured a public-private partnership with the city back in September,  landed its  second public-private partnership this week. I-Gate, a state sponsponed business incubator, invited the “ultra-light rail” company to join their network of green transportation and clean-energy technologies. Together larger facilities like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and UC Berkeley can provide “young entrepreneurial green…

Richmond first city in the state to endorse Millionaire’s Tax

Richmond is making a habit of being the first. In June, Richmond became first city in Contra Costa County to issue its own municipal identification cards.  In December, the city came one step closer to becoming the first city in the state to impose a tax on soda. Tuesday night, the City Council made Richmond the first city in the state to endorse a “millionaire’s tax.” The council voted 6-0-1 to pass the symbolic measure supporting a statewide initiative for…

City Council moves forward with soda tax

The City Council voted 5-2 last Tuesday to support placing a soda tax on the ballot next November – a measure that proposes a 1-cent charge for every ounce of sugary beverages sold in Richmond. In a second measure, the city proposes to use the revenues from this tax to fight childhood obesity in Richmond.

Council re-affirms support for Occupy

Although national polls show Occupy Wall Street losing the public’s favor, the Richmond City Council re-affirmed its support for the movement on Tuesday, then targeted Chevron, Wells Fargo, and PG&E on its agenda. The council passed a resolution to ask Chevron to withdraw its pending tax appeal – a complaint that seeks up to $60 million in tax refunds from Contra Costa County. The council also voted to withdraw city funds from corporations it says dodged property taxes, including Wells…

Occupy Richmond gains momentum

More than 90 protesters gathered at the steps of Richmond’s Memorial Auditorium today in support of Occupy Wall Street.  Under cloudy skies, protesters spoke out against wealth inequality, big banks, corporate greed and Richmond’s own “1%”: Chevron Corp. City Councilmember Jeff Ritterman voiced his disapproval of Chevron’s recent property tax appeal, which would refund $150 million dollars to the multinational company. “If Chevron gets $150 million … their shareholders get in line for another yacht … If Richmond has  $150…

Kennedy Eagles find their wings

For the first time in 20 years, the Kennedy Eagles have a shot at the playoffs. If the team defeats Piedmont High School Thursday, first-year varsity football coach Mack Carminer said the win will qualify the team for one more game. Despite excitement during Tuesday’s practice, several Eagles players expressed confusion about the upcoming game. “Let me ask one more question,” Takkaris McKinley said.  “We win, we are in the playoffs?” “What you heard on the street, from your friends,…

Eagles keep heads high despite big loss

The Encinal Jets swept aside the Kennedy Eagles 55-22 Friday night. But even as the Eagles walked off the the field for what was for many their last ever home game, the team kept  their spirits high. The game started out close.  Senior wide receiver Kenneth Walker scored a touchdown off a 3-yard pass from quarter back Octavious Holley. Going into the second quarter the the Eagles trailed just 7-8. As Walker made a 90-yard run in the beginning of the…

City Council adopts Bicycle Master Plan and Pedestrian plan

After more than three hours of contentious debate Tuesday, the City Council adopted an environmental review of a Bicycle Master Plan and a Pedestrian Plan that keeps the city on course to add bike lanes and pedestrian improvements to city streets. The plan would put select Richmond roads on what Richard Mitchell, Richmond’s director of Planning and Building Services, calls a “road diet.”  By redesigning streets from four lanes to three, the city could slow speeding traffic and create space…

CyberTran: Small start-up has big dreams

For Eugene Nishinaga, the chief technical officer at CyberTran International, ultralight rail is nothing short of a spiritual awakening. “I was actually driving on the highway, right outside the [Richmond] field station,” he said, “totally coincidence — and I felt the call of God.” The call was the impetus for a major shift in Nishinaga’s life. At the time, he was a respected research and development manager for BART with nearly 40 years experience in transit. But in 2008, Nishinaga,…

Timeline: Brief History of California Prisons

The California prison population has increased more than 500 percent in the past three decades.  Since 1980, spending on prisons has risen from 3 percent of  the state’s budget to more than 11 percent.  As legislators scramble to mend the increasingly costly and problematic prison system, the federal government has demanded change. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court, citing  inhumane conditions, ordered for the release of thousands of state inmates.  Here is a brief look at some of the factors…