Lexi Pandell

Local derby teams face off this weekend

All four B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls teams will compete in the league’s Double Header Coastal Clash bout on Saturday night at The Craneway Pavilion in Richmond. The first match will be between the Oakland Outlaws and the San Francisco ShEvil Dead, followed by the Richmond Wrecking Belles and Berkeley Resistance. This Bay Area All-Stars team will compete later this summer against the Kansas City Warriors on July 7, and the B.A.D. Championships are scheduled for August 4. For those new…

Belles of the Bay (Read)

Eight women in helmets, bulky protective pads, tight spandex and rollerskates gather in a pack. Just behind them, two girls — the jammers — are side-by-side, preparing to attack the rink in front of them. A referee blows a whistle twice, sharply, which is followed by a clacking of skates and the soft thud of bodies slamming into each other. The Richmond Wrecking Belles were off to a fast start against The Oakland Outlaws in the Bay Area Derby Girls’…

What’s the buzz? Urban beekeeping comes to Richmond

Just over a year ago, an oasis blossomed in a rundown Richmond neighborhood off of Highway 580. Cars speed by on the busy freeway overhead and the Safeway Beverage packing plant, large and industrial, looms within eyesight. But here at the Self-Sustaining Communities garden, chickens peck at nubs of grass, a pair of rabbits dart in and out of their burrow, and, if you listen closely, you might hear a faint buzz. Thousands of bees flit between the nearby plants…

Police seek leads in Nystrom Elementary vandalism

Police are continuing to investigate extensive vandalism inflicted on Nystrom Elementary this weekend. Vandals splattered paint throughout the building, smashed windows, destroyed electronics and soaked the floors in Nystrom’s recently renovated, multi-million dollar auditorium. The auditorium contains a gym, library, classrooms, computer lab and a kitchen. Costs of repairing the damage could exceed $500,000, according to media reports. Richmond Police Dept. Capt. Mark Gagan said detectives are investigating the incident, but have not found any suspects or conclusive motives. This…

Craneway Pavilion hosts Chocolate and Beer Festival

Hundreds of people crowded into the Craneway Pavilion for the third annual Chocolate and Beer Festival on Saturday afternoon. Attendees sampled sweets from a variety of local chocolatiers—including North Oakland’s Bittersweet, Emeryville’s Coco Delice and Richmond’s Galaxy Desserts—and the over-21 crowd sipped sample-sized beers from nine different breweries. Live music from Emperor’s Jazz, Beam and 21st Century set the mood throughout the festival. Saturday’s event marked the premier of “Rosie’s Shipyard Ale,” a pale ale created in honor of Rosie…

Mentors needed for Bay Area youth

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, a local chapter of one of the nation’s biggest youth mentoring organizations, has about 750 children and teenagers in the Bay Area waiting for a mentor.

Statewide legislation to ban roadside animal sales

It’s common for vendors to sell animals on the roadside or at weekend flea markets in Richmond, but that may change next month. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation this summer that bans unregulated pet sales. The two-part law goes into effect on Jan. 1 and prohibits the sale of animals on roads, street corners, parking lots, flea markets, boardwalks and other public venues. The legislation also stiffens the penalties for animal neglect, raising fines and maximum jail time for those…