Chan'Cellore Makanjuola

Rich City Talent takes center stage at Bridge FilmSpace

A steady drumbeat sounded through the doors of the Bridge FilmSpace studio as the band members of “2morrows June” prepared for their performance. Hip Hop Artist Markee “Kee Beez” Webb, entered in his gray Under Armour tracksuit and black shades, hyped to perform his latest single, “Turnt Up.” Richmond-based filmmaker Joaquin Xavier queued his films in a browser to be displayed on the projector screen. After mic checks, quick video playbacks and soundchecks, the Rich City Talent Show got under…

‘Dames at Sea’: Female sailors race in Amazing Grace Cheney Regatta

Seventeen sailboats with female-led crews raced across choppy seas of the San Francisco Bay in the Third Annual Amazing Grace Cheney Cup hosted by the Richmond Yacht Club this month.   The November 4 race, or regatta as it’s known in sailing, honors Grace Cheney, a club member who passed away in 2016, as a way to help female sailors get together. Sporting a red cap, life jacket, and black coastal trousers, was Cinde Lou Delmas, a lifelong sailor, who…

Votes are in – Superintendent Duffy stays, for now

The West Contra Costa County Unified School District (WCCUSD) board held a special closed meeting Friday night and voted unanimously not to terminate the contract of Superintendent Matthew Duffy, Board President Tom Panas said. Superintendent Duffy was not present at the November 15 meeting, which had been called to review his employment.  But supporters—including teachers, parents and residents—turned out to urge the board not to fire him. On Wednesday, school board member Mister Phillips issued a statement that he believed…

School Board approves charter renewal, discusses district test scores

After months of debate and community campaigning, the West Contra Costa Unified School District board members voted 4 to 1 in favor of renewing the charter of Aspire Richmond California College Preparatory Academy (Cal Prep) before a large and passionate crowd. The board was also presented with data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) on test score performance within the district. Nearly 35% of WCCUSD students overall met or exceeded standards for English Language Arts (ELA),…

Richmond event gives female entrepreneurs advice on funding their businesses

Female entrepreneurs from across the Bay Area came to Richmond to attend “Finance Your Business! for Women Entrepreneurs,” free evening workshop on October 28. The event was hosted by the Richmond Main Street Initiative in partnership with the Mission Economic Develop Agency (MEDA), a San Francisco-based organization which helps provide resources for low-to-moderate income families, particularly Latinos, in the Bay Area. Representatives from Wells Fargo Bank, the City of Richmond, Pacific Community Ventures, San Pablo Economic Development Corporation, the nonprofit…

Interfaith ‘Harmony Walk’ raises funds to fight hunger, homelessness

Richmonders of various faiths gathered in Nicholl Park early Saturday morning for the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program’s (GRIP) 33rd annual Harmony Walk. The 5K walk/run raises funds to fight homelessness and hunger in the greater Richmond area. GRIP, an organization that has been around for over 50 years, has dedicated itself to helping those in need. The center provides food and resources for individuals and families at risk for, or currently enduring, homelessness.  Faith groups including Temple Beth Hillel, St….

Richmond’s Jewish community marks the New Year with traditional Rosh Hashanah celebrations

Richmond’s Jewish community joined Jews around the world this week to mark their faith’s High Holidays. Among them, members of Temple Beth Hillel gathered to celebrate Rosh Hashanah which marks the New Year in the Jewish Calendar. Greetings of “L’shana Tovah,” a Hebrew saying to wish someone a good year, filled the air as service began. Songs of praise, prayer readings, and the sounding of the shofar, a ram’s horn used during Jewish religious ceremonies, were the essence of the…

RYSE Commons: building on dreams of Richmond youth

September 2019 marks a new beginning for the RYSE Center. One of Richmond’s most prominent youth organizations, the center recently broke ground on construction for its new, 37,000 square foot building, known as RYSE Commons. RYSE first opened in 2008. Conceived as a sanctuary from urban violence, it is a place where youth can work, seek therapy, hold discussions, learn new skills, and create art in a safe space. Now, 11 years later, RYSE Commons is a product of ideas…