Christian Baba

District 5 residents pepper City Council candidates with questions about safety, Chevron and the environment

District 5 City Council candidates fielded questions Tuesday night on issues ranging from police funding and environmental concerns to plans for diversifying city revenue and reducing reliance on Chevron, Richmond’s largest employer. The chairs in Richmond’s Eastern Hall Methodist Church were just over half full, with about 40 community members, organizers, and journalists. Another 30 people joined the discussion virtually. The forum was co-hosted by Richmond Confidential, Richmondside, The Contra Costa Pulse, and El Tímpano, and was moderated by Richmondside…

People of Richmond: What do you think about the new BART trains?

“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Have you noticed a difference in BART’s service now that the fleet has all new trains? “They have certainly got more aesthetic appeal which I appreciate. In terms of service being better, worse or same, I’d say same. I’m always struck by how few riders there are, which just shocks me. I’d…

District 1 City Council forum: Candidates tackle questions on how the city should spend new Chevron money, and other issues

District 1 City Council candidates fielded questions Wednesday night on quality-of-life issues ranging from public safety and clean streets to economic development and how to spend the $550 million windfall the city is set to receive from Chevron.  About 50 people attended the candidates’ night at CoBiz Richmond, hosted by the media outlets Richmond Confidential, Richmondside, The Contra Costa Pulse and El Tímpano. Journalists and residents asked Jamelia Brown, Mark Wassberg and incumbent Melvin Willis how they would promote business…