Wen Shao

Grant enables Park District to launch Point Molate plan, but Guidiville Rancheria see it as a land grab

There has been a decades-long battle over Point Molate, a picturesque parcel containing hundreds of acres on Richmond’s shoreline, about a mile north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The city, state and Guidiville Rancheria tribe have laid claim to all or part of the property. Soon the sourthernmost portion will be turned into a state park, which the tribe has begrudgingly agreed to. Last month, the State Coastal Conservancy granted $36 million to the East Bay Regional Park District to…

Prop. 33 could bring relief to cost-burdened households, but is it fair to small landlords?

In the two decades Flor Castro has lived in Richmond, she’s seen many things change. One thing that has remained relatively stable is the $1,500 rent for the three-bedroom apartment she shares with her husband and two children, thanks to the city’s rent control laws. “I’m very grateful to God for everything I have because there are other families that need not just one job, but two jobs,” Castro said in Spanish. “So, up until now, that’s not my situation,…

People of Richmond: What would you do if elected to City Council?

“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: If you were on Richmond City Council, what one thing would you try to change or improve? Lyz Luke “If there’s one thing I could change about City Council, it’s how they fund the arts in the city of Richmond. I run a nonprofit, and we do a ton of great public…

UPDATE: Law signed today aims to keep gas prices from spiking by forcing refineries to maintain supply

As the sun dips below the horizon in Richmond, the Chevron refinery’s tall columns cast long shadows against the dusky sky. At a Chevron station on West Cutting Boulevard, David Stanford mutters as he fills his tank.  “It makes zero sense. We are half a mile from the refinery, and gas prices are still $5 a gallon,” he said. “It’s not sustainable for normal people. Hard working people cannot afford the gas right now. It’s ridiculous.” It’s a thought echoed…

People of Richmond: How is the school year starting out?

“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: How has the school year started for your child? We asked parents at the DeJean Middle School complex, where Stege Elementary School students were sent when their school was abruptly closed in August. “Amazing. I love it. I love it. I didn’t like the other school at all. At all. The transition’s…