AP

Richmond upholsterer will save you a seat

Patrick McStravick runs his fingers over the bare bones of an old chair. “Look at the thickness of the wood,” he says reverently in heavy brogue. “Honduran mahogany.” Jute webbing, tacked and stretched from the bottoms of the outer wooden slats, forms the base of the seat. A half-dozen metal springs sit on top of the jute. “These are all hand-tied,” he says, pushing down lightly on the springs. Like a cooper her barrels or a tinker his cans, McStravick,…

After years of dark, Richmond’s main street gets festive lights back

With the flick of a switch Wednesday night, Macdonald Avenue transformed into a downtown vision that many in the city have long wanted to see. “I always dreamed of having lights on Macdonald,” Finance Director James Goins said, standing at the corner of Macdonald and 11th. The East Bay Performing Arts Center and Richmond Main Street Initiative collaborated this year to host the annual Downtown Holiday Festival. This was the first time the newly renovated arts center held the event,…

Contra Costa passes realignment budget

Contra Costa County officials approved a budget of more than $20 million at a meeting in Martinez today to both continue operations in the jails, probation department and courts, as well as develop community partnerships geared around reentry. More than a year after California transferred responsibility for low-levels felons to county jurisdiction, the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) unanimously approved $15.4 million of the total budget to continue operations and expand some county departments. The move came just in time before…

Loss doesn’t dampen Oilers’ sprit

Forty-five minutes after scoring her first goal of the season, on a penalty shot, junior Joselyn Navarro couldn’t stop smiling. “It is like all of these mixed emotions,” Navarro said. “Because it was the first goal of the season and it was a penalty. So I feel good.”

Christmas non-profit is born

It was a vision that would change the way they celebrated Christmas forever. Burgundie Spears was a sophomore in college when she decided to give up her own Christmas to begin collecting clothing, toys, and food for “Christmas in Richmond,” an annual event—which became a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in December—that helps those in need. “The organization was literally birthed out of my spirit,” Spears, now 27, said of the faith-based organization. “It didn’t make sense to start something while we…

Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center receives top hospital designation

For the third year in a row the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center has been listed as one of the best hospitals in the country by the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit group that surveys hospital performance. “I’m really proud of the accomplishment of the people that work really hard everyday,” said Dr. Timothy Batchelder, the hospital’s physician-in-chief. Batchelder said he sees this honor as an opportunity to reaffirm the labor and commitment shown by his staff – for, he said,…