Bay Citizen

Long waiting list for Head Start, despite new federal grant

Day after day, Criselda Feria waits for a phone call that will give her good news. Her name is stuck on a waiting list that will give her a slot for federally-subsidized child care. Feria’s 18-month-old son is one of the 2,074 children still on the Contra Costa County’s waiting list to receive Early Head Start child care.

Changing an industry with natural products

Before starting a green business, Elva Aguilar worked as a maid for corporate cleaning companies in the Bay Area. Aguilar worked with the common cleaning agents, but like some cleaning workers she began to notice a decline in her health.

Locally Richmond: Fairy wing maker goes national

Locally Richmond is an occasional series of profiles that highlights the small businesses that contribute to making Richmond a unique community.  When does an artist know she has reached a milestone in her career? For Angela Jarman, she knew the minute her work was worn by models strutting down the catwalk of Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. Jarman makes fairy wings—small or big, as intricate or as simple as the client requests—and she is making a name for herself and her niche….

New documentary stars Richmond’s very own Romeo

Richmond native Donte Clark always believed his life had a purpose. Lately, he seems to have found it. Clark, 25, a spoken-word performer and show producer, is the subject of a new feature length documentary, Romeo is Bleeding, directed by Jason Zeldes. The film follows Clark as he produces an adaptation of the iconic Shakespeare play “Romeo and Juliet,” rewritten to fit a Richmond narrative. “We were trying tell our story through the lens of a story the world already…

EBMUD declares stage 4 drought and takes steps to curb water use

This year is the driest in recorded history in California. This has forced the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to declare a stage 4 drought, the highest stage ever announced in the area, although even higher stages can apply if the drought gets worse. EBMUD is asking East Bay citizens to cut down their water usage. Water is a vital resource to survive. But most of the water on Earth is salt water and not directly usable for humans. Only about…