community
Frazier, a Richmond High School student and basketball player, was killed last Friday in a drive-by shooting outside his family’s home in North Richmond. As the outpouring of grief showed, Frazier’s death touched the community deeply. It also came as part of a streak of gun violence in the city.
Parents and students lined up one by one at the podium during West Contra Costa Unified School District’s Board of Education meeting Wednesday night to voice their concerns about the Board’s spending decisions.
Three minutes past midnight, Eduardo Martinez walks out of the Richmond Progressive Alliance office. He turns around and stares back in. Still no final result. He waves goodnight to his supporters. It’s Martinez’s third time running for the Richmond City Council.
An inaugural Mexican-style rodeo drew hundreds of spectators to Richmond Sunday to watch a dusty spectacle of raging bulls and courageous riders. “Jaripeo Expatacular” was held in a packed lot off of Giant Road, bringing together horseback riding, Mexicali cuisine and bull riding.
In the dark morning hours of Nov. 4, Election Day, Enrique Suarez del Solar quietly seals the envelope of his wife’s birthday card and places her present on the table. Then del Solar heads out to volunteer at the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church as a poll worker.
Tom Butt looked tired. At 8:00 p.m. on Election Day he finally sat down, stein of beer in hand, to wait for the results. He had been on his feet all day. Twelve hours earlier, the mayoral candidate had arrived to the first polling place on an itinerary of five, to do last-minute outreach.
The Richmond Bay Trail will be revamped to the tune of $335,000 after the city council approved the renovation project, which includes wider sidewalks, six-foot bike lanes, and new signs and landscape improvements. The project starts in November and will take about a month to complete, according to the construction company tasked with the upgrade.
Measure U, the ballot item to increase the retail sales taxes to 9.5%, passed yesterday with 53.7% of the vote. Another key ballot item, Proposition 47, also passed. The statewide proposition to reduce six types of felony crimes to misdemeanors was approved with 65% of voters in favor.
As voters head to the polls, the nation’s eyes will be on Richmond as the city decides the future of its leadership. Not only are Richmonders electing a new mayor and new city council members, but they’re also passing judgement on the effects of unlimited political spending.