Economy
2011 was quite a year, to borrow a favorite phrase from longtime resident Sims Thompson, in “our fair city.” I know that’s vague, but it’s tough to turn a pithy phrase that sums up a year in a vibrant, bustling and changing city. We had tragedy and triumph, tumult and harmony. Alliances and rivalries. Echoes of the past and glimmers from the future.
Richmond leaders were on hand to oppose the imminent firings of more than 200 undocumented workers in Berkeley who were flagged in a work eligibility audit conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
About 50 protesters, including some top Richmond elected officials, demonstrated outside county government buildings in Martinez Thursday before filing into a hearing aimed at resolving a tax dispute between Chevron and the Contra Costa County Assessor’s office.
In the chambers of the City Council, there are rules. There are procedures to be followed – motions, amendments, voting, establishing a quorum. These are Rosenberg’s Rules of Order, a simplified version of parliamentary procedure that governs how the Richmond City Council conducts its meetings. In the early morning hours of the council’s final meeting of the year, Rosenberg’s Rules were questioned and debated en route to approving three medical marijuana collectives to operate within the city. Medical marijuana became…
After nine years of service, Veolia will began the process of terminating its 10-year contract with Richmond, which will start the search for a viable alternative for its wastewater management plan. Residents in Richmond have voiced concerns about odor issues in relation to the plant, and Veolia cited a need for capital investment to improve the condition of the plant as a reason not to continue its contract. “It looks like we are negotiating a divorce,” Councilmember Jeff Ritterman said….
Richmond Sanitary Service is contesting an attempt by the county’s recycling authority to possibly select a new garbage company to manage the city’s collected trash, compost and recyclable waste beginning in 2014. As garbage fees rise, the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecyleMore) is scheduled to vote Jan. 5, 2012, on a way to competitively select a “post-collection services” provider for the county — a company to process trash and other waste after garbage trucks have collected it….
When Jamaya Walker’s father was murdered last March she cried so fiercely she became physically ill. She still has the bullet that took his life, but now, instead of weeping, she writes. “When you’re a daddy’s girl and your dad gets murdered, you don’t know what to do,” 14-year-old Walker said. “I just wrote all my emotions. I had to.” Walker will join other Richmond youth this Sunday at the East Bay Center for Performing Arts as RAW Talent presents…
This holiday season, skip the crowds on Black Friday and support your local businesses on Small Business Saturday. From clothing boutiques to handmade artwork, we’ve got some suggestions for the perfect Christmas gift, with a touch of Richmond. 1. Catahoula Coffee gourmet coffee A well-known coffee establishment throughout the Bay, Catahoula’s gourmet roast is sure to tantalize your loved ones’ taste buds. It has won “Best of the Bay” awards two years in a row, in 2010 and 2011. Owner…
The City Council voted Tuesday to remove a question about criminal convictions from city employment applications, saying the yes/no “box” was an onerous requirement for ex-convicts. Question 14, displayed prominently on the first page of all applications for city jobs, asks: “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” Opponents of the question have long felt that it dissuades potential applicants with a criminal record from applying, making it difficult for them to obtain employment and contributing to the already…