Economy
After weeks of rancorous debate over a $350,000 public pool dividing wall, the City Council voted 5-3 to end debate and affirm a Nov. 17 decision to purchase, thwarting a push by opponents to stop it.
Richmond officials observed the anniversary of the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights by gathering near a hub for day laborers and doling out coffee, pastries and educational literature for about 50 men who hang around looking for work.
Four-term City Councilman Tom Butt took on a range of key local issues during a 90-minute roundtable interview with Richmond Confidential staff and professors Dec. 9. The interview was held at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
The tough economy means donations are down for Verde Elementary Schools’s annual Christmas toy and coat drive.
For the 28th consecutive year, longtime Richmond native Rick Spencer has hastily set up shop, outdoors and a bevy of lush, aromatic Firs. Bab’s Christmas Trees is open for business at 1030 23rd Street.
To help improve attendance and keep kids out of trouble, a program of the West Contra Costa Unified School District is funding bus passes for up to 2,000 high school students. So far only about 1,500 students have signed up.
Nearly 1,000 homes in Richmond are bank-owned, but many banks have failed to keep them maintained. So city code enforcers are spending big bucks and countless hours securing vacant properties and chasing down the banks that own them.
Chevron split a million-dollar grant last week between five Richmond non-profits against a backdrop of city officials’ efforts to obtain millions more from the oil giant through taxes.
Besides the financial stress experienced in foreclosure, people may also suffer from severe mental stress, which can affect their physical health.