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Spirits were low in McCovey Cove as the San Francisco Giants played a discouraging game against the Kansas City Royals. The visitors were on track to win, holding on to an 8-1 lead for several innings. The atmosphere was buoyed, however, when a cameraman spotted an unlikely supporter in the cove: a leopard shark swimming along the surface of the water. Giants player Jeff Samardzija’s nickname is “Shark,” and fans seemed to interpret the animal as a good omen. The…
The underground parking is cool and dark, even on the sunniest day. Bulbs let off pale white light, and green exit signs emit a neon glow. Three electric chargers are located near the building entrance, surrounded by six electric cars. By the time Cesar Zepeda leaves his office in downtown Oakland, his white Ford Focus Electric is fully charged. The ring-shaped LED indicator of the charge port shines brightly. The screen reads “thank you” when he pulls the plug out…
Richmond residents’ access to health care is limited, and the situation is not improving. Policies at the state and federal level have put providers in dire financial straits, and access to emergency and primary care does not look good for West County. But proponents of a new approach to public health, one that’s being tested in Richmond, say that health is more than just health care. This new municipal ordinance, called “Health in All Policies,” treats the city planner as the city’s doctor. But in Richmond, where many people have trouble getting access to a medical doctor, will this prescription for the city as a patient be effective?
Significant campaign donations from organizations linked with charter schools flooded the last two West Contra Costa school board races. As charter schools continue to grow in the district, it’s important to examine the money and policies that shaped the current charter landscape.
Madni Halal Market is one of the few Richmond shops that sells halal meat and other products. Watch to learn more about what halal means and how the store provides the Muslim community in Richmond with halal products that are hard to find.
It’s Wednesday morning, and Demnlus Johnson III works diligently in his office. The sounds of footsteps echo in the hall as students, teachers and staff make their way to where they need to be before the morning bell rings. After finishing up emails, securing a new gym floor covering, and methodically searching for students’ schedules, Johnson stands up and buttons his brown tweed suit. It’s time to hand-deliver 30 applications for the Rising Scholars program, an initiative that helps young…
No one knows what to do with Point Molate, a 290-acre bayside property acquired by Richmond in 1995. The point, called a “jewel” by some, is on land previously owned by the US Navy and footsteps away from the Chevron refinery. The Point Molate Citizens Advisory Committee was supposed to help the city and Richmond residents manage the area and figure out how to develop it in the future, but earlier this year it was disbanded suddenly by the mayor.
Nikki Beasley is executive director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, a nonprofit developed in the 1980s to address housing inequities, particularly those created by practices such as redlining and discriminatory lending. She’s served in her current position for little more than a year, but in that time she’s made it clear she’ll be showing up and speaking her mind when it counts.
At some local Richmond businesses, interactions with customers can become deeply personal.