Government
Cristal Banagan, a mother of four and longtime Richmond resident, thinks public libraries are becoming “obsolete.” None of her four kids has visited the library. “At the stage we are with technology in this world, they’re unnecessary” Banagan said. “And these kids, that’s what they know.” That, however, may not be true, now that Richmond is introducing reforms to help people engage more with the library’s resources through new programs and community outreach. The management is drafting plans to renovate…
A delegation of Richmond city officials will travel to sister-city Zhoushan, China, next month for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez sees the trip as a chance to show solidarity with Richmond’s Chinese community. “Since COVID, the United States has seen a terrible rise in hate speech and violence against the AAPI community, particularly Chinese people,” Martinez said in an email. “Conspiracy theories about the origins of COVID run rampant, and I want to…
A dirty red couch. An old pink baby stroller. Broken appliances. Rusted car parts. These are just some of the biggest pieces of illegally dumped trash spotted this month in a Richmond neighborhood. City crews can’t keep up with the work. “We go to a street and pick up garbage,” said Victor Mejia, a Richmond Public Works Department cleanup worker. “Then after 20 minutes, we go back to the same spot and they dumped it again.” To fight the problem,…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity Q: Should Richmond City Council return to holding meetings only in person? “It’s a tough question, just because people can’t be exposed to COVID. It’s a good thing to have social settings, but maybe if there’s different ways to hold these meetings, that would be best.” (Angelica Zambrano, social media manager, pictured at…
Editor’s note: After a tie, a tiebreaker and a recount, Cesar Zepeda won the District 2 City Council seat over Andrew Butt, becoming the first openly gay man elected to Richmond City Council. He will represent District 2, which includes Point Richmond and the Chevron refinery. Zepeda spoke to Richmond Pulse before the recount about public safety, housing and community-building. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Richmond Pulse: Having won in such a dramatic fashion, what will you do…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: With the Richmond Progressive Alliance gaining a super-majority on City Council, what do you think the future holds for Richmond? “Although it is a RPA majority, they are still individuals. I don’t want to do to them what a lot of people have done to the African American and Latino community, box…
In January, Mayor Tom Butt will leave office, and a majority of the Design Review Board may follow him. The City Council rejected Butt’s proposed appointments of two new members to the DRB in a 3-3-1 vote at the Nov. 15 meeting. Vice Mayor Eduardo Martinez and council members Claudia Jimenez and Gayle McLaughlin voted against the appointments. Council member Melvin Willis abstained. “I’ll tell you a little secret,” Butt told the council. “We’re not going to have a quorum…
A room filled with veterans, reservists, family members and public officials went quiet Tuesday as Brig. Gen. Bart Gilbert stepped up to the podium in the Contra Costa County board chambers. Although he is long retired from active duty, his uniform still fits. Gilbert was this year’s keynote speaker at the county’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, held a few days before the official holiday, which is Friday. Joining the army when he was 17, Gilbert is a combat veteran of…
On Tuesday, Richmond will vote for a new mayor. The four candidates in the running are Vice Mayor Eduardo Martinez, filmmaker Mark Wassberg, City Council member Nat Bates and independent consultant Shawn Dunning. Maybe you have a favorite. Maybe you’ve already cast your vote. But could it be that your views on some specific issues align with a candidate you did not expect? Play this game to see which of the four candidates you are most like based on your…