Yahoo

Soccer clubs say WCCUSD field rules are punishing kids

Richmond youth soccer teams are struggling to hold practices and compete in matches because of rising field reservation fees and sparse access to outdoor recreation facilities. Officials representing three Richmond soccer clubs say the scheduling system imposed by the West Contra Costa Unified School District has kept them from accessing fields and forced them to play home games in Berkeley and Alameda. “It shouldn’t be this hard to get our kids to play soccer in Richmond,” said Samantha Torres, executive…

After-school group’s contract dispute with WCCUSD devolves into insults at board meeting

Emotions boiled over at the West Contra Costa Unified School District board meeting Wednesday when administrators of the Bright Futures Growth and Development Center in Richmond asked why they no longer had a contract to provide after school and other services to students. Bright Futures President Idrissa Lattier lobbed cutting accusations of selfishness and dishonesty at each of the board members, as she scolded them for their inaction on the contract, saying, “I don’t need to sell Bright Futures. ……

With increased demand for solar power, green job opportunities return

It is just shortly after noon on a Saturday, and the sun stands high over the historic Atchison Village in Richmond. Not a single cloud is in the sky. In its northwestern corner, a small crowd has gathered in front of one family home. The housing complex was originally built during World War II to accommodate workers from the nearby shipyards. In a small revolution, it was later sold to its residents and turned into a mutual housing cooperative. Today,…

Little Caesars Love Kitchen feeds families in need

Little Caesars warmed the hearts of the homeless when its 53-foot-long semi truck, known as the Love Kitchen, rolled into the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program’s (GRIP) parking lot on 165 22nd Street on Saturday to give away free slices of piping hot pepperoni pizza. Staff from nearby San Pablo, El Cerrito and Richmond Little Caesars franchises volunteered their time to serve 250 pizzas to those in need. It was the Love Kitchen’s first visit to the city of Richmond. “The…

Breaking the fast at Masjid Al Rahman mosque

At 8:14 p.m., on Monday the mosque on San Pablo Avenue in Richmond suddenly bustles with activity. Adhan, the Islamic call for prayer, is said. When the men wrap up their Quran reading and spring from their seats, it is time to break the 16-hour fast that started at 4:45 a.m. Worshippers walk to a narrow alley inside the mosque and sit together to break their fast. With their first bite of the fruits and dates spread out on a…

Thousands march to Chevron days before fire anniversary

More than 2,000 people took part in the rally that started at Richmond BART station and ended with a sit-in at the main gate of the Chevron refinery at Richmond Point. When 90-year-old protestor Ellen Small was arrested at the sit-in, some people in the crowd started chanting “Let the people go, arrest the CEO.”