June 3, 2013, Huffington Post
Cooperative Economics: Replacing Capitalism in Collapse
I live in a co-op house with 30 other people in Madison, Wis. While we pay rent to the nonprofit organization that manages Madison's co-op properties, our only landlords are each other.

May 31, 2013, West County Times
New parking charges at Richmond Hilltop apartments has residents crying foul
For residents at one of the city's largest upscale apartment complexes, lease agreements appear subject to change.

May 29, 2013, Pleasonton Weekly
Protests planned for today's Chevron shareholders' meeting in San Ramon
Richmond mayor joins activitists in denouncing company's refinery operations in her city

May 28, 2013, KTVU
Richmond mayor denounces Chevron political spending
Ahead of Chevron's annual shareholder meeting, Richmond's mayor and a coalition of environmental and human rights activists denounced the energy company's local political contributions.

May 24, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Richmond mulls legal action against Chevron Corp. over refinery fire
The Richmond City Council is 30 days from pursuing litigation against Chevron Corporation if negotiations fail to secure compensation for the August 2012 refinery fire.

May 22, 2013, West County Times
Richmond establishes deadline for Chevron to compensate city for refinery fire
A divided City Council on Tuesday voted to enter talks with Chevron Corp. for a compensation package stemming from last summer's fire at the company's local refinery and to hire a high-powered law firm if an agreement is not reached within 30 days.

May 20, 2013, West County Times
Richmond's second-highest ranking administrator resigns amid outcry over misuse of public funds
Dogged for two months by calls for her ouster since an independent investigation revealed she misused city resources, Human Resources Director Leslie Knight will resign effective July 1 . . .

May 9, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Infighting a challenge for City Council
Councilmember Tom Butt left the April 24 city council meeting around 9 pm, too frustrated to continue, followed a while later by Councilmember Jovanka Beckles, who had to work early the next morning.

April 25, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Richmond school is gifted thousands of free books
A program that gives away free books to school children has touched down on the West Coast, and one of Richmond’s schools was the first to host the event Wednesday night.

April 24, 2013, Kitsap Sun
At heated meeting, council discusses gun control, mural approval
In a contentious meeting Tuesday night, the city council took on gun control and support for a program that works to curtail violence in Richmond after a deadly week that ended with three dead in the city.

April 22, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Feds approve results of Chevron fire investigation
On Aug. 6 of last year, the rough draft of a federal investigation says, an employee at the Chevron Richmond refinery noticed a puddle on the ground.

April 20, 2013, Reuters
California city welcomes US report on Chevron refinery fire
Federal investigators of Chevron's Richmond refinery fire last August gave their initial assessment on Friday of what went wrong leading up to a pipeline rupture . . .

April 22, 2013, Richmond Confidential
City Council votes to disburse Community Development Block Grant money
The City Council on Tuesday approved the disbursement of funding for low-income services, tentatively agreed to help support RichmondBUILD, and—after more than an hour of argument—voted to end the reading of its own Code of Ethics before each meeting.

April 2, 2013, Contra Costa Times
Richmond moves to pave new lane on information superhighway
City officials Tuesday declared bridging the "digital divide" a priority and directed staff to get moving on a plan to bring the Internet into the homes of more of Richmond's low-income residents.

March 11, 2013, West County Times
Richmond activists demand banks reduce housing loan amounts
About 25 residents, including organizers from Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, staged a protest Thursday . . .

March 26, 2013, SustainableBusiness.com
10 Cities Divest From Fossil Fuel Investments
In December, Seattle was the first city to announce it would divest from fossil fuel investments and now nine other cities have joined in.

March 14, 2013, Contra Costa Times
Richmond mayor wants answers in inquiry of high-ranking city administrator
Days after an independent report found that the city's Human Resources director misused staff and public funds, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin says she is "deeply concerned" and will meet with City Manager Bill Lindsay on Thursday to learn more.

March 5, 2013, Contra Costa Times
Richmond council approves plan to rehabilitate Point Molate Beach
The City Council unanimously approved Tuesday a plan to spend as much as $115,000 to rehabilitate and maintain Point Molate Beach Park, which has been closed since a civic budget crisis in 2004.

March 4, 2013, Prensa Latina
U.S. Mayor Defends Innocence of Cuban Anti-terrorist
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, of Richmond, California, called for the government of her country to listen to the arguments that support the innocence of Gerardo Hernandez, one of the Cuban anti-terrorist fighters unjustly held in the United States since 1998.

February 27, 2013, East Bay Express
Grand Theft Banking
An elaborate conspiracy by big banks appears to have cost East Bay residents tens of millions of dollars.

February 22, 2013, Napa Valley Register
Renewable energy as a power source?
Green Party, outside experts discuss plausibility for Napa

February 16, 2013, Truth Out
Not In Our Backyard: Fighting Pollution in Richmond, California
Richmond, California is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, world-renowned for its natural coastal beauty.

February 13, 2013, Accent Advocate
Richmond City Council voes in new member
In a 4-1 vote by Richmond City Council members, Myrick takes the seat that was left vacant due to Bell’s illness. Had the council not reached a consensus, a special election that would of taken place in June to fill the spot.

February 4, 2013, Contra Costa Times
Richmond council appoints Jael Myrick to fill vacant seat
After weeks of speculation over how they would fill the vacant seat on a sharply divided City Council, Richmond's elected leaders chose to forgo a special election and appoint a 27-year-old legislative aid who finished a distant eighth in November's race.

February 1, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Earnings report caps off week of mixed news for Chevron
The announcement this week of the approximately $11 million in losses Chevron has sustained in fines and claims related to the August 6 Richmond refinery fire was dwarfed by Friday’s announcement of its fourth-quarter earnings.

January 30, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Council names Booze vice mayor
Tuesday night’s Richmond City Council meeting was short on substance but long on drama.

January 29, 2013, Contra Costa Times
In annual address, Richmond mayor highlights year of 'historic accomplishments'
In her annual State of the City address on Tuesday, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said Richmond enjoyed a year of shining improvements in crime reduction, infrastructure upgrades and economic growth, all tarnished by the Aug. 6 fire at the Chevron refinery.

January 25, 2013, Inside Bay Area
Richmond to attempt appoinytment to fill council vacancy
The City Council is taking applications for its next member, but the dais is so divided that it appears unlikely that council members will be able to agree on the right person for the job.

January 23, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Housing plan sparks arguments on rent control, just cause evictions
After several hours of confusion and bickering, last week the Richmond City Council approved a housing element - a part of the general plan . . .

January 22, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Special meeting to discuss vacant City Council seat this Thursday
After running out of time to officially declare the council seat left by Gary Bell as vacant at last week’s city council meeting, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin announced a special meeting

January 16, 2013, San Ramon Express
Supes approve budget allocating state realignment funding
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $20.7 million budget to support state inmates re-routed to county jails under California's realignment plan.

January 11, 2013, Post News Group
Local Leaders Back Obama’s Call to Reduce Gun Violence
Richmond and other Bay Area elected officials are rallying behind President Obama’s call for strengthened gun controls in the wake of continuing national outrage . . .

January 9, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Richmond City Council welcomes back Nat Bates, Tom Butt with swearing-in ceremony
Political differences were - mostly - set aside Tuesday night during the celebratory swearing-in of re-elected city council members Nat Bates and Tom Butt.

January 3, 2013, Richmond Confidential
Richmond Councilman-elect Gary Bell will not take office January 8 due to illness
Councilmember-elect Gary Bell will not take office next week due to complications from a bacterial sinus infection . . .

January 3, 2013, SF Gate
Chevron firefighters may have gouged pipe
The pipe that fed a huge fire at Chevron's Richmond oil refinery in August appears to have been punctured from the outside, possibly by company firefighters trying to get at a small leak before the blaze ignited . . .

January 2, 2013, New York Times
Together a Century, City and Oil Giant Hit a Rough Patch
Chevron is the biggest employer and taxpayer in Richmond, Calif., and its red oil tanks still dominate the city’s skyline 110 years after the refinery was built.

December 20, 2012, Mercury News
Bay Area mayors sign on for stronger gun control
Eleven current and former Bay Area mayors chimed in on the firearm debate this week, signing a letter that calls on President Barack Obama to push reforms to strengthen federal gun trafficking laws and require criminal background checks for every gun sale.

December 20, 2012, Richmond Confidential
City officials and experts hear public comment on Chevron refinery repair
City Manager Bill Lindsay held a meeting for the public to voice concerns and questions regarding Chevron's repair pipes responsible for Aug. 6 fire.

December 19, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Investigation of city employee prompts public demand for action
Speakers at the year’s final City Council meeting called for Assistant City Manager Leslie Knight to be put on administrative leave . . .

December 12, 2012, East Bay Express
Can Richmond Progressives Regroup?
The Richmond Progressive Alliance is contemplating its future after getting thumped by Chevron in the election.

December 10, 2012, PRWeb
City of Richmond Creating Brighter Future for Richmond’s Streets
Richmond to convert 1100 city-owned street lights to energy-efficient and brighter LED technology financed by a low-interest State loan

December 5, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Chevron refinery piping and housing plan highlight council meeting
As the Chemical Safety Board nears a decision on what material to recommend Chevron use to replace pipes damaged in the Aug. 6 refinery fire, the City Council unanimously approved a measure Tuesday night to increase “transparency” on the issue.

December 3, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Mayor honors memory of homicide victims
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin invited the community to the Richmond Public Library Friday night to honor the memory of this year’s homicide victims.

December 3, 2012, Mercury News
Community group rips Richmond leaders for postponing housing policy
A local community-organizing group on Monday accused two top city administrators of stalling a far-reaching housing plan until next month, when a new City Council will convene.

November 21, 2012, Richmond Confidential
City Council presses Chevron to use recommended material for pipes
The City Council passed a resolution Tuesday night urging Chevron to use the best technology available when it rebuilds its damaged oil refinery.

November 21, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond to take lead in oversight of Chevron refinery unit rebuild
City staff will take a close look at the rebuilding of a burned-out crude unit at the Chevron refinery, share all documentation with the public and may require unsatisfactory work to be disassembled and redone, the City Council decided Tuesday with a 5-1-1 vote.

November 15, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond bypass road project links central city with proposed Berkeley Lab, growing shoreline district
The growing south shore is divided from the city no more

November 14, 2012, SF Gate
No major pollution upgrades expected at refinery
Chevron does not plan to increase production at its fire-damaged Richmond refinery after repairs are made, allowing it to forego requirements to install the newest clean-air technologies, the company said.

November 13, 2012, SF Gate
Tibetans in SF protest Chinese repression
Pro-Tibetan demonstrators accuse China of repression during a march at U.N. Plaza in S.F. At least 69 dissidents have set themselves on fire in recent rallies.

November 11, 2012, SF Gate
Chevron sidesteps call for cleaner tech
Chevron will make only small-scale pollution control improvements as it rebuilds the fire-damaged crude oil unit at its Richmond refinery

November 8, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Election recap: Voters seek familiar faces
When the official returns came in on Wednesday morning, Richmond voters had decided that after the most expensive campaign in city history, what they wanted was familiar faces.

November 4, 2012, The New York Times
California City Savors Role in Fighting ‘Big Soda’
This small, blue-collar city best known for its Chevron refinery has become the unlikely vanguard for anticorporate, left-wing activism in recent years . . .

November 4, 2012, The Post News Group
City Wins $25,000 Grant for Richmond High Writing Program
Cities of Service announced this week it has awarded Richmond a $25,000 grant to expand WriterCoach Connection, a service initiative designed to address the student achievement gap.

November 2, 2012, SF Gate
Chevron refinery could be back by March
Chevron's fire-damaged Richmond oil refinery could be fully operational by March, when the 700 workers replacing pipes and making other repairs are expected to finish the job, the company said Friday.

October 31, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Richmond’s sugar-sweetened beverage town hall draws tears, personal testimonies
Families from Richmond’s African American community testified Monday night to the fight against the health effects of poor diets . . .

October 31, 2012, Mercury News
Pro-soda tax groups counter industry dollars with grass-roots Richmond campaign
Details of Richmond's 'soda tax'RICHMOND -- Supporters of the hotly contested ballot measure here to tax sugar-sweetened beverages are relying on volunteers and creativity to get their message out to local voters

October 17, 2012, East Bay Express
Big Oil Targets Little Richmond, Again
The political battle between Chevron and grassroots progressives is continuing this fall.

October 5, 2012, The Post News Group
Fruit Trees Planted at Local Schools
Nutiva in partnership with Common Vision this week planted fruit trees at Washington Elementary School and Levonya Dejean Middle School in Richmond, marking the beginning of a five-year project to plant an orchard of 15-30 fruit trees in every public elementary, middle and high school in the area.

October 3, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Council passes resolutions urging Chevron to tighten refinery safety, invest in Richmond
The City Council unanimously adopted two resolutions Tuesday: an industrial safety resolution calling on Chevron to adopt the highest possible safety standards . . .

October 2, 2012, Mercury News
Resolution calls on Chevron to meet higher standards in aftermath of Aug. 6 fire
Along with investigations by a consortium of federal, state and regional agencies, Chevron's Richmond refinery will have to pass the muster of new city requirements in rebuilding the crude unit that burst into flames Aug. 6.

September 26, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Controversial Measure N grabs spotlight at council meeting
Two major issues are dominating the election season in Richmond. Monday gave the Chevron fire center stage, but on Tuesday, it was time for Measure N to return to the spotlight – and even councilmembers who are not seeking reelection this November decided to enter the fray.

September 25, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond council approves spending plan for special North Richmond funds
RICHMOND -- The City Council this week approved $1.4 million in funding for community services and other programs in North Richmond.

September 24, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Olive trees given to lucky shoppers
Richmond residents shopping at the farmers market for fresh produce Saturday snapped up 1,000 free organically grown olive trees alongside their bags of fruits and vegetables.

September 13, 2012, KALW Radio
The Nanny State: Richmond's mayor not afraid to take on 'Big Sugar'
Sixteen percent of people in Richmond live below the poverty line. The city has the highest rate of diabetes deaths in Contra Costa County. But it also has one of the nation’s most progressive mayors, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.

September 12, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Chevron failed to check pipes despite internal policies
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has found that sections of pipe that were measured following the August 6 fire at Chevron’s Richmond refinery had thinned in thickness by 80 percent.

September 11, 2012, KALW Radio
By hook or by crook, urban farmers plant their seeds
It’s a Saturday morning at a formerly vacant lot in Richmond. The sun warms the ground. Rows of fruit trees bend in the breeze.

September 10, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Wildcat Marsh Trail combines nature and industry
As hikers crunch down the gravel pathway of the Wildcat Marsh Trail, 89 solar panels tower over a grid of wastewater treatment ponds.

September 10, 2012, Richmond Confidential
A Night of Poetry
Donte Clark was the sixth and final poet from Richmond Artists with Talent to perform at the Madeline F. Whittlesey Community Room on Friday night.

August 31, 2012, Community Rejuvenation Proect
Community Rejuvenation Proect Completes New Murals in the Richmond Greenway
Oakland-based artist collective Community Rejuvenation Project today announced the completion of its latest mural project: nine new murals between Harbor Way and Second St., as part of the Richmond Greenway project.

August 30, 2012, Mercury News
Barnidge: No shortage of investigations into Chevron refinery fire
If Richmond residents end up displeased with the final report on the Chevron refinery fire, it won't be for lack of investigations.

August 29, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Residents skeptical of refinery investigations
There are five separate investigations into the Aug. 6 Chevron refinery fire, but if Monday’s meeting was any indication, many Richmond residents doubt even that will be enough.

August 27, 2012, Financial Times
When the workers run the show

August 24, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Progressives blast Chevron, air district
More than 150 people packed into the headquarters of the Richmond Progressive Alliance last night to tell their stories of the Aug. 6 refinery fire.

August 23, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond residents call for sanctions, more input in wake of Chevron refinery blaze
This month's fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery represented a systemic failure that must be addressed through robust community input and stiff sanctions by regulators, local environmentalists and elected leaders said Thursday.

August 18, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Solano Playlot re-opens thanks to the work of its neighbors
Just days after a fire at the Chevron refinery sent Richmond residents scurrying for cover indoors, on Saturday hundreds of people gathered outside to celebrate the re-opening of a community park.

August 8, 2012, Democracy Now!
Chevron Oil Refinery Fire in Richmond, California Forces Over 900 Residents to Hospitals
More than 900 people have sought medical treatment following a massive fire at a Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California.

August 8, 2012, Google News
Chevron response to refinery fire under criticism
Investigators were looking at how a small, seemingly insignificant leak at one of the country's biggest oil refineries quickly unraveled into an intense fire that sent acrid black smoke into the sky and hundreds of people to hospitals with health complaints.

August 7, 2012, SF Examiner
Leak appears to be cause of Chevron blaze
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin of Richmond is calling for Chevron to be forthright with details of the fire.

August 7, 2012, Washington Post
Residents jeer officials from Chevron, San Francisco Bay-area community near refinery fire
A major fire at one of the country’s biggest oil refineries that sent hundreds of people to hospitals with complaints of breathing problems will push gas prices above $4 a gallon on the West Coast, analysts said Tuesday.

August 7, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Following Chevron fire, respiratory complaints, calls for transparent investigation
Richmond residents this morning woke up to the lingering smell of burnt oil from Chevron’s Richmond Refinery, which caught fire last night following a leak.

August 1, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Richmond council approves funding to re-open Point Molate, close Bay Trail gaps
On Tuesday night, at the last city council meeting before a month-long recess, the council wrapped up by approving nearly a dozen expenditure items, most notably the resurrection of Richmond’s only beach—Point Molate.

July 27, 2012, Mercury News
Computer-refurbishing company opens new facility in Richmond
A nonprofit company that refurbishes e-waste hosted more than 70 people in a grand opening event Thursday to celebrate its recent move into a 5,200-square-foot facility in south Richmond.

July 25, 2012, Mercury News
Divided Richmond council approves majo9r campaign finance reforms
Richmond passed two ordinances Tuesday aimed at reducing the influence of money in local politics

July 23, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Mayor circulates letter blaming council “dysfunction” on one member’s “chaos, disruptions, and vitriolic speech”
In an unusual move, last week after a particularly heated city council meeting Mayor Gayle McLaughlin sent an email to her online supporters . . .

July 23, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Langlois, Martinez appear at fundraiser for their city council campaigns
On Saturday night in downtown Richmond, the unmistakable beats of Latin Jazz, followed by cheers and laughter, poured out of a small office tucked away in a row of other non-descript offices.

July 19, 2012, Mercury News
In Richmond, free speech takes a lengthy toll
English scholar John Milton famously espoused the freedom to speak as the right that stands above all others, but with meetings stretching into the wee hours, Richmond's City Council is on the hunt for a little less speech and a little more policymaking.

July 18, 2012, Mercury News
America's teachers union at odds with Teach For America
Responding to pressures from the local teachers union, Richmond City Council members on Tuesday voted to send a letter to West Contra Costa School District Superintendent Bruce Harter . . .

July 17, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond guitar legend with ALS brings his documentary home
Told by doctors he wouldn't live to see 25, Jason Becker plans to celebrate his 43rd birthday Sunday in his hometown of Richmond, attending two screenings of the critically acclaimed documentary about his life.

July 14, 2012, SF Gate
Richmond wants banks to fight blight
Standing near a jumble of old tires, paint cans, a ripped couch and other debris in the yard of an abandoned house in North Richmond near Interstate 580, Marquita Ealy said she was fed up with vacant foreclosures that attract crime and blight.

July 13, 2012, Contra Costa Times
Richmond tour highlights how foreclosures introduce costly blight
For about 20 minutes, the vacant gray house at the corner of Virginia Avenue and South Sixth Street came to life, teeming with lights, cameras and people.

July 13, 2012, Contra Costa Times
Debate heats up on whether to fund new jail space in Richmond
Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston's proposal to more than double his department's budget, including an expansion of the county jail in Richmond, drew sharp criticism from several speakers at a county meeting Friday.

July 11, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Richmond City Council debates charging to berth the historic SS Red Oak
It was a long meeting of the Richmond City Council Tuesday night, and it lasted into early Wednesday morning, filled with passionate debate regarding where the SS Red Oak Victory Ship should be berthed—and at what cost.

July 10, 2012, Contra Costa Times
Richmond council rejects idea of charging rent to WWII vessel
The SS Red Oak Victory has not seen active duty for decades, but its supporters mobilized to helped it dodge a rent-seeking city councilman Tuesday night.

June 21, 2012, SF Gate
Richmond Electric Customers Will Have a Choice of Buying Greener Electric Power
Richmond, Calif., joins the Marin Energy Authority, and becomes the first California city outside of Marin County to participate in Community Choice Aggregation

June 20, 2012, Richmond Confidential
City council approves new limits for campaign contributions and voting on donor-related issues
On a night that began with good intentions, things went sour fast at the Tuesday night Richmond City Council meeting as the council debated adopting new rules for disclosing campaign contributions over $250.

June 20, 2012, Mercury News
A $2.6 million budget deficit leaves Richmond mulling unpopular cuts
Richmond's city government has to take a scalpel to its budget. The question is where to make the deepest cuts.

June 18, 2012, Contra Costa Times
Richmond conference calls for more partnerships to address growing homelessness
Last year, Phillip Woods lost his job at a car garage and found himself penniless and sleeping on park benches.

June 18, 2012, North Bay Business Journal
Richmond set to join Marin Clean Energy
Marin Clean Energy is poised to significantly expand its potential customer base in the coming months, with the city of Richmond set to pass a final measure on Tuesday to join the renewable energy-focused power agency.

June 6, 2012, Richmond Confidential
LGBT teens, RYSE Center, mobilize Richmond against hate speech
On Tuesday night at Richmond’s City Council meeting, upset residents and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, signed a unity pledge against hate speech and asked council members to do the same.

June 3, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Richmond homeless vigil a beacon of light for those on the street
On Saturday night a handful of Richmond and Bay Area residents gathered near the steps of the Civic Center Plaza for an overnight vigil to show concern about homelessness, what many in the group call a social justice and human right’s issue.

June 2, 2012, Prensa Latina
California Mayor Jois Campaign for Release of Cuban Five
Mayor of Richmond, California, Gayle McLaughlin, joined the international campaign of every day five of each month to demand the release of the five anti-terrorist Cuban fighters unfairly held in the United States

May 27, 2012, SF Gate
Rosie the Riveter honored at Richmond Park
As the 75-year-old Golden Gate Bridge preened itself to the west and the battleship Iowa slid out of the Port of Richmond for the last time, another momentous event occurred on the water Saturday, honoring a heroine of the same World War II era: Rosie the Riveter.

May 17, 2012, Mercury News
Dozens of Richmond riders pay respects to injured cyclists
David Meza and Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin lead a group of bicyclists on the "Ride of Silence" in Richmond, California

May 17, 2012, SF Gate
Richmond soda tax to fight obesity makes ballot
Richmond voters will decide this fall whether to impose what could be the nation's first municipal tax on soda and other sugary beverages - a penny-per-ounce surcharge intended to fight childhood obesity.

May 14, 2012, Fast Company
Hippie Capitalism: How An Impoverished U.S. City Is Building An Economy On Co-ops
With sky-high unemployment, Richmond, California, is not a place where traditional business models alone can dent poverty. The city has turned to co-ops in hopes that people who might be unemployable in the traditional economy gain access to both jobs and control over their own labor.

May 7, 2012, Contra Costa Times
Repairs begins to massive Richmond sinkhole that swallowed two cars
Richmond city leaders and state and county officials were joined by more than 100 people Friday to mark the start of the final phase of a project to repair a massive sinkhole . . .

May 2, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Richmond Port project on hold as council to weigh two competing sites
A divided City Council halted a grant-funded port security construction project Tuesday, opting to put plans for the site on hold while exploring the feasibility of a nearby location.

May 1, 2012, Triple Pundit
EPA Offers Free Solar & Wind Tools to Tap into Gigawatts of Energy
There are more than 490,000 potentially contaminated properties covering some 15 million acres . . .

April 25, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond council updates General Plan
Six years in the making, Richmond's long-awaited General Plan update that will guide future growth was passed by the City Council early Wednesday.

April 23, 2012, IPS News
Occupy Earth Day Targets Chevron
This year, Earth Day in Richmond, California was more thatn planting organic gardens or exploring solar panels.

April 7, 2012, Richmond Confidential
City council asking for a voluntary ban on controversial rodenticides
Last month, the Richmond City Council joined Berkeley and San Francisco in asking local businesses to stop selling certain rat and mouse rodenticides...

April 4, 2012, Oakland Tribune
Barnidge: Richmond's love-hate relationship with Chevron
Imagine how surprised Chevron officials were the other day when they dropped a line hoping to reel in a $73 million catch and hooked a lunker that dragged them $27 million beneath the surface.

April 4, 2012, SF Bay Guardian
Mayor McLaughlin on synthetic biology issue
For my story about synthetic biology in this week's Guardian, I tried to reach Mayor Gayle McLaughlin of Richmond, where Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is building its second campus.

March 30, 2012, Richmond Confidential
49ers star Vernon Davis launches program to help kids in Richmond apartment complex
Davis, joined by Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, EAH Housing President and CEO Mary Murtagh and others, announced the launch of “Positive Impact Project,” which will remodel Crescent Park’s Multicultural Family Resource Center facilities.

March 11, 2012, Tri-State Defender
Effort to stanch violence is working
Richmond, long burdened by the reputation of being the Bay Area’s most dangerous city, experienced an overall decrease in violent crime last year, according to data recently made public by the city’s police department.

March 3, 2012, Fog City Journal
Richmond Mayor Welcomes Occupy, Education Marchers
City leaders aren’t always welcoming of Occupy, but that was far from the case in Richmond Friday.

March 3, 2012, Contra Costa Times
Worker co-ops get mayor's support in Richmond
Beatriz Ortiz and Julio Chavez worked intently Thursday in a commercial kitchen in Richmond, preparing for the next day's farmers market near City Hall.

February 6, 2012, Richmond Confidential
Mayor shares Richmond's year in review, year ahead
The mayor and many of the 50 or so residents who filled the Whittlesey Community Room Friday night said it countless different ways, but it all boiled down to the same thing: 2011 was a great year in Richmond.

January 26, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond chosen as site for Berkeley lab's second campus
The city of Richmond walked away Monday with perhaps the most highly sought economic development project to come to the Bay Area in a decade -- the second campus of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

January 17, 2012, Mercury News
Richmond encourages police chief to turn down some mutual aid requests
The Richmond Police Department may be more reluctant in the future to respond to mutual aid requests like the ones that went out during the Occupy Oakland raid.

December 23, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Workers fired from foundry, community provides support
After 14 years working at Pacific Steel Casting in Berkeley, Mateo Marin will be fired by the end of January.

December 19, 2011, Mercury News
Critics say Chevron tax appeal undercuts its 'We Agree' campaign
Critics are calling out Chevron for touting its community contributions to Richmond in a national ad while fighting for a multimillion-dollar tax refund.

December 18, 2011, ABC Local
Pacific Steel forced to lay off 200 workers
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- Over the last few months, an East Bay steel company has been shedding about a third of its work force and it's not because of the economy.

December 15, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Protesters descend on Chevron tax hearings
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.

December 15, 2011, Mercury News
Protesters decry Chevron's bid for tax refund
MARTINEZ -- Contra Costa County protesters gathered in Martinez on Thursday to denounce Chevron's pursuit of a multimillion-dollar tax refund, saying it would raid taxpayer resources.

December 20, 2011, W Radio
Spanish language interview about worker cooperatives
The program includes Gayle and Mikel Lezamiz from Mondragon Spain
La Alcaldesa de Richmond Gayle McLaughlin; Mikel Lezamiz, MONDRAGON Corporation y José Ronstadt hablan sobre las cooperativas como una opción para combatir el desempleo.

December 13, 2011, Bay Citizen
Richmond Moves Forward With Soda Tax
Richmond could be the first city in the nation to implement a soda tax that would fund public health initiatives to fight childhood obesity.

December 13, 2011, Huffinton Post
Richmond Soda Tax: East Bay City Poised To Be First In Country To Tax Soda In Obesity Fight
The East Bay city of Richmond is poised to be the first city in the county to levy a tax on soda to fund anti-childhood obesity efforts.

November 27, 2011, Los Angeles Times
Making the most of cooperation
Where a hot dog stand now is the main lunchtime option for city workers in this distressed Bay Area town . . .

November 23, 2011, Richmond Confidential
“Ban the box” resolution passes, fracas erupts at City Council meeting
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.

November 23, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Veolia discusses evacuation plans with the City Council
The levels of hydrogen sulfide emitted from the Veolia wastewater treatment plant have been rising over the last few months, and if Tuesday’s City Council meeting was any evidence the plant’s neighbors have noticed.

November 23, 2011, Hispanic Business
California City Moves To Divest From Corporate 'Tax Dodgers'
In solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, Richmond, Calif., is exploring divestment from corporations that do not pay income tax.

November 17, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Council re-affirms support for Occupy
Although national polls show Occupy Wall Street losing the public’s favor, the Richmond City Council re-affirmed its support for the movement on Tuesday, then targeted Chevron, Wells Fargo, and PG&E on its agenda.

November 16, 2011, IEWY News
Six Green mayors sign on to letter from over 100 mayors opposing Keystone XL tar sands pipeline
WASHINGTON, DC — Six Green mayors have signed on to a joint letter to President Obama from more than 100 mayors expressing grave concerns about the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

November 15, 2011, New American Media
City of Richmond Voices Support for Occupy Movement
One by one supporters of Occupy Richmond stood at the microphone and spoke their minds in front of Civic Center Auditorium on Veterans Day. More than 90 people attended the Occupy Richmond rally and shouted together, “We are the 99 percent!”

November 15, 2011, Accent Advocate
Occupy overshadow weather, Veterans Day
Despite cold and rainy weather, at least 60 protesters gathered in front of the city's Memorial Auditorium to decry income and wealth inequity, big banks and the Chevron Corp.'s appeal for refunding its property taxes at Occupy Richmond on Friday.

November 11, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Occupy Richmond Gains Momentum
More than 90 protesters gathered at the steps of Richmond’s Memorial Auditorium today in support of Occupy Wall Street.

November 10, 2011, Healthy Cal
Federal agencies meet in Richmond to clean up bad air, water
Richmond’s mayor wants to change the city’s reputation. She thinks Richmond should be known for moving toward a more environmentally friendly place with bike paths, walkways and urban gardens . . .

November 9, 2011, Mercury News
Richmond Mayor to skip Veterans Day events for Occupy rally
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin will skip a Veterans Day memorial to attend an Occupy rally, a decision that is drawing criticism.

November 9, 2011, SF Gate
One Bay Area mayor WELCOMES Occupy protests to her city
At least one Bay Area mayor is actually welcoming the Occupy Wall Street movement to her city: Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.

November 2, 2011, Contra Costa Times
Richmond mayor marches to support Oakland strike
A dozen progressives, led part way by Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, on Wednesday marched from Richmond to downtown Oakland in support of Occupy Oakland and the general strike.

November 2, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Occupy Richmond goes marching by
If you’re on San Pablo Avenue this morning, look around — Occupy Richmond may be marching by.

November 2, 2011, Healthy Cal
Who will help ex-cons in Richmond?
Richmond has the lowest per capita income in the Bay Area and one of the highest unemployment rates. The city is also home to one of the biggest populations of people newly released from prison in Contra Costa County.

October 29, 2011, Radio Cadena Agramonte
Richmond’s Mayor Supports Change of US Policy towards Cuba
Gayle McLaughlin, mayor of the city of Richmond, California, supported the need to change the US policy towards Cuba.

October 27, 2011, Prensa Latina
La Colmenita Honored in Richmond, California
Talent, creativity and energy were the main reasons given by Richmond's Mayor Office for honoring the Cuban children's theatre group La Colmenita.

October 25, 2011, Mercury News
Chevron, Contra Costa County square off on property values
Opening arguments in Chevron's multimillion-dollar appeal of property taxes on its Richmond refinery were held Monday, setting the stage for another lengthy and politically charged fight over how much the oil giant should pay in Contra Costa County.

October 19, 2011, Mercury News
Richmond divided over City Hall brawl
A Richmond violence prevention worker said Tuesday his office cannot cooperate with a police investigation of last week's gang brawl at City Hall because it would jeopardize the trust of people it helps.

October 14, 2011, SF IST
Occupy Richmond Pops Up with Blessing of City Officials, Cops
Yesterday afternoon a group of "about six dozen" protesters gathered in downtown Richmond, California to add their voices to the cacophony of Occupy Wall Street protests.

October 13, 2011, Global Solar Technology
Solar tracking system manufacturer, sonnen_systems, opens U.S. office
sonnen_systems Inc. is expanding its operations in North America. Customers in the US will be supported from the new office and warehouse in Richmond, California, located close to downtown San Francisco.

October 13, 2011, KTVU
Residents, city leaders kick off Occupy Richmond
The now nationwide Occupy Wall Street movement that has sprung up throughout the Bay Area in recent weeks kicked off in Richmond Thursday afternoon, with the support of city leaders and police.

October 3, 2011, Oakland Tribune
Cooperatives find new relevancy helping East Bay low-wage workers
Norma Sanchez's hand still flutters to her chest when she remembers the incident that was the beginning of the end of her career as a $5-an-hour janitor.

September 28, 2011, Mercury News
Richmond to halt farmer's market live poultry sales
In a blow to cooks who prefer to kill their own chickens, Richmond has shut down what animal rights activists say is the last farmers market stand in the Bay Area that still sells live poultry.

September 28, 2011, Richmond Confidential
North Richmond’s struggle to decide who will lead
North Richmond is no stranger to conflict, but this is a strange conflict for North Richmond.

September 26, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Funding priorities for mitigation fee revenue to remain largely unchanged
North Richmond’s share of landfill mitigation funding for 2012-2013 is likely to be doled out in proportions roughly similar to previous years

September 22, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Clinton visit to Richmond canceled
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District board of directors voted Wednesday to postpone the Blueprint for Healthy Communities Summit, citing cost and conflict-of-interest concerns.

September 22, 2011, Richmond Confidential
City decides to support CyberTran’s dream
The City Council will spend $20,000 to lobby for a federal transportation grant to help light-rail company CyberTran develop 13 ultralight rail stations throughout the city

September 20, 2011, Inside Bay Area / Oakland Tribune
Oakland Tribune My Word: Bill was not hijacked and deserves to be signed
This is regarding The Oakland Tribune's Sept. 13 editorial, "Four bills need Gov. Brown's veto."

September 7, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Mayor, police chief pledge tougher stance on blight and banks
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Police Chief Chris Magnus pledged Tuesday to crack down on any banks that are neglecting foreclosed properties in the city.

August 19, 2011, SF Chronicle
Richmond co-op program holds potential for jobs
The program started last year after Green Mayor Gayle McLaughlin visited the Mondragon Corp., a federation of worker cooperatives in the Basque region of Spain. She was part of a national delegation.

July 27, 2011, Mercury News
Richmond works to ease the long road out of prison
After being hauled off to San Quentin for seven years, capping a criminal career that included too many prison stints to count, Jeff Rutland looked back on his life and saw nothing.

July 22, 2011, Mercury News
Richmond puts on charm offensive to woo Berkeley Lab
"Renaissance" was the watchword Thursday at a packed reception for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

July 21, 2011, Bay Citizen
As Gun Violence Rises, Richmond Creates Gang Task Force
Representatives . . . announced today the creation of a new gang task force aimed at ending a recent rise in gun violence in the area.

July 6, 2011, ABC 7 TV
Richmond considers ID cards for immigrants
The city of Richmond moved one step closer Tuesday night to approving city I.D. cards that would benefit undocumented immigrants, but the plan is not without controversy.

July 1, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Gompers High artists express, Richmond embraces
Richard Muro expertly waved a spray paint can over the brown lines on the wall, stopping after each stroke for a rattling shake. Residents and dignitaries milled about behind him, but he was focused on the finishing touches of a masterpiece.

June 20, 2011, Bay Citizen
Richmond Council Divided over Proposed Congressional Redistricting
Expanded district would signal a cultural and geographic shift for the city

June 16, 2011, Wall Street Journal
Land Battle Stirs Richmond
A proposal to preserve a small stretch of shoreline in this East Bay city has divided the community, pitting developers and Richmond's growing Hispanic population against conservationists and the city council.

June 8, 2011, East Bay Express
Painting a Mural Is No Longer a Crime
After police ordered their mural destroyed, Gompers High School students fought back and are helping rewrite the rules on graffiti in Richmond.

June 8, 2011, Contra Costa Times
Richmond gives nod to city ID cards
Since moving to this city from her native Mexico 15 years ago, Gloria Munguia has raised six children and established a network of friends, but has had no way of proving that she lives here.

June 7, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Richmond plans for a healthier future
About 450 pages into Richmond’s draft General Plan update, readers are presented with a vision for the community eighteen years from now.

May 23, 2011, Workers World
Teachers’ ‘state of emergency’ rocks California
The California Teachers Association called a “state of emergency” the week of May 9 in response to massive budget cuts and more than 30,000 teacher and 10,000 other school employee layoffs statewide.

May 23, 2011, Contra Costa Times
Chevron resubmits plan to retrofit Richmond refinery
Chevron has asked the city to consider a new application to update its refinery here, more than a year after a legal battle with environmentalists brought construction to a standstill.

May 20, 2011, Bay Area News Group
Chris Treadway: Richmond observes Ride of Silence for killed, injured bicyclists
On the same day the ballyhooed Amgen Tour of California race got rolling before thousands of spectators in Livermore, a much smaller and quieter bicycling event headed out of Civic Center Plaza in Richmond.

May 18, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Richmond City council votes to practice precaution
In a complex and dynamic world where scientific certainty is hard to come by and new technologies, chemicals and industrial processes are being introduced . . .

May 10, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Richmond named as finalist in Lawrence Berkeley National Lab campus bid
Richmond moved forward yesterday in the competition to be the site for a second campus of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). 

May 2, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Richmond’s Financial Freedom Conference teaches the basics of personal money management
Hundreds gathered at Richmond’s Civic Center auditorium Saturday for the Financial Freedom IV and L.I.F.E. Conference.

April 21, 2011, Mercury News
Richmond gives OK for students' mural to go back up
A mural painted by local students will get a chance at a second debut.

April 6, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Council ditches casino plan
After years of controversy, Richmond’s City Council decided yesterday to nix plans for a casino at Point Molate.

April 6, 2011, Mercury News
Bay area city rejects tribe's $1.2B casino plan
An American Indian tribe's plans for a $1.2 billion casino in the San Francisco Bay area, opposed in part because the development site was in an urban center, appear dead.

April 6, 2011, KTVU
Richmond City Council Rejects Casino Proposal
The city council voted Tuesday night not to continue with plans to develop an Indian casino at Point Molate after more than six years of back-and-forth about development of the former Navy base.

March 23, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Evicted pastor joined by police chief, county supervisor in denouncing bank, asking for support
Pastor Sydney Keys of the recently evicted Bible Way Community Church in Richmond joined community leaders Tuesday to denounce the church’s mortgage holder, Torrey Pines Bank

March 9, 2011, The Bay Citizen
Richmond Approves Environmental Report for Casino Project
In a divided vote Tuesday night, the Richmond City Council approved the final environmental impact report for a proposed $1 billion casino resort at Point Molate, a former naval fuel base on the city's shoreline.

March 2, 2011, Green Party Watch
Green mayor helps uphold ban on chain restaurants, encourages constitutional amendment, and more
Richmond, CA is the largest city in the United States with a Green mayor. Her name is Gayle McLaughlin, she was reelected recently, and Richmond Confidential has an update on a few recent votes that she was involved in

March 2, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Richmond City Council reaches consensus on development, environmental issues
In a long meeting Tuesday night during which Richmond’s City Council noticeably voted in lock step, the council took on a number of issues  . . .

January 19, 2011, Richmond Confidential
Mayor hails year of progress
Despite another year of economic turmoil nationwide and deep cuts to public services at state, county and local levels, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said Richmond has continued to make gains . . .

January 13, 2011, The Bay Citizen
Richmond Council Gets New Blood
Unifying the City Council—and Richmond—was the theme at a tear-filled swearing-in ceremony for incumbent Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, new Council members Jovanka Beckles and Courtland “Corky” Boozé, and returning Council member Jim Rogers.

January 12, 2011, The Globe Newspaper
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin begins second term
With a lot of exuberance, and emphasizing the goal of “building a better Richmond together,” Gayle McLaughlin addressed a crowd . . .

December 4, 2010 - Contra Costa Times
Your Turn: Revolution in Richmond
On Election Day the people of Richmond re-elected Progressive Gayle McLaughlin for our mayor and elected progressive Jovanka Beckles to the Richmond City Council.

November 29, 2010 - Richmond Confidential
Mayor’s green dream not yet reality
Inside a former warehouse on South 27th Street near Cutting Boulevard, thirty students, mostly in their twenties, are gathered around the skeleton of a small house . . .

November 11, 2010 - SF Streets Blog
Some AC Transit Service Restored, But Funding Problems Could Return
“We don’t need to keep widening our highways. We realize that only impacts public health with more pollution and only drags us further into the global warming crisis we’re in,” said McLaughlin, to loud applause.

November 3, 2010 - Contra Costa Times
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin wins, two incumbents ousted
McLaughlin captured 6,282 votes to beat out one of her most vocal critics, City Councilman Nat Bates.

November 3, 2010 - Richmond Confidential
Council's lurch left shakes up city

November 3, 2010 - Richmond Confidential
Progressives prevail

November 3, 2010 - Contra Costa Times
Richmond voters shift outlook of City Council

October 28, 2010, West County Times
West County Times editorial recommendations
No Contra Costa city presents more election issues this year than Richmond.

October 27, 2010, East Bay Express
Chevron Pours $1 Million into Political Races
Call it Big Money in Little Richmond. In fact, the City of Richmond is awash this fall in campaign cash. And a tidal wave of money is coming from Chevron Corporation.

October 27, 2010, New American Media
Riding the Green Wave—Q&A with Richmond CA Mayor Gayle McLaughlin
Earlier this month, unions representing Richmond, Calif., police and firefighters unleashed a series of vicious attacks against Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, a Green Party member who is running for a second term.

October 20, 2010, Mercury News
Tribe, developer, environmental groups announce major shoreline deal
An American Indian tribe and the developer of a planned billion-dollar casino resort at Point Molate have reached a deal with local environmental groups that calls for at least $48 million to buy and protect prime shoreline if a gambling emporium rises.

October 20, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
Point Molate Lawsuit Settles; Some Casino Foes Doubtful
Opponents of a proposed casino resort development on the Richmond shoreline were not swayed today by an announcement that developers for the Guidiville tribe and a coalition of environmental groups came to a settlement agreement in a lawsuit.

October 20, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Unfinished business: Mayor seeks second term
Gayle McLaughlin is in for a fight. The upcoming election is nothing like her historic win in 2006, which made her one of the most prominent Green Party officials in the country.

October 20, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Darrell Reese behind Richmond attack ad, some say
To supporters of Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, the flyer that landed in voters' mailboxes earlier this month revealing her 1990s hospitalization for depression and her defaulting on college loans carried a familiar scent.

October 20, 2010, KGO-TV
Agreement reached for Pt. Molate development
RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- The Guidiville Tribe reached an agreement today with local environmental groups in its proposed development of a $ 1 billion Las Vegas style resort and casino at Pt. Molate alaong the Richmond shoreline.

October 13, 2010, The Globe Newspaper
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin: Ready to serve second term
During the past four years, McLaughlin has inked four consecutive balanced budgets that maintained and expanded city services.

October 13, 2010, Oakland Post 
Gayle McLaughlin Wants to Prepare Richmond to Compete in 21st Century
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin believes that she has made a difference in Richmond, serving the city’s residents in hard economic times.

October 13, 2010, Richmond Confidential
A new business model for Richmond
Richmond may have an industrial past, but listening to both business leaders and residents talk on Tuesday night, its future may lie in worker cooperatives.

October 13, 2010, Accent Advocate - Contra Costa College
A date with the candidates - Forum allows county entrants to reach student voters, discuss societal issues
To give faces to the many campaign signs around the area, local candidates spoke at the 2010 Rock the Vote Candidate Forum in the Contra Costa College Recreation Room on Thursday.

October 12, 2010, Accent Advocate - Contra Costa College
Hunger walk aids Richmond residents
RICHMOND - Students, adults, children and family pets joined in the 24th annual Harmony Walk to end hunger Saturday in attempt to raise awareness of the problems that are happening in the community.

October 10, 2010, Oakland Tribune
Green machines
RICHMOND -- "Richmond has historically had an industrial base for its economy and is moving aggressively toward a green economy," Mayor Gayle McLaughlin told the crowd at the Green Drive Expo in the Craneway.

October 8, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Unions' attack on Richmond mayor a power play
It's the loss of political power and influence - not a noticeable lapse in professional judgment or behavior - that compelled Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin's political opponents to release details of her medical and financial history.

October 5, 2010, Tom Butt E-Forum
McLaughlin comes out swinging
Following is a sample of the feedback from my E-FORUM coverage of the attempt to use Gayle’s personal history before she came to Richmond against her.

September 30, 2010, Office of the Mayor
Richmond garners 2010 Sustainable Contra Costa Awards, California Urban Greening Grant
Efforts to transform Richmond into a model of sustainability continue to receive local and statewide recognition and support.

September 27, 2010, Green Party Watch
Green Change: 7 Green Campaigns to Watch
Gayle McLaughlin is up for reelection in Richmond, California, America’s largest city with a Green mayor.

September 27, 2010, Tom Butt E-Forum
Jobs, and What Type, at Center of Richmond Mayoral Race
It’s interesting that the mayoral challengers have chosen to make this election about jobs, probably the one issue that the mayor has the least ability to influence.

September 26, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Jobs, and what type, at center of Richmond mayoral race
After just two years on the City Council, Gayle McLaughlin nabbed the Richmond mayor's seat in 2006 with high hopes of pushing the city into the green frontier.

September 21, 2010, Accent Advocate
The Richmond Spirit
Music, food, wine and dancing are four things that help put a positive spirit back in the heart of Richmond.

September 21, 2010, Mercury News
Youth show their interest, influence in Richmond politics
Richmond's mayoral hopefuls fielded questions on how they would make Richmond a better place from a different set of constituents: those not old enough to vote.

September 20, 2010, Your Olive Branch
From Vacant City Lots to Food on the Table
The first time I went to Richmond, Calif., nine years ago, my friend, who ran a punk music recording studio out of a converted warehouse, told us not to park our car on the street.

September 8, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Richmond adds voice to call for public works program
Richmond city leaders are joining others in the call for a comprehensive public works program that would employ millions of Americans on the path to economic recovery.

September 8, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Council Throws Local Schools a Lifeline
Three schools slated to close at the end of the school year in Richmond were granted reprieve when the Richmond City Council unanimously committed $1.5 million for this school year on late Tuesday evening.

September 2, 2020, YouTube Video
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin at Richmond Rotary Club - Video
Discussion of the Mega Casino at Point Molate.

August 17, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
Festivities Greet Restored Richmond Plunge
The Richmond Plunge—one of the East Bay’s historic indoor swimming facilities—was formally reopened Saturday, August 14, 2010 with speeches by dignitaries and community leaders and eager enthusiasm from a large crowd that had come both to celebrate and to swim. 

August 14, 2010, ABC Channel 7
Public pool re-opens in Richmond
RICHMOND, CA (KGO) -- The city of Richmond hosted a grand re-opening of the Richmond Plunge Public Pool. The 84-year-old building was at risk of being torn down, until the community members came together to fund an $8 million retrofit.

August 4, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Richmond celebrates National Night Out with 24 block parties
In an effort to build community and prevent crime, the City of Richmond celebrated the 27th annual National Night Out Tuesday with block parties throughout the city.

July 28, 2010, Mercury News
Richmond limits number of pot clubs to three, puts tax measure on November ballot
Richmond reversed course Tuesday night, capping the number of medical marijuana dispensaries it will allow at three and reviving tougher regulations it nixed a week ago.

July 28, 2010, Richmond Confidential
City Council takes a mulligan on marijuana ordinance
A week after throwing its support behind a medical marijuana ordinance that many saw as one of the most pot-friendly in the area, Richmond’s City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night . . .

July 23, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Richmond leads the Bay Area in solar power wattage per capita
The huge 500-kilowatt solar installation at the Bay Area Beverages building, which you can see while driving west on 580 just before the Canal Boulevard exit, is quickly becoming a landmark.

July 20, 2010, Mercury News
Developer rails against advisory vote on Point Molate casino
RICHMOND — The developer of a proposed Indian casino-resort at Point Molate criticized a proposed advisory vote for the November ballot and suggested City Council approval tonight would violate its deal with the city.

July 7, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Despite Arizona boycott, Richmond leaders vote to buy Tasers
Two months after vowing to boycott Arizona over its new immigration law, Richmond city leaders plan to buy $84,000 worth of Tasers and cartridges from an Arizona company. 

June 23, 2010, Contra Costa Times
No layoffs in Richmond's approved budget
More than a dozen layoff notices have been rescinded and some proposed cuts restored in the balanced budget Richmond city leaders passed early Wednesday morning for next fiscal year.

June 15, 2010, San Francisco Examiner
Richmond Mayor condemns Israel amidst an international chorus
We’ve already seen wide international condemnation of Israel’s assault on the Freedom Flotilla. Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan began the chorus when he described the massacre as “inhumane state terrorism.”

June 15, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Tempers flare on council as pair of flotilla survivors return home
There are now two weeks and thousands of miles separating Kathy Sheetz from the melee that she found herself involved in on May 31, when the Israeli navy raided a humanitarian flotilla of boats . . .

June 11, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Richmond’s Green Party mayor: Still feeling like the underdog
Richmond mayor Gayle McLaughlin isn’t the untested commodity she was four years ago, when she drew national headlines by becoming the nation’s only big-city Green Party mayor.

June 4, 2010, Contra Costa Times/Inside Bay Area
Icon of Richmond's green business sector departs
Vetrazzo, the Richmond company that turns recycled glass into colorful countertops and won accolades from Forbes Magazine, is leaving town.

June 2, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
More Gaza Flotilla Detainees Released; Larudee Badly Beaten But Now Headed to Greece
Dr. Paul Larudee, a passenger on the Freedom Flotilla that was attacked by Israel before it could deliver its cargo of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip . . .

June 2, 2010, KTVU
East Bay Activist Released By Israeli Authorities
The East Bay activist who dove from the so-called “freedom flotilla” bound for Gaza when Israeli forces raided the ships has been released by authorities and left Israel, KTVU learned.

May 29, 2010, News Blaze
More Public Officials Urge Voters to Reject Takeover of Novato
Yet another public official - a prominent Marin County water board director - has joined those opposing Measure F on the Novato ballot June 8.

May 27, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Making an IMPACT in North Richmond
For the teens and young adults who gathered on a rainy day last week in North Richmond, life has been a succession of struggles and temptations.

May 12, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Chevron and Richmond kiss, make up, and think with new agreement
Last week this blogger wrote that Chevron and Richmond needed to "kiss, make up, and think.
Well, it seems all the time both parties were doing just that.

May 12, 2010, ABC / KGO-TV
Richmond and Chevron agree to $114M tax deal
After months of negotiation, Chevron and Richmond have reached a settlement that requires the city's biggest taxpayer to pay $114 million over 15 years.

May 12, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Chevron, Richmond, reach accord
In a move that could impact the city's highly-anticipated campaign season, Chevron Corp. and city leaders on Tuesday brokered a tax deal that markedly eases tensions between the energy giant and the city.

May 10, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
Richmond and Chevron Reach Agreement
Negotiators for the city of Richmond and Chevron have reached an unprecedented agreement that settles several major tax issues.

May 6, 2010, Wall Street Journal
Tensions Well Up in a Company Town
Competing Richmond Ballot Measures Aim to Set How Much Chevron, the City's Biggest Employer,
Should Pay in Taxes

May 5, 2010, Mercury News
Richmond plans boycott of Arizona over immigration law
Richmond is joining a growing list of cities in denouncing Arizona's new immigration law and boycotting the state until the law is repealed.

May 4, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Community takes the reins
She introduced herself unpretentiously, as “Mary,” but what she said didn’t lack impact. “What’s really important to our community (is) we need to keep our jobs,” she said. The words were simple, but the gravitas came from the young woman’s identity . . .

April 30, 2010, Mercury News
North Richmond residents hope to win funding for eco-academy to boost community
Little League is making a comeback in North Richmond. The Third Street ballpark is freshly renovated. A plan to turn vacant lots into community gardens is taking root. . . .

April 19, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Former Obama official weighs in on Richmond
Former Obama Administration environmental expert Anthony “Van” Jones headlined a star-studded – and controversial – speaker list at Mayor Gayle McLaughlin’s re-election kickoff party Saturday. . .

April 16, 2010, Richmond Confidential
A city where the women flex their muscles
What is Richmond’s greatest resource? Its deep water bay? Its status as home to one of the nation’s largest oil refineries? Its history as a World War II hub of manufacturing? How about its women?

April 14, 2010, Richmond Confidential
New Youth jobs program hailed
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and a handful of city leaders praised about 20 local youths in front of City Hall on April 9. . .

April 13, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Cities to contractors: Hire more local people
Some cities in Contra Costa County are considering ways to force more local hiring amid rising unemployment. . .

April 8, 2010, The Mercury News
Feds Visit Richmond to Tout Green Jobs Program
Federal officials visited the RichmondBUILD facility Thursday to award the city program $500,000 for green jobs training. Environmental Protection Agency officials joined Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and other city staff to recognize participants and the American Recovery and . . . .

April 8, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
Unemployed Laborers Misdirect Frustration and Anger at Richmond Mayor
At the April 6 Richmond City Council meeting a stream of unemployed laborers and labor leaders vented their anger and frustration on Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. They blamed the mayor for their unemployed status. They were aided and abetted by some in the audience . . . .

April 7, 2010, CBS-5
Richmond Passes Daytime Curfew For School Kids
The Richmond City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a school-day curfew that they believe will help prevent children from getting into trouble or becoming the victims of crimes when they are supposed to be in school. The curfew will go into effect . . . .

April 6, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Richmond Marks New Jobs Program for Youth
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin will honor the Richmond Youth Corps, a new jobs program for youth, Friday. The program provides part-time work for Richmond residents ages 17 to 24 for five months at various city departments. Jobs include . . .

April 2, 2010, New York Times
Richmond’s New Priority: Taking Health Seriously
Richmond has widespread poverty, a high crime rate and a reputation as a tough, gritty city. In a region that has been moving steadily from heavy industry to an economy dominated by information and services, Richmond remains home to a major oil refinery.

March 23, 2010, The Mercury News
Richmond Considers School-time Curfew for Minors
Any students caught wandering Richmond streets during class could soon face a Juvenile Court judge to explain their truancy if the City Council approves a school-day curfew proposed by the Police Department. The plan, intended to curb the city's truancy problem . . . .

March 16, 2010, Accent Advocate
Casino Sparks Debate
Controversy is building as the proposal of a Las Vegas-style casino resort at Richmond’s Point Molate waterfront comes closer to fruition. Along the 500 acres of former naval fuel depot, Richmond City Council member Nathaniel Bates said that the proposed Indian casino . . . .

March 16, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
The Richmond Chamber of Horrors
The Richmond Chamber of Commerce, erstwhile defenders of land speculators and global oil corporations, just can’t let go of politics. They should rename themselves “Richmond Chamber of Horrors.” There was a time when local chambers of commerce were interested . . . .

March 15, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Women Gather to Celebrate the Past – and the Future
More than 200 women, and a handful of children and men, gathered at Dejean Middle School Saturday to celebrate their progress – and their future. “The main message I wanted to give was that we need to do the work to know, and believe, and feel in every . . . .

March 11, 2010, Indymedia, East Bay
Judge Verifies NUHW Landslide Vote at Doctors Medical Center
Almost a year after workers at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo voted 158-to-24 to quit SEIU and join the National Union of Healthcare Workers, an independent judge has determined that California's labor board should certify the landslide vote and make the switch official.

March 10, 2010, Accent Advocate
Operation Richmond Aims to Proclaim Peace
Thousands of city residents joined together at the Civic Center here Saturday to “Proclaim God’s Peace Over Our City,” including people of all ages, and different cultures and walks of life. Key events for the day included 210 prayer circles at various intersections throughout the city . . . .

March 10, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Richmond not on List of Chevron Cuts
Oil giant Chevron Corp. has revealed where it plans to cut its worldwide refining and marketing operations - and Richmond is not on the list. Chevron executives told a gathering of Wall Street analysts Tuesday that the oil company, America's second-largest, will lay off . . . .

March 10, 2010, The Mercury News
Fate of Richmond's Measure T Headed for State Court
City officials will take their voter-approved manufacturers fee to state court for a ruling, after a county judge declared the ballot measure invalid. The City Council voted 4-3 to appeal the county's decision to the state Court of Appeal. Tom Butt, Gayle McLaughlin, Jeff Ritterman . . . .

March 6, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Barnidge: Animus Bubbles to Surface over Chevron Upgrade
EVEN IF YOU care nothing about oil refineries and have no stake in the community, there is something strangely compelling about the infighting over Chevron's proposed $1 billion upgrade to its Richmond plant. The bare-knuckles brawl that awaits a verdict is . . . .

March 5, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Chevron Meeting will be Bellwether for Richmond
Richmond city officials will watch closely next week when Chevron Corp. hosts its annual security analysts meeting. The event is when the publicly held company reviews the results of the previous fiscal year and discusses its plans, goals and projections for the coming year . . . .

March 3, 2010, The Mercury News
Debate over Point Molate Hotel-casino Proposal Intensifies
The battle over a proposed $1.2 billion hotel-casino resort on a stretch of Richmond's waterfront is heating up as the project inches closer to a vote. Richmond leaders have extended the closing date on the city's $50 million deal to sell the old Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot to . . . .

March 2, 2010, Accent Advocate
Group Demands End to Violence
As violence continues to rear its ugly head within the city of Richmond, some in the community are fed up and putting their foot down, crying out that enough is enough. The ASU hosted a Fireside Chat, titled “Richmond Church Shooting: Enough is Enough,” in the . . . .

February 27, 2010, Inside BayArea
Richmond's Chamber and Mayor Square Off about her Job Performance
The "If you sue me, I'll sue you!" tiff between Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and the city's Chamber of Commerce looks like the unofficial start of the brewing fight for control of the city's top post. The latest spat started after McLaughlin's state of the city address, when . . . .

February 27, 2010, Examiner.com
California Mayor Advocates Freeing Cuban 5 TIs and National Solidarity
A key for justice and the release of allegedly falsely imprisoned persons (FIPs), the Cuban 5 targeted individuals (TIs) due to their anti-terrorist work, is awareness raising about their combined case. Deisy Francis Mexidor of the International Committee to . . . .

February 24, 2010, Richmond Globe
Globe Publisher Honored by Richmond City Council
Vernon Whitmore, publisher of the Globe, looked on Tuesday as residents praised his work as a community leader. When residents and city leaders spoke one by one of their admiration for Vernon Whitmore, they didn’t talk of racy scoops or screaming headlines. . .

February 24, 2010, www.ahora.cu
CUS Public Opinion Key to Free the Five
The US people must learn about the serious injustice surrounding the five Cuban anti terrorists, awareness that is important to achieve justice and free them, stated Gayle Mclaughlin, mayor of Richmond, California. She said that important political issues in her country . . . .

February 21, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Local Meeting Examines a Possible Future Without Chevron
City leaders said the time has come to plan for a future without the company that has dominated the local economy for more than a century. A future without Chevron, the city’s largest taxpayer and employer, was a reverberating theme at a community meeting Friday night held by . . . .

February 21, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Council Calls for Reduced Airborne Pollution
City leaders said the time has come to plan for a future without the company that has dominated the local economy for more than a century. A future without Chevron, the city’s largest taxpayer and employer, was a reverberating theme at a community meeting Friday night . . . .

February 20, 2010, KTVU TV
Religious Leaders Hope Influence Decreases Violence
As Richmond Police continue the hunt for two youths involved in Sunday's church shooting, on Saturday morning, local religious leaders said they will launch a new campaign to fight back against violence in Richmond with faith. Church leaders from Richmond . . . .

February 19, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Local Public Activists Honored for Service
Courtland “Corky” Booze was touched, but not content. At the outset of City Council business Tuesday, Booze stood beaming before about 200 of his fellow citizens, his young granddaughter at his side.The longtime community leader was honored along with three other . . . .

February 17, 2010, Richmond Globe
McLaughlin Honors Black Leaders for Dedication to Social Change
During the City Council meeting Tuesday night, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin delivered her 2010 State of the City address.At the Richmond City Council meeting on Tuesday night, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin presented proclamations to four . . . .

February 16, 2010, KCBS Radio
Richmond Mayor Responds to Church Shooting
The mayor of Richmond has given an unequivocal thumbs down to a proposal to set up checkpoints in town to randomly search cars for drugs and weapons. As authorities mull over a new theory that Sunday's church shooting was the result . . . .

February 11, 2010, New York Times
Plan for Casino in Richmond Raises Fears of a Bad Precedent
A plan to build a Las Vegas-style casino complex on an isolated promontory on San Francisco Bay has drawn broad support in Contra Costa County, but detractors fear that its approval will unleash a new round of gambling places in urban areas. . . .

February 3, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Council Calls for Reduced Airborne Pollution
Richmond was born an industrial town of sooty petroleum refineries and locomotives, but its future should be based on low-emission, high-tech industries, the City Council declared Tuesday. After a long, and sometimes contentious, public debate, the Council voted . . . .

January 30, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Chevron's Fight with Richmond Intensifies
Greg Karras has heard the talk about Chevron Corp. possibly pulling out of Richmond. He isn't buying it. Karras is a senior scientist of an environmental group fighting Chevron's plan to upgrade its Richmond refinery, which has occupied a spot on the city's western . . . .

January 27, 2010, The Mercury News
Governor Lauds Green Tech Jobs in Richmond
Chevron plans job cuts in its fuel production and retail operations, a potentially wrenching downsizing that clouds the outlook for its century-old refinery in Richmond. San Ramon-based Chevron has been forced into a far-ranging review of its downstream . . . .

January 27, 2010, ABC 7 News, KGO TV
Schwarzenegger Pushes for Green Jobs in Richmond
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger toured SunPower Corp.'s solar panel manufacturing plant in Richmond today where he held a news conference to talk about his proposal to eliminate sales taxes on green technology manufacturing equipment in California. The proposal is . . . .

January 20, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Mayor Delivers State of City Address
What Mayor Gayle McLaughlin's State of the City address Tuesday night may have lacked in a unifying theme, it compensated for in sheer breadth. McLaughlin touted the city’s progress last year on an array of fronts . . . .

January 20, 2010, Richmond Globe
McLaughlin Delivers State of the City Address
During the City Council meeting Tuesday night, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin delivered her 2010 State of the City address. The following is an excerpt from her speech: “As we enter this new decade, the second decade of the 21st century . . . .

January 19, 2010, The Mercury News
Chevron to Shrink Refining Business, Cut Jobs
Chevron plans job cuts in its fuel production and retail operations, a potentially wrenching downsizing that clouds the outlook for its century-old refinery in Richmond. San Ramon-based Chevron has been forced into a far-ranging review of its downstream . . . . .

January 17, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Chevron the Target of Tax Measure Effort in Richmond
Supporters of a ballot measure to change Richmond's utility users tax law are mobilizing, with the election still 10 months away. Voters will decide in November whether to limit residents and businesses to one method, instead of two, for calculating what they owe the city . . . .

January 14, 2010, Berkeley Daily Planet
BUSD Opts Out of Race to the Top Program
Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett said Monday the governor’s new budget would result in significant cuts to the district in 2010-11. Huyett acknowledged that the district didn’t have any definite plans of how to address the $2 million budget . . . .

January 14, 2010, Richmond Confidential
City Hails Progress of Local Nonprofit Urban Renewal Program
Owing in part to its industrial legacy, Richmond is a city with urban environmental challenges. Which is why Mayor Gayle McLaughlin hails the establishment of a local nonprofit dedicated to cleaning, restoring and reusing urban parcels of land that lay dormant. . . .

January 13, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Murder the Main Issue at “Meet the Mayor” Meeting
A small, but vocal, group of Richmond residents attended the first “Meet the Mayor” event of 2010 on Thursday, and the main topic of discussion was very familiar to them all: Richmond’s rising homicide rate. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin spent the first part of the meeting . . . .

January 13, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Richmond Kudos on Anti-smoking Effort
Richmond, not usually associated with stellar air quality, won praise Tuesday for protecting its residents' lungs by enacting some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the country. "We have lots of challenges in this city, but we can also be at the forefront of change," said . . . .

January 9, 2010, Contra Costa Times
With Sale Closing Date Near, Richmond Casino Financing Questions Linger
Doubts about a developer's financing for a $1.2 billion hotel-casino resort in Richmond has a city official, once an avid supporter, recoiling, and is providing ammunition for a longtime opponent. Developer Upstream Point Molate LLC has not supplied the city with . . . .

January 7, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle
Wrong-way Race (Editorial)
I commend Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums for declining to join nine California mayors in jumping on Education Secretary Arne Duncan's Race to the Top bandwagon. Parents and dedicated teachers in my community tell me that instead of excessive testing and ranking . . . .

January 6, 2010, Richmond Confidential
Council Likely Moving Forward on Alcohol Fee, Point Molate Still up in the Air
The first city council meeting of 2010 saw several items stricken from the agenda or pushed back to later dates, but Tuesday’s meeting was anything but dull. As has become nearly customary at council meetings, the proposed casino at Point Molate was a hot topic of discussion. . . .

January 6, 2010, Contra Costa Times
Richmond Officials Divided over Whether to Extend Closing Date for Casino Deal
Richmond city leaders struggled and eventually failed to reach an agreement Tuesday night on whether to extend the closing date on a deal with the developer seeking to open a hotel-casino resort on the waterfront. Though some said an extension would allow time . . . .

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