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More than a dozen layoff notices have been rescinded and some proposed cuts restored in the balanced budget Richmond city leaders passed early Wednesday morning for next fiscal year.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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