The job cuts, which were initially estimated to save $87 million, are a part of WCCUSD’s three-year fiscal solvency plan to eliminate its $127.2 million deficit. The school district also voted to close Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante and move staff and students to Pinole Middle School, about 1.5 miles away, across the freeway. WCCUSD also decided to phase out its K-eight schools and move those pupils into traditional elementary and middle schools. It’s also pulling millions of dollars from its reserves to balance the budget.
Four board members voted in favor of saving the handful of positions, with Trustee Jamela Smith-Folds abstaining. The board then unanimously approved the rest of the reductions.
Head to the link in bio for more.
Reported and photographed by @jana_kadah
Micah Bruce’s wife Mur-Ray Bruce-Bahati heard a noise outside their front door one December morning last year, so her husband investigated.
@mikewillcut.smp found a small brown and white dog, looking scared and cold, with visible scars, scrapes and a bloodshot eye.
That dog went to the right house to find help.
Head the link in bio to read about this animal-loving barber.
Reported by Tony Hicks
Photographed by @lifeoftygs for Richmondside
Doggy photos courtesy of Michael Bruce
*Watch this video in English @richmondside
Esto es lo que necesitas saber sobre la primera elección de Richmond, California, será el 2 de junio.
Hay más información en el enlace en nuestro perfil.
🎤 Joel Umanzor
#richmondca #bayarea #eastbay #elecciones
*Ver en español @richmondside
Here’s what you need to know about the June 2 election in Richmond, California.
Head to the link in our bio for a guide to the primary election.
🎤 Joel Umanzor
#richmondCA #richcity #bayarea #election
**Note: Photo on 3rd slide is of Ximena Gutierrez, not Ruby Rodriguez who is quoted in the text.
“I found out that I am part Jewish and 6.7% African and I never would’ve expected that,” said Ximena Gutierrez, a former student in the class. Gutierrez signed up for “Ms. B’s,” (Devyvani Bhadkamkar’s), AP Biology class even though she never intends to pursue a science career.
“A lot of us took AP bio because we know Ms. B’s a good teacher,” she said. “And I think when a teacher likes her job, it’s really obvious,” Gutierrez said.
Bhadkamkar, a Palo Alto native, arrived at Leadership Public Schools through Teach for America in 2019. Since then, she’s developed a reputation for organizing cool projects.
Head to the link in bio for more.
Reported by Sejal Parekh
Photographed by Maurice Tierney for Richmondside
Richmond officials are hopeful that OpenAI’s plan to open an office on the city’s waterfront will be a boon, not just for the job market and tax base but for the local economy.
The San Francisco-based tech giant, which is probably best known for its ChatGPT app that uses artificial intelligence to answer user questions, says its mission is to “ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.” It hasn’t formally announced it’s taking over the more than 200,000-square-foot property at Portside Commerce Center. But city and county officials, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, confirmed media reports that the company is coming to Richmond.
Contra Costa County property records show the company leased the building at 1411 Harbour Way, at Terminal 3 east of the ferry terminal, on March 9. Several messages left for OpenAI’s spokespeople weren’t returned.
“Silicon Valley is tapped out,” Martinez said. “It’s overpriced. Richmond has lots of land, it’s affordable, and we have a workforce.”
Head to the link in bio for more.
Reported by Tony Hicks
Photo courtesy of Brookfield Properties
Five people, including incumbent Mayor Eduardo Martinez, are running for mayor in the June 2 primary. Here are the highlights.
Head to the link in bio for the full Q&A with the candidates.
Reported and hosted by Joel Umanzor.
Ricardo Magana, a senior at Invictus Academy of Richmond, was honored at a recent Dubs game with a Bay Area All-Star scholarship worth $5,000.
Head to the link in bio for more.
Reported by Jana Kadah
Photos and video courtesy of the Golden State Warriors and Ricardo Magana
Richmond City Council unanimously voted to reauthorize the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY), a move that sets aside $99 million for nonprofit programs until 2038.
Head to the link in bio.
Reporting and video by Joel Umanzor
Richmond is already underserved when it comes to recreational space and having improved neighborhood fields is helpful for lower income families who lack reliable transportation, or for working parents struggling to get kids to activities.
Richmond is under the state average of park land per 1,000 residents, at 2.4 acres, according to a 2021 Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission document, not including its East Bay Regional Parks, which don’t include playing fields. The state average is about 3 acres per 1,000 people.
The renovated parks won’t be bigger, but they’ll be better, Porter said, with the addition of modern amenities.
Read more at the link in bio.
Reported by Tony Hicks
Photos by Maurice Tierney for Richmondside
Join us on April 22 for a mayoral candidate forum where those running to serve Richmond will briefly present their platforms and take questions from local journalists and audience members.
Click the link in our bio to submit your question to the candidates, or comment below.
Event details:
🗓️ April 22
🕕 6:30 p.m-8 p.m.
📍 CoBiz; 1503 Macdonald Ave Suite A, Richmond, CA 94801
🆓 Free to attend, registration required
The election forum is free and open to all. Spanish interpretation will be available on site, upon request. It will also be live-streamed on richmondside.org.
Richmond’s 77-year-old main branch is undergoing a $34 million renovation that will transform it into a safe, stable place where residents can go when earthquakes, wildfires, health hazards or power outages upend daily life.
“It’s important to have a place where people can go in these circumstances,” said Christopher Larsen, the library’s services manager.
The renovation will also include seismic upgrades, new amenities and an interior overhaul.
Check out the architectural renderings and read the full story at the link in our bio.
