New Richmond-to-SF ferry schedule starts, no more weekend ferry service for winter

   RICHMOND - The weekend ferry service from Richmond to San Francisco that began August 3 ended this past weekend.
     The announcement from the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) says that the popular Saturday and Sunday service trial service is over, but makes no mention when - or if - WETA will reinstate the weekend ferries from Richmond Ferry Terminal to the San Francisco Ferry Terminal.
     The ferries back and forth to SF during the final weekend were well attended with passengers.
     Regular weekday commuter ferry service will continue WETA says.
     For updates about changes to the weekday schedule, check out the WETA website here.
     To comment on the suspension of the Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry service, WETA can be contacted by phone at 707-643-3779 or toll free at 877-643-3779.
     WETA can also be contacted via email here: WETA.

View from the Richmond-to SF ferry Saturday, November 2

PRNC to discuss ER shortage in Richmond

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will hear a report about the shortage of emergency room services in the community when it meets Wednesday, Oct. 30.
     The meeting will be held in the Point Richmond Community Center on Washington Ave., begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
     The discussion/presentation about the need for emergency room services will begin at about 7:55 p.m.
     The PRNC's consideration of the topic is a prelude to a community-wide public meeting set for Saturday, Nov. 9 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond. (See the notice below for details.)
     The PRNC will also hear a report about the upcoming 2020 Census and discuss the need for a volunteer secretary for the organization to take over duties in January.

Temple Beth Hillel invites community to observe High Holy Days celebrations

   HILLTOP, Richmond - Temple Beth Hillel has extended an invitation to the community to observe High Holy Days with the congregation.
      Services will be led by Rabbi Dean Kertesz and the temple's new cantor Shayndel Adler.
      Evening services begin Sunday at 7:30 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 30 with a morning service beginning at 10 a.m.
    Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement services open at 7 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 8 and end at 7 p.m. Weds. Oct. 9. Morning services will be held on Oct. 9 at 10 a.m.
     For full details, see the notice below:

Citizens' group opposes Richmond City Council funding for Terminal One

   A citizens' group has asked the Richmond City Council to vote "no" tonight on a resolution giving additional funds for the development of the Terminal One project.
     The city council meeting dealing with giving additional funds for Terminal One begins at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers at 440 Civic Center Plaza.
     The meeting is open to the public.
     The item on the agenda is H-1 and reads:

H-1. ADOPT a resolution approving the Successor Agency to the Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency's amendment to the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule to address increased costs for remediation and demolition work at 1500 Dornan Drive - Successor Agency to the Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency

 (Lina Velasco 620-6706).

     A letter from the Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development (BCARD) says giving monies to developer Laconia as described in the resolution is not a correct use of the funds.

"Laconia wants to use the remediation funds to help tear down the building and to abate the asbestos in the building. However, these remediation funds were intended to be used by the City to Clean up the groundwater and soil contamination caused by the tenants of the property. Actual removal of the building is the responsibility of the developer and why the property was discounted," the letter states.

   The letter also points out that most of the $8 million received by the city to clean up the chemical pollution and toxic wastes on the former industrial site has been spent.

"This is a bait and switch tactic being used by the developer. We ask the City Council to vote No on this resolution and future attempts by the developer to shift the cost to the City or use additional park or sewer funds for improvements the developer committed to pay."

     The future shifting of costs referred to by BCARD was a proposal earlier this summer for the city to use public monies from several city sources - including funds collected from other developers - to help with increased developer costs at Terminal One - now being referred to as the Latitude Project at Terminal One.

   That proposal - expected to be taken up in the future - includes:

PRNC to hear report Wednesday on City of Richmond's Community Warning System

Pastor-Cohen

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will hear a report Wednesday night on the City of Richmond's Community Warning System and Local Notifications from Genevieve Pastor-Cohen, emergency services manager for the City of Richmond.
     The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Point Richmond Community Center on Washington Avenue and is open to the public.
     Pastor-Cohen's report will begin at about 7:55 p.m. and is expected to take about 40 minutes, including questions from the audience.
     The PRNC will also be taking up a series community announcements and reports.
     The full agenda is below:

PRNC to hear report Wednesday about BNSF plans for trains in Miller Knox park

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will hear an update and report about Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad's plans to reactivate and use railroad tracks in Miller Knox Park.
     The report will be made by Carol Johnson of the East Bay Regional Park District. The district filed a lawsuit in October of 2017 to resolve the issue.
     Earlier this year, EBRPD offered this statement to clarify the situation:
     “The property containing the remnant rail road tracks was purchased from Burlington Northern Santa Fe in 1991," EBRPD officials wrote. 
     "As part of the purchases, Burlington Northern Santa Fe was granted an easement back for the limited purpose of continuing to serve two adjacent industrial properties, the Bray Oil property and the Terminal One (formerly Petromark) property, only for so long as those industrial sites remained in operation. The Bray Oil property was purchased by the Park District in 1999 and designated open space. The Terminal One property stopped all industrial activity in the 1990s and is now owned by the City of Richmond and is designated for residential uses.”
     The PRNC meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. at the Point Richmond Community Center. Johnson's reported is slated to begin at about 7:20 p.m.
     The PRNC meeting is starting 15 minutes earlier than normal to accommodate an unusually long agenda.

'Wig-Wag' festival in The Point Sunday

   POINT RICHMOND - The just-completed restoration project of the historic railroad crossing "wig wag" signals in The Point will be celebrated Sunday.
     The public celebration is to commemorate the reactivation of the signals after 18 years of being dormant.
     According to festival organizers, Point Richmond is the only place in the nation where the wig wags are allowed to remain in place.
     The festival will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Mechanics Bank. It will include a dedication ceremony and a ceremonial reactivation of the wig wags.
     There will be entertainment, including singing and performances of the Wig Wag Rag (1911) and the Richmond Rag (1908).
     In addition, the work of local, national and international artists will be exhibited depicting railroads crossings. Local artists include Elizabeth Tarr, Jim DeWitt and Linda Lee.
     Thematic posters by Tarr will be available for purchase.