Reports on trains in Miller-Knox, Terminal One project on PRNC agenda Wednesday

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will hear reports on BNSF railroad's plans to run trains along the shoreline of Miller-Knox Regional Park and an update on the Dornan Drive-Brickyard Cover Road Terminal One housing project Wednesday.
     The PRNC meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center in Point Richmond and is open to the public.
     The BNSF train update will be provided by Eric Zell and is set to begin at about 7:50 p.m.
     The PRNC's last update on the ongoing trains-in-the-park situation was in July.
     The update on Terminal One will be from Brian Lewis and Jeff Vines of the Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development (BCARD).  The presentation by the BCARD members should begin about 8:15 p.m.
     The BCARD presentation will likely include comments about the proposed lack of public parking alone the shoreline of the development, information on ongoing attempts to clean up the toxic areas of the site and City of Richmond plans to help fund certain portions of the project.

Local authors to speak at Temple Beth Hillel

   HILLTOP - Local authors Robert Schoen and Catherine deCuir will be discussing their new novel, The Rabbi Finds Her Way, Sunday, Nov. 17 beginning at 2 p.m.
     The novel features a female rabbi/cantor as she moves through the scenes, activities and politics of a modern-day synagogue.
     It is the first in a planned series of novels by the pair.
     For more information, see the flier below.

Richmond weekend ferry service pondered

   RICHMOND - Weekend ferry service between Richmond and San Francisco - suspended last weekend - is being studied by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) for possible resumption.
     If the popular service is resumed, it will likely not be until next spring or summer.

First day of Richmond to SF ferry service in August
(Photo by Richmond Standard)

     WETA spokesman Thomas Hall said the agency will be considering resumption in the next few months. "We will be considering ridership, expenses and fund availability holistically," Hall said.
     During the three-month pilot trial period for the Richmond-to-SF ferry there was an average of 1,100 boardings per weekend, with a high of 1,800 during Fleet Week.
     Regular weekday commuter ferry service will continue, he said.
     To comment on 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 at WETA.

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: