RPA Community Update: August 2005
Richmond to CAL-EPA: Can You Hear Us Now?
The Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Zeneca/former Stauffer Chemical Company site held its second meeting on July 28 at the Richmond Civic Center’s Bermuda Room.
 Some of the 25 CAG members at the July 28th meeting. |
CAG was formed to provide feedback and direction to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) which is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CAL-EPA). The 25-person group, with representatives from the local business community, residents, environmental organizations, and citizen’s groups, decided to add members who could represent the workers at the Richmond Field Station. Tarnel Abbott convened a subcommittee to discuss who to recommend. Richmond Progressive Alliance member and Contra Costa Building Trades political director Rick Alcaraz (who worked at the Field Station in the 1960s) was asked to be one of two new members selected to join the CAG representing Field Station Workers.
This is especially of concern to RPA members serving on the CAG who learned that the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) had stopped monitoring air quality, even though workers at the Richmond Field Station continue to report nosebleeds, respiratory symptoms and other health problems.
Another ad hoc committee was formed to look at resumes of potential independent facilitators who could assist the group move through its agenda. Concerns were expressed about the fact that the developer has offered to pay for the facilitator. Some CAG members expressed fears that if a facilitator knew where his or her funding came from, he or she might be biased in their facilitation of meetings. The committee wasn’t authorized to make decisions or to move ahead, just to look over resumes that had already been collected.
The CAG did nominate and elect
the following individuals to help guide future meetings:
Whitney Dotson, interim chair; Celeste Crystal, interim vice-chair; Alice
Gathogo, secretary/recorder; and Arnie Kassendorf, timekeeper. The next
agenda will include discussion about the formation of committees, a mission
statement and “operating instructions” for the CAG, and issues
of public participation.
The next meeting will be held
on Thursday, September 1, at the Bermuda Room, starting at 7:00 p.m. For
additional information, see: www.dtsc.ca.gov/sitecleanup/Zeneca/index.html
[link on site to: soula.org/zeneca/index.html
]
A Special Election Summit Conference will be held Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Easter Hill United Methodist Church (3911 Cutting Blvd. & S. 39th Street) in Richmond. West County voters are invited to attend the educational summit to learn about and discuss issues connected with the impending, statewide special election.
Among those confirmed to speak are: Jessica Rothaar, Health Access; Heather Hoell, Planned Parenthood; Gail Mendes, United Teachers of Richmond; Kerry Moriarty, California Teacher's Association; and Marie McDonald, the Contra Costa Plan.
The Richmond Greens are the latest grassroots democracy group to join in sponsoring the Conference. Devin O'Keefe, who is representing the Richmond Greens in the Conference, is also a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance.
The Summit is being coordinated by volunteers and your help is needed to assist with voter registration and other jobs. For more details, please call (510) 235-1184. Sponsors include: Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (14th Assembly District); Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia; Richmond Democratic Club; El Cerrito Democratic Club; Democratic Party of Contra Costa County Central Committee; Richmond Greens; and several Labor and Faith groups.
Click here to connect with the Richmond Greens, a local of the Green Party of Contra Costa County. www.richmondgreens.net
Richmond Starts New Democratic
Club
The newly constituted Richmond Democratic Club held its second membership meeting on Thursday, August 11, at Easter Hill United Methodist Church. The Club is soliciting members among residents in the City of Richmond and unincorporated communities of North Richmond, El Sobrante, East Richmond Heights, and Rollingwood.
To join, individuals must meet three requirements: be registered democrats; or, if ineligible to vote, must pledge to register as a democrat as soon as eligible; and must support the purposes of the club, which are spelled out in the by-laws. Membership dues may be sent to the RDC, 5306 Poinsett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94805. Dues are $25/year, $40 for two at one address, or $10 for students, seniors and low-income Democrats.
The following is excerpted and edited from Richmond City Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin’s newsletter.
In brief: The City Council is on break until September 13. Tony Thurmond has been appointed to replace Mindell Penn (who has recently resigned from the City Council).
The City Council will soon
be selecting a developer for the 12th and Macdonald Ave. Project. The
choice of a project developer will be made at an open session meeting
of the City Council, most likely in September. Gayle supports the local,
community-based development group, Hometown Development. Hometown is focused
on keeping local businesses in the city; providing affordable housing;
encouraging a livable, walk-able community; and keeping money circulating
within the city rather than being drawn out of the city.
For more about Gayle’s efforts to re-vitalize the City of Richmond,
click here. www.gaylemclaughlin.net
After a four-year campaign to regulate and minimize oil refinery flares, Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) and their allies have won a great victory. The Bay Area Air District has adopted a Flare Control Rule. Their success reflects the effectiveness of CBE's method of combining organizing, science, and law to make real change. The activism of Contra Costa County community members and allies were also critical to CBE’s success. The Refinery Flare Control Rule is the first of its kind in the nation and it will benefit low-income communities and communities of color all over the country who fight to challenge refinery pollution.
Congratulations to Carla Perez, CBE activist in Richmond, and all supporters! For additional information, see CBE’s Web site, click here. www.cbecal.org
Short Features: On a Progressive
Note
The EcoVillage Farm Learning Center …. “is a model for growing healthy youth and healthy communities. People are an important part of the environment and we want to broaden the range of people involved in environmental and social justice work to include urban residents and people of various cultural backgrounds,” states Ecovillage founder and executive director Shayaam Shabaka on the group’s Web site.
EcoVillage was recently honored
by the city of Richmond with proclamation introduced by Councilmember
Gayle McLaughlin and the organization was also a co-sponsor with Kaiser
Permanente a "Special Solutions Meeting" to brainstorm preventive
approaches to the ongoing violence in Richmond.
Eco Village Farm Center is open to the public. For individual or group
tours, please call for an appointment: 510-223-1693. To link to the Web
site, click here. www.ecovillagefarm.org
.
The Coalition to Save Point Molate and East Bay Coalition
Against Urban Casinos
are working hard to oppose casino expansion in Richmond and in the East
Bay. On August 6th, they held a rally in San Pablo against the installation
of 500 electronic bingo machines at Casino San Pablo.
They also unveiled a creative mobile billboard which displays messages opposing urban casinos. For more information, check out Stop Urban Casinos’ Web site, click here.
Cherysse Walton has left a key position in Richmond’s “Just Cause Eviction and Fair Rent Protection” Campaign (Faith Works). In her farewell message, she calls us to action.
"I have loved every minute
of working for you. The giant spirits you have shown have humbled me.
I know what heroes look like, they look like each of you. They are ordinary
people with passion and heart for social change. I will miss all you so
much that my glasses are blurred with tears. I love you all. We did good
work when we were able to do good work. I wish we could do more. Go(dess)
bless Richmond and the people who love her enough to fight for her."
Cherysse’s departure means that Faith Works has a position open
and is currently seeking to hire a community organizer for these campaigns
($30K-$40K DOQ). Bilingual (Spanish/English) Preferred. To Apply, send
a resume and cover letter via email to ma@ccfaithworks.org
or by US post to Maria Alegria, Executive Director, Contra Costa Faith
Works! 402 Harbour Way, Suite 105, Richmond, CA 94801.
Forum at San Pablo Library on
Patriot Act
Thursday, Sept 29, at 7 p.m. Sponsored by League of Women voters, Concilio Latino, East Bay Peace Action, Richmond Vision 2000, RPA and friends of San Pablo Library—
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