Richmond receives $700,000 state grant for Greenway Gap Closure Project
The state has awarded Richmond $700,000 to help fund its Richmond Greenway Gap Closure Project. The grant will fund the next phase of planning and conceptual design for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over 23rd Street, Carlson Boulevard, and adjacent railroad tracks. City officials say the project will close a “critical gap in the Richmond Greenway and improve safe access for people walking and bicycling on the trail.” The Richmond Greenway is a nearly 3-mile trail between South Second Street and San Pablo Avenue. The trail has a gap in the middle that requires users to navigate a potentially hazardous route beneath an overpass and along busy city streets.
Astronaut to speak at Richmond leadership awards dinner
A newly established awards dinner and fundraiser will honor three Richmond community leaders and feature a keynote speech from an astronaut whose life inspired a 2023 film. The Richmond SOL Community Awards will recognize three people who embody the nonprofit Richmond SOL Youth Programs’ core values of sports, outreach and leadership. The event will feature a buffet-style dinner and a keynote speech from Jose Hernandez, a Stockton native who became NASA’s first Latino astronaut when he flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2009. The 2023 biopic “A Million Miles Away” told his story. Proceeds will benefit Richmond SOL programs.
Richmond SOL Community Awards, Sat., Aug. 8, 5 p.m., RPAL offices, 2200 Macdonald Ave. $105 plus fees
San Pablo places sales tax measure on the November ballot
The San Pablo City Council has voted to place a sales tax increase proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot. If approved, the San Pablo City Services Measure would bring in about $2 million per year during its 10-year lifespan. During the first five years, the sales tax in San Pablo would rise a half-cent to 10 cents per dollar. Over the next five years, it would increase by a quarter-cent to 9.75 cents per dollar. San Pablo city officials say the funds would pay for essential community services, including crime prevention, street maintenance, illegal dumping cleanup, senior programs and youth services.
NIAD Art Center appoints new executive director
NIAD Art Center has hired Amy Kisch as its new executive director. Kisch has spent the past 30 years as an arts leader, strategist, curator and nonprofit executive. Her early career included clinical and community social work. NIAD officials said Kisch “has worked to expand visibility, representation, and opportunity for artists, recognizing their role as trusted messengers and cultural anchors within their communities.” The NIAD Art Center was founded in 1982 and is home to nearly 80 artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Contra Costa County seeks professionals for property tax appeals board
Contra Costa County is recruiting people with experience in real estate, appraisal, accounting, or the legal profession to serve on its Assessment Appeals Board. The board oversees appeals from property owners on the tax assessments assigned to them by the Contra Costa County Assessor’s Office. Applicants don’t need to live in Contra Costa County, but they must have at least five years of experience in California as a public accountant, real estate broker, attorney, or property appraiser. The board meets every Thursday except the first Thursday of each month. The board pays members $200 for half-day meetings, $300 for full-day meetings, and $400 for consecutive meeting days.
