City Government

Faith Leaders Ask City Council to Say No to Coal

Published

9 years ago

January 8, 2016

Community members and faith leaders are continuing to raise awareness about what they consider to be the dangers of coal to the health of residents of West Oakland and other nearby communities.

Pastor Ken Chambers of West Side Missionary Baptist Church, who is a cancer survivor himself, is hosting a series of community meetings at his church.

“The community of West Oakland has high health risks for asthma, cancer and other health challenges that continue to plague our community,” said Pastor Chambers. “It is time to take a stand against the transport of coal through our community for the sake of our health and the health of our children.”

Chambers says he is inspired by the leadership that Mayor Libby Schaaf is taking to promote climate justice.

“I am proud she represented our city at the global climate agreement talks in Paris,” he said. “I urge the City Council to take part in this global effort by saying no to coal coming through Oakland.”

The council is scheduled to decide early next year whether to challenge the plan to ship coal by rail from Utah through the city’s transport terminal for markets in Asia.

Joining Pastor Chambers, Pastor C. L. Mathews of Corinthian Baptist Church is taking a strong stand against the coal shipments.

“It is imperative Oakland residents continue to reject the transportation of hazardous fossil fuel materials,” he said. “During the 1960s and 1970s many of our children dealt with diesel soot on windowsills. Now adults, we suffer with health issues.”

“Oakland has an asthma hospitalization rate that is higher than other communities,” he continued. “Oaklanders will not be hoodwinked into believing a pipe dream of more jobs – at the cost of our health and generations of our children’s health.”

“All money isn’t good money.”

Said Rev. Thomas Harrison of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, “Coal is unhealthy for the community, and I support the opportunity to produce green organizations and jobs.”

Rev. Curtis Robinson of Faith Baptist Church said he hopes Oaklanders will see that coal has no future.

“The adoption of renewable energy is inevitable, just like the adoption of seatbelts by the U.S. government,” he said. “It is clear that we need to adopt newer energy to save the lives of our people.”

Others calling on the city to say no to coal include: Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal Bishop of California; Rabbi Marvin Goodman, Northern California Board of Rabbis; Rev. Will Scott, program director California Interfaith Power & Light; Susan Stephenson, executive director Interfaith Power & Light;

Rev. Dr. Kwasi Thornell, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Oakland; Pastor Jim Hopkins, Lakeshore Ave. Baptist Church, Oakland; Archdeacon Carolyn Bolton
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Oakland; Rev. Ben Daniel, Montclair Presbyterian Church, Oakland; Rev. Ambrose Carroll, Green the Church; Rev. Earl Koteen,
Universalist Ministry for Earth; Rev. Debra Avery, First Presbyterian Church of Oakland;

The Rev. Laurie Manning, Skyline United Church of Christ, Oakland; Rev. Cheryl Denise Ward, Oakland, Charles O’Neil, member, Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church, Oakland, Rabbi Oren Postrel, Emeryville; Rev. MaAn Barcelo, Retired Minister United Methodist Church, Pastor Linda Loessberg-Zahl, Epworth United Methodist Church, Berkeley.

The next community meeting to oppose the coal shipments will take place Monday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m. to 7:30 pm. at Westside Baptist Church, 732 Willow St. in West Oakland.

For more information, call Rev. Ken Chambers at (510) 239-6969.

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

7 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.

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Bay Area

Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.

This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.