Sitemap - 2023 - Martinez News and Views

"We Are Building": City Council Pledges to Make Affordable Housing a Reality as it Adopts Revised Housing Element

Refinery Pledges to Work to "Regain Trust" as County Health Chief Decries "Unacceptable" Number of Incidents in Pointed Letter

County Health Officials Launch 'Unannounced Inspection" of Martinez Refinery

Latest Refinery Furor Dominates Last City Council Meeting of the Year as Residents, Officials Tear into MRC

City Council is Asked to Reconsider 24/7 Security Requirement for Cannabis Dispensaries, Weigh Other Changes to Ordinance

Debate Over Name of New Park, City History Dominates Marathon City Council Meeting; Latest on Refinery Flaring

BREAKING NEWS: Level 2 Community Warning System Alert Issued for Martinez Refinery Flaring

News You Can Use: Holiday Events Galore Plus More Martinez Happenings for End of Year

MUSD Braces for Major Budget Cuts as Contract Negotiations with Teachers Union Reach Stalemate

City Council Set to Vote on Name of New Park at Pine Meadow on Wednesday

As Search Begins for New Finance Director, a Picture of City Hall Dysfunction Emerges

News You Can Use: Loaves and Fishes Food Drive; Frosty's Holiday Boutique; Frolic Parade; Campbell Shows; Victorian Holiday and Stargazing at Muir Site; Library, Hanukkah, Advent Events and More

City, County Address Continuing Homelessness Crisis as Point-In-Time Count Shows 10% Uptick in Martinez from 2020 to 2023

D.A. Launches 'Enforcement Action' into MRC but Makes No Mention of 10-Month Investigation into Community Warning System Failure

News You Can Use: Thanksgiving, Holiday, Library Events and More for November

Noise, Pollution From Buchanan Airport Planes Fuel Frustration, Worry in Martinez

Veterans Day Bonus: Listen to the Stories of City's Veterans Courtesy of Martinez Oral History Project

Muir Oaks Residents Sound Alarm about Fire Hydrant Woes After Blaze Threatens Homes

News You Can Use: AHS Stages 'Our Town' This Week; Library Celebrates Picture Book Month; Dia De Los Muertos LGBTQI+ Event; Veterans Day; and More

MUSD Enrollment Continues to Decline, but Attendance is On the Upswing

Refinery Emissions, Safety and Lawsuit Take Center Stage at City Council Meeting

City Council to Tackle Refinery Emissions, Youth Drug Use in Proclamations at Wednesday's Meeting

News You Can Use: Martinez Gets Spooky With Upcoming Halloween Events

MRC Provides Additional Details on Friday's Coke Dust Release; City Responds to Grand Jury Report on Affordable Housing Crisis

Latest Refinery Dust Release Doesn't Rain on Annual Homecoming Parade; Issues Concerning Unhoused and Downtown Businesses Raised at Council Meeting; County Supervisors Clash over Leadership Roles

Meeting on Soil Report Examining MRC Spent Catalyst Accident Elicits Concerns, Criticisms From Public

News You Can Use: Alhambra Girls Flag Football Kicks Off, Churches Set to Bless Animals, Library Offers Computer Docent Help, Music, Nature Walk, Zombie Crawl, and More

Breaking News: Video Footage of Officer-Involved Shooting at Velvet Cannabis Released by Martinez Police

Martinez Celebrates First Pride Event as Hundreds Revel at Waterfront Park

"I Shouldn't Have to Go Through This at a Young Age": MUSD Looks to Launch Student-Led Anti-Racism Effort as Students of Color Share Painful Experiences

City Moves Closer to Submitting Detailed Plan for Waterfront Revival to State Lands Commission

News You Can Use: Waterfront Horse Show, Library Storytime and Needle Arts Meetups, Cobras Car Show, Veterans Benefits Panel, and More

Velvet Cannabis to Provide 24/7 On-site Security in Wake of Officer-Involved Shooting

News You Can Use for September: Coastal Cleanup Day, Martinez CERT Classes, Martinez Pride, City Council Back in Session, and More

Velvet Shooting Updates: Officers' Names Released; Differing Accounts Emerge; Previous Incidents at Dispensary Documented

Martinez Celebrates 52nd Annual Art in the Park

What to Know About the Overnight Police Shooting Outside the Velvet Cannabis Dispensary

Why the D.A.'s Investigation into MRC is Taking So Long, and Why There is No End in Sight

Non-Disclosure Agreement Clears Way for Investigation to Begin into Cause of Refinery Spent Catalyst Accident

Wait Continues for Investigation into Cause of Thanksgiving Refinery Accident; County to Pursue Safety Culture Assessment of MRC

Civil Grand Jury Reports Examine Housing Crisis, Voting/Elections and Investigations into Officer-Involved Deaths

Improved Notification, Response Seen in Latest Refinery Coke Incident; Council Reviews July 11 Release; Supervisor Calls for Assessment of MRC's Safety Culture

Report: MRC Tried to Call County Hazmat Twice Before Activating Community Warning System for Coke Dust Release; No One Answered

Alarm Over Health Risks From Latest Refinery Incident Dissipates, but Questions Over Delayed Public Notification Remain

Refinery Dust 2.0: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

Independent Investigation into Refinery Accident Won't Address Failure to Activate Community Warning System, Notify Health Authorities

Martinez Celebrates Fourth of July, Community Spirit with Downtown Parade, Festivities

Martinez Refinery Investigation Stalled by Impasse Over Confidentiality Issues

City Council Adopts 'Roadmap' to Fight Racism, Promote Diversity, Equity After Three Years of Work

2001 Accidents at Martinez Refinery Were Eerily Similar to Last Thanksgiving's "Spent Catalyst" Release. Here's What Happened Then, and How the Response Was Different

Plans to Expand, Enhance Mt. Wanda Begin to Take Shape

American Rescue Plan Rescues Martinez's Budget

Health Advisory Lifted Following Soil Results from Refinery Accident, but Many Questions Remain, Some of Which May Never be Answered

News You Can Use: 'Finding Hope in America' to show at Campbell Theater, plus Cabanijazz Project, Juneteenth, John Muir, Sturgeon kids camps, and more

MUSD Braces for Loss of Over $2 Million in Block Grant Funding Following Governor's May Revise

City Leaders take Deep Dive into Vision for Transforming Waterfront into a Regional Destination

FBI, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Open Investigation into Martinez Refinery Accident

Martinez Sturgeon Baseball a Throwback to a Different, Simpler Era

Heated Pleasant Hill Council Meeting Shines Light on Changing Politics of Housing as Martinez Finalizes Its Plan

Happy Mother's Day to Martinez's Moms

Latest on Mercury Spill Cleanup, Arrest of Suspect with Gun at Elementary School

'I Do Not Feel Safe at This School.' Alhambra Students Speak Out on LGBTQ+ Resolution, Pride Flag at Emotion-Packed School Board Meeting

News You Can Use: Upcoming Events and Programs In and Around Martinez

Mt. View Sanitary District Board Approves Rate Hikes, to Study Possible Consolidation with Central San

MRC Oversight Committee Tackles Communications, Soil Testing Questions in Latest Meeting

Public Gets First Peek at Alhambra Highlands

Podcast Episode 3: More from My Sit-down Interview with Mayor Brianne Zorn

City Leaders Discuss Priorities for Infrastructure, Other Capital Improvements Over Next Five Years

Podcast Episode Two: A Sit-down Interview with Mayor Brianne Zorn

Join me on Notes

Mt. View Sanitary District Delays Vote on Rate Hikes; Now Planned for May 4

MUSD Superintendent Was Never Told of Toxic Dust Detected at Junior High from Refinery Accident

Mt. View Sanitary District Set to Vote Thursday on Steep Rate Hikes

Podcast Episode 1: A Sit-down Interview with Mayor Brianne Zorn

Long-awaited Refinery Dust Fallout Map is Released

City Leaders Aim to Overhaul Regulations for Accessory Dwelling Units, but Impact on Affordable Housing Remains to be Seen

Annexation of Unincorporated Areas Would Drain City Finances, Study Finds

City Set to Roll Out Expanded Community Warning System Alerts; Council Signs Off on Police Pay Perks to Address Staffing Crisis

Price of Being a News Desert: Local Officials Struggle to Get Word Out About Refinery Release, Health Concerns

Police Staffing Woes Continue; Rankin Pool to Open as Scheduled, but Heater Replacement Will Have to Wait; MRC Oversight Committee Adds Sixth Community Member

City Council Focuses on Retaining, Attracting City Hall Staff at Goal-Setting Workshop

Refinery Oversight Committee Holds First Meeting; Martinez is Sued for Failing to Adopt Housing Plan; Sewer Rates Headed Up, Up and Up; and MRC's Pond 7 Bites the Dust

Martinez Residents Say Tell Me More (and More) About Refinery Incidents; How Many Oversight Committee Members Can See MRC from their House?; MPD to Get New Body Cams

Martinez Roundup: Council to Discuss Community Warning System, School Board Marks Black History Month, Dutch Bros. Coffee is On the Way

Blueprints for Housing and Waterfront Begin to Take Shape

Martinez School District Grapples with New Challenges

Reader Poll: Please Share Feedback on How I Can Make the Newsletter More Valuable to You

Ex-Congressman George Miller Swears in New Councilman; Future of Waterfront Studied

What to Know about the Pending Investigation into the Martinez Refinery Hazardous Materials Accident

Satinder Malhi Appointed to Vacant City Council Seat

City Council Set to Fill Vacancy on Wednesday; State of Emergency Declared from Storms; Latest on Refinery Incidents