Bay Area
Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festivities to Return After 3-Year Hiatus
Richmond’s 23rd Street Merchants Association is organizing the return of the Cinco de Mayo festival Sunday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year marks the festival’s 17th trip around the sun after a three-year pandemic pause. Rocio Martinez of Rigo’s Auto Sales — whose Rigoberto and Carla Mendoza sit on the association’s board — confirmed the return of the family friendly festival, which will take place along the 23rd Street corridor in Richmond between Clinton Avenue and Rheem Avenue.
![Tens of thousands of people came out for the annual 23rd Street Merchants Association Cinco de Mayo Festival sponsored by Chevron Richmond. Richmond Standard photo.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/richmond-ccinco-de-mayo-featured-web.jpg)
By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard
It’s baaack!
Richmond’s 23rd Street Merchants Association is organizing the return of the Cinco de Mayo festival Sunday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year marks the festival’s 17th trip around the sun after a three-year pandemic pause.
Rocio Martinez of Rigo’s Auto Sales — whose Rigoberto and Carla Mendoza sit on the association’s board — confirmed the return of the family friendly festival, which will take place along the 23rd Street corridor in Richmond between Clinton Avenue and Rheem Avenue. Included among the festivities will be a lip-smacking variety of Latinx food vendors, food trucks and restaurants, as well as music, art/other booths, pony rides and kid-friendly fun.
Two stages — one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM on 23rd & Rheem Avenue and another sponsored by Radio Lazer 1510 AM at 23rd & Clinton Avenue — will provide the crowd with live entertainment. Martinez said that at the last time the festival was held in 2019, more than 100,000 people attended.
Chevron Richmond is a major sponsor of the event, with other local businesses like the City of Richmond, Mechanics Bank, AC Transit and more lending their support too. Questions re: the Cinco de Mayo festival may be emailed to Rocio Martinez or Claudia Chavez at 23rdstreetmerchantsa@gmail.com. Please note that alcohol is not permitted, and vendor applications are no longer being accepted.
Also making a return this year is the volunteer-run Cinco de Mayo Peace and Unity Parade, which will take place on May 6, the day before the Richmond festival.
The 15th annual parade starts at 10 a.m. that Saturday at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue in Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.
Buses will return people to Richmond at the parade’s completion. For more info, email 5demayoparade@gmail.com.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of July 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 24 – 30, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of July 17 -23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 17 -23, 2024
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Bay Area
Op-Ed Senate Bill 966 Threatens Health Equity in East Bay
My East Bay community is struggling to get by. A proposed State Senate bill would set us back even further. Serving the East Bay community has been my life’s work and my greatest joy. After leaving the Bay Area to complete my seminary, I returned home to found The Community Church in Oakland. From the outset of my time as the church’s pastor, I have been guided by the belief that my service must extend beyond the pulpit, because the health and economic needs of my community are so great. Our church has organized free food banks, COVID-19 testing clinics, and a housing and re-entry program for those suffering from addiction.
![Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VanHook-featured-web.jpg)
By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook
Special to the Post
My East Bay community is struggling to get by. A proposed State Senate bill would set us back even further.
Serving the East Bay community has been my life’s work and my greatest joy. After leaving the Bay Area to complete my seminary, I returned home to found The Community Church in Oakland.
From the outset of my time as the church’s pastor, I have been guided by the belief that my service must extend beyond the pulpit, because the health and economic needs of my community are so great. Our church has organized free food banks, COVID-19 testing clinics, and a housing and re-entry program for those suffering from addiction.
Through my service, I have seen the challenges that our community members are facing. Oakland, my hometown, has the third-highest rate of violent crime in the state. The local economy is strained. Oakland-based businesses are leaving our community because they’re struggling to get ahead.
Both East and West Oakland has disproportionately high rates of respiratory illness due to heavy air pollution. While our local efforts have brought some aid to those in need, we are also counting on our state elected officials to help us address the systemic health disparities afflicting the community.
Chief among the health concerns of community members is having reliable and affordable access to prescription drugs. Equitable access to medications gives us the peace of mind that we can keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe. Our community should not have to choose between paying rent or purchasing prescriptions.
Unfortunately, rather than taking action to combat soaring prescription drug prices, some California lawmakers are pushing legislation that could raise patient costs at the pharmacy counter.
The Legislature is currently considering SB 966, a bill backed by special interests that would undercut the few tools we have to keep prescription drug costs contained, letting big drug companies increase their prices, profiting on the backs of working families – some of whom already live paycheck to paycheck.
SB 966 would target the fundamental programs through which small businesses, unions, and government health programs are able to offer their employees and members quality and affordable healthcare. Millions of Californians rely on these plans to obtain essential medications at the lowest-possible cost.
The bill would make it illegal for employers and unions to incentivize the administrators of their prescription drug plans to negotiate for the lowest possible cost for prescriptions. Right now, small businesses and unions can choose to pay these administrators more for taking on big drug companies and securing discounts – a choice that will be outlawed under this bill.
As a result, employers will have no leverage to stop big drug companies from setting sky-high prices, disproportionately impacting working families.
As these health costs quickly add up, employers will have little choice but to pass the increases down to their employees. That means California patients will see higher healthcare costs and co-pays.
From my perspective, most concerning is that the bill would exacerbate the health disparities impacting my community and other underserved populations. If SB 966 becomes law, the most vulnerable may be forced to skip prescription doses, stop filling their prescriptions, and avoid essential care.
By rejecting this cash grab by big drug companies, our state elected officials can send a clear message that they stand with the community, patients, and working families.
We cannot afford SB 966.
Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.
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