In brief: Supply chain bill from Richmond’s Garamendi moves forward

RICHMOND

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Richmond, a senior member of the House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has helped secure major wins to address the supply chain crisis and support American businesses and consumers as part of a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup meeting.

Specifically, Garamendi’s “Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act” — which he introduced with U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, has advanced from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in preparation for a vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation passed the committee by a vote of 58 to 1.

“I’m pleased that my legislation with Rep. Dusty Johnson to build on the progress of our Ocean Shipping Reform Act is one step closer to becoming law,” Garamendi said. “Our ‘Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act’ will fully support America’s exporters, address the supply chain crisis and correct our nation’s longstanding trade imbalance with countries like China.

“The bill will also prohibit U.S. ports from using Chinese state-sponsored software that creates security risks and allows the Federal Maritime Commission to investigate nefarious actors in the industry to prevent improper business practices. I’m grateful to Rep. Johnson for his continued partnership in this matter. We will continue to work tirelessly until this legislation becomes law and builds upon the successes of our Ocean Shipping Reform Act.”

The text of the “Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act” can be viewed online at bit.ly/45HNX0f.

— U.S. Rep. Garamendi’s office

ALBANY

Free compost available on Sundays at Gill Tract Farm

Feed your soil and prep your summer garden with some free compost! The Albany Compost Hub at the Gill Tract Farm (1050 San Pablo Ave.) is open every Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

Just drive up, shovel as much compost as you need into your containers or the hub’s burlap sacks, fill out our survey and then take it home. For directions and more information, visit bit.ly/albanycompost online.

— city of Albany

BERKELEY

Take survey on proposed bird safety city ordinance

Use the city of Berkeley’s online forum to weigh in on whether the City Council should adopt an ordinance that calls for bird safety requirements for new construction and significant renovations.

The purpose is to reduce bird mortality from windows and other transparent or reflective buildings or building features known to increase the risk of bird collisions. The “bird-safe” requirements would:

• immediately apply to all transparent and reflective surfaces for all nonresidential projects and larger residential buildings with 10,000 square feet or more gross floor area;
• be phased in over a period of two to five years for smaller residential buildings with less than 10,000 square feet gross floor area, certain affordable housing projects and window replacements on existing buildings;
• and include three compliance paths, ranging from window films and screens, to specialized transparent material containing bird-safe patterns through fritting or other treatments.

View and give input by noon Monday on this Berkeley Considers topic online at bit.ly/42f49TO.

— city of Berkeley

Eighth annual Pints for Paws fundraiser on Saturday

The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society (Berkeley Humane) has announced its eighth annual craft beer festival which raises funds to save the lives of cats and dogs. Voted Best Fundraising Event in the East Bay for several years, Pints for Paws will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at 2700 Ninth St. in Berkeley.

This annual event, which starts an hour earlier for VIP ticket holders, is organized by volunteers, so all funds raised will go directly to the medical and behavioral needs of Berkeley Humane’s dogs and cats. To learn more or to purchase Pints for Paws tickets, visit berkeleyhumane.org/pints-for-paws online.

Tickets include unlimited tastings from unique craft breweries, cider makers and artisan winemakers all while enjoying live music and a friendly neighborhood vibe. The dog-friendly event is presented by Fieldwork Brewing, Subaru and Wareham Development.

Unlike beer festivals that donate only a fraction of proceeds to charities, 100% of the funds raised by Pints for Paws support Berkeley Humane’s programs and community services. Funds raised will be dedicated to saving the lives of cats and dogs in the Bay Area and beyond by allowing the organization to provide medical care, training, nutritious meals, enrichment activities, and lots of love to animals in need.

Berkeley Humane transports more than 1,000 animals annually from municipal shelters all around the Bay Area and Central Valley that first need medical or behavior care to be adopted. The funds raised from this festival support Berkeley Humane’s commitment to provide complete care for shelter animals — from rescue to rehabilitation to placement — to dramatically increase their chances of finding new loving homes.

“Pints for Paws attracts people from all over who come together to make miracles happen,” said Jeffrey Zerwekh, Berkeley Humane’s executive director. “The people who attend this event provide us the financial resources so that we can save the lives of animals that are injured, abused or sick and eventually place them with new loving families. It just does not get any better than that.”

— Berkeley Humane

RICHMOND

Promise Scholar Celebration on Saturday at Civic Center

The group Richmond Promise invites the community to join in celebrating its newest class of college-bound scholars as the organization hosts its annual Scholar Celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Richmond’s Civic Center Plaza.

The event is free and open to the public. This year marks the eighth that Richmond Promise will gather the local community to celebrate its incoming class of Richmond Promise Scholars. The event will feature performances by local artists, games, booths hosted by local colleges and universities, community resources and a food truck in a college quad-style atmosphere.

Since its launch in 2016, Richmond Promise — a postsecondary access and success organization — has supported more than 3,000 young people in Richmond as they make their way to and through higher education. Richmond Promise serves more than 1,900 scholars who are pursuing associate degrees, bachelor degrees and career technical education certifications at more than 200 colleges and universities across the United States. Most Richmond Promise Scholars identify as people of color, first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds.

“Welcoming students and families back to Civic Center Plaza in 2022 was a huge success, and we are looking forward to joining with the Richmond community once again as we celebrate our newest cohort of Richmond Promise Scholars,” said Richmond Promise Executive Director Christopher Whitmore.

Organizations interested in sponsoring the event can contact Maya Kamath, the group’s development director, at mkamath@richmondpromise.org. For more information on the Richmond Promise scholarship and support services available for students, visit richmondpromise.org.

— Richmond Promise

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