About Jennifer Baires

Contact Jennifer Baires

Education:

Masters of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley

August 2012 - May 2014

Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Berkeley

Political Science degree with an emphasis in American Government.

Published Stories:

Richmond and Concord vie for state-run call center

Richmond Confidential

As part of an ongoing tussle over the fate of a state-run call center expected to create some 200 jobs, city council members in Concord and Richmond will discuss the same item at their respective meetings on Tuesday night: How to guarantee the center is placed in their town. The call center is part of California’s move to comply with Affordable Care Act regulations and provide information for Californians on health insurance changes and plans. The goal is to have the center up and running by June, said Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff.

Spawning a swimming culture in Richmond

Richmond Confidential

Ducking under the water, seven-year-old Colin twists his body around in a tight corkscrew, shoots his hands in front of his head and pushes off hard against the pool wall. His slight frame cuts through the water like an arrow in flight—graceful, precise, direct. And then the arrow goes awry: a few yards down his head pops up, his right arm readies for the first stroke and his right leg suddenly juts out of the water too. Like a periscope, his leg trails behind him, turning his skilled swimming stroke into a thrashing crawl.

Jael Myrick takes his seat, becomes a part of City Council antics

Richmond Confidential

The addition of new city councilmember Jael Myrick didn’t stop the council from falling back on its old argumentative habits during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. The council passed most items unanimously or with just one vote against—but the majority of the time was spent debating procedures about when a councilmember can make a motion and discussing what Councilmember Corky Booze considers to be South Richmond.

Richmond Councilman-elect Gary Bell will not take office January 8 due to illness

Richmond Confidential

Councilmember-elect Gary Bell will not take office next week due to complications from a bacterial sinus infection, which was previously misreported in news accounts as a meningitis infection, according to a press release sent out Thursday night by Bell’s family. Next Tuesday, January 8, is the swearing in ceremony for the new councilmembers. Councilmember Nat Bates and Councilmember Tom Butt were re-elected in November—Bell won the third seat on the council with about 15 percent of the vote.

Emotional testimony from the families of the victims in the 2009 murders on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Richmond Confidential

They met in church, at Acts Full Gospel in Oakland. She was 51 years old, a cat-lover and toll-taker on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge who was trying to get out of bad relationship. He was 58 years old, an ex-Marine who drove a bus for Golden Gate Transit. He was a guy who kept everything in its place, his car and briefcase neat. He was a deacon, or “servant” at Acts. In August 2009 she told her family she was moving out of the house she shared with her ex-boyfriend. Her ex, Nathan Burris, decided he was not going to let her leave, and he was going to fatally punish her and the new man in her life. On August 11, 2009 Burris drove to the toll plaza and murdered Deborah Ann Ross and Ersie “Chuckie” Everette.

Shooter describes killing at Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Richmond Confidential

On August 11, 2009 Nathan Burris drove to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll plaza and shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Deborah Ross and her friend Ersie Everette Jr., Burris said Thursday in court. Burris—who is representing himself in the capital trial in Martinez—took to the witness stand and described for the jurors how he did it, and why. “I have no feelings about it,” Burris said. “I have no regrets about it. I am not going to get on my knees and ask for mercy.”

Ortega sentenced fr 32 years in Richmond High rape case

Richmond Confidential

The first of six defendants in the Richmond High gang rape of 2009 was sentenced in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez today to 32 years in prison. The sentencing was a formality after Manuel Ortega, 22, plead guilty last month to counts of rape, rape by a foreign object, forced oral copulation resulting in great bodily injury and robbery.

Home Front Festival 2012

Richmond Confidential

Every year, the city of Richmond pays homage its history as a WWII home front town with a celebration. This year, Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, captured the party with pictures.

Violence as a disease, and one man's prescription for Richmond

Richmond Confidential

As an advocate for non-violence, Dr. Joseph Marshall had devoted the better part of his adult life to teaching others how to answer tough questions. Questions like: How thin is the line between killing someone and turning the other cheek? What would it take for you to justify murder? Can you conquer your instincts when those instincts were shaped from years of fighting on the streets? But it wasn’t until a few years ago that he had to face the biggest personal test of his nonviolent philosophy.

Undocumented immigrants in Richmond seek help in applying for deferred action

Richmond Confidential

Karina Gutierrez was born in Mexico and was brought to the United States by her parents when she was four years old. She is not a U.S. citizen and has no legal right to be here. On Thursday, Gutierrez was helping people in a similar situation find out more about deferred action and determine the next steps for applying as part of an applicant screening session at Catholic Charities of the East Bay’s Richmond Office.

Kennedy High Eagles honor slain football player Ulises Grijalva

Richmond Confidential

Kennedy High football coach Mack Carminer walked slowly to the 50-yard line on Friday — minutes before the team’s first home game — to hold a brief ceremony in honor of “a fallen soldier.” Followed by members of the school administration Carminer carried the framed Eagles jersey of Ulises Grijalva, a player who was killed on August 5.

Richmond sees decrease in violent crime

Richmond Confidential

The number of homicides in Richmond this year rose to 14 on Saturday when a deadly shooting occurred in the Taco Bell parking lot on 23rd St. and Barrett Ave. The Contra Costa County Coroner’s office confirmed the identity of the victim as Javier Campos, 38, of Richmond. Richmond Police spokeswoman Detective Nicole Abetkov said the victim was shot in the abdomen and died later at the hospital as a result of his injuries.

Mayor circulates letter blaming council "dysfunction" on one member's "chaos, disruptions, and vitriolic speech"

Richmond Confidential

In an unusual move, last week after a particularly heated city council meeting Mayor Gayle McLaughlin sent an email to her online supporters entitled “The situation at City Council meetings,” in which she castigated “one councilmember’s” behavior during meetings, urged the public and other councilmembers to recognize to her authority as mayor and assured everyone that she will be tightening the reigns.

Richmond celebrates 4th of July with fireworks and music

Richmond Confidential

Under a full moon, thousands gathered on Tuesday evening at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond to celebrate the 4th of July a day early. Richmond’s annual fireworks show drew spectators from cities around the Bay Area. “Hercules and Pinole used to have shows, but due to budget cuts we don’t anymore. So we heard there were fireworks here and came out,” said Mark Shalz of Hercules, who came to watch the show.

Richmond runner takes on the country's oldest 100-mile run

Richmond Confidential

It’s almost 1 o’clock in the morning, and Jeff Pflueger is feeling great as he darts down a narrow dirt trail in Auburn, California, his headlamp illuminating a few feet of the path ahead of him. As he rounds the corner, a disco ball suspended from the roof of a white pop-up tent interrupts the lonely, wooded path, throwing beams of glittery light into the cold night. A handful of people stand to cheer as he passes the tent they’ve decorated like a Christmas tree. “314!”—his bib number— Pflueger yells out as he and his good friend and pacer Brian Wyatt rush past. His lanky silhouette quickly disappears into the darkness. There is no time to waste. He is less than four miles from the finish, so close he can feel it—100.2 miles nearly done.

GOP Struggles to Lure Latino Votes

New America Media

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in New America Media about the California state GOP and its tenuous relationship with Latino voters.

Patch Primer: The Role of the City Manager

Patch.com

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in Patch.com about some of the duties of a city manager, and a brief history of council-manager form of local government.

Building Bikes For Christmas

Patch.com

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in Patch.com about a local Hercules man who spends the weeks leading up to Christmas collecting and repairing bikes to donate to children in need.

Olivia Takes Severance, Police Chief Appointed to Interim City Manager

Patch.com

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in Patch.com about Hercules' outgoing City Manager Nelson Oliva.

Myrna de Vera and John Delgado Take Their Seats

Patch.com

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in Patch.com about the swearing in of two new Hercules city council members.

Mayor Kris Valstad and Councilman Joe Eddy McDonald's Last Meeting

Patch.com

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in Patch.com about the last city council meeting for long term members Valstad and McDonald.

The Mood at City Hall

Patch.com

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, writes in Patch.com about how workers at Hercules city hall are feeling in the aftermath of turnover and controversy over the city manager position.

75 Years of Parks

The California Report, KQED Radio

Jennifer Baires, class of 2014, reports for KQED Radio's statewide show, The California Report, reports about the East Bay Regional Park District's 75th year anniversary.

Work Experience:

New America Media Government Fellowship

New America Media  ( October 2012 - November 2012 )

New America Media editors contacted me just prior to the November election in 2012 to serve as a government fellow and attend their conference, take the information I learned and produce a localized story on one of the state's propositions.