El Cerrito
For more than two decades, water has seeped through the El Cerrito Library’s ceiling, soaking tiles and, at times, sending staff scrambling for trash cans to catch the drips. A citizen-led task force charged with charting the library’s future voted Tuesday to ask El Cerrito City Council to seek a detailed condition assessment of the 77-year-old building and a cost estimate for repairs. The assessment is part of the task force’s proposed work plan as it chooses between recommending a…
While about a dozen of her supporters listened to live jazz music and took consolation in the Democrat sweep of Congress at Little Hill Lounge on election night, El Cerrito City Council candidate Mary Ann “MJ” Jawili chatted outside about the results that showed her losing the race. In her campaign, she sought to unite a city that politics has sharply divided. “Whether your candidate wins or loses, we still have to come together. … I’m kind of worried that…
Advocates are pushing for more stop signs and other improvements to El Cerrito’s Ohlone Greenway to protect users after two children on an e-scooter were hit by a car last week at the Potrero Avenue crossing. The accident on Oct. 21 came as El Cerrito police crack down on electric motorcycles on streets, sidewalks, and pathways. Fearing such an accident, safety advocates had alerted the city in an April letter that “someone is going to be seriously hurt or killed”…
On an otherwise quiet Friday morning, a chainsaw buzzed through the Hillside Natural Area in El Cerrito. Then, a massive eucalyptus tree crashed to the ground, causing a loud thud that echoed across the hillside and threw up a cloud of dust and wood chips. Behind the safety line, workers moved their equipment into position as freshly cut branches and logs lay scattered across the work area. Where trees have already come down, the hillside is now open, offering a…
Signs of age are everywhere at the El Cerrito Library. Only two windows open, and there’s no air conditioning. Bloated linoleum tiles adhere to the floor with duct tape. The building has closed midday several times in recent years because of unsafe temperatures. “We sign forms every year acknowledging that there is asbestos,” manager Heidi Goldstein said Tuesday during a public tour hosted by the El Cerrito Library Task Force. The El Cerrito Library building opened in 1949 and has…
The six candidates vying for two open seats on the El Cerrito City Council faced off Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Association hall, where much of the discussion focused on the city budget. Before an audience of about 100 people, the candidates responded to questions submitted by residents and posed by a moderator with the West Contra Costa County League of Women Voters. They sat before walls covered in plastic sheets because the building is under renovation. Mayor Gabe Quinto, the…
Update: Primary election results show Measure C losing, with 70% of voters against it. Everyone loves libraries and in El Cerrito, voters are being asked to back that sentiment with a tax increase that would fund a new one. Some say the city instead should show a little more love to the current library, which, with a few enhancements, might meet the community’s needs. On Tuesday, El Cerrito voters will decide on Measure C, a 30-year parcel tax that would…
El Cerrito City Council will swear in two new members and welcome back incumbent Lisa Motoyama at its Tuesday meeting. Official election results show Motoyama taking 30% of the vote, followed by Rebecca Saltzman with 28%, and William Ktsanes with 22%. Courtney Helion and Lauren Dodge rounded out the ballot, with 11% and 9%, respectively. The new members will be sworn into office following the mayor’s State of the City address from 5 to 6 p.m. Voter turnout in El…
With three open seats on the five-member El Cerrito City Council, the Nov. 5 election offers residents a rare opportunity to shape the city’s future. Mayor Tessa Rudnick will not be running for reelection after one term on the council. Councilmember Paul Fadelli is also not running, after serving two terms, leaving Lisa Motoyama as the sole incumbent. Also running are Lauren Dodge, a design researcher and landscaper; Courtney Helion, an art conservator; William Ktsanes, an educator; and Rebecca Saltzman,…