El Cerrito Wire

You can still vote, even if you haven’t registered yet! IF YOU HAVE THE BALLOT THAT WAS MAILED TO YOU: - You can drop it in any of Contra Costa County’s secure ballot boxes including the one next to the parking lot at El Cerrito City Hall or outside the Kensington Community Center, just up the hill from the Kensington Library on Arlington Boulevard by 8 pm Tuesday, Nov. 3.  Complete list of secure ballot boxes in Contra Costa : https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/official-ballot-drop-boxes/   - Drop it off at any polling place in Contra Costa including the Kensington Community Center or one of the four in El Cerrito:  El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser  Saint Jerome Catholic Church, 308 Carmel St. John’s Community Center, 6500 Gladys Complete list of Contra Costa polling places: https://www.contracostavote.gov/election/november-3-2026-general-election/#   The polls are open on Election Day, T...

Some of the eucalyptus trees that have been removed from El Cerrito’s Hillside Natural Area will be making their way back up the hillside as benches and to form steps in steep areas. On Halloween, a crowd gathered behind the El Cerrito Recycling Center to watch as Jared Water of Mountain Timber Milling guided a powerful saw along a section of eucalyptus, assisted by coworker Matiya Barnett. Some of the onlookers sat on benches made earlier from the eucalyptus wood. Those benches and others made from the felled trees will be used in the Hillside Natural Area and possibly city parks as well. Some of the wood will be cut into short strips and installed across trails to make it easier to walk up steep sections and to prevent erosion, and for retaining walls as well. The city has removed 305 eucalyptus trees from 8.7 acres next to and above the Recycling Center in order to reduce fire danger and restore the native habitat.  El Cerrito Environmental Programs Manager Stephen Prée said at ...

Dual enrollment agreements with the Contra Costa Community College District and California State University East Bay are among the items on the West Contra Costa Unified School District board agenda Wednesday, Nov. 4. The agreements allow high school students to take college courses on high school sites. They receive both high school and college credits. “Data has shown that students who complete college credits while still in high school are more likely to earn a high school diploma, to enroll in community colleges, 4-year institutions, and to attend post-secondary institutions on a full-time basis,” according to the board packet. The school district provides the textbooks needed for the courses, using a College & Career Access Pathways grant. The public portion of the meeting is scheduled to begin 6:30 pm. The board meets at DeJean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Ave., Richmond. Directions for joining the meeting on Zoom and for making public comments are at the top of th...

Stock at the Trader Joe’s in El Cerrito appeared close to normal the morning of Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, after being noticeably bare in sections a week earlier. A few spots were still a bit light at 9:15 am, most noticeably the bread and fresh packaged salad. But pallets of bread and other fresh products were stacked outside the store as a delivery truck was being unloaded. The chain has added a warehouse in the Sacramento area that now handles fresh and refrigerated items, according to an employee. The old warehouse in Stockton will still handle dry goods. The number of trucks delivering fresh items to each store slowed down and some trucks arrived later in the morning than usual for a few days, but the employee said another shift has been added at the Sacramento area warehouse, and the El Cerrito store is close to caught up on shipments. A photo of the sparsely stocked bread aisle at the El Cerrito store and caption posted on El Cerrito Wire Facebook Oct. 23 drew by far the most ...

Workers painted “Bike Boulevard” signs on Blake Street on Oct. 28, 2026. By midday, the painted street signs on Blake stretched from Ganges to Richmond Street. The work is part of the second year of a five-year pavement maintenance project and focuses on the streets in the vicinity of Potrero Avenue. In addition to the resurfacing work, the project includes what the city refers to as “ quick-build pedestrian and bikeway improvements.” According to the city website, “Routine pavement resurfacing offers a cost-effective opportunity to implement these types of improvements. Because the pavement resurfacing operations remove existing traffic striping and pavement marking, the City can readily add features such as enhanced traffic striping, pavement markings, flexible posts, and low-profile speed bumps to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. “Quick-build pedestrian improvements will be implemented at various intersections of collector and arterial roadways and include painted ...

Independent spending to support El Cerrito City Council incumbent Gabe Quinto is now at $68,295.22 with two new reports posted to the city website Oct. 27. This is separate from the almost $50,000 collected by his campaign committee, primarily through large contributions. The Committee for Jobs and the Economy, Sponsored by Energy Companies, has now reported a total of $60,000 spent to support Quinto, according to the expenditures posted on the city website as of Oct. 27.  An expenditure of $5,207.46 by East Bay Jobs PAC is also showing on the city website as of Oct. 27.  The Contra Costa Firefighters for Public Safety sponsored by International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1230 earlier reported spending $3,087.76 to support Quinto. For an earlier report detailing the contributions collected by all the candidates’ committees and independent spending in support of the second incumbent, Carolyn Wysinger, see https://elcerritowire.blogspot.com/2026/10/massive-spending-in-e...

UPDATE - more expenditures   The spending in support of El Cerrito City Council incumbent Gabe Quinto in the Nov. 3 election continues to balloon, with independent expenditures in support of Quinto‘s campaign reaching $58,047.76. This is in addition to the almost $50,000 collected by his campaign committee, primarily through large contributions. The second incumbent, Caroyn Wysinger, is also drawing the bulk of her funds from large donations. Among the challengers, Forrest Lanning says he isn’t planning on spending or raising more than $2,000, and the other three candidates - Wally Nowinski, Mary Ann “MJ” Jawili, and Kimberly White - have drawn the bulk of their donations from El Cerrito residents.  The newest independent expenditures in support of Quinto are additional expenditures dated Oct. 23 by the Committee for Jobs and the Economy, Sponsored by Energy Companies, bringing its total to $54,960, and $3,087.76 by the Contra Costa Firefighters for Public Safety sponsored by ...

Update: Massive spending in council race continues While challengers Kimberly White and Wally Nowinski took an early lead in fundraising in September with donations coming largely from individuals, most of them El Cerrito residents, incumbent Gabe Quinto has surged ahead. For the period ending Oct. 17, Quinto’s committee reports $43,048.56 in donations. His campaign reported another $1,000 contribution received Oct. 19. In addition, “The Committee for Jobs and the Economy, Sponsored by Energy Companies” reports spending $46,860 in support of Quinto. Six candidates are vying for two 4-year seats in the Nov. 3 race for El Cerrito City Council. The largest contributions to Quinto’s campaign committee, as listed on his FPPC disclosure forms, are - $5,900 Plumbers & Steamfitters U.A. Local 342 PAC Fund, Concord - $5,900 from the LCCC PAC, a Bi-Partisan Coalition of Municipal, County, Latino Appointed and Elected Leaders Restricted Use Account,  - $5,000 from Service Employees Intern...

Two juveniles were hospitalized after their motorized stand-up scooter collided with a car at Potrero and Ohlone Greenway Wednesday, October 21 Someone on Nextdoor posted just after 1 pm Wednesday, October 21 with a video of the intersection of the Ohlone Greenway and Potrero blocked off with multiple police cars and ambulances. Another witness said on Nextdoor the collision was so loud it sounded like two cars hitting each other. From El Cerrito Police:  Two juveniles were transported to the hospital following a crash involving a high-speed electric stand-up scooter and a vehicle at the Ohlone Greenway and Potrero Avenue. The El Cerrito Police Department is urging parents and guardians to understand the capabilities and legal requirements of the scooters, electric bicycles, and electric motorcycles their children ride. The two juveniles were riding together on a scooter the manufacturer states is capable of reaching approximately 43 mph. Witnesses reported that they were traveling...