Vivid, Evocative Photos at City Hall

The new exhibit that opened this week at the El Cerrito Hall Gallery Space features photos of flora, fauna and beyond by El Cerrito resident Evie Groch.

The second-floor Gallery Space at El Cerrito City Hall had its walls enlivened by a new art exhibit this week, a show of photos by El Cerrito resident Evie Groch. A public reception for the artist will be held Saturday, 2-4 p.m., at City Hall. The show runs through March. 29. A framed artist's statement accompanying the exhibit says, "The creative spirit that I nurture within me bridges genres, boundaries, and themes, combining my love of cooking, writing, painting, and creating two and three-dimensional art." "My photography selection reflects the thematic ebb and flow of the flora and fauna encountered in my travels, along with some spiritual scenes," Groch's statement continues. "I am at my happiest when my two worlds of words and …

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Japanese Internment in World War II – 70th Anniversary Remembrances

Art from the Topaz War Relocation Camp, photos by Dorothea Lange and a Day of Remembrance event recall the internment of West Coast residents of Japanese ancestry, including thousands from the Bay Area, during World War II.

Seventy years ago, on Feb. 19, 1942 – a little over two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor – President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, authorizing evacuation of persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. Over 100,000 people, including many from El Cerrito, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley and nearby, were held in 10 remote camps for up to three years. Two-thirds of those displaced were American citizens. In the Bay Area, the anniversary of the internment order is being marked by an art exhibit, an online photography display and a Day of Remembrance event. The remembrances have special resonance for El Cerrito, which had a thriving Japanese-American community, many of whom worked in local nurseries, when the war …

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G.C.

3:26 pm on Sunday, February 19, 2012

Will do. The same goes for a number of German-Americans.   more ›

Grammy Winner from Arhoolie Talks About Honor

Adam Machado talks about winning a Grammy Award this week for Best Album Notes for his book in the 4-CD set, "Hear Me Howling!," produced by Arhoolie Records of El Cerrito.

Two El Cerrito Public Art Plans Advance

The El Cerrito Arts and Culture Commission pushed forward two public art projects in one night Wednesday: sculptures on San Pablo Avenue streetlight poles and "functional artworks" for the new Recycling Center.

The largest public art project in El Cerrito history – abstract sculptures to be hung from 12 streetlight poles on San Pablo Avenue – won another key approval from the city's Arts and Culture Commission Wednesday night. With four of the panel's five members present, the commission voted unanimously to select 12 designs and locations for the formal proposal that will be considered for approval by the commission at a public hearing in March. The designs and locations had won tentative approval at prior commission meetings. Also on Wednesday night, the commission unanimously approved the city's newest public art project – a plan for commissioning an artist or artists to create "functional artworks" for the soon-to-open Recycling Center. The …

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El Cerrito's Arhoolie Records Wins Grammy

El Cerrito-based Arhoolie Records won a Grammy award tonight, Sunday, for Best Album Notes for its boxed set, "Hear Me Howling!"

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards tonight, Sunday, saw one of the coveted prizes given to Arhoolie Records of El Cerrito for Best Album Notes. The award honors Arhoolie's 4-CD plus book set, Hear Me Howling! The boxed set is a compilation of Bay Area music from the 1960s recognized as important at the time and recorded by Arhoolie founder and president Chris Strachwitz. The text is by Adam Machado. Arhoolie and its retail partner, the Down Home Music store, share the same building at 10341 San Pablo Ave. The Arhoolie homepage tonight has been updated with a message titled, "Arhoolie Wins A Grammy!" It also says, "Congratulations author Adam Machado!" The set's hardcover book is 136 pages in 8-1/2-inch by 11-inch format, with photographs by …

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Dorothy Coakley

4:07 pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Here at Casa Canine, we are settin' up a howl for Arhoolie, Strachwitz *and* our own special hometown. Congrats!!!   more ›

Poll: Should El Cerrito Do More to Commemorate Creedence Clearwater?

After our article on European fans of Creedence Clearwater Revival touring local sites connected with the band, readers raised the issue of whether El Cerrito should commemorate its famous hometown rockers. Yes? No? Please take our poll.

A dozen European fans of El Cerrito's internationally renowned hometown band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, ended a week-long pilgrimage here Thursday. They came to see houses, studios and other sites associated with the group. It wasn't easy. There are no "John Fogerty slept here" signs. In fact there's hardly any public sign of the group's presence here, including its 1959 origin when they were students at Portola Middle School and later at El Cerrito High before they caught the world's attention in 1968-72 and ascended into the pantheon of rock legends. Our article on the European fans' visit prompted reader comments that raised the issue of whether El Cerrito should do something to commemorate its Creedence connection. What do you …

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pete

6:50 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012

I think Martinez did something like that for native born Joe DiMaggio who was a lot bigger than CCR. Can't say anyone outside of Martinez really cared too much including Jolting Joe.   more ›

Creedence Clearwater Fans Flock from Europe to El Cerrito

If you happened to see a dozen Europeans wandering around El Cerrito and environs this past week taking photos, you were witness to a Creedence Clearwater Revival pilgrimage.

If anyone wonders whether El Cerrito's famous rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, continues to exert strong international appeal long after the group disbanded, Robert Aerts of Belgium has an answer. He's one of a dozen devoted fans who traveled together from Europe and spent this past week in El Cerrito and environs searching out the houses, studios and other sites linked to the band. The four-member band – John and Tom Fogerty along with Stu Cook and Doug Clifford – won renown with many recordings, including "Born on the Bayou," "Down on the Corner," "Proud Mary" and a number of others. Though they broke apart in less than four years (1968-72), their legacy does not appear to be soon forgotten. Asked yesterday to name the highlights…

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Dorothy Coakley

11:22 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012

A fellow who lives kitty-corner to the Fogerty's early piano teacher on Albemarle(She was named Grace Somebody-Or-Other) bought her piano, an upright, and still has it in his house. (At least that's what he told me several years ago.) I took lessons briefly from the smae piano teacher, but my mother transferred me to one in Albany. My sisters, however, continued with her. Danged...mebbe I coulda …   more ›

Free Valentine’s Fun for Kids at the Libraries

El Cerrito and Kensington libraries are each hosting story times for kids with Valentine’s themes, and the latter is also having a Valentine-making party.

If you know or have any kids who like to hear stories and might like to join in the Valentine’s mood at the same time, you can bring them to the special Valentine’s story times at the El Cerrito and Kensington libraries. And if they’d also like to make a Valentine with a cupcake recipe, then the Kensington library event is the place to be. This Saturday, Feb. 11, at 11:15 a.m. the Kensington Library will host “Valentine’s Day Craft and Stories,” with children’s librarian Jackie Overlid. Kids can create their own Valentine with a cupcake theme and cupcake recipe. On Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m., the "Family Picture Book Storytime" at El Cerrito Library will include stories and songs devoted to the Valentine’s theme with children’s librarian …

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