Politics & Government

Sun a No-Show for Community Solar Photo in El Cerrito

A small group of umbrella-toting celebrants participated in a community photo at 3 p.m. Sunday at El Cerrito City Hall to honor International Community Solar Day. The guest of honor, however, did not show his face.

The turn-out was modest for a community photo in honor of International Community Solar Day at El Cerrito Hall Sunday.

At the 3 p.m. photo time, a chilly rain was fallng intermittently from a gray sky, but the 10 adults and three kids who gathered in rain gear readily mustered smiles for the camera set up by resident Howdy Goudey, a member of the city's Environmental Quality Committee, who helped organize the event.

Goudey said he was happy with the showing: "I'm actually impressed, given the weather we've had."

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"The smiles provide the majority of the sunshine in the photos," he said later in an email to those who showed up.

Resident Robin Mitchell was optimistic about the next time: "We'll have to try it again next year when it's sunny."

Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The event was organized in part to show support for solar power on city buildings. El Cerrito belongs to with Albany, Piedmont and San Pablo to pursue joint purchase of solar panels for municipal buildings.

Three city officials were on hand, City Councilmember Janet Abelson and Environmental Analysts Maria Sanders and Garth Schultz. The youngest participant was Schultz's two-year-old son, Henry, decked out in a firefighter's rain coat.


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