In brief: El Cerrito Community Budget Town Hall on Saturday morning
EL CERRITO
The city of El Cerrito on Saturday will hold a Community Budget Town Hall. This is a chance for the community to find out about the city’s budget and fiscal health as well as a chance for the city to provide an opportunity for input and feedback to staff regarding budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1.
The hybrid meeting from 10 a.m. to noon will be in-person in the City Council chambers and on Zoom. The council will discuss the budget at their upcoming meetings in May, including a special meeting on May 9 that will focus on the city’s departments. Staff will then present the full proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year to the council at its June 6 meeting. For more information about the city’s budget process, visit the city’s webpage on the topic at el-cerrito.org/BudgetProcess.
— El Cerrito city manager’s office
BERKELEY
Children’s choir performing at First Congregational
The Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir is presenting an innovative program at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at First Congregational Church of Berkeley at 2330 Durant Ave. in Berkeley.
The choir’s “Making History” program will feature the world premiere of Robin Estrada’s “Nag Iibang Hangin” and the premiere of Eric Tuan’s “In the Desert.” The choir is committed to honoring female composers and the program includes works by Stacy Garrop, Meredith Monk, Rhiannon Randle and a two-movement work evoking stomp dancing by composer-in-residence the Chickasaw Nation.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students or seniors, and there will be no ticket sales at the door. All patrons must be masked indoors during the performance, and social distancing will be required. For ticket information visit piedmontchoirs.org.
— Linda Davis, correspondent
ALBANY
City hiring interns for its habitat restoration program
The city of Albany is offering a great opportunity for college students to learn about nature and help others understand and appreciate the natural world through Albany’s new Habitat Restoration Internship program on Albany Hill (bit.ly/albanyhillinfo).
Interns will assist with survey and identification projects; help with educational outreach and signage; support native plant restoration and vegetation management work; and learn about environmental issues.
Ideal candidates will have an interest in and curiosity about the natural world and will seek real-world experience for pursuing a career in any related fields. Seed funding for the program is provided by a grant from the State Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program. To apply for the internship by Friday, visit bit.ly/albanyhillHRI online.
Learn about community groups, services at April 29 expo
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29, the Albany Community Expo will be a fun, family-friendly way to learn about community based-organizations in Albany as well as city services. Walking or biking to the expo is encouraged.
This Albany Community Center event at 1249 Marin Ave. will provide helpful informational resources and feature great food, a free raffle, kids zone and face painting. The Puppet Company and Randal Metz, a puppeteer at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, will perform a puppet show, and the Albany Jazz Little Band will play music.
Local nonprofit groups can apply for a free exhibit table, and applications are available. Contact Kate Miller at 510-559-7227 or kmiller@albanyca.org with any questions. For any other event information, contact the Albany Recreation & Community Services Department at recinfo@albanyca.org or 510-524-9283.
— city of Albany
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