In brief: El Cerrito celebrating MLK holiday on Sunday, Monday
EL CERRITO
El Cerrito will honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., share his message and celebrate his life in celebrations Sunday and Monday.
Marking the city’s 35th consecutive year of MLK celebrations, the theme of this year’s two-day celebration is “Living The Dream: It Starts With Me! Spreading Hope, Courage and Unity.” This event is free and open to the public and all ages.
A film screening at 4 p.m. Sunday will feature the documentary “Words of Encouragement,” created by the El Cerrito Historical Society and activist Oscar Wright. The screeing will take place in El Cerrito High School’s performing arts theater at 540 Ashbury Ave.
For Monday’s parade and rally, participants will gather at 9 a.m. in front of El Cerrito City Hall at 10890 San Pablo Ave. At 10 a.m., the parade will start marching to El Cerrito High School, where an event will take place from 11 a.m. until noon in the school’s performing arts theater.
The event is sponsored by St. Peter Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the El Cerrito Branch NAACP, the West Contra Costa Unified School District and the city of El Cerrito. The city of El Cerrito’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade and celebration is the longest consecutive running celebration in the state of California.
Organizers expect about 1,000 people to participate in this year’s event — including the Black Cowboys, Girl and Boy Scouts, surrounding elementary and high schools, political dignitaries, high school marching bands, churches and community activists. Not only does the parade and rally honor King’s legacy and his dream to promote racial equality, it also focuses on education and inclusion within the local community.
To support this event, donations can be made to Alabaster Box Collectives (Tax ID 86-1334787) and mailed to St. Peter CME Church, 5324 Cypress Ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530. For more details online, visit el-cerrito.org/MLK.
— city of El Cerrito
BERKELEY
City arts grants available to nonprofits, festival organizers
Artists, festival organizers, arts nonprofit groups and nonprofits seeking to make arts part of their programs can apply for one-time grants from the city of Berkeley. These different grants can fund new individual work, events, the creation of arts programs for non-arts nonprofits or fund capital projects for arts nonprofits.
Applicants can attend separate webinars for each type of grant to learn about guidelines, eligibility and how to apply. The online applications for artists, festivals, nonprofits creating arts programs or arts nonprofits funding capital projects provide more information and require creation of an account to apply.
Coordinated by the city of Berkeley’s Civic Arts Program, these grants are part of the unit’s work to support a culturally vibrant and diverse arts ecosystem. Learn more about applying, guidelines and eligibility through city-run webinars now through Jan. 19. Deadlines range from Feb. 21 through March 13, depending on the grant. For more details online, visit bit.ly/3vv7WSp.
— city of Berkeley
ALBANY
Community arts projects submissions sought by Feb. 3
Are you an artist? A storyteller? A poet? A creative individual eager to reveal yourself through your creative process? Seen&Heard is calling on you to contribute to our community’s vibrant tapestry of visions and voices.
This inclusive community arts project welcomes submissions from all walks of life and invites you to express yourself through various art forms. Feb. 3 is the deadline to apply. Visit seen-n-heard.org online for more information.
Council reorganizes, picks 2024’s new mayor, vice mayor
The Albany City Council reorganized itself at its regular meeting Dec. 18, naming John Anthony Miki and Robin D. López the city’s respective mayor and vice mayor until December 2024. For details online, visit albanyca.org/Home/Components/News/News/12292/15.
— city of Albany
EL CERRITO
Help remove French broom from Hillside Natural Area
Help the El Cerrito Trail Trekkers and El Cerrito Green Teams on Jan. 20 to remove noxious French broom, which chokes out native plants and fuels wildfires, from the city’s Hillside Natural Area. The work party will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., but volunteers can leave at any time.
Organizers will supply tools, gloves and tarps. Small plants can be removed by hand. It’s a great task for kids. Bring water and wear sunscreen. No experience is necessary. Meet at the stairs to the Madera Open Space near 1540 Madera Circle. For more information, email Davidsweinstein@yahoo.com.
— city of El Cerrito
BERKELEY
Fungus fair happening Jan. 20-21 in the Tilden Nature Area
Celebrate the fruits of winter, view hundreds of local mushroom specimens, mingle with the mycological community and enjoy presentations by guest speakers at the East Bay Regional Park District’s (EBRPD) two-day Tilden Fungus Fair from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 20-21 in the Berkeley hills’ Tilden Nature Area.
For more information, visit ebparks.org/events/tilden-fungus-fair online.
EAST BAY
Beware of toxic mushrooms in parks during rainy season
With the return of winter rains, park visitors may have noticed mushrooms popping up in East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) properties. Mushrooms are an ecologically important part of the district’s parklands and may look beautiful but sometimes contain dangerous toxins.
The death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata) are two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms, and both can be found in East Bay parks during the rainy season.
Both species contain amatoxins, molecules that are deadly to many animals. Symptoms may not appear until up to 12 hours after consumption, beginning as severe gastrointestinal distress and progressing to liver and kidney failure if treatment is not sought immediately.
Both mushrooms can be lethal to humans and pets if consumed. They are mainly associated with oak trees and can be found growing anywhere oak roots are present. The death cap is a medium to large mushroom that typically has a greenish-gray cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem and a large white sac at the base of the stem.
The western destroying angel is a medium to large mushroom that usually has a creamy white cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem that can disappear with age, and a thin white sac at the base. It fruits from late winter into spring.
Park district officials urge the public to be safe and knowledgeable about toxic mushrooms when encountering them in the parks. Collecting any mushrooms in the district is not allowed. Pet owners should contact a veterinarian immediately if they suspect their pet may have eaten a toxic mushroom.
While the death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms are responsible for most cases of mushroom poisonings in California, deadly toxins can also be found in Galerina and Lepiota mushroom species, which also occur in the Bay Area. For more details online, visit ebparks.org/safety/trails/toxic-mushrooms.
— EBRPD
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