San Pablo Avenue is a major economic force in El Cerrito, supplying the community with everything from nail salons to novelty shops. Now, a new plan to regulate future development along this major thoroughfare is nearing completion.

Watch the slideshow below to learn more.

(Photo by Deane Little/Courtesy of East Bay Parks)

BY ALEXIA UNDERWOOD //

On November 4, voters in Alameda and Contra Costa counties passed Measure WW with 71 percent approval. The measure extended an existing regional park bond measure to the tune of $500 million, to be distributed over the next 20 years.

“I think that it’s a tribute to the people [for] recognizing the value of the park district and wanting to have more parks and more opportunities in the future,” said Jack Kenny, chief of parks for the East Bay Regional Park District.

The bond money will uphold ongoing park district projects including urban creek restoration, wildlife protection and additional land purchases according to park district officials.

The money will also be used to acquire, develop, and improve local and regional parks, trails, and recreational facilities for East Bay residents.

Measure WW is an extension of original bond Measure AA, passed in 1988, which imposed a maximum $10 tax per year on every $100,000 of assessed property valuation, according to the park district website. For the owner of a $300,000 house, this would translate into paying about $30 a year.

Seventy-five percent of the new money will go towards buying new parkland and funding projects, and 25 percent will go to cities and local park districts, like El Cerrito’s.

Kenny explained that the measure allotted for a series of bond sales that take place over 20 years. The property tax begins soon, with the first installment due in December, he said.

Some people were surprised to see the widespread support the measure received, said Kenny. “Especially in really tough economic times, I think that [percentage] is surprising,” he said.

Rosemary Cameron, assistant general manager of public affairs with the park district said cities still had some time to put together their proposals for the bond money.

“We’ll be rolling out all the formal procedural guides on how the local grant program will work – right at the beginning of 2009,” said Cameron. “This isn’t something that cities will have to apply for immediately. They will have several years in which to do this.”

BY MATT DURNING //

Residents of El Cerrito voted to support the current direction of their local city government Tuesday, electing council-endorsed newcomers Ann Cheng and Greg Lyman while also reelecting incumbent Mayor Bill Jones.

Cheng, the only woman running and the youngest candidate at 30 years old, won the election with 4,852 votes, or 25.8 percent. Jones received 4,553 votes, or 24.2 percent, and Lyman had 4,364 votes, or 23.2 percent.

In winning, Cheng becomes the first Asian American councilmember in the 90-year history of El Cerrito.

“Those who have the ability and resources to widen the boundaries of inclusion should be encouraged to step up,” said Cheng, reflecting on her victory. “I am very proud to fill this role and definitely hope to cultivate an interest in local government by all ages.”

The two newcomers bring years of professional experience in city planning and infrastructure projects. Both advocate a vision of mixed-use, transit-oriented, sustainable community development in El Cerrito.

Cheng, an urban planner, said her top priority would be making sure there is sufficient community input and involvement in developing the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan.

Lyman, a civil and environmental engineer and the former chair of El Cerrito’s Park & Recreation Committee, said one of his first orders of business would be to get more trees planted in Canyon Trail Park and around the city.

Both agreed the controversy surrounding the closing of Portola Middle School is a primary concern that requires serious attention.

“The City Council really needs to be active in healing the city’s divide on this issue,” Lyman said. “We need to make sure the [WCCUSD] school board reaches a decision that is in the best interest of our residents.”

Mayor Jones said he was very happy with the election outcome and pleased that all of the candidates ran positive campaigns.

“I think anytime a person gets reelected for a second term it makes them feel good,” he said.  “It’s a confirmation that people think you’re doing a good job, or at least can be trusted moving forward.”

Jones said he expected the next four years to be more difficult than the previous four, citing the desperate financial climate facing California and the country as a whole.

The Mayor said he intends to complete those ongoing projects already with dedicated funding – such as the second phase of redevelopment on San Pablo Avenue and improvements to the recycling center – before taking on anything new.

All three candidates expressed excitement over the outcome of the US presidential election and said they look forward to working in an environment of new ideas and new energy at the federal level.

“Government that is good for Main Street,” said Jones. “Governing rather than ruling.”

The two other candidates in the race, Andrew Ting and David Boisvert, finished well behind the winners with 2,514 votes and 2,477 votes respectively. This was the second unsuccessful city council campaign for both men, who also ran in 2004.

Boisvert congratulated the winners on running a well-orchestrated campaign and said he thought the endorsements they received from the current city council had a major impact.

“I think the voters of El Cerrito perceive that the way the city is being run is good and there is no real need for change,” he said.

Cheng and Lyman will replace sitting councilwomen Jan Bridges and Leticia Moore, both of whom chose not to run for reelection.

Mayor Jones praised Bridges and Moore and said they would be missed.

“Jan and Leticia were always well prepared,” he said. “They put in the extra work to understand the issues and brought some levelheadedness to the process. Although I’m sorry to see them go, I think Ann and Greg will be great additions.”

The new city council will be sworn in during a special council meeting on December 2, the deadline by which Contra Costa Registrar Stephen Weir must certify the election results.  The public is invited to attend.

Jennings, right, campaigning on Tuesday with Sharon Lewis.

BY SWETA VOHRA//

For Joyce Jennings, Tuesday’s election brought both a sense of jubilation and a measure of defeat. While Jennings was thrilled about the country electing its first black president, California passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, a move that meant, “racism is still prevalent in our culture,” according to Jennings.

“I’m feeling really sad,” said Jennings on Wednesday afternoon. She said that she was still hanging on to sliver of hope, as the absentee ballots had not been counted yet. But a win for the other side had already been declared on many news stations, and it was unlikely things were going to change.

The issue of marriage has been a long and emotional journey for Jennings, a Berkeley resident, and her partner, Patty Mead. After the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages this past May, Jennings and Mead were married for the second time. The two had previously married in 2004, when Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco allowed weddings of same-sex couples. However, that license was nullified six months later as the Supreme Court determined the mayor had acted outside his authority. For Jennings, the ceremony this past June was exceptionally emotional.

“It felt very different to me to have the government saying of course you can get married,” said Jennings.

To their surprise and delight, the person who conducted the ceremony was a part-time public health officer who had requested the chance to marry same-sex couples. According to Jennings, the woman had just attended her own lesbian daughter’s wedding and was so moved that she felt she had to be a part of this tremendous moment and asked to wed couples.

“That made the whole ceremony even more special,” said Jennings.

However, with Tuesday’s election results, California will add an amendment forbidding same-sex marriages, and it is unclear whether marriages like Jennings will still be upheld. The vote on Proposition 8 passed with 52 percent of the votes and was one of the most expensive social proposition campaigns in the country with over $73 million dollars spent between both sides.

Jennings, who believes Proposition 8 strips away basic human rights, said, “I’m a consenting adult – cannot I decide who I want to spend the rest of my life with…who my family is?”

Almost 10 years ago, Jennings met partner Mead and her then 9-year old son at a lesbian ballroom dancing class. Jennings said Mead knew right away she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jennings, but it took Jennings a bit longer. The couple did fall in love and were engaged six months later. In 2001, the couple held a private commitment ceremony in Tilden Park with a 100 of their closest friends and family.

Jennings said when people really get to know a lesbian or gay couple, they understand that they share many of the same beliefs and encounter many of the same compromises and sacrifices other families experience. She said it’s time to “break down [opponents'] assumptions.”

She said she understands people have their opinions, but she also said that voters have to separate themselves emotionally from these issues. “I’m not asking them to be okay with [same-sex marriages], but I’m asking them to be fair.”

She adds that she is also angry about the entire legislative process. A constitution is supposed to protect people’s rights, according to Jennings, rather than change them with just a simple majority vote. “How can people be voting on other people’s basic rights?”

Late Wednesday, San Francisco attorney Dennis Herrera filed a lawsuit requesting the court prevent the action from taking place, but it is unclear what will happen next. Many opponents argue that such a ban is an illegal constitutional revision and only the legislature can make such revisions, not the people.

For people like Jennings, the next steps are very uncertain. Although she is experiencing a lot of hurt and disappointment, Jennings is not backing down. “I want to know if there is an effective way to fight this – that’s what I’m focusing on now.”

A rundown of local and county-wide election results impacting El Cerrito. These are official figures from the Contra Costa Registrar’s office, with all precincts reporting.

EL CERRITO CITY COUNCIL:

Cheng: 4,852 (25.82%) ELECTED

Jones: 4,553 (24.23%) ELECTED

Lyman: 4,364 (23.22%) ELECTED

Ting: 2,514 (13.38%)

Boisvert: 2,477 (13.18%)

WEST CONTRA COSTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT:

Medrano: 27030 (30.74%) ELECTED

Thurmond: 25,748 (29.28%) ELECTED

Pfeifer: 23,893 (27.17%)

Studdiford: 10,960 (12.46%)

MEASURE D: PASSED

Yes: 50,392 (79.21%)

No: 13,226 (20.79%)

MEASURE VV: PASSED

Yes: 31,668 (70.14%)

No: 13,483 (29.86%)

MEASURE WW: PASSED

Yes: 238,041 (71.17%)

No: 96,440 (28.83%)

For official county results, visit the Contra Costa County Registrar’s website here.

For complete state-wide results, visit the Secretary of State website here.

“So often crudely caricatured by others, the American people yesterday stood in the eye of history and made an emphatic choice for themselves and for the world.”

BY SWETA VOHRA//

Voters got out early. Campaigns continued for one last day. Signs filled the streets, walls and lawns.

A look at El Cerrito throughout the day.

BY N’JERI EATON //

While African Americans are turning out to the polls in record numbers in support of Sen. Barack Obama, several first-time voters’ inexperience is causing them anxiety.

In Richmond, the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church offers its multi-purpose room as a polling place. The room is long, narrow and dimly lit. Framed posters of W.E.B. DuBois, Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King Jr. line the walls in cheap plastic frames. Unlike the polling places of El Cerrito with their predominately white and Asian residents, almost all of the voters at Bethlehem Missionary were African American.

There is another marked difference between the polling places of Richmond and El Cerrito. At St. John’s Community Center in El Cerrito, voters walked in and out with determined steps, proud do their part in the democratic process. The voters at the 596 Richmond precinct weren’t as jubilant. Several voters struggled with walkers and pronounced limps as they entered the church. Others seemed unsure, even hesitant as they approached the voting booth. Their faces were grim and serious as they entered the polling place, with the exception of their children who cheerfully chatted about “President Obama.”

Woodrow Russel Jr., a full-time glamor photographer by day and campaign volunteer by night, was running around the room, consulting with voters. He noticed that many people seemed confused by the voting process.

When Russell finished his ballot, a woman next to him asked for his help. He recognized her from his neighborhood. He described her as someone who was “down on her luck.” According to Russell, she had a problem with drugs and is currently in a treatment program. “It was amazing to see her come down to the polls, in her condition, and still manage to get to herself down here to vote,” said Russell. This was the first time the woman had ever voted and she had problems with the ballot. “She didn’t even know how to fill out the ovals,” Russell said. The woman was determined to vote for Obama, but didn’t know anything about the other elections or initiatives on the ballot. She told Russell to help her fill out the whole ballot; she wanted to vote the same way he had.

Before he was able to finish helping the woman, another voter approached Russell. The man blamed his uncertainty on the glasses he left at home, but it was clear to Russell that he was similarly uninformed. “He was kind of embarrassed,” said Russell. Besides his choice for president, the man had no interest in filling out the rest of his ballot. “I told him, actually everything on here matters,” Russell said. They spent the next few minutes going through each proposition and measure, with Russell explaining the potential impact of each one.

Russell fears that first time African-American voters across the country are facing comparable issues, being intimidated by their ballots. He suggests each county encourage poll workers to be more accessible to voters who are having issues with their ballots. “I was glad to help,” said Russell. “But what they really need is someone who is educated and will float around the room to each voter.”

BY N’JERI EATON //

On the final day of the election, dozens of volunteers gathered at the West Contra Costa Unified Campaign office for one last push for Obama.

After eight hours, team leader Rick Guerrero announced that their efforts resulted in over 8,000 phone calls today.  “Just two weeks ago, we were happy with 3,000 calls in a weekend,” said Guerrero.

Juanita Vaughns brought two highly-motivated volunteers to the office: her 10-year-old grandson Jared and his friend Camellia. Vaughns has noticed her grandson’s fascination with the presidential election. This past Friday, Jared even dressed as Barack Obama for Halloween, wearing a suit and an array of buttons.  “They know so much about what’s going on,” said Vaughns. “I can’t say that I was doing this at 10.”

Watch the slideshow below of Jared and Camellia calling for Obama.