Burglar Leaves Note, Residents Must Help Pave Streets, and Other News in 1949

The now yellowed front page of the weekly El Cerrito Journal for today, April 14, in 1949 provides a snapshot of our community in its post-war growth years. Here are some of the actual headlines from the paper's front page, followed by our brief summaries of the articles:

Burglar Has Snack

A burglar who broke into the Corner Shop at San Pablo Avenue and Lassen Street on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning left a note of apology. Owner Carl Forsberg said the miscreant had a piece of pie and a cup of coffee, relieved the cash register of three dollars in small change and left a note saying, "Sorry to eat and run this way."

City Adopts
Resolution on
Street Policy

The City Council adopted a definite policy on how to pay for paving city streets. The city will pay for a third and the residents on either side of the block to be paved will pay two thirds. If all but one or two residents agree, the resident who approve the paving may pay extra by prorating the share of those who refuse or who cannot be contacted. The previous city policy had the city pave the center half of a street with the residents responsible for the cost of the remaining one quarter on each side. Councilman Melvin C. Heinkel said the change will lead to more paved streets and provide much-needed relief to the city's strained finances.

Local Business
Warned Against
Fraud Methods

El Cerrito's Chamber of Commerce was cautioned about the dangers of misleading and fraudulent advertising by a representative of the Oakland Better Business Bureau. At the chamber's weekly luncheon at Six Bells restaurant, the bureau's assistant manager, James Curry, warned local businesses to be on their guard against fraud in advertising and to resist "fly by night" practices in dreams of "get rich quick" schemes. The Better Business Bureau seeks to expose such practices, he said.

Library Ranks High
In County System

El Cerrito's library ranked first in the county library system in the circulation of children's books and second in adult circulation, according to figures released by Miss Jessie Al Lea, the county librarian. El Cerrito's library, with a monthly circulation of 6,722 volumes, showed a 99-percent increase in use. On April 1, there were 7,315 volumes in the library's growing collection. In addition to the books, the library currently is hosting an exhibit of Chinese art objects on loan from the staff of the .

Ken Alexander Named First
President of Cerrito Rotary

A group of 17 business and professional men took the first steps in establishing an El Cerrito branch of Rotary International on April 7 when they voted to apply for a charter and selected officers for the new organization. The new officers are Ken Alexander, president; Kenneth Wallace, secretary; Dave Mellmoll, treasurer; Max Golesh, sergeant-at-arms; Richard Hopkins and Dan Cerney, directors.

Click  for other vignettes of El Cerrito history. You can find some back issues of the El Cerrito Journal at the Shadi Historical Room at City Hall, open to the public on the third Thursday of each month, 4:30-6 p.m.