Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How 743 new homes will transform El Cerrito Plaza BART.

And on the El Cerrito Patch calendar - A Community Christmas Eve Service!

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Friday December 19th Patch AM
Friday December 19th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Morning El Cerrito! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How 743 new homes will transform El Cerrito Plaza BART.
  • How an El Cerrito-born band is still topping charts today.
  • Could West Contra Costa’s teacher win ripple into El Cerrito classrooms?

Also on today's calendar: A Community Christmas Eve Service! and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in El Cerritofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in El Cerritofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: An a.m. sprinkle, then rain, with a high of 58 and low of 53 degrees.
  • Saturday: Periods of rain, temps: high: 58, low: 52.
  • Sunday: Rain; breezy in the morning, with a high of 58 and low of 51 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Initial Construction Breaks Ground at El Cerrito BART Transit Oriented Development (sfyimby.com) — A massive 743-unit housing project has officially broken ground at El Cerrito Plaza BART, replacing much of the surface parking with new apartments and limited retail. Backed by state funding and City of El Cerrito support, the first six-story affordable building is underway now, with plans for hundreds more homes, bike storage, parking, and even a potential new public library by 2029.
   

• ‘60s Rock Group Named One of the Biggest Bands in the World 53 Years After Splitting Up (parade.com) — El Cerrito gets a brief but notable shout-out as the hometown where Creedence Clearwater Revival first formed back in 1967. More than five decades after breaking up, the band is still charting on Billboard, while John Fogerty celebrates regaining song rights with new “John’s Version” recordings of their classic hits.
   

• California teachers unions consider strikes amid ongoing contract disputes (boyleheightsbeat.com) — Teachers in nearby West Contra Costa Unified just won higher pay and free health premiums after a four-day strike, a result that could influence contract talks in districts serving many El Cerrito families. Their success is energizing a statewide “We Can’t Wait” campaign, as unions from Los Angeles to Sacramento weigh strike votes over pay, benefits, class sizes, and student support services.
   

📸 Around El Cerrito

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in El Cerrito

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 El Cerrito Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

    Friday December 19
  • Market Match Distribution: Richmond Certified Farmers’ Market
    201 Civic Center St , Richmond
    3:00 pm
  • After School Meals
    San Pablo Library , 2300 El Portal Drive Suite D , San Pablo
    3:00 pm
  • Poetry Night
    Richmond City Recreation Complex , 3230 Macdonald Ave , Richmond
    6:00 pm
  • Buttah- An Intimate Evening
    Vibe Bistro , 1503 Macdonald Ave ste b , Richmond
    8:00 pm
    • Saturday December 20
  • StoryWalkÂŽ with Dougherty Station and San Ramon Libraries
    San Ramon Library , 100 Montgomery St , San Ramon

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making El Cerrito PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Field,of Dreams
    oil on canvas 11X14 Michelle’s latest painting, it’s of her grandfather in Minnesota. The car is 1919 Model T touring. (Nextdoor El Cerrito Lower Hill)
  • PROWLERS.
    We live in El Cerrito on the southern border with Kensington. At 1:15 am on Sunday, 12/14, we were visited by prowlers. We discovered this hours… (Nextdoor El Cerrito del Norte (Outer S))
  • Jobs for Humanity posted a job opening for Mathematics and Science Teachers in Berkeley. Apply here.
  • STXZ posted a job opening for Private Lacrosse Coach in Berkeley. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near El Cerrito here.

🗞 Nearby News

Richmond

  • Political Notebook: Gay Richmond CA councilmember Zepeda seeks 2nd term (ebar.com)
  • Richmond police investigating fifth homicide of 2025 (richmondside.org)
  • City attorney for Richmond to resign at end of year (mercurynews.com)

Berkeley

  • Everything You Need To Know About New Washington Nationals General Manager Ani Kilambi (federalbaseball.com)

San Rafael

Ok El Cerrito! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from El Cerrito