BERKELEY
Berkeley officials are reminding the public to keep the city safe this July 4 by not using fireworks in town, especially in the hills. Fireworks are illegal in Berkeley and many surrounding cities and can cause severe injuries and start fires. These explosives, sparklers and more pose particular risks in the hills, where dry plants and shrubs can fuel fast-spreading fires.
To help better protect the hills, certain streets will be closed for 24 hours starting at 5 a.m. Friday (July 4) with access limited mostly to residents in cars, on bikes or on foot. Those streets are Grizzly Peak Boulevard from Centennial Drive to Skyline Boulevard; Panoramic Way; and Prospect Street.
To reduce fire risk and traffic, these hillside sites will also be closed Friday: the Lawrence Hall of Science, the UC Botanical Garden, UC Berkeley campus hiking trails and the Steam Trains at Tilden Regional Park. No stopping will be allowed along Grizzly Peak, where all turnouts will be closed.
To ensure emergency vehicles have quick access, the closed portion of Grizzly Peak Boulevard will remain open only to the aforementioned residents in cars, on bikes or on foot; ride-share vehicles; and delivery vehicles. All closures are coordinated in partnership with UC Berkeley, the City of Oakland, the East Bay Regional Park District, and Alameda County.
Fireworks — including those marketed as “safe and sane” — are not allowed in Berkeley or at East Bay Regional Park District locations, which include Tilden Regional Park and McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Anyone lighting fireworks may be liable for fires, injuries or property damage caused by them. Anyone who has or finds fireworks is advised to bring them to personnel at any Berkeley Fire Station for safe disposal.
Witnesses to fireworks being used are asked to report them to the Berkeley police nonemergency dispatch number at 510-981-5900. For more information online, visit bit.ly/3Tlndhm.
— city of Berkeley
ALBANY
Ongoing FilmFest on July 17 to present ‘Democracy Noir’
Albany FilmFest and Berkeley Film Foundation officials invite the public to join them for their monthly series of independent documentary films by award-winning East Bay filmmakers.
Having started in June, festival organizers say one film each month through October will focus on people fighting back when their lives and freedoms are threatened. Stay after the films for panel discussions and interactive audience question-and-answer sessions with the filmmaker and guests. All films are being screened at the Rialto Cinemas Cerrito theater at 10070 San Pablo Ave. in El Cerrito.
This month’s film is “Democracy Noir,” which will be shown July 17. Festival organizers say that amid the brazen rise of 21st century authoritarianism, few politicians have proved as corrupt and adept at undermining democracy as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
A hero to his country’s Christian conservative population and a role model to the right-wing political movement in Europe and to Donald Trump and Republicans in the United States, organizers say, Orbán takes carefully crafted, methodical steps to chip away at Hungarian democratic institutions while maintaining popularity with a majority of citizens. For details online, visit albanyfilmfest.org.
— Larsen Associates
Sanctuary city commitment reaffirmed
The city of Albany is a sanctuary city and reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights of all individuals in the community. This means that city resources will not be used to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents with immigration enforcement.
Red Cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center are a resource to provide information on peoples’ rights. Red Cards with translations in Spanish and Chinese are now available at Albany City Hall, the Albany Community Center and the Albany Senior Center. For more information, see City Council Resolution No. 2017-9: “Declaring the CIty of Albany as a Sanctuary City” or visit ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas online.
— city of Albany
POINT RICHMOND
Svendsen’s Bay Marine boatyard expansion, renovation done
Svendsen’s Bay Marine, a cornerstone of the Bay Area’s maritime community since 1963, has completed a multimillion-dollar expansion and renovation of its Point Richmond boatyard, nearly doubling the facility to 5 acres and introducing state-of-the-art capabilities that include California’s first indoor yacht paint booth. The boatyard is now a technologically advanced facility for boat building, repair and maintenance.
“This expansion positions us to handle larger vessels and more complex projects while exceeding environmental standards,” said Bill Elliott, the president of Svendsen’s Bay Marine. “We are meeting growing demand from both recreational and commercial clients.”
Key new features include a high-tech yacht paint booth – the first of its kind in California, it is eco-friendly and accommodates vessels up to up to 75 feet. Also included are a new remote-controlled travel lift with 100-ton capacity; expanded engine, rigging, and metal shops; new floating docks and extended berths for larger vessels; a new large boat shop for major refits and new builds; a dedicated mast rigging and repair zone; and an enlarged marine supply store.
The boatyard serves a wide range of clients, including the California Fish and Wildlife, Richmond Fire and San Francisco Police departments; and the U.S. Coast Guard, California Maritime Academy, Hornblower Cruises, Commodore Cruises and California State Parks, among others. For more details online, visit sbm.baymaritime.com.
— DeeDee Taft
To submit an item for the Berkeley Voice and El Cerrito Journal’s “In brief” section, which is now published in print on each month’s first Friday, please email it, at least three days before print publication, to njackson@bayareanewsgroup.com. Each item should be 90 to 180 words and include a short headline along with the name of the group or individual to credit for it.