The little library is organized by Alameda Library. It has mostly children's & young adult books,…read moreabout a dozen. On the front is written "Tome Uno, Deje Uno"- "Take one, Leave One". Reads (from local library): "Brown Enough" by Christopher Rivas-basically personal life stories.: -lived in Queens, Dominican father. Colombian mom. Didn't speak Spanish, didn't identify as "brown" -pursuing American Dream, accrued $250,000+ in student debts. Unable to find jobs in theater, acting. *no roles for anyone like him, Puerto Ricans yes. -gravitated to white women who were "trophies", switched when he found he was also a trophy. -"faking it till he could make it" without losing identity. -upset when outrage occurred when a nonwhite was considered for 007 role. Wasn't role model Dominican? -started learning Spanish, began celebrating his heritage. Found "brown" acting roles. Started a podcast..pursued a P.h.D...... Note: Hispanic Heritage Month: 9/15-10/15.

Mi Escuelita is a wonderful, loving environment for young children. I love the small, family like…read morecommunity Carlos and Miguel have created. They do many engaging activities with the children-field trips to the library, park, swim, soccer, music and you can tell they truly love the children and what they do. My kids (5 and almost 2) are always excited to go. They help the children through different stages of development and make each child feels special.

My son attended Mi Escuilita for three years. He felt supported, loved and cared for at all times…read more He developed life long friendships, engaged in diverse activities like music classes, soccer and swim classes and early reading and writing skills. I adore and miss Mi Escuilita and its magnificent staff.

Some of my friends came down from Humboldt County today to play at BCM. Apparently, they film and…read morerecord local bands and broadcast their music on public access television FOR FREE! What a great way to support local talent. I'm all for that! The staff were all pretty patient and friendly with the groups I listened to (and some work for no pay). If I had television, I would no doubt watch some of their programs.

I have been a member of Berkeley Community Media (BCM) for approximately 8 years. I have filmed…read morewell over 100 shows through BCM. I am so happy to know that we have a community station that gives us 'free speech' - unlike the associated press and other commercial television stations. I am proud to currently be the Board Chair of BCM to continue the success of the station and allowing our community to have a local television station that cares.

Our daughter is going to TK program this Fall, and we will surely miss a lot the time with…read moreToot-a-Lou. As my daughter's preschool was closed due to the pandemic, her school friend's parents recommended us to this wonderful school running by Lorie and her assistant teacher, Ani. They are such caring and supportive early childhood educators. They offered a lot of great insight and advice when we had seen some concerning things on our daughter at home. At school, Lorie provides kids with a flourished and play-based environment and has a well-structured curriculum, Mother Goose Time, to help older kids ready for TK/K. It gives us peace of mind to know that our daughter is in good hands while we're at work. We highly recommend this school!

Our child has been with Lorie since she was 6 months old, and we really appreciate the environment…read moreLorie has provided for the past 2.5 years. Toot-a-Lou is a second home for our tot; we never needed to worry about anything - she eats, plays, and learns with Lorie, her aids, and other kids. During the pandemic, Lorie went above and beyond to support the families and maintained a stable and safe space for the kids. It certainly wasn't easy with all the everchanging regulations but Lorie did it! We appreciate her professionalism and respect her so much for what she does. We are so lucky to have her and will miss her very much as our kid moves on to preschool.

Wonderful Pens, Pencils, School Supplies, Notebooks, Paper, Decor, Art Supplies, Gift wrapping…read moresupplies, Office Supplies, Folders, Frames, and of course Stationary among other items. The staff know what they are talking about for any product questions you may have, and they are happy to arrange bulk orders if you need. I did so for my small business. Support your local, independently owned shops like this one, where you can walk in, get what you need, and have a bit of human interaction!

Nice little family owned Stationary store on Solano Ave. the people running the store are always…read morefriendly and helpful. There aren't many small independently owned stationary stores left in the Bay Area so this is much needed. Street parking only. Prices are fair.

I had no idea there even was a Berkeley Opera until I read this article in the newspaper:…read more http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_14419420?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com I grew up w/ opera on the radio. My mother listened to the Met every Saturday morning. I've seen several over the years and enjoyed them but am not what I would call an opera buff. Alan has never been to an opera, but when he read the article we agreed we wanted to see Berkeley Opera's production of "Don Giovanni". Having the production at the new Performing Arts Theatre at El Cerrito High made it really convenient. We bought tickets for today's production. We arrived and I sat and watched people gather while Alan stood in line to get our tickets. It was a very diverse audience w/ a lot of grey haired folks, a surprisingly large number of youngsters, plus a good number of the middle aged too. We were seated upstairs in the first row of the balcony. The seats were comfortable and leg room was adequate. There was a screen for Supertitles which was cool, although it did interfere a bit w/ our view of the Commendatore's statue at the end. The temperature in the balcony was uncomfortably warm in the beginning but they were able to address that and it became much more comfortable once they did. The production was fantastic. The voices were excellent, as was the orchestra. The staging was bare-bones, but was effective. We were very impressed w/ the quality. The opera was lively, moving and accessible. Not only was the singing first rate, but the acting was as well. We both enjoyed it, although Alan was unable to sit through three hours and decided to leave at intermission after an hour and three quarters, but that had to do w/ him rather than the production. He came back to pick me up afterward. I'm attaching the newspaper review of the production for more detail, although I disagree w/ the reviewer's statement that the costumes were tawdry. I thought they were just fine. http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_14449670?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com&nclick_check=1

I doubt that you have been missing my West Edge Opera review. I first posted it on 8/8/2010. The…read morereview has been happily dozing away in the innards of the vast Yelp network. (There are several other reviews for the opera, all of which are quite good.) Should you have been looking for it last week, however, you would not have been able to find it. It was removed as a violation of Terms of Service. (A TOS for those of you who know Yelp.) So...to dispel the mystery about the contents of this review, I am reposting it in entirety. I have no connect to West Edge Opera, enjoyed the performance, gave it five stars. Nothing more simple. Here it is: This afternoon we saw the final performance of Richard Wagner's Legend of the RIng. It was adapted by David Seaman into a three hour performance. It was stupendous. Let me break down the stars: 1) We walked to the new El Cerrito Performing Arts Theatre. One big hurrah for having this state of the art theater so close to our house that we will never, ever, have to worry about parking. 2) The stars. That is, the performing stars. Fresh from productions in Seattle, San Francisco, The Met, and various European cities...these opera singers are just that. Opera SIngers. Not namby-pamby wannabe choristers, these folks resonate, project, slide effortlessly up and down the scale. In a word, they made the show. 3) The sets. Amazingly projected computerized scenery with clearly visible visual subtitles. The whole production was simple, amazing and very, very professional. 4) The orchestra. HIdden away from sight, their music was beautifully played with nary a false sound. Very professional 5) Mark Streshinsky's lecture before the performance. Funny, articulate, informative. And professionally delivered. And local, he's an ECHS grad. Did I mention professional? He is... The sum total: Five stars and then some. Catch the opera for next season. You'll enjoy it, even if you've never been to the opera before. Oh, and the price. We sat in the balcony. Great seats, no straining to hear or see. $25 bucks. We are so proud that they've moved to El Cerrito and hope the company stays here forever!

Came here for the spring exhibitions opening reception and had a great time. Was a bit surprised…read morethat masking was still required indoors but they provided masks at the front. The exhibits were nicely organized and flowed well. The Richmond Art Center seems well-maintained overall and they did an excellent job with the opening reception, including the yummy food and drinks in the courtyard. I just wish they had more seating during events. While making my way around, I saw artwork from local students as well and the classrooms in the back which was cool. If you're an East Bay local, I highly recommend stopping by the Richmond Art Center at some point or checking out their class offerings.

I registered for a 10 am workshop, but arrived shortly after the art center opened so I had time to…read moreleisurely view the works on display in the main gallery and in other smaller galleries. I am always impressed by the caliber of the work on display, regardless of whether it's the work of professionals or young children who have taken classes at the center or work from area schools in coordination with their art teachers. Workshop participants created a paper plate "succulent" to take home. Although the workshop required pre-registration, it was free. Many parents worked along side their young children,?while teenagers clustered together. The presenter's own sculptures reminded me of Dr Seuss drawings come to life. It was evident that a fun time was had by all.

*red trimmed plastic book box on a plastic pole. transparent window, grey swing open door. not…read moretraditional wood. room for only 1 row of books. reads: highlights mainly Rachel Chu/Nicholas Young parts. movie(s) will begin filming soon. books written by Kevin Kwan. "China Rich Girlfriend"-follows adventures of the Baos, Chus, and Youngs.. -Rachel Chu learns her father is Bao Gaoliang, a wealthy Chinese businessman and politician, part of China's elite. Bao's wife tried to prevent her from meeting Carlton, her brother. -Eleanor Young discloses to Rachel her opposition to her marriage to Nick: his grandma, Su Yi, would disinherit Nick from her will & ostracize him as she did her..She doesn't disclose she knows Bao is a billionaire. -Bao Shaoyen soon relents. Carlton & Rachel becomes fast friends. on the surface, Collette Bing, Carlton's "girlfriend" seems unperturbed. After Rachel nearly dies by chemical poisioning, Collette's assistant, Roxanne, is arrested. "Rich People Problems" -Su Yi, the matriarch, is near death, all her siblings & their family come to pay their respects and hopefully gain a greater portion of the inheritance. -Eddie Cheng, believing he had the best chance- he being the only grandson, blocks Nick's access to Su Yi. Su Yi's servants find out and smuggles Nick to see Su Yi. Su Yi is glad to see him. Nick learns about her historic ties to Thailand and her secret role in World War II. -Eddie is shocked to get only his grandfather's antique cuff links. Su Yi's will to the estate was made years ago: 30% to Nick's father, 12.5% to her 4 daughters, 10% to Nick, 10% to Alistar Cheng. -Jack Bing is the leading bidder to buy the estate, supposedly to give to his wife Kitty. when Kitty discovers it's going to Collette. Kitty becomes a secret investor in Nick's group to buy Su Yi's estate to develop it commercially and maintain a museum. a year later, 2 members of the Nick's group married: Alistair Cheng & Goh Peik Lin (Awkwafina), Rachel's friend. the stories are decadently accessorized by intense research done by Kevin Kwan's team of researchers..books are fiction in a satire, com-rom low key dramatic style. Footnote: -May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month.