Monthly Newsletter from Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii
THE MAYOR'S MONTHLY
April 2025
WELCOME!
It’s been another eventful month, and I continue to be inspired by the energy, dedication, and diversity that make our city such a special place.
As you may have heard, the City of Berkeley is working through a projected budget shortfall between $26 million and $30 million. City Staff and Council are actively exploring thoughtful, responsible solutions to ensure we continue delivering the essential services our community relies on. While some tough choices may lie ahead, I want to reassure you that this process will be open and transparent. We’ll keep you informed as more details become available.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the latest edition of my newsletter and find it helpful. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if we can be of assistance.
I look forward to seeing you in the community!
Adena Ishii
Berkeley Mayor
IN THIS ISSUE
New Addition to Team Ishii
Connecting With Community
Berkeley Mayor's Student Awards
City Commissioners Wanted
Small Business Spotlight
Events Around Town
Resources
NEW ADDITION TO TEAM ISHII
Please welcome the newest member of Team Ishii!
Andrea Guadalupe Bernal (she/they), Legislative Aide: Andrea grew up on the Central Coast and is a first-generation Latina. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies. In her varied roles in tech marketing, events and court-watching, Andrea’s experience has heavily centered on community engagement initiatives driven by her skills in event coordination, project management, and management of various digital channels. Andrea values creativity and conceptual thinking in her individual and collaborative work. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, trying new food spots, and cycling.
CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY
Highlights from some of the special events, tours, and meetings Mayor Ishii and staff recently participated in.
Mayor Ishii joined UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons as the featured speakers at the Berkeley Today and Tomorrow lunch, hosted by the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.
As Berkeley’s first Asian American Mayor, it was a special moment for Mayor Ishii to celebrate the rich and diverse Asian cultures that are a part of our city at the 4th Annual Asian Cultural Festival.
affordable apartments for families and individuals in South Berkeley.
Team Ishii presented Berkeley Poet Laureate Aya de León, Youth Poet Laureate Anita Marie Júlca, and Vice Youth Poet Laureate Adalilly Chu with proclamations in honor of National Poetry Month.
Mayor Ishii made some new friends at the City of Berkeley's Spring Egg Hunt at the Berkeley Marina!
Team Ishii joined the community at the Earth Day Shoreline Cleanup.
You can continue to help keep our shoreline clean all year long - learn more.
BERKELEY MAYOR'S STUDENT AWARDS
On Monday, May 12, Mayor Ishii will be hosting the 29th Annual Berkeley Mayor's Student Awards.
The Mayor’s Awards were created to honor Berkeley High School, Berkeley Technology Academy, and Independent Study students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the following categories: Citizenship, Communication, Community Service, Extraordinary Effort, Leadership, Performance/Visual Arts, and Sports/Athleticism.
The event will take place on the UC Berkeley campus and will include student performances, speakers, and remarks by Mayor Ishii. We expect to present awards to 150 students.
Although this event is not open to the general public, if you would like to view the festivities and celebrate these amazing students, the program will air live on YouTube and on cable TV Channel 33 via Berkeley Community Media at 6 pm.
CITY COMMISSIONERS WANTED
If you have an interest in shaping local policy and serving your local community, consider serving on a City of Berkeley board or commission.
My office is actively recruiting applicants to fill multiple vacancies, including:
From cafes to manufacturers, Berkeley has no shortage of creative and innovative small businesses that add to the vibrancy of our city.
Continuing to shine a spotlight on some of those businesses, this month it's District 2:
Waterside Workshops
Located at Berkeley Aquatic Park, Waterside Workshops offers internships and jobs for youth in two of their social enterprises: a community bike shop (Street Level Cycles) and a wooden boat shop and boat rental facility (Berkeley Boathouse).
Street Level Cycles is a full service bike shop that also serves as a bicycle education, repair, and reuse program. Working alongside skilled instructors, youth interns learn professional bike repair by refurbishing used bicycles, which are distributed back to the community as affordable, sustainable transportation. Youth also help community members fix their own bicycles in a do-it-yourself Open Shop workspace.
Berkeley Boathouse fills the void left by the loss of woodworking classes in local high schools. In this program, youth work alongside skilled instructors learning carpentry and traditional wooden boat building. When weather permits, interns take its fleet of boats paddling and sailing on the Berkeley Aquatic Park and San Francisco Bay. Youth interns and staff also provide boat rentals to the general public and help conduct field trips for groups of youth from partner organizations.
Defending Public Education in California: A Convening
Saturday, May 3, 2025 | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Berkeley Community Theater | 1980 Allston Way
The Banned Scholars Project in African American Studies at UC Berkeley and the African American Studies Department of Berkeley High School present a community convening about defending public education from kindergarten to college in the face of the current crisis.
We invite Bay Area educators, students, and community members to join the conversation on how to resist the ongoing attacks and build collective resilience.
The Elmwood Business Association invites you to Music in the Elmwood Festival! Get ready to groove to the beats of local bands and musicians while enjoying delicious food and drinks.
There will be a beer & wine garden, artisan alleyway and a children's area. Additionally there will be dance performances and other activities throughout the festival.
Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to connect with the community and support local artists.
The North Shattuck Association invites you to come and feast on the delights our amazing local businesses have created for you. This culinary celebration will include sweet and savory foods, adult and non-alcoholic beverages, and live entertainment as you hop from one location to the next.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the beautification, safety, and cultural activities of the North Shattuck district in Berkeley.
Enjoy a day of celebration honoring mothers through music and family activities at the beautiful Berkeley Rose Garden.
Wear your fancy hat and enjoy the spring roses, afternoon tea party, guest speakers, a photo booth, finger food, pastries, charcuterie, lemonade, and even a kids' area for picture frame creation, and live jazz as a part of the city's Music in the Park series.
Free shuttle to and from the event is available exclusively for seniors. Seats are limited.
City of Berkeley Mental Health Awareness Month Event
Tuesday, May 13 , 2025 | 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
North Berkeley Senior Center | 1901 Hearst Avenue
May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
Join the City of Berkeley for this FREE engaging event that will include a panel discussion, food, entertainment, and community resources from nonprofit mental health providers, including Bay Area Community Services, Mental Health SF, and Options Recovery Services, as well as the Berkeley Mental Health Division's Wellness team.
Four headliner events, eight Writers’ Workshops, a lively outdoor fair/block party, and six indoor stages packed with top-notch programming in Downtown Berkeley!
The festival’s ever-popular Family Day returns on Saturday, May 31, at the downtown branch of the Berkeley Public Library Central branch. Family Day will again be filled with readings, panels, discussions, and interactive fun featuring the most exciting and engaging names in young people’s literature.
Are you or someone you know struggling to pay their water bill? You may qualify for assistance!
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) offers a Customer Assistance Program (CAP) to help pay a portion of the water bill for qualified low-income residential customers (and eligible homeless shelters).
Eligible household customers may qualify for 50% off of the standard bimonthly service charge and 50% off of the home water use in each eligible household, up to a maximum of 1,050 gallons per person per month.
Down Payment Assistance in Alameda County
A new Bay Area homebuyer program will offer up to $200,000 toward down payments for first-time homebuyers in Alameda County.
The Home Access Program, created by Housing Trust Silicon Valley, aims to assist lower-income households in their journey to homeownership by providing down payment assistance and creating affordable mortgage payments.
The program provides down payment assistance ‒ up to 40% of the purchase price ‒ with a maximum loan of $200,000. This deferred loan is available to lower-income households with incomes up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Alameda County.
Attend an upcoming informational webinar on Wednesday, May 7, 6 pm - 7 pm! RSVP.
If there are events you would like the Mayor's office to share, please email mmale@berkeleyca.gov.
