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Teachers union: Prelude to strike

Rob Cunningham
Thursday April 06, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Berkeley teachers, parents and community supporters flooded the meeting chamber in Old City Hall on Wednesday night to demand that the school district raise teachers’ salaries. 

“If we don’t have good, qualified, experienced teachers, then we don’t have a school district,” Berkeley Arts Magnet parent Kristin Prentice said during a rally before Wednesday night’s Berkeley Unified School Board meeting. “The school board needs to put teachers first.” 

In the last two weeks, the contract battle between the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Unified School District has intensified. 

A week ago, the union announced that teachers would boycott nearly all events outside their “duty day” of six and half hours. That list of events includes all district-wide committee meetings, all school committee meetings and all conferences, as well as traditional campus events held as the school year draws to a close. 

“Every principal in Berkeley, every school board member, every district office person knows that in order for the schools to operate at the high level that they do, we have to work over 30,000 hours a month, without pay, to keep the standard of excellence you say you want,” Jan Goodman, a King Middle School teacher and former Jefferson Elementary principal, told the school board. “If we worked to the very hours in our contract, the schools would fall apart.” 

The “30,000 hours” figure Goodman cited came from a union survey conducted last month, when the BFT reported that Berkeley teachers spend that much time in an average month on such tasks as meetings and committees, curriculum preparation and staff collaboration - hours that could be considered unpaid overtime. 

In early March, the district and the union reached an impasse in contract negotiations, particularly over the issue of increasing teachers’ salaries through a multiyear agreement. Teachers have a contract that continues through 2001, but the deal allows such issues as compensation to be reopened each year. The current negotiations began more than a year ago. 

According to information provided by BFT, which came from state reports for the 1998-99 school year, only one Alameda County school district with more than 500 students has a lower salary range for new teachers. And every district in the county beats the BUSD for the most experienced teachers on the upper end of the salary range. 

“This is not a strike. This is not business as usual, either,” BFT President Barry Fike told the school board Wednesday night. “Some may call it a prelude to a strike. It is a last, best effort to bring about a result that avoids a strike.” 

Over the last 25 years, the union has held only two strikes: a one-day walkout in 1987, and a nearly six week strike in 1975. 

Today, the BFT’s executive board will meet to discuss further steps the union can take, without moving to a strike vote. Late Wednesday night, Fike declined to discuss those options in detail, but based on conversations with other teachers earlier in the evening, it could include cutting back on grading student homework and other curriculum-related tasks. 

After the BFT made its presentation and several teachers and parents spoke, some of the school board members offered their own comments – although the crowd had dwindled. The board’s comments mirrored their statements from the last number of months, including their support for teachers. 

“I feel confident that we will be able to reach a good settlement at the end of this process,” said Board President Joaquin Rivera. 

But before the board meeting began, Rivera sounded a little less optimistic when talking to a group of reporters. 

“A lot of the money we have is restricted money, and I think at this point they have failed to show where the money will come for the raise,” he said. “So if they think the money’s there, I’m open to hear from them where it is. 

“At this point, the board is really willing and anxious to be able to give the teachers a raise, so it’s not that the board is holding money back and that we don’t want to give it to the teachers. The board is working as hard as we can to try to come up with the money, so I don’t really think that this (demonstration) is going to expedite anything.” 

On Wednesday, both sides met again with a mediator from the state Public Employment Relations Board, but no major progress was made. The third mediation session is scheduled for next week. 

BFT also has filed an Unfair Labor Practices Charge with PERB over the district’s creation of a “Blue Ribbon Committee” to discuss budget restructuring. The union says the district shouldn’t have formed such a group before reaching a contract agreement with teachers. That committee meets again Tuesday. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Thursday April 06, 2000


Thursday, April 6

 

“Thursday Birdwalk” 

7 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Look for nesting birds and review last year’s data collection results. For age 10 and older. 

510-525-2233 

 

Lunch Poems series 

12:10 p.m. 

Morrison Room, Doe Library, UC Berkeley campus 

National Book Award finalist Carl Phillips will read his poems, following an introduction by Robert Hass. This event is free, and is part of the Lunch Poems series on campus. 

510-642-0137 

 

Free computer class for seniors 

1-4 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

510-644-6109 

 

Income tax help 

2-4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Call ahead for an appointment. 

510-644-6107 

 

Asian Women in Theology 

6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. panel discussion 

Pacific School of Religion Bade Museum, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

The panel will feature Nantawan Lewis, Metropolitan State University “Transforming the Canon of Theological Knowledge;” Seung Ai Yang, University of St. Thomas “Learning from the Tradition and History of Confucian Korea: A suggestion for Teaching and Learning in Theology;” Rita Nakashima Brock, Bunting Fellowship Program, “The Forgotten Asian Pacific Americans;” Jung Ha Kim, Georgia State University, “The First Shall be Last, and the Last, the First: The Reversed Reciprocity in Asian North America,” and Kwok Pui-Lan, Episcopal Divinity School “The Differences between Asian & Asian American Women Students.” 

510 849-0653 

 

Public Works Commission 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

The commission will evaluate the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Task Force plan in the first half-hour and at 7:30, hold a public hearing on recommendations for the residential street-sweeping program. 

 

Community Environmental Advisory Commission 

7 p.m. 

Planning Department, Second Floor Conference Room, 2118 Milvia St. 

The commission agenda includes a discussion of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, alleged UC Berkeley stormwater violations and the council air-monitoring project. 

 

Residential Street Sweeping Meeting 

7:30-9:30 p.m. 

1900 Sixth St. 

The city is considering changes in its residential street-sweeping program. The public will have a chance to give input to the changes at the meetings. 

510-665-3440 

 


Friday, April 7

 

“Is Islam a Threat?” 

Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 

Laurence O. Michalak, vice chair of the Center for Mid-Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley, will speak during this week’s meeting of the City Commons Club. Social hour begins at 11:15 a.m. Luncheon is served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Speaker starts promptly at 12:30 p.m. Lunch is $11 or $12.25; admission to the speech is $1, free for students. 

510-848-3533 

 

Healthy Kids Day 

6-9 p.m. 

Downtown Berkeley YMCA, 2001 Allston Way 

This free event is part of the nationwide celebration at the YMCA and is a way to educate children and families about fun, healthy and safe activities that they can do together. Activities will include: fingerprinting by the Berkeley Police Department; family swim; face painting; obstacle course; arts and crafts; family aerobics; first aid information with Fast Response; parenting and informational booths. The event is open to the community. 

510-848-9622. 

 


Saturday, April 8

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

The market has expanded its Saturday hours by one hour in the afternoon. 

510-548-3333 

 

Saturday Morning Children’s Programs 

10:30 a.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Colibri will perform songs from Latin America. Tickets are $4 general, $3 for children. 

510-849-2568 

 

Concert in the Park 

2-6 p.m. 

People’s Park 

Scheduled musicians will include: People’s Park Jazz Allstars, the Librarians, Rebecca Riots, sun asiatic from AME, Nameless and Faceless, Mantra, DJ eli b, Carol Denney, DJ 725, and possible guest performances from numerous other musicians. Scheduled speakers include Wavy Gravy, Osha Neumann, Michael Rossman, Michael Delacour, and many students and community members. 

510-272-2421 

 

“Nature and Knots” 

3 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Learn the structures, functions and natural history of knots. For age 9 and older. 

510-525-2233 

 

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra 

7:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant 

Nicholas McGegan conducts a performance of Bach’s “St. John Passion.” Guest soloists: Dana Hanchard, soprano; Andreas Scholl, countertenor; Benjamin Butterfield and Marc Molomot, tenors; father-son duo Gary Relyea and John Relyea, bass-baritone; the Philharmonia Chorale. Tickets $30 to $45. 

415-392-4400; www.philharmonia.org 

 

“Scintillating Samplings of Java” 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Ben Brinner and Santosa will direct this performance showcasing the variety of ensembles, genres and styles currently played in Central Java. It includes a mix of traditional & newer compositions. 

 


Sunday, April 9

 

“Early A.M. Birdwalk” 

8 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Find the spring arrivals on the trails. Beginners welcome. There are binoculars to loan for those who do not have any. For age 10 and older. 

510-525-2233 

 

Composting Workshop 

1-4 p.m. 

People’s Park 

Learn more about the magic and mystery of composting with Master Composter Kim Caler. This is a hands on workshop. We will both learn about composting and maintain the park’s current piles. 

510-658-9178 

 

“Protist April” 

2 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Use the plankton net to see what is in the pond and examine them with microscopes. 

510-525-2233 

 

Prometheus Symphony Orchestra 

3 p.m. 

St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St. 

Eric Hansen conducts, with guest artists Aaron Brown and Peter Schroeder, violin. This will be a program of works by Bach and Mahler. The concert is free. 

510-527-1519 

 

Organ concert 

6 p.m. 

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way 

Organist George Emblom will program of works by Bach, Part, Alain, Hampton, and Barber. Donation. 

510-845-0888


Thursday April 06, 2000

THEATER 

ACTORS ENSEMBLE OF BERKELEY 

“Rough Crossing” by Tom Stoppard, April 7 through May 6. The writers of a Broadway musical are simultaneously trying to finish and rehearse a play while crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner. 

$10. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; May 4, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 528-5620. 

 

AURORA THEATRE 

“The Homecoming” by Harold Pinter, April 6 through May 7. A dark comedy about a philosophy professor who brings his wife home to meet his all-male family. 

$25 to $28. Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. 

 

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE 

“The Alchemist” by Ben Johnson, through April 7. A scathingly satiric look at the “science” of alchemy and other scams. 

$38 to $48.50. Tuesday through Friday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Feb. 26, March 4, March 11 and March 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 

(510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“3 Sisters” by Anton Chekhov, through April 9. A play about three provincial sisters yearning to move to Moscow and the toy-soldier men who adore them. $15 general; $10 students and seniors. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; March 27, 8 p.m. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 Seventh St., Berkeley. (510) 655-0813. 

 

Subterranean Shakespeare 

“Measure for Measure,” by William Shakespeare. Run has been extended through April 30. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays, at 8 p.m. each night, and Sundays at 7 p.m. $10 general; $6 students. La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 234-6046. 

 

MUSIC VENUES 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, April 6. $16.50. 

John Renbourn, April 7. $16.50. 

Ellis Paul, Stephan Smith, April 8. $15.50. 

Vance Gilbert, David Olney, April 9. $13.50 

Music at 8 p.m. 1111 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 548-1761 or (510) 762-BASS. 

 

ASHKENAZ 

Dan, Tom, and Mary, April 4, 9 p.m. $8. 

The Creole Belles, April 5, 9 p.m. $8. 

Wawawiwa, April 6, 9:30 p.m. $8. 

Sister I-Live, April 7, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

Zydeco Flames, April 8, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

Rachel Garland, April 9, 7 p.m. $8 general; $6 students. 

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5099 or www.ashkenaz.com 

 

BLAKES 

Cool Water Canyon, Big Wu, April 7. $6. 

An Evening with Groove Junkies, April 8. $5. 

Crazy from the Heat, April 9. $3. 

For age 18 and older. Music at 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0886. 

 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER 

Kimiko Joy, Paris King, Salakida, April 7, 8 p.m. $7. 

Tribu, April 8, 8 p.m. $12. 

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568 or www.lapena.org 

 

924 GILMAN ST. 

Fall Silent, Good Clean Fun, Life's Halt, What Happens Next, Redrum, April 7. 

30 Sec. Fury, Spishak, Shoot The Dog, April 8. 

$5. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. (510) 525-9926. 

 

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

Smoke Jumpers, Kirby Grips, Karate Dog, April 6. $5. 

Paul Cebar and The Milwaukeeans, The Floodplain Gang, April 7. $6. 

The Vagabond Lovers, Noe Venable, April 8. $6. 

For age 21 and over. Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:45 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082. 

 

MUSEUMS 

UC BERKELEY ART 

MUSEUM 

“Autour de Rodin: Auguste Rodin and His Contemporaries,” through August. An exhibit of 11 bronze maquettes on loan from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation in Los Angeles. The bronzes range in style from the artist's classically inspired “Torso of a Woman” to the anguish of “The Martyr.” Some of the maquettes were cast during Rodin’s lifetime, others have been cast fairly recently under the aegis of the Musee Rodin which alone is authorized to cast his sculptures posthumously. 

“2x2: Architectural Collaborations,” Jan. 22 through April 16. This exhibit elaborates on the theme of the “Equal Partners” exhibit looking at the innovative projects and the collaborative style of a newer generation of architects. 

“Roma/Pacifica: The Phoebe Hearst International Architecture Competition and the Berkeley Campus, 1896-1930,” through April 23. An exhibition showing how the campus developed from the original lavish design of Franco-Roman buildings by French architect Emile Bernard to the modified version with Italianate granite and stucco buildings and tile roofing by New York architect John Galen Howard to the vision of California Arts and Crafts architect Bernard Maybeck and his student Julia Morgan.  

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 1 1 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-0808. 

 

HALL OF HEALTH  

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level), Berkeley 

A hands-on community health education museum and science center sponsored by Children's Hospital Oakland and Alta Bates Medical Center. 

“This is Your Heart!” ongoing. An in teractive exhibit on heart health. 

“Good Nutrition,” ongoing. This exhibit includes models for making balanced meals and an exercycle for calculating how calories are burned. 

“Draw Your Own Insides,” ongoing. Human-shaped chalkboards and models with removable organs allow visitors to explore the inside of their bodies. 

“Your Cellular Self and Cancer Prevention,” ongoing. An exhibit on understanding how cells become cancerous and how to detect and prevent cancer. 

Free. For children ages 3 to 12 and their parents. 

(510) 549-1564 

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERNICE LAYNE BROWN GALLERY 

“Bridging the Bay: Bridging the Campus,” through April 30. The exhibit has been created from the libraries of the eight University of California campuses. The exhibit includes books, documents, architectural drawings, blueprints, artifacts, maps and photographs that record the building of the San Francisco Bay area’s bridges. It also includes documents detailing Bay area bridge projects that were seriously considered but never built. 

Free. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Doe Memorial Library, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 643-9999. 

 

LAWRENCE HALL 

OF SCIENCE 

“Dinosaurs 2000,” through June 4. An exhibit featuring 16 lifelike robotic creatures, fossils, activities to compare yourself to a dinosaur, and daily live demonstrations. 

“The News About Dinosaurs,” through June 4. Learn more about the “Dinosaurs 2000” exhibit with live demonstrations exploring recent paleontological discoveries and how scientists know what they do about prehistoric creatures. Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. 

$6 general; $4 seniors, students and children ages 7 to 18; $2 children ages 3 to 6; free children under age 3. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

“Modern Treasures from Ancient Iran,” through Oct. 29. This exhibit explores nomadic and town life in ancient and modern Iran as illustrated in bronze and pottery vessels, and textiles. 

“Pana O’ahu: Sacred Stones – Sacred Places,” through July 16. An exhibit of photographs by Jan Becket and Joseph Singer. “A Taste of Culture: Approaches to the Study of Cuisine,” objects and photographs from diverse places and times display the role of food in human cultures. 

“Food in California Indian Culture,” the first comprehensive overview of Native California foods-this exhibit illustrates the artistry of Native cooking in harmony with the natural world. 

“Native American Portraits: Photographs by William Heick,” this retrospective exhibition includes photographs between 1951 and 1984 from four regions of western North America: Northwest Coast (Kwakiutl), Southwest (Navajo), California (Kashaya Pomo, Hupa), and Plains (Blackfoot, Sioux). 

“Phoebe Hearst Museum-Approaching a Century of Anthropology,” a sampling of the vast collections of the museum, its mission, history, and current research, with selections from ancient Egypt, ancient Peru, California Indians, Asia (India), and Africa. 

“Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” Ishi, the last Yahi Indian of California, spent the final years of his life, 1911 to 1916, living at the museum, working with anthropologists to record his culture, demonstrating technological skills, and retelling Yahi myths, tales, and songs. 

Wednesday through Sunday 10 am -4:30 pm; Thursday until 9 pm (Sept-May) 

(510) 643-7648 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

A museum especially for children age 7 and younger. Highlights include “WaterWorks,” an area with some unusual water toys, an Infant Tree for babies, a garden especially for toddlers, a child-scale grocery store and cafe, and a costume shop and stage for junior thespians. The museum also features a toy lending library. 

Admission is $4 for adults; $6 child age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child.  

Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

(510) 647-1111 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

“Chagall: Master Prints and Posters, Selections from the Magnes Museum Collection.” Accompanying the exhibition is “Exploring Chagall and His Use of the Elements of Art,” a child-friendly Interactive Educational Room with five work-stations and a central activities space. 

Free. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

(510) 549-6950. 

 

GALLERIES  

A.C.C.I. GALLERY 

“The Women’s Show,” March 3 through April 8. A group exhibit of works by six Bay area artists. 

“The Annual Staff Exhibit,” through March 31. An exhibit of works featuring ceramics, fiber, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and digital mixed media. In the Interim Gallery. 

Free. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2527. 

 

NEW PIECES GALLERY 

“Irish Stones and More,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of quilts by Denise Snell. 

“Down from the Attic,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of dolls by Gretchen Jennings. 

Free. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave., Berkeley. (510) 527-6779.  

 

TRAYWICK GALLERY 

Dennis Begg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new sculpture and installation. 

Lothar Osterburg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new photography. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1316 10th St., Berkeley. (510) 527-1214. 

 

To publicize an upcoming event, please submit information to the Daily Planet via fax (841-5695), e-mail (calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.com) or traditional mail (2076 University Avenue, 94704). Calendar items should be submitted at least four days in advance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.


BHS tallies 14-7 victory vs. Menlo

James Wiseman
Thursday April 06, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

The Yellowjackets spotted the Menlo School girls lacrosse team two first-half goals before finally getting on the board on Wednesday, but in the end, Berkeley’s game-long consistency on offense proved too much for outmatched Menlo to handle. When the dust settled, the ’Jackets had improved their league record to 6-3, doubling up their hosts, 14-7. 

The victory completed the series sweep for Berkeley, which first defeated Menlo, 17-7, in the 2000 season opener at a neutral location in Davis. Though BHS head coach Lia Farley was concerned by the two early scores her squad relented, she left Menlo’s home field impressed with her offense’s overall effectiveness and balance. 

“We’ve been trying to work on ball movement, that’s one of our goals for the rest of the season,” Farley said. “We had the largest amount of people taking shots in this game. (Besides the usual scorers), three other players stepped up and contributed to the attack.” 

Dani Ganes had a brilliant performance on offense, netting a game-high five goals, as one of three BHS attackers to post at least three goals. Jamie Lee and Naomi Coffman took home the other two hat tricks, splitting the pipes three times apiece. Elizabeth Howe and Anna Russell rounded out the scoring, combining for three goals to spread the BHS scoring out among five players.  

“We had really good transition today. Much better passes and catches, especially in the second half,” said Lee, the team’s leading scorer to this point. “We expected to win the game, and at first we played kind of sloppy. (When they went ahead 2-0), it woke us up.” 

“I think we made some headway,” Farley added. “It’s hard to know, playing against a weaker opponent.” 

As in Saturday’s game, the ’Jackets went with two goalkeepers vs. Menlo, with sophomore Joanna Hoch playing the first half and junior Kristen Brasch tending net in the second. Despite the convincing victory, the squad feels there is plenty of room for improvement, on offense and defense. 

“We wanted to win (the Menlo) game to make ourselves feel better,” Lee said, “but I don’t think we played to our full potential today.” 

According to the Yellowjackets, Wednesday’s victory marked a big step in erasing the memory of Saturday’s loss to St. Ignatius High – a game that was thought to have demoralized the team. Farley admits she was not impressed with her squad’s effort against SI, and hopes it will approach this Friday’s showdown with Bishop O’Dowd with more enthusiasm. 

“There was some sting (after the SI loss). Unfortunately, we felt the intensity was lacking against St. Ignatius,” the coach said. “We try to use games against the easier teams as learning experiences, and with the harder teams, we do the same thing.” 

“Sometimes we play down to the level of our opponents,” agreed Lee. “We have to keep up our intensity the whole time (against Bishop O’Dowd). We expect to win.” 

Friday’s matchup kicks off at 4 p.m. at the Dragons’ home field. This weekend, the Berkeley girls head to the annual Western States Tournament, hosted by Stanford.


Midwives take case to City Council

Judith Scherr
Thursday April 06, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Midwives deliver babies in most countries around the globe, but they are just beginning to gain a toehold in the United States. 

At Berkeley’s Alta Bates Medical Center, which boasts responsibility for the birth of more babies than at any other hospital in the East Bay, midwives have been available to low-risk mothers-to-be for a number of years. 

But the service is at risk, say the midwives who went to Tuesday’s City Council meeting to ask for support. 

The medical center wants midwives to start paying for their own malpractice insurance. The hospital has paid these fees – $68 per birth – in the past. “If we lose our malpractice insurance, we won’t be able to practice (at Alta Bates) any more,” said midwife Madeline Todel, noting that midwives can spend the time with the mothers that busy physicians are unable to do. The council unanimously approved a resolution calling on Sutter Health/Alta Bates Medical Center/Summit Medical Center to negotiate a contract with the midwives that includes malpractice insurance. 

Alta Bates spokesperson Carolyn Kemp said the medical center values the midwives, but is looking at ways to reduce expenses. 

“We’re conscious of every penny we spend at the hospital,” Kemp said. 

The hospital pays malpractice insurance only for people who are regular employees, she explained. Midwives, like most of the physicians, work on a contract basis. Physicians pay their own malpractice insurance and midwives are being asked to do the same. 

“Their patients love them,” Kemp added. “We respect them.” 

Berkeley’s Public Health Director, Dr. Poki Namkung, supports midwifery. When midwives are available, a woman can chose the kind of birth experience she desires, she said. 

“Some people see pregnancy as a medical condition,” Namkung said. “Others see it as a stage in life.” 

Those who look at their pregnancy on the medical model may prefer a doctor, others may prefer a midwife. 

The Community Health Commission brought the question to the council’s attention. In a background document, the commission cites a promise made by Lawrence Fox, who chairs the hospital board of directors. In a March 2 letter, he wrote: “none of the reproductive services Alta Bates Medical Center offers...will be altered.” 

The commission contends cutting off the midwives’ malpractice insurance payments is a result of the merger of Alta Bates and Summit. 

But Kemp says the cutoff was in the pipeline before the merger. 

“It has absolutely nothing to do with the merger,” she said.


Yellowjackets shoot season-best 205 in league match at Tilden

Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 06, 2000

Berkeley High boys golf coach Matt Bremer has been predicting a sub-215 score for his team for weeks, but the remarkable 205 the Berkeley High boys golf team shot at Tilden Park Golf Course on Wednesday surprised even the optimistic coach. 

“I really was surprised, I thought we were going to work from 215 to 213 to 209 or something like that,” Bremer said after the match. “It was awesome. Everything kind of meshed.” 

The score marked a 10-stroke improvement over the Yellowjackets’ previous team record, set earlier this season in a league match at Tilden Park. Berkeley had little trouble adhering to its pre-match resolution to keep everyone under 50 strokes, with the ’Jacket golfers averaging a 41. Ivan Holmes and Adam Breckler each broke the 40 mark, notching a 37 and 39, respectively, to set the tone for Berkeley. Curran Kennedy, Matt Wickett and Walker Koppelman-Brown rounded out the team’s scoring with a 40, 44 and 45. 

The 205 total was especially stunning, considering the squad shot a sky-high 245 just one day earlier against the same Monte Vista team at Roundhill Country Club. Though the ultra-deep Mustangs completed the series sweep of BHS by carding a 191 at Tilden on Wednesday, the Yellowjacket coaches were thrilled to have remained so competitive with one of the league’s strongest teams.  

“Monte Vista is a really classy team, they field a great lineup,” Bremer said. “Their No. 4 person shot their best score (36) – that speaks a lot about their depth.” 

The ’Jackets get perhaps their last opportunity to earn a league win next Tuesday, when they host Granada in a rematch of the March 16 contest won by the Matadors. A victory could vault Berkeley out of the East Bay Athletic League basement in time for the league tournament on May 1.  

“We’re peaking at the right time,” Bremer said. “We’ve got Granada coming up – a must-win game to get out of the cellar. I’m hoping our bubble doesn’t burst.”


Disability awareness encouraged

Adam Cole
Thursday April 06, 2000

Daily Planet Contributor 

 

Most members of the Cal Disabled Students’ Union agree that a disability is not something to feel sorry about. 

To promote this and other disability awareness issues, the student-run organization held its inaugural Disability Awareness Day Wednesday on Sproul Plaza of the UC Berkeley campus. 

“It’s something that affects the lives of millions of Americans,” said Program Coordinator Lisa Krain. “Everyone has a friend, co-worker or someone they know with a disability.” 

One featured event of the day was a “Disability Simulation Program,” which allowed non-disabled people to “adopt” disabilities such as blindness, tunnel vision, dyslexia and mobility impairments requiring use of a wheelchair. Among the participants were UC Chancellor Robert Berdahl and Vice Chancellor Barbara Davis, who rode in wheelchairs, and ASUC President Patrick Campbell, who wore a blindfold to simulate blindness. 

Those temporarily confined to wheelchairs were asked to complete an obstacle course, which included maneuvering through cones, boarding a bus on an elevator lift, and finding a classroom in Dwinelle Hall. 

“Having never been in a wheelchair before, it was much tougher than I thought it would be,” remarked second-year student Maria Morelli. “It was embarrassing asking people for help – I feel lucky I don’t have a disability.” 

However, Disabled Students’ Union president Andy Berk, who founded the organization in the fall of 1999, stressed that people with disabilities can perform most tasks without difficulty. 

“Being disabled is not like being in a living hell,” he said. “After a couple days, you adapt quite easily.” 

Another portion of the event, entitled “This Ability,” served to challenge existing stereotypes by emphasizing the special ways in which disabled people express themselves. To exhibit their uniqueness, athletes and artists in the disabled community presented performances in music, dance, poetry and sports. 

As well, several disability-oriented organizations with city, county and nationwide representation set up tables to distribute information on special education, accessible building architecture and technology, new developments in assistance, social services and advocacy. 

Organizations such as Guide Dogs for the Blind, Protection Advocacy Inc., and the Center for Independent Living came to help accomplish the multifaceted goals of Disability Awareness Day: to educate people about the experience of living with a disability; to appreciate achievements of the disabled; to encourage involvement; and to inform students with disabilities about the resources available to them. 

Speakers at the event included award-winning artist and poet Lee Williams, Gerald Baptiste of the Berkeley-based Center for Independent Living, human rights lawyer Dr. Theresia Degener, writer LeRoy Moore, and author Dr. Simi Linton, who wrote “Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity,” one of the first prominent books on disabilities. 

“It’s up to each and every one of us to ensure that the truth about disabilities is told,” Linton said in her speech. To foster this commitment, students, faculty members and community organizers have been working toward creating a Disabilities Studies at Cal (DiSC) department. 

Cal recently received the Presidential Chair in Undergraduate Education grant from the UC system to assist with the development of DiSC. The $90,000 grant, which the UC system gives every three years to spark new programs, was officially given to UC Associate Professors Susan Schweik and Fred Collignon. 

While a DiSC department is still a vision of the future, the Presidential Chair grant will allow six courses focusing on disability issues to be taught in the fall of 2000. 

“We should have a minor in a few years,” said Schweik. 

“But our big hope is for a department.” 


YMCA holds family night

Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 06, 2000

The Downtown Berkeley YMCA will open its doors to the public for a free event celebrating Healthy Kids Day. 

The event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., is part of the nationwide celebration at the YMCA and is a way to educate children and families about fun, healthy and safe activities that they can do together. 

This year the Downtown Berkeley YMCA, located at 2001 Allston Way, has put together an evening for the entire family. A few of the activities taking place include: fingerprinting by the Berkeley Police Department; family swim; face painting; obstacle course; arts and crafts; family aerobics; first aid information with Fast Response; parenting and informational booths. 

Special guest appearances will be made by Oski, the UC Berkeley mascot; Berkeley Farm “Chug” Mobile; Children’s Fairyland personalities; Raiderettes; Berkeley Fire Department; and “Lulu” the clown. 

In conjunction with Friday’s event, the Y held a poster contest for children. Students were asked, “What makes a Healthy Kid?” The winning posters will be on display through Friday at the Downtown Berkeley YMCA. 

Here are the winners: Madeleine Pelton, age 6, won Best in Craftsmanship and was awarded a free birthday party at the YMCA; Jamie Irvine, age 10, won Best in Communication and was awarded four A’s tickets and lunch with Mayor Shirley Dean; Jacob Isaacs, age 9, won Best of Color and was awarded a YMCA sweatshirt and ice cream certificates; and Marilyn Orozco, age 10, won Best in Creativity and was awarded a free week at YMCA Camp Gualala. 

Every student who participated in the poster contest received a free Healthy Kids Day water bottle and a certificate of appreciation. 

For more information or directions on Friday night’s event, call the Downtown Berkeley YMCA at 510-848-9622.


Don't trust anyone over 30, unless it's Jack Weinberg

Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 06, 2000

The man who coined the phrase “Don’t trust anyone over 30” turned 60 years old Tuesday. 

Jack Weinberg uttered the phrase – which became one of the most memorable expressions of the turbulent 1960s era – during the height of the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley. The Free Speech Movement was a struggle by students over the right to engage in political speech on campus, which helped to catalyze broader political activism on campuses around the country over student rights, civil rights and the Vietnam War. 

In a news release recently distributed by a Chicago public relations agency – owned by his wife, it should be noted – Weinberg says he made the statement primarily to get rid of a reporter who was bothering him. He doesn’t even regard the statement as the most important thing he’s ever said. 

“I was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter and he kept asking me who was ‘really’ behind the actions of students, implying that we were being directed behind the scenes by the Communists or some other sinister group,” Weinberg recalled. 

“I told him we had a saying in the movement that we don’t trust anybody over 30. It was a way of telling the guy to back off, that nobody was pulling our strings.” 

A columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted the quote and other newspapers across the country picked it up. 

“It went from journalist to journalist, then leaders in the movement started using it because they saw the extent it shook up the older generation,” Weinberg said. 

Weinberg, who currently lives in Chicago and works for the Environmental Health Fund on international toxic pollution issues, has remained an activist since his student days. 

He worked for Greenpeace, the international environmental organization, for the past 10 years. In January he left to join the Environmental Health Fund, a Boston-based organization that works with public interest groups to protect public health from injury caused by chemical pollution and other forms of environmental disruption. 

Weinberg works with organizations around the world – especially in developing countries – to build a global, activist network that challenges many of the policies and practices of the international chemical industry. 

Following his student days, Weinberg was a union activist for many years. In 1982, an organization of unionists, community members and environmentalist led by Weinberg successfully defeated a nuclear power plant proposed in Indiana on Lake Michigan.


School district in disrepair

Rob Cunningham
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Thirty years of ever-increasing budget cuts have taken their toll of Berkeley public schools. 

Fire hazards are abundant, duct systems are dirty, exposed electrical wiring poses risks to students and staff, and hazardous materials are stored in boiler rooms. 

The time has come, says an advisory committee, for the district to make a major, ongoing financial investment in properly maintaining its facilities – or the millions of dollars being spent on building new schools and renovating old campuses effectively will be wasted. “It becomes clear that significant additional monies are needed in order to fund an adequate program, protect the community’s massive capital investment in the schools and provide a health, safe and attractive learning environment for students,” says a report prepared by the Maintenance and Security Advisory Committee. 

The group, created by the district last February, will present its findings and recommendations on preventative and corrective maintenance during tonight’s BUSD School Board meeting. 

Over the last three decades, the district has chopped away at the maintenance department’s budget. At the same time, school sites are increasingly used outside of the traditional school day, to the point where today “there is not adequate staff to service (district facilities), given the expanded usage.” 

In their report, committee members noted many of the financial factors that have contributed to the current state of disrepair “were beyond the control of BUSD.” The report specifically cites the impact of Proposition 13 and the state’s low level of per-pupil spending. 

“As BUSD struggled to preserve instructional activities in the classroom, maintenance functions suffered,” the report states. “This was the impossible choice that BUSD faced and continues to face.” 

The BUSD currently spends about $1.9 million each year on maintenance, excluding custodian services. The committee says the district must spend at least $4 million annually to effective and properly maintain the facilities, with an increase of 13 full-time employees in the maintenance department. That additional funding should be pursued through a parcel tax on the November ballot, the committee recommends. 

The school board meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in Board/Council Chambers in Old City Hall, at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Wednesday April 05, 2000


Wednesday, April 5

 

“Humanitarian Intervention” 

10 a.m.-noon 

Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 

This is part of the Great Decisions program sponsored by the City Commons Club of Berkeley. The public is invited. Fee for the eight-week series is $35. Individual meetings may be attended for $5. 

510-526-2925 

 

Campus concert 

Noon 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Jolie Lin, piano solo, will perform Bach’s “Goldberg” Aria & Variations, BWV 988 in this free concert. 

 

Art in the Garden 

2-4:30 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive 

Karen LeGault, a local artist and teacher whose work has been exhibited internationally, is leading this eight-week class in drawing and painting from nature. Both experienced artists and beginners are welcome. Call ahead for more information or to enroll. 

510-643-2755 

 

Community Chats 

4-6 p.m. 

122 Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This event, part of a series of workshops, is designed to raise the university community’s awareness of the health, social policy and research concerns that under-represented Bay Area populations define as their priorities. This gathering’s focus is on the Belizian, Dominican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Panamanian and Salvadoran communities. 

510-642-3785 

 

Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht 

7 p.m. 

Builders Booksource, 1817 Fourth St. 

Bryan Burkhart shares some of the joys of being an Airstreamer and the history of Wally Byam’s American icon. An Airstream enthusiast (owning a restored 1962 Flying Cloud), Burkhart presents photographs from the company’s archives. This free event will feature a slide presentation, talk and book-signing. 

510-845-6874; www.buildersbooksite.com 

 

Citizens Budget Review Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The commission agenda includes a review of the Living Wage Ordinance Report. 

 

Task Force on Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The task force discussions will include a proposal on cable rates and telecommunications services in comparable cities. 

 

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

West Branch Berkeley Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 

This storytime program is designed for families with children up to 3 years old. The free, participatory program features a half hour of multicultural songs, rhymes, lap jogs and stories to give very young children a lively introduction to the magic of books. Parents also will enjoy the new stories, rediscover old favorites and learn new songs and games to share. 

510-644-6870 

 

BUSD school board meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Board/Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Agenda items include a revised retention and promotion policy, transitional housing plan for King Middle School and a report on maintenance issues around the district. 

 

Fire Safety Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

Fire Department Training Facility, 997 Cedar St. 

The commission will hear reports on the buffer zone and on undergrounding utilities. 

 

Southside Night Safety Shuttle Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Willard Middle School cafetorium, 2425 Stuart St. 

The University of California at Berkeley will host a meeting to discuss changes in the bus routes of the Southside Night Safety Shuttle. Lt. Adan Tejada, UCPD Community Outreach, will present the proposed changes to the routes and schedules of the Safety Shuttle in a meeting open to the public. 

510-643-5299 

 

Poetry Flash 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave. 

Gary Thompson, Dale Pendell and Laura McCarthy will be the featured poets at the event. Thompson’s new book of poems, “On John Muir’s Trail,” celebrates the California landscape past and present in a cutback, resonant language, a poet’s eye journey through time and terrain. Widely published in literary journals and anthologies, winner of an NEA writing grant, his two previous books are Hold Fast and As for Living. Pendell is a poet and botanist who has published an award-winning book on psychotropic plants. A companion volume will appear later this year. He was founding editor of KUKSU: Journal of Backcountry Writing and has led workshops in ethnobotany and ethnopoetics at Naropa Institute. His latest book of poems is “Living with Barbarians.” McCarthy is a bookmaker and printer as well as a poet; she’s currently an MFA student in Poetry at Mills. Pendell and McCarthy will read from their own work and from their joint translations of Sappho and other Greek lyric poets. A $2 donation is requested. 

510-845-7852; 510-525-5476 

 


Thursday, April 6

 

“Thursday Birdwalk” 

7 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Look for nesting birds and review last year’s data collection results. For age 10 and older. 

510-525-2233 

 

Lunch Poems series 

12:10 p.m. 

Morrison Room, Doe Library, UC Berkeley campus 

National Book Award finalist Carl Phillips will read his poems, following an introduction by Robert Hass. This event is free, and is part of the Lunch Poems series on campus. 

510-642-0137 

 

Free computer class for seniors 

1-4 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

510-644-6109 

 

Income tax help 

2-4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Call ahead for an appointment. 

510-644-6107 

 

Asian Women in Theology 

6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. panel discussion 

Pacific School of Religion Bade Museum, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

The panel will feature Nantawan Lewis, Metropolitan State University “Transforming the Canon of Theological Knowledge;” Seung Ai Yang, University of St. Thomas “Learning from the Tradition and History of Confucian Korea: A suggestion for Teaching and Learning in Theology;” Rita Nakashima Brock, Bunting Fellowship Program, “The Forgotten Asian Pacific Americans;” Jung Ha Kim, Georgia State University, “The First Shall be Last, and the Last, the First: The Reversed Reciprocity in Asian North America,” and Kwok Pui-Lan, Episcopal Divinity School “The Differences between Asian & Asian American Women Students.” 

510 849-0653 

 

Public Works Commission 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

The commission will evaluate the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Task Force plan in the first half-hour and at 7:30, hold a public hearing on recommendations for the residential street-sweeping program. 

 

Community Environmental Advisory Commission 

7 p.m. 

Planning Department, Second Floor Conference Room, 2118 Milvia St. 

The commission agenda includes a discussion of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, alleged UC Berkeley stormwater violations and the council air-monitoring project. 

 

Residential Street Sweeping Meeting 

7:30-9:30 p.m. 

1900 Sixth St. 

The city is considering changes in its residential street-sweeping program. The public will have a chance to give input to the changes at the meetings. 

510-665-3440


Letters to the Editor

Wednesday April 05, 2000

Offer comparisons of city salaries 

The March 30 article by Judith Scherr on new salary ranges for city officials apparently did not take into account such fringe benefits as medical benefits, retirement, vacation, sick leave. Assuming the salary figures given did not take these into account this will increase substantially the value of the total package. 

Whether the salaries are justified or not is a difficult matter to determine. They have to be sufficiently high to keep highly qualified employees and this involves salaries being in line with other cities as well as private industry. I believe a comparison with other cities as proposed by Councilperson Worthington is a good idea. But any comparison must take into account the fringe benefits as well as the basic salaries. 

While salaries appear high so are living costs especially in the Bay Area. It seems to me that we should receive good value from our employees and be prepared to pay whatever it takes. This also means we should not overpay. All of this suggests that an outside study of salaries by a qualified company is a good idea. 

 

Sig Cohn 

Berkeley 

 

Kennedy goes too far – again 

Thank you for unveiling Piedmont developer Patrick Kennedy’s desire to build a massive 330-car garage and theater complex – a “Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts West,” if you will – on Oxford Street at Kittredge. As your April 1 article (and illustration) pointed out, his proposed seven-story structure would exceed zoning limits by two stories. 

Worse, this building would be hideous and completely inconsistent with the city’s 1990 Downtown Plan. That document calls on city decisionmakers to “maintain visual openness along Oxford Street,” and to “scale down development at the periphery of Downtown.” It further states that “buildings should be stepped back after two or three stories.” These provisions are important because Oxford Street forms the edge of the UC campus, which was intended to remain a green sanctuary at the heart of our city. 

Kennedy has already violated the Downtown Plan with his “Berkeleyan” building at Oxford and Berkeley Way: That structure’s aggressive second-floor overhang hems in the campus, shadows the sidewalk, and doesn’t even leave room for healthy street trees to grow. Berkeley residents who don’t want to see that mistake repeated should send a message to their City Councilmember. They might also contact the arts organizations that are serving as Kennedy’s poster children for his new project: the Shotgun Players and Berkeley Art Center. 

If Berkeley can’t find a responsible developer who will respect the city’s laws, residents, and ecology, it should simply retain the Oxford Lot as a surface parking lot. Although paved, it is welcome open space – and is home to some graceful, mature trees. 

 

Tom Brown 

Berkeley 

 

Tibet and the Berkeley Library 

I am responding to the March 16 letter from Sandy Hunter regarding the library’s catalog cross-reference on Tibet. The actual cross-reference is “Tibet, see Tibet (China)” rather than “For Tibet, see China,” as your read quoted. However, we truly understand his/her objection to having the library’s catalog associate Tibet with China at all. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Tibet is an autonomous region of China, and has been since 1965. Many of us may wish that Tibet were independent of China; however, this is not the case now. I hope this helps clarify how this cross-reference came to be. 

 

Jody Bush 

Deputy Library Director, Berkeley Public Library 

 

City drives around bumpy issue? 

In your front page article of March 27 on “Berkeley’s bumpy battle” there is a reference to speed bumps as “vertical deflection devices.” This reminds me of Berkeley’s renaming its traffic barriers “curb modifications.” The California Supreme Court had confirmed earlier court decisions that traffic barriers are illegal under the provisions of the California Vehicle Code, and the Berkeley City Council evaded the order to remove the traffic barriers by simply renaming them; who could object to innocuous curb modifications? 

Perhaps Berkeley is now attempting to preempt any legal action against speed bumps by calling them by some other name? The legal status of speed bumps is not clear. 

 

Max Alfert 

Berkeley 

 

Rent policies hurt everyone 

The Berkeley Rent Board laws are unfair and result in losses for landlords, tenants, and the City alike. Our situation is typical of many others and reflects an urgent need for change. We registered our home with the Rent Board eight years ago and generously – perhaps naively – included gas, electricity, off-street parking and housekeeping as expenses that we would pay. But the rent law states that no matter how high the utility bills rise, our tenants won’t pay anything, and additionally have no incentive to save natural resources. The rent we receive is 25 percent below an already-suppressed Berkeley rent average (according to Homefinders and eHousing). But the Rent Board allows only a $5-$10 increase each year, ensuring that our rent will continue to decline relative to market value. We take pride in our accommodations and want to paint and make minor improvements. But the Rent Board states that none of these costs can be passed on to our tenants, and so like many Berkeley rental units, living conditions are deteriorating. We will even lose money on the sale of our house due to rent control unless we pay tenants, who have enjoyed years of discounted rents, money to leave. One tenant informed us she would consider moving for a payment of more than $5,000.  

Sadly, everyone will suffer in this situation: since we cannot afford to continue to lose money, we’ll sell the property and will likely not get full value. Our tenants will be forced to move as a new family moves in, and the City will lose a rental unit and annual registration fees. It’s time to change these unfair laws for all people renting and providing housing in Berkeley. 

 


Crispin and Becky Pierce 

Snohomish, Wash.


Arts scene goes international

Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Entertainment will take on a distinctively international flavor on the UC Berkeley campus this week, and appropriately enough, the International House will be the host for the festivities. 

The ALLNATIONS Dance Company of New York, a professional folk dance ensemble that began over 32 years ago in New York, will perform on Thursday and Friday. Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m. 

The ALLNATIONS dancers will present, “Joy in Every Land,” a program that takes the audience on a narrated tour around the world. 

ALLNATIONS Dance Company has performed in over 50 countries around the globe – from Romania and Australia to Israel and China. The dancers are highly trained in the dances of their culture. The Company is dedicated to fostering friendship and understanding among all people. 

On Saturday, acclaimed director, writer and actor Lane Nishikawa will premiere his new film, “When We Were Warriors,” at 7:30 p.m. 

The film begins during the last days of World War II. The Japanese-American 442nd U.S. artillery unit liberates Jewish prisoners at Dachau, Germany, while their own families languish in internment camps back in the States. Following this powerful encounter between two cultures, the film dramatizes the friendship between one of the Japanese-American veterans and a concentration camp survivor now living in the United States – a friendship that endures through 40 years of family crises and social prejudices. 

“When We Were Warriors” is based on the stageplay, “The Gate of Heaven,” also by Nishikawa. The live production has toured the United States, and made a special appearance at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., where it received critical acclaim from the Washington Post. 

International House is a self-supporting, nonprofit organization at UC Berkeley. Its mission is to foster understanding and friendship among peoples of all nations and races. With 600 residents from more than 70 countries and 30 U.S. states, it is one of the largest multinational residential and community cultural centers in the world. This year International House, Berkeley is celebrating its 70th anniversary. 

I-House is located at 2299 Piedmont Avenue at the top of Bancroft Way in Berkeley. Admission for both programs is free, but space is limited. Pick up tickets in the Program Office during business hours (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.n. and 2-5 p.m.) or from the Front Desk after hours (24 hours, 7 days a week). For more information, call 510-642-9460.


BHS softball ends scoring drought

Al Provinziano
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Daily Planet Correspondent 

 

The 2000 season started out as a dry one for Berkeley High softball, when it failed to score any runs in their first two league games. But the Yellowjackets ended this drought on Tuesday at James Kenney Park, scoring their first runs of the year to get by Monte Vista, 9-7. 

The bottom of the second inning turned into a run hurricane for Berkeley, which earned eight of its nine runs in that inning. Amaya Webster got things started with a basehit to right field that scored teammate Joe Warner, and by the end of the inning, the girls had batted around the order and picked up eight runs. The last score found its way home on a line drive to center field by Caitlin Drullus that scored pitcher Lillia Bermeo.  

“We had some big hopes at the beginning of the season,” assistant coach John Bermeo (Lillia’s father) said. “After a couple of losses, our hopes went down – but after today they’ll be up again.” 

Monte Vista coach Mike Lemaster yanked starting pitcher Amy Naylor with two outs in the second, after Berkeley was up six runs. The new pitcher, Whitney Evans, halted Berkeley’s onslaught with a strikeout – but not in time to stop Emily Friedman and Bermeo from coming home to end the inning at 9-2.  

“(Evans) turned things around,” Lemaster said. “I’d like to think that (the team) played bad and it knocked some sense into them. They decided to change and put some energy into the game.” 

After taking a beating in the second, the Mustangs’ energy spurted back in the fourth, as Monte Vista brought home four runners to bring the score to 9-7. Monte Vista’s advance can be at least partially attributed to a struggling defense – shortstop Jasmine Jew allowed three line drives to fly over her head, which let Monte Vista get two runs across. 

“I need some high heels on my shoes,” Jew joked. “I just can’t reach the ball.” 

“I thought we had it locked up,” commented assistant coach Bermeo, during the top of the fifth inning. “Now we’re playing like we’re losing. I think we need to learn how to keep a lead and our energy up, when we’re ahead. All of these things will come in time.”


Bike plan approved

Judith Scherr
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Bicycle boulevards moved one step closer to reality Tuesday night. A unanimous City Council – with Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek out of the room – agreed with a crowd of bicycle-helmeted folks, many who sported “one-less-car” T-shirts, and approved, in concept, the boulevards and a dozen or so “tools” to make them work. 

The council nod means that city staff can now move forward to write grants for the project and work with neighborhoods to devise the traffic-calming methods best suited to each street. An amendment to the council’s motion underscored the requirement for staff to work with residents along the bike boulevards. The council will make the final approval for each boulevard. 

The bicycle boulevards are safe streets, with a low volume of traffic, where cyclists can ride a distance with few stops. The tools to slow traffic and discourage cars include “bulb-outs,” where plazas reach out into the street, narrowing it and making crosswalks shorter; “one-lane slow points,” which force traffic into one lane only; and round-abouts. 

Cyclist Michael Katz and 10 others, calling themselves the Coalition for Safe Streets, wrote the council, asking for the removal of these three devices from the bike boulevard “toolbox” of traffic-calming devices. 

These three devices would “force bikes and cars to compete for artificially narrowed road space. This could create new bicycle/vehicle conflicts,” they wrote. 

The council, however, voted to allow the bike boulevard consultants and the neighborhoods to consider these and other traffic-calming devices. The Bicycle Boulevard Task Force had already thrown out “vertical deflection devices,” which are speed bumps and other raised traffic-calming tools imbedded in the roadway. They deferred to members of the Commission on Disability who argued that these devices cause pain in some disabled and elderly people when they ride over them in cars or vans. 

In a separate vote, the council extended its moratorium on speed bumps to a moratorium on all vertical deflection devices. The Commission on Disability had asked the council to vote not to use these devices in future traffic-calming efforts, but instead, councilmembers sent the question back to a “traffic-calming” subcommittee for further debate. 


Incomplete Panther swim team falls to ACCAL foes

Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Being a varsity swimmer at St. Mary’s High is a bit like being a surfer in Nebraska. Head swimming coach Erin Heister is the first to admit that the school’s lack of an on-campus aquatic facility makes the sport of swimming a less appealing alternative than the more easily accommodated spring sports, like baseball, softball, volleyball and track.  

Thanks to the school’s commitment to the swimming program, however, more and more male and female swimmers are beginning to find the trip to Contra Costa College for daily practice worth their time. Though the Panthers remain unable to fill a complete lineup, they have begun to make a splash in the Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League by improving in the events they do attend.  

“There’s a lack of participation that wouldn’t necessarily happen if we had (our own pool),” said the first-year coach, who hopes the 2000 squad will have enough success to attract more athletes to the sport in the future. “When I was offered this job, I was really excited to take it.” 

St. Mary’s got the opportunity to gauge its status within the ACCAL on Monday, when it traveled to Encinal High for a tri-meet with Encinal and St. Joseph. The talented host squad had little trouble outclassing the Panthers on both the boys and girls sides, posting a 76-19 victory over the girls and a 68-14 win over the boys. St. Joseph was also deep enough to get by St. Mary’s, but the relatively close 53-33 girls score gave Heister reason for encouragement.  

“We have a very small team, and our scores will reflect it,” the coach said after the meet. “We can’t fill events, so we’re really looking for some personal bests. Everyone’s dropping times.” 

Junior captain Winston Le posted the boys’ most impressive performance, swimming the 100-yard breathstroke in 1:14.38. On the girls side, sophomore Anneka Besemer justified her recent promotion to varsity by recording a 1:37.13 mark in the 100-yard backstroke.  

“That was a great time for (Winston). I think the captains are doing a good job,” Heister said. “I’m very happy and very impressed with (Anneka’s) time.” 

The Panthers, who share their home pool with league rival Holy Names, get back to ACCAL action this Friday, facing Piedmont at the Highlanders’ home pool. Holy Names will also battle Piedmont in the tri-meet, starting at 3:30 p.m.


UC's downtown role

Judith Scherr
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Varying visions of downtown in the 21st century collided at a Monday night panel discussion on the university’s New Century Plan. 

Panelists and some of the 30 community members in attendance at the Alumni House event clashed on questions of parking and an emphasis on building affordable housing downtown. 

Panelists and audience members teamed up to challenge UC Berkeley representatives on the issue of the university devouring city property and removing it from the tax roles. 

The New Century Plan under discussion is, in fact, not a concrete plan, but a compendium of possibilities for expansion – a spectrum of responses to a growing student population and the university’s expanding opportunities for research and development in the 21st century. 

A series of New Century Plan meetings are being held to gather input into the plan. Neighborhood activists pointed out that the university is under no obligation to listen to the community, but Kerry O’Banion, project manager for the New Century Plan, said they are doing so. They are, in fact, reassessing the use of space on the campus proper, he said, in order to limit their need to move outside campus boundaries. They are also looking at development possibilities in Richmond and Oakland, he said. 

UC Berkeley Planner Tom Lollini, Berkeley Repertory Theatre Managing Director Susie Medak, Downtown Berkeley Association President Rauly Butler, Civic Arts Commissioner Susan Levine, Oxford Development Group President Soheyl Moderrassi and City Manager Jim Keene sat on the panel. 

There was general agreement among panelists, that, as Butler said, “parking, parking, parking” is a top priority for merchants. Lollini talked about the university’s plan to build 200 parking spaces at the Oxford Tract, at Hearst and University. Others talked about the need for parking for performance arts.  

Building housing downtown is an issue. The question is whether it is a priority when there are questions of building housing versus parking, for example, and for whom housing should be built. 

Medak said there should be less focus on “affordable” housing and more on market rate. Other panelists called for arts venues or retail on the ground floor when housing is built. 

Keene said it is important to diversify housing prices. He said he feared rising housing costs are pushing people out of the city. 

“When the census results come out, we’ll see if this city is diversifying or not,” he said, asking, “Is there a danger of Berkeley becoming a big Piedmont?” 

The audience, impatient with the 90 minutes of the two-hour session devoted to the panel, called for a chance to respond. 

When they had their chance, some people castigated the university for its choice of panelists. The university left students and neighborhood activists out of the mix, they said. 

“If Cal wants to schmooze with the city and certain downtown interests, developers, merchants, cultural groups, etc., (they should) refrain from doing so in public and on OUR time,” a frustrated community activist wrote the Daily Planet in a Tuesday-morning e-mail. The individual asked to remain anonymous. 

There were other audience opinions, however. Councilmember Polly Armstrong called the group a “fabulous panel.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington addressed the panel, saying he was “really depressed” by the call to add parking. 

“No one talks about what the traffic impacts are,” he said. 

Planning Commission Chair Rob Wrenn pointed out that the edge of campus is the ideal place for affordable housing. 

“It is in between two major job centers – downtown and the university,” he said, adding that the Oxford Street parking lot should be developed as housing. 

“The problem is that in Berkeley, the jobs/housing ratio is out of whack,” with more jobs than housing, he said. The imbalance means that people live outside the city and come into the city to work. 

Panelists differed on what to do with the UC Berkeley Press shop on Oxford, which Lollini said the university intends to move to a more appropriate industrial area. 

“There is a serious need for Class A hotel and conference space,” Lollini said, indicating that the UC Press property might be the right place for a hotel. “It would benefit the city and the university.” 

He added, however, that the university is also looking at the area as the new venue for the University Art Museum, housed in a seismically unsafe facility, and Pacific Film Archives, which currently occupies a temporary home. 

Medak pushed for the arts venue at the print shop site. “Relocate the campus museums there,” she said, noting the synergy that could be created between the arts district and campus arts. 

Keene agreed that the museum would be good, as long as the university didn’t intend to take over any buildings other than those it already owns. The university pays no property taxes and, when it takes over a retail space, deprives the city of sales tax. 

Rauly noted that the university already has moved into office space above Eddie Bauer’s. Moreover, he said, there is an elderly person who has a number of properties downtown who has willed his properties to the university. 

Lollini said he hopes the city and the university can begin to work better together than they have in the past. Developing the stretch of Oxford Street that runs from Virginia Street to Bancroft Way, furthering the common interests of the city and the university there, could advance the relationship, he said. 

But by the tone of the Monday night discussion, the New Century Plan may not be the mechanism through which the partnership will be sealed.


Jackets squeeze by league rivals in five

Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday April 05, 2000

The Berkeley High boys volleyball took its second straight league match into five games against Granada on Tuesday evening. Unlike last Thursday’s loss to Monte Vista, however, the ’Jackets kept their cool down the stretch, coming from a 7-10 deficit in the fifth game to win,15-11.  

The match marked the fourth time this season the Yellowjackets have taken opponents into a fifth game – a situation in which BHS is now 2-2. According to head coach Justin Caraway, these types of games can be helpful in developing a team’s clutch instincts, but also heart-palpitating for a nervous coach. 

“I certainly think the more five-game matches you have, the better prepared you are to win them,” the BHS coach said after Tuesday’s match. “I don’t like to go five, but (now) I feel pretty confident if we do.” 

Though Granada’s most dangerous weapon – blocker Jon Specht – managed to compile impressive stats, the ’Jackets shut down the rest of the Matadors, combining for a sky-high team dig total of 79. Jacob Kardon, still nursing an injured shoulder, registered eight blocks despite seeing his playing time limited.  

“(Granada) put up a solid block on the outside ball,” Caraway said. “Realistically, we blocked fairly well, with 35 total blocks. We got eight from Jacob, which was huge.” 

Though Caraway was satisfied with Tuesday’s victory, he admits that many of the mistakes made against the relatively weak Matadors will be magnified if they are made this Thursday against league powerhouse Foothill. In the coach’s opinion, Thursday’s home match will be decided quickly – based on who comes stronger out of the gate. 

“I think it’ll be won or lost in three games,” Caraway said. “We’re going to have to play a solid, error-free match (to win).” 

The BHS-Foothill match starts at 5 p.m. at Donahue Gym.


Cal honors ex-president of Portugal

Joe Eskenazi
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Daily Planet Correspondent 

 

On Tuesday afternoon, the University of California awarded the Berkeley Medal to a democratic leader and activist of such high repute that – and this is the amazing part here – not a single protester interrupted a minute of his speech. 

Dr. Mario Soares, president of Portugal from 1986 to 1996 and a vocal advocate of democracy during Portugal’s four decades under the boot of Antonio de Salazar’s totalitarian regime (1932-74), garnered the University’s highest honor. 

Speaking in his native Portuguese through a translator (though a very large portion of the 100-plus in attendance probably did not require the translator’s services), Soares talked of Portugal, the European Union and, the subject he is most identified with, democracy. “In Portugal, it was not easy to consolidate into a plurality, Western-style democracy, particularly after a dictatorship that lasted nearly half a century,” recalled Soares of the days and weeks following the 1974 coup that ousted Salazar and led to a democratic government. “At the time, Portugal was exhausted after 13 years of colonial wars in Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique. The majority of the Portuguese population accepted the need to negotiate peace and acknowledge the rights of all colonies to self-determination and independence.” 

Things would not get any easier for the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs. Nearly a million people fled back to Portugal from the colonies, upsetting an already delicate situation. The military attempted to wrest away control of the state. As Secretary General of the Portuguese Socialist Party, Soares helped resist the military’s aims and was one of the authors of Portugal’s constitution, which was ratified by popular vote. 

“During the revolutionary climate, immediately after the dictatorship, the Portuguese state came very close to disintegrating into anarchy, a civil war,” recalled Soares, a former defense attorney for political prisoners who was arrested 12 times during the Salazar years and even exiled in 1968. “The forced return of almost a million citizens from the colonies, often in states of panic, made the situation even more dramatic. In order to consolidate democracy and guarantee development, the most logical solution seemed to be integration into the European Community.” 

After eight years of negotiations, Portugal – along with its Iberian neighbor, Spain – was admitted to the European Community on June 12, 1985. In ’86, Soares became the first civilian to be directly elected president by the Portuguese people. He won a second term in 1991, scooping up over 70 percent of the vote. Since his second term expired in ’96 he has served on Portugal’s Council of State and as a member of the European Parliament.  

Soares repeatedly stressed his belief in the importance of the European Union, a “political, social, cultural and environmental entity, and, above and beyond that, an economic and monetary unit as well.” Now comprised of 15 member states, the EU is considering an augmentation that could push its membership to 29 nations. Soares saw both positive and negative sides to growth. 

“(The EU’s) decision-making process is already slow and difficult. What would it be like with 28 members?” wondered Soares. “Revision is necessary.” 

But despite the EU’s shortcomings, Soares felt that only a strong, united political entity could deal with growing problems of “xenophobia, racism, organized crime, drug trafficking,” and the dilemma of how to cope with large numbers of immigrants inundating Europe from the east and south. 

“These people are in search of a better condition of living,” said the former president. “They often end up confined to social ghettoes confronted with linguistic and cultural problems that are difficult to solve. The aim of any serious policy on immigration is integration (and) societal integration is truly a complex issue. The European Union has rejected the idea of making Europe a fortress, closed and insensitive to the needs of its neighbors.” 

In order, then, to admit poorer nations to the EU, Soares emphasized the importance of the EU aiding these countries financially, much as Portugal receives a yearly grant that won’t run out until the year 2006. When questioned by an audience member about how providing aid to other countries will affect Portugal, Soares replied that his homeland would have to take one for the team. 

“Of course those of us receiving funds will have to sacrifice something,” said the leader. “We can’t keep it all for ourselves. We can’t be selfish. (The EU) doesn’t follow the American model of keeping everything for yourself and making a buck as fast as you can. Portugal has benefited greatly (financially), and will until 2006. I think others should as well.”


Council to consider bicycle plan for city

Judith Scherr
Tuesday April 04, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

With some 935 bicycle accidents in the five years between 1994 and 1998 Berkeley has the dubious honor of having a bicycle accident rate that is four times higher than that of any other city in California. 

Of course, there are a lot of cyclists, too. Some 5 percent of Berkeley residents commute to work by bike. Numerous others ride bikes to school, to shop or recreate. 

With the goal of creating safe streets for cyclists, local bicycle aficionados pushed city planners to create a plan for safe bike routes. 

Tonight, the City Council will be asked to adopt the bicycle plan – a network of “bicycle boulevards,” with a bike safety education component. The council will also be asked to approve the engineering tools to make the bike boulevards work. 

The bicycle plan includes engineering a network of seven bike boulevards – Ninth Street, California and King streets, Milvia Street, Bowditch Street and Hillegass Avenue, Virginia Street, Channing Way, and Russell Street. 

The goal is to create safe streets where bicyclists will share the road with drivers, who will drive slowly and be on the alert for cyclists. 

These streets already have relatively low volumes of traffic, thanks to speed humps, traffic diverters and stop signs. 

Tonight’s action is one more conceptual step toward making the bike boulevards a reality. Once the consultants have approval to use the tools, they will go to the various neighborhoods involved and work with them to configure the actual design. 

The council will be asked to adopt an arsenal of tools that can be used along the bicycle boulevards. One is signage alerting people to the boulevards. Another is the use of various textures and colors for the pavement and/or for crosswalks, again, reminding people that they are using a bicycle boulevard. 

“Bulb-outs,” which extend a sidewalk or plaza in a bulb-like shape out into the street, are another engineering tool. Bulb-outs create a shorter distance for pedestrians to travel across the road and cause traffic to move more slowly.  

Round-abouts, popular in Europe, are another tool planners want to be able to use. Traffic signals that can be activated by bicyclists and pedestrians for ease in crossing busy intersections are another tool. The planners also want permission to remove some stop signs at four-way stops, which impede the flow of bike traffic. 

The bicycle task force, a subcommittee of the transportation committee, has thrown out one proposed tool: the “vertical deflectors.” The Commission on Disability asked that the deflectors, which include speed bumps, be taken out of the plan. They argued that the traffic-calming devices cause pain to disabled and elderly people when they are in cars or vans that ride over the bumps. They further argued that the speed humps slow down emergency vehicles. 

If the council approves the plan and environmental document tonight, the next phase of the bike boulevard project will begin. Consultants will go to the neighborhoods in question and talk about the specific tools to use in their particular neighborhood. The City Council will be asked to approve the specific plans incrementally, as neighborhoods agree to the plan and funding becomes available. 

The plan, which is to include a safety education component, is expected to cost more than $7 million to fully implement. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Tuesday April 04, 2000


Tuesday, April 4

 

MLK’s Legal Legacy 

12:40 p.m. 

Boalt Hall Room 121, UC Berkeley campus 

Visiting Professor David Oppenheimer will speak on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legal legacy and how the Birmingham desegregation campaign led to the introduction of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 

510-642-6969 

 

Free computer class for seniors 

1-4 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

510-644-6109 

 

Income tax help 

2-4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Call ahead for an appointment. 

510-644-6107 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

The market begins its summer hours today. 

510-548-3333 

 

The Berkeley Medal 

4 p.m. 

The Lipman Room, Eighth Floor, Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

The Berkeley Medal, established in 1981, is bestowed on individuals of exceptionally distinguished achievements whose work or contributions to society illustrate the ideals of the university. This year’s recipient is Mario Soares, president of Portugal from 1986 to 1996 and current member of the European Parliament. This event is open to the public. 

510-643-2115 

 

City Council meeting 

7 p.m. 

Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

 

Beginner Bicyclist Workshop 

7-8:30 p.m. 

Conference Room 1, Downtown Berkeley YMCA, 2001 Allston Way 

Find the idea of riding your bike too daunting? If you’re just starting out, or haven’t ridden in years come to the Beginner Bicyclist Workshop. This course covers all the basics. Avoid the easy mistakes that can lead from everything from bike theft to skinned knees or worse. Zed Lopez and Jason Meggs of the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition will teach this course, which is free and open to the public. No preregistration is required. 

510-549-RIDE 

 


Wednesday, April 5

 

“Humanitarian Intervention” 

10 a.m.-noon 

Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 

This is part of the Great Decisions program sponsored by the City Commons Club of Berkeley. The public is invited. Fee for the eight-week series is $35. Individual meetings may be attended for $5. 

510-526-2925 

 

Campus concert 

Noon 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Jolie Lin, piano solo, will perform Bach’s “Goldberg” Aria & Variations, BWV 988 in this free concert. 

 

Art in the Garden 

2-4:30 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive 

Karen LeGault, a local artist and teacher whose work has been exhibited internationally, is leading this eight-week class in drawing and painting from nature. Both experienced artists and beginners are welcome. Call ahead for more information or to enroll. 

510-643-2755 

 

Community Chats 

4-6 p.m. 

122 Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This event, part of a series of workshops, is designed to raise the university community’s awareness of the health, social policy and research concerns that under-represented Bay Area populations define as their priorities. This gathering’s focus is on the Belizian, Dominican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Panamanian and Salvadoran communities. 

510-642-3785 

 

Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht 

7 p.m. 

Builders Booksource, 1817 Fourth St. 

Bryan Burkhart shares some of the joys of being an Airstreamer and the history of Wally Byam’s American icon. An Airstream enthusiast (owning a restored 1962 Flying Cloud), Burkhart presents photographs from the company’s archives. This free event will feature a slide presentation, talk and book-signing. 

510-845-6874; 

www.buildersbooksite.com 

 

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

West Branch Berkeley Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 

This storytime program is designed for families with children up to 3 years old. The free, participatory program features a half hour of multicultural songs, rhymes, lap jogs and stories to give very young children a lively introduction to the magic of books. 

510-644-6870 

 

BUSD school board meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Board/Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

 

Fire Safety Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

Fire Department Training Facility, 997 Cedar St. 

The commission will hear reports on the buffer zone and on undergrounding utilities. 

 

Southside Night Safety Shuttle Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Willard Middle School cafetorium, 2425 Stuart St. 

The University of California at Berkeley will host a meeting to discuss changes in the bus routes of the Southside Night Safety Shuttle. Lt. Adan Tejada, UCPD Community Outreach, will present the proposed changes to the routes and schedules of the Safety Shuttle in a meeting open to the public. 

510-643-5299 

 

Poetry Flash 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave. 

Gary Thompson, Dale Pendell and Laura McCarthy will be the featured poets at the event. Thompson’s new book of poems, “On John Muir’s Trail,” celebrates the California landscape past and present in a cutback, resonant language, a poet’s eye journey through time and terrain. Widely published in literary journals and anthologies, winner of an NEA writing grant, his two previous books are Hold Fast and As for Living. Pendell is a poet and botanist who has published an award-winning book on psychotropic plants. A companion volume will appear later this year. He was founding editor of KUKSU: Journal of Backcountry Writing and has led workshops in ethnobotany and ethnopoetics at Naropa Institute. His latest book of poems is “Living with Barbarians.” McCarthy is a bookmaker and printer as well as a poet; she’s currently an MFA student in Poetry at Mills. A $2 donation is requested. 

510-845-7852; 510-525-5476 

 


Thursday, April 6

 

“Thursday Birdwalk” 

7 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Look for nesting birds and review last year’s data collection results. For age 10 and older. 

510-525-2233 

 

Lunch Poems series 

12:10 p.m. 

Morrison Room, Doe Library, UC Berkeley campus 

National Book Award finalist Carl Phillips will read his poems, following an introduction by Robert Hass. This free event is part of the Lunch Poems series on campus. 

510-642-0137 

 

Free computer class for seniors 

1-4 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

510-644-6109 

 

Income tax help 

2-4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Call ahead for an appointment. 

510-644-6107 

 

Asian Women in Theology 

6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. panel discussion 

Pacific School of Religion Bade Museum, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

The panel will feature Nantawan Lewis, Metropolitan State University “Transforming the Canon of Theological Knowledge;” Seung Ai Yang, University of St. Thomas “Learning from the Tradition and History of Confucian Korea: A suggestion for Teaching and Learning in Theology;” Rita Nakashima Brock, Bunting Fellowship Program, “The Forgotten Asian Pacific Americans;” Jung Ha Kim, Georgia State University, “The First Shall be Last, and the Last, the First: The Reversed Reciprocity in Asian North America,” and Kwok Pui-Lan, Episcopal Divinity School “The Differences between Asian & Asian American Women Students.” 

510 849-0653


Patrick Kennedy's Plan

Rob Wrenn
Tuesday April 04, 2000

In regards to proposals for development of the City’s Oxford Street surface parking lot in downtown (Berkeley Daily Planet, April 1-2), it should be noted that the City Council voted in October to designate the Oxford lot as an “Opportunity Site for as much low income housing and multipurpose multicultural space as possible.” 

The Council did not call for a 330-space parking garage as proposed by developer Patrick Kennedy. From a planning standpoint, a 330-car garage is a very inappropriate use for that site. 

First, the Oxford lot is only a block away from BART and numerous AC Transit bus lines. Building a parking garage there would be contrary to the Downtown Plan’s “transit first” policy. People should not be encouraged to drive to an area that has excellent transit access. 

Second, 330 parking spaces aren’t needed at the Oxford site. The current surface parking lot is not fully utilized. The City’s 1997 Parking Survey found that the Oxford lot had a lower percentage of occupied spaces than other garages and surface parking lots in downtown. While the survey found parking occupancy rates of 83% for a weekday mornings and 85 percent for weekday afternoons for downtown off street parking as a whole, the rates for the Oxford lot were 43 percent and 42 percent. 

The parking situation is tighter at the Oxford lot today because as many as 40 of the 130 spaces in the lot have not been available to the public in recent months due to construction on the adjacent site and due to a number of spaces being reserved for holders of special permits. Even with the reduced number of spaces, the lot is only occasionally full and spaces can generally be found by shoppers. 

The Council in October called for replacing the existing parking and called for additional parking “appropriate for new development at the site.” Current zoning for the site requires 1 1/2 parking spaces per 1000 sq. ft. of new non-residential space. So 10,000 sq. ft. of new development would require only 15 additional parking spaces. 

One parking space is required for every 3 dwelling units, so 150 housing units would require only 50 more spaces. However, the current draft of the General Plan suggests eliminating the parking requirement for new housing in what it calls the “Downtown Transit Oriented District,” which includes the Oxford lot. So, it’s possible that only a few extra parking spaces for the ground floor uses would be needed. A plan that included 150 to 200 spaces would be consistent with the Council’s October action; 300 or 330 spaces is more parking than is needed or desirable or called for by the City Council. 

Third, the Downtown Plan identifies Oxford Street as a “desirable location for housing.” A project that combines housing with theater and arts-related uses would be very consistent with the Downtown Plan. However, the more space that is wasted on parking, the less space will be available for housing. The height limit for the Oxford lot, including allowable bonuses for housing and cultural facilities, is five stories and 60 ft. If three floors are wasted on parking, there will be limited space left for housing. Ideally, parking at the site should be moved underground to maximize the amount of space available above-ground for cultural uses and housing. 

In addition, it is not just housing that is needed, but affordable housing. Rents in Berkeley are soaring and market rents are not affordable to a majority of Berkeley’s current population of tenants. The Oxford lot affords the City with an excellent opportunity to create a relatively large number of affordable units. Most affordable housing projects require large per-unit subsidies from the City’s Housing Trust Fund. It would be possible to have a higher percentage of affordable units with smaller per-unit subsidies on the City-owned Oxford lot. 

The Council in October wisely called for a “thorough planning process involving all the “stakeholders” for the Oxford site. The City should allow sufficient time to make sure it gets maximum benefit from development of the site. The City should encourage competition among developers to see who can come up with the best designed project that provides the most space for affordable housing and cultural uses within the existing height limits. The City’s Request for Proposals should, consistent with the Council’s October recommendation, emphasize that housing, not a massive parking garage, is the primary desired use for the site.  

 

Rob Wrenn is chair of the Berkeley Planning Commission.


Latin Hustle offers a comic look at being young, brown, gay

John Angell Grant
Tuesday April 04, 2000

Daily Planet Correspondent 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – Latin Hustle, a trio of Chicano lesbian and gay male comedy performers, is currently running at Theater Rhinoceros in San Francisco its latest show “Hoodwink” – an on-again, off-again mixed bag of 20 or so skits about what it’s like to be young, brown and gay. 

“Hoodwink” is fun-loving, low-brow entertainment in the old vaudeville skit model. In this new millennium version, it contains jokes about homeboys, Impalas, oral sex, prison, crotch grabbing, body odors, Castro Street bars, Fresno, Rudy Galindo, teen-age lesbians, and hepatitis A through F. There are also a few serious moments. 

Playing a variety of bizarre characters, performers Jaime Cortez, Adriana Gordon and Al Lujan are funny people, but the quality of their material, which they also wrote, varies from segment to segment. About half the skits work. In the other half, a sketch may contain a funny joke or two, but not enough to carry the whole skit. 

In the opener, two Latino boys fool around in the dark until they’re caught by mama. This moves into a poetry slam at the Brown Beret Cabaret, which features Gordon’s celebration of her menstrual cycle in a rap titled “Luna Sea.” Her male friend dismisses the work as “cliterature.” 

In one segment, the performers operate three-quarters-sized puppets of an old gay man and a young butch lesbian discussing their love obsessions, and comparing stalking techniques. This segment might have worked better if the puppets were operated more skillfully. 

Elsewhere a man drives his yellow El Camino into a mailbox, then stresses over his effeminate son who likes to cook and his butch daughter who likes to wax the car. 

One highlight of the evening features three faces lined up at three “glory holes” in a sex club, comparing notes on the topic at hand, then bursting into song. 

In another highlight, two pregnant lesbian teen-agers with huge bellies consider rumors that eating cheese is a capitalist plot to keep poor people down. This is a very sweet and touching skit. One girl rolls her hair with Tecate cans. 

Lujan does a sad but increasing surreal stand-up segment about childhood poverty – being locked at home as a 5-year-old by his mother, searching for food under the sofa cushions, and worse. 

Some of the jokes and the takes are familiar. A wedding singer with a dildo in his pants, for example, did not seem like a fresh idea. 

Nor did a labored “Antiques Roadshow” parody that featured such finds as a limited edition sex toy. 

A segment about Kitty and Kiki’s drag fashion show labored along like a comedy segment on public access television. Vamping and drag alone aren’t enough to carry a story. 

Some wise dramaturgical help with the script would improve this show. In the current production, Latin Hustle is halfway there. 

Latin Hustle’s “Hoodwink” runs Wednesday through Sunday, through Apr. 15, at Theater Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St. (at South Van Ness), San Francisco. For reservations, call (415) 861-5097. 

There’s also a Latin Hustle party April 13 at Pan Dulce (Asia SF), 201 Ninth St. (at Howard), San Francisco. Say “Hoodwink” and you’ll get in the club free.


Tuesday April 04, 2000


THEATER 

ACTORS ENSEMBLE OF BERKELEY

 

“Rough Crossing” by Tom Stoppard, April 7 through May 6. The writers of a Broadway musical are simultaneously trying to finish and rehearse a play while crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner. 

$10. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; May 4, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 528-5620. 

 


AURORA THEATRE

 

“The Homecoming” by Harold Pinter, April 6 through May 7. A dark comedy about a philosophy professor who brings his wife home to meet his all-male family. 

$25 to $28. Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. 

 


BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE

 

“The Alchemist” by Ben Johnson, through April 7. A scathingly satiric look at the “science” of alchemy and other scams. 

$38 to $48.50. Tuesday through Friday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Feb. 26, March 4, March 11 and March 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 

(510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

 


SHOTGUN PLAYERS

 

“3 Sisters” by Anton Chekhov, through April 9. A play about three provincial sisters yearning to move to Moscow and the toy-soldier men who adore them. $15 general; $10 students and seniors. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; March 27, 8 p.m. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 Seventh St., Berkeley. (510) 655-0813. 

 


Subterranean Shakespeare

 

“Measure for Measure,” by William Shakespeare. Run has been extended through April 30. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays, at 8 p.m. each night, and Sundays at 7 p.m. $10 general; $6 students. La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 234-6046. 

 


GALLERIES

 

A.C.C.I. GALLERY 

“The Women’s Show,” March 3 through April 8. A group exhibit of works by six Bay area artists. 

“The Annual Staff Exhibit,” through March 31. An exhibit of works featuring ceramics, fiber, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and digital mixed media. In the Interim Gallery. 

Free. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 

1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2527. 

 


NEW PIECES GALLERY

 

“Irish Stones and More,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of quilts by Denise Snell. 

“Down from the Attic,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of dolls by Gretchen Jennings. 

Free. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave., Berkeley. (510) 527-6779.  

 


TRAYWICK GALLERY

 

Dennis Begg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new sculpture and installation. 

Lothar Osterburg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new photography. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 

1316 10th St., Berkeley. (510) 527-1214. 

 

To publicize an upcoming event, please submit information to the Daily Planet via fax (841-5695), e-mail (calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.com) or traditional mail (2076 University Avenue, 94704). 

Calendar items should be submitted at least four days in advance, or at least one week before the opening of a new museum exhibit, gallery exhibit or theatrical performance. 

Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.


Jackets face Granada today

Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday April 04, 2000

Berkeley High boys tennis coach Dan Seguin didn’t mean it as a knock on his opponents when he announced that he would field several junior varsity players against league rival Granada today. In fact, with Berkeley’s depth, facing the JV ’Jackets may not be such a different experience from facing any other school’s varsity. 

Encouraged by a 9-0 sweep of Livermore last Thursday, in which JV players filled in at every position, Seguin decided to reward their support of the varsity once again by matching them up against the winless Matadors. No. 2 varsity singles player Patrick Hamilton and two varsity doubles teams are still expected to play, hoping to gain momentum for Thursday’s considerably more daunting matchup with Foothill. 

“They all want to play. I don’t want to keep any varsity out that needs to play,” Seguin said at Monday’s practice. “It was nice seeing the JV jump in (against Livermore). They’re ready to go, I feel confident playing any lineup.” 

With a good league record and an impressive array of non-league wins – including a defeat of James Logan High – Berkeley hopes it has done enough to attract NCS attention despite its second-place status in the EBAL. Because the team’s last two games may be its most important in terms of impressing the NCS selection committee, Seguin is careful not to overlook even a notoriously weak team like Granada. 

“I want to approach it the same as any other match,” the BHS coach said. “They have a good 1-2, and they’re definitely better than Livermore. We’ve got to work on closing, and playing more balls in the air – not giving the other team time to set up.”


Portables to be placed at King Middle

Rob Cunningham
Tuesday April 04, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

The Berkeley Unified School District will spend more than $1.8 million to provide portable classrooms for King Middle School students while their main classroom building undergoes major renovations. 

The transitional housing project, which includes placement of 32 portable classrooms, will be considered during Wednesday night’s meeting of the school board. Temporary housing is needed because the central classroom building needs significant seismic and accessibility improvements; the district also wants to upgrade various electrical and mechanical systems in the structure. 

But creating a “portable city” wasn’t the district’s original plan. 

When district and site administrators began discussing how to handle the renovation work at King Middle, they intended to divide the grades, keeping seventh- and eighth-graders on site, while moving sixth-graders to the Franklin School site. Franklin will have available classrooms once Thousand Oaks School moves into its new home at the end of the summer. 

But in December, plans began to unravel. Teachers argued against separating the grades, saying the move would hurt their efforts to create an effective three-year educational model at the school. 

So, the district started talking about moving all of King Middle to the Berkeley Adult School sit, which would have forced the division and relocation of that school’s programs. But that idea infuriated BAS teachers, students and community supporters, who said pushing out the adult school would prove that the district didn’t value the campus or its programs. 

During all of these community meetings, new ideas emerged for handling the King Middle project. After comparing costs and impacts on educational programs, the district determined that the best option was to do the King project in two phases and place portable classrooms around the school grounds - as long as those buildings didn’t occupy the track and field on the north portion of the campus. 

The plan being presented Wednesday night appears to meet everyone’s goals: The three grades will remain on site, the track and field will be free of portables and BAS keeps its home. The only people who might still raise concerns will be parents who don’t want their students to attend a school that is also a work zone. 

In addition to the portable classrooms, the plan calls for the placement of a restroom portable, new utility hookups, rental of two temporary storage containers, reconfiguration of the science building to house four classrooms, and other modifications to increase storage and add office space. 

The $1.8 million price tag only covers the costs of work related to the transitional housing project. The total cost for the King Middle project is expected to be at least $20 million. All funds will come from Measure A, the $158 million school bond measure approved by Berkeley voters in 1992. 

Wednesday’s board meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in Board/Council Chambers in Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The meeting is scheduled to be broadcast on B-TV, Cable Channel 25, and 89.3-FM, KPFB. 


Middle school students take muscial stage

Tuesday April 04, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Berkeley students will present four performances of “Kiss Me, Kate” over the next two weeks at two school sites. 

The performances will be held Friday and Saturday at Berkeley Arts Magnet Elementary School at 1645 Milvia St. and April 12 and 14 at Willard Middle School at 2425 Stuart St. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, young children are free. 

“Kiss Me, Kate” is the modern musical theater production of William Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” The local performances will be presented by the Youth Musical Theater Commons, which includes students from Berkeley middle schools. 

Bruce Wicinas of the Youth Musical Theater Commons notes that the current project was preceded by “Middle School Musical Theater” which restored musical theater to Willard in the fall of 1997 by producing “West Side Story” in the newly rehabilitated “Metal Shop Theater.” Willard had a prior history of musical theater which ended when Howard Frieberg left the staff some years back. Middle School Musical Theater made musical theater available as a sliding-scale-tuition-financed after-school class. “West Side Story” was followed by other classic musicals staged with voice instruction, choreography, moving sets and theatrical lighting. 

Wicinas says the middle school project was actually heir to the Gilbert and Sullivan troupe, which concluded its 27-year run in Berkeley Schools at Malcolm X in 1997 with the retirement of co-founders Catherine Lynch and Arden Clute. The “G&S” program had initiated generations of kids and families to musical theater as an alternative to popular culture since its founding at Franklin school in 1971. “Middle School Musical Theater” was founded by Lynch, Wicinas and Evelyn Larsen – Wicinas and Larsen were parent managers of the G&S Troupe through its final two years.


Berkeley boys crew slows in San Diego

Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday April 04, 2000

A lot of spectators at last weekend’s high school-collegiate San Diego Crew Classic may have thought the defending national champion Cal Golden Bears were the only Berkeley squad to show up. And as far as Berkeley High boys crew coach Eric Christiani is concerned, they were right.  

Two weeks after defeating Bay Area rival Los Gatos by a gaping 20 seconds in a league race, the BHS varsity-8 boat struggled with the Classic’s pace, rowing an inefficient race in Saturday’s preliminary action, and failing to qualify for the event’s finals race.  

“We had a disappointing performance, there was a little bit of self-destruction,” said Christiani, who cited problems with the crew’s stroke rhythm. “It wasn’t their day. 

“There were a lot of teams (there), and it’s hard to stay focused, especially without experience.” 

As expected, No. 1 Cal took home the event’s collegiate title, with Marin Rowing Association completing the Bay Area sweep on the high school side. The Oakland Strokes and St. Ignatius High, both on Berkeley’s league schedule, placed fifth and sixth, respectively.  

The Yellowjackets battle both St. Ignatius and Marin in a league race this Saturday afternoon at San Francisco’s Lake Merced. Despite Marin’s dominant reputation, Christiani believes his crew can compete, if it returns to the form of two weeks ago. 

“Marin Rowing Association is very strong, it’d be great if we beat them (this weekend),” Christiani said about the upcoming tri-meet. “(My athletes are) strong enough to do much better than they presented themselves this weekend.” 

Berkeley High’s junior varsity boat made the trip worthwhile for the coach, advancing to the finals after a solid showing in the preliminary races. Though the Yellowjackets slowed down considerably in the finals race, Christiani was thrilled with the JV boat’s rapid overall improvement. 

“We had a mediocre race in the finals, but we were up against a lot of good crews – so that wasn’t necessarily an upset,” the BHS coach said. “The JV had a good (weekend). I felt they built up a lot of confidence.”


Council agenda includes old items

Judith Scherr
Tuesday April 04, 2000

Tonight’s City Council meeting will begin after a brief Housing Authority meeting at 7 p.m. 

At its meeting, the Housing Authority will be asked to give preferential treatment to homeless persons for Section 8 – low-income housing – vouchers. 

The council agenda includes a number of items to discuss that have been languishing on the list of possible actions for weeks. They include: 

• Accepting the Redevelopment Agency’s final report. 

• Discussing pedestrian safety on Ashby Avenue. 

• Purchasing microphones and a recording devise so that more accurate records can be kept of General Plan and Southside Plan meetings. 

• Discussing support programs for small business. 

• Appointing Councilmember Betty Olds to a city manager evaluation subcommittee. 

• Giving the Peace and Justice Commission authority to review all contracts with the University of California. 

• Enforcing speed laws on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

The council also plans to make a decision on a use permit for office buildings at 2336 Fifth St. 

On the consent calendar, which are items discussed with little or no comment, are a traffic-monitoring study for Alta Bates Medical Center, residential parking enforcement, hosting a panel on “the war on drugs,” and retention of a midwife panel at Alta Bates Medical Center. 

If the council gets to its new business, it will talk about establishing a task force to create a citywide transit pass, like UC Berkeley’s Class Pass. All students pay for the Class Pass, and any of them can sign up to use it. 

Another item of new business is establishing conflict of interest criteria for city commissioners. 

The meetings are scheduled to be broadcast on B-TV, Cable Channel 25, and 89.3-FM, KPFB. 

 

– Judith Scherr, 

Daily Planet Staff


BHS volleyball seeks first EBAL triumph

Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday April 04, 2000

The Berkeley High boys volleyball team thinks it has what it takes to post its first East Bay Athletic League win against Granada at home tonight. But after falling to league rival Monte Vista – another expected win – last Tuesday, the ’Jackets aren’t leaving anything to chance. 

BHS coach Justin Caraway has used the disappointing loss to the Mustangs as a motivational tool for the squad in practice this week, stressing the mental aspect of performing well down the stretch in grueling five-game matches.  

“They walked off the court knowing they could have won,” said Caraway, whose Yellowjackets fought back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth game with the Mustangs, only to lose, 15-9, in the final. “I just think we need more concentration. More focus on every point.” 

At 0-4 in league, Granada is the only other winless team in the EBAL, and Caraway expects the Matadors to be easy prey, if his squad can cut down on mental errors. Monday’s practice was devoted largely to blocking schemes for use against Granada’s one-man frontcourt – middle blocker Jon Specht. 

“I’ve talked to some coaches that played Granada, and (they have) one hitter who’s very strong,” Caraway said. “He’s their go-to guy every time.  

“I think we’ll probably come out with a win.”  

Even if Granada turns out to be a pushover, the Yellowjackets will have a guaranteed challenge this Thursday, when they host undefeated Foothill at Donahue Gym. Both today and Thursday’s matchups are slated to begin at 5 p.m.


Neighbors tell city to get rid of 'monstrosity'

Judith Scherr
Monday April 03, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

When Josh Maddox hit the pillow on a Friday night, a couple of weeks ago, things seemed right with the world. 

When he woke up Saturday morning, the public safety building worksite not far from his home was abuzz with activity. By evening a 170-foot high, 20-foot wide – at the base – tower had been sunk into concrete, 25 feet into the ground. 

Along with Councilmember Dona Spring, Maddox and about 25 other neighbors, members of the McKinley Addison Grant Neighborhood Association, met with city officials to tell them what they thought of the “monstrosity” that landed without warning in their back or front yards. 

“My property value has gone down overnight,” Maddox said. “I don’t see the moon. I don’t see the sunrise. I’ve just taken a loss.” 

It looks like “something from a prison catalogue,” one of the neighbors said. Another remarked that the tower gives the residential area an industrial feel. A few dropped the word “lawsuit” – Spring said Friday that the group is talking to an attorney – and without exception, every speaker said it had to go. 

The police chief, director of capital projects, deputy director of public works and other top city brass were not unsympathetic. Still, they told the group, they have to bear the weight of responsibility of the city’s public safety needs. 

“In an earthquake or major fire, we will have the coverage we need,” Police Chief Dash Butler said. “This tower will improve police and fire response.” 

He said he understood the neighbors’ apprehensions. 

“How do we marry your concerns with ours? How do we put all that together?” he asked. 

Officials answered each of the questions. They can’t put the antenna atop the new civic center building, because when an earthquake rocks the building, the tower could topple, interrupting emergency services. That’s the advantage of setting it in concrete in the ground, they said. 

The height cannot be reduced, because the radio waves need to be able to get to the other side of the Berkeley hills, to areas like Wildcat Canyon. 

If the tower were moved, for example, to Berkeley’s industrial area, the new placement would cause radio wave interference with emergency channels in other jurisdictions. 

The explanations didn’t change the nearby residents’ minds. The sudden appearance of the tower, with no neighborhood input, infuriated them. They explained they felt the city had deceived them, especially given their close work with planners on a number of aspects of the project in its early stages. They said the city had listened to their ideas on fencing, landscaping and even the color of the building. 

But the tower, they said, had been sneaked in with no citizen review. They had believed the city when officials told that the plans were geared toward improving civic center, they said. 

But Capital Projects Manager John Rosenbrock told the group that the tower, even if it had been called an antenna, should not have come as a surprise. The plans “were noted on the (Environmental Impact Report) and shown in the drawings,” he said. “It always existed in its present state.” 

“It’s hard to believe you would want it near your house,” nearby neighbor Nancy Holland told the officials. “We have a sense of betrayal.”


Calendar of Events & Activities

Monday April 03, 2000


Monday, April 3

 

Growing Gourmet 

10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Santa Fe Bar and Grill, 1310 University Ave. 

This is a free monthly event that offers hands-on training in intensive production urban gardening. The restaurant has its own 5,000-square-foot organic garden on site, which provides the chef with fresh produce. The program includes a potluck lunch at 4 p.m. Contact the garden manager, Katherine Webb, for more information. 

510-841-1110 

 

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Branch Berkeley Public Library, 2121 Allston Way 

This storytime program is designed for families with children up to 3 years old. The free, participatory program features a half hour of multicultural songs, rhymes, lap jogs and stories to give very young children a lively introduction to the magic of books. Parents also will enjoy the new stories, rediscover old favorites and learn new songs and games to share. 

510-649-3943 

 

Harris Seminar 

4 p.m. 

Institute for Governmental Studies Library, 109 Moses Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

David Broder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist with the Washington Post, will discuss his book “Democracy Derailed: The Initiative Movement and the Power of Money.” 

 

The Affordable Housing Advocacy Project 

6 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

The Berkeley Housing Authority is sponsoring a series of meetings aimed at improving authority operations. 

 

“New Moon Hike” 

6:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Hike Big Springs, view sunset city, stars and planets. Meet at Big Springs Canyon pullout off South Park Drive. If closed meet at the Botanic Garden parking lot. 

510-525-2233 

 

Landscape architecture and environmental planning 

7-8:30 p.m. 

145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Robert B. Riley, emeritus professor of landscape architecture and architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will speak on “Vernacular-Narrative-Garden: Musings, Maxims, and ... ?”  

510-643-9335 

 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7 p.m. 

Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Among other issues the board will discuss funding for the Tenant Action Project and a proposal to add an office assistant and a community services assistant. 

 

Peace and Justice Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The commission will discuss adopting Browning, Mont., as a sister city, the development proposal for Spenger’s parking lot, establishing a Ho Chi Minh Highway or Ho Chi Minh Park Placard, 

 

Theater conversation 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 

“Page to Stage: A Conversation with Tony Taccone, Joan Holden and Geoff Hoyle” is a free event sponsored by the Berkeley Rep’s Hilde Mosse Programs for Education. Taccone is artistic director of the Rep, Holden is the principal playwright for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and Hoyle is a comic actor who has appeared in a number of shows at the Rep. This event will focus on the legacy of comic theater in the Bay Area. 

510-841-2541 

 

New Century Plan workshop 

7:30-9:30 p.m. 

UC Alumni House (enter campus at Bancroft Way and Dana Street; located across from Haas Pavilion) 

Community members are invited to Workshop No. 4, which will feature a panel of representatives from Downtown Berkeley business, arts, and civic organizations. The discussion will explore ways to utilize town and gown connections to further the revitalization of Downtown Berkeley. The New Century Plan, currently being developed, will guide UC Berkeley decisions and set priorities for the future use of its facilities and properties in Berkeley and the surrounding region. 

510-643-3382; 510-643-5299 

 

Author reading 

7:30 p.m. 

Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 

Author Barbara Quick will read from her recent book “Under Her Wing: The Mentors who Changed our Lives.” She also will sign copies of the book. 

510-486-0698 

 


Tuesday, April 4

 

Free computer class for seniors 

1-4 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

510-644-6109 

 

Income tax help 

2-4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Call ahead for an appointment. 

510-644-6107 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

The market begins its summer hours today. 

510-548-3333 

 

City Council meeting 

7 p.m. 

Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

 

Beginner Bicyclist Workshop 

7-8:30 p.m. 

Conference Room 1, Downtown Berkeley YMCA, 2001 Allston Way 

Find the idea of riding your bike too daunting? If you’re just starting out, or haven’t ridden in years come to the Beginner Bicyclist Workshop. This course covers all the basics. Avoid the easy mistakes that can lead from everything from bike theft to skinned knees or worse. Zed Lopez and Jason Meggs of the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition will teach this course, which is free and open to the public. No preregistration is required. 

510-549-RIDE 

 


Wednesday, April 5

 

Campus concert 

Noon 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Jolie Lin, piano solo, will perform Bach’s “Goldberg” Aria & Variations, BWV 988 in this free concert. 

 

Art in the Garden 

2-4:30 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive 

Karen LeGault, a local artist and teacher whose work has been exhibited internationally, is leading this eight-week class in drawing and painting from nature. Both experienced artists and beginners are welcome. Call ahead for more information or to enroll. 

510-643-2755


The truth about university's referendum on People's Park

John Tanghe
Monday April 03, 2000

It is sad that it seems that the ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California) now wants to follow in the not-so-proud recent tradition of statewide ballot initiatives. With the upcoming People’s Park referendum, the ASUC, or at least some faction within it, is manipulating simple words with supposed good intentions to dupe voters into supporting a sinister motive (a la Proposition 209, 21, 22, etc.). 

The apparently benign referendum asks, “Do you think the People’s Park area should remain a park as opposed to having UCB explore alternative uses for the space/land?” 

Seems simple enough, right? But what is really going on here? I know that the student body is highly intelligent. So let’s ask some questions in search of the truth. 

The first question all of us good learned students should ask is what does the phrase “alternative uses” mean? It could be anything. For example, the University presently uses portions of its land for such controversial activities as: nuclear research (and whatever else they do up in those hills), military training, research on animals, genetic engineering, and shady partnerships with soul-less corporations and the prison industry. 

Now most folks are going to latch onto the current housing crisis hysteria and think “alternative uses” must mean building a dorm for students. But if that was the case, why doesn’t it say so? Could it be because the University has consistently stated that they lack the necessary funds to build more student housing? Though ironically enough they do have the funds to destroy part of the Albany Village student housing complex. And even if they did have the funds, why would they build housing on the only open space with grass in the Southside area, when there are numerous other vacant lots, including many parking lots that could be converted to dorms with underground parking facilities (think Underhill!)? 

It is more likely that in the University’s eyes “alternative uses” would mean what they’ve always wanted to do (and have done on occasion). That is bulldozing the Park and making it into another one of their exclusive parking lots at the expense of everyone. 

The fact is the very existence of People’s Park just pisses certain people off and they just happen to have a lot of power. They can’t handle the fact that there’s a piece of land in this city that they don’t control. And this student referendum, with all its rhetoric of being “non-binding,” is just the first lob in a new battle in what seems like a never-ending war against the Park. They think that they can utilize the current climate of student ignorance to get what they have always wanted. 

By using the word “ignorance,” I do not mean to disparage the intelligence of the student body. I merely mean to refer to the present dearth of knowledge about the Park that has been fostered by the University. Again it is ironic that a University would embed such ignorance in its students. 

Why is it that very few students know the incredible/tumultuous ongoing story of the Park? A working class neighborhood where Allen Ginsberg and friends used to frolic. The University’s use of eminent domain to destroy that neighborhood. The resulting muddy unused lot being converted into a Park by the community on its own initiative. The destruction of that Park by the University, followed by Police and National Guard occupation of the city, including the use of live ammunition on demonstrators and observers. A helicopter indiscriminately spraying tear gas on a peaceful rally and the city at large. A prior ASUC referendum where the Park won by a landslide. The Park persevering. Free food. Music. Swings and slides. Trees. Gardens. The People’s Café. The Free Box. Volleyball courts that were forced upon the public by the University and thus never used, but cost the public $2 million. Thousands of arrests. Martial law on numerous occasions. Hundreds of injuries. And sadly two human beings killed at the hands of police officers. 

How many students have even spent time in the Park? Lounged on the grass and enjoyed the sun? Utilized the Free Speech stage? Played some ball? Threw a Frisbee? Just sat and talked with a stranger? Planted flowers? Ate nourishing free food? Again, I’d bet very few. 

Could this be because the University sends a police officer to warn every new student at Orientation about the “dangers” of People’s Park? That the UCPD releases constant propaganda about the supposed “criminal element” in the Park? That the UCPD patrols the Park relentlessly as if it was a war zone (Next time the class you want is not offered or you can’t connect to the Internet due to lack of funding, go to the Park for a while and observe how much of our money is being wasted on such an unnecessary police presence). When in reality by their own statistics there’s been more violent crime this year in Underhill Parking Lot than in the Park (Go to Sproul and look at their map if you don’t believe me.). 

Now, I am not trying to say that People’s Park is some utopia, it does have its problems. However, as we all know most of Berkeley (and this world) has its problems. And if instead of being scared away, more people were involved with the Park, we could help it grow into a much better place. 

If the ASUC really wanted to discover the students’ opinion, why didn’t they host an open forum or issue a comprehensive survey? Instead, they allowed a senator to put a vague question on the ballot without implementing any opportunities for students to become informed or express their concerns on such a complicated issue. In addition, this referendum totally ignores the non-student community, which makes up the majority of the city and users of the Park. The only way that the powers-that-be can ever be stopped is when students and non-students work together as a community to control their own destiny. Remember the Park is the only large area of grass and open space on Southside and that it is presently available to anyone to use. Again this referendum is about duplicity, not attaining any sort of concrete consensus. 

Therefore I urge everyone to use this attack as an opportunity to become informed. Learn the history and the issues. Talk to others. Go to the Park. Form your own educated opinion. If you do so, I am certain that on April 11-13 students won’t be fooled and will vote YES for People’s Park. And maybe we can all finally work together to make the Park what it was always meant to be. A place where anyone can enjoy some open space, do what they want, and escape the drudgery of modern urban life! 

 

John Tanghe is a Boalt Hall student and a 1998 Cal alum.


'One Flea Spare' falls short

John Angell Grant
Monday April 03, 2000

Daily Planet Correspondent 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – Crowded Fire Theater Company opened the Bay Area premiere Friday of “One Flea Spare,” Naomi Wallace’s celebrated, but bleak and difficult political play about class relations, at Phoenix II Theater in San Francisco. 

Set in London in 1665 at the height of the Great Plague, “One Flea Spare” focuses on four people from differing social classes who are quarantined in a house together, along with the guard who keeps an eye on them. 

Forced to live in intimate circumstances, in increasing privation, in a world of death where life is cheap, the characters undergo social, political and emotional regression in a power vacuum that is disconnected from the outside world. 

Crowded Fire’s production of this play is well performed and well directed in the intimate 30-seat Phoenix II space. 

In their few weeks of quarantine together, the characters in “One Flea Spare” share their histories. The poor people have suffered physical privation. The rich have suffered numbness of the heart. 

The master of the house (George Frangides), a shipyard owner, plays mind games with his male servant (Darin Wilson), a former sailor.  

In one wonderful scene, master lets servant try on his stockings and shoes. The power that goes with the clothes moves back and forth between the two men as they exchange the clothing. 

The mistress of the house (Tiffany Hoover) also flirts with the servant/sailor. Food and sex become bartering currencies in the deprived landscape of the plague. Sexual frustrations poke through at odd and quirky moments. 

This is a painful world without love. The rich beat the poor, and the men beat the women. 

The quarantine guard Kabe (Paul Lancour) announces periodically tallies of the newly counted dead, and sings revolutionary songs. 

A flirtatious, sociopathic family friend (Juliet Tanner) enjoys betraying the secrets of the others in this pressure cooker world. 

Playwright Wallace is a published poet. The language of the dialogue in “One Flea Spare” is heightened, and sometimes quite beautiful. It is not quite the literal and realistic dialogue one finds in a contemporary play.  

But having said all this, in the final analysis for me “One Flea Spare” doesn’t quite work.  

This intellectual story about class power and economic issues makes the same political points over and over. 

Although there is a lot of texture to the individual scenes, at times the play’s larger story seems an afterthought to the political agenda.  

None of the characters in this painful story is particularly likable, so it’s hard to care about the outcome of the story. 

In a story without love, there’s no place for the audience to breathe. 

Much of the human story in this production has been created by director Rebecca Novick’s silent moments on stage, in the characters’ reactions, and in their subtexts. 

Set designer Melpomene Katakalos’s barren room with its roof made of a ship’s rigging reflects the rat and sailing ship motifs of the play. 

Playwright Wallace, who was born in Kentucky in 1960, had her first plays produced in England, where she now lives part of the year. 

After its London production, “One Flea Spare” had its American premiere at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theater of Louisville 1996. 

It won an Obie in 1997. 

In 1999, Wallace was awarded a MacArthur “Genius Grant.” She currently has commissions to write new work for both London’s Royal Shakespeare Company, and New York’s Public Theater. 

“One Flea Spare” plays Thursday through Saturday, through April 22, with a special Monday performance April 17, at Phoenix II Theater, 655 Geary St. (at Leavenworth), San Francisco. 

For ticket information and reservations, call 415-675-5995, or visit the group’s web site (www.crowdedfire.org).


SI girls complete 2000 sweep

James Wiseman
Monday April 03, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

The site was different, but the sight was the same for the Berkeley High girls lacrosse team, which fell to league rival St. Ignatius for the second time this season, 11-6, on Saturday afternoon at the BHS football field.  

The Yellowjackets entered the 11 a.m. matchup with revenge on their minds – still stinging from an 11-7 road loss to the Wildcats on March 11. Though Berkeley High was able to settle down on offense and contend well with St. Ignatius in the second half, the Wildcats’ 7-3 halftime lead proved insurmountable. 

“I don’t know what it was (in the first half),” said attacker Jamie Lee, who paced the Berkeley High offensive effort with three goals. “I felt like we lost our intensity. We all have to talk it up, and tell each other, ‘we can do this, we can pick it up.’” 

The one St. Ignatius weapon with which Berkeley could not cope was attacker Lindsay Cope, who fired in an astounding six goals on the afternoon to match the Yellowjackets’ entire team total. Berkeley’s Dani Ganes added two scores to complement Lee’s three, with Caitlin Goetz rounding out the BHS scoring. Sophomore Joanna Hoch played the first half in goal for the ’Jackets, before yielding the position to junior Kristen Brasch.  

“We played a good game, but we weren’t doing our best.” BHS senior Rory Satrin said after the game. “We weren’t really giving it the spirit. We can play a good game against a fair team, but you need more to beat the best team.” 

With the loss on Saturday, the Yellowjackets still have not beaten the Wildcats in the past three years. Though St. Ignatius is a perennially strong program and generally contends for the league title, the Berkeley players were still disappointed in their inability to end the drought on their home turf. 

“I’m a senior and this is a senior-dominated team,” said a disheartened Satrin. “This was our last chance at St. Ignatius, this was our day to beat them. At one point in the first half, we were tied 2-2, and we got super confident. They just got the momentum at the mid-to-end of the first half.” 

“I think we’ve improved so much this season,” added Lee, who has been one of the Yellowjackets’ most vocal leaders on the field in 2000. “We have a bunch of good new players, and veteran players. We just have to play like it.” 

With the Berkeley High-St. Ignatius 2000 series complete, the Yellowjackets may have to wait until next season to get another shot at redemption. However, both teams are likely to qualify for the postseason, and could meet again sometime in early May. 

“If possible, I think we want that game more than any other game,” Satrin said. “They’re the big messiah of (Bay Area) lacrosse teams. We’re going to approach that game very seriously, and give it like 200 percent.” 

Sitting at 5-3 in league, the Yellowjackets return to the turf this Thursday, to take on Menlo School in a 4 p.m. road matchup.  

Berkeley High’s next three contests will be played on the road, with the ’Jackets finally returning home on April 12 to host East Bay nemesis Monte Vista.


Retention policy up for vote

Rob Cunningham
Monday April 03, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

After months of complaints by parents, teachers and community members, the Berkeley Unified School Board is set to vote Wednesday on a revised retention and promotion policy. 

The original policy, approved by the board last June, has been criticized as being unfair to students, removing “social promotion” from the district without providing the necessary support programs to help academically at-risk students. 

The policy was the BUSD’s response to legislation signed into law in the fall of 1998 requiring all districts to develop new guidelines on retention and promotion. A major goal was the end of social promotion: students who are promoted to the next grade, even though they do not meet grade-level proficiency. Another piece of legislation required districts to institute support programs for students who are at risk of being retained. 

The BUSD’s policy was formed through a series of workshops and meetings involving principals, site staff, parents and community members. 

Concerns were raised in the fall about whether parents were being adequately notified about the district’s new policy after it went into effect, but the harshest criticisms arose in February after administrators determined that nearly 25 percent of all elementary students were considered “at risk” of being retained for next year. Even the administration admits holding back that many students “would widen the gap of achievement and create a poor learning environment.” 

At the March 15 meeting, the school board was presented with a revised policy that seeks to address many of the concerns raised by parents and community members, as well as those noticed by administrators and staff. 

A written report delivered that night highlighted some of the problems associated with the policy’s implementation: 

• Decentralized budgets and lack of available trained personnel for intervention programs at the elementary level 

• Inconsistent grading policies and practices, limited support systems, confusion around the “incomplete” grade, unfinished end-of-course exams, and English and math courses that are not aligned completely to the standards at the middle school level 

• Initially confusing information distributed to parents, inconsistent grading policies and practices, unfinished end-of-course exams, change of policy in mid-year and history course alignment that remains to be done at the high school level 

Chris Lim, associate superintendent for instruction, told the board that the revised policy would provide a “transition” period for many students and would modify some of practices implemented in the original plan. 

At the elementary level, only reading performance will be used to identify at-risk second- and third-graders. Math performance will be incorporated for fourth- and fifth-graders. The district also will develop a “zone intervention program” for next year, with budgets consolidated and coordinated. 

In the middle schools, the “I” – incomplete – grade will be dropped, and sixth-graders at risk of being retained will be able to make up credits through summer school, allowing them to move on the next grade. The schools also will develop an action plan for aligning math and English standards. 

At the high school level, the revised policy proposed a ninth-grade “Opportunity Program” for highly at-risk students, which will use an enhanced funding allocation from the state. 

School board members, who had heard concerns shared during public comment periods in the last couple months and at community forums, were generally positive about the proposed changes. 

“The goal of the district is not to retain kids,” Board President Joaquin Rivera said at last month’s meeting. “We want to help these kids, we want them to be successful.” 

During the public comment period, one community member criticized the retention-promotion policy in general, saying it was “criminal.” Director Shirley Issel took issue with that comment. 

“What’s actually criminal is the failure to identify and respond effectively to those kids who are failing behind,” Issel said. 

The BUSD School Board meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and will be held in Board/Council Chambers in Old City Hall, at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

The meeting is scheduled to be broadcast on B-TV, Cable Channel 25, and 89.3-FM, KPFB. 


Men rob apartment at gunpoint

Monday April 03, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Police are searching for two men responsible for a home invasion robbery committed last week. 

The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Thursday at an apartment in the 1600 block of Walnut Street. Two men, one of whom was armed with a shotgun, forced their way into the apartment, according to Berkeley Police Lt. Bob Maloney. Once inside, the suspects tied up a woman, the sole occupant at the time, and gathered up various valuables, including a safe, cash and credit cards. 

The woman was not hurt in the incident, Maloney said, and was freed when her boyfriend showed up just a few minutes after the robbers left. 

The suspects are described as Caucasian men in their 20s. One was around 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with a medium build, and the other was around 6 feet 1 inch tall, with a thin build.


Disability Awareness Day to be held on Cal campus

Daily Planet Staff
Monday April 03, 2000

Cal Disabled Students’ Union will hold its inaugural Disability Awareness Day this Wednesday on the university campus. 

Disability Awareness Day, 10 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, will be an occasion to celebrate the accomplishments of forward-thinking individuals in all walks of public and private life who have worked to achieve a more inclusive society. Organizers hope the events of Disability Awareness Day will affirm the strength and vitality of the disabled community. 

Events will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held on Sproul and Dwinelle plazas. If it rains, Pauley Ballroom in the MLK Jr. Student Union will be the site. 

Disability Awareness Day will feature prominent speakers and authors representing a cross-section of disciplines and the diversity within the disability community. Featured speakers include noted disability scholar and advocate Simi Linton, author of “Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity;” prominent German human rights lawyer and bioethicist Dr. Theresia Degener; widely published writer LeRoy Moore, who is a co-founder and co-chair of Disability Advocates of Minorities Organization; local poet Lee Williams; and Jerald Baptiste of Berkeley-based Center for Independent Living. 

Speakers will address topics such as the need for critical studies of disability, society’s role in addressing disability, and creative expression of personal experience. 

Organizers say Disability Awareness Day is the embodiment and realization of several of the organization’s primary objectives, including: to educate students, faculty, and staff about the experience of living with a disability and to inform students with disabilities about the resources available to them 

In addition to the featured speakers, events will include the Disability Simulation Program, which allows non-disabled people to “adopt” disabilities such as blindness, mobility impairments, and dyslexia; and “This Ability” Presentations of sports, poetry, music, and dance representing the breadth, depth, and diversity of the disability experience.


Small fire at Cragmont

Daily Planet Staff
Monday April 03, 2000

A small fire occurred just before the end of classes Friday at Cragmont Elementary School on Regal Road. 

The incident happened on the south side of the multipurpose auditorium, near Spruce Street, which serves as the eastern border of the campus. The source of the fire was either a cigarette butt or spontaneous combustion, said Steve Rathbone, the district’s safety officer. 

The material around that side of the multipurpose is Gorilla hair, which Rathbone compared to shredded coconut shell. He and members of the Berkeley Fire Department found four cigarette butts in the scorched area of about 12 feet by 20 feet. But, because of the low humidity Friday afternoon, spontaneous combustion can’t be eliminated as a possible cause, Rathbone said. 

The school structure was not damaged in the fire, and there were no injuries to students or staff. One firefighter sustained a minor injury.


Kennedy makes waves with his latest proposal with his latest proposal

Judith Scherr
Saturday April 01, 2000

The city-owned parking lot at Oxford and Addison streets is not yet available for development, but that hasn’t stopped Berkeley’s most prolific – and perhaps most controversial – developer from spreading the word about his plans to develop housing and provide theatre space for the Shotgun Players at the site. 

Patrick Kennedy has scheduled a two-and-a-half-hour press conference at a downtown bistro late Monday afternoon to announce his plans and, Kennedy says, to pressure the city to speed up its release of a Request for Proposals for the lot. 

Kennedy, owner of Panoramic Interests, is not shy in acknowledging the something-for-everyone approach he uses to deftly guide his projects around opponents and tie up at least five votes on the City Council. 

His plans for the Oxford lot include: 

• A 75-foot, seven-story-plus-mezzanine building, with 150 to 175 apartments on the top three floors. One-fifth to one-quarter of the units would be affordable for very low-income people. 

• A 330-space, three-story parking garage. “A mom and her three kids going to the Y(MCA) can’t take public transportation,” he said in support of doubling the parking now at the surface lot. 

• A 150-space theater for the Shotgun Players, gallery space and classrooms for the Berkeley Arts Center, and another small theater for citywide performing arts groups. 

Part of the deal which Kennedy describes as “privately financed” would be for the city to turn over its land to him. 

The developer would then build the three-story parking component, which would be a benefit for the city and its downtown merchants, shoppers and theatergoers. Kennedy says the exchange is fair because building garages are always money-losing propositions. He would charge no more for parking in this garage than the city charges in its lots, he said. 

Kennedy said he thought he would not need a variance from the city to build a seven-story project. But City Planner Vivian Kahn says that, with density bonuses for housing and the cultural element, she thinks he can build only five stories and 60 feet high. 

Kennedy says he would like to submit his proposal to the city as soon as possible, but there will not be a request from the city for proposals from developers until late summer, said Economic Development Manager Bill Lambert. 

Lambert said he is waiting for preliminary results from a parking-needs study and for an assessment of the property value. He said the project the city wants is something like the one Kennedy is proposing, with cultural uses, parking and housing. 

Once the call for proposals comes from the city, Kennedy is likely to face at least two competitors – John De Clercq of Transaction Companies and the nonprofit housing developer Resources for Community Development. 

De Clercq declined to talk about the project he has in mind. Dan Sawislak, RCD executive director, said the site “offers a great opportunity to build needed affordable housing, with retail and cultural uses.” he said. Sawislak said, however, that he hasn’t done a detailed analysis of the site. 

Councilmember Dona Spring, who represents the downtown district, is no fan of Kennedy’s. She said she didn’t think the city would turn over the parking portion of the development to him, and wants to see more than the mandated 20 percent low-income housing. 

The best mix would be for the city to develop the ground floor and parking and have a nonprofit housing developer maximize the housing component, she said. 

In an attempt to get five votes from the council, Kennedy “tried to figure out what would be very sexy,” Spring said. 

Kennedy’s detractors note that the developer has used this tactic on previous projects, attracting such businesses as Anna’s and Gaia Bookstore to help generate council support. 

One of Kennedy’s strongest supporters is Patrick Dooley, artistic director of the Shotgun Players. The theater company, in its ninth year in Berkeley, has bounced around from pizza parlor basements to parking lots. Currently, the company is using space at Black Pine Circle School on Seventh Street. 

The agreement with Kennedy is that Shotgun would build its theater, which should cost them about $300,000, then rent it from Kennedy for $1 per year. 

Dooley said he has no problem with the notion that Kennedy might pick up votes because his company is in the project. 

“The arts community will get a huge benefit,” he said. 

There is another way of looking at the partnership, he said. “I’m taking advantage of Patrick Kennedy to build my theater.”


Caledar of Events & Activities

Saturday April 01, 2000


Saturday, April 1

 

School garage sale 

9 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Skytown Parent Cooperative Preschool, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington 

The school will hold this garage sale to benefit its programs. All donations are tax-deductible. 

510-526-8485 

 

Child Development 

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

Pacific Center, 2712 Telegraph Ave. 

Learn about current ideas in the field of child development: how your child learns, developmental ages and milestones, and how you can best support the growth and development of your child. Donations are requested, but not required. This is part of the LGBTQ Parent and Prospective Parent Groups series. 

415-789-8560; familyprogram@yahoo.com 

 

April Fools Day celebration 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Library temporary location, 2121 Allston Way 

Pam Brown, storyteller and magician, will entertain with stories of tricksters and fools from around the world. She will perform a series of magic tricks and will teach the audience how to do some of the tricks. This free program is designed for children ages 5 to 10, and their parents. 

510-649-3943; TDD 510-548-1240 

 

Saturday Morning Children’s Programs 

10:30 a.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Jane Timberlake will present a performance of original songs. Tickets are $4 general, $3 for children. 

510-849-2568 

 

Small Press Distribution Open House 

Noon-4 p.m.  

1341 Seventh St. 

This free event will feature readings by Brenda Hillman, Marci Blackman, Mary Burger, Truong Tran and Elizabeth Willis, and guests will have an opportunity to browse through open stacks of books. 

510-524-1668 

 

Artist salon 

2 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park 

Mel Adamson, painting, and Lucy Snow, installation, will be featured in this salon. Admission is free. 

510-644-6893 

 

“Wildflower Watching” 

2-3:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Participants can look for blooming poppies, lupines and Indian paintbrush. For ages 8 and older. Meet at Tilden’s Big Springs Canyon if South Park Drive is open. If it is closed, meet at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden parking lot. 

510-525-2233 

 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Juan de Marcos’ Afro-Cuban All Stars will perform. Tickets are $18 to $32. 

510-642-9988 

 

Bach performance 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 

Hopkinson Smith is featured in this baroque lute performance of works by J.S. Bach. Tickets are $19 to $22. 

510-528-1725 

 


Sunday, April 2

 

“Post-April Fools Day Hike” 

10 a.m.-noon 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

On this hike, look for examples of deception in nature and talk about the history of April Fools Day. 

510-525-2233 

 

The Buddy Club 

11 a.m. 

Albany Community Center Theater, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany 

This performance will feature juggling and comedy with Hearty and Lissen, and singer Robbie Dunbar. Tickets $7 general admission, free for children under 2. 

510-652-7469 

 

Kurt Vonnegut Writer’s Day 

2 p.m. 

Trinity United Methodist Church, 2362 Bancroft Way 

Celebrating and sharing concerns for writers, this event features local authors reading from their works. Donation for admission. 

510-528-2942 

 

“Meadows Canyon Loop” 

2-4 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Take a 2.85-mile loop hike up sunny Meadows canyon and down shady Wildcat Gorge. Meet at the bulletin board at Lone Oak picnic site. 

510-525-2233 

 

San Francisco City Chorus 

3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way 

Larry H. Marietta conducts the chorus in a performance of Haydn’s “The Creation” with the Chamber Symphony of the West. Tickets are $15 general; $10 students and seniors. 

415-765-SONG 

 

Open house 

3-5 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Place 

The open house will be followed by Tibetan chanting at 5 p.m. and a lecture entitled “Inner Compassion” by Sylvia Gretchen, dean of Nyingma Studies, from 6 to 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. 

510-843-6812 

 

Benefit concert 

6 p.m. 

Home of Elise Cappella and Elisha Cooper, at 77A Tamalpais 

Musicians for a Better World is sponsoring a benefit classical guitar concert for the victims of the floods in Mozambique. Leonardo García and Martha Masters will perform works by Astor Piazzolla, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Johannes Brahms, and others. All proceeds go directly to Direct Relief International to help aid the victims of the floods in Mozambique. Suggested donation $10. Children welcome. 

For more information email Leonardo Garcia at mayaleo@earthlink.net 

 

Peltier event 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. 

Native American political activist Jean Day will discuss the ongoing, nationwide campaign to gain freedom for Leonard Peltier, a Native American leader who has been declared a political prisoner by Amnesty International. 

 


Monday, April 3

 

Harris Seminar 

4 p.m. 

Institute for Governmental Studies Library, 109 Moses Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

David Broder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist with the Washington Post, will discuss his book “Democracy Derailed: The Initiative Movement and the Power of Money.” 

 

“New Moon Hike” 

6:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Hike Big Springs, view sunset city, stars and planets. Meet at Big Springs Canyon pullout off South Park Drive. If closed meet at the Botanic Garden parking lot. 

510-525-2233 

 

Landscape architecture and environmental planning 

7-8:30 p.m. 

145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Robert B. Riley, emeritus professor of landscape architecture and architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will speak on “Vernacular-Narrative-Garden: Musings, Maxims, and ... ?”  

510-643-9335 

 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7 p.m. 

Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Among other issues the board will discuss funding for the Tenant Action Project and a proposal to add an office assistant and a community services assistant. 

 

Theater conversation 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 

“Page to Stage: A Conversation with Tony Taccone, Joan Holden and Geoff Hoyle” is a free event sponsored by the Berkeley Rep’s Hilde Mosse Programs for Education. Taccone is artistic director of the Rep, Holden is the principal playwright for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and Hoyle is a comic actor who has appeared in a number of shows at the Rep. This event will focus on the legacy of comic theater in the Bay Area. 

510-841-2541 

 

New Century Plan workshop 

7:30-9:30 p.m. 

UC Alumni House (enter campus at Bancroft Way and Dana Street; located across from Haas Pavilion) 

Community members are invited to Workshop No. 4, which will feature a panel of representatives from Downtown Berkeley business, arts, and civic organizations. The discussion will explore ways to utilize town and gown connections to further the revitalization of Downtown Berkeley. The New Century Plan, currently being developed, will guide UC Berkeley decisions and set priorities for the future use of its facilities and properties in Berkeley and the surrounding region. 

510-643-3382; 510-643-5299


Art with 'Good Vibes'

Joe Eskenazi
Saturday April 01, 2000

Barge into the Kala Institute, bark out the old cliché “stop the presses!” and you very well may trigger a major shutdown. That’s because the 25-year-old art institute’s 8,500-square-foot main studio is inundated with more varieties of presses than you can shake a lithograph at. There are giant presses and baby-sized presses, venerable old presses and shiny new presses, presses used for one form of printing or another, presses used to meld one form of printing with another and even a press sporting an eye-catching, 6-foot-wide crank wheel that, over the past quarter-century, at least one artist has probably stood behind and suddenly felt compelled to lapse into his or her Long John Silver impersonation. 

“Every piece of equipment has a story,” says Kala Institute Executive Director Archana Horsting, who co-founded the institute with fellow Paris art student Yuzo Nakano 25 years back. “We saved enough to each buy one-half of a press, and got a little lumber to construct a table. A couple of artists joined us and brought some tools, rollers, that sort of thing. We jury-rigged a hot plate. We still have that first press we ever bought. We had one press willed to us, some of the larger presses we got through equipment grants, and a couple are long-term loans. Over time, we’ve built up equipment.” 

Over time, they’ve also built up clientele. The tiny art studio that Horsting and Nakano opened up as a single press in a San Francisco garage now serves roughly 80 artists a year out of its home in the former “ketchup kitchen” of the old Heinz plant on San Pablo Avenue. 

“Even though we’re on the third floor, we’re still something of an underground organization,” jokes Horsting. “The average person around here might never have heard of us. But artists in Japan, Norway, Iceland, South America and all over Asia have.” 

This international appeal is no coincidence. Horsting and Nakano aimed to create a diverse, multi-national atmosphere right from the start (in the name “Kala,” for example, the founders picked a word that has “good vibes” in Greek, Sanskrit, Japanese, Hawaiian, Turkish and Hebrew, just for starters). The idea is, if you bring artists from varying backgrounds together to work shoulder-to-shoulder in the studio, the process of osmosis ought to benefit everyone. In furthering this goal, the Institute features “artists in residence” from all over the globe. These internationals work alongside the six-to-12 artists a year who receive Kala fellowships and the dozens and dozens of others who pay a fee for the right to utilize the Institute’s numerous facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

“It’s always totally in flux,” says Kala Institute administrative assistant and self-described “Jill of all trades” Elisheva Marcus. “We’re open 24 hours a day, so you can never really predict (when people will show up).” 

Yet the Kala Institute is more than just an art studio. More than 700 students a year take the 80-plus courses offered through the Institute (in fact, Kala’s course catalog looks much like UC Berkeley’s – except it’s smaller and sprinkled throughout with much better artwork). Kala sends a number of artists into local schools and communities through its “Artist in the Schools” Program. The mural on the yet-to-be-completed downtown Berkeley Public Safety Building was painted by local schoolchildren and organized by the Kala Institute. Also, Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley kids have gone on numerous field trips to the Institute. 

And while a major focus of the Kala Institute will always be the art of printing, the studio offers artists and students alike more than just presses. The Institute is equipped with an art library, an oft-used gallery, darkroom facilities and, most impressively, a rather high-tech Electronic Media Center. Located in a large single room protected by more locks than one would expect to find on a front door in the Bronx, the media center comes chock full o’ computers, scanners, printers, video editors, digital samplers and more. 

This unusual juxtaposition of printing presses – some of which utilize processes developed thousands of years ago – and cutting edge digital equipment is the subject of the symposium the Kala Institute is planning for its 25th anniversary celebration. 

Entitled “High Touch/High Tech: Making Art in the 21st Century,” Kala has organized a number of speakers and expert panels for the April 8 event at the Oakland Museum. The number of artists and authorities in attendance will analyze the current art scene, and, of course, ponder the big question: What comes next? 

The look backwards and forwards seems to be a fitting celebration for the Kala Institute, a progressive institution based around an eons-old practice. And as is the case with so many Berkeley nonprofits born out of the 1960s and ‘70s, founders Nakano and Horsting have outlasted the lean years, and can’t believe how time has flown. 

“I think Nakano and I had no idea we’d still be doing this,” chuckles Horsting. “I guess we’re both kinda stubborn as hell.” 

 

For more information on the Kala Institute and the upcoming symposium call 510-549-2977 or visit the Institute’s web site at http://www.kala.org


Saturday April 01, 2000

THEATER 

ACTORS ENSEMBLE OF BERKELEY 

“Rough Crossing” by Tom Stoppard, April 7 through May 6. The writers of a Broadway musical are simultaneously trying to finish and rehearse a play while crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner. 

$10. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; May 4, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 528-5620. 

 

AURORA THEATRE 

“The Homecoming” by Harold Pinter, April 6 through May 7. A dark comedy about a philosophy professor who brings his wife home to meet his all-male family. 

$25 to $28. Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. 

 

BAYSTAGE 

“Tinker's Nebula” by Michael Thomas Tower, closing April 1. The story of the Creation gone awry, and learning what it means to be human anyway. 

$15 general; $12 students and seniors. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 464-3000. 

 

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE 

“The Alchemist” by Ben Johnson, through April 7. A scathingly satiric look at the “science” of alchemy and other scams. 

$38 to $48.50. Tuesday through Friday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Feb. 26, March 4, March 11 and March 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 

(510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

 

IMPACT THEATRE 

“Commedia 2000: Soccer Mom vs. Monster Bud,'' through April 1. A supremely irreverent look at Berkeley, the college life, and parents. $10 general; $5 students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. 8th Street Studio, 2525 8th St., Berkeley. (510) 464-4468. 

 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“3 Sisters” by Anton Chekhov, through April 9. A play about three provincial sisters yearning to move to Moscow and the toy-soldier men who adore them. $15 general; $10 students and seniors. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; March 27, 8 p.m. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 Seventh St., Berkeley. (510) 655-0813. 

 

Subterranean Shakespeare 

“Measure for Measure,” by William Shakespeare. Run has been extended through April 30. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays, at 8 p.m. each night, and Sundays at 7 p.m. $10 general; $6 students. La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 234-6046. 

 

MUSIC VENUES 

ASHKENAZ 

Soukous Stars, April 1, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

Julia Butterfly, Leslie Limbo, Jennifer Berezan and Jami Sieber, Adele Getty, April 2, 7 p.m. $10. 

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5099 or www.ashkenaz.com 

 

BLAKES 

For age 18 and older. Music at 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0886. 

 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

Chris Grampp and Club Sandwich, April 1. $15.50. 

“Freight Piano Fundraiser,” April 2. With Barbara Higbie, Katrina Krimsky, Libby McLaren, Liz Story, Margie Adam, and Terry Riley. $17.50. 

Music at 8 p.m. 1111 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 548-1761 or (510) 762-BASS. 

 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER 

Will Power, Marvin Sewell, Awana Nzingha, April 1, 8 p.m. The Hip Hop Blues Review performs as part of the Silver Star Series. $12. 

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568 or www.lapena.org 

 

924 GILMAN ST. 

From Ashes Arise, Abstain, Remains of the Day, April 1. 

$5. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. (510) 525-9926. 

 

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

For age 21 and over. Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:45 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082. 

 

GALLERIES  

A.C.C.I. GALLERY 

“The Women’s Show,” March 3 through April 8. A group exhibit of works by six Bay area artists. 

“The Annual Staff Exhibit,” through March 31. An exhibit of works featuring ceramics, fiber, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and digital mixed media. In the Interim Gallery. 

Free. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2527. 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

“Adamson/Snow,” through April 1. An exhibit of paintings by Mel Adamson and installation by Lucy Snow. Free. Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6893. 

 

NEW PIECES GALLERY 

“Irish Stones and More,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of quilts by Denise Snell. 

“Down from the Attic,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of dolls by Gretchen Jennings. 

Free. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave., Berkeley. (510) 527-6779.  

 

TRAYWICK GALLERY 

Dennis Begg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new sculpture and installation. 

Lothar Osterburg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new photography. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1316 10th St., Berkeley. (510) 527-1214. 

 

MUSEUMS 

UC BERKELEY ART MUSEUM 

“Autour de Rodin: Auguste Rodin and His Contemporaries,” through August. 

“2x2: Architectural Collaborations,” Jan. 22 through April 16. 

“Roma/Pacifica: The Phoebe Hearst International Architecture Competition and the Berkeley Campus, 1896-1930,” through April 23. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 1 1 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-0808 

 

HALL OF HEALTH  

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level), Berkeley A hands-on community health education museum and science center sponsored by Children's Hospital Oakland and Alta Bates Medical Center. Free. For children ages 3 to 12 and their parents. (510) 549-1564 

 

LAWRENCE HALL 

OF SCIENCE 

“Dinosaurs 2000,” through June 4. An exhibit featuring 16 lifelike robotic creatures, fossils, activities to compare yourself to a dinosaur, and daily live demonstrations. 

$6 general; $4 seniors, students and children ages 7 to 18; $2 children ages 3 to 6; free children under age 3. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

Wednesday through Sunday 10 am -4:30 pm; Thursday until 9 pm (Sept-May) (510) 643-7648 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

“Chagall: Master Prints and Posters, Selections from the Magnes Museum Collection.” Accompanying the exhibition is “Exploring Chagall and His Use of the Elements of Art,” a child-friendly Interactive Educational Room with five work-stations and a central activities space. Free. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (510) 549-6950 

 

To publicize an upcoming event, please submit information to the Daily Planet via fax (841-5695), e-mail (calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.com) or traditional mail (2076 University Avenue, 94704). 

Calendar items should be submitted at least four days in advance. 

Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.


Berkeley picks up first league win

Al Provinziano
Saturday April 01, 2000

The Yellowjackets began their second league match of the season as an underdog on Friday, hosting rival Amador Valley at San Pablo Park in Berkeley. The ’Jackets, who missed out on a month of preseason practice due to the rain, managed to plough over this obstacle with a 12-2 victory over the Dons. The game was halted in the bottom of the fifth by the umpires, due to a 10-run “mercy rule.” 

“This is the most stressful day in my 16 years of coaching,” coach Larri Gordon barked to his players before the game. “I’m on my stress reserve. This (game) is your last chance to get some respect.” 

The huge score was caused in part by the Wolves’ struggling starter – Tom Walker – who lived up to his name by walking two and hitting three batters, all in the first inning. Senior Greer Wiggins capitalized on the Dons’ pitching problems, smacking an RBI line drive to center that scored two teammates, giving Berkeley a 2-0 first-inning lead.  

The Yellowjackets had more success with starting pitcher Cole Stipovich, who gave Amador the sting, allowing just six hits and one earned run, with just 56 pitches in five innings.  

“This is the first game I pitched in league,” Stipovich said. “I’m psyched. I’m overwhelmed. The way this game turned out isn’t something I expected at all.”  

The second inning turned out to garner the largest point tally for the ’Jackets. The bases were loaded – due in part to a walk by Walker – and sophomore Julian Benavidez hit a double to centerfield and earned three RBIs. Paco Flores and Lee Franklin subsequently chimed in with an RBI to end the inning 5-0. 

“It’s my goal for us to be a sleeper in the league,” Wiggins said. “We’ll tip-toe in, tip-toe out and no one will see us coming.” 

Another three runs were knocked onto the board in the third. Benavidez played a key part again by driving in runs with a basehit to right field. In the Yellowjackets’ last chance at bat, sophomore Dan Pfister increased the score with a line drive to second which cost him an out, but earned him a sacrifice RBI. Benavidez scored Berkeley’s final run from third, on a sacrifice fly by Jay Moor. 

“It seems like one problem after another,” Dons’ coach Tom Bischofberger said. “I don’t think we should have lost to Berkeley like we did (today).” 

“I had high expectations and we were able to live up to them in this game,” Gordon said.


Bock: Increase school funding

Rob Cunningham
Saturday April 01, 2000

By Rob Cunningham 

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Disparity in public education remains a central part of Audie Bock’s agenda, a year after her surprise election to the California State Assembly. 

“We’ve really been mistreating our kids,” she said Friday during the weekly gathering of the City Commons Club. “(Improving our schools) requires a commitment of our taxpayer money to go into education on a much larger scale than we’re spending right now.” 

Monday marks the start of Bock’s second year representing the 16th Assembly District, which includes Piedmont, Alameda and much of Oakland. During the last year, she has gone from the insurgent challenger who shocked the East 

Bay political system to a incumbent who has to gather enough signatures by August to appear on this fall’s ballot. 

A year ago, Bock pulled an upset and won her Assembly race against former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, who used to hold the 16th District seat. She became a self-described “guerrilla legislator,” as the only member of Green Party serving in the Legislature. 

But in October, she withdrew from the Green Party in a politically risky move. Had she retained her Green affiliation, her name would have appeared on the March primary ballot. No one doubted whether Bock would win her party’s nomination. But the issue was how well she’d fare against the other candidates, particularly Democrat Wilma Chan, president of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Fund-raising squabbles with members of her own party also factored into Bock’s decision to become an independent, skip the March primary and focus her efforts on gathering signatures for that her name can appear on the November ballot. 

But Bock, a product of the Berkeley public school system, believes that her record could carry her to victory again. Granted, it’s taken time to build that record: When she arrived in Sacramento last year, the deadline had already passed for any bills to be introduced, and some of the choice committee appointments and bills that were being “reserved” for Harris weren’t passed her way. 

And Bock soon learned that as the only Green in the Legislature, she had no party caucus to help with such basic tasks as distributing press releases. 

“When you’re only one person, you can’t walk in and change the whole system overnight,” she said. “But you can be heard.” 

Being heard meant working with like-minded legislators on such issues as education, health care and social justice. She also found an ally in Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, part of a de facto progressive caucus, who gave Bock better committee assignments than previous Democrat Speakers might have. And even though she couldn’t offer any new bills, she was able to introduce resolutions, including one on the level of dioxin in the San Francisco Bay. 

The issue of education came up several times during her speech to the City Commons Club. Even though she went through Berkeley public schools, Bock chose to live in Piedmont when she moved back to the area because of the quality school system. 

She also addressed an initiative being promoted by the California Teachers Association for the November ballot. The measure would increase state per-pupil spending to at least the national average over five years. 

California ranks 40th in spending per pupil (ADA), according to the National Education Association. The state average was $5,627 in 1997-98, $1,011 lower than the U.S. average of $6,638 and just over half of New Jersey’s expenditure per pupil. 

The proposal, Bock said, was generated by individuals who volunteered for her campaign a year ago.


BHS tennis shuts down San Ramon

Nice Daily Planet Staff
Saturday April 01, 2000

Any coach will tell you that, in team sports, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. The San Ramon boys tennis team learned that lesson on Friday afternoon at the Berkeley High tennis courts, winning the top two singles spots, but still falling to the notoriously deep Yellowjackets, 7-2. 

The Berkeley contingent picked up the slack for losses by Michael Ross and Patrick Hamilton, getting wins from Noah Farb, Nicky Baum, Nate Simmons and Jamie Bloomsburgh at Nos. 3-6 singles.  

Despite the absence of top doubles team Dave Grunwald and John Madigan, the ’Jackets (9-2) managed to come away with a sweep in the doubles, with the teams of Gabe Zeldin-Chris Jain, Ian Buchanan-George Thomas, and Chris Lee-Brett Cohen all winning their respective matches in straight sets. 

“(San Ramon’s) definitely a challenge. We had to be ready for them,” said BHS coach Dan Seguin, whose squad registered a 6-3 win in the two schools’ previous meeting on March 21. “We didn’t have one of our singles guys last time we played. (Our players) are looking good.” 

The win marks the second straight for the Yellowjackets since March 28’s loss to Monte Vista – a result that could cost Berkeley High its East Bay Athletic League title. The Mustangs remain undefeated in league, with just two games to play. The ’Jackets look to hold onto sole possession of second place Tuesday, when it travels to Granada to face the Matadors – a team Berkeley expects to be a pushover.  

“I might let the doubles play some singles, and (play) some JVs (against Granada),” Seguin said. “I think there are certain spots that could always be stronger, but they’re doing the right things.” 

Tuessay’s match is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. at Granada’s home courts.


Angry? Just grab a carjack

Daily Planet Staff
Saturday April 01, 2000

Daily Planet Staff 

 

A carjack was the weapon of choice in a downtown confrontation between two taxi drivers Thursday night. 

The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. at Constitution Square in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue, where taxis frequently wait for customers. According to Berkeley Police Lt. Bob Maloney, the two drivers got into a fight over a customer, and one of the drivers pulled out a carjack. 

The driver could have been charged with brandishing – because of the threatening manner in which he displayed the carjack – and disturbing the peace. But the other driver, when he reported the incident to police, simply requested that officers talk to the man and ask him to never do it again.


Lacrosse looks for weekend win vs. SI

Friendly Daily Planet Staff
Saturday April 01, 2000

The Berkeley High girls lacrosse team gets its second shot of the season at league rival St. Ignatius, in an 11 a.m. matchup this morning at the BHS football field.  

The Wildcats won a heated offensive battle, 15-11, at home against the ’Jackets on March 11, and are considered to be among the toughest teams in the league. Coming off a 10-9 win over Davis on Monday, however, Berkeley has momentum in its favor and will be looking to defend its home turf.  

“We have home field advantage this time, so it should be good,” coach Lia Farley said.  

“Hopefully we’ll play the same (as Monday) against St. Ignatius,” attacker Dani Gaines added. “Our heads are up, our spirits are high. We just have to go all out.”


X-Plicit Players hold auditions

Saturday April 01, 2000

The X-Plicit Players, perhaps best known for performing nude, are holding auditions and open rehearsals for new members. 

The auditions/rehearsals are being held Sundays from to 5 p.m. 

The group is seeking “adventurous folks” for “radical street theater actions, festival stage shows and indoor performance art pieces.” 

For more information on location or other details, call 510-848-1985.


Opinion

Editorials

Juveniles linked to UC crimes

Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 06, 2000

University of California police have arrested two juveniles in connection with the burglary, and arson of three vehicles in university parking structures on the evening of Feb. 26. 

One of the cars was parked in the University Hall Parking Structure, and two were parked in the Ellsworth Parking Structure, located at Channing Way and Ellsworth Street. 

The juveniles, whose names are withheld because of their age, are Oakland residents, and are both 15 years old. Both suspects have admitted their involvement in the crime, according to UCPD Capt. Bill Cooper. 

The primary motive for the crimes apparently was theft, however, one of the juveniles admitted to setting the cars on fire because he “wanted to see them explode,” according to Cooper. 

Although two of the cars were destroyed by the fires, there was no explosion. The third car suffered moderate damage when the flammable material failed to fully ignite. 

The suspects also admitted responsibility for two additional auto burglaries in University Hall Parking structure on the same day. There was no attempt to burn the vehicles in those cases. 

Detectives identified the suspects by tracking property stolen from one of the vehicles. The juveniles were also stopped by UCPD patrol officers on an unrelated matter in the Ellsworth Parking Structure a week after the arsons. 

UC Police detectives Ken Moody and Chris Bowers conducted the investigation. 

Both suspects have been referred to the juvenile court for prosecution.


Utility.com partners with Atlanta firm

Daily Planet Staff
Monday April 03, 2000

ALBANY – Southern Company Energy Marketing and Albany-based Utility.com announced a partnership last week to provide Southern Company Energy Marketing’s wholesale electricity to Utility.com’s customers via the Internet. 

Through this agreement, Southern Company Energy Marketing becomes the preferred wholesale electricity provider to Utility.com, the world’s first Internet utility company. 

Southern Company Energy Marketing also has taken an equity stake in Utility.com, with the right to make an additional investment in subsequent private financings. 

“Two markets are developing along parallel lines, and that’s why this partnership makes great sense,” Gary Morsches, president of Atlanta-based Southern Company Energy Marketing said in a news release. “This move helps us reach into the retail energy markets, particularly in areas where we have strategically placed assets. This also marks our first venture into the e-commerce arena. We sell wholesale electricity in deregulated markets, and Utility.com offers electricity and other utility services to consumers and small businesses who want to buy utilities online.” 

Utility.com is currently registered to provide energy services in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Pennsylvania, and is seeking licenses to provide services to 23 states and the District of Columbia by the end of 2001. The company also provides Internet access to customers in the continental United States. 

“This partnership demonstrates the significant assets and sophisticated trading system behind Utility.com’s electricity offering,” Chris King, chief executive officer of Utility.com, said in the news release. “As we expand, we will rely on Southern Company Energy Marketing to provide us with wholesale electricity at competitive prices. Southern Company Energy Marketing will also act as a virtual wholesale back-office and provide Utility.com with forecasting, scheduling and risk management for all of Utility.com’s electrical load requirements.” 

Southern Company Energy Marketing is jointly owned by Southern Energy and Vastar Resources Inc. One of the largest energy marketing operations in the United States, Southern Company Energy Marketing provides energy marketing, risk management, trading, financial services, and other energy-related commodities, products and services to wholesale customers in North America. 

Southern Company (NYSE: SO), the largest producer of electricity in the United States, is also the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric. 

Utility.com (www.utility.com) offers electricity and Internet access and will offer gas, telephone and DSL services in the future. Utility.com is a privately held company that was founded in 1998 by energy and Internet industry experts, including idealab!, the innovator behind such companies as CarsDirect.com, eToys, GoTo.com, NetZero, PETsMART.com, and Tickets.com.