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Public Safety Building opens doors with speeches, glitches, protests

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday August 01, 2000

 

While police and public officials got ready to cut the ribbon of the new $20 million Public Safety Building Monday, some 20 citizens rallied against both the building and the police. 

It was a study in contrasts with outgoing City Manager Jim Keene dedicating the building to the memory of peace officers fallen in the line of duty and protesters, under the aegis of Berkeley Copwatch, a citizens’ police watch organization, making a visual statement about the number of citizens killed by police. 

“This building is here so that when disaster strikes, we’ll be better able to save lives in the community,” Keene said, as he dedicated the building to Police Officer Ronald Tsukamoto and Sergeant Jimmie Rutledge. 

The new facility, paid for with Measure G disaster-prevention bond funds, replaces the old Hall of Justice which is not earthquake safe.  

The protesters say the funds are not well spent. In order to build a new Public Safety Building, rather than replacing the old unsafe Hall of Justice, the city had to go before a judge to get the expenditure approved under Measure G. 

Holding signs beside a black and white “stolen lives” diorama covered with the names of people, whom Copwatch says, were killed by the police, protesters characterized the new building as a testament to the mismanagement of funds by the city and a slap in the face to the democratic process. “My school leaks,” said Berkeley Adult School teacher Jennifer Knight. “They could have spent this money on housing subsidies, or to fix our schools and to pay our teachers.” 

“They’re not telling anyone that this is a big jail,” said Copwatch co-founder Andrea Pritchett.  

Keene responded to the protesters’ complaints. “This will replace the old, unsafe Hall of Justice,” he said. “If you were in jail, it would be much better to be in here. This is a much better environment for the public.” 

Police Chief Dash Butler said that the building will also be used to hold community meetings. 

“This building is not only user friendly, but neighborhood friendly,” he said. 

During the dedication, Butler spoke through a megaphone because the public address system wasn’t working. There was joking in the audience of mostly protesters and city employees, about Copwatch lending the city their public address system.  

Before the dedication, Pritchett pointed to the 170-foot police and fire communications tower that adjoins the new building and asked if it was for “protecting the people.” 

“With whom are they communicating,” she asked. “This thing is not about policing at all. It’s about surveillance and intelligence gathering.” 

Protester Marsha Fiendling said that the space where the building stands used to be the home of the Berkeley and Oakland support services for the homeless. “(Homeless people) have been basically disenfranchised by this building,” she said. 

One woman, who claimed that minorities and women are profiled by the police, exposed her breasts and challenged the police to arrest her for “having breasts.” 

Pritchett and Copwatch demanded independent civilian monitoring of the jail, proportionate funding and independent counsel for the Police Review Commission, an end to racial profiling by the police and better public access to police records. 

“The city has become very protective of its information,” Pritchett said. “They’re not required to give us (certain) police reports, but its not prohibited.” 

She said her organization has been experiencing problems getting information from the police since they began tracking the use of pepper spray by the police. 

“Being the home of free speech and all, they should let us view them,” she said. 

Police Captain Doug Hambleton said that the police don’t allow the public to view certain records that would compromise an ongoing investigation. “Basically, we’re stuck in the middle,” he said. “We just try to follow the law.”  


Calendar of Events & Activities

Tuesday August 01, 2000


Tuesday, August 1

 

Genetic Engineering Teach-In  

and Strategy Session 

6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave 

From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. there will be videos on genetically modified food issues followed by a feneral strategy session on local actions. There will be a detailed discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association. 

548-2220 ext. 233 

erc@ecologycenter.org 

www.ecologycenter.org 

 

“Polyamory, monogamy, and other flavors” 

7 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. 

Come for a free discussion and social group, open to everyone regardless of age, religion or view point. 

527-5332  

 

“Exercise to Music” with Doris Echols 

10 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1701 Hearst St. 

644-6107 

 

All Camp Day 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Lake Anza, Tilden Park 

There will be games such as tug of war, sack races and relay races. The event combines fun competition, while providing elected officials with the opportunity to see YMCA kids in action. 

The event is sponsored by the Berkeley-Albany YMCA. Call 549-4524. 

 


Wednesday, August 2

 

“Bicycle Maintenance 101” 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave 

REI bike technician Paul Ecord will show you how to perform basic adjustments on your bike to keep it in good working condition. He’ll demonstrate how to clean/replace a chain, adjust derailleurs and replace brake and derailleur cables. Learn how to fix a flat and what to include in your tool kit for the road.  

527-7377 

 

Tinnitus Support Group 

10 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1701 Hearst St. 

The group meets with Pam Johnson 

644-1704 

 

Birthday Party 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1701 Hearst St. 

A birthday party for August birthday people. Belly dance is the entertainment and refreshment will be served. 

644-1704 

 


Thursday, August 3

 

Community Dance Party 

7:45 p.m.-9:45 p.m. 

A Community Dance Party sponsored by Berkeley Folk Dancers. Dance instruction included wil admission. 

Ticket are $2 for teens, and $4 for adult non-members. 

 

“Great Sierra Backpacking  

Destinations” 

7 p.m.  

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave 

In tonight’s slide presentation Karen Najarian will take you on some extraordinary four- to seven-day backpacking trips. Come find out how to make the most of your summer adventures with Karen’s expert tips on backcountry travel.  

527-7377 

 

Movie: “The Women He Loves” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1701 Hearst St. 

This movie tells the story of the Duke and Duchess Winsor. 

644-1704 

 

Tai Chi with Brian Umeki 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1701 Hearst St. 

644-1704 

 


Friday, August 4

 

“Human Nature” 

8:30 p.m. 

New College Cultural Center 

766 Valencia 

San Francisco 

Watch or participate in an idyllic nude ritual of groupbody which reconnects us to a merged mindset. Put on by X-plicit Players. 

Ticket: $12 

484-1985 

www.xpliciteplayers.com 

 

“Antarctica and the Breath of Seals” 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

The Fireside Room 

2727 College Ave. 

Come for this one hour slide show and talk that describes Berkeley writer Lucy Jane Bledsoe’s adventure on “The Ice.” The program is a benefit for The Marine Mammal Cneter. 

Admission: $5-$25 donations on a sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. 

526-6291 

 

Community Environmental  

Advisory Commission 

2118 Milvia Street 

6 p.m. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Labs presentation on environmental restoration quarterly meeting by Iraj Javendal. 

7 p.m., regular meeting 

At the Planning and Development Department, second-floor conference room. 

 

“Schubert Songs” with Baker  

Lake 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1701 Hearst St. 

644-1704 

 


Saturday, August 5

 

“Kezurou-Kai” 

1 p.m.-6 p.m. 

Finnish Britherhood Hall 

1970 Chestnut St. 

Come to see two days of Japanese wood working on Saturday and Sunday August 5 and 6. Carpenter, woodworkers and toolmakers come to Berkeley to show saw, plane and chisel sharpening. On Aug. 6 the show is from 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m. 

Cost is $20.00 for both days. 

Due to limited space, only 100 people per day will be admitted. Early registration is advised. 

524-3700 

 

Weed Warriors Wanted 

9 a.m. 

Marina Blvd. and Spinnaker Way 

Stop yellow-star thistle from taking over Cesar Chavez and the Eastshore State Parks on Berkeley's waterfront. Join Weed Warriors and the California Native Plant Society East Bay Restoration Team in pulling out the spiny invaders. Wear long pants and sleeves; bring heavy gloves if you have them. Sponsored by the California Native Plant Society. For information call 510 848 9358 or email noahbooker@yahoo.com 


Letters to the Editor

Tuesday August 01, 2000

Patients first 

 

Editor: 

Regarding labor dispute between SEIU Local 250 and hospital systems, Sutter and Catholic Health: 

Our patient's welfare is the ultimate professional goal of every physician. I want to alert my colleagues to be aware of how subtly our intentions may be misused. 

I would suggest that we encourage management and union to negotiate and to settle their differences in a civil and legal manner at the bargaining table. The onus belongs to both sides, not to one. 

We as physicians must advocate for our patients not for either management or for labor. We encourage, as an interested body, that these parties work for comprise. Management and Union may win, lose or draw, but our patients must win only. 

Tom K. Lee, M. D.  

President, Physicians Guild of Alameda County 

 

 

Street danger 

Editor: 

Thank you for reporting on yet another unfortunate and unnecessary vehicle-pedestrian collision at Berkeley's statistically “most dangerous intersection,” Shattuck and University (July 28). I'm glad to hear that, at least this time, the pedestrian escaped with “only scrapes and bruises.” 

However, the city could make this intersection permanently safer by changing the signals to provide a leading “green/no-turns” phase. Other cities, like Montreal, use this kind of signal phasing to entirely separate pedestrians and cyclists from turning vehicles. In the initial phase, everyone going straight (pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles) gets to proceed in parallel, with no conflicts. Then, vehicles (and the remaining cyclists) get to turn all they want, while pedestrians get a “Don't Walk” signal. 

Two blocks west, a similar signal would also improve safety at the extremely confusing, offset intersection of Milvia and University. According to police statistics, that alarming intersection is tied (with several others) for the city's fifth-most-dangerous for nonmotorists. 

Michael Katz 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

Council OK 

Editor: 

Here is a Perspective to answer Steven Donaldson’s Perspective. My retort is based upon 30 years of residence in Berkeley. I am an “Old Blue” who annually sits on Tightwad Hill for football games, and during the 1960s I attended most all of the notable riots.  

Steven Donaldson wants a city council that runs orderly meetings and follows the stated agenda. To get his wish he could move to any of innumerable Southern California/Arizona/ Indianapolis/Houston suburbs. There, issues of pedestrians and bicyclists are not raised because these cities were created with the expectation that everyone will drive. There are no debates over putting up stop signs for pedestrians, and speed bumps in Donaldson’s city are a non-issue because nobody except residents ever goes into the cul-de-sac ticky-tacky tracts where the people live. Sidewalks don’t need special corners for wheelchairs, because people in wheelchairs know they are not expected to live there. 

Regarding traffic: Donaldson’s city of orderly council meetings probably has an eight lane main drag, and virtually nobody uses it because the city is dull and the WalMart is on the outskirts. In contrast, our four lane University Avenue has backups from I-80 to Shattuck much of the day, and not just because we have this fascinating University, and all its related laboratories, think tanks, and sporting events. 

Berkeley draws people like flies, thanks in large part, because of decades of raucous loud and long city council meetings. Over the years the council has debated and supported art centers and poverty, labor, ethnic and women’s centers. People flock to our city public library made user-friendly thanks to successful fights for bond measures. People come because we are a city with BART, and yet our neighborhoods are not debauched by ugly overground BART lines. Our underground lines required many hot city council meetings back in the 1960s when BART first proposed to go through Berkeley. 

Whereas Donaldson seems to envision a singularly residential town, Berkeley has a resident and business mix that has its council debating innumerable issues of contrast between people in houses and people who run our hundreds upon hundreds of small businesses. Berkeley has so many small businesses that it has whole ghetto just for fancy restaurants, and the area comprising the zip code area below San Pablo has more businesses of 25 to 100 employees than all but one other zip code in the East Bay (the other being in Emeryville). 

Donaldson’s quiet city is, no doubt, less ethnically diverse than is Berkeley. Diversity means many different groups taking up City Council time with arrangements for a fair in the park, or for a city subsidy for an arts center. Diversity draws people. 

Everyday of the year there are tourists who drive past People’s Park to see “the hippies.” The University and San Pablo section of Berkeley has what may be the largest concentration of shops with goods from India in the United States. Berkeley has Shiites, Trotskyites, meditative Buddhists, and Latinos blaring Norteno radio while they repair our mansions in the hills.  

When our council gets involved in a foreign nation’s politics, there is usually some Berkeley resident from that country to explain the issues, which takes council time. So be it. Long live the Free Republic of Berkeley! 

Ted Vincent 

30 year resident of Berkeley


Tuesday August 01, 2000

THEATER 

 

LOTTOMANIA: PLAY HERE 

“All you need is a dollar and a dream,” or so it goes when playing the lottery. But just who plays the lottery? What’s it like to be one of the few winners of the lottery? Where do all the billions spent on lottery tickets go? The voters instituted the California lottery to benitift our school – why then, do they remain among the worst in the nation? Is there anything suspect about the use of legalized government gambling in order to fund its programs? Is the lottery a metaphor for anything like life? Come see Lottomania: Play Here to find out. Written and directed by Gary Graves.  

For reservations call 558-1381. 

 

MURDER AT THE  

VICARAGE 

Agatha Christie’s “Murder At The Vicarage”, starring Miss Marple at Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Av. Adapted for stage by Mole Charles and Barbara Toy, and presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, the city’s oldest theater company, the mystery will be on stage Friday and Saturday evening through August 12, plus a special Thursday evening performance on August 10. Admission is $10, with discounts for groups of 15 or more. 

For reservations call 528-5620. 

 

MUSIC VENUES 

 

924 GILMAN ST. 

924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, member-run no alcohol, drugs, and violence club located at the corner of Eighth and Gilman streets in Berkeley. Most shows are $5. Memberships for the year are $2. Shows start at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.  

For information call 525-9926.  

August 4: Hellchild, Benumb, Yellow Machine Gun, Spaceboy, Vulgar Pigeons.  

August 5: Causey Way, Black Man - White Man - Dead Man, Boy Pussy USA, Monday Mornings.  

August 11: Hellbillys, Riffs, Menstrual Tramps, Fleshies, Shut Up Donny.  

August 12: Excruciating Terror, Plutocracy, Chupalabre, Creation Is Crucifiction, State Of The Union.. 

 

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

“Rarities and Suprises” 

George Cleve is music director and conductor, for a night at the “Midsummer Mozart Festival,” Friday, Aug. 4. The concert will include “Three Adagios and Fugurd after J.S. Bach,” K. 404, “Six Variations on G minor on ‘Helas, j’ai perdu mon amant,’” K. 360, highlights from the “Abduction from the Seragio,” and “Divertimento” in D Major for 2 Horns and Strings K. 334. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, at Dana.  

For tickets call City Box Office at 392-4400. 

 

CLUB MUSE 

Marie Schumacher and the Invisible Band 

Aug. 3, 8 p.m. 

856 San Pablo Ave., Albany. 

528-2872.  

 

THE JAZZSCHOOL/LA NOTE 

2377 Shattuck Avenue 

Free admission, reservation recommended 

Aug.10 at 7 p.m.: Vocalists Anna Albanese, Debbie Moore and Cindy Jones 

Aug. 13 at 4:30 p.m.: Barbara Colson Trio and Nannick Bonnel Trio 

845-5373 

swing@jazzschool.com 

 

WALNUT SQUARE 

Chamber Music for the Inner Courtyard, a classical ensemble, will perform the music of Haydn, Bach, Mozart and other for the entertainment of shoppers, diners, and passersby of Inner Courtyard of Walnut Square. 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, 12, 19 and 26. 

150 Walnut Street near Vine Street.  

For more information call 843-4002. 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

The vocal and instrumental ensemble perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, in G Minor. Glenn Gould’s “So You Want To Write A Fugue,” and Telemann’s Concerto in D Major for Flute and strings.  

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Street. Admission is $10 general, $8 for BACA Members, $9 for students and seniors. Children under 12 will be admitted free of charge. 

 

MUSEUMS 

 

BERKELEY HISTORICAL  

SOCIETY 

"Berkeley's Ethnic Heritage." Through March 2001. 

The exhibit examines the rich cultural diversity of our city and the contributions of individuals and minority groups to our history and development. The exhibit look at the original native tribelets in the area and the immigrants who settled in Ocean View and displaced the Spanish/Mexican landowners. It also examines the influence of the University of California, the San Francisco earthquake, and World War II on the population and culture of Berkeley, and subsequent efforts to overcome discrimination. Curated by Linda Rosen and the Berkeley Historical Society Exhibit Committee. Thursday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Admission free. 

Berkeley Historical Society is located in the Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center Street, Berkeley.  

848-0181 

www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc 

UC BERKELEY ART MUSEUM 

“Doug Aitken/MATRIX 185: Into the Sun,” through Sept. 3. An exhibit of works primarily in video and film, using the interplay of art and media to evoke deserted landscapes.  

“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. 

“Images and Ideas: The Collection in Focus,” open-ended. The museum periodically displays some of its permanent collection in a context meant to highlight some aspect of the objects. The three areas of focus for this exhibit are Renaissance art, 19th and 20th-century American art and paintings from 1940 to the present. 

The Asian Galleries  

“Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery,” open-ended. A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection.  

“Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. 

“Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. 

“Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 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.  

642-0808. 

 

HALL OF HEALTH  

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. 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level) 

549-1564. 

 

HOLT PLANETARIUM 

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. 

“Target Earth,” July 29 through Aug. 25. Make your own estimate of how often Earth has been hit by comets or asteroids. Find out how sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, paleontology and geology are all needed to shed light on the mystery of the dinosaur extinction. Daily, 2:15 p.m. 

$2 plus museum admission of $6 general; $4 students, seniors, disabled and youths aged 7 to 18; children under the age of 6 are not admitted. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Centennial Drive. 

642-5132 

www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

“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. 

“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 p.m.; Thursday until 9 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

643-7648 

 

UC BERKELEY MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY 

“Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20-foot tall, 40-foot long replica of the fearsome dinosaur. The replica is made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. 

“Pteranodon,” ongoing. A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22 to 23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. 

“California Fossils Exhibit,” ongoing. An exhibit of some of the fossils which have been excavated in California. 

Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley. 

642-1821. 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 

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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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. 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

647-1111 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

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

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

549-6950. 

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE 

From a region where kite making is an important part of village life, sports, arts, worship, and work, these Indonesian kites are exciting examples of inspiration, ingenuity, and technology. 

Special Events: Kites Kaleidoscope on Aug. 9, Noon-2 p.m.; and a weekend celebration of Indonesian dancing, music, food, and kite making, on Aug. 19-20, 12:30-3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday, August 19 (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday, August 20 (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. The exhibit runs from July 29 - August 20, 2000. 

Solids, Liquids, and Gases 

August 2, Noon and 1:00 p.m.  

Learn all about solids, liquids, and gases! Discover how solids can change into colorful gases and what happens when liquid nitrogen cools a gas to hundreds of degrees below zero. Learn how spooky-looking fog is made! This popular and fun event, developed as an LHS school program is great for children in grades K-1. 

Son de la Tierra Mexican Music and Dancing Sunday 

August 6, 2000, Performance at 1:30 p.m. Science activities, 12:30-3:30 p.m.  

Top of the Bay Family Days Sunday Afternoon Outdoor Family Concert: 

A performance of Mexican music and dance from Son de la Tierra, literally "Song of the Earth," talented students from Richmond's East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond. 

Kites Kaleidoscope  

August 9, 2000, Noon-2 p.m. 

See rainbows of color flying high! Learn how to make your own kite as you get the lowdown on aerodynamics! An exhibit of hand-crafted kites from Indonesia will be on hand to offer inspiration as you design your own kite. 

Science Stew 

August 16, 2000, Noon-2 p.m.  

Ever wanted to whip up your own play dough or create the world's best bubble solution? Young scientists, just like the best chefs, combine their ingredients with big heaps of fun, nspiration and creativity! Come create your own scientific stew of cool toys with materials, ideas, and the help of science education specialists from the Hall's renowned SEPUP curriculum. 

Indonesian Kites and Culture Celebration  

Saturday and Sunday August 19 and 20, 2000, 12:30- 3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the spectacular Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. Included with museum admission. 

Into the A, B, Sea 

August 23, 2000, Noon-2 p.m. 

Dive into the wonderful world of the ocean with local author Deborah Lee Rose who will read from her new book "Into the A, B, Sea", published by Scholastic Press. Find out more about the sea with fun hands-on activities from the LHS Marine Activites, Resources and Education (MARE) program. 

LHS Summer Games 2000  

August 30, 2000, Noon-2 p.m.  

Australia may have the Summer Olympics, but LHS has Summer Games 2000! Yo-yos, spinning tops, and juggling lead the list of games you'll get to watch and try yourself. Bring your own yo-yo to learn newmoves and tricks demonstrated byyo-yo experts from Yo-topia. 

The Lawrence Hall of Science is located at 1 Centennial Drive.  

Call 642-5132 for more information.  

 

GALLERIES  

KALA INSTITUTE 

“Markings/Imprints,” through July 28. The 2000 Kala Art Institute Fellowship Awards Exhibitions, Part I, featuring works by Susan Belau, Liliana Lobo Ferreira, and Jamie Morgan. 

Free. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.  

Workshop Media Center Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave., Berkeley.  

549-2977. 

 

ADDISON STREET WINDOWS GALLERY 

“Yangtze River: in the Dragon’s Teeth” 

Carol Brighton's poured paper paintings of the Yangtze River gorges, through July 31. Six-foot paper pieces in the long format of a Chinese scroll. This artwork is done in support of the International Rivers Network campaign to save the Yangtze River. The full impact of these beautiful compositions can even be viewed from across the street. 

Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St., Berkeley 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind 

The Berkeley Art Center brings back Janette Faulkner’s collection “Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind” an exhibit that explores racial stereotypes in commercial imagery. The collection will be on display at the Berkeley Art Center from September 10 through November 12. The Berkeley Art Center is located at 1275 Walnut Street. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.  

For more information call 644-6893. 

 

POETRY 

CODY’S BOOKS POETRY FLASH 

The Haiku Anthology Contributors Reading 

Garry Gay, Jerry Kilbride, Vincent Tripi, Micheal DylanWelch 

Edited and with a foreword by the former Haiku Society of America president Cor van den Heuvel, The Haiku Anthology collects 850 of the best English language Haiku and related works. A selection of Bay Area contributors will read at this event. "Haiku is basically about living with intense awareness, about having an openness to the existence around us-kind of openness that involves seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching."--Cor van den Heuvel August 2, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. 

Donation is $2. 

 

Joseph Di Prisco And Dean Young 

Joseph Di Prisco's newest book, Poems in Which, won the 2000 Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize. An essayist and reviewer, he is also the co-author of a recent book about adolescence and growing up, Field Guide to the American Teenager. His novel, Confessions of Brother Eli, is forthcoming in the fall. Dean Young has published three books of poems, most recently First Course in Turbulence. "Dean Young's exhilarating, complex, and wide-ranging poems give one the impression of conversations with an angel in which the poet has to be super-alert at every second, for every second counts and the angel knows everything. To listen to these conversations is to experience a colloquial, witty, emotional, and urgent discourse not to be found anywhere else."--Kenneth Koch. August 9, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Janice M. Gale and Noel Peattie 

Berkeley poet Janice M. Gale's new book is House of Leaves. A former dancer, cook, editor, community organizer and teacher, she has been an activist for social justice for more than fifty years. Noel Peattie published Sipapu, a review journal for librarians and others interested in dissent literature, including poetry, and the small press, between 1970-1996. His poetry books include In the Dome of Saint Laurence Meteor and Western Skyline. August 13, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Leonard J. Cirino and Marc Elihu Hofstadter 

Leonard J. Cirino, editor and publisher of Pygmy Forest Press, is the author of twenty-one poetry collections, including The Terrible Wilderness of Self, 96 Sonnets Facing Conviction, and American Minotaur & Other Work, Poems 1998. His newest collection is The Sane Man Speaks & Other Poems. Marc Elihu Hofstadter is the author of House of Peace. He has published his poems and critical articles in many literary journals, including Exquisite Corpse and Talisman, and works as the Librarian of the San Francisco Municipal Railway. August 16, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Jamal Ali and Russell Gonzaga 

Jamal Ali writes in a broad spectrum of genres from journalism and history to poetry and plays. He's been performing and reading across the U.S. since 1985. His published works include Jazz is a Sacrament of Substance. Russell Gonzaga is a celebrated performance and slam poet based in the Bay Area. August 23, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Joe Todaro 

Joe Todaro is the author of Notes From a Burning Theater, a poetry chapbook. He co-produced, withCelia White, the 1998 Urban Epiphany poetry reading in Buffalo, New York, the largest such event in that city's history. Celia White is a poet, fiction writer, and librarian. Her poetry chapbooks are Cusp, Mouth, Stick, and Lit; her poems have appeared in Exquisite Corpse and upstream. The event room at Cody's is wheelchair accessible. Please ask for help or directions at the Information Desk. ASL interpreters for the deaf and hearing impaired can be provided with reasonable advance notice. August 30, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Parking is available at the Durant/Channing Garage; Cody's will validate one hour of parking with purchase. 

Cody's Books: 845-7852 • Poetry Flash: 525-5476 

 

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 one week before the opening of a new exhibit or performance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.


Tuesday August 01, 2000

UC BERKELEY ART  

MUSEUM 

“Doug Aitken/MATRIX 185: Into the Sun,” through Sept. 3. An exhibit of works primarily in video and film, using the interplay of art and media to evoke deserted landscapes.  

“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. 

“Images and Ideas: The Collection in Focus,” open-ended. The museum periodically displays some of its permanent collection in a context meant to highlight some aspect of the objects. The three areas of focus for this exhibit are Renaissance art, 19th and 20th-century American art and paintings from 1940 to the present. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 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.  

642-0808. 

 

HALL OF HEALTH  

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. 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level) 

549-1564. 

 

HOLT PLANETARIUM 

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. 

“Target Earth,” July 29 through Aug. 25. Make your own estimate of how often Earth has been hit by comets or asteroids. Find out how sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, paleontology and geology are all needed to shed light on the mystery of the dinosaur extinction. Daily, 2:15 p.m. 

$2 plus museum admission of $6 general; $4 students, seniors, disabled and youths aged 7 to 18; children under the age of 6 are not admitted. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Centennial Drive. 

642-5132 

www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

“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. 

“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, 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 p.m.; Thursday until 9 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

643-7648 

 

UC BERKELEY MUSEUM OF  

PALEONTOLOGY 

“Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20-foot tall, 40-foot long replica of the fearsome dinosaur. The replica is made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. 

“Pteranodon,” ongoing. A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22 to 23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. 

“California Fossils Exhibit,” ongoing. An exhibit of some of the fossils which have been excavated in California. 

Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley. 

642-1821. 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S  

MUSEUM 

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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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. 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

647-1111 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

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

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

549-6950. 

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF  

SCIENCE 

From a region where kite making is an important part of village life, sports, arts, worship, and work, these Indonesian kites are exciting examples of inspiration, ingenuity, and technology. 

Special Events: Kites Kaleidoscope on Aug. 9, Noon-2 p.m.; and a weekend celebration of Indonesian dancing, music, food, and kite making, on Aug. 19-20, 12:30-3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday, August 19 (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday, August 20 (1:30 p.m.); and demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. The exhibit runs from July 29 - August 20, 2000. 

Solids, Liquids, and Gases 

August 2, Noon and 1:00 p.m.  

Learn all about solids, liquids, and gases! Discover how solids can change into colorful gases and what happens when liquid nitrogen cools a gas to hundreds of degrees below zero. Learn how spooky-looking fog is made! This popular and fun event, developed as an LHS school program is great for children in grades K-1. 

The Lawrence Hall of Science is located at 1 Centennial Drive.  

Call 642-5132 for more information.


Tonight neighbors come together

By Jennifer Dix Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday August 01, 2000

Marcella Williams wants her neighborhood to be “more like a family.” Ron Casimere wants to scare off criminals and beautify his stretch of Alcatraz Avenue. Tracy Washburn hopes her neighbors in the Berkeley hills will be prepared to help each other if a natural disaster strikes. 

Each lives in a neighborhood that will participate tonight in Berkeley’s 17th Annual National Night Out. From 7-10 p.m., residents are encouraged to lock their doors, turn on their porch lights, and come out into the streets to spend time with neighbors and law enforcement officials. 

Founded in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, National Night Out is observed on the first Tuesday of August all over the United States and in Canada and on U.S. military bases around the world. According to the Berkeley Police Department, more than 34 neighborhood groups are planning outings including parties, games, musical entertainment, and more in Berkeley this year. 

Police and fire department staff show up wherever they’re invited, contributing suchcrowd-pleasers as McGruff the Crime-fighting Dog or a display of emergency vehicles, motorcycles, or a fire truck. 

“We make as big a show of it as the neighborhoods do,” says Officer Ross Kassebaum, who is this year’s NNO coordinator with the Berkeley Police. 

This year, residents of Alcatraz Avenue will celebrate the recent installation of new streetlights between the 1300 and 1600 blocks with a “Stroll Down the Avenue,” repeated several, times over the course of the evening.  

One of the event’s organizers is Ron Casimere, a member of the Alcatraz Neighborhood Association, which organized in 1995 to combat a serious drug problem. “Every day from noon to five a.m. you had drug dealers conducting their activity right out in front of the houses. It got so you almost hated to leave to go to work in the morning,” he says.  

Casimere and his neighbors tirelessly petitioned the City Council and the police for better law enforcement, and today the drug dealing has been sharply curtailed. In recent years, as new neighbors have moved in – “younger people, with a desire to better the place” – the situation has further improved, he said. 

“Now you can stroll the avenue; there are some nice little stores where you feel safe letting the grand kids walk to ... and people feel safer parking on the street.” 

A recent triumph is the installation of streetlights to discourage crime after dark. “Now at night, it’s bright as day,” says Casimere. 

Just one block over, Neighborhood Watch block captain Marcella Williams is planning an all-out party at the 63rd Street Mini-Park between California and Martin Luther King streets. There will be music, a potluck, a live snake demonstration by snake handler Vincent Seymour, kids’ games, and more. 

Williams, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1974, but only recently got involved with Neighborhood Watch, has seen crime problems wax and wane over the years. In the old days, she says, “Everybody knew everybody. It was like a big family here.” 

Even when local teens were dealing marijuana themselves, they looked after their neighbors, chasing off Oakland dealers who tried to come into the area with hard stuff like heroin and crack. “They’d tell them, ‘There are a lot of little kids in this neighborhood, and they could get hurt,’” Williams remembers. 

Today, while the drug problems have abated, Williams says the residents in her block don’t know each other very well. Like much of the East Bay, the neighborhood is in transition, and Williams sees a cultural divide between older, African-American residents and newer Hispanic arrivals. She hopes tomorrow’s party will help break the ice. “I’d like to see people relax and get to know each other.” 

Tracy Washburn of the Northeast Berkeley Association has similar reasons for promoting National Night Out. She’ll be celebrating tonight in the cul-de-sac on Ajax Place with a kids’ parade, barbecue, and other festivities.  

While her neighborhood bordering Tilden Park does not have the crime rate of the city’s south and west areas, Washburn sees a real need for neighbors to turn out and interact with one another.  

“We really need more neighborhood watch groups in the hills,” she says. “The police call this area ‘Alaska,’ it’s so big.” Washburn says it’s especially important for her neighbors to be aware of one another so they can come to each other’s aid in case of an earthquake or wildfire. 

For more information on National Night Out, call the Berkeley Police Department’s Community Service Bureau at 644-6696.


Cal’s “Cleopatra” never gets off the ground

by John Angell Grant Daily Planet Correspondent
Tuesday August 01, 2000

A revival of John Fisher’s campy and sexual 1992 vaudeville drag revue “Cleopatra: the Musical” opened Friday at Zellerbach Playhouse on the Cal campus, presented by Cal’s Department of Dramatic Art/Center for Theater Arts. 

Fisher is the Cal playwriting wonder who authored “Medea: The Musical” and “Combat!,” both of which had successful runs in San Francisco. Other plays by this prolific writer include last season’s Zellerbach World War II play “Partisans,” and the outrageous and hilarious gay bath house tale “Barebacking,” which played last season at Theater Rhinoceros in San Francisco. 

“Cleopatra” is a campy musical comedy vaudeville cabaret show with a bawdy drag spin that tells the story of 18 years of Roman history from 48 to 30 B.C. 

Beginning with Julius Caesar’s military victory over Pompey the Great, the musical follows Caesar’s love affair with Egyptian queen Cleopatra (Jeffrey Meanza in drag), Caesar’s accession to power, and his ultimate assassination. 

The story then follows the ensuing civil war in Rome and Cleopatra’s love affair with Marc Antony. This comedy ends with the mass death of almost everyone in this 26-actor cast. 

There is a lot of music in “Cleopatra,” but none of it is original. The tunes are all pinched from Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and others. In many cases, Fisher and his co-lyricist James Dudek have written bawdy new lyrics for the songs. 

The tunes include “Anything Goes,” “Blue Moon,” “I’ve Got Rhythm,” “Let’s Fall in Love,” “Someone to Watch over Me,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” “My Funny Valentine,” and many more. 

In some ways, “Cleopatra: the Musical” is like “The Boys from Syracuse,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical rewrite of Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors,” or “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” the Stephen Sondheim/Larry Gelbart reworking of Roman playwright Plautus. 

In other ways, with its over-the-top antics, “Cleopatra” is like a Monty Python story such as “The Life of Brian.” . 

In this big-cast epic story, most of the 26 performers double in multiple roles. There is a lot of cross-gender casting, where men play women, and women play men. That makes the romance, well... different. 

Playwright Fisher’s direction employs many silly sight gags, like a soldier getting his finger stuck in the mouth of Pompeii’s severed head. Or a baby in swaddling clothes having a large bowel movement. 

Caesar’s home has a marquee outside saying “Caesar’s Palace.” He and Cleopatra have a son names Caesarion. That is the level of the play’s humor. 

But in an evening that runs nearly two and a half hours, “Cleopatra” is long, and though the performers are enthusiastic, the story never really takes off. The script is not quite funny enough to carry all the obvious effort that went in to it. 

“Cleopatra” ends up coming off as a college class play, where the big joke is seeing your friend up on stage in a silly costume playing a silly part. The production struggles to reach beyond that to a general audience. 

There is some good acting. The performers in this production specialize in silly walks, silly voices, and silly singing. Jeffrey Meanza’s drag Cleopatra pulls a strong focus. 

The actors basically try to go over the top in their performances. Christopher Herold is zany and energetic as Caesar. He doubles as Caesar’s eight-year-old son Caesarion, playing him like the schizophrenic Jonathan Winters little-boy-in-shorts character. 

Amir Talai creates a distinctive deadpan character as put-upon soldier Rufio, an assistant to Caesar. 

The singing from this cast of mostly current and recent Cal drama grads is not the strongest you will hear, but they get through it adequately. Laura LeBleu, as alcoholic Marc Antony, has one of the better voices. 

Pianist Andrew Bundy and percussionist Colleen F. Clay do a good job with the classic show tunes. Designer Wendy Sparks’ flashy Roman costumes appropriately fit “Cleopatra’s” Las Vegas revue feel. 

“Cleopatra: the Musical” plays Friday through Sunday, through Aug. 13, at Zellerbach Playhouse on the Cal campus. For tickets and information, call (510) 601-8932.


County kids win big

By Ian Buchanan Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday August 01, 2000

Voter approval of Proposition 10 means smokers have to cough up quarters to pay society for their unhealthy habit. 

The 1998 initiative hit smokers with a 50 cent surcharge per pack of cigarettes in order to fund health-related programs for children under five. 

On Monday, 38 organizations in Alameda County reaped the first of the rewards of the proposition. The Alameda County Children and Families CommisBerkeley 

• St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco 

• St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco 

• Seton Medical Center in Daly City 

• Summit Medical Center in Oakland 

• Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley 

• Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo 

Following the previous strike, negotiators gave the hospitals an Aug. 2 deadline to begin bargaining in good faith.  

President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Tom Ammiano said that if the health care workers feel that striking is what they have to do, he supports their decision. 

Walter Johnson of the city Labor Council villainized hospital administrators as “victims of the disease” that is “profits before people.” 

The Service Employees International Union, which is the largest health care union in the nation, has raised a million dollars to support the strikers in case of financial hardships they face due to the strike. 

When health care workers struck in July, many faced difficulty returning due to rescheduling and temporary hiring contracts that the hospitals made to prepare for the one-day staffing loss. 

Catholic Healthcare West spokesman Robert Polzoni says that the union and its supporters distort the hospital’s position. “Hospitals are in dire financial straits,” he said. “We’re not the enemy. The enemy is the federal government; HMOs. 

“The union should be working with us, not against us.” He added that striking is irresponsible in that it unfairly hurts patients. 

Among the strikers’ requests is a proposal to give workers 15 months job security in the form of preferential treatment in hiring. 

Polzoni says that the workers’ demands are “entirely unrealistic.” He says that employees experience daily cancellations because the hospital staffs from day-to-day dependent upon patient demand, which fluctuates.  

He says that the hospital has made several offers to meet the workers part-way at the negotiating table, but that the union won’t be satisfied. 

The hospital offered to expand the workers’ pension at $4.1 million cost to the hospital, as well as a 12 percent pay increase over the next four years, with more significant increases for positions such as radiology technicians and unit clerks, but those offers have been denied.


Flying high at the Marina

By Dan Greenman Daily Planet Staff
Monday July 31, 2000

 

With blue skies and a gentle breeze blowing over the Marina Saturday and Sunday, conditions were ideal for the 15th annual Berkeley Kite Festival and West Coast Flying Championships. 

The event brought kite fanatics and casual observers alike to the waterfront, some coming from as far away as Canada and one group even traveling all the way from China to participate. Many among them travel around the country attending kite competitions. 

“I’ve been coming (to the Berkeley Kite Festival) for quite a while,” said Tim Helwig, an event crew member from Alameda. “I travel the west coast going to these festivals. I love it, it’s one of my major pastimes.” 

Competitors in the West Coast Flying Championships vie for honors in one of three categories: ballet, in which people choreograph kite routines to music, precision and freestyle. A panel of judges score the events. The scores count toward each of the competitors’ national flying ratings. 

The winners of the weekend’s competitions will compete in the national finals, which take place in Tampa Bay, Fla. in October. 

All eyes were on Ray Bethall, a more-than-70-year old competitor from Vancouver, British Columbia for 10 minutes Saturday. Bethall managed to fly three kites in perfect synchronicity – one controlled by each hand and one fastened to his waist. 

Organizers of the festival expected that by the end of the two-day event, between 10,000 and 20,000 people would have attended.  

A team of 60 volunteers worked at the festival, which was organized by Tom McAlister, who started the festival in 1986. 

One kite team from Yang Jiang City, China exhibited a 400-foot-long Chinese Dragon kite. 

“The kite from Yang Jiang is very much a handicraft,” said Lavinia Yu, a spokesperson for the team. “Also, the unique style and the artform are very emphasized (in China). 

The main purpose why we come here is for the cultural exchange and to improve the understanding between the two different cultures.” 

While it was the team’s first time at the Berkeley Kite Festival, it has traveled to France and other parts of the United States for similar events. 

“Every festival has its own edge,” Zheng You Jian, Yang Jiang City’s vice mayor, said through a translator. 

At this festival, kites ranged in color, style and size. While many people flew small kites, the sky was also filled with huge squids, octopuses, centipedes and several windsocks that were larger than a house. 

Not content to simply watch the competition, many locals brought their own kites to fly. There was plenty food at the booths for those who worked up an appetite and special activities for children, including a candy drop and kite-making lessons. 

The variety of activities appeared to fulfill the organizers’ promise that there would be “something for everyone.”


Calendar of Events & Activities

Monday July 31, 2000


Monday, July 31

 

Copwatch Demonstration 

10 a.m. 

2120 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Berkeley Copwatch is demonstrating against the opening of the the Public Safety Building, particularly the opening of the new jail and its Measure G funding. Call 548-0425. 

 

State Office of Historic  

Preservation Training on the  

Certified Local Government  

Program 

1- 9 p.m. 

1-5 p.m. Driving and walking tour of Berkeley's historic sites – starting from and ending up in the Civic Center District. 

1 p.m. Meet at the fountain in Civic Center Park, Center Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

7-9 p.m. Workshop at the Permit Service Center at 2120 Milvia Street, 2nd Floor Conference room: topics to include: What is a Certified Local Government? What are the responsibilities of the City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission as a Local Government? 

 

Newly Diagnosed Breast  

Cancer Support Group 

Professionally facilitated support group allows members to share their feelings and to support each other in the healing process. Support group held every first, third and fifth Monday of each month.  

Call 204-4330 or 204-1769 for time and location. 

 

“Italy: The Land of the  

Renaissance” with the Julians 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

Tuesday, August 1 

Genetic Engineering Teach-In  

and Strategy Session 

6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave 

From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. there will be videos on genetically modified food issues followed by a feneral strategy session on local actions. There will be a detailed discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association. 

548-2220 ext. 233 

erc@ecologycenter.org 

www.ecologycenter.org 

 

“Polyamory, monogamy, and other flavors” 

7 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. 

Come for a free discussion and social group, open to everyone regardless of age, religion or view point. 

527-5332  

 

All Camp Day 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Lake Anza, Tilden Park 

There will be games such as tug of war, sack races and relay races. The event combines fun competition, while providing elected officials with the opportunity to see YMCA kids in action. 

The event is sponsored by the Berkeley-Albany YMCA. Call 549-4524. 

 


Wednesday, August 2

 

“Bicycle Maintenance 101” 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave 

REI bike technician Paul Ecord will show you how to perform basic adjustments on your bike to keep it in good working condition. He’ll demonstrate how to clean/replace a chain, adjust derailleurs and replace brake and derailleur cables. Learn how to fix a flat and what to include in your tool kit for the road.  

527-7377 

 


Thursday, August 3

 

Community Dance Party 

7:45 p.m.-9:45 p.m. 

A Community Dance Party sponsored by Berkeley Folk Dancers. Dance instruction included wil admission. 

Ticket are $2 for teens, and $4 for adult non-members. 

 

“Great Sierra Backpacking  

Destinations” 

7 p.m.  

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave 

In tonight’s slide presentation Karen Najarian will take you on some extraordinary four- to seven-day backpacking trips. Come find out how to make the most of your summer adventures with Karen’s expert tips on backcountry travel.  

527-7377 

 


Friday, August 4

 

“Human Nature” 

8:30 p.m. 

New College Cultural Center 

766 Valencia 

San Francisco 

Watch or participate in an idyllic nude ritual of groupbody which reconnects us to a merged mindset. Put on by X-plicit Players. 

Ticket: $12 

484-1985 

www.xpliciteplayers.com 

 

“Antarctica and the Breath of Seals” 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

The Fireside Room 

2727 College Ave. 

Come for this one hour slide show and talk that describes Berkeley writer Lucy Jane Bledsoe’s adventure on “The Ice.” The program is a benefit for The Marine Mammal Cneter. 

Admission: $5-$25 donations on a sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. 

526-6291 

 

Community Environmental  

Advisory Commission 

6 p.m. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Labs presentation on environmental restoration quarterly meeting by Iraj Javendal 

7 p.m., regular meeting 

At the Planning and Development Department, second-floorconference room 

2118 Milvia Street 

Among the items to be discussed are a groundwater management plan, wood-burning restrictions, air monitoring, well survey, 2700 San Pablo Ave. development and community concerns and more. 

 

 


Saturday, August 5

 

“Kezurou-Kai” 

1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. 

Finnish Britherhood Hall 

1970 Chestnut St. 

Come to see two days of Japanese wood working on Saturday and Sunday August 5 and 6. Carpenter, woodworkers and toolmakers come to Berkeley to show saw, plane and chisel sharpening. On Aug. 6 the show is from 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m. 

Cost is $20.00 for both days. 

Due to limited space, only 100 people per day will be admitted. Early registration is advised. 

524-3700


Letters to the Editor

Monday July 31, 2000

Consultant’s report: tritium levels OK 

Editor: 

Daily Planet readers of a commentary by Mark McDonald in the July 18 issue should be aware of accurate information regarding a city of Berkeley consultant’s report on tritium emissions at the Laboratory. 

First, the main point of the consultant’s report is that there is no evidence of offsite exposures above the Environmental Protection Agency’s public health standard of 10 mrem per year. The exposures are far below regulatory limits. 

Readers may view the entire IFEU Preliminary Technical Report on the Review of Radiological Monitoring at LBNL, and a Laboratory consultant’s comments on this report, on the Internet at http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/tritium/. 

The following corrections to the McDonald commentary should be noted: 

• Data from the Laboratory’s seven ambient air monitors were reviewed and verified for accuracy and reliability by the city’s consultant. 

• IFEU reviewed inventory data for tritium at Berkeley Lab, and the IFEU report agrees with the Laboratory and the U.S. EPA conclusions that airborne emissions are most reliably measured by air sampling. 

• The NTLF is not operating less; it is releasing less, due to the fact that it is operating more efficiently. Process improvements now allow tritiation reactions to be carried out with reduced amounts of tritium, and with more complete capture and recycling of the tritium used. 

Consequently less tritium is now being released from the stack. 

• The city of Berkeley and its consultant, IFEU, have chosen to participate in the 21-member Environmental Sampling Project Task Force. 

This group was established to provide a broad array of community stakeholders, including the city of Berkeley, and the public, with an organized way to comment on the draft sampling plan, the sampling itself and the results. 

Overall, the IFEU report draws the same conclusion that the Lab and its regulators have: there is no evidence of offsite exposures above the EPA public health standard of 10 mrem per year. The exposures are far below regulatory limits. 

The Lab anticipates a continuing cooperative working relationship with the city of Berkeley’s consultant, IFEU, on this issue. I encourage your readers to attend the August 10, 2000, meeting of the Task Force, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way in Berkeley to learn more about the draft sampling plan and the consultant and community comments. 

Terry Powell  

Community Relations, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 

 

Berkeley needs affordable housing 

Editor: 

The “crowd of two different minds” at the Zoning Adjustment Board meeting, as described in “No ruling yet on 2700 San Pablo Ave. project,” in the Weekend July 29-30) edition suggests that Berkeley has a split personality about housing.  

High density housing is fine, and promotes needed affordable housing, but don’t build it in my back yard. 

With all the demand from the well-to-do, public policy should ensure that people of modest means can still live in our city. People running our service economy need to live near their work; they shouldn’t have to commute in from some far-off Soweto. Besides, economic opportunity tends to be more equal among people who live together. 

I agree with Michael Yarne that San Pablo Avenue is the right place to build high density housing. The San Pablo corridor has good bus service, and AC Transit has plans for making it better. Public policy should encourage transit-oriented development. 

Berkeley should encourage housing without required parking. High density housing does not have to lead to more cars on the roads. It’s possible to live without a car, if one lives near a bus line with frequent service. 

Affordable housing should not be subsidized. The developers have the knowledge and resources to design housing that can be offered at an affordable price. All they need is the right kind of incentives. 

The Zoning Adjustment Board is the public body to set up incentives. In places like San Pablo Avenue, they should zone for four or more stories, and not issue a building permit unless 20% of the units are going to be affordable. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

 

Congress could halt oil companies’ price-gouging 

Editor: 

This Spring, when gas prices shot up to over $2 a gallon, the oil companies said that the spike was caused by OPEC, or by taxes, or by “market conditions.” Now, Chevron’s earnings report is out and we see that its profits rose by $ 650 million to $ 1.14 billion, up 135% from last year. The Exxon-Mobil Corp’s earnings more than doubled. The facts are clear that those price hikes were not caused by passing higher operating costs through to the consumer; they were excess charges to make more profit. 

How can consumers protect themselves from price-gouging by these oil monopolies? The government is the only force powerful enough to control their greed. A Democratic Congress could levy a windfall profits tax on their predatory profits. Trust-busters in the Justice Department should reverse the deregulation of the Reagan-Bush era and break apart those mega-merged oil monoliths. 

Could voters be made to believe that two oilmen from Texas will protect consumer interests? The Republicans are spending millions on TV advertisements to try to make us think so. Bush and Cheney to reduce gas prices? Yeah, right! “Compassionate conservatism” means leaving your wallet at the gas pump. 

Bruce Joffe 

Oakland 

 

New ordinance could hurt students 

Editor: 

Please convey my compliments to William Inman on his excellent coverage of the City Council’s tortured discussion of eviction control tightening. His concluding paragraph, a quote from Ms. Bernay of the rent board, is, however, most puzzling and begs for further elucidation. Just how will the proposed changes in the ordinance “help every single student”? 

Common sense dictates that placing further constraints on eviction will result in further limitation on turnover of Berkeley apartments, thus fewer vacancies available for students seeking accommodations. The only students helped by the proposed Good Cause for Eviction amendment are those over 62 years old or disabled who already are sitting tenants, or students who’ve occupied their units for five years or more. These special categories (of students) will be safe from owner move-in eviction. Big deal! But hardly one that justifies Bernay’s claim that the proposed amendment will “help every single student.”  

Quite to the contrary. Tightening eviction controls limits turnover and shrinks the supply of available rentals, thus compounding the negative effects of twenty years of rent restrictions. New renters, students in particular, should be aware that the past twenty years of an unreasonably stringent rent law has shrunk our pre-1980, price controlled rental stock by twenty to twenty-five percent. The scarce vacancies for which new tenants compete are already priced at market level, and will be forced even higher by any measure that further limits supply. Students as well as other new tenants need less, not more, restriction of Berkeley’s residential rental market. 

Peggy Schioler 

Berkeley 

 

(Editor’s note: the ballot measure addresses seniors 60 years and older and tenants – including students – who have occupied their apartments for five years or longer.)


Movie-in newest tool for Underhill protest group

By Joe Eskenazi Daily Planet Correspondent
Monday July 31, 2000

 

Sitting back in a well-used recliner with root beer in one hand, chips in the other and Roger Rabbit bounding across the TV screen in front of him, Walker Scripps smiled and posed a question. 

“This is protest?” asked Scripps, who happened across the 10th-consecutive Saturday night movie at the Underhill parking lot. “You should have been with us in Chicago in ’68.” 

While swarms of “Blue Meanies” are unlikely to overrun the Underhill and beat the stuffing out of every man, woman and child in sight a la Chicago 1968, setting up a slew of couches around a home entertainment center and throwing a party in a parking lot is, legally, somewhat questionable. 

“Originally they gave us a really heavy trip; a whole bunch of cops came in, surrounded us and told us to leave or we’d be arrested,” said longtime bicycle activist Jason Meggs. “But this is the 10th one and it seems they’ve finally decided to let us be there. Now (the police) come by and say ‘hey, how’s it going?’ and ask what movies are showing tonight.” 

Transforming the contested Underhill parking lot into an open-air cinema occurred to Meggs – one of Berkeley’s most active activists – after Boalt Hall student Rick Young was forcibly ejected from the lot for the last time, ending a nearly month-long sit-in. Young – who is now legally barred from setting foot on the Underhill parking lot – was protesting the University’s plan to erect a multi-story parking structure on the site instead of student housing. 

Toward the end of his stay, Young and friends even did their best imitations of furious Detroit autoworkers, smashing a car to bits in an anti-auto demonstration. By holding the weekly movie night, Meggs was aiming for a lower-key approach. .  

“What if we had the opposite of a drive-in movie – a Bike-In, Skate-In, Walk-In movie?” said Meggs, who conjured up the idea after coming across the famed photograph of hundreds of drive-in movie-goers watching Charlton Heston’s Moses part the Red Sea. “I wanted to lighten it up so it wouldn’t be a really dry protest, make it fun. It certainly has been.” 

Sometimes dawdling past dawn watching flicks and chatting, Meggs estimates as many as 70 people have showed up in one night. At least 30 stopped by on Saturday.  

“It’s sort of a mix: There’s a good political message but it’s fun and entertaining for people,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who dropped in Saturday night for his “seventh or eighth” movie night. “Usually politics is super-serious. But it’s sort of fun to have a political protest, camp-out, watch movies, eat junk food and meet a lot of interesting people.” 

While, democratically enough, movie-goers vote on what films to watch, Meggs tries to balance pro-bicycle documentaries with popular films, usually “cheesy Americana” touching on car culture. Past films have included “Stripes,” “Neighbors,” “The Terminator,” “Grease,” and “Dr. Strangelove,” which, Meggs hastens to add, “is not exactly cheesy Americana.” 

Yet while it is fun and games, it isn’t all fun and games. No one is losing sight of why the movies are being shown in a controversial parking lot.  

“I lived in the dorms for two years, paying $850-900 a month for a room about the size of three parking spots,” says UC Berkeley junior electrical engineering and computer sciences major Ryan Salsbury, who, along with Young, was ejected from the lot (but was not charged). 

“That’s unreasonably expensive, and the UC housing plan is only going to make it worse. I’m definitely in favor of putting housing on this lot instead of parking.” 

Meggs predicts thornier demonstrations in the Underhill once students get back into town.  

“When the students come back, this campaign is going to take on a different, probably much more intense, form,” said Meggs. “We’re going to have a lot of students very upset that the University is not taking their housing crisis seriously. People may live (in the Underhill) to draw attention to the housing crunch.”


A sober look at the big one

By Drew Beck Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday July 29, 2000

RICHMOND – This is earthquake country and there are few who do not worry about the lives that will be lost and the homes destroyed when the big one hits.  

Much attention, for example, has been paid to the danger that unreinforced brick buildings could fall down and “soft-story” apartment buildings might collapse. 

But Friday at Richmond’s Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, run by UC Berkeley, the focus was on a even more sobering catastrophe – the destruction of California’s wine supply.  

Wine makers from across the state gathered to view a simulation of an earthquake and to see its possible effects on wine storage.  

The demonstration was part of a research project called the Wine Industry Seismic Hazard Reduction Project. The project is headed by Joshua Marrow, a graduate student at UC Berkeley and engineer with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Consulting Engineers in San Francisco.  

Sponsored by various wineries, manufacturers and industry associations, Morrow is researching the seismic performance of the steel barrel rack system. This system is one of the most popular and is used to store wine barrels throughout California, Oregon and Washington. 

Problems arise with the rack system when the barrels fall off and either crack open or lose their silicon bung, or cork, spilling their contents. This sort of scenario is likely in the event of an earthquake. 

Large wineries like Kendall-Jackson, Mondavi and Gallo can have 50,000 to 60,000 barrels stored,” Marrow said. “At $3,000 to $5,000 a barrel, this can really add up.” 

To test the rack system, Morrow has been using UC Berkeley’s Earthquake Simulator, also known as a “shake table.” Berkeley’s table was the first of its kind ever built and is currently the largest in the United States. Morrow has been using the table for a week and is nearing the end of his tests. 

For Friday’s test, Morrow invited more than forty wine industry insiders, from vintners and journalists to insurance agents, to see first-hand the effects an earthquake might have on the steel barrel rack system. 

Yesterday’s test saw twelve barrels, stacked six high, subjected to the maximum horizontal acceleration the shake table could supply. The results were spectacular, with the entire stack falling off to one side and all the barrels coming loose from the rack. Fortunately, Morrow had the foresight to attach all the barrels to an overhead crane so that they were constrained to the perimeter of the shake table and no one was in danger. 

Though the scene was certainly extraordinary, no one was surprised by the results. Morrow has been keeping his sponsors informed of the results by phone and e-mail. 

“It was pretty much the way it was anticipated if you look at it from the perspective of dollar value impact,” said Al Paniagua of Great American Insurance. He stressed the importance of the tests because in the wine industry what matters, logically enough, is the wine. 

“That’s the thing about the wine industry,” Paniagua said. “Once you lose your barrels, they’re gone for the year.” 

Paniagua pointed out, however, that Friday’s test was not representative of most wineries. “There are very few wineries that go six high,” he stated, referring to the number of barrels in a stack. Most wineries in fact only stack barrels up to four high.  

Morrow has been doing tests with a four high configuration as well, and though none have been as potentially destructive as Friday’s six-high stack, the results are still not encouraging. 

Vintners are certainly taking notice of Morrow’s research. Jeff Ritchey, of Clos LaChance winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains is worried about what will happen to his investment during a large quake. “We’re building a new facility and we want to look into making this the safest for everybody,” he said. 

Though Morrow’s research is primarily into exploring what happens in the event of an earthquake, he has also been looking into ways of minimizing the damage. He already has a patent on a method that works by securing the top barrels to each other, though he is quick to point out that it has not yet been fully tested. 

“I patented it primarily to make sure no one starts using it until we know more about it,” he said. 

Evelyn Heraty of Clos du Bois winery agreed. “I think further testing needs to happen,” she said. “We need to look at more secure racking systems.” 

And more testing there shall be. Next week Morrow will continue his research by shaking two stacks of barrels placed side by side, to more accurately simulate a real life wine cellar. 

To find out more about the Wine Industry Seismic Hazard Reduction Project and Josh Morrow’s research, head to the project’s website at http://www.eResonant.com.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Saturday July 29, 2000


Saturday, July 29

 

63rd Annual Bay Regional Golf Tournament 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

The Tournament consists of 72 Holes with a cut made after 2 Rounds. NCGA player points awarded, over $5000 in prizes  

$115 Entry Fee, entries close July 19. 

925-253-0950 

 

Berkeley State Health  

Toastmasters Club 

12:10-1:10 p.m. 

State Health Building, Eighth Floor, 2151 Berkeley Way 

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization, has been working for over 70 years to help people conquer their pre-speech jitters and improve communication skills. The local club meetings the second, third and fourth Thursdays of each month. 

649-7750 or higgins_edie@hotmail.com 

 

15th Annual Berkeley Kite  

Festival and West Coast Kite  

Championships 

11 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina 

COmes see hundreds of kites take to the sky in the Berkeley Kite Festival, Saturday and Sunday July 29-30. 

235-5483 

www.highlineskites.com 

 

Underhill Movie Night 

9 p.m. 

Underhill lot: Channing Way and College Avenue 

Features will include "Who Killed Roger Rabbit?" and "Taken for a Ride", both about the theft of the trolley cars by motor vehicle special interests.  

The movie night is a weekly bike-in/walk-in/skate-in event sponsored by a group supporting housing on the Underhill Lot and protesting the university’s proposal to build a parking structure, offices and a dining commons there. 

 

Socialist Dialog 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

Room 2060 in the Valley Life Sciences Building on the UC Berkeley campus  

The Committees of Correspondence, the Democratic Socialists of America, 

& Solidarity will discuss questions such as “What should the 

Socialist Left be working on?” and “What are some of the obstacles that 

keep the Socialist Left from working together?” Call: 415-922-5297 

 

Cuban Dance Music 

9:30 p.m. 

La Pena 

3105 Shattuck 

Original contemporary Cuban dance music. At 8:15 p.m. there will be a salsa lesson with Jose ‘Cheo’ Rojas. $15 for lesson and show. $12 show only.  

Call 849-2568 

 


Sunday, July 30

 

63rd Annual Bay Regional Golf Tournament 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

The Tournament consists of 72 Holes with a cut made after 2 Rounds. NCGA player points awarded, over $5000 in prizes  

$115 Entry Fee, entries close July 19. 

925-253-0950 

 

“Hammering it out” 

7:30 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

“Hammering It Out” is the story of a community initiated laws that resulted in hundreds of women getting trained and working on a billion-dollar freeway in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s. 

$7 donation 

 

“The Secret Garden” 

3:00 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive 

2575 Bancroft Way @ Bowditch 

Recommended for ages 8+. Based on the classic children’s book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, this 1949 film version remains a classic in its won right. Margaret O’Brien turns in a marvelous performance as a young girl sent to live with her cranky uncle on a Victorian estate where she finds a glorious Technicolor garden in an otherwise gloomy black and white world.  

Tickets $4 

642-5249 

 

A Classic Taste of Italy 

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman at Henry 

The Kiwanis Club of Berkeley invites you to an evening of fine dining and auction. Pasta, salads and dessert prepared by Mystery Chef Antonio. No Host Wine Bar. Auction includes two signed jerseys from Ronnie Lott. Music by Tina Marzell Quintet. Proceeds will support our local programs: Reading is Fundamental at Head Start, Young People's Symphony Orchestra, 

Funds go to scholarships for high school seniors going on to higher education, and much more. 

Free parking in the church parking lot. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Call 527-3249 

 


Monday, July 31

 

Newly Diagnosed Breast  

Cancer Support Group 

Professionally facilitated support group allows members to share their feelings and to support each other in the healing process. Support group held every first, third and fifth Monday of each month.  

Call 204-4330 or 204-1769 for time and location. 

 

“Italy: The Land of the Renaissance” with the Julians 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, August 1

 

Genetic Engineering Teach-In  

and Strategy Session 

6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave 

From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. there will be videos on genetically modified food issues followed by a feneral strategy session on local actions. There will be a detailed discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association. 

548-2220 ext. 233 

erc@ecologycenter.org 

www.ecologycenter.org 

 

“Polyamory, monogamy, and other flavors” 

7 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. 

Come for a free discussion and social group, open to everyone regardless of age, religion or view point. 

527-5332  

 

All Camp Day 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Lake Anza, Tilden Park 

There will be games such as tug of war, sack races and relay races. The event combines fun competition, while providing elected officials with the opportunity to see YMCA kids in action. 

The event is sponsored by the Berkeley-Albany YMCA. Call 549-4524.


Music of the heart

By Jennifer Dix Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday July 29, 2000

If music were the food of love, John Phillips would provide a banquet. 

“Harpsichords are a little like cuisine,” the Berkeley resident explains from his workshop on Ninth Street, where he builds reproductions of the keyboard instrument that dominated Western music from the early 16th to the mid 18th centuries. 

There’s the Italian style, with a sound that is in some ways the simplest and purest and the German style, made to imitate the organ. Then there are French harpsichords, “Wonderful instruments, but very indulgent instruments, with a sound so big they can’t get out of their own way,” he says. 

The average listener may give little thought to the harpsichord, beyond thinking of it as a sort of forerunner to the piano, the harpsichord being the one with plucked, rather than hammered, strings. 

But if you’re a connoisseur of Baroque music, chances are good you’ve heard a John Phillips instrument. For nearly 30 years Phillips has built glorious reproductions of antique harpsichords for top performers around the world. His instruments can be heard on scores of recordings, played by such artists as the world-renowned Igor Kipnis. One of his harpsichords was heard last month at the Berkeley Music Festival in a concert with San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Philharmonia director Nicholas McGegan owns two Phillips harpsichords himself. 

At 52, Phillips enjoys a reputation as one of the best in his field. “He’s excellent. He’s internationally sought after,” says local artist and keyboardist Janine Johnson, who paints and carves the sometimes opulently decorated harpsichords at Phillips’ studio. “I wouldn’t be interested in working for him if he wasn’t.” 

A round-faced, slightly stocky man, Phillips has the muscular arms of a woodworker, which he is, and the erudite diction of a scholar, which he is as well. A genial, talkative man given to quips and witticisms, he says his ascent to the top of his craft is a result of “sheer dumb luck.” 

He enjoyed building model trains as a boy, and when he fell in love with the music of Bach while an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz in the 1960s, he decided to try to build a harpsichord. 

He built his first instrument from a kit in 1969. “It was godawful,” he said. “I hope (that kit) doesn’t exist anymore.” 

He continued to pursue the hobby, building several more harpsichords while earning a masters in musicology at Berkeley in the early 1970s. Then a prominent harpsichordist, William Read, offered Phillips his first commission, giving him the confidence to open a workshop on his own in 1975. He was completely self-taught. 

“I was just young enough and arrogant enough to think I could do it,” he says. Within five years, his career took off when one of his instruments gained international attention at the Festival of Flanders in Bruges, Belgium. Since that time, he’s never lacked for orders. The current waiting list for clients is about three years. 

Phillips also benefited from getting his start during a remarkable moment in history: the period in the 1960s and 70s which saw a revival of interest both in early music and in handicraft. “It was one of those rare periods when educated people deigned to work with their hands,” he says. “ Lots of people dropped out of school to become potters or glass blowers – and it was seen as cool. And there was a ready market for it, people who were willing to pay for handmade things.”  

Times have changed. Today Phillips says he sees a widening gulf between educated people and craftspersons. More than once, he’s had prospective clients talk down to him. “Usually they get their English corrected,” he says acidly. 

In a world of mass-produced objects, Phillips is one of a handful of craftsmen who works slowly and painstakingly, using methods that date back as far as 400 years. “None of this is very instant,” he says, showing a visitor around his workshop, where wooden planks can be found soaking in water or wrapped around a form to dry over a period of weeks. 

The work is painstaking – he turns out only four to six instruments a year. A self-described “character,” he has worked alone for most of his career, and knows that may continue to be the case. He would like to find an apprentice and pass on his craft, but finding the right person isn’t easy. “I guess I’m pretty demanding,” he says. 

Phillips has visited museums around the world to study the construction and mechanism of the finest instruments from the Baroque period. He’s gained access to many rare and unusual examples, and has taken apart and reassembled perhaps 20 instruments in his quest to discover the secret of their special sound. “It’s detective work,” he says. “After a while, you can almost see the hand or hands that made the instrument, and how they did it.” 

His most recent detective work has taken him to the former East Germany, where over the past two years he has studied the work of the Grabners, a family of harpsichord makers who built instruments for five generations in the 17th and 18th centuries. He tries to use the same materials that were used historically – poplar or basswood for cases, spruce or cypress for the soundboards. “It’s a bit of a time machine,” Phillips says of his work. “What we do is very weird; it’s anachronistic. We’re trying to recreate the sound of another century.” 

Of three other centuries, to be more exact. And since the harpsichord evolved continually during that time, there’s a wide range to choose from. The antique prototypes Phillips uses are those he admires most for their musical sound. If a clients requests a copy of an instrument by a maker he doesn’t care for, he usually persuades the person to choose a better-sounding model from to the same time period. Of course when it comes to appearance, all bets are off. “Part of the aesthetic is that the harpsichord doesn’t just look like the piano, all black,” Phillips says. 

The historical precedent is clear. Particularly in the 18th Century, harpsichord makers delighted in lavish ornamentation, often painting scenes inside the lid and soundboard, even over the body of the instrument itself. So if a client today wants a particular decoration on a harpsichord, Phillips will oblige. 

One of Phillips’ most opulent creations is an Italian-style harpsichord built for Philharmonia Director Nicholas McGegan.  

Fondly nicknamed “Goldilocks,” the instrument is covered with gold painted swirls on the outside. The owner has a fondness for pigs, so the interior lid displays a colorful pastoral scene of a boar hunt. 

McGegan specified no blood, and that the boar should be winning, Phillips said. A couple of pigs are also displayed on the outside of the lid. 

While his greatest delight is in providing harpsichords to professional musicians, who can truly appreciate the fine points of the instrument, Phillips also finds gratification in making harpsichords for dedicated amateurs.  

Given the time and money involved, each of his clients ends up becoming quite a good friend, he says. “We’re in the business of selling dreams.”  

He remembers a client who, upon first seeing her finished harpsichord, dissolved into happy tears. 

Maybe it’s love after all.


Letters to the Editor

Staff
Saturday July 29, 2000

Editor: 

Councilmember Betty Olds did our community a great service by requesting that the Fire Department do a presentation on the proposed hills Fire Station before the City Council. The Fire Department clearly demonstrated that their reasons for preferring the site at Shasta and Park Hills roads are well researched and in the best interest of our entire community. 

Hopefully this information will dispel all the misinformation and rumors that have been generated about the new fire station and we can move forward in the best interests of our city.  

Thanks again to Betty Olds for demonstrating her leadership and insisting that all the information be presented publicly and to Fire Chief Reginald Garcia for an excellent presentation of the facts. 

Kathleen De Vries 

Berkeley 

 

Editor: 

I have received many phone calls and e-mail due to an article of July 25th inthe Daily Cal concerning my candidacy for the Berkeley City Council in District 6, concerning the statement to “give bicycles a little slack.” 

I'd like to clarify my position. First, I am not a cyclist; I drive 60-80 percent of the time and walk the remainder of my trips. However, I would do everything I could to encourage bicycle usage, providing every amenity possible. 

Each bicycle on the road reduces the air pollution by hundreds of pounds. Not forgetting the elimination of all the engine noise each auto generates.  

Most of us cannot, or will not use bicycles as our major mode of transportation. For those who do, pitting their fragile one hundred to two hundred pounds of flesh against 2,000 to 8,000 pounds of solid metal, let's yield to them. When drivers encounter bicycles bravely negotiating our roads I'd like the auto to yield. 

It would improve relations between autos and cycles, if signs similar to the Park Service triangular signs (like on the Nimitz trail) were installed throughout our fair city. The Park Service bright yellow triangular signs depict “pedestrians yield to horses and bicyclists yield to pedestrians and horses.” 

Our replication of these signs would illustrate “bicyclists yield to pedestrians and wheelchairs, and autos yield to bicycles.” Autos and bicyclists must yield to walkers in the crosswalks. This law should be enforced vigorously. Too many pedestrians are maimed each year by collisions in the crosswalks and intersections.  

Norine Smith 

Berkeley


No ruling yet on 2700 San Pablo Ave. project

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Saturday July 29, 2000

Pastor Gordon Choyce says that his non-profit Jubilee Restoration and his partners at Panoramic Interests have done everything the city has asked to get the Jubilee Courtyard Apartments built at 2700 San Pablo Avenue – but two issues, he says, keep coming back. 

“I wish you could see the original laundry list given to us as issues against this project, and then see where we are right now,” Choyce said at Thursday night’s Zoning Adjustment Board meeting. “The only two items remaining are the height and density.” 

Neighbors of the proposed development say that the five-story, 48-unit apartment building, encompassing 43,267 square feet is too big for the neighborhood, will bring too much traffic to the area and will set a precedent for too-high buildings. 

Before a full and very divided house, the ZAB put off making a decision on the project Thursday night. They heard testimony from both sides, closed the public hearing and will wait until the Sept. 14 meeting to make a judgment. 

Choyce and proponents argue, however, that what is at stake is an honest effort at addressing Berkeley’s housing crisis. 

Now on its third proposed design, the mixed-use building promises 48 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments and 61 parking spaces. Five of the apartments – or 10 percent of the apartments – would be affordable to low-income households as spelled out by the Alameda County area median income. 

Chris Hudson, project manager for Panoramic Interests, who spoke in the place of Panoramic Interests’ President Patrick Kennedy, absent from the meeting, said that the number of low-income apartments could increase by another 10 percent if they receive a subsidy through the West Berkeley Development Fund. Hudson said they haven’t applied for the subsidy yet. 

The market-rate apartments would have a monthly rate of around $750 to $1,000 for a studio and $900 to $1,200 for a one bedroom. Two bedrooms, depending where they are in the building, would start at around $1,400 and three bedrooms would be around $1,800.  

The original 63-unit proposal, unveiled in March of last year, was scrapped after Patrick Kennedy met with angry neighbors who complained about the size. 

Kennedy and newly hired JSW Architects scaled the building down to four stories with 47 units back in November, but after more concerns from staff and the neighbors, they changed it again to shift the bulk of the building to the San Pablo Avenue facade and reduced the building to three stories where it abuts residential neighbors. 

Zoning Adjustment Board Chairperson Carolyn Weinberger argued that the zoning code in that part of the city allows a maximum of only four floors as specified by the West Berkeley Plan. 

And in order to have a five-story building, the partnership had to request a variance.  

Weinberger said that the ZAB did not have enough information to rule Thursday evening on the variance. 

Because there were so many people who wanted to speak at the meeting, Weinberger asked the two sides to rally their best speakers for an hour-long duel, with each side getting 30 minutes. 

Michael Yarne, a graduate student in City Planning at UC Berkeley and co-founder of Students for a Livable Southwest, spoke for the project and said that he’s all about promoting housing in the right places in Berkeley.  

“This is the right place,” he said. “You can’t deny there is an extreme housing shortage in Berkeley. I hear many well-intentioned Berkeleyites rant and rave about gentrification and about the loss of the unique character of Berkeley. What’s shocking is that these same people, many of them homeowners in their nice bungalows that are accruing enormous amounts of equity, will turn around and tell me, an apartment renter, that its wrong for me to advocate dense housing where it makes sense on a transit corridor that is well served and in the future will be better served.” 

Yarne was referring to steps that are being taken to improve the AC transit along the San Pablo corridor. Miriam Hawley, AC Transit Director, said that a major project is underway to upgrade the bus system along San Pablo from Richmond to Oakland.  

She said that one project underway is a system to let busses extend the life of a green light, to speed up service. There is already express bus service along the route. 

“I sent a letter to the (Zoning) Board saying higher density would make transit work better,” she said. “And people can leave their cars wherever they leave them.” 

A number of opponents, however, argued that people wouldn’t leave their cars, and air pollution and traffic congestion from the new population would choke the neighborhood. 

Michael Goldberg of the Neighborhoods for Responsible Development, a group formed in opposition to Jubilee Courtyards, said that his group is not opposed to development. Neighbors just want their neighborhood to be in harmony with its surroundings, he said. 

“We in the neighborhood do share a desire to develop affordable housing along San Pablo. The problem we’ve had is the height the density and size,” Goldberg said. 

“This will also set a precedent to encourage similar four-story development. There are nine or 10 sites along San Pablo from Dwight Way to Ashby that are available for large-scale development,” he said. “And we need to study the impact of air and traffic congestion, population density and parking problems, all of which will change the face of this area.”


New firefighters win jobs in department

By Dan Greenman Daily Planet Staff
Saturday July 29, 2000

They passed the tests and beat the odds, and now Keith May and Samantha Eggers are enjoying their first weeks as two of the newest members of the Berkeley Fire Department. 

In the spring, the city accepted 600 applicants for eight positions in the department. May, 36, and Eggers, 27, were two of the eight finalists who graduated July 21 from the 2000 Spring Recruit Academy. 

The applicants, all already licensed paramedics, had to pass a written test that consisted primarily of math and reading-comprehension questions, followed by a physical abilities test. The pool was narrowed down and the eight recruits were finally selected after interviews with a three-member board. 

“We look at it as if we’ve won the lottery,” Eggers said. “That’s about the odds of getting a job at the fire department.” 

May has worked in emergency medical services for the last 15 years, most recently as a paramedic, and decided to make the transition to fire fighting. 

“All along the way, people have been telling me how great the fire service is,” he said. “(Paramedics) work hand in hand with (firefighters) throughout the Bay Area, so I figured it’s a great way of life, being able to continue what I’m doing as a paramedic yet expanding on the side of fire suppression.” 

Eggers’ uncle, a recently-retired firefighter, got her interested in the field. 

“I started off going into law enforcement and I liked how fire fighting was looked upon better,” she said. 

After the eight finalists were named, they immediately enrolled in Berkeley’s 12-week Spring Recruit Academy, where they trained five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There they received specialized training in different areas including putting out fires in confined spaces and open, “wild” lands and dealing with hazardous materials. They worked with hoses and ladders and aquatinted themselves with Berkeley geography. 

May and Eggers explained the 12 weeks of training as simply exhausting. Each day consisted of waking up early in the morning to commute to the training areas – May lives in Napa and Eggers is from Pleasanton – working all day, and then driving home to study the things they were expected to know. 

Before the new firefighters become permanent members of the Berkeley Fire Department, they are put on probation for 24 months. During that time they get tested every six months. They train daily for the exams. 

“Every six months you are given a certain amount of (things to learn) and you are tested on them,” May explained. 

May and Eggers just finished their first week on the staff and have thus far avoided any emergencies. They are located at Station 5 on Shattuck Avenue. 

Firefighters work 10 days a month in 24-hour shifts. In a typical week, they work three out of five days and then take the next four days off before beginning the routine again.


School, rent board hopefuls step to plate

Staff
Saturday July 29, 2000

No hordes of citizens – in fact none at all – have jumped into the District 5 council race in response to Councilmember Diane Woolley’s surprise announcement that she’s not going to run again. 

AC Transit Director Miriam Hawley, who took out papers to run last week, continues to be the lone candidate running in the district. 

No new city council candidates have emerged at all this week, the second week people are able to take out papers to run for office. 

Donald Read, a north hills resident, has taken out papers to run for school board. He’ll join incumbent Joaquin Rivera, John Selawsky, Irma Parker and Sherri Morton who are vying for the two open seats. 

Four rent board hopefuls, running on a “progressive” slate for the four open seats, took out papers this week. They are: incumbent Max Anderson, Matthew Siegel, Judy Ann Alberti and Paul Hogarth. 

Those who took out papers last week to run for city council are: District 2 – incumbent Margaret Breland and challengers Carol Hughes-Willoughby, Betty Hicks and Jon Crowder; District 3 – incumbent Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek; District 5 - Hawley; District 6 – incumbent Councilmember Betty Olds, challenged by Norine Smith. 

The filing period ends August 11.


They’re talking trash up on College Ave.

By Dan GreenmanDaily Planet Staff
Friday July 28, 2000

Road construction usually creates some confusion and a few inconveniences, but hardly ever does it bring the problems that College Avenue residents and merchants are facing right now. 

People who live along the mixed commercial-residential street say they are fed up with uncollected garbage that attracts rats and racoons. Meanwhile merchants say they must face not only the trash spilling onto their sidewalks, but they are getting ready to sue the city over street closures which block their supply trucks.  

College Avenue is under construction from Dwight Way to Alcatraz Avenue, a three-month-long project that has narrowed the road to one lane of traffic, heading only south, and removed all curbside parking. 

But the problem does not stop there. John Huffman, president of the Elmwood Merchants Association, said that his association might file a lawsuit against both the city and Councilmember Kriss Worthington because they failed to alert merchants or neighbors that Benvenue Avenue, which allows trucks to bring supplies to College Avenue, would be closed beginning Wednesday. In fact, they had been told just the opposite, that the block would remain open to through traffic. 

“We thought that we had an agreement with the city, but they made changes and didn’t tell us,” Huffman said. “We are in a very tough situation.” 

Worthington, councilmember for District 7, which includes part of College Avenue, said he had not heard about a lawsuit, but added that he has worked with the neighborhood to solve their problems during the construction process and recently raised money for the merchants association. 

Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz said he had not heard about a lawsuit either, but that the city has always had a good relationship with the merchants association. 

“We are trying to make it a convenience for everyone, but the street needs to be repaired,” Kamlarz said. 

College Avenue residents have complaints of their own. The city has not done its routine garbage pickups all this week, which is most likely the result of limited space for garbage trucks to drive through. 

John Tomakin, who lives on the 2600 block of College Avenue between Derby Street and Dwight Way said that his normal trash collection day is Monday, but garbage had not been collected as of Thursday afternoon.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Friday July 28, 2000


Friday, July 28

 

“KPFA on the air” 

7:30 p.m. 

U.C. Theater 

2036 University Ave. 

A film reviewing KPFA’s history from the time community-sponsored radio was just an idea in the head of pacifist Lew Hill to July 13 of last year when KPFA staff were booted out of their studio by Pacifica managers and arrested by Berkeley police. 

 

Teen Poetry at Berkeley  

Public Library 

7:15 p.m. 

2940 Benvenue 

Teen poets are invited to share their best work at Berkeley Public Library’s Claremont Branch. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., and sign-ups to read will be taken until 8:11. 

All ages are welcome to attend, but poets must be at least 12 and no older than 19 to share their work in this venue. There will be prizes for those who turn in the best performances. This free event is sponsored by Teen Services and the Friends of the Library. 

644-6100 x313 

 

Conversational Yiddish with Allen Stross 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 

Disablity Awareness and  

Outreach Subcommitte  

Meeting 

11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 

First Floor Conference Room 

Public Works Administration Office 

2201 Dwight Way 

Items on the agenda will include “Sidewalk Benches and Planters Design Guidelines,” and sidewalk seating and obstacles on the sidewalk. 

665-3445 or 548-1351 

 

The Berkeley Gray Panther 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Come to this forum, hosted by the Berkeley Gray Panthers, to discuss nursing house reform. 

548-9696 

 


Saturday, July 29

 

63rd Annual Bay Regional Golf Tournament 

Saturday and Sunday July 29 and 30 and Saturday and Sunday August 5 and 6 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

The Tournament consists of 72 Holes with a cut made after 2 Rounds. NCGA player points awarded-over $5000 in Prizes  

$115 Entry Fee-Entries Close July 19  

925-253-0950 

 

Berkeley State Health  

Toastmasters Club 

12:10-1:10 p.m. 

State Health Building, Eighth Floor, 2151 Berkeley Way 

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization, has been working for over 70 years to help people conquer their pre-speech jitters and improve communication skills. The local club meetings the second, third and fourth Thursdays of each month. 

649-7750 or higgins_edie@hotmail.com 

 

15th Annual Berkeley Kite  

Festival and West Coast Kite  

Championships 

11 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina 

COmes see hundreds of kites take to the sky in the Berkeley Kite Festival, Saturday and Sunday July 29-30. 

235-5483 

www.highlineskites.com 

 


Sunday, July 30

 

“Hammering it out” 

7:30 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

“Hammering It Out” is the story of a community initiated laws that resulted in hundreds of women getting trained and working on a billion-dollar freeway in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s. 

$7 donation 

 

“The Secret Garden” 

3:00 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive 

2575 Bancroft Way @ Bowditch 

Recommended for ages 8+. Based on the classic children’s book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, this 1949 film version remains a classic in its won right. Margaret O’Brien turns in a marvelous performance as a young girl sent to live with her cranky uncle on a Victorian estate where she finds a glorious Technicolor garden in an otherwise gloomy black and white world.  

Tickets $4 

642-5249 

 

A Classic Taste of Italy 

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman at Henry 

The Kiwanis Club of Berkeley invites you to an evening of fine dining and auction. Pasta, salads and dessert prepared by Mystery Chef Antonio. No Host Wine Bar. Auction includes two signed jerseys from Ronnie Lott. Music by Tina Marzell Quintet. Proceeds will support our local programs: Reading is Fundamental at Head Start, Young People's Symphony Orchestra, 

scholarships for high school seniors going on to higher education, and much more. 

Free parking in the church parking lot. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Call 527-3249 

 


Monday, July 31

 

Newly Diagnosed Breast  

Cancer Support Group 

Professionally facilitated support group allows members to share their feelings and to support each other in the healing process. Support group held every first, third and fifth Monday of each month.  

Call 204-4330 or 204-1769 for time and location. 

“Italy: The Land of the Renaissance” with the Julians 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, August 1

 

Genetic Engineering Teach-In  

and Strategy Session 

6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave 

From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. there will be videos on genetically modified food issues followed by a feneral strategy session on local actions. There will be a detailed discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association. 

548-2220 ext. 233 

erc@ecologycenter.org 

www.ecologycenter.org 

 

“Polyamory, monogamy, and other flavors” 

7 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. 

Come for a free discussion and social group, open to everyone regardless of age, religion or view point. 

527-5332


Calendar of Events & Activities

Friday July 28, 2000


Friday, July 28

 

“KPFA on the air” 

7:30 p.m. 

U.C. Theater 

2036 University Ave. 

A film reviewing KPFA’s history from the time community-sponsored radio was just an idea in the head of pacifist Lew Hill to July 13 of last year when KPFA staff were booted out of their studio by Pacifica managers and arrested by Berkeley police. 

 

Teen Poetry at Berkeley  

Public Library 

7:15 p.m. 

2940 Benvenue 

Teen poets are invited to share their best work at Berkeley Public Library’s Claremont Branch. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., and sign-ups to read will be taken until 8:11. 

All ages are welcome to attend, but poets must be at least 12 and no older than 19 to share their work in this venue. There will be prizes for those who turn in the best performances. This free event is sponsored by Teen Services and the Friends of the Library. 

644-6100 x313 

 

Conversational Yiddish with Allen Stross 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 

Disablity Awareness and  

Outreach Subcommitte  

Meeting 

11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 

First Floor Conference Room 

Public Works Administration Office 

2201 Dwight Way 

Items on the agenda will include “Sidewalk Benches and Planters Design Guidelines,” and sidewalk seating and obstacles on the sidewalk. 

665-3445 or 548-1351 

 

The Berkeley Gray Panther 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Come to this forum, hosted by the Berkeley Gray Panthers, to discuss nursing house reform. 

548-9696 

 


Saturday, July 29

 

63rd Annual Bay Regional Golf Tournament 

Saturday and Sunday July 29 and 30 and Saturday and Sunday August 5 and 6 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

The Tournament consists of 72 Holes with a cut made after 2 Rounds. NCGA player points awarded-over $5000 in Prizes  

$115 Entry Fee-Entries Close July 19  

925-253-0950 

 

Berkeley State Health  

Toastmasters Club 

12:10-1:10 p.m. 

State Health Building, Eighth Floor, 2151 Berkeley Way 

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization, has been working for over 70 years to help people conquer their pre-speech jitters and improve communication skills. The local club meetings the second, third and fourth Thursdays of each month. 

649-7750 or higgins_edie@hotmail.com 

 

15th Annual Berkeley Kite  

Festival and West Coast Kite  

Championships 

11 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina 

COmes see hundreds of kites take to the sky in the Berkeley Kite Festival, Saturday and Sunday July 29-30. 

235-5483 

www.highlineskites.com 

 


Sunday, July 30

 

“Hammering it out” 

7:30 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

“Hammering It Out” is the story of a community initiated laws that resulted in hundreds of women getting trained and working on a billion-dollar freeway in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s. 

$7 donation 

 

“The Secret Garden” 

3:00 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive 

2575 Bancroft Way @ Bowditch 

Recommended for ages 8+. Based on the classic children’s book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, this 1949 film version remains a classic in its won right. Margaret O’Brien turns in a marvelous performance as a young girl sent to live with her cranky uncle on a Victorian estate where she finds a glorious Technicolor garden in an otherwise gloomy black and white world.  

Tickets $4 

642-5249 

 

A Classic Taste of Italy 

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman at Henry 

The Kiwanis Club of Berkeley invites you to an evening of fine dining and auction. Pasta, salads and dessert prepared by Mystery Chef Antonio. No Host Wine Bar. Auction includes two signed jerseys from Ronnie Lott. Music by Tina Marzell Quintet. Proceeds will support our local programs: Reading is Fundamental at Head Start, Young People's Symphony Orchestra, 

scholarships for high school seniors going on to higher education, and much more. 

Free parking in the church parking lot. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Call 527-3249 

 


Monday, July 31

 

Newly Diagnosed Breast  

Cancer Support Group 

Professionally facilitated support group allows members to share their feelings and to support each other in the healing process. Support group held every first, third and fifth Monday of each month.  

Call 204-4330 or 204-1769 for time and location. 

“Italy: The Land of the Renaissance” with the Julians 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, August 1

 

Genetic Engineering Teach-In  

and Strategy Session 

6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave 

From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. there will be videos on genetically modified food issues followed by a feneral strategy session on local actions. There will be a detailed discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association. 

548-2220 ext. 233 

erc@ecologycenter.org 

www.ecologycenter.org 

 

“Polyamory, monogamy, and other flavors” 

7 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. 

Come for a free discussion and social group, open to everyone regardless of age, religion or view point. 

527-5332


Letters to the editor

Friday July 28, 2000

Dear Editor: 

 

We read so much in the papers about crime in the streets, I thought you'd like to know that we may actually be entering an era of honesty in the streets. 

 

My husband dropped his wallet this morning in the Telegraph Avenue area with more than a hundred dollars in it, and before he had even missed it, we got a call from someone who had found it and wanted to return it.  

 

The finder had looked us up in the phone book, and offered to bring it over to our house when he got home from work, which very kindly did. 

 

His name is Singh (I didn't get his first name), he lives on Ward Street, and he's a UC student during the school year.  

 

We offered him the money in the wallet as a reward, but he wouldn't take a dime, saying something about karma instead. Aren't we all lucky to live in a world that has such honest people in it? 

 

Becky O'Malley 

Berkeley 

 


Friday July 28, 2000

THEATER 

ACTORS ENSEMBLE OF  

BERKELEY 

“Murder At The Vicarage” by Agatha Christie, through Aug. 12. Performance of the classic whodunnit. $10. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Aug. 10, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave. 

528-5620. 

 

LOTTOMANIA: PLAY HERE 

“All you need us a dollar and a dream,” or so it goes when playingthe lootery. But just who plays the lottery? What’s it like to be one of the few winners of the lottery? Where do all the billions spent on lottery tickets go? The voter institusted the California lottery to benitift our school- why then, do they remain among the worst in the nation. Is there anything suspect about the use os legalized government gambling in order to fund its programs? Is the lottery a metaphor for anything like life? Come see Lottomania: Play Here to find out. Written and directed by Gary Graves.  

For reservations and information call 558-1381. 

 

MURDER AT THE  

VICARAGE 

Agatha Christie’s “Murder At The Vicarage”, starring Miss Marple at Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck At. Adapted for stage by Mole Charles and Barbara Toy, and presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, the City’s oldest theater company, the mystery will be on stage Friday and Saturday evening through August 12, plus a special Thursday evening performance on August 10.  

Admission is $10, with discounts for groups of 15 or more. 

For reservations call 528-5620. 

 

 

MUSIC VENUES 

YOSHI’S 

Sonny Fortune and Frank Morgan, July 25 through July 30. $18 to $22 general; Sunday matinee: $5 children; $10 adult with one child; $18 general.  

Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.  

510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 

238-9200 or (510) 762-BASS. 

 

924 GILMAN ST. 

924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, member-run no alcohol, drugs, and violence club located at the corner of 8th street and Gilman Street in Berkeley. Most shows are $5. Memberships for the year are $2. Shows start at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For the latest show information call 525-9926.  

July 28: Plan 9, Loose Change, Debris, Weakerthans, Big Link.  

July 29: Plan 9, Loose Change, Weaker Than, Debris, Big Link.  

July 30: Dillinger Escape Plan, Candira, Isis, Cadillac Blindside (5 p.m.).  

August 4: Hellchild, Benumb, Yellow Machine Gun, Spaceboy, Vulgar Pigeons.  

August 5: Causey Way, Black Man - White Man - Dead Man, Boy Pussy USA, Monday Mornings.  

August 11: Hellbillys, Riffs, Menstrual Tramps, Fleshies, Shut Up Donny.  

August 12: Excruciating Terror, Plutocracy, Chupalabre, Creation Is Crucifiction, State Of The Union. 

August 13: Converge, Hope Conspiracy, Exhumed, Cephalic Carnage, Orgin. 

August 18: Raw Power, Capitalist Casualties, Lifes Halt, Tongue, What Happens Next. 

August 19: Dead And Gone, Time In Malta, Run For Your Fucking Life, Suicide Party. 

525-9926. 

 

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL  

CHURCH 

“Rarities and Suprises” 

Join George Cleve, Music Director and Conductor, for a night the “Midsummer Mozart Festival,” on Friday, August 4. The concert will include “Three Adagios and Fugurd after J.S. Bach,” K. 404, “Six Variations on G minor on ‘Helas, j’ai perdu mon amant,’” K. 360, highlights from the “Abduction from the Seragio,” and “Divertimento” in D Major for 2 Horns and Strings K. 334. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, at Dana. For ticket call City Box Office at 392-4400. 

 

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

For age 21 and over. Music on Wednesday at 8 p.m.; Thursday at 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 9:45 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley.  

841-2082. 

 

CLUB MUSE 

Marie Schumacher and the Invisible Band 

Thursday, August 3 at 8 p.m. 

856 San Pablo Ave., Albany. 

528-2872.  

 

THE JAZZSCHOOL/LA NOTE 

2377 Shattuck Avenue 

Free admission, reservation recommended 

Thursday, August 10 at 7:00 pm 

Vocalists Anna Albanese, Debbie Moore and Cindy Jones 

Sunday, August 13 at 4:30 pm 

Barbara Colson Trio and Nannick Bonnel Trio 

Thursday, August 17 at 7:00 pm 

“Vocal Sauce” Vocal Ensemble Directed by Greg Murai 

Sunday, August 20 at 4:30 pm 

Valerie Bach And “Swang Fandangle” 

The Guy Cash Sharp Five 

Thursday, August 24 at 7:00 pm 

Vocalists Ed Reed 

Vocal group Zoli Lundy and “Zoli’s Little Thing” 

845-5373 

swing@jazzschool.com 

 

WALNUT SQUARE 

Chamber Music for the Inner Courtyard, a classical ensemble, will perform the music of Haydn, Bach, Mozart and other for the entertainment of shoppers, diners, and passersby of Inner Courtyard of Walnut Square. 150 Walnut Street. 11:30 a.m.  

Performance will be held on Saturdays, July 29, August 12, 19 and 26, September 16, 19, and 30, October 7 and 21, and November 4. And Sundays, August 6, September 3 and 10, and October 15 and 29.  

For more info call 843-4002. 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

The vocal and instrumental ensemble perform Mozart’s symphony no. 25, in g minor. Glenn Gould’s “So You Want To Write A Fugue,” and Telemann’s concerto in D Major for Flut and strings.  

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Street. Admission is $10 general, $8 for BACA Members, $9 for students and seniors. Childern under 12 admitted free of charge. 

 

MUSEUMS 

BERKELEY HISTORICAL  

SOCIETY 

"Berkeley's Ethnic Heritage." Through March 2001. 

The exhibit examines the rich cultural diversity of our city and the contributions of individuals and minority groups to our history and development.  

The exhibit look at the original native tribelets in the area and the immigrants who settled in Ocean View and displaced the Spanish/Mexican landowners.  

It also examines the influence of theUniversity of California, the San Francisco earthquake, and World War II on the population and culture of Berkeley, and subsequent efforts to overcome discrimination. Curated by Linda Rosen and the Berkeley Historical Society Exhibit Committee. Thursday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Admission free. 

Berkeley Historical Society is located in the Veterans Memorial Building at 1931 Center Street, Berkeley.  

848-0181 

UC BERKELEY ART  

MUSEUM 

“Doug Aitken/MATRIX 185: Into the Sun,” through Sept. 3. An exhibit of works primarily in video and film, using the interplay of art and media to evoke deserted landscapes.  

“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. 

“Images and Ideas: The Collection in Focus,” open-ended. The museum periodically displays some of its permanent collection in a context meant to highlight some aspect of the objects. The three areas of focus for this exhibit are Renaissance art, 19th and 20th-century American art and paintings from 1940 to the present. 

The Asian Galleries  

“Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery,” open-ended. A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection.  

“Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. 

“Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. 

“Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 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.  

642-0808. 

 

HALL OF HEALTH  

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. 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level), Berkeley 

549-1564. 

 

HOLT PLANETARIUM 

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. 

“Target Earth,” July 29 through Aug. 25. Make your own estimate of how often Earth has been hit by comets or asteroids. Find out how sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, paleontology and geology are all needed to shed light on the mystery of the dinosaur extinction. Daily, 2:15 p.m. 

$2 plus museum admission of $6 general; $4 students, seniors, disabled and youths aged 7 to 18; children under the age of 6 are not admitted. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

“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. 

“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 p.m.; Thursday until 9 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

643-7648 

 

UC BERKELEY MUSEUM OF  

PALEONTOLOGY 

“Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20-foot tall, 40-foot long replica of the fearsome dinosaur. The replica is made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. 

“Pteranodon,” ongoing. A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22 to 23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. 

“California Fossils Exhibit,” ongoing. An exhibit of some of the fossils which have been excavated in California. 

Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley.  

642-1821. 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S  

MUSEUM 

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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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. 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

(510) 647-1111 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

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

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

(510) 549-6950. 

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE 

From a region where kite making is an important part of village life, sports, arts, worship, and work, these Indonesian kites are exciting examples of inspiration, ingenuity, and technology. 

Special Events: Kites and Culture opening day on Saturday, July 29, will include kite making and Indonesian coffee. Kites Kaleidoscope on Wednesday, August 9, Noon-2:00 p.m.; and a weekend celebration of Indonesian dancing, music, food, and kite making, on Saturday and Sunday, August 19-20, 12:30-3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday, August 19 (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday, August 20 (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. The exhibit runs from July 29 - August 20, 2000. 

Solids, Liquids, and Gases 

August 2, 2000, 12:00 Noon and 1:00 p.m.  

Learn all about solids, liquids, and gases! Discover how solids can change into colorful gases and what happens when liquid nitrogen cools a gas to hundreds of degrees below zero. Learn how spooky-looking fog is made! This popular and fun event, developed as an LHS school program is great for children in grades K-1. 

Son de la Tierra Mexican Music and Dancing Sunday 

August 6, 2000, Performance at 1:30 p.m. Science activities, 12:30-3:30 p.m.  

Top of the Bay Family Days Sunday Afternoon Outdoor Family Concert: 

A performance of Mexican music and dance from Son de la Tierra, literally "Song of the Earth," talented students from Richmond's East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond. 

Kites Kaleidoscope  

August 9, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m. 

See rainbows of color flying high! Learn how to make your own kite as you get the lowdown on aerodynamics! An exhibit of hand-crafted kites from Indonesia will be on hand to offer inspiration as you design your own kite. 

Science Stew 

August 16, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m.  

Ever wanted to whip up your own play dough or create the world's best bubble solution? Young scientists, just like the best chefs, combine their ingredients with big heaps of fun, nspiration and creativity! Come create your own scientific stew of cool toys with materials, ideas, and the help of science education specialists from the Hall's renowned SEPUP curriculum. 

Indonesian Kites and Culture Celebration  

Saturday and Sunday August 19 and 20, 2000, 12:30- 3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the spectacular Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. Included with museum admission. 

Into the A, B, Sea 

August 23, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m. 

Dive into the wonderful world of the ocean with local author Deborah Lee Rose who will read from her new book "Into the A, B, Sea", published by Scholastic Press. Find out more about the sea with fun hands-on activities from the LHS Marine Activites, Resources and Education (MARE) program. 

LHS Summer Games 2000  

August 30, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m.  

Australia may have the Summer Olympics, but LHS has Summer Games 2000! Yo-yos, spinning tops, and juggling lead the list of games you'll get to watch and try yourself. Bring your own yo-yo to learn newmoves and tricks demonstrated byyo-yo experts from Yo-topia. 

The Lawrence Hall of Science is located at 1 Centennial Drive. Call 642-5132 for more information.  

 

GALLERIES  

KALA INSTITUTE 

“Markings/Imprints,” through July 28. The 2000 Kala Art Institute Fellowship Awards Exhibitions, Part I, featuring works by Susan Belau, Liliana Lobo Ferreira, and Jamie Morgan. 

Free. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.  

Workshop Media Center Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. (510) 549-2977. 

 

ADDISON STREET WINDOWS GALLERY 

“Yangtze River: in the Dragon’s Teeth” 

Carol Brighton's poured paper paintings of the Yangtze River gorges, through July 31. Six-foot paper pieces in the long format of a Chinese scroll. This artwork is done in support of the International Rivers Network campaign to save the Yangtze River. The full impact of these beautiful compositions can even be viewed from across the street. 

Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St., Berkeley 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind 

The Berkeley Art Center brings back Janette Faulkner’s collection “Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind” an exhibit that explores racial stereotypes in commercial imagery. The collection will be on display at the Berkeley Art Center from September 10 through November 12. The Berkeley Art Center is located at 1275 Walnut Street. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.  

For more information call 644-6893. 

 

POETRY 

CODY’S BOOKS POETRY FLASH 

The Haiku Anthology Contributors Reading 

Garry Gay, Jerry Kilbride, Vincent Tripi, Micheal DylanWelch 

Edited and with a foreword by the former Haiku Society of America president Cor van den Heuvel, The Haiku Anthology collects 850 of the best English language Haiku and related works. A selection of Bay Area contributors will read at this event. "Haiku is basically about living with intense awareness, about having an openness to the existence around us-kind of openness that involves seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching."--Cor van den Heuvel August 2, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. 

Donation is $2. 

 

Joseph Di Prisco And Dean Young 

Joseph Di Prisco's newest book, Poems in Which, won the 2000 Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize. An essayist and reviewer, he is also the co-author of a recent book about adolescence and growing up, Field Guide to the American Teenager. His novel, Confessions of Brother Eli, is forthcoming in the fall. Dean Young has published three books of poems, most recently First Course in Turbulence. "Dean Young's exhilarating, complex, and wide-ranging poems give one the impression of conversations with an angel in which the poet has to be super-alert at every second, for every second counts and the angel knows everything. To listen to these conversations is to experience a colloquial, witty, emotional, and urgent discourse not to be found anywhere else."--Kenneth Koch. August 9, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Janice M. Gale and Noel Peattie 

Berkeley poet Janice M. Gale's new book is House of Leaves. A former dancer, cook, editor, community organizer and teacher, she has been an activist for social justice for more than fifty years. Noel Peattie published Sipapu, a review journal for librarians and others interested in dissent literature, including poetry, and the small press, between 1970-1996. His poetry books include In the Dome of Saint Laurence Meteor and Western Skyline. August 13, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Leonard J. Cirino and Marc Elihu Hofstadter 

Leonard J. Cirino, editor and publisher of Pygmy Forest Press, is the author of twenty-one poetry collections, including The Terrible Wilderness of Self, 96 Sonnets Facing Conviction, and American Minotaur & Other Work, Poems 1998. His newest collection is The Sane Man Speaks & Other Poems. Marc Elihu Hofstadter is the author of House of Peace. He has published his poems and critical articles in many literary journals, including Exquisite Corpse and Talisman, and works as the Librarian of the San Francisco Municipal Railway. August 16, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Jamal Ali and Russell Gonzaga 

Jamal Ali writes in a broad spectrum of genres from journalism and history to poetry and plays. He's been performing and reading across the U.S. since 1985. His published works include Jazz is a Sacrament of Substance. Russell Gonzaga is a celebrated performance and slam poet based in the Bay Area. August 23, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Joe Todaro 

Joe Todaro is the author of Notes From a Burning Theater, a poetry chapbook. He co-produced, withCelia White, the 1998 Urban Epiphany poetry reading in Buffalo, New York, the largest such event in that city's history. Celia White is a poet, fiction writer, and librarian. Her poetry chapbooks are Cusp, Mouth, Stick, and Lit; her poems have appeared in Exquisite Corpse and upstream. The event room at Cody's is wheelchair accessible. Please ask for help or directions at the Information Desk. ASL interpreters for the deaf and hearing impaired can be provided with reasonable advance notice. August 30, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Parking is available at the Durant/Channing Garage; Cody's will validate one hour of parking with purchase. 

Cody's Books: 845-7852 • Poetry Flash: 525-5476 

 

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 one week before the opening of a new exhibit or performance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information. 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S  

MUSEUM 

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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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. 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

(510) 647-1111 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

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

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

(510) 549-6950. 

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF  

SCIENCE 

From a region where kite making is an important part of village life, sports, arts, worship, and work, these Indonesian kites are exciting examples of inspiration, ingenuity, and technology. 

Special Events: Kites and Culture opening day on Saturday, July 29, will include kite making and Indonesian coffee. Kites Kaleidoscope on Wednesday, August 9, Noon-2:00 p.m.; and a weekend celebration of Indonesian dancing, music, food, and kite making, on Saturday and Sunday, August 19-20, 12:30-3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday, August 19 (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday, August 20 (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. The exhibit runs from July 29 - August 20, 2000. 

Solids, Liquids, and Gases 

August 2, 2000, Noon and 1p.m.  

Learn all about solids, liquids, and gases! Discover how solids can change into colorful gases and what happens when liquid nitrogen cools a gas to hundreds of degrees below zero. Learn how spooky-looking fog is made! This popular and fun event, developed as an LHS school program is great for children in grades K-1. 

Son de la Tierra Mexican Music and Dancing Sunday 

August 6, 2000, Performance at 1:30 p.m. Science activities, 12:30-3:30 p.m.  

Top of the Bay Family Days Sunday Afternoon Outdoor Family Concert: 

A performance of Mexican music and dance from Son de la Tierra, literally "Song of the Earth," talented students from Richmond's East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond. 

Kites Kaleidoscope  

August 9, 2000, Noon-2 p.m. 

See rainbows of color flying high! Learn how to make your own kite as you get the lowdown on aerodynamics! An exhibit of hand-crafted kites from Indonesia will be on hand to offer inspiration as you design your own kite. 

Science Stew 

August 16, 2000, Noon-2 p.m.  

Ever wanted to whip up your own play dough or create the world's best bubble solution? Young scientists, just like the best chefs, combine their ingredients with big heaps of fun, nspiration and creativity! Come create your own scientific stew of cool toys with materials, ideas, and the help of science education specialists from the Hall's renowned SEPUP curriculum. 

Indonesian Kites and Culture Celebration  

Saturday and Sunday August 19 and 20, 2000, 12:30- 3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the spectacular Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. 

Into the A, B, Sea 

August 23, 2000, Noon-2 p.m. 

Dive into the wonderful world of the ocean with local author Deborah Lee Rose who will read from her new book "Into the A, B, Sea", published by Scholastic Press. Find out more about the sea with fun hands-on activities from the LHS Marine Activites, Resources and Education (MARE) program. 

LHS Summer Games 2000  

August 30, 2000, Noon-2 p.m.  

Australia may have the Summer Olympics, but LHS has Summer Games 2000! Yo-yos, spinning tops, and juggling lead the list of games you'll get to watch and try yourself.  

The Lawrence Hall of Science is located at 1 Centennial Drive.  

642-5132.  

 

GALLERIES  

KALA INSTITUTE 

“Markings/Imprints,” through July 28. The 2000 Kala Art Institute Fellowship Awards Exhibitions, Part I, featuring works by Susan Belau, Liliana Lobo Ferreira, and Jamie Morgan. 

Free. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.  

Workshop Media Center Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. 

549-2977. 

 

ADDISON STREET WINDOWS GALLERY 

“Yangtze River: in the Dragon’s Teeth” 

Carol Brighton's poured paper paintings of the Yangtze River gorges, through July 31. Six-foot paper pieces in the long format of a Chinese scroll. This artwork is done in support of the International Rivers Network campaign to save the Yangtze River. The full impact of these beautiful compositions can even be viewed from across the street. 

Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St., Berkeley 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind 

The Berkeley Art Center brings back Janette Faulkner’s collection “Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind” an exhibit that explores racial stereotypes in commercial imagery. The collection will be on display at the Berkeley Art Center from September 10 through November 12. The Berkeley Art Center is located at 1275 Walnut Street. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.  

For more info call 644-6893. 

POETRY 

CODY’S BOOKS POETRY FLASH 

The Haiku Anthology Contributors Reading 

Garry Gay, Jerry Kilbride, Vincent Tripi, Micheal DylanWelch 

Edited and with a foreword by the former Haiku Society of America president Cor van den Heuvel, The Haiku Anthology collects 850 of the best English language Haiku and related works. A selection of Bay Area contributors will read at this event. "Haiku is basically about living with intense awareness, about having an openness to the existence around us-kind of openness that involves seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching."--Cor van den Heuvel August 2, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. 

Donation is $2. 

 

Joseph Di Prisco And Dean Young 

Joseph Di Prisco's newest book, Poems in Which, won the 2000 Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize. An essayist and reviewer, he is also the co-author of a recent book about adolescence and growing up, Field Guide to the American Teenager. His novel, Confessions of Brother Eli, is forthcoming in the fall. Dean Young has published three books of poems, most recently First Course in Turbulence. "Dean Young's exhilarating, complex, and wide-ranging poems give one the impression of conversations with an angel in which the poet has to be super-alert at every second, for every second counts and the angel knows everything. To listen to these conversations is to experience a colloquial, witty, emotional, and urgent discourse not to be found anywhere else."--Kenneth Koch. August 9, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Janice M. Gale and Noel Peattie 

Berkeley poet Janice M. Gale's new book is House of Leaves. A former dancer, cook, editor, community organizer and teacher, she has been an activist for social justice for more than fifty years. Noel Peattie published Sipapu, a review journal for librarians and others interested in dissent literature, including poetry, and the small press, between 1970-1996. His poetry books include In the Dome of Saint Laurence Meteor and Western Skyline. August 13, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Leonard J. Cirino and Marc Elihu Hofstadter 

Leonard J. Cirino, editor and publisher of Pygmy Forest Press, is the author of twenty-one poetry collections, including The Terrible Wilderness of Self, 96 Sonnets Facing Conviction, and American Minotaur & Other Work, Poems 1998. His newest collection is The Sane Man Speaks & Other Poems. Marc Elihu Hofstadter is the author of House of Peace. He has published his poems and critical articles in many literary journals, including Exquisite Corpse and Talisman, and works as the Librarian of the San Francisco Municipal Railway. August 16, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Jamal Ali and Russell Gonzaga 

Jamal Ali writes in a broad spectrum of genres from journalism and history to poetry and plays. He's been performing and reading across the U.S. since 1985. His published works include Jazz is a Sacrament of Substance. Russell Gonzaga is a celebrated performance and slam poet based in the Bay Area. August 23, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Joe Todaro 

Joe Todaro is the author of Notes From a Burning Theater, a poetry chapbook. He co-produced, withCelia White, the 1998 Urban Epiphany poetry reading in Buffalo, New York, the largest such event in that city's history. Celia White is a poet, fiction writer, and librarian. Her poetry chapbooks are Cusp, Mouth, Stick, and Lit; her poems have appeared in Exquisite Corpse and upstream. The event room at Cody's is wheelchair accessible. Please ask for help or directions at the Information Desk. ASL interpreters for the deaf and hearing impaired can be provided with reasonable advance notice. August 30, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Parking is available at the Durant/Channing Garage; Cody's will validate one hour of parking with purchase. 

Cody's Books: 845-7852 • Poetry Flash: 525-5476 

 

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 one week before the opening of a new exhibit or performance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information. 

POETRY 

CODY’S BOOKS POETRY FLASH 

The Haiku Anthology Contributors Reading 

Garry Gay, Jerry Kilbride, Vincent Tripi, Micheal DylanWelch 

Edited and with a foreword by the former Haiku Society of America president Cor van den Heuvel, The Haiku Anthology collects 850 of the best English language Haiku and related works. A selection of Bay Area contributors will read at this event. "Haiku is basically about living with intense awareness, about having an openness to the existence around us-kind of openness that involves seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching."--Cor van den Heuvel August 2, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. 

Donation is $2. 

 

Joseph Di Prisco And Dean Young 

Joseph Di Prisco's newest book, Poems in Which, won the 2000 Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize. An essayist and reviewer, he is also the co-author of a recent book about adolescence and growing up, Field Guide to the American Teenager. His novel, Confessions of Brother Eli, is forthcoming in the fall. Dean Young has published three books of poems, most recently First Course in Turbulence. "Dean Young's exhilarating, complex, and wide-ranging poems give one the impression of conversations with an angel in which the poet has to be super-alert at every second, for every second counts and the angel knows everything. To listen to these conversations is to experience a colloquial, witty, emotional, and urgent discourse not to be found anywhere else."--Kenneth Koch. August 9, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Janice M. Gale and Noel Peattie 

Berkeley poet Janice M. Gale's new book is House of Leaves. A former dancer, cook, editor, community organizer and teacher, she has been an activist for social justice for more than fifty years. Noel Peattie published Sipapu, a review journal for librarians and others interested in dissent literature, including poetry, and the small press, between 1970-1996. His poetry books include In the Dome of Saint Laurence Meteor and Western Skyline. August 13, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Leonard J. Cirino and Marc Elihu Hofstadter 

Leonard J. Cirino, editor and publisher of Pygmy Forest Press, is the author of twenty-one poetry collections, including The Terrible Wilderness of Self, 96 Sonnets Facing Conviction, and American Minotaur & Other Work, Poems 1998. His newest collection is The Sane Man Speaks & Other Poems. Marc Elihu Hofstadter is the author of House of Peace. He has published his poems and critical articles in many literary journals, including Exquisite Corpse and Talisman, and works as the Librarian of the San Francisco Municipal Railway. August 16, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Jamal Ali and Russell Gonzaga 

Jamal Ali writes in a broad spectrum of genres from journalism and history to poetry and plays. He's been performing and reading across the U.S. since 1985. His published works include Jazz is a Sacrament of Substance. Russell Gonzaga is a celebrated performance and slam poet based in the Bay Area. August 23, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Parking is available at the Durant/Channing Garage; Cody's will validate one hour of parking with purchase. 

Cody's Books: 845-7852 • Poetry Flash: 525-5476 

 

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 one week before the opening of a new exhibit or performance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.


Skateboard camp teaches kids skills, manners

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday July 28, 2000

On top of a parking structure on the UC Berkeley campus, 24 skaters are hopping ramps, grinding rails and cruising two halfpipes under the watchful eyes of several experts. There isn’t a tattoo or piercing in sight as the skaters shred the park while a nearby radio plays some mellow tunes. 

OK, the skaters are all kids between six and 14 years old, so that explains the lack of body ornamentation. But to see such an organized training ground for kids, complete with adult instructors (yes, there is one with tattoos covering both arms) and full protection, is a sight no one has seen before this summer. 

Strawberry Canyon Youth Sports Skateboarding Camp is the brainchild of Jennifer Selke and Sean Laughlin. Selke is a training and development director for Strawberry Canyon, and she recruited Laughlin to help build the park and start the camp. 

“Sean organized the crew to build the park, and he found the counselors to teach the kids,” Selke says. “It’s his passion.” 

Laughlin, who has been skating since the 1980s, was teaching private lessons when Selke found him. He serves mostly in an advisory role, telling the counselors what to work on with the campers. 

“I wish I had something like this when I was growing up,” Laughlin says. “The kids are starting younger, and skateboarding is more in the media. I like to call the X-Games (an extreme sport competition broadcast on ESPN) the ‘Acceptance Games.’” 

Laughlin says most of the campers this summer have been beginners. 

“Most of them can’t even stand on the board on the first day,” says Laughlin, whose own arms are covered in scabs. “We spend the whole first day learning to fall on gym mats.” 

The counselors teach the kids the “ninja roll,” crossing their arms and keeping their heads off the pavement. The kids are required to come to camp with a good board and all the necessary pads, and the camp has had only one significant injury, a broken arm.  

The camp has a deal with 510 Skateboarding, a local board shop, to give campers discounts on equipment. 

“We have to make sure they have quality equipment. I can’t even ride the bad boards that well, so for a beginner it’s just about impossible,” Lauglin says. 

Adam Wiezer, 10, is just such a beginner. Now in his second two-week session of camp, he had never been on a skateboard before. 

“I had watched it on TV, and it was pretty interesting,” Wiezer says. “I thought I might as well do it in real life.” 

Wiezer, who is from El Cerrito, had never seen a skate park before the camp, but he has since talked his father into building him a ramp at home to practice on. 

“This place is great,” he says. “The counselors are so nice and helpful.” 

Laughlin knows of only three other skateboard camps in the country, and all are overnight camps with less emphasis on teaching. 

“We try to be safe, responsible teachers. We concentrate not only on technique, but also try to encourage the kids to inform their parents and friends about the sport, and not to scare or intimidate people while riding on the street,” he says. “Skaters have had a bad reputation for a long time, and we’re trying to show that it’s not a renegade sport anymore.” 

Selke agreed that etiquette is important for skaters. 

“We’re trying to impact the whole skate community, to get the kids to interact with people and be considerate of others while riding,” she said. 

Teri Schlesinger, whose son, Sam DeMello, is a camper, said skateboarding has become more acceptable to parents over the past decade. 

“I don’t think it’s an automatic assumption anymore that when a kid rides a skateboard, he’s a punk,” Schlesinger said. “My son rides, and I know he’s not a punk.” 

The camp is sponsored by UC Berkeley, which allowed Laughlin and his crew to build the park. 

“It’s great that the school let us build the park here,” a spot which was formerly a basketball court, he says. “Most of the counselors were part of building the park. We’re used to doing stuff like that; skaters tend to build their own stuff to ride on.” 

“The ironic thing is, before we built the park, I used to come up here to ride and get kicked out constantly.” 

This is the inaugural summer for the camp, which takes both beginners and experienced skaters. But they plan to expand it to a year-round event, along with private lessons and parties. 

“We’re waiting for word from the university if we can keep this going all year,” Selke said. “They’ve given us great support so far.” 

The counselors are all experts at skating, most from the East Bay. They had to go through the same screening and training as counselors at the university’s other summer camps, including fingerprinting and more than 30 hours of orientation. Then they had to build the park. 

“I put in about 50 hours the week before camp started,” says Marcus Rosenthal, a mechanical engineering student at UC Berkeley. “But it was worth it, because we wanted to build the best park we could. After all, we get to ride it too.” 

Being a counselor at the camp combines two of Rosenthal’s loves: skateboarding and working with kids. He previously worked as a counselor at some day camps, and has been skating for 15 years. 

“I saw the sign at 510 Skateboarding for counselors and it got me so excited,” he says. “We’re trying to promote acceptance of the sport, and this is a great way to do it.”


Neighbors: Goldman expansion will hurt historic site, bring traffic

By Dan Greenman Daily Planet Staff
Friday July 28, 2000

UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy wants to grow. Its expansion plans – construction of a second building next to present historic site – does not sit well with neighbors who filled a conference room at the school for a Wednesday evening public hearing on the expansion. 

The proposed building is would be built next to the present one, a city landmark located at Hearst and LeRoy avenues. The new building would be at 2600 Ridge Road, directly to the south of Cloyne Court, a housing co-op that happens to be another city landmark. The 11,000 square-foot building would be approximately 107 feet long, 56 feet wide and 50 feet high, similar in shape and architectural style to the old building. 

The new building would house two large classrooms and over 10 staff and faculty offices. If UC Berkeley chancellor Robert Berdahl approves of the Environmental Impact Report next month, construction is anticipated to begin in late 2000 and continue for about 12 months. will be located at 2600 Ridge Road, directly to the south of Cloyne Court, a housing co-op that happens to be another city landmark. The 11,000 square-foot building would be approximately 107 feet long, 56 feet wide and 50 feet high, similar in shape and architectural style to the old building. 

The new building would house two large classrooms and over 10 staff and faculty offices. If UC Berkeley chancellor Robert Berdahl approves of the Environmental Impact Report next month, construction is anticipated to begin in late 2000 and continue for about 12 months. 

The problem, neighbors say, is that the new building will impact on the historic building, the former Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, designed by Ernest Coxhead in 1893. The building survived the North Berkeley Fire of 1923 and was designated a Berkeley City Landmark in 1982.  

Some neighbors also expressed concern that the university is expanding too far to the north side of campus, bringing more pedestrian and automobile traffic to the area. 

“There was the fire of 1923, and what that didn’t do, the university expansion project (will do),” neighbor Jim Sharp said during the hearing. 

However, Cal’s Physical and Environmental Planning Office released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the expansion project earlier this month, which stated that the proposed project “would cause no new significant impacts” to the site or its historical content. 

“This school seeks to embark on a modest expansion program,” said Michael Nacht, dean of the Goldman School. “We are by far the smallest public policy school in the United States. It’s increasingly difficult to both compete with other institutions and also to accept the quality students we would like.” 

Nacht said that the new building is important to the Goldman School because it will provide more space for a growing number of students. 

“If we get to 75 (students) in an entering class, and have therefore 150 students (altogether), we are going to need other kinds of classrooms,” Nacht said. 

Moreover Nacht said the school needs to build different sorts of classrooms. “We need some space that has curvature and also is raised, because what we are trying to promote in the classroom is interaction among students.” 

Nacht said every major public policy school in the U.S. except UC Berkeley has classrooms like these. 

The new building would be constructed on a 22-space parking lot. Several people who spoke mentioned that traffic and parking are already two serious problems in Berkeley. 

“They say that we are going to lose some 20 parking spaces,” neighbor Roger Van Ouytsel said. “That’s not the point. The point is how many other cars are going to come.” 

Tony Fossati, a representative for Cloyne Court said he hopes the university will offer some compensation if the new building is constructed. He said that the quality of life of the Cloyne Court tenants will decrease during construction and possibly for good once the new building is erected. 

“We’ve dealt with the university’s construction before, and I think it’s only reasonable that the university understands some compensation is appropriate,” said Fossati, who listed beautification of the Cloyne property and hooking Cloyne’s computers up to UC’s internet network as appropriate compensation. 

Before Berdahl reaches a decision on whether or not to allow the construction and if any compensation will be granted, he will review the EIR as well as Wednesday’s public testimonies.  

The chancellor will also consider several alternatives, which include no project, a smaller project, a larger project and an alternative site. The smaller project would be construction of the building without a third floor. Alternative sites include the Upper Hearst Parking Lot and the historic Naval Architecture Building on the central campus. 

According to Susan Cerny, author of Berkeley Landmarks, the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity building is a pioneer in the development of modern Bay Area architectural design. Bakewell & Brown made significant additions in 1909 and 1921. The university acquired the structure in 1966. 

The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, the Sierra Club of Northern California and the City of Berkeley have all raised concerns about building on the site. 

Comments on the proposed expansion can be submitted by August 18 to Jennifer Lawrence, principal planner, Physical and Environmental Planning Office, 300 A&E Building, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1382.


Council calls for temporary halt to new telecom pedestals

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Friday July 28, 2000

Joel Jacobs and his neighbors on Peralta Street know that if they want to make it to the superhighway, they need the big green, often graffiti-covered pedestals that house telecommunication lines.  

But they’re tired of suffering through the torn up streets, the odd work hours and the general disruption the usightly boxes and their cables cause. 

Holding signs showing their support for the city manager’s recommendation to declare a moratorium on the installation of the telecommunications pedestals and the ripping up of roads and sidewalks to install the conduits, Jacobs and a dozen or so of his neighbors came to Tuesday night’s City Council meeting to speak out about their concerns. 

“If you’re going to put in a big ugly box in a neighborhood that people are going to graffiti, there should be some public (input) about that,” Jacobs said at the meeting. 

The recommendation to draft an ordinance declaring a moratorium on telecommunications infrastructure work, and in the meantime cease issuing permits to companies that install the pedestals or excavate to install telecommunications equipment in the city, passed 7-1, with Councilmember Kriss Worthington voting in opposition and Councilmember Diane Woolley absent. 

“I think the moratorium is a great idea,” Jacobs said. “It’s a way of saying, ‘why don’t we sit down to think about the best locations (for the pedestals) instead of throwing them up in a haphazard fashion.’” 

Last year, a Task Force on Telecommunications was appointed by the City Council to address the issue of growing telecommunications deployment in the city.  

Chris Mead, the city’s Director of Information Technology, said the taskforce was concerned that the equipment was being indiscriminately set up. Neighborhood complaints led to the recommendation for the moratorium. 

“If you look around the Bay Area, you’ll see that there is an awful lot more of this equipment going up in Berkeley, especially (equipment) that involves road excavation,” Mead said. 

He said that the moratorium is necessary to create a new environment and regulations for the growing list of companies operating telecommunications equipment in the city. 

The moratorium does not affect installation of telecommunications infrastructure for emergency services or for companies whose business depends on the installation. 

Mead said that the city is in the process of hiring outside attorneys who specialize in the telecommunications field to assist with the writing of the regulations and the ordinance declaring the moratorium itself. 

Presently, telecommunications companies are only charged a permit fee that is calculated to cover the cost of a planning engineer, hired from the city’s Planning Department. 

Mead said that cost doesn’t account for any damage to roads, or any disruption of traffic or business. 

Included in the thinking behind the moratorium and the eventual telecommunications ordinance is the idea that the city ought to be compensated for these damages. 

In addition to being an eyesore, neighbors say the above-ground pedestals can be noisy. Some of them have generators, cooling fans and air-conditioners that kick on and off around the clock. And other disturbances are caused when technicians come to service the pedestals. 

Jacobs said the pedestal at 801 Peralta Street was installed around 11:00 p.m. without prior warning. 

Worthington said he voted against the moratorium because of several questions he felt were left unanswered. 

Though he agrees with the principle, Worthington said that there may be an unfair impact on smaller companies that hope to install telecommunications in the city, but do not have existing infrastructure. In essence, that would punish them while rewarding the larger companies, like Pacific Bell and AT&T, which already have thousands of feet of cable around the city, he said. 

One such company, Metromedia Fiber Network Systems, is currently in the process of building a fiber optic ring around the Bay Area, with Berkeley as the final link.  

In a letter to City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque, MSN’s attorneys say that Federal Law preempts the city from imposing a moratorium on telecommunications work. It says that the city is in violation of the Federal Telecommunications Act and the California Public Utilities Code. 

The company cites a California Public Utilities Commission ruling which says that telecommunications companies can build what is necessary as long as the work doesn’t “incommode the public use of the road or highway or interrupt the navigation of waters.” 

MSN claims that it hasn’t been or will not be part of the problem that the city is experiencing. 

MSN’s attorneys say that the moratorium will keep them from completing the necessary construction to link up the fiber optic ring. The letter says that they have reduced the amount of construction for the Berkeley ring by 75 percent, but it still requires up to 10,000 feet of excavation, and will not include any above ground structure. The Berkeley ring must be connected to the rest of the ring for it to work.


Bad corner: one more accident

By Ian Buchanan Daily Planet Staff
Friday July 28, 2000

Sam Adkins was crossing the street at Berkeley’s most dangerous intersection Thursday afternoon, when he was struck by a car.  

It was about 4:20 p.m. and the accident took place on Shattuck Avenue at University Avenue, just outside Burger King on the most south-eastern corner of the complex intersection. 

The victim had just been checking the listings at the Home Finders Bulletin, at 2158 University Ave., about one block east of Shattuck Avenue and was crossing the street inside the crosswalk on a green light. 

The car that struck him was a metallic green Mercedes Benz station wagon. The driver of the car stopped immediately after hitting Adkins. 

Bystanders called 911 and a fire truck, ambulance and three police officers were dispatched to assist the victim.  

Adkins said he waited for the light to turn green and saw the car approaching. “I thought that she was going to let me go, but she kept on going,” said Adkins, who resides in Oakland. “I was just heading home.” 

Throughout the whole ordeal Adkins seemed to be more concerned about the condition of the car than his health, remarking to the driver, “I hope the car is all right,” and “I’m sorry that I hit your car.” 

Adkins told the responding officers that he did not need to be transported to a hospital for treatment. He was released from the scene and walked away with only scrapes and bruises. 

It is not known if the driver of the Mercedes Benz will be cited.


Synagogue EIR released

Staff
Friday July 28, 2000

The Environmental Impact Report on the Congregation Beth El Synagogue and School has been released by the city. The report concludes that there are significant impacts in terms of noise and traffic, but that the impacts can be mitigated. 

The report is available in libraries and, since it was produced by a private party and not the city, costs $40 at the permit center at Center and Milvia streets. 

It should be on line today or Monday on the city’s website at http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us.


Runners gather for peace

By Drew Beck Daily Planet Staff
Thursday July 27, 2000

By Drew Beck 

Daily Planet Staff 

 

East Bay youth and community members came together Wednesday with Native American prayer runners to rally for peace and dignity across the Americas.  

The rally was but one stop on a transcontinental run the Native Americans are engaged in. The run is part of Peace and Dignity Journeys 2000, an event that sees runners start from Alaska and Tierra del Fuego and meet on the temples of the Sun and the Moon in Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. 

The East Bay leg of Peace and Dignity Journeys 2000 was hosted by Youth Together, a multi-racial violence- prevention and socia-justice project operating in five high schools in the East Bay. Youth Together provided food and shelter for the Native American runners while they were in the Bay Area. 

Members of Youth Together took this opportunity to speak out against poor quality schools and the lack of preventative measures to stem the tide of youth violence.  

"We’re taking this opportunity to share with the runners our stories," said Raquel Jimenez, an organizer of the event and Youth Together participant. "We want them to take these stories with them as they continue across the continent." 

The event took place in Martin Luther King Jr. Park in downtown Berkeley. It started with the Youth Together participants and other community members in a circle while the Native American runners were still en route. From the center of the circle Juanita Chaves and Emilio Mariscal of Danza Cuahtonal, a local Aztec community dance group, explained to those present what the ceremony was about and what it would entail. 

As Chaves passed a bowl of burning incense in front of each of the participants, Mariscal beat a rhythm on a ceremonial drum and asked that anyone who wanted to leave the circle do so only through the east side of it. 

After the incense ceremony, the runners arrived and took their places in a smaller circle inside the larger. Jimenez welcomed the runners and asked for one of them to step forward and say some words on the goals of the runners. The man who stepped forward spoke of the history of Peace and Dignity Journeys and of the goal of starting 500 years of reconciliation with all peoples.  

"When Columbus got here what he brought was disrespect," he said. "And as a result we’ve had 500 years of disrespect." 

After this stirring speech, Pam Pradachit, a Youth Together organizer and recent Berkeley High graduate, spoke on the issue of violence in schools along racial lines. She exhorted the crowd to "struggle to find the solution within our selves." 

Later, another runner led the group in a traditional song of welcoming. 

At the end of the ceremony, Chaves and Mariscal guided the gathering in honoring the four directions, East, West, North and South.  

After the ceremony the runners took off once again to head towards Castlemont High School in Oakland where ceremonies would include African, Aztec, Polynesian and Mien dancers. pants and other community members in a circle while the Native American runners were still en route. From the center of the circle Juanita Chaves and Emilio Mariscal of Danza Cuahtonal, a local Aztec community dance group, explained to those present what the ceremony was about and what it would entail. 

As Chaves passed a bowl of burning incense in front of each of the participants, Mariscal beat a rhythm on a ceremonial drum and asked that anyone who wanted to leave the circle do so only through the east side of it. 

After the incense ceremony, the runners arrived and took their places in a smaller circle inside the larger. Jimenez welcomed the runners and asked for one of them to step forward and say some words on the goals of the runners. The man who stepped forward spoke of the history of Peace and Dignity Journeys and of the goal of starting 500 years of reconciliation with all peoples.  

"When Columbus got here what he brought was disrespect," he said. "And as a result we’ve had 500 years of disrespect." 

After this stirring speech, Pam Pradachit, a Youth Together organizer and recent Berkeley High graduate, spoke on the issue of violence in schools along racial lines. She exhorted the crowd to "struggle to find the solution within our selves." 

Later, another runner led the group in a traditional song of welcoming. 

At the end of the ceremony, Chaves and Mariscal guided the gathering in honoring the four directions, East, West, North and South.  

After the ceremony the runners took off once again to head towards Castlemont High School in Oakland where ceremonies would include African, Aztec, Polynesian and Mien dancers.pants and other community members in a circle while the Native American runners were still en route. From the center of the circle Juanita Chaves and Emilio Mariscal of Danza Cuahtonal, a local Aztec community dance group, explained to those present what the ceremony was about and what it would entail. 

As Chaves passed a bowl of burning incense in front of each of the participants, Mariscal beat a rhythm on a ceremonial drum and asked that anyone who wanted to leave the circle do so only through the east side of it. 

After the incense ceremony, the runners arrived and took their places in a smaller circle inside the larger. Jimenez welcomed the runners and asked for one of them to step forward and say some words on the goals of the runners. The man who stepped forward spoke of the history of Peace and Dignity Journeys and of the goal of starting 500 years of reconciliation with all peoples.  

"When Columbus got here what he brought was disrespect," he said. "And as a result we’ve had 500 years of disrespect." 

After this stirring speech, Pam Pradachit, a Youth Together organizer and recent Berkeley High graduate, spoke on the issue of violence in schools along racial lines. She exhorted the crowd to "struggle to find the solution within our selves." 

Later, another runner led the group in a traditional song of welcoming. 

At the end of the ceremony, Chaves and Mariscal guided the gathering in honoring the four directions, East, West, North and South.  

After the ceremony the runners took off once again to head towards Castlemont High School in Oakland where ceremonies would include African, Aztec, Polynesian and Mien dancers.


Letters to the Editor

Thursday July 27, 2000

Pacifica executive should have known 

 

Editor: 

In an interview published July 25, Pacifica's Executive Director Bessie Wash says your reporter "caught [her] by surprise" with a question about democratization of the local advisory board for KPFA. She said she didn't know anything about it and referred you to Jim Bennett, KPFA's interim general manager. 

The change in the local board has been announced for some months now, and were Ms. Wash to take any interest in the largest station in the network she administers, she'd easily have known about it. And in asking your paper to direct questions about the local board election to Mr. Bennett, she showed either ignorance of station governance (Mr. Bennett is not a member of that board and isn't responsible for its procedures), or perhaps just inability to name any of the board's members. Either is alarming in an administrator hired to deal with a challenging situation.  

Ms. Wash has been caught off guard not by a pertinent question from the Daily Planet, but by the serious responsibilities of her job. 

David B. Aragon 

Berkeley 

 

Hills fire station not needed 

 

Editor: 

In response to the story in your July 22 issue about the proposed Hill Fire Station, I am writing this letter to you to express my views and concern about the project, according to my understanding of the proposal. My understanding of the project is that it will be built adjacent to the Shasta Pumping Station and that it will involve a three bay building of between 7,5000 and 10,000 square feet and that Fire Station 7 will be eliminated. I reside uphill and behind the Shasta Pumping Station. 

This project is causing a lot of controversy and conflict in our neighborhoods. It also does not conform to the requirements of Measure G – the bond measure providing funds that the City contemplates using to build the project. 

I start out with the assumptions that everyone is in favor of earthquake and fire safety and that we certainly have enough controversy and conflict within the borders of Berkeley. 

As I see it, there are two main aspects to the problem of providing adequate earthquake and fire protection to the hill area that need to be addressed: 

(1) The first aspect is that there must be an immediate, effective response to dire, medical, and other emergencies that arise in this area. These have been and now are being very adequately addressed by Fire Station 7 in the areas below the present location and in those areas above and east of the present location. 

(2) Another aspect of the problem is addressing the needs of the area in the case of a catastrophic event – such as an earthquake or an area-wide fire as occurred in 1991 with the Oakland wildfire. 

The time required to respond to these latter kinds of events does not have the same urgency as those of Number One but require the availability of equipment, supplies, and staff sufficient to meet the needs of the neighborhoods and to address combating the danger of the event and the needs caused b the event. 

It appears to me, that the proper way to prevent conflict and provide proper safety for the residents of this neighborhoods would be to retrofit Fire Station 7 and to build a separate, jointly staffed, maintained, and equipped emergency storage area in the vicinity of the Centennial Drive and Grizzly Peak (where almost all of our wild fires have started in the past) or elsewhere on Park or University land in co-operation with the Park and the University. 

This would probably meet the requirements of Measure G, would eliminate the conflict arising over the present proposed project, provide for the safety of out neighborhoods, and place the financial burdens of the project on the proper jurisdictions. 

I submit that the magnitude of the project presently contemplated would be inappropriate and unacceptable in any residential neighborhood in Berkeley and has certainly served to bring conflict into an otherwise peaceful and quiet, pleasant neighborhoods. 

Minor Schmid 

Berkeley 

 

Foldvary fighting for parents’ rights 

 

This letter was sent to the Berkeley Daily Planet by Foldvary for Congress: 

Fred Foldvary, Libertarian Party candidate for Congress in the 9th District (Berkeley-Oakland area), declares he will seek federal legislation that protects parental rights as a civil right. 

The rights of parents include teaching their cultural heritage to their children. That implies the right of parents to choose the education of their children, including private schools and home schooling. The Berkeley School Board attempted to deny the right to home schooling, but the Alameda County District Attorney has backed off from its efforts to charge families that homeschool their children with criminal truancy. 

In May, four families were brought before the School Attendance Review Board, which questioned the legality of the existence of home schools. The Berkeley Unified School District SARB demanded that the families produce evidence of their children's school attendance as well as information regarding their educational curriculum. The Home School Legal Defense Association told WorldNetDaily, which has been reporting on this case, that the SARB has no authority to request any information regarding curriculum. 

According to Julie Foster of WorldNetDaily.com, Alameda County is notoriously hostile toward home schoolers and may use the complaint to challenge the legality of home schools in the state. 

Foldvary notes that home and private schooling creates a loss of state reimbursement, which would be gained if the students were enrolled in the school district. The public school boards therefore have a strong incentive to stop home schooling and to stifle competition from private schools. 

To protect the rights of parents and students to choose their schooling and preserve their cultural and religious heritage, Fred Foldvary advocates federal legislation to declare home schooling a civil right, to be protected by federal civil rights law under the 9th and 14th Amendments to the USA Constitution. 

Foldvary for Congress 

Berkeley


Calendar of Events & Activities

Thursday July 27, 2000


Thursday, July 27

 

From Bears to Bigfoot 

7 p.m.  

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave 

An Evening With California Wildlife Expert Tom Stienstra: San Francisco Examiner outdoors writer Tom Stienstra. Come find out how to best handle close encounters with bears, rattlesnakes, sharks and more. 

527-7377 

 

Tai Chi exercise with Brain  

Omeki 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 

Zoning Adjustments Board  

Agenda 

7:00 p.m. 

Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Items on the agenda will include the request by Patrick Kennedy and Gordon Choyce to demolish the existing building at 2700 San Pablo Ave. 

705-8111 

 

Berkeley Art Center’s Salon  

for the 16th Annual National  

Juried Exhibition 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Three artist featured in the Berkeley Art Center’s 16th Annual National Juried Exhibition will present slide-lectures of their work. 

 


Friday, July 28

 

“KPFA on the air” 

7:30 p.m. 

U.C. Theater 

2036 University Ave. 

A film reviewing KPFA’s history from the time community-sponsored radio was just an idea in the head of pacifist Lew Hill to July 13 of last year when KPFA staff were booted out of their studio by Pacifica managers and arrested by Berkeley police. 

 

Teen Poetry at Berkeley  

Public Library 

7:15 p.m. 

2940 Benvenue 

Teen poets are invited to share their best work at Berkeley Public Library’s Claremont Branch. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., and sign-ups to read will be taken until 8:11. 

All ages are welcome to attend, but poets must be at least 12 and no older than 19 to share their work in this venue. There will be prizes for those who turn in the best performances. This free event is sponsored by Teen Services and the Friends of the Library. 

644-6100 x313 

 

Conversational Yiddish 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 

Disablity Awareness and  

Outreach Subcommittee  

Meeting 

11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 

First Floor Conference Room 

Public Works Office 

2201 Dwight Way 

Items on the agenda will include “Sidewalk Benches and Planters Design Guidelines,” and sidewalk seating and obstacles on the sidewalk. 

665-3445 or 548-1351 

 

The Berkeley Gray Panther 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Come to this forum, hosted by the Berkeley Gray Panthers, to discuss nursing house reform. 

548-9696 

 


Saturday, July 29

 

63rd Annual Bay Regional Golf Tournament 

Saturday and Sunday July 29 and 30 and Saturday and Sunday August 5 and 6 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

The Tournament consists of 72 Holes with a cut made after 2 Rounds. NCGA player points awarded-over $5000 in Prizes  

$115 Entry Fee-Entries Close July 19  

925-253-0950 

 

Berkeley State Health  

Toastmasters Club 

12:10-1:10 p.m. 

State Health Building, Eighth Floor, 2151 Berkeley Way 

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization, has been working for over 70 years to help people conquer their pre-speech jitters and improve communication skills. The local club meetings the second, third and fourth Thursdays of each month. 

649-7750 or higgins_edie@hotmail.com 

 

15th Annual Berkeley Kite  

Festival and West Coast Kite  

Championships 

11 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina 

COmes see hundreds of kites take to the sky in the Berkeley Kite Festival, Saturday and Sunday July 29-30. 

235-5483 


Sunday, July 30

 

“Hammering it out” 

7:30 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

“Hammering It Out” is the story of a community initiated laws that resulted in hundreds of women getting trained and working on a billion-dollar freeway in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s. 

$7 donation 

 

“The Secret Garden” 

3:00 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive 

2575 Bancroft Way @ Bowditch 

Recommended for ages 8+. Based on the classic children’s book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, this 1949 film version remains a classic in its won right. 

Tickets $4 

642-5249 

 


Monday, July 31

 

Newly Diagnosed Breast  

Cancer Support Group 

Professionally facilitated support group allows members to share their feelings and to support each other in the healing process. Support group held every first, third and fifth Monday of each month.  

Call 204-4330 or 204-1769 for time and location. 

 

“Italy: The Land of the Renaissance” with the Julians 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, August 1

 

Genetic Engineering Teach-In  

and Strategy Session 

6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave 

From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. there will be videos on genetically modified food issues followed by a feneral strategy session on local actions. There will be a detailed discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association. 

548-2220 ext. 233 

erc@ecologycenter.org 

www.ecologycenter.org


Council places eviction controls on Nov. ballot

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Thursday July 27, 2000

Complexities in the proposed rent control ballot measure kept the City Council and staff in their seats into the wee Wednesday morning hours tweaking the measure until a passing 5-1-2 vote could be taken. The measure will go before the voters Nov. 7.  

Voting for the ballot language was the progressive bloc: Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, and councilmembers Linda Maio, Margaret Breland, Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington. Councilmember Betty Olds voted in opposition and Councilmember Polly Armstrong and Mayor Shirley Dean abstained. Councilmember Diane Woolley was absent.  

The ballot measure, patterned after one passed by San Francisco voters, is designed to protect renters over 60 and the disabled from landlords moving into their apartments. Renters age 60 and over and the disabled who have been living in a unit for at least five years, may not be removed by a landlord who wants to move into the apartment.  

The measure will also protect long-term renters – those who have lived in a unit for five years where the landlord has a 10 percent ownership in five or more residential units in the city. 

Voting on the measure was complex. Councilmember Linda Maio owns a house she rents out and Mayor Shirley Dean owns three units of housing. This ownership meant that each would be in conflict under certain language in the measure. 

Maio fought successfully against the proposed section of the measure that said a landlord who owns a single unit would not be able to move their children into it. 

“It just wasn’t acceptable,” Maio said. “At some point, if push comes to shove, I would want my kids to move in (my rental house).” 

Several motions were brought up and shot down in an hour-long wrestling match to allow Maio to vote on the measure. 

Councilmember Betty Olds objected to the maneuvering of the progressives to get the passing vote.  

“You can’t vote because of a conflict of interest, then you let them vote to clear up that conflict. It’s mind-boggling,” she said. “I think it will be challenged.” 

The ballot measure will include a subsection that landlords must pay $4,500 to low-income tenants whom they displace. 

Critics say that the measure going on the ballot is much too complicated and punishes landlords. 

“The whole purpose is to protect the seniors and the disabled, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do. (Now) it’s too complex and vindictive. They’ve added so much language to punish the landlords,” Olds said. 

She added that the discussion came very late in the evening and that the council was harried. 

“Nobody knows what they voted for,” she said. “There should be a law against attempting to create a measure or law after 11 p.m.” 

Al Sukoff, a property owner in Berkeley and a member of the Berkeley Property Owners Association said he and the BPOA obviously oppose the measure and called it an “egregious usurpation of the rights of property owners.” 

Sukoff said it will probably result in litigation.  

Other Berkeleyans celebrated the passage.  

Councilmember Worthington said that it has been a “phenomenal public process.” 

“I’m thrilled. We almost got it in ‘98, but we ran into a time crunch. Then it came back up and has appeared on the agenda about seven times. We would keep getting comments from the public and we would make minor adjustments to try to accommodate (them). So we’ve been working on it for months. Now it will finally go to the voters,” he said. 

Some lamented the small changes, but still support the measure. 

“Frankly I think it’s a weakened ordinance,” said progressive rent board slate nominee Paul Hogarth. “The changes are minor, but the overwhelming majority of the ordinance is there. 

“Even though the language was slightly changed, I think it will protect thousands,” said Rent Board Member Stephanie Bernay.  

“I think when you step back and compare what you could have, to actually what you got, it’s not bad,” she said. “The tenants of Berkeley are the winners. This ordinance will help every single student.”


Lawyer in Stephans’ case wants to talk to witness, view photos

By Michael Coffino Daily Planet Correspondent
Thursday July 27, 2000

A pretrial hearing in the case of a Berkeley teenager charged with battery on a peace officer and resisting arrest was rescheduled yesterday after lawyers for the defendant asked Berkeley Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan for additional time to gather evidence in the case.  

“There are some pictures that were taken of my client and we have additional witnesses that we need to interview,” said defense lawyer Arthur Kennedy Mitchell of the office of Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris. 

Mitchell said yesterday that he also had not yet reviewed a police dispatch tape of the incident. Deputy District Attorney David Lim agreed yesterday to postpone the hearing until Aug. 30.  

Keith Stephens, a starting running back last fall on the Berkeley High football team, was arrested June 1 after a traffic stop in West Berkeley. According to police, Stephens got out of his mother’s 1996 Dodge Intrepid and attacked police officer Tim Gardner, pinning him to the ground. In the ensuing scuffle, police say, members of Stephens’ family joined a confrontation with Berkeley police officers who had responded to a radio call for an “officer down.” Stephens’ aunt and sister were also arrested in the incident but have not been charged. 

Stephens is African-American and his family maintains that race played a role in the incident. Civil rights attorney Burris, who specializes in cases involving police brutality, has indicated he may file a civil complaint against the Berkeley Police Department.  

The Berkeley DA’s office denies that race was a factor.  

“They think it’s a race-based attack on a young black man,” said Deputy DA Lim. “If I thought that was (true) I would dismiss the case,” he said.  

Lim added that he has a different explanation for what transpired after police stopped the 18-year-old on Channing Way after noticing his car had expired tags, but he declined to elaborate. 

“We have a pretty solid theory about why he did what he did,” Lim said Monday. “It’s not as random as it would appear to be, but I’m not willing to divulge (our theory) until this is resolved or goes totrial.” 

If the case does go to trial it will be transferred from Berkeley to Oakland Superior Court. Stephens faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in jail and a $2,000 fine.  

Defense attorneys say the charges are groundless.  

“My client did nothing wrong,” attorney Mitchell said after yesterday’s brief hearing. “He’s basically innocent of all charges.”  

Stephens, 5’10” and solidly built, graduated from Berkeley High this spring and is currently enrolled at San Francisco City College, where he is spending the summer working out with the football team. Stephens and three family members were present outside the courtroom yesterday, but Mitchell said he preferred that Stephens not speak with the press.  

Author Meredith Maran, who spent the past year writing a book about three Berkeley High students, including Stephens, told the Daily Planet that, according to family members, the police put Stephens in a choke hold and beat him with clubs. Maran says that as many as fifteen squad cars appeared on the scene in the melee that followed the traffic stop. But Deputy DA Lim said only four additional officers had responded to the scene. 

In researching her book, Maran attended classes with Stephens and visited his home. She has taken on an advocacy role in the case. 

“He’s not violent,” Maran said of Stephens. “He has a big personality, he has lots of charisma and charml. He’s very funny; he’s not docile,” she said.  

“I never would have wished this on Keith,” Maran added. “He missed the prom and his last few weeks of school were dominated by being arrested and beaten.”


Housing authority won’t be changed before September

By Nina Wu Special to the Daily Planet
Thursday July 27, 2000

The questions were too complex and too numerous to begin to answer at Tuesday evening’s Berkeley Housing Authority meeting, scheduled from 7 p.m. to 7:05 p.m. 

When should the meetings be held and how long should they last? And how can Berkeley residents get vouchers for Section 8 – low income – rental housing?  

The Berkeley Housing Authority is charged with overseeing some 60 units of public housing and about 1,400 Section 8 rental units. 

All 11 members of the housing authority – the nine councilmembers and two low-housing residents – agreed Tuesday evening that all the questions need full discussion. They decided that in order for that to take place they would have to wait until the council reconvenes after its summer break. 

“Many people equate the BHA with City Council,” said Helen Wheeler, who represents Section 8 renters. “The BHA has been shuffled off and especially recently, hasn’t had enough time and attention to see that it is well-managed.” 

The most pressing issue at hand is the progress of the Section 8 voucher lottery, Wheeler said. Of the 5,000 people that applied for a Section 8 voucher, 1,592 were accepted as qualified Berkeley residents, 160 have been interviewed for initial eligibility and 20 have submitted the required documents to determine their eligibility.  

Only five have been determined eligible. Those five candidates are scheduled for a group briefing later in the month. 

Meanwhile, people like Ed Rosenfeld teeter on the edge of homelessness while being placed on the waiting list to receive a voucher. “It’s been a long and arduous, not to mention tedious, process,” Rosenfeld said, during the public comment period at the beginning of the housing authority meeting. 

Rosenfeld was issued Number 287 in the lottery, filed all the required paperwork, and said he was assured by the BHA administration that he would receive his certificate by the end of the summer. He said he is still waiting. 

A differently-composed housing authority may be able to address some of the problems, Mayor Shirley Dean said. 

In a letter to members of the City Council, Dean said the new authority could be comprised of five members elected by the current members, with a possible mix of both property owners and residents of publicly-owned housing. These members could be elected by mail and represent each of the four quadrants in the city with one member at large. 

“The issues that are before the authority are becoming more and more complicated as the regulations change at HUD and congress cuts or augments programs such as Section 8,” she said. “Not only are the issues becoming more complex, they are also changing.” 

Dean was referring to programs such as the Resident Advisory Board, to be comprised of public housing residents and Section 8 participants.  

The board is currently operating on an interim basis until its members can be elected.  

Berkeley Housing Authority issues require more time than the five minutes scheduled once each month. On average, the meetings exceed the allotted time and last about one hour.  

Further, Dean feels that the BHA cuts into Cty Council time by delaying discussion of items on the council agenda, not to mention space in the council chambers. 

“There simply isn’t enough room for 11 people to sit in the Council seats that are meant to accommodate nine people,” she wrote. 

Wheeler, on the other hand, says that the meetings are not scheduled monthly. There have been only six meetings last year and five this year, she said. Housing Authority matters merit more attention, she argued.  

Members of Service Employees International Union Local 535 who work for the BHA, meanwhile, complain that they cannot properly accomplish their tasks without proper assistance from management. They say they are using outdated software and have an overload of paperwork.  

They place the blame on BHA director Lee Hightower and his supervisor, Stephen Barton. “From a staff perspective we must tell you, things get worse, not better,” said senior field representative Ron Rhone in a complaint letter to the city manager.


Local group protesting tower; worried about views, values

By Dan Greenman Daily Planet Staff
Thursday July 27, 2000

When a 170-foot communication tower was erected beside the new Public Safety Building at McKinley Avenue and Addison Street in April, the neighbors were not too pleased. 

Local residents immediately complained that the tower obstructed views from their houses and decreased the value of their properties. Those residents have since formed a group to discuss the tower, and their concerns may be answered when they meet with city officials next month. 

The small neighborhood group formed in June and has met on its own several times to discuss the issues surrounding the tower. However, it will not hold its first meeting with the city until Aug. 11. 

At a neighborhood meeting last week where neighborhood residents and city staff were discussing construction of the almost completed Public Safety Building, the city finally set a date to meet with the neighborhood group. Lorin Jensen, in charge of the PSB construction project will be meeting with the neighbors, said Carrie Sprague, a member of the neighborhood group. 

The neighborhood wants the tower to be moved from the PSB or modified in the near future, but has not developed a plan or strategy. Some issues that will be discussed in addition to the size and appearance of the communication tower are possible health hazards the tower creates and the necessity of each antenna on the tower. 

“The sooner we handle the tower issue, the sooner they can move into the Public Safety Building, which is what all the neighbors want,” Sprague said. 

A report was submitted to City Council in May listing five alternatives to the PSB location. The suggestions included moving the tower to another city-owned building somewhere within three blocks of the PSB, moving the tower farther than a three-block radius, and using different technologies to replace the tower. 

“It’s not realistic that we can expect the city to remove the tower,” neighbor Zoe Kalkanis said. “We have to find out what the alternatives are and find out what is possible. We just live here, we aren’t experienced in radio technology.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring asked the city to allocate $10,000 to hire an expert in communications equipment to examine alternative sites or configurations for the antenna. The city ended up allocating $50,000 for a consultant. The neighborhood group is working on its requirements for the consultant. 

The city estimated that moving or reconfiguring the tower could cost anywhere from $200,000 to over $2 million. 

“My hope is that it is moved by the end of the year,” Spring said. 

For the time being, the McKinley Avenue neighborhood will have to wait and see what comes out of the Aug. 11 meeting. 

“I would like to see the process move forward,” said Dave Williamson, one of the neighbors who wants the tower to be moved. “That’s what I would like to see. There are several steps and we have not taken the first one yet.” 

“We are on hold right now,” Kalkanis added. “We can’t do anything until we meet with the city.”


Marina workers rally at city hall for a living wage

judith scherr/Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

judith scherr/Daily Planet Staff 

A mermaid joins Marina workers and supporters at a rally before the City Council meeting Tuesday to remind councilmembers of their promise to discuss expanding the living wage to Marina workers at that council meeting. It was not placed on the agenda, however. Demonstrators say they want the issue discussed at the first council meeting in September. Because the city owns the Marina, its tenants would have to pay their workers at the city’s “living wage” standard, according to the city’s new law. However, since those lease negotiations do not come up for a decade or more, the Marina workers would not benefit from the law. So they want the city to find another way to apply the law to them.


Wednesday July 26, 2000


Wednesday, July 26

 

Nursing Home Reform 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Prescott Cole, staff attorney and elder abuse coordinator for California Advocates for Nursing Ho me Reform is the featured speaker at the membership meeting. Also speaking is Betty Brown of Common Agenda. 

 

“Peace and Dignity Run 2000” 

6 a.m. 

Point Reyes Station 

834-9455 ext. 231 

 

Disaster Council 

7 p.m. 

997 Cedar St. 

Discussions include bicycle policy issues and BPD Chief’s report. 

644-6480 

 

Townhall Meeting on the  

Public Housing Plan 

6-8 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis Street 

1-800-773-2110 

 

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. 

644-6870 

Deaf and Disabled  

Telecommunications Program  

with Mike Mening 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

510-644-6107 

 

Public Hearing on the  

Environmental Impact Report  

for the Goldman School of  

Public Policy Expansion  

Project 

7 p.m. 

Goldman School 

2607 Hearst Ave. in the conference room. 

 


Thursday, July 27

 

From Bears to Bigfoot 

7 p.m.  

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave 

An Evening With California Wildlife Expert Tom Stienstra: San Francisco Examiner outdoors writer Tom Stienstra.  

527-7377 

 

Tai Chi exercise with Brain  

Omeki 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 

Zoning Adjustments Board  

Agenda 

7:00 p.m. 

Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Items on the agenda will include the request by Patrick Kennedy and Gordon Choyce to demolish the existing building at 2700 San Pablo Ave. 

705-8111 

 

Berkeley Art Center’s Salon  

for the 16th Annual National  

Juried Exhibition 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Three artist featured in the Berkeley Art Center’s 16th Annual National Juried Exhibition will present slide-lectures of their work. 

 


Friday, July 28

 

“KPFA on the air” 

7:30 p.m. 

U.C. Theater 

2036 University Ave. 

A film reviewing KPFA’s history from the time community-sponsored radio was just an idea in the head of pacifist Lew Hill to July 13 of last year when KPFA staff were booted out of their studio by Pacifica managers and arrested by Berkeley police. 

 

Teen Poetry at Berkeley  

Public Library 

7:15 p.m. 

2940 Benvenue 

Teen poets are invited to share their best work at Berkeley Public Library’s Claremont Branch. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., and sign-ups to read will be taken until 8:11. 

All ages are welcome to attend, but poets must be at least 12 and no older than 19 to share their work in this venue. There will be prizes for those who turn in the best performances.  

644-6100 x313 

 

Conversational Yiddish with Allen Stross 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

 

Disablity Awareness and  

Outreach Subcommitte  

Meeting 

11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 

First Floor Conference Room 

Public Works Administration Office 

2201 Dwight Way 

Items on the agenda will include “Sidewalk Benches and Planters Design Guidelines,” and sidewalk seating and obstacles on the sidewalk. 

665-3445 or 548-1351 

 

The Berkeley Gray Panther 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Come to this forum, hosted by the Berkeley Gray Panthers, to discuss nursing house reform. 

548-9696 

 


Saturday, July 29

 

63rd Annual Bay Regional Golf Tournament 

Saturday and Sunday July 29 and 30 and Saturday and Sunday August 5 and 6 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

The Tournament consists of 72 Holes with a cut made after 2 Rounds. NCGA player points awarded-over $5000 in Prizes  

$115 Entry Fee-Entries Close July 19  

925-253-0950 

 

Berkeley State Health  

Toastmasters Club 

12:10-1:10 p.m. 

State Health Building, Eighth Floor, 2151 Berkeley Way 

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization, has been working for over 70 years to help people conquer their pre-speech jitters and improve communication skills.  

649-7750 or higgins_edie@hotmail.com 

 

15th Annual Berkeley Kite  

Festival and West Coast Kite  

Championships 

11 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina 

Come see hundreds of kites take to the sky in the Berkeley Kite Festival, Saturday and Sunday July 29-30. 

235-5483 

www.highlineskites.com


Wednesday July 26, 2000

THEATER 

ACTORS ENSEMBLE OF  

BERKELEY 

“Murder At The Vicarage” by Agatha Christie, through Aug. 12. Performance of the classic whodunnit. $10. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Aug. 10, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave. 

528-5620. 

 

LOTTOMANIA: PLAY HERE 

“All you need us a dollar and a dream,” or so it goes when playingthe lootery. But just who plays the lottery? What’s it like to be one of the few winners of the lottery? Where do all the billions spent on lottery tickets go? Is the lottery a metaphor for anything-like life? Come see Lottomania: Play Here to find out. Written and directed by Gary Graves.  

For reservations and information call 558-1381. 

 

MURDER AT THE VICARAGE 

Agatha Christie’s “Murder At The Vicarage”, starring Miss Marple at Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave.  

Adapted for stage by Mole Charles and Barbara Toy, and presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, the City’s oldest theater company, the mystery will be on stage Friday and Saturday evening through August 12, plus a special Thursday evening performance on August 10. Admission is $10, with discounts for groups of 15 or more. 

For reservations call 528-5620. 

 

MUSIC VENUES 

YOSHI’S 

Sonny Fortune and Frank Morgan, July 25 through July 30. $18 to $22 general; Sunday matinee: $5 children; $10 adult with one child; $18 general.  

Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.  

510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 

238-9200 or (510) 762-BASS. 

 

924 GILMAN ST. 

924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, member-run no alcohol, drugs, and violence club located at the corner of 8th street and Gilman Street in Berkeley. Most shows are $5. Memberships for the year are $2. Shows start at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For the latest show information call 525-9926.  

July 28: Plan 9, Loose Change, Debris, Weakerthans, Big Link.  

July 29: Plan 9, Loose Change, Weaker Than, Debris, Big Link.  

July 30: Dillinger Escape Plan, Candira, Isis, Cadillac Blindside (5 p.m.).  

August 4: Hellchild, Benumb, Yellow Machine Gun, Spaceboy, Vulgar Pigeons.  

525-9926. 

 

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL  

CHURCH 

“Rarities and Suprises” 

Join George Cleve, Music Director and Conductor, for a night the “Midsummer Mozart Festival,” on Friday, August 4. The concert will include “Three Adagios and Fugurd after J.S. Bach,” K. 404, “Six Variations on G minor on ‘Helas, j’ai perdu mon amant,’” K. 360, highlights from the “Abduction from the Seragio,” and “Divertimento” in D Major for 2 Horns and Strings K. 334. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, at Dana. For ticket call City Box Office at 392-4400. 

 

MUSEUMS 

BERKELEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

"Berkeley's Ethnic Heritage." Through March 2001. 

The exhibit examines the rich cultural diversity of our city and the contributions of individuals and minority groups to our history and development. The exhibit look at the original native tribelets in the area and the immigrants who settled in Ocean View and displaced the Spanish/Mexican landowners. ICurated by Linda Rosen and the Berkeley Historical Society Exhibit Committee. Thursday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Admission free. 

Berkeley Historical Society is located in the Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center Street, Berkeley. (510) 848-0181 

www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc 

 

UC BERKELEY ART  

MUSEUM 

“Doug Aitken/MATRIX 185: Into the Sun,” through Sept. 3. An exhibit of works primarily in video and film, using the interplay of art and media to evoke deserted landscapes.  

“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.”  

“Images and Ideas: The Collection in Focus,” open-ended. The museum periodically displays some of its permanent collection in a context meant to highlight some aspect of the objects. The three areas of focus for this exhibit are Renaissance art, 19th and 20th-century American art and paintings from 1940 to the present. 

The Asian Galleries  

“Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery,” open-ended. A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection.  

“Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. 

“Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. 

“Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 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.  

642-0808. 

 

HALL OF HEALTH  

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. 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level), Berkeley 

549-1564. 

 

HOLT PLANETARIUM 

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. 

“Target Earth,” July 29 through Aug. 25. Make your own estimate of how often Earth has been hit by comets or asteroids. Find out how sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, paleontology and geology are all needed to shed light on the mystery of the dinosaur extinction. Daily, 2:15 p.m. 

$2 plus museum admission of $6 general; $4 students, seniors, disabled and youths aged 7 to 18; children under the age of 6 are not admitted. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

“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. 

“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 p.m.; Thursday until 9 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

(510) 643-7648. 

UC BERKELEY MUSEUM OF  

PALEONTOLOGY 

“Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20-foot tall, 40-foot long replica of the fearsome dinosaur. The replica is made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. 

“Pteranodon,” ongoing. A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22 to 23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. 

“California Fossils Exhibit,” ongoing. An exhibit of some of the fossils which have been excavated in California. 

Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 642-1821. 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S  

MUSEUM 

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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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. 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

(510) 647-1111 

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

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

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

(510) 549-6950. 

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF  

SCIENCE 

From a region where kite making is an important part of village life, sports, arts, worship, and work, these Indonesian kites are exciting examples of inspiration, ingenuity, and technology. 

Special Events: Kites and Culture opening day on Saturday, July 29, will include kite making and Indonesian coffee. Kites Kaleidoscope on Wednesday, August 9, Noon-2:00 p.m.; and a weekend celebration of Indonesian dancing, music, food, and kite making, on Saturday and Sunday, August 19-20, 12:30-3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday, August 19 (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday, August 20 (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. The exhibit runs from July 29 - August 20, 2000. 

Solids, Liquids, and Gases 

August 2, 2000, 12:00 Noon and 1:00 p.m.  

Learn all about solids, liquids, and gases! Discover how solids can change into colorful gases and what happens when liquid nitrogen cools a gas to hundreds of degrees below zero. Learn how spooky-looking fog is made! This popular and fun event, developed as an LHS school program is great for children in grades K-1. 

Son de la Tierra Mexican Music and Dancing Sunday 

August 6, 2000, Performance at 1:30 p.m. Science activities, 12:30-3:30 p.m.  

Top of the Bay Family Days Sunday Afternoon Outdoor Family Concert: 

A performance of Mexican music and dance from Son de la Tierra, literally "Song of the Earth," talented students from Richmond's East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond. 

Kites Kaleidoscope  

August 9, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m. 

See rainbows of color flying high! Learn how to make your own kite as you get the lowdown on aerodynamics! An exhibit of hand-crafted kites from Indonesia will be on hand to offer inspiration as you design your own kite. 

Science Stew 

August 16, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m.  

Ever wanted to whip up your own play dough or create the world's best bubble solution? Young scientists, just like the best chefs, combine their ingredients with big heaps of fun, nspiration and creativity! Come create your own scientific stew of cool toys with materials, ideas, and the help of science education specialists from the Hall's renowned SEPUP curriculum. 

Indonesian Kites and Culture Celebration  

Saturday and Sunday August 19 and 20, 2000, 12:30- 3:30 p.m. 

The final weekend of the spectacular Kites and Culture: The Spirit of Indonesia exhibit will feature performances by Balinese dancers on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) and a Javanese gamelan orchestra on Sunday (1:30 p.m.); and fascinating demonstrations by Indonesian kite makers, delicious delicacies of the region, and-of course-opportunities for everyone to make and fly kites. Included with museum admission. 

Into the A, B, Sea 

August 23, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m. 

Dive into the wonderful world of the ocean with local author Deborah Lee Rose who will read from her new book "Into the A, B, Sea", published by Scholastic Press. Find out more about the sea with fun hands-on activities from the LHS Marine Activites, Resources and Education (MARE) program. 

LHS Summer Games 2000  

August 30, 2000, 12:00 Noon-2:00 p.m.  

Australia may have the Summer Olympics, but LHS has Summer Games 2000! Yo-yos, spinning tops, and juggling lead the list of games you'll get to watch and try yourself. Bring your own yo-yo to learn newmoves and tricks demonstrated byyo-yo experts from Yo-topia. 

The Lawrence Hall of Science is located at 1 Centennial Drive. Call 642-5132 for more information.  

 

GALLERIES  

KALA INSTITUTE 

“Markings/Imprints,” through July 28. The 2000 Kala Art Institute Fellowship Awards Exhibitions, Part I, featuring works by Susan Belau, Liliana Lobo Ferreira, and Jamie Morgan. 

Free. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.  

Workshop Media Center Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. (510) 549-2977. 

 

ADDISON STREET  

WINDOWS GALLERY 

“Yangtze River: in the Dragon’s Teeth” 

Carol Brighton's poured paper paintings of the Yangtze River gorges, through July 31. Six-foot paper pieces in the long format of a Chinese scroll. This artwork is done in support of the International Rivers Network campaign to save the Yangtze River. The full impact of these beautiful compositions can even be viewed from across the street. 

Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St., Berkeley 

 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind 

The Berkeley Art Center brings back Janette Faulkner’s collection “Ethnic Notion: Black Images in the White Mind” an exhibit that explores racial stereotypes in commercial imagery. The collection will be on display at the Berkeley Art Center from September 10 through November 12. The Berkeley Art Center is located at 1275 Walnut Street. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.  

For more information call 644-6893. 

 

POETRY 

CODY’S BOOKS POETRY FLASH 

The Haiku Anthology Contributors Reading 

Garry Gay, Jerry Kilbride, Vincent Tripi, Micheal DylanWelch 

Edited and with a foreword by the former Haiku Society of America president Cor van den Heuvel, The Haiku Anthology collects 850 of the best English language Haiku and related works. A selection of Bay Area contributors will read at this event. "Haiku is basically about living with intense awareness, about having an openness to the existence around us-kind of openness that involves seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching."--Cor van den Heuvel August 2, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. 

Donation is $2. 

 

Joseph Di Prisco And Dean Young 

Joseph Di Prisco's newest book, Poems in Which, won the 2000 Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize. An essayist and reviewer, he is also the co-author of a recent book about adolescence and growing up, Field Guide to the American Teenager. His novel, Confessions of Brother Eli, is forthcoming in the fall. Dean Young has published three books of poems, most recently First Course in Turbulence. August 9, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Donation is $2. 

 

Parking is available at the Durant/Channing Garage; Cody's will validate one hour of parking with purchase. 

Cody's Books: 845-7852 • Poetry Flash: 525-5476 

 

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 one week before the opening of a new exhibit or performance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information. 

 


Brunetti heads to greener pastures

By Ian Buchanan Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

It’s a time of flux in the Berkeley schools, with the high school principal and one vice principal reassigned and another vice principal on leave from the district.  

Now the Berkeley Unified School District has racked up a new loss – veteran administrative employee Frank Brunetti, 58, an Associate Superintendent, will leave the district to become superintendent of the Orinda Union School District.  

Brunetti who has been an associate superintendent in Berkeley for five years, was a key player in the heated BUSD teacher contract disputes which lasted for over a year. 

“He has been the board’s spokesperson for a number of years and has done an excellent job,” said Jack McLaughlin BUSD superintendent.  

In Orinda, Brunetti will replace Shalee Cunningham, who is moving to Napa with her family. He will oversee four elementary schools and one middle school. The district has an enrollment of about 2,400 students, while Berkeley has over 9,500 enrollees. 

The size of the Orinda district was one of its attractions, Burnetti said. 

“Orinda is a small school district. I am looking forward to the close relationship with the schools on the class level. Orinda has very supportive community and a real good board.” 

A number of options are being considered for Brunetti’s replacement. 

“We are looking at some alternatives now, including some transitions, recruiting and possible restructuring,” McLaughlin said. There will probably be no replacement by Sept. 1, he added. 

McLaughlin and the board will meet Aug. 16 and discuss how to reassign Brunetti’s duties and eventually replace him. 

Brunetti reflected on his five years as associate superintendent and said among the high points was “working directly with school sites, and establishing a new teacher support system.”  

He is also proud of his work with the special education department and with the Diversity Committee. 

“Working with the Diversity Committee around the issues of recruiting and hiring teachers of color (and) some of my work and improvements in special education have been very gratifying,” said Brunetti.  

Overall, “the high point is being in Berkeley and dealing with the people and the community. There are some very fine people here and tremendous board members.” 

However, the job of associate superintendent has not always been an easy one. 

“It’s the hardest, most challenging job I’ve ever had,” said Brunetti.  

Still, “It’s a double edged sword. I’ve always looked at the challenges as an opportunity and framed everything with a positive view.” 

Receiving undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Nevada and his doctorate from Stanford, Brunetti has been a teacher, principal and central office administrator. 

In Orinda Brunetti will earn $125,000 as a base salary, compared to his $115,000 salary as an associate superintendent in Berkeley 

McLaughlin, who has been a finalist, but has not been appointed to superintendent positions in other school districts, said of Brunetti’s departure: “It’s a real pleasure for him, and a real loss to us.”


Pacifica director wants to meet with listener-sponsors

Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

This is the second part of a two-part interview between the Daily Planet and Bessie Wash, interim executive director of the Pacifica foundation. In February, Wash was named to the post, taking the reins from Lynn Chadwick, the target of much of the wrath of KPFA supporters. Unavailable for interviews since her appointment, Wash is now reaching out to the public. 

 

DP: I understand that there’s been a number of stations that no longer carry the Pacifica Network news due to the removal of (former PNN news director) Dan Coughlin.  

(Coughlin was removed after reporting on air of a boycott of the PNN news by a number of affiliate stations. Pacifica has said Coughlin’s removal was unrelated to airing information about the boycott. Subsequent to Coughlin’s removal, a number of PNN freelance reporters have refused to work for PNN.) 

BW: Actually, there has been no significant fallout that I know of. If you wanted to ask me, “Have a few community radio stations decided that they don’t want to carry the national programming?” I’d answer, “We have gotten some requests,” but I can say that we have the highest number of affiliates in our history. In addition to that we’ve got more stories from PNN than we can file. So, we have a very strong team. They put on a superb program and they work very hard. And I encourage that. I also look forward to having a new national program director joining us very soon. And again, just building a team and moving forward.  

DP: Speaking of a new staff, what’s going to happen with KPFA’s interim general manager? Is there going to be a permanent person named to that post? 

BW: Right now I’m looking through resumes. And hopefully – I’ve got a lot of things on my plate – I’ve been trying to pull it through as quickly as I can. I’m certainly hoping that Jim Bennett will be one of those candidates. He has not indicated at this point whether he wants to be (a candidate) or not. 

DP: As I’m sure that you know, many people at the station and the listeners are supporting the return of former general manager Nicole Sawaya. Are you considering her for the post? 

BW: As you know, that incident (Sawaya’s termination) happened before I became executive director. I’m not involved.  

DP. Since you took over, in response to a number of events here, I've tried to call you a number of times and I’m really glad that you’ve chosen to talk now, but I’m wondering if I will be able to reach you in the future. 

BW: Of course you will. I have to tell you, it’s really hard trying to get an office set up and I’ve been trying to visit all of my stations and spend some time with the station managers and we’ve kept the position that we’re pulling together and putting together an operational vision for the foundation. It’s been really a struggle, but things are starting to fall into place. 

DP: That’s great to hear. 

BW: I’m really very excited being the executive director of the foundation. I’m had a lot of support. From all the station managers. It’s really been a great four months and a hectic four months. We’re ready to work through it all. 

DP: I’m sure it’s been hard to get everything together. Is there anything else that you’d like people in this area to know about you, about, your plans, anything else? 

BW: I want them to know that I have a full commitment to all the five stations and the foundation. And of KPFA, I have a commitment to localism and. I’m very interested in what their thoughts are in terms of the programming and the service that we provide. And I’m open any time I’m coming into town, they can certainly let Jim Bennett know and I will make myself accessible along with Jim. To hear what their comments are. Right now, I want to do great radio. And we’re really charged up about it. And if they can hear anything else, I’d like for them to know that – I just want to do great radio. 

Wash can be contacted at the Pacifica Foundation, c/o Haley, Bader & Potts, P.O. Box 3825 Arlington, VA 22203-9998. The foundation number is 703-243-6844.


Protester sues city, police for violating his rights Attorney John Burris asks city for $1 million

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

Attorney John Burris asks city for $1 million. 

 

 

Claiming he was manhandled, hurt, and had his dignity and rights stripped away, Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi is suing the Berkeley Police Department and the city for more than $1 million over his arrest last year during a demonstration outside the KPFA studios on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

“My sense is that this was a terrible wrong,” attorney John Burris said Tuesday. Burris is representing Jacobs-Fantauzzi. 

Police detained some 100 protesters during the KPFA demonstrations last summer, arising from a dispute between station employees, volunteers and listeners on the one hand and their governing board on the other. 

Jacobs-Fantuazzi was treated arrestees were, Burris said. Jacobs Fantauzzi “failed the attitude test,” the attorney said, explaining that Jacobs-Fantauzzi may have been arrested because the police did not like his attitude. 

“It happens mostly to African American men,” Burris said. 

The suit claims excessive force against arresting officers. “...despite the fact that Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi offered no resistance, defendant police officers brutally assaulted and attacked (the) plaintiff, threw him to the ground, violently wrenched his arms behind his back, handcuffed him, pulled his jacked over his head, dragged (the) plaintiff by this arms and jacket across two lanes of traffic and to the opposite side of Grand Auto’s parking lot and threw him face first into a police van,” the suit says. 

Filed last week in U.S. District Court, the lawsuit also accuses officers of taunting Jacobs-Fantauzzi after his arrest. “How does it feel now that you’re in my territory?” said one officer, according to the suit. The claim also says police denied the plaintiff both medical attention and access to a telephone after his arrest.  

Police spokesperson Capt. Bobby Miller declined to comment on the suit which names Chief Dash Butler, Lt. Russell Lopes, Sgt. Randolph Files and Officer Kevin Schofield as well of the city of Berkeley as defendants. 

City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said the city has not yet been served with a copy of the document and could not comment on it. However, referring to Jacobs-Fantauzzi’s May court victory, when a jury found the 24 year old not guilty of delaying or obstructing a police officer, Albuquerque noted that the outcome of that case would not affect the lawsuit. 

“The mere fact that he was acquitted in the other case has no bearing (on this one),” she said. In a separate but related matter, the City Council asked the city manager to investigate officer training and procedures relative to the arrest. Albuquerque said the investigation has not been completed. She added, however, that if officer training were changed as a result of the investigation, it would have no bearing on the case. 

Burris said his office has 30 days to serve the lawsuit, then the city has 90 days to respond. A status hearing on the case will take place in about three months. 

 


They’re flying so very high

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

 

The skies above Cesar E. Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina will be swarming this weekend – with rainbow-colored dragons, purple cobras and chartreuse centipedes! 

Not monsters – kites. It will be the 15th annual Berkeley Kite Fest and the West Coast Kite Flying Championships Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.  

“This is one of the three largest events of its kind in North America,” said Tom McAlister, the event organizer, kite enthusiast and proprietor of HighlineKites.com. 

“We’ll have kite-flyers from all over the country, Canada and even a team from China,” he said. 

In celebration of this year’s theme, “Kites of the Pacific,” an eight-person team from Yang Jiang City, China will fly a 400-foot-long traditional Chinese Dragon Kite. The titanic kite is hand-crafted from silk and bamboo by master kite builders and marks the Lunar Year of the Dragon. 

McAlister said that’s just the tip of the kite’s tail. 

There will be “windsocks as big as houses,” a two-to-six-man team kite flying ballet, that McAlister described as a “combination of the Blue Angles and pair ice-skating,” and the Fest is also host for the West Coast Championship. 

Competitive stunt flyers from around the country will be vying – actually flying for points – to qualify for the Grand Championships in Florida.  

McAlister said another favorite is the “Rokkaku Battle for the Skies,” where a field of six to 10 teams battle each other with the spectacular, six-sided Rokkaku kites. 

Not to mention the “Mass Acensions,” where all different kinds of kites, ranging from “Centipede Dragon” kites and Diamond kites to a “Mile O’ Sky Tube Trail,” take to the air en masse. 

And the candy drop for the kids. Which is, sort of, a kite world version of a piñata, just a little higher in the air and no swinging sticks.  

There will also be kite-flying lessons by representatives from Prism Designs and Revolution Kites, so even rookies can look like pros.  

The Kite Fest is free. 

“This is just something we do to promote kiting and give something back to the community,” said McAlister, who started the Fest back in 1986. 

He said a team of 60 volunteers join in to help out at the Fest. 

“They’re the heroes,” he said. “We couldn’t do it without them.” 

McAlister said he expects a crowd of between 10,000 to 20,000, depending on the weather, which is forecast to be clear and warm with a perfect kite-flying sea breeze from 10 to 25 mph. 

Check out the website at www.highlinekites.com for a schedule and more information. 

Spectators are asked to arrive early and encouraged to take public transportation. Bus 51M will run down to the Marina. Parking is free however.


Ducan to seek reelection

Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

Peralta Community College District Trustee, Susan Ducan, announced her intention to seek reelection in November. Ducan has served since 1985, representing north and east Berkeley, and the Rockridge and Montclair sections of Oakland. 

Assemblywomen Dion Louise Aroner and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Cardon will serve as co-chairs of Ducan’s reelection campaign. 

Ducan has been a strong supporter of Vista Community College in Berkeley, and will make a priority of building a new, state of the art facility at 2050 Center Street in Downtown Berkeley. 

“Everything we do must meet the test of helping students achieve their educational goals. Every employee must put students first,” said Duncan in support of students. 

The Peralta Community College District has 25,000 students at the College of Alameda in Alameda, Vista Community College in Berkeley and Merritt and Laney Colleges in Oakland.


Opinion

Editorials

Berkeley pastor Finegan dies

Staff
Wednesday July 26, 2000

Dr. Jack Finegan, 92, died July 15. A highly respected scholar and professor of the New Testament and archaeology, he was a summer session dean, director of the Bade Institute of Biblical Archeology at the Pacific School of Religion, and served for twenty-five years as pastor for the University Christian Church, in Berkeley. 

Dr. Finegan was the author of more than thirty books on archeology and theology, many used as source and textbooks and has been listed in many biographical dictionaries, including Who’s Who in the World, The World Who’s Who of Authors and 2000 Outstanding intellectuals of the 20th Century. For many years with the assistance of his beloved wife, Mildred, he conducted tours to far-reaching archeological and religious sites giving lectures en route. 

He was a man of many interests and was an accomplished mountain climber, skilled yachtsman and aviator. 

He is survived by his son Jack Richard Finegan, his two grandsons, Sean and Kevin, his great grandson Ryon and great granddaughter Jordan. A memorial service will be held July 29 at 2:30 p.m. at Piedmont Garden in the Sky Room. 

Contribution can be made to the Jack and Mildred Finegan Fellowship, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave.