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WBNDC Fifth Street proposal not a farmers’ market 

Editor: 

Thanks for covering the West Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation's proposal for an open air weekend marketplace on Fifth Street at the recent West Berkeley PAC meeting. There are a few things we'd like to clarify for your readers. 

• The Fifth Street Market is not a Farmers Market. It will feature a mix of hand-made arts, crafts, and other locally made goods and services, along with some fresh and prepared foods and entertainment with an international and “green” flavor. 

3) As West Berkeley neighbors, we care about the concerns raised at the PAC meeting. Our management plan addresses litter, noise, and security, and we are working on the parking issues that have plagued the area for years. We have held several community meetings to discuss the Market over the past three years. The PAC meeting was an important part of our outreach, and we expect to follow up with Fifth Street neighbors as soon as possible. 

• Jim Masters is a WBNDC Board Member, and Kevin Crane is a Bay Area-based consultant, who happens to be working with a Public Market in Miami. We also note that it was Commissioner Christine Vida who spoke so favorably about the Fifth Street Market. 

WBNDC is a nonprofit 501c3 membership-based organization, created in 1989. For more information, please see http://www.westberkeley.com. 

Willie Phillips 

Chair, WBNDC 

War on iceplant 

Editor: 

Regarding the opinion expressed by Mary Ann and Bair Whaley in the Daily Planet on August 28, I agree that iceplant provides a beautiful display of color.  

However, I am astonished that anyone, especially from the enlightened community of Berkeley, would ignore the simple fact that iceplant is one of several invasive exotic plants that threaten the remarkable and unique diversity of our native coastal biota. 

Fortunately, thanks to eradication efforts that often use mechanical means rather than herbicides, some coastal habitats are being saved for future Californians to appreciate. 

Dieter Wilken 

Santa Barbara Botanic 

Garden 

More war on iceplant 

Editor: 

I have viewed the proposed USPS stamp at: 

. 

I have entered the following constructive comment on the feedback page: 

Our CA State Flower is the Poppy. 

May we have a Coast Picture with a our Native Flower? 

We may find some folks in the Native Plant society willing to help. 

Thanks for your comment request. 

The USPS “feedback” page is located at: 

. 

Respectfully, Bob Segalla 

Mountain View 

Berkeley labs do not discriminate 

Editor: 

I appreciate having had the opportunity to refute the charges made by union representatives in your recent story about alleged discrimination in hiring practices at Berkeley Lab.  

I wish to point out, first, that they have not filed a “suit” as your headline and story suggest. It is a complaint filed before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which may or may not recommend legal action. 

More importantly, your story references a lawsuit filed by a group of employees five years ago concerning certain medical tests administered by the Laboratory as part of an employment examination. 

Please be clear that the plaintiffs did not win their lawsuit for violation of civil rights, as you report. 

The issue never went to trial; both parties agreed to settle out of court, and negotiations have taken 18 months preparatory to a forthcoming monetary settlement. 

It should also be noted that the federal judge in the case initially 

ruled in favor of the Laboratory and dismissed all charges. The Court of Appeals subsequently returned the case to court, citing the need to resolve issues concerning questions of fact, personal consent, and Title VII statutes. That led to the arbitration process sought by both sides. 

The settlement will come with no admission of liability. In fact, the tests conducted by the laboratory were legal and within departmental policy at the time. The tests, which are no longer required, were given to all employees to promote their health and safety. To suggest that this implies a record of systematic discrimination is ludicrous. 

Ron Kolb 

Public Communications, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory