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Business booms for Vivarium

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Monday September 11, 2000

It takes a unique kind of passion to surround yourself every work day with serpents, tarantulas, lizards, hissing cockroaches as big as your thumb – and rats. Not to mention breeding some of the critters at your own home. 

“It’s been a lifelong passion,” said John Emberton, who with Cliff Moeser, Owen Maercks and a band of fearless employees, runs the East Bay Vivarium at 1827 Fifth St., the country’s oldest and largest reptile retail store. 

“Snakes are great pets,” Emberton said.  

“They’re quiet, hypoallergenic, they don’t need much space or any emotional support and they only eat once a week. It’s a great animal for the casual apartment dweller.” 

Business is booming, Emberton said. The 30-year-old enterprise that began in Oakland has as many as 3,000 animals – not counting the rats, mice, hamsters, rabbits and chickens they breed for the reptiles’ lunch – in the store at any given time. 

Emberton also said he and a few others breed several species at their homes because space at the cold-blooded copa cabana is limited. 

There are no venomous snakes or crocodiles at the store. It’s “against the law,” he said. “We have animals ranging from three bucks to $10,000,” he said. “It has nothing to do with size or beauty, it’s the difficulty of acquisition.” 

The rarest animal at the store is an albino Brazilian rainbow boa. Only four or five people in the world own them, Emberton said. However, in terms of rarity, he said that they have had some snakes, such as the Madagascar tree boa, that is losing its habitat at an exponential rate and could be wiped in a matter of years. 

The Vivarium doesn’t participate in a raise-and-release program, he said. For one, because “like the California Condor, they don’t exactly work,” and because many of the animals they get come from distant spots on the globe. 

What they do, however, is act as a reptile shelter. They take in wayward reptiles that owners are unable to take care of. 

It’s obvious he loves the little monsters and is enthusiastic about caring for them. 

Busy packing for a reptile show in San Mateo, Emberton took a few minutes to give the Daily Planet a tour. 

He said the Vivarium often takes its show on the road. They travel all over the country and show and sell reptiles. 

“This is the busiest time of the year,” said the former plumber, explaining that he turned a hobby into a job. “There are 30 to 70 animals hatching per day.” 

When you walk into the Vivarium, you see a quasi-tropical showroom, with wooden reptile terrariums stacked on each other forming makeshift walls. Some of the reptile homes are filled with knotty logs for the creatures to climb on, and tropical plants. 

“This is only a small part of what we do,” he said. 

The tour began in the “rat room,” where the food for the product is bred. 

Hundreds of rats, mice, and hamsters, and a few rabbits and chickens for the big boys, spend a their days in wait for eminent doom. 

“We keep a lot of them,” he said as he reached into a 6-inch-deep tub and pulled out a mother rat with several young. “She’ll probably stay with us forever, she’s a breeder.” 

Next on the tour was one of the reptile breeding rooms. 

“We don’t sell many big snakes, but we sell a lot of babies,” he said. 

Many of the snakes, like their warm-blooded prey in the adjacent room, stay around as breeders and never make it to the showroom floor, he said. 

Then it’s off to the incubators, where Emberton pulled out a new-born King snake and in the same motion dumped a rat into the cage of a salivating Indigo snake. Business as usual. 

“They’re the largest non-venomous snake in North America,” he said as the Indigo snake began exercising its jaw to swallow the rat. 

The tour winds up to  

the office, where Emberton, Moeser and Maercks do paperwork beside cages of  

tarantulas and aforementioned giant cockroaches. 

Emberton remembered the time when a King snake escaped and ended up in the third story of a print shop on Fourth Street. 

“He’d been gone for about a year,” he chuckled.  

Escapes are commonplace.  

“When a lizards gets loose, everything shuts down and we start looking for him, but with snakes, it’s different,” he said. He said that snakes are by nature low-metabolism creatures and are fine under a rock or in a hole. “Sometimes they’ll stay hidden for months. But most of the time we find them within days.” 

Finally, it’s back to the showroom where Emberton lets loose “Spot,” a Cocker-Spaniel sized Asian water monitor. Emberton said that Spot is “one of the few animals in the store that has a name. And he’s not for sale.” 

Maercks, the co-owner, and Spot are a birthday party attraction. Spot also goes along with Maercks to educational lectures for kids at the San Francisco Exploratorium. 

“He’s as tame as a puppy,” Emberton said, with a motherly gesture, wiping dust from his star-attraction’s face.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Monday September 11, 2000


Monday, Sept. 11

 

“12th annual Berkeley YMCA  

Golf Tournament” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 11:00 a.m. 

Entry fee includes cart, lunch on the course and dinner. Proceeds benefit Albany-Berkeley YMCA  

$125 Entry Fee 

549-4525 

 

Voter workshop 

1 p.m. 

Learn about voting absentee and working a local polling places. North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, Sept. 12

 

Tai Chi Chuan 

11 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 13

 

Mid-Autumn Festival 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Last town hall meeting on the  

Berkeley Housing Authority  

Plan 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

For information on the plan, call Wanda Remmers 548-8776 

 

Commission on Disability 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

The commission will discuss Project Impact disaster funding, I-80 overpass amenities, removal of obstacles from the sidewalk and more.  

 

Second annual  

Bertram Gross Award 

7 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

The campaign to abolish poverty/full employment Coalition presents the second Annual Bertram Gross Award. Gross, 1912-1998, was the chief author of the Roosevelt Full Employment Act, the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act and the current full employment legislation HR1050. 

Award recipients are Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, Amaha Kassa, East Bay Alliance for Sustainable Economy and Pat Ford, international executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union. 

Music by Barbara Dane. $10-$15; nobody turned away for lack of funds. 

 


Thursday, Sept. 14

 

Eugene O’Neil House,  

Mt. Diablo State Park Trip  

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$21 per person 

644-6107 

 

Environmental Sampling Project Task Force 

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way 

Agenda items include public comment time and sampling reviews 

486-4387 

 

Pre-business workshop 

Small-business Development Center 

519 17th St. Suite 200, Oakland 

8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. $35  

273-6611, www.eastbayscore.org, eastbayscore@yahoo.com 

 

Yoga class 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

What next for Haiti? 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue, 

What is the true story behind the recent elections in Haiti? What’s the real impact of the global economy on Haiti? 

483-7481  

please call to reserve childcare 

$5-10 

 


Friday, Sept. 15

 

“The Barber of Seville” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

“Lift the Sanctions from Iraq” 

Interfaith Brunch & Community Gathering 

Talk by Denis Halliday, Former U.N. Assistant Secretary-General 

10:30 a.m. -noon 

Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento 

527-8370 

 


Saturday, Sept. 16

 

Shoreline clean-up walk 

10 a.m. 

Sea Breeze Market, on Frontage Road just west of University Avenue 

Friends of Five Creeks leads a walk, talking about  

history, wildlife, and restoration possibilities from Strawberry to Codornices Creeks, as part of Coastal Cleanup 2000.  

848-9358 

 

Shoreline cleanup 

9 a.m. 

Behind Sea Breeze market at West Frontage Rd and University Ave. or at Aquatic Park playground 

Bring gloves, sunscreen and hat and help clean up the shoreline. 

644-8623; TDD 644-6915 

 


Sunday, Sept. 17

 

Berkeley Citizen’s Action  

Endorsement Meeting 

2-5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

To include local and state endorsements. 

Contact: BCA Co-chair Linda Olivenbaum at (510) 652-1206 

Call 549-0816 

 


Thursday, Sept. 21

 

Hearing to terminate the  

Conditional Order for  

Abatement for Pacific Steel  

Casting Co. 

9:30 a.m. 

Bay Area Air Quality management District 

939 Ellis St. 7th Floor Board Room 

San Francisco 

415-749-4965 

 


Friday, Sept. 22

 

Point Reyes Nature Center, Earthquake Trail Trip 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$18 per person 

644-6107 

 


Saturday, Sept. 23

 

From Capitalism to Equality 

2 p.m. 

Niebyl-Proctor Library 

6501 Telegraph Ave. at Alcatraz 

Why have the conditions of work become more difficult and the 

rewards more unequal since 1973? Join author Charles Andrews to 

discuss these issues and solutions for them. 

$5 admission includes $10 discount coupon the book, “From Capitalism to Equality” 

535-2476 

 


Sunday, Sept. 24

 

“First Steps in Finding your Family History” 

Brunch 10:30 a.m., lecture 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

$4 for BRJCC members and $5 for all others 

848-0237 

 

5th anniversary party and film festival 

Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Fifth Birthday 

6-8 p.m. party 

film: 8:30-10:30 p.m. 

Pyramid Alehouse Outdoor Movie Theater 

1901 Gilman St. 

The event is to honor five years of BFB bike advocacy. Films will include: “Pedalphiles and Dinosaurs Against Fossil Fuels” 

Bring something to sit on. 

Free to members; $10-$20 sliding scale to non members.  

549-7433 

 

“How Berkeley Can You Be?” 

11 a.m. on University Avenue and California Street, culminating at Civic Center outside Berkeley High School 

Festival in the park starts at 12:30 p.m. 

849-4688, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

 


Monday, Sept. 25

 

Open forum on affordable housing 

5:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Sean Heron of the East Bay Housing Organizations will talk about building a campaign for affordable housing. Sponsored by the Affordable Housing Advocacy Project. 

1-800-773-2110 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 27

 

“Improving your bottom line” 

2-5 p.m. 

Berkeley Yacht Club 

1 Seawall Dr. 

Speakers include, Mayor Shirley Dean, Dr. Drian Nattrass and Mary Altomare Natrass, authors of “The Natural Step for Business” and two of the world’s leading authorities on providing a strategic business framework promoting sustainabiliity and profitability. 

 


Saturday, Sept. 30

 

Jim Hightower: “Election 2000: a Space Odyssey” 

8 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Sponsored by KPFA and Global Exchange 

“I am an agitator,” Hightower says. “The agitator is the centerpost in a washing machine that gets the dirt out.” 

$10 in advance/$12 at the door 

848-6767 x609 

 

 


Monday, October 2

 

“2nd annual Berkeley City Championship” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Entries accepted August 1. Entry Fee includes gift, cart and Awards Dinner. Proceeds benefit local organizations and projects. This event determines Berkeley City Champion and Seven other Flight Winners. 

$115 Entry Fee 

841-0972 

“Clean Lies Dirty War” 

7:30 p.m. Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar 

Event is part of a national campaign to end sanctions on Iraq.  

(510) 528-5403 

 


Thursday, October 5

 

3rd annual Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Association Golf Tournament 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 7:30 a.m. Entry Fee includes cart range balls and Award Luncheon. Proceeds benefit Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Scholarship Fund. 

$99 Entry Fee 

644-6554 

 

ONGOING EVENTS 

 

Sundays 

Green Party Consensus Building Meeting 

6 p.m. 

2022 Blake St. 

This is part of an ongoing series of discussions for the Green Party of Alameda County, leading up to endorsements on measures and candidates on the November ballot. This week’s focus will be the countywide new Measure B transportation sales tax. The meeting is open to all, regardless of party affiliation. 

415-789-8418 

 

 

 

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.com/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

644-8511 

 

 

 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

 

 

Thursdays 

The Disability Mural 

4-7 p.m. through September 

Integrated Arts 

933 Parker 

Drop-in Mural Studios will be held for community gatherings and tile-making sessions. This mural will be installed at Ed Roberts campus. 

841-1466 

 

Fridays 

Ralph Nader for President 

7 p.m.  

Video showings to continue until November. Campaign donations are requested. Admission is free.  

Contact Jack for directions at 524-1784. 

 

2nd and 4th Sunday 

Rhyme and Reason Open Mike Series 

2:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 

The public and students are invited. Sign-ups for the open mike begin at 2 p.m. 

234-0727;642-5168 

 

Tuesday and Thursday 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

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

644-6109 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Letters to the Editor

Monday September 11, 2000

Carnivore bites back 

 

Editor:  

Apropos your September 8 front page feature: I, too, am a Berkeley landlord who along with my colleagues indulged in a steak dinner at H’s Lordships last Thursday. Devouring steak is quite an American custom, absent which the Western States' economy might be in trouble. 

Fortunately for both Berkeley and the beef industry, we landlords decided to go out for our meal. Just think! We might have stayed home and eaten little children. 

Peggy Schioler,  

carnivorous landlady 

Berkeley 

 


Bears build big lead, hold on to beat Utah

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Monday September 11, 2000

Last year, Cal’s defense was the most dominating in the Pac-10, but the offense, guided for much of the year by true freshman Kyle Boller, never got on track and held the team back from winning. This year appears to be different. 

“Last year we kind of got off track offensively, and never got to where we wanted to be,” said head coach Tom Holmoe. 

This year’s version of the Bear offense showed a new look in Cal’s 24-21 victory over the Utah Utes on Saturday. Using a hurry-up offense for much of the first half, Boller showed that his sophomore year will be vastly different from his rough inaugural season. 

“There’s no way I could have run the no-huddle last year,” Boller said. “I felt a lot more comfortable out there today.” 

With an arsenal of new receivers, Boller spread the ball around, completing passes to nine different players, including a team-high four to true freshman Geoff McArthur. Boller also made his best throw of the day at the most crucial moment, a bullet through a crowd of defenders to wideout James Smith for a 12-yard touchdown to give Cal a 14-7 lead in the third quarter. 

Boller completed 18 of his 28 passes, his most accurate performance yet at the college level. After starting for just one year in high school, Boller seems finally to be reading the field and checking off to his second and third options. He also showed improved touch on his passes, completing several fade passes dropped right in over the Utah cornerbacks’ heads. 

“Kyle understands the system better now, and we knew the safeties would bite on play action,” said Cal offensive coordinator Steve Hagen. “It’s more of a game to Kyle now, rather than a task.” 

The defense allowed just one touchdown, holding Utah to just 158 passing yards and pressuring quarterbacks Darnell Arceneaux and T.D. Croshaw nearly every time they dropped back to pass. 

Croshaw opened the game for the Utes, but was ineffective during the first two drives. Utah coach Ron McBride quickly inserted the more mobile Arceneaux, who broke several big runs by scrambling away from the pass rush. 

Cal opened the scoring when Saleem Muhammad plunged over the goal line from the one-yard line to give the Bears a 7-0 lead. 

Disaster hit during the next Cal drive, as Utah’s Lauvale Sape broke through on Boller, hitting his arm as he threw. The ball sailed into Dyson’s hands, and he had a clear path down the sideline to the end zone and a 7-7 tie. 

When Utah drove 79 yards to inside the Cal five-yard line with less than a minute left in the first half, it looked like the Bears might be in for a halftime deficit. But the defense stiffened, as Arceneaux threw an incomplete pass, then made the mistake of lofting a pass into double coverage. Cornerback Jameel Powell skied for the ball, ending the threat and sending the teams into the locker rooms tied. 

The Bears came out fired up for the second half, and Utah’s drive was ended abruptly by Asomugha, who put a big hit on running back D’Shaun Crockett, causing a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Scott Fujita in Utah territory. 

Boller quickly moved the Bears down the field, throwing a fade to McArthur for 21 yards before hitting Smith for the touchdown. 

“Boller reads the game a lot better now,” Smith said. “It really boosts our confidence out there.” 

Carter then turned up the heat on the Ute offense, pressuring Arceneaux into two bad throws and stuffing Crockett on a run for no gain. Senior linebacker Jason Smith also made his presence felt, coming off the bench to make two big stops on Crockett in the backfield. 

Cal barely dodged a bullet when Steve Smith’s apparent punt-return touchdown was wiped out by an illegal block call.  

The Cal defense forced another turnover when defensive end Shaun Paga jarred the ball loose from tight end Phillippe Wells on an inside screen pass. Andre Carter corralled the ball on the Cal 48. 

Boller showed his maturity on the ensuing drive, audibling to a pass to freshman Chase Lyman, who had single coverage, and finding tight end Brian Surgener for a 22-yard gain on a crossing route. Igber finally found some room on a cutback run, scoring from 15 yards out to give Cal a 14-point lead. 

Utah’s Smith fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and defensive end Tully Banta-Cain returned it to the Utah 13. The Bears couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone, however, and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Jensen. 

The Cal defense appeared a little complacent with the 17-point lead, and the Utes’ offense drove down the field for a touchdown. The dangerous Smith then returned a Tyler Fredrickson punt 46 yards for a touchdown to pull Utah within three points, and the Bears looked to be teetering on the brink of total disaster. 

Cal put the passing game away and pounded the ball into the line three times, and Fredrickson buried the Utes deep in their own territory with just 1:16 left on the clock. Arceneaux got the Utes to the Cal 38 with seven seconds left with two passes and two scrambles, giving kicker Golden Whetman a chance to send the game into overtime. But the kick was well short, giving the Bears their fifth straight opening-day win.


Marines won’t practice in town

By Josh Parr Daily Planet Staff
Monday September 11, 2000

“Marines in Berkeley” sounds as unlikely as “tofu in Wichita.” But both exist. Or nearly – as in the case of the Marines.  

Mayor Shirley Dean said she was “quite surprised” to find that the Marines were considering a three-day military simulation in a West Berkeley warehouse belonging to Bayer Corporation.  

Designed to “seize a ‘terrorist’ who is believed to be occupying a hide site in an urban building,” the proposed war games would involve, “live fire with safety frangible ammunition or (paint balls), sound/light diversionary devices and a water explosive charge to breach an exterior door,” according to an Aug. 14 letter to the mayor from David Weber, the FBI’s liaison to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. 

Part of an overall effort to retrain the U.S. Marine corps to deal with urban environments and terrorism in particular, the letter also offered to allow the Berkeley police to use the site. 

“At the conclusion of the Marine training, we invite the host city SWAT team to conduct their own tactical training exercises,” according to the letter. “I must remind you, Mayor, that this training is in no way part of any point police/military training. Your SWAT team, however, would have the benefit of receiving unique and realistic training.” 

Dean said she wasn’t aware of the offer until she received the letter. 

“They had received permission from Bayer to run an operation on one of their warehouses and wanted to know if we would approve it,” she said.  

Bayer spokespeople could not be reached for comment, but did relay through an employee in the Human Resources Department that they would not issue a public statement on the matter. 

“Bayer’s warehouse was on a list of possible reserve sites,” said City Councilmember Kriss Worthington. 

After receiving the letter, Dean quickly penned a reply. 

“While I understand the need for such training and appreciate your offer to provide special training to our police officers, I must inform you that I cannot support your request,” she wrote back. 

Last year, the Marines ran Operation Urban Warrior in the streets and hills of Oakland. While Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown brought $4 million into city coffers for opening the door to the military war games, he also reaped criticism from protesters who said they believed the show of force was aimed at them. 

Worthington, however, had his own gripe. 

“While I have no objection to the content of the mayor’s letter,” he said, “She’s overstepping the boundaries of her job. By sidestepping the City Charter, which more or less makes the mayor a ceremonial figure, she’s trying to take the role of the City Council. This city has a city manager/council form of government. It’s not the first time she’s acted this way.” 

Dean, on the other hand believes it was a decision completely within her jurisdiction. “The letter was clearly addressed to me, not the City Council,” she said. 


Washington upsets No. 4 Miami; Stanford loses to SJSU again

Monday September 11, 2000

No. 15 Washington 34, No. 4 Miami 29 

SEATTLE (AP) — Marques Tuiasosopo passed for a touchdown and ran for another, and freshman Rich Alexis scored on a 50-yard run. 

Washington (2-0) led 20-3 at halftime and took a 34-22 lead on early in the fourth quarter on Pat Conniff’s 1-yard run. But Miami (1-1) scored on James Jackson’s 1-yard run with 2:52 left. 

Tuiasosopo completed 18 of 31 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown. He rushed for 45 yards and scored a TD on 15 carries. 

 

No. 5 Wisconsin 27, Oregon 23 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Big Ten sprint champion Michael Bennett rushed for 290 yards and two long touchdowns. 

The suspension-ridden Badgers got three interceptions from Jamar Fletcher, whom coach Barry Alvarez considered sitting out. As it was, Wisconsin (2-0) went without a dozen players who were suspended for receiving unadvertised discounts at a shoe store. 

Bennett scored on runs of 59 and 75 yards in the third quarter and set up another TD with a career-long 83-yard burst. 

 

No. 11 Southern Cal 17, Colorado 14 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — David Newbury, who missed two earlier field- goal tries, kicked a 24-yarder with 13 seconds left to lift Southern California (2-0). 

Mark Mariscal left the game tied when he was wide left on a 41-yard field goal attempt with 1:14 remaining for Colorado (0-2). 

 

No. 16 UCLA 24, Fresno St. 21 

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — DeShaun Foster ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns and UCLA (2-0) withstood two late touchdown passes from David Carr to Charles Smith. 

Foster scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 11:16 remaining, and a 49-yard burst less than 2 1/2 minutes later to give the Bruins what appeared to be an insurmountable 24-7 lead. 

However, Carr threw scoring passes of 16 and 32 yards to Smith to make it a three-point game with five minutes to play. 

 

Oregon St. 28, New Mexico 20 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Pile-driving running back Ken Simonton rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and Oregon State’s defense kept a struggling New Mexico offense gasping for yards as the Beavers won a 28-20 nonconference football victory Saturday night. 

Simonton, a 5-foot-10, 194-pound junior, allowed the Beavers to control the ball for long stretches of the second half, particularly as Oregon State’s bigger offenseive line began to wear down the Lobo defense. 

 

San Jose St. 40, Stanford 27 

STANFORD (AP) – Deonce Whitaker rushed for a career-high 254 yards on 21 carries, scored two touchdowns and set up two others as San Jose State stunned Stanford for the third consecutive year, winning 40-27 on Saturday night. 

Marcus Arroyo added two touchdown passes and threw for 199 yards as the Spartans (1-1) rebounded from a 49-13 loss to No. 1 Nebraska. San Jose State last beat Stanford three straight times from 1981-83. 

 

No. 18 Ohio St. 27, Arizona 17 

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – There won’t be any talk about a defense-offense imbalance this week at Ohio State practices. 

Steve Bellisari saw to that as he passed for two touchdowns, including a 60-yarder to Chad Cacchio, to lead the Buckeyes. 

Nate Clements set up another score with a 47-yard punt return late in the third quarter, and Dan Stultz kicked two field goals as the Buckeyes (2-0) won in their first visit to Arizona Stadium.


Growing local papers doing Bay Area battle

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SAN MATEO — When a suspected natural gas leak forced 1,000 office workers out onto the streets here last month, it became big news in two local upstart papers. 

Meanwhile, the region’s well-established newspapers devoted a short blurb to the harmless incident or didn’t report it at all, choosing to devote their space to more regional, national and international stories. 

Providing readers with a complete package of high-impact news, business, sports and entertainment coverage that appeals to a wide group of readers and advertisers has long been the newspaper industry’s lifeblood, but a new niche is emerging. 

A growing number of entrepreneurs – like those who launched two newspapers in San Mateo last month – believe there’s a market for a more parochial approach.  

What’s more, they believe they can make money by giving away their community papers for free. 

The concept is facing one of its toughest tests in San Mateo, a vintage San Francisco suburb best known for a heavily trafficked bridge that bears its name. 

The placid city with a population of about 94,000 now is home to an old-fashioned newspaper war in an era when the medium is supposed to be dying. 

Six daily newspapers are now duking it out for readers and advertisers in a city located about 10 miles south of San Francisco. 

The new San Mateo papers, the Daily News and the Daily Journal, are trying to fill a growing niche market for free publications that offer low advertising rates and cover local minutiae that readers can’t find in other media. 

The cheap ad rates appeal to small businesses that can’t afford big-paper prices, and the community news fills a gap for people interested in learning more about what’s happening in their own back yards. 

“This is a trend that we have been seeing for some time now. It tells me that there is still a market for intensely local newspaper coverage,” said James Bettinger, director of the Knight Fellowship for Professional Journalists in Palo Alto. 

The two latest entrants in San Mateo are joining with the city’s 111-year-old hometown paper, the San Mateo County Times, which charges for its copies. 

Together, these papers are butting heads with the San Francisco Bay area’s largest dailies, the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News, which are owned by media giants Hearst Corp. and Knight Ridder Inc. 

The San Francisco Examiner also circulates in San Mateo, but that may change later this year after San Francisco entrepreneur Ted Fang takes over the paper from Hearst, which sold it to buy the Chronicle earlier this year. 

Fang, who already delivers a twice-weekly free paper to San Mateo, has said he will limit the Examiner’s news coverage and circulation almost exclusively to San Francisco. 

San Mateo’s crowded newspaper market will make it tough for both of the city’s two new dailies to survive, predicted industry analyst John Morton. 

“It would be a difficult market for just one free paper to break into,” he said. “Having two free papers there will make it doubly difficult.” 

Free daily papers remain an anomaly – there are only a dozen or so across the nation. The largest free daily is the Metro, which distributes its paper to more than 150,000 Philadelphia commuters.  

The Swedish-owned Metro hopes to establish similar free, commuter-focused papers in San Francisco, Boston and Chicago. 

The New York Daily News, the nation’s sixth largest daily paper, is even getting into the act. In late August, the paper announced plans to distribute a free afternoon commuter paper called “Express.” 

The recent spurt in free dailies follows the success of free weekly papers, which range from advertising-only vehicles aimed at shoppers to gritty alternative publications. 

Circulation at free weekly papers nationwide totals about 122 million, up by about 17 percent from four years ago, according to Editor & Publisher, a trade publication. 

Meanwhile, the paid circulation at daily papers has been eroding for decades. Paid daily newspaper circulation nationwide totaled 56 million in 1999, down 3 million, or 5 percent, from 1995, according to the Newspaper Association of America. 

San Mateo’s new daily papers represent expansions for their owners. 

The Daily Journal is run by entrepreneurs who started a free daily paper in Berkeley last year, The Berkeley Daily Planet started in April of last year with eight pages and a circulation of about 3,000 and now produces a six-day-a-week paper of 24 to 40 pages, with a circulation of over 11,000 copies each day,  

The Daily News is controlled by the same backers of a free daily paper in Palo Alto that started with eight pages in 1995 and now produces more than 70 pages in some editions today. 

Arnold Lee, CEO and president of Bigfoot Media, which owns the Daily Journal and the Daily Planet, said both tiny San Mateo papers will be filling a huge news void in the city by covering government meetings, neighborhood issues and local trouble spots like the recent natural gas leak. 

“The more time we spent in San Mateo, the more we realized that there was a lot going on here that wasn’t getting reported,” Lee said. 

San Mateo County is attractive to newspaper publishers because it is California’s third most affluent county behind Marin and San Francisco and is home to a high concentration of families and older people – households that tend to be loyal newspaper readers. 

San Mateo’s demographics are shifting, though, as the San Francisco Bay area’s technology boom ushers in younger, more eclectic residents who cashed in on the e-commerce craze. 

While these changes make it more difficult to define the community’s increasingly diverse interests, Daily News Co-publisher Dave Price believes most San Mateo residents share at least one common bond.  

“All the people here are starving for a newspaper that they can call their own.”


Vaccine shortfalls limit city clinics

Bay City News
Monday September 11, 2000

Seniors and other Berkeley residents dependent on the city’s community health clinics for pre-emptive flu vaccines may be left unprotected this autumn due to a production shortfall. 

A spokesperson in the city’s Public Health Department announced this week that the city may not receive its annual shipment of influenza vaccines for months, causing its immunization program to lack the medicines at its clinics at community and senior centers. The vaccines are not expected until early November.  

Hospitals and private physicians’ offices may also be affected by the production shortfall, according to city officials. 

The federal Food and Drug Administration and National Center for Disease Control jointly announced earlier this week that shipments of the vaccines would be delayed due to manufacturing problems. 

Residents with questions or concerns about the availability of the flu vaccine may call Immunization Coordinator Dr. Vicki Alexander at 665-6802 or public health nurse Vera Labat at 665-6829. 


Reaction sends chemical cloud into air above homes

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Residents east of an industrial plant in the Pittsburg area were asked to stay in their homes with the windows and doors closed for more than two hours Saturday morning, because of a yellow cloud sent into the air after a chemical reaction. No one was injured. 

According to the Contra Costa County hazardous materials director Lewis Pascalli, the cloud was not the result of an explosion but an “exothermic reaction” that made the contents of a 55-gallon drum expand rapidly. 

The chemicals were stored at the Dexter Hysol Plant, which Pascalli said makes an adhesive used to secure the external tiles on the space shuttle. 

The chemical involved in the incident was an epoxy resin that was in a partially filled drum of chemicals to be thrown away. 


Marin paper may be bought by bigger group

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — The Marin Independent Journal, a 40,000-circulation newspaper based north of San Francisco, could be bought by ANG Newspapers owner William Dean Singleton, according to a published report Saturday. 

The Independent Journal, founded in 1861, has been owned by Gannett Co., the nation’s largest newspaper publisher, since 1980. 

Reporters at the Independent Journal said Executive Editor Jackie Kerwin said she did not know if there is a deal to buy the paper, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday. 

Reporters said she told them she thinks Gannett will decide the Independent Journal’s future by Sept. 29, when the current publisher leaves for another job. 

Buying the paper would allow Singleton to combine the Independent Journal’s operations with those of his other papers. ANG publishes papers around the Bay – in Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Alameda, San Mateo, Vallejo, Pleasanton, Milpitas and Pacifica.  

They have a combined circulation of about 250,000. 

According to the website for Singleton’s Denver, Colo.-based MediaNews Group, controlling papers in contiguous markets will help the company be more efficient. 

The publisher, Phyllis K. Pfieffer, is not the only top-ranking Independent Journal employee to leave recently.  

The director of advertising and the head of online operations have resigned, and the managing editor left several months ago. 

Gannett prints its Northern California version of its flagship paper, USA Today, on the Independent Journal’s presses, which has relegated the Independent Journal to afternoons, because the USA Today printing is done for mornings. 

The Chronicle quotes newspaper observers as saying that any sale of the Independent Journal would likely have a clause covering USA Today printing.


Panel OKs new runways to go into Bay

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — A regional panel gave San Francisco Bay area airports approval to extend runways into the bay, paving the way for the biggest encroachment on the bay in 40 years. 

Environmentalists oppose the idea, saying the airport needs to examine other options to deal with long delays and canceled flights that plague the airport. 

Supporters say the new runways would ease delays, cut down on noise complaints from neighbors and accommodate larger aircraft. They also say the runways are necessary for the economy of the area. Visitors bring an estimated $10.7 billion to the area. 

The Regional Airport Planning Committee passed the plan Friday with a 10 to 1 vote, with four committee members absent. The plan would affect San Francisco International and Oakland International airports. 

“Those people who have experienced delays at SFO for a long time can say there is something that is being done in the long-term to respond to that issue,” said William Ward, committee chairman. “I think this document says we’re finally going to support the new infrastructure improvements that will allow us to catch up with the population growth and the growth in the economy.” 

The committee’s approval is advisory. It will be used in planning growth in bay area air traffic over the next 20 years. 

Cary Greene, who represents San Jose International Airport, cast the sole “no” vote, saying the plan was too vague and that there was too much confusion over what the plan actually does. 

“This plan does not in any way approve, support or endorse any specific runway project at any specific location, and if that’s the case, the plan needs to be very explicit ... if that’s not the case, I’ll have to vote ’No,”’ he said. 

San Francisco airport officials want to replace two of the four existing runways to increase the space between the parallel landing strips. The new runways would jut up to a mile farther into the bay. 

During bad weather at the San Francisco airport, the airport’s capacity is cut in half because federal regulations require greater distances between planes. 

Oakland airport officials also are considering adding a runway in the bay to handle increased capacity. 

Environmentalists say other options, such as using better radar or sending planes to other airports, would be viable solutions to the airports’ problems. 

“This is not a plan, rather, a pretty weak description of each major airport’s proposed projects. It suggests gridlock is inevitable, planning is impossible, and detailed, comparative analysis is beyond this committee’s scope of mandate,” said David Lewis, executive director of Save the Bay. “It’s a mistake to endorse more runways into the bay – an already severely degraded resource – without that kind of regional airport system plan.” 


Environmental group offers $11 million to preserve land

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

 

SANTA CRUZ — A Los Altos-based environmental group has offered $11 million to buy 1,340 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

The land that the Sempervirens Fund has offered to buy includes old-growth redwood forests at the headwaters of the San Lorenzo River. 

At a hearing regarding the land last week, water district directors received two letters from timber companies saying they were interested in logging the property, known as the Waterman Gap. 

The two timber companies set different prices on the land. One estimated it was worth $7.4 million and another valued it at about $13 million. 

The letters were not offers to buy the land, said water district manager Jim Mueller. District directors have said it is in the community’s best interest to keep the land in its natural state and not to sell it to timber companies. 

The district and Sempervirens have been discussing the offer on the land since February. A hearing is scheduled for later this month, and that could be the final negotiations for the land. 

Mueller said the $11 million price originally was based on the “highest and best use” of the land which included selective logging. 

The Sempervirens Fund does not plan to log, but instead plans to give the land to the state parks department.


Fake tickets sold for arts festival

Bay City News
Monday September 11, 2000

SAUSALITO — The Sausalito Police Department is looking for eyewitnesses who can describe the people who sold counterfeit tickets to the Sausalito Arts Festival over Labor Day Weekend. 

The tickets look and feel just like authentic BASS ones.  

“Basically, don't buy tickets on the street, no matter what the story is,” Sausalito Arts Festival promotion chairman Benjamin Train said today. “These guys are pros. This is not some guy with a laser printer.” 

Train says he has notified other upcoming events, such as the San Francisco Blues Festival, that take BASS tickets to let them know tests to know if the tickets are authentic.  

These events will not admit customers with counterfeit tickets, Train said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sausalito Police Department at (415) 289-4170.


Possessions make Silicon Valley divorces messy

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SAN JOSE — With stock options, time shares and the high cost of living in Silicon Valley, divorces are no longer only about who gets the kids and the house. Now couples, attorneys and judges must figure out how to split stock options and how a single parent can afford to live in the area to be able to see the children. 

Family court workers say what is making marriages harder to dissolve include nebulous assets, such as stock options. Those present the difficult question of how one divides a future employment benefit. 

Typically, options are looked at as property, but sometimes they can be considered income. 

That has been one of the central questions in the divorce of Silicon Valley couple Iris Fraser and David Cheriton, who filed for divorce in 1994. The divorce was finalized four years later and they are still battling over whether Cheriton must exercise his stock options in Cisco Systems and share even more money with his children and ex-wife. 

Cheriton became a millionaire in 1996 when the company he co-founded was bought by Cisco. He agreed to create a trust for each child using a certain number of Cisco stock options, worth millions of dollars. 

He also exercised 3 percent of his stock options for Fraser. And he pays child support each month. 

Cheriton says he doesn’t want to exercise more options because he doesn’t trust his ex-wife and thinks she would try to get more money. 

Fraser says Cheriton has the money and that “after everything the children and I have been through, we shouldn’t be treated like a bag of garbage.” 

The court has sided with Cheriton so far, ruling that his options should not be considered income unless he exercises them and sells the stock. 

Another reason the marriages are hard to dissolve is because of the high cost of living. 

“People can’t afford to be divorced,” said Phil Hammer, a family law attorney who says he often discusses the financial aspect of divorce with his clients. 

“I tell them to think twice about what they’re doing,” he said. “They just may not have thought about what is going to happen when they try to set up a second household, and they realize a one-bedroom apartment in Palo Alto is going for, what, $2,100 a month? And if they’ve got kids, one bedroom will not be enough.” 

Deborah Taylor, a mother of two, found out how expensive being a single parent in the valley is, following her 1998 divorce from Richard Taylor. 

She bought a San Jose townhouse for herself and her two children, but the payments were too much, so she moved to Arnold, a mountain town near Bear Valley. That created problems, however, because Richard Taylor wanted to keep his weekday visits with the children, and a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Arnold made that difficult. 

A court officer recently recommended that the children stay in Silicon Valley. While Richard Taylor calls that “legitimate,” he said he does not want the children to be away from their mother either. 

“It’s just not a great situation to be in,” he said. 

While getting a divorce is more difficult, fewer couples are splitting up. In 1990, there were 8,997 divorces, according to Santa Clara County Superior Court’s Family Resources Division. In 1995, there were 7,983, and in 1999, even with a larger population, there were 7,315. 


Attorneys use technology to make their arguments

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Some trial lawyers are tossing out posterboards and overhead projectors in favor of computer presentations and other technology to help illustrate their arguments for jurors. 

Others aren’t so quick to embrace the technology that some claim is the future of courtroom action. 

But as attention spans drop and computer use increases, attorneys are looking for some way to keep jurors interested and to win cases. 

Studies show the average person can keep interested for only 11 to 15 minutes. 

“You ask what people watched on TV last night and they say ’everything,”’ said Nancy O’Malley, Alameda County chief assistant district attorney. “We have to have a way to keep those jurors engaged in our case or they will zone out, or they won’t remember, and they won’t pay attention, and at the end, they won’t retain the important information that you need them to retain to vote guilty.” 

Dodie Katague, a Contra Costa County deputy district attorney, is a firm believer in the power of technology in the courtroom. 

“I believe in my cases – complex cases that I do which involve white-collar fraud, using (technology) made many of those cases end successfully,” Katague said. “It certainly helped explain complex litigation easily to a jury.” 

“We have all these phobias about problems like hard drives crashing and stuff like that,” said Larry Blazer, an Alameda County prosecutor who has won cases using presentation software. “Most of the lawyers up here don’t use it. I think a lot of people are really minimalist when it comes to trying cases.” 

Convincing others in the court system that technology is beneficial is also sometimes hard. Judges have the final say about what they let in the courtroom, and some do not grant requests to bring in computers. 

“One of the reasons (Contra Costa District Attorney Gary Yancey) decided to come on board is because a defense attorney beat the pants off us,” Katague said. “I’ve been begging for years to get this LCD projector, saying ‘Let’s get PowerPoint and this other equipment,’ and they wouldn’t do it.” 

Then this defense attorney beat the pants off the prosecutor and the next thing you know, I got the approval to buy the equipment.” 


New issues arise with Indian gambling

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

SACRAMENTO — California’s new Indian gambling compact is so vague and shrouded by secrecy that the state doesn’t know how many slot machines are on reservations or how much money each tribe has given the state. 

California voters in March ratified an agreement between the tribes and Gov. Gray Davis to operate Las Vegas-style casinos on reservations. 

But the deal “doesn’t necessarily say how you’re supposed to cross the T’s and dot the I’s. We are sorting through that with the tribes,” said Nathan Barankin, a spokesman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer. 

The compact limits the number of slot machines that tribes could own and requires the 40 or so tribes that have gambling establishments to contribute to a fund benefiting other tribes. 

The Davis administration has said the agreement capped the maximum number of slot machines at 45,206, but the legislative analyst’s office said by some interpretations the figure could be 113,000. 

Earlier this year, the tribes met to divide up the new machines but that information won’t be made public, said Daniel Tucker, chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association. 

Barankin said the attorney general does not have a complete count of the new machines. 

Meanwhile, on Aug. 8, the tribes gave the state $34.5 million, based on their own calculations of what they owe. However, the money was contributed without explanation in the form of a single check from the tribes’ accountant. 

The tribes didn’t know how much other tribes contributed. 

“We decided it was none of our business,” said Tucker, vice chairman of the Sycuan band of Indians near San Diego. “We didn’t get into those details.” 

The attorney general’s office has been trying to obtain an accounting since before the check arrived, Barankin said. 

Regulators are dealing with the tribes on a “sovereign government-to-sovereign government basis,” he said. 

Some of the money comes from a fee of $1,250 per slot machine that tribes must pay when they buy new ones, Barankin said. 

The money was placed into an account by state Treasurer Phil Angelides. 

The issue may not be resolved until a recently formed state gambling commission convenes. Davis named four of five members last week. No date for its first meeting has been set. 

“That’s pathetic,” said former Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy, a critic of expanded gambling. “How can they enforce the terms of the compact without knowing how many machines each tribe has purchased?” 

The tribes also have contributed at least $65,000 this year to Lockyer’s political coffers. 


Pact may short-change patients

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

LOS ANGELES — A compromise to rebuild Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with fewer hospital beds is raising concern that more uninsured residents will go without medical care. 

State and county lawmakers Sept. 1 ended a four-year feud over rebuilding the hospital in East Los Angeles, which was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It will have 600 beds, down from the current 770. 

Even with its current capacity, however, the hospital turns away about 150 uninsured patients a day, said Dr. Demetrios Demetriades, director of trauma and critical care at the medical center. 

The reduced number of beds is expected to worsen that problem in a county that has nearly 3 million uninsured residents. 

“We are going to have a big disaster on our hands unless we find another solution,” Demetriades told the Los Angeles Times. 

About $820 million will be spent rebuilding the hospital. An 80-bed, $47 million annex is planned for Baldwin Park, about 16 miles away. 

Other health experts said the annex will not make up for a smaller County-USC hospital, especially with public and private clinics closing throughout Los Angeles. 

“They are rationing care by making it 600 beds,” said Rodolfo Diaz, executive director of the Community Health Foundation in East Los Angeles. 


Barbara Christian broke the mold; community bids a pioneer professor farewell

By Josh Parr Daily Planet Staff
Saturday September 09, 2000

 

Barbara Christian was the sum cum laude of soul, a spirit who engendered and colorized the ivory tower of the American academy. At Thursday evening’s memorial in Wheeler Auditorium her spirit was invoked in jazz, text, poetry and play. 

Forging new space for African-American Women’s literature in the syllabus and African-American women in the faculty, Christian was a “pathbreaking scholar” according to Margaret Wilkinson, her colleague in the African-American Studies Department.  

“She brought African American women writers into the ivory tower,” Wilkinson said. “She carved out a physical, mental, and spiritual space for African-American women in the university.” 

Christian died of cancer, on June 25 at her Berkeley home. 

Born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Christian left her home for the frigidity of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her life was a series of firsts. She graduated from high school at 15, from college at 20. She received her doctorate from Colombia University in 1970, was an assistant professor at UC Berkeley in 1971, and became the first black woman to gain tenure in 1978. She was the first African-American woman to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1991, and the first to gain full professorship in 1986. 

The author of several books and over 100 essays, her landmark study, “Black Women Novelists: The Development of a Tradition,” brought national attention to such writers as Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. 

Ishmael Reed, a pioneer of African American literature himself, spoke before the 400 gathered in Wheeler Auditorium, saying, “She challenged white supremacy. She challenged a bunch of -isms. She was armed and dangerous.” 

Known for her ability to transform literature into living narrative, Christian taught people who thought they knew how to read, to read.  

“I thought I had read Beloved before I went into her class,” said former student Kelley Navies. “But then I realized I hadn’t even scratched the surface.” 

Christian’s theories provided a foundation for black women to assert control over their own image in American literature. Most images of black women were authored by white writers, and were based in stereotype. Without a historical tradition through which they could view themselves, many black women writers never felt themselves to be represented genuinely.  

What they did recognize, however, were stories told them by their mothers, their grandmothers, their neighbors. Those voices, those stories were unrepresented in libraries, curriculums and popular culture.  

“Barbara defined a field,” said Robert Berdahl, university chancellor. “She was a leader, a pathbreaker.” 

To commemorate her memory, a chair in the African American studies department was established in her name. A scholarship bearing her name will also permanently designate space for future African American women to continue to study literature at UC Berkeley.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Saturday September 09, 2000


Saturday, Sept. 9

 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Park 

Martin Luther King Jr. and Allston ways 

Poets will include Robert Hass, Jane Hirshfield, Kay Ryan, Michael McClure, Julia Butterfly Hill and others. For a complete list see www.peotryflash.org 

 

Open house 

Julia Morgan center for the Arts 

Meet new leaders and artist and learn about future plans for the facility. RSVPs encouraged 

2640 College Ave. Berkeley 

4- 7 p.m. 

845-8542 

 


Sunday, Sept. 1

 

“Doors to Madame Marie” 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

As part of the Jewish Learning Center’s Authors Series in the Library, Odette Meyers will be available for discussion and booksigning. 

848-0237 

 

“Next Stop, Greenwich  

Village” 

2-4:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center Cinema 

1414 Walnut St.  

Based on filmmaker Paul Mazursky’s own passage from Brooklyn to Greenwich Village, the film is about the dynamics of leaving home and trying to leave home behind. There will be a peer led discussion following the movie. 

$2 suggested donation.  

848-0237 

 

Solano Avenue Stroll 

10 a.m. 

The Local Legacies on Parade kicks off with Grand Marshal Wavy Gravy. The mile-long block party is filled with over 75 entertainers including RhythMix - a women's percussion group, Frog Legs - a Cajun band, and Mal Sharpe & Big Money in Dixieland. There's a giant slide, a bicycle ramp-jumping show, ethnic foods, game booths, a hang gliding simulator, pony rides, castle bounces, a silent auction, dunk tanks, art projects, palm readings and more.  

Admission is free. 

 


Monday, Sept. 11

 

“12th annual Berkeley YMCA  

Golf Tournament” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 11:00 a.m. 

Entry fee includes cart, lunch on the course and dinner. Proceeds benefit Albany-Berkeley YMCA  

$125 Entry Fee 

549-4525 

 

Voter workshop 

1 p.m. 

Learn about voting absentee and working a local polling places. North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, Sept. 12

 

Tai Chi Chuan 

11 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 13

 

Mid-Autumn Festival 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Last town hall meeting on the  

Berkeley Housing Authority  

Plan 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

For more information on the plan, call Wanda Remmers 548-8776 

 

Commission on Disability 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

The commission will discuss Project Impact disaster funding, I-80 overpass amenities, removal of obstacles from the sidewalk and more. 

 

 

 

Second Annual Bertram Gross Award 

7 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

The campaign to abolish poverty/full employment Coalition presents the second Annual Bertram Gross Award. Gross, 1912-1998, was the chief author of the Roosevelt Full Employment Act, the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act and the current full employment legislation HR1050. 

Award recipients are Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, Amaha Kassa, East Bay Alliance for Sustainable Economy and Pat Ford, international executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union. 

Music by Barbara Dane. $10-$15; nobody turned away for lack of funds. 

 


Thursday, Sept. 14

 

Eugene O’Neil House,  

Mt. Diablo State Park Trip  

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$21 per person 

644-6107 

 

Environmental Sampling Project Task Force 

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way 

Agenda items include public comment time and sampling reviews 

486-4387 

 

Pre-business workshop 

Small-business Development Center 

519 17th St. Suite 200, Oakland 

8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

$35  

273-6611, www.eastbayscore.org, eastbayscore@yahoo.com 

 

Yoga class 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107


Letters to the Editor

Saturday September 09, 2000

ADA gray areas need clarity 

 

Editor: 

I am writing to express my praise for the officers that were involved in the arrest of Michael Minasian on this past Sunday at Jupiter restaurant in Berkeley. I am the shift manager that signed the arrest warrant. The officers responded to a very difficult call, one that involves at best, what can be referred to as grey areas within the Americans with Disabilities Act. The officers acted responsibly and it was Mr. Minasian who became beligerent. In my opinion Mr. Minasian is attempting to exploit the law. According to a representative that I spoke with at the Department of Justice, when a person with no visible physical impairment whose dog bears no identifiable markings claims the the dog is a service animal, one can inquire as to the role and nature of the dog. After that inquiry is made, it is unclear under the act at what point federal law is violated. It is very important to note that at no time did I inquire into the nature of Mr. Minasian's disability. I did however make inquiries about the dog in an effort to comply with local health code requirements. The newspaper accounts unfortunately do not accurately state this. I have already received a personal apology from San Francisco Chronicle writer Henry Lee for his inaccurate account of the events that day. 

The ADA is a vital law and I am a proponent of it. But the grey areas that still exist need clarification. Do police officers need to obtain a warrant when responding to a call of this nature, before they can attempt to verify the veracity of one's claim. Do they need to obtain a warrant to inquire as to the function of the dog? Are merchants required to accept at face value the assertions of anyone with a dog? 

According to the Department of Justice, in a situation like this, a merchant is supposed to make a subjective call as to the validity of the customers’ claim. This is an unreasonable standard to set. If you make the wrong call you face a lawsuit. Service dogs should simply be required to be registered and readily identifiable. This simple solution would have kept a city official out of jail without jeopardizing his federal rights. 

 

Joe Bisbiglia 

Shift Manager, Jupiter Cafe, Berkeley 

 

 

Smith’s support of ‘mean spirited’ legislation astounding 

 

Editor: 

Thank you for the incisive front page coverage of the candidates running for City Council District 6 and their positions on Measure Y. 

I was astounded that candidate Norine Smith supports this mean-spirited piece of legislation which, as the other candidates correctly mentioned, will result in landlords not wanting to rent to the elderly, disabled, and the poor. 

Smith ironically states that she would poll people to gauge their concerns on a given issue. The facts about Measure Y are anathema to this admirable position. Measure Y was placed before the Council at the eleventh hour without the benefit of any public input or debate despite the fact that a similar measure which became law in San Francisco in 1998 was followed by an unprecedented increase of Ellis type evictions.  

The Ellis Act is a state law which allows owners to go out of the rental business with the provision that all units in the building must be vacated and not offered for rent again for a ten year period. 

A recent SF Chronicle article provides the statistics for Ellis evictions in that city: there were 17 for the fiscal year 97-98 while for the two subsequent periods following the passage of San Francisco’s measure equivalent to Measure Y this figure increased to 116 and 209 respectively; nearly a tenfold increase. 

Measure Y perfectly sets the stage for Ellis evictions via one of its provisions which grants attorney’s fees to any tenant - regardless of age, income or length of tenancy - in the event he or she prevails in an owner move-in eviction action. 

Ask any attorney about the myriad ways this could happen on a technicality and you get the answer for the high incidence of Ellis evictions in San Francisco. An owner who must move into his or her own property will avoid this potential legal quagmire by invoking Ellis, even if the intent of the owner was to only occupy one of the units involved. 

Tenants who otherwise would not have been affected find themselves evicted and forced to seek housing at a time when all agree there is a housing crisis. 

This brings us full circle; what if some of these ousted tenants happen to be elderly, disabled or poor? What will their chances be in their competition for housing?  

Given that hordes of prospects show up to apply for any reasonably priced Berkeley apartment for rent, Measure Y will put them at a disadvantage. 

Ms. Smith, as a candidate for City Council, displays little knowledge of the facts surrounding this issue. 

Measure Y is merely another regulation that will only result in the further decrease in the number of tenants in the protected categories and the further erosion in the number of Berkeley rental units. It only advances the careers of some local politicians and makes lawyers wealthy by preventing middle class owners from acquiring their own homes.  

 

Robert Cabrera 

Berkeley 

President, Berkeley Property Owners Association 

 

Rent board member to blame for tight rental market 

 

Edito: 

Stefanie Bernay's recent hate parade at a gathering of the Berkeley  

Property Owners Association underscores a generation of continued false promises made by Berkeley housing activists to UC Berkeley students. 

Over twenty years ago, tenant activists, in a fanatically desperate attempt to court the all-important student vote, had promised students they would be the primary beneficiaries of the most draconian rent control law in U.S. history. Yet students eventually found themselves shut out of the marketplace due to these misguided, bungled, and destructive housing policies. 

The situation has worsened in today's rental housing market, thanks to the efforts of Bernay and her colleagues on the Rent Board. Berkeley's austere rent control laws mean that owners are no longer allowed to be fair and reasonable when setting new rents. Owners have no choice but to set exaggeratedly higher rents, knowing that a vindictive, irrational  

Rent Board will make it impossible to raise those rents in future years.  

At the other end of the spectrum, nearly 65 percent of Berkeley's rental units are inhabited by long-term tenants who enjoy rents at 50 percent of bay area housing market levels. Although the Rent Board is mandated by law to allow owners to pass on reasonable inflationary increases to these  

tenants, the Board refuses to do so. The rent board has simply gone too far by denying these increases. 

The owners who gathered together during Bernay's “protest” have been denied millions of dollars in revenue, thanks to Bernay's actions.  

The pending lawsuit against the rent board is not only justifiable, it is non-defensible by city attorneys, and promises to be yet another ugly chapter in Berkeley's never-ending series of hate crimes against rental housing providers. 

 

Leon Mayeri 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Rediscovering the Berkeley shoreline – way down under all that ugly trash

By Joe Eskenazi Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday September 09, 2000

Enough plastic lids to top 1,000 six-packs. Enough cigarette butts – and, mind you, just the butts – to stretch from home plate to the right field wall and back home again at Pac Bell Park. Enough plastic grocery bags to supply a Dom DeLuise shopping run.  

These massive quantities of trash weren’t culled from somebody’s filthy mind, but instead from our local shoreline. The 16th annual East Bay Shoreline Cleanup is scheduled for the 16th of this month. And, as in the past, the event’s organizers will work late into the night, long after the volunteers have cleaned up and gone home, tabulating out the exact amounts of trash collected in an almost disturbingly methodical manner.  

So we know, down to the last wrapper, butt or other filthy unmentionable, that last year 1,041 volunteers picked up 40.27 tons of garbage, including 15,665 pieces of foamed plastic, 10,309 plastic food bags and/or wrappers, 5,998 plastic lids and the aforementioned 6,138 cigarette butts – all in four hours.  

“We’re very unusual in the way we do it,” says Patty Donald, a naturalist at the Shorebird Nature Center and coordinator of the local shoreline cleanup for the past 15 years. 

“After the participants are done (with the clean-up), we go back to the nature center and calculate all the items picked up at the Berkeley Waterfront, Aquatic Park and have Albany and Emeryville (figures) faxed to us. I try to get the information to the City Council as soon as I get it. If they have information as to what kind of garbage is showing up in Berkeley, they can change laws.” 

No bones, wrappers or little bit of hard plastic about it, what washes up on the shore can tell you a lot about the area’s inhabitants. Donald’s past collection data led to laws outlawing foam plastic food containers within Berkeley city limits. Interestingly enough, laws forbidding indoor smoking have led to vast increases in the numbers of cigarette butts littering the beaches. Instead of scrunching out cigarette butts in ashtrays, smokers are now tossing them into the gutters, where, almost without fail, they’ll flow through the sewers and end up on the shore (in addition to being where the land meets the sea, the beach is, unfortunately, where garbage from the land meets the garbage from the sea).  

“It’s kind of crazy, when you drive by you don’t see it,” says past cleanup volunteer Eric Chow, a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. “It’s surprising how much trash there is washed in from the shore and also from the land. It makes you think about littering. You’re going to think twice about doing it after you’ve done a project like this.” 

Last year, Chow and most of the other volunteers from UC Berkeley fraternities, sororities, societies and clubs were stationed within the clean-up’s “ground zero” – the stretch of frontage road between University and Ashby avenues.  

The heavily used – and abused – roadway is actually shut down to the public during clean-up hours (much to the wrath of speed demons hoping to elude bumper-to-bumper hellishness on Highway 80), while volunteers pick it clean and road crews fix the notoriously pockmarked concrete. 

In addition to Frontage Road, clean-up volunteers also hit Strawberry Beach, near Frontage Road and University Avenue, where Strawberry Creek runs into the Bay, Caesar Chavez Park, Shorebird Park Beach and “The Brickyards,” so called because the coastal site was used as a dumping ground for brick foundations following the 1906 quake, located south of Strawberry Beach. 

“For so many years, Cesar Chavez Park was the city dump,” says Donald (in fact, the road leading to the park is still known as “Old Dump Road”). 

“People get in the mindset of going down to the shoreline to dump their garbage. We’ve picked up water heaters, air conditioners, sofa beds and, a couple of years ago, there was a rash of people dropping off broken and headless parking meters (ah, those were the days!). Yet finding odd debris can be more than just mind-boggling; you can also make a buck! 

“They had a contest for who could bring in the weirdest thing they found and you’d get a prize for it,” says Chow. “One person found a message in a bottle, and it looked pretty old. Someone else found a Danish driver’s license.” 

While several local companies have generously donated prizes to be raffled off among the volunteers, Donald says she is less concerned about attracting prize-hunters than people who want to lend a hand and learn a lesson.  

“I don’t want people to come down for the free stuff, I want them here for the shoreline,” says the naturalist. 

“I don’t want people picking up stuff for half an hour and saying ‘where’s my coupon?’ I want them feeling how people can be such pigs, but, wow! We can make a difference!” 

 

For more information about participating in the East Bay Shoreline Cleanup on Sept. 16, call the Shorebird Nature Center at 644-8623 or check out the clean-up link on the City of Berkeley’s home page (www.ci.berkeley.ca.us).  

 


Cal Shakes tackles the age-old question of fidelity

By John Angell Grant Daily Planet Theater Critic
Saturday September 09, 2000

Can one trust a man when he pledges to a woman his promise of long-term fidelity? 

That is one of the themes in William Shakespeare’s unusual comedy “Love’s Labors Lost,” currently running in a visually exciting, but otherwise somewhat hit-and-miss production, as California Shakespeare Festival’s final outdoor summer offering at Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda. 

“Love’s Labors Lost” is a comedy about four enthusiastic young noblemen who make a pact to live in celibate seclusion for three years to pursue the study of philosophy so they can understand the deepest mysteries of life. 

However, when four French noblewomen suddenly show up on a political errand, the men make a complete one hundred and eighty degree reversal, fall in love with the women, and decide instead to woo love partners with the same enthusiasm they recently expressed for their celibate philosophical search. 

In many ways, Shakespeare’s play is more interesting in its conception than its execution. “Love’s Labors Lost” is one of those works credited to Shakespeare that feels like writers other than Shakespeare were involved in the creation of the material, making for hot and cold spots in the script. 

Similarly, director Lisa Peterson’s production has hot and cold spots. She has brought to the production an exciting concept and look – staging it in the 1920’s with a jazz and flappers feel – but the strength of the acting varies, and so does the chemistry among the performers.  

“Love’s Labors Lost” contains some of Shakespeare’s classic comedy bits. The unmasking of the four men, for example, occurs when secret love letters are discovered, and their non-celibate tendencies are exposed. 

Untypically for Shakespeare, this comedy does not end in marriage. As the end of the play moves inexorably towards a four-couple wedding, the father of one of the women dies and the celebration is dampened. 

The four men then pledge to wait a year until the four women have returned from mourning. 

In the context of the speed with which the four men earlier abandoned their celibate pledges, should we believe their new pledges of fidelity? This is one of the questions the play poses. 

Several of the most interesting characters in “Love’s Labors Lost” are common folk, in explicit contrast to the eight nobles. Among them, the “rustic” Costard (Colman Domingo) and the Spanish knight Armando (Gerald Hiken) get caught up in a bawdy sex triangle with dairymaid Jaquenetta (Emily Ackerman). The directness of these three in sexual matters contrasts with the hypocrisy of the nobility. 

Peterson’s staging has its pluses and minuses. In her vigorous and physical production, the madcap zaniness never quite jells. Often the production tries hard, but simply is not very funny. There is fire in the glances between only one of the four noble couples – Berowne (Jonathan Haugen) and Rosaline (Florencia Lozano) – but not in interactions of the other three couples. 

Except for the play’s finale, the scenes in which the eight lovers appear together for romance are oddly bland. Nancy Carlin, although she has some good technical acting skills, is an unpowerful presence as the Princess of France, the ringleader of the four noblewomen. 

L. Peter Callender is a fascinating and powerful actor. As King of Navarre, the ringleader of the four noblemen, he has distinctive moments early on organizing the philosophical retreat, but his romance with Carlin’s French Princess lacks fire. 

Gerald Hiken blows hot and cold as buffoonish Spanish knight Armando. He has some funny moments in the play’s second half, but his opening work gets swallowed up by the energy he puts into his Spanish accent. 

On the positive side, Julian-Lopez Morillas turns in one of the evening’s funniest performances as schoolmaster and buffoonish intellectual snob Holofernes. This is a man who uses language and philosophy in extreme poses and is out of touch with reality. In a wonderful piece of casting, Julie Eccles plays Boyet, the male chaperone to the four French women. She is rakish, loose and poly-sexual. 

Dirty joke-cracking Rosaline (Florencia Lozano) is the strongest of the four noblewomen, and the only one with a distinctive presence. 

There is a strong musical end to the show. Its final scenes are among its best. Designer Kate Edmunds’ spectacular set, which includes a hill on the stage covered with live grass, trees and flowers, blending back towards the actual open hillside behind the theater, is one of the most spectacular sets I’ve ever seen. 

Meg Neville has cooked up some wonderful 1920s costumes. Gina Leishman composed original music for the play’s many songs. There is a band on stage for most of the evening. 

“Love’s Labors Lost” is about weighing the merits of philosophical intellectual pursuit, versus the experience of love. Berowne, probably echoing Shakespeare’s view, concludes that it is from women that men can learn the real meaning of life. 

It is a good idea for a play, but neither in Shakespeare’s script, nor in the production, does the examination of the idea equal the merit of the thesis. 

“Love’s Labors Lost,” presented by California Shakespeare Festival at Bruns Amphitheater, Highway 24, Orinda, Tuesday through Sunday, through Sept. 23. Call 548-9666, or visit the website (www.calshakes.org). Dress warmly.


BHS gets off to rough start against Foothill

By Sean Gates Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday September 09, 2000

Big plays, a solid running game, an elusive quarterback, and a swarming Yellow’Jacket defense are all things Berkeley High football fans can look forward to this upcoming season. If the ‘Jackets can improve their special teams play and limit their penalties, Berkeley High football fans can look forward to a trip to the playoffs. 

The ‘Jackets kicked off the regular season and their second season under head coach Gary Weaver with a tough 20-7 loss to a Foothill Falcon team tabbed by many to repeat as EBAL division champions after winning last year’s East Bay 2A Championship.  

However, it was Foothill that appeared to stumble out of the gates – literally – early on. The Falcons provided a dose of pregame humor for those in attendance by running and stumbling through a ten-foot-long banner as they took the field. And after Foothill’s opening kickoff to Berkeley sailed out of bounds, it was the Falcons that were shooting themselves in the foot early on. 

But Berkeley quarterback Nitoto Muhammed was picked off by Falcon defensive back Scott Cooper on his very first passing attempt and the young Yellow’Jackets, returning just seven starters from last year’s squad, suddenly had to clamp down on Foothill’s offense. 

The ‘Jacket defense did just that. On their first defensive sequence of the season, Berkeley pushed the Foothill offense back four yards and forced a punt. The defense played solidly all game long, as the ‘Jackets swarmed in on tackles and contained the Falcon rushing attack.  

On offense, the ‘Jacket running game clicked with Ramone Reed, Germey Baird, and Muhammed all carrying the ball. Reed showed little signs of fatigue in adjusting to playing both tailback and linebacker full-time by rushing for a game high 110 yards on 12 carries, while Baird rattled off 22 yards on 3 carries. Muhammed directed the option attack with 35 yards on 9 carries. 

In addition to his contribution to the ground game, Muhammed completed nine of his 19 pass attempts for 85 yards. Weaver utilized his quarterback’s elusiveness and speed by calling rollouts and bootlegs. Looking back, it is a wonder Muhammed was only sacked once during the game, as the Falcon defense relentlessly stacked the line with eight defenders. When Muhammed was not bursting ahead for yardage, he was delivering passes to five different receivers. Anthony Franklin led all ‘Jacket receivers with three receptions for 34 yards and scored a 12-yard touchdosn in the second quarter when Muhammed bought time in the pocket, escaped an oncoming Falcon rush, and lofted a picture perfect pass to a wide open Franklin in the back of the end zone. 

Throughout the night, however, the battle for field position found Berkeley at a keen disadvantage. Both of Foothill’s first two touchdowns were a result of poor special teams play by the ‘Jackets. The Falcons received a gift after a botched punt gave them possession at Berkeley’s 22 yard line. Foothill then scored on a six-play drive that ended in an Ian Anderson rushing TD on fourth-and-goal from the one yard line. Until that scoring drive, Berkeley had held the Falcon offense to just 25 yards on 10 offensive plays. Berkeley’s next offensive series led to a punt that traveled just six yards after a misplaced snap. The Falcons had the ball again in Berkeley territory, this time traveling 45 yards on three plays in a short drive that ended with a two yard TD run by rb Brandon Strickler. 

After Muhammed threw an interception on the ensuing Berkeley possession, it appeared as though the Falcons would score again with 33 yards separating them from the endzone and three minutes left in the first half. But the ‘Jacket defense rose to the challenge and forced a Foothill punt. Berkeley’s offense then marched on a six play, 48 yard drive that cumulated in Franklin’s TD reception. Weaver and his coaching staff masterminded the impressive drive by working both the left and the right side of the field with rollouts, bootlegs, and misdirection plays. The ‘Jackets struck with their passing game, as five of the six play calls saw Muhammed zip the ball through the air. 

The second half saw the ‘Jackets dominate the time of possession but fail to capitalize on Foothill’s mistakes. Foothill missed two field goals and failed to convert both of their fourth-down opportunities. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, Weaver called for four straight passing plays that failed to move the chains. The Falcons took over at Berkeley’s 20-yard line and tight end Jared Kenitzer’s post pattern left him wide open, as he reeled in a 22-yard TD to push the Falcon lead to 13 points in a game much closer than the final score indicated. 

The Yellow’Jackets (0-1,0-0) continue the regular season with a road contest at James Logan at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15th.


BHS gets ready to go digital

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Saturday September 09, 2000

In a tiny room in the far corner of the C-building at Berkeley High School, a staff of three pedagogues are diligently building a high school within a high school. This school, however, isn’t built from bricks and wood, it’s built in cyberspace. 

History teacher Stefan Henryson, Spanish teacher Carolyn Gery and Network Administrator Antonio Castro are happy to wear several hats in order to coordinate Berkeley’s “digital high school,” an instructional network that will serve every one of the school’s 3,200 students and its 200 faculty members. 

Working with a $1 million grant from the California Technical Assistance Program, the trio are coordinating – along with some “very dedicated volunteers,” they say – a project that will get the school wired and bring computers to every classroom and instructional space. 

Henryson said they aren’t just computers, but “state of the art multi-media workstations” – Macintosh G-4’s or Gateway E-3200’s. There’s about 250 of them altogether. 

The three are in the process of bringing up the network, and said they hope to have it running by the end of the month. There are only about three more machines to install, Gery said. 

“Students will be able to log-in, have their own databases where they can store their work and create a portfolio. They will also be able to print to a student printer station.” Henryson said. “Teachers will be able to do the same.” 

Future filmmakers will also learn how to integrate computer technology with video, said district spokesperson Karen Sarlo. Students who work in the community television station, housed at the school, will be able to use the computers as part of the student productions aired on TV-25. 

Henryson said that he had hoped the library could house the print station hub, but last year’s fire damaged the library as well as other parts of the school. 

“The fire really changed what were defined as instructional spaces,” he said. 

But that hasn’t stopped them from putting the workstations in such places as the Community Theater, the gym and the pool. 

“We’ve had to provide additional lab areas as well as making sure every classroom has a computer,” Gery said. 

It has been a daunting task, they say, working to bring up an entire network for 3,400 people to use with only three full-time staff members. 

Not to mention unloading 500 boxes of equipment and getting the machines set up. And every computer had to be engraved with a serial number and placed and secured on tables, they said. 

But they’ve had help. 

“A lot of people have come in and contributed,” Henryson said. “Without their help, we wouldn’t be where we are.” 

Helpers include Paul Monroe, the district-wide technology coordinator, and Mike Miller and Chan Leung, two Berkeley High grads who have spent much of their summer working on the infrastructure of the network, connecting computers and troubleshooting. 

“We’ve also got a lot of positive response and help from the community and parents,” Henryson said. “The city even came out for network assistance, which says a lot about Berkeley.” 

He added that a number of community members as well as representatives from Apple and Gateway came out when they held a full-day of computer training on August 25. 

Henryson said that it was amazing to see the digital gap among the teachers. He said some teachers knew how to set up their own websites, while others were turning on a computer for the first time. 

Even more important will be bridging the digital divide that separates students who have computers at home and those with little access. 

“We’re all about trying to increase student accessibility,” Gery said. “Our big goal is to create areas with more access. We’re creating additional spaces, and we’re putting more machines into the existing labs and the Student Learning Center.” 

Castro, who graduated from Berkeley High and has worked with the school as an instructional technician for 10 years, remembered what it was like just three years ago when there were a paltry 20 machines in the library. 

“Most of those weren’t Internet capable,” he said. 

Gery said that they have until Feb. 1 to certify completion of the network and meet the benchmarks of the grant, which she says shouldn’t be a problem. 

Gery said that one standard is an individual learning plan for every freshman that will be filed in the database. That means over 800 freshman familiarizing themselves with the computers. 

“Everyone will also have their own log-in,” she added.  

“We’re taking all the paperwork and creating the database,” Henryson sighed, pointing to the sea of freshman files they will transform from paper into computerzed data – soon.


Cinemayaat Arab Film Festival brings new perspectives to screen

By Peter Crimmins Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday September 09, 2000

“I came to Casablanca for the waters,” Bogart mumbled as Rick Blaine. When Claude Raines told him there was no water, that they were in the desert, the owner of Café Americain didn’t miss a beat. “I was misinformed.” 

Indeed. The amiable clash between the subversive entrepreneur and the fallible French official made for ripping dialogue, and the hodgepodge of nationalities in that enduring Hollywood chestnut (a Swede, an Englishman, a couple of Frenchmen, an African-American on the ivories, and a whole slew of Nazis) allowed little details like geography flubs to go unnoticed.  

Casablanca, as any atlas will tell you, is on Morocco’s Atlantic coast and a comfortable distance from the Sahara. 

The producers of Casablanca were concerned about the title, fearing audiences would be confused because of its similarity to a popular Mexican beer, Carta Blanca. 

Les Casablancais (The Casablancans) is not out to right the wrongs of Hollywood, but it’s a story of three people whose lives unexpectedly cross under strained circumstances and will take the viewer on a tour of Casablanca, circa 1998. The film is screening Sunday at Berkeley’s Fine Arts Cinema as part of Cinemayaat, the fourth annual Arab Film Festival. 

The festival is spreading out around the Bay Area, at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco and the Towne Theater in San Jose. Cinemayaat is the only independent Arab film festival in America, and has set the standard for film programming to bolster community identity, and debate the nature of ethnic and religious prejudice. 

In addition to documentaries (both personal and political), features, and shorts from the wide swath of diverse Arabic cultures, Cinemayaat will bring Dr. Jack Shaheen’s presentation of Arab Screen Images to the Fine Arts Cinema on Friday, Sept. 15. The author of Arab and Muslim Stereotyping in American Popular Culture will elucidate the messages inherent in American images of Arabs. In the U.S. film industry, he told the Al-Ahram Weekly, “it is perfectly acceptable to vilify, to demonize, whatever or whoever is Arab and Muslim.” 

In his documentary “Paying the Price – the Killing of the Children of Iraq” (Friday, Sept. 15), British journalist John Pilger uses images of dying children to different ends than does Hollywood’s patriotic blockbusters. The investigation into the effects of UN sanctions against Iraq for their noncompliance in regard to destroying chemical weapons relies on pictures from pediatric wards to garner sympathy and anger in behalf of the starving and diseased. 

John Pilger, along with Denis Halliday who resigned as Assistant Secretary-General of the UN in protest of the sanctions, explores the effects of denying citizens essential imports of food and medicine from other countries. They explain the UN has a progression of actions it imposes on aberrant nations, the final step being military action. Imposing sanctions is the preceding step before war, but the effect they have on a country is warlike. 

Pilger explains why British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook refused to be interviewed for Paying the Price. He said he didn’t want to be in a movie with pictures of dead babies. 

Pictures of a more pointedly political agenda, and less grotesquely sensational, come from the pen of Naji Al-Ali, a Palestinian cartoonist murdered in 1987. The documentary Naji Al-Ali – an Artist with Vision (Thursday, Sept. 14) portrays his newspaper panels and restless political convictions for the people of Palestine. In the film Tamar Salman, editor of the Palestinian newspaper Al Safir said Al-Ali could “simplify the most complicated ideologies…and portray the real meanings behind them in just a few lines of drawings.” 

His signature figure, a destitute child named Handahla, always drawn with its back turned, was a watcher. He would calmly watch the tumultuous national identity move from the aftermath of the Isreali invasion of 1967 to Henry Kissinger’s oil deals. 

Cinemayaat’s celebration of the diversity of Arabic identities goes beyond the often unstable political landscape. The Arabic world’s film heritage, now strengthened by Egypt’s Youseff Chahine and Iran’s Abbas Kiarostami, gets spotlit with a trio of musicals from Egypt’s early film industry. 

Three musicals from the 1940’s are a part of this year’s program, one of which will come to the Fine Arts. Flirtation of Girls (1949) features the bumbling comedy of Nauib el Rihani, Egypt’s once reigning everyman comedian.  

The story of a teacher (Rihani) hired to tutor the daughter of a pasha climbs heights of hijinks when the daughter is more interested in playing coy games. 

The balcony scene, a la Romeo and Juliet, gets slapstick laughs as Rihani shows he is not nearly as graceful as Romeo in climbing a vine when dogs are napping at his heels. Another Egyptian musical comedy, Love of My Life (1947), and an “epic melodrama” called Salaamah (1945) will play the Towne next week. 

Festival programs can be picked up at the Fine Arts Cinema, or browsed online at www.aff.org.


Wood-burning stoves create quandary

By Nerissa Pacio Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday September 09, 2000

Wood-burning stove business representatives, pediatricians and public health officials were among those speaking out at a public hearing on restricting the use of wood-burning fireplaces held Thursday night by the city’s Community Environmental Advisory Commission. 

The commission took no action and will consider the public’s oral and written opinions before making a recommendation to City Council next month. Comments can be sent to the commission by Sept. 15. 

The commission has proposed 10 possible actions, from setting up a complaint hot line and sending out “smoke police” to enforce emission limits, to prohibiting the use of wood burn ing devices on “Spare-the-Air” days. Other proposals include the replacement of wood stoves with EPA-approved stoves, or a formal two-year study of the air to help the public make a more informed decision. 

“I’ve worked nearly half my life in third-world countries,” said Dr. Davida Coady, a pediatrician and Berkeley resident. “So, I’m very aware of the health hazards smoke causes to children who are directly exposed to cooking fires in the kitchen. And in my own home in the winter, when I don’t get home early enough to close the windows, smoke from neighboring chimneys comes in, and I get sinus headaches so bad that I’ve had to sleep in other people’s places.” 

Many residents such as Coady urged the commission to consider their personal testimonies as proof that wood burning should be banned.  

Bay Area communities that have already placed restrictions on wood-burning stoves include the cities of San Jose, Palo Alto, Petaluma, Dublin and Los Gatos.  

Though there has been talk in Berkeley for a year of requiring conversion of wood-burning fireplaces when homes are sold, the health hazards of wood burning raised even greater concern when the commission recently released a report compiling results of studies conducted over the last twenty years. 

Although the dangers are usually associated with automobile and factory pollution, the report cited a 1989-1996 study by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that stated “between 20 and 50 percent of air polluting particulate matter comes from home fireplaces and wood stoves.” 

Particulates can cause aggravated asthma and other increased respiratory problems and possible premature death due to heart rate interference. They are also known to contain certain cancer-causing chemicals, the commission report said. 

Dr. Anthony D.A. Hansen, an expert on smoke particles from Magee Scientific and a manufacturer of smoke-measuring instruments, said air particulates released by wood burners are tiny, hard particles, which are considered toxic air contaminants. However, the contaminants can not be consistently measured in the area due to variable winds from the bay that blow smoke away, he said. 

“It’s difficult to pinpoint the amount of smoke in Berkeley due to our location. If the air is stagnant, as in the spring or fall, the air will be hazy due to the smoke settling,” Hansen said. “But if the wind is blowing, the air will be much clearer. Air quality is diversely proportional to wind speed so this is a regional issue, not a local one.” 

People in the fireplace business also argued that the problem is regional and that converting wood stoves and fireplaces in Berkeley is not the final answer. 

Michael Gersick represents California Hearths and Homes, a Sacramento-based organization of fireplace designers. He told the commission that people should be educated to use wood stoves responsibly. He said that 30 percent of total emissions are actually produced during the kindling phase and do not come from the smoke itself. 

Gersick said his organization has a local interest in Berkeley because whenever regulations are being made by organizations in different locales, they “want to be sure to offer their expertise and make sure regulations adapted are fair and reasonable.” 

Others in the hearth industry, such as Karen Fenton of the Northern California-Nevada Hearth Products Association and Energy Unlimited in Richmond, said that the hearth industry has responded responsibly to health issues and that possible and potential damage to their businesses should be considered. 

“The hearth industry, of which I have been a member for the last 25 years, responded quickly and responsibly to the research and the laws that address wood smoke,” Fenton said. “We have done so because this is our livelihood. Not to be able to sell, service, and use hearth products, such as fireplaces, heaters, and the chimneys would cause us severe economic hardship.” 

The widely varying opinions and clashing data cited by many attendees from different groups revealed the need for more research and public education about the issue, said Elmer Grossman, a retired pediatrician and a member of the commission. 

“We are all students of this and no one really knows what to do,” he said. “Even the commission is in disagreement about the proposals and we’d like to hear what the public has to say so we can try and figure out how to solve this problem together.” 

Comments on wood-burning fireplaces and stoves can be sent to the CEAC at 2118 Milvia, Berkeley, 94704.


Renters protest owners

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Friday September 08, 2000

Rent Board member Stephanie Bernay stood with a crowd outside H’s Lordships Restaurant at the Marina and toasted the Berkeley Property Owner’s Association – celebrating inside – with a plate of Ramen noodles. The mock toast was for BPOA’s hiring a high-priced attorney to sue the rent board. 

At issue is the board’s annual rent increase – zero for units rented after Jan. 1 and a flat six dollars for all other units.  

The BPOA argues that a rent increase is needed to cover changes in operating costs –1.8 to 2.4 percent. That means an increase in rent of about $11.50 for a $571 per-month unit. 

The crowd, which included a number of UC Berkeley Students, rent board members and candidates, and City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, held a symbolic plateful of Ramen noodles wrapped in tin-foil to contrast to the invitation-only steak and salmon dinner hosted inside by the BPOA. 

The dinner was held to announce their hiring of attorney Jim Parrinello. 

Parrinello has represented both Tosco and Phillip Morris. In 1998 the attorney represented Oakland property owners Rose Ventures III, which members of the Lakeshore Tenants Association at 1200 Lakeshore Drive, sued for raising the rent 9 percent and turning a shared rooftop recreational facility into a luxury penthouse suite. 

He will be paid $50,000 to take the case on behalf of the Legal Defense fund for the BPOA. 

Jim Smith, the current membership chairperson for the BPOA and a former president of the Black Property Association, came outside to explain to reporters why the property owners are suing. 

“They will not grant a rent increase,” he said. “They should give us a reasonable percentage to keep up with inflation.” 

The sign-holding rent control supporters disagreed. 

Bernay introduced speakers at the makeshift press conference that was held next to the breezeway entrance to the restaurant. 

“How can they raise our rents any more,” she said. “They’re in there dining on filet mignon when all we can afford is Top Ramen.” 

“This is Berkeley! Justice will not be bought,” said Paul Hogarth, a November candidate for the Rent Board. Hogarth said that the property owners should run for seats on the Rent Board instead of suing. 

Max Anderson, Rent Board member up for re-election, said since 1997, rents on two-bedroom apartments have increased 51 percent, and one-bedrooms have increased by 47 percent. 

“I think its legitimate to ask, ‘how much is enough?’” he said, contending that the landlords have “pooled money for an expert on attacking poor people.” 

Smith said that the real issue is a housing shortage. 

“Rent Control doesn’t put anybody in a unit,” he said. “It’s been 20 years of rent control and it has removed thousands of units from the market.” 

Smith explained that if a landlord owned a single family home, because of rent control, he wouldn’t want to have to rent to someone who could be there for 10 years. So, many landlords have either moved into these houses or sold them to others who have moved into the units, therefore taking many homes off the rental market. 

“We all need to work together and focus on increasing the housing supply,” he said. “A larger vacancy rate is what brings rent down.” 

Nonetheless, the students bemoaned outrageous rents and Associated Students of the University of California showed solidarity in support of rent control. 

“It’s ridiculous for this attorney to be hired and we won’t tolerate it,’ said ASUC president Teddy Liaw. 

UC Berkeley sophomore Sarah Trejo, who was forced to pay a $7,000 security deposit on a $2,000 two-bedroom apartment she shares with three other UC Berkeley students said she and her roommates had to settle on it because landlords wouldn’t rent to them because there were too many of them, and they were being outbid. 

“And we had to outbid someone else to get it,” she said. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Friday September 08, 2000


Friday, Sept. 8

 

Computer, software help 

Vista College, Room 303, 7 p.m. 

Topic will center on Quicklink Pen, a small hand scanner 

For more information call (510) 527-2177 or meldancing@aol.com 

 

“Discipline & Citizenship” 

conference 

9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Graduate Theological Union 

Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

895-4542 

 

Conversational Yiddish 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Berkeley Critical Mass 

5:30 p.m. gather, 6 p.m. ride 

Downtown Berkeley BART plaza 

Join scores of happy cyclists and even some rollers and joggers in this monthly celebration and street reclamation. 

Kids welcome! After the ride there will be a free party. 

273-9288 

www.bclu.org 

 


Saturday, Sept. 9

 

Open house 

Julia Morgan center for the Arts 

Meet new leaders and artist and learn about future plans for the facility. RSVPs encouraged 

2640 College Ave. Berkeley 

4- 7 p.m. 

845-8542 

 


Sunday, Sept. 10

 

“Doors to Madame Marie” 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

As part of the Jewish Learning Center’s Authors Series in the Library, Odette Meyers will be available for discussion and booksigning. 

848-0237 

 

“Next Stop, Greenwich  

Village” 

2-4:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center Cinema 

1414 Walnut St.  

Based on filmmaker Paul Mazursky’s own passage from Brooklyn to Greenwich Village, the film is about the dynamics of leaving home and trying to leave home behind. There will be a peer led discussion following the movie. 

$2 suggested donation.  

848-0237 

 


Sunday, Sept. 10

 

Solano Avenue Stroll 

10 a.m. 

The Local Legacies on Parade kicks off with Grand Marshal Wavy Gravy. The mile-long block party is filled with over 75 entertainers including RhythMix - a women's percussion group, Frog Legs - a Cajun band, and Mal  

Sharpe & Big Money in Dixieland. There's a giant slide, a bicycle ramp-jumping show, ethnic foods, game booths, a hang gliding simulator, pony rides, castle bounces, a silent auction, dunk tanks, art projects, palm readings and more. Admission is free. 

 


Monday, Sept. 11

 

“12th annual Berkeley YMCA  

Golf Tournament” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 11:00 a.m. 

Entry fee includes cart, lunch on the course and dinner. Proceeds benefit Albany-Berkeley YMCA  

$125 Entry Fee 

549-4525 

 

Voter workshop 

1 p.m. 

Learn about voting absentee and working a local polling places. North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, Sept. 12

 

Tai Chi Chuan 

11 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 13

 

Mid-Autumn Festival 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

Last town hall meeting on the  

Berkeley Housing Authority  

Plan 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

For information on the plan, call Wanda Remmers 548-8776 

 


Thursday, Sept. 14

 

Eugene O’Neil House,  

Mt. Diablo State Park Trip  

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$21 per person 

644-6107 

 

Environmental Sampling Project Task Force 

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way 

Agenda items include public comment time and sampling reviews 

486-4387 

 

Pre-business workshop 

Small-business Development Center 

519 17th St. Suite 200, Oakland 

8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

$35  

273-6611, www.eastbayscore.org, eastbayscore@yahoo.com 

 

Yoga class 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

What next for Haiti? 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue, 

What is the true story behind the recent elections in Haiti? What’s the real impact of the global economy on Haiti? 

483-7481  

please call to reserve childcare 

$5-10 

 

 

 

 


Friday, Sept. 15

 

“The Barber of Seville” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

“Lift the Sanctions from Iraq” 

Interfaith Brunch & Community Gathering 

Talk by Denis Halliday, Former U.N. Assistant Secretary-General 

10:30 a.m. -noon 

Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento 

(510) 527-8370 

 


Saturday, Sept. 16

 

Shoreline clean-up walk 

10 a.m. 

Seabreeze Market, on Frontage Road just west of University Avenue 

Friends of Five Creeks leads a walk, talking about  

history, wildlife, and restoration possibilities from Strawberry to Codornices Creeks, as part of Coastal Cleanup 2000.  

Call: 848-9358  

 


Sunday, September 17

 

Berkeley Citizen’s Action Endorsement Meeting 

2-5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

To include local and state endorsements. 

Please place this upcoming event in your listings. 

Contact: BCA Co-chair Linda Olivenbaum at (510) 652-1206 

Call 549-0816 

 


Thursday, Sept. 21

 

Hearing to terminate the  

Conditional Order for  

Abatement for Pacific Steel  

Casting Co. 

9:30 a.m. 

Bay Area Air Quality management District 

939 Ellis St. 7th Floor Board Room 

San Francisco 

415-749-4965 

 


Friday, September 22

 

Point Reyes Nature Center, Earthquake Trail Trip 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$18 per person 

644-6107 

 


Saturday, Sept. 23

 

From Capitalism to Equality 

2 p.m. 

Niebyl-Proctor Library 

6501 Telegraph Ave. at Alcatraz 

Why have the conditions of work become more difficult and the 

rewards more unequal since 1973? Join author Charles Andrews to 

discuss these issues and solutions for them. 

$5 admission includes $10 discount coupon the book, “From Capitalism to Equality” 

535-2476 

 


Sunday, Sept. 24

 

“First Steps in Finding your Family History” 

Brunch 10:30 a.m., lecture 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Using both story-telling and generational techniques, Dr. Lois Silverstein will offer beginning steps to rediscovering family heritage and traditions.  

$4 for BRJCC members and $5 for all others 

848-0237 

 

5th anniversary party and film festival 

Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Fifth Birthday 

6-8 p.m. party 

film: 8:30-10:30 p.m. 

Pyramid Alehouse Outdoor Movie Theater 

1901 Gilman St. 

The event is to honor five years of BFB bike advocacy. Films will include: “Pedalphiles and Dinosaurs Against Fossil Fuels” 

Bring something to sit on. 

Free to members; $10-$20 sliding scale to non members.  

549-7433 

 

“How Berkeley Can You Be?” 

11 a.m. on University Avenue and California Street, culminating at Civic Center outside Berkeley High School 

Festival in the park starts at 12:30 p.m. 

849-4688, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

 


Monday, Sept. 25

 

Open forum on affordable housing 

5:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Sean Heron of the East Bay Housing Organizations will talk about building a campaign for affordable housing. Sponsored by the Affordable Housing Advocacy Project. 

1-800-773-2110 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 27

 

“Improving your bottom line” 

2-5 p.m. 

Berkeley Yacht Club 

1 Seawall Dr. 

Speakers include, Mayor Shirley Dean, Dr. Drian Nattrass and Mary Altomare Natrass, authors of “The Natural Step for Business” and two of the world’s leading authorities on providing a strategic business framework promoting sustainabiliity and profitability. 

 


Saturday, Sept. 30

 

Jim Hightower: “Election 2000: a Space Odyssey” 

8 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Sponsored by KPFA and Global Exchange 

“I am an agitator,” Hightower says. “The agitator is the centerpost in a washing machine that gets the dirt out.” 

$10 in advance/$12 at the door 

848-6767 x609 

 

 


Monday, October 2

 

“2nd annual Berkeley City Championship” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Entries accepted August 1. Entry Fee includes gift, cart and Awards Dinner. Proceeds benefit local organizations and projects. This event determines Berkeley City Champion and Seven other Flight Winners. 

$115 Entry Fee 

841-0972 

“Clean Lies Dirty War” 

7:30 p.m. Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar 

Event is part of a national campaign to end sanctions on Iraq.  

(510) 528-5403 

 


Thursday, October 5

 

3rd annual Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Association Golf Tournament 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 7:30 a.m. Entry Fee includes cart range balls and Award Luncheon. Proceeds benefit Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Scholarship Fund. 

$99 Entry Fee 

644-6554 

 

ONGOING EVENTS 

 

Sundays 

Green Party Consensus Building Meeting 

6 p.m. 

2022 Blake St. 

This is part of an ongoing series of discussions for the Green Party of Alameda County, leading up to endorsements on measures and candidates on the November ballot. This week’s focus will be the countywide new Measure B transportation sales tax. The meeting is open to all, regardless of party affiliation. 

415-789-8418 

 

 

 

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.com/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

644-8511 

 

 

 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

 

 

Thursdays 

The Disability Mural 

4-7 p.m. through September 

Integrated Arts 

933 Parker 

Drop-in Mural Studios will be held for community gatherings and tile-making sessions. This mural will be installed at Ed Roberts campus. 

841-1466 

 

Fridays 

Ralph Nader for President 

7 p.m.  

Video showings to continue until November. Campaign donations are requested. Admission is free.  

Contact Jack for directions at 524-1784. 

 

2nd and 4th Sunday 

Rhyme and Reason Open Mike Series 

2:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 

The public and students are invited. Sign-ups for the open mike begin at 2 p.m. 

234-0727;642-5168 

 

Tuesday and Thursday 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

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

644-6109 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Letters to the Editor

Friday September 08, 2000

Celebrate pier with renaming 

 

Editor: 

For over 10 years I have walked the Berkeley Pier in the late afternoons. It is not unusual to hear five to six languages other than English and see the cultural expressions that accompany them. This pier is truly an extraordinary asset, welcoming everyone as it does.  

In keeping with the international spirit of the city of Berkeley I propose that the Berkeley Pier be officially called the City of Berkeley International Pier. 

 

William Noel 

Berkeley 

 

Setting the record straight 

Editor:  

Thank you very much for your article on the West Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation on Thursday, Sept. 2. I need to follow up on one major point. I owe a deep apology to our much respected former board member and business consultant, H.S. Zulu. I did not fairly represent the reason why he has withdrawn from the Fifth Street Market project for the next few months. 

Mr. Zulu is indeed seeking housing (like reporters of this and other Bay Area newspapers). His situation reflects the widespread problem of displacement and spiraling housing costs in the area. Looking for permanent housing for himself and his children must be his first priority at this time. His contributions to the Fifth Street Market have been invaluable and I deeply regret that I may not have conveyed that fully to your readers in the recent interview.  

 

Willie Phillips  

President  

West Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

their positions on Measure Y. 

I was astounded that candidate Noreen Smith supports this mean spirited piece  

of legislation which, as the other candidates correctly mentioned, will  

result in landlords not wanting to rent to the elderly, disabled, and the  

poor. 

Smith ironically states that she would poll people to gauge their concerns on  

a given issue. The facts about Measure Y are anathema to this admirable  

position. Measure Y was placed before the Council at the eleventh hour  

without the benefit of any public input or debate despite the fact that a  

similar measure which became law in San Francisco in 1998 was followed by an  

unprecedented increase of Ellis type evictions.  

The Ellis Act is a state law which allows owners to go out of the rental  

business with the provision that all units in the building must be vacated  

and not offered for rent again for a ten year period. 

A recent SF Chronicle article provides the statistics for Ellis evictions in  

that city: there were 17 for the fiscal year 97-98 while for the two  

subsequent periods following the passage of San Francisco’s equivalent to  

Measure Y this figure increased to 116 and 209 respectively; nearly a tenfold  

increase. 

Measure Y perfectly sets the stage for Ellis evictions via one of its  

provisions which grants attorney’s fees to any tenant - regardless of age,  

income or length of tenancy - 

in the event he or she prevails in an owner move-in eviction action. 

Ask any attorney about the myriad ways this could happen on a technicality  

and you get the answer for the high incidence of Ellis evictions in San  

Francisco. An owner who must move into his or her own property will avoid  

this potential legal quagmire by invoking Ellis, even if the intent of the  

owner was to only occupy one of the units involved. Tenants who otherwise  

would not have been affected find themselves evicted and forced to seek  

housing at a time when all agree there is a housing crisis. 

This brings us full circle; what if some of these ousted tenants happen to be  

elderly, disabled or poor? What will their chances be in their competition  

for housing?  

Given that hordes of prospects show up to apply for any reasonably priced  

Berkeley apartment for rent, measure Y will put them at a disadvantage. 

Ms. Smith, as a candidate for City Council, displays little knowledge of the  

facts surrounding this issue. Measure Y is merely another regulation that  

will only result in the further decrease in the number of tenants in the  

protected categories and the further erosion in the number of Berkeley  

rental units. It only advances the careers of some local politicians and  

makes lawyers wealthy by preventing middle class owners from acquiring their  

own homes.  

 

Robert Cabrera 

President  

Berkeley Property Owners Association 

 

23 Hillside Ct. 

Berkeley, CA 94704 

 

843 8772 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Friday September 08, 2000

 

Ebony Museum of Arts 

The museum specializes in the art and history of Africa.  

Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.  

30 Jack London Village, Suite 209. (510) 763-0745. 

 

Habitot Children’s Museum 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

“Back to the Farm.”  

Ongoing 

An 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 more.  

Cost: $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under.  

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.  

647-1111 or www.habitot.org 

 

Judah L. Magnes Museum 

2911 Russell St.  

549-6950 

Free 

Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

“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. 

“Spring and Summer.”  

Through Nov. 4. 

“Chagall: Master Prints and Posters, Selections from the Magnes Museum Collection.”  

Through Sept. 28. 

 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 

“Mandala: The Architecture of Enlightenment,” through Sept. 17.  

An exhibit of rare and exquisite works featuring more than forty mandalas and related objects including sculptures and models of sacred spaces. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students age 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 through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

642-0808. 

 

UC Berkeley Museum  

of Paleontology 

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley 

“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. 

642-1821. 

 

Stork Club 

Wire Graffiti 

9:30 p.m. Sept. 23 

$5 

2330 Telegraph, Oakland 

444-6174 

 

Jupiter-Berkeley Events 

2181 Shattuck Ave. 

(510) THE-ROCK 

Sept. 8: Cuban inspired Beth Custer Dona Luz 30 Besos 

Sept. 9: Funky blues and jazz with the Paula Murray Trio 

Sept. 12:Tenor Joshi Marshall comes back wsith jazz/blues/funk 

Sept. 13: Musicians Rosin Coven 

Sept. 14: Phat beats wit the Beatdown featuring DJ’s Delon, Add 1 and Yamu 

Sept. 15: Folk, blues, funk with Sex Fresh 

Sept. 16: New-scholl jazz combo of Bird 54 featuring Joshi Marshall and Gavin Distasi 

 

Downtown Berkeley Association 

Lunchtime Concert Series 

Every Thursday through October 

noon - 1p.m. 

Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza 

1 hour free parking available in Center Street Garage 

Sept 14: A cappella groups The UC Men’s Octet & the California Golden Overtones 

Sept 21: African percusion players Pacal Bokar 

Sept 28: Berkeley High School Jazz Combo  

Oct. 5: Brazilian music players Capoeira Arts Cafe & Company 

Oct. 12: Members of the  

Berkeley Symphony performing  

chamber music 

Oct. 19: Jazzschool’s vocal jazz ensemble Vocal Sauce 

Oct. 26: East Bay Science & Arts Middle School will perform folk, swing and Cuban rueda dances 

 

Ashkenaz 

1317 San Pablo Ave.  

525-5099 

www.ashkenaz.com 

Sept. 5, 9 p.m. A night of Big Mountain Awareness with Blackfire 

Sept. 6, 8 p.m. lesson and 9 p.m. show Poullard-Thompson Band (Cajun) 

Sept. 8 Fantcha 

Sept. 27, 8 p.m., dance session, 9 p.m., music 

Kate Brislin, Jody Stecher, Heath Curtis, Bluegrass intentions 

Old time, Appalachian music $10 

Sept. 28:Benefit for Bay Area Arts Collective.  

Features the Hip Hop group Nameless and Faceless $5, 9 p.m. 525-5099 

 

The Greek Theatre 

Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals, Maceo Parker, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. $30.  

Hearst Avenue and Gayley Road, Berkeley. (510) 444-TIXS 

 

Henry J. Kaiser  

Convention Center 

Daniela Mercury, Sept. 8, 8 p.m. $35. 

10 10th St., Oakland. (510) 534-6348, (510) 762-BASS 

 

Philharmonia  

Baroque Orchestra 

Nicholas McGegan conducting, Sept. 9 and Sept. 10.  

A performance of Handel's opera-oratorio “Semele.”  

$32 to $46. Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. First  

Congregational Church, Dana Street and Durant Avenue,  

(415) 392-4400 or www.philharmonia.org 

 

The Jazzschool 

2375 Shattuck Ave. 

Dick Hindman Trio 

4:30 p.m., Sept. 17 

$12; $10 students/seniors; $6 for Jazzschool students and children under 13 

 

Cal Performances 

Marisa Monte 

Brazils’ best-selling pop singer performs her unique mix of styles, re-interpreting traditional Brazilian genres and filtering them through contemporary global joazz, funk and pop. 

Sept. 25., 8 p.m.  

Zellerbac Hall, UC Berkeley campus, Bancroft Avenue at Telegraph.  

$20 - $32  

642-9988 

Eli’s Mile High Club 

3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland 

(510) 655-6661 

Doors open at 8 p.m. 

Sept. 8: Sonny Rhodes 

Sept 15: Takezo 

Sept. 22: J.L. Stiles 

 

Films 

University of California,  

Berkeley Art Museum 

Pacific Film Archive 

2575 Bancroft Way 

642-1412 

“Treasures from the George Eastman House” 

Various programs and a 16-film salute to little-known actresses. 

Sept. 10, 5: 30 p.m. : “The False Faces” (1919)  

7:20 p.m.: “The Penalty” (1920) 

Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m. : The Love That Lives” (1917) 

7 p.m.: “Madame X” (1920) 

Sept 22, 7:30 p.m. : “Backstairs” (1921) 

8:55 p.m. : Berlin-Alexanderplatz (1931) 

$7 for one film; $8.50 for double bills. UC Berkeley students are $4/$5.50. Seniors and children are $4.50/6.00  

 

Paramount Movie Classics  

Summer 2000 Series  

The evening includes a classic movie, walk-in music from the Wurlitzer  

organ, a newsreel, cartoon, movie previews and the Paramount's prize  

give-away game “Dec-O-Win.” 

Sept. 8: The French Connection. 

Sept. 22: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. 

$5. Shows at 8 p.m. 2025 Broadway, Oakland. (510) 465-6400. 

 

Theater 

“The Green Bird” by Carlo  

Gozzi 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre 

2025 Addison St. 

Adapted by Theatre de la Jeune Lune and directed by Dominique Serrand.  

“The Green Bird” runs from September 8 - October 27. For tickets contact the box office at 845-4700 

 

“The Philanderer”  

by George Bernard Shaw 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Performed by the Aurora Theatre company, “The Philanderer” takes on the challenging and often humorous exploration of gender roles and the separations that exist between the sexes. 

Preview dates are September 8-10 and 13, tickets for preview showings are sold at $26. Opening night is September 14, admission is $35. Showtimes run Wednesday through Saturday through October 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees show at 2 p.m., plus selected Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. Admission for regular performances is $30. Student discounts are available. For tickets and information call 843-4822 or visit www.auroratheatre.org. 

 

“MIMZABIM!” 

Climate Theatre & Subterranean Shakespeare 

La Vals Subterraniean 1834 Euclid, Berkeley 

Sept.7 -Oct. 14 

Thursday - Saturday 8:00 p.m. 

$12, Students $8 

 

Julie Morgan Theatre 

Fanny at Chez Panisse 

Musical based on the book with opening proceeds going to the Verde Partnership Garden in Richmond. 

7 p.m., opening night benefit $50, tickets for remaining shows are $26-$34 

Runs Sept. 13 through Oct. 29 

2640 College Ave., Berkeley 

1-888-FANNY06 

 

Exhibits 

The Artistry of Rae Louise  

Hayward 

The Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 

3023 Shattuck Ave. 

548-9286, ext. 307 

Through Sept. 27 

Rae Louise Hayward, one of the founders of The Art of Living Black, Bay Area Black Artist Annual Exhibition and Open Studios Tour. 

Haywards’ art celebrates the beauty of African culture from its people to its music.  

Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday 1-7 p.m., Saturday 12-4 p.m. and by appointment.  

 

Traywick Gallery 

1316 Tenth St.  

527-1214 

Charles LaBelle 

Sept. 9 - Oct. 15 

LaBelle’s new series of large-scale color photographs highlight nighttime nature in Hollywood. He recreates trees at night using a hand-held spotlight and playing on the beam across the leaves and branches. The opening reception will be held on September 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.  

Blue Vinyl by Connie Walsh  

Sept. 9 - Oct. 15 

This multimedia project combines video, sound and printmaking to explore concepts of intimacy and its relation to private space. The opening reception is on September 12 from 6-8 p.m. 

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11-6 p.m. and Sundays 12-5 p.m. 

 

A.C.C.I. Gallery  

“Paperworks,” through Oct. 7.  

A group exhibit of works by Carol Brighton, Vannie Keightley, Jean Hearst. 

Opening Reception, Sept. 1, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2527 

 

Berkeley Art Center 

“Ethnic Notions: Black Images in the White Mind,''  

Sept. 10 through Nov. 12. An exhibit by Janette Faulkner exploring racial stereotypes in commercial imagery. Free. Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6893 

 

California College of Arts and Crafts  

“Add/Drop/Add: CCAC Fine Arts Faculty Exhibitions”  

through Sept. 16. 

Free. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oliver Art Center, 5212 Broadway, Oakland. 594-3712 

 

Chi Gallery  

“Alegres Cantos en Mi Ser (Songs of Joy in My Being)” through Sept. 30.  

An exhibit of paintings depicting scenes of Afro-cuban music, by Susan Mathews. Reception, Sept. 9, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Free. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. 912-A Clay St., Oakland. (510) 832-4244. 

 

Kala Institute  

“Layerings: New Work by Four Kala Fellows” through Sept. 28. The 2000 Kala Art Institute Fellowship Awards Exhibitions, Part II of works by Margaret M. Kessler, Barbara Milman, Michele Muennig, and  

David Politzer. Free. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Workshop Media Center  

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

 

Readings 

Rhyme & Reason Poetry Series 

Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant 

Second and fourth Sundays of each month. For open reading following featured readers, sign up at 2 p.m., readings begin at 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 10. Q.R. Hand, Tennessee Reed 

 

Readings at Cody’s 

2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m. Glenn Dickey, “Glenn Dickey's 49ers – the Rise, the Fall and the Future of  

Football's Greatest Dynasty.” 

Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. Julia Cameron and her book “The Artist's Way.”  

 

Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place  

843-6812 

Free 

Sept. 10, 6-7p.m. “Overcoming Obstacles to Meditation” 

Instructor Abbe Blum talks about meditation troubles and how they can be viewed to unlock the mind’s secrets. 

Sept. 17, 6-7 p.m. “Knowledge of Freedom” 

Buddhist teacher June Rosenberg will demonstrate how “Knowledge of Freedom” teachings can be applied in daily life. 

 

Rhyme and Reason Poetry Series 

Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive 

2621 Durant Ave. 

2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. 

Includes featured readers and open mike poetry. Free 

2 p.m. sign-up. Program runs from 2:30 - 4 p.m. 

Sept. 10: Q.R. Hand, Tennessee Reed 

Sept. 24: Jessie Beagle, Kirk Lumpkin 

Oct. 15: Professor Ron Loewinsohn (Morrison Room, UC Main Library) 

Oct. 29: Fernando Brito, Lara Dale 

234-0727 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National  

Laboratory 

Scientists and engineers guide visitors through the research areas of the laboratory, demonstrating emerging technology and discussing the research’s current and potential applications. A Berkeley lab tour usually lasts two hours and includes visits to several research areas. Popular tour sites include the Advanced Light Source, The National Center for Electron Microscopy, the 88-Inch Cyclotron, The Advanced Lighting Laboratory, and The Human Genome Laboratory. Reservations required at least two weeks in advance of tour. 

Free. University of California, Berkeley. 

486-4387 

 

Berkeley City Club Tours 

Guided tours through Berkeley’s City Club, a landmark building designed by architect Julia Morgan, designer of Hearst Castle. 

$2. The fourth Sunday of every month except December, between noon to 4 p.m.  

2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 

848-7800 

 

Golden Gate Live Steamers 

Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size, run along a half mile of track in Tilden Regional Park. The small trains are owned and maintained by a non-profit group of railroad buffs who offer rides.  

Free. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley.  

486-0623  

Dance 

Yoshi’s 

Ray Brown Trio with Kevin Mahogany, through Sept. 10. $20 to $24 general; Sunday matinee: $5 children; $10 adult with one child. 

Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. (510) 238-9200 or  

(510) 762-BASS 

 

Luna Kids Dance 

Creative dance for children 

Parent-child class 

Sept. 9, 9-10 a.m. 

Redwood Day School, 3245 Sheffield Ave, Oakland 

Sept. 12, open house 

Ashkenas, 1317 San Pablo, 4:30-5:30 p.m. 

530-4113 

 

Mark Morris Dance Group 

“Four Saints in Three Acts” and “Dido & Aeneas” 

Sept. 21-24 Zellerbach Hall 

Music by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and American Bach Soloists 

Tickets: $34 - $52 

643-6714 


Panthers serve up an easy victory over Contra Costa

By Sean Gates Daily Planet Correspondent
Friday September 08, 2000

After the undefeated St. Mary’s women’s volleyball team posted their third win of the young regular season by coasting to a 15-7, 15-3, 15-3 victory over the Contra Costa Christian Cougars, first year St. Mary’s head volleyball coach Herman Shum commented that, “something we really work on is to take the opponent out of the game.” One could argue that Shum’s statement contained just a tinge of truth in it, for the Cougars played as though they were never in the game to begin with.  

Jazmin Pratt sparked the Panther riot by serving up nine consecutive points to open up the contest. While the Cougars did fight back to narrow the gap to within 10-7, Pratt nullified any further damage with a spike and an ace to push the Panther lead to 12-7. Shum then brought in the taller Ronice Sweet to substitute for Karen Sommers in anticipation of a play at the net. Sweet’s height was not needed, however, as the Panthers served their way to the final three points and a first set victory. 

Setter Akilah Wilhite assumed serving duties from Pratt to start the second set, and the carnage continued: easy serves by St. Mary’s that were rarely returned successfully. Wilhite dished out a total of six aces in the game, second only to Pratt’s 11. The Panthers jumped out to a 9-1 lead behind the serves of Wilhite and Pratt and wrapped up its second set with a 15-3 win. 

A scary fact is that the Panthers actually got stronger as the game progressed, as anyone who witnessed the third set will attest to. Shum told his squad during the interval that the third set is “where you can afford to try things.” But the only thing the Panthers tried was the same thing they did all game long: serve, ace, score. This time, St. Mary’s rattled off an unbelievable 13 consecutive points to start the set. A timeout by Contra Costa after the Panthers had jumped to an 8-0 lead managed to give them a sideout and possession of the serve. This just delayed the inevitable, as St. Mary’s immediately regained possession of the serve and applied the finishing touches for a 15-3 win. 

Leading the attack was Pratt, who racked up 30 serve attempts, accounting for more than half of the team total of 58. Eleven of Pratt’s 30 attempts translated into aces. Even more impressive is the fact that Pratt committed just one error. Such a statistic is a testament not only to the focus displayed by the hustling Panthers but the confusion and chaos that reigned on the Cougar side of the net. 

Not to be outdone by their teammate, Ronice Sweet led the Panthers with nine spikes, followed closely by the eight posted by Nisha Chada and Elisabeth Carr. Carr also led the Panthers in kills, with five, and Sweet used her imposing height to record two solo blocks. The hustle department featured Suzanne Vendit and Marisa Diaz as major players. Both recorded two digs on defense, complementing Chada’s team high total of three. 

Asked after the game what his expectations were for his squad, Shum didn’t hesitate. “Definitely playoffs... I’m bringing in a new system. The girls are excited and working hard.” If their game against the Cougars is any indication of what lies ahead, the St. Mary’s Panthers will be an exciting team to watch. 

The Panthers (3-0, 0-0) will kick off league play with a home contest against the El Cerrito Gauchos at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, September 12th.


Department receives money from tobacco settlement suit

By Josh Parr Daily Planet Staff
Friday September 08, 2000

Habitot, an indoor romper room for toddlers, was filled to capacity with smiling and suited adults. Generally ignored by the infant inhabitants, Alameda County Supervisors Wilma Chan and Keith Carson stood before a model firetruck, handing out checks to Berkeley health care providers. Eleven organizations received $1.2 million in funds collected from Proposition 10, a voter-approved tobacco tax to provide a comprehensive system of early childhood development services for young children. 

Standing with Chan was Mayor Shirley Dean, who touted the city’s plan to provide “pre-natal to pre-school” health care with the new funds. 

“The Health Department will do home visits to new born babies where the public health nurse will be able to assist the parents, tell the parents what kind of medical care and immunizations they need to do, asses the family’s needs, and make referrals to places where they can get the help they need,” Dean said. 

Dr. Vicki Alexander, director of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health for the city’s Health Department, received a check for $100,000. “This money has been a long time coming. The home visits will ensure that every child is ready for school, regardless of race, income, or parents’ levels of education,” Alexander said. 

The program, said Alexander, brings together parents, community organizations, the city and county governments, the schools and the university to provide early childhood education before kindergarten. Such a program will attack achievement gaps which develop among school children later, around third grade, Dean said. 

“Healthy kids become healthy adults, and the problems with health care start right at the beginning of life. The problems of early education start then and there also,” Dean said. “What we’re trying to do with the pre-natal to pre-school program is recognize this link between health and education.” 

Dean said early childhood is the proper, and least expensive, time to intervene in a child’s life. 

“If you can change the environment, not just the physical, but the health environment, the family environment, the learning environment of a child in a positive way, you will make a difference. Our goal is that every child in the city of Berkeley will enter kindergarten healthy, ready and motivated to learn, and this will address later achievement gaps in the schools,” Dean said. 

“Some families will require more assistance than others and they will receive that.”  

The home visit program will address other disparities as well. Revelatory findings in the city’s 1999 Health Status Report showed Berkeley had the largest disparity in low-birth weight between black and white babies in the nation. 

According to the report, the rate of low birth-weight babies born between 1990-1998 in Berkeley for African American women was 14.8 percent. Comparable rates for whites was 4.7 percent. Alexander, an African-American pediatrician, attributes the disparity to the psychological and physical toll of racism. 

“Regardless of income and education, you have higher blood pressure and infant mortality rates in African-American communities. And while half of those numbers can be reasonably attributed to income, education, and medical causes like smoking and drugs, the other half is not due to anything we can put our finger on,” Alexander said. 

Racism affects “low birth weight babies” in the African-American community because of a process she called, “weathering.” 

“Just living day to day, there is constant stress on the mother, stress in the community, and as a woman gets older, her stress levels rise. When you add that to stress levels that an expecting mother is going through anyway, lower birth weights are a natural consequence.” Alexander said. 

“These programs will try to rectify the differences in birth weights, ensure that kids are immunized, see that there is no lead in homes, increase pay of childcare workers, and educate parents and grandparents,” Alexander said. 

But even if there are plans to bridge the disparity gap, there are several hurdles yet to be overcome. There is still a health care crisis to be reckoned with, said Marty Lynch, Executive Director of Lifelong Medical Care, an organization he calls the “primary safety net provider for health care” in low-income areas of Berkeley. 

“There are between 15,000 and 20,000 people living in Berkeley without health care coverage,” said Lynch. Because of this, his clinic sees the hardest-hit portion of the population. 

“We see unbelievable examples of disparity in the areas we work in - mostly South and West Berkeley and North Oakland. It ranges from more chronic health problems like cancer, heart disease, and hypertension to mothers-to-be who have difficulty getting pre-natal care.” 

“The problem is outreaching to the people who need health care,” he said. “We have almost no capacity or resources to get to everyone who needs it. For whatever reasons, they often don’t come to us. All we have now is some doctor time - but even then we can’t serve everyone who comes through our doors. It’s impossible for us to serve the needs of the community.” 

 


Smaller cinematic endeavors triumph

Peter Crimmins Special to the Daily Planet
Friday September 08, 2000

In the almanac of cinema distribution, September begins the in-between season. When the summer blockbusters have cooled off and the holiday fare is yet to come a-caroling, a window of opportunity opens up for smaller, quieter films to be seen and local festival programmers can get a foothold on the moviegoing public. 

The first festival of this season is the MadCat Women’s International Film Festival, a showcase of earnestly experimental short films with a slightly misleading title. Ariella Ben-Dov, the festival founder, programmer, organizer, and all-around cheerleader, has put together a handful of programs by women filmmakers, whose subject matter is not necessarily women. 

The fourth annual MadCat festival kicks off its 2000 incarnation with four programs at the Pacific Film Archive, which runs today and Saturday, jumps across the Bay to the Artist’s Television Access, a storefront screening gallery in San Francisco’s Mission District, then moves further down to the backyard screening space of El Rio, a bar lower in the Mission. 

If the 20th century has been dominated by movies as an historical and psychological imperative, and if moving pictures are landmarks of great moments – public and private – in our lives, Hollywood can smugly pat itself on the back. The films of MadCat stand in opposition to the movie industry’s cultural insistence, but not as entrenched guerillas. The reactionary tone of the most effective films denounce the hegemony of the industry and its products, and at the same time they acknowledge a great affection for its spectacular glories. 

Where “Chaos Hags,” I and II, by Courtney Egan, is a two-minute looping collage of hair and lips and breasts and legs cut out from movie clips (with the “Wizard of Oz” mantra on the soundtrack: “Only bad witches are ugly”), a more forgiving ode to the graceful embrace of cinema is “Madame X,” a narcotic homage montage of on-screen water ballet. It doesn’t have the grandeur of Busby Berkeley, but is does have the fetish. Both shorts screen as part of the “Reinventing Cinema” program Saturday night at the PFA. 

Also in “Reinventing Cinema,” “Illusions” by Julia Dash closely mimics Hollywood’s classic style with a slyly subversive narrative. An African-American woman “passes” as a white executive of a movie studio during the rampant patriotism of the movie industry’s WWII effort. Among its Art Deco interior design and standard camera technique so ingrained in mainstream cinema you hardly notice it’s there, the character is given space to rant about her ambition to use the Hollywood structure to tell stories of real people, not just war heroes. The film is trying to historically buck the system, and is still able to indulge in musical numbers with coifed blondes and tuxedoed soft-shoe. 

It’s not just Hollywood’s sparkle and fade that threaten to be the popular document of history. Television and home movies offer a visual chronicle of our lives and times, and the filmmakers featured in MadCat are prone to problemize their visual cues.  

War, for example, is serious stuff. Survivors of war zones are treated with valor or pity. In the short documentary “Happy are the Happy,” Sarah Jane Lapp and Jenny Perlin asked them if anything funny happened, if dark times. Whereas Roberto Bignini’s Oscar-winning performance of zany antics in a concentration camp (“Life is Beautiful”) often lost sight of its horrors, the moments of jocularity in “Happy are the Happy” are never divorced from the bleak setting.  

Here’s a taste, from Sarajevo: 

A man returns to his village from the war with a new car. 

He spends all day driving the car around the plaza, smiling and waving his hand out the window. His friends tell him he’s being foolish, because everybody has a car. “Yes,” he says, “but not everybody has a hand.” 

Black humor, undeniably grotesque. But not altogether unfunny, in a sort of sick way. “Happy are the Happy” screens Friday night at the PFA in the “World Travelers of the Mind” program, which is followed by “Remembering the Past,” a program in which films continue to problemize historical events. 

In “Lineage,” in the “Remember the Past” program, filmmaker Erika Mijlin mines her father’s home recordings of the Apollo II moon landing. 

Dad had recorded the television broadcasts of Walter Cronkite’s reports of Houston collecting transmissions from space. The great distance between the viewer and the subject renders the true historical event taking place on the Mijlin family’s living room floor, not Tranquility Base.  

“Lineage” uses the static disruptions and blurry images to create a memory-scape of mankind’s giant leap in the summer of 1969.  

Sara Takahashi takes those ambiguities of film – scratches and blurs and distortions of light – personally in “Cut, Cut, Re-Cut,” screening at the PFA on Saturday as part of the “Reframing the Frame” program.  

Her film manipulates home movies from her childhood into what she calls a “prosthetic autobiography,” an account of her family dynamic, burdened by the artificiality of her artifacts.  

Through optical printing, densely layered editing and broken filmstrips Takahashi searches for an absolute truth inside 8mm frames, and gets tangled up in theories of plasticity and projection.  

Her voice over narration wonders if she is getting any closer to her mother, to whom we hear her speaking on a long-distance phone call. 

For more information on the MadCat Women’s International Film Festival, call the catline at (415) 436-9523, or log onto www.soaglow.com/madcat.


Sports briefs

Staff
Friday September 08, 2000

The Cal men’s golf team opened the 2000-01 season with a seventh-place finish at the Topy Cup at the Tanagura Country Club in Japan.  

Tohoku Fukushi of Japan won the 11-team competition, which featured four U.S. collegiate teams.  

Individually, senior Dong Yi, in his first competition for the Bears after taking a redshirt year last season, tied for 12th. After shooting an opening-round 76, he came back with a pair of 71s for a three-round total of 218 (+2).  

Unfortunately for Cal, no other player broke par in any round. Freshman Jayme Berkowitz opened with a 72, but finished tied for 37th with a 228 total. Walter Chun, who started with a 79, finished 73-72 to complete the tournament tied for 26th (224).  

The Bears return to action Sept. 25-26 for the Husky Invitational in Seattle.  

*** 

Student Tickets are still on sale for the upcoming football season. Season tickets cost $59 and are on sale at the Cal Athletic Ticket Office, located at 2223 Fulton St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. They may also be purchased at the Recreational Sports Facilty through Friday Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

If you want to see the 2000 Big Game vs. Stanford, tickets are still available. Also on the home schedule are UCLA, Utah, Washington State and Oregon State.  

*** 

Cal heads to the Farm this weekend not to face their conference foe, the Cardinal, but to face a less familiar adversary in Northeastern University. The Huskies represent the America East Conference. Although a perennial field hockey powerhouse, Northeastern went through a rebuilding phase last year and finished 8-12.  

The Huskies are still a young team with only two seniors returning in forwards Krisanne Duchemin and Jenn Foley. Rounding out the Husky line-up are eight freshmen, seven sophomores and only three juniors. Northeastern comes to the West Coast after a 2-1 win over UMass, evening their overall record to 1-1. Cal is 0-1 all-time versus Northeastern, losing 3-1 in 1986.


School Board approves high school cameras

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Friday September 08, 2000

 

Berkeley High School students will soon have 38 watchful eyes looking over them in the hallways of the C, G and H buildings, the School Board decided Wednesday night. In a 4-0-1 vote, the board approved the use of the 38 cameras to monitor activity at the school, which suffered a rash of arson fires last year.  

Board President Joaquin Rivera, and Directors Pamela Doolan, Shirley Issel, and Ted Schultz voted in favor of the measure, while Vice President Terry Doran and Student Director Niles Xi ‘An Lichtenstein abstained. The student director’s vote is advisory. 

Directors added language to the resolution to make sure that the cameras would not provide live surveillance without the board’s permission and that the cameras could not be used for teacher evaluation. 

Doran, however, said he didn’t want surveillance under “any circumstance.” 

Issel voted in favor of the resolution only after adding a clarifying amendment to the resolution. “I want to be crystal clear that there would be no live surveillance without the permission of the board,” she said. 

She added that live surveillance could be useful and it shouldn’t be ruled out. 

“This is really serious and requires some public discussion, but it’s more useful than saying ‘you can never use this.’” 

Questions also arose over who would authorize the viewing of the tapes.  

The board left it to the judgment of the either the school administration, the Police Department or the Fire Department, if an incident were to occur that would compromise the safety of the students. 

Although the plan to install the cameras was devised in hopes of catching the arsonists, the cameras could theoretically be used at the discretion of the administration or the police, to review student behavior, such as violence or vandalism. 

“There will be a bunch of precedents,” Superintendent Jack McLaughlin said. “We have to develop a clear policy as to when its OK to go back and look at the videotape.” 

Issel added that it was imperative that the cameras be used as intended – the protection of the students. 

“You can’t provide for the safety of the students if you don’t have the means,” she said.  

“But there is a potential for abuse, and we have a responsibility to ensure that the devices be used for the purposes they were intended, which is prevention and apprehension.” 

McLaughlin said the cost of the implementation would be about: 

• $63,000 for cable installation. 

• $55,000 for equipment cost. 

• $22,000 for equipment installation. 

He said that these costs are estimates, and that staff will be working with contractors on the exact installation costs and the use of existing district cabling.  

Funds for the project could come from a one-time block grant that the school received from the state, or from bond interest, he said, explaining that there are still many details to work out, including a date for beginning the installation. 

“The concept is now approved,” he said. “We just have to get the details worked out.”


Proposition 10 recipients

Staff
Friday September 08, 2000

l Alta Bates Foundation/ Infant Follow-Up Clinic- $64,877 

The clinic serves high risk infants and includes neurodevelopment assessments, diagnostic and referral services plus expansion of clinic-based services. 

 

l Berkeley-Albany YMCA - $50,000 

The program provides developmentally appropriate integrated and comprehensive early intervention and prevention services to children age 0-5 with disabilities. 

 

l Center for the Education of the Infant Deaf - $46,250 

The funding will pay for outreach and training around infant hearing/deafness issues, including assessment training for public health nurses. It will include home visits. 

 

l Family Violence Law Center - $50,000 

The funding will go to family violence prevention programs for families whose children are at risk of abuse or neglect, including parenting skills and anger management classes and legal services. 

 

l Habitot Children’s Museum- $25,000 

The funds will go to a children’s educational program for low-income families and agencies serving at-risk families. 

 

l Jewish Children and Family Services - $35,000 

Funding is for prevention/early intervention services to the Jewish preschool system, including mental health services and parent support classes. 

 

l Lifelong Medical Care- $28,844 

The funding is for community health outreach to provide follow-up and community linkage to ensure low-income pregnant women receive prenatal medical services. 

 

l The Link to Children - $30,000 

The program provides mental health services for children and their families, including mental health intern recruitment/training, and parent empowerment services (education, newsletter, video/books.) 

 

l Through the Looking Glass- $50,000 

The program provides community-based family support services to disabled and deaf communities including outreach to expectant parents with disabilities, in-home support for disabled grandparent caregivers and disabled parents and children. 

l Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center - $20,000 

Funding will go for a staff position to allow a children’s program coordinator to conduct more outreach and develop more program linkages to other community-based organizations and services. 

 

l City of Berkeley Public Health Department - $100,000 

The funds will go for community organizing, education and planning programs to increase health and education services for young children and their families.


New league causes shifts in travel, traditional rivalries

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday September 08, 2000

St. Mary’s won’t play traditional rivals El Cerrito or DeAnza in football league play this year. Berkeley High won’t play Piedmont or Salesian at all. These historied matchups won’t be happening because of the formation of a new league in the East Bay. 

The Bay Shore Athletic League begins play this year, and many rivalries from the East Bay Athletic League, the ACCAL and the Superior Athletic League will have to be played out in non-league matchups. 

But that is a small price to pay for BSAL member St. Mary’s, which will now be matched up against teams closer to its own size, between 500 and 600 students. 

“It won’t make a big difference for football, but in smaller sports it’ll probably be more fair,” said St. Mary’s athletic director and head football coach Dan Shaughnessy. “We were getting overwhelmed in some sports.” 

The BSAL consists of St. Mary’s, Kennedy, Albany, Piedmont, St. Joseph’s, Holy Names, John Swett, St. Patrick-St. Vincent and Salesian. 

Berkeley High has moved to the ACCAL from the EBAL. They are now matched up against the biggest schools in the area, such as DeAnza and Alameda, and will have to make certain adjustments. 

“The biggest advantage now is there’s less travel, and funny things happen when you travel,” said Berkeley head football coach Gary Weaver. “Now the boys’ and girls’ families can come out and see their kids play more often.” 

Weaver said the biggest difference between the EBAL and the ACCAL is the style of play. 

“The EBAL teams were more passing-oriented, while the new teams seem to be better running the ball,” he said. 

While Berkeley High has less travel, St. Mary’s will have more, thanks to trips to BSAL members Kennedy, John Swett and St. Patrick-St. Vincent. 

“We’ll be heading up to Vallejo and out to Swett, but we won’t have any problems with transportation. Mom and Dad will go to Cucuomunga to see the kids play,” Shaughnessy said. 

While traditional rivalries may have been put aside during league play, St. Mary’s will still play former league-mates El Cerrito, DeAnza and Pinole Valley in pre-season play. 

“We’ve had real good competition with those teams, and formed close bonds,” Shaughnessy said. “We still want to compete against them. Now it’s just for bragging rights.”


Shellmound preservation effort strong

Josh Parr
Thursday September 07, 2000

Paved over, built on, and even sold for fertilizer and tennis court bedding, the West Berkeley shellmound is now completely covered by the cityscape.  

Monday evening, the Landmarks Preservation Commission convened to discuss procedures to preserve the remnants of Native American culture that lie beneath the blacktop. 

Though the commission did not endorse a proposed amendment to the existing Landmark Ordinance written by Vivian Khan, acting deputy director of the city’s Planning Department, it did unanimously decide to set such guidelines at a later meeting. 

Included in Kahn’s proposal were expansions of the Shellmound District boundaries, permit approval requirements, environmental review requirements, and exemptions for emergency repairs. 

At stake is the Landmarks Commission’s ability to review all permits for development, whether repairs, construction, or infrastructure work, that take place in the Shellmound Cultural Resource District - a swath of land extending beneath I-80 to what is now the Nature Company parking lot at the corner of Hearst Avenue and Fifth Street. 

“Basically,” says Khan, “the intent of the proposal was to preserve the resource. It would set guidelines for reviewing proposed building permits in the area so that any decisions made around development or repair would be based in fact – so you’re not flying blind and destroying a historical resource.” 

Several bones of contention were exhumed in last night’s deliberations. 

“We’ve never had to protect a resource that we can’t see,” Kahn said. “How to balance protection with the needs of developers is extremely delicate.” 

The proposals to extend the LPC’s jurisdiction to city streets was unprecedented, according to Rene Cardinaux, director of public works. 

“It’s the first time they’ve landmarked blocks and streets,” says Cardinaux, “and it could affect the ability to maintain utilities.” Cardinaux attended last night’s meeting to find a way to fast track public works’ projects in the shellmound area. 

“The protection proposals create a separate zone with its own rules, and I want to be able to maintain utilities and streets without having to get permission from the landmarks committee. What happens if there’s an emergency one morning, and the committee isn’t meeting for a month? 

“I don’t want somebody standing over me saying, ‘Hey wait a minute, you might be disturbing some shells,” says Cardinaux. 

Also affected will be the competing telecommunication firms trying to make inroads into Berkeley. Because West Berkeley is a growing area for dot-com businesses, competing telecommunication firms are attempting to access the “undeveloped” Oceanview neighborhood with cable and telecommunication technology. Building terminal boxes across the city, the telecom companies only need a city permit issued by the Public Works Department to begin construction. Because all permits to dig would fall under the supervision of the Landmark’s Commission, it could cause delays for “customers who want DSL lines.” 

If the shellmound district expands, as proposed, the zone would extend to include the Frontage Road and the Hearst Avenue right of way, an area covering Spenger’s Parking lot, Truitt and White Lumber Company and myriad smaller residences and dot-com “lofts.” If such a designation is given to this chunk of cityscape, argues Cardinaux, it would create a zone where something as simple as digging a hole in the ground would require an archaeologist and a Native American observer to get accomplished. 

So the public works head wants to map out the area, “to show where all the pipes and previous excavations were. This allows us to show that we’d be taking out soil that had already been imported, and didn’t have any historical resource in it. That will allow us to go ahead with the work that we need to get done, the work would be pre-approved,” says Cardinaux. 

“What I’m doing is getting control back on the streets.” 

Essentially, Cardinaux would be able to green light telecom digs through the Shellmound district, something that Leslie Emmington Jones, a member of the commission opposes. 

“We should have Pac Bell come before us,” she says. “If it falls under preservation, that’s what this commission is for.” 

Activists from the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association say that such practices will not only undermine commission authority, but will chip away at an irreplaceable resource. Even if maps show where the imported soils are, “crews often miss by a foot or so, and even that would destroy historical resources that we don’t even know exist,” says John Dore, principal of Archaeological Mapping Specialists. 

“City workers would have the ability to designate what a cultural deposit is or isn’t. I often have to call in a geomorphologist to determine what’s an artifact and what’s not,” says Dore. 

Furthermore, public works excavation techniques don’t lend themselves to finding or preserving such artifacts, says Stephanie Manning, a member of BAHA. “There are piles of rubble from past digs sitting by the railroad tracks, and I’m certain that artifacts can be found inside them.” 

Richard Schwartz, a local contractor and author of “Berkeley 1900,” a compendium of old Berkeley Gazette stories, says that such a loophole provides carte blanche access for development and places a historical resource in the hands of people whose primary interests are at odds with preservation. 

“In construction, everybody’s job depends on construction. If you think that anyone in the field has an interest in reporting archaeological finds, think again,” said Schwartz. 

He also remembers what happened to the Emeryville shellmound. “There were all kinds of promises about what would happen there, but because protecting the site was not a priority, the shellmound is now gone. 

“The only way to preserve the shellmound is to decide to protect it. Trying to find a balance between development and preservation only means that preservation is being compromised,” says Schwartz.


Thursday September 07, 2000

Wednesday, Sept. 6 

Alzheimer’s and dementia  

support group 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Martial arts demonstration 

noon-1 p.m. 

Sproul Hall steps, Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley  

UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program will put on a demonstration to show what martial arts styles are offered at the university. 

Contact Patrick at beatty@haas.berkeley.edu. 

 

Thursday, Sept. 7 

Housing Advisory  

Commission 

Regular meeting 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Agenda includes discussion and action on project-based Section 8 proposal and program to inspect vacant units and monitor for fire alarms. 

 

Growing wise  

with Betty Goren 

10:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

“Discipline & Citizenship” conference 

6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 

Graduate Theological Union 

Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

 

Conversation between actor  

Paul Newman and Laura  

D'Andrea Tyson 

5 p.m. 

UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Arthur Andersen Auditorium 

Gayley Road between Hearst Avenue and Bancroft Way 

The event inaugurates the business school's annual lecture series Forum on Philanthropy in Business. 

 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Among the issues the board will hear is a tenant’s appeal of a hearing examiner’s decision. The tenant in a building at 2472 Virginia St. will argue that the rent reductions granted for habitabilitiy problems were too small. 

 

Friday, Sept. 8 

Computer, software help 

Vista College, Room 303, 7 p.m. 

Topic will center on Quicklink Pen, a small hand scanner 

For more information call (510) 527-2177 or meldancing@aol.com 

 

“Discipline & Citizenship” 

conference 

9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Graduate Theological Union 

Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

895-4542 

 

Conversational Yiddish 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Berkeley Critical Mass 

5:30 p.m. gather, 6 p.m. ride 

Downtown Berkeley BART plaza 

Join scores of happy cyclists and even some rollers and 

joggers in this monthly celebration and street reclamation. 

Kids welcome! After the ride there will be a free party. 

273-9288 www.bclu.org 

 

Saturday, Sept. 9 

Open house 

Julia Morgan center for the Arts 

Meet new leaders and artist and learn about future plans for the facility. RSVPs encouraged 

2640 College Ave. Berkeley 

4- 7 p.m. 

845-8542 

 

Sunday, Sept. 10 

“Doors to Madame Marie” 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

As part of the Jewish Learning Center’s Authors Series in the Library, Odette Meyers will be available for discussion and booksigning. 

848-0237 

 

“Next Stop, Greenwich  

Village” 

2-4:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center Cinema 

1414 Walnut St.  

Based on filmmaker Paul Mazursky’s own passage from Brooklyn to Greenwich Village, the film is about the dynamics of leaving home and trying to leave home behind. There will be a peer led discussion following the movie. 

$2 suggested donation.  

848-0237 

 

Sunday, Sept. 10  

Solano Avenue Stroll 

10 a.m. 

The Local Legacies on Parade kicks off with Grand Marshal Wavy Gravy. The mile-long block party is filled with over 75 entertainers including RhythMix - a women's percussion group, Frog Legs - a Cajun band, and Mal  

Sharpe & Big Money in Dixieland. There's a giant slide, a bicycle ramp-jumping show, ethnic foods, game booths, a hang gliding simulator, pony rides, castle bounces, a silent auction, dunk tanks, art projects, palm readings and more. Admission is free. 

Monday, Sept. 11 

“12th annual Berkeley YMCA  

Golf Tournament” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 11:00 a.m. 

Entry fee includes cart, lunch on the course and dinner. Proceeds benefit Albany-Berkeley YMCA  

$125 Entry Fee 

549-4525 

 

Voter workshop 

1 p.m. 

Learn about voting absentee and working a local polling places. North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Tuesday, Sept. 12 

Tai Chi Chuan 

11 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Wednesday, Sept. 13 

Mid-Autumn Festival 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

Last town hall meeting on the  

Berkeley Housing Authority  

Plan 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

For information on the plan, call Wanda Remmers 548-8776 

Thursday, Sept. 14 

Eugene O’Neil House,  

Mt. Diablo State Park Trip  

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$21 per person 

644-6107 

Environmental Sampling Project Task Force 

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way 

Agenda items include public comment time and sampling reviews 

486-4387 

 

Pre-business workshop 

Small-business Development Center 

519 17th St. Suite 200, Oakland 

8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

$35  

273-6611, www.eastbayscore.org, eastbayscore@yahoo.com 

 

Yoga class 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

What next for Haiti? 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue, 

What is the true story behind the recent elections in Haiti? What’s the real impact of the global economy on Haiti? 

483-7481  

please call to reserve childcare 

$5-10 

Friday, Sept. 15 

“The Barber of Seville” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

“Lift the Sanctions from Iraq” 

Interfaith Brunch & Community Gathering. Talk by Denis Halliday, Former U.N. Assistant Secretary-General 

10:30 a.m. -noon 

Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento 

527-8370 

Saturday, Sept. 16 

 

Shoreline clean-up walk 

10 a.m. 

Seabreeze Market, on Frontage Road just west of University Avenue 

Friends of Five Creeks leads a walk, talking about  

history, wildlife, and restoration possibilities from Strawberry to Codornices Creeks, as part of Coastal Cleanup 2000.  

848-9358  

 

 

 

Sunday, September 17 

Berkeley Citizen’s Action Endorsement Meeting 

2-5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

To include local and state endorsements. 

Please place this upcoming event in your listings. 

Contact: BCA Co-chair Linda Olivenbaum at (510) 652-1206 

Call 549-0816 

 

Thursday, Sept. 21 

Hearing to terminate the  

Conditional Order for  

Abatement for Pacific Steel  

Casting Co. 

9:30 a.m. 

Bay Area Air Quality management District 

939 Ellis St. 7th Floor Board Room 

San Francisco 

415-749-4965 

 

Friday, September 22  

Point Reyes Nature Center, Earthquake Trail Trip 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$18 per person 

644-6107 

 

Saturday, Sept. 23 

From Capitalism to Equality 

2 p.m. 

Niebyl-Proctor Library 

6501 Telegraph Ave. at Alcatraz 

Why have the conditions of work become more difficult and the 

rewards more unequal since 1973? Join author Charles Andrews to 

discuss these issues and solutions for them. 

$5 admission includes $10 discount coupon the book, “From Capitalism to Equality” 

535-2476 

 

Sunday, Sept. 24  

“First Steps in Finding your Family History” 

Brunch 10:30 a.m., lecture 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Using both story-telling and generational techniques, Dr. Lois Silverstein will offer beginning steps to rediscovering family heritage and traditions.  

$4 for BRJCC members and $5 for all others 

848-0237 

 

5th anniversary party and film festival 

Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Fifth Birthday 

6-8 p.m. party 

film: 8:30-10:30 p.m. 

Pyramid Alehouse Outdoor Movie Theater 

1901 Gilman St. 

The event is to honor five years of BFB bike advocacy. Films will include: “Pedalphiles and Dinosaurs Against Fossil Fuels” 

Bring something to sit on. 

Free to members; $10-$20 sliding scale to non members.  

549-7433 

 

“How Berkeley Can You Be?” 

11 a.m. on University Avenue and California Street, culminating at Civic Center outside Berkeley High School 

Festival in the park starts at 12:30 p.m. 

849-4688, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

 

Monday, Sept. 25 

Open forum on affordable housing 

5:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Sean Heron of the East Bay Housing Organizations will talk about building a campaign for affordable housing. Sponsored by the Affordable Housing Advocacy Project. 

1-800-773-2110 

 

Wednesday, Sept. 27 

“Improving your bottom line” 

2-5 p.m. 

Berkeley Yacht Club 

1 Seawall Dr. 

Speakers include, Mayor Shirley Dean, Dr. Drian Nattrass and Mary Altomare Natrass, authors of “The Natural Step for Business” and two of the world’s leading authorities on providing a strategic business framework promoting sustainabiliity and profitability. 

 

Saturday, Sept. 30 

Jim Hightower: “Election 2000: a Space Odyssey” 

8 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Sponsored by KPFA and Global Exchange 

“I am an agitator,” Hightower says. “The agitator is the centerpost in a washing machine that gets the dirt out.” 

$10 in advance/$12 at the door 

848-6767 x609 

 

 

Monday, October 2 

“2nd annual Berkeley City Championship” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Entries accepted August 1. Entry Fee includes gift, cart and Awards Dinner. Proceeds benefit local organizations and projects. This event determines Berkeley City Champion and Seven other Flight Winners. 

$115 Entry Fee 

841-0972 

“Clean Lies Dirty War” 

7:30 p.m. Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar 

Event is part of a national campaign to end sanctions on Iraq.  

(510) 528-5403 

 

Thursday, October 5 

3rd annual Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Association Golf Tournament 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 7:30 a.m. Entry Fee includes cart range balls and Award Luncheon. Proceeds benefit Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Scholarship Fund. 

$99 Entry Fee 

644-6554 

 

ONGOING EVENTS 

 

Sundays 

Green Party Consensus Building Meeting 

6 p.m. 

2022 Blake St. 

This is part of an ongoing series of discussions for the Green Party of Alameda County, leading up to endorsements on measures and candidates on the November ballot. This week’s focus will be the countywide new Measure B transportation sales tax. The meeting is open to all, regardless of party affiliation. 

415-789-8418 

 

 

 

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.com/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

644-8511 

 

 

 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

 

 

Thursdays 

The Disability Mural 

4-7 p.m. through September 

Integrated Arts 

933 Parker 

Drop-in Mural Studios will be held for community gatherings and tile-making sessions. This mural will be installed at Ed Roberts campus. 

841-1466 

 

Fridays 

Ralph Nader for President 

7 p.m.  

Video showings to continue until November. Campaign donations are requested. Admission is free.  

Contact Jack for directions at 524-1784. 

 

2nd and 4th Sunday 

Rhyme and Reason Open Mike Series 

2:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 

The public and students are invited. Sign-ups for the open mike begin at 2 p.m. 

234-0727;642-5168 

 

Tuesday and Thursday 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

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

644-6109


Indian-American community supports mom charged with children's attempted murder

Viji Sundaram (Pacific News Service)
Thursday September 07, 2000

LOS ANGELES – On the morning of Aug. 27, when Nina Sloan saw Narinder Virk on her regular weekly visit to the Ventura County Jail, Virk asked, teary-eyed, “Can nothing be done? Can no one come up with the money and get me out of here?”  

That did it. “I decided that this girl should be bailed out without any further delay,” said Sloan, 66, a retired county employee who, like Virk, was born and raised in India's Punjab province. 

That very afternoon, Sloan offered to put up all her personal property – two rental houses, her bank certificates of deposit and jewelry – as collateral toward Virk's $500,000 bail. 

“I did it because I know what a battered woman goes through,” Sloan says, “I know how she must feel because I went through two terrible marriages myself.” 

Sloan is one of dozens of sympathizers – in the Indian-American community and outside it – rallying behind the 39-year-old Virk who was arrested in January for allegedly trying to drown her son, age 9 and daughter, 6, and herself in Channel Islands Harbor. 

A harbor resident and former lifeguard awakened by cries for help from the little boy rescued the three. At the time of the rescue, mother and daughter were unconscious. 

Virk is facing two counts of attempted murder, a charge that could keep her in prison for life. Her attorney, Ventura County Deputy Public Defender Christina Briles, said the trial will probably begin early next year. 

Virk's supporters say her action was a result of years of abuse at the hands of her husband, Santokh, a liquor store owner in Port Hueneme, CA. 

When called for his comments, an angry-sounding Santokh told this reporter, “I don't want my side of the story in the paper. I don't want my name or my children's names in your paper. You can put my wife's name, but not mine.” 

The case has brought rare unanimity to the diverse and somewhat fractured Indian-American community. At every one of her court hearings, community members – among them Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Parsis and Muslims – have packed the courtroom in a strong show of support. 

At one hearing, supporters handed over a petition to prosecutors with 1,000 signatures on it, urging leniency. 

Indian-Americans “have a more sophisticated analysis of domestic violence” than they once did, notes Firoza Dabby, executive director of Narika, a nine-year-old support group for South Asian victims of domestic violence based in Berkeley. Dabby said that formerly South Asians living in the U.S. would have either denied that the problem existed or explained it away as culturally acceptable. 

Briles argues that Virk was suffering from depression when she attempted the murder-suicide because of the years of harsh abuse she had endured from her husband. 

She was trapped in a loveless marriage, kept isolated in their home, Briles said. Virk snapped when her husband left for India telling her he was going to file for divorce there. 

Virk came to the U.S. in 1991 from a small farming village in Punjab, sponsored by her husband. Poverty and prejudice kept her from receiving any formal education. Virk neither reads nor writes Punjabi, and does not know any English. 

This did not trouble her would-be husband or his family when they entered into negotiations for the marriage in 1978 when she was barely 18 and he 21. All Santokh wanted was someone who could cook, keep house and produce children – a role acceptable to Virk as a young woman reared in India's village culture where female subservience is the norm. 

Virk, speaking through an interpreter in a jailhouse interview, said that the first 14 years of her marriage were trouble free. In 1984, Santokh left for the U.S. and found himself a job in Northridge, while she stayed in India with relatives. He would visit them every couple of years. 

Virk joined her husband in the U.S. in 1991 and soon became pregnant. She assumed her husband would provide for her, as he had always done. She in turn, would be a dutiful housewife, as she had always been. 

But within a couple of years after their son was born, Virk saw her marriage turn into a sinister game. Her husband kept her isolated, blocking long-distance phone calls and restricting her every movement. 

“I was unable to speak to my parents or write to them,” she says. “I had no relatives to talk to and the only loved ones I had were my children.” 

Santokh began drinking. Then the physical abuse began. “He never abused the children,” Virk said, through tears. “When he got drunk, though, he would beat me in front of the children.” 

In 1997, he took her and the children to India and dumped them there, says Virk. “I tried to call him, but he wouldn't take my calls.” She and the children flew back to Los Angeles using their round trip tickets when a friend warned that her green card would lapse if she stayed away from the U.S. for too long. 

The next year her husband took off for India for six months, leaving her and the children with no money for food. For two years she poured out her grief to a tape recorder. Four tapes were recovered by investigators from the Virk home after she was arrested. In one outpouring she recounts that “I have two small children, I don't have any right to live, but still he threatens me that I will be killed.” 

Virk said hunger and fear drove her to the local Sikh temple where she told the priest of her situation. But for the kindness of her neighbor, Elisa Quezada, and friends from the Sikh community, she and her children would have gone without food many a day. 

Quezada, a mother of four, and Virk communicated and bonded, crossing language barriers. “She was afraid they would go hungry,” Quezada says in halting English. “(Every time) he left her and went away, she didn't know when he would come back.” 

When Virk's case goes to trial, jury members are sure to wonder why she never called the police or walked out. Briles will have to convince them that Virk grew up in a country where the police are not always viewed as helpful and sympathetic, in a culture where women are told that marriage is forever, that if it fails, the wife – not her husband – didn't do enough to make it work. 

 

Viji Sundaram is a staff reporter for India West, a weekly journal based in San Leandro. A longer version of this story appears in the


Berkeley playwright will be at Fringe Festival

John Angell Grant
Thursday September 07, 2000

Timothy Erenta, former playwright-in-residence at Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, will present his solo performance piece "Happy Endings are Overrated" as part of the ninth annual San Francisco Fringe Festival that opens Thursday. 

Over the course of the festival’s 11-day run, 52 local, national and international theater companies and artists will present 250 performances of traditional plays, solo performance, dance and physical theater, sketch comedy, and multi-media happenings, in what has become a yearly ritual of avant garde Bay Area theater madness. 

The San Francisco Fringe Theater Festival, masterminded by Christina Augello and Richard Livingston of San Francisco’s Exit Theater, is part of a "family" of fringe festivals from around the world, some as old at 50 years.  

All these festivals follow the Fringe tradition of showcasing uncensored, non-traditional, not-yet-famous actors, puppeteers, mimes, dancers, and musicians. The result is controlled chaos, and a chance for the public to experience live performances at bargain prices. 

Each performance runs under 60 minutes, each event has a maximum ticket price of $8, and one hundred percent of the ticket revenue goes to the performers. 

Show starting times are staggered at 90 minute intervals, so that theater addicts can walk from performance to performance at key downtown venues near San Francisco’s Union Square. 

Erenta’s “Happy Endings Are Overrated” tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Prince character from the Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella stories.  

Erenta is an actor, playwright and storyteller who specializes in ancient myth, folk and fairy tales, and family stories. 

His plays have been seen by more than 50,000 elementary school students in Northern California. He serves on the board of directors of the Storytelling Association of Alta California. 

Other highlights from the 52 Fringe shows include the return of Bay Arean Byron Yee, whose “Paper Son” broke out of the San Francisco Fringe in 1998 to enjoy sold-out runs across the United States and Canada, and at the Edinburgh (Scotland) Fringe,. Yee will be back with a new work titled “Opium.” 

Antonio Sacre of Los Angeles also returns with “My Penis– In and Out of Trouble,” which won the New York “Best of the Fringe Festival Award” for solo performance in 1999. 

From Orlando, Florida, comes "”Trailer Trash Tabloid!: The Mobile Homo [sic] Sex Scandals, Murders & Other Unnatural Disasters of 1964,” in which two actors take the audience on a madcap, plot-twisting, roller-coaster ride playing all the residents of a South Georgia trailer park. 

This high-camp comedy, featuring rapid-fire dialogue and quick costume changes, was the outright hit of this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival, turning away hundreds at every performance. 

Bay Arean Trevor Allen’s play “Chain Reactions,” presented by Black Box Theater Company, invites audiences to Golden Gate Park’s Morrison Planetarium to explore the connections among Einstein, a pregnant physicist, and a bachelor with an empty fishbowl. 

Other than the Golden Gate Park shows, most Fringe Festival performance locations are within walking distance of San Francisco’s downtown Union Square. These locations include Exit Theater, EXIT Stage Left, the Phoenix II, the Lorraine Hansberry Theater and Il Teatro 450.  

Shows begin from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, from September 7-17. 

For more information about the Fringe, or a full schedule of events, call 415/673-3847, or visit the website (www.sffringe.org). Tickets for downtown venues are available only at the time of performance.


2000 is a make-or-break season for Bears, Holmoe

Thursday September 07, 2000

By Jared Green 

Daily Planet Staff 

 

For a man with a year left on his current contract and an extension just waiting for his signature, Tom Holmoe doesn’t seem too secure. He has repeatedly stated that he considers this season his last chance to show some improvement in the standings, and his minimum goal is to reach a bowl game. This would be a surprise to most, as most prognosticators have the Bears finishing no higher than eighth in the Pac-10, which has six bowl spots. 

If the Bears are to exceed expectations and reach a bowl game, they will have to lean heavily on two sophomores, quarterback Kyle Boller and tailback Joe Igber. Boller is coming off of a difficult freshman year, during which he completed 38.6 percent of his passes and was ended prematurely by a separated shoulder in his eighth start. If he can make a leap similar to that of former UCLA quarterback Cade McNown, who struggled as a true freshman but became a great quarterback and leader, the Bears will definitely improve. 

Igber had a productive freshman year with 694 rushing yards, but was also hampered by injury, playing with a bum shoulder during the final five games. But his slippery moves and instincts for hitting the hole make him a dangerous back if he can stay healthy.  

The receiving corps is a mess, as newcomers battle the two remaining lettermen for playing time. Boller desperately needs one or two of them to step up and become reliable pass-catchers. 

Injuries have made what should have been a veteran offensive line into a question mark going into the season opener against Utah. The top two right guards, Scott Tercero and David Hays, are both out with injuries, and veteran center Reed Diehl is struggling with an injured snapping hand. 

The defense lost several veteran starters, including three linebackers to the NFL, but should again be the strength of the team. The defensive line has the potential to be the most dominant in the conference, with seniors Andre Carter and Jacob Waasdorp teaming up for a fourth year. The six new starters behind the line will struggle early, but should come together as a unit in time for conference play. 

The kicking game is a mystery except for pre-season All-American punter Nick Harris. Mark-Christian Jensen has looked great in practice, but he had little success last year. The return game looks solid, but Iwuoma has to prove he can be a game-breaker returning punts and kickoffs. 

It all comes back to Boller and the receivers. If they can connect and make opponents respect the passing game, Igber should have more room to run. Boller has the talent, but can he find the magic that great quarterbacks have? Holmoe is anxiously awaiting the answer.


Recycling in city expands

William Inman
Thursday September 07, 2000

Dave Williamson couldn’t repeat the two words enough – “manufacturers’ responsibility.” 

That’s why the operations manager for the Ecology Center said that the center, on contract with the city to pick up curbside recyclables, didn’t want to collect plastics in the early ’90s. 

“The reason why this material wasn’t picked up was a pragmatic one,” Williamson said. “The plastics industry has not done its part to make revisions and buy it back and recycle it.” 

In February, the City Council ordered the Ecology Center to begin collecting No. 1 PET and No. 2 HDPE plastics curbside, and Sept. 1 the center began picking up plastic bottles and jugs. 

Now, anything with a neck smaller than its base and is labeled by a No.1 or a No. 2 surrounded by the chasing arrows, can be tossed into the recycling bin with aluminum and glass. 

The Ecology Center has been picking up recyclables for 25 years in Berkeley. It conducted a curbside plastics program in 1996 in two sections of the city to test the waters.  

“It worked out,” he said. “We found we could do it in a cost-effective manner.” 

But after the Plastics Task Force formed in 1995 – a group of Berkelyeans who worked in conjunction with the Ecology Center – they found that much of the plastic collected by cities ends up in landfills all over the world anyway. So the City Council voted in 1996 not to move ahead with a plastics pick-up program. 

When the notion came back to the council in February, the old arguments resurfaced. Councilmember Kriss Worthington said that it’s sort of misleading to tell the public that plastic is, in reality, being recycled. 

“We need to put more pressure on the plastic industry to increase the capacity for using these products,” said Worthington, who in February voted to amend the agenda item to include council pressure on the plastic industry to come up with technology that would actually turn plastic bottles back into plastic bottles. 

The plastics that Berkeley recycles will not be converted to containers again, but will be made into secondary products such as grocery bags, carpets and plastic lumber. 

Better than going into the landfill, yes, but most of these secondary materials are non-recyclable, Williamson said. 

The problem is standardization.  

“Despite the numbers on the bottles, there is a chemical variance,” he said. “You can’t mix the two together.” 

He added that it’s very difficult to get recycled plastic back into a bottle, and most U.S. manufacturers have resisted pressure to use anything other than virgin plastics. 

“The only thing that will solve it is legislation,” he said. 

He said that the Ecology Center is wholeheartedly supporting SB1110, a bill working its way through the Senate that requires manufacturers to include 35 percent of recycled content in its plastic packaging. 

He added that the Food and Drug Administration has approved around 55 different processes that would recycle plastics back into food containers, but “It’s a matter of price,” he said. 

Williamson said that the No. 1 plastic that the city collects is being sold to a company that will make it into rugs, and the No. 2 plastics are being sold to a company that makes garbage bags. 

Some of the No. 2 plastics is being sold to a company that sells it directly back to the Proctor and Gamble Co. for reuse. 

The Ecology Center has added two new trucks with additional capacity for the 130 annual tons of plastic they anticipate. Williamson said the city recycles 7,000 tons of material a year. 

He also said that the state has initiated redemption fees for some No.1 and No. 2 plastics, and the city should be able reap some of the benefits.  

The Ecology Center asks that residents step on the containers to reduce the space they use. 

For more information, call the Ecology Center at 527-5555.


Pac-10 2000 Preview

Jared Green
Thursday September 07, 2000

1. UCLA Bruins 

(4-7 last season, 2-6 in the Pac-10) 

The Bruins certainly looked like the class of the conference with their opening win over Alabama, and there’s no arguing with the talent they have on both sides of the ball. 

The quarterback situation is up in the air, with sophomores Corey Paus and Ryan McCann battling for playing time. Paus won the job out of camp, but suffered a separated shoulder on the season’s opening drive. McCann came in and led the Bruins down the field several times against Alabama’s vaunted defense, showing that he can do the job. Even if Paus returns at full strength, look for a the battle to continue all season. Head coach Bob Toledo could end up rotating the pair to keep them both happy.  

Starting wideouts Brian Poli-Dixon and Freddie Mitchell are the best duo in the conference, and huge tight end Gabe Crecion serves as an outlet in the passing game along with as creating holes for tailback DeShaun Foster, the most talented back in the conference. If he can stay healthy after dealing with ankle and knee injuries the past two years, the junior should have a breakout year running behind a monsterous line and catch the attention of NFL scouts. 

As with most of the Pac-10 contenders, the Bruins’ real questions are on defense. Senior end Kenyon Coleman is the most proven of the line candidates, but a dominating defensive end has to get more than the 3.5 sacks he recorded last season. Junior linebackers Ryan Nece and Robert Thomas are both Butkus Award candidates, and Thomas was all over the field against Alabama. 

If UCLA can survive another huge non-conference game with Michigan with no key injuries, they are capable of running the Pac-10 table. The schedule is a killer, as the Bruins miss only basement-dweller Washington State in conference play. But with Washington dealing with injuries and suspensions and UCLA getting USC at home, the Bruins could be in for a big year. 

 

2. USC Trojans  

(6-6, 3-5 Pac-10) 

Coach Paul Hackett can rest a little easier after the Trojans routed Penn State 29-5 in the Kickoff Classic. Hackett’s job may still be in jeopardy, however, if USC doesn’t translate speed and talent into results this season. Hackett has recruited unprecedented speed to “Tailback U,” but track stars don’t always make for football stars. But with four players who run the 100-meter dash in under 10.5 seconds, Hackett had better hope they get a chance to show their speed with a football in their hands. 

One of those speedsters, tailback Sultan McCullough, had a breakout game against Penn State, rushing for a career-high 128 yards, most of them tough yards between the tackles. If he can show the same toughness week in and week out, he could be the latest in the storied line of great USC running backs. 

Also returning from injury is junior quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer looked outstanding before breaking his collarbone in week three last season, and is expected to be one of the top signal-callers in the nation this year. He looked hesitant against Penn State, but will come around as he gets back into the flow of the offense. He certainly has a wealth of receivers to throw to, with sophomore Kareem Kelly looking like a future star after catching 54 passes for 902 yards as a true freshman last year. 

Summer wasn’t kind to the USC defense, as the team’s best cover cornerback, Antuan Simmons, is probably out for the year after having surgery in May to remove a benign growth in his abdomen. The Trojans still return nine starters, however, and have several standout players. Linebackers Zeke Moreno and Markus Steele are among the nation’s elite at their positions, and tackles Ennis Davis and Ryan Nielsen team with them to form a solid heart of the defense. 

The Trojans are another team capable of winning the conference. It may come down to the final weekend’s rivalry game with UCLA to determine the Pac-10 Rose Bowl entry. 

 

3. Washington Huskies  

(7-4, 6-2 Pac-10) 

The team that entered fall camp as many experts’ pick to win the Pac-10, the Huskies have several problems looming over their heads as the season begins. Marques Tuiasosopo is clearly a special talent at quarterback, but who will he throw the ball to? The team’s best receiver, Chris Juergens, is out with a knee injury, and potential star tight end Jerramy Stevens is facing legal problems following a July arrest in a rape investigation. Also, the Huskies only proven cornerback, Tony Vontoure, was suspended for breaking team rules. The Huskies don’t have the overwhelming talent of the southern California schools, and the loss of three key players would be too much to ask Tuiasosopo to compensate for. 

With little talent at receiver, coach Rick Neuheisel will turn to tailback Paul Arnold to carry the offense along with Tuiasosopo. Arnold, who averaged 6.3 yards per carry last year, put some extra muscle onto his small frame this summer and should be a breakout star this year. Huge lineman Chad Ward (6’5”, 335) will move from guard to tackle this year, and along with three other returning starters, should provide room for Arnold and Tuiasosopo to run. 

The defensive line returns only one starter, and the talent is thin at best. After recording just 13 sacks last year, the Husky defense doesn’t scare anyone. 

 

4. Oregon Ducks  

(9-3, 6-2 Pac-10) 

The Ducks were the Pac-10’s second-biggest surprise last year, finishing just behind the Rose Bowl-bound Stanford. Coach Mike Bellotti’s offense averaged more than 35 points per game. All-Pac-10 tailback Reuben Droughns is the biggest loss, with junior college transfer Maurice Morris the leading candidate to take over the position. The lack of experience at the position, combined with the three-deep tight end position, may lead to more one-back sets this year. 

The talented duo of junior Joey Harrington and senior A.J. Feeley will battle for time at the quarterback spot, with Harrington named the starter.  

The defense returns only three starters. The defensive line will be led by senior end Saul Patu, who had 7 sacks last season. He will be joined by fellow seniors Quinn Dorsey and Jed Boice. Senior inside linebacker Matt Smith was third on the team in tackles last season, and should step up to a leadership role this year. 

The secondary should be the strongest area of the defense, as CB Brian Johnson is joined by Rashad Bauman, who missed last season with a knee injury. Bauman, a junior, joined the starting lineup as a true freshman in 1997 and earned honorable mention all-conference honors his sophomore year. Assuming he’s fully recovered, the Ducks should be one of the top pass-defense teams in the conference. 

 

5. Stanford Cardinal  

(8-3, 7-1 Pac-10) 

Stanford’s unlikely run to the Rose Bowl last year was powered by the conference’s best offense, as the Cardinal had the worst defense in the Pac-10. They parlayed their success into on of the nation’s top recruiting classes, so the future looks bright for the program. But this season will be filled with transition and growing pains. 

The offense returns seven starters, which should provide a solid base. But all four of the departed starters were first-team All-Pac-10 performers last year, and the projected starter at quarterback, Joe Borchard, was stolen away by baseball’s Chicago White Sox. The starter will be Randy Fasani, who played mostly on special teams and at linebacker last season. He looked good against Washington State in the opener, but consistency is a question. 

Junior Brian Allen and sophomore Kerry Carter were both impressive at tailback last year; Allen averaged 5.3 yards per carry, and Carter led the team with six rushing touchdowns. If the passing game looks weak early in the season, coach Tyrone Willingham may be forced to scrap tradition and concentrate on the ground game. The line blocking for the tandem returns three starters, but must deal with the loss of center Mike McLaughlin and left tackle Jeff Cronshagen. Both were All-Pac-10 players last season, and McLaughlin made all the line calls. 

The defense is led by senior tackle Willie Howard, who was awarded the Morris Trophy as the Pac-10’s best defensive lineman, and played in the Rose Bowl despite suffering considerable damage to his knee in the last regular season game. Howard founded the “Trench Dogs,” the tightly-knit group of linemen that return five of the top six players this year. Combine the line with senior outside linebacker Riall Johnson, who tied for the conference lead in sacks with 13, opposing quarterbacks should feel the heat this year. The Cardinal certainly hope so, as the secondary is unproven. 

 

6. California Bears  

(4-7, 3-5 Pac-10) 

See breakdown on page 16 

 

7. Arizona Wildcats  

(6-6, 3-5 Pac-10) 

The Wildcats were possibly the biggest disappointment in the nation last year, starting with the humiliating 41-7 loss to open the season against Penn St. Picked to finish in the top 5 in nearly every poll, they didn’t even make a bowl game. QB Ortege Jenkins will be given the keys to the offense full-time this year, after splitting time with the departed Keith Smith for the past three seasons. Jenkins has the athleticism and arm to be a star, but his judgement hasn’t always been the best. If he can step up and find two-way star Bobby Wade (WR/CB) and TE Brandon Manumaleuna for some big gains, the running game should open up for the tailback tandem of Leo Mills and Larry Croom The offensive line returns four starters, so holes should open up for the runners on a regular basis. 

After dominating defensively with head coach Dick Tomey’s “Flex Eagle” defense in the early and mid-90s, the Wildcats have struggled to stop the opposition for the past two seasons. But with the defensive line returning players like Joe Tafoya, Idris Haroon and Keoni Fraser, the Wildcats should get back to their attacking ways, smothering running backs and harassing quarterbacks. The secondary is shaky, led by converted receiver Brandon Nash at strong safety, and will have to prove it can stop the big play that plagued the defense last season. 

 

8. Oregon State (7-5, 4-4 Pac-10) 

Well-traveled coach Dennis Erickson took over the program at Oregon State last year, and the move paid immediate dividends as the Beavers had their first winning season since 1970 and made their first bowl game appearance since 1964. Fourteen returning starters would seem to assure the program of staying in the middle of the pack. But this team has never dealt with any expectations before, and the pressure may show. 

The Beavers got an ugly start to the year when five players, including top receiver Robert Prescott, were suspended indefinitely for connection to the beating of a fellow student. His loss leaves QB Jonathan Smith without a go-to receiver. Smith is a good leader, but he only completed 49 percent of his passes last season. The offense really depends on tailback Ken Simonton, who gained 1,329 yards last season. He should continue to plow through defenses during his junior year. But if the Beavers can’t get the passing game going, it’ll be a long season. 

The secondary returns intact and should be the best of the Pac-10. Assuming CB Dennis Weathersby can beat his off-field legal problems, the sophomore should be one of the conference’s best. Strong safety Terrence Carroll is a hard hitter who plays the run and pass equally well. 

The defensive questions come in the interior of the line and linebackers. Both tackles are letter-winners who have experience, but neither has shown themselves to be an outstanding talent. The starting ends, seniors DeLawrence Grant and LaDairis Jackson, combined for 11 sacks last year and should be solid. 

 

9. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-6, 5-3 Pac-10) 

What should have been a strong offensive season for the Sun Devils went down the drain during the summer. Senior QB Ryan Kealy, plagued by injury the past two seasons, was healthy and ready to lead the offense. But Kealy was suspended by Coach Bruce Snyder for “breaking unspecified rules.” If he isn’t reinstated, the job goes to redshirt freshman Jeff Krohn, which would doom the Sun Devils to the second division. 

The other offensive mainstay was supposed to be senior tailback Delvon Flowers, who ran for 512 yards last season while backing up the departed J.R. Redmond. But Flowers’ year came to a premature end when he injured his knee during a pre-season scrimmage. With Flowers out for the year, the tailback duties fall to untested junior Davaren Hightower. 

The only proven weapon left for Arizona State is junior tight end Todd Heap, who led the team in receptions last season and has been picked for several pre-season All-America teams. But in the high-scoring Pac-10, having a tight end as the main offensive threat leaves a team at the bottom looking up. 

The defense will be led by a talented linebacking corps, including first-team All-Pac-10 performer Adam Archuleta, who led the conference in tackles-for-loss last season, and freshman All-America Solomon Bates, who is coming off a knee injury. Both cornerbacks are new as well, but with several experienced safeties to choose from, the secondary should come together. 

 

10. Washington State (3-9, 1-7 Pac-10) 

Three straight three-win seasons have put longtime head coach Mike Price’s job in jeopardy. Just 11 starters return, so Price will be counting on a bunch of newcomers to contribute right away. Unfortunately, Pullman isn’t exactly a magnet for high-profile recruits, and it doesn’t look like the losing will stop this year. 

Price has had success with big, pocket-passer quarterbacks like Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf. So it is curious that he chose sophomore Jason Gesser, a mobile athlete, over freshman Matt Kegel, a 6’5”, 226 pounder with a rocket arm, to start the season. Look for Kegel to take over at some point this year, as he fits the offense better than Gesser. 

The receivers are solid but not spectacular, depending on the spread offense to provide room to run after the catch. Huge senior Marcus Williams (6’5”, 231), caught 28 passes and four touchdowns last year. This may be the first time in Cougar history that the running game looks more reliable than the air attack. Deon Burnett was the top freshman rusher in the conference last year, gaining 974 yards. He is an ideal back for the spread offense, able to hit draws up the middle and step up to pass-block for the quarterback. 

The defensive backfield should be a strength, with senior Lamont Thompson moving from cornerback back to free safety, where he looked like a future star as a true freshman on the 1997 Rose Bowl team. Sophomore cornerback Marcus Trufant looked like a player last year; he needs to turn some of his 13 pass deflections into picks.


Parking lot protester trial delayed

Michael Coffino
Thursday September 07, 2000

 

The trial of a 34-year-old Berkeley law student scheduled to begin Wednesday in Oakland Superior Court was reset after the judge held a lengthy closed meeting with prosecution and defense lawyers to discuss whether the case would be decided by a judge or jury.  

Rick Young, a third-year law student from Pennsylvania, is facing three counts of disorderly conduct in connection with his 21-day protest in May against a planned parking structure south of the UC Berkeley campus. On April 30, Young installed himself at the Underhill parking lot at College Avenue and Channing Way, later fortifying his encampment with couches and a television set. 

He was arrested three times by campus police in May for “unlawful lodging,” but returned to the protest site each time.  

If found guilty, Young could be sentenced to as much as a year and a half in jail. 

“We have the right to request a jury trial,” Young said Wednesday. “We may try to go in front of the judge that has been hearing it all along since he is familiar with the case.” 

That appeared to be the outcome yesterday after Young’s lawyer, Oakland public defender Mike Sobel, and Assistant District Attorney David Lim met privately with Superior Court judge Marshall Whitley in chambers. The judge transferred the case to Judge Thomas Reardon and rescheduled the trial for October 20 at 9 am.  

The trial had been expected to start yesterday. Five campus police officers were among the witnesses waiting to testify in the criminal case. Dressed in dark suits, they sat side by side in the front row of the courtroom.  

Assistant D.A. Lim will likely call the officers to testify against Young, who staged his three-week demonstration to protest the university’s plan to construct a multi-story parking garage in the Underhill area.  

Young believes student housing should be constructed there instead of additional parking spaces. 

“I just think it’s socially and environmentally irresponsible to build a giant parking structure given the environmental impact and the need for more housing in Berkeley,” he said yesterday. Young is no longer living in the Underhill lot, where he studied by flashlight for his law exams last spring. He nevertheless appeared fatigued yesterday. 

Attired in a blue dress shirt and slacks, Young slept in his seat in the back of the courtroom as the morning session dragged on, his head resting against the wood-paneled wall. Young said he will argue that his protest was a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. He denied it was an act of civil disobedience. 

“Civil disobedience means you’re breaking the law,” he said, “and I don’t think I broke the law.” Earlier this year the District Attorney’s office proposed a plea bargain in which Young would have agreed to plead guilty to one count of disorderly conduct.  

“They wanted me to plead guilty to one count and then I’d get probation,” said Young, who plans to practice law when he graduates. But Young refused to accept the plea offer. Prosecutor Lim could not be reached for comment yesterday. 

Young attended college at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania before enrolling at Boalt Hall as a law student in 1998.  

He said the protest was motivated in part because he had trouble finding housing when he first moved to Berkeley.  

The area slated for development forms a square city block bordered by College Avenue, Channing Way, Bowditch and Haste.  

In April, the university announced a plan to construct a 1,000-space multi-level parking garage topped by a playing field, along with housing for 900 students.  

The Underhill area previously held a multi-level parking garage with an astroturf field on top. But in 1993 the University demolished the garage after engineers determined it was seismically unsafe. The current lot can accommodate a total of 425 cars.


BHS volleyball kicks off league play with a win

Thursday September 07, 2000

By Tukka Hess 

Daily Planet Correspondent 

 

Berkeley High responded to the first challenge of their volleyball league season last night, handily beating Piedmont three games to one at the Berkeley High gym last night.  

After sharing third place in the San Ramon tournament, and enduring a tough scrimmage last weekend, the Yellow Jackets’ home opener was supposed to have the feel of a grudge match against a tough opponent. Instead, Berkeley took charge of games that were in doubt, and won 15-12, 15-13, 9-15, and 15-11.  

Berkeley began the match on the offensive, jumping out to a 10-5 lead in the first game. In what was to become the motif of the evening, Piedmont roared back to tie the game 10-10. The Jackets responded with precision passing, pelting the Highlanders with an impressively distributed attack to rally to a 15-12 victory. 

Piedmont quickly rebounded, taking a 10-6 lead in the second game. Berkeley focused on placing the ball in the hands of junior Desiree Gilliard-Young and sophomore Vanessa Williams. Pounding the Highlanders with an impressive aerial attack, Williams forced a Piedmont side-out with a vicious spike, and Gilliard-Young answered on the ensuing Piedmont serve-return with one her own, bringing Berkeley to within one point, 11-10. Senior OH Lezzi Akana followed their lead and tied the game at 12 with one of her team-high 11 kills. A Williams block shut the door on Piedmont, winning the game 15-13. 

Commenting on the effort of his team, Berkeley coach Justin Carraway said, "After the tournament, I thought we needed to do some better work with ball control. We certainly have to pass better so that we can take advantage of the hitters that we have. I thought the first two games we did a pretty good job of that." 

The match was marred by early difficulty at the scorer’s table. During the third game, with the scoreboard ostensibly showing a Berkeley 6-5 lead, one Piedmont fan was ejected from the stands after voicing with displeasure with the scoreboard reversals.  

Down 9-7 and struggling to keep within range of the Yellow Jackets, Piedmont called a timeout to collect themselves. The effort evidently worked, as the Highlanders rattled off 8 unanswered points to take their only game by a score of 15-9.  

Embarrassed by their collapse, Berkeley savaged Piedmont in the fourth game, bursting out to a 13-1 lead. With defeat imminent, slowly battled to within two points of the Yellow Jackets, 13-11.  

Reflecting on their fourth game, Berkley junior DS Ferron Salniker noted, "In the fourth game we’re up 13-2, and then lose our mental focus. We kind of got tentative and weren’t prepared to finish them off. Something that we really need to work on is closing teams out." 

Her teammate Williams did just that, snapping the Yellow Jackets out of their doldrums with yet another vicious spike to force a Piedmont sideout. On the subsequent play she drove home her tenth kill of the evening, bringing the score to 14-11.  

After the match Carraway remarked, "Vanessa got some key kills when we needed them. She got the side-out at 13 to get us where we could serve, that was huge for us. She is only a sophomore, so I expect big things to come later on."  

Gilliard-Young finished the Highlander off with her match-leading tenth block, giving the Yellow Jackets a 15-11 fourth game victory.  

Reflecting on the match, Carraway struck a note of surprise, commenting that "We scrimmaged them on Friday, and they looked much more solid than we did. I knew we would have to work really hard on terminating the ball and try to keep the pressure on them on service." 

Williams, wasn’t quite as shocked, saying: "I think we all expected the game to go pretty well. We played Piedmont before in a scrimmage and we although we didn’t do too hot; we had a couple of practices where everything seemed to be going well. We knew we were going to come out and win." 

Berkeley improved its overall record to 2-1. The Yellow Jackets will host Clayton Valley tonight at 6 p.m.  

The freshman team plays at 3:45 and the junior varsity squares off at 5 p.m.


Bike station promoter earns clean air award

Julian Foley
Thursday September 07, 2000

Amanda Jones was the force behind the downtown Berkeley BART station’s bike station, which opened last year. 

Wednesday, Jones received one of two 2000 Clean Air Champions Awards given by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 

The bike station, run by the Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Coalition, provides free, supervised bicycle parking for between 65 and 80 commuters a day, according to bike station employee Van Taylor.  

Space constraints prevented the bike station’s expansion, said Joe Carroll, a member of BART’s Bicycle Task Force. 

Having opened in October 1999, the station, funded by the BAAQMD, is still in its 18-month trial period . 

As commute coordinator for Palo Alto, Jones was also the driving force behind the bike station that opened in April at the Palo Alto CalTrans station, the first of its kind in the Bay Area. In addition to a full time security attendant, local businesses in Palo Alto offer concessions, bike repair, parts sales and rentals.  

“It’s great because people can leave their bikes all day and not have to worry about whether they will be there when they get back,” said Jones. The additional services help pay for the free parking. At the Palo Alto bike station, commuters can even leave their bikes there overnight. 

Bike station plans are under way in San Francisco and at the Fruitvale BART station, as they are nationwide.  

The Bikestation Coalition offers guidance and technical expertise to local organizations setting up their own bike stations. 

Jones was selected for the Clean Air Champion Award by a committee which included the American Lung Association, Rides for Bay Area Commuters, KCBS, the Environmental Protection Agency, and BAAQMD.  

The award, now in its ninth year, is part of the Spare the Air Campaign, a program spearheaded by BAAQMD that issues ozone alerts to the public, and encourages them to leave their cars at home on days when the ozone levels exceed federal standards.  

The Clean Air Award is given in part to draw media attention to that effort, said Karen Licavoli of the American Lung Association.  

In the past, the yearly award has been presented to a seventh grade class that built an electrical car, a girl scout troupe, and even a tap dancer. “We look for people who have done something unique and beyond their job,” said Licavoli. “Regular people who have done something exemplary.” 

John Ruzek of Walnut Creek was also named Clean Air Champion this year. A former senior electrical engineer at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab in Berkeley and BART engineer, Ruzek is devoted to improving bicycle and pedestrian safety “on the other side of the hills” through overpasses, bike lanes, and wider streets.  

Nominated by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, he is an activist in the community who successfully lobbies city councils and transportation agencies like CalTrans to make transportation more accessible.  

“CalTrans is more than a department of highways,” said Ruzek, “and sometimes they need help focusing on that.”


First Golden Bear Classic brings teams in from east Daily Planet Correspondent Berkeley High responded to the first challenge o

Thursday September 07, 2000

Daily Planet Wire Services 

 

The Cal women’s volleyball team will host the inaugural Golden Bear Volleyball Classic Sept. 8 and 9 at the Recreational Sports Facility on the Cal campus. 

The opening game of the tournament will be George Washington against Florida Friday at 5 p.m. Cal will host McNeese State in the following game at 7 p.m. Friday’s losers will face off in the consolation game Saturday at 5 p.m., and the championship game is scheduled to being at 7 p.m. 

Cal meets McNeese State for the first time this weekend. The Cowgirls went 2-1 last weekend at the Marquette Challenge and host Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 5. they are led by senior outside hitter Anissa Parker, who was the MVP of the Marquette Challenge with 61 kills in three matches.  

The Bears have a 1-2 all-time record against Florida and a 0-1 all-time record against George Washington. No. 12 ranked Florida is currently 3-2 and is led by 6’1” junior middle blocker Nicole McCray (71 kills, .397 hitting percentage). George Washington is 4-0 (travels to Maryland-Baltimore County Sept. 5), has won 12 straight games and is led by senior outside hitter Tracee Brown (36 kills, .456 hitting percentage).  

The Bears returned last weekend from the Silver Legacy/Ray Wersching Invitational in Reno, NV with a second place finish. Cal defeated host Nevada, 3-1 (7-15, 15-10, 15-11, 15-8) Sept. 1, fell to No. 11 ranked Minnesota, 3-0 (15-6, 15-6, 15-5) Sept. 2 and defeated Kent State, 3-0 (15-3, 15-11, 15-5) Sept. 2.  

The top player last weekend for the Bears was 5-10 freshman outside hitter Gabrielle Abernathy. In Abernathy’s college debut versus Nevada, she had a team-leading17 kills and 13 digs. She went on to tally 34 kills, a team-high 23 digs and eight total blocks during the tournament’s three matches. Abernathy was a member of the all-tournament team along with 5-9 senior outside hitter/setter Alicia Perry, who had a team-high 37 kills during the weekend and recorded 21 digs. She had an impressive .481 hitting percentage (15 kills, two errors, 27 attempts) in the Bears 3-0 victory over Kent State.  

In the victory at Nevada, the Bears started two true freshmen in Abernathy and 6’0” middle blocker Jessica Zatica. Besides Abernathy’s 17 kills, Perry, sophomore outside hitter Leah Young and junior setter/outside hitter Candace McNamee had 14, 12 and 11 kills respectively. McNamee also recorded her second career triple double with 11 digs and 37 assists.  

Sophomore middle blocker Reena Pardiwala, who sat out the entire 1999 season with a ruptured disk in her lower back, led Cal with four block solos. Pardiwala currently leads the Bear starters with a .333 hitting percentage (16 kills, four errors, 36 attempts), has 21 digs and a team-high five solo blocks and 16 total blocks.  

McNamee is doing a solid job as both an outside hitter and a setter with 30 kills and 73 assists in the first three matches. She is currently third on the Cal all-time assist list with 1992 career assists. The other Bear who is a member of the Bears all-time career Top 10 list is Perry, who is eighth on the career kill list with 937 and ninth with 2584 kill attempts.


Measure banned race-, gender-based preferences

The Associated Press
Thursday September 07, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — In one of the most important California civil rights cases in years, a state Supreme Court majority indicated Wednesday that the voter-approved ban on affirmative action abolished race- and gender-based preferences in government contracts. 

The high court was hearing arguments in a challenge to a San Jose ordinance that required government contractors to solicit bids from companies owned by women and minorities. 

Although a decision is not expected for three months, four of the seven Supreme Court justices spoke out against the ordinance, saying it appears to be prohibited by Proposition 209, which passed in 1996. 

“In plain language, the provision prohibits any preference,” Justice Joyce L. Kennard said. 

Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who personally argued in defense of the San Jose ordinance, said the case could gut scores of so-called outreach programs run by local governments statewide. 

Proposition 209, approved by 54 percent of voters, prohibited preferences for women and minorities in state and local contracting, employment and education.  

It did not define “preferences,” but its sponsors focused their campaign attacks on quotas, set-asides and other measures that gave groups advantages in selection. 

San Jose officials argued that the city’s practices were not covered under Proposition 209. 

The ordinance requires city construction contractors, on contracts over $50,000, to contact at least four firms owned by women or minorities, negotiate with them and accept their bids or state legitimate reasons for rejection. 

The measure was challenged by Hi-Voltage Works, a Rancho Cordova company that submitted a low bid of $197,000 on a circuit-switcher for a San Jose sewage treatment plant in 1997.  

It was rejected because the company did not reach out to minority or female contractors to help with the project. 

The city, which found minorities underrepresented in subcontracting in a 1990 study, says it is merely giving previously excluded groups a chance to compete equally.  

Hundreds of state and local programs to inform, recruit, train or tutor women and minorities use the same rationale, San Jose attorney Joan R. Gallo argued. 

“The federal Constitution demands that we just can’t sit by discrimination and say, ‘oh well,”’ Gallo said. 

Chief Justice Ronald M. George suggested that governments could affirmatively reach out to all contractors so long as they did not base it on race or gender. 

Justice Janice R. Brown agreed: “It is permissible to set up an outreach program that encompasses the entire universe of people so long as it doesn’t target one race or one sex.” 

And Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar said that in the description of Proposition 209 in the ballot guide, “The legislative analyst said it would eliminate affirmative action programs.” 

In his first appearance before the high court, Lockyer pleaded to the justices to uphold the ordinance.  

He likened San Jose’s program to a race “where we make every reasonable attempt to get people to the starting gate.” 

The U.S. Justice Department, Lockyer and nine cities and counties filed briefs in support of San Jose’s measure, while a host of groups, including the American Civil Rights Institute, Pacific Legal Foundation and former Gov. Pete Wilson filed opposition papers.  


Incumbent still has many goals

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday September 06, 2000

Councilmember Betty Olds, 79, has served the community for more than two decades.  

Even before she won a seat on the rent board, on which she served for eight years before winning her council seat in 1992, she was a commissioner on the Zoning Adjustments Board. 

Olds’ council aide, Susan Wengraf, heads her campaign. The incumbent expects to spend about $15,000 on the race. 

A staunch member of the council’s moderate faction, made up of Mayor Shirley Dean, Councilmember Polly Armstrong and, sometimes, Councilmember Diane Woolley, Olds is a fiscal conservative, relative to the more progressive council faction.  

While she supported resolutions to put some tax and bond issues on the ballot, such as taxes for parks and the library, Olds opposed putting a new lighting tax before the voters. The $3 million that the council majority allocated to other projects, should have been directed to lighting, she said. 

Olds describes herself as an environmentalist and takes credit for blocking a new hotel proposed for the city’s waterfront.  

Probably the issue Olds has worked hardest on in the recent past is building a new fire house in District 6.  

Some close neighbors to the proposed site at Shasta and Park Gate roads have said they don’t want the station on their street. 

“I just want a new firehouse,” Olds said. An Environmental Impact Report is being prepared to look at impacts of siting the fire station there and Olds says that should give the neighbors the information they need. “We need the best possible response time,” she said. 

District 6 has special public works needs. Roads in the hills are in bad shape, she said.  

“It costs twice as much to resurface streets in the hills,” which have problems with water run-off. Undergrounding utilities is also a priority for Olds. 

Another problem unique to the district is land instability. 

“Houses are sliding,” Olds said. 

One of the things that the councilmember prides herself on, is working as a go-between to activate city bureaucrats on residents’ behalf.  

Olds pointed to the case of two senior citizens almost evicted by a landlord who said he wanted to move into their apartment. “I went to the owner and saw that they stopped the eviction,” Olds said. 

Olds said she is working for more citizen participation in council meetings by promoting civility among council members. “It starts with us as a council,” she said. 

She also wants streamlined meetings. “We should do something about people monopolizing the council,” she said. Meetings should end by 11 p.m.  

“If necessary, we should start at 6 p.m.,” Olds said. Meetings now begin at 7 p.m. 

She blames the progressive majority for the number of agenda items carried without action from meeting to meeting. “If the majority does not want to take up an item, they don’t bring it up,” Olds said. 

“Anything not (disposed of) within two meetings should be dropped,” she contended. 

When asked about the health disparity study, which showed that African Americans in the flatlands have much poorer health than the white hills dwellers, Olds said this is a concern. 

“There’s not a simple solution,” she said, noting that people can go to the doctor in Berkeley, but sometimes do not. Habits such as drinking and smoking need to be addressed, she said. 

“The main thing is doing a lot of outreach,” she said. “Education is the solution.” This will take time, she said. 

As for Berkeley’s housing crisis, Olds said the city needs more apartments, both market rate and affordable.  

But Olds said the fundamental question has not been addressed.  

“How many more people can we handle without becoming (another) San Francisco?” 

Instead of building more housing, one solution would be to work with the existing housing stock, with people renting out parts of their homes, for example. 

Olds has concerns about Measure Y, the ballot measure that stops landlords from moving into apartments they own. Had the measure simply addressed seniors and disabled people, she said she would have supported it.  

However, because it also targets people who have lived in homes for five years and mandates moving costs when a low-income renter is displaced, Olds said she can’t support it.  

Measure Y will cause landlords to rent only to students who they know will vacate the apartments every few years, she said. 

As for traffic, Olds said it’s up to the police to address the problem through enforcement. The city was supposed to get three new traffic officers, but got only two, she said.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Wednesday September 06, 2000


Wednesday, Sept. 6

 

Alzheimer’s and dementia  

support group 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Martial arts demonstration 

noon-1 p.m. 

Sproul Hall steps, Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley  

UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program will put on a demonstration to show what martial arts styles are offered at the university. 

Contact Patrick at beatty@haas.berkeley.edu. 

 


Thursday, Sept. 7

 

Growing wise with Betty Goren 

10:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

“Discipline & Citizenship” conference 

6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 

Graduate Theological Union 

Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

 

 

Conversation between actor  

Paul Newman and Laura  

D'Andrea Tyson 

5 p.m. 

UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Arthur Andersen Auditorium 

Gayley Road between Hearst Avenue and Bancroft Way 

The eventinaugurates the business school's annual lecture series Forum on Philanthropy in Business. 

 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Among the issues the board will hear is a tenant’s appeal of a hearing examiner’s decision. The tenant in a building at 2472 Virginia St. will argue that the rent reductions granted for habitabilitiy problems were too small. 

 


Friday, Sept. 8

 

“Discipline & Citizenship” 

conference 

9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Graduate Theological Union 

Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

895-4542 

 

Conversational Yiddish 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Saturday, Sept. 9

 

Open house 

Julia Morgan center for the Arts 

Meet new leaders and artist and learn about future plans for the facility. RSVPs encouraged 

2640 College Ave. Berkeley 

4- 7 p.m. 

845-8542 

 


Sunday, Sept. 10

 

“Doors to Madame Marie” 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

As part of the Jewish Learning Center’s Authors Series in the Library, Odette Meyers will be available for discussion and booksigning. 

848-0237 

 

“Next Stop, Greenwich  

Village” 

2-4:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center Cinema 

1414 Walnut St.  

Based on filmmaker Paul Mazursky’s own passage from Brooklyn to Greenwich Village, the film is about the dynamics of leaving home and trying to leave home behind. There will be a peer led discussion following the movie. 

$2 suggested donation.  

848-0237 

 


Monday, Sept. 11

 

“12th annual Berkeley YMCA  

Golf Tournament” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 11:00 a.m. 

Entry fee includes cart, lunch on the course and dinner. Proceeds benefit Albany-Berkeley YMCA  

$125 Entry Fee 

549-4525 

 

Voter workshop 

1 p.m. 

Learn about voting absentee and working at local polling places. North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Tuesday, Sept. 12

 

Tai Chi Chuan 

11 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 13

 

Mid-Autumn Festival 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

 

Last townholl meeting on the  

Berkeley Housing Authority  

Plan 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

For information on the plan, call Wanda Remmers 548-8776 

Thursday, Sept. 14 

Eugene O’Neil House, Mt.  

Diablo State Park Trip  

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$21 per person 

644-6107 

 

Pre-business workshop 

Small-business Development Center 

519 17th St. Suite 200, Oakland 

8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

$35  

273-6611, www.eastbayscore.org, eastbayscore@yahoo.com 

 

Yoga class 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

Friday, Sept. 15 

“The Barber of Seville” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 

Saturday, Sept. 16 

Shoreline clean-up walk 

10 a.m. 

Seabreeze Market, on Frontage Road just west of University Avenue 

Friends of Five Creeks leads a walk, talking about  

history, wildlife, and restoration possibilities from Strawberry to Codornices Creeks, as part of Coastal Cleanup 2000.  

Call: 848-9358  

 


Sunday, Sept. 17

 

Berkeley Citizen’s Action Endorsement Meeting 

2-5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Contact: BCA Co-chair Linda Olivenbaum at (510) 652-1206 

Call 549-0816 

 

 

 

 


Thursday, Sept. 21

 

Hearing to terminate the  

Conditional Order for  

Abatement for Pacific Steel  

Casting Co. 

9:30 a.m. 

Bay Area Air Quality management District 

939 Ellis St. 7th Floor Board Room 

San Francisco 

415-749-4965 

 

 

 


Friday, September 22

 

Point Reyes Nature Center, Earthquake Trail Trip 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst and MLK Jr. Way 

$18 per person 

644-6107 

 


Sunday, Sept. 24

 

“First Steps in Finding your Family History” 

Brunch 10:30 a.m., lecture 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Using both story-telling and generational techniques, Dr. Lois Silverstein will offer beginning steps to rediscovering family heritage and traditions.  

$4 for BRJCC members and $5 for all others 

848-0237 

 

Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Fifth Birthday 

6-8 p.m. party 

film: 8:30-10:30 p.m. 

Pyramid Alehouse Outdoor Movie Theater 

1901 Gilman St. 

The event is to honor five years of BFB bike advocacy. Films will include: “Pedalphiles and Dinosaurs Against Fossil Fuels” 

Bring something to sit on. 

Free to members; $10-$20 sliding scale to non members.  

549-7433 

 


Monday, Sept. 25

 

Open forum on affordable housing 

5:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Sean Heron of the East Bay Housing Organizations will talk about building a campaign for affordable housing. Sponsored by the Affordable Housing Advocacy Project. 

1-800-773-2110 

 


Wednesday, Sept. 27

 

“Improving your bottom line” 

2-5 p.m. 

Berkeley Yacht Club 

1 Seawall Dr. 

Speakers include, Mayor Shirley Dean, Dr. Drian Nattrass and Mary Altomare Natrass, authors of “The Natural Step for Busines” and two of the world’s leading authorities on providing a strategic business framework romoting sustainabiliity and profitability. 

 


Saturday, Sept. 30

 

Jim Hightower: “Election 2000: a Space Odyssey” 

8 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Sponsored by KPFA and Global Exchange 

“I am an agitator,” Hightower says. “The agitator is the centerpost in a washing mchine that gets the dirt out.” 

$10 in advance/$12 at the door 

848-6767 x609 

 

 


Monday, October 2

 

“2nd Annual Berkeley City Championship” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Entries accepted August 1. Entry Fee includes gift, cart and Awards Dinner. Proceeds benefit local organizations and projects. This event determines Berkeley City Champion and Seven other Flight Winners. 

$115 Entry Fee 

841-0972 

 


Thursday, October 5

 

“3rd annual Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Association Golf Tournament” 

Tilden Park Golf Course 

Shotgun Start at 7:30 a.m. Entry Fee includes cart range balls and Award Luncheon. Proceeds benefit Berkeley Black Police Officers’ Scholarship Fund. 

$99 Entry Fee 

644-6554 

 

ONGOING EVENTS 

 

Sundays 

Green Party Consensus Building Meeting 

6 p.m. 

2022 Blake St. 

This is part of an ongoing series of discussions for the Green Party of Alameda County, leading up to endorsements on measures and candidates on the November ballot. This week’s focus will be the countywide new Measure B transportation sales tax. The meeting is open to all, regardless of party affiliation. 

415-789-8418 

 

 

 

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.com/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

644-8511 

 

 

 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

 

 

Thursdays 

The Disability Mural 

4-7 p.m. through September 

Integrated Arts 

933 Parker 

Drop-in Mural Studios will be held for community gatherings and tile-making sessions. This mural will be installed at Ed Roberts campus. 

841-1466 

 

Fridays 

Ralph Nader for President 

7 p.m.  

Video showings to continue until November. Campaign donations are requested. Admission is free.  

Contact Jack for directions at 524-1784. 

 

2nd and 4th Sunday 

Rhyme and Reason Open Mike Series 

2:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 

The public and students are invited. Sign-ups for the open mike begin at 2 p.m. 

234-0727;642-5168 

 

Tuesay and Thursday 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

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

644-6109 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Letters to the Editor

Wednesday September 06, 2000

Father: Jeffrey is a caring human being 

 

Editor: 

 

There have been allegations that my son Jeffrey Schilling went to the Abu Sayyaf camp to negotiate about weapons. I just want to make it clear to Abu Sayyaf and the world that he is not now nor has he ever been involved in arms dealing. My son is not a CIA agent. These allegations are groundless. 

Before he went to the Philippines, Jeffrey had worked with friends in several small business ventures: contract painting, landscaping and goat herding. He had also had part-time jobs as a fitness instructor and a hotel desk clerk while going to school at UC Berkeley. I encouraged him to consider more conventional jobs so that he could have a steady income. 

Jeffrey wanted to start his own businesses instead. My son is a hard worker. He worked many hours a day last summer tending goats as part of a fire prevention business in the East Bay. 

Friends and family know Jeffrey as a man with a good and caring heart.  

He has a very generous spirit. He was concerned over the plight of the Filipino Muslim people. So he would send money, food and clothing to the Philippine Muslim community. 

He converted to Islam six years ago in the fall of 1994. Jeffrey married a Filipina Muslim this past April. Jeffrey went to the Philippines in search of a deepening of his Islamic faith. Now the Abu Sayyaf is holding him.  

I call on Abu Sabaya, as a Muslim and as a human being, to release my son unharmed. 

 

George Schilling 

Oakland 

 

Great city employees; treat them right! 

 

Editor: 

 

On Friday night there was a medical emergency at my house. We called 911. 

Minutes later we heard reassuring sounds: the sirens of the approaching emergency vehicles. 

The personnel were first rate. They were polite and friendly, swift and thorough with their questions, professional in their assessment of the situation, and adept at putting people at ease. 

To quote the victim, they were “just beautiful” in their handling of what was to us an extremely unsettling and confusing situation. Within minutes we were on our way to the hospital. 

During the ride I learned that the union of these stellar city workers is currently engaged in contract negotiations with the city on their behalf. 

I understand that these negotiations are beginning to drag on. 

The City should not permit these labor negotiations to continue much longer. These people work extremely hard, their job is difficult, and they are indispensable.  

Berkeley's Emergency Medical paramedics are a treasure, and they should be treated as such. We never know when we may need them. 

Grateful to the team and glad all is well again, 

 

Doris Willingham 

Berkeley 

 

 

Homophobia in Falun Gong needs exposure  

Editor: 

 

In his Op-ed piece, Professor Franz Schurman provides an interesting historical perspective concerning the Falun Gong cult. I hope that in the near future I will see a follow-upon their cultist preachings, one of which is virulent homophobism.  

I often visit China and have several personal friends there. The rights of Chinese gays has never been greater and is gradually increasing since Deng Xiao Peng overthrew maoism and under the greater liberalism of President Zhiang Zemin. 

It would be tragic to see Falun Gong spread its bigotry and superstition into Chinese society much the same way as the fanatic elements within the US evangelical community. 

Only the International Herald-Tribune has exposed this fanatic cult's anti-human rights position on this issue. Every one else ignores this issue, especially anti-Chinese politicians seeking votes like Nancy Pelosi. 

 

Armand Boulay 

Berkeley  

 

 

Libertarian says get rid of sales and income tax 

Editor: 

 

Fred Foldvary, Libertarian Party candidate in the 9th District (Berkeley-Oakland area), declared on Labor Day that he would be the best friend in Congress that labor could possibly have. 

“Libertarians would repeal all taxes on labor,” said Foldvary, “including not just taxes on wage income but also sales and excise taxes. Workers would be totally tax free.”  

Untaxing the American worker would effectively double the typical wage, enabling workingfamilies to afford housing, health care, and better education.  

“Taxing wages is unjust,” said Foldvary, “because the labor belongs to the worker, and so does the wage.” 

Since the Democratic incumbent is the likely winner, voters in the 9th District will not really be voting on who will represent them, but on what policy they favor. 

Voting for Foldvary will show that workers want to raise wages by shifting taxes out of wages. 

Foldvary says that the federal government should not tax workers or consumers directly, but instead obtain public revenues from the State governments.  

These federal revenues can be supplemented by federal rental charges for pollution and for the use of natural resources such as oil, forests, grazing, and other land values.  

Foldvary calls on labor unions and all groups working to improve the condition of labor to join him in advocating an end to the taxation of labor. 

Foldvary challenges the other candidates for Congress to state their position on taxing labor. 

 

Fred Foldvary 

Libertarian Party candidate for House of Representatives, 9th District


Residents’ needs top priority

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday September 06, 2000

 

Eleanor Pepples, 35, is running in District 6 as an independent, unaligned with either the “liberal/progressive” or “moderate” factions of the City Council. 

Rather than working with one of the competing factions, Pepples said her strength would be in “working collectively.” 

That means finding out what her constituents want. 

“I would work tirelessly to listen to different opinions,” she said. 

Pepples has already begun what she calls a “listening tour,” going door to door, asking residents about their concerns. 

Turning listening into action is not new for Pepples. She has developed these skills as a Strategic Development Analyst in banking and health care. 

“On a daily basis, I listen to people’s needs,” she said. 

Each of the areas in the city has its own priorities, she said. “I want to ensure that the hills have an equally strong representation on the council.” 

Pepples did not hesitate before taking a shot at the incumbent. “I feel strongly that Betty Olds has not fully participated. She’s abstained fifty times on various issues.” For example, in February, 1996, Olds abstained on the Bay Trail Design.  

“The role of the councilmember is to vote one way or another,” Pepples said, underscoring that she would listen effectively, review the proposals and come to the best conclusion that she could. She would not abstain. 

One of Pepples’ contributions to city government would be making services more efficient. “Road repairs should be concurrent with sewer (replacement) and undergrounding (of utilities),” she said. “There is a cost savings.” 

Pepples points to the roads in her district. “I encounter more potholes (there) than in other sections of the city,” she said. 

Addressing fire danger is important to Pepples. One way of addressing the situation is to fully staff the department. 

For example, there are currently three firefighters on duty per engine. There should be four or five firefighters for each, Pepples said.  

How you pay for the added personnel – what kinds of expenditures would be eliminated – is a question she would ask her constituents. 

Planning is important to Pepples. “I’m an advocate of livable planning,” she said, arguing that downtown shouldn’t be “replete with skyscrapers.” 

Eight stories is as tall as buildings should go, she said. Apartments should be built with a range of incomes in mind, from affordable rents to market rate, she said. 

Pepples said she is opposing Measure Y, the ballot measure that restricts owners from moving into occupied apartment units. Although its “goals are laudable,” Pepples says, the measure is “overreaching,” because it will cause landlords not to rent to those over 60 and the disabled, the classes it seeks to protect.  

The measure says that landlords cannot move into units of people 60 and over, disabled people or, for those living in the buildings belonging to landlords with a lot of property, those who have lived in their apartments for five years or longer. 

Pepples said that when the health disparity study came out, showing the poor health of African Americans in the flatlands, she was surprised. “It’s the type of study the city should work with,” she said, adding that the goal would be to provide the best possible health care available.  

Although Pepples has not participated directly in city government, the ability for citizen participation is important to her. 

Berkeley is “a mecca for opportunities in public participation in city government” because of the more-than-40 commissions which advise the City Council, she said. 

Despite these opportunities, “citizens are not feeling heard or understood,” she said. She would help bridge that gap. 

Pepples said she hasn’t decided if she will continue her full-time job if she gets elected to the council. That is something she says she’ll decide when the time is right. 

And she hasn’t put a dollar amount on how much money she will spend on her campaign. “It’s a grass roots campaign,” she said. “I’ll raise enough money to win.”


Bottom line is Smith’s big concern

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday September 06, 2000

Challenger Norine Smith, 58, is running for the District 6 seat as an independent. 

Her campaign will be run by herself and her supporters. “No one is officially running it,” she said. Olds spent $30,000 in 1992 to defeat independent Alan Goldfarb, she said, asserting “I will spend whatever it takes.” 

The mostly-retired software consultant says she never wanted to go into politics, but her concern for the original draft of the General Plan tugged her in that direction. 

In the first iteration of the plan, build ings could have been skyscrapers, Smith said. Now planners have the buildings down to 10-12 stories. “I want it down to five stories downtown and four stories along other commercial corridors.” 

There are still some empty lots, Smith said. They should be “contextually sensitive attractive infill,” she said. 

The city’s growth needs to be addressed. “How many more people should we be expected to absorb?” There is still room for growth in Hayward and Castro Valley, she said. 

Smith criticizes the city’s bond-fund expenditures.  

“No one dreamed that Measure S meant building bulb-outs and clear cutting trees,” she said of the measure that is paying for downtown improvements, which includes cutting down replacing trees and building sidewalk bulges at the corners.  

Bicyclists say these bulb-outs are dangerous to them. 

Overruns on capital projects anger Smith. She says the Civic Center Building retrofit that was to have cost $15 million, has shot up to more than $38 million. 

“Someone needs to watch the cost of capital outlays,” Smith said, pointing to another bond – Measure G. $2 million of its funds were spend on “the ill-conceived notion of a saltwater distribution system,” Smith said. The city finally turned down the idea “after wasting seven years.” 

Smith said she supports building a new fire station or retrofitting the current one, but she said she wants to poll the people in her district to see where they want a new one placed. 

And she said she wants to know the real costs of building a new station. “They say it will only cost $5-6 million,” she said. “With capital overruns, it could cost $12 million.” 

Public participation is important to Smith. “We can’t only listen to the most vocal people,” she said.  

“They do no represent the majority who do not have the time (to participate).” Polling people in her district would give Smith a good sense of their priorities. 

Smith said there’s a simple solution to getting the council’s work finished: it’s increasing the number of meetings. 

The council should meet four times each month, instead of three times and it should meet for 46 weeks a year instead of 33. 

She’d reorder the agenda so that items such as rent control and the budget are discussed early in the evening and “fences and chimneys at the end.” 

Meetings would be more efficient if the city installed a system of lap-top computers at the council desks. “The motions would be spelled out,” she said. 

Smith said part of the problem at council meetings is the sniping between the two council factions.  

As an independent, Smith said she would not be engaged in the dual. Her independent decisions would be “based on facts.” 

Rent control is the law, she said.  

“It needs to be administered fairly. It’s not fair to make one element of society bear the burden for equality.” 

The solution is providing more low-cost housing and housing for the disabled. 

But the funding for low-cost housing should be well spent, Smith said.  

Smith said she supports Measure Y, the restrictions against owner move-in evictions. “We can’t be kicking out the old and disabled,” she said. 

As for the health disparities between the hills and the flats and African Americans and whites, “We have to enhance the public health facilities at Sixth (Street) and University (Avenue),” Smith said, underscoring that abortions should be performed there. 

As for traffic problems, much of the problem is UC Berkeley commuters, Smith said.  

A solution would be satellite parking at Golden Gate Field and at the California Shakespeare lot situated in Orinda near the Caldecott Tunnel. 

Smith also wants the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit enforced and for the city to replace its worn vehicles with electric ones. 

Education is important, Smith said. Drivers should learn to yield to cyclists and pedestrians and bicyclists should learn to yield to pedestrians. 

“I will come to meetings informed and ready to listen,” Smith said.


Berkeley may get DNA database

Jared Saylor Special to the Daily Planet
Wednesday September 06, 2000

Attorney General Bill Lockyer and State Senator Jackie Speier detailed plans Tuesday for an addition to the statewide DNA databank that would aid in the identification of missing children and adults. 

Under legislation approved last week the new databank will be housed at the California Department of Justice DNA Testing Lab at 626 Bancroft Way in west Berkeley. Approved with widespread bipartisan support, it is sitting on Governor Gray Davis’ desk awaiting his signature. 

The missing persons databank, which would remain separate from the convicted felon and registered sex offender databank currently kept in Berkeley, would involve voluntarily collecting DNA information from the maternal parent or relative of the missing person. 

“This program provides comfort to the relatives of missing persons. The smart thing about using new DNA technology is to convict the guilty and free the innocent,” Lockyer told parents and lab officials at a press conference at the laboratory. 

To demonstrate the procedure for obtaining DNA information, parents shared their own DNA samples by thoroughly swabbing the insides of their cheeks. Scientists will be able to compare information obtained from these cotton swabs with information from over 2,000 unidentified human remains currently kept in county coroners’ offices statewide, 150 of which are believed to belong to children. 

According to Jan Bashinski, Chief of the Bureau of Forensic Services, use of maternal DNA is preferred as it is more sensitive to testing techniques and therefore is more likely to give positive results from old bones or blood samples. 

Kim Swartz, mother of Amber Swartz-Garcia, a missing child abducted from her Pinole home in 1988, was a driving force in developing the legislation authorizing the new DNA missing person databank. 

Although her daughter has been missing for over 12 years, Swartz is hopeful that the new DNA identification procedure will bring closure to her family’s ordeal. 

“I am very optimistic that we will someday find an answer and know what happened to Amber,” Swartz said. “The hardest cases to solve are the ones where there are no witnesses. These cases cause a ripple effect throughout the community. They’re devastating. This project could be a big answer for many people still wondering.” 

The cost for performing tests on each case, estimated at about $3,000, would be covered by a $2 increase in the cost of state death certificates. The price increase would take effect on January 1, 2001 and provide funding for the DNA laboratory by July 2001. The legislature specifically requires that DNA testing and case analysis begin by January, 2002. The California Department of Justice DNA Testing Lab in Berkeley is the most advanced and well-known facility of its kind, involved in such high profile criminal cases as the O.J. Simpson murder trial and the trial of accused mass murderer Charles Ng. It is currently involved in eliminating the backlog of convicted felon DNA profiles which in California alone number over 200,000. It is also the first facility to use robots for DNA analysis ensuring a lower rate of human error and is also developing new and more precise techniques and methods of DNA testing. 

Lab officials took advantage of the press conference to encourage parents to perform simple tests on their children at home. They provided test kits which included sterilized cotton swabs, an identification envelope and plastic bags for storage. 

Dr. Jon Tonkyn, Assistant Laboratory Director, demonstrated the procedure on Swartz and described what parents need to do. “Just swab the inside of both cheeks thoroughly and let the swab air dry. Keep the swab in the envelopes and store it in two plastic bags in your kitchen freezer.” 

Speier remarked, “I have two children of my own and as soon as I get home tonight I am going to be doing this with them.” 

Other items that can also be used for DNA profiling are hairs pulled out with the roots intact, clipped finger and toe nails, or dried blood from a bandage or swab. These items should also be air dried to prevent the formation of bacteria and stored in the freezer. Information from these samples could be used in a child abduction cases to identify evidence. 

 


Man arrested after not disclosing disability

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday September 06, 2000

Michael Minasian says that he and King, his 80 pound German Shepherd service dog, went into the Jupiter Cafe at 2181 Shattuck Ave. Sunday afternoon for a Caesar salad. 

Instead, the 47-year-old Berkeley Waterfront Commissioner spent 17 hours in the Santa Rita jail for trespassing after he refused to divulge his disability and credentials for the dog to Berkeley police and to Joe Bisbiglia, the restaurant manager. 

Minasian claims that his right to medical privacy, and his legal right to have the dog – covered by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act – were violated when Bisbiglia refused to serve him because of the dog, and then those rights were stomped on when he was arrested. 

Title III of the ADA makes it a federal offense for a restaurant or similar public establishment to deny service to an individual with an ADA compliant disability who is accompanied by a service animal. 

According to Erica Jones, director of the Pacific Disability and Business Technical Center, it’s illegal under the act to ask what a person’s disability is. Police responded to calls by both Bisbiglia and Minasian to the cafe after Bisbiglia refused to serve Minasian and asked him to leave. 

Minasian said that he called the police for a reading of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

On the other hand, Bisbiglia called because he wanted Minasian and his dog removed. 

Minasian said he was stunned when police asked him the very same question Bisbiglia did, and demanded credentials for the tagless dog. 

Minasian, who – according to the police report – doesn’t appear disabled, continued to refuse to answer questions about the nature of his disability and was subsequently arrested when Bisbiglia signed a citizen’s arrest. Minasian is adamant that the law is the issue, not his disability and declined to reveal his disability to the Daily Planet Tuesday. He did say that he has a letter from a physician saying that his illness is ADA compliant and that the dog is certified under the ADA. 

The ADA states that dogs are not required to be specially marked or tagged. 

Lt. Russell Lopes, of the Berkeley police, said all dogs in Berkeley are required to be tagged, and that the city provides free licensing for service dogs. 

Minasian claims that two arresting officers were “rude” and “sarcastic.” Lopes said, on the other hand, that the police report stated that Minasian became “belligerent” at the cafe. 

Minasian also said in a written statement that a third officer attempted to convince the two officers that they and the cafe were both in violation of federal law, but the two other officers disagreed and he was taken to the station. 

Lopes said that since Minasian would not tell police at the station about his condition, or any medical requirements he may need, he was transferred to the Santa Rita jail where there is a medical staff. At 10:30 a.m. Monday, his attorney posted $2,500 bail after 17 hours in custody. King, the dog, had also been taken into custody and spent the night at the animal shelter. 

John Martin, owner of Jupiter Cafe said that his employee was in a difficult situation and called police to mediate the situation. 

Martin said that the health department does not allow pet dogs in restaurants, and since there were no indicators that Minasian needed the dog, nor was the dog marked, Bisbiglia simply asked him why. According to the federal act, the ADA trumps the health department, and Minasian says that the restaurant and the police should know that. 

He says he plans on taking this as far as he can.  

“There’s every reason that there will be a recurrence,” he said. “This is simply intolerable.” 

He said he’s filed a complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Justice, and is awaiting the results. 

The Department may file lawsuits in Federal court to enforce the ADA and may obtain court orders including compensatory damages to remedy discrimination. Under Title III the department may also obtain civil penalties of up to $50,000 for the first violation and $100,000 for subsequent violations.


Opinion

Editorials

On-line advertising fortunes may be on the line

The Associated Press
Monday September 11, 2000

 

SAN FRANCISCO — A slowdown in online advertising is translating into a painful comedown for the Internet’s glamour stock, Yahoo! Corp., and other popular Web sites that sell ads to pay their bills. 

For the sixth straight day, Yahoo! stock suffered through a wave of selling Friday, falling $2.81. The Santa Clara-based company’s market value has plunged by $10.5 billion, or 15 percent, since Aug. 30 amid deepening investor worries about the flagging market for online ads. 

The pall hanging over Yahoo! – the owner of the world’s most popular Web site and one of the few profitable Internet businesses – threatens to spread to other companies whose fortunes are tied to online advertising. 

“If Yahoo! has a cold, then other Internet companies could get the pneumonia,” said Rick Kimball, general partner for Technology Crossover Ventures, a venture capital firm in Palo Alto. 

Yahoo!’s problems have thrown several other new media stocks into a September funk. Shares in prominent new media companies such as Inktomi Corp., Ask Jeeves Inc., DoubleClick Inc. and About.com also have suffered in the past week, although not as badly as Yahoo!. 

Analysts disagree on just how badly the online advertising market is ailing. But virtually everyone agrees that online advertising isn’t growing at the robust clip of nine months ago, largely because the e-commerce companies that propelled the spending are no longer flush with cash. 

Following an April market meltdown among dot-com businesses that weren’t making money, the venture capitalists financing those companies tightened their purse strings. As a result, many online companies slashed their marketing budgets to save money, putting a crimp in the revenue stream at Yahoo! and other major online ad space sellers. 

“Online advertising has been in the doldrums all summer,” said Dave Smith, president of Mediasmith, an online media planning agency in San Francisco and New York. 

To lure business, Yahoo! and other popular online sites have been lowering their advertising rates, reversing their direction of a year ago. 

The average online ad rate fell from $33 per thousand unique visitors at the end of 1999 to $31 during the summer, according to AdRelevance, a division of Media Metrix, which tracks Web traffic. 

No one expects Yahoo!’s revenues to fall precipitously, but the company is unlikely to produce the dramatic financial gains that helped make its stock a Wall Street darling.  

Blodget predicts Yahoo!’s revenues in the quarter ending Sept. 30 will total $280 million. 

Besides a short-term loss in ad revenue, Yahoo! and other Web sites are facing concerns that banner ads – the flashing online billboards that route traffic to an advertiser’s site – aren’t living up to expectations. 

An estimated 4 percent to 5 percent of site visitors used to click on banner ads. The average “click-through” rate on banner ads is now 0.5 percent or lower, according to advertisers. 


Diverse coalition opposing Proposition 38

The Associated Press
Thursday September 07, 2000

SACRAMENTO — As kids played kickball in the background, Rosamunda Guillen and Jocelyn Graves described Wednesday how the school voucher initiative on the November ballot would harm their Hispanic and black communities. 

Guillen of the United Farm Workers said the union voted unanimously to oppose Proposition 38 because “they know this proposition will take away even more resources” from strapped rural schools. 

“Proposition 38 will not help my kids,” said Graves, a black parent from Sacramento. 

Opponents of the voucher initiative held press conferences Wednesday in four California cities that were called “back-to-school” events to kick off their campaign. 

However, both sides have already run summer television advertisements in what is expected to be a very expensive campaign, exceeding $40 million. 

And Wednesday’s events were more an opportunity for black and Latino leaders to stress opposition to the initiative. 

Tim Draper, a millionaire venture capitalist from Redwood City who is backing Proposition 38, has been trying to appeal to minority voters whose children attend poor-performing inner-city schools. One of his first rallies in July was at a black church in Los Angeles that runs a private school that could receive children with vouchers. 

In the four cities, speakers included black leaders such as San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Aminah Jahi of the San Jose chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Hispanic leaders such as San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and Bert Corona-Hermandad of Mexicana Nacional. 

In Sacramento, the press conference was held in a playground next to an elementary school a few blocks from the Capitol. 

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who has already appeared in Spanish-language ads opposing Proposition 38, said the initiative would undermine several recent years of reforms that are just starting to produce increases in student scores. 

“Everybody is always looking for the silver bullet, just like Proposition 38, some kind of a magical silver bullet,” he said.  

Alice Huffman, executive director of the California branch of the NAACP, was critical of Draper’s overtures to the black community, calling him a “wolf” and a “phony.” 

“There are not enough private schools, let alone voucher schools, that will take our children. So who’s going to have the choice? It will allow the voucher schools to choose,” she said. 

Proposition 38 spokesman Chris Bertelli said Wednesday that the black and Latino leaders are not representative of parents who will vote. 

“These leaders do a disservice to their communities that they purport to represent. They are beholden to the teachers’ unions and the status quo that is failing miserably for their communities,” Bertelli said. 

The pro-38 campaign, however, is trying a unique method to build up a mailing, phone and e-mail list of interested people. Its Web page says anyone who registers on the page will be eligible for three drawings for a computer to be given to the school of the winner’s choice. 

Read the initiative at the secretary of state’s page: www.ss.ca.gov  

The two sides: 

www.SchoolVouchers2000.com,  

www.NoVouchers2000.com.


Camera usage on school board agenda

By William Inman Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday September 06, 2000

At its first meeting since school was back in session, the school board will again try to approve a policy on the use and installation of cameras at Berkeley High School. 

The policy has been mulled over the past two meetings, and approval has been delayed. 

In addition, Superintendent Jack McLaughlin said he plans to ask the board to approve a $5,000 implementation policy for a possible food court at Berkeley High. 

The board will recess to closed session at 6 p.m., and the regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The board will also discuss:  

• Acceptance of a $1,000 contribution to the English Department at Berkeley High School for dictionaries for the English Department classrooms. 

• Approval of an agreement with Pleasanton Unified District for data processing services 

• Approval of Berkeley High School Health Center domestic violence prevention program. 

• Discuss a plan for 4th grade transition at two-way English-Spanish immersion sites. 

The meeting is in the Board Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. It is televised on TV-