When naked people, cheerleaders, fire breathers, motorized couches, Darth Vader and the mayor all get together it can only mean one thing: the annual How Berkeley Can You Be? parade. 

On a brilliant Sunday, around 50 floats and scores of paraders – some wearing elaborate costumes, others wearing nothing at all – began the morning procession at University Avenue and California Street and were as Berkeley as they wanted to be up University to Shattuck Avenue, then south on Center Street to Civic Center Park. 

Revelers and gawkers followed the parade into the park and grooved to the sounds of the Reggae Angels, Ray Obiedo and the Urban Latin Jazz Project and the Fez Tones.

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 

Parks & Recreation Board Meeting 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Contact James Kelekian,  

644-6952 x230 

Solid Waste Management Commission 

7 p.m. 

Solid Waste Management Center 

1201 Second St. 

Contact Debra Kaufman,  

644-8891 x224 

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Reclaim the Streets! 

6 p.m.  

Berkeley BART station 

Bring dancing shoes, bikes, skateboards and costumes and fight globalization. Join in this street party and protest and “reclaim Berkeley from cars, corporations and the police state.”  

More Info: 594-4002 

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 sustainability and profitability. 

Talking about Living, Talking about Dying 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Hospital  

2001 Dwight Way 

A community forum providing an opportunity to find out about community resources and to share experiences. Moderated by Wendy Hanamura, producer of KQED’s series “Eyes Wide Open,” the forum includes a panel discussion and an audience Q & A.  

Contact Patricia Murphy, 450-8719 

Law Center for Families Benefit 

6 - 7:30 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

The Law Center for Families, a nonprofit professional corporation which provides family, housing and consumer law to low and moderate-income families and individuals, celebrates its first anniversary.  

There will be community speakers, food, drinks and live local music.  

Admission $35 per person 

RSVP by calling 451-9261 x204 

Civic Arts Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Contact Mary Ann Merker-Benton, 705-8183 

Disaster Council Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Emergency Operations Center 

997 Cedar 

644-6665 

Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m.  

Mental Health Clinic 

2640 MLK Jr. Way 

Contact Harvey Tureck, 644-8712 

Planning Commission Meeting 

7 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Contact Karen Haney-Owens, 705-8137 

Thursday, Sept. 28

Free Introduction to Golden Shield Qi Gong 

6:30 p.m.  

Assembley Hall, First Congregational Church 

2345 Channing Way 

Learn the basics of this 4,000-year-old system that promotes health and strength of body, mind and spirit. 

More info: 849-2231 

Forest Action Roadshow Presents Darryl Cherney 

7:30 p.m. 

Unitarian Fellowship 

1606 Bonita (at Cedar) 

Called “the Woody Guthrie of the North Woods” by the SF Examiner, Cherney has been an avid defender of the redwoods.  

He will present lighthearted songs and a slide show about the direct action protests he’s helped organize. 

Music from the Andes 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

International House, Auditorium 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Performances by Juanita Newland-Ulloa and the traditional music group, Grupo Atahualpamanta. Co-sponsored by Earth Mandala, an international organization for global peace.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo 

642-9460 

Alta Bates Breast Cancer Center Benefit 

6:30 p.m. This gala event features a wine and hors d'oeuvres reception and a Fall Fashion Workshop presented by Nordstrom and image consultant Anthea  

Tolomei, $50 

Claremont Resort and Spa,  

41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley.  

(510) 843-3000 ext. 290 or www.claremontresort.com 

Zoning Adjustment Board Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Contact Mark A. Rhoades, 705-8110 

West Berkeley Project Area Meeting 

7 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth Ave.  

Contact Daniel Vanderpriem, 705-8134 

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 

$10 in advance/$12 at the door 

848-6767 x609 

Tour Mission District Gardens 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

One of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance for this fall. Tour SF’s Mission District and learn about the role of gardens and open space in community planning. 

Call: 415-255-3233 to make reservations 

Dharma Publishing Showroom Tour 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 - 3 p.m.) 

Dharma House 

2910 San Pablo Ave. 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 p.m. -3 p.m.) 

See traditional Tibetan book making, sacred art projects, spinning copper prayer wheels and a video of the work Peace Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India.  

More info: 848-4238 

Sunday, October 1

Return of the Raptors to Marin 

Drivers: 11:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  

Bikers: 10:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Witness the migration of birds of prey over the Marin Headlands. Includes a hawk talk and banding demonstration and lunch at Rodeo Lagoon. Bike from SF or meet at Hawk Hill. Part of Greenbelt Alliance’s series of free outings.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Open Paw Seminar 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Pauley Ballroom 

UC Berkeley 

Dr. Ian Dunbar, world renowned veterinarian and animal behaviorist presents this free seminar on the prevention and treatment of problem cat and dog behavior. Co-sponsored by the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society and the Berkeley Animal Shelter, the goal is to make animals more adoptable through interaction with trained volunteers.  

More info: Janet Kotlier, 527-7387 

Monday, Oct. 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 

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

(510) 528-5403 

Landmarks Preservation Commission 

7 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Discussion of the city’s hiring an archeologist to study the possible mound remnants in the streets.  

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 

New Role for the UN in the New Century 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion with Rosemary van der Laan, President of the Board of Directors of the UN Association of the United States, about globalization and it’s impacts on the economic, social and political lives of the world.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 7

Berkeley Grassroots Greening Tour 

Starts at 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. 

Celebrate Open Garden Day by joining this annual bicycle tour of local community and school gardens. Part of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Houses or Open Hills? 

10 a.m.  

Experience Black Diamond Mines Regional Park’s ghost towns, coal mines, spectacular views and open space on this hike by the proposed sites of 7,700 homes near Antioch. Cosponsored by Save Mount Diablo. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Redesigning Retirement”  

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

UC Berkeley (call for exact location) 

The UC Berkeley Retirement Center and the Academic Geriatric Resource Program will present retirement as a time of great potential. Participants will take part in interactive workshops dealing with the impact of technology on retirement; community involvement of older adults, among other topics. Prominent experts in the field of aging and retirement will take part in “ask the experts” sessions.  

$25. No on-site registration. Register by September 25. 

Contact: Shelly Glazer at 642-5461 

Sunday, Oct. 8

Surmounting Sunol Peaks  

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Learn about local geology while enjoying the panoramic views from three Sunol peaks. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Tuesday, Oct. 10

Cal Alumni Singles 20th Anniversary Dinner 

UC Faculty Club 

Dinner scheduled for Oct. 15 

For reservations call 527-2709 by Oct. 10  

Wednesday, Oct. 11

Are Domed Cities in the future? 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom  

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion based on UC Berkeley alumnus Tim Holt’s book, “On Higher Ground.” Set 50 years in the future, part of the book takes place in an East Bay enclosed by a climate-controlled dome.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Thursday, Oct. 12

East Timor: The Road to Independence 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion of events leading up to the creation of the newest nation of the millennium and issues raised on the road to independence.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 14

Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow & Indian Market 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Grand Entry 1 p.m.  

Enjoy Native American foods, arts & crafts, drumming, singing and many types of native dancing. Sponsored by the City of Berkeley, this event is free.  

Civic Center Park 

Allston Way at MLK Jr. Way 

Info: 615-0603 

Sunday, Oct. 15

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Los Gatos Opera House 

Celebrate the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. This benefit features a variety of musical groups, local artists and samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries and microbreweries. Proceeds benefit Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person; $80 for this event and the Oct. 22 event in SF 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

Tuesday, Oct. 17

Is the West Berkeley Shellmound a landmark? 

7 p.m.  

City Council Chambers 

2134 MLK Jr. Way, 2nd floor 

Continued and final public hearing on the appeals against landmark designation of the West Berkeley Shellmound. The City Council may possibly make it’s decision at this meeting. 

Thursday, Oct. 19

The Promise and Perils of Transgenic Crops 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion with Dr. Peggy Lemaux, professor of Plant and Microbiology at UC Berekeley, of the scientific basis for biotechnology, it’s risks and benefits. 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 21

A Day on Mt. Tam 

9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Come play and hike in San Francisco’s beloved playground. This outing is part of a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

AHIMSA Eight Annual Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International House, Great Hall 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

The AHIMSA is a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to encourage dialogues and public forums which bridge spiritual, scientific and social issues. This years conference is titled “Science, Spirituality and Nonviolence.”  

Admission is free 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Sunday, Oct. 22

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Presidio’s Golden Gate Club 

Greenbelt Alliance brings the farm to the city in this celebration of the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. Featured are samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries, microbreweries. Also featured are live music and local artwork. The event benefits Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

An Evening with Alice Walker 

7:30 p.m.  

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St. (at Grant) 

free parking 

Join internationally loved novelist, poet and essayist Alice Walker in celebrating her new book of autobiographical stories, “The Way Forward is With a Broken Heart.” Benefits Berkeley EcoHouse and KPFA Radio, 94.1 FM.  

Tickets: $10 advance, $13 door 

Tickets available at independent bookstores 

More info: 848-6767 x609 

Saturday, Oct. 28

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Saturday, Nov. 4

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Saturday, Nov. 11

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Sunday, Nov. 12

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

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

The pollsters have already stolen this year’s presidential election. 

They are the true advance team pulling Al Gore’s and George Bush’s campaigns, always one step ahead of either candidate’s speech writers, several days ahead of their position papers, a week ahead of a candidate’s formulation of his most deeply held conviction. Pollsters keep politicians in touch with America. The argument goes: In a country as vast as ours, who else but a pollster can convey to a candidate what’s bothering Paula (white, divorced, two kids under 18) in Peoria? 

With their segmented grasp of America, pollsters have made a national political campaign nearly impossible or irrelevant. In this year’s presidential campaign, when Pennsylvania is a state too close to call for either party, and California and Texas are thought safe for the Democrats and the Republicans respectively, it’s off to Pittsburgh we go! Rather, they go. 

Maybe there is no United States of America anymore, and the pollsters are the ones who fully understand that fact. Maybe there is no need for a national conversation because we can all be dissected into niche market groups. 

The archaic electoral college system becomes strangely post-modern. Running for president is no different than looking for one of those segmented audience or market groups, the same ones retailers and magazine publishers and television networks want to find. 

After all, dollars are finite. Pollsters divine the media markets in which the candidates should concentrate advertising money. So here we are, nearing the end of September, and millions of Americans – a majority – have yet to see an ad for either presidential candidate. Even so, most media analysis of the campaign focuses upon the efficacy of ads most of us will never see. 

I suppose that’s good news for the majority of us. I pity television viewers in Illinois who are Gored and Bushed to death every time they turn on the box. But watching the campaigns from the distance of a “safe” state, it’s hard for me to regard this year’s presidential election campaign as a national affair. 

In an Illinois union hall, Vice President Gore, shirt-sleeves rolled up, plays the populist. Whereas we Californians read in the paper that, during the night, Gore has passed through to suck up dollars in Beverly Hills and Silicon Valley. 

Then there’s George Bush. Months ago, during the California primary, Bush went up and down our state – the largest in the union, and the state with the most immigrants – speaking en Espanol about immigration and global markets. 

But now it is September. When an eager and unprecedented association of ethnic newspaper and broadcasting journalists – the New California Media – offers the globalist Bush a forum to discuss America and the world, the Republican candidate is too busy discussing the cost of prescription drugs in Indiana. 

So it goes. We are long past the days when a candidate promised to visit every state in the union during a presidential campaign. (Richard Nixon was the last to try that gambit.) 

With this year’s campaign we seem to be returning to a gas-lit, cobblestone America, a disconnected nation of great distances and rumors, the country before the jet airplane, when most presidential campaigns took place east of the Mississippi. 

No coincidence is it that each of the three presidential debates will take place well to the right of the Continental Divide. To put it bluntly, Colorado does not figure in this year’s election; Kentucky matters. Florida matters! 

The latest word from the pollsters is that Florida is a toss-up. So the two campaign planes will head for Miami. Expect Bush to talk to Cuban Americans in Spanish about “little Elian.” Expect Gore, across town, at a senior citizens’ social hall, talking about making prescription drugs less expensive for seniors. 

All of us, in all fifty states, have to endure several more weeks of this pre- and post-modern campaigning. For we are now deep in the age of the pollster. 

In January, one man or another will take the oath of office. We will hear ghost-written rhetoric about our nation, indivisible. But the truth is that the nation is divisible by the pollsters. And the man with the best pollsters will become the president of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Total systematic failure. 

That’s really the only way to describe what happened to the Cal offense against Fresno State Saturday night. On the way to a discouraging 17-3 loss to the Bulldogs, the Bears had just about everything possible go wrong while in possesion of the ball. 

Sophomore Kyle Boller took a step backward on the road to becoming a reliable signal-caller, firing balls above and behind his receivers and causing several delay-of-game penalties. When he threw catchable balls, his receivers couldn’t hang on to them or ran the wrong route. The offensive line imitated a leaky dam, allowing Fresno State’s defensive front to harrass Boller and get hits on running backs in the backfield. Those running backs, while making nice moves on several gains, couldn’t manage to break the big play the team needed. And offensive coordinator Steve Hagen showed little creativity in his play calls, allowing the Bulldog defense to constantly blitz without fear of a big play. 

Both teams are 1-2 on the year. 

As usual, the Bear defense did its part, holding the opposition scoreless through most of the first half. They stuffed the Fresno State ground game, allowing just 64 yards on the ground. But soft coverage in the secondary gave Bulldog quarterback David Carr some easy first downs on three scoring drives, which was more than enough to secure victory for the home team. 

Early in the game, neither team looked capable of scoring. Cal’s James Bethea returned the opening kickoff to midfield, but the Bears managed just one first down before calling upon their best weapon, punter Nick Harris. As has been his custom this season, Harris buried the Bulldogs inside their own five-yard line. Fresno State couldn’t muster a first down on its first three possessions, but the Bears couldn’t take advantage of their outstanding field position, as kicker Mark Jensen pulled a 42-yard field goal attempt wide left. 

Cal’s receivers were all off their games Saturday, none more than freshman Geoff McArthur. Despite a team-high three catches for 73 yards on the day, McArthur ran the wrong route several times, and one instance had disastrous consequences. Boller pump-faked an out pattern, expecting McArthur to head upfield. McArthur cut the route short, however, and Boller’s lob was picked off by cornerback Dante Marsh, killing the first-quarter drive. 

Fresno State gave the ball right back, as Carr threw a shovel pass right to defensive tackle Jacob Waasdorp. The Bears ensuing drive was short-lived, with Boller fumbling a snap for an 11-yard loss on the way to another Harris punt.  

That punt and its result turned out to by symbolic of Cal’s season so far. Fresno State’s return man, wideout Charles Smith, inexplicably turned around and let the ball hit him in the back. Cal’s John Klotsche recovered the ball inside the 20.  

But Joseph Echema was stuffed for a one-yard loss, and Boller was sacked for an eight-yard loss, then threw an incomplete pass. Head coach Tom Holmoe declined a field goal try, and Boller made a great throw on fourth and 19 to freshman Chase Lyman for what could have been a crucial first down. But Lyman dropped the ball, and whatever momentum the Bears had built was wiped out. 

Carr eventually solved the Bear secondary, and his two touchdown passes, both to Smith, showed how close the Bears are to success. The first came on a simple slant pattern, and Bear cornerback Harold Pearson broke on the ball about a half-second too late, then missed the tackle. On the second touchdown, Pearson had Smith wrapped up as safety Nnamdi Asomugha came over to finish off the receiver. But Asomugha instead slammed into Pearson, knocking Smith loose to glide into the end zone, sealing Fresno State’s victory.

The agenda of this week’s City Council meeting will have an unusual item – the agenda itself, and whether meeting procedures can be improved. 

Members will also attempt to wrap up several unresolved issues Tuesday evening, including whether to designate the Swink House a “structure of merit.”  

Past meetings have run aground on scheduling problems, often caused by lack of information, which creates backlogs that could almost never be cleared. Politically motivated maneuverings contributed to the problem. 

To change all that, a new plan proposes more staff analysis of council items before a vote, tighter scheduling to ensure both more public participation and shorter meetings, and an annual limit on the number of items a council member could place on the agenda. The desired result is a more awake and “collegial” council. 

Part of the plan is to limit council members’ ability to delay voting on items by “pulling them from consent” numerous times, the proposal says. 

On other fronts, the council will decide whether to authorize a study to determine whether Berkeley police engage in racial profiling during traffic stops. While Berkeley police have taken such demographic data on a voluntary basis, the council will decide whether to approve $25,000 from the California Highway Patrol for personnel costs associated with the collection of traffic stop data. 

Other votes will decide whether all new roads must have bike and pedestrian access on both sides of the street beginning in 2003, and whether to spend $20,000 on a “Homelessness Prevention Program.” At issue there is whether to fund a database of available housing in Berkeley that would help low-income households find a roof. 

Also on the agenda is a scheduled hearing on housing safety referred by the ASUC Senate. Backed by Councilmember Kriss Worthington, the motion would refer the ASUC proposal to the Housing Advisory Committee and the city manager for further review. 

Mayor Dean will also propose that the city support an expanded definition of a prohibited machine gun to cover trigger mechanisms that can covert other weapons into machine guns. 

Also of note is a proposal that the city manager obtain a legal opinion on the university’s desire to exempt from an environmental impact assessment report its plans to add retractable lights to Memorial Stadium. 

Council Member Linda Maio is also requesting an emergency rent guarantee for the East Bay Depot of Creative Reuse, which since 197 has distributed recycled materials for at low cost to artists, teachers, and the public. The university has not renewed the Depot’s lease, which expires in February 2001, and a new landlord is requiring a rent guarantee. That could amount to $43,200, should the Depot default on its monthly rent. 

In other arenas, Stephen Barton, interim director of housing, is proposing an authorization of $59,550 for the Green Resource Center. Finally, the Berkeley Alliance – a consortium representing the city, the university, and public school – could also receive its first check for $95,701 to fund administrative support and project services dealing with issues such as the achievement gap at Berkeley High.

Oregon 29, No. 6 UCLA 10 

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — UCLA ran into a road block. 

Maurice Morris ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon beat No. 6 UCLA 29-10 on Saturday for its 17th straight home victory and the Bruins’ seventh road loss in a row. 

“I don’t consider it an upset, just a big win,” Morris said. 

Oregon (3-1) dominated in almost every category, holding UCLA to minus-9 yards rushing in the Pac-10 opener for both teams. 

“If you’re going to win championships, you’ve got to win on the road,” UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. “We just didn’t perform.” 

UCLA was coming off a victory over then-No. 3 Michigan, and opened the season with a win over Alabama — also No. 3 at the time. 

Both Toledo and Oregon coach Mike Bellotti had talked about the importance of the crowd before the game. 

“The atmosphere here was amazing,” Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington said. “Right from the opening kickoff it was electric. I’ve been here for four years andit still gave me the chills.” 

No. 9 USC 34, San Jose St. 24 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carson Palmer led a late Southern Cal rally Saturday as the No. 9 Trojans scored three touchdowns in the final 8:07 to beat San Jose State 34-24 on Saturday. 

Petros Papadakis bulled 5 yards up the middle for the go-ahead score with 2:34 remaining as Southern Cal (3-0) came back from a 12-point deficit. 

Palmer, who completed 22 of 38 for 338 yards and two touchdowns, threw to Matt Nickels for the 2-point conversion and a three-point pad over the Spartans (2-2). 

Papadakis added an insurance touchdown — his third TD of the game — on a 3-yard run with 57 seconds left after Chris Cash intercepted a pass at the Spartans’ 30 and returned it to the 21. 

The Trojans’ defense held San Jose State tailback Deonce Whitaker, who entered the game as the nation’s third-leading rusher, to 49 yards on 13 carries, although he did score twice. 

Oregon St. 35, San Diego St. 3 

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Ken Simonton ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon State beat San Diego State 35-3 on Saturday. 

Simonton, who averaged 192 yards in Oregon State’s opening victories over Eastern Washington and New Mexico, sat out most of the second half. 

Oregon State will open its Pacific-10 season next weekend at Reser Stadium against No. 9 Southern California. 

Idaho 38, Washington St. 34 

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) – Quarterback John Welsh scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds left as Idaho posted a 38-34 victory in its 83rd contest against Washington State.  

The Vandals (1-3) have won two straight against their neighboring rivals after losing 14 straight over a 25-year stretch. Idaho snapped a four-game overall losing streak dating to last season and trails this series, 17-63-3.  

The lead changed hands four times in the final quarter. Billy Newman returned an interception 10 yards for a score as the Cougars (1-2) took a 26-24 lead. But Welsh’s 13-yard TD pass to Ethan Jones with 7:14 left gave Idaho a 31-26 cushion.  

Washington State gained a 34-31 bulge with 3:01 remaining on Jason Gesser’s seven-yard TD run. However, Welsh grabbed the victory for the Vandals as his run capped a 10-play, 57-yard drive.  

The Cougars took the ball to the Idaho 36-yard line, but Gesser’s pass for Marcus Williams was incomplete as time expired.  

Arizona St. 44, Utah St. 20 

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) – Freshman Jeff Krohn, unbothered by being briefly replaced by three-year starter Ryan Kealy, threw four touchdown passes as Arizona State beat Utah State 44-20 Saturday night. 

The win was Arizona State’s third in three games – its best start since since the 1996 Sun Devils won the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth with an undefeated regular season. 

Krohn, a former walk-on starting because of Kealy’s off-field problems, hit Richard Williams for scores of 72 and 70 yards in the first quarter and threw strikes of 61 and 35 yards to Donnie O’Neal in the third quarter.

Cutting the defense budget and investing in local communities is the best way to ensure that the United States remains the world’s most powerful nation, a group of national and local activists said at a public policy forum Saturday. 

Panelists at the “Redefining National Security” forum concluded that the nation’s greatest threat is not an attack by a foreign power but the growing number of Americans who lack access to health care, housing, decent jobs and a good education. 

About 100 people gathered at UC Berkeley’s Joseph Wood Krutch Theater to hear the progressive call to arms. 

“Now is the time to redefine national security in terms of how we care for the people of this nation rather than by how many weapons we can stockpile,” said Wilson Riles Jr., forum co-chair and executive director of American Friends Service Committee. “For our nation to be secure we must create jobs that pay a  

livable wage, provide a decent education and access to affordable health care." 

But federal spending priorities lie elsewhere, all eight panelists agreed. They pointed out that the House of Representatives approved $306 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2001, an increase of $18 billion over current spending.  

The bill, passed 367-58 on July 29, catapults defense spending to Cold War levels, panelists said. What’s more, the US military budget is now 2 1/2 times the total spent by Russia, China and seven other countries considered “potential threats,” according to the National Priorities Project, a non-profit research and education organization. 

“The less expensive strategy is to meet the needs of our people,” said Joseph Volk, executive director of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby group. “We need to narrow the ever-increasing gap between rich  

and poor.” 

Children, the elderly and minorities are hardest hit in California, Volk said. The number of children in California living below the poverty line increased from 947,000 in 1987 to 2.1 million in 1998, according to a report by the Census Bureau.  

“We have many of our children living in poverty and 87 percent of our schools in California needing repair to be considered in good overall condition,” said Alameda County Board of Education Superintendent Sheila Jordan. “In the year 2000, the federal government spent one dollar in K to College education for every eight dollars it gave to the Pentagon. Our government has its priorities all wrong.” 

Supporters of increased military spending – conspicuously absent from the panel – argue that the money ensures that 1.4 million active troops can fight and win two major regional conflicts around the same time. The money will also let the Pentagon procure new weapons, such as 341 F-22 jetfighters and 30 new nuclear-powered attack submarines. 

But panelists didn’t see the point. 

“We are at a moment in history when there are no peer powers or alliances which pose any significant military threat to the United States or our allies,” said retired Rear Adm. Eugene J. Carroll Jr., now deputy director of the Center for Defense Information, an independent research organization that monitors military affairs. “Using 50 percent of the entire  

discretionary federal budget to defend the country from imaginary threats is excessive and wasteful.” 

But getting Congress to cut military spending is another matter. There are few voices on Capitol Hill making such arguments, and those that do don’t wield much power.  

In the U.S. House, the 54-member Congressional Progressive Caucus – that includes 10 representatives from California – opposes increased defense spending. But political reality can dictates otherwise.  

“The Congressional Progressive Caucus say they support our efforts,” said Andy Sekana, a forum organizer and member of the San Francisco Progressive Challenge. “But in voting, it has not happened.”

Broncos gain 396 yards on the ground in 48-7 win 

Armed with a brutal ground attack, Dos Palos trampled Berkeley High into their own Astroturf Friday night, inflicting a 48-7 beating upon a school more than five times its size. Operating for most of the evening out of a two tight end set, Dos Palos amassed 408 yards of total offense, 396 of them on the ground. Junior running back Kenny James presented an especially impressive image of the Broncos’ dominance, rushing for 227 yards on 17 carries and four touchdowns.  

Berkeley was forced to contend with James’ game-breaking ability from the opening kickoff, which he returned 76 yards to the Yellowjackets’ two-yard line. A few seconds and a quick pitch later, James scored the Broncos’ first points on a sweep right, giving the Broncos a 7-0 lead only 18 seconds into the game. 

Undaunted, the ‘Jackets roared back on the ensuing kickoff, freeing wide receiver Charles West on a reverse for a 76-yard scamper of their own. Two plays later, having backed the Broncos to their own nine-yard line, Berkeley committed the first of their three turnovers when senior Joey Terry-Jones fumbled a poor pitch from quarterback Leon Ireland.  

Neither Dos Palos nor Berkeley was able to put anything together on the next three possessions, until James again stamped the game with his big-play ability. Taking over on their own 27-yard line after a Berkeley turnover on downs, Dos Palos looked to their dominant offensive line to give them room to sweep left. James eyed a gaping hole, broke a tackle and cut back to the right sideline, streaking 59 yards to the Berkeley 14-yard line. Two plays later James barreled into the endzone for his second touchdown of the evening, giving the Broncos a 14-0 lead with 4:09 remaining in the first quarter.  

The Yellow Jackets responded with their longest sustained drive of the game, a 13-play, 42-yard affair that ate up 5:52 on the clock. Sticking to the ground, Berkeley rushed for 38 yards on five carries, and completed only one of four passes for four yards. Unable to capitalize on a Dos Palos holding penalty that negated a fumble, the ‘Jackets’ drive stalled at the Broncos’ 15-yard line and Dos Palos took over on downs. 

In what was quickly becoming a hallmark of the night, Dos Palos turned to James once again, and he didn’t disappoint. Bursting through the line and over Ireland, who plays safety on the defensive side of the ball, James sprinted 36 yards to Berkeley’s 49-yard line to begin the Broncos’ longest drive of the game. The Broncos ran on eight of their next nine plays, and slowly marched into the endzone, grinding the score out to 20-0 and eating up 6:51 of the game clock.  

After the game, James noted the success of his team’s grind-it-out style: “We came out with the same old game play. We ran the ball good, the line was there opening up holes, and the game was just beautiful.” 

Hoping to spark his flagging offense, Berkeley Coach Gary Weaver inserted his starting quarterback, Muhammed Nitoto, after disciplining him for the first quarter. Dos Palos brought the blitz, hitting Nitoto hard on his first possession. Nitoto coughed up the ball, and giving the Broncos’ offense the ball 13 yards from the goal line. Three plays and one two-point conversion later, Dos Palos had increased their lead to 28-0, and gave James his third touchdown of the game.  

Berkeley tried desperately to get on the scoreboard before halftime, but a stingy Broncos’ defense and an ill-advised pass stood in the way. Facing third and two on their own 47-yard line with time ticking away, Nitoto launched a Hail Mary pass toward the endzone. James intercepted the pass, and the Broncos had the ball on their own 31-yard line with one second remaining in the half. Dos Palos called timeout, and they came up with a play that mystified the ‘Jacket defense. The Dos Palos offensive line offered a gaping hole to quarterback Leonard Davis, and he sprinted 69 yards straight down the field to give the Broncos a 35-0 halftime lead.  

One may have expected the Yellow Jackets to fold in the second half, but they did no such thing. Facing a third and four on their own 30-yard line, Nitoto reared back and aired the ball out, finding wide receiver Chavellier Patterson on the Dos Palos 35 yard-line. Patterson broke one tackle and raced down the right sideline to give ‘Jackets their only touchdown of the game. 

"I saw that we had a little cornerback on one of our taller wide receivers, and I think that our wide receivers are probably the best out there, so I had a lot of confidence that he could out-run the man, or if he needed to out-jump him, so I just threw it up to him, and he made the play," Nitoto said after the game. 

If Berkeley had planned a comeback, however, it was short-circuited by the Broncos. The Dos Palos offensive line pounded Berkeley into submission, opening hole after hole for the Broncos ballcarriers to squirt through. The Broncos tacked on two more touchdowns, eating up most of the second half with three- and four-yard carries. 

Berkeley, on the other hand, ramained out of sync, and was repeatedly paralyzed by drive-stalling penalties. The Yellow Jackets accumulated 5 penalties for 32 yards on the night, but most of these yards came when they were least needed. In a game of inches, the Berkeley offense was frequently stopped a few yards short.  

Noting the problems that the Dos Palos defense presented him with, Nitoto said: "We tried to throw them off by doing an off-set line, but they starting catching onto it after we did it so many times. They just kept the middle clogged up, and they starting putting two safeties back after the touchdown pass. So we couldn’t throw deep, but then we couldn’t throw over the middle either because they had the whole middle clogged up." 

Berkeley falls to 0-3, while Dos Palos improved their season mark to 2-1. Berkeley will travel to Livermore High this Thursday.

Kids romped and jumped on inflated trampolines, while their elders strolled about – hundreds of them – hugging neighbors, moving to music, shelling out a few greenbacks here and for the latest in African garb, or a few dollars there for barbecue, noodles or even a psychic reading. 

San Pablo Park neighbors had waited 50 years to celebrate this day: the golden anniversary of the San Pablo Park Neighborhood Council. It is the oldest neighborhood association in the city. 

Two honorees, Corinne Butler Bayliss and Esther Bell, were showered with flowers at the all-day gala Saturday. Everyone who mounted the stage in the center of the park showered them with praise as well. 

“Praise God for Mother Corinne Bayliss,” called out Rev. Mark Wilson of McGee Avenue Baptist Church from the stage. 

Naturally, those running for office got into the act, with volunteers for incumbent Councilmember Margaret Breland, and two of her challengers Betty Hicks and Carol Hughes-Willoughby actively working the crowd. Peralta Board Candidate Darryl Moore was pressing the flesh and folks supporting the parks’ taxes were passing out flyers.  

A group fighting Patrick Kennedy's proposed cafe/apartment complex at Carleton Street and San Pablo Avenue set up a table and were looking for allies, and the San Pablo area gay and lesbian club had their table nearby to let neighbors know they are part of the community. 

In his low-key way, City Manager Weldon Rucker was taking it all in with two granddaughters in tow. 

Supervisor Keith Carson, not running for office for the moment, told the crowd from the stage that he grew up not far from the park and had special thanks to give to the elders in attendance.  

“Thank you for pulling me on the ear and hitting me on the behind,” he said, recalling the days when neighbors took responsibility for all the kids on the block. 

Corrine Bayliss had her own message for the crowd, written on a button pinned to her powder-blue suit jacket: ”Pray until something happens,” it said.

Water polo upsets second-ranked Stanford 

The No. 5 ranked California men’s water polo team, led by goalie Russell Bernstein, scored a 7-4 upset victory over No. 2 ranked Stanford (4-2) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match Saturday on the Stanford campus.  

Senior Eldad Hazor led the Golden Bears with three goals, while Bernstein chalked up 11 saves.  

The Bears jumped to a 3-1 first period lead, thanks to goals by Hazor, Jerry Smith and Joe Kaiser. Cal then extended the lead to 6-2 at halftime with goals by Hazor, Adam Metzger and Smith.  

Stanford mounted a rally in the second half, cutting the Cal lead to 6-4 with 1:34 in the third period on goals by Mark Amott and Peter Hudnut.  

But Hazor’s third goal of the game (and the only goal for both teams in the fourth period), sealed the victory for Cal,which is now 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the MPSF.  

Cal comes out on top after penalty strokes 

Stanford (4-6, 3-2 NorPac) and California (5-3, 3-0 NorPac) played a grueling field hockey match that came down to penalty strokes to give the Golden Bears a 1-0 victory. Neither team was able to score during regulation or the two sudden-death overtime periods.  

Cal led off the first series of strokes and after Stanford goalkeeper Rebecca Shapiro stopped the first shot, the next three Cal strokers scored.  

Three Stanford players attempted and missed shots before the team was mathematically eliminated by a score of 3-0.  

The Cardinal out-shot the Golden Bears 23 to 11 and recorded 10 penalty corners to Cal’s two.  

Volleyball falls to No. 6 USC 

The University of California women’s volleyball team lost to No. 6 ranked USC, three games to none (15-9, 15-7, 15-7), Saturday night at the RSF Fieldhouse in Los Angeles. 

Cal had its best shot to win a game against the Trojans in game one. The Bears jumped out to a 7-2 lead with the help of blocks by freshmen Gabrielle Abernathy and Heather Diers, an ace by Abernathy, a couple of kills by Alicia Perry and a kill by Diers, but USC (9-0, 4-0) came back, won the game 15-9 and never looked back, capturing games two and three by the score of 15-7.  

Perry led Cal (5-5, 1-3) with 19 kills and 11 digs. USC was led by Katie Olsovsky and Jennifer Pahl with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. The Trojans had a .336 hitting percentage for the match.

If people judge you by the car you drive, the jury is out on Philo Northup. 

With 3-D yellow and orange flames streaming down its front, a Spanish tile roof and a guitar hanging out from the back, his “Truck in Flux” is quite a sight. 

“The feedback we get is so positive,” said the cartoonist, who drives his creation to work everyday. “It zaps (people), it hits a nerve ... just looking at a car like this in your rear-view mirror when you’ve had a bad day makes you smile.”  

Why send a message with a standardized, mass-produced car when you can attach a nine-foot Gothic cathedral or a cabin with a waving Pope John Paul II to your roof?  

Those were just two examples of the 50 exhibits of rolling art – including Northup’s – on show Saturday night at the ArtCar Bash in The Crucible Art Gallery on lower Ashby. 

The party was a fund-raiser for the four-day ArtCar Fest, a synthesis of fine art and folk art, which ended Sunday. Northup and his partner, Harrod Blank, organized the gathering, the fourth annual reunion of ArtCar creators and fans from the West Coast. 

The festival began Thursday when vehicles covered with anything from golden Buddhas to mooing plastic cows caravaned around the Bay Area.  

The event concluded Sunday with a film and fashion show, as well as an ArtCars entry in the How Berkeley Can You Be? parade. 

In between, the artists visited schools, showed their work at Jack London Square and threw the party at the warehouse-style gallery on Ashby.  

That event attracted people as flamboyant as the vehicles, who came to hear local bands,  

drink beer and admire each other’s creations. 

“It’s very avant-garde, like the Dada, like any other movement in art history,” said Arizona-based artist Kathleen Pearson. She wore a shiny orange jacket, a bonnet tied around her neck and a tapestry dress with Dutch motifs that matched the wooden clogs and windmills on her pink car. 

Not everyone who has joined the 20-year-old trend is a full-time creator. Many, like Kevin Lipps, hold day jobs and decorate cars to free themselves from the daily grind. 

“I decided to make my own Tiki lounge,” said the glass-blower from Eugene, Ore., proudly sitting next to his VW bug with a grass roof, bamboo wipers and two flaming torches. “It is a little bit of paradise when it’s raining.” 

Some people don’t see the point of the art. And that’s half the reason the artists do it. 

“People take cars so serious,” said Lipps. “To deface a car is sacrilege to them.” 

It may not be sacrilege to Ivan Ganchev, an employee at a mortgage brokerage, but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to transform his Escort. 

“I don’t think I could drive to work in a car like that,” he said, looking at Blank’s “Oh my God!” VW bug. 

But work was far from the minds of most Saturday night partygoers. 

“It’s so funky, it’s almost like a playground,” said Pilar Olabarria, whose conservative dress contrasted with the rainbow-colored wigs and the buffoon hats. “A grown-ups playground ... yes, that’s it!”

SAN FRANCISCO — Guitars screeched from the rooftops and street corners across the city in protest Saturday as somber musicians inside the Downtown Rehearsal building packed up their guitars and gear, eviction notices in hand. 

Scores of musicians, from struggling bands to those as successful as Chris Isaak, got their walking papers from the city’s largest practice space last month after a sale agreement was reached with JMA Properties, a real estate firm from the heart of Silicon Valley. 

“It is a dot-com squeeze out, man. The rents are ridiculous,” Mike Kimball, a guitarist for the local hard rock band Broken, said as he coiled up amplifier cords in his rehearsal room. “I’m thinking about moving to L.A.” 

Kimball blamed technology industry newcomers to San Francisco for gobbling up once-affordable space for their high-tech offices. 

The turnover of warehouse space, like Downtown Rehearsal’s, and rising prices elsewhere have signaled the beginning of what many say is a mass exodus of local music from the city that Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead called home. 

“It’s turning into a yuppified city,” Kimball said. 

It’s also becoming a lucrative market for selling real estate. 

When Teryl Koch bought the Downtown Rehearsal building last year, he paid $6 million; Cupertino-based JMA Properties bought it from him for a reported $16 million. 

Calls to JMA Properties’ attorney were not immediately returned and it wasn’t immediately clear what JMA planned to do with the rehearsal space. 

Koch’s son, Greg, who has run Downtown Rehearsal since 1992, wouldn’t confirm the selling price, but he said his father turned down offers as high as $10 million as recently as December. He defended the sale and said he gave musicians more than he ever took away. 

“I went in there and I took a huge risk,” Greg Koch said. “I saw that San Francisco had musical rehearsal studios, but most of them, quite frankly, were dumps.” 

He built 155 rooms that housed more than 270 bands splitting monthly rents of about $500, at least $100 less than competing rehearsal spots in the city. 

To soften the blow, the Kochs have offered $500,000 for a fund to find alternative practice space for the displaced musicians, provided they all move out on time – a requirement for completion of the sale. 

Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, who has also rented space at Downtown Rehearsal, have offered to hold fund-raiser concerts to create new practice space, said Gavin Newsom, a member of the city’s Board of Supervisors who heads a committee fighting development in the city. 

Saturday afternoon, frustrated musicians took to the street in protest. From the warehouse district to Haight Street, bands like Staci Twigg, The Cubby Creatures and Jaded Internet Veterans played from rooftops and street corners and handed out fliers describing their plight. 

It isn’t just Downtown Rehearsal, said Joel Perez, 28, of The Cubby Creatures. His band shares rehearsal space with five others at Secret Studios, where management informed tenants last week it would be increasing the rent as much as 40 percent. 

Coast Recorders, a premier recording studio where Isaak has cut tracks in the South of Market district, is also closing at the end of the month. That warehouse district now has at least 500 Internet-related companies, rents exceeding $60 per square foot, and a vacancy rate at less than 1 percent. 

“The Jaded Internet Veterans, we may be partly responsible for it, but we don’t like it,” lead singer Brick Thornton said from a second story rooftop where his band played to a crowd of about 50 in the street below. The bands’ members are all dot-com employees. 

LOS ANGELES — President Clinton predicted Sunday that Democrats could win a slim majority in the House but still will have to get along with the Republicans. 

“There will be an effort for bipartisan cooperation no matter what happens in the next election, because if we win the majority it won’t be so big that we won’t have to work with them,” Clinton said. 

The president spoke at a fund-raiser for Rep. Lois Capps, a Santa Barbara Democrat targeted by the GOP this year. The event was expected to raise an estimated $200,000. 

A swing of just six seats in the Republicans’ current 222-211 majority could return the House to Democratic control for the first time since 1994. 

Clinton was making the rounds of two swing districts in California this weekend.  

The Capps stop followed a Saturday visit to San Jose to help Democratic hopeful Mike Honda raise an estimated $500,000. 

At Sunday’s event, Clinton offered only cautious hope for a Democratic majority in the Senate, where the Republican majority is 54-46. 

“We might even win the Senate back, but if we do it will just be by a seat or so,” Clinton said. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton hopes to hold on to the Democratic Senate seat now occupied by retiring New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. 

The Capps fund-raiser marked the 139th time this year that Clinton has headlined campaign events for congressional Democrats – a fund-raising record for a president. 

On Saturday night, Clinton brought in an estimated $4.4 million for House Democrats at a lavish affair in the exclusive Brentwood section of Los Angeles. 

Pausing along the lucrative weekend hunt for campaign cash among Hollywood moguls and Silicon Valley dot-com wealth, Clinton also announced expansion of the federal scenic protected area around Big Sur. 

The Forest Service paid $4.5 million for 784 acres at the southern entrance to the protected forest land around Big Sur, where spectacular views of ocean ringed by towering cliffs draw millions of tourists every year. 

The parcel around San Carpoforo Creek will be added to the 1.75-million-acre Los Padres National Forest in central California. 

The new land is tiny by comparison to the vast acreage already under federal protection around Big Sur but carries large symbolic value. 

It represents one of Clinton’s last opportunities to expand his environmental legacy and an opportunity to confer further environmental and conservation bona fides to Vice President Al Gore. 

“The work we have done on conservation is among the things I’m most proud of today,” Clinton told the California chapter of the League of Conservation Voters. The national nonprofit environmental group that recently endorsed Gore for president 

Clinton said he and Gore have tried to further the conservation legacy that President Theodore Roosevelt began nearly a century ago.  

“For more than seven years now, Al Gore and I have fought to do that, most of the time with a Congress that was very hostile to our environmental objectives,” Clinton said. 

Both Gore and his GOP presidential rival, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, want to pocket California and its 54 electoral votes — a fifth of the 270 needed for the presidency. On Monday, Bush is to begin a five-day West Coast campaign swing that includes California. 

The money for the latest expansion comes from Clinton’s 2000 land conservation budget, a pot of about $650 million that was the subject of a long partisan struggle in Congress. 

Through two terms, Clinton has secured stronger protection for tens of millions of acres of scenic or threatened land and frequently angered Republicans in the process. 

In April, Clinton set aside 355,000 acres to protect ancient groves of giant sequoias. Clinton made the trees a protected monument under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to safeguard, without congressional approval, objects of historic and scientific interest. 

SANTA ANA — In an effort to keep its lines moving, the Department of Motor Vehicles has ignored safeguards and issued fraudulent drivers’ licenses, allowing thieves to steal identities and borrow money in the name of unsuspecting victims, investigators said. 

The fraudulent licenses result in hundreds of Californians falsely arrested each year and thousands more who have their credit ruined, the Orange County Register reported Sunday. More than 100,000 fraudulent drivers’ licenses were issued last year. 

DMV officials concerned about the agency’s reputation for long lines have refused in the past to consider routine protections such as checking photos in the computer against applicants for duplicate licenses. 

The agency’s lax policies have reportedly made the agency a magnet for criminals who can obtain a new identity merely by filling out an application and paying a $12 fee, the newspaper reported. 

A driver’s license is known as a “breeder document” for identity thieves, who use it to obtain loans and empty bank accounts. Felons use the document to “clean” their records, allowing them to purchase firearms. 

“The heart and soul of fraud starts with the DMV,” said Werner Raes, vice president of the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators and a fraud detective with the Anaheim Police Department. 

Records show widespread abuses, including duplicate licenses issued to people of different races and genders than the original licensee, and, in one case, 18 different individuals obtaining licenses in the name of the same victim. 

The agency’s fraud caseload doubled in the past year even as DMV brass fought legislative reforms and ignored the recommendations of their own investigators, according to the newspaper. 

DMV Director Steve Gourley, who was appointed in January, vowed last week to adopt reforms ensuring that the 900,000 duplicate licenses issued each year are legitimate. The agency estimates it issued 140,000 fraudulent duplicate licenses in 1998-99. 

Officials estimate implementing the photo retrieval program would cost the agency $3 million over the next two years. 

SACRAMENTO — For the first time, Gov. Gray Davis has allowed the release of a convicted murderer, a battered woman who shot her boyfriend in 1986 after he threatened to kill her, her son and her unborn child. 

Davis said there were “extraordinary and compelling circumstances” favoring the release of Rose Ann Parker, 41, but that the “gravity of her crime” persuaded him to add conditions to her parole. 

Parker was scheduled to be freed Sunday. Davis delayed her release date until Dec. 8 and modified the terms of Parker’s parole order by the Board of Prison Terms. In addition to conditions imposed by the board, Davis required her to undergo periodic tests for marijuana use and attend parenting classes. 

“Ms. Parker committed a grave crime. However, this case has all the characteristics of Battered Women’s Syndrome, a now legally recognized defense which was not available at the time of her trial,” the governor said in a written statement released Sunday morning by his office. 

That law was approved in 1992 and signed by then-Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. 

The Democratic governor agreed with the other conditions imposed by the board – that Parker submit to narcotics testing, join a drug-rehabilitation program and participate for at least six months in a domestic violence prevention program. 

Parker was convicted in San Bernardino County of second-degree murder for the March 1986 killing of Arthur Boga, her boyfriend of four years with whom she had been involved in a relationship marked by violence and abuse, according to testimony cited by the governor. 

She was sentenced to 15 years to life, and is currently being held at the California Institution for Women at Corona. 

Parker believed she was in danger of losing her life, as well as that of her 2-year-old son and her unborn child, according to court testimony and the governor’s office. Boga, learning that day that Parker had become pregnant by a former boyfriend, came to their apartment with a .38-caliber revolver and threatened to kill her and her family members, according to Davis. 

“Ms. Parker begged him to put the gun down, and when he did, she picked it up and shot him in the back,” Davis said. 

As governor, Davis has the power to reverse, affirm or modify the decisions of the board, which sets release dates for all California prisoners sentenced to life. 

In about 30 earlier cases that have come to his attention, he has either reversed the board’s decision or sent them back for a full review by the nine-member panel. His latest decision is the first time he has only modified a board ruling and allow the inmate’s parole to proceed, his office said. 

The governor also said he wanted to ensure that Parker served the minimum amount of her term, which with good-time credits is up Dec. 8. 

——— 

On the Net: 

For more on the California Board of Prison Terms, see its Web site at http://www.bpt.ca.gov/ 

WEST SACRAMENTO — Rarely a day goes by that Victoria Williams’ two children, ages 1 and 2, do not try to wriggle out of their car seats. 

“I’ll be driving down the highway and have to pull over because they are totally out of their seats,” Williams says. “They hate those things.” 

Given their disdain for the restrictive straps and hard plastic, Anthony and Brandon won’t like a bill waiting for the governor’s signature that would require them to ride in booster seats until they are 6 or weigh 60 pounds. 

If signed by Gov. Gray Davis, California would be the first state to enforce the requirement. The state’s law would take effect January 2002, followed six months later by a similar Washington state law. 

The California bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jackie Speier, a Daly City Democrat whose husband died in a car crash, contends standard seat belts are designed for adults and fail to protect young children adequately. 

A small child can slip out of a standard seat belt in a collision and get thrown from the vehicle, or receive serious internal injuries or cuts in the throat from the belt. 

Booster seats, typically about $30 to $100, raise a child so the lap belt fits over the pelvis and the shoulder strap fits across the chest, reducing the possibility  

of spinal cord and abdominal injuries. Some models include  

a head rest for whiplash protection. California currently requires the seats for children up to age 4 and 40 pounds. 

Speier aides say they are “cautiously optimistic” the governor will sign this year’s bill. Davis has not said whether he will or not. 

A measure that would have covered children up to 7 regardless of weight was pulled off his desk last year after he asked that weight limits be added. 

There is talk of legislation similar to Washington’s and California’s in at least three states, including Idaho, Texas and Colorado.  

A bill to put 7-year-olds in booster seats failed to pass New York’s Senate. 

The California bill would double the first-time fine for motorists who violate the requirement to $100. Subsequent violations would be $250. 

The measure would give part of the fine revenue to communities where the violations occurred for use in child passenger safety education programs that would loan or offer the low-cost purchase of booster seats. 

The California Highway Patrol issued more than 10,000 citations for car seat violations last year. California Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, who has a 5-year-old son, says parents should not be criminalized for making individual decisions about their children’s safety. 

“To say that I am not taking every precaution with my son is ridiculous,” Morrow said. “The laws now were based on the best scientific information and I think it is still the best standard.” 

Parents with three children under 6 have also complained about the bill, saying three booster seats cannot fit in the back seat of many vehicles. 

Washington state’s new booster seat law stemmed from the death of 4-year-old Anton Skeen, thrown from his seat belt and a sports utility vehicle in a rollover crash four years ago. 

Rescuers found the seat belt still fastened. The boy’s mother, Autumn Alexander Skeen, was also wearing a seat belt and was found strapped in the totaled vehicle. 

Skeen says she later learned a booster seat could have saved her son’s life, and that knowledge haunts her. 

“I knew the laws but I didn’t think the little booster seat would do anything,” said Skeen of Walla Walla, who pushed for the Washington law and is a spokeswoman for a national education campaign set to start in November. “I figured there would be a law about it if it was needed.” 

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children between 5 and 12. 

Michele Willis, a Brea, Calif., mother of two, says it might be hard getting her 3-year-old daughter, Lauren, to stay in a booster seat another three years. 

“Still, she has to do what I say,” Willis says. “She’ll get used to it.” 

Read the California bill, SB567, at http://www.sen.ca.gov 

Find more on child passenger safety at: 

http://www.boostamerica.com 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web page: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

In June, the School Board threw its weight behind a $116.5 million bond measure. And Wednesday night it detailed plans for how the district plans to spend the Measure AA funds, if the voters approve the ballot measure in November. 

District officials presented an “orange booklet” detailing expenditures for Measure AA and a school facilities maintenance tax, Measure BB. They hope to begin circulating the booklet next week. 

School officials said they hope the booklet will tell taxpayers why they should approve a second multi-million dollar bond when the district still has money in the bank from the $158 million Measure A passed in 1992. The schools have yet to spend $60 million from that bond. 

Superintendent Jack McLaughlin said that the unspent funds from Measure A are committed to projects, such as the retrofitting and upgrades to King Middle School and Franklin Elementary. 

There are many vital school facility needs that are not be covered by the 1992 bond, he said. 

In a letter to the citizens of Berkeley in the orange book, McLaughlin says that he formed a Capital Campaign Committee several years ago to investigate these needs and alternative funding sources, while other community groups – such as the Citizens’ Construction Advisory Committee – were investigating school facility needs. 

Chair of the CCAC Bruce Wicinas says that Measure A was “focused on seismic safety and rehabilitation of classrooms.” 

Further, the CCAC says that Measure A passed over many buildings and classrooms in the district, including the cafeteria – or lack of one – at Berkeley High, and several key safety and technology upgrades in all but the new buildings. 

The district proposes to spend $32 million, around 28 percent, of the $116.5 million on new classrooms. They will be built at Emerson, Franklin, John Muir and Oxford Elementary schools as part of the 1998 program to reduce class size to a 20 to one ratio in kindergarten through third grades. 

The new bond funds would also increase the number of classrooms at Berkeley High and pay for the surveillance cameras the board recently agreed to install.  

The Adult School would receive over $8 million for repair and modernization, and the childcare program would get over $6 million for new buildings at the King Child Development Center and Franklin Parent Nursery. 

The measure, however, has its detractors. Opponents say that Measure AA would require interest payments of $250 million to be repaid. They also say that the district has a history of saying one thing and doing another. 

“Just because they say that’s what they’re going to do doesn’t mean that they will,” said outspoken opponent Rosemary Vimont, who authored the rebuttal that will be in the voter pamphlet. “The orange book is not a legal document. The bond is a legal document.” 

Vimont said that during the campaign to pass Measure A, the district promised to reduce the amount of bonds it issued if it received money from outside sources. However, according to the booklet, the district has received $28 million in state, federal and local sources to supplement the bond. 

The district argues that passage of the new bond would make it eligible to receive additional funds from future state bonds to continue to improve the schools. 

Vimont and others say that the school board has broken its promise because it is still spending Measure A bonds. 

Vimont also says that the board has a “hidden agenda” and plans to build a baseball diamond on the former site of East Campus at Derby Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

District Public Information Officer Karen Sarlo said that the bond addresses matters of need, and said that when McLaughlin formed a facility finance committee to address the needs, the baseball field wasn’t in the mix. 

She conceded, however, that the funds could be spent for the baseball field, but cautioned that the city – which would have to close Derby Street for the project – would have a series of public steps to take before the baseball field project could come to the fore. 

Sarlo explained that the while the orange book details the expenditure of every penny, it is not etched in stone that the funds will be spent that way. 

“We try to follow it as best we can,” she said. “Sometimes things happen. You open up a wall and you find dry-rot. It’s an unforeseen expense, its going to take more money.” 

Measure AA has a $10 million contingency for unforeseen conditions written into the bond. 

Sarlo said that inflation also must be accounted for. The total inflation budget for the measure is $18.9 million. 

She said that the “greenbook,” which documented the expenditures for Measure A, didn’t prepare for unforeseen expenses and inflation as well as the orange book does. 

She added that the measure will not increase the annual tax rate. It finances bonds by extending the 2000 rate. The estimated annual tax levy for the owner of a $200,000 home over the next 31 years will be about $290 annually. 

Since the bond is a General Obligation Bond, it can be used only for those purposes approved by the voters. 

Associate Superintendent of Business Catherine James said she hopes to fine tune the booklet and send copies to the schools and public libraries, as well as make copies available on request by next week. 

The orange book is online at www.bcsss.com.

Cal kept pace with No. 7 UCLA for one game on Friday night, but the Bears couldn’t sustain the momentum, losing to the Bruins in four games, 8-15, 15-9, 15-4 and 15-7. 

Confidence on Cal’s bench soared as the Bears captured game one on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Leah Young. After Cal rattled off 10 straight points to end the first game, UCLA quickly bounced back and won the first six points of game two, eventually winning the game on the way to closing out the match. 

“After game one, we knew we were able to play with them physically,” Cal head coach Rich Feller said. “Being able to play with teams like that emotionally is what we still have to strive for.” 

Senior outside hitter Alicia Perry led the Bears with 13 kills and 17 digs. Freshman Gabrielle Abernathy recorded 12 kills and junior Candace McNamee 

added 26 assists. 

“We just need to pass the ball better,” Perry said. “We were all out intense in the first game, but then we might have been a little overconfident and we let down.” 

Playing a match against the No. 7 women’s volleyball team in the country is a daunting task in and of itself. Add to that the fact that UCLA is the defending Pac-10 champion, they own an 8-3 record this season and they have never lost to Cal, winning 39 straight meetings dating back to 1980. 

For all practical purposes, UCLA was probably looking past Cal and to their Sept. 23 matchup against No. 11 Stanford. 

The Bears’ aggressive defense gave the Bruins reason to focus on the game at hand.  

“They definitely played better than we had seen them play on film,” said UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski. “It was a wake up call for us here tonight.” 

Wins haven’t come easy for the 5-4 Cal team this season, especially in their last three outings. Last week, the Bears played more than six hours of volleyball in their two five-game matches against Oregon and Oregon State.  

“I don’t think we played enough tonight to have a stamina be a factor. There might have been some mental fatigue, getting beat two straight games is pretty tough,” Feller said. “I think we started losing focus.” 

The Bears host No. 5 USC Saturday night before hitting the road for five straight matches against Pac-10 teams, including an Oct. 10 meeting against Stanford.

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 

Micropower Broadcasting  

Council of War 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

New College 

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco 

A convention of micropower broadcasters, media activists and community radio aiming to expand a national campaign for the liberation of the broadcast airwaves.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

Misty Redwood 10K Fun Run 

8:30 - 10:30 a.m. 

The forth annual race benefits the Bay Area Coalition for the Headwaters Forest. The race takes place in beautiful Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Volunteers are needed. 

$25 registration day of race  

More info: 835-6303 

ArtCar Bash 

7 p.m.  

The Crucible 

1036 Ashby (between Seventh and San Pablo) 

Join the celebration as mobile, public folk art returns to the Bay Area. Part of ArtCar Fest 2000, an event featuring over 100 ArtCars from across the United States and Canada. 

$10 admission  

843-5511 

Congressional Forum on Redefining National Security 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Clark Kerr Campus 

Joseph Wood Krutch Theater 

UC Berkeley 

Rear Admiral Eugene Carroll, Vice President for Defense Information and other local experts discuss how the Defense Department budget can be cut and the money used to meet local and national needs.  

More info: 415-221-8382 

Sunday, Sept. 24

Berkeley Hillel Dinner Welcomes Adam Weisberg 

6:30 p.m.  

Reutlinger Center 

2736 Bancroft Way 

The Berkeley Hillel, which serves Jewish students at UC Berkeley, is hosting a dinner to introduce its new executive director, Adam Weisberg, to the community.  

$75 per person 

Call Joan Ominsky, 524-5333 

“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 

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.. 

Participating groups include the NIMBY Brigade, ArtCar Fest 2000, the Young Republicans for Heterosexuality, the Berkeley Bullfight Academy, the fashion police and more. 

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

849-4688 

Sign Leonard Peltier’s  

Birthday Card 

1 - 5 p.m.  

Peoples Park 

Bring drums and food for a potluck as the Peltier Action Coalition and All Nation Singers celebrate Leonard Peltier’s 56th birthday. 

More information: 464-4534 

Hands-on Bicycle Repair Clinic 

11 a.m. - noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Come learn how to fix that pesky flat tire right from one of REI’s bike technicians. Just bring your bike; tools will be provided. One in a series of bike repair clinics presented by REI.  

Call: 527-7377 

Fall Plant Sale at UC Botanical Garden 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The Botanical Garden 

Centennial Drive, between Memorial Stadium and Lawrence Hall of Science 

Your once-a-year chance to snag rare and choice specimens for your garden. A silent auction of native flora, perennials, herbs, rhododendrons, vines, ferns, orchids, fruit trees and house plants from around the world. 

More info: 643-2755 

ArtCar Fest Film Festival & Fashion Show 

7:30 p.m.  

UC Theater 

2036 University Ave.  

Dr. Howland Owll hosts a night of ArtCar movies by ArtCar Fest co-founder Harrod Blank, wearable art by ArtCar artists and ground-breaking performances.  

$7.50 admission  

More info: 843-FILM 

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 

Compiled by Chason Wrainwright

aSchilling hears from captive son 

Editor: 

Today at 4:15 p.m., Radio Mindanao called me up and offered me an opportunity to speak with my son, Jeffrey Schilling. 

I was able to talk with him through the talk show host over live Radio Mindanao. I am so relieved to have heard my son’s voice directly and clearly. 

He is alive and well. He told me that he loves me and I told him that I love him. 

He also asked me to take care of his wife Ivy, which I will do. 

He wants the Philippine Government to reopen negotiations.  

I am hopeful that a peaceful resolution can be found. But I understand the Philippine Government’s position at the time is to continue the military assault unless the hostages are released. Then they would reopen negotiations. I support whatever will work to bring my son home safely. 

I told Jeffrey that many people are praying for him and his well being. He says he is alive and well for now.  

I hope and pray that a resolution to this crisis will come soon. I ask Abu Sabaya to release my son, Jeffrey, unharmed.  

Carol Schilling 

Oakland 

Develop along transit corridors 

Editor: 

Your reader, Peter Teicher, postulates that, in general, the smaller and shorter the development the more desirable its “impacts” and ambience. In areas of exclusively single family homes, far from transit and commercial districts, this may be true. And the city’s zoning ordinance reflects this. But on busy commercial corridors, within walking distance to transit and jobs, the city is better served by denser development and bigger buildings. 

Denser development on transit corridors furnishes a number of social, economic, and aesthetic benefits that single-use, single story dwellings and businesses can never provide.  

These include:  

• More affordable housing. My firm has built or is building more than 50 low income residences that would never have been built, but for the densities of the buildings they are in.  

• More housing accessible to the disabled and elderly. The projects I build are also among the few fully accessible housing developments in the city. 

• Improved neighborhood retail opportunities and amenities. The additional customers and the commercial spaces provided in dense mixed-use buildings furnishes affordable space for small, neighborhood serving businesses.  

• Improve the safety and security of the area. The high level of crime in this part of Berkeley – last February, in one night there was a shooting and 

a knifing within one block of the proposed project at 2700 San Pablo – is, in part, owing to the lack of development in this area, and the attendant “eyes on the street” that help to keep a neighborhood secure. 

• Less car dependency and improved envirornmental conditions. Infill development on transit corridors relieves pressure from developing greenfields in surrounding areas, and also serves to locate housing closer to jobs, thereby reducing traffic in the immediate area.  

For these reasons and others, my developments have consistently been endorsed by The Sierra Club, Urban Ecology, Eco-City Builder, and many others.  

• Improved tax base for other city services. The construction of multi family housing on developable land in the commerical corridors adds significant property tax and sales tax revenue to the city coffers. On the property I developed at 1910 Oxford St. University Ave. the assessed value of the property went from $400,000 to $5.7 million, and net increase of $5.3 million to the city’s tax rolls.  

In short, there are significant benefits to the development of infill projects that, I believe, Mr. Teicher, chooses to ignore. The “oversized” project hecriticises – at 2700 San Pablo – is in fact within the limits of the zoning for the area – which, is not a single family neighborhood, as he avers, but rather a mix-used district allowing commercial, residential,and industrial uses.  

Development like this will improve the city, and protect existing neighborhoods.  

Patrick Kennedy 

Panoramic Interests, Berkeley 

Piedmont resident 

Build accessible housing  

Editor: 

I would like to support Dina Valicenti’s letter (September 21) advocating 2700 San Pablo Avenue as an excellent site for apartments, and her appreciation for the developers’ intention to augment the availability of affordable and wheelchair accessible housing.  

As a neighbor to the proposed project and one who must live with its potentially looming scale, I would also point out, however, that housing stock – affordable, commercial, and wheelchair accessible – can also be expanded with a building that conforms to both the letter and the spirit of the West Berkeley Area Plan and does not exceed three stories.  

The surrounding neighborhood, which continues broadly to oppose the insensitive scale and height of the developers’ proposals presented so far (designs of 4 and 5 stories), is likely to welcome warmly projects that conform to the Plan’s goals and policies, which were carefully crafted to guide the future of West Berkeley, and that contribute to the well being and quality of life of all residents, new and old – and yet to be. 

Howie Muir 

Berkeley 

Answer: build more housing 

Editor:  

In Berkeley, How do you get more housing, without building at a lower cost? 

Or how to pull rabbits out of a hat you don’t even have.  

It’s never ending the complaints about housing. There’s not enough - really? It’s actually a fairly simple issue of supply and demand. 

You got 45 people in line trying to fill out an application for a two bedroom apartment and, well, only one person is gonna get it. Where do the other 44 people go?  

Even the most Marxian followers of economics understand the issues of supply and demand. If there isn’t enough housing, well there just isn’t enough. When market forces come to bare the owner of said units will charge as much as someone is willing to pay to live there - if allowed to. Yes, this is exploitive but so what. It’s a result of one and one thing only - NOT ENOUGH HOUSING.  

We can have the most aggressive rent board in place going after those nasty landlords and trying to keep the evictions to a minimum, rents as low as possible, but does this solve the housing problem? Obviously not. If no one wants to rent a place the owner will lower the price (they have to if they want to rent it). If everyone wants to rent this place the landlord will raise the price as high as possible. 

But who cares about this. Pricing isn’t even the factor. The real issue is too many people seeking too few units. It doesn’t matter what they cost. If you want to live in this town - get in line!  

The magical answer is - abra cadabra! - build more housing. Many noted political figures in this Great-Town-of-Berkeley have advocated for more and more and more low income housing, further restrictions on rent increases, more controls on initial pricing, to some how, miraculously, create lower cost housing (as a fact, there is absolutely no information on controlling rents in ANY city in the United States that has, in any way, reduced the vacancy rate, reduced rent, or improved the housing stock for citizens of these cities. In fact, it generally has made the problem worse for poor people with limited incomes).  

We need to change zoning, improve and streamline the building process to add more housing stock to the city of Berkeley - and yes help out folks with lower incomes. Virtually all of San Pablo Avenue is one story store fronts. Solano Avenue, University, parts of Shattuck -much the same. They all have great potential for more housing with easy public transit access. This whole area could be gradually transformed into a variety of 2 to 4 story multi-use buildings, adding vitality and street life to each neighborhood including restaurants, cafes, produce stores, book stores - and hey my favorite– pubs!  

This Town and the battles that get fought are full of contradictions. More housing but no more building, but low cost housing, but tight rent control and an extremely scrutinizing Spanish-Inquisition-Style review process, where everyone’s opinion - no matter how factually based, has major impact on the final decision. This city, in many ways is very conservative, reactionary and very naive in its perceptions of what can work and add to the vitality of community.  

This commentary comes from a long-time-Berkeley-Resident who lives 3 blocks from San Pablo Avenue and can go to REI, Walgreens and Pyramid Alehouse while walking my dog!  

Steven Donaldson  

Berkeley 

Low density dwellers should not spout towers 

Dear Editor: 

Richard Register’s long-winded personal attack on Carrie Olson moves me to point out that he himself lives in a low-density neighborhood under no threat of high-rise Manhattanization. 

Density has its merits if and only if we have, among other things, a system of sensible, efficient, and affordable transportation, which is unfortunately many, many years away. When I see Richard Register on the transit frontlines (which I don’t) I’ll know he’s about something besides greed. 

I always enjoy his “highrise to open space” equations, too. I have a suggestion. Put the open space and the transit systems in downtown first, 

Mr. Register. Then we’ll talk about the highrises.  

Carol Denney 

Berkeley 

in the Berkeley Daily Planet on September 16, 2000 

We, members of Citizens for Responsible Fire Protection, would like to respond to the article of September 16, 2000, regarding the construction of a new fire station in the hills. It is unquestionable that a new fire station is needed. What we do question is whether or not the City’s plan actually meets the extraordinary demands of disasters such as wildfires and earthquakes. The voters approved the funding the City seeks to use for this project in 1992. After eight years we should all be certain that what we are accepting is the best possible solution. After all, it is our money, our homes, and our lives. 

First we would like to address the misinformation put forth by those interviewed: 

1. The City cannot hold discussions with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) as to what features they want in the station because EBMUD has taken the position that the station will in no way serve the Water District. EBMUD is willing to sell the land to Berkeley provided that the City first meets certain conditions. The Park District is only being asked to house one engine and one crew there for a period of 10 to 30 days per year. 

2. The size of the station will not depend on neighborhood input as Mr. Kamlarz suggests. Rather, the City’s Request for Proposal for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report, dated June 27, 2000, specifies a 7,500 sq. ft. building with a 2,500 sq. ft. apron, to be built on the western portion of the site 

3. The statement as to the outcome of the validation suit is also incorrect. The court will rule whether or not Berkeley’s plan meets the multi-jursidictional (and other) requirements of Measure G, which was passed by the voters in 1992. The court cannot change the language of Measure G to allow for a single jurisdictional facility. The City wants the court to agree that the minimal presence of the Park District meets the Measure G requirements for a jointly funded multi-jurisdictional facility. 

4. Several statements by Councilwoman Betty Olds are also contain incorrect information: 

a. Station #7 was built in 1939, not 1920. Ms. Olds is correct when she states that this facility is in shocking condition. Why has its owner, the City of Berkeley, allowed this essential facility to deteriorate? 

b. The response time to Park Hills cannot possibly be reduced by three minutes because the current response time is barely two minutes! Further, any decrease in response time to one area means an increase in response time to another area. 

c. According to Mr. Steve Boeri, the head of EBMUD’s Real Estate Department, the land in question cannot be turned over to private developers. This contradicts the statement of Councilwoman Olds that developers were lining up to grab the land and build multiple homes on it if Berkeley did not use the property for the proposed fire station. 

d. The property in question is nowhere near an acre in size. According to the June 27, 2000 EIR proposal request the lot occupies 19,180 sq. ft. That is less than one-half an acre. 

5. Hills resident Barbara Allen is incorrect when she says that this will be the only fire station east of the Hayward fault. Both the Park District and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory have facilities east of the Hayward fault. The current station #7 is east of the Hayward fault. 

Measure G was drafted in the summer of 1992 in the wake of the Oakland hills firestorm. At that time the City Manager prepared a report, dated July 21, 1992, for the Mayor and City Council outlining what was needed: 

…”a multi-jurisdictional facility” with”storage for 9-10 emergency firefighting vehicles.” The report called for the station to be sited on”property owned by the EBRPD located at Grizzly Peak, Centennial and Golf Course Road.” Such a location”would provide for quick emergency response into the wildland/urban intermix areas of Berkeley, Oakland, UC, and EBRPD.” Another City document Report-New Hills Fire Station dated January 28, 1994, calls for a station”with an area of 13,000 sq. ft., housing a crew of 15 in any shift.” A helipad was considered”highly desirable.” 

The land is still available, there is a new administration in Oakland that should be approached along with the California Division of Forestry (CDF), the University, and the Park District. The threat of wildfires and earthquakes has not diminished. What has diminished drastically is what the City proposes to offer us as protection. We urge the City to re-examine its plans and give us the protection we voted for in Measure G-an additional multi-jurisdictional station in the hills and the repair and seismic retrofitting of Station #7, a facility that has met our daily needs so well for over 60 years. 

Finally, we urge our neighbors to give up somewhat selfish concerns of wanting something close to them rather than what is best for the entire hill area. 

Andrea Cukor for Citizens for Responsible Fire Protection 

Aweek ago you printed a story about a 11 year old shot by a Modesto swat 

team.The boy,Alberto Sepulveda was killed and the police have tried to 

say it was a accident.No major newspaper ran half the story that you 

did.None of the major newscasts televised this important story.Thank you 

very much for informing the public on stories like this,and I hope this 

will be an ongoing part of your newspaper.My congradulations.Thank 

you.–-BOB TORRES 

Subject:  

Thanks for covering NAB protests 

Date:  

Fri, 22 Sep 2000 11:54:37 -0700 

From:  

Kari Shaw  

To:  

“’opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.com’”  

Kudos to the Daily Planet for actually covering the protests taking place 

during the NAB convention in SF. I have not seen coverage of the protests on 

any of the local news stations. It just goes to show that everything the 

protestors are saying about having no access to fair media is true. 

Independent newspapers like the Daily Planet and Public Access television 

stations like Berkeley Community Media are so important in our society today 

so people can actual say what’s on their mind and get their message out. 

Keep up the good work. 

Kari Shaw 

Board Chair 

Berkeley Community Media 

The daytime phone number where I can be reached is 415-356-2308  

Candidates from almost every local race spoke in front of a packed house at the East Bay Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club’s endorsement meeting Thursday night at the the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

“It used to be if a candidate showed up at our meetings we were like, ‘wow, we love you.’ Now people are fighting to get our support,” said openly gay City Councilmember Kriss Worthington. 

For the first time in its 18–year history, the lesbian/gay political group and the Metro Greater Oakland Democratic Club joined together to hear East Bay politicos on the November ballot. The two clubs, however, voted separately on endorsements. 

The lesbian/gay members were on a first name basis with many of the candidates who showed up. As in previous years, they endorsed incumbents Margaret Breland (District 2), Maudelle Shirek (District 3), and Betty Olds (District 6). They also threw their support behind Miriam Hawley (District 5). 

Joaquin Rivera, president of the school board and a member of the lesbian/gay Democratic club, handily won support for another four years on the board.  

Darryl Moore, the first openly gay African American man to seek office in the Bay Area, according to Worthington, had no problems convincing the club to endorse him for the Peralta Community College board. 

Moore said, however, that his sexual orientation is not part of his campaign platform, although it is “an important factor” for bringing diversity to the board. “As a gay black man, I can bring an insight there that may not be present,” he said. But he said he is most interested in “closing the achievement gap by giving young Latinos and blacks the chance to go to community college and open the door to a school like Cal.” 

The clubs heard from a rapid succession of candidates, who had no more than two minutes to sell themselves. While several members grilled candidates about their views on equal benefits for domestic partners, there was no one hot–button issue for the club this year. 

“The gay community is not as active as in the past because things are so comfortable here,” said Cole Powell, the group’s political action  

chairperson. He said that problems that used to galvanize gays and lesbians in the East Bay – hate crimes, job discrimination, lack of partner benefits – are no longer as widespread as they were 10 years ago. “People don’t come out to political meetings as much because they’re going to their kids’ soccer games. That is something we have to work on,” he said. 

On Thursday, however, the room was brimming with some 100 members from both clubs. 

“This is really good for our members to hear this,” said Judy Belcher, president of the Metro club. “Whenever you have a group of politically active gay and lesbian people you get a lot of sophisticated questions.” 

Worthington said that the lesbian/gay group hasn’t always attracted such a high turnout. 

The club, founded in 1982, has developed a strong political  

footing in the East Bay. “In the past we were praying they would say they wouldn’t do anything to hurt us,” Worthington said. “Nowadays we expect them not just to tolerate us, but to be active on our behalf.” 

Brenda Crawford, the club’s president, said that the lesbian/gay endorsement is an increasingly coveted one for hopeful politicians in the Bay Area. 

“Our community is growing by leaps and bounds in the East Bay,” Crawford said. “We’re really interested in voting for candidates who will fight for our needs.” 

The club also endorsed Max Anderson and Paul Hogarth for rent board, Joe Wallace for AC Transit, Wilma Chan for the Oakland-Piedmont assembly seat now occupied by Independent Audie Bock, and David Krashna for Alameda County Superior Court judge. 

In order to get the club’s endorsement, candidates had to be present and they had to be registered Democrats. 

The club gave its nod to all the Berkeley measures.

The St. Mary’s Panthers marched into De Anza on Friday night to play a Dons team that the Panthers eliminated from the NCS 2A East Bay Semifinal playoffs with a thrilling 34-26 overtime victory just a year ago. After Friday night’s 43-0 victory, the Panthers appear headed back to the playoffs, while the De Anza Dons are going back to the drawing board.  

To be fair, the Dons (1-2) lost 26 seniors from last season, no small task for first year head coach George Pye to deal with.  

Dons starting quarterback Anthony Baizley took a hard hit from St. Mary’s two time All American defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander and was forced to leave the game for a play. Two possessions later, Baizley was blindsided by blitzing Panther inside linebacker Phil Weatheroy and had to leave the game with a concussion, and De Anza was forced to turn to second string quarterback Jonathan Gary. The substitution would not have been such a big deal if Gary didn’t also happen to be the team’s primary running back. 

With Baizley at quarterback, the Dons passed nine times and started their initial offensive possession with a no-huddle offense. After Baizley was knocked out and Gary assumed passing duties, the Dons hoisted the ball in the air just two times, and both of those attempts were picked off by St. Mary’s in the second half. One of those interceptions was returned by Panther Chris Hutchinson in the third quarter for a 21-yard touchdown that pushed the St. Mary’s lead to 34-0. 

As for the Panthers, it was business as usual. After losing a close game to El Cerrito last week, the Panthers appeared intent on proving they were back in all phases of the game.  

Tailback Trestin George busted loose for 85 rushing yards on 16 carries and racked up a 49-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter, finishing with three touchdowns on the night. 

While traditionally a running team, the Panthers threw De Anza a curveball in the first half by letting senior quarterback Jason Washington air it out to his wide receivers. Washington’s stats might not look too impressive, as he completed just four of 13 attempts for 83 yards, but he made some great throws, and a beautiful 15-yard touchdown to receiver Omar Young came on a pretty touch pass. 

The Panthers built an early 14-0 lead behind Washington’s touchdown passes to George and Young. After scoring his touchdown, Young did his best Deion Sanders with an interception return for a score on the ensuing Don possession. Then they let their running game do the work.  

“We just had to readdress ourselves to a number of things,” noted Shaughnessy. A close loss at El Cerrito “left a bad taste in our mouths…so tonight we got it out of our mouths.”  

The Panthers host Riordan next Saturday at 1:30 pm.

A housing crisis is looming in Berkeley, especially for people whose rent is subsidized under the federal government’s Section 8 housing plan.  

At Tuesday’s Housing Authority meeting the room was packed with people fearing that they could lose their homes and also asking that their input be heard in a proposed five-year plan to set guidelines for future Section 8 housing. 

According to Stephen Barton, interim housing director, rents have gone through the roof in the last four years. The median price for a one-bedroom apartment in Berkeley is $1,050 per month, a healthy mortgage payment in most places in the United States. 

“This is bananas,” he said, shuffling through papers, as he looked up housing statistics. 

“The median price for a one bedroom apartment with rent control, is $664. New one bedrooms on the market are $1,050, meaning there was an increase of around 58 percent over the last four years.” 

“In the last year alone, new one-bedroom apartments coming on the market rose from $950 to $1,050.” 

It’s the rising market which has prompted landlords to seek the higher prices that the market offers rather than continue to rent to Section 8 recipients, whose rents are capped. 

“Landlords can get so much more on the market, that it’s hard to persuade them to keep Section 8 recipients in their rental units,” he said. In fact, many landlords are refusing to take Section 8 vouchers, preferring to rent to people who pay full market rent. So Section 8 renters do not feel secure in their rental units. 

Compounding the problem are current re-shufflings in Section 8 payment plans. 

According to Barton, the federal government delivered Section 8 - monthly rental assistance - in both “vouchers” and “certificates,” but eventually realized that it was running two separate programs. The two were merged recently, bringing together elements of both programs, but now calling both “vouchers.” 

“Unfortunately, ‘certificates’ were more favorable to tenants, and calling the new program ‘vouchers’ created misunderstandings,” Barton said. “People associate the older meaning with the new program.”  

In the old certificate system, if a landlord raised rent above the HUD- determined “Fair Market Rent” levels, tenants only had to pay up to 40 percent of their income, leaving landlords high and dry. 

Under the old vouchers, landlords would be able to raise rents as high as they wanted to, and the tenant would have to come up with the difference between the fixed value of the certificate and the actual market rate set by the landlord. 

“That’s impossible to do for people on a fixed income,” said Councilmember Dona Spring. 

The new vouchers however, adopt the older “certificate” procedures, allowing Section 8 recipients to pay a maximum of 40 percent of their total income for rent. The federal government pays the difference. 

Paying the rent will no longer be a problem for those receiving Section 8. The larger problem will be finding funds to pay for the program. 

To encourage landlords to rent to Section 8 recipients and to protect them, the Berkeley Housing Department has asked HUD to raise the Fair Market Rent values by 20 percent.  

“The real danger is that HUD has not increased the FMR sufficiently to keep up with today’s rental market. As a result, landlords are opting out of Section 8 programs to get higher rents available on the market,” says Barton. 

But raising FMR rates creates its own dangers. Currently there are 1,400 people on Section 8 rolls. There are long waiting lists, which people wait for years on. And there are people with Section 8 certificates who cannot find a landlord who will rent to them. 

Voucher money comes from a fund which the Housing Department receives from HUD. In Berkeley, this amounts to nearly $750,000 a month, or $9 million a year, Barton said. 

If the value of a voucher increases by 120 percent, as the city has requested HUD to authorize, without a concomitant increase in funds for the Berkeley Housing Department to dispense to its Section 8 program, there will be fewer vouchers available to existing Section 8 recipients.  

“With our current funds, if the FMR goes up, we could only serve 1,000 tenants. Unless HUD gets more money, we have to drop people off the list, which would create further backlogs on the waiting list, which would be terrible.” 

All at the council concurred that steps must be taken to preserve what Section 8 housing still remains in Berkeley. Councilmember Linda Maio said, “we are fighting a rear guard action to keep what affordable housing we already have.” 

Mayor Shirley Dean suggested that tax write-offs be given to landlords who do accept Section 8 recipients to assuage their loss on the market. 

“A tax break from the State of California for landlords who accept Section 8, even though they don’t get full market value, could offset some of the imminent losses in housing,” said Dean. 

Members of the public asked why lower income housing options aren’t being looked into if such cuts are imminent. 

“Why aren’t shared housing units, like boarding homes, rooming houses and dormitories being considered?” asked Duane de Witt. “We need to maximize our housing options.” 

Carroll Huff, a Section 8 resident in Berkeley, said that the poor will be unable to stay here. Vouchers should be good for dorms for low-income co-op housing. It’s unconscionable that we do not allow shared housing to be covered by Section 8.” 

The Housing Authority agreed unanimously to add a section about shared housing to the proposed five year plan, and to reconvene Oct. 24, at which time Barton will present a “next steps” proposal, and respond to the public’s input. 

“The affordable housing crisis is not just a problem in Berkeley,” Barton said. “It’s happening everywhere.” 

According to the mayor of San Jose, nearly half of all venture capital investments in the nation in 1999 were absorbed by the Bay Area, a figure estimated to be in the low billions, more than the total of many Third World GNP’s combined.  

“A wave of money like that makes the price of property to skyrocket in a small period of time. With so many people getting money at once, the housing market shot up. That money is percolating throughout the whole market and the folks on Section 8, are unfortunately on the bottom of things,” said Barton. 

“It’s a terrible situation.” 

SYDNEY, Australia – Americans Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall Jr. shared Olympic gold in the 50-meter freestyle Friday, tying in 21.98 seconds. 

Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands took bronze. 

“I don’t mind sharing the gold medal podium,” Hall said. “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, a guy I practice with all the time. It was like another day of practice.” 

Ervin represents the 13th time a Cal men’s swimmer has won an Olympic gold medal, and he is in an elite group of Bears to win an individual gold. The list includes Bengt Baron, who won a gold medal in the 100-meter back in the 1980 Olympics, Par Arvidsson, who won the gold in the 100-meter butterfly in 1980, and Matt Biondi, who won the gold medal in 1988 in the 50 and 100-meter free.  

Ervin and Hall are training partners in Arizona. Ervin, who at 19 was the youngest swimmer in the eight-man final, is the first swimmer of black heritage to make a U.S. Olympic team. 

The Americans shared a joyous hug and Ervin leaned over to tell Hall, “It couldn’t have ended up any better.” 

“The 50 was my place to shine,” Ervin said. “Thankfully, I did.” 

“We had a tie for the gold medal in the Olympics,” Ervin said. “That makes us the best in the world in no uncertain terms.”

While the council approved funding towards a youth center and spending funds for new fire engines, it put off a number of other decisions. 

The vote to allocate $243,000 from the Citizen Option for Public Safety funds for a youth center was unanimous. It is to be built in south or west Berkeley, but needs further funding. Amidst concerns about a perceived escalation in drug turf skirmishes, Police Chief Dash Butler said that such a youth center would facilitate “ground zero drug counseling.” 

Decisions over whether to designate the 1903 Swink House a “structure of merit,” thus protecting it as a Berkeley landmark, were deferred until the Sept. 26 City Council meeting, as was a decision on approving procedures to include citizen involvement in the decision over what should be done with the 170-foot-high tower at the Public Safety Building which neighbors want removed. 

Funds to buy new fire engines over the next eight years were approved. 

The council also passed a resolution to urge the federal government to label all genetically manipulated foods. 

Perhaps the strangest event of the night had the council debating whether to approve a raise in basic rates for cable television services. Whether the council adopts the resolution or not, the rates will increase in 2001 under FCC regulations, councilmembers said. 

“Why are we even debating this?” asked a perplexed Diane Woolley at 11:15 PM.

Its 10 a.m. on a recent Friday at the Berkeley public library. The computers are humming as elderly residents try to learn the skills their grandchildren already know: how to move a mouse and click, how to send an e-mail and search for information.  

Nearby, Supervising Librarian Barbara Alesandrini, is happy to answer any question, but when it comes to computers, she said, she keeps her hands behind her back. She wants her patrons to learn how to do it themselves.  

“It takes the right kind of people who are themselves eager to learn, to work in a library,” said Alesandrini, who has worked as a librarian for 35 years. 

“We all believe we are making a difference for people. My job is constantly public service.” 

It’s precisely this kind of librarian that’s getting harder and harder to find because of the Internet, said Audrey Powers, the branch services manager, who hires librarians for the Berkeley Public Library system. Just as the Internet has broadened the possibilities of library resources, it has also had a profound impact on the very people who have long sustained it: librarians 

“Dot.coms are hiring library students because they are all too aware how important it is to get information and knowledge,” Powers said. “And the people who know how to find that information are a valuable commodity.”  

And dot.coms, such as Ask Jeeves, are willing to pay big bucks for that commodity. The signing bonus alone at a dot.com can average between $2,000 to $20,000, according to InfoWorld's 2000 compensation survey. The starting salary of a librarian in the Berkeley system is about $17.80 per hour or less than $35,000 a year. Librarians with more than five years experience can earn $40,000-$50,000.  

The Berkeley system is currently advertising for one opening. The upside for the Berkeley library system is the Bay Area. Despite the high cost of living, many librarians want to stay and it’s not unusual to find Berkeley librarians who’ve been in the libraries for 20 to 40 years. Go to Los Angeles, however, and it’s a different story. Powers said that Los Angeles public library system cannot fill some 200 positions because of dot.coms.  

“This trend is definitely a concern in the profession,” said Alesandrini. “It used to be a woman could become a teacher, nurse or librarian. Now there are so many more opportunities for women. And these professions aren’t keeping pace with the others.” 

Alesandrini says she doesn’t do it for the money. She was able to raise two children with the help of her husband who is a research engineer. “I think it’s necessary to have a second income to survive,” she said. “But I know some librarians who have raised their children on this salary.” 

As Alesandrini put a Harry Potter book back on the shelf she explained the satisfaction she gets from her job. “We open up a whole new world to people,” she said. “You should see the way people light up when we help them.”

OAKLAND – It’s 9 a.m. and Virgil Luckett is taking one of his first take out orders of the day. 

“Make sure those waffles are crispy,” the customer says, as Ricki Lake’s face beams from the television set in the corner. “I can’t stand soggy waffles.” 

It’s starting off to be a typical morning at the Pretty Lady Restaurant for a not so typical waiter. As the high-tech industry continues to explode in the Bay Area, the part-time student, part-time entrepreneur and full-time father of five, wants a piece of the action. The Pretty Lady is his launching pad.  

“I’d say up to 1 percent of people in the U.S. are doing business on the Internet,” Luckett says wryly as he stares at the empty pie case. 

“That’s equal to a couple billion dollars. Think how many billions will be made when that percentage goes up.” 

To get his hands on some of those billions, Luckett left a 13-year career at UPS to invest with his mother. They bought the 20-seat diner on Peralta Street two years ago so that Luckett would have the flexibility to return to school.  

“I just wasn’t satisfied at UPS,” Luckett said. “It paid the bills, but I wanted to finish school.”  

In addition to his already packed schedule, Luckett studies law at the New College of California and works on his Internet venture, a dial-up browser that will cater to a wide range of business needs. He is working closely with Oakland’s Office of Economic Development, which provides free marketing and business strategies to aspiring entrepreneurs. Luckett is just one of many in the Bay Area. 

Few, however, are likely to have Luckett’s starting point. Luckett and his mother divide the responsibilities at the Pretty Lady. Luckett waits tables and does the accounting while his mother does most of the cooking.  

He readily admits that running a business in Oakland’s industrial district isn’t easy, especially with the major cost of living increases that have swept the bay area in the past decade. And he started off conservatively. He kept the restaurant’s original name because, he explained, “If we called it something else, we’d have to change the sign out front.” 

So far, he said, his venture is on course even if life in the restaurant business is not turning out exactly as he had thought. According to Luckett, instead of experiencing the usual mealtime rushes, the Pretty Lady gets busiest on the days people receive their paychecks. 

“It’s hard, sometimes, especially in such a low-income area,” he said.  

Regardless, the pair plans to open another diner soon. Luckett says he loves this little restaurant and sees it as a key to his future.  

“Everything we make here is good. People enjoy our food, and that makes me feel good … In the future, I know that I will be finished with school and practicing law.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Tired of years of taunts and disruptions, local AIDS professionals and activists announced they’ve decided to fight back against the activities of a radical AIDS group by boycotting its $1.6 million-a-year pot club. 

The San Francisco chapter of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power is know for its confrontational behavior and its claims that HIV does not cause AIDS, that those who think so are out to demonize gay sex, and that AIDS drugs are poison. 

The city’s director of public health and the AIDS group Project Inform also are pursuing criminal charges against ACT UP/SF members for allegedly raucous behavior at two public meetings. 

The groups proclaimed their intentions at a Thursday news conference and in full-page ads in two gay publications. 

ACT UP/SF’s recent announcement that “AIDS is over” has public health officials worried because new HIV infections among young gay men appear on the rise. 

ACT UP/SF members acknowledge their confrontational behavior, but say they are welcomed in the community. 

Fighting the group will be an uphill battle, opponents say. The district attorney’s office filed misdemeanor battery charges against ACT UP/SF members, but District Attorney Terence Hallinan has made it clear he supports the city’s pot clubs and isn’t planning a crackdown. 

The medical marijuana outlet run by ACT UP/SF has become a $100,000 a month business, with the profits going to finance the group’s political activities.

Bay City News Service 

The University of California has rejected a request by rock band Metallica to block access by UC Berkeley and UCLA students to Napster, the controversial Internet site used to download songs for free. 

Attorney Howard E. King, who is representing Metallica and rap artist Dr. Dre, asked 11 universities to block access to Napster through their campus computer servers. The universities were asked to respond by today. 

University of California officials did agree to cooperate with King, however, “when we are informed of any specific alleged activity,” according to a letter by UC General Counsel James E. Holst. 

In the letter, Holst suggested King report instances of copyright infringement to the designated agent of each campus, “who will address your concerns promptly.” 

The federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides that if an Internet service provider – such as a college campus – establishes its own agent to hear allegations of and block access to copyright infringements, it will not be held responsible for the infringements. 

San Mateo-based Napster has been the focus of controversy due to its ability to allow users to “share” music over the Internet. Members of Metallica, claiming that the service has allowed millions of copies of their songs to be illegally downloaded, are among musicians leading the charge against Napster.

SACRAMENTO – A bill designed to fight bicycle theft by allowing the registration of bikes on the Internet has been vetoed by Gov. Gray Davis, who said the measure raises privacy concerns. 

The bill, by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, would have authorized cities and counties to allow their residents to register their bicycles and get bicycle licenses using an Internet service. 

Bill supporters said that would encourage more people to register their bicycles, which would reduce their value to thieves and make it easier for the police to track down the owners of stolen bicycles if they’re recovered. 

Less than 5 percent of recovered bicycles are returned to their owners now, largely because they aren’t registered even though about 80 percent of local governments require registration. 

Davis, however, said the bill lacked guidelines to protect bicycle owners’ privacy. He also worried that variations in cities’ databases would make it difficult for police to use the Internet to track down bike owners. 

Davis also said that he signed a bill by Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-San Fernando, that will require that local special-tax ballot measures include a statement disclosing the purpose of the tax.

SAN FRANCISCO – The long, hot summer is ending for San Diego’s electricity customers. But millions of other Californians fear they could face the same kind of misery when deregulation reaches their part of state. 

San Diego-area ratepayers were horrified to see their electricity bills triple this summer when the region became the first in California to deregulate. 

Next up is Pacific Gas and Electric Co., with 4.5 million customers from Bakersfield to the Oregon line. It wants to lift the lid on rates next spring, or even sooner. 

And Southern California Edison, which serves 4.3 million customers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, has not said when it wants to deregulate, but under state law it has to happen by 2002. 

“Everybody’s worried. But ratepayers have paid enough. They’ve overpaid, and they’re not going to pay a penny more,” said Harvey Rosenfield, a consumer advocate in Santa Monica. 

The state Public Utilities Commission, which wrote the first report seven years ago urging deregulation, said in a grim assessment that more problems loom on the horizon unless there is a “mid-course correction.” 

The summer’s woes “represent a precursor of what lies ahead for California’s economy over the next 30 months,” the PUC said. 

The PUC is investigating its options, which could include putting the brakes on deregulation. 

The 1996 deregulation law was pushed mainly by big industrial customers, who wanted lower rates. It was supported by utilities and free-market advocates. Consumer groups generally opposed it. It was overwhelmingly supported by lawmakers and signed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson. 

Under the law, utilities were forced to sell their energy-producing assets, such as dams and power plants, and buy power instead on the open market. 

The theory was that competition would drive down rates. But it didn’t work out that way. 

When San Diego Gas & Electric, with 1.2 million customers, deregulated, the average monthly residential bill there and in southern Orange County rocketed from $40 to $68 to $130 in less than three months. 

Ratepayers and politicians were so alarmed that California retreated somewhat from deregulation by rolling back San Diego rates and promising a $100 million rebate to customers there. 

Most agree that an inadequate supply of a power — combined with high demand, caused by a sweltering summer, a booming economy and a growing population — precipitated the soaring rates. 

The episode has raised concern that the deregulation law is deeply flawed and tries to accomplish too much too quickly. 

Five power plants are under construction and at least a dozen more are proposed, but none will be ready to boost supplies this year, or most of the next. None were built in recent years because investors were wary of the uncertain California market. 

In the meantime, other states are watching California and at least one — neighboring Nevada — may drop plans to deregulate. 

“Our hope is that the states that stumbled into deregulation reconsider, and that those that have not yet acted don’t even bother,” said Charlie Higgley of Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer group. 

Wall Street is also paying close attention. Major credit-ratings agencies have lowered their fiscal outlook for several California utilities, saying the companies have been strapped by the state’s volatile deregulated electricity market. 

At least a half-dozen other states are in some phase of deregulation, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. None has experienced the roller-coaster rates California has. 

That’s because they did it differently, according to industry experts. In some cases they did not force the sell-off of generation facilities, or they took more time. 

PG&E spokesman Ron Low said his company is confident deregulation can work in California. 

“Currently the wholesale market is broken,” Low said. “There is an imbalance between supply and demand that is allowing these out-of-state generators to charge these enormous prices. What we want to do is work collaboratively with all parties to find a balanced solution that will fix the broken market.” 

PG&E has lost about $2.2 billion since June and SoCal Edison has been running up similar losses while they await deregulation. That’s because the utilities rates’ have been frozen during the transition period, while they sell off their power-generating assets. 

Once they sell off their assets, the utilities want to pass those costs on to their customers. That alarms consumer advocates. 

Rosenfield, who wrote a 1988 ballot proposal that cut insurance rates, said a ballot initiative to roll back electric rates is in the works. 

“There is a ratepayer rebellion,” he said. “It started in San Diego, it has spread to the Bay Area and in two years it will be everywhere in the state.”

Pitchfork murders, a teen-ager accused of decapitating his mother among grisly stories 

MERCED – A pitchfork-wielding intruder stabs two children to death in a farmhouse. A teen-ager is accused of cutting his mother’s head off with a knife. 

In less than a month, Merced County has earned a reputation as the grisly crime capital of California. 

“I know it’s taken a toll on some of my detectives,” said Assistant Sheriff Henry Strength. “The normal homicide is one thing, but these are all bizarre.” 

At a local McDonald’s restaurant, old-timers take in the stomach-turning morning news with cups of coffee. One man asks how someone could kill his own mother. Others jaw about another gruesome front-page story in the local paper about a farming accident in which a man was ground up in a corn chopper and deputies had to identify him by his feet and shoes. 

“I can’t believe what’s happening,” said Alex C. Flores, a retired construction worker. “This is supposed to happen someplace else.” 

Indeed, death has visited Merced County — derived from the Spanish phrase for Our Lady of Mercy — in a most merciless way. 

Until August, this 2,000-square-mile patch of farmland, home to 209,000 residents in the center of the state, had not recorded a single homicide this year. 

In just over three weeks, however, authorities have found themselves at grim crime scenes facing aggressive suspects. 

Jonathon David Bruce, 27, was shot after deputies said he charged them with the pitchfork after killing two kids. David Lange, 18, who was naked and covered in blood when he was found near his mother’s beheaded body, chased firefighters out of his house with a knife when they responded to an emergency call, according to investigators reports. The Delhi teen surrendered peacefully when confronted by armed officers. 

To say the killings have shocked the county is an understatement. They’ve even shaken the area’s veteran peace officers. 

“It does exact something from you, we’re all human,” said Sgt. Rick Marshall, head of the sheriff’s major crimes unit. “These are very, very heinous, bizarre things. Two of these come down, with the same people investigating, it’s not that easy.” 

All of this comes at a pivotal time for the county. A new visitor’s center was built to lure tourists heading to nearby Yosemite National Park. And the University of California plans to build a campus here. 

“Merced is not a bad place to live,” Strength said. “We’ve had some bad luck.” 

Strength traces the county’s notorious crimes to a bizarre kidnapping nearly two decades ago that put the county on the wrong kind of map and remains in its conscience. 

A Merced boy named Steven Stayner became a local hero and the subject of a book and movie when he escaped from a child molester who kidnapped him seven years earlier. Stayner rescued a 5-year-old boy who had also been abducted. His tale took a tragic turn when he died in a motorcycle accident in 1989. 

That story would not seem relevant if Stayner’s brother had not been accused of being the serial killer who stalked Yosemite last year, killing four women. 

Cary Stayner’s name is an enduring stain on the county that bills itself as “The Gateway to Yosemite.” Although he was working as a motel handyman outside the county at the time of the killings, Stayner — like Bruce and Lange — was raised in Merced County. 

Two weeks ago, the 39-year-old pleaded guilty in federal court to murdering a naturalist in the park and, under the plea, will be sentenced to life in prison. He still faces a state trial for the killings of three Yosemite sightseers and could get the death penalty in that case. 

Jerry O’Banion, chairman of the county supervisors, comes up short on solutions to what seem like isolated incidents that occurred in a close vicinity. 

“I think it is truly a tragedy that so many of these crimes are happening right now,” O’Banion said. “We’ve had crime but nothing of this magnitude. I don’t know what can be done.” 

When Bruce went on his pitchfork rampage, investigators thought they had an easy explanation: drugs. 

The Central Valley is widely known for its budding methamphetamine trade. Raids are a regular occurrence on primitive labs manufacturing the mind-altering upper known to trigger paranoia, psychosis and violence. 

Before killing 9-year-old Ashley Carpenter and her 7-year-old brother, John William, Bruce was spotted in the house naked. With little to explain the seemingly random attack, the sheriff’s department speculated that the killer was high. Strength said meth users often strip because they overheat from the drug. 

But lab tests came back negative and deputies are holding their tongues before leaping to the same conclusion about the beheading, where the common link seems to be the nudity. 

“I would have given up a year’s salary to tell you (Bruce) was on drugs,” Strength said. “I don’t even want to speculate on this guy.” 

There have been no easy answers in the murders that haunt Merced and that leaves some residents uneasy. 

As Mary Ornelas, 65, walked her dog Tuesday on the manicured lawn outside the county courthouse, she lamented that her hometown was just not the same and that fear had crept in. 

“It just makes me sick to think those things are happening in Merced,” Ornelas said. “I hate for that to happen because it’s a nice little town.”

LOS ANGELES – California should end its ban on human cloning so that researchers can realize the disease-fighting potential of growing organs, an advisory committee was told Friday. 

The cloning of human cells could bring breakthroughs in the fights against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and a host of other illnesses, said Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, a professor in the University of California, San Diego’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. 

Cloning technology is still in its infancy but is rapidly advancing, with some geneticists predicting it may be possible one day to duplicate whole organs or even entire human beings. 

Such technology could aid the estimated 50,000 Americans each year who are unable to receive transplants because the demand for organs outstrips supply, Goldstein said. 

About 6,000 people died last year while awaiting transplants, he said. 

“The people who are in desperate need of transplant technology are not here to defend their interests, but I assure you, there are many of them,” he said. 

California banned replication of humans after the birth of Dolly the cloned sheep in 1997. The moratorium, which expires on Jan. 1, 2003, applies only to cloning of tissue that would result in the replication of an entire human. 

The 12-member Advisory Committee on Human Cloning, consisting of ethicists, scientists and legal scholars, was created by the Legislature to advise it on what action to take when the ban expires. 

Goldstein, arguing against extending the ban, used the comparison that a century ago, many people opposed vaccinations. 

“I don’t know what my children or grandchildren will think is ethical,” Goldstein said. 

The ban was based on the mistaken idea that the technology would produce a crop of duplicated human beings, Goldstein and University of Pennsylvania bioethic professor Dr. Glenn McGee told the committee. 

“The hullaballoo in the wake of Dolly was really overblown,” Goldstein said. 

“I don’t think there are a bunch of people beating down the door saying ’clone me, clone me,”’ McGee said. 

California is one of only three states that currently ban human cloning, McGee said. Michigan and Rhode Island are the others.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Supporters of Wen Ho Lee said Friday they are seeking a presidential pardon for the Los Alamos scientist who was freed last week in a plea agreement. 

Lee, 60, pleaded guilty Sept. 13 to one of 59 counts against him and had the other 58 dropped in a negotiated settlement of the nine-month national security prosecution that had kept him in solitary confinement. 

Meanwhile, defense attorney John Cline said Friday a scheduled government debriefing for Lee next Tuesday has been postponed. Cline said he expected the session to be rescheduled shortly. 

He declined comment on reasons for the postponement, but it was clear that the session would conflict with congressional hearings on the Lee case that were scheduled to begin the same day. 

Cecilia Chang of the Wen Ho Lee Defense Fund in Fremont, Calif., sent out a thank-you note Friday to Lee supporters expressing both joy and sadness for Lee — joy that he was finally released and sadness that he had to plead guilty and lose such citizenship rights as being able to vote. Only a presidential pardon could restore those rights. 

“So where do we go from here?” she wrote. “First and foremost, we are seeking a presidential pardon from President Clinton.” 

“There are one or two groups that are calling for a pardon,” said Victor Hwang, managing attorney of the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus. He said the groups were calling for a campaign of faxes to be sent to the White House on Lee’s behalf. 

Hwang said his group is not involved in that effort but is focused on trying to secure evidence linked to racial profiling that the defense had alleged was used against Lee before his indictment Dec. 10. The defense had won a court order for the government to turn over that evidence to U.S. District Judge James Parker, but the defense petition was withdrawn as part of the plea agreement. 

Hwang said the Asian Law Caucus hopes congressional hearings will secure the release of those materials. 

“We will try to push for the committee to subpoena the materials on racial profiling,” Hwang said. “I think we’re going to try to do this through the congressional process now.” 

If that doesn’t succeed, he said, his group and others may try to secure the release through the Freedom of Information Act. 

Cline declined comment on the pardon effort. 

Lee’s civil attorney, Brian Sun, said the scientist’s lawyers are not involved in the pardon effort but are focused on complying with terms of the plea agreement, including the now-postponed debriefing. 

With the debriefing, investigators expect to learn in detail how and why Lee downloaded nuclear data to unsecure computers and tapes and how and when he destroyed them. According to government sources, Lee has acknowledged making 10 computer tapes and another 10 backup copies.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas dentist has admitted he provided free dental work to an IRS revenue officer in exchange for reductions of his $100,000 tax debt. 

The dentist, Thomas R. Gonzales, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a felony charge of unlawfully giving a gratuity to a public official. Joining him in court was former Internal Revenue Service employee Donald J. Hyde, who pleaded guilty to unlawfully accepting a gratuity. 

A federal grand jury indicted both men in April on conspiracy and bribery charges. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Rukstele said the events are troublesome to the IRS, which has adopted new internal controls and new oversight procedures to ensure that this type of scheme doesn’t happen again. 

Both defendants, who remain free on their own recognizance, face up to two years in prison when they are sentenced Jan. 5. 

According to court documents, Gonzales owed more than $100,000 in taxes by the summer of 1997, and Hyde assigned himself to Gonzales’ tax file on Aug. 8, 1997. 

Court records indicate that Gonzales provided dental treatment to Hyde on 18 occasions from Aug. 11, 1997, through June 9, 1999. 

Parties in the case disagree on the value of the dental work Gonzales, 50, performed. 

Hyde, 52, admitted he prepared documentation in August and September 1997 to reduce Gonzales’ tax penalty by about $19,980. 

Hyde also admitted he met with Gonzales in November 1998 and reduced the dentist’s monthly payment to the IRS on his outstanding liability from $5,000 a month to $3,000 a month. 

Gonzales has been licensed in Nevada since March 1988. He has a dental office on the city’s east side.

NEW ORLEANS – A California man who sold marijuana over the Internet to customers in 35 states was fined $200,000 Friday and sentenced to five months in a halfway house and five months under house arrest. 

Michael David Aronov, 48, of Anaheim said he sold the marijuana for medicinal use only. He was arrested after selling the drug to undercover federal agents in Louisiana. 

Prosecutors had asked for up to two years in prison. 

Aronov started taking orders over the Internet in 1996, receiving payments by mail. Over the next three years, he mailed 994 packages of marijuana to 149 customers, receiving about $227,000 for more than 800 pounds of the drug, prosecutors said. 

He said he always demanded proof of why customers needed the marijuana and turned down suspicious offers. “The only reason I did this was to help the sick people who cannot get it,” said Aronov, a plumber and inventor. 

Federal drug agents learned of Aronov’s company last year after a Louisiana TV reporter contacted police about the Web site. 

California law allows distribution of marijuana if a doctor advises that the drug might help with conditions such as glaucoma, seizures or loss of appetite from cancer treatments or AIDS. 

Marijuana distribution is illegal in Louisiana.

NEW YORK – Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s new television show made it on the air despite advertiser boycotts and protests by gay rights groups. Now, viewer apathy may knock it off. 

With the “Dr. Laura” syndicated talk show struggling in the ratings, production has been briefly stopped for some retooling, a show spokeswoman said Friday. 

Paramount Television, which makes the show, is adding a new producer. A planned four-day break in the production schedule was moved up to this week, said Daniella Cracknell, a show spokeswoman. New shows will continue airing every weekday. 

“The show is not going off,” Cracknell said. “We’re just preparing for (ratings) sweeps.” 

The 53-year-old Schlessinger, who first gained a wide following with her radio call-in advice show, has been roundly criticized by gay activists for her comments on homosexuality, which she has termed “deviant” and “a biological error.” 

Advocates have pressured several sponsors from advertising on the show. Procter & Gamble, one of the nation’s largest advertisers, pulled ads from Schlessinger’s radio program in May and dropped plans to advertise on the television show. 

Paramount and its stations have been forced to sell advertising time at discounted rates. 

The show debuted on Sept. 11. Critics pronounced it dull, perhaps because of an effort to avoid controversy. During its first week, it averaged roughly 3 million viewers, and ratings have dropped 11 percent in the second week, said Marc Berman, an analyst for Mediaweek.com. 

“It’s a major disappointment,” Berman said. 

By contrast, “Oprah” regularly draws about 11 million viewers and “The Sally Jesse Raphael Show” gets about 6 million people, he said. Schlessinger’s ratings are only slightly better than Martin Short’s show last year, which was canceled at the end of its first season. 

“It’s obvious to me that Paramount is coaching her and toning her down,” Berman said. “That’s not what she should be doing. She should be confrontational, like she’s been on the radio.” 

A spokeswoman for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation claimed credit for the show’s slow start. 

“Hopefully, Paramount will realize the show was in trouble the second it started airing,” said Cathy Renna of GLAAD. “There’s nothing here to retool. It’s a program they need to drop.” 

Renna said Schlessinger “has not uttered the word gay” in two weeks on the air. But she said GLAAD feared Schlessinger might begin using more extreme tactics in order to attract viewers. 

Berman said the show, which attracted good time slots in stations around the country, could be in trouble if history is any guide. He compared “Dr. Laura” to the initial poor reaction to Roseanne’s talk show in 1998. That show limped to a conclusion after two years. 

“When you launch a show, you have to get it right from the beginning,” he said. “Whoever saw the show isn’t going to come back if they didn’t like it from the beginning.”

SACRAMENTO – Sacramento Valley tomato growers parked three big rigs at a downtown park Friday and offered 75 tons of free tomatoes to the public and charities to protest the cent-per-pound price their crop is bringing in. 

“This represents the 14,000 acres that may be plowed under if we can’t find buyers,” said Jeff Merwin, a fourth-generation farmer from Clarksburg. 

The recent bankruptcy of the San Ramon-based Tri Valley Growers cooperative has left tomato farmers with a glut. 

California’s second-largest fruit and vegetable processor filed for federal bankruptcy protection in July after losing nearly $200 million in the past three years. 

Now tomato farmers say they’re getting about a cent for each pound of tomatoes and face $95 million in losses themselves this year. Before Tri Valley’s bankruptcy, they expected 2 1/2 cents per pound. 

The farmers are asking Congress to help offset their losses by providing $31 million from a farm disaster relief program. 

The farmers decided to give the tomatoes away to illustrate what they’re worth, Merwin said. 

California grows more than 90 percent of tomatoes used in tomato-based products in the United States and nearly half the tomatoes processed worldwide. Sacramento — nicknamed “Sacra-tomato” — is a production hub. 

About 100 people lined up at Cesar Chavez Park to fill boxes, bags and buckets with the free tomatoes. When the farmers on the trucks couldn’t bag the vegetables fast enough, office workers and downtown residents climbed on the trucks to help themselves. 

Members of Senior Gleaners were also planning to take advantage of the giveaway. The volunteer group of mostly retirees goes into commercial groves and picks extra produce that would otherwise go to waste. 

Elena Perez walked to the park from her office after hearing of the protest and left with a bag of tomatoes. 

“I heard they were having problems, not able to get a good price,” she said. “I didn’t know much about it.” 

Liz Easley, a Corps of Engineers employee, stocked up to make salsa. 

“I understood there was a problem, but I didn’t know it was this bad,” she said, watching a co-worker balance one foot on a parking meter to reach into the trailer. 

Tri Valley agreed to take 40 percent of the tomatoes they contracted for; the rest will probably be plowed under, Merwin said. 

Tomato processing plants in Thornton and Los Banos were idled as Tri Valley scaled back this year’s tomato production to 40 percent of what wa soriginally contracted, said Maya Pogoda, spokeswoman for the cooperative. 

Tri Valley is seeking a buyer, she said. 

Merwin said that because of the bankruptcy, more than 500,000 tons of tomatoes won’t be processed this season. 

“This has hurt us as badly as any drought or flood,” he said. “The fact that it came from a bankruptcy just means it’s coming from a different direction.”

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal appeals court Friday barred a Los Angeles anti-panhandling ordinance pending the outcome of a federal trial on whether the law violates beggars’ free-speech rights. 

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision upholds a Los Angeles federal district court’s injunction on the law. 

The ordinance, suspended by a Los Angeles federal court order since it was passed in 1997, would outlaw “aggressive” panhandling, defined as asking for money in a way that would make a reasonable person fearful, blocking the person’s path, using abusive language or approaching someone who has already said no. 

It would also forbid begging near automated teller machines. Another provision would prohibit soliciting for money in a bus or train, in or near bus stops or transit stations, or in restaurants, if someone in charge of any of those places objected. 

“Whether the ordinance in certain aspects and applications infringes upon the right to free speech raises ... serious questions,” a three-judge panel of the circuit wrote in an unusually brief opinion. 

The injunction will continue, the court wrote, until the case brought by the Los Angeles Alliance for Survival finishes a federal trial or settles. 

A growing number of other cities have anti-panhandling ordinances, with varying provisions. Arguments supporting Los Angeles in the circuit court case were filed by 77 city governments. 

Peter Eliasberg, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who handled the case for the alliance, predicted the ordinance won’t pass constitutional muster. 

“The handwriting is on the wall,” he said. 

In the same case, the circuit court asked the California Supreme Court for its opinion, and in May, the high court ruled that a city that restricts the conduct of people who ask for money and the places they can approach others is treating all solicitors equally regardless of viewpoint and is not censoring free expression. Such laws are not “constitutionally suspect,” Chief Justice Ronald M. George wrote. 

With that decision and the circuit court’s decision Friday, it is now up to the lower federal court in Los Angeles to determine whether the restrictions are reasonable. Had the Supreme Court said the ordinance was censorship, it would have been overturned. 

Other laws regulating expression, not related to panhandling, have been upheld if they reasonably limit the time, place or manner of expression and leave open adequate alternative means of expression. An example are widely used municipal ordinances banning loud and noisy trucks in residential areas after certain hours. 

By contrast, laws that regulate the content of speech are almost always overturned. Two Supreme Court justices said the Los Angeles ordinance was such a law. 

“A speaker can approach someone using an ATM and ask for the time, but cannot ask for a quarter,” said Justice Joyce L. Kennard, joined in dissent by Justice Stanley Mosk. 

However, George wrote that the government can regulate solicitation of funds without engaging in “favoritism among different viewpoints.” 

Assistant City Attorney Deborah Sanchez could not be reached for immediate comment. But the city has maintained that the ordinance protects members of the public from unwarranted fear and harassment. 

The case is Los Angeles Alliance for Survival vs. City of Los Angeles, 97-56742.

SAN FRANCISCO — Roughly 100 protesters sounded off outside the National Association of Broadcaster’s convention at Moscone Center Thursday morning, mocking those inside, and protesting what they called “corporate control” of the media.  

“They see the airwaves not as free speech but as a money-draining system,” said Fairness and Accuracy in the Media Program Director Janine Jackson. “Is the current system working for the people? It’s not working for the people of color who are under-represented and undervalued as an audience. It’s not working for people who want campaign finance reform, so information can be delivered through free airtime instead of million dollar air ads. And it isn’t working for community members – less than one-half of one percent of content on (commercial radio) is local news.” 

Protesters conducted a speak out emceed by the “National Association of Brainwashers.” They dressed up as archetypes of corporate and commercial domination of radio and included “Howard Sternum,” who matched his near namesake in both height and crudity. “Hey, I’m on 554 radio stations,” he said. “You think I got there by being smart? Dumb it down; double-oh-dumb, that’s what I say.”  

“Rob Berbaron of ‘Billionaires for More Media Mergers’” made an appearance, saying “Two ideas is one too many – but the illusion of choice is very important. Coke and Pepsi! Gore and Bush!” 

Then there was a stunning drag queen – who bore a striking resemblance to Terrilyn Joe – representing overly glamorous news anchorwomen everywhere. 

The Brainwashers introduced speakers of a more serious nature from FAIR, Media Alliance and Poor Magazine.  

“I’ve traveled through a lot of states, and the condition of homeless and poor people in San Francisco is just appalling,” said Barbara Huntley-Smith, an Illinois AIDS worker who is now training at Poor Magazine. “But would the big, mainstream media listen to me? Do I look rich? Do I look like I have money? I’m black, and the media doesn’t think black people have much to say. The only chance I got was at Poor.” 

Huntley-Smith wasn’t the only one irked at corporate media for turning a blind eye to certain issues. Carolyn Scarr of Berkeley, with the Ecumenical Peace Institute, showed up with a graphic display meant to draw attention to the ongoing plight of Iraqis under U.S. sanctions, a story she says the NAB has chosen to ignore in favor of “parroting the U.S. State Department.” And a number of Berkeley bicycle organizations rode laps around the convention centers hoping to highlight the vast influence the automobile industry holds over broadcast media. 

While many of the protesters were part of larger organizations, more than a few showed up on their own recognizance. Exonerated KPFA protester Khalil Jacobs-Fantauzzi led a field trip of his students at Real Alternative Programs High School to see what goes on inside at the convention and outside at the protests. Brad Johnson trekked all the way up from Modesto to protest NAB-backed legislation currently stalled in the Senate attempting to scrap implementation of low-power FM stations (LPFM or microradio).  

“My wife and I and our church applied for an LPFM license; we’re hoping to set up a community radio station,” said Johnson. “The NAB has been spending money on three different bills trying to shoot down LPFM. It’s a vicious monetary circle – NAB sponsors politicians, politicians buy advertising and the money comes back to NAB.” 

Also out on his own – well, not quite on his own – was Oakland’s John White. With his two young children in tow, White held a sign reading “Members of the NAB sell my kids’ ears and eyes. We must stop the exploitation.” In support of free speech, White’s son’s sign carried the message the toddler chose to impart: “Let’s go to the zoo.” 

The demonstration coincided with the keynote address of Colin Powell at the NAB convention. A spokesperson from the NAB was not available for comment.

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 

“Mail Art: Perspectives  

of Deaf Culture” 

8:30 - 11 p.m.  

Capoeira Arts Cafe 

2026 Addison St. 

Celebrate the opening of this community art project sponsored by Vista Community College’s American Sign Language program and the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission. The show highlights the parallels between mail artists and the Deaf community.  

Contact: Nancy Cayton at (510) 981-2872 

Web and Internet media  

workshops 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

New College  

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco  

Free Radio Berkeley presents workshops on the basics of web and streaming media, digital audio and video editing.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

“A Long Way from Tipperary” 

7:30 p.m.  

Sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way 

John Dominic Crossan discusses his new book, “A Long Way from Tipperary,” and how his life experience has led him to a more complex, sophisticated faith.  

More Info: 848-7024 

Autumnal Equinox Sunset Gathering at Cesar Chavez Park 

6 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina 

Watch the sunset, learn basic astronomy, and support a group that plans to construct a ‘solar calendar’ by the Bay. Ancient cultures used such calendars, most famously Stonehenge, to track the seasons. Berkeley in 2000 wants to build one in honor of the late migrants worker rights activist. Dress for windy conditions.  

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 

Micropower Broadcasting  

Council of War 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

New College 

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco 

A convention of micropower broadcasters, media activists and community radio aiming to expand a national campaign for the liberation of the broadcast airwaves.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

Misty Redwood 10K Fun Run 

8:30 - 10:30 a.m. 

The forth annual race benefits the Bay Area Coalition for the Headwaters Forest. The race takes place in beautiful Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Volunteers are needed. 

$25 registration day of race  

More info: 835-6303 

ArtCar Bash 

7 p.m.  

The Crucible 

1036 Ashby (between Seventh and San Pablo) 

Join the celebration as mobile, public folk art returns to the Bay Area. Part of ArtCar Fest 2000, an event featuring over 100 ArtCars from across the United States and Canada. 

$10 admission  

843-5511 

Congressional Forum on Redefining National Security 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Clark Kerr Campus 

Joseph Wood Krutch Theater 

UC Berkeley 

Rear Admiral Eugene Carroll, Vice President for Defense Information and other local experts discuss how the Defense Department budget can be cut and the money used to meet local and national needs. Hosted by UC Berkeley’s department of Peace and Conflict Studies.  

More info: 415-221-8382 

Sunday, Sept. 24

Berkeley Hillel Dinner Welcomes Adam Weisberg 

6:30 p.m.  

Reutlinger Center 

2736 Bancroft Way 

The Berkeley Hillel, which serves Jewish students at UC Berkeley, is hosting a dinner to introduce its new executive director, Adam Weisberg, to the community.  

$75 per person 

Call Joan Ominsky, 524-5333 

“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.  

Participating groups include the NIMBY Brigade, 

ArtCar Fest 2000, the Young Republicans for Heterosexuality, the Berkeley Bullfight Academy, the fashion police and more. 

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

849-4688, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

Sign Leonard Peltier’s Birthday Card 

1 - 5 p.m.  

Peoples Park 

Bring drums and food for a potluck as the Peltier Action Coalition and All Nation Singers celebrate Leonard Peltier’s 56th birthday. 

More information: 464-4534 

Hands-on Bicycle Repair Clinic 

11 a.m. - noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Come learn how to fix that pesky flat tire right from one of REI’s bike technicians. Just bring your bike; tools will be provided. One in a series of bike repair clinics presented by REI.  

Call: 527-7377 

Fall Plant Sale at U.C. Botanical Garden 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The Botanical Garden 

Centennial Drive, between Memorial Stadium and Lawrence Hall of Science 

Your once-a-year chance to snag rare and choice specimens for your garden. A silent auction of native flora, perennials, herbs, rhododendrons, vines, ferns, orchids, fruit trees and house plants from around the world. 

More info: 643-2755 

ArtCar Fest Film Festival & Fashion Show 

7:30 p.m.  

UC Theater 

2036 University Ave.  

Dr. Howland Owll hosts a night of ArtCar movies by ArtCar Fest co-founder Harrod Blank, wearable art by ArtCar artists and ground-breaking performances. This is the finale for ArtCar Fest 2000.  

$7.50 admission  

More info: 843-FILM 

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 

Parks & Recreation Board Meeting 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Contact James Kelekian, 644-6952 x230 

Solid Waste Management Commission 

7 p.m. 

Solid Waste Management Center 

1201 Second St. 

Contact Debra Kaufman, 644-8891 x224 

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Reclaim the Streets! 

6 p.m.  

Berkeley BART station 

Bring dancing shoes, bikes, skateboards and costumes and fight globalization. Join in this street party and protest and “reclaim Berkeley from cars, corporations and the police state.”  

More Info: 594-4002 

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 sustainability and profitability. 

Talking about Living, Talking about Dying 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Hospital  

2001 Dwight Way 

A community forum providing an opportunity to find out about community resources and to share experiences. Moderated by Wendy Hanamura, producer of KQED’s series “Eyes Wide Open,” the forum includes a panel discussion and an audience Q & A.  

Contact Patricia Murphy, 450-8719 

Law Center for Families Benefit 

6 - 7:30 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

The Law Center for Families, a nonprofit professional corporation which provides family, housing and consumer law to low and moderate-income families and individuals, celebrates its first anniversary. There will be community speakers, food, drinks and live local music.  

Admission $35 per person 

RSVP by calling 451-9261 x204 

Civic Arts Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Contact Mary Ann Merker-Benton, 705-8183 

Disaster Council Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Emergency Operations Center 

997 Cedar 

Contact Reginald Garcia, 644-6665 

Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m.  

Mental Health Clinic 

2640 MLK Jr. Way 

Contact Harvey Tureck, 644-8712 

Planning Commission Meeting 

7 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Contact Karen Haney-Owens, 705-8137 

Thursday, Sept. 28

Free Introduction to Golden Shield Qi gong 

6:30 p.m.  

Assembley Hall, First Congregational Church 

2345 Channing Way 

Learn the basics of this 4,000-year-old system that promotes health and strength of body, mind and spirit. 

More info: 849-2231 

Forest Action Roadshow Presents Darryl Cherney 

7:30 p.m. 

Unitarian Fellowship 

1606 Bonita (at Cedar) 

Called “the Woody Guthrie of the North Woods” by the SF Examiner, Cherney has been an avid defender of the redwoods. He will present lighthearted songs and a slide show about the direct action protests he’s helped organize. 

Music from the Andes 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

International House, Auditorium 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Performances by Juanita Newland-Ulloa and the traditional music group, Grupo Atahualpamanta. Co-sponsored by Earth Mandala, an international organization for global peace.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Alta Bates Breast Cancer Center Benefit 

6:30 p.m. This gala event features a wine and hors d'oeuvres reception and a Fall Fashion Workshop presented by Nordstrom and image consultant Anthea  

Tolomei. $50.  

Claremont Resort and Spa, 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley.  

(510) 843-3000 ext. 290 or www.claremontresort.com 

Zoning Adjustment Board Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Contact Mark A. Rhoades, 705-8110 

West Berkeley Project Area Meeting 

7 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth Ave.  

Contact Daniel Vanderpriem, 705-8134 

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 

Tour Mission District Gardens 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

One of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance for this fall. Tour SF’s Mission District and learn about the role of gardens and open space in community planning. 

Call: 415-255-3233 to make reservations 

Dharma Publishing Showroom Tour 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 - 3 p.m.) 

Dharma House 

2910 San Pablo Ave. 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 p.m. -3 p.m.) 

See traditional Tibetan book making, sacred art projects, spinning copper prayer wheels and a video of the work Peace Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India.  

More info: 848-4238 

Sunday, October 1

Return of the Raptors to Marin 

Drivers: 11:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  

Bikers: 10:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Witness the migration of birds of prey over the Marin Headlands. Includes a hawk talk and banding demonstration and lunch at Rodeo Lagoon. Bike from SF or meet at Hawk Hill. Part of Greenbelt Alliance’s series of free outings.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Open Paw Seminar 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Pauley Ballroom 

UC Berkeley 

Dr. Ian Dunbar, world renowned veterinarian and animal behaviorist presents this free seminar on the prevention and treatment of problem cat and dog behavior. Co-sponsored by the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society and the Berkeley Animal Shelter, the goal is to make animals more adoptable through interaction with trained volunteers.  

More info: Janet Kotlier, 527-7387 

Monday, Oct. 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 

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

(510) 528-5403 

Landmarks Preservation Commission 

7 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Discussion of the city’s hiring an archeologist to study the possible mound remnants in the streets.  

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 

New Role for the UN in the New Century 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion with Rosemary van der Laan, President of the Board of Directors of the UN Association of the United States, about globalization and it’s impacts on the economic, social and political lives of the world.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 7

Berkeley Grassroots Greening Tour 

Starts at 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. 

Celebrate Open Garden Day by joining this annual bicycle tour of local community and school gardens. Part of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Houses or Open Hills? 

10 a.m.  

Experience Black Diamond Mines Regional Park’s ghost towns, coal mines, spectacular views and open space on this hike by the proposed sites of 7,700 homes near Antioch. Cosponsored by Save Mount Diablo. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Redesigning Retirement”  

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

UC Berkeley (call for exact location) 

The UC Berkeley Retirement Center and the Academic Geriatric Resource Program will present retirement as a time of great potential. Participants will take part in interactive workshops dealing with the impact of technology on retirement; community involvement of older adults, among other topics. Prominent experts in the field of aging and retirement will take part in “ask the experts” sessions.  

$25. No on-site registration. Register by September 25. 

Contact: Shelly Glazer at 642-5461 

Sunday, Oct. 8

Surmounting Sunol Peaks  

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Learn about local geology while enjoying the panoramic views from three Sunol peaks. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Tuesday, Oct. 10

Cal Alumni Singles 20th Anniversary Dinner 

UC Faculty Club 

Dinner scheduled for Oct. 15 

For reservations call 527-2709 by Oct. 10  

Wednesday, Oct. 11

Are Domed Cities in the future? 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom  

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion based on UC Berkeley alumnus Tim Holt’s book, “On Higher Ground.” Set 50 years in the future, part of the book takes place in an East Bay enclosed by a climate-controlled dome.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Thursday, Oct. 12

East Timor: The Road to Independence 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion of events leading up to the creation of the newest nation of the millennium and issues raised on the road to independence.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 14

Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow & Indian Market 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Grand Entry 1 p.m.  

Enjoy Native American foods, arts & crafts, drumming, singing and many types of native dancing. Sponsored by the City of Berkeley, this event is free.  

Civic Center Park 

Allston Way at MLK Jr. Way 

Info: 615-0603 

Sunday, Oct. 15

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Los Gatos Opera House 

Celebrate the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. This benefit features a variety of musical groups, local artists and samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries and microbreweries. Proceeds benefit Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person; $80 for this event and the Oct. 22 event in SF 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

Tuesday, Oct. 17

Is the West Berkeley Shellmound a landmark? 

7 p.m.  

City Council Chambers 

2134 MLK Jr. Way, 2nd floor 

Continued and final public hearing on the appeals against landmark designation of the West Berkeley Shellmound. The City Council may possibly make it’s decision at this meeting. 

Thursday, Oct. 19

The Promise and Perils of Transgenic Crops 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion with Dr. Peggy Lemaux, professor of Plant and Microbiology at UC Berekeley, of the scientific basis for biotechnology, it’s risks and benefits. 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 21

A Day on Mt. Tam 

9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Come play and hike in San Francisco’s beloved playground. This outing is part of a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

AHIMSA Eight Annual Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International House, Great Hall 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

The AHIMSA is a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to encourage dialogues and public forums which bridge spiritual, scientific and social issues. This years conference is titled “Science, Spirituality and Nonviolence.”  

Admission is free 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Sunday, Oct. 22

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Presidio’s Golden Gate Club 

Greenbelt Alliance brings the farm to the city in this celebration of the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. Featured are samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries, microbreweries. Also featured are live music and local artwork. The event benefits Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

An Evening with Alice Walker 

7:30 p.m.  

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St. (at Grant) 

free parking 

Join internationally loved novelist, poet and essayist Alice Walker in celebrating her new book of autobiographical stories, “The Way Forward is With a Broken Heart.” Benefits Berkeley EcoHouse and KPFA Radio, 94.1 FM.  

Tickets: $10 advance, $13 door 

Tickets available at independent bookstores 

More info: 848-6767 x609 

Saturday, Oct. 28

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Saturday, Nov. 4

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Saturday, Nov. 11

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Sunday, Nov. 12

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Saturday, Nov. 18

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

Sunday, Nov. 19

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

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 

Kudos to Planet 

Editor: 

I moved to Berkeley in 1979 for college. Over the years, I’ve moved out of town a few times, but always came back to the Bay Area. I have seen Berkeley change so much over the years and the thing that I really noticed was the dying of the sense of community that made Berkeley so popular and famous in the past.  

When I found the Berkeley Daily Planet, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it specifically covered news in the Berkeley area and the coverage helps re-establish that sense of community. The news articles are excellent and the quality of writing keeps improving with every issue. 

I especially love the “Out & About” section. I hope that section expands and covers some of the UC and local high school activities as well.  

Keep up the good work! 

Bruce Satow, 

Berkeley 

Tiny apartments not for rabbits 

The Daily Planet Received this letter directed to District 5 council candidate Carrie Olson: 

Dear Carrie Olson, 

I am not a rabbit. Small apartments are not rabbit warrens as you have said outright or intimated many, many times. All you against “high-rise” transit centers, all you privileged characters who bought houses in Berkeley when they were cheap, all you who made your big money fair and square or inherited your money or place in your house from your parents in this insanely expensive real estate market or have connections in town who have found rare inexpensive deals.... You’ve got yours and your interests appear at first glance to be antithetical to the following: Everyone desperate for housing or housing security including students, elderly, disabled, low to moderate income people, transit users, environmentalists, bicyclists, community gardeners, creek lovers and just about everyone else. In fact, higher density housing near transit serves us all. It would seem ironic, but it is actually normal three-dimensional geometry that higher density centers, at second glance, make neighborhoods quieter and more pleasant too. 

When Carrie Olson calls the Gaia Building a “rabbit warren for students,” when hundreds of students are desperate for housing, it’s her privilege denying housing to hundreds of students, and deprecating students at the same time. Not very democratic for a candidate for what should be a democratic City Council. Most people who live in low density Berkeley neighborhoods live so far away from downtown they can't even see it from their property, yet many among them work to prevent a kind of building that could provide realistic housing for others. Let’s be clear about this being strictly a (not necessarily rich) elite, a privileged class against those needing shelter and the full range of benefits of life in Berkeley. Berkeley's pretty good about providing cultural services and some low income benefits to its own, but the low-rise, don’t-build-adequate-housing faction is definitely against all those people and interests listed above and that faction is very restrictive as to who “its own” are going to be. 

Three times I have seen Councilmember Kriss Worthington say publicly (because he thinks it is politically popular) “taller buildings don’t mean more housing.” Well of course not if they are office buildings, but that’s not what people are supposed to understand, or of course not if they are $3,000 a month apartments and you are talking to lower income people. 

A building the size of the Gaia building with its 91 “rabbit warren” units compared to small one story houses is equal to the restoration of 30 blocks of creek restoration (60 units), 15 community gardens expanded by one whole property (15 units) and 16 properties worth of expanded parks for picnics, Frisbee, and volleyball. 

Richard Register 

Berkeley 

size of the Gaia Building simply makes it possible for about 150 people who previously were excluded from Berkeley to enrich our downtown, support BART and AC Transit and lend us their talents and citizenship and solve their own problem of housing. To make it personal, if not for “substandard” “undersized” units in town I would have had to leave years ago.  

Reminder: Though I’ve lived in many small places here I am not a rabbit. And remember, all those other people who need housing ? they are not rabbits either. 

Richard Register 

Berkeley 

Re: Value of Development on Transit Corridors  

Your reader, Peter Teicher, postulates that, in general, the smaller and shorter the development the more desirable its "impacts" and ambience. In areas of 

exclusively single family homes, far from transit and commercial districts, this may be true. And the city's zoning ordinance reflects this. But on busy 

commercial corridors, within walking distance to transit and jobs, the city is better served by denser development and bigger buildings -- a phenomenon 

lucidly described by Jane Jacobs, 40 years ago, in  

The Death and Life of the Great American Cities, and championed today by the advocates of "Smart Growth."  

Denser development on transit corridors furnishes a number of social, economic, and aesthetic benefits that single-use, single story dwellings and businesses 

can never provide.  

These include:  

--More affordable housing. My firm has built or is building more than 50 low income residences that would never have been built, but for the 

densities of the buildings they are in. Ditto for the 150 moderate priced units that were also part of these developments. With single family homes in 

Berkeley now averaging more than $400,000, infill projects are only hope for affordable housing.  

-More housing accessible to the disabled and elderly. The projects I build are also among the few fully accessible housing developments in the 

city. The local non-profit developers are also doing a good job in this regard, but neither of us can come close to meeting the demand. Berkeley has had 

almost no development in the past 20 years, and is the only city in Northern California to have actually lost housing in that time. The only economical way 

to address these concerns it to build multi-family projects like that proposed on San Pablo Ave.  

--Improved neighborhood retail opportunities and amenities. The additional customers and the commercial spaces provided in dense mixed-use 

buildings furnishes affordable space for small, neighborhood serving businesses. (A neighborhood cafe in located in every sizeable multifamily housing 

project I have built in Berkeley, benefiting everyone in the surrounding area. Two local non-profit agencies also have space in these buildings.)  

--Improve the safety and security of the area. The high level of crime in this part of Berkeley -- last February, in one night there was a shooting and 

a knifing within one block of the proposed project at 2700 San Pablo -- is, in part, owing to the lack of development in this area, and the attendant "eyes on 

the street" that help to keep a neighborhood secure. New residents here will improve security.  

-- Less car dependency and improved envirornmental conditions. Infill development on transit corridors relieves pressure from developing 

greenfields in surrounding areas, and also serves to locate housing closer to jobs, thereby reducing traffic in the immediate area. Many, if not most, of the 

residents in my infill projects walk to work, bike, or take public transit. Why? Because it is simply easier, cheaper, and, most important, readily available.  

For these reasons and others, my developments have consistently been endorsed by The Sierra Club, Urban Ecology, Eco-City Builder, The California Oaks 

Foundation, The Conservation Land Group, and many others.  

--Improved tax base for other city services. The construction of multi-family housing on developable land in the commercial corridors adds 

significant property tax and sales tax revenue to the city coffers. On the property I developed at 1910 Oxford St. University Ave. (Where Yali's Oxfords St. 

cafe located) the assessed value of the property went from $400,000 to $5.7 million, and net increase of $5.3 million to the city's tax rolls.  

In short, there are significant benefits to the development of infill projects that, I believe, Mr. Teicher, chooses to ignore. The "oversized" project he criticizes 

-- at 2700 San Pablo (at Carlton) -- is in fact within the limits of the zoning for the area -- which, is not a single family neighborhood, as he avers, but rather 

a mix-used district allowing commercial, residential,and industrial uses. (It also has a traffic count of 29,500 cars a day -- a higher amount of traffic than 

University Ave.)  

Development like this will improve the city, and protect existing neighborhoods. I suggest Mr. Teicher visit the several other infill projects in the city I have 

built and confirm this for himself.  

Patrick Kennedy  

Panoramic Interests  

1910 Oxford St.  

Berkeley, CA 94704  

Subject:  

A Reply to "Housing should be accessible" Letter - 9/21 

Date:  

Thu, 21 Sep 2000 08:51:53 -0700 

From:  

"Howie & Connie Muir"  

To:  

My phone number is 848-3175. 

Editor: 

I would like to support Dina Valicenti's letter (September 21) advocating 2700 San Pablo Avenue as an excellent site for apartments, and her appreciation for the developers' 

intention to augment the availability of affordable and wheelchair accessible housing. 

As a neighbor to the proposed project and one who must live with its potentially looming scale, I would also point out, however, that housing stock -- affordable, commercial, 

and wheelchair accessible -- can also be expanded with a building that conforms to both the letter and the spirit of the West Berkeley Area Plan and does not exceed three 

stories.  

The surrounding neighborhood, which continues broadly to oppose the insensitive scale and height of the developers' proposals presented so far (designs of 4 and 5 stories), is 

likely to welcome warmly projects that conform to the Plan's goals and policies, which were carefully crafted to guide the future of West Berkeley, and that contribute to 

the wellbeing and quality of life of all residents, new and old -- and yet to be. 

Howie Muir 

Berkeley 

Subject:  

In Berkeley, How Do You Get More Housing? 

Date:  

Thu, 21 Sep 2000 08:53:06 -0700 

From:  

Steven Donaldson  

To:  

opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

IN BERKELEY- HOW DO YOU GET MORE HOUSING,WITHOUT BUILDING, AT A LOWER COST? -  

Or how to pull rabbits out of a hat you don't even have.  

It's never ending the complaints about housing. There's not enough - really? It's actually a fairly simple issue of supply and demand. 

You got 45 people in line trying to fill out an application for a two bedroom apartment and, well, only one person is gonna get it. 

Where do the other 44 people go?  

Even the most Marxian followers of economics understand the issues of supply and demand. If there isn't enough housing, well there 

just isn't enough. When market forces come to bare the owner of said units will charge as much as someone is willing to pay to live 

there - if allowed to. Yes, this is exploitive but so what. It's a result of one and one thing only - NOT ENOUGH HOUSING.  

We can have the most aggressive rent board in place going after those nasty landlords and trying to keep the evictions to a minimum, 

rents as low as possible, but does this solve the housing problem? Obviously not. If no one wants to rent a place the owner will lower 

the price (they have to if they want to rent it). If everyone wants to rent this place the landlord will raise the price as high as possible. 

But who cares about this. Pricing isn't even the factor. The real issue is too many people seeking too few units. It doesn't matter what 

they cost. If you want to live in this town - get in line!  

The magical answer is - abra cadabra! - build more housing. Many noted political figures in this Great-Town-of-Berkeley have 

advocated for more and more and more low income housing, further restrictions on rent increases, more controls on initial pricing, to 

some how, miraculously, create lower cost housing (as a fact, there is absolutely no information on controlling rents in ANY city in the 

United States that has, in any way, reduced the vacancy rate, reduced rent, or improved the housing stock for citizens of these cities. In 

fact, it generally has made the problem worse for poor people with limited incomes).  

We need to change zoning, improve and streamline the building process to add more housing stock to the city of Berkeley - and yes 

help out folks with lower incomes. Virtually all of San Pablo Avenue is one story store fronts. Solano Avenue, University, parts of 

Shattuck -much the same. They all have great potential for more housing with easy public transit access. This whole area could be 

gradually transformed into a variety of 2 to 4 story multi-use buildings, adding vitality and street life to each neighborhood including 

restaurants, cafes, produce stores, book stores - and hey my favorite-- pubs!  

Anybody ever gone to Italy or France - or how about the Wrigglyville neighborhood in Chicago- a classic mix of working class, ethnic 

groups, yuppies and everything else? These are all 2 to four story or more places. These places have vitality, a mix of food, business 

and residential that is wonderful, lively, fun and part of community. In addition, much of West Berkeley could be transitioned to mix 

use, loft housing work space - again with a diversity of business, retail, living space and community.  

This Town and the battles that get fought are full of contradictions. More housing but no more building, but low cost housing, but tight 

rent control and an extremely scrutinizing Spanish-Inquisition-Style review process, where everyone's opinion - no matter how 

factually based, has major impact on the final decision. This city, in many ways is very conservative, reactionary and very naive in its 

perceptions of what can work and add to the vitality of community.  

We continually focus on the minutia and then scream about how the big problems never get fixed. You can not solve a problem of this 

nature without a cooperative effort, a vision for the future that includes more density and understanding that you can't have cheaper 

housing without more housing and you can't have more housing without building it.  

Well so much for my perspective on housing rationality - gee is this a politically correct point of view?  

Another commentary from a Long-Time-Berkeley-Resident (who by the way lives only 3 blocks from San Pablo Avenue and can go 

to REI, Walgreens and Pyramid Alehouse in while walking my dog!).  

Steven Donaldson  

Hello again Judith, my phone # is 843-0701 ext 307  

Steven Donaldson  

President, Creative Director  

BGDI Design & Communications  

510.843.0701 ext 307  

510. 469-6393 cell  

http://www.bgdi.com  

Accelerating Brands* --  

Creative Strategies that Build Value and Deliver Results  

Subject:  

perspectives 

Date:  

Thu, 21 Sep 2000 11:12:12 -0700 

From:  

"Steve Finacom"  

To:  

opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

September 21, 2000 

Dear Planet Staff: 

I would like to contribute the following as a possible "Perspective" piece. 

The word count is 772. 

Sincerely, 

Steven Finacom 

510-845-3203 

home e-mail, stuart60@pacbell.net 

2308 Russell Street, Berkeley, California, 94705 

---------------------------------------------------- 

Some neighborhood residents in West Berkeley are fighting a Patrick Kennedy 

housing development, arguing it is too large and out of character for San 

Pablo Avenue. 

The City is debating whether and how new housing fits into the next General 

Plan. 

Richard Register's EcoCity Builders organization has stirred up the pot 

again with an advertisement pushing their fantasy agenda of affordably 

priced high-rise apartment towers in the downtown. 

We have a lot of sound and fury and angst, but little resolution. 

Berkeley's housing controversies need to be placed in a historical context 

which can suggest workable solutions that permit development while 

protecting existing neighborhoods. 

Up through the early 20th century, Berkeley was largely a town of single 

family homes with numerous undeveloped lots and tracts. But a local 

development boom followed the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Most 

of the new development involved creation of new "streetcar suburbs" of 

detached homes. 

In the 'teens and 'twenties a new sort of development started to appear 

along the streetcar lines; three to five story apartment buildings, some 

built above commercial storefronts. Many of these buildings still stand 

along University Avenue, College Avenue, Telegraph Avenue, Oxford Street, 

and smaller streets around the UC campus. 

The Depression, followed by World War II, halted most development. And 

when development resumed in the late 1940s through the 1950s, the private 

automobile had become king. Car oriented uses?gas stations, repair shops, 

single story commercial buildings with adjacent parking lots?spread along 

the boulevards instead of apartment buildings. Some multi-story buildings 

were even demolished. Buses replaced streetcars, erasing a crucial element 

of Berkeley's past. 

In this new climate, from the late 1950s through the early 1970s, the 

boulevards were left to auto-oriented commercial uses profitable for their 

property owners. Apartment development, encouraged by the City, 

leapfrogged into the adjacent single family neighborhoods, demolishing 

homes and fragmenting blocks. 

Berkeley residents quite sensibly reacted in the 1970s with a number of 

measures?the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance, downzoning of residential 

neighborhoods, and the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. Combined with a 

cooling housing market and recessions in the 70s and 80s these halted the 

almost random apartment infill. 

Berkeley was left with car-oriented main streets lined with low-rise 

commercial development and, in some areas, a patchwork of single family 

homes chaotically mixed with intrusive apartment complexes. Yet the 

underlying structure that once defined the community?a grid of transit 

corridors on main streets laced through pleasant neighborhoods of detached 

homes?remained. 

Most recently, as housing costs and demand have sharply risen, developers 

have started to return to the main avenues to construct mid-sized 

three-to-five story apartment and condominium buildings. But many of 

these projects?most recently, Kennedy's San Pablo Avenue development--have 

been vehemently fought by some residents of adjacent neighborhoods. It 

seems to have become an article of faith among many "community activists" 

that this is the wrong sort of development. 

I disagree. Infill housing development along the Avenues should be 

encouraged, not on every lot, but on many sites. Much of University 

Avenue, San Pablo Avenue, south Shattuck, and parts of other streets like 

south Telegraph could very easily accommodate scores of buildings providing 

hundreds of apartment units. 

Is this sort of development destructive of neighborhoods? I don't believe 

so. Mid-rise housing on the main avenues can be surprisingly low impact and 

unobtrusive if it is well designed and placed. And it can provide a 

critical mass of residents who can be drawn onto light rail and shop at 

local businesses. 

Do I argue, like Patrick Kennedy, from the perspective of a resident of a 

protected single-family enclave in the East Bay Hills? Hardly. I live 

in a south Berkeley flatlands neighborhood, a block from Telegraph Avenue. 

I don't want to see change to the core character of my neighborhood of 

detached single-family homes. But when I walk daily along the busy streets 

that border it?particularly Telegraph and Shattuck--I pass by many sites 

where Berkeley should welcome mid-rise apartment or condominium buildings. 

The alternatives to mid-rise housing include more of the same old 

car-oriented development characteristic of the 1950s and 60s?single story 

commercial structures along the main streets, depending on drivers (for 

example, Blockbuster Video downtown and at San Pablo and University). An 

upward curve?and curse?of more car traffic on Berkeley's streets. Political 

pressure from developers to overturn the protections that safeguard 

Berkeley's intact single-family neighborhoods. More schemes, such as 

those of Mr. Register, that would change the whole face of the community 

and pack the Downtown with high-rises. 

This is a future that Berkeley doesn't need. An alternative, drawn from 

our past, is at hand. We would be sensible to use it. 

Steven Finacom is a LeConte neighborhood resident who has served on 

Berkeley's Landmarks Commission and Rent Stabilization Board. 

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 

“Hans Hoffmann”  

An exhibit of paintings by Hoffmann which emphasizes two experimental methods the artist employed: the introduction of slabs or rectangles of highly saturated colors and the use of large areas of black paint juxtaposed with intense oranges, greens and yellows.  

The Asian Galleries  

“Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery,” open-ended.  

A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection.  

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

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

“Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students 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”  

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. 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst  

Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College  

Avenue, Berkeley 

“Modern Treasures from Ancient Iran,” through Oct. 29.  

This exhibit explores nomadic and town life in ancient and modern Iran as illustrated in bronze and pottery vessels, and textiles.  

“Approaching a Century of Anthropology: The Phoebe Hearst Museum,” open-ended.  

This new permanent installation will introduce visitors to major topics in the museum’s history, including the role of Phoebe Apperson Hearst as the museum’s patron, as well as the relationship of anthropologists Alfred Kroeber and Robert Lowie to the museum. 

“Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” ongoing. 

This exhibit documents the culture of the Yahi Indians of California as described and demonstrated from 1911 to 1916 by Ishi, the last surviving member of the tribe. 

$2 general; $1 seniors; $.50 children age 17 and under; free on Thursdays. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

643-7648 

Mills College Art Museum 

5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 

“The 100 Languages of Children,” through October.  

An exhibit of art by children from Reggio Emilia, Italy. At Carnegie Building Bender Room. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. 

430-2164 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

“Math Rules!” Ongoing. A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge. 

“Within the Human Brain” Ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning  

experiments. 

Holt Planetarium  

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. 

“Moons of the Solar System,” through Dec. 10. Take a tour of the fascinating worlds that orbit Earth and other planets out to the edge of the Solar System.  

“Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18;  

$3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Centennial Drive, University of California,  

Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

The Oakland Museum of  

California 

1000 Oak St., Oakland 

“Helen Nestor: Personal and Political” Through Oct. 15.  

An exhibit of images documenting the Free Speech Movement, the 60s civil rights marches, and women’s issues. 

“California Classic: Realist Paintings by Robert Bechtle” through Oct. 1.  

An exhibit of 18 paintings and drawings by the Bay Area artist dating from 1965 to 1997. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students; free children age 5 and under; second Sundays are free to all. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

(888) OAK-MUSE or www.museumca.org. 

Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery 

942 Clay St., Oakland 

625-1350 

www.lizabetholiveria.com 

Tuesday- Saturday  

10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.. 

Franklin Williams exhibit through Sept. 30 

TRAX Gallery 

1306 3rd. St., Berkeley 

Mary Law “Altered Ceramic Pots”  

through Oct. 21 

For more information or to sign up for the workshop call 526-0279 or e-mail to cone5@aol.com 

Music 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

(510) 849-2568. 

Hecho en Califas: Festival fo New Chicano Performance Arts 

“Made in California” features five days of music, spoken word, theater, film and visual art by young Chicano/Latino artists from California. 

Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m.: Ritmo del Barrio Musica. $10 general; $8  

students. 

Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.: Word/Descarga. $10 general; $8 students. 

Sept. 24, 7 p.m.: New Folkloric Fusion Musica. $8 general; $6  

Crowden School 

1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 

Near North Berkeley BART Station 

(510) 559-6910 

Violin soloist Nina Bodnar, along with violist Benjamin Simon and cellist Gianna Abondolo, perform a program of music from Eastern Europe. One concert in a series, “Sundays at Four,” sponsored by The Crowden School. 

Sept. 24, 4 p.m.  

$10 general; Free to those under 18.  

Stork Club 

Wire Graffiti 

9:30 p.m. Sept. 23 

$5 

2330 Telegraph, Oakland 

444-6174 

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 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 

For all ages 

www.ashkenaz.com 

Sept. 26, 9 p.m., Frog Legs, $8. 

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. 

Sept. 29: Box Set (Folk Rock), Legion of Mary (Psychedelic Rock) $11, 9p.m. 

Sept. 30: Soukous Stars (African Rumba) $11, 9:30 p.m. 

525-5099 

924 Gilman St. 

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

Sept 23: Plan 9, Anti-World, Venus Bleeding, Blue Velvet Flesh 

Sept. 29: The Hellbillies, Subincision, Fracas, Union of the Dead, Monster Squad 

Sept. 30: Yaphet Koto, Pitch Black, Phantom Limbs 

Call 525-9926.  

The Albatross Pub 

1822 San Pablo Ave. 

843-2473 

All shows begin at 9 p.m. 

The Jazzschool 

2375 Shattuck Ave. 

Sept 24, 4:30 p.m., David Friesen and Jerry Hahn.  

Oct. 8, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., Bobbe Norris and Larry Dunlap present a vocal workshop, “Making the Song Your Own.” The workshop is $30 for Jazzschool students and $40 for others. 4:30 p.m., Norris and Dunlap perform. 8:00 p.m., Peck Allmond Group featuring Kenny Wollesen CD release performance.  

Oct. 15, 4:30 p.m., Mark Levine and The Latin Tinge.  

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

Reservations: (510) 845-5373. 

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.  

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

$20 - $32  

642-9988 

Deborah Voigt 

The Grammy award-winning soprano performs the music of Strauss, Wagner, Schoenberg and others. Voigt has appeared with leading opera companies including the San Francisco Opera and has sung opposite such artists as Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.  

Oct. 15, 3 p.m.  

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

$28 - $48  

642-9988 

Eli’s Mile High Club 

3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland 

(510) 655-6661 

Doors open at 8 p.m. 

Sept. 22, Sept. 29 : J.L. Stiles 

Sept. 30, J.J. Malone  

Yoshi’s 

Sept. 25, Phillip Greenlief and Covered Pages, $8. 

Sept. 27 through Oct. 1, The James Carter Electric Project, $16 to $20 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. 

Magnificat 

Sept. 30, 8 p.m. “The Song of Songs” includes works  

by Palestrina, Monteverdi, Grandi, Mazzocchi; $18 seniors; $12 students. First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant Streets, Berkeley. (415) 979-4500. 

Hausmusik 

Early Music at St. Alban’s 

“Musique de Table”: An evening of chamber music by composer Georg Philip Telemann along with food and historical readings about food. 

$17 general; $14 students/seniors. Advanced reservations recommended.  

Oct. 7, 8 p.m. Parish Hall, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany. (510) 527-9029.  

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

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

“Neo-Eiga: New Japanese Cinema” 

Oct. 7, 7 p.m. : “Wildlife” (1997), directed by Shinji Aoyama, US premiere; 9 p.m. : “Timeless Melody” (1999), directed by hiroshi Okuhara, US premiere 

Oct. 14, 7 p.m. : “Nabbie’s Love (1999), directed by Yuji Nakae, West Coast premiere; 8:55 p.m. : “Gemini” (1999), directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, Bay Area premiere.  

$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. 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 through Oct. 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. 

Tickets for preview showings are sold at $26. 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 

Through 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. 

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 noon -4 p.m. and by appointment.  

Traywick Gallery 

1316 Tenth St.  

527-1214 

Charles LaBelle 

Through 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  

Through Oct. 15 

This multimedia project combines video, sound and printmaking to explore concepts of intimacy and its relation to private space.  

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,''  

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  

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. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. 912-A Clay St., Oakland. (510) 832-4244. 

!hey! Gallery 

Lori Now and Michael Pollice display recent paintings through Oct. 14. Reception Oct. 7, 7 - 9 p.m. with cellist Diane Pauson and vocalist Elisheva Herrera.  

Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 4920-b, Telegraph, Oakland. Call Richelle Valenzuela at (510) 428-2349. 

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. 

Readings at Cody’s 

2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Robert P. Johnson, the author reads from his book “Thirteen Moons: A Year in the Wilderness.” At 1730 Fourth St. Sept. 25. 7:30 p.m., Gerald Haslam discusses his novel “Straight White Ma le.” 

Sept. 26. 7:30 p.m., Andre Schiffrin, the author, discusses his book “The Business of Books: How International Conglomerates Took Over Publishing and Changed the Way We Read.” 

Sept. 28. 7:30 p.m., Sadie Plant discusses her book “Writing on Drugs.” Events are free and start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.  

(510) 845-7852 

Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place  

843-6812 

Free 

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. 24: Jessie Beagle, Kirk Lumpkin 

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

Oct. 29: Fernando Brito, Lara Dale 

234-0727 

Holloway Poetry Reading Series 

8p.m., Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall 

For more information call 653-2439 

Nov. 1: John Yau and Garrett Caples, books include “Forbidden Entries” and “My Symptoms” 

Nov. 7: Marie Howe and Brian Glaser, “The Good Thief” and “What the Living Do” 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley 

2066 University Ave.  

548-2350 

October 1, 3 p.m., Lawson Fusao Inada and Patricia Wakida duscuss with a slide presentation, the new Japanese American anthology “Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience” 

Oct. 7, 7p.m., Kimi Kodani Hill presents with art slides from her grandfather. “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art on Internment” 

Lunch Poems: A Noontime Poetry Reading Series 

Morrison Room, Doe Library 

UC Berkeley 

12:10 - 12:50 p.m.  

Call 642-0137 

Under the direction of Professor Robert Hass, this is a series of events on the first Thursday of each month. Free.  

Oct. 5: Elizabeth Alexander, Nov. 2: Goh Poh Seng  

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  

Oakland Historic walking tours 

Runs through October.  

The tours cover downtown Oakland and its historic waterfront. All tours begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last between an hour and an hour and a half. Old Oakland Historic Dist rict, Sept. 23. A walk through Oakland’s Victorian business district of the 1870s. Visit the Washington Inn, Ratto’s International Grocer and the Friends of the Library Book Store. Reservations encouraged. Meet in front of Ratto’s at Washington  

and 9th Streets.  

Preservation Park, Sept. 27. Preservation Park is a group of Victorian homes which replicate an authentic neighborhood of the 1870s. The homes have been restored and are used for offices and businesses. Other sites include the First Unitarian Church, Greene Library, and the Pardee home and gardens. Reservations encouraged. Meet at the park entrance, 13th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  

Free. Call for reservations. Oakland. (510) 238-3234. 

Tilden Regional Park  

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.,“Early A.M. Walk,” Visit Laurel Canyon for birds and berries. For age 10 and older.  

Sept. 24, 2 p.m., “Hoppers and Others,” Search for grasshoppers, their relatives, and other insects for a close-up look. 

Sept. 30, 2 p.m. “Autumn Leaf Prints,” Bring a plain T-shirt to make a colorful memory of autumn. For age 5 and older. $2. 

University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden 

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. 

Botanical Garden Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Meet at the Tour Orientation Center for a free docent tour. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Botanical Garden, Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. (510) 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

Dance 

Yoshi’s 

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 

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 

FRESNO – When Cal comes to town Saturday to face Fresno State’s Bulldogs, both teams will likely lean heavily on their defensive game in what’s shaping up to be a battle of whose offense will make the least mistakes. 

Both teams have a strong defense, both have been erratic on offense and both have solid special teams. 

“We’re strong and weak in the same areas, it doesn’t create a lot of great matchups,” said team spokesman Steve Weakland. 

Both have a promising but inexperienced quarterback, each of whom will hang tough in the pocket. Both can field talented running backs behind a banged-up offensive line. 

“Right now, from a point production, they’re a lot like us,” Bulldogs coach Pat Hill said of the Golden Bears. “They’re a team that has a lot of new players and they’re starting to get it together just like we are.” 

The one thing the Bears have that Fresno State (0-2) doesn’t is a victory. Cal (1-1) defeated Utah 24-21 in its opener before suffering a narrow 17-15 loss at No.19 Illinois on Saturday. 

Punter Nick Harris is the reason the Golden Bears stayed close to Illinois. But it doesn’t bode well for a team when the punter is one of the best players. 

Harris was named Pacific 10 Conference special-teams player of the week after 10 of his 12 punts resulted in Illinois beginning a drive inside its 15, dragging down the Illini offense. 

“Since we have an offense that has struggled, Nick is really important,” coach Tom Holmoe said. ”(Defensive end) Andre Carter is our best player, but Nick is our second best.” 

Harris has punted 15 times in two games this season. Twelve have ended up inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Five have ended up inside the 5. None has resulted in a touchback. Nine of Harris’ 12 kicks against Illinois stopped inside the 15. 

Fresno’s Hill said running back Derrick Ward, who underwent arthroscopic surgery Friday to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his knee, was limping in practice Sunday and may not be ready to play. 

But center Rodney Michael’s sprained ankle is coming around, offensive tackle Kevin Jordan is back at practice after injuring his hand in the Sept. 9 loss to UCLA, and running back Josh Levi is finally 100 percent after a lengthy bout with an ankle sprain. 

“I think we’re in good shape for this game, probably the best shape we’ve been in physically for a game this year,” Hill said. 

Cal may not be as lucky, particularly along the offensive line. Center Reed Diehl didn’t play against Illinois after suffering a knee injury against Utah, while left guard Brandon Ludwig is expected to miss several weeks with a high ankle sprain suffered against the Illini.

OAKLAND — University of California officials are proposing a new road to admissions that could bring in more black and Hispanic students, provided they’re willing to take a detour through community college. 

The proposal, which requires approval by faculty and regents, would expand offers of guaranteed admission from the current top 4 percent of each high school to the top 12.5 percent at each high school. 

The additional 8.5 percent would not get immediate entry to UC, but they would be simultaneously admitted to UC and to a community college and told what courses they need to complete to transfer to UC. 

Because students would transfer as upperclassmen, the new program doesn’t take away freshman seats. UC officials say they have the capacity to handle up to 3,500 new transfers expected from the new program by 2005. 

The new approach could boost enrollment of black, Hispanic and American Indian students, whose numbers have fallen since UC scuttled affirmative action five years ago. The program could make up to 12,700 more students eligible for admission. Of those, up to 36 percent are Hispanic, black or American Indian, the three groups considered underrepresented minorities at UC. By contrast, underrepresented minorities make up 12 percent of the current pool of UC-eligible freshmen. 

“Clearly, it will have an impact on the number of underrepresented minorities,” UC President Richard C. Atkinson said at a news conference Thursday. He said the new program won’t violate Proposition 209, which forbids affirmative action in public education because it doesn’t select by race. “But the sheer fact that we will be reaching out to these low-performing high schools will guarantee that kind of additional increase.” 

UC now accepts the top 12.5 percent of all high school students, which means high-performing schools send lots of students to UC campuses while low-performing schools send few or none. 

If the new program is approved, students will be identified at the beginning of their senior year on the basis of student transcripts and invited to apply to the program.  

Once in, UC would maintain individual student Web pages to help keep them in the program. 

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who is also a regent, called the plan “a good step toward re-establishing the UC’s commitment to providing equal access.” 

But Regent Ward Connerly, who wrote UC’s new race-blind policies, said he’d need some assurance UC’s academic quality won’t slip under the proposed change. 

He also wishes officials weren’t running demographic breakdowns of the potential new students. 

“If the intent is to somehow influence the number of underrepresented minorities, then I think that’s breaking the law,” he said. 

Cal sophomore swimmer Anthony Ervin qualified for the finals of the 50 meter freestyle at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, recording the third-best time in the qualifying heats.  

Ervin, who burst on the national scene this past spring while swimming for Cal and winning the NCAA 50- and 100-yard events, posted a time of 22.l3 while finishing second in his semi-final heat behind fellow American Gary Hall Jr.  

Ervin won his earlier qualifying heat with a time of 22.24.  

Ervin has the capability of swimming a much faster time in the finals as he posted a 21.80 time in the U.S. Olympic Trials this past summer. He became only the fifth swimmer in the world to go under 22.00 in that race.  

He is expected to re-enroll at Cal this January for the spring semester after taking the fall semester off from school to participate in the Olympic Games.

OAKLAND — Driving under the influence of cell phones is a growing highway epidemic, according to Frances Bents, the lead investigator for a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study. While incidents of car accidents caused by driver inattention due to cell phone use are largely unreported, there is enough evidence, she says, to warrant state legislation to curtail such use. 

Bents was in Oakland on Thursday to participate in a fact finding panel on cell phone use by motorists, convened by Assembly member Audie Bock, Independent-Piedmont, in downtown Oakland. The fact finding panel, Bock said, would lead “to the appropriate legislative response,” though no time table for such legislation was given. 

Among the eight panel members were Bents, Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean, and Mardy Burns. Burns is the mother of Sara Anne Burns, killed in a car crash when a driver swerved into her lane as he reached for his cell phone, which had fallen to the floor.  

While most European nations, Brazil and Australia have laws against going cellular on the highway, no states ban cellular phone use while driving. A handful, however, are researching the involvement of the phones in accidents. 

The need for legislation is acute, Bent said. It should mandate police documentation of whether the driver was “under the influence” of a cell phone, and include the ability of the courts to subpoena phone records to determine guilt. 

Matt Sundeen, who tracks highway safety legislation for the National Conference of State Legislatures, told the panel that 37 states have tried to pass cell phone laws since 1995. 

Burns agreed with the need for legislation. Placing a photo of her daughter on the podium, she told the panel, “The boy who killed my daughter didn’t even get a ticket,” she said. “It was a senseless and totally preventable crash.” 

Others argued that there is no need for such regulations.  

“We need better education, not more legislation,” said Robert Latham, Public Affairs Director of the Independent Institute in Oakland. “Already every time I turn on my phone, there is a message saying, “Safety, your most important call.” People don’t need laws, they just need to be aware of their responsibilities.” 

Strong lobbying against cellular phone restrictions by the telecommunications industry has also helped keep legislation in check, panelists said. Representatives from the industry were invited to the panel but did not attend. 

With 100 million cellular phones already in use across the nation, and an expected doubling over the next five years, advocates of such legislation fear that incidents of driver inattention will also double. Cell phone use in vehicles distracts the driver from road conditions, they say. 

“In 1995, the average cellular phone call lasted 2.5 minutes, which means that people travel an average of three miles during an average phone call. With motorists driving at higher speeds, car sales hitting an all time high, and cell phone use also at an all-time high, instances of driver inattention is also increasing. With the lessening of phone rates, I imagine that those phone calls are more frequent and last longer than in 1995 as well,” Bents said. 

“How many times have you almost been in an accident with a blissfully unaware driver lost in a phone conversation?” she asked. 

In those moments of driver inattention, the likelihood of an accident is quadrupled, she said, citing a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine.  

Defining driver inattention as a “withdrawal from situation awareness,” Bents identified four ways that cell phone use distracts drivers from the road, but identified “cognitive withdrawal” as the chief cause of most cell phone accidents. 

“People feel compelled to answer their phones, which cuts them off from the process of getting from point A to point B. Also people get startled by their phone ringing and this makes them lose focus,” she said. 

Dean supported state, or even national, legislation on cell-phone safety.  

“We wanted to pass an ordinance in Berkeley,” she said, “but realized that it would make things too confusing for people crossing to and from Oakland, for instance. That’s when we realized that this was not just a city or regional issue, but a state or federal issue.” 

She mentioned that Berkeley unanimously passed a recommendation to Sacramento legislators to require the California Highway Patrol to include in their accident reports information about cellular phone use, as well as to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to include such data in their annual reports. 

“It’s not a case of collecting years and years of data” explained Dean. “It’s a request to collect a year’s worth of data to create a basis for future legislation to make its judgments on,” she told the Daily Planet. 

How such legislation would be enforced and how such data would be collected, however, raised other questions. 

“What are the practical means by which officers can enforce any restrictions on cell phone use while driving?” asked Bock. “What will be the costs if agencies are ever asked to subpoena and research cell phone records to determine if a cell phone was in use at the time of an automobile accident? Would enforcement of new regulations or prohibitions against cell phone use while driving distract law enforcement from other duties we entrust to them?” 

Bock also mentioned the new business culture of work being conducted while people are in their vehicles. 

“Traffic congestion and long commutes have made time in a vehicle part of the business day,” said Bock. 

The auto and communication industries stand to gain quite a bit from continued use of cell phones in cars, Bents added. Already lines of in-vehicle communication devices are flooding the market.  

Drivers will be able to go on-line in their cars, receiving e-mail, downloading information, receiving faxes, even watching movies if they choose. 

“It allows the auto industry to generate continuous cash flow, which they hadn’t been able to do once they sold a car. People would pay a monthly fee to keep these in-vehicle services. It’s a cash cow for the auto industry,” Bents said. 

“All of this is in motion, and the stakes are very high,” said Bents, “but we’re not asking the real question of whether this in-vehicle communication should be happening or not. Are we going to place the needs of commerce ahead of personal safety?” 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Each year the crowds get bigger, the entries more outrageous and the music livelier at the annual How Berkeley Can You Be? parade and festival.  

This year, the parade takes place on Sunday and will begin at 11 a.m. at University Avenue and California Street. It will wend its way up University to Shattuck Avenue, then go south to Center Street, culminating at the Civic Center Park.  

The festival in the park starts at 12:30 p.m. and will feature international food, music and dancing.  

Last year’s parade – the fourth annual – drew a crowd of over 10,000 people. 

The grand marshall will be U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee. 

Joining her will be less sedate participants – the Young Republicans for Heterosexuality, who will hand out heterosexuality pills “developed at a lab at UC Berkeley;” the Berkeley Bullfight Academy; the NIMBY (not in my backyard) Brigade, a giant catapult which shoots huge meatballs on to an enormous plate of spaghetti and Berkeley’s own X-Plicit players. 

Once again, the parade will showcase over 80 cars from the Art Car West Fest and gaggles of bicyclists celebrating car-free month will ride in the parade as well. 

A special attraction this year is a Children’s Stage to be set up on Milvia Street. Sponsored by the Berkeley YMCA, the stage will host activities for kids all through the day.  

On the agenda are a bicycle rodeo, a children’s art project in conjunction with the East Bay Depot and lots of entertainment, including an electric go-cart demonstration. 

At Civic Center Park the musical lineup will feature the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Reggae Angels, Ray Obiedo and his Urban Latin Project, the FezTones and Aya DeLeon, the rap poet. For more information, visit www.howberkeleycanyoube.com or call John Solomon at 849-4688.

SAN FRANCISCO – Trading in their faded jeans for three-piece grays and the raunchy “camp KPFA” tents that straggled along Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Berkeley last summer for the more sedate environs of San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, community-radio activists once again went on the offensive. 

Pacifica Board member Rob Robinson of Washington, D.C., and his attorney Kenneth N. Frucht gathered a few members of the local press Wednesday to announce the filing of a complaint against the Pacifica Board in Alameda County Superior Court on Tuesday on behalf of Robinson and a Los Angeles-area board member, Rabbi Aaron Kriegel. 

The Pacifica Foundation is the founding body and governing board of five nationwide listener-sponsored radio stations. Last year, listeners, employees and volunteers at the oldest station among them, KPFA in Berkeley, took to the streets when the Pacifica board locked programmers out of the station after one allegedly broke a “gag” rule by airing a pre-recorded press conference about an ongoing conflict between station activists and the national board. 

The suit filed Tuesday names 16 of the 18 board members and accuses them of destroying “any semblance of democratic participation, lawful governance, accountability and fiduciary stewardship (of the 51-year old community-sponsored radio network) in order to consolidate and centralize their own hold on power within Pacifica’s national governing body.” 

The suit asks the court to prohibit the board’s executive committee from making financial decisions and to prohibit the executive committee from making rules that restrain free speech. 

This suit differs from two others wending their way through the judicial process, Robinson said. In this complaint, board members are, in essence, suing themselves.  

Another suit brought by listener Carol Spooner and other listeners, who were given standing by the attorney general last week to pursue their suit, accuses the governing board of not fulfilling its stated mission. 

In a third suit, mounted by Oakland attorney Dan Siegel, members of four of the five Local Advisory Boards of the Pacifica stations are suing the national board for excluding them, alleging that by changing the rules of selection to the governing body, they were excluded from direct participation on the national board. 

Pacifica attorney Dan Rapaport of Oakland, however, said the latest suit was simply more of the same. “We believe everything has been done in compliance with California law,” he said. 

Robinson said the latest suit was prompted by a litany of complaints. 

One is the number of people on the board. “They keep people on the board whose office is expired,” he said. More people are on the board than the 15 members the bylaws call for, he noted.  

Another complaint is that board members are excluded from giving their input into decisions, such as the selection of the executive director. 

The complaint moreover argues that “defendants have furthered the executive committee’s self-perpetuation and have ‘packed’ the board with persons supportive of the executive committee’s antidemocratic policies, partially by allowing some directors to continue serving on the executive committee after their terms have expired.” 

Another complaint is that the executive committee keeps information from the board and from the public. The executive committee holds meetings without notice to the listeners. And they do not give board members access to the executive committee minutes or the corporation’s books, the complaint says. 

“As directors they were not allowed to perform their fiduciary responsibilities,” attorney Frucht explained. 

Rapaport denied all the claims. He said that “the good rabbi” had gone with an accountant to review the books in Los Angeles, to which he had complete access. 

The claim that there are too many board members “is not accurate,” he said. “They can have as many board members as they want. The board is empowered to set the size of the board.” 

Furthermore the board members are elected for a determined time and stay on the board for only that period. 

The complaining parties had also raised that new members of the board lack radio expertise and that the firm of one member, in particular, worked for Pacifica. 

Rapaport said that boards try to get the benefit of a range of expertise, such as business, legal, insurance, programming. And it is not unusual, on a corporate board, for a board member to also work for the corporation. These are simply “issues of disclosure,” Rapaport said. 

Robinson and Kriegel didn’t pull out their legal guns without trying other means first. Robinson said they initially submitted a long letter to Pacifica Chair Mary Frances Berry, detailing their complaints. They had hoped these would be addressed at the spring governing board meeting. 

“They did not agendize it. They did not go through a process,” Robinson said. “As board members, there is no other appeal – just this.” 

Frucht said the violations are so clear cut, that he expected the judge would rule in favor of the plaintiffs without going to trial.  

Rapaport disagreed. “The board is exercising their best business judgment,” he said. “That will be determined in court.” 

executive committee after their terms have expired.” 

Another complaint is that the executive committee keeps information from the board and from the public.  

The executive committee holds meetings without notice to the listeners. And they do not give board members access to the executive committee minutes or the corporation’s books, the complaint says. 

“As directors they were not allowed to perform their fiduciary responsibilities,” attorney Frucht explained. 

Rapaport denied all the claims. He said that “the good rabbi” had gone with an accountant to review the books in Los Angeles, to which he had complete access. 

The claim that there are too many board members “is not accurate,” he said. “They can have as many board members as they want. The board is empowered to set the size of the board.” 

Furthermore the board members are elected for a determined time and stay on the board for only that period. 

The complaining parties had also raised that new members of the board lack radio expertise and that the firm of one member, in particular, worked for Pacifica. 

Rapaport said that boards try to get the benefit of a range of expertise, such as business, legal, insurance, programming. And it is not unusual, on a corporate board, for a board member to also work for the corporation. These are simply “issues of disclosure,” Rapaport said. 

Robinson and Kriegel didn’t pull out their legal guns without trying other means first. Robinson said they initially submitted a long letter to Pacifica Chair Mary Frances Berry, detailing their complaints. They had hoped these would be addressed at the spring governing board meeting. 

“They did not agendize it. They did not go through a process,” Robinson said. “As board members, there is no other appeal – just this.” 

Frucht said the violations are so clear cut, that he expected the judge would rule in favor of the plaintiffs without going to trial.  

Rapaport disagreed. “The board is exercising their best business judgment,” he said. “That will be determined in court.” 

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 

Micropower Broadcasting  

Celebration 

7:30 p.m.  

Unitarian Fellowship 

1924 Cedar (at Bonita) 

Celebrate seven years of a grassroots media movement and struggle to reclaim broadcast airwaves. An evening of music, speakers and a showing of the documentary, “Free Radio.”  

$5-25 donation requested, benefits Free Radio Berkeley IRATE 

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

Learn to build FM  

transmitters 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

2547 Eighth St., Unit 24 (enter at bay #3) 

Free Radio Berkeley presents a series of hands-on micropower broadcasting workshops. Among topics they will be discussing are fundamentals of micropower broadcasting and basic antenna construction. 

549-0732, www.freeradio.org  

Candidate endorsement: East Bay Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club meting 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Transportation Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Topics to be discussed include an update on the implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Task Force report and the Traffic Engineer’s pedestrian safety proposals. 

Fair Campaign Practices Commission 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center, Health Room 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Topics include an update from City Clerk Sherry Kelly regarding the November campaign.  

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 

“Mail Art: Perspectives  

of Deaf Culture” 

8:30 - 11 p.m.  

Capoeira Arts Cafe 

2026 Addison St. 

Celebrate the opening of this community art project sponsored by Vista Community College’s American Sign Language program and the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission. The show highlights the parallels between mail artists and the Deaf community.  

Contact: Nancy Cayton at (510) 981-2872 

Web and Internet media  

workshops 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

New College  

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco  

Free Radio Berkeley presents workshops on the basics of web and streaming media, digital audio and video editing.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

“A Long Way from Tipperary” 

7:30 p.m.  

Sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way 

John Dominic Crossan discusses his new book, “A Long Way from Tipperary,” and how his life experience has led him to a more complex, sophisticated faith.  

More Info: 848-7024 

Autumnal Equinox Sunset Gathering at Cesar Chavez Park 

6 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina 

Watch the sunset, learn basic astronomy, and support a group that plans to construct a ‘solar calendar’ by the Bay. Ancient cultures used such calendars, most famously Stonehenge, to track the seasons. Berkeley in 2000 wants to build one in honor of the late migrants worker rights activist. Dress for windy conditions.  

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 

Micropower Broadcasting Council of War 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

New College 

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco 

A convention of micropower broadcasters, media activists and community radio aiming to expand a national campaign for the liberation of the broadcast airwaves.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

Misty Redwood 10K Fun Run 

8:30 - 10:30 a.m. 

The forth annual race benefits the Bay Area Coalition for the Headwaters Forest. The race takes place in beautiful Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Volunteers are needed. 

$25 registration day of race  

More info: 835-6303 

ArtCar Bash 

7 p.m.  

The Crucible 

1036 Ashby (between Seventh and San Pablo) 

Join the celebration as mobile, public folk art returns to the Bay Area. Part of ArtCar Fest 2000, an event featuring over 100 ArtCars from across the United States and Canada. 

$10 admission  

843-5511 

Congressional Forum on Redefining National Security 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Clark Kerr Campus 

Joseph Wood Krutch Theater 

UC Berkeley 

Rear Admiral Eugene Carroll, Vice President for Defense Information and other local experts discuss how the Defense Department budget can be cut and the money used to meet local and national needs. Hosted by UC Berkeley’s department of Peace and Conflict Studies.  

More info: 415-221-8382 

Sunday, Sept. 24

Berkeley Hillel Dinner Welcomes Adam Weisberg 

6:30 p.m.  

Reutlinger Center 

2736 Bancroft Way 

The Berkeley Hillel, which serves Jewish students at UC Berkeley, is hosting a dinner to introduce its new executive director, Adam Weisberg, to the community.  

$75 per person 

Call Joan Ominsky, 524-5333 

“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. Participating groups include the NIMBY Brigade, ArtCar Fest 2000, the Young Republicans for Heterosexuality, the Berkeley Bullfight Academy, the fashion police and more. 

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

849-4688, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

Sign Leonard Peltier’s Birthday Card 

1 - 5 p.m.  

Peoples Park 

Bring drums and food for a potluck as the Peltier Action Coalition and All Nation Singers celebrate Leonard Peltier’s 56th birthday. 

More information: 464-4534 

Hands-on Bicycle Repair Clinic 

11 a.m. - noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Come learn how to fix that pesky flat tire right from one of REI’s bike technicians. Just bring your bike; tools will be provided. One in a series of bike repair clinics presented by REI.  

Call: 527-7377 

Fall Plant Sale at U.C. Botanical Garden 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The Botanical Garden 

Centennial Drive, between Memorial Stadium and Lawrence Hall of Science 

Your once-a-year chance to snag rare and choice specimens for your garden. A silent auction of native flora, perennials, herbs, rhododendrons, vines, ferns, orchids, fruit trees and house plants from around the world. 

More info: 643-2755 

ArtCar Fest Film Festival & Fashion Show 

7:30 p.m.  

UC Theater 

2036 University Ave.  

Dr. Howland Owll hosts a night of ArtCar movies by ArtCar Fest co-founder Harrod Blank, wearable art by ArtCar artists and ground-breaking performances. This is the finale for ArtCar Fest 2000.  

$7.50 admission  

More info: 843-FILM 

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 

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Reclaim the Streets! 

6 p.m.  

Berkeley BART station 

Bring dancing shoes, bikes, skateboards and costumes and fight globalization. Join in this street party and protest and “reclaim Berkeley from cars, corporations and the police state.”  

More Info: 594-4002 

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 sustainability and profitability. 

Talking about Living, Talking about Dying 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Hospital  

2001 Dwight Way 

A community forum providing an opportunity to find out about community resources and to share experiences. Moderated by Wendy Hanamura, producer of KQED’s series “Eyes Wide Open,” the forum includes a panel discussion and an audience Q & A.  

Contact Patricia Murphy, 450-8719 

Thursday, Sept. 28

Free Introduction to Golden Shield Qi gong 

6:30 p.m.  

Assembley Hall, First Congregational Church 

2345 Channing Way 

Learn the basics of this 4,000-year-old system that promotes health and strength of body, mind and spirit. 

More info: 849-2231 

Forest Action Roadshow Presents Darryl Cherney 

7:30 p.m. 

Unitarian Fellowship 

1606 Bonita (at Cedar) 

Called “the Woody Guthrie of the North Woods” by the SF Examiner, Cherney has been an avid defender of the redwoods. He will present lighthearted songs and a slide show about the direct action protests he’s helped organize. 

Music from the Andes 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

International House, Auditorium 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Performances by Juanita Newland-Ulloa and the traditional music group, Grupo Atahualpamanta. Co-sponsored by Earth Mandala, an international organization for global peace.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

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 

Tour Mission District Gardens 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

One of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance for this fall. Tour SF’s Mission District and learn about the role of gardens and open space in community planning. 

Call: 415-255-3233 to make reservations 

Dharma Publishing Showroom Tour 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 - 3 p.m.) 

Dharma House 

2910 San Pablo Ave. 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 p.m. -3 p.m.) 

See traditional Tibetan book making, sacred art projects, spinning copper prayer wheels and a video of the work Peace Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India.  

More info: 848-4238 

Sunday, October 1

Return of the Raptors to Marin 

Drivers: 11:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  

Bikers: 10:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Witness the migration of birds of prey over the Marin Headlands. Includes a hawk talk and banding demonstration and lunch at Rodeo Lagoon. Bike from SF or meet at Hawk Hill. Part of Greenbelt Alliance’s series of free outings.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Open Paw Seminar 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Pauley Ballroom 

UC Berkeley 

Dr. Ian Dunbar, world renowned veterinarian and animal behaviorist presents this free seminar on the prevention and treatment of problem cat and dog behavior. Co-sponsored by the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society and the Berkeley Animal Shelter, the goal is to make animals more adoptable through interaction with trained volunteers.  

More info: Janet Kotlier, 527-7387 

Monday, Oct. 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 

This 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 

New Role for the UN in the New Century 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion with Rosemary van der Laan, President of the Board of Directors of the UN Association of the United States, about globalization and it’s impacts on the economic, social and political lives of the world.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 7

Berkeley Grassroots Greening Tour 

Starts at 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. 

Celebrate Open Garden Day by joining this annual bicycle tour of local community and school gardens. Part of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Houses or Open Hills? 

10 a.m.  

Experience Black Diamond Mines Regional Park’s ghost towns, coal mines, spectacular views and open space on this hike by the proposed sites of 7,700 homes near Antioch. Cosponsored by Save Mount Diablo. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Redesigning Retirement”  

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

UC Berkeley (call for exact location) 

The UC Berkeley Retirement Center and the Academic Geriatric Resource Program will present retirement as a time of great potential. Participants will take part in interactive workshops dealing with the impact of technology on retirement; community involvement of older adults, among other topics. Prominent experts in the field of aging and retirement will take part in “ask the experts” sessions.  

$25. No on-site registration. Register by September 25. 

Contact: Shelly Glazer at 642-5461 

Sunday, Oct. 8

Surmounting Sunol Peaks  

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Learn about local geology while enjoying the panoramic views from three Sunol peaks. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Wednesday, Oct. 11

Are Domed Cities in the future? 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom  

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion based on UC Berkeley alumnus Tim Holt’s book, “On Higher Ground.” Set 50 years in the future, part of the book takes place in an East Bay enclosed by a climate-controlled dome.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Thursday, Oct. 12

East Timor: The Road to Independence 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion of events leading up to the creation of the newest nation of the millennium and issues raised on the road to independence.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 14

Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow & Indian Market 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Enjoy Native American foods, arts & crafts and many types of native dancing. Sponsored by the City of Berkeley, this event is free.  

Civic Center Park 

Allston Way at MLK Way 

Info: 615-0603 

Sunday, Oct. 15

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Los Gatos Opera House 

Celebrate the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. This benefit features a variety of musical groups, local artists and samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries and microbreweries. Proceeds benefit Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person; $80 for this event and the Oct. 22 event in SF 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

Cal Alumni Singles 20th Anniversary Dinner 

UC Faculty Club 

For reservations call 527-2709 by Oct. 10 

Thursday, Oct. 19

The Promise and Perils of Transgenic Crops 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion with Dr. Peggy Lemaux, professor of Plant and Microbiology at UC Berekeley, of the scientific basis for biotechnology, it’s risks and benefits. 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 21

A Day on Mt. Tam 

9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Come play and hike in San Francisco’s beloved playground. This outing is part of a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

AHIMSA Eight Annual Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International House, Great Hall 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

The AHIMSA is a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to encourage dialogues and public forums which bridge spiritual, scientific and social issues. This years conference is titled “Science, Spirituality and Nonviolence.”  

Admission is free 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Sunday, Oct. 22

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Presidio’s Golden Gate Club 

Greenbelt Alliance brings the farm to the city in this celebration of the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. Featured are samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries, microbreweries. Also featured are live music and local artwork. The event benefits Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

Saturday, Oct. 28

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Saturday, Nov. 4

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Saturday, Nov. 11

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Sunday, Nov. 12

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Saturday, Nov. 18

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

Sunday, Nov. 19

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

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 

My son is alive and still captive 

Editor: 

I have heard from authorities in Manila that my son is still alive and still held captive.I am thrilled that the two French journalists were able to escape to freedom. Their escape gives me hope that my son will be free soon. 

Friends and family and total strangers are praying for my son's safe release. Thank you, everyone, for keeping my son in your prayers. 

Carol Schilling 

Oakland 

Olympic oath should have included bribery 

Editor: 

The Olympic Oath was modified for the opening ceremony to include a new phrase forswearing the use of drugs. Fair enough. But the IOC seems to have neglected an equally important phrase: not to accept bribes from cities that want to host the Olympic games. Did the IOC somehow forget to include that phrase in their oath? 

Bruce Joffe, 

Oakland 

Housing should be accessible 

Editor: 

I am a 25-year- old disabled woman student living in Berkeley. I have lived here for the past seven years.  

Being disabled and on a fixed income, I find it very difficult to find housing in this city. Within the past few years, rent has skyrocketed, making it difficult to afford.  

I think that the city should aid in providing more affordable and wheelchair accessible housing. Berkeley is considered to be the starting city for disability rights, although it is hard to tell that nowadays.  

One building contractor that I am aware of that is building affordable and accessible housing is Mr. Patrick Kennedy. Several of my friends and community members have moved into his buildings and find them to be right on target for what the community is looking for.  

Yet there are still many people that have no housing at all, and are living in substandard conditions. The proposed site for the Jubilee Courtyard Apartments, located at 2700 San Pablo Avenue, could not be a more perfect spot for a new building. This building will help in the development and transition of a safer neighborhood.  

San Pablo Avenue has slowly been becoming a nicer area to visit. Having a new building located there would not only increase business for local businesses, but also produce more foot traffic for the safety of the community. It will no longer be a dark quiet corner. 

I believe the community needs to look out after each other. One way to help is to try and provide affordable housing, not only for students, but for the disabled community who is slowly being pushed out of the city because of the housing shortage. Berkeley's reputation of being a city for achieving independence, is slowly becoming a city for those who can afford to buy themselves independence. I intend to do my best and my part as a community member, in obtaining sufficient housing for all. 

Dina Valicenti, 

Berkeley 

Glad to see Daily Planet covering community 

Editor: 

I moved to Berkeley in 1979 for college. Over the years, I’ve moved out of town a few times, but always came back to the Bay Area. I have seen Berkeley change so much over the years and the thing that I really noticed was the dying of the sense of community that made Berkeley so popular and famous in the past. When I found the Berkeley Daily Planet, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it specifically covered news in the Berkeley area and the coverage helps re-establish that sense of community. The news articles are excellent and the quality of writing keeps improving with every issue. 

I especially love the “Out & About” section. I hope that section expands and covers some of the UC and local high school activities as well.  

Keep up the good work! 

Bruce Satow, 

Berkeley 

Glad to see paper on community 

Editor: 

I moved to Berkeley in 1979 for college. Over the years, I’ve moved out of town a few times, but always came back to the Bay Area. I have seen Berkeley change so much over the years and the thing that I really noticed was the dying of the sense of community that made Berkeley so popular and famous in the past. When I found the Berkeley Daily Planet, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it specifically covered news in the Berkeley area and the coverage helps re-establish that sense of community. The news articles are excellent and the quality of writing keeps improving with every issue. 

I especially love the “Out & About” section. I hope that section expands and covers some of the UC and local high school activities as well.  

Keep up the good work! 

Bruce Satow, 

Berkeley 

Who wants to be the Berkeley’s Tiger Woods? 

That’s the question the organizer of the Berkeley City Championship wants to answer on a yearly basis. 

“I want to do anything I can to help golf grow in this area,” says Michael Clark, the tournament’s founder and chairperson. “This tournament is a great way to get the word out, as well as declaring a city champion. 

The tournament, which is open to anyone who lives or works in Berkeley, will take place on Oct. 2 at Tilden Park Golf Course, and is open to people of all ages and skill levels. 

Last year’s inaugural tournament was a great success, and not just from a competitive standpoint. Most of the proceeds from the event go to various local charities, and local businesses made a strong showing in both golfing and donations. 

“It’s a serious golfing format, but there’s also the charitable aspect,” Clark says. “We give money to some very worthy causes.” 

Last year’s beneficiaries included the Berkeley Community Fund, the Berkeley Public Education Foundation and Berkeley Youth Alternatives. Among others, the Berkeley Police Athletic League will get funds this year. 

“John Lewis over at Berkeley PAL does great work with kids, and we will be donating $500 to the cause,” Clark says. 

Clark spent more than 200 hours organizing last year’s event, and estimates he will spend even more time on this year’s tournament. 

“I’ve got so many creative ideas, but I don’t have enough time to do them all,” he says. 

Clark has gathered an advisory board and a volunteer board to help him organize, but he does the lion’s share of the work, says one volunteer. 

“Michael is really the guiding light for the tournament,” says Joe Tomasik, an attorney who serves on the volunteer committee. “Our work is less than last year, since lots of our groundwork has been laid, but Michael is working just as hard as he did last year.” 

Clark has tried to give all aspects of the event a Berkeley flavor, including the winners’ trophies. Both last year’s and this year’s trophies were designed and created by local artists. 

“Most tournaments give you this dinky little generic plaque they picked up at a trophy shop.” Clark says. “This gives it a more local feel.” 

The tournament brings together the golfing community in the area, Tomasik says. “There are a lot of golfers in Berkeley, but they might not know each other,” he says. “This gives us a chance to meet each other on the same course.” 

That chance is something that former UC Berkeley professor Doris White enjoyed at last year’s tournament. 

“I’m an enthusiastic golfer, and I had a really good time,” White says. “I enjoyed being paired with someone I didn’t know.” 

Along with bringing current golfers together, Clark hopes the tournament will encourage non-golfers to try the sport. 

“We want to get more people excited about golf,” he says. 

Clark has worked with several youth groups, including a program at Tilden that involves 400 kids, and says he has found some untapped potential. 

“We’ve identified some kids with really good golf skills,” he says. 

With the increased exposure Tiger Woods has given the sport, Clark sees a great future for golf in Berkeley. 

“Golf is really expanding to minorities and kids, and that’s a great thing,” he says. “We’re trying to pull in every element of the community we can.” 

Registration for the Berkeley City Championship closes after Sept. 22. For more information or to register, call Michael Clark at 841-0972 or e-mail him at BCCGT@aol.com.

An emotional Jonas Jusay, who lost his parents and his sister in the tragic Aug. 20 fire at 2160 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, gave a stirring plea to the City Council Tuesday in support of a resolution from the Associated Students of the University of California asking the city to regularly inspect apartment buildings and rent houses to ensure compliance with building codes. 

The speech, which moved members of the audience and several councilmembers to tears, came on the same day that the Fire Department announced that its investigation into the presence of a smoke detector and openable windows in the bedrooms where the Jusays perished – as required by city and state fire codes – was determined inconclusive. 

“We need more stringent and better procedural processes to inspect buildings,” Jusay told the council. “I have to wake up every morning and wonder where my parents and sister are. Something as fundamental as a smoke detector may have saved their lives.”  

Backed by ASUC President Teddy Liaw and External Affairs Vice President Nick Pappas – who authored the resolution – Jusay told the council how he wanted his calamitous experience to be the last of its kind in Berkeley. 

“I believe the city of Berkeley will take the opportunity to make this city a safer place, and will not wait,” Councilmember Kriss Worthington told Jusay and the audience. 

In an interview Wednesday, Worthington told the Daily Planet that Jusay’s speech was “the most touching moment I’ve experienced since I’ve been on the City Council,” and said the council has placed the item on next week’s agenda to refer the ASUC resolution to the Housing Commission, the housing director and the city manager. 

The resolution points out that the many regulations governing the condition of rental apartments and units to ensure their safety can be enforced only after tenants contact the city to investigate. It notes that many renters fear that they may be evicted if they contact the city. The lack of enforcement leaves many Berkeleyans living in unsafe conditions. 

“People have to realize that there is an inspection service for this,” Worthington said Wednesday. “And that (renters) are protected from eviction by the Just Cause Act.” Worthington said the Fire Department and code enforcement will come for a free inspection if called. 

Worthington also explained the act passed by voters in 1980 as part of rent control, protects renters from landlord retribution if they were to point out code violations to the city in a unit they rent. 

The ASUC resolution asks that the city expand the existing mechanisms to include regularly scheduled inspections of apartment buildings to ensure compliance with building code regulations. 

Liaw said that the ASUC fears, however, that if there is a violation, then it is already too late. 

“Many students and residents don’t know how the complaint system works,” he said. 

“The point is that there are smoke detectors that don’t work, or none at all, in many homes in Berkeley. We would like to see the city make periodic or random inspections to these apartments and make the landlord accountable.” 

The two-story, wooden house where the Jusays perished was last inspected in September of 1995. 

“The day that Berkeley can promise that the homes and buildings are up to code is the day that Azalea and her parents memory can really be appreciated,” Liaw said.  

Daily Planet Staff Reporter Josh Parr contributed to this article.

Establishing a Youth Center in Berkeley has been talked about for many years.  

Let's hope the latest discussion in City Council is more than election year posturing by Council Members Breland and Shirek, both of whom, along with Council Members Maio, Worthington and Woolley, have inexplicably opposed building a much-needed multi-sport playing field for youth just six blocks away from Berkeley High School at (District-owned) Derby Street park.  

This is the only community-oriented remaining site in Berkeley that is accessible to all of our teenagers because of its proximity to Berkeley High School (no invisible “turf” lines that some kids won't cross), and the only site that can provide the square footage necessary for the integrated design of a youth services center and multi-sport playing field as part of one complete package.  

As Ms. Breland says: “We need a central place where they (youth) can all come and feel like they have a voice. A place that takes care of their needs.” 

The costs of a Youth Center are not insignificant. The City’s $486,000 grant that is available from the Community Policing program will not be transformed into a Youth Center without making strategic alliances with other institutions or businesses with similar goals and interests.  

Happily, the School District owns the Derby Street park land, and possibilities exist for negotiating cost sharing arrangements and fundraising between the District and the City (and other organizations that are supportive of Berkeley youth interests, such as the Ecology Center, Downtown Business Association, Berkeley Partners for Parks, Berkeley-Albany Soccer League, Berkeley Albany Softball League, and Oakland Athletics organization) for capital construction, operation, and maintenance, that could ensure the long term viability of such a center. 

Ms. Breland has now been joined by Councilmembers Shirek and Maio on a subcommittee to consider the design, location, and short and long term funding sources for a youth center that could meet all of the wishes on Ms. Breland's list: “... a youth center where they can come to day or night, play games, eat some nourishing food, and find some mentoring or counseling.”  

I suggest to the Councilmembers that this subcommittee be expanded to include Terry Doran, Joaquin Rivera, and Shirley Issel of the School Board, and that this group now begin action toward making the Derby Street park Youth Center into a reality for all of our Berkeley kids. 

Iris Star, 

Berkeley resident, taxpayer and parent

Freshman hoopster Lawson leaves school 

Freshman guard Michael Lawson has decided to leave the University for personal family reasons, Cal basketball coach Ben Braun announced Wednesday.  

Lawson signed with Cal out of Alhambra HS in Martinez last May, but has decided to leave school before the start of the season. He was a second team All-Metro selection by the San Francisco Examiner as a senior and scored more than 2,100 points during his career.  

“It is with great sadness and for personal family reasons that I have decided to leave the University of California,” Lawson said. “I want to publicly thank Coach Braun and the University of California for the opportunity to attend one of the best universities in the country. It is with a great deal of regret that I leave a wonderful situation and fantastic people. I truly appreciate the support of all the Cal staff, coaches and players.”  

Added Braun: “I understand and am supportive of Michael’s desire to leave for personal family reasons. I know this was a difficult decision, and I wish him the best during his career.” 

The loss of Lawson leaves the Bears with only two incoming freshmen, forwards Gabriel Hughes and Saulius Kuzminskas. The Bears are left with just three true guards for the upcoming season. 

Lawson’s departure opened a scholarship for the program, which Braun quickly gave to senior Morgan Lingle. 

Lingle, a 6-2 guard, had been a walk-on member of the team for three years before receiving the scholarship opportunity for this year. He was the recipient of Cal’s Outstanding Student-Athlete Award in 1999 and the squad’s Hustle Award in 1998. This season, Lingle will serve as team co-captain along with senior forward Sean Lampley.  

A graduate of Ramona HS in Ramona, Calif., Lingle has appeared in just 11 games during his Cal career, but has been a key member of the “gold” team that works out against the starting group in practice.  

Field hockey downs SW Missouri St. 

After squeaking out all three of their previous wins in overtime this season, Cal’s field hockey squad finally came out victorious in regulation, as they downed Southwest Missouri State, 3-1.  

The Golden Bears (4-3 overall, 2-0 in NorPac Conference), struck first as freshman Nora Feddersen scored off a penalty corner at 17:10 of the first half.  

SW Missouri St. (5-4 overall, 3-1 in NorPac Conference) tied the score later in the period as junior midfielder Shelby Faust pushed a goal in during a tangle of players near the goal at 4:48.  

The second half saw Cal taking the lead at 27:24 as Elizabeth Harkins slapped a shot which SW Missouri St. goalkeeper Monnie Elzy had no real chance of stopping.  

With SW Missouri St. threatening to knot the game, Cal caught a break when a SW Missouri St. player fell onto the ball near the goal while trying to save an otherwise sure-fire goal.  

Cal was awarded a penalty stroke at 18:58, as senior back Leticia Galyean connected on a shot to the lower right-hand corner to put the Golden Bears up, 3-1.  

“The ball got stuck between the players legs and we were trying to pull it out,” said Harkins.  

The Golden Bears looked sharp after only three days rest from a long road trip to the east coast.  

“I think our trip showed. There was more poise and a little more organization,” said coach Shellie Onstead. “We were able to sustain the attack and they (players) realized that our system will work if they work the system.”  

Cal beat a good SW Missouri State team that went into Wednesday’s game with a 3-0 record in conference play after edging out Stanford Tuesday in double overtime.  

The Golden Bears have little time to celebrate as they prepare to face another conference foe Saturday at Stanford. “It was a little hard this week not to look ahead (to Stanford),” said Onstead. “I had to really make an effort not to start talking (to the team) about Saturday.”  

Cal has a chance to take sole possession of first place in the NorPac with a win against the Cardinal. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Stanford. 

Cal stages comeback against San Jose St. 

Cal’s women’s volleyball team came back from a 2-0 deficit, including being shutout in game two, to defeat San Jose State 3-2 (13-15, 0-15, 15-13, 15-12, 15-12), Tuesday night at the RSF Fieldhouse.  

It was Cal’s third-straight five-game match, as the Bears had two five-game matches last weekend against Oregon and Oregon State. Cal was shut out in the second game, the first time they had been shut out in a game since Sept. 4, 1998 by No. 1 ranked Long Beach State.  

“At halftime I asked the team to pick a lineup they wanted for games three, four and five that would win,” said head coach Rich Feller. “And, the team promised that they would win and they did.”  

Cal played poorly in the first two games. In game one, the Bears squandered a 8-4 lead and allowed San Jose State to break a 13-13 tie to win, 15-13. In game two, Cal was completely overwhelmed.  

After the break, the Bears slowly worked back into contention. A kill by senior Alicia Perry and an ace by sophomore Reena Pardiwala broke a 13-13 tie to win game three, 15-13. A block by Pardiwala and sophomore Caity Noonan sealed a 15-12 win in game four and then Cal took control of game five, winning 15-12 with the help of two kills by freshman Gabrielle Abernathy and a kill by sophomore Leah Young to break away from a 12-11 game.  

Perry led the Bears with a team-high 26 kills and Young added 13 kills. Noonan had a team-high 22 digs. San Jose State was paced by Joslynn Gallop and Liz Hudson with 22 kills apiece.  

Cal (5-3) will next host No. 7 ranked UCLA Friday and then take on No. 6 ranked USC Saturday. Both Pac-10 matches will be at 7 p.m. at the Recreational Sports Facility.

The voices of south and west Berkeley residents were in the house at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. 

Residents concerned with drug dealing, housing and youth programs lined up during the public’s portion of the meeting, opening up the terrain of this oft-neglected portion of Berkeley to the public eye.  

Over the last decade these neighborhoods have undergone social and economic change. Rents are on the rise, housing prices are skyrocketing, and neighborhoods appear more multi-racial, with whites and hispanics living on blocks where mostly African Americans used to live. 

With two shootings in the last week on the 1600 block of Russell Street, a number of residents came to the council to call for an increased police presence in their neighborhoods.  

“We have to maintain an uneasy co-existence with drug dealers in our neighborhood,” says John Kaybut, who lives on Russell Street. “There is a shooting turf war that makes me afraid to walk on the sidewalks, sit on our porch, and even inside my home, there is the fear of a stray bullet coming through a window. The city needs to deploy resources to ensure the safety and well being of the residents of this city.” 

Although the shootings have not been determined to be drug related, Lt. Russel Lopes said the police believe they are drug and “turf” related. 

Stephanie Rosen, the block captain of an organization of Oregon and Russell Street residents told the council: “Drug dealers are selling and recruiting in our neighborhood, bringing resident drug users here who get violent when high, who steal to get money to purchase drugs, and the teenagers that come to Oregon Street create problems as well. All of these things put us residents at risk.” 

Though Berkeley police Chief Dash Butler said that police forces have been redeployed to the area to curtail possible further retaliations and shut down drug operations, Rosen said such efforts were only part of the solution. She called on the district attorney to support the police efforts by prosecuting drug offenders by charging them as felonies, not a less weighty misdemeanor charge. At the same time, she called for rehabilitation. 

“We need immediate help and we need long term solutions. The DA should be more vigilant in its prosecution of crimes. The city must also ensure that there are an adequate number of rehab facilities and counselors to get people in rehab. We should also ask bicycle beat cops to do outreach to the teens standing on the corners,” she said. 

Her words were heard with sympathy, both from council members and police. 

After hearing that the neighbors have met monthly for over a year, Councilmember Kriss Worthington told them, “You shouldn’t have to have 100 meetings to live in a safe neighborhood. There are several offenses that I am shocked were considered misdemeanors. I’m not for locking people up, but we have no choice but to put these people in jails and rehab programs.”  

Worthington then proposed that a group of councilmembers go to the DA’s office and ask him to prosecute violent offenders more forcefully. 

Butler said that the community’s problems would be addressed. “They had their finger right on the button. Detox issues are key. If you don’t have a market, you have no drug trafficking. Decreasing the demand is a long term solution. Also, look at what happens after arrests. I’ve seen drug trafficking increase when individual offenders get out of prison. And drug arrests are often the easiest way to stop violence. There is also a nexus between drug trafficking and violence, so when traffickers get locked up, violence goes down as well.” 

After the City Council meeting, which lasted until 11:20 p.m., Butler drove over to Oregon and Russell streets. 

“At midnight there were three officers on Russell and McGee streets,” he said Wednesday. “Another car was parked on California, and we had a mobile sub-station in the area as well, so that foot patrol and bike patrol could do their work there, on site, rather than having to come back to the office.” 

“There’s no activity there. We are shutting it down.” 

But shutting down things at one spot is only a temporary solution, he acknowledged. 

“Stopping trafficking is like trying to pick up a tomato seed on a plate with a fork. The scene is constantly changing, and the problem is that it’s so transient. We knew there was a resurgence in trafficking, but to be honest, we’ve been concentrating our work at Sacramento and Alcatraz. These shootings caught us off guard. When that hit, we redeployed to Russell Street,” Butler said. 

While the recent spat of violence is getting quite a bit of publicity – the suspects in the Russell Street shootings are believed to be in their early 20s – actual juvenile crime is down in Berkeley, said Steve Odom, head of Berkeley Police Department youth services. 

“Last year we had 144 assaults and battery, this year we have only 68,” he says. “It’s the same across the board.”  

“What were dealing with is the perception that there’s an increase. We definitely don’t have a youth crime problem here in Berkeley.” 

Others see this perception as a consequence of gentrification. 

“Newer residents to the area are trying to clean up their neighborhoods,” says a youth advocate associated with Berkeley Youth Alternatives, who spoke to the Daily Planet after the council meeting and asked to remain anonymous. “They tend to be white, middle class and have more education so that they can get the system to listen to their needs.” 

The actual threat is no greater than before, Odom said. Juvenile crime has gone down over the last five years in Berkeley he said. 

“What we have in Berkeley is a small, recurring problem year after year where minor turf skirmishes happen. But we generally have them under control. These kids aren’t very discreet, and we have security guards in high schools, monitors at middle schools and Berkeley police trained to look for tell-tale signs that they’ll take place.” 

This kind of surveillance, however, worries some youth advocates.  

“More enforcement isn’t the solution,” says Kevin Weston, former coordinator of Youth Together at Berkeley High. “It creates mistrust between the youth and the police.” 

“There have always been a group of kids who are outside of the institutions, not being served by schools or youth programs. The solution is to create programs that work for them, that they want to be part of,” he said. 

Kids get caught in the “territory” game, he said. “But that’s because there’s nothing for them to do. Not everyone who graduates from our schools goes to college or finds good jobs so that they can stay in Berkeley. The economic problems here contribute to the larger problem.” 

Odom agrees. the youth targeted by the neighborhood groups and the increased enforcement are a small percentage of the overall population. 

“We’re talking about 10 percent of the population here. There are a few kids we have identified as kids with a higher risk of getting caught up in gang related activities.” 

While residents have used the word “gang” liberally, Butler argued that there are no real organized gangs like Nuestra Familia, or Texas Syndicate in Berkeley. “What we’re talking about is a loose, geographically based group of youth. Gangs in Berkeley have never developed as much as a construct as Bloods or Crips.” 

Even so, the problems that residents in south-central Berkeley face continue, including racial tensions, according to one Caucasian Oregon-street resident, who did not want to be named in the story. 

“Even my black friends say that our neighborhood is not integrated.”`

You could call H.H. Bliss a pioneer. No, he didn’t cross the Mississippi in a covered wagon. And he didn’t break any longstanding racial barriers. And, for that matter, he didn’t manage to revolutionize the fields of science, medicine or sport. On September 14, 1899 the 68-year-old New York City real estate broker was helping a woman off a streetcar when a cabdriver cut a corner a little too tightly and ran him over.  

Bliss became the first of over 5 million Americans to be killed by an automobile (and the first of quite a few dispatched by New York City cabbies).  

With this grim anniversary in mind, a number of international anti-automobile organizations have declared September Car-Free Month, and today as Car-Free Day. 

“Whenever you get into a car, you risk other people’s lives,” points out long-time Berkeley bicycle activist Jason Meggs. “(Automobiles) do afford us fun, convenience and mobility, but they also steal fun, convenience and mobility. Traffic jams don’t happen in well-designed train systems, only in poorly designed car-only systems.” 

Now, no one’s heading down from Capitol Hill to forcefully wrest away your car (or gun, if you’re concerned about that too). But on Tuesday the city of Berkeley did unanimously approve a resolution declaring September Car-Free Month.  

“Housing and traffic are probably the two most frequent things I’ve heard people talking about in the last year or two,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who submitted the resolution. “So anything we can do to promote public transit, bicycling or any other way to get around that isn’t by automobile is a helpful step forward.” 

With the demise of the unfortunate Mr. Bliss as a framing point – and the fact that September is a month that hasn’t yet had a cause attached to it – anti-automobile activists have spent the past 20-odd days pointing out some of the remarkable statistics attached to a century of automobile usage.  

“There have been more than four times as many people killed in car crashes than in all the wars America has fought since 1776,” says Meggs. Actually, he’s a little off with his numbers – in reality, five times as many people have been killed in crashes rather than in battle. According to Meggs, however, automobiles don’t have to kill you to reduce your quality of life. 

“As a general rule, people keep their kids indoors because they’re scared of cars,” continues Meggs. “The New York Times reported that 30 years ago, two-thirds of kids walked or biked to school. Today fewer than 10 percent do. Essentially, in our car-overrun cities, problems with danger, noise and pollution really destroy the fabric of our communities. Studies show that as motor car traffic increases on residential streets, the number of people who have best friends or acquaintances on the street plummets toward zero.” 

With the spotlight of Car-Free Month – Car-Free Day – coming today, a number of anti-automobile activists plan to hit the streets. 

A number of them will joint the protests at the National Broadcasters’ Convention in San Francisco to protest the pressure exerted on the broadcast media by auto and petroleum interests.  

Meggs points out that today is “a day for direct action,” meaning that more than a few motorists – perhaps even the descendants of H.H. Bliss, ironically enough – may find themselves with impromptu front-row seats to whatever traffic-stalling demonstrations the activists have planned.

A man was stabbed for no apparent reason at the corner of Adeline Street and Ashby Avenue Tuesday night about 10:20 p.m. 

Berkeley Police Lt. Russel Lopes said the victim was standing on the corner when a white male with blond hair, about 5 feet 9 inches, weighing 260 pounds walked up to the victim and stabbed him.  

The victim suffered cuts to the left arm and hand and managed to get away. The victim was taken to Alta Bates Hospital where he was treated and released. A man matching the description was picked up in the vicinity with a history of assault, but said that the victim refused to attempt to make an identification.

A revised water pact between California and the U.S. government was approved Wednesday in a House committee, but both administrations oppose the bill, leaving its fate uncertain. 

The Resources Committee approval came after state lawmakers failed to approve a similar bill to reauthorize the program called CalFed, which aims to provide water more reliably for cities, farmers and wildlife. 

CalFed, a consortium of state and federal scientists, environmentalists, water experts and irrigation district executives, seeks to balance the needs of growers while keeping enough water in the Delta east of San Francisco to protect the environment. 

The bill from Rep. John Doolittle, R-Rocklin, would give $60 million to the project and change aspects of the program that Gov. Gray Davis and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt negotiated this year. 

Although the money represents a small portion of the estimated $8 billion program projected during the next seven years, the program is set to expire at the end of September without such legislation. 

The Davis-Babbitt blueprint would raise the water level in key dams, restoring the delta and its tributaries, boosting water recycling and fixing the delta levee system. 

While building new dams remains controversial, Doolittle argued that farmers have suffered in the agreement for lack of additional water storage.  

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation was able to provide only about two-thirds of the water contracted for this year. 

“If we can’t make water deliveries to contracted users in wet years, I can’t imagine what would happen in normal years or in a drought,” Doolittle said. “We’re continuing to see a declining problem with water supply, water quality and system reliability.” 

Davis and Babbitt each oppose the bill and Babbitt said he would ask President Clinton to veto it if approved. 

Environmentalists criticized the bill for opening the door to new dams and potentially hurting endangered species. 

“It’s a terrible bill,” said Barry Nelson, a senior analyst for the advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council. 

Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, blasted the bill for rewriting the program behind closed doors after five years of planning by state and federal officials. 

“If the authors of this legislation want to blow up the CalFed process, return California to the water wars of the last century and jeopardize the economic and water security future for 34 million Californians, this bill is a perfect way to achieve those goals,” Miller said. 

If Doolittle’s bill founders, lawmakers and industry officials expect Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-San Francisco, to push for funding and a temporary extension of the program until it is fully debated next year. Miller tried a similar route in committee, but was rejected. 

The bill is H.R. 5130. 

On the Net: The House Resources Committee is at http:resourcescommittee.house.gov 

The CalFed site is http://calfed.ca.gov

LOS ANGELES — The median price of a single-family home in California will hit a record $269,200 in 2001, according to a forecast by the California Association of Realtors. 

That’s an 8.5 percent price hike, which follows an estimated 12 percent climb in home prices for 2000. 

The lack of supply, rise in demand trend will also result in sales of existing homes falling 2.7 percent next year. That follows a projected 3 percent fall this year. 

“Limited supply is pulling the sales level down at the same time very robust demand continues to push prices higher,” said Leslie Appleton-Young, the association’s chief economist. 

The record prices are the result of California’s booming economy, which continues to create jobs at a more rapid pace than the rest of the country, Appleton-Young said. 

JOLO, Philippines — An American held hostage by Muslim rebels appealed to the Philippine government to halt its massive rescue effort so that negotiations for his release can resume. 

“I’m still alive,” Jeffrey Schilling said in a radio interview broadcast Thursday. “I’m fine, I’m well.” 

The interview, conducted by satellite telephone, was Schilling’s first since thousands of troops launched an assault on Saturday to rescue him and 18 other hostages held by Abu Sayyaf rebels. 

Two French journalists escaped from the rebels on Tuesday, leaving Schilling, three Malaysians, a Filipino abducted in April, and 12 Filipino Christian evangelists still in captivity. 

In the interview, conducted Wednesday night with the Radio Mindanao Network, Schilling appealed for the military operations to cease so negotiations could continue. He said civilians were being hurt by the assault, creating more support for the rebels. 

Schilling, of Oakland, California, converted to Islam in 1994 and visited an Abu Sayyaf camp with his Filipino wife on Aug. 28 and was reportedly abducted because of an argument over religion with the rebels. His wife was not seized. 

Rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya, who spoke in the same radio interview, acknowledged that four of his men had been killed in the assault and said the rebels were open to negotiations with the Philippine and U.S. governments. 

The military says seven rebels have been killed and 20 captured in the six days of fighting, while six government troops were wounded. 

President Joseph Estrada said Wednesday he would order a halt to the assault if all the hostages are freed. 

He portrayed the escape of the two French journalists as vindication of his decision to use force against the rebels. 

The attack had been strongly criticized by French President Jacques Chirac, who said it could endanger the hostages. 

The two journalists, who headed home Wednesday, credited their nighttime escape to the army assault on the guerrillas. 

Estrada beamed as he presented the journalists at a news conference in Manila, an arm around each. 

“As you can see for yourself, these two gentlemen are in good shape,” Estrada said. 

The journalists – Jean-Jacques Le Garrec and Roland Madura of France-2 television – were the first hostages recovered from Jolo, a remote southern island, since Estrada ordered the military assault. 

SAN DIEGO — American authorities detained 45 Iraqi Christians on Wednesday after they tried to walk across the Mexican border and into the United States.  

Mexican police were holding about 150 more in a hotel just across the border. 

Relatives of the group in the hotel said they were seeking political asylum in the United States because of religious persecution in their homeland. 

The 45 Iraqis who were being held at the border arrived at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which links San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, in small groups without visas, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. 

The 26 adults and 19 children are being held at the border crossing while the INS awaits translators to determine whether they qualify to enter the United States, Mack said. 

“They are very well, very calm, very quiet,” she said. 

Immigration authorities received a letter from someone claiming to represent the Iraqis that said they are members of the Chaldean minority and had been waiting along with others in Tijuana for permission to enter the United States, said an INS official, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

They grew tired of waiting and decided to present themselves en masse to U.S. authorities at the border, the official said. 

Meanwhile, at least 150 more Chaldeans were being detained in a hotel near downtown Tijuana that was guarded by Mexican federal police officers holding M-16 rifles. 

A Mexican immigration official who did not give his name told reporters outside the hotel the group will be held there for at least one night while authorities check their immigration status. 

There were few surprises at the Berkeley Democratic Club endorsement meeting Monday night at the Northbrae Community Church in north Berkeley. 

Holding true to its moderate philosophy, the club endorsed incumbent Betty Olds in District 6, chose Betty Hicks over progressive incumbent Margaret Breland in District 2, backed the pro-business James Peterson over radical Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek and picked Miriam Hawley for District 5, who was also endorsed by the Greens and Liberal Democrats that make up Berkeley Citizens Action, denying the endorsement to Landmarks Commissioner Carrie Olson. 

Chartered by the California Democratic Party since 1934, the moderate BDC and its progressive rival, the BCA are “probably the two most organized political organizations in town,” said the meeting’s master of ceremonies Mary Ann McCamant.  

The club sent a letter to all candidates that filed for office and requested that they respond to schedule a 20-minute interview with a panel of 16 board members. City Council and School Board members were also asked to respond in writing to a battery of questions. 

All candidates who showed up, whether they had been supported by the BDC board or not, were given a strictly-timed two minutes to speak to the crowd of more than 50 people. 

Confident that the endorsements were an academic exercise in District 6 – BDC has long supported incumbent Olds – challenger Norine Smith felt she should make an appearance regardless. 

“We know that the BDC (board) is going with the incumbent, but you never know what the rank and file are going to do,” she said. 

John Selawsky, a School Board challenger and card-carrying Green, said he knew there was no way he could get the endorsement because of his political affiliation, but said he wanted to practice his oratory skills.  

“I get a little practice speaking to a not-so-friendly crowd – well, I don’t know that they’re not so friendly,” he said with a smile, “But I know they’re not going to endorse me.” 

Though the board was permitted to recommend two candidates in a race, to receive the club’s full endorsement a candidate had to receive 60 percent of the membership vote, McCamant said. 

In the AC Transit Director Ward I seat left vacant by City Council District 5 challenger Miriam Hawley, the board recommended both Berkeley resident James Sweeney and North Richmond resident Joe Wallace. After the votes were tallied, it was Wallace who came away with the endorsement. 

In the Superior Court Judge race, neither David Krashna nor Mark Klieszewski received a 60 percent majority. 

“(The endorsement) gives you some sense of traditional legitimacy,” said endorsee James Peterson. “The BDC’s members are well-versed, well-read and concerned about the progress or lack thereof in the city of Berkeley.” 

Besides the ballot measures listed below, the BDC also endorsed Measure B on the Alameda County ballot and the Peralta School Bond. They did not endorse or oppose Measure U – an ordinance correcting an error in the business license tax. 

The BDC endorsements for the Berkeley City Council are: 

• Betty Hicks, District 2 

• James Peterson, District 3 

• Miriam Hawley, District 5 

• Betty Olds, District 6 

• Peggy Schioler, rent board 

• Joaquin Rivera and Sherri Morton, School Board 

• Daryl Moore, Peralta Board of Trustees: 

• Joe Wallace, AC Transit Ward I 

• Greg Harper, AC Transit Ward II 

• no endorsement, Superior Court Judge: 

Ballot Measures Endorsed: 

• Measure AA – Bond to repair, upgrade and add new classrooms 

• Measure BB – A tax to provide safety and essential maintenance on school buildings and grounds. 

• Measure P – Bond to fund renovation of branch libraries 

• Measure Q – Bond to fund the mobile disaster fire protection system 

• Measure R – Bond to fund the renovation of the warm water pool 

• Measure S – Ordinance increasing rate of special tax to fund park maintenance, city trees and landscaping. 

• Measure V – Gann Limit override for library relief act of 1980 

• Measure W – Gann Limit override for parks maintenance tax 

• Measure X – Gann Limit override for emergency medical services tax 

Ballot Measures opposed:  

• Measure T – Ordinance authorizing a special tax fund to fund maintenance and installation of streetlights. 

• Measure Y – Ordinance amending rent stabilization ordinance, relating to owner/relative move-in. 

• Measure Z – Resolution authorizing low rent housing. 

Wednesday, Sept. 20

Recreation Subcommittee  

of the Parks and Recreation Commission 

7 p.m.  

John Hinkle Park 

Southampton Ave. between San Diego Rd. and Somerset Place. 

Discussions will focus on future plans for the John Hinkle Clubhouse. The meeting will be held in the Boy Scout Hut in the park.  

Contact: Recreation Programs Administrator, Madalyn Law at 644-6530 

Alzheimer’s and Dementia  

Caregivers Support Group  

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst/MLK Jr. Way 

644-6107 

Redevelopment Projects  

Community Design Workshop 

7-9 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

An interactive workshop where the public can comment on design suggestions for the Aquatic Park/Bike-pedestrian bridge connection, the amtrak rail station/transit plaza and other improvements to the area. 

West Berkeley Capital Projects Design Workshop 

7 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St.  

An opportunity for the West Berkeley community to review and discuss schematic designs for the West Berkeley Capital Projects. 705-8138  

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 

Micropower Broadcasting  

Celebration 

7:30 p.m.  

Unitarian Fellowship 

1924 Cedar (at Bonita) 

Celebrate seven years of a grassroots media movement and struggle to reclaim broadcast airwaves. An evening of music, speakers and a showing of the documentary, “Free Radio.”  

$5-25 donation requested, benefits Free Radio Berkeley IRATE 

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

Learn to build FM  

transmitters 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

2547 Eighth St., Unit 24 (enter at bay #3) 

Free Radio Berkeley presents a series of hands-on micropower broadcasting workshops. Among topics they will be discussing are fundamentals of micropower broadcasting and basic antenna construction. 

549-0732, www.freeradio.org  

Candidate endorsement: East Bay Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club meting 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Transportation Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. Topics to be discussed include an update on the implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Task Force report. 

Fair Campaign Practices  

Commission 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center, Health Room, 1901 Hearst Ave.  

Topics include an update from City Clerk Sherry Kelly regarding the November campaign.  

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 

“Mail Art: Perspectives of Deaf Culture” 

8:30 - 11 p.m.  

Capoeira Arts Cafe 

2026 Addison St. 

Celebrate the opening of this community art project sponsored by Vista Community College’s American Sign Language program and the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission. The show highlights the parallels between mail artists and the Deaf community.  

(510) 981-2872 

Web and Internet media workshops 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

New College  

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco  

Free Radio Berkeley presents workshops on the basics of web and streaming media, digital audio and video editing.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

“A Long Way from Tipperary” 

7:30 p.m.  

Sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way 

John Dominic Crossan discusses his new book, “A Long Way from Tipperary,” and how his life experience has led him to a more complex, sophisticated faith.  

More Info: 848-7024 

Autumnal Equinox Sunset Gathering at Cesar Chavez Park 

6 p.m. 

Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina 

Watch the sunset, learn basic astronomy, and support a group that plans to construct a ‘solar calendar’ by the Bay. Ancient cultures used such calendars, most famously Stonehenge, to track the seasons. Berkeley in 2000 wants to build one in honor of the late migrants worker rights activist. Dress for windy conditions.  

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 

Micropower Broadcasting Council of War 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

New College 

777 Valencia St.  

San Francisco 

A convention of micropower broadcasters, media activists and community radio aiming to expand a national campaign for the liberation of the broadcast airwaves.  

549-0732, www.freeradio.org 

Misty Redwood 10K Fun Run 

8:30 - 10:30 a.m. 

The forth annual race benefits the Bay Area Coalition for the Headwaters Forest. The race takes place in beautiful Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Volunteers are needed. 

$25 registration day of race  

More info: 835-6303 

ArtCar Bash 

7 p.m.  

The Crucible 

1036 Ashby (between Seventh and San Pablo) 

Join the celebration as mobile, public folk art returns to the Bay Area. Part of ArtCar Fest 2000, an event featuring over 100 ArtCars from across the United States and Canada. 

$10 admission  

843-5511 

Congressional Forum on Redefining National Security 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Clark Kerr Campus 

Joseph Wood Krutch Theater 

UC Berkeley 

Rear Admiral Eugene Carroll, Vice President for Defense Information and other local experts discuss how the Defense Department budget can be cut and the money used to meet local and national needs. Hosted by UC Berkeley’s department of Peace and Conflict Studies.  

More info: 415-221-8382 

Sunday, Sept. 24

Berkeley Hillel Dinner Welcomes Adam Weisberg 

6:30 p.m.  

Reutlinger Center 

2736 Bancroft Way 

The Berkeley Hillel, which serves Jewish students at UC Berkeley, is hosting a dinner to introduce its new executive director, Adam Weisberg, to the community.  

$75 per person 

Call Joan Ominsky, 524-5333 

“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. Participating groups include the NIMBY Brigade, ArtCar Fest 2000, the Young Republicans for Heterosexuality, the Berkeley Bullfight Academy, the fashion police and more. 

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

849-4688, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

Sign Leonard Peltier’s Birthday Card 

1 - 5 p.m.  

Peoples Park 

Bring drums and food for a potluck as the Peltier Action Coalition and All Nation Singers celebrate Leonard Peltier’s 56th birthday. 

More information: 464-4534 

Hands-on Bicycle Repair Clinic 

11 a.m. - noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Come learn how to fix that pesky flat tire right from one of REI’s bike technicians. Just bring your bike; tools will be provided. One in a series of bike repair clinics presented by REI.  

Call: 527-7377 

Fall Plant Sale at U.C. Botanical Garden 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The Botanical Garden 

Centennial Drive, between Memorial Stadium and Lawrence Hall of Science 

Your once-a-year chance to snag rare and choice specimens for your garden. A silent auction of native flora, perennials, herbs, rhododendrons, vines, ferns, orchids, fruit trees and house plants from around the world. 

More info: 643-2755 

ArtCar Fest Film Festival & Fashion Show 

7:30 p.m.  

UC Theater 

2036 University Ave.  

Dr. Howland Owll hosts a night of ArtCar movies by ArtCar Fest co-founder Harrod Blank, wearable art by ArtCar artists and ground-breaking performances. This is the finale for ArtCar Fest 2000.  

$7.50 admission  

More info: 843-FILM 

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 

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Reclaim the Streets! 

6 p.m.  

Berkeley BART station 

Bring dancing shoes, bikes, skateboards and costumes and fight globalization. Join in this street party and protest and “reclaim Berkeley from cars, corporations and the police state.”  

More Info: 594-4002 

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 sustainability and profitability. 

Talking about Living, Talking about Dying 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Hospital  

2001 Dwight Way 

A community forum providing an opportunity to find out about community resources and to share experiences. Moderated by Wendy Hanamura, producer of KQED’s series “Eyes Wide Open,” the forum includes a panel discussion and an audience Q & A.  

Contact Patricia Murphy, 450-8719 

Thursday, Sept. 28

Free Introduction to Golden Shield Qi gong 

6:30 p.m.  

Assembley Hall, First Congregational Church 

2345 Channing Way 

Learn the basics of this 4,000-year-old system that promotes health and strength of body, mind and spirit. 

More info: 849-2231 

Forest Action Roadshow Presents Darryl Cherney 

7:30 p.m. 

Unitarian Fellowship 

1606 Bonita (at Cedar) 

Called “the Woody Guthrie of the North Woods” by the SF Examiner, Cherney has been an avid defender of the redwoods. He will present lighthearted songs and a slide show about the direct action protests he’s helped organize. 

Music from the Andes 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

International House, Auditorium 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Performances by Juanita Newland-Ulloa and the traditional music group, Grupo Atahualpamanta. Co-sponsored by Earth Mandala, an international organization for global peace.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

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 

Tour Mission District Gardens 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

One of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance for this fall. Tour SF’s Mission District and learn about the role of gardens and open space in community planning. 

Call: 415-255-3233 to make reservations 

Dharma Publishing Showroom Tour 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 - 3 p.m.) 

Dharma House 

2910 San Pablo Ave. 

RSVP: Lunch and volunteers only (1 p.m. -3 p.m.) 

See traditional Tibetan book making, sacred art projects, spinning copper prayer wheels and a video of the work Peace Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India.  

More info: 848-4238 

Sunday, October 1

Return of the Raptors to Marin 

Drivers: 11:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  

Bikers: 10:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Witness the migration of birds of prey over the Marin Headlands. Includes a hawk talk and banding demonstration and lunch at Rodeo Lagoon. Bike from SF or meet at Hawk Hill. Part of Greenbelt Alliance’s series of free outings.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Open Paw Seminar 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Pauley Ballroom 

UC Berkeley 

Dr. Ian Dunbar, world renowned veterinarian and animal behaviorist presents this free seminar on the prevention and treatment of problem cat and dog behavior. Co-sponsored by the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society and the Berkeley Animal Shelter, the goal is to make animals more adoptable through interaction with trained volunteers.  

More info: Janet Kotlier, 527-7387 

Monday, Oct. 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 

This 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 

New Role for the UN in the New Century 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion with Rosemary van der Laan, President of the Board of Directors of the UN Association of the United States, about globalization and it’s impacts on the economic, social and political lives of the world.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 7

Berkeley Grassroots Greening Tour 

Starts at 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. 

Celebrate Open Garden Day by joining this annual bicycle tour of local community and school gardens. Part of a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Houses or Open Hills? 

10 a.m.  

Experience Black Diamond Mines Regional Park’s ghost towns, coal mines, spectacular views and open space on this hike by the proposed sites of 7,700 homes near Antioch. Cosponsored by Save Mount Diablo. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Redesigning Retirement”  

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

UC Berkeley (call for exact location) 

The UC Berkeley Retirement Center and the Academic Geriatric Resource Program will present retirement as a time of great potential. Participants will take part in interactive workshops dealing with the impact of technology on retirement; community involvement of older adults, among other topics. Prominent experts in the field of aging and retirement will take part in “ask the experts” sessions.  

$25. No on-site registration. Register by September 25. 

Contact: Shelly Glazer at 642-5461 

Sunday, Oct. 8

Surmounting Sunol Peaks  

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Learn about local geology while enjoying the panoramic views from three Sunol peaks. One outing in a free series organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

Wednesday, Oct. 11

Are Domed Cities in the future? 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom  

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion based on UC Berkeley alumnus Tim Holt’s book, “On Higher Ground.” Set 50 years in the future, part of the book takes place in an East Bay enclosed by a climate-controlled dome.  

$3 admission  

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Thursday, Oct. 12

East Timor: The Road to Independence 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

A discussion of events leading up to the creation of the newest nation of the millennium and issues raised on the road to independence.  

$3 admission 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 14

Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow & Indian Market 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Enjoy Native American foods, arts & crafts and many types of native dancing. Sponsored by the City of Berkeley, this event is free.  

Civic Center Park 

Allston Way at MLK Way 

Info: 615-0603 

Sunday, Oct. 15

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Los Gatos Opera House 

Celebrate the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. This benefit features a variety of musical groups, local artists and samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries and microbreweries. Proceeds benefit Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person; $80 for this event and the Oct. 22 event in SF 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

Cal Alumni Singles 20th Anniversary Dinner 

UC Faculty Club 

For reservations call 527-2709 by Oct. 10 

Thursday, Oct. 19

The Promise and Perils of Transgenic Crops 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion with Dr. Peggy Lemaux, professor of Plant and Microbiology at UC Berekeley, of the scientific basis for biotechnology, it’s risks and benefits. 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Saturday, Oct. 21

A Day on Mt. Tam 

9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Come play and hike in San Francisco’s beloved playground. This outing is part of a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance. 

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

AHIMSA Eight Annual Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International House, Great Hall 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

The AHIMSA is a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to encourage dialogues and public forums which bridge spiritual, scientific and social issues. This years conference is titled “Science, Spirituality and Nonviolence.”  

Admission is free 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

Sunday, Oct. 22

A Taste of the Greenbelt 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Presidio’s Golden Gate Club 

Greenbelt Alliance brings the farm to the city in this celebration of the Bay Area’s agricultural and culinary bounty. Featured are samples from over 40 local restaurants, farmers, wineries, microbreweries. Also featured are live music and local artwork. The event benefits Greenbelt Alliance’s ongoing efforts to protect Bay Area farmlands and open space.  

$45 per person 

1-800-543-GREEN, www.greenbelt.org 

Saturday, Oct. 28

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

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

Hope for homecoming 

Editor: 

There has been no new news today. 

My son (Jeffrey Schilling, kidnapped in the Philippenes) has not been seen. There is no evidence that he has been harmed. 

I believe with all my heart that he is still alive. 

Carol Schilling 

Oakland 

Nader ignores minorities 

Editor: 

Many earnest activists for Ralph Nader may feel hurt and confused over the lack of support for his candidacy from minorities and women’s groups. 

One source of rejection is LA OPINION of Los Angeles, the nation’s top Spanish language daily. 

The paper generally supports the left at home and abroad. Regular columnist and self-proclaimed marcher in the streets for decades, Rudolfo F. Acuna, declares that neglect of Latinos by the Greens forces him to stand aside from Nader in the election. Being a subscriber to LA OPINION I come to the conclusion that Anuca’s charge of lack of attention is only half the reason LA OPINION turns away from Nader. Nader’s neglect, by the way, can be seen on his official web site, where he has 49 lines on Foreign Policy and 5 lines on immigration and no section specifically for Latinos, or for that matter, for African Americans or Asian Americans either. 

For Acuna and other activists associated with LA OPINION, Nader is all the more easily rejected because the democrats, for this election at least, appear to offer a genuine alternative. LA OPINION overflows with upbeat stories about the politicization of Latinos throughout California, and how their votes for democrats can swing elections to throw out a number of Republican congressmen who supported racist legislation against immigrants in recent years. The paper’s feature stories tell of newly-registered voters who have not forgotten 187. 

And LA OPINION has run a number of articles on meetings called to build coalitions between Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans.  

Their focus, for better or for worse, is work within the Democratic party. 

Latino activism is energized by life or death situations, as in the white ranchers who hunt humans on the Arizona border. LA OPINION expresses much worry over the immigrant situation.  

Although Gore has kept his mouth shut on “diversity” and such, LA OPINION writers seem to feel that he can be worked with on critical issues for which Bush will stand aside. 

From my reading of LA OPINION I conclude that quite aside from votes for Nader possibly putting Bush in office, those votes make worse the divide between laboring minorities and white coffee-house intellectuals who wish they had contact with minorities beyond that with their waiter, gardener or nanny.  

Yes, DEM stands for Don’t Expect Much, but we should not elect the GOP. a.k.a. Greed Oppression and Poverty. 

Ted Vincent 

Berkeley 

No connection at all 

Editor:  

While we wish all the candidates for District 5 the bet of luck, we wish to clarify that Mark Fowler had no connection whatsoever with Free Radio Berkeley.  

Carol Denney 

Berkeley 

Piedmont developer doesn’t live with results 

Editor: 

RE: Developer Patrick Kennedy’s letter to the Editor of Sept. 15. 

I believe Candidate Carrie Olson and most residents of Berkeley know a simple truth that seems to elude Mr. Kennedy: in general, the higher and larger is a development, the less desirable are its impacts and the resulting ambience.  

Mr. Kennedy points out that by... “adding multi-family apartments in single family neighborhoods, Ms. Olson’s solution would exacerbate neighborhood parking problems.” Is Mr. Kennedy now acknowledging that his proposed oversized four story structure for 2700 San Pablo Ave. will exacerbate traffic and neighborhood parking problems?  

Until now, Mr. Kennedy has had difficulty recognizing that Berkeley’s major transit corridors go through and are part of neighborhoods which are predominantly composed of one and two story residences. Any assertion by developer Kennedy regarding the need for increased density and taller buildings in Berkeley ought to be tempered by the awareness that as a privileged resident of Piedmont he’ll never have to live with the results of his oversized profit-making endeavors.  

His altruistic pretension of serving the needs of Berkeley will be credible when he begins building toward fulfilling, Piedmont’s fair share of affordable housing in his own neighborhood. 

Peter Teicher 

Berkeley 

Editor, 

The Olympic Oath was modified for the opening ceremony to include a new 

phrase forswearing the use of drugs. Fair enough. But the IOC seems to 

have neglected an equally important phrase: not to accept bribes from 

cities that want to host the Olympic games. Did the IOC somehow forget to 

include that phrase in their oath? 

Bruce Joffe 

1615 Broadway, Suite 415 

Oakland, CA 94612 

510-238-9771 

Dear Berkeley Daily Planet, 

I've moved to Berkeley in 1979 for college. Over the years, I've moved 

out of town a few times, but always came back to the Bay Area. I have 

seen Berkeley change so much over the years and the thing that I really 

noticed was the dying of the sense of community that made Berkeley so 

popular and famous in the past. 

When I found the Berkeley Daily Planet, I was pleasantly surprised to 

see that it specifically covered news in the Berkeley area and the 

coverage helps re-establish that sense of community. The news articles 

are excellent and the quality of writing keeps improving with every 

issue. 

I especially love the "Out & About" section. I hope that section 

expands and covers some of the UC and local high school activities as 

well.  

Keep up the good work! 

--  

Bruce Satow 

The Daily Planet Received this letter directed to District 5 council candidate Carrie Olson: 

Dear Carrie Olson, 

I am not a rabbit. Small apartments are not rabbit warrens as you have said outright or intimated many, many times. All you 

against “high-rise” transit centers, all you privileged characters who 

bought houses in Berkeley when they were cheap, all you who made your big money fair and square or inherited your money or place in your house from your parents in this insanely expensive real estate market or have connections in town who have found rare inexpensive deals.... You've got yours and your interests appear at first glance to be antithetical to the following: everyone desperate for housing or housing security including students, elderly, disabled, low to moderate income people, and transit users, environmentalists, bicyclists, community gardeners, creek lovers and just about everyone else. In fact, higher density housing near transit serves us all. It would seem ironic, but it is actually normal three-dimensional geometry that higher density centers, at second glance, make neighborhoods quieter and more pleasant too. 

When Carrie Olson calls the Gaia Building a “rabbit warren for students” when hundreds of students are desperate for housing, it's her privilege denying housing to hundreds of students, and deprecating students at the same time. Not very democratic for a candidate for what should be a democratic City Council. Most people who live in low density Berkeley neighborhoods live so far away from downtown they can't even see it from their property, yet many noisy among them work to prevent a kind of building that could provide realistic housing for others. Let's be clear about this being strictly a (not necessarily rich) elite, a privileged class against those needing shelter and the full range of benefits of life in Berkeley. Berkeley's pretty good about providing cultural services and some low income benefits to its own, but the low-rise, don't-build-adequate-housing faction is definitely against all those people and interests listed above and that faction is very restrictive as to who “its own” are going 

to be. 

> Three times I have seen Councilmember Kriss Worthington say publicly (because he thinks it is politically popular) “taller buildings don't mean more housing.” Well of course not if they are office buildings, but that's not what people are supposed to understand, or of course not if they are $3,000 a month apartments and you are talking to lower income people. 

A building the size of the Gaia building with its 91 “rabbit warren” units compared to small one story houses is equal to the restoration of 30 blocks of creek restoration (60 units), 15 community gardens expanded by one whole property (15 units) and 16 properties worth of expanded parks for picnics, Frisbee, 

volleyball, views (16 units).... or in whatever other permutation. This 

means those with very suburban low density tastes could actually get 

quieter neighborhoods with less cars and more parks and nature. Or, a building the size of the Gaia Building simply makes it possible for 

about 150 people who previously were excluded from Berkeley to enrich our downtown, support BART and AC Transit and lend us their talents and citizenship and solve their own problem of housing. 

To make it personal, if not for “substandard” “undersized” units in 

town I would have had to leave years ago.  

Reminder: though I've lived in many small places here I am not a rabbit. And remember, all those other people who need housing ? they are not rabbits either. 

Richard Register 

Berkeley 

Although Berkeley residents have refused to take up speed radar guns as residents did in Arlington, Va., they are nonetheless determined to slow and decrease traffic on their streets. 

“There seems to be this sense among people that they have a God-given right to go as fast as they want at all times,” said Berkeley resident Dr. Chris Dutra who works in the emergency room at Kaiser Permanente Hospital and has treated collision victims.  

“I’ve seen what speed and force can do to the human body,” he said. 

Dutra was among the 40 residents at the South Berkeley Senior Center who attended the first in a series of five city-run workshops on traffic control. Although the city’s bicycle and pedestrian safety task force says that fatal collisions involving bicyclists or pedestrians are rare in Berkeley, the number of pedestrians injured from 1994-1998 averaged 143 per year. 

The city claims twice the rate of pedestrian injuries than does the state of California as a whole and has the highest pedestrian injury rate among 44 cities of similar size. 

“We’re frustrated with traffic calming because Berkeley has a pretty ad hoc system,” said Richard Thomason, transportation commissioner and chair of the Transportation Commission’s traffic calming subcommittee. 

Nathan Landau, a senior planner at the city’s Planning and Development Department, told residents that Berkeley’s  

grid system, laid out before the automobile arrived, has been under particular strain because the number of automobiles has jumped significantly in the last thirty years.  

“Between 1970 and 1990 we lost 10,000 residents, but we gained 10,000 cars,” he said. 

The workshops are designed to inform residents about new city procedures to implement traffic controls – referred to throughout the evening as traffic calming – and provide residents with an open forum. 

Ultimately, the community input will be incorporated into the City Council’s final plan. 

At Monday night’s meeting, Landau and others described the range of traffic-calming “tools” available for neighborhoods to take control of traffic problems. They might include stop signs, diverters, median barriers, lane narrowing and traffic circles.  

The list doesn’t include speed humps. After an outcry from disabled residents, who said the bumps can cause great pain and even injury to disabled and elderly people, the city put a temporary moratorium on speed bumps in 1995. 

Landau said that change will begin with a citizen’s request. City engineers will evaluate the problem the resident has described. If they find it serious enough, public meetings will be held and task forces formed to consider solutions. 

If a problem exists, but is not urgent, the resident must circulate a petition asking for traffic control measures. The petition must be signed by 51 percent of the households in the area. Following this, an education and enforcement plan will be put in place that might include signs warning motorists to slow down or radar trailers, which show drivers their speed. 

After a three-to-six month evaluation, the city can either proceed with public hearings and task forces or it may decide that no action is warranted. If the city opts for control measures, ballots will be sent to neighborhood residents. Half of the households must vote and of those and a two-thirds vote is required. Any final changes must then be approved by the Transportation Commission and City Council. 

“We’ve set a high threshold,” Landau said. “It has to be a neighborhood plan under the proposal or it’s going to die on the vine.” 

Some residents complained the threshold was set too high. “On all the other streets besides ours everyone has speed bumps,” said Ann Sieck, who said she doubted that her street would come up with the necessary votes for available traffic control measures. 

“One of my neighbors has grandkids,” she said. “Does one of them have to be killed before something gets done?” 

The next Traffic Calming Workshop will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 28, at the West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

UC Berkeley students Grace Abiko and Maureen Johnson take advantage of Jose Perez’s Popsicle cart on campus Tuesday during one of the hottest days this summer, with the high hovering around 95 degrees. Red flag warnings remain in effect due to high fire danger. As a result of the warning, the City of Berkeley announced that no barbecues will be permitted in city parks, probably for the next two to three days. For more  

information call the Berkeley Fire Department at 644-6665.

Who would dispute the merit of an annual, discount bus pass for senior citizens, students and Berkeley residents valid within the city limits of Berkeley? No one. But the scramble to take credit for the program almost left the proposed pass spinning in bureaucratic limbo. 

At last week’s City Council meeting, Mayor Shirley Dean and her moderate allies, Polly Armstrong and Betty Olds, sought to create a sub-committee to push the proposed pass through the council as quickly as possible. Requesting that Polly Armstrong and herself convene a subcommittee to put the pass into working order, the mayor was stymied by Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who asked that a more “politically balanced” committee be created, or that the matter be referred to the Transportation Commission, which Worthington said, already had a sub-committee working on the details of such a pass. 

When the dust settled, a more politically balanced committee of Dean, Armstrong, and Linda Maio – Maio is a member of the liberal/progressive council faction – was convened to determine possible funding sources for such a pass. Armstrong said she believes the new sub-committee will meet next month. 

Miriam Hawley, member of the Board of Directors for AC Transit and candidate for City Council, said creating such a pass is “a non-trivial task with many questions to be answered.” 

“Who would get it and how would it be paid for?” she asked. “Would it cover every Berkeley citizen, or every person getting on the bus in Berkeley? How would you pay for it, and how would you keep track of people moving in and out of Berkeley who get such a pass?” 

Such passes would be extremely valuable, she said, noting that a black market for such passes could be created unless strict regulations were imposed to track who is authorized to use them and who isn’t. 

But the question of how to pay for such passes looms largest. 

In Boulder, Colo., there was a proposal to create a transit pass within certain portions of that city that would be funded by property tax, Hawley said. In Santa Clara County, an employer-supported pass, called an “ecopass,” is in use.  

“Employers pay transit authorities a certain amount per employee, and this gives them the ability to commute on public transportation instead of driving,” Hawley said. “Of course, only a few employees ever do this.” 

Another example, and closer to home, is the “Class Pass” at UC Berkeley. 

Armstrong worked with the university and AC Transit to create affordable, alternative transportation for all university students for a flat fee of $18 a semester. Armstrong said over two-thirds of the students opted in and now ride the bus anywhere, anytime, including to destinations in San Francisco. 

But such a plan may not work for the more broadly-based pass that is being considered, Hawley said. 

“Students don’t travel at peak hours,” she said, “but a wide ranging pass, or an employee-based pass would mean more people traveling during the peak. This could necessitate more buses, more drivers, and more costs, and again the question becomes how to fund it,” Hawley added. 

Initially the pass may be offered to city employees, Armstrong said. 

“Offering the program to city employees may be the best first step we can take because we know their salaries, and can offer it to them immediately, but I’d like to extend it to all Berkeley citizens,” Armstrong said. “I am open to any ideas.” 

With traffic problems in Berkeley worsening, Armstrong said the need is growing.  

“I want to do anything I can to encourage less use of cars. It needs to be done without penalizing drivers, whether this means building more housing where transportation hubs are, or funding more public shuttles and transportation,” she said. “We need good transit alternatives to the single occupant car.”

Board of Education President Joaquin Rivera will deliver this school year’s first State of the Schools address 15 minutes prior to the regularly scheduled School Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. 

In addition, the board will seek the authorization to advertise for bids for the camera system at Berkeley High School. Use of the cameras was approved at the Sept. 6 meeting. Board members are also expected to give their support to a resolution supporting Library Measures P and V, on the November ballot. 

The board will also look into the approval of a contract with the Berkeley Boosters to provide “Respect Team” services for after school and yard supervision at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Willard Middle School and Longfellow Middle School. 

On the action calendar, the board will vote on plans detailing Measures AA and BB, the Berkeley Schools Bond Measure of 2000, and the Berkeley Schools Facilities Safety and Maintenance Act of 2000. 

The Associated Press 

With the impact of the oceans on weather and climate becoming increasingly apparent, scientists are launching an ambitious worldwide effort to test the waters. 

They are planning to launch some 3,000 observation buoys to measure the temperature and salinity of the oceans that cover nearly three-quarters of the planet’s surface. 

The United States’ participation in the international effort, known as Argo, was announced Tuesday by Commerce Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. 

“We are taking the plunge to understand our oceans,” he said. “What happens in the deep oceans is a big part of where the weather patterns begin.” 

Sample buoys have already been deployed and a ship was setting sail from San Diego on Tuesday to launch six more, said D. James Baker, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The buoys will enable scientists to study further the impact of the oceans. Some of these effects are known already. 

It’s the change in the surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that drives the El Nino and La Nina phenomena that have affected weather around the world – sometimes in spectacular and disastrous ways. 

It’s the warm tropical waters that provide moisture and energy to generate the great storms known as hurricanes and typhoons. 

And it’s the Atlantic Ocean’s mild Gulf Stream that keeps the climate of Europe warm and pleasant, compared to other regions at the same latitude. 

The Argo probes will test the waters where only occasional surface ship measurements have been available before. 

The buoys initially will be distributed about 185 miles apart and when deployed they will sink to a level 2,000 meters – just over a mile – deep where they will drift for 10 days. 

The buoys will then surface, measuring the temperature and salinity of the layers of water they pass through. Once on the surface, they will radio their position and data to a satellite and sink again for another 10-day drift. 

The data collected will be retrieved from the satellites and made available freely to all interested scientists for use in computers that help forecast the weather and to better understand how the oceans operate. 

The deep-water measurements will provide vertical profiles of water conditions similar to the atmospheric measurements currently collected by balloons. 

The movement of the probes a mile below the surface will help chart deep currents in the oceans. The temperature profiles will give scientists information on the energy contained in the waters and the salinity helps them understand its density. 

For example, the giant Gulf Stream moves warm tropical water northeastward across the Atlantic, moderating the climate of Europe before cooling and sinking for a return trip south deep in the oceans. 

Some scientists fear that global warming could melt the Arctic ice cap, sending masses of fresh water into the North Atlantic. If that happened, it would reduce the ocean’s salinity and thus its density. That could prevent the Gulf Stream from sinking, possibly changing the overall current and in the process, Europe’s climate. 

Over time, these probes will help scientists collect data to see if such changes are taking place. 

The probes, costing an estimated $12,000 apiece, are expected to last four or five years. Deployment of the probes is expected to reach 700 per year by 2002 and eventually total 3,000. 

The United States has committed to supply 1,147 floats. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Argo site: http://www.argo.ucsd.edu 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.noaa.gov 

SAN FRANCISCO — Federal appellate judges showed contempt Tuesday for a government policy allowing the eviction of low-income housing tenants for their family members’ drug activities even if the tenant was unaware of such illegalities. 

An 11-member panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments here over the Department of Housing and Urban Development regulation, which applies to more than 3 million low-income tenants nationwide. A three-judge panel of the same circuit voted 2-1 in favor of HUD’s 1991 policy, but the court abandoned that decision last month and called for a hearing with a full panel of judges. 

Judge Stephen Reinhardt was dismayed over HUD’s policy of allowing evictions even if a family member or guest smoked marijuana in “Yankee Stadium” and then went to the HUD tenant’s home. 

“Is that a reason to evict grandmas?”  

Reinhardt asked. 

Government attorney Howard Scher said such an eviction was plausible. 

Judge Ronald M. Gould asked if a disabled tenant whose caregiver smoked marijuana in the parking lot was grounds for the tenant’s eviction. “Can they be evicted?” he asked. 

Scher replied in the affirmative. “Congress gave a pretty broad tool here,” he said. “There is no innocent tenant defense afforded.” 

Other judges asked similar questions and appeared troubled with the government’s position that tenants could be evicted even if they had no knowledge of the drug activity. 

The court did not indicate when it would rule in the closely watched case. 

The case reached the appeals court after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer barred the Oakland Housing Authority from evicting four tenants in 1998 in one of the first rulings in the nation against the HUD policy. Breyer said evictions of “innocent” tenants did not appear to be authorized by federal law and would not discourage drug crimes. 

But a three-member panel of the appeals court said in February the policy was legal and aimed at “preventing tenants from turning a blind eye to the conduct of a household member or guest.” 

Dissenting Judge William Fletcher wrote the eviction policy “deprives innocent people of property that was not involved in any crime and punishes innocent people for crimes that they did not commit and could not prevent.” He said HUD, which provides subsidized housing to the poor, had exceeded the scope of the federal law on drug-related evictions. 

That law, passed in 1988 and a precursor to HUD’s policy, said drug-related crimes on or near public housing property by a tenant, a household member or a “guest or other person under the tenant’s control” was grounds for eviction. 

In adopting regulations in 1991, HUD used similar wording but refused to exempt tenants who were unaware of the drug activity. 

The four tenants in the Oakland case have been allowed to keep their apartments because legal wrangling in the case continues. 

One evicted 63-year-old woman’s mentally disabled daughter allegedly had cocaine three blocks from the apartment, without her mother’s knowledge. Two tenants, aged 71 and 63, had grandsons who lived with them and allegedly had marijuana in a parking lot. 

The fourth tenant was a 75-year-old disabled man whose caretaker allegedly had cocaine in the apartment. The tenant was twice given notice of the drug activity. 

The circuit in February said the wording of the law showed that Congress assumed household members and guests were under a tenant’s “control” and intended to let HUD and local agencies decide the scope of evictions. 

The case is Rucker vs. Davis, 98-00781. 

SACRAMENTO — California will spend $75 million to take air-polluting diesel buses off the road in the Central Valley under a bill signed by the governor Tuesday. 

It is one of the hundreds of bills sent to Gov. Gray Davis before the Legislature adjourned its 2000 session last month. He has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the rest. 

The new clean-air programs will give grants to communities and businesses to replace or retrofit heavy-duty diesel engines to cut pollution in Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. 

Diesel-powered trucks and buses make up a small percentage of the vehicles on the road, but are big producers of oxides of nitrogen, or NOx, a component of smog. 

The regions face the loss of hundreds of millions of federal dollars if they don’t meet federal clean air standards, says the author, Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. 

Davis also signed a bill to expand an outreach program that teams law enforcement, mental health and social workers to find those on the streets who  

need help. 

The bill, also by Steinberg, allots $55.6 million in this year’s state budget to expand the experimental program started last year in Sacramento, Stanislaus and Los Angeles counties. 

Other counties will be able to apply for funds to start their own programs, similar to Project HOPE or Homeless Outreach Partnership Effort, the Sacramento program. 

Supporters say using teams that represent the various state and local agencies gets services to the mentally ill more efficiently, saving the government money and getting people off the streets faster. 

Davis also signed a bill by Assemblyman Mike Honda, D-San Jose, that would ensure domestic violence victims could take unpaid leave from work to seek medical attention, or obtain social services, including psychological counseling or legal assistance. 

The punishment for brandishing a handgun in a public area or a daycare center will be increased from six months to one year in county jail, under a bill by Assemblywoman Helen Thomson, D-Davis, also signed by Davis. 

Counties will to immediately shut down a parking meter found to be inaccurate because of a new law authored by Assemblyman Brett Granlund, R-Yucaipa. 

A bill by Assemblyman George Nakano, D-Torrance creates the Cruise Ship Environmental Task Force to evaluate the environmental practices and waste streams of large passenger ships. 

The bills all take effect Jan. 1. 

Davis also vetoed several bills Tuesday.  

He rejected one that would have extended the time for domestic violence assistance grants from 18 to 24 months to provide housing, job training and placement and case management to domestic violence victims. 

In his veto letter, Davis said the bill’s author, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas, D-Arleta, had good intentions, but that “the state cannot afford to finance indefinitely every program.” 

Other bills vetoed ones that would have: 

l Required local government to reimburse prosecutors and public defenders who had to relocate due to threats. In his veto message, Davis said the measure, by Assemblyman Rod Pacheco, R-Riverside, wouldn’t have removed the dangers that people in that profession face. 

l Required the Department of Education to conduct a study on school psychological and counseling services. That bill was authored by Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro. 

—— 

On the Net: The bills — AB2746 by Nakano; AB1481 by Granlund; AB2034 and AB2511 by Steinberg; AB2523 by Thomson; AB2608 by Pacheco; AB2689 by Corbett; AB2166 by Cardenas; AB2357 by Honda — can be read at www.leginfo.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO — Insurance companies and law enforcement agencies say that air bag theft is on the rise, leaving victims with an expensive part to replace. 

“Air bag theft is here,” said Greg Williams, a California Highway Patrol investigator. “They are not difficult to steal.” 

Stealing an air bag is ”10 minutes of work for a couple hundred bucks,” he said. 

Not all law enforcement agencies list the components removed when a car is stolen and stripped of its valuable parts. 

Airbags aren’t considered a “critical part” by the auto industry – which means they don’t bear the vehicle identification number. That makes tracking the thefts difficult. 

A 1996 State Farm Insurance Co. study estimated that 18 of every 10,000 cars have air bags stolen – triple the number in 1993. 

Airbags can cost up to $2,500 to replace, making them the “the single most expensive thing to replace in a minor front end collision,” Williams said. 

Stolen air bags are often sold through a middleman to auto body shops for up to $200, said Mark Stowell, a special agent for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Those shops either look the other way when buying parts of questionable origin or knowingly buy the stolen bags, he said. 

”(Body shops) that are working on the fringes see that as an opportunity to buy something off the streets at well below the market price,” he said. 

It isn’t illegal for a body shop to sell the undeployed air bags from a wrecked or retired car. 

Stowell said safety should be a concern when dealing with salvaged and possibly stolen air bags. 

“It’s a safety issue but, of course, no one is going to know that until the time comes for it to deploy and it doesn’t,” Stowell said. 

SACRAMENTO — State water officials are promising more water than they can deliver, a state appeals court has ruled. 

The Third District California Court of Appeal in Sacramento Friday dissolved an 1995 agreement that reorganized water delivery to cities and farms from the Sacramento River delta. 

The appeals court sided with critics of the agreement who say it would be impossible for the state to deliver the promised 4.23 million acre-feet of water. 

As a result, local governments have approved developments based on the water allotments that may never be delivered, according to the ruling authored by Justice Vance Race. 

It is unclear how the ruling will affect state water supplies or local development. The Department of Water Resources has not decided if it will appeal the decision. 

The State Water Project, approved 40 years ago, is a series of networks and canals that provide water to 29 contractors who then ship water to more than 20 million people and hundreds of farms. The project was thought to be able to provide the 4.23 million acre-feet of water. Only 60 percent of that is delivered today. 

Subsequent amendments to the project removed a requirement that the state reduce water entitlements if it can’t completely build the State Water Project. 

A water agency in Plumas County and two environmental groups sued over the amendment. They initially lost in Superior Court. 

Their success Friday means the state will have to do another study on the pact and possibly reopen negotiations on water deliveries. 

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — Muslim guerrillas continued to elude thousands of military troops seeking to rescue 19 hostages from a southern Philippine jungle Tuesday, despite reports that some of the captives had been seen alive. 

Thousands of civilians fled from the sporadic clashes on remote Jolo island, and thousands of others were trapped inside a tight military blockade of rebel areas, refugees said. 

President Joseph Estrada said he would only halt the four-day assault if the Abu Sayyaf rebels free all their captives, including six foreigners. 

“Let them release the hostages and that’s the time we can talk,” he said. 

Officials said some of the fleeing rebels were attempting to escape to nearby islands, but Estrada said there was no information any had been able to break through naval ship patrols. 

The rebels are believed to have high-powered speedboats bought with some of the more than $15 million ransom they reportedly received from Libya and Malaysia for freeing other hostages. 

The three separate Abu Sayyaf factions that were holding the hostages merged into two as they fled the assault, presidential Press Secretary Ricardo Puno said. 

One group is holding American Jeffrey Schilling and Filipino Roland Ulla, who was kidnapped from a Malaysian diving resort in April. The other is holding two French journalists, three Malaysians and 12 Filipino Christian evangelists, he said. 

The rebels are believed to be planning to use the hostages as human shields and bargaining chips, Puno said. 

Since the assault began Saturday, the military has overrun three major Abu Sayyaf camps and smaller hide-outs, but found no sign of the hostages there. 

“Yesterday the reports from the field said some of the hostages were sighted,” Puno said Tuesday. “We’re very hopeful that this will pan out.” He declined to provide details, and a military spokesman indicated the sighting may have been as long as two days earlier. 

The spokesman, Gen. Generoso Senga, also indicating the military still had no clear idea of where the rebels were, suggesting the assault could take longer than the one week the military has estimated. 

Officials continued a news blackout on most details of the assault. 

Estrada said he believed all the hostages were safe, but offered little proof. 

“In the history of kidnappers, when they kill their victims, they leave their bodies to show what they have done,” he said. “In as much as we haven’t seen any bodies of the hostages, we believe that they are all still alive.” 

The rebels had threatened to attack southern cities and behead Schilling, of Oakland if they were attacked by the military. 

Police arrested two suspected Abu Sayyaf members Tuesday in Zamboanga city, about 110 kilometers (85 miles) from Jolo, they believe are members of an explosives team. 

One, Fauzi Dansalan, said he was arrested in Manila in connection with a bombing several months ago at a shopping mall but was cleared and released. 

The other, Ahmad Hanapi, is a servant for the mother of Ivi Osani, Schilling’s wife, police said. 

Osani is also the second cousin of rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya and the widow of a rebel killed by government troops several years ago. 

Schilling, who converted to Islam in 1994, visited an Abu Sayyaf camp with Osani on Aug. 28 and was reportedly abducted because of an argument over religion with the rebels. Osani was not seized. 

Seven rebels have been killed and 20 captured in the four days of fighting, while six government troops were wounded, military officials said. 

Most transportation and telephone links to the island remained cut for a fourth day. Puno said cell sites were shut down by the military because the rebels were using cellular phones to communicate. 

Estrada’s decision to attack the rebels after nearly five months of negotiations has been widely supported by Filipinos. 

However, France, Germany and Malaysia have expressed concern that the attack would endanger the captives. 

Asked his response to criticism from French President Jacques Chirac of the assault, Estrada replied: “I have not talked to him. He has no business interfering in our affairs.” 

The Abu Sayyaf’s membership has grown from less than 200 to more than 3,000 because of the huge ransom payments, which attracted many recruits, the military says. 

Betty Ladzepko’s West African Dance Troupe at Berkeley Arts Magnet Elementary sing and dance to the beat of a different drum. 

Instead of dancing to recorded music at their Spring Concert finale at the school last year, they went out into the community, raised $1,000 and brought in pros from the East Bay Center for Performing Arts in Richmond to provide live beats to dance to. 

This afternoon, as part of the National Education Foundation Conference in Sacramento, they’ll dance for Richard Riley, the U.S. Secretary of Education and Delaine Eastin, the California Superintendent of Public Schools – not to mention 1,500 others. 

But don’t expect the 14 dancers and seven drummers to have any pre-show jitters. These same 21 kids have done this before – at the California Distinguished Schools Awards in Anaheim.  

“This class is really remarkable,” said Ladzepko, a dancer herself with the Oakland-based African Music and Dance Ensemble and Co-director of the youth West African Dance Ensemble at the center in Richmond.  

“A lot of these dances are really complicated for kids of this age,” she said. 

The troop will present Agebeko, an Anglo-Ewe War Dance Suite that originated in Ghana, West Africa. 

Joining in the act are seven of instructor Al Guzman’s Percussion Band, who will perform Batucada – a Brazilian drum style. 

Tuesday afternoon, the auditorium at the school was rumbling with the sound of Batucada as the dancers and drummers went over the routine one last time before the big show. 

The dancers waved the traditional horse tails – hand-held tassels resembling the equine behind that replaced swords when the dance was changed by the people of Ghana from a war celebration to one of peace – and chanted in the traditional language as they danced the elaborate Agebeko. 

The drummers, spurred by Guzman’s whistle, moved in after the dancers filed off and began banging out the distinctive Latin sound. 

The dancers and drummers will each give their respective performances before combining to perform a unique cultural mix of Brazilian beats and West African dance. 

In total, the school’s performance will last nearly half an hour.  

Berkeley Arts Magnet Principal Lorna Skantze-Neill said that while the school was being lauded as one of only six in the state to win both State Arts Excellence awards and the California Distinguished School award last year in Anaheim, a representative from the State Board of Education asked the dancers and drummers to come to Sacramento and perform at the National Conference. 

“These kids have worked hard,” she said. “They’ve come back during the summer and practiced after school to get ready for this.” 

Ladzepko explained that fourth, fifth and sixth-graders at the school get the chance to choose a discipline from a list of performing arts the school offers to study for a year. So this group is actually made up of fifth, sixth and some seventh graders. 

“Here we treat the arts as seriously as reading, writing, science and mathematics,” said Skantze-Neill.  

“We require the same discipline in the arts as we do in the academic areas.” 

Berkeley Arts Magnet has been honored as a California Distinguished School four times, she said. 

Funded by Berkeley Schools Excellence Project paid for by schools taxes, the arts program at Berkeley Arts enables “creativity for so many kids,” Skantze-Neill said. 

“This artistic creativity also translates back to academics and helps the students succeed,” she said. 

The school is the only California school invited to attend the National Conference, the principal said. 

“It’s a real honor for us to go,” said parent and volunteer Carolyn Green.

Actually, five stories plus bonuses is enough 

Editor: 

Thank you for your interviews and your informative profiles of candidates for the District 5 Council race. I wish to clarify my position on downtown development, which I may not have stated clearly during my interview. For many years, as a member of the AC Transit Board, I have been a strong proponent of infill housing along major transit routes. Projects in downtown Berkeley should adhere to the height limits as expressed in the City of Berkeley Zoning Ordinance (five stories in the downtown core, plus bonuses).  

They should also be appropriate to their site and surroundings. My comment that an overly large building would be inappropriate next to our historic library was given as an example of the importance of the role of context in establishing the size and massing of projects. I do not advocate out of scale projects which exceed the allowable downtown height limits . I do advocate encouraging more well designed, contextually appropriate downtown projects which will help solve our housing needs, encourage greater use of mass transit, and enliven the area. 

Miriam Hawley 

District 5 City Council Candidate  

City needs real ‘transit first’ and affordable housing policies 

Editor: 

This letter is prompted by the Friday 9/15 Planet, which had an article about the determination of the UC Regents to put up a new building with a 200-car parking garage, and a letter by Patrick Kennedy about opposition to the Gaia Building. 

We have congestion and lack of housing as the result of deliberate public policy. 

It's the “business as usual” attitude that assumes that everyone will use cars for transportation, and that all of us want to live in a large house. When public policy makes these assumptions, then we get what we have got. 

If we don't like congestion and lack of affordable housing, then we have to be ready to change our assumptions.  

We could build apartment buildings with no parking facilities.  

We could forbid on-street parking where it causes congestion, such as College Avenue and Euclid.  

We could even forbid all the free enterprise parking that springs up on Cal Football days, and let game goers ride the abundant buses that AC Transit already provides. 

That would do a lot to avoid post-game gridlock. 

Most people don't have to own a personal car. Really. 

They should be able to rent one when they need one. 

A lot of people can live comfortably in an apartment, and not a real expensive one either. 

Of course, people should be free to choose to live in big houses and go everywhere by car, but public policy should not assume this is how everyone needs to operate. 

Berkeley is said to have a “transit first” policy, and in some districts, a requirement for 20 percent “affordable” housing. Are these virtual policies, established, but not to be implemented? 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

Oxford tract building OK, but forget the parking 

Editor:  

As a neighbor of the proposed the Oxford tract “surge” building, I am against the 200 parking spaces proposed for the site, which would draw more cars into the neighborhood, but I think the classroom building would be a good addition to the neighborhood.  

The Draft EIR projects that this building would increase the number of pedestrians at the Oxford/Hearst intersection by 500 to 650 people per hour, which would make the neighborhood much more lively and interesting.  

The north side of Hearst between Shattuck and the campus is lined with 2 to 4 story buildings, and the proposed three-story surge building would fill a a gap in the urban fabric. The State Health Building on the south side of Hearst will be demolished in a few years and its property will be redeveloped. With pedestrian oriented design on both sides, Hearst between Shattuck and Oxford could be a lively urban street connecting downtown Berkeley and the UC Campus, a bit like Center St.  

The Oxford Tract does not work as open space on Hearst. Its frontage on Hearst is a graffiti-covered one-story shed and a high wooden fence, with a bit of landscaping around them that is used for illegal dumping. The block looks like an abandoned suburban strip mall. I for one would rather live in a neighborhood that is an interesting place to walk.  

Instead of opposing this building, we should be asking for mitigations that would make it work for the neighborhood, such as the following: 

UC should protect pedestrian safety by removing the free-right turn lane at Oxford/Hearst and by adding a traffic light at Spruce/Hearst. These measures to slow traffic are imperative because of all the added pedestrians this building will bring.  

UC should provide an area with seating in front of the building, facing Hearst. Maybe they could include a small cafe.  

When drivers see this sort of pedestrian activity, they tend to slow down and drive more carefully.  

UC should mitigate the traffic impacts of the building by providing bike lanes on Hearst above Shattuck. There are currently bike lanes on Hearst west of Shattuck, but they do not extend east of Shattuck to the University.  

UC should not include parking on this site. University parking should be on campus or in downtown. 

It should not be located where it draws cars into a residential neighborhood.  

Most important, UC should guarantee that the remainder of the Oxford Tract will remain open space permanently.  

Charles Siegel 

Berkeley 

The university does pay its fair share 

Editor: 

I would like to clarify a point made in the September 15 Daily Planet article on UC’s Seismic Replacement Building at the Oxford Tract. Councilmember Dona Spring is quoted as saying that the university does not pay taxes for infrastructure – for fire, police, and sewers. 

Councilmember Spring is right. As a state agency, UC Berkeley does not pay taxes. Neither do the Berkeley Public Schools, the State Health Services Department, the US Postal Service, or any other public agency. (The City of Berkeley similarly does not pay taxes on property it owns.) 

However, the university does pay the City indirectly, through a number of negotiated agreements and voluntary contributions. To name a few: Since 1990, UC Berkeley has paid the City $1,164,000 for fire and hazardous materials equipment and vehicles; $250,000 annually for sewer improvements, $50,000 annually for hazardous response training and $37,000 annually in hazardous materials fees, $1.3 million for waste water treatment, $250,000 for pedestrian lighting in the southside, approximately $500,000 for southside planning and transportation studies. The UC and city police departments have policed the Telegraph Avenue area jointly since 1969. In the Telegraph area alone, UC provides 4 patrol officers, with an additional 4 officers who monitor the greater south campus area in the evening and early morning hours. While on duty, any UC officer may respond to a city emergency. 

If we were to add all of the direct payments and in-kind contributions provided by the campus to the city, they would easily total in the millions each year.  

Just thought your readers would want to know. 

Irene Hegarty 

Director of Community Relations 

UC Berkeley 

Prop. Y bad for renters 

Editor: 

As if Berkeley rent control were not drastic enough (toughest in the nation), the City Council has placed Proposition Y on the November ballot.  

They forgot one thing, however. They left in place the right of owners to select the tenant of their choice. If Prop Y passes, this glaring loophole will work to the detriment of handicapped or elderly persons seeking to rent in Berkeley. Is it reasonable to suppose that owners would rent to anyone in the favored category if they ever hope to be able to have a place for a son or daughter or parent some day? Indeed, owners would tend to favor younger tenants who are here for the short term since Prop Y allows permanent status to tenants who stay for five years in their apartments.  

Clearly, allowing owners the right to choose was a big mistake. They will operate their properties in their own best interests which is NOT to turn over all rights to the tenants. 

Proposition Y makes a bad situation worse and deserves your NO vote! 

L. W. Harris 

Berkeley

George Bernard Shaw’s infrequently performed second play, the 1893 “The Philanderer,” is a surprisingly contemporary take on the complications and contradictions that arise in love, sex and romance among self-styled modern-thinking people who regard themselves as not shackled by the gender prejudices of the past. 

Berkeley’s Aurora Theater is currently running a terrific production of the play at the Berkeley City Club. 

At the center of “The Philanderer” are a young Victorian man and two women caught up in a romantic triangle. All three consider themselves modern, free-thinking people, and practitioners of Ibsenism, which refers to the advanced social thought and liberated gender politics they see embodied in the work of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. 

“The Philanderer” is based, reportedly, on a similar romantic triangle that existed in Shaw’s life at the time of its writing. 

In “The Philanderer,” tempers flare when “Ibsenist philosopher” Leonard Charteris (Simon Vance) informs his female friends Grace Tranfield (Susan-Jane Harrison) and Julia Craven (Lee Ann Manley) about the on-going dalliances he is pursing with both women at the same time. 

The play is then two hours of back-and-forth over this issue, with Charteris’s main argument being that if these women are liberated in their social thinking, then men should be free to philander. 

In Charteris’ view, how can “women of advanced views” be angered by men who take other lovers? After all, this is a new world in which women smoke and earn their own livings – activities unheard of in the previous generation and still widely reviled by the stodgy mainstream. 

Set in two middle-class drawing rooms, and then ironically in the Ibsen Club library under a “silence” sign, this is a talky but fascinating play filled with the paradoxes of romance and marriage. 

Charteris speaks many of the things that men think about conjugal obligation, but aren’t suppose to say out loud. 

Although the issues in “The Philanderer” were more explosive in the world of middle-class Victorian morality than they are today, in Aurora’s intelligent staging, they still carry an impact. Great awareness is placed in this play on the romantic paradox of people wanting what they can’t have, and not wanting what they can have. 

If “The Philanderer” has a short-coming, it’s that it is a one-joke story that, as it twists and turns its way through Victorian middle class amenities, goes over some of its ground more than once. And at times the story devolves into a parody of politically correct trivialities. 

“The Philanderer” also prolongs itself by going off somewhat arbitrarily in lateral directions to touch on other pet issues of the politically active Shaw, such as anti-vivisectionist politics, vegetarianism and medical trumpery. Director Barbara Oliver and her Aurora actors have given the play a terrific production with fine performances across the board. 

Vance is wonderful as persuasive, manipulative, sweet-talking, self-justifying, advanced thinker and “Ibsenist philosopher” Leonard Charteris – a man who believes he deserves sympathy and understanding for putting up with jealous women. 

Manley’s wailing, simpering fireball Julia Craven and Harrison’s restrained and offended Grace Tranfield complete the triangle. The fathers of the two women are also drawn into the story. Charles Dean plays English drawing room twit Colonel Craven. His indignation and blustering at the discovery of a medical misdiagnosis are one of the evening’s comedic highlights. 

Chris Ayles as Grace’s drama critic father Jo Cuthbertson, and Jack Powell’s bumbling physician Percy Paramore round out the circle of clueless men in this story. Director Oliver has overseen the creation in her staging of many funny silent moments between the spoken lines, as the characters humorously struggle to adjust to awkward and contradictory situations. 

Allison Conner’s wonderful period costumes are a pleasure in their own right up close in the intimacy of the Aurora’s tiny 60-seat theater.Shaw’s talky, but fascinating play about sex politics is a Bronx cheer to Victorian romantic propriety, and not surprisingly, it raises issues that forward-thinking people in Berkeley are still struggling with today. 

“The Philanderer,” presented by the Aurora Theater at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Wednesdays through Sundays, through Oct. 15. For tickets, call 843-4822, or

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 

“Hans Hoffmann”  

An exhibit of paintings by Hoffmann which emphasizes two experimental methods the artist employed: the introduction of slabs or rectangles of highly saturated colors and the use of large areas of black paint juxtaposed with intense oranges, greens and yellows.  

The Asian Galleries  

“Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery,” open-ended.  

A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection.  

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

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

“Three Towers of Han,”  

$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. 

Mills College Art Museum 

5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 

“The 100 Languages of Children,” through October.  

An exhibit of art by children from Reggio Emilia, Italy. At Carnegie Building Bender Room. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. 

430-2164 

The Oakland Museum of  

California 

1000 Oak St., Oakland 

“Helen Nestor: Personal and Political” Through Oct. 15.  

An exhibit of images documenting the Free Speech Movement, the 60s civil rights marches, and women’s issues. 

“California Classic: Realist Paintings by Robert Bechtle” through Oct. 1.  

An exhibit of 18 paintings and drawings by the Bay Area artist dating from 1965 to 1997. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students; free children age 5 and under; second Sundays are free to all. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

(888) OAK-MUSE or www.museumca.org. 

Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery 

942 Clay St., Oakland 

625-1350 

www.lizabetholiveria.com 

Tuesday- Saturday  

10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.. 

Franklin Williams exhibit through Sept. 30 

TRAX Gallery 

1306 3rd. St., Berkeley 

Mary Law “Altered Ceramic Pots”  

through Oct. 21 

For more information or to sign up for the workshop call 526-0279 or e-mail to cone5@aol.com 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

(510) 849-2568. 

Hecho en Califas: Festival fo New Chicano Performance Arts 

“Made in California” features five days of music, spoken word, theater, film and visual art by young Chicano/Latino artists from California. 

Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m.: Ritmo del Barrio Musica. $10 general; $8  

students. 

Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.: Word/Descarga. $10 general; $8 students. 

Sept. 24, 7 p.m.: New Folkloric Fusion Musica. $8 general; $6  

Stork Club 

Wire Graffiti 

9:30 p.m. Sept. 23 

$5 

2330 Telegraph, Oakland 

444-6174 

924 Gilman St. 

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

Sept 23: Plan 9, Anti-World, Venus Bleeding, Blue Velvet Flesh 

Sept. 29: The Hellbillies, Subincision, Fracas, Union of the Dead, Monster Squad 

Sept. 30: Yaphet Koto, Pitch Black, Phantom Limbs 

Call 525-9926.  

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.  

Zellerbach 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. 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 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. 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 through Oct. 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. 

Tickets for preview showings are sold at $26. 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 

Through 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. 

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 noon -4 p.m. and by appointment.  

Traywick Gallery 

1316 Tenth St.  

527-1214 

Charles LaBelle 

Through 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  

Through Oct. 15 

This multimedia project combines video, sound and printmaking to explore concepts of intimacy and its relation to private space.  

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,''  

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  

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. 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. 

Readings at Cody’s 

2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Robert P. Johnson, the author reads from his book  

“Thirteen Moons: A Year in the Wilderness.” At 1730 Fourth St. 

Sept. 25. 7:30 p.m., Gerald Haslam discusses his novel “Straight White Ma le.” 

Sept. 26. 7:30 p.m., Andre Schiffrin, the author, discusses his book “The  

Business of Books: How International Conglomerates Took Over  

Publishing and Changed the Way We Read.” 

Sept. 28. 7:30 p.m., Sadie Plant discusses her book “Writing on  

Drugs.” Events are free and start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.  

(510) 845-7852 

Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place  

843-6812 

Free 

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. 24: Jessie Beagle, Kirk Lumpkin 

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

Oct. 29: Fernando Brito, Lara Dale 

234-0727 

Holloway Poetry Reading Series 

8p.m., Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall 

For more information call 653-2439 

Nov. 1: John Yau and Garrett Caples, books include “Forbidden Entries” and “My Symptoms” 

Nov. 7: Marie Howe and Brian Glaser, “The Good Thief” and “What the Living Do” 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley 

2066 University Ave.  

548-2350 

October 1, 3 p.m., Lawson Fusao Inada and Patricia Wakida duscuss with a slide presentation, the new Japanese American anthology “Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience” 

Oct. 7, 7p.m., Kimi Kodani Hill presents with art slides from her grandfather. “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art on Internment” 

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  

Oakland Historic walking tours 

Runs through October.  

The tours cover downtown Oakland and its historic waterfront. All tours begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last between an hour and an hour and a half. Old Oakland Historic Dist rict, Sept. 23. A walk through Oakland’s Victorian business district of the 1870s. Visit the Washington Inn, Ratto’s International Grocer and the Friends of the Library Book Store. Reservations encouraged. Meet in front of Ratto’s at Washington  

and 9th Streets.  

Preservation Park, Sept. 27. Preservation Park is a group of Victorian homes which replicate an authentic neighborhood of the 1870s. The homes have been restored and are used for offices and businesses. Other sites include the First Unitarian Church, Greene Library, and the Pardee home and gardens. Reservations encouraged. Meet at the park entrance, 13th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  

Free. Call for reservations. Oakland. (510) 238-3234. 

Tilden Regional Park  

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.,“Early A.M. Walk,” Visit Laurel Canyon for birds and berries. For age 10 and older.  

Sept. 24, 2 p.m., “Hoppers and Others,” Search for grasshoppers, their relatives, and other insects for a close-up look. 

Sept. 30, 2 p.m. “Autumn Leaf Prints,” Bring a plain T-shirt to make a colorful memory of autumn. For age 5 and older. $2. 

University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden 

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. 

Botanical Garden Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Meet at the Tour Orientation Center for a free docent tour. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Botanical Garden, Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. (510) 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

Dance 

Yoshi’s 

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 

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 

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 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. 22: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. 

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

“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 through Oct. 27. For tickets contact the box office at 845-4700 

“MIMZABIM!” 

Climate Theatre & Subterranean Shakespeare 

La Vals Subterraniean 1834 Euclid, Berkeley 

Through 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. 

Through Oct. 29 

2640 College Ave., Berkeley 

1-888-FANNY06 

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. 

Readings at Cody’s 

2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Robert P. Johnson, the author reads from his book  

“Thirteen Moons: A Year in the Wilderness.” At 1730 Fourth St. 

Sept. 25. 7:30 p.m., Gerald Haslam discusses his novel “Straight White Ma le.” 

Sept. 26. 7:30 p.m., Andre Schiffrin, the author, discusses his book “The  

Business of Books: How International Conglomerates Took Over  

Publishing and Changed the Way We Read.” 

Sept. 28. 7:30 p.m., Sadie Plant discusses her book “Writing on  

Drugs.” Events are free and start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.  

(510) 845-7852 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley 

2066 University Ave.  

548-2350 

October 1, 3 p.m., Lawson Fusao Inada and Patricia Wakida discuss with a slide presentation, the new Japanese American anthology “Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience” 

Oakland Historic walking tours 

Runs through October.  

The tours cover downtown Oakland and its historic waterfront.  

All tours begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last between an hour and an hour and a half. Old Oakland Historic Dist rict, Sept. 23.  

A walk through Oakland’s Victorian business district of the 1870s. Visit the Washington Inn, Ratto’s International Grocer and the Friends of the Library Book Store. Reservations encouraged. Meet in front of Ratto’s at Washington and 9th streets.  

Preservation Park, Sept. 27. Preservation Park is a group of Victorian homes which replicate an authentic neighborhood of the 1870s. The homes have been restored and are used for offices and businesses. Other sites include the First Unitarian Church, Greene Library, and the Pardee home and gardens. Reservations encouraged. Meet at the park entrance, 13th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  

Free. Call for reservations. Oakland. (510) 238-3234. 

Tilden Regional Park  

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.,“Early A.M. Walk,” Visit Laurel Canyon for birds and berries. For age 10 and older.  

Sept. 24, 2 p.m., “Hoppers and Others,” Search for grasshoppers, their relatives, and other insects for a close-up look. 

Sept. 30, 2 p.m. “Autumn Leaf Prints,” Bring a plain T-shirt to make a colorful memory of autumn. For age 5 and older. $2. 

University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden 

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. 

Botanical Garden Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Meet at the Tour Orientation Center for a free docent tour. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Botanical Garden, Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. (510) 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

Dance 

Yoshi’s 

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 

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 

At tonight’s City Council meeting, funds originally allocated for “front-line law enforcement needs,” including anti-gang and community crime prevention programs, will likely be re-routed for youth recreation and service programs in south and west Berkeley.  

Flying in the face of punitive crime prevention measures such as Proposition 21, which expanded the three-strike crimes’ list and eased restrictions against trying youth as adults, the early intervention programs proposed on the council agenda would address what Councilmember Margaret Breland called “the real root of crime.” 

“Look at the streets. Kids are still hanging out in front of liquor stores. It shows they don’t have anything to do and no where to go. We need a youth center that’s open (24) hours a day where they can come to day or night, play games, do their homework, eat some nourishing food, and find some mentoring and counseling,” Breland said. 

“Crime comes down if you can get people off the streets,” she continued. 

Breland said she is concerned about the number of juvenile arrests in south and west Berkeley. Home to the majority of Berkeley’s communities of color, there are few organizations which provide services for the area’s youth, she said. 

Sergeant Steve Odom, who heads the Berkeley Police Youth Services Department could not be reached for comment. 

“Things happen here, not just crime, but the health disparity, housing problems, because people look at this area and say ‘you’re doing okay.’ But it really comes from a combination of poverty, education and environment that more stringent laws won’t affect at all. Kids in other parts of town have their parents around to do things with. They have resources in their neighborhoods, places to go to. But here people have to work, or they have to go to school to get ahead. That means their kids have no supervision and just end up on the streets,” Breland said. 

There are other problems as well. Divisions within these communities themselves make organization difficult. 

“There are invisible lines in these parts of town that most people don’t see,” Breland said. “Some kids won’t cross San Pablo, while others won’t go into (James) Kenney Park. We need a central place where they can all come and feel like they have a voice. A place that takes care of their needs.” 

The federal community policing money began coming to Berkeley in 1997, part of a state plan to supplement “front line” law enforcement with $100 million in funds. 

In Berkeley, community policing money was slated for police equipment and youth services, but such youth services, but Councilmember Kriss Worthington said they were never developed. 

“That’s when Margaret asked why we couldn’t re-allocate money for community-based youth services. She had read reports about other cities using (community policing) money for local services,” Worthington said. 

Such a suggestion, he recalled, started a row in the City Council in 1997. 

“People were accusing her of not supporting the local police, or trying to wrest away control of money. It was very ugly,” said Worthington.  

While $243,000 in community policing grants did go to the Berkeley police that year for radio and communication equipment, it set the stage for 1998 funds to go toward the proposed youth center. 

“The council voted unanimously to divert the money into the community center in 1998,” recalled Worthington. With more money coming from the community policing fund this year, the matter will again be up for vote. There seems to be little opposition. 

“Youth programs are exactly what the funds are supposed to be used for,” said Councilmember Betty Olds, adding, “I’d like to see some of that money go to finishing a skate park down at Second and Harrison.”  

Dean however, said she wants to see concrete plans for such youth programs. 

“The money available just isn’t enough to create a new youth center, and I’d like to see if they explore ways to work with city programs that already exist,” she said. “We already have a very robust YMCA program, and our schools are adding physical fitness rooms.” 

For such a youth center to be established, re-allocating this year’s funds are necessary, Worthington said.  

“Right now, there isn’t enough money to get anything started.” 

Setting up a subcommittee composed of Breland, Shirek and Maio, the added community policing funds this year will bring the total to $486,000, “enough to start thinking about what we can do,” Breland said. As of yet, there is no design or location for such a center. 

One problem such a center faces however, is the question of sustainability.  

According to City Manager Weldon Rucker’s background report on the proposed council action, “The city usually does not fund recurring costs with non-recurring income. The (community policing) program may not be a reliable long-term revenue source.” If this turns out to be the case, the long-term ability to provide such services will be in jeopardy.

Tomorrow night could be the Second Coming, said Councilmember Polly Armstrong.  

“We just might be able to get out of there by 10 p.m. this time,” she said jokingly, evoking tonight’s City Council meeting. It would be the second time in the six years she has sat on the council that such an occurrence has come to pass, she said. 

Discussion of housing issues might, however, cause the meeting to go longer than Armstrong imagines. A Housing Authority meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. The housing authority is made up of the City Council plus two community members. 

Perhaps the most contentious item of the night will be a five-year plan written by the Housing Authority. Scheduled for thirty minutes, Armstrong feels the discussion will run considerably over the original time slot. 

“It took more than a half hour just to get the issue on the consent calendar,” she said.  

“Everyone has an opinion about affordable housing, and diversity issues in Berkeley. This five-year plan will open up many questions about the process to guarantee its continued existence,” Dean added.  

Adoption of the plan is the final step in a lengthy process that began in May. Proposals include designating 40 percent of any new or available public housing apartments for very low income persons and 75 percent of new Section 8 vouchers for very low-income people. Under the proposal, residents will also be able to choose whether to pay an income-based rent not to exceed 30 percent of their adjusted income, or pay a “flat rent” based on the pre-determined “rental value” of the unit. Moreover, homeownership programs will allow Section 8 voucher holders to pay mortgage under certain conditions. Pets, formerly allowed only for elderly and disabled in public housing, would be available to all residents as long as they meet Housing Authority requirements. 

Expected to draw the largest crowd at the council meeting is an issue on the Swink House, a home built in 1903 by James L. Swink, an early pioneer of Berkeley architecture and city planning. Considered an example of “Victorian Revival” architecture, the home is one of five on the last intact block of early century housing on Shattuck Avenue, which includes Chez Panisse and Cha Am, two restaurants which gave this part of Berkeley its “gourmet ghetto” nickname.  

Of a total 123 structures which existed in 1903, only 61 remain today. At issue is whether a Landmarks Commission resolution designating the 1525-1529 block on Shattuck a “structure of merit” will be upheld by the City Council. Former City Manager James Keene appealed the Landmarks Preservation Commission recommendation, saying that the historical value was diminished by a commercial addition to the building that dominates the residential building’s presence on Shattuck. 

Other plans to develop the Swink House into a hotel are currently being debated as well. 

Councilmember Betty Olds said local businesses on Shattuck Avenue have lined up against a new hotel being built in the area. “Many people think that landmarking the Swink House is a political move to keep the owners from developing it into a hotel. To build one, the Swink House would presumably have to be torn down, which landmarking would prevent.” 

In a hurried amendment to the council agenda, the council will address a crisis faced by the UC Theater on University Avenue. According to state law, the building must be retrofitted.  

A lease agreement calling for retrofitting would cost management $300,000, an amount they say they are unable to pay.  

Councilmember Dona Spring, in whose district the theater is located,, is requesting that the City Manager explore ways to assist the UC Theater to find funding sources so that the repertory movie theater will not be forced to close. 

“It’s our real landmark,” Olds said. “And it would be a shame to see it go. The question here is if all the other old theaters are in the same shape. If we find funding to maintain this theater, do we also have to find funding for every other theater in the same shape?” 

Another last-minute addition to the council agenda, also proposal by Spring asks the city manager to take “all possible legal actions” to contest the University of California Regents’ approval last week of the environmental document for the Oxford Tract, opening the door for construction of the three-story building with 200 parking spaces on university property at Oxford Street and Hearst Avenue. 

Also, questions of how to place a ceiling on cable TV prices, and whether the city should allocate up to $390,000 a year for the next eight years to purchase fire engines will be answered.  

The Housing Authority meeting begins at 7 p.m., with the City Council meeting following.  

They will be held in the Council Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, broadcast live on B-TV Channel 25 rebroadcast at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning and 9 a.m. Sunday morning. They are also broadcast on KPFB 89.3

SAN FRANCISCO — Insurance Commissioner Harry Low took the oath of office Monday, promising to restore public trust in the position his predecessor left under threat of impeachment. 

Gov. Gray Davis appointed Low, a retired appeals court judge, to head the Insurance Department after Chuck Quackenbush resigned this summer. 

Quackenbush, an elected Republican under investigation by two legislative committees, was accused of using at least $6 million from insurer settlements on TV ads and other spending to benefit himself politically. 

“Our goal is to make California’s insurance commission the best of any in this nation,” Low said. “The public will be closely monitoring our work and I’m committed to making our work as open and responsive to the public as possible.” 

Low was sworn in by state Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk in a brief ceremony held in a conference room here. About 150 people attended, including lawmakers, judges, friends and family. 

Davis called Low a “distinguished jurist with a brilliant mind and a balanced approach.” 

“He has dedicated his entire life to public service, not to political ambition,” Davis said in a written statement. “I believe he will focus the office of the Insurance Commissioner on its fundamental mission of protecting consumers.” 

Low will serve the remaining two years of Quackenbush’s second, four-year term. He has said he has not ruled out running for the office in 2002. 

At the heart of the Quackenbush scandal was the California Research and Assistance Fund, created with about $12 million from insurers accused of mishandling claims filed after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. 

Quackenbush let a half-dozen insurers avoid up to $3 billion in potential penalties by giving to the fund. It was created to fund earthquake research and consumer aid, but Quackenbush acknowledged none of the $6 million CRAF spent went to either purpose. 

Quackenbush resigned in late June, prompting lawmakers to drop their investigations. He has denied wrongdoing. 

Drug use among California teens is down for the first time in a decade, according to a report released Monday by the state attorney general’s office. 

But there’s some bad news in the study: Heroin use among 11th graders increased while the numbers of students with excessive alcohol and drug habits stayed about the same. 

The 8th biennial California Student Survey questioned 12,777 students in grades 7, 9 and 11 and found that overall drug use was down, mostly due to decreased use of marijuana and inhalants 

Twenty percent of the 7th graders, 26 percent of the 9th graders and 39 percent of the 11th graders reported using an illegal drug at least once in the previous six months. 

That represented a drop in drug use in all three grades from a survey in 1997-98. 

Alcohol use dropped for the first time in 15 years. Thirty-five percent of 7th graders, 52 percent of 9th graders and 66 percent of 11th graders reported drinking alcohol in the previous six months. 

Those figures represented at least a 10 percent drop in all three grades for virtually every beverage category. 

Marijuana use dropped by more than 12 percent among 9th graders; only 20 percent reported using the drug in the last six months, according to the report. Among high school juniors marijuana use dropped 7 percent, down from 35 percent last year. 

“Our prevention strategies appear to be reaching young people who are casual users,” said Attorney General Bill Lockyer. “However, the number of students who report using drugs or alcohol on a daily or weekly basis remains unacceptably high. We need to devote more attention to these students before their problems escalate and threaten their future.” 

Critics of student surveys have said they can’t be depended upon because students would be unwilling to admit their drug use. Lockyer spokesman Nathan Barankin said the survey researchers work hard to convince students the tests are only part of a large survey and not inspected individually. 

“With as long as we have been doing this, our researchers are convinced that these results are as dependable as any survey can be,” Barankin said. 

Heroin use among 11th graders jumped from 1.7 percent in 1997-98 to 5.2 percent in the latest survey, which covered 1999 and this year.

SACRAMENTO — An investment committee put off a decision Monday on whether California’s public employees pension fund should divest its tobacco stocks. 

The California Public Employees Retirement System panel wanted more information, spokeswoman Patricia Macht said. 

The CalPERS staff has recommended against selling the $600 million in stock, saying it would cost at least $30 million. 

But state Treasurer Phil Angelides, a member of the CalPERS board, said the tobacco investments have already lost money for the pension fund and are likely to lose more. 

Macht said the investment committee asked the staff to expand its analysis of the impact of selling off the tobacco stocks.  

The panel also wants to hear from, and question, experts about divestment, she said. 

The committee will consider the issue again Oct. 16, Macht said. 

The tobacco holdings account for less than 0.4 percent of the fund’s $172 billion in investments. 

The State Teachers Retirement System announced in June that it would sell off its more than $237 million in tobacco stocks, saying they were a bad investment. 

A bill requiring the two pension funds to sell their tobacco stocks passed the Senate last month but died in an Assembly committee. 

The bill’s supporters said the funds shouldn’t invest in tobacco companies when the state spends $630 million a year to treat people with smoking related illnesses and another $50 million annually on anti-tobacco education programs. 

CalPERS, the nation’s biggest employee pension system, covers about 330,000 retirees and 770,000 active state and local government employees.

SAN JOSE — The companies that are revolutionizing the way people watch television, letting them zip past commercials at the push of a button, are still giving marketers a chance to catch viewers’ attention. 

TiVo and ReplayTV, leading competitors in the nascent industry of personal video recorders, plan to let advertisers include preloaded commercials and promotional material in their devices starting this fall. 

TiVo announced Monday that companies such as the infomercial producer Guthy-Renker Corp. and independent film promoter IFILM will have 30-minute blocks of promotional programming time inserted in the hard drive of the devices. 

ReplayTV plans to make a similar announcement next week, but refuses to specify until then the kind of promotions that will be included. 

The new marketing tool could be significant in an age in which cable television and VCRs – and now also personal television recorders – have all drastically cut the amount of time couch potatoes spend watching advertisements. 

San Jose-based TiVo was the first to introduce last year the new breed of personal video recorders – a hard-drive system that digitally stores up to 30 hours of TV programming and allows subscribers to watch the shows they choose, when they want, all without the hassle of video tapes.  

Viewers can pause, quickly scan, do instant replays, or put into slow motion the programs and commercials. They can also tell the personal video recorder to automatically find and record their favorite programs every time they air. 

Surveys have shown that while six out of 10 personal TV subscribers are watching more television, many of them are fast-forwarding through more than 80 percent of the ads. 

But surveys have also shown some people are watching certain ads more than once, said Jim Hollingsworth, ReplayTV’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “People watch commercials on goods or services that interest them or are entertaining,” he said. 

For that reason, both companies are offering advertisers the chance to preload promotional content, as a method of direct marketing. 

“We’re excited because it gives our programming and merchandising partners the opportunity to speak powerfully to television and entertainment enthusiasts,” said Stacy Jolna, TiVo’s chief programming officer and vice president of media partnerships. 

TiVo is offering advertisers 30-minute blocks of programming time that will be added to the hard drive of recorders prior to retail distribution. A promotion by Showtime Quick Flick, for instance, will give clips of Hollywood hits and other upcoming features, TiVo said. 

TiVo’s subscribers, however, will not be forced to watch the preloaded material: They can opt to play the promotions or not. ReplayTV subscribers will also get to choose whether or not to watch the commercials. 

“Here at TiVo, advertising means permission marketing, where the consumer is in the driver’s seat,” Jolna said. 

Although it might seem that few subscribers would choose to watch commercials, Josh Bernoff, a TV industry analyst with Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., predicts that viewers will like having the option. 

“It’s not like we’re putting filthy commerce into a pure entertainment experience. This is television and a commercial is a very natural thing to have,” Bernoff said. “What they’re doing here is saying, if you’re interested in acne solutions, here

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco sweltered Monday as residents braced for a heat wave expected to last all week. High temperatures already are straining California’s overburdened power grid. 

The National Weather Service predicted record-breaking temperatures in San Francisco and Oakland. Downtown San Francisco hit 91 by midday, a few degrees shy of the 94-degree record set in 1912. Oakland hit 92 degrees, coming close to a 1984 record of 94 degrees. Even coastal areas didn’t get a break, with temperatures in the 80s. 

“It’s hot,” said Sandra Threl Fall, while taking a morning walk around Oakland’s Lake Merritt. “I plan to go into hibernation. I don’t plan to do much this afternoon.” 

The California Independent System Operator, the agency that manages the flow of electricity on California’s power lines, declared a Stage 2 emergency, which may mean voluntary outages among some commercial and industrial customers. The agency and power companies across the state have appealed to consumers to reduce energy use. 

“The consumers are doing things but what are the big boys doing? Are they looking at all the things we can do to save energy?” asked Lyn Sacco, an architect, who works out of her Oakland home. She said she is taking measures to conserve, but she won’t turn off her computer. “I can’t afford to lose the business.” 

In Oakland, where temperatures were already in the 80s at 9:30 a.m., Parks and Recreation Department worker Jorge Paz was looking for ways to stay cool.  

“We’re just trying to work the best we can, then get in the shade. Work a little, then go to the shade. Take care of yourself.” 

Across the bay in San Francisco, where summer usually means overcast, chilly and foggy days, some were taken by sur

LOS ANGELES — The first weekday of a transit strike left nearly half a million Southern California bus and rail riders scrounging for rides Monday or getting behind the wheel themselves, further clogging roadways. 

The 4,300-member strong United Transportation Union strike began Saturday against the giant Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

The strike idled 2,000 buses, rail and subway lines in a 1,400-square-mile area. Freeway traffic volume rose 5 percent during the morning commute, the California Highway Patrol reported. 

The CHP had predicted 30 minutes could be added to freeway rides to work and school. A lack of major crashes during the morning commute helped highways absorb the additional volume. 

“It is a substantial amount, but it didn’t result in a major headache like we thought,” CHP Officer Bill Preciado said. 

It was a different story on surface streets, where cars snaked bumper-to-bumper through downtown with workers complaining that commute times had been doubled. 

No new talks were scheduled with the operators union, but MTA spokesman Rick Jager said transit system negotiators and the state mediator were ready to bargain at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel. 

UTU spokesman Goldy Norton said union representatives were waiting for the mediator’s invitation. 

“We haven’t heard from them,” he said. 

As temperatures soared into the 90s, pickets marched outside 15 MTA sites. 

“Their spirits are high, and it’s a tough job right now because of the heat,” Norton said, noting there had been no scuffles or violence on the picket lines. “We’ve told our people to be professional and not cause trouble.” 

Bus driver Lisa Smith picketed on a Pasadena Freeway overpass. 

“These people should be on the buses,” said Smith, pointing to the freeway traffic mess below. “People who rely on buses need buses. We do care about the people. This is as stressful a time for us as it is for our passengers.” 

Two smaller unions honoring UTU picket lines – the 1,800-member Amalgamated Transit Union and 650-member Transportation Communications International Union – were set to resume talks Tuesday with the MTA. 

Many commuters bummed rides with others to deal with the crunch. Others showed up at bus stops, waiting in vain. 

“I guess I’ll be waiting all year,” said Frank Vernola, 78, who was sitting on a Highland Park bus bench after walking 20 blocks on his morning bird-feeding ritual. Fatigued after his journey, he usually returns home on the bus. 

Student Cesar Marroquin nervously stood nearby, hoping a bus would show up to take him to the East Los Angeles Occupational School. He didn’t hear about the strike until Monday morning. 

“I just don’t know what else to do. I called my friend, but I don’t see him. I have a major test at 8 a.m.,” the 34-year-old man said 15 minutes before test time. 

MetroLink commuter trains, which aren’t part of the strike by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority system, arrived on schedule at downtown’s Union Station. Most commuters, some of whom carried bicycles on the trains, scattered on foot and bike. 

“My boss is on the way to pick me up. I may have to take vacation time without pay if this continues,” said MetroLink rider Donna Packard, 34, of Covina, who was stranded at Union Station. 

WHITTIER — Polly Bobadilla’s ride may not have quite the power of her old set of wheels, but she’s happy to be seen driving down the street in it. 

No longer must she endure the noise from her old bus’s diesel engine, or dirty looks from motorists freshly sullied with stinky black exhaust. 

“I don’t have to inhale the fumes or smell all the smoke. And I don’t need to shut the windows,” said Bobadilla, who has driven students in a compressed natural gas-powered bus for about three years. 

That’s an experience regulators and environmentalists want more students and bus drivers to have in California, which despite an array of trailblazing air-pollution rules has more of the oldest, worst-polluting school buses than any other state in the nation. 

About 9 percent of the state’s 24,000 school buses were built before 1977, when federal safety and emissions rules kicked in. Only Washington state even approaches that percentage, according to the trade publication, School Bus Fleets. 

Both state and Los Angeles-area regulators are formulating plans to clean up school buses. The most contentious issue is whether diesel fuel – which runs more than two-thirds of the school buses on California roads – can be reformed enough to keep it viable. 

The Air Resources Board held a hearing Monday in Sacramento – and will conduct another Thursday in El Monte – to ask citizens how it should spend $50 million in state money earmarked for cleaner school buses. The board is expected to allocate the money in December. 

Meanwhile, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which includes Los Angeles, Orange and parts of Riverside and San Bernadino counties, is expected to soon propose rules that would force school districts to buy only the cleanest-burning buses. 

Diesel vehicles still have their backers. Oil companies, diesel engine manufacturers and many school districts want to allow the purchase of diesel vehicles, which they say are much cheaper and can burn 90 percent cleaner with low-sulfur fuel in the tank and pollution-cutting particulate traps attached to the exhaust. 

The alternative can be prohibitive: a particulate trap estimated to cost $7,500 versus a natural-gas bus about $25,000 more expensive than its diesel equivalent. 

“We’re all for cleaning up environment, and alternative fuel vehicles are great, but I do think diesel (should) be part of alternative fuels,” said Betty Manwill, director of transportation for the Irvine Unified School District. “We can clean up the air a lot faster.” 

Environmental groups support retrofitting diesel school buses to use particulate traps, but oppose allowing the purchase of new diesel vehicles.  

They contend that the new diesel technology – which is being tested on about 60 buses in the South Coast district – is failure-prone and still not as clean as natural gas. 

Government research shows that Californians have a one in 2,000 chance of getting cancer from diesel emissions. Within the South Coast district, the risk doubles. 

Controlling school-bus emissions is a particularly important task because studies have shown children to be more sensitive than adults to air pollution. 

The infrastructure for natural gas is more daunting than the vehicles themselves, said Alan Tomiyama, business manager for the Los Angeles Unified School District, which uses 1,300 district-owned or contracted buses, owns 33 natural-gas buses and is testing a half-dozen buses with particulate traps. 

The need for new fueling stations and ventilation systems can require fleet operators to spend millions replacing garages before their natural gas buses can start operating. 

Tomiyama said range is also an issue: His district’s natural-gas buses can run only about 100 miles between lengthy fuel-ups, so they can’t be used on some routes. 

Tomiyama said natural-gas buses are more expensive to operate, but officials at the Pupil Transportation Agency – the Whittier-based agency Bobadilla drives for – said their costs have been about the same. 

The agency – which has 13 natural-gas buses among its fleet of more than 100 – last month spent nearly a quarter less per gallon for natural-gas fuel than for diesel, said Stan Ross, director of transportation. 

There are some maintenance savings as well, said shop supervisor Bill Grimley.  

For instance, oil changes for diesel vehicles are needed six times more often than those for natural-gas engines, he said. 

Natural-gas engines are less powerful, but Grimley said he gladly accepts the trade-off. 

“I’d rather go up a hill slower with natural gas than with a diesel engine with all that black smoke,” he said. 

On the Net: 

www.arb.ca.gov 

www.nrdc.org

James Elliott, the former director of the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive has died. He was 76. 

Elliott, a native of Medford, Ore., was the museum’s director from 1976 to 1987.  

As director, he established the Matrix program, which reserved space for modern or experimental art. 

Elliott is credited with making the museum one of the premiere contemporary art museums in the country. 

Before coming to the university, Elliott had served as director of the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Conn., and as chief curator of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

He presided over several major traveling exhibitions, including shows featuring the work of Juan Gris, Richard Avedon and James Lee Byars. 

Elliott is survived by his son Jakob, his daughter Arabel Elliott, two sisters and Joan Ellis and Amy Barnum.

OAKLAND – Before the sun came up, Grace Manawatao had driven more than 45 minutes to Nancy’s home in East Oakland. She donned rubber gloves almost as soon as she walked through the door, and went to work stripping the bed linens and scrubbing the floors with disinfectant. 

While Manawatao bustled around the small bungalow, Nancy, who asked that her real name not be used, sat in an armchair eating the heaping portion of sliced hotdogs and green beans Grace cooked for her the night before.  

“Mmm, Grace you sure are a good cook,” Nancy called out as she cleaned her plate. “Sometimes she even makes me Filipino noodles.” 

“They are called pansit, I told you,” Manawatao yelled from the kitchen. 

“Well, without her around I would have to eat cold peanut butter or bologna sandwiches,” Nancy said. 

At $7.82 an hour, Manawatao’s job is one of millions of minimum-wage jobs that exist at the margins of the booming economy: they’re more stable because of the tight job market, but wages have yet to rise and health benefits are still only promises. But it’s hard to imagine Nancy’s world without Manawatao. 

Nancy, 62, is disabled by arthritis in her legs and hip and has not left her house for over a year. She is diabetic, has a heart condition, and is medically obese. She said that she shuns contact with friends and family because she is so embarrassed by how she and the house look. After her adult son decided he didn’t have time to both work and look after her, Nancy has gone through a string of health care workers.  

Most only lasted only a few weeks after they realized how much dirty work was involved, she said.  

“I can’t cope by myself at all, I need someone here two times a day to change my bedding or else I have to lie in my own wet,” said Nancy, who is incontinent. “I used to cry myself to sleep at night asking for the Lord to send someone to help me.” 

Then, the county’s health care workers union sent Manawatao.  

The 49-year old said that she cares for Nancy in two daily shifts, and often calls her at the end of the day to make sure she remembered to wash and take her medicine. Twice a week she also works for an 80-year old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. And three days and two nights every week she earns $8 an hour on call for Rapid Response, a replacement service for home health care attendants who can’t make it to work.  

If her work schedule seems tight, Karen Orlando, a union organizer for Local Service Employees International Union 616, says that Manawatao is actually one of the lucky providers of home health care.  

“There is a 50 percent turnover rate for home care workers. A lot of these people are very marginal,” Orlando said. “Grace is a very skilled and educated worker. Most of them are living on the fringes. One late check and they’re homeless.”  

Manawatao, who is single and rents an apartment in Alameda, has been working in the health care industry since she arrived in the United States from the Philippines in her late twenties. Her first job was in a convalescent home, earning $1.99 an hour to care for more than 17 patients at a time. She worked the night shift and went to school at Hayward State University during the day, studying to become a dietitian. Eventually the stress became too much, and she decided to earn 

a medical assistant certificate and devote herself to caring for the elderly and the disabled. 

“I’ve been cleaning up after other people since I was a girl, helping my mother with my nine siblings,“ she says as she dumps soiled sheets into a washing machine and folds and sorts clean clothes. “In the Philippines, there are no convalescent homes. We don’t isolate our old or sick people. My mother took care of my grandparents, and I helped her to do it,” she said. “That’s why this work is familiar to me and I enjoy it.” 

Manawatao’s only complaint is the lack of health benefits. More than 7,500 unionized home health care workers in Alameda work in the homes of an estimated 8,500 low-income patients. They have been battling the county for a benefits package and pay raise for years. Gov. Gray Davis made something of a breakthrough last month when he agreed to pay $7 million to cover a portion of the benefits long as the county came up with $1.5 million out of its own funds. 

Where this money will come from is unclear. Orlando said that the tobacco settlement is a likely source, but the union has to compete with many different kinds of health programs to get a piece of it. She does not expect any results until at least January 2001. 

Meanwhile, Manawatao, the union secretary, continues to cross her fingers and hope she doesn’t catch anything serious. 

“With our new contract I make more money than I used to, but I still can’t afford my own health insurance,” she said. “When I get sick I have to take time off work to go to Highland Hospital, and that takes all day because the lines are so long.” But despite the low pay and lack of health care, Manawatao said she would not do anything else.  

“With this kind of job, your patient tells you when you do it well. That is invaluable. There is no price for that feeling that they need me and love me. I feel like I belong here,” she said.

After a three-week investigation, it is still not known whether there was a smoke detector in the central Berkeley house that burned last month and took the lives of three people, Fire Chief Reginald Garcia said Wednesday. 

Also inconclusive was the investigation into whether the windows were capable of opening in the two bedrooms at the 2160 Martin Luther King Jr. Way residence where UC Berkeley senior Azalea Jusay, 21, and her parents, Francisco and Florita Jusay, both 46, died. 

The District Attorney has declined to pursue negligence charges against property owner Manuel Reburiano based on the investigation, Garcia said. 

There were conflicting statements given by the previous tenants and the surviving four students concerning the present of a smoke detector, Garcia said. 

“The previous tenants had a photograph that clearly showed the presence of a smoke detector on a dining room wall,” he said. “But, as we’ve indicated before, our investigators could not find any physical evidence (of a smoke detector.) But that doesn’t mean there was not one there.” 

He said that investigators sifted through every piece of debris in the area where a detector should have been.  

The owner of the house, a Daly City resident, told investigators that there was a smoke detector in place at the top of the staircase. 

Several witnesses to the fire, including neighbor Arash Azarkhish, who attempted a rescue, said that he didn’t hear the sounds of a smoke detector. 

Garcia said that though one window in Azalea Jusay’s room wasn’t capable of opening, there was a secondary, openable window through which she could have escaped.  

The single window in the elder Jusays’ room was also reported stuck shut, but when a crew arrived to board-up the windows after the fire, a worker tapped on the sill with a hammer and it opened. 

“It’s inconclusive whether or not the windows played a role,” Garcia said. 

The fire was officially determined to be accidental, Garcia said, explaining that it began at around 6:40 a.m. Sunday Aug. 20 when combustibles, believed to be a cardboard box filled with papers or clothing, ignited because they were placed on or near a floor furnace in the dining room. 

One woman was spared in the fire. Michelle Plesa, 21, escaped by jumping from a second story window at the front of the house after she was alerted to the fire by a passer-by.

SACRAMENTO — Citywide voucher programs for low-income students in other states have shown “somewhat promising” results but raise questions about whether a statewide plan in California would do the same, a new study says. 

Proposition 38, a measure on California’s Nov. 7 ballot, would give parents across California $4,000 in taxpayer money to send their child to a private school, regardless of the family's income.  

A review released Wednesday by Policy Analysis for California Education looked at studies of student achievement in citywide voucher programs in Dayton, Milwaukee, New York City and Washington, D.C.  

The report found black children's math scores rose in the first year, but reading scores failed to rise for any group, and math scores for Latino and white students showed no improvement.  

It is unknown if those results could be applied to the statewide voucher system envisioned by Proposition 38, said Bruce Fuller, a study co-author and a University of California, Berkeley, education professor.  

“It's a great question. Voters need to be very careful not to generalize from these smaller city experiments,” he said.  

In New York City, parents who applied for the privately funded vouchers tended to be somewhat better educated and more likely to be working and from a two-parent household than low-income parents in general in the city, Fuller said.  

The rise in test scores shown in the citywide voucher programs is similar to one-year increases seen in states including California after infusions of new funding and improvement programs such as statewide standards and testing, according to the study by PACE, an educational research group affiliated with the UC Berkeley and Stanford University.  

The only thing really certain about Proposition 38 is that if it is approved by voters, the state will have to pay nearly $3 billion within four years to the mostly affluent parents whose children are currently in private schools, the study said.  

“This is a cost the state is going to incur no matter what,” said study co-author Luis Huerta.  

The state could start saving money if students now in public schools shift to private schools, since the state would pay their parents the $4,000 voucher instead of more than $6,700 to the public school, he said.  

If 10 percent of public school students, or 600,000, switched to vouchers, the state's net cost would be $200 million a year, the study said.  

The state’s private schools currently only have about 32,000 vacant spaces, according to a California Catholic Conference survey quoted by the PACE study.  

The $4,000 voucher is not going to be enough money to pay the capital costs for new or expanded private schools, Huerta said.  

In addition, nothing in Proposition 38 prevents private schools from increasing their tuition to deal with the sudden demand, the study said.  

For example, a private school now charging $4,000 tuition could increase that to $8,000 and keep all its current students, whose parents could collect vouchers and come out even, Fuller said.  

Proposition 38 sponsor Tim Draper of Redwood City was making a campaign appearance Tuesday in San Diego and did not immediately respond to messages left with his spokesperson by The Associated Press seeking comment on the report.  

Jon Lensner, a spokesman for the opposition campaign, said the study showed Proposition 38 “is welfare for the rich.” The PACE study took no position for or against Proposition 38.  

On the Net:  

Read the PACE study at http://pace.Berkeley.edu  

Read Proposition 38 at www.ss.ca.gov

Prosecutors urged a state appeals court Monday to allow evidence about the violent history of the Symbionese Liberation Army into former fugitive Sara Jane Olson’s bombing conspiracy trial. 

Olson’s attorneys objected to introducing the evidence because some of the nearly two dozen incidents prosecutors want to bring up never resulted in charges or occurred before their client allegedly joined the radical group. 

The SLA was linked to dozens of crimes, the most notorious being the 1974 kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. 

Olson, formerly known as Kathleen Soliah, is accused of attempting to murder Los Angeles police officers by placing pipe bombs under two squad cars in 1975, allegedly to avenge the deaths of SLA members killed in a fiery police shootout in Los Angeles. The bombs did not detonate and no one was hurt. 

Olson was indicted in 1976 and remained a fugitive until her arrest last year in Minnesota, where she had lived quietly as a wife and mother. Free on $1 million bail, she is scheduled to face trial in January. 

Prosecutors want to include evidence of other SLA crimes under a blanket conspiracy theory and to corroborate testimony by Hearst, now  

Patricia Hearst Shaw, the prosecution’s reluctant  

star witness. 

Hearst was kidnapped by the SLA at age 19 and ultimately joined the group. She was later convicted of taking part in an armed bank robbery, but President Carter commuted her sentence. 

“In order to understand the nature of the crime and the nature of (Olson’s) participation in it, it is necessary to understand the nature of the SLA and its members,” according to a petition filed Monday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. 

Superior Court Judge James Ideman ruled last January that prosecutors could discuss the group’s history and philosophy when Olson goes on trial. 

In August, Olson’s attorneys filed a petition with the California Second District Court of Appeal seeking to overturn Ideman’s ruling. 

They claimed background on the SLA would prejudice a jury during the trial and accused prosecutors of trying to “salvage” a weak case by putting the SLA’s entire history on trial.