Full Text

 

News

West Berkeley group files suit to overturn shellmound landmark status

John GeluardiDaily Planet Staff
Saturday December 30, 2000

A group of property owners is suing the city claiming the landmarking of the West Berkeley Shellmound was “arbitrary and capricious.” 

Attorneys for the property owners filed a petition with Alameda County Superior Court on Dec. 22 calling for the removal of landmark status of the site which is largely developed and paved over. The petition claims the map of the shellmound was improperly measured and that any artifacts once on the site were removed long ago. 

Each of the plaintiffs, the 620 Hearst Group, White West Properties and Richard and Charlene DeVecchi, own property on the landmarked shellmound site and face possible restrictions by the Landmarks Preservation Commission which would review any application to develop or expand existing structures on the site. 

The designated area is a three block site bounded by University and Hearst avenues, I-880 and Fourth Street and includes 620 Hearst Ave. 

Until 800 A.D. Native American shellmounds were common sights around the Bay. They were usually characterized by large mounds of shells that could be as high as 15 feet. The area immediately around shellmounds were the site of daily routines, such as hunting, fishing and cooking. They were also used as burial grounds. 

Among other allegations, the petition charges that “the vast majority of debris and artifacts making up the original shellmound were stripped away and removed between 1853 and 1910 and sold as useful products such as garden fertilizer, chicken feed, grading material and road amendments.” 

The petition also claims the site was further compromised by a 1950 UC archeological dig that excavated over 14,000 cubic yards, which was replaced by “engineered” soil for the purpose of development. 

The UC excavation project discovered 92 human burial sites. 

Stephanie Manning, neighbor of the shellmound and member of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, who wrote the 75-page application for landmarking the shellmound, said it may or may not be true that there are no longer any artifacts at the site. She said that question can only be answered by qualified archeological digs.  

“Besides, even if they find no artifacts or human remains on the site, it does not negate its historical significance,” she said. “This may be the oldest and certainly the largest shellmound in the Bay Area. It was inhabited by Native Americans for over 45 centuries. That’s pretty significant.” 

The DeVecchis and the 620 Hearst Group appealed the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s decision to landmark to the City Council on Mar. 24, claiming that the LPC could only landmark structures and not subsurface areas like the shellmound site. 

The City Council was unmoved by the appeal and voted unanimously to designate the site as a city landmark on Nov. 14. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Saturday December 30, 2000


Saturday, Dec. 30

 

Bats of the World  

1 & 2:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Maggie Hooper, an educator with the California Bat Conservation Fund, will show slides, introduce three live, tame, and indigenous bats, and answer your questions about these fascinating creatures. Included in admission to the museum. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Kwanzaa Celebration 

4 p.m. 

South Branch Library  

1901 Russell St.  

Muriel Johnson of Abiyomi Storytelling is the featured storyteller at the library’s annual celebration which also includes a formal Kwanzaa ceremony.  

Call 649-3943 

 


Sunday, Dec. 31

 

Light Up the Lights! 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Popular songmeister Gary Lapow performs traditional holiday music from around the world. Included in price of museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 


Tuesday, Jan. 2

 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is the legal and judiciary system.  

Call 527-9772  

 


Wednesday, Jan. 3

 

Berkeley Communicators  

Toastmasters 

7:15 p.m. 

Vault Restaurant  

3250 Adeline St.  

Learn to speak fluently without fear or hesitation.  

Call Howard Linnard, 527-2337 

 

Commission on the Status of  

Women  

7:45 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

The Mayor’s special study group’s report on domestic violence and plans for international women’s day ceremonies for March, 2001 and other activities for Women’s History Month.  

 


Thursday, Jan. 4

 

Snowshoe Tours  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Catherine Stifter of Backcountry Tracks presents a slide-show on her favorite ski and snowshoe tours off Highway 49 between Sierra City and Yuba Pass. Free 

Call 527-4140 

 

Keeping Your Healthy  

Resolutions 

10:30 a.m. - Noon 

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit North Pavilion Cafeteria, Annexes B & C 

350 Hawthorne St.  

Oakland 

Sue Elderkin, physical therapist, will give tips on sticking to exercise resolutions for the new year and how to incorporate healthy practices into daily life.  

Call 869-6737 

 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Teddy Weiler and host Randy Fingland.  

644-0155 

 


Friday, Jan. 5

 

Zen Buddhist Sites in China 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Andy Ferguson, author of “Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings,” presents a slide show of Zen holy sites in China. Ferguson will read from the book and engage the audience in a brief meditation session. Included in museum admission. 

$6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

 

Taize’ Worship Service  

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Loper Chapel  

(adjacent to) First Congregational 

Church of Berkeley  

Dana St. (between Durant & Channing) 

Call 848-3696  

 

Compliled by Chason Wainwright


Letters to the Editor

Saturday December 30, 2000

Kids should eat lunch on campus 

Editor: 

Why doesn’t Berkeley High have food vendors or a cafeteria on campus?  If it’s because downtown business needs the sales, let them sell their food on campus. Berkeley High saw fit to spend millions on a new sports track but nothing on the basic necessity for a lunch program or cafeteria. Why must the Berkeley High School students be turned loose at lunchtime onto the streets of downtown Berkeley to disrupt and intimidate other citizens?  

The Berkeley High students roam downtown in large groups and will not yield to other pedestrians. They behave in a very aggressive manner: shouting, swearing, and spitting. I have been shoved off the sidewalk many times and seen it happen to many other pedestrians, especially the elderly. I have seen a half a dozen fist fights among the students downtown in the last year.  

Where is the supervision? For that matter I see large numbers of Berkeley High kids downtown all day long. I know of no other city that allows such behavior to be subjected upon it’s shopping district on a daily basis.  

I will not go to downtown Berkeley anymore on weekdays, it’s too threatening to be confronted by swarms of uncontrolled groups of rude hostile teenagers.  

Jay Wagner  

Berkeley 

 


Berkeley boys can’t handle Bulldog big men

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Saturday December 30, 2000

All season, the Berkeley High boys’ basketball team has been able to overcome its shortcomings: lack of height and little inside game. Among the Yellowjackets’ victories this season were an opponent with a 6-foot-11 center and a 6-foot-9 center. But Friday against powerful Oakland Tech, a bigger team finally solved the Berkeley defensive system. 

Using big guards to throw the ball over the top of the Berkeley full-court press, the Bulldogs (10-1) had little trouble getting the ball up the court. Once in a half-court set, they fed their twin big men, 6-foot-9 DeMarshay Johnson and 6-foot-7 Leon Rowe, for easy baskets in the paint, leading to a 74-58 Oakland Tech win. 

Rowe was instrumental in getting the Bulldogs an early lead, as he poured in 13 first-quarter points on his way to a 26-point game. 

“Leon Rowe is a tremendous force, and you have to defend him with your whole team,” Berkeley head coach Mike Gragnani said after the game. “It’s not fair to have one guy guard him.” 

The ’Jackets (8-5), on the other hand, started ice-cold, missing their first six shots. But senior wingman Louis Riordan hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, and Berkeley trailed just 18-14 at the end of the first quarter, despite the offensive avalanche by Rowe, who is just a sophomore. 

Berkeley got within a point of the Bulldogs at 20-19 with five minutes left in the first half, but they couldn’t tie the score, and the visitors pulled away slowly behind three straight buckets by point guard Kenneth Moore, who finished with 11 points. The Oakland Tech lead was 11 by halftime, and the ’Jackets wouldn’t get closer than nine points for the rest of the game. 

Part of the reason for the defeat was a poor shooting day by nearly every Berkeley player. Point guard Ryan Davis was just 3-of-12 from the floor, forward Ramone Reed hit just two of his seven shots, and the team combined to shoot 26-71 on the night. 

“We had good transition opportunities, but for some reason we pulled away from them,” Gragnani said. “We just weren’t aggressive with the ball.” 

Gragnani’s players had ample reason to avoid going inside, as Rowe had five blocks, including three within two minutes of the second quarter. After that impressive burst, the Berkeley players mostly settled for jumpers from the outside, safely away from Rowe’s and Johnson’s reaches. 

The one exception was guard Byron St. Jules. Usually noted for his tenacious defense, St. Jules wasn’t afraid to take the ball among the tall trees, hitting several layups over and around the Bulldog big men on his way to scoring 20 points. 

“B.J. was the one bright spot,” Gragnani said. “He played great, and he wasn’t affected by the big guys.” 

Berkeley now heads into league play, and the coach said he scheduled a tough game on purpose. 

“I felt this would be a good test to see where we are,” he said. “Obviously we’ve got some things to work on, but we’ll bounce back from this.” 

“I tell my players that a basketball season is like war. I’m comfortable going to war with these guys.”


Hepatitus C touches many, but funding is almost absent

By Erika Fricke Daily Planet Staff
Saturday December 30, 2000

Hepatitis threatens to become the next major epidemic in the United States. This dire warning comes from a source quite close to home, the 1999 Berkeley Health Status Report, authored by the city’s Health Department. 

But thus far no funding has been dedicated to education about the disease, and hepatitis C coordinators in Berkeley and Alameda County are patching programs together, seemingly out of thin air. 

Susan Black, the hepatitis C program coordinator for Alameda County, runs what she joked is “the lack of a program.” There are 28,000 people diagnosed with hepatitis C in Alameda County. According to Black, the disease is chronic for 23,000 among them and between 1,200 and 1,400 of these people will develop cirrhosis of the liver.  

The 1999 health study showed 102 cases of hepatitis C for 1998 in Berkeley, making it the second most prevalent communicable disease after chlamydia.  

“I think that what’s really crucial in that whole set of numbers,” said Black, “is that the government estimates that 75 percent of people infected don’t know.”  

Not knowing, she said, makes the risk of infecting others higher, and also means that people wait until the disease has progressed before beginning to take steps to limit its effects.  

Hepatitis C is transmitted through exposure to blood; its primary modes of transmission are from needle-sharing and, before blood was tested, from blood transfusions. The C virus is rarely transmitted sexually, unlike the hepatitis B virus. Blea said that in Berkeley they haven’t seen any cases of hepatitis C that were sexually transmitted. 

Former Assemblymember Audie Bock introduced legislation to fund hepatitis C programs, but the funding bill failed. 

“Part of what we heard is that there is not a very positive reception among the legislators to the problems of hepatitis C,” said Black. “Which is not surprising because hepatitis C is affecting the underdog population, an easy group of people to ignore.” Most new contractions of hepatitis C are transmitted through needle-sharing. Black said this leads people to see it as a “junkie” disease.  

Another problem with seeking funds, is the lack of treatment options. Currently a combination of drugs can be used to help treat the disease, but the patient has to be extremely stable due to the depression-inducing side effects. Lack of treatment may make the government hesitate to provide funds for education, which will increase the demand for testing. New testing demands will force the government to provide funds to test for a disease that legislators may perceive the medical community can’t do anything about. 

But testing is extremely important, said Blea. People who are positive can make important lifestyle changes to impact their health. “Anything that stresses the liver out can be very significant,” he said. This includes both alcohol use and stress. 

Blea said that about half the people the Berkeley program tests at its needle exchange and HIV prevention site are infected with the virus. This is still less than the 90 percent who test positive in the county testing project for high risk people.  

“What we have found is people who have shared needles any time from the 60’s on are at very high risk even if they stopped 20 years ago,” she said. “It’s a very efficient virus.” 

Catherine Swanson co-coordinates a hepatitis C education project at the Berkeley Free Clinic. She added that “hepatitis C can be transmitted through snorting drugs and sharing snorting equipment. People don’t get it. People are pretty clear from the past ten years that sharing needles is dangerous but they don’t realize that sharing straws is dangerous.” 

And, she added, “a lot more people snort than shoot up.”  

Hepatitis C can take between 10 and 20 years, before beginning to cause symptoms including jaundice, fatigue, and liver failure. The long dormant period helps explain the fact that the vast majority of Berkeley residents with hepatitis C are over the age of 30, and over half of them are 45 years old or older, said LeRoy Blea, AIDS director for Berkeley.  

Prior to 1992 blood wasn’t tested. Anyone who received a transfusion before that time may be at risk, said Blea. 

One particular group at high risk for hepatitis C are Vietnam veterans, because of the amount of needle use during the war, and transfusions that took place prior to blood screening. “It was a very bloody war,” said Black. 

In Berkeley, the hepatitis program targets syringe exchange sites, and STD and HIV clinics.  

Although they have no special funds for hepatitis C, public health nurses and community health outreach workers got together to learn about the virus so they could include information in their regular work. The manufacturer of a hepatitis C screening test donated free tests, and Blea got permission to use the HIV counselors to counsel hepatitis C positive people as well. But limited resources means only people who have shared injection needles can get screened without cost. Educators agree, eventually money must come from somewhere. 

But Black hopes that the money won’t be diverted from other important health projects. 

“One of the problems is people talk about using HIV funding,” she said. “It shouldn’t be this disease against that disease, it’s not the same disease, it’s not the exact same population, and it needs its own funding.” 

She wants funding for education and for screening. Otherwise, she said, “In another five years we’re going to have a huge bill for hospice care and all the problems that go with debilitating illness. If we pay later the price is going to be much higher.” 

 


Bears come back to top Yale in battle of the brains

By Dan GreenmanDaily Planet Staff
Saturday December 30, 2000

It wasn’t easy, but California overcame a halftime deficit to beat Yale 76-62 in the first round of the Golden Bear Classic Friday night in Haas Pavilion. 

Senior forward Sean Lampley scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second half as the Golden Bears fought back after trailing by four points at halftime. They improved their season record to 7-3 with their sixth consecutive victory. 

“I think we came out a little lax,” Lampley said. “I think we expected just to win probably because of their record or what league they are from. I knew from the get go that any team needs to prepare for any game the same way.” 

California, a heavy favorite going into the game, was outshot and outrebounded by Yale in the first half. The Golden Bears led by as much as seven late in the first half before the Bulldogs nailed three-pointers on three of their last four possessions.  

The Bulldogs now have a three-game losing streak and their season record fell to 2-7 with the loss. 

Yale kept the score close throughout the first half with strong shooting, especially beyond the arc. The team made 45 percent of its shots and 62 percent of its three-point field goals in the first half. However, as they failed to make shots in the second, Cal pulled away. 

“We didn’t have the effort in the first half,” said junior forward Ryan Forehan-Kelly, who finished with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting. “In the second half we came out harder and tried to get every loose ball and every rebound.” 

In the second half the Bears made 60 percent of their shots and forced nine Yale turnovers. They caught up early in the half and regained the lead, 43-42, with 16 minutes and 27 seconds left in the game. After senior center Neil Yanke scored on the Bulldogs’ next possession, Cal guard Brian Wethers converted on a layup to take a lead the Golden Bears would not give up for the remainder of the game. 

“In the second half we played better, but we still weren’t playing up to our capabilities,” Lampley said.  

Cal began to pull away late in the game when Forehan-Kelly made his fifth three pointer of the game with 4:17 left on the clock to go ahead 68-15. 

“We gave them a little trouble for a little while,” Yale coach James Jones said. “I thought what the difference was they kind of stepped it up on the offensive glass.” 

The Bears outrebounded the Bulldogs 17-10 in the second half. 

Junior center Solomon Hughes scored 11 points for the Bears and Wethers added 10. Chris Leanza led Yale with 20 points and six assists. 

The Golden Bears, looking to win their fourth Golden Bear Classic in the last five years, host 6-4 LaSalle Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game. LaSalle beat Lafayette 81-78.


Finding shelter from the storm

By Erika Fricke Daily Planet Staff
Saturday December 30, 2000

Esau Baxter got lucky this holiday period. His sister picked him up and took him to spend Christmas in Vallejo. For New Year’s luck has found him again – he’ll be spending Monday at the men’s shelter at the Veteran’s Memorial Building. 

Usually, Baxter sleeps outside, even though lately the weather has been so cold that he’s been waking up at about 3 a.m. He walks around, gets his blood circulating, and then can’t get back to sleep because of the chilly air. 

During the cold and rainy winter months the shelters serving Berkeley’s homeless can often be filled to capacity. This year the shelters have had regular rooms available, with up to five spots available for a new occupant each day. 

The opening of the Oakland Army Base with an extra 100 beds for the winter season has taken some of the pressure off the Berkeley shelters, and the weather has been another boon to those without a regular roof.  

The clear skies make it possible for people to stay outdoors, said Terry Kalahar, case manager for the Berkeley Emergency Food and Housing Project. And the outdoors can be preferable. 

“Most of our clients prefer sleeping outside,” said Leanell Austin, resource counselor for the Berkeley project. “Some of them are claustrophobic or have other issues,” she said, “so we try to give out sleeping bags.” 

Sleeping outside, said Kalahar, means “less tension, no rules. They want to do their own thing.”  

“Around this time we have a lot of them that feel the holidays are depressing,” said Austin. “This is sometimes a bad time for our clients.” 

This holiday season enough beds have been available so that people have been able to secure a space by calling one or two days in advance. Once someone has a bed, that person can keep it for 30 days. If someone spends more than two days outside, the person loses the bed to the next caller. But each client gets extra days to spend out of the shelter for the holi- days. People often take off for the weekends, said Kalahar, and the shelter may have five or six beds open on a Monday and then fill up by the end of the week. 

Baxter calls the Veteran Center shelter the “Cadillac of shelters,” because, he said, “It’s as comfortable as you can be in a shelter. You sleep in a bed, and they give you breakfast.” Also important, he said, was that the leave time is 7 am, unlike many shelters where sleepers must be woken up and out by 5 a.m. They then have to come back and get in line for breakfast at 9:30 a.m.  

Baxter, who has been homeless for two years, takes off his wire framed glasses when speaking about the difficulties of his situation. “It’s a struggle. You’re up a lot of hours and you’re on your feet.” Usually, he said, the shelter opens during the day so people can go in, take a shower, and drink a cup of coffee. When shelters don’t open during the daytime, he said, you have to spend the whole time outdoors, “where you can get into some mess.” 

Monday the shelter was closed during the day, so people who are sleeping outside won’t get the opportunity to get inside for a while. Which led Baxter to conclude that his best bet was to get a room that night. Eventually, he hopes to think beyond night by night dwelling, and find a permanent place, probably by using a roommate service to alleviate cost. 

“A lot of us don’t want to do that,” he said, “but hey, we’ve been living in shelters.”


Another accident at University & Shattuck

Sean Broadnax/Daily Planet Staff
Saturday December 30, 2000

Police officers and firefighters try to get to the bottom of a hit and run car accident at the notorious intersection of University Ave. and Shattuck Ave. The car pictured, a red 1988 Nissan DX, and the other car involved, described by police as an older model grey Ford Mustang, collided head-on in the intersection. The Mustang’s driver pulled over momentarily, then sped away from the scene.


Meals on Wheels needs volunteers

Bay City News Service
Saturday December 30, 2000

Berkeley’s Meals on Wheels representatives are thanking Bay Area volunteers for their help over the holidays, and reminding them that the elderly are in need of help all year. 

The Portable Meals Program, which brings hot meals to people 60 years and over in the Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville area, is seeking weekday help between 9 and 11 a.m. for packaging meals and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for delivery. A typical delivery route takes between 45 and 75 minutes. 

Those seeking more information or to volunteer their services can call (510) 644-8590.


DEA agent sentenced to a year for murder plot

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

EL CENTRO – A veteran agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration has been sentenced to a year in jail for attempting to hire one of his informants to run over his wife with a car. 

As part of a plea agreement, Jonas Raymond Montalvo, 44, was also sentenced Thursday in Imperial County Superior Court to six months of electronic monitoring and five years probation. 

Montalvo pleaded guilty Dec. 18 to solicitation to commit assault with a deadly weapon, said Joe Beard, an assistant district attorney in Imperial County, a rural area along the U.S.-Mexico border in Southern California. 

“Given the odd nature of the case, I think it was an appropriate sentence,” Beard said. 

Montalvo, who suspected his wife of infidelity, was taped by federal investigators hiring one of his informants from previous cases to run over his wife. In exchange, the agent agreed to buy the informant a $20,000 Ducati motorcycle, Beard said. 

But the prosecutor said it would have been difficult to establish for a jury that Montalvo wanted to kill his wife and hadn’t been influenced by the confidential informant, who cooperated with federal investigators and taped his conversations with the agent. 

Montalvo, who had been on administrative leave without pay from the DEA, will resign from the agency within a few days, said his lawyer, Chris Yturralde. The agent is expected to be released from jail in April with credit for time served since his arrest in September. 

“He’s going to try and rebuild his life,” Yturralde said. 

The agent worked for the DEA since 1988, investigating the activities of drug cartels based nearby in Baja California, Mexico. He held a supervisory position in the agency’s El Centro office.


New charges in abandonment case

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

SACRAMENTO – A 26-year-old Roseville woman accused of abandoning a newborn daughter in November also faces charges that she abandoned a newborn son nearly two years ago, officials said. 

Placer County District Attorney Bradford R. Fenocchio filed criminal charges Thursday against Stephanie Anne Winship for leaving “Baby Autumn” outside a Roseville hospital Nov. 24. 

She faces a felony count of child abandonment and misdemeanor child endangerment in Placer County in that case. 

Winship is also believed to be the mother of a baby boy found on the front steps of a Sacramento County home two years ago. She is under investigation by Sacramento County authorities for the unsolved January 1999 “Baby Jonathan” case. 

“We believe there is sufficient information for filing a criminal complaint against (Stephanie) Winship,” said Lt. John McGinness, Sacramento County sheriff’s spokesman. 

A person who answered the phone at the Winship home, as well as her lawyer, declined to comment on the charges. 

The mother’s identity remained a mystery until Roseville police received an anonymous tip two weeks ago, Detective Charles Veilleux said. 

Winship, who is married, concealed the latest pregnancy from her husband, family and friends, police said. 

Kevin Burdick, Winship’s court-appointed lawyer, declined to offer any details about her situation or potential defense. 

“I haven’t been able to talk to her in depth myself at this point,” Burdick said. “I don’t have the police report. I don’t even have the information that it’s been established that this baby is her baby. I want her side, eventually, to come out, and it will come out. But today is not the right time.” 

On Jan. 22, 1999, William E. Spoonemore, 80, who lived across the street from Winship, found a newborn boy wrapped in a blue towel. 

The infant was rushed to the hospital and released days later to an emergency foster home. Baby Jonathan was later adopted by a family that wishes to remain anonymous. 

“The good news is both children appear to be doing well physically and with the love and nurturing of good, supportive families, will continue to do so,” McGinness said. 

McGinness said the case will soon be referred to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. 

“Baby Autumn” was found about six weeks before a new state law takes effect that allows parents to leave their newborns inside hospitals without being prosecuted.  

The law also provides for a two-week cooling off period to give a parent an opportunity to retrieve a baby previously left at a hospital. 

But the law doesn’t go into effect until Monday.


Lessons learned shaped education secretary

By Jennifer Kerr Associated Press Writer
Saturday December 30, 2000

SACRAMENTO – If it weren’t for Mrs. Rutherford and the sheep, Kerry Mazzoni probably wouldn’t be advising the governor of California about education. 

Mrs. Rutherford was Mazzoni’s sixth-grade teacher at Oxford Elementary School in Berkeley. She taught students a lesson about democracy that Mazzoni says kept her from cutting short a career in state education policy. 

Though Mazzoni hasn’t worked in the classroom, she says teachers such as Mrs. Rutherford have been so important in her life that “education was a natural.” 

Mazzoni is now Gov. Gray Davis’ new education secretary. She started the job this month after six years in the Assembly, four chairing the Education Committee. 

Davis has made education the top priority in his first two years, pushing through new high school testing and a system of rankings, rewards and sanctions for test results. 

Mazzoni now becomes the governor’s main education spokeswoman, a position separate from the elected state school superintendent, Delaine Eastin. She runs the Department of Education. 

Davis won’t announce his education proposals for 2001 until early January. Mazzoni says the biggest needs still facing public education are qualified teachers, modern buildings and sufficient help for poor and limited-English children. 

Mazzoni is still settling into her new office. During an interview, she apologized for the bare walls, saying she would soon put up some of her favorite children’s art. 

Her family is the source of her education interest. 

Her father was vice principal and principal of Novato High School, from which she, her former husband and their two children all graduated. Her mother had an elementary teaching credential, but stayed at home to raise the kids. Her maternal grandmother taught first and second grades. 

“Always, the topic of public education was foremost in my home,” she recalls. 

After graduating from the University of California, Davis, Mazzoni worked for a short time in child care and Head Start programs for the Vallejo Unified School District. She and her husband started their family and she soon became a PTA mom. 

In 1987, Mazzoni won a seat on the Novato Unified School District board, where she served seven years. She says she first ran because the district was not creating enough choices for parents. 

“My desire was to have a system in which principals and parents and teachers would look at a child and say, ’Well, I think this program is best for this particular child,”’ Mazzoni says. “That hasn’t happened in California as it relates to public school choice.” 

This was before California’s 1993 charter school law allowed communities to create schools free of most state regulations, a policy Mazzoni supports. 

Fellow Novato board member Jeff McAlpin says he and Mazzoni differ politically — he’s more conservative — but agree that the state’s education standards should be rigorous. 

“I look for her leadership in this position,” he says. “If she can push and drag some people along, the state will be better for it.” 

McAlpin said California’s 1993 voucher initiative prompted Mazzoni to consider state government. She chaired the Marin County committee opposing the voucher initiative, which was defeated. 

“The more she got into it, the more involved she got,” McAlpin says. “That really kindled her interest in the broader view of state issues.” 

In 1994, Mazzoni decided to challenge the Democrat holding the Assembly seat that includes Marin and southern Sonoma counties. 

Incumbent Vivien Bronshvag had compiled a dubious record of speeding tickets and little else — Mazzoni and other local Democrats feared a GOP challenger would win the seat. With the fund-raising advantage of incumbency, Bronshvag hugely outspent Mazzoni. 

“I was pressured to get out of the race,” she says. 

That’s where she turned to the lesson taught by the late Mrs. Rutherford. 

The teacher secretly asked a popular girl to circulate a petition that the girl said would help Mrs. Rutherford. The students eagerly signed without reading it. Mrs. Rutherford then wrote the word “SHEEP” on the blackboard, saying that’s what the students were. The petition would have made things more difficult for the teacher. 

Her point: a citizen’s signature and vote are all-important. 

“I always had Mrs. Rutherford’s voice in the back of my mind,” says Mazzoni. “I refused to get out of the race.” 

She won the primary by 900 votes and went on to defeat her Republican opponent. 

Assembly Minority Leader Bill Campbell, who was vice chairman of Mazzoni’s Education Committee, says he liked how she required legislation to include a report on whether a proposed program really worked. 

“I have a very high regard for Kerry Mazzoni,” says Campbell, R-Villa Park. “She was fair and knowledgeable.” 

School groups also applaud Mazzoni’s selection. 

Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, also cites her experience in local and state education policy. 

“She’s on the right side of the issues,” Johnson says. “So we’re really happy with the appointment.”


State power companies could buy back plants

By Karen Gaudette Associated Press Writer
Saturday December 30, 2000

Utilities could exercise power of eminent domain, regulator says 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – Utilities should buy back the power plants they sold to out-of-state wholesalers to bring soaring power costs back to earth, a regulator said Friday at the emergency public hearings on California’s energy crisis. 

“I really think the utilities are going to have to exercise their powers of eminent domain and take back the plants,” said Jason Zeller from the state Office of Ratepayer Advocates. 

The utilities, which were required to sell the plants in the switch to a deregulated energy market, dismissed the notion as unfeasible. 

Aside from the political and legal hurdles, the utilities can’t afford to pay fair market value for the plants, said Christopher Warner, chief counsel for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 

“PG&E can not raise money any other way” than through rate increases, Warner said repeatedly at Friday’s hearing before the state Public Utilities Commission, which will vote Jan. 4 on raising electric rates. 

Gov. Gray Davis, whose appointees will have a majority on the commission as of next week, hasn’t taken a position on the buy-back idea, his spokesman, Steve Maviglio, said Friday. 

Consumer advocates suggested getting the money by selling stock, liquidating assets, or getting loans from the utilities’ parent corporations, which have combined assets $71.8 billion. 

Warner said none of these alternatives are realistic, and wouldn’t help maintain the utilities credit-worthiness, which is essential for buying power on borrowed money. 

Consumer advocates and utility officials agreed on at least one thing Friday: Raising electric bills for 25 million Californians will only be a temporary fix for the state’s energy crisis. 

Sharply higher bills would give the state’s largest investor-owned utilities enough borrowing power to put off bankruptcy and possible blackouts for a few more months. But utilities will still hemhorrhage money buying energy from out-of-state producers demanding unprecedented prices. 

“I think the generating community just sees California as a bank,” said Zeller. “And until somebody says, ’That’s enough,’ they’ll continue to do so.” 

PG&E and Southern California Edison have lost $9 billion and counting buying energy this year from wholesalers who have taken advantage of flaws in California’s partially deregulated energy market. 

PG&E officials told the PUC Friday that the 26 percent rate hike they want would only give them 5 percent of they’ll need from January to March to settle its deficit. 

SoCal Edison, which wants an immediate 30 percent hike, says its finances are similarly dire — and that it will need to raise rates by as much as 76 percent over the next two years. 

“PG&E needs enough cash and enough certainty that procurement costs will be recoverable,” PG&E lawyer Chris Warner told the commissioners. 

The PUC has said some rate hikes are necessary, but Davis reportedly drew the line at 10 percent in private negotiations with the utilities. 

Anyone thinking rate hikes are the answer should consider the case of San Diego Gas and Electric Co., which was allowed to raise rates this summer after selling off its energy plants, completing its transition to deregulation. 

Even though bills doubled and in some cases tripled for its 1.2 million customers, SDG&E President Debra Reed told the PUC that soaring wholesale prices mean its projected $420 million debt will grow substantially, putting it in the same situation as PG&E and SoCal Edison. 

All sides are hoping for federal intervention, and are waiting to see what the Bush administration will do. So far, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has declined to do anything that could be seen as derailing deregulation, and by all accounts, Bush isn’t likely to push price controls or dramatically intervene in California’s power problems. 

FERC has until Jan. 2 to respond to a SoCal Edison federal lawsuit that would force FERC to impose regional price caps on energy wholesalers. PG&E is preparing a similar suit. 

Meanwhile, rate hikes will enable the utilities to continue borrowing to buy power. Fifteen to 20 wholesalers have said they will no longer sell gas to PG&E because of its poor financial situation, and are only doing so now under federal order. 

“It is the cumulative effect of these (rate increases) that will give us the ability to borrow money,” said Walter Campbell, PG&E’s director of business and financial planning. 

According to documents made public at the PUC hearings, SoCal Edison has asked for rate hikes of 5 percent each six months for the next two years. These increases would kick in if SoCal Edison loses another $1 billion in the next six months — should the company make money, it would have to cut rates by 5 percent. 

If SoCal Edison continues to lose money over the two-year span, electricity prices could increase a total of 76 percent. 

Consumer advocates questioned utility executives sharply during the PUC hearing about what PG&E and SoCal Edison might have done to avoid getting into this financial mess. In particular, they noted the $115 million in dividends PG&E issued to shareholders in June. 

Walter said the payments were made to avoid injuring investor confidence, and that at any rate, they were inconsequential to the energy crisis, since it would have bought only a week’s worth of electricity.


Companies paying the price for years of rate cuts

By Ben Fox Associated Press Writer
Saturday December 30, 2000

Utility companies shut down power for first time in years 

 

SAN DIEGO – Rockview Dairies Inc. had a sweet deal on electricity. But it started to spoil in the heat of summer as the first wave of power shortages began to hit California. 

Rockview, a milk bottler in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, was one of about 1,000 companies that agreed to cut or reduce power use when state supplies fell below a certain limit in exchange for discounted rates from Southern California Edison. 

For seven years, the bottler saved $50,000 annually as Edison rarely asked for cutbacks. Last year, however, the company lost thousands of dollars in productivity as the utility, struggling to meet demand, told them to shut down for four hours more than a dozen times. 

“It’s become a real burden to me,” said Amos DeGroot, president of the family owned business that includes the Trader Joe’s food store chain among its customers. 

Hundreds of other businesses around the state are feeling the same burden and are now watching closely as the Public Utilities Commission tries to reshape the so-called interruptible service program, which granted discounts up to 20 percent in exchange for potential service cuts. 

A wave of businesses petitioned the PUC to get out of their contracts last year after being hit time and again with requests to curtail power use. The commission, fearing more stress on the statewide power grid if it couldn’t ask them for cutbacks, suspended the ability of customers to leave the program until March 31. 

In February, the PUC is expected to release new guidelines for the program, possibly providing new incentives for participants. Given California’s ongoing power-supply crunch, there’s no guarantee regulators will allow those large commercial users to return immediately to normal service, commission spokeswoman Kyle DeVine said. 

“We need these customers to remain in that interruptible program so we can keep the lights on for other people,” DeVine said. 

That could set up a conflict between businesses and the PUC because no amount of new incentives will satisfy some customers in the program, said Jim Conlan, vice president of governmental affairs for the California Small Business Association. 

“If you’re a manufacturer running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can’t afford even a blip in your power,” Conlan said. 

Meanwhile, companies are struggling with the shutdowns. An Oxnard bakery with 130 employees reported it loses $5,000 in wages and lost production for the first hour without power and another $3,000 for each additional one. 

A business that can’t cut its power use faces a steep fee. Edison increases the rate to $7 to $9 per kilowatt hour, up from 5 cents to 8 cents per kilowatt hour for businesses in the program. 

“Clearly, this level of interruption is very difficult for customers,” said Linda Ziegler, director of business and regulator planning for Southern California Edison, which supports allowing customers to exit the program or alter their agreements. 

In addition to the roughly 1,000 businesses in the Edison program, San Diego Gas and Electric offers it to about 120 customers, and Pacific Gas and Electric has 168. Until the PUC’s decision last fall, participants could opt out each November. 

Despite the problems, companies have reaped major benefits from the program. The PUC estimates the discounts have totaled at least $2 billion statewide since 1986. 

Given that history, some companies are likely to remain as interruptible customers. Rockview Dairies, which paid $170,000 to buy an emergency generator last month, probably will stay now that it has an independent source of power, DeGroot said. 

Even with the money for the generator and lost productivity, the company’s owner still feels he’s probably coming out ahead. 

“I’m not complaining because this did save me a lot of money,” he said. “It was my risk, and I took it.”


Court upholds California ban on some conjugal visits

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – California’s ban barring certain inmates from conjugal visits will stick, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. 

Based on security concerns, a 1995 law excluded conjugal visits from prisoners convicted of sex crimes, crimes carrying life sentences or violent crimes against family members or minors. 

A group of inmates and their loved ones challenged that rule, which does not affect other prisoners. They claimed it was an added penalty, which violates the U.S. Constitution’s ban on imposing new punishment for crimes already committed. 

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with the appeal.  

In 1998, a different three-judge panel of the same circuit ruled that changes in conjugal visitation eligibility did not violate the 8th Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. 

For three decades, inmates with good prison records have been granted almost unsupervised overnight visits with loved ones in prison cottages. Prisoner rights groups say conjugal visits foster good prison behavior.


Controversy continues over kava tea effects

By Jean Christensen Associated Press Writer
Saturday December 30, 2000

DUI cases thrown out, but prosecutors are still concerned 

 

HONOLULU – There are no waiters or waitresses at Hale Noa, a quiet cafe just off the main drag of Waikiki where the South Pacific elixir kava is the only brew served. 

Owner Keoni Verity makes his patrons belly up to the bar for bowls of the muddy-tasting drink. That way, he can see if they’re still walking straight after their third, fourth or fifth refill. 

“If they sit at a table and order many drinks without ever getting up, they sometimes don’t realize how the ‘awa is affecting them,” Verity said. 

The herbal root known as “awa” to Hawaiians, and kava throughout much of the South Pacific, is billed as a natural treatment for anxiety and insomnia. 

But prosecutors on the mainland and in Hawaii are concerned kava may be too relaxing for those drive after drinking it. 

Northern California has seen two such cases this year. 

This month, a San Mateo County judge tossed out a DUI case involving a man accused of drinking 23 cups of kava tea before climbing behind the wheel. Sione Olive was pulled over after weaving onto a highway shoulder. A similar case against a kava tea drinker from San Bruno ended in a mistrial earlier this year after jurors found not enough was known about the tea’s effects. 

The cases are believed to be the only of their kind in California, and among the first nationwide. 

Tea made from powdered kava root has long been used in cultural and religious ceremonies by immigrants from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and other South Pacific Islands, as well as by Hawaiians. 

Now, with its reputation as a natural alternative to muscle relaxants and anti-anxiety medicine, kava capsules, tablets and liquid are among the top-selling herbal remedies in the United States. 

Kava is not an illegal narcotic under Hawaii law and there is no identifiable movement to ban the substance, according to Keith Kamita, administrator of the state Narcotics Enforcement Division. 

But with kava bars proliferating here and on the mainland, Kamita said law enforcement officials are increasingly concerned about kava-influenced drivers. 

“Kava does have a sedating effect, especially when taken in the raw form from the root, and may cause a person to fall asleep while on the road or act as if they are intoxicated similar to as if they are on liquor,” Kamita said. 

Verity, 31, who opened Honolulu’s first kava bar last year, said the effects are generally the same for his patrons. They include college students, tourists and blue and white collar workers, many of them former South Pacific residents. 

”‘Awa in general relaxes and soothes and creates a mild sense of euphoria and expansion, and you can kind of see that in the way people slow down a little bit both in their movement and their speech,” he said. “People just generally get more mellow.” 

The flavor is “rather earthy,” he said. “Some describe it as being somewhat bitter.” 

Prices start at $3.50 a bowl. Sweeter varieties, made from wet rather than dried grounds, cost more. 

Hawaii law doesn’t explicitly ban driving while under the influence of kava, Honolulu Deputy Prosecutor David Sandler said. And Hawaii is not one of roughly 40 states that ban any substance impairing a person’s ability to drive, he said. 

Bills that would add Hawaii to that list of states have died in the Legislature in the past two years, Sandler said. 

“If you abuse kava, it’s the same thing as abusing alcohol,” he said. “The difference is in Hawaii we can’t prosecute it.” 

Sandler said he didn’t know of any specific cases of drivers getting into trouble after drinking kava. But he said it’s hard for police to gauge the extent of the problem because kava is not among the substances authorities test for when a driver is pulled over. 

“There have been times where we’ve had negative test results and we’ve wondered what the person was on,” Sandler said. 

Verity said the problem can be solved with public education and sound policies kava serving establishments. He said he does not serve anyone under age 20 and asks customers if they plan to drive. 

“One of the first things we do is caution against driving,” he said.


Bush nominee wants to ‘better’ use federal lands

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

Environmentalists worry as Norton proposes increased business access 

 

DENVER – Gale Norton remembers growing up in Colorado, hiking with her dog, watching elk in a grove of aspen trees and contemplating eternity gazing at jagged mountain peaks. 

When she looks at those resources now, President-elect Bush’s Interior Secretary nominee says she also sees an opportunity to make better use of the two-thirds of the nation’s lands in federal hands, and that includes business access. 

Environmentalists concede she knows her stuff and they worry about her priorities. While serving as Colorado’s first female attorney general, Norton made it clear in 1998 she favored a change in federal law that would allow polluters to avoid legal trouble if they turned themselves in and cleaned up the mess. 

“Companies are more likely to find out if they have environmental problems if there’s some hope regulators will work with them,” she said. 

She also went up against the federal government, opposing the U.S. Forest Service in its attempt to take over private and state water rights for bypass flows. 

During her eight years as attorney general, she gained a reputation for being tough as nails on crime, promoting changes to shorten death penalty appeals. 

Born in Wichita, Kan., the 46-year-old lawyer cut her teeth on environmental issues, going to work for James Watt at a Denver legal foundation before Watt went on to become President Reagan’s Interior secretary. 

In 1984, she went to Washington, where she worked as assistant to the deputy secretary in the Agriculture Department, and in 1985, she became assistant solicitor for conservation and wildlife at the Interior Department, where she worked to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. That became a key promise from Bush while running for president, and he refused to back away from it. 

In 1990, Norton beat Colorado Attorney General Duane Woodard and won re-election in 1994. 

A failed bid for the U.S. Senate in 1996 taught her a lesson about politics. She kept her day job while campaigning and went on to finish her term as attorney general. 

During the campaign, Norton’s pro-abortion views became an issue between her and Wayne Allard, who won the election. 

She also claimed that she could “bring the Reagan Democrats and independent voters home for a Republican victory,” but fell short. She said the “Reagan Revolution” was hobbled after the GOP lost the Senate in the 1986 elections. 

Norton said the loss of a sister to leukemia “taught me that we can never count on a second chance. There may never be another time to do what is important.” 

While serving as an adviser on growth issues to former Gov. Roy Romer, Norton urged the state to be careful about trying to direct growth, one of the major debates raging now over land-use policies. 

“I don’t think that the state or any government guesses particularly well in the long run. I am very reluctant to see state government get involved in directing where and how growth will take place,” Norton said in 1995. 

Environmentalists say Norton was not very aggressive on environmental issues and too willing to rely on local control and voluntary compliance. With disputes over air quality, oil drilling and other issues on the horizon, many of them are worried. 

“This is going to be a challenge for her, especially since she favors free market and local control solutions,” said Susan LeFever, spokeswoman for the Colorado chapter of the Sierra Club.


Ban on fetal tissue research ruled unconstitutional

By David Kravets Associated Press Writer
Saturday December 30, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – Arizona’s ban on fetal tissue research was ruled unconstitutional Friday by a federal appeals court, wiping out the nation’s last surviving ban on such practices. 

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the 1984 Arizona statute was too vague for doctors to know what type of medical experimentation or scientific investigation on aborted fetuses was illegal. The judges followed decisions overturning similar laws in Utah, Louisiana and Illinois. 

“Individuals must be given a reasonable opportunity to discern whether their conduct is proscribed so they can choose whether or not to comply with the law,” Judge Mary M. Schroeder wrote for the court. 

Research on aborted fetuses has been growing in controversy since 1993, when a ban was lifted on federal money used to study them. 

The University of Nebraska, Columbia University, Harvard University, Northwestern University, Rochester University and others have studied aborted fetuses. 

Anti-abortion groups claim such research is unethical and provides justification for abortions. Researchers, however, hope to find ways of preventing brain injuries through studying fetal tissue, which may help regenerate tissue damaged by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. 

Arizona’s law was challenged by the New York-based Center for Reproductive Law and Policy in 1996 on behalf of four Parkinson’s disease patients. Because of the law, they were unable to receive transplants of fetal brain tissue. Two Arizona affiliates of Planned Parenthood later joined the lawsuit. 

Studies suggest some fetal tissue transplants can produce dopamine, a substance in the brain that controls voluntary movement, and effectively treat Parkinson’s. It is a progressive neurological disorder stemming from a patient’s inability to produce the substance. 

“There are not any more laws that ban medical experimentation or investigation of fetal tissue,” said Bebe J. Anderson, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy. 

Arizona’s law barred the use of aborted fetal tissue or embryo for medical experimentation or scientific or medical investigation unless to perform a “routine pathological examination” or to diagnose a maternal or fetal condition that prompted the abortion. 

Arizona Right to Life President John Jakubczyk said the law was not vague and should stand. 

“We’ve got judges here making opinions about the statute, which is not vague in my opinion,” Jakubczyk said. 

The state also maintained the statute was clear. It argued that a doctor could avoid violating the law, which carries an 18-month sentence, by not performing any tests or procedures on aborted fetuses. 

“This argument ignores the exceptions built into the statute that creates the confusion,” Schroeder wrote. 

Schroeder, in upholding Arizona’s U.S. District Court Judge William Browning’s similar decision in September, said the law was unclear whether a doctor would violate the statute by performing a DNA examination on an aborted fetus to test for paternity, or to diagnose a medical condition unrelated to the patient’s decision to have an abortion. 

Lawyers in Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano’s office were reviewing the decision, spokeswoman Pati Urias said. She said the state was considering asking the court to review its decision. 

She added Arizona may consider new legislation to circumvent the panel’s ruling. 

In a concurring opinion, Judge Joseph T. Sneed was the only judge to address the issue of fetal tissue research, which he said could lead to new medical innovations.  

While he agreed the law should be nullified because of its vagueness, he called Arizona’s ban unjustified and said “a pregnant woman has a right to be free from state interference with her choice to have an abortion.” 

The case is Forbes vs. Napolitano, 99-17372.


Shifting faiths can make holidays uncomfortable

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – Coming home for the holidays can mean high stress for college students, who often discover that their families won’t accept the new identities they’ve forged at school. 

New majors, different career choices, body piercings, boyfriends; the list of particulars some parents object to can seem endless. 

But perhaps the most difficult family conflicts involve faith. And with religious activity growing in university communities, more college students than ever are finding trouble at home. 

“It’s a little daunting, explaining things to your parents that you’re not like them anymore,” said Frank Primus, a 23-year-old biology researcher at Stanford University who was raised Baptist but converted to Islam just before entering college. 

Faced with Christmas on Monday and Tuesday evening’s end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Primus decided to compromise this year, giving his family Christmas presents and asking for Eid al-Fitr gifts in return. 

“I’m at a new stage. I don’t think there’s a problem with respecting other people’s religions, especially my family’s.” 

Still, there’s no getting around the separate services for the two religions. Attending the Christmas morning services remains a tradition for his parents, and Primus goes alone to the Eid sermon and feast. 

Maintaining that kind of a separation from her family’s beliefs is a tough task for Rachel Suzuki, a University of California, Davis student. 

“I know that I’m going to be making decisions that are totally not going to make them happy, and in a way dishonor them. That’s the hardest thing, is not having the blessing,” she said. “I feel like I’m choosing between God and my family.” 

Now in her senior year, Suzuki says she found God the summer before starting college, and she’s thinking of working as a missionary after graduation. Her decision has bewildered her nonreligious family, and her father is trying to discourage her career plans. 

“It’s like, why on earth would you go and be an evangelical weirdo?” she said. 

But Suzuki and Primus are part of growing religious movements, and many of these students, who either strengthen their faith or change religions altogether, feel alienated in their childhood homes. 

“Students are accessing some kind of deep personal dimension of meaning in their life,” said Scotty McLennan, university chaplain at Tufts University. “We’ve just about doubled our traditional religious movement over the last 15 years at Tufts. The Catholic mass packs the chapel on Sunday nights.” 

Students seem to be turning toward a more lasting commitment to religion, said Conrad Cherry, a professor of religious studies at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. “They’re often looking for a kind of spirituality that appeals to them and their generation.” 

InterVarsity, a nationwide evangelical campus organization, has 32,000 student members, according to figures for the 1999-2000 academic year. More than 1,500 were new converts to Christianity. 

Many are so dedicated to their faith that they want to devote their lives to missionary work. About 20,000 young adults considering missionary careers are expected at a conference this week at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said InterVarsity spokesman Phil Evans. 

Janice McWilliams, a staff member at UC Davis Intervarsity, said dealing with parents who are upset with their children’s fervent interest in religion is a huge part of her job. The prospect of a son or daughter choosing missionary work as a career can be disappointing to parents who have different ambitions for their children. 

The initial stages of conversion are a trying time for all involved, and accepting the differences must go both ways, said Makin McDaid Abdulkhaliq, a Stanford graduate student who converted to Islam and took on Muslim names. 

“I think when people first convert, they take things very rigidly, and then as they get older, they learn to take all aspects of their life into what they’re doing,” he said. “I think some people don’t do it very diplomatically. I’ve kind of learned from my mistakes.” 

Xav Serrato, 19, was raised Roman Catholic and converted to Judaism over the summer. At college at the University of California, Berkeley, many of his friends are Jewish and volunteer as counselors at a Jewish camp. He decided to go with them. 

It’s important for him to make sure his family understands that he no longer follows their religion. 

“It’s their holiday, but I respect my family,” Serrato said, “as long as they know it’s not my holiday that I’m celebrating with them.”


Popular company uses unusual headquarters

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

LOS ANGELES – Hot Topic’s counterculture approach is evident at the industrial complex just east of Los Angeles where three stone gargoyles guard the entrance to the teen retailer’s headquarters. 

The gothic guardians sit above arched double dungeon doors that lead inside, where a black-clad receptionist named Serena — with streaked blond hair and a nose ring — cheerily greets visitors. 

Beyond Serena lies a 30,000-square-foot sea of desks and computers. In one niche, candles flicker in front of portraits of Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia and Kurt Cobain at a shrine to dead rockers. MTV streams from dozens of monitors throughout the building. 

This un-corporate-like headquarters belies a serious business. At a time of mixed performance for retailers catering to teens, investors have snapped up shares of Hot Topic with the ardor of music fans lining up for tickets to the latest Limp Bizkit concert. Wall Street is impressed with how Hot Topic’s tight inventory control, smart marketing and savvy research — including the use of employees as a sort of teen intelligence patrol — add up to some of the best growth in the retailing industry. 

Hot Topic Inc. shares have risen 77 percent this year as teens flock to its 274 stores to purchase its mix of extreme apparel, cutting-edge music CDs and odd sundries such as leopard-skin license-plate holders. 

Virtually all the inspiration for the product mix at Hot Topic stores comes from what’s happening in the alternative music and modern rock scene. The theory is that one of the main drivers of teen fashion is what popular musicians wear. Hot Topic has grabbed this slice of the market outside the mainstream. Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera wannabes best shop elsewhere. 

Orval Madden, 51, a former senior vice president of children’s clothes at Federated Department Stores, opened the first Hot Topic 11 years ago to sell the types of clothes and fashions kids saw on music videos. 

His concept worked and attracted outside funding for expansion into what is now 45 states. The company first sold stock to the public in 1996 and has a market value approaching $400 million. 

Lack of debt, strong cash flow and soaring earnings have powered the Hot Topic stock through one of the worst Nasdaq stock markets in almost two decades. That’s in contrast to many of the retailers catering to the teen and early-20s market. 

“It was a tough spring and summer for teen retailers,” said Elizabeth Pierce of Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles. “Nothing was driving store traffic. There was a lack of newness, a feeling of sameness.” 

Not at Hot Topic. Indeed, it is the company’s contrarian approach, its willingness to cater to underground teen cultures such as punk, goth and rave that has set the chain apart. 

“There’s not another store in the Laguna Hills Mall where you can get belts with spikes, shirts that say ’So many boys, such little minds,’ and T-shirts for like Nine Inch Nails and Blink-182,” said Ariana Sandoval, an 18-year-old shopper from nearby Mission Viejo. 

“Music too loud? Just buy a gift certificate,” reads the sign outside the Hot Topic store in Laguna Hills, as the heavy-metal sound of the Deftones blasted into the mall from the store’s interior, a brick-and-concrete design Hot Topic describes as “club/industrial.” 

Shannon Tucknies, a bright-smiled assistant manager with fuchsia hair, works the cash register — the hair dye is one aisle over and is good for 20 washes, she informs a visitor. 

The shoppers’ sense of kinship with the clerks results from one of the savviest uses of grass-roots market research in the retailing industry, according to analysts. 

Tucknies not only sells a customer a $40 sweat shirt emblazoned with the Deftones’ “White Pony” CD logo, along with a $17 Slipknot T-shirt with portraits of the band’s eight members on the back — she also keeps tabs on what young people are wearing, how they act and what they listen to at local concerts. 

Hot Topic buys concert tickets for employees if they write a fashion report detailing what they observe at the concert. 

“We ask them what the band was wearing, what the fans wore, which of our products did they see? Did they see any products that we should carry?” said Elizabeth McLaughlin, 39, the chain’s president and chief executive. 

“Being in touch with the consumer is the key to our success. And we have found that if you ask teen-agers what they think, and you are willing to listen, you will get more information than you can comprehend,” said McLaughlin, a former Millers Outpost executive who joined Hot Topic in 1993 when it had only 15 stores. 

“We are selling to the kids who want to be first with a fashion,” said McLaughlin. “When it starts to show up in other specialty stores we move out of it.” 

Hot Topic plays a constant game of chicken with its inventory, holding off orders until the last minute and distributing goods to its stores based upon sales trends just days old. 

Analysts say Hot Topic’s grass-roots approach to fashion places it closer to its youthful customers than more traditional retailers, 

Such a system leaves the chain vulnerable to not having enough merchandise to ride a hot trend to its peak, but also reduces its risk of having stacks of leftovers it can move only through markdowns. 

McLaughlin said she’s willing to give up some sales for an element of control in what is a notoriously fickle market. “What teens like today is history three months from now,” she said. 

With sales at Hot Topic stores averaging $632 per square foot, one of the highest ratios in the industry, she’s not about to change a winning formula. 


Failing corporation blames cheap imports

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

CLEVELAND – Troubled steel producer LTV Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection Friday but reached a stopgap financing deal that averted an outright shutdown. 

Blaming unfairly priced imports for driving steel prices to 20-year lows, the company said it got an infusion of cash from Chase Manhattan Corp. to avoid laying off all of its 18,000 employees. 

“We have been able to reach an agreement with Chase whereby we will not be closing any facilities. We will be continuing operations until we work out a more formal financial arrangement,” LTV chairman William Bricker said. 

Bricker spoke after an hour-long meeting with Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White and U.S. Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. 

At the same time, LTV lawyers were wheeling six boxes of documents into federal court in Youngstown to file for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. 

The New York Stock Exchange halted trading of LTV stock on Thursday at 34.4 cents a share after the company warned that it was considering filing for protection from creditors. 

The filing would give LTV a second chance to reorganize its finances. LTV emerged in 1993 from seven years of U.S. Bankruptcy Court protection. 

The Cleveland-based LTV has 18,000 employees and hasn’t turned a profit since 1997. 

Like many other steelmakers nationwide, LTV has struggled recently, posting a loss of $80 million in its third quarter. The company previously announced it would eliminate 26 percent of its jobs, or 3,400 positions, over three years. 

Bricker had said Thursday in a letter to city officials that LTV had expected to secure $225 million in loans from Chase in order to prevent shutdowns, but that the bank had backed out. On Friday, Bricker did not say why the bank decided to go ahead with a deal after all. Chase officials also declined to comment. 

Market conditions for Ohio’s steel producers have weakened considerably since midyear because of falling prices, record imports and weakening demand, according to the Ohio Steel Council, a trade group. 

Kucinich, a Democrat whose district includes LTV’s Cleveland mills, planned to appear with other company supporters in federal court. 

“I think it’s important that everyone in the political and civic and financial community is aware of LTV’s situation, and I’m certainly contacting everyone I know to try to try to be of help to LTV,” he said. 

On Thursday, the U.S. International Trade Commission decided Thursday there was evidence that the nation’s steel industry has been “materially injured” by subsidized and underpriced imports. The commission is considering whether to impose additional duties on imports from Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakstan, the Netherlands, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and Ukraine.


Berkeley wins physical game with late goal

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

Three years in a row, the Washington (Fremont) boys’ soccer team has come to Berkeley with a perfect record. Three years in a row, they have gone home losers. 

“Every year they come in here and we break their hearts,” said Berkeley midfielder Tiago Venturi following the Yellowjackets’ 1-0 victory over the visiting Huskies on Thursday. “I can see why they would be upset.” 

That frustration was apparent for much of the second half of the game, as Washington’s player started going into tackles harder and harder whether or not they had a chance for the ball. It wasn’t a big surprise when Husky defender Kyle Emmitt was given a yellow card for a foul; but when Emmitt ripped off his jersey on the way off the field, he earned a red card and an ejection with 15 minutes left to play. Mysteriously, Washington put in a substitute and continued to play with a full squad. 

The extra man didn’t matter a minute later, however, when Kamani Hill, Berkeley’s freshman forward, scored the goal of the young season. Hill took a feed from fellow freshman Jose Cipres at the top of the goal box, flicked the ball up and connected on a bicycle kick that slipped just inside the left post for the game’s lone goal. 

“I just flicked it up and went for it,” said Hill, who also celebrated his 15th birthday on Thursday. “It’s pretty good for my first goal as a 15-year-old.” 

The ’Jacket victory ruined Washington’s perfect 9-0 record, and put Berkeley at 7-4 on the year. 

“We knew going into the game that they would be big and fast and strong,” said Berkeley head coach Eugenio Juarez. “They definitely weren’t afraid to go in hard on our players.” 

One egregious example of that willingness came early in the second half. Berkeley goalkeeper Todd Wagner had collected a long ball into his box and rolled the ball to one of his players. Despite the absence of the ball, a Washington player ran by and clipped Wagner, sending him sprawling to the ground and the Berkeley players and fans into a rage. Despite the empassioned pleas of ’Jacket captain Cameron Parkinson, the referee swallowed his whistle and allowed play to continue. 

“It’s part of the referee’s job to protect the ‘keepers,” Juarez said. “I don’t know what they were looking at.” 

That episode was just one of many in the second half, as players from both sides began flying around the field with abandon. 

“They got frustrated as the game went on, and they got more physical,” Venturi said. “When that happens, we have to control ourselves and not get caught up in it.” 

The first half of the game was largely uneventful, with each team getting just one shot on goal. But Berkeley came out on the offensive to start the second half, as Washington goalkeeper Luke Albertelli fumbled a shot from Hill. Ilann Messeri beat the stumbling Albertelli to the ball, but the ‘keeper got a hand on Messeri’s first attempt, and the second was cleared off of the line by Washington sweeper Kyle Frazier. 

Less than a minute later, Albertelli came off his line to punch away a Venturi cross over Berkeley’s Liam Reilly. Soon after that, Hill split two defenders and chipped the ball just over the crossbar, to the relief of an out-of-position Albertelli. Later, Hill headed a cross off of the left post of the Washington goal, but midfielder William Vega couldn’t put away the rebound and the game remained scoreless. 

The Yellowjackets next face St. Ignatius (San Francisco) in a scrimmage on Jan. 2. 

 

Correction: a story in the December 26 issue of the Berkeley Daily Planet said Berkeley High’s Amadeo Alvarez scored three goals against Encinal. Alvarez did not play in the game. Tiago Venturi was the player in question.


Friday December 29, 2000

By Emily Judd 

 

A while back I read an article in the Daily Planet about my Dad fixing bikes. I want to let people know about a very close friend named Mrs. Reed who has helped California Street a lot.  

Mrs. Reed moved into her house on California St. in 1975, two or three years before my parents moved in. She tried to keep up the house, since her landlord couldn't afford to fix anything. The plumbing was one of the problems. After 20 years, she gave up and moved out. 

When she moved in, there was a hippie bus park on the street. They ran electrical cords from the corner house to their buses. At night, people would trip on the cords since it was so dark on that section of sidewalk.  

Mrs. Reed called the city to ask for a ladder and work clothes so she could install a street light since they wouldn't. The threat got the city to put in a new streetlight.  

Her complaints also solved other problems such as: the hippies using her front yard as a bathroom; holes left by sloppy street construction; people dumping trash in the street; and people sitting on the apartment rails and selling dope. 

People used to park blocking her garage. She asked the city if she could paint the curb red. They said yes.  

Mr. Harvell used to own a store on the corner. He had the same sort of problem but had been shy of doing the marking himself. So she called the city and asked them to do it. When she came home from work one day, a man named Mr. Neiheim phoned to say “Have you seen the grocery store?” She looked and the city had painted the curb as a loading zone as she had asked. 

Though she didn't get much formal education many people might wish to be like her. Mrs. Reed is the kind of person who doesn't ignore the neighborhood. Instead, she watches out for it. Her mom said she would grow up to read people and she does.  

She didn't get much schooling because she grew up on a sharecropping farm. She got a job in a mortuary arranging bodies for the embalmer, she modeled clothes, and she's taken care of kids. She knew me before I was born. She loves kids, and has been a great friend to me and my whole family (otherwise I wouldn't be writing this). 

Emily Judd is 10 and lives in Berkeley 

 

Where’s the audit?  

Dear Editor: 

The California PUC was going to do an audit of PG&E’s claims of poverty. What were the findings? 

Did the audit investigate the overhead costs at PG&E? How does PG&E compare with other investor owned utilities (IOU’s) around the country? Are they overloaded with executives? Does this include the employees of subsidiary companies? How many attorneys are being carried as employees? What is the status of slush funds for tree trimming and under grounding, and are those funds drawing interest? 

Are PG&E costs still built into the rate base and how does this affect their profit and loss results? Do the costs increase as the gas and electricity move through PG& E subsidiaries? Do employees get duplicate payments from subsidiaries? 

Does PG&E write off the costs of their facilities from their tax bills to local, state and federal governments? Is there duplication of any write offs?  

Does PG&E promptly replace or refurbish any facilities which have been written off at the end of their useful period? Are the power poles written off after fifteen years with a nail showing installation date? Won’t rotten poles fall over in strong winds and quakes? 

Will PG&E’s facilities be out of service after a really big earthquake? Was this overlooked in the rush toward deregulation? 

Finally, what is PG&E’s attitude toward local firms that want their own cogeneration (on-site power generation) facilities? Has PG&E discouraged cogeneration, which gets double use of energy for electricity and for heating and/or air conditioning? Don’t cogeneration sites function better after an earthquake and avoid the line loss of carrying electricity long distances? Don’t countries like Germany and Sweden, generate 35 to 50 percent of their electricity right on site with lower costs? 

Answers to these questions are needed to understand PG&E’s situation. 

Charles L. Smith 

Berkeley 

 

Kudos for local utility research 

The Daily Planet received this letter to the Berkeley City Council: I want to express my support and respect for your 8-1 decision last night in regard to Municipal Utility Services. The research by the Energy Commission will certainly tell us what the pros and cons are for our city to take control of its electrical power. I thank Lina Maio for her proposal on this. If any city can overcome obstacles to benefit its citizens, Berkeley is the one to do it.  

While this utility crisis is more severe for some people than others, it is a crisis for most of us in some way. People nowadays have additional hardships: Increased housing costs, taxes, HMO payments, increased transportation costs, after school care for children, college costs, medicines and medical care costs not covered by insurance, etc.  

Being comfortable in one’s own home is a right, not a privilege. I was absolutely shocked at Polly Armstrong’s remark that she would vote against the research as “Berkeley has trouble dealing with what we have on our plate and we don’t need to be an energy company.” Five minutes later she went on at length to praise the Arts on Addison St. - theater companies, restaurants with music and other forms of entertainment with ample city funding and support for this privilege.  

I am in district eight and I doubt that my neighbors would be so blatantly disrespectful and unconscious of the majority of citizens here. I believe that district eight would support the research to see if it was feasible for Berkeley to have its own municipal utility service.  

I understand that several cities have established their own service and each can be contacted to see how they did it. I would urge Polly Armstrong to join the city council and keep in mind that her district does have a cross section including fixed incomes, senior residents, college students, retired people, fully-employed households, high house payments and taxes, after school child care, etc.  

Thank you again.  

Jae Scharlin 

Berkeley 

Missed the point 

Editor: 

I am surprised, Editor Scherr, that you allowed your reporter to miss the point in his reporting of the resolution to support the City Council boycott against the Pasand Madras restaurant on Dec. 19. The vote was 7 - 2! 

The most important issue that escaped your reporter’s attention is that of global sex slavery. Never once did your reporter bring the following to the attention of your readers: The U.S. State Department issued a report in 1999 that at least 50,000 women from Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe are being sold as sex slaves and laborers each year into the U.S. Over two million are forced into sex slavery worldwide.  

Trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the form of prostitution, “escorts,” “mail order brides,” and pornography is the favored illegal trade activity, now replacing even drug trafficking.  

These women are deceived by traffickers into leaving their countries, believing they will be offered work, and end up living in slave conditions, causing many to be injured and die. Sex trafficking harms women of all races and ethnic groups.  

Here was your chance to reveal this heinous crime against women to all your readers and you chose to support this man.  

BJ Miller 

Berkeley


Calendar of Events & Activities

Compiled by Chason Wainwright
Friday December 29, 2000


Friday, Dec. 29

 

Earthcapades 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Join Hearty and Lissin as they blend storytelling, juggling, acrobatics, and more, to entertain and teach about saving the environment. Included in museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 


Saturday, Dec. 30

 

Bats of the World  

1 & 2:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Maggie Hooper, an educator with the California Bat Conservation Fund, will show slides, introduce three live, tame, and indigenous bats, and answer your questions about these fascinating creatures. Included in admission to the museum. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Kwanzaa Celebration 

4 p.m. 

South Branch Library  

1901 Russell St.  

Muriel Johnson of Abiyomi Storytelling is the featured storyteller at the library’s annual celebration which also includes a formal Kwanzaa ceremony.  

Call 649-3943 

 


Sunday, Dec. 31

 

Light Up the Lights! 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Popular songmeister Gary Lapow performs traditional holiday music from around the world. Included in price of museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 


Tuesday, Jan. 2

 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is the legal and judiciary system.  

Call 527-9772  

 


Wednesday, Jan. 3

 

Berkeley Communicators  

Toastmasters 

7:15 p.m. 

Vault Restaurant  

3250 Adeline St.  

Learn to speak fluently without fear or hesitation.  

Call Howard Linnard, 527-2337 

 

Commission on the Status of  

Women  

7:45 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

The Mayor’s special study group’s report on domestic violence and plans for international women’s day ceremonies for March, 2001 and other activities for Women’s History Month.  

 


Thursday, Jan. 4

 

Snowshoe Tours  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Catherine Stifter of Backcountry Tracks presents a slide-show on her favorite ski and snowshoe tours off Highway 49 between Sierra City and Yuba Pass. Free 

Call 527-4140 

 

Keeping Your Healthy  

Resolutions 

10:30 a.m. - Noon 

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit North Pavilion Cafeteria, Annexes B & C 

350 Hawthorne St.  

Oakland 

Sue Elderkin, physical therapist, will give tips on sticking to exercise resolutions for the new year and how to incorporate healthy practices into daily life.  

Call 869-6737 

 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Teddy Weiler and host Randy Fingland.  

644-0155 

 


Friday, Jan. 5

 

Zen Buddhist Sites in China 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Andy Ferguson, author of “Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings,” presents a slide show of Zen holy sites in China. Ferguson will read from the book and engage the audience in a brief meditation session. Included in museum admission. 

$6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

Taize’ Worship Service  

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Loper Chapel  

(adjacent to) First Congregational 

Church of Berkeley  

Dana St. (between Durant & Channing) 

Call 848-3696  

 

“Waiting for Godot” 

8 p.m. 

La Val’s Subterranean  

1834 Euclid (at Hearst) 

Presented by Subterranean Shakespeare and directed by Yoni Barkan, director of last summer’s “A Midsummers Night Dream.”  

$8 - $12  

Call 234-6046 

 

 

 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright


Eco Park to offer recycled goods

Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

By Dan Greenman 

Daily Planet Staff 

 

A one-stop recycling “mall” where people can drop off or pick up used computers, old household appliances and scrap metal will soon be in full operation in southwest Berkeley. 

Urban Ore, a recyclable materials center, partially relocated one year ago from a site at Gilman and Sixth streets to a warehouse building at 900 Murray St. Its plans are to team up with similar businesses to create an Eco Industrial Park of “green” businesses. 

“The concept of an Eco Park is to bring together companies that are similar in that they recycle and reuse products,” said Ted Burton, economic development project coordinator for the city, who has helped Urban Ore set up the Eco Park. “When they are sharing space they can also share information and sell products to each other.” 

When the Eco Park is complete, a group of local businesses will operate out of the 47,000-square-foot building. Another building may be relocated to the two-acre site to create even more usable space. 

Earlier this year Urban Ore owner Dan Knapp established a seven-person design team of contractors and architects to draw up plans for the new location. Urban Ore then negotiated with the city for five months over architectural and seismic issues for the building. 

Urban Ore has moved only part of its operation to the site. In September it received permits to move the rest of its business as well as other businesses to Murray Street. 

“We had estimated it would take less time to get the permits at the start,” Knapp said. “We were surprised at the amount of changes that we went through.” 

The building still needs a seismic retrofit before Urban Ore can finish moving in. 

“Our first order of business is to get code work done on the main building so we can move the rest of our business there,” Knapp said. 

Burton said the seismic retrofit alone will cost about $800,000. 

While no leases have been signed yet to move other business into the building, a few have been named as possible partners. 

“There are other businesses that want to be a part of the Eco Park, and we want them to be in there,” Knapp said.  

Urban Ore is working on a permit that will allow the Computer Resource Center, an Alameda County nonprofit business that collects used computers, to relocate to the site. Berkeley Neighborhood Computers, a business that gives computers to low-income residents, is also planning to join the Eco Park. 

“We want to be part of that community of recyclers,” said Bill Mack, director of Berkeley Neighborhood Computers. “It’s great if people can bring used computers and other things to be reused to the same place at the same time.” 

Mack said Berkeley Neighborhood Computers should move to Murray Street from its current San Pablo Avenue location in a matter of months, but no specific date has been set. 

“We are hoping to move as soon as possible because it will be a much better location for us,” he said. 

Work on the main building will cost approximately $1.4 million, which Urban Ore will fund, Knapp said. The business already has a $200,000 contract with the state and Knapp said he expects the city and county to contribute money as well. 

Urban Ore signed a lease for the Murray Street location on Dec. 22, 1999 and started moving some of its business across town a week later. It finished moving two sections of the business (Building Materials Exchange and Salvage and Recycling, a scrap management section) to the new site in February.  

Urban Ore’s other three sections, which buy, sell and trade materials – The General Store, Arts and Media Exchange, and Hardware Exchange – are still located at 1333 Sixth St. Knapp said all of Urban Ore should be relocated by the end of next year.


Arts & Entertainment

Friday December 29, 2000

 

Habitot Children’s Museum  

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue  

647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

“Back to the Farm.”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. $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. 

Judah L. Magnes Museum  

2911 Russell St.  

549-6950  

“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. “Second Annual Richard Nagler Competition for Excellence in Jewish Photography” Through Feb., 2001. Featuring the work of Claudia Nierman, Jason Francisco, Fleming Lunsford, and others.  

 

UC Berkeley Art Museum  

2626 Bancroft Way 

“Amazons in the Drawing Room”: The Art of Romaine Brooks through Jan. 16, 2001  

Predominantly a portrait artist, Brooks paintings were influenced by elements of her life and are a visual record of the changing status of women in society. “Tacita Dean/MATRIX 189 Banewl” through Jan. 28, 2001 A film instillation by British conceptual artist Tacita Dean of the total solar eclipse of Aug. 11, 1999. Wednesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Open Thursdays til 9 p.m.  

 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Gallery  

2625 Durant Ave. 

“Continuous Replay: The Photographs of Arnie Zane” through Jan. 8, 2001 

Best known as the cofounder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Zane began his exploration of the human form through photography. 

 

The Asian Galleries  

642-0808 

“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. 

 

UC Berkeley Museum of  

Paleontology  

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley  

“Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 by 40-foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur 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 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology  

Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College Ave.  

643-7648  

“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.“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. 

 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

642-5132 

“Earthcapades,” Dec. 29, 1 p.m. Hearty and Lissin blend storytelling, juggling, acrobatics and more to entertain and teach about saving the environment. “Bats of the World,” Dec. 30, 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Maggie Hooper of the California Bat Conservation Fund shows slides, introduces three live bats, and answer questions about these animals. “Gary Lapow's Light Up the Lights!” Dec. 31, 1 p.m. A performance of traditional holiday songs from around the world celebrating Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas. “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. “In the Dark,” through Jan. 15, 2001. Plunge into darkness and see amazing creatures that inhabit worlds without light. “Vision,” Jan. 20 - April 15, 2001. Get a very close look at how the eyes and brain work together to focus light, perceive color and motion, and process infomation. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. “ChemMystery,” through Jan. 1, 2001. The LHS becomes a crime scene and a science lab to help visiting detectives to solve two different crime scenarios. Call 643-5134 for tickets  

$7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4 

 

Holt Planetarium  

Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “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.  

 

Music 

 

924 Gilman St. 

525-9926  

All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted 

$5; $2 for a year membership 

Dec. 29: Nerve Agents, American Nightmare, Kill Me Kate, PBR Streetgang; Dec. 30: The Unseen, F-Minus, Intreped A.A.F., Broken Society, Stockyard Stoics; Dec. 31, 1 p.m.: Crucial Section, W.H.N.?, Scott Baio’s Army, Godstomperl; Jan. 5: Remnants, The Clumsy Bears, Eleventeen, Whorange, Tear It Up, Fast Times; Jan. 6: The Locust, Beautiful Skin, National Acrobat, The Pattern, Heart of Snow 

 

Ashkenaz  

1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman)  

525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Dec. 29: Surco Nuevo, 9:30 p.m., $11; dance lesson with Felipe Martinez, 8:30 p.m.; Dec. 30: Legion of Mary with Martin Fiero, New Monsoon, 9 p.m., $10; Dec. 31: Balkan New Year's Eve Party, 8 p.m.; featuring Vassil and Maria Bebelekov, Edessa, Anoush, Joe Finn. $12; Jan. 11: Benefit concert for Food First featuring: Ten Ton Chicken, Tree o’ Frogs, The David Thom Band and Buffalo Roam, $10 - $15  

 

Eli’s Mile High Club  

3629 MLK Jr. Way Oakland  

All shows at 8 p.m.; Dec. 29: Little Johnny & the Giants; Dec. 30: Carlos Zialcita; Jan. 5: Scott Duncan; Jan. 6: Takezo; Jan. 12: Ron Hacker; Jan. 13: Frankie Lee; Jan. 19: Craig Horton Blues Band; Jan. 20: Jimmy Mamou; Jan. 26: Carlos Zialcita; Jan. 27: Mark Hummel 

 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St.  

548-1761  

All shows begin at 8 p.m. 548-1761 

Dec. 29: Peppino D’Agostino (Italian fingerstyle guitar); Dec. 30: Oak, Ash & Thorn (A Cappella of british isles); Dec. 31: New Year’s Bluegrass Festival with High Country, Jim nunally, Bill Evans & Eric Thomas; Jan. 5: Beth Custer Dona Luz 30 Besos; Jan. 6: The Waybacks; Jan. 7: The Joyce Todd Trio 

 

Albatross Pub  

1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473  

All shows begin at 9 p.m., unless noted.  

Dec. 31, 10 p.m. - 1 p.m.: Dave Widelock Jazz Trio 

 

Crowden School  

1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 559-6910 

Sundays, 4 p.m.: Chamber music series sponsored by the school.  

 

Jazzschool/La Note 

2377 Shattuck Ave.  

845-5373 

All shows at 4:30 p.m.Tickets are $10 - $12  

Jan. 14: Afro-Jazz with Pascal Bokar ; Jan. 21: The BlueJazzHouse Party with Brenda Boykin and The Eric Swinderman Quartet  

 

Cal Performances  

Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley 

642-9988 or www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Jan. 19, 8 p.m.: Gospel ensemble The Mighty Clouds of Joy and The Campbell Brothers, $16 - $28; Feb. 2 & 3, 8 p.m.: Allee der Kosmonauten by Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz with video installations by New York artist Elliot Caplan, $20 - $42; Feb. 4, 4 p.m.: Russian National Orchestra, $30 - $52  

 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra  

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

Jan. 31, April 3, and June 21, 2001. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96  

 

Klesmeh! Festival  

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. 

415-454-5238  

Dec. 23, 8 p.m. A Hanukkah concert of Klesmer music and its mutations, featuring the San Francisco Klesmer experience. Hosted by Berkeley monologist/comedian Josh Kornbluth. $18 advance, $20 door; $16 kids and seniors  

 

“Flamenco Fiesta” 

Cafe de la Paz 1600 Shattuck Ave.  

843-0662  

Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. Dancer Lourdes Rodrigues and guitarists Keni “El Lebrijano” and David Gutierrez will perform along with additional dancers and singers Kati Majia and Sarita Ayala in a dinner show and a midnight countdown show.  

Tickets for dinner show, $50. Tickets for midnight countdown show, $21 (midnight countdown show begins at 11 p.m.) 

 

“Sing for Hope”  

First Congregational Church, 2435 Channing Way (at Dana) 655-3435 

Jan. 12, 8 p.m. The second annual event features an evening of arias and Broadway show tunes sung by seven of New York’s young rising opera stars. All proceeds benefit the Center for AIDS Services, a nonprofit day center in Oakland for people with HIV and AIDS.  

$35 performance only, $50 performance & post-concert reception 

 

Dia de los Reyes Concert  

St. Joseph the Worker Church 1640 Addison  

(415) 431-4234  

Jan. 13, 8 p.m. Performing will be Coro Hispano de San Francisco and Conjunto Nuevo Mundo with the Jackeline Rago Ensemble de la Pena. $ 12 - $15  

 

Theater 

 

“Dinner With Friends” by Donald Margulies  

Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St.  

845-4700, www.berkeleyrep.org  

Through Jan. 7, 2001 

$15.99 - $51 

 

“The Weir” by Conor  

McPherson Aurora Theater  

Company  

Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave.  

843-4822  

Through Dec. 30, Tuesday - Saturday, 8 p.m. ; Sunday, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. 

$30 

 

“Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett  

Subterranean Shakespeare La Val’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid (at Hearst) 

234-6046  

Jan. 5 through Feb. 3, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. 

$8 - $12 

 

Films 

 

New Iranian Cinema  

Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch)  

642-1412  

Featured films include Mariam Shahriar’s “Daughters of the Sun,” Rassul Sadr Ameli’s “The Girl in Sneakers,” and Parvi Shahbazi’s “Whispers,” and many others.  

Jan. 4 - 13 $7 for one film, $8.50  

 

Exhibits 

 

Toki Gallery  

1212 San Pablo Ave. 524-7363  

“Heads of the Class,” ceramic sculptures by seventh and eighth grade students at the East Bay Science & Arts Middle School.  

Through Jan. 10, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

 

Kala Art Institute  

1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 

Over sixty artists affiliated with the Kala Art Institute will show works ranging from wood block prints to digital media.  

Through Jan. 16, Tuesday - Friday, Noon - 5 p.m. 

 

Berkeley Historical Society  

1931 Center St. 848-0181 

“Berkeley’s Ethnic Heritage.” An overview of the rich cultural diversity of the city and the contribution of individuals and minority groups to it’s history and development.  

Thursday through Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Free.  

 

Pro Arts Gallery  

461 Ninth St., Oakland. 763-9425  

2000 Juried Annual, Through Dec. 30. This years show features 79 works by 70 artists. This show is juried by Larry Rinder, curator of contemporary art at the Whitney Museum. “Consecrations: Spirits in the Time of AIDS,” Jan. 24 - Feb. 24. An exhibit seeking to expand the understanding of HIV and AIDS and the people affected by them. Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

 

“Art of Ethan Snyderman”  

French Hotel 1538 Shattuck Ave. (between Cedar and Vine) 763-1313  

At the ripe old age of nine, Snyderman creates canvases with “figures reminiscent of Matisse and Modigliani.” Through December  

 

Acrylic Paintings of Corinne Innis 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 x307  

Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings. Jan. 16 - Feb. 26; Opening reception Jan. 20, 5 - 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1 - 7 p.m. and by appointment  

 

Drawings & Watercolor Paintings of Daniel Hitkov 

Red Cafe 1941 University Ave. 843-7230 

Hitkov is a young Bulgarian artist whose subjects are the real and unreal in nature, people and things. Jan. 2 - Feb. 12, 2001; Opening reception Jan. 2, 2 - 6 p.m.  

 

 

Readings 

 

Boadecia’s Books 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington 559-9184 www.boadeciasbooks.com 

All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Jan. 6: Gaymes Night; come play Balderdash, Sequence, and others and enjoy pizza, company, and teamwork; Jan. 13: Dyke Open Myke!; Jan. 14, 11 a.m.: LesBiGayTrans prospective parenting group meeting; Jan. 19: Marcy Sheiner and local contributors read from “Best Women’s Erotica 2001”; Jan. 20: Jenny Scholten reads from “Daystripper”; Jan. 27: Susan Swartz reads from “Juicy Tomatoes: Plain Truths, Dumb Lies, & Sisterly Advice About Life After 50” 

 

“Strong Women - Writers & Heroes of Literature” North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 549-2970  

Mondays, Jan. 5 through June, 2001, 1 - 3 p.m. 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All free events at 7:30 p.m. (unless noted) 

Jan. 11: Kristan Lawson & Anneli Rufus discuss their book “California Babylon: A Guide to Sites of Scandal, Mayhem, and Celluloid in the Golden State.”; Jan. 16: Various travel authors discuss the spiritual aspects of traveling, “Travel as Pilgrimage.”; Jan. 18: Berkeley resident, restaurant and move critic John Weil, through a slide presentation and talk, takes attendees on a unique tour through the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Berkeley and Oakland.  

 

Duomo Reading Series and Open Mic. Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155; Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m.  

Jan. 4: Teddy Weiler; Jan. 11: Kirk Lumpkin; Jan. 18: Ayodele Nzinga; Jan. 25: Glenn Ingersoll; Feb. 1: John Rowe; Feb. 8: Tom Odegard; Feb 15: Kathleen Lynch; Feb. 22: Charles Ellick; March 1: Eliza Shefler; March 8: Judy Wells; March 15: Elanor Watson-Gove; March 22: Anna Mae Stanley; March 29: Georgia Popoff; April 5: Barbara Minton; April 12: Alice Rogoff; April 19: Garrett Murphy; April 26: Ray Skjelbred 

 

 

Tours 

 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

 

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 848-7800  

The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2  

 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. 486-0623  

Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size.Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting.  

 

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/  

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. 

 

 

Lectures 

 

Berkeley Historical Society Slide Lecture & Booksigning Series 

Berkeley Historical Center Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. 848-0181  

Sundays, 3 - 5 p.m. $10 donation requested Jan. 14: Richard Schwartz on “Berkeley 1900,” the history of Berkeley at the turn of the century; Jan. 28: “The Finns in Berkeley and Co-op Beginnings,” a panel discussion on Finnish and Co-op history; March 11: Director of Berkeley’s International House, Joe Lurie, will show a video and dicuss the history and struggle to open the I-House 70 years ago.  

 

“Great Decisions” Foreign Policy Association Lectures Series  

Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 526-2925 

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, Feb. 13 - April 3; An annual program featuring specialists in the field of national foreign policy, many from University of California. Goal is to inform the public on major policy issues and receive feedback from the public. $5 per session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple. 

 

City Commons Club Social Hour & Speaker Series  

Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 848-3533 

Fridays, 11:15 a.m., Jan. 5 - 26; Jan. 5: “Medieval China - How We Got to Where We Are,” Stephen West, professor of East Asian studies at UC Berkeley; Jan. 12: “Innovative Approaches to Farming,” Reggie Knox, executive director of Community Alliance with Family Farms of Santa Cruz; Jan. 19: “Evidence-Based Practice - How It May Effect You,” Eileen Gambrill, professor of social welfare at UC Berkeley; Jan. 26: “The Aftermath of the National Election,” Susan Rasky, senior lecturer at the graduate school of journalism at UC Berkeley  

 


White nails clutch shots to edge SJSU

StaffDaily Planet Wire Services
Friday December 29, 2000

 

 

SAN JOSE - Sophomore forward Amber White nailed the final four points of the game, including two free throws with 2.9 seconds on the clock, to lift California to a 66-64 victory over San Jose State Thursday night at The Event Center . The Golden Bears improved to 4-6, while the Spartans fell to 7-3.  

While White was the hero down the stretch, three seniors carried most of the offensive load for Cal. Forward Lauren Ashbaugh and guard Kenya Corley posted 18 points, and forward Becky Staubes added a career-high 14 points. The 18 points tied Ashbaugh’s career high. Other career highs for the Bears included freshman guard Latasha O’Keith’s six rebounds and senior guard Nicole Ybarra’s four steals.  

The contributions from a variety of players keyed the Bears win, as they played without starting junior center Ami Forney, who had he wisdom teeth pulled Tuesday. Starting point guard Courtney Johnson only played four minutes due to flu-like symptoms.  

“This is how I’ve always taken things,” said Cal coach Caren Horstmeyer. “You believe in those that are here. You go with what you have. There’s nothing we can do about those players that weren’t able to play. I think we’re deeper than I initially thought we were. We had a few players out there tonight who haven’t had a lot of game experience, and they did a pretty good job. I’m pleased with that.”


Interest groups support, criticize AC Transit

By Erika Fricke Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

Members of the AC Transit Alliance and the Bus Riders Union support and advocate for funding for AC Transit. They are also the bus system’s most severe critics. 

“It’s the worst I’ve ever encountered with AC Transit,” said Charlie Betcher, president of the Berkeley Bus Riders Union. Betcher said that although delayed service has been a regular problem, problems have become chronic in the past six months. “Every day I hear from people who say they’ve waited an hour,” he said. 

Jim Gleich, Deputy General Manager for AC Transit blamed recent delays on a driver training program that took drivers off their regular lines for a temporary period. That problem has been eliminated, he said. 

But some local residents say the issue deserves deeper examination. 

“There is really only one problem with buses in Berkeley: People perceive our bus service as not reliable enough to depend on for local transportation. For those who are dependent on transit, this produces a sullen acceptance. For the rest, it produces the familiar congestion of cars on our streets and parking places,” wrote Steve Geller of the AC Alliance in an e-mail to the Daily Planet. 

City Council member Miriam Hawley used to be Ward 1 representative to the AC Transit Board. She agrees that reliability is one serious problem facing the system. “The buses have moved markedly slower each year because of traffic,” she said. She mentioned two possible ways to alleviate some of the problems: dedicated bus lanes and traffic signals that respond to buses. 

Gleich said that delays are a normal part of bus service. “A bus breaks down, something’s found faulty, something like the lift doesn’t work,” he said. Other normal problems include traffic problems and no-show drivers.  

Finding and keeping drivers is one of the most expensive and essential parts to keeping the system running smoothly, according to Hawley. “It’s not a shortage of buses,” she said. “It’s a shortage of drivers and keeping (buses) maintained and on the road.” 

The previous contract with the union allowed for new part-time hires, which, said Gleich, made it harder to hire workers in a tight labor market. The most recently-signed contract requires AC to hire only full-time workers. 

One of the major complaints of members of the Bus Riders Union is AC Transit’s non-responsiveness to complaints. Julian Frederick is the secretary of AC Alliance and a former member of the Bus Riders Advisory Committee. He feels particularly frustrated by the system’s grievance procedures. 

“It’s in shambles,” he said. “I’ve had the experience of trying to provide insight into how they operate from the standpoint of the bus rider. It’s like talking to a wall.” 

Gleich said that the grievance procedure has recently been changed. 

Before, he said, they wouldn’t take complaints unless the caller had extremely specific information, but now they’ll take any information the caller can provide. In addition, said Gleich, “people who were calling in complaints were told someone would get back to them, at best they would get a letter a month later.” Now AC Transit makes no such promises.  

Another change to the system is the disciplinary procedures, any complaint made about a driver, even if the driver is not found to be at fault, will stay on that driver’s record. “We now have an incentive program, a cash stipend for not accruing complaints over a specified time,” said Gleich. 

Frederick of AC Alliance said it causes drivers stress when they try to remain on schedule, while fighting traffic and dealing with riders who fumble for the correct change. He said they often find themselves without time to eat and break at the end of the line. 

Betcher placed blame wholly on management. “It’s hard for me to believe that AC Transit can not solve this problem,” he said. “We have no beef with drivers, it’s those schedules.”


Conflict headed to court

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

An independent lawyer has weighed in on a dispute between the city attorney and four members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Now it appears the case may be going to court. 

Betsy Strauss, a municipal law specialist recommended by City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque, concurred with Abuquerque’s opinion that four LPC commissioners are ineligible to participate in any discussions or actions related to the proposed Beth El project or any other projects on which the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association has taken an official position. 

The commissioners’ attorney, Antonio Rossman, said he will take the case to Superior Court. 

The conflict began at a Nov. 7 LPC meeting during which there was to be a public hearing on the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed synagogue project at 1301 Oxford St.  

Commissioners Becky O’Malley, Lesley Emmington-Jones, Carrie Olson and Doug Morse challenged Albuquerque’s opinion that they would violate Congregation Beth El’s right to due process if they participated in the process. 

The four commissioners refused to recuse themselves and the commission voted 5-2 to adjourn without hearing any of the items on the agenda. Two uninvolved commissioners were not present. 

At issue is that the commissioners in question are ranking members of the nonprofit Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, which encourages the preservation of Berkeley’s historic architecture. The site of the proposed Beth El Synagogue and school is the former site of the Napoleon Byrne House and is a city landmark. 

Albuquerque based her opinion on a letter written by BAHA president Sarah Wikander criticizing the Oxford Street Environmental Impact Report because it did not contain documents which BAHA believed would establish the property as eligible for the state historic register. The eligibility would have required the EIR consultant to suggest a variety of alternatives to Beth El’s design. 

The four commissioners brought their case to the City Council on Nov. 24 and the council referred the matter to an outside attorney. In a Dec. 20 opinion Strauss concluded: “(the commissioners’) participation would violate the due process rights of the applicant to a fair hearing by an impartial tribunal. As board members of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, the commissioners have ‘prejudged’ the Congregation Beth El project.” 

Strauss included two California Appellate Court cases and one federal case to support her decision. 

Rossman argued, however, that Strauss’ opinion did not show an in-depth analysis of the legal complexities of the dispute. “This opinion is based on very flimsy legal authority,” he said. “It seems our next choice will be to go to court to get the kind of rigorous analysis this case needs.” 

Commissioner O’Malley said Strauss’ opinion never addressed the fact that BAHA never assumed a position on the project and that BAHA’s letter was only critical of the EIR. “The way the opinion reads it doesn’t even appear to relate to me or the other commissioners,” she said. 

Betsy Strauss did not return phone calls from the Daily Planet before press time. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said the opinion, if upheld by the courts, will mean that citizens will have to carefully consider their role in any organizations they belong to.  

“It also raises the question of liability for commission, board and council actions over the last 30 years,” he said. “Will we have people lining up to sue the city now?” 

Assistant City Attorney Zack Cowen said that as far as land use issues go there is a 90-day statute of limitations. “But there are always exceptions,” he said.


Prenatal care good, yet not sufficient

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

A state Department of Health Services report that touts Berkeley’s high rate of pre-natal care is being greeted with cautious optimism by the city’s public health officials. 

The 90.1 percent of pregnant women who seek care in Berkeley is the highest rate among the state’s 61 reporting agencies, according to a DHS publication, “Atlas of Prenatal Care Utilization, California 1998,” issued Wednesday. Berkeley’s rate is up from 83.1 percent in 1989. 

“That’s reflective of the efforts of the health care community,” said DHS spokesperson Lea Brooks. 

Dr. Vicki Alexander, the city’s director of maternal, child and adolescent health agreed that Berkeley’s efforts are paying off – it is one of three cities in California which has its own health department – but she underscored that the numbers tell only part of the story. 

“There’s nothing new about the pre-natal part of it,” Alexander said. “We’ve met the goal for the last three years.” Berkeley’s overall rates of prenatal care have exceeded both state and national rates since 1996.  

It’s important to look at the break down of who is getting the care, said Alexander, pointing to statistics that show that 96 percent of Caucasian women in Berkeley get adequate prenatal care, 95 percent of Hispanic women get the care, but only 83 percent of pregnant African American women get adequate care. 

In addition to looking at prenatal care, one has to look at the outcome – at the babies – to evaluate a pregnant woman’s health care. 

A recent study by the city’s health department showed a great disparity in the health of African Americans living in the flatlands and Caucasians living in the hills. Berkeley ranked third highest in cities of similar size across the United States in the proportion of low-birth-wieght babies born to African American women between 1993 and 1995. 

An important, and often neglected, piece of the prenatal care puzzle is looking at a doctor’s understanding of the expectant mother’s needs. “If you look at access to pre-natal care alone, that is not going to solve the disparity,” Alexander says. 

In particular, black women are generally under a tremendous amount of stress, said Alexander, who is African American. 

Alexander said she will be working with physicians at Alta Bates Medical Center to make them aware of the particular stress factors in black women’s lives. 

The basis for the stress is racism, she said. Following a teaching model already in place at Children’s Hospital, Alexander said her goal is to teach doctors about the value of public health and about the stressors that affect the lives of people of color. 

Those who administer health care to black people need to understand what it is like to be the only black person in an elevator, to be seated at a restaurant but not served, to be stopped “driving while black,” Alexander said. “You add all that up. It is constant.” 

A doctor who is conscious of his patients’ needs will not only treat her with greater understanding, but recommend her for support services, such as the Black Infant Health Project, a new initiative of the city’s health department which focuses on mothers and mothers-to-be self-esteem and offers them support. 


Kwanzaa celebration at library

By Dan Greenman Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

Kwanzaa, a celebration of African American culture and community, will be observed at a storytelling event at the Berkeley Public Library’s south branch on Saturday. 

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by professor Maulana Karenga of California State University, Long Beach. It is celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 every year. 

The holiday is based on seven principles, one for each day of Kwanzaa. They include unity, creativity, faith and other values of African culture. Saturday will be the fifth day, Nia in Swahili, which represents purpose. 

Muriel Johnson, an Oakland resident and Berkeley preschool teacher, said she will tell two or three stories for the children that reflect the meaning of Kwanzaa at the event. 

“The seven principles are the basis for many African tales,” Johnson said. “The stories I will tell will reflect those principles.” 

Linda Perkins, the library’s Children’s Services Manager, said the library has held annual events for Kwanzaa for at least the last seven years. They included storytellers, singers and performers. 

“(The Kwanzaa celebration) was designed as a community event and has become more so over the years,” she said. “I have been to a lot of the library’s events and I think this is the one most tied to the community.” 

Last year over 50 people attended the celebration at the West Branch, which featured drummers and storytellers. 

Kwanzaa is rooted in the ancient first-fruits celebrations of Africa. The holiday revolves around Africa’s harvest celebrations: gathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment and celebration. 

Johnson said she may include music and singing in Saturday’s event. 

“I have a lot of things in my bag,” she said. “Stories are so important. They are part of an oral tradition, and every one has different morals and meanings.” 

The event will be held 4-6 p.m. Saturday at the South Berkeley Library, 1901 Russell Street location.


Building a backyard deck can be complicated

The Associated Press
Friday December 29, 2000

If you’re like many homeowners, the backyard deck is the focal point for warm-weather activities. But as with most parts of your home, a certain amount of routine maintenance is required to keep your deck structurally sound, safe and looking its best. 

While other types of lumber may have been used, chances are your deck is built of either cedar, redwood or pressure-treated yellow pine.  

These are the most commonly used materials because they are resistant to rot and insect damage.  

When exposed to the elements for extended periods, however, any wood will show signs of weathering.  

Even if the deck was originally treated with a stain or preservative, this treatment eventually needs to be renewed. 

The first thing to do is inspect the surfaces of the deck and railing for excessive splintering.  

If splintering is a problem, sanding the surface is the simplest solution.  

Use a belt sander to smooth the boards on the deck surface. Sand only in the direction of the grain, and keep the sander moving evenly to avoid gouging.  

Finish with a sanding block to remove roughness and hazardous slivers. 

You’ll find many stains and sealers designed specifically for your deck. Several manufacturers offer products called deck brighteners (actually bleaches) which remove stains and weathering from the wood surfaces.  

Apply these products according to the manufacturer’s directions, usually with a stiff bristle brush, and rinse off thoroughly before applying any top coat.  

Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection when using these products. 

Sealers protect your deck from moisture and are available clear or tinted to act as a stain. Sealers need to be renewed periodically to offer continuous protection.  

Stains are offered in a range of opacities for either hiding the grain completely, or allowing it to be visible.  

When it comes to choosing a stain and sealer for your deck, check that the products are compatible and that they’re suitable for the type of wood your deck is made with. 

After a new deck has been exposed to the weather for a year or so, shrinkage of the lumber can cause nails to pop up above the deck surface.  

If the boards are still flat, reset the nails slightly below the deck surface using a nailset or punch which matches the size of the nail heads.  

If the deck boards have cupped due to drying, there are several ways to approach the problem.  

If the cupping is not too severe, first remove the nails with a pry bar. Then, install galvanized decking screws to pull the board flat.  

If the board is too severely cupped for this technique, use a pry bar to remove the board. Then use a circular saw to make a series of relief cuts along the back convex surface of the board, equal in depth to about one-third of the board’s thickness.  

Replace the board and fasten with galvanized decking screws.  

If this techniques fails to bring the board flat, install a new board in its place. Remember to always use galvanized nails or screws when working on a deck.


Weed control dependent on having healthy turf

The Associated Press
Friday December 29, 2000

Keep your lawn healthy and it will resist bugs and unwanted plant life on its own 

 

When it comes to weed control, a healthy, well-aerated, dethatched and nutrient-rich turf will choke out all but the most stubborn invaders. The rest can often be managed by hand weeding and mowing. 

Pest management is really a matter of numbers. A few pests won’t make that big a difference and may even signal a healthy lawn. When your lawn is naturally disease- and insect-resistant, and is kept healthy using the methods discussed above, the degree of damage is often acceptable. 

The natural approach pays the biggest dividends in the area of insect and blight control. Natural insect control takes two primary forms. You can use natural substances that attack the body of the insect directly, or release disease causing microorganisms (fungi, nematobes) that burrow into the target insect, killing it in the process. 

Here’s a look at some of the products with the best record of success. These products are offered by a variety of firms, the Ringer Corp., (9959 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55364) being the most prominent. 

A word of caution is in order, however. Insecticides, of any kind, should be used sparingly and only as a means of last resort. Some beneficial insects will be killed in the process, no matter what you use. 

One of the most effective, broad-spectrum insecticides is extracted from the seeds of the African and Southeast Asian neem tree. The active ingredient, azadirachtin, is a growth regulator, which is to say that it causes death. Ringer/Safer markets this extract under the BioNeem trademark. It’s effective on a variety of common pests, including aphids, gypsy moths and webworms. Though BioNeem has very low toxicity, it does have a two-to-seven-day residual. 

Insecticidal soap is another proven insect killer. It’s made from fatty acid salts derived from animal fat and plant oils. When sprayed on soft-bodied insects, it kills them by breaking down their cell wall membranes. Insecticidal soap works well on sod webworms. 

For effective control of hard-bodied insects, such as June bugs and Japanese beetles, pyrethrum, an extract from the chrysanthemum flower, works well. 

To treat infestations of subsurface grubs, you might try mail-order nematobes, which kill grubs from within, or milky-spore disease (bacillus popillae), which is a fungus that attacks grubs and other soft-bodied subsurface pests. Once established, milky-spore disease remains effective for years. 

For treatment of bill-bug larvae, diatomaceous earth works. Diatomaceous earth is a sediment taken from the sea floor and is made up of millions of dead, single-cell creatures that dehydrate soft-bodied insects on contact.


Bay Briefs

Friday December 29, 2000

Bay Area casino in the works 

SAN PABLO – President Clinton signed legislation Wednesday that brings a California Indian tribe another step closer to opening a Nevada-style casino in the Bay area. 

The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians want to gain control of a San Pablo card club and install more than 1,000 slot machines. The legislation means the land that Casino San Pablo sits on will be held in a trust for the tribe. 

The next decision lies in the hands of Gov. Gray Davis, who would need to grant the Lyttons a state gambling agreement. 

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

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

 

Ex-cop mourns shooting victim 

RICHMOND – Augustus Jones is a retired policeman, used to quelling crime, but nothing prepared him for the sight of his 16-year-old son Gus stumbling, bloody, into his front yard. 

He soon learned that his younger son, Johnny, had also been shot and died from the wounds. 

“Being the victim is a whole different experience,” Augustus Jones told the San Francisco Chronicle. “You can’t do anything.” 

Jones’ two sons were ambushed on the street Tuesday by at least one gunman who parked his car near the boys as they walked to a Bay Area Rapid Transit station for a San Francisco shopping trip. 

At least one man got out of the car, circled the Jones brothers and shot them down, Richmond police said. Authorities are not discussing a possible motive and no arrests have been made. 

Johnny Jones is the fourth teen-ager to be killed in Richmond in the last month. The homicides all happened in different neighborhoods but investigators are looking for links between the killings. 

Arrest made in 1996 robbery 

OAKLAND – Oakland police think they finally have their man from an ice show robbery nearly five years ago, but they had to go across the country to find him. 

Roland McSorley was taken into custody over the weekend at his father’s home in Ashland, N.H., investigators said. 

McSorley had been a bookkeeper for the Disney on Ice show for about four years when he and a cohort allegedly made off with as much as $125,000 in receipts from shows in Oakland. 

McSorley and Robert Gillen, a concession worker, both were named in warrants in connection with the March 1996 incident. 

Gillen was arrested in Ohio later that month with about half the money. Officers say McSorley managed to evade detectives, allegedly with the help of his family, by changing his name and moving.


Police use anonymous tip to recover stolen koalas

The Associated Press
Friday December 29, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – Acting on an anonymous tip, police early Thursday recovered two female koalas which had been stolen from their enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo. 

“They are OK,” zoo spokesman Nancy Chan said as she watched the animals Thursday morning. “They apparently were really hungry, so they went right into their night quarters and they were fed right away.” 

Leanne, 7, and her mother, Pat, 15, were discovered missing from their indoor quarters Wednesday morning by a keeper. 

Zoo officials said it appeared someone climbed onto the exhibit’s roof, broke through a skylight and then slipped into the building through a furnace door late Tuesday or early Wednesday. 

“We received an anonymous phone call early today and that led to the location where the (koalas) were found,” said a police dispatcher who asked that her name not be used. 

The call came in at 12:45 a.m., the dispatcher said, adding that she was not aware of any arrests at the home at 18 Sparta St. 

Zoo officials were summoned to return the 11-pound missing marsupials to the climate-controlled enclosure they share with five other koalas. 

“We are ecstatic,” said General Curator David Robinett as he watched the rare marsupials dining on eucalyptus buds. “They appear to be in excellent health.” 

Robinett said the animals were quickly returned to their enclosure and given something to eat. 

“They immediately started eating,” he said. “Eating this fast is a good sign, but they are definitely under stress.” 

Robinett was one of the zoo personnel who went to the house to recover the marsupials. He said they were sitting in a bedroom. 

Koala keeper Nancy Rumsey told investigators she had been concerned about two men she saw Christmas day in the keeper’s area. One of the men said he had followed a peacock, then started asking about how he could get a koala and how much they cost. 

She said the men “kind of made the fur on the back of my neck raised.” 

Pat is an elderly koala and has several medical problems, including a potentially cancerous mass and an infected eye. Adding to the problems the stolen marsupials faced was the fact that they have a very specialized diet, eating only the freshest tips of eucalyptus buds. The plants are also their main source of water. 

“People in the horticulture department here have to go out daily to get them food,” Chan said Wednesday. “That’s why you don’t see them in zoos in this country. They don’t drink water. If someone had them, they wouldn’t know they don’t drink.” 

The koalas live in a building kept at a constant temperature of between 65 and 70 degrees. They have no body fat, which makes them highly vulnerable to environmental changes. 

Robinett said the animals can survive fluctuations in temperature, but “the more stress they are under, the harder it is for them.” 

Deborah Tabart, executive director of the Australian Koala Foundation, speculated the koalas might have been stolen to be sold to a collector. 

She said the animals were potentially worth “tens of thousands” of dollars. Tabart said it was the first time she had heard of a koala being stolen from a zoo outside of Australia. 

After Rumsey reported the two men, the facility’s 24-hour security unit was alerted. Robinett said he will evaluate the zoo’s security system and explore new methods of keeping animals safer. 

“We have security around the clock, but it’s a big zoo and covering it every minute of the day during the day or night is a lot of work,” he said. 

Robinett said zoo officials will basically leave the koalas alone and keep an eye on them after a vet checks them out. 

“We want to let them settle back into their normal routine,” he said. “We’ll base our actions on how they respond.” 

In September, a rare, brightly colored garter snake named Sarah was stolen from the zoo after two locks were pried open and the snake’s viewing glass was shattered. The snake was never returned. 

Koalas, native to Australia, are considered threatened. Chan said only about a dozen zoos in the United States have exhibits. 

Pat came to the zoo in 1986 from Australia and later gave birth to Leanne and another female, Janie. Leanne has since had three offspring.


Gun groups to sue over assault weapon registration deadline

By Don Thompson Associated Press Writer
Friday December 29, 2000

SACRAMENTO – Owners of assault weapons have only through Sunday to register their firearms. However, gun groups plan to sue to block a deadline they say is confusing and was poorly publicized. 

Final regulations over what defines an assault weapon weren’t approved until Dec. 5. That didn’t give firearm owners enough notice to meet Sunday’s deadline, said attorney Chuck Michel. 

He represents groups including the National Rifle Association, California Rifle and Pistol Association, and California Sporting Goods Association, as well as gun dealers and owners who want the deadline extended. 

The groups also complain that the law and regulations don’t give firearm owners enough direction on how they can modify their weapons so they won’t be considered assault weapons. 

Nathan Barankin, a spokesman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer, countered that firearm owners have had a year to register, alter or get rid of their weapons since the law took effect. 

“The law’s been very clear from the beginning,” Barankin said. “The regulations are basically a regurgitation of what the statute requires.” 

He said the law clearly defines as assault weapons firearms with military-style characteristics like a pistol grip, folding stock, or flash suppressor. 

Lockyer’s Department of Justice ran newspaper and radio ads, notified gun dealers and organizations, and set up a Web site and toll-free number to publicize the law, in addition to a series of public hearings on the regulations. 

However, NRA spokesman Steve Helsley worries many assault weapons owners still are unaware of the law, or mistakenly think they complied when they registered their weapon at the time they purchased it. 

Failing to register an assault weapon could subject the owner to a $500 fine along with a jail or prison term. 

California has had three separate assault weapon registration deadlines that Helsley and Michel said are confusing to gun owners: 

—A 1989 law named specific weapons that had to be registered by March 31, 1992. Californians registered 67,000 assault weapons under that law. 

—The California Supreme Court in August upheld Lockyer’s right to register variations on the AK and AR-15 assault weapons named in the 1989 law. Owners of those weapons have until Jan. 23 to register their guns. 

—The 1999 law defines assault weapons based on their characteristics, rather than naming specific firearms. The deadline for registering is Dec. 31. 

“You’ve got eight million gun owners in California who don’t have a lawyer in their closet (to explain the laws),” said Michel. “We’re just going to have a whole slew of accidental felons.” 

More than 10,000 assault weapons owners have registered under the new law this year, 6,500 of them since mid-November. On Tuesday alone the department received 1,500 registrations, Barankin said. Each registered owner can possess more than one weapon. 

Helsley and Barankin expect many owners have modified their weapons rather than registering them. That allows them to avoid restrictions on how assault weapons may be used, transported and sold.


Mental hospital murder was over tobacco, police say

The Associated Press
Friday December 29, 2000

NAPA – A mental hospital patient is accused of beating and strangling a fellow patient during a late-night argument over tobacco, police said. 

Napa State Hospital officials discovered John Reed, 48, of Yuba City, early Tuesday in a pool of blood only after the man accused of killing him led officials to the room. 

Orrin Anthony Patrick, 45, was arrested on suspicion of murder after Reed was found with severe head wounds, said Napa sheriff’s Capt. Mike Loughran. A preliminary autopsy later revealed Reed died of strangulation. 

“We’re trying to find out what exactly occurred,” Rincon said. “At this point we don’t have those answers.” 

Patients are not allowed to possess matches or lighters, but they are permitted to have tobacco. They are given smoke breaks during designated times when staff members light cigarettes, said hospital spokeswoman Lupe Rincon. 

Reed and Patrick were in a ward for criminal defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity or deemed incompetent to stand trial. 

The locked ward houses 43 patients who live in rooms with up to three roommates. Patrick and Reed did not share a room, but they were alone together unsupervised late Monday night. 

A nursing staff is on duty 24 hours a day, and they are required to conduct bed checks every 30 minutes, Rincon said. 

“We’re investigating to see if those checks occurred or not,” she said. 

Patrick, who takes medication for schizophrenia, has been a patient at the hospital for five years. Earlier this year, a San Francisco judge found him unfit to be released back into society. 

Patrick was found guilty in 1979 of beating and stomping an 85-year-old man to death in a hotel hallway, leaving his shoe prints on the man’s face.


Montgomery Ward shutting down after 125 years

By Martha Irvine Associated Press Writer
Friday December 29, 2000

CHICAGO – Montgomery Ward Inc., the department store chain that helped pioneer American retailing, said Thursday that it is shutting down after more than 125 years in business and will file for bankruptcy. 

The chain, which has 250 stores and 37,000 employees in 30 states, fell victim to competition from other big retailers and low sales. 

“Sadly, today’s action is unavoidable,” chief executive Roger Goddu said, citing weak holiday sales as the final straw for a struggling company that emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection just last year. 

The company will also close its 10 distribution centers. 

“You don’t need to be an analyst to see that the retail market continues to be very unforgiving — in fact, it’s bruising,” said John Oliver, a spokesman for GE Capital Services, the subsidiary of General Electric that oversees Montgomery Ward. 

Asked why the company was seeking Chapter 11 protection for a second time rather than a Chapter 7 liquidation, Oliver said it was simply a matter of procedure. 

“It is clear that this is an orderly winding down,” he said. 

Goddu’s statement came hours after scores of Montgomery Ward employees began filing out of the company headquarters with boxes in hand. 

Several said they had been told during a meeting that GE Capital was pulling financial support after sluggish holiday sales. 

“I’m just devastated,” said Anece Rich, a 28-year employee who worked in the mail room. “They took care of us as best they could.” 

Begun in 1872, Ward pioneered mail-order catalogs when it came out with a single sheet of dry-good items for sale, and it was the first U.S. mail-order house to sell general merchandise. Sears, Roebuck & Co. was not founded until 1886 and did not put out its first general merchandise catalog for another decade. 

Ward — known affectionately to its customers as Monkey Ward — opened its first store in Plymouth, Ind., in 1926. 

The store coined the “Satisfaction Guaranteed” phrase in 1875 and was the birthplace of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” the Christmas holiday cartoon character. 

Rudolph was designed by a Ward advertising copywriter in 1939 as a promotional gimmick, and the company handed out millions of copies of the story. Rudolph’s story was put to music and recorded by cowboy star Gene Autry, and it became the basis for a 1974 television special. 

But the company was financially unstable for years, dropping its catalog operation in 1985 and trying a “specialty store” design. It resumed the mail-order business in 1991, and abandoned the specialty store concept last year, announcing a plan to revamp many of its stores. 

Some analysts said it was too little too late. 

“Wards has not established themselves as anything distinctive in the marketplace,” said George Whalin, president of California-based Retail Management Consultants. “There’s just no reason to go there — unless maybe they’re the closest store to your house.” 

Whalin said it had become increasingly difficult for Ward to survive with competitors like Home Depot, Best Buy and Target. Earlier this week, the Massachusetts-based discount chain Bradlees Inc. announced it is going out of business. 

“It’s brutal,” Whalin said. “It’s as competitive as anything out there.” 

Wards had been shooting for sales growth this year of about 9 percent. Instead, it hovered at a sluggish 2 percent. 

“It’s too bad because a lot of effort has gone into trying to save the thing,” said Sid Doolittle, a Chicago-based retail consultant who spent 28 years as a Wards executive. 

Shoppers at a Wards store on Chicago’s North Side were surprised. 

“It’s really a shame,” said MaryAnn Wilson, 67. “There aren’t hardly any department stores left; it’s all specialty stores.”


City Council fighting for park space

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 28, 2000

The city is competing with a Burlingame developer for a prime piece of real estate, which residents want to turn into a “mini Golden Gate Park” and the developer wants to turn into office space. 

The City Council unanimously approved a recommendation on Dec. 19 asking the city manager to research funding sources for the possible purchase of up to 8.6 acres, which is currently the site of American Soil Products and several other businesses. 

The site runs along Aquatic Park and is bounded by Addison and Third streets, Bolivar Drive and Bancroft Way. The 8.6 acres is divided into five separate lots all owned by an individual named Charlie Jones, according to Steve Swanson of Berkeley Partners for Parks. 

For a city to buy such a piece of property in the current red hot real estate market won’t be easy.  

Especially since developer John Hamilton has been in contract to purchase the property for several months. He has already submitted preliminary development plans to the Design Review Committee. 

Hamilton is proposing four office buildings totally 450,000 square feet plus a 900-space, underground parking garage. 

Hamilton would not say when the contract to purchase the property would be finalized. But said he is working with city officials to find a “win, win” design plan. 

The city is in the preliminary stages of researching the project and has not said how much of the property it wants to purchase. According to Stephen Swanson, there are at least three undeveloped acres that would be a perfect addition to the park. 

“This a once in a lifetime chance,” Swanson said. “This could be Berkeley’s mini Golden Gate Park that could have a variety of activities that would draw people from all over the Bay Area.” 

BPFP has suggested several possibilities for improvements for a park at that location including a baseball field and handball and tennis courts. 

“That part of the city is underserved for these kind of facilities,” Swanson said. 

The Parks and Recreation Commission recommended the city consider getting state and federal funding to buy the land. They argued that a 1965 Aquatic Park Master Plan strongly recommended it. And they underscored that there is no more available open space left in Berkeley. 

“This is a large parcel and the City of Berkeley is woefully lacking in suitable areas to turn into parks,” said Carol Thornton, chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. “Plus there is a tremendous amount of development in the area and this would be an excellent chance to balance that with a park.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said a park would be much more welcome than office space and a parking garage. He contended that there is a housing shortage in Berkeley and to build a more office space and parking is not good planning. 

“Any situation that pits more parking against living space in Berkeley is bound to be controversial,” he said. 

Design Review Committee members at a Dec. 16 meeting told Hamilton they thought the buildings were too large, crowded the stretch of park to the west of the site and didn’t fit in with the immediate area, according to a summary of the meeting. 

Hamilton said he has already made some changes to the design based on input from city officials and the Design Review Committee.  

“We’ve moved the building line back about 30-40 feet from the edge of the park,” he said.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Staff
Thursday December 28, 2000


Thursday, Dec. 28

 

Season of Lights  

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

The Imagination Company brings to life world winter celebrations and highlights the significance of light to several culture. Included in museum admission price.  

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Imani In the Village 

2 p.m. 

Claremont Library 

2940 Benvenue  

Percussionist James Henry presents a drumming and dance program for all ages. Audience participation invited.  

Call 649-3943 

 

Death of the Lecturer 

7 p.m. 

West Branch Library 

1125 University Ave.  

Calling all detectives, those who enjoy reading mysteries, playing Clue, and solving crossword puzzles to untangle the reason for the final fate confrontation.  

Call 649-3926 

 


Friday, Dec. 29

 

Earthcapades 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Join Hearty and Lissin as they blend storytelling, juggling, acrobatics, and more, to entertain and teach about saving the environment. Included in museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 


Saturday, Dec. 30

 

Bats of the World  

1 & 2:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Maggie Hooper, an educator with the California Bat Conservation Fund, will show slides, introduce three live, tame, and indigenous bats, and answer your questions about these fascinating creatures. Included in admission to the museum. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Kwanzaa Celebration 

4 p.m. 

South Branch Library  

1901 Russell St.  

Muriel Johnson of Abiyomi Storytelling is the featured storyteller at the library’s annual celebration which also includes a formal Kwanzaa ceremony.  

Call 649-3943 

 


Sunday, Dec. 31

 

Light Up the Lights! 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Popular songmeister Gary Lapow performs traditional holiday music from around the world. Included in price of museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 


Tuesday, Jan. 2

 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 


Wednesday, Jan. 3

 

Berkeley Communicators  

Toastmasters 

7:15 p.m. 

Vault Restaurant  

3250 Adeline St.  

Learn to speak fluently without fear or hesitation.  

Call Howard Linnard, 527-2337 

 


Thursday, Jan. 4

 

Snowshoe Tours  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Catherine Stifter of Backcountry Tracks presents a slide-show on her favorite ski and snowshoe tours off Highway 49 between Sierra City and Yuba Pass. Free 

Call 527-4140 

 


Friday, Jan. 5

 

Zen Buddhist Sites in China 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Andy Ferguson, author of “Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings,” presents a slide show of Zen holy sites in China. Ferguson will read from the book and engage the audience in a brief meditation session. Included in museum admission. 

$6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

 

Taize’ Worship Service  

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Loper Chapel  

(adjacent to) First Congregational 

Church of Berkeley  

Dana St. (between Durant & Channing) 

Call 848-3696  

 

“Waiting for Godot” 

8 p.m. 

La Val’s Subterranean  

1834 Euclid (at Hearst) 

Presented by Subterranean Shakespeare and directed by Yoni Barkan, director of last summer’s “A Midsummers Night Dream.”  

$8 - $12  

Call 234-6046 

 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

 


Tuesday, Jan. 9

 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 


Wednesday, Jan. 10

 

Kids Dance Open House &  

Class 

5 - 6 p.m. 

El Cerrito Community Center 

7007 Moeser Lane 

El Cerrito  

Parents are invited to explore how dance relates to cognitive, kinesthetic, and socio-emotional development in their children. For ages three to seventeen. Free  

Call 530-4113  

 


Thursday, Jan. 11

 

Toni Stone and the Negro Baseball League 

1 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Marcia Eymann, curator of historical photography, discusses memorabilia of Toni Stone, a woman who played in the Negro Baseball Legue in the 1940s. Free. 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE


Letters to the Editor

Staff
Thursday December 28, 2000

Project includes more low-income units than city mandates  

Editor: 

Mr. Kubik's letter of December 23, 2000 contains several errors in relation to the development at 2700 San Pablo that Panoramic Interests is undertaking with Jubilee Restoration.  

The project proposes to have 20 percent of the units set aside for very low income residents, defined as households with 50 percent area median income. The city requirement currently allows for 20 percent of the units to be set aside for low income residents, defined as households with 80 percent AMI, or 10 percent of the units set aside for very low income residents, defined as households with 60 percent AMI.  

In other words, what we have proposed goes beyond the city requirements. 

I am not in any legal dispute with the city now, nor am I anticipating one. I have asked for clarification on the interaction of state law with the ordinance and the state mandated density bonus for providing affordable housing. 

The San Pablo project is proposed as a 50 foot, four-story building, and fully complies with the city zoning ordinance. It will be the first new housing project on San Pablo Avenue in more than 40 years, and will also be one of the few developments at all in the city that will accept new Section 8 certificate holders. 

Re: the GAIA Building. The structure is the height that was approved by the City Council and the building department -- with the last floor ending at 87 feet. 

The elevator, which must service the roof deck, under the ADA, goes higher to the 106 foot, again in conformance with zoning regulations and building regulations.  

Berkeley is in the midst of an acute housing crisis, and is, by the Planning Department's own figures, the only city in Northern California to have lost housing in the last 20 years.  

If we are to maintain our reputation for social justice and diversity, the citizens and the city must do more to promote affordable housing. (Panoramic Interests has built more in the last five years than all other private developers combined.) 

Patrick Kennedy 

Piedmont resident 

Panoramic Interests 

Berkeley


Cal seniors selected for All-Star game in Florida

Daily Planet Wire Services
Thursday December 28, 2000

Zabala, Pivnik and Stuhlmueller will head to Umbro Tournament 

 

California senior soccer players Maite Zabala, Tami Pivnick and Natalie Stuhlmueller have been selected to compete in the Umbro Select Senior All-Star Tournament, Feb. 1-4, at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  

Held in early February each year, the Umbro Select features a major international soccer match along with all-star games with the top men’s and women’s senior collegiate players from throughout the United States. The men’s college players were divided into two teams, while the women were divided into four with the Cal players competing on the West squad.  

Zabala, who hails from Boise, Idaho, became the Bears all-time leader for career shutouts during the 2000 season. Her 9.5 shutouts this year boosted her career total to 26.5, breaking Karen Cook’s previous record of 22. Zabala finished the 2000 season with the 10th-best goals-against average in the nation at 0.64 and ended her career with an outstanding 0.88 GAA, allowing 61 goals in 6,205 minutes minding the Bears net.  

Pivnick helped anchor the 10th-best team defense (0.645 GAA) in the nation this season, earning her third-team All-America recognition from Soccer Buzz. The sweeper from West Hills also found ways to contribute to Cal’s attack in 2000, tying for fifth on the team with eight points (2 goals, 4 assists). Her outstanding efforts on the field and in the classroom helped Pivnick earn a selection to the second team All-Pac-10 team and the first team Academic All-Pac-10 squad.  

A speedy and crafty outside midfielder, Stuhlmueller earned second team All-Pac-10 honors this year after tying for third on the team with 13 points (4G, 5A). As a junior, she was a first-team all-conference pick. The Los Gatos product ended her Cal career ranked second on the school’s career assist chart with 20.


City looking into KBLX land

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 28, 2000

The city is examining the possibility of resurrecting a deal to purchase 4.5 acres belonging to KBLX Radio for an addition to Aquatic Park. 

The recommendation came from Councilmembers Margaret Breland, Kriss Worthington, and Linda Maio. The council unanimously approved the item Dec. 19 which calls for preliminary research of available funds to purchase the property. 

The site is located at the southern end of Aquatic Park and is bounded by the Ashby Avenue onramp, Bay Street and the I-80 Freeway. It consists of 3.5 acres of open water and one acre of land. KBLX currently broadcasts from the site. 

The city has applied several times in the last six years for grant money to purchase the property but each time was unsuccessful. The most recent attempt to purchase the property was in July 1999. 

At that time the property was appraised at $470,000 according to Cliff Marchetti of the Parks and Waterfront Department. 

According to the councilmembers’ proposal, the recent availability of additional state and federal resources to purchase park lands makes this the ideal time to revive the deal. 

The proposal said the property would be a good site for habitat restoration projects as well a location for environmental education. 

According to Marchetti the city is trying to arrange a meeting with representatives from KBLX to tour the property. “Everything is in a very preliminary stage at this point,” he said. 

The Daily Planet was unable to reach KBLX for comment on this story.


Bears want to continue Haas dominance in Classic

Daily Planet Wire Services
Thursday December 28, 2000

Cal hosts the eighth annual Golden Bear Classic this weekend at Haas Pavilion with Yale, Lafayette and LaSalle coming to Berkeley.  

The Bears, who are currently riding a five-game winning streak, have captured four of the previous seven Classics, including three in a row from 1996-98. Last year, however, Cal fell to Penn, 74-71, in the title game. 

Since Haas Pavilion opened in the fall of 1999, that loss is the only blemish on the Bears’ non-conference home record in the facility. Overall, the Bears are 13-1 vs. non-Pac-10 teams in Haas, including 5-0 this year.  

Two wins this weekend would match the Bears longest winning streak under head coach Ben Braun. Cal took seven in a row from March 10–Nov. 20, 1999 and from Dec. 3–29, 1998.  

Individually, senior forward Sean Lampley continues to pace the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game. He has led or tied for the lead in points in five consecutive games and in seven of nine contests on the year. Lampley has also reached double figures in points eight times in nine games to move up to 12th on Cal’s career scoring chart (1,326 points). He had a season-best 25 points to go with 10 assists and just one turnover in the Georgia contest Dec. 21.  

On the outside, point guard Shantay Legans seems to have found his offensive rhythm, averaging 12.0 ppg and 5.8 apg his last four games. During that span, he has made 11-of-15 from three-point range.  

Sophomore Brian Wethers remains on his career-best surge with an average of 12.8 ppg over the last four games, including a high of 21 vs. Georgia. During the first five games of the year, Wethers averaged only 3.8 ppg.


Delays may cost city $2 million

By Dan Greenman Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 28, 2000

After three months of setbacks that could cost the city $2 million, the newly renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center building at 2180 Milvia St. will finally be ready to crack open its doors on Jan. 19. 

City employees are scheduled to phase in their move back into the building over five weekends in January and February. They will start with the third floor, where construction is now almost complete, Capital Projects Manager John Rosenbrock said. Some work will continue as people move into their new offices. 

More than 200 city employees who have worked in offices scattered around town for the last two years are expected to re-occupy the six-story building. 

The seismic renovation at City Hall began Dec. 1, 1998 with an original completion date of Oct. 2000. However, the city ran into a number of problems along the way.  

Most recently, it had planned to open the building next week. However, Pacific Bell was behind schedule installing phone lines and did not finish its work until two weeks ago. That was one cause for the most recent delay, Rosenbrock said. 

Because of delays, the budget for the renovation increased from the original $35 million to about $37 million, according to Rosenbrock.  

Renovations were funded by local bond Measure S, passed in 1992. 

“Time is money, and delays definitely have an effect on budget,” Rosenbrock said. 

Other problems along the way included piping in the basement containing asbestos which had to be replaced. This took extra time at the beginning of the renovations. There was a month-long delay in the spring of 1999 because some of the building design was changed to save money.  

Earlier this year floor plans were also changed to create space for additional offices in the building. 

“There were a few minor delays, which were predictable, but nothing by surprise,” said Rene Cardinaux, director of public works. 

Rosenbrock said some of the construction also took longer than planned because the contractors ran into small, unexpected problems. 

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Building was constructed between 1938 and 1940. The city acquired it in 1977 and has designated it a city landmark. 

Rosenbrock said he expects everybody to be moved in by mid-February. 

“I expect that date to be met,” he said. “However, we could still encounter a new problem that we don’t know about.” 

While the building is almost finished, elevators still need to be installed, as do carpets and bathroom fixtures throughout the building. The perimeter of the building is still fenced off and pedestrian traffic is rerouted to the east side of Milvia Street. 

Rosenbrock said each floor is at a different point in construction. The third floor and part of the first floor will be the first to be completed, followed by the fourth floor, fifth floor, and second floor. 

He said the city may look into trying to recuperate some of the $2 million from contractors. The city first has to determine whether any of the 20 or so contractors failed to complete their tasks in a reasonable amount time. The city will not look into doing so until the building is finished.


Animal groups offer online adoptions

By Erika Fricke Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 28, 2000

People meet dates on-line, why not pets? 

For example, Cocoa, a fifty pound chocolate lab, who is nearly dwarfed by his lolling pink tongue, or Daniel, described as the offspring of “a pure-bred Persian cat who got into trouble with a passerby." 

These animals reside physically at the Berkeley Humane Society, but can now be found on-line at a new Internet site created to tempt the ready pet owner. 

The site, www.virtualpetadoption.com is the brainchild of Gary Templin, president of the East Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  

“Our intent, hopefully sooner rather than later, is to make it possible for the public to go to the site and look at all the adoptable animals in Alameda County,” said Templin. The Web Site is a collaboration between Pet Food Express, the East Bay SPCA in Oakland, the Berkeley Humane Society and several other shelters in the county. Pet Food Express hosts the web site, Templin found grants to pay for equipment, and shelters donate time to uploading images of each adoptable animal onto the site. 

“It was a dream that I had,” said Templin. “I’ve always been bothered by how we non-profits tend to not be very business oriented nor customer service oriented.”  

Before Virtual Pet Adoptions.com, he said, if people visited the shelter and didn’t see the pets they wanted, the best he could do was give them the address of a shelter in Fremont or Hayward.  

“They had to take their chances, and they might give up and say this is too much work or too much traffic,” Templin said. “Our Internet used to be highways 880, 580, 680, and 24.”  

Now the East Bay SPCA hosts a kiosk featuring the virtual pet adoption web site. If visitors don’t find the pet they want, they can check the kiosk to see which shelter might have the right kind of animal. Soon each shelter will host a similar site. 

“The shelters are kind of isolated in a lot of ways from the community. I believe that the more convenient we make it and the more exposure the animals get, the more animals are going to go home. The goal is to have a home for every adoptable animal by the year 2007,” said Templin.  

When Templin speaks about every adoptable animal, he means every adoptable animal that comes into every shelter in Alameda County, not just those who arrive at the door of Oakland’s SPCA. “We’re supporting animals, not organizations,” he said. 

Anecdotal evidence indicates that his plan is working. Ian M. Stewart, “PetMaster” of the Pet Food Express and Virtual Pet Adoptions.com sites, estimates that Virtual Pet Adoptions.com has received thousands of clicks so far. He said he’s heard of people driving from Novato to Fremont to collect an animal they found on the web, and that a woman in San Jose looked every day for three weeks until she found the pet she was looking for.  

Nancy Frensley, animal behaviorist at the Berkeley Humane Society photographs the Berkeley animals to put their pictures on the web. Frensley notes the animals weight, activity level, health statistics, and character. “Most people need a little bit of counseling when it comes to selecting,” said Frensley. “It’s real real easy to fall in love with a pet that might not work out with your lifestyle. Even making people aware of weight, activity level, etc. is very important, it’s a consciousness raising thing.” 

While websurfers can search for animals by shelter location, age, size, or activity level, they can’t search by breed. 

“We get a lot of questions, ‘Why can’t I click for golden retriever?’,” said Stewart. “We want to simulate the shelter.” Although people may “go in looking for a Labrador,” he said, they may come out with a poodle instead. 

Berkeley Humane Society has adopted out 127 adult animals since going up on the web in June. Although Frensley can’t say how much of that adoption rate can be attributed to the web site, she does believe that the site contributes to getting adult animals placed. 

“What’s nice is that we can show these adult animals as individuals not in groups barking in kennels,” said Frensley.  

Thus far the Humane Society shelter is the only Berkeley shelter placing its animals on the Virtual Pet Adoptions web site, although Templin said that the city municipal shelter has been invited to join. No spokesperson at the city shelter was available for comment. 

Templin hopes the Internet, which has united like individuals in “virtual communities” around the world, can also bring pets closer to pet owners, by canvassing furry mugs around the city. “We’re looking forward to a plan where the Pet Food Express stores will have a kiosk available to the public,” he said. “I want each of the municipalities to put a kiosk in the city hall, in the libraries, in the banks...”


Banks try to make customers more comfortable

By Michael Liedke AP Business Writer
Thursday December 28, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – As they lounge by a fireplace in cushy leather chairs, Charles Dorato and his daughter look like they could be relaxing in a cozy coffeehouse or a rustic ski lodge. Instead, they are sitting in the lobby of a Wells Fargo Bank branch, waiting their turn to tend to some financial business. 

“This is an interesting concept. I have never seen this in a bank before,” said Dorato, a New Yorker who was in San Francisco to visit his daughter. 

Unconventional bank branches are becoming less of an anomaly as the industry looks for ways to inject more warmth and zest into traditionally sterile offices. 

In Atlanta, Bank of America has introduced branches where employees dispense financial advice from behind “investment bars.” 

In Las Vegas, Nev., Washington Mutual Bank this year opened branches that feature children’s play areas, concierge desks and teller “towers” instead of the old-fashioned windows. 

The makeovers represent an about-face for big banks, which just a few years ago viewed their standalone branches as expensive relics of a bygone era. 

As more customers began to use automated teller machines, phone centers and the Internet to manage their finances, bankers began to close branches and devise fees that charged customers for frequent office visits. The few new branches that opened typically were scaled-down outlets squeezed into the corner of a grocery store. 

But bankers are now reversing course after realizing their traditional branch networks remain a vital link to customers, even as the use of automated channels continues to rise. 

While ATMs, phone centers and Internet remain great tools for holding down expenses, the automated channels aren’t as productive when it comes to increasing revenues. 

At San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, for instance, more than 80 percent of all its new sales are made inside its branches, known as stores, among the bank’s retail-driven management. 

The buying pattern is propelling a bank branch renaissance at Wells, which closed hundreds of its California offices from 1996-98 as previous management became increasingly convinced that investments in bricks-and-mortar were a waste of money. 

Under a new management team that took control in late 1998, Wells is now spending millions to renovate its branches with brighter colors and homey touches like the fireplace at one of its San Francisco branches. 

In the fourth quarter, Wells remodeled 45 California branches and plans to renovate at least 100 more in the upcoming year. 

“Traditionally, banks have always looked so imposing that people walking in sometimes think they better go back out and take off their shoes or something,” said Terri Dial, who runs Wells’ California branches. 

“What we are trying to do is create an environment where people will want to come in, sit down and rest their feet for awhile.” 

And while the visitors sit, Wells hopes to sell them even more financial products, from home equity lines of credits to mutual fund investments. In the last six months, the bank has increased its California branch sales staff — known as “personal bankers” in the Wells lexicon — by more than 10 percent. In 2001, Wells plans another 13 percent increase with the addition of 400 more personal bankers. 

Some Wells customers wish the bank would just hire more tellers to speed up the lines in the bank. 

“This new design looks nice, but I would probably exchange the coziness for about two more tellers right now,” said San Francisco resident Marla Clark as she waited in a line behind 13 other customers. 

Standing right behind Clark, Keiko Aoshima agreed: “I know a lot of people would appreciate it if the bank would spend more of its money on hiring friendlier and faster tellers than on making the branch look cozier.” 

Bank analyst Campbell Chaney of Sutro & Co. thinks Wells’ increased emphasis on its branches will pay off because the bank is adept at cross-selling its products. In a recent visit to a Wells branch in the San Francisco Bay area, Chaney found himself cornered by one of Wells’ personal bankers and wound up signing up for more services and products. 

“And I should know better,” Chaney said. “I give Wells a big edge over other rivals trying to do the same thing with its branches because Wells knows how to sell like a retailer. Others are just trying to learn.” 

Seattle-based Washington Mutual is so impressed with the results of its five new-age branches in Nevada that it plans to open 40 more similarly designed locations in the Phoenix, Ariz. area beginning next year. 

The new branch concept — dubbed “Occasio”, a Latin word for “favorable opportunity,” features roaming employees equipped with hand-held computers to help customers with simple transactions or questions.


Disabled services program gets partial funding

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday December 27, 2000

The City Council approved Dec. 17, only part of a $50,000 request by Easy Does It, a nonprofit agency which provides emergency services to disabled residents. The balance of the request will be reviewed by the Commission on Disability. 

EDI asked for the funds primarily for improved office access for three new disabled employees and the addition of an in-house dispatching service. Currently, the agency contracts out for dispatching. 

The council unanimously approved $30,000 and sent the remaining $20,000, to the Commission on Disability for approval.  

EDI, which has had a limited contract with the city since 1995 – then expanded its services in 1999 after the passage of Measure E – provides the city’s disabled population with emergency services, such as transportation and personal attendant services.  

These can include everything from wheelchair repair to assistance with getting out of bed and grooming. It also has a case management division that assists the disabled with hiring and managing permanent attendants.  

Several members of the Commission on Disability attended the council meeting to argue that they should have had an opportunity to review the request for additional funds before the City Council voted on the recommendation.  

“This is awkward for us,” Commissioner Marissa Shaw told the council. “We’re asked to make planning decisions. We should see the budget before your approval.” 

Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz said the recommendation went directly to the City Council because EDI was considering a move and needed to know if the funds would be available.  

“It was probably my fault but there just wasn’t time,” Kamlarz said. “And then the day before the meeting it was determined the move wasn’t going to happen.” 

Although the move was canceled, EDI needed the additional funds for improving access to its current offices at 1732 University Ave. The agency recently hired three new employees who use wheelchairs and there is no independent access for them. In addition the nonprofit was anxious to begin its in-house dispatch program. 

There has been strain between EDI and the Commission on Disability since the passage of Measure E. The commission thought EDI was offering too few services and had inadequate fiscal accountability. In June, the council approved the two-year contract with EDI despite a unanimous vote by the commission to hire another company, Emergency Service Providers. 

“We were very frustrated when the council decided to ignore our recommendation,” said Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, commission chair. “But that’s not to say we can’t work with EDI.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring said the council decided to approve EDI’s bid at the time, because it had a track record and the other company did not. In addition she said a survey conducted by the City Manager’s Office showed a 75 percent approval rating among those who used EDI’s services. 

While the relationship between the commission and EDI has improved, there still is ongoing strain over the issue of EDI’s overuse policy, which limits service to clients. 

When people use the service 13 or more times in any month, they must pay a surcharge of $3 per call; after 19 calls, the surcharge jumps to $6 per call. In principal, service is suspended after 25 calls, although clients can appeal to an EDI subcommittee to show the need for the number of times the service has been requested. 

The subcommittee can grant extra usage or suspend service. 

“I’ve been told that three or four people have been suspended from service and I have to wonder what happens to those people,” Rodolfo-Sioson said. 

EDI Program Director Julie Yates said that it is very rare that anyone’s service is suspended and that the sub-committee, which is mostly comprised of disabled EDI directors, examines each case very carefully. 

According to Yates the overuse policy is in place to discourage people from relying on the service on a regular basis. She said the function of EDI is to provide emergency service not regular attendant service. 

“I hate the overuse policy,” Yates said. “But we need it as a disincentive for one person or handful of people to use the service all the time, which can affect others who are in emergency situations.” 

Kamlarz said one of the problems facing the disabled is the strong economy in the Bay Area. He said in the 60s and 70s there were plenty of students willing to work as attendants, but that is no longer the case. 

“There are too many jobs that pay more than being an attendant and it’s very hard work,” he said.  

Rodolfo-Sioson said that the commission will likely approve the remaining $20,000 EDI has requested. “We just want to take a look at the budget to see how much is coming from the capital budget and how much is coming from the fiscal year 2000 operating budget,” she said. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Wednesday December 27, 2000


Wednesday, Dec. 27

 

Magic Mike 

Noon and 1:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Special effects, magic, juggling, ventriloquism, and outrageous comedy is what Parent’s Choice Award winner Magic Mike is all about. Included in price of museum admission.  

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Tai Chi Chuan for Seniors 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Mr. Chang 

Call 644-6107 

 


Thursday, Dec. 28

 

Season of Lights  

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

The Imagination Company brings to life world winter celebrations and highlights the significance of light to several culture. Included in museum admission price.  

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Imani In the Village 

2 p.m. 

Claremont Library 

2940 Benvenue  

Percussionist James Henry presents a drumming and dance program for all ages. Audience participation invited.  

Call 649-3943 

 

Death of the Lecturer 

7 p.m. 

West Branch Library 

1125 University Ave.  

Calling all detectives, those who enjoy reading mysteries, playing Clue, and solving crossword puzzles to untangle the reason for the final fate confrontation.  

Call 649-3926 

 


Friday, Dec. 29

 

Earthcapades 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Join Hearty and Lissin as they blend storytelling, juggling, acrobatics, and more, to entertain and teach about saving the environment. Included in museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 


Saturday, Dec. 30

 

Bats of the World  

1 & 2:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Maggie Hooper, an educator with the California Bat Conservation Fund, will show slides, introduce three live, tame, and indigenous bats, and answer your questions about these fascinating creatures. Included in admission to the museum. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Kwanzaa Celebration 

4 p.m. 

South Branch Library  

1901 Russell St.  

Muriel Johnson of Abiyomi Storytelling is the featured storyteller at the library’s annual celebration which also includes a formal Kwanzaa ceremony.  

Call 649-3943 

 


Sunday, Dec. 31

 

Light Up the Lights! 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Popular songmeister Gary Lapow performs traditional holiday music from around the world. Included in price of museum admission. 

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 


Tuesday, Jan. 2

 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 


Wednesday, Jan. 3

 

Berkeley Communicators  

Toastmasters 

7:15 p.m. 

Vault Restaurant  

3250 Adeline St.  

Learn to speak fluently without fear or hesitation.  

Call Howard Linnard, 527-2337 

Thursday, Jan. 4  

Snowshoe Tours  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Catherine Stifter of Backcountry Tracks presents a slide-show on her favorite ski and snowshoe tours off Highway 49 between Sierra City and Yuba Pass. Free 

Call 527-4140 


Letters to the Editor

Wednesday December 27, 2000

SAT is biased; time for UC to drop its use 

 

Editor: 

 

I read with great pleasure the Dec 18 article that discussed the UC proposal to drop the SAT. Its about time UC officials addressed the significant and persistent test score gaps between whites and most minorities, and examined the fairness and validity of the SAT. 

The passing of Proposition 209 in 1996 ended affirmative action in California, and since then minority enrollments in the UC system have plummeted. In 1998 the number of blacks in UC-Berkeley’s freshman class dropped 60% from the prior year, and Hispanic admissions were down 40%. At UCL, UC-San Diego, Davis, Irvine, and Santa Barbara, black admissions had dropped between 14 and 46 percent, and Hispanic admissions had declined anywhere from 9 to 33 percent. And yet UC Regent Ward Connerly (who led the fight in UC to drop affirmative action) maintains the system "is not broken"? 

A simple and effective solution to the problem of declining minority admissions would be to drop the SAT as an admission requirement. The fact of the matter is that the SAT does an extremely poor job predicting grades for all students, whatever their race.  

Crouse and Trushem, authors of The Case Against the SAT, argue that the improvement in prediction from adding scores to high school grades is so small it is meaningless.  

If first year grades are used as a measure of success, their figures show that using both class rank and SAT scores means only 1 – 3 percent fewer errors in prediction than using class rank alone.  

If graduation from university is the standard, adding the test scores makes a difference of less than one percent. 

So the SAT adds nothing to admissions decisions. But what does it take away? Crouse and Trushiem write: 

"The SAT affects colleges’ admissions outcomes much like the random rejection of additional blacks. It therefore acts with respect to actual admissions outcomes very much like a supplement to high school rank with zero validity that increases rejections of blacks. This is exactly the meaning of the test having an adverse impact on blacks when used to supplement high school rank."(page 108) 

Bias against Hispanic students takes a somewhat different form. Not only do Hispanic students tend to score lower, but an August 1993 article in the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences reported that the scores also underpredict grades for Hispanic students.  

Yes, the admissions system is broken, but eliminating the SAT would go a long way toward fixing it. 

 

Chris Carter 

Oakland, California 

 

 

 

Fat Lady won’t sing after Bush’s inauguration 

 

Editor: 

 

Nationwide popular vote to dictate how the electoral college will go is time-honored, legally-established practice. Vote by the college, grudgingly tolerated, has been viewed as a mere meaningless out-dated formality to rubber stamp and redundantly certify the popular vote of the people.  

Al Gore indisputably won the national popular vote. Consequently, there should surely have been among those sent to cast votes for George W. Bush in the electoral college at least a handful who did not set party loyalty above a higher duty to serve honestly the whole nation, and would therefore break ranks to distinguish themselves nobly in the nation’s history as they accorded their winning votes to Al Gore, thereby supplanting the choice of a befuddled court with the people’s choice and reaffirming modern presidential election by popular vote.  

For shame George W. Bush and your electors! And for shame, Americans, if you accept this gunslingers’ thieving injustice! 

But remember, the fat lady can’t sing until after the inauguration. May a bannered calvacade of millions of the fair-minded - lawyers, doctors, students, families, war veterans, veterans of the Civil Rights struggle, etc. - descend on Washington for inauguration day and prevent the taking of the presidential oath by anyone but Al Gore.  

 

Not for a decade has there been a more worthy national reason for overwhelming numbers to best misguided authority. If need be, we can do without a president for a few days while we put our national house in fair order to match the voted will of the people.  

 

Judith Segard Hunt 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

Don’t condemn before judicial verdict 

 

Editor:  

 

Ms. Diana Russell, professor at Mills College, has anointed herself judge, jury, and prosecutor in the case against Berkeley landlord, L.B. Reddy and his family.  

Proclaiming herself as a spokesperson for Women Against Sexual Slavery, while seeking a City Council resolution to boycott Pasand Madras Cuisine, she in effect was leading the charge in trampling a fundamental American principle, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of peers.  

To underscore this point, on November 24, 1963, eighty million of us saw Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald live on television. But, until Ruby was tried, convicted, and sentenced in a court of law, he was referred to in the media as the alleged killer of Oswald. Mr. Reddy should be accorded the same constitutional protection as Jack Ruby.  

To their credit and our pride, Council members Polly Armstrong and Miriam Hawley dissented in the resolution to boycott Pasand's restaurant. Resisting the pressures of an emotionally charged atmosphere, they voted instead to defend a fundamental American principle.  

 

Dennis Kuby  

Berkeley


Cal striker Schott named first team All-American

Daily Planet Wire Services
Wednesday December 27, 2000

California sophomore forward Laura Schott and senior defender Tami Pivnick were named 2000 All-Americans by Soccer Buzz on Tuesday. The national collegiate women’s soccer Web site selected Schott to its first team and Pivnick to its third team.  

Schott and Pivnick are Cal’s first All-Americans since Erika Hinton earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) second team honors in 1993. The last Bear to be first team All-American was U.S. national team member Joy Fawcett in 1989.  

Earlier this month, Schott was the only Pac-10 player to earn first team All-America recognition from the NSCAA, and now she joins USC’s Isabelle Harvey as the only Pac-10 players to be named to Soccer Buzz’s top All-America list. Schott also earned first team All-West honors from both the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz.  

A first team All-Pac-10 pick from Wilsonville, Ore., Schott finished the season as the conference’s leader for points (47), goals (23) and game-winning goals (9). Her 23 goals tied Fawcett’s school record, set in 1987. Nationally, Schott concluded the year ranked second for goals per game at 1.15 and ninth for points per contest at 2.35. After two years in Berkeley, Schott ranks third in school history for goals (34) and fourth for points (77) and is on pace to break Fawcett’s records of 55 and 133, respectively.  

Pivnick helped anchor the 10th-ranked defense (0.645 goals per game) in the nation this season. The sweeper from West Hills also found ways to contribute to Cal’s attack in 2000, tying for fifth on the team with eight points (two goals and four assists). Her outstanding efforts on the field and in the classroom helped Pivnick earn selections to both the second team All-Pac-10 team and the first team Academic All-Pac-10 squad. She also was a second team All-West pick by Soccer Buzz and a third team All-West honoree by the NSCAA.  

Schott and Pivnick were named Cal’s Offensive and Defensive MVPs, respectively, at the annual team awards banquet.  

Their offensive and defensive exploits helped the Bears put together one of the best seasons in school history. Cal posted a 17-3-1 record, placed second in the Pac-10 at 7-2 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell 2-0 to eventual Final Four participant Santa Clara.  

The Bears’ 17 wins broke the previous school record of 16 set in 1986, ‘87 and ‘88. The Bears ended the year ranked as high as No. 4 by Soccer America.


Homeless programs get $11.7 million

Daily Planet Wire Service
Wednesday December 27, 2000

Homeless individuals and families across Alameda County received an early Christmas gift Saturday when congressional representatives notified them that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had awarded more than $11.7 million to programs serving the 9,000 to 15,000 homeless people who live in Alameda County.  

A number of programs in Berkeley will benefit from the funds:  

• The Berkeley Emergency Food and Housing Project’s $487,000 grant was renewed to support its transitional housing program. The program offers 24-month housing with structured support services to help clients move to stable permanent housing and to achieve self sufficiency. 

• The Homeless Employment Center’s grant of $1 million was renewed to provide employment and training services to 300 General Assistance recipients or those eligible for General Assistance. 

• The Alameda County Homeless Youth Collaborative received a renewal of its $621,700 award which provides housing for Berkeley youth in a two-bedroom transitional house and for Oakland youth in an eight-bed transitional house. An additional 570 youth will receive services through this program, which include outreach, life skills training, mental and physical health care, employment, childcare, skills training and more. Partners in the project include Chaplaincy to the Homeless, Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, Berkeley Youth Alternatives and others. 

• The Peter Babcock House, on the Oakland-Berkeley border serves homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The facility houses five individuals in a supported, community living environment. The program operated by Affordable Housing Associates, with services provided by BOSS, will receive $112,000 to renew its grant. 

• Bridget House was awarded a new grant for $138,000. It is operated by Berkeley’s Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center and is a transitional housing program with case management support for homeless women and children. During the program year, it houses 12-18 individuals, approximately six families with up to 12 children. 

• The city-run Shelter-Plus-Care program will receive a renewed grant of $1.4 million. This is a city project that partners with seven community-based organizations to place individuals in housing, assign case managers to their applicants and provide a variety of services before and after housing has been found. About 30 percent of the clients who use these services have been diagnosed with mental illness and another 30 percent are disabled by chronic substance abuse. An additional 40 percent are dually diagnosed. 

• The Berkeley Supportive Housing Network is a new program that provides housing for severely mentally ill homeless individuals. It received $313,000. 

• Another new program to get funding is the Berkeley Interfaith Youth Initiative. Twelve churches joined together to form the initiative which will receive $97,000. One of its purposes is to establish drop-in centers for homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness. They centers, run by Jubilee Restoration, Inc., will be located in south and west Berkeley. 

• A $99,000 grant renewal will go to Bonita House, which serves homeless adults with a dual diagnosis of severe persistent mental disability and a history of substance abuse.


‘Xmas coup’ continues in New York

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday December 27, 2000

In what some are calling the “Christmas coup” at KPFA’s sister station WBAI in New York, an interim station manager was installed and the station’s program director and a producer were fired Saturday. Tuesday, Pacifica added to the list of persona non grata by banning of at least three more people from the Manhattan station. 

WBAI, KPFA and listener-sponsored stations in Washington, D.C., Houston and Los Angeles, operate under a license controlled by the Pacifica Foundation. In the summer of 1999, Pacifica locked out the entire staff at KPFA, following the firing of a popular station manager and subsequent broadcasts about the firing, which had been banned by Pacifica. The lockout and censorship resulted in daily demonstrations, including one by 10,000 people. The battle between the local station and the Pacifica Board continues today through several lawsuits. 

The situation at WBAI was discussed in a Tuesday morning staff meeting at the New York station where “a strong consensus of the staff” called on the management to reinstate those who had been terminated and barred from the station, according to a person in attendance at the meeting who asked to remain anonymous. 

“The interim manager said that any such readmission would take time and left the meeting before a vote was taken,” the source said in a phone interview. 

There has been no explanation given to those people who have been barred from the station. “The bannings may be in revenge for prior discussions,” the source said. 

Among those not permitted inside the station is Eileen Sutton, a volunteer news producer active in a strike of Pacific Network News stringers. These radio journalists have refused to work for the Pacific News since the news director was terminated earlier this year.  

“I’m honored to be kicked out,” Sutton told the Daily Planet, explaining that she had been given no explanation for her termination. She was told that she could not re-enter the station by people attending the Tuesday morning staff meeting, she said. 

The WBAI audience has been very supportive to the staff, Sutton added, noting “There’s been 150-170 calls each day to a hot line” that updates people on the WBAI situation. 

The installation of Utrice Leid Saturday as station manager came about a month after Pacifica announced the termination of the former station manager. Calling the action “a tyrannical approach of Pacifica,” Northern California board member Tomas Moran said he received no notice of any of the New York actions. Further, Board Chair David Acosta has not responded to his inquiries, he said. 

Moran, programmers and the station’s Local Advisory Committee met Saturday to plan programming to keep KPFA listeners informed of the New York situation. Local Advisory Board members will continue to meet to discuss what kinds of further response should be taken.  

The situation in New York is somewhat different than the one in Berkeley during the summer of 1999. On air programmers are allowed to discuss the situation and only a select few have been locked out. It’s a new way to “spin” the situation, Moran said, underscoring that in both situations the decision-making is not democratic. 

The inside source at WBAI described the situation as one where a half-dozen security guards are scattered inside at various posts, not only to restrict the access of those banned from the premises, but, to watch and listen to those working inside the station.  

“It has a chilling effect on people, on the usual social intercourse,” he said. 

“We’re in Through the Looking Glass,” Moran said. “We’re on the other side of the glass.” 

Pacifica Executive Director Bessie Wash did not return calls on this story. Interim WBAI station manager Utrice Leid, installed in the early morning hours of Dec. 23 and Board Chair David Acosta were also contacted but did not return calls.


Housing advocate initial report full of promises

Bay City News Service
Wednesday December 27, 2000

The Affordable Housing Advocacy Project in Berkeley released its first progress report on Christmas Day, promising to promote and improve the use of housing vouchers for low-income residents. 

“We are especially concerned that city staff and elected officials and, most importantly, voucher holders do not understand how the vouchers work,” according to the AHAP report. 

A so-called Section 8 voucher is a government rental subsidy that allows a low-income person to obtain housing, with federal financial assistance, in a privately owned building. 

Life in privately owned housing is viewed by many as preferable to life in a government housing project, which is perceived as dangerous because of the threat of violent crime and drug dealing. 

Harvard and Princeton universities jointly released a report in October, concluding that housing vouchers appeared to be succeeding, with families “enjoying more safety, fewer behavior problems among boys, and better health.” 

Former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary Xavier Briggs, now at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, said the positive results have been quick. 

“The theory has always been that it would take years for effects to register,” he said. “But when you leave neighborhoods behind where you’re ducking bullets and worried for your life, and for your children’s lives, every minute of every day, lo and behold it doesn’t take long for things to register at all.” 

In October 1998, President Bill Clinton signed the Quality Housing and Responsibility Act. This required local housing authorities to develop and submit both annual and five-year plans to the federal housing agency. 

One of the requirements is that residents of public housing be included in the planning process. 

Berkeley’s Affordable Housing Advocacy Project, which is funded by the City Council, is working to include public housing tenants and the Section 8 tenants as well. This is particularly true in the development of the city’s five-year and annual housing plans, and in the creation of “Watchdog Committees” to monitor housing activities. 

The project was developed out of the Save Section 8 Committee, a group founded by seniors living in subsidized housing. It was started in October 1999 as a joint project between Housing Rights, Inc., Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), and the National Housing Law Project. 

The group also plans to educate rental property owners regarding vouchers.


Auto theft suspect caught

Daily Planet Staff Reports
Wednesday December 27, 2000

A suspect who crashed a stolen car into a home at Cedar and California streets was locked up in the Berkeley jail Tuesday, according to police. 

At about 3 a.m. Tuesday, police received a call that suspects may be in the act of stealing a car at Shasta and Tamalpais roads. At around Cedar and Euclid Avenue, an officer thought he saw the car described as stolen and activated his lights and siren to get the suspect to stop, according to Lt. Russell Lopes. 

Instead of stopping, the vehicle fled down Cedar. The officer did not pursue, since that would have violated Berkeley municipal code which forbids pursuit of stolen vehicles, Lopes said. 

Minutes later the suspect car crashed into a home near Cedar and California. The car’s airbags deployed and the suspect was able to leave the vehicle unhurt. He was found 10 minutes later hiding in a nearby backyard, Lopes said.


Bay Briefs

Wednesday December 27, 2000

Teenager killed in Richmond 

RICHMOND (AP) — One teen-age boy was fatally shot and another was seriously injured Tuesday while walking home from a friend’s house, police said. 

A bullet fatally struck a 14-year-old boy in the head, while a 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg, arm and back. Both were taken to an area hospital where the younger victim was pronounced dead. The older boy was listed in stable condition, said Richmond Police Sgt. Enos Johnson. 

The youths were walking on Potrero Avenue a few blocks from their home when they were approached by a vehicle carrying at least one gunman. 

The suspects got out of the car and at least one opened fire on the teen-agers, police said. The older boy ran two blocks to safety. 

Police are investigating the incident but do not have a motive for the shooting. 

 

Gay and lesbian center opening delayed 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The opening of a new gay and lesbian community center in San Francisco has been delayed by the discovery of toxic soil at the Market and Octavia construction site. 

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center was set to open in June during Gay Pride Week. The delay means it likely will not open until fall. 

The delay will also raise the cost of the center. The original price was set at a little more than $14 million, but cleaning up the toxins will add about $1 million to the bill. About $12 million has been raised for the center, first conceived in 1996. 

The center will consist of a 41,000-square-foot glass and steel four-story building connected to a century-old Victorian. It will provide office space to 11 nonprofit groups and will include conference rooms, a cafe and a childcare center. 

 

BART parking shortage 

OAKLAND (AP) — Commuting by Bay Area Rapid Transit is so popular that parking lots are filling up faster than ever and some riders are so desperate they’re accepting $25 tickets to park illegally. 

Surveys indicate motorists appear willing to pay the fines to park in spaces set aside for car pools and midday travelers. 

Those BART surveys also show illegal parking happens at nearly every station with a parking lot, but the problem seems to be worst at Pittsburg and Dublin-Pleasanton. 

BART officials said the parking problem is made worse by the boom in ridership, up 15 percent in the past year to 345,000 trips on most weekdays. 

BART wrote almost 60,000 tickets in the past year. That’s up from just over 45,000 the previous year. 

 

No clues to whereabouts of missing woman 

SAN LEANDRO (AP) — Despite an extensive search of the ravines and canyons on Crow Canyon Road there is still no sign of a San Leandro woman who disappeared last week after leaving for work. 

Authorities said they will continue the search Tuesday for Janet Vanden Bos. She was last seen Thursday morning as she left her parents’ San Leandro house and headed for her job in Danville. 

Friends and family say it isn’t like Vanden Bos to disappear without telling anybody. Her family says she has a serious asthma condition and did not have medicine with her for more than a day or two. 

Her family also says she has not been unhappy recently. She drove off in a red Volkswagen convertible with a black top, and the car also has not been seen.


Farmers’ daughter could be U.S. agriculture head

The Associated Press
Wednesday December 27, 2000

SACRAMENTO – Ann Veneman, an attorney who is the daughter of peach farmers, emphasized foreign trade, food safety and education during her tenure as California’s agriculture director. 

Veneman, 51, a Modesto native, was expected to be named U.S. agriculture secretary Wednesday by President-elect Bush, The Associated Press has learned. 

“We have a very high regard for secretary Veneman,” Bill Pauli, president of the 90,000-member California Farm Bureau, said Tuesday. “What we’re really encouraged by is not only does she understand California agriculture, which is really important to us, but she understands national agriculture.” 

She was California’s agriculture director from 1995 until January 1999, appointed by former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. She is the only woman to have held that cabinet post as the governor’s top farm adviser. 

Wilson sent her on trade missions to Asia and South America to try to increase California’s agriculture exports, which range from cotton to table grapes. 

From 1986 to 1993, she dealt with international trade issues in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She rose to deputy secretary, the number-two job in that office, under Bush’s father and was the highest-ranking woman to serve in that department. 

During her time in the federal department, Veneman helped negotiate the Uruguay round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade talks. 

“When you talk to agriculture people about what government can do to help, it’s ’help us open markets that are closed to us,”’ Veneman said in a 1995 interview. “I think that’s a real legitimate role that we can play.” 

Since Wilson left office, Veneman has been practicing law in Sacramento, but still keeping farm connections. In her firm of Nossaman, Guthner, Knox and Elliott, she has specialized in food, agriculture, environment, technology and trade issues. 

This month, she spoke at a University of California, Davis, seminar on agriculture in an Internet world. 

She said e-commerce will bring “fundamental changes” to farming, as farms begin exploring business-to-business Internet transactions, buying and selling everything from seeds to farm equipment. 

In October, she told an agriculture biotechnology conference in Monterey, “We simply will not be able to feed the world without biotechnology.” 

In 1999, she was hired by Nugget Distributors of Stockton to promote a new food safety training program on CD-ROMs for restaurant workers. A 1998 state law requires businesses selling unpackaged foods to have at least one worker certified in safe food handling. 

Pauli said Veneman’s background in agricultural trade agreements is “a really strong positive for California agriculture and for the nation’s agriculture.” 

Picking Veneman “was a really good start” for the Bush administration as far as food and agriculture policy is concerned, said Carol Tucker Foreman, director of the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute. 

Veneman understands that USDA, which regulates meat processing and operates the government’s food assistance programs, is concerned about more than farming, Foreman said. She “will bring a modern view of the Department of Agriculture into that job.” 

Her roots are both in farming and politics. Her parents were peach growers in Stanislaus County in the San Joaquin Valley south of Sacramento. Her father, John Veneman, was a Republican state assemblyman and undersecretary of health, education and welfare in the Nixon administration. 

Veneman was an early Bush supporter and was one of six California Republicans named in mid-1999 to his exploratory committee in the state. At the GOP convention last summer, she was on the national steering committee of Farmers and Ranchers for Bush. 

She has a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis in political science, a master’s in public policy from UC Berkeley and a law degree from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. 

She spent time during her tenure as state agriculture director visiting urban schools to talk about how food gets from the farm to them. 

“The big problem is children simply do not know where food comes from. They go to the grocery store and think milk just comes out of a carton, or fruit and vegetables just appear on that shelf,” she said a 1997 interview.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Tuesday December 26, 2000


Sunday, Dec. 24

 

Ancient Winds 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

1573 Solano Ave. 

One of many performers doing their stuff on Solano during the holidays. Performances every weekend afternoon till Christmas.  

 

Artists at Play Holiday Sale  

Noon - 4 p.m. 

1649 Hopkins St.  

Work for sale includes dishes, frames, floral ribbon pins, jewelry, monoprints, and more.  

Call 528-0494 

 

Telegraph Holiday Street Fair 

11 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Telegraph Ave. (between Dwight and Bancroft) 

With over 300 vendors and live musical entertainment, this years holiday fair will be larger than any in recent memory. Free shuttle from downtown Berkeley BART available. Validated parking will be offered at UC’s West Anna Lot, located on Channing Way just east of Telegraph.  

Call Linda, 528-6983 for details 

 

Palestinian Solidarity Event 

1 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1924 Cedar (at Bonita) 

Noura Erakat, just returned from occupied Palestine, will present a slide show and discussion on why she believes U.S. military aid to Israel must stop.  

Call 524-6064 

 


Tuesday, Dec. 26

 

Kwanzaa! 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Join storyteller Awele Makeba as she shares tale and a capella songs from African and African-American history, culture, and folklore which celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Included with admission to the museum.  

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Big Fat Year-End Kiss-Off  

Comedy Show VIII 

8 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts  

2640 College Ave.  

Featuring Will Durst, host of PBS “Livelyhood,” Johnny Steele, Debi Durst & Michael Bossier, Ken Sonkin the Magic Mime, and Steve Kravitz.  

$15  

Call for tickets, (925) 798-1300 

 

Blood Pressure Testing 

9:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Alice Meyers 

Call 644-6107 

 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 


Wednesday, Dec. 27

 

Magic Mike 

Noon and 1:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

Special effects, magic, juggling, ventriloquism, and outrageous comedy is what Parent’s Choice Award winner Magic Mike is all about. Included in price of museum admission.  

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children  

Call 642-5132 

Tai Chi Chuan for Seniors 

2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Mr. Chang 

Call 644-6107 

 


Thursday, Dec. 28

 

Season of Lights  

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley 

The Imagination Company brings to life world winter celebrations and highlights the significance of light to several culture. Included in museum admission price.  

$7 adults; $5 children 5 - 18, seniors and students; $3 children 3-4 

Call 642-5132 

 

Imani In the Village 

2 p.m. 

Claremont Library 

2940 Benvenue  

Percussionist James Henry presents a drumming and dance program for all ages. Audience participation invited.  

Call 649-3943 

 

Death of the Lecturer 

7 p.m. 

West Branch Library 

1125 University Ave.  

Calling all detectives, those who enjoy reading mysteries, playing Clue, and solving crossword puzzles to untangle the reason for the final fate confrontation.  

Call 649-3926 

 


Friday, Dec. 29

 

Earthcapades 

1 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive 

UC Berkeley. 

Call 642-5132


Pacifica fires staff at WBAI

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday December 26, 2000

The WBAI “insider” stood locked out in the cold in front of the New York listener-sponsored station Saturday afternoon. 

“At approximately 11:45 p.m. (Friday) night, in a Pacifica-backed coup, three locksmiths came in and changed the locks,” said the individual, who asked that his name not be used for this story. 

The Pacifica Foundation holds the license to five community radio stations, including KPFA, where staff and volunteers were locked out of the station by representatives of the national board for three weeks during the summer of 1999. The Berkeley lockout occurred after programmers insisted on discussing the firing of a popular station manager on the air. Demonstrations, including one 10,000 people strong, ensued and staff returned inside the station. Listener and programmer lawsuits against Pacifica were filed and are moving forward. 

As the “insider” describes it, at 1:48 a.m. Saturday WBAI talk show host Etrice Leid came on the air and announced she had been named interim station manager in place of Valerie van Isler, whose termination was announced a month ago. Staff had no input into this unpopular decision, the insider said. 

Also on Saturday morning the lead producer of the morning news show and the WBAI program director both received termination notices via Federal Express. 

“They’ve hired a private security firm to be bouncers at the door,” the insider said. 

Programmers were being allowed into the building selectively in order to broadcast their shows on Saturday, the source said. 

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, whose show is broadcast nationally from WBAI, said Saturday that she, too, was locked out of the station and did not know whether she would be allowed in on Monday to broadcast her show. “It’s not clear what’s happening,” she said, “It’s a total crack down.”  

The lockout violates the station’s contract with its employee unions, she added. 

Local station KPFA reacted swiftly to the events broadcasting updates Saturday and planning coverage of the situation over the holiday weekend. 

Pacifica management did not return calls for this story. 

For updates call the WBAI listener hotline at (800) 825-0055 or go to the web at www.savepacifica.net.


Letters to the Editor

Tuesday December 26, 2000

Powell may not help ease tensions 

 

Editor: 

Pundits are saying that Colin Powell will be very good at solving international conflicts, for instance in the middle East.  

As a boy, Powell worked for a Jewish grocer in the Bronx and learned to understand and speak Yiddish.  

This will please Netanyahu and friends, but it is doubtful that the Arabs will be greatly impressed.  

 

Max Alfert 

Albany 

 

 

It’s in the First Amendment – read it 

 

Editor: 

From the start of Michael Yovino-Young’s letter of Dec. 16 & 17, you’d think he was avid civil libertarian with an inkling of an understanding of constitutional law.  

However, by the end of his letter, it is clear that Osha Neumann, who Yovino-Young complained about, has an understanding of the Constitution far greater than, say, Yovino-Young, who doesn’t understand who should or shouldn’t practice law or what “fascism” means.  

Neumann also has one thing going for him that Yovino-Young doesn’t seem to have; the lawyer has actually read the first amendment.  

“Congress (note the emphasis) shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” 

Too bad Yovino-Young hasn’t read any of the large body of juridprudential literature explaining what those words functionally mean.  

While the mainstream reaction again the Netanyahu demonstration is discouraging, not only because of people’s misunderstanding of freedom of speech but also because of their failure to see the war criminals among us and the subjugation that our government and major media are a part of, it sure is great to see lucid voices, like those of Joseph Anderson and Steve Wagner. And to see the staff of the Berkeley Daily Planet printing them.  

 

Oliver Luby 

Berkeley 

 

 

Feliz Navidad 

 

Editor: 

It's the Season of delightful music and lights, eating too much, and sharing joy with families and friends.  

As I stood in line waiting to buy that perfect gift for my husband, I found myself making a list of New Year wishes for this wonderful city.  

So here are some wishes that I invite you to join me in making come true.  

 

• Heading the list – cozy, affordable housing particularly for the elderly in danger of losing their homes and the working poor struggling to keep their families together.  

 

• Councilmembers that will put aside political maneuvering and work with all their colleagues for the good of the entire city. 

 

• Health care for everyone. I am happy to have helped 900 Berkeley residents get health insurance this past year, but this is a national problem that can't wait. 

 

• Safety for the South Berkeley neighbors who are fighting so hard for freedom from drug dealing, shots in the night and assaults on their children. 

 

• An excellent education for all of our youth. It is unacceptable to be afraid in school, deprived of adequate playing fields, to drop out or be denied training or work experience. As their Village, we must nurture them with love while setting limits to guide them. 

 

• Recognition that Berkeley needs and depends upon a vibrant business community to provide jobs and pay taxes which fund the services we all want and expect. 

 

• Support for my pre-natal through pre-school program which seeks to ensure that every Berkeley child is healthy and motivated to learn when entering kindergarten. 

 

• Improve the quality of life for everyone by fixing potholes, repairing sidewalks, and expanding parks.  

 

And, wouldn't it be nice if all the traffic slowed down and everyone was polite? 

 

Well, this is my wish list for the New Year and it's achievable, if we all work together! 

 

Mayor Shirley Dean 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

Save the Derby St. farmers’ market and save the neighborhood  

 

Editor: 

I am writing to you about the Derby Street Field. I strongly oppose the Derby Street Field trying to be built there. 

 

I do support the plan that would provide regulation soccer and softball fields, a tot lot, larger garden for the new alternative school, safer streets and spots to play for children, and for the Farmers' Market to stay there.  

Because I'm a 10 year-old I don't want to have to have bright lights and noise during the night and traffic problems. And also I love the Farmers' Market;I go over there every Tuesday after school. And it would be really bad if there was a huge stadium on Derby and not the market.  

 

People in the community should decide what happens and almost everybody in the community doesn't want it, but they think that nobody will listen to them.  

 

Thank You, 

Rio Bauce Berkeley 

 

 

 

Noise, traffic is for those living near new Beth El site 

 

Editor: 

This is with reference to Charles Meyers' letter to the Editor in the Planet's 12/23-25 issue. 

 

Mr. Meyer states that he lives "about a half-mile" from Beth-El; just far enough to view the proposed project from a lofty, unaffected attitude, i.e., not having to deal with heavy traffic, noise, parking problems and all the other issues imposed by this project which is inappropriate to an already highly urbanized neighborhood.  

 

When Mr. Meyers lives next door to such a project as I will, then perhaps I will be able to take his cavalier comments seriously. 

 

 

Carol Connolly 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Cigarette store, media images raising questions in Berkeley

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday December 26, 2000

The recent opening of a Durant Avenue smoke shop may be in violation of city zoning laws. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, whose district includes the south-of-campus area, said councilmembers received an e-mail from Mark Rhodes, director of current planning, that said a mistake was made in issuing a use permit to the University Gift and Smoke Shop at 2506 Durant Ave.  

Zoning regulations, specific to the Telegraph Avenue shopping area, prohibit new stores whose sales are made up of more than one-third tobacco products, unless there is a public hearing and subsequent issuance of a use permit.  

Rhodes was unavailable for comment Saturday. 

The opening of the Telegraph area shop spurred Councilmember Dona Spring to call for a citywide moratorium on new smoke shops.  

Spring has placed a resolution on the Jan. 16 City Council agenda calling for the moratorium until the city’s zoning regulations can be amended to restrict what she calls the “proliferation of smoke shops in Berkeley.”  

Spring said she hopes the Planning Commission regulations will target areas near schools – including UC Berkeley. 

“They like to put these shops near schools because kids are the easiest to get hooked on nicotine products,” Spring said. “Oakland has a ordinance forbidding tobacco shops near schools and I think Berkeley should, too.” 

According to Paul Fletcher a spokesperson for the American Lung Association, studies show there is a definite correlation between the opportunity to purchase cigarettes and the number of minors who smoke.  

“There are 150 places to buy cigarettes in Berkeley,” Fletcher said, “Clearly the area is already over saturated.” 

Fletcher cited a survey by the Berkeley police and the Berkeley Tobacco Coalition in which minors posed as cigarette buyers last summer. According to Fletcher, the sting showed that one-third of Berkeley cigarette vendors sold tobacco to minors. 

Berkeley resident Tim Moder is among those who have contacted Spring to voice opposition to the new Durant Avenue smoke shop. He said there should be no more than five stores that sell cigarettes in the city. “It would make it much easier to monitor these places to make sure they don’t sell to kids,” he said. “With 150 stores selling cigarettes there’s just no way.” 

The owner of the newly opened Durant Avenue smoke shop, Nabel Totah, also owns two other similar stores, one on University Avenue and another in Oakland. 

“Cigarette sales are a very small part of our business,” said Gena Garcia, a manager at Totah’s Oakland smoke shop. “If Mr. Totah knew that Berkeley didn’t want anymore smoke shops he certainly would have not invested money there.” 

Judith Scherr of the Daily Planet staff contributed to this story. 


Seniors could lose Section 8 housing help

By Helen Wheeler
Tuesday December 26, 2000

“A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.” – Phillip Moffitt. 

 

Two questions frequently asked by senior citizens are: “What’s Section 8?” and “How can I find a decent place to live?”  

In 1997, 622 subsidized units for Berkeley elderly were reported by the census; Alameda County Housing Authority’s Inventory of Subsidized Rental Housing identified 33 Berkeley buildings which include low-income or Section 8 senior or disabled rent-subsidized units. 

Section 8 refers to a portion of federal legislation administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It provides rent subsidies for low-income persons. People who qualify under Section 8, pay one-third of their incomes for rent, with the balance subsidized by HUD.  

This program has been one of the best possible uses of federal funds, because it countermands the need for costly welfare-type expenditures associated with sheltering seniors with small incomes who are eager and able to live independently.  

Seniors receiving Section 8 rent subsidies in today’s tight Bay Area housing market are at risk of losing their status and being evicted because landlords prefer other types of tenants and can get higher rents in the open market.  

Tenant-based Section 8 is administered by the Berkeley housing authority. In theory, it is possible for a low-income person to get on a periodically-open waiting list, obtain a Section 8 voucher from the housing authority, and – before the voucher expires – find a vacant apartment on the open market owned by a landlord who will accept both an aged tenant and rent subsidized by HUD!  

In Berkeley there are several Section 8 project buildings, owned by nonprofit and for profit organizations, not under the purview of the Berkeley Housing Authority. They consist of mostly single-room apartments, for example, Redwood Gardens and Stuart Pratt.  

Here are suggestions for easing a search for low-income housing for seniors. Contact rent-subsidized housing projects and landlords. Request an application form and information brochure, and complete the application form at once. Retain copies of all correspondence. Emphasize your strong points as a prospective tenant, for example, no pets, nonsmoker, excellent credit history, regular income. Resist the temptation to accept the advice of friends or building managers who say that “You will never get a place in that building” or “We never have vacancies.”  

If you currently rent in substandard conditions, make a formal request to the local housing department for an “inspection;” persist in obtaining a report of any code violations. If you are near-homeless, paying over half your income in rent, being involuntarily displaced, and or living in substandard housing, include these facts in your application.  

It may not be possible to apply to a building manager or see inside the building. Apply to the management company, which may require an interview; take a friend with you. After four weeks, if you have not received acknowledgment, follow up. After three months, if your application has not been accepted, telephone. Inquire about its status every month and at least once in writing.


Boy was carried off by rogue wave, police say

By Ron Harris Associated Press Writer
Tuesday December 26, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – Authorities now believe a rogue wave, churned up by piling sea swells off the San Francisco coast, crashed ashore and swept away a 13-year-old boy Friday. 

The search continued Saturday, but turned up empty. The missing boy’s name has not been released. 

Witnesses say he was standing with his seven friends along the shoreline at Baker Beach when the wave suddenly towered above their heads and blindsided them. 

“They were taking a photograph of their group of eight and a rogue wave came and knocked them down,” said San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Pete Howes. “The beaches are very steep. They go from beach-side to deep water quickly.” 

Other members of the group went into the water and scoured the waves for the boy but never found him. They were treated for mild hypothermia and exhaustion and released from a local hospital. 

The waters off Baker Beach and nearby Ocean Beach are known for their unpredictable conditions and strong riptides that can easily take inexperienced swimmers out to sea. Just last month a fisherman drowned at Baker Beach while wading into the surf and stepping off a shallow sand shelf into deeper water. 

Warning signs reading “Hazardous surf. Swim at your own risk” are posted at Baker Beach. Rich Weideman, a spokesman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area which oversees the beach, confirmed that 12 people have drowned at Baker and Ocean beaches since 1990. 

This time of year the conditions are often ripe for trouble. 

“We had a fairly high tide. It was some of the highest tide I’ve seen,” Weideman said of Friday’s conditions. “The warnings we had were between 10 and 15-foot-waves and it was going on for about 24 hours starting about 3 p.m. Friday ironically.” 

That was the time when the rogue wave struck the group of teens. 

The region’s deadly seas claimed another life on Nov. 30 when Scott Smith, bass guitar player for the 1980s pop band Loverboy, was swept from the deck of his sailboat by a 25-foot wave four miles off the coast of Ocean Beach. 

That wave was so strong it snapped off the boat’s steering wheel. Smith’s body was never recovered. 

A high surf advisory continued through Saturday for the region, but personal responsibility is a key component for beachgoers, Weideman said. 

“It’s up to the person and their abilities,” he said. “We just want people to be cautious. It’s always good to be watching the weather forecast.” 

Howes added that visitors to San Francisco should watch more than the weather report — they should keep an eye peeled on the surf which can quickly change from mild to wild. 

“If they’re out their children or pets they should be very cautious,” Howes said. 

Despite the dangers, swells from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay about 30 miles south are coveted by big wave surfers this time of year. Hot spots nicknamed “Mavericks” and the “Potato Patch,” with their thrusting shallow ocean shelves, offer consistent 40-foot waves during the winter for those brave enough to surf them.


State looking for alternative energy sources

By Colleen Valles Associated Press Writer
Tuesday December 26, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – With the state in the throes of an energy crisis, alternative energy glows like a solar-powered beacon of relief for Californians beset by soaring gas prices and imminent rate hikes. 

But the energy generated by nature, or “green power,” constitutes only 12 percent of California’s power usage, and it won’t help bail out the state during this energy crisis for one important reason — it’s still too costly. 

Existing alternative power plants do not satisfy the state’s appetite for power. Windmills in Tehachapi and Altamont, solar energy farms in the desert, and the world’s largest geothermal field near Santa Rosa do not produce enough energy to meet the demand. 

And a major obstacle to expanding alternative energy is the startup cost. With gas costing just $2 to $3 per 1,000 Btu last winter, it simply didn’t make sense for utilities to build systems that use renewable sources. But last month, the price soared to $30. 

“We would like to increase the amount of generation from renewable resources in the state,” said Marwan Masri, manager of the California Energy Commission’s renewable energy program. “But the cost is high at first.” 

The state program offers incentives, such as payment of part of the startup costs, to get more companies and even homeowners to use renewable resources. The program is building up steam. 

“Today, market prices have been really high and these renewables are a bargain,” Masri said. “The question is not to lose momentum.” 

California uses, on average, about 34,000 megawatts of power a day, with 12 percent of that coming from renewable sources, such as wind, sun and the Earth’s own heat. Over the past three years, the amount of energy from alternative sources has increased by almost 4,000 gigawatt/hours — enough to power 600,000 homes for a full year. 

The rising gas prices and tight supplies have buffeted Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric. PG&E and SoCal Edison blame $8 billion in losses since May on rising wholesale costs and frozen customer rates. 

San Diego customers are not covered by the rate freeze and have seen their bills double or triple. Customers of the other two utilities will likely see their rates increase as early as next month, after the Public Utilities Commission said Thursday customers should pay more to keep the companies from going bankrupt. 

“If the gas prices stay where they are, this stuff looks a whole lot better,” said Rich Ferguson, research director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technology. 

Still, natural gas remains the favorite because of the price. Until this year, gas has been among the cheapest sources, and utilities use it to generate almost 90 percent of the state’s energy. 

Alternative energy sources are expensive to set up, but once established, the fuel is fairly cheap. Natural gas plants, on the other hand, are cheaper to set up, but must continually spend money to buy fuel. 

Although alternative energy took off in the 1980s, it has been around since the turn of the 20th century, when small hydroelectric plants were scattered throughout the state. Large hydroelectric plants are not considered alternative energy. 

In the 1960s came geothermal energy, which harnesses heat from the Earth to generate steam and turn a turbine. Biomass, which comes from burning plant material; landfill gas, which can be harvested to drive generators; and other renewable sources grew in popularity in the 1980s. 

Right now, the cost of wind and geothermal energies are on par with natural gas, with wind averaging 5 cents a kilowatt hour and geothermal averaging 7 cents a kilowatt hour. Solar is among the most expensive, at 20 to 40 cents a kilowatt hour. 

Masri thinks the costs will eventually come down significantly, making alternative energies consistently competitive with natural gas. 

“The one trend we know is renewable energy gets cheaper and cheaper over time. The cost has been dropping,” he said. “It hasn’t dropped far enough, but it is declining.” 

Still, the price of electricity is tied to the cost of natural gas, because even alternative energy sources feed the same power grid, which is dominated by natural gas. So higher natural gas prices raise the cost of all electricity, no matter how it’s generated. 

That price is passed on to consumers of both traditional and alternative energy sources, but retailers of renewable energy often negotiate flat rates for their customers, which can keep them from being affected too much by rising prices. 

All seem to agree that with gas prices rising, renewable energies are more attractive, and to meet the need, new alternative energy plants are expected to generate 471 megawatts of power by the end of next year. That’s enough to power 471,000 homes for an hour. 

Those plants will be used to replace gas-fired plants or generate additional electricity, said Steven Kelly, policy director of the Independent Energy Producers Association. 

But Kelly said the way many gas-powered plants are designed makes it too hard to convert them to alternative energy plants, and that it would be easier to start over rather than to switch over. 

Kari Smith, manager of green power resources for PowerLight Corp., a Berkeley company that sells and installs solar panels, sees alternative energy expanding in the future. 

“The economics are changing. The price of natural gas has doubled in the last year, where the price of wind and solar is coming down,” Smith said. “We see it as a real promising sector.”


Opinion

Editorials

Berkeley man killed in snowboarding accident

The Associated Press
Saturday December 30, 2000

DENVER – A 25-year-old California man has died of head injuries sustained while snowboarding this week at Breckenridge Ski Resort. 

Witnesses said Seth Bender of Berkeley lost control and struck a tree along the intermediate Peerless run on Peak 9 on Wednesday, resort spokesman Jim Felton said. The man was not wearing a helmet. 

He was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon at Swedish Medical Center in Denver, where he was airlifted after the crash, hospital spokeswoman Ramonna Tooley said. 

It was the third death at a ski resort in Colorado this season.


Wallace plans to improve AC Transit urban services

By Erika Fricke Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 29, 2000

Joe L. Wallace will fight for bus money. The new director on the AC Transit Board said he wants to keep people who are transit dependent in the forefront of his mind, which, he said, means more money for bus services, the transportation that low-income urban residents depend on. 

“A lot of our dollars are going to modes of transportation that do not serve the low-income people,” said Wallace. “A lot of people complain about the bus service. Until we get equity and funding for the bus service there’s going to be complaints.” 

Wallace, who is a North Richmond resident and works for the North Richmond Community Career Center, believes that the emphasis on funding BART has taken vital funds away from the AC Transit system. 

“BART is sucking up 75 percent of the transportation dollars,” he said, adding that this leaves the other transit systems to make do with 25 percent of funding.  

Many bus services were cut in 1995 when the federal government eliminated a transportation subsidy.  

The cutback occurred around the same period as the buses were implementing the Americans for Disability Act, which requires equitable bus service for the disabled. City Councilmember Miriam Hawley, whom Wallace replaced on the AC Transit Board, said the expensive bus improvements brought the system up to a necessary standard and vastly improved the lives of many disabled people. “It’s very good and it’s very expensive,” she said. 

Hawley agreed that for many years money has been directed towards commuter transportation for the suburbs. “Buses don’t have the same panache and the same sex appeal as BART,” she said, “but they’re the workhorses.” 

She added that one-third of the Bay Area residents rely on public transportation. Many of those use buses, said Wallace. “There are certain bus lines that carry more passengers per day than BART does but get less money,” he said.  

The BART extension is one project using up millions of transportation dollars. “I think it costs BART $125 million a mile to go to San Jose, imagine if we had the money for two of those miles,” said Wallace, adding that very low-income people don’t ride BART because, “it costs more than a dollar just to get in the door.” 

Wallace first became interested in transit issues in North Richmond, where he works and resides, during the period when people were forced off of welfare into work programs. 

“About three years ago I’d sit in on community groups trying to make it easier for the welfare-to-work people. The first thing I told them was if a transition is going to take place, the transportation has to be available.” 

Wallace facilitated meetings between AC Transit and the community to develop a plan for new bus service. “It showed me that a major company actually cared about my community. It showed me that dealing with the community and the residents in the community was a positive experience for them.”  

For two years before his election to the board, Wallace served as chair of the Bus Riders Advisory Committee, a group made up of citizen bus riders who provide the transit commission with the experiences of riders. A bus rider himself, he is no stranger to bus problems in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. “Since I am transit dependent I know how they feel when they miss a bus because it’s running ahead of schedule or when a bus doesn’t come,” he said. “All of the frustrations that they have, I have too.” 

Wallace said a survey of current bus ridership and community needs will help board members figure out how to reinstate service in the most necessary areas. 

He hopes to direct funding towards AC Transit to increase bus service in the evenings and on the weekends, to get new technology and to purchase new buses. “Also we have a serious problem,” he said, “especially with low income families, being able to pay for passes for the kids to go to school.” 

The Metropolitan Transit Commission appropriates funds for different transit alternatives in the Bay Area. Wallace plans to attend commission meetings to review their funding priorities, and hopes to shift their thinking away from what he considers flashier modes of transport, towards the bus lines. 

“I’m going to try to make them understand in the most polite way that I can – because they hold the strings to the purse – that we need more money. Period.”


Gov. Davis urges power conservation, wants deregulation

The Associated Press
Wednesday December 27, 2000

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gray Davis urged Californians Tuesday to save electricity and called for the construction of new power plants. But he said he wouldn’t offer his plan to deal with the state’s electricity crisis until Jan. 8 – four days after state regulators decide how much to boost ratepayers’ bills. 

The Democratic governor signaled his continued support for deregulation, while noting that there are problems and “we have to move on several fronts so that down the road deregulation can work.” 

The governor, in an interview in Washington, D.C. with Nightly Business Report, said the state Public Utilities Commission had the principal authority to take action to soothe California’s deregulated energy market, which has been rocked by shortages and spiraling wholesale electricity costs. 

“The PUC is the legal body that will make a determination,” the governor said. When asked what he thought the PUC should do, he said: “It doesn’t matter what I think.” 

“There are no magic bullets. We just have to work our way through this problem,” Davis added. 

The interview was significant for what he did not say. 

The governor did not mention that the PUC is composed of gubernatorial appointees, and that within a week he will have the authority to appoint another member of the five-member panel, giving his appointees a majority. 

He said wholesale power sellers are driving the current crisis, but he did not discuss potential penalties, whether the wholesalers should provide refunds to the utilities, pay taxes on their profits or to what degree utilities should shoulder the burden of high energy costs. 

He has said ratepayers will need to bear some of the costs of protecting the utilities’ solvency, but he did not give specifics and did not discuss his private negotiations currently under way with the utilities in Sacramento. 

Earlier in the day, Davis said he met for two hours with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers about the economic implications of California’s electricity problems. He did not provide details. 

A spokesman for a consumer group that favors reregulating California’s electricity market, deregulated by a 1996 law, said Davis was “passing the buck at every turn, seeking to distance himself from rate hikes that will be pinned on him.” 

“It all comes down to Davis. He is the one setting up the meetings with the utilities, he has the authority to appoint the PUC majority, he could step in,” said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. 

The PUC earlier declared that California’s two huge investor-owned utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison Co., needed rate increases to help cover some $8 billion in losses they’ve incurred since June. 

The scope of that increase remained uncertain, however, as PUC-hired auditors were examining the companies’ books. 

The two utilities, serving a total of 10 million homes and businesses, have paid sharply higher prices for wholesale electricity, but because they operate under a rate freeze they have been unable to pass those costs on to their customers. 

The PUC plans to meet Jan. 4 in San Francisco to decide on lifting the rate freeze. On Jan. 8, Davis said he will unveil in his State of the State address to the Legislature his suggestions to deal with the crisis. 

One of the Legislature’s ranking Democrats said the state could purchase PG&E’s and SoCal Edison’s hydroelectric dams, valued at more than $4 billion, which he said would help the utilities stave off insolvency and protect ratepayers from huge high bills.


Bay briefs

Staff
Tuesday December 26, 2000

First Bay Area Chinese teacher dies at 95 

LAFAYETTE – Alice Fong Yu, the first Chinese American public school teacher in San Francisco, died earlier this week. She was 95. 

Yu died Tuesday at a nursing home. 

Yu came to San Francisco in 1916 from the small gold-mining town of Washington, Calif. She applied to and graduated from the San Francisco State Teacher’s College in 1926, only to be told by administrators that Chinese Americans were not being hired. 

But the principal of Commodore Stockton Elementary School insisted that his campus needed a bilingual teacher and Yu was hired, a first for San Francisco. She went on to teach public school for 44 years. 

The San Francisco Unified School District recently named its Chinese school after Yu. 

Yu was also the founder of the 67-year-old Chinese women’s service organization called the Square and Circle Club which serves charitable causes. She received many acknowledgments for her achievements over the years including the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Distinguished Service Awards in 1975 and the Women of Achievement, Vision and Excellence award in 1986. 

Yu is survived by two sons and two grandchildren. 

 

New Examiner loses another editor 

SAN FRANCISCO – Yet another editor has left the new San Francisco Examiner. 

Managing editor Bob Porterfield has been fired, becoming the third editor to leave the newspaper since it released its first issue a month ago. 

Porterfield told The Associated Press Friday he was fired “for exercising an action that I believed I had the right to exercise as managing editor.” 

When the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner was hired by publisher Ted Fang, some saw it as an indication that the paper would set a high standard for his journalism. 

In its first few weeks, the Examiner has been bedeviled by such problems as front-page misspellings, stories that ended in midsentence, improperly sized type that made reading difficult and relatively few staff-written stories. 

The newspaper replaced executive editor Martha M. Steffens Dec. 11, and editorial page editor Susan Herbert resigned a week earlier. 

Porterfield said he could not elaborate about his Dec. 15 termination, referring questions to his lawyer Alan Exelrod, who did not return calls made late Friday and early Saturday seeking comment. Calls to Fang were referred to his spokesman, Ken Maley, who did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 

The Examiner, which launched the publishing empire of William Randolph Hearst, ended a 113-year run as a Hearst-owned newspaper last month. Fang, a publisher of giveaway neighborhood papers, hired a new staff and now competes for morning readers against the Hearst-owned San Francisco Chronicle.