Power officials brought California back from the brink of rolling blackouts Tuesday afternoon, but Berkeley city officials were already doing all they could to set a good example and conserve energy. 

“We’re trying all the energy savings ideas we can think of placing setting thermostats lower for heating and higher for cooling,” said Renee Cardinaux, director of Berkeley Public Works. “We’re already cutting back on energy this year so there’s very little to cut back on.” 

While residents stocked up on candles and blankets, Berkeley Police said they were prepared to haul portable stop signs out of storage to areas where stop lights are out.  

“We have a standard plan should we lose power because of a huge storm or involuntary blackouts,” said Berkeley Police Lt. Russell Lopes, adding that police and fire headquarters would not be affected by the blackouts. 

“We don’t consider this an emergency because we’re still able to provide services we always do,” he said.  

The California Independent System Operator declared a Stage 3 emergency yesterday morning after power reserves dipped below one and a half percent. If power reserves are depleted, then the ISO institutes rolling black-outs for hours at a time. Cold weather, increased energy consumption and a much-criticized deregulation of power utilities have contributed to the current energy crisis. Most recently, out-of-state suppliers have been fearful of selling energy to California energy companies because of their fragile financial situation.  

But conservation efforts combined with the shut-down of two large water pumps that send water to Southern California and the purchase of some power from the Pacific Northwest, ISO spokeswoman Lori O’Donley said the lights will remain on – for now. 

“We’re not anticipating any black-outs,” she said.  

Although this is the second time this week that a Stage 3 emergency has been declared, Stage 2 alerts – in which power reserves dip below 5 percent – are becoming a daily occurrence.  

When a Stage 2 is declared, Berkeley Energy Officer Neil De Snoo said the city dims its street lights and shuts off ball field and tennis court lights. Electric vehicles are unplugged and in city offices, De Snoo said lights are shut off and office equipment is programmed to sleep when it is not used.  

De Snoo said the conservation efforts have reduced the city’s base power load by 30 percent and reduced its use during peak hours by 40 percent. 

“It’s tricky, but there’s really a lot that can be done,” he said. “There’s a tremendous amount of peripherals in offices and if they’re not turned off, they’re drawing juice.” 

At Berkeley’s Alta Vista Hospital, administrators are cutting power use by shutting off office lights at 6 p.m., said spokesperson Carolyn Kemp.  

But even in a major disaster, Kemp said generators keep the hospital prepared to operate without power for days. 

“We can’t close ventilators down in certain areas,” she said. “We remain full-service because we have to.” 

Workers at A Honey Rest Home on Mc Gee Avenue said they stay prepared for any emergency – including possible black-outs. 

“We have flashlights, candles and canned food,” said Ophelia Montro, manager of the care facility. “We have enough heaters for everyone.”  

Wednesday, Jan. 17

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 

Your Justice System at Work 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

West Oakland Senior Center  

1724 Adeline St.  

Oakland  

Judges of the Superior Court, attorneys, and other justice system representatives will be present to hear the concerns of the public and to answer their questions. 268-7610 

Stagebridge Free Acting  

& Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit  

www.stagebridge.org 

Environmental Sampling  

Project Task Force  

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way  

Discussions will include the Berkeley Lab responses to comments on the Tritium sampling and analysis plan.  

Genetically Modified Food Teach-In and Strategy Session 

7 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave.  

Teach-in led by the Genetic Engineering Education Network, followed by a general strategy session and discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association Organizer Simon Harris, Ecology Center’s Steve Evans, and other local activists.  

Call 548-2220 x239 

Telegraph Area Association 

Community Planning Committee 

9 a.m. 

TAA 

2509 Haste St.  

To be discussed will be southside planning position for TAA to support and strategy to increase faculty/staff housing in southside.  

Call 649-9500 

Telegraph Area Association 

Membership Committee 

9 a.m. 

2509 Haste St.  

To be discussed will be a review of workplan objectives and a review of workplan goals.  

Call 649-9500 

Thursday, Jan. 18

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Ayodele Nzinga and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Combating Congestion  

1 - 5 p.m. 

Pauley Ballroom 

Student Union Building  

UC Berkeley 

A one-day transportation conference featuring Martin Wachs, of UC Berkeley, speaking on transportation finance and Elizabeth Deakin, also of UC Berkeley, speaking on the relationship of growth and congestion.  

Call 642-1474  

Become Berkeley City Smart 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore  

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose)  

In a slide presentation & talk, Berkeley resident, restaurant and movie critic John Weil takes attendees on a unique tour through the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Berkeley and Oakland. Free 

Call 843-3533  

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwirght 

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 25 Meeting 

8 p.m. 

Veterans Memorial Building  

1931 Center St.  

Any woman who has had a relative serve in the U.S. military is invited to attend and join the auxiliary.  

Call 916-372-8364 

Journey Across China 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Eugene Tsiang, Shanghai native, will give a slide presentation on his two-month journey last spring by train and four-wheel drive vehicle across China’s Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang Provinces. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us  

“Origin and History of the Pathways” 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Live Oak Park Recreation Center 

1200 Shattuck Ave.  

Paul Grunland, board member of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, will speak on the history of Berkeley’s pathways. Free 

Call 527-2693 

Telegraph Area Association 

Economic Development Committee 

3:30 p.m. 

Sather Gate Garage Conference Room  

2431 Channing Way  

To be discussed will be a holiday marketing update, Telegraph power outages, and the Sather Gate parking garage.  

Call 649-9500 

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month.  

Call 869-2547 

Friday, Jan. 19

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  

“Evidence-Based Practice - How it May Effect You” 

11:45 a.m. luncheon 

12:30 p.m. speaker  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Eileen Gambrill, professor in the department of social welfare at UC Berkeley with speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon, $1 with coffee, students free  

848-3533 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Pardon Leonard Pelltier Prayer Circle 

Noon - 1:30 p.m. 

Oakland Federal Building  

Clay (between 12th & 14th) 

Oakland 

The Pelltier Action Committee are asking President Clinton to pardon political prisoner Leonard Pelltier. Today is the last day Clinton can pardon Pelltier.  

Call 464-4534 or e-mail: thepac2000@hotmail.com 

Saturday, Jan. 20

On Death & Dying 

9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Buddhist Temple  

2121 Channing Way (between Shattuck & Fulton)  

Kathleen Gustin, Zen priest, and Rev. Ronald Nakasone of the Graduate Theological Union speak at this workshop designed to help those considering their own ending or that of loved ones.  

$20 per person (box lunch included) 

Call Ken Kaji, 601-5394 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Corinne Innis Reception 

5 - 7 p.m. 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center 

3023 Shattuck Ave.  

Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings.  

Call 548-9286 

Free Tae-Bo Classes for Adults  

10 - 10:45 a.m.  

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park 

2800 Park St.  

Call 644-8515 

Free Martial Arts Classes for Kids  

11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

Classes taught by Michael Johnson, a fourth degree black belt. Ages 5 - 7, 11:15 a.m. - Noon; Ages 8 - 12, 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.; Ages 13 to adults, 1:15 p.m. - 2 p.m. 

644-8515 

Building And Remodeling 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Glen Kitzenberger discusses what homeowners need to know before building or remodeling. Skip Wenz discusses the pros and cons of building an addition. Free 

Call 525-7610 

Free Puppet Shows  

1:30 & 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning educational puppet troupe, includes puppets with such conditions as cerebral palsy, blindness and Down syndrome.  

Bengal Basin Seminar 

3 p.m. 

Warren Hall, Room 22 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Third International India Bangladesh Symposium for reducing the impact of toxic chemicals on the Bengal Basin. With World Poet Rabindranath Tagore.  

Call 841-3253 

Sunday, Jan. 21

Live Oak Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St.  

The music of J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi played by the trio of Marvin Sanders, flute, Becky Lyman, harpsichord, and Alexander Kort, cello.  

$8 - $10  

Call 644-6893 

Saying No To Power 

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut St. (at Rose) 

Bill Mandel, author and activist talks about his new book.  

$4 - $5  

848-0237 

Single Parents and Step & Blended 

Family Interfaith Fellowship 

4 - 6 p.m. 

Beth El Synagogue  

2301 Vine St. (at Spruce)  

An interfaith and very open group that welcomes parents and their children of all affiliations and orientations. This meetings discussion topics will be a supportive and advice oriented look at dating.  

Local juice may preclude PG&E dependency 

Editor:  

Cogeneration (cogen) is electricity generation right on-site at local apartment houses, hospitals, schools, malls, and factories using the aleft over heat for heating or airconditioning buildings. It is double use of the energy with 80 percent efficiency in contrast with the 35 or 40 percent at remote central power plants where the heat has no use and is deliberately wasted, as can be seen by the tall cooling towers of nuclear plants.  

There is also an energy loss of from 8 to 15 percent carrying the electricity over tower lines long distances. Cogen is much more likely to be able to be used after a big storm or earthquake when tower lines may fall down and should be in police and fire buildings. Cogen is a form of competition for the monopoly electric utilities and has been discouraged by both PG&E and So. Cal Edison, who claim it may ‘damage’ their networks. Actually excess juice from cogen can be fed easily back into the network.  

In U.S. cogen is about 7 percent of the total electricity, while in Germany and Sweden it is as much as 35 and 50 percent. Cogen is an old concept, a 1907 text discusses it. Cogen can be completely automatic, starting or stopping as needed. It is a very efficient and dependable source of energy at individual sites. Many engine manufacturers publish extensive data about use of their product for cogeneration.  

Charles L. Smith 

Berkeley 

Liars can take pets anywhere 

Editor: 

I was startled by the one-sided tone of your article “Service animals provoke quandary” (1/12/2001). Your reporter John Geluardi presented Michael Minasian’s unsupported claims that he is disabled and that his dog King is a service animal as fact, and repeated Minasian's tendentious reading of the Justice Department's guidelines regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act as if it were not debatable. 

As Minasian would have it, anyone wishing to bring a pet into a restaurant need only claim that they are disabled and that their pet is a service animal. Under the ADA, he believes, neither restaurant staff nor police can require any further explanation or documentation. In other words, people willing to lie could take their pets anywhere. 

In reality, the Justice Department's ADA guidelines are not so categorical. The relevant phrase reads, “documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal.” The case of a person with no apparent disabilities whose putative service dog is performing no apparent service seems like precisely the kind of reasonable exception to the general rule that prompted the guidelines’ authors to say “generally may not” rather than “may never.” 

Robert Lauriston 

Berkeley 

Green Party is moving ahead 

Editor: 

In the noisy, disconcerting aftermath of the November 7 general election, which saw an unceasing five week legal struggle in Florida, pitting the Democratic and Republican parties against one another, an important political milestone was achieved that, until now, has remained below the mainstream media’s radar screen.  

In a January 3 profile of Sebastopol, California’s newly elected Green Party City Council majority, The New York Times confirmed that many greens, progressives and independents have known that the green party now ranks as the nation’s third largest political party in terms of total number of elected offices held. This development is significant.  

Since gaining ballot status nearly twelve years ago, the Green Party has grown exponentially in the number of candidates fielded and/or elected across the country. During the 2000 election cycle, 33 Green Party candidates won elections in a dozen states, giving the party elected officials in a total of 21 states. Over 200 Green Party candidates completed for elective offices during 2000. 

The Green Party’s electoral successes reflect a strategy to build power from the local level — the greens in office all serve in municipal, county or regional governments, from mayor in five California cities, including Santa Cruz and Santa Monica, to the drainage/flood control commissioner of Charlevoix, Michigan.  

In Northern California, greens won a large number of races. In San Francisco, two former Democratic Party candidates, Supervisor Matt Gonzalez and School Commissioner Mark Sanchez, switched to the Green Party. In Berkeley, greens hold seats on the city’s three most important elected bodies: City Council, School Board and Rent Stabilization Board.  

Meanwhile, in Oakland, unsuccessful Green Party City Council at-large candidate Rebbecca Kaplin captured 44 percent of Oakland’s total vote against an entrenched Democratic Party incumbent, an impressive achievement given that Oakland voters are overwhelmingly registered democrats.  

As the Green Party prepares for the 2002 election cycle, the party’s prospects are indeed promising — with the organizational collaboration of Green Party 2000 presidential candidate Ralph Nader, the party will continue to build electoral strength at the local/regional level and establish a foundation for challenging the Democratic and Republican parties in future elections, including state and federal offices.  

The Green Party, to use an old expression, is in for the long haul, with an unshakable commitment to the years and decades ahead. For more information, contact www.greenparty.org 

Chris Kavanagh 

City of Berkeley Housing Advisory Commission 

Berkeley 

A wonderful  

community! 

Editor: 

Our daughter, Mary Fran Stevens and her roomates survived a fire on Hearst Avenue that destroyed all their belongings on Jan. 8. When we received that dreaded call in the middle of the night we really didn't know where to turn. As a mother 5,000 miles away in Virginia, I agonized over this tragedy, but have been reassured that everything will be all right thanks to the compassion and generosity of Mary Fran's newly found community of friends.  

The outpouring of support —from housing and clothes to hugs after sifting through the charred remains — is truly inspiring. I want to thank everyone in the neighorhood and especially Mary Fran's friends at the Berkeley Repertory Theater for being there for our dear and only child. 

Margie Stevens 

Montross, Virginia  

Thank you 

Editor: 

I wish to thank the Daily Planet and the 138 voters in November’s District five city council race.  

That’s two percent of the vote my first time out, per vote expenses of campaign: 53 cents. Roughly figured, if I had the same size campaign budget as Mim Hawley (congratulations Mim!) it would give my campaign over 50 percent of the voters citywide.  

This, of course, has the little wheels in my brain revolving with ideas about Berkeley’s 2002 political season. Berkeley, thanks for the kind and real.  

Mark Fowle 

2000 District Five City  

Council candidate 

Berkeley 

The Department of Parks and Waterfront is asking a consultant to suggest ways to prevent foul smelling algae and attract more wildlife to the three lagoons at Aquatic Park. 

The City Council has approved a plan to enter into a $70,000 contract with Laurel Marcus and Associates to develop a Natural Resource Management Plan to reduce algae blooms by increasing the lagoons circulation with the bay. The consultant will also include a plan to enhance bird and other wildlife in the park, according to Waterfront manager Cliff Marchetti. 

Laurel Marcus and Associates will manage a team of environmental consultants, including water scientists and landscapers, to determine a workable plan. 

The park was developed in the 1930s during construction of Interstate 80 and consists of marshlands, lawns and pathways which wind along a large lagoon and two smaller ones. The park is on the west side of the freeway between the Ashby and University avenue exits. 

When the park was developed, concrete tubes were placed beneath the freeway to allow bay water to flow in and out of the lagoon. The five, 24-inch wide tubes that service the main lagoon were poorly placed, according Mark Liolios, a member of Friends of Aquatic Park. In addition, he said the tubes often become clogged and have to be cleared with high-pressure spray. Because of their location under the freeway, Caltrans is responsible for tube maintenance. 

“It has been historically hard to maintain good quality water because the lagoons are relatively large, isolated bodies of shallow water,” Marchetti said. 

There are several options the team of consultants will consider. They range from replacing the tubes to placing additional tubes at more strategic places. Marchetti said replacing the tubes would be extremely difficult because of their location under the freeway. There are no cost estimates for any of the possible fixes. 

The lagoon becomes susceptible to algae growth if the lagoon is not constantly refreshed with bay water. The bay provides the lagoon with cold temperatures, salt and oxygen which reduces algae growth and helps support wildlife. 

Algae blooms deplete the water of oxygen and if the lagoon does not have access to the bay, it results in the suffocation of lagoon fish, according to Liolios. 

“About four years ago, after Caltrans stopped cleaning out the tubes there was a red tide that killed hundreds of striped bass, some as big as 30 inches long,” he said. “Caltrans is now back on a regular schedule of cleaning out the tubes.” 

Another goal of the consultants will be to suggest way to attract more birds to the lagoons. Currently there a variety of birds that feed and nest around the lake. “Depending on the time of year, Ducks, egrets and Cormorants can be seen around the lagoon,” Liolios said. 

He added that one possibility to attract more birds is creating manmade islands in the lagoon that would provide nesting birds with a predator-free environment for nesting. 

Principal Frank Lynch arrived at Berkeley High School in August, to facilities burned down from arson and a provisional school accreditation.  

Before the new principal has been allowed to get his bearing with the current problems, he’ll be faced with more change.  

This upcoming semester he’ll be working under an interim superintendent, with a parental mandate to fix the gap in achievement between white students and students of color at Berkeley High.  

In the meantime, construction on school buildings will bring noise, dust, and loss of power and water. 

Lynch said he hadn’t realized the extent of the troubles that beset Berkeley High when he took the position. “In the first couple of days I was like, Oh my gosh," he said.  

But after four months in school Lynch has had more time to assess Berkeley High from the inside. 

“It’s an interesting place,” he said.  

While seeming to face a perpetual string of crisis situations, the new principal has continued implementing plans to improve the atmosphere at Berkeley High. 

An immediate issue facing Lynch is parents’ demand to do a wide scale intervention for 250 Berkeley High ninth-graders, many of them African-American and Latino, at risk of failing a class. The parent group – Parents of Children of African Descent – are bringing the gross disparity in grades between white students and students of color at Berkeley High to the attention of the community. 

“The diversity of the school is its strength and weakness,” said Lynch. 

He agreed that the student achievement gap as the single most important issue facing the school. "Everything else is tinkering around the edges,” he said. “Whatever we do it has to be focused on student achievement.” 

To Lynch, all components of creating a functional school are inextricably linked to that end result – achievement.  

Security is a case in point. Lynch said that security, and the perception of a safe school, is necessary for students to benefit from education.  

“If kids don’t feel safe here,” he said. “They can’t perform the way they need to be performing.” Related to questions of security is the fact that students who feel afraid “don’t come,” said Lynch, creating empty seats and a day’s educational loss. 

But rather than getting trouble-making kids off-campus, Lynch believes the school should be better about keeping them on campus and supervised.  

“I would say the biggest problem is attendance,” he said, adding that attendance and security function in tandem. Students perpetrating the most egregious discipline offenses, fighting or setting fires, are often students that aren’t in the classroom, but should be. 

Lynch said that although students may arrive on the school grounds, they don’t always make that crucial step though the door of the classroom.  

“They’re truant in the sense that they’re not in class,” he said. “They’re hanging around.” 

This next semester Lynch hopes to enforce attendance policies more aggressively by changing the system of parent notification. Currently a voice dialing system automatically calls parents when their students are absent, and a letter is sent home.  

But, said Lynch, “It doesn’t take kids long to figure out (the system).” Messages left on answering machines get erased by students before parents can hear them. Letters may just disappear. Lynch said for any parental contact to happen, “it has to be a human.” 

“I want an old fashioned truant officer who will go around, pick kids up and go to their home,” he said. “You need someone who can make the home contact.” In the mean time he hopes a personal phone call, at home or at work, will serve the purpose. 

While returning to the basics to solve attendance problems, Lynch is bringing new concepts to Berkeley High to try and change the structure of the school. One proposal is block scheduling for two of the five days per school week. 

Instead of going to eight classes, students would attend four classes one day, for double periods, and then would take the remaining classes the following day. Lynch said that the more substantial instruction time would allow teachers to create longer projects without needing to assemble and disassemble them within one class period. An additional benefit, he said, is the increased face time between students and teachers which allows them to get to know each other better. The block scheduling proposal will be voted on by the teachers, and students are invited to provide input. 

Like the new surveillance cameras to be placed on campus, and the construction set to begin this semester, many changes coming to Berkeley High have long been in the works.  

One of the projects Lynch endorses involves creating small schools within the larger high school. Berkeley High has already received a grant to begin planning various possibilities for smaller schools. The only existing small school, Communications Arts and Sciences, is so popular that students must compete to grab one of the 60 slots available per year. 

But no matter how popular any one concept is, one of Lynch’s tenets is to reaffirm the diversity that exists in the Berkeley High community, by providing may different learning environments. “I want to provide options,” he said. “I don’t honestly believe in a community as diverse as this that everybody wants to go in the same direction.”

At the meeting of the Board of Education tonight, Berkeley Unified School District officials are expected to announce the name of the interim superintendent who will oversee the district when the current superintendent, Jack McLaughlin, leaves at the end of January. 

The interim superintendent will hold the position until a permanent superintendent is selected.  

The school board is currently conducting a nationwide search and the selection is estimated to take place by July 1.  

The board interviewed candidates in closed session last Friday, and will discuss the appointment of a new superintendent in closed session, beginning at 6 p.m.  

School Based Dental Program 

Staff will present the Healthy Start Dental Program to offer dental services to Berkeley first, second and fifth graders.  

According to reports from the county and state, 37 percent of second graders and 43 percent of tenth graders suffered from untreated dental decay. Although dental sealants – which protect teeth with extra covering – can prevent the large majority of dental decay, less than 10 percent of Alameda county 15 year olds have received that treatment.  

The Healthy Start dental program would provide education and on-site dental exams and services to students in school, as well as community referrals for outside dental care. 

Intervention Proposal 

Parents of Children of African Descent, a Berkeley High parents group, will present their proposal to intervene on behalf of students failing one or more classes in their first semester at Berkeley High.  

The group hopes to implement a comprehensive plan to affect the vast gap in student achievement between white students and students of color at the high school. They are asking for support and resources from the board of education and the community at large to implement their plan, which would create a intensive math and reading courses, and provide individual case management for each failing student. 

Two Way Immersion Program 

The board will review proposals on how to extend the two-way immersion program, teaching students in both Spanish and English, during the fourth and fifth grades at Rosa Parks and Cragmont elementary schools.  

Currently the immersion program serves native English and Spanish speakers at Rosa Parks, Cragmont and LeConte schools. 

Expulsion closed session 

Also in closed session tonight, the board will discuss the expulsion of eight students from the Berkeley Unified School District. Prior to the case being reviewed by the board, each student’s case was reviewed by an expulsion committee, which can then recommend either expulsion, or suspension of expulsion.  

“There’s clearly some situations that require a school district to recommend expulsion,” said Alex Palou, former director of student services, in an interview earlier this month. But, he said, “It’s a measure of last resort.” 

After the expulsion committee reviews a students’ case, the board of education reviews it, and can determine whether or not to expel the students. If a student is expelled from the district, the district is required to find a new place for the student in another school district, or in the Rock LaFleche Community Day School, which provides services to troubled youth.  

The most a student can be expelled from district is two semesters for any one incident, at which point the school district is required to accept the students again. 

The board will meet in public session at 7:30 in the Board meeting room on the second floor of the School District building, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

KPFA radio will continue its live broadcast of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft through Thursday.  

The broadcast of the hearings began Tuesday morning. 

Phil Osejueda, assistant general manager and development, said the broadcast is in the tradition of other controversial hearings KPFA has broadcast, dating to the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork.  

“We feel that a lot of listeners are interested in this particular situation,” he said. 

When asked what he thinks about John Ashcroft, Osejueda said, “He has too much baggage. He has a lot of opinions that are contrary to laws that are on the books right now.”  

He went on to say that he believes Ashcroft could have trouble enforcing laws that go against his own morals.  

Conservatives, however, have argued that Ashcroft’s clean record proves he will uphold all the laws in the United States.  

Bob Strawn, representative of the Northern Alameda County Republican Committee, did not return calls for comment. 

The coverage of the confirmation hearings will be anchored by Larry Bensky, a familiar voice on KPFA, who most notably covered the Iran-Contra hearings in 1987.  

During the broadcast Tuesday, Bensky said he believes it should be KPFA’s mission to bring important events like the Ashcroft hearings to the people. Bensky called Ashcrofts nomination, “the first controversy of the Bush administration.”  

Bensky will also welcome a variety of progressive analysts and commentators during the broadcasts.  

The live broadcast will likely get under way by 7 a.m. KPFA is located at 94.1 FM. The broadcast can also be heard on the Internet.

The Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley has acquired personal papers of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize. 

Included in the collection are manuscripts of poems and speeches, family photos, awards, journals and 50 year's worth of her correspondence with her publishers. 

Brooks, who died in December at the age of 83, gave her blessing to the university's acquisition of her papers. In 1997, she read at the university's Wheeler Auditorium. At that time, more than 700 people were turned away, and Brooks signed books until midnight.  

The granddaughter of a slave, Brooks appeared on the literary scene in the post-Harlem Renaissance period. Her poetry promoted an understanding of African American culture, and although it explored issues of racism and poverty, those issues did not limit her poetry, says former poet laureate and Berkeley professor Robert Hass. 

``If any one American writer naturalized the facts of black life, looked at it as lives people led, lives that happened to be inescapably caught in a racialized world but not absolutely defined  

by that fact, it was she,'' he said. ``This curiosity, this art without a social agenda, was a kind of declaration of independence.'' 

According to Berkeley professor Susan Schweik, Brooks used traditional forms for radical, innovative ends, and mentored black and women poets, and pioneered writing of race and gender issues. 

Her poem ``The Mother'' is believed to be the first poem written in the United States to talk about abortion. She read that poem at a gathering of American poets honored at the White House in 1980 by then-President Jimmy Carter. 

Brooks was prolific, and her writing includes children's books, an autobiography, one novel, a collection of poetry about South Africa and other volumes of poetry, including ``We Real Cool,''  

which was published in 1966. 

Brooks, who is said to have started her writing career as a child by sending poems to her local community newspaper to surprise her parents, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for her second book of poetry, ``Annie Allen.'' That book was a series of poems about a girl growing up in Chicago. 

The Berkeley collection, which was retrieved from one of Brook's homes in the South Side of Chicago, is made up of 22 boxes of uncatalogued material from the 1930s to 1980. 

The materials will add to the Bancroft Library's African American writers collection, which was launched in 1978 and provides access to thousands of books, manuscripts, correspondence  

and other rare works by black authors. 

SACRAMENTO — Environmental and health groups Tuesday urged the state’s smog board to reject staff recommendations that could cut California’s electric vehicle mandate more than 75 percent. 

The American Lung Association, the Planning and Conservation League and other groups said the staff proposals went too far and clashed with the board’s decision last September to keep the mandate with some modifications. 

“It compromises the whole integrity of the program,” said Jamie Knapp, a spokeswoman for the California ZEV Alliance, a coalition of environmental and health groups. 

Steve Douglas, director of environmental affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the staff proposals would not go far enough “to reduce and mitigate the high cost of (electric) vehicles and batteries.” 

The mandate requires that at least 10 percent of the new cars and light trucks offered for sale in California by major manufacturers emit little or no pollution, starting in 2003. 

Zero-emission vehicles – currently that means battery-powered electric vehicles – would have to make up at least 4 percent of new autos, although manufacturers could reduce that number by offering them for sale before 2003 or making cars that get more than 100 miles between charges. 

Manufacturers also could delay compliance for a year by producing two years’ worth of the vehicles by the end of 2004. 

The regulations would require production of about 22,000 electric vehicles a year.  

There are roughly 2,300 on the road now, not counting gasoline-powered cars that have been converted to run on batteries. 

Automakers contend the electric vehicles will be difficult to sell or lease because of their higher cost and relatively short range between charges.  

They have lobbied for repeal or a significant reduction in the mandate. 

Environmental and health groups say the electric vehicles now on the road are popular with their drivers and that the mandate is continuing to force improvements in range and will eventually drive down vehicle cost. 

The staff of the Air Resources Board suggested allowing manufacturers to meet a greater share of the mandate by selling vehicles that use other emission-cutting technology, including so-called hybrids that have both gasoline and electric motors. 

That change, coupled with other manufacturer incentives proposed by the staff, would reduce the number of battery-powered vehicles required to as few as 4,650 in 2003, said Knapp. 

The board is scheduled to consider the staff recommendations at a hearing on Jan. 25. 

“Petroleum fuels will never lead us to a clean air future,” Ken Smith, a spokesman for the American Lung Association, said at a news conference outside the ARB offices. “Petroleum is very similar to tobacco. We are addicted to it. We have to get off it.” 

An ARB spokesman, Jerry Martin, said the staff proposals were designed to make the mandate workable, not to respond to auto industry concerns. 

“I don’t think the staff is any more affected by automakers than they are by environmental groups,” he said. ———— 

On the Net: 

www.arb.ca.gov and www.cleancarpledge.org. 

SACRAMENTO — Former Deputy Insurance Commissioner George Grays, accused of keeping $170,900 from a state insurance department fund, pleaded guilty Tuesday to mail fraud and money laundering charges. 

Grays, charged Tuesday morning, was the only person prosecuted so far in a Northridge earthquake-related scandal that drove him and elected Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush from office last year. 

Prosecutors say Grays personally benefited from his control of the California Research and Assistance Fund, a foundation created by Quackenbush with about $12 million in insurer settlement money. 

Quackenbush let a half-dozen insurers accused of mishandling claims filed after the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake escape up to $3 billion in fines by contributing to the fund. He has acknowledged that though the fund was supposed to finance earthquake research and assist consumers, none of the $6 million it spent went for either purpose. 

Grays inappropriately directed $263,000 from CRAF to Skillz Athletic Foundation, then received $170,900 back from Skillz in a kickback scheme, prosecutors say. Skillz ran a sports camp attended by Quackenbush’s children. 

Grays pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, charges that together carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and roughly $1 million in fines. 

He is cooperating with state and federal investigators, who continue probing the creation and use of the fund, defense attorney Bill Portanova said. 

U.S. District Judge David Levy released Grays on his own recognizance pending sentencing April 12. Grays declined to comment to reporters at the federal courthouse in Sacramento. 

An Assembly committee investigating the creation of CRAF found that the idea to divert the insurers’ donations to CRAF and other nonprofit funds came from Grays. There is evidence “Mr. Grays actually controlled and ran CRAF,” frequently from his insurance department office next to Quackenbush’s, the Assembly Insurance Committee said in an August report. 

Grays resigned in April. He refused to answer questions at an Assembly committee hearing, invoking his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Quackenbush, one of only two Republicans to hold statewide office in California, resigned in July under threat of impeachment. He and his family later moved to Hawaii. 

Quackenbush has denied wrongdoing, but admitted that none of CRAF’s spending went to the earthquake research and consumer assistance it was supposed to finance. 

Instead, it paid for ads featuring the elected commissioner – which critics said were intended to raise his profile for a potential run for governor – and donated to charities with no connection to quakes, including the Skillz Athletic sports camp attended by his children. 

SACRAMENTO — Sacramento County supervisors Tuesday approved a preliminary pact with the East Bay Municipal Utilities District that could end a decades-old dispute over American River water rights. 

The county, the district, the city of Sacramento and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will spend six months working out details of the agreement to build and operate a joint pumping station to take water from the Sacramento River near Freeport. 

The dispute dates to a 1970 federal agreement giving the East Bay district the right to take nearly 49 billion gallons of water annually from the American River for its 1.2 million customers. Environmental organizations, along with Sacramento officials, successfully fought the district with a series of lawsuits, claiming the diversion would hurt recreation and fishing. 

Under the new agreement, the utility would pump up to 100 million gallons a day from the Sacramento River and divert it to the Folsom South Canal through a new pipeline. 

Sacramento County would take up to 70 million gallons a day for the southern part of the county, and the city of Sacramento 10 million to 15 million gallons a day for residents in the southern part of the city. 

The cost of the project will depend on size of the pipeline, said Keith Devore, the county’s water resources director. The county and city also will build a joint water treatment plant nearby, he said. 

Environmentalists want to make sure the diversion doesn’t hurt the Sacramento River or the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in dry years, said Jim Jones, who filed the first lawsuit 27 years ago on behalf of the Save the American River Association. 

“We have a lot of hard work ahead,” Jones said. However, he added, “I feel good about this.” 

The agreement comes after eight months of talks. Details were hashed out during a meeting last month in the Washington, D.C., offices of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. 

The utility district board will consider the preliminary agreement at a Jan. 23 meeting. 

SACRAMENTO — California declared another electricity emergency Tuesday as several plants fell short of natural gas and its two largest utilities edged perilously close to insolvency. 

State power regulators declared a Stage 3 power alert, anticipating electricity reserves below 1.5 percent for the second time in less than a week. 

Rolling blackouts were avoided after huge state pumps that move water from Northern California to the south were turned off temporarily, conserving enough electricity to power 600,000 homes, said Kellan Fluckiger, chief operating officer of the Independent System Operator. 

But imports were running about half of what they were last week, when California narrowly avoided blackouts, Fluckiger said. Then, about 4,200 megawatts was coming into the system from elsewhere, mostly the Pacific Northwest. 

On Tuesday, imports were running about 2,200 megawatts, he said. The Folsom-based ISO manages about 80 percent of the state’s electrical transmission lines. 

In Sacramento, the Legislature pondered a rescue plan in which the state would buy electricity from wholesalers and sell it to utilities at a reduced rate, perhaps a fifth of the going market rate, under long-term contracts. An Assembly committee approved it Tuesday afternoon; the full Assembly was to consider it Tuesday night. 

The legislative action came as Southern California Edison declared itself unable to pay hundreds of millions in wholesale electricity bills, and SoCal Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. took another hit on Wall Street. 

SoCal Edison, which serves 11 million people, said it cannot pay $596 million in bills for wholesale energy and debt service, including $215 million to the California Power Exchange. 

The Power Exchange was considering whether to make the utility buy its power elsewhere and an electricity supplier threatened to force SoCal Edison into bankruptcy if it failed to pay its bills. 

The exchange, or “PX,” is the official clearinghouse of electrical power bought and sold in California. SoCal Edison’s decision gave the exchange, created by California’s 1996 deregulation law, the authority to seize Edison’s contracts to satisfy the debt. 

The PX could take over Edison contracts and sell them if the utility failed to post an immediate sum, perhaps $1 billion, with the PX, exchange spokesman Jesus Arredondo said. 

“They aren’t likely to do that if they don’t have the $215 million. So the scenario is that we begin the proceeding of determining what requirements for collateral we have,” Arredondo said. “We aren’t taking over any power plants, but they do have contracts.” 

Arredondo said no decision had been made to take over any of Edison’s contracts or any other assets. 

“The situation is very fluid. Negotiations are continuing,” he added. 

The default prompted Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the credit ratings of SoCal Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to junk-bond status. 

S&P said SoCal Edison’s delinquency also tainted PG&E. With just $500 million in cash left as of Jan. 10, PG&E faces due dates on bills totaling $1 billion during the first two weeks of February. 

“The downgrades reflect the heightened probability to the utility’s imminent insolvency and the resulting negative financial implications for affiliated companies,” the credit-rating agency said of PG&E. 

PG&E, restructured with the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to insulate assets in the event of a bankruptcy, faces a $580 million bill on Feb. 1, a bill similar to that owed by SoCal Edison.  

PG&E has about $500 million in cash on hand. 

Between them, PG&E and SoCal Edison have lost at least $10 billion in wholesale energy costs that they have not been able to pass on to their customers because of a rate freeze imposed as the state phases in deregulation. 

California’s electricity crisis began this spring after San Diego Gas and Electric Co., its rate freeze lifted, began passing on the increased costs of wholesale electricity to its 1.2 million customers, whose bills doubled and tripled. 

The utility was the first to complete the transition to deregulation under the 1996 law, which took effect in January 1998. 

Under deregulation, investor-owned monopoly utilities were required to sell of their power plants and buy energy on the open market.  

The idea was to lower prices through competition, and have the utilities pass on those savings to customers. 

But wholesale electricity prices rose dramatically since June, in part of because of a hot summer and a cold winter. In 1999, they averaged perhaps 3.5 cents a kilowatt. Now, they are running about 30 cents, and sometimes far higher. 

State officials believe power producers exploited flaws in the market and charged huge prices for wholesale electricity. 

Demand has remained high, supplies are strapped because no new power plants have been built in the state in a decade and imports are tight because others states are fighting over the power. 

In addition, spiraling prices for natural gas are forcing power plants to raise their prices; most power plants are fired by natural gas. 

On the Net: 

California Independent System Operator: http://www.caiso.com

SANTA CLARA — Giant semiconductor manufacturer Intel Corp. eased past Wall Street expectations for its fourth-quarter earnings, but warned of an uncertain near future given the slowing economy. 

Helped by strong investment gains, Intel reported income for the quarter ending Dec. 30 of $2.2 billion, or 32 cents per share. Excluding acquisition-related costs, income was $2.6 billion, or 38 cents per share, up from $2.4 billion, or 36 cents per share, in the year-ago period, the company said Tuesday. 

Analysts were expecting comparable results this quarter of 37 cents per share, according to a survey by First Call/Thomson Financial. 

Revenue for the quarter was $8.70 billion, compared to $8.21 billion in the year-ago period. 

Shares of Intel finished regular trading down 75 cents to $31.38 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. In after-hours trading, shares crept up to $31.94. 

“This was a year of record annual revenue and earnings; yet, slowing economic conditions impacted fourth-quarter growth and are causing near-term uncertainty,” said Craig R. Barrett, president and chief executive officer. 

As a result, Intel officials said they expect first quarter revenue to decline by about 15 percent from the fourth quarter, though they maintained a positive outlook. 

“We’re trying to invest to ensure that we can increase the differentiation from our competitors,” Intel chief financial officer Andy Bryant said in an interview. “But when the economy turns up, we’ll have the products that consumers will want.” 

Intel, which serves as a bellwether of the general health of the personal computer industry, had joined other PC makers in December in lowering its earnings forecasts, saying poor PC sales worldwide would lead to flat growth for the fourth quarter. 

“They’re going to be held up by the same downside of the economy that PC makers are struggling with,” said industry analyst Jack Gold of the Meta Group. “The issue is, what else do they (Intel) have on the horizon to make up for the downturn in PCs? The answer is: not a whole lot.” 

Added analyst Jonathan Joseph of Salomon Smith Barney: “The outlook is fairly somber. But it does tell us something we already know – that the PC market is fairly weak.” 

On the Net: www.intc.com

Palm Inc. chief technical officer resigns position 

SANTA CLARA — The chief technology officer of leading handheld device maker Palm Inc. has resigned, company officials said Tuesday. 

Bill Maggs resigned late Monday “to pursue outside opportunities related to the next phase of the Internet,” company spokeswoman Marlene Somsak said. “He’s helped us identify a terrific roadmap and exceptional technology choices.” 

A replacement has not been named. Maggs has not made his specific plans public but will continue to consult with Palm for an undetermined period of time. The resignation comes as the Santa Clara-based company prepares to release a new operating system for personal digital assistants and increases efforts to license the Palm OS to other mobile device makers. 

Unsold goods pile up, show economy is weaker 

WASHINGTON — Inventories of unsold goods at U.S. companies piled up in November as sales fell for the second straight month, adding to mounting evidence of a slumping economy. 

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that stockpiles of goods on shelves and backlots nationwide rose by 0.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted $1.22 trillion in November. Sales dropped by 0.3 percent to $896.3 billion. 

The inventory-to-sales ratio, which measures how long it would take businesses to exhaust their inventories at November’s sales pace, rose to 1.36 months, the highest since April 1999. 

Number of TV stations owned by minorities drops 

WASHINGTON — The number of television stations owned by minorities has dipped to the lowest level in at least a decade, while minority ownership of radio stations increased slightly in the past two years. 

The Commerce Department report highlighted the impact that industry consolidation and limited access to investment capital have had on ownership diversity. Separately, a federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out rules requiring broadcasters and cable companies to widely disseminate information about their job opportunities in an effort to reach more minorities and women. 

Companies, Feds team up to catch computer hackers 

WASHINGTON — Nineteen of the nation’s top technology firms – including archrivals Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM – have teamed up with the federal government to catch hackers. 

The competitors vowed to share intelligence with each other about product vulnerabilities and hacker trends in order to shore up public confidence in e-commerce and protect the over $7 billion in business-to-business revenue over the Internet. 

NEW YORK — Investors awaiting the release of Intel’s earnings took some bets on blue chip stocks Tuesday, but otherwise traded cautiously in high-tech and Internet sectors. 

When Intel released its results after the market closed, Wall Street’s reaction was muted. After reporting better-than-expected earnings but predicting tough months ahead, the chip maker’s stock held steady – as did PC makers Dell and Gateway. 

Analysts said the reaction suggested that the market had already priced in the effect the decelerating economy would have on Intel’s price. 

With fourth-quarter earnings reports beginning, Wall Street spent the session focused on earnings outlooks rather than specific quarterly results, which in many cases have already been factored into stock prices. 

Pharmaceutical and manufacturing stocks advanced, while technology issues languished on concerns about what Intel’s earnings forecast would look like. 

“We would expect to see investors rotate away from technology stocks, leading up to a major bellwether announcement like Intel’s,” said Matt Brown, head of equity management at Wilmington Trust. “The tone on technology has been negative for awhile. No one knows how deep this slowdown is going to be and Intel’s forecast may give us a better idea of what to expect.” But investors appeared unsure of how to react when Intel’s news finally came, sending shares as high 

Intel traded up to $32 in after-hours trading, after finishing down 75 cents to $31.38. The chip maker’s fourth-quarter results beat analyst estimates by a penny, but the company warned that first-quarter revenues will be down 15 percent because of the soft economy and seasonal factors. 

“Everyone knew that they were going to say the first quarter was going to be bad,” said Gary Kaltbaum, a technical analyst at JW Genesis. “All the bad news had already been built into Intel’s stock price. But there was no good news in this report to make the stock go up.” 

After reviewing a case in which police officers pepper sprayed a mentally disturbed man, the Police Review Commission has recommended the department call mental health specialists when dealing with similar situations in the future.  

The City Council will consider the recommendation at tonight’s regular meeting. The case came before the PRC after a man with a history of mental illness was arrested by police in the north Berkeley area. To restrain the man, police used both pepper spray and physical force.  

After reviewing the case, the PRC determined the situation could of been handled in a more humane and sensitive fashion if the Berkeley Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team had been present. The PRC unanimously approved the recommendation in May with commissioners David Ritchie and Jackie DeBose absent. 

“This is something I would guess the police do as a matter of routine anyway,” said Councilmember Polly Armstrong, a former member of the PRC. “When I was on the commission, the police were eager to call the mental crisis unit.” 

The PRC said in its three-page recommendation that the Mobile Crisis Team does in fact respond to many such requests from police but suggests they “be called to assist in all cases involving mentally disturbed persons.” 

The Mobile Crisis Team is on call from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said the recommendation is designed to make sure police use extreme caution with disturbed suspects. 

“What they’re proposing is very small steps to ensure the police department is sensitive to the needs of people who are mentally ill,” he said. “And certainly having social workers do social work is more effective than having police do it.” 

Due to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, police department spokespeople did not return calls to the Daily Planet yesterday. 

The PRC also recommended the police department re-train officers in pepper spray use and the fire department and the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services develop protocol for assisting people who have been pepper sprayed. 

The City Council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the City Council Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The meeting will also be broadcast on KPFB Radio 89.3 and Cable B-TV channel 25. 

Tuesday, Jan. 16

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. 531-8664 

“Travel as Pilgrimage” 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore  

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose)  

Various travel writers discuss the spiritual aspects of travel. Free 

Call 843-3533  

Avalanche Safety Course  

6 - 9:30 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dick Penniman, internationally known avalanche instructor and consultant, presents a slide lecture and video presentation on the fundamentals of avalanches and rescue techniques.  

$20 (877) SNO-SAFE 

Berkeley Intelligent  

Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

This twice-monthly group seeks to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is the role of the U.S. in global politics and priorities. Call 527-9772  

Disabled American Veterans, 

Chapter #25 Meeting  

7 p.m.  

Peking Express Restaurant  

2068 Center St.  

Call 916-372-8364 

Wednesday, Jan. 17

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 

Your Justice System at Work 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

West Oakland Senior Center  

1724 Adeline St.  

Judges of the Superior Court, attorneys, probation officers, sheriff’s officers and other justice system representatives will be present to hear the concerns of the public and to answer their questions.  

Call 268-7610 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Environmental Sampling  

Project Task Force  

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way  

Discussions will include the Berkeley Lab responses to comments on the Tritium sampling and analysis plan.  

Genetically Modified Food Teach-In and Strategy Session 

7 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave.  

Teach-in led by the Genetic Engineering Education Network, followed by a general strategy session and discussion of upcoming events by the Organic Consumers Association Organizer Simon Harris, Ecology Center’s Steve Evans, and other local activists.  

Call 548-2220 x239 

Thursday, Jan. 18

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Ayodele Nzinga and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Combating Congestion  

1 - 5 p.m. 

Pauley Ballroom 

Student Union Building  

UC Berkeley 

A one-day transportation conference featuring Martin Wachs and Elizabeth Deakin, both of UC Berkeley. Co-sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Studies and the UC Transportation Center.  

Call 642-1474  

Become Berkeley City Smart 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore  

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose)  

In a slide presentation & talk, Berkeley resident, restaurant and movie critic John Weil takes attendees on a unique tour through the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Berkeley and Oakland. Free 

Call 843-3533  

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 25 Meeting 

8 p.m. 

Veterans Memorial Building  

1931 Center St.  

Any woman who has had a relative serve in the U.S. military is invited to attend and join the auxiliary. 916-372-8364 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Journey Across China 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Eugene Tsiang, Shanghai native, will give a slide presentation on his two-month journey last spring by train and four-wheel drive vehicle across China’s Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang Provinces. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us  

Friday, Jan. 19

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  

“Evidence-Based Practice - How it May Effect You” 

11:45 a.m. luncheon 

12:30 p.m. speaker  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Eileen Gambrill, professor in the department of social welfare at UC Berkeley with speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon, $1 with coffee, students free  

848-3533 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Jan. 20

On Death & Dying 

9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Buddhist Temple  

2121 Channing Way (between Shattuck & Fulton)  

Kathleen Gustin, Zen priest, and Rev. Ronald Nakasone of the Graduate Theological Union speak at this workshop designed to help those considering their own ending or that of loved ones.  

$20 per person (box lunch included) 

Call Ken Kaji, 601-5394 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Corinne Innis Reception 

5 - 7 p.m. 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center 

3023 Shattuck Ave.  

Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings.  

Call 548-9286 

Free Tae-Bo Classes for Adults  

10 - 10:45 a.m.  

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park 

2800 Park St.  

Call 644-8515 

Free Martial Arts Classes for Kids  

11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

Classes taught by Michael Johnson, a fourth degree black belt. Ages 5 - 7, 11:15 a.m. - Noon; Ages 8 - 12, 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.; Ages 13 to adults, 1:15 p.m. - 2 p.m. 

644-8515 

Building And Remodeling 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Glen Kitzenberger discusses what homeowners need to know before building or remodeling. Skip Wenz discusses the pros and cons of building an addition. Free 

Call 525-7610 

Free Puppet Shows  

1:30 & 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning educational puppet troupe, includes puppets with such conditions as cerebral palsy, blindness and Down syndrome.  

Bengal Basin Seminar 

3 p.m. 

Warren Hall, Room 22 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Third International India Bangladesh Symposium for reducing the impact of toxic chemicals on the Bengal Basin. With World Poet Rabindranath Tagore.  

Call 841-3253 

Sunday, Jan. 21

Live Oak Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St.  

The music of J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi played by the trio of Marvin Sanders, flute, Becky Lyman, harpsichord, and Alexander Kort, cello.  

$8 - $10  

Call 644-6893 

Saying No To Power 

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut St. (at Rose) 

Bill Mandel, author and activist talks about his new book.  

$4 - $5  

848-0237 

Single Parents and Step & Blended 

Family Interfaith Fellowship 

4 - 6 p.m. 

Beth El Synagogue  

2301 Vine St. (at Spruce)  

An interfaith and very open group that welcomes parents and their children of all affiliations and orientations. This meetings discussion topics will be a supportive and advice oriented look at dating.  

Monday, Jan. 22

Berkeley Rail Stop Community  

Design Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center  

1900 Sixth St.  

The public is invited to suggest ideas and comment on plans for design-development at the rail stop/transit plaza area of West Berkeley.  

Call 644-6580 

Urban Homelessness  

& Public Policy Solutions 

9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Alumni House  

UC Berkeley  

This day-long conference will include key scholars, service providers, and policymakers in the homelessness field. Some of the subjects to be covered will be: Homeless population dynamics and policy implications, health issues in homelessness, and legal and political issues in homelessness. Free and open to the public.  

For more info, visit: http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/homeless.htm 

Building or Remodeling? 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Glen Kitzenberger discusses what you need to know before building or remodeling. 

Call 525-7610 

If you’re angry, do something about it 

Editor:  

I am a recovered liberal. There are many reasons why I am a recovered liberal, but I guess the most obvious one is that I feel that the whole idea of liberalism simply doesn’t work.  

About ten years ago, when I was on welfare in upstate New York, I was walking with my friend Allen and we were talking about a certain woman who lived in my building.  

She, like me, was on welfare. Unlike me, she had a son who had a variety of behavior problems due to her ex-boyfriend molesting him. This woman, who I will call Mary, came from a very dysfunctional background. Mary herself had been the victim of incest along with many of her brothers and sisters.  

As my friend, Allen, and I were walking along I had casually mentioned that I felt sorry for Mary. My friend Allen went on the offensive by saying, “Nancy, how is feeling sorry for her benefiting her?” He then went on to say how arrogant and presumptuous I was to say that about another human being.  

I became immediately angry and defensive. Remember, I was a liberal then. I went through the whole liberal monologue of saying things like:  

“What do you mean I am not helping her!,” “What could I do for her?” and “I’m in the same boat as she’s in!” The last one was not true.  

I didn’t agree with Allen and was offended that he thought I was being unkind, but I kept turning what he said over and over in my mind. Especially the phrase, “How is feeling sorry for her benefiting her?”  

Much to my chagrin, I had to get really honest with myself and admit that it didn’t benefit her or anyone else for that matter. An amazing thing happened. I actually changed my behavior and mentality; what a concept! 

The next time I saw Mary, I offered to baby-sit for her. The next time I headed to the grocery store I stopped by her apartment to see if she needed anything. Sometimes she did, sometimes she didn’t.  

After awhile I noticed something profound. My feelings of sorrow dissipated. The relationship we now had resembled a friendship. Even though we were not intellectually compatible, we could still benefit from one another’s company. Sometimes, all she needed was someone who would just listen to her talk about her past trials and tribulations.  

When I was a liberal, my mentality when I heard something tragic on the news was: “But somebody should do something!” or “That’s not my problem.”  

My point is that it is not enough to feel compassion for people on welfare or the homeless or inner-city youth. You must do something. And before you can use the overused liberal excuse of “But I don’t have time!” know that you do have time. You have time to watch crappy television shows, gossip about people at work, talk about the latest celebrity wedding or baby, and be in yet another co-dependent relationship.  

You could just as easily eliminate any or all of these things that don’t benefit anyone, especially yourself, and do any one of the following: donate blood, help an overworked single parent by offering to baby-sit, clean out your clothes closet and donate all the things you never wear to charity, offer to clean an elderly persons apartment for free, run an errand for someone who doesn’t have a car, volunteer for a nonprofit, buy a new pillow for a homeless person.  

Are you angry that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket? Are you angry enough to do something about it? If not, then maybe you’re not that angry.  

Nancy Muldoon 

San Francisco 

Just say no to Donald Rumsfield 

Dear Editor: 

Donald Rumsfeld must not be confirmed for Secretary of Defense. He 

harbors a single-minded compulsion to expand and deploy the National Missile Defense system, usually referred to as “Star Wars.” 

This project reflects a backward-looking mentality, yearning for the days of the Cold War, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union were racing to see who could build the most missiles capable of destroying all life on earth. Star Wars was expensive, wasteful, dangerous, and impractical then, and even moreso now, when no nuclear nation threatens us. I believe Rumsfeld’s real agenda is to funnel billions of dollars back into defense industries. This is bad fiscally because is drains resources from more productive uses in the economy. This is a bad politically because it reverses three decades of international treaties to reduce nuclear stockpiles. It is bad ecologically because even accidental discharge of these weapons would wreak terrible havoc on the environment. 

Rumsfeld was nominated for the post because President-designate Bush campaigned on the issue of deploying Star Wars. That is precisely the reason why the Senate should reject Rumsfeld. The Senate doesn’t need a “nannygate” excuse when the majority of the Americans whose votes were counted voted against Bush, and his father’s failed policies. 

Bruce Joffe 

Oakland 

Bush Presidency is like Mexico’s election debacle 

Dear Editor:  

Allow me to explain why I will protest the George W. Bush inauguration on January 20. My role as election observer in Mexico from 1994 to 2000 educated me to the many degrees of legitimacy and illegitimacy possible in an election. As official foreign observer for the 1994 Mexican presidential election, I witnessed physical intimidation of the opposition, ballot box stealing, and the shock of seeing computers in the State of Veracruz vote return center that had cables going through newly punched holes in the wall into a building next door. Return center authorities told me the building was abandoned and that no one was permitted to enter.  

In 1994, the new Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo was sworn in amidst some grumbling, but also with much denial, and with talk of how the electoral results must be accepted for peace and to keep the country functioning.  

Between 1995 and 2000, I timed history research trips to Mexico to coincide with state elections for which I observed the process. With each passing year the campaigning and voting appeared less manipulated, there was increased media openness toward opposition parties, and there seemed to be less fear among the populace in publicly supporting an opposition party. Finally, on July 2, 2000 I saw a presidential election that I had to conclude was essentially open and fair. To me, Mexico had become a democracy.  

Then I experienced November 7, 2000 in the U.S. While it appears that the extent of the fraud in the decisive state of Florida did not appear to match 1994 in Mexico, it did appear to be at the 1995 or 1996 levels.  

That is not legitimate enough. I consider my country no longer be a democracy. I must protest this situation. That is what I saw some people do in Mexico in 1994.  

Theodore G. Vincent  

Berkeley 

The writer is the author of “Black Power and the Garvey Movement” and the forthcoming “The Legacy of Guerrero: First Black Indian President of Mexico.” 

About 70 parents and community members came together Monday to challenge the boundaries of the possible and save 250 struggling Berkeley High School freshmen.  

The “stone soup” event was organized by Parents of Children of African Descent, a group of parents concerned about the high failure rate of African American students, in particular the 50 percent of African-American ninth graders that are failing one or more classes during their first semester of high school. 

Stone soup refers to a meal where everyone brings one ingredient to create soup for the community. These parents want Berkeley to provide each of the components of an intervention plan to help the ninth-graders, of all ethnicities, struggling to succeed. 

They want to provide each student with a “learning partner” who will keep the student on task and hold him accountable for every assignment. They want kids who are struggling in Algebra to have double math classes and they want literacy classes for students reading below grade level. They want counselors, volunteer tutors and student mentors.  

And they want it all by January 30, the beginning of the next semester. 

The proposal sounds impossible, but parent Katrina Scott-George urged Berkeley to make the impossible happen. 

“It’s impossible that parents came together over winter break to create a 20-page plan. It’s impossible that we organized this event in a week. It’s impossible that Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa,” she told the audience made up of parents, local politicians and supportive community members. “It is not impossible to work with 250 kids that are failing and help them succeed.” 

Parents cited statistics from the Class of 2000 to prove the urgency of their point: The number of African-Americans in prison has quadrupled, while the number in higher education has only risen 29 percent; Of 272 African-Americans in one Berkeley High class, 113 had a grade point average below 2.0, compared to 22 of the 286 white students who had a similarly low GPA. 

Parents want the community to understand that these figures represent a crisis. But, said parent Arnold Perkins, “crisis means opportunity.” 

Recognizing that creating a resource intensive project would require vast amounts of community support, parents hoped to turn it over to the Berkeley community, urging it to take care of its youth. 

Community members, including members of the school board and city council came out in droves to offer resources and ideas. 

John Selawsky, director on the Board of Education, said, “I think It’s a great proposal. I think it’s really really important that it be implemented as much as possible as soon as possible.”  

He said hiring personnel to fill the various teaching and counseling positions as the biggest obstacle to implementing the proposal. But, he said, that there were certain problems that could be solved without money, like tightening attendance policies.  

Sheila Jordan, Alameda County superintendent, felt that many existing resources can be targeted towards the parents’ plan to make a significant difference. She said that canvassing the community, UC Berkeley, local nonprofits and already existing school programs is the best way to find resources to focus on the students. 

“Everything is not in terms of dollars, it’s hard to ask for money,”Jordan said. “But if you have resources out there, they can be directed to the project.” 

Ninth-grader Bradley Johnson supported the parent’s efforts, but said that even a community of adults needs extra support.  

“ I think the next step is to get some of the students involved,” he said. “If you approach a problem from all sides, it’s easier to kill it.” 

Johnson said students can help address student culture – one of the major issues affecting student’s efforts to succeed.  

“It’s going to take peer pressure,” he said. “One way of getting peer pressure is getting some of the leaders in the cliques at Berkeley High School to sign on. If you reach out to a small number of students the rest will follow.” 

Most importantly luncheon attendees felt overwhelmingly positive about the excitement and giving spirit. In two hours, the group raised $2,000 for the students and received a large stack of pink, blue and green letters, where community members wrote down their offers of volunteer hours and support.  

Selawsky felt that the community energy represented a challenge to the city wide institutions to examine the education disparity. “It’s a kick in the pants to a lot of business as usual,” he said. 

Members of Parents of Children of African Descent prided themselves on providing the pants-kicking.  

“We wanted to demonstrate that we, as African-American parents, care about our kids,” said parent Valerie Yerger. “We are taking responsibility – individually and collectively.” 

The length of the line outside bookstores on Bancroft Way Monday was clear indication that classes were beginning at the University of California today. A worker at one store across from the campus expected crowds throughout the week and said the best time to avoid a line is as early as 8:30 a.m.

A recommendation from Mayor Shirley Dean requesting that PG&E implement a power-reduction plan for Berkeley residents and businesses will be tabled, said Councilmember Linda Maio. 

The recommendation called for the California Public Utilities Commission to require PG&E to set a goal for conservation of electricity and gas consumption and to notify each energy customer with specific methods of reducing energy use. 

Maio said she will pull the item from the agenda because the city, rather than PG&E, should be conducting a public awareness campaign to reduce energy use.  

“We should be responsible for our own public awareness campaign,” Maio said. “We can’t just can’t give the ball to PG&E.” 

Maio suggested the city make use of the existing recycling program to distribute information about energy reduction. She also said that the city should be working with legislators to initiate a statewide reduction program similar to those currently under way in Washington and Oregon states. 

Dean’s recommendation also called for an investigation into creating a Berkeley Power Authority for purchasing low-cost electricity and financing conversions to alternative energy sources like solar power.  

Dean is currently in Washington, D.C., attending the annual Conference of Mayors and will not attend tonight’s council meeting. 

Smoke shop moratorium 

There are two tobacco shop moratoriums on the agenda for tonight’s meeting. One is from Councilmembers Dona Spring and Margaret Breland, the other from Mayor Shirley Dean.  

Both recommendations were spawned by the recent opening of the University Smoke and Gift Shop on Durant Avenue, which Dean’s recommendation said was mistakenly given a zoning certificate. The owners of the shop also have a shop on University Avenue, near Shattuck Avenue and are in the process of opening two more, one on Shattuck near the UA Theater and the other near the 7-11 on College Avenue. 

Both items call for an immediate emergency moratorium on smoke shops. Dean’s recommendation calls for the city attorney to draft an permanent ordinance regulating the opening of new shops that are “substantially devoted to the sale of tobacco and tobacco products.” 

Massage Parlor Moratorium 

Councilmember Dona Spring has put a recommendation on the agenda calling for a moratorium on massage parlors on University Avenue.  

Spring said in her recommendation that there are already four massage parlors on the busy street and residents in the area want the city to encourage more neighborhood-serving businesses. 

Transit Shelters  

The council is expected to authorize the city manager to finalize a contract with and advertising agency to build 125 bus shelters that will display advertisements. 

The arrangement is part of a larger agreement between LAMAR Transit Advertising in which the agency will build “advertising shelters” in seven cities. Berkeley is the only remaining city to finalize the deal. 

In addition to the shelters, the city of Berkeley will receive a percentage of advertising revenue estimated to be about $46,000 per year. LAMAR will be responsible for building and maintaining the shelters. 

Sewer repairs 

Councilmember Betty Olds has recommended the city manager make sewer line repairs within 100 feet of all creeks.  

Olds’s recommendation cites a overflow near Codornices Creek last month in which a sewer line became clogged from tree-root infiltration. The result was “gallons of polluted overflow went directly into the creek.” 

Olds calls for older pipes to be replace with PVC pipe, which is resistant to roots. There was no estimate of cost included in the recommendation. 

SAN JOSE — 3Com Corp., a struggling maker of computer network equipment, said Monday it plans to lay off workers as part of a plan to save at least $200 million a year. 

3Com, which has been hurt by a slowdown in spending from telecommunications companies, plans to decide by the end of February how many job cuts will be necessary, spokesman Mike MeCey said. 3Com employs 11,500 people worldwide. 

“We’re not taking this decision lightly,” he said. “The company is in the process of determining where the savings can be achieved.” 

Santa Clara-based 3Com also will trim travel spending and other discretionary costs, find ways to save money on manufacturing and purchasing and might sell off plant equipment and property, MeCey said. 

All that is in addition to 3Com’s plans, announced last month, to create a wholly owned subsidiary that will build networks for enhanced voice and data services over the Internet – what are known as IP services. 

3Com will take a charge of $40 million to $60 million in this quarter to institute the restructuring. The company expects the changes will save $200 million to $225 million per year. 

3Com has not turned a profit since it spun off its division that makes the popular Palm line of handheld computers last year. CEO Bruce Claflin said last month the company hopes to get back into the black in the first quarter of fiscal 2002, which ends this August.  

Wall Street is expecting the same. 

3Com shares lost 31 cents, or nearly 3 percent, to $10.38 on the Nasdaq Stock Market on Friday, the last day of trading before the announcement.

When the Cal men’s basketball team faces off against the Oregon Ducks on Thursday, it will be a battle of teams looking to break into the top half of the Pac-10 conference. It will also be an individual battle between two stars with remarkably similar backgrounds. 

Cal’s Sean Lampley and Oregon’s Bryan Bracey are both seniors. They are both 6-foot-7 forwards from Chicago. And both players lead their team in scoring with effective inside-outside games. 

But while Lampley’s journey since high school has been fairly smooth, becoming a starter in his freshman year at Cal, Bracey took the long way to stardom. He started out at Malcolm X Junior College in Chicago, leading the team in scoring and rebounding and making the all-conference team. Bracey clearly has the talent to play big-time basketball, but he feels Al Allen, his coach at Oak Park High, held him back and forced his onto the juco circuit. 

“My high school coach didn’t want to give me a chance,” Bracey said. “He didn’t want to help me get a scholarship to play basketball, and that’s what I wanted. We just had a difference of opinion.”  

Bracey headed to Oregon in 1999 to play for head coach Ernie Kent, and was the sixth man on a team that made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. This year he has emerged as the leading scorer in the Pac-10, combining an improved outside game with his powerful inside moves after spending last summer back home in Chicago, playing against big-time opposition in summer league games. 

“I actually went and played and Coach Kent came down to watch me play. He thought that I was the best player in the gym. Now, we're talking about guys like Michael Finley, Antoine Walker, Juwan Howard, all them guys, and I was just dominating everybody,” Bracey said. “I feel more confident that I can compete with those guys at the next level. While I was there, they taught me offensive moves, ways to get open, things like that. I learned a lot. It was a very productive summer for me.” 

Bracey is using those moves to score 20.3 points per game, to go with 7.5 rebounds. Cal head coach Ben Braun is impressed with the improvement Bracey has shown, especially since the Ducks lost their three leading scorers from last season. 

“I think Bryan Bracey has really stepped up and shown improvement from a year ago. He was a solid player a year ago, but he’s really stepped up,” Braun said. “After losing some of the players they lost, it’s really given Bryan Bracey an opportunity to take more of an assertive role on the team, and I think he’s taken advantage of that. He’s an active player, he’s scoring, he’s rebounding and he’s a versatile player, as well - somebody who can score inside and outside.” 

Bracey has led the Ducks to a 10-1 record so far this year, and they could be on their way to a second straight NCAA appearance. But with Stanford, Arizona and USC firmly entrenched at the top of the Pac-10, they will have to battle several other teams, including the Bears, for a spot in the tournament. 

Lampley and Bracey will likely be matched up for much of the game on Thursday. Neither player is known for his defensive prowess, so it could be a big scoring game for both players. The game will be won in the backcourt, where the Ducks are led by freshman point guard Luke Ridnour. Cal point guard Shantay Legans has been stepping up his offensive game lately, so Ridnour will have his hands full. 

“He’s getting better and better with his confidence. He’s getting more aggressive in spots,” Braun said of his point guard. “I think he’s becoming more familiar and understanding situations a little bit better. He’s coming around. He’s been a lot steadier for us.” 

The Ducks also have a two-headed threat at the off guard, where both Frederick Jones and Anthony Norwood are averaging more than 14 points per game. But the Bears will have an advantage inside, as the Ducks only have one player in their regular rotation who is taller than 6-foot-7.  

Centers Nick Vander Laan and Solomon Hughes should be able to have their way with the Oregon frontcourt. Hughes, who has been coming off of the bench of late, has been playing very well lately. 

“He’s using his agility, not rushing himself as much, and he’s playing with confidence. He’s confident that he can be a factor,” Braun said. “I think his teammates are looking for him, and that may have been something that didn’t happen as much earlier in the year. His teammates’ confidence has grown as well. You can see that by Lampley giving up shots to get the ball to Solomon. That’s a good sign.”

During his last days in office, President Clinton will review the case for clemency of Anishinabe-Lakota political prisoner Leonard Peltier. 

In 1973 I participated in the Wounded Knee occupation for seven weeks. There I learned first hand of the reign of terror being perpetrated against traditional Lakota people who were demanding a modicum of civil rights and protesting both outrageous police brutality and violations of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. From 1973 to 1976 over 66 traditionalists and American Indian Movement supporters were murdered and over 300 severely beaten on the Pine Ridge Reservation, which is also the poorest county in the United States. 

After attending the October, 1973 funeral of Lakota civil rights leader Pedro Bissonette, I was arrested for walking Pine Ridge streets after dark. I was held overnight. All my cash was taken as a fine and I was left on an isolated road on the reservation border in freezing wind and rain to hitchhike home.  

Thirty days of jail awaited me if I returned to the reservation. Luckily the first car that stopped that day was filled with friendly Lakota elders. 

Leonard Peltier was not so lucky. Leonard has taken the rap for everyone involved. The FBI Cointelpro program was out to make someone serve prison time for the Wounded Knee occupation and its aftermath. 

Peltier was convicted of “aiding and abetting” the murder of two FBI agents during a shootout in the civil war zone/police state that was the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. How ironic is it that the two individuals Leonard supposedly “aided and abetted” were found innocent on grounds of self defense? 

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that the FBI coerced witnesses to perjure testimony, that evidence was fabricated, and that a ballistics test proving Peltier's innocence was suppressed. While the Court called FBI behavior “a clear abuse of the investigative process” it refused a new trial, being “reluctant to impute further improprieties to them (the FBI).” 

At a 1995 parole hearing U.S. Prosecutor Lynn Crooks admitted again that no evidence exists against Peltier, but the parole board denied Peltier's request. 

The California Democratic Party, Green Party, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson, Mother Theresa, Robert Redford, and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark are among over 10,000 individuals and groups who have called upon President Clinton to release Leonard. 

I implore you to add your voice and call the White House comment line: 202-456-1111 

to urge Peltier's clemency before January 20. Just wait on the line – you'll have to spend a lot more time if you start punching numerical options. E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov. 

In the words of Green vice-presidential candidate Winona LaDuke. “At this point there can be no justice for Native people until Leonard Peltier is free.” 

John Iversen is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa (Anishinabe) Tribe and co-founder of ACT UP/East Bay and the Berkeley Needle Exchange. He lives in San Leandro. 

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 League in the 1940s. Free. 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

Benefit Concert for Food First 

8 p.m. 

Ashkenaz  

1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 

Featuring the David Thom Band, Buffalo Roam, Tree o’ Frogs, and Ten Ton Chicken. All proceeds benefit Food First.  

$10 - $15 donation 

Call Kevin Doyle, 843-6389 x201 

California Babylon  

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore  

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose)  

Kristan Lawson & Anneli Rufus discuss their book “A Guide to Sites of Scandal, Mayhem, and Celluloid in the Golden State.” Free 843-3533  

Free Anonymous HIV Testing 

5:15 - 7:15 p.m. 

Check in 5 - 7 p.m. 

University Health Services 

Tang Center  

2222 Bancroft Way 

Drop-in services and limited space is available. 642-7202 

Housing Advisory Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Presentation of housing proposals, including those from: Center for independent Living, Affordable Housing Associates, Jubilee Restoration and others. 

Ski & Snowboard Descents  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Paul Richins, author of “50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California - Mt. Shasta to Mt. Whitney,” presents in slides some of his favorite ski mountaineering and backcountry snowboard descents. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Ballroom Dancing  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

With Roman Ostrowski  

Call 644-6107  

Former Foster Kids & Friends 

Arts & Writings Project  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Free Clinic  

2339 Durant Ave.  

A free drop-in, open discussion project.  

Call 548-2744 

Berkeley Reads program  

6-8 p.m. 

West Branch Library 

1125 University 

Program orientation for volunteer tutors. 

644-8595 

Friday, Jan. 12

“Who’s Really In  

Charge Anyway?” 

7:30 p.m. 

Unitarian Hall 

1924 Cedar St.  

The subject to be discussed is the guru dilemma and individual spiritual mastership. Hear about the spiritual path of light and sound and the ancient teachings of the saints. 841-4824 or visit www.masterpath.org 

“Sing for Hope” 

8 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2435 Channing Way (at Dana) 

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.  

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

Call 655-3435 

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. 549-2970  

“Innovative Approaches  

to Farming”  

11:45 a.m. luncheon 

12:30 p.m. speaker  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Reggie Knox, executive director of Community Alliance with Family Farms of Santa Cruz will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon, $1 with coffee, students free  

848-3533  

Yiddish Conversation  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

With allen Stross  

Call 644-6107 

“Igniting the Dream:  

Social Justice in  

the New Millennium”  

6 - 9 p.m.  

University of Creation Spirituality  

2141 Broadway  

Oakland  

An art reception, film screening, and panel discussion featuring Rev. Phillip Lawson, Rafael Gonzalez, Luisah Teish, and Dr. Barbara Cannon. Free  

Call 835-4827 x31 or visit www.creationspirituality.com  

Berkeley PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way  

School District Office, 2nd Floor 

Doug Finley will discuss firewall protection. Free 

E-Mail: meldancing@aol.com 

Metropolitan  

Transportation Commission  

9:30 a.m.  

101 8th St.  

Auditorium  

Oakland  

Discussion of the Caldecott Tunnel Corridor Study. 

Saturday, Jan. 13

“Dyke Open Myke!” 

7:30 p.m. 

Boadecia’s Books  

398 Colusa Ave. (at Colusa Cir.) 

Kensington 

A coffeehouse-style open mic. night for emerging talent. 

Call Jessy, 655-1015  

or Boadecia’s Books, 559-9184 

Dia de los Reyes Concert  

8 p.m. 

St. Joseph the Worker Church  

1640 Addison  

Performing will be Coro Hispano de San Francisco and Conjunto Nuevo Mundo with the Jackeline Rago Ensemble de la Pena.  

$12 - $15  

Call (415) 431- 4234 

Rose Pruning Workshop  

9:30 a.m.  

UC Botanical Garden  

200 Centennial Dr.  

Peter Klement, UC Botanical Garden rose expert will share his expertise and demonstrate techniques for shaping old-fashioned roses, climbers and hybrid teas to assure maximum flowering.  

$20 - $27.50  

Call 643-2755 

West Coast Live  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St.  

In their first East Bay show of the millennium, Sedge Thomson welcomes Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers.  

Call 415-664-9500 for reservations 

Free Tae-Bo Classes for Adults  

10 - 10:45 a.m.  

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park 

2800 Park St.  

Call 644-8515 

Free Martial Arts Classes  

for Kids  

11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

Classes taught by Michael Johnson, a fourth degree black belt. Ages 5 - 7, 11:15 a.m. - Noon; Ages 8 - 12, 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.; Ages 13 to adults, 1:15 p.m. - 2 p.m. 

644-8515 

Pancake Breakfast Fund-raiser  

8 a.m. - noon  

Frances Albrier  

Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

The Teen Clubs of Berkeley present this fundraiser in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Tickets available at all city of Berkeley recreational sites and at the Young Adult Project.  

$3 - $5  

Call 644-8515 

Bridge Rail Unveiling  

9:30 a.m.  

Codornices Creek at the Ohlone Greenway  

Members of the Berkeley and Albany city councils, along with members of the creek-restoration group, will swing sledgehammers to remove forms from the concrete bridge footing and towers. 

Call 8 48-9358 or visit www.fivecreeks.org  

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Sunday, Jan. 14

Teaching Chinese Culture in the U.S.  

2 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Educators from Bay Area Chinese schools explore issues related to teaching Chinese culture and language. Included in museum admission.  

$6 general; $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

LesBiGayTrans Parenting 

11 a.m. 

Boadecia’s Books 

398 Colusa Ave. (at Colusa Cir.) 

Kensington 

These two groups meet on the second Sunday of each month. The group meeting at 11 a.m. is for prospective parents, the one at noon for parents.  

Call 559-9184 

“Berkeley, 1900” 

3 - 5 p.m. . 

Berkeley History Center 

1931 Center St.  

Richard Schwartz gives an oral history of Berkeley at the turn of the century.  

848-0181 

A-Singin’ and a Chantin’ 

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers 

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Pagan recording artist DJ Hamouris shares some songs and chants. 

Call 848-8443 

Free Feng Shui Class 

3 p.m. 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley  

2066 University Ave.  

Taught by Lily Chung, author of “Calendars for Feng Shui and Divination.” 

Call Eastwind, 548-3250 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

“Deterrence” 

2 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Kevin Pollak, as the nation’s first Jewish president, must deal with the Middle East war and a nuclear crisis of his own making while snowed-in at a campaign stop in Colorado. Discussion to follow the film.  

$2 suggested donation 

Monday, Jan. 15

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church  

1188 12th St. (at Adeline) 

Oakland  

Featuring Rev. Dorsey Blake, Dr. Matthew Fox, Reconnect Performance Troupe, Cole Performing Arts Choir and Avotcja.  

Call 835-4827 x31 or visit www.creationspirituality.com  

Tuesday, Jan. 16

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 

“Travel as Pilgramage” 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore  

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose)  

Various travel writers discuss the spiritual aspects of travel. Free 

Call 843-3533  

Avalanche Safety Course  

6 - 9:30 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dick Penniman, internationally known avalanche instructor and consultant, presents a slide lecture and video presentation on the fundamentals of avalanches and rescue techniques.  

$20  

Call Dick Penniman, (877) SNO-SAFE 

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 role of the U.S. in global politics and priorities.  

Call 527-9772  

Wednesday, Jan. 17  

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 

Your Justice System at Work 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

West Oakland Senior Center  

1724 Adeline St.  

Oakland  

Judges of the Superior Court, attorneys, probation officers, sheriff’s officers and other justice system representatives will be present to hear the concerns of the public and to answer their questions.  

Call 268-7610 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, Jan. 18  

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicty,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Work less, consume less, rush less, and build community with friends and family.  

Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Ayodele Nzinga and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Combating Congestion  

1 - 5 p.m. 

Pauley Ballroom 

Student Union Building  

UC Berkeley 

A one-day transportation conference featuring Martin Wachs and Elizabeth Deakin, both of UC Berkeley. Co-sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Studies and the UC Transportation Center.  

Call 642-1474  

“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 

Become Berkeley City Smart 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore  

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose)  

In a slide presentation & talk, Berkeley resident, restaurant and movie critic John Weil takes attendees on a unique tour through the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Berkeley and Oakland. Free 

Call 843-3533  

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 25 Meeting 

8 p.m. 

Veterans Memorial Building  

1931 Center St.  

Any woman who has had a relative serve in the U.S. military is invited to attend and join the auxiliary.  

Call 916-372-8364 

Journey Across China 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Eugene Tsiang, Shanghai native, will give a slide presentation on his two-month journey last spring by train and four-wheel drive vehicle across China’s Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang Provinces. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us  

Friday, Jan. 19 

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  

“Evidence-Based Practice - How it May Effect You” 

11:45 a.m. luncheon 

12:30 p.m. speaker  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Eileen Gambrill, professor in the department of social welfare at UC Berkeley with speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon, $1 with coffee, students free  

848-3533 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Jan. 20  

On Death & Dying 

9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Buddhist Temple  

2121 Channing Way (between Shattuck & Fulton)  

Kathleen Gustin, Zen priest, and Rev. Ronald Nakasone of the Graduate Theological Union speak at this workshop designed to help those considering their own ending or that of loved ones.  

$20 per person (box lunch included) 

Call Ken Kaji, 601-5394 

Corinne Innis Reception 

5 - 7 p.m. 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center 

3023 Shattuck Ave.  

Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings.  

Call 548-9286 

Free Tae-Bo Classes for Adults  

10 - 10:45 a.m.  

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park 

2800 Park St.  

Call 644-8515 

Free Martial Arts Classes for Kids  

11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

Classes taught by Michael Johnson, a fourth degree black belt. Ages 5 - 7, 11:15 a.m. - Noon; Ages 8 - 12, 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.; Ages 13 to adults, 1:15 p.m. - 2 p.m. 

644-8515 

Building And Remodeling 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Glen Kitzenberger discusses what homeowners need to know before building or remodeling. Skip Wenz discusses the pros and cons of building an addition. Free 

Call 525-7610 

Sunday, Jan. 21  

Live Oak Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St.  

The music of J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi played by the trio of Marvin Sanders, flute, Becky Lyman, harpsichord, and Alexander Kort, cello.  

$8 - $10  

Call 644-6893 

Saying No To Power 

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut St. (at Rose) 

Bill Mandel, author and activist talks about his new book.  

$4 - $5  

848-0237 

Monday, Jan. 22  

Berkeley Rail Stop Community  

Design Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center  

1900 Sixth St.  

The public is invited to suggest ideas and comment on plans for design-development at the rail stop/transit plaza area of West Berkeley.  

Call 644-6580 

Urban Homelessness  

& Public Policy Solutions 

9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Alumni House  

UC Berkeley  

This day-long conference will include key scholars, service providers, and policymakers in the homelessness field. Some of the subjects to be covered will be: Homeless population dynamics and policy implications, health issues in homelessness, and legal and political issues in homelessness. Free and open to the public.  

For more info, visit: http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/homeless.htm 

Building or Remodeling? 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Glen Kitzenberger discusses what you need to know before building or remodeling. 

Call 525-7610 

Tuesday, Jan. 23 

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. 24 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, Jan. 25  

Spirits in the Time of AIDS 

6 - 8 p.m. 

Pro Arts Gallery  

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland 

Pro Arts reception for the opening of their new exhibition seeking to expand the understanding of HIV and AIDS and the people who are affected by them.  

Call 763-9425 

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Climbing Mt. Everest  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Bob Hoffman, organizer and leader of four environmental clean-up expeditions on Everest, will give a slide presentation on the Inventa 2000 Everest Environmental Expedition’s recent ascent. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Glenn Ingersoll and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

Women in Salsa  

8 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

Orquesta D’Soul, a San Francisco based band, is hosting this benefit featuring the musical talents of local bay area women in salsa.  

$8 in advance, $10 at the door 

Call 849-2568 or visit www.lapena.org 

Conversations in Commedia 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince) 

Mime Troupe vet and St. Stupid’s Day creator, Ed Holmes, and 84-year-old Bari Rolfe, a mime for over 30 years, give dialogues on satire.  

$6 - $8  

Call 849-2568 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission  

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St.  

Discussions will include review of the initial environmental study and recommendations on a request to establish a public market. Also, consideration of a petition requesting that diagonal parking and parking meters not be installed on Fifth St. 

Friday, Jan. 26 

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  

“The Aftermath of the National Election” 

11:45 a.m. luncheon 

12:30 p.m. speaker  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Susan Rasky, senior lecturer at the graduate school of journalism at UC Berkeley will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon, $1 with coffee, students free  

848-3533 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Jan. 27  

Clori, Tirsi & e Fileno 

8 p.m. 

Crowden School  

1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 

Teatro Bacchino, the Bay Area’s Baroque Opera company, will be performing Handel’s story of jealousy in love. Pre-concert talk 45 minutes before the performance.  

$15 - $20  

Call 658-3382  

“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 

Cuddly, Soft, Furry Things & Friends 

10 - 10:50 a.m. & 11:10 a.m. - Noon  

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley  

A special workshop for two - three year-olds to meet, pet, and feed rabbits, doves, and snakes.  

$22 - $25, $10 for additional family members, registration required  

Call 642-5134 

Book Publishing Seminar 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Regent Press 

6020-A Adeline St.  

Mark Weiman presents an overview of the business of book publishing oriented towards the author considering self-publication. From page layout to promotion and distribution, Weiman will cover all practical aspects of independent book publishing.  

Call 547-7602 or e-mail: regent@sirius.com 

Free Tae-Bo Classes for Adults  

10 - 10:45 a.m.  

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park 

2800 Park St.  

Call 644-8515 

Free Martial Arts Classes for Kids  

11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

Classes taught by Michael Johnson, a fourth degree black belt. Ages 5 - 7, 11:15 a.m. - Noon; Ages 8 - 12, 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.; Ages 13 to adults, 1:15 p.m. - 2 p.m. 

644-8515 

One-Day Travel Careers Class 

8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

Vista College  

2020 Milvia St.  

Room 210 

Learn about new employment opportunities in travel in the 21st century. Class will include a look at salaries, travel benefits, necessary education and preparation required. Bring payment by check to the class.  

$5.50 for California residents 

Call Marty de Souto, 981-2931  

Sunday, Jan. 28  

Clori, Tirsi & e Fileno 

7 p.m. 

Crowden School  

1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 

Teatro Bacchino, the Bay Area’s Baroque Opera company, will be performing Handel’s story of jealousy in love. Pre-concert talk 45 minutes before the performance.  

$15 - $20  

Call 658-3382  

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Finns in Berkeley and Co-op Beginnings 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

1931 Center St.  

A panel discussion on Finnish and Co-op history and on the Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley.  

$10 donation  

Call 848-0181 

Tuesday, Jan. 30 

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. 31 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra  

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall  

UC Berkeley  

Featuring “Berkeley Images,” a world premiere by Jean-Pascal Beintus.  

$10 - $35  

Call 841-2800 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, Feb. 1 

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet John Rowe and host Randy Fingland.  

644-0155 

Friday, Feb. 2 

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  

Allee der Kosmontauten 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall  

UC Berkeley  

Performance of Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz 1996 work in its West Coast premiere. Also features the film work of Elliot Caplan.  

$20 - $42  

Call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu  

“A Night In Oakland” 

8 p.m. 

Alice Arts Center 

1428 Alice St. (at 14th St.) 

Oakland  

Savage Jazz Dance Company launches their 2001 spring season along with the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra.  

$10 - $15 

Call 496-6068 or visit www.savagejazz.org 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Feb. 3 

“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 

Spirits in the Time of AIDS Artists Talk 

1 p.m. 

Pro Arts Gallery  

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland  

As part of “Consecrations,” the public is invited to hear artists speak about their work and show slides. Free 

Call 763-9425 

Free Tae-Bo Classes for Adults  

10 - 10:45 a.m.  

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park 

2800 Park St.  

Call 644-8515 

Free Martial Arts Classes for Kids  

11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Frances Albrier Community Center  

San Pablo Park  

2800 Park St.  

Classes taught by Michael Johnson, a fourth degree black belt. Ages 5 - 7, 11:15 a.m. - Noon; Ages 8 - 12, 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.; Ages 13 to adults, 1:15 p.m. - 2 p.m. 

644-8515 

Sunday, Feb. 4 

“Under Construction No. 10” 

7:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church  

2727 College Ave.  

Experience the unusual rehearsal-reading format that lets the audience experience the collaboration between conductor, orchestra and composer in the Berkeley Symphony’s unique series presenting new works or works-in-progress by local Bay Area composers.  

Call 841-2800 

Russian National Orchestra  

4 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall  

UC Berkeley  

On their tenth anniversary tour, the RNO will perform Shostakovich’s symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto No. 2.  

$30 - $52  

Call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu  

From Flatlands to the Stars  

9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Diamond Park  

Fruitvale Ave. (at Lyman Rd.) 

A hardy hike along Sausal Creek in Oakland’s unexplored Diamond and Joaquin Miller parks. A free hike sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

“A Night In Oakland” 

2 & 8 p.m. 

Alice Arts Center 

1428 Alice St. (at 14th St.) 

Oakland  

Savage Jazz Dance Company launches their 2001 spring season along with the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra.  

$10 - $15 

Call 496-6068 or visit www.savagejazz.org 

Tuesday, Feb. 6  

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 sex, love, dating, and relationships in celebration of Valentine’s Day.  

Call 527-9772  

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, Feb. 7  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, Feb. 8 

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Tom Odegard and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

Friday, Feb. 9  

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  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Berkeley PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

2020 Milvia St., Room 303 

E-Mail: meldancing@aol.com 

Saturday, Feb. 10  

Spirits in the Time of AIDS Open Mic.  

1 p.m. 

Pro Arts Gallery  

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland  

As part of “Consecrations,” the public is invited to see special performances, spoken word, commentary and more.  

Call 763-9425 

Masters of Persian Classical Music 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall  

UC Berkeley  

Featuring vocalist Mohammad Reza Sharjarian and his son, Homayoun Sharjarian.  

$20 - $40  

Call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Sunday, Feb. 11  

Ruth Acty Oral History Reception 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

In 1943 Miss Ruth Acty became the first African American teacher to be hired by the Berkeley Unified School District. She taught thousands of students until her retirement in 1985. Oral History Coordinator Therese Pipe interviewed Acty in 1993-94 for the Berkeley Historical Society. Free  

Horacio Gutierrez  

3 p.m. 

Hertz Hall 

UC Berkeley  

The Cuban-American pianist will perform Berg’s Sonata, Op.1, George Perle’s Nine Bagatelles, Schumann’s Fantasie, Op. 17 and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 29.  

$24 - $42  

Call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Tuesday, Feb. 13 

“Great Decisions” - U.S. Trade Policy 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple  

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

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, Feb. 14 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, Feb. 15 

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicty,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Work less, consume less, rush less, and build community with friends and family.  

Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Basics of PCs 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley 

A class for adults that will cover file management, loading software, software management, downloading pages from the Web, and more. 

$30 - $35, registration required  

Call 642-5134  

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Kathleen Lynch and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Friday, Feb. 16 

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  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Feb. 17  

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

Oakland  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Sunday, Feb. 18  

Waterfalls of Berkeley  

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART  

Sacramento at Delaware  

On this urban waterfall hike, discover three waterfalls along rushing creeks hidden in Berkeley neighborhoods. A free hike sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Tuesday, Feb. 20 

“Great Decisions” - China & Taiwan 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

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 different cultural, ethnic and religious values.  

Call 527-9772  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Berkeley could be the first municipality in the state to share the pain of soaring energy costs with its residents by not collecting taxes on utility rate hikes. 

The recommendation comes from the Citizens Budget Review Commission that voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the City Council to make the gesture to residents and small business owners who are feeling the pinch of higher energy costs. Commissioners want the city to refuse tax assessments on gas and electric rate hikes. 

Berkeley charges residents a utility tax of 7.5 percent for a variety of services including gas, electric, telephone, cell phones and cable TV. Last year the city collected $11.8 million from the tax. The commission is requesting the city not assess the tax on gas and electric rate hikes. 

The savings would not be huge, about $4.91 per resident per month just for electricity. But in this case, supporters say it’s the thought that counts. 

“This is certainly not the answer to rising energy costs,” said Commissioner Bill Gilbert, who proposed the idea to the commission. “But at least the city won’t be a coconspirator with the utilities.” 

PG&E representative Mindel Penn said it would be easy to change the tax to reflect the city-imposed cap. 

“Each city charges a different tax rate, so it should be no problem to adjust the rate accordingly and users would not be charged the difference,” Penn said. 

She added that she has not heard of any other city that is considering an “empathy cap.” 

Gilbert said the exact language of the recommendation has not been worked out yet. He said another possibility, if it is too difficult or cumbersome to implement the tax cap, is collecting the revenues from the increases and depositing them in a special fund that would be used for an undetermined project, presumably to benefit Berkeley residents. He estimated that the fund could generate anywhere from $1.5 to 3.5 million each year.  

Mayor Shirley Dean said she has not yet seen the recommendation but thought it sounds like a good idea. It would make more sense to not tax residents for the rate hike, rather than creating a city-maintained fund, she said. 

“I like the idea of capping the increase at the source. It’s a more efficient way of doing it,” Dean said. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he is also enthusiastic about the recommendation. “I think the city should not reap a windfall from utility taxes while residents and small businesses are getting hit with massive electricity and gas bills,” he said. 

Several budget commissioners will make a brief presentation at the Jan. 16, City Council meeting and then submit a formal recommendation for the council’s consideration at the following meeting on Jan. 23. 

Ryan Davis – Berkeley High 

When a player transfers to a high school for his senior year, few expect him to be a leader of the basketball team. But Ryan Davis has done just that: become the point guard and leading scorer of Berkeley High’s varsity, and the player that his teammates look to when times are tough. 

But Davis had a bit of an advantage coming in. He attended BHS as a freshman, making the varsity team and showing promise for the future. Then his family moved, and he transferred to Lincoln (San Francisco), where he starred for two years as a shooting guard for one of the city’s strongest teams. Now he’s back at Berkeley, and he feels right at home. 

“All my friends were over here, so I definitely wanted to come back,” Davis says. 

Davis joined a team that is inexperienced on the varsity level, and immediately became a go-to player and the general of the offense. This is also head coach Mike Gragnani’s first year at Berkeley, and he knows he was fortunate to get Davis back into a Yellowjacket jersey. 

Ryan’s got a real outgoing personality, and he’s always running on a high level. That has helped a lot,” Gragnani says. “Being inexperienced, we needed him to show what it’s like to be competitive all the time, and he’s given that to us.” 

Davis also brings a mix of athleticism and skill that the ’Jackets can count on in crunch time. 

“He’s our go-to scorer, the kind of guy who can create his own shot,” says Louis Riordan, a senior in his third year on the varsity. “He can do everything we need him to do, he’s a good ballhandler, a good shooter and he throws good post entry passes. Whatever we need on offense, he can get it for us.” 

Coming back to Berkeley allowed Davis a chance to play the point after two years of being a scorer for Lincoln. 

“I like the ball in my hands. I feel like my natural position is point guard, so I can get the rest of my teammates involved,” he says. 

Davis has also been re-energized by Gragnani’s up-tempo system, with Berkeley using a full-court press on defense and moving the ball around on offense. 

At Lincoln we didn’t do much up-tempo. It was mostly slow, half-court stuff,” Davis says. “The up-tempo stuff works for me, because I get a chance to show my athleticism.” 

Davis is quick to point out that he doesn’t do it all himself. He singled out fellow guard Byron St. Jules as a big factor in the team’s success. 

“B.J. doesn’t get that much ink, but he does a lot for the team,” Davis says. “He usually guards the other team’s best player. That helps me out a lot, it means I don’t have to do as much.” 

The Yellowjackets have become one of the top teams in the Bay Area, beating Skyline and playing tough against such powerhouses as Oakland Tech and St. Ignatius. Davis says the mix of maturity (nine seniors) and depth have made Berkeley a threat to do some damage in the postseason. 

“It’s good to have so many seniors on the team, just because of the maturity level. When coach says something, everybody listens. Also, we know we have to win now, because it’s our last year,” he says. “We might not be as big as other teams, but we’ve got a real deep team. We go 15 deep, and everybody can play.” 

Davis broke his thumb this summer, and several colleges pulled back on their interest in him. But Davis says “schools are starting to come around again. I’ll definitely be playing college ball somewhere next year.” 

Gragnani says any college program would be lucky to have Davis. 

“He’s very athletic player. He’s quick and he can jump, and he’s very strong physically. If he continues to work on his skills and fundamentals, he’ll be valuable to any program,” the coach says. “He’ll probably be at a lower-level Division 1 team, but if a bigger program were to take a chance on him, they’ll be happy they did, because he’ll work very hard for them. With four years to develop, who knows what he can do?” 

Davis 

I’ve played varsity since freshman year, so they do look to me. 

It’s more competitive out here. Over at Lincoln, we only had one or two good opponents. But over here, it’s a battle every game. 

It’s up to us how far we go. It depends on how hard we work. 

Gragnani 

I know Lincoln’s hurting without him, that’s for sure. 

It’s not an easy transition to move to point guard, and he’s done a good job. One of the main reasons is that he’s looking to get our other guys involved. Ryan’s got a scorer’s mentality, but he knows that for us to be successful, he has to get other guys involved. He’s been getting better every day at the point. 

Senators should stand up against ideologues 

Editor: 

When Newt Gingrich took out his “Contract on America” the Republicans demonstrated no hesitation in obstructing Democrats by any means available, and with no concern for the public good.  

The means by which the presidential election was stolen is their most recent and egregious example of this behavior.  

While it may sound nice to talk about “conciliation” and “unity”, I believe that such talk is a sucker's move. 

Republicans haven't afforded Democrats such a courtesy. Look at how many Federal judgeships have they blocked in the last eight years! 

I strongly urge Democratic Senators to block the confirmation of at least four of President-select Bush's cabinet nominations: Gale Norton (Interior), John Ashcroft (A.G.), Donald Rumsfeld (Defense), and Tommy Thompson (HHS).  

These are right-wing ideologues, extremists, and people dangerous to our way of life in America.  

They will roll back social progress and cause the economy to collapse through war-mongering defense spending. 

Normally, both political parties give the incoming President a “honeymoon” to establish a Cabinet according to his ideology.  

However, in this case, the President's election is illegitimate, due to the partisan stoppage of vote counting.  

He has been selected President in spite of the fact that Gore received over half a million more votes, and most probably a majority in Florida as well. 

It is time to stand firm.  

Forty-one Democratic Senators can stop any confirmation, whether for Cabinet or for judgeships.  

This is the last best power Democrats have until 2002. They'd best not default on stopping the rampage of right-wing Republicans. 

Bruce Joffe 

Oakland 

The Board of Education took the first step toward hiring a new superintendent Wednesday evening with the selection of a search firm.  

The San Marcos-based Leadership Associates was selected from among the five firms that interviewed for the job. 

“They have a very sound track record and in fact many people have said that they are the best search group in the state of California,” Board President Terry Doran said of the group. The consultant will work with extensive input from the board.  

Members took the selection of a search firm quite seriously. 

Doran said Berkeley residents will monitor the way the selection is handled. They will look critically at how seriously the board takes issues of diversity and community input. “I think we have an opportunity to send a message to our community by the process we follow,” Doran said. 

Board members focused on the consultants’ ability to find a diverse group of candidates with experience working in an urban school district, Doran said. 

“The pool of qualified people of color is not very large,” he said. “It’s important to have a group that can recruit aggressively within that small group.” 

According to the consultants, finding those candidates is becoming more and more difficult. Paul Plath of Springfield, Ore.-based PNR Associates said the number of qualified applicants is actually shrinking. “There’s an age range of people that are retiring,” he said. “There hasn’t been attention to the preparation of urban education leaders.” 

In order to find a suitable candidate, board members agreed they would need a nationwide search.  

Board members asked whether a California-based firm would have the networking resources to conduct an in-depth nationwide search. But, said Doran, large national firms have their own down sides. “Will they know what we need in Berkeley, California?” he asked. 

Another important issue in the hiring process is the ability to balance the applicant’s need for confidentiality with the need for community input. The consultants reiterated the fact that many of the best candidates are not actively looking for a new position. Jake Abbott of Leadership Associates estimated that 80 percent of the candidates they approach are not actively looking for new positions. “It’s almost like cold calling salesmen,” he said.  

When approached, successful superintendents may be interested in exploring the possibility a move to Berkeley, but do not want to jeopardize their current positions, consultants said. “Sitting superintendents are very worried about applying for positions and having their confidentiality protected,” Abbott said. 

If the community is involved in the selection process, and the name of a candidate is leaked, he or she may withdraw from the application process, they said, limiting Berkeley’s ability to ensure the highest quality of candidate. Some possibilities for community inclusion were holding forums and interviews to determine the desired qualities of the new superintendent, and allowing a community board to interview the top candidates. The Board of Education will have the final say on how much the community is involved at each stage of the hiring process.  

In addition to Leadership Associates and PNR Associates, the board interviewed California School Board Association of Sacramento, RBL Enterprises, Ltd. of Oakland, and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ltd. of Glenview, Ill.  

Doran said all the bids hovered around $30,000 with an estimated time line of three to five months. The board hopes to hire a new superintendent by July, the beginning of the new fiscal year. 

On Friday, the board will hold a closed session meeting to interview five candidates for the position of interim superintendent.  

Soon Berkeley residents will be thinking twice before trashing their reusable materials.  

Recyclers will be rewarded more than $250 for keeping their newspapers, old bills and bottles out of the garbage. 

Next month the Ecology Center, the city, the Community Conservation Center and the Alameda County Waste Management Authority will kick off the citywide “Cash For Trash” contest.  

Over a 22-week period, $6,500 will be given away to Berkeley households with garbage bins without recyclables. 

Every week during the contest the trash from one randomly selected Berkeley home will be taken to the Ecology Center, which operates the city’s curbside recycling. There it will be inspected by a city solid waste employee and Dave Williamson, operations manager for the Ecology Center. They will ask written permission from the household before going through its trash.  

If no recyclables are found in the trash, the residents win $250. If there are some recyclables, but it accounts for less than 1 percent of the trash by volume, the residents win $50. Recyclable materials include anything that the city’s curbside recycling service collects as well as yard debris. 

The chosen residences, selected by random sample through a computer database, will not know before they put their trash out for collection each week. 

“Any kind of education program or publicity program that promotes recycling is good,” said Kathy Evans, of the Community Conservation Center. 

The center is responsible for recycling the goods picked up by the Ecology Center. “This is fun and it appeals to everyone – even people who aren’t interested in the ecological aspect of it,” she said. 

Williamson said a reason for holding the Cash For Trash contest is to meet state mandates for limiting materials that go into landfills. He said Berkeley is two percentage points short of meeting its goals for the amount of materials diverted from landfills. 

“There has been high participation of curbside recycling in the hills and not so much in the flats,” he said. “We want to offer an incentive for those people to recycle more.” 

The contest announcement will arrive in Berkeley mailboxes the first week of February. Twenty random households will also receive “Cash For Trash” stickers. If one is attached to a full recycling bin during the first two weeks of the contest, the household will automatically win $50, even if that residence is not selected for garbage inspection. 

“We are sending out 20 stickers so people will look forward to getting the information in their mailbox,” said Portia Sinnott, project manager for the Ecology Center, who is running the contest. 

If less than $250 is awarded in a week, the money will carry over to the next week so residents have a chance to win even more money. The prize money is available through grants from the Alameda County Waste Management Source Reduction and Recycling Board. 

Sinnott said this contest is unique to Berkeley and she does not know other cities with similar projects. The city has only held this contest one other time, for six months in 1988. That year one resident won $4,000.  

“It was a really popular program,” said Evans, who along ran the contest at that time. “Once a week we gave somebody $250 for not throwing away recyclables and it worked very well. People were excited to recycle.” 

Williamson said in 1988 there was a 23 percent increase in Berkeley’s materials diverted from landfill as a result of the contest. 

All Berkeley residences of fewer than 10 units that are served by the curbside recycling program are eligible for the contest. The exact starting date will be announced in late January.

A common nursery plant may lead to increased complications and possible new management practices in the fight to halt Sudden Oak Death, a highly contagious fungal disease that is killing California oak trees, University of California researchers announced Wednesday. 

In a breakthrough in the study of the disease, UC researchers discovered that the rhododendron, a popular ornamental plant, can be infected by the same fungus that is causing the oak disease. The fungus has infected European rhododendrons and, as of yesterday, the researchers confirmed that it also is affecting California rhododendrons, suggesting a transcontinental link.  

Finding this relatively new fungus in two different parts of the world – and in two species – is unusual, the researchers said. The rhododendron discovery gives insight to the potential origin and transmission of this pathogen and may suggest new ways of spread. Previously, the pathogen only was known in three other California oaks - tanoaks, coast live oaks and black oaks.  

"We now know we have a host that could have carried the fungus a long way," said Matteo Garbelotto, a plant pathologist and adjunct professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management in UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources. "People don't really export oak trees across state lines or around the world," he said, "but they export rhododendrons."  

The finding may have a major impact on how scientists manage the disease. Co-investigator David Rizzo, assistant professor of plant pathology at UC Davis, said it may result in new restrictions on the rhododendron nursery industry. "The big concern is that someone will transport a sick rhododendron to a place where there are susceptible oak species," he said.  

The breakthrough came when a Clive Brasier, a British researcher who had visited UC Berkeley last summer, later noticed in Europe a fungus that looked like one he'd seen in Garbelotto's lab.  

The European fungus had been found on rhododendrons in Germany and the Netherlands. Brasier contacted the UC scientists, and researchers from all four countries determined together that the European rhododendron fungus was identical to the California oak-killing agent. This finding established that the fungus is not exclusively found in California and has important implications for international trade.  

But Rizzo and Garbelotto needed more proof to confirm the link between the two plant species, and yesterday they got it. Rizzo and Steve Tjosvold, a Santa Cruz County farm advisor, found the fungus in a rhododendron taken from a Santa Cruz County nursery, and Garbelotto confirmed with DNA analysis that it was the same fungus killing the oaks.  

The scientists don't know whether the disease was transmitted from California to Europe, or vice versa, or whether it traveled to both places from a third, as yet unknown, location. The fungus, first noted in European rhododendrons in 1993, has not been found in European oaks.  

However, European scientists are concerned that the disease will spread to European oak forests, particularly those in areas with a climate similar to that of California.  

Since the discovery of the mysterious oak-killing illness in California in 1995, researchers have been scrambling to understand the disease and design strategies to stop its spread. It is not known if the fungus recently was introduced into California, or if it is a native fungus that recently became a tree-killer because of environmental changes. Tens of thousands of oak trees have succumbed to the disease, and the researchers have reported up to 80 percent mortality in some infected groves.  

Through molecular sleuthing, Rizzo and Garbelotto determined that the disease was caused by a never-before-seen strain of fungi from the genus Phytophthora. A relative belonging to this 60-member group caused the Irish potato famine, and another relative is linked to the dieback of cedar trees in Northern California and southern Oregon, eucalyptus trees in Australia and oaks in Mexico, Spain and Portugal.  

In California, Sudden Oak Death has been reported from Sonoma Valley in the north to Big Sur in the south, a 190-mile range, as well as east to the Napa County border, about 25 miles inland. The hardest hit counties are Marin and Santa Cruz. The disease affects tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), and California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) found along the coastal belt in California. To date, the disease has not been found in other oaks such as blue oak or interior live oak.  

The dieback is alarming, researchers say, for its potential to disrupt the coastal forest ecosystems. Oaks provide habitat for wildlife and a food supply for small mammals and are frequently planted as ornamentals in gardens and parks. Additionally, downed dead trees create a fire hazard from the resulting buildup of dry fuel.  

There are similarities between the disease in oaks in California and rhododendron in Europe. In both cases, the fungus attacks above ground parts of the plants. In oaks, the fungus enters through the trunk and causes the formation of bleeding cankers on the trunk. On rhododendron plants, the fungus causes similar cankers and spreads from twig tips to the stem base, according to the European researchers.  

The researchers have notified agricultural and ecosystem managers in the affected areas of the rhododendron discovery. Research is underway to determine if native rhododendrons - those that have not been imported - are being infected. Research also is being conducted to determine how many other susceptible species may be affected by the fungus.  

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday proposed a $104.7 billion state budget he said would tackle California’s electricity crisis, beef up teacher training and offer shoppers a three-day sales tax suspension. 

Under Davis’ proposal, at least part of the sales tax would be suspended for the last weekend in August this year to let consumers save up to 8 1/4 percent on clothes and computer equipment. 

Davis said it would “help parents as they prepare to send their children back to school” and increase sales overall. 

Other key items in the spending plan include $1 billion to ease the state’s power shortage, $100 million to begin phasing in a six-week addition to the middle school academic year and $335 million to start a three-year, $875 million effort to improve training of reading and math teachers and school principals. 

“We are winning the battle to improve student performance and student possibilities,” Davis said. Lawmakers will consider Davis’ proposals along with their own as they work on a new state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. 

The governor’s plan would raise overall state support for elementary and secondary schools to $33.5 billion, up $2.1 billion from this fiscal year and $1.9 billion over the minimum spending level required by Proposition 98 of 1988. 

Per-pupil spending would jump to $7,174, up from $6,695 this year. 

Besides the teacher training and middle-school extension money, the proposed education spending includes: 

• $30 million to help middle schools and high schools attract and keep algebra teachers. 

• $20 million to help set up 10 new high-tech high schools that would emphasize science, math and engineering. 

• $20 million for computer software to help teachers and principals analyze students’ test results to determine their strengths and weaknesses. 

Higher-education funding includes $300 million to help community colleges prepare students to transfer to four-year schools and $160.4 million in construction funding for a new University of California campus near Merced. There would be no increase in student fees. 

The $1 billion to tackle the state’s electricity shortage would be used to increase energy efficiency, reduce consumption and increase electricity supplies. 

Davis wouldn’t specify how he planned to use that money, but aides have said about $250 million would provide rebates of up to $200 per product to consumers who buy more energy-efficient home appliances. 

Davis’ proposed environmental spending includes $150 million to protect beaches from pollution and buy wildlife habitat and wetlands, $100 million to replace up to 6,000 diesel engines with cleaner-running motors and $50 million for grants of up to $6,500 to encourage the purchase of battery-powered and other zero-emission vehicles. 

The proposed sales-tax holiday would save consumers at least $27 million by eliminating the state portion of the sales tax on clothing items or shoes worth up to $200 and computer equipment costing up to $1,000. 

The savings would be greater, another $12 million to $15 million, if local governments agreed to suspend their share of the sales tax during the three-day period. 

The tax ranges from 7 to 8 1/4 percent of the purchase price depending on the county. The state’s share is 4 3/4 percent. 

Eight other states have similar sales tax holidays. 

Assembly Minority Leader Bill Campbell, R-Villa Park, praised the tax holiday idea but said that it should be made permanent. Gage said the administration wanted to see how it worked before extending the program. 

Pat Leary, a lobbyist for the California State Association of Counties, said Davis should agree to reimburse local governments for any sales taxes they lose instead of putting them in the position of having to decide whether to approve a tax suspension and lose revenue. 

“We have a lot of local governments who aren’t doing as well as the state and can’t afford to lose the money,” she said. 

Davis’ plan also includes $110.8 million in tax breaks for businesses, mainly by expanding and extending a tax credit for certain types of industries that buy new equipment and increasing the capital gains exclusion for small business stock held for more than five years. 

Campbell said the governor should also have recommended that lawmakers extend a one-year, quarter percent sales tax cut that took effect Jan. 1. 

“I think, given the prosperity, the surplus we have, he should have made it permanent,” Campbell said. 

Davis said he was willing to consider additional tax cuts if revised budget projections in May show that revenue is up more than anticipated. 

“My highest priority this year is to continue to make progress in education and resolve the energy challenge,” he said. “If I feel confident that we have made enough progress on both fronts then tax cuts, health care and others would compete for additional money.” 

In health care, Davis proposed funneling the $468 million the state expects from the 1998 tobacco settlement agreement to a fund that would be used solely for anti-tobacco, cancer research and treatment and other health care programs. 

Davis proposed to spend $74.4 million of the tobacco funds to expand insurance coverage for children through the Healthy Families program. The governor’s budget plan also includes $201.5 to cover uninsured parents of children enrolled in Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. 

——— 

On the Net: 

The governor’s Web site: www.governor.ca.gov 

The Department of Finance: www.dof.ca.gov

LOS ANGELES — In the midst of a state energy crisis, federal regulators on Wednesday asked a court to allow a wholesale price cap opposed by California’s electricity clearinghouse 

In its response to a lawsuit, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission argued that a cap of $150 per megawatt/hour for wholesale electricity serves the public interest. 

The cap was contained in a Dec. 15 FERC order challenged by the Pasadena-based Power Exchange, which manages the wholesale buying and selling of electricity in California under a 1996 deregulation law. The exchange, which currently operates under a $250 cap, alleged the lower cap would cause “irreparable harm” to its markets. 

The exchange asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to rule by Friday on its request to block the cap and other portions of the order. 

In the FERC response, attorneys Dennis Lane and Beth Pacella said the order was issued following an investigation of complaints levied against the Power Exchange. 

Staying the order would erode FERC protections “against unjust and unreasonable rates in the California electricity markets,” the response said. 

“During the past few months a seller’s market has existed, with the market clearing prices higher than retail rates,” the response said. 

“We are meeting with our attorneys and are in the process of determining where the Power Exchange goes from here,” exchange spokesman Jesus Arredondo said Wednesday. “We disagree with FERC that there will be no harm to consumers or participants in this market if the full force of the order is enacted.” 

SACRAMENTO — School districts for the first time will be able to use state money to buy math textbooks that fully meet the state’s tough 1997 standards that call for algebra in eighth grade. 

The state Board of Education, by an 11-0 vote Wednesday, approved a dozen math textbook programs offered by nine publishers for elementary and middle-school students. 

“I’m pleased to say these materials will place good instructional materials in the hands of students and teachers,” said Susan Stickel, an assistant superintendent in Elk Grove. 

The board also rejected 11 programs by seven publishers as not meeting the standards that outline in detail what students should learn in each grade. 

Dozens of teachers and school officials and state Superintendent Delaine Eastin asked in vain for the board to approve a set of books for kindergarten-through-third grades by Everyday Learning Corp. 

However, the board did allow districts that are currently using Everyday’s books and can show “exemplary achievement” by students on the statewide test to apply for a waiver to use state funds to buy the books. 

School officials have been complaining for years that the state’s effort to improve student learning and test scores was a bit disjointed. The standards were approved for math, English, science and social studies in 1997 and 1998 and statewide testing began in 1998. However, getting textbooks that reflect the standards in classrooms has lagged behind. 

A new rating released Wednesday makes that point. California’s grade for having tough standards and accountability slipped from a B-plus last year to a B, said the report card issued by Education Week magazine for all states. 

The report said California has tied rewards and other funding for teachers and schools to the statewide test, but that test, the Stanford-9, is a standardized national exam not related to the state’s own standards. 

The state has started adding questions to the test that reflect the standards, but the ones for math will not be used for the state ranking of schools until 2003. 

Gov. Gray Davis’ spokeswoman said Wednesday that the Education Week report card uses some outdated statistics and information. 

“It’s not taking into account the things that are happening now to make sure students are getting the benefits of the standards,” said spokeswoman Hilary McLean. 

In approving the 12 textbook programs, the state board accepted the recommendation of its Curriculum Commission, the final of four committees that spent 18 months intensively reviewing the books. 

In most cases, all four of the committees agreed on the books. However, for a few submissions, the Curriculum Commission and the board reversed recommendations made by panels of math scholars, teachers and parents. 

For example, the commission recommended books for kindergarten-through-sixth grade by Saxon Publishers Inc., even though previous panels said they did not meet the standards. Saxon textbooks are popular among back-to-basics schools. 

The opposite occurred for Everyday Learning’s books, which were developed by University of Chicago mathematics professors. The K-3 books were recommended by the first two panels, but rejected by the Curriculum Commission. 

Stickel, the commission’s math chairwoman, said the commission decided Everyday’s books did not meet the standards and were difficult for teachers who were not math majors to teach. 

Stanford University math professor Jim Milgram said Everyday’s program “would be a disaster” when used by teachers who don’t have math knowledge equivalent to a third-year math major in college. 

Teachers and officials from dozens of districts that have been using Everyday for several years disagreed and said their test scores had risen with the books. 

“Districts should have the right to choose and then they should be held accountable for the results,” said Mary McKee, assistant superintendent of the Glendale Unified School District. 

Everyday vice president John Atkocaitis said the program is not difficult to teach and is used not only in California, but also in schools in New York City, Dallas, Memphis and Minneapolis with test score increases. 

Ruth Cossey, a math education professor at Mills College in Oakland, said the arguments against Everyday imply that teachers who are working with minority and poor students are not capable of teaching rigorous material. 

“For the next seven years, it’s OK for them to wallow with inferior materials,” she said. 

The board’s student member, Jacqueline Boris, a senior at Buchanan High School in Clovis, said the board should allow districts to continue to use textbooks that work. 

“So few kids are excited about math,” she said. 

——— 

On the Net: 

The state board is at http://www.cde.ca.gov/board 

Read the math standards at http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/pdf/math.pdf 

Read about state textbook lists at 

http://www.cde.ca.gov/cilbranch/eltdiv/cdsmc.htm 

GLENDALE — Prosecutors charged a former respiratory therapist Wednesday with murdering six elderly hospital patients whose exhumed bodies were found to contain evidence of a common but dangerous drug that stops breathing. 

The case against Efren Saldivar, 31, included two special circumstances – poisoning and multiple murder – which could lead to the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole if he is convicted. 

Saldivar, who once called himself the “Angel of Death” and then recanted, had been under suspicion since early 1998 in deaths at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. 

“After years of hard work, the combined efforts of both the Glendale Police Department and the district attorney’s office have paid off in the filing of charges against Efren Saldivar,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said. 

Saldivar was arrested by Glendale police on Tuesday and was held without bail. Arraignment was scheduled for Thursday in Glendale Superior Court. Prosecutors said they will decide whether to seek the death penalty after the preliminary hearing. 

The victims died between Dec. 30, 1996, and Aug. 28, 1997. They were identified as Salbi Asatryan, 75, Eleanora Schlegel, 77, Jose Alfaro, 82, Luina Schidlowski, 87, Balbino Castro, 87, and Myrtle Brower, 84. 

Toxicological testing showed the drug Pavulon in the remains of all six and it was not part of legitimate treatment of five of those patients, Cooley said at his Los Angeles office. 

Deputy District Attorney Al MacKenzie said Pavulon is frequently used in hospitals to stop the normal breathing of patients who are put on artificial respiratory devices. 

“If you’re going to do surgery, you’re going to put the person on an artificial breathing device,” MacKenzie said. “If you give the person the drug Pavulon and don’t create an artificial means to breathe, they die.” 

The complaint also alleges one count of receiving stolen property, the drug Versed. A source familiar with the case said that Versed, used to induce sleep in patients but can be fatal if too much is used, was recently found at Saldivar’s home. 

Glendale Adventist officials commented on the case at a hospital news conference. “We have no idea how Saldivar got Pavulon,” spokesman Mark Newmyer said. “We find it hard to believe that a licensed medical professional could do such a thing.” 

Newmyer said the hospital has implemented strict regulations, including keeping drugs such as Pavulon locked up, using a computer to record every detail of the usage of patient ventilators, and accounting for all unused medications after emergencies. 

Attorney Terry M. Goldberg, who represents Saldivar in a half-dozen wrongful-death lawsuits, said his client is indigent and will need a public defender in the criminal case. 

Goldberg said the arrest came as he was preparing a motion seeking dismissal of the lawsuits because the families suing Saldivar had failed to show he was responsible. The attorney said he expects the civil suits to be stayed until the criminal case is ended. 

“Unfortunately in society we judge people before all sides are heard. I hope people will be patient in ferreting out the truth in this case,” Goldberg said at his office. 

Newmyer said there were four lawsuits pending against the hospital and two of the four patients involved were among the six named as murder victims. He would not identify them. 

Early in the investigation the hospital suspended 38 people in the respiratory care department, fired four in addition to Saldivar and let most return to work. Newmyer continued to refuse comment on what prompted the four other firings. 

Hospital board Chairman Robert Carmen said it had been difficult to wait for the results of the investigation. 

“Our journey to find the truth is coming to a close and to all those affected, I can say, we feel their pain,” Carmen said. 

Cooley said the long delay in arresting Saldivar was not unusual in cases with such complex evidence. He said similar cases have taken three to four years to develop. 

A toxicology team assembled to evaluate evidence from the exhumations included Dr. Brian D. Andresen, of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, an expert in analysis of Pavulon. 

MacKenzie, who has tried other high-profile cases with complex scientific evidence, has been working with Deputy District Attorney Brian Kelberg, who was a key witness in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial and heads the prosecutor’s medical-legal section. 

The hospital probe began in February 1998. Police said that a month later Saldivar told investigators he committed dozens of mercy killings at Glendale Adventist between 1989 and 1997 and that he considered himself the “Angel of Death.” 

Police said Saldivar told them he was angry at seeing terminally ill patients kept alive. 

Saldivar was in custody only briefly at that time because police lacked evidence. He later said in interviews that he lied to police because he was depressed, suicidal and wanted to be sent to death row. 

Police looked into 171 deaths that occurred while Saldivar worked at the hospital. Fifty-four were eliminated because the bodies were cremated. Eventually the probe focused on 20 deaths that raised suspicions. 

——— 

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report. 

WASHINGTON — Americans are increasingly anxious about the nation’s economy as the Bush administration gets under way, according to an Associated Press poll. Faith in the stock market as a safe place to put money has dropped as well. 

Only a third of Americans expect their family finances to be better in a year, said the AP Poll – a big drop from last spring when more than half felt that way. And more than half now say if they had a thousand dollars, it would be a bad idea to put it in the stock market. A strong majority said last spring that they would invest the money. 

By a 57-39 margin, women now feel that investing the money would be a bad idea, while men are about evenly split, according to the AP survey, which was conducted by ICR of Media, Pa. 

“No way, things are too shaky,” said Delores Sapeta, a 72-year-old retiree from Middletown, in north central California. 

“I might have been willing to invest it maybe a year or two ago,” said Charles Odom, a 32-year-old paint contractor from North Wilkesboro in western North Carolina. “Now the market goes up, then it drops right back down.” 

Just over two in 10 Americans have a lot of confidence in Bush’s ability to deal with the economy, the poll indicated, while just over four in 10 have some confidence and almost three in 10 have no real confidence. That’s similar to the public’s confidence in President-elect Clinton eight years ago. The number with no confidence in Bush on the economy is slightly higher than the one in eight who felt that way about President-elect Reagan in 1980. 

The confidence shown in Bush’s ability to handle the economy closely follows partisan lines. Just over half of Republicans said they have a lot of confidence in Bush on the economy, while almost half of Democrats have no confidence. 

Just under a fourth of independents said they have a lot of confidence and half said they have some confidence, while a fourth have no confidence in Bush to handle the economy. Half of black Americans said they have no confidence, and just over a third of those who make less then $50,000 felt that way. 

Economic reports that could cause nervousness have been mounting: 

• Retailers just announced they had their weakest holiday sales in a decade. 

• Worries about future job growth and the economy pushed consumer confidence in December to its lowest level in two years. 

• The Federal Reserve unexpectedly lowered a key interest rate this month. 

Many in the public have noticed such developments. 

“It looks like my family finances are going to be worse in a year,” said Kimberly Armstrong, a 25-year-old mother of two young children from Louisville, Ky. “I get that feeling from the news reports, from technology stocks going down. ...” 

Entering this uncertain economic climate will be Bush, who has cautioned several times that he’s seen signs of economic trouble on the horizon. 

As he prepares for the presidency, just over half in this poll, 52 percent, said they approve of the way he’s handling the transition, while about a third, 31 percent, said they do not approve. That’s slightly lower than the six in 10 Americans who approved of President-elect Clinton’s transition at a similar point eight years ago. 

“In the sense that he seems to be picking people, with a couple of exceptions, who are qualified to take the Cabinet positions, I think he’s doing a fairly good job in the transition,” said Cliff Reynolds, a 53-year-old high school science teacher from Parker, Colo., just southeast of Denver. “I don’t have much confidence in his abilities to take us through the next four years, but it appears he has selected some good people.” 

A plurality in the poll, 46 percent, said they felt the country is on the wrong track, while 41 percent said it is headed in the right direction. Late last year, the situation was about reversed, with a plurality saying the country was headed in the right direction. 

Republicans felt the country was going in the right direction by a 2-1 margin, Democrats felt at least as strongly that it was on the wrong track. Only 38 percent of independents felt the country was headed in the right direction, with 47 percent saying it was on the wrong track. 

That public response can reflect varying concerns, from anxiety about the country’s economic health, to troubles overseas to the moral direction of the country. 

Armstrong, of Louisville, said her role as a mother influences her concern that the country is not on track. 

“Things are definitely headed in the wrong direction, morally speaking,” she said. “Things are just out of control.” 

DALLAS — American Airlines agreed Wednesday to buy most of TWA for about $500 million in a complex deal that will reshape the industry and retire one of the most storied names in aviation history. 

American chairman and chief executive Donald Carty said the airline jumped at the chance to scoop up financially troubled Trans World Airlines and also buy a piece of US Airways and a stake in a new Washington-based airline. 

The acquisitions give American “a level of growth that would otherwise take us years to achieve,” Carty said. 

United set off the buying spree last year when it agreed to acquire most of US Airways. Analysts said No. 2 American wanted to keep up with United, the nation’s largest airline. 

If regulators approve the United and American deals, the two airlines will control half the U.S. market, with No. 3 Delta far behind with 15 percent. 

“This is a turning point,” said Mark Cooper, research director of the Consumer Federation of America. “Consumers will pay higher prices and lower services.” 

In addition to the regulatory hurdles, American’s purchase of TWA could still be challenged by creditors or another bidder. And American’s unions could also stand in the way. 

The deals could prompt more industry mergers. The nation’s fourth- and fifth-largest airlines, Northwest and Continental, already have an alliance. 

“I think the carrier that will be under the most pressure is Delta,” said William Franke, chairman and chief executive of America West Airlines. “If it does nothing, it’ll be significantly smaller than the other two.” 

While others plot their next moves, the end appears near for one of the grandest names in aviation, TWA, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier Wednesday as part of its agreement with American. 

TWA, which traces its roots to the 1925 founding of Western Air Express, once catered to popes and movie stars and was owned at one time by Howard Hughes. It held the world’s attention during a 1985 hijacking in Beirut and the 1996 crash of a flight from New York to Paris. 

But the airline hasn’t turned a profit since 1988 and has filed for bankruptcy twice before. 

It lost $115.1 million in the first nine months of 2000 and $353 million in 1999. TWA said an increase in oil prices pushed it into bankruptcy this time. 

TWA has 20,000 employees, and Carty said American would offer jobs to all 17,600 unionized workers, including about 2,300 pilots. 

American hopes to sell the deal to its famously fractious pilots – who conducted a sickout the last time American bought another airline, much-smaller Reno Air in 1998 – by promising it will need more pilots to fly the planes it will acquire. 

The Allied Pilots Association, which represents American’s 10,700 pilots, said it is withholding judgment on the deal. 

Under the multipart deal, American agreed to pay $500 million for most of TWA’s assets, including up to 190 planes, TWA’s hub in St. Louis and hundreds of prized gates and takeoff spots. If the bankruptcy court approves, TWA passengers could earn American frequent-flier miles on TWA flights before the airline’s name disappears. 

American also will pay $82 million for a 49 percent stake in DC Air, a start-up of United and US Airways controlled by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson. DC Air, to be based at Reagan Washington National Airport, would use some American planes and crews. 

Finally, in an effort to win regulatory approval for its blockbuster purchase of US Airways, United has agreed to sell US Airways assets to American, including 86 planes and half of US Airways’ Washington-New York-Boston shuttle. American would pay United $1.2 billion in cash and assume $300 million in aircraft leases. 

Many air travelers predicted higher prices, worse service and fewer choices. 

“The consumer isn’t going to have much say,” said Helena Yancey, 42, at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. “It’s like the gas and power people. You buy it from them and that’s it. There’s no competition.” 

In afternoon trading Wednesday, American’s parent company, AMR Corp., fell 44 cents to $38.50, United parent UAL rose 19 cents to $42.19 and Delta climbed 19 cents to $48.56. Shares of TWA, which haven’t traded since last week, remained at $1.32 on the American Stock Exchange. 

——— 

On the Net: 

TWA: http://www.twa.com 

AMR: http://www.amrcorp.com 

American: http://www.im.aa.com 

United: http://www.united.com/site/primary/0,10017,2102,00.html 

US Airways: http://www.usairways.com/corporate/uaus/index.htm 

Consumer federation: http://www.consumerfed.org 

You seldom hear a good proposal to cut taxes that isn’t in some way associated with economic engineering, which in today’s economy means tax cuts as a way of stimulating the economy. 

It goes like this: If the economy is overheating you raise taxes and take money out of the private sector; if the economy is threatening to fall into recession you lower taxes and put money into circulation. 

President-elect George W. Bush has all but declared the latter a good reason to have his proposed tax cuts moved higher on the agenda, the better to spread benefits and lessen the impact of the current slowdown. 

But what about a tax cut simply out of fairness to taxpayers?  

Aspects of that reasoning are contained in Bush’s tax goals, but like most such proposals, it is now likely to be sold mainly as an antidote to recession. 

Conceding the importance of avoiding inflation and recession, over the longer term it’s at least important to watch the changing equation between private and government sectors. 

It’s been tilting toward government, whereas the productivity gains that raise living standards is very much a consequence of private-sector investing. 

Economists Gary and Aldona Robbins, sent 1960s and 1990s tax data through their analytical machine and found there was no contest – the 1990s (and beyond) took a bigger bite from incomes than in the 1960s. 

In the 1960s, taxes consumed less than 35 percent of national income; in the 1990s the percentage had risen to 37.1. Not all the increase was at the federal level; bigger state and local budgets contributed too. 

Working at their own Fiscal Associates, the two ex-Treasury economists found federal, state and local taxes in 1997 took 56.4 cents of the dollar value of private business output. In 1991, it was 48.3 cents. 

In short, government grows, the private sector shrinks, a situation that hardly coincides with the ideas proposed by the founding fathers, and probably at odds also with the impression held by millions of Americans. 

As taxes grow, government benefits of course expand, but inevitably so does the matter of fairness, the marriage penalty, the loss of family businesses important among them.  

Myriad inequities arise and, privacy advocates insist, the potential for loss of personal freedom also rises. 

The Robbins’ analysis, published during the summer by the Institute for Policy Innovation, a Lewis, Texas, think-tank, gets merged into the current political discussion over tax cuts to avert recession. 

But the Robbins take a longer view too. 

Tax burdens, Gary reminds us, cut short the 1960s expansion. Now, he says, they have the potential to discourage saving and investing in the future – in raising productivity and lifting living standards. 

If businesses shy from expanding, he would blame rising marginal tax rates as “the one factor reducing U.S. attractiveness as a place to invest.” 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for The Associated Press.

The trial of a San Francisco police officer charged with assaulting a Berkeley woman during a domestic incident during which he allegedly bound her hands with a nylon strap began in Oakland Superior Court Tuesday, as prosecution and defense lawyers met privately with the judge to discuss evidence. 

Michael Cardoza, the lawyer for 52-year-old San Francisco motorcycle officer James McKeever, said Tuesday he would ask Oakland Superior Court Judge Carlos G. Ynostroza to exclude evidence that McKeever was involved in a separate assault in Texas shortly after the alleged Berkeley incident. 

McKeever was arrested at a home on Seventh Street in west Berkeley in August after police responding to a 911 call discovered McKeever’s one-time girlfriend with a broken tooth and her hands tied behind her back.  

He was charged with battery and false imprisonment.  

Two weeks later, McKeever was allegedly involved in a separate assault on his stepdaughter at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. He was charged with felony assault on a child by Texas authorities.  

Cardoza said the Texas incident was not relevant to the trial set to begin in Oakland.  

"There’s no reason to introduce it but to prejudice the jury," Cardoza said. "What does it have to do with this?"  

Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Tara Desautels declined to comment on the case Tuesday, citing the possibility that the court might impose a gag order on the jury.  

Fort Worth attorney Carole Kerr, who is representing McKeever in the Texas case, did not return calls. 

The DA is expected to argue that testimony about the Texas incident is relevant and should not be kept from the jury.  

Although the 36-year-old, woman who police say was assaulted by McKeever, appeared in Berkeley Superior Court for a hearing in the case in October, her name has been deleted from court documents to protect her privacy.  

The woman told the Daily Planet in October that she is active in Berkeley politics and community affairs.  

She said she and McKeever, who is married, have had an on-and-off relationship for several years.  

Cardoza said he intends to show that the alleged victim in the Berkeley incident was actually responsible for the altercation that led to the charges against McKeever. 

"I’ve got two witnesses that say this woman is emotionally unbalanced, that she has attacked McKeever on other occasions," he said.  

McKeever told Berkeley police after his arrest that the woman slapped and kicked him, and he tried to restrain her. According to a police report, McKeever outweighs the woman by about 100 pounds and is nearly a foot taller than her.  

McKeever, who has served on the San Francisco police force for 26 years, was suspended by Chief of Police Fred Lau in September pending an investigation by the Police Commission into the incidents. McKeever was reinstated but has been reassigned to a desk job.  

Dressed in a black suit, McKeever waited alone in an otherwise deserted sixth floor courtroom in downtown Oakland Tuesday morning, while lawyers for the defense and prosecution met in the judge’s chambers.  

Lawyers in the case said they expect to begin picking a jury Tuesday and that testimony in the case would begin later this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday.

Nestles SA deal includes takeover of Ralston Purina 

NEW YORK — Ralston Purina Co. has reportedly accepted a $10.1 billion takeover offer from Nestle SA, the Swiss food giant whose products include the Friskies and Alpo pet food brands. 

The deal is expected to be announced Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site Monday, citing people familiar with the situation. 

Nestle will pay $33.50 for each share of Ralston, a 36 percent premium to the St. Louis-based company’s closing stock price Friday of $24.63 on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Nestle and Ralston Purina on Monday refused to comment on reports that a deal was in the works. 

Motorola lays off workers to help increase profits 

CHICAGO — Struggling Motorola Inc. said Monday it is halting cellular-phone manufacturing at its plant in Harvard, Ill., and laying off about 2,500 workers in an effort to improve sagging profits. 

The announcement came less than a week after the Schaumburg, Ill.-based tech giant, which also is a leading semiconductor manufacturer, pledged more cost-cutting measures in 2001 to try to revive its slumping cellphone business. 

The approximately 2,500 manufacturing jobs being eliminated represent nearly 2 percent of its work force of 130,000. 

Motorola said in a statement that the move is “part of a long-term, company-wide strategy to improve supply-chain efficiencies, consolidate manufacturing, improve financial performance and build on company strengths.” 

Intel prepared to acquire computer gear company 

SANTA CLARA — Chip-making giant Intel Corp. has agreed to acquire Xircom Inc., a maker of mobile computing gear, for about $748 million, the companies said Monday. 

The acquisition, expected to be completed by the end of March, will supplement Intel’s desktop computer and server-based business, Intel officials said. 

Xircom, based in Thousand Oaks, makes network adapters, modems, and cards that connect mobile computers to local or corporate networks and the Internet. The company, which has 1,900 employees worldwide and generated $492 million in revenue last year, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel. 

SACRAMENTO — California’s largest energy consumer – state government itself – is promising to go on a diet. 

Officials acknowledge, however, that they are only now finding ways to measure how much power the state uses and how much it must cut back to meet Gov. Gray Davis’ promises in this week’s State of the State speech. 

Davis pledged state government will cut its daily electricity consumption at least 8 percent, and save at least 20 percent during Stage 2 power emergencies when consumers are urged to conserve. 

“Nobody thinks about gasoline prices until they go up, nobody thinks about water until there’s a drought,” said Rob Deignan, spokesman for the General Services Department that oversees state facilities. “In terms of how we’re going to make it up to 8 (percent) and 20 percent, we’re in the process of developing that.” 

“That was news to me last night as well,” Doug Grandy said the morning after Davis’ speech. Grandy coordinates the state’s conservation efforts as chief of energy assessments for the Department of General Services. State government accounts for about 11/2 percent of California’s energy use. The four million megawatt hours of electricity it gulped during the fiscal year that ended June 30 cost taxpayers $260 million, according to an analysis last week by the Department of General Services. 

That was before prices soared last summer.  

“We use in an average year as much electricity as the entire city of San Francisco uses,” said Water Resources’ spokesman Jeff Cohen. 

Water Resources consumes about 5 million megawatt hours in a typical year to pump Northern California water 600 miles to feed Southern California’s thirst. Much of that goes to a pumping plant south of Bakersfield to boost water 2,000 feet up over the Tehachapi Mountains. 

But the department can produce more than 1,700 megawatts of its own power, and has volunteered to shut down its massive pumps to free up electricity during peak periods, said Viju Patel, the department’s power systems manager. 

The lights remain on at the Capitol, but exterior lighting was cut by 50 percent last month – “the lowest they can go and still meet CHP (California Highway Patrol) requirements” for security, said Senate spokesman Dave Sebeck. 

State buildings overseen by the Department of General Services have permanently cut their electricity consumption by shutting buildings’ lights and ventilation systems at 5:30 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m. 

That amounts to a nearly 8 percent cut in demand during peak summer hours, which run from noon to 8 p.m., Grandy said. 

It’s a higher percentage compared to winter peak hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Grandy said: “That’s a game you could play if you want to get to a 40 percent reduction, but that’s certainly misleading.” 

State computers also are being made permanently more efficient by setting them to a “sleep” mode when they’re not in service, he said. Davis said that can cut each computer’s power use by 40 percent. 

Over short periods, the state can cut its consumption an estimated 20 percent during Stage 2 emergencies by turning off lights, raising temperatures and unplugging computers, copiers, coffee pots and fax machines, said Grandy. 

The department is spending the bulk of a $3.25 million grant from the California Energy Commission to install more sophisticated computers to control the environment in 50 high-use state buildings by July 1. Another $2.25 million is going to state universities for the same purpose. 

The state also will tap into a $250 million energy efficiency fund set up in the mid-1980s to install more efficient lights and ventilation motors in state buildings. High-efficiency motors can cut energy use at least 20 percent. 

The Department of Corrections already has energy efficiency projects lined up to take advantage of another $1 billion Davis is pledging for conservation efforts during the fiscal year that starts July 1, said Steve Green, assistant secretary of the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency. 

“We’re the number one priority because we’re the second highest energy consumer in California behind the University of California,” Green said. Most of the money will go to more efficient lighting and ventilation systems, Green said. 

Long-term, the state hopes to increase its use of co-generation plants that recycle what would otherwise be wasted energy, Grandy said. It also is exploring installing generators to power individual buildings or groups of buildings instead of relying on outside power suppliers.