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Lab poses health risk in fire, report says

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday February 07, 2001

A new report analyzing the risk of radiation exposure during a fire at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says there is a much greater risk than reported in a similar 1996 analysis prepared by the laboratory. 

Berkeley’s Hazardous Materials Supervisor Nabil Al-Hadithy pointed out that the new report, funded by the city and prepared by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in Heidelberg, Germany, is preliminary and the findings reflect a worse-case scenario. The final report is not due for 18 months. 

The draft report, released Monday, uses the scenario of a woman jogging downwind and within 135 feet of the Tritium Labeling Facility during a fire. If this scenario occurred, the jogger would be exposed to between 2,900 to 18,000 millirems of Tritium. The estimated exposure is 600 to 3,700 times higher than reported in the LBNL Safety Analysis Document prepared in 1996. 

The LBNL Tritium Labeling Facility works primarily with pharmaceutical companies researching new compounds. The compounds are incorporated with tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, and then injected into living organisms. The compound’s migration through the organism can be tracked by the glow produced by the tritium.  

Biomedical researchers then use the information to help determine the compound’s effectiveness in treating a variety of diseases including cancer. 

Members of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste argue that the amount of tritium released from the labs in a fire will cause cancer, sterility and birth defects. According to the EPA a person should be exposed to no more than 10 millirems of tritium per year. 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong said she supports the Tritium Labeling Facility’s work, but would like to see the facility moved. 

“We can argue about millirems, air direction and such until the cows come home but when you have radioactive projects going on in an area susceptible to landslides, earthquakes and fires it just doesn’t seem safe,” Armstrong said. “I think it would be better somewhere in the desert.” 

The City Council has twice, once in September 1996 and again two years later in 1998, adopted resolutions requesting LBNL close the Tritium Labeling Facility. 

Al-Hadithy said the report does not find ongoing problems with the day to day operations of the facility although it does make suggestions for better site monitoring. 

He said Dr. Bernard Franke, one of the scientists who prepared the report, uses a worst case scenario of exposure to a woman jogging near the facility during a fire, but there is much more research that has to be done before Franke’s analysis can be relied on as an actual indicator of the danger to nearby residents and the Lawrence Hall of Science, a children’s museum near the labs. 

“As a city we encourage a scientific approach,” Al-Hadithy said. “And we have to remember that at this stage all the findings from the laboratory and Dr. Franke are very subjective.” 

Gene Bernardi, co-chair of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste and a neighbor of the LBNL said her group would like to see the facility closed down. She said the report doesn’t go far enough in analyzing exposure rates during a fire.  

“The report doesn’t take into consideration the compounded effect of materials stored in the Hazardous Waste Facility, which would likely be released during a fire,” Bernardi said. 

LBNL spokesperson Ron Kolb said Franke’s jogging scenario is based on assumptions, which the laboratory questions. “Dr. Franke suggests an independent analysis and we think that would be a good idea,” he said. “But we still believe, in a catastrophic fire, the threat to the local community would be relatively small.” 

Kolb said the laboratory will try to respond to Franke’s report within the next two weeks. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Wednesday February 07, 2001


Wednesday, Feb. 7

 

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 

 

Legacy to Liberation  

7 p.m. 

Revolution Books  

2425 Channing Way  

A roundtable discussion by contributors to the recently published anthology “Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America.” Contributors include Richard Aoki, Yuri Kockiyama, Sun Lee and Dolly Veale.  

$2 donation 848-1196 

 

Buy Some Land 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Led by real estate broker Dan Maher, this seminar will teach you how to do just that.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

 

National Writers  

Union Reading 

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books  

2454 Telegraph Ave. (at Haste)  

Geoffrey Cook, Jack Forbes, Reuben Halpern and Alice Rogoff to read. Free 


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 

 

Great Mt. Diablo Day Hikes 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Ken Lavin, former president of Mt. Diablo Interpretative Association, for a slide-show of his favorite day hikes in Mt. Diablo State Park.  

Call 527-7377  

 

Jam Session  

7 p.m. 

Maurice’s Cafe 

6038 Telegraph 

Oakland 

Poetry with jazz featuring Jimmy Sands. Call 653-6775 

Exploring Surfaces  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Transverse the world’s ecological regions, describing what you know and what you’ve heard. 

$10  

 

Finding and Assessing Fixer-Uppers 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

A seminar conducted by contractor/fixer-upper owner Michael Hamman.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

 

Take the Terror Out of Talking 

12:10 - 1:10 p.m. 

California Dept. of Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way  

Session one of six: Selecting your topic.  

649-7750 


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 

 

Introducing: Julia Morgan  

School for Girls 

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

Julia Morgan School for Girls 

Holy Names College 

Sky Room, Durocher Hall 

3510 Mountain Blvd.  

Oakland 

A select gathering of business and professional women devoted to fostering leadership in the young girls in our community.  

 


Saturday, Feb. 10

 

Spirits in the Time of AIDS Open Mic.  

1 p.m. 

Pro Arts Gallery, 461 Ninth St.  

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  

 

Dreams & Intuition 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

1502 Tenth St.  

Marcia Emery, Ph.D., will discuss how to attune your intuitive dream antenna, intuitively unravel the symbolic message of a dream symbol and apply an intuitive dream interpretation method to the entire dream.  

$85 526-5510 

 

“The West Wing Meets the East Bay” 

7:30 p.m. 

Saint Joseph the Worker Church 

1640 Addison St.  

A conversation with Martin Sheen. Tickets available at Black Oak Books, Cody’s Books, St. Joseph the Worker Church, and at the door. $20 donation. 525-3787  

 

Annuals for the Dry Garden 

10 a.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive  

Annie Hayes of Annie’s annuals will suggest some annuals to plant in gardens that are water-deprived during the summer months.  

$15 643-1924 


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 - $42 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu  

 

Storyteller Yolanda Rhodes  

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley  

Rhodes performs music-filled stories of African and African-American history and folklore. Part of series of events throughout February to honor Black History Month. Included in admission.  

$5 - $7 642-5132 

 

 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

 

 

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 

 

“From Swastika to Jim Crow” 

2 - 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Due to the depression and anti-Semitism in the ‘30s, many Jewish “refugee scholars” found they had difficulty finding jobs and were embraced by black universities. Both students and teachers, in the pre-Civil Rights era, found they shared a common experience of living under oppression and a passion for education. Guest speaker Jim McWilliams.  

$2 suggested donation  

Call 848-0237 x127 

 

Why Do a Long Retreat? 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Retreatants from Holland, Brazil, Germany, and other places share how they made the time to participate in two and four month retreats.  

Call 843-6812 

 

African-American “Death of a Salesman” 

Audtions 

1 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

There are roles for eight men and five women, aged 30 - 60. Auditioners are asked to present a monologue no longer that three minutes. Roles are non-paying. 

 

Rhythm & Muse Open Mike  

2 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Museum  

2621 Durant (at Bowditch)  

Featuring poet/photographer Valentine Pierce.  

Call 527-9753 

 


Monday, Feb. 12

 

African-American “Death of a Salesman” 

Audtions 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

There are roles for eight men and five women, aged 30 - 60. z are asked to present a monologue no longer that three minutes. Roles are non-paying. 

 

Read Those Plans 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Architect Andus Brandt will instruct how to read architectural plans.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

 


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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 


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 

 

Faye Carol Sings Lady Day 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St.  

A tribute to Billie Holiday including Lady Day’s most popular songs, including “Strange Fruit,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “God Bless the Child” and “You Let Me Down.” Benefit for KPFA Radio and La Pena Cultural Center.  

$15 

Call 848-6767 x609 or visit www.kpfa.org 

 

Planning Commission Public Hearing  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The commission is holding public hearings on the Planning Commission Draft General Plan. The commission requests that all written comments on the plan be submitted by March 1.  

 


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 

 

Natural Conversations 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Focus on conversations in nature and explore what they are meant to convey.  

$10  

 

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 

 

Climbing Mt. Shasta 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Tim Keating of Sierra Wilderness Seminars will give a slide presentation on climbing and skiing this North California peak.  

Call 527-7377  

 

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 

 

“Religion, Power & the New Economy”  

1:30 - 3 p.m. 

Chapel of the Great Commission  

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave.  

A panel discussion featuring distinguished GTU alumni/ae, in celebration of Dr. James A. Donahue’s inauguration as President of the GTU.  

Call 649-2400 

 

West CAT Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church  

997 University Ave.  

Review the racial and health disparities issues and see the model of the community capacity building.  

 


Perspective

Staff
Wednesday February 07, 2001

Oxford St. development must consider the creek 

 

(Congregaton Beth El wants to develop the land at 1301 Oxford St. The project will be discussed at the Zoning Adjustments Board meeting on Thursday, 7 p.m., 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.) 

 

By Horst and Eva Bansner 

 

Is a Creek Not a Creek… if Congregation Beth El prefers a surface parking lot and a bus transfer station? 

Berkeley has adopted policy recognizing the values of natural creeks in the Municipal Code: “Streams and their riparian environment should be held as an important public asset in an increasingly endangered environment that provides an unusual urban ecological habitat with recreational and aesthetic value...it is in the interest of the city to encourage the removal of culverts and channels, prevent channel ripping, and to restore natural watercourses whenever safely possible... Restoration means the unearthing of a culverted stream or natural watercourse and the design of a new open channel to re-create the original stream channel and environment.” 

This policy must apply to Codornices Creek if anywhere. Berkeley has only one creek close to being open from the Bay through hills with steel-head trout already returning to its lower reaches: Codornices Creek.  

There is only natural feature visible from the Bay on the earliest photos of North Berkeley: a line of riparian trees along Codornices Creek that formed the backdrop for the white house landmark.  

Berkeley also has a public precedent on this same site. In 1992 a Chinese Christian Church sought a permit to add classrooms. Approval was predicated on leaving the creek corridor as open space, keeping the driveway and parking away from the unstable creek banks and respecting the historic development footprint of “The Farm” (Napoleon Bonaparte Byrne) landmark. Local architect Bill Coburn designed a school element for the Chinese Christian Church of the East Bay that respected those public interests. 

Yet now there is a Beth El development proposal that would envelop “The Farm” site with 35,000 square feet of building, a parking lot over the creek corridor and a drive tearing through the live oak woodland being brazened through normal review processes, dynamiting the Landmarks Preservation Commission along the way.  

On Jan. 25 staff Vivian Kahn told Zoning Adjustments Board members that – as staff did not record the findings and considerations of the Board in granting the 1992 permit on the same site – precedent was irrelevant. The current owners have more friends and everything Berkeley planners and engineers knew about the public interest in restoring creeks is forgotten.  

The part of Codornices Creek threatened is the most beautiful of all, selected by Napoleon Bonaparte Byrne for “The Farm” in 1856. A plan for a street beside the creek corridor was turned back by community sensitivities; Berryman path was built instead.  

Even after a second arson destroyed the farmhouse, the Landmarks Commission reaffirmed the landmark designation of the site. Care of the creek corridor was undertaken by community gardeners, as long as they were allowed on the site. The plan submitted is blind to the neighborhood context of the (R1-H) district that has consciously preserved natural features in its development pattern.  

This plan shows a building above the height limit flowing from street to street with one continuous eaveline. The blockbuster mocks the creek corridor now there that is to be truncated to make way for surface parking.  

The Design Review Committee had the temerity to recommend that the mass be broken up on January 31; staff responded, “we’re only looking for conditions of approval.” The oak woodland that borders Berryman Path and connects to Live Oak Park is to be sliced, smaller plants bulldozed and larger trees killed more slowly with soil compaction; four “protected” old live oaks are to be moved and other are to provide a canopy for the drive and parking until root compaction kills them.  

The Environmental Impact Reports suggests that City staff will figure out how to preserve these trees after project approval. Six-foot and higher sound walls along Spruce Street and Berryman Path shutting out views of a creek corridor are indicated on the plans or EIR, with a gated private roadway and parking lot replacing the community gardens.  

Over 2,400 people who have signed petitions to protect the creek corridor can visualize the impact. How can redesign be unthinkable?  

Codornices Creek is the most open creek in Berkeley, passing through Codornices and Live Oak Parks, along St Mary’s High School, through backyards of several neighborhoods and by the new Harrison fields on the Berkeley-Albany border. When development proposals come in along such a creek, creek restoration needs to be included in the plans as at Eighth Street and at Albany Village. We will not have saved the Bay until we systematically restore natural waterways feeding it.  

A creek is a creek, regardless of this year’s “ownership.” State bond funding for creek restoration announces the public interest and the financial feasibility clearly. There are obviously alternatives that would respect the creek. To limit pollution going into the creek, the Regional Water Quality Control Board said the driveway and parking should be as far away from the creek as possible.  

A drive along the south side of the lot, furthest from the Creek, would allow access to more sufficient and less obtrusive parking under the building. It would provide access to Spruce Street at an intersection where other traffic obliquely entering Spruce can at least be seen.  

It would interfere least with the bus stop and pedestrian access. It would avoid spewing traffic noise in the creek corridor, protected from a roadway all these years. Staff response to the Design Review Committee questions on soundwalls Wednesday January 31: We’ll build it; then we’ll test it; then we’ll do something if we have to.”  

Still there are no story poles to indicate the height and sprawl of the building and still no stakes for the drive and parking lot so that decision makers would have some idea of what they are being asked to approve. How could Berkeley countenance a plan to pave an irreplaceable creek corridor so that kids can be assembled in buses and driven off to nature somewhere else? This is good education?  

 

Horst & Eva Bansner are members of the Live Oak Codornices Creek Neighborhood Association


Taste testers

Judith Scherr/Daily Planet
Wednesday February 07, 2001

With the sounds of Latin jazz pulsating from amplifiers set up near by, Berkeley High School students forked over $4 and were treated to extraordinary noontime fare – tacos from Chez Panisse, Burritos from Cancuns’, chow mien from the Long Life Veggie House and pizza from the Cheese Board. It was a  

promotional day for the long-awaited “food court.” Principal Frank Lynch said the school would need to add vendors to serve more than a few hundred of the 3,200 teens on campus, but that it was a start. 

Pictured serving is volunteer Ying Lee, a former Berkeley city councilmember and former aide to  

Reps. Ron Dellums and Barbara Lee.


City attorney’s office cites commissioners’ conflicts

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday February 07, 2001

It’s a stretch, a long one perhaps, to compare the banning of a number of commissioners from their volunteer duties on quasi-official bodies to the witch hunts of the 1950s.  

Still, a number of city commissioners say they have been unfairly singled out by the City Attorney’s Office, which has asked them either to step down completely or to recuse themselves from participation in commissions. 

George Wozniak, whose day job’s at the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, has been the most recent commissioner placed under the city’s legal microscope. In January, he was told he had a conflict and had to leave the Community Environmental Advisory Commission. 

“On the basis of Dr. Wozniak’s management and scientific duties at LBNL, and the broad range of disputes between CEAC and LBNL, we concluded that the position of Senior Scientist and Deputy Division Head were incompatible with membership on the CEAC,” Acting City Attorney Zach Cowan wrote in a February memo, explaining a January decision. Cowan is taking the place of City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque for a few weeks while she is on vacation. 

Wozniak contends the ruling is wrong. “There’s a process you have to go through to remove a commissioner. You have to hear both sides of the story,” he said, further arguing, “They’re basically saying I’m a second-class citizen.” 

Wozniak has been talking to an outside attorney who has encouraged him not to step down from the commission. City Councilmember Polly Armstrong, who appointed Wozniak to the body, went with him to speak to the city attorney and says she stands behind his decision not to leave his post. “We shouldn’t exclude a whole group of people,” she said, referring to the exclusion of lab workers from the CEAC. “(Wozniak) is a brilliant man. I’m going to leave him on the committee as my appointee,” she said. 

But Cowan says his office is on solid ground. Quoting from state law, he wrote, “a local agency officer or employee shall not engage in any employment, activity or enterprise for compensation which is inconsistent, incompatible, in conflict with or inimical to his or her duties as a local agency officer or employee or with the duties, functions, or responsibilities or his or her appointing power or the agency by which he or she is employed...” 

Wozniak, who’s lived in Berkeley for 34 years and worked at the labs for 30 years, has been on the commission for two years. “Why now?” he asked. “Why didn’t I have a conflict two years ago?” 

Cowan said his office is not culling through the resumes of the hundreds of commissioners to find which ones have a conflict of interest. “We were asked (to look at Wozniak),” he said. “We don’t monitor every commissioner.” 

Wozniak said he’d have no problem recusing himself from votes concerning the lab. That’s what Councilmember Linda Maio, who also works at LBNL, has done at the council level. But Cowan said the law he is citing doesn’t allow for recusal.  

And it “doesn’t apply to elected officials,” he said. 

The other commissioner asked to leave the CEAC was Green Party member John Selawsky. He was told his election to the Berkeley School Board placed him in conflict with his duties as a commissioner. 

There is currently tension between the CEAC and the Berkeley Unified School District. The commission had asked the schools to allow the city’s toxics department to investigate BUSD’s use of pesticide, but the schools have not cooperated in the investigation, the city attorney’s report said.  

“There is a manifest conflict of loyalties in this situation,” says a report to Selawsky from City Attorney Albuquerque. “While it may be that over time this dispute will be resolved, the existence of this dispute indicates that it will not be possible ‘in every instance’ to discharge the duties of each. Accordingly, we conclude that the offices of CEAC commissioner and member of the BUSD governing board are incompatible.”  

Then there’s Carol Thornton, who heads up the Parks and Recreation Commission. She was told by the city attorney, following an address to the Zoning Adjustments Board on the subject of a development proposal, that she had a conflict of interest and needed to recuse herself when the project comes before her commission. 

She spoke before the ZAB as a member of the board of the Urban Creeks Council and called for the daylighting of a creek that traverses the property at 1301 Oxford St., where Temple Beth El wants to build a new synagogue and school. The problem, as the city attorney’s office explained it, is that she had taken a position on the project as a member of the Creeks Council and therefore ought not take a position as part of a commission. 

“...she should not participate as a commissioner since she has been an advocate on behalf of a non-profit on the project,” said an e-mail from the city attorney, forwarded to the Daily Planet.  

Similarly, on Oct. 30 the city’s legal team ruled that those commissioners who were board members or staff of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association could not participate on the commission while it was addressing questions pertaining to the Beth El Project. The president of BAHA had written a letter to the commission on behalf of the board, arguing that the Beth El Environmental Impact Report was inadequate. The four commissioners have refused to recuse themselves and are considering legal action against the city. 


Chronicle asks court to unseal Reddy papers

By Michael Coffino Daily Planet Correspondent
Wednesday February 07, 2001

Adding an alleged violation of press freedoms to an already complex criminal prosecution, lawyers for the San Francisco Chronicle have asked a federal judge presiding over the case against Berkeley real estate tycoon Lakireddy Bali Reddy to unseal dozens of documents in the case on First Amendment grounds.  

A hearing on the request is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6 in Oakland Federal District Court. 

“A host of documents have been sealed in violation of the press’ and public’s constitutional and common law rights of access to pretrial hearings and documents,” Chronicle attorney Roger Myers told the court in papers filed last month. “The sealing of the records is unconstitutional,” he argued. 

Reddy, Berkeley’s largest residential landlord, was charged last year with smuggling Indian immigrants into the United States for cheap labor and sex, including sex with minors. Reddy’s two sons, 31-year-old Vijay Kumar Lakireddy and 42-year-old Prasad Lakireddy, as well as his brother, 47-year-old Jayprakash Lakireddy, and his sister-in-law, Annapurna Lakireddy, 46, have also been charged in a conspiracy which prosecutors say dates back to 1986.  

Paul Wolf, the lawyer for Reddy’s older son, said Tuesday that the 63-year-old Reddy had a third son who died a decade ago in an automobile accident while he was a medical student. 

The Hearst Corporation, which now owns the Chronicle, first became involved in the case last October when it faxed an urgent request to judge Saundra Brown Armstong seeking access to a closed court session at which Reddy and his relatives were expected to plead guilty to a host of federal crimes. After the court granted the request, opening the 

hearing to members of the news media, the defendants declined to enter guilty pleas in open court. 

Now the paper has intervened as a party in the case. Chronicle attorney Myers contends that “virtually the entire file” in the case against one defendant is unavailable for viewing by the public, while a total of 27 documents in the case against Reddy are closed to public 

scrutiny. 

“Each passing day may constitute a separate and cognizable infringement of the First Amendment,” Myers argued. He asked the court for an order “immediately unsealing all records sealed in these cases.” 

Since the aborted entry of guilty pleas last October, meanwhile, Reddy’s older son Prasad Lakireddy has changed his mind and informed the court he will not plead guilty.  

That decision could scuttle a tentative plea agreement the other defendants reached late last year with the government, according to papers filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Kennedy. He called the joint agreement a “package deal,” that would be withdrawn if even one of the five defendants declined to plead guilty.  

“The government and defendants are still discussing this matter and hope to find a solution to the present impasse,” Kennedy told the court in December. But he said the government will proceed to trial against all five defendants if no new agreement is reached. 

Paul Wolf, the lawyer for Prasad Lakireddy, declined to comment Tuesday on his client’s decision not to plead guilty.  

The plea agreement with the remaining defendants, though, would not likely be in jeopardy now had Hearst lawyers not filed their emergency request last year seeking access to the courtroom where Reddy and his relatives were preparing to enter guilty pleas on October 30.  

After Judge Armstrong granted Hearst’s request to receive the pleas in open court, lawyers for the defendants decided not to finalize the plea deal. They argued that intense media scrutiny could prejudice a jury in the event the court refused to accept the plea agreement. 

Chronicle attorney Roger Myers did not return a phone call Tuesday seeking comment. Reddy’s lawyer Ted Cassman did not return a request for comment by press time.  

 

 


Questions surround lobotomized cop shooter

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals panel questioned Tuesday whether a man who had a piece of his brain the size of an apple removed years before murdering a police officer should remain on California’s death row. 

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a judge to review whether condemned inmate James Richard Odle was competent to stand trial in Contra Costa County for the 1980 shooting death of Pinole officer Floyd Swartz and county resident Rena Aguilar. 

The panel is not questioning Odle’s sanity, but whether he understood the court proceedings and whether he was able to adequately assist his lawyers at trial. If he is found incompetent, California law demands he be confined permanently to a mental institution. 

“Where a petitioner has suffered massive trauma to his brain and subsequently exhibits psychotic behavior ... an inquiry into whether he possesses the mental acuity to participate in the proceedings is the reasonable and appropriate course of action,” Judge Alex Kozinski wrote. He added that, because there was no such hearing before Odle’s 1983 conviction, Odle was denied a fair trial. 

The appeals court, in overturning the California Supreme Court and a federal judge, noted that if a state court is unable to conduct a so-called competency hearing retroactively, the conviction may be nullified. 

Odle’s mental troubles started in 1973 when he suffered a blow to the head in a vehicle accident. A surgeon removed an apple-sized piece of his brain and left only a flap of skin covering the opening of his skull. It was later covered with a plastic plate after Odle complained his brain was pulsating beneath his skin. 

“You would think that having a lobotomy would trigger a reasonable suspicion that he might not be competent to stand trial,” said capital defender Frederick Baker of San Francisco. 

Family members and employers testified at trial that Odle, who was committed to mental institutions three times and attempted suicide, changed like “night and day” after the car accident. They said he became confused, talked slowly like a child and acted wildly. 

One relative testified that he often would get “a hot look in him like a junkyard dog.” Mental health experts testified that Odle, who acted violently under mental health care, may never have recovered from the auto accident. 

Dane Gillette, the state’s death penalty coordinator, did not return messages for comment. 

The case is Odle vs. Woodford, 99-99029. 


CNET planning layoffs

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — CNET Networks, Inc. announced Tuesday it will cut its global work force by ten percent. 

The technology news and consumer information company said it will eliminate certain businesses duplicated when it acquired ZDNet in October, 2000. 

It will eliminate redundant jobs in some of those divisions, and among support staff in departments such as financial services, human resources and marketing. 

About 190 positions will be affected. Half were laid Tuesday; the remaining cuts will occur in the next few weeks. 

The announcement came as CNET released revised revenue estimates for 2001, and a day after it announced it would return some of the Internet and print properties it acquired from Ziff Davis Media Inc. last year. 

“These are the unfortunate things you have to do as part of business,” said Shelby Bonnie, chairman and CEO. 

“Given the current economic environment, we think it’s the prudent thing to do.” 

Bonnie said the layoffs were necessary because of lagging ad revenues and an uncertain market environment.  

He said the slowdown in the technology sector had hit CNET’s clients hard.


AIDS quilt moving to Atlanta from SF

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — In 1987, the first stitches of the AIDS Memorial Quilt were sewn in the Castro District to remember a best friend. Since then, 44,000 panels have been added to the San Francisco fixture that soon will be leaving for Atlanta. 

That has some contributors feeling bitter and heartbroken. 

“This is home. This is where it started,” Felicia Elizondo, a transgender woman who has made 55 quilt panels since 1988, said Tuesday. “It just really upsets me that I’ve done all this work for my friends to be remembered here in San Francisco, and they’re taking it away.” 

The move has been in the works since 1997. The Names Project Foundation, keeper of the quilt, voted to move its national office to Washington, D.C., where it can lobby and work more closely with other HIV/AIDS organizations. 

Atlanta was chosen as the new home for the quilt because it was more cost-effective than Washington.  

In addition, it will be located in a facility that is light and climate controlled, something it does not have in San Francisco, said Edward Gatta Jr., board president of the foundation. 

“I am fully prepared that a lot of people will not be happy with this move. San Francisco feels like it’s losing something,” Gatta said.  

“A lot of people who make a panel think they send it to San Francisco and it goes there and that’s where it stays. Very seldom are they on the shelves, and if they are on the shelves then we’re not doing our jobs.” 

Mike Shriver, special adviser to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown on HIV and AIDS, said no one has contacted him about keeping the quilt in the city. 

“The option is still available for it to stay in the city,” Shriver said. “There’s an open invitation from my office and the mayor.” 

Shriver said the quilt is a testament to San Francisco’s decision to take on the deadly virus.  

It embodies “the psyche of the one place in the world that continues to do more for AIDS than any other place on the globe,” he said. 

Gatta said he would contact Shriver about creating an area where sections of the quilt can be stored and worked on for tourists and members of the community. 

Elizondo says she has threatened to steal her quilts back if they try to take them to the East Coast.  

At the very least, she said, they should allow her panels to stay at the Bay Area chapter of the AIDS Memorial Quilt that she helped co-found. 

“I don’t know if they have any legal right to take it out of here or if I have any legal right to keep it here,” said Elizondo, who tested HIV-positive in 1987. “What did I give up when I handed them those quilts?” 

Despite a feeling of loss, the Bay Area chapter of the Names Foundation understands why the move is necessary. 

“The chapter isn’t going anywhere and the move of the quilt is not going to change the visibility of the quilt in the Bay Area at all,” said Michael Higgins, executive assistant to the board.  

“San Francisco is where it started, and they would like to see it stay here and it would be nice in the perfect world, but San Francisco is very expensive. It’s not a nonprofit-friendly city these days.” 

The 50 chapters request segments of the quilt to display at various events throughout the year.  

For Higgins, the only thing the move changes is how the panels are received – they will now be shipped instead of simply picked up. 

And AIDS activists in Atlanta promise to take good care of the quilt that has come to symbolize education, remembrance, healing and awareness. 

“Obviously, we’re delighted. This is a great opportunity for our city to protect something that’s been a big part of our culture,” said Tony Braswell, executive director of AID Atlanta, a prevention and outreach program.  

“This really isn’t about one city, it’s about our country and our community. It doesn’t matter where the quilt is. It’s about the quilt and what it stands for.” 

The first panel was sewn in a backyard by Cleve Jones, who supports the move. It was a stitch to remember his best friend, Marvin Feldman.  

All 50 states and 35 countries have contributed to the quilt that contains more than 83,000 names and everything from champagne glasses and wedding rings to cremation ashes and love letters. 

And it’s those unique materials that make the quilt so special to people such as Elizondo. 

“The quilts mean they’re still remembered. They mean somebody gave a damn about them to remember them,” she said. “It’s comforting that I knew they would always be here in San Francisco. Never in my wildest dream did I think they were going to move.” 


Donations for school measures top $116 million

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Silicon Valley millionaires, school teachers and anti-tax groups topped contributors who pumped more than $116 million into campaign battles over three school-related initiatives last year, according to spending reports. 

Most of that money – $62.8 million – was given to pass or defeat Proposition 38, the school voucher initiative that was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in November. 

Another $53.2 million was spent on campaigns for and against two attempts to convince voters to pass a measure making it easier to issue local bonds for school construction. 

In March, Proposition 26, to reduce the vote needed for such bonds from two-thirds to a simple majority, narrowly lost. Then in November, the same backers were successful with Proposition 39, which reduced the vote requirement to 55 percent. 

The anti-tax group that was greatly overspent opposing both local bond initiatives is now working on a new proposal for the 2002 ballot that would return the two-thirds vote requirement. 

Final campaign financial reports were filed last week with the secretary of state’s office. Proposition 38, written and largely self-financed by Redwood City venture capitalist Tim Draper, would have given parents $5,000 annual vouchers to send their children to private schools. 

His campaign committee, called Prop38yes.com School Vouchers 2000, reported raising a total of $30,807,567. Almost all the money, $24 million, came from Draper. 

The committee reported debts of $5.2 million, almost all of that for loans Draper made to the campaign. 

Other large contributors were his father, William Draper, with $2 million, and Jerry Perenchio of Los Angeles, head of Univision, the Spanish-language television network, with $1 million. 

The coalition of school, business and labor groups opposed to Proposition 38 listed a total of $31,944,707 in contributions and $87,824 in debts. 

The largest contributor was the California Teachers Association, the state’s biggest teachers’ union, which gave $26.4 million. Other large givers were the California School Employees Association with $1.8 million, the California Federation of Teachers with $1.3 million and the Association of California School Administrators with $588,711. 

Most of the same school and business groups that opposed Proposition 38 also backed the two local school bond initiatives. However, the CTA, which was one of the largest contributor to the March measure, shifted its attention to vouchers in November, leaving the fund raising almost entirely to Silicon Valley millionaires. 

The March initiative, Proposition 26, listed a total of $15,992,962 in donations and had $1.3 million in debts, all of those loans. The fund-raising total for the November measure, Proposition 39, was $31,547,740 with $9.5 million in debts, almost all of that loans. 

The biggest combined contributors for the two measures were CTA with $2.4 million; Palo Alto venture capitalist John Doerr and his wife Ann with $17.7 million in stock and loans; Reed Hastings, head of Netflix.com and president of the state Board of Education with $7.6 million in stock and loans; and Wal-Mart heir John Walton of Bentonville, Ark., with $3 million. 

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association opposed both Propositions 26 and 39 and raised $5,874,754 in the total effort during 2000 with debts of $862,533, more than half of that in loans. 

The association typically raises money through direct mailings, taking in hundreds of small contributions of a few hundred dollars or less. The association itself lent $570,000 and contributed $190,583 to the effort. 

The association has filed a proposed initiative to raise the approval rate for local school bonds back to two-thirds with the attorney general, the first step toward putting it on the 2002 ballot. 

———— 

On the Web: Read the reports at www.ss.ca.gov. 


Record number of DNA matches with suspects

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SACRAMENTO — A record number of rape suspects were identified in one day last week when genetic crime evidence matched convicted felons’ DNA in a state database, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Tuesday. 

The five matches came up as crime lab managers entered 21,000 genetic profiles from people in jail for one of nine violent offenses, including rape and murder, Lockyer said. 

Tuesday’s announcement means that a total of six DNA matches have been made this year in cases where police had no suspects. 

One of the men identified by the DNA match is now wanted on suspicion of raping of a Southern California woman. He is in a Texas jail awaiting trial for similar crimes, Lockyer said. 

DNA matches linked two other men to rapes in Southern California; a fourth man to a rape in the San Francisco Bay area; and a fifth to the rape and murder of a Sacramento-area woman about 20 years ago, Lockyer said. 

Their previously collected DNA profiles were matched by computer to crime scenes where DNA had been found. 

The attorney general said he wants the Legislature to approve a bill that would allow DNA collection from all felons. 

Currently the law only allows authorities to collect DNA from people convicted of rape, murder, attempted murder, voluntary manslaughter, domestic violence, kidnapping, child molestation, mayhem and torture. 

“We are only solving one out of three rapes based on DNA evidence that could be solved if we had all the felons, like in Virginia, submit samples,” Lockyer said. 

Thirty-two states have tougher DNA collection laws than California: Seven states collect DNA from all felons and 25 states add burglars to California’s list of crimes. Another 15 states are considering legislation to include all felons in DNA collection, Lockyer said. 

A backlog of prisoners’ DNA profiles is expected to be entered into the state’s database this summer, bringing the number of offenders to 200,000. 

That could jump significantly if expanded to all felons. More than 150,000 felony convictions are handed down each year in California. 

“There is no question that we are going to see many-fold increases in cold hits across the country. I think most states are dramatically increasing the size of their databases,” said Susan Gaertner, a Minnesota prosecutor who cochairs the DNA subcommittee of the National District Attorneys Association. 

Yet the increase in DNA matches has some wondering about the future of DNA identifications. Sacramento attorney Johnny Griffin III says he suspects that many people in the state’s database should have never been included. 

Griffin represents Paul Eugene Robinson, who was arrested in September on a John Doe warrant, which identifies Robinson only by his genetic code. 

Robinson’s DNA profile should have never been entered into the state database because he didn’t fall into one of the state’s nine categories, Griffin said. 

“My question is how many people are in that database when they shouldn’t be? The statute provides that if a sample is in the database ... by mistake, the results are not invalidated,” Griffin said. 

In other words, suspected drunken drivers who submitted to urine tests could be in the database, he said. 

Lockyer said concerns over privacy are forfeited when prisoners commit crimes. He compared the DNA profiles to a fingerprint, collected on all people convicted of crimes. 

The state’s first DNA match was in April 1994 when James King was linked to the murder and rape of 76-year-old Contra Costa County woman. King is serving a life sentence without parole for that conviction. 

Last year, the state matched 17 suspects to cases. In 1999 there were four matches. 


Judge drops hate-crime charge in beating case

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SAN DIEGO — A Superior Court judge has dismissed hate-crime charges against four San Diego County men who were accused of beating an Orange County man because they thought he was Mexican. 

Judge Laura Palmer Hammes said there was insufficient evidence to prove the Dec. 30 beating near the U.S.-Mexico border was racially motivated. 

However, Hammes said Monday it was one of the worst beating cases she had come across and said the suspects should have faced charges of attempted murder. 

She ordered the four to stand trial on mayhem, attempted robbery and other charges. 

Prosecutor Hector Jimenez had contended that brothers Ben and Jeremiah Pospisil, Jason Phillips and Kristopher Gill attacked Steven Pappas because they thought he was Mexican. 

During a two-day preliminary hearing, a witness said several epithets were used during the attack and Gill at one point said “white power.” 

Gill’s attorney, Lisa Bowman, said the attack was not a hate-crime but a drunken brawl. 

Hammes noted that Pappas, who is of Italian and Mexican heritage, looks white and that a friend who was with him and is a minority was not the focus of the attack. 

Pappas suffered a broken jaw and significant eye injuries in the attack. He also lost much of his nose, destroying his sense of smell.


Jurors told father’s neglect led to death of child with AIDS

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SAN BERNARDINO — The father of a 7-year-old girl with AIDS starved and neglected the child before leaving her to die alone on his living room floor, a prosecutor claimed. A defense attorney contended the girl refused to eat. 

Anthony Richardson, 37, did not feed his daughter, Brianna, and failed to obtain medical care for her, Deputy District Attorney Anne Marie Duncan told jurors during opening statements Monday in Richardson’s murder trial. 

Richardson has pleaded innocent to charges of murder, with a special allegation of torture, and felony child abuse. Brianna weighed only 33 pounds when she was found dead on June 11, 1999, at the family’s home in the desert community of Running Springs. 

If convicted, Richardson could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. 

An autopsy determined the girl died of severe malnutrition complicated by a blood infection. 

Defense attorney Mark Cantrell said Richardson tried to feed his daughter but she wouldn’t eat. The child suffered from depression and had stopped talking and eating several weeks before her death, Richardson reportedly told deputies. 

Brianna contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, at birth from her mother, who has since died. She was left in her father’s care along with two older sisters and an older brother. 

Deputies discovered the child while investigating her absence from school. Paramedics found her lying on the floor in urine and feces. Oozing sores covered her mouth. 

Investigators also found beer bottles and trash on the floor. 

“A sink was mounted on the kitchen floor on top of a plastic bucket that was being used as a drain,” Deputy Raoul Loera testified. 


UC Irvine builds global warming lab

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

IRVINE — A $2 million grant will build the first facility nationwide dedicated to carbon research on global warming, the University of California, Irvine announced. 

The W.M. Keck Foundation of Los Angeles gave UCI’s School of Physical Sciences the grant. It is exceeded at the school only by a $6-million donation received in July to build a state-of-the-art research facility. The mass accelerator spectrometry facility will allow researchers to study environmental processes that determine atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Excessive carbon dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. The accelerator will allow researchers to run a larger number of samples at lower cost, which will dramatically hasten critical research. 

The school’s Department of Earth System Science will establish a regional research center to be used by scientists from UCI, California Institute of Technology, California State University, Fullerton, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and elsewhere. 

UCI researchers Ellen Druffel and Susan Trumbore, along with John Southon of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will oversee the facility, set to be operational by early 2002.


Judge issues order to keep power flowing

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SACRAMENTO — A judge Tuesday evening ordered a major electricity supplier to keep selling to California despite the expiration of a Bush administration order requiring it to do so. 

Just hours before the directive’s midnight deadline, U.S. District Judge Frank Damrell issued a temporary restraining order requiring Reliant Energy Services Inc. to continue selling power to the state. The order will remain in effect pending a hearing Wednesday afternoon. 

The judge’s action, issued to avoid “obvious, irreparable harm to the public,” came after the keeper of the state’s power grid sought restraining orders to force three major electricity suppliers to continue selling to California. 

The other two, AES Pacific Inc. and Dynegy Power Corp., agreed to continue providing power at least until the Wednesday hearing and were not included in the court’s order. 

At issue was enough electricity for roughly 4 million homes. 

“There are about 4,000 megawatts at stake here,” said Stephanie McCorkle, spokeswoman for the Independent System Operator. “We have not gotten confirmation of their intentions come midnight, when the order expires. The outcome of this is going to give us a good indication of the risk of rolling blackouts tomorrow.” 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s orders requiring power generators and natural gas producers to sell surplus supplies to California were due to expire at 12 a.m. PST. The orders, first issued in mid-December by the Clinton administration and extended by new Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, will not be renewed, the Bush administration said. 

That left the managers of California’s stressed grid – in the fourth straight week under a Stage 3 power alert – wondering whether enough electricity would be available to avoid rolling blackouts. The ISO ordered scattered outages twice last month. 

Adding to the scramble, the ISO predicted that on Wednesday it would only get about half the 8,000 megawatts it typically draws from the Pacific Northwest during California’s morning and evening peak periods. 

High demand and a short supply of water for hydroelectric power were blamed. One megawatt is enough power for about 1,000 homes. 

Gov. Gray Davis called the ISO’s request for temporary restraining orders “a tempest in a teapot.” 

“I think they are just using this imminent deadline as a way of getting our attention but believe me, we are working on those problems and we will get them resolved,” Davis told CNN. 

Reliant filed a lawsuit against the ISO last week in federal court in Washington, D.C., after receiving a letter the ISO sent to 140 generators asking them to confirm that they will continue to sell power to the state despite the expiration of the federal order. 

Reliant’s lawsuit contends the Houston-based company shouldn’t have to bear the cost of California’s energy crisis. 

“Incredibly, the ISO’s basis for demanding that Plaintiffs provide power ... is the fact that the utilities ultimately receiving the power will not be able to pay for it,” the lawsuit says. 

Reliant spokesmen did not immediately respond to messages left Thursday afternoon at their offices in Houston and Washington by The Associated Press seeking comment. 

The ISO says Reliant and other suppliers signed agreements promising to send power to California in an emergency or the threat of one, such as Tuesday’s Stage 3 alert, with power reserves threatening to fall to 1.5 percent. 

Davis told CNN he was confident the state’s new role as a major power buyer would keep the lights on. 

The state has been spending $40 million to $50 million a day to keep the lights on despite the credit problems of the state’s two largest utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern  

California Edison. 

PG&E and Edison together serve nearly 9 million residential and business customers. 

Davis said Tuesday that the state Department of Water Resources reached agreements on the first long-term electricity contracts, expected to provide power to PG&E and Edison customers more cheaply than the day-to-day purchases on the spot market the state has been making since mid-January. 

The initial contracts total about 5,000 megawatts – enough power for about 5 million homes – and range from three years to a decade, DWR power adviser David Freeman said. 

He did not disclose the purchase price or the suppliers. Legislation signed by the governor last week lets the state spend an estimated $10 billion, raised through revenue bonds, on the power purchases. 

Wall Street was watching the action closely. 

Standard & Poor’s, a major credit rating agency, issued a statement chastising Davis, the Legislature and the PUC for not taking more aggressive steps to assure the utilities are able to pay their bills. 

Power generators are reluctant to deal with the utilities until their debts are paid and suppliers have assurances that they will be paid for future energy deliveries. 

The stocks of both utilities fell Tuesday. PG&E’s shares declined 68 cents, or 5 percent, to close at $12.92 and Edison International’s stock fell 40 cents, or 3 percent, to close at $12.83. 

Meanwhile, PG&E officials were busy Tuesday trying to get commitments from suppliers to keep providing natural gas continuously. 

“We’re trying to get their trust,” utility spokesman John Nelson said. 

 

PG&E currently has a nine-day supply of natural gas in storage so there would be no immediate impact if providers cut off supplies as soon as the executive order expired, he said. 

Nelson said a few suppliers have agreed to contracts guaranteeing they will be paid with money generated when PG&E’s residential gas customers pay their bills. He declined to name those providers. 

The PUC recently approved the payment plan at PG&E’s request. Under its provisions, gas suppliers would be paid within 60 days. 

California’s energy scramble came as lawmakers and the governor continued looking for a way to help PG&E and Edison restore their financial health. 

Senate leader John Burton said California should buy 26,000 miles of transmission lines — nearly two-third of the state’s grid – owned by PG&E and Edison in return for helping the cash-strapped companies out of debt. 

“If they expect to get money from the ratepayer, the ratepayers get something in return. I give you a dollar, I get a hot dog,” said Burton, D-San Francisco. 

California’s electricity crisis is two-pronged. 

First, PG&E and SoCal Edison say they have suffered $12.7 billion in losses from spiraling wholesale electricity costs that they have been unable to pass on to their customers because of rate limits imposed under California’s 1996 deregulation law. 

Second, the state’s grid has been stressed by scant reserves, tight imports, high demand and power plants idled for maintenance or repairs. A speeded-up construction program is under way, but the first plant isn’t expected to begin generating power until mid-summer. 

California has been in a near-continuous Stage 3 emergency for more than three weeks. 

——— 

On the Net: 

California ISO: www.caiso.com 


Senator calls for full deregulation, end of rate freeze

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein thinks California should consider full deregulation of the state’s electricity market, including lifting the current cap on consumer electric rates. 

Gov. Gray Davis has been trying to find a way out of the current energy crisis without sending rates soaring. 

Feinstein, D-Calif., said Monday that while the commitment by Davis and the Legislature to buy $10 billion of electricity buys time, a long-term solution – either toward full deregulation or re-regulation – must be forged by summer. 

Power shortages are expected to become more dire in the summer months, when Californians crank up air conditioners to avoid sweltering heat. 

Rate increases on use above basic levels, Feinstein said, is one way to force conservation. 

“Everybody has done what they can do to try to solve the problems, but everything is being done because tomorrow might be a blackout,” Feinstein told the San Francisco Chronicle. “What this does is buy the state time to really give some thought on where to go and ... that thinking needs to be done.” 

Davis’s spokesman Steve Maviglio said lifting the price cap on electricity is “strictly off the table.” 

Electricity prices have been frozen since California’s deregulation law went into effect in 1996. The state Public Utilities Commission ordered a temporary rate hike last month after two cash-strapped utilities told them they were nearing bankruptcy and that their credit ratings made it nearly impossible to buy power. 

“Deregulation was promised to consumers as a way to lower rates, and the governor believes they shouldn’t have to pay the price for this experiment,” Maviglio said. 

 

Feinstein suggested some of the state’s 30 closed military bases be considered as sites for new power plants. She also called for an energy summit with input from economists and other experts that would examine where the state now stands and how it should proceed. 


Book offers ways to talk about gay parenting

By Sari Friedman Special to the Daily Planet
Wednesday February 07, 2001

The Queer Parent’s Primer, New Harbinger Publications, isn’t so much about navigating the straight world, as it is about navigating queer parenting – with some excellent advice on the legal, spiritual and social implications of becoming a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender primary parent, co-parent, or extended family member.  

There is advice on the best way to “come out” to a child, what to expect right after the child’s birth, and how to respond to that well meaning commentator on the grocery store check out line.  

This is an important book in our time of groundbreaking technological and social change.  

How do you clarify the role of a sperm or egg donor? How do you choose a last name when there are more than two primary parents?  

Just how much respect should be accorded the bond between the birth mother and “your” baby? (A lot.)  

Stephanie A. Brill, renowned Berkeley-based midwife and parenting educator, addresses these issues and more.  

With a foreward by Kate Kendall, Esq., Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Queer Parent’s Primer suggests common sense language, action, and legal solutions to minimize the unique pain, discrimination, and injustice that queer families too often experience.  

Even “small” problems can become formidable. What are the neighbors going to think when the baby shrieks at 2 a.m.? And what will they do when they discover that the whole family slept in the same bed last night?  

In America, in 2001, queer non-biological non-adoptive parents can lose custody of the child they’ve loved, supported, and nurtured since birth with less effort than it takes to close a screen door.  

Brill stresses the importance of parents honoring their non-adoptive, non-biological, partners’ parental roles – despite our legal system which doesn’t generally recognize such connections. Brill offers exercises devoted to increasing cooperation and mutual understanding – along with the advice that every parent evaluate every issue while asking: “What’s in the best interests of my child?”  

Brill describes this as walking a path of love and a path of pride.  

Superb examples demonstrate the value of patience, maturity, and good will in resolving dilemmas.  

How soon should the gay, male, partnered, co-parents of a newborn expect regular overnights with their new baby – when this requires the baby to be away from the lesbian co-parent who is still breast-feeding him or her every hour and a half?  

What happens when the day care plans fall apart? What if people at the child’s school are homophobic? 

How do multiple partners make religious decisions? And what to do when romantic relationships stumble? (Brill recommends new parents wait a year before making permanent relationship decisions.)  

Being a competent parent can be satisfying, grotesquely beautiful, and “normal” for anyone. There’s an urgent need for the wisdom offered in the Queer Parent’s Primer, which can bring dreams to fruition – and joy to many.  

Sari Friedman, whose short fiction and poetry appears in various literary magazines and anthologies, teaches writing at Vista, Laney, and Merritt colleges, and at the College of Alameda.


Investment gains can be a surprise tax issue

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

WASHINGTON — As mutual funds increase in popularity and more employees are compensated with stock options, taxpayers must beware of some pitfalls that can mean a big tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service. 

Mutual funds, for example, sometimes offer to automatically reinvest capital gains and dividends instead of sending the investor a check. But even if the investor never pocketed the cash, this money is treated as income by the IRS and taxed accordingly. 

“You get tagged for the dividends you don’t receive and it’s a gain that you don’t really realize,” said Don Weigandt, vice president for wealth strategy at J.P. Morgan. 

The mutual fund will send a tax form reporting all dividends that were reinvested, which must be reported as income on Schedule B of the 1040 form. The fund’s reinvestments also could have either a capital gain or loss consequence; IRS Publication 564 spells this out and Schedule D must be used to report capital gains and losses. 

Some taxpayers who get into a mutual fund late in the calendar year can also get an unanticipated tax bill, Weigandt said. Since most funds pay out dividends in December, the taxpayer gets a relatively modest share but is taxed on the full value of the capital gain made by the mutual fund that year. 

“If you are buying into a fund, you want to be buying in after that dividend date,” he said. “You should ask, ’Maybe I should wait a while.”’ 

One other mutual fund tip: some investors may qualify for the foreign tax credit if their fund invests in overseas securities. It can be claimed as a deduction or as a credit with IRS Form 1116; a credit is usually worth more because it is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax. 

Stock options, or rights to purchase a certain number of shares at a set price, can also raise some sticky tax questions. In some circumstances, taxes are owed even before the options are cashed in – meaning the taxpayer has to come up with the money from some other source. 

The two main types of stock options are nonqualified options and incentive stock options, or ISOs. The main difference is that the taxpayer must report income when exercising a nonqualified option, but not an ISO, because the nonqualified option is treated essentially as a form of salary by the tax code. 

Although an ISO isn’t subject to regular income tax, it could trigger the 28 percent alternative minimum tax. Otherwise, the main tax issue is capital gains, and the taxpayer can take advantage of the lower 20 percent capital gains rates on profits by holding the stock for at least one year after it is exercised and at least two years after it is received, Weigandt said. 

There are numerous variations in stock option plans that can have an impact on taxes, but Weigandt said people must consider all investment factors in making decisions – not just what might be owed to the IRS. “You’ve got to look at it in a broader context,” he said. 

Look for more tax help all this week on the Berkeley Daily Planet’s Business page.


BRIEFS

Staff
Wednesday February 07, 2001

Cisco Systems misses earning expectations by a penny 

SAN JOSE — Cisco Systems Inc. missed Wall Street’s earnings expectations for the first time in 31/2 years despite a nearly 50 percent gain in quarterly profits. 

The world’s top supplier of equipment for the Internet and other computer networks earned $874 million, or 12 cents per share, in its second quarter ended Jan. 27. In the same three-month period a year ago, Cisco earned $816 million, or 11 cents per share. Excluding one-time factors such as acquisitions expenses and research and development costs, Cisco earned $1.33 billion, or 18 cents a share. Analysts were expecting 19 cents per share.  

Fiber-optics company set to sell Nortel Networks subsidiary 

SAN JOSE — Fiber-optics company JDS Uniphase Corp. will sell a Swiss subsidiary to Nortel Networks Corp., satisfying Justice Department concerns over its $18 billion acquisition of rival SDL Inc. 

The two deals are expected to close next week, pending final approval by shareholders, the companies announced Tuesday. 

“We are very excited to be at the end of this process, so we begin to focus on our new combined organization,” said Jozef Straus, chief executive of JDS Uniphase. 

Nortel will pay $2.5 billion in stock for the Swiss operation and up to $500 million more if Nortel’s purchase falls short of targets at the end of 2003.  

U.S. Postal Service faces losses, stamp rate may rise again 

WASHINGTON — Just a month after higher stamp prices took effect the U.S. Postal Service, facing massive losses, is considering another rate boost that could result in higher prices early next year. 

The post office is reportedly facing losses of up to $2 billion this year despite the price increase that took effect Jan. 7, which included raising a first-class stamp a penny to 34 cents. 

 

 

— The Associated Press 

 

 

 

While approving that increase, the independent Postal Rate Commission rejected or scaled back several other requested price hikes, cutting expected income by some $1 billion. At the same time, mail volume has dropped because of the poor economy, further reducing anticipated income. 

 

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Struggling appliance maker Sunbeam Corp., owner of brands such as Mr. Coffee coffee makers, First Alert smoke alarms and Coleman outdoor gear, on Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize its operations. 

The filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York came as Sunbeam was unable to resolve a $2.6 billion debt load. Its troubles were exacerbated by the cost of lawsuits filed by shareholders, whose stock became virtually worthless after the company restated its profits and losses from 1996 to 1998. 

As part of the restructuring, Sunbeam will lose its nine-year listing on the New York Stock Exchange and turn private, chairman and CEO Jerry W. Levin said Tuesday. 


Market Watch

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

NEW YORK — Wall Street reversed direction Tuesday when investors resumed buying riskier tech stocks and cashed in recent gains from safe-haven blue chips. 

Investors seemed to tune out earnings and economic worries while they shopped for bargain-priced high-tech stocks. 

Tuesday’s trading reflected a recent trend in which investors alternate throughout the day between the relative safety of blue chips and riskier tech stocks. Analysts expect investors will continue to waffle between techs and blue chips, making no big commitments until the economy improves or the Federal Reserve lower rates for a third time this year. 

“This is a little pause in a window in which the market is probably going to be in limbo and not make much progress,” said Ricky Harrington, technical analyst for Wachovia Securities. 

The market on Tuesday anxiously awaited earnings from tech bellwether Cisco Systems, which finished regular trading at $35.94, up $1.38. After the close of trading, Cisco announced earnings that missed estimates by a penny. 

Techs managed to move higher in advance of Cisco’s results, analysts said, because the market in the last two sessions had factored in the possibility that the company would have disappointing news. 

 

 


Campaign will try to halve new HIV infections cases

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

A government campaign intended to “break the back” of the AIDS epidemic will try to cut the number of new infections in half by 2005, largely by identifying Americans who carry HIV but do not know it. 

The effort, announced Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on the idea that most AIDS infections are spread by outwardly healthy people who do not realize they have HIV. 

The agency believes that if these people knew they were infected, they would be more careful to protect others, and they would also take AIDS drugs that would probably make them less likely to transmit the virus. 

The CDC already spends about $600 million a year on AIDS prevention, mostly to try to keep uninfected people from catching the virus. 

“We have been dealing with half of the equation,” said the CDC’s Dr. Robert Janssen. “Now it’s time to look at all of it.” 

Officials said the campaign would cost an additional $300 million annually. The CDC already has $100 million of  

this and hopes to get funding  

for the rest. 

The CDC estimates that 800,000 to 900,000 Americans are now infected with HIV, and 40,000 more catch the virus each year, a figure that has been stable since the early 1990s. The CDC’s goal is to cut the number of new infections to 20,000 annually. 

To do this, the CDC will try to identify many more of the 200,000 to 275,000 people who are infected and do not know it. Currently, about 75,000 new HIV infections are diagnosed annually. The CDC hopes to increase that by 30,000 for the next two or three years. By 2005, it hopes that 95 percent of infected Americans will know their status. 

“People who are infected and don’t know it need to get tested, need to be treated and need to be safe,” Janssen said. “It is critical that people learn they are infected.” 

The agency believes that most people who have HIV do not want to infect others, and they will take precautions if they know they have the virus.  

One CDC survey found that 90 percent of people adopt less risky sexual behavior during the year after they learn of their infections, typically using condoms more and having sex less often. 

As the infection progresses, the amount of virus in people’s bodies increases, making them more likely to transmit HIV.  

Drug combinations available over the past five years have made these virus levels plummet, and experts assume this will make infected people much less likely to pass on the virus. 

Finding infected people as soon as possible is an important goal, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “The critical reason for learning early is to treat them as soon as treatment is appropriate,” he said. 

Details of the campaign, called SAFE – for Serostatus Approach to Fighting the Epidemic – were outlined at the Eighth Annual Retrovirus Conference in Chicago. 

Among the CDC’s plans: 

• Launch a new media campaign, called Know Now, involving radio and bus ads aimed at neighborhoods where HIV is most common. The ads will be tested in Detroit, New Orleans, Houston, Miami and Jackson, Miss. 

• Work with the Food and Drug Administration to get rapid AIDS tests on the market later this year. These tests use saliva or a drop of blood and give results within 15 minutes. They can be used on street corners, in bars or almost anywhere else. 

• Encourage much more widespread AIDS testing. Make AIDS tests a regular part of all emergency room visits in areas where the virus is common. Encourage routine voluntary testing in jails. 

• Work with the 2,000 doctors who provide most AIDS care to encourage their patients to take precautions against spreading the virus. 

Such an effort, said Janssen, “could possibly break the back of the epidemic in the United States.” 

Dr. Helene Gayle, the CDC’s AIDS chief, said a rough estimate of the entire cost of the campaign is $1 billion. 

“Academic researchers and health departments have looked at what it would realistically take, and that’s what it would realistically take,” she said. “It’s a matter of what our society is willing to pay for.”


Reconnecting residents, nature-New magazine strives to bring it all together

By Jennifer Dix Daily Planet Correspondent
Tuesday February 06, 2001

 

 

David Loeb, editor of the new Bay Nature magazine, was recently out hiking with his 12-year-old son. He started naming off the trees as they passed them, to the consternation of his son. 

“He said, ‘Why are you naming the trees?’” Loeb recalls, affecting a frown that perfectly evokes adolescent dismay at the uncoolness of one’s parent. “I said, ‘Well, it makes me feel like I’m home.’”  

Loeb pauses, ruefully. “He knows all the corporate logos . . .” 

To Loeb, 50, the incident captures the paradox of modern life in the Bay Area: a teeming metropolitan center near the heart of the tech industry where 6.5 million people are packed into 7,000 square miles; and at the same time, the site of some of the greatest natural beauty in America, including the largest estuary on the West Coast and more than half a million acres of county parks. 

“We live in a unique area,” Loeb said. “There’s an incredible natural diversity here and there’s also an incredible cultural diversity.” Besides being an epicenter for technological research, the Bay Area is a center for environment research.  

“We see an opportunity to share this research with a wider community,” he said. 

The Berkeley-based Bay Nature, a new quarterly which premiered in early January, seeks to acquaint urban dwellers with the natural beauty of their surroundings.  

“This is all about getting people to see the world around us as a natural part of our home,” Loeb says. “I’d like people to have a broader concept of home than just the four walls we live in.” 

Bay Nature is, in the words of its publisher, “dedicated to the intelligent and joyful exploration of the natural places – large and small – of the San Francisco Bay area, and the species (humans included) that inhabit them.” 

The first issue is full of treasures, richly illustrated with color photos. Fiction writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin offers a look at the sometimes glorious, sometimes stinky history of Lake Merritt, which just happens to be America’s first wildlife refuge. Geologist Doris Sloan explains the cliffs overlooking the Golden Gate. San Francisco Chronicle outdoor editor Paul McHugh has written a vivid history of San Francisco Bay that includes such tidbits as the fact that the missing half of Half Dome is probably on the floor of the Bay and that the ocean shore once began at a point some 30 miles west of where it is now, out beyond the Farallones. 

There’s a whimsical photo page called “Bay Area Blues,” featuring everything from blue flowers to the blue-tailed skink (that’s a lizard, for those who don’t know). Inquiring readers can “Ask the Naturalist” by sending their questions in to columnist Joe Eaton. There’s even a cartoon by “Farley” comic-strip author Phil Frank. 

Future issues will include verse by renowned poet Robert Hass, a look at development encroaching on the Diablo Ridgelands, and articles about sharks, bats, and coho salmon in the Bay Area – which for purposes of Bay Nature encompasses not only the nine counties which touch the Bay, but Monterey and Santa Cruz to the south and the Central Valley to the north. 

The magazine has been four years in the making. Loeb, former editor of the Oakland-based Report from Guatemala, says he recognized the need for a publication that focused on Bay Area nature during a hike one day when he was soaking in the beauty of his surroundings but realized he knew very little about the flora and fauna around him. 

He turned for advice to Malcolm Margolin, founder of the independent Berkeley press Heyday Books. As it turned out, Margolin himself had long had an interest in just such a publication, and he offered to act as publisher for the new magazine. 

It was just the push needed to get the idea off the ground. Margolin is widely known and respected among the literary and environmental communities. “To have Malcolm behind a project really means a lot,” says Amy Hunter, a former Heyday employee who is director of advertising and marketing for Bay Nature.  

Still, no one expected the project to be quite so long in the making. “We decided we wanted to do it right,” says Loeb. He and Margolin worked slowly, securing funding from grants and foundations, building an initial subscriber base, inviting input from groups like Save the Bay and East Bay Regional Park District. 

Then last June Bay Nature opened its modest office above a restaurant on Sixth Street and its tiny staff began drawing salaries. The magazine celebrated its premiere issue January 17 at a standing-room-only launch party at the San Francisco Main Public Library, and the response was “overwhelming,” Loeb says. In just a month, the subscription base has jumped from 1,400 to 2,200, and the phone these days rings almost continually with calls from environmental groups, writers and photographers, readers, and others eager to contribute or otherwise offer their support. 

“Mostly it’s the feeling that we’ve struck a chord,” Loeb says. “People are saying things like, ‘It’s about time!’ and ‘Why didn’t this already exist?’” 

That’s music to his ears, confirmation that there is a hunger among Bay Area residents to connect and more fully understand their special spot on the globe.  

“I think there’s a feeling that we’ve lost a sense of connection to where we live, and we may lose the place we live in,” he says. “If we don’t feel this sense of connection to the landscape, human society will stop.” 


Calendar of Events & Activities

— compiled by Chason Wainwright — compiled by Chason Wainwright
Tuesday February 06, 2001


H3>Tuesday, Feb. 6 

Berkeley Intelligent  

Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

This twice-monthly group 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 527-5332  

 

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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 


H3>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 

 

Legacy to Liberation  

7 p.m. 

Revolution Books  

2425 Channing Way  

A roundtable discussion by contributors to the recently published anthology “Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America.” Contributors include Richard Aoki, Yuri Kockiyama, Sun Lee and Dolly Veale. $2 donation  

848-1196 

 


H3>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 

 

Great Mt. Diablo Day Hikes 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Ken Lavin, former president of Mt. Diablo Interpretative Association, for a slide-show of his favorite day hikes in Mt. Diablo State Park.  

Call 527-7377  

 

Jam Session  

7 p.m. 

Maurice’s Cafe 

6038 Telegraph 

Poetry with jazz featuring Jimmy Sands. 653-6775 

 

Exploring Surfaces  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” $10  

 


H3>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 

 

Introducing: Julia Morgan  

School for Girls 

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

Julia Morgan School for Girls 

Holy Names College 

Sky Room, Durocher Hall 

3510 Mountain Blvd.  

Oakland 

A select gathering of business and professional women devoted to fostering leadership in the young girls in our community.  

 


H3>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. 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  

 

Dreams & Intuition 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

1502 Tenth St.  

Marcia Emery, Ph.D., will discuss how to attune your intuitive dream antenna, intuitively unravel the symbolic message of a dream symbol and apply an intuitive dream interpretation method to the entire dream.  

$85  

Call 526-5510 

 

“The West Wing Meets the East Bay” 

7:30 p.m. 

Saint Joseph the Worker Church 

1640 Addison St.  

A conversation with Martin Sheen. Tickets available at Black Oak Books, Cody’s Books, St. Joseph the Worker Church, and at the door. $20 donation 525-3787  

 

Annuals for the Dry Garden 

10 a.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive  

Annie Hayes of Annie’s annuals will suggest some annuals to plant in gardens that are water-deprived during the summer months.  

$15 643-1924 

 


H3>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. 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 - $42 642-9988 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 

 

“From Swastika to Jim Crow” 

2 - 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Due to the depression and anti-Semitism in the ‘30s, many Jewish “refugee scholars” found they had difficulty finding jobs and were embraced by black universities. Both students and teachers, in the pre-Civil Rights era, found they shared a common experience of living under oppression and a passion for education. $2 suggested donation 848-0237 x127 

 

Why Do a Long Retreat? 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Retreatants from Holland, Brazil, Germany, and other places share how they made the time to participate in two and four month retreats.  

Call 843-6812 

 

African-American  

“Death of a Salesman”  

Auditions 

1 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

There are roles for eight men and five women, aged 30 - 60. Auditioners are asked to present a monologue no longer that three minutes. Roles are non-paying. 

 


H3>Monday, Feb. 12 

African-American “Death of a Salesman” Auditions 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

 

 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

 

 

 

 


Tuesday February 06, 2001

Megawatts, volts and all that explained 

 

Editor: 

Because of deregulation, rising electricity consumption, hydroelectric power shortages, and greed, we’re suddenly seeing front-page articles about such unfamiliar topics as megawatts and volts. Most articles get some technical details wrong, confusing power and energy for starters. 

It’s easy to understand if we relate electricity flow to a familiar subject – wages. Electric power is the rate at which you use electric energy. This is like one’s wage rate, measured in dollars per hour. Electric power is measured in watts, kilowatts (1,000 watts), or megawatts (1 million watts). The total electric energy used is analogous to the total amount of money you’re paid for working some number of hours. Thus, the electric energy used equals the electric power multiplied by the duration of use, just as the total wages you earn doing a job is your wage rate times the number of hours it took.  

Your electric meter computes the product of the power and the length of time you use it. The unit used for the energy registered by your PG&E meter – as shown on its face – is the kilowatt-hour, abbreviated as Kwh on your PG&E bill. 

Suppose that the current flowing in a typical electric iron is 10 amperes, and the voltage at the wall outlet is 120 volts. The rate at which the iron converts electric energy into heat – the rate of energy consumption measured in watts – equals the current in amperes times the voltage in volts. The power rating for the iron is thus 1,200 watts, or 1.2 kilowatts. If you run this iron for half an hour, you use 600 watt-hours (0.6 kilowatt-hours) of electric energy. On my November 2000 bill, the charge for generating electricity was about 8 cents/Kwh, so the cost of generating the energy to run the iron for half an hour would have been 4.8 cents. The wholesale price charged by the generating companies has in recent months been as low as $45 per megawatt-hour (4-1/2 cents per Kwh), and as high as $1,000 per megawatt-hour ($1 per Kwh).  

You can find out more about this, and see some choice bloopers from the media, at: 

http://www.electronics-uncovered.com 

Dick White 

Berkeley 

 

Complies because he’s pressured to 

 

Editor: 

Richard Register suggests that developer Patrick Kennedy cuts special deals for disabled tenants because he “likes the people.” 

Perhaps, but interested observers should note that his buildings were brought into compliance with the ADA not voluntarily, but rather because of the hard work of activists in Berkeley who pressured him to do so. 

 

Carol Denney 

Berkeley 

 

Forget medical pot; Legalize the herb 

 

Editor: 

Why do we waste so much time on the medical marijuana issue? It seems so senseless anymore. Why couldn't cannabis be decriminalized and regulated like alcohol? 

Any doctor will tell you that there is no harm in relaxing after work with one beer or one glass of wine and it can actually be healthy for you. The 18th Amendment in 1920 ( prohibition) made alcohol illegal, except within the home or for “medical,” religious or industrial purposes. 

Cannabis contains antioxidants “more powerful than vitamin E or vitamin C,” according to Dr. Aiden Hampson of the National Institute of Mental Health.  

This is in addition to its well documented neuro-protective, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. So why couldn't one joint a day to relax with after work be healthy too! 

Why couldn't alcohol and cannabis be sold in the same stores side by side! 

Why not be able to grow your own cannabis? You can manufacture your own alcohol. You can legally make 100 gallons per adult, up to two adults per household. So its legal to manufacture and have in your home 200 gallons (1,200 pounds) of beer. 

It doesn't seem to matter that marijuana is illegal, even with the threat of prison, people use it recreationally or medically any way. 

We didn't repeal the 18th amendment on Dec. 5, 1933 so people could use alcohol, they were already using alcohol. It was repealed because of the crime and corruption it generated. 

 

Larry Seguin 

Lisbon, New York  

 

Support westside office moratorium 

Editor: 

The Planning Commission recently proposed (on a 5-4 vote) a year moratorium on any further office development in the West Berkeley Mixed Use-Light Industrial district. It is scheduled to come before the Council on March 13. 

As a person who has worked in manufacturing in West Berkeley since the 1970s, I support the moratorium and I urge you to. 

The moratorium comes in the wake of a developer's proposal to build 450,000 square feet of new office space near Aquatic Park, using a loophole in the West Berkeley Plan. This development - the “American Soils project” - would be tantamount to dropping a bomb on the area, setting off a new and unconstrainable gentrification spiral. Sadly we hear that some city staff have even been encouraging this. 

West Berkeley is a unique place, harmoniously mixing manufacturing, arts & crafts, and residents with limited commercial and office uses in defined areas. The basic goal of the West Berkeley Plan is to preserve and enhance this mix. This unique diversity has been preserved in some parts, but threatened and damaged in others.  

A diverse community-based economy is a great strength. Over-specialization is a great weakness. Options for blue-collar families and young people in our community need to be increased, but sadly they are still narrowing, as manufacturing jobs continue to disappear. 

Some developers would love to open the city's gates wide to the dot.com world, which is threatening to crash like a great wave against the East Bay and overwhelm the West Berkeley community. If they succeed, in a short time they will drive arts and crafts and manufacturing out of town and transform the city in their image. The diversity of North West Berkeley in particular has suffered greatly in the last few years. The irreversible gentrification around Fourth Street cannot be permitted to spread into South West Berkeley. 

Ironically, this threat is coming at the very moment when many dot.coms in San Francisco are collapsing, leaving empty buildings in their wake.  

Arts & crafts and manufacturing are gone in San Francisco through that municipal government having other priorities. They simply cannot generate the income levels required to compete with offices in an unregulated market. Without government regulation, offices will replace arts & crafts and manufacturing every time. 

This new huge office project has to be stopped, and additional regulations need to be enacted to prevent another threat of this magnitude from arising. City staff needs to be told in no uncertain terms that the council will not permit the destruction of West Berkeley. The moratorium is needed now to provide the time to evaluate the Plan's effectiveness, to plug loopholes and to strengthen weaknesses. 

The Plan is the only way we can preserve the diversity of West Berkeley, and therefore in the City. Without the West Berkeley community, the entire City would be impoverished, culturally and spiritually, and lack many essential services.  

Support the retention of arts & crafts and manufacturing in Berkeley. Support the moratorium. Strengthen the West Berkeley Plan. 

John Curl 

West Berkeley Cabinetmaker 


Tuesday February 06, 2001

 

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership Feb. 9: The Hellvillies, Divit, Teenage Harlots, Deficient, Arno Corps; Feb. 10: Lifes Halt, Rocket Queen, Barry Manowar, Rosemary’s Billygoat, Adversives; Feb. 16: The Bananas, Pitch Black, Shotwell, Pirx the Pilot, Rock & Roll Adventure Kids; Feb. 17: Lack of Interest, The Neighbors, Black Hands, Capitalist Casualties, Iron Lung; 525-9926  

 

Albatross Pub All music at 9 p.m. unless noted Feb. 6: Pickpocket Ensemble; Feb. 7: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 8: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Feb. 14: Carlos Oliveira Brazilian Jazz Duo 1822 San Pablo 843-2473 

 

Ashkenaz Feb. 6, 9 p.m.: The Toids; Feb. 7, 9 p.m.: Frog Legs, dance lesson at 8 p.m.; Feb. 8, 10 p.m.: Grateful Dead DJ Nite w/Digital Dave; Feb. 9, 9:30 p.m.: Bob Marley Birthday Bash with Foundation, Ras Kidus, DJ Spliff Skankin; Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.: Musical theater with Zorman & Yampels; Feb. 13, 9 p.m.: Danny Poullard & Friends, dance lesson at 8 p.m.; Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m.: Carlos Zialcita plays R&B, swing, and soul for lovers. 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

 

Eli’s Mile High Club Feb. 9: Red Archibald; Feb. 10: Kenny Blue Ray; Feb. 16: Little Johnny & the Giants; Feb. 17: Ron Thompson; Feb. 23: Carlos Zialcita; Feb. 24: R.J. Mischo 3629 MLK Jr. Way Oakland  

 

Freight & Salvage All shows begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 6: Chuck Brodsky; Feb. 7: Keola Beamer with Moana Beamer; Feb. 8 & 9: Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys; 1111 Addison St. 548-1761  

 

Cal Performances Feb. 10, 8 p.m.: Masters of Persian Classical Music, $20 - $40; Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m.: Balinese Orchestra Gamelan Sekar Jaya present “Kawit Legong: Prince Karna’s Dream,” $18 - $30.; Feb. 20, 21, 23 & 24: In two separate programs the Netherlands Dans Theater I presents the work of former artistic director, Jiri Kylian $34 - $52 Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley. 642-9988 or www.calperfs.berkeley.edu Feb. 11, 3 p.m.: Horacio Gutierrez $24 - $42 Hertz Hall UC Berkeley 

 

“Songs for the Young at Heart” Feb. 10, 4 p.m. Featuring La Bonne Cuisine by Bernstein and The Shepherd on the Rock by Schubert. Donations accepted St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave.  

 

Gianni Gebbia, Michael Manring, Simple Sample & Garth Powell Feb. 11, 7:45 p.m. Italian saxophonist Gerbia teams up with electric bassist Manring for a set of free improvisations. $8 donation Tuva Space 3192 Adeline 649-8744 

 

“The Prodigals” Feb. 11, 9 p.m. An Irish rock group who play “jig-punk” $5 This show is 18 and up. Blake’s 2367 Telegraph Ave.  

 

Community Women’s Orchestra Feb. 11, 4 p.m. Pieces to be played include those written by Berkeley High students Ariel Wolter and Maianna Voge. Donations accepted Malcolm X School 1731 Prince St. 653-1616 

 

Young People Chamber  

Orchestra Feb. 11, 4 p.m. Celebrating the music of J.S. Bach, Corell, Handel and others St. Johns Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. Call 595-4688 

 

Percussions Du Guinee Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Internationally respected Guinean percussionists craft a performance simultaneously inspired by traditional music, yet modern in presentation. $20 - $25 925-798-1300 

 

Will Bernard & Motherbug and Ten Ton Chicken CD Release Party and Live Web Cast Feb. 17, 9 p.m. IMUSICAST Studios 5429 Telegraph Ave. (at 54th) Oakland $10  

 

Theater 

 

“Fall” by Bridget Carpenter Through Feb. 11. $15.99 - $51. Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949, www. berkeleyrep.org 

 

“In Search of my Clitoris” Written and performed by Sia Amma Feb. 8 & 9, 8 p.m. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. $12 - $14 415-775-6608 

 

“Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett Through Feb. 3, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. $8 - $12. Subterranean Shakespeare La Val’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid (at Hearst) 234-6046  

 

“The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard Through Feb. 24, Friday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 8 p.m. $10 Live Oak Theatre 1301 Shattuck 528-5620 

 

“Nightingale” presented by Central Works Theater Feb. 9 - March 4, Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24 & Saturday, March 3, 5 p.m.; Free preview Feb. 8, 8 p.m. $8 - $14 LaVal’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-1381 

 

“Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank MacGuinness Feb. 15 - March 17, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 p.m. The story of three men - an Irishman, an Englishman and an American held in a prison in Lebanon. $10 - $15 8th St. Studio Theatre 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 655-0813 

 

“New Territory” Presented by Terrain along wih the Choreographer’s Performance Alliance. An eclectic evening of dance and performance with a variety of choreographic styles and themes. $10 Western Sky Studio 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 845-8604 

 

Films 

 

“Magnetic North” Six programs of experimental Canadian video from the past 30 years that range from documentary to conceptual art. In all, 40 tapes from 46 artists will be shown on six Wednesday evenings. Through Feb. 28. $7. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412  

 

“For the Love of It” Third Annual Celebration of Amateur Film Clubs A presentation of a selection of mini-movies from the convention of the Society of Amateur Videomakers and Cinematographers. Members of local film clubs will attend and will take part in a post-screening discussion. Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m. $7. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

 

“Durruti and the Spanish Revolution” The LaborFest U.S. premiere screening and dicussion of this documentary which tells the story of the Confederation National del Trabajo during the Spanish Civil War. Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. $7 donation requested. La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 415-642-8066 

 

“Toto Recall” A 15-film retrospective honoring Italy’s comic genius. Feb. 3 - Feb. 24 Weekend days only, Friday - Sunday. $7 for one film, $8.50 for double bills. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

 

Pacific Center Women’s Evening at the Movies Feb. 3, 7:30 p.m. 2712 Telegraph Ave. “Late Bloomer,” the story of a high school basketball coach who realizes she’s fallen for the school secretary. Women’s Evening at the Movies is the first Saturday of every month. Visit ww.pacificcenter.org 

 

 

Exhibits 

 

Berkeley Historical Society “Berkeley’s Ethnic Heritage.” An overview of the rich cultural diversity of the city and the contribution of individuals and minority groups to it’s history and development. Thursday through Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Free. 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

 

“Consecrations: Spirits in the Time of AIDS,” Through Feb. 24. An exhibit seeking to expand the understanding of HIV and AIDS and the people affected by them. Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts Gallery 461 Ninth St., Oakland. 763-9425  

 

“Celebration” An exhibit of artists working and living in the East Bay. Through Feb. 3; Tuesday - Saturday, 11 - 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 - 5 p.m. !hey! Gallery 4920-b Telegraph Ave., Oakland 428-2349 

 

“Race & Femininity” Acrylic Paintings of Corinne Innis Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings. Through Feb. 26; Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1 - 7 p.m. and by appointment. Women’s Cancer Resource Center 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 x307  

 

Drawings & Watercolor Paintings of Daniel Hitkov Hitkov is a young Bulgarian artist whose subjects are the real and unreal in nature, people and things. Through Feb. 12. Red Cafe 1941 University Ave. 843-7230 

 

“Trees With Frosting” Stevie Famulari decorates landscapes with sugar and frosting, making her artwork edible and changeable by viewers. This particular display will remain for two months. Through February Skapades Hair Salon 1971 Shattuck Ave. 251-8080 or steviesart@hotmail.com 

 

BACA Members’ Showcase Exhibition Nearly 150 artists submitted art in every imaginable medium: Painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and mixed media. More than ever before. Through Feb. 3 Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. Live Oak Park Wednesday through Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m. 644-6893  

 

“Dorchester Days,” the photographs of Eugene Richards is a collection of pictures portraying the poverty, racial tension, crime and violence prevalent in Richards’ hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts in the 1970s. Through April 6. UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism 121 North Gate Hall #5860 642-3383 

 

“Still Life & Landscapes” The work of Pamela Markmann Through March 24, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Red Oak Gallery 1891 Solano Ave. 527-3387 

 

“Kick Back,” the Department of Art Practice of UC Berkeley spring faculty show Feb. 6 through March 2; Opening reception Feb. 6, 4 - 6 p.m. Informative lecture Feb. 14, Noon Worth Ryder Gallery Kroeber Hall UC Berkeley Call 642-2582 

 

“Unequal Funding: Photographs of Children in Schools that Get Less” An exhibit of black & white photographs by documentary photographer Chris Pilaro. Feb. 1 - March 16, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Opening reception, Feb. 9, 6 - 8 p.m. Photolab Gallery 2235 Fifth St. 644-1400 

 

“Contemporary Photogravure” Printing from hand-inked plates etched from a film positive, a unique exhibition of photographs with luxurious tones. Feb. 8 - March 30, Tuesday - Friday, Noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment; Opening reception, Feb. 8, 6 - 8 p.m. Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 

 

“Musee des Hommages,” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Boticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

 

“Evolution,” No problem quilters exhibit their soft-cloth sculptures. New Pieces is the only gallery that exclusively exhibits quilts in the Bay Area. Feb. 3 - March 1, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave. 527-6779 

 

Readings 

 

Boadecia’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 10: Karin Kallmaker reads from “Sleight of Hand”; Feb. 23: Becky Thompson reads “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage” 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington 559-9184. www.boadeciasbooks.com 

 

Cody’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 2; Manil Suri will read from “The Death of Vishnu”; Feb. 3: Bell Hooks reads from “Salvation: Black People and Love”; Feb. 4: Rick Moody reads from “Demonology”; Feb. 5: Alan Rinzler facilitates “Get That Manuscipt off the Shelf!,” the first of three writers workshops this spring at Cody’s; Feb. 6: Anneli Rufus & Kristan Lawson carry on about “California Babylon: A Guide to Sites of Scandal, Mayhem, and Celluloid in the Golden State”; Feb. 7: Poetry of the National Writers Union; Feb. 8, 7 p.m.: Sheli Nan presents “The Essential Piano Teacher’s Guide”; 7:30 p.m.: Susan Griffin, Willy Wilkinson, Ellen Samuels, Dorothy Wall and Abe Doherty talk about “Stricken: Voices from the Hidden Epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”; Feb. 9: Matt Ridley discusses “Genome: The Autobiography of a Species”; Feb. 11: Poetry of Jack Hirschman & Luke Breit; Feb. 12: Jett Psaris and Marlena Lyons discuss “Undefended Love”; Feb. 13: Christie Kiefr talks about ‘Health Work for the Poor: A Practical Guide”; Feb. 15: Jason Lutes, cartoonist, will discuss his graphic presentation “Berlin: City of Stones”; Feb. 20: Becky Thompson discusses “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage”; Feb. 21: Poetry of Gillian Conoley & Kathleen Fraser; Feb. 22: Alison Gopnik describes “The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind”; Feb. 23: Carol Field reads “Mangoes and Quince”; Feb. 25: Poetry of Martha Rhodes, Linda Dyer & Joy Manesiotis; Feb. 26: Terry McMillan reads from “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”; Feb. 28: Poetry of Sandra Gilbert & Wendy Barker 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852  

 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore All events at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8: Bruce Henderson tackes a 130 year old mystery in “Fatal North: Adventure & Survival Aboard USS Polaris, The First U.S. Expedition to the North Pole”; Feb. 27: Barbara Wagner, co-founder of Lost Frontiers, gives a slide presentation and talk about “Pakistan & the Lost Tribes of teh Hindu Kush”; Feb. 28: Travel writer Christopher Baker will read and talk about his 7000 miles motorcycle odyssey through Cuba as chronicled in his book “Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro’s Cuba” 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533  

 

“Strong Women - Writers & Heroes of Literature” Fridays Through June, 2001, 1 - 3 p.m. Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program. North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 549-2970  

 

Duomo Reading Series and Open Mic. Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Feb. 8: Tom Odegard; Feb 15: Kathleen Lynch; Feb. 22: Charles Ellick; March 1: Eliza Shefler; March 8: Judy Wells; March 15: Elanor Watson-Gove; March 22: Anna Mae Stanley; March 29: Georgia Popoff; April 5: Barbara Minton; April 12: Alice Rogoff; April 19: Garrett Murphy; April 26: Ray Skjelbred. Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

 

Lunch Poems First Thursday of each month, 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. March 1: Aleida Rodrigues; April 5: Galway Kinnell; May 3: Student Reading Morrison Room, Doe Library UC Berkeley 642-0137 

 

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse 7:30 p.m., March 2 Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba. $5 - $10 Little Theater Berkeley High School 2246 Milvia St.  

 

“Out of the Past: Adventures in Film Noir” Barry Gifford will read from his new book and sign copies for attendees. The signing will be followed by a screening of the 1954 film “Vera Cruz,” starring Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper. $7 Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

 

 

Tours 

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

Lectures 

 

Berkeley Historical Society Slide Lecture & Booksigning Series Sundays, 3 - 5 p.m. $10 donation requested Feb. 25: “Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin,” Gray Brechin will discuss the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful early families; March 11: Director of Berkeley’s International House, Joe Lurie, will show a video and dicuss the history and struggle to open the I-House 70 years ago; March 18: “Topaz Moon,” Kimi Kodani Hill will discuss artist Chiura Obata’s family and the WWII Japanese relocation camps. Berkeley Historical Center Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

 

“Great Decisions” Foreign Policy Association Lectures Series Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, Feb. 13 - April 3; An annual program featuring specialists in the field of national foreign policy, many from University of California. Goal is to inform the public on major policy issues and receive feedback from the public. $5 per session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple. Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 526-2925 

 

Ruth Acty Oral History Feb. 18, 3 - 6 p.m. In honor of Black History Month, Therese Pipe will present the history of Acty, who became the first African American teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District in 1943. Berkeley Historical Society Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. Admission free 848-0181 

 


City may give help to Section 8 landlords

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday February 06, 2001

In a bid to encourage more landlords to rent to the poor, the Berkeley Housing Authority will consider guaranteeing security deposits for Section 8 tenants. 

The Housing Department hopes that the guaranteed deposit of up to two months rent, along with recently increased rental subsidies, will encourage more landlords to rent units to families and individuals with Section 8 vouchers. The BHA will vote on the recommendation tonight. 

“We’ve had too many landlords pull out of the Section 8 program,” said BHA member Dona Spring. The Housing Authority is made up of the City Council and two community members.  

“We need to do more to encourage property owners to rent to low-income tenants,” she said. 

Under the proposed plan, the BHA will guarantee landlords up to two months security deposit. The tenants will then make payments to the landlord for a period of no longer than two years until the deposit is paid in full. 

If the tenant moves out and there is damage to the apartment, the BHA guarantees the cost of repairs for the balance of the deposit. If the recommendation is approved, the BHA will set up a fund of $25,000 to cover potential repair costs. 

Interim Housing Director Stephen Barton underscored that most Section 8 tenants are responsible. “Section 8 tenants are mostly made up of the elderly, the disabled and families, they’re a responsible group.” he said. “Occasionally there is a bad tenant, but no more so than other tenants.” 

The state allows landlords to require a deposit of up to two months rent, which can be as much as $2,000 or more for a one-bedroom apartment, an amount  

difficult for most Section 8 tenants to have in hand, according to Spring. 

Currently there are 5,500 Section 8 families on a waiting list for housing in Berkeley. The first 1,500 on the list are people who already live or work in Berkeley. 

Applicants for Section 8 vouchers must earn 50 percent or less of the median income for the area which is $60,800 for a family of two. The standard is set by HUD 

President of the Black Property Owners Association, Frank Davis, said he had not heard of the guaranteed security deposit program. “I don’t feel comfortable making a statement other than to say the only problem I might have is that the Housing Department didn’t come to the landlords for our input,” he said. “There may have been something we might have been able to add, to make the plan better.” 

Davis said he rents to Section 8 tenants and has had no problems, but he said other property owners have told him that the BHA has been unresponsive to landlords when problems do arise.  

“If the BHA wants more landlords to come into the program they’re going to have to do some outreach,” Davis said. “They have a reputation for alienating landlords, not returning phone calls and no support when there’s a tenant violating a contract or causing problems.” 

Barton agreed that the Housing Authority has been less than supportive for landlords which is a situation he said will change. 

“One of the reasons for the meeting tonight is to present the Housing Authority with a report of what steps we’re taking to correct those problems,” he said. 

Barton said reaching out to landlords is exactly what Housing Department wants to do. In addition to the security deposit guarantee, He pointed to a recent HUD approval of an increase in Section 8 rents.  

As of Dec. 1, the new Section 8 monthly rent allowance was increased to $750 for a studio, $980 for a one bedroom and $1,308 for a two bedroom, according to Barton. 

“We’re supposed to pay whatever the market rent for the unit is,” Barton said. “We usually go by the rent of the most recently rented unit in any apartment complex, but the Housing Authority has been instructed to give landlords the benefit of the doubt when setting rents. We want to reward them for participating in the Section 8 program.” 

The Berkeley Housing Authority is meeting Tuesday in the City Council Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be broadcast live on KPFB Radio 89.3 and Cable B-TV (Channel 25). 


ACommunity says public must take over private utilities

By Erika Fricke Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday February 06, 2001

After a three hour teach-in on the California energy crisis Sunday community members endorsed a resolution to pursue public ownership of utilities, and to refuse to pay the 9 percent rate hike if it becomes permanent. 

At the meeting the term “power broker” gained new meaning, entering the lexicon of double entendre the recent energy crisis has engendered. Local politicians, Green Party heavyweights and community organizers made calls for public power and re-regulation of the utilities before the 150 people filling the Berkeley Fellowship Hall of Unitarian Universalists.  

“This is an absolutely amazing opportunity to take control of a resource,” said Medea Benjamin, former Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate. “It means a rollback of the whole agenda of privatization.” 

Speakers excoriated the private utility companies, calling the crisis “engineered,” and calling the government plans to provide debt relief a form of “corporate welfare fraud.” The utility companies have denied responsibility for manufacturing the crisis, and have explained it by pointing to the number of powerplants under repair and off line. 

“The utilities have created a financial crisis for themselves,” said Graham Brownstein of The Utility Reform Network. “We the people of California are having an energy crisis.” He cautioned against legislation providing debt relief to PG&E while giving Californians stock in the company. He said the state should not be invested in a private company, and instead argued that the government should simply purchase the corporation and use this opportunity to make electricity a public utility.  

Speaker Robin David said that fighting corporate ownership of utilities required changing  

perceptions of the nature of utilities as an open market good. “We cannot do without electricity,” he said. “It’s a social resource, not a commodity.” 

David, a public utilities promoter (who also happens to be a PG&E employee and Union member but was not speaking in that capacity) also noted that any movement to re-regulate the industry and bring it under public authority would require cooperation and support of the workers. “The public power movement must realize that the companies and workers are not the same thing,” he said. 

Speakers also made calls for municipal power authorities to regulate power locally and move toward forms of energy such as hydro-electric power and solar power and away from fossil fuels they said were environmentally harmful.  

To create a context of the current state of affairs, experts reviewed the history and functioning of California utilities to provide some explanation of the recent crisis. Dale Nesbit, former engineer for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, described how the fluctuation in power usage throughout the day makes electricity an ill-suited private commodity. He said that electricity must “be produced instantaneously as it gets used,” because it cannot get stored. That means that as energy consumption fluctuates at different times of the day – more during working hours than sleeping hours, for example – companies must provide more energy, which may mean using another power plant. However, purchasing a power plant to provide energy for only part of the day is not profitable. Instead, companies produce less electricity themselves and purchase the electricity needed at peak periods on an open market, where it can cost many times more than it would from a local power producer.  

Keith Carson, Alameda county supervisor, placed the power crisis within the larger context of California. “Today’s energy crisis is indicative of the challenges we’re going to face in years to come,” he said. Without mentioning the demographic shifts that are part of the population changes in California, he also told the all-white audience that they needed to outreach to African-American, Asian-American, and youth communities to expand their movement. He noted that the impact of utility costs disproportionately impact low-income communities. 

The event was organized by the Social Action committee of the Unitarian Universalists. 


Musicians seek change for PG&E

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday February 06, 2001

While UC profs are proffering manifestoes to solve California’s energy crisis and Berkeley radicals are rallying for a state takeover of the gas and electric industries, a few locals, calling themselves Public Utility Kinship Exhibition (PUKE) decided to take matters into their own hands Monday.  

With an ironing board laden with goodies, they held a bake sale for PG&E outside its offices at Center Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

“Spare change for PG&E; any amount will help,” Carol Denney, on squeeze box, called out between songs. 

Jim Nelson, on banjo, echoed her appeal. 

Patricia Davis had just paid her electric bill. Emerging from the PG&E office she grinned at Denney and Nelson – and at Richard List whose square head covering was adorned with light bulbs.  

“Sorry,” Davis said. “I just gave them all my money.”  

“But they have special needs,” Denney responded. “You need to open your heart.”


Global chip market tops $200 billion

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

SAN JOSE — Driven by the expansion of the Internet and demand for communications equipment, worldwide sales of semiconductors topped $200 billion in 2000, an industry group said Monday. 

The record-setting sales, however, were not expected to carry over into 2001 as the economy continues to slow and manufacturers report an excess of inventory, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. 

December sales were $17.9 billion, a 21.6 percent increase over 1999 but a 2.1 percent drop from November. The group said its 2001 forecast of 22 percent year-over-year growth probably will not be met. 

In 2000, the chip industry saw growth in all markets and in all parts of the world, the group reported. In all, sales increased 37 percent over 1999. 

“This was a very exciting year for our industry and reaching an all-time record high in sales of $204 billion is a great way to close the books for year 2000,” said George Scalise, SIA president. 

Flash memory, logic, analog, optoelectronics and programmable logic devices were expected to lead growth in the market as they are in demand for everything from Internet infrastructure components to digital cameras. 

Sales of flash memory, which is used in cellular phones, MP3 players and digital cameras, totaled $10.6 billion, a 133.2 percent increase in 2000. Laser devices and image sensors that make up the optoelectronic market increased 69.7 percent for a total of $9.8 billion. 

Memory chips known as DRAM grew 39.5 percent, with $28.9 billion in sales. Microprocessor sales were $31.9 billion, a 17.2 percent jump in 2000. 

Japan and the Asian Pacific markets led sales in 2000, with growth at 42.4 percent and 37.9 percent, respectively. The Americas saw 34.9 percent growth in 2000, driven by the Internet and communications. European sales grew by 32.7 percent. 

On the Net: 

Semiconductor Industry Association: http://www.semichips.org/ 


Volunteers react to news of Xiana Fairchild’s death

Staff
Tuesday February 06, 2001

The Associated Press 

 

VALLEJO — With a 7-year-old girl confirmed dead after more than a year of hope for her safe return, volunteers and authorities are seeking justice for those responsible for the crime. 

The death of Xiana Fairchild, missing since Dec. 9, 1999, was confirmed Saturday at a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s department news conference. The DNA test results on a child’s skull found in the Santa Cruz Mountains confirmed the bone fragments belonged to Fairchild. 

The medical examiner’s report indicated Fairchild was killed. Volunteers who searched tirelessly for Fairchild over the past year want someone held accountable. 

“I really wanted her home alive,” said Deena May, a volunteer who spent nearly every Saturday searching for Fairchild, a child she never knew.  

“Until I know why, it’s not going to sink in. It still feels like she’s missing.” 

Sheriff’s investigators combed the Santa Cruz Mountains for the rest of Fairchild’s remains over the weekend.  

Authorities took with them Curtis Dean Anderson, an alleged child molester who has said he took Fairchild and later passed her off – alive – to other individuals. 

Anderson is currently in jail on charges he kidnapped and sexually assaulted an 8-year-old Vallejo girl last year. Anderson reportedly pointed out a steep area for investigators to search Sunday. 

Police would not comment on whether Anderson’s information was any help, and denied reports they were planning to charge him in Fairchild’s disappearance. 

“We have no evidence to link Curtis Dean Anderson to Xiana Fairchild,” said Mark Eastus, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.  

“That doesn’t mean there isn’t a cloud of suspicion. But we have no evidence to link him to the case.” 

The search for more bones and evidence was suspended Monday with no further discoveries. 

Vallejo police said the identification of the skull as Fairchild’s creates no new suspects, but among those under suspicion in Fairchild’s disappearance are her mother, Antoinette Robinson, and Robinson’s boyfriend, Robert Turnbough. 

Turnbough initially told police he had left the girl at a bus stop, but later changed his story to say she walked alone to catch the bus.  

Vallejo police never labeled Turnbough a suspect, but did say he had been under “a cloud of suspicion” because of his conflicting tales. 

“From the very day that Xiana disappeared we got conflicting stories from her mother and her mother’s boyfriend,” said Vallejo police chief Robert Nichelini.


Woman gets life for killing sister

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

OAKLAND — A woman who impersonated her sister in public after stuffing her dismembered body in a freezer was sentenced Monday to life without parole, and barred from profiting from the crime. 

Sarah Mitchell, 50, of Oakland, was found guilty Nov. 21 of murdering her sister, Stevie Allman, 52, an anti-drug crusader. 

Prosecutors said Mitchell had planned to impersonate her sister to withdraw money from her trust accounts. 

In December, an Alameda County jury recommended life without parole. Prosecutors had requested the death penalty.  

The judge Monday agreed with the jury and barred Mitchell from profiting from the murder. 

“We’re disappointed that the jury found her guilty,” said Albert Wax, Mitchell’s attorney, who promised to appeal. “We believe some jurors did have some lingering doubt that contributed to why the death penalty was not imposed.” 

Mitchell began posing as Allman in the summer of 1997. They shared a home, and when that burned down, Mitchell claimed they had been the victims of a firebombing. She blamed it on disgruntled drug dealers.  

Then-Gov. Pete Wilson offered a $50,000 reward for information in the case. 

Police soon discovered Allman was really Mitchell, but not until she had fooled others and received $3,600 in sympathy checks. 

Then, on July 16 of that year, police found Allman’s body.  

She had been murdered, dismembered and stuffed into a freezer sealed with duct tape in the ruins of her home.


Canadian students take credit for Golden Gate Bridge stunt

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Blame Canada. 

Engineering students at the University of British Columbia said Monday they were responsible for tethering the shell of an old Volkswagen Beetle to the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge and then tossing it over the side. 

The stunt backed up rush-hour traffic as gawkers slowed to look at the dangling car. 

“It’s Engineering Week at the university,” said Chad Brown, 22, a senior mechanical engineering student, in a telephone interview. “The whole premise was to increase interest in engineering, specifically in engineering at the University of British Columbia.” 

The car was cut loose at about 8:10 a.m. by the Golden Gate Bridge District, and it quickly sank as U.S. Coast Guard crews kept the area under the bridge clear. 

Mary Currie, a spokeswoman for the Bridge District, said two workers crawled underneath the roadway and cut the webbing supporting the car with a knife. 

“The cable was attached to 2-inch-wide nylon webbing” at two points under the bridge roadway, said Currie, who added that the car “sank like a rock” after it was cut loose. 

The distance from the roadway to the water is approximately 220 feet, and the car dangled approximately 100 feet above the water. 

With the sounds of a party in the background as he was being interviewed, Brown said about a dozen people took part in the early-morning stunt.  

He said they carefully worked out the project so the bridge would not be damaged and the car wouldn’t injure anyone on the water. 

“Every year the engineering undergrads have a thing they call E Week,” said Bruce Dunwoody, associate dean for engineering student services at the university. 

“During E Week, often there have been VW Beetles hanging from various places in Vancouver, bridges, buildings.” 

Dunwoody said it was possible the university would take some action against the students, if they could be identified. 

The stunt marked the 20th anniversary of a similar incident on the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Why the Golden Gate Bridge? 

“The more international the stunt, the better the press coverage,” Brown said. 

As the sun rose, a blurry televised view of the shell of the old-style red VW could be seen dangling from cables. Witnesses said an “E” and a Canadian flag were painted on the side. 

But if the pranksters were looking for publicity, they picked a bad day. The entire time the car dangled from the bridge, the scene was shrouded in thick fog. 

Witnesses told the California Highway Patrol they saw a truck stop on the bridge at about 3:30 a.m. About a dozen people jumped out, attached the cables and threw the car over the side before jumping back in the truck and driving off, the witnesses said. 

The car was attached on the northbound, non-commute side, but southbound drivers watching the activity slowed traffic heading for San Francisco. 

Currie said the Highway Patrol will lead the investigation into the prank, which could be punishable by fines and community service penalties.  

The penalties for such pranks increased following a 1996 episode in which actor Woody Harrelson and several other activists climbed one of the bridge’s cables to protest forest logging. 

Brown wouldn’t identify the group involved or say when they were expected back. 

“They still have to get across the border, you know,” he said.


Reagan turns 90; faces broken hip and Alzheimer’s

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

LOS ANGELES — A dozen years after leaving the White House and looking forward to sunset years chopping wood and riding horses, Ronald Reagan celebrates his 90th birthday as a recluse battling old age with Alzheimer’s disease and a broken hip. 

Reagan’s birthday Tuesday will be a subdued celebration at his Bel-Air home, where he is recovering from surgery to repair the hip broken Jan. 12 in a fall. 

“We will celebrate Ronnie’s 90th birthday very quietly here at home with a birthday cake (likely his favorite chocolate), of course!” Mrs. Reagan said in a written response to questions e-mailed to her by The Associated Press. 

Reagan is only one of three presidents to reach his 90th birthday – John Adams and Herbert Hoover are the others. Yet, the nation’s 40th president looks much like he did when the actor-politician returned to his beloved California. 

“He looks fine. I mean, you know, his skin, and he’s got a full head of hair. ... I mean, when the barber comes to cut his hair, he has to thin it!” Mrs. Reagan told Larry King for CNN’s “Larry King Live” show scheduled Tuesday. 

Reagan basked in the glory of retirement for six years, then learned he had Alzheimer’s. He became a recluse under the consummate protection of his wife. 

“Everywhere we go, she makes the world a little better. I can’t imagine life without her,” Reagan often said of Nancy. The couple’s 49th wedding anniversary is March 4, when Mrs. Reagan will christen the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. 

“Today we received a very large birthday card with a big picture of the entire crew and officers of the new aircraft carrier that’s being named after Ronnie, and they all signed it for him,” Mrs. Reagan told the AP. 

Mrs. Reagan has vigilantly guarded her husband’s privacy since he withdrew from public view on Nov. 5, 1994, with a poignant letter about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. 

“I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience,” he wrote. 

God, prayer, friends and well-wishers worldwide have given her strength, Mrs. Reagan said. The world remembered the Great Communicator when he broke his hip: More than 10,000 cards, letters and e-mail wishes were sent. 

“With that kind of support and so many prayers, we’re able to get through this ordeal one day at a time,” she said.  

“Also, I’ve been blessed with an irreplaceable support system of doctors, nurses, staff and Secret Service agents. I don’t know what I would do without them.” 

One close friend, Merv Griffin, fondly remembers past Reagan birthdays. 

“Ronnie’s birthday was always the fun event of the year – sometimes at the ranch with cowboy clothes and the horses milling around, sometimes at Chasen’s (restaurant) with the Washington leadership,” Griffin said. 

“But always his acknowledgment of his birthday was the same. This year it would have been, ’Thank you for acknowledging the 51st anniversary of my 39th birthday,”’ Griffin said. 

Reagan has endured medical crises before: An assassination attempt, cancer, brain surgery, Alzheimer’s disease and now a broken hip. 

“I was really frightened,” Mrs. Reagan said. “I had never imagined anything else happening to him after his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. I couldn’t get him to the emergency room fast enough.” 

She scoffed at a recent supermarket tabloid report claiming the president fell when he tried to stand and salute after hearing a gardener whistling “America the Beautiful.” 

“The story about Ronnie saluting right before he fell is ridiculous,” Mrs. Reagan said. “The doctors tell me that his hip appears to have broken when he put weight on the leg in a somewhat twisted position and this is what caused him to fall.” 

A pin, plate and screws were used to repair the hip and he was able to go home a week after surgery. 

“Right now he is involved in simple physical therapy that has him sitting up twice a day in a special orthopedic chair that helps to keep his leg straight,” Mrs. Reagan said. “He has been sitting in it longer each day and the doctors and physical therapists are encouraged that this is giving him the strength to begin with weight-bearing therapy in the next seven to 10 days. 

“He has a healthy appetite, his color has completely returned to normal and he’s even sleeping better.” 

The Reagans have helped others understand and cope with Alzheimer’s. 

Danny Chun, a spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Association said they were grateful for the couple’s “extraordinary courage in continuing to share their story with the world, building awareness, lifting the stigma of Alzheimer’s and showing families that they are not alone.” 

Fourteen million of today’s baby boomers are expected to have Alzheimer’s by the middle of the century, the association said. 

“It’s very age-related,” said Stephen McConnell, the association’s vice president of programs and public policy. “Between ages 65 and 74, it hits about 1 to 2 percent. For people over 85, it’s about half the population.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.reaganfoundation.org 

http://www.alz.org 


Gov. Davis seizes PG&E contracts

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Seeking to stabilize California’s wild energy market, the governor Monday pursued the first of $10 billion in state power-buying agreements and seized millions of dollars in utility electricity contracts. 

Gov. Gray Davis used emergency authority to claim at least $150 million in Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power contracts, just before they would have been taken by one of the utility’s creditors. 

The PG&E options to buy long-term power were held as collateral by the California Power Exchange, the state’s electricity marketplace. PG&E defaulted on payments to the exchange, and the PX wanted to sell the contracts. 

Long-term contracts provide power far more cheaply than purchases on the spot electricity market.  

Davis signed a $10 billion measure last week that lets the state sign agreements for up to a decade to buy power for customers of PG&E and Southern California Edison, both denied credit by suppliers. 

Edison and PG&E, the state’s two largest utilities, say they have lost $12.7 billion since June due to high wholesale electricity costs that the state’s 1996 deregulation law blocks them from passing onto consumers. 

The Davis administration will reimburse the Power Exchange for the PG&E contracts, Deputy Attorney General Ken Alex said. A price was under negotiation. 

Davis on Friday used the same authority – granted under a state of emergency he declared last month – to seize about $300 million in Edison contracts.  

The exchange wanted to sell them after the utility defaulted on a $215 million payment. 

The PX last month barred the financially ailing utilities from trading on it unless they posted new collateral. 

As of Monday, PG&E owed about $1.34 billion to the exchange, suppliers and the Independent System Operator, keeper of the state’s power grid, according to PG&E spokesman Jon Tremayne. 

A San Francisco Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order last week blocking the exchange from selling the contracts to give Davis time to decide if he wanted them. Davis took the contracts just before a Monday morning hearing on the restraining order. 

The governor’s action came as his administration neared Davis’ self-imposed deadline of the close of business Monday to finalize the first long-term contracts authorized by a $10 billion law he signed last week. 

The new law lets the state spend up to $500 million on the costly spot market to keep the lights on for Edison and PG&E customers in the meantime. California spent more than $500 million since mid-January buying power day-to-day as lawmakers worked on the legislation. 

California’s energy problems – driven by high wholesale prices, high demand, a tight supply and transmission glitches – are expected to persist through the summer. 

A federal order requiring electricity suppliers to sell to the state despite concern about utility solvency expires at midnight Tuesday, and Davis has said he doesn’t expect it to be extended. 

In preparation for the order’s expiration, the ISO sent letters to about 140 generators, asking them to confirm that they will continue to sell power to the state. 

The letter sparked numerous complaints and one lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Washington, D.C., by Reliant Energy Corp. The supplier contends it shouldn’t have to bear the cost of California’s energy crisis. 

“Negotiations are continuing regarding what’s going to happen when the order expires,” ISO spokeswoman Lorie O’Donley said. 

Meanwhile, California entered its fourth straight week under a Stage 3 power alert, with electricity reserves at risk of falling to 1.5 percent. No blackouts were expected, however. 

Reserves were tight in part because of a weekend fire at the San Onofre nuclear plant that took 1,100 megawatts off the grid. One megawatt is enough to serve roughly 1,000 homes. 

Plants capable of producing a total of 8,700 megawatts of power were out of service Monday, ISO spokesman Patrick Dorinson said.


Bush to let emergency electricity-sales order expire on schedule

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

WASHINGTON — Standing by his word, President Bush will allow a federal order to expire Tuesday that required wholesale electricity companies to sell to California’s cash-strapped utilities, Bush’s spokesman said. 

The agency that manages California’s troubled power grid was surveying major suppliers to see what power they will have available on the wholesale market when the order ends, a spokeswoman for the agency said. 

Asked about the emergency directive that the Bush administration extended Jan. 23 for two weeks, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Monday: “It shall expire tomorrow.” 

California lawmakers last week approved a $10 billion long-term plan to ease the state’s power crunch. The state will sell bonds to buy electricity giving time for the state’s two near-bankrupt private utilities to come up with their own recovery plan. 

But even as Gov. Gray Davis and state lawmakers celebrated the agreement, the state remained under a power emergency with electricity supply margins so small during the weekend and into Monday that sporadic blackouts were possible. 

Officials at the California Independent System Operator, the agency that manages the state’s electricity grid, were uncertain whether they would have enough power after the federal directive expires Tuesday. 

In mid-December, the Clinton administration declared an energy emergency in California and directed that suppliers continue to sell to the state’s nearly broke utilities – Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric – even though for some time they had been unable to pay for their purchases, amassing debts that now have reached $12.8 billion. 

On Jan. 23, Bush extended the order, but made clear through spokesmen and his energy secretary, Spencer Abraham, that the power order would not be prolonged further. 

Fleischer noted Monday the directive has been sharply criticized by utilities and officials in other Western states who worry about electricity shortages of their own. 

The order “has implications for the region as a whole,” said Fleischer. 

Among those most critical of the federal directive have been utility and government officials in the Northwest, where electricity prices have soared because of the tight wholesale market caused by California’s demands. In Tacoma, Wash., the utility recently imposed a 50 percent rate hike for its customers to try to pay for higher wholesale costs. 

Major suppliers of power were not committing themselves one way or the other. 

“I don’t know what we will do,” said Richard Wheatley, a spokesman for Houston-based Reliant Energy, a major wholesale supplier with five generating plants in California. 

“We’re encouraged by the recent progress in California,” said Wheatley. “But the credit worthiness of SoCal and PG&E and their ability to pay for past power purchases remains very much in question.” 

Pressed on whether Reliant would continued to sell to the utilities, Wheatley said, “We’re going to continue to sell power to creditworthy buyers.” 

Reliant filed a lawsuit last week, challenging a directive from the California ISO that demanded power suppliers confirm that they planned to continue selling electricity in the California market. Reliant argues in the suit, which has yet to be heard, that the power agency lacks authority to make such a demand. 

Meanwhile, the chairman of a House Commerce subcommittee on energy became the latest in a slew of Republican lawmakers who have chided California for not building power plants and expecting low power rates. 

“We want to work with California, but California has to work with the rest of the country,” said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, during a speech at a conference of the American Public Power Association. 

He said California officials have an obligation to review environmental restrictions that inhibit power production, construction of new power plants and transmission lines. Like Bush, Barton rejected federal controls on wholesale prices, arguing that price regulation would lead to greater shortages. 

The APPA, which represents public power agencies around the country including large ones in the Northwest and in California, passed a resolution calling for the federal government to temporarily regulate wholesale prices until California’s power market problems are resolved. 

——— 

On the Net: 

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

California page of American Public Power Association: http://www.appanet.org/general/pressroom/california.htm 

Energy Department: http://www.energy.gov 


Kafka-based fable is a feeble attempt

By John Angell Grant Daily Planet Correspondent
Tuesday February 06, 2001

Walt Disney meets Franz Kafka – sort of – in Michael McClure’s 1979 play “Josephine the Mouse Singer,” which Berkeley’s Last Planet Theater revived Saturday at SomArts in San Francisco, in an unusual musical production that contains a powerful original score by world-renown Bay Area composer Terry Riley. 

“Josephine the Mouse Singer,” based loosely on a story by Franz Kafka, is a fable about the life of an artist. It premiered in the Bay Area in 1979 at the Magic Theater, where McClure was a playwright in residence for several years. 

In Last Planet’s current production, 17 actors are rigged out as mice – all of them wearing prosthetic mouse ears – to tell the story of Josephine the mouse (Tori Hinkle) who sings beautifully, but who has some personal hurdles in her life. 

Most important, Josephine doesn’t want to work a day job scurrying around with the other mice, since she is an artist who needs to save her energy for that higher calling. 

As an artist, Josephine is also annoyed by a former lover named Baby (Cory Bayne) who wants to get conjugal with her, though a conjugal relationship will stifle Josephine’s freedom, just like the day job. 

A group of not-too-bright followers of Josephine meet to consider her dilemma. For a moment they consider revolution against the status quo, but drop that idea. 

Ultimately, Josephine takes revenge against the day job by resolving to work herself to exhaustion. Later, things turn bloody when a cat kills some mice at one of Josephine’s concerts.  

The play, which is a muddled fable, has its minuses, and contains its share of self-conscious claptrap about the identity of an artist. 

For one, Josephine’s complaints about her life and her haughty dismissal of others make her an unsympathetic character, so it’s hard to muster enthusiasm for her dilemma. She also seems much more concerned with her image as an artist, than with her art. 

Only at the end of the play do we see Josephine perform, and it’s hard to tell whether she’s a great artist, or just a delusional nut case. The stupefying effect that she has on unthinking followers who lack all independent judgment, doesn’t necessarily speak well of her ability. 

The characters in this play don’t operate at the top of their intelligences, and the play speaks down to its audience in a patronizing way. 

Additionally, in this very untraditional structure and storyline, much of the play’s action is described off-stage – generally considered a no-no in drama. 

The amazing upside to this production is Terry Riley’s powerful new musical score. Director John Wilkins’ unusual staging has elicited good performances from many of the actors. 

Riley’s synthesizer composition includes sounds of piano, guitar, and larger orchestral combinations. 

Riley and Wilkins have skillfully integrated the musical track into the movement of the story, so that it becomes a storytelling vehicle like the best of movie soundtracks. The music is actually able to push the narrative of the show forward, especially in scenes where there is no dialogue spoken. 

The evening’s peak scene, near the play’s end where Josephine finally sings, is the production’s strongest scene – and carried principally by Riley’s magical music. 

California composer Riley is probably best known for his classic 1964 album "In C." A minimalist composer with an international reputation, over the last 40 years he has worked with the Kronos Quartet, Rova Saxophone Quartet and many prominent rock and avant garde musicians. 

Standout performers in Last Planet’s show include Hinkle in the lead as Josephine, Cody Bayne as her lover Baby, Matt Leshinskie as the Narrator, and Robert Avila as the mouse Dad. One of the show’s most striking visual moments occurs when a hoard of mice demolish a 15-foot cake, piece by piece. 

Last Planet must improve the look of its productions by getting rid of the raggedy-looking drapes hung around the theater that have been featured in its last three shows. These ugly jerry-rigged curtains give Last Planet productions the feel of a low-budget high school play from the 1950s. The company must find a new set design concept. 

In 1999, Last Planet Theater produced a four-play Wallace Shawn festival at Berkeley’s Julia Morgan Center.


Parents can earn big tax break

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

WASHINGTON — The unbridled joy of children extends into to the federal tax code, where parents can qualify for breaks for education expenses and student loans, adoption costs and even for simply having a child at all. 

The rules can be tricky, however, and complex family relationships like divorce can raise a whole set of complications. 

For instance, the $500 per-child tax credit applies to every child who was age 17 or under at the end of calendar year 2000.  

But that amount begins to phase out for married people filing jointly with more than $110,000 in adjusted gross income and above $75,000 for single filers, according to the Internal Revenue Service 

Similarly, each child claimed as a dependent translates into a $2,800 exemption.  

But there are special rules for divorced parents, which generally give the exemption to the parent who has custody for most of the year – unless that parent chooses to relinquish the exemption. Form 8332 can be used to give up the claim. 

A person can’t be claimed as a dependent if he or she earns more than $2,800 in income, unless that person is 19 or younger at the end of the tax year.  

Students must have full-time status for at least five months and be under 24 at year’s end. 

Even if these tests are met, high-income taxpayers can lose some of the dependent tax benefits if their incomes exceed $193,400 for a married couple filing jointly, $128,950 for singles. 

A reminder: the IRS requires that Social Security numbers be listed on Form 1040 for every dependent claimed as an exemption. 

Other important tax benefits for children: 

• A tax credit up to $5,000 can be claimed for the costs of adopting a child, $6,000 for adopting a special needs child. Examples of these expenses, according to the IRS, are court costs, adoption fees, travel expenses and attorney fees.  

These credits are phased out above certain income levels and there are timing rules regarding when they can be claimed. IRS Publication 968 spells it all out. 

• There is a new definition for foster children to qualify for either the $500 child tax credit or the earned income tax credit. The child must now be the taxpayer’s sibling, stepsibling or a descendent of one of these, or have been placed with the taxpayer by an authorized placement agency. 

In the past, the child simply had to live with the taxpayer for the entire year and had to receive care as if the child were the taxpayer’s own. Now, all three definitions apply. 

• Up to $2,000 of student loan interest can be deducted this year, up from $1,500 in 1999. But the deduction isn’t available for taxpayers with incomes above $75,000 for married couples filing jointly and above $55,000 for singles. 

• For lower-income families, the number of children determines whether they can claim between $2,353 and $3,888 under the earned income tax credit.  

This credit is refundable, meaning taxpayers can claim it even if they paid no income tax during the year. Publication 596 details this credit, which can be complicated. 

• The Hope Scholarship credit worth up to $1,500 can be claimed for college tuition and fees, but not room and board, for the first two years of school.  

The Lifetime Learning credit of up to $1,000 can also be used for college costs, but not for a student also claiming the Hope credit.  

Income limits apply to these credits; use IRS Form 8863 to claim them. 

• A tax credit of up to 30 percent of expenses is available for child and dependent care expenses necessary for a parents who work or are looking for work. The child has to be under age 13 at the end of the tax year. IRS Publication 503 has the details.  

For people who hire someone to care for children in the home, Publication 926 goes over an employer’s tax responsibilities. 

Look for more tax information on the Berkeley Daily Planet’s business page for the rest of the week.


Sunshine basketball

Jon Mays/Daily Planet
Monday February 05, 2001

A group of Berkeley residents and students at UC Berkeley took advantage of yesterday’s warm weather and played a series of pick-up basketball games at People’s Park. Although people across the Bay Area broke out shirt-sleeves and shorts this weekend, the National Weather Service promises cooler weather for the next few days, beginning this afternoon. Winds should pick up to 15 mph by 4:00 p.m. and temperatures are predicted to the  

mid-30s tonight. Throughout the week, the weather service predicts cooler and breezier conditions and possible showers by next weekend.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Staff
Monday February 05, 2001


Monday, Feb. 5

 

Youth Commission  

6 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Center 

1730 Oregon St.  

 

Rent Stabalization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Second Floor Council Chamber 

 

Personnel Board Meeting  

7 p.m. 

Permit Center 

2118 Milvia St.  

First Floor Conference Room  

 

Landmarks Preservation Commission  

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Will consider 1301 Oxford St. among other items. 

 

Peace & Justice Commission  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

 


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 527-5332  

 

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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 


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 

 

Legacy to Liberation  

7 p.m. 

Revolution Books  

2425 Channing Way  

A roundtable discussion by contributors to the recently published anthology “Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America.” Contributors include Richard Aoki, Yuri Kockiyama, Sun Lee and Dolly Veale.  

$2 donation  

848-1196 

 


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 

 

Great Mt. Diablo Day Hikes 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Ken Lavin, former president of Mt. Diablo Interpretative Association, for a slide-show of his favorite day hikes in Mt. Diablo State Park.  

Call 527-7377  

 

Jam Session  

7 p.m. 

Maurice’s Cafe 

6038 Telegraph 

Oakland 

Poetry with jazz featuring Jimmy Sands.  

Call 653-6775 

Exploring Surfaces  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Transverse the world’s ecological regions, describing what you know and what you’ve heard. 

$10  

 


Friday, Feb. 9

 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. 

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 

 

Introducing: Julia Morgan  

School for Girls 

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

Julia Morgan School for Girls 

Holy Names College 

Sky Room, Durocher Hall 

3510 Mountain Blvd.  

Oakland 

A select gathering of business and professional women devoted to fostering leadership in the young girls in our community.  

 


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


Letters to the Editor

Monday February 05, 2001

The sickening smell of beer in northwest  

Berkeley does little to improve the neighborhood 

 

Editor: 

 

Today's a warmer day, sunny, lovely; except that when I go out to enjoy the yard, or for a walk, or if I open a window I get the sickening, penetrating blast of smell from the breweries in northwest Berkeley. I've been trying to figure out what to do about that for about three years, now, ever since some care LESS paper signing permitted them. Now, no one knows what can be done about it, except to ask them nicely not to do it. So far that hasn't worked. 

While they've lessened some of the smell, it still pervades one's days. As part of our dis-united-ness, and that most people seem not to be around during the time of the smell, or most people don't come out of houses closed up like cocoons for reason of one reasonable fear or other, the few of us who at least feel abused by the smell, have no further recourse. I wonder whether people who buy into this neighborhood at $300,000 to $400,000 a pop will begin to wonder why it wasn't disclosed to them that an irritant exists here. 

Or, I suppose they'll be away at work needing to work huge hours at all-consuming jobs to pay those mortgages. 

 

Norma J F Harrison 

Berkeley


USC ends Cal’s hot streak

The Associated Press
Monday February 05, 2001

Jeff Trepagnier’s return to Southern California’s lineup has given the Trojans’ offense a big lift. But it was his defense that made the difference against California. 

Trepagnier recorded his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and he also made five steals and keyed a defense that forced the Bears into 21 turnovers as the 21st-ranked Trojans rolled to an 80-66 victory Saturday night. 

“It’s nice to have Jeff back,” said USC coach Mike Bibby. “Each game he’s getting a little better at not forcing turnovers and letting the things come to him.” 

Trepagnier missed the first three games of the season with a hairline fracture in his left foot then served a nine-game suspension for violating athletic department rules. 

Trepagnier, in just his eighth game of the season, shut down California guards Shantay Legans and Donte Smith. 

“I just had to get in where I fit in,” Trepagnier said. “I couldn’t just come in and try to force things.” 

Legans scored 15 points for the Bears but sat out almost 12 minutes of the first half after picking up his second foul against Trepagnier at the 14-minute mark. Legan’s backup, Smith, missed all five of his shots and committed three turnovers. 

Sean Lampley matched his career high with 29 points to lead California, which lost at home for the first time this season. The Bears (15-6, 6-3 Pac-10) had won their first 11 games at Haas Pavilion this year, and 14 consecutive dating to last season. 

Lampley was the only California player who didn’t struggle against USC, which was coming off a 77-71 loss to top-ranked Stanford on Thursday — a game the Trojans led by seven at one stretch. 

Against the Bears, USC (16-5, 6-3) had no such letdown. 

The Trojans, led by Sam Clancy’s 25 points, jumped to an early lead and never looked back, recording 12 steals and forcing the Bears into 21 turnovers. 

The Trojans led 39-27 at halftime then broke the game open with an 18-3 run to start the second half. 

Center Brian Scalabrine scored 15 points for the Trojans and moved into ninth place on USC’s career scoring list. He needs just 62 points to move past Gus Williams into eighth place. 

Lampley said California’s problem was that it hadn’t gotten over beating UCLA 92-63 on Thursday. 

“The whole thing was we were satisfied with the win against UCLA and came out thinking (USC) was going to lay down and die,” said Lampley, who had 16 points in the first half. “To me, this is one of the best teams we’ve played. This team is a good team. They played ball tonight.” 

Bears coach Ben Braun agreed. 

“Any time you have a hint of complacency, just a hint, that’s the result of what happens,” Braun said. “Our players clearly didn’t have that urgency early and when we tried to pick it up it was too late.”


City Council considers power help for the poor

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Monday February 05, 2001

Utility Allowance may jump to between 25 and 40 percent for Section 8 recipients 

 

The Berkeley Housing Authority will consider raising the utility allowance for Section 8 and public housing families at its meeting Tuesday Feb. 6. 

There are 1,400 units of Housing and Urban Development Section 8 housing and another 75 units of public housing in Berkeley that pay 30 percent of family income for rent and utilities.City Manager Weldon Rucker has recommended the BHA increase the utility allowance for these families because they are the most vulnerable in the current energy crisis that has caused increases in gas and electricity rates. 

The BHA is required by federal law to maintain a utility allowance for its rental housing subsidies, according to the written recommendation. The regulations also require the BHA to review the allowance each year and increase or decrease it according to utility costs. 

The raise in the utility allowance will be between 25 and 40 percent, according to the written recommendation. The allowance will be increased according to whether the house or apartment uses electric of gas appliances. 

The rough estimate for two bedroom apartments is a monthly increase from $80 to $100, according to Director of Housing Stephen Barton. 


Forney’s layup gives Bears a big victory

Daily Planet Wire Services
Monday February 05, 2001

Cal women beat UCLA to end SoCal road trip 

 

The Cal women’s basketball team won in thrilling fashion, 58-57, over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday. Cal forward Ami Forney scored on a layup after taking an inbounds pass from Courtney Johnson under the Golden Bear basket with 3.5 seconds on the clock to provide the visitors with the winning margin.  

UCLA’s Kristee Porter misfired on a running shot from just outside the Bruin free throw line as the final buzzer sounded.  

Cal built a 32-21 halftime advantage after holding the Bruins to just two points over the final 4:08 of the period, while breaking a 19-all tie with a 13-2 run.  

In the second half, the Golden Bears upped their margin to 38-23 with16:17 to play on a basket by guard Kenya Corley. UCLA stepped up its defense and held Cal scoreless for almost six minutes, until 10:33 remained on the clock, and narrowed the margin to 38-36 on a layin by center Malika Leatham.  

The Bruin momentum helped them to take their biggest lead of the game at 47-42, with 5:51 on the clock. Corley then hit a three-point shot for Cal to break the ice and narrow the gap to 47-45.  

After the teams tied at 47-all with 4:52 to play, there were seven lead changes down the stretch. Brook Coulter’s three-point shot for Cal put the Bears ahead 56-54 with 59 seconds to play. UCLA’s Michelle Greco answered by hitting a pair of free throws at the 35 second mark to tie the game at 56.  

Natalie Nakase forced a Bear turnover on the next possession and was fouled with 20 seconds on the clock. Nakase made the first attempt but missed the second of the two-shot bonus situation, and Cal grabbed the rebound for a final chance at a win.  

The Bears failed to connect on an outside shot on the following possession, but managed to get the rebound. Their attempt at a follow shot was blocked out of bounds by UCLA’s Whitney Jones with five seconds on the clock, setting the stage for Forney’s game-winner.  

Greco led UCLA, now 3-17, 2-7, with 18 points for the game. Corley paced Cal with a game-high 25 points.


Berkeley doctor on call for philanthropy

By Mary Barrett Special to the Daily Planet
Monday February 05, 2001

Dr. Davida Coady lives in the home her family bought, in 1965, high in the Berkeley hills. A lemon tree laden with fruit graces the front window, birds cruise a painted bird house and a piano stands ready. It is a place full of light and calm where one could escape the world. Instead the visitor is led straight into the heart of what matters. 

Coady is on the phone arranging delivery of a donated stove to a “shelter plus care” home she’s just opening in Oakland. Her gigantic coffee table is piled high with envelopes stamped “San Carlos Foundation.” A glossy of Martin Sheen, bright eyed and presidential, has been reproduced for a fund-raising mailing. She has just returned from Bangladesh, where she traveled as a medical consultant and now, as always, she has no time to lose. The fund raiser is scheduled for February 10, yet hundreds of details must be pinned down. There is no doubt that they will be, but even Coady is beginning to feel stretched. 

Coady has, in spades, what many of us are searching for — an unflagging sense of purpose. And if one devotion isn’t all consuming, she directs her intense energies to another. She embodies the concept that one person can make a difference. Then she reaches out to others and incorporates them in her plans, to make an even bigger difference.  

Trained as a doctor at Columbia Medical School and Harvard’s School of Public Health, her interest in pediatrics and nutrition has led her to a life long involvement with world wide health issues. When she was not yet 30, Coady traveled to Biafra to offer help for famine relief. Stunned by the “lines and lines of starving people,” she testified before the U.S. Congress underscoring the need for immediate help. Years later, in Thailand, she witnessed a bus of 30 refugees arriving from Cambodia — 28 of whom were already dead. 

Despite desperate conditions, Coady continues to consult  

with dozens and dozens of international agencies and has used her expertise to relieve people’s suffering, especially children’s.  

“I’m most interested in training village health workers,” she said. 

Coady serves as a consultant to countries sunk in war. In fact, she was so deeply involved in Central America during its war that she was accused of smuggling drugs. Ironically, she admits she was — the drugs were burn ointments and antibiotics she housed in her garage and shipped to people in “sanctuary” protection. 

Coady believes health is a right, not a privilege. While teaching at UCLA’s medical school, she urged students to get involved with the poor to become more compassionate doctors. 

Hollywood people came to her for medical information about international travel. Martin Sheen sought her advice when he and his family were going to Nairobi and she was on her way to Uganda. Sheen was profoundly interested in her work and contributed the money from his role in the film “Gandhi” to Coady’s group. 

After Archbishop Romero was killed in El Salvador, Coady set up a health program in the Honduran camps for El Salvadorian refugees. In 1984, she and Sheen set up their own foundation. It was during Reagan’s presidency and they had to be careful as, she said, “things were kind of dicey.”  

They gave it what they considered a fairly establishment name, San Carlos, which was actually the name of the street in El Cerrito where Coady lived. They researched St. Charles to make sure he didn’t do anything contrary to their beliefs. (St. Charles in fact was a wealthy man devoted to the poor. The rich, however, hated him because he made them feel selfish.) Coady said it puzzled her that the Nicaraguans they worked with always liked the name San Carlos until she discovered they thought it was a code name for Karl Marx. 

The non-profit San Carlos Foundation has no paid staff. All money raised goes straight to volunteers in Central America and the Caribbean who provide health and educational assistance to refugees and others living in extreme poverty. Since its inception, The San Carlos Foundation has supported over 96 volunteers including doctors, nurses, engineers, lawyers and teachers.  

Grants of $6,000 a year are awarded to people like Ann Hastings, who created an Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor in Haiti, and Nancy McGirr, a photographer from San Francisco. McGirr teaches photography to children in Guatemala. Together they published a book called “Out of the Dump,” full of stories and photos the children created. Another volunteer, Kurt Miron, a mechanic who can fix anything, loaded his back pack with tools and wandered from village to village in Guatemala teaching people to fix everything from corn grinders to bikes and trucks. 

Coady has an upbeat faith in her ability to affect change and she takes her ideas dead seriously. The full weight of her intelligence, stamina and drive stands behind her ideas. As she turned 56, though, she realized how strongly she wanted to contribute right here in Berkeley. She looked around for a “piece that was missing” and founded Options. 

While “moonlighting” at Children’s Hospital to support her trips consulting, she saw many abused children. During that time, she saw that parent’s addictions were not treated — a significant intervention she felt was missing because those addictions led them to be abusive.  

Over a period of several years, Coady developed a comprehensive program that works with the Berkeley court system to treat alcoholics and drug addicts who are arrested. Options, housed at the Veterans Memorial building across from the Court House in downtown Berkeley, is free and immediately accessible to everybody.  

Options is a daily program that provides a half day recovery program, several Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings weekly as well as Step Stay discussions (12-Step discussions). Options provides nitty-gritty support, too, including driving people to the DMV to get IDs. IDs are required to enter a residential treatment program. Many of the people the courts send to Options have never had IDs of any kind.  

“Less than 10 percent have,” Coady said. “They started drinking at the age of five and six and were never sober enough to get licenses.”  

Options operates on the model of clean and sober, as opposed to the harm reduction model of methadone treatment or “learning to drink in moderation.” It is devoted to hard core “bad” addicts, of whom sixty percent are homeless. The reality Coady experiences in her Options work is that most of the clients make great progress. That motivates her and the Options staff, some of whom are former clients. 

Her deep regard for those who struggle most is obvious when she stops on University Avenue and Milvia Street to talk to a homeless panhandler and invites him to join her at Options. She engages him in conversation, the same man that most pedestrians have walked a wide swath around. She is unable to convince him, but she will try again. Coady is tenacious, a close friend jokes she is like a “fox terrier.” Where others might see impossibilities, she sees endless potential.  

 

Join Davida Coady and Martin Sheen at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St., Berkeley on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. for a conversation with Martin Sheen — “The West Wing Meets the East Bay.” Call 843-2244 for more information. 


Jackson caps Cal’s ninth-inning comeback

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Monday February 05, 2001

Shaking off a rough third inning and a clutch home run by their opponent, the Cal baseball team scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Santa Clara in the Bears’ home opener at Evans Diamond on Saturday. 

Cal left fielder Curtis Johnson got his only hit of the day, a double down the third base line, to drive in Brian Horowitz to tie the game, then scored on pinch-hitter Noah Jackson’s looping drive that landed just inside the right field line to win the game for the Bears in dramatic fashion. 

The Bears had gone behind in the top of the ninth when Santa Clara third baseman Pat Peavey crushed a two-out drive over the left field wall off of Cal reliever David Cash. Peavey’s clout would have been a two-run homer, but Jack Headley took too wide a turn at first base on his leadoff single, and Cal right fielder Rob Meyer gunned him down heading back to the bag. 

Meyer provided some offensive heroics of his own in the seventh inning, hitting a bomb that landed on top of the Recreational Sports Facility that rises three stories above the left field fence to tie the game at 2-2. 

The Bears were kept in the game by starting pitcher Ryan Atkinson’s outstanding outing. The junior righty gave up just two runs in seven innings, both in the top of the third. Matt Miller hit a double off of Cal third baseman Conor Jackson’s glove, and was driven home by a double by DH Joe Diefenderfer. Headley followed with a scorcher that Bear second baseman Carson White couldn’t handle, and Diefenderfer came around to score. 

Atkinson went on to set down the next 13 Gaels before being pulled in the eighth inning. 

“The key for us today was Ryan Atkinson giving us seven strong innings,” said Cal coach David Esquer. “Santa Clara did a good job of holding us down offensively, and when you do that, you are capable of beating anyone. We did have some guys come off the bench and produce. Brian Horwitz and Noah Jackson got big hits for us, as well as Curtis Johnson getting a key hit and a stolen base.” 

Johnson’s clutch hit was a long time coming, as he left a man on third base in the second inning and two men on base in the fourth. He stole third base after his RBI double, and Santa Clara intentionally walked David Weiner, loading the bases and setting up Jackson’s hit.


UC to study high-tech society with Finnish researchers

Daily Planet Wire Report
Monday February 05, 2001

Researchers from one of the world's most technologically-advanced countries, Finland, and researchers at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) and the University of California, Berkeley, will launch a collaboration to spark new discoveries in computer science, e-commerce, intellectual property rights and the sociology of theinformation society.  

The research agreement, announced Thursday, Feb. 1 at noon, will open the doors for Finnish researchers to spend a year or more in the Berkeley research community engaging in studies to propel innovation in the interest of society.  

“This is the beginning of something that will benefit the research community and society as a whole,” said Nelson Morgan, ICSI director and a UC Berkeley professor. 

The collaboration is being sponsored by the National Technology Agency of Finland (TEKES), a top funding agency for applied research and development in Finland. TEKES and industry giants like Nokia Corp. and Sonera Group, a Finnish telecommunications provider, have led the way in bringing technology to Finnish consumers.  

To continue this tradition of innovation, TEKES sought a partnership with the UC Berkeley-affiliated ICSI, an independent, non-profit basic research organization dedicated to fundamental questions in computer science and engineering. For Finnish researchers, part of their attraction to UC Berkeley was the work of sociology professor Manuel Castells, a renowned expert on the impact of information technology on society. Castells is a UC Berkeley professor of sociology and city and regional planning.  

“This initiative kind of got started because of Castells' interest in the Finnish knowledge society,” said Henri Grundsten, of the TEKES office in San Jose.  

For ICSI and UC Berkeley researchers, the collaboration provides numerous opportunities tolearn how Finnish technologists and entrepreneurs function. “There are lessons to be learnedfrom the way the Scandinavian countries do it,” said J. Richard Beer, executive director of the Fisher Center for the Strategic Use of Information Technology at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. He hopes to retain a Finnish researcher in his work on entrepreneurial aspects of technology. “In some ways,” said Beer, “they are further along than the U.S.”  

One of the goals of the collaboration is to learn more about how technology affects human beings and their interactions. “We (American society and Finnish society) are working on similar problems in terms of the impact of technology on social and economic life,” said Hal Varian, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Information Management & Systems. “These questions involve economic, business, legal and technological considerations, and UC Berkeley is a leader in all four areas.” 

The research projects include:  

• Creation of a portable digital tape recorder that uses robust speech recognition to create indexed and annotated text for archiving meetings  

• The design of regulations and technologies to protect intellectual property rights for digital movies, books and other electronic information.  

• A project to discover how the human brain acquires language and how these results can be applied to designing more intelligent computer systems.


Davis hangs tough, but fall to Bears

Staff
Monday February 05, 2001

The Bears cruised to a 51-19 victory over Davis Saturday. The victory part was good. The cruising part was not. 

“Full marks to Davis. We were outplayed in the second half,” said Cal head coach Jack Clark. “Our work rate was not there today.” 

The Cal team got off to a fast start with a try to wing Cameron Bunce in the 3rd minute, as the Bears exploited the shortside from a scrum 40 meters out. They followed up quickly with fullback Dave Guest stepping through Davis’ goalline defense. His try was set up by center Mike Bonetto who had bulled his way through the midfield on the previous phase - a sight that became familiar throughout the afternoon. 

The Bears, however, seemed a little complacent with their lead, and Davis were unlucky to not get on the board in the first half with several attacking forays stymied just short of the line. The Aggies also proved competitive in the scrum, and played stout defense. While Cal were well clear on the scoreboard by halftime, Davis increasingly dominated possession as the game progressed, eventually outscoring Cal in the second period. 

The Cal side will need to shake off their lethargy next week when the University of British Columbia makes their annual pilgrimage to Berkeley. The Canadian team is usually one of Cal’s tougher opponents. 

The Cal second side also won Saturday, 53-0.


New president to lead theological union in Berkeley

Daily Planet staff report
Monday February 05, 2001

Dr. James A. Donahue a scholar, ethicist and administrator at Georgetown University has accepted the leadership role of president of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.  

Donahue was a former Dean of Students and Professor of Theology and Ethics at Georgetown and will be inaugurated on Feb. 15. 

During his inauguration, Donahue will unveil his strategic plan for a new interfaith GTU. That plan entails a enriched development of Jewish studies and increased attention to Asian religions, as well as a new focus on Islam.  

The GTU began as an experiment in ecumenical cooperation in 1962. The consortium consists of nine schools of theology representing the Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, institutes of Jewish, Buddhist and Orthodox studies and seven research centers. The GTU works collaboratively with UC Berkeley and is the home of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library. 

Donahue has published widely in the field and provided ethics conultations to businesses and nonprofits. His research intrests have focused on the intersection of theoretical and practical ethics, virtues and practices in the moral life and issues of organizational and professional ethics. 

Donahue received a Ph.D. in religious social ethics from the GTU in 1984. From 1977 to 1985, he held teaching posts at the GTU, the Pacific School of Religion and at Santa Clara University. From 1985 to 2000, he was the professor of theology and social ethics at Georgetown University.


California not living up to its green reputation, experts say

By Michelle Locke Associated Press Writer
Monday February 05, 2001

Environment-friendly policies don’t always get results; SUVs and huge homes eat up power, contribute to current power shortage 

 

BERKELEY – You know the image of California as a tree-hugging, conservation-minded state. But how green, really, is our Silicon Valley — and the rest of the Golden State? 

Not very, say some. 

“California’s not green,” says Robert L. Thayer, professor of environmental design at the University of California, Davis. “While there’s quite a bit of technological innovation and quite a countercultural green movement, it doesn’t succeed very far in overcoming the momentum of business inertia.” 

California is a standard-bearer for environment-friendly policies, setting strict energy efficient standards for homes and workplaces. But it’s also the land of SUVs and starter-castles built on the far reaches of exurbia — energy intensive lifestyles that have become more conspicuous as power supplies falter. 

“Every day when I go to the gym, I’m sort of stunned at the population of big SUVs that nice suburban women are driving. We’re not talking about a little Jimmy or a Blazer. We’re talking about the big ’uns,” says V. John White, director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies in Sacramento. “People in California have assumed a right to a certain amount of comfort and mobility.” 

White and others note that California does require low-energy buildings and appliances, and low-emission automobiles. 

“We have a lot more renewable energy than any other state. We have much more efficient use of energy in our houses and our offices,” says Timothy Duane, a UC Berkeley professor serving as senior policy adviser to the state. 

Energy use per capita has been going up, but not dramatically. Californians used about 7,000 kilowatt hours per year in 1980, compared to about 7,700 kilowatt hours last year, according to California Energy Commission numbers crunched by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

In 1997, California ranked 47th of the 50 states in energy consumption per capita — only Rhode Island, New York and Hawaii were lower. However, California’s mostly temperate climate has to be taken into account. 

Still, there is the matter of those SUVs, which make up an estimated 30 percent of the California market. 

Last week, the state Air Resources Board scaled back, for the third time, a program to put electric vehicles on California roads. 

There’s also the shaky green power system; the power crunch has underscored the major utilities’ decision six years ago to block a proposal forcing them to contract with independent producers relying heavily on wind, solar and other renewable resources. 

California still has more renewable energy and green initiatives than other states. The problem is that’s not saying a lot, says Daniel Kammen, associate professor of energy and society in UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group. 

Meanwhile, a predilection for large, single-family homes has pushed development ever deeper into erstwhile farmland; two-hour, one-way commutes are not uncommon. 

“Urban sprawl and unplanned growth is, I think, the biggest single area where Californians have really demonstrated a brown thumb,” Kammen says. “No matter how efficient you are with putting a compact fluorescent light in your house or giving $10 a month to the Sierra Club, are you going to be able to offset the adverse effects of your commuting five days a week?” 

Putting energy efficient lights in a 5,000-square-foot home, Kammen notes, is on par with “going into McDonald’s and buying four Big Macs and a Diet Coke.” 

Why is it so hard being green? 

“Self-interest is a powerful force,” says Daniel McFadden, a Berkeley economist who shared a Nobel last year for his research developing theories on how people work and live. 

“People can feel very warmly about the environment and have very good intentions toward the environment, but when they’re confronted with their day-to-day economics they rarely have to face the choice that the SUV that they buy is going to mean a little more air pollution or a few less trees alive,” McFadden says. 

“If people were really as green as they say they are, they would be taking this extra income and putting it into the Nature Conservancy,” he says. “Instead, they go out and build a second home.”


Energy-efficient products selling at record pace

By Greg Risling Associated Press Writer
Monday February 05, 2001

Californians looking to save power and money; products flying off store shelves 

 

LOS ANGELES – Home improvement and hardware stores across the state are selling energy-efficient products at a record pace this year, signaling that Californians are willing to spend a little more to lower their power use — and their electric bills. 

Cold temperatures and the repeated threat of rolling blackouts this month have prompted consumers to invest in fluorescent lightbulbs, insulation and weather stripping. 

Fluorescent bulbs, which typically last 10 times longer than incandescent lights, have been the hottest seller. Home Depot reports a 66 percent increase in the sale of fluorescent bulbs at its California stores during January compared to the same time period last year. 

Michael Moore, an assistant manager at a Lowe’s store in Fresno, said he recently had to double the order amounts for the bulbs, which sell for $10 to $15. 

“We can’t keep them in stock,” Moore said. “In the past, we could keep about 100 fluorescent bulbs on the shelves for about a month. Now, it’s a matter of days before we sell out.” 

Smaller, independent hardware stores across the state also are having a surge in sales. Garth Smith, who runs Dale Hardware in Fremont, said customers have been asking more questions about energy conservation in recent weeks. 

“It boils down to economics,” Smith said. “A lot of people want to know what they can do conserve energy because they want to cut their electricity bills.” 

In case the increased conservation fails to stave out rolling blackouts, more people also are buying portable generators, which average between $400 and $750 and can provide enough juice to power household appliances during a blackout. 

Costco stores in California saw generator sales rise 300 percent from January 2000 to January 2001, and Home Depot reports a 85 percent increase for the same period. 

“The generators are more of an emergency type of product whereas the energy conservation items are being bought because people are trying to save money,” said Home Depot spokesman Chuck Sifuentes. 

The deluge of questions about energy-efficient products has prompted Home Depot to offer free, one-hour clinics for homeowners every weekend through the end of March. The “how-to” clinics demonstrate cost-saving measures and help customers learn more about their homes. 

Ofelia Lerma was busy jotting notes at a Home Depot clinic in Monrovia on Sunday. The 75-year-old Pasadena resident has a $300 bi-monthly electricity bill that she expects will drop significantly once she spends $300 to $600 to blanket her attic and basement with insulation. 

“If I can reduce my electricity bill, I am certainly going to try,” she said. “I think in the long run we will save more money by making the improvements rather than what we pay now for electricity.” 

Other people say they have changed their ways since the state’s power crisis began last year. Jack Stephanian, who also attended the clinic, said he used to leave the lights on most of the day in his La Canada-Flintridge home. 

Now he’s focusing more on reducing his home’s power use by installing new windows that reduce heat loss and purchasing a more energy-efficient refrigerator. 

“I got a $50 rebate back from my utility company,” he said. “If you own a home, you are going to have to invest money for upkeep. Buying products that will cut your energy bills seem like a smart decision.”


Volunteers, authorities say search for Xiana’s killer to continue

The Associated Press
Monday February 05, 2001

DNA evidence proves that skull found in Santa Cruz Mountains is hers; search for kidnappers still ongoing 

 

VALLEJO – With a 7-year-old girl confirmed dead after more than a year of hope for her safe return, volunteers and authorities are steeling their resolve and seeking justice for those responsible for the crime. 

The death of Xiana Fairchild, missing since Dec. 9 1999, was confirmed Saturday at a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s department news conference. The DNA test results on a child’s skull found in the Santa Cruz Mountains confirmed the bone fragments belonged to Fairchild. 

The medical examiner’s report indicated Fairchild died of “homicidal violence.” Now authorities will try to determine who killed the girl and why. Volunteers who searched tirelessly for Fairchild over the past year want someone held accountable. 

“I really wanted her home alive,” said Deena May, a volunteer who spent nearly every Saturday searching for Fairchild, a child she never knew. She said she wants answers about the death. “Until I know why, it’s not going to sink in. It still feels like she’s missing” 

Kim Swartz, whose daughter Amber has been missing for 13 years, also wants to know who killed Fairchild. 

“That brings us one step closer. We now have Xiana. We know she was murdered. Now we just have to figure out who it is (the suspect),” Swartz said. 

Vallejo police said the discovery creates no new suspects, but among those under suspicion in Fairchild’s disappearance are her mother, Antoinette Robinson, and Robinson’s boyfriend, Robert Turnbough. 

Turnbough initially told police he had left the girl at a bus stop, but later changed his story to say she walked alone to catch the bus. Vallejo police never labeled Turnbough a suspect, but did say he had been under “a cloud of suspicion” because of his conflicting tales. 

“From the very day that Xiana disappeared we got conflicting stories from her mother and her mother’s boyfriend,” said Vallejo police chief Robert Nichelini. 

Fairchild’s kidnapping case revived interest recently when a man in jail for allegedly abducting one girl began telling reporters he was also responsible for Fairchild’s disappearance. 

Curtis Dean Anderson told Fairchild’s great-aunt that the girl was still alive and he knew of her whereabouts. The latest findings contrast Anderson’s accounts. 

“At this stage of the investigation there is no evidence of links to Anderson to this case,” said Capt. Brian Beck of Santa Clara County investigative services. “We’re all aware of his notoriety and his discussions with the press, but that does constitute evidence.” 

Anderson is charged with kidnapping an 8-year-old Vallejo girl last August. The girl managed to escape when Anderson allegedly left her in his car unattended. 

Anderson’s attorney, Carl Spieckerman, said jail officials have told him his client was going to be transferred from Solano County to Santa Clara County where Fairchild’s skull was found Jan. 19 by a construction worker. 

“They’re going to book him,” Spieckerman said. “And I believe he’s going to be charged with something in connection with this case.”


Thousands flocking to woman’s home hoping to witness miracles

The Associated Press
Monday February 05, 2001

UNION CITY – Inside the modest home of Cora Lorenzo, where she claims mysterious oils appear on small religious statues and crucifixes, the real miracle may be that she can squeeze in all the visitors. 

Thousands of devout Catholics have heard about the oil said to flow from objects in Lorenzo’s home and they’ve made long journeys to see if indeed a miracle is occurring 

“People just keep coming,” Lorenzo said. “It just keeps growing, and growing, and growing and growing. One person will make an appointment for 20 visitors, and 75 show up.” 

So many visitors in fact that there is hardly any room for Lorenzo’s neighbors anymore. 

“Parking is horrible,” said neighbor Joe Hernandez. “There’s constant litter and noise late at night. The neighbors are fed up with it.” 

The congestion in the area is so bad some of those who live on Lorenzo’s street are considering passing around a petition indicating that the area is not zoned for a church. 

Lorenzo says the oil began appearing in 1995. A small cup she bought in Lourdes, France dried up one evening. But the next morning a sweet-smelling oily liquid had taken the place of the holy water. 

At first Lorenzo thought perhaps her husband or son put the oil in the cup. 

They denied doing so. 

Now strangers from as far away as Australia, Nigeria, Holland and Indonesia drop by the Lorenzo home to witness what many of them call a miracle. 

Patricia Wu of Daly City came by to rub some of the oil on the head of her 4-year-old son, hoping that such an application would do something to alleviate the condition that covered the boy’s body with small red bumps. 

After dabbing the boy with the oil the bumps began to vanish almost immediately, Wu said. 

“I’m religious and I believe in miracles,” Wu told the Mercury News. “But my husband says, ‘No, this just happened.’ Men are hard to believe in these kinds of things.” 

Another woman said her prayers in hopes of a better job were answered within 24 hours, because the praying was done in Lorenzo’s home where the oil flows so freely. 

Skeptics aren’t so impressed by Lorenzo’s purported miracle oils and say other similar claims have proven less than miraculous. 

Joe Nickell, a writer for the Skeptical Inquirer magazine, says olive oil drizzled onto religious objects can stay fresh for weeks and those who own the items seldom allow the objects to be examined. 

A television crew that examined “blood” dripping from a Virgin Mary statue in Quebec 15 years ago found the substance to be pork drippings. Two years ago in Kansas, blood said to weep from a plaque of Mary turned out to be that of the icon’s owner. 

A spokeswoman for the Oakland Diocese, Barbara Flannery, says there’s nothing wrong with Lorenzo’s “miracles” as long as Lorenzo isn’t asking for money or donations. 

“It sounds like nothing that she is doing is outside the teaching of the church,” Flannery said. “She’s probably doing a lot of good.”


Bay Briefs

Monday February 05, 2001

Former schools superintendent gave his girlfriend district contract 

EMERYVILLE — The former schools superintendent of Emeryville awarded his girlfriend a lucrative contract as his district fell deeper in debt, a newspaper reported Sunday. 

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that former schools chief J.L. Handy paid his girlfriend Jean Cross $213,000 to write grants and fill out reimbursement forms from 1998 to last May. 

Cross was also awarded 10 percent of every grant she brought in to the schools. 

The grant writing duties are typically performed by school principals without such incentives. 

Handy resigned as Emeryville schools chief in October and is under investigation for using school funds for personal expenses. 

 

Man arrested for battering  

anti-abortion protestors 

SANTA CRUZ — A man was arrested Saturday for battery against anti-abortion protesters. 

A 37-year-old transient named James Wilson was arrested after he punched and kicked two members of Voice For Life, an anti-abortion group that was protesting in front of Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center. 

The sheriff’s office said Wilson also took out a knife and told one protester he was going to stab him. 

 

Building owners paying tenants money to leave apartments 

SAN FRANCISCO — A growing number of renters are being paid big bucks to leave their apartments. 

Some building owners want to start charging more money for their rental space, and getting the old tenants out is the only way to do it. 

Rent-control has forced landlord and building owners to offer thousands of dollars to apartment dwellers paying low rents. One woman who lived in the same Pacific Heights apartment for the past eight years was given $26,500 to vacate her apartment. 

Evictions haven’t slowed up either. The city’s Rent Board recorded about 20 evictions in December under the Ellis Act, the law that allows landlords to stop renting the apartment to get rid of their tenants.


Wireless revolution turning to voice portals

By Michael Liedtke The Associated Press
Monday February 05, 2001

Cellphones can connect users to lots of information 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – Adam Burg used to lug his laptop computer to the mountains on his frequent skiing trips so he could log on to the Internet and check the latest weather reports. 

Now all he needs is his cellphone. 

With a phone call to a toll-free number, Burg, 27, simply asks for the latest weather report wherever he is and is told in a matter of seconds. 

If he wants to locate a nearby Chinese restaurant or find out what’s playing at nearby movie theaters, he can find that out too by just speaking a few words into the phone. 

Burg, a hard-driving technology worker, uses Tellme Networks, one of several free, voice-activated services known as “voice portals” that use voice recognition software to retrieve and translate information from the Internet. 

Taking their cues from spoken words, the services dispense stock quotes, horoscopes, driving directions, sports scores and other widely sought information over any telephone. 

“For a mobile person like me, it’s very useful,” Burg, of San Francisco, said before catching a flight to New York. “I already take my cellphone and Palm Pilot everywhere I go, so it’s nice not to have to haul my laptop, too, just so I can get on the Internet.” 

Tellme and rivals BeVocal and HeyAnita aren’t just designed to appeal to on-the-go, technology-savvy consumers. They also aim to attract the millions of people who aren’t computer literate. 

The services have become a valuable tool for blind people including Brent Bacome of Hanford, Calif., who finds it much easier to call BeVocal than to try to fetch information from the Web using special equipment that “reads” words aloud from a computer. 

“It’s been marvelous for me. It seems to understand me better than a lot of people do,” said Bacome, 47, a teacher’s aide who uses the portal for everything from news reports to locating the closest Starbucks coffee house. 

With an estimated 2 billion phones in use worldwide, building a voice portal seemed like a no-brainer to Tellme CEO Mike McCue, who helped popularize the Web browser as a vice president of technology at Netscape Communication. 

After leaving Netscape in early 1999, McCue, 33, invested more than $1 million of his Netscape nest egg and set out to develop an easily accessible information source that would be appealing to computer-adverse people — including his mother in Indianapolis, who he says now dials TellMe’s access number more frequently than he does. 

“Once you use it a few times, you quickly understand how easy it is,” said his mother, Lucy McCue Allan, 60. 

McCue’s mom isn’t the only one impressed with his company. Venture capitalists so far have invested $238 million in Mountain View-based Tellme. 

Although there remain far more Web surfers than voice portal pioneers, the service providers are quickly expanding their reach. 

Both Tellme and Sunnyvale-based BeVocal are accessible nationwide and provide business directories and driving directions that cover virtually the entire country. Tellme’s billboards are plastered on the sides of New York City buses. And it is developing plans to expand to Europe. 

Talking to a portal isn’t like having a normal conversation. The portals only recognize certain words. The limited vocabulary means users have to know each system’s keywords to navigate quickly. 

The voice portals also have trouble making out words in a noisy environment, or amid the static of a wireless phone. 

When talking on a clear phone line, the portals are fairly simple to use. Navigating around Tellme requires saying just one or two words, such as “driving directions,” or “restaurants,” and the voice prompts guide you the rest of the way. Get lost and the command “Tellme menu” takes you back to the auditory equivalent of a home page. 

Regular callers can also create a “favorites” list that makes it easy to go directly to specific information. 

As work continues on new software and applications, voice portals created for consumers and businesses are expected to become big business. 

The voice portal industry is expected to grow from $2 billion in 2000 to $12 billion in 2005, with a projected 128 million callers, according to the Kelsey Group. 

As privately held companies, the all-purpose portals don’t disclose how many people use their services. 

The Kelsey Group estimates users at slightly more than 1 million. Another 3 million are believed to use more specialized portal services that translate e-mail messages and perform other specific tasks. 

“There is still a lot of evolution that needs to take place,” said Kelsey analyst Mark Plakias. “A lot of what we are seeing now won’t be around in a few years. The portals today are where the Web was back in 1995.” 

The potential market for voice portals is spurring more Webmasters to encode the content on their sites with “Voice XML,” computer code that can be translated into English by voice browsers. 

Meantime, a San Francisco company, VocalPoint Technologies, has developed a technology that can read HTML, the computer code behind the Web, and convert it into voice applications for businesses that want to create their own portals. 

For now, Tellme and BeVocal are just trying to build a mass market of customers that will entice businesses to advertise on their services. 

Both portals are still in their infancy. Tellme’s phone lines opened in April 2000 and BeVocal began accepting calls in June 2000. 

Over the long haul, though, the companies hope to do much more than provide consumers with a new way to extract information from the Internet. Ultimately, they want to morph into the launching pad for the phone calls of the future. 

“We want to become ’Dialtone 2.0,”’ McCue said. 

In this scenario, voice portals essentially would supplant the telephone keypad for placing calls. 

Instead of punching in numbers to place a call, people simply would pick up a phone and announce the name of a person or business. Business calls might be answered by another automated system. 

As McCue sees it, this is the ultimate “killer application” for portals — free directory assistance that finds a business or person for a caller, then connects them. The company plans to make money from referral fees paid by businesses. 

It’s an ambitious game plan that the portal start-ups know they won’t be able to execute by themselves. 

Already, BeVocal has licensed its technology to wireless phone carriers Sprint and Qwest so they can provide voice portals to their subscribers. 

Even more wireless phone alliances are in the works, said C. Mikael Berner, CEO of BeVocal, which is backed by $46 million in venture capital. 

“We strongly believe every wireless carrier in the U.S. will have some kind of voice (portal) by the end of this year,” said Berner, whose company also operates its own publicly accessible portal. 

Tellme’s backers include AT&T, which invested $60 million. Eventually, says McCue, his company may well end up a business partner with Yahoo and America Online, which last fall introduced telephone portals of their own.


Older taxpayers can get breaks – and help finding them

By Curt Anderson The Associated Press
Monday February 05, 2001

Senior citizens can have complex tax issues, but also different rules 

 

WASHINGTON – America’s tax law is meant to apply equally to people of all ages, but there are some special considerations that older taxpayers should keep in mind when tax filing season rolls around — and some places they can get tailor-made help. 

First off, people age 65 and older have higher income thresholds to determine whether they have to file a tax return. They also get a higher standard deduction. But they can frequently have a perplexing income picture that includes Social Security benefits, health costs, retirement plan distributions and pension payouts. 

Anna Maria Galdieri, a certified public accountant in Oakland, said one of the biggest obstacles for many of her older clients is grasping all of the complexities involved. 

“The problem is that people are so fearful of the IRS, they tend to just close up,” she said. “Particularly as people age, their ability to tolerate these things is limited.” 

For those who might have trouble affording professional help, the AARP offers a free tax service under a $3 million grant from the IRS. The service provides 31,000 volunteers at 10,000 sites around the country, as well as help via the Internet and free electronic tax filing. 

The average customer at AARP Tax Aide, as the service is known, is a woman age 65 or over with $20,000 or less in income per year. “Those are people who can least afford to pay for their tax returns,” said Sabrina Reilly, national communications coordinator for the program. 

People can find an AARP site near them by calling 1 (888) 227-7669 beginning Jan. 15 or by checking on the Web at http://www.aarp.org. 

For taxpayers doing their own returns, the IRS offers Publication 554 with information geared toward older Americans. Some highlights: 

— Social Security or railroad retirement benefits can be taxable. To figure this out, the IRS says to add one-half of total benefits with all other income, excluding such things as interest from U.S. savings bonds or adoption benefits.  

If the total is higher than the income threshold for your filing status, then taxes may be owed. 

“You can get in a situation where you add a little more income and that increases how much Social Security payments are included in income,” Galdieri said. “You can be paying a dollar in taxes for every dollar you add in income.” 

— To deduct medical expenses, taxpayers must itemize and costs must top 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. Some long-term insurance care premiums may be included, as well as costs of a long-term care provider. 

Still, for many lower-income seniors, the deduction threshold is too high to make much difference. “It doesn’t make sense to think that these are appropriate levels,” Galdieri said. 

— The Credit for the Elderly or Disabled, a maximum of $1,125, is available for many people over age 65 as well as younger people who are “permanently and totally” disabled. The credit is subject to certain income limits. IRS Publication 524 has all the details. 

— Traditional individual retirement account distributions are generally taxable the year they are received. But non-traditional IRAs, such as a Roth IRA or a SIMPLE IRA, have different rules. Also, premature IRA distrubutions before age 59 1/2 can be subject to an additional 10 percent tax. On the other hand, most traditional IRAs require distributions or withdrawals at at 70 1/2. IRS Publication 590 sorts it all out. 

— Pension and annuity distributions are also taxable, except for the share of contributions made by the taxpayer. There are different rules governing annuities and pensions before and after 1987. IRS Publication 575 is available to help determine what’s taxable and what’s not. 

— Military retirement pay that’s based on length of service or age generally must be included in a taxpayer’s gross income. But military pay based on disability from active armed forces service is generally exempt from tax, and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits also are not included as income.


Alternative minimum tax is becoming more common

By Curt Anderson Associated Press Writer
Monday February 05, 2001

WASHINGTON – The number of taxpayers likely to be entangled in the complex alternative minimum tax is projected to reach 1.5 million this year, twice as many as three years ago. Increasingly, unsuspecting middle-class people are being affected. 

“The AMT is creeping up on those who weren’t intended to be victims,” said Rande Spiegelman, senior personal finance planning manager at the KPMG accounting firm. “It was meant as a way to make sure extremely high-income folks end up paying at least a minimum amount of income tax.” 

But the tax is no longer limited to the wealthy, mainly because it has only been adjusted for inflation once since Congress created it in 1969. As incomes rise, more and more people can become exposed to the tax, particularly if they have large itemized deductions or numerous exemptions for dependents. 

People living in a state with high personal income taxes are particularly vulnerable, Spiegelman said. Big families with lots of children could also pay the price. 

The minimum tax, with a top rate of 28 percent, actually operates in parallel to the regular income tax system. The big difference is that most usual deductions aren’t allowed, meaning that the 28 percent rate applies to income that wasn’t exposed to tax in the regular system. 

“When you’re in AMT, you’ve paid all your tax according to the regular rules and brackets. But it isn’t enough,” Spiegelman said. “They are going to tack on another 28 percent on income you didn’t have to pay tax on otherwise.” 

According to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, 1.5 million tax returns will be affected by the minimum tax in 2001. That’s only 1.1 percent of the estimated total of returns, but nearly double the 828,000 returns reporting minimum tax in 1998. 

By 2010, unless Congress enacts some changes, almost 15 million tax returns could be affected.  

Congress has temporarily ensured that certain personal tax credits, such as the $500 per-child tax credit and education credits, cannot trigger the minimum tax — but that law expires at the end of 2001. 

“The more voters are exposed to the AMT, the more likely Congress is going to do something about it,” Spiegelman said. 

The Internal Revenue Service has a worksheet in the instructions for Form 1040 for taxpayers to determine if they owe alternative minimum tax; most tax computer software flags it automatically. Form 6251 is used to figure the minimum tax.


Office development ban in works

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Saturday February 03, 2001

The Planning Commission is asking the City Council to save crafts and manufacturing jobs in west Berkeley by enacting a moratorium on the construction and expansion of office space. 

The moratorium would prohibit for one year any new office space in what is called the Multiple Use Light Industry District in west Berkeley. Supporters say the increase in office development violates the spirit of the 1993 West Berkeley Plan and is gentrifying what has traditionally been the most economically diverse neighborhood in Berkeley. 

The commission approved the recommendation Jan. 24 by a vote of 5-4 with Commissioners Susan Wengraf, Mary Ann McCamant, Betty Hicks and Tim Perry voting in opposition. The City Council is scheduled to consider the moratorium on March 13. 

Commissioner Zelda Bronstein who wrote the recommendation with Commission Chair Rob Wrenn, said the moratorium will give the city a chance to examine the West Berkeley Plan and determine if it is being adequately applied to zoning decisions in the MULI. 

She said high rents usually paid for office space is encouraging commercial property owners to convert industrial and manufacturing space into offices. In addition she said the lion’s share of new construction has been office space.  

According to Bronstein, the trend toward new offices in the MULI has also had a negative impact on traffic in the area because there is a more concentrated work force in offices than in manufacturing. 

The effect she said will be for Berkeley to lose a good part of its traditional blue collar character. “Artists, artisans cabinet makers, textile and metal workers, these people can’t pay office rents,” Bronstein said. 

Commissioner Susan Wengraf said she voted against the moratorium because she doesn’t believe it’s necessary. She said that the MULI may be losing traditional blue collar jobs, but that the new offices are creating jobs. 

“The loss of manufacturing jobs is a regional problem. That’s nothing little Berkeley is going to be able to solve,” she said. “And as far as traffic goes you have to decide, do you want jobs? Well, you’re going to have traffic.” 

Berkeley’s zoning map shows the MULI as an S-shaped area that winds through west Berkeley between San Pablo Avenue and Interstate-80. The roughly 70 block area has traditionally been made up of small manufacturers, retail, light industry and office space, punctuated with pockets of residential areas. 

According to a Jan. 10 report by Commissioners Bronstein and Wrenn, there was an increase of 330,000 square feet of new and converted office space in the MULI between 1997 and 2000. According to a report by city planning staff, offices are pushing out other uses. “Given that west Berkeley office rents are three times the rents paid by west Berkeley industry, further office development in the MULI can only unduly interfere with light manufacturing.” 

Bronstein said an integral part of the West Berkeley Plan was to maintain “good blue collar jobs that would be available to people with little education, which usually have higher pay and better benefits than office jobs,” she said. “The increase in office space clearly threatens those jobs.” 

But according to a Jan. 24 staff report, there has been 418,000 square feet of office space created in the MULI since 1993. That is only 61.5 percent of the amount projected in the West Berkeley Plan for 2005. 

“The West Berkeley Plan took nine years to put together and was truly a consensus document,” Wengraf said. “If the commissioners think there’s a problem they should call together the stakeholders. Don’t call an emergency, crisis moratorium.” 

Dennis Cohen is one of the partners in the Parker Plaza, which consists of offices and light industry. He was involved with the creation of the West Berkeley Plan and said he would support a moratorium if there were evidence that arts and crafts and light industrial businesses are being displaced. “A moratorium is called for in an emergency situation and I don’t think there is any evidence of that.” 

Stephen Swanson, a long-time resident of west Berkeley, said there has always been a delicate balance between work space and housing in the area, with many of the people who work there also living there.  

“West Berkeley is being pushed towards office use because of its location next to the freeway and because offices make more money,” he said. “The result is going to be gentrification and we don’t want west Berkeley to be like every other no-name freeway stop.” 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Saturday February 03, 2001


Saturday, Feb. 3

 

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. 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 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Fruit Tree Pruning 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Ecology Center Library  

2530 San Pablo Ave.  

An introductory class for the home fruit grower. Class taught by Greg Peck, owner of an organic landscape and garden design business in the East Bay.  

$7.50 - $10 548-2220 

 

Empyrean Ensemble 

4 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Theater 

2640 College Ave. 

Featuring a commissioned piece, “Prosperous Soul, Gregarious Heart,” newly composed by Peter Josheff in honor of his late father.  

Call 845-8542 

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Berkeley Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Puppeteer Jo Jo LaPlume entertains with her marionette show. Free series of family storytime events the first Saturday of each month. Call 649-3913 

 

PURRS Pet Adoption Day  

Noon - 5 p.m. 

Pet Food Express  

1942 Martin Luther King Jr. Way  

Cats, kittens, rabbits, dogs and other pets in need of homes will be available. l 444-3204 


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. 841-2800 

 

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 

 

Timbrels & Torahs:  

Celebrating Wisdom,  

Celebrating Age  

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond  

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Miriam Chaya and Judy Montell discuss their Simchat Hochmah ceremony, which celebrates a woman’s transition from mid-life to her eldering years. 848-0237 x127 

 

Spiritual & Cultural Context of Mbira  

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Berkeley native Erica Azim has played Shona mbira music for 30 years, and is the foremost mbira performer and recording artist in the U.S. Free 848-8443 

 

Solving the East Bay EnergyCrisis 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists 

Fellowship Hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita) 

Barbara George of Women’s Energy Matters and a Utility Reform Network representative, Kris Worthington, Berkeley city council member, Ross Mirkarimi of the Green Party, and others will discuss the past and future of the energy situation in the East Bay, including possibilities of conservation, clean, renewable energy and municipally-owned public utilities.  

Call 233-3175 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club gives free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Meditations for Relieving Pain 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute  

1815 Highland Pl.  

Sylvia Gretchen presents specific meditations and visualization practices that can help to relieve physical and mental pain. Free 

Call 843-6812 

 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Open House 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

A free introduction to Tibetan Buddhist culture including a prayer wheel and meditation garden tour and yoga demonstration. Refreshments will be served. Free 

Call 843-6812 


Monday, Feb. 5

 

Youth Commission  

6 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr.  

Youth Center 

1730 Oregon St.  

 

Rent Stabalization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Second Floor Council Chamber 

 

Personnel Board Meeting  

7 p.m. 

Permit Center 

2118 Milvia St.  

First Floor Conference Room  

 

Landmarks Preservation Commission  

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Peace & Justice Commission  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  


Tuesday, Feb. 6

 

Berkeley Intelligent  

Conversation  

7 - 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 527-5332  

 

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 

 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

 

 

 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 


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 

 

Legacy to Liberation  

7 p.m. 

Revolution Books  

2425 Channing Way  

A roundtable discussion by contributors to the recently published anthology “Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America.” Contributors include Richard Aoki, Yuri Kockiyama, Sun Lee and Dolly Veale.  

$2 donation  

848-1196 

 


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 

 

Great Mt. Diablo Day Hikes 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Ken Lavin, former president of Mt. Diablo Interpretative Association, for a slide-show of his favorite day hikes in Mt. Diablo State Park.  

Call 527-7377  

 

Jam Session  

7 p.m. 

Maurice’s Cafe 

6038 Telegraph 

Oakland 

Poetry with jazz featuring Jimmy Sands.  

Call 653-6775 

 

Exploring Surfaces  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Transverse the world’s ecological regions, describing what you know and what you’ve heard. 

$10  

 


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 

 

Introducing: Julia Morgan School for Girls 

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

Julia Morgan School for Girls 

Holy Names College 

Sky Room, Durocher Hall 

3510 Mountain Blvd.  

Oakland 

A select gathering of business and professional women devoted to fostering leadership in the young girls in our community.  

 


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  

 

Dreams & Intuition 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

1502 Tenth St.  

Marcia Emery, Ph.D., will discuss how to attune your intuitive dream antenna, intuitively unravel the symbolic message of a dream symbol and apply an intuitive dream interpretation method to the entire dream.  

$85  

Call 526-5510 

 

“The West Wing Meets the East Bay” 

7:30 p.m. 

Saint Joseph the Worker Church 

1640 Addison St.  

A conversation with Martin Sheen. Tickets available at Black Oak Books, Cody’s Books, St. Joseph the Worker Church, and at the door.  

$20 donation 

525-3787  

 

Annuals for the Dry Garden 

10 a.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive  

Annie Hayes of Annie’s annuals will suggest some annuals to plant in gardens that are water-deprived during the summer months.  

$15  

Call 643-1924 

 


Letters to the Editor

Saturday February 03, 2001

Community takes a hard look at Berkeley High 

 

Find outside experts to resolve BHS problems 

 

Editor:  

With all of the local recent publicity about Berkeley High School, some positive, but mostly negative, it seems difficult to get an idea of what the main problem is.  

However, with so many people in the community obviously upset over the existing situation and so many changes in recent administrative staff, it almost seems time to bring in a team of experts from the outside and have them put a new plan into action. Can the school administrative team not handle the problems, or do they choose not to handle the problems beyond a certain point? “Band-Aids” won’t work here anymore.  

As we take a look at the looseness around the high school campus, the downtown surrounding area (even during school/class hours), the environmental factors and the academic statistics, one can easily see why the current system is not working well.  

The real question is: who does the administration really fear conflict with by not initiating a badly needed, much more strict policy? The very liberal Berkeley community, which suffers due to this problem or the actual student body itself? You decide, but let’s all hope and work for some positive changes soon, before it gets worse.  

 

R.J. Williams  

Berkeley 

 

School Board deserves kudos for new program 

(ed note: the following letter was written before the City Council voted to provide $40,000 to the program.) 

Editor: 

The Berkeley School Board deserves a big round of applause for its recent efforts toward providing a quality education for all of the students at Berkeley High School. It is important that the city also join this effort.  

Of course this is but one piece of the puzzle, but it is significant that over the last few years the Berkeley School Board has also emphasized the early years of school as a foremost area to have our students achieve grade level standards in reading.  

Additionally, programs at the high school in the ninth grade have targeted creating smaller class sizes with continuity in the English and math classes.  

The most recent efforts to improve education in Berkeley are another welcome addition to this developing process. Thanks again.  

 

Mel Martynn 

Berkeley 

 

Issel deserves praise for opposition to program 

Editor: 

As parents of a recent Berkeley High graduate, we are writing to praise Shirley Issel for her courageous “nay” vote on the plan proposed by Parents of Children of African Descent for failing freshmen at BHS. We know it was not easy for her to stand alone in resisting pressure tactics when she cares so much about student achievement, but she is right that BHS should not be pouring money into an expensive plan that has not been adequately studied. There are already many valuable BHS programs that lack adequate support. Yes, there is a need to act fast on the problem of failing freshmen, and, yes, it is great that minority parents are getting involved with their children’s education, but PCAD’s plan calls for considerable resources that might be more profitably expended elsewhere. 

 

Rick Marcus 

Andrea Saltzman 

Berkeley 

 

Keep tool library well-staffed 

(The Daily Planet received a copy of this address to the council.) 

As city Councilmembers you are well aware of what contentious people your constituents are. We can’t agree on the Beth El project, we can’t agree on 2700 San Pablo, we can’t agree on building heights or daylighting creeks. In fact there is little that doesn’t send some faction down here to complain.  

But tonight I wish to speak to you about something we Berkelyans do agree on - The Tool Library. Users of the Tool Library all agree that at least once Berkeley has gotten something quite right. We are happy there is a place we can go to borrow tools, which many of us couldn’t afford, to help us maintain our homes, our gardens, our bikes. We are novices and pro, young and old, rich and poor - a rainbow coalition of home improvers and hobbyists.  

We are happy with the present staff at the Tool Library. Pete, Adam, Mike and Candida are dispensers of information and goodwill. They know their users and greet them by name. They help us solve our do-it-yourself problems. And while we have been accused of thinking the staff “walks on water,” which is not quite true, we want you and the Library Board to know we are not talking “run the book under the scanner” here. We are talking communication skills, teaching skills and personality.  

With the retirement of Pete, the original “Tool Man,” at the end of the month, there is a position to be filled. We, the Steering Committee, of Friends of the Tool Library, want to be sure that the present staff is considered for increased time, particularly Candida who does not have enough hours to receive benefits. And we want Adam and Mike to have increased hours before any new hiring is done. It is also important that any new staff be compatible with the present staff. The space is small and crowded and at times the lines are long and the patrons restless. Knowledge of tools is certainly important, but communication skills, personality and humor in the face of long lines and harried customers, who just saw the last weedwacker walk out the door when that is what they came for, are more to the point.  

The Tool Library presently generates a tremendous amount of goodwill, to say nothing of good publicity, for the city. People from other towns bemoan the fact that they don’t have one and call ours to find out how to start one. We hope that Pete’s retirement will not in any way change the high quality of service we presently receive at the Tool Library.  

 

Rosemary Vimont 

Friends of the Tool Library 

Berkeley 

 


Play ‘tough’ to take

By John Angell Grant Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday February 03, 2001

As the story goes, Canadian playwright George F. Walker, born and raised in Toronto’s industrialized inner city, was driving a cab in the early 1970s when he saw a poster for a local theater company requesting original scripts.  

Walker went home and wrote his play “Prince of Naples,” which began a long relationship with Toronto’s Factory Theatre Lab, where he eventually became playwright-in-residence, and later artistic director.  

Since then, Walker’s plays have been performed around the world. On Thursday, Berkeley’s Aurora Theater Company opened an energetic production of his 1993 script “Tough!” 

Running 90 minutes without an intermission, “Tough!” eavesdrops on the lives of three lower-class 19 year olds hanging out in a rundown inner city park, arguing about the unhappy romantic relationship between two of them. 

On designer Melpomene Katakalos’ effectively depressing set littered with trash and cigarette butts, angry, foul-mouthed homegirl Tina (Amanda Duarte) insults her ne’er-do-well boyfriend Bobby (Danny Wolohan) over the fact that he has a roving eye, and has been caught at a party fooling around with another woman. 

Before long, it turns out that Tina is pregnant.  

With the support of Tina’s angry, vicious friend Jill (Maria Candelaria), the two women lace into the simpleton Bobby, and spend much of the 90 minutes giving him a serious tongue-lashing. 

At one point, friend Jill beats up Bobby physically. Jill, it turns out, has hated Bobby since they were both five years old. 

The play covers a lot of gender politics, going over the differences between men and women when it comes to sex and romance. 

It also covers a lot of socio-economic ground – about how youths in this deprived environment have little in the way of future prospects. A single mother faces a life of welfare. A young man with no skills has little hope for economic betterment.  

As the story opens up, Bobby and Tina let out some of their dreams. 

Sometimes the play is funny. These streetwise inner city youth are not unlike the foul-mouthed characters who populate such David Mamet plays as “American Buffalo.” 

But for me, “Tough!” doesn’t quite click, at least in this Aurora production under the direction of Søren Oliver. 

For one, the 1993 story of teen parenting already seems slightly out of date in terms of the social mores of today’s youth. Second, the play feels more like an adult writing about youth, than about youth. 

One big question that kept occurring to me was why Bobby would sit there for more than an hour and take the abuse that’s heaped on him by these two women, rather than just leave. 

In terms of the character that director Oliver and actor Wolohan have created for Bobby, it makes more sense that he would just leave. 

Also, the dialogue in “Tough!” takes a form in which the characters tend to describe the type of people they are, and describe the type of people others are, and explain what everyone’s motivations are. This doesn’t make the best stage dialogue. 

The script feels like it is conscious of being an illustration of the sociology of youth behavior in this socio-economic class. 

In fact, there is a didactic, rather than dramatic, quality to the dialogue, as the characters talk about the limits of their world, and the types of people they are. 

“Tough!” is an actors’ play, with lots of latitude for performers to create much of the characters, but the chemistry in this production just doesn’t quite jell. 

As pregnant Tina, Duarte often seems to be in a world of forced melodramatic emotions. Wolohan’s simpleton Bobby doesn’t feel connected to anything. 

Candelaria’s angry, foul-mouthed Jill is potentially the most interesting character of the evening, but except for a moment at the end, she stays at the same angry pitch all the way through. 

The physical fighting doesn’t work well either. When Jill beats up Bobby, who is someone much larger than she, it’s hard to accept. 

So in the final analysis, the Mamet-like sound and fury of "Tough!" that starts out promising, doesn’t offer fresh or interesting characters in what turns out to be a pedantic, sociological script. 

“Tough!,” presented by Aurora Theater at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, through March 4. Call (510) 843-4822 or visit www.auroratheatre.org.


Panthers smother St. Joseph’s 78-50

By Tim Haran Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday February 03, 2001

St. Mary’s John Sharper missed the game’s opening shot, but he and the rest of the aggressive Panthers team didn’t miss much else as they cruised to a 78-50 win over St. Joseph’s on Friday night. 

Although St. Mary’s controlled the game from the outset, the Panthers missed several layups in the opening quarter that gave the Pilots an opportunity to keep pace with the scrappier Panthers team. 

The Pilots’ window of opportunity quickly slammed shut. 

After trailing by two early, St. Mary’s utilized a full-court press to force turnovers and disrupt St. Joseph’s offense. At the end of the first period, the Panthers led by seven and never looked back. 

With the win, St. Mary’s improves to 20-4 overall and 8-0 in the Bay Shore Athletic League. St. Joseph’s, meantime, drops to 14-10 and 5-4. 

“I liked everything about it,” St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo said following the Panthers’ dominating victory. “The kids played hard tonight. They’ve been playing at a pretty high level and they continue to play hard. We’ve got a lot of good chemistry and we play pretty good defense.” 

Continuing to press in the second quarter, St. Mary’s built a substantial lead heading into the locker room. Chase Moore and Sharper paced St. Mary’s with 10 and 11 first half points, respectively, on their way to scoring a game-high 18 points each. At the break, the Panthers were up 43-21. 

As Cal football coach Tom Holmoe eyed his potential prized recruit Lorenzo Alexander — who starred for the Panthers’ football team last fall and has verbally committed to Cal — toss in four points, St. Mary’s didn’t miss a beat to start the third quarter. Jeremiah Fielder scored the half’s opening hoop and Sharper quickly followed with a steal and an easy two. A bucket by Moore capped a 6-0 Panthers run to start the period. St. Mary’s was up by as many as 33 points midway through the third and finished the quarter doubling up the Pilots, 64-32 on a three-pointer at the buzzer by Terrence Boyd.  

“If we had pressed in the second half like we did in the first, the score would have been worse than it turned out be,” Coraballo said. “We press until we have control of the game and after that we let up.” 

In fact, the Panthers might have let up a little too much in the fourth quarter. St. Joseph’s pushed the ball up the court and outscored a sloppy St. Mary’s squad 18-14 in the final period. 

Both teams made several trips to the free throw line with St. Mary’s converting 10-of-23 and St. Joseph’s hitting 18-of-33.  

“Everybody came out and played with intensity in the first half,” said St. Mary’s DaShawn Freeman, who scored six points for the Panthers. “Sometimes in the first half we start out lackadaisical, but tonight we came out ready to play.”


Technology in schools: blessing and burden

Staff
Saturday February 03, 2001

By Erika Fricke 

Daily Planet Staff 

 

Pat Ungern has been teaching in Berkeley for 34 years, but has been using computers in the classroom for only the last two.  

And she loves it. “Oh yeah,” she said, pointing to books of pictures made with a digital camera, and series of 100 small icons the children created while learning to group numbers. 

The Berkeley Unified School District has been the happy recipient of technology largess. A new Digital High School grant funds a networked computer in every instructional space at Berkeley High, just as the five-year, 6.5 million Teacher Led Technology Challenge, a grant which funded computers in elementary and middle schools, is coming to a close. But while the funding to provide the initial computers and wiring comes free, this gift is not unencumbered. Once schools receive the technology, it’s their job to keep it in working order. 

William L Rukeyser coordinates the non-profit Woodland-based Learning in the Real World that examines the role of technology in schools. “Regardless of where the money comes from, it’s the subsequent years that can really break the back of the school district’s budget,” he said.  

The ongoing costs of repairs, replacements, upgrades, ongoing training and technology support can cost one-third of the initial investment each year, Rukeyser said. 

“Where does the district get the money for that minimum 33 percent?” he asked. “A lot of school districts didn’t figure out ahead of time that they would need that money. That means that a decision is made by default to let the equipment go obsolete, which means you have piles and piles of high priced junk, or they’re having to round up the money from other programs.” 

Even when schools generally buy the newest, state of the art technology, fast paced technological advancement can outpace purchasing. For example, said Monroe, BUSD purchased computers with two gigabyte hard drives, thinking that they couldn’t possibly need more than that, but they’ve found that with new applications, they want to purchase hard drives ten times that size. And John Muir Elementary finds itself saddled with aging iMac’s in their too-small computer lab. 

Catherine James, associate superintendent of support services, said that even if hardware isn’t outdated, it still won’t last forever. “You buy all these computers, you buy them at the same time,” she said, referring to the Digital High School grant. “What’s the life of a computer? Three to five years before something blows. Where’s the replacement? You’ve got at our high school, literally hundreds of computers, which will eventually all begin to self-destruct.” 

And when computers crash, or freeze, or erase assignments, someone must be on hand to fix the problem.  

James lauded the Teacher Led Technology Challenge grant for providing tech support at each school site, in addition to hardware. The grant runs out Sept. 30, which means the end of funded tech support.  

Paul Monroe, manager of Information Technology for BUSD, currently serves all of the Berkeley schools and administration with three technicians for the entire district. “My department is the same size now as it was three years ago,” he said. “The number of computers has increased about 300 percent district-wide, and our district-wide support hasn’t kept pace.” 

As schools see their support coming to an end, they furiously plan to find a new way to fund their tech support. Both Washington and Thousand Oaks elementary schools are applying for magnet school grants, with the hope that some of that grant money could be funneled to technology support.  

But Monroe cautioned against relying on grant money for any kind of long-term technology maintenance, because, he said, “The grant goes away and the equipment stays.” 

If a constant flow of grant money doesn’t come through to fund technology support and new hardwire, the schools will have to pay for their technology maintenance out of their own discretionary funds. Principal Rita Kimball of Washington hopes to piece together funding from various grants and pots of money around the school.  

Non-profit coordinator Rukeyser said that schools face the hard choice between seeing their technology become obsolete or diverting that money for technology away from other programs. “By and large in education you’re dealing with a zero sum game,” he said. “For everything you add to the mix you have to subtract something of equal size.”  

Principals are extremely conscious of that tension. “It’s really taking a hard look at what our priorities are,” said Kevin Wooldridge, principal at Thousand Oaks. 

As elementary and middle schools face the end of the long-term grant, and have to begin the struggle to find funding, Longfellow Arts & Technology Magnet Middle School is ahead of the game. They recognized the problem of obsolete and breaking down equipment early on, and have incorporated technology maintenance into their long range plans. Nancy Elnor is the technology coordinator at Longfellow. She spends 50 percent of her time troubleshooting computers and the rest fund-raising and managing resources.  

“Once we make the commitment to having the technology on the site, we’re committing to maintaining that tech or updating and replacing it,” she said. “Without a plan, it’s virtually impossible to do it.”  


St. Mary’s loss to Bruins will cost them some rest

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Saturday February 03, 2001

3-1 defeat gives St. Patrick-St. Vincent first-round bye 

 

When the St. Mary’s soccer team lost 3-1 to St. Patrick-St. Vincent on Friday at home, they lost more than a game. The Panthers also surrendered second place in the BSAL, which would have meant a first-round bye in the playoffs. 

All St. Mary’s had to do was win or tie their final game of the regular season to clinch second place. When they went ahead 1-0 in the 28th minute on a beautiful goal by forward Ben Feldman, they looked to be in fine shape to take a rest on this coming Wednesday, when the first-round games are to be held. 

But the Panthers gave up the tying goal before halftime, then surrendered two more easy chances in the second half and lost. The visiting Bruins finished in second place and will have the bye. 

Feldman’s goal came as the result of a St. Mary’s free kick just outside the opposition’s box. Sweeper Nolan Horinouchi hit a sweet drive to midfielder Stephon McGrew, who chested the ball toward the goalmouth. Feldman just beat goalkeeper Kevin Kopple to the ball and nudged it over the line for a goal. 

But the Panthers spent much of the first half fending off slashing runs by Bruin forward Laguan Lea, who made easy work of defender Sean Rogan several times. But Rogan got the tying goal not from a mistake by Rogan but an error in judgement by Horinouchi. The senior tried to dribble the ball out of his own end, and Lea stripped him and went in on goal all by himself. St. Mary’s ’keeper Nick Osborne couldn’t stop him, and the game was all even. 

The second half started with both teams looking for the go-ahead goal, and the action swung from one end to the other with startling speed. Senior forward Pat Barry put McGrew on a breakaway with a nice chip pass, but Kopple came out bravely and stonewalled McGrew. 

Kopple was then forced to come nearly 40 yards out to turn away another Panther counter-attack, and it looked as if the Panthers were ready to pull away. 

“We were definitely playing for the win,” said St. Mary’s head coach Teale Matteson, who was well aware that his team only needed a tie to earn a bye. “That might have been a little bit of hubris on my part.” 

But the next Bruin rush ended in tragedy for St. Mary’s. The ball bounced around in the Panther box several times before settling at the feet of forward Evan Kesteloot 15 yards out, and he calmly slammed the ball past Osborne to give his team a 2-1 lead. 

The Panthers came right back and earned a corner kick, but midfielder Zack Huddleston headed just wide of the goal. Then disaster struck yet again. Horinouchi couldn’t handle a tough pass from his wing defender, and Kesteloot took advantage. He took the ball neatly for a breakaway, and slid the ball just past a diving Osborne to seal the game with 20 minutes left. 

“We hurt ourselves with mistakes today,” Matteson said. “Both teams made mistakes, but they capitalized on ours.” 

The Panthers were still a game bunch, and had two more decent scoring chances. But Barry hit his shot from 20 yards out over the bar, and McGrew put too much on a chip after he got behind the Bruin defense.


Schools awarded state money

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Saturday February 03, 2001

Principal Patricia Saddler of LeConte School knows how she wants to spend the $22,225 award the state just granted the school because of its improved performance on the Stanford 9 test. 

She’d like new outdoor physical education equipment, upgrades on the school’s computers, tools for farm and garden instruction and landscaping to beautify the campus. 

The decision on how to spend the funds will be made with the help of the parents and teachers on the school’s site committee. 

LeConte was not alone to be awarded $63 per pupil taking the test. All Berkeley schools got similar awards except Washington School, Berkeley High School, Longfellow School and the new Franklin Magnet School. 

Schools are profiled according to the income of parents, the parents’ level of education, size of the school and ethnicity of the students. Improvement on the test is compared to the previous year and the school’s growth is then compared to similar schools and measured accordingly, said Karen Sarlo, school district spokesperson.  

Sarlo said Washington School had performed well on the test, and improved over last year, but not enough to win the award. Longfellow School has been disqualified from the award for two years because one of the teachers used a previous test for practice purposes, Sarlo said.  

As for the inadequate growth at Berkeley High School, Sarlo said the test was given in poor conditions during the chaotic week after the fire, with students taking the test in open rooms, such as on the stage of an auditorium. 

Although the children at Le Conte School performed well on the test, Saddler said the school doesn’t depend only on the Stanford 9 to assess the children. “We use a variety of assessment tools. The (Stanford 9) is only one piece of the assessment.” 

Saddler credited the children’s growth in learning on the school’s focus on “basic literacy” and the use of supplementary math materials. Moreover, the school offers a “wonderful after school program” which any of LeConte’s second-fourth grade students may attend. Forty children in the fourth and fifth grades take advantage of the program, as do another 30 children in the second and third grades. 

The Stanford 9 is in the its third year of use and tests children in the second through eleventh grades. This is the first year monetary awards have been given to schools which have met target growth. Some educators fear such emphasis on standardized tests will cause teachers to teach test skills, rather than meeting the children’s true learning needs, but others argue that it is important to be able to both measure a child’s growth in learning and to compare children with those across the nation. 

 

INFO BOX 

Following are the monetary awards that each Berkeley School will receive for improvement on the Stanford 9 test. The amount is equal to $63 per pupil taking the test. 

 

Cragmont Elementary $20,452 

Emerson Elementary $18,806 

Jefferson Elementary $19,376 

LeConte Elementary $22,225 

Malcolm X Elementary $25,898 

Muir (John) Elementary $15,956 

Oxford Elementary $17,729 

Rosa Parks Environmental Science Magnet $21,908 

Thousand Oaks Elementary $23,302 

Whittier/Arts (Elem) $26,974 

 

King Middle $53,948 

Willard Middle $43,880 

 

 


’Jackets contain league’s leading scorer, get a win at De Anza

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Saturday February 03, 2001

Berkeley now 7-0 in ACCAL 

 

Following a pattern that has held all season long, the Berkeley boys’ basketball team wore down its opponent and dominated the fourth quarter, beating De Anza 64-49 on Friday night. The Yellowjackets are now 7-0 in ACCAL play, firmly entrenched in the top spot in the league. 

Forward Louis Riordan led Berkeley with a game-high 22 points, outscoring De Anza star Michael McFadden, the league’s top scorer. McFadden scored 19 points in the game, shooting just 8-of-18 from the floor. The senior guard was shadowed by Berkeley defenders all night, and guard Muhammed Nitoto played him especially well, forcing McFadden to throw up three airballs. 

“Muhammed did a great job on him one-on-one, and we also did a good job helping on McFadden to stop his penetration,” Berkeley head coach Mike Gragnani said. “The only time he got penetration was in transition.” 

McFadden got very little help on offense, as guard Angelo Hughes was the only other real threat. Hughes scored 16 points in the game, and was the only other De Anza player to score more than four points. 

Berkeley got dominating inside play from centers Ramone Reed and Jahi Milton. Reed scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds, missing just one shot from the floor and getting to the free throw line eight times. Milton dominated the glass in limited action, pulling down five rebounds in the second quarter. 

“It wasn’t as easy as it probably looked,” Reed said. “They made me work for everything I got down there.” 

The two teams traded baskets for the first four minutes, and the score was tied 8-8 when Berkeley point guard Ryan Davis entered the game. He immediately hit a three-pointer, then hit a runner to put his team up 15-8. McFadden struggled early, airballing a three attempt and hitting just 1-of-5 in the first quarter as Berkeley pulled out to a 21-12 lead. 

The Dons got closer as McFadden heated up in the second period, draining a three to bring his team with two points at 23-21 as Berkeley struggled with their shooting. But McFadden was getting increasingly frustrated with his team’s turnovers, and his coaches pulled him with three minutes left in the half. Regardless, De Anza guard Angelo Hughes tied the game with a putback, and De Anza was right back in the game. 

But Davis once again came to his team’s rescue, hitting a short jumper to put them ahead. Defensive whirlwind Byron St. Jules followed with a steal and easy layup, and the ’Jackets had a 27-23 halftime lead. 

McFadden was back on the floor to start the third quarter. After Riordan hit a three-pointer, the De Anza star stripped Davis and broke away for a dunk, pulling his team within one with 4:17 left in the period. But Nitoto answered back by stripping McFadden for his own easy layup, giving Berkeley a five-point lead they would hold for the rest of the quarter. 

The fourth quarter was all Yellowjackets, starting with an Allyn Washington steal that turned into a Riordan three. Reed drew a foul inside and hit both free throws, and Davis drove the lane for a layup that put Berkeley up 53-43 with less than four minutes left in the game. As the Dons grew more desperate, they took risks on defense. Davis took advantage by spreading the floor and penetrating, kicking the ball to a wide-open Riordan for two consecutive three-pointers. 

“Me and Lou have a deal for the end of the game that we call ‘cashing out,’” Davis said. “It was his turn to cash out tonight.” 

Riordan, who hit five three-pointers against El Cerrito on Tuesday, said he felt confident in his shot. 

“My shot was feeling good again, and Ryan set me up real nice,” he said. “We set that up by spreading the floor, and I just knocked down the open shots.” 

McFadden started throwing up desperation shots, few of which fell. 

“They did a real good job of sagging on me and knowing where I was all the time,” McFadden said. “They’re the toughest team in the league on defense.” 

After the game, Gragnani refused to discuss the possibility of running the ACCAL table. 

“It’s way too early to start talking about going undefeated,” he said.


House ablaze

Barbarah Hendrickson/Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday February 03, 2001

Smoke and fire pour from a home at 782 Contra Costa Road midday on Friday. Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 20 minutes. The single-alarm blaze that was reported at 11:40 a.m. was probably caused by an electrical malfunction, Assistant Chief David Orth said. Nobody was injured in the fire, which destroyed the second floor of the home and killed two parakeets. Orth reported an early estimate of at least $200,000 damage.


Union activists file charges against online’s Webvan

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

FOSTER CITY — Webvan Group could be among the first few dot-coms to push for unionization, but union activists say company rules are hurting their efforts. 

The United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 120 and 870 and Teamsters Local 70 have filed unfair labor practice charges against the Foster City-based online grocer, saying Webvan’s policies restrict organizing at its Oakland warehouse.  

The charges, filed with the National Labor Relations Board, seek to change the company’s policies nationwide, which could affect nearly 1,000 workers. 

Webvan workers want a union contract because they are frequently switched from day shifts to night shifts and their co-payments for health insurance increased, said Rich Hedges, a spokesman for the UFCW locals. 

Union organizers said Webvan prohibits unauthorized gatherings at work during free time; forbids solicitations on company e-mail; and does not allow warehouse workers to wear buttons, including those that support unionization. 

Webvan spokesman Bud Grebey countered the company places no restrictions on employees gathering during their free time. 

Grebey said the company can restrict use of e-mail because it is owned by the company, and that wearing buttons could be a health and safety threat because warehouse employees handle food and work with automated equipment. 

The NLRB will investigate the charges and decide whether to hold a hearing. 

Hedges said the unions are getting close to filing for an election, and that they will ask for a vote if more than half of the 300 workers in the company’s San Francisco Bay area operations support unionization. 

Workers from grocers like Safeway joined Webvan with hopes of cashing in on stock options, said Hedges.  

Webvan was trading at $25 a share after it went public in November 1999, but has plummeted to about 44 cents a share. 

If Webvan goes the way of many dot-coms recently and shuts down, workers would have a better chance in bankruptcy court if they have a union contract, Hedges said. 

Workers at etown.com were the first dot-commers to file for a union vote, which was delayed for six months because the union filed a complaint with the NLRB.  

And at Amazon.com, organizers are trying to establish a union. 

On the Net: 

http://www.webvan.com


FERC finds no abuses in market

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

WASHINGTON — California power plants shut down during the state’s energy crisis had legitimate repair needs, federal regulators looking into allegations of market manipulation said Friday. 

Auditors found no evidence that suppliers shut down plants to try to drive up wholesale electricity prices, the Federal Regulatory Commission report said. 

Regulators blamed most of the California outages on 30- to 40-year-old power plants that need greater maintenance to generate power because of boiler leaks, turbine leaks and pump-motor failures. 

In a second report, FERC staffers attributed high electricity prices in the Northwest to a combination of cold weather, a lack of rain and snow to fuel hydroelectric plants, and the failure of plant production over the past decade to keep pace with growth. 

FERC staffers began investigating the California market last summer. They reported no misconduct from suppliers in a market they acknowledge has produced “unjust and unreasonable prices.” 

 

The report covered about 60 percent of the outages in December by interviewing generators by phone and visiting three California power plants owned by Reliant Energy Wholesale Group and Dynegy Inc., both based in Houston. 

Each plant examined produced at least 100 megawatts, enough power for about 100,000 homes. The review excluded hydro projects, municipal utilities and plants shut down due to pollution concerns. 

The three plants visited — Dynegy’s El Segundo plant near Manhattan Beach and Reliant’s Coolwater Plant in Daggett and Ormond Beach plant in Oxnard — are all in the Los Angeles area. They were chosen for their proximity. 

The companies’ older units appear to have experienced similar problems based on age and increased demand, the report said. 

Outages generally dropped during the month, from about 11,000 megawatts the first week to about 7,000 megawatts at the end, the study found. 

The statewide power demand during December was about 33,000 megawatts. One megawatt is enough electricity for about 1,000 homes. 

Against that backdrop, prices were relatively stable the first week of December at about $200 per megawatt hour, but spiked Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 at about $1,500 per megawatt hour. The spikes occurred as California outages generally were declining. 

Consumer advocates took issue with the report, calling it a “whitewash by the deregulation ideologues” at the commission and urging an investigation by prosecutors into whether power generators held back the supply to drive up prices. 

“The obvious question is what is different between this year and last year?” said Harvey Rosenfield, of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. 

“In the dead of winter, when the state is using two-thirds of its total capacity, these power plants are falling off line at coincidentally the same time, provoking price increases and power outages,” he said. 

State attorneys general in California, Oregon and Washington are each investigating whether suppliers manipulated the electricity market in their states to boost wholesale prices. 

FERC and state officials have different views on what should be done to ease California’s electricity crisis. 

California Gov. Gray Davis wants the commission to impose a regional price cap on wholesale electricity to help utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison. 

The two utilities, California’s largest, say they’ve lost $12.7 billion since June to soaring wholesale electricity prices that the state’s deregulation law blocks them from recouping from customers. 

FERC officials have so far rejected the request, saying market pricing will encourage construction of new power plants. 

Plant shutdowns for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance has been among key factors in California’s daily power scrounge, along with high wholesale prices, high demand, a shortage of hydroelectricity in the region and a tight electricity supply nationally. 

“We’re very gratified by the FERC staff report because it essentially upholds everything that we have been saying about plant operations for the last six to eight months,” Reliant spokesman Richard Wheatley said. 

Other factors that could drive up prices include bad weather in neighboring states that sell electricity to California and a decline in hydropower due to a lack of rainfall. 

“Of particular note, while prices moved sharply higher between the 9th and the 13th, outages moved generally downward in the same period, including forced outages,” the report said. 

——— 

On the Net: 

www.ferc.fed.us/electric/bulkpower.htm 


State’s $60 million railroad investment questioned

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

WILLITS — California taxpayers are sinking $60 million into reopening a North Coast railroad that has repeatedly fallen victim to a quagmire environment, crippling costs and chronically poor maintenance and management. 

The 286-mile Northwestern Pacific Railroad runs from the Napa Valley to Arcata. For 83 years, it served a region so isolated it’s become known as California’s “Lost Coast” – until federal regulators shut it down three years ago as a threat to public safety. 

Even the railroad’s operators say the region’s unstable geography means the track routinely will be washed out by floods and earthslides, costing millions more in annual repairs. 

Yet Gov. Gray Davis decided to pour more tax money into the troubled railroad, shortly after shippers who would profit most contributed more than $60,000 to his campaign fund. 

“It’s a railroad that benefits the same handful of special interests that generally benefit from public largesse on the North Coast,” complained Kevin Bundy, policy director of the Garberville-based Environmental Protection Information Center. 

Pacific Lumber and Simpson Timber say they could indeed ship their timber more cheaply by rail than by truck over Highway 101. But they and other railroad supporters say better transportation will mean an improved economy in an area hard-hit by declines in the lumber and fishing industries. 

“The jobs that could be created all along the North Coast to me are incalculable,” said Robert Jehn, who chairs the North Coast Railroad Authority, a consortium of local governments that bought sections of the railroad with state help in 1992 and 1995. 

Heavy rainfall annually turns the soil the consistency of toothpaste, known locally as “blue goo.” The track bed turns to quicksand and canyon walls ooze downhill. 

With such unstable soil, a 1998 federal study found it would take $642 million – more than 10 times the state’s current investment – to upgrade the track to handle passengers and freight without restrictions imposed by the Federal Railroad Administration. 

“The railroad has been a black hole. This $60 million the government is going to throw at it, why don’t they just throw it out the window?” asked Patricia Clary of CATS, Californians for Alternatives to Toxins. “This $60 million won’t fix the railroad. They’ll reopen it, but it will close again.” 

Rail supporters say they can get the railroad operating with the state’s $60 million. They say it’s worth the price, though a 1995 California Department of Transportation study concluded the railroad “has y to shore up the railroad, “he was going to see the worst environmental disaster he’s seen in his life up in the Eel River Canyon. It’s all going to fall down into the river.” 

Railroad operators want to reopen in sections, as repair work is completed. 

Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration cleared the railroad to reopen 40 miles of track from Napa Junction to Petaluma, less than 15 percent of its overall length, along the least troublesome southern section. Railroad officials want to open another 20 miles to Windsor this spring and an additional 77 miles to Willits this summer, though they have repeatedly been frustrated by delays. 

Businesses, residents and government officials are counting on the railroad to eventually ease the North Coast’s stubborn isolation between coastal mountains and the Pacific Ocean. 

On the southern end, fast-growing Sonoma County wants to extend commuter service along the line from the Bay Area to Cloverdale. 

To the north, Mendocino and Humboldt counties hope better transportation will help replace jobs lost in the timber and fishing industries. 

The federal and local governments spent more than $17 million to deepen Humboldt Bay Harbor in hopes of turning Eureka into a major shipping port.  

But without the railroad, the only way to move material is over Highway 101, itself so twisted by the region’s geography that there are permanent restrictions on trucking. 

“We raise our families here, and they can’t stay here because they can’t find work, or they can’t find the kind of job that would pay them enough to stay here,” said Kaye Strickland, who heads Citizens for Port Development, a group she formed to back the railroad. 

 

The railroad’s perennial closures were presaged at that first opening in 1914, when the ceremonial trains couldn’t return to Eureka because of a landslide. 

Keeping the tracks open has been a battle ever since, said John Darling, whose firm signed a contract to operate the railroad two weeks before a series of 1998 winter storms closed it down. 

He’s convinced, however, that the railroad fell victim to an unusual series of floods, poor maintenance and antiquated equipment. In a year of average rainfall, Darling predicts the trains will have to shut down two weeks for track repairs. 

He projects profits from freight shippers and excursion passengers will pay the railroad’s operating costs as early as its second year of operation. But Darling, along with state and federal regulators, acknowledges it will likely take more tax dollars to repair periodic washouts, much as it does to keep Highway 101 open. 

“With the highway, when something goes out they pay millions to put it back, because that’s our lifeline. But the railroad should be our lifeline, too,” argued Eureka resident Strickland. 

“The whole northern part of California is on unstable ground. No matter where you put a highway or bridge or anything, it’s the same thing. The railroad deserves the same subsidy as all the others.” 


Corruption informant will not go to state prison

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

LOS ANGELES — Corrupt ex-policeman Rafael Perez will remain in local custody because moving him to state prison would place him in potential danger, a judge ruled Friday. 

Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry denied a prosecution request for the central figure in the Rampart police corruption case to be moved to prison to serve out his sentence for stealing cocaine from a police evidence room. 

“Mr. Perez is in likely danger from all kinds of interests, and I’m most comfortable leaving him where he is,” Perry said. “I’m not gonna move him.” 

Perez was not at the hearing. He is scheduled to be released in early June. 

Prosecutors have said the convicted ex-cop-turned-informant whose confessions and accusations broke open the Rampart scandal is no longer needed for the investigation. 

A Jan. 26 letter to the court from District Attorney Steve Cooley and Deputy District Attorney Richard Rosenthal said, “It no longer appears necessary or appropriate for Mr. Perez, as a sentenced state prison defendant, to remain in local custody.” 

The move came after Perez’s attorney, Winston McKesson, told prosecutors his client “will not be made available to testify at continuing Board of Rights (hearings) or for further interviews until further notice,” according to the letter. 

Board of Rights hearings are internal disciplinary proceedings of Los Angeles Police Department officers. 

“There seems to be no further reason to keep him in local custody,” Rosenthal told the judge at the hearing. He should be sent to state prison like “any other felon,” the prosecutor said. 

Perry denied the request after getting assurances from McKesson that his client would remain “ready and willing to cooperate” in court if required. 

“We’re very pleased with the decision,” McKesson said. He declined further comment and would not say why Perez was no longer aiding the internal police investigation. 

Perez became the central figure in the biggest Los Angeles Police Department scandal in decades after pleading guilty to stealing eight pounds of cocaine from a police evidence room. In exchange for a lighter sentence he agreed to tell prosecutors what he’d seen as an officer in an anti-gang unit in the department’s gritty Rampart Division near downtown. 

He was sentenced a year ago and his statements about officers lying under oath and abusing innocent people helped lead to the suspension of dozens of officers, the overturning of about 100 tainted cases and the arrest of five officers. 

It is not clear what Friday’s ruling will mean for Perez’s former partner, LAPD Officer Nino Durden, who is scheduled to go on trial later this year on charges of attempted murder. He faces the most serious charges in the ongoing Rampart investigation. 

Joseph Scott, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, declined to comment on the case against Durden. 

One officer was acquitted and three, Sgts. Edward Ortiz and Brian Liddy and Officer Michael Buchanan, were convicted in November of framing gang members. However, their convictions were overturned by a judge; the district attorney’s office is appealing that decision. 

But Perez has become increasingly problematic for county prosecutors. 

The trial of the four officers was overshadowed by murder accusations against Perez lodged by a former girlfriend. The woman later recanted, saying she was trying to get back at Perez for jilting her. But the prosecution never called Perez to testify. 

While incarcerated, Perez has bragged about “making stuff up” to get back at cops he did not like and about landing a book or movie deal, according to jail informants. 

His role as an informant has grown even more strained recently after federal prosecutors concluded that the immunity deal he reached with the district attorney did not protect him from federal prosecution. 

Federal prosecutors concluded that despite an immunity deal, Perez could be charged with crimes for his admitted participation in unjustified shootings, robberies and the framing of innocent people, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

Both sides in the case have declined to comment on that report. 

Although some of those offenses are not covered under federal statutes, the laws do address such crimes as civil rights violations, including the intentional use of excessive force by police. 

If prosecuted, Perez faces the possibility of many more years behind bars. 


Lawyers spar over sale of handguns

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

SACRAMENTO— California’s legislative counsel has concluded a new state law bars consignment sales of many used handguns, prompting criticism from firearms dealers and owners. 

Attorney General Bill Lockyer reached the opposite conclusion and says owners and dealers have nothing to fear. 

“Our view is that consignment sales are OK, and that’s the way we’ll enforce the law,” said Lockyer spokesman Nathan Barankin. “We feel we have a pretty good handle on what the statute requires.” 

The legislative counsel concluded the “Saturday Night Special” law that took effect Jan. 1 is clear that dealers can’t sell on consignment handgun models that haven’t been tested and found safe. 

If so, that creates a Catch 22 for both dealers and owners because California law says all gun sales must go through dealers, said state Sen. Ray Haynes, R-Riverside, who sought the legislative counsel’s opinion. 

“It basically means that if you own an untested handgun right now, it’s worthless because you can’t sell it,” Haynes said. 

The state has tested and cleared more than 260 models of handguns that can be sold through dealers. However, Haynes and other critics say that list excludes older model weapons that haven’t been submitted for testing. 

“The majority of the profits dealers made was in used gun sales,” said Chuck Michel, who represents the National Rifle Association and California Pistol & Rifle Association. “It puts dealers in a position where it could put a lot of dealers out of business.” 

Prosecutors are likely to follow the attorney general’s interpretation rather than the legislative counsel’s advice, said Barankin. He noted neither opinion holds the weight of a court decision. 

Which one is right might not matter, at least until the law is tested in court, said Haynes. 

“Anybody that says a dealer might be committing a crime trumps anybody who says they’re not committing a crime,” Haynes said. “Who’s going to sell a handgun if they’re at risk of committing a crime?” 

Haynes is looking for some way to resolve any conflict, short of seeking new legislation he predicted would likely die in an unsympathetic Legislature. 

Meanwhile, Lockyer on Friday ordered Ontario-based Phoenix Arms Co. to stop making and selling its HP 22 three-inch barrel handgun. 

The model malfunctioned more than six times the first 200 times it was fired during testing, Lockyer said in a release. 

The company helped spark the Saturday Night Special law along with other California manufacturers collectively dubbed the “ring of fire,” Lockyer said. 

Phoenix Arms owner Dave Brazeau said he couldn’t comment until his lawyers review Lockyer’s order. 

——— 

On the Net: 

See more information on the handgun law and a list of approved handguns on the Net at http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms 


Salmon considered for endangered list

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Fish and Game recommended Friday that coho salmon north of San Francisco Bay be considered for the state’s endangered species list as a result of its “dramatic and significant decline.” 

If the Fish and Game Commission agrees at a meeting Saturday, it will trigger a yearlong study of the coho’s population drop. 

“In the 1940s and 1950s, we were seeing 500,000 native coho returning to California. Today we’re seeing 5,000,” said Sierra Club lobbyist Alex Rate, who praised the recommendation. 

The department estimates that by 1993 the number of naturally spawned salmon returning to California waters had dropped to 1 percent of its mid-century population. 

If the commission adds the fish to the endangered list next year, it means the species’ well-being will be considered whenever the state reviews proposals for water diversions, timber harvests, gravel mining or any other land or water use that could potentially affect the salmon, said Larry Week, chief of the department’s Native Anadromous Fish and Watershed Branch. 

The listing also could prompt more scientific studies, as well as habitat protection and restoration projects, Week said. 

Coho salmon south of the bay have been listed by the state as endangered since the end of 1995. The federal government has listed the fish as endangered in the Central Valley since 1996, and in Northern California since 1997. 

Naturalists had hoped to see the population rebound after the federal listing, but that hasn’t happened. The Sierra Club’s Rate blamed a lack of state enforcement, something he hopes might be corrected with a state endangered species designation. 

Listing of the northern coho was sought in July by 10 state and national environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, allied as the Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Coalition. The department took four months to review the coalition’s petition and its own departmental data before making its recommendation to the commission Friday. 

The coalition warned in its petition that the California coho faces extinction because of the overall fragmentation of and environmental damage to its breeding grounds in cold gravel-bottomed streams, the same conclusion reached by the National Marine Fisheries Service. 

In addition to the southern coho, the state since 1989 has listed chinook or king salmon as endangered during its winter run on the Sacramento River. In 1999, the state listed those salmon as threatened during the spring run as well. 


Stock market forecast murky

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

NEW YORK — With corporate earnings season almost over and two interest rate cuts under its belt, the stock market might appear poised for a February rally. 

Unfortunately, the outlook remains murky. Despite the Federal Reserve’s best efforts, Wall Street is having a hard time shaking its fears about the future. 

Blue-chip and technology stocks fluctuated this week, as they did throughout January, on investors’ reactions to poor economic news and disappointing earnings. The Federal Reserve’s two interest rate cuts – one at the beginning of January, the other this past week – soothed some of those worries, but the upturn was untenable as stocks vacillated. 

“There’s the fear that before the Fed’s policy kicks in and shows up on companies’ bottom lines, which will be at least a 6-month lag, we’re going to have to go through some awful earnings,” said Larry Wachtel, market analyst at Prudential Securities. “That’s what’s keeping some investors and the market back.” 

Wachtel said the markets may feel the full effect of those worries in February. He maintains that a lot of January’s gains – which included a 12 percent bump up in the Nasdaq composite – reflected seasonal trends. 

The beginning of the year is traditionally the time when new money flows into retirement accounts and when Americans invest their year-end bonuses. 

Also, the rock-bottom stock prices found at least at the beginning of January are no longer there, particularly in the battered tech sector. Microsoft is up about 40 percent; IBM has gained some 30 percent. Of course, February does have some trends in its favor. One significant factor: a lack of corporate earnings news. First-quarter warnings and outlooks for fiscal 2001 likely won’t begin until early March. 

“We just won’t have this bad news hitting us over the head every day,” said Bill Barker, investment strategy consultant with Dain Rauscher. “There’s a lot of money to be spent out there, and typically from November to April is a generally decent time for the market.” 

There will still be lots of economic data, however, ranging from government unemployment reports to industry outlooks. And Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan gives his annual report and testimony to Congress in the middle of the month. 

But the prospects of a February interest rate cut similar to the two that lifted stocks in January are debatable.  

The Fed isn’t scheduled to meet again until the end of March, and – short of very negative economic news that catches it off guard – most analysts believe another such cut is unlikely. 

So far, two February reports have provided evidence the economy was slowing. On Thursday, the National Association of Purchasing Management said manufacturing activity last quarter was at its lowest point in nearly a decade. And the Labor Department said Friday that unemployment was at its highest level in 16 months. 

Analysts aren’t sure if that will be enough to get another cut, but they point out the month is young and there’s plenty of time for more bad news to come out. 

They caution, though, against hoping for too much negative news. The backbone of a recovery may ultimately rest on consumers’ backs – and no one wants them to become too nervous to buy. 

“There are some people who are on board with buying growth stocks again, but they’re not overweighting. They’re just balancing their portfolios after rushing to value stocks last year,” said Brian Belski, a fundamental market strategist with U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. “The other half are saying it’s too early, and they’re not going to get sucked back in. 

“We want that interest rate cut, but if consumer confidence continues to erode, people aren’t going to buy, no matter how low rates go.” 

The major market indexes ended the week mixed. The Dow rose 204.12 points, a 1.9 percent increase, to 10,864.10 for the week despite a 119.53-point drop on Friday. 

But broader market indexes finished the week lower. For the week, the Nasdaq composite index lost 120.80, or 4.3 percent, to 2,660.50 after falling 122.29 on Friday. 

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended the week off 5.48, or 0.4 percent, at 1,349.47 after Friday’s loss of 24.00. 

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller company stocks, picked up 2.82, or 0.6 percent, for the week after losing 7.44 on Friday. It closed at 501.50. 

The Wilshire Associates Equity Index — which represents the combined market value of all New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq issues — ended the week at $12.44 trillion, down about $1.16 trillion from the previous week. A year ago the index was $13.60 trillion. 

 


New fire officials promoted

Daily Planet Staff
Friday February 02, 2001

In a solemn ceremony Thursday, Fire Chief Reginald Garcia swore in 12 of 14 fire officials who had earned promotions. 

“You represent the leadership for the 21st century,” the chief told the 10 men and two women about to receive their new badges. 

This was the largest group to be promoted in the memory of the department, Garcia said. The large numbers of promotions are a result of the sizable group of officers who retired, taking advantage of a recent change in state law, which permits fire fighters to retire with good benefits at an earlier age.  

“We lost 271 years of collective knowledge and skills,” Garcia said, underscoring the weight of the new tasks before those promoted. 

Loved ones pinned the new badges on the officers.  

One particularly moving pair was the newly promoted Assistant Chief Robert Petersen, whose badge was anchored by his mother, Joy Petersen. Petersen’s father, the late George Petersen had been in the Berkeley Fire Department for 32 years and retired in 1984 as assistant chief. 

Others promoted were Captains Gilbert Dong, Rodney Foster and Richard Watters; Lieutenants Paul Cavagnero, Dennis Foley, Richard Guzman, Shane Marbury, Karen Parroff and Bryan Ward, and Apparatus Operators Reneta Davis, Tyre Mills III, Eugene Taylor and Jay Walter.


Friday February 02, 2001

Utilities acted irresponsibly; why should consumers pay? 

 

Editor: 

On January 29, you reported that 22 business professors and self-styled “economics experts” had issued a “manifesto” on California’s electric-pricing crisis. Their key recommendation was to raise power rates, because “a retail rate freeze meant that consumers were buffered from the situation and did not conserve energy as they would have if rates rose....”  

In other words, these business profs’ solution to high prices is higher prices.  

With due respect for the authors’ expertise and years of service to the industry, their position is absurd. Even if consumers were (quite properly) insulated from manipulated wholesale price spikes last fall, utilities like PG&E knew for months that they were losing money on every kilowatt they purchased and resold.  

One might have expected the economic geniuses who run these billion-dollar corporations to quickly reintroduce the conservation incentives they’d hastened to dismantle under deregulation: free home-energy audits, free compact fluorescent light bulbs (undercutting even Ikea’s $2.75 charge), and rebates for energy-efficient appliances. 

But no.  

As this week’s independent audits revealed, the utilities made no effort to conserve power demand, or even cash. Instead, they irresponsibly drove themselves into debt.  

Much of the debt was paid to power-generating affiliates of the same holding companies, in the form of record profits. The holding companies distributed those profits as stock repurchases and dividends, then took complex financial steps to insulate themselves from responsibility for their own utilities’ debt. Now these holding companies are demanding that Sacramento make consumers bail them out for the same debt. 

In other words, the power blowout is a manipulated scam from top to bottom. The utilities deserve no bailout and no mercy – it is their holding companies, not consumers, who need to be exposed to real wholesale power costs.  

The only equitable way for the state to keep these rascals out of bankruptcy is to acquire their generating facilities and transmission lines. Public power will protect consumers from ever being scammed like this again. 

 

Michael Katz 

Berkeley 

 

Bravo Planet 

Editor: 

Bravo to the Planet for being one of the only papers with the guts to cover the Anti-Inauguration demonstration in San Francisco. 

While there will be a great tendency to marginalize the erstwhile small “Stop Corporate Greed” movement and characterize its style as fringe, it may be of greater interest to monitor its growth in the next four years, if the press will just do its job of reporting on it.  

Thanks and keep up the good work! 

 

Stephanie Manning 

Berkeley 

 

 

Units sans parking lets developers encroach on public spaces 

Editor:  

By allowing residential “units without parking” (UWP’s), and omitting a ground floor storage space or even an off-street loading area, the city is permitting developers to grossly encroach upon shared public spaces.  

The several consequences of this will be that: a) trucks, cars, taxis or moving vans delivering or picking up at the site will be able to double park and hold up moving traffic on major streets during business hours; b) neighboring residential streets with an ever dwindling supply of all day parking will be host to drivers circling and searching for spaces; c) curb cuts for driveways will be blocked; d) autos will resort to front lawns, and  

sidewalk parking, as is seen in countries where high-density UWP’s have been allowed. Already in Berkeley, high school tennis courts in the downtown area have been converted to parking. 

At a downtown meeting sponsored by business people before the last election, all of the candidates for City Council were unanimous in stating in public, that the central business district needed more parking. If masses of UWP’s are built, the competition for parking spaces will discourage shoppers and patrons of the arts and entertainment from attempting to visit downtown, especially for late night events. 

There is no possibility of enforcing a pledge by an owner or renter to be without a vehicle. I was surprised to read that the university sells parking permits to students for “on campus lots.” Couldn’t a student drive to a BART station nearest their home and take the train to Berkeley, and then use the “Class Pass” to go anywhere in town? 

Some planners have been overly optimistic when urging high-density “transit corridor” development. Recent reports from bus commuters describe distinctly poor service, including bus runs cancelled without notice. 

 

Martha Nicoloff 

Berkeley 

 

High density housing adds to traffic nightmare 

 

Editor:  

Richard Register’s Feb. 1 opinion piece championing the design, scale, and objectives of the Gaia Building, now under construction in downtown Berkeley certainly champions a host of laudable goals – but exudes a troubling odor of a self-interested, rose-tinted perspective.  

I find it disturbing that he is content to see rules, with which he is in disagreement, bent or broken (e.g., the height limitations for which he asserts he has so little respect) when it serves his particular interests. Height limits are directly related to density of construction, of course, and on the subject of density his fantasy world seems to disconnect from a host of surrounding realities.  

The principal discontinuity is that between his goal of higher and denser housing and the reality of a deepening traffic tsunami. It is nice to pitch car-free housing and sing the praises of taking the bus or BART, but such advocates have a poor record of engineering practical and effective plans to encourage such changes in mass habit. BART already functions (when it does) at capacity; the bus system is a labyrinthine nightmare of waiting and long-distance walks; and what authority would enforce car-free tenancy agreements?  

Underlying these traffic and transit issues is the context that makes them intractable problems thus far: how do people get to where they need to go when their destination is beyond a reasonable walk?  

Dramatically increasing density makes the question more difficult still. Ever denser construction adds to the transportation nightmare the Bay Area is already experiencing. That issue needs direct and effective address before the utopia of denser living will become a happy one. For decades the nuclear power industry built plants on the promise of providing a panacea of safe, cheap electricity and the assurance that a way would be found to dispose of the waste.  

So far, they have proved both the promise and the assurance were a fantasy, and betrayed a responsible obligation to resolve the problem of waste disposal beforehand. Until real-world progress is made toward developing solutions to traffic and transportation issues in Berkeley, height limitations have their place and should be respected, not exceeded by subterfuge. 

 

Howie Muir 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events & Activities

— compiled by Chason Wainwright
Friday February 02, 2001


Friday, Feb. 2

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 

 

Taize Worship Service  

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Loper Chapel  

(adjacent to) First Congregational Church of Berkeley  

2345 Channing Way 848-3696 

Saturday, Feb. 3 

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 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club gives free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Fruit Tree Pruning 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Ecology Center Library  

2530 San Pablo Ave.  

An introductory class for the home fruit grower. Class taught by Greg Peck, owner of an organic landscape and garden design business in the East Bay.  

$7.50 - $10 548-2220 

Empyrean Ensemble 

4 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Theater 

2640 College Ave. 

Featuring a commissioned piece, “Prosperous Soul, Gregarious Heart,” newly composed by Peter Josheff in honor of his late father.  

Call 845-8542 

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Berkeley Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Puppeteer Jo Jo LaPlume entertains with her marionette show. Free series of family storytime events the first Saturday of each month.  

Call 649-3913 

 

PURRS Pet Adoption Day  

Noon - 5 p.m. 

Pet Food Express  

1942 Martin Luther King Jr. Way  

Cats, kittens, rabbits, dogs and other pets in need of homes will be available. 444-3204 

 


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 

 

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 

 

Timbrels & Torahs: Celebrating Wisdom,  

Celebrating Age  

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Miriam Chaya and Judy Montell discuss their Simchat Hochmah ceremony, which celebrates a woman’s transition from mid-life to her eldering years.  

Call 848-0237 x127 

 

Spiritual & Cultural Context of Mbira  

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Berkeley native Erica Azim has played Shona mbira music for 30 years, and is the foremost mbira performer and recording artist in the U.S. Free 

Call 848-8443 

 

Solving the East Bay Energy Crisis 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists 

Fellowship Hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita) 

Barbara George of Women’s Energy Matters and a Utility Reform Network representative, Kris Worthington, Berkeley city council member, Ross Mirkarimi of the Green Party, and others will discuss the past and future of the energy situation in the East Bay, including possibilities of conservation, clean, renewable energy and municipally-owned public utilities.  

Call 233-3175 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Meditations for Relieving Pain 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute  

1815 Highland Pl.  

Sylvia Gretchen presents specific meditations and visualization practices that can help to relieve physical and mental pain. Free 

Call 843-6812 

 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Open House 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

A free introduction to Tibetan Buddhist culture including a prayer wheel and meditation garden tour and yoga demonstration. Refreshments will be served. Free 

Call 843-6812 

 


h3>Monday, Feb. 5 

Youth Commission  

6 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Center 

1730 Oregon St.  

 

Rent Stabalization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Second Floor Council Chamber 

 

Personnel Board Meeting  

7 p.m. 

Permit Center 

2118 Milvia St.  

First Floor Conference Room  

 

Landmarks Preservation Commission  

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

 

Peace & Justice Commission  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

 


h3>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 527-5332  

 

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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 


h3>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 

 

Legacy to Liberation  

7 p.m. 

Revolution Books  

2425 Channing Way  

A roundtable discussion by contributors to the recently published anthology “Politics and Culture of Revolutionary Asian Pacific America.” Contributors include Richard Aoki, Yuri Kockiyama, Sun Lee and Dolly Veale.  

$2 donation  

848-1196 

 


h3>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 

 

Great Mt. Diablo Day Hikes 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Ken Lavin, former president of Mt. Diablo Interpretative Association, for a slide-show of his favorite day hikes in Mt. Diablo State Park.  

Call 527-7377  

 

Jam Session  

7 p.m. 

Maurice’s Cafe 

6038 Telegraph 

Oakland 

Poetry with jazz featuring Jimmy Sands.  

Call 653-6775 

 

Exploring Surfaces  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Transverse the world’s ecological regions, describing what you know and what you’ve heard. 

$10  

 

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 

 

Introducing: Julia Morgan School for Girls 

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

Julia Morgan School for Girls 

Holy Names College 

Sky Room, Durocher Hall 

3510 Mountain Blvd.  

Oakland 

A select gathering of business and professional women devoted to fostering leadership in the young girls in our community.  

 

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  

 

Dreams & Intuition 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

1502 Tenth St.  

Marcia Emery, Ph.D., will discuss how to attune your intuitive dream antenna, intuitively unravel the symbolic message of a dream symbol and apply an intuitive dream interpretation method to the entire dream.  

$85  

Call 526-5510 

 

“The West Wing Meets the East Bay” 

7:30 p.m. 

Saint Joseph the Worker Church 

1640 Addison St.  

A conversation with Martin Sheen. Tickets available at Black Oak Books, Cody’s Books, St. Joseph the Worker Church, and at the door.  

$20 donation 

525-3787  

 

Annuals for the Dry Garden 

10 a.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive  

Annie Hayes of Annie’s annuals will suggest some annuals to plant in gardens that are water-deprived during the summer months.  

$15  

Call 643-1924 

 

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 

 

“From Swastika to Jim Crow” 

2 - 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Due to the depression and anti-Semitism in the ‘30s, many Jewish “refugee scholars” found they had difficulty finding jobs and were embraced by black universities. Both students and teachers, in the pre-Civil Rights era, found they shared a common experience of living under oppression and a passion for education. Guest speaker Jim McWilliams.  

$2 suggested donation  

Call 848-0237 x127 

 

Why Do a Long Retreat? 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Retreatants from Holland, Brazil, Germany, and other places share how they made the time to participate in two and four month retreats.  

Call 843-6812 

 

African-American “Death of a Salesman” 

Audtions 

1 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

There are roles for eight men and five women, aged 30 - 60. Auditioners are asked to present a monologue no longer that three minutes. Roles are non-paying. 

 

Monday, Feb. 12  

African-American “Death of a Salesman” 

Audtions 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

There are roles for eight men and five women, aged 30 - 60. z are asked to present a monologue no longer that three minutes. Roles are non-paying. 

 

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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 

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 

 

Faye Carol Sings Lady Day 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St.  

A tribute to Billie Holiday including Lady Day’s most popular songs, including “Strange Fruit,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “God Bless the Child” and “You Let Me Down.” Benefit for KPFA Radio and La Pena Cultural Center.  

$15 

Call 848-6767 x609 or visit www.kpfa.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 

 

Natural Conversations 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Focus on conversations in nature and explore what they are meant to convey.  

$10  

 

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 

 

Climbing Mt. Shasta 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Tim Keating of Sierra Wilderness Seminars will give a slide presentation on climbing and skiing this North California peak.  

Call 527-7377  

 

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, 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 

 

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 

 

Valentine’s Dinner Dance Benefit Gala 

4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita)  

Dance to the music of Toru Saitu & his band. Benefits BFUU.  

$10 donation  

Call 849-9508 

 

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 

 

Kaleidoscope Performances  

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts  

2640 College Ave. (at Derby)  

Yassir Chadley, traditional Moroccan musician and Sufi storyteller.  

$5 - $10  

Call 925-798-1300 

 

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  

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

Call Wade, 531-8664 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

South Branch Berkeley Library  

1901 Russel St.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

7 p.m. 

North Branch Berkeley Library  

1170 The Alameda 

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

 

Wednesday, Feb. 21 

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 

 

Control Hypertension 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus 

Summit South Cafeteria Conference Room  

3100 Summit St.  

Oakland 

Bessanderson McNeil, MPH, and the Ethnic Health Institute, will help attendees take control of their lives. Free 

Call 204-3443 

 

Sacred Cinema  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave., Chapel Six 

Ken Peer has sought to explore sacred themes and to draw attention to the spiritual lives of individuals from the world’s great wisdom traditions. See three of his short films at this free screening.  

Call 649-2523 

 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

Claremont Library  

2940 Benvenue  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

 

Thursday, Feb. 22 

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 Charles Ellick and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

 

Rivers of the World  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Pamela Michael, writer, educator and river conservationist, will highlight her new anthology “The Gift of Rivers: True Stories of Life on the Water,” showing slides of nearly 100 of the world’s great rivers. Free 

Call 527-4140 

 

Growl & Howl of Man & Woman 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Bring your favorite gender assumptions and put them to the test.  

$10  

 

Agaves & Yuccas 

7 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

Mary and Gary Irish, experts on these plants will show you where to find these dry garden plants and how to makes them grow happily.  

$15 

Call 643-1924 

 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m.  

West Branch Berkeley Library  

1125 University Ave.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

 

Friday, Feb. 23 

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. 24 

Tibetan New Year’s Celebration 

6 - 9 p.m. 

Britta Hauenschild gives a flute concert followed by a festive dinner and New Year’s celebration. Proceeds support Nyingma Institute sacred art and education programs.  

$30 suggested donation  

Call 843-6812 

 

Sunday, Feb. 25  

“Imperial San Francisco: 

Urban Power, Earthly Ruin” 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley History Center 

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

Gary Brechin speaks on the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful San Francisco families. Free 

Call 848-0181 

 

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 

 

Authors in the Library: Lois Silverstein 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Writer and performer, Silverstein, will read selections from “Oh My Darling Daughter,” “Behind the Stove,” and a work-in-progress, “Family Matters.” Discussion and book signing will follow. Free.  

Call 848-0237 x127 

 

Planetary Temples 

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Employee Don Frew will show slides of teh ruined city of Harran. Free 

Call 848-8443 

 

Tuesday, Feb. 27 

“Great Decisions” - Missile Defense  

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 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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 

Wednesday, Feb. 28  

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 

 

Conversations in Commedia 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince) 

Mime Troupe founder Ron Davis and icon clown Wavy Gravy give dialogues on satire.  

$6 - $8  

Call 849-2568 

 

Women in Interfaith Relationships  

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Led by Dawn Kepler, this workshop will explore interfaith relationships on many levels, in relation to culture, religion, and gender. People of all backgrounds and orientations are invited to attend.  

$10 

848-0237 x127 

 

Thursday, March 1  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Eliza Shefler and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

 

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, March 2  

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 

 

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  

 

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse 

7:30 p.m. 

Little Theater 

Berkeley High School  

2246 Milvia St.  

Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba.  

$5 - $10  

 

Saturday, March 3 

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 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Berkeley Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Mary Miche, leader of Song Trek Music, will lead a sing-along that will send everyone home humming.  

Call 649-3913 

 

Sunday, March 4  

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Monday, March 5  

Your Legal Rights with HMOs 

6 - 7:30 p.m. 

YWCA Oakland  

1515 Webster St., Second Floor  

Oakland  

Presented by the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, UCSF Cancer Resource Center and the San Francisco Bar Volunteer Legal Services, this free workshop covers what your legal rights are and how to guard them.  

Call 415-885-3693 

 

Tuesday, March 6  

“Great Decisions” - U.S. & Iraq 

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 health, nutrition and science; bioengineering.  

Call 527-5332  

 

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 

 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

 

Wednesday, March 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 

 

Women in Interfaith Relationships  

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Led by Dawn Kepler, this workshop will explore interfaith relationships on many levels, in relation to culture, religion, and gender. People of all backgrounds and orientations are invited to attend.  

$10 

848-0237 x127 

 

Thursday, March 8 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Judy Wells and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

 

Friday, March 9  

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 

 

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  

 

Berkeley PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

2020 Milvia St., Room 303 

E-Mail: meldancing@aol.com 

 

Saturday, March 10  

The Secrets of Sacred Cinema 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave., Mudd 103 

Kevin Peer, a documentary film maker for the past 25 years, gives a two-day intensive for people interested in exploring documentary filmmaking. No equipment or prior experience required.  

$200 per person and registration is required 

Call 486-1480 

 

Sunday, March 11 

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 

 

Myths & Realities of the International House  

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

1931 Center St.  

Director Joe Lurie will show a video and talk about the history and the struggle to open the International House.  

$10 donation  

Call 848-0181 

 

Walk on the Moon  

2 & 7 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

A mother and daughter explore their identities as they summer in the Catskills in 1969 amidst the news of Woodstock and the first lunar landing. Peer led discussion to follow film.  

$2 suggested donation  

 

Tuesday, March 13  

Berkeley Rep. Proscenium Opening 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Repertory Theater 

2015 Addison St.  

Featuring the premiere performance of “The Oresteia” by Aeschylus. Opening gala dinner held prior to performance. Performance will be at 8 p.m. 

Call 647-2949 

 

“Great Decisions” - International Health Crisis 

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


Friday February 02, 2001

Friday, Feb. 2 

 

Midnight: Thrush TV: The Prince Show 

8a.m. Berkeley High Bomb Squad  

9 a.m. Intrepid Berkeley Explorer: Kangaroo from Kakadu 

10 a.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #29 

10:30 a.m. Berkeley High Show: Our Turn # 

11 a.m. Berkeley Speaks, Express Studio Replay 

11:30 a.m. Gospel Search, Replay from THURSDAY 

12:30 p.m. Deep Dish TV: Not Who They Think We Are 

1 p.m. Video Feedback: Pass the Popcorn 5 

1:30 p.m. Back To Back 

2 p.m. On the Move Challenge at South Fork 

2:30 p.m. Sound Gallery: Kathrine Chase Band 

3 p.m. The Mr. Stinky Show #2 

3:30 p.m. Duck Duck Goose: Duck Duck Gooska! 

4 p.m. WOT? BCM Intern Show, Replay 

4:30 p.m. Activist Hour: Abolition 2000, Nuclear Disarmament 

6 p.m. Video Culture  

6:30 p.m. It's Healing Time #11 

7 p.m. Endangering the Species 

7:30 p.m. Wee Poets: Positive Thinking 

8 p.m. Project Impact; Working Together to Make Berkeley Safe #1 

9 p.m. Live Oak Concert Series: Horizon Wind Quartet 

10 p.m. The Blue Lew Show 

10:30 p.m. The Dr. Susan Block Show: Sean's Butt X 

11 p.m. Back Stage Pass: Silk-E Video Shoot 

11:30 p.m. Thrush TV: The Prince Show 

 

Saturday, Feb. 3 

 

Midnight: Analog Rhythms #22 

8 a.m. Leela Foundation: Self-Realization and the Enneagram 

9 a.m. Duck Duck Goose: Duck Duck Gooska! 

9:30 a.m. Wee Poets: Positive Thinking 

10 a.m. It's Healing Time #11 

10:30 a.m. The Word - Ephesians Church 

11:30 a.m. The Word - Ephesians Church 

Noon: Video Culture  

12:30 p.m. Gospel Search, Replay from THURSDAY  

1:30 p.m. Live Oak Concert Series: Horizon Wind Quartet 

2:30 p.m. Back To Back 

3 p.m. Berkeley Speaks, Replay from THURSDAY 

3:30 p.m. Great Pets  

4 p.m. Broadcast Violation, Replay from WEDNESDAY 

5 p.m. Stoney Speaks, Replay from WEDNESDAY  

5:30 p.m. Bible Reading 

6 p.m. Video Feedback: Pass the Popcorn 5 

6:30 p.m. The Mr. Stinky Show #2 

7 p.m. Boredom Theater: Road Trip USA #10 

7:30 p.m. WOT? BCM Intern Show Replay 

8 p.m. Berkeley High Bomb Squad 

9 p.m. Sword of Fire, Armor of Light: Nuevo Pacto 

10 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Nonstop Music 

11 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain  

11:30 p.m. The Blue Lew Show 

 

Sunday, Feb. 4 

 

Midnight: The Dr. Susan Block Show: Sean's Butt X 

12:30 a.m. Back Stage Pass: Silk-E Video Shoot 

8 a.m. Bible Reading  

8:30 a.m. Berkeley City Council Special Meeting of 1/30/01 

11 a.m. The Word Ephesians Church 

Noon: The Word Ephesians Church 

12:30 p.m. Robin and Sam's Movies 

1 p.m. Sound Gallery, from TUESDAY  

2 p.m. Longfellow Middle School Girls Basketball 

4 p.m. Longfellow Middle School Girls Basketball 

6 p.m. Berkeley Intrepid Explorer: Kangaroo from Kakadu 

7 p.m. Who Really Won the Election 

8 p.m. First Amendment Center: A Force More Powerful 

9 p.m. Leela Foundation: Self-Realization and the Enneagram 

10 p.m. Sound Gallery: Kathrine Chase Band 

10:30 p.m. Deep Dish TV: Not Who They Think We Are 

11 p.m. Free Speech TV 

 

Monday, Feb. 5 

8 a.m. Sword of Fire, Armour of Light: Apolstolic Women, the Christ Model 

9 a.m. NASA Television 

11 a.m. It's Healing Time #0101 

11:30 a.m. Back Stage Pass: The Lox 

Noon: WOT? BCM Intern Show Replay  

12:30 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: Duncan James & Lyrique 

1 p.m. Street Survivors, More Street Survivors  

1:30 p.m. Wee Poets: Franklin Micro Society Magnet School 

2 p.m. Activist Hour: Studs Terkel & Howard Zinn 

3:30 p.m. Education In Our Community #5 

4 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Billy Bathgate 

5 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #123 

5:30 p.m. Back To Back 

6 p.m. Boredom Theater 

6:30 p.m. One on One: Chabot College/China 

7 p.m. Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting LIVE 

10 p.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #30 

10:30 p.m. Deep Dish TV: How Do We Express Ourselves & Experimental 

11:30 p.m. Free Speech TV  

 

Tuesday, Feb. 6 

 

8 a.m. Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting, from MONDAY 

11 a.m. Primal Urban Spirit Pulsating 

Noon: Education in Our Community 

12:30 p.m. Boredom Theater: Road Trip USA #11 

1 p.m. One on One: Chabot College/China 

1:30 p.m. Back To Back 

2 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Billy Bathgate 

3 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #123 

3:30 p.m. Bible Reading #84 

4 p.m. Project Impact; Working Together to Make Berkeley Safe #2 

5 p.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #30 

5:30 p.m. Street Survivors, More Street Survivors 

6 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #202 

6:30 p.m. Berkeley Housing Authority Workshop followed by Berkeley City Council Meeting, LIVE 

 

Wednesday, Feb. 7 

 

8 a.m. Berkeley Housing Authority Workshop and Berkeley City Council Meeting, Replay from TUESDAY 

1:30 p.m. Project Impact; Working Together to Make Berkeley Safe #2 

2:30 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #202 

3 p.m. Education in our Community  

3:30 p.m. Free Speech TV  

5:30 p.m. Great Pets: Express Studio  

6 p.m. Hope is in Our Midst 

6:30 p.m. Berkeley High Show 

7:15 p.m. BUSD Public Information Interview LIVE 

7:30 p.m. BUSD School Board Meeting LIVE  

 

Thursday, Feb. 8 

 

Midnight: Analog Rhythms #23 

1 a.m. NASA Television 

8:00 a.m. BUSD School Board Meeting, Replay from WEDNESDAY 

Noon: Free Speech TV  

2 p.m. Great Pets, Express Studio Replay from WEDNESDAY  

2:30 p.m. Hope is in Our Midst 

3 p.m. Street Survivors, More Street Survivors 

3:30 p.m. Live Oak Concert Series: Berkeley Saxophone Quartet 

4:30 p.m. Intrepid Berkeley Explorer: Gringo in the Galapagos 

5:30 p.m. On The Move: Hippotherapy 

6 p.m. Duck Duck Goose: Stop, Duck, & Quack 

6:30 p.m. Stoney Speaks: Express Studio LIVE  

7 p.m. Berkeley High Basketball - Berkeley vs. Alameda 

8 p.m. The Meaning, the Message, the Meeting 

8:30 p.m. Video Feedback: Lifelong Clinic  

9 p.m. The Mr. Stinky Show #3 

9:30 p.m. One on One: Chabot College/China 

10 p.m. Sound Gallery 

10:30 p.m. BEST TV 

11:30 p.m. Hope is in Our Midst


Bears go on shooting spree, trounce UCLA

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday February 02, 2001

 

The Cal Bears have been knocking on the door to the upper echelon of the Pac-10 for the past few weeks. Thursday night against UCLA, they kicked the door down and raided the place. 

It was, by all accounts, the best game the Bears (15-5 overall, 6-2 Pac-10) have played this year. In beating the Bruins 92-63, Cal shot 13-of-22 from three-point land, broke the UCLA (12-6, 6-2) press with ease, and shut down a high-octane Bruin offense in front of a raucous sellout crowd at Haas Pavilion. 

The victory was the second-biggest over UCLA in Cal history, behind a 49-16 Bear win in 1923. The 13 threes tied the school record, and a remarkable 29 assists in the game tied a school record for a conference game. 

“They just played a magic-level game,” UCLA head coach Steve Lavin said. “They hit every open three, made the extra pass, rotated defensively. They beat us to the punch in every phase of the game.” 

It was a remarkably balanced win, with six Bears breaking double figures in the scoring column, and every player but the final-minute scrubs scoring at least six points. Forward Sean Lampley, who has led the Bears nearly every game this season, scored just 11 points, but held UCLA’s Matt Barnes scoreless. Barnes, who scored 26 on the Oregon Ducks last week, missed all seven of his shots from the field. 

“If that’s not huge, I don’t know what is,” Cal head coach Ben Braun said of Lampley’s defensive effort. “Barnes has been on fire lately.” 

Almost all of the Bruins looked totally out of sorts on offense against a scrambling, scrappy Cal defense. After missing on several forays into the lane early in the game, they started hoisting up shots from the outside. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t match the blistering pace of the Cal gunners, who hit seven of 10 from beyond the arc in the first half on their way out to an early 23-8 lead. Guard Ryan Forehan-Kelly hit two of his three long range shots in the first half on the way to scoring a game-high 16 points. 

UCLA’s reliance on the perimeter game was a result of foul trouble for Dan Gadzuric, their only bona fide inside presence. After picking up his second foul with less than four minutes gone by, the Dutchman sat down for five minutes. He made his presence felt upon his return by throwing down a huge dunk, but soon picked up another foul on a Lampley dunk and headed to the bench for the rest of the half. 

The Bears did a superb job on Jason Kapono, who was averaging more than 18 points per game coming in. Kapono got very few touches early in the game, thanks to close shadowing by Cal guards Shantay Legans and Dennis Gates, and was didn’t get his first bucket until 12 minutes had gone by. He scored just seven points in the first half, and ended the game with 15, but it was the quietest 15 points by a star on record. 

Then again, everything the Bruins managed to do right was overshadowed by a Cal play. When center T.J. Cummings fought inside for three chances before putting one in, Lampley came down and stuffed his own miss through the basket, then Legans threw an alley-oop to wingman Brian Wethers. A Kapono three-pointer was answered by a Lampley dunk, then a Joe Shipp three. Although Kapono got going late in the opening period, the Bruins were still down 48-28 at halftime. 

It only got worse for the visitors in the second half. The Bears kept up the frenetic pace on both offense and defense, and a Legans three was followed by a dunk by center Solomon Hughes, who scored 11 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting, and the Bears were up by 30 points. Kapono hit a three, but Shipp came right back and hit a three of his own. It was obvious by then there would be no repeat of last year’s fiasco at Haas, when the Bruins came back from a 19-point deficit in the first half to win, the last time the Bears lost at home. UCLA would get no closer than 23 points in this game, and only a late free-throw kept the difference under 30 points. 

“We’re rolling now, and we’re very happy with how we’re playing,” Lampley said. “When we play well, we can beat anybody.”


Opinions clash over uses for Oxford St. lot

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Friday February 02, 2001

A diverse group of 75 people attended the first public planning meeting Wednesday on the design and use for the last undeveloped site downtown – the Oxford Street parking lot. 

On Dec. 5, the City Council charged the Planning Commission with drawing up criteria that developers could use to write construction proposals. The council asked that the commission focus on creating three things: the maximum amount of affordable housing, a multipurpose cultural use space and replacement of lost parking spaces. 

“I was very encouraged that we had such a good turnout,” said Rob Wrenn, chair of the Planning Commission. “We had residents, merchants, environmentalists and students. There’s obviously a lot of community interest in this project.” 

Wrenn said the chief goal of the commission is to build as much affordable housing as possible on the site, located on Oxford Street between Allston Way and Kittredge Street directly across from UC Berkeley.  

The development, according to zoning regulations outlined in the Downtown Plan, can be five stories high, with as many as 75 units of housing. The number will not be finalized until a development proposal has been accepted. It is also uncertain how many of the units will be made available to low-income and very low-income renters. 

Councilmember Dona Spring said at the opening of the meeting that there is a serious housing shortage in Berkeley and the poor are the most effected. “There is a negative flow of Section 8 housing because market rates have become so attractive in Berkeley,” she said. 

Section 8 is a Housing and Urban Development voucher program that assists low-income tenants with rent payments. In the past many property owners were eager to rent housing under the program because HUD guaranteed monthly rent payments. Recently property owners have been enticed away from the program by the high rents in the tight housing market. 

Wrenn said there should be a wide range of affordable housing available. “We want to have apartments available for the person who only receives a Social Security check of $750 a month, to the family of four with an income $54,000, all of which fit into a range considered affordable,” he said. 

According to HUD guidelines the area median income for a family of four is $67,600. A family of four earning $54,080 is considered low-income and the same size family earning $33,800 or less is considered very low-income. 

Patrick Dooley of the Shotgun Players theater group said there is a big need for the cultural space proposed in the development. “Any way we can create a space for arts organizations, many of which are nomadic and searching for space, is something we should think about,” he said. “I know of at least three or four theater companies that are fighting over La Val’s Subterranean.” 

Wrenn said the current goal is to make the cultural space available for as many uses as possible so that it will pay for itself by always being in use. “We’d like to see a performance place that could be used as a theater one night and concert hall the next,” he said. “But we need as much input from arts organizations as possible as to how that would work.” 

Several merchant groups and developers attended the meeting to make pleas for more parking. At one point Patrick Kennedy, who is developing the Gaia Building next door to the Oxford lot, said parking should be the main focus of the building. “If there’s not going to be any additional parking then we need to stop this meeting right now and go to the City Council for clarification,” he said. 

Kennedy, who seemed agitated, repeated his desire to go to the City Council several times. Finally Wrenn suggested he do so in order that the meeting might continue. 

There are 130 spaces at the Oxford Street lot and the commission has a mandate to re-create those spaces in addition to 1.5 spaces for 1,000 square feet of commercial space and one space for every three residential units.  

Wrenn said that under the new General Plan currently being developed, there is a possibility that some of the residential units could be deemed car-free and therefore fewer parking spaces would be required. 

UC Berkeley student Christia Mulvey, a City and Regional Planning major, attended the meeting and said she would like to see students help the commission push the envelop in terms of new environmental design techniques. “We should be the ones questioning assumptions such as the need for parking,” she said. 

The Planning Commission subcommittee reviewing the project will hold a variety of meetings on various aspects of the design before submitting a recommendation to the City Council. A feasibility study on underground parking at the lot will be submitted to the council in March. 


Albany grapplers pound on ’Jackets

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday February 02, 2001

 

 

With six varsity wrestlers out due to eligibility problems, injuries and a flu bug, things didn’t look good for the Berkeley High team going into Thursday’s match against powerful Albany. And it only got worse once the actual matches started. 

Albany won the first four varsity matches, including two by pin and one by technical fall (wrestling’s version of the slaughter rule) on their way to winning 69-9. The Cougars went through the short BSAL season undefeated at 3-0, and are heavy favorites heading into the league-wide meet on Feb. 17. 

After the junior varsity matches were completed, the varsity matches quickly turned against the Yellowjackets (1-2 BSAL). Berkeley’s Sarah Ravera fought hard but was pinned in the second period by Steven Pressnall, and the rout was on. Albany’s David Yeaman made quick work of Yellowjacket Antal Polony, needing just 1:36 to pin Polony’s shoulders to the mat. 

Eric Aki was the first ’Jacket to last the entire three rounds, but was shut out 8-0 by Joey Seltzer. Kris Austin was next, and he managed to hold out until the second period before bowing out at a 17-1 deficit to Brian Mitchell. 

The Yellowjackets pulled back some pride with Parker Robinson, as he was ahead 10-0 with less than a minute left before his opponent, Eric Blaisdell, withdrew with a shoulder injury. Tsehaya Banfidagne outpointed Albany’s Ramses Alvarez, 7-2, but that was all the victory Berkeley could muster.  

Karl Moore pinned Owen Gould in the final match of the night, followed by a long series of forfeits by Berkeley, seven in all.


Rocky start for class to help failing teens

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Friday February 02, 2001

 

 

With kudos and much fanfare the school board handed over $100,000 and the city kicked in $40,000 more for a new high school program to bolster faltering ninth graders. 

The 50 students registered in the Berkeley High School Achievement Program did their part. They came to class – and these are not youngsters who have regularly come to school – participated in a three-day orientation and were ready to begin their classes today. 

Presumably, the 12-student maximum classes began at 8 a.m. this morning, staffed both by teachers selected by the program and by substitute teachers. 

The debut of the semester was not without last-minute anxiety over whether the much-touted program would actually take off or if, as parent-activist Michael Miller said, “the kids would be sent back to the classes they failed.” 

The problem was the status of the teachers who had been recruited. They are university graduates, but hold no teaching credentials. 

Miller is active with Parents of Children of African Descent, the organization that hammered out and fought for the school program. He said the new program coordinator, Dr. Charles Martin, a Berkeley High science teacher, had worked with Principal Frank Lynch to go over resumes submitted and select from these. The candidates were ready and willing to work with struggling teens in small classes, but lacked state mandated emergency credentials that would allow them to teach. 

To get the emergency credential to teach at the high school level, candidates must be fingerprinted, have a bachelor’s degree, and have taken 9 upper division units in the subject area to be taught or 18 lower division units in that subject, according to Karen Sarlo, Berkeley Unified School District spokesperson.  

Further, they need to agree to go into an education program and to take the California Basic Education Skills Test when it is offered. The emergency teachers must work with a mentor teacher who checks in on them regularly until they have passed the test. In reality, the new teachers all work with mentor teachers, Sarlo said. 

When PCAD parents learned late Tuesday that there was a problem with the teachers’ status, stunned e-mails and phone calls flew around town. Meetings among parents, school administrators and school board members took place Tuesday and continued Wednesday, with the final agreement being that substitute teachers would work alongside program teachers until they had their emergency credentials. 

Part of the confusion may have been that Lynch, who had worked closely with the parents on the project, had been home ill with the flu for several days. It was impossible, late Thursday to get a definitive answer from the school district as to why the new recruits were not already on track to obtain the emergency credentials. 

Another confusing element that seems to have cropped up is the amount of school resources that will be dedicated to the project. When the board voted $100,000 last month, it was voting for funds that would pay the salaries of three teachers for one semester, said School Board President Terry Doran. Sarlo said Doran’s view was correct, but that’s not what Michael Miller said he heard. Miller and others said they believed the board voted to pay for three teachers and to contribute $100,000 to the program. 

Despite the hurdles and confusion, the program is moving ahead. 

Most the 50 or so kids in the school auditorium Thursday afternoon at the end of their three days of orientation for the program, said they were ready for class. School volunteer Iris Starr praised the youngsters for their endurance during the day of negotiations. “You sat here for a long time to let the people know you want to be here,” she told them. “Tomorrow you will meet your new teachers.” 

A lanky teen came in and hesitated by the doorway, finally asking a parent volunteer if he could join the program. He said he had failed his classes and his mother told him to sign up. 

Ninth grader Nicola Davis said she wasn’t sure she wanted to be in a program where kids were segregated by race – the program is open to all failing ninth graders, but most the youngsters there are African American. “My momma thinks it’s just great,” she said.  

Ninth grader Justin Smothers said he was ready. “It’s been OK,” he said of the three-day orientation. “I’m just waiting for class.” 


Unidentified man admitted to hospital

Daily Planet staff
Friday February 02, 2001

An unidentified man, who is a regular at a doughnut shop at the intersection of Ashby and College avenues, suffered a serious head injury on Wednesday night. Alta Bates Hospital is asking the public’s help in identifying  

the man so his family can  

be notified.  

The man, who is only known as Tom, is described as Caucasian, about 50 years old, with well- groomed, gray hair. He was frequently accompanied by his dog, a golden retriever. Anyone with information about Tom’s identity should call Alta Bates/Summit Medical Center at 204-4444.


Record number of applicants to UC Berkeley

Daily Planet wire services
Friday February 02, 2001

A record number of California high school seniors have applied for admission to UC Berkeley for the fall 2001 freshman class, including an unprecedented number of African American, Chicano, Latino and American Indian students.  

This increase in applications represents an across-the-board rise in applications from all ethnic groups. In all, 27,688 California residents applied for the fall 2001 freshman class. The total number of applications, including those from out of state, was 35,473. 

The single most dramatic increase among California applicants occurred among Chicano students, with 2,642 of these students applying to the University of California, Berkeley, up 18 percent from last year.  

“We are very gratified that so many students from communities all across California have chosen to apply for an education at UC Berkeley,” said Richard Black, assistant vice chancellor for admissions and enrollment. “Our staff has worked very hard to get out the message about the opportunities a Berkeley education can provide." 

UC Berkeley has greatly expanded its recruitment efforts, adding more staff and visiting more communities. Foremost among this enhanced effort has been more visits to high schools across the state. By the end of this school year, recruitment officials will have visited more than 350 California high schools and distributed more than 800,000 recruitment brochures.  

Other enhanced recruitment activities have included:  

• Offering more than 50 workshops in which recruitment officials offered tips on writing a personal essay and completing the application.  

• Working with community-based organizations such as churches and philanthropic organizations to bring college admissions information to diverse populations.  

• Holding informational receptions at UC Berkeley for high school and community college counselors.  

• Adding a fourth outreach officer to the Southern California staff and hiring an additional Northern California outreach officer to visit local schools. 

The largest number of applications continues to come from Asian American students, up 7.9 percent to 9,751 applications, and the category of "white/other," up 6 percent to 9,198 applications.  

Among community college transfer students, 5,436 students applied to UC Berkeley, up from 5,289 at this time last year. The most significant percentage increases in transfer applications involved Hispanic students, up 33.8 percent to 574 applications. 

While admissions officials are pleased that such a broad group of students are interested in attending UC Berkeley as freshmen, they note that only about a quarter of these students will gain admission.  

 

Approximately 8,900 students will be admitted to the fall 2001 freshman class for a targeted enrollment of about 3,800 new freshmen.  

"While it is just not possible to admit all qualified students, we can guarantee to every single applicant that his or her application will get careful, individual scrutiny," said Black.  

The university's team of 66 professional evaluators began reading applications and essays on January 2. Students will be notified by mail in late March.  

Admissions decisions are based on such factors as the applicant's test scores, grades, extra-curricular activities, leadership skills and important individual attributes that he or she might bring to the university. All accomplishments are evaluated within the full context of the student's life, including such matters as the opportunities or limitations provided by a student's school or home life.  

Students who applied for admissions electronically can log on to the University of California's Pathways system at http://www.ucapplication.net/ucap/ to determine whether their application has been received. In addition to the students admitted to the fall 2001 freshman class, about 2,550 students from the fall applicant pool will be admitted for Spring 2002 for a targeted enrollment of 860 new spring freshmen. Statistics for fall 2001 applications for California residents are posted on the University of California, Office of the President Web site at 

www.ucop.edu/ucophome/commserv/2001/application.html.


UCSF establishes Internet database of tobacco papers

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — The University of California, San Francisco said Wednesday it will use a $15 million gift to maintain documents on the tobacco industry in a permanent online archive and to establish a research center to study the material. 

Tobacco companies were required to put the documents online under terms of a 1998 settlement with states, but they would have been able to remove them in 2010. 

The grant came from the American Legacy Foundation, an anti-smoking organization created by the settlement.  

The settlement also required tobacco companies to pay $206 billion over 25 years to settle lawsuits by 46 states over the costs of treating sick smokers. 

About 100,000 pages are available through the current UCSF online library of tobacco documents, and that will be expanded to about 40 million pages, most which have become public knowledge through litigation by state attorneys general. The new archive could be up within a year. 

Part of the endowment will be used to fund the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, which will promote studies of tobacco documents and train scholars in the field. 

“This will provide the public health forces with the ammunition necessary to fight the industry,” said Richard Daynard, a law professor at Northeastern and president of the Tobacco Control Resource Center. 

Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co., whose brands include Kool and Lucky Strike, points out that tobacco companies made much of the information available years ago through their own Web sites. 

But the aim of the new archive is to add information and to make it user-friendly, according to UCSF and the foundation. 

“We see the investment and the activities here as really a global resource to tackle what is really a global problem,” said Derek Yach, manager of the tobacco-free initiative for the World Health Organization.  

“To date, we have not been able to understand tobacco companies’ activities well enough to pre-empt them.” 

Only about 4 percent of the world’s smokers live in the United States, Yach said.  

Timing for the project is critical, he said, because the WHO has begun negotiating what would be the first global treaty on tobacco control. 

UCSF became a crucial source of tobacco industry information in 1994 when Prof. Stanton Glantz received 4,000 pages of secret tobacco industry documents from a source known only as Mr. Butts. 

A paralegal working for a law firm representing Brown & Williamson had been taking documents from the firm’s office since 1988, according to UCSF. Brown & Williamson filed suit in 1995 to keep the information private, but the state Supreme Court denied the request.  

The documents were placed online in the UCSF library that year, and the current online collection has attracted about 500,000 hits a month. 

“When the history of the tobacco issue is written, it will be before the documents and after the documents,” Glantz said. “They have completely changed the whole issue by allowing people to understand ... just how the tobacco industry operates.” 

Glantz will be director of the academic center, and Karen Butter, assistant vice chancellor for library services and instruction technology at UCSF, has been named director of the library.


Man shot to death on Highway 280

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — One person was killed in a drive-by shooting Thursday afternoon on a busy highway leading out of San Francisco. 

The shooting happened at about 2 p.m. The victim, driving a white Chevy Caprice on Highway 280, was shot and killed when a gray Nissan Maxima with chrome wheels and tinted windows pulled up beside his car and the occupants began shooting. 

After the driver was hit, his car spun out, but did not hit anyone else. His female passenger was not hit, and no one else was injured, said Shawn Chase, a California Highway Patrol spokesman. The victim’s name has not been released. 

There were at least two men in the Maxima, Chase said. All of the people in both cars were in their late teens or early 20s. Authorities are investigating the possibility that the victim knew the suspects. 

Police recovered the abandoned Nissan later in the evening and formed a perimeter around a house where they believe the suspect may live, said San Francisco Police Sgt. Anthony Manfreda. The suspect’s name has not been released. 

After the shooting, three lanes of southbound Highway 280 in the area just south of the San Jose Avenue onramp remained closed for at least three hours, backing up rush-hour traffic. 

Police do not know if the incident was gang-related. Authorities said both men could be armed. 


State encourages students to apply for expanded aid

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

The state of California has good news for high school seniors who are looking for money to attend college next fall. 

They can apply this month for Cal Grant scholarships that for the first time are guaranteed for all students who meet grade and family income requirements. 

In previous years, the state limited the amount of money provided for Cal Grants and not all eligible students could get money. The Legislature last year passed a law promising that the state will pay for scholarships for all students who qualify. 

“If you get good grades in high school, the state of California will help pay for your education. This is not a loan. This is an investment in our future,” Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante said Thursday. 

March 2 is the deadline for seniors to get their Cal Grant applications in and Bustamante and other state officials held a Capitol news conference to encourage as many students to apply as possible. 

There are two different Cal Grant awards with different requirements.  

One provides full tuition at a public or private college in the state for students with a B average and family income of up to $68,202 for a family of four.  

The other provides $1,551 for one year of community college books and living expenses followed by tuition for a four-year college for students with a C average and family income up to $35,857. 

Tuition is $3,429 a year at schools in the University of California system, $1,428 at schools in the California State University system and $330 at community colleges. Cal Grants will also pay up to $9,703 for tuition at a private California college. 

No one knows exactly how many students are eligible and will apply for classes starting next fall.  

The California Student Aid Commission, which runs the Cal Grant program, is expecting to give out about 100,000 awards costing $650 million for 2001-2002, said spokeswoman Sarah Tyson-Joshua. 

That compares with 77,000 Cal Grant awards costing $500 million handed out this school year, she said. When the revised Cal Grant program is fully running in a few years, the annual cost is estimated to be $1.2 billion for more than 200,000 students. 

Loretta Hultman, a counselor at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, says she has been telling her 700 seniors, 99 percent of them Hispanics from poor families, about the expanded Cal Grant program. 

“At first, they’re amazed. They say they did not have the money to go to college. With this Cal Grant program, this wipes out that concern,” she said. “They can pursue the great education their parents want them to have.” 

Bustamante and several lawmakers are also proposing new legislation this year to provide even more college help in future years. 

One bill being carried by Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara, would give a $1,500 state income tax credit for college expenses for families whose incomes are just over the Cal Grant limits, up to $95,000 for a family of four. 

Another by Sen. Dede Alpert, D-Coronado, would give a new tax break to families putting money in the existing Golden State ScholarShare program. Parents can now deposit money in the fund run by the state treasurer, who invests it and pays interest that is tax-deferred until used to pay college expenses. 

A third bill by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, would create a statewide outreach program to inform middle-school students and their families about state and federal college opportunity programs. 

On the Net: Bustamante’s new Cal Grant-related site is 

http://www.ltg.ca.gov 

The Student Aid Commission is http://www.csac.ca.gov or 1-888-224-7268. 


Poll finds Californians losing confidence in the economy

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — A majority of Californians believe the state’s economy is strong, but residents’ optimism about their own financial prospects is at its lowest point in five years, a new poll shows. 

Only about one in three Californians, or 35 percent, expect their personal finances to improve in the coming year, while 49 percent believe they will stay about the same, the Field Poll found. 

That’s the lowest level of optimism since a 1996 survey, the poll said. 

In addition, the percentage of Californians positive about where the state’s economy will stand a year from now is at its weakest level since 1992, the middle of the state’s last recession, the Field Poll found. 

While a majority believe the state’s economy is currently strong, 36 percent believe it will be in worse shape a year from now, while 40 percent think it will stay about the same and 20 percent anticipate improvement. 

Forty-four percent of Californians surveyed lost money in the stock market last year, while 25 percent made money. 

Another sign of declining consumer confidence: the percentage of state residents who think it’s a good time to make a major household purchase has dropped to 53 percent, 13 percentage points since last year. 

The California poll comes amid signs of growing concern about the national economy. 

The Federal Reserve, citing eroding consumer and business confidence and rising energy costs, cut interest rates Wednesday by a half percentage point, the second rate reduction in January. 

The move was viewed as a strong signal the central bank plans to move aggressively to fight the growing threat of a recession. 

The Field Poll surveyed 1,001 California adults by telephone at random Jan. 12-16. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. 

Among its other findings: 

• Fifty-six percent expect the state to experience serious economic downturns over the next five years. Thirty-six percent believe it will be good most or all the time. 

• Forty-eight percent feel they are better off financially than they were a year ago. Twenty-three percent say their financial situation is about the same, and 27 percent say they are worst off. 

• The percentage reporting themselves worse off rose 10 percentage points from last year. The percent of those who are better off dropped 7 percent.


Alleged school attack plotter pleads not guilty

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

 

SAN JOSE — The community college student accused of assembling an arsenal of guns and explosives in his room and plotting a mass killing at his school pleaded not guilty Thursday to 122 charges. 

“Mr. DeGuzman has merely an innocent fascination with the items that were seized,” defense attorney Craig Wormley said. 

Al DeGuzman, 19, of San Jose, showed no emotion and said nothing as he was arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court on charges of possessing weapons and explosives, and possessing them with the intent to injure a person or personal property. 

If convicted, the De Anza College student, who friends thought would one day be an engineer, could face up to 108 years in prison. 

His father, Leonardo DeGuzman, and two sisters, sat quietly in the audience during the brief proceeding. 

Police found dozens of explosives and weapons in DeGuzman’s room of his parents’ San Jose home on Monday, only hours before police say DeGuzman allegedly planned to start planting bombs at his school. 

Authorities believe DeGuzman began planning the attack two years ago and was intent on carrying it out Tuesday. 

“People fantasize — they don’t go out and collect the material to build 60 bombs. That’s beyond fantasy,” said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Lane Liroff. 

“Our theory is that there was going to be a massacre,” Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu said as a criminal complaint was filed Thursday morning against DeGuzman. “And he has to be responsible for every weapon he made.” 

Police have characterized DeGuzman as an angry individual brimming with hate and a fascination with the deadly 1999 Columbine High School massacre. 

Signs of a troubled teen-ager emerged this week after police arrested DeGuzman for allegedly assembling the guns and weapons and plotting a massacre. 

Wormley called authorities’ depiction of a suspected ’Columbine-style’ planned attack “a huge leap and rush to judgment of a man who has no prior criminal history whatsoever.” 

Former De Anza College history instructor Eloy Zarate remembers nothing unusual about the student, although he is starting to understand why DeGuzman dropped out of his class last fall. 

“I just found out he was ranting about me on his Web site. This was apparently after I wrote a long critique of his paper,” Zarate said. 

That Web site was one of many items police say indicated DeGuzman was full of hate. 

Writings on two Web sites police have attributed to DeGuzman also describe how to make a pipe bomb and other explosives. One page is titled “Killing People (With A Bomb), The Non-Scientific Way,” and detailed a “lo-tech bomb that will kill at least a hundred people!” 

The bomb-making items listed on that Web page are similar to what authorities found this week in DeGuzman’s bedroom, according to police reports. 

Wormley disagreed with authorities about DeGuzman’s level of hatred. 

“That’s an absolute falsehood. There are many people he cared about and loved,” Wormley said. “Both his parents are in an extreme state of shock.” 

On Thursday, a bomb threat at Santa Clara University temporarily forced the evacuation of some buildings on the campus. Police, who called the threat a hoax, said they didn’t know if there was a connection to the De Anza incident. 

The plot to blow up De Anza, just across the San Jose border in Cupertino, unraveled Monday night when a photo lab clerk called police after developing pictures of DeGuzman posing with the alleged arsenal. 

Amid the 35 pipe bombs and 25 Molotov cocktails stashed under clothes and in duffel bags in DeGuzman’s messy bedroom, investigators found magazine articles about the Columbine killers, writings worshipping them and pictures of them on the wall, Sgt. Steve Dixon said. 

They also found detailed plans, including positions and corners at the school where bombs could be placed and ways to distract police. 

“He was going to kill as many people as possible before he died,” Dixon said. “He seemed to think the more people he killed, the better it’d be, the more media attention.” 

While a specific motive remained unclear, police said DeGuzman allegedly planned to kill fellow students in the school’s cafeteria and library, modeling the attack after the one in Littleton, Colo. In that incident, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and wounded 23 others before committing suicide. 

“Eric Harris is God,” DeGuzman allegedly proclaimed on one Web site. “He’s my savior.” 

DeGuzman’s arrest forced De Anza to shut down Tuesday. The school reopened Wednesday after a daylong search turned up nothing suspicious, and police said they had determined no one else was involved in the plot. 

“There was nothing where you’d think he’d be planning something like that,” Zarate said in recalling DeGuzman’s behavior in class. “But who is that kind of person?” 


Dog owner says attack could have been prevented

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

While prosecutors investigate whether a dog owner should be held criminally responsible for a 33-year-old woman’s death, family and friends were expected to attend a memorial service at St. Mary’s College in Moraga where Diane Whipple coached the women’s lacrosse team. 

Whipple was fatally attacked on Jan. 26 by a neighbor’s 120-pound Mastiff-Canary Island dog mix, Bane. Two attorneys, Robert Noel and his wife Marjorie Knoller, own Bane and another dog involved in the attack, and they have not been charged with any crimes. 

The dogs are part of a fighting-dog ring in which dogs were bred for such jobs as protecting illicit drug labs. The ring was run by two white supremacist inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison, and in a bizarre twist, Noel and Knoller have adopted one of the inmates, 38-year-old Paul John Schneider. 

Now, prosecutors were trying to determine if Noel’s dogs were trained to fight or attack. The investigation was expected to last at least three weeks, District Attorney’s Office spokesman Fred Gardner said Thursday. 

“We expect that charges will be filed in this case. It’s a complicated case that involves prisoners at Pelican Bay, trainers in other states and kennels in other states,” Gardner said, adding that it was a “sprawling” investigation and could involve as many as 40 witnesses. 

District Attorney Terence Hallinan has said Noel and Knoller could face manslaughter charges in Whipple’s death. 

Pit bull owner Michael Patrick Berry was charged with murder in the 1987 death of a 2-year-old Morgan Hill boy. At that time, it was the first vicious dog case in which a murder charge was filed. 

Telephone calls to Noel seeking comment Thursday were not returned. 

Noel submitted an 18-page letter to Hallinan blaming Whipple for the attack. 

The dog’s owner said his wife repeatedly tried to keep Whipple away from the dog, but Whipple continued to move toward them. He said Bane only lunged for her neck and throat after Whipple hit Knoller in the face. 

Noel went on to say the attack may have been brought on by pheromone-based cosmetics, or that the lacrosse coach “may have been a user of steroids” that could have attracted the dogs. 

Police and prosecutors said Noel’s letter contrasts with Knoller’s earlier account to police that the dogs bolted and Bane attacked the woman as she returned to her apartment Friday after grocery shopping. 

A memorial service for Whipple was planned for Thursday night. 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO — The owner of a dog that mauled and killed a 33-year-old woman says the death could have been prevented if the victim had backed off and stayed inside her apartment. 

But San Francisco police said Diane Whipple was bitten by one of the owner’s two dogs two weeks before, and that Whipple was afraid of them – a fear other witnesses have shared with police since the incident. 

“They are saying she (Whipple) is acting very macho, when in fact she lives in fear of the dog,” said police Lt. Henry Hunter. 

In an 18-page letter to District Attorney Terence Hallinan on Wednesday, dog owner Robert Noel said he’s speaking out because of unfair treatment he’s received from Hallinan’s office, including the disclosure of an inmate adoption linked to the case. 

In the letter, Noel says his wife, Marjorie Knoller, was returning from the roof with Bane, their 120-pound Mastiff-Canary Island dog, last Friday when they encountered neighbor Whipple standing in the hallway with two grocery bags on the floor and her apartment door open. 

The letter says Whipple stared at Knoller and the leashed dog, but did not go inside her apartment. Then, as Knoller started to enter her apartment, the couple’s other dog, Hera, came into the hallway and Bane attempted to follow. 

Knoller tried to restrain Bane and push him back inside the apartment, but Whipple remained in the hallway, the letter says. 

Bane then lunged, dragging Knoller down the hall with him. But Knoller was able to prevent an attack by throwing herself on top of Whipple inside Whipple’s apartment. 

“While Marjorie was backing out of the apartment, Ms. Whipple got to her knees and crawled out into the hallway after Marjorie and Bane and toward them,” Noel wrote. 

Noel’s letter said Knoller continued to keep her body between Whipple and the canine, but then Whipple “forcibly struck” Knoller in the right eye. 

It was then, he wrote, that Bane lunged for Whipple’s throat, fatally wounding her. 

“During the next 5 to 7 minutes no one from the P.D. or fire department worked on Ms. Whipple, they simply let her lie where she was,” Noel wrote. 

Noel went on to say the attack may have been brought on by pheromone-based cosmetics, or that the lacrosse coach from St. Mary’s College “may have been a user of steroids” that could have attracted the dogs. 

“I’m absolutely speechless,” said Derek Brown, who lives one floor below the attorneys. “Every time they (the dogs) have crossed my path, they’ve gone berserk and lunged at me, trying to take a chunk out of me.” 

Police said Noel’s letter contrasts with Marjorie Knoller’s earlier account to police that the dogs bolted and Bane attacked the woman as she returned to her apartment Friday after grocery shopping. 

“She said the female started barking, the male dog dragged Knoller and attacked,” Hunter said. 

Investigators are trying to find out if Noel and Knoller knew of any attack training or vicious tendencies the animals might have had, Hallinan said. 

“We’re just sitting here trying to gather all the facts,” he said. 

His office is working with police as well as animal care and control officials. Hallinan has also sent office personnel to other parts of California to gather information about the people and animals involved in this case. 

Prosecutors have not charged Noel or Knoller with any crime. But Hallinan acknowledged his office is taking a close look at California law regarding dogs trained to fight, attack or kill. 

Noel and Knoller could face manslaughter charges in Whipple’s death, if they are found guilty of negligence under that law, Hallinan said. 

Noel did not return repeated calls placed by The Associated Press seeking comment. 

Noel dismisses claims that his dog previously bit Whipple, saying in the letter that the dogs never had physical contact with Whipple before the attack and many of the other claims are cases of mistaken dog identity. 

The dogs that attacked Whipple were a Mastiff-Canary Island mix. They were part of a group of dogs raised for fighting contests and guarding methamphetamine labs, according to state prison officials. 

Pelican Bay State Prison inmates Paul John Schneider and Dale Bretches were found to have organized the dog ring from behind bars. Bretches contacted WereWolf Kennels, an Ontario, Canada, dog breeder more than a year ago looking to acquire purebred Canary Island dogs, or Presa Canario, known in Spain for their imposing size and fighting prowess. 

Attorneys Noel and Knoller entered into a written agreement to adopt Schneider, currently serving a life sentence for attempted murder, on Jan. 15. The adoption was completed Monday.  

In the letter, Noel says he and his wife became close with Schneider while working with him and decided to adopt him. It’s a decision Noel says should have been kept confidential. 

“The disclosure of that information by representatives of the State of California was a violation of Fourth Amendment privacy rights ...,” he wrote. 

As to the origin of the dogs, Angelika Morwald, owner of WereWolf Kennels, said she received a three-page letter from Bretches in 1999 inquiring about buying some dogs for breeding. She refused to do business with him because he was incarcerated at the time. 

“How is he going to care for an animal I love?” Morwald said. “This is exactly the kind of people we try to avoid selling to.” 

She said she did not respond to Bretches’ letter and never sent him any material about the dogs, which she sells for between $1,250 and $2,000 per puppy. 

Despite the Presa Canario’s intimidating appearance, Morwald says they must be trained to attack in the manner that Noel’s dog attacked Whipple. 

“My belief is that that dog was trained at some point to do that,” she said. 

A memorial service for Whipple was set for Thursday evening. 


Governor signs $10 billion power-buying bill

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

The Associated Press 

 

SACRAMENTO — The governor signed a $10 billion power-buying plan Thursday aimed at keeping California’s lights on while lawmakers try to fix its deregulation-induced energy crisis. 

The law, which took effect immediately, lets the state sign long-term contracts to buy power and sell it to the customers of financially ailing Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 

“This bill before me marks the first critical steps on the road to recovery from California’s energy crisis,” Gov. Gray Davis said. “With the signing of this bill today I’m assuring everyone that California can and will pay its bills.” 

Davis, heading to Oregon for a meeting with Western governors on the expanding power problems, said the new law will calm wholesale markets “and give the signal that California is gaining control over this challenge.” 

Davis signed the bill shortly after the Assembly approved it 54-25. 

The approval – achieved after hours of vote-scrounging that even saw a state plane sent to fetch a sick lawmaker from his home – came despite GOP protests that the bill will mean higher costs for consumers. 

California’s two largest utilities, which serve nearly 9 million residential and business ratepayers, say they’ve been pushed more than $12.7 billion into debt by the state’s disastrous 1996 deregulation law. 

The law required them to sell their power plants and buy wholesale electricity, but blocked them from raising rates to cover their costs as wholesale power prices soared over the past several months. 

The legislation lets the state spend up to $500 million more buying electricity on the expensive spot market – where California has been spending $40 million to $50 million a day – while reaching cheaper long-term deals with wholesalers for up to a decade. 

Davis said he wanted contracts signed by Feb. 5. 

Several Assembly Republicans took issue with a provision that would let the state Public Utilities Commission raise electricity rates to repay the state for its power purchases. 

To encourage conservation, residential customers who use 30 percent more energy than a baseline specified by regional climate and energy use would be punished with higher rates. 

“It is an unlimited rate increase and there’s no question about that,” said Assemblyman Rod Pacheco, R-Riverside, who voted no. 

The Assembly rejected the measure earlier Thursday, falling three votes short of the two-thirds needed. The Senate approved it Wednesday. 

The state has spent more than $500 million since mid-January on costly short-term power-buying on behalf of Edison and PG&E, both denied credit by suppliers. 

The Assembly’s action came on California’s 17th straight day in a Stage 3 power alert, with reserves threatening to fall below 1.5 percent.  

The northern two-thirds of California had two days with rolling blackouts last month as electricity fell short. 

California’s energy problems – driven by high wholesale prices, high demand and a tight supply – are expected to persist through the summer. 

The long-term buying bill, funded through $10 billion in revenue bonds, is part of a larger fix being orchestrated by lawmakers. 

Another proposal would let the state issue revenue bonds to help the utilities pay off their debts.  

It would be paid back by Edison and PG&E customers and through utility stock options the state could sell as their value rebounded. 

Lawmakers also want speedier power plant construction and more energy conservation. 

Davis on Thursday issued an executive order that, effective March 15, requires all California retailers, including shopping malls, stores, auto dealerships and restaurants, to substantially cut outdoor lighting during nonbusiness hours. Those who refuse could be hit with $1,000-a-day fines. 

The Democratic governor, accused by many GOP and even some Democratic lawmakers of not doing enough to address the energy crisis, described his $404 million conservation program as “the most aggressive in America.” 

It includes a media campaign, $75 million in incentives for consumers to upgrade to more energy-efficient appliances, $95 million for businesses to install energy-saving equipment and lighting, plus funding to cut consumption during peak periods and increase state government’s energy efficiency. 

While the state moved to boost the energy supply, PG&E took action to address its debts. 

The San Francisco-based utility notified the Securities and Exchange Commission that it cannot pay more than $1 billion owed for power bought on the open market and sold at lower, regulated prices. 

The debts included $611 million owed to the state Power Exchange and to the Independent System Operator, keeper of the state’s power grid, plus $437 million owed to qualifying generators. 

PG&E notified suppliers that it could only make partial payments totaling $161 million. 

The company said it also has defaulted on $437 million in commercial debt. Its creditors have terminated agreements to loan the utility more money. 

The company reported that since summer, it has racked up at least $6.6 billion in high wholesale electricity costs the deregulation law blocks it from recouping from customers. 

SoCal Edison is expected to make a similar SEC filing Friday. 

 

 

Meanwhile, a division of Houston-based Enron Corp. said it will stop providing power directly to large California industrial customers, such as Cisco Systems, and switch them to PG&E. Enron said Thursday that it wouldn’t raise their rates. 

Enron has long-term contracts with several dozen customers to provide energy at low rates. To fulfill those contracts, Enron says it was forced to buy energy on the wholesale market at skyrocketing prices. 

On the Net: 

Read the legislation, AB1X by Assemblyman Fred Keeley, D-Boulder Creek, at www.assembly.ca.gov 

California ISO: www.caiso.com 


Measure adds to reversal of energy deruglation deal

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

 

LOS ANGELES — The legislation enacted Thursday to provide $10 billion for the state to buy energy also prohibits residents and businesses from seeking cheaper rates through direct contracts with power generators. 

The provision at least temporarily reverses yet another of the key elements of energy deregulation – encouraging competition by allowing customers to buy power from companies other than the major utilities. 

Lawmakers were concerned that customers who agree to buy power from the state’s Department of Water Resources, would seek cheaper rates elsewhere if prices fall on the spot market, leaving the state with power it can’t sell. 

“In order for the state to sell the revenue bonds, you have to ensure the bond buyers they will actually be paid,” said state Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach. “We just want to make sure we don’t leave remaining ratepayers holding the bag if spot  

prices drop.” 

Ironically, such a scenario would leave the state with “stranded assets” — the same concern utilities had when deregulation was enacted and they were forced to sell their generating plants. Utilities wanted to guarantee they could recoup the cost for plants they couldn’t sell. 

Bowen is working with direct sellers of energy on a new bill that would loosen the restrictions. 

“We recognize having customers come and go can impose costs on the system,” Rick Counihan, a spokesman for the Alliance for Retail Energy Markets, said. “Customers should have choice. It’s not necessary for the state to lock everybody out.” 

In the early days of deregulation, there was little reason for customers to buy power from anyone other than the established utilities. Rates were low and service reliable. 

As of Dec. 31, only 186,000 customers statewide had chosen an alternative energy provider, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.  

Of that number, 154,000 were residential customers, with the remainder commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. 

Many of the largest customers are in San Diego, where rates skyrocketed last summer after San Diego Gas & Electric emerged from a state-imposed rate cap. 

Marriott-owned hotels, for instance, signed a three-year contract with Pittsburgh, Pa.- based Strategic Energy after it saw rates climb to 23 cents per kilowatt hour. 

“Last year, we consumed 2 percent less energy and it cost us $900,000 more than what we had budgeted,” said Doug Rath, director of engineering for the Marriott Hotel and Marina, a 1,356 room hotel in downtown San Diego. “I had almost $1 million in extra cost even though I used 2 percent less energy.” 

Marriott began seeking alternatives, Rath said, with the encouragement of SDG&E. Its contract with Strategic Energy guarantees rates will not rise above 8 cents per kilowatt hour. 

Rath estimates his hotel alone has saved as much as $400,000 since it switched in October. 

Bowen said legislators will begin work on the new bill Monday. She is not sure just how customers will be allowed to exercise choice while protecting the state. 

“It’s in the state’s interest to encourage competition,” she said. “We can reduce the amount of power we have to buy if customers go to direct access. The goal is to allow that flexibility without disadvantaging those customers who continue to be served by the Department of Water Resources.” 


Poll shows many Americans worried about energy

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

WASHINGTON — More than half of Americans are concerned that California-like energy problems could hit their communities, yet most oppose exploring for more oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to a poll by The Associated Press. 

A majority say higher fuel prices already affect them a lot, and six in 10 are concerned they could experience problems like the power shortages, high prices and intermittent blackouts in California, said the poll, conducted for The AP by ICR of Media, Pa. 

About half of those worried about the problem said they are very concerned. Half the poll respondents in Western states said they were very concerned, compared with one in five in the South and Midwest and about a fourth in the Northeast. Blacks were twice as likely as whites to be very concerned. 

People were about evenly split on whether the federal government should help California solve its problems. Young adults between 18 and 34 were twice as likely as senior citizens to say the federal government should help. 

“I think the federal government should step in and do something, just so people can afford their energy,” said Patricia Chandler, a 31-year-old businesswoman from Herrin, Ill. “It’s pretty bad when people have to turn the heat down just to pay their bills.” 

Some have little sympathy for California, which has experienced problems in recent weeks after the state deregulated its power industry, allowing producers to sell at market levels, while limiting utilities from passing along the soaring energy costs. The state has struggled to keep the lights on over many recent days. 

“Californians made their own bed, they need to lie in it,” said Gerald Eisenhour, a 64-year-old retired chemical plant operator from Cold Springs, Texas. “They’re the ones who did not build their power plants. Why should the rest of the country bail them out?” 

Forty-six percent of those in the poll believe President Bush can handle the nation’s energy problems effectively, 38 percent think not.  

More than half of Democrats said he would not be effective and independents were about evenly split in the poll of 1,033 taken Friday through Tuesday. The poll has an error margin of 3 percentage points. 

 

 

 

 

 

“I think Bush has got the right people, and he’s going at it the right way,” said Eisenhour, who describes himself as a conservative Republican. 

The president has said California generally will have to resolve its own problems, though the administration has signaled it would be willing to roll back pollution requirements at the state’s power plants and find other ways to help the state. 

More broadly, Bush has asked Vice President Dick Cheney to lead the development of an energy plan to address the nation’s needs. The administration is in favor of opening the Arctic refuge for energy exploration. Some have accused Bush of using California’s woes as a way to promote his plan to explore for oil on protected Alaska lands. 

The poll suggests he has plenty of work to do on that front. Just over half, 53 percent, said they oppose the plan to explore for oil in the protected Arctic wilderness, while 33 percent favor the idea. An additional 13 percent said they didn’t know. 

“I think they should open up the Arctic,” said Bill Metheny, a retired crane operator from Anita, Iowa, and a Democrat. “People are freezing to death and they can’t heat their homes.” 

Just over half of Republicans say they favor the plan. More than six in 10 registered voters said they oppose the Arctic drilling, as well as more than half, 56 percent, of independents and two-thirds of Democrats. 

“I don’t think they should explore for energy there because it’s a wildlife refuge,” said Chandler, the Illinois businesswoman and a Democrat. “If they reserved it for the animals, they should leave it for the animals.” 

“Why don’t they look in Texas and Wyoming”? said Evelyn Stickley, a 52-year-old independent from Ohio, making a pointed reference to the home states of the president and vice president. “Why go up there where the wildlife is protected?” 


Changing bulb doesn’t help lack of refrigerator light Q: Our refrigerator light bulb went out, and we tried replacing it with two new ones, but we’re still in the dark. What should we check out next? A: There are two obvious causes for a refrigerator

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

Q: Our refrigerator light bulb went out, and we tried replacing it with two new ones, but we’re still in the dark. What should we check out next? 

A: There are two obvious causes for a refrigerator light not turning on when you open the door: The switch is bad, or the bulb is burned out. Your first step should be to check the bulb.  

If the bulb’s filament appears intact or a new bulb doesn’t light when installed in the socket, chances are good that the light switch has failed.Write down the refrigerator’s make and model number and locate an appliance store that has the part. Begin the repair by unplugging the refrigerator and inserting a putty knife between the switch and the refrigerator breaker trim. Prevent marring the trim by wrapping the putty knife with masking tape. 

Gently pry on one side then the other until the locking tabs on the switch release. Disconnect the two wires on the old switch and connect them to the new switch. Press the new switch down until its locking tabs snap into position. Plug the refrigerator in, and test the switch. With the refrigerator door open, the light should come on when the appliance is plugged back in. Press on the switch, and the light should go off. If it operates in reverse of this, you’ve accidentally reversed the switch wires. 

Q: We are fixing up our bathroom, and the biggest problem is our old tub. Is there a way we can refinish the tub ourselves? 

A: You can buy a refinishing kit for about $75, but many people report a high failure rate with these kits. The problem lies in getting a good bond between the new epoxy coating and the old tub finish. To get the best bond, you must get the bathtub as clean as possible.  

Clean the tub with TSP (trisodium phosphate) solution and a stiff-bristle scrub brush or sponge. Sand the surface to break the glaze of the porcelain finish. Use 80-grit wet-dry paper to wet sand the tub.  

 

The final step is to apply the epoxy. This comes in a resurfacing kit that contains the necessary tools – rollers and brushes – plus the epoxy finish and instructions. 

Because professionals use heat to cure their epoxy finishes, they estimate that the new surface will hold up for as long as seven years. With a careful and complete cleaning and sanding job, you should get at least five years service from a refinished tub before the process has to be repeated. 

 

To submit a question, write to Popular Mechanics, Reader Service Bureau, 224 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. The most interesting questions will be answered in a future column. 


Materials, systems, appliances have a fairly long life

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

Buying a house is just the beginning. Before long, you’ll be repairing it, too. Fortunately, many building components – foundation, framing, plumbing and wiring – should last 50 years or more. But mechanical systems, appliances and surfaces exposed to the weather will not last nearly that long, even under the best of circumstances. 

“The reality of it is that stuff happens,” says John Ghent, president-elect of the American Society of Home Inspectors and co-owner of a Trumbull, Conn., home inspection company. The older the house, the more maintenance it usually needs. “Experience shows that the average house may need a 50 percent replacement over a period of 30 years,” says a handbook Ghent gives to home buyers. In each of the first 10 years after construction, a $100,000 house will require $750, or 0.75 percent of its value, in maintenance, according to Ghent. That rises to 1.5 percent per year for the next 10 years and reaches 3 percent per year in the third 10-year period. 

Predicted life spans are published for everything from microwaves to garage-door openers. Although these estimates are helpful, they are not intended to be exact, and your own experience will likely reflect that. 

Ghent, for example, recently inspected a house built in 1926 that still had its original boiler. Designed for coal, the boiler had been converted once to burn oil and a second time so it could run on gas. It’s still in great shape even though it has more than doubled industry estimates for longevity. Maintenance history is one important variable, but so is chance.“Some things don’t break,” says Ghent, “and some things do.” Budgeting for repairs involves location as well as luck. Bottom line: Take national repair estimates as averages that you probably will have to adjust for your area.  

Building structure 

 

Calculating the life expectancy of a roof, siding, exterior paint, flashing and the like is far from an exact science. Geography plays an important role. For example, a wood-shingle roof that wears like iron in a moderate climate might succumb much more quickly when exposed to constant dampness, harsh sunlight or other environmental extremes. Another key factor is the quality of the material. Vertical-grain wood siding cut from the heartwood of trees naturally resistant to decay, such as western red cedar, will last far longer than plain-sawn lumber of lesser quality. The trade-off is a higher initial cost, a factor if you don’t plan on being in the house that long. 

Finally, there is the question of workmanship. Even the most expensive paint in the world won’t last long when applied to an improperly prepped wall. 

Roofing replacement costs are especially complicated to predict. Not only are there many grades of roofing material, but the job might also call for demolition, flashing, gutters and sheathing. Complicated roof shapes drive costs up, too. For a more detailed estimate, try the roofing-cost estimator at www.improvenet.com.  

Major mechanical systems 

Routine maintenance – such as cleaning furnace or air-conditioner filters and scheduling periodic service – might be the only practical way a homeowner can extend the life of major mechanical systems.  

Water quality plays a role in the longevity of boilers, water heaters and water pumps. Water that is highly acidic or full of minerals is tougher on equipment than treated water, and life spans should be lowered accordingly. This is the case in many rural parts of the country, where houses often have their own wells. For heating systems, boilers last longer than hot-air systems because the water helps to moderate heat extremes, making hot and cold cycles less stressful on the equipment.  

Appliances 

Most of us have run across an ancient refrigerator or range in someone’s kitchen that’s still working flawlessly long after it should have been hauled to the dump. With an estimated 600 million appliances at work in American households, there will be plenty of such exceptions. In fact, the Association of Home Appliances Manufacturers says most appliances are not junked at all. A majority are sold, traded in, left behind in a move or given away, and they faithfully serve second or even third owners. As a result, according to the trade group, how long these household workhorses actually last is impossible to say. 

Americans spend more than $15 billion a year on new appliances. Very expensive, restaurant-quality appliances are increasingly popular. 

GE’s Terry Dunn says any appliance that uses water will benefit from a water softener and water-filtration system. “Fewer chemicals and minerals will prolong the life and improve the performance,” he explains. His tips for prolonging life for other appliances: 

—Clean the condenser coils on refrigerators annually. 

—Change air-conditioner filters monthly during the operating season. 

—Replace washer fill hoses every five years; turn off the water supply when away for an extended period. Drain hoses if below-freezing temperatures are expected. 

—Inspect and clean the exhaust duct on the clothes dryer at least once a year, and clean the lint filter before each use. 

—Don’t allow heavy grease buildup in the oven interior. 


Refinishing an old-house floor

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

Wood floors of the Victorian era, with plain, unfinished planks, have given way to parquet designs. Restoring these floors goes a long way to creating an authentic period look. Unlike unfinished planks that got their charm from natural wear patterns, shiny strip and parquet floors benefited from new finishing products such as oil, varnishes and shellacs, that added a special look to the floorboards. 

If you’re restoring a home of this period, opting for a varnish or shellac is a good way to give your floor an authentic, period look. Like painting, preparation is more important than application when you’re refinishing an old-house floor. 

Many times, if a floor has been properly maintained, it’s possible to coat over the existing surface with the same finish. First prep a small test area by hand sanding it, then add the chosen finish. If it bites and has the right look, it’s probably the same finish that’s on there. 

Dissimilar products won’t work on each other, so don’t be tempted to shellac a varnished floor — it simply won’t hold. (A note of caution if you go with shellac: This historical finish won’t tolerate alcohol or water spills, so be sure to consider the room’s usage beforehand.) 

You can add a coat of wax over either, if you choose, to preserve and protect the finish while adding a bit of luster to the floor.  

Keep the surface free of dust and dirt with regular dust mopping. Expect to rewax periodically as this protective coating wears away. It’s a small price to pay for retaining a piece of history. 

If a previous owner refinished your old house floor with a coat of polyurethane, you might decide to strip it off and bring the floor back in a more authentic manner.  

Although this newer finish is extremely durable and offers a longevity most historical finishes don’t, many restorers find it looks plastic and doesn’t mesh well in restored homes. 

If the floor is badly stained and scratched, the floor’s thickness is the indicator you should use to decide whether sanding is feasible. 

 

Extreme care should be taken when working on old parquet floors. Since these boards are only generally about three-eighths of an inch thick, there’s probably only about one-eighth inch to work with until the tongue is reached. As a result, many restorers will recommend stripping the floor by hand, either with a hand scraper or chemicals if the finish must be removed. 

Although this obviously can be a very labor-intensive job, it might be the only way to refinish some old parquet without ruining the floor. Since an old strip floor is thicker many of these floors can be sanded. 

There is another factor that should be considered when you’re deciding whether to sand an early floor. Remember that flooring spans structural members. And the construction techniques common to many old homes are different from those we consider standard today. More than likely your floor joints are 1 inch or so thick. The thickness of the board is adequate for this large span. But when the board is worn (or sanded) down to seven-eighths of an inch or three-eighths of an inch, you’re apt to get some spring in the floor. 

It’s noteworthy that every sanding decreases the thickness of a wood floor by about one-sixteenth of an inch to three-sixteenths of an inch. So, there are only so many times you can sand down a wood floor. An easy way to gauge the thickness of the old floor is to remove the molding and baseboard or a floor heating register to reveal the edge of the wood. 


Council extends antenna ban for six months

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Thursday February 01, 2001

The City Council extended a ban on telecommunications antennae Tuesday for six months in residential areas, but modified the moratorium to allow antenna installation in west Berkeley and downtown. 

The council adopted the extended ban after hearing from a host of telecommunications representatives, mostly lawyers who argued against the ban and residents who said they are worried about health risks posed by radio frequency radiation emitted by the antennae. The council approved the moratorium 8-1 with Councilmember Polly Armstrong voting in opposition. 

“I felt that we had to choose on the side of the neighbors over the companies,” said Councilmember Mim Hawley. 

The council adopted a 45-day, citywide moratorium Dec. 19 after hearing from neighbors who protested the approval of 12 Nextel antennae on the roof of the Oaks Theater on Solano Avenue. 

The new moratorium allows antenna installation in the manufacturing, mixed use and light industrial districts and the downtown area. The majority of the allowable area begins at Interstate 80 and goes east ranging from three to nine blocks.  

Antenna installation is also still allowed in the downtown area bounded by Martin Luther King Jr. Way, University and Durant avenues and Oxford Street. In addition, no antenna can be installed anywhere within 300 feet of a residential use structure. 

Armstrong said she would vote against the moratorium because she thought it was unfair to Nextel. “They went through the process and got the approval. I think they should get the permit,” she said. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington voted for the moratorium despite his opinion that it would result in a lawsuit. “I don’t believe the city needs a moratorium,” he said. “But since it was a foregone conclusion I thought it should be the fairest moratorium possible.” 

Worthington added the language calling for the 300 foot buffer for residences.  

Nextel, which received approval from the Zoning Adjustments Board last November to install the rooftop antennae, were included in the moratorium despite aggressive lobbying to be exempted. Nextel attorney David Trotter suggested the city was “on thin ice” and may be violating the 1996 Telecommunications Act. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said on Wednesday that she was more concerned about the city’s interests than lawsuits.  

“You have to do what’s right for the city and what was right for the city was to enact a moratorium,” she said. “In the long run it will be better for the telecommunication providers because once there’s an ordinance they’ll know just what they can and can’t do.” 

The City Council held a closed session meeting with staff from the City Attorney’s Office prior to the City Council meeting to discuss the possibility of a lawsuit by Nextel. Nextel had said the city would violate state and federal law if the Oaks Theater permit were included in the moratorium. 

A telecommunications ordinance will eventually take the place of the moratorium. 

Vivian Kahn, deputy director of the Planning and Development Department said she has already begun to receive information from the telecommunications companies and residents who want to have input on the permanent antenna ordinance. “I’ve let both sides know that I am always interested in whatever information they have,” she said. 

President of the Renaissance Rialto, Allen Michaan, who rents the Oaks Theater, said he had nothing to do with the arrangement between Nextel and the building’s owner. He urged the City Council to include the 12-Nextel antennas in the moratorium because the large numbers of theatergoers who have complained about the proposed installation. 

“This has really stirred things up,” he said. “We’re struggling there, it’s not easy to run a two-screen theater when everybody else has 18 screens.” 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Thursday February 01, 2001


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 

 

Hiking the California Desert  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Steve Tabor of the conservation group Desert Survivors presents a slide-show of highlights from his reconnaissance trips along more than 400 miles of trail. Free  

Call 527-7377  

 

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 

 

Dark Caves & Sunlight 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” $10 

 

Housing Adivory Commitee 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Hearing on a proposal to require housing code compliance  

inspection of vacant rental  

housing units 

 

Community Environmental Advisory Commission 

6 p.m. 2118 Milivia St. 2nd floor 

Agenga includes item on wood smoke 


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  

 

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 

 

Taize Worship Service  

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Loper Chapel  

(adjacent to) First Congregational Church of Berkeley  

2345 Channing Way 848-3696 


Saturday, Feb. 3

 

 

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  

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 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult. Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Fruit Tree Pruning 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Ecology Center Library  

2530 San Pablo Ave.  

An introductory class for the home fruit grower. Class taught by Greg Peck, owner of an organic landscape and garden design business in the East Bay.  

$7.50 - $10 Call 548-2220 

 

Empyrean Ensemble 

4 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Theater 

2640 College Ave. 

Featuring a commissioned piece, “Prosperous Soul, Gregarious Heart,” newly composed by Peter Josheff in honor of his late father.  

Call 845-8542 


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 

 

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 

 

Timbrels & Torahs: Celebrating Wisdom,  

Celebrating Age  

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Miriam Chaya and Judy Montell discuss their Simchat Hochmah ceremony, which celebrates a woman’s transition from mid-life to her eldering years.  

Call 848-0237 x127 

 

Spiritual & Cultural Context of Mbira  

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Berkeley native Erica Azim has played Shona mbira music for 30 years, and is the foremost mbira performer and recording artist in the U.S. The mbira has metal keys which are plucked with two thumbs and one forefinger, “creating relaxing yet invigorating polyphony and polyrhythms.” Free 

Call 848-8443 

 

Solving the East Bay Energy Crisis 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists 

Fellowship Hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita) 

Barbara George of Women’s Energy Matters and a Utility Reform Network representative, Kris Worthington, City Council member, Ross Mirkarimi of the Green Party, and others will discuss the past and future of the energy situation in the East Bay. 233-3175 

 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club gives free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

 

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

 

Meditations for Relieving Pain 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute  

1815 Highland Pl.  

Sylvia Gretchen presents specific meditations and visualization practices that can help to relieve physical and mental pain. Free 

Call 843-6812 

 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Open House 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

A free introduction to Tibetan Buddhist culture including a prayer wheel and meditation garden tour and yoga demonstration. Refreshments will be served. Free 

Call 843-6812 

 


Monday, Feb. 5

 

Youth Commission  

6 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Center 

1730 Oregon St.  

 

Rent Stabalization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Second Floor Council Chamber 

 

Personnel Board Meeting  

7 p.m. 

Permit Center 

2118 Milvia St.  

First Floor Conference Room  

 

Landmarks Preservation Commission  

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

 

Peace & Justice Commission  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

 


Gaia Building: example of healthy solution for housing

By Richard Register
Thursday February 01, 2001

Patrick Kennedy’s buildings have been passionately opposed by neighborhood conservatives and often by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. These residential buildings, sometimes condominiums, sometimes apartments, with cafes, offices and shops on the ground floor, have in their opponents’ views been too big, too dense, and non-conforming with the opponents’ idea of Berkeley architectural esthetic traditions. 

A recent article that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, quoted three opponents of his work, and quoted Kennedy himself. The story created an impression of well nigh universal opposition, that somehow Kennedy was the only one defending his buildings. 

But strangely enough, because Kennedy provides housing for many people just where they like it - in or on the edge of downtown where lots is cook’n, transit’s convenient - lots of people show up to boost his projects. Who? Minorities, disabled, environ-mentalists, housing advocates, students, seniors, transit passengers, supporters of arts in the downtown, feminists - it is the Gaia Building after all - and more. 

Not just the side represented by the three people the article cited in opposition. 

Now, the building is topping out and what you see is, minus the surface treatment, what you get. The surface treatment, by the way, in the hands of skilled self-proclaimed 19th century architect Kirk Peterson, will only get better. The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association will probably one day begrudgingly end up liking it. 

The Gaia Buildings, located in the middle of downtown Berkeley at 2116 Allston Way is the largest of all Patrick’s projects. Says Mr. Kennedy’s promotional flyer, the Gaia Building is “designed for downtown: innovative, efficient, stimulating. (Almost) Car-free living.” There are 91 residential units which will accommodate approximately 140 people on something less than a sixth of a city block, and it is all less than one block from the University campus and 

Berkeley BART Station to the west. Among the novel features, the Gaia Building is home to terracing, trellises and rooftop gardens as originally proposed and defended by Ecocity Builders before the Zoning Adjustments Board and Design Review Committee. Kennedy adopted the ideas and we at Ecocity Builders supported his project. He built the minimum parking he could negotiate with the city - 42 spaces - and is using double car stacking on mechanical lifts to minimize automobile consumption of space in the building. The Gaia Building, he says, will be the first in the United States to provide an “in-house/real-time” car sharing program, a variant on a successful model in Portland, Oregon. Height of the building: seven stories. 

So he says, say opponents.  

Kennedy does not count the mezzanine of the first floor as another floor. Opponents do. Kennedy considers lofts inside a high ceiling apartment as lofts, that is, non-floors. Opponents don’t. Finally, on the roof, the codes allowed non-rental uses looking something like towers taking up one-sixth or less of the roof area to not be counted as a floor but rather as auxiliary uses to the main uses of the building. Opponents disagree. In the Gaia Building, the space will be occupied by the rental and management offices of the Gaia Building itself and not rented to tenants. It will also be used by the elevator and mechanical equipment structures. Add up the disagreement and opponents say 10 not seven stories - stop the construction! Send the workers home! Keep the new tenants out of town! 

What’s the real deal here. Hell, let’s admit it, one of the reasons I like the building is that it’s named after the Goddess of the Earth in Greek mythology. But that aside, initiatives to close down the project have hit the papers locally. Yet Kennedy incorporates many design 

features that enliven the neighborhoods in which his buildings are located. He cuts low income special deals for some of his tenants while producing the legally mandated percentage of low income housing units, subsidized by the richer folks in the higher cost units. Why does he cut the low-cost deals for some artists and disabled folks? They look good for his next production. He actually likes the people. You guess. I think both. 

Most of the conflict in Berkeley starts with the downtown five story height limit (down from ten) established in Berkeley zoning in the early 1990s. I personally can’t get too excited about developers pushing those limits when providing housing where it’s needed, in a world of high population and the absolutely disastrous effects of low density sprawl and cars. Density with high diversity really is a large part of the healthy solution if it’s in the right place and designed with sensitivity to sun angles, shade, public streets and open public and natural space and so on. 

But I have to also mention another reason I don’t particularly respect the present height limits in downtown: the process by which the heights were established was despicable. I tried to take part. I was interrupted so constantly - and the “facilitators” of the discussions sustained the interruptions not, my right to speak - that after a couple hours of trying to communicate I walked out and didn’t come back for five years. Extremely bad process. 

Assessing all the complaints, I have to say that I see a healthier world and a much more interesting roofline that could begin to shape up in town, beginning with the Gaia Building. I’d suggested solar orientation to Kennedy, terraces, rooftop gardens, trellises, windscreens to capture the sun and moderate the breezes up there in the great Bay Area views. Patrick brought them into his original design. 

But the Zoning Adjustments Board and Design Review Committee took the Building and turned it around 180 degrees so that it would be a solar energy loss rather than gain - which is something to think about all over again in our new “energy crisis” days - how short the memory! 

Though it no longer displays architectural ways of working with natural energy systems, the Gaia Building will still look different and very interesting. The terraces, trellises and gardens are likely to strike people as nice cheerful things to see floating up there in the sky. I think some lessons will be learned from the Gaia building that will help us in the right direction. The 140 residents there who would have been locked out of town or forced to commute long distances will be happy to have a roof over their heads in a great part of a great small city. The complaints will seem overdone and we will get on with trying to see where we are in time. It’s a small step in thinking through and building a better future. 

 

Richard Register is president of Ecocity Builders and a Berkeley resident. 

 

 

 

 


Arts & Entertainment

Thursday February 01, 2001

 

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership Feb. 2: Nerve Agents, Jemuel, The Blottos; Feb 3.: Time In Malta, The Cost 525-9926  

 

Albatross Pub All music at 9 p.m. unless noted Feb. 1: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 3: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Quartet; Feb. 6: Pickpocket Ensemble; Feb. 7: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 8: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Feb. 14: Carlos Oliveira Brazilian Jazz Duo 1822 San Pablo 843-2473 

Eli’s Mile High Club Feb. 2: Henry Clement; Feb. 3: Daniel Castro; Feb. 9: Red Archibald; Feb. 10: Kenny Blue Ray; Feb. 16: Little Johnny & the Giants; Feb. 17: Ron Thompson; Feb. 23: Carlos Zialcita; Feb. 24: R.J. Mischo 3629 MLK Jr. Way Oakland  

 

Freight & Salvage All shows begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 1: International Guitar Night with Andrew York, Laurence Juber, Peppino D’Agostino, and Brian Gore; Feb. 2: Cats & Jammers; Feb. 3: Lou & Peter Berryman; Feb. 4: Dave Van Ronk; Feb. 5: Tony Trischka & Junk Genius; Feb. 6: Chuck Brodsky; Feb. 7: Keola Beamer with Moana Beamer; Feb. 8 & 9: Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys; Feb. 10: Baguette Quartette with Odile Lavault; Feb.11: Bob Franke 1111 Addison St. 548-1761  

 

Jupiter All music begins at 8 p.m. Jan. 27: Solomon Grundy 2181 Shattuck Ave. Call THE-ROCK  

 

Jazzschool/La Note All shows at 4:30 p.m.Tickets are $10 - $12 Feb. 4: Jeff Chambers and the J2W Project 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

 

Crowden School Sundays, 4 p.m.: Chamber music series sponsored by the school. 1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 559-6910 

 

Alice Arts Center “A Night In Oakland” 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. 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 

 

Cal Performances Feb. 2 & 3, 8 p.m.: Allee der Kosmonauten by Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz with video installations by New York artist Elliot Caplan, $20 - $42; Feb. 4, 4 p.m.: Russian National Orchestra, $30 - $52 4 p.m; Feb. 10, 8 p.m.: Masters of Persian Classical Music, $20 - $40; Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m.: Balinese Orchestra Gamelan Sekar Jaya present “Kawit Legong: Prince Karna’s Dream,” $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley. 642-9988 or www.calperfs.berkeley.edu Feb. 11, 3 p.m.: Horacio Gutierrez $24 - $42 Hertz Hall UC Berkeley 

 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra April 3, and June 21, 2001. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

 

Eighth Annual Robert Burns Birthday Celebration Feb. 2, 8 p.m. and Feb. 4, 7 p.m. A celebration of Scotland’s beloved 18th century poet: his songs, his letters, his life. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 1501 Washington Ave (at Curtis) Albany 848-3422 

 

Empyrean Ensemble Feb. 3, 3 p.m. The ensemble will present “The Soldier’s Tale,” by Igor Stravinsky, “Prosperous Sould, Gregarious Heart,” by Peter Josheff, and “Horizon Unfolds,” by Yu-Hui Chang. $4 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. (at Derby) 925-798-1300 

Flauti Diversi Ensemble Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. Performing the music of 17th and early 18th century composers on baroque instruments in a program titled “Bell Fiore, Belle Fleur.” $10 - $15 Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley 1 Lawson Rd. 525-0302 

“Mostly Baroque” Feb. 4, 5 p.m. Instrumental works by Corelli, Schickhardt, Quantz, Mozart, a new work by Glen Shannon and Bach’s Cantana 82. Donations accepted Church of Saint Mary Magdalen 2005 Berryman (at Milvia)  

 

Toshi Makihara & Colin Stetson Feb. 4, 7:48 p.m. Philadephia percussionist Makihara teams up with local solo saxophonist Voigt and local contrabassist Morgan Guberman for an evening of improvised music. $8 donation Tuva Space 3192 Adeline (at MLK Jr. Way) 649-8744 

 

“Songs for the Young at Heart” Feb. 10, 4 p.m. Featuring La Bonne Cuisine by Bernstein and The Shepherd on the Rock by Schubert. Donations accepted St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave.  

 

Community Women’s Orchestra Feb. 11, 4 p.m. Pieces to be played include those written by Berkeley High students Ariel Wolter and Maianna Voge. Donations accepted Malcolm X School 1731 Prince St. 653-1616 

 

Percussions Du Guinee Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Internationally respected Guinean percussionists craft a performance simultaneously inspired by traditional music, yet modern in presentation. $20 - $25 925-798-1300 

 

 

“Fall” by Bridget Carpenter Through Feb. 11. $15.99 - $51. Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949, www. berkeleyrep.org 

 

“In Search of my Clitoris” Written and performed by Sia Amma Feb. 1 & 2, 8 p.m. La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. Feb. 8 & 9, 8 p.m. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. $12 - $14 415-775-6608 

 

“Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett Through Feb. 3, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. $8 - $12. Subterranean Shakespeare La Val’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid (at Hearst) 234-6046  

 

“The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard Through Feb. 24, Friday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 8 p.m. $10 Live Oak Theatre 1301 Shattuck 528-5620 

 

“Nightingale” presented by Central Works Theater Feb. 9 - March 4, Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24 & Saturday, March 3, 5 p.m.; Free preview Feb. 8, 8 p.m. $8 - $14 LaVal’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-1381 

 

“Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank MacGuinness Feb. 15 - March 17, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 p.m. The story of three men - an Irishman, an Englishman and an American held in a prison in Lebanon. $10 - $15 8th St. Studio Theatre 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 655-0813 

 

“Magnetic North” Six programs of experimental Canadian video from the past 30 years that range from documentary to conceptual art. In all, 40 tapes from 46 artists will be shown on six Wednesday evenings. Through Feb. 28. $7. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412  

 

“Durruti and the Spanish Revolution” The LaborFest U.S. premiere screening and dicussion of this documentary which tells the story of the Confederation National del Trabajo during the Spanish Civil War. Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. $7 donation requested. La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 415-642-8066 

“Toto Recall” A 15-film retrospective honoring Italy’s comic genius. Feb. 3 - Feb. 24 Weekend days only, Friday - Sunday. $7 for one film, $8.50 for double bills. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

 

Pacific Center Women’s Evening at the Movies 7:30 p.m. 2712 Telegraph Ave. “Late Bloomer,” the story of a high school basketball coach who realizes she’s fallen for the school secretary. Women’s Evening at the Movies is the first Saturday of every month.  

 

Boadecia’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 10: Karin Kallmaker reads from “Sleight of Hand”; Feb. 23: Becky Thompson reads “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage” 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington 559-9184. www.boadeciasbooks.com 

 

“Strong Women - Writers & Heroes of Literature” Fridays Through June, 2001, 1 - 3 p.m. Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program. North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 549-2970  

 

Duomo Reading Series and Open Mic. Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Feb. 1: John Rowe; Feb. 8: Tom Odegard; Feb 15: Kathleen Lynch; Feb. 22: Charles Ellick; March 1: Eliza Shefler; March 8: Judy Wells; March 15: Elanor Watson-Gove; March 22: Anna Mae Stanley; March 29: Georgia Popoff; April 5: Barbara Minton; April 12: Alice Rogoff; Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

 

Lunch Poems First Thursday of each month, 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. Feb. 1: Sherman Alexie; March 1: Aleida Rodrigues; April 5: Galway Kinnell; May 3: Student Reading Morrison Room, Doe Library UC Berkeley 642-0137 

 

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

 

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 848-7800 The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2  

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

Berkeley Historical Society Slide Lecture & Booksigning Series Sundays, 3 - 5 p.m. $10 donation requested. March 11: Director of Berkeley’s International House, Joe Lurie, will show a video and dicuss the history and struggle to open the I-House 70 years ago. Berkeley Historical Center Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

 

“Great Decisions” Foreign Policy Association Lectures Series Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, Feb. 13 - April 3; An annual program featuring specialists in the field of national foreign policy, many from University of California. Goal is to inform the public on major policy issues and receive feedback from the public. $5 per session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple. Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 526-2925 


Rolling Bears face a real test this week

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday February 01, 2001

There’s no denying it: the Bears are on a roll. This week’s games will go a long way to determine just how serious they are about keeping it going. 

The Cal men’s basketball team is tied for fourth in the Pac-10 standings at 5-2 and has won four in a row, but don’t start congratulating them yet. They haven’t beaten a single team ahead of them in the standings. The Bears were beaten soundly by front-runners Stanford and Arizona, and will face off against UCLA and USC on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. 

How the Bears handle this week’s games is the first true test of the conference schedule. No one really expected them to beat Arizona; despite the Wildcats ups and downs this year, they are a supremely talented bunch. And asking the youthful Bears to upset the No. 1 Cardinal is a bit unrealistic. And victories over weak teams like Washington State and Arizona State don’t really prove much. But the teams from down south are much like Ben Braun’s team: going well now, but with serious questions about their continued success. 

UCLA, which will visit Haas Pavilion on Thursday, is a collection of McDonald’s All-Americans that just hasn’t been able to put it together the past few seasons. The trio of wingman Jason Kapono, center Dan Gadzuric and forward Matt Barnes provide enough firepower for the Bruins to blow away just about any opponent. Kapono is a pure shooter and slasher, Gadzuric is immovable in the middle, and Barnes’ skills has been compared to those of NBA superstar Grant Hill. But promise has faded into disappointment for UCLA in the last few years. 

Kapono is an unquestioned star, fourth in the conference in scoring (17.8 ppg) and striking fear into opposing coaches’ hearts. But Gadzuric is wildly inconsistent, capable of putting up 20 points and 10 rebounds but disappearing at the most inopportune times. Barnes is making the transition from playing on the perimeter to heading into the post, and his scoring is down. 

“Out of necessity for our team’s needs, he understands that he’s going to receive an ample amount of minutes on the front line,” says UCLA head coach Steve Lavin. “As a result, he’s found that he’s pretty effective, a tough matchup for most post players. He’s got versatility and an unusual skill set for his size.” 

The Bruins are tied with Arizona at 6-1 in Pac-10 play, and are thriving under a full-court press installed this season. But they also collapsed in the second half against Arizona, and have yet to face powerhouse Stanford. Lavin says the new defense has energized his team. 

“We worked on the press from day one in practice, but only used it in games on occasion early in the year and went 4-4. But at North Carolina we went down 19, stayed with the press and went up four. We have pressed 40 minutes every game since,” Lavin says. “It creates a real aggressive mindset in our players.” 

Cal head coach Ben Braun agrees that the press seems to have woken up the UCLA players. 

“UCLA has been very consistent in pressuring full-court, and been doing a very good job of it,” Braun says. “They’ve been forcing turnovers and creating points.” 

The Bears could have difficulty breaking the UCLA press, especially when point guard Shantay Legans heads to the bench. Backup Donte Smith has been struggling with his confidence this year, reportedly considering a transfer recently only to change his mind. If Smith shows weakness against the Bruins, the Bears will pay for it with some easy UCLA baskets. Barnes has taken a leading role in the Bruins’ new defense. 

“He’s real weapon in the press because he’s so long, has a real sense of anticipation. He’s really the point man on the press, creating turnovers for our guards,” Lavin says. 

USC is another team that has yet to live up to their talent, but for a different reason: injuries and suspensions. Several players went down last year with various ailments, and a quick start turned sour as the Trojans finished at 16-14. But head coach Henry Bibby has all five starters back now, as guard Jeff Trepagnier has finally returned from an NCAA suspension. His presence make the Trojans one of most talented teams in the country. They are tied with the Bears at 5-2 in conference play. 

“I have a better feel now for who I’m going to use with Jeff back on the team. I’m set on a certain rotation that I’m going to stay with,” Bibby says. “Jeff has missed a lot of basketball, and he’s not back to where he was before.” 

The Bears do have a six-game winning streak against the Trojans, but will be hard-pressed to keep up with the Trojans this year. 

“We’ve just played well against them,” Braun says. “They’re a very talented team, and sometimes a talented team can get you to play better and harder.” 

In Trepagnier’s absence, the Trojans have leaned heavily on forwards Sam Clancy and Brian Scalabrine. Clancy, who missed a big chunk of games with a fractured foot last year, has always been a strong presence on the glass and is pulling down 7.2 rebounds per game. But Clancy has come on strong on the offensive end to become the team’s leading scorer at 18.4 points per game. 

“Clancy’s really given their team life this year after being spotty with the injury last year,” Braun says. “He can obviously go get rebounds for them, and he has really improved his offense this year.” 

Scalabrine was USC’s leading scorer last year, but has made a lot of improvement on defense this year. He is second on the team in blocked shots while continuing to be a key part of the offense. 

“Brian does so many things to help us win on the floor,” Bibby says. “He’s just added the shot-blocking this year.” 

If the Bears can sweep the SoCal schools at Haas, it will give them a leg up on claiming an NCAA bid. A split would be acceptable in keeping the Bears in contention, but if they lose both games this week, they may get stuck in the middle of the Pac-10, better than the weak sisters up north but unable to play with the big boys.


Union, hotel mark ‘grand re-opening’

By Judith ScherrDaily Planet Staff
Thursday February 01, 2001

It wasn’t your typical ribbon-cutting at the Berkeley Marina Radisson Hotel Wednesday night. The giant scissors union organizer Stephanie Ruby held were inscribed “peace” and “justice.” 

Hotel management, union activists and employees had come together for what they called a “grand re-opening” celebration at the restaurant. The hotel hadn’t been shuttered, but it had been boycotted by the city government, the community and labor unions while employees fought for a union, then for a contract. 

“We’re celebrating the end of the boycott and inviting the community to patronize the hotel,” said Ruby, an organizer with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 2850. 

Management did not stay away from the celebration, which included food prepared by the unionized Radisson chefs and music by the Loco Bloco Drum & Dance Ensemble of San Francisco. 

“Everyone worked really hard at getting the contract,” said Brij Misra, the hotel’s general manager. “We were able to hammer out a contract that was good for all the employees.” Misra said now he is able to pay more attention to running the hotel and the employees are able to concentrate singularly on taking care of the patrons.  

Restaurant worker Sy Dovangphoxay was among those celebrating. He talked about how, before the union was formed, he had wanted to visit his sick mother in Laos. “They said you can quit your job and reapply,” he said. 

Now he said he would be able to take a leave without fear of retribution. 

Dovangphoxay also talked about his own growth, as he became not only a union supporter, but an organizer. “I never thought I could do what I did, like speak at a City Council meeting,” he said. 

Housekeeper Bonnie Dideman was there too. “It’s a big event,” she said, noting that since the contract was signed, she has received health benefits, a pension and a promise of fewer rooms to clean. 

Father Bill O’Donnell was there and so was Councilmember Kriss Worthington. Both had been in early negotiations with hotel management and had sat in at a protest in the hotel lobby singing pro-union Christmas carols in December 1999. 

O’Donnell said he was “still mad at the Radisson management” because of the hardships suffered by the workers. Still, the activist-priest from St. Joseph’s Church quoted Ghandi: “We don’t intend to bring our enemy to their knees, just to their senses.”


Prep of the week

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday February 01, 2001

Angelita Hutton – Berkeley High 

 

Coming into this season, the Berkeley Lady ’Jackets knew that senior forward Robin Roberson would be the focal point of their offense. The question was: who would step up and help her? The answer for much of the season has been Angelita Hutton. 

Hutton, a junior from Oakland, has stepped into the shooting guard spot as a starter this year, and has provided a secondary threat for the Lady ’Jackets, making teams pay when they focus all their defensive effort on Roberson. 

Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura said before the season that he expected the athletic Hutton to average double figures in scoring, and she has done that so far. But Nakamura points out that she has contributed more than points. 

“She’s helping a lot in other areas. She’s rebounding real well, and she’s probably our most consistent defender,” Nakamura says. “She’s very hard to keep a dribble against when she’s balanced.” 

Hutton realizes her game is a work in progress. 

“I didn’t score that much before, so I had to work on that,” she says. “But I also need to work on my defense, and on making better decisions on offense.” 

As a starter, Hutton is often limited to playing half of a game because Nakamura doesn’t believe in running up the score on weaker teams. In Berkeley’s league, the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League, there are only two teams capable of giving the Lady ’Jackets much of a challenge. 

“Of course I want to play more, but everybody needs to play, because we’re all good players,” Hutton says. 

With Roberson the focus of the offense, Hutton has had to be more aggressive in taking her shots and looking for opportunities. That has been a chore for the quiet player. 

“You have to look for your own shot first, but keep the team game in mind,” she says. “I just try to stay in the game and not go wild.” 

That newfound aggressiveness has a good side and a bad side, according to her coach. Nakamura sometimes questions Hutton’s shot selection, saying she takes a lot of off-balance shots. But he also sees the need for Hutton to step into her natural role as a leader of the team. 

“She’s a junior, but she’s also a third-year varsity player,” he says. “ But if she wants to play on the next level, she’s got to be more vocal, and she’s improving in that area quite a bit. She’s assuming some leadership.” 

Hutton agrees. 

“I’ve been trying to be more vocal, to be a leader for this team,” she says. “But it’s going to take some work.


Money OK’d for student program

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Thursday February 01, 2001

Last week the City Council boasted strong support for the Berkeley High Achievement Plan and Tuesday they acted on it. 

The council approved $40,000 for the program that is designed to intercede in the academic lives of Berkeley High School freshmen who are in danger of failing math and English classes. The council also committed up to $25,000 in city services, including truancy reduction assistance and case management. The program was developed by a recently-formed group of parents. 

The council adopted the recommendation by an 8-1 vote with Councilmember Betty Olds abstaining. 

The sponsoring organization, Parents of Children of African Descent, first met in November to discuss scholastic problems related to their high-school-aged children. The group soon put together a program to assist Berkeley High’s failing freshman. School and city officials have found the plan so infectious that very little has stood in PCAD’s way since. 

The idea is to identify the students who are having trouble and then enroll them in the program in which they will have access to classes with low teacher-student ratios. If their parents are unable to participate, the students will be assigned mentors who will closely monitor their academic progress. 

In two-months time, PCAD has received about $184,000 in assistance from a variety of private individuals and organizations including $100,000 from the School Board and $40,000 from the city. 

The program has already hired three high school qualified teachers and signed up 48 students who began taking classes Tuesday, according to PCAD members. PCAD says that 242 freshman at Berkeley High are in danger of failing a math or English class and 83 freshman are in danger of failing both.  

Two key elements of the plan are parent involvement and a community-wide partnership. parent Michael Miller, who is on the PCAD steering committee said the program is about much more than the money. 

“Millions have been spent on this problem already and our kids are still failing,” he said. “It’s more than money, it’s the community believing in and working with the students.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington had requested $100,000 to match the School Board’s contribution to the program but praised the city manager’s quick response. The council had asked the city manager to find as much money as possible within a week’s time for the spring semester, which began Tuesday. 

As soon as the council approved the recommendation, Councilmember Polly Armstrong made a motion, which the council also approved 8-1 with Olds abstaining, to earmark an additional $60,000 from the mid-year budget. The money could be allocated in two weeks when the budget is discussed. 

“We can’t know if this program is going to work,” Armstrong said. “I know how hard it is to get parents involved. But I’m dying to hear that you succeeded.” 

Arrietta Chakos, chief of staff in the City Manager’s Office, said there is no plan yet in place for truancy reduction or case management components of the recommendation.  

She said that it’s likely truancy reduction will focus on kids who are on campus but not in class and the city might offer assistance with calling parents at home to let them know their kids are not attending class. 

“The case management element could be anything from seeing that the kids have enough to eat to helping them with health care to counseling them for family problems,” Chakos said. 


New bus services link UC with the Rockridge BART

Daily Planet wire services
Thursday February 01, 2001

The University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have teamed up with AC Transit and the City of Berkeley in a new pilot program to help relieve traffic congestion in the city and promote the use of public transit.  

UC Berkeley faculty, staff and students and laboratory employees will be able to use Berkeley Lab's free shuttle service in the morning between the campus and the Rockridge BART station. They also will be able to ride AC Transit's regular bus service linking the campus and the station for free.  

“This expanded service is another step in our ongoing efforts to help reduce traffic on city streets and ease the demand for parking.  

“Thanks to terrific cooperation, we are able to offer a convenient alternative to campus commuters that also promises to be a real benefit to southside residents,” said Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl.  

Berkeley City Councilmember Polly Armstrong, whose council district includes both the campus and the laboratory, played a key role in getting the shuttle realized. Thanks to her initiative, the parties have signed a memorandum of understanding for a five-month pilot program.  

“We all share a common interest in improving gridlock in south of campus. I'm excited to bring this group together for what I hope will be a helpful solution,” Armstrong said. Berkeley riders to share the lab's popular Rockridge BART shuttle during the morning commute "extends our own commitment to alternative transportation options, which over the years has included a successful shuttle bus system between downtown Berkeley and the laboratory."  

After a five-month trial, the service will be evaluated to determine whether it will be modified or continued, said Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley's director of transportation. The campus's Office of Parking and Transportation is coordinating the new services with Berkeley Lab and AC Transit.  

Both Permaul and Armstrong said they are hopeful the Rockridge shuttle will be as successful as the Class Pass program initiated in fall 1999.  

That resulted from similarly cooperative efforts between the campus, Armstrong and AC Transit and allows UC Berkeley students free rides on all AC Transit routes by paying $18 a year in additional registration fees.  

As with the Class Pass, riders will need to show proper identification. For students, it will be their student ID with a Class Pass sticker. Faculty and staff will need to show their UC Berkeley employee photo ID.  

In the morning, faculty, staff and students coming from the Rockridge BART station have the option of using the Berkeley Lab's direct shuttle bus or AC Transit's #64 bus to the campus. In the offer schedules to get passengers to the campus in 15 minutes and pick up commuters directly under the BART station on College Avenue.  

Lab's service runs from 6:35 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. every 30 to 40 minutes. The lab's bus will drop passengers off in front of International House, at the top of Bancroft Way at Piedmont Avenue.  

The AC Transit bus runs weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. at 15-minute intervals. It stops at Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue near the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union. 

"Line 64 buses offer sufficient capacity so that faculty and staff, just like UC students, can avoid driving in the south campus area," said Rick Fernandez, AC Transit's general manager.


Congresswoman Lee elected vice chair of progressive caucus

Daily Planet wire services
Thursday February 01, 2001

Congresswoman Barbara Lee today was elected as Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus. 

The more than 50 members of the Progressive Caucus share a common belief in the principles of social and economic justice, non-discrimination, and tolerance in America and in our relationships with other countries. The caucus seeks to embody and give a voice to national priorities which reflect the interests and needs of all the American people, not just the wealthy and the powerful. 

“I am very honored to be chosen as vice chair of the Progressive Caucus, and look forward to working with Chairman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio toward a progressive legislative agenda that puts people first,” Lee said. “Now more than ever we must be unified in putting forth an agenda that will save Social Security and Medicare, increase access to health care for the more than 44 million Americans who are uninsured, provide affordable housing, strengthen public schools, protect the environment, and combat social and racial inequalities that still exist.” 

“A majority of Americans agree with a progressive agenda that focuses on the needs and well being of all Americans,” said Lee. “We should not be afraid to differentiate our agenda from Republican initiatives which often-times ignore the working poor, low-income communities, as well as communities of color, instead pushing the agendas of the NRA, the Christian Coalition, defense contractors, anti-choice organizations, and the tobacco, pharmaceutical, insurance, and oil industries.” 

Congresswoman Lee was elected vice chair of the caucus because of a demonstrated record supporting peace and justice in the United States and throughout the world. 

“Barbara Lee is perhaps the most principled Member of Congress, with an understanding of the issues and a commitment to progressive change,” said Progressive Caucus Chair Dennis Kucinich,D-Ohio.“Her new position reflects the confidence that her peers have in her, and she will do a tremendous job.” 

“I would like to thank my colleagues for their continued support and confidence, and for entrusting me with the responsibilities of this position in such an important caucus,” Lee said. 

 

 

 

“I look forward to promoting an agenda of fairness and justice in the 107th Congress.” 


Police say student had Columbine fascination

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

SAN JOSE — The young man who allegedly assembled an arsenal of guns and explosives in his room and plotted a massacre at his community college was fascinated with the 1999 rampage at Columbine High School and “hated everyone,” police said Wednesday. 

Amid the 30 pipe bombs and 20 Molotov cocktails stashed under clothes and in duffel bags in Al DeGuzman’s messy bedroom, investigators found magazine articles about the Columbine killers, writings worshipping them and pictures of them on the wall, Sgt. Steve Dixon said. 

DeGuzman, 19, allegedly planned for two years to kill fellow students in De Anza College’s cafeteria and library, modeling the attack on the one in Littleton, Colo., in which Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and wounded 23 others before committing suicide. 

“Eric Harris is God,” DeGuzman allegedly proclaimed on one Web site. “He’s my savior.” The pages have been taken down by its administrator. 

“According to the friends we talked to, he was getting weird,” said Deputy Police Chief Mike Miceli. “The common thing was that he talked a lot about Columbine. He was fixed on Columbine.” 

While the specific motive remained unclear, investigators found troves of angry writings on DeGuzman’s computer. DeGuzman, who is of Filipino descent, lashed out against politicians, social classes and people of all ethnic groups – including his own, police said. 

“He hated everyone,” Miceli said. 

The new details of the investigation emerged as DeGuzman sat in jail awaiting a court appearance Thursday on more than 50 weapons and explosives counts. His family did not answer requests for comment, and DeGuzman’s lawyer could not be located. 

The plot allegedly unraveled Monday night after a clerk in a drug store photo-developing department alerted police to snapshots of DeGuzman posing with his arsenal, including the Molotov cocktails that seemed to be in dark apple juice bottles. 

“I was looking at it probably for three and five minutes just staring at it trying to make out who this person was, why was he taking pictures of these black gloves, black pants, black belts,” said the clerk, Kelly Bennett, whose father is a San Jose police officer. “I thought, ‘This guy is weird.”’ 

DeGuzman was arrested when he came in to pick up the photos Monday night, forcing De Anza College in nearby Cupertino to shut down Tuesday morning, the day the attack was allegedly planned for. 

De Anza reopened Wednesday, and police said they had determined no one else was involved in the plot. 

Despite his alleged affinity for Harris and Klebold, DeGuzman was no trench coat-wearing loner. DeGuzman had no criminal record, and many people who knew him said he was clever and smart, likely to become an engineer. 

In his senior year at Independence High School in 1998-99, DeGuzman was one of five editors of the yearbook, which won national graphic design awards. 

“I would describe him as intelligent, creative,” said Paul Ender, who was the yearbook adviser. “He was on the shy side, but the kids really respected him and liked him. I certainly did, or he wouldn’t have been an editor of the yearbook — especially at the school, where the yearbook is a pretty major undertaking.” 

Ender recalled how DeGuzman would create fanciful sculptures with the design tools in his classroom. 

“I had to joke with him on Monday mornings, he had to take all this stuff apart so I could work with them,” Ender said. 

While most, if not all, of the other yearbook editors went off to four-year schools, Ender said he believed DeGuzman enrolled at De Anza and lived with his parents for financial reasons. 

DeGuzman’s parents told investigators they respected their son’s privacy and had no idea of what police would find: booby-trapped explosives, sophisticated timing devices and a sawed-off shotgun and rifle, both of which were legally purchased. The explosives were built with common items that could be found at many stores, and some of them were similar to ones used at Columbine, police said. 

Miceli said investigators “hit the gold mine” of evidence when they seized DeGuzman’s computer from his bedroom. They discovered detailed plans — including positions and corners at De Anza that bombs could be placed in and ways to distract police with bombs off campus, police said. 

“He was going to kill as many people as possible before he died,” Dixon said. “He seemed to think the more people he killed, the better it’d be, the more media attention.” 

Among the passages that police said gave them insight into DeGuzman’s thinking was this, from an America Online page: “I don’t seem to care about anything anymore except having a (expletive) of guns, liking people who are politically incorrect, revolution, and seeing people get the (expletive) kicked out of them.” 

Talk of the thwarted plot occupied the first 20 minutes of De Anza instructor Jennifer Myhre’s sociology classes Wednesday. She said many of her students were afraid that accomplices to the plan were still at large, and that many of those evacuated did not take the threat seriously at first. 

“You hear ‘bomb threat,’ and you think someone had a test and didn’t want to show up — like pulling a fire alarm,” Myhre said. “But here was someone who had a real well-thought-out plan. It was really unnerving.” 


Viciousness of dogs who attacked woman still being determined

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Police investigators continued to sift through a growing collection of evidence Wednesday as they attempt to determine the background of two dogs that killed a woman at her doorstep Friday. 

Investigators are still trying to find out if the owners of the two Mastiff-Canary Island dogs that attacked Diane Whipple knew of any attack training or vicious tendencies the animals might have had, said District Attorney Terence Hallinan. 

“We’re just sitting here trying to gather all the facts,” he said. His office is working with police as well as animal care and control officials. Hallinan has also sent office personnel to other parts of California to gather information about the people and animals involved in this case. 

Prosecutors have not charged dog owners Robert Noel or his wife Marjorie Knoller with any crimes. But Hallinan acknowledged that his office is taking a close look at California law regarding dogs trained to fight, attack or kill. 

Noel and Knoller could face manslaughter charges in Whipple’s death, if they are found guilty of negligence under that law, Hallinan said. 

Noel did not return repeated calls placed by The Associated Press seeking comment. 

The dogs that attacked Whipple were a Mastiff-Canary Island mix. They were part of a group of dogs raised for fighting contests and guarding methamphetamine labs, according to state prison officials. 

Pelican Bay State Prison inmates Paul John Schneider and Dale Bretches were found to have organized the dog ring from behind bars. Bretches contacted WereWolf Kennels, an Ontario, Canada, dog breeder more than a year ago looking to acquire purebred Canary Island dogs, or Presa Canario, known in Spain for their imposing size and fighting prowess. 

Angelika Morwald, owner of WereWolf Kennels, said she received a three-page letter from Bretches in 1999 inquiring about buying some dogs for breeding. She refused to do business with him because he was incarcerated at the time. 

“How is he going to care for an animal I love?” Morwald said. “This is exactly the kind of people we try to avoid selling to.” 

She said she did not respond to Bretches’ letter and never sent him any material about the dogs, which she sells for between $1,250 and $2,000 per puppy. 

Despite the Presa Canario’s intimidating appearance, Morwald says they must be trained to attack in the manner that Noel’s dog attacked Whipple. 

“My belief is that that dog was trained at some point to do that,” she said. 

A memorial service for Whipple, a popular lacrosse coach at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, was set for Thursday. 


Senate OKs $10 billion state power-buying bill

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers moved Wednesday to make the state a major power buyer under a $10 billion plan to rescue utilities pushed to the brink of bankruptcy by California’s disastrous deregulation law. 

Some of the same lawmakers who deregulated the energy industry in California five years ago voted to put the state in the business of buying power to keep the lights. 

The proposal won Senate approval 27-8. It was sent to the Assembly for a final vote and was expected to go to Gov. Gray Davis by day’s end. 

“This is a measure I undoubtedly hate as much as anyone on this floor, but it is far less odious than to do nothing,” said Sen. Debra Bowen, a Marina del Rey Democrat, who backed the deregulation law as an assemblywoman in 1996. “There’s no possibility of improvement if we don’t take the medicine that we need to get better.” 

The bill lets the state sign long-term contracts to buy power and sell it to the customers of financially strapped Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Co., who together serve nearly 9 million residential and business customers. 

The state’s two largest utilities, forced by the deregulation law to sell their power plants, say they’ve been pushed $12.7 billion in debt by soaring wholesale prices that same law blocks them from recovering from their customers. 

The state has already spent more than $400 million on costly short-term power-buying on behalf of Edison and PG&E, which have been denied credit by suppliers. The legislation lets the state spend up to $500 million buying more electricity on the expensive spot market while reaching cheaper long-term deals with wholesalers for up to a decade. 

One controversial element of the legislation was a provision that would allow the state Public Utilities Commission to raise electricity rates to cover wholesale costs. 

To encourage conservation, residential customers who use 30 percent more energy than a baseline specified by regional climate and energy use would be punished with higher rates. 

The governor sent lawmakers a letter urging them to back the bill, and promising to sign it. 

“Our job is not yet done,” Davis wrote. “We need to continue to work together to implement aggressive conservation efforts and to vigorously pursue additional generation in the state.” 

A two-thirds vote from each house was required for the bill to take effect immediately after the governor signs it. Republican lawmakers said they wouldn’t join majority Democrats in voting for the bill unless Davis pledged to take full responsibility for the legislation. 

Davis has deflected criticism of his handling of the energy crisis by reminding lawmakers that he was not one of deregulation’s architects. 

Two demonstrators were arrested Wednesday outside the governor’s office for obstructing police as more than a dozen consumer activists protested what they called a taxpayer-financed bailout. 

“These are multibillion-dollar companies that have the ability to bail themselves out without our help,” said Medea Benjamin, a former Green Party U.S. Senate candidate and one of the protesters arrested. 

The long-term buying bill, funded through $10 billion in revenue bonds, is part of a larger fix being orchestrated by lawmakers to save the state’s two largest utilities and spare the state from blackouts. 

The Legislature’s action came as the state faced its 16th straight day in a Stage 3 power alert with reserves threatening to fall below 1.5 percent. The northern two-thirds of California faced two days with rolling blackouts this month as electricity fell short. 

California’s energy problems are expected to persist through the summer. Even the power-buying bill’s strongest supporters said far more action was needed to resolve the energy crisis, including swift power plant construction and aggressive conservation. California’s electricity crisis continues to put a strain on Western power resources, and the impact is being felt in Washington, D.C. 

Senate Democrats criticized President Bush on Wednesday for refusing to act more aggressively in the crisis and said the problem will spread and worsen this summer unless wholesale energy prices in the state are controlled. 

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in California revealed a series of alternative proposals Wednesday to increase the state’s energy supply and encourage conservation. 

“The problem is big and it is going to take a number of large and small steps to solve,” said Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga. 

The GOP energy plan includes building more hydroelectric power plants, constructing power plants on military bases, giving local governments the property taxes from power plants it approves, and tax credits for people and businesses who reduce their energy use by 10 percent or more. 

On the Net: 

Read the legislation, AB1X by Assemblyman Fred Keeley, D-Boulder Creek, at www.assembly.ca.gov 

California ISO: www.caiso.com 


Bay Area restaurant imposes energy surcharge to cover costs

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

FREMONT— Along with their ribs and fries, diners at three Original Hickory Pit restaurants are chewing on a 75-cent surcharge to cover higher energy costs. 

As they take their seats at the restaurants in Fremont, Walnut Creek and Campbell, patrons find fluorescent orange fliers announcing the surcharge right next to their menus. 

“We had to do this to stay in business,” explained owner Tom Kavishi, who started the practice last weekend. 

Energy bills for December and January at the three restaurants increased to $75,000, three times higher than normal.  

Kavishi couldn’t raise menu prices because the restaurants just had spent $5,000 changing menus. 

Kavishi said Wednesday he had qualms about adding the surcharge to bills, but felt he could count on the loyalty of customers who have enjoyed ribs and fresh-baked pies at the restaurants for more than 50 years. 

Kavishi said he will impose the surcharge “as long as the energy crisis is not resolved,” and that it applies only to customers who order full meals – not those who only stop by for a side order of beans. 

One diner told The Oakland Tribune the surcharge was a bad sign of the times. 

“My wife is concerned that other retail establishments will see this and soon everybody will start raising prices,” said Marcus Bruno of Fremont.


Families react to Lockerbie decision

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. — When the first verdict was announced, Daniel Cohen clasped his hands together and breathed deeply, overcome by emotion. 

Sitting in his living room watching television, the father of a 20-year-old college student killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 sighed with relief. 

“I’m happier than I thought I would be,” he said after a Scottish court convicted Libyan intelligence officer Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi of murder Wednesday. 

Then the second Libyan, Lamen Khalifa Fhimah,  

was acquitted. 

“Both would have been better, but the important thing is that the Libyan government has been indicted in this thing,” said Cohen, 64, who attended the first week of the trial in Camp Zeist, the Netherlands, last May. 

Moments later he fielded a phone call from his wife, Susan, who watched a closed-circuit broadcast of the verdicts in Washington, D.C., along with other victims’ families. 

The Cohens lost their only child, Syracuse University student Theodora Cohen, in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. 

Thirty-five other Syracuse students were aboard the plane when a bomb destroyed the plane and rained debris down on the tiny town. Eleven of the 270 victims were killed on the ground. 

Robert and Peggy Hunt of Rochester, N.Y., lost their 20-year-old daughter, Karen. The split verdict left the family determined to pursue civil action that they say will bring to light evidence of deeper involvement by the Libyan government and others. 

“We’re extremely happy that the one defendant was found guilty and disappointed that the other was found not guilty,” Robert Hunt said. “The word ’innocent’ didn’t sit real well.” 

Within hours of the conviction, al-Megrahi was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison. 

“Twenty years – and it’s not exactly hard time – for killing 270 people?” said Cohen. “Of course it’s not fair. But what’s fair for mass murder?” 

George Williams of Joppatowne, Md., who lost his 24-year-old son, Geordie, in the crash, said he was satisfied with the sentence. 

“We’re just looking for justice here. We’re not looking for revenge,” said Williams. “We’re going to hang in there, because we’re going for (Libyan leader Moammar) Gadhafi now.” 

“This is something we’ve waited for a long time,” said Paul Hudson of Washington, whose 16-year-old daughter, Melina, was killed. “To have it come out like this is, of course, very good because it means we’ll probably get close to full justice, and I think we’ll get much more – if not the full – truth.” 

The United Nations imposed sanctions against Libya in 1992 because of its refusal to cooperate in the case, and then-President Clinton ordered sanctions against foreign companies that invest in Libya in 1996. But some of the victims’ relatives say the U.S. government should have acted more aggressively to punish Libya. 

“We are not too hopeful for help from our government. The only reason we had a trial was the persistence of the families,” said Carole Johnson of Greensburg, Pa., whose 21-year-old daughter was killed. Beth Ann Johnson was returning from a semester abroad at Regents College in London where she was a psychology major. 

 

Victims’ families say the verdict can’t soothe the ache of their losses. 

“We want justice, we want those responsible punished,” said Norma Leckburg, of Cold Spring, N.J., who lost son Robert Leckburg Jr., 30. “But there will never be closure.” 

Leckburg was a product engineer returning to the United States from a business trip to Europe. 

In a federal building in New York City, about 85 family members watched portions of the satellite feed without sound because of technical problems. They later watched a replay with sound. 

“I didn’t have to hear the verdict,” said Bert Ammerman, of Riverdale, N.J., whose brother, Tom Ammerman, died on the flight. “I saw the evidence, and I believed all along that both men were guilty.” 

On the Net: 

Syracuse: http://www.law.syr.edu/academics/academics.asp?whatlockerbie 


No federal prosecution for convicted New York police

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

NEW YORK — The U.S. Justice Department will not pursue federal civil rights charges against four New York City police officers who killed an unarmed West African immigrant outside his Bronx apartment two years ago, a federal source close to the case said Wednesday. 

The four officers were cleared of murder and other charges in a state criminal trial last year. Amadou Diallo, 22, died in a hail of 41 bullets in what the officers all testified was a tragic error. 

The federal source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the decision was pending formal notification of the Diallo family, which was meeting with U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White. 

The Diallo family, along with many of their supporters, had hoped for a federal civil rights prosecution of the officers.  

Diallo was black, and the four undercover officers were white in the Feb. 4, 1999, shooting that exacerbated racial tensions in the city. 

The Diallo family still has a $61 million civil suit against the city, its last legal recourse in the case.  

Diallo was shot when he reached for his wallet; the officers said they believed he was reaching for a gun. 

White’s office proposed the meeting after Robert Conason, the attorney for the victim’s mother Kadiatou Diallo, sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder blasting Justice Department officials. 

“The seeming lack of courage displayed by the failure to either seek an indictment or formally close the investigation could only be taken ... as an example of politics at its worst,” Conason wrote in an excerpt printed in the New York Post, which initially reported the decision not to prosecute the officers on its Web site. 

All of the officers acquitted last year – Kenneth Boss, Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon and Richard Murphy – remain on the force. They were searching for a rape suspect when they stopped Diallo outside his home. 

Federal civil rights prosecutions following state acquittals are extremely rare.  

In the Diallo case, authorities would have required proof that the officers violated Diallo’s civil rights by intentionally using excessive force. 

In the state trial, the officers argued they fired in self defense, believing that Diallo was about to pull a weapon on them. 

The officers were members of the NYPD’s Street Crime Unit at the time of the shooting. They were driving around the Bronx in an unmarked car and wearing plainclothes when they spotted Diallo. 

Shortly after Diallo’s death, White announced her office had begun the civil rights probe. 

White’s office also has a separate, broader investigation under way into police training and practices, especially by the Street Crime Unit. 

The Diallo family, in its civil lawsuit, claims the officers used unnecessary force to deprive their son “his right to life.” 

It also charges the shooting resulted from racial profiling sanctioned by the police department, including stopping and frisking black males without justification.


Fed cuts interest rates by half a point

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve, pledging a “rapid and forceful” response to the economy’s dramatic slowdown, cut interest rates on Wednesday by another half percentage point. 

It was the second rate reduction this month and was viewed as a strong signal the central bank plans to move as aggressively as it can to fight the growing threat of a recession. 

The widely expected rate cut drew a far more muted response on Wall Street than the Fed’s surprise announcement of its first half-point reduction on Jan. 3. That move had triggered the biggest one-day rally in Nasdaq’s history. 

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day up just 6.16 at 10,887.36 while the Nasdaq fell by 65.46 to 2,772.89, a reaction analysts attributed to profit taking. 

The Fed said it was lowering its target for the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, to 5.5 percent. It had been at 6.5 percent at the beginning of this month, reflecting six rate increases from June 1999 to May 2000 as the central bank pushed rates higher to slow growth and combat inflation. 

The two half-point cuts marked the first time in Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s 13-year tenure that the central bank has reduced the funds rate by a full percentage point in a single month. 

The Fed’s action meant a further drop in borrowing costs for millions of Americans as commercial banks immediately announced reductions in their prime lending rate, the benchmark for many business and consumer loans, by one-half point to 8.5 percent. 

The Fed statement cited a long litany of economic troubles that had caused it to act. 

“Consumer and business confidence has eroded further, exacerbated by rising energy costs that continue to drain consumer purchasing power and press on business profit margins,” the Fed said in its statement. “Taken together, and with inflation contained, these circumstances have called for a rapid and forceful response of monetary policy.” 

Analysts viewed the back-to-back half point reductions and the Fed’s strong language as a clear signal more rate cuts are coming. 

“The Fed is telling us that they are going to do whatever they possibly can to keep us out of a recession,” said Martin Regalia, chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

The Fed’s action came after the government reported Wednesday that economic growth slowed to just 1.4 percent at an annual rate in the final three months of 2000, the weakest increase in the gross domestic product in more than five years. 

Greenspan had told Congress last week that growth in the current quarter could be “very close to zero.” He said whether the economy averts a full-blown recession would determined by how much worried consumers cut back on spending. 

The Conference Board on Tuesday said that its closely followed consumer confidence index fell for a fourth straight month in January, dropping by the largest amount in four years. 

Allen Sinai, chief economist at Decision Economics in New York, said factors such as how much businesses cut back on production and the impact of the California energy crisis will determine whether the GDP turns negative in the first quarter. He said he was currently forecasting a 0.5 percent growth rate. 

“For sure, we are going to have a recession-like environment. That is already here,” Sinai said. “The hope is that this aggressive easing of monetary policy will limit any downturn and shorten its length.” 

The Bush administration has used the spreading economic weakness to sell Congress on the need to act quickly on its $1.6 trillion tax cut. President Bush told reporters Tuesday that he would refrain from any further direct comments on Fed action in order to respect the central bank’s independence. He had praised the Jan. 3 move. 

In a statement, Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said the administration shares the Fed’s goals of “maintaining healthy economic growth while preserving low inflation.” 

Many saw the Fed’s aggressive easing as an effort by Greenspan to avoid the mistakes that brought on the 1990-91 recession, the only downturn in his tenure. The administration of Bush’s father blamed that downturn on the Fed’s slowness in responding to signs of weakness. 

“There is no question that the Fed chairman is pulling out all the stops to avoid a major blot on his otherwise shining record,” said David Jones, chief economist at Aubrey G. Lanston & Co. in New York. 

Jones predicted the Fed likely will follow up Wednesday’s move with another half-point cut at the next meeting on March 20 or cut rates in two quarter-point moves, with one before the March meeting. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Federal Reserve: http://www.federalreserve.gov 


Market Watch

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

NEW YORK — With Wall Street increasingly worried about a recession, investors sold off stocks Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it would lower interest rates for the second time in a month. 

Investors interpreted the Fed’s announcement as a reason to take profits from the market’s recent gains. Although they know lower rates should eventually lift earnings and the economy, investors couldn’t be sure how long that would take. 

Analysts had expected the post-announcement selling because the market had already factored the half-point rate cut into stock prices. 

“This was the most telegraphed rate cut in history,” said Gary Kaltbaum, a technical analyst at JW Genesis. 

“The market is just hanging in there,” Kaltbaum said. “There are still issues in the marketplace, recession and the quality of earnings going forward...The main question now is: Do we go into a recession or not?” 

Investors have been shaken by recent reports showing the economy has slowed more than analysts expected. But they also are optimistic the economy and corporate earnings will pick up as interest rates fall. 

Wall Street has “confidence in that (lower) interest rates usually, but not instantly, improve the economy. But that is being counterbalanced by a litany of downgrades of earnings and layoffs,” said Robert Stovall, market strategist for Prudential Securities. 

Adding to investors’ worries was a report issued earlier by the Commerce Department that said the gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of just 1.4 percent during the final three months of 2000.  

That performance, the weakest in more than five years, was much slower than many analysts expected and was caused by a plunge in spending on cars and computers. 

Investors showed the most caution in the tech sector, which has suffered the bulk of earnings disappointments. Soft profits and reduced outlooks again hurt long-battered stocks. 

— The Associated Press 

 

Applied Materials lost $2.13 to finish at $50.31. The maker of semiconductor equipment said after the market closed Tuesday that sales for its fiscal first quarter would fall below estimates as customers cut back purchases. 

Amazon.com, which warned late Tuesday of a future slowdown and said it was cutting 1,300 jobs, fell $1.63 to $17.31. 

The Dow got a big boost from the retailing sector, which tends to rise when interest rates are lowered and consumers spend more. Wal-Mart advanced $3.03 to $56.80. 

Stocks in the drug and consumer staple sectors, which typically fare better during economic slowdowns, also provided some lift. Merck rose $1.18 to $82.18, while Procter & Gamble climbed 74 cents to $71.84. 

But financial stocks slipped after experiencing recent gains. American Express traded down 81 cents at $47.10. 

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners 9 to 7 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume was 1.55 billion shares, compared with 1.38 billion on Tuesday. 

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller company stocks, fell 3.32 to 508.34. The Russell was up nearly 3 points before the Fed announcement. 

Overseas markets were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei stock average rose slightly, up 0.1 percent, Germany’s DAX index gained 0.8 percent, and France’s CAC-40 rose 1.4 percent. But Britain’s FT-SE 100 fell 0.6 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 


Opinion

Editorials

Killer’s execution date set for March

The Associated Press
Wednesday February 07, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — A judge on Tuesday set the stage for California’s next execution, ordering San Francisco murderer Robert Massie to die March 27 in San Quentin. 

The condemned prisoner dropped his appeals last month after 21 years on death row, paving the way for a rare execution in the state with the largest number of condemned inmates. 

Massie is to die by lethal injection for the 1979 murder of a San Francisco liquor store owner. Of nearly 600 condemned men and women in California, eight inmates have been executed since 1978, the year state voters reinstituted capital punishment. The last California execution was of serial killer Darrell Rich last March. 

At Massie’s request, U.S. District Judge Charles Legge dismissed Massie’s federal appeals in January and San Francisco County Superior Judge Philip Moscone set an execution date Tuesday afternoon. 

Moscone set the date after San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan spoke briefly against the death penalty.  

Hallinan called execution “a primitive code of retribution” that does not deter crime and is applied disproportionately to racial minorities. 

In his petition to end his appeals, Massie told Legge that he would rather die than continue living on death row in San Quentin. He said life on death row is a “lingering death.” 

 

Even if his death sentence is reversed or commuted by an appeal, he would remain in prison for the rest of his life for shooting Boris Naumoff to death at a San Francisco liquor store. That is why he said he wants a “swift execution.” 

California’s condemned inmates are more likely to die of old age or illness than by execution. More than 100 inmates have been on death row for more than 15 years. 

One reason for the backlog of death row inmates is that about 160 inmates have not been provided a lawyer for their first and mandatory appeal to the California Supreme Court, which has no timeline to rule on cases. After the state Supreme Court, which upheld Massie’s sentence in 1998, defendants enter a maze of federal appeals. 

The state Corrections Department, which runs San Quentin, is asking a federal appeals panel to block a federal court order allowing assembled witnesses at San Quentin to view executions in their entirety. 

Opposing the state’s petition are the media and the American Civil Liberties Union, which jointly convinced a judge in July to order the state to abolish the practice of partial viewings of lethal injections. 


Businesses, drivers angered by proposed ban on trucks

The Associated Press
Tuesday February 06, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Business owners say a proposed ban to keep truck deliveries out of the city’s financial district could wreak havoc on their bottom lines by preventing them from receiving necessary supplies. 

“We get many deliveries on a daily basis, that’s why we’re the No. 1 restaurant city in the world,” said Kathleen Harrington, president of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and co-owner of Harrington’s Bar and Grill. 

The proposed ban, introduced Friday, is meant to stop trucks from double parking on streets, an ongoing problem that clogs traffic and delays Muni buses. It’s the next step after double fines of $100 issued along Muni routes have failed to ease the problem, said Fred Hamdum, Department of Parking and Traffic director. Last year 28,704 drivers were cited for double parking, compared to 14,503 in 1996. The double fines are part of the mayor’s “Unclog the Streets” program that started in 1998. 

The proposed ban calls for trucks 25 feet or longer to stay out of the financial district from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those caught within the prohibited areas would receive moving violations. 

“The attempt here is not to shut businesses down,” Hamdum said. “Traffic downtown has reached critical levels.” 

But some say the new proposal would make already restricted delivery times even tighter. 

Igor Rodionoff, assistant sales manager for Anchor Distributing Co., says alcohol can now only be delivered from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

“That gives us a three-hour window before 7 a.m. and a one-hour window after 7 p.m.,” he said. “If we can’t deliver until 4 a.m., we’re already behind the ball right there.” 

Rodionoff said his only solution would be to use smaller trucks for his deliveries, which would add even more traffic to the area’s streets. 

But the mayor’s office says the traffic problem has gotten out of control and must be resolved somehow. 

“The mayor’s top priority when it comes to transportation is the efficiency of the Municipal Railway,” said P.J. Johnston, the mayor’s spokesman. 

Bob Ramorino, president of Hayward-based Bob Rich Shroeder Trucking, said the proposed ban would create a delivery nightmare because companies would have a hard time finding drivers to work early-morning or late-evening shifts. 

But Hamdum points out there’s time to work out a compromise between the city, businesses and trucking companies. 

The public has until Feb. 16 to submit written comments about the proposal. A community meeting also is scheduled for March. Even then, Hamdum said, it could take up to nine months to implement the proposal. 


Telegraph shut down

Jon Mays/Daily Planet
Monday February 05, 2001

Usually jammed with cars, Telegraph Avenue was shut down for nearly an hour Sunday afternoon while police questioned a young man allegedly involved in a burglary, according to a police officer at the scene.


State now has to deal with utilities’ debts

The Associated Press
Saturday February 03, 2001

SACRAMENTO — With a $10 billion power-buying plan in place after two days of vote-wrangling, lawmakers prepared Friday for more contentious negotiations over what to do, if anything, about $12 billion in debts claimed by the state’s biggest utilities. 

Meanwhile, the state’s grid operators declared the highest power alert for the 18th consecutive day, due in part to the loss of about 8,000 megawatts because of power plants that were down for maintenance. 

The California Independent System Operator, keeper of the state’s power grid, extended a Stage 3 alert through Monday evening, said ISO spokeswoman Stephanie McCorkle. But no rolling blackouts were predicted. 

In another development, a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report found that several California power plants were knocked out of commission in December because they are old and breaking down, rather than because generators shut them down to drive up prices. 

A second FERC report blamed high electricity prices in the Northwest on a combination of cold weather, short power supply from power plants failing to keep pace with growth during the last decade and a lack of rain and snow to fuel hydroelectric dams. 

Despite accusations from consumer groups that power producers were staging the outages to increase demand, FERC found that plants had legitimate reasons for being offline in December. 

“Staff did not discover any evidence suggesting that the audited companies were scheduling maintenance or incurring outages in an effort to influence prices,” the 55-page report concluded. 

Consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield of the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights contended that the FERC report was a “whitewash.” 

“The obvious question is what is different between this year and last year? In the dead of winter, when the state is using two-thirds of its total capacity, these power plants are falling off line at coincidentally the same time, provoking price increases and power outages,” he said. 

A spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis said the FERC report wasn’t a thorough study, with regulators visiting three California power plants and doing 60 percent of the audits by phone. 

“It seems to be, at first glance, to be a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil method of surveying,” said spokesman Steve Maviglio. 

Also Friday, Davis used his emergency authority to snap up power contracts before they could be seized by one of the debt-ridden utility’s creditors. 

With Davis’ move, the state was poised to make its first major acquisition of long-term contracts following approval Thursday of legislation allowing the state to spend $10 billion to buy power. 

The California Power Exchange, which is owed $215 million by Southern California Edison, had planned to seize all long-term contracts owned by the financially strapped utility. 

The contracts were collateral the PX wanted to sell because Edison defaulted on a payment for short-term power it bought on the exchange, said Jesus Arredondo, spokesman for the PX, which runs the state’s wholesale electricity market. 

But Davis beat the exchange to the punch, commandeering the contracts under the broad authority granted him under the Emergency Services Act. 

In a statement issued from Portland, where he was attending an energy summit with other Western governors, Davis said he was using his authority to “seize options to buy very inexpensive power that would otherwise be lost forever.” 

In other developments Friday, Reliant Energy sued the ISO in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. after grid officials issued a letter demanding electricity producers sell to California, regardless of whether the utilities could pay. 

“Incredibly, the ISO’s basis for demanding that (Reliant) provide power ... is the fact that the utilities ultimately receiving the power will not be able to pay for it,” the lawsuit said. 

The long-term contract bill passed Thursday with the bare minimum of votes needed. Lawmakers say the next battle will be even more contentious — if and how the state should help So Cal Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. pay off up to $12.7 billion in debts. 

The two utilities contend they have been forced to the brink of bankruptcy by skyrocketing wholesale electricity prices and state limits on how much they can charge their customers. 

Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, has introduced a bill that would aid the companies in exchange for their hydroelectric plants, transmission lines or an interest in the companies. 

But the first draft of the bill wasn’t met with any enthusiasm from lawmakers or consumer groups. 

“As it is, it is completely unacceptable. It really is a bailout, it gives the utilities their complete undercollection without much in return for the state,” said Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey. 

Richard Cortright, a utility analyst with Standard & Poor’s, a credit-rating agency, said the next step will be tricky because of the “political baggage” attached to plans designed to stave off bankruptcy. 

“It’s important for the utilities to avoid the tag ‘bailout.’ Obviously it has negative connotations. So there’s going to be some quid pro quo,” said Cortright. 

Ron Low, spokesman for PG&E, declined to comment on the ongoing discussions. Representatives from SoCal Edison did not return calls from the Associated Press seeking comment. 

Rosenfield said the long-term contract bill “was just the first shoe.” 

“Now the utilities want the ultimate bailout — the transfer of revenue to cover bad debts,” said Rosenfield. “For three years, deregulation was a financial bonanza for these companies, paid for by ratepayers. Now that they’ve lost money for three months, they want ratepayers to help them out.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

California Independent System Operator: www.caiso.com 

Pacific Gas and Electric Co.: www.pge.com 

Southern California Edison Co.: www.sce.com 


Panel says UC hiring fewer women professors

The Associated Press
Friday February 02, 2001

The Associated Press 

 

The University of California has hired fewer female faculty following passage of anti-affirmative action ballot measure Proposition 209, creating a gender gap that needs bridging, women professors from across the 10-campus system said Wednesday. 

In 1994, women made up 37 percent of UC’s new hires, a record high, but the numbers have been falling since then. 

In 1998, women accounted for 27 percent of UC’s new hires, a year when women earned 48 percent of doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens, according to data prepared for the Senate Select Committee on Government Oversight. 

The decrease comes at a time when UC is engaged in a huge hiring surge to keep up with an anticipated enrollment increase. 

The declining number of new women faculty follows the 1996 passage of Proposition 209, the ballot measure dismantling most state affirmative action programs. That measure killed some UC hiring programs but did not override federal regulations on hiring equity. Still, several professors said it seems to have chilled enthusiasm for hiring women. 

“I am here to seek your help in ending preferential hiring of males on the Berkeley campus,” UC Berkeley professor Sally Fairfax said drily. 

Professors testifying offered a number of different factors contributing to the hiring drop-off ranging from bias and an “old boys’ network” to not offering childcare or keeping applicant pools too small. 

The hearing came two days after leaders of nine top universities, including UC Berkeley, acknowledged that barriers exist for women faculty in science and engineering and promised to address the inequity. The university presidents met at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where officials admitted discriminating against women after a group of female professors produced an analysis two years ago showing unfair treatment. 

On Wednesday, UC officials defended their track record, saying they have hired more women than other major universities – for the year 1997-98, UC’s faculty was 23.5 percent female compared to Harvard’s total of 12.9 percent. They also contend that in some fields the number of qualified female candidates is small. 

Still, UC Santa Cruz Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood acknowledged “there has been a disturbing decrease in the hiring of women post-Proposition 209, which we are carefully examining.” 

Greenwood, one of two women chancellors in the 10-campus UC system, said UC President Richard C. Atkinson has a plan to address the problem, including asking each campus to establish a new goal for the number of women faculty  

and coming up with a plan to achieve  

that goal. 

State Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, who opened the hearing by declaring “it is absolutely imperative that we do the right thing and do it now,” said she was glad to hear of UC’s plan and would take steps to see it was implemented. 

Having more women faculty is about more than equity, said Marge Schultz, a Berkeley law professor. Women professors at Berkeley’s Boalt law school have “redefined the way we see rape,” and brought issues such as sexual harassment and the marriage tax penalty to the fore, she said. “What matters here is not simply the equal treatment of individual women candidates.” 

With UC expecting to fill 7,000 positions by 2010, creating hiring equity is the fair and smart thing to do, said UC Davis professor Gyongy Laky. 

“The women are there. They are qualified,” she said. “All of us know that this institution can do better.”


Group sues over further development by Cisco Systems

The Associated Press
Thursday February 01, 2001

SAN JOSE — Opponents of Cisco Systems’ plan to build a $1.3 billion campus in one of the Silicon Valley’s few remaining rural areas filed suit Wednesday to halt the development or at least put it up for a referendum vote. 

The suit seeks to override the City Council’s Jan. 16 decision that effectively killed a bid to let voters decide whether to proceed with the 688-acre office park. City officials claimed the petition was legally flawed. 

“Today’s legal action is taken to vindicate the constitutional rights of those who signed the petition,” said Brian Grayson, spokesman for the People for Livable and Affordable Neighborhoods, which filed the lawsuit. 

Cisco, the city’s largest private employer and a leading manufacturer of equipment that runs the Internet, says its proposed campus is well planned out and sensitive to preserving open space.  

City officials approved the project in October. 

But opponents argued the complex and its 20,000 workers would worsen the area’s already snarled traffic and make housing prices soar in nearby communities. They launched the petition drive and gathered 40,000 signatures. 

Just after the signatures were collected, lawyers for the city and Cisco said it was fatally flawed because it focused on the density of development allowed on the North Coyote Valley site and the amount of open space required. 

Such factors are administrative decisions, which are not subject to referenda, said San Jose City Attorney Richard Doyle. The City Council agreed and tabled the ballot measure. 

The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, names the city of San Jose and the City Council. It specifically requests that the council repeal the planning amendments that allow construction or submit the plan to voters. 

The city attorney did not return a telephone message seeking comment Wednesday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, at least four other lawsuits against the development have been filed related to its environmental impact report. Plaintiffs of those include the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, the city of Salinas, Santa Cruz County and the Sierra Club. 

Despite the litigation, project organizers expect to begin work on the massive complex later this winter, said Cisco spokesman Eric Morley.  

He added more than 110,000 San Jose residents have signed petitions in support of the campus. 

On the Net: 

San Jose City Council: http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/cty—clk/agenda.htm 

Coyote Valley Research Park: http://www.c-v-r-p.com/overview.html