In sweltering heat, about four dozen high school athletes are doing drills while coaches bark instructions at them. These players won’t actually play a game for another four months, but they know that starting jobs can be on the line even today. 

Welcome to spring football at Berkeley High. The 50 or so juniors- and seniors-to-be that are on the field for the next two weeks are the immediate future of the team, and will be put through their paces as if the season started next month. With a new varsity coach in charge, few of the players know what to expect. 

Although new head coach Matt Bissell has coached most of these players before as the junior varsity coach over the past two seasons, this will be his first crack at spring football, since it is only for varsity players. He has to plan the next four months, and that’s just to get to the first game. 

“I’ve been running around like a guy with his head cut off,” Bissell said. “There’s a lot of things for me to do every day.” 

Bissell not only had to adjust to life in the fast lane when he was chosen varsity coach earlier this year, but he’s had to round up an entire coaching staff, as none of last year’s assistants stuck around after former head coach Gary Weaver decided to leave. Weaver had some success in his only year at BHS, tying for the ACCAL title and missing the playoffs by a tie-breaker.  

Working both inside and outside the school, the new coach has managed to put together a staff of 10 assistants. 

“They’ve come from all over. Some of them called me, some got to me over the Internet, and a couple of faculty members approached me,” Bissell said. 

The most work will need to be on the offense, as Bissell decided to change from last year’s pro-style offense to a mix of several different systems.  

“We’re doing variations of some things we’ve seen from successful local high school programs,” he said. “There will be a lot more movement than last year, which should play to our strengths.” 

The new offense will be complex, meaning the returning players will have to make a fast adjustment. They will also be adjusting to a new offensive coordinator, who is a former head coach at another Bay Area program. But Bissell is confident that between spring ball and summer workouts, things will come together. 

“We’re throwing a lot of stuff at them right now, and they’re a little confused,” he said. “But I know almost all of these kids, and they’re responding really well.” 

Bissell is also impressed at the effort shown by most of the returning starters. According to him, very few players are taking their positions for granted. 

“You’ve always got the mantra of ‘no job is safe,’ but between what I saw of some guys last year and how hard I’ve seen them work so far, I can’t help but pencil in some guys,” he said.

Judah L. Magnes Museum “Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season” through May 2002. An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 642-0808 

The Asian Galleries “Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery.” A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection. “Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. “Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. “Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 642-0808 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 by 40-foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast; June 8: The Enemies, Pitch Black, The Fleshies, Supersift, Texas Thieves; June 9: Groovie Ghoulies, The Influents, Red Planet, Mallrats, Goat Shanty. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans. 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage; June 2: Rebecca Riots; June 3: Hurricane Sam; June 6: Freight 33rd Anniversary concert series with Leni Stern, Jenna Mammina, Jill Cohn, Pig Iron. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. June 1: New Monsoon; June 2: Avi Bortnick Group 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

The Bill Horvitz Band and the Adam Levy Threesome June 1, 8 p.m. TUVA Space 3192 Adeline  

The Berkeley Festival of Contemporary Performances All performances begin at 8 p.m. June 1: Steve Coleman and Five Elements; June 2: Roscoe Mitchell with George Lewis, David Wessel and Thomas Buckner. $15 Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley Campus www.tempofestival.org 

Empyrean Ensemble June 2, 8 p.m. Final concert of the season, featuring soprano Susan Narucki in the world premiere of Mario Davidovsky’s “Cantiones Sine Textu,” as well as works by other composers. 7 p.m. panel discussion with the composers. $14 - $18 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave 925-798-1300  

Berkeley High Jazz Combo June 3, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Schubert Festival June 3, 4 p.m. Mini-Schubert Festival as part of the Sundays at Four Chamber Music series. Will feature Schubert’s Trout Quintet, String Trio, and more. $10 Crowden School 1475 Rose St. 559-6910 www.thecrowdenschool.org 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra June 21. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

AfroSolo Theatre Company May 31, 7:30 p.m. Theater, dance, spoken word and poetry. $5 - $10 La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Camp Winnarainbow Benefit Boogie June 3, 7 p.m. Featuring The Flying Other Brothers with Pete Sears and Greg Anton, David Gans, Wavy Gravy and surprise guests. Camp Winnarainbow is a multicultural circus and performing arts camp founded by Wavy Gravy and his wife. $10 - $20 Ashkenaz 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“Cymbeline” June 2 through June 24, Tues. - Thur. 7:30 p.m., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. Opening of the California Shakespeare Festival features one of Shakespeare’s first romances, directed by Daniel Fish. $12 - $146. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater off Highway 24 at the Shakespeare Festival Way/Gateway Exit. 548-9666 or www.calshakes.org 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members traveled to Laramie, Wyo., after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepherd. The play is about the community and the impact Shaper’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive June 1: 7:30 Reason, Debate, and a Tale; June 2: 7:00 A River Called Trash; June 3: 5:30 Ruslan and Ludmila. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

“The Producers” June 10. Revisit this outrageous comedy classic, starring Zero Mostel and written by Mel Brooks. $2 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Nomad Videofilm Festival 2001 June 1 10:40p.m. featuring world premieres from four S.F. Bay Area mediamakers: “Roadkill” by Antero Alli, “Forest” by Farhad J. Parsa “Visit” by Jesse Miller, B, “Fell Apart” by Doan La Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/nomad.htl 

“TRAGOS: A Cyber-Noir Witch Hunt” an Antero Alli film June 2, 10:40pm Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640 

Exhibits 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts and Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910”chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkeley in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 31: Michael Pollan talks about “The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World”  

“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  

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181

In this area few men’s mere presence has impacted the public image of African American lawyers, as did the late State Appellate Court Justice Clinton White. An Oakland resident, and native of Sacramento, he was the voice of the African American legal community, long before he became first an Alameda County Superior Court Judge in 1977 and later a State Appellate Court Justice. Although, others were fighting aggressively for racial equality within the judicial system, no one fought for African Americans like he did. In the tradition of national civil rights lawyers, like Charles Houston, Thurgood Marshall and William Hastie, Clint White, as he was known before becoming a judge, viewed the law as an instrument to achieve social justice. In the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, he was the consummate lonely warrior representing African Americans in courtrooms where the odds were perpetually stacked against them. 

For decades Clint White was a strident voice for African Americans in the criminal justice system. He offered a unique form of social commentary explaining to jurors or to anyone who would listen that the criminal justice system was biased against African Americans and that African Americans were entitled to justice free of racism and bigotry. Before it was fashionable, he strenuously railed against the process that allowed for the exclusion of blacks from juries. By the sheer force of his personality and superb lawyering skills he demanded that African American attorneys be treated with respect and above all he aggressively challenged racist assumptions that contaminated the entire judicial system, including prosecutors, judges, police officers and even defense attorneys. 

As a physically imposing and proud man with a rich baritone voice, he demanded respect for himself and his clients. As such he, more than any lawyer of his generation, changed the perception of African American lawyers. During a time when the radio and television minstrel show, Amos and Andy depicted African American lawyers, as shallow, footshuffling, and unprepared, Clint White was the antithesis of that image. His cross-examination was legendary and his fund of knowledge about the plight of African Americans was a daily history lesson. For every aspiring lawyer, myself included, he was the model, the personification of an African American lawyer. He taught us that as the best and brightest each case presents a unique opportunity to educate and challenge. He was the classic life long teacher without a classroom and his legacy will be the hundreds among us who listened and who are committed to keeping his faith by fighting for social justice. 

So as the African American community mourns the passing of this courtroom giant and social engineer those beyond the black community should know that aside from the Martin Luther Kings or Malcolm Xs, there were others of their generation who also felt the pain of discrimination and used their professional skills to bring about social change. Clint White was such a man and because of his commitment and life long contributions, the judicial system in Northern California has been enriched and the image of African American lawyers has changed for the good, forever. 

Oakland civil rights lawyer John Burris is author of “Blue vs. Blue: Let’s End the Conflict Between Cops and Minorities,” 1999, St. Martin’s Press. 

Thursday, May 31

Backpacking in Northern Calif.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free 527-4140  

League of Women  

Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Friday, June 1

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. www.ajob.org 

“Rumi: Mystic and Romantic  

Love, Stories of Masnavi” 

5 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Free public talk by Professor Andrew Vidich. Childcare and vegetarian food provided. 

707-226-7703 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17. $8 - $35 sliding scale per session Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Board of Library  

Trustees Special Meeting 

12 noon 

Department of Human Resources 

Bay Laurel Room 

2180 Milvia, 1st floor 

Regular meeting with public comments followed by closed interview session for the Director of Library Services position. 

City Commons Club,  

Luncheon and Speaker 

11:15 a.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

This week featuring Joe Garrett, speaking on “Survival in the Banking Wars.” Lunch served at 11:45 for $11-$12.25. Come at 12:30 to hear the speaker only for $1, students free. Reservations required for three or more. 

848-3533 

Saturday, June 2

Car Seat Safety Clinic 

10:00 a.m. 

Kittredge St. Parking Garage, second level 

The Berkeley Police Department will demonstrate proper techniques for car seat installation and use, and offer safety checks and tips. Free. 

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  

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Family Storytime  

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Main Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Storyteller Olga Loya tells tales from around the world. Geared for children three to eight and their parents. Free  

649-3964 

Commission On Disability  

Hearings 

1 - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Open forum, opportunity for public to present ideas and concerns about barriers for people with disabilities and accessibility of City facilities. Public comment on Berkeley’s proposed “Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan.” Will continue on June 13. 

981-6342 

Longfellow Middle School’s  

Outdoor Arts Festival 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Longfellow Courtyard 

1500 Derby St. 

Live music performances, silent auction of student and community art, BBQ and bake sale. Talent showcase and awards ceremony from 2 - 3 p.m. Free admission, open to the public. 665-1980 

Birdwatching Walk  

and Breakfast 

8 a.m. 

Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

This is the time of year when the greatest variety of birds can be found in the Garden, including some rare species. $25, limited space, call to reserve. 643-2755 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Walking Tour 

10 a.m. - noon 

Thousand Oaks Elementary School 

Tour of Thousand Oaks School and neighborhood. $5 - $10, reservations required. 

848-0181  

Pasta and Opera 

7 p.m. 

2924 Ashby Ave. 

Presented by Chamber Arts House. By donation. 

Sunday, June 3

Rosa Parks Spring  

Celebration and Fund-raiser 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Rosa Parks 

920 Allston Way 

Silent auction, quilt raffle, cake walk and field events. 

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  

Hands-on Bicycle Repair  

Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn how to adjust front and rear derailleurs from one of REI’s bike technicians. All you need to bring is your bike. Free  

527-4140 

Healing Through Tibetan  

Yoga 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Slow movements of Kum Nye encourage self-healing and deeper spiritual dimensions in experience. Demonstrated and discussed by Jack van der Meulen. Free and open to the public. 

843-6812 

Family Day at Magnes  

Museum 

12:30 - 3 p.m. 

2911 Russell St. 

A celebration of cultural heritage, the day is co-sponsored by the San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society. Free admission. 

www.magnesmuseum.org 

Dedication of TROTH 

2 - 4:30 p.m. 

Northside Community Art Garden 

On Northside St. 1 block N. of Hopkins 

TROTH, a special earth wall toolshed and product of nearly 3 years of volunteer labor, will be dedicated today. This “cob” building was created from 50 years of soil, and is the newest of many local works which showcase art and eco-technology. Potluck meal and words from gardeners, City representatives and BART. 

841-3757 

Monday, June 4 

“Boys Will Be Men” 

6:45 p.m. 

Longfellow Theater 

1500 Derby St. 

Special Father’s Day showing of the acclaimed documentary for Berkeley teen’s and their families. Introduced by Tom Weidlinger, followed by audience discussion. Free. 

849-2683 

www.berkeleypta.org 

Tuesday, June 5 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

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

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Intelligent Conversation  

7 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

A discussion group open to all, regardless of age, religion, viewpoint, etc. This time the discussion topic is open and will follow the conversation. Informally led by Robert Berend, who founded similar groups in L.A., Menlo Park, and Prague. Bring light snacks/drinks to share. Free  

527-5332 

Bike for a Better City Action Meeting 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

1356 Rose St. 

www.bfbc.org 

Wednesday, June 6 

Fishbowl: “Everything you always wanted to know about the opposite sex but were afraid to ask” 

7 p.m.. to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Find out what the other half really thinks! The Fishbowl is an interesting way to anonymously ask those burning questions. $8 for BRJCC members, $10 for general public. 848-0237 x127. 

Thursday, June 7  

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 

Free Writing, Cashiering & Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

LGBT Catholics Group  

7:30 p.m. 

Newman Hall  

2700 Dwight Way (at College)  

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender Catholics group are “a spiritual community committed to creating justice.” This session will be a community meeting.  

654-5486 

Skin Cancer Screening Clinic 

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit Campus  

2450 Ashby Ave. 

Markstein Cancer Education Center 

Skin cancer screenings are offered only to people who, due to limited or no health insurance, would be able to have a suspicious mole or other skin changes examined. Appointments are required.  

869-8833 

Summer Noon Concerts 2001 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza 

Shattuck at Center St. 

Weekly summer concert series. This week Advanced Jazz Workshop under direction of Mike Zilber. 

Friday, June 8  

Strong Women - The Arts, Herstory and Literature 

1:15 - 3:15 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 cultural studies course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Backpacking Essentials 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Review the fundamental how-tos of selecting gear for a weekend backpacking trip. Free 

527-4140 

City Commons Club, Luncheon and Speaker 

11:45 a.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

This week featuring Doris Sloan, Ph.D., on “Treasures Along the Silk Road Oases.” Come early for social hour. Lunch at 11:45 for $11-$12.25. Come at 12:30 to hear the speaker only for $1, students free. Reservations required for three or more. 

848-3533 

Saturday, June 9 

Live Oak Park Fair 

11 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Celebrates original crafts, international diversity, and community life. One hundred artists and craftsmakers display their work, with live performances and a variety of food. Free admission.  

Call 986-9337 

The Bite of REI 2001 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Taste some of the best, lightweight backpacking food and energy snacks available. At 1 p.m. Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn with demonstrate how to turn your outdoor trips into gourmet adventures. Free 

527-4140 

La Pena 26th Anniversary  

Benefit to Honor Dolores Huerta 

7 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Music performances, slide show and raffle in honor of special guest Doloras Huerta, farm worker’s and women’s rights advocate. Huerta worked with Cesar Chavez to establish and lead the National Farm Workers Association in the 1960’s, and has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of farm workers for decades. Proceeds will go to La Pena and Huerta’s medical expenses. $20 - $25. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Sunday, June 10 

Counteracting Negative Emotions 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Exercises presented by Sylvia Gretchen, Dean of Nyingma Studies. Free and open to the public. 

843-681 

Live Oak Park Fair 

11 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

One hundred artists and craftsmakers display their work, with live entertainment and food. Free admission.  

Call 986-9337 

“Kindertransport: A Personal Account” 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Hear the moving story Ralph Samuel, who escaped Nazi Germany as the age of eight. Samuel was one of an estimated 10,000 children who were rescued through the efforts of the Kindertransport operation. $4 BRJCC members, $5 for general public. Admission includes brunch. 848-0237. 

Monday, May 21, came as a rude awakening to fire department personnel throughout Northern California. 

State wildfire experts had been keeping a nervous eye on the unseasonably dry, warm and windy weather for weeks, but it was on that particular Monday that indicators took a dramatic turn for the worst, said Berkeley Assistant Fire Chief David Orth. 

Officials at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded first by moving up the beginning of fire season from June 4 to May 28. Then they apparently took a deep breath, looked back out the window, and found the nervousness had not gone away.  

The 2001 fire season was declared officially open the very next day. 

In addition to heightened alertness, the opening of fire season means the dedication of more resources to fire fighting. The CDF goes on a spending spree, signing contracts for everything from helicopter pilots to Port-A-Potties. Under mutual aid agreements in effect during fire season, multiple fire-fighting agencies will respond at the first sign of smoke in a wildfire zone. 

Why all the concern? 

According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Shane Snyder,18 inches of rain have been recorded in the Oakland area since last July – only a few inches below the average for this time of year. But the rains came early, and things have been unseasonable warm and dry since them, said Orth and others. 

In other words, Star Thistle, Queen Anne’s Lace and other plants that blanket steep hillsides from Richmond to Oakland had ample water to grow tall and bushy before drying out into the combustible skeletons that California’s veteran fire fighters know all too well. 

“We have seen weeds two to three times as high as last year,” said Orth, a veteran of the 1991 wildfire that devoured 3,000 homes in Oakland and Berkeley. “Some of the material is as dry now as it was in June of last year.” 

Last year was a comparative light year for forest fires in California. According to CDF statistics, fires consumed 72,718 acres and caused about $30 million in damages in 2000, compared to an average of 157,868 acres and $80 million in damages per year, averaged over the previous five years. 

Orth said things have already reached an alarming level this year. 

“Our critical time has started, which is really new for us,” Orth said, explaining conditions typically don’t reach a critical level until September. “June is usually pretty foggy for us. I don’t think that’s going to happen.” 

Wednesday was a particularly bad day. As temperatures soared into the 90s by mid-afternoon, a hot, dry wind began blowing from the east – the same kind of wind that made the 1991 fire burn down hill, towards homes, faster than it burned up hill. By 3 p.m. the wind was gusting up to 35 mph, sucking out what little moisture was left in the hillsides. 

Had Orth been at home, he would have heard his back door begin to rattle. 

“That’s one of my indicators,” Orth said. 

But Orth was watching other indicators on Wednesday, such as the one that measures what fire experts call “fuel moisture.” This is measured by fastening a piece of wood to a springed scale up in the Oakland hills. As the moisture evaporates from the wood, the change in weight is translated into a “fuel moisture” reading. Wood with 28 percent moisture will not burn at all. Wood with anything below 5 percent moisture is a spark away from spontaneous combustion. 

“Anything below five and I want to take a vacation and get out of here,” Orth joked. 

By 3 p.m. Wednesday, the “fuel moisture” level in the Oakland hills had hit 4 percent. Orth expected it to be at 3 percent by the end of the day. 

“The only good thing is that it’s just started,” Orth said of the low moisture levels. “If we had three days of this, I think we’d be in real trouble.” 

Snyder called Wednesday’s heat “just a quick spike up” in temperatures. The wind should begin to come in from the Bay today, Snyder said, holding temperature in the mid-eighties and bumping up the humidity level. By Friday, Snyder forecast a stiff ocean breeze would push temperatures down into the mid-seventies. 

But, even then, the risk will be far from over. 

“Everybody is concerned,” said City Councilmember Betty Olds, whose hilly northeast Berkeley district lies almost completely in what fire fighters call the “threat zone.” 

Olds said city programs are in place to help reduce the fire risk. The city distributes large, green waste bins to anyone who requests them, so hill residents can keep their property clear of combustible debris during the fire season. In the second week of June, the city’s so-called “chipper crew” will begin making the rounds in the hills every couple of weeks, helping interested residents cut back vegetation around their homes. 

The only problem with these programs, said Olds, is that they depend on citizens taking an active role – something not all hills residents may be inclined to do. 

“It’s the fact that people have forgotten,” Olds said. “They’re not as alert as they were a few years after that terrible fire (the 1991 fire).” 

City fire officials have already begun their own efforts at cutting back vegetation in critical areas. Hundreds of goats have been deposited at various hillside locations and left to feast on the overgrown brush plants. 

“They just munch and munch and munch and eat about everything,” Orth said.  

By June, Orth said the goats should have gobbled up enough plant life to clear a strip 200 to 300 feet wide along the eastern edge of Wildcat Canyon Road. The cleared area will act as a barrier to stop fires that begin in Tilden Region Park from spreading into the city, he said. 

But perhaps the most effective tool for Berkeley fire fighters, Orth said, is the partnership between Berkeley Fire Department and other fire fighting agencies that takes affect during fire season. This partnership, initiated in the wake of the 1991 fire, ensures a massive response to any fire that occurs inside the “threat zone” during the fire season. If there is so much as a report of car burning on the side of the road in the Berkeley hills, as many as 22 fire trucks from 5 different agencies could be en route within minutes, Orth said. 

“If we do this and we’re ready, we’re able to contain a lot of these fires,” Orth said. 

“If it’s a car fire and it’s into the trees and bushes and it’s starting to spread up to a house, then you’re going to want all those 22 units,” he added. 

Save nature at 1301 Oxford 

Editor: 

The contributions of Beth El members to the youth, elders and people in need in our community are many and commendable, but what has this to do with paving an oak woodland in the Codornices Creek corridor, and driving hundreds of cars into a neighborhood searching for parking? 

There must be Beth El members, maybe their children, who would be thrilled to see steelhead trout swimming up the creek, to see owls perched in the oaks, to walk down Berryman Path and not see rows of parked cars.  

The natural beauty of 1301 Oxford can be preserved and enhanced by undergrounding the proposed parking and locating the access road south of the creek corridor. 

The degradation of the Oxford/Rose/Spruce neighborhood by traffic congestion will be avoided by Beth El’s commitment to a fuel cell-powered electric shuttle service for congregation members who cannot reach the synagogue on foot, and who will feel fortunate to have transportation when in a few years gasoline will cost $5 a gallon. 

Allowing Codornices Creek to be daylighted on Beth El’s property, allowing the oaks and bay trees to grow without the threat of being cut down, and minimizing traffic congestion and pollution would then be even more contributions by Beth El members to our community. 

Sheila Andres 

Berkeley 

Night games waste energy 

Editor: 

The Stadium Light issue really isn’t between permanent and temporary lights, but why is CAL or any school in California scheduling any outdoor athletic event at night?  

Given the energy crisis, free sunshine is about the only incentive California has to offer a broadcaster. High energy costs, coupled with potential blackouts should send Fox and other broadcasters and their revenue off to other states. 

John Cecil 

Berkeley 

Marines on bikes 

Editor: 

The Viet Cong never had a tank on the ground, a helicopter in the air, an aircraft at sea; all they had were bicycles, yet they won the war.  

If Bush wants to win the next war, get some bikes. 

Yea! 

George Kauffman 

Berkeley

First-ever event unlike usual State of City talk 

The first-ever People’s State of the City Address served up good food, good music and plenty of ideas for the city’s future.  

In contrast to a traditional State of the City Address that usually reflects a chief executive’s vision, organizers, which included Councilmembers Margaret Breland and Kriss Worthington as well as Rent Stabilization Board Chair Max Anderson, sought to “offer a ‘peoples’ State of the City Address, expressing many snapshots arranged in a collage of voices, reflecting a kaleidoscope of opinions and visions for the near future,” according to the event program. 

About 200 people attended the event, which featured more than a dozen speakers who addressed a comprehensive array of issues including energy, housing, disabilities and racial diversity. While the subject matter covered the most serious issues facing the city, the event wasn’t without a sense of fun and celebration. 

Organizers provided a spread of Latin, Middle Eastern, African and vegetarian food and, between brief speeches, the audience was entertained by the sounds of local jazz singer Gwen Avery and the debut of The Nancys, a group made up of women named Nancy, which included former Councilmember Nancy Skinner, former Zoning Adjustments Board Chair Nancy Carleton, Public Works Commissioner Nancy Holland and former Arts Commissioner Nancy Gorrell. 

“I thought it was fun and very informative,” event host Worthington said on Wednesday. “There were lots of interesting ideas and the compelling memory of the night is the interplay of all these issues.” 

The event was inspired by Mayor Shirley Dean’s State of the City Address on May 1, Worthington said.  

Dean, who leads the moderate council faction – organizers are part of the progressive council majority – said on Wednesday that she would like to withhold comment on the ideas presented until she had time to review a tape of the event.  

Councilmember Dona Spring presented an energy plan that called for putting a bond measure on the 2002 ballot that would raise funds to pay for every home and apartment building to become energy independent by installing photovoltaic panels. Spring estimated the cost per household would be $28,000. (A recent report from the mayor’s office estimated the cost to be closer to $10,000, or even less with state energy rebates.) 

“The City of San Francisco is floating a bond measure to raise funds to solarize municipal buildings. Berkeley would be the first city to float a bond measure to solarize all of our residential structures,” she said. “This will free Berkeley forever from the tyranny of the price gouging energy companies.” 

Among a variety of suggestions for a sustainable energy plan, energy advocate Cynthia Wooten Cohen called for reducing energy use by providing low-voltage, fluorescent light bulbs to every resident who requests them. 

UC Berkeley student activist Howard Chong called for more state funding for student housing. “We have a housing crisis,” he said. “Seven percent of students, according to a ASUC survey, have ‘couch surfed’ and over one-half of a student’s income goes toward rent alone.”  

Chong criticized the university for not originally creating housing in its multi-million dollar Underhill Project that included a parking garage and dining hall but no housing until students “camped out on the chancellor’s lawn” and “the press shamed the university, only then did housing get added to the Underhill Area Project.” 

He then called for the university to work with students in solving the problem. “I challenge the university to open up its books and doors and include students and community members in the decision-making process,” Chong said.  

Commission on Disability Vice Chair Karen Craig said that Berkeley has fallen behind Oakland and San Francisco in meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, approved in 199. Craig said the disabled community would like to see a Department of Disability created that would oversee disabled projects including building accessibility, transportation and traffic safety issues. 

Other speakers included School Board President Terry Doran who promoted “small learning communities” at Berkeley High School, which he said would counter a sense of isolation among students.  

Former Councilmember Nancy Skinner praised Berkeley residents for achieving the goal of reducing garbage and waste to 50 percent of what it was 10 years ago. She then challenged residents to stop generating the remaining 50 percent. 

Bicycle Boulevard Coordinator Sarah Syed suggested the city start an employee alternate transportation incentive program that would inspire businesses to do the same.  

“Our city should lead by example and launch an employee-incentive program, like the city of Alameda, which gives its employees $2.50 per day for using non-automobile commute options.” 

The Nancy’s were invited out for an encore performance. They were joined by Rent Stabilization Board member Paul Hogarth who led the audience in a few verses of “We shall not be moved” to end the evening. 

Worthington said he had received a lot of positive feedback from people who attended the event. He added it was a lot of work to put together and he wasn’t sure if there would be a People’s State of the City next year.  

“The return of The Nancys was my favorite part,” he said. “That was some of the most fun of the whole evening.” 

Syed said she enjoyed the event. “I thought it was really positive,” she said. “It’s nice to hear from a variety of people about what the real state of the city is. I hope it happens next year.” 

The School Board wanted to do things right.  

So its five members, its student representative and six community people, including union leaders, a school administrator, the PTA president and a Peralta Community College Board member, took a trip to Los Angeles County to interview those who had worked with Michele Lawrence, the top candidate for the superintendent post. The board announced Lawrence’s appointment on Tuesday. 

In the process, the board left the public out of the loop. 

And probably violated the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law – though First Amendment Coalition Executive Director Kent Pollack said he thought any court would say the violations were of a minor, technical nature. 

Thirty-seven year Berkeley resident Peter Sussman, former chair of the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and former head of the chapter’s Freedom of Information Subcommittee, argued that the technical nature of the infraction was less important than the board’s violation of the spirit of the Brown Act.  

When the public is ignored, “it can lead to lack of trust and even cynicism,” Sussman said. Signaling out a group of Berkeley High parents who have stepped forward to create a new program for their failing children, Sussman said this is a particularly critical time for the school board to extend an invitation to participate to the broad school community.  

“The biggest problem in our schools is the lack of buy in and the lack of participation,” said Sussman, whose children went through Berkeley’s public schools. By the time the public has a chance to comment on the superintendent’s appointment, “it’s a fete accompli,” he said. 

The violation 

The Brown Act says it is OK for an elected body to schedule a visit to a place outside its district for personnel reasons. So there was no problem with the board decision to go to Paramount, in Los Angeles County, to check out the new superintendent’s references first hand.  

The Brown Act requires the agenda to be properly noticed to newspapers and the public.  

Generally, Board of Education agendas are posted in the school administration building and sent to individuals, groups and newspapers who have requested notice of meetings. 

Interim superintendent secretary, Queen Graham said agendas for the trip, described as a closed session meeting, were simply posted, but not mailed, due to time constraints. 

Ralph Stern, the district’s legal counsel told the Daily Planet that a Brown Act violation could be claimed only if there was no agenda mailed to those for whom a written request was on file. 

Catch 22. 

The school district does not keep a record of those who have requested agendas in writing. Original requests are thrown away when they are placed on a master list, Graham said. So, for example, one could not prove conclusively that a particular newspaper had made a written request for an agenda. 

In addition to a problem with meeting notification, there was no provision for public comment before the executive session, as required by the Brown Act. The agenda that was posted at the building and faxed on request Wednesday to the Daily Planet says that “The meeting will be called to order by the presiding officer at 7 a.m. and immediately recess to closed session.” 

It would have been impossible for the board to allow public comment, even if the agenda had allowed for one, as the body was on an airplane headed to L.A. at 7 a.m. 

And the place of the “closed session” meeting was vague. After the roll call, the board members were to “Recess to closed session – Board Conference Room.” The address of the closed session was not given because, according to Stern, the group broke up and talked to people in a number of locations. The only location given on the agenda was Los Angeles County and not Paramount, in L.A. County, where the meetings took place. 

The district tries 

School Director Ted Schultz said the district tries to follow open meeting requirements. “We’re very conscious of the Brown Act,” he said. At the same time, he said, it is constricting. Hiring a superintendent needs to be done quietly, because, if the person who was being investigated were not selected after all, the public knowledge could affect the candidate’s status in her district. “We tried to be as open as possible and to protect the confidentiality of the applicant,” he said. 

School Director Joaquin Rivera said there was no attempt at secrecy. Had anyone asked, the questioner would have been told about the trip, he said. Still, he said, “at that point, the intent was, we did not want people to know who that person (the top candidate) was.” 

Both School Director Shirley Issel and Interim Superintendent Steve Goldstone said they thought the agendas had been mailed out. (Had they been put in the U.S. mail, they would probably have reached their destinations, after the day-long excursion.) “I don’t think there was any conscious effort not to inform you,” he said. 

Berkeley Federation of Teachers President Barry Fike, who went on the trip, however, had another view. “I was told no one was supposed to know about the trip,” he said, adding that he was unaware until he got on the plane that the full board would be going. 

Like the other board members, School Board Director John Selawsky said he was not aware that notices had not been sent to the press and public. “I think all meetings should be noticed consistently,” he said. 

Asked whether he thought it would have hurt negotiations with the future superintendent, had a Daily Planet reporter known about the trip and gone along, Selawsky said, to the contrary: “It would have been good for the community.”

SAN FRANCISCO — MarketWatch.com Inc. announced Wednesday it is laying off about 15 percent of its work force, making the popular online business news site the latest media outlet to shrivel in the face of an advertising slump. 

MarketWatch’s cutbacks translate into the loss of about 40 jobs from its 250-employee payroll. The layoffs, coupled with other expense reductions, will save the company about $9 million annually. 

In trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market, MarketWatch’s shares fell 14 cents to close at $2.76, well below its January 1999 initial public offering price of $17. The stock peaked at $130 shortly after its IPO. 

Like many other Internet companies, San Francisco-based MarketWatch is struggling to become profitable at the same time that its main revenue source – advertising – is drying up. 

Advertising accounted for 65 percent of MarketWatch’s $54 million in revenue last year. After losing $91 million in 2000, MarketWatch opened the first quarter of this year with a $20 million loss as the company’s advertising revenue plunged by 41 percent from the prior year. 

“As painful as this process is, we believe that we will emerge stronger and more agile to meet the challenges this market presents,” MarketWatch CEO Larry Kramer said. Kramer reiterated the company’s goal of breaking even by the end of this year. 

Even highly profitable media giants, ranging from newspaper companies to TV networks, are jettisoning workers to offset the loss of advertising from once-flush dot-com start-ups and free-spending technology companies that fed on the Internet boom. 

The wide-ranging media cutbacks have raised concerns that news coverage will suffer, a worry that may also hound MarketWatch as it battles in the highly competitive field of online journalism. 

“Clearly, they are not going to be able to do as much as they have in the past,” said industry analyst Michael Legg of Jefferies & Co. “They are going to have to focus on the key components of the business.” 

Kramer said MarketWatch remained committed to high-quality journalism. About 85 of MarketWatch’s employees cover the news. 

Although MarketWatch is relatively small, the company quickly established a high profile by hiring well-known market commentators and capitalizing on its ties to CBS. 

In addition to owning a 34 percent stake in MarketWatch, CBS has provided the Web site with free advertising and programming space on its television and radio stations. Through Dec. 31, CBS had provided MarketWatch with advertising valued at $38.5 million. MarketWatch will receive an additional $21.5 million in advertising from CBS through May 2002. 

——— 

On The Net: 

http://www.marketwatch.com 

After a four-month, nationwide search that yielded 22 candidates, the Berkeley Board of Education announced Tuesday it has found its new superintendent. 

Michele Barraza Lawrence, 53, Superintendent of the Paramount Unified School District in Los Angeles County for the last 10 years, will become Berkeley’s new superintendent of schools effective July 16. She will be paid $185,000 annually during her four-year contract. 

In interviews with four finalist on May 10, Lawrence simply came out “head and shoulders” above the competition, said Berkeley Board of Education President Terry Doran. 

“She connected with (all the board members) on a personal level. And we are very different people,” Doran said. “So that leads us to believe that she will connect with this community.” 

The board followed up a second interview with Lawrence by paying a day-long visit to the Paramount school district, near Long Beach, last Wednesday. A select group of Berkeley school administrators, union representatives and other community leaders accompanied the board on the trip, interviewing their counterparts in the Paramount district and visiting various schools. 

“I’ve never seen such an orderly place,” said Berkeley PTA Council President Mark Coplan.  

Although the district is nearly twice as large as Berkeley, with 17,500 students, Coplan said the overriding sense of community and shared purpose made it feel like there were 3,000 students. 

Coplan and others acknowledged that the Paramount students are drawn from a more racially and economically homogenous community than Berkeley. Whereas Berkeley’s students are nearly one-third African American, one-third white and one-third other races, the Paramount district is nearly 80 percent Hispanic, with African Americans accounting for roughly 15 percent of the student population and whites less that 5 percent.  

Whereas Berkeley is clearly divided into affluent and less affluent communities, the Paramount area is home to mostly middle and working-class families. 

Leadership comes more easily in a homogenous community than it will in Berkeley, said Berkeley School Board Student Director Niles Xi’an Lichtenstein. 

“She definitely had control over her district,” Lichtenstein said. “But it seemed like the people down in that district were more ready to be led.” 

Coplan said, “Berkeley is going to be a totally new experience for her. But there wasn’t a person we talked to who didn’t praise her.”  

Despite the differences between the two communities, Lawrence has dealt successfully with many of the problems facing Berkeley schools as superintendent of the Paramount district, said Doran and others. During her leadership the district raised test scores and graduation rates, reduced violence and truancy and dramatically increased parent involvement in school life by building up Parent Teacher Association organizations nearly from the ground level. 

“All the things that we really want to have happen in Berkeley,” Lawrence dealt with successfully at Paramount, Doran said. 

Many who visited the Paramount district last week said they were impressed with the smooth operation of the district’s administrative office, something they said Paramount employees attributed to Lawrence’s leadership.  

School Board Vice President Shirley Issel said the Paramount district offered a glimpse of “what a functioning district looks like” to Berkeley school leaders often frustrated by their own central office’s apparent lack of organization. 

“We were looking for someone who had created that; who had an internal standard that she could bring the district to,” Issel said. 

Also significant to many was Lawrence’s depth of experience with high schools, an area of particular concern in Berkeley, where Berkeley High’s problems with truancy, violence and an academic achievement gap have endangered its accreditation as a secondary school.  

During her career, Lawrence has worked at more than half a dozen high schools, as an art teacher, councilor and principal. As superintendent, she oversaw a reform process at the Paramount High school which lead to its being accredited for a six year term instead of a three year term. 

Short term accreditations are granted when a school is perceived as having unresolved issues that require heightened vigilance. Last spring the Western Association of Schools and Colleges granted Berkeley High a one year accreditation. 

Issel said board members were impressed by Lawrence’s answers to questions about Berkeley High’s accreditation problem. 

“She conveyed confidence that, with a tremendous amount of hard work starting right now, we could...get ourselves accredited,” Issel said. 

In an interview Tuesday, Lawrence said she is proud of her work to set higher standards for student achievement in Paramount schools. In a district with math and reading test scores are well below the state average, Lawrence said she “instilled in the community a belief system that minorities can in fact achieve at high levels.” 

“When we talk about the achievement gap, it’s all my district’s students and the rest of the world,” Lawrence said, pointing the fact that 67 percent of students in the Paramount district speak English as a second language. 

Through a collaboration involving parent, teachers, union leaders and business leaders, Lawrence reformed the district’s curriculum to make it more challenging to all students. Basic math classes were replaced with a three-year algebra curriculum beginning for all students in the sixth grade. Biology and geometry were made mandatory for all ninth graders. Advanced Placement offerings were expanded. 

“The things that will improve the achievement gap more than anything else is effective teaching,” Lawrence said. “The system has to work in harmony and get behind what’s going on in the classroom.” 

Lawrence said she was looking forward to working in a high-profile district such as Berkeley, where educators have an opportunity to lead the way for the rest of the nation with reforms.  

As for the move to Berkeley, Lawrence, who has lived her whole life within a 20-mile radius of Paramount, admitted that she was a little nervous. 

“I know absolutely no one up there,” she said.

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Thursday, May 31

Backpacking in Northern CA.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free 527-4140  

League of Women Voters’  

Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Friday, June 1

Free Writing, Cashiering  

& Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

“Rumi: Mystic and Romantic  

Love, Stories of Masnavi” 

5 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Free public talk by Professor Andrew Vidich. Childcare and vegetarian food provided. 

707-226-7703 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, June 2

Car Seat Safety Clinic 

10:00 a.m. 

Kittredge St. Parking Garage, second level 

The Berkeley Police Department will demonstrate proper techniques for car seat installation and use, and offer safety checks and tips. Families are welcome to visit the Habitot Children’s Museum located across the street from the garage. Free. 

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.  

www.cal-sailing.org  

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Family Storytime  

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Main Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Storyteller Olga Loya tells tales from around the world. Geared for children three to eight and their parents. Free 649-3964 

Commission  

On Disability Hearings 

1 - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Open forum, opportunity for public to present ideas and concerns about barriers for people with disabilities and accessibility of City facilities. Public comment on Berkeley’s proposed “Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan.” Will continue June 13. 

981-6342 

Longfellow Middle School’s  

Outdoor Arts Festival 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Longfellow Courtyard 

1500 Derby St. 

Live music performances, silent auction of student and community art, BBQ and bake sale. Talent showcase and awards ceremony from 2 - 3 p.m. Free admission, open to the public. 

665-1980 

Birdwatching Walk and  

Breakfast 

8 a.m. 

Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

This is the time of year when the greatest variety of birds can be found in the Garden, including some rare species. Join Chris Carmichael and Dennis Wolff for breakfast and a walk. $25, limited space, call to reserve. 

643-2755 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Walking Tour 

10 a.m. - noon 

Thousand Oaks Elementary School 

Tour of Thousand Oaks School and neighborhood. $5 - $10, reservations required. 

848-0181  

Pasta and Opera 

7 p.m. 

2924 Ashby Ave. 

Presented by Chamber Arts House. By donation. 

Sunday, June 3

Rosa Parks Spring  

Celebration and Fund-raiser 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Rosa Parks 

920 Allston Way 

Silent auction, quilt raffle, cake walk and field events. 

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  

Hands-on Bicycle Repair  

Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn how to adjust front and rear derailleurs from one of REI’s bike technicians. All you need to bring is your bike. Free 527-4140 

Healing Through  

Tibetan Yoga 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Slow movements of Kum Nye encourage self-healing and deeper spiritual dimensions in experience. Demonstrated and discussed by Jack van der Meulen. Free and open to the public. 843-6812 

Tuesday, June 5

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 531-8664 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time 548-8283 www.pacificcenter.org 

Intelligent Conversation  

7 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

A discussion group open to all, regardless of age, religion, viewpoint, etc. This time the discussion topic is open and will follow the conversation. Informally led by Robert Berend, who founded similar groups in L.A., Menlo Park, and Prague. Bring light snacks/drinks to share. Free  

527-5332 

— compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

The Daily Planet omitted the letter writer’s name when it published “Playing that density song” on May 29. We are reprinting it with the author’s name – ed.  

Playing that density song  

Editor: 

Another day, another soliloquy from Richard Register. Another moving tribute to the glories of density and the energy-consumptive dangers of sprawl. 

I especially loved the timing of the most recent hymn to “diverse pedestrian and transit centers.” It was printed the day after a Zoning Adjustments Board public hearing on taking a retail space right at the corner of San Pablo and University and converting it to office space, which requires a variance. 

The Zoning Adjustments Board voted for it, with one no vote and one abstention. Thirty-five of the merchants who own businesses at or near the corner of University and San Pablo signed a petition opposing the office space, because if you take a chunk out of the retail potential of a commercial area, the whole district gets the hit. People want to shop in a place where they can buy tuna, get their shoes fixed, grab a video, and pick up shoelaces without driving all over town. 

The residents who signed the petition are the hard-pressed people living in perhaps the last honest neighborhood in Berkeley, and perhaps the oldest.  

The area along San Pablo Avenue used to be a favorite drive decades ago because of its tree-lined views and pedestrian bustle, the place where retail, industry, and residential uses dovetailed and the rail lines brought everything and everyone together. 

We recently lost our pharmacy, our shoe store, and our stationary store. One of our best antiques stores is about to have to leave, and would have loved the visibility of the retail space.  

The two non-profits who may move in if the appeal fails are undoubtedly groups which give valuable service to the Berkeley community, but are in no way capable of generating the walking trade and filling the daily needs of an ever more dense “traffic corridor” constantly taking the weight of the large, dense housing developments which no one seems to care are only geared for the $30,000-and-over crowd. 

Where was Richard Register and the Ecocity Builders when this latest small-scale assault on the potential for a pedestrian-serving neighborhood came down? Where were the consultants who gave us the crayons for our moment of participation during the University Avenue Strategic Plan workshops? The Green Party?  

Somehow the crew that warbles for density is never around when the variances are handed out that reduce the liveability of the neighborhood, that piece by piece, shot by shot, reduce it to scrap. 

The chains move in, the Mom and Pops move out, or sell out to chains. I listened to two representatives from the non-profit groups argue that they just couldn’t find anywhere else to move. I work in a non-profit, too, in a loft in the back of a showroom right next to a Bart Station which has two empty spaces which rent for less than the retail space in question. Office space is going wanting all over town. 

The people in our neighborhood have a smaller chance today of the ice-cream store, the shoe repair shop, the gift shop, and the bookstore. But count on it, in another few weeks or so, you’ll hear that density song again.  

Everybody’s playing it. 

Carol Denney 

Berkeley 

Beth El’s good deeds relevant to zoning 

Editor: 

In his second letter to Daily Planet in the past two weeks against Congregation Beth El’s building project, Phillip Price says he can’t understand why Beth El’s contributions to the community should be part of the discussion about building a new synagogue. 

I can’t figure out why this puzzles him. 

If his proposed new neighbor on Oxford Street were an organization that does NOT contribute greatly to the community – or that some people believe does not contribute to the community – that would certainly be a central issue in the discussion.  

The fact that Beth El is devoted to doing good deeds or “mitzvot” is just as relevant, because that makes it exactly the kind of place Berkeley’s zoning laws welcome into residential neighborhoods. 

Mr. Price alleges that alternate building sites have been suggested to the congregation. As far as I know, there have been only two references to alternate sites.  

One was in the Environmental Impact Report on the building plan, which found no appropriate alternate sites in Berkeley. The other was a statement – some might call it a demand - by a speaker at one of many hearings on the project suggesting that this long-time Berkeley congregation should move out of town, possibly to El Cerrito. 

Mr. Price, no one supporting Beth El has ever accused opponents of the project of being “bad.” Obviously, there are good people on both sides of this issue. But there are clear and substantial differences in perspective.  

Beth El’s perspective is that it can build a beautiful future landmark appropriate to the neighborhood while at the same time preserving Codornices Creek and other natural features of the site. The Environmental Impact Report on the project, the Zoning Adjustments Board, and hundreds of Berkeley citizens, including some neighbors of the site, agree with this perspective. 

David Golner 

Berkeley 

Council should demand changes to Beth El plans 

The following is part of a letter sent to the city council on the question of 1301 Oxford St. 

This letter is to urge you to vote against accepting the Beth El plans as they now are. 

After almost a year and a half of writing letters, emails and attending meetings, I feel that my and other neighbors’ concerns have been barely acknowledged in this situation: namely the too-large building proposed, parking, traffic safety and the covered creek. 

I have lived on Summer Street for 31 years. I know very well the ebb and flow of the traffic in this area. I am also well acquainted with Temple Beth El. My children attended camp Keetov. I have attended bar and bat mitzvahs at the temple. Many of my friends and acquaintances are members of Congregation Beth El.  

I have nothing personally against the temple nor the people who attend it. But I do object to such a large building with such a large congregation in that space and in this neighborhood. I have no evidence that any good faith measures were made to look for other possible sites.  

There is still no real regard as to the impact on the neighborhood of 250 plus people coming to temple on Friday evenings and for high holidays (more people then) and bar and bat-mitzvahs. 

Although there are clearly many improvements to the proposed building plan which deal with noise, parking problems etc, there simply is not enough parking in this area to accommodate that many people. Many of us in the immediate surrounding neighborhood do not have garages, let alone driveways, due to the slippage and earth movement under our streets. 

Here are my specific concerns and suggestions: 

• The building planned is simply too large for the space and the neighborhood.  

• If the driveway were built at the south end of the property many problems with the current design could be solved. 

• Provide a shuttle for both religious and non-religious events. 

Mary Ann Brewin 

Berkeley 

Letters to the Editor 

Berkeley Daily Planet 

Dear Editor: 

The contributions of Beth El members to the youth, elders and people in need in our community are many and commendable, but what has this to do with paving an oak woodland in the Codornices Creek corridor, and driving hundreds of cars into a neighborhood searching for parking ? 

There must be Beth El members, maybe their children, who would be thrilled to see steelhead trout swimming up the creek, to see owls perched in the oaks, to walk down Berryman Path and not see rows of parked cars. The natural beauty of 1301 Oxford can be preserved and enhanced by undergrounding the proposed parking and locating the access road south of the creek corridor. 

The degradation of the Oxford/Rose/Spruce neighborhood by traffic congestion will be avoided by Beth El’s commitment to a fuel cell-powered electric shuttle service for congregation members who cannot reach the synagogue on foot, and who will feel fortunate to have transportation when in a few years gasoline will cost $5 a gallon. 

Allowing Codornices Creek to be daylighted on Beth El’s property, allowing the oaks and bay trees to grow without the threat of being cut down, and minimizing traffic congestion and pollution would then be even more contributions by Beth El members to our community. 

Sheila Andres 

Berkeley 

Editor: 

The Stadium Light issue really isn’t between permanent and temporary lights, but why is CAL or any school in California scheduling any outdoor athletic event at night?  

Given the Energy crisis, free sunshine is about the only incentive California has to offer a broadcaster. High energy costs, coupled with potential blackouts should send Fox and other broadcasters and their revenue off to other states. 

John Cecil 

Berkeley 

Editor: 

As a near-daily user of Berryman Path, a former member of Beth El temple, and a frequent creek cleanup participant, it seems to me that there’s a compromise solution to the Beth El / Codornices Creek controversy. It relies on the historical accident of Berryman Path being legally a street. Because of this, the path’s slice of land is unusually wide - 20 feet, while most of Berkeley’s paths are more like 10 or 5 feet. According to project maps (Alternative Parking 1 and 2), Beth El’s proposed parking and drive-through area just barely overlaps the 60-foot-wide creek corridor. So, my 

proposed compromise: The city deeds over Berryman Path to Beth El. Beth El moves the parking area 20 feet north, daylights the creek, builds a 5-foot-wide walking and biking path next to the creek, and gives the city a permanent easement for public use of the new path. 

Beth El would still have to make some other changes in their plan, for instance moving the fenced perimeter and building at least one pedestrian bridge over the creek. However they would be getting a large chunk of extra land for their trouble, which seems like a good deal. Also, this idea doesn’t solve any of the non-creek-related objections to the project, but my impression is that those objections are secondary and Beth El has already done a reasonable job of addressing them. 

I hope all involved parties will consider this idea seriously. 

Jef Poskanzer

A man undergoes brain surgery and experiences a transformation of his life in the quirky and well-performed, but otherwise surprisingly bland 1998 opera “A New Brain,” which Shotgun Players opened Saturday as its latest show at Julian Morgan Theater in Berkeley. 

The play is Shotgun’s first presentation ever of a musical show. “A New Brain” is a substitute for the previously scheduled hip-hop play “One Size Fits All,” which fell through at the eleventh hour. 

The current production of “A New Brain” was originally staged as a student theater project on the UC Berkeley campus for three weekends in March. The show is well performed by a cast of largely current and former Cal students. 

“A New Brain” was originally produced at New York’s Lincoln Center in 1998, with music and lyrics by William Finn, and a book co-authored by Finn and James Lapine. Lapine is best known for his co-authorship of Stephen Sondheim’s dark fairy tale musical “Into the Woods.” 

In “A New Brain,” songwriter Gordon Schwinn (Jeffrey Meanza) cooks up ditties for a children’s television show that he hates, worrying that his life and talent are passing him by at the expense of his more important artistic work. Then an illness sends him suddenly into a medical facility for brain surgery. 

Most of the opera is set in a hospital. The style is sort of a song and dance fantasy variety show. From his hospital bed, Gordon catalogues his fears, memories and fantasies as friends and hospital staff bounce back their own concerns to him and others. 

“A New Brain” is filled with odd, quirky touches, such as Gordon’s boyfriend Roger (Austin Ku) showing up very late and singing a ballad “I’d Rather Be Sailing.” But in general, the Finn/Lapine story is unfocused, with many subplots from the secondary characters going on at the same time as Gordon’s ailment. 

In fact, the character of Gordon is one of the play’s big weaknesses. Gordon suffers from the boring-and-ineffectual-hero syndrome of many contemporary plays and novels, and there is just not enough going on at the center of his story. 

Most of Gordon’s time on stage is a waiting game during his hospital stay, without strong or distinctive dramatic story points. In fact, the secondary characters in the play, who have their own stories, are frequently more interesting people than Gordon. 

Swishy male nurse Richard (Malcolm Darrell), for example, sings of being poor, unsuccessful and fat, in a song that segues into Gordon’s similar fear that he has no real artistic talent. Later in “Eating Myself Up Alive,” Richard expresses his fears of obesity. 

Hillary Kaye is a presence as Gordon’s brassy and controlling, but compassionate mother. She sings a wonderful ballad “The Music Still Plays On,” about the lost love that still lingers in her heart for her irresponsible former husband. 

Kaitlin L’Italien appears from time to time as a street person seeking change, romance, and free existential therapy clients. David Neufeld is a sinister brain surgeon, off to see the musical “Chicago” with his kids, as relaxation before surgery. 

Enver Gjokaj displays a lot of physical performance talent as the obnoxious, sadistic clown and children’s television host Mr. Bungee, although this character seems familiar in an era of Krusty the Clown from “The Simpsons,” or even Chuckles from “A Thousand Clowns.” 

Overall, this is a talented bunch of youthful performers – a solid testimony to Cal’s theater program. The play is very well staged by director Yuval Sharon, with crisp singing and dancing. I guess the play’s theme is to try and understand the brain of a perhaps untalented man who wants to write art, but who does commerce instead. But for me there is very little in the way of new ideas or fresh characters brought to the task in this script. 

And one question I kept asking myself as the medical procedures got more and more complex: Where the heck did Gordon get his great health insurance? 

Planet theater reviewer John Angell Grant has written for “American Theatre,” “Backstage West,” “Callboard,” and many other publications. E-mail him at jagplays@yahoo.com

The 86-year-old Claremont Hotel Resort and Spa, among the most majestic buildings in the Bay Area, was nominated for historical landmarking this month, causing surprise among many who automatically assumed it was already a landmark. 

The Claremont Application Committee, a subcommittee of Berkeley-Oakland Neighbors of the Claremont, submitted the 26-page nomination document, along with 44 photos and graphics to the Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board on May 14, which began the process of making the Claremont an Oakland landmark.  

The CAC also submitted a petition signed by 650 local residents who support the landmarking.  

The 279-room Claremont Hotel is nestled in the foothills at the mouth of Claremont Canyon in Oakland immediately adjacent to Berkeley. The mostly Tudor Revival-styled hotel also boasts a newly remodeled resort and spa. 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the people of the East Bay to landmark a very important building,” said committee Chairman Wendy Markel. “It will be nominated for the state and federal register as well.” 

Markel said the effort to nominate the building began when a group of neighbors heard of plans to expand the hotel. The KSL Resort Corp., a billion dollar luxury resort chain, which bought the hotel three years ago for $88 million, announced plans last August to expand the resort by 86 guest units, 75 time-share villas and a three-story parking garage. 

Another controversial proposal for a $15 million-overhaul of the Lake Chabot Municipal Golf Course was called off in April because of the softening of the economy, according to a prepared statement by KSL Vice President Gary Beasley.  

“There is a connection between the landmarking effort and the hotel’s plan to expand,” said Markel. “The landmarking of the hotel won’t preempt any expansion but it would create another step before any expansion approved.” 

Markel said many of the neighbors involved in BONC were surprised when they found out the hotel did not have local, state or federal landmark status. 

“The City of Oakland has given it an A1 rating as a historically significant building but it has no official status as a landmark,” she said.  

Vice President and general manager of the hotel, Ted Axe, said he shared the same amazement as the hotel’s neighbors about the hotel’s lack of historical status. 

“We’re very supportive of the effort and we’re looking forward to working with BONC,” he said. 

He said the plans to develop on the 22-acre site are currently on hold. “The economy is softening and hotel occupancy is down nationwide,” he said. “The fact is we just don’t know what we’re going to do.” 

The Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board will hold a meeting on the nomination on June 11 and is expected to make a decision on July 9. If the advisory board approves the nomination the matter will then go to the Oakland Planning Commission, which will make a recommendation to the Oakland City Council. 

The nomination document, which took six months to complete, is available for viewing at Berkeley’s Claremont Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave., the Oakland Public Library History Room and the Rockridge and Montclair libraries. 

For more information about the landmarking process go to www.saveclaremont.org.

OAKLAND – House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri, joined congressional representatives from the Bay Area Tuesday at the Ron Dellums Federal Building to take a hard look at the energy crisis in a forum not lacking in commentary on the president’s arrival in California the same day. 

U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma; Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek; and Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco heard from advocates for various groups particularly affected by the crisis, then listened to those who had ideas on its solution. The congressional delegation had ideas of its own on immediate answers. 

“We know that price caps are an immediate solution to this problem. That is what we have all embraced and are suggesting and insisting on,” Lee said.“Our leader, Congressman Dick Gephardt, met with our delegation and embraced our strategy immediately, because he knew that our delegation was suggesting the most realistic, the most practical and the most visionary solution to California’s energy crisis.” 

Gephardt affirmed the need for price caps, on which Gov. Gray Davis is also insisting.  

“Your entire delegation on the Democratic side and some Republicans are fighting to try to bring about a price cap on wholesale electric prices now as a temporary and important answer to this problem,” Gephardt said. 

“From what I understand California paid a year ago about $7 billion for energy. If these prices that you’re facing now – and are likely to face in the next year – keep going up, you will be spending in the next year about $70 billion for energy.  

“That is a 10 (fold) increase in the price of energy (and) will devastate the economy of California Washington and Oregon. And I predict that other places in the country are going to face these kinds of increases.” 

“I am glad that President Bush is making his first trip to California of his presidency today,” Gephardt said. “Many people believe that he wrote off the state of California. He has a chance to finally take action to stop electricity price gouging and give people real relief from soaring electricity bills.”  

Gephardt urged Bush to make good on his campaign promises and put pressure on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase sales of petroleum. 

“In two weeks OPEC meets again. I hope President Bush follows through on his campaign rhetoric and calls OPEC to reverse the 3 million barrels-a-day production cuts they have announced since November of last year,” Gephardt said. 

Advocates of those for whom the energy crisis has been particularly difficult had much to tell the public officials. 

Ethel Long Scott, executive director of the Women’s Economic Agenda Project, a nonprofit organization assisting low-income women to achieve a livable wage, said price gouging is complicating the lives of many low-income citizens so profoundly, there often seems no right decision to make. 

“(Low-income families) suffer because they’re forced to make impossible choices,” Long Scott said. “Do I pay this exorbitant energy bill, or pay the rent? Do I pay this exorbitant energy bill, or buy food? Do I pay this exorbitant energy bill, or buy medicine or books for our children?” 

Out of these questions, Long Scott found her own to pose to the congressional representatives present.  

“Will you recommend a real cure?” she asked. “By that I mean, a move to take over the power plants in the name of the little people who can afford nothing less?”  

Francie Moeller, president of Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Services, spoke on behalf of the disabled, and posed equally difficult questions. 

“Unlike some other people, when the energy crisis hit, many, many disabled lives were being put at risk on a daily basis. Every time there is a power outage we are risking lives. We’ve had people who’ve been cut off while they were on ventilators, while they were on oxygen machines, while they were on dialysis machines.” 

And these are the life-endangering issues, Moeller said.What about the other problems that are only supremely inconvenient? What happens, she asked, when 

someone in a wheelchair exits a BART train and hears on the loud-speaker that no elevators are working?  

Mary Frances Calan, superintendent of the Pleasanton Unified School District, talked about how the crisis affects schools. 

The energy costs of the Pleasanton district have doubled in three years, and if that additional money were returned to its budget, Calan said, every school in the district could have a half-time fully-credentialed librarian and an additional half-time counselor as well as a total of 9,000 more textbooks and 23,000 additional library books for the entire district. 

“I’ve put this in dollars and cents,” Calan said, “because I think that’s probably a clearer way of explaining it, but I am not even touching on the safety issues and the learning environment.”  

During the second part of the forum, speakers sought to give answers. 

Mark Levine, director of Environmental Technologies at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, emphasized the importance of this intention. 

“I’m really interested in talking about solutions,” Levine said. “It’s hard living in California, hearing only about the problems all the time.” 

Levine pointed to the Web site the Berkeley Lab has put together to help make the U.S. Department of Energy’s “20-20 Plan” a reality for all Californians. The web address is: http://savepower.lbl.gov. 

The DOE’s 20-20 Plan says that any Californian who succeeds in saving 20 percent of the energy used the previous year in a given household will receive an additional 20 percent rebate. 

“For 20 percent savings you get 40 percent,” Levine said. 

Levine also introduced several products developed by the Berkeley Lab, such as a compact fluorescent lamp and windows that will help decrease energy use. 

Gephardt talked mostly about a political solution, pushing for the passage of a bill moving through congressional committees that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to set price caps. 

“I think at the end of the day, the President and FERC have to do this in the name of common sense,” Gephardt said, “to help the people of the West Coast, and to avert what will be not only be an electric crisis, but will ultimately be an economic crisis throughout the United States.” 

Bay City News contributed to this report.

Pat Graef of Acton Street in Berkeley won $250 last week in the Cash for Trash Contest. She was very pleased to win but admittedly would have preferred the previous week’s prize of $2,700.  

A diligent recycler, she was familiar with the contest but hadn't read the details carefully. So she was surprised to hear that the prize was cumulative and that last week's prizewinners, the Falck-Fountain family of South West Berkeley, won $2,700. That large detail aside, she was very happy to be a contestant – “Participating in the contest gave me the information I needed to confirm I am recycling right.”  

Not only is she recycling right, she is doing a great job! Not one recyclable was found in her 13-gallon trash cart - just film plastic, tissue and food waste. For when she has more then 13 gallons of trash or items that she can't recycle or reuse, she keeps prepaid trash bags from the City on hand.  

The Ecology Center Curbside Program, the City of Berkeley Plant Debris program, Bay Area Creative Reuse, and Goodwill are the recycling programs she uses regularly. A Bank of America consulting system engineer who telecommutes a few days a week, she also recycles at work and when ever possible uses her own containers for deli take-out and cloth bags for shopping and other errands. 

The Cash for Trash Contest is an outreach project of the Ecology Center and the City of Berkeley, funded by the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board.  

Since February, we have awarded $3,900 to Berkeley residents for recycling well, and have another $2,600 to distribute before the contest ends in mid-July. Limited to Berkeley residents, employees of sponsoring organizations are not eligible nor are building of 10 units or more. 

For official rules and more information visit www.ecologycenter.org. or call the Ecology Center Recycling Hotline at 527-5555

OAKLAND – The debate over the last medical waste incinerator in California, the Integrated Environmental Systems plant in Oakland goes on, as high school students from a Catholic high school in Hayward march and rally at the site Tuesday afternoon. 

Students from the Moreau Catholic High School were joined by priests, environmentalists, community activists, parents and supporters at a march that began at the Fruitvale BART station and progressed up International Boulevard toward the incinerator, which is in Oakland's Fruitvale District.  

The group is still at the site this afternoon. 

The students are holding a prayer service to express their solidarity with all of the students who live near the site, who they claim are being exposed to toxins such as dioxin.  

Their purpose is to get IES management to stop incinerating at the site, and opt instead for safer technology. 

The East Oakland site has  

been the target of many  

similar marches. 

IES representatives say their facility does not emit the pollutants, and that it operates at levels that are above regulatory standards.  

They say that the facility also employs other disposal methods, but that state law requires certain items to be incinerated. 

Last month, IES official and community activists seemed to be on the verge of reaching a compromise, being worked out by Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, to reduce incineration at the plant. 

The negotiations stalled, however, and De La Fuente stepped away, saying he would only continue as mediator if both sides were willing to give some ground on their positions to reach an accord. 

SAN FRANCISCO — A gay psychiatrist owes the U.S. Air Force more than $71,000 for his top-notch education because he failed to fulfill his active duty obligation, a judge has ruled. 

In a decision made public Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said John Hensala, a former U.S. Air Force captain, should be required to pay back the government because he voluntarily came out as gay and should have known the consequences of violating the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. 

”(Hensala) presumably understood that the Air Force would follow its own rules and what the likely consequences of his acts would be,” Alsup wrote. “It is not unreasonable to infer that one intends the probable and foreseeable consequences of deliberate conduct.” 

Hensala, 36, a San Francisco psychiatrist in private practice who sued last May, said he shouldn’t have to repay the money because he wanted to serve, but the Air Force refused to let him because he announced he was gay. 

Hensala was honorably discharged after telling his superiors in 1994 that he’s gay. He claimed he wanted to serve honestly and had no reason to believe he would be automatically discharged after his announcement. 

The Air Force contended Hensala announced he was gay simply to avoid active duty military service. 

“I came out to them for my mental health and well being as a human being, not for any other reason. And I wanted to serve openly,” Hensala said Tuesday afternoon. “As a psychiatrist, I couldn’t in good conscience serve in the closet. My job is to help people live more honestly.” 

The government paid for Hensala’s education at Northwestern University’s medical school under a program that required four years of active duty military service after graduation. He put off that service twice — during a three-year residency at Yale, and a two-year fellowship at the University of California at San Francisco. 

In December 1994, the Air Force reminded Hensala his military service would begin the following year. Days later, Hensala announced he was gay. 

The judge agreed his timing may have been suspect. 

Although Alsup acknowledged that Hensala was never directly asked whether he knew discharge was imminent after he came out as gay, “There is still substantial evidence supporting the conclusion that plaintiff made the declarations for the purpose of seeking separation,” the judge said. 

Hensala’s lawyer, Clyde Wadsworth, said he planned to appeal Alsup’s decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

“We are deeply disappointed with the court’s order,” he said. “We think that it’s simply wrong.” 

Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said his office had not yet seen the decision and refused to comment. 

LOS ANGELES — The white abalone, a tasty Southern California mollusk whose numbers have dropped from the millions in the 1970s to perhaps a few thousand, officially became an endangered species Tuesday. 

The listing by the National Marine Fisheries Service will not affect fishermen because the state has banned taking the species since 1996. But environmentalists are hopeful the decision will bring in more funding to help the abalone’s numbers rebound. 

The decision means federal agencies must act to help keep the white abalone from going extinct, but it may be too late to save it, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, the environmental group that filed a petition asking for the listing in 1999. 

“Twenty years ago if this thing been listed, our options for saving it would’ve been much better,” Suckling said. “At this point, I am not at all optimistic we can pull these things back from the brink.” 

Shellfishermen around the Channel Islands, off the coast near Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, began diving for white abalone in the late 1960s. Commercial landings of the species peaked at more than 144,000 pounds – or about 86,000 abalone – in 1972. But harvesting of the mollusk collapsed just a few years later – in 1978, commercial divers hauled in less than 5,000 pounds. 

Studies once estimated the white abalone population at about 2 million, with one estimate as high as 4 million. Now the NMFS estimates the population at about 1,600 to 2,500. 

“Lots of them were taken, and now the density of animals in the wild is extremely low,” said NMFS fisheries biologist Craig Wingert. 

With abalone thinly scattered along the coast, it’s extremely hard for them to reproduce. It becomes very difficult for sperm released by a male mollusk to reach eggs if the male is more than a yard or two from a female. 

NMFS is looking at two options for recovery: breeding abalone in a lab and releasing them, or moving wild abalone closer to each other to improve their chances of reproducing. 

A multiagency team focused on restoring the abalone announced last month that it successfully spawned the species in a lab, creating more than 6 million eggs. In three to four years, the Abalone Restoration Consortium plans to begin releasing about 10,000 adult abalone a year into the ocean. 

NMFS declined to declare critical habitat for the abalone, saying it could actually hurt the species’ prospects because poachers would know where the mollusk could most likely be found. The Center for Biological Diversity – which has often sued to establish critical habitat for endangered species – had requested such a designation, but Suckling said this is “most certainly not a clear-cut case” in which critical habitat is necessary. 

The listing was the first of a marine mollusk, but probably won’t be the last. The black abalone, another California species, is on NMFS’s list of endangered species candidates, and Suckling said his Tucson, Ariz.-based center plans to ask for a listing of that species as well. 

A federal appeals court declined Tuesday to order federal energy regulators to cap wholesale electricity prices. 

The decision by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came hours before California Gov. Gray Davis urged President Bush in a meeting to cap wholesale power costs, which have been spiraling out of control. The president refused. 

The panel, in a brief statement, said last week’s appeal by state Senate President John Burton and state Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg does not warrant “intervention of this court.” 

The lawmakers, both Democrats, were joined by the city of Oakland in their appeal to the 9th Circuit. 

“The citizens of California are suffering immediate irreparable harm as a result of FERC’s abrogation of its duty to establish just and reasonable rates for electricity,” they wrote to the 9th Circuit. 

The lawmakers said California’s looming threat of continued blackouts “are an imminent threat to the health, welfare and safety of every California citizen.” 

Davis and Hertzberg said they would study the ruling with their attorneys before deciding whether to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The suit came after more than a year of wholesale power prices reaching historically high levels. In December, prices in California reached $200 per megawatt hour – and they have skyrocketed to as much as $1,900 per megawatt hour during peak times since then. 

The Bush administration ardently opposes price caps and President Bush has declined Davis’ requests to urge FERC to impose strict caps. 

Vice President Dick Cheney, chief architect of the administration’s energy plan, has said capping prices would not increase energy supplies or reduce demand. 

“We get politicians who want to go out and blame somebody and allege there is some kind of conspiracy ... instead of dealing with the real issues,” Cheney has said. 

Cheney criticized Davis, a Democrat, for what he called a “harebrained scheme” to use the state’s budget surplus to buy power because California’s two largest utilities face enormous financial problems. 

For the short term, the Bush administration has approved Davis’ request to expedite permits for new power plants and has ordered federal facilities in California to reduce energy consumption 10 percent this summer. 

Sacramento and the White House appear locked in a high-voltage war of rhetoric over energy policies. There is broad bipartisan dissatisfaction in Sacramento with Washington’s response to California’s energy crisis — the result of its own 1996 deregulation rules. 

Last month FERC did order a one-year cap on electricity sold into California during power emergencies, when power reserves fall below 7 1/2 percent. The agency did not set a price and also required the state to join a regional transmission organization, which could limit California’s ability to control its own power grid. 

Davis called the plan a “Trojan horse,” and state power regulators dismissed the cap as inadequate, saying it would profit power generators at ratepayers’ expense. 

In addition, Davis and state lawmakers sharply criticized FERC for considering requiring the state’s power grid operator to add a surcharge on power sales to pay generators the money they are owed by the state’s two large financially strapped utilities. 

NO AGREEMENT 

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gray Davis said Tuesday he and President Bush have a fundamental disagreement over whether California is entitled to energy price relief. 

“My view is I think we are entitled to relief as a matter of law,” Davis told reporters at the Century Plaza Hotel minutes after meeting with Bush. 

Davis said he told Bush he intends to do everything, including suing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to bring price relief to California. 

“I said, ’Mr. President, you understand I have to do everything in my power to seek relief for the people of this state. You would do the same thing if you were in my position,’ and he agreed,” Davis said. 

“And among the things I am going to have to do are sue the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ... and pursue every avenue in the Congress,” he said. 

Davis said the meeting was cordial and that Bush listened as he presented his side, but would not agree to price controls. 

“He believes it reduces abilities to conserve and discourages investment,” Davis said. 

But the governor said he showed Bush a chart from the U.S. Energy Department that showed the state ranked No. 1 in energy conservation. 

“Obviously it’s not going to have any negative effect on our ability to conserve,” he said. 

Davis said he pointed out to Bush that California had received applications for at least 12 power plants when there were price caps. 

“So certainly the investors of those plants thought they could get a very attractive return when we had the price cap,” he said. 

The governor said the state has made its price request to the FERC and now must wait for its official response before actually going to court. 

Davis said the president told him he will send FERC member Pat Wood to investigate claims of market manipulation. 

“The good news is the president is distressed to learn that the price of natural gas — Texas natural gas — in New York is roughly $5 per British Thermal Unit and $14 to $15 out here.” 

Davis said he warned Bush that the energy crisis could push the state into a recession and “bring down the rest of the country.” 

SACRAMENTO — The state Senate voted Tuesday to require health officials to set drinking water limits for chromium-6, the substance that gained notoriety in the Julia Roberts film “Erin Brockovich.” 

The bill, by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, would require the state Department of Health Services to set a maximum allowable limit for chromium-6 in drinking water by Jan. 1, 2004. 

Chromium is a natural element that has two basic forms: chromium-3, an essential nutrient, and chromium-6, a carcinogen when inhaled. 

Public health agencies have not yet determined if chromium-6 is a carcinogen when ingested, but the Department of Health Services and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment announced in March that they would evaluate whether chromium-6 should be regulated as a drinking water contaminant. 

The Senate voted 23-7, without debate, to send the Ortiz bill to the Assembly. 

“Erin Brockovich” is based on a 1996 case in which residents of the California desert town of Hinkley won a $333 million settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric when the utility company’s tanks leaked high concentrations of chromium 6 into ground water.  

Roberts won an Oscar for her portrayal of a law firm assistant who curiosity about illnesses in Hinkley led to the settlement.

SUSANVILLE— A raging 4,100-acre forest fire forced evacuations of 60 homes and a hospital, coating the town of Susanville with dark soot and giving firefighters an unwelcome taste of what could be ahead this summer. 

“This is the closest I’ve seen a fire to Susanville in my life,” said Bob Garate, 45, a former firefighter whose home was threatened by the blaze. “I haven’t seen dry conditions like this since 1977. We’re in for a long, hard summer.” 

The fire, which had burned to the city limits and was within a quarter-mile of an RV park, was one of several burning Tuesday in the region. Susanville, with a population of 17,500, is located about 80 miles northwest of Reno, Nev. 

Firefighters battled a 6,500-acre wildland blaze near Pyramid Lake, about 40 miles north of Reno. And there was a fire about 250 miles southwest of Susanville in the Mendocino National Forest, where 145 acres have been scorched. That one was expected to be extinguished by Thursday, said forest spokeswoman Phebe Brown. 

In New Mexico, firefighters braced for hot, dry, windy weather in their battle against a blaze that has scorched about 1,400 acres of the Guadalupe Mountains in an unpopulated area of the Lincoln National Forest. 

At a Denver news conference Tuesday, Interior Secretary Gale Norton said the summer is shaping up as one of the worst in decades for wildfire potential. 

“This is the second-driest year in the last 100 years in the Pacific Northwest,” she said, adding that millions of federal acres need to be cleared of underbrush. 

Last year was the worst for fires in a half-century, with 93,000 wildfires damaging 7.3 million acres. 

The Susanville blaze started about seven miles west of town Sunday on private timberland after being sparked by a man shooting targets in the woods, said state Dept. of Forestry spokeswoman Wendy McIntosh. The man, whose name was not released, was cited for causing a fire and letting it escape. 

“This is an August fire in May, and you have to wonder where it’s going to go from here. It could be a long, expensive summer,” said fire information officer Steve Harcourt. 

“These people are fortunate because this fire happened early in the summer when there were adequate resources to fight it. The calvary may not be able to be there later this summer when there are too many fires.” 

Fire officials said the blaze was about 35 percent contained. About 1,300 firefighters tried to slow the flames’ advance using fire engines and bulldozers to build a fire line. Seven air tankers and a dozen helicopters also were used. 

“We’re making good progress, but the threat to Susanville is not over,” said fire information officer Steve Gasaway. “We’re still worried about high winds and what they could do to the fire.” 

Two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze, including one with a possible broken arm. 

The fire skirted eight homes, coming as close as 30 feet to some of them. About 140 residents were evacuated, but were allowed to return to their homes late Tuesday morning. 

Lassen Community Hospital had to evacuate 25 patients Monday night when the fire burned with a quarter mile of the facility, said Laura Lang, executive assistant at the 59-bed hospital. 

“We had quite a few embers blowing this way and the smoke was very thick. For health reasons, and just to calm the patients, we evacuated them,” Lang said. 

McIntosh said two Susanville-area residents suffered minor injuries, but no structures had been damaged or destroyed. 

Residents in the area are accustomed to fires, but this one was too close for comfort, said Dan Merritt of the Susanville Interagency Fire Center. 

“It’s not uncommon for there to be forest fires in the area, but this is the closest it’s come to town in the 35 years since I’ve been here,” Merritt said. “It’s also the earliest we’ve had a major forest fire in those 35 years.” 

Evacuees were asked to check in at Lassen High School. By 10 p.m. Monday, 15 people had arrived at the school to spend the night on cots. Roger Bailey and his wife, Jean, took refuge there after they were forced to evacuate their home. 

“It was real smoky and scary,” Roger Bailey said. “I had tears on my cheeks. It’s home.” 

Cars traveling Susanville’s streets had to use headlights to cut through the thick soot and smoke in the air. Elementary, junior high and high schools in Susanville were closed Tuesday due to concerns about air quality. 

PALO ALTO — After nearly a decade of development and two years of delays, Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. on Tuesday launched the first in a new generation of microprocessors they hope will dominate the next era of computing. 

The Itanium processor, developed by both companies, is designed for workstations and servers – machines that power Web sites, sift through data and run scientific applications. 

As prices in its core PC business slide, Intel hopes Itanium will capture a slice of the high-end server and workstation market dominated by Sun Microsystems Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. 

“This launch is not just important to us, it’s critical,” said Paul Otellini, executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s Architecture Group. 

In a launch subdued in comparison to desktop processor introductions, Intel and Hewlett-Packard officials unveiled HP’s first broadly available Itanium machines Tuesday. Prices start at $7,000. 

Dell, Compaq, IBM, Silicon Graphics Inc. also announced their first Itanium-based systems. All are expected to be available in June. In all, 25 computer makers are expected to offer more than 35 models this year. 

The chips, which range in price from $1,177 to $4,227, are available at speeds of 733 megahertz and 800 MHz. 

Some analysts, however, do not expect strong demand for machines based on the processor until Intel introduces the chip’s second generation, code-named McKinley, later this year. 

“I didn’t think Itanium was going to be spectacular at launch because of the fact that essentially it’s a beta product for McKinley,” said Eric Ross, an analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners. 

Intel spokesman Bill Kircos said faster and cheaper chips are always in the pipeline, and that it would not make sense to hold back a launch because something better will be available in the future. 

The new processor, code-named Merced, processes information in 64-bit chunks, twice the rate of today’s PCs. As a result, the entire core, including software and secondary chips, had to be redesigned. 

The processor’s development dates to the early 1990s, when HP and Intel started an alliance to develop advanced technologies. The alliance officially was announced in June 1994. 

At the time, Intel engineers could see the limitations in their 32-bit processors that dominate the PC and low-end server markets. While adequate for personal computers, the architecture was not expected to keep pace with demands in future, high-end applications. 

HP officials also were looking for partners in developing a next-generation architecture for their own systems. The company previously built its own processors. Under the deal, Intel and HP co-invented the new architecture, and Intel is producing the actual processors and is selling them to both HP and other computer makers. 

HP said its products would benefit from the company’s intimate knowledge of the processor’s design. Executives refused to disclose whether HP will pay less or receive other benefits from the collaboration. 

In 1998, Intel said it would not meet the planned late 1999 launch date. Last year, the world’s largest chipmaker announced yet another delay so that the processor could undergo further testing. 

In the meantime, Sun Microsystems Inc. was able to get a leg up, introducing the second generation of its 64-bit processor last year. 

Michael Lehman, Sun’s chief financial officer, said the Itanium launch offered no new revelations. 

“There is nothing in that announcement that anybody hadn’t been talking about for months, if not years,” he said. “There’s no news there.” 

Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. also announced plans for a 64-bit architecture, which would extend the existing 32-bit architecture. Analysts believe AMD is focusing more on high-end PCs than servers. 

Despite the delays, Intel’s offering will create serious competition, analysts said. 

“Intel has not had a product, and all of a sudden they have a product,” Ross said. “It’s essentially going from not-quite-zero competitors to one strong competitor. Intel is not to be trifled with.” 

———— 

On the Net: 

Intel: http://www.intel.com 

HP: http://www.hp.com 

NEW YORK — Merger talks between French telecommunications giant Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc. were called off Tuesday after intense negotiations over the long holiday weekend failed to produce an agreement. 

In a statement, both companies announced that the negotiations in Paris had failed, but did not explain why talks were ended. 

A source close to the negotiations said issues over corporate governance and management of the combined company were the main roadblocks preventing a deal. 

A merger, with an estimated value of as much as $32 billion, would have marked one of the largest combinations of a U.S. technology group with a European company. 

But Lucent officials balked because they did not believe that Alcatel was treating the deal as a merger of equals and acted as though the French firm were buying Lucent. 

Analysts had said the new company would have a work force of more than 200,000 but would probably have had to cut 20,000 to 30,000 jobs to reduce costs. 

Most job cuts resulting from the merger would probably have occurred in the United States, where the companies have the most overlapping operations, analyst Sean Faughnan of Goldman, Sachs & Co. wrote in a research note to clients. 

Since January, financially plagued Lucent has announced plans to reduce its work force by up to 16,000 jobs as it streamlines operations and sells off some of its factories. 

Analyst Steven Koffler of First Union Securities said Lucent faces an uncertain future without the backing Alcatel would have provided. 

“This is going to be tough because of a lot of internal problems they’re having and because of the state of the industry right now,” he said. 

Lucent, which was spun off from AT&T Corp. in 1996, is among the most widely held stocks in America. Lucent predecessor Bell Labs has been a wellspring of innovation over the years, with a role in developing the transistor, the laser and superconductors. 

But Lucent has fallen on hard times amid a string of strategic missteps and profit disappointments that led to the ouster of chief executive Richard McGinn and a major restructuring. The company’s shares are hovering at about one-tenth of their all-time high, hit in late 1999. 

Analysts said that a deal by Alcatel, which chief executive Serge Tchuruk has built into a diversified maker of cell phones, high-speed telecommunications equipment and Internet switches, would have made it a major player in the U.S. market. 

More than half of Alcatel’s sales are in Europe, while 23 percent of its revenue comes from the United States. 

In trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange, Lucent shares were down 11.5 percent, or $1.08, to close at $8.32 a share, while Alcatel’s U.S. shares were down 70 cents, or 2.5 percent, at $27.41. 

In extended trading Lucent shares rose 3.4 percent, or 28 cents, at $8.60 a share, while Alcatel’s U.S. shares were up $1.79, or 6.5 percent, at $29.20. 

On the Net: 

http://www.lucent.com 

http://www.alcatel.com

NEW YORK — Technology stocks fell for a second straight session Tuesday as investors, unconvinced that the sector will recover by year’s end, cashed in profits from the market’s big spring rally. 

Blue chips fared better, eking out a small gain as Wall Street shifted its focus to industrial and pharmaceutical issues. 

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 33.77 at 11,039.14, recovering from a brief dip below 11,000 during the session. 

Broader stock indicators fell. The Nasdaq composite index was down 75.49 at 2,175.54, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 9.96 to 1,267.93. 

The pullback following the recent runup in stock prices reflected concerns that earnings still aren’t likely to improve in the near term, analysts said. But with trading light as many people extended their holiday weekends, activity on Wall Street was largely a sign of profit-taking. 

“The truth of the matter is you’re not going to see any positive signs for another three or four months,” said Charles White, portfolio manager at Avatar Associates. 

“But I would hesitate to place any real significance on the price action today, just based on the fact that it’s happening in very low volume and very thin trade,” he said. 

Selling was spread across the technology sector, but earnings news was paramount. 

Sun Microsystems fell $1.80, to close at $18.67 in trading Tuesday. In extended trading, shares lost another $1.16, to finish at $17.51, after the company warned that fourth-quarter results would fall below already reduced expectations. 

The bad news – and anticipation leading up to Sun’s announcement – gave investors more incentive to sell tech issues. Intel fell 22 cents to end at $27.63 in the after-hours session, compounding a $1.25 loss in regular trading. 

EMC also fell, down 59 cents to $33.40 by the end of extended trading Tuesday, on top of a $3.11 loss in the regular session on news the company plans 1,100 job cuts. 

Blue chips were boosted by gains in Merck, up $1.79 at $74.39, and DuPont, which rose $1.20 to $46.82. 

Ongoing speculation about a merger between Lucent and Alcatel sent Lucent down $1.08 to $8.32, while Alcatel slid 70 cents to $27.41.  

After regular trading ended, the companies said the merger talks had been terminated, but provided no other details. The decision sent both companies’ stocks higher in the extended session, with Lucent rising 28 cents and Alcatel picking up $1.79. 

“I think this is just a pause that will refresh later on for the market,” said Steven Goldman, market strategist at Weeden & Co. “The overall market is holding up quite well.” 

— The Associated Press 

Investors also were digesting two reports Tuesday focusing on the role of consumers in the economy. 

The Commerce Department reported consumer spending rose by 0.4 percent in April, its biggest increase since January, but showed a reduction in spending on big-ticket items such as cars. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of all economic activity and has been a main pillar supporting the country’s economy. 

A second report showed consumer confidence bounced back in May after a sharp decline in April, underscoring increased optimism about jobs and the future of the U.S. economy. The Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index rose to a greater than expected 115.5 from a revised 109.9 in April. Analysts were expecting a reading of 112. 

Declining issues outnumbered advancers 8 to 7 on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 1.24 billion shares, up from 991.22 million in Friday’s pre-holiday trading. 

The Russell 2000 index was down 6.25 at 502.37. 

Overseas, stocks were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei stock average rose 0.26 percent. Germany’s DAX index was down 1.55 percent, Britain’s FT-SE 100 was down 0.44 percent, and France’s CAC-40 was down 1.14 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 

Although he professes to love his job, Berkeley High School Principal Frank Lynch happens to be something of an expert on why one should never become a high school principal. 

He’s spent the last four years interviewing principals and superintendents around Northern California, completing a doctoral dissertation at the University of Santa Barbara entitled: “The Shortage of Qualified Candidates for the Position of High School Principal.” 

He wanted to find out why the pool of applicants for high school principal jobs is drying up as precipitously as a southern California reservoir in a draught year.  

There’s talk of the looming principal shortage all over the country these days. Berkeley Unified School District Interim Superintendent Stephen Goldstone remembers competing against nearly 100 candidates when he applied for his first principal job in 1973. Today, he said, there might be total of 10 Berkeley High itself has burned through half a dozen principals in the last decade. The lack of leadership has left a power vacuum that Lynch walked into when he took the reins last August. 

As Berkeley High Parent, Teacher and Student Association President Kristin Shepherd put it: “Essentially, we’ve had a large business without supervision.” 

In other words, if being a high school principal is tough everywhere, there is reason to doubt whether being principal of Berkeley High is even in the realm of the possible. 

When he’s lucky, Lynch’s day will end at 6 p.m. But, with meetings, many days drag on to 8 p.m., or even to midnight. Throw in a five-hour commitment on Saturday – say, a community meeting on school reform, or the senior prom – and you’re up to roughly an 80-hour week. 

Wednesday last week was a fairly typical day. Lynch returned phone calls between 6 and 6:45 a.m., then met with teachers for the next hour or so. At 8 a.m. he was off to the weekly meeting of Berkeley High department heads. Here he heard one staff member after another describe the difficulties caused by the latest round of budget cuts and responded to each in crisp, efficient sentences. 

To the question of what would happen without an on-campus suspension program next year (Berkeley high has used the system for years as a way to take disruptive students out of the classroom without having to expel them from school), Lynch said: “It was either giving up two assistant principals or giving up something else. We’ll brainstorm. We’ll come up with a solution, because we are highly intelligent human beings.” 

Lynch has budgeted for three assistant principals, although he estimates it would take twice that number to really handle the daily workload. 

To worries that some department heads would lose the free periods they have had to evaluate teachers under the new budget cuts, Lynch responded: 

“There’s no other way to do it. I respect where you guys are coming from (but) when they made those budget cuts… those budget cuts are real budget cuts. And my job is to live with it.” 

Lynch spends the better part of every day listening to teachers, parents, students and others asking for things that in all likelihood he is unable to provide. In this highly political town where countless constituents believe they have a stake in how the high school is run, the flow of outside commentary is almost unending. 

“The larger the environment you work in, the more stressful it becomes,” Lynch said. “With more constituents, it goes up geometrically.” 

And yet, those who work with Lynch day to day say he has yet to lose his cool. 

“He’s accessible, nice, sane…he listens,” said Charna Ball, who teaches Adaptive Physical Education at Berkeley High. “I’ve been here a long time and that’s the first time I can say that about a principal.” 

Berkeley is “The most political place on earth,” said Vice Principal Mike Hassett. “Everybody’s got an issue. No one knows how to compromise.”  

But, said Hassett, Lynch makes navigating Berkeley’s turbulent political waters look like a walk in the park. “He’s a gentleman,” Hassett said. “He always maintains his demeanor.” 

Lynch said he came into the principal job “with his eyes open.” Through his dissertation research, he had known exactly what to expect, and he was ready. The job of a principal, he said, is to maintain “calm in the midst of chaos.” 

“People say, ‘Get emotional, get angry.’ But once you get in an emotional state you can no longer conduct business,” Lynch said. 

Instead of pleading with principals for emotion, people need to understand the incredible challenges principals are up against and find ways to give them more support, Lynch said. 

Shepherd, for one, said she is ready to do whatever she can to help Lynch. If political pressures mount uncontrollably, she said, Berkeley High runs the risk of losing yet another principal. And at a time when the school’s very certification as a secondary institution is in question, due to a number of highly publicized failings, Shepherd said that’s a risk the Berkeley community cannot afford to take. 

“He’ been listening to us all year,” Shepherd said. “Now it’s time for us to listen to him.” 

Tuesday, May 29

People’s State of the City  

Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner.  

848-6254  

2001 West Coast Economic  

Human Rights Hearings 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison, Oakland 

Join State and U.S. Congress members and local policy makers at a special dinner to highlight the issue of economic human rights. Testimonials from people in poverty will be presented as part of this effort to push economic human rights to the front of a national policy agenda. Free to the public. 

649-1930 

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Thursday, May 31

Backpacking in Northern CA.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free  

527-4140  

League of Women Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Friday, June 1

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

“Rumi: Mystic and Romantic  

Love, Stories of Masnavi” 

5 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Free public talk by Professor Andrew Vidich. Childcare and vegetarian food provided. 

707-226-7703 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, June 2

Car Seat Safety Clinic 

10:00 a.m. 

Kittredge St. Parking Garage, second level 

The Berkeley Police Department will demonstrate proper techniques for car seat installation and use, and offer safety checks and tips. Families are welcome to visit the Habitot Children’s Museum located across the street from the garage. Free. 

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  

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Family Storytime  

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Main Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Storyteller Olga Loya tells tales from around the world. Geared for children three to eight and their parents. Free  

649-3964 

Commission On Disability  

Hearings 

1 - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Open forum, opportunity for public to present ideas and concerns about barriers for people with disabilities and accessibility of City facilities. Public comment on Berkeley’s proposed “Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan.” Will continue on June 13. 

981-6342 

Longfellow Middle School’s  

Outdoor Arts Festival 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Longfellow Courtyard 

1500 Derby St. 

Live music performances, silent auction of student and community art, BBQ and bake sale. Talent showcase and awards ceremony from 2 - 3 p.m. Free admission, open to the public. 

665-1980 

Birdwatching Walk and  

Breakfast 

8 a.m. 

Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

This is the time of year when the greatest variety of birds can be found in the Garden, including some rare species. Join Chris Carmichael and Dennis Wolff for breakfast and a walk. $25, limited space, call to reserve. 

643-2755 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Walking Tour 

10 a.m. - noon 

Thousand Oaks Elementary School 

1150 Virginia St. 

Tour of Thousand Oaks School and neighborhood. $5 - $10, reservations required. 

848-0181  

Pasta and Opera 

7 p.m. 

2924 Ashby Ave. 

Presented by Chamber Arts House. By donation. 

Sunday, June 3

Rosa Parks Spring  

Celebration and Fundraiser 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Rosa Parks 

920 Allston Way 

Silent auction, quilt raffle, cake walk and field events. 

Compiled by Sabrina Forkish

Real safety issues at BHS  

Editor: 

Thursday, the entire student body and staff at Berkeley high school was evacuated because of a gas leak. Several students were dizzy and on the verge of passing out. With no clear drills for the campus, rife with construction and without well-known procedures for evacuation, the gas leak revealed the larger problems at BHS. Lack of communication to begin a coordinated evacuation, and lack of a cohesive safety plan in the event of an emergency.  

There have been no fire drills to prepare students for an evacuation in the event of an emergency since construction began, which is a glaring omission considering that some of the exits to the C building are now inaccessible due to construction fencing and cannot be used as a safety route. 

In addition to creating new hazards for students, the crews are exacerbating the problems they create by not taking into consideration the effects of their accidents. Without a place for students in the buildings nearest to the construction to go, another gas leak, or fire produced by the construction crews could cause the death or injury of hundreds of students in the C building. We urge the school administration to look into this for the safety of all students. 

Josh Parr 

Berkeley 

Involve people in planning 

Editor: 

Members of our all Berkeley coalition and I, involved in trying to get a meaningful ordinance regulating RF radiation emitting antennas in Berkeley are in full agreement with Steve Wollmer’s characterization of Current Planning staff as doing "shoddy work," and being "incompetent…or prejudiced." In our case many would also characterize the performance of city staff as power grabbing in the interest of serving the cellular industry in a “sweetheart” arrangement which ill serves the citizens of Berkeley.  

A moratorium was adopted in February by the City Council for the purpose of drafting an ordinance. Vivian Kahn, the Planning and Development Interim Deputy Director, who impresses me as running the show, produced a draft for the Planning Commission meeting on May 30th.  

Interested citizens were excluded from the drafting process regardless of numerous requests for inclusion. Reading the draft one can understand a wish to exclude the people who must live with it, should it be adopted. Kahn’s draft is largely based on a rhapsodized paean to the cellular industry, and puts full power to scatter radiation emitting antennas wherever city staff, toadying to their favored powerful industry interlocutors, may wish to place them.  

The draft is a travesty of regulation. It is so full of holes and failure to protect our citizens that questions arise about what those promoting it are up to. This draft is written and in many cases would be administered by staff not even living in Berkeley but trying to tell citizens how to live here. 

We discovered that a few years ago a special exemption for RF emitting antennas had been somehow added to the existing zoning ordinance, which removes controls on antennas provided by required public hearings.  

Why has this industry been exempted from an ordinance designed to protect the character of residential neighborhoods? How did this exemption become law without the neighborhood being informed? Do we need a sunshine ordinance in this city. You bet we do. Rot producing organisms do not survive well in sunlight and this city is swimming in bureaucratic manipulation and rot. 

Leonard Schwartzburd 

Berkeley 

Beth El is a religious institution 

Editor: 

Thanks to Daniel McLoughlin for graciously acknowledging the "good works performed by the Congregation (Beth El) and by many of its individual members" – and thanks, too, to Mr. McLoughlin for the civil, even generous, tone of his letter to the Daily Planet, May 14-15. 

He asks whether other residential neighborhoods have churches or other institutions the size of Beth El’s proposed building. The answer is that Berkeley neighborhoods throughout the city integrate many similar sized or larger buildings. Some, like St. Mary Magdalen Church, are just a few blocks away from Beth El’s new site. 

It’s also worth noting that Beth El is building a synagogue, not a commercial facility. The kitchen in the new building will be only two hundred square feet larger than the current cramped kitchen that the congregation outgrew decades ago. The planned Social Hall is about the same size as the current social hall and sanctuary combined. These rooms are often used as single space for celebrations of religious events now, something that will not happen in the new building because the seats in the sanctuary will be fixed. 

To correct another misconception, the facilities will not be rented to any outside groups. They will be used only by members for events such as Jewish holidays, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and weddings. 

Many members now celebrate their life cycle events at the synagogue, and it is possible more will do so at the new site. However, the much larger space on Oxford Street, along with the setbacks, the inward facing orientation of the buildings and the increased parking will cause considerably less impact on the neighborhood than occurs at the current site just two blocks away. 

Thom Seaton 

Berkeley 

Playing that density song 

Editor: 

Another day, another soliloquy from Richard Register. Another moving tribute to the glories of density and the energy-consumptive dangers of sprawl. 

I especially loved the timing of the most recent hymn to “diverse pedestrian and transit centers." It was printed in the Berkeley Voice the day after a Zoning Adjustments Board public hearing on taking a retail space right at the corner of San Pablo and University and converting it to office space, which requires a variance. 

The Zoning Adjustments Board voted for it, with one no vote and one abstention. Thirty-five of the merchants who own businesses at or near the corner of University and San Pablo signed a petition opposing the office space, because if you take a chunk out of the retail potential of a commercial area, the whole district gets the hit. People want to shop in a place where they can buy tuna, get their shoes fixed, grab a video, and pick up shoelaces without driving all over town. 

The residents who signed the petition are the hard-pressed people living in perhaps the last honest neighborhood in Berkeley, and perhaps the oldest.  

The area along San Pablo Avenue used to be a favorite drive decades ago because of its tree-lined views and pedestrian bustle, the place where retail, industry, and residential uses dovetailed and the rail lines brought everything and everyone together. We recently lost our pharmacy, our shoe store, and our stationary store.  

One of our best antiques stores is about to have to leave, and would have loved the visibility of the retail space. The two non-profits who may move in if the appeal fails are undoubtedly groups which give valuable service to the Berkeley community, but are in no way capable of generating the walking trade and filling the daily needs of an ever more dense “traffic corridor" constantly taking the weight of the large, dense housing developments which no one seems to care are only geared for the $30,000-and-over crowd. 

Where was Richard Register and the Ecocity Builders when this latest small-scale assault on the potential for a pedestrian-serving neighborhood came down? Where were the consultants who gave us the crayons for our moment of participation during the University Avenue Strategic Plan workshops? The Green Party? Somehow the crew that warbles for density is never around when the variances are handed out that reduce the liveability of the neighborhood, that piece by piece, shot by shot, reduce it to scrap. 

Carol Denney 

Berkeley 

B  

The chains move in, the Mom and Pops move out, or sell out to chains. I  

listened to two representatives from the non-profit groups argue that they  

just couldn't find anywhere else to move. I work in a non-profit, too, in a  

loft in the back of a showroom right next to a Bart Station which has two  

empty spaces which rent for less than the retail space in question. Office  

space is going wanting all over town. 

The people in our neighborhood have a smaller chance today of the ice-cream  

store, the shoe repair shop, the gift shop, and the bookstore. But count on  

it, in another few weeks or so, you'll hear that density song again.  

Everybody's playing it. 

(Carol Denney is a local musician and community activist.) 

Carol Denney MSL, 1970 San Pablo Ave #4, Berkeley, Ca 94702 

(510) 548-1512 cdenney@igc.org 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Judah L. Magnes Museum “Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season” through May 2002. An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 642-0808 

The Asian Galleries “Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery.” A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection. “Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. “Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. “Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 642-0808 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 by 40-foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology “Approaching a Century of Anthropology: The Phoebe Hearst Museum,” open-ended. This new permanent installation will introduce visitors to major topics in the museum’s history. “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” ongoing. This exhibit documents the culture of the Yahi Indians of California as described and demonstrated from 1911 to 1916 by Ishi, the last surviving member of the tribe. $2 general; $1 seniors; $.50 children age 17 and under; free on Thursdays. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College Ave. 643-7648  

Lawrence Hall of Science “Math Rules!” A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge. “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Computer Lab, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast; June 8: The Enemies, Pitch Black, The Fleshies, Supersift, Texas Thieves; June 9: Groovie Ghoulies, The Influents, Red Planet, Mallrats, Goat Shanty. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 26: Caribbean All Stars; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans. 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage; June 2: Rebecca Riots; June 3: Hurricane Sam; June 6: Freight 33rd Anniversary concert series with Leni Stern, Jenna Mammina, Jill Cohn, Pig Iron. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo; June 1: New Monsoon; June 2: Avi Bortnick Group 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

The Bill Horvitz Band and the Adam Levy Threesome June 1, 8 p.m. TUVA Space 3192 Adeline  

TEMPO: The Berkeley Festival of Contemporary Performances. All performances begin at 8 p.m. June 1: Steve Coleman and Five Elements; June 2: Roscoe Mitchell with George Lewis, David Wessel and Thomas Buckner. $15 Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley Campus www.tempofestival.org 

Empyrean Ensemble June 2, 8 p.m. Final concert of the season, featuring soprano Susan Narucki in the world premiere of Mario Davidovsky’s “Cantiones Sine Textu,” as well as works by other composers. 7 p.m. panel discussion with the composers. $14 - $18 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave 925-798-1300  

Berkeley High Jazz Combo June 3, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Schubert Festival June 3, 4 p.m. Mini-Schubert Festival as part of the Sundays at Four Chamber Music series. Will feature Schubert’s Trout Quintet, String Trio, and more. $10 Crowden School 1475 Rose St. 559-6910 www.thecrowdenschool.org 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra June 21. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Featuring music by Pharaoh’s Daughter and Mozaik and the musical and ritual theater group The Puppet Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“Conversations In Commedia” May 30, 7:30 p.m. Series continues with Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden and veteran clown/actor/director/playwright Jeff Raz. $6 - $8. La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave 849-2568 

AfroSolo Theatre Company May 31, 7:30 p.m. Theater, dance, spoken word and poetry. $5 - $10 La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Camp Winnarainbow Benefit Boogie June 3, 7 p.m. Featuring The Flying Other Brothers with Pete Sears and Greg Anton, David Gans, Wavy Gravy and surprise guests. Camp Winnarainbow is a multicultural circus and performing arts camp founded by Wavy Gravy and his wife. $10 - $20 Ashkenaz 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“Cymbeline” June 2 through June 24, Tues. - Thur. 7:30 p.m., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. Opening of the California Shakespeare Festival features one of Shakespeare’s first romances, directed by Daniel Fish. $12 - $146. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater off Highway 24 at the Shakespeare Festival Way/Gateway Exit. 548-9666 or www.calshakes.org 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members traveled to Laramie, Wyo., after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepherd. The play is about the community and the impact Shaper’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive May 29: 7:30 Society of the Spectacle; May 30: 7:30 Musical Concrete; June 1: 7:30 Reason, Debate, and a Tale; June 2: 7:00 A River Called Trash; June 3: 5:30 Ruslan and Ludmila. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“The Producers” June 10. Revisit this outrageous comedy classic, starring Zero Mostel and written by Mel Brooks. $2 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Nomad Videofilm Festival 2001 June 1 10:40p.m. featuring world premieres from four S.F. Bay Area mediamakers: “Roadkill” by Antero Alli, “Forest” by Farhad J. Parsa “Visit” by Jesse Miller, B, “Fell Apart” by Doan La Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/nomad.html 

“TRAGOS: A Cyber-Noir Witch Hunt” an Antero Alli film June 2, 10:40pm Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/tragos.html 

Exhibits 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts and Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910”chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkeley in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”; May 30: Bill Russell signs copies of “Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership From the Twentieth century’s Greatest Winner”; May 31: Michael Pollan talks about “The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

Architecture is life, or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived. 

Frank Lloyd Wright 

The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association presented awards to property owners Thursday night, saluting what association members said was the extra time and expense honorees spent to maintain the city’s wealth of historic architecture.  

About 150 people attended the ceremonies at Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto, according to event organizers. The evening included remarks from Berkeley historical author and publisher Malcolm Margolin. 

“I think the value of the awards presentation is not only the recognition of those who have accomplished such extraordinary things in preservation, but they also serve as inspiration for those who are considering plunging into similar projects,” said Awards Committee member Mary Lee Noonan. 

The Awards Committee selected 16 buildings for awards and special commendations from a field of over 30 nominations. The buildings were judged according to how well architectural detail was maintained and incorporated into refurbishing, upgrading and retrofitting that took place in the last year. 

The awards spanned the gambit of Berkeley architecture from single family homes on the west side of town to the recent $35 million remodel and retrofit of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center, which was commemorated this month. 

The Awards Committee consisted Susan Chase, Jeannie de Vries, Jane Edgington, Richard Ehrenberger and Noonan, all of whom have backgrounds in architecture.  

Alvin K. Ludwig and Dorothy Duff Brown, owners of a house, received a Preservation Award for restoring the 82-year-old home, built by Carl Ericsson. 

“We salute, in particular, the glowing beauty of the interior where the gracious spaces of the living room, dinning room and library are filled with light and the warmth of the perfectly restored paneling.” Noonan wrote in her presentation speech. “(The remodel) is clearly a labor of love.” 

Noonan said the owners did most of the work themselves. One project was transforming a 1950s’ sandstone fireplace with clinker bricks, which were salvaged in the restoration of the chimney. They “restored the interior and exterior themselves, patiently removing layers of paint from the paneling, reusing materials wherever possible, rehabilitating every detail with infinite care.” 

A larger restoration project that received recognition was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center at 2180 Milvia St. The original Art Deco building, designed by James Plachek in 1938, underwent a major retrofit and remodel that adapted the stylized interiors to the needs of modern city employees.  

“A revered landmark has been given a new lease on life,” Noonan wrote. “The city has demonstrated its commitment to the value of preserving Berkeley’s distinctive architectural fabric.” 

Department of Public Works Director Rene Cardinaux said he was delighted to be a part of bringing an older building into the modern era in a way that preservationists could be happy with. “I was also very glad to be able to thank the BAHA for all their help during the remodel and all their efforts to save the building when there were a lot of people in town that wanted to tear it down,” he said. 

The following is a list of 2001 BAHA Preservation Awards. 

Awards: 

1. West Gate, on the UC Berkeley campus 

2. McDuffie Garden at 10 Roble Road. 

3. Sharffen Berger Chocolate Company at 914 Heinz Ave. 

4. Beckett’s Irish Pub and Restaurant at 2271 Shattuck Ave. 

5. A Craftsman home at 2928 Ellis St. 

6. A Victorian home at 3009 Elllis St. 

7. Carl Ericsson House at 1625 Jaynes St. 

8. Henry C. Reid House on Mendocino Road 

9. Kennedy-Carter House at 1314 Arch St. 

10. The Underhill Sproul House. 

Special Commendations: 

1. Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto, 1919 4th St. 

2. Library Hall and West Hall at 2016 7th St. 

3. Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center 2180 Milvia St. 

4. John Galen Howard House at 1401 LeRoy Ave. 

5. Maybeck Cottage at 1 Maybeck Twin Drive. 

6. The Garber Street Garage at 2746 Garber St. 

As Berkeley’s Vista Community College prepares to break ground on a state-of-the-art building this year, the Peralta Community College District has announced the appointment of a new president for the school. 

After a local, state and nationwide search, a search committee made up of students, faculty and community members chose John Garmon, executive dean of the Florida Community College Jacksonville campus, to become the new president of Vista.  

The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees announced the selection at its May 22 meeting. 

“Garmon has extensive experience in pretty much all levels of community college administration,” said Peralta Community College District spokesperson Jeffrey Heyman Friday. 

Heyman said Garmon will have his work cut out for him as Vista College, until now operated out of rented space in community centers in Berkeley and on the UC Berkeley campus. Vista “enters a completely new phase in its existence” with the construction of the new building, Heyman said. 

The 145,000 square-foot building, scheduled to go up at 2050 Center Street in downtown Berkeley beginning this year, represents $35 million of a $153 million Excellence in Education bond measure passed overwhelmingly by East Bay voters last year. 

Heyman said the new building will help expand popular programs in biotechnology, computer science, multimedia and information technology at Vista, which has approximately 3,500 students today and is the fastest growing of the Peralta Community College District’s four campuses. 

Annie Quan Lee, who will celebrate her 100th birthday June 5 reminisced recently with visitors at the Berkeley rest home where she lives. Lee was born in 1901 in San Francisco. She said she was the oldest of 14 children born to her parents, who had immigrated from Canton province in China. “They called me Sister One,” she recalled. After the 1906 earthquake, Lee’s family moved temporarily to Oakland, where she said she saw the first black person she had ever seen. The family later moved back to San Francisco’s Chinatown, where Lee attended elementary and middle school and later worked as a bank teller. She has a lifelong love of music: “I love to sing,” she said. “I was a soprano in school.” She then sang the first verse of “Jesus Loves Me.” 

–

The Berkeley Fire Department announced last week that it is gearing up for an early fire season and recommends property owners establish a 30-foot safety zone around their homes and structures by doing the following:  

• Clearing flammable vegetation around structures. Hillsides should be cleared between 100-200 feet, because flames travel faster and hotter up slope.  

• Removing vines from the walls of homes.  

• Moving shrubs and other landscaping away from the sides of the house.  

• Pruning branches and shrubs within 10 feet of chimneys and stovepipes.  

• Trimming tree branches so that leaves or needles are at least 8’ from the ground.  

• Thinning a 10-foot space between tree crowns.  

• Replacing highly flammable vegetation such as pine, eucalyptus, juniper and fire trees with lower growing, less flammable species.  

• Clearing the area of leaves, brush, pinecones and dead limbs. and fallen trees.

“P Is for Peril” in Sue Grafton’s latest alphabet mystery, but “P” plays a pivotal part in other new mysteries, too. 

“P” stands for Peters, as in Elizabeth Peters, who has a new whodunit; for the latest “Prey” novel by John Sandford; and for “pseudonym,” as in Rosamond Smith — aka Joyce Carol Oates — author of a new thriller. 

The books are among the latest hardcover novels of mystery and suspense. 

Private eye Kinsey Millhone is put into a particularly perplexing and precarious predicament in “P Is for Peril” (Putnam), No. 16 in the series featuring the Southern California sleuth. 

She’s looking for the highly respected administrator of a nursing home who has been missing for nine weeks. The police can’t find him so Fiona, his former wife, seeks Millhone’s help. Everyone has a theory. Fiona thinks her ex has run away from his new wife, Crystal, who thinks he’s dead. His colleagues think he has been kidnapped. And his daughter, after consulting a psychic, thinks he’s trapped in an unspecified “dark place.” (On sale June 4.) 

In “Lord of the Silent” (Morrow), Elizabeth Peters offers a 13th mystery starring Amelia Peabody, the intrepid and resourceful English archaeologist and amateur crime-solver. 

It’s autumn of 1915 and the world is at war when Amelia and family arrive in Egypt for their annual archaeological dig. Amelia is doing her best to keep son Ramses from being pressed into service by the War Office, but other concerns soon loom: One is the all-too-fresh corpse unearthed in an ancient tomb. Before it’s over, there are more bodies, an assault and a kidnapping. 

James Qatar is the latest villain tormenting erstwhile Minneapolis police investigator Lucas Davenport, in “Chosen Prey” (Putnam), Sandford’s 13th “Prey” book. 

Qatar is a suave professor of art history who is also a writer, thief and murderer. His hobby is to secretly take photos of women who have angered him and turn them into pornographic pictures, which he anonymously mails to the women. One day, his displeasure goes too far, so he just has to kill the woman. Unexpectedly, he enjoys it — so he does it again and again. 

The psychological thriller “The Barrens” (Carroll & Graf) is the eighth book Oates has written as Rosamond Smith. 

When Matt McBride was in high school, the body of a teen girl Matt knew slightly was found in New Jersey’s desolate Pine Barrens. For some reason, Matt had always felt a sense of guilt about the murder, as if he could have prevented it. Now, 20 years later, a local artist named Duana Zwolle has disappeared. Matt knew her, too — slightly better than the married man cares to admit. Since Matt’s name appears throughout her diary, the police want to question him. 

Other new mysteries include: 

—“Warrior Class” (Putnam) by Dale Brown. A U.S. Air Force general locks horns with the Russian army when it invades several countries to build an oil pipeline. 

—“Dead Hand” (Forge) by Harold Coyle. An asteroid crashes into Siberia, threatening to set off a Cold War-era nuclear device stored there. 

—“A Finer End” (Bantam) by Deborah Crombie. Scotland Yard officers Kincaid and James investigate when an ancient document leads to a violent attack. 

—“The Blue Nowhere” (Simon & Schuster) by Jeffery Deaver. A computer hacker lures his victims to their deaths. 

—“The Cold Six Thousand” (Knopf) by James Ellroy. A Las Vegas police officer unwittingly becomes involved in a cover-up conspiracy surrounding JFK’s assassination.

PLEASANTON – Not every high-tech company is filled with anguish and anxiety these days. 

Business software maker PeopleSoft Inc. stands out in contrast to the devastation that has wiped out so many Silicon Valley fortunes. 

PeopleSoft is among a handful of tech companies that exceeded Wall Street’s profit expectations in the first quarter. Its stock has tripled in the past year, creating $8.4 billion in paper wealth at a time when the technology-driven Nasdaq Stock Composite plunged by 31 percent. 

Craig Conway, chief executive of the Pleasanton-based company, isn’t taking time to savor the view. 

Conway is also doing everything he can to prevent PeopleSoft’s 8,000 employees from growing complacent and reverting to the fun-loving, fraternity house atmosphere that once infused the company, house band and all. 

“For company that is doing as well as we are, you would expect to see a little more jubilation, but you don’t,” Conway said. “In part, that’s because my personality is very paranoid. I’m not on medication but I’m very respectful of the competition. We need to wake up every morning believing that someone could catch us if we are not on our toes and on top of our game.” 

Conway, 46, is raising the stakes in Las Vegas on June 4 when he will unveil a new generation of “customer relationship management,” or CRM, software designed to cash in on the rapidly growing demand for products that help businesses use computers to expand and manage their markets. 

PeopleSoft hasn’t made much of a dent in the CRM market since spending $600 million to buy Vantive Corp. 17 months ago, but Conway believes the new product will take because it runs entirely on the Internet, where customers, employees and suppliers can easily access information. 

The company budgeted $30 million to promote the CRM product — about twice as much as it spent advertising a suite of other administrative applications that helped elevate PeopleSoft above other competitors during the past year. 

PeopleSoft is thus taking on the undisputed leader of CRM, San Mateo-based Siebel Systems — a company that is “laps ahead of the competition,” says industry analyst Craig Wood of Merrill Lynch. Both big and small companies have tried to challenge Siebel in this booming software niche, but none have succeeded so far. 

Conway, who worked with Siebel Systems CEO Tom Siebel while both were executives at Oracle Corp. in the 1980s, doesn’t sound intimidated. 

“To challenge someone, you can’t just catch them, you have to pass them and that’s what we do with this product,” he said. “We don’t think we are going to put Siebel out of business, but we do think we will take several points of market share away from them.” 

Siebel Systems executives say PeopleSoft’s CRM software doesn’t break any new ground. What’s more, Siebel Systems views PeopleSoft’s invasion as an opportunity to sell its own software to the roughly 1,000 businesses that use Vantive’s package. 

Switching to PeopleSoft’s next-generation product will require companies to spend more money and tinker with the systems — a combination Siebel Systems believes will make Vantive users more amenable to switching to a different vendor. 

“We see a lot of Vantive customers in our sales pipeline now,” said David Schmaier, Siebel’s executive vice president of products. “So far, (PeopleSoft’s new CRM product) has only helped, not hurt our business.” 

Like PeopleSoft, Siebel Systems’ profit beat stock market expectations during the first quarter. But Siebel Systems had to lay off 800 employees last month — 10 percent of its work force — and its shares have been trading for roughly the same price as a year ago. 

“PeopleSoft was forced to re-examine itself long before dot-coms were forced to re-examine themselves,” said Conway, who made changing the corporate culture a top priority after he took over as CEO in the spring of 1999. 

Before joining PeopleSoft, Conway ran an interactive broadcast network called One Touch Systems, but it was his eight years as an Oracle executive vice president that won him the job. PeopleSoft’s board wanted a veteran leader with previous experience in the technology industry’s ups and downs. 

Until Conway’s arrival, PeopleSoft had pioneered the festive office atmosphere that became fashionable with the rise of the Internet. The company provided free food and drinks, welcomed pets at the office and encouraged Hawaiian attire. 

Founder David A. Duffield, known as “DAD” within the company, even bought instruments and sound equipment for a company band called “The Raving Daves.” 

PeopleSoft’s performance only added to the merriment. Sales of its human resources software seemed to grow by leaps and bounds each year and by April 1998, the stock peaked at $55.94 — a price that PeopleSoft hasn’t been able to reach again. 

The frolicking culture didn’t help later that year when bugs began to show in some PeopleSoft products and corporate customers scaled back orders while focusing on getting their computer systems to recognize the Year 2000. 

Many employees are less enamored with Conway. Some who grew rich from PeopleSoft’s early success didn’t stick around for the turnaround. Others still grumble about Conway’s no-nonsense approach, even though he has pumped value into once-worthless stock options held by most employees. 

Conway, whose PeopleSoft stake is worth $50 million, isn’t about to change a formula that has restored the company’s luster among customers and investors. 

“A year ago, when I talked about the things that we were going to do, I saw a lot of smirks and rolling of the eyes,” Conway said. “Now everyone is listening very closely.”

Berkeley’s summer personality takes over this week after dormitories have shut down, “fraternity row” parties have ceased, and thousands of students have returned home — many of them, for the last time.  

The Mr. Hyde school-year season —with its youthful activity and unpredictability — changes into Dr. Jekyll’s summer respite. 

For businesses surrounding the UC Berkeley campus, summer is when the money leaves. Many stores cut their hours to compensate for the reduction in student traffic. Students “make” Telegraph Avenue. Now they say it’s quiet and vacant.  

But for many of Telegraph Avenue street vendors, summer is when all the activity begins. Summer means warm, dry weather and street parking for money-laden tourists.  

Some earn the majority of their income during the summer. Other fair-weather vendors migrate to Berkeley only during these lucrative months. 

“I do great in the summer,” said Philip Rowntree, while braiding a beaded jewelry necklace. “I try and work seven days a week. Come June, I love it.” 

He said that he earns 50 percent of his yearly income during the summer. 

Some street vendors are unaffected by the changing demographic. Students and tourists replace each other. It also depends on what they’re selling.  

For Linda Hall, who has been selling on Telegraph Avenue for more than 25 years, it’s a seasonal business. Sales drop from January to May, she said. When students leave during the summer, Hall said sales pick up and peak.  

Many of the vendors anticipate the summer knowing that their sales will go up.  

“Students are not that good for us anyway because they don’t have that much money,” Hall said. “You can’t count on them. We have to count on their parents.” 

Vendors say that money is not the only factor. They are affected by student grumpiness and worries. Vendors say they can feel when mid-terms and finals are on students’ minds through the general atmosphere and lower sales.  

Even if students do buy from the street vendors, they aren’t big spenders. According to Rowntree, students usually buy one item. Tourists buy two or three for their friends.  

Ted Wojack, who has been vending for 28 years, said that tourists will buy these items as souvenirs.  

“They think of tie-dye as a part of Berkeley,” he said.  

While he spoke, obvious out-of-towners considered a psychedelic blue and white T-shirt with “Berkeley” written on it.  

However, the business is also dependent on the weather. Weeks when Berkeley continues raining are horrible for street vendors who must either stay inside, or shelter their displays with tarps or plastic covers. Summer is when they can recover those losses.  

But despite the better season and more sales, none of the vendors dislike the students. Wojack earns most of his money from summer tourists, but the school year has its advantages as well. 

“It’s great when the students are here,” Wojack said. “It’s exciting.” 

Monday, May 28

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 

540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29

People’s State of the City  

Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner.  

848-6254  

2001 West Coast Economic  

Human Rights Hearings 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison, Oakland 

Join State and U.S. Congress members and local policy makers at a special dinner to highlight the issue of economic human rights. Testimonials from people in poverty will be presented as part of this effort to push economic human rights to the front of a national policy agenda. Free and open to the public. 

649-1930 

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Thursday, May 31

Backpacking in Northern CA.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free  

527-4140  

League of Women Voters’  

Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Friday, June 1

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

“Rumi: Mystic and Romantic  

Love, Stories of Masnavi” 

5 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Free public talk by Professor Andrew Vidich. Childcare and vegetarian food provided. 

707-226-7703 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, June 2

Car Seat Safety Clinic 

10:00 a.m. 

Kittredge St. Parking Garage, second level 

The Berkeley Police Department will demonstrate proper techniques for car seat installation and use, and offer safety checks and tips. Families are welcome to visit the Habitot Children’s Museum located across the street from the garage. Free. 

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 accompanied by an adult. 

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Family Storytime  

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Main Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Storyteller Olga Loya tells tales from around the world. Geared for children three to eight and their parents. Free  

649-3964 

Commission On Disability  

Hearings 

1 - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Open forum, opportunity for public to present ideas and concerns about barriers for people with disabilities and accessibility of City facilities. Public comment on Berkeley’s proposed “Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan.” Will continue on June 13. 

981-6342 

Longfellow Middle School’s  

Outdoor Arts Festival 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Longfellow Courtyard 

1500 Derby St. 

Live music performances, silent auction of student and community art, BBQ and bake sale. Talent showcase and awards ceremony from 2 - 3 p.m. Free admission, open to the public. 

665-1980 

Birdwatching Walk and  

Breakfast 

8 a.m. 

Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

This is the time of year when the greatest variety of birds can be found in the Garden, including some rare species. Join Chris Carmichael and Dennis Wolff for breakfast and a walk. $25, limited space, call to reserve. 

643-2755 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Walking Tour 

10 a.m. - noon 

Thousand Oaks Elementary School 

1150 Virginia St. 

Tour of Thousand Oaks School and neighborhood. $5 - $10, reservations required. 

848-0181  

— Compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

Estate tax is killing family owned business 

Editor: 

Bill Gates Sr. is wrong about The estate tax. He is a lawyer and lawyers consider form more important than substance. He said that family farms are not affected by the estate tax. This is an outright lie. Family farms have been devastated. Lawyers have no clue how a family a family business works. All of us American work and produce food, housing, products, services, etc. and lawyers feed off of our hard work. 

Since 1960 we have lost 80 percent of American larger family businesses because of the estate taxes. All we have now are big stores like Costco, Target, Albertson’s, Safeway, WalMart, etc. Local factories have been liquidated or sold to big corporations because of estate taxes after death or sold out before death in order to avoid estate taxes. The big corporations then manufacture the goods off shore. 

A very small minority of estates have been affected by the estate tax, 1.5- to 2-percent of the estates after death and about 2- to 2.5 percent of estates before death each year, but this adds up to 80 percent of our larger local family businesses since 1960. 

This is communism. Stalin did this in order to keep central control. Lawyers do it because they collect money from everybody. Now we have central control by big corporations and big government. This is not good and it is all because of the estate tax. We must have local family business control. Lawyers and big business corporations do not prosper with local control. 

Here is a scenario of what happens to a larger local family business. A father and mother start a small business 50 years ago. Their supermarket keeps growing because of hard work. The son and daughter start working there when they are small. The whole family works very hard. They keep enlarging the store. Eventually they buy 10 acres, build a big store and build a small shopping center around the store with six small rented stores. The business that started with nothing is now worth $9 million. The father dies. His estate is worth $4.5 million. The exemption is $.7 million. The family must pay 55 percent of the $3.8 million, or $2 million. They mortgage everything and pay the $2 million estate tax. Next year the mother dies. Another $2 million is due. What do they do? They sell out to Albertson’s. 

During the last 40 years, because of the estate tax, the big corporations have changed the ratio of personal income tax to corporation tax. In 1960 the corporation tax and personal income tax was about the same. Last year the corporation tax was $200 billion and the personal income tax was $1 trillion. Lawyers like Gates and the big corporations are underpaying their tax by $800 billion each year. Lawyers and Microsoft pay little or no tax because of trusts and tax law manipulation. This is all because we have allowed the estate tax to destroy our larger local family businesses who pay their full taxes. Last year, the estate tax and the gift tax combined was only $29 billion. This is nothing! 

If we could resurrect all of the large family owned community businesses that the estate tax has killed, we would be collecting an extra $250 billion per year. This is more than all the large corporations, who are cheating us out of $800 billion per year, are now paying us with the $200 billion we now collect from them. Stop the estate tax. The estate tax is a freedom killer!  

Mike Vukelich 

El Sobrante 

California’s  

doctor shortage is a crisis too 

Editor: 

The time has arrived when health care consumers truly reap what has been sown, regardless of whom you blame for planting the seeds. Medical doctors have been leaving Bay Area and California hospital staffs faster than they are joining — the average age of internists and family practitioners at community hospitals in this area rises every year. Those physicians who stay in practice here have little or no success in recruiting new associates to join them after the recruits consider their medical school loan balances, the high cost of living and housing in the Bay Area, and the fact that they can earn a much higher salary almost anywhere else in the country. 

So, the doctors who remain try to be creative in order to stay in practice. 

But I do not believe patients will be pleased with the latest innovation in medical care: Hospitalists! Within a few days at Berkeley’s Alta Bates Medical Center, where I have been practicing with an excellent record for over 25 years, my colleagues and I will no longer be able to deliver medical care to the vast majority of our hospitalized patients. Not because of the quality of care we deliver, not because we are too busy to go to the hospital, but because the hospitalist (who works only in the hospital, renders no continuing medical care, and goes home at the end of his or her shift) might be able to see our patients a little earlier in the day. That earlier visit might result in a slightly earlier discharge from the hospital, and that might save some money!  

Never mind the comfort most patients derive from continuing care by their long-time physicians. Never mind the complications that might be prevented by having the physician who already knows the patient actually care for the hospitalized patient. Never mind how much harder it will be to recruit new doctors when they find out we only want them to do half the doctor’s job. Continuity of care might be great for patient health, but let’s get real here. It’s not cost efficient! 

California has decided to spend more money to make up for the power shortage. What about the current and worsening doctor shortage? 

Stephen J. Whitgob, M.D. 

Berkeley 

If you don’t like the power crisis — then revolt! 

Editor: 

As our electricity rates keep going up, the price of natural gas keeps increasing, the cost of gasoline keeps rising, and pretty soon all the manufacturer will begin raising their prices because their fuel cost are going up, some people will complain about “overcharging” and “price-gouging.” But this is unfair. What we are seeing is only the normal workings of a profit-oriented economy, in which every business exercises its God-given right to maximize its profits by any means. 

The morality of this system, whose generic name is “capitalism,” is based on greed, although it is supported by all major religions. 

The basic idea is that it is fitting and proper and desirable that a small, elite portion of the population should live in luxury and enjoy great wealth and power by appropriating the major share of everything produced by the rest of us. 

But this is not the only way things can be organized. And if enough people get really fed up with what the system is doing to us, we can always exercise our constitutional right to change it. 

Or our revolutionary right to overthrow it. 

Marion Syrek 

Oakland

Girls finish 2nd; BHS’s Brooks pulls big upset in 400 dash 

On Saturday afternoon, Jay Lawson walked around Edwards Stadium with a huge grin on his face. He had just finished watching several outstanding performances from his St. Mary’s track & field athletes, culminating in a North Coast Section team title for the boys, a narrow second-place finish for the girls, and a boatload of personal bests. 

“I’m just ecstatic about how we ran today,” he said. “This is just about the best-case scenario for us.” 

The boys won the title going away with 70 points. James Logan finished second with 46, but gained a measure of revenge by winning the girls’ side, edging the Panthers 84-82. St. Mary’s won a duel meet with Logan by one point earlier this year. 

Saturday’s Meet of Champions in Berkeley was the final step before the CIF state championship meet this weekend, with the top finishers in each event qualifying to head up to Sacramento. As Lawson looked down a list of qualifiers, his smile got even bigger. 

“We qualified just about everyone we possibly could have,” he said, shaking his head in wonder. “Everyone we had did as well as we thought was possible, or even better.” 

Leading the way for the Panthers was Halihl Guy. The senior won both hurdles races, setting personal bests in each and a new North Coast record in the 300-meter low hurdles with a 37.79. Guy also ran the anchor legs for both of the St. Mary’s winning relay teams. 

“I set a goal to win both hurdles when I was a freshman, and I finally did it,” Guy said. “I’m running better than I ever have in my life right now.” 

Guy, who said he will likely sign with Washington State this week, cruised to easy victories in his final three events. His only real challenge of the day came in the 110-meter high hurdles, as James Logan’s Nate Robinson took an early lead. But Guy came roaring back down the stretch to take first place, and the rest of the day was cake. He was handed large leads in both relays, and took the lead by the second hurdle in the 300-meter event before winning by nearly two full seconds. 

“I think Halihl will run bigger at the state meet with more competition,” Lawson said. “It’s a lot different if you have someone running next to you the whole way.” 

Guy will be joined at the state meet in the 110 hurdles by teammate Jason Bolden-Anderson, who finished fourth. St. Mary’s Solomon Welch also qualified, but Lawson said he won’t run in Sacramento. 

Kamaiya Warren was another St. Mary’s athlete who dominated the field, shaking off the disappointment of failing to qualify in the discus by putting all of her energy into the shot put. Warren won the event with a throw of 44 feet, 9.25 inches, four feet farther than her nearest competitor. 

“It’s been really hard to put the discus behind me,” Warren said. “But now I’m concentrating on the shot put, so at least I did well in that today.” 

Had Warren placed in the discus, the Panthers could have swept the team titles. But the girls wouldn’t even have been close if not for Bridget Duffy, who ran both the 1,600 and 3,200. After finishing second in the shorter race, Duffy was urged by her coaches to run in the 3,200 for team points. 

“I wasn’t going to run both races, but my coach wanted me to try and get a personal record, as well as get the team some more points,” Duffy said. 

Duffy finished the longer race in 10:49, achieving both goals. She had never broken 11 minutes in the event before, and she out-kicked Head-Royce’s Clara Horowitz to take second place. Duffy finished both races behind winner Sarah Bei of Montgomery, who is one of the best long-distance runners in the country. 

“It’s great to run against her, because she’s the best,” Duffy said of her rival. “You know the closer you get to her, the better you are.” 

The meet got an unexpected jolt from Berkeley’s Stephan Brooks in the 400. Brooks, who didn’t qualify at the regional meet, got a spot at the MOC when teammate Anthony Washington scratched from the event with an injury. Brooks took advantage, coming from third place to the front in the last 100 meters to win in 49.33 seconds. 

“I didn’t really think I had a chance to win today, but I saw the other runners die in the last 50 yards,” Brooks said. “I was surprised I had so much energy left. I’m just glad I had the chance to run.”

Megan Black performs a Kathak dance accompanied by Ross Kent and Paul Sihon during the Himalayan Fair yesterday at Live Oak Park. The performance was part of the two-day festival, now in its 18th year. The fair usually takes place the weekend before Memorial Day, but dance organizer Katherine Kunhiraman said it was delayed because of the Dalai Lama’s recent visit. “We offered a thing to do on Memorial Day weekend rather than just a beer party,”  

Kunhiraman said. “A lot of people just wander into it who know nothing about India and they come away just smitten by how diverse and intricate the art forms are.”

Cal’s run through the NCAA Regionals came to an end Saturday night as the Bears were defeated by VCU, 11-2. The loss eliminated the Bears from the Southeast Regional at Alex Box Stadium.  

The start of Saturday’s final game was delayed almost two hours due to rain and lightning around Baton Rouge. The aftermath left a muggy, still air on the field of play.  

After enjoying solid pitching and potent hitting in the first two games of the series, the Bears were abandoned by both in Saturday night’s game. Starter Brian Montalbo (4-1) surrendered five runs on four hits in just two and two-thirds of an inning. More importantly, the freshman walked four batters and threw two wild pitches in his time on the mound.  

The game began with much promise for the Bears when Rob Meyer crushed a Marc Fisher fastball over the leftfield bleachers with two out in the first. Meyer’s blast staked the Bears to a 1-0 lead, and it seemed that the Bears would continue their momentum from their victory over Minnesota earlier that morning.  

Montalbo, however, could not find the strike zone, and the Rams took advantage. VCU tied the score in the second and broke the game open in the third.  

Montalbo, after loading the bases on two walks and a single, surrendered a bases-loaded single to Danny Lopaze, plating two runs and giving VCU the 3-1 lead. Kevin Elrod then tripled in two more off of reliever Andrew Sproul, pushing the lead to 5-1 and further dimming Cal’s hopes. Even freshman closer Matt Brown, brought in to stop the VCU attack, could not find the strike zone: Brown surrendered three more runs in the fourth, a rally keyed by his walking the bases loaded. Cal pitchers walked nine batters on the evening; seven of those baserunners came around to score. 

Meanwhile, the Bears’ normally strong offense was non-existent against Fisher and the Rams. Fisher set a new career-high with 14 strikeouts, while pitching a complete game for the Rams. The Bears finish their season 34-25 on the season; VCU goes on to face LSU in the championship game.  

The season finale was in direct contrast to Cal’s first game of the day. Meyer smashed two home runs and drove in four as the Bears defeated Minnesota, 9-3, in the NCAA Southeast Regional in Baton Rouge. Hoover also homered and drove in four. 

The Bears got their offense rolling early against Minnesota (39-21). Ben Conley led off with a walk against Gopher starter Ben Birk (2-3). After Conor Jackson struck out, Meyer lifted a Birk fastball over the right field fence for a 2-0 Bears lead.  

“I sliced it, and it just got up in the wind,” said Meyer.  

The Bears were not finished in the first. With two outs, Carson White singled up the middle, ending the day for Birk and setting the stage for Hoover. Hoover then smashed a C.J. Woodrow fastball over the center field fence for a two-run homerun, giving Cal the 4-0 lead.  

Bears’ lefty Jason Dennis (5-3) allowed a two-run homerun to Gopher first baseman Josh Holthaus in the bottom of the first, then settled in to blank the Gophers for the next four innings. David Cash finished the final three and two-thirds innings for his fourth save. 

The Bears pounded Gopher pitching for 16 hits on the afternoon; their second double-digit hit total of the regionals. 

For the tournament, Brian Horwitz collected seven hits in the regional. Rob Meyer made a strong bid for the all-region team; he finished with 6 hits in 12 at-bats, pounding three homeruns and driving in seven. John Baker had five hits in the regional; he ends the season on a 12-game hit streak.

Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board awarded a $200,000 grant to the Urban Creeks Council to restore fish habitat in Codornices Creek — described by many as one of Berkeley’s most precious natural treasures. 

The creek is more than four miles long, and runs from the Berkeley hills through Codornices Park, the Rose Garden, Live Oak Park, and Harrison Park all the way to the San Francisco Bay. The lower part of Codornices Creek is Albany’s southern border. 

During the rapid development of the last century, many of Berkeley’s creeks were buried in culverts to provide space on which to build. Having survived with only five significant underground sections, Codornices Creek is considered the most free flowing of the city’s natural streams. It is also a delicate spawning and rearing habitat for endangered Steelhead. 

Disrupted streams have reduced the region’s Steelhead population so much in recent years that the National Marine Fisheries Services has listed the fish as an endangered species. Regulations have been developed to protect its “critical habitat,” which includes Alameda County. For more than 15 years, volunteers have worked to restore habitat in Codornices Creek, carefully tending the surrounding environment. Local fish scientists say the efforts have paid off. 

In March of last year, members of the citizens’ group Friends of Five Creeks, along with UC Berkeley biologist Tom Dudley, officially confirmed what many locals had already suspected — the presence of young Oncorhynchus mykiss, or Steelhead, in Codornices Creek. In the “fingerling stage” of youth, the fish is indistinguishable from a Rainbow Trout. Only if it goes to sea and returns will it become a Steelhead. 

The Proposition 13-funded grant, approved last Monday, will begin the “Codornices Creek Watershed Restoration Action Plan” as well as facilitating a comprehensive assessment of the creek’s Steelhead habitat to restore it to full health. Proposition 13, passed by voters in March 2000, authorized the state to sell $1.97 in general obligation bonds for water quality and reliability projects throughout California. The local grant will be used for a publicity campaign, preliminary engineering and cost estimates, water sample analysis and compensation for the many people involved with the project. Partners will include the Urban Creeks Council, local water quality restoration expert Bob Coats, Sausalito-based fish scientist Bill Kier, and researchers from UC Berkeley’s Department of Integrative Biology. 

Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, a creek restoration advocate, approved of last week’s announcement.  

“I’m pleased to see these funds flowing to such a vital project in our community,” Aroner said. “Congratulations to the Urban Creeks Council for the opportunity to continue their good work in restoring creeks to their natural beauty and providing urban environments where wildlife and humans can co-exist and flourish.” 

In that regard, the project represents an unusual test case and carries high hopes for its participants. 

“If these guys can pull this off, maybe we can get a model,” he said. “There’s a lot of wilderness models. We’re very short on how to do it in the urban settings.” 

Kier, who was born in Berkeley and has 40 years of fish barrier modification experience, recalled the creek’s history.  

“It has, in its day, literally been a sewer. When I was a kid and you used to drive by, you would instinctively roll up your windows,” he said. “A self-sustaining population of Steelhead? That excites me ... being right in the middle of a highly developed urban area.” 

Though pollution is no longer so severe, it remains one of many variables in the health of this sensitive ecosystem. An accessible migration path requires the shade overhanging vegetation provides, cooler water temperatures, deep pools, freedom from disturbance, and, of course, good quality water. Necessary intervention might include curtailing erosion, remediating extra water from heavy storms, reshaping portions of the creek bed to make it more maneuverable for the fish and “daylighting” the creek’s remaining underground sections — a task the city has endorsed. 

“Outreach is going to be a huge component of it,” Kier said. “Making sure people know all about the project all the time. We want them to be comfortable with what we’re trying to do here. The landowners hold the hammer. They’re the ones that are going to let us into their back yards or not.” 

Some new residents have appealed to Friends of Five Creeks for guidance shortly after moving in, according to Susan Schwartz, the organization’s president.  

“Many homeowners have been doing a wonderful job of keeping the creek,” Schwartz said. 

Schwartz hopes for an eventual creek-side trail, linking Tilden Regional Park with the bay. Schwartz cited a recommendation of Frederick Law Olmstead, the so-called “father of landscape architecture,” whose credentials as an expert in balancing urban and natural environments can be found in some of the nation’s most famous landscapes, including New York’s Central Park and the UC Berkeley campus. 

But first things first. The grant agreement will be signed this summer. Kier said $200,000 was the maximum amount, and that this project was rated very high.  

“We got cash and we got experts,” he said. “Codornices Creek is going to have its day.”

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Hours after eliminating the Michigan Wolverines from the Women’s College World Series, 5-2, the California Golden Bears were themselves eliminated by their Pac-10 rival the Stanford Cardinal, 1-0, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium Saturday night.  

Senior Nicole DiSalvio and junior Jocelyn Forest combined to one-hit the Cardinal, but DiSalvio came away with the loss, as the Bears finished the 2001 season with a school-record 54 wins with only 18 losses. Stanford advances to take on the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats tomorrow at noon.  

Cal threatened to take the early lead in the first after it strung together a walk and two singles to load the bases, but a two-out ground out to second by sophomore Eryn Manahan ended the rally.  

The Cardinal took the lead for good in its half of the second. With Jessica Draemel on second after pinch running for Jessica Alliseter and advancing on a sacrifice bunt, Michelle Thiry grounded a ball with two outs to senior Paige Bowie at shortstop. Bowie failed to come up with the ball, allowing Draemel to score, giving Stanford the only run it would need.  

Sophomore Veronica Nelson singled to left center in the fourth and senior Amber Phillips got a base hit in the fifth, but the Bears could not put anything else together to pose a threat.  

Junior Candace Harper and Manahan had to only other hits for the Bears.  

DiSalvio gave up a leadoff single to Robin Walker in the first inning and went the next 2 1/3 innings of no-hit ball while allowing two walks. She took the unfortunate loss, ending the year with an impressive 21-8 record. Forest came in in the third with a runner on first and allowed just one runner to reach base on a fielder’s choice the rest of the game. She finished the game with four strikeouts.  

Stanford’s Dana Sorensen earned the win to improve to 27-5 after pitching the first five innings of four-hit softball. She struck out three and walked one.

Hubcap shooter gets 40 years in prison 

OAKLAND – An Oakland man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting and killing a man for swiping the hubcaps off his car. 

Quincy Darnell Robertson was convicted of killing Khinde Riley two days before Christmas in December 1998. Another man, Ricky Harris, was hit in the foot with a bullet while trying to escape. 

Prosecutor Jim Panetta had offered Robertson a plea bargain for 25 years in jail, but Robertson opted for a trial. 

Robertson’s attorney argued he did not mean to hurt anyone, but he instead fired the gun to scare the men away from his car. 

Robertson is considering appealing his conviction. 

Oakland skydiver plummets to death  

LODI – A veteran skydiver died after jumping out of an airplane with a group of friends. 

Dan Scary, 52, of Oakland may have experienced a health problem while in the air Saturday. He and others were forming a circle, and Scary was holding a friend’s wrist when his grip reportedly got weaker, said San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Herrera. 

Scary’s parachute opened correctly, but it was unknown whether he was able to control it. He landed between some trees in a private back yard near Lodi and was pronounced dead at UC Davis Medical Center, Herrera said. 

Scary had a history of hypertension and diabetes. 

Californians could keep cars in driveway 

SAN FRANCISCO – A new poll says Californians plan to leave their cars parked if gas prices continue to swell. 

A Field Poll released Sunday found that 36 percent say they’ll be forced to reduce the driving a lot, while 33 percent say they’ll cut it some. 

But that doesn’t mean Californians are practicing what they’re preaching: The American Automobile Association says they’ll be more motorists on the road this Memorial Day weekend, than last year. All that despite soaring prices at the pump. 

AAA estimates that 4.2 million Californians are on the road this weekend. 

The poll says that 76 percent polled found the current gas situation very serious. That number jumped to 86 percent if gas prices were to rise to three dollars or more a gallon this summer. 

Health workers using chickens to find ills 

SAN JOSE – Public health workers are preparing to test for diseases transmitted by mosquitoes by monitoring birds. 

Sentinel chickens are put out in many California counties and are regularly tested for diseases, such as West Vile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and Western equine encephalomyelitis. There have been no reports of these diseases this year. 

“If West Nile gets here, our sentinel system is going to know about it very quickly,” said epidemiologist William C. Reeves, a former dean of the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. 

The virus is carried by wild birds, which can be bitten by mosquitoes and later transmitted to humans. The disease can be mild, but in some cases has caused a fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. 

The first American case of West Nile virus was seen in New York in 1999. Since then, it has been detected as far north as New Hampshire and as far south as North Carolina. 

Fire damages Stanford 

STANFORD – An early morning fire Saturday caused extensive damage to a building on the campus of Stanford University. 

The fire broke out about 1 a.m. in the Career Planning and Placement Center. Firefighters from about 10 departments responded and had the blaze under control by 3 a.m., said Stanford Police Dept. Sgt. David Lee. 

There were no injuries reported and the fire was contained to one building. Officials say the incident is under investigation, and an estimate for the amount of damage was not available. About half of the one-story building was damaged, Lee said. 

Suspects accused of stealing from Caltrain vending machines 

REDWOOD CITY – Two men have been arrested on suspicion of stealing about $6,000 from Caltrain ticket vending machines. 

Yomo Kenyatta Shaw of San Francisco and Ronald Kieth Lejender of Oakland were arrested after police spotted them scoping out a ticket machine at the Hayward Park Caltrain station. 

They didn’t take anything from the machine, but police followed them and pulled them over. The police searched their car and found pry bars and other tools inside. 

Victims families put experience to use 

EUREKA – Family members of those slain near Yosemite National Park in 1999 are using the skills they learned during the tragedy to help the parents of a Modesto intern missing from her Washington, D.C. apartment. 

Francis and Carole Carrington’s daughter, granddaughter and family friend were found murdered a month after they disappeared while vacationing near the park. Former motel handyman Cary Stayner confessed to murdering them in July 1999. 

But the Carringtons learned a lot of skills from that ordeal. The couple recently flew to Washington, D.C. to help the parents of 24-year-old Chandra Levy in their search. The woman disappeared April 30.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Eternal flames honoring veterans across California are burning through money these days as the price of natural gas soars during the state’s energy crisis. 

A number of veterans groups are worried that the flames will be dimmed to save money, even though cemetery and city officials mostly shrug off the increasing costs. 

Compared to last year, it costs twice as much to fuel the flame at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, a mortuary and crematory in this military town on the outskirts of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. 

“It is a tremendous expense,” said mortuary manager Ralph Gault. 

The facility’s gas bill, which includes the cost of running the crematory, jumped from about $2,400 in March 2000 to nearly $4,800 last March. Eternal Hills explored raising prices to help pay energy bills but backed off when federal regulators said a surcharge could not be applied. 

General manager George Hubbard said it still is a small price to pay for the flame, which is surrounded by flags and granite slabs bearing the names of local veterans from all branches of the military. 

“It’s something I feel you do no matter what,” he said. “So the flame costs more. We eat it.” 

California is seeing some of the nation’s highest natural gas prices this year. The state’s electricity shortage has forced natural gas-fired power plants to run full blast to keep the lights on. 

Gas prices are up around the country. But at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, there has not been a significant increase in the $200 monthly cost of running the eternal flame that burns at the grave of President John F. Kennedy, said Barbara Owens, spokeswoman for the cemetery. 

Washington Gas Co. said the cemetery is charged a fixed rate and uses the same amount of gas each month. 

By comparison, it costs about $800 a month to fuel the eternal flame at a soldier’s monument in Pico Rivera, 10 miles southeast of Los Angeles. 

The cost has more than doubled from a year ago, said Dale Sampson, president of the Pico Rivera Veterans Council. Local veterans split the cost with the city. 

No one has threatened to shut off the flame, but Sampson is concerned that the hours it burns might be cut back to save money. 

“It should be lit every day, because they fought every day,” said Sampson, who served in the Air Force in the early 1960s. 

Sampson has asked the city to follow the lead of nearby communities La Mirada and Montebello and pick up the entire cost of the eternal flame. 

However, the Pico Rivera City Council will only assume the cost if the flame is lowered or burns only on certain days, said Councilman Gregory Salcido. 

Salcido said he was on the “lonely side” of a 4-1 vote against picking up the full tab and is trying to line up corporate sponsors to help. 

La Mirada City Manager Greg Sloan said he would rather cut city spending on dinners, meetings and junkets than dim the flame that has burned for more than 20 years in an alcove near City Hall in honor of local residents who died in combat. 

“We do not care about the gas costs,” Sloan said. “There were a lot of La Mirada residents that were killed, and it’s a way of remembering their names and thanking their families and keeping the names in our hearts.” 

WASHINGTON – Presidential candidate George W. Bush prided himself on visiting California at least once a month in the heat of last year’s campaign. As president he has waited more than four months to visit the largest state. 

Bush lost California decisively in November, and it remains hostile territory. When he returns to the Democratic stronghold Monday night, he will face protests, negative TV and radio ads, polls questioning his leadership, and an electricity crisis for which his energy strategy offers little relief. 

He will meet Tuesday with Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who has relentlessly attacked him for not capping wholesale power prices — and will almost certainly resume doing so when Bush again refuses. 

Bush is seeking to highlight his engagement in the energy issue at a time when most Californians disapprove of his approach. 

A Field Poll released last week showed 54 percent of Californians rated Bush’s handling of the state’s energy situation as poor or very poor; 38 percent viewed Davis that way. 

“He could go a long way toward diminishing the hostility in California toward his administration on the energy issue,” said Bruce Cain, a political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. 

“But that requires he do something other than schmooze people,” Cain said. “There’s got to be some sort of special action on the part of the government.” Specifically, he must grant the price caps, he said. 

Vice President Dick Cheney again rejected such limits on Friday. “We think that’s a mistake,” he said. 

As it happens, Bush’s Tuesday appearances coincide with the start of limited new price caps in California. The independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission capped wholesale prices when electricity reserves fall below 7.5 percent in the state — a step Davis called inadequate, and Bush opposed. 

Bush will emphasize other means of addressing the crisis, visiting the Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, on Tuesday to remind listeners of his order that military facilities in the state cut peak-hour usage by one-tenth. 

After delivering a trade speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, Bush will host a roundtable of business leaders and entrepreneurs. On the agenda will be high-tech answers to the energy problem, such as electronic meters that help consumers and businesses track their power consumption. 

The meeting with Davis carries considerable risks for Bush, but Bush advisers said they concluded that drawing criticism from Davis would be less damaging than refusing to meet altogether. 

The meeting also helps Bush bolster his bipartisan image, which was tarnished by the defection from the GOP of Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont. 

White House aides scrambled last week to avert a scenario in which Davis is left to level fresh, unanswered assaults on Bush after the meeting. 

“He could become a foil for Davis, and Davis needs it,” said Samuel Kernell, a scholar on the presidency at the University of California, San Diego. 

Countering Davis is particularly urgent because the Bush administration views Davis as a potential White House contender in 2004. 

Wednesday, Bush looks to underline his commitment to the environment with a trip to Sequoia National Park, home to some of the world’s largest trees. 

He’ll point to his plan to spend the full amount of money that Congress authorizes for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was created in 1965 to buy federal and state lands with revenues from offshore oil and gas production in federal waters. 

Congress has rarely appropriated the full $900 million authorized for it annually since 1978. Just $90.3 million was appropriated in 2001 for state grants. 

President Clinton had visited California twice by this point in his presidency, but his broader strategy mirrored Bush’s: He was shoring up critical base states, just as Bush has done with early visits to states he won last year. Bush has visited 28 states, most of which he carried in November. 

Clinton won California twice; Bush lost it by 12 points last year to Al Gore.

EL CERRITO – Hers weighs 650 pounds, his weighs 1,300 pounds, but when it comes to a competition between two giant balls of bras, does size really matter? 

San Francisco Bay area artists Emily Duffy and Ron Nicolino are more concerned with copyrights than cup size and cleavage. They’ve each retained lawyers and traded threatening letters as they brawl over who owns the concept. 

Meanwhile, their balls keep growing — huge spheres of lace, silk, padding and underwire bras of all colors, shapes and sizes. 

Nicolino — he wants to be known only as Nicolino — has used 14,000 bras from an abandoned project to hook them across the Grand Canyon. Now he’s pulling his ball to Los Angeles behind his 1963 flamingo pink Cadillac, looking for someone to sponsor a worldwide tour and eventually, a showcase where people can continue to build the ball by hooking on their own bras. 

“I think it’s a major important part of American art,” Nicolino said while displaying the 5-foot-wide “Big Giant Bra Ball” in San Francisco. “It’s making commentary as it’s driving along. It’s about making dialogue about body image.” 

Duffy, who says Nicolino stole her idea, says his roadside attraction is really about exploiting women. 

“The only reason I’m doing this is that I just don’t want it to be another case of a man getting one over on a woman,” Duffy said. 

Both balls keep growing, through spontaneous donation. 

Sandy Brychta of San Francisco marched right up to Nicolino’s ball at Pier 23, unbuttoned her jacket and stripped off a lacy beige number. She hooked it on, then walked off with her head held high. 

“They dared me, and I have been known as a person who accepts a challenge,” Brychta said, laughing with her friends. “This is probably the only way anyone’s going to see my bra since I don’t have a man in my life.” 

Nicolino, of Point Richmond, acknowledges that Duffy came up with the idea. He says they were going to collaborate, but he dropped her when she proposed using only some of the bras and sealing them with silicone, which he sees as demoralizing to women. 

Duffy, of El Cerrito, says Nicolino has got it all wrong. 

After he publicly offered to give the bras away last fall, she agreed to take some to decorate her Vain Van, a minivan festooned with black bras, Barbie doll busts, high-heeled shoes, curlers and a pink steering wheel that says “Princess.” 

When he told her to take all or nothing, Duffy proposed the bra ball idea. Shortly thereafter, he said he wanted to do the project alone. 

In protest, Duffy quickly sent for a copyright and launched a mass e-mail to her women friends, requesting their bras to build her own “BraBall.” 

Now it’s 5,850 bras thick and about 3 1/2 feet in diameter. There are well-worn bras from prostitutes, milk-stained nursing bras, furry bras and plain ones of all sizes, from training bras on up to 44PS (each cup seems big enough to double as a hat.) 

Both conceptual artists seem to have a thing for women’s underwear. Duffy, a former fashion designer, has created a series of collages and prints involving bras and thongs. Nicolino once used bras in a replica of the Statue of Liberty. 

As an incest survivor, Duffy sees herself as a strong feminist, but she never expected her e-mail would link thousands of other angry women’s bra straps together worldwide. She eventually wants to show the sculpture in galleries and donate it to a permanent home in a museum or the lobby of a women’s nonprofit organization. 

“It’s a monument to the average American woman who is so strong, and yet no one talks about that,” Duffy said. “She is solid in a very dense way — the way the ball is. Women hold this world together.” 

Duffy’s e-mail, which is still being forwarded, often prompts letters of support from the bra-senders, which include men, too, some of whom have lost family members to breast cancer. 

But no men, not even Duffy’s husband, are allowed to work on her BraBall. 

“For centuries, men have been using women’s bodies to make art,” she said. “This is a monument to us.”

SAN DIEGO – Joan Conrad wasn’t going to let blackouts stop her and 13 high school seniors in her charge from seeing California. 

“I was ready to bring a flashlight,” the Illinois resident said at Lindbergh Field as she rounded up teen-agers for the flight home after an eight-day tour. 

But, Conrad added, if the trip had come in summer she might have chosen a destination with a more stable power supply. 

“It did give me a second thought,” she said. 

Such sentiments have California tourism officials worrying about the impact on the $75.4 billion industry. 

“California’s energy crisis hangs over the state’s tourism industry like a dark cloud,” according to a report from the California Chamber of Commerce. 

“Our business is gravely threatened by the specter of rolling blackouts and unreliable energy supplies,” said Samuel Woodfin, who operates Woodfin Suite Hotels, a national chain with properties in seven California cities. “The effect on our state’s business environment will be devastating — starting this summer.” 

Hotels are already seeing a drop in business. 

A survey of 4,400 California hotels by Smith Travel Research indicated that occupancy rates dropped 2.7 percent in March, the latest month for which figures were available. The San Francisco area has seen the steepest decline, falling 11.2 percent during the first three months of this year. 

However Laurie Armstrong, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, attributed the decline to the softening high-tech economy in Silicon Valley. It follows a banner year that she described as “kind of a 100-year flood in terms of tourism.” 

Of 164 small hotels and chains surveyed by the California Lodging Industry Association, 28 percent said they already have lost business due to the power crisis and concerns about blackouts, said Rick Lawrance, the organization’s president. 

Almost all hotels surveyed said their electricity costs had increased an average of 50 percent and now account for 10 percent of total operating costs. Many hotels have added fees ranging from $1 to $4 to nightly room rates to help cover those costs. 

Theme parks are also feeling the heat. 

Disneyland, Sea World and Universal Studios Hollywood — the state’s top three attractions with a combined 22.7 million visits last year — all face threats of power outages this summer, according to representatives of those parks and power officials. 

Like most hotels, they insist that safety procedures and backup generators will ensure the safety of visitors. The parks would likely get a warning from power providers before blackouts begin, and signs would go up alerting visitors about ride closures and other problems, tourism officials said. 

Disneyland, the state’s No. 1 attraction, draws its power from Anaheim’s municipal utility, which has a more stable supply than Southern California Edison, according to Chula Castano-Lenahan, a Disneyland spokeswoman. 

For the first time in five years, Disneyland will be hosting its Electrical Parade. But the illuminated nighttime extravaganza will draw its energy from rechargeable batteries. 

Meanwhile, lobbyists for Universal are trying to have the theme park added to state legislation that would allow it to draw electricity from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which doesn’t expect to be plagued by outages this summer. Edison is Universal’s current supplier. 

In exchange for immunity from blackouts, Paramount’s Great America amusement park in Santa Clara will voluntarily reduce power by up to 10 percent when asked by its utility, Silicon Valley Power. Under the plan, rides will remain open but the park will shut off decorative fountains and lighting along with some air conditioning. 

“We consider ourselves extremely fortunate,” said Timothy Chanaud, a park spokesman. “That peace of mind we can offer guests is really exceptional.”

NEWPORT BEACH – State Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Saturday he favors making public the details of power contracts the state has negotiated in secret with generators. 

“In my mind at least, and as a matter of philosophy, the expenditures are so extraordinary, the issues are so important, that the contracts, I think, need to be made public,” he said at the annual meeting of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. 

The remarks came amid criticisms from Republicans and journalists who disagree with Gov. Gray Davis’ refusal thus far to release the price the state is paying for long-term contracts with power generators and wholesalers. Davis has announced the signing of contracts with the California Department of Water Resources, which is spending billions each month buying power for the state’s cash-strapped utilities. 

The Associated Press and several newspapers sued Davis, saying his refusal to release details of the state’s electricity purchases violates the California Public Records Act. The lawsuit says Davis’ refusal to make public details of the power contracts means the public cannot determine if the state is doing a good job in spending billions in tax dollars. 

As the state’s attorney general, Lockyer is required to defend the state in that lawsuit. Lockyer said Saturday his duty is to represent his client, in this case the state, regardless of his own opinion. 

Davis has said he needs to keep the details secret to protect future negotiations. 

There have been some disagreements among the governor’s advisers, including himself, Lockyer said, as to how long Davis is entitled to keep the contracts secret. 

“The law allows for temporary nondisclosure when there would be public injury that is substantial,” Lockyer said. “The governor’s energy advisers claim that when contracts haven’t been signed or fully executed, that the company might withdraw or change their demands if they knew what their competitors were getting and that it would affect the costs of the power contracts in the future. 

“I think that’s a legitimate claim. The problem is balancing that against the public interest in knowing how the money is being spent, whether it is prudent. The law allows for that balancing. It doesn’t allow it for a long time.” 

“We’ve explained he may have some short-term ability to keep them secret, but he can’t for very much longer,” Lockyer said. 

Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio said he didn’t know what Lockyer was referring to when he said some of the governor’s advisors had disagreed with Davis’ decision. The governor had planned to release details of the contracts six months after they were signed, which means details on some will be released soon, Maviglio said.

In contrast to the usual mayoral State of the City address, a group of elected officials, city commissioners and activists will present the first ever “People’s State of the City” on Tuesday. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said the address will take the form of a community celebration that will present visions of the city from a variety of perspectives. Topics will include housing, education, the environment and disabled issues. 

A flier for the event invites the public to “enjoy food from the four corners of the world.” There will also be musical presentations by local jazz performer Gwen Avery and The Nancys, a group of women with the given name Nancy, who will be singing in public for the first and possibly only time. 

Worthington said the event is not designed to be a direct counter to Mayor Shirley Dean’s May 1 State of the City address. 

“We’re very explicitly not about politics or feuding,” Worthington said. “It’s an attempt to provide a positive vision of the future for the whole community.” In Dean’s address she touted the success of her six-and-a-half years in office and outlined her vision of Berkeley’s future, which included new housing, solar energy and a controversial plan to build a 500-car garage under Civic Center Park.  

Dean also called for an end to the non-productive bickering that often breaks out between progressive and moderate councilmembers. 

Speakers at the Tuesday event will include former Councilmember Nancy Skinner, Rent Stabilization Commissioner Max Anderson and State Administrative Law Judge Frederico Chavez. 

Chavez said he will address the hopes and aspirations of the city’s burgeoning Latino population. “We are getting to be close to a third of the population statewide and we are relegated to low-paying jobs and substandard and dilapidated  

housing,” said Chavez, nephew to United Farm Worker founder Cesar Chavez. 

Anderson said he will address the needs of tenants who are in danger of losing their housing to owner move-ins. “We are going to pursue the vigorous implementation of protections for the most vulnerable tenants,” he said. “We are also going to coordinate with other city departments and landlords to see that the habitability of units under rent control is as high as it can be.” 

Dean was upbeat about the event. “It sounds like it should be interesting. I’m anxious to hear what they have to say,” she said. 

For more information on the event call 981-7170. 

The People’s State of the City will begin at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. It will be televised on B-TV Channel 25 and broadcast on KPFB 89.3 fm. 

Saturday, May 26

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate and Chalk Art  

Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Chocolate Menu available listing various items for various chocolate items for sale from Solano businesses. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

$5 donation 869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net 

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Monday, May 28

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29

People’s State of the City  

Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner.  

848-6254  

2001 West Coast Economic  

Human Rights Hearings 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison, Oakland 

Join State and U.S. Congress members and local policy makers at a special dinner to highlight the issue of economic human rights. Testimonials from people in poverty will be presented as part of this effort to push economic human rights to the front of a national policy agenda. Free and open to the public. 

649-1930 

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Thursday, May 31

Backpacking in Northern CA.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free 527-4140  

League of Women Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker.  

843-8824  

Friday, June 1

Free Writing, Cashiering  

& Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes Stop by and register or call 548-6700. www.ajob.org 

— Compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish

Political vacuum at center – Jim Jeffords’ defection portends birth of new party 

By Andrew Reding 

Pacific News Service 

Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords’ defection is about a lot more than control of the Senate. 

It is the most recent sign of two extraordinarily significant trends in American politics. One is a sharp regional polarization. The other is growing dissatisfaction with the American two-party system. 

Not since the years before the Civil War has this pair of trends been so prominent. Once again, the split is largely between north and south. And, though there is no sign of a new civil war, we appear to be headed for a period of political turmoil and stridency. 

As in the 1850s, social issues are the prime causes of polarization. Back then it was slavery that divided the states. Now it is the role of religion in public life, as expressed in conflicts over abortion, school vouchers, and prayer in public schools. 

The Republican Party once led the fight against slavery. Now it leads a different kind of moral crusade, to convert the United States into something of a Christian republic. 

Nothing so divides a society as efforts to prescribe moral or religious norms, as the daily tragedy of the Middle East demonstrates. Western Europe, where religious passion is at an all-time low, is enjoying unprecedented peace and civility. 

Not so the United States, where the rise of the religious right is upsetting the workings of the two-party system. 

Here’s the dilemma. The religious right is a minority in the United States, and has little chance of becoming a majority in an increasingly multicultural nation. Yet it has gained effective control of the Republican Party, which holds power in the White House and – at least until Jeffords’ defection – in both houses of Congress. 

All this splits the country geographically as well. Multicultural California, once seen as part of an emerging conservative sunbelt, has become a Democratic bastion. So have New England, the northern Midwest, and the prairie populist states – once the safest strongholds of Republicanism. 

The more culturally homogeneous Southern and Rocky Mountain states have become bulwarks of the Republican Party, as has the southern Midwest. 

The line dividing the two Americas is sharply drawn. 

In this climate of polarization, Jeffords is unlikely to be the last to switch sides. He is certainly not the first – Senators Shelby of Alabama, Gramm of Texas, and Campbell of Colorado earlier switched to the Republican side. 

Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island is no doubt weighing his options, as is Democratic Senator Zell Miller of Georgia. It is simply becoming difficult if not untenable to survive as a Democrat in the south or as a Republican in the Pacific and northern states. 

This has little to do with the traditional liberal-conservative divide. Barry Goldwater, long the epitome of American conservatism, decried the rise of the religious right in the Republican Party, saying it undermined individual freedoms. 

A political void has opened between the two major parties, similar to the one that opened between the Democrats and the Whigs in the 1850s. Back then, that led to the birth of the Republican Party. History may be about to repeat itself. 

It is significant that Jeffords did not switch parties. He became an independent. That, too, reflects a trend, particularly in the north. Vermont’s lone member of the House is an independent, as are the governors of Maine and Minnesota. Some 42 percent of New Englanders described themselves as independents in exit polls last November, comfortably outstripping Democrats and Republicans. 

Absent reform in the two parties, independents will sooner or later coalesce into a new party offering what most independents want and no party now offers – fiscally conservative, liberal on social issues and personal freedoms. Such a party is sorely needed to fill the vacuum in the center formed by the polarization of American politics, and ease the threat to our nation’s tranquillity. 

Pacific News Service associate editor Andrew Reding directs the Americas Project of the World Policy Institute, where he is senior fellow for hemispheric affairs. 

Californians want clean energy  

The Daily Planet received the following letter addressed to Gov. Gray Davis: 

A recent Field Poll shows a sharp decline in support for your work. Californians do not want increased pollution as a consequence of the energy supply solution. We do not want state policy dictated by the fossil fuel energy suppliers. 

We want clean, renewable energy that will guarantee future freedom from the out-of-state oil and gas suppliers who have wreaked havoc on the state’s economy as well as to the budgets of individual ratepayers. 

Please save your future and ours by moving expeditiously to support development of solar, wind, bioenergy and conservation. These sources are both the cheapest and the quickest solution. Governor Jerry Brown and State Architect Sim van der Ryn showed the way. 

C. M. Woodcock 

Berkeley 

Height limits drives up auto use 

Editor: 

I was amused by Martha Nicoloff’s claim that her initiative to limit new housing would mean “a more pleasant environment for students to study here.” (May 25) 

The students do not have time to enjoy the environment because they cannot find housing in Berkeley. Many of them have no choice but to drive long distances, congesting Berkeley’s streets and spewing greenhouse gasses into the air.  

The smart-growth movement has spread the idea that, in order to reduce sprawl and automobile dependency, we should build infill housing to create compact transit- and pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods. I would call Nicoloff’s plan “the dumb-growth initiative.” 

Charles Siegel 

Berkeley 

Promote policies of conservation 

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Senator Boxer: 

This note is about the energy plan of the brave new administration: 1,000 new power plants including nuclear suggested. I’m not at all convinced the administration is deeply concerned about the seriousness of environmental problems; nuclear-industry problems remain legendary and numerous. 

Promoting consumerism rather than conservatism seems, as usual, the central force of the administration. 

Please fight to instill some reality into their dangerous Neanderthal fantasies. 

Terry Cochrell 

Berkeley 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Judah L. Magnes Museum “Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season” through May 2002. An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “Joe Brainard: A Retrospective,” through May 27. The selections include 150 collages, assemblages, paintings, drawings, and book covers. Brainard’s art is characterized by its humor and exuberant color, and by its combinations of media and subject matter. “Ricky Swallow/Matrix 191,” Including new sculptures and drawings through May 27; “Five Star: the 31st Annual University of California at Berkeley Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition: Through May 27. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 642-0808 

The Asian Galleries “Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery.” A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection. “Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. “Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. “Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 642-0808 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 by 40-foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology “Approaching a Century of Anthropology: The Phoebe Hearst Museum,” open-ended. This new permanent installation will introduce visitors to major topics in the museum’s history. “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” ongoing. This exhibit documents the culture of the Yahi Indians of California as described and demonstrated from 1911 to 1916 by Ishi, the last surviving member of the tribe. $2 general; $1 seniors; $.50 children age 17 and under; free on Thursdays. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College Ave. 643-7648  

Lawrence Hall of Science “Math Rules!” A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge. “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “T. Rex on Trial,” Through May 28. Where was T. Rex at the time of the crime? Learn how paleontologists decipher clues to dinosaur behavior. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Computer Lab, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 26: Caribbean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 26: Rhythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Peña Cultural Center May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 27, 8 p.m. John Kendall Bailey conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. 843-5781  

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rhythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Benefit for Dolores Huerta June 9, 7 p.m. Come support this legendary local activist while enjoying an eclectic variety of performances. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. La Pena, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568. 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra June 21. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

“Procession of the Sun and Moon” with Selected Solo Pieces by Maria Lexa May 27, 2 p.m. Full length drama with giant puppets and masked characters accompanied by live music. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Featuring music by Pharaoh’s Daughter and Mozaik and the musical and ritual theater group The Puppet Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“Conversations In Commedia” May 30, 7:30 p.m. Series continues with Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden and veteran clown/actor/director/playwright Jeff Raz. $6 - $8. La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave 849-2568 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members traveled to Laramie, Wyo., after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepherd. The play is about the community and the impact Shaper’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive May 24: 7:00 Sampo; May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“An Evening of Handmade Films” May 25, 8 p.m. This documentary chronicles the lives of three disabled East African women who designed and built wheelchairs for use on unpaved roads. $5 suggested donation. Fantasy Studios, 2600 10th St. at Parker, 549-2977. 

“Svetlana Village” May 26, 4 p.m. Subtitled “The Camphill Experience in Russia,” details community of organic farmers, nearly half of whom are developmentally disabled. World premiere benefit screening, Q & A with director and a Svetlana resident afterwards. $7-$15 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck Ave 

“The Producers” June 10. Revisit this outrageous comedy classic, starring Zero Mostel and written by Mel Brooks. $2 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Nomad Videofilm Festival 2001 June 1 10:40p.m. featuring world premieres from four S.F. Bay Area mediamakers: “Roadkill” by Antero Alli, “Forest” by Farhad J. Parsa “Visit” by Jesse Miller, B, “Fell Apart” by Doan La Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/nomad.html 

“TRAGOS: A Cyber-Noir Witch Hunt” an Antero Alli film June 2, 10:40pm Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/tragos.html 

Exhibits 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse. Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts and Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910” chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkeley in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – After a month of progression, Cal picked the worst time to visit its past. The Bears stranded 13 runners in a frustrating 9-7 loss to Virginia Commonwealth University last night at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.  

The loss lands the Bears in the loser’s bracket of the Southeast Regional, where they will face Minnesota today. The Golden Gophers lost to LSU in the region’s opening game, 10-9.  

“We stranded a lot of runners, left men on third with less than two outs, and didn’t get the job done,” Cal head coach David Esquer said afterward. “We haven’t done that much in the past month, but it sure happened today.” 

Try as they might, Cal could not deliver the knockout blow to VCU starter Davy Martin. Cal’s leadoff hitters reached base in seven of the nine innings, but were often left there with untimely strikeouts, popups, or double plays.  

VCU opened the scoring in the first inning on catcher Cory Bauswell’s towering two-run homer off of Cal starter Trevor Hutchinson (6-7). Cal answered in the second when Brian Horwitz’s single plated John Baker, cutting the lead to 2-1.  

With the Rams leading 4-1 in the sixth, the Bears’ offense answered back again. Carson White led off with a single to centerfield. After Clint Hoover struck out, Horwitz ripped a double down the leftfield line. Martin then walked pinch hitter Spencer Wyman, loading the bases for Jeff Dragicevich. The freshman shortstop singled up the middle, bringing home White and Horwitz and cutting the lead to one. Conley then tied the score with a single to center. Rob Meyer’s sacrifice fly plated Dragecivich, capping a four-run sixth and giving Cal a 5-4 lead.  

VCU refused to give up, regaining the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, the Rams rapped five consecutive singles against Hutchinson, capped by Bauswell’s RBI single to leftfield. When the dust settled, the Rams had scored three runs, re-captured a 7-5 lead, and effectively swung momentum in their favor.  

“VCU did a good job hitting with runners on, and they were excellent in two-out situations,” said Esquer.  

The Bears had one last rally left in them, but came up just short in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Wyman launched a tape-measure homerun off reliever Bo Acors, cutting the lead to 9-7. Acors then hit Dragicevich with a fastball, which was followed by a sharp single to leftfield by Conley. But the Bears would only come close enough to victory to see it slip away. Jackson, representing the potential winning run, looped a soft liner behind second base that was snared by Bryan Gillespie, sealing the victory for the Rams.  

Hutchinson pitched seven innings for the Bears; they will have the majority of their deep pitching staff available for Saturday. David Cash worked the eighth inning for Cal.  

Horwitz and Ben Conley both ended up with three hits and an RBI. Baker and White also had two hits apiece. Bauswell led VCU with two hits and three RBIs; shortstop Josh Arteaga also had five hits for the Rams. 

The Bears have now lost their last three NCAA regional contests; their last victory was against Georgia Tech in the first game of the 1995 regional in Knoxville, Tenn. The Bears last advanced to the College World Series in 1992. Should the Bears defeat Minnesota today, they would then take on the loser of the VCU-LSU game at 5:30 PST.

Responding to claims made Wednesday that Berkeley is among the municipalities using arsenic-treated playground equipment, the city’s parks department is working over the holiday weekend to seal a number of wood play structures. 

Until they are treated, structures known to contain arsenic and others that might contain this potentially cancer-causing chemical used to preserve the wood, are cordoned off with yellow “caution” tape. 

Parks Director Lisa Caronna said Friday that city employees will be working overtime to coat the equipment to seal in the hazardous chemicals.  

Targeted structures will include those known to contain arsenic and others as well. “If we don’t know, we’ll coat them,” she said. 

In addition to arsenic-treated structures, Caronna said the city is also coating equipment whose wood has been injected with pentachloropheol and creosote, both potentially harmful preservatives which state guidelines say must also be sealed in. 

Caronna said Wednesday the city had inadvertently lapsed in fulfilling the state mandate to coat its chemically-treated structures every two years. “It’s quite upsetting,” she said at the time. 

The Washington, D.C.,-based Environmental Working Group and the Healthy Building Network released a study Wednesday, which claims that “potentially hazardous amounts of arsenic in chromated copper arsenate leach out of pressure-treated lumber, where it may be ingested or absorbed by people or animals, or may contaminate water sources or soil beneath the wood.”  

Chromated copper arsenate contains 22 percent pure arsenic, the report says and arsenic is classified as a “known human carcinogen” by the U.S. EPA and the World Health Organization. The report says contact with the chemically-treated wood is particularly dangerous to children, because they frequently put their hands into their mouths and because they do not readily excrete the chemical. 

Play structures at King Middle School, Cedar-Rose, Codornices, Strawberry Creek, Live Oak parks and the Haskell-Mabel mini-park will be coated. Those structures connected to the play area will also be coated, including bollards, railroad ties and railings, Caronna said. 

Bill Walker of the Environmental Working Group said coating the structures is a good first step, but the chemicals still leach from the wood. Caronna said her goal is to replace the contaminated structures within two years. 

Picnic tables will not be sealed, Caronna said, noting that since they are not in contact with the soil, Berkeley does not have chemically-treated tables. 

Moreover, “the city is making an inventory of all the wood on all the structures,” Caronna said. “We’ll verify if any (others) need coating.” 

A number of the city’s wood structures were purchased from Big Toys, manufactured by Pacific Playgrounds in Olympia, Washington. Don Freeman, a spokesperson for the company said Friday that there was no arsenic in the company’s products, “just chromated copper arsenate.” When a reporter asked if the compound contained arsenic, Freeman did not respond directly, but noted that the preservative was government-approved.  

Asked if he believed the preservative was dangerous, Freeman said: “We are aware there are questions. We have chosen to use a process approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for use in playgrounds.”  

The EWG has petitioned the commission to ban chromated copper arsenate-treated wood.  

New York-based Adventure Systems also manufactures play structures with the arsenic preservative. Danny Bears, president of the company said, while he did not believe the chemical treatment to be dangerous, Adventure Systems has begun to substitute untreated materials for the parts of its structures that get a lot of use by children. Bears added that he plans to get further training on the question. He said he wasn’t surprised that California requires the every-two-year coatings.  

“California leads the trend,” he said.

Defensive lapses hurt St. Mary’s against Moreau 

Despite a rousing fifth-inning rally and some clutch plays, the St. Mary’s Panthers season ended on a sour note Friday night, as they lost to Moreau Catholic, 8-6, in the second round of the North Coast Section 2A East Bay playoffs at San Leandro Ballpark. 

The top-seeded Mariners scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead, after scoring five runs in an ugly fielding exhibition by the Panthers in the third. And although St. Mary’s knocked two Moreau pitchers out of the box, they came up just short in the end. 

“We hung in there well, but we just couldn’t get the job done in the late innings,” St. Mary’s head coach Andy Shimabukuro said. “Even when we took the lead, we knew there was a lot of game left.” 

The Panthers took their final lead in the fifth. Down 5-3, Jeff Marshall smacked the first pitch from Moreau starter Kevin Milleman into center for a single. Milleman walked the next batter and went to a 2-0 count on Omar Young, and the Moreau coaches called to centerfielder Aaron DeGuzman to take the mound.  

DeGuzman promptly finished the walk to Young to load the bases, and St. Mary’s pitcher Jeremiah Fielder hit a dying quail just inside the left-field line. Marshall scored, but pinch-runner Mike Glasshoff was thrown out at third base after he had to hold to see if the ball would be caught. First baseman Joe Starkey hit into a fielder’s choice, bringing up cleanup hitter Chris Alfert with two outs and two on. Alfert came through with a shot into the left-center gap, driving in both runs and ending up on third base for a 6-5 Panther lead. 

St. Mary’s dodged a bullet in the bottom of the inning, as right fielder Chase Moore lost a flyball in the lights to put the leadoff man on first. Nick Spoden followed with a line shot up the middle, but Fielder got his glove up just fast enough to deflect the ball right to shortstop Tom Wright. Wright flipped the ball to Alfert at second, and Alfert turned the double play. James Bland followed with a single, but St. Mary’s catcher Ryan Badaho-Singh gunned him down trying to steal second. 

The Panthers looked like they would break the game open in the sixth, as Moore reached first on a Moreau error with one out. Marshall followed with a double to the fence in center to push Moore to third. But Badaho-Singh hit a hard grounder to short, and Moore was cut down at the plate for the second out. After a scary moment when Omar Young was beaned by a curve from reliever Mason Reilly, Fielder hit a check-swing grounder to first to end the threat. 

But the bottom of the sixth proved deadly for the Panthers, as the Mariners loaded the bases without hitting a ball out of the infield. After getting Mason to ground out to shortstop, Fielder walked Matt Wilhite. Eric Van Slyke followed with a grounder into the hole that Wright got to but had not play, and Milleman dropped a perfect bunt down the third-base line to load the bases. 

The momentum momentarily swung back to the Panthers when Deperio tried a squeeze bunt to score the tying run. Fielder made a great play to snag the ball and flip it to Bahado-Singh to force Wilhite and preserve the lead. But Fielder proceeded to walk DeGuzman on four straight pitches, including two that were very close to being strikes, bringing home the tying run. Fielder was very animated on the mound, screaming in celebration after the failed squeeze play, then pounding the turf when the close pitches didn’t go his way. 

“(The umpire) called a good game until then, but he missed those pitches,” a distraught Fielder said after the game. “They were right down the middle. I don’t know what else I could have thrown up there.” 

That brought up Moreau catcher David Thomas with the bases loaded and two outs. Thomas worked the count full, then lined a single to right, scoring the two go-ahead runs for his third and fourth RBIs of the game. 

“We had nowhere to put him, and he got a big hit,” Shimabukuro said. “He had a real good game.” 

The emotional roller-coaster seemed to suck the life out of the Panthers, and the heart of the lineup went down quietly to end the game with two popups to first base and a flyball to left. 

As tough as the sixth inning was, the Mariners wouldn’t have been close enough to get back if not for the horrible third inning the Panthers put together. After scoring a scratch run in the top of the inning, they had a 3-0 lead, but two key defensive lapses opened the floodgates for Moreau. Wright booted a grounder to open the inning, and Fielder walked the next batter. DeGuzman laid down a bunt that Fielder pounced on and gunned to third in plenty of time to get the lead runner. But third baseman Anthony Miyawaki, who pitched a complete-game victory in the NCS opener on Wednesday, let the ball slip under his glove and the runner raced home for the Mariners’ first run of the game. 

Fielder lost his focus after the errors, and gave up a double to Thomas that scored two more runs to tie the game. Fielder settled down after that, getting the next two batters to pop out to second, but Reilly blooped a single over first base to bring home Thomas, and Wilhite blasted a triple to score Reilly, scoring the fifth unearned run of the inning. 

Although Fielder looked upset with his fielders’ miscues, he refused to blame them. 

“You know errors are going to happen out there,” he said. “I could have gotten out of it, but I didn’t make the right pitches.”

A new after-school program at the City of Franklin Elementary School is working to boost students’ interest in science, math and technology. 

The National Council of Negro Women, with the help of a $150,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has launched three pilot programs in the last several months: one in Maryland, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Berkeley. 

The group is seeking funds to expand the program, known as the Higher Heights after-school program, to each of the 250 cities nationwide where the NCNW is active.  

“With math, science and technology, we feel that we’re on the cutting edge of everything that’s happening,” said James Ella James, California state convener for the NCNW. 

At City of Franklin, Higher Heights involves 15 fourth- and fifth-graders who meet for three hours on Mondays and Wednesdays. The program uses an innovative, hands-on curriculum to make subjects like math and chemistry,  

typically not the most popular among grade-schoolers, more fun and appealing.  

The hope is that the program will lay the groundwork for students to excel in these subjects in high school and college, preparing them for a job market that places a premium on these skills. 

“People tend to buy into the stereotypes of, ‘girls aren’t good in math and sciences,’ or ‘black people can’t do the science,’ ” said Tyrrah Young, the Higher Heights teacher at City of Franklin. “If you present it to them at an early age, then by the time they get older it’s easy for them and they don’t shy away from it.” 

The program goes out of its way to make students comfortable, instructing whenever possible through the medium of games and experiments.  

Students use a balancing scale and numbered cubes to work out Algebra problems, for example, which helps them visualize the algebraic concept that whatever is done to one side of an equation must be done to the other, Young said.  

Young tells the story of one student who, when told she would be asked to solve algebraic equations (a subject most students don’t confront until junior high), immediately protested, saying she couldn’t possibly do that. Young said she explained to the student that all she needed to solve algebraic equations – the way they are presented at Higher Heights – is simple addition. But by the end of the day, the student was showing her 3- year -old sister how it is done, Young said. 

The program does 15 practical experiments, using household materials, to expose students to the basic concepts of chemistry. Other activities give students a chance to hone their computing skills and critical thinking skills. 

Parent Lolita Coleman said her son Marcqus would be bored without the extra activities offered through the Higher Heights program, and the chance to dip into more advanced subject matter than that which is offered in his regular grade level curriculum.  

“It gives him a head start to junior high,” Coleman said. “He needs that challenge, so he doesn’t (lose interest).” 

Dr. Katheryne Favors, a consultant to the NCNW, said the program is about more than academics. It aims to prepare students to be active members of society and people of integrity, Favors said, in part by exposing students to the stories of certain exceptional people.  

“The scientists we want to point out to children (are people) who were willing to spend hours and hours and hours in order to bring about change,” Favors said. 

Berkeley Observed 

Looking back, seeing ahead 

Originally designed to be an automobile garage, “The Berkeley Free Market” at 2567 Shattuck Ave. was built in 1906 by a Mr. Shuman.  

The ground floor was used as retail space according to an advertisement in the Berkeley Daily Gazette.  

One would surmise from a photograph with the signage “The Berkeley Fee Market,” that the space must have had an early use as a sort of indoors Farmers’ Market, when horses and wagons were still being used to haul goods.  

The bold design of the second floor window surrounds is a distinctive feature. The building was designed by the McDougall Brothers, a local family of architects which included three brothers. Their father had also been an architect.  

One brother, Benjamin McDougall opened his own office in 1906 and designed the Shattuck Hotel (1909), the YMCA (1910), and many elegant houses in the Claremont District where he lived.  

In the 1920s the building was occupied by The Piano Shop which built piano benches and music cabinets and rebuilt and repaired pianos and other musical instruments.  

It claimed to be the largest shop of its kind west of Chicago, according to a 1921 ad in the Oakland Tribune.  

In 1952 the building was modernized with an aluminum facade completely covering the entire two-story facade.  

This remodel was done for the Joe Davis Studebaker and British Motor Car Distributors, Ltd. On one side of the building Mr. Davis sold Studebakers and on the other side he sold Rolls Royces.  

For many years there were various retail shops on the ground floor, but on the second floor were artists’ studios. Painters who once had studios here included Elmer Bishoff of the UC Berkeley Art Department.  

The metal facade remained on the building until 1999 when new owners took it off and exposed the underlying brick. Architect Jim Novasel used this photograph to guide his restoration work.  

Susan Cerny writes  

‘Berkeley Observed’ in conjunction with the Berkeley Historical  

Society’

A year-long investigation into a suspected East Bay heroin smuggling and distribution ring has come to an end with 10 arrests and the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force’s largest heroin bust, said Lt. Paul Wallace. 

In total, the task force recovered 106 ounces of heroin, 2.5 ounces of cocaine, and 3.25 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $1.36 million. Also seized were $8,372 in cash.  

Wallace said the amount of heroin recovered is the largest in the task force's 12-year history. 

The seizure came following the execution of six search warrants on Thursday, which stretched from San Pablo to Hayward. Wallace said the biggest coup was the arrest of 35-year-old Felix Reyes of San Leandro, alleged ringleader of a suspected drug ring that included his brothers.  

Berkeley residents Millie Alcala, 32, Damaris Alcala, 36, and Salvadore Alcala, 33, daughters and son of Roberto Alcala, were also arrested, along with Jamie Chavez, 27, of San Pablo and Sergio Mendoza, 45, of Richmond. 

Angeja arranged for Roberto Marquez, a sheriff's detective, to buy heroin from Reyes, Wallace said. Marquez allegedly made eight undercover purchases, totaling some 20 ounces, over six months leading up to yesterday's arrest. 

Wallace said Marquez yesterday was going to pay $44,800 yesterday for 48 ounces of heroin, but negotiations broke down when Reyes tried to change the location of the transaction. 

The heroin was recovered from Jose Reyes' pickup truck near his Hayward home, Wallace said. A search of his apartment led to the seizure of more than a pound of heroin and another pound was found in a storage shed in Hayward rented by Felix Reyes, Wallace said. 

Also arrested in the day-long operation were Hippolita Beltran, 33, who is Jose Reyes' common law wife; and Roberto Alcala, 67, of San Pablo, who Wallace said was allegedly buying drugs from the Reyes brothers and selling it on the street. Berkeley residents Millie Alcala, 32, Damaris Alcala, 36, and Salvadore Alcala, 33, daughters and son of Roberto Alcala, were also arrested, along with Jamie Chavez, 27, of San Pablo and Sergio Mendoza, 45, of Richmond.  

The Reyes brothers, Beltran, Roberto Alcala and Jamie Chavez face federal drug trafficking charges, Wallace said, and the remaining suspects will be prosecuted at the state level. 

SAN FRANCISCO — A data network failure knocked out automatic teller machines, cut high-speed Internet lines and disabled some features of 911 service in California on Friday. 

The cause of the outage involving about 22,000 of Pacific Bell’s frame relay circuits was not immediately known, spokesman John Britton said. It was first reported at 8:05 a.m. and 6,000 circuits were restored by early afternoon. All customers should have service by Friday evening, he said. 

Britton said it was unclear how many customers or businesses were affected, and he did not immediately know the percentage of the network’s total circuits that went down. 

“This was significant. Obviously, when you have 22,000 circuits affected, it was significant,” he said. 

Pacific Bell’s telephone service, which relies on a separate voice network, was not affected. Callers to 911 could still reach dispatchers, but information about their location was not automatically posted as is usually the case. 

Some customers of Pacific Bell’s high-speed Digital Subscriber Line service reported they could not connect to the Internet on Friday. Beyond that, only minor problems were immediately reported. 

“They were affected briefly by a connectivity problem but it was not even a measurable fraction of a percent of our ATMs statewide,” said Harvey Radin, spokesman for Bank of America, which has more than 4,000 ATMs in California. The interruption came at midmorning, and Radin was unsure if it was related to the network outage. 

Wells Fargo reported nothing unusual. 

“At any given time 5 percent of ATMs companywide are out of service,” said Ravi Poorsina, spokeswoman for Wells Fargo, which has 2,700 machines in California alone. “We’re not seeing any problem that’s out of the ordinary.” 

Frame relay networks are used by the communications companies to transport data at high speeds. Banks, stores and Internet providers lease circuits linking their businesses to the networks. 

The outage was limited to Pacific Bell’s territory, which covers about 78 percent of California. 

Pacific Bell will investigate the cause of the outage as soon as service is restored, Britton said. 

“We will be exploring what happened,” he said. “At this time, all our resources are focused on getting everybody back into service as quickly as possible.” 

On the Net: 

Pacific Bell: http://www.pacbell.com

OAKLAND — Students at Castlemont High School voted twice to have a videotaped speech by a controversial death row inmate played at their graduation, but the principal vetoed that and chose a respected preacher instead. 

Seniors had chosen Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose case they have studied for the past few years, but Principal Ronald Miller selected Rev. Robert Jackson of the Acts Full Gospel Baptist Church, which pleased the school board and many teachers but angered students. 

Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther who was born and raised in Oakland, was convicted of killing a police officer in North Philadelphia in 1981. Many believe he was set up, and he has become a symbol to activists fighting racial injustice and police brutality. 

Students first learned about him during a districtwide teach-in that district leaders tried to block. 

School officials said they do not think Abu-Jamal is an appropriate speaker for commencement next month. 

“I think Pastor Bob Jackson is a wise choice,” school board president Jason Hodge told The Oakland Tribune. “More importantly, he represents what a commencement speaker should stand for, and that is that you can graduate from Castlemont and go and become a productive member of society.” 

But some teachers have said they think the decision reinforces a belief that students don’t have any say. 

And some students say they feel as if they’re losing out. 

“I worked hard to get here, and now they are taking something away from me,” said Donnie Penelton, 18.

BERKELEY — More black and Hispanic students are expected to enroll at the University of California this fall. However, the rate at which those students accepted offers of admission is at its lowest point in years. 

Overall, 31,018 students have written to UC saying they plan to enroll, a 7 percent increase over the 29,004 who accepted offers of admission last year. 

Among blacks, Hispanics and American Indians, considered by UC to be “underrepresented minorities”, 5,262 accepted offers, an 11 percent increase over the 4,730 who accepted last year. 

Enrollment did not keep pace with admissions offers, which were up 17 percent for underrepresented minorities. 

The acceptance rate for those groups was 54 percent, down from a 56.8 percent acceptance rate for fall 2000. In 1997, the last year in which UC considered race and gender in admissions, the rate was 59.9 percent. 

Looking at all students, the acceptance rate was 56.3 percent this year compared to 57.9 percent last year and 59.7 percent in 1997. 

UC spokesman Brad Hayward said officials aren’t sure why the acceptance rate went down this year, although he noted that students generally are applying to more of UC’s eight undergraduate campuses than they used to and may be sending out more applications to other colleges, as well, giving them more choice on where to attend. 

“We suspect that there is more competition out there for the same students,” he said. 

Enrollment of underrepresented minorities dropped sharply in 1998, after UC stopped considering race and gender in admissions. The numbers have increased since then, but have not returned to 1997 levels at the most competitive campuses. 

This was the first year of a new program guaranteeing a spot for the top 4 percent of high school graduates. Officials believe that program boosted applications from underrepresented minorities by 2,100 students. They also say it’s likely the program contributed to increases of admissions of underrepresented minorities. 

Underrepresented minorities make up 17 percent of the overall class of incoming freshmen, compared to 16.3 percent last year. In 1997, they made up 17.7 percent of the class. 

Last week, regents rescinded their affirmative action ban. The move was largely symbolic since state law passed by voters in 1996 dismantled most public affirmative action programs, but was viewed as a conciliatory message to minorities.

LOS ANGELES — More than $3 million has been raised for the June 5 runoff by two mayoral candidates in the nation’s second-largest city, finance reports show. 

City Attorney James Hahn and former Assembly speaker Antonio Villaraigosa raised comparable sums during the period covered — the 38 days from the April 10 primary through May 19, according to reports released Thursday. 

“My God, that’s a lot of money to raise in a short period of time,” said Raphael J. Sonenshein, a California State University, Fullerton political scientist.  

“That explains why it’s been such a quiet campaign. The rhythm of the campaign has been partly dictated by money, and you should therefore expect an extremely intense finish after a relatively lethargic campaign.” 

Villaraigosa raised more than $1.7 million during that time, including city matching funds. Hahn raised more than $1.4 million including matching funds. 

City law dictates that candidates cannot carry over money from the primary but must start raising funds anew once the runoff begins.  

Faced with the burden of raising large sums in a short amount of time, the candidates have devoted large amounts of time to fund raising. 

Since the close of the reporting period, Villaraigosa has received additional contributions exceeding $100,000, and Hahn has raised another $51,000, according to the city Ethics Commission. 

Villaraigosa spent at a faster pace than Hahn during the reporting period, ending it with less cash on hand – $487,598, compared to $634,485 for Hahn. 

“What our reports shows is that we’ve had the funding consistently since the April primary to support our television communication efforts. We’ve been up on the air consistently for the last few weeks, whereas the Hahn campaign was forced to scale back,” said Stephen Kaufman, counsel and treasurer for Villaraigosa’s campaign. “The mere fact that we’ve spent more and have less just reflects that we’ve been able to pay for television in coming weeks.” 

A Los Angeles Times analysis of TV station billing documents last week found Villaraigosa had spent nearly twice as much as Hahn on the important medium and aired 41 percent more spots. 

“Yes, they are spending more than we are but we’re getting the proverbial better bang for our buck,” said Hahn consultant Kam Kuwata, saying the campaign has stretched its TV spending by buying shorter spots.  

“And in the close we are going to be obviously, given the cash on hand, very competitive with him.” 

Villaraigosa, who would be the city’s first Latino mayor since 1872, finished the April 10 primary in first place, with 30 percent of the vote. Hahn finished in second with 25 percent. Since then polls have shown a tight race. 

With the pace of fund raising likely to increase as the election date approaches, the candidates could be on track to break the record for money raised in a city runoff.  

That was set in 1993, when Mayor Richard Riordan, then a little-known businessman, poured millions of his own money into the race to defeat Mike Woo. The total amount spent in the runoff that year was $8,357,597. 

There was no runoff in 1997, when Riordan was elected to his second term. Term limits prevented him from running in this election. 

Villaraigosa and Hahn also were among the highest-spending candidates in the April 10 primary, during which the leading six candidates spent more than $17 million, the most ever for a city primary.

SAN FRANCISCO — In the gray glimmer of pre-dawn, engineer Martin Wuest gets into his trusty Volkswagen and drives 82 miles to his job in Silicon Valley. 

Wuest and his family fled San Jose for the life of exurban “super-commuters” 10 years ago, driven out by housing prices as tens of thousands of people poured in. 

Since then, California’s population has grown by more than 13 percent. 

Wuest has watched the trend unfold in his rearview mirror. 

“I see more people out there, more people are weaving around and driving fast and cutting people off. I see them every day,” he says. 

It’s the California Gold Crush, 2001; with a nip, a tuck – and the occasional angry rip of a busted seam – the nation’s most populous state is finding out what it’s like to choke on success. 

“There’s no elbow room any more,” says super-commuter Jerry Knoester. 

In 1950, there were 10.5 million people in California. In 2000: 33.9 million. 

Sometimes it feels as though all 33.9 million are trying to get across the bridges to San Francisco at the same time. 

“I will never go to the city any more unless I absolutely have to. It’s just unbearable,” says John Tangney, a software engineer in Berkeley who has seen the 13-mile drive to San Francisco grow from a breezy half-hour to 90 minutes of bumper boredom. 

Tail lights aren’t on everywhere in California. Spaces are still wide and open in the bristly heat of the desert southeast; in the misty reaches of redwood country, logjams involve actual logs. 

Elsewhere, the squeeze is on. 

In San Francisco, people have taken to parking on the sidewalks in such numbers that there’s a move afoot to double fines. 

Congestion in Yosemite National Park got so bad that a draft plan proposes eliminating some parking spaces and motel rooms and closing part of a popular road. 

Reactions to the population augmentation vary. 

In San Francisco, hemmed in by sea and hills, Ed Holmes, a member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, started noticing “this stress on the fabric of society,” in the late 1980s. 

“People just seem much tenser than they did,” says Berkeley mother of two Sima Misra. “Women have yelled at me on the road for not driving fast enough.” 

Northern California organic dairy farmer Albert Straus has noticed more urban neighbors and “less understanding of what agriculture is.” His family campaigned successfully for zoning laws protecting farm and ranch lands, but “there’s always new battles.” 

In Southern California, where sprawl is all, the demographic developments seem less sharply defined. 

Los Angeles parent Becky Hoskins barely noticed as the rolling hills on the outskirts of the city transformed into waves of tract homes and the drive to a favorite lake stretched from 75 minutes to two hours. She expected to find congestion when she moved here from Colorado 15 years ago and came prepared. She schedules her day away from rush hour and finds out-of-the-way places for family backpacking trips. 

Recently, however, she was taken aback when to hear a teacher say that the Hoskins’ teen-age son was doing well but could be scoring even higher if he were in a smaller class. 

A drive around the Sierra jewel of Lake Tahoe a few summers ago was another eye-opener. 

“I just couldn’t believe the crowds,” she said. “It is beautiful but to me it’s revolting – the idea of going there – because it’s so crowded.” 

With both children just about in college, Hoskins says, “I think about Nevada.” 

About two million people did leave California in the early 1990s as the state struggled with recession and drought. Still, the decade ended with a net gain. 

“There is no other developed region of the world the size of California that has grown as fast as California over the last few decades,” says Hans Johnson, a demographer with the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. 

The same can’t be said of the state’s housing, highways and transportation, partly because of a mistaken belief that “if you build it they will come and so maybe you shouldn’t build it,” Johnson says. 

It turns out even a crowded California has its appeal. 

Software engineer Tangney is job-hunting after getting pinched in the recent dot-com downturn. But “there’s no way we’re going to move. My political views are way left ... the People’s Republic of Berkeley is about as far to the center as I’m willing to go.” 

“I’ve seen the rest of the country and, frankly, I’m not impressed,” Holmes says. “This is paradise.” 

What price paradise? 

In May, a Californian paid $1.99 a gallon for gas compared to the national average of $1.71, according to the AAA. Even before an energy crisis that has driven rates for some up more than 50 percent, Californians paid an average 10.7 cents a kilowatt hour compared to the national average of 8.5 cents. In the Silicon Valley suburb of Palo Alto, a nondescript three-bedroom home can set you back close to $1 million. 

It’s that kind of unreal real estate that propelled Knoester into the long-distance life of a super-commuter. 

A civilian employee of the Air Force, he was transferred to the San Jose area in 1990. Housing was hopeless; he couldn’t come up with the $2,000 or so a month it would have taken to rent something for his family of seven. But in the Central California town of Los Banos, about 100 miles from his office, a four-bedroom, two-bath house could be had for $126,500. 

He moved to Los Banos. 

Knoester, founder of the support group Commuter Alliance, estimates there are now about 7,000 people making the long drive in from Central California. 

He and fellow super-commuter Wuest – who whiles away the time talking on his CB radio – say the benefits of a nice house in a pleasant town far outweigh spending three hours a day in the car. 

San Jose resident Justin Prester shudders at the thought. 

Prester got out of his car and into a commuter train after traffic tacked an extra hour on to his commute to a job in desktop publishing. “You spend an hour and a half in the car and you start going bonkers,” he says. 

Prester’s got something good to say about the trend – a rising body count has revived San Jose’s once-mordant night life. Rents that leap like startled gazelles haven’t been so good. 

Prester considers himself lucky to pay $1,200 for a modest one-bedroom apartment –$2,000 is not unusual – and he may move out of the area when his wife finishes her degree. Still, they won’t be going far. Prester’s thinking San Diego or LA – “My wife doesn’t like the rain.” 

Safely home after another day of life in the vast lane, super-commuter Wuest is equally reluctant to check out of the Hotel California. 

“I’m an hour and a half from the seaside. I’m an hour and a half from the Sierras. I’m an hour and a half from work,” he says. “The world’s our oyster and I can’t do that in Illinois.” 

GROWTH IN THE WEST  

Number of people the West added in the 1990s: 10 million 

Number of people living in California in 1950: 10.5 million.  

In 2000: 33.9 million 

Number that left California in the 1990s as the state struggled  

with recession and drought: 2 million 

Average commuting distance in Los Angeles: 32.4 miles roundtrip. 

Average commuting time in LA: 75 minutes roundtrip 

How much housing costs rose in Portland, Ore., between 1991  

and 1999: 44.3 percent 

Amount spent on road improvement projects in Portland last year: about  

$300 million 

How much electricity consumption has risen in California and parts  

of the Northwest: 24 percent 

How much electric rates have risen: From $20 to $40 per megawatt to  

$250 to $400 per megawatt 

Last time a major hydroelectric dam was built in the West: 1987. 

Last time a nuclear power plant opened: 1988 

City with the highest per-capita water consumption rate in the world:  

Las Vegas, 375 gallons a day 

Number of people Las Vegas adds every month: 6,000

LOS ANGELES — Lawyers for former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive Sara Jane Olson are being distracted because they must defend themselves against criminal charges, their attorneys said Friday after a court hearing on the case. 

“This is obviously interfering with their ability” to defend Olson, said Dean Masserman, who represents J. Tony Serra. 

“It’s really difficult for them to be able to concentrate ... when they have their own prosecutions to think about,” he said outside court. 

Serra and co-counsel Shawn Chapman face misdemeanor charges of improperly releasing the addresses and phone numbers of police witnesses in Olson’s case. 

Olson, 54, is accused of attempting to murder police officers by placing bombs under their cars in 1975, allegedly in retaliation for the deaths of six members of the radical SLA in a shootout with police in 1974. The bombs did not explode. 

The witnesses, James Bryant and John Hall, say they feared for their lives when personal information appeared on an Olson defense committee Web site. Olson’s lawyers say the information was posted by Olson supporters without their knowledge. 

Serra has pleaded innocent, and his attorney said he believes there is a good chance the charge will be dismissed before trial. 

Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan set Serra’s pretrial hearing for June 4 and set Chapman’s arraignment for the same date. Neither lawyer was in court. 

Chapman’s lawyer, Bruce Margolin, told Ryan he had spoken with the city attorney’s office, which is reviewing the case against his client. 

But outside court, he said the discussions were informal and “you don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched.” 

Masserman claimed city prosecutors threw a “monkey wrench” into the Olson proceedings by charging her lawyers. The attorneys may face a conflict of interest that could get them thrown off the case, he said. 

Serra has said he will file a motion asking to remove not only himself and Chapman but also Olson’s two prosecutors and the entire Los Angeles Superior Court bench from Olson’s case. 

Olson was indicted in 1976 under her former name, Kathleen Soliah. She was a fugitive until her 1999 capture in Minnesota, where she had taken on her new name and has a family. She has said she is innocent and that she never belonged to the SLA. 

SACRAMENTO — The state Assembly approved a $102 billion draft budget proposal Friday, an early step in what is expected to be a difficult budget process. 

The 48-28 vote sends the Assembly’s version to a six-legislator conference committee, along with a Senate plan expected to be approved next week and Gov. Gray Davis’ budget proposal. 

“This has been one of the most difficult budgets to put together in recent history,” said the Assembly’s budget chairman, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas. “The economy has slowed, revenues are down, and the energy crisis has caused great uncertainty.” 

The committee will be seeking a compromise spending plan before the 2001-2002 fiscal year starts on July 1. 

Cardenas, D-Arleta, said the budget includes increased funding for public schools and health care and an emergency reserve of $1.9 billion, which is 2.5 percent. The budget scraps a plan by Davis to extend the school year for middle school students. The plan also supports Davis’ plan to shave the state transportation budget by $1.2 billion by postponing for two years a program that would divert all state gasoline tax revenues to transportation projects. 

Minority Republicans, who voted against the budget plan, said that reserve needs to be higher because of the economic uncertainty. 

“The reserve that is in this budget is not prudent,” said Assemblyman John Campbell, R-Irvine. Davis reacted to the slowing economy last week by saying he’ll cut almost $3.2 billion in new programs, tax cuts and spending increases he proposed in January. The governor’s $102.9 billion budget plan also cuts the state’s reserves to $1 billion. 

But Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill predicted the state will face a $4 billion budget shortfall in 2002-03 unless legislators cut more deeply than Davis proposed in his revised budget. 

On the Net: 

Read Gov. Gray Davis’ budget proposals at 

http://www.dof.ca.gov 

Read about the Assembly version at 

http://www.lao.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO — California renewed demands Friday for tough federal electricity price caps and singled out two generators for immediate rate rollbacks. 

The filings by several state agencies were in response to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order in April that offered limited price controls, in exchange for concessions on control of the state’s power grid. 

“FERC’s pricing plan is laced with loopholes,” said Gov. Gray Davis.  

“It’s worse than too little, too late. It’s simply a fig leaf that does nothing to address the impact of the energy crisis on California and our nation.” 

The state’s multiple filings also said that two generators, Williams and AES, have profited excessively by exercising market power. 

The Electricity Oversight Board, the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator asked FERC to require the generators to use cost-based rates, which limit company profits to a percentage above the costs to produce power. 

In order to escape charging cost-based rates, generators must prove to FERC that they don’t have market power – the ability to charge whatever price they want without consequence. 

The ISO, keeper of the state’s power grid, said the two companies have exhibited that they have market power and the ability to charge market-based rates should be revoked. 

Aaron Thomas, spokesman for the Arlington, Va.-based AES, said the company has applied to have its ability to charge market-based rates renewed, and expects FERC to approve that request. 

“The governor, for six months now, has been calling for a form of cost-based rates from FERC, so I don’t think anything has changed,” said Thomas. 

Earlier this month, Tulsa-based Williams agreed to pay $8 million to settle charges with FERC that the company was purposely withholding electricity from California’s power market.  

The company admitted no wrongdoing, and officials said a full hearing would have cleared the company. 

ISO attorney Charles Robinson said the agency is also considering similar requests for revocation of the market-power authority of three other generators – Duke Energy, Reliant  

and Mirant. 

Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Garden Grove, chairman of the Senate subcommittee investing the electricity wholesale market, said FERC has never adopted a definition of market power, leaving open the question of how they can determine if the generators don’t have it. 

“That calls into question whether FERC must revoke market-based rate authority retroactively,” Dunn said. “That may require a reimbursement of the difference between what would have been cost-based rates and what they’ve been charging.” 

The FERC order in April establishes some price controls when the state’s power reserves drop below 7.5 percent. That is scheduled to take effect Tuesday, unless the FERC orders otherwise over the holiday weekend, Robinson said. 

The state Assembly, in documents to be filed Tuesday, said those price controls should cover all hours – not just during power emergencies.  

The Assembly’s filing calls that order “arbitrary and capricious,” and says the order does nothing to curtail unreasonable prices unless reserves drop. 

Earlier ISO studies have estimated that California was overcharged more than $6 billion in the last year. FERC has ordered refunds for a fraction of that – $125 million – saying it can only examine prices for power sold during Stage 3 emergencies, when reserves drop to below 1.5 percent. 

The Assembly’s filing also will object to FERC’s requirement that the state join a regional transmission organization in order to get price controls. Robinson said the ISO would make a decision next week whether to file a plan to join an RTO. 

The state agencies also objected to a FERC plan to put a surcharge on energy rates to pay money owed to generators. 

If FERC denies the state’s requests, or doesn’t “act in the time frame we believe is necessary to prevent harm,” the agencies can appeal to a circuit court, Robinson said. 

“We’re going to explore every legal avenue we can,” said Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio. 

On the Net: 

The California Independent System Operator: www.caiso.com

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis and President Bush have pledged respect during their first face-to-face meeting since their administrations began trading attacks over the California energy crisis. 

Bush will travel Tuesday to California, where he has been the target of criticism by the Democratic governor and where polls show residents have little faith in his handling of the power crunch. 

Still, White House counselor Karen Hughes said Bush “welcomes the idea” of talking to Davis and directed his staff to set up the meeting. 

“President Bush has always worked hard to treat all people, including his fellow elected officials, with respect and he will certainly treat Governor Davis with respect,” she said. 

Davis recently launched a national offensive against Bush, criticizing the president’s long-term energy plan and opposition to price controls on wholesale electricity. 

The Democrat has appeared on national news programs suggesting that Bush has ignored price-gouging by Texas-based electricity generators.  

And Davis has been mentioned as a possible White House challenger to Bush in 2004. 

Hughes, in a conference call with California reporters Friday, sought to assure that Bush and the federal government want to ease the possibility of blackouts in the state. 

“President Bush feels very strongly that this is a good time to visit California because he knows that it is going to be a difficult summer for many of its citizens,” Hughes said. 

Davis aides said they expect the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles, to be cordial. 

“The governor has the greatest respect for the president, but he also is going to fight for Californians,” said Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio. 

Maviglio said Davis plans to “seek some assistance from the president to come up with a short-term solution on California’s energy crisis.” 

The governor has called for federal price limits on the electricity that generators sell to California utilities.  

Bush has rejected the request because he says it would do nothing to increase energy supplies or reduce demand. 

While Hughes said Bush will listen to the governor’s concerns, she said he feels strongly that imposing price caps “is exactly the wrong policy to pursue.” 

During the two-day trip, Bush will discuss energy conservation at Camp Pendleton north of San Diego, deliver an address on the nation’s economy in Los Angeles and launch a national park improvement program on Wednesday at Sequoia National Park. 

Bush has visited 28 states but not California, the most populous, which Democrat Al Gore won by 12 percentage points in November. 

Since he took office, Democrats have criticized Bush for waiting more than four months to travel to the state and polls have shown residents disapprove of his handling of the electricity crisis. 

“It’s a very big moment. I think people will be looking for some signs that the president really does care about California,” said California Public Policy Institute pollster Mark Baldassare.

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gray Davis’ public approval rating has slipped to the lowest point since he took office in 1999, according to a Field Poll released Friday. 

The survey is the second released this week that shows Davis’ job-performance rating eroding in the face of a statewide energy crisis. 

Forty-two percent of those surveyed for the San Francisco-based Field Institute said they approve of Davis’ job as governor, while 49 percent said they disapprove. 

In January, 60 percent of those polled said they supported Davis’ performance. 

The latest survey also found that 51 percent of registered voters in California say they are not inclined to re-elect Davis to a second term. Davis is up for re-election in November 2002. 

But when voters were asked who they would support for governor if the election were held now, the Democratic governor topped both Secretary of State Bill Jones and Los Angeles investment banker William Simon Jr. 

Davis led Jones, the only Republican who has announced his candidacy for governor, 47 percent to 33 percent, and topped Simon, another Republican who is considering running, 48 percent to 31 percent. 

Garry South, chief campaign consultant for Davis, said Davis and his political team “fully expected” the governor to take a hit in the polls in the face of rolling blackouts and rising electricity rates. 

“People really don’t have a very full understanding of what he is doing and what he has done to solve this problem,” South said. 

South issued a statement Thursday afternoon in anticipation of the poll’s release stating that former Gov. Pete Wilson received dismal approval ratings before being elected to a second term. 

The statement reminded “those preparing to dance on Governor Gray Davis’ political grave,” that Wilson posted a 15 percent job-performance rating in May 1993, during his first term. 

The poll, which questioned 1,015 California adults, including 727 registered voters, between May 11 and May 20, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, the institute said. 

A Public Policy Institute of California poll released Monday found that Gov. Gray Davis’ job approval rating dove from 66 percent in September to less than half of Californians surveyed this month. 

WASHINGTON — Fifty years after losing her father to war on the Korean peninsula, Pat Dunton can finally do more than just imagine his fate. She can bury him. 

For all those years, she and her family waited and wondered: Did he die when his Air Force B-29 bomber was shot down? Did he survive, only to perish in a POW camp? What became of his remains? 

Now, this Memorial Day, answers. 

With the help of DNA samples, military forensics specialists have concluded that remains received from the North Korean government in 1993 are those of Air Force Lt. James Swayne Wilson Jr., the navigator on a B-29 shot down by enemy fighters near the Yalu River on April 12, 1951. 

Dunton and other family members will hold a memorial service for him June 22 at the Ft. Myer Chapel, followed by burial next door at Arlington National Cemetery, with military honors. 

“I finally know what happened to my dad, and I’m bringing him home,” she said in an interview. 

Wilson was 29 years old and had arrived in Asia to join the war just 16 days before his fateful flight.  

He was no newcomer to flying, though. He flew B-17s and B-24s during World War II, then got out, only to be recalled for his navigator skills shortly after the Korean War began in 1950. 

When he shipped out, his wife stayed behind in Tennessee. They planned to build a new house in Memphis for their young family. 

Dunton, born on her father’s birthday in 1947, was 3 1/2 years old when her mother received the news. 

“We are doing everything possible to recover your husband,” the Air Force wrote. 

There was no search for survivors, Dunton found out later, because the B-29 went down in enemy territory.  

It was attacked by Soviet MiG-15 fighters while making a daylight bombing run against a Yalu River bridge connecting the North Korean city of Sinuiju and Antung, China. 

As many as three of the 11 men aboard survived the shootdown and were held prisoner. Two returned home when the war ended in 1953.  

In a wartime report to the International Red Cross and in radio broadcasts, North Korea claimed to be holding other members of the crew, including Wilson.  

But as it turned out – at least in Wilson’s case – that was a lie. U.S. forensics experts were able to determine from his remains that he died in the crash, although that fact did not reach Dunton until last fall. 

“It is too hard to relate what I remember about him,” she says. “It is more a sense of him than a specific memory. I felt safe.” 

Wilson was among more than 8,000 U.S. servicemen who had not been accounted for when the Korean War ended in a stalemate. The truce was so tenuous that four decades passed before a U.S. military representative again set foot in that reclusive, communist country to recover bones of the missing. 

Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea unilaterally turned over 208 sets of remains that it said were American servicemen killed in the war.  

The first among those to be positively identified were three members of Wilson’s B-29 crew: Lt. George Aaron, the pilot; 2nd Lt. Elmer T. Bullock, the radar observer, and Master Sgt. Robert Wilson Jones, the flight engineer. 

Wilson’s dog tag was included with the remains, but it took mitochondrial DNA technology to confirm that bones were his. 

The burial at Arlington will mark the end of a long, emotional journey for Dunton, of Coppell, Texas, who has spent much of her 53 years combing military archives, questioning Air Force casualty officers, working with relatives of other missing-in-action servicemen and even traveling to North Korea in 1997 to observe a Pentagon search for the remains of MIAs. 

What she found on that lonely trail sometimes shocked her, often saddened her, always reminded her of why the Korean War, which killed more than 33,000 U.S. troops, became known as the Forgotten War. When the fighting ended, so, by and large, did the Pentagon’s efforts to recover the missing or to inform their families. 

After Dunton turned 21 and gained legal status, as “primary next of kin,” to request her father’s military records, the Air Force casualty office told her it had kept no Korean War-era records of interest to her. 

“We threw out all of those records because we had to make room for Vietnam,” she says they told her. 

When you hear Dunton explain what drove her to battle the bureaucracy for decades in search of answers, you understand, if only superficially, the pain the Korean War inflicted on thousands of American families. 

Dunton grew up wondering what stole her father from her life. She also faced the questions of her schoolmates. 

What does your father do? 

Where is he? 

Did he desert your family? 

“It was a constant thing,” she says of the reminders that her family was one of the unlucky ones. 

Now that her father’s remains can be returned home for a final goodbye, Dunton feels fortunate, though reminders are still there. One is his final letter home, sent the day of his final flight.  

Looking back on it, Dunton believes her father was trying to shield her mother from the true dangers. “Don’t worry,” he wrote. “The only trouble we have is with the weather.” 

On the Net: 

Korean War  

and DNA sampling at http://www.koreanwar.org

WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators reached a final agreement Friday night on a 10-year, $1.35 trillion tax cut package that would give individual taxpayers a $300 refund this year and married couples $600. 

“We will be able to provide this year more than $30 billion to American taxpayers to use as they see fit, rather than the government,” said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas, R-Calif. 

A blend of President Bush’s tax proposals and earlier versions passed separately by the House and Senate, the compromise carves out a new 10 percent bottom tax rate for the first $6,000 of an individual’s income, $12,000 for a married couple. 

Most other rates would be cut by 3 percentage points. The top 39.6 percent rate would drop to 35 percent. The rate cuts will be phased in over six years but the first installment will take effect this July 1. 

Republican leaders said they planned to reconvene the House around midnight to debate the final bill. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, predicted the House would vote final passage on it between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Saturday. The Senate planned to reconvene later Saturday to act on it. 

The deal was reached by four lawmakers who met all day Friday in a second-floor Capitol room. Thomas and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa represented the Republicans, Sens. Max Baucus of Montana and John Breaux of Louisiana represented the Democrats. 

Other provisions of the plan would double the $500 child tax credit gradually by 2010 and allow people to gradually increase their contributions to IRAs from $2,000 to $5,000 and to 401(k) plans from $10,500 to $15,000. 

The estate tax would be repealed by 2010, with exemptions rising from $675,000 now to $3.5 million over time. 

Individual taxpayers would get a $300 refund this year. Single parents would get $500 and married couples $600. Refund checks would be mailed to taxpayers, beginning in mid-summer, according to Treasury Department oficials. 

“Once the president signs into law this historic bipartisan agreement, the Treasury Department will begin the process of returning tax dollars as quickly as possible to those who paid them,” said Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill. 

In addition to the income tax cuts, the bill will provide relief from the marriage penalty paid by millions of two-income couples by widening the 15 percent bracket so that more of their earnings are taxed at a lower rate.  

It would also increase the standard deduction for married couples so it equals twice that of singles. 

A new $5,000 deduction would be permitted for college tuition. 

Republicans were elated that passing a tax relief bill and hand Bush a major political victory would be accomplished before Democrats take control of the Senate. 

“Tax relief is on the way,” said Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas. 

The negotiations occurred against an unprecedented political backdrop: Vermont Sen. James Jeffords’ switch from Republican to independent becomes official when the tax bill is passed, handing Senate control to the Democrats.  

With Bush calling for a final vote before Memorial Day, there was strong incentive to finish the deal. 

“Both sides would like to get it done,” said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., who will become minority leader under the new power arrangement. 

Bush telephoned Thomas and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley on Friday morning, saying he wanted the bill passed before lawmakers left for the holiday.  

White House chief of staff Andrew Card was in and out of the negotiating room Friday, pushing the participants to reach an accord. 

Bush pushed for tax cuts in his campaign for the White House and since his election, but was forced by Jeffords and other moderates to accept a $250 billion reduction in his original $1.6 trillion proposal. The House passed several bills closely tracking the Bush plan, but senators added several provisions aimed at giving more tax breaks to lower- and middle-income people. 

Most Democrats nonetheless opposed even the smaller tax cut, arguing that it would consume far too much of the projected $5.6 trillion, 10-year budget surplus to meet other needs such as education, defense, debt reduction and Medicare prescription drug benefits. They also contended it was unfairly tilted toward the wealthy. 

“This tax bill is as generous as any tax bill in history to the upper-income folks,” said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. 

New York Rep. Charles Rangel, senior Democrat on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, called it a fraud and refused to sign the compromise. He said the benefits for low- and moderate-income families “will be dwarfed by its detrimental effects on Social Security, Medicare ... and the health of our economy.” 

——— 

The legislation is H.R. 1836. 

On the Net: 

Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov 

NEW YORK — The Rev. Al Sharpton, handcuffed and escorted by police, arrived from Puerto Rico on Friday and was immediately taken to a detention facility to serve a 90-day sentence for trespassing on Navy land on Vieques island. 

Also on the flight from San Juan were New York City Councilman Adolfo Carrion, New York state legislator Jose Rivera and Bronx County Democratic Party chairman Roberto Ramirez. They were sentenced to 40 days. 

All were sentenced for a May 1 protest against bombing exercises on Vieques. Juan Felicino, a Sharpton acquaintance who was on the flight, said the civil rights activist “didn’t look too upset.” 

Sharpton was convicted of a misdemeanor but sentenced as a repeat offender because he had prior arrests for civil disobedience in New York. 

The four were taken to a lockup in Brooklyn, said Stanley Schlein, a lawyer for Carrion, Rivera and Ramirez. He said the earliest they could be released is Tuesday, when lawyers hope to argue for their freedom. 

“When convicted felons, murderers and convicted members of organized crime are allowed bail, it seems to me only fair for Rev. Sharpton, convicted for a misdemeanor offense of trespass for a peaceful protest ... to be free pending appeal,” said Sharpton attorney Sanford Rubenstein. 

The Navy has used its range on Vieques, home to 9,400 people, for six decades and says it is vital for national security.  

Critics say it poses a health threat, which the Navy denies. 

Opposition to the exercises grew after a civilian guard was killed on the range in 1999 by two off-target bombs.  

The Navy has since stopped using live ammunition, and islanders will vote in November whether the Navy must leave in 2003 or can stay, resuming the use of live ammunition. 

On the Net: 

Navy’s Vieques site: http://www.navyvieques.navy.mil

YUMA, Ariz. — Fourteen illegal immigrants who died in the Arizona desert this week are just the latest victims of a trek that promises prosperity but often ends in tragedy. 

Southern Arizona has been a popular crossing point for illegal entrants since the mid-1990s as crackdowns in California and Texas forced them to brave the region’s scorching temperatures and desolate landscape in search of a better life in America. 

“Unfortunately, people’s lives are so desperate that they won’t stop coming — they’ll just keep trying,” said Rick Ufford-Chase of BorderLinks, a Tucson-based public-awareness group. 

“It’s simply not possible to carry enough water across the desert,” Ufford-Chase said. “So we’ve made the act of looking for a better job in the United States a crime that carries the death penalty with it.” 

The immigrants died after smugglers abandoned them last weekend with little food and water in temperatures that reached 115 degrees. 

The smugglers left them in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, telling them they need only walk a few hours to reach a highway. The highway was more than 50 miles away. 

Only 12 were still alive when the Border Patrol discovered them Wednesday and Thursday. The survivors, many from the Mexican state of Veracruz, were hospitalized in Yuma with severe dehydration and related kidney damage. One was missing. 

The victims are among 48 immigrants who have died trying to cross the Arizona desert since last fall. It was believed to be the deadliest attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border since 1987, when 18 Mexican men died in a locked railroad boxcar near Sierra Blanca, Texas. 

Johnny Williams, a regional director for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, placed much of the blame on smugglers who charge people hundreds of dollars for passage into the United States. 

“The people from Veracruz didn’t decide themselves to come to this cauldron,” Williams said. “These smugglers convince people that they know the way to go. 

“In this particular case, they told the people it would only take a couple of hours. A few hours later it turns into a fight to their death.” 

The Rev. Javier Perez, a Roman Catholic priest who visited the hospitalized immigrants Thursday, said they told him they survived by digging up roots and breaking cactus to drink its juice. One told doctors he drank his own urine in desperation. 

“They don’t want anything more to do with the United States,” Perez said. “They want to go back.” 

According to the Border Patrol, 106 people died while crossing southern Arizona’s deserts during the 12-month period that ended on Sept. 30, 2000, and more than 4,200 others have been rescued since 1998. 

So far this fiscal year, 388,337 illegal immigrants have been stopped, according to INS reports. 

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C., said the deaths are the result of economic disparity between the two nations and of U.S. immigration policies that make it difficult to cross the border but easy to stay once they make it. 

“What we have now is a toxic combination,” he said. 

Government officials in the United States and Mexico condemned immigrant smugglers and pledged to work together to find a long-term solution for illegal border crossings. 

Until a solution is found, border officials know they will continue to see illegal crossings that end in tragedy. 

“The border is more difficult to cross than ever in history, and callous smugglers are moving the crossers to the more dangerous points,” INS spokesman Robert Gilbert said. “I don’t think we want to lose awareness that even before we had a national strategy, the border was a dangerous environment.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

Border Patrol: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/lawenfor/bpatrol/ 

When you add up all the economic woes, fears and worries that are being dramatized daily you can understand how American consumers might be getting into a psychological funk. 

There are job woes, profit woes, investment woes, power woes, health care woes. And fears that the economy could fall into recession and that layoffs will rise. And off in the distance, worries about retirement. 

So many woes that you begin to think that maybe the woes are being over-publicized. Most Americans, it seems, are still able to force a smile. They have jobs. They are taking vacations. 

Still, you can’t ignore that there are worries out there and that when people worry they tend to forget their job of getting and spending and thus providing a catalyst for keeping the economy going. 

The latest hard evidence of a decline in confidence is reflected in the housing market, with the annual rate of new home sales falling by 9.5 percent in April, the biggest monthly decline in four years. 

This can be significant, not just because of the decline’s extent but because housing is a pretty special economic indicator. To buy or not buy a home, for example, isn’t comparable to buying or not buying a TV set. 

Homeownership is an almost universal aspiration. It is perhaps the biggest financial decision faced by families. It requires long preparation. And once made, a decision to buy isn’t easily postponed. 

Delaying that decision is more difficult when you consider that lenders these days promote the idea that now is a once in a lifetime opportunity because mortgage rates are down more than a percentage point in the past year. 

Housing is significant also because its economic effect is so broad. 

The National Association of Home Builders estimates that the creation of 1,000 single-family houses generates 2,448 jobs in construction and related industries, providing $80 million in wages. 

It involves scores of suppliers — lumber, siding, air conditioning, cement, paint. Its spending impact is both local and national. And when a family moves in, they spend more money on furnishing. 

For these reasons, home sales are both a barometer of existing economic conditions and of things to come. And so it behooves us to know if we should add its April declines to the list of woes. 

Maybe not, and for at least a couple of reasons: 

• The homeownership rate now is just a tad under 70 percent, probably the highest ever. The upper limit is unknown, but we do know many people prefer renting, and that you can’t push ownership forever higher. 

• Home building and sales, the latter for both existing and new homes, have been running at record or near-record highs for the past few years, despite the economic slowdown. Any decline is from a very high level. 

Moreover, the broad economy may still be feeling the slowdown effects of last year’s interest rate increases, and not yet reflecting the more recent cuts in borrowing rates. 

In this context, a housing decline is as understandable – perhaps more so – than a continued rise in activity. And there is even an encouraging aspect to it, it being that a some relief from ever-higher housing prices. 

Don’t add housing too quickly to the list woes. There’s enough of them. The slowdown in April might even help provoke the Federal Reserve into lowering interest rates again. 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for The Associated Press

SAN JOSE — Features of eBay and Half.com, an eBay-owned Web site that offers products at set prices, will be combined over the next year, executives said at the company’s annual meeting Friday. 

EBay chief executive and president Meg Whitman said it didn’t make sense to have eBay and Half.com remain separate platforms, with users having different identities and reputations on each site. 

She said Half would be moved “onto the eBay platform.” EBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove later said she didn’t mean Half would cease to exist as a separate site, just that technologies specific to each site would be incorporated by the other. 

For example, Whitman said people find that eBay has a more user-friendly interface than Half, while selling products on Half.com is much easier. Sellers on Half.com can upload information about products from their numbered bar codes, while eBay users have to write out descriptions of the items they’re listing. 

Of course, items in many of eBay’s most popular categories, such as art and antiques, do not have bar codes, which would make the Half.com method impossible. But Whitman recently told The Associated Press that “you will see some technology transfer (from Half to eBay) over time.” 

EBay’s head of technology, Maynard Webb, said his staff – and the outside developers in the company’s initiative to link its trading platform to other sites – are already working on ways to integrate Half into eBay. 

Whitman confirmed Friday that eBay plans to begin offering sellers “storefronts,” entire pages to themselves, in the next quarter. The move has been expected for months. 

She also said in response to a shareholder’s question that eBay has a “significant lobbying effort for a company our size” aimed at persuading Congress to keep Internet commerce free of new taxes. 

If the government were to impose a special sales tax on e-commerce transactions, Whitman said she doesn’t believe it necessarily would “fundamentally change the marketplace on eBay.” 

Whitman she added that she would not want eBay to be responsible for cataloging and reporting tax information on the millions of transactions it facilitates. 

Shares of eBay lost $1.06 to $62.20 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.ebay.com 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — When the “Tour de Sol” started in 1989, its message of fuel efficiency fell largely on deaf ears. 

Gas was cheap, alternative-fuel vehicles weren’t available to the general public, and the ones being designed looked more like space ships than cars. It was mostly engineering buffs who came to see the annual parade of student-designed vehicles. 

Things have changed considerably now that gas prices are soaring and average folks are paying more attention to the energy-efficient vehicles traveling through the Northeast this week for the tour, now called the Great American Green Transportation Festival. 

Several automakers have also joined the tour this year, and a few have alternative vehicles already on the road.  

Honda’s Insight, a gasoline-electric hybrid, gets 70 miles to the gallon compared to the average 24.5 miles for 2001 models, and Toyota’s Prius, also a hybrid electric, gets about 50 miles per gallon. 

Darryl Dowty, a professor whose Central Connecticut State University students created a truck and motorbike powered by batteries, solar energy and propane, said he’s pleased to see the automakers involved. 

“That’s our job, to get people who do this for a living to build these things,” Dowty said. 

Other vehicles in the tour run on various combinations including solar power, battery power, ethanol and hydrogen. The Department of Energy is sponsoring a separate cross-country race for solar cars, the American Solar Challenge, in July. 

Organizers and participants say the green tour, which finishes in Boston on Saturday, is about teaching the public and cultivating a new generation of fuel efficiency engineers. 

The technology is so young even the big carmakers need all the new ideas they can get, said Honda spokesman Michael Tebo. 

“What I see this year is much more diverse entrants,” Tebo said. “We’re in transition in terms of what the next big technology is going to be, and these guys are trying all sorts of different things.” 

Among the 50 entries are a two-seat electric car that can reach 90 miles per hour and an assortment of neighborhood vehicles that could be used for short trips at lower speeds. The entries come from high schools, colleges and companies. 

Some vehicles still have the space ship look, with a solar “sail” or an odd aerodynamic shape, but increasingly the vehicles look like average cars. 

That’s important to Rita Dorgan, a local resident who visited the festival this week in Pittsfield. 

“Now with this gas problem that seems to be a perennial thing, we’re now considering a more efficient vehicle,” she said. 

This year’s tour began just after President Bush unveiled his new energy plan, which calls for $4 million in tax credits to spur sales of hybrid gas-electric vehicles.  

Environmentalists have been cool to the plan, saying it emphasizes increasing energy supplies over conservation. 

Despite the progress in design and bringing down cost, widespread use of vehicles that run on electricity and fuels other than gasoline is still years away. Cost and range are factors, though the Insight is down to about $19,000, and alternative fuels aren’t always widely available. 

Organizer Mary Hazard, of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, said such concerns are valid, but she points to progress made in the 12 years since the tour began. 

“The quality of the vehicles is light years beyond the quality of what we saw in the beginning,” she said. 

On the Net: 

Tour: http://www.nesea.org/transportation/index.html 

American Solar Challenge: http://www.formulasun.org/asc/

EUGENE, Ore. — What started out as a favor for a friend may turn into a major business for Scott Koffler. Three months ago, the 40-year-old millwright received a patent for the Shoot Tube, designed to safely handle test firings of handguns. 

“I always dreamed of being a millionaire,” Koffler said. “I never dreamed of falling into this.” 

It all started with a conversation between friends. Koffler was talking with Troy Standard, the manager of Ace Buyers in Albany. 

Standard had been buying handguns that didn’t work properly and was looking for a way to test them before buying. Standard had seen a device at one of the other Ace Buyers locations, but didn’t feel it was very safe. 

He talked with Koffler, whom he’s known for about eight years, because he knew Koffler had the skills to build such a device and he trusted him. 

“I know he’s good at welding and has contacts with people for the materials to make the shoot tube,” Standard said. “I knew he would do it and do a good job with it.” 

After some thought, Koffler sat down with his computer and designed the Shoot Tube, which is 31 inches high and 6 inches across. It sits at a 20-degree angle from the floor, a natural and comfortable angle for a shooter to aim into. The tube is welded to a 10-inch by 24-inch piece of flat plate that’s one-half inch thick. The top of the tube has a blast cap and it is filled with sand for three-quarters of its length, allowing it to stop a bullet. 

“If a bullet goes into sand it has to expand,” Koffler said. “Since the tube keeps the sand from expanding it only goes down 4 inches.” 

About a week after the first conversation with Standard, Koffler brought him the finished product. It worked like a charm. 

“I was overly impressed. It was far beyond any of my expectations as far as quality and attention to the necessity for safety,” Standard said. “He went beyond what we talked about.” 

After Koffler had made about 20 for various people, he decided to check and see if there was a patent on something similar to his device. 

“I did a patent check and there was nothing out there,” Koffler said. “I filed a U.S. patent on it and that’s how it started.” 

Three months later Koffler had the patent. Then he realized he needed a limited liability license, which has been his major holdup in starting production. The license protects him if the Shoot Tube is sold within the state of Oregon, but outside the state he could be held liable. 

“I think I’m going to go with a bunch of disclaimers. Don’t do this and don’t do that,” Koffler said, as a way to get around the liability problem. 

Poetry slammer Nico Cary, a Berkeley High sophomore, kicked off a discussion on school reform Wednesday with a poem that explores the connection between economic inequality and racial inequality. 

“Sometimes the way to knowledge be too high,” Cary said, in a lyrical, rapid fire performance that elicited laughter and more than a few spontaneous bursts of affirmation from the crowd gathered at south Berkeley’s La Peña Cafe .  

“My nigger’s lost on the information highway.” 

The poem was an appropriate beginning to the night, where some 50 Berkeley High students, teachers and parents wrestled with the question of how Berkeley High can be reformed to serve its African-American and Latino students as well as it serves its white and Asian-American students. 

Although many students of color excel at Berkeley High, statistics suggest that students of color are much more likely to fail or skip classes (the two are usually related) or face suspension for disciplinary reasons. Berkeley High’s students of color also historically underperform their white and Asian American peers on standardized tests. 

The Diversity Project, a multi-year study that attempted to pinpoint the reasons for the so-called “racial achievement gap” at Berkeley High, found that African-American students accounted for 68 percent of suspensions during the 1997-1998 school year, although they represented only 36 percent of the total student body at that time. 

“We cannot dismiss the high number of suspensions as due to a handful of struggling students bumping their heads up against the school rules,” the Diversity Project concluded in its May 2000 Discipline Report. “Instead, we must take seriously that a large number of students (primarily African American students) are struggling in the system as it exists.” 

Nicole Heyman, a Berkeley High senior, organized Wednesday’s forum as part a senior project for Berkeley High’s Communication Arts and Sciences program (CAS).  

She said she planned the forum so the adults who are pushing education reform for Berkeley High could hear more of what students have to say. 

“If we’re going to design these (small learning communities), then students need to be as much of a part of it as adults are,” Heyman said. 

The specific reform plan under consideration these days, with the help of a $50,000 federal planning grant, calls for Berkeley High to follow the lead of some other large high schools in the country and divide its 3,200 students into a number of “small learning communities.”  

Such communities allow teachers to give students more personalized attention, supporters says, so those with special needs don’t “fall through the cracks.” 

Heyman said she supports the idea of small schools. 

Before joining the CAS program – in itself a small learning community within Berkeley High, focused on instilling a sense of social justice in students through their studies of core topics like history and English – Heyman said she was just kind of coasting through high school waiting for it to end. 

“I was just another high school student who didn’t know where to put my efforts or what to do,” Heyman said. 

“My whole world changed” after entering the CAS program, Heyman said. “The sense of community, the kind of closeness I got with teachers...It got me interested in what we were learning.” 

After reviewing some of the Diversity Report’s most salient findings, Heyman opened up the floor to discussion Wednesday. Most students voiced support for the idea of small learning communities, but some in the audience expressed concerns. 

One parent said she had children in one of the small learning communities already in place at Berkeley High (there are three up and running) who still “are not succeeding at Berkeley High.” 

Berkeley High teacher Marcela Taylor said giving teachers more opportunity to work one on one with students will not necessarily impact the achievement gap at Berkeley High. 

“Most African American and Latino students are failing ninth grade,” Taylor said. “And even a teacher of color like me, who supposedly ‘understands them,’ quote unquote, can’t help them.” 

Reform needs to involve outreach to the families of failing children, Taylor said. 

A different group of students – those hanging out in Civic Center Park across from the high school Thursday afternoon – registered mixed feelings about the potential of small learning communities to cure Berkeley High’s ills. 

“Our school is too big,” conceded graduating senior Carrie Hoskins. But she said the students who struggle at Berkeley High do so in large measure because they arrive on the campus woefully unprepared. 

As for the problem of chronic class cutting (Hoskins said she spent three full months of her sophomore year hanging out in the park, skipping class), Hoskins and other students in the park said too many teachers at the school fail to make class meaningful.  

Some were skeptical that small communities alone would address this problem. 

“It’s not the subject, it’s how it’s taught,” Hoskins said. 

Others couldn’t wait to sign up. 

“I’m doing Common Ground next year ’cause I can’t deal with the regular Berkeley High any more,” said sophomore Michael Cochrane, referring to one of the small learning communities already in place at the school. Cochrane said he was looking forward to “more interaction with the teachers as a whole, and less just barking at you from a book.”

Friday, May 25  

Free Writing, Cashiering  

& Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate  

and Chalk Art Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27  

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institut 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Monday, May 28 

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29 

People’s State of the City Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

Wednesday, May 30  

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person 525-7610  

Thursday, May 31  

Backpacking  

in Northern California  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free 527-4140 

Attic Conversions  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 per person 525-7610  

League of Women  

Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Promises, no action 

Editor:  

It's déjà vu all over again! And again, and again!  

The Parks Department promises to coat the wooden play structures in Cedar Rose and other Berkeley parks to prevent transference of arsenic onto children's hands and the Corporation Yard promises to clean up its gravel pits. (“Groups challenge arsenic in play structures” 5/24/01 and “Corporation Yard cited for second time” 5/23/01. )  

I was one of the founders of Parents United for Health who marched on Berkeley City Hall and held press conferences in Cedar Rose Park in June 1983 to protest the use of pesticides in city parks and to ask for a solution to the arsenic problem.  

As a neighbor of the Corporation Yard, I have also heard the city's many promises regarding environmental problems there.  

The rapid turnover of city staff, especially in management positions, means each department head can honestly say, “It didn't happen while I was in charge,” and blame past managers. Meanwhile, citizens suffer the consequences.  

The Corporation Yard's current promise to cover the rock, sand, gravel, and dirt bunkers with canopies and to put filters in the storm sewers is not an acceptable solution for the neighborhood.  

Neighbors have complained about the noise and air pollution from this operation for a long time, and have heard many promises, such as covering the bunkers with tarpaulins. Such clean-up efforts by the Corporation Yard rarely last more than a week or two.  

The sand, crushed granite, etc. are brought into this residential neighborhood in tandem trailers, dumped into the bunkers – creating great clouds of airborne particulate – and much noise.  

Employees then use a front-end loader to transfer the material into city dump trucks, each time creating clouds of dust, and making noise just 10 feet from the tennis and volleyball courts at Strawberry Creek Park and 40 feet from the kitchen and bedroom windows of Section 8 housing. The scooping and loading involves much backing up – can you hear the beeping? – crunching, thumping, scraping, and whooshing.  

Imagine trying to play tennis through that? Imagine living next to that? Do we need a study of airborne particulate in the Corporation Yard?  

It's time to end stopgap measures and move the gravel pits operation elsewhere!  

The city should replace the park play structures on an emergency basis! The 1980's study found that one wipe with a moist cloth (or sweaty hand) picked up dangerous levels of arsenic. Let's not endanger our children any longer!  

Acta non verba!  

Toni Horodysky  

Berkeley

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Caribbean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rhythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Peña Cultural Center May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 27, 8 p.m. John Kendall Bailey conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florence Schwimly Little  

Theater 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts 

/performing/jazz 

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rhythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Pacific Film Archive May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“An Evening of Handmade Films” May 25, 8 p.m. This documentary chronicles the lives of three disabled East African women who designed and built wheelchairs for use on unpaved roads. $5 suggested donation. Fantasy Studios, 2600 10th St. at Parker, 549-2977. 

Nomad Videofilm Festival 2001 June 1 10:40p.m. featuring world premieres from four S.F. Bay Area mediamakers: “Roadkill” by Antero Alli, “Forest” by Farhad J. Parsa “Visit” by Jesse Miller, B, “Fell Apart” by Doan La Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/nomad.html 

“TRAGOS: A Cyber-Noir Witch Hunt” an Antero Alli film June 2, 10:40pm Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/tragos.html 

Exhibits 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse. Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts and Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910” chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkeley in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 24: Katie Hafner decries “The Well: A Story of Love, Death and Real Life in the Seminal Online Community”; May 25: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about “In the Heart of the Sea”; May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

BTV schedule 

Friday, May 25 

Midnight: Frank Moore Unlimited Possibilities 

8 a.m. Leela Foundation: Are You Willing? 

9 a.m. Intrepid Berkeley Explorer: Passes Through India and Nepal #4 

10 a.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #45 

10:30 a.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: Duncan James & Lyrique 

11 a.m. Paranormal Connection, Express Studio Replay from THURSDAY 

6:30pm 

11:30 a.m. Fast Forward Replay Studio A 7:00  

Noon: All There Is To Do Intern Show Replay 

12:30 p.m. Quantifying the Quality of Life 

1 p.m. Video Feedback Hula: Halau Oka UA Lililihu 

1:30 p.m. It's Healing TIme 

2 p.m. On The Move: #131 Parents Helping Parents with Disabled 

Children 

2:30 p.m. Sound Gallery:!Tang 

3 p.m. The Sea Within; Deep Colors Deep Hunters 

3:30 p.m. Duck Duck Goose: Gardening 

4 p.m. NASA TV: Education File 

5 p.m. Free Speech TV #2 

7 p.m. Who's In My Kitchen? #2 Fruit Salad and Punchcicles 

7:30 p.m. Wee Poets: Don't Smoke, Washington Elementary School  

8 p.m. Boredom Theater 

8:30 p.m. Back Stage Pass: Uncle Filthy  

9 p.m. Alexander Haig's World Business Review A 

9:30 p.m. Alexander Haig's World Business Review B 

10 p.m. The Blue Lew Show: Marty's Party 

10:30 p.m. The Dr. Susan Block Show: The New Horny Housewife A 

11 p.m. Thrush TV: The All the Young Dudes Show 

11:30 p.m. IVTV Episode 3 

Saturday, May 26 

Midnight: Reality Check: #204 No Fear  

12:30 a.m. Analog Rhythms 

8 a.m. Berkeley Baha'I Community: Baha'u'llah - The Prisoner of Akka 

9 a.m. Bible Reading 

9:30 a.m. Wee Poets: Don't Smoke, Washington Elementary School 

10 a.m. Duck Duck Goose: Gardening 

10:30 a.m. NASA TV: Education File 

11:30 a.m. Boredom Theater 

Noon: Great Pets, Replay from last week 

12:30 p.m. The BHS Video Bomb Squad: The CAS Poetry Slam Benefit 

2:30 p.m. The Cutting Edge: Video Magazine 

3 p.m. Paranormal Connection, Replay from Express Studio  

3:30 p.m. Chat Room 

4 p.m. Star Alliance, Replay from Express Studio WEDNESDAY  

5 p.m. Broadcast Violation, Replay from Express Studio WEDNESDAY  

5:30 p.m. Who's In My Kitchen?: #2 Fruit Salad and Punchcicles 

6 p.m. Video Feedback Hula: Halau Oka UA Lililihu 

6:30 p.m. The Sea Within; Deep Colors Deep Hunters 

7 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #219 

7:30 p.m. Fast Forward, replay from Studio A THURSDAY 

8 p.m. Analog Rhythms 

9 p.m. Lannan Literary Series: Victor Hernandez Cruz 

10 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: And the Beat Goes On 

11 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #119 

11:30 p.m. Reality Check: #204 No Fear 

Sunday, May 27 

Midnight: The Dr. Susan Block Show: The New Horny Housewife A 

12:30 a.m. Thrush TV: All the Young Dudes Show 

1 a.m. NASA TV LIVE: Earth views  

8 a.m. Bible Reading  

8:30 a.m. Berkeley City Council Meeting, Replay from TUESDAY 

2 p.m. The BHS Video Bomb Squad: The CAS Poetry Slam Benefit  

4 p.m. The Word Featuring Ephesian Church 

5 p.m. Film Time: Miss Congeniality and Traffic Reviews and Tim Roth 

Segment 

5:30 p.m. Welcome To Northern Light School 

6 p.m. Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting, Replay from MONDAY 

9 p.m. Berkeley Baha'I Community: Baha'u'llah - The Prisoner of Akka 

10 p.m. Sound Gallery: !Tang 

10:30 p.m. All There Is To Do, BCM Intern Show Replay from 5/19 

11 p.m. Free Speech TV, Tape #2 

Monday, May 28 

1 a.m. NASA TV LIVE: Earth Views 

3 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. First Amendment Center 

9 a.m. NASA TV: NTV Video File & Television Gallery 

11 a.m. On the Move: Changing Images of C.P. 

11:30 a.m. BHS Bomb Squad: The CAS Poetry Slam Benefit 3/2/01 

1:30 p.m. Wee Poets 

2 p.m. NASA TV: Education File 

3 p.m. Duck Duck Goose 

3:30 p.m. Bible Reading 

4 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Nonstop Music 

5 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #118 

5:30 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: S.F. Mallet Band 

6 p.m. The Wall That Heals  

7 p.m. And Yet We Lived 

7:30 p.m. Vietnam Experience 

8 p.m. Lannan Literary Series:  

9 p.m. Video Heads 

9:30 p.m. Video Culture 

10 p.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #46 

10:30 p.m. Berkeley Baha'I Community 

11 p.m. All There Is to do, BCM Intern Show Replay 

11:30 p.m. Thrush TV:The Grim Reaper Show 

Tuesday, May 29 

Midnight: The Dr. Susan Block Show: spanking for adults A 

12:30 a.m. Frank Moore's Unlimited Possibilities #2 

3 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. Power to the People; Town Hall Meeting  

10 a.m. Lannan Literary Series 

11 a.m. Video Culture 

11:30 a.m. And Yet We Lived 

Noon: Vietnam Experience 

12:30 p.m. People's Video Network 

1 p.m. One on One 

1:30 p.m. Video Heads  

2 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Nonstop Music 

3 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #118 

3:30 p.m. Berkeley High School Homework Hotline, Studio A LIVE 

4:30 p.m. Back Stage Pass 

5 p.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #46 

5:30 p.m. Poetry Festival #4 

6 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #220 

6:30 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: S.F. Mallet Band 

7 p.m. People's State of the City Address 

11 p.m. The Wall That Heals  

Wednesday, May 30 

Midnight: NASA TV: NTV Video File & Television Gallery 

2 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. People's State of the City Address 

Noon: The Wall That Heals  

1 p.m. Vietnam Experience 

1:30 p.m. Poetry Festival 2000 

2 p.m. Who's In My Kitchen? Green Goo's 

2:30 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #220 

3 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: S.F. Mallet Band 

3:30 p.m. Free Speech TV #1 

5:30 p.m. Great Pets, Express Studio LIVE 

6 p.m. It's Healing Time 

6:30 p.m. Fast Forward, Replay of Last Week 

7 p.m. CNS News Magazine Show: Faces In The Crowd  

8 p.m. Food: A CNS News Special Report 

8:30 p.m. Sheila  

9 p.m. The Word Featuring Ephesian Church, Replay from last week  

10 p.m. People's Video Network 

10:30 p.m. Film Time  

11 p.m. NASA TV NTV Video File & Television Gallery 

Thursday, May 31 

1 a.m. Analog Rhythms #29 

2 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. NASA TV: NTV Video File 

9 a.m. Sheila  

9:30 a.m. Film Time  

10 a.m. The Word Featuring Ephesian Church, Replay of last week 

11 a.m. CNS News Magazine Show: Faces In The Crowd  

Noon: Free Speech TV Wk Tape #1 

2 p.m. Great Pets, Express Studio Replay  

2:30 p.m. It's Healing Time 

3 p.m. On the Move: Changing Images of C.P. 

3:30 p.m. Berkeley High School Homework Hotline, Studio A LIVE 

4:30 p.m. Intrepid Berkeley Explorer: Dances w/ National Parks  

5:30 p.m. Boredom Theater 

6 p.m. Alexander Haig's World Business Review B 

6:30 p.m. Power to the People; Town Hall Meeting  

9 p.m. Watch This, Replay from 5/14/01 

9:30 p.m. Back Stage Pass 

10 p.m. Sound Gallery 

10:30 p.m. Reality Check 

11 p.m. IVTV, Episode 4 

11:30 p.m. The Blue Lew Show:  

Carnival '96

For the first time since opening its new Roda Theater in March, the Berkeley Rep has two plays running simultaneously in its two performance spaces. 

Charles Mee’s feminist murder comedy “Big Love” continues on the Thrust Stage through mid-June, and the company opened on Wednesday night in the Roda the West Coast premiere of a fascinating and powerful new stage documentary “The Laramie Project.” 

“The Laramie Project” is based on the 1998 torture killing in Laramie, Wyo., of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay 21-year-old university student. The show was conceived, researched, written and staged by New York’s Tectonic Theater Project, under the direction of Moises Kaufman. 

Tectonic and Kaufman are best known for their 1997 “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” a play that ran off-Broadway for 18 months, and in San Francisco for six. 

“The Laramie Project” is a complex panoramic story, sort of a contemporary oral history by dozens of local Laramie people about the circumstances leading up to and following the murder of Shepard.  

One night, two men in a Laramie bar offered Shepard a ride home, and subsequently tied him to a fence for 18 hours and tortured him, before Shepard finally died in a hospital ICU unit five days later. 

A month after the murder, which attracted worldwide media attention, Tectonic Project members traveled to Laramie, a town of 27,000, for the first of six visits during which they recorded extensive interviews with 200 people. 

The play then evolved over the next 18 months, constructed from those oral history interviews, and trial and news testimonies. The final scrip – a long, detailed and ambitious story, credited to five writers and seven dramaturgs – opened at Denver Center Theater Company (a two-hour drive from Laramie) in February 2000. 

In telling the story of Shepard and the people of Laramie, the play struggles to find a connection between the tragedy that occurred, and a town that often prides itself on a live-and-let-live attitude. 

The play begins with a cultural history of Laramie, and moves to the set-up in the bar the night before the assault.  

It tracks the torture and beatings, arrest, arraignment, medical testimony by appalled hospital emergency room staff, the ensuing international media frenzy, community response, funeral, trials and judgment. 

This is total immersion in the story and events, told through the personalities of various witnesses.  

Their accounts range from funny to tragic. 

The stories of the individual people are fascinating, from the investigating police officer who fears HIV infection, to the local Catholic priest’s profound spiritual take on the situation, to the testimony of a few local gays. 

The play’s wide range of characters includes two salty old female social workers, the town’s cowboy limo driver, university people, church leaders and members, friends and family of the killers, the college student who found Matthew, and two members of the sheriff’s department. 

Tectonic’s staging is terrific. Each actor plays many roles, creating multiple distinctive characters, and the performances are sharp.  

The characters are touching, funny, real, and generally thoughtful. 

Director Kaufman’s bare staging exposes behind-the-scenes theater rigging. It uses a small number of slide and video projections – the latter simulating live video feeds of television reporters during the media frenzy – and one impressive prairie rainstorm. 

This is a long evening in the theater, running three hours with two intermissions.  

Each act builds strong emotional energy, and then spills the audience out into the hallways for a break to absorb it, then starts it up again. 

Some in the audience opening night felt the show was too long, but I disagree. If you go prepared for what it is – a lengthy and intelligent documentary of a profound, fascinating and moving story – you won’t be disappointed. 

On Monday, June 25, 7 p.m., the Rep hosts a free discussion open to the public on the creation of “The Laramie Project,” with members of Tectonic and Cal journalism professor Douglas Foster.  

For information, call 647-2900. 

Some of the show’s actors will rotate out of the cast in the middle of June – replaced by understudies – when they leave to work on the HBO movie of “The Laramie Project” currently in production. 

Planet theater reviewer John Angell Grant has written for “American Theatre,” “Backstage West,” “Callboard,” and many other publications. E-mail him at jagplays@yahoo.com

Everyone loves an underdog, right? Sorry, Cal fans, not this weekend. 

The Cal baseball team is in the postseason for the first time in seven years after finishing in third place in the Pac-10. Their reward for their unexpected success is a date with a legend, on his own turf. The Bears are the third seed in a four-team sub-regional in Baton Rouge, home of the Lousiana State Tigers and head coach Skip Bertman, who built the program into what it is today. The Tigers (40-19-1) are the top seed in the sub-regional. 

If that isn’t enough, Bertman is retiring at the end of the season, so college baseball fans everywhere are rooting for him to go out with a bang. If the Bears, or any other team for that matter, were to knock Louisiana State out of the tournament, they would be the heavies in the feel-good story of the college baseball season. 

Bertman started at LSU in 1983, and the program wasn’t exactly a power in the Southeastern Conference. But Bertman has built a national power, with five national championship, including last year’s. He has also won five national coach of the year awards. 

The coach will become an administrator after this season, moving into the athletic director position at LSU. 

The highest praise for Bertman comes from his rivals, head coaches at other national powerhouses. 

“LSU is as close to a dynasty as anyone can come with today’s scholarship limits and parity. It’s just unbelievable, and it’s all come from Skip Bertman,” Stanford head coach Mark Marquess said. 

“It’s two words: Skip Bertman,” Florida State’s Mike Martin said of LSU’s success. “There’s no other way to explain it. Probably nobody could have done what Skip has done in such a short time but Skip himself.” 

With that kind of praise, there’s no doubt most fans are rooting for LSU to reach a final College World Series under Bertman. 

Luckily for the Bears, they aren’t leading off against the Tigers. That honor goes to No. 4 seed Minnesota. But only one team can make it through the sub-regional, and the road to the CWS probably will go through Bertman’s squad.

Public interest in the Draft General Plan waned to a steadfast few at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

Only one Berkeley resident took advantage of the 30 minutes allotted for public comment. 

But those in the room who know Martha Nicoloff, a former member of the Planning Commission, straightened to attention when she stood to speak. 

This week the commission met to amend and approve the land-use portion of the Draft General Plan, the last section of the city’s nine-part guide for planning over the next 20 years. Nicoloff came to share her views on Berkeley building heights. 

Nicoloff read off several reasons why building heights shouldn’t be increased, and after the meeting, she confirmed that the initiative she and other Berkeley residents attempted to put through last year, a Berkeley height limit ordinance, will be brought out again this year. 

“We have the right, according to the secretary of state, to set height limits ourselves,” Nicoloff said. 

“Last year the city attorney turned us down because she said we would need a charter amendment, which meant in a very short time we would have needed to get something like 7,000 signatures. So this year we’re going to go by initiative, which requires only 5 percent of the requires only 5 percent of the vote in the last mayoral election.” 

The people writing the amendment are from all over the city, Nicoloff said. 

“We’re proposing height limits in feet for every district,” Nicoloff said. “Some districts will remain the same, but there are some districts that are (currently) excessive.” 

“We want to get (the initiative) perfected as far as we can, maybe within the next week or so, and then send it to the larger community.” 

Nicoloff noted that the initiative has been a powerful tool for Berkeley citizens to act upon their concerns and hopes for the city.  

“We’ve done other initiatives in the past,” Nicoloff said. “I was co-author of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance, which passed with a very healthy majority in 1973.  

“We did a measure for parks that said if the city wanted to reduce any parks for recreation, they would need to put it on the ballot. We did a plan to install a street-diverter system. And they all went through.” 

Nicoloff feels strongly that lower height limits are essential to the character of the city. 

“I think people come to Berkeley because they enjoy the small town atmosphere, and because it makes a more pleasant environment for students to study here,” Nicoloff said. “So I think it’s in the interests of the community to keep the heights down.” 

The question of building heights, however, is not isolated from other questions, such as how to provide enough affordable housing. 

“People want all the parking, they want affordable housing, and they don’t want to raise building heights,” said city planner Andrew Thomas. 

It’s hard to figure out a way to have all three. Developers say that lower building heights will mean higher rents for those who live in the buildings, otherwise, they argue, building is not profitable enough.  

“Everybody agrees we want affordable housing,” Thomas said, “but the question is how do we do it.”  

The Planning Commission has settled upon a set of bonuses that will reward developers who provide additional affordable housing. There will also be arts bonuses for projects that include certain amounts of facility space for fine and performing arts in the Draft General Plan. 

“On the avenues we’re going to stick with the existing height limit,” Thomas said.  

“The downtown is becoming the test area for how we will administer the density bonus.” 

Becky O’Malley said she can see the value in what the affordable housing bonuses will do.  

“The important thing is that you encourage affordable housing by knocking the maximum height down by a story,” O’Malley said, “so that there is an incentive for these developers to build additional affordable housing.” 

When it is submitted for community approval by Nicoloff and others, the height limit initiative will “definitely” address the problem of how to have affordable housing and still keep heights down, Nicoloff said in a telephone interview Thursday morning. 

And just as Nicoloff considers lower heights essential to the character of the city, O’Malley thinks Berkeley might be a different place if affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce. 

“What people may not realize is that there will be a limit to the amount of space available in the future, and if you don’t specifically reserve some space for people who are not rich, we’ll have only expensive housing, And that will make for a very dull city,” O’Malley said. “That’s not why we moved to Berkeley.” 

The Planning Commission will look at the final draft of the completed Draft General Plan beginning June 13, before submitting it to the City Council for approval.

Time for a real third party 

Editor: 

Perhaps the hoopla over Senator Jeffords’ realignment to the Democratic Party was timed to try to obscure the fact that twelve Democratic Senators voted along with all the Republicans for Bush’s tax reduction for rich people. At a time when more money is needed for the Women-Infants-Children and Headstart programs, when Medicare and Social Security need to be financially reinforced, when the Reagan-Bush national debt needs to be paid off, twelve Democrats chose to give nearly half of the $1.35 trillion to the richest one percent. 

In doing so, those Senators have clearly demonstrated that the Democratic Party is not an opposing force to the self-serving Republicans. They are merely “Republicans-Lite.” I believe that ordinary Americans, most of whom won’t vote for either type of Republican, are now ready to support a real opposition party, if leaders would step forward. 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont

Many people call them “retarded.” In Russia, developmentally disabled people are “invalids.”  

In a small farming community called Svetlana (about 90 miles east of St. Petersburg) they are called “villagers.” 

They work the field, harvest potatoes, take them to market, and even build the buildings that make their village. They are part of a community organized by a few staff members and a trickling stream of volunteers in the rural Russian outback, where everyone learns from everyone else. 

A video portraying this life, “Svetlana: the Camphill Experience in Russia,” will have its premiere screening on Saturday. Director Gunnar Madsen, and his brother and Svetlana resident Peter will be in attendance. 

Last Saturday Peter Madsen sat sitting in his brother’s kitchen in west Berkeley. After eight years running the farming village in Svetlana, the Palo Alto native has picked up a slight Russian lilt in his voice. It’s an accent that didn’t come easily. 

“When I did finally learn to speak Russian, I was amazed that they couldn’t conceptualize someone who would come from so far just to help,” Madsen said of his neighbors. “They laughed.” 

Developmentally disabled people in Russia are often ostracized, erroneously thought of as the result of an alcoholic pregnancy. Peter came to Svetlana because he had heard of the village that takes these children and adults and puts them to work. He discovered these “villagers” are vital for the community’s long-term growth. 

Gunnar said he had always wanted to visit his brother in his Russian home, but was not too thrilled about traveling halfway around the world to go to an impoverished Russian potato farm populated by disabled people.  

Then he got a call from his mother. The farm needed funds, and Gunnar, a singer and founding member of the a cappella group The Bobs, had some experience making videos. Gunnar’s trepidation turned to excitement. “If I could go and help my brother with a movie, then it was a grand adventure and I couldn’t wait to buy the ticket. I’m going to Russia, to meet these amazing people. Yahoo! As soon as I had a task that would lead me to it, then it was fine.” 

Gunnar admitted that he was still afraid of meeting the community of mentally handicapped people, with visions of spooky insane asylums in his head. Upon arrival all his fears melted away.  

“Half these people are disabled, but aside from a few Down syndrome people, you couldn’t tell who is or who isn’t. The lines are not that clearly drawn. Then it starts to sink in: Of course the lines are not clearly drawn, we’re all people, and we all have our disabilities. And this happened after 10 minutes of being there.” 

The “Camphill Experience” in the title of the video is a reference to an education and community model begun by an Austrian pediatrician and educator named Dr. Karl Koenig who, in 1939, fled from the Nazis to Scotland. There, on an estate called Camphill, he began a community for developmentally disabled children. His educational system focused on the villagers’ abilities, rather than their weaknesses. Mixing staff and volunteers with the villagers in all the communal work allows them to teach and learn from each other.  

The original Camphill serves as a rough model for a network of Camphill communities throughout the world. There are almost 100 schools, villages, farms and institutions bearing the Camphill name in 20 countries.  

Peter Madsen said mixing the more intelligent and efficient people with the “villagers” is critical to the success of the community. Social activities are recognized as of equal importance as daily chores, and the villagers input is regarded with the same gravity as that of village organizers. 

“I thought it would be all the intellectually capable people that drive the thing forward,” said Gunnar. “Like, ‘Let them bake the bread while we figure out the finances for next year.’ But they’re included in the meetings. If you just had intellectual people in there, we start to get lost in ourselves.” 

“When are we going to have another picnic?” is one of the vehement interruptions you might hear from a villager in a meeting. “And that becomes the main topic of discussion,” Peter said. “Which one of us would have put our foot down and said, ‘It’s time for our picnic’? It becomes an imperative. And they’re right.” 

Just as the film is a portrait of the Svetlana community, it is also pushing the hard sell. The Russian village is looking toward America for funds because charity in Russia, still in the wake of socialism, is almost unheard of. American industry is quickly descending on the newly opened Russian market, but philanthropic moneys for charity organizations are not forthcoming. 

Peter says he is beginning to seek grants. However, grant money is only given to organizations that have proven nonprofit status, which is difficult to do from Russia because the government has no official standards for non-profit organizations. 

There is a Camphill community in Northern California – just outside Santa Cruz – which might seem more hospitable than a Russian potato farm. But Peter Madsen says their challenges are much different. “Theirs is with schmoozing with municipal health departments and proving themselves the better of the many good options for handicapped people,” said Peter. “And that’s maybe why it’s so exciting to see what is happening in Camphill in Russia right now because it is so pioneering.” 

Peter Crimmins is the producer of “Film Close-Ups” on KALX radio in Berkeley.

The eighth-seeded Cal softball team lost the opening game of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday, falling 3-2 to top-seeded Arizona in Oklahoma City, Okla. 

The game was a classic pitcher’s duel for the first five and a half innings, as Cal’s Jocelyn Forest matched zeroes with Arizona ace Jennie Finch. In fact, Forest didn’t give up a hit until the bottom of the sixth. 

But in the bottom of the sixth, Arizona’s Erika Hanson and Nicole Giordano reached on singles, and Toni Mascarenas homered to left field to give her team a 3-0 lead. 

The Bears got right back in it in the top of the seventh, as Candace Harper started the inning with a single to center. That brought up Cal slugger Veronica Nelson, possibly the nation’s most feared hitter. Nelson came through with a bomb over the left field fence to cut the Arizona lead to 3-2.  

Courtney Scott followed with a walk, putting the tying run on base. But Eryn Manahan and Amber Phillips both hit into fielder’s choices, and Mikella Pedretti struck out swinging to end the game. 

The Bears must now win three straight games to reach the double-elimination tournament’s championship game. They will face No. 4 Michigan, which lost 2-0 to Oklahoma in the first round, on Saturday at 11 a.m.

To the applause of a contingent of seniors, the City Council adopted a new and improved taxi subsidy program Tuesday that guarantees cab drivers full and timely payment for transporting seniors and the disabled. 

The council approved the modified service, called the Paratransit Taxiscrip Program, unanimously. The new program raises the fare value of the scrip coupons, increases the frequency of coupon redemption for cash and sets a minimum fare of $5 for drivers who pick up scrip riders. 

The program subsidizes taxi transportation for Berkeley  

residents who are disabled or residents who are disabled or over 70 years old.  

The city provides scrip riders with a certain amount of free coupons each quarter, after which they pay 25 to 45 percent of the face value of the coupon, depending on their economic status. Currently the program serves about 700 Berkeley residents. 

The new plan, which begins July 2, will be expanded to include all cab companies that operate in Berkeley instead of the previous practice of contracting scrip service from just three or four companies. 

“I think the city manager and the City Council did a good job in putting together this new program,” said Margot Smith a co-convener of the Berkeley Gray Panthers.  

“Hopefully, with better and more frequent pay, the service will be better also.” 

The Housing Department, which manages the program, made the modifications in response to reports from the Commission on Aging and the Commission on Disability that claimed cab drivers were increasingly refusing to pick up senior and disabled scrip fares.  

The reports claimed drivers were disgruntled with the program because they could only redeem coupons for 90 cents on the dollar and there were often delays in receiving payment, because the city was accepting the coupons only once a month. 

In addition cab company owners were displeased because they were required by the city to carry broader insurance coverage and therefore pay higher premiums to participate in the program. 

Drivers also complained that seniors and disabled fares often traveled only short distances and that they required extra service such as carrying shopping bags and loading and unloading wheel chairs and walkers. 

The result was that drivers were showing up late or not at all for scrip riders.  

In April the council heard from several seniors who told horror stories about being stranded for hours at supermarkets and missing long-awaited doctors’ appointments because of the bad service.  

Under the new plan all drivers and owners will be able to go to the city’s Finance Service Center at 2020 Center St. and turn in their scrip coupons for full value of the fare.  

“Starting July 2, we’re going to start redeeming the coupons two days a week, and work toward five days a week,” said Interim Housing Director Stephen Barton. “We’re starting slowly, one step at a time.” 

The new program also sets the minimum scrip fare at $5. Barton said the city will pay the difference for fares less than that amount.  

He estimated that the guaranteed minimum will cost the city about $1,000 a year. 

According to a Housing Department staff report, the cost of the modifications will add approximately $20,000 to the program’s budget, which was $175,000 for this fiscal year. The report says there may be additional charges for administration of the redemption program. 

According to Roy Phelps, senior field representative for the Finance Department, the initial response from cab companies has been positive.  

“It remains to be seen how the new program will work because we haven’t implemented anything yet,” he said. “But I expect service will get better.” 

Many seniors were distressed in November when Bay Area Luxor Cab Company wanted to pull out of the program because it was losing money.  

The small six-cab company run by Nemat Modarresi and his wife Mahin Rajabi was considered by many to offer the best service.  

“They are the best company in Berkeley,” said COD Commissioner Karen Rose. 

“They show up when they say they will and they screen their drivers so they’re always friendly.” 

Rajabi said the modified scrip program sounds good, but said she is waiting for her husband to return from a trip out of the country before deciding to participate again. 

COD Commissioner Karen Craig said she was glad to hear about the changes in the program, but has concerns. She said the redemption system has to be run efficiently, otherwise drivers will waste too much time standing in line at the Finance Department, which will be discouraging. 

She also said she would like to see mandatory sensitivity training for cab drivers “because they can often be inconsiderate and rude to scrip riders, who have few defenses.” 

A Berkeley cab driver, who asked not to be identified, said he agreed with the idea of training. “There should be training for cab drivers,” he said. “The elderly and the disabled can be very aggressive and unpleasant and training would help us with dealing with them.”

Editor: 

The definitive book on urban layout and its relationship to transit, bicycling, pedestrian environments and health and availability of nearby natural environments is “Sustainability and Cities - Overcoming Automobile Dependence” by Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy. 

If we are interested in solving our energy problems, take a close look at page 101. Two graphs there show the results of studies of 45 cities around the world. The most important variable in relation to energy consumption - and the graphs illustrate this dramatically - is the degree of sprawl of cities.  

Low density urban development means massive flows of energy, not just for cars, but for climate modification in buildings (heating and cooling) and manufacturing of all the sprawl related material stuff society generates. The very structure of flat city requires cars and enormous energy consumption for any meaningful participation in city life. Low-density development means more metals and concrete in longer pipelines and more wires, as well as more streets and roads, more energy required to pump water and fuels, more line losses in electricity distribution. Even lighting energy figures in that our cities light up millions of acres of the country every night so that cars drivers can feel comfortable wandering the surface of dear Mother Earth burning fuel. We loose the very stars above to sprawl and the glare of street lighting on air pollution from burning transport fuels and firing up power plants. 

Back to the graphs. We see American cities average the lowest density and highest energy consumption. Australian and Canadian cities are a little more dense and use less energy. European cities: more dense and using less energy yet. And finally Asian cities: most dense and most energy conserving of all the 45 cities studied by Kenworthy and Newman. 

The proportions knock your socks off. European cities are about 3.5 times more energy efficient than American Cities. Asian cities range from about 6 to 20 times more energy efficient! This I think is amazing information that should be taken very seriously. It is even more impressive when we see that many European cities are wealthier than American cities and when we realize that even the least automobile dependent of European and Asian cities are still nonetheless ringed with significant sprawl development preventing the efficiency ratios from being even more dramatic. 

When we begin to see how fundamental city structure is in relation to energy consumption we begin to see just how far off base some of the best, most conscientious students of energy alternatives can be.  

The “energy efficient car,” for example: it helps create the energy squandering sprawl that grows as people drive farther for less money per mile - and feel good about doing something for the environment! Thus the energy efficient car creates the energy inefficient city. Paradox? No, we just are not paying attention to the structure of cities, the largest of all human creations. 

Big oversight! Some of us are trying to wake people up to this reality. In Berkeley Ecocity Builders, the organization of which I am President, has gathered more than 50 local non-profits and businesses that feel the time has come to begin rethinking how we shape or own city. We call our package of four policies for the General Plan the “Ecocity Amendment.” Citizens concerned about energy should be considering such changes that allow us to reshape our land uses and actually begin removing buildings in automobile-dependent, low density areas, especially where conflicting with agriculture and natural environment restoration.  

Development should be transferred instead, and steadily into the future, toward gradually increasingly dense and diverse pedestrian and transit centers. We need to “infill” in centers and “unfill” in low density areas. If that happens we will be building a foundation for a sane and healthy energy policy - at last!  

Richard Register  

Berkeley

By Judith Scherr 

Daily Planet staff 

Two buildings at Berkeley High School were evacuated at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday after a drilling rig working on a high school construction project hit a high-pressure gas pipe at Milvia and Kittredge streets, fire officials said. 

PG&E had “squeezed off” the 4-inch pipe’s gas flow by 4:30 p.m. and gas service was expected to be restored to the six affected customers by about 7:30 p.m., said PG&E spokesperson Jennifer Ramp. 

Berkeley Police closed off nearby streets and advised people near the site of the escaping gas to remain indoors. Gas could be smelled as far away as three blocks from the rupture, at Shattuck Avenue and Allston Way. 

The exact cause of the accident is unclear at this point. Project manager Bob Arntz of Arntz Brothers, working on a BHS project near the ruptured pipe, was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.  

Normally, when a project is undertaken, the construction company will procure utility maps from Underground Service Alert (USA), Ramp said. 

“We were definitely marked,” said Ramp, who had obtained that information from PG&E personnel at the site of the accident. Ramp explained that utility pipes are marked above ground with paint, with the depth clearly indicated. 

PG&E’s Health, Safety and Claims Department investigates such incidents and determines responsibility, which can lead to a legal process, said PG&E spokesperson Jonathan Franks.

Daily Planet Staff 

Today at 12:30 p.m. UC Berkeley will be conducting a test of its emergency public siren system. 

The university plans to use the system to warn the campus community of imminent power outages, in case it becomes subject to them. 

Three different sounds will be heard within a 1-2 mile range of the university: first the sound of a fire engine, then the alternating high/low siren sound, then there will be a third sound. There will be pauses between the warning sounds and announcements will follow via a loud-speaker system. The university decided to make sure its warning system is in working condition, even though it has asked Pacific Gas & Electric for an exemption from the rotating outages. “We appealed in December,” said UC Berkeley spokesperson Glenda Rubin. “We believe certain research and other campus functions could be severely affected.” 

There has been no response to the appeal, Rubin said. 

If the university becomes subject to the outages, PG&E has promised to give some advance warning so that the university can activate its emergency sirens, alerting persons not to use elevators and to take other precautions. The power outages at the university are expected to affect only the university and not the surrounding areas, although the sirens will be heard in other parts of the community.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco vehicle exhaust may soon smell like french fries with the opening of the first public pumping station for biodiesel, a vegetable oil-based fuel, in a major city. 

The alternative fuel station opened Wednesday, a day after a similar station opened in Sparks, Nev. 

The fuel, made from either soybean oil or recycled vegetable oil from restaurants, avoids the release of carbon monoxide and the small particles released by burning traditional diesel. It doesn’t cut down on smog-causing nitrogen oxide, however. 

Diesel engines can use the fuel without any modification, and it contributes to the life of the engine by increasing lubrication so moving parts won’t break down as easily, said Robert Skinner, a spokesman for World Energy Alternatives, the company providing biodiesel to the San Francisco station. And, yes, it does make the exhaust smell like french fries. 

The station offers 100 percent biodiesel fuel, but a fuel made with 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent petroleum diesel, is available at other facilities. 

Biodiesel has some drawbacks. It’s more expensive than regular diesel, selling for about $3.15 a gallon in San Francisco and about $1.62 a gallon in Sparks. It also causes a slight drop in fuel economy. 

The fuel is used primarily by fleets of vehicles such as school buses, Skinner said. “We’ve got about 60 large-scale fleets using biodiesel, from the U.S. Air Force to the New Jersey transit system,” he said. 

Biodiesel can help federal fleets meet a regulation requiring them to reduce their annual petroleum consumption 20 percent by 2005. 

The federal government estimates sales of the fuel reached 6.7 million gallons in 2000 and could reach 20 million gallons this year. 

Prices have come down, in part because of a subsidy for soybean biodiesel producers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Biodiesel dates back more than 100 years, and peanut oil was the first type of fuel used by Rudolf Diesel to power his first engine in 1895. 

“As we move into a time when petroleum is not so readily available, we’re turning back the clock,” Skinner said. “It’s the most effective greenhouse gas reduction technology for existing engines.” 

On the Net: 

California Transportation Program: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/ctips.htm 

Bluewater Network: www.earthisland.org/bw/bwnhome.shtml 

National Biodiesel Board: http://www.biodiesel.org/

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s deaf and disabled telephone customers will continue to receive their specialized phone service through MCI Worldcom until October 2002, state regulators announced after a 3-2 vote Thursday. 

The decision came despite appeals from dozens of deaf and disabled phone users who told the Public Utilities Commission they would prefer Sprint as their primary provider. 

“The feeling is that the deaf community is voiceless,” customer Julie Rems-Smario said through an interpreter after the vote.  

“Not one deaf person spoke in support of MCI.” 

MCI has been the primary provider of relay phone service – which uses an operator to translate a conversation into type or speech – to roughly 250,000 users statewide.  

The second extension of MCI’s contract will end in October, offering competitors a chance to win the contract. 

Had MCI lost its contract, the city of Riverbank would forfeit 500 jobs, Assemblyman Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, told the PUC.  

The Central Valley city of 16,000 already faces high unemployment rates, he said. 

The PUC needed to assign a one-year contract because a proposal for a new long-term deal from the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program could take at least a year to be completed. The lack of overlap would have left customers with no service. 

The Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program is funded with a surcharge on California telephone bills and provides special equipment to help deaf and disabled customers use the phone. 

PUC President Loretta Lynch said at the end of bidding, MCI’s bid appeared slightly cheaper than Sprint’s. 

Phone calls to Sprint and MCI were not immediately returned. 

Lynch said the company had improved its service since assuming the contract nearly five years ago. 

Customers were not so impressed.  

They said Sprint has gone out of its way to work with them by adding relay service in Spanish and providing a separate phone number to access the service. 

“Imagine yourself if any of you became deaf? How would you communicate using the telephone?” customer Ken Arcia asked the PUC. “Sprint is the only relay service with a dedicated number (for deaf and disabled users), so that I don’t have to tell an operator each time. That makes it a faster call.” 

Those kinds of arguments swayed some commissioners. 

“I’m fully aware of the potential for job loss,” said Commissioner Richard Bilas, who voted against the decision noting he’d received many phone calls and e-mails in favor of Sprint.  

“My main priority is to all California users of this service. 

Commissioner Henry Duque, who voted for the decision, pointed out that consumers could still use a different company if they wished. 

“I truly believe the current state of service has improved chiefly because of the presence of choice,” Duque said. 

On the Net: 

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov 

http://www.deafvoice.com 

SAN FRANCISCO — Rolling blackouts could hit some California businesses and residents more frequently this summer as the number of customers exempted from the outages continues to grow. 

The pool of ratepayers available for rolling blackouts has shrunk as hospitals, public transportation systems and even some cities have won the right to keep their electricity flowing when energy supplies falter. 

Nursing homes, water-filtration systems and organ-donor labs are among the thousands of businesses lobbying the state Public Utilities Commission for similar “public safety” exemptions – as are amusement parks and baseball stadiums. 

The more exemptions, the more blackouts for businesses and residents not fortunate enough to live next to a hospital or otherwise share a circuit with an exempt customer. 

“Every ’essential customer’ we have will thrust more blackouts on others,” PUC Commissioner Richard Bilas said Thursday. 

When rolling blackouts sweep across California, utilities must steer clear of institutions the PUC deems “essential services,” a list that includes hospitals, prisons, military bases and electric trains. 

Half of the electricity used at times of highest demand this summer is now off-limits to rolling blackouts, said Jonathan Lakritz, an aide to PUC Commissioner Carl Wood. 

Of the other half, the Independent System Operator wants the emergency outages it declares to be spread among at least 40 percent, so that no single customer bears too much of the burden. Blackouts are declared when the ISO, keeper of the state’s power grid, fails to find enough energy supplies to meet demand. 

“Forty percent is the magic number,” Lakritz said. “You wouldn’t want to be in a situation where the same person is blacked out day after day and all day long.” 

That leaves room for about 10 percent more of the state’s power users on the PUC’s coveted list of exempted “essential services.” And all sorts of customers are clamoring for relief. 

A bill heard this week in the Senate Energy Committee would exempt millions of additional residential users who live in climates that routinely reach 105 degrees. 

“They are just very afraid,” the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, told the Senate Energy Committee. “It’s just damn hot and they’re afraid it will overwhelm them.” 

Southern California Edison Co. said 35 percent of its customers would bear the brunt of rolling blackouts if all areas that reached 105 degrees within the utility’s territory were exempt. 

Customers of public utilities are increasingly off limits as well. Palo Alto, Alameda and other cities which generate or buy their own electricity have developed conservation plans to avoid triggering blackouts for their customers by sharply reducing power use when supplies are tight, and are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an official exemption. 

The city of Lodi has spent millions on long-term power contracts that were expensive at the time, but now seem cheap. It therefore has abundant electricity for its customers, and refuses to participate in statewide rolling blackouts. 

“A utility that planned properly shouldn’t be part of this, ’let’s share the pain thing,”’ said Alan Vallow, Lodi’s electrical utility director. 

Faced with growing demand for exemptions, the PUC has asked all California businesses to file requests by June 1. By early August – after two full months of hot summer weather, critics point out – it plans to exempt those that demonstrate the greatest value to public health and safety. 

The PUC hopes having open applications will alert them to potential hazards they might not have considered. Without constant power, factories that produce vital vaccines or medicines could fall behind production, or chemical storage plants could rupture, commissioners said. 

The delay frustrates groups such as the California Association of Health Facilities, which since April has asked the PUC for an exemption for the 1,300 nursing homes and convalescent centers it represents statewide that are not covered under the hospital exemption. 

“We’ve got ventilators, we’ve got oxygen, we’ve got feeding tubes,” said Betsy Hite, spokeswoman for the group. Their equipment “is so closely mirroring a hospital it’s just ridiculous.” 

Kathy Zeitcheck, director of nursing at St. Francis Extended Care in Hayward, said losing the air conditioning would endanger frail patients with high blood pressure and respiratory ailments. 

“They don’t have any fat on their arms and legs and body; they don’t have the natural insulation that you and I do,” Zeitcheck said. “So of course they’re not going to be able to cool off as you or I would.” 

Water agencies are also in line for an exemption, saying they can’t provide water to hospitals and emergency workers without electricity to power the pumps – demonstrating the challenge regulators face as they determine which pieces of the puzzle are vital for public safety. 

“Maybe an outage is only for an hour. But potentially, water systems could be down for two days while we go through all the checks and balances,” said Jennifer Persike-Becker, spokeswoman for the Association of California Water Agencies.

SACRAMENTO — Sen. James Jeffords’ defection from the Republican party could boost California’s clout in Washington and help the state’s quest for price caps on wholesale electricity. 

With Jeffords as an Independent, Democrats will control the Senate for the first time since 1994 – a boon for this largely Democratic state where leaders have complained of being ignored by the Republican White House. 

“All in all, it’s a big win for California because it seemed as if we were sort of being written off,” said Nancy Snow, a political scientist at the University of California at Los Angeles. 

Now, California’s two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, likely will take over the chairmanships of key subcommittees and enjoy the clout that comes with the majority party. 

Other Democrats also will take leadership posts in most Senate committees, including the energy and appropriations panels that are pivotal to the nation’s most populous state. 

“On most resource issues, whether it’s water, forestry or air, this is a big plus for California because we are on the same wavelength with most of the Democratic leadership,” said Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat. 

On energy, Feinstein would gain an ally at the helm of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which had been chaired by Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, who declined to take up issues at the heart of the state’s energy crisis. 

Now, the committee will be led by Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., a supporter of Feinstein and Davis’ request for federal price controls on wholesale electricity. 

Feinstein said that with Bingaman’s help, the price caps bill she cosponsored could win Senate approval – a slim possibility under Republican control. 

“I’m optimistic that this change will bode well for California,” said Feinstein. 

Feinstein is the ranking Democrat on the military construction subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. If she becomes chairwoman, she could influence the spending of federal money on defense contracts and help prevent the closure of military bases in California. 

She also is in line for the same position on the technology, terrorism and government information subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. 

Meanwhile, Boxer is the senior Democrat on the Superfund, waste control and risk assessment subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the international operations and terrorism subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

California also could gain an edge in securing more funding for programs including housing criminal illegal immigrants and a joint federal-state pact to resolve the state’s water wars. 

“The chances of just getting California’s fair share of our tax dollars that go to Washington increase dramatically,” Maviglio said. 

Plus, the shift could infuse new life into the Democratic party and force Republican leaders in Washington to consider its proposals. 

“Nobody was really interested in talking to the Democrats because there was no majority there,” Snow said. “Now it’s like they’ve got a heartbeat now, whereas we were looking for signs of life just a couple of days ago.” 

SAN RAFAEL — The first release of a sexually violent predator in California was delayed Thursday when a judge said he didn’t know enough to be sure the serial rapist wouldn’t commit more crimes. 

Marin County Superior Court Judge John S. Graham blasted Atascadero State Hospital, the state Department of Mental Health and the state’s Conditional Release Program for failing to adequately prepare for Patrick Ghilotti’s impending release. 

“I can’t point to anything that he’s done or hasn’t done that could be blamed,” Graham said after Ghilotti’s psychiatrists testified in a four-day hearing that with a strict monitoring program, he could be set free. 

The judge had sharp questions for the state bureaucrats at the hearing, who said they aren’t ready to provide the kind of monitoring needed to ensure Ghilotti isn’t a danger to society. 

Just because Ghilotti “looks like a sufficiently dangerous ogre in the abstract and should never be released ... isn’t the reason for not following the law,” Graham said. 

Ghilotti, 45, claimed he successfully completed California’s sexual predator treatment program and deserves to be released. The judge agreed that “he has done extremely well,” but he criticized Atascadero for not providing hard evidence that his treatment has been successful. 

“Their opinions ... that Mr. Ghilotti is currently releasable to the community are not ... supported by careful work and evaluation,” he said. 

Ghilotti would be the state’s first sexual predator released since a tougher law went into effect in 1996 required the most dangerous sex offenders to get at least two years of treatment after leaving prison. To date, all of these offenders have been recommitted every two years. 

“There may be some people who are so nervous about someone with Mr. Ghilotti’s history to be out in the community,” but keeping him locked up for the rest of his life may not be an option, Graham said. 

Ghilotti was convicted in 1978 of raping three San Rafael women. After his release from prison in 1986, he raped a Ross woman. By his own admission, he’s raped at least six other women. 

“I knew I needed treatment,” Ghilotti told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I knew I needed something. I knew my thinking wasn’t right.” 

He first received sex offender treatment at Atascadero State Hospital from 1979 to 1982. 

“His response to treatment at the time was at best lukewarm, and at times laced with denial,” according to Dr. Gabrielle Paladino, the hospital staff psychiatrist in charge of the sexually violent predator treatment program. 

Ghilotti was sent back to Atascadero in 1997, under the tougher sexually violent predator law, which enables the State Mental Health Department to recommit offenders every two years until they’re no longer deemed a threat. 

Ghilotti petitioned the court for conditional release near the end of his second commitment. If Judge Graham refuses to grant his request, Ghilotti will be up for recommitment again in December. 

Ghilotti’s victims are terrified about his possible release. 

The woman who still lives in Ross, who asked not to be identified, is now in her 60s and said that her life was permanently changed after Ghilotti broke into her home and sexually assaulted her in 1985. 

“He’s an angry, angry man, and he hates women, and he takes out his anger on women by raping them,” she said in an interview. “I don’t believe that attitude can change at all.” 

The woman said she still keeps a cell phone under her pillow and practices dialing 911 in the dark; her doors and windows are locked, and she keeps a light on all night. 

Another Ghilotti victim threatened suicide after receiving a phone message from a reporter. She may leave California if he’s released. 

But Paladino and other state psychiatrists believe he’s now safe, as long as he’s taking Lupron, a drug that reduces testosterone. 

“He’s a different animal on anti-androgens,” said Dr. Jay Seastrunk. “They think differently. They’re not plotting around to figure out how to have sex.” 

Ghilotti would continue getting Lupron injections every three months, and be subject to random drug tests and monitoring to make sure he doesn’t take steroids to counteract the effects, the psychiatrists said. 

Prosecutor Alan Charmatz argued that no community-based program has a clear plan to supervise Ghilotti. He also will need a job, housing, polygraph tests, individual and group counseling, and no one yet seems quite sure how to provide that, Charmatz said. 

Judge Graham urged all agencies involved to provide more details and report substantial progress at the next hearing, on August 1. 

As recently as February, hospital officials recommended that Ghilotti remain at Atascadero until such plans are solidified. 

But Dr. Douglas Korpi, the former director of the San Francisco-based Conditional Release Program, which would be responsible for monitoring Ghilotti, testified that the conditional release program would not be ready until they were forced to be, possibly with the judge’s order. 

“This is the first one who everyone agreed jumped through the hoops,” he said in court. “I’m a suspicious guy, and I tell you this guy is ready.” 

PASADENA — Nearly 25 years after an orbiting spacecraft caught the Red Planet “mugging” for the camera, NASA released the highest-resolution image yet of the so-called “Face on Mars.” 

The new picture, taken by the camera aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft on April 8 and released Thursday, shows the area in far sharper detail, but reduces any resemblance to a humanlike extraterrestrial. 

Since the Viking 1 orbiter first photographed the hill on Mars in July 1976, its facelike features have stirred the imagination of those who believe it was carved by an alien civilization.  

The face even played a minor role in the movie “Mission to Mars.” 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists say the interplay of light and shadow gave the hill the brooding anthropomorphic features that stood out in the Viking pictures. 

Michael Malin, principal investigator of the Global Surveyor camera, said the new images show the area to be nothing more than a hill. 

“I have no desire to discuss it with the true believers. They can’t be convinced, they don’t want to be convinced,” Malin said. 

NASA’s Global Surveyor last turned to photograph the face in April 1998. The spacecraft arrived in orbit around Mars in 1997 and began its extended mission in February. 

———  

On the Net: 

http://www.msss.com/mars—images/moc/extended—may2001/face/index.html 

LOS ANGELES — About seven of every 10 California voters believe the government allows pollution to disproportionately affect poor people and minorities, according to a poll released Thursday by an environmental group. 

The question was posed two different ways to 800 likely California voters. Seventy percent said agencies are more likely to allow polluting companies in low-income, minority neighborhoods; 64 percent said government officials were more likely to enforce environmental laws in high-income, mostly white neighborhoods. 

Environmental issues are “a new frontier for civil rights struggles,” said Joe Lyou, director of programs for the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, which released the survey. “There’s not a lot of awareness of the concept of environmental justice, but when you describe to them what it means, then they show concern about the issue.” 

Environmental and neighborhood groups are increasingly taking up the issue of pollution in low-income and minority neighborhoods – particularly in light of California’s power crunch. 

Some of the dozens of proposals for new power plants in the state have elicited charges of “environmental racism.” In the predominantly Latino city of South Gate, southeast of Los Angeles, an energy company withdrew its plan to build a power plant after voters rejected it in a nonbinding referendum in March. 

Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said that natural gas plant could have been the cleanest in the country, but “some community members felt the community already was suffering its fair share of air pollution.” 

Wallerstein, whose agency covers the Los Angeles air basin, said the district has stepped up efforts to respond to the “real and significant problem” of low-income neighborhoods with high pollution levels. 

The district is focusing clean-air improvements on disadvantaged areas, and recently approved rules aim to reduce diesel pollution from tractor trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles, which often drive through low-income areas. 

The survey, which covered a wide range of environmental issues, also found Latinos to be more environmentally minded than voters overall. For instance, 87 percent of Latinos and 71 percent of voters overall agreed that the Legislature needs to pass tougher environmental laws. 

The poll, conducted April 25-29, found that 88 percent of voters were at least somewhat concerned about the environment, and just over half were either extremely concerned or very concerned. 

Air pollution and fallout from the state’s power crisis were considered to be the most important problems. About a third of respondents said the government should relax pollution restrictions in light of the need for electricity, but 47 percent said current standards should be maintained even if it increases the possibility of rolling blackouts. 

The poll was conducted by the firm of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent. 

On the Net: 

www.clcveducationfund.org

SACRAMENTO — Californians are tossing more beer bottles and soda cans into the trash than they did a decade ago, instead of recycling them, according to a new state study. 

And most of those trendy water, sports drink, coffee and iced-tea bottles that were just added to the state’s recycling law are being discarded rather than recycled, the study found. 

To try to reverse the downward trend and convince Californians again that recycling is cool, the state’s recycling agency is launching a $10 million campaign that includes television ads showing a lowly plastic water bottle reborn as an orange buoy for a curvaceous female lifeguard. 

“We wanted to do something that was edgy, something that would get people to pay attention and at the same time something that was creative and just a bit funny,” said Mark Oldfield, spokesman for the state Department of Conservation. 

The department is releasing new recycling figures Thursday that are lower than expected, even considering the addition of a whole new group of glass and plastic bottles to the state’s 14-year-old recycling program. 

The overall recycling rate dropped from 74 percent in 1999 to 61 percent in 2000, which meant that Californians recycled 10.2 billion beverage containers and threw away six billion. Those unrecycled cans and bottles would circle the world nearly seven times, if put end-to-end, the department said. 

That 2000 rate was well below the law’s goal of 80 percent and below figures that rose as high as 82 percent in 1992. 

The department anticipated a drop in rates with the expansion of the recycling program last year to include 3.4 billion more bottles that people weren’t used to collecting and turning in. The law expanding the program therefore included the $10 million for an advertising and education program. 

However, officials did not expect such a large decrease. 

“We’re Californians. We’re supposed to know more about recycling,” says department Director Darryl Young. 

Even recycling-popular aluminum cans, which hit a high of 85 percent in 1991 and 1992, dropped to 76 percent. 

State officials say they don’t really know why recycling is down. They suspect the economy plays a part; recycling rates were highest during the recession of the early 1990s and dropped as good times returned. 

They also suspect Californian’s mobile lifestyle is a major factor. People who constantly carry around water or iced-tea drinks don’t always look for or find a recycling bin when the bottle or can is empty. 

The television and radio ads, in English and Spanish, aimed at reversing the trend start Monday in major cities around the state. 

Other TV ads show an aluminum can being kicked around, but then being transformed into a homer-hitting baseball bat and a bottle left under a couch at a party reincarnated as the glitter on a disco ball. 

The energy crisis is also providing new incentive to recycle. Making a can from recycled aluminum uses 95 percent less energy than making a new one. 

One recycled aluminum can could save enough energy to power a television for almost three hours, said Oldfield. 

He noted that 2.5 billion aluminum cans were discarded rather than recycled last year “and that’s a lot of TVs, toasters and microwaves.” 

On the Net: 

To learn about the state’s recycling program, go to: 

http://www.bottlesandcans 

.com

WASHINGTON — On a day of upheaval beneath the Capitol dome, Democrats snared control of the Senate on the strength of a party defection Thursday and pledged to temper President Bush’s agenda while advancing their own. “I can no longer” remain a Republican, said Vermont Sen. James Jeffords in a personal declaration of independence. 

“We intend to govern” in a spirit of fairness, said Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, the majority-leader-in-waiting and the nation’s highest-ranking Democrat. “We can’t dictate to them, nor can they dictate to us,” he said of the GOP. 

Daschle quickly signaled a shift in priorities, though, telling his rank and file that after the Senate completes the president’s bipartisan education legislation, the first Democratic piece of legislation will be a patients’ bill of rights measure, long stalled in the GOP Senate. 

“We will be acting and they will be reacting instead of the opposite,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the Republicans. 

Bush, suddenly confronted with a Democratic-controlled Senate, said he respected Jeffords, but “couldn’t disagree more,” with his charge that the administration was too conservative. 

While ducking blame for Jeffords’ defection, White House advisers acknowledged that the political landscape will change dramatically. Bush will now work harder than ever to court Democrats in the short term and help elect Republicans to Congress in 2002, they said. 

The Republican leader, Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, said he expected no change in his party’s leadership. But behind closed doors, a painful process of reckoning began for a party that held 55 seats as recently as last July, but now can claim only 49. Several GOP sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine, John McCain of Arizona and Pete Domenici of New Mexico all stressed a need for the party of conservatives to tolerate differing views. 

“We’ve just been through an earthquake here,” said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. “What we’re doing here is helping the survivors and pulling the wounded” to safety. 

His days as majority leader dwindling, Lott, R-Miss., began hustling several of Bush’s nominations to confirmation, including the controversial choice of Ted Olson to become solicitor general. 

But power already was flowing to the soft-spoken Daschle, 53 and six years the Democratic leader. Democratic aides said he wanted to let Olson come to a vote now rather than have a partisan floor fight in his party’s early days in the majority. 

Within hours of Jeffords’ announcement, Daschle also telephoned Bush, with whom relations have been frosty. The president angered the senator earlier in the year when he went to South Dakota to campaign for his tax cut without notifying the senator first. 

Eagerly anticipating a return to power, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts told reporters he hoped to move a minimum wage increase quickly; Maryland’s Sen. Paul Sarbanes scheduled a news conference to preview a Democratic agenda for the banking committee. 

Not all chairmanships were set. For example, it wasn’t clear whether Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware would choose to head the Foreign Relations Committee or Judiciary Committee. 

But one shift was certain: Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, 83, becomes president pro tem, third in line of succession to the presidency, replacing 98-year-old Republican Strom Thurmond. 

Jeffords’ announcement sent a wave of jubilation through the ranks of Democrats, consigned to the minority since 1994. 

“How does it feel to be in the majority?” former GOP Sen. Dan Coats asked Sen. Paul Wellstone when the two men crossed paths just off the Senate floor. “I can’t remember,” Wellstone, D-Minn., replied with a hearty laugh. 

Jeffords, 67, an amiable but determined moderate in a party grown ever more conservative, seemed an unlikely politician to be at the center of an unprecedented event. A supporter of abortion rights, the environment and education, he clashed with the administration over budget priorities earlier in the year. 

At a news conference in Burlington, Vt., he dismissed talk that he had been snubbed as a result, but he said, “Given the changing nature of the national party, it has become a struggle for our leaders to deal with me and for me to deal with them.” 

Jeffords said he would become an independent but side with the Democrats for organizational purposes, the critical distinction that hands them control. He said the switch would become effective as soon as Congress sends Bush his income tax cut, expected by week’s end. 

For all the high-minded rhetoric, the defection was the culmination of political dealmaking on all sides and moments of human emotion unusual in the Senate. 

Democrats agreed in advance to give Jeffords the chairmanship of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, a move that will require Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the party whip, to step aside. Kennedy, four decades a senator, said he, too, had signaled a willingness to give up his chairmanship of the education committee if Jeffords wanted to claim it. 

Republicans made a quick run at Georgia Democrat Zell Miller in hopes he would switch parties and throw the Senate back into a 50-50 tie, but he declined. 

They also mounted a last-ditch attempt to entice Jeffords back into the fold, including his meeting with longtime colleagues who stood to lose their committee chairmanships. Some lawmakers wept, according to participants in the session. 

“It was the most emotional time that I have ever had in my life, with my closest friends urging me not to do what I was going to do because it affected their lives very substantially,” Jeffords told his news conference. “I know, for instance, the chairman of the Finance Committee (Charles Grassley of Iowa) has dreamed all his life of being chairman. 

“He’s chairman a couple of weeks, and now he will be no longer the chairman.” 

WASHINGTON — As many as nine middle school students were strip-searched at a city jail during a visit arranged by a teacher and a school aide as a warning to misbehaving children, school officials said Thursday. 

The teacher, aide and three jail employees were placed on paid leave during investigations by the school district, city corrections officials and the FBI. None of the employees was identified. 

The pupils were visiting the jail as part of an in-school suspension because of misconduct. A school official said it wasn’t immediately clear if their behavior at the jail prompted teachers to request the search. 

“There’s nothing a child could do that could warrant that response – nothing,” said Steven Seleznow, who is leading the investigation for the school district. 

Joseph Bennett, 14, one of the boys from Evans who took the tour, said the students were taken to a processing area where guards told him and four others to go to another room and strip. 

“The officers said, ‘We’re going to make you take your clothes off like real prisoners,”’ Joseph, a seventh-grader, told The Washington Post. 

He said he removed his two T-shirts, jeans and shoes in front of his schoolmates, at least three corrections officers and one of the teachers. He said an officer removed the rest of his clothes. 

D.C. Superintendent Paul Vance said he was “horrified by the chain of events” surrounding the searches. “It nullifies, in effect, all of the great things I’ve been seeing in the school system over the past three years,” he said. 

Both Vance and Department of Corrections Director Odie Washington said they would support prosecution of the employees if investigations show they committed crimes. 

The jail workers showed “extremely poor judgment, perhaps an abuse of their authority,” in conducting the searches, he said. 

It was unclear whether the students were touched by guards or were stripped naked, Washington said.  

While Seleznow said nine of the 12 students may have been strip-searched, Washington said a preliminary investigation at the jail showed that only three students were told to remove their street clothes and don standard-issue jail jumpsuits. 

Washington said the students were not subjected to cavity searches, customary for prisoners being processed. 

Washington said school groups and professional organizations have toured the jail at a rate of three times per week since 1989. He said the program has been suspended.

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — Some hydrangeas beguile us with color changes that keep us guessing. Others awe us by climbing 60 feet and more to consort with squirrels and orioles in the trees. 

There are more than 100 species, so a gardener can experiment to his or her heart’s content with different kinds. Everybody knows the beautiful big globes of pink, blue or white, but a few are veritable kaleidoscopes in a single season. 

Hydrangeas come as small trees, too. 

Not the least of their talents, particularly the climbers, is their tolerance of at least some shade. But at the seaside, hydrangeas thrive in full sun. You see them everywhere in beach gardens. 

Hydrangeas do best in southern and central zones and are chancy farther north than Zone 5. In very cold areas, they’re grown in containers and sheltered in the winter. 

Beyond the familiar blue and the pink, some hydrangeas achieve their glory in full white. Much loved of these is oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), displaying pure white blooms as long as 15 inches in midsummer.  

These gradually turn pink, and later burgundy. This shrub has been hailed as possibly America’s finest. 

For a long time, people puzzled over what caused color changing in the big leaf variety (Hydrangea macrophylla), often called House hydrangea or French hydrangea. It looked like some kind of magic until scientists traced the phenomenon to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, known as the pH factor. 

In hydrangea culture, blue likes acidity while pink goes for alkalinity. To get blue you can treat the soil with aluminum sulfate, available at nurseries. Treatment with lime will favor pink. 

The grapefruit size of the globes and their brilliant colors account, of course, for their popularity.  

The climbers, on the other hand, have small flowers called “lacecaps” from their looks and are rivaled only by ivy for growing in deep shade. They thus make excellent coverings in difficult places like the shady side of a wall. 

In my country setting with many shade-casting trees, both bush and climbing hydrangeas have prospered. In this part of the Northeast, 50 miles north of New York City (between Zones 5 and 6), my plants have rarely suffered winter kill, and so I have not cut them way back or hilled or mulched them for protection. 

Deer, however, have regularly nipped in wintertime at limbs of a gorgeous oakleaf that we treasure, but not enough to harm it seriously. 

I’m particularly fond of two climbers of the Hydrangea petiolaris variety. One, planted many years ago, has climbed 50 feet up the bark of a towering Siberian elm.  

There are flowers at eye-level and lower, but my kick comes from using field glasses to spot the highest-dwelling lacecaps. 

I placed the second plant in a patio along a partly shady wall of my house about 10 years ago. It has become a magnificent vine, needing yearly pruning to keep it within bounds.  

Two years ago I bought a third H. petiolaris and planted it at the side of a shed where there is bright sunshine in the morning and deep shade in the afternoon. It has taken hold, but it will be a while longer before I see whether it climbs up the shed. Climbers take time to establish themselves. 

In our time-pressed era, the fastest way to have hydrangeas is to buy young plants from nurseries, but, once established, the plants can be propagated. One way is to dig up a mature clump in early spring, split it up with a shovel, and replant the divisions. Another is by layering. You scrape off a ring of bark from a low-lying limb and bury the exposed part. This will produce a new plant. 

NEW YORK — Stocks ended an uneven session with moderate gains Thursday as investors vacillated between optimism and fear about the economy. The market also was trying to determine the likely impact of the change in leadership in the Senate. 

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 16.91 at 11,122.42, after falling 60 points earlier in the session. 

Wall Street’s broader indicators followed the Dow’s path, advancing late in the session. The Nasdaq composite index rose 38.54 to 2,282.02, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index moved up 4.12 to 1,293.17. 

Thursday’s trading was choppy from the start when Vermont Sen. James Jeffords announced, as expected, that he is leaving the Republican party to become an independent, ending GOP control of the Senate. 

“Everyone is sort of going through their own analysis of what the effect the change in the legislature is going to have for various sectors in the market,” said Charles White, portfolio manager for Avatar Associates. 

But analysts said that the market’s fluctuation mostly came amid unease over the health of the economy. Investors were trading cautiously ahead of a speech Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was scheduled to deliver Thursday night before the Economic Club of New York. 

“The next quarter or two are going to be weak. We already know that. What we want to hear from the Fed chairman tonight is that the fourth quarter is going to bring recovery,” White said. “The reason we have been rallying (recently) is on the hopes and dreams of the fourth quarter.” 

Adding to investors’ nervousness about the economy was weak housing and employment news. The Commerce Department reported that new home sales posted their largest decline in four years in April as rising layoffs made Americans feel less secure about making big-ticket purchases. 

And the Labor Department said that new claims for state unemployment insurance rose more sharply last week than analysts expected. 

It was more difficult to gauge precisely how Jeffords’ move was affecting Wall Street, where some profit-taking had been expected following the market’s big runup since early last month. Stocks have advanced primarily because of the five interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. 

The Dow has jumped 1,732.94, an 18.5 percent increase, from its March low of 9,389.48. The Nasdaq has gained 461.18, or 25 percent, from its March low of 1,820.57. 

The market also can’t be expected to sustain such upward momentum as long as investors have reason to worry about the economy, said Alan Ackerman, executive vice president of Fahnestock & Co. 

“The averages moved too far too fast without any real strong earnings development,” Ackerman said. “The market has overreacted to the cumulative Fed rate cuts.” 

The economy and politics aside, stocks still managed to post widespread gains. Microsoft rose $2.02 to $71.72, and General Motors advanced $1.41 to $56.59. Home Depot moved up 83 cents to $53.45, and Intel rose 41 cents to $29.21. 

However, analysts said politics pulled down pharmaceutical and energy shares, sectors that typically benefit from a Republican Congress. Merck dropped $1.50 to $72.50, while Enron fell $1.19 to $54.16. 

The slowing economy hurt makers of semiconductor equipment, which reported late Tuesday that customer orders for April dropped 41 percent from March. Triquint Semiconductor plunged $4.22 to $20.59. 

Advancing issues traded nearly evenly with decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume was 1.31 billion shares, compared with 1.37 billion on Wednesday. 

The Russell 2000 index, which measures the performance of smaller companies stocks, rose 3.04 to 510.40. 

Overseas markets were mixed Thursday. Japan’s Nikkei stock average finished the day down 1.2 percent. In Europe, Germany’s DAX index rose 1.0 percent, Britain’s FT-SE 100 advanced 0.3 percent, and France’s CAC-40 gained 0.5 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 

SANTA CLARA — Three years before co-founding Intel Corp. in 1968, Gordon Moore predicted the number of transistors on a silicon chip would double every 18 months. 

More than 35 years later, “Moore’s Law” still describes growth in the high-tech industry, as more transistors lead to more processing punch, new products and greater demand for computer power. 

On Thursday, the Silicon Valley legend retired from the board of directors of Intel. He will continue serving as chairman emeritus and director emeritus but will no longer hold any voting power. 

After the company’s annual meeting – during which former Federal Communications Commission Reed Hundt was elected to the company’s board – Moore said he has no regrets about instituting a mandatory retirement age for directors. 

And Moore said he intends to remain at least as active in the company as he has been since giving up the chairmanship title in 1997. 

“I would miss it if I really backed away. This business is really exciting. It changes so fast,” he said. “If the alternative is staying home and taking out the garbage, I want to stay close to the industry.” 

Asked about his thoughts on the future, Moore pointed to the demands for greater processing power by scientists developing new drugs and consumers looking for better voice recognition software. 

Truth be told, he added, his opinions aren’t so important now. 

“I don’t have to worry so much about what’s going to happen anymore,” he said, seated next to Intel Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett and Chairman Andy Grove. “The 85,000 people at Intel can worry about that.” 

Moore said the current economic downturn that has hammered Intel and other high-tech companies won’t last forever. But, he added, no two downturns are alike. 

“You’ve got to be careful that you’re not like the generals who plan to fight the last war,” he said. “You’ve got to look at what the characteristics are. I don’t know how this one will play out.” 

Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel on July 18, 1968, shortly after leaving Fairchild Semiconductor. Noyce died of a heart attack in 1990. 

Experts expect Moore’s Law to hold true at least through the next decade. Moore himself said Thursday that it will ultimately be limited by engineers’ ability to make things smaller. 

“No exponential every goes on forever without some kind of disaster happening at the end. Sure it has a limit,” he said. “Materials are made of atoms, and we’re not too far from where that starts to bite us.” 

Moore originally published his prediction as a way to show that integrated circuits would become less costly and more powerful over time. 

That original idea has taken on a life of its own, he said. 

“Since then, sort of anything that changes exponentially in relation to the industry is called ’Moore’s Law,”’ he said. “And I’m perfectly happy to take credit for all of it.” 

On the Net: 

Intel Corp.: http://www.intel.com

LAFAYETTE – Contra Costa County health officials are completed a second day of clinic care and education Tuesday after an adult chaperone on a weekend camping trip was hospitalized with meningitis. 

Contra Costa County communicable diseases program manager Sirlura Taylor said county public health director Wendel Brunner and county health services director William Walker were both out talking to worried parents and children at Lafayette and Burton Valley elementary schools today. 

In addition, the officials scheduled a clinic at Lafayette to dispense prophylactic antibiotics until noon. 

Taylor said the antibiotics are being provided to anyone who had contact with the unidentified man, who has been hospitalized for meningococcal meningitis at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. Taylor said county health officials found out about the problem with the camping trip involving about 120 students in a call from the state health department Sunday night. 

She said school officials immediately began calling parents with children on the trip to let them know about the clinics Monday and today. 

Taylor said the disease is not a highly communicable one. 

“It's not like measles or chicken pox, which is highly airborne and infectious,” Taylor said. “Meningococcal disease is spread by direct contact, eating out of same plate, drinking out of same glass.” 

She said the reports of the disease this year have been widely publicized, however, even though its incidence is not particularly high this year 

“It's been in the media a lot,” she said. “Actually Contra Costa County has not had as many cases this year as last year.”

Gearing up for rolling blackouts, people are trying to save power by shutting down appliances 

OAKLAND – Paul Goettlich’s condo in the Oakland hills features vaulted ceilings and skylights, a sweeping view of San Francisco’s bay and state-of-the-art appliances. 

With the power crisis in full tilt, his dryer sits unused while he hangs clothes, sheets and towels on a wooden rack in the garage. 

“Maybe somebody doesn’t want to see somebody else’s underwear or bras hanging out,” Goettlich says. “But, hey, that’s life.” 

As the state gears up for rolling blackouts and hefty energy bills this summer, many Californians are changing their habits. The result: Surging sales of everything from low-energy light bulbs to fans to evaporative coolers that blow misty air. 

The Orchard Supply Hardware store a few miles down the road from Goettlich’s condo is having a hard time keeping clotheslines and retractable drying racks in stock. 

At the The Home Depot store in Colma, about 10 miles south of San Francisco, energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs are hot sellers, along with a $40 device called a Power Planner that’s said to cut energy use by appliances like refrigerators. 

At the Wal-Mart in the Southern California suburb of Brea, customers are buying blackout supplies along with fans and low-energy light bulbs. Flashlights, camping lanterns and oil lamps also are popular, according to manager Rebecca Smith. 

“We’ve quadrupled our fan sales this year, and it’s not even summer,” Smith said. “It doesn’t seem to matter what kind. People are buying all of them.” 

The rolling blackouts are proving a retail bonanza for some out-of-state companies, like St. Louis-based Emerson, which is selling twice as many ceiling fans in California than in any other state. 

“They’re energy efficient and use less electricity than a 100-watt bulb,” explains Emerson spokesman Walt Sharp. “They can make a room feel about seven degrees cooler without air conditioning by circulating the air. They can save up to 40 percent when used with air conditioning.” 

Industrial-sized floor fans — used in manufacturing areas and large warehouses — also are a hot commodity in California, he said. 

At Walnut-based Lights of America, sales of energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs have increased 700 percent since last year. And with state rebates and incentives for consumers to switch to the new bulbs, sales are expected to continue soaring, said Brian Halliwell, vice president of marketing sales. 

Most bulbs average from $6 to $10, with 50-watt compact fluorescent bulbs providing the same amount of light as 300-watt halogens, Halliwell said. 

The bulbs do, however, have a noticeable blue tinge, compared to most regular incandescent bulbs, said Bob Aldrich of the California Energy Commission. But the color can be changed or softened by using different lamp shades, he said. 

“Just about any light use that’s out there will take a compact fluorescent light,” Aldrich said. “People should be more worried about saving energy.” 

Shopping the light bulb display at The Home Depot in Colma, customer Linda Shintaku said she’s exploring all her options for conserving energy this summer. 

“We lowered the thermostat, and we’re trying not to turn lights on in rooms we’re not in,” Shintaku said. “I try to wash clothes at night during low-peak hours.” 

Energy experts note that homeowners can make the biggest dent in their power bills by switching to more efficient models of major appliances. 

But despite the advice and an array of rebate programs, Home Depot manager Jeff Benefield says consumers aren’t yet flocking in to replace energy-sucking appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers. People who are in the market for big appliances ask about Energy Star ratings, which bring rebates of up to $75, he noted. 

The new vogue for conservation has some ecology-conscious Californians shaking their heads. Berkeley resident Leona Benten has been hanging her clothes outside to dry long before the power crisis came along and she’s hoping the energy crisis will push others to change their habits and their attitudes. 

“It takes like two minutes,” Benten said. “I think that people have succumbed to incredible amounts of advertisements, and if it’s mechanized, it’s better.”

BELL GARDENS — Hundreds of people gathered Saturday for the unveiling of a new veterans memorial — a statue honoring 39 Hispanic Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. 

The statue is flanked by two obelisks to be engraved with the names of all 3,436 medal recipients. 

“We enjoy the blessing of peace because of the ongoing sacrifice of millions of veterans,” Mayor Ramiro Morales said during the Memorial Day weekend tribute. “Today we are honoring the courage and patriotism of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.” 

The statue is believed to be the only existing memorial to any specific ethnic or racial group among medal recipients. Another memorial to Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients, to be placed in downtown Los Angeles, is in the planning stages. 

“Hispanic Americans played an important role in the defense of our country,” Morales said. “The Hispanic American Veterans Memorial is long overdue.” 

According to U.S. Census figures, 93 percent of residents in the city 18 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles are Hispanic. 

More than 500 spectators lined the streets surrounding the memorial waving American flags as the monument was unveiled. 

Designed by Peruvian sculptor Alfredo Osorio, the statue features an angel holding a laurel wreath skyward while cradling a wounded soldier. 

“There are those few, in the face of extreme danger, who will step up and be guided by the angels,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca told the spectators. “And they will do tremendously heroic deeds.”

BERKELEY — Knowledge is power; information technology is power savings, say University of California scientists who are responding to the state’s energy crisis by teaching buildings to be smarter consumers. 

“The potential for this technology ... is huge,” said A. Richard Newton, dean of UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering. 

Berkeley scientists demonstrated their new technology Friday, showing how a network of tiny computers scattered throughout a campus building can keep tabs on light and heat. 

More than 50 of the microcomputers, called “smart dust motes” and each about the size of a matchbox, have been installed in corridors and corners throughout Cory Hall on the Berkeley campus.  

The devices have wireless radio transmitters and receivers and a tiny operating system that allows them to network and report back to a central computer.  

They work on battery and solar power and currently cost about $100 a unit to produce. The goal is to produce them at $1 apiece. 

For Friday’s demonstration, engineering professor Kris Pister used information from the dust motes to generate a computerized graph showing minute-to-minute light and temperature use in a particular room. 

Looking at his own lab, Pister pointed out that a drop in the line tracking light occurred around sunset, followed by a sharp peak shortly after midnight when a hardworking student turned on the light to do some work. 

The sensors are capable of using wireless signals to turn off large air conditioning units on the roof of the building to save power and then monitoring rooms in the building to make sure sensitive equipment such as computers aren’t getting too hot.  

Turning off equipment during peak load hours could be done by hand, but having the sensors in charge makes the conservation measures automatic and much more efficient, Pister said. 

Ultimately, the tiny computers could include motion detectors which would turn off power to a room if it were vacant for a certain period of time and turn it back on when someone re-entered.  

Not incidentally, scientists are working with privacy experts on some of the social aspects of this technology. 

This summer, with a state energy crunch looming, scientists plan to use the sensors to conserve at Cory Hall on a regular basis and to turn off all nonessential equipment when electricity officials issue warnings that they’re running out of energy.  

The sensors also can help shift use of energy intensive equipment, like the 40-ton air chillers on the building’s roof, to nighttime, when energy use throughout the state drops.  

Sensor readings taken during the day will help forecast how long the chiller needs to run at night to get the building cool enough to last without air conditioning in the day. 

Although they’re still in the development stage, the devices could one day be installed in homes, allowing owners to call up their energy use on a computer and see how much each appliance, from nightlight to refrigerator, is costing to run at any particular moment. 

“People really have no idea where electric power is actually being burned in their homes or offices,” Pister said. 

Using the devices throughout campus could generate a savings of up to $900,000 a year, Pister said. 

Pister, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is the developer of the sensors, part of a larger project he calls smart dust. 

Eventually, he hopes to produce sensors no bigger than a grain of sand.  

Applications for that – which sound 22nd-century, but could be only 10 years away, scientists say – could include dumping a handful into a bucket of paint and painting sensors on the wall. 

Pister now has a device smaller than an aspirin that will transmit some data but isn’t as reliable as the matchbox models. 

The smart energy technology is being developed at Berkeley’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, a public-private partnership between four UC campuses and more than 20 corporate partners.  

UC officials hope to receive $33 million in state funding this year, although they are waiting to see whether that will survive budget-cutting now going on in Sacramento. 

On the Net: 

http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/(tilde)pister/SmartDust/

SACRAMENTO — State lawmakers are wondering if those book-laden backpacks that many kids must lug to school are hurting their backs. 

The Assembly approved a bill Thursday that asks state school and health officials to study whether carrying heavy backpacks can cause spinal damage. 

Many schools have removed lockers because of drug and security concerns, meaning students must carry all their books around all day. 

The author, Assemblyman Rod Pacheco, R-Riverside, said his 6-year-old daughter carries a book bag that seems to weigh as much as she does. 

People from other planets will visit California some day and find “people with curvature of the spine and they’re going to think we’re gnomes,” said Assemblywoman Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Chino. 

The bill was sent to the Senate by a 59-1 vote. 

On the Net: 

Read the bill, AB1030, at http://www.sen.ca.gov