While last year’s study by the city’s Health Department uncovered shocking statistics on the disparities between the longevity and health of hill-dwelling whites compared to flatlands’ minorities, one Berkeley program has found what could be the key to turning those numbers around. 

The answer’s not in a complex biotechnical discovery. Rather, it’s old as mothers themselves – breast milk. 

Breast-fed babies benefit from the anti-bodies their moms pass on to them, said Dr. Vicki Alexander, who heads the Health Department’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division. In an interview at Cedar-Rose Park, where a group of breast-feeding moms and public health staff gathered Tuesday, Alexander said breast-fed babies are healthier, not only in their infancy, but throughout life. “There is less asthma, fewer ear infections,” she said. 

“And they are more content,” chimed in Ido Weiss, standing nearby. Weiss is a mother of four, including 4-month old Noa, whom she is breast-feeding. 

The Tuesday picnic was sponsored by the city’s WIC program. Women, Infants and Children is a U.S. Department of Agriculture project that offers low-income pregnant and nursing mothers and their young children food vouchers as well as health education programs. 

Berkeley WIC has a unique project, funded last year by The California Endowment. Under the guidance of Ellen Sirbu, 35-year city employee, who has been at the helm of the WIC program since it came to Berkeley 26 years ago, a peer-counseling program has been put in place, pairing trained coaches, most of them former WIC recipients, with new moms. Over one year, counselors see more than 2,000 women, supporting them in person and by phone. Many are seen soon after giving birth at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. 

Many are educated even before they deliver their babies. 

Yvonne Dugue, expecting her first baby in the middle of next month, came to the picnic directly from one of WIC’s classes for expectant mothers. The class was especially important to Dugue, who said she wasn’t breast-fed herself and did not grow up around breast-feeding moms. At the class breast-feeding techniques were discussed, as well as some of the difficulties the new mothers would expect to encounter. Best of all, “There’s a lot of support,” Dugue said, 

Socorro Rodriguez stopped breast-feeding two-year-old Zaida just last month. Through interpreter Estela Aranda, Rodriguez talked about the breast infection she suffered during the first weeks of nursing. “I called WIC and someone came out (to help),” she said, her toddler in her arms. Another WIC mom said her coach even came over on a Sunday to help her overcome a problem. 

WIC lends its coaches’ experience and support and also equipment, such as breast pumps for working moms. Coaches are matched to new moms according to specific needs such as language, culture, number of children or whether the mom will be returning to work while breast-feeding. 

Even women who come from homes where breast-feeding was commonplace say they welcome the coaching and attention they get from their counselors. “It’s nice to have somebody interested,” said Ido Weiss, who is from Israel, where she said breast-feeding in public is well-accepted, except in the most traditional religious communities. 

Where to breast feed can be a delicate question. Paula Bryant, a peer counselor, former WIC mom and nursing mother, said the program encourages mothers to use a sling in which the baby can be carried and discretely breast-fed. She touts the El Cerrito Target Store, which she says has a comfortable private space for nursing moms. 

Bryant, who gave birth to her first child five years ago when she was 16, said she particularly likes working with young moms. “I needed all the help I could get,” she said of her adolescent motherhood. When they understand the benefits breast-feeding has for babies, young mothers will nurse their children, she says. 

Bryant, who is African American, said she has found reluctance in the black community to breast-feed. 

Perinatal Services Coordinator Margaret Thomas, also an African American, says that in the black community the notion of bottles and formula may be linked, in people’s minds, to affluent life-styles and that people may equate breast-feeding to poverty. “There’s not a lot of support for breast-feeding (in the African American community),” she said. 

Thomas added that “for the MTV crowd, breasts are seen as sexual objects.” 

Alexander says, with support for nursing mothers, there is definitely hope. Before the intensive peer counseling program began, some 15 percent of African American mothers in the WIC program nursed their new-borns. After one year of the program, the statistics improved to 24 percent. She expects the numbers will continue to grow. 

Mother-to-be Yvonne Dugue sums up the challenge: “It’s a real natural experience that takes effort and work.” 

Lorenzo Alexander is used to being the big dog on the block. He dominated the gridiron for four years at St. Mary’s High in Berkeley, using his massive 287-pound frame to push around smaller opponents. But after his first two practices for the Cal football team this week, he admitted that size isn’t the biggest factor in his mission to start for the Bears this season. 

“The biggest adjustment I have to make is the speed of the other players,” Alexander said Wednesday after the second and last newcomers practice on Witter Field. “Everyone’s going to be as big as me, so I have to be quicker.” 

But after a full day of drills with fellow linemen Josh Gustaveson and Tom Canada (both junior college transfers), it was apparent Alexander is the quickest of Cal’s new linemen. 

“His first step is outstanding, and puts him at the top of the heap among our new guys,” defensive line coach Bill Dutton said. “He’s fast and athletic, maybe more than I’ve seen in the past few years out here.” 

With the defensive line unsettled after the loss of senior stalwarts Andre Carter and Jacob Waasdorp, Alexander could indeed find himself a starter before Pac-10 play starts on Sept. 22. But despite the freshman’s obvious physical talent, Dutton is quick to say that Alexander will have to prove himself at the Bears’ camp in Turlock for the next two weeks. 

Dutton, who is in his fourth year with the Cal program, said Alexander compares favorably with Carter at a similar stage in his career. Dutton pointed out that Carter was a sophomore when Dutton first coached him, which means Alexander could potentially progress even further than Carter, who was the No. 7 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. But Alexander is likely to play defensive tackle for the Bears, while Carter played defensive end. Carter was also known for being one of the best-conditioned athletes on the Cal team, as well being a player who never let up for a single play. 

“(Alexander) has to pass the gut check, prove that he has the heart and determination to play at his highest level all the time,” Dutton said. “If you come back and ask in two weeks when we get back, then I’ll really know if he’s ready to have an impact.” 

The Bears’ most highly-ranked recruit, Alexander is unsure whether he should be looking forward to Turlock. The heat is usually oppressive, and he will be practicing in pads for the first time at the college level. He knows it will be make-or-break time for him to earn playing time in his first year. 

“I’ve heard a lot of bad stuff about Turlock from the older players,” he said. “But I know I have to play my best if I want to be on the field this year, and it’s a good opportunity to show the coaches what I can do. I’m learning new techniques every day out here, and I want to use them as much as I can.”

Thursday, Aug. 9,/h3> 

 

Berkeley stands against Boy Scout Discrimination 

5 p.m. 

City Hall 

2180 Milvia St. 

Demonstration opposing the Boy Scouts’ policy of discriminating against homosexuals. 

521-9441 

 

Ancient Native Sites  

of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Sean Dexter, archaeologist, will discuss the recent Data Recovery Program at the Emeryville Shellmound/South Bayfront site. Jakki Kehl, a Mutsun Ohlone, will discuss protecting cultural resources by developing partnerships and encouraging good stewardship of the land. $10 

841-2242 

 

Community Health Commission 

6:45 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. (@ Ashby) 

Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Alta Bates expansion. 

644-6109 

 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

 

Sea Kayaking 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Learn about the best sea kayaking spots in Northern California from Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner. Free. 527-4140 

 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call for a reservation. 

644-6109 

 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, art and more. Neighborhood disaster preparedness program: 11 a.m. 

526-9146 

 

Religion and Public Life 

in Pacific and  

Asian North America 

5:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. panel discussion 

Cheit Hall, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business 

The relationship between the religious practices of Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans and public life.  

849-8244 www.pana.psr.edu. 

 

---

Friday, Aug. 10

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

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 sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Meeting Fridays through Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

548-8283 x534 

Even Stronger Women 

1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Free weekly cultural discussion class. This week: Tales of Murasaki. 549-1879 

Religion and Public Life in Pacific and  

Asian North America 

8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. 

Cheit Hall, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business 

The conference goes through Aug. 11, and will focus on the relationship between the religious practices of Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans and public life. 849-8244 www.pana.psr.edu. 

Yiddish Conversation Group 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/hhs/commsvc/seniors.htm 

Saturday, Aug. 11

Sixth Annual Reggae Worldbeat Festival  

Noon - 5 p.m.  

People’s Park  

Telegraph & Haste St.  

Featuring: Obeyjah & The Saints with the Village Culture Drummers, Dancehall King; Major P., Wawa Sylvestre and The Oneness Kingdom Band and many more.  

Free 

Religion and Public Life  

in Pacific and  

Asian North America 

8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Cheit Hall, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business  

The conference goes through Aug. 11, and will focus on the relationship between the religious practices of Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans and public life. 849-8244 www.pana.psr.edu. 

Sunday, Aug. 12

Hands-On Bicycle Repair Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn front and rear derailleur adjustments from one of REI’s bike technicians. Tools provided. Bring a bike. Free.  

527-4140 

Buddhist Architecture In the West 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Building a Buddhist Temple.” Free. 843-6812 

Steel Drums and Sand Castles 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Kirk Rademaker teaches sand sculpting while Richmond Bloco entertains with steel drum music. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 654-6346 

Opus Q Auditions 

7 - 9 p.m. 

The University Lutheran Chapel 

2425 College Ave. 

Opus Q - The East Bay Men’s Chorale is preparing for its first full season. Gay men and their allies are invited to audition.  

664-0260 www.opus-q.com 

Monday, Aug. 13

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women age 20 - 70. No appointment is needed. No remuneration.  

525-1620 www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

Section 8 Resident Council Meeting 

5:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

East Bay Community Law Center 

3122 Shattuck Ave. 

Section 8 recipients and concerned citizens can tell the Resident Council their concerns about the program.  

Free Seminar on Ayurveda 

1 - 2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

The basic principles of Ayurveda for maintaining health and balance.  

644-6107 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/hhs/commsvc/seniors.htm 

Tuesday, Aug. 14

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share slides and learn what other photographers are doing.  

Monthly field trips. 

525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday.  

655-8863 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 644-6109 

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women ages 20 - 70. No appointment is needed; no remuneration. 

525-1620 www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

Free market has rules 

Editor: 

If I may be indulged another response, I feel compelled to correct a misconception about free markets as expressed by Robert Clear (Aug.. 6) when he stated that an “unregulated market has no way of dealing with externalities.” An externality is an uncompensated effect of an activity such as pollution.In a truly free market, there are property rights to all resources, so when a polluter invades other people’s property, including their bodies, with such poison, he gets sued for trespass and damages. This payment eliminates the externality and creates incentives to minimize the pollution. Contrary to critics, a pure market does not mean “anything goes” but rather has ethical rules prohibiting and penalizing harm to others. 

Fred Foldvary 

Berkeley 

Citizens’ group okayed projects council approved 

Editor: 

I’m amused by the Planning Department’s choice of the redevelopment projects to describe successful projects which are being overlooked. Most of these projects were approved by the Council in 1994 and the live/work project at 1631 5th St. was approved in May of 1987. The Project Area Committee and the residents of West Berkeley have been working tirelessly for years to get these projects underway but much of their time is spent trying to scale back much needed repairs to make up for constantly rising construction costs and a budget which is whittled away by administrative and (Planning Department) staff costs which average $500,000 a year.  

Redevelopment is a state program funded by money which is diverted from the county. Redevelopment is not a city program and it’s just as well.  

There aren’t too many city projects which would be allowed to run up over $3 million in staff costs over 6 years without ever putting a shovel into the dirt.  

Rhiannon 

Berkeley 

Remember the surplus? 

Editor: 

Last November, the Democrats asked voters, “what part of ‘Peace and Prosperity’ do you want to change”? 

Remember the revenue surplus? It was supposed to pay for social security, health care, and reduce the national debt. Now, we see that Bush’s tax refund for the rich must be paid for by additional borrowing that increases the debt. Consumers are paying extortionary prices for energy to Bush’s backers, while our environmental health is being deregulated. 

Other nations look aghast at us, as the Bush government breaks international treaties that have kept the peace for 30 years, and disclaims new treaties designed to prevent the catastrophe of global warming. 

Last November, a half-million-strong majority answered, “neither,” but Bush stole the election anyway, and is sledgehammering away at both peace and prosperity. 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont 

Mayor probably tried to save scout situation 

Editor:  

Although I don’t know all the facts in the furor over the Japanese Boy Scout incident, because of Berkeley’s unique relationship with the media, a minor, local matter can easily be expanded into an international crisis.  

My instincts tell me that our mayor, Shirley Dean, tried to make the best out of a potentially embarrassing situation created by the ever mischievous councilmember, Kris Worthington. Give credit to our mayor who tried to make a positive spin and save face for Berkeley’s liberal image.  

As for Worthington, I would like to see him banished from Berkeley, preferably confined to Al Capone’s former cell on Alcatraz island. Exile after all was the punishment the Greeks in ancient Athens imposed on politicians who abused their public office.  

Dennis Kuby  

Berkeley  

UA Homes problems can be solved  

Editor: 

It would be a mistake to read Jon Mays’ article “After years of promise, UA Home slips” and walk away with the notion that housing for the homeless is not secure or is unsupervised and riddled with illegal activity.  

Many of the formerly homeless individuals who reside at UA Homes and similar buildings have mental health and other health problems, and permanent housing with supportive services ended what in many cases was years of homelessness. The Corporation for Supportive Housing has worked with Resources for Community Development (which owns UA Homes) and other Alameda County supportive housing providers for the past nine years in an effort to increase the number of high quality supportive housing units for the homeless. 

Is illegal drug activity appropriate at UA Homes? No. Should such activity be stopped? Yes. But just as illegal drug activity should not be tolerated, we should also not tolerate inadequately funding supportive housing such as UA Homes that try to improve the health and increase the self-sufficiency of formerly homeless individuals. In order to provide quality supportive housing, UA Homes must have sufficient funding to provide the necessary health and human services, community/resident activities and vocational/employment services to chronically homeless individuals.  

While Mr. Mays’ article repeatedly hints that decreased funding is one of the underlying problems, it is never explicitly stated. Adequate and predictable funding has not been available to continue vital social services and resident activities, ensure appropriate property management and support organizations like RCD that are willing to take the risks necessary to create and own this kind of housing.  

Providing supportive housing to formerly homeless individuals will cost more than what is currently allocated for this purpose in Alameda County.  

But the cost of providing supportive housing is far less expensive than the hospitals and jails that house the homeless when they are not in supportive housing. I was heartened by the quotes indicating that Mayor Shirley Dean is still interested in maintaining on-site services for UA Home residents. The Mayor, along with many others, recognizes that the long-term solution to chronic homelessness is housing with support services. Communities throughout California and across the nation deliver excellent supportive housing with adequate government support. We can do better in Alameda County. 

Like most supportive housing sites, UA Homes has a “good neighbor policy” to make sure that it works with community residents and others to develop and operate quality housing sites. I strongly believe that by working with its surrounding community, with the support of Alameda County and the City of Berkeley, and with the involvement of its tenants, UA Homes will be able to address the community’s concerns, enhance its provision of quality supportive housing and have a positive impact on the neighborhood.  

Tangerine M. Brigham 

Program Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing 

Oakland 

Subject:  

midsummer games 

Date:  

Wed, 08 Aug 2001 15:58:34 -0700 

From:  

J M Sharp  

To:  

More on our local Wimbleton, Judith. Here's another serve from the CM into the University's court. J 

________________ 

August 3, 2001 

Edward J Denton, AIA 

Vice Chancellor -- Capital Projects 

University of California, Berkeley 

644 Barrows Hall 

Berkeley, CA 94720 

Dear Ed: 

Thank you for your letter of July 31, 2001 about the NEQSS Draft EIR. I appreciate the generous offer to 

extend the comment period through August 15, 2001. This would allow the City staff and interested 

community members some additional time to prepare comments to the document and the campus' proposed 

plans. 

I would, however, appreciate it if the campus were to offer an even longer extension on the comment period 

for the NEQSS Draft EIR. As you must know, the projects proposed in the Draft EIR will have a 

substantial impact on the campus and its immediate environs. The City Council, community members and 

the City staff are deeply concerned that even with the extension you proposed there will not be enough time 

to develop the thorough and in-depth analysis/response deemed necessary by community stakeholders. 

A longer extension would push back the date when the Final EIR for the NEQSS projects went to the 

Regents for approval. Should that happen, then the future Regents' meeting with the NEQSS Final EIR 

approval would likely not be held in the Bay Area (with easier access for community members). I would 

prefer, of course, to have the Final EIR meeting convened where our community can directly comment to the 

Regents. I believe, however, that a longer comment period for the Draft EIR is more important than 

convenient access to that future meeting. 

Therefore, I again request that the campus extend the Draft EIR comment period for a full 60 days to 

October 1, 2001. An extended timeline is essential so that full community input can be garnered on the 

wide variety of project impacts outlined in my letter of July 26 to Chancellor Berdahl. These impacts are 

significant enough to warrant an extended comment period to the NEQSS Draft EIR. 

Sincerely, 

Weldon Rucker 

City Manager 

cc: Mayor and Members, City Council 

Chancellor Robert Berdahl, UCB 

Wendy Cosin, Acting Planning Director 

Tom Lollini, Planning Director, UCB  

Tax refund 

Dear Daily Planet,  

We sent half the refund to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the  

second half to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.  

Marian Wolfe  

Berkeley  

843-4193  

MUSIC 

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug. 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug. 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen; Aug. 17: Blood Brothers, True North, The Cost, Red Light Sting, Betray The Species; Aug. 18: Dr. Know, The Sick, Society of Friends, Manchurian Candidates, Shut the F*ck Up; $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Anna’s Place Aug. 11 and every Saturday night 10:30 p.m. - midnight, Ducksan Distones. The following play at 8 p.m. – Aug. 8: “The Renegade Sidemen;” Aug. 7: open mic.1801 University Ave. 849-2662.  

Ashkenaz Aug. 9: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Dead DJ Night with Digital Dave. $5; Aug. 10: 9:30 p.m. O-Maya. $10; Aug. 11: 9:30 p.m. Afro-Muzika, featuring Nene Tchakou and Shimita El Diego. 9 p.m. dance lesson with Comfort Mensah. $11; Aug. 12: 9 p.m. Benefit for the Berkeley High School Ki-Swahili Club featuring: Dyin 2 Live, Rebels, Little Larry Koont, Nico Love, DJ Boo. $10; Aug. 14: 9 p.m. Tom Rigney & Flambeau. 8 p.m. dance lesson w/ Patti Whitehurst. $8; Aug. 15: 9 p.m. Jerri Jheto. $10. 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com  

Eli’s Mile High Club Doors open at 8 p.m. Aug. 11: Jimmy Mamou; Aug. 18: Craig Horton /CD Release; Aug. 25: Carlos Zialcita; Every Friday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight and Salvage Coffee House All music at 8 p.m. Aug. 9: John Renbourn; Aug. 10: Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin; Aug. 11: Al Stewart. $16.50 - $19.50. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Aug. 9: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 10: Steven Emerson, singer/songwriter mixes cool jazz and sweat soul; Aug. 11: J Dogs, funk-soul; Aug. 14: Chris Shot Group, folk-rock and soul combo; Aug. 15: Lithium House, electro/drum & bass styles with live jazz; Aug. 16: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 17: The Mind Club, Old school funk grooves with sonic swirls of acid jazz; Aug. 18: Blue & Tan, Bassist Vicki Grossi brings in the crew for elctro-acid-jazz funk stylings; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. www.jupiterbeer.com; or call the hotline: THE-ROCK. 843-7625  

La Note/Jazzschool Aug. 12: 4:30 p.m. The Freedom Project, 5:30 Eli Sundelson Trio; Aug. 19: 4:30 p.m. Hazel Carter, 5:30 p.m. Bryan Girard & Friends, 6:30 p.m. T3 (Kirk Tamura Trio); Free. 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373  

La Peña Cultural Center Aug. 10: 8:30 p.m. Ire $8; Aug. 11: 9:30 p.m. Fito Reynoso’s Ritmo y Armonia. $10, $13 for dance class starting at 8:15; Aug. 12: 5, 7:30 p.m. “Say Yo Business” Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir. $18 in advance, $20 at the door; Aug. 17: 8:30 p.m. Music and dance performance by Jaranón y Bochinche, $12; Aug. 18: 8:30 p.m. Mission (roots hip hop), $8; Aug. 19: 3:30 p.m. Domingo de Rumba; Aug. 24: 8:30 p.m. Professor Terry’s Circus Band Extraordinary, $16; Aug. 25: 9:30 p.m., Edgardo Cambon’s Candela, $10, 8:15 p.m. Salsa dance class w/ Diego Vásquez, $13; In the Cafe, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Shattuck Down Low Lounge Every Tuesday: 9:30 p.m., Posh Tuesdays with DJ’s Yamu, Delon, Add1, and Tequila Willie. Shattuck at Allston. www.thebeatdownsound.com  

Yoshi’s Through Aug. 12: Steve Turre Quintet, trombone and conch shell master in small group setting. Wednesday and Thursday, $18; Friday and Saturday, $22; Sunday matinee, $5 kids, $10 adults with one child, $18 general; Sunday, $22. Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 238-9200 www.yoshis.com 

3rd annual Berkeley World Music Festival Aug. 26: noon - 6 p.m. Block party and carnival, Grupo Ilu Fun Fun, Petit La Croix, Samba Ngo, O-Maya, Fito Reinoso y Su Ritmo y Armonia. Durant Ave. between Telegraph and Bowditch. 

ACME Observatory Aug. 19: 8 p.m. Solo performance by Jason Kahn, Brown Bunny Ensemble. $9.99 suggested donation. TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline @ MLK Jr. Way. 649-8744 http://sfSound.org/acme.html 

Ali Akbar College of Music Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m., A concert of Indian classical music. Rita Sahai, vocals; Rachel Untersher, violin; Madhukar Malayanur, tabla; $20 general; $15 students. St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., (415) 454-6264 or www.aacm.org 

Radisson Hotel Berkeley Marina Aug. 9: “Gratefully Yours” by pianist Jim Hudak, record release party. Free. Reception begins 6:30 p.m. 200 Marina Blvd. 925-673-7293 www.jhudak.com 

THEATER 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m. & Aug. 11, 12, 5 p.m. Campers from Stage Door Conservatory’s “On Broadway” program for grades 5-9 will perform Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. $12 adults, $8 kids. 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 ext. 302 

“The Great Sebastians” Through Aug. 11: Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m. plus Thursday, Aug. 9, presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. A tale about a mind-reading act touring behind the Iron Curtain. A communist general believes the act and “invites” the Sebastians to his villa where the humor and excitement follows. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck (at Berryman). For reservations call 528-5620 

“Iphegenia in Aulis” Through Aug. 12: Sat. and Sun. 5 p.m. Special dawn performance on Aug.ust 12 at 7 a.m. A free park performance by the Shotgun Players of Euripides’ play about choices and priorities. With a masked chorus, singing, dancing, and live music. Feel free to bring food and something soft to sit on. John Hinkel Park, Southhampton Place at Arlington Avenue (different locations July 7 and 8). 655-0813 

“Loot” Through Aug. 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Special Performance Aug. 20, 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $15, Students / Seniors: $10 La Val’s 1834 Euclid Avenue 655-0813 

“Reefer Madness” Aug. 9, Aug. 22, 23: 9 p.m. A new one-act theatre piece adapted from a 1936 government-funded film opens a critical eye to the control of our society. Performed by The Elemental Theatre Group La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Avenue. Wednesdays are “pay what you can,” Thursdays $5 - $10. Contact Zachary Rouse or Tisha Sloan for more info at 655-4150 

“Romeo & Juliet” Aug. 11 - Sep 2, Tuesdays - Thursdays. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater. Shakespeare’s classic about a young couple that meets, falls in love and dies in just five days. Adults: $22 - $41 youth (under 16): $12 - $41. 

“Barnum” Through Aug. 12. The story of legendary circusmaster P.T. Barnum, with plenty of musical theater and circus acrobatics. Splash Circus’ aspiring young circus artists will perform an hour before each show. $15 to $27. Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. 531-9597 www.woodminster.com 

FILMS 

“Roommates” Aug. 12: Max Apple’s true story of his immigrant grandfather who moved in with him when he was in college (in the 60’s). Peer led discussion following movie. $2 Suggested donation. Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut Street 848-0237 

Pacific Film Archive Aug. 9: 7:30 p.m. The Return of Frank James; Aug. 10: 7 p.m. Alone on the Pacific, 9:05 p.m. Her Brother; Aug. 11: 7 p.m. While the City Sleeps, 9 p.m. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt; Aug. 12: 3 p.m. Charlotte’s Web, 5:30 p.m. Tokyo Olympiad; Aug. 14: 7:30 p.m. Odds and Ends; Aug. 15: 7:30 p.m. Angel, Angel, Down We Go; Aug. 16: 7:30 p.m. Rancho Notorious; Aug. 17: 7 p.m. Bonchi, 9:05 p.m. Money Talks; Aug. 18: 7 p.m. Ministry of Fear, 8:45 p.m. House by the River; Aug. 19: 3 p.m. National Velvet, 5:30 p.m. I Am Two, 7:15 I Am a Cat; Aug. 21: 7:30 p.m. The Direct Cinema Tradition; Aug. 22: 7:30 p.m. The Werewolf of Washington; Aug. 23: 7:30 p.m. Contempt; Aug. 24: 7 p.m. The Heart, 9:20 p.m. The Outcast; Aug. 25: 7 p.m. Moonfleet, 8:45 p.m. The Blue Gardenia; Aug. 26: 3 p.m. Duck Soup, 5:30 p.m. The Wanderers, 7:25 p.m. Dora-Heita; Aug. 28: 7:30 p.m. Doodling; Aug. 29: (free screenings) 7:30 p.m. The Horror of Party Beach, 9:15 p.m. The Crater Lake Monster; Aug. 31: 7 p.m. The Makioka Sisters, 9:35 p.m. A Woman’s Testament; Gen. Adm.. $7, The New PFA Theatre 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

“Lumumba” Aug. 10: at Shattuck Cinemas. Biography of the slain African political figure Patrice Lumumba. In French with English subtitles. 

EXHIBITS 

“BACA National Juried Exhibition: Works on Paper” Through Aug. 31: Wed. - Sun. Noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

“Debbie Moore’s Autobiographical Paintings” Through Sep 30 at Good Vibrations. Portraits of the artist’s sensual explorations spanning 25 years and reflecting changing ways of intimacy and body play. 2504 San Pablo Avenue 848-1985 

“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. Through September. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

“A Fine Line” Through Aug. 24, Tuesday - Friday, noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment. An exhibition works by Kala Fellowship winners for the years 2000 and 2001. Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Avenue 549-2977 

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

“MFA Survey Exhibition 2001” Third annual exhibition of works of recent graduates from Bay Area master of Fine Art programs. This year featuring artists working in three-dimentional media. Through Aug. 18 Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth Street 527-1214 

“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 

“New Visions: Introductions 2001” Through Aug. 18: Wed. - Sat.: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Juried by Artist- Curator Rene Yanez and Robbin Henderson, Executive Director of the Berkeley Art Center, the exhibition features works from some of California’s up-and-coming artists. Pro Arts 461 Ninth St., Oakland 763-9425 

“The Political Art of: Diego Marcial Rios” Aug. 14 - Sept. 20, Addison Street Window Gallery, 2018 Addison St. hdrios@msn.com 

“Sistahs: Ethnofraphic Ceramics” through Aug. 22, Reception July 29 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Womens Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Avenue 548-9286 ext. 307 

“Squared Triangle” Aug.13 through Oct. 5. noon - 6 p.m. Reception for the artists, Aug. 18: 4 - 7 p.m. A minimal art exhibit featuring three Bay Area artists working in different mediums while achieving the same elegant simplicity. The Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.com 

“Ten Years Here” Exhibit celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Turn of the Century Fine Arts. Through Sept. 14, Sat & Sun 1-5 p.m. Reception Aug. 4 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. 2510 San Pablo Avenue 849-0950 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Aug. 11: Trina Robbins discusses her latest work “Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitude”; Aug. 17: Lynne Murray reads from her latest Josephine Fuller mystery “At Large”; Aug. 18: “Hell on Heels” tour with Daphne Gottlieb and Thea Hillman; Aug. 24: Andrea Gabbard discusses “Girl in the Curl: A Century of Women’s Surfing”; Aug. 25: Ann Bannon reads from her lesbian pulp classic “Beebo Brinker.” All events start at 7:30 p.m. and are free. 398 Colusa Avenue 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Black Oak Books Aug. 9: Robert Clark reads from his new novel “Love Among the Ruins”; Aug. 15: Molly Giles reads from her debut novel “Iron Shoes”; Aug. 16: Mandy Aftel and her new book, “Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume”; Aug. 19: “Wildest Alaska: Journeys of Great Peril in Lituya Bay” by Philip L. Fradkin; Aug. 21: June Jordan’s memoir “Soldier: A Poet’s Childhood”; Aug. 22: Ruth Daigon’s “Payday at the Triangle”; Aug. 23: Phil Cousineau’s “Once and Future Myths: The Power of Ancient Stories in Modern Times”; Aug. 27: Catherine Brady, Jean Herlund, Frances Payne Adler, and Marianne Villanueva and others to celebrate CALYX Book’s 25th Anniversary, “Cracking the Earth”; Aug. 28: Kent Nerburn reads from “Road Angels: Searching for Home on America’s Coast of Dreams”; Aug. 29: Sylvia Brownrigg reads from her new novel, “Pages For You”; All shows at 7:30 p.m. free of charge. 1491 Shattuck Avenue 486-0698 

Café de la Paz Poetry Nitro performance showcase with open mike. Aug. 13:Shailja Patel; Aug. 20: Avotcja; 6:30 p.m. signup, 7 - 9 p.m. reading. 1600 Shattuck Ave. 843-0662 

Cody’s Books - Poetry Flash Aug. 15: Poet’s Dinner Contest Anthology Reading, David AlpAug.h, Martha Bosworth, Tim Nuveen, Charlene Villella, read from their new anthology, Remembering, 25 years of first and grand prize-winning poems at the annual Poets Dinner Contest; Aug. 22: Trane Devore and Shauna Hannibal; All are a $2 donation. Readings at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-0837 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Aug. 21: Featured Readers: Victoria Joyce and Therese Bamberger; Both 7-9 p.m. Free. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland for info. (510)465-3935 or (510)526-5985, or Email: ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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  

Museums 

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  

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 will close its exhibition galleries for renovation on October 1. It will reopen in early 2002. On View until October 1, 2001: “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture.” “Sites Along the Nile: Rescuing Ancient Egypt.” “The Art of Research: Nelson Graburn and the Aesthetics of Inuit Sculpture.” “Tzintzuntzan, Mexico: Photographs by George Foster.” $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 or www.qal.berkeley.edu/~hearst/ 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Science in Toyland,” through Sept. 9. Exhibit uses toys to demonstrate scientific principles and to help develop children's thinking processes. Susan Cerny’s collection of over 200 tops from around the world. “Space Weather,” through Sept. 2. Learn about solar cycles, space weather, the cause of the Aurorae and recent discoveries made by leading astronomers. This interactive exhibit lets visitors access near real-time data from the Sun and space, view interactive videos and find out about a variety of solar activities. “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. Space Weather Exhibit now - Sept. 2; now - Sept. 9 Science in Toyland; 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. “How Big Is the Universe?” Aug. 1 through Aug. 24. Learn how to determine the distance of celestial objects, one of the purposes of the Hubble Space Telescope. Daily, 2:15 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, 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 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  

The UC Berkeley Art Museum is closed for renovations until the fall. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694. 

In an effort to ease the adjustment into high school for 60 at-risk students, an “all-star” cast of Berkeley High teachers have spent this week showing the students around campus and sharing strategies for survival.  

In four 50-minute periods each morning, they’ve worked to strengthen the students’ reading, writing and math skills – and to expose them to the pleasures of artistic expression. 

It’s all part of a summer “bridge” program that school administrators hope will give students the tools and connections they need to avoid being overwhelmed at Berkeley High. 

“We want to eliminate the fear factor of that first day or that first week at Berkeley High or any high school,” said Berkeley High Principal Frank Lynch. 

For students who struggle academically in Berkeley middle schools, the increased academic rigor of Berkeley High School can come as a quite a shock. 

Students who may have never written a full-page essay before are suddenly confronted with the need to write half-a-dozen essays each semester. Students who never completely mastered multiplication and division find themselves grappling with algebraic equations. 

Last year, nearly 200 Berkeley High freshman were failing two or more classes by the end of their first semester. 

Wyn Skeels, a Berkeley High history teacher who has spent the week touring the students around the 17-acre campus and going over the courses they’ll need to graduate, said the summer bridge program is an effort to transform disadvantaged students into advantaged ones. 

The students are learning everything they need to know about tutoring services, mentoring programs, the student health center and more, Steels said: “Things that they would normally only find out about when they really need it, or after they need it.” 

At the health clinic, for example, staff “can’t even give (a student) a Tylenol” until they have taken a form home to get it signed by their parents, Steels said. And yet many students first visit to the center comes when they are already sick.  

After a tour of the center this week, the bridge program students took the appropriate forms home for signatures. 

In writing class, students worked in small groups with volunteer writing tutors from the Writer’s Room program. After reading a Maya Angelou essay meditating on how a person’s choice of clothing can reflect his or her identity, the tutors brainstormed ideas with the students, telling them again and again to “write that down.”  

Students who had begun the class looking wary and noncommittal seemed amazed to learn how quickly a casual conversation could segue into paragraphs of written observations. 

“They’re learning to write the basic essay structure that they’ll use throughout school,” said Writer’s Room tutor Wendy Breuer. “Hopefully they’ll go home and write another draft.” 

In art class, Berkeley High painting and drawing teacher Sally Wolfer sees the bridge program as an opportunity to awaken students to the school’s wide array of art classes – elective courses that students who don’t think of themselves as artists might not have considered otherwise. 

“What’s kind of cool is you open up kids to their own potential,” Wolfer said. “I want to turn them on and give them a passion about art and having a creative voice.” 

Since bridge program students failed some classes as eighth graders, they’ve already been through six weeks of remedial summer school before going into the bridge program. So it’s key, said Wolfer and others, not to overburden them with work this week. Rather, the teachers aim to give the students positive experiences that they hope will build some enthusiasm for their first days of school. 

“As much as you want to give them the academic support, we’re trying to do it creatively,” Wolfer said. 

In between classes, the students have 20 minute snack breaks to hang out in the Berkeley High courtyard and socialize. On Thursday there will be a full-fledged barbecue.  

One key role of the summer program, said program coordinator Meg Matan, an English teacher at Berkeley High, is to allow the kids to build relationships with teachers, safety officers and other high school staff – people they can turn to for support during the regular year.  

Berkeley High Parent Liaison Irma Parker dropped in on an art class Wednesday to explain to students that she was there to answer any questions their parents might have once school begins. She warned the students that high school is a different world than middle school: a place where choosing the wrong friends could have serious implications for the rest of their lives. She reminded them that a new truancy policy at the school will be in effect this fall, so that anything the students might have heard about how easy it is to skip class at Berkeley High no longer applies. 

“Everybody is going to be looking for you guys.,” Parker said. “You won’t be able to have some of the freedom that the other kids had.” 

But above all, Parker emphasized to the students that she was ready and willing to be “their mother away from home” should they ever need someone to talk to. 

“Believe me, I will help you guys get whatever you need.” 

While many of the students in the room continued to listen to their Walkman radios while Parker spoke, her words carried what must have been a welcome message to some. Summer bridge program students have yet to overcome all their fears about the transition to high school. 

“I was a genius in middle school,” said a recent Willard Middle School graduate who gave her name as Chasady D. She said she was somewhat intimidated by the harder work load of high school. During the regular school year, “You don’t get that much help (at Berkeley High), like we’re used to from Middle school,” she said. 

Berkeley High history, economics and government teacher Thomasine Wilson gave students a basic reading assessment test Wednesday, as part of a new effort to identify students’ specific deficits early and connect them with appropriate intervention. She, like the other summer bridge teachers, was impressed with their energy and warmth. 

“It’s so hard to look at them and think of them as ‘at risk’ kids, because they’re so verbal and they have such plans for themselves,” Wilson said. “There’s a kind of empowerment that they need to have. The more they know, the more they feel that they have some control over the institution, instead of the institution just sort of wanging them about.” 

The summer bridge program is all about empowerment. What remains to be seen, according to Wolfer, is whether it will be enough. 

“The sad thing is, you start to nurture a small group of kids, and then you turn them loose in a school of 3,400 kids. It’s not smart. Imagine the progress we could make with these kids (if they remained in a small group).” 

California junior forward Laura Schott was picked as a second team preseason All-American by College-Soccer.com.  

This honor comes on the heels of Schott helping lead the United States last week to its third-consecutive Nordic Cup title. The Wilsonville, Ore., product scored a goal and three assist at the most elite competition in the world for Under-21 women.  

Schott earned first team All-America honors from the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz for the 2001 collegiate soccer season after leading the Pac-10 with both 47 points and 23 goals.

To access the Multi-Agency Service Center near downtown, clients walk down a narrow passage next to the Veterans Memorial Building on Center Street until it opens up onto a cloistered, courtyard garden. 

It’s Wednesday morning and about 15 people are in the Solid Ground Courtyard having casual conversations in the mid-morning sun among brightly colored marigolds, daisies and pink cushions. 

Down a flight of stairs from the courtyard, the daytime center is in full swing. Jazz comes from a speaker system, the fresh scent of body lotion is in the air and five MASC staff members are busy providing myriad services to the 90 or so homeless that drop into the center each day since it first opened in 1995. 

Berkeley’s homeless can access a host of services including basic conveniences like showers, voice mail and free bus passes to more intensive services like medical attention, mental health referrals and crisis intervention. 

Some clients, like Reggie Davis, a vendor on Telegraph Avenue, have been coming to the center for years. Others, like 22-year-old Jessica Daniel who just arrived in the area from out of state, go to the center two or three times a week to shower and get cleaned up. 

MASC Coordinator Robert Long jokes with clients as he walks along a row of offices near the respite area, where clients read magazines while waiting to take showers. Long is casually dressed and with his dark sunglasses and ponytail, he is hard to separate from the 30 or so clients in the center. He clearly enjoys talking with the clients and his good-natured cheerfulness appears to lighten the overall mood of the center. 

A few moments later, in a small office off the main room, Long puts his sunglasses on a table and becomes intently serious as he talks about the importance of the services MASC offers and the frustration of not having the resources to offer more.  

“We see this as an entrance point to the system for the homeless and we can’t really deal with addictions, which is one of the causes of homelessness,” Long said. 

During the last round of Community Service Block Grants, which are federal and state grants distributed by the City Council, the Homeless Commission recommended a $30,000 cut in MASC’s grant. According to Jane Micallef, the commission’s secretary, it was because of the center’s failure to hire an addiction counselor. 

“$30,000 had been awarded to the MASC for the previous two years,” Micallef said. “The money was supposed to go the hiring of a counselor who was never hired and the commission recommended that funding not be awarded again.” 

boona cheema, the Executive Director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, the umbrella organization that oversees MASC and 26 other homeless programs in Alameda County, said the city is saying that to try to justify taking the money from the program. 

cheema said, that in fact, there was a staff person being groomed for the addiction counseling position, but he was also managing a full load of clients and couldn’t focus on establishing the new program. She said once the staff person was prepared to focus on the program he was offered another job with better pay and benefits. 

cheema said the cutback has left MASC understaffed and with an inadequate budget. 

“I have never worked with a group as committed as the staff at the MASC,” she said. “They put in long hours and don’t have time to take a break or chill out a little bit and they are responsible for so many people.” 

MASC is budgeted at $388,000 for fiscal year 2001-02 and cheema said the center is expected to see a shortfall of $50,000. She added that she has already laid off five staff members from other BOSS programs because of unanticipated overhead expenses. 

“This was a very bad time to cut those funds because we were really hurt by high energy costs this year,” she said. “I’ll have to raise that money one way or another.” 

Because of the ongoing shortage of funds for addiction counseling, Long said he has instituted a controversial method of drug and alcohol treatment known as harm reduction.  

The theory is that there a large percentage of addicts who won’t seek any treatment that involves total abstinence and if they instead follow reduction techniques they can reduce harm to themselves and family. 

“We simply try to point out the benefits to quality of life by not drinking or using so much,” he said. 

Long said the hope is that clients will eventually subscribe to abstinence programs. He said the harm reduction techniques have been successful and that they have saved the lives of at least two MASC clients. 

Some addiction specialists disagree with the theory and claim harm reduction simply enables and prolongs addictive behavior. Dr. Davida Coady, Director of Options for Recovery, which is also located in the Veterans Memorial Building, said harm reduction is a dangerous approach. 

“My experience is that it just doesn’t work for people who have severe or moderate addictions,” she said. “We have people come in here on the brink of death and many of them have been trying harm reduction techniques.” 

Long said many of the addicts that come to MASC have been homeless for years and have few prospects for finding housing or work. He said the level of despair and hopelessness they experience is not conducive to dealing with addiction. 

“I can’t go out there and say ‘all right we’re going to an AA meeting and you’re going to continue to live on the street and continue to be homeless and never drink again,’” he said. “My bottom line is abstinence but how do you do that? How do you get them there?”

Few would imagine as they pass Claire Burch’s quiet wooden house in south Berkeley, that they are walking by historical archives. 

Inside the house, hundreds of video tapes carefully labeled fill the shelves of all the rooms and hallways. In the office, more tapes, catalogs of the database, a computer, and television monitors, occupy most of the space. 

For 20 years, Claire Burch a visual artist and writer who moved from New York City to Berkeley in 1978, has taken her High 8 video camera with her wherever she goes. Almost every day, she hits the roads of Berkeley filming the life of the city’s homeless, runaways, and people on the fringe. 

Today her collection of videos is what she calls “a sociological archive of life stories of street survivors.” It comprises about 3,000 hours of edited and unedited film, which documents the history of People’s Park from 1980 on with a specific focus on the arts. 

“When we came here, I got involved in filming People’s Park because I began to know many of the people,” she said. “I couldn’t figure out why some very talented people in this country were on the street not doing anything with their work and living in ways that made it hard for them to do it.” 

What Burch does is social work: she documents the challenges street artists face and simultaneously helps them find venues for their work. Art and Education Media, the nonprofit organization she founded in 1989, not only produces and distributes documentaries about street people, it also offers social services referrals and artistic training to runaways, parolees, addicts and people with mental illness. 

“I find that as the camera follows them, I begin to love some of them and I want a better and happier life for many of them,” said Burch as she explained her motivation. “When the camera follows people almost daily, you begin to see the whys of their life, the camera begins to be more forgiving.” 

But today Burch worries about her collection. At night, she says, she has a recurrent nightmare. In her dream all her tapes are on sale at the Ashby flee market and teenagers record music videos on them. 

“It’s scary,” said Burch. “If I could have digital copies and store them in some safe place I would just feel that it’s not all going to disappear.” 

With the exception of a few video films that are available at UC Berkeley Moffitt Library and at the Berkeley Public Library, all the footage Burch accumulated in the past two decades is stored in her house. A fire or any other catastrophe, she fears, could to destroy unique documents. 

That is why she is currently working with five volunteers to raise the funds that are necessary to hire staff, upgrade the organization’s equipment, and digitize the archives. 

“We’re in the process of putting together a very strong database and we’re seeking funding,” said Elaine Marie Lawton, an artist and photographer volunteering at Art and Education Media. As she gets older, Lawton added, Burch wants to solidify the organization to make sure the archives will live beyond her.  

“We are trying to preserve the organization as itself and not have it depend too much on her.” 

For additional information or to make donations to the Art and Education Media, visit the following Web Site: http://www.claireburch.com 

SANTA MONICA — More than ever last year, beachgoers around the country found their plans dampened by warnings to keep away from the water. 

The number of beach closings and advisories nationwide nearly doubled last year, from 6,160 in 1999 to at least 11,270, according to a report released Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

The environmental group, which has conducted annual beach surveys for the last 11 years, said improved monitoring is revealing just how seriously people have been fouling the beaches they love. 

“It’s been there all along – we’re just finding it,” said Heather Hoecherl, NRDC project attorney. 

The numbers rose largely because many states are monitoring beaches more closely, and because rain sent more polluted runoff in some coastal areas in 2000, according to the NRDC, which conducted its own survey and used U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data in the report. 

The group wants the Bush administration to implement new federal water quality standards, announced just before President Clinton left office, which are aimed at cleaning up coastal pollution and reducing urban and agricultural runoff polluting about 21,000 lakes, ponds, streams and rivers across the country. 

Eighty-five percent of the closures and advisories stemmed from bacteria counts that exceeded federal swimmer safety standards. Studies have shown swimming in bacteria-contaminated water makes people more likely to suffer from cold-like symptoms, ear infections and gastrointestinal problems. 

More than a third of the closures and advisories were associated with sewage or storm runoff tainted by oil, pet waste, fertilizer and other contaminants. The cause for more than half of the problems was unknown, but polluted runoff probably was connected to many of them, NRDC attorney David Beckman said. 

Most of advisories and closures took place in California, and close to half of the Golden State’s warnings came from just two counties: San Diego and Los Angeles. 

There were no warning signs along the beach near the Santa Monica Pier where Gail Futterman’s kids were playing, but the possibly of sickness still made her a little nervous. 

“I considered not letting my daughter swim; she has a cut,” said Futterman, of Indio. “I decided to put peroxide on her foot when we get her home. It’d be cruel to keep her out.” 

California and other states are taking steps to keep polluted water out of the ocean. The NRDC released its report outside a Santa Monica facility that treats the small but hazardous trickle of dry-season urban runoff that would otherwise drain to the ocean. 

Agencies in Southern California and other areas also are making developers use building techniques that limit the amount of polluted water that rushes down storm drains. 

San Diego has increased the number of employees monitoring storm drain pollution from three to more than 20, but needs to do much more, said Donna Frye, an environmental activist who was elected to the City Council in June. 

Frye has urged the city to speed up repair work on sewers, which are responsible for much of San Diego’s beach pollution. 

“It will not be cheap, but there are some sewer pipes that haven’t been cleaned in 15 or 20 years,” Frye said. 

The NRDC survey singled out two states, Louisiana and Oregon, as “beach bums” for failing to regularly monitor their coastlines. 

Louisiana officials contend they’d need more beaches to be bums. Only about 10 miles of the state’s 1,500 miles of coastline are swimming beaches; the rest is mostly marsh. 

Greg Pettit, manager of water quality for Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality, said the state is working with the EPA to develop an ocean monitoring system. The state has focused more attention on its rivers and streams, which are more popular recreation sites. 

Pettit added, “There are other risks of swimming in Oregon’s oceans such as currents and coldness that pose far greater risks than bacteria.” 

Rachel Schmid, a surfer from Cannon Beach, Ore., said Oregon is cleaner than other places she’s surfed — including California, Hawaii and Costa Rica. 

“There are times when it can get pretty polluted and it causes surfers to get sinus infections,” Schmid said. But she added, “Compared to Southern California the Oregon coast is very nice.” 

Beach cleanliness also is relative to Eugene Varshavsky, a native of Latvia who let the surf splash his ankles as he walked on Santa Monica Beach. 

“It’s pretty clean here,” said Varshavsky, who moved to Los Angeles two years ago. Along the yellow sands of Latvia’s beaches, “Sometimes it’s not possible to swim in because there’s too much pollution.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

NRDC: http://www.nrdc.org 

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/OST/beaches 

The popular economic hope, shared by Washington, Wall Street, manufacturers, retailers and many academics, is that the consumer will pull the rest of the economy to higher ground. 

And so, two little news items of recent days assume significance: 

First, economic productivity, or the efficiency of output, rose sharply in the April-June quarter. Then, for the first time in more than three years, the monthly use of consumer credit shrank rather than rose. 

At first glance, both seem positive. Rising productivity means higher living standards. And saving something for the future, rather than borrowing and spending, is viewed as necessary to finance economic growth. 

But in the current situation, the reverse may be true. 

Productivity rose largely because industry managed to maintain output with fewer workers.  

Earlier in the economic expansion, rising productivity allowed industry to profit while paying more workers more money. 

And, while a shrinkage of consumer credit would have been welcome three years ago when the savings rate plunged below zero (though the numbers have since been revised to show it remained positive), it now rouses fears that the consumer will drag down rather than pull up the economy. 

If that becomes the case, the economy must look elsewhere for leadership. To business perhaps. But businesses, having overestimated the size of their markets, have already revealed their unwillingness to lead. 

Business leaders already have shown they’re unwilling to embark on capital spending and expansion plans without assurance the market for their goods will be there. And the market is the end user, the consumer. 

Conceivably, the consumers’ lost jobs and lost stock market wealth could also dilute whatever stock market recovery develops. 

Economist Peter Hooper of Deutsche Bank comments that in the late 1960s, mid-1970s, and mid-1980s, sizeable reductions in wealth, mainly from stock market losses, preceded big increases in savings. 

Increased savings, while desirable at other times in economic history, are not part of the expansion menu being described today by forecasters. Spending is. But Hooper suggests instead that savings might rise. 

His reasoning is bolstered by experience in prior years, when rising unemployment spurred precautionary savings, a factor that was all but absent during the days of rising stock prices and assured incomes. 

The test of how consumers will behave – spend or save – may come with the tax rebate checks now being received, and which will suddenly boost household disposable income. Will they spend or save the money? 

In the past, says Hooper, tax changes initially have been largely absorbed in saving. In 1975 and 1985, the savings rate jumped when taxes were cut. And they dropped in 1969 and 1987 when taxes were raised. 

For such reasons, he looks for only “an anemic (economic) pickup in growth by historical standards.” 

But, of course, the decision lies not with corporate chiefs, who are waiting to see, or academics or economic forecasters, but with the consumer. 

He and she will let us know their decision over the next couple of months. 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Alan Greenspan’s investment portfolio shows that in years when the stock market is in a funk, safety can beat exuberance, whether rational or not. 

The chairman of the Federal Reserve, who sent stock markets around the world plunging in 1996 when he expressed concerns about “irrational exuberance,” avoided the huge losses inflicted on many stock investors last year. 

Greenspan’s portfolio, almost totally invested in safe Treasury securities, may have actually posted a sizable gain, based on his financial disclosure form, which was released Tuesday by the Fed. 

The disclosure form requires only a listing of assets in ranges of worth, not the actual value. 

Greenspan’s assets begin in the less than $1,000 category and top out with one asset valued at between $1 million and $5 million. 

If Greenspan’s assets are valued at the maximum level, they totaled $9.6 million at the end of 2000, up from a maximum of $7 million at the end of 1999. 

Even at the low end of the valuations on the disclosure form, Greenspan’s statement showed that he managed to pretty much hold his own, with investments valued at $3.1 million at the end of the year, compared with a low-end valuation of $3.4 million in 1999.  

By contrast, the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index plunged by a record 39.3 percent last year while the Dow Jones industrial average fell 6.2 percent, the first loss for the Dow in a decade.  

Greenspan’s investments are concentrated in Treasury securities, considered the world’s safest investment since the U.S. government has never failed to pay investors who hold its bills, notes and bonds. 

These holdings allow Greenspan to avoid conflicts of interest which could arise because some companies fared better than others on the basis of his interest-rate decisions. 

Greenspan, in a December 1996 speech, posed the question of when investors could know that they were in the grip of “irrational exuberance” that was causing them to bid up stock prices to unjustified levels. 

Although markets around the world initially plunged on the comments, investors quickly shrugged off Greenspan’s worries and pushed stock prices ever higher until early last year when the technology bubble burst as the Fed pushed interest rates higher to cool off the overheated economy. 

While Greenspan does not own stocks, his wife, NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell, does, according to the disclosure form, which requires a listing of a spouse’s assets. 

Mitchell owns stock in General Electric Corp., the parent company of NBC, Estee Lauder, Clorox, H.J. Heinz, Kimberly Clark, McDonalds Corp. and Rubbermaid among others. Her biggest single holding, listed in the category of $250,001 to $500,000, was in Abbott Laboratories. 

The disclosure form also shows that Mitchell earned $72,500 for giving five speeches last year to groups ranging from Sweet Briar College and the Towson University Alumni to the Jewish Community Center of Richmond. 

Berkeley school administrators have hatched a plan they say will put an end to the class scheduling nightmares that too often taint the first few weeks of school at Berkeley High. 

Last year, these weeks were characterized by hundreds of students waiting in long lines to see their guidance counselors to get their schedules changed.  

Many of the students had legitimate complaints – they found gaps in their schedules, or inappropriate classes, such as freshman English scheduled for a sophomore.  

But other students simply took advantage of the fact that a change of heart about the elective they picked the previous spring could be a legitimate excuse to skip the first two weeks of school. 

“It became almost like a game,” said Berkeley High Principal Frank Lynch. “You could ride this puppy for two weeks easily.” 

Under the new plan, Berkeley High  

counselors will come back to school a week early this year and thoroughly review student schedules, correcting all the obvious errors before the students get on campus. Then, if students find they are still unhappy with their schedules, instead of lining up outside a counselor’s office for hours on end, they will be asked to make an appointment.  

More urgent cases, such as someone who is missing a required class, will be seen first. Until students have met with counselors, they will be expected to attend all the classes on their schedule, whatever they are. 

Lynch said the new plan will significantly reduce the hours guidance counselors must spend dealing with scheduling issues. There is roughly one counselor for every 500 students in the school. Many have complained in the past that these staff members, ostensibly there to prevent struggling students from “falling through the cracks,” are often too overwhelmed with administrative work to attend to other problems. 

In another effort to free up Berkeley High staff to do what they have been hired to do, the Berkeley Unified School District’s central office staff has taken over the task of processing new student enrollment at the school. 

Students who don’t show up to enroll until after school has begun (Lynch estimated that 100 students or more could fall into this category) will be sent directly to the district’s Parent Access Office, at 1835 Allston Way, instead of being asked to wait in a long line to see a Berkeley High administrative assistant. Last year the task fell to the principal’s administrative assistant, who was thus unavailable to support Lynch for much of his first month on the job. 

The access office not only has more personnel to throw at the job, but is located near the Special Education Office and the Student Services Offices, both of which must sometimes play a role in the registration process. Families who are new to Berkeley, or whose children have attended private school through the eighth grade, will thus be able to register for Berkeley High with one relatively swift and painless visit, said Parent Access Office Coordinator Francisco Martinez. 

“It’s much more effective. It’s much more streamlined,” Martinez said.  

Board of Education President Terry Doran, a long time teacher at Berkeley High, said he was “hopeful” the new plans, taken together, would prevent students from missing critical class time in the opening days of school. In an effort to accommodate students’ desires, the system has spun a little bit out of control over the years, he said. 

“There were legitimate reasons for (students to ask for) changes, but the system has to decide at some point which ones do you honor and for what reasons,” Doran said. “No student should have a gap in their schedule, period. We have to have that from day one.” 

Wednesday, Aug. 8 

A Day at the Beach 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Build sand castles with sand sculptor Kirk Rademaker. Museum admission $3 - $7  

642-5132 

Thursday, Aug. 9 

Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Sean Dexter, archaeologist, will discuss the recent Data Recovery Program at the Emeryville Shellmound/South Bayfront site. Jakki Kehl, a Mutsun Ohlone, will discuss protecting cultural resources by developing partnerships and encouraging good stewardship of the land. $10  

841-2242 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Sea Kayaking 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Learn about the best sea kayaking spots in Northern California from Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner. Free. 

527-4140 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+  

Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, art and more. Neighborhood disaster preparedness program: 11 a.m. 

526-9146 

Religion and Public Life in 

Pacific and Asian  

North America 

5:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. panel discussion 

Cheit Hall, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business 

The relationship between the religious practices of Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans and public life.  

849-8244 www.pana.psr.edu. 

Friday, Aug. 10  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

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 sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Meeting Fridays through Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

548-8283 x534 

Even Stronger Women 

1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Free weekly cultural discussion class. This week: Tales of Murasaki. 

549-1879 

Religion and Public 

Life in Pacific and  

Asian North America 

8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. 

Cheit Hall, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business 

The conference goes through Aug. 11, and will focus on the relationship between the religious practices of Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans and public life. 849-8244 www.pana.psr.edu. 

Yiddish Conversation Group 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

644-6107 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/hhs/commsvc/seniors.htm 

Saturday, Aug. 11 

Sixth Annual Reggae Worldbeat Festival  

Noon - 5 p.m.  

People’s Park  

Telegraph & Haste St.  

Featuring: Obeyjah & The Saints with the Village Culture Drummers, Dancehall King; Major P., Wawa Sylvestre and The Oneness Kingdom Band and many more.  

Religion and Public Life in Pacific and Asian  

North America 

8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Cheit Hall, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business  

The conference goes through Aug. 11, and will focus on the relationship between the religious practices of Asian and Pacific Islander North Americans and public life. 849-8244 www.pana.psr.edu. 

Sunday, Aug. 12 

Hands-On Bicycle Repair Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn front and rear derailleur adjustments from one of REI’s bike technicians. Tools provided. Bring a bike. Free. 527-4140 

Buddhist Architecture In the West 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Building a Buddhist Temple.” Free. 

843-6812 

Steel Drums and Sand Castles 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Kirk Rademaker teaches sand sculpting while Richmond Bloco entertains with steel drum music. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Opus Q Auditions 

7 - 9 p.m. 

The University Lutheran Chapel 

2425 College Ave. 

Opus Q - The East Bay Men’s Chorale is preparing for its first full season. Gay men and their allies are invited to audition.  

664-0260 www.opus-q.com 

Monday, Aug. 13 

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women age 20 - 70. No appointment is needed. No remuneration.  

525-1620 www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

Section 8 Resident  

Council Meeting 

5:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

East Bay Community Law Center 

3122 Shattuck Ave. 

Section 8 recipients and concerned citizens can tell the Resident Council their concerns about the program.  

Free Seminar on Ayurveda 

1 - 2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

The basic principles of Ayurveda for maintaining health and balance. 644-6107 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/hhs/commsvc/seniors.htm 

Tuesday, Aug. 14 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday. 655-8863 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 644-6109 

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women ages 20 - 70. No appointment is needed; no remuneration. 

525-1620 www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

The Candy Cottage 

1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (Lower Level) 

“The Candy Cottage” is a short comedy written and performed by the Hall of Health staff, for children ages 3 to 12. The play provides information about eating healthy, the food pyramid, and what vitamins and minerals do for your body. The Hall of Health is a hands-on community health-education museum and science center sponsored by Children’s Hospital of Oakland. Free. For more information call: 549-1564. 

Wednesday, Aug. 15 

Space Weather 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Explore the Space Weather exhibit, talk to NASA researchers, look for sun spots, make a sundial, cast sun prints. Museum admission $3 - $7. 642-5132 

Berkeley Communicator  

Toastmasters Club 

7:15 a.m. 

Vault Cafe 

3250 Adeline 

Learn to speak with confidence. Ongoing first and third Wednesdays each month. 527-2337 

Support Group for Family/Friends  

Caring for Older Adults 

4 - 5:30 p.m. - 3rd Wednesday of each month 

Alta Bates Medical Center  

Herrick Campus 2001 Dwight 

3rd floor, Room 3369B  

Free. 802-1725 

$40,000 to find dirt near tracks 

Editor: 

From the same people who brought you the Skate Park environmental mess, now comes the Harrison Park “air study.” Most people involved in such studies generally wait until all the results are in and analyzed before making comments to the press. But not the city of Berkeley's Nabil Al-Hadithy. As long as this “study” has turned into yet another political and administrative fiasco on the part of the city of Berkeley, let's have at it.  

First, The city's hazardous materials supervisor is commenting on test results from the first month of a 12-month study produced by “equipment (some of which) was not working correctly.” Couldn't city staff at least have waited until the equipment was working properly before they started commenting on the research? 

Second “According to an Aug. 2 staff report the Toxics Management Division (had an) expectation of higher numbers because the field is located near a section of Interstate 80 that was recently widened, which resulted in a 20 percent increase in traffic during heavy commute times… (with) another 18 percent coming by 2005.” But the equipment showed that “the worse times of the day…are between 10 a.m. and noon.” If the staff theory was correct why aren't we seeing higher numbers from 6 – 9 a.m. and 4 – 7 p.m.? So much for the Toxic Management Division’s theories. Do you think there could be a connection between the number of dust particles registered and the location of the monitor? 

“Al-Hadithy said the monitoring equipment was placed in an area (so) it would show the “worst case scenario.” Because the air monitoring equipment for this new study is in a different location than the old study, it now becomes virtually impossible, certainly at this early stage in the study, to make any statement that the air is getting worse or the air is getting better.  

The monitoring equipment for this new study is located as close as physically possible to the railroad tracks where trains, with 60 freight cars or ten passenger cars, blow dust and debris from Oakland to Sacramento. How shocking that the monitor registered dirt and dust! (Did we need to spend $40,000 to find this out?) If this wasn't bad enough, the equipment was also placed next to a long strip of dirt and a dusty parking lot. Unfortunately, this isn't a “worst case scenario” its more like a “no case scenario” because NOBODY who uses the park is spending their time leaning against the fence so they can suck in the blowing dust from the trains and the parking lot. The city could have chosen to locate the monitor in the Harrison House Homeless Shelter compound so they could measure the impact on the people who are actually living there. They chose not to. Or they could have located the monitor between the shelter and the fields giving a much better indication of the general air quality on the playing fields and Harrison House. They chose not to. 

All of us in the sports community want our children to play on safe fields.  

Experientially, there are more asthma attacks at King Field (due to particulate matter picked up from the dirt track) than at fields located in the area of Harrison Park. Almost a year ago we made a formal request for the city to conduct a comparison air study at King Field. They chose not to.  

City staff set up the study to provide daily reporting on the web. This has created a political tabloid out of a research effort by issuing bits a pieces of information about a very complicated issue. Why couldn’t city staff have waited until all the data was collected and analyzed before they issued ANY information? If the true purpose of this study was a concern over the safety of children, why isn’t city staff looking at King field which the sports community has identified as more problematic than Harrison Park? 

Instead we open up a newspaper and find city employees commenting on preliminary study data and a commissioner from the Community Environmental Advisory Commission already accusing the city of hiding information. The end product of this approach will be that a $40,000 research study will turn into a $150,000 political hack job at taxpayer expense. This on top of the $400,000 it probably cost the taxpayers in expenses and staff time from the skate park debacle.  

I hate to find myself agreeing with (Commissioner) L.A. Wood but if the quality of the city's “environmental management” is illustrated by the “missed” toxics at the skate park and the now political “air study” then its time the city manager and Berkeley City Council take a long hard look at the work that is being done in the Toxics Mismanagement Department. 

Doug Fielding 

Association of Sports Field Users 

Mediation worked for Beth El  

Editor,  

The controversy over Congregation Beth El’s new building will soon be history. On July 24, the supporters and opponents of this project forged a compromise that will allow the congregation to build, while dealing with the concerns of neighbors. The City Council voted unanimously to support this agreement.  

There are still some details to be worked out, but mediation leaders for both sides agree that the outlook for resolving these remaining issues is very positive. We all expect the council to be able to take the final vote on this issue on Sept. 11, after its recess.  

How did what many people are calling a “miracle” happen? How was an agreement reached despite a very contentious process? The answer is that, in the mediation, we focused on the real goal: to find a solution that would give all parties what they wanted most: for Beth El, a new facility to replace its outgrown one just a few blocks away; for neighbors of the site, assurances that building size, traffic and parking issues were addressed and that Codornices Creek might some day be opened.  

Remarkably, all of those needs are met in the agreement. And, even more importantly, we are achieving the one goal we all agreed on from the beginning: to find a way for Beth El and its neighbors to live together peacefully. That is clearly the real victory in the agreement.  

This outcome is due to the good will of everyone involved and to the skill of the mediator Peter Bluhon.  

I want to offer my personal thanks and the thanks of Congregation Beth El to the mediation teams, to Mr. Bluhon, to the City Council and City staff, and to all the hundreds of other people who participated in this lively Berkeley-style democratic process.  

Harry Pollack 

for Congregation Beth El  

How’s Bush doing? 

Editor: 

Six months ago, I made up a handy acronym to remind me what I thought I would not like about the Bush administration. TEAR - Tax Cut, Environment, Abortion, Religion. Here’s the TEAR score today: 

The Tax Cut was enacted, and still looks to me like national fiscal irresponsibility to reward Bush’s bankrollers. But even Senator Feinstein voted for it. Environment – Kyoto, Arsenic, Wildlife Range (need I say more?) 

Abortion – Bush hasn’t done as much damage as I expected, possibly due to political vulnerability on other issues. Senator Boxer is sponsoring a bill to reverse Bush’s “gag rule,” which denies federal funding to organizations which use their own funds to counsel women about reproductive choices, lobby for reproductive rights or provide abortions. 

Religion – If I were one of the religious right folks, I’d feel poorly rewarded by the Bush administration. All that happened was the support for “faith based” public service groups. Stuff like school prayer and expunging evolution from the schoolbooks may have been put on hold due to present political vulnerabilities. But before long, I expect all Bush’s TEAR policies to be fully operational. Unfortunately for the country, let alone the world, we have 3 1/2 more years of Bush to go. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug. 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug. 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen; Aug. 17: Blood Brothers, True North, The Cost, Red Light Sting, Betray The Species; Aug. 18: Dr. Know, The Sick, Society of Friends, Manchurian Candidates, Shut the Fuck Up; $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Anna’s Place Aug. 11 and every Saturday night 10:30 p.m. - midnight, Ducksan Distones. The following play at 8 p.m. – Aug. 8: “The Renegade Sidemen;” Aug. 7: open mic.1801 University Ave. 849-2662.  

Ashkenaz Aug. 8: 9 p.m. Brenda Boykin and Home Cookin’ (West Coast swing and blues), 8pm dance lesson. $8; Aug. 9: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Dead DJ Night with Digital Dave. $5; Aug. 10: 9:30 p.m. O-Maya. $10; Aug. 11: 9:30 p.m. Afro-Muzika, featuring Nene Tchakou and Shimita El Diego. 9pm dance lesson with Comfort Mensah. $11; Aug. 12: 9 p.m. Benefit for the Berkeley High School Ki-Swahili Club featuring: Dyin 2 Live, Rebels, Little Larry Koont, Nico Love, DJ Boo. $10; Aug. 14: 9 p.m. Tom Rigney & Flambeau. 8 p.m. dance lesson w/ Patti Whitehurst. $8; Aug. 15: 9 p.m. Jerri Jheto. $10. Aug. 16: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Dead DJ Night with Digital Dave. $5; Aug. 17: 9:30 p.m. Near East Far West. $12; Aug. 18: 9:30 p.m. Zydeco Flames. 8 p.m. dance lesson w/ Cheryl McBride. $11. Aug. 19: 8 p.m. Open Stage w/ Koko De La Isla, Ernesto Hernandaz, Jeff Hawkins. $8; Aug. 21: 9 p.m. Slavonkian Travelling Band. 8 p.m. dance lesson w/ Joyce Clyde. $10. 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com  

Eli’s Mile High Club Doors open at 8 p.m. Aug. 11: Jimmy Mamou; Aug. 18: Craig Horton /CD Release; Aug. 25: Carlos Zialcita; Every Friday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight and Salvage Coffee House All music at 8 p.m. Aug 8: San Francisco Klezmer Experience; Aug 9: John Renbourn; Aug 10: Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin; Aug 11: Al Stewart. $16.50 - $19.50. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Aug. 8: Broun Fellini’s, jazz/funk/hiphop grooves; Aug. 9: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 10: Steven Emerson, singer/songwriter mixes cool jazz and sweat soul; Aug. 11: J Dogs, funk-soul; Aug. 14: Chris Shot Group, folk-rock and soul combo; Aug. 15: Lithium House, electro/drum & bass styles with live jazz; Aug. 16: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 17: The Mind Club, Old school funk grooves with sonic swirls of acid jazz; Aug. 18: Blue & Tan, Bassist Vicki Grossi brings in the crew for elctro-acid-jazz funk stylings; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. www.jupiterbeer.com; or call the hotline: THE-ROCK. 843-7625  

La Peña Cultural Center Aug 10: 8:30 p.m. Ire $8; Aug 11: 9:30 p.m. Fito Reynoso’s Ritmo y Armonia. $10, $13 for dance class starting at 8:15; Aug 12: 5, 7:30 p.m. “Say Yo Business” Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Chior. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. In the Cafe, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

La Note/Jazzschool Aug 12: 4:30 p.m. The Freedom Project, 5:30 Eli Sundelson Trio. 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Shattuck Down Low Lounge Every Tuesday: 9:30 p.m., Posh Tuesdays with DJ’s Yamu, Delon, Add1, and Tequila Willie. Shattuck at Allston. www.thebeatdownsound.com  

Yoshi’s Aug. 8 through Aug. 12: Steve Turre Quintet, trombone and conch shell master in small group setting. Wednesday and Thursday, $18; Friday and Saturday, $22; Sunday matinee, $5 kids, $10 adults with one child, $18 general; Sunday, $22. Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 238-9200 www.yoshis.com 

3rd annual Berkeley World Music Festival Aug. 26: noon - 6 p.m. Block party and carnival, Grupo Ilu Fun Fun, Petit La Croix, Samba Ngo, O-Maya, Fito Reinoso y Su Ritmo y Armonia. Durant Ave. between Telegraph and Bowditch. 

Ali Akbar College of Music Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m., A concert of Indian classical music. Rita Sahai, vocals; Rachel Untersher, violin; Madhukar Malayanur, tabla; $20 general; $15 students. St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., (415) 454-6264 or www.aacm.org 

Radisson Hotel Berkeley Marina Aug. 9: “Gratefully Yours” by pianist Jim Hudak, record release party. Free. Reception begins 6:30 p.m. 200 Marina Blvd. 925-673-7293 www.jhudak.com 

Theater 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m. & Aug. 11, 12, 5 p.m. Campers from Stage Door Conservatory’s “On Broadway” program for grades 5-9 will perform Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. $12 adults, $8 kids. 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 ext. 302 

“The Great Sebastians” Through Aug. 11: Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m. plus Thursday, Aug. 9, presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. A tale about a mind-reading act touring behind the Iron Curtain. A communist general believes the act and “invites” the Sebastians to his villa where the humor and excitement follows. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck (at Berryman). For reservations call 528-5620 

“Iphegenia in Aulis” Through Aug. 12: Sat. and Sun. 5 p.m. Special dawn performance on August 12 at 7 a.m. A free park performance by the Shotgun Players of Euripides’ play about choices and priorities. With a masked chorus, singing, dancing, and live music. Feel free to bring food and something soft to sit on. John Hinkel Park, Southhampton Place at Arlington Avenue (different locations July 7 and 8). 655-0813 

“Loot” Through Aug 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Special Performance Aug 20, 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $15, Students / Seniors: $10 La Val’s 1834 Euclid Avenue 655-0813 

“Reefer Madness” Aug. 8, 9, Aug. 22, 23: 9 p.m. A new one-act theatre piece adapted from a 1936 government-funded film opens a critical eye to the control of our society. Performed by The Elemental Theatre Group La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Avenue. Wednesdays are “pay what you can,” Thursdays $5 - $10. Contact Zachary Rouse or Tisha Sloan for more info at 655-4150 

“Romeo & Juliet” Aug 11 - Sep 2, Tuesdays - Thursdays. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater. Shakespeare’s classic about a young couple that meets, falls in love and dies in just five days. Adults: $22 - $41 youth (under 16): $12 - $41. 

“Barnum” Through Aug. 12. The story of legendary circusmaster P.T. Barnum, with plenty of musical theater and circus acrobatics. Splash Circus’ aspiring young circus artists will perform an hour before each show. $15 to $27. Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. 531-9597 www.woodminster.com 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Aug 8: 7:30 p.m. Confessions of an Opium Eater; Aug 9: 7:30 p.m. The Return of Frank James; Aug 10: 7 p.m. Alone on the Pacific, 9:05 p.m. Her Brother; Aug 11: 7 p.m. While the City Sleeps, 9 p.m. Beyong a Reasonable Doubt; Aug 12: 3 p.m. Charlotte’s Web, 5:30 p.m. Tokyo Olympiad. New PFA Theatre 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

“Lumumba” Aug. 10: at Shattuck Cinemas. Biogrophy of the slain African political figure Patrice Lumumba. In French with English subtitles. 

“Roommates” Aug. 12: Max Apple’s true story of his immigrant grandfather who moved in with him when he was in college (in the 60’s). Peer led discussion following movie. $2 Suggested donation. Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut Street 848-0237 

Exhibits 

“BACA National Juried Exhibition: Works on Paper” Through August 31: Wed. - Sun. Noon - 5 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 Road 849-2541 

“Debbie Moore’s Autobiographical Paintings” Through Sep 30 at Good Vibrations. Portraits of the artist’s sensual explorations spanning 25 years and reflecting changing ways of intimacy and body play. 2504 San Pablo Avenue 848-1985 

“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. Through September. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

“A Fine Line” Through August 24, Tuesday - Friday, noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment. An exhibition works by Kala Fellowship winners for the years 2000 and 2001. Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Avenue 549-2977 

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

“MFA Survey Exhibition 2001” Third annual exhibition of works of recent graduates from Bay Area master of Fine Art programs. This year featuring artists working in three-dimentional media. Through Aug 18 Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth Street 527-1214 

“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 

“New Visions: Introductions 2001” Through Aug. 18: Wed. - Sat.: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Juried by Artist- Curator Rene Yanez and Robbin Henderson, Executive Director of the Berkeley Art Center, the exhibition features works from some of California’s up-and-coming artists. Pro Arts 461 Ninth St., Oakland 763-9425 

“Sistahs: Ethnofraphic Ceramics” through Aug. 22, Reception July 29 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Womens Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Avenue 548-9286 ext. 307 

“Ten Years Here” Exhibit celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Turn of the Century Fine Arts. Through Sept. 14, Sat & Sun 1-5 p.m. Reception Aug 4 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. 2510 San Pablo Avenue 849-0950 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Aug 11: Trina Robbins discusses her latest work “Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitute”. All events start at 7:30 p.m. and are free. 398 Colusa Avenue 559-9184 

Black Oak Books Aug 8: William Turner discusses his new memoir “Rearview Mirror: Looking Back at the FBI, the CIA and Other Tails”; Aug 9: Robert Clark reads from his new novel “Love Among the Ruins”; Aug 15: Molly Giles reads from her debut novel “Iron Shoes”. All shows at 7:30 p.m. free of charge. 1491 Shattuck Avenue 486-0698 

Cody’s Books Aug 8: Jane Mead, Mark Turpin. $2 donation. Readings at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-0837 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series August 21: Featured Readers: Victoria Joyce and Therese Bamberger; Both 7-9 p.m. Free. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland for info. (510)465-3935 or (510)526-5985, or Email: ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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  

Museums 

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  

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 will close its exhibition galleries for renovation on October 1. It will reopen in early 2002. On View until October 1, 2001: “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture.” “Sites Along the Nile: Rescuing Ancient Egypt.” “The Art of Research: Nelson Graburn and the Aesthetics of Inuit Sculpture.” “Tzintzuntzan, Mexico: Photographs by George Foster.” $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 or www.qal.berkeley.edu/~hearst/ 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Science in Toyland,” through Sept. 9. Exhibit uses toys to demonstrate scientific principles and to help develop children's thinking processes. Susan Cerny’s collection of over 200 tops from around the world. “Space Weather,” through Sept. 2. Learn about solar cycles, space weather, the cause of the Aurorae and recent discoveries made by leading astronomers. This interactive exhibit lets visitors access near real-time data from the Sun and space, view interactive videos and find out about a variety of solar activities. “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. Space Weather Exhibit now - Sept. 2; now - Sept. 9 Science in Toyland; 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. “How Big Is the Universe?” Aug. 1 through Aug. 24. Learn how to determine the distance of celestial objects, one of the purposes of the Hubble Space Telescope. Daily, 2:15 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, 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 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  

The UC Berkeley Art Museum is closed for renovations until the fall. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694. 

After years of rancor, organizers of the Berkeley Free Folk Festival and members of the Commission on Disability are finally working together to make the annual event more accessible to disabled individuals. 

At a special meeting at the North Berkeley Senior Center on July 26, about 20 people discussed ways to improve the organization of the festival by increasing public access and intensifying the outreach efforts to the disabled community. 

“The meeting that we had was the first time in many years that everybody sat down together to talk about the problems,” said Karen Craig, chairperson of the Disability and Outreach Committee.  

“It was positive because there were many people giving ideas to the folk festival on how to handle events where people with disabilities are going to be.” 

The problem of accessibility at the festival has been an ongoing issue. First organized at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 1606 Bonita Ave., the festival was moved to Ashkenaz, on San Pablo Avenue near Gilman Street, last year.  

The club had just spent $11, 000 to bring the building into conformity with the American With Disabilities Act and appeared to be much more accessible than the church. But problems persisted. Peni Hall, a disabled Berkeley resident who attended the festival last November said that because of the popularity of the event, she had serious problems moving around inside the club. 

“It was obvious that they had done some work, but there were still a lot of problems,” she said. “The main performance room, when there were not too many people, was fine. But when the crowd got there it became gridlock.” Hall particularly recalls being stuck for 15 minutes in a narrow hallway crowded with a couch, musical instruments and a baby carriage.  

Like many disabled people in Berkeley, she thinks that because the city sponsors the festival, it should make sure that everyone can attend. 

Experiences like Hall’s, Craig said, are the reason why it is critical to continue working with the festival organizers and city officials.  

Making the event fully accessible, she said, is not only the organizer’s responsibility. 

“It’s up to us too,” she said. “It’s a matter of educating the public and the people who put on events on how to do it.” 

This year as part of the festival, activities will take place at the Freight and Salvage Coffee House, at 1111 Addison St., considered more accessible than Ashkenaz.  

But Craig and others,  

including Councilmember Kriss Worthington, wish the festival were completely relocated to a larger and fully accessible venue. John Selawsky, a school board member, is currently looking into the possibility of moving the festival to one of the Berkeley schools.  

Other people, however, believe it is unlikely to happen by November. 

“It would be very hard to make a lot of changes aside from making arrangements with the spaces which they are already committed to for this year,” said Alan Senauke, a musician who attended the meeting. “I imagine they are going to be looking at other venues in the future.” 

Suzie Thompson, festival director, was not available for comment Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, organizers promised at the meeting to take significant measures to increase Ashkenaz’s accessibility. 

“We heard very clearly what some of the members of the Commission on Disability were saying about the problems in a place such as Ashkenaz, which has some physical limitations,” said Ashkenaz General Manager Allan Katz. “We will get together with members of the disabled community to know how to deal with a large crowd.” 

Ashkenaz plans, for instance, to have personnel to assist disabled individuals and monitor the traffic inside the club during the performances. It will also designate reserved seating for people with disabilities and have interpreters for deaf people.  

While Berkeley has won awards for its efforts to prepare for seismic upgrading and disaster preparation, city officials caution that there’s still a long way to go before it is ready for a major quake on the Hayward Fault. 

Arrietta Chakos, chief of staff to the city manager, said Berkeley leads the state in home retrofitting and has supported a variety of bonds to make schools and public buildings safer.  

“We’ve taken a lot of initiative without assistance from state and federal programs,” Chakos said. “We’ve made our schools safer and have contributed to safety in the private sector.” 

Chakos said a multi-departmental task force is currently being formed to continue disaster preparation programs. 

The Bay Area’s seismic consciousness was abruptly raised nearly 12 years ago on Oct. 17, 1989 when the 7.1 Loma Prieta Earthquake, centered near Santa Cruz on the San Andreas Fault, shook the earth for 15 seconds. 

The quake killed 62 people and injured another 3,000. Damage included the collapse of the Cypress Freeway, the closure of 10 bridges and the destruction or damage of nearly 20,000 homes.  

“Loma Prieta was centered 90 miles away,” said Community Emergency Response Training coordinator, Dory Ehrlich. “In Berkeley a few chimneys toppled. If a major earthquake hits the Hayward Fault, which runs right under the UC Berkeley campus, we can expect a lot more damage than that.” 

In fact, a report prepared by the city’s Disaster Council in May estimated that if a 7.0 earthquake struck the Hayward Fault, 25 percent of Berkeley homes could be rendered uninhabitable leaving as many as 20,000 people homeless.” 

The report concluded that Berkeley was not anywhere near ready for the aftermath of a major earthquake.  

However, while there’s work to be done, Berkeley was recognized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as being a model for community preparedness in 1999. In 2000 Berkeley was named Seismic Community of the Year by the State Seismic Safety Commission. The city also was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from Project Impact, a federal program that promotes disaster preparation. 

Chakos said one reason for the awards is that 40 percent of single family homes in Berkeley have been seismically retrofitted, a higher percentage than any other city in the state. The high rate is attributed to the city’s transfer tax rebate policy. 

The way it works is a portion of the transfer tax from a home sale is put into an escrow account at the time of sale. That money can then be used by the homeowner for retrofitting projects on the property.  

“Because of the high cost of real estate in Berkeley, people really want to protect their homes,” Mayor Shirley Dean said. “The media has given them the message about the value of retrofitting and we have given them the means with the transfer tax.” 

In addition to upgrading homes, Chakos said Berkeley voters have approved every seismic or fire bond measure that has been on the ballot since 1992. Some of the bond measures include Measure A and Measure AA, which raised a total of $272 million to retrofit school buildings in the Berkeley Unified School District and Measure S, which raised $49 million to retrofit the Civic Center and Main Library. 

“I think it was that kind of public spirit that caught the attention of the FEMA,” Chakos said.  

City Disaster Commissioner Russell Kilday-Hicks said Berkeley has come a long way in preparing for a quake but there’s still much to be done. He said that despite the millions put into the school buildings there are still preparedness issues lingering.  

“The major thing is the schools,” Hicks said. “The commission didn’t feel comfortable with Berkeley parents sending their kids off to school and thinking they were safe.” 

The City Council approved a recommendation by the Disaster Commission in early May to install 20-foot long metal containers on each school campus. The containers will be filled with emergency supplies such as food, water and first-aid kits. According to Kilday-Hicks the containers have not yet been installed. 

Chakos said the city is in the process of organizing the Disaster Resistant Berkeley program, which will combine several city departments to form a comprehensive approach to disaster readiness. The DRB team, which is budgeted at $660,000 for the next two fiscal years, will include representatives from the fire, housing and planning departments among others.  

“The group will make a presentation to council hopefully by October during Earthquake and Fire Safety Month,” Chakos said. 

Other steps the city has taken to prepare for a natural disaster is the formation of the Community Emergency Response Training program, which offers free readiness classes to anyone who lives or works in Berkeley.  

The classes cover seven areas of earthquake preparedness such as first aid, fire suppression and light search and rescue. Ehrlich said there will be a new series of subjects starting in September. 

“What we want to do is get as many people as possible to get themselves prepared to take care of themselves,” Ehrlich said. “And the citizens of Berkeley feel very strongly about taking care of themselves and their neighbors.” 

Summer 2001 Class Schedule for Emergency Response Training 

Earthquake Retrofitting: Sept. 8, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

Basic Personal Preparedness: Sept. 15, 9 – 11 a.m. 

Disaster Mental Health: Sept. 22, 9 a.m. - noon 

Disaster First Aid: Sept. 29, 9 a.m. – noon  

For more information, call 981-5605 

They call themselves “shellmounders.”  

The name exudes a kind of earthiness – and rightfully so – though a shellmound isn’t quite the pile of sharp, crackling shoreline one might imagine. 

“A shellmound is an accumulation, over thousands of years, of the debris and artifacts of a community,” said west Berkeley resident Stephanie Manning, one of the organizers and moderators of a series of lectures at UC Berkeley called “Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay.” The series began last week and will continue over the next two Thursdays at Kroeber Hall on the campus.  

While there are various shellmounds that have been unearthed in the East Bay, the Emeryville shellmound may be the largest in California, Manning said.  

At least, it may have been the largest, before Emeryville buried it beneath a strip mall, Manning said. 

The lecture series delves into the archeological, scientific and spiritual significance of formations such as shellmounds. The information will not only help participants take stock of what remains, but look at what can be done to preserve these remnants, Manning said. 

There are reasons why the Bay Area shellmounds accumulated where they did.  

Before concrete, the Bay shore was a lot marshier, Manning said. The local Native Americans lived on top of the shellmounds, and this solid surface raised them above the high-tide level.  

But there’s an even more important reason why the shellmounds grew: in winter the grounds of the Bay Area are resistant to digging and the shellmound was the most practical way for Native Americans to live near the dead they had buried, Manning said. They did this to maintain their ties – both spiritual and physical – to their ancestry. 

The Native Americans built their communities, quite literally, on top of the contributions of the past, Manning said. They did so out of respect and spiritual need and to maintain a concrete sense of where they came from. 

Being a shellmounder, then, doesn’t involve anything like a membership card or a secret handshake. It demonstrates a concern for recovering fragments of the North American past.  

Around here shellmounders are often natives of California, if not California Native Americans. They’re often archeologists and earth scientists, by profession or just by hobby. But none of these criteria are essential; the name really indicates something very simple.  

“They’re a group of people who are interested in trying to save what’s left of the shellmounds,” Manning said. “There’s very little left.” 

Sandra Sher – author of “The Native American Legacy of Emeryville” and one of the people who spoke Thursday – is one of them.  

“I’m still astounded,” Sher said, “that the city of Emeryville chose to neither preserve nor do a full-scale excavation of what remains of the Emeryville shellmound underground. Here was one of the most significant shellmounds in the Bay Area, and yet, when put up against the prospect of yet another retail center, the retail center won out.”  

Emeryville officials did allow archeologists to study the shellmound briefly before they covered it up. These archeologists arrived at some conclusions that will be discussed at the lecture Thursday evening, Manning said.  

But while Thursday’s lecture may offer a chance to preserve what is left, last week’s talk walked briefly through the ruins that will not be preserved.  

Sher related to the crowd a strange concession Emeryville made two years ago: a memorial to the shellmound before it had actually been covered. 

“I feel that planning a memorial just before killing off the patient is reprehensible,” Sher said.  

“To me this was one of those narrow windows of opportunity to learn more about the earliest people who lived here.”

SAN FRANCISCO — A California researcher has created a tomato that can grow and thrive with salty water, a breakthrough he said could lead to the cultivation of now-barren fields around the world. 

University of California, Davis Professor Eduardo Blumwald’s tomato plants can grow using water containing 50 times more salt than normal. His findings are published in this month’s issue of the peer review journal Nature Biotechnology. 

The resulting tomato contains three times as much salt than a traditionally grown tomato, but it can’t be tasted, Blumwald said. 

He believes his invention can be used by farmers toiling on bad soil and on a variety of crops. Fields doused in large amounts of irrigated water over long periods of time develop high levels of salinity, which stunts crop growth. 

Blumwald envisions tomatoes growing in the deserts of the Middle East and on now-fallow lands in India. But for now, the scientist’s tomatoes, with a salt-fighting gene from a plant related to cabbage fused with a tomato plant, is being rejected by many California farmers. 

In Five Points, the heart of tomato-growing country, growers are refusing to grow genetically modified crops for the simple reason that they aren’t selling in supermarkets. Until they do, California’s largest farmers won’t touch Blumwald’s tomatoes or any other biotechnology-created crop. 

“Biotech is taboo,” said Tom Braner, business manager of Five Points-based grower Tanimura & Antle, which grows 240,000 acres of tomatoes. “Everybody wants organic. Nobody wants genetically modified food.” 

Blumwald’s creation isn’t playing well on small organic farms like the ones found around Santa Cruz either. 

“It’s a Band-Aid,” said Mark Lipson, co-owner of Molino Creek Farm, which grows organic tomatoes on six acres. Lipson said the “real problem” is over-irrigation of crop land by large corporations. Developing salt-resistant tomatoes isn’t going to improve the deteriorating conditions of the world’s farm lands, Lipson said. 

Lipson and other organic farming proponents are also concerned that pollen from biotech crops will contaminate their plants. They also fear hard-to-kill super weeds will sprout from genetically modified pollen. 

Other genetically modified food opponents, such as Peter Meechan, chief executive of Newman’s Own Organic food company, contend that not enough research has been done to ensure the food is safe to eat. 

“We need to see more testing,” he said. 

All of which frustrates Blumwald. 

He complains that salinity levels continue to rise while traditional methods of selective breeding of crops has resulted in little relief over the last 100 years. Furthermore, he argues that he’s merely “crossbreeding” plants like farmers have done for centuries. 

“I’m not doing anything different than farmers did a thousand years ago,” he said. “Nothing bad is going to happen. This is a solution, not a problem.” 

Blumwald said he has developed hundreds of the salt-resistant plants, now being kept in a University of Toronto greenhouse where Blumwald did most of his research. He joined the Davis faculty last year where he hopes to grow his plants in a salt-damaged field if he can secure funding. 

U.S. farmers in arid areas such as California’s Central Valley, where most of the country’s tomatoes are grown, use irrigated water – as opposed to rainfall – to grow crops. As irrigated water flows from its source in rivers and streams, minerals  

are picked up and deposited in  

farmers’ fields. 

Fields using irrigated water can become too salty and unfarmable. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that crop production has fallen by 25 percent on irrigated land in the United States because of rising salinity levels. 

Blumwald said his plants will help repair salt-damaged soil. They actually remove salt, retaining most of it in their leaves. 

Salt blocks plants from absorbing enough water. Blumwald and his colleagues engineered the plants to produce proteins that hide the salt in vacuoles, large storage areas in cells that don’t interfere with the plants’ growth. Most of the soil’s salt ends up in the tomato plants’ leaves. 

California fields, which haven’t been farmed as long as the rest of the country’s, aren’t having significant salinity problems yet. 

But Blumwald said that in the next 30 years, California farmers will have to deal with salty fields as they continue to rely on irrigation. 

“There’s going to be trouble,” Blumwald said. 

On the Net: 

http://www.ucdavis.edu 

http://www.ofrf.org 

http://www.ctga.org

The parent company of California’s largest utility told federal regulators Tuesday that its corporate structure is legal and that it should not be subject to a review requested by the state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. 

San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. called the issues raised in a petition Lockyer filed in July with the Securities and Exchange Commission “entirely baseless.” 

Lockyer said the SEC should scrutinize the transfer of billions of dollars the utility made to the parent company before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection April 6. 

Lockyer says that the SEC, under the Public Utility Holding Company Act, should examine the impact of the transfer of money from the utility to the parent company had on PG&E’s bankruptcy filing. 

Under the holding company act, the SEC can review stock and security transactions, inter-affiliate loans and issuance of securities by holding companies and utilities.  

The SEC has not reviewed the holdings of PG&E Corp. because the corporation says it is an intrastate entity. 

Lockyer says PG&E Corp. has assets worth $13 billion outside California, making it an interstate corporation and eligible for SEC review. 

In his petition, Lockyer said $4 billion flowed from the utility to the parent company between 1997 and 1999. 

“PG&E Corp. ... now asserts those billions of dollars are unavailable to PG&E Co., which is in bankruptcy,” Lockyer said in  

the petition. 

PG&E Corp. spokesman Brian Hertzog said the utility is the only utility business the corporation operates exclusively in California. 

Lockyer “is just misinterpreting or mischaracterizing what the exemption is under PUHCA,” Hertzog said. “We are exempt from it.” 

“Basically we’re glad that they agree with us on one point — that there should be a hearing on this issue,” said Sandra Michioku, Lockyer’s spokeswoman. 

On the Net: 

http://www.pgecorp.com 

http://www.pge.com 

http://caag.state.ca.gov

Nearly a million gays and lesbians identified themselves as same-sex couples in the latest census, which for the first time gives an authoritative record of homosexuals in America. 

Advocates hope politicians will note that gay and lesbian couples are a part of nearly every county in every state, and thus pay more attention to their calls for domestic partner rights and benefits such as marriage, health care and inheritance rights. 

But the nation’s total gay population is much larger, since the 2000 census provided an opportunity for single gays and lesbians to identify their sexual orientation, and didn’t count couples living separately. That has some homosexuals fearing a resulting backlash. 

“Why would politicians waste an hour on this if there are only 6,500 (male) couples in San Francisco, the queer capital of the world?” said Peter Altman, 42, who’s been with his partner 11 years. 

Census officials say the numbers are more accurate than those gathered in 1990, when the bureau assumed that all people who checked “spouse” or “married” to someone of the same sex had made a mistake. Such people were categorized either as heterosexual couples, or other relationships such as roommates or relatives. Still, the 2000 numbers cannot be used to estimate the nation’s entire gay population, said Martin O’Connell, chief of the fertility and family statistics branch of the U.S. Census Bureau. 

“It’s hard to get a complete picture by only describing the living relationships of people living together,” O’Connell said. 

To date, the Census Bureau has reported that 479,107 same-sex couples identified themselves as sharing a household in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This number will rise when data from all 50 states is released. The missing states are New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Arkansas. 

According to the latest batch of census statistics released Wednesday, California and Vermont lead the nation with the highest percentage of gay and lesbian couples, while San Francisco has nearly twice as many same-sex partners as any other county. There are 92,138 same-sex couples in California, 8,902 of which are in San Francisco. In Vermont, 1,933 same-sex couples responded to the census. Gay and lesbian couples make up nearly 1 percent of total households reported in both California and Vermont. 

“We’re not talking about some sort of intangible concept of a gay family,” said David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay and lesbian advocacy group in Washington D.C. “We’re talking about real people who live in a real assemblyperson’s district.” 

Some gays who responded to the census felt that the chance to be counted was worth overcoming fears about disclosing their sexual orientation to the government.  

“It’s very easy to get paranoid and think that the FBI is making up a list and some day when the ‘far-rights’ ascend to power, they’re going to have the list,” Altman said. What’s the alternative – not to have it on the census and then be invisible? We’re damned if we do or damned if we don’t.” 

The 1990 census counted 121,346 same-sex couples. These were people who checked “domestic partner” with someone of the same gender. 

But O’Connell warns against comparing those numbers because of the way the forms were edited a decade ago. For example, two men identifying themselves as married could have been switched in 1990 to male and female and counted as a heterosexual couple, or listed as relatives or roommates instead of domestic partners. 

The 2000 data did not reassign partners. Instead, it put everyone into the domestic partner category, and then classified the couples as homosexual or heterosexual. 

There are 3,850,524 heterosexual unmarried couples nationwide, with 591,378, or 5.1 percent, in California. Alaska ranks first with 6.9 percent and Vermont is second with 6.7 percent. 

The same-sex numbers, while most likely undercounted, still show a lot about where the country’s gay and lesbian sex couples live and who they are, said Gary Gates, a researcher at the Urban Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank. 

The data shows there are more lesbian couples living in rural areas, while gay male couples tend to be in urban areas. California, Nevada, Florida and New York rank at the top for male couples, while Vermont, New Mexico, Oregon and Massachusetts have the most lesbian couples, in that order. 

“Part of that might have to do with more of us having children than the guys. They still haven’t caught up with us there,” said Bobbi Cote-Whitacre, 53, of Grand Isle, Vt., who has been with her partner 34 years. “We tend to look for places that are safer or more of a rural country spot.” 

———— 

On the Net: 

http://www.census.gov/ 

http://www.urban.org/ 

LOS ANGELES — The story of Hispanic migration to California has largely been one of Mexican immigration. But new census figures show that trend is less predominant in San Francisco, where people of Mexican origin do not hold a majority among Hispanics. 

San Francisco is also home to higher percentages of Central and South Americans than the state as a whole, the figures show. 

Of the state’s 11 million Hispanics, 77 percent are of Mexican origin, 5.2 percent are of Central American origin and 1.5 percent are of South American origin, according to new figures released Wednesday from the April 2000 census. 

Fourteen percent were classified as “other Hispanic,” a figure interpreted by some demographers as possible evidence of weakening cultural identity because respondents did not identify their country of ancestry. 

Among San Francisco’s 109,504 Hispanics, though, only 45 percent are of Mexican origin. It’s the only one of California’s 58 counties where that figures stands at less than 50 percent. Central Americans account for 21 percent of the county’s Hispanic population, and South Americans for 5 percent. 

Demographers say that could be partly because San Francisco declared itself a City of Refuge for Salvadorans driven to migrate because of civil war during the 1980s.  

Also, more Central and South Americans likely arrive in California by plane, so that the proximity of Los Angeles to the border is not as key as it is to Mexicans. 

And once immigrants establish a network, wherever it may be, it draws more immigrants from their country of origin, demographers say. 

Ana Gomez, a native of Argentina who moved to San Francisco eight months ago, said she did so for one reason: “Because my children are here.” It’s an oft-heard response. 

“Not only is it common for groups of people from specific countries to settle next to each other, but even in certain cases we’ll find people from certain towns living in the same area,” said Hans Johnson, a demographer at San Francisco’s Public Policy Institute of California.  

“It’s not uncommon in Los Angeles for soccer teams to be formed based on a town from Mexico, and playing a town 50 miles away in a soccer game in Los Angeles.” 

It is difficult to compare the Hispanic-population data released Wednesday with that collected in 1990. In 1990, unlike in 2000, respondents who were not of Mexican, Cuban or Puerto Rican origin weren’t allowed to write in their ancestry, but rather were directed to the “other Hispanic” category. 

A shift that size is negligible in such a large data set, according to demographers. 

Many demographers were puzzled by the 1,554,575 “other Hispanics” identified by the 2000 Census. Some respondents apparently checked the “other Hispanic” box without writing their country of origin in the space provided. That suggested to some that the question was confusingly presented, but to others that Hispanics increasingly are leaving behind individual ancestral identities. 

Gov. Pete Wilson’s anti-immigrant Proposition 187 of 1994 helped create a group identity for many Hispanics, said Pastor, whose father is a native of Cuba. 

“I would say that prior to Wilson my father would have said he was Cuban, and after Wilson he became a Latino. And I think that happened to a lot of people,” Pastor said. “I think there’s an emergence of a Latino identity that’s more pan-ethnic.” 

——— 

Staff writer Paul Chavez in Los Angeles contributed to this report. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.census.gov 

http://www.ppic.org 

http://www.ucsc.edu/general—info/cjtc.pdf 

SAN JOSE — Cisco Systems Inc. earned a relatively paltry $7 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, meeting Wall Street’s expectations, as the networking giant continued to struggle with the global economic downturn. 

During a conference call to discuss the results, Cisco executives declined to offer specific long-term earnings guidance but added the industry has not yet turned around despite some signs of improvements in its U.S. businesses. 

“While we would like to say the bottom has been reached in our industry, we don’t think we are there yet,” said John Chambers, Cisco’s chief executive. “We are becoming cautiously optimistic that it may be achieved in the next one or two quarters in the U.S.” 

For the three months ended July 28, Cisco broke even on a per-share basis, a whopping 99 percent below the $796 million, or 11 cents per share, in the same period last year. 

Excluding items and goodwill, the company earned $163 million, or 2 cents per share, compared with $1.2 billion, or 16 cents per share, in the same period last year. 

Analysts were expecting a profit of 2 cents per share, according to a survey by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

Revenue for the fourth quarter was $4.30 billion, a 25 percent decrease from the $5.72 billion in the same period last year but on par with analysts’ expectations. 

Analysts were seeking guidance for any sign that Cisco in particular – and the telecommunications industry in general – might be bottoming out from its monthslong slide. 

“We don’t see any turnaround. We’re not at a bottom, and it’s going to take a couple quarters,” said Paul Sagawa, a Bernstein analyst. “From that perspective, we think Cisco’s guidance was right on.” 

Revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2002 is expected to range from flat to down 5 percent compared with the fourth quarter, said Larry Carter, Cisco’s chief financial officer. The company offered no guidance for the new fiscal year. 

“We are seeing some signs of the U.S. stabilizing, but we are cautious about the overall economics and think Europe and Asia Pacific may get worse before they get better,” Chambers said. 

But Chambers remained optimistic about the long-term prospects for the networking industry. He said most of the chief executives of companies that buy Cisco equipment are still cautious but committed to the productivity improvements from networking. 

“As the economy ticks backs up, our view is that these CEOs will loosen the purse strings,” he said. 

Once the world’s most valuable company, Cisco fell hard as the demand for networking equipment has fallen sharply during the economic downturn. Customers from dot-coms to multinational voice and data carriers responded to the weak economy by postponing or outright canceling plans to buy more routers, switches and other networking equipment. 

To cope with the slowdown, Cisco has cut 8,500 workers and taken billions of dollars in inventory write-offs. Meanwhile, Cisco’s shares have fallen more than 75 percent since peaking at $82 in March 2000. 

Cisco, which acquired 71 companies between 1993 and December, recently started making purchases after a seven-month dry spell. Last month, Cisco announced plans to buy two small firms. 

“They were just trying to digest what they had, figure out what fit and what didn’t,” said Ray Hirsch, a senior analyst at American Express. “The fact that that’s starting to move forward suggests a little more confidence.” 

For its fiscal year, Cisco lost $1.01 billion, or 14 cents per share, compared with earnings of $2.67 billion, or 36 cents per share in the previous period. Revenue was $22.29 billion, an 18 percent increase over the $18.93 billion reported a year ago. 

Before the earnings news, shares of Cisco closed down 28 cents to $19.26 in trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. In after-hours trading, shares fell to $18.92. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.cisco.com 

WASHINGTON — Worker productivity, a key measure of living standards, had its best showing in a year in the second quarter. 

But revisions to Labor Department records for the past five years revealed growth wasn’t as dazzling as previously thought, rekindling the debate over whether the country had entered into a golden era of productivity in the late 1990s. 

Worker productivity – the amount of output per hour of work – rose at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the April-June quarter, the department reported Tuesday. A revision turned a negative first-quarter figure into a tiny 0.1 percent growth rate. 

One reason productivity grew so much in the second quarter is that businesses, trying to cope with the slumping economy, sharply cut workers’ hours. Workers’ hours fell at a 2.4 percent rate, the largest decline in hours since the first quarter of 1991, while output edged up at a 0.1 percent rate, thus producing the rise in productivity. 

The bigger-than-expected quarterly advance in productivity was the largest increase since a 6.3 percent growth rate registered in the second quarter of last year. 

Gains in productivity are the key to rising living standards because they allow wages to increase without triggering inflation that would eat up those wage gains.  

If productivity falters, however, pressures for higher wages could forces companies to raise prices, thus worsening inflation. 

The rise in productivity helped to moderate labor costs. Unit labor costs, a gauge of inflation pressures, rose at a 2.1 percent rate in the second quarter, down from a 5.0 percent rate in the first quarter. 

The annual revisions, meanwhile, showed that from 1996 through 2000, productivity growth averaged 2.5 percent, compared with the 2.8 percent average originally reported. Annual revisions are based on better data. 

That reignited the debate among some economists over whether the healthy productivity gains seen after 1995 represent a “new economy,” meaning a lasting, structural change, driven in large part by businesses making massive investments in high-tech equipment.  

Conversely, they question whether the gains were simply the fruit of economic boom times where companies pushed workers more to meet rapidly rising demand. 

For 1973 through 1995, productivity averaged lackluster gains of just above 1 percent per year. But since 1995, increases have more than doubled. 

“The revisions put a dent in the new era thesis,” said David Orr, chief economist at First Union. 

Dean Baker, an economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank, agreed. “The ‘new economy’ story becomes somewhat more tenuous. Clearly, productivity is looking better than it did in the mid 1970s to 1995, but we are not back to the rates of the productivity boom in the 1960s.” 

But Merrill Lynch’s chief economist, Bruce Steinberg, had a different view. “The rising productivity trends of the late 1990s remain very much in place,” he said. “Those who argue that the revised data deny the productivity miracle are just being silly.” 

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress last month that he remains bullish about the long-term prospects of productivity growth, even though businesses, responding to the yearlong economic slowdown, have pared back investment in computers and other productivity-enhancing equipment. 

“There is still, in my judgment, ample evidence that we are experiencing only a pause in the investment in a broad set of innovations that has elevated the underlying growth in productivity to a rate significantly above that of the two decades preceding 1995,” Greenspan said. “By all evidence we are not yet dealing with maturing technologies that, after having sparkled for a half decade, are now in the process of fizzling out.” 

The biggest annual revision was for 2000, which showed productivity grew by 3.0 percent, rather than 4.3 percent. The lower estimate in part reflected a recent downward revision by the government for output, as measured by the gross domestic product, from 5 percent to 4.1 percent for 2000. 

On the Net: 

Productivity report: http://www.bls.gov/ 

City officials say they are quietly leading the way to improved air quality by using three all-electric vehicles. The city’s first was a red Solectria Force leased in September 1999. It now has 7,389 unpolluted miles and is driven every day. 

“It’s our goal and objective to use 100 percent completely alternative fuel vehicles.” said Bill Ivie, the city’s equipment superintendent. 

Berkeley purchased a three-year lease for $15,670 with an option to buy in September, 1999, said Patrick Keilch, deputy director of public works.  

This was subsidized by a $4,000 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. With the help of two more grants, the city leased two, all-electric, Ford Ranger trucks last year 

The red Solectria Force is a converted 1999 Geo Metro four door sedan. 

“The car is so quiet nobody can hear you coming, not pedestrians or bicyclists,” said Ivie.“You have to be a defensive driver. It’s like being a bicyclist looking for bicyclists, you just have to watch for them.”

The planning director, named July 24 by the City Council, will be stepping into a department often characterized by controversy. 

“I think it will be a great opportunity (for new director Carol Barrett) to reconstruct, rebuild and reshape a department that has to deal with a vast number of issues and problems such as land use, property inspections and interpretation of zoning regulations,” said City Manager Weldon Rucker. 

The department, with an $8.5 million budget for fiscal year 2001-02, has 70 full-time employees and consists of five divisions. 

The Office of the Director oversees the permit center and the redevelopment agency. Advance Planning manages future planning for transportation, housing and capital improvements. Current Planning, perhaps the most controversial division, reconciles applications for development with zoning regulations and neighborhood concerns.  

The Building and Safety Division inspects projects under construction, existing buildings and capital improvements for safety violations. The Toxics Management Division manages the disposal and storage of toxic materials and strives to prevent pollution by residents, businesses and city agencies. 

The department has been headed by Acting Director Wendy Cosin for 18 months. Liz Epstein, the former director, took a yearlong maternity leave, then decided not to return, leaving Cosin in charge until the city could find a permanent director.  

Barrett is currently the assistant director of the Planning and Zoning Department in Austin, Texas. One planning official described the new director as a “seasoned professional” with a reputation for being highly ethical. Barrett recently completed a book entitled “Everyday Ethics for Practicing Planners.” 

The perception of Barrett as highly principled might be helpful to the image of the Current Planning Division, recently drawn into a series controversial development proposals.  

Three projects, the Beth El proposal for a synagogue at 1301 Oxford St., a four-story, mixed-use building at 2700 San Pablo Ave. and a five-story mixed-use building at University Avenue and Acton Street were all approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board or the City Council despite strong neighborhood opposition.  

The approvals caused several residents and at least one councilmember to speculate that the Current Planning Division has been inappropriately influenced by developers. 

“I think there’s been a lot of inconsistency in how the zoning ordinance and area plans have been applied to particular developments,” said Councilmember Dona Spring. “The reports that planning staff have been giving us might as well be written by the developer.” 

Spring argued that whenever a certain aspect of a development proposal requires a discretionary interpretation of the zoning ordinance, planning staff will favor the developer. 

Juliet LaMont, a member of the Live Oak Codornices Creek Neighborhood Association, which opposed the proposed Beth El project, said her experience with the planning department wasn’t a pleasant one.  

“The reports we received were generally late and had big problems with misinformation, inaccuracies and bias,” Lamont said. “When we went to hearings staff misstated dates and the law itself. I don’t know if it’s incompetence, sheer bias or a combination of both.” 

Acting Deputy Director Vivian Kahn said there have been many changes in communities due to home additions and other remodeling projects. In addition she said many Berkeley homeowners have everything they own tied up in real estate and they are very nervous about new projects affecting the value of their property. 

Both Cosin and Kahn deny that the department has ever been an advocate for developers. 

“We don’t see ourselves as advocates for developers, we see ourselves as analysts of the zoning ordinance,” Kahn said. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said there has been confusion among members of the public because of inconstancies between the zoning regulations and the various neighborhood plans. She said that one of the primary concerns about the city’s proposed General Plan, which has been an ongoing project since 1987, is that it is consistent with the zoning ordinance and state building codes. The General Plan was approved by the Planning Commission in June and is expected to be considered by the City Council in September. 

Dean said some neighbors might believe the Current Planning Division staff is writing reports that favor developers but sometimes when a development decision doesn’t favor the neighbors they can unnecessarily blame the quality of the information.  

Howie Muir, of Neighbors for Responsible Development, which opposed the 2700 San Pablo Ave. project, said he also had concerns about Current Planning Division information.  

“There’s problems with getting staff reports in a timely manner,” he said. “Sometimes they’re available only three or four days before a decision is going to be made.” 

Cosin said the staff reports are complex documents, often filled with technical information. She said it would be very difficult to get them out sooner with so many projects going on simultaneously. 

Developer Patrick Kennedy, who has had several projects approved in Berkeley in recent years, including 2700 San Pablo Ave. and the Acton Apartments at University Avenue and Acton Street, said the Current Planning Division has been doing a good job of neutrally interpreting the zoning ordinance. 

“My experience with the planning department is that they don’t play favorites with anyone,” he said. “In fact it seems as though they bend over backwards to do accurate work because everything they do is second guessed by the neighborhood groups.” 

Cosin said it’s unfortunate that the department is mostly known as being in the middle of development controversies. She said the other things the department does often get overlooked such as the seven redevelopment projects that were approved by the City Council on June 19. Those projects include the development of a transit plaza at Berkeley’s train stop, the paving of Second Street and the development of three live/work spaces at 1631 Fifth St. 

“It’s really a shame,” Cosin said, “most people don’t know all the things we do.” 

Tuesday, Aug. 7

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 will center on sex and drugs: Free will? Must laws be obeyed? 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 

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. 525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street at MLK Jr. Way 

548-3333 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Strawberry Creek Daylighting 

Strategy Workshop 

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Corporation Yard Green Room 

1326 Allston Way 

A workshop to develop an effective strategy for promoting the daylighting of Strawberry Creek downtown. Learn about current daylighting concepts and develop a working plan for the next year and beyond. Facilitated by Louis Hexter of MIG. Call Janet Byron to RSVP at 848-4008 or bjanet@earthlink.net 

Wednesday, Aug. 8

A Day at the Beach 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Build sand castles with sand sculptor Kirk Rademaker. Museum admission $3 - $7. 642-5132 

Thursday, Aug. 9

Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Sean Dexter, archaeologist, will discuss the recent Data Recovery Program at the Emeryville Shellmound/South Bayfront site. Jakki Kehl, a Mutsun Ohlone, will discuss protecting cultural resources by developing partnerships and encouraging good stewardship of the land. $10 

841-2242 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 237-9874 

Sea Kayaking 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Learn about the best sea kayaking spots in Northern California from Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner. Free. 527-4140 

Free Computer Class  

for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity  

Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: F526-9146 or 547-1969. 

Friday, Aug. 10

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 Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Even Stronger Women 

1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Free weekly cultural discussion class. This week: Tales of Murasaki. 549-1879 

Yiddish Conversation Group 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

644-6107 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/hhs/commsvc/seniors.htm 

Saturday, Aug. 11

Sixth Annual Reggae Worldbeat Festival  

Noon - 5 p.m.  

People’s Park  

Telegraph & Haste St. (behind Amoeba)  

Featuring: Obeyjah & The Saints with the Village Culture Drummers, Dancehall King; Major P., Wawa Sylvestre and The Oneness Kingdom Band and many more. Free, but donations encouraged.  

Free Classical Music Concert 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley Campus 

UC Berkeley Summer Symphony, Gene Chang, Henry Shin, Directors.  

Debussy, Stravinsky, Brahms. Free admission.  

For more information: 665-5631 

Sunday, Aug. 12

Live Oak Concerts 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Composition vs. Improvisation, Music/Structures by Tom Swafford. $10 644-6893 

Hands-On Bicycle Repair Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn front and rear derailleur adjustments from one of REI’s bike technicians. Tools provided. All you need to bring is your bike. Free. 527-4140 

Buddhist Architecture In the West 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Building a Buddhist Temple.” Free. 843-6812 

Steel Drums and Sand Castles 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Kirk Rademaker teaches sand sculpting while Richmond Bloco entertains with steel drum music. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Opus Q Auditions 

7 - 9 p.m. 

The University Lutheran Chapel 

2425 College Ave. 

Opus Q - The East Bay Men’s Chorale is preparing for its first full season. Gay men and their allies are invited to audition for the world’s newest GALA ensemble. For more information: www.opus-q.com or 664-0260. 

Monday, Aug. 13

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women 20 - 70. Director Mikel Clifford asks that auditioners present a two-minute piece or read from a script. No appointment is needed, and there is no pay. 525-1620 www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

Section 8 Resident Council  

Meeting 

5:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

East Bay Community Law Center 

3122 Shattuck Ave. 

All Section 8 recipients and concerned citizens should come tell the Resident Council all of their concerns about the program.  

Free Seminar on Ayurveda 

1 - 2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

The basic principles of Ayurveda for maintaining health and balance.  

644-6107 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/hhs/commsvc/seniors.htm 

LOS ANGELES – Hugo Alexander and Marcos Montero stand at the corner of Fletcher Drive and Atwater Avenue beneath the old, peeling neon sign for Ray’s Liquor. The intersection is a popular gathering place for day laborers; half a block away is a busy U-Haul outlet. Whenever a work truck rolls by, the men whistle and wave their hands, hoping to join a crew with a construction, painting or landscaping job. 

At least on the surface, Alexander and Montero make a curious pair. Montero is from the Merced district in Mexico City, and he speaks a highly urbanized and rapid Spanish. Alexander hails from Zacatecoluca, a city in central El Salvador; his speech has the tones and rhythms of a man from the provinces. Montero likes rock ‘n’ roll, Alexander, cumbia and merengue. Alexander eats pupusas; Montero, tacos. Montero says he crossed illegally into the U.S. because, as a house painter in Mexico, he couldn’t envision the slightest social mobility for himself and his family. Alexander says that after civil war, Hurricane Mitch and the devastating earthquakes earlier this year, he had no choice but to try his luck in the north. 

On this cool, gray summer morning, Alexander and Montero have yet to secure the day’s employment, but they aren’t worried about their prospects, even though it’s already past 10 a.m. 

“Sooner or later, we’ll be picked up,” says Montero, 30, a short and stocky man with eyes hidden behind huge Ray Bans. “There’s always somebody that needs us.” 

One reason Montero and Alexander can get along without the slightest sense of competition or of rivalry due to national origin is that both men have found there are enough jobs to go around. And in the end, the similarity of their circumstances today unites them despite their different backgrounds. Which is why I find some of the ideas floated by the Bush administration as it grasps for a new amnesty (or “regularization” as Bush prefers) so unsettling. 

Initially, Bush and his Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox spoke of a regularization deal exclusively for Mexican migrants, which would have set Alexander and Montero on opposite sides of a huge divide. Almost immediately, however, Central Americans, Caribbeans and even some South Americans (like the Columbian enclave of New York City), clamored that they are at least as deserving as their Mexican brethren. Mexicans, too, bristled at the notion. 

“We’re all in the same situation,” Montero says, snacking on hard-boiled egg and a Coke. “How can you distinguish between me and my brother here?” 

“I’m not waving my country’s flag, and my comrade isn’t either,” chimes in Alexander. “There’s no flags here.” 

Such sentiments have deep historical roots in Latin America. Simon Bolivar, the great Venezuelan independence leader, inspired legions with his vision of a hemisphere united in struggle against colonialism. Tirelessly scouring a vast region of the continent for support, he eventually defeated the forces of the Spanish Crown and founded the Republic of Gran Colombia (a federation of present-day Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador). That’s not to say, of course, that national boundaries don’t matter. Bolivar’s dream was ultimately shattered by the factionalism that ensued after independence, but to this day, every child schooled in Latin America is taught the basics about “El Libertador.” 

There is a contradiction in the Latin soul, a split as ancient as colonialism itself. Existing regional differences were exploited by Spain and other powers in the age-old “divide and conquer” scheme. And to this day, national rivalries play themselves out, sometimes innocuously (during qualifying matches for soccer’s World Cup), and sometimes quite viciously (Central Americans en route to the United States complain of brutal treatment while passing through in Mexico). 

But equally powerful are Bolivar’s ideals of commonality-distinct peoples with the same enemy can only win if united. Francisco Morazan attempted to unite the nations of Central America in the mid-19th century; Jose Marti rhapsodized in a similar vein from Cuba at the dawn of the 20th. Mexican-Central American tensions notwithstanding, the Mexican government actively sponsored revolutionary movements in El Salvador and Nicaragua during the 1980s, and hosted peace talks that led to a settlement of Salvador’s bloody conflict in 1992. 

I have roots in both Mexico and Central America. My father grew up In Los Angeles of Mexican parents, and my mother emigrated from her native El Salvador to the U.S. as a young adult. My Mexican grandparents lived in Silver Lake and I was quite close to them growing up – they were my connection to Old Mexico. My mother also sought to retain her ties with her family, and I spent several summers in El Salvador as a kid. Weaned on tacos and pupusas, as it were. 

In my family, I found it impossible to root for the Salvadoran or Mexican soccer teams during the World Cup qualifying matches. I grew up with the intuitive knowledge that borders are political lines of convenience-lines that one crosses if history makes it necessary to do so. 

Which brings us back to Hugo Alexander and Marcos Montero on the corner of Fletcher and Atwater. Both men vigorously argue in favor of an amnesty inclusive of all Latin Americans like them: people pushed out of their impoverished lands and pulled in by the American labor economy. Mexicans, Central Americans and Caribbeans arrived in the U.S. under different circumstances, but the majority of them share space in the service sector: by and large, the jobs with the worst pay and conditions. Living in legal limbo-as undocumented Mexicans or as Central Americans stuck in “temporary status” – they have little recourse to better those conditions. 

Just as Mexicans and Central Americans joined together in 1994 to march, by the tens of thousands, against Proposition 187, so today are they united in arguing for an amnesty that recognizes their commonality. It is an economic argument that translates, for migrants, into a moral imperative: if even one group is left out, all are symbolically denied. 

Much of the national Latino leadership is lining up against a Mexican-only “regularization.” It’s at times like these when we realize how much more we have in common than what separates us. 

Pacific News Service Associate Editor Ruben Martinez, whose own roots are Mexican and El Salvadoran, talked to new arrivals on the streets of Los Angeles. Martinez’ new book, Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail, will be published this fall.

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Anna’s Place Aug. 11 and every Saturday night 10:30 p.m. - midnight, Ducksan Distones. The following play at 8 p.m. – Aug. 8: “The Renegade Sidemen;” Aug. 7: open mic.1801 University Ave. 849-2662.  

Eli’s Mile High Club Doors open at 8 p.m. Every Friday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Split Shankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight and Salvage Coffee House All music at 8 p.m. Aug 6: Frank Yamma; Aug 8: San Francisco Klezmer Experience; Aug 9: John Renbourn; Aug 10: Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin; Aug 11: Al Stewart. $16.50 - $19.50. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Aug. 7: Joshi Marshal Project, jazz, soul and hiphop; Aug. 8: Broun Fellini’s, jazz/funk/hiphop grooves; Aug. 9: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 10: Steven Emerson, singer/songwriter mixes cool jazz and sweat soul; Aug. 11: J Dogs, funk-soul; Aug. 14: Chris Shot Group, folk-rock and soul combo; Aug. 15: Lithium House, electro/drum & bass styles with live jazz; Aug. 16: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 17: The Mind Club, Old school funk grooves with sonic swirls of acid jazz; Aug. 18: Blue & Tan, Bassist Vicki Grossi brings in the crew for elctro-acid-jazz funk stylings; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. www.jupiterbeer.com; or call the hotline: THE-ROCK. 843-7625  

La Peña Cultural Center Aug 10: 8:30 p.m. Ire $8; Aug 11: 9:30 p.m. Fito Reynoso’s Ritmo y Armonia. $10, $13 for dance class starting at 8:15; Aug 12: 5, 7:30 p.m. “Say Yo Business” Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Chior. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. In the Cafe, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

La Note/Jazzschool Aug 12: 4:30 p.m. The Freedom Project, 5:30 Eli Sundelson Trio. 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Shattuck Down Low Lounge Every Tuesday: 9:30 p.m., Posh Tuesdays with DJ’s Yamu, Delon, Add1, and Tequila Willie. Shattuck at Allston. www.thebeatdownsound.com  

Ali Akbar College of Music Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. A concert of Indian classical music. Rita Sahai, vocals; Rachel Untersher, violin; Madhukar Malayanur, tabla; $20 general; $15 students. St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., (415) 454-6264 or www.aacm.org 

Yoshi’s Aug. 7. Claudia Acuna $14; Aug. 8 through Aug. 12: Steve Turre Quintet, trombone and conch shell master in small group setting. Wednesday and Thursday, $18; Friday and Saturday, $22; Sunday matinee, $5 kids, $10 adults with one child, $18 general; Sunday, $22. Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 238-9200 or 762-2277 www.yoshis.com 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m. & Aug. 11, 12, 5 p.m. Campers from Stage Door Conservatory’s “On Broadway” program for grades 5-9 will perform Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. $12 adults, $8 kids. 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 ext. 302 

“The Great Sebastians” Through Aug. 11: Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m. plus Thursday, Aug. 9, presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. A tale about a mind-reading act touring behind the Iron Curtain. A communist general believes the act and “invites” the Sebastians to his villa where the humor and excitement follows. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck (at Berryman). For reservations call 528-5620 

“Iphegenia in Aulis” Through Aug. 12: Sat. and Sun. 5 p.m. Special dawn performance on August 12 at 7 a.m. A free park performance by the Shotgun Players of Euripides’ play about choices and priorities. With a masked chorus, singing, dancing, and live music. Feel free to bring food and something soft to sit on. John Hinkel Park, Southhampton Place at Arlington Avenue (different locations July 7 and 8). 655-0813 

“Loot” Through Aug 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Special Performance Aug 20, 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $15, Students / Seniors: $10 La Val’s 1834 Euclid Avenue 655-0813 

“Reefer Madness” Aug. 8, 9, Aug. 22, 23: 9 p.m. A new one-act theatre piece adapted from a 1936 government-funded film opens a critical eye to the control of our society. Performed by The Elemental Theatre Group La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Avenue. Wednesdays are “pay what you can,” Thursdays $5 - $10. Contact Zachary Rouse or Tisha Sloan for more info at 655-4150 

“Romeo & Juliet” Aug 11 - Sep 2, Tuesdays - Thursdays. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater. Shakespeare’s classic about a young couple that meets, falls in love and dies in just five days. Adults: $22 - $41 youth (under 16): $12 - $41. 

“Barnum” Through Aug. 12. The story of legendary circusmaster P.T. Barnum, with plenty of musical theater and circus acrobatics. Splash Circus’ aspiring young circus artists will perform an hour before each show. $15 to $27. Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. 531-9597 www.woodminster.com 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Aug 7: 7:30 p.m. Figures of Motion; Aug 8: 7:30 p.m. Confessions of an Opium Eater; Aug 9: 7:30 p.m. The Return of Frank James; Aug 10: 7 p.m. Alone on the Pacific, 9:05 p.m. Her Brother; Aug 11: 7 p.m. While the City Sleeps, 9 p.m. Beyong a Reasonable Doubt; Aug 12: 3 p.m. Charlotte’s Web, 5:30 p.m. Tokyo Olympiad. New PFA Theatre 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

“Lumumba” Aug. 10 at Shattuck Cinemas. Biogrophy of the slain African political figure Patrice Lumumba. In French with English subtitles. 

“Roommates” Aug. 12. Max Apple’s true story of his immigrany grandfather who moved in with him when he was in college (in the 60’s). Peer led discussion following movie. $2 Suggested donation. Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut Street 848-0237 

Exhibits 

“BACA National Juried Exhibition: Works on Paper” Through August 31: Wed. - Sun. Noon - 5 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 Road 849-2541 

“Debbie Moore’s Autobiographical Paintings” Through Sep 30 at Good Vibrations. Portraits of the artist’s sensual explorations spanning 25 years and reflecting changing ways of intimacy and body play. 2504 San Pablo Avenue 848-1985 

“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. Through September. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

“A Fine Line” Through August 24, Tuesday - Friday, noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment. An exhibition works by Kala Fellowship winners for the years 2000 and 2001. Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Avenue 549-2977 

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

“MFA Survey Exhibition 2001” Third annual exhibition of works of recent graduates from Bay Area master of Fine Art programs. This year featuring artists working in three-dimentional media. Through Aug 18 Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth Street 527-1214 

“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 

“New Visions: Introductions 2001” Through Aug. 18: Wed. - Sat.: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Juried by Artist- Curator Rene Yanez and Robbin Henderson, Executive Director of the Berkeley Art Center, the exhibition features works from some of California’s up-and-coming artists. Pro Arts 461 Ninth St., Oakland 763-9425 

“Sistahs: Ethnofraphic Ceramics” through Aug. 22, Reception July 29 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Womens Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Avenue 548-9286 ext. 307 

“Ten Years Here” Exhibit celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Turn of the Century Fine Arts. Aug. 4 - Sept. 14, Sat & Sun 1-5 p.m. Reception Aug 4 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. 2510 San Pablo Avenue 849-0950 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Aug 11: Trina Robbins discusses her latest work “Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitute”. All events start at 7:30 p.m. and are free. 398 Colusa Avenue 559-9184 

Black Oak Books Aug 8: William Turner discusses his new memoir “Rearview Mirror: Looking Back at the FBI, the CIA and Other Tails”; Aug 9: Robert Clark reads from his new novel “Love Among the Ruins”; Aug 15: Molly Giles reads from her debut novel “Iron Shoes”. All shows at 7:30 p.m. free of charge. 1491 Shattuck Avenue 486-0698 

Cody’s Books Aug 8: Jane Mead, Mark Turpin. $2 donation. Readings at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-0837 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Aug. 7: Featured readers JC and Bert Glick. 7-9 p.m.; August 21: Featured Readers: Victoria Joyce and Therese Bamberger; Both 7-9 p.m. Free. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland for info. (510)465-3935 or (510)526-5985, or Email: ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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  

Museums 

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  

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 will close its exhibition galleries for renovation on October 1. It will reopen in early 2002. On View until October 1, 2001: “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture.” “Sites Along the Nile: Rescuing Ancient Egypt.” “The Art of Research: Nelson Graburn and the Aesthetics of Inuit Sculpture.” “Tzintzuntzan, Mexico: Photographs by George Foster.”  

$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 or www.qal.berkeley.edu/~hearst/ 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Science in Toyland,” through Sept. 9. Exhibit uses toys to demonstrate scientific principles and to help develop children's thinking processes. Susan Cerny’s collection of over 200 tops from around the world. “Space Weather,” through Sept. 2. Learn about solar cycles, space weather, the cause of the Aurorae and recent discoveries made by leading astronomers. This interactive exhibit lets visitors access near real-time data from the Sun and space, view interactive videos and find out about a variety of solar activities. “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. Space Weather Exhibit now - Sept. 2; now - Sept. 9 Science in Toyland; 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. “How Big Is the Universe?” Aug. 1 through Aug. 24. Learn how to determine the distance of celestial objects, one of the purposes of the Hubble Space Telescope. Daily, 2:15 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, 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 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  

The UC Berkeley Art Museum is closed for renovations until the fall. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694. 

To send a message of peace and perseverance to parents, peers and the community, 17 Berkeley High students set out on a 600 mile, 14-day cycling trip from downtown Berkeley to San Diego County’s Santana High School Monday. 

Santana High was the scene of a school shooting in March that left two dead and 13 wounded. 

Most of the Berkeley students are from low-income families and didn’t own bicycles until two months ago. Drawn from the East Bay Asian Youth Center’s after-school tutoring program at Berkeley High, many have never been away from home for two weeks.  

Some have yet to travel outside of the Bay Area. 

But early Monday morning they stood decked out in professional cycling gear in Civic Center Park as parents and community leaders paid tribute to their vision and courage in undertaking this grueling trip. 

“I think I could probably pedal up to the BART station and back and that would be about it,” quipped Berkeley High Principal Frank Lynch. 

The students have spent the  

last two months training on stationary bikes and – on the weekends – pedaling police-donated bicycles up and down the Berkeley Hills. Monday, on the first leg of their trip, after taking BART across the Bay, the students would attempt a 25-mile climb along Highway 1, from San Francisco up to Half Moon Bay State Park. 

The students will camp out in California state parks each night of their trip, using tents, sleeping bags and a mobile kitchen contributed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Halfway through the trip they have a day off to visit the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. 

Still, before their departure Monday, students and their parents said they were a little nervous about the trip, where the students would sometimes be expected to travel up to 60 miles in one day.  

“I wouldn’t even undertake this trip in a shaky car let alone a bicycle,” said parent Gwendolyn Edmond, whose son Aramon Bartholomeau would be one of those to lead the pack as the students rolled out of Civic Center Park and onto Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. “To me it’s so awesome. I can’t even imagine it.” 

Ramundo Ramirez, parent of student cyclist Guadalupe Ramirez, said he plans to join up with his daughter for a day next weekend – halfway through the trip – just to make sure she’s doing okay.  

Talking with Board of Education President Terry Doran, who would bike part of the way with the students Monday, recent Berkeley High graduate Maria Herrera laughed nervously as she told about feeling a little bit fatigued from all the weeks of training, before the journey had even begun. 

“I was already feeling it coming up here,” she said. “I was like, I should’ve stretched or something.” 

But when it came time for her to step up to the podium Monday, in front of a television camera, Herrera was all business. 

“This is a very important trip for all of us,” she said. “We’re all going through some barrier that we have to get through. And this trip is really going to prove to us our capabilities.” 

Herrera’s mother, Lucia Herrera, said she had some doubts whether her daughter could make an arduous trip at first, but has since been impressed by her growing determination. 

“Now, I believe she’s going to make it,” Herrera said.  

“This is a great experience, because if you can make this you can make so many things in life,” she added. 

Parents and students alike Monday said they hoped this brave effort by students of color – African American, Latino and Asian American – would go a long way to undermine negative stereotypes about minority youth. 

Asked what message she hoped the trip would send, Beatrice DeBerry-Barrigher, legal guardian of one of the riders, said: “Do not accuse all ethnic children.  

“If one ethnic child does something bad, every child of color is stigmatized, which is unfair,” DeBerry-Barrigher said. “These children come from good homes. Some are being raised by grandparents and aunts, and with God’s help, we’re trying to mold our future leaders.” 

When they reach Santana High, the Berkeley group will join with members of the Santee, Calif., community both to celebrate their achievement and to condemn outbursts of youth violence across the nation. 

“There is peace out in the world, (but) you have to look for it,” said Guadalupe Ramirez, moments after she bid an emotional farewell to her family Monday. “You have to find it.” 

Through fundraising and outreach, the students have raised $10,000 of the $17,000 cost of the trip. Donations are still needed and can be addressed to Berkeley Boosters/PAL, “Pedaling for Peace,” P.O. Box 17, Berkeley, Calif. 94701. 

Tonight, there are some Berkeley residents who will be alone, locked inside shuttered houses, unaware of who their neighbors are and unable to get or give help in case of a disaster. 

But people in the area of Ajax Place in the north Berkeley hills and on Dohr Street in southwest Berkeley are not among them. 

Most of these people – and some 40 other neighborhoods, organized into Neighborhood Watch Groups – are trained in disaster preparedness and know whom to call if they see criminal activity. And they know each other. 

Tonight they’ll be having barbecues and potlucks, celebrating and strengthening their neighborhoods – it’s the National Night Out.  

In most cities, the Night Out is a time for people to own their streets, unintimidated by a criminal element. In Berkeley, crime’s only one of the targets. The other is getting neighbors prepared to help one another in case of fire or an earthquake. 

Trudy Washburn’s Neighborhood Watch Group around Ajax Place is potentially some 80 families strong. The group’s been together for more than six years, and it’s organized. It has identified all the residents in the area, pinpointing children, pets and disabled people. Detailed maps even show where the shut-off valve to the gas is located on every house. 

Tonight the group will hear from a representative of Disaster Preparedness Services and the fire department. Police will be there to talk one-on-one with individuals, said Washburn, who expects Councilmember Betty Olds to be present as well. One of the high points will be meeting families who have recently moved into the area. 

Over on the 2700-2800 blocks of Dohr Street in southwest Berkeley, Rusty Scalf is getting ready for tonight. He’ll be firing up a barbecue, picking up a sheet cake and collecting door prizes. 

It’s about “neighborhood cohesiveness, bonding,” he said. “So neighbors know each other.” 

The neighborhood looks out for crime – one neighbor saw another’s garage being burglarized and immediately called police, Scalf said. But it’s just as much about caring. “We know who has medical problems.” And when one neighbor recently lost a loved one, the neighborhood got together to offer condolences. 

“We try to combat (anonymity),” he said. 

Just down the block, on the 3000 block of Dohr, and including nearby blocks of Prince and Stanton, another Neighborhood Watch Group will be gathering. “We’re trying to revitalize our neighborhood association,” said Chuck Robinson, a member of the group, which potentially includes some 80 households. 

Robinson said the crime rate in his area has been significantly reduced over the past few years. “While we still have to watch out for burglaries,” Robinson said, the group’s looking more at earthquake preparedness “and the safety and security of our seniors.” 

To find a watch group in your neighborhood, call 981-CITY and ask for the Neighborhood Liaison for your area. Or contact the Police Department Community Services Bureau at 981-5808.

Deregulation. Price caps. Energy fuel shortages. And pundits pointing fingers in all directions.  

Most Californians now realize that the fastest way out of the immediate energy crisis (because the crisis the world experienced in the 1970s never really went away) is for each of us to conserve energy.  

Energy-efficient products, from light bulbs to weatherstripping is making a difference in the amount of energy consumed, but there is a hidden phantom stealing watts at your expense that you aren’t even aware of. 

It’s called “phantom power” – power you don’t necessarily know that your home or business is using. According to the researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, Americans spend nearly $1 billion dollars each year to run their TVs and VCRs when these products are switched off.  

Switched off? Most televisions, stereos, VCRs and other appliances that work with a remote never really turn off when your hit the “off” button – they remain in a standby mode. That’s why they are able to turn back on again with the remote. See LBNL’s webpage, http://EETD.LBL.gov/Leaking/Reducing.html for more information. If there is a glowing LED (light-emitting diode) on your TV or stereo or other appliance after you switch it off, it is still drawing power, making your meter turn.  

As a result, there is a slow drain of electricity from each of these appliances, and it doesn’t stop there. 

Take a look around your home at what you have plugged in right now. Electric toothbrush that’s recharging? Cellphone recharging? Coffeemaker, microwave, stove, dishwasher, all with built-in clocks? While each appliance may only draw five to twenty watts, the cumulative effect of these appliances can cost $5 – $12 a month at current electricity rates. That means you could be just tossing away nearly $144 dollars of your money every year.  

The quickest way to take control of your immediate electricity use is to plug the larger appliances such as the TV and VCR into a power strip with a kill switch, and turn them off using the switch, rather than just the remote.  

Using the switch on the power strip severs the power to the appliance, and prevents the slow trickle of wasted energy. Power strips can be purchased for under $5 each; most homes have one or two of them lying around anyway. 

The next best thing you can do is to de-gadetize your home – put away the seldom-used appliances with the built-in clocks. Consider NOT using the electric can opener, popcorn maker, rice cooker, sandwich maker, and all those other gadgets that perform functions that you can do manually or using a conventional appliance.  

As major appliances need replacing, look for the most energy-efficient products available. The EnergyStar logo (www.energystar.gov) will indicate that the product has passed a government efficiency test. Generally these products don’t cost much more than the less-efficient ones, and will result in lifetime savings.  

Companies are developing high-efficiency transistors and other technologies to help reduce these phantom power losses. Some very new products offer standby power supply technology that use only 1/4 and 1/2 watt standby power. (See http://EETD.LBL.gov/Leaking/ for more information.) Reducing your phantom power losses will mean more of your money stays in your wallet. 

Alice LaPierre is an energy analyst for the city’s Energy Office. Her column appears as a public service the first and third Tuesday of the month.

LOS ANGELES — Philip Morris attorneys urged a judge Monday to slash a $3 billion punitive damage award to a cancer-stricken smoker and to grant a retrial. 

The arguments formed a two-pronged attack by the tobacco giant on a June 6 decision by a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury that awarded Richard Boeken, 56, compensatory damages of $5.5 million and $3 billion in punitive damages. 

The verdict was the largest in an individual lawsuit against a tobacco company. 

Boeken, a smoker for 40 years, has lung cancer. The former oil and securities dealer claimed in his lawsuit against Philip Morris that he was the victim of a tobacco industry campaign that portrayed smoking as “cool,” but concealed its dangers. 

Philip Morris’ attorneys urged Judge Charles W. McCoy, who presided over the trial, to grant a motion to reduce the punitive damages to no more than $25 million. 

“The award of $3 billion in an individual case ... raises profound issues in our system of justice,” Kenneth Starr, attorney for Philip Morris, told the judge. “No published opinion (in California) sanctions an award of more than $25 million.” 

Starr also argued that because the tobacco industry expects to be facing many similar decisions in the future, a smaller award is justified since the company could not afford to pay $3 billion to every plaintiff. 

Boeken’s attorney, Michael Piuze, argued that the severity of what the tobacco company did justified the high punitive award. 

“Philip Morris traded health for wealth for 50 years, lied about it, and got caught,” he said. 

Philip Morris’ lawyers also argued for a new trial, primarily because McCoy refused to allow the company to present evidence of Boeken’s past criminal convictions, information the jury might have used to decide his credibility. 

Attorney Maurice Leiter argued that there was no evidence of a direct or indirect link between past statements from Philip Morris and Boeken’s belief that smoking was safe. Because of this, Leiter said, jurors had to take Boeken’s word that he got that idea from Philip Morris. 

“The plaintiff’s credibility was a key part of our defense,” Leiter said. 

Boeken had two felony convictions during the 1970s — one involving stolen property and one for possession of a small amount of heroin. In 1993, he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of aiding and abetting wire fraud. The case involved a telephone boiler room operation that sold oil and gas properties from 1986 to 1988 in Wyoming. 

Prosecutors said the business took in about $2.1 million from more than 180 investors. Boeken testified for the government in the prosecution of his former boss, pleaded guilty to the felony and was ordered to pay a fine and $50,000 in restitution. 

Piuze pointed out that the court ruled three times during the trial that Boeken’s criminal record was irrelevant to the case and could prejudice the jury. 

Piuze conceded that there was no direct evidence linking Philip Morris’ statements and Boeken’s beliefs, but said the circumstantial evidence was proof enough. 

“Is it a coincidence that Mr. Boeken ends up believing exactly what they’re putting out?” he said. 

The judge said he would reach a decision by the close of business Thursday. 

SAN FRANCISCO — California appears to be a land of haves and have-nots, with above-average median household incomes but more children living in poverty. 

The figures released Monday also show that California has a higher percentage of families on public assistance. 

The information was gathered as part of a separate national sampling of 700,000 households. Called the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey, it reached residents in 32 of the state’s 58 counties. 

The median household income in California was $46,499, about 12 percent higher than the national average of $41,343. And 20 percent of children lived in poverty, compared with 17 percent nationwide. 

The government considers a family of four poor if it makes about $17,000 or less annually. 

Across the state, 14 percent of people were poor compared to 13 percent nationally, 11 percent of families were poor compared to 10 percent nationally and 19 percent of families received public assistance compared to 17 percent nationally. 

California is a state of “enormous extremes,” said Dara Schur, a lawyer with the nonprofit Western Center on Law and Poverty, which provides legal assistance. 

“We have very wealthy communities on one hand and then people living in poverty on the other,” Schur said. “If we don’t find a way to make it liveable for people of all economic sectors, it’s going to be disastrous for people at all levels.” 

Schur cited national and state tax policies which she said reward the wealthy, and California lags behind other states in providing housing subsidies and assistance to the poor. 

Ted Gibson, a state Finance Department economist, says another contributor to the income gap is immigration; an estimated 25.9 of California’s population is foreign-born, higher than any other state. 

“I think you have to look at the fact that we have a higher percentage of immigrants than any state in the union,” Gibson said. “And initially, when immigrants first arrive they tend to have lower incomes.” 

Rent is often the biggest expense for the poor in California. About 21 percent of renters here pay at least half their income for housing, heat and water. Only in New York and Florida do more tenants pay that much. 

August Alimorong, 24, knows how hard it is to get ahead in California. The Filipino immigrant said he brings home $972 a month working at a San Francisco sandwich shop. He shares an apartment with several friends and cooks rice at home to save money to send home to his family. 

“I use the bus now, but I’m hoping to save so someday I can own a car,” Alimorong said. 

“The people I represent everyday – I don’t see how they even afford food,” said Jonathan Milder, an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County. 

Milder’s clients include an immigrant family of three in Lompoc whose landlord increased rent 50 percent from $500 to $750 in one month. The father makes $2,000 a month at a garage. Tenants in their building were told to pay up or get out, in violation of a new state law requiring two months’ notice for rent hikes of more than 10 percent. 

Miller is trying to buy the families more time. 

“They end up cutting corners where they can,” he said. “They don’t have car insurance or medical coverage and they aren’t going out to dinner like me and you. They have to get assistance for their children’s lunches at school.” 

Children may suffer most from the gap between rich and poor, said Amy Dominguez-Arms, vice president of Children NOW in Oakland. 

“Poverty affects the likelihood they’ll grow up healthy, be able to succeed, do well in school and live in safe housing,” she said. 

In California’s schools, 26 percent of children qualified to receive free or reduced price school meals in the last year, compared with only 22.8 percent nationwide. 

The survey also showed a gender gap among California workers, with males having a median income of $29,886 in 2000 – about 46 percent higher than the $20,527 median income for women. 

However, the salary gap wouldn’t be this extreme if the Census had surveyed similar occupations among men and women, said Deborah Reed, an economist with the Public Policy Institute of California, a San Francisco-based think tank. 

Women also often work fewer hours than men, and tend to work in lower paying occupations, she said. 

“Once we adjust for the hours worked and the occupations, it would be much more equal,” she said. 

Among the elderly, poverty was not as rampant. Only 9 percent of those 65 and older lived below the poverty line, compared to 11 percent nationally. 

But Gibson said California seniors may appear to be faring well because the state has a relatively small elderly population. That’s because elderly people can sell their homes for a high return in California and use the cash to retire in more affordable states. 

——— 

On the Internet: 

http://www.census.gov 

http://www.childrennow.org 

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara Co. — http://www.fsacares.org 

CA Dept. of Finance — http://www.dof.ca.gov/ 

http://www.wclp.org 

http://www.ppic.org 

NEW YORK — The phrasing varies but the message is the same: The big dreams of a stock market comeback as momentous as its collapse are faded and jaded now. Forget them. Get real. 

The message may be the recognition of reality by that dwindling bunch of financial analysts who had been holding out hope.  

One by one they’ve conceded defeat, reluctantly, because to do so means “we were wrong.” 

The Federal Reserve began lowering interest rates in January, and the dreamers saw a recovery in the first quarter. The second quarter brought more reports of earnings losses. And the third quarter seems likely to as well. 

You might for a while be able to deny earnings as the basis for stock prices – why, prices of stocks soared on no earnings at all in 1999 – but you can’t do so forever. And with third-quarter earnings likely to be weak, forever is closing in on the dreamers. 

In fact, one view developing now has corporate chiefs becoming more interested this year in cleaning house than showing big profits.  

More concerned with lowering inventories, closing plants and reducing work forces. 

Ed Yardeni, chief investment strategist of Deutsche Bank, goes so far as to express the belief some chiefs “are also cutting their operating earnings as much as possible so their comparisons will improve next year.” 

Gerald Perritt, a realist and editor of The Mutual Fund Letter, says “one by one the optimists are throwing in the towel,” finally recognizing that the sharp rebound they forecast in January may not come by December. 

In fact, Perritt reminds investors, “many of America’s industrial giants are telling Wall Street that they don’t see a turnaround in the earnings skid anytime this year.” 

Moreover, a smattering of technology and telecommunications companies are suggesting to analysts that they aren’t even sure their industries, still in retreat, are going to come roaring back next year. 

Perritt’s advice is to bite the bullet, sell stocks that are built on a dream and use the proceeds to invest in funds that are packed with so-called value stocks.  

“Value is back in vogue.” 

Anthony Maramarco of “The Babson Staff Letter,” agrees.  

In fact, he observes, the resurgence in the value sector began more than a year ago, just as the tech-wreck began, scattering investors like a nest of ants. 

Value investing at the time didn’t offer the dreamy possibilities of technology stocks.  

But it offered a haven in companies with slow but real growth, low volatility, positive cash flow and maybe even dividends. 

Maramarco isn’t against growth-style investing, as opposed to value investing, but he does observe that each waxes and wanes, requiring diversification and regular rebalancing to best suit the times. 

And these could be the times again when terms such as “earnings” and “cash flow” aren’t viewed as old-fashioned, “old economy” terms, but logical, realistic investment expectations. As opposed to dreamy hopes. 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for The Associated Press

Austin’s assistant planning director, Carol Barrett, will take the reins of Berkeley’s Department of Planning and Development in the fall. The appointment was approved by the City Council at its July 24 meeting. 

“Carol Barrett is a seasoned professional who is extremely well regarded by her peers from all over the country,” said Acting Deputy Director Vivian Kahn. “Berkeley is very fortunate to get somebody of her caliber. She really knows her stuff.” 

Berkeley’s planning department has 70 full-time employees and is budgeted at $8.5 million for fiscal year 2001-02. The department is responsible for managing the city’s current and future development, while ensuring environmental safety, harmonious neighborhood development, aesthetics and functionality. 

Planning’s Division of Current Planning is often put in the difficult position of having to reconcile community needs and desires with state codes and local zoning laws. That job can be tough in Berkeley, according to planning officials, because there’s a high level of sophistication among residents and a tradition of civic participation. 

“People are passionate about their neighborhoods and developers are often passionate about their projects,” said Acting Director of Planning and Development Wendy Cosin. “People feel that way everywhere but in Berkeley it’s a little more.” 

The planning department’s subdivisions include Toxics Management, Current Planning, Advance Planning, and Building and Safety. The various divisions oversee a multitude of functions related to development projects such as issuing permits, inspecting projects at various stages of construction and planning and managing the city’s storage and disposal of toxic waste. 

Barrett has been working as a city planner since 1974. She has been with the planning department in Austin, Texas, for 10 years. Currently she is the assistant director of the Neighborhood Planning and Zoning Department.  

Originally from Miami, Fla., Barrett received a masters degree in city planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is well respected among her peers and was among the first class of College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a organization created in 1999 to honor the lifetime achievements of city planners. 

She recently completed a book entitled “Everyday Ethics for Practicing Planners,” which she said will be available by the end of the year. 

She and her husband Gary, have been married for 25 years. They have two sons, Craig, a junior at the University of Texas in Austin, and Andrew, a sophomore at UC Berkeley. 

Barrett will be taking over from Cosin, who was appointed to the post 18 months ago when then director, Liz Epstein took a four-month maternity leave. Epstein chose not to come back, which left Cosin at the helm while the city searched for a new director. Cosin will return to her previous position of deputy director when Barrett starts Sept. 10.  

Berkeley’s Department of Planning and Development has been in the center of several land-use and development controversies in recent months including the proposed Beth El synagogue, school and social hall at 1301 Oxford St., the mixed-use, four-story development at 2700 San Pablo and the mixed-use, four-story development at University Avenue and Acton Street. 

Despite strong opposition from neighborhood groups, all of those projects were approved by either the Zoning Adjustments Board, overseen by the planning department, or the City Council The approval of the proposed projects has caused some neighborhood groups to suggest the planning department has become an advocate agency for developers by shepherding their proposals through the city’s planning process. (The proposal for 2700 San Pablo Ave. was withdrawn by the developer and will be reviewed a second time by ZAB, once a new environmental study has been completed.) 

In a telephone interview Friday, Barrett said communities that are experiencing development can often feel that city planners are being unduly influenced by developers. She said that it’s the job of the city planner to be candid with people and respectful of all points of view. But she said ultimately decision makers should rely on a framework of planning regulations and state codes. 

“Sometimes people are very familiar with community sentiment and their intense hope as a citizen is that if they can eloquently express their feelings and convey the shared value with their community they will be able to influence development projects,” she said. “But that is not always possible and out of frustration, people in the community sometimes feel that you’re in the developer’s pocket.” 

Barrett, whose father died when she was 3 years old, said she was raised by her mother, a church secretary, who instilled in her a strong sense of community service. She first became interested in city planning during a semester at American University in Washington, D.C. while an undergraduate at Stetson University. 

“I was able to get some hands-on experience working at the city, state and federal levels,” she said. “I became aware of how much thinking goes into what makes a city work. I was very attracted to the planning profession because it requires a lot of technical skills, but invites the community to participate.” 

Barrett said she is most proud of the neighborhood planning work she’s done in Austin. The city had not adopted a neighborhood plan since 1979 and she was assigned the job of working with neighbors, business and community services to put together comprehensive plans for six neighborhoods. 

Barrett, who is known in the Austin press as the “Governess of Neighborhood Planning,” said three of the plans have been adopted into the city’s zoning ordinance and the other three await council action. 

Berkeley will offer a different set of challenges. Austin experienced a growth spurt in the last 10 years. According to the U.S. Census 2000, the city of 650,000 people grew by nearly 200,000 over the last decade. Austin’s planing department has had to manage new growth into open spaces.  

Berkeley, with a population of about 100,000, on the other hand, saw a population increase of only 136 people in the last 10 years. There is very little room for development and the planning department mostly manages remodeling and in-fill projects.  

Barrett said she will spend her first days in Berkeley getting acquainted with the city’s culture. “My role is to be a good listener and reflective of the kind of comments that folks are going to be making,” she said.  

Barrett, who is regarded as a planner with a strong set of ethics, offered a shorthand version of one of her guiding principles.  

“I’ve often thought of what I would want written on my headstone,” she said. “ I would want it to read: ‘She tried to do the right thing’ and the right thing is to seek to expand choice and opportunity for all persons.” 

Monday, Aug. 6

Intensive Production Urban  

Gardening Training 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Santa Fe Bar & Grill 

1310 University Ave. 

Growing Gourmet: A free urban gardening training & potluck lunch.  

Learn ways to intensively and organically grow produce for your own use or for an urban market garden. A hands-on training in the garden located behind the restaurant and potluck lunch at 1 p.m. Katherine Webb 

841-1110. 

Osteoporosis: How to put  

Bone Loss on Hold 

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. 

Summit Campus 

Cafeteria Annexes B & C 

350 Hawthorne Ave. in Oakland 

A free lecture by Dr. Elliot Schwartz, co-director of the Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education. Learn how to create a program that will help minimize bone loss.  

Ellen Carroll: 869-6737. 

Tuesday, Aug. 7

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 will center on sex and drugs: Free will? Must laws be obeyed? Informally led by Robert Berend, who founded similar groups in L.A., Menlo Park, and Prague.Free  

527-5332 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

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

Call Don, 525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street at MLK Jr. Way 

548-3333 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Free Computer Class for  

Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Strawberry Creek Daylighting 

Strategy Workshop 

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Corporation Yard Green Room 

1326 Allston Way 

A workshop to develop an effective strategy for promoting the daylighting of Strawberry Creek downtown. Learn about current daylighting concepts and develop a working plan for the next year and beyond. Facilitated by Louis Hexter of MIG. Call Janet Byron to RSVP at 848-4008 or bjanet@earthlink.net 

Wednesday, Aug. 8

A Day at the Beach 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Build sand castles with sand sculptor Kirk Rademaker. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

Thursday, Aug. 9

Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Sean Dexter, archaeologist, will discuss the recent Data Recovery Program at the Emeryville Shellmound/South Bayfront site. Jakki Kehl, a Mutsun Ohlone, will discuss protecting cultural resources by developing partnerships and encouraging good stewardship of the land. $10 

841-2242 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Sea Kayaking 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Learn about the best sea kayaking spots in Northern California from Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner. Free. 

527-4140 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: Safety, Pat Caftel presents Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness. For more information call 526-9146 or 547-1969. 

Friday, Aug. 10

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 Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, Aug. 11

Sixth Annual Reggae Worldbeat Festival  

Noon - 5 p.m.  

People’s Park  

Telegraph & Haste St. (behind Amoeba)  

Featuring: Obeyjah & The Saints with the Village Culture Drummers, Dancehall King; Major P., Wawa Sylvestre and The Oneness Kingdom Band and many more. Free, but donations encouraged.  

Free Classical Music Concert 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley Campus 

UC Berkeley Summer Symphony, Gene Chang, Henry Shin, Directors.  

Debussy, Stravinsky, Brahms. Free admission.  

For more information: 665-5631 

Sunday, Aug. 12

Live Oak Concerts 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Composition vs. Improvisation, Music/Structures by Tom Swafford.  

$10 644-6893 

Hands-On Bicycle Repair Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn front and rear derailleur adjustments from one of REI’s bike technicians. Tools provided. Free.  

527-4140 

Buddhist Architecture In the West 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Building a Buddhist Temple.” Free. 

843-6812 

Steel Drums and Sand Castles 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Kirk Rademaker teaches sand sculpting while Richmond Bloco entertains with steel drum music. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132

Never an excuse for crimes like those of Reddy  

Editor: 

It’s touchy at best, but we have to look at ourselves and see how our well-intentioned policies have created damages to our communities.  

We’ve tried to see crime by people who, in our society, have long been abused because of their color in a different light, taking into account their oppression.  

Berkeley has gone so overboard in this direction as to come up with the kind of problem we’re seeing when looking at the Lakireddy situation.  

Their crime is being reviewed as though their excuses have some merit. 

Their excuses are subtended by Berkeley’s traditional concern with their community’s calling us racist.  

They are also using the customs/culture argument although in roundabout language. ‘...it is our custom/culture...’ to rape/abuse girls/women/poor people/people who are back in the villages providing us our support so we can keep abusing them all. 

These (alleged and convicted) rapists need to be set away from our troubled society for the rest of their lives.  

We need to be protected against this kind of monstrosity. It’s bad enough we grow it locally, on our own, without it having to appear that since it’s done elsewhere, there’s any rationale for it, or that its perpetrators can be reformed.  

The people who have done these terrible acts have been here long enough to perceive that their actions, while occurring around here,too, are no way acceptable, and were not only criminal but brutal, sexist and ageist as well. 

If we’d clean up in one place, we might begin to render justice further in our community. These arguments for these intolerable actors are vomitous - I get literally ill seeing us protect that behavior in any way, any where. 

Norma J F Harrison 

Berkeley  

No such thing as a pure economic system 

Editor, 

My chemistry professor paraphrased the law of entropy as “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” The Planet has been receiving many letters, of which Mr. Foldvary’s (8/2/01) is the latest, that suggest that economics is not subject to this type of constraint, and that you can actually get a whole free market, and not just lunch. 

The two ideas are similar in that both describe asymtotic limits that are not attainable in the real world. Educated people no longer attempt to build perpetual motion machines because they represent a “free lunch”. Unfortunately, Republicans and Libertarians are still trying to remove regulatory controls on the market in pursuit of their goal of the mythical “free market”. Unfortunately, because the free market limit is an inherently unstable limit. Yes, one can have stupid regulations, but an unregulated market will rapidly become an extremely unfree market. 

An unregulated market is prey to the development of oligopolies and oligopolic control (California energy prices, anyone?). An unregulated market has no way of dealing with externalities, and is inefficient and inequitable in its use of natural resources (the “tragedy of the commons”). An unregulated market optimizes for the moment, and cannot easily take costs now to defer more serious costs later (global warming, anyone?). An unregulated market has no ethics; it was not okay for the British to stand aside and let the Irish starve during the potato famine. 

On the other side of ideological fence, Syrek (8/1/01) claims that the market is a racket because of interest, dividends and rents. Capital is a resource and has a market. Syrek’s criticism is valid when rates are usurious or the initial outlay is unearned, but this is a problem that could be controlled by market regulations and estate and progressively structured income taxes (Senator Feinstein take note please!). 

Economic systems are not simple. Slavish devotion to extreme ideologies such as the free market or pure communism can force people into serving the economy, instead of the reverse. Humane and efficient solutions are more likely to arise in a regulated market economy. 

Robert Clear 

Berkeley 

Don’t forget loses at Nagasaki 

Editor: 

Your article (page 1, Aug 4-5 issue) rightly calls attention to the horrible loss of civilian life at Hiroshima August 5, 1945. But equally unthinkable is the similar terror attack that struck Nagasaki some five days later. One bomb, though not at a civilian target, seemed possibly justifiable to me at the time (I was then 16). But why the second bomb? In the recent Truman biography by gifted historian David McCulloch, the justification for the second bomb is, for many readers, convincingly presented – and there is no question that Truman and his advisors were humane men – but surely Nagasaki should not be forgotten even if the justification will forever be debated. 

Bob Somers 

Berkeley 

Take vehicle pollution into account 

Editor 

Concern about the air pollution near the I-80 freeway should take into account the tire dust and benzene in the air. Tire dust (rubber & latex) is an extremely small particulate, too fine for most filters. Depending upon the amount actually lost from each tire, if one pound is lost each year it would be approximately 8000 tons total in the Bay Area. 

The Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto has found that children who live near a roadway with 20,000 or more vehicles per day have an 8 or 9 times higher chance of getting leukemia. 

Occupants of vehicles in congested traffic are often breathing the exhaust from the other vehicles, particularly at toll plazas on foggy days with still air. The tolls on the Bay Bridge should have been collected eastbound where the 16 lanes of toll collection could handle all the bridge traffic with no backup and the afternoon breezes dispersed the pollution for vehicle occupants and toll takers. 

Charles L. Smith 

Berkeley 

From:  

Steve Geller  

To:  

opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

Six months ago, I made up a handy acronym to remind me what I thought I 

would not like about the Bush administration. TEAR - Tax Cut, 

Environment, Abortion, Religion. Here’s the TEAR score today: 

The Tax Cut was enacted, and still looks to me like national fiscal 

irresponsibility to reward Bush’s bankrollers. But even Senator Feinstein 

voted for it. 

Environment -- Kyoto, Arsenic, Wildlife Range (need I say more?) 

Abortion -- Bush hasn’t done as much damage as I expected, possibly due 

to political vulnerability on other issues. Senator Boxer is sponsoring 

a bill to reverse Bush’s "gag rule", which denies federal funding to 

organizations which use their own funds to counsel women about 

reproductive choices, lobby for reproductive rights or provide 

abortions. 

Religion -- If I were one of the religious right folks, I’d feel poorly 

rewarded by the Bush administration. All that happened was the support 

for "faith based" public service groups. Stuff like school prayer 

and expunging evolution from the schoolbooks may have been put on hold 

due to present political vulnerabilities. 

But before long, I expect all Bush’s TEAR policies to be fully operational. 

Unfortunately for the country, let alone the world, we have 3 1/2 more 

years of Bush to go. 

Steve Geller 

2540 College #311 

Berkeley 94704 

Subject:  

Nagasaki 

Date:  

Sat, 4 Aug 2001 22:37:52 EDT 

From:  

Rsomers2@aol.com 

To:  

opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

History might be written by its victors, but a new film about an African political hero suggests revolution is remembered for its martyrs. 

“Lumumba,” opening in Berkeley on Friday, is a story told by a corpse. The film opens on a remote African plain where two men armed with machetes and kerosene are putting the pieces of the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo into an oil drum for incineration. The voice-over is from the assassinated Patrice Lumumba (played by Eriq Ebounay) inviting us to hear the story of a revolutionary who never realized his vision. 

Lumumba was elected to office in 1960 at the turbulent moment Congo became independent of Belgium’s colonial rule. Left adrift with few political resources, the Congolese government rapidly declined into nearly complete collapse. Lumumba – incorruptible, visionary, and proud – was deposed from office after two and one-half months by a military coup. Six months after elected he was dead. 

“His legacy was the sacrifice of his life, and the few big ideas he was defending,” said the film’s writer/director Raoul Peck, during his stay in San Francisco in June. “And most of all he said ‘no’ to corruption. He could not be bought.” 

Congo’s rich natural resources were sought after by the international community, and because of its fragile government the country was vulnerable to external pressure. The film portrays Lumumba’s mission to overcome internal divisions and establish a pan-African coalition, and his country’s desperate needs in the wake of independence.  

Raoul Peck was born Haitian and raised in Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko, just after the assassination of Lumumba. His relationship with the legacy of Lumumba is personal, political, and cinematic. In 1991 he created a documentary called “Lumumba – Death of a Prophet” in which he explored his early memories of childhood in the wake of the murder of a national hero. 

He was later approached by Swiss producers to create a film about a European traveling to “some African country” where, like Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” he confronts his personal demons. 

“I was not interested in that because I was interested in my own stories and my own history. But I could propose something else,” Peck recalled. “It’s best to speak about something you know, and I knew Congo.” 

After writing several unsatisfying drafts of scripts about the Congo, Peck realized he could look directly into the heart of late 20th century Congo – and, by extension, Africa – by telling the story of Lumumba. He says “Lumumba” is not merely based on the true story of the man, but it is the true story. 

As even the most perfunctory student of media representation knows, claiming a film is not just an interpretation of history but history itself is insupportable and a bit arrogant. But Peck did his homework and found the documented facts were dramatic enough to reproduce without doctoring them with fiction. 

“This is a rare example. I didn’t have to invent secondary characters. All the names you hear are real people. A lot of the small events in the film I did not invent. To the last details, and dialogues, I did not invent.” 

Peck went so far as to consult archival photos and filmstrips on the shooting set to make sure his re-enactments were accurate down to the extras and props. Much of the film, however, was shot in Mozambique and Zimbabwe for logistical reasons. 

When shooting a scene of a rag-tag troop of dissenting soldiers storming Lumumba’s cabinet meeting with guns raised, Peck was able to draw on eyewitness accounts.  

He was also able to use his position as a moviemaker to evoke the desperate fear in the crazed eyes of the soldiers on the edge of losing control. 

“Imagine his own fear having to play a Prime Minister even though he knew his experience was very short,” Peck said of Lumumba. “He had maybe two or three years’ military experience. It’s difficult to imagine, but it was incredible.” 

The story of Lumumba perhaps didn’t need invention to be good storytelling, but Peck did allow himself license as director to create cinematic moments that communicate something above their historical accuracy. 

Standing on a remote airstrip, Lumumba and President Joseph Kasavubu (played by Maka Kotto) pause their conference about the unstable future of their government to look at the beauty of the expansive savannah. The scene articulates a note of awe in view of the landscape and a taste of disappointment that this country they love and fight for might never be free. 

Peck says he made this film for a wide audience in an attempt to popularize the legacy of Lumumba but his attention to detail is for the people who know Africa already. “I wanted, if a Congolese watches this film, that he feel at home. I didn’t want to cheat on that; which happens a lot in movies… I wanted to make a film the Congolese people would be proud to see.” 

“Lumumba” runs Aug. 10-17 at the Shattuck Cinema, 2230 Shattuck Ave.

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Anna’s Place Aug. 11 and every Saturday night 10:30 p.m. - midnight, Ducksan Distones. The following play at 8 p.m. – Aug. 8: “The Renegade Sidemen;” Aug. 7: open mic.1801 University Ave. 849-2662.  

Eli’s Mile High Club Doors open at 8 p.m. Every Friday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Split Shankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight and Salvage Coffee House All music at 8 p.m. Aug 6: Frank Yamma; Aug 8: San Francisco Klezmer Experience; Aug 9: John Renbourn; Aug 10: Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin; Aug 11: Al Stewart. $16.50 - $19.50. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Aug. 7: Joshi Marshal Project, jazz, soul and hiphop; Aug. 8: Broun Fellini’s, jazz/funk/hiphop grooves; Aug. 9: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 10: Steven Emerson, singer/songwriter mixes cool jazz and sweat soul; Aug. 11: J Dogs, funk-soul; Aug. 14: Chris Shot Group, folk-rock and soul combo; Aug. 15: Lithium House, electro/drum & bass styles with live jazz; Aug. 16: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 17: The Mind Club, Old school funk grooves with sonic swirls of acid jazz; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. www.jupiterbeer.com; or call the hotline: THE-ROCK. 843-7625  

La Peña Cultural Center Aug 10: 8:30 p.m. Ire $8; Aug 11: 9:30 p.m. Fito Reynoso’s Ritmo y Armonia. $10, $13 for dance class starting at 8:15; Aug 12: 5, 7:30 p.m. “Say Yo Business” Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Chior. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. In the Cafe, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

La Note/Jazzschool Aug 12: 4:30 p.m. The Freedom Project, 5:30 Eli Sundelson Trio. 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Shattuck Down Low Lounge Every Tuesday: 9:30 p.m., Posh Tuesdays with DJ’s Yamu, Delon, Add1, and Tequila Willie. Shattuck at Allston. www.thebeatdownsound.com  

Downtown Restaurant and Bar August 6: 7 p.m. Jesse Colin Young of the sixties hit group, The Youngbloods, will be performing at a No Nukes evening, sponsored by Greenpeace. The evening commemorates the 56th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The proceeds go to Tri-Valley CAREs and Citizen Alert. Tickets are $100. 2102 Shattuck Ave. 800-728-6223 

Ali Akbar College of Music Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. A concert of Indian classical music. Rita Sahai, vocals; Rachel Untersher, violin; Madhukar Malayanur, tabla; $20 general; $15 students. St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., (415) 454-6264 or www.aacm.org 

Yoshi’s Aug. 7. Claudia Acuna $14; Aug. 8 through Aug. 12: Steve Turre Quintet, trombone and conch shell master in small group setting. Wednesday and Thursday, $18; Friday and Saturday, $22; Sunday matinee, $5 kids, $10 adults with one child, $18 general; Sunday, $22. Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 238-9200 or 762-2277 www.yoshis.com 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m. & Aug. 11, 12, 5 p.m. Campers from Stage Door Conservatory’s “On Broadway” program for grades 5-9 will perform Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. $12 adults, $8 kids. 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 ext. 302 

“The Great Sebastians” Through Aug. 11: Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m. plus Thursday, Aug. 9, presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. A tale about a mind-reading act touring behind the Iron Curtain. A communist general believes the act and “invites” the Sebastians to his villa where the humor and excitement follows. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck (at Berryman). For reservations call 528-5620 

“Iphegenia in Aulis” Through Aug. 12: Sat. and Sun. 5 p.m. Special dawn performance on August 12 at 7 a.m. A free park performance by the Shotgun Players of Euripides’ play about choices and priorities. With a masked chorus, singing, dancing, and live music. Feel free to bring food and something soft to sit on. John Hinkel Park, Southhampton Place at Arlington Avenue (different locations July 7 and 8). 655-0813 

“Loot” A Shotgun Players’ production. Through Aug 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Special Performance Aug 20, 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $15, Students / Seniors: $10 La Val’s 1834 Euclid Avenue 655-0813 

“Reefer Madness” Aug. 8, 9, Aug. 22, 23: 9 p.m. A new one-act theatre piece adapted from a 1936 government-funded film opens a critical eye to the control of our society. Performed by The Elemental Theatre Group La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Avenue. Wednesdays are “pay what you can,” Thursdays $5 - $10. Contact Zachary Rouse or Tisha Sloan for more info at 655-4150 

“Romeo & Juliet” Aug 11 - Sep 2, Tuesdays - Thursdays. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater. Shakespeare’s classic about a young couple that meets, falls in love and dies in just five days. Adults: $22 - $41 youth (under 16): $12 - $41. 

“Barnum” Through Aug. 12. The story of legendary circusmaster P.T. Barnum, with plenty of musical theater and circus acrobatics. Splash Circus’ aspiring young circus artists will perform an hour before each show. $15 to $27. Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. 531-9597 www.woodminster.com

Echema waiting for NCAA ruling 

Cal tailback Joe Echema is waiting to hear from the NCAA on whether he will be eligible for the upcoming football season. 

Although Echema’s grade point average is sufficient for eligibility, he failed to meet the NCAA’s requirement for units passed in a one-year period. Echema fell one unit short in 2000, but Cal has requested that the NCAA give Echema a waiver. 

If Echema is forced to sit out the 2001 season he will take his redshirt year, which is something the Cal coaching staff had considered for him anyway during spring practice, since the Bears were supposed to have three senior tailbacks – starter Joe Igber, Echema and Saleem Muhammed – which would have given them superior depth. But Muhammed decided to tranfer earlier this year, and Echema’s absence would leave head coach Tom Holmoe’s squad without an experienced backup for Igber.  

Incoming freshmen Terrell Williams and Will Scott, both from Hoover High (San Diego), are the only other tailbacks on the roster. Senior Marcus Fields was a tailback in his first two years at Cal, but is expected to fill a utility role, seeing time at fullback, H-back and wide reciever. 

Cal recruit fails to qualify 

Mike Wells, who was supposed to bolster the Bears’ linebacking corps this season, failed to acheive a qualifying score on his college entrance exams and won’t be attending Cal. Wells, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound PrepStar All-American from Sahuaro High (Tucson) has decided to attend another college, accoring to Cal sources. 

BHS star Davis to attend San Jose State 

Former Berkeley High basketball star Ryan Davis will walk on to the team at San Jose State for the 2001-2002 season, according to Berkeley High head coach Mike Gragnani. 

“They really like Ryan down there, and he can fit in well with their team,” Gragnani said. “He’s got a good chance at earning a scholarship down the line.” 

Davis was the Yellowjackets’ leading scorer as a senior last season after transferring to the school from Lincoln High (San Francisco). Davis also played at Berkeley High during his freshman year. 

Berkeley High football schedule announced 

The Berkeley High football team will open its regular season schedule on Sept. 7 with a game at Foothill High in Pleasanton. The Yellowjackets will also face James Logan (Union City) and Dos Palos in non-league play before kicking off the ACCAL season with an away matchup with El Cerrito on Sept. 28. 

Berkeley will also travel to De Anza on Oct. 5 before hosting Alameda a week later. They have a bye on Oct. 19, which head coach Matt Bissell said he is currently trying to fill. The ’Jackets homecoming game is on Oct. 26 against Encinal, and the regular season wraps up with an away game against Richmond on Nov. 2 and a home game against Pinole Valley on Nov. 8. 

Schott helps U-21 team to Nordic Cup title 

GJOVIK, Norway - The U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team put together a masterful performance in the championship game of the Nordic Cup Tuesday, scoring three goals in the first 16 minutes in a 6-1 destruction of Sweden to win its third consecutive title at the most elite competition in the world for U-21 women. Cal forward Laura Schott tallied two assists in the game and finished her first Nordic Cup tournament with a goal and three assists.  

Forward Anne Morrell, making her first start of the tournament, scored three goals, all off far post headers, while midfielder Aleisha Cramer registered two goals and two assists.  

Morrell, and forwards Danielle Borgman and Schott stepped up big for the Americans in the most lopsided Nordic Cup championship game in history. It was also the greatest margin of victory in the 16 matches of this year’s tournament.  

“In absence of (Abby) Wambach and (Katie Barnes), two of our regular starters, Anne Morrell, Laura Schott and converted defender Danielle Borgman gave us terrific performances in their starts up front,” U.S. coach Jerry Smith said.

“There’s only two things that money can’t buy,” Texas songwriter Guy Clark sang in 1983. “That’s true love and home grown tomatoes.” 

But growing tomatoes is not an easy task. That’s what customers at Berkeley Farmers’ Market learned Saturday at the annual tomato tasting. 

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the public could taste samples of the 16 varieties of tomatoes – of all colors and shapes – that the market’s farmers sell on a regular basis. This year the tasting also included a cooking demonstration and a talk on organic tomato-growing. 

“It’s for people to get a sense of the huge variety of (tomatoes),” said Kirk Lumpkin, the farmers’ market special events coordinator, as he explained what the purpose of the tasting was. “I’m sure that there are still a lot of people, because what you get in the supermarket tends to be so limited in choice, who don’t know there are hundreds, maybe thousands of kinds of tomatoes.” 

Supermarket tomatoes lack flavor for a very simple reason, explained Paul Underhill, an organic farmer from Terra Firma Farm in the Central Valley.  

They are bred for shipping and not for taste. They are still green when harvested and are treated with ethylene gas to ripen. They are also hybridized to have a thicker skin and a shape that withstands the wear and tear of industrial processing. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has three standards for grades of tomatoes for shipping: green, mature and vine ripe. 

“All those tomatoes before they get to the supermarket are gassed to turn red,” he said. “They never develop any sugar; they never develop any flavor.” 

But the tomatoes that customers could sample Saturday are grown in a different way. First of all, they are harvested when they are ripe. And unlike agrabusinesses’ tomatoes, which are grown on bush plants, organic farms grow tomatoes like a vine on trellises or support stakes. This agricultural method, Underhill said, prevents tomatoes from cracking on the ground when ripening or from getting moldy if the soil is moist. It also keeps the tomatoes in the shade of the plants, protecting them from direct sun. 

Producing tasty tomatoes, however, also requires a nutritive soil, including calcium,  

and the right quantity of water, Underhill said. 

“Tomatoes need a certain amount of water but they don’t like to get too much,” said Underhill. “If you over-water them, they can split. If they don’t have enough water they can’t get the calcium out of the ground and they tend to develop large brown spots.” 

Those who want to grow tomatoes in their garden, Underhill concluded, should plant cherry tomatoes, which don’t need very good soil, don’t easily get burned by the sun, and are more likely to resist the Bay Area’s level of humidity. 

Earlier in the morning, Laurel K. Miller from the Sustainable Kitchen, a Berkeley cooking school, demonstrated how to prepare tomato-based soup and a fresh salad called “Panzanella.” 

Different varieties of tomatoes have different uses, she explained. 

“If you’re making a sauce, a Panzanella or a soup, it’s okay to have mushier or riper tomatoes,” she said. “But if you need something a little bit more firm like for a salad and you want the integrity of the shape of the tomato, you want to avoid that.” 

Another tip: meatier tomatoes make better sauces. Heirloom tomatoes, for instance, are particularly good for raw dishes, but too watery to be successfully cooked. 

“They have a lot of water content,” Miller said. “They tend to evaporate away and you really loose the complexities and the flavors.” 

The diversity of its colors and shapes, on the other hand, makes them perfect for salads. 

To those who have trouble choosing a variety, Miller recommends Early Girl, which is an all-purpose tomato. 

*** 

There will be another tomato tasting Tuesday, from 2 - 7 p.m. at the Farmers’ Market on Derby St. at MLK, Jr. Way. 

With a new school year fast approaching, the oft-asked question of what to do about Berkeley High is back in the spotlight.  

While the search for answers is complicated by the absence of money, new programs are being launched and, if the new superintendent has her way, existing resources will be better coordinated. 

Due to a critical budget shortfall in the Berkeley Unified School District, the high school will begin the new year with roughly four fewer teachers. The on-campus suspension program, a mainstay of the school’s discipline system for years, has been cut. The popular Rebound program for failing freshman is out of money and will not be available to ninth graders who arrive at Berkeley High School unprepared. 

There will be other new programs to help these students, however. Eighth graders at risk of failing when they start Berkeley High at the end of this month have been enrolled in a special, one-week “summer bridge” program intended to bolster both their confidence and their study skills. 

The director of the popular Writer’s Room program, which pairs Berkeley High students with volunteer writing tutors in one-on-one sessions, hopes to make tutors available to every freshman who needs one this year.  

Regular Berkeley High teachers are being trained for the first time in how to teach reading to the more than 100 students who enter the school each year with skills well below grade level – including some who have difficulty reading at all. 

The whole freshman curriculum has been reorganized to make it easier for teachers to work as a team, identifying “at risk” students from the get go and working together to keep them from falling through the cracks.  

Finally, other tutoring and mentoring programs at the school are said to be picking up steam, including one program that would have Berkeley High seniors serve as mentors to freshman, showing them how to survive in an overwhelming and often dysfunctional system. 

Some say, however, that If the year just ended is any indication, the high school is likely to remain an overwhelming and dysfunctional place for many students despite these efforts. Board of Education Vice President Shirley Issel that’s partly because the school’s infrastructure is so strained that even services, programs and strategies implemented with the best of intentions often go awry. 

“The infrastructure is too dysfunctional to accomplish anybody’s goals, and it’s affecting all the students. They’re all on their own. The school can’t really attend to their individual needs.” 

But the problems are bigger than the school, argue many, including Berkeley High School Principal Frank Lynch and Rebound teacher Katrina Scott-George. 

Research has labored to make this point over and over again in recent years. Depending on which study one reads, scholars have found compelling ways to argue that how well students do in school depends on economic factors, family structure, parent education levels, hours of television watched or not watched, participation in extracurricular activities, access to computers, class size, adherence to standards, freedom from standards, teacher quality, teacher training, teacher attitudes about race, society’s attitudes about race, and much, much more. 

Clearly, a school system can only begin to address a few of these factors. All the players, from parents to preachers to politicians, have to work together. 

And that, contends the new superintendent of schools, Michele Lawrence, is why Berkeley has an opportunity to make more progress than many schools districts. The resources are here, she said in an interview last week. There are district advisory committees to deal with everything from construction to budgeting, each of them staffed by highly skilled community volunteers. There are organized and expert parent groups in the African American community, the Hispanic community, the special education parents community and more. There are two independent foundations doing fundraising and organizing for Berkeley High. Finally, there is the Berkeley Alliance, which promises, among other things, to leverage the resources of the city and UC Berkeley to help improve Berkeley public schools. 

The missing piece, said Lawrence, is an overarching plan to unite these groups in a common crusade; to avoid miscommunication, duplication of effort, and working at cross purposes. 

Lawrence said her job will be to “work with all the groups to line up systems and processes” so Berkeley can focus its remarkable array of resources on the single greatest challenge faced by the high school: the academic achievement gap. 

Rather than having the high school administrators working to address the gap in one way, the Parents of Children of African Descent strongly advocating another way, and the school board considering the problem from yet another angle, the groups need to be on the same page, Lawrence said.  

“If an organization responds emotionally to coming up with solutions to problems without thinking through logistically how to implement them, then you end up being disappointed in the results, because you can’t deliver on your promises,” she said.

Sunday, the day before the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, some 65 anti-nuclear activists gathered in the afternoon on the west lawn of the UC Berkeley Campus to remember the death and destruction the bomb caused and to vow that it will never happen again.  

Dan Marlin, pictured above, holds a banner with Fusako De Angelis, calling on the university to end its management of the Los Alamos and Livermore laboratories where nuclear weapons are researched and designed. Left, Bill Olin holds a sign calling for an end to the nuclear arms race. Anti-nuclear activist Pat Waters is seated. 

Marlin addressed the crowd, reading a description of the bombing by Hiroshima survivor Yamaika Michiko, 15 years old when the bomb dropped as she was on her way to work. Machiko had 37 operations in the days and years after bombing. Councilmember Kriss Worthington also spoke, blasting the Bush administration for moving forward with the proposed National Missile Defense system, a violation, he said, of the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, of which the United States is a signatory.

Boy dies after freak motorcycle accident 

SAN ARDO – An 11-year-old San Ardo boy was killed after driving a motorcycle through a cord strung across a road, the Monterey County coroner’s office says. 

Uri Cervantes was riding a 1993 Yamaha motorcycle on a dirt farm road Saturday when he drove into a 4-foot-high nylon cord that was being used as a gate. 

Authorities had received complains by neighbors of the woman that she was allowing neighborhood children to ride her motorcycle without any supervision, said Sgt. David Norum of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department. 

Police are investigating whether negligence was involved in the accident, Norum said. 

Man linked to missing woman gives DNA sample 

LOS GATOS – Los Gatos police have taken a DNA sample from a man who was seen leaving a Campbell-area bar with a woman who’s been missing for a week. 

Police searched the man’s car and home looking for clues regarding the disappearance of Jeanine Harms. 

Police would not say what items were seized. They also have not released the man’s name. 

Forty-two-year-old Harms was last seen leaving the Rock Bottom Brewery with the man. He says she appeared fine when he left her duplex about 1 a.m. 

Los Gatos Police Sgt. Kerry Harris says Harms may have been the victim of foul play based on evidence found in her home. 

Bankrupt wine company to sell 80,000 bottles 

NAPA – Connoisseurs, collectors and anyone else who enjoys sipping wines will get a chance next month to take home whatever taste tickles their palates 

Former online Napa wine retailer Wine.com is expected to auction off more than 80,000 cases of wine left after the retailer filed for bankruptcy in May. 

The auction is expected to draw collectors and professional buyers from casinos to cruise ships. About $1 million in rare wines will be auctioned by Realm Connect. 

Auction organizers say the event will be the largest ever of its kind, but state alcohol regulators are checking to make sure the sale complies with licensing laws.

LOS ANGELES – Buoyed by generous government subsidies and plummeting costs, solar power is enjoying a rare day in the sun. 

In places like sun-kissed California, the energy source that once languished on the economic fringe is now carving out a booming niche among consumers hamstrung by high electricity prices and the threat of blackouts. 

“As the energy problems in the United States increase, it slides more into the mainstream,” said John Thornton, a principal engineer in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. 

The situation has sent a jolt through sales of solar power equipment. 

Domestic shipments of photovoltaic cells increased 74 percent during the two-year period ending in 2000, according to the federal Department of Energy. That’s enough equipment to generate at least 75 megawatts of power at peak usage times. One megawatt can power 750 average homes. 

The DOE projects that total could reach 3,200 megawatts by 2020. 

Meanwhile, the price of those cells continues to fall; they now cost just 20 percent of what they did 25 years ago. Rooftop systems that can meet half a home’s electricity needs for more than 20 years now cost as little as $10,000 with rebates and tax credits available from the federal and state governments. 

“You’re talking a five- to six-year payback range in California, compared to 20 a few years ago,” said David R. Lillington, president of Sylmar-based solar cell manufacturer Spectrolab Inc. 

Dan Kammen, a professor in the energy and resources group at the University of California, Berkeley, said it’s the first time that solar power systems can be justified economically. “Before it was just a good idea environmentally,” he said. 

Photovoltaic cells produce electricity when struck by sunlight, and a portion of that energy is absorbed by a semiconducting material such as silicon. That knocks loose electrons, sending them coursing through the material. The current can then be drawn off as a source of power. 

Photovoltaic output peaks when demand for electricity and the wholesale price of power both spike – typically on hot, sunny days. 

But even today, three decades after those cells were first made available on a commercial basis, photovoltaic systems still produce less electricity at a greater cost than all other significant means of generation. 

Solar power contributes just 0.02 percent of the total amount of electricity fed into the nation’s grid. And even at its cheapest, it costs 20 cents per kilowatt-hour to generate, or roughly four times as much as electricity produced from fossil or nuclear fuels on average. That makes large-scale plants unfeasible, experts said. 

“From an electric utility standpoint, it’s developing, it’s being used, but the technology costs have to come down more for it to be more usable,” said Jayne Brady, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based Edison Electric Institute, which represents shareholder-owned utilities. 

Still, for individual homeowners like Karina Garbesi, an assistant professor of geography and environmental studies at California State University, Hayward, the rooftop panels can be an attractive alternative. The system atop her Bay Area home regularly produces excess electricity that she can sell to her utility. 

“My meter runs backward during the day,” Garbesi said. 

In housing developments being built in places like San Diego and Sacramento, solar panels are now standard in some new homes, their cost factored into the sale price. 

“We’re seeing more use of photovoltaics in new construction,” said Joe Wiehagen, an engineer with the research center of the National Association of Home Builders in Maryland. “It can be a bit less expensive in a new home and you don’t have to worry about working it into your mortgage because it’s already there.” 

Subsidies also make the capital costs of the systems less prohibitive. 

At the Los Angeles headquarters of Neutrogena Corp., officials recently installed a 200-kilowatt system that should cut the amount of power the firm buys by 20 percent, said Senaka Nanayakkara, the cosmetics company’s director of facilities. 

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ponied up $1 million of the system’s $1.4 million price tag, as part of its program to add the equivalent of 100,000 residential rooftop solar systems by 2010. 

Similar subsidy programs should continue to drive down prices and prevent the solar power industry from foundering as it did in the 1980s, when fossil fuel prices fell and interest in emerging alternative energy sources waned. 

“We could still screw it up. Yank price supports and you could drive industries out,” Garbesi said.

SACRAMENTO – Julia “Butterfly” Hill spent nearly two years living in a California redwood to save it from a logger’s chain saw. 

Now, she’s back to earth with other logging opponents, fighting in the courts, state Legislature and at the ballot box as part of a growing movement against clearcutting and harvesting of California’s few remaining old growth forests. 

The revived activism, they said, is needed to respond to a well-funded timber industry with friends in the White House and governor’s office. 

Unable to match the industry financially, logging opponents are tapping a coalition of environmental groups and mainstream churches to gather the 419,260 signatures needed for a November 2002 ballot measure that would ban cutting virgin timber on nonfederal land and outlaw harvesting trees alive before California became a state in 1850. 

Reports filed at July’s end show the timber industry spent more than $348,000 on lobbyists and gave more than $155,000 to state officeholders, including $17,000 to Gov. Gray Davis the first half of this year. 

Opponents point to the recent budget negotiations that ended with a sales tax break for logging equipment as an example of the clout wielded by the well-connected industry. 

“We can’t play that game. We don’t have the deep pockets,” said former North Coast Rep. Dan Hamburg, an activist and the 1998 Green Party nominee for governor. 

Elsewhere, the anti-logging movement has been energized. The California Democratic Party’s resolutions committee condemned clearcutting in July.  

The Citizens’ Campaign for Old Growth Preservation and the Sierra Club independently cite surveys they say show public support for such a ban, and accuse Davis of breaking his 1998 pledge to ensure “all old-growth trees are spared from the lumberjack’s ax.” 

That’s unfair, said state Resources Agency Assistant Secretary Maria Rea. Davis “has done a lot of things to protect what little old growth there is.” 

Davis also created conservation easement and Forest Legacy programs, Rea said, is also negotiating with the industry to protect other old-growth forests. 

Industry officials said California already has the nation’s most stringent forestry rules, despite the higher demand for lumber created by development. There’s been a lot of progress made on environmental issues, but that rarely gets noticed, they said. 

“What we get for that is more lawsuits and more protesters hanging out in trees and locking themselves to fences,” said Pacific Lumber Co. government relations director Jim Branham. 

Some lawmakers think the California Board of Forestry has delayed action on salmon habitat and timberland protections, said Sen. Byron Sher of Stanford and Assemblyman Fred Keeley of Boulder Creek, Davis’ fellow Democrats. 

That’s why the Legislature voted to withhold half the board’s budget unless it extends temporary rules set to expire at year’s end. Davis vetoed the plan. 

Democratic Senate leaders put off confirming Davis’ three January board appointees until at least September, when they may face sharp questioning. 

Environmental groups and some lawmakers say Davis stacked the nine-member board in the industry’s favor, while Davis spokesman Roger Salazar said the governor’s appointees provide a “balanced, fair perspective” which he would not detail. 

A Senate-approved bill by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, would restrict the governor’s authority by setting new qualifications for his appointees. Industry representatives said that automatically gives environmentalists three seats on the board. 

Sher also has a bill opposed by industry that would let counties ask the board to block Department of Forestry approval of any timber plan calling for removing at least 70 percent of a stand of trees. 

That puts the Legislature in an “eyeball-to-eyeball” fight with Davis, said Sierra Club organizer Warren Alford. 

Outside the Legislature, activists have launched protests in Humboldt, Santa Cruz and Nevada counties against logging plans by Pacific Lumber, Redwood Empire and Sierra Pacific Industries. 

“Every other system is failing,” Hill said during a recent Capitol rally 19 months after her 738-day redwood sit-in. “That’s the only time you see people taking to that final line, being willing to risk their lives and their freedom for what they believe in.” 

In court, environmental groups are also finding some success. 

They won a court order and U.S. Forest Service administrative decision temporarily halting the logging of fire-killed trees in a former roadless area of Northern California’s Six Rivers National Forest. 

Separately, a federal judge is threatening to block the thinning of trees in three Northern California national forests as part of a fire prevention program, unless the Forest Service shows it won’t hurt the environment. 

A third suit argues that runoff of sediment and herbicides from Pacific Lumber Co. logging sites amounts to water pollution barred by the federal Clean Water Act. 

Branham called the pollution suit “ridiculous,” another attempt to shut down the company’s logging. In recent years the company began leaving more trees alongside streams, avoiding landslide areas, and increasing its use of helicopters instead of tractors to remove logs, he said, but “enough is never enough.” 

Sierra Pacific, said director of forest policy Tom Nelson, recognizes logging is under assault and has “done a lot over and above” what’s required. Most residents appreciate the company’s efforts, he said, but the critics “are people who want you not to cut trees any more.” 

The company said it will sell 30,000 to 50,000 acres of marginal timberland to a conservation group for permanent preservation. 

It also said it will voluntarily leave more trees on 70 percent of Sierra timberlands it had planned to clear-cut. The Anderson-based company calls its new practice “visual retention,” designed to soften the visual impact of clear cuts in tourist-heavy areas. 

That’s “clearcutting by another name,” Alford said. 

Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center and Ebbetts Pass Forest Watch sued the company last week in Calaveras County court, alleging the state’s current forest practices law and regulations fail to properly take into account clearcutting’s “cumulative impact” on wildlife and waterways.

Eight months ago, a group of Berkeley High parents, appalled to find 180 freshmen failing two or more classes at Berkeley High, decided to take matters into their own hands. 

They demanded, and got, money from the school district and the city to start the Rebound program for 54 failing students.  

On Friday morning, parents, teachers and school administrators packed the Berkeley High Parent Resource Center to watch 41 of the original 54 students graduate from the program. 

“At your (high school) graduation, I’m going to be looking for you,” said an emotional Katrina Scott-George, a favorite math teacher for the Rebound students over the last eight months. 

“Katrina, she never let me give up,” said Cofi Barrow, a Berkeley High freshman who went from getting almost all F’s on her report card last fall to all A’s and B’s this summer. 

From January until last week, the students, almost all of them of African American or Latino heritage, became part of a separate community at Berkeley High. They attended English and math classes that were twice as long and half the size of regular freshman English and math classes. They worked one-on-one with Rebound’s five teachers, who were dedicated to helping them not just survive Berkeley High, but graduate with enough credits to be eligible for college. 

(In keeping with national trends, most of these minority students had arrived at Berkeley High with reading and math skills well below grade level. In some cases, the students’ academic deficiencies were so pronounced that meaningful participation in the school’s regular freshman curriculum seemed impossible.) 

Not all Rebound students improved their grades as dramatically as Barrow. But most improved at least from failing grades to passing grades during the second semester, and then, over the summer, made up the credits they were missing from the fall semester.  

“If it weren’t for y’all, I wouldn’t be going to the 10th grade to tell you the truth,” said one Rebound student Friday, thanking the Parents of Children of African Descent and others who supported the Rebound program. 

Nearly all the students were more engaged in the Rebound classes than regular classes, Rebound staff said. They attended class more regularly and made more use of tutoring and counseling services available at the school. 

As Scott-George put it, “Learning is a very internal process. We learn because we want to learn; because we have some motivation to learn. I think Rebound was a success in providing these kids a place where they wanted to learn.” 

A key element in the success of the program, PCAD members said Friday, was the incredible efforts Rebound teachers and program coordinator Leslie Plettner, a Berkeley High teacher who stepped in to help guide the program last winter, made to involve the parents of Rebound students in the program.  

More than 30 Rebound parents paid a visit to their children’s classrooms at least once during the program, Plettner said. After teachers met with students each Friday to go over their progress (a fairly radical innovation in itself, at a school where large class sizes make such student-teacher relationships difficult to maintain), they called parents to give them an update as well. 

Consistent outreach to parents “held the students more accountable because the parents and teachers were on the same page,” said Plettner. “I think the (Rebound) community showed what is possible. If all the players are invested in education, then we can work to achieve an equitable outcome.” 

The Friday ceremony was bittersweet for many, however. 

PCAD member Michael Miller said he was concerned that, with Rebound coming to an end, students might have a difficult time readjusting to the regular high school environment. 

“These kids have been under some amazing care these last few months,” Miller said. “Now they have to take wing and go out on their own. And that’s kind of scary.” 

Still, Miller said the taste of success that Rebound gave to students and parents alike may go a long way to sustaining the students academic momentum. 

“If there was any question about whether the kids could do it, that’s resolved,” Miller said. “I think the parents who have been involved will continue to be involved. They understand what their kids can do.” 

And the Rebound program will not come screeching to a halt, said Irma Parker, a PCAD member and a parent liaison in Berkeley High’s Parent Resource Center. The community formed through the Rebound program will continue to thrive, she said. PCAD has already used the last of the Rebound funds to hire a guidance counselor to work specifically with the Rebound graduates, at least for the first half of the coming school year, to help them stay on track. 

Part of the legacy of the Rebound program, said Miller and others, is to demonstrate how the district can begin to address the achievement gap more effectively. 

“We have a group of students who come to Berkeley High whose needs cannot be met by the structure of the present school,” said Berkeley School Board President Terry Doran after the ceremony Friday. “It takes extraordinary means. So our challenge is, where do we find the means to duplicate this program.”  

While almost everyone can agree that smaller class size is critical to helping students bridge the gap, Doran said, California school districts simply don’t have enough funding to make this a reality. 

Even for those students who participated in Rebound – only a fraction of the freshman who failed one or more classes this past year – it may not be enough, said Scott-George. The reasons for the achievement gap, from economic inequality to institutional racism, are “very complex,” she said. 

“It’s much bigger than Berkeley High School. They’re still swimming against a tide that’s very powerful.” 

Some said they look to the Rebound students themselves to begin to “change the culture” at Berkeley High, by succeeding against the odds and showing next year’s freshman the way. 

With new study skills, strong friendships, and a shared vision of success, Rebound students said Friday they were ready to meet the challenge.  

“I got her back and she got mine,” said Barrow of her best friend, fellow Rebound student Kandis Session. 

Said Session, “We’re going in there knowing what to do now. We’re not going to mess up. We’re going to college.” 

Saturday, Aug. 4

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 

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 5 and accompanied by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Robert Bowman 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Friends Church 

1600 Sacramento St.  

Retired Air Force and NASA Official and Presidential Candidate, Dr. Robert Bowman will speak against the weaponization of space. 663-8065. 

Animal Picnic Family  

Workshop 

10 - 10:50 a.m.;11 - 11:50 a.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Touch and hold a variety of animals and see how they eat their lunch. For children 3 - 8 and an accompanying adult. Registration required, $8 - $25. 642-5132 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

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

Annual Tomato Tasting, an opportunity to sample the range of tomato varieties at the market. Also, the grand opening of the Food Court. 548-3333 

Poetry Reading 

3 - 5 p.m. 

1527 Virginia Street 

The Bay Area Poets’ Coalition presents an open reading outdoors on the front lawn. 

527-9905; poetalk@aol.com 

Bay Area Eco-Crones 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

Epworth Church, Youth Room 

1953 Hopkins 

Discuss ecological significance of mushrooms and bats; plan rituals for habitat restorations projects.  

874-4935 

Foster Parent Certification Class 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

This class will cover all aspects of Foster Parenting and is open to anyone interested in attending. Free.  

Call Bob at 641-6200; nailahfs@pacbell.net. 

Sunday, Aug. 5

Live Oak Concerts 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

B.A.C.H. (Baroque and Classical Harmonies), the vocal and instrumental ensemble, will perform Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Vivaldi’s Gloria. $10  

644-6893 

Anti-Nuclear Vigil 

1 - 3 p.m. 

UC Berkeley, Lawn at West Entrance, 

Oxford and University Ave. 

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki; opposing UC weapons labs’ contracts; urging UC Berkeley to host a national TV debate on nuclear weapons ban.  

Circle of Concern  

848-8055. 

Buddhism 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Four Thoughts that Awaken the Heart.” Free.843-6812 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between Third and Fourth Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Monday, Aug. 6

Intensive Production  

Urban Gardening Training 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Santa Fe Bar & Grill 

1310 University Ave. 

Growing Gourmet: A free urban gardening training & potluck lunch.  

Learn ways to intensively and organically grow produce for your own use or for an urban market garden. A hands-on training in the garden located behind the restaurant and potluck lunch at 1 p.m. Katherine Webb 

841-1110. 

Osteoporosis: How to put 

Bone Loss on Hold 

9 - 10 a.m. 

Summit Campus 

Cafeteria Annexes B & C 

350 Hawthorne Ave. in Oakland 

A free lecture by Dr. Elliot Schwartz, co-director of the Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education. Learn how to create a program that will help minimize bone loss.  

Ellen Carroll: 869-6737. 

Tuesday, Aug. 7 

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 will center on sex and drugs: Free will? Must laws be obeyed? 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 

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 Don, 525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street at MLK Jr. Way 

548-3333 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 644-6109 

Strawberry Creek Daylighting 

Strategy Workshop 

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Corporation Yard Green Room 

1326 Allston Way 

A workshop to develop an effective strategy for promoting the daylighting of Strawberry Cree. Call to RSVP at 848-4008 or bjanet@earthlink.net 

— compiled by Guy Poole 

Wednesday, Aug. 8

A Day at the Beach 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Build sand castles with sand sculptor Kirk Rademaker. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

— compiled by Guy Poole 

Thursday, Aug. 9

Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Sean Dexter, archaeologist, will discuss the recent Data Recovery Program at the Emeryville Shellmound/South Bayfront site. Jakki Kehl, a Mutsun Ohlone, will discuss protecting cultural resources by developing partnerships and encouraging good stewardship of the land. $10 

841-2242 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Sea Kayaking 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Learn about the best sea kayaking spots in Northern California from Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner. Free. 

527-4140 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: Safety, Pat Caftel presents Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness. For more information call 526-9146 or 547-1969. 

New power plants - get ready for assault on environment 

The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the mayor and council: 

The brisk, cool breezes smelled fresh the last few days. Usually, our breezes arrive more from the west, according to maps at the city library... Except in winter months. 

After the new power plant in Hayward goes into operation, will the south breezes seem fresh and clean to our delicate senses? 

The State Energy Commission holds hearings soon; do we all feel softened up for this new potential assault on the environment? Will our beautiful East Bay become the latest heavy industrial center? Guess how big the plant may be? Want to pick its color? Shall we plant a couple trees? Will it hummmm, day and night? 

Maybe the local media already explored and exhausted the relevant impacts. Doesn’t that word, “impact,” have a kind of stimulating thump to it, like exploding refineries, deep-throated, belching smokestacks, and the like. 

Terry Cochrell 

Berkeley 

Union support of Arctic drilling is shocking 

The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO: 

I come from a working class labor union family. Several weeks ago I was spending time in discussion convincing a student about the importance of unions. 

Now today I hear on the news that the AFL-CIO has backed the drilling for oil in the Arctic. I was stunned. My parents who are passed-on would be stunned. 

Growing up as a child of union workers who grew up during the depression had taught us not to waste resources and to take care of things and to have a respect and reverence for nature. I have acted upon that within my adult life.  

These values – when I act upon them in advocating for using less and protecting what gives us life--has pegged me as as an “other” as in one of “those environmentalists.” This caring for the earth and the ecosystems that support life has been denounced by many of who wish to continue to exploit or consume more than necessary. 

Long Term Sustainable Jobs that have been created with new technologies replacing the one time extraction concept that does not provide permanent jobs. We have the amazing technological know how to create options that profit the well being of the earth. 

Is that student’s analysis correct? – does labor have “a myopic self interest that does not care about the impact we are having on the planet and continue to suck up to the Oil industry bosses that always throws them crumbs?  

If industry came from a place of justice to begin with we would not need unions!” How can one argue that truth? 

I personally have cut my fuel consumption 75 percent and am walking more to save fuel in contrast to the urban consumers who own SUV’s, many that I see parked outside the high tech gyms and quite a few parked outside REI with what a paradox!)mountain bikes strapped to them!  

We can save the wild Arctic Refuge, one of the last keystone ecosystems & migratory paths for many species by just simply cutting back unnecessary trips and trading in gas guzzling SUV’s for similar but fuel efficient vehicles.  

The Bush energy plan IGNORED energy efficiency, fuel economy, global warming and alternative to fossil fuels.  

It is not about wild places or our justification using wild places as a commodity for our consumption,it is about how we have taken the concept of “stewardship” for self to satisfy wants vs. needs. 

We are so busy with our human pursuits that we cannot see that many species and ecosystems that are life support systems to the planet now need a helping hand. 

“We are the fire which burns the country” - Bantu Proverb 

Redwood Mary 

Berkeley 

7-story building to support arts, housing and Brower center 

Editor: 

I was pleased to see your story (7/31/01) concerning the arts center proposed to be part of the David Brower building at the Oxford Street Parking Lot. I’d like to clarify a few of the points in Ben Lumpkin’s excellent article.  

What Kind of Arts Center? – We are proposing a center that would encompass all of the arts. The Berkeley Performing Arts Center would present a wide variety of the traditional performing arts -- theater, dance, and music -- while our partner, the Berkeley Art Center, would manage a fine arts facility with an art gallery and classroom space for art education.  

We’re very excited by the prospect of having visual arts, performing arts, book-readings, poetry, film, and the other arts, all bumping into each other and interacting in the same building.  

How Big is the Arts Center? -- We’ve been talking about a 30,000 sq ft facility. This would include a 420-set theater, a 99-seat theater, a smaller “black-box” multi-purpose theater, a cabaret/restaurant, and 3,000 sq ft for the Berkeley Art Center. That figure needs some clarifying; the actual floor space, including room for bathrooms and administrative areas, would be around 15,000 sq ft. The rest of the square footage – known a “gross floor area” – would be from the 20-30-foot ceiling height required by the theater spaces.  

How Big Should the Brower Building Be? – This may turn out to be the critical question. The 5-story building proposed by the Planning Commission clearly would not be large enough to contain the Brower Center, two floors of affordable housing, retail space, and a substantial arts center. We would like to see the building get bigger – at least seven stories, maybe more. Housing advocates and urban environmentalists agree with us that the site is appropriate for a well-designed taller building.  

The City Council has asked the City staff to study the feasibility of a larger arts space and a larger building, and we hope that this study will lead to something more substantial than the Planning Commission’s version. 

We hope you’ll continue covering this story as it develops. We’re confident that we’ll end up with a first-class arts center that Berkeley can be proud of.  

Mickey Tenenbaum 

Chairman, Berkeley Performing Arts 

Berkeley 

Cigarettes and Walgreens - a perfect match 

Editor:  

Where on earth did the Berkeley Tobacco Coalition get the idea that Walgreens selling cigarettes is somehow contradictory?  

There's not a single item on any of their shelves that has anything remotely to do with health. A wide variety of junk food, dangerous drugs, chemical applications and toxic household products keeps the money flowing, but has compromised our health, weakened our children's immunity and drained our vitality.  

How many of us are willing to change our degenerative American diet and lifestyle; to take personal responsibility for their health (and children's health)? 

Michael Bauce 

Berkeley 

Editor: 

It's touchy at best, but we have to look at ourselves and see how our 

well-intentioned policies have created damages to our 

communities. We've tried to see crime by people who, in our society, have long been 

abused because of their color in a different 

light, taking into account their oppression. Berkeley has gone so overboard in this 

direction as to come up with the kind of 

problem we're seeing when looking at the Lakireddy situation. Their crime is being 

reviewed as though their excuses have some 

merit. 

Their excuses are subtended by Berkeley's traditional concern with their community's 

calling us racist. They are also using the 

customs/culture argument although in roundabout language. '...it is our 

custom/culture...' to rape/abuse girls/women/poor 

people/people who are back in the villages providing us our support so we can keep 

abusing them all. 

These murdering rapists need to be set away from our troubled society for the rest 

of their lives. We need to be protected against 

this kind of monstrosity. It's bad enough we grow it locally, on our own, without 

it having to appear that since it's done 

elsewhere, there's any rationale for it, or that its perpetrators can be reformed. 

The people who have done these terrible acts 

have been here long enough to perceive that their actions, while occurring around 

here,too, are no way acceptable, and were not 

only criminal but brutal, sexist and age-ist as well. 

If we'd clean up in one place, we might begin to render justice further in our 

community. These arguments for these intolerable 

actors are vomitous - I get literally ill seeing us protect that behavior in any 

way, any where. 

Yours truly, 

Norma J F Harrison 

1312 Cornell 

Berkeley 94702 Ca., USA 

1-510-527-9584 

normaha@pacbell.net 

When local composer Phil Freihofner first saw the classic silent film “Der Golem” (Germany, 1920), it struck him that this film needed an appropriate musical soundtrack. 

He had been arranging music for a double-reed quartet for several years and decided to apply what he had learned to this project.  

The result will be presented Sunday at the Fine Arts Cinema, when a quartet of two oboes, English horn and bassoon will play Freihofner’s evocative score while the movie is screened.  

This performance is in the tradition of the time of the movie’s release, when cinema theaters were the biggest employers of musicians.  

Nowadays we tend to believe that silent films were generally accompanied by a solo keyboard player, but this is actually a result of financial pressures during the declining years of silent films, rather than aesthetics. 

Recently the Clubfoot Orchestra and other bands have been exploring the possibilities of composing and performing scores for silent films. Freihofner’s work further develops this concept in a different orchestration. 

The Golem was a clay man brought to life by sorcery. It was created to protect the Jewish community of Prague against attacks by Christians.  

Of course there are problems with controlling and decommissioning the monster. The film also introduces a love story and court intrigue to add drama.  

Freihofner calls up some of the moods of Dukas’ “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” klezmer tunes, Chopin mazurkas and even Wagnerian melodrama, all the while utilizing original material and skillful manipulation of the limited resources of a quartet of woodwinds.  

He conceived of the film as occurring in three worlds: the Jewish ghetto, the ruling Court, and the world of Magic. So the various scenes and moods are addressed differently in each world, while maintaining a sense of organic wholeness by invoking motivic links between the worlds. 

Fans of virtuoso technique should know that the lead oboe parts will be performed by Mark Weiger from the famous double reed quartet “Wizards.” Some sections require serious chops, but mostly the music does not call attention to itself in a way which might distract the audience away from the action on the screen. 

Also worthy of attention are the occasional moments of silence in the score. The composer understands the value of a pause for the audience to hear the eery reaction of the film catching its breath. 

Although many in the audience will consider this event a music concert with a film providing context for the composition being played, others will be amazed by the stunning visual spectacle, and may even allow the music to become incidental commentary on this unique film.  

Clearly many aspects of this film influenced “Frankenstein” and other monster films. The sinister curves of the interior sets and the stylized costumes offer plenty of eye candy to divert the attention away from the music. 

Yet those audience members will derive the most pleasure who manage to integrate the two into a kind of “Gesamtkunstwerk”, an integrated work of art, which Wagner was always striving to produce.  

This soundtrack can clearly stand by itself as a piece of music, but it is so clearly intended to augment a specific flow of imagery, action and emotions.  

Freihofner intends to be a trailblazer in the way he distributes the score.  

Whoever rents the film will have the option of also renting the score to be played live by four musicians, so other audiences might have a chance to experience this enhanced and improved film. 

This presentation might be just the beginning.  

If this instigates a happy trend of restoring appropriate live music to silent films, Sunday’s performance will be an important premiere.

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 4: Toxic Narcotic, Menstrual Tramps, Emo Summer, Four Letter Word, Shitty Wickets; Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Anna’s Place Aug. 4, 11 and every Saturday night 10:30 p.m. - midnight, Ducksan Distones. The following play at 8 p.m. – Aug. 4, Robin Gregory and Bliss Rodriguez; Aug. 5: “Danubius,” Hungarian quartet; Aug. 6: “The Renegade Sidemen;” Aug. 7: open mic.1801 University Ave. 849-2662.  

Ashkenaz Aug. 5: 9 p.m. Roots Reggae featuring Groundation and Tchiya Amet. $10. 11317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5099 www.ashkenaz.com 

Eli’s Mile High Club Doors open at 8 p.m. Every Friday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Split Shankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight and Salvage Coffee House All music at 8 p.m. Aug 4: Adam Levy, Will Bernard; Aug 5: MonTango; Aug 6: Frank Yamma; Aug 8: San Francisco Klezmer Experience; Aug 9: John Renbourn; Aug 10: Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin; Aug 11: Al Stewart. $16.50 - $19.50. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Aug. 4: Solomon Grundy, from Orange County, combining jazz, calypso, and world beat; Aug. 7: Joshi Marshal Project, jazz, soul and hiphop; Aug. 8: Broun Fellini’s, jazz/funk/hiphop grooves; Aug. 9: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 10: Steven Emerson, singer/songwriter mixes cool jazz and sweat soul; Aug. 11: J Dogs, funk-soul; Aug. 14: Chris Shot Group, folk-rock and soul combo; Aug. 15: Lithium House, electro/drum & bass styles with live jazz; Aug. 16: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 17: The Mind Club, Old school funk grooves with sonic swirls of acid jazz; Aug. 18: Blue & Tan, Bassist Vicki Grossi brings in the crew for elctro-acid-jazz funk stylings; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. www.jupiterbeer.com; or call the hotline: THE-ROCK. 843-7625  

La Peña Cultural Center Aug 4: 8 p.m. Grito Serpentino, Small Axe Project, Jime Salcedo-Malo & Leticia Hernandez $10; Aug 5: 7 p.m. Insight in concert $10; Aug 10: 8:30 p.m. Ire $8; Aug 11: 9:30 p.m. Fito Reynoso’s Ritmo y Armonia. $10, $13 for dance class starting at 8:15; Aug 12: 5, 7:30 p.m. “Say Yo Business” Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. In the Cafe, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

La Note/Jazzschool Aug 5: 4:30 p.m. Vocalists’ Series (Denine Monet), 5:30 p.m. Instrumentalists’ Series (Pelo Mar); Aug 12: 4:30 p.m. The Freedom Project, 5:30 Eli Sundelson Trio. 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Shattuck Down Low Lounge Every Tuesday: 9:30 p.m., Posh Tuesdays with DJ’s Yamu, Delon, Add1, and Tequila Willie. Shattuck at Allston. www.thebeatdownsound.com  

Downtown Restaurant and Bar August 6: 7 p.m. Jesse Colin Young of the sixties hit group, The Youngbloods, will be performing at a No Nukes evening, sponsored by Greenpeace. The evening commemorates the 56th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The proceeds go to Tri-Valley CAREs and Citizen Alert. Tickets are $100. 2102 Shattuck Ave. 800-728-6223 

The Greek Theatre Aug. 4: 7 p.m., The String Cheese Incident, $29.75. Hearst Avenue and Gayley Road 444-TIXS, or (415) 421-TIXS www.sfx.com 

Ali Akbar College of Music Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. A concert of Indian classical music. Rita Sahai, vocals; Rachel Untersher, violin; Madhukar Malayanur, tabla; $20 general; $15 students. St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., (415) 454-6264 or www.aacm.org 

Yoshi’s Aug. 4 and Aug. 5. Oregon, World jazz fusion. $18 to $22 general; Sunday matinee, $10 adult with one child and $5 children; Aug. 7. Claudia Acuna $14; Aug. 8 through Aug. 12: Steve Turre Quintet, trombone and conch shell master in small group setting. Wednesday and Thursday, $18; Friday and Saturday, $22; Sunday matinee, $5 kids, $10 adults with one child, $18 general; Sunday, $22. Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 238-9200 or 762-2277 www.yoshis.com 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Aug 4: 8 p.m. “Cuatro maestros Touring Festival” two-hour theatrical event of music and dance performed by four elder folk artists and their talented young counterparts. Adults $18 Children $12; Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m. & Aug. 11, 12, 5 p.m. Campers from Stage Door Conservatory’s “On Broadway” program for grades 5-9 will perform Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. $12 adults, $8 kids. 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 ext. 302 

“The Great Sebastians” Through Aug. 11: Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m. plus Thursday, Aug. 9, presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. A tale about a mind-reading act touring behind the Iron Curtain. A communist general believes the act and “invites” the Sebastians to his villa where the humor and excitement follows. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck (at Berryman). For reservations call 528-5620 

“Iphegenia in Aulis” Through Aug. 12: Sat. and Sun. 5 p.m. Special dawn performance on August 12 at 7 a.m. A free park performance by the Shotgun Players of Euripides’ play about choices and priorities. With a masked chorus, singing, dancing, and live music. Feel free to bring food and something soft to sit on. John Hinkel Park, Southhampton Place at Arlington Avenue (different locations July 7 and 8). 655-0813 

“The Lady’s Not for Burning” Through Aug. 4: 8 p.m. Set in the 15th century, a soldier wishes to be hanged and a witch does not want to be burned at the stake. Written by Christopher Fry, directed by Susannah Woods. $5 - $10. South Berkeley Community Church 1802 Fairview st. 464-1117 

“Loot” Through Aug 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Special Performance Aug 20, 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $15, Students / Seniors: $10 La Val’s 1834 Euclid Avenue 655-0813 

“Orphans” Through Aug. 5: Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Lyle Kessler’s dark comedy about a mysterious stranger invading the home of two orphaned brothers. $15. The Speakeasy Theater, 2016 Seventh St. 326-8493 

“Reefer Madness” Aug. 8, 9, Aug. 22, 23: 9 p.m. A new one-act theatre piece adapted from a 1936 government-funded film opens a critical eye to the control of our society. Performed by The Elemental Theatre Group La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Avenue. Wednesdays are “pay what you can,” Thursdays $5 - $10. Contact Zachary Rouse or Tisha Sloan for more info at 655-4150 

“Romeo & Juliet” Aug 11 - Sep 2, Tuesdays - Thursdays. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater. Shakespeare’s classic about a young couple that meets, falls in love and dies in just five days. Adults: $22 - $41 youth (under 16): $12 - $41. 

“Barnum” Through Aug. 12. The story of legendary circusmaster P.T. Barnum, with plenty of musical theater and circus acrobatics. Splash Circus’ aspiring young circus artists will perform an hour before each show. $15 to $27. Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. 531-9597 www.woodminster.com 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Aug 4: 7 p.m. Human Desire, 8:50 p.m. Hangmen Also Die; Aug 5: 3 p.m. The Yearling, 5:30 p.m The Woman Who Touched Legs; Aug 7: 7:30 p.m. Figures of Motion; Aug 8: 7:30 p.m. Confessions of an Opium Eater; Aug 9: 7:30 p.m. The Return of Frank James; Aug 10: 7 p.m. Alone on the Pacific, 9:05 p.m. Her Brother; Aug 11: 7 p.m. While the City Sleeps, 9 p.m. Beyong a Reasonable Doubt; Aug 12: 3 p.m. Charlotte’s Web, 5:30 p.m. Tokyo Olympiad. New PFA Theatre 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

“7th annual Brainwash Movie Festival” Aug. 3-5: (bring a chair) at the Pyramid Ale brewery, 901 Gilman Street 527-9090 ext. 218. Festival Pass: $30, Individual tickets: online: $8, door: $10 

“Lumumba” Aug. 10 at Shattuck Cinemas. Biogrophy of the slain African political figure Patrice Lumumba. In French with English subtitles. 

“Roommates” Aug. 12. Max Apple’s true story of his immigrany grandfather who moved in with him when he was in college (in the 60’s). Peer led discussion following movie. $2 Suggested donation. Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut Street 848-0237 

Exhibits 

“BACA National Juried Exhibition: Works on Paper” Through August 31: Wed. - Sun. Noon - 5 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 Road 849-2541 

“Debbie Moore’s Autobiographical Paintings” Through Sep 30 at Good Vibrations. Portraits of the artist’s sensual explorations spanning 25 years and reflecting changing ways of intimacy and body play. 2504 San Pablo Avenue 848-1985 

“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. Through September. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

“A Fine Line” Through August 24, Tuesday - Friday, noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment. An exhibition works by Kala Fellowship winners for the years 2000 and 2001. Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Avenue 549-2977 

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

“MFA Survey Exhibition 2001” third annual exhibition of works of recent graduates from Bay Area master of Fine Art programs. This year featuring artists working in three-dimentional media. Through Aug 18 Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth Street 527-1214 

“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 

“New Visions: Introductions 2001” Through Aug. 18: Wed. - Sat.: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Juried by Artist- Curator Rene Yanez and Robbin Henderson, Executive Director of the Berkeley Art Center, the exhibition features works from some of California’s up-and-coming artists. Pro Arts 461 Ninth St., Oakland 763-9425 

“Sistahs: Ethnofraphic Ceramics” through Aug. 22, Reception July 29 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Womens Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Avenue 548-9286 ext. 307 

“Ten Years Here” Exhibit celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Turn of the Century Fine Arts. Aug. 4 - Sept. 14, Sat & Sun 1-5 p.m. Reception Aug 4 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. 2510 San Pablo Avenue 849-0950 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Aug 4: Dyke Open Myke! Coffeehouse-style open mike night featuring both established and emerging talent; Aug 10 Susann Cokal reads from her novel “Mirabilis” set in 14th-century France; Aug 11: Trina Robbins discusses her latest work “Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitute”. All events start at 7:30 p.m. and are free. 398 Colusa Avenue 559-9184 

Black Oak Books Aug 8: William Turner discusses his new memoir “Rearview Mirror: Looking Back at the FBI, the CIA and Other Tails”; Aug 9: Robert Clark reads from his new novel “Love Among the Ruins”; Aug 15: Molly Giles reads from her debut novel “Iron Shoes”. All shows at 7:30 p.m. free of charge. 1491 Shattuck Avenue 486-0698 

Cody’s Books Aug 5: Justin Chin, Gerry Gomez Pearlberg; Aug 8: Jane Mead, Mark Turpin. $2 donation. Readings at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-0837 

Cafe de la Paz “Poetry Nitro” Weekly poetry open mike. Aug 6: featuring Andrena zawinski. 6:30 p.m. sign-up, 7 p.m. reading. 1600 Shattuck Ave. 843-0662  

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Aug. 7: Featured readers JC and Bert Glick. 7-9 p.m.; August 21: Featured Readers: Victoria Joyce and Therese Bamberger; Both 7-9 p.m. Free. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland for info. (510)465-3935 or (510)526-5985, or Email: ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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  

Museums 

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  

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 will close its exhibition galleries for renovation on October 1. It will reopen in early 2002. On View until October 1, 2001: “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture.” “Sites Along the Nile: Rescuing Ancient Egypt.” “The Art of Research: Nelson Graburn and the Aesthetics of Inuit Sculpture.” “Tzintzuntzan, Mexico: Photographs by George Foster.”  

$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 or www.qal.berkeley.edu/~hearst/ 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Science in Toyland,” through Sept. 9. Exhibit uses toys to demonstrate scientific principles and to help develop children's thinking processes. Susan Cerny’s collection of over 200 tops from around the world. “Space Weather,” through Sept. 2. Learn about solar cycles, space weather, the cause of the Aurorae and recent discoveries made by leading astronomers. This interactive exhibit lets visitors access near real-time data from the Sun and space, view interactive videos and find out about a variety of solar activities. “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. Space Weather Exhibit now - Sept. 2; now - Sept. 9 Science in Toyland; 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. “How Big Is the Universe?” Aug. 1 through Aug. 24. Learn how to determine the distance of celestial objects, one of the purposes of the Hubble Space Telescope. Daily, 2:15 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, 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 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  

The UC Berkeley Art Museum is closed for renovations until the fall. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694. 

Initial results of a Harrison Park air study confirmed predictions that airborne particulate matter has increased over the soccer field and alarmed some city officials with an increase as much as 60 percent above state-recommended levels. 

“I expected higher numbers, but was surprised at the level of increase,” said Hazardous Materials Supervisor Nabil Al-Hadithy. 

Parks and Waterfront Director Lisa Caronna cautioned that the findings are preliminary and there is still more testing to be done.  

“We don’t have all the data yet and when we do, we will take whatever is the most appropriate action.” 

The $40,000 study began at the newly-finished soccer field July 1 and will continue for 11 months. The data for the month of July was released Aug. 2 and is considered preliminary. The study will be carried out over the course of a year to monitor air quality under all kinds of weather conditions. 

A 1997 study has been criticized by members of the Community Environmental Advisory Commission as insufficient because it was conducted over a period of only two days. 

The city contracted with private consultant Applied Measurement Science to perform the study. The contract called for analysis of two different sizes of particulate matter. The study will also analyze the air for traces of the carcinogen chromium 6. 

The two particulates are Particulate Matter 10 (PM10), which are particles about 10 micrograms in size, and the even smaller Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which is 2.5 micrograms in size, or about one-seventh the width of a strand of hair, according to Bay Area Air Quality Management District spokesperson Ralph Borrmann. 

Particulate matter is small airborne pieces of liquid or solid matter that comes from a variety of sources, but is most often associated with exhaust from automobiles, according to Borrmann.  

Eric Winegar, who is carrying out the analysis for Applied Measurement Science, said the equipment he was using to measure PM2.5 was not working correctly so the results are unavailable. But he did provide a month’s worth of data on PM10. 

Both particulates can infiltrate the lungs but the more dangerous of the two is PM2.5 because it is so small it can deeply penetrate the membranes in the lungs.  

“PM2.5 is more of a sensitive issue for people who are more naturally sensitive to respiratory problems such as children, seniors and those who suffer from respiratory problems,” Borrmann said. “It can increase the frequency and severity of asthma attacks and bronchitis for example.” 

The initial test results show that on nine occasions in July, the levels of PM10 rose above the state Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended level of .050 micrograms per cubic meter. In one case, on July 2, the 24-hour average was 35 micrograms or 60 percent above what the state regards as acceptable.  

Al-Hadithy said he can’t say whether the high numbers constitute a health hazard until a toxicologist examines the test results. 

According to an Aug. 2 staff report from the Toxics Management Division, there was an expectation of higher numbers because the field is located near a section of Interstate 80 that was recently widened, which resulted in a 20-percent increase in the traffic volume during heavy commute times. Another 18-percent increase is estimated by 2005 according to the report. 

The initial results show the worst times of day at the soccer field are between 10 a.m. and noon. The hours caused Community Environmental Advisory Commissioner LA Wood to speculate the particulates were coming from the city’s refuse transfer station located next to the park at Harrison and Second streets or perhaps from two industrial sites in the area. 

Al-Hadithy said the monitoring equipment was placed in an area where it would be close to the transfer station and the freeway so test results would show a “worst case scenario.” 

“I’m very interested in the sources of the particulate matter,” Wood said. “I’m surprised that there’s no mention of the possibility of Berkeley Asphalt or Pacific Steel as possible contributors.” 

Both businesses are within three blocks of the playing field. 

Wood also said he was suspicious of the faulty equipment that was unable to produce the more hazardous PM2.5 results. 

“There’s two things that make me wonder if the city is sitting on more results, the test has been going on for the last month and there should be more information then what’s been released,” he said, “and the city’s historic tendency to sweep air issues related to Harrison Park under the carpet.”

When he speaks about the book he wrote in 1999, Ken Moshesh describes it as the narration of a tragedy, his tragedy.  

It is the story of a man who once taught at UC Berkeley and is now a homeless person banned from campus. 

“It’s an insider look at what this situation is like in terms that a person that hasn’t experienced it would hopefully be able to relate to it,” he said holding one of the three existing copies of his manuscript – “Cobblestoning Quicksand Mazes.” 

Since he was arrested for sleeping outdoors Jan. 18, Moshesh has been one of the most vocal advocates for Berkeley’s approximately 1,000 homeless people. After his arrest, he decided to challenge the constitutionality of the so-called “lodging law,” which forbids people to sleep on any property without the owner’s permission. He soon became the leader of an active campaign against the criminalization of the homeless in Berkeley. 

Within a few months, the movement registered two important victories. In April, the City Council voted for a moratorium of the enforcement of the lodging law, and earlier this month a local judge ruled the law unconstitutional in Moshesh’s case. 

But Moshesh’s activism started much earlier. Like many people of his generation, he first got involved in social movements in the 1960s. 

Born in Oakland in 1946 as the second child of a family of 10 children, Moshesh grew up in a low-income environment but made his way through to higher education. He received a degree in sociology and teaching credentials at UC Berkeley, while participating in the People’s Park movement.  

Ever since these days of protest and strategic meetings on the rooftops of Telegraph Avenue, Moshesh has had one purpose in life: to make sure that even the most disadvantaged sector of the population has equal opportunities. 

“Even if I had managed to go through coming from a very large very poor family I realized that the actual instruction was not set up for a person like me,” he said. “So I was trying to make it more likely for persons coming from my background to reach their goals.” 

With this mission in mind he later became one of the co-founders of the African American studies program at the university’s Department of Ethnic Studies and a teacher in Oakland’s elementary schools. 

“My goal was to bring the university closer to the community rather than move it, in an elitist manner, away from it,” said Moshesh who also advocated in favor of early childhood education. “We needed an effective feeder system to get our students where they were to be.” 

Harvey Dong from the Ethnic Studies Department remembers Moshesh as a level-headed person who taught martial arts and Asian philosophy. He also remembers his political fire.  

“There were a lot of African-American students who were involved in establishing Ethnic Studies at that time and they put in a lot of time and energy to fight for the department,” he said. “When there were problems in terms of funding, Moshesh got himself involved supporting the students.” 

Moshesh’s ideas on education however were not always appreciated. Increasing discrepancies between his views and the administration’s goals ultimately forced him to leave the Ethnic Studies Department in 1972. The same happened 14 years later with the Oakland school district. 

Moshesh soon found a new way to serve the community. In 1986 he started working in low-income housing construction in west Oakland. But by that time serious issues that affected him for years had become hardly manageable. In Moshesh’s mind, these problems were in large part the result of the FBI counterintelligence’s effort to stop his activism. “Quite a few people were commissioned to do whatever they could to stop people who were involved in creating social change,” he said. Moshesh said his family members were involved in drug trafficking. He thinks they were bribed into intimidating him. Among other things, he said he was attacked several times on his work site. He consequently quit his job and became homeless. That was in 1993.  

Moshesh receives Supplemental Security Income benefits for a mental disability. 

Since then, Moshesh has found ways to write a book, work with a multi-media publication specializing in low-income issues called Poor Magazine and make seven video films on homelessness. One of them, “Endangering the Species,” won an award for excellence at Berkeley Video Festival last year. 

His style combines images, prose, poetry and music. Creativity, Moshesh thinks, is the best vehicle for his fight for social justice.

Some 140,000 people died as a result of the atomic bomb dropped Aug. 6, 1945 on Hiroshima, Japan. Others were burned, blinded, became diseased and scarred for life. 

Bay Area anti-nuclear activists say they haven’t forgotten. And they don’t want others to forget. They say they also haven’t forgotten that it was the University of California’s Los Alamos Lab that built the bomb. 

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Women for Peace, the Circle of Concern and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom are holding a vigil Sunday to commemorate the bombing. 

The vigil is on the grounds of UC Berkeley, because the campus is part of the University of California system. Vigil organizers are calling on the university to cut its ties with the Los Alamos laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where nuclear weapons are researched and designed. 

A UC spokesperson, however, defends the labs’ role as a “public service.” He argues that possession of a nuclear arsenal is, in fact, a deterrent to their use. 

Margaret Olney of Berkeley has helped organize the annual vigil every year since its beginnings in 1979. “We want to stop the university from managing the weapons labs,” she said. “By managing the labs, it gives all its prestige to building the weapons.” 

The coalition of anti-nuclear groups has demanded that the university sponsor televised public debates on its role in overseeing the weapons work. UC Berkeley held the first of three forums in the spring. It wasn’t televised, however. 

The forum was a good beginning, Olney said, but there are a number of topics still to be addressed in the public arena: What’s the effect of fear of nuclear war as the main deterrent? she asked. “What’s the relationship between inner and outer violence? and, how much is spent on weapons that could be spent on more productive things?” 

Jeff Garberson, University of California spokesperson on laboratory issues, explained the long history of the university’s involvement with the labs. In Berkeley, the Radiation Laboratory was set up by the university on the campus in 1929. (Today the national labs in Berkeley are off campus and do not do nuclear weapons research or design, according to lab personnel.) 

The Los Alamos Lab was founded in World War II and is credited with creating the first atomic bomb. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory was set up in 1952, during the cold war. 

Why does the university manage the labs? “In a historic sense, the United States needed someone with expertise in managing complex laboratories,” Garberson said. “The university felt as a public service it should respond to the government (request.) We’re proud of the public service, done for a nation which wants this work to be done and done well.” 

The vigil is Sunday at the west entrance to the UC Berkeley Campus. At 1 p.m., there will be a silent vigil, remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki; at 2 p.m., there will be speakers from physicians for social responsibility, the Berkeley City Council, and the Circle of Concern. For information, call 849-3020 or 848-8055. 

The 800 block of Delaware Street is the location of the first settlement in Berkeley that grew into a true community.  

In the 19th century, Delaware Street connected Jacob’s Landing (1853) with Bowen’s Inn (1854) on the old Contra Costa Road (now San Pablo Avenue). The block is a city historic district and the pioneer feeling of the streetscape is still somewhat intact.  

The community that developed in the vicinity of Delaware Street was called Ocean View because from here the ocean was visible through the Golden Gate. Remnants of 19th century Ocean View still exist.  

Queen Anne houses and workman’s cottages are scattered on surrounding streets. Some are still on their original lots, while others were moved or raised to accommodate new uses.  

The house at1814 Sixth St. was built around 1880. The small single-story structure sits on its original lot and has not been altered.  

The first floor is raised above the street about four feet to protect it from flooding, which was once common in west Berkeley.  

It is interesting to note the care given to the decorative details of this tiny home, which is only 20 feet wide by 30 feet deep.  

The most prominent elements of the cottage are the two tall sash windows containing eight lights surrounded by wide wood moldings.  

The windows are capped with an elaborate hood molding which has curved brackets, floral carvings, dentils, and molded framed paneling.  

There are carved wood moldings on either side of the entry, and above the front door is a transom window.  

Other Victorian elements include channel siding and an open gable with five triangular brackets. Although it is not known who built this house, it is known that Thomas Andrews was living next door at 1812 Sixth Street with his wife, Annie, in 1880.  

Such information is sometimes found in old city directories, block books, and voter registrations available at the Oakland Public Library’s History Room or the Bancroft Library.  

Susan Cerny writes “Berkeley Observed” in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural  

Heritage Association.

BERKELEY — Two weeks after being injured by fishing hooks and fishing lines, five brown pelicans hobbled out of their cages and jumped onto the rocks at the Berkeley Marina Thursday. 

About 50 pelicans have been brought to the rescue center so far this year. The birds get injured while diving for fish, winding up with the hooks embedded in their wings and fishing wire wrapped around their bodies. 

But not all of them can be saved. If fishing wire cuts off a bird’s leg or it is too emaciated, the pelican is euthanized, said Jay Holcomb, director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia. 

The rescue center is beginning a campaign to educate anglers that cutting fishing lines in the water or leaving hooks behind is dangerous for birds. Although the campaign will center in brown pelicans, because the are an endangered species, it stressed all birds that scour for fish are in danger. 

Brown pelicans were once on the brink of extinction from the effects of the pesticide DDT on breeding. They were listed as endangered in 1970 and the pesticide was banned in the United States two years later.

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of dogs of all sizes and breeds gathered with their owners Friday outside City Hall to protest a proposed citywide dog policy tightening off-leash restrictions. 

The proposal by the city Recreation and Parks Department would set aside designated dog play areas within city parks. But opponents argue the rules are too restrictive. 

“What has raised dog-owners’ hackles is nearly a decade of tightening restrictions and narrowing options for off-leash recreation in the Bay Area,” said Laura Cavaluzzo, an organizer of the Critical Mutt rally. 

Siobhan Maize, 29, attended the event with her lab mix, Deacon. 

“I thought it was important to come today because I can see the attempts to control dogs getting out of control,” she said.  

“It’s very important for dogs to get off-leash and exercise and socialize with other dogs.” 

A spokeswoman for the parks department told the San Francisco Chronicle that the parks are in the first year of a 10-year capital improvement plan, which includes considering dog use at all parks. 

“There’s going to be a lot of things going on in the parks and off-leash areas are going to have to be a part of the change ... It’s going to take some compromises,” said spokeswoman Becky Ballinger. 

The draft proposal is open to public comment until Aug. 13. 

SACRAMENTO — A 41-year-old Turlock man charged with breaking into the state Capitol with his bare hands Friday has reignited a debate over Capitol security. 

The incident comes eight months after a man with a history of mental problems drove his fully loaded big rig into the Capitol’s south steps, killing himself and causing severe damage to the south porch when his truck burst into flames. 

On Friday, Antonio Richard Mariscal drove up to the Capitol’s west steps about 6:30 a.m., parked his compact car on the lawn, pushed through a reinforced window using his arms and hands, then crawled inside, the California Highway Patrol said. 

He was immediately stopped by two CHP officers on duty inside. 

“He became somewhat combative,” said Capt. Troy Abney, but carried no weapons and made no threats. 

The incident lends more credence to proposals to install vehicle barriers around the Capitol, said Jon Waldie, a spokesman for the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee that oversees security there. 

The CHP has made recommendations to the committee in the wake of January’s assault, and those will be considered when lawmakers return from their summer break, Waldie said. 

“It’s pretty similar to past reports. They’re going to lean pretty strongly to some type of security,” he said. 

However, the CHP stopped short of recommending the Capitol grounds be fenced off as was proposed previously when security was reviewed, Waldie said. Instead, the focus has been on heavy concrete flower planters that would block vehicles while allowing pedestrians free access. 

While vehicle barriers might have stopped Mariscal from driving on to the lawn, the incident also raises concerns about how Mariscal was able to use his bare hands to push reinforced glass out of its frame, Waldie said. 

And that, in turn, highlights questions raised by many lawmakers over how to boost security without interfering with the public’s right of access to their state Capitol. 

“If he’d waited a half-hour, he could have walked in,” Waldie said. The building opens to the public at 7 a.m. 

The rules committee’s consideration of new security measures has been delayed while legislators were preoccupied with the budget and energy crisis, Waldie said, but will likely be given new urgency by Friday’s break-in. 

Abney declined comment on Capitol security arrangements. 

He said Mariscal sustained minor cuts and was treated by a CHP paramedic at the scene. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail on charges of burglary and resisting arrest. No bail had been set pending a Tuesday court appearance. Mariscal made no statements to police. 

“It does appear he was acting alone,” Abney said. “We have no idea what his motivation was at this time.” 

Sgt. Mike Brock said there was no apparent connection to January’s incident. 

“There were no threats on anything like that – nothing even related to that incident that happened on the south steps (in January),” Brock said. 

Crime scene tape blocked the west steps Friday as workers cleaned up the broken glass. There was a board over the broken two feet wide-by-five feet tall window, and handprints on an adjacent unbroken window. 

Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office and Department of General Services are continuing negotiations with Salt Lake City-based Dick Simon Trucking Co. and its insurance carrier over reimbursement for repairs from January’s crash, said department spokesman Robb Deignan. 

The company supplied the rig and employed the driver, Mike Bowers, 37, of Hemet. The state wants the company or its insurer to pay the estimated $13.5 million in repairs. 

That’s lower than the earlier estimate of $16.5 million. Deignan said there was less cost to clean up interior water damage, and a smaller area on the outside of the Capitol that needed sandblasting and replacement of the granite facade. 

A heavily damaged Senate committee room is likely to be reopened at month’s end, he said. The entire restoration is scheduled for completion in May. 

PASADENA— NASA’s Galileo will swoop within 124 miles of the north pole of Io on Sunday, a close shave that may take the aging robotic spacecraft through a giant plume of volcanic gases erupting from the moon of Jupiter. 

The probe will make its closest approach to Io – the most volcanic body in the solar system – at 9:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday. Just seconds later, the spacecraft’s path should take it through an area where a giant volcanic plume was seen belching as high as 239 miles from the volcano Tvashtar in December. 

If the plume has persisted, the glitch-prone Galileo will fly through the top quarter of the column of gas. While volcanic ash can gum up jetliner engines here on Earth, the tenuous plume of gas should not damage Galileo. 

During the flyby, scientists expect Galileo to take readings of the moon to determine whether it produces its own magnetic field or if it is induced by Jupiter’s field. It will be two months before images and data from the flyby will be returned to Earth. 

It will mark the first of Galileo’s three passes by Io. Others are scheduled in October and January. After that, the $1.4 billion probe will swing past the tiny moon Amalthea before plunging to a fiery death in the crushing atmosphere of Jupiter in 2003. 

Galileo, launched in 1989, has orbited Jupiter since 1995. 

Io is the innermost of Jupiter’s four largest moons, discovered by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei – the Galileo spacecraft’s namesake – in 1610. 

The gravitational pull of nearby Jupiter tugs on the moon with tidal regularity, heating the moon and causing its tremendous volcanism. NASA scientists estimate as many as 300 volcanoes pock the surface of the moon, which is just slightly larger than the Earth’s moon. 

——— 

On the Net: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ 

SACRAMENTO — Despite being the only Republican holding statewide office, Secretary of State Bill Jones is battling lukewarm reception from his own party and scant financial support for his gubernatorial campaign. 

With seven months before the primary, the Jones campaign has less than $1 million in the bank – one-thirtieth of the amount amassed by Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and a third of that raised by Republican candidate William E. Simon Jr. 

And Jones’ potentially biggest political threat is yet to come. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, a Republican with the personal wealth to rival Davis’ war chest and the backing of President Bush, has yet to say whether he will run for governor. 

“A lot of people in the political community and the contributing community are just hanging back,” said John Pitney Jr., a Claremont McKenna College government professor who studies Republican party activity. 

Riordan has said he will decide in the next 90 days whether to run, but he has formed an exploratory committee and is touring the state. 

Jones’ campaign chairman, former Gov. George Deukmejian, concedes that Riordan’s waiting to decide is affecting the campaign’s budget. 

“He is only helping Gray Davis, because many traditional contributors are waiting to see who all of the candidates are going to be,” Deukmejian said. 

But Deukmejian said Jones will focus on Davis’ handling of a statewide energy crisis and will “raise enough money to be victorious in the election.” Jones’ camp also plans to focus on the fact that Simon has never held a public office and Riordan has donated to Democratic campaigns including Davis’ in the past. 

In recent weeks, Jones has driven a barrage of news stories criticizing energy consultants and others in Davis’ office for having financial interest in energy companies. 

Some, including members of his own party in private, have questioned his using stationery and staff from his government office for press releases and events attacking Davis. 

Republican insiders say Jones’ campaign treasury simply won’t cut it in a predominantly Democratic state where he must advertise in two expensive television markets. 

Davis spent $35.3 million to get elected in 1998. He came from behind to beat two self-financed candidates, airline executive Al Checchi and Rep. Jane Harman, in the 1998 primary. The four major candidates for governor spent a combined $38 million, most of it on TV ads, in a two-month period before the 1998 primary. 

Politically, Pitney and others say Jones is fighting several other battles in his run for governor. He hails from Fresno, which provides a small support base compared to the Los Angeles home of Davis, Simon and Riordan. 

He lost backers – including Bush and his supporters – last year when he first endorsed Texas Gov. George W. Bush and then switched to back maverick GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona. And though he holds a constitutional office, secretary of state doesn’t attract much public attention. 

“When Republicans pull out their political Geiger counters, they detect radioactivity,” Pitney said. “They realize that, of all the people in California, Bill Jones is probably not the favorite of the Bush White House.” 

Still, Jones has support from some parts of the state’s largest industry, the agricultural community that made up the bulk of his campaign donations in the first six months of this year.  

He boasts years of government experience as a lawmaker and secretary of state. And he has proven he can collect votes from across a state where Democrats dominate. 

Jones campaign manager Rob Lapsley said it is too early in the race to write off Jones as a force. 

“We have between now and March 5 to build the resources that we need and we are absolutely confident that we will do that,” Lapsley said. 

——— 

On the Net: Campaign finance reports at http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov and Jones’ campaign Web site at www.BillJones.org 

MODESTO — Rep. Gary Condit returned Friday to face an uncertain future with his California constituents, leaving behind growing unrest among his Washington colleagues. 

Arriving at San Francisco’s airport, Condit began his summer congressional recess the same way he has spent most of the past three months – avoiding photographers and the reporters who wanted to question him about affairs and missing intern Chandra Levy. 

He said nothing as he rolled his duffel bag toward an exit. He has not been publicly spotted since – not in Modesto at his home or office. 

One senior Democrat has pronounced his career over. California’s senior senator has said he lied to her. And his partner in forming a group of conservative Democrats has accused him of discrediting Congress. 

Still another California Democrat, Anna Eshoo, who had earlier defended Condit, said, “It’s hurtful to all of us. It’s held against the whole place.” 

Condit has maintained his public silence about Levy, although a police source has said he admitted to an affair with the 24-year-old constituent who was in Washington for a federal internship. 

Levy, 24, has been missing since early May, and police have no clues about her whereabouts. They have said that Condit is not a suspect in her disappearance, but they have interviewed him four times, taken a DNA sample and searched his apartment. 

Modesto residents say they’re weary of Condit’s silence and feel betrayed by the man who portrayed himself as a politician who chooses the moral high ground. 

“When this first came out, he should’ve come out with any information that could’ve helped police find the girl,” said Steve Cary, a 57-year-old merchant seaman. 

Democrat Carlos DeLaRosa, 28, said he’d vote for Condit again, but thinks he’s in the minority. 

“I remember him since I was a little kid,” he said. “He was always a big part of the community. I know he’s made some mistakes, but I don’t think this should affect his political career.” DeLaRosa said most of his friends and neighbors disagree. And he acknowledged that Condit’s “career is pretty much over, unfortunately.”  

Condit could face a House ethics investigation into allegations that he obstructed the Levy investigation by urging other women to remain quiet. Condit denies those allegations. The House ethics committee has deferred a decision while the police investigation continues. 

Meanwhile, Condit must decide whether to say anything about Levy while he is home in Modesto. His staff refused to release his schedule, and chief of staff Michael Lynch said he had no idea whether Condit would address constituents about Levy. He did not visit his office on Friday. Condit’s silence has also brought rising criticism from fellow lawmakers. 

“Congressman Condit’s failure to come forward and to be fully candid, combined with the conduct involved, really does violate the public trust and affects his integrity and credibility as a legislator,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. 

Earlier in the week, Feinstein spoke bluntly in relating a conversation in which she said Condit had denied a romantic relationship with Levy. “He lied to me,” she told McClatchy Newspapers. 

Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Texas, Condit’s seatmate on the Agriculture Committee and a co-founder with him of the Blue Dog group of conservative Democrats, issued a searing statement late last month. 

“I will say that through his actions and behaviors, Congressman Condit has brought controversy and discredit to his family, his district and the Congress,” Stenholm said. 

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Condit should have followed the advice he gave President Clinton to “tell the public everything about your private life.” 

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Fox News, “His political career as a practical matter, I assume, is gone.” 

Condit, an easy winner last year, reported raising and spending in the first half of this year about as much as he did in the same period two years ago. He has said nothing about his plans. 

SACRAMENTO — In California this summer, energy prices have stabilized, the lights have stayed on and Gov. Gray Davis keeps raising millions of dollars for his re-election bid. 

But the heat’s still on for the leader of the nation’s most populous state. 

Instead of rolling blackouts, Davis has been hit with revelations that his energy consultants owned stock in the same companies with which they negotiated taxpayer-backed power contracts. 

“We are moving from an energy crisis into a political crisis,” said Doug Heller, consumer advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. 

Last week, Davis fired five consultants who acknowledged they owned stock in Calpine, a San Jose-based power generator that has received about $13 billion in electricity contracts with the state over the next 20 years. 

The following Monday, Davis’ chief spokesman Steve Maviglio revealed he bought $12,000 worth of Calpine stock on June 20. On Thursday, Davis’ office said Maviglio had sold the stock, and Maviglio said he wouldn’t quit, despite a Los Angeles Times editorial calling for his resignation. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission began investigating last week to see if Davis’ consultants had broken any security fraud laws, according to a Los Angeles Times report. SEC officials have declined to say whether the agency is investigating. 

And two of Davis’ financial advisers for energy, Joseph Fichera and Michael Hoffman, sent letters Friday to his chief of staff saying they do not have any stock holdings in companies providing power through the Department of Water Resources. 

Fichera acknowledged in his letter that the managers of an account he owns, but said he does not actively manage, sold options to acquire stock in The Williams Companies, Inc. But that was “prior to my commencement of substantive work for the Department of Finance or the Department of Water Resources,” he wrote. 

The unfolding controversy comes as Davis has managed to deflect many potential political obstacles. He signed a $103 billion budget that, although a month overdue, saw him use his veto power to make cuts legislators could not. His conservation plan has seen Californians make dramatic cuts in their power use. 

And this week Davis filed his campaign finance reports that show he raised $5.8 million for his 2002 campaign during the first six months of the year. That gives him $30.5 million in the bank, more than 10 times the total of any of his announced opponents. One of those opponents, Republican Secretary of State Bill Jones, is leading the latest attacks. Other Republicans, who were bruised by the scandal that forced Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush to resign last year, have been quick to jump in. 

“By avoiding blackouts thus far, he should have had a nice quiet summer once you got past the state budget, and the worst possible political nightmare is now occurring for him,” said Rob Stutzman, a political consultant for the state Republican Party. 

Aides to the Democratic governor accuse Republicans of trying to divert attention from Davis’ aggressive approach to easing the state’s power woes. 

“They are trying to incite a political witch hunt based on rumor and innuendo,” said Davis spokeswoman Hilary McLean. 

Davis, she said, had acknowledged the possible conflicts and moved quickly to fix them. 

When blackouts hit, “we were in a crisis mode,” McLean said, and the administration didn’t ask the consultants to make the financial disclosures that are required of state officials. 

At best, the stock revelations show poor judgment, critics said, and corruption at worst. Senate Republican leader Jim Brulte called the Davis administration “ethically challenged” and needs to be prodded by legislative hearings to tell the truth. 

Because the energy crisis had ebbed somewhat, Davis’ power victories may be overshadowed by scrutiny of his consultants, said Mark Baldassare, a pollster for the Public Policy Institute of California. 

“This is a very important time politically for the governor,” said Baldassare, whose poll in May showed Davis’ popularity slipped to its lowest point. 

“A lot of attention will turn to the fiscal and political issues surrounding the development of the state’s energy policy,” he said.

LOS ANGELES — In an unusual hearing, a frail elderly woman who witnessed a Sacramento-area bank holdup in 1975 gave testimony Friday for use in the upcoming trial of former SLA fugitive Sara Jane Olson on charges of trying to kill police officers. 

Dorothy White, 77, underwent conditional examination in her Sacramento home because she is very ill with heart problems and “may die before this case goes to trial,” Los Angeles County district attorney’s spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said. 

The judge in Olson’s case was present as White was questioned by a prosecutor and a defense lawyer. Her deposition will be submitted as evidence at Olson’s much-delayed trial, currently expected to begin on Sept. 24. 

Olson, 54, is accused of trying to murder Los Angeles police officers by planting bombs under police cars in 1975 in retaliation for the deaths of six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army in a fiery shootout. The bombs did not explode. 

Indicted in 1976 under her former name, Kathleen Soliah, she was a fugitive until her 1999 capture in Minnesota. During those 23 years, she took a new name and was living as a doctor’s wife, mother and active community member. She is free on $1 million bail. 

The prosecution claims that Olson was involved in two Sacramento-area bank holdups in 1975 that allegedly were committed by members of the SLA, the radical group that kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. 

Prosecutors want to use the testimony of White and two other elderly women as circumstantial evidence to show Olson’s involvement in SLA actions. Her lawyers say the robberies are irrelevant to the Los Angeles case. 

White has said that just before the holdup of Guild Savings and Loan, she saw a man outside the bank who matched the description of James Kilgore, Olson’s former boyfriend. 

Prosecutors plan to interview the other women in a Sacramento courtroom on Aug. 10. 

Marceline Jones, 80, and Evelyn Burns, 78, both have said they saw a woman suspect during a bank holdup in Carmichael. 

Olson has denied that she was involved in the bomb case or the bank robberies. 

HAMILTON, N.J. — Seven years ago, Maureen Kanka and her husband thought they would live in their house for the rest of their lives. As she looks toward the small park across the street, she’s no longer sure. 

The home that once stood there is gone, replaced with flowers, benches and a goldfish pond fed by a small waterfall. The Kankas no longer have to look at the place where their 7-year-old daughter was beaten, raped and strangled by a convicted sex offender. 

“It’s very hard to live here,” Kanka said. “Even though it’s beautiful now, the house is always there.” 

Seven years ago, the man who lived in that house, Jesse Timmendequas led police to the body of Megan Kanka, hidden in tall weeds in a nearby park. He was later sentenced to death. 

Since then, laws bearing Megan’s name have been passed throughout the country requiring convicted sex offenders to register with authorities. New Jersey expanded its version just last month. There is also a federal law. 

But state and federal courts have sharply restricted public notices of sex offenders’ presence to protect their right to confidentiality. While the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet weighed in, critics say the case has already changed the way some civil liberties are handled in court. “Megan’s Law has done more to cancel redemption as a societal good than anything else that’s been enacted legislatively in the last century,” said Jack Furlong, a defense lawyer who has fought to limit New Jersey’s version of the law. 

“Judges now routinely think that it’s OK to bypass the Constitution in the name of political expediency.” 

“It used to be in America you could pay your debt to society and move on,” added Edward Mallett, a Texas attorney and president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. “You still can if you’re an armed robber, or a killer or a writer of bad checks.” 

Almost since the day of Megan’s death, Maureen and Richard Kanka have pushed to allow communities easier access to information about sex offenders. Had they known Timmendequas was living across the street with two other convicted sex offenders, they say, Megan would be alive today. 

Kathryn Flicker, now the director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, prosecuted the case in Mercer County. She met the Kankas for the first time when they arrived at the medical examiner’s office to identify their daughter’s body the day after it was found. 

“Her daughter’s death brought her forward with a mission,” Flicker said. “I’m sure if this had not happened, you would never have heard of Maureen Kanka. I’m sure she wishes you’d never heard of her.” 

Megan’s death was not unique. What the Kankas did, Flicker believes, was put people on guard in a way many had not been before. 

“They were the personification of Americans who were in the suburbs trying to do the best by their children,” said Flicker, who keeps a photo of Megan in her office on a shelf with photos of her own family. “It was sort of the culmination of a moment when people realized we had sexual predators and people weren’t dealing with it.” 

Last month, New Jersey joined some 30 other states with a law that will establish an Internet registry of sex offenders. The measure allows exceptions for juveniles and incest crimes. 

Megan’s mother believes laws are not enough. When she lectures before parents’ groups, she tells them they need to talk to their children frankly about pedophiles. 

“I often wonder what kind of impact she would have had if she had lived,” she said of her daughter. “I know what kind of impact she had in death, but I wonder.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

State site: www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/megan/meghome.htm 

Advocate link: http://www.parentsformeganslaw.com 

Defense lawyers: http://www.criminaljustice.org 

A group in North Carolina plans to protest the “overwhelming number of illegal Hispanic workers invading the area.” A California coalition urges people to lobby against giving legal status to undocumented immigrants. 

And on New York’s Long Island, the topic at a conference this weekend is the “illegal immigration disaster.” 

Sparked by changing demographics, examples of anti-immigration sentiment seem to be cropping up with increasing frequency around the country. 

Observers say much of the hard feeling is directed at Hispanics, whose numbers grew 58 percent to more than 35 million in the last decade, according to census figures. 

Anti-immigration advocates feel newcomers lower wages, increase unemployment, pollution, traffic and crime, and strain hospitals, parks and energy resources. 

They’re also upset that President Bush is weighing a proposal to grant legal residency to some undocumented Mexicans in the United States. 

“It’s because it’s getting more in your face,” said Gordon Lee Baum, head of the Council of Conservative Citizens, which says it has 25,000 members. 

“All of the sudden they see it happening in their community. They wake up one morning like the people at the Alamo, and say ’Where did the Mexicans come from?”’ 

Lisa Navarrete, a spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, said community organizations report violence against Hispanics is growing, although La Raza does not formally track such crimes. 

In the middle-class community of Farmingville, on Long Island, a county official vetoed a proposal last spring to build a hiring center for day laborers. The workers, many of them undocumented Mexicans, congregate in Farmingville seeking work in landscaping, painting and construction. 

Last September, two Mexican day laborers were beaten, allegedly by two men posing as contractors. One of the men, Christopher Slavin, is now on trial in Suffolk County Criminal Court. 

“The backlash came the minute they walked across the border,” said Ray Wysolmierski, a spokesman for Sachem Quality of Life Organization, the Farmingville citizens group that is sponsoring this weekend’s conference on illegal immigration. In June, a Minnesota man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for first-degree assault after hitting a Salvadoran immigrant in the head with a piece of wood. Prosecutors said the man decided to attack after hearing the immigrant speak Spanish. 

And in Arizona, hundreds of ranchers are patrolling their lands along the border, detaining immigrants and turning them over to the Border Patrol, said Roger Barnett, who carries a pistol while cruising his 22,000-acre Douglas ranch. 

“They don’t need to be on my place, and they don’t need to be in this country,” Barnett said. “Our government is doing nothing about it.” While such dramatic examples of anti-immigrant sentiment are sporadic, observers say the feeling has manifested itself in other ways. 

The Newton, N.C., rally later this month will protest an “alien invasion,” as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement and trade with China. The event is being sponsored by the local chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens. 

The Ku Klux Klan last August held a rally in Siloam Springs, Ark., where Hispanics make up the largest minority group. In response, the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas helped organize a cultural diversity fair, dubbing it “pinatas for peace.” 

And in February 2000, former Klansman David Duke told Siler City, N.C., residents their town will be overrun by a wave of immigration from Mexico. 

Messages like that are painful to immigrants, said Ilana Dubester, director of Siler City’s Hispanic Liaison. “They are trying to adjust, working really hard, they have their families, they go to church, and yet somehow are not made to feel welcome,” she said. 

Some groups are using billboard campaigns to criticize immigration. 

A few miles from the state line between California and Arizona, a billboard sponsored by the California Coalition for Immigration Reform reads “Welcome to California, the illegal immigration state. Don’t let this happen to your state.” A second, near Porterville says, “Deport all illegal aliens. The job you save may be your own.”

WASHINGTON— President Bush seems to bolt from the White House every chance he gets. He begins a monthlong vacation on his Texas ranch Saturday, and by the time he returns he will have spent nearly two months of his presidency there. 

And that doesn’t include the many weekends he’s spent at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains. 

The White House calls the Texas trip a working vacation and notes that he’ll have staff with him to help him attend to presidential chores.  

He also plans trips outside Texas a few days each week, using the 1,600-acre spread in Crawford, near Waco, as his base. 

There is no denying Bush’s impulse to get away from the office. 

“I think it is so important for a president to spend some time away from Washington, in the heartland of America,” he said the other day, discussing his love for the ranch he and Laura Bush bought two years ago with proceeds from the sale of his share in the Texas Rangers baseball team. 

“Whenever I go home to the heartland, I am reminded of the values that build strong families, strong communities and strong character, the values that make our people unique.” 

Bush prefers wide-open spaces where he can run, hike and walk his dogs to the confining White House environs. He also says he likes to get in touch with “real” people outside the Beltway. 

He has spent 14 weekends at Camp David, bringing paperwork and an aide or two along. He played host to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain there. Bush also logged a long weekend last month at the family’s Kennebunkport, Maine, compound, throwing horseshoes, playing golf, fishing. 

Sensitive to suggestions that the president might be loafing, the White House has dubbed the remainder of August as Bush’s “Home to the Heartland Tour.” 

“It’s going to be a working vacation in the classic definition of the word,” presidential press secretary Ari Fleischer said Friday. 

Presidents have a lot more flexibility on taking vacations than the average salaried employee. And Bush has a lot of help in making travel arrangements. 

He has a fleet of helicopters and a jumbo jet at his disposal. 

He also faces unique pressures in his job. Most Americans don’t live inside a gated compound with snipers on the roof and tourists peering in. 

Bush says he plans to “work and take a little time off” in Texas. 

Using the ranch as a base, he will promote White House initiatives in Rocky Mountain National Park, Denver, Albuquerque, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and San Antonio. 

Aides also expect him to make a decision on the divisive question of whether to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, and announce it before Congress returns. 

Ken Khachigian, who wrote speeches for Presidents Reagan and Nixon, said getaways provide invaluable downtime for presidents. 

“They just want to get away from Northwest Washington and have a little privacy and relax,” said Khachigian, who spent time with both Republican presidents during their California vacations.  

“They want to feel like they don’t have to wake up in the morning and go to some boring meeting with a budget guy, or have to listen to a Cabinet officer talk about something.” 

Nixon established a “Western White House” in San Clemente, Calif., designating a Cabinet Room and offices for top staff in temporary buildings. 

Reagan was more determined to unwind, tolerating Khachigian and the speechwriting chores he brought to the Santa Barbara ranch. Reagan personally drove Khachigian back to his car when the work was done, the speechwriter said. 

Reagan spent all or part of 335 days of his eight-year presidency on his ranch. 

The first president Bush spent 153 days in Kennebunkport vacationing, and 390 at Camp David. 

President Clinton went to Camp David an average of about once a month, and generally took two weeks off in the summer; a week at Christmastime; and a week in late winter. Favorite destinations were Martha’s Vineyard, Jackson Hole and the Virgin Islands. 

While Bush is gone, aides will mind the shop at the White House. Vice President Dick Cheney, won’t be among them. He will be at his own vacation home in Jackson Hole, Wyo., until Labor Day, though in contact with Bush whenever needed, a spokeswoman said.

Dear Tom and Ray: 

You guys goofed! Your article on the cargo capacities of pickup trucks was completely wrong.  

A truck designated an F150 means the truck is rated for a half-ton of payload, not one and a half tons of payload, as you had said.  

An F250 is rated for a three-quarter-ton payload, not two and a half tons, as you stated. And an F350 means it's rated  

for one ton of payload. Please correct it before someone blows out his tires trying to carry too much weight. — Brian 

TOM: We goofed on our numbers, Brian. We both must have been passing brain stones that day. We know that traditionally, a truck with a designation of 150 (Ford) or 1500 (Chevy and Dodge) has been known as a "half-ton pickup," meaning that it has a payload capacity (the amount of weight it can carry, including passengers) of 1,000 pounds, or half a ton.  

The 250/2500 and 350/3500 pickups have traditionally carried three-quarter-ton and one-ton designations, respectively. 

RAY: But after we got your letter (and letters from about 10,000 other readers), we decided to do a little more research, and we discovered that the traditional designations are completely wrong, too. 

TOM: It turns out that the Ford F150, Chevy Silverado 1500 and Dodge Ram 1500 have payload capacities in the range of 1,500 to 2,000 pounds (if you want the exact numbers, you can look them up on our Web site, the Car Talk section of www.cars.com under "Model Reports").  

That means the 150/1500s are actually three-quarter and one-ton pickups! 

RAY: But wait, it gets even more confusing. The Ford F250, Chevy Silverado 2500 and Dodge Ram 2500 have payload capacities of between 3,000 and 4,700 pounds. So that's between one and a half tons and nearly two and a half tons. 

TOM: You still with us? Because the 350s and 3500s have payloads of 4,500 to almost 6,000 pounds, or between two and three tons. 

RAY: So the old notions of half-ton, three-quarter-ton and one-ton pickups no longer apply. And if you're planning to carry serious cargo, you really have to check out the specific payload capacity of the truck you're interested in. Even between different versions of the same truck, payload capacities can differ quite a bit. 

TOM: I still think Mercedes has the best and clearest payload designations. As we said in our previous article, they use designations like ML320 and ML430, which everybody can understand. It means those vehicles can carry 3.2 and 4.3 mothers-in-law, respectively.  

••• 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

Is it possible that my van (’94 Dodge Grand Caravan) burned on its own? Or was it vandalized? The whole engine compartment burned up. I hadn't driven it since 4 p.m., and at 3 a.m. my daughter woke me up to tell me that the front yard was on fire (it was actually my van in the driveway). Can a vehicle spontaneously combust? — Chaya 

RAY: Yes it can, Chaya. It's actually not spontaneous, but it would seem that way to you. 

TOM: Cars usually catch fire because a wire gets chafed somewhere. The initial damage happens most often during an accident or a subpar post-accident body repair.  

But it can also happen during regular engine repairs or when a misrouted wire harness has its insulation rubbed away by another part of the car. 

RAY: Once the bare wire is sufficiently exposed, it can short out against the car's body or frame and then start drawing current from your battery. 

TOM: And if it draws enough current over a long enough time, it can generate enough heat to make the wire's insulation smolder. And from there, it's a short leap to igniting surrounding parts, the fuel line and the front lawn. 

RAY: I'd say vandalism is very unlikely in this case, Chaya. Especially since the fire was in the engine compartment. I think it was just bad luck. 

TOM: So just be glad that you and your daughter were both unhurt and that the only casualty of the whole affair was a 1994 Caravan. I think that's what doctors would call "an extremely positive outcome."  

When one of Wall Street’s best-known prognosticators said this past week that the Dow Jones industrials would reach 12,500 by year’s end, at least a few market watchers were flabbergasted. 

For the blue chips to reach the goal set by Goldman Sachs chief market strategist Abby Joseph Cohen, they’d have to rise more than 19 percent over the next five months although investors, with little inclination to buy, have kept stocks mired in a narrow trading range. 

Cohen’s prediction for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, a broader measure of the market, was even more bullish – a gain of 28 percent to 1,550 by the end of 2001. 

“It’s an excellent time to look at technology,” Cohen told CNBC Wednesday, adding that she also likes consumer cyclicals, including home builders and retailers, that tend to do better in stronger economies. She also recommended financial services firms. 

But her enthusiasm is far from universal on Wall Street. With the major indexes still below where they started the year – the Dow down nearly 3 percent, the Nasdaq composite index off 16 percent and the S&P lagging by 8 percent – there is a lot of persuading to do. 

“It’s unlikely. Nothing’s impossible, but I would say there’s still no indication that we are on the cusp of the kind of rally that would create something like this,” said Richard Dickson, technical analyst at Hilliard Lyons. 

“I’d say that 1,550 is on the optimistic end,” said Charles Crane, strategist for Victory SBSF Capital Management. “A lot of things have to go right for the market to achieve those levels. Earnings estimates especially will have to start to rise.” 

Many say it will be next year before the market really starts to rise. 

Tom Galvin, chief market officer at Credit Suisse First Boston, issued his own forecast for the S&P during the week, putting it at 1,500 – for the end of 2002. Previously, he had predicted the index would reach 1,550 by that time. 

Still, he sees the beginnings of a market recovery by late this year, even if the actual economic revival doesn’t take hold for another few months. The market normally advances or falls before the economy does. But Galvin’s enthusiasm is limited, particularly when it comes to technology. 

While stalwarts like healthcare are expected to continue their strong growth, the outlook for transportation, technology and cyclical stocks – those whose performance is tied to the economy – is less promising. He said that’s because companies still have too much inventory and the economy isn’t growing quickly enough to justify new orders. 

The inability to guess when business will improve, particularly in the area of technology, also has been a significant obstacle to the market’s advancement. Many investors, unsure of what to expect next, are reluctant to do the kind of buying needed to support a broad advance across the indexes. 

That was true this past week. Although semiconductor stocks, which are frequently considered a precursor to a wider advance, enjoyed a nice bump up — the widely-followed Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose about 7 percent — the buying only marginally nudged the broad market forward. 

Galvin believes Wall Street is still waiting for a firm signal that better times are ahead before buying. 

“To make this market show any substantial rise, it’s not just going to be less bad news but materially obviously good news, like new orders or a bigger than expected rate cut by the Fed,” he said in an interview. “Until that happens it’s going to be slow grinding ahead.” 

In the big picture, though, the major stock indexes’ progress may be of limited value.  

The Dow, S&P and Nasdaq are based on a select group of mostly large-cap stocks. 

They don’t reflect the track record of specific segments of the market, like healthcare, energy, or smaller-sized companies’ stocks. 

“I would pay attention to investor sentiment, where value might be,” said Crane, the Victory SBSF strategist. “I spend very little time worrying about indexes and I think investors should spend virtually no time on then.” 

The market ended the week mostly flat, although gains in semiconductor stocks did help the Nasdaq. The index gained 1.8 percent or 37.26 over the week, overcoming a Friday loss of 21.05 that left the Nasdaq at 2,066.25. 

The Dow ended the week up 96.11 points or 0.9 percent, despite falling 38.40 to 10,512.78 Friday. The S&P 500 index rose 8.53 for the week, a 0.7 percent rise. It slipped 6.40 Friday to 1,214.35. 

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller company stocks, slipped 1.84 to 487.15 Friday. It ended the week up 2.14, or 0.4 percent. 

The Wilshire Associates Equity Index, the market value of New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq issues, was $11.242 trillion Friday, down $77.74 billion from the previous week. A year ago, the index was $13.619 trillion. 

Lisa Singhania is a business writed for The Associated Press

If it weren’t for the consumer – the courageous, spendthrift, debt-be-damned U.S. consumer – the economy might now be in the midst of recession. 

Instead, while the new electronic economy seemed to vanish and the old industrial economy fell into a now 12-month deterioration, the broad economic numbers have skirted the line between growth and decline. 

But, according to the latest Commerce Department figures, consumers are still spending.  

Personal consumption rose 0.4 percent in June, double expectations, as consumers spent on cars and houses, travel and tickets. 

Making such behavior all the more remarkable are the circumstances in which the consumer performance has been staged. Their assets have shrunk. The jobless rate has risen, albeit slowly. Their debts have mounted. 

Last year, the net worth of American families declined for the first time in decades, partly due to the stock market, partly because homeowners tapped into their home equity for money to pay bills and enjoy life. 

Federal Reserve figures show that the total net worth of households and nonprofit organizations fell last year to $41.4 trillion, more than $840 billion less than at year-end 1999. 

True, home prices rose, giving a boost to homeowner confidence, but so did mortgage debt.  

The homeowner equity to debt ratio fell to 54 percent as of last December, a decline from 70 percent in less than two decades. 

All this doesn’t necessarily mean households are unaware of what they’re doing. Various surveys show them concerned about current economic conditions. But the same surveys show them confident about the future. 

The assumption seems to be that the future will be similar to the recent past, a period that included a soaring economy, spectacular rises in stock values, rising wages, falling unemployment and stable prices. 

That perspective seems also to include the assumption that the current economic weakness is a mere hiatus, a recess from the frantic pace of the past decade, and that the next decade will be as rewarding as the 1990s. 

It might be; it might not. 

One practical lesson from the past is that opinions delivered by so-called experts never are accompanied by guarantees.  

And without guarantees, households would seem to be taking a casino-type gamble. 

Well, perhaps not. Finance authorities will tell you that it is wise to borrow when borrowing rates are low, as they are today, and especially when the money is to be invested in growing assets, as houses have been. 

Averaged for geographical regions, home ownership has been rewarding. To a great extent, rising home equity has provided consumers with the borrowing power they’ve used to keep the economy this side of recession. 

In that sense, America’s consumers, usually referred to as either confident or cautious, have shown they are courageous too.  

It takes courage to take on risks, even the most prudent of risks. 

And nobody can assure America’s consuming households that the risks they are taking are prudent. 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The yearlong slide in factory jobs slowed a bit and service jobs gained some ground in July, holding the nation’s unemployment rate steady at 4.5 percent. 

While the better-than-expected showing in the Labor Department’s report offered a glimmer of hope, analysts said, dangers still remain for the economy, which has been mired in a slowdown for a year. 

“We certainly are not out of the woods yet. The economy is very, very soft, but perhaps one can sense the rate of decline in the economy is slowing,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Economy.com.  

“It may be the economy is nearing the end of the worst of its problems.” 

Although payrolls fell for the second month in a row, the drop wasn’t as big: 42,000 jobs were eliminated in July, compared with 93,000 in June. Manufacturing led July’s decline but the loss of factory jobs was the smallest since December. 

“This is the first sign that the hemorrhage of job losses in manufacturing is beginning to ease,” said Jerry Jasinowski, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, whose industry has been bearing the brunt of the slowdown. 

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said the fact that the jobless rate was unchanged “suggests some stability in the economy.” 

The jobless rate has remained at 4.5 percent for three of the last four months.  

While it represents the highest unemployment level reached during the slowdown, the rate is still low by historical standards. 

However, many economists predict the unemployment rate, which is considered a lagging economic indictor, will rise in the months ahead, possibly passing 5 percent by year’s end. 

“Hiring is not going to get back on track until companies’ sales and profits do,” said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist with LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO. “Businesses are anxious for more tangible signs that the bottom has passed and aren’t seeing them yet.” 

To avert the first recession in the United States in 11 years, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates six times this year, totaling 2.75 percentage points. 

Many analysts believe Fed policy-makers will order another rate reduction, probably by a quarter-point, at their next meeting Aug. 21, and said Friday’s report would justify such a move. 

The Bush administration and many private economists are hopeful that the Fed’s aggressive credit easing along with tax-rebate checks now arriving in mailboxes will permit the country to dodge a recession this year. 

Still, that hope hasn’t erased economists’ biggest fear and the greatest potential threat to the economy: A major pullback in consumer spending, a main force keeping the economy afloat. If the employment climate seriously deteriorates, consumers would probably curtail spending and throw the economy into recession. 

“The economy is still teetering on the edge of a recession. We can handle another few months of moderate job losses, but if it gets much worse, consumer spending ... could sink and take the whole economy down with it,” said Bill Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services. 

Manufacturing, which many believe is suffering through a recession of its own, continued its employment slide, losing 49,000 jobs last month. But that was less than half the size of the losses in factory jobs in each of the prior three months, heartening some economists. 

In the last 12 months, manufacturers — coping with slumping demand and excess stocks of unsold goods — have cut a total of 837,000 jobs. 

Meanwhile, employment in the service sector grew by 5,000 in July, the smallest number of jobs added in nearly a year. Much of the weakness came from temporary employment companies, which have lost 429,000 jobs in the last 10 months. 

But employment at health-services firms grew by 25,000 in July, and engineering and management companies added 13,000 jobs. Bars and restaurants gained 40,000. 

Government employment rose by 31,000 last month, with most of the strength coming from state and local governments hiring education workers. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Labor Department: http://www.dol.gov 

When a San Francisco police officer stopped him in his car eight months ago, Pablo, a 27-year-old Berkeley day laborer from Honduras, knew what to expect. It was the fifth time this had happened to him since he moved to the United States in 1996. 

“Me quitaron el carro (they took my car),” he said. “They didn’t even let me take what I had left inside it.”  

That day, Pablo also spent seven hours in jail and was fined.  

The reason? His work permit was still being processed, and although illegal immigrants like Pablo are not permitted to have a California driver’s license, he was behind the wheel. 

But things could change. A number of legislators, including Asemblymember Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, are supporting a bill that would allow immigrants to get a driver’s license while waiting for legal documentation. Introduced in December 2000 by assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, AB 60 passed the state Senate Transportation Committee on a 10-2 vote July 10 and should reach the Senate floor later this month. 

“Assemblyman Cedillo feels that as a matter of public safety, all drivers should get an opportunity to get a driver’s license,” said David Galaviz, Cedillo’s legislative director. “The Department of Motor Vehicle is not an immigration office. It shouldn’t be checking people’s immigration status.” 

Under the current law, individuals applying for a driver’s license must submit their Social Security numbers to prove that they are legally on U.S. soil. The bill would delete this requirement and only ask immigrants to present proof that they are in the process of getting legal status. According to Cedillo’s office, about a million immigrants in the state could benefit from the proposed legislation. 

Labor leaders across California also support the bill. They believe it will rectify laws that are unfair to immigrants, while increasing safety on streets and highways.  

“The prohibition is simply vindictive; it’s to make (immigrants’) life more difficult,” said Carol Zabin, chair of the Center for Labor Research and Education at UC Berkeley. “It’s not a deterrent. So if they are here because of the economic reality of their country, to just send them underground and have them do things that are not safe for them or the rest of us is absurd.” 

To the many illegal immigrants who work as day laborers, having a car can be critical to getting a job. That’s why so many of them drive illegally, including employers’ vehicles. 

Since the police took his car, Pablo said he has about 30 percent fewer job opportunities. 

“For us a car is not a luxury, it’s a need,” he said. “I’ve been offered jobs in areas with no public transportation that I couldn’t take because I don’t have a car.”  

Another advantage of the bill, Pablo said, is that it would allow some illegal immigrants to have some kind of U.S. identification. 

“The bill is very important, because you are well identified, and you can go to work with the confidence that you won’t have any problems,” he said. 

A similar bill was vetoed by Governor Gray Davis in 2000, but Cedillo’s office is currently trying to reach an agreement with the governor to make sure he signs the legislation. 

“We want the governor’s office to come up with a proposal on what can be done to address this issue,” said Galaviz. 

The governor’s office was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon. 

Pablo said authorities forget that many illegal immigrants would like to comply with California law. But the system doesn’t allow it. Now that he has a work permit, Pablo said he is still unable to get a driver’s license because he owes about $6,000 in fines for driving illegally. He can’t afford to pay them and doesn’t want to risk a new arrest. 

“I don’t like jail. That’s why I haven’t bought another car,” he said. “I want to do everything legally. I still carry this fear inside. It’s hard.”

Friday, Aug. 3  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

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. Meets Fridays through Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, Aug. 4 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club 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 5 and accompanied by an adult. Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Robert Bowman 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Friends Church 

1600 Sacramento St.  

Retired Air Force and NASA Official and Presidential Candidate, Dr. Robert Bowman will speak against the weaponization of space. Following the speech and rally there will be a procession to the gates of the Livermore Lab for a nonviolent, risk arrest action. 

Livermore Conversion Project: 663-8065. 

Animal Picnic Family  

Workshop 

10 - 10:50 a.m.;11 - 11:50 a.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Touch and hold a variety of animals and see how they eat their lunch. For children 3 - 8 and an accompanying adult. Registration required, $8 - $25. 

642-5132 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

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

Annual Tomato Tasting, an opportunity to sample the range of tomato varieties at the market. Also, the grand opening of the Food Court. 548-3333 

Poetry Reading 

3 - 5 p.m. 

1527 Virginia Street 

The Bay Area Poets’ Coalition presents an open reading outdoors on the front lawn. 

527-9905; poetalk@aol.com 

Bay Area Eco-Crones 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

Epworth Church, Youth Room 

1953 Hopkins 

Discuss ecological significance of mushrooms and bats; plan rituals for habitat restorations projects.  

874-4935 

Foster Parent Certification Class 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

This class will cover all aspects of Foster Parenting and is open to anyone interested in attending. Free. Call Bob at 641-6200; nailahfs@pacbell.net. 

Sunday, Aug. 5  

Live Oak Concerts 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

B.A.C.H. (Baroque and Classical Harmonies), the vocal and instrumental ensemble, will perform Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Vivaldi’s Gloria. $10  

644-6893 

Anti-Nuclear Vigil 

1 - 3 p.m. 

UC Berkeley, Lawn at West Entrance, 

Oxford and University Ave. 

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki; opposing UC weapons labs’ contracts; urging UC Berkeley to host a national TV debate on nuclear weapons ban.  

Circle of Concern 848-8055. 

Buddhism 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Four Thoughts that Awaken the Heart.” Free. 843-6812 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between Third and Fourth Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 654-6346 

Monday, Aug. 6 

Intensive Production  

Urban Gardening Training 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Santa Fe Bar & Grill 

1310 University Ave. 

Growing Gourmet: A free urban gardening training & potluck lunch.  

Learn ways to intensively and organically grow produce for your own use or for an urban market garden. A hands-on training in the garden located behind the restaurant and potluck lunch at 1 p.m. Katherine Webb 

841-1110. 

Osteoporosis: How to put  

Bone Loss on Hold 

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. 

Summit Campus 

Cafeteria Annexes B & C 

350 Hawthorne Ave. in Oakland 

A free lecture by Dr. Elliot Schwartz, co-director of the Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education. Learn how to create a program that will help minimize bone loss. 869-6737 

Tuesday, Aug. 7 

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 will center on sex and drugs: Free will? Must laws be obeyed? 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 

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 Don, 525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street at MLK Jr. Way 

548-3333 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Free Computer Class  

for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 644-6109 

— compiled by Guy Poole 

Strawberry Creek Daylighting 

Strategy Workshop 

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Corporation Yard Green Room 

1326 Allston Way 

A workshop to develop an effective strategy for promoting the daylighting of Strawberry Creek downtown. Learn about current daylighting concepts and develop a working plan for the next year and beyond. Facilitated by Louis Hexter of MIG. Call Janet Byron to RSVP at 848-4008 or bjanet@earthlink.net 

Wednesday, Aug. 8 

A Day at the Beach 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Build sand castles with sand sculptor Kirk Rademaker. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

Thursday, Aug. 9 

Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Sean Dexter, archaeologist, will discuss the recent Data Recovery Program at the Emeryville Shellmound/South Bayfront site. Jakki Kehl, a Mutsun Ohlone, will discuss protecting cultural resources by developing partnerships and encouraging good stewardship of the land. $10 

841-2242 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Sea Kayaking 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Learn about the best sea kayaking spots in Northern California from Roger Schumann and Jan Shriner. Free. 

527-4140 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: Safety, Pat Caftel presents Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness. For more information call 526-9146 or 547-1969. 

Friday, Aug. 10  

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 Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, Aug. 11 

Sixth Annual Reggae Worldbeat Festival  

Noon - 5 p.m.  

People’s Park  

Telegraph & Haste St. (behind Amoeba)  

Featuring: Obeyjah & The Saints with the Village Culture Drummers, Dancehall King; Major P., Wawa Sylvestre and The Oneness Kingdom Band and many more. Free, but donations encouraged.  

Free Classical Music Concert 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley Campus 

UC Berkeley Summer Symphony, Gene Chang, Henry Shin, Directors.  

Debussy, Stravinsky, Brahms. Free admission.  

For more information: 665-5631 

Sunday, Aug. 12 

Live Oak Concerts 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Composition vs. Improvisation, Music/Structures by Tom Swafford.  

$10 644-6893 

Hands-On Bicycle Repair Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn front and rear derailleur adjustments from one of REI’s bike technicians. Tools provided. All you need to bring is your bike. Free.  

527-4140 

Buddhist Architecture In the West 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Mark Henderson on “Building a Buddhist Temple.” Free. 

843-6812 

Steel Drums and Sand Castles 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Kirk Rademaker teaches sand sculpting while Richmond Bloco entertains with steel drum music. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Opus Q Auditions 

7 - 9 p.m. 

The University Lutheran Chapel 

2425 College Ave. 

Opus Q - The East Bay Men’s Chorale is preparing for its first full season. Gay men and their allies are invited to audition for the world’s newest GALA ensemble. For more information: www.opus-q.com or call 664-0260. 

Monday, Aug. 13 

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women 20 - 70. Director Mikel Clifford asks that auditioners present a two-minute piece or read from a script. No appointment is needed, and there is no pay. For more information phone 525-1620 or visit www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

Tuesday, Aug. 14 

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 Don, 525-3565 

Writing and Resistance  

In A Culture of Amnesia 

6 - 7:45 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Avenue 

Classroom #2 

Part of a workshop series on concepts and strategies for resistance through the spoken and written word, taught by Joyce E. Young. $12. 

849-2568 www.lapena.org 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Auditions for Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Held by the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, there are parts for five men and three women ages 20 - 70. Director Mikel Clifford asks that auditioners present a two-minute piece or read from a script. No appointment is needed, and there is no pay. For more information phone 525-1620 or visit www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com. 

The Candy Cottage 

1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (Lower Level) 

“The Candy Cottage” is a short comedy written and performed by the Hall of Health staff, for children ages 3 to 12. The play provides information about eating healthy, the food pyramid, and what vitamins and minerals do for your body. The Hall of Health is a hands-on community health-education museum and science center sponsored by Children’s Hospital of Oakland. Free. For more information call: 549-1564. 

Wednesday, Aug. 15 

Space Weather 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Explore the Space Weather exhibit, talk to NASA researchers, look for sun spots, make a sundial, cast sun prints. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

Berkeley Communicator Toastmasters Club 

7:15 a.m. 

Vault Cafe 

3250 Adeline 

Learn to speak with confidence. Ongoing first and third Wednesdays each month. 

527-2337 

Support Group for Family/Friends  

Caring for Older Adults 

4 - 5:30 p.m. - 3rd Wednesday of each month 

Alta Bates Medical Center  

Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

3rd floor, Room 3369B (elevator - B) 

The group will focus on the needs of the older adult with serious medical problems, psychiatric illnesses, substance abuse, and their caregivers. Facilitated by Monica Nowakowski, LCSW. 

Free. For more information call 802-1725 

Thursday, Aug. 16 

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 

Ancient Native Sites of the East Bay 

7:30 p.m. 

Room 160 Kroeber Hall, University of California Campus 

Christopher Dore will discuss “Space and Place at Two East Bay Shellmounds.” Jason Claiborne, archaeologist with Archeotec, Inc., will discuss his recent work and the delicate position of playing “archaeo-police” versus serving the client in a talk entitled “Insuring the Future of the Past.” $10 

841-2242 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: Travel, Jackie Hetman presents “A 17-Day Train Trip Through Namibia.” For more information call 526-9146 or 547-1969. 

The Candy Cottage 

1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. (Lower Level) 

“The Candy Cottage” is a short comedy written and performed by the Hall of Health staff, for children ages 3 to 12. The play provides information about eating healthy, the food pyramid, and what vitamins and minerals do for your body. The Hall of Health is a hands-on community health-education museum and science center sponsored by Children’s Hospital of Oakland. Free. For more information call: 549-1564. 

Friday, Aug. 17  

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 Aug. 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Opus Q Auditions 

3 - 5/ p.m. 

The University Lutheran Chapel 

2425 College Ave. 

Opus Q - The East Bay Men’s Chorale is preparing for its first full season. Gay men and their allies are invited to audition for the world’s newest GALA ensemble. For more information: www.opus-q.com or call 664-0260. 

Saturday, Aug. 18 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Center Street @ Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

12th Annual Cajun & More Festival. Live music by: Motor Dude Zydeco, Johnny Harper’s Carnival, Creole Belles, Sauce Picuante. Food, crafts fair, micro-breweries, and free Cajun dance lessons with Pattie Whitehurst. Free event open to the public. For more information call: 548-3333 or visit www.ecologycenter.org 

Sunday, Aug. 19 

Hands-On Bicycle Repair Clinics  

11 a.m. - Noon  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn how to fix a flat from one of REI’s bike technicians. All you need to bring is your bike. Tools are provided. Free  

527-4140 

Tibetan Culture 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Stephanie Hoffman on “Preserving the Tibetan Literary Heritage.” Free. 

843-6812 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Opus Q Auditions 

4 - 6 p.m. 

The University Lutheran Chapel 

2425 College Ave. 

Opus Q - The East Bay Men’s Chorale is preparing for its first full season. Gay men and their allies are invited to audition for the world’s newest GALA ensemble. For more information: www.opus-q.com or call 664-0260. 

Monday, Aug. 20 

Tuesday, Aug. 21 

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 will center on fears and phobias: getting and overcoming them. 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 

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 Don, 525-3565 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Berkeley Fibromyalgia Support Group 

12 - 2 p.m. every 3rd Tuesday 

Alta Bates Medical Center  

Maffly Auditorium - Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Rap session. For more info call D.L. Malinousky: 601-0550 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Wednesday, Aug. 22 

Magic Mike 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Wednesday FUN-days. Bay Area favorite Magic Mike with theatrical illusions and electric comedy. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

Thursday, Aug. 23 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: Holistic Health, Jan Stecher leads in Rosen Movement. For more information call 526-9146 or 547-1969. 

Friday, Aug. 24 

Saturday, Aug. 25 

Astrojax Playday 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Astrojax is part yo-yo, part juggling balls and a lasso. The inventor, theoretical physicist Larry Show, will give a demonstration and instruction. Museum admission $3 - $7. 

642-5132 

Cerrito Creek Work Party 

10 a.m. 

Meet at Creekside Park (south end of Belmont Street), El Cerrito 

Join Friends of Five Creeks in removing brush to make a new trail along Cerrito Creek. Bring work gloves and clippers if you have them.  

For more information: 848-9358 or f5creeks@aol.com, or www.fivecreeks.org. 

Sunday, Aug. 26 

Healing 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Sylvie Gretchen on “Healing Mind.” Free. 

843-6812 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Tuesday, Aug. 28 

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 Don, 525-3565 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK) 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday morning. Call Ann, 655-8863 

Thursday, Aug. 30 

Salsa Dance Classes 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Classes every Thursday with live percussionists, light refreshments, DJ playing Latin music. $10 or $15 for two. 

237-9874 

Lost in the Wilderness 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Avenue 

Jason Flesher, a Search and Rescue member for almost 20 years, will share his nine rules for surviving in the wilderness. Free. 

527-4140 

Free Computer Class for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited, call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Kensington 55+ Activity Center 

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Social Hall of Arlington Community Church 

52 Arlington Ave. 

Conversation, Apple II computer instruction, massage therapy, German conversation group, meditation and relaxation techniques, watercolor art class, tea and coffee. Special 11 a.m. program: Music, Hugh Kelly plays harmonica and leads sing-along. For more information call 526-9146 or 547-1969. 

Friday, Aug. 31 

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson 

Pacific News Service 

LOS ANGELES -- When some organizers of the upcoming United Nations conference on racism in Durban, South Africa, threatened to tack incendiary resolutions on the agenda denouncing Zionism and demanding reparations for slavery, the predictable happened. President Bush screamed foul and said that the United States would stay home. Congress quickly passed a non-binding resolution backing him. The resolution’s backers, mostly reparations activists and representatives from Arab countries, instantly branded Bush a racial obstructionist for ducking these issues. 

This is a convenient label to plaster on him. In the past few weeks, Bush’s foes -- and even some friends – called him an environmental obstructionist for refusing to endorse the Kyoto Accords on Global Warming. He’s been called a health obstructionist for not committing more U.S. dollars to the global fund to fight AIDS and other diseases in Africa and Asia. And he’s been tagged as a peace obstructionist for backing out of germ warfare talks and attempting to scrap arms control agreements. 

Though Bush can be pilloried for soft-peddling affirmative action, racial profiling, hate crimes, and the death penalty, and saying and doing nothing about the Florida voting debacle that still rankles many Blacks, the racial obstructionist label is one that doesn’t fit. His demand that the conference excise any resolution condemning Zionism from the agenda is consistent with U.S. policy. Then President Jimmy Carter, and every president since, denounced the U.N. resolution passed in 1975 that equated Zionism with racism and relentlessly demanded that the resolution be repealed. A decade ago, the United Nations finally dumped it and even the Palestinian Liberation Organization publicly rejected the slogan. 

Still, this doesn’t mean that Israel’s divisive domestic and aggressive military policies toward the Palestinians is not a legitimate subject for the conference to debate. 

The issue of slave reparations is just as touchy a policy issue for the Bush administration. It insists that slavery ended decades ago, that the slaves and their slavemasters are long dead, that the U.S. government has no legal obligation to pay reparations, and that the issue is racially inflammatory. Bush and former President Bill Clinton scrupulously avoided any public mention of bills introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Miss., in Congress during the past decade to establish a commission to study the reparations issue. They also ignored a bill twice introduced by Rep. Tony Hall, D-Ohio, that called for Congress to apologize for slavery. Clinton, whom of all presidents would have been the most likely to support this call, touched off a brief flurry by raising the possibility of an apology, but then quickly backing away from it. 

But even though Bush’s opposition to reparations is consistent with past and present U.S. hostility toward the subject, this doesn’t mean that it should not be discussed. The U.S. government encoded slavery in the Constitution, and protected and nourished it in law and public policy for more than a century. And, in the near century after slavery’s end, legal segregation, peonage, and racial terrorism has saddled the Black poor with a terrible legacy of poverty, violence, and education and health neglect. The United States also applauded the decision by German corporations to pay compensation to slave laborers in Nazi concentration camps, and helped broker a deal in which Swiss bankers agreed to pay billions to Holocaust victims for pillaging their bank accounts. 

While Bush should not make the colossal mistake of using reparations and the Zionism issues as an excuse to boycott the conference, conference organizers also must not make the equally colossal mistake of permitting these issues to sink the conference. It is an historic milestone that European nations, Canada and the United States, finally acknowledge that racism fuels much of the inequality and poverty in Asia and Africa and perpetuates conflict and division between these nations and the West. The conference also presents the golden opportunity for western nations to go on record firmly opposing racism and intolerance and to pledge to combat their corrosive affects. The conference also could wring greater commitments from the wealthy nations to move faster on debt relief, pour more funds into AIDS treatment and prevention programs, vastly increase development aid, and negotiate more equitable trade pacts with non-white nations. 

The stakes are much too high to let political pettiness and ideological demagoguery torpedo the once-in-a-millennium chance nations have to come to grips with the monster evils of racial bigotry and intolerance that have wreaked havoc on the world for centuries. Bush must do everything he can to make sure that the U.S. is present and accounted for at Durban, and conference organizers must do everything they can to make sure that it is. 

Pacific News Service Commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson (ehutchi344@aol.com) is a nationally syndicated columnist and president of The National Alliance for Positive Action. 

What does it mean to be brainwashed? 

Dave Krzysik of the Brainwash Film Festival can’t explain it, but he knows it when he sees it. He and a loose collection of cohorts have cobbled together a five-day presentation of largely loony short films and videos that are as difficult to categorize as they are to rationalize. 

A computer-generated poem about a toy animal with no head. Bad gastronomical decisions on New Orleans. Swimming with chickens. The films of Brainwash laugh at intellect and instead demand to be intuited. 

“Brainwash is a little elusive,” said Krzylic from his Rockridge home. He credits festival programmer Vikki Vaden’s ability to mesmerize audiences with an impressionistic arrangement of films. After last year’s showing at a San Francisco alternative film venue, The Werepad, Brainwash had to turn up the house lights to get the audience to leave. 

This year the festival plays for three days beginning Friday at the Pyramid Ale brewery/restaurant on Gilman Street in Berkeley. The selections were chosen because there were “Brainwash,” said Krzylic, an amorphous criteria, part of which was a tendency for low production values. 

“Tour Tips #14” by Danny Plotnick, is the first foray into video for the heretofore reigning “King of the Super-8.” It tells a very brief story told with clip-art collage of a drummer in a touring rock band who gets sick from overeating in New Orleans. Presented as a spoof of a television public service announcement, “Tour Tips” is a visually sharp and clean depiction of a disgusting incident in the life of an indulgent rock and roller.  

“Fowl Play” is a spoof of paranoia and sexual deceit as two women lie in bed idly surfing through a montage of random television images. The implied lesbian domestic scene is darkened by an ominous, telltale smell. The sweat of guilt beads on the guilty woman’s forehead as she tries to hide her crimes of poultry and chlorinated water. 

In a particularly bawdy moment, the nervous woman furtively smells her fingers as though they were the smoking gun. 

“That was completely improvised,” said Berkeley-based filmmaker Mary C. Mathews, crediting her actress for making the absurd sexual metaphor more explicit. The film started as a humble three-panel cartoon which Mathews developed into a one-minute play for a New York City festival of one-minute plays. She won that festival award then further developed the idea into a three-minute film for a festival of short films created last year by San Francisco radio station Alice. 

“We wanted to make something really out there,” said Mathews, whose film did not play at the Alice festival but its crazy humor gave it that elusive “Brainwash” quality. Chickens, as any comedian knows, are inherently funny things. 

Brainwash has a taste for the bizarre, and its pedigree encourages acts of deflating artistic pomposity. Krzylic claims the festival lineage can be traced back to the original Merry Pranksters, a 1960’s troupe of heads and hipsters led through counter-culture antics by Ken Kesey and the “Further” bus. 

The descendant generations of cultural noisemakers called themselves the Suicide Club, the Cacophony Society (instrumental in creating the annual Burning Man desert freak-out) and now the tech-savvy pranksters communicate via the Laughing Squid internet server. 

Now in its seventh year, the Brainwash festival began with the cumbersome title “1st Annual Cacophony Drive-In Movie Festival.” “’Brainwash’ says all that,” said Krzylic who renamed the festival after a San Francisco laundromat, “and it’s a lot shorter.”  

The drive-in aspect of the original festival has not been completely lost. The screenings at Pyramid Ale today, Saturday and Sunday will be outdoors. It will not be possible to actually drive up to the screen, however, and Krzylic encourages moviegoers to dress warmly and bring their own chairs. 

MUSIC 

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 3: Sworn Vengeance, N.J. Bloodline, Settle the Score, Existence, Step; Aug. 4: Toxic Narcotic, Menstrual Tramps, Emo Summer, Four Letter Word, Shitty Wickets; Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Sophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Anna’s Place Aug. 4, 11 and every Saturday night 10:30 p.m. - midnight, Ducksan Distones. 1801 University Ave. 849-2662. 

Ashkenaz Aug. 3: 9:30 p.m. DJ Dougie Swing; Aug. 4: 9:30 p.m.Tropical Vibrations; Aug. 5: 9 p.m.Roots Reggae featuring Groundation and Tchiya Amet; Aug. 8: 9 p.m., Brenda Boykin and Home Cookin’; Aug. 9: 10 p.m. Greatful Dead night with DJ Digital Dave. 11317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5099 www.ashkenaz.com 

Eli’s Mile High Club Doors open at 8 p.m. Every Friday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Split Shankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland 655-6661 

First Congregational Church Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m. George Cleve conducts the Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra in Symphony in B-flat, K 391, Piano Concert in F Major, K 459, German Dances, K 571 and Symphony in C Major, K 425, 2345 Channing Way. (415) 292-9620. 

Freight and Salvage Coffee House All music at 8 p.m. Aug 3: Wylie & the Wild West, the Waller Brothers, Aug 4: Adam Levy, Will Bernard; Aug 5: MonTango; Aug 6: Frank Yamma; Aug 8: San Francisco Klezmer Experience; Aug 9: John Renbourn; Aug 10: Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin; Aug 11: Al Stewart. $16.50 - $19.50. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Aug. 3: Mas Cabezas, Rhodes-based latin jazz trio with local vet Ezra Gale; Aug. 4: Solomon Grundy, from Orange County, combining jazz, calypso, and world beat; Aug. 7: Joshi Marshal Project, jazz, soul and hiphop; Aug. 8: Broun Fellini’s, jazz/funk/hiphop grooves; Aug. 9: Beatdown with DJs Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 10: Steven Emerson, singer/songwriter mixes cool jazz and sweat soul; Aug. 11: J Dogs, funk-soul; Aug. 14: Chris Shot Group, folk-rock and soul combo; Aug. 15: Lithium House, electro/drum & bass styles with live jazz; Aug. 16: Beatdown with DJs Delon, Yamu and Add1; Aug. 17: The Mind Club, Old school funk grooves with sonic swirls of acid jazz; Aug. 18: Blue & Tan, Bassist Vicki Grossi brings in the crew for elctro-acid-jazz funk stylings; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. www.jupiterbeer.com; or call the hotline: THE-ROCK 2181 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625.  

La Peña Cultural Center Aug 3: 8 p.m. Los Delicados, Aya de Leon $10; Aug 4: 8 p.m. Grito Serpentino, Small Axe Project, Jime Salcedo-Malo & Leticia Hernandez $10; Aug 5: 7 p.m. Insight in concert $10; Aug 10: 8:30 p.m. Ire $8; Aug 11: 9:30 p.m. Fito Reynoso’s Ritmo y Armonia. $10, $13 for dance class starting at 8:15; Aug 12: 5, 7:30 p.m. “Say Yo Business” Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. In the Cafe 3105 Shattuck Avenue 849-2568 

La Note/Jazzschool Aug 5: 4:30 p.m. Vocalists’ Series (Denine Monet), 5:30 p.m. Instrumentalists’ Series (Pelo Mar); Aug 12: 4:30 p.m. The Freedom Project, 5:30 Eli Sundelson Trio. 2377 Shattuck Avenue 845-5373. 

Shattuck Down Low Lounge Every Tuesday: 9:30 p.m., Posh Tuesdays with DJs Yamu, Delon, Add1, and Tequila Willie. Shattuck at Allston. www.thebeatdownsound.com  

Downtown Restaurant and Bar August 6: 7 p.m. Jesse Colin Young of the sixties hit group, The Youngbloods, will be performing at a No Nukes evening, sponsored by Greenpeace. The evening commemorates the 56th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The proceeds go to Tri-Valley CAREs and Citizen Alert. Tickets are $100. 2102 Shattuck Ave. 800-728-6223 

The Greek Theatre Aug. 3 and Aug. 4, 7 p.m. The String Cheese Incident, $29.75. Hearst Avenue and Gayley Road 444-TIXS, or (415) 421-TIXS www.sfx.com 

Ali Akbar College of Music Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. A concert of Indian classical music. Rita Sahai, vocals; Rachel Untersher, violin; Madhukar Malayanur, tabla; $20 general; $15 students. St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., (415) 454-6264 or www.aacm.org 

Yoshi’s Aug. 3: 9 p.m, Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band, $50; Aug. 4 and Aug. 5. Oregon, world jazz fusion. $18 to $22 general; Sunday matinee, $10 adult with one child and $5 children; Aug. 7. Claudia Acuna $14; Aug. 8 through Aug. 12: Steve Turre Quintet, trombone and conch shell master in small group setting. Wednesday and Thursday, $18; Friday and Saturday, $22; Sunday matinee, $5 kids, $10 adults with one child, $18 general; Sunday, $22. Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. 238-9200 or 762-2277 www.yoshis.com 

THEATER 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Aug 4: 8 p.m. “Cuatro maestros Touring Festival” two-hour theatrical event of music and dance performed by four elder folk artists and their talented young counterparts. Adults $18 Children $12; Aug. 10: 7:30 p.m. & Aug. 11, 12, 5 p.m. Campers from Stage Door Conservatory’s “On Broadway” program for grades 5-9 will perform Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. $12 adults, $8 kids. (For info call 527-5939); 2640 College Avenue 845-8542 ext. 302 

“The Great Sebastians” Through Aug. 11: Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m. plus Thursday, Aug. 9, presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. A tale about a mind-reading act touring behind the Iron Curtain. A communist general believes the act and “invites” the Sebastians to his villa where the humor and excitement follows. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck (at Berryman). For reservations call 528-5620 

“Iphegenia in Aulis” Through Aug. 12: Sat. and Sun. 5 p.m. Special dawn performance on August 12 at 7 a.m. A free park performance by the Shotgun Players of Euripides’ play about choices and priorities. With a masked chorus, singing, dancing, and live music. Feel free to bring food and something soft to sit on. John Hinkel Park, Southhampton Place at Arlington Avenue (different locations July 7 and 8). 655-0813 

“The Lady’s Not for Burning” Through Aug. 4: 8 p.m. Set in the 15th century, a soldier wishes to be hanged and a witch does not want to be burned at the stake. Written by Christopher Fry, directed by Susannah Woods. $5 - $10. South Berkeley Community Church 1802 Fairview st. 464-1117 

“Loot” Through Aug 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Special Performance Aug 20, 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $15, Students / Seniors: $10 La Val’s 1834 Euclid Avenue 655-0813 

“Orphans” Through Aug. 5: Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Lyle Kessler’s dark comedy about a mysterious stranger invading the home of two orphaned brothers. $15. The Speakeasy Theater, 2016 Seventh St. 326-8493 

“Reefer Madness” Aug. 8, 9, Aug. 22, 23: 9 p.m. A new one-act theatre piece adapted from a 1936 government-funded film opens a critical eye to the control of our society. Performed by The Elemental Theatre Group La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Avenue. Wednesdays are “pay what you can,” Thursdays $5 - $10. Contact Zachary Rouse or Tisha Sloan for more info at 655-4150 

“Romeo & Juliet” Aug 11 - Sep 2, Tuesdays - Thursdays. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater. Shakespeare’s classic about a young couple that meets, falls in love and dies in just five days. Adults: $22 - $41 youth (under 16): $12 - $41. 

“Barnum” Aug. 3 through Aug. 12. The story of legendary circusmaster P.T. Barnum, with plenty of musical theater and circus acrobatics. Splash Circus’ aspiring young circus artists will perform an hour before each show. $15 to $27. Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. 531-9597 www.woodminster.com 

FILMS 

Pacific Film Archive Aug 3: 7:00 A Full-Up Train, 9:00 The Men of Tohoku; Aug 4: 7:00 Human Desire, 8:50 Hangmen Also Die; Aug 5: 3 p.m. The Yearling, 5:30 p.m The Woman Who Touched Legs; Aug 7: 7:30 p.m. Figures of Motion; Aug 8: 7:30 p.m. Confessions of an Opium Eater; Aug 9: 7:30 p.m. The Return of Frank James; Aug 10: 7 p.m. Alone on the Pacific, 9:05 p.m. Her Brother; Aug 11: 7 p.m. While the City Sleeps, 9 p.m. Beyong a Reasonable Doubt; Aug 12: 3 p.m. Charlotte’s Web, 5:30 p.m. Tokyo Olympiad. New PFA Theatre 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

“7th annual Brainwash Movie Festival” Aug. 3-5: 9 p.m. (bring a chair) at the Pyramid Ale brewery, 901 Gilman Street 527-9090 ext. 218. Festival Pass: $30, Individual tickets: online: $8, door: $10 

“Lumumba” Aug. 10 at Shattuck Theater, Biogrophy of the slain African political figure Patrice Lumumba. In French with English subtitles. 2230 Shattuck Ave.  

“Roommates” Aug. 12. Max Apple’s true story of his immigrany grandfather who moved in with him when he was in college (in the 60’s). Peer led discussion following movie. $2 Suggested donation. Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut Street 848-0237 

Exhibits 

“BACA National Juried Exhibition: Works on Paper” Through August 31: Wed. - Sun. Noon - 5 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 Road 849-2541 

“Debbie Moore’s Autobiographical Paintings” Through Sep 30 at Good Vibrations. Portraits of the artist’s sensual explorations spanning 25 years and reflecting changing ways of intimacy and body play. 2504 San Pablo Avenue 848-1985 

“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. Through September. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

“A Fine Line” Through August 24, Tuesday - Friday, noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment. An exhibition works by Kala Fellowship winners for the years 2000 and 2001. Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Avenue 549-2977 

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

“MFA Survey Exhibition 2001” third annual exhibition of works of recent graduates from Bay Area master of Fine Art programs. This year featuring artists working in three-dimentional media. Through Aug 18 Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth Street 527-1214 

“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 

“New Visions: Introductions 2001” Through Aug. 18: Wed. - Sat.: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Juried by Artist- Curator Rene Yanez and Robbin Henderson, Executive Director of the Berkeley Art Center, the exhibition features works from some of California’s up-and-coming artists. Pro Arts 461 Ninth St., Oakland 763-9425 

“Sistahs: Ethnofraphic Ceramics” through Aug. 22, Reception July 29 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Womens Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Avenue 548-9286 ext. 307 

“Ten Years Here” Exhibit celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Turn of the Century Fine Arts. Aug. 4 - Sept. 14, Sat & Sun 1-5 p.m. Reception Aug 4 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. 2510 San Pablo Avenue 849-0950 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Aug 3: Mabel Maney (author of the Nancy Clue/ Cherry Aimless and Hardly Boys mysteries) reads from her new book “Kiss the Girls and Make them Spy” featuring Jane Bond, James’ lesbian twin sister; Aug 4: Dyke Open Myke! Coffeehouse-style open mike night featuring both established and emerging talent; Aug 10 Susann Cokal reads from her novel “Mirabilis” set in 14th-century France; Aug 11: Trina Robbins discusses her latest work “Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitute”. All events start at 7:30 p.m. and are free. 398 Colusa Avenue 559-9184 

Black Oak Books Aug 8: William Turner discusses his new memoir “Rearview Mirror: Looking Back at the FBI, the CIA and Other Tails”; Aug 9: Robert Clark reads from his new novel “Love Among the Ruins”; Aug 15: Molly Giles reads from her debut novel “Iron Shoes”. All shows at 7:30 p.m. free of charge. 1491 Shattuck Avenue 486-0698 

Cody’s Books Aug 5: Justin Chin, Gerry Gomez Pearlberg; Aug 8: Jane Mead, Mark Turpin. $2 donation. Readings at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-0837 

Cafe de la Paz “Poetry Nitro” Weekly poetry open mike. Aug 6: featuring Andrena zawinski. 6:30 p.m. sign-up, 7 p.m. reading. 1600 Shattuck Ave. 843-0662  

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Aug. 7: Featured readers JC and Bert Glick. 7-9 p.m.; August 21: Featured Readers: Victoria Joyce and Therese Bamberger; Both 7-9 p.m. Free. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland for info. (510)465-3935 or (510)526-5985, or Email: ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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  

Museums 

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  

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 will close its exhibition galleries for renovation on October 1. It will reopen in early 2002. On View until October 1, 2001: “Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture.” “Sites Along the Nile: Rescuing Ancient Egypt.” “The Art of Research: Nelson Graburn and the Aesthetics of Inuit Sculpture.” “Tzintzuntzan, Mexico: Photographs by George Foster.”  

$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 or www.qal.berkeley.edu/~hearst/ 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Science in Toyland,” through Sept. 9. Exhibit uses toys to demonstrate scientific principles and to help develop children's thinking processes. Susan Cerny’s collection of over 200 tops from around the world. “Space Weather,” through Sept. 2. Learn about solar cycles, space weather, the cause of the Aurorae and recent discoveries made by leading astronomers. This interactive exhibit lets visitors access near real-time data from the Sun and space, view interactive videos and find out about a variety of solar activities. “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. Space Weather Exhibit now - Sept. 2; now - Sept. 9 Science in Toyland; 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. “How Big Is the Universe?” Aug. 1 through Aug. 24. Learn how to determine the distance of celestial objects, one of the purposes of the Hubble Space Telescope. Daily, 2:15 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, 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 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  

The UC Berkeley Art Museum is closed for renovations until the fall. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694. 

Six years after the concept was approved, bicyclists, day trekkers and bay enthusiasts can expect the completion of the Berkeley Bay Trail by January. 

“The trail has been long awaited but it will be a very exciting link for commuting and recreation once it’s completed,” said Parks and Waterfront Director Lisa Caronna. 

Ultimately the new trail will be a link in a ribbon of 400 miles of pathways that will encircle the San Francisco and San Pablo bays. 

The City Council gave its stamp of approval to the trail design July 24 and the city manager was given authorization to sign a contract with Richmond-based Bauman Landscaping Company, to construct the paved trail. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in September. 

According to supervising civil engineer, Apurba Chatterjee, the 14-foot-wide trail will extend from Point Emery, near the end of Ashby Avenue, and run along the west side of West Frontage Road to Virginia Street where it will link with an existing section of the trail that extends to the Richmond Marina.  

Berkeley signed an agreement with Caltrans to construct the trail in May of 1996. Originally the cost was estimated to be $2.4 million but has since increased to $3 million, including engineering costs. The state will fund most of the project and Berkeley will pony up about $78,000, according to the staff report. 

The state Senate approved the “Ring Around the Bay” plan in 1987. The plan was authored by then Senator Bill Lockyer, now the state’s attorney general. The project is being overseen by the Association of Bay Area Governments which has been responsible for trail design and administration of the plan. 

The Berkeley section of the trail will be part of the larger San Francisco Bay Trail which will connect nine Bay Area Counties and 47 cities with 400 miles of trail, paths and roadway that will encircle the San Francisco and San Pablo bays. According to the project’s official website, 210 miles of the trail is already completed. 

The website describes the trail as having many uses.  

“The Bay Trail provides easy accessible recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts including hikers, joggers, bicyclists and skaters,” the description reads. “It also has important transportation benefits, providing a commute alternative for cyclists, and connecting to numerous public transportation facilities such as ferry terminals, light-rail lines, bus stops and Caltrans, Amtrak and BART stations.” 

According to the website, the trail will eventually cross all the major toll bridges in the Bay Area. 

The trail will wind through beaches, marinas, fishing piers and over 130 parks and wildlife preserves for a grand total of 57,000 acres of open space. The trail also passes through urban areas such as downtown San Francisco.  

The various sections will consist of paved multi-use paths, dirt trails, bike lanes and city streets. 

Caronna said the Berkeley Bay Trail will also complete bicycle and pedestrian access to the Berkeley Marina from the Pedestrian Overpass once it’s completed. 

“We have just received a Coastal Conservatory grant of $200,000 to study linking the trail to the Berkeley Marina,” Caronna said. “It’s very exciting to have these pathways that are connecting everything.” 

For more information about the San Francisco Bay Trail go to the ABAG’s website at www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/baytrail/index.html

Many casual listeners believe that Mexican music consists of a single style.  

But in fact there is a huge variety within the culture south of the border.  

The concert will present master musicians from four different regions, emphasizing the diversity, strength and quality of traditional Mexican and Mexican-American music and dance. This program features elder master artists together with talented and dedicated young artists. 

Julián Gonzaléz plays violin in the traditional form of mariachi from Jalisco, Mexico, which he performs without the modern addition of trumpets. He learned his technique and repertory from his father and uncle, who learned it from their father. This version of mariachi has the deep soul of legitimate folk music, in contrast to the commercial caricatures which we often hear. 

Atilano López sings many of his songs in Purepecha, one of the native languages of Michoacan.  

Traditionally musicians in this region also dance, so it is likely that López will put down his vihuela and demonstrate a few fancy steps. The troupe of dancers also perform an important role as percussionists.  

López is joined by his two sons, Atilano and Roberto, among the members of his band. 

Santiago Jimenez Jr. learned the art of Tex-Mex accordion from his father, Santiago Jimenez Sr. who was one of the pioneers of this style. Although his brother Flaco combines elements of rock ’n‘ roll and pop music in his version of Tex-Mex, Santiago is proud of the fidelity with which he preserves the flavor of his father’s music. This is the real deal, straight and undiluted. 

Andrés Vega plays music with obvious Caribbean spice. With his son’s harp sounds providing a bouncy rhythmic framework, the other musicians improvise melodic variations and complex counterrhythms.  

The band plays several exotic instruments which are in the same family as guitars and vihuelas, but are used only in Veracruz. This music inspires a party atmosphere, so the hall becomes a fandango with several generations of revelers celebrating together. 

Even though the focus of this program is the grand old masters, perhaps the brightest stars are the young local musicians called Los Cenzontles (Mockingbirds), who play a short set to begin each half of the concert, and also dance and sing during several of the numbers of the various master musicians. In this way, we get to see these traditions being passed on right before our eyes, as the new generation polishes techniques with guidance from their respected elders. 

The members of this local group study traditional Mexican music and dance at Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center in San Pablo.  

They demonstrate deep mastery of all four styles of music being presented on this program, justifying the name “Cenzontles” for mockingbirds are famous for learning the songs of other birds and for their general musical virtuosity. 

This concert is a treasure-store for musicologists or fans of world music.  

Any one of these four master musicians would be worthy of a journey crosstown, yet they are all playing the same venue on the same night. 

Also the dancers perform in authentic folkdance styles. This is not “Ballet Folklorico” in glittering costumes. These are the flirtatious rituals of farmers and cowboys close to the earth. 

Of course, anybody who is already familiar with the riches of Mexican folk music and dance will understand how exciting this concert will be.  

Those who are unfamiliar with these styles should prepare for a treat.

LOS ANGELES — NASA has begun releasing the most accurate global map ever created – 3-D images of mountains, valleys and plains that were put together from a trillion measurements of the Earth’s surface collected by a space shuttle crew last year. 

The digital topographical maps were crunched from the 8 terabytes of data gathered during the 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which ended in February 2000. The data – equal to 160 million pages of text – includes precise measurements of 80 percent of the Earth’s land mass. 

“The map is going to be 100 times better than any other global map that we have,” said Tom Farr, the mission’s deputy project scientist at the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. 

Astronauts collected the data with two large radar antennas, one tucked in the shuttle cargo bay and one on the end of a 197-foot mast. The two simultaneously imaged the surface of the Earth. When combined and processed, the data gathered reveal a stereo view of the topography. 

NASA expects maps created from the data – available over the Web – will help pilots dodge remote mountain peaks, scientists study drainage patterns in valleys where they’ve never set foot and the Defense Department – the mission’s main customer – better guide missiles. 

More than 160 military and intelligence systems will use the digital terrain elevation data, said Thomas Hennig, the project’s manager at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, which underwrote much of the $142 million mission. 

Other uses include settling border disputes, like those that arose while hammering out the 1995 Dayton peace accord that ended the war in Bosnia. 

“They can see immediately if we move it, it does this for me, and it does that for you,” Hennig said. 

For now, the data will come at a trickle, with JPL releasing one mapped area each week to scientists. The first, which covers an 8,000-square-mile swath of Colorado, was released Tuesday. 

“For many parts of the world that have been poorly mapped this will be a tremendous benefit to lots of people,” said Allen Carroll, chief cartographer for the National Geographic Society. 

The first continental map of North America is slated for release next spring. The last of six large releases, showing the world’s islands, should come by the end of 2002. Steve Young, a researcher at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., works on a project that will use the data to create a synthetic vision system pilots can use for navigation. 

Such a virtual reality display would meld global positioning satellite information and topographic data to show pilots their position in three-dimensional space — including the location of obstacles. 

“Hopefully, it would help to eliminate accidents due to loss of situational awareness, either in the fog or soup, with respect to where the ground, towers or mountains are,” Young said. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Mission site: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm

PALO ALTO — A jury convicted a Palo Alto man of second-degree murder Thursday for beating and strangling his wife of 33 years. 

Prosecutors believe real estate consultant Kenneth Fitzhugh, 57, may have killed music teacher Kristine Fitzhugh, 52, because she was about to reveal that he was not their son’s biological father. 

But the exact motive was unclear because Fitzhugh was angry about several issues with his wife, prosecutor Michael Fletcher said outside Santa Clara County Superior Court. 

“There were other dynamics in this relationship that were stressors,” he said. Fitzhugh needs to “buck up and start being honest about this,” he added. 

The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated for three days before determining that Fitzhugh killed his wife, though not with premeditation, a requirement for a first-degree murder conviction. Fitzhugh faces 15 years to life in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 10. 

Fitzhugh sat quietly and didn’t appear to show any emotion as the verdict was read. His lawyer said he will appeal. 

Fletcher said at trial that Kristine Fitzhugh was about to tell her oldest son, Justin, that his biological father was a longtime family friend, not Kenneth Fitzhugh. DNA testing proved that 23-year-old Justin Fitzhugh’s father is former lawyer Robert Brown of Placerville. 

Police at first considered the death an accident, but an autopsy showed Kristine Fitzhugh had been killed by a blow to the head. The defense claimed an intruder killed Kristine Fitzhugh. Nolan said his client was the victim of sloppy police work and investigators who jumped to conclusions. No weapon was found and no motive was proved. 

Kenneth Fitzhugh said he was looking for a church site in San Bruno for a client when his wife was killed, and he returned home to find her dead at the bottom of the stairs. He testified that he never suspected his wife and his best friend had had an affair. 

Both Kenneth Fitzhugh and his wife’s son, Justin, took the stand during the monthlong trial. 

The jury also saw a dramatic police video of Kenneth Fitzhugh from the day of his wife’s death. He pounded the table and screamed that his wife’s shoes were responsible for her death. He said she had previously fallen while wearing the shoes found beside her body and that he had repeatedly told her to get rid of them. 

Police had found a pair of shoes, a paper towel and a shirt in Kenneth’s 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. All were flecked with his wife’s blood. His lawyer claimed a traumatized and dazed Kenneth Fitzhugh took the items to his vehicle after finding his wife’s dead body. 

OAKLAND — The boy who was mauled by three pit bulls in June is showing signs of improvement, but hospital officials said Thursday he likely will not get to go home any time soon. 

Shawn Jones, 10, is receiving speech and physical therapy. Doctors hope the daily sessions will help him regain motor skills and help them recognize the damage done. 

”(Today) he sang to his doctor a Whitney Houston song. He also sings songs he makes up,” said Carol Hyman, media director of the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. 

Hyman said doctors could not estimate how long the boy will stay in the hospital, but said it could be many months. He still must undergo muscle and nerve reconstruction. 

Shawn was riding his new bicycle in his Richmond neighborhood on June 18 when he was attacked by the dogs. His injuries included dozens of puncture wounds on his upper body and both his ears were torn from his head. His hearing was not affected. All but one of his wounds have closed. 

“He is working very hard in physical therapy,” Hyman said. “Dr. Elaine Pico (a rehabilitation physician) said he was even complaining, and that is a good sign because it means he is pushing himself to the limits.” 

Since Monday, Shawn has been in a regular room with another boy his age in the rehabilitation unit, and had a trip to the playroom Thursday. 

Two of the three dogs are in the custody of animal control officers. The third was never found. 

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged the owner of the pit bulls, Benjamin Moore, 27, with two misdemeanor counts of allegedly concealing the dogs after the attack. A hearing for Moore was scheduled for Aug. 8.

BERKELEY — The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation says that longtime leader Julia Carol is one of five recipients of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's "Innovators Combating Substance Abuse'' award, which comes with a $300,000 grant. 

According to the foundation, Carol, the former executive director and current director of special programs, has been "instrumental'' in creating a smoking prevention program called "Teens As Teachers'' and eventually eliminating smoking on domestic airline flights. She has worked for 17 years to clear secondhand smoke from the air, raise a generation of smoke-free youth, and counter "Big Tobacco's'' influence. 

“It is a tremendous honor for me and everyone affiliated with The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation to be recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,'' Carol said.  

She added that it is through grants and rewards that the 

foundation has been able to grow from a local grassroots organization into a 

national team of public health professionals. 

The Innovators Award includes a $300,000 grant, which the foundation plans to use to create a Web site that would be a resource database for health advocates, reporters, policy makers and researchers.

SACRAMENTO — California’s fourth- and eighth-graders, including students who must take the state’s new graduation test, scored near the bottom again in the latest national math test released Thursday. 

The sobering results of the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress in math, known as the nation’s report card, came despite years of concentrated education reforms and billions of dollars spent on public schools. 

Only 15 percent of California fourth-graders and 18 percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in 2000. That was an improvement from 11 percent and 17 percent in 1996, but below the national averages of 25 percent for fourth-graders and 26 percent for eighth-graders. 

State fourth-graders scored 214, up from 209 in 1996, but well below the national average of 226. Of the 40 states that gave the test, only Mississippi scored lower. The perfect score was 500. 

State eighth-graders had a score of 262, down from 263 four years before and below the national average of 274. Of 39 states participating, only Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico had lower scores. 

However, state education officials quickly cautioned that many of the math-related changes are just starting to take effect and probably won’t be reflected until the next NAEP math test in 2004. 

“The report card released by NAEP today shows that California schools, teachers, parents and students have a lot of work ahead to improve student achievement and reach the higher standards we have set,” said Kerry Mazzoni, education secretary for Gov. Gray Davis, who made school improvements the focus of his first two years in office. 

Mazzoni noted that the test was given in February 2000 to 1,750 fourth and eighth graders in this state, before the Davis-proposed spending of $298 million to train math teachers and before the approval of tough new math books last winter. 

State school Superintendent Delaine Eastin also said the state has “a lot of work to do,” particularly for minority and poor students. 

However, she said California’s NAEP scores are “artificially deflated” because more non-English-speaking students are included here than elsewhere in the country. 

California’s sample included 27 percent limited-English-proficient students in fourth grade and 19 percent in eighth grade, compared with 6 percent and 4 percent nationally. 

In addition, 49 percent of California’s tested students in fourth grade were eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, compared with 35 percent nationally. 

Eastin said she was pleased that fourth graders, who have benefitted from smaller class sizes in their first four grades, improved their score. She also pointed to modest improvements for minority students. 

The eighth-graders who lost ground are the class of 2004, the first who must take the state’s new high school test to graduate. That test covers language arts and math, including algebra and statistics. 

Eastin says the test shows more focus and resources are needed for middle schools, such as smaller class sizes, additional after-school or summer classes and higher salaries for qualified teachers in poor schools. 

On the Net: NAEP results: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

The FBI on Thursday discounted an anonymous tip to an Internet site alleging that Chandra Levy’s body was buried under a parking lot near a Virginia military base 130 miles south of Washington. 

The FBI investigated the tip that alleged the missing intern was buried near Fort Lee, an Army training base south of Richmond, said Mary Johlie, an FBI spokeswoman in Richmond. 

“The FBI, in concert with Fort Lee officials, have determined that there is no site on or around the Fort Lee military base that corresponds with information provided in the anonymous tip,” Johlie said in a statement. 

Police who have investigated Levy’s disappearance in Washington had asked authorities at Fort Lee to search the site, but the FBI announced late Wednesday that no search would be conducted until the tip was investigated. 

Police said the tip, which came from a California crime tip Web site, was just one of hundreds of leads being pursued since Levy disappeared three months ago. 

Terrance Gainer, Washington’s No. 2 police official, said police requested the search after some information in the tip about the purported location of Levy’s body – a parking lot – and a description of construction in the area checked out. 

“We called down there and confirmed obviously that there’s a Fort Lee, Va., that there’s construction and there’s a parking lot,” Gainer said. 

“This is a little better than a tip like, ’I had vision last night she is in dark water,”’ he said. “There is more specificity. And it is geographically accurate. But that is not necessarily unusual.” 

Fort Lee is a 5,000-acre Army training base about 30 miles south of Richmond. 

Levy, 24, of Modesto came to Washington last year for an internship at the federal Bureau of Prisons and was last seen April 30. 

Police have interviewed Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., four times. Condit, who is married, acknowledged in his third police interview that he had an affair with Levy, according to a police source. Police say he is not a suspect in her disappearance. 

Washington police Sgt. Joe Gentile said WeTip, a California organization that accepts crime tips and passes them on to authorities, faxed the anonymous tip Tuesday night. 

——— 

On the Net: 

WeTip: http://www.WeTip.com 

SAN DIEGO — A 15-year-old boy who allegedly was lured away from his family in 1999 returned to San Diego on Thursday after he was stopped at Disneyworld for trespassing. 

Michael Pringle embraced his 17-year-old brother, his mother and friends as he arrived at the airport amid of crowd of reporters and photographers who had been alerted by the FBI. 

Michael was picked up by sheriff’s deputies last week after he was stopped for trespassing at the Orlando, Fla., theme park, FBI agent Darrell Foxworth said. 

An alert social worker recognized Michael from a photo on the Web site of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, he said. 

Michael disappeared from Chula Vista in May 1999, where he had been living in a home for troubled youth. At the time, the family had been experiencing hardship, with his mother suffering from clinical depression and his father out of work, according to his brother, Robert. 

An older man, whom authorities and the family declined to identify, offered Michael trips and gifts, his mother, Mercedes Pringle, said. 

“He didn’t seem like a bad guy,” she said. “He seemed to be a nice character. We didn’t think anything about it. But by the time we realized it, it was too late. They were gone.” 

A week after disappearing, Michael phoned his brother to report he was fine, but wouldn’t say where he was. It was the last time they spoke. 

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Michael declined to say where he had been or what he had been through. 

“I don’t feel like getting into that right now,” he said, betraying little emotion. 

Though investigators say he was lured away, Michael disputed that. He said was not held against his will. 

“I thought of trying to come back. I just didn’t,” he said. “I’m back now.” 

Mrs. Pringle, a medical assistant, described the last few years as “a nightmare.” 

“It breaks my heart. I blame myself,” she said. “It’s my fault because I should have caught some things ... like one time this guy gave my son a pager and a cellular phone. Now what in the world are you going to do with a cellular phone on a 12-year-old kid?” 

Foxworth said the case is under investigation, but no arrests have been made. 

“This child has been missing since he was 12 years old. There’s a lot of questions as far as what’s happened, where he’s been for the two and a half years, what his experiences have been, what he’s been subjected to.” 

Michael said he was happy to be home and looking forward to restarting the relationship with his family. He also wants to resume school, though after more than two years away from classes he couldn’t say what grade he’d be in. 

Asked what he planned to do next, Michael bowed his head in thought. His brother jokingly interjected: “He’s going to Disneyland.” 

Giving his brother a stoney look, Michael remained silent. 

MARINA DEL REY — The California Coastal Commission, faced with a lawsuit, promised Thursday to begin reviewing this Santa Monica Bay community’s coastal development plan this year, a move that might result in recommending a halt to new development. 

“We are hopeful that this review ... will help us save a slice of this coastal paradise that is now accessible to all of the residents of the Los Angeles regions,” said David DeLange, president of the Coalition to Save the Marina, which had sued the commission. 

Under terms of a consent decree settling the suit, the commission agreed to begin its review of land-use plans for popular Marina del Rey and part of the Ballona Wetlands open area this year. 

After the review is completed, the commission will make recommendations to Los Angeles County officials on whether development plans for the area should be modified and how.  

The county is not required to follow those recommendations, however. 

Activists said development plans for high-rise condominium towers, hotels and shopping centers threaten the natural feel of Marina del Rey, an unincorporated area 15 miles southwest of Los Angeles. 

A plan by a Saudi Arabian sheik to build a 20-story luxury hotel was singled out by activists as the kind of project they’re trying to stop.  

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to authorize negotiations with Sheik Abdul Aziz al-Ibrahim to extend the lease he already has on public land at the marina. 

“The very character and charm of Marina del Rey is at stake,” DeLange said.  

“We intend to fight to preserve this way of life.” 

The coastal commission is required by the state’s coastal act to review each of the state’s Local Coastal Programs – land-use and zoning directives that outline regulations for development along the state’s coast – every five years. 

The commission has only reviewed two LCPs out of more than 50 since it was created in 1972, said Sarah Christie, the agency’s legislative coordinator. 

“The commission has never had the budgetary and staff capabilities to carry out this program,” Christie said. “Regrettably, we’re in violation of our own statute.” 

Next year’s state budget had included $1.4 million for the commission to perform more reviews, but Gov. Gray Davis cut that money out with a line-item veto when he signed the budget. 

Christie said that regardless of funding concerns the commission is committed to performing the Marina del Rey LCP review. 

“We don’t know where we’re going to get the staff to do it, but we’ll find a way,” she said.

SANTA FE SPRINGS — Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson’s effort to reopen a defunct oil refinery and build a power plant faced scrutiny Thursday by some who questioned the safety of such an operation. 

It was the latest round in a battle between the televangelist’s company, Robertson Charitable Remainder Unitrust, which claims the concerns have been chiefly raised by environmental activists, and the opposition group Communities for a Better Environment. 

While Communities for a Better Environment held a town hall meeting to discuss possible health risks posed by opening the Cenco Refining Inc. plant, refinery officials were offering residents tours to allay any fears. 

Caught in the middle were residents who want the suburban Los Angeles community to prosper but worry about a repeat of the plant’s previous problems, such as ammonia and sulfur leaks. 

“I want to know why, why don’t they put it somewhere else. Why can’t they put it in Beverly Hills or Westwood or Santa Monica,” said Francis Fuentes, who moved to the South Fulton Village senior citizen residential complex just blocks from the refinery in 1998. “I want them to tell me they won’t open it.” 

Fuentes was one of 75 people who attended the public meeting to discuss possible health risks posed by opening the Cenco Refining Inc. plant. 

But Robertson’s company liaison, Don Brown, said the company has addressed any potential health risks the plant might pose to the community. 

“This is a small plant. It really doesn’t take up any space. It isn’t going to be noticed by the public,” Brown said, adding if opened the operation would refine 50,000 barrels of oil a day and include a plant to power refinery equipment. 

Activists and some residents have accused Robertson’s company of trying to push the plant on a vulnerable community, which is predominantly working class and Hispanic. 

“These are people already fighting pollution problems,” said Scott Kuhn, a CBE attorney. 

Brown said the allegations were untrue. 

“How do you fight something like that? This plant was already here,” he said. 

CBE sued Robertson’s company last year, claiming the plant should go through the same permitting process as other plants.  

The group contends reopening the plant would expose residents to increased pollution and the threat of toxic gases. 

Brown said the company plans to spend $170 million to install state-of-the-art pollution controls and monitoring equipment.  

He also said the state’s conditional use permit makes clear gas leaks or other problems could shutter the plant. 

“This is not going to be like the old plant. If anything happens like that, the state will close us down,” he said. 

Robertson’s family trust purchased the closed Powerine Refinery Inc. in 1998 using money from the sale of some of his family’s broadcasting interest. He said he’s been seeking bank financing to reopen it ever since, renaming it Cenco Refining Co.

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals panel ruled Thursday the California Department of Corrections cannot punish Muslim inmates who miss prison work assignments to attend a Sabbath service. 

The case stems from a class-action suit representing about 300 Muslim inmates at a medium-security state prison in Vacaville. The prison reduces time for prisoners who work at the prison. Inmates sued the prison in 1996, saying they were being unfairly punished for missing work schedules when they attended a Friday service on prison grounds. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the prisoners, saying the prison’s policy violated their rights to freedom of religion. The penalties for missing work assignments include suspension of privileges, confinement to cells and a loss of early release credits. 

Judge Dorothy W. Nelson wrote that freedom of religion in prisons “is obviously in the public interest,” and noted that attendance of religious services are “commanded by the Koran.” 

The decision upholds a federal judge’s injunction that prohibited the department from punishing inmates who miss work to attend services. 

The case is Mayweathers v. Newland, 00-16708. 

LONDON — Depression is at least as common during pregnancy as it is after childbirth, and should be diagnosed because it may be harmful to the baby, new research indicates. 

While doctors are careful to spot and treat postnatal depression, they are not so vigilant about looking out for depression during pregnancy because they don’t expect to see it, said the study’s lead investigator Jonathan Evans, a senior lecturer in psychiatry at Bristol University in England. 

“This will be a surprise to many because most people think that women are protected from depression during pregnancy, that it is a time of emotional well-being,” agreed Dr. Ruta Nonacs, a perinatal psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston who was not involved in the study. “But this shows that over 10 percent of women have depression during pregnancy – the same as at any point in their lives.” 

Previous studies have suggested that depression and anxiety during pregnancy may be linked to low birth weight, premature birth and reduced blood flow in the womb. Evans called for urgent research to clarify the potential consequences to the baby of a mother’s depression during pregnancy.  

In the end, it will come down to whether the depression itself, or the drugs used to treat it, are worse for the fetus, experts said. 

Postnatal depression is different from the “baby blues,” a transient tearfulness that afflicts most women in the first few days following childbirth. 

A more severe mental illness after childbirth called postpartum psychosis, which affects about one in 1,000 women after delivery, can in extreme cases involve mothers harming their children. It usually strikes in the first two weeks to one month after delivery. 

In the study, published this week in the British Medical Journal, more than 9,000 British women recorded their moods through pregnancy and after childbirth in a series of questionnaires.  

They were assessed for depression at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and eight weeks and eight months after giving birth. 

The scientists found that 13.5 percent of the women passed the threshold for depression when they were 32 weeks pregnant, while 9.1 percent scored at that level eight weeks after delivery. 

Normally, depression occurs in about the same proportion of women – between 10 to 15 percent of them – at other times of life. 

“It’s actually a popular myth that postnatal depression is a specific syndrome,” Evans said.  

“Clearly, people do get depressed postnatally. But it has entered public consciousness as a sort of condition somehow separate from the rest of depression and what we are saying is that it is depression like depression at any other time and it occurs no more frequently than at any other time in a woman’s life.” 

Although the study found that rates were slightly higher during pregnancy than postpartum, some experts said some cases of postnatal depression may have been missed because the first measure occurred at eight weeks after birth. 

“I think there is a syndrome that they’ve missed, that happens much more immediately after childbirth and gets resolved by eight weeks,” said Dr. David Mrazek, chairman of psychiatry and psychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. 

Also, some of the most depressed women dropped out toward the end of the study and did not complete the postnatal questionnaires.  

The postpartum figure is an underestimate, but how important an underestimate is unclear, Mrazek said. 

“The single most striking thing is this unremitting level of between 8 and 11 percent of young women who come up seriously depressed,” Mrazek said, adding that efforts need to be focused on treating such women to prevent suicide and other complications. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Postpartum Support International, http://www.chss.iup.edu/postpartum/ 

SACRAMENTO — Hospitals that perform a relatively small number of bypass surgeries did well in the first report measuring how California hospitals do in bypass operations. 

The study, released Thursday by a state agency and coalition of employers, shows that hospitals that do a small number of surgeries “can perform quite well,” said Dr. David M. Carlisle, the director of the Office of Statewide Health. 

Of the 79 hospitals that volunteered data for the study, only four performed worse than expected. Hospitals were ranked by whether their results were better, worse, or the same as expected. The expectations were based on the risk level of the patients. 

There are 118 hospitals that perform coronary artery bypass grafts in California. 

Of the hospitals that participated, three did better than expected, and four performed worse. 

The three hospitals that performed better than expected were Summit Medical Center in the Bay area, Sutter Memorial in Sacramento, and Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Orange County. Mercy San Juan Hospital in Sacramento, John Muir Medical Center in the Bay Area, Downey Community Hospital in Downey, and Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in the Los Angeles area performed worse than expected. 

About 27,000 Californians undergo coronary bypass graft bypass surgery each year. 

California, where hospitals are not required to release detailed information about performance results, is the fourth state to do a voluntary study, Damberg said. New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have also done voluntary studies. 

A coronary artery bypass graft reroutes blood to the heart after the vessels to the heart have narrowed by creating new vessels from veins in the leg. The overall in-hospital death rate associated with the procedure is 2.6 percent. 

The study is the first in a series of reports on bypass surgery mortality. The results were based on data from 70 percent of bypass surgeries done from 1997-1998. 

The next report, which will show results for 1999, is scheduled for release later this year. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Read the full report at the Office of Statewide Health Planning Web site http://www.oshpd.state.ca.us 

or at the Pacific Business Group on Health Web site at http://www.pbgh.org 

MENLO PARK — The future of Geron Corp. – and of millions of people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and other ailments – could well lie in a nondescript business park, guarded by sophisticated electronics and patent attorneys. 

Dozens of vials of human embryonic stem cells – fuzzy, microscopic balls formed in the first days after conception – are kept alive here in an enzyme soup that helps them multiply. Some scientists believe they can prod these cells to grow into tissues that can replace damaged cells and organs. 

This is long-shot science. It is also fraught with mind-numbing economic and social implications – and has become mired in a contentious debate over whether the federal government should pay for such research. 

Geron’s fortunes are deeply enmeshed in the politics of genetic medicine. 

On Wednesday, the company’s stock dropped by 7.8 percent after the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to criminalize human cloning – even though Geron doesn’t rely on cloned human embryos for its stem cells as do some of its competitors. 

The stock was already trading so low that Geron’s board of directors recently approved a poison pill defense to fend off possible hostile takeover attempts. 

Long-term investors in Geron are apt to be hurt – and drug development delayed – if President Bush orders a permanent ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. 

With or without federal funding, if human embryonic stem cells ever live up to their potential as cures for everything from cancer to brain diseases, Geron is uniquely positioned to dominate the emerging field of regenerative medicine. 

The company owns 62 patents involving an anti-aging enzyme, cloning techniques and related technology for regenerative medicine. The company has also applied for about 40 more patents involving stem cells. 

In addition, Geron pays other stem cell patent holders for exclusive commercial rights, making it the largest financial backer of the research in the United States. 

Geron gets its stem cells from the University of Wisconsin, which extracts them from 4-day-old embryos obtained from fertility clinics. 

The idea is to grow the stem cells into adult cells, which can then be kept ageless and dividing through telomerase, an enzyme that controls cell aging. Geron patented the enzyme six years ago while researching ways to make old cells young again. 

“Where we are going with this is cells in a bottle,” said Thomas Okarma, Geron’s chief executive. “Living cells will be tomorrow’s pharmaceuticals.” 

While Geron researchers work on developing cures, the company’s lawyers and financial executives are busy attempting to corner commercial markets with strategic investments. 

This year, Geron is investing at least $4.7 million with academic researchers studying embryonic stem cells at the University of Wisconsin, Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University and other schools. Next year, Geron plans to spend at least $3.4 million. 

By contrast, the next biggest contributor to stem cell research, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, spent only $1.2 million last year. 

Geron’s investments give it commercial rights to the research. Geron provided nearly all the funds that enabled Wisconsin researcher Jamie Thomson to discover human embryonic stem cells in 1998. 

Wisconsin has since grown generations of stem cells from the same initial embryos, becoming the nation’s largest human embryonic stem cell manufacturer and providing Geron with a constant supply. 

But some researchers have complained of difficulty coaxing Wisconsin stem cells to grow and differentiate into usable tissue. They press for the creation of many more colonies of stem cells. 

And hence the political debate. Abortion opponents argue that it is immoral to harvest the stem cells because doing so requires killing a human embryo. Since 1996, the government has banned all federal funding of research that would harm, damage or destroy human embryos. 

Bush is reviewing the policy. A decision to allow federal funds for stem cell research could prompt substantial new investments. Blocking federal money altogether could severely limit Geron’s potential. 

But if Bush decides on a compromise – allowing money for research involving existing stem cells, but blocking funds for research that would destroy more embryos – Geron could wind up with a near-monopoly over the most promising areas of human embryonic stem cell technology. 

Whatever happens, Geron will still face competition and scientific obstacles. 

Its founder, Michael West, left in 1998 after Geron’s board refused to spin off the company’s stem cell unit. 

Texas oilman Miller Quarles, one of Geron’s initial investors, then sold most of his Geron stock and helped West finance his acquisition of Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., which now competes with Geron. 

Advanced Cell wants to personalize medicine through cloning, using a patient’s own cells to repair damage – the technique the House voted to ban. 

Other companies work with adult stem cells, which may be less useful to science but are certainly less problematic politically than the embryonic cells that Geron uses. 

The National Institutes of Health last year contributed $147 million to human adult stem cell research by both private and government labs, and it expects to top that figure this year. 

It will take years for stem cells to pay off – if ever. 

Immune rejection remains a key stumbling block. Our bodies reject foreign cells. Heart transplant recipients, for instance, require anti-rejection drugs that have serious side effects and often don’t work at all. 

Until researchers find a solution, regenerative medicine remains theoretical and keeps Geron’s future speculative. All of that makes investors impatient – to say nothing of the sick and aging. 

“I’m 86 years old and I don’t have much time left,” Quarles said. “They better find something pretty damn quick.”

LOS ANGELES — NetZero Inc., one of the few remaining providers of free Internet access, is slashing staff, selling a subsidiary and reducing its free service to save money, company officials said Thursday. 

In another sign that its business model isn’t working, the Westlake Village-based company has eliminated 66 positions and will reduce the number of free hours available to basic service customers from 40 to 10 a month, effective Oct. 1. 

It also sold subsidiary RocketCash, an e-commerce company best known for its partnership with the Sprite soda brand. RocketCash has 27 employees and cost NetZero several million dollars a year to operate. 

The sale closed Wednesday, but neither the name of the buyer nor the terms of the deal were disclosed. 

“If we have a business tangential to our core business, and if we are spending a lot of time or effort on that, this market will not give us credit for that,” NetZero chief executive Mark Goldston said. “We can’t afford the diversion.” 

The 66 layoffs at NetZero and the sale of RocketCash resulted in a 26 percent overall reduction in staffing. 

With the news, shares of NetZero rose 5 cents to close at 65 cents a share on Thursday. 

Goldston said NetZero wanted to make the cost-cutting moves before its merger with New York-based Juno Online Services in a deal that will create the world’s second-largest Internet service provider behind AOL. NetZero hopes to close the stock deal by year end. 

Goldston declined to estimate how much the changes might save his money-losing company, saying only that it will be in the millions of dollars. 

The slashing of service hours will affect about 30 percent of the company’s free-access customers, Goldston said. The goal is to move people from free service to a “Platinum” plan that costs $9.95 a month. 

About 3.4 million people used NetZero services in June, but only about 210,000 were billable subscribers. 

Analysts described the NetZero changes as part of a larger move away from free Internet service. When the firm opened nearly four years ago, it was the first to offer free Web access to customers willing to share personal information and look at targeted advertising. 

Last month, e-tailer BlueLight.com of San Francisco said it would discontinue its free Internet service. 

Free access companies simply have not been able to make the advertising-based model pay, said David Smith, vice president of Internet strategy at Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn. 

“The free lunch is over,” he said. “See if those 10 free hours are there six months from now.” 

SAN FRANCISCO — While San Francisco International Airport struggles to overcome environmental objections to a runway expansion plan, other Bay Area airports are picking up the slack by handling more flights and more passengers. 

With its four parallel runways and frequent fog, SFO has long been one of the nation’s most delay-plagued airports. Its $2.4 billion expansion, which included a new international terminal and additional parking, was finished last year, but has not eliminated the problem. 

Now, city officials are proposing a controversial runway expansion plan that includes filling and paving over part of the bay. 

“At SFO, 30 planes land every hour,” said Michael McCarron, SFO’s assistant deputy director. “The runway plan would allow us to double that number.” 

The plan calls for reconfiguring the runways to increase the current 750-foot separation and allow two planes to land simultaneously in bad weather. Federal law requires a 4,300-foot separation in such conditions. 

The plan has encountered heavy opposition from environmental groups who say an expansion could ruin the bay. As a result of the controversy, it could take years before the runways are built and made functional, McCarron said. 

Meanwhile, overall traffic at SFO was down 7 percent for the first five months of the year compared with a year ago, a situation blamed on the weak economy and the airport’s well-publicized shortcomings. 

Southwest Airlines, known for its on-time record, pulled out of San Francisco entirely in March, shifting most of its routes to Oakland and some to San Jose. 

One million fewer people flew into or out of SFO through May, compared with the first five months of last year. 

But the lower numbers don’t bother SFO officials who predict passenger traffic will grow in the coming decade, especially in international travel. 

“We still get 60 percent of all domestic flights and 90 percent of all international flights in the area,” McCarron said. 

The Oakland and San Jose airports, however, have seen their numbers of passengers increase by about 14 percent so far this year. 

And both airports have expansion plans in the works. 

San Jose International Airport put a 10-year expansion plan in motion last year and the City of Oakland on Wednesday approved a $1.4 billion plan, which will add 12 gates and a two-tiered terminal access road. 

The airport handles 25 more flights a day than last year and desperately needs the additions, according to airport spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson. 

About two million additional passengers are expected to go through the Oakland airport’s gates this year, she said. 

LOS ANGELES — The flood of artificial light that washes the stars from the sky has left one in five human beings unable to see the Milky Way at night, according to a new study of the global effects of light pollution. 

The study is the first to document the extent to which humans have wrapped the inhabited world in a luminous fog, shutting out much of the heavens – including the very galaxy we call home – from view. 

Once the sun goes down and the lights come on, as many as one in four people around the globe basks in a perpetual twilight, under skies brighter than on nights when the moon is full. 

“The thing that struck me is there are large numbers of people who really have lost the panorama of the night sky – that’s no longer available to them because there is so much of this sky brightness,” said Chris Elvidge, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration physical scientist and one of the study’s three co-authors. 

The study matched global population density information with Department of Defense satellite images, captured over 28 nights in 1996 and 1997, of the upward flux of light scattered from artificial sources around the globe. 

The Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites were designed to observe clouds illuminated by moonlight. On moonless nights, however, they also pick out the distinct pinpricks, blobs and smears of light cast off by the world’s cities and towns. 

Light pollution has long been recognized as a problem in the United States, Europe and Japan. Elvidge said the broader look shows that no country in the world is untouched. About two-thirds of the global population lives under skies polluted by artificial light. 

“That’s not surprising, it’s just very frustrating,” said Elizabeth Alvarez, associate director of the International Dark-Sky Association, a Tucson, Ariz., group that works to keep the night sky dark. 

Far from the city lights at night, about 2,000 stars are typically visible. In major cities, that number shrinks to a few dozen at most. 

“For a large percentage of people ... they’re no longer able to see what their ancestors saw on a nice, clear night,” said Elvidge, who works in NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colo. While astronomers can retreat to remote mountain tops to stargaze, most city dwellers do not have that luxury, said John Mosley, an astronomer at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. The impact is incalculable, he said. 

“The sky has always been a source of mystery and wonder. To lose that connection with something that is so much older and bigger than we are is a tremendous loss,” Mosley said. 

Elvidge said future studies by the team would chart the growth rate of artificial sky brightness over time. 

Alvarez said any potential increase could be stemmed with increased education. Already six states have passed laws that focus on limiting outdoor lighting levels, she said. 

“We’re working hard to make people realize it’s not something you have to give up,” Alvarez said. 

——— 

On the Net: The Night Sky in the World 

http://www.inquinamentoluminoso.it/dmsp/index.html 

International Dark-Sky Association 

http://www.darksky.org/ 

SAN FRANCISCO — Victims and their families cannot sue weapons manufacturers for damages when criminals use their products illegally, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday in a closely watched case testing gunmaker liability. 

The high court’s decision – whether a gun manufacturer can be sued on allegations it partly was responsible for a criminal shooting – stems from a 1993 massacre of eight in a San Francisco law office skyscraper. 

In one of the court’s most visible rulings this year, the justices kept in step with other courts and insulated gunmakers from such liability. Every state high court and federal appellate court in the nation to consider such suits against gun manufacturers has ruled that makers of legal, non-defective guns cannot be sued for their criminal misuse. 

The court ruled 5-1 that the Legislature’s rules regarding product liability do not allow for such suits against gun manufacturers. 

“In reaching this conclusion, we are not insensitive to the terrible tragedy that occurred on July 1, 1993,” Justice Ming W. Chin wrote. “The Legislature has set California’s public policy regarding gun manufacturers liability under these circumstances. Given that public policy, plaintiffs may not proceed with their negligence claim.” 

Monday’s decision was an important victory for weapons manufacturers and Miami-based Navegar Inc., the maker of the weapon used in the skyscraper massacre. The justices overturned a California lower court decision allowing victims to sue a gun manufacturer for the criminal acts of someone else. 

Surviving victims of the skyscraper rampage claimed that Navegar was liable for damages because it marketed the TEC-DC9 to appeal to criminals, and that Navegar should have foreseen that it would be used in a massacre. 

Their case, originally thrown out by a trial judge, was resurrected two years ago when California’s 1st District Court of Appeal ruled that the survivors were entitled to a trial on their claims that the gunmaker marketed the TEC-DC9 to criminals. 

The court said there was evidence that the TEC-DC9 has no legitimate civilian use and the company’s ads, including one that touted the gun as fingerprint-resistant, suggested criminals were among its intended customers. 

The California appellate court said Navegar “had substantial reason to foresee that many of those to whom it made the TEC-DC9 available would criminally misuse it to kill and injure others.” 

In a lone dissent Monday, Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar agreed with the appellate court decision, arguing that the victims’ case should proceed to trial on grounds that Navegar was negligent in marketing the fast-firing weapon to the general public. She said Navegar should have restricted its sale to firing ranges, police and military users. 

She added that, had a conventional handgun been used, there may have been fewer deaths. Werdegar also said her colleagues misconstrued California’s product liability laws, which she said allows such suits against gunmakers. 

Until the law is amended to contradict the majority’s thinking, she said, “gunmakers ... will apparently enjoy absolute immunity from the consequences of their negligent marketing decisions.” 

Monday’s decision could insulate gunmakers in suit by Los Angeles, San Francisco and 10 other California cities and counties, claiming faulty design, manufacture and distribution of firearms. At least 16 similar suits have been filed by local governments elsewhere. 

In the Navegar case, Gian Luigi Ferri, a mentally disturbed man with a grudge against lawyers, entered the 101 California St. skyscraper and opened fire in a law office with two TEC-DC9s and a revolver. He killed eight people and wounded six before killing himself. 

Stephen Sposato, whose wife, Jody, was killed while giving a deposition in the building, was outraged with the decision and said he would work to change the law. 

“They shouldn’t be selling things like this. There is no upside for society with a product like that,” he said. “I’m a gunowner and a lifelong Republican. But this has got nothing to do with that.” 

John Findley, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, said no state legislature has adopted a law for such lawsuits and was pleased the court did not enact “judge-made legislation.” 

And such legislation could be a tough sell in Sacramento. 

Gov. Gray Davis, in signing legislation last month making it a crime to leave a loaded weapon in reach of a juvenile, said he did so as an “exception to the general view that additional gun control legislation is not needed until law enforcement has an opportunity to advise us as to the effect of legislation recently signed into law.” 

Ernest Getto, a lawyer for Navegar, said there was no evidence of any connection between the manufacturer’s legal activities and Ferri’s criminal conduct. 

“The California Supreme Court’s decisions are normally considered trend setting,” he said. “This decision adds to the body of law that has been growing on this topic.” 

Dennis Henigan, legal director for the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, who argued the case on behalf of Ferri’s victims, said Navegar should be sued. 

“I don’t think the Legislature meant to protect irresponsible gunmakers,” Henigan said. “We want the Legislature to correct this injustice.” 

Found in Ferri’s suburban Los Angeles apartment were copies of Soldier of Fortune and similar magazines, in which Navegar commonly advertised the TEC-DC9. 

The TEC-DC9, a high-capacity pistol easily converted to fully automatic fire, was one of the guns used by two students to kill 12 fellow students and a teacher in Littleton, Colo. 

The case is Merrill vs. Navegar, S083466. 

SAN FRANCISCO – Oracle Corp. built an $11 billion dollar a year business selling and installing software on computers, but CEO Larry Ellison thinks those days are ending. Five years from now, Ellison believes Oracle will generate most of its revenue renting its products in a world wired to the Internet. 

Under this scenario, businesses and eventually consumers will go online to log on to a Web site and pay a monthly fee for access to a wide variety of applications, instead of buying a disk and installing the software on a single computer’s hard drive. 

The transition is a no-brainer in Ellison’s mind because businesses will save money hiring consultants to handle the tedious process of installing software on in-house computers and their employees will have the flexibility to access applications from just about anywhere, using laptops and handheld devices. 

Meanwhile, Redwood Shores-based Oracle will build a more reliable revenue stream akin to a cash-rich cable TV company that collects subscriptions from a captive audience month after month. 

“I believe all software companies will transform themselves into online service companies. We have no choice,” Ellison said earlier this summer. 

Even longtime Ellison nemesis, Microsoft Corp., is heading down the same path as Oracle. As part of a new Internet initiative unveiled last year, the Redmond, Wash.-based company is introducing a new service called “HailStorm,” which will enable businesses and consumers to rent a variety of online applications for a monthly fee. 

Despite the resolve of the world’s two biggest software companies, online software rentals seem like a pipe dream to many industry executives and analysts. 

“Large companies are never going to trust someone else to run their software. If you believe technology is your most precious asset, you are not going to let go of it,” said PeopleSoft Inc. CEO Craig Conway. “Every year, it seems like there is some major paradigm shift predicted for the industry. Sometimes they actually happen, but most of the time they don’t.” 

Ellison certainly missed the mark with one of his most heralded predictions of sweeping technological change. In the mid-1990s, Ellison made worldwide headlines by unveiling a network company that would draw upon online resources and make Microsoft’s Windows-based operating system obsolete. Ellison’s vision hasn’t panned out yet and most analysts believe he is shooting too high again with his ambitious predictions for online software services. 

“It’s going to be a very gradual evolution, if it occurs at all,” said industry analyst Charles Phillips of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in New York. “People like to have control over their own technology. They like to build it themselves. They want to be able to see it in a room.” 

Security concerns and worries about system outages also might discourage online software subscriptions. 

Software companies like Oracle and Microsoft are pushing to build online subscription businesses because they are beginning to recognize the growth limitations of their traditional sales approach, Phillips said.  

Both companies say they are reaching such a saturation point with their software that they realize there is only so much more money they can make from one-time fees for new products and upgrades. 

A breed of companies known as “application service providers” have been struggling terribly in their efforts to rent software online. The most prominent pure ASPs include Annapolis, Md.-based USinternetworking Inc. and San Mateo-based Corio Inc., which have lost $408 million and $186 million, respectively since their inceptions in 1998 while attracting fewer than 500 customers combined. 

Reflecting their grim outlook, the stocks of both companies are stuck under $1 per share. USinternetworking went public in April 1999 at $21 per share while Corio made its stock market debut in July 2000 at $14 per share. 

Despite the early troubles of pioneering ASPs, the research firm International Data Corp. sees a bright future for the concept. In a recent report, IDC predicted total ASP revenues will swell from $986 million last year to $24 billion in 2005. 

Proponents of online software rentals say the ASPs have flopped because they are leasing applications made by outsiders, such as PeopleSoft, SAP and Siebel Systems. 

“The only companies that will be successful in delivering online services will be the software companies themselves,” Ellison predicts. “Everyone else that tries to deliver online services will fail.” 

Marc Benioff, one of Ellison’s former lieutenants at Oracle, says his San Francisco-based start-up is proof that online software subscriptions are the wave of the future. Since going online in March 2000, Salesforce.com has signed up 50,000 employees at 2,800 companies that pay $65 per monthly subscriber. 

“We are going great guns,” Benioff said. “The Internet has matured to the point that it is more than capable of handling this kind of model.”

Two men were shot Thursday morning on West Frontage Road, according to Berkeley police. 

The motive behind the shooting is still unclear, police spokesperson Sgt. Kay Lantow said Friday..  

The first victim, a 32-year-old Oakland resident, was sitting in his car talking to a woman when a car pulled up behind theirs.  

Two men allegedly got out of the car and began shooting. According to Lantow, the woman in the car, who was unharmed, got out of the vehicle and ran south on Frontage Road screaming for help, before hiding in her own car parked five cars down the road.  

The man, who was shot in the liver, drove himself to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center then was transported to Highland Hospital trauma center via ambulance, Lantow said. 

A second man shot near his spinal chord, who also showed up at Alta Bates, was apparently a bystander on Frontage Road, Lantow said. 

There are no suspects. Neither of the victims have been released from the hospital.  

••• 

A man brandishing a semi-automatic weapon may have been involved in two robberies over the last week, according to Sgt. Lantow. 

The suspect, described as a 5 foot 9 inch 200-pound Hispanic male in his 20s, and two companions, also in their 20s and armed with revolvers, allegedly robbed three men walking on the 2800 block of College Avenue at 2:30 a.m. July 27.  

Lantow said the suspects, who were walking in front of the victims, slowed their pace, then encircled the victims demanding money. The suspects allegedly stole credit and ATM cards, $80 cash, a watch, a cell phone and a wallet before running off. There were no injuries.  

On Sunday, a 25-year-old man walking on College Avenue near Parker Street was robbed by a similarly described suspect – a 5 foot 9 inch, 200-pound Hispanic male in his 20s with a shaved head and a goatee, wearing a black hooded sweater and blue jeans. 

Lantow said the victim was walking home on College Avenue at 1:40 a.m. when a man walking in front of him turned the corner onto Parker Street.  

When the victim got to the intersection, he found the suspect waiting with a dark-colored gun, according to Lantow. The suspect allegedly forced the victim to give him his credit cards and the $11 he had on him.  

Not satisfied with the cash, the suspect allegedly patted the victim down in search for more, but did not find any more cash before he ran off. There were no injuries. There have been no solid leads in either of these cases. 

– Compiled by Kenyatte Davis

The state’s 20/20 energy conservation program will shell out $60 million in rebates for utility customers who made significant cuts in their power use in June. 

About 27 percent of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers and 28 percent of Southern California Edison customers trimmed their bills by 20 percent over last year. They’ll get a 20 percent rebate on their next statements. 

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. customers had only to cut their use by 15 percent, because residents there had conserved power last year when their electricity bills tripled.  

About 38 percent of San Diego customers this year will get the rebate. 

The program has been a greater success than state officials estimated when it was proposed this spring, during the height of the power crisis. 

Federal officials, including energy regulators, “were making fun of the idea of conserving, calling it a personal virtue,” said S. David Freeman, Gov. Gray Davis’ energy adviser.  

“Well, this place is the most virtuous place on earth.” 

About 2.6 million residential customers will share $28 million in rebates, averaging just less than $11 each. 

The rebates compare electric use from this summer to last summer, and are available to about 10 million homes and businesses who receive their electricity from PG&E, SDG&E or Edison. The rebate was intended to arrive at summer’s end but now appears on each monthly bill. 

On the Net: 

http://www.governor.ca.gov 

http://www.pge.com