Claiming the university has violated an 11-year-old agreement to steadily reduce its student population, city officials reacted angrily at the high enrollment figures released Monday for fall semester enrollment at UC Berkeley. 

“I’ve been yelling about this for the last year,” Mayor Shirley Dean said. “I’ve referred this matter to the city attorney to see what kind of teeth are in that agreement.” 

Dean and two other councilmembers said Berkeley, already suffering from a housing shortage and clogged roadways, is ill prepared to handle more students and administrative staff required to support them. 

As part of the university’s 1990 Long Range Development Plan, the UC Regents signed an agreement with the city, which outlined a strategy to steadily decrease enrollment by 1,126 students by 2006. The agreement also included an enrollment cap of 31,200 students averaged over the fall and spring semesters.  

On Monday, the university Public Affairs Office announced that more than 32,000 students were enrolled for the fall semester, nearly 1,000 more than the agreed-upon cap.  

University officials said the fall numbers are only preliminary and won’t become official until spring enrollment numbers are available. In addition, the enrollment figures for the fall semester include 600 students studying abroad or in Washington, D.C.  

Director of Public Relations Irene Hegarty said college enrollment has grown dramatically along with the state’s population, and colleges have a responsibility to provide an education to as many state residents as possible. 

The University of California Office of the President estimates that by 2010, the full-time UC student population will increase by 60,000, or 43 percent more than are currently enrolled. (Statewide college enrollment is expected to increase by 700,000 overall). Hegarty said the state has asked UC Berkeley to absorb 4,000 of the anticipated increase in students, which has been dubbed “Tidal Wave II.” 

She added that in light of Tidal Wave II, the 1990 agreement to reduce student enrollment simply “won’t be happening.” 

“These are our kids that need an college education, we can’t just turn them away,” she said.  

Dean agreed it is critical to make a college education available to as many people as possible, but said the quality of the education is important too. 

“How are you going to give ‘our kids’ a good education when they are crammed into overcrowded classrooms with poor student to teacher ratios?” Dean said. “Not to mention the impact on the quality of life from continuing to shoehorn people into a nine-square mile city that’s already overcrowded.” 

Josh Fryday, the vice president of external affairs for the Associated Students of the University of California said that quality of life issues resulting from enrollment growth are a “serious concern.” 

“We need to find some solutions to the problems of housing and transportation that students are facing already,” he said. “If student enrollment is going to continue to grow we have to work together to ensure the quality of life is not diminished further.” 

Hegarty said the university is in the process of developing housing that will include 1,000 new beds in the south-of-campus area. “Those units are either under construction or in the planning stages,” she said. 

But Councilmember Kriss Worthington said the 1,000 beds is “woefully” short of what the university agreed to build in 1990. “We had a housing shortage (in 1990) and the university agreed in writing to build 4,500 new units in the Long Range Plan,” he said. “Adding so many students is going to exacerbate an already critical housing shortage that the university has been so far unwilling to deal with.” 

Councilmember Armstrong said she is worried about the cultural impact enrollment growth will have on the city. As students are squeezed into Berkeley, artists and workers are increasingly squeezed out. 

“Little by little the city is turning into a university,” she said. “Pretty soon it will be made up of rich people living in houses and students in apartments and that will have a huge impact on the social diversity of Berkeley.” 

Assistant City Attorney Zack Cowen said an outside attorney is reviewing the 1990 agreement to determine if the city’s rights have been violated. He said the consulting attorney’s report is due back sometime next year. 

Hegarty said the university’s Long Range Development Plan is currently being updated and a new Environmental Impact Report will be required. She added there will be many opportunities for public input on the plan in the coming months.

Wednesday, Nov. 21

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers’ group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28. 

Reception for South African Sangoma 

8 - 10 p.m. 

Finn Hall 

1819 10th St. 

Musical reception for Dr. Shado Dludlu, traditional Sangoma healer from South Africa. $25 - $ 35. 848-5792, www.kaliworks.com 

Stories of Your Amazing Body 

2 p.m. - 3 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

For children aged 3 to 10 years old, escape to the magical realm of health, fun, and excitement of this ongoing storytelling series. 549-1564  

Multi-faith Thanksgiving Service 

7:30 p.m. 

Congregation Beth El 

2301 Vine St. 

The service will last about one hour and will be followed by refreshments and conversation. 848-3988 

Thursday, Nov. 22

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Friday, Nov. 23

Kwanzaa Gift Show 

12 - 8 p.m. 

Oakland Marriott Hotel 

1001 Broadway, Oakland 

Three-day cultural gift show offers goods and services as well as retail seminars, business workshops, job recruitment, product samples, business opportunities, and entertainment. 

Saturday, Nov. 24

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m. 

The Village 

2556 Telegraph Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Joe Chellman Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Business Improvement District and the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Santa's Solstice Bazaar 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Metaversal Lightcraft 

1708 University Ave. 

Come shop while kids visit with Santa for free. Fine arts, crafts, 

clothing and gift booths in a magical and colorful scene. 644-2032, www.lightcraft.org. 

Open Center 

10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The Center is open for exercise and lunch. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” will be shown at 1 p.m. 644-6107 

Teddy Bear Festival 

1 p.m., 3 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive Theater 

2575 Bancroft Way 

Children get to march their teddy bears through the theater, and then watch animated teddy bear films. $3.50. 642-1412 

Sunday, Nov. 25

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Greg’s Pizza 

2311 Telegraph Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Downtown Uproar performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Business Improvement District and the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Dear George W. Bush 

We think you are doing the wrong thing by bombing innocent people in Afghanistan that are minding they’re Business, unlike you... 

If you stop bombing them they probably will stop or not start bombing or hurting us. If I were president I wouldn’t be as unfair as you. 

Julie Ngai 

8 years old 

and Natalie Cowan 

8 years old 

Berkeley

21 Grand Nov. 29: 9 p.m., Lemon Lime Lights, Hillside, Moe! Staiano, $6; Nov. 30: 9 p.m., Fred Frith, Damon Smith, Marco Eneidi, Sabu Toyozumi Ensemble, Phillip Greenlief, $10; Dec. 1: 9 p.m., Toychestra, Rosin Coven, Darling Freakhead, $6; All ages. 21 Grand Ave., Oakland. 444-7263 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; Dec. 1: Yaphet Kotto, Cattle Decapitation, Creation Is Crucifixion, Kalibas, A Death Between Seasons, Lo-Fi Neissans; Dec. 2: 5 p.m., Dead and Gone, Venus Bleeding, Suptonix, Geoff (spoken word), East Bay Chasers, Lesser Of Two; Dec. 7: Har Mar Superstar, The Pattern, The Blast Rocks, Your Enemies’ Friends, Hate Mail Express; Dec. 8: Scurvy Dogs, Nigel Peppercock, Shut The Fuck Up, Offering To The Sun, Voetsek; Dec. 9: Poison The Well, Unearth, Sworn Enemy, Spark Lights The Friction; Dec. 14: Hot Water Music, American Steel, F-Minus, Trial By Fire; Dec. 15: Strung Out, Limp, The Frisk, The Deadlines, The Creeps; Dec. 16: 5 p.m., Good Riddance, Missing 23rd, Downway, Audio Crush; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers; Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band; Dec. 4: Panacea; Dec. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Dec. 6: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Dec. 11: Mad & Eddic Duran Jazz Duo; Dec. 13: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Dec. 15: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Dec. 18: Panacea; Dec. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Dec. 20: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Dec. 27: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473  

Anna’s Nov. 21: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 23: Sally Hanna-Rhine and David Tapham; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 24: Carl Garrett Jazz Quartet; Nov. 25: Acoustic Soul; Nov. 26: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 27: Jason Martineau and David Sayen; Nov. 28: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 29: Ed Reed and Alex Markels Jazz Group; Nov. 30: Ann sings jazz standards; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Ashkenaz Nov. 20: 8 p.m., Tamazgha, $8; Nov. 21: 8 p.m., Tom Rigney & Flambeau, $8; Nov. 22: 6 - 9 p.m., Annual Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast, Free; 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 23: 9 p.m., Ras Michael and Sons of Negus with DJ Tony Moses, $10; Nov. 24: 9:30 p.m., Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, $11; Nov. 25: 9 p.m., The King of Calypso Mighty Sparrow, $15; Nov. 26: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 27: 8 p.m., Creole Belles, $8; Nov. 28: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Intentions, Stairwell Sisters, Clogging with Evie Ladin, $10; Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums w/ Ms. Carmen Getit; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Nov. 21: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 22: Ascension, $5; Nov. 23: Solemite, TBA, $5; Nov. 24: Dank Man Shank, Locale AM, $5; Nov. 25: Out of The Ashes, Wonderland Ave., $3; Nov. 26: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 27: PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, Froggy, $3; Nov. 28: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 29: Ascension, $5; Nov. 30: Felonious, TBA, $6; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave., 848-0886 

Cafe Eclectica Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., She Mob, Wire Graffiti, Breast, Honeyshot, Run for Cover Lovers, $6; All ages 1309 Solano Ave., 527-2344. 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph, 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley. edu 

Club Muse Nov. 29: 9:30 p.m., SoulTree, Tang!, $7; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Calamity and Main, Darling Clementines, The Bootcuts, $8; Dec. 1: 9:30 p.m., Naked Barbies, Penelope Houston, $8; All ages. 856 San Pablo Ave., Albany, 528-2878. 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; Nov. 23: Junior Morrow; Nov. 24: Jimmy Dewrance; Nov. 30: Scott Duncan; Dec. 1: J.J. Malone; Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight & Salvage Coffee House Nov. 21: Raun Fables and Noe Venable; Nov. 23 & 24: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Sickafoose; Nov. 25: Sylvia Herold; Nov. 26: Ellen Robinson; Nov. 28: Wake the Dead; Nov. 29: Judith Kate Friedman and Deborah Pardes; Nov. 30: Odile Lavault and Baguette Quartette; Dec. 1: Geoff Muldaur w/ Fritz Richmond; Dec. 2: Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik; Dec. 5: Avalon Blues: Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Bill Morrissey; Dec. 6: Ray Bonneville; Dec. 7 & 8: Rebecca Riots; All shows begin 8 p.m., 1111 Addison St. Call 548-1761 for prices or see www.freightandsalvage.org.  

iMusicast Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., Applesaucer, The Plus Ones, Cutlass Supreme, Salem Lights, Short Wave Rocket, One Step Shift; Dec. 1: 6 - 11 p.m., One Time Angels, The Influents, The Frisk, Fetish, The Locals, $8; All ages. 5429 Telegraph Ave. 601-1024, www.imusicast.com. 

Jupiter Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter. com 

The Minnow Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Jolly!, Good For You, Grain USA, Plan to Pink; Nov. 30: Sedadora, Six Eye Columbia, Betty Expedition, The Clarendon Hills; Dec. 1: Replicator, Fluke Starbucker, Baby Carrot, The Len Brown Society; All shows $6. 1700 Clement Ave., Alameda. 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents “Bach’s Mass in B Minor” Dec. 1, 8 p.m., Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Guest conductor Andrew Parrott. $34 - $50. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org. 

Rose Street House of Music Dec. 1: 8 p.m., Acapella Night - Making Waves, Solstice, Out on a Clef, $5 - $20. 1839 Rose St. 594-4000 x687, rosestreetmusic @yahoo.com. 

Starry Plough Nov. 28: 8:30 p.m., bEASTfest Invitational Poetry Slam, $5; Nov. 29: 9:30 p.m., The Moore Brothers, Yuji Oniki, BArt Davenport, $8; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., The Kirby Grips, Dealership, Bitesize, The Blast Rocks, (all ages show) $8; Dec. 1: 9:30 p.m., Mark Growden’s Electric Pinata, Ramona the Pest, Film School; 3101 Shattuck Ave.  

Stork Club Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Mega-Mousse, Base LIne Dada, Meeshee, Mike Boner, $7; Nov. 30: 9 p.m., Love Kills Love, Three Years Down, Jack Killed Jill, October Allied, Eddie Haskells, $6; Dec. 1: 10 p.m., Anticon, Kevin Blechdom, Bevin Blectum, The Silents, $10; Dec. 2: 8 p.m., Corsciana, The Mass, Modular Set, Spore Attic, $5; 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 

Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra with Lennie Niehaus Dec. 2: 2 p.m., $18. Longfellow School of the Arts, 1500 Derby St. 420-4560, www.bigbandjazz.net 

Splash Circus Nov. 23, 24, 25: 2 p.m., “Odyssey,” an outer space circus adventure featuring circus performers ages 10 - 14 years old. $14 adults, $7 kids under 14. Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College Ave. 655-1265, www.splashcircus.com. 

“Uncle Vanya” Nov. 23 through Nov. 29: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. Nov. 25, 7 p.m. Subterranean Shakespeare’s production of Jean-Claude van Italie’s humorous translation of Anton Chekhov’s romantic masterpiece. Directed by Diane Jackson. Benefits the Forests Forever Foundation. $8-$14. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid. 234-6046, www.subshakes.com 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 23: 7:30 p.m., The Bank Dick; 9:05 p.m., Unfaithfull Yours; Nov. 24: 7 p.m., Touch of Evil; 9:05 p.m., The Narrow Margin; Nov. 25: 5:30 p.m., Grand Illusion; 7:45 p.m., Harvest; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; Dec. 6: 7 p.m., Bizarre, Bizarre; 8:50 p.m., The Green Man; Dec. 7: 7 p.m., Smiles of a Summer Night; 9:05 p.m., Cluny Brown; Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits  

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reception and presentation by the elders Thurs. Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., 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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Dec. 8 & 9: 32nd Annual Bay Area Fungus Fair, the world of the mushroom will be explored in exhibits, lectures, slide shows, cooking demos, etc.. Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science Through Jan. 26: Scream Machines: The Science of Roller Coasters; “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. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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

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

Even though St. Mary’s High School football team didn’t beat Pinole Valley, head coach Jay Lawson considers the Panthers’ Oct. 5 35-27 loss against the eventual Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League champion as the defining moment in his team’s season.  

After starting the season 1-3, St. Mary’s met Pinole and came up just short against one of the Bay Area’s premiere football teams. Following the defeat St. Mary’s quarterback Steve Murphy predicted the Panthers would go undefeated the remainder of the season. They nearly fulfilled that prophecy, winning four of their next five games en route to capturing a Bay Shore Athletic League title before falling to Campolindo, 22-20, in the first round of the North Coast Section 2A playoffs. 

“That was a definite turning point,” Lawson said of the Pinole Valley game. “If you would have told me in week four after McClymonds (St. Mary’s lost 57-13) that we’d be league champions, I wouldn’t have believed it. This team has come a long way.” 

A long way indeed considering that a month before its season opener, St. Mary’s was still searching for a starting quarterback. Vallejo High sophomore DeMarcus Nelson, who committed to transfer to St. Mary’s and was projected as the Panthers’ play-caller, decided to return to Vallejo, leaving the Panthers high and dry. 

Locally, the quarterback slot well appeared empty. The Panthers graduated their only varsity quarterback from last season and the starting junior varsity quarterback transferred to Albany High, Lawson said. 

Reaching deep, the coach knew that Murphy, 16, who started varsity at strong safety last season, split time at quarterback during his freshman year at St. Mary’s. 

Lawson offered him the position and Murphy eagerly accepted the challenge to run an offense that planned to pass the ball more than was typical of a St. Mary’s team. 

“I was going to play tailback, receiver, slot back and start at strong safety. That was my plan because I wanted to get the ball in my hands more,” Murphy said. “Lawson said: ‘Well you wanted to get the ball in your hands, now you can play quarterback.’ I said: ‘I’ll take it, no hesitation.’” 

In demonstrating his familiarity with the quarterback position, Murphy mentioned that he threw 12 touchdown passes as a 10-year-old on the Oakland Dynamites peewee team. That was after he almost got cut as a 9-year-old. 

“I was the last person on the list,” Murphy said of his first football experience. “I was the 35th player chosen and barely made the team.” 

Prior to his remarkable second season for the Dynamites, Murphy’s uncle, Robert, helped him with his passing technique.  

When Robert learned of Murphy’s position on the Panthers this year, he quickly returned to help his nephew brush up on his quarterback skills. 

In his final game of the season, Murphy threw for 132 yards and ran for another 78 as St. Mary’s defeated Piedmont 20-15 to secure the BSAL title and receive an automatic bid to the regional playoffs. 

Calling it the biggest game he’s ever played in, Murphy fed off the energy of the Piedmont crowd and the atmosphere of playing under the lights on the Highlanders’ new field. Add to that competing against UCLA-bound quarterback Drew Olsen for the BSAL title and you have the ingredients for a monumental game.  

“I’m a clutch player,” Murphy said. “When they told me I had to step up, that’s exactly what I did.” 

The season didn’t begin particularly smoothly. The Panthers started as cold as they finished hot, losing four of their first five games, which Lawson attributed to inexperience. In addition to Murphy, St. Mary’s welcomed seven other newcomers to the offense.  

Despite his quarterback experience in pre-high school and freshman football and his varsity duties as strong safety last year, Murphy said that it took time to adjust to his new role as the St. Mary’s offensive leader. 

“It took a few games to get used to it at the varsity level, but I like the leadership and captain role,” he said. “The change was good.” 

In his final six games of the regular season Murphy threw for more than 900 yards and 11 touchdowns, Lawson said. “It took us the first month of the season to figure out Steve’s strengths,” he added. “He’s able to make great decisions on the run.” 

Characteristically an emotional player, Murphy’s learned to keep his feelings in check on the field and now turns past mistakes into future positives. 

“Steve is extremely competitive,” Lawson said. “In some games early in the season he would get too upset and lose focus. He controls that better now and channels it.” 

In addition to running the offense, Murphy also runs track for St. Mary’s and competes in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4x100-meter relay. “I started running track to get ready for football,” he said. 

Murphy’s got another year at St. Mary’s, but when he’s finished he wants to be known as someone who scrambled effectively in the pocket. He said he’s more comfortable when he’s on the move and, at 5-foot-10 he admitted that it’s sometimes difficult to see over his linemen.  

“He does well when he scrambles,” Lawson said. “As he’s scrambling he’s still looking to throw the ball rather than run with it.” 

As for college, Murphy’s hoping a football opportunity presents itself and is looking to attend school on the West Coast. “I’ll go wherever I fit in the best,” he said.

The lunchtime crowd at the North Berkeley Senior Center is a tough audience for a performer. Dishes clatter, conversations continue, servers move among the tables trying to get food to hungry and sometimes impatient diners. 

Tess Artizada of the Berkeley Police Department is undaunted, though. She performs this gig every-other month, and she has become accustomed to the room.  

Suzanne Ryan, the center’s director, gives her a brief introduction, and Artizada takes the microphone. 

“Hi, I’m Tess Artizada,” she says. “Most of you probably know me. My friend, Woody Brady, and I are here today to talk about some things you can do to stay safe during the holidays....” 

A few faces in the audience turn toward her. Most are still directed at their table-mates or their lunches. The rest are trying to catch the attention of waiters, moving around the room. 

But where a less experienced speaker might blush and start to sweat, Artizada knuckles down and plows through her material. She’s a professional. 

As a civilian – or “non-sworn,” as police tend to say – in the BPD’s Community Services Division, Artizada gives these presentations all the time. She goes to senior centers, schools, community events and festivals, educating citizens on how to prevent or reduce crimes of all sorts.  

Her last speech at the North Berkeley Senior Center was about domestic violence. Next time, she thinks, it will cover identity theft. She’s trying to get one of the BPD detectives to come with her for that one. 

For Tuesday’s presentation, though, she runs through a personal security brochure put out by the state attorney general’s office. 

Artizada goes through the brochure point by point, emphasizing those that  

would be of most concern to seniors. She borrows a purse from a woman to illustrate the proper way to carry it when out on the street. 

“Keep it securely front of you,” she says. “If it hangs off to the side, it’s easier to grab.” 

Men, she says, should wear a fanny pack – but it’s important to wear it in the front, not the back. She gestures toward Brady, who lifts his shirt to reveal the proper arrangement. 

When waiting at a bus stop, she says, keep your money ready. 

“So you can hand it right to the thief!” shouts a wag.  

Artizada appreciates the joke, but one gets the sense she has heard it before. 

“Trying to reach out to the community is very challenging,” she says. “It’s hard to get people involved – they usually only get concerned after something happens to them.” 

“We’re trying to get people to be more proactive,” says Brady. “You let your guard down if nothing happens to you for a while.” 

Before this stint with the BPD in April 1996, Artizada lived and worked in Harrisburg, Penn. She worked in hospitals and for a travel agent while pursuing a degree in criminal justice at a local college.  

Before moving to the Community Services Division, she worked as a jailer and then as a crime scene technician. 

Now, part of her job is to visit homes of people who want police advice on how to make their homes more secure. She’ll point out bushes homeowners might want to trim so burglars can’t hide in them and suggest places where they might place motion-triggered lights. 

“Since I have experience in the crime scene unit, I can see how a thief can get in,” she says. 

After Artizada’s presentation is finished, Ryan thanks her and tells the seniors that there is some business to attend to. Should these lunchtime lectures continue? Or would it be better just to have Artizada set up at a table in the hall, as she does on months when she doesn’t give a presentation? Would that be more productive? 

Ryan proposes a vote. Those who want the lunchtime addresses to continue, hands up. 

About 40 arms rise. 

Those who would prefer that they be discontinued? 

Perhaps five votes. 

Artizada, who was busy circulating around the tables, answering questions, misses the results of the vote. When she makes her way back around to Brady, she asks how it went. 

“Aha!” she says.

Editor: 

Last Sunday I attended the forum on women activists past and present held at the Berkeley Art Center in connection with its photo exhibit on the sixties. As your reporter noted, the theme of invisibility ran throughout the panel discussion. In my view, it did not run far enough.  

Moderator Ruth Rosen began by noting the invisibility of women under the Taliban and of impoverished single mothers in the United States. But neither she nor any of the three panelists marked the current invisibility of American women activists themselves.  

Why aren't women massively protesting the post-September 11 militarization of our economy, our politics and our culture, and the plunder of our common life by big business? Where are the voices of women who, like myself, came of political age in the protest movements of the sixties? 

When I raised these points during the question and answer period, panelist Susan Griffin, a contemporary of mine, retorted that “there is a women's movement alive and well in this country” but the media won't cover it. “I have made myself available as a spokesperson,” she said, “but I haven't been invited by any national TV program.” Ditto, she said, for Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan.  

At the Art Center, Griffin, Rosen and many others paid tribute to lifelong Berkeley activist Alice Hamburg, who died last week at the age of 95. Veterans of the sixties – women now only in midlife – ought to be following Hamburg's example.  

Instead of sitting by the phone and fantasizing a vital women's movement, we ought to be calling on women to stand together and resist the tide of greed and repression.  

Why aren't we? 

Zelda Bronstein 

Berkeley 

Think regionally and act, well, regionally. 

That is the credo of “new regionalism,” a growing movement in academic and public policy circles calling on governments, businesses and activists to reach beyond traditional city and county borders to work together on pressing social, economic and environmental issues. 

The movement was on full display Tuesday, when Nick Bollman, president of the California Center for Regional Leadership – a statewide nonprofit that fosters regional cooperation in the Bay Area and elsewhere – held court at a seminar sponsored by UC Berkeley. 

Bollman, who also serves as the chairman of State Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg’s Commission on Regionalism, spent much of the afternoon discussing a draft report the commission just concluded. “The California Dream: Regional Solutions for 21st Century Challenges” is due for release in January. 

The report calls on the state government to use economic incentives to encourage regional cooperation on a whole host of issues – ranging from affordable housing, to transportation, to economic growth. If the recommendations become law, local governments would receive greater funding for projects if they show that they are coordinating development with other communities in the region.  

Local advocates are enthusiastic about the growth of “new regionalism,” and say that Berkeley’s attention to regional concerns has already paid dividends in the Bay Area. 

Victoria Eisen, principal planner for the Association of Bay Area Governments, cited the city’s decision to build a bridge from Aquatic Park to the Marina, providing greater access to the San Francisco Bay Trail, a half–built hiking and biking path that will encompass all of the San Francisco and San Pablo bays. She says increased access to the trail will cut down on auto traffic and improve quality of life throughout the area.  

But critics of the “new regionalism” doubt whether the movement can work on a broader scale. Peter Gordon, professor in the School of Policy Planning and Development at the University of Southern California, says that regional governments – created through the annexation of one city by another, or the development of a county –based government – have failed. 

“There are no examples that scale is a good thing,” said Gordon. “In fact Brooklynites will tell you that aggregation (into New York City) is what killed Brooklyn, draining all their resources to Manhattan.” 

Other attempts to foster local cooperation, in the Bay Area and elsewhere, have never even gotten off the ground. Michael Tietz, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley in the City and Regional Planning department, says that one major reason is the unwillingness of local governments, and local citizens, to give up power. “The question,” he said, “is will this movement, like the others, founder on the rocks of home rule?” 

Bollman, during the Berkeley seminar, admitted that his movement faces a number of hurdles – from the parochialism of local government, to a multi–million dollar state deficit that may prevent heavy spending on regional initiatives. 

However, Bollman said some regional organizations, like the California Coastal Commission and the Lake Tahoe Conservancy, have proven successful. He also claimed that Speaker Hertzberg supports the movement, suggesting that the state might spur a more regional approach. A spokeswoman in Hertzberg’s office could not confirm his support for the report’s recommendations by the Daily Planet’s deadline. 

Whatever happens at the state level, local proponents of the “new regionalism” are moving full speed ahead. The Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development, a coalition of business, environmental and social justice groups, hosted a series of meetings in recent months, including an Alameda County meeting on September 6th in San Leandro, centered on regional cooperation around economic development and growth. 

Participants, including several officials and activists from Berkeley, gathered in small groups and used computer models to debate the best patterns for future growth in the Bay Area. The alliance will present its findings in early December.  

The group has also targeted a group of 46 downtrodden neighborhoods in the area in need of investment, including West Berkeley. The organization is encouraging banks, insurance companies and corporations to invest in the neighborhoods. 

Andrew Michael, vice president of the Bay Area Council, which participates in the alliance, hopes that the investment will revitalize Berkeley and other urban centers in the region, create affordable housing, and draw skilled workers from the suburbs. This migration, he argues, will boost the regional economy, and cut down on the number of people commuting to Bay Area cities for work. 

Such is the promise of “new regionalism” – a broad–scale movement to address multiple, overlapping issues. Will it work? That may be a question for another Berkeley seminar.

Editor: 

The self-appointed “left” in Berkeley seems dedicated to allowing the perpetrators of the September 11 bombings to make the argument that if you’re angry enough about foreign policy, it is understandable somehow that you would undertake to kill thousands of innocent people. They seem to think that people who consider themselves to have a balanced political and moral perspective should be obligated to try to understand those who manage to find a connection between the Koran and mass murder. They culminate with an insistence that the Berkeley City Council is an appropriate place to attempt to codify their watered-down, short-sighted views and take on an unparalleled moment in history while most of us are still in the deepest mourning. 

Every religion seems to me to have a similar combination of benign intention and fantastic ambiguity that any artful scholar can use to justify almost anything. I confess I’ve lost interest in whether or not the excuse for an atrocity in religion’s name is a burning bush, a virgin birth, or an assumption about what clothing might or might not be offensive to whatever god in question. I don’t honestly think imbuing myself with the niceties of Afghan language or culture is going to bring me any closer to making sense of something senseless. 

There is plenty of room in this wide world for the symbolic gesture, so much room for so many soap boxes in so many places that it seems to me there is no need to constantly use the Berkeley City Council chambers as a glorified gong show. The national media whet their lips when the grandstanding and bickering on the Berkeley City Council gets into gear, and the local economy gets the fallout. I hope it is not too politically incorrect to oppose the bombing of Afghanistan, care deeply about the Afghan civilians being killed or injured, but also hope that the local merchants manage to survive the recession we must all face together. 

While the rest of the nation tries its best to find common ground, or commit to some practical act such as giving blood or fund-raising for the victims, we surely can find a way to offer each other opportunities to show compassion to each other rather than create yet more opportunities for utterly artificial division. We are not each other’s enemies, and the recent hostile confrontation over an anti-war resolution looks much less like honest dialogue than like cruel and senseless theater fueled by weapons-grade vitriol and political opportunism. 

September 11 was not dialogue. It was sociopathy. And one can oppose war while recognizing, as some councilmembers do, that the Berkeley City Council has a purview which now and then it should obligate itself to pursue. I pray for all the victims of this tragedy, but also for a town which seems dedicated to perpetually robbing itself and its citizenry of any shred of dignity. 

Carol Denney 

Berkeley

Student registration marks all-time high 

HAYWARD – California State University at Hayward says the number of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled for the current fall semester is at its highest level in history. 

According to campus administrators, 13,240 students registered for classes this fall semester, a 4-percent increase from last year. The university also experienced a 10-percent jump in the number of graduate students seeking master’s degrees or teaching credentials, which is also a record. 

Leone Rodriguez, assistant vice president for Institutional Research and Analysis, said a helpful tool for the admissions process has been the Internet, which more than half of the students used to register for classes. In addition, he said the school increased its recruitment efforts in surrounding communities. 

“In addition to our student enrollment being the highest it has ever been, this is the first time since 1991 that the university’s overall enrollment has been over 13,000 students,’’ Rodriguez said. 

Robert Strobel, the university’s assistant vice president for Enrollment Services, said a survey of students found that the most important characteristics for them include the availability and quality of majors, the cost of attendance and receiving personal attention.  

Despite the increase in students, he said, the teacher-student ratio would continue to be 20 to 1. 

University President Norma Rees said: “Our staff has been doing a great job during the past year to bring our excellent faculty and curriculum to the attention of the communities we serve.’’

Editor: 

Your front page story about the petition drive by Citizens for Fair Representation (CFR) does not tell the whole story of why this effort was so successful. In reporting on CFR’s press conference, the Daily Planet quoted Councilmember Kriss Worthington as saying “Unless I missed something, I didn’t notice anything that was visionary or progressive in their rhetoric.” Here’s what I say: Yes, Mr. Worthington, you did miss something. The concept you missed is the progressive notion that as citizens of a democracy, it’s one person, one vote. The Framers missed it, too, when they wrote that Blacks counted as three-fifths of a person as they drafted the document that is the cornerstone of our country’s system of government, the U.S. Constitution.  

But the 15th Amendment to the Constitution remedied that terrible injustice and created the rule of one person, one vote. And, it’s been the law since 1870. So, Mr. Worthington, you and the other four members of the Council failed to notice that a lot of citizens of Berkeley (more than 8,000) were not going to sit still for a redistricting plan that subverted this key democratic principle by denying the people in District 8 the right of an equal vote. Your redistricting plan gave the voters of District 8 only two-thirds of a vote per person while providing the rest of the districts with one vote per person, including the five districts which you and the other four councilmembers represent. So, yes, Mr. Worthington, you did miss something, you missed the central point of a democracy ... all citizen-voters are entitled to one person, one vote. And, we voters in Berkeley aren’t going to allow a redistricting plan that denies anyone the right of one person, one vote ... no matter which district we live in.  

Jennifer Elrod 

Berkeley

SACRAMENTO — The Nature Conservancy will use $35 million in state grants to purchase and improve a large wildlife sanctuary in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it was announced Tuesday. 

The Conservancy is purchasing 9,200-acre Staten Island, one of the state’s largest havens for sandhill cranes, with Cal-Fed Bay-Delta Program grants. 

The Conservancy will manage the island as a wildlife-friendly farming operation that will serve as a preserve for a variety of waterfowl, according to an announcement by Gov. Gray Davis. 

Davis said the deal will allow farming and wildlife to coexist, as well as providing flood protection. 

The grants from two state water bonds. Cal-Fed is a state-federal program to restore the Delta and improve the state’s water supply. 

SACRAMENTO — The scores of California students were among the worst in the country in a national science exam given last year to fourth and eighth graders, state officials said Tuesday. 

State school Superintendent Delaine Eastin said the results of the 2000 National Assessment of Education Progress “reflect the reality that in California” that science classes have not been taught regularly in many school districts. 

“We are short of teachers, labs and a real sense of urgency about science,” despite the fact the state is the home of the Silicon Valley computer industry, Eastin said. 

California eighth graders who took the test had an average score of 132, down from 138 in 1996, the last time the test was given. Nationally the average score increased from 149 to 150 in the same period. 

The average score for California fourth graders was 131 compared to a national average of 148. Fourth graders were not tested in 1996. 

California had the lowest average score among fourth graders and was tied with Hawaii for lowest average score among eighth graders. 

Twelfth graders also took the exam but their scores were not broken down by states. 

Scores can range from zero to 300. 

Forty-one states took part in the voluntary exam. 

Eastin suggested that California scores will begin to improve in 2003, when state tests for elementary and middle school students will begin to include science questions. Currently the state testing program does not include a science component until the ninth grade. 

“As I have always said, ‘What gets measured is what gets done,”’ Eastin said. 

The state Board of Education will rework plans for science curriculums early next year. Eastin said that will be a “critical component” to make the state’s science standards are taught. 

Hilary McLean, a spokeswoman for Gov. Gray Davis, said the national tests were given early in 2000 and did not reflect improved training for teachers and administrators adopted since then. 

“We’ve turned a corner since” then, she said. 

Schools that took part in the exam were selected to try to get a representative sample, state officials said. But they questioned whether the relatively small number of California fourth and eighth graders who took the exam — 3,300 — accurately reflected student achievement. 

California, they said, also has the highest percentage of students still learning to speak English, which could have held down the state’s scores. 

Four people were threatened and robbed after dining at a popular downtown eatery Sunday, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. 

Three juveniles and an adult had finished eating at Taqueria Cancun, 2134 Allston Way, at around 8 p.m. They were just getting into their car to drive home when a man approached the driver’s window. The man said that he had a gun, and he demanded their money. The four victims gave him their money. The suspect then demanded their wallets as well. One of the victims gave the suspect his wallet, whereupon the suspect fled the scene. 

The four victims decided to follow the suspect after calling the police. Arriving on the scene, an officer spoke to a witness who had seen a man running down another street. 

The tip led to the arrest of a 23-year old Richmond man, who was identified as the suspect by all four victims. The man was taken into custody. 

According to Lt. Harris, it is not known whether the suspect is linked to a similar crime that took place in the same neighborhood on Thursday. A couple was robbed just as they were getting into their car on Oxford Street, between Kittredge Street and Allston Way. The suspect in that case also asked for the victims’ wallets, and also said that he had – but did not brandish – a gun. 

A man was assaulted with a blunt metal object, presumably after eating at a free-breakfast program on College Avenue Saturday, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victim told police that after finishing his breakfast at 8:30 a.m., the suspect, whom he knew, approached him and began beating him over the head with a length of metal pipe or a flashlight. The suspect said nothing to the victim. 

The victim, who declined treatment, told the police that he only knew the suspect’s “street name.” The police were able to use that information to find the true identity of the suspect, who was arrested and taken into custody some time Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to Harris. 

– Hank Sims

SANTA BARBARA — A jury found a 22-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder Tuesday for the killing of a 15-year-old boy who was kidnapped in Los Angeles and shot because of his half brother’s unpaid drug debt. 

Ryan Hoyt, one of a group of young men facing charges in the Aug. 8, 2000, slaying of Nicholas Markowitz, was convicted after little more than a day’s deliberation by the jury. 

Hoyt sat, barely moving, as the verdict was read. Markowitz’s mother, Susan Markowitz, clutched a leather jacket that had belonged to her only son. 

The sentencing phase of the trial will begin Monday. Hoyt faces the death penalty or life without parole. 

The probe of the abduction and murder revealed bizarre circumstances and led to an FBI manhunt for alleged ringleader Jesse James Hollywood, who remains a fugitive. 

According to prosecutors, Markowitz was abducted off a San Fernando Valley street on Aug. 6, 2000. He then spent two days partying with his captors in Santa Barbara, drinking, smoking pot, meeting girls and swimming in a hotel pool. 

Apparently convinced he was in no danger, he never tried to get away, and even told one girl his abduction would be a story to tell. No one who saw him called police. 

Prosecutors say Hollywood decided to get rid of the boy after he checked with his attorney and found out that the penalty for aggravated kidnapping was life in prison. 

Hoyt was ordered to carry out the killing to pay off his own $1,200 drug debt, according to prosecutors. Markowitz was marched into Los Padres National Forest, shot nine times and buried. His body was found four days later. 

During the trial, jurors saw a videotape in which Hoyt confessed to investigators he killed Markowitz. During the trial, Hoyt said he had lied during the interview because he wanted to protect the other people involved. 

Three other defendants, Jesse Rugge of Santa Barbara, William Skidmore of Simi Valley and Graham Pressley of Goleta, await trial. All have pleaded innocent. 

Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen said he would seek to try Pressley and Rugge together, perhaps as early as February. The cases would be heard in the same courtroom, but with separate juries. 

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department has been holding an inquiry into a complaint that two officers failed to investigate the kidnapping properly. 

The officers were operating on information from dispatchers who coded information from 911 calls as an assault, but not as a kidnapping. The officers testified Monday that a witness told them the victim had escaped and they concluded the incident had been a fistfight among teen-agers. The officers, however, missed a second radio call and misidentified a street. The dispatchers were disciplined with three-day suspensions. 

OAKLAND — The Oakland International Airport’s troubled security system is getting an overhaul. 

The Port of Oakland approved a plan Tuesday to increase the presence of law enforcement and decrease the role of a private security firm. 

Under the plan, guards from ABC Security will be removed from all security posts considered “critical.” They will only patrol areas outside the terminal, such as parking lots and the roads in front of the terminals. 

Oakland police will handle critical areas inside the terminals, such as security checkpoints. Alameda County Sheriff’s personnel will staff critical points outside the terminals, including vehicle gates to access the airfield. 

ABC Security has come under criticism for security lapses that included more than 30 instances of guards sleeping or abandoning their posts in late September. 

The added security will cost almost $7 million, according to Steve Grossman, director of aviation for the Port of Oakland, which oversees the airport.

SAN MATEO — Just in time for Thanksgiving, some 1,000 pounds of frozen turkeys and ham were stolen from a local community services agency that was preparing to distribute the food to needy families. 

“It’s a pretty low-down thing,” said Lt. Bill Curley of the San Mateo Police Department, which is investigating the theft from a freezer at Samaritan House. 

The 19 cases of frozen meats were worth about $1,000 and would have helped feed 500 families, according to Jonah Gensler, Samaritan House associate director. The meat was to be featured in holiday food gift baskets given to 1,200 low-income clients in San Mateo County. 

“One turkey that a child brought to us meant so much to that child, and now it can’t go directly to the family she wanted to help because somebody committed this atrocity,” Gensler said. 

Food donations already were down 20 percent this year, according to Gensler, who expects community supporters to buy replacements for the stolen meats. 

The theft occurred overnight Sunday when a thief or thieves pried open a freezer door at the back of the agency’s lot.

OAKLAND — Three former Oakland police officers accused of beating suspects and planting evidence will face a March trial, a judge decided Tuesday. 

Chuck Mabanag, Jude Siapno and Matthew Hornung have pleaded innocent to more than 60 felony and misdemeanor counts ranging from kidnapping to falsifying reports. They allegedly were part of a police crew that called itself “The Riders” and reportedly abused west Oakland residents during the summer of 2000. 

Siapno’s attorney, Bill Rapoport, said defense lawyers also will seek a change of venue at a February hearing. 

The department has insisted that the trio of officers — as well as Frank Vazquez the alleged ring leader who is now a fugitive — were renegades. 

SAN JOSE — Mountain View Mayor Mario Ambra has pleaded innocent to charges he abused his role as an election official by pressuring city employees to deny two development applications. 

Ambra, who has served on the City Council for five years and as mayor since January, was charged earlier this month after his case was brought before a civil grand jury. He entered his plea Monday. 

He is accused of pressuring employees to deny the applications for land adjacent to property he owns so that he could buy and develop the property himself. He also allegedly urged other city officials to step up code enforcement against another adjacent property in an effort to get the property owner to sell. 

If found guilty, Ambra would be forced to leave the City Council under a rarely used legal provision known as a “grand jury accusation,” but would serve no jail time. 

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20 in Santa Clara County Superior Court. 

PALO ALTO — The president of the Palo Alto Historical Association was critically injured after her son allegedly beat her when she scolded him for washing an iron skillet with soap. 

Peter Winn Clarkson, 38, was booked on a charge of attempted homicide, police said. 

Susan Bright Winn, 61, was being treated in the intensive care unit of Stanford Medical Center for facial fractures and a throat injury, officials said. She will need extensive reconstructive surgery, police said. 

When Clarkson called 911 on Monday morning he said he was “mental” and had just attacked his mother with his fists during an argument. Clarkson asked that police come get him and that both he and his mother “needed help,” according to police accounts. 

Dan Clarkson, Winn’s other son, said that a year ago his mother took in Peter, who has battled mental problems for years. 

Clarkson was arrested without a struggle and taken to Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose. No bail had been set or arraignment scheduled as of late Monday. 

NAPA — Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars has purchased the remaining 77 acres owned by the late Nathan Fay, which adjoin the FAY Vineyard. The winery has owned the original FAY Vineyard since 1986. 

Fay purchased and planted the FAY Vineyard in 1961, when there were less than 700 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon in the state of California. 

In 1969, Warren Winiarski, owner and founder of Stag’s Leap, tasted Fay’s 1968 Cabernet and decided that was the area he would use to produce Cabernet. He planted his first vines on the former orchards just north of Napa in 1970, and the Winiarski family purchased Fay’s original vineyard in 1986. 

PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge on Tuesday extended a court order that has temporarily blocked a move by the U.S. government to dismantle an Oregon law allowing physician-assisted suicide, the only one of its kind in the nation. 

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones gave the state of Oregon and the U.S. Justice Department up to five months to prepare their arguments. 

The state of Oregon has asked Jones to permanently block a Nov. 6 order by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft that effectively blocked the physician-assisted suicide law by prohibiting doctors from prescribing lethal doses of federally controlled drugs to terminally ill patients. 

Jones on Tuesday extended a Nov. 8 temporary restraining order that has prevented the federal government from taking action against doctors who help patients commit suicide under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Law. 

Jones emphasized that the Oregon law remains in effect pending his final ruling. 

Under Jones’ schedule for hearing arguments in the case, he will issue a ruling on Ashcroft’s order within five months. 

Jones stressed that his order “nullifies giving any legal effect to the directive issued by John Ashcroft” — in other words, doctors should have not fear of legal repercussions if they prescribe the lethal doses to terminally ill patients. 

During a four-hour court hearing, the Justice Department repeated its arguments that Oregon does not have the right to be an exception to drug laws. 

But Steve Bushong, an Oregon assistant attorney general, argued that Ashcroft’s order exceeded powers given to him by Congress. 

In his Nov. 6 directive, Ashcroft said “prescribing, dispensing, or administering federally controlled substances to assist suicide violates the CSA,” the Controlled Substances Act, passed by Congress in 1970 as part of the nation’s war on drug use. 

Bushong argued that by applying the CSA to physicians who help terminally ill patients hasten their deaths, Ashcroft was interpreting the CSA in a way that was not intended by Congress. 

“The congressional will expressed in the Controlled Substances Act has been violated by the action taken by the agency here,” said Bushong, referring to the U.S. Justice Department. 

Many Oregon doctors have been reluctant to assist with suicides because of Ashcroft’s order, said Brad Wright, who is with Compassion in Dying, a group that supports physician-assisted suicide. 

Advocates of Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law contend that Ashcroft’s order, if allowed to stand, will prompt doctors nationwide to cut back on the amount of federally controlled pain medication they provide terminally ill patients out of fear their licenses to issue those drugs could be revoked. 

Supporters of Oregon’s law have vowed to take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. 

At least 70 people have used the law since it took effect, according to the state’s Health Services office. All have done so with a federally controlled drug. 

Included in the documents filed in court are statements by four terminally ill patients who are pleading that people like themselves be permitted to end their suffering on their own terms. The four have joined the state of Oregon in the lawsuit against Ashcroft. 

One plaintiff, 68-year-old Karl Stansell, has terminal throat cancer. He’s received chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and is being fed through a feeding tube. His doctors have told him he has less than six months to live as the cancer spreads through his body. 

“Eventually I will be unable to swallow anything and will die in agony,” Stansell said. 

Under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Law, doctors may provide — but not administer — a lethal prescription to terminally ill adult state residents. It requires that two doctors agree the patient has less than six months to live, has voluntarily chosen to die and is capable of making health care decisions. 

The measure was approved by voters in 1994, survived legal challenges, and was re-approved in a 1997 referendum by a wide margin. 

Ashcroft’s order reversed a 1998 order by his predecessor, Janet Reno. The state accused him of stripping Oregon’s right to govern the practice of medicine. 

RANDSBURG — Three old gold mining towns still stand in the dry hills south of Ridgecrest, but you can’t buy a restaurant dinner in any of them. The only gas station shut down years ago. The bank closed after World War I. There are no supermarkets or clothing stores, no movie theaters, no traffic lights. 

The population of Randsburg, Johannesburg and Red Mountain — adjoining dots along U.S. 395 near Ridgecrest — has dwindled to 400 people, a flinty group of retirees, miners and shopkeepers. They answer to names such as “Cactus Pete,” “Wolf” and “Indian Vic” and live in disjointed rows of old mining shacks, weatherworn plank houses with corrugated tin roofs and dirt sidewalks. 

One of California’s few surviving gold mines yielded 100,000 ounces here last year, leached from the ore of the fabled Yellow Aster deposit, but otherwise not much happened. 

During the week, when many of the shops are locked, regulars wander into the general store for coffee, tri-tip beef tacos, barbecue sandwiches and sundries such as pancake mix, cans of tuna or stew, and toilet paper. 

“That’s the main thing in town,” says 59-year-old Gene Curry, who is opening his own store a few doors down. “I’ve been going there since 1961 — since I first came up here.” 

Curry, a cigar-smoking former truck driver and movie production grip, rented a vacant shop and is about to open the Hole in the Wall Mercantile, a Western boutique with a cow skull hanging over the door. He belongs to a number of Wild West groups, including the Lone Pine Gang, Red Rock Canyon Gang and Mojave Mule Skinners, and hopes to spur more tourism by staging re-enacted shootouts. 

J. Bart Parker, the local historian, is likewise no fan of crowds and noise. He dealt with that for three years, living in Salinas. “That was enough for me,” he says. Parker prefers the mining district’s wide-open spaces. “I don’t have to listen to the sirens and stuff all the time,” he says. “And the people are friendly. I know my neighbors here.” 

The quiet is immense — enough to hear distant bird chirps on the wind. When a vending machine clicks on, the hum becomes intrusive. At the empty edges of town, the silence is so deep it becomes hard to imagine the activity that once filled the hilly streets. 

Several thousand people convened on the region after the discovery of gold in 1895. Two of the boomtowns, Randsburg and Johannesburg, were christened after the great mother-lode region of South Africa: the Rand mining district and the city of Johannesburg. Red Mountain took its name from a dusky, muscular peak that rises alongside U.S. 395. The Yellow Aster vein was mined until World War II, then abandoned for 40 years. The Glamis Rand Mining Co. reopened the site in 1986 and now employs about 80 people to extract and process low-grade ore. It is not — and will never be — enough to support the depressed economy. 

Many of the historic homes sit empty. Garage-size fixer-uppers have sold for $5,000; larger places go for $20,000 to $40,000. “You could probably buy a mansion for $50,000,” says Dana Lyons of Coldwell Banker in Ridgecrest, 22 miles away, “if there was one out there.” 

It could get worse. At current gold prices, the mine is due to close in a year or so. Ore processing will end several years after that. 

The fate of the area will rest almost wholly on tourism. Brenda Ingram, owner of the five-unit Cottage Hotel, Randsburg’s only inn, isn’t overly worried. The district has survived before without the mine. There is a visitors center at Jawbone Canyon. Photographers show up to film movies, commercials and music videos. 

Tommy Keep, a location scout, found the area 13 years ago for a jeans commercial. He met his future wife, Jennifer, on the shoot. They kept coming back. Jennifer eventually took a job at the mine. Their daughter, Holly, attends the one-room Rand School along with seven other students in kindergarten through third grade. 

Sipping coffee at the general store, Keep idly thumbs through the paper. He likes it fine here — loves it, actually. But he’d rather give you the standard one-liner, how he got stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. “We came up to shoot a Levis commercial,” he says, “and I haven’t saved up the bus fare out.” 

Call it the Imbruglia Imbroglio. 

The latest CD from Natalie Imbruglia, the coquettish Australian pop star, won’t play in some CD and DVD players because of copy protection technology included on the disc. 

That has prompted a spate of complaints to Imbruglia’s record label, Bertelsmann Music Group, which has set up a toll-free phone hotline to deal with the fallout over the CD “White Lilies Island,” released Nov. 5 in Europe. 

The album has not yet been released in the United States. 

“We always are concerned if something is not playable on a CD player,” said BMG spokeswoman Regine Hofmann, who said the company has received complaints from about one customer for every 1,000 CDs shipped. Hofmann would not give a number of total Imbruglia CDs shipped. 

The blemish on the Imbruglia CD rollout would not detour BMG from pursuing copy protection technologies for future CDs, Hofmann said, though the company considers the protected CDs still a “test.” 

“The testing phase is proceeding in a way that we want to pursue it,” Hofmann said. 

Imbruglia’s CD contains technology called Cactus Data Shield, developed by Tel Aviv-based Midbar Tech Ltd. 

Midbar’s CD copy protection also was included on 10,000 CDs Sony released in the Czech Republic and Slovakia late last year. There are several variations of the company’s copy protection, including versions that permit tracks from a CD to be copied to a computer for listening but not moved to another PC or shared online. 

Some people who purchased the Imbruglia CD complained the disc would not play in their PCs or Sony PlayStation 2 consoles, Hofmann said. 

Others voiced their complaints on Imbruglia’s official Web site. One person said the CD prevented him from playing the disc on his computer running the Linux operating system. 

Another person posted a message indicating that the CD would not work in some older stereo systems and does not function in DVD players with audio CD capabilities. 

But some argued that the ability to turn Imbruglia’s tracks into MP3 files is a privilege, not a right. 

“In NO way is someone robbing you because they choose to protect their music, they are preventing you from robbing THEM!,” posted Scott Wyatt on Imbruglia’s Web site. 

Universal, Warner, EMI, BMG and Sony all are exploring technologies that will limit the digital duplication of CDs. 

A California woman sued a record company and technology firm in September over a similar copy protected CD issue. Karen DeLise was upset after she found out her new Charley Pride CD contained a copy protection scheme from SunnComm Inc. that prevented the CD from being played in her PC. 

DeLise is not seeking any monetary damages — merely a better disclosure of what the CD will and won’t do on the packaging label, her attorney explained. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Natalie Imbruglia’s official site, http://www.natalie-imbruglia.co.uk 

Midbar tech Ltd., http://www.midbartech.com 

BMG, http://www.click2music.com/bmg.com/ 

SACRAMENTO — California power grid operators must stop giving the state’s energy traders advance notice of its electricity needs, unless it provides that information to all market participants, federal energy regulators ordered Tuesday. 

Two energy producers, Mirant Inc. and Reliant Energy, had complained that grid operators were giving the state’s energy traders preferential treatment by allowing them access to market-sensitive information. 

The Independent System Operator, which manages much of California’s electricity grid, has been giving power traders for the Department of Water Resources information unavailable to other ISO customers. That includes the amount of power the ISO expected to buy in the next hour and hourly bid price and volume information. 

Reliant spokesman Richard Wheatley said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission upheld the energy companies’ complaints, reinforcing that “preferential treatment of certain market participants are not allowed.” 

FERC denied the energy companies’ request for an investigation of ISO’s relationship with the state energy traders. But the commission ordered the ISO to give the additional information to all market participants or to none, but it cannot release the data to only DWR. 

ISO officials would comply with the order, but hadn’t decided whether to make that information public or to keep it under wraps, said ISO spokeswoman Stephanie McCorkle. 

In January, the DWR stepped in to buy power for customers of three financially strapped utilities. Grid managers are required by federal law to sell to a “creditworthy” buyer and could no longer sell to Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric Co., and Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which were on the brink of bankruptcy due to months of high wholesale costs. 

Mirant spokesman Patrick Dorinson said the company was “pleased that FERC has clearly stated that DWR is a market participant and must follow the rules as we’re all required to. In order to ensure a properly functioning market, we all have to be treated fairly.” 

DWR spokesman Oscar Hidalgo said the department hadn’t seen the FERC order and couldn’t comment on the details. 

But he cautioned that allowing generators to know the amount of power needed to keep the lights on in the next hour could give them an advantage in the market. 

“The market rules seem to benefit the seller,” Hidalgo said. “I’m sure the rules didn’t anticipate having a public agency as a participant. There was certainly no anticipation for a utility going under.” 

In a related matter, the commissioners ordered that ISO was to bill DWR using the same format as it bills other customers. FERC rules prevent the grid manager from providing detailed bills because they would reveal proprietary pricing information. 

But the state has said it won’t pay the bills unless they specify which energy company provided the power, and at what price. 

Earlier this month, FERC ordered the ISO to bill DWR for $1.2 billion in past due energy costs. The ISO expected that invoice to be sent to DWR Tuesday.

Global provider of wheelchairs to disabled launches prototype in town 

The Wheelchair Foundation chose Berkeley as the city to launch a prototype campaign that has set the “obtainable goal” of providing the gift of mobility to the 100 million disabled people worldwide who need wheelchairs.  

In an attempt to reach that goal, the Danville-based nonprofit foundation announced a one-week drive to collect broken down or unused wheelchairs or accept donations for new ones. The drive begins Nov. 25 and ends Dec. 2. If the Berkeley donation drive is successful, it will be used as a model to launch a national campaign. 

“People get very excited about this program because for a relatively small amount of money you can have a profound and lasting impact on a person’s life,” said Fred Gerhard, the distribution manager for the Wheelchair Foundation, which has an office on Center Street near Oxford Street. “The results are very tangible, you literally transform a person’s life in a second.” 

Since the nonprofit’s inception 18 months ago, Gerhart has already distributed 33,500 wheelchairs to disabled people in 80 countries. He added that it was entirely possible to provide new or used wheelchairs to the estimated 100 million people worldwide who could never afford one. 

“It’s not like other problems, such as cancer, where millions have been spent, but there is still no cure in sight,” Gerhard said. “This is a finite problem and an obtainable goal. All it takes is money.” 

The foundation is currently matching each donation of $75 so that a new, $150 wheelchair can be delivered to a disabled person in the many countries the program serves. In addition, the foundation picks up all the shipping and administrative costs so every cent of a $75 donation goes directly to the purchase of a wheelchair.  

Broken-down or unused wheelchairs are sent to be refurbished in the South Dakota State Penitentiary.  

“There are thousands of people in this country who have very expensive wheelchairs sitting in their garages or attics,” Gerhard said. “With just a little care, new ball bearings, a little oil and reupholstering, they can become a gift from heaven.” 

The Wheelchair Foundation was founded by developer and philanthropist Kenneth Behring. Behring was inspired to found the nonprofit during a 1999 trip to Eastern Europe and Africa where he personally delivered shipments of wheelchairs. Behring saw first hand how the wheelchairs transformed people’s lives and was inspired to create the Wheelchair Foundation with a personal donation of $15 million. 

The goal of the foundation is to help people who have completely lost or partially lost the use of their legs in economically depressed and war-torn countries. According to Gerhard, in some of these countries the average monthly family income is less that $200, which makes ownership of a wheelchair impossible. 

Without wheelchairs, those who don’t have use of their legs can spend their lives entirely dependent on relatives to carry them around. Others do the best they can with broken-down skate boards or by attaching wooden blocks to their knees so they can drag or vault themselves forward on their hands.  

“Others are just completely forgotten about,” Gerhard said. 

During a lunch meeting on Monday, several organizers passed around photos from an October trip to China during which 720 wheelchairs were distributed. The passion they bring to their work was apparent as they exchanged stories about the people who have had their lives changed by the program. 

“Here’s a picture of woman in her 70s who lost one of her legs in an a 1976 earthquake in Tang Shan, China.” said Niloofar Nouri, President of the Persian Center. “This is the first wheelchair she has owned in all that time.” 

One of the reasons Berkeley was chosen to launch the wheelchair drive is because of the successful money-raising efforts of local developer Soheyl Modarressi, president of the Oxford Development Group. 

After returning from a trip to his native Iran during which he visited a hospital with 700 patients and only two wheelchairs, Modarressi was inspired to raise money to combat the problem. He partnered with Niloofar Nouri president of the Persian Center last April to raise funds and soon found out about the Wheelchair Foundation. 

The owner of the Santa Fe Bar and Grill, Ahmad Behjati, agreed to donate the use of his restaurant and a three-course meal and Modarressi and Nouri organized a benefit of 150 people during which they raised $75,000. The Wheelchair Foundation matched those funds and as a result 500 new wheelchairs were shipped to Iran last Saturday. Another 500 will be shipped in 2002. 

“The response of the people Berkeley was incredible,” Modarressi said. “Businesses and people of all walks of life wanted to donate money. That’s what I love about Berkeley.” 

Modarressi and the Persian Center have set a goal of shipping another 2,400 wheelchairs by the end of next year. Their next campaign will provide wheelchairs for Afghanistan, which has been ravaged by war, not only today, but for the last 20 years. According to Gerhard, there is one land mine for every 291 people in the impoverished country. 

Wheelchair Foundation Ambassador Sharman Reecher said the foundation is especially seeking donations from corporations and organizations. 

“Where else can you buy holiday gifts that really help people, make you feel good and are completely tax deductible?” she said.  

Gerhard, who has traveled to over 25 countries in the last 18 months said that despite the demanding schedule he still thinks this is one of the most exciting projects he’s been involved with.  

“I have the best job in the world,” he said, “I get to fly around the world and give wheelchairs to people who need them.” 

For more information about the wheelchair drive or the addresses of the four Starbucks that will be accepting donations call (925) 736-8234. Corporations or organizations that are interested in finding out more about the program can call (925) 275-2170. Or go to www.wheelchairfoundation.org.

Tuesday, Nov. 20

The Small Schools Community Action Committee  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley High School 

Parent Resource Center, Room H105 

Please enter from Martin Luther King Way. The committee is meeting to plan the Community Action to demonstrate community support for transforming Berkeley High School into new, autonomous, small school. http://berkeleysmallschools.org. 

Breakfast with Rev. Sirirat Pusurinkham 

7:30 - 9 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Pastor of the Church of Christ in Thailand, a leader in the struggle for economic justice for indigenous minorities, campaigner against international child prostitution. Free. Food service begins at 7:15 a.m. 845-6830 

California Politics Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Nick Bollman, California Center for Regional Leadership, will talk about “California’s New Regionalism.” 642-4608 www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Experimental Mid-life  

Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Miriam Chaya presents the second of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

Holiday Crime Prevention 

11:15 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Members of the Berkeley Police Department will discuss prevention methods . 644-6107 

Holistic Health 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Elizabeth Forrest discusses Creative Aging in the first of two Holiday Holistic Health talks. 644-6107 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

12 - 2 p.m. 

Alta Bates Medical Center 

2001 Dwight Way 

Monica Nowakowski lectures on holiday stress reduction. 601-0550. 

Wednesday, Nov. 21

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28. 

Reception for South African Sangoma 

8 - 10 p.m. 

Finn Hall 

1819 10th St. 

Musical reception for Dr. Shado Dludlu, traditional Sangoma healer from South Africa. $25 - $ 35. 848-5792, www.kaliworks.com 

Stories of Your Amazing Body 

2 p.m. - 3 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

For children aged three to ten years old, escape to the magical realm of health, fun, and excitement of this ongoing storytelling series. 549-1564  

I was happy to see Hank Sims’ article on the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources’ (CNR) proposal for developing the Gill Tract. Located on San Pablo in northwest Albany, the Gill Tract is the largest intact piece of agricultural land left in the Bay Area. The politics surrounding the CNR’s approach to agricultural research helps to understand their lack of interest in keeping the Gill Tract as a resource for conducting ecologically-based research. 

When the College of Natural Resources reorganized its departments a decade ago, the Division of Biological Control faculty, which was housed at the Gill Tract and engaged in ecologically-based and non-chemical approaches to agricultural pest control, became a small division in the department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management (ESPM). At the same time, most agriculture research shifted to the newly founded department of Plant and Microbial Biology (PMB), with a strong focus on technological and genomic research -- especially the rapidly growing field of agricultural biotechnology. 

This basically separated agricultural research at UC Berkeley, folding the ecologically-based faculty into the entomology division in ESPM, while the plant genomics faculty became a significant part of another department. Soon after, the College was offered $50 million for an exclusive partnership with Novartis, one of the largest agricultural biology corporations in the world. In exchange for a cash infusion to fund plant genomic and agricultural biotechnology research, Novartis would be given proprietary ownership of all research conducted under the deal. Novartis would get exclusive access to the CNR brain trust, and CNR would get desperately needed funding. Faculty members even had to sign agreements not to publish their results without prior consent from Novartis.  

Regardless of what we think about the way private-sector research is conducted, it seems obvious that because profitability and public interest often don’t mesh, we need research that occurs outside the private sector, to assess potential benefits and problems associated with the application of such research. This is especially true for fields with high potential for impacts on human health and the environment – pharmaceutics, chemicals, and agriculture.  

UC Berkeley could fill this role perfectly by engaging in all manner of research, not emphasizing one field or approach over another. If Novartis wants to find and patent a gene that makes the business of growing corn more profitable, fine (or not, depending on your perspective). Institutions like UC Berkeley should focus on whether such applications are safe and/or necessary, not act as the R&D division of a corporation. In this context, research might focus on whether pest damage is better controlled with biodiversity or genetic manipulation. Research that has such obvious and far-reaching potential impacts – on ourselves and the planet – must be carried out in the public interest somewhere.  

This is why the Bay Area Coalition for Urban Agriculture wanted CNR to create a center for urban agriculture and sustainable food systems research at the Gill Tract. This would have begun to balance inequities between plant genomic and ecological agricultural research at UC Berkeley. It is sad to see the College of Natural Resources throw away the opportunity to devote a unique piece of land to alternative agricultural research, and thus abdicating its responsibility to the public. At the same time, PMB is flourishing, with a research focus that coincides perfectly with the interests of agribusiness.  

It looks like the Gill Tract will be used to house students and provide a shopping venue. We can still ask where is the research into urban food production, tailored to local microclimates and using of rooftops, greenhouses, and rainwater? Or into the relationship between social inequity and food insecurity? One thing is for sure -- it’s not going on in the College of Natural Resources. 

Josh Miner has worked as an organizer for the Bay Area Coalition for Urban Agriculture and now coordinates Farm Fresh Choice, a combined community food security and sustainable agriculture project in West and South Berkeley. He is also an entering graduate student in the department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management within the College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley.  

924 Gilman St. Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 20: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Nov. 21: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 23: Sally Hanna-Rhine and David Tapham; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 24: Carl Garrett Jazz Quartet; Nov. 25: Acoustic Soul; Nov. 26: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 27: Jason Martineau and David Sayen; Nov. 28: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 29: Ed Reed and Alex Markels Jazz Group; Nov. 30: Ann sings jazz standards; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Ashkenaz Nov. 20: 8 p.m., Tamazgha, $8; Nov. 21: 8 p.m., Tom Rigney & Flambeau, $8; Nov. 22: 6 - 9 p.m., Annual Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast, Free; 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 23: 9 p.m., Ras Michael and Sons of Negus with DJ Tony Moses, $10; Nov. 24: 9:30 p.m., Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, $11; Nov. 25: 9 p.m., The King of Calypso Mighty Sparrow, $15; Nov. 26: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 27: 8 p.m., Creole Belles, $8; Nov. 28: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Intentions, Stairwell Sisters, Clogging with Evie Ladin, $10; Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums w/ Ms. Carmen Getit; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Nov. 20: Mr. Q, View From Here, $3; Nov. 21: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 22: Ascension, $5; Nov. 23: Solemite, TBA, $5; Nov. 24: Dank Man Shank, Locale AM, $5; Nov. 25: Out of The Ashes, Wonderland Ave., $3; Nov. 26: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 27: PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, Froggy, $3; Nov. 28: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 29: Ascension, $5; Nov. 30: Felonious, TBA, $6; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley. edu 

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

Freight & Salvage Coffee House Nov. 21: Raun Fables and Noe Venable; Nov. 23 & 24: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Sickafoose; Nov. 25: Sylvia Herold; Nov. 26: Ellen Robinson; Nov. 28: Wake the Dead; Nov. 29: Judith Kate Friedman and Deborah Pardes; Nov. 30: Odile Lavault and Baguette Quartette; Dec. 1: Geoff Muldaur w/ Fritz Richmond; Dec. 2: Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik; Dec. 5: Avalon Blues: Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Bill Morrissey; Dec. 6: Ray Bonneville; Dec. 7 & 8: Rebecca Riots; All shows begin 8 p.m., 1111 Addison St. Call 548-1761 for prices or see www.freightandsalvage.org.  

iMusicast Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., Applesaucer, The Plus Ones, Cutlass Supreme, Salem Lights, Short Wave Rocket, One Step Shift; 5429 Telegraph Ave. 601-1024, www.imusicast.com. 

Jupiter Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter .com 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Uncle Vanya” Nov. 23 through Nov. 29: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. Nov. 25, 7 p.m. Subterranean Shakespeare’s production of Jean-Claude van Italie’s humorous translation of Anton Chekhov’s romantic masterpiece. Directed by Diane Jackson. Benefits the Forests Forever Foundation. $8-$14. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reception and presentation by the elders Thurs. Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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

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

The fight that’s raged between those who want a more democratic rule at the Pacifica Foundation and the majority of Pacifica Board of Directors inched closer to a positive end during the weekend, when the board adopted a plan to transition to a more representative governance. 

Attending the Washington, D.C. meeting were five “dissident” board members – including the Bay Area’s Pete Bramson and Tomas Moran – and five members of the majority board. The board members known as “dissident” are those working to democratize the Pacifica Foundation, which holds the license to the five listener-sponsored radio stations. 

According to Moran, the plan, agreed to by all who attended, is as follows: 

• All current board members would resign. 

• Five members would be appointed by the majority board members. 

• Five members would be appointed by “dissident” board members. 

• Five would be appointed by the heads of the Local Advisory Boards. Within six months, these would be replaced by representatives of LABS elected at each radio station.  

Will this work? 

That won’t be known until all the board members resign and others take their places, Moran said in a telephone interview Monday. There are no guarantees.  

“The only guarantee is to do it,” to actually reconstitute the board, Moran said. 

Then that “transitional” board will tackle what Moran calls the “hot issues.”  

One is reinstituting the program “Democracy Now!,” which is no longer broadcast throughout the five-station network. Another will be formalizing the station’s relationship with the broadcast journalists who struck Pacifica Network News when its news director was removed from his post last year. They have reconstituted themselves into Free Speech Radio News. 

Another on the list of “hot issues” are the WBAI-New York staff that was either fired from the station or, in the case of volunteers, banned since January. 

Additionally “all charges on listeners (resulting from demonstrations) need to be dropped,” Moran said. 

Another of the transitional board’s tasks will be to settle three lawsuits which were consolidated into one – one by listeners, another by members of four local advisory boards, and a third by “dissident” members of the national board. 

The suits went to mediation two weeks ago, but all the issues were not resolved at the time. Outstanding are reportedly issues of liability and how much money insurance companies will pay. 

All of “hot issues” must be agreed on by the national board in a 2/3 vote. 

Commenting on the new plan by phone from Los Angeles on Monday, Board Chair Bob Farrell, a member of the majority faction, said he was “elated.” 

“People seemed to be in sync,” he said, noting that decisions were made during the weekend by consensus, with different members of the board chairing at different times. “We stepped away from an organization structure that was traditionally authoritarian to something that is more collaborative.” 

Farrell further lauded Moran’s ability to grasp the issues and lay them out in a comprehensive way, bringing the board together. 

He also called KPFA “the core of Pacifica” and lauded “the Berkeley model,” in which the Local Advisory Board has begun hold listener-sponsor elections to fill its seats.  

The transitional board is to take over in two-to-three weeks, as soon as all the former members resign and the new appointments are made. In about six months, when the LAB representatives are chosen from elected bodies, the newly constituted board will re-write the bylaws. 

While the board treasurer has said that the network, with a budget of about $12 million each year, is $2-3 million in debt, Moran said he still hasn’t seen these figures in writing. Among the most heated complaints of the “dissident” board members, has been the lack of sound financial information. 

While the debt is a concern, Moran said the situation can be turned around. “If we truly achieve a transition, our listeners and supporters will come through to rebuild the foundation,” he said. 

The animosity that has built up between Pacifica management and the listener-sponsors all over the country is another hurdle. To remedy the situation “will take some real leadership,” Moran said.

Tuesday, Nov. 20 

• 7 p.m. 

Ann Fagan Ginger, executive director of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute will speak on “Civil Liberties and Conflict Resolution.” 

South Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 

1901 Russell St.  

644-6860 

Wednesday, Nov. 21 

• 7:30 p.m. 

Peace walk and vigil 

Begins at North Berkeley BART Station and ends at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park 

The Peace walk and vigil is to demonstrate opposition to the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. 

528-9217 

Sunday, Nov. 20 

• Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace (LMNOP) holds weekly peace walks around Lake Merritt in Oakland, every Sunday at 3 p.m. 

Meet at the columns at the east end of the lake, between Grand and Lakeshore avenues. Near Grand Avenue exit off 580 freeway. 

Editor:  

The situation in San Francisco where the school district, wasted, and lost millions of taxpayer dollars through poor planning, mismanagement, and perhaps fraud should be a lesson to all school districts, including the Berkeley School District, The errors of SF include, a go-along board that never looked into the details, that only read the summary sheet, that never asked hard questions, that failed to implement the advice from consultants; and, ignored its own citizen advisory committees. This pattern is one that exists in Berkeley as well.  

It was extremely disappointing to hear School Board member Rivera state at last Wednesday's school board meeting that he appreciates the fact that school staff is only giving the Board a summary of what is going on with Measure BB monies and in maintenance and just a few examples of the supporting data.  

I hear lots of talk about accountability. Accountability is based upon facts. The citizens of Berkeley have asked that school district information be made public, and deposited with the Reference Desk of the Public Library, Central Branch. The question for the Board is how can you carry out your fiduciary duty to the citizens if you don't want the facts? As the saying goes, the devil's in the details.  

Yolanda Huang  

Chair, Maintenance Oversight & Planning Committee, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley, officials released final enrollment figures Monday for fall 2001 undergraduate and graduate students. 

Overall, there are 32,128 undergraduate and graduate students on campus this fall, up from 31,277 last fall, according to a UC Berkeley press statement. 

Women continue to outnumber men in the freshman class, where they represent 55 percent of the class, and in the overall undergraduate population, representing 53 percent.  

The data shows the following:  

• There are 3,842 students in the fall 2001 freshman class, up from 3,735 last fall. The total number of undergraduates on campus now is 23,269, compared to 22,678 a year ago.  

• New graduate students number 2,624, an increase of 169 from last fall. In all, there are 8,859 new and continuing graduate students on campus this fall, 260 more than last fall.  

• Chicano and Latino students enrolled in the fall 2001 freshman class increased 21 percent from last fall, with 388 of these students now enrolled. The number of African-American freshmen, meanwhile, dropped by five students to 143 enrolled in the fall 2001 class. Freshmen from all other ethnic categories showed an increased over fall 2000.  

• Transfer student (sometimes referred to as advanced standing students) enrollment increased by 13 percent, from 1,484 last fall to 1,671 in fall 2001. This figure excludes students working on a second academic degree. Transfer students from every ethnic group showed increased numbers in this category.  

• Both undergraduate and graduate international students total 2,627 on campus this fall, an increase of 103 students. They represent 8 percent of the campus’s total student population.

Editor: 

Thank you for featuring the successful signature drive by Citizens for Fair Representation (Nov. 15). Also my thanks to the reporter for printing Mr. Worthington’s revealing comments. 

Mr. Worthington states that among the fifty volunteer signature gatherers present on the steps of City Hall he saw no Latinos and no Asians. However, he must not have looked very hard since there happened to be an Asian volunteer standing next to Mr. Worthington at the conference; and the last time I checked, my last name was still as Spanish as it gets.  

Mr. Worthington goes on to say that he noticed many property owners, “including Robert Cabrera.” What exactly does he mean by that statement? Is it that if you own property you should be prohibited from going out on the streets to fight for your rights? Or is it perhaps that as a property owner you should not have the right to express your views or - God forbid - collect signatures for a referendum? 

He states as well that he only saw one African American and continued to somehow neutralize this fact by remarking that this person was (tainted?) by being a former president of the Black Property Owners Association. 

Mr. Worthington is relying on the divisive tactics of a bygone era meant to foster intolerance and diminish one’s human dignity and self worth; much like he tried to make the vote of every District 8 resident count for only 2/3 of a vote via his redistricting ordinance.  

I would venture to say that he is mad as hell that over one hundred and fifty unpaid volunteers dared to collect nearly twice the number of signatures required to overturn a less than honest redistricting effort - which, as Linda Maio put it at a recent city council meeting, was passed in order to save Mr. Worthington’s seat (from a student challenger).The fact is that as soon as registered voters heard about Mr. Worthington’s ordinance shifting thousands of residents missed by the Census they were livid; many, in fact, asked to take petitions to circulate themselves or sent friends and spouses to add their signatures in protest; hence the overwhelming number of signatures collected in less than four weeks. 

Mr. Worthington resorts to race baiting to demean this grass roots effort; he knows the successful petition drive did double duty: it not only gathered signatures but it educated over eight thousand Berkeley voters as to what really goes on at City Hall by exposing the actions of a council majority which considers that the justice of their own cause places them above all the restraints of decency, honesty and the law. 

Robert Cabrera 

Berkeley

A power play article two weeks ago discussed using the sun’s energy to preheat water for a home or business. It is the fastest way to reduce energy bills – using the sun for the least initial investment – and requires the least amount of maintenance. But there are other ways to use the sun’s energy to reduce your energy bills. 

Last winter’s energy shortages and skyrocketing prices forced many Californians to take action and implement a great many conservation measures, including installing compact fluorescent lamps and purchasing energy-efficient appliances. (Practical information on energy efficiency can be obtained from the City’s energy Web site at: www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/ENERGY, and from Solstice, [http://solstice.crest.org/efficiency/index.shtml] a non-profit organization dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy.) It just so happens that conservation measures are also the first step that should be taken before designing and installing a solar electric generating system. 

Solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV) systems, use the sun’s light to generate electricity. Simply put, sunlight is composed of photons, or particles of solar energy. These photons contain various amounts of energy. As these photons strike a PV cell, they may be reflected or absorbed, or they may pass right through. As the absorbed solar photons strike the cell, electrons are knocked from one side of a silicon atom to another across a boundary. This establishes a voltage difference between the two sides. If there is an external circuit connected to the cell, then the cell acts like an electron pump, sending the current out along the circuit back to the other side of the PV cell.  

The amount of electricity generated by this cell depends on the amount of light it receives, the size of the cell, and the efficiency by which the solar photons are drawn across the boundary. More information on how PV cells work can be obtained from the Department of Energy’s Web site at http://www.eren.doe. gov/pv/pvmenu.cgi?site=pv&idx=1&body=aboutpv.html and from public libraries. 

Most new PV panels are rated between 10 and 14 percent efficient, compared to early solar panels manufactured in the 1970s, which were only 7 percent efficient.  

Solar panels may be roof-mounted or installed in any other shade-free area and connected to a building’s electrical system. They may also be integrated into building materials, such as metal roofing, roof shingles, metal siding, or even window glass.  

Efficiency varies with each material and its location, but if properly located and maintained, solar systems can be reliable for year-round power production. The payback period can be from 18 to 25 years, depending on the wattage of the panels and whether or not batteries are used, the cost of electricity, and other factors. 

Systems can be configured in a variety of ways. Simple systems may consist of panels, wiring and a DC (direct current) motor that may perform tasks such as pumping water when there is sufficient sunlight. A basic system used in a home or business will have panels and wiring, an inverter to convert current from DC to AC (alternating current, as used in homes), and a controller to monitor the flow of current to prevent overcharging. These systems are connected to the building’s main electrical system, and will slow or reverse the direction if the electrical meter by sending the excess current back into the electrical grid. Note that a “Net Metering” contract between the homeowner and the local utility must be signed before this kind of system can be connected.  

Net Metering agreements allow residents to store their electricity generated during peak daytime use, and retrieve it at night or during rainy weather. Agreements usually run for one year at a time. At the end of the year, if the PV system’s owners have used more electricity than the system has generated, they only pay for the amount used beyond the amount generated. If less electricity is used than is generated by the system, then the system owners are not compensated for it. Therefore it is important to size the system appropriately to the home or business. Too large a system also means that owners are paying for more equipment than they need, making the payback period longer. 

By adding a series of batteries to this system, the owner will then have power during an emergency or power outage, as long as the system is not damaged. The number and size of batteries will dictate how much power will be available during nighttime use.  

The California Energy Commission provides a free online guide to solar energy at www.energy.ca.gov/reports/2001-09-04_500-01-020.PDF. This is a basic guide to PV system design and installation, and provides detailed information on equipment wiring, voltage drop calculations and much more. Installing PV systems is complicated and should only be done by a qualified, licensed installer.  

For more information on solar energy, net metering, equipment rebates and energy conservation, visit the city’s energy office Web site at www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/ENERGY 

Alice Pierre works for the city’s energy office. This column runs in the Daily Planet as a public service the first and third Tuesday of the month.

Editor: 

Reading The Daily Planet regularly, I’ve seen nearly unanimous support of the Berkeley City Council’s anti-bombing resolution and the condemnation of our country’s current efforts in Afghanistan. With this week’s heroic victories by the United States and Northern Alliance in Kabul and the northern half of the country, have any of the aforementioned readers changed their tune? 

It’s quite easy to preach “war is not the answer,” cloaking one’s anti-war rhetoric behind the would-be civilian deaths in Afghanistan (of which there have actually been less than 300), without providing any kind of realistic solution which doesn’t involve all-out war on the Taliban. Patting one’s self on the back for being “the voice of reason” and a pacifist may put to ease the minds of those who hate getting their hands dirty or faint at the sight of blood, but it doesn’t change the current situation one iota. Suppose Bush, Cheney et al had followed the recommendation of the Berkeley City Council (and majority of Berkeleyans) and ceased its attack on the Taliban, choosing instead to negotiate for the release of Bin Laden. Not only would the men, women and children of Kabul and much of Afghanistan still be oppressed under draconian Taliban law, the United States would be recognizing the Taliban as the true government of Afghanistan. Sometimes, the ends do justify the means; and I don’t see many Afghans complaining about them today. 

Nat Mastick, Berkeley 

SAN FRANCISCO — With co-workers or even complete strangers, Californians love to pile into cars. Home of some of the nation’s longest commutes, the state has three of the nation’s top four cities where workers are most likely to carpool. 

But other states are gaining ground on California’s infamous car culture. 

In North Carolina’s two largest cities, the average worker just doesn’t walk to the office. They drive in droves. And the prize for the nation’s longest average schlep to work goes to New York City. 

New census data released Tuesday include details on the commutes of people living in cities with more than 250,000 residents. The estimates don’t include workers who commute to the listed cities. But they do reveal a few patterns, including Californians’ love-hate affair with their autos and the burden New Yorkers bear — they accumulate about four entire days more travel time each year than workers in Chicago, the city with the second-longest commute. 

Nationally, commute times went up during the 1990s and carpooling went down, from 13 percent of car traffic to 11 percent, according to the Census Bureau. 

But carpooling stayed in style in several California cities. 

To the surprise of city leaders, Anaheim was the nation’s carpooling king. One in four people there who take a car, truck or van to work share the ride. That’s tops in the nation according to the new census numbers. 

Three major freeway systems border the city, all with carpool lanes. Several of the city’s largest employers offer carpool incentives, including the city itself, said Anaheim spokesman John Nicoletti. Employees at Disneyland earn Disney dollars — resort scrip — for using alternative forms of transportation and the resort offers a service to match carpoolers with cars. 

The nearby Orange County city of Santa Ana and Oakland are not far behind when it comes to carpooling rates, but under very different circumstances. 

In Santa Ana, a city with a large immigrant, low-skilled work force, carpooling is the smart way to avoid exasperating bus rides to Los Angeles for a graveyard shift. 

“Carpooling is perhaps the most logical approach,” said Abel Valenzuela, a professor of urban studies professor at UCLA. 

In Oakland, the chronically clogged Bay Bridge lies between commuters and their San Francisco offices. Carpooling takes half the time — and is free. So, beginning in the 1970s, drivers began stopping by spots where the carless convene to fill up their empty seats. 

The movement called “casual carpooling” has turned into a commute staple. 

“People have discovered that they can save some time and in the case of the bridges a little bit of money if they just throw a few extra people in there,” said Steve Beroldo, a researcher with RIDES, a Bay Area commute planning service. “It’s really not that big of a hassle.” 

About 10,000 commuters use this informal system each day, said Beroldo, who spent 15 years carpooling into San Francisco. 

But when it comes to long commute times, New York ranks on top. 

The average New Yorker takes 39 minutes to get to work, 11 minutes longer each way than Los Angeles, the city with signature gridlock. 

Dragging up that average is Aaron Engel, 24, who takes an hour and 15 minutes each day to get from far out Queens to downtown Manhattan. 

“It’s very draining. It’s definitely not a pleasant experience,” Engel said of his drive-to-the-subway-and-take-two-trains trek. He thought of moving from the Belle Harbor area to Manhattan, but after September’s terrorist attacks opts to continue battling the commute. 

For some commuters, the battle is to get out of the car and hoof it to the office. 

One in eight workers in Boston walks to the office — the highest rate in the nation. By contrast, barely one in 100 people walk to work in Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. 

With its searing summer heat and mountainous terrain, the 247-square-mile city of El Paso, Texas, fares no better. 

One walking commuter there is Art Duval, a professor of mathematical science at the University of Texas at El Paso. He strolls the mile and a half each way in a floppy hat, clutching a water bottle. 

“When I walk to campus,” Duval said, “usually, I’m the only one.” 

——— 

Associated Press Writer Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report. 

OAKLAND — The Oakland Public Library is introducing a wireless local area network that will connect 120 computers in 17 sites. 

The network was made possible by a $100,000 Urban Challenge Grant from 3Com Corp. 

“We do have computer labs at the main library which most branches don’t have because of wiring and limited space constraints,” said community relations librarian Kathleen Hirooka. “What we needed in some of the tight areas was the ability to have some flexibility in moving the computers around.” 

The wireless LANs that will be installed use radio frequencies to transmit data. A LAN PC card communicates with a wireless access point that is connected to the wired network via standard cabling. In this specific case the card can send and receive data a distance of up to about 300 feet. 

Installation at the main library, 15 branch libraries and the Second Start Adult Literacy Program should be completed in three months, said administrative librarian Gerry Garzon. 

Last year, 2.5 million sub-Saharan Africans died from AIDS.  

There are no embargo or travel restrictions to Africa, however, this continent is not a popular tourist attraction to most Americans – unless her name happens to be Lou Montgomery.  

The Berkeley psychologist joined a meditation retreat to South Africa in 1998. After only a few weeks, she fell in love with the landscape, people and culture.  

The following year Montgomery returned to South Africa to perform her doctoral thesis: “Kali’s Follies: Mid-life at the Millennium” for delegates at the Parliament of World Religions. Using the Hindi goddess Kali, the creator and destroyer, her work parallels 3,000 years of historic patriarchal exploitation of the womb with that of the earth.  

Kali’s Follies has been compared to Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues” and Sia Amma’s “In Search of My Clitoris.” All three works speak humorously about topics not often explored on stage, let alone behind closed doors. 

The one-woman show comically dramatizes attitudes, trends, and dominant Western cultural projections towards women in menopause. It is set against the backdrop of Apocalyptic “millennial madness.” Kali, the Hindu goddess of creation and destruction, whose fierce compassion heralds sudden transformation is having the last laugh as the planet careens into breakdown or breakthrough pursuing its reckless “follies.” 

Through her performance piece, Montgomery wants to get people talking both here and elsewhere about the tragedies still committed against women and girls world-wide, more specifically in Mpumalanga, the second largest of the nine provinces that make up the new South Africa. This place has the third highest rape statistics in the country. Here one in three adults is HIV infected. The myth that sex with a virgin can cure HIV/AIDS has put girls as young as 1 year old, at risk of sexual violence.  

Montgomery met three people there whose causes quickly became her own: Sophia Jardim, Barbara Kenyon, and an indigenous healer, Dr. Shado Dludlu. To help raise funds and awareness here for their organizations, Montgomery decided to throw an celebratory extravaganza for the South African activists – the first week of events took place last week and the last performance will be Friday, in conjunction with Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Ensemble. 

Prior to Montgomery’s visit to “the place where the sun comes up” which is what Mpumalanga means in Zulu, Jardim, Kenyon, Dludlu didn’t know each other, even though they served the same population.  

Kenyon, who is a white South African, didn’t trust indigenous practices and blamed Sangomas for the rapid spread of the disease. While, Dludlu and other black Africans were leery of anything coming from white people whom they didn’t know. Strangely enough, Jardim. an Afrikaner, and Dludlu, a Sangoma, already knew and respected each other’s work. Thanks to Montgomery, all three are talking now.  

The focus on South Africa is not to take the focus away from problems at home. Alameda County has declared a medical state of emergency for HIV disease, Hepatitis C and women of color who are partners of men with these diseases.  

The spirit journey will conclude Friday with a show in conjunction with Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Ensemble, John Santos and Machete, the South African Folk and Street Choral, “Umlilo Acapella,” and Cuban choreographer Ramon Ramos Alaya. It will be at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, the corner of 27th and Harrison streets at 7:30 p.m.  

For program and ticket information log on to www.kaliworks.com or call 848-5792. 

All proceeds will go directly to the HIV/AIDS organizations in Mpumalanga Province: Jardim House which cares for people with HIV and orphans, GRIP (Greater Regional Rape Crisis Intervention Program) which treats child victims of HIV perpetrators, and Mngoma Walk, a medicinal herb growing and youth employment project.

A post-Sept. 11 fear of flying has some college students planning a rare Thanksgiving dinner away from home this year. 

That includes Jensen Rice, a 23-year-old University of Colorado senior from California. Unnerved by the terrorist attacks, his parents asked Rice and younger sister Cailin, a student at Cornell University in upstate New York, to stay put for the holiday. 

“I’m not too thrilled,” says Jensen, who will spend Thanksgiving with a cousin in Denver, rather than with his parents in Del Mar, Calif. 

To accommodate students in a similar bind, many schools — from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, to Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. — are keeping more dorms open. Among those staying on campus are many foreign students, who’ve been told that getting back into the country might be difficult. 

Some institutions, such as Columbia University’s Teachers College, are planning special holiday dinners for students Thursday. 

And officials at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y., are taking it one step further. They have arranged for a bus to take students to the annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. 

While the exact number of college students traveling this week is tough to pin down, those who are leaving campus may be more interested taking cars or buses rather planes. 

A telephone poll taken by St. Louis-based Maritz Research during the last week of September — as students were making travel plans — found that about one in four of Americans questioned had decided to take a different mode of transportation for Thanksgiving. 

The percentage was even higher — nearly a third — for those 18 to 24. Twenty-five percent of respondents in that age group said they planned to fly, while about 71 percent planned to drive. 

Nearly half in that age group said that flying is their usual mode of Thanksgiving transport. The Maritz poll had a margin of error of just over 3 percentage points. 

At least one youth expert says it’s good for parents to let children decide whether they want to travel for the holidays. 

“A lot of times adolescents and young adults aren’t as frightened as adults are,” says Lois McCallister, a psychotherapist at the DePelchin Children’s Center in Houston. “And we don’t want to impose our fears of them.” 

Not everyone is avoiding airports. 

Jack Blair, who attends Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., is flying home to Nashville on Wednesday. 

He has confidence in the heightened airport security, although he concedes that having some emotional distance from the attacks probably made the decision easier. 

“I think some of us have a false sense of security when we aren’t confronted personally,” says Blair, who didn’t know any victims of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington. 

Other self-proclaimed “white-knuckle flyers” say they are only more nervous, especially since last week’s crash of an American Airlines flight in New York, apparently unrelated to the Sept. 11 attacks. 

SAN FRANCISCO — ChevonTexaco Corp. Monday said it will lay off about 500 more workers than management anticipated as part of the newly merged oil giant’s effort to save an additional $600 million annually in its combined operations. 

Under the more aggressive cost-cutting program, the San Francisco-based company will eliminate 4,500 jobs, or about 8 percent of its work force, instead of the 4,000 layoffs envisioned in October 2000 when Chevron announced its plans to buy Texaco for $39 billion. 

The company reiterated its plans to eliminate 4,000 jobs in a quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission last week. 

The extra job cuts are being made as ChevronTexaco raises its estimated cost savings from the merger to $1.8 billion from management’s original estimate of $1.2 billion annually. The company expects to trim $1.2 billion in expenses by July of next year and realize an additional $600 million in savings by March 2003. 

The 500 additional layoffs and other belt-tightening measures will account for $80 million of the extra savings, according to a presentation for industry analysts in New York. 

More than half — $320 million — of the additional savings will be generated in the company’s “downstream” business, the segment devoted to selling refined products to consumers and businesses. ChevronTexaco plans to reduce its selection of lubricant products as part of a “more focused” marketing efforts, company Chairman David O’Reilly told analysts during Monday’s 90-minute meeting. 

The company runs more than 25,000 gasoline stations worldwide, including 8,100 North American locations. 

ChevronTexaco expects to save an additional $200 million on the production side of its business. 

Overall, the company says it has identified about 700 specific areas where money can be saved and is holding weekly meetings to make sure the expense cuts are proceeding on schedule. “I’m confident these (savings) are real and they are deliverable,” O’Reilly said. 

The higher savings estimates didn’t come as a surprise. Analysts had widely expected ChevronTeaxco to raise its savings target to at least $1.5 billion annually, based on the pattern in other recently completed oil industry combinations. 

ChevronTexaco’s shares fell 54 cents to close at $82.91 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. With oil prices sliding, the company’s stock has declined by 9 percent since the Oct. 9 consummation of the marriage. 

To pay for severance checks, employee relocations and office closures, ChevronTexaco will incur about $1.5 billion in merger expenses. The company had spent $230 million on merger expenses through Oct. 31, according to SEC documents. 

With its efforts focused on the merger savings, ChevronTexaco expects to increase its oil and gas production by just 1 percent in 2002, O’Reilly said. The company’s production should rise by an annual average of 2.5 percent to 3 percent during the next five years. 

——— 

On The Net: 

http://www.chevrontexaco.com 

Feds see decline into first quarter of 2002 

SAN FRANCISCO — The sliding economy probably will continue its descent through the winter amid rising unemployment and falling property values, a top Federal Reserve Bank official said Monday. 

The economy’s output, or gross domestic product, will decline in final three months of this year and the first quarter of next year, predicted Robert Parry, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The economy should start rebounding in the spring, Parry forecast, resulting in modest growth in the second quarter. 

Parry made his remarks after a speech at a real estate and economics meeting sponsored by the University of California at Berkeley. The presentation marked his first public remarks on the economy since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

“Frankly, over the short term, the outlook isn’t great and there’s a lot of uncertainty,” Parry said in his speech. He said steep slump in the technology industry makes it highly unlikely California — and the Bay Area in particular— will recover anytime soon. 

California is the largest part of Parry’s Fed district, which spans nine Western states. 

Over the long term, though, “our economy remains fundamentally strong and it still affords tremendous opportunity,” Parry said. 

During question-and-answer sessions with the audience and the media, Parry predicted consumers will curtail their spending and save more money during the next few months as businesses continue to fire workers to shore up their sagging profits. The commercial real estate industry, in particular, will “face quite a bit of challenge” as office vacancy rates rise and rents decline, Parry said. 

To combat the weakness, the Fed may lower interest rates even further, Parry said. The Fed has lowered interest rates 10 times since the beginning of the year, decreasing its benchmark federal funds rates from 6.5 percent to 2 percent — the lowest level in 40 years. 

“If it were necessary — and I am not making an interest rate forecast — there is sufficient room” to lower rates below 2 percent, Parry told Monday’s audience. 

Parry participates in the meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee that sets interest rates, but doesn’t vote on the group’s decisions. Under the Fed’s system for rotating power around the country, Parry won’t vote on the direction of interest rates until 2003. 

Although some economists have questioned whether interest rate cuts will provide the financial tonic the country needs, Parry believes this year’s flurry of reductions “will go down in the history books as effective.” He said a sharp drop in mortgage rates already have spurred a refinancing boom that has boosted household incomes and fueled consumer spending. 

The refinancing gains, though, won’t be enough to reassure increasingly uneasy consumers about the wave of layoffs since the Sept. 11 attacks, Parry said. The country lost 415,000 non-farm jobs in October — the largest one-month setback in 21 years. 

“I would be very surprised if we don’t see some pickup in the savings rates because people are feeling uncertain,” Parry told reporters. Parry called relatively strong consumer spending “the most surprising element of the past year.” 

Consumers opened their pocketbooks last month to boost retail sales by 7 percent, but most of that stemmed from a spike in new auto sales triggered by offers of zero percent financing. Parry predicted that the sales incentives will hurt auto sales next year by significantly reducing the number of consumers looking to buy a new car. 

With the economy weakening around the world, Parry believes oil and gas prices will remain stable or decline even further in the months ahead — another development that should help both consumers and businesses. 

“It’s hard for me to believe that there will be a strong, sustainable upward trend in energy prices in the near future,” Parry said.

Former politician named vice chairman of LA financial services firm 

WASHINGTON — Al Gore has accepted the job of vice chairman of a Los Angeles-based financial services holding company. The former vice president will help the firm find investments overseas as well as private-equity investments in biotechnology and information technology. 

Gore will add the new job at Metropolitan West Financial to his other duties as college professor, guest speaker and writing a book with his wife Tipper about the American family. 

That crowded resume doesn’t address the biggest pending question about the former vice president and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee — his political future. 

“He hasn’t made any decisions about campaigns in his future and that’s still true today,” Gore spokeswoman Kiki McLean said Monday. Gore has formed a political action committee and has made trips to Iowa and New Hampshire to talk with old friends and political allies this fall. 

But associates say he hasn’t made a decision about whether he will run for president even though he’s taking steps to keep his options open. 

Gore will not be moving to Los Angeles, but will travel between New York, Los Angeles, his teaching jobs in Tennessee and his home in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. 

He will continue to serve as a research professor focusing on family-centered community building at the University of California-Los Angeles, and will continue to teach classes on the subject at Middle Tennessee State University and Fisk University, both in his home state of Tennessee. 

Gore said in a statement that he has worked on business and economic issues “from the perspective of a public servant engaged in public policy and I am eager to learn more about business as an active executive.” 

Neither company officials nor Gore aides would discuss what he would be paid in his new job with the company. 

Metwest is a fast-growing firm that is not widely known outside the financial community, though it manages just over $51 billion in assets through several affiliates. It is one of the biggest securities lenders in the U.S. 

The company was founded almost a decade ago when Richard Hollander, who once headed a Drexel Burnham Lambert investment-grade bond sales team on the West Coast, bought a securities lending branch of Security Pacific Bank soon after its merger with Bank of America. 

Hollander said he met Gore last spring at a lunch with mutual friends and liked what he heard from him. 

“We got to know him better and had a strong feeling about his intellect and integrity,” Hollander said. 

Metwest has clients such as the California Public Employees Retirement System, Boeing Employees Federal Credit Union, Florida state board of administration and Microsoft. Several managers of the firm are former California state officials. 

Metwest has rapidly grown as it acquired other firms that manage stocks and bonds and provide wealth management advice to retired airline pilots. 

Dwight Morris of the nonpartisan Campaign Study Group said politicians who join private firms and later come back to politics can face difficult decisions. 

“He’s got to have a job,” Morris said. “I don’t think people would assume he would leave government and never work again ... What the public would expect, should he decide to run for president, is that he divest himself of any interests in the company before running for office.” 

Morris noted the example of Vice President Cheney, an executive with Halliburton Co., a Dallas-based energy services company. When Cheney was picked as the vice presidential candidate, questions were raised about the company’s financial dealings with government, company policies and Cheney’s stock holdings. But Morris noted: “The fallout for Cheney lasted a short time.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.mwfin.com 

YAKIMA, Wash. — Washington wine grape growers are raising their glasses to a record harvest of 97,600 tons, up 9 percent from last year, largely because of more vines planted. 

Winemakers are also toasting the quality of the crop, expected to be the fourth excellent vintage in a row. 

“This is going to be one of the greatest vintages ever in Washington,” Ted Baseler, president of Woodinville-based Stimson Lane Vineyards and Estates, the state’s largest wine company, said Monday. 

“Because of the heat and the very long growing season, we’re probably going to have fruit similar to the 1998 harvest, which has garnered tremendous accolades.” 

Last year’s harvest of 90,000 tons of wine grapes was also a record. 

About 29,000 acres in the state are now planted in wine grapes, a 17 percent increase from 1999. 

Unlike a lot of Washington farmers suffering through an extended downturn, wine grape growers in this state find themselves in the enviable position of having demand exceed supply. 

Wineries here are attracting out-of-state investors, and Washington wines are drawing rave reviews. 

This week, Wine Enthusiast magazine named Washington the wine region of the year — “worthy of the world’s respect.” Last year, it was Australia. 

“To make a switch from a country to a state is a big leap of faith for the Enthusiast,” said Steve Burns, director of the Washington Wine Commission in Seattle. 

“It’s further recognition and validation for Washington’s coming of age.” 

And the designation has the potential to translate into sales by increasing awareness about Washington wine, particularly on the East Coast, said Duane Wollmuth, managing partner for the Three Rivers Winery in the Walla Walla Valley. 

Washington, the nation’s No. 2 wine producer behind California, has more than 170 wineries that produced more than 11 million gallons of wine last year. There were only 19 wineries in the state 20 years ago. 

Winemakers said this year will be a particularly good one for syrah, the third-most popular red variety grown here. 

“I think this is the fourth year in a row we’ve had very excellent years,” Wollmuth said. 

Syrah acreage has doubled in the state in the last couple of years, he said. 

“The real trend is for it to be one of the top varieties produced by the state,” he said. 

Fifty-two percent of the state’s wine grape crop is red, with merlot and cabernet sauvignon as the top varieties, and 48 percent is white wine grapes, dominated by chardonnay and riesling. 

“I think what we’re seeing is a maturation of Washington — emerging from a quality-wine status to a bona fide world-class producer of fine wines and doing so on a consistent basis,” Baseler said. 

Nature has something to do with four great vintages in a row, but so does improved farming. 

“I wouldn’t be so bold as to say we’re not going to have a bad vintage in the future — things do happen, such as particularly cool temperatures and rain during harvest,” Baseler said. 

But most of the crop now comes from newer vineyards with sophisticated development. 

The spacing and the trellising are improved, and growers have gotten better at finding the microclimates that have the best angle to the sun or protecting crops from early frost damage, he said. 

“We’re moving rapidly into minimizing the random (natural) problems we’ve had in the past,” Baseler said. 

creation low 

SAN FRANCISCO — Personnel reductions are expected to outpace additions in the San Francisco Bay area this winter, according to Manpower’s First Quarter 2002 Employment Outlook Survey. 

The report, released Monday, indicates 13 percent of firms interviewed expect their payrolls to increase in the new year, while 33 percent say fewer workers will be needed and 41 percent intend to stay at current levels. 

“A year ago employers were optimistic for the January-March period as 25 percent planned workforce additions, while 9 percent predicted cutbacks,” said Hal Adler of Manpower. 

The survey is based on telephone interviews with nearly 16,000 public and private employers in 482 U.S. markets. 

For the winter quarter, job prospects appear most likely in education and public administration, while cutbacks are envisioned in construction, non-durable goods manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade and services. 

outbreak warnings 

STANFORD — An experimental early warning system for suspicious disease outbreaks is being tested at the Stanford University Medical Center emergency room. 

It’s part of a nationwide push to brace for potential bioterrorism attacks. 

The new surveillance system is built around an Internet connection and special computer terminals at the emergency room’s triage desk. For every incoming patient, nurses transmit key details about symptoms to local health authorities. 

The goal is to provide lead time to improve odds of rescuing the first victims, stopping a pathogen from spreading and aiding in police investigations. Eventually, emergency rooms throughout the county may be asked to participate. 

The system — designed by designed by Health Hero Network of Mountain View — is called BASIICS, or Biothreat Active Surveillance Integrated Information and Communication System. 

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Public Library is introducing a wireless local area network that will connect 120 computers in 17 sites. 

The network was made possible by a $100,000 Urban Challenge Grant from 3Com Corp. 

“We do have computer labs at the main library which most branches don’t have because of wiring and limited space constraints,” said community relations librarian Kathleen Hirooka. “What we needed in some of the tight areas was the ability to have some flexibility in moving the computers around.” 

The wireless LANs that will be installed use radio frequencies to transmit data. A LAN PC card communicates with a wireless access point that is connected to the wired network via standard cabling. In this specific case the card can send and receive data a distance of up to about 300 feet. 

Installation at the main library, 15 branch libraries and the Second Start Adult Literacy Program should be completed in three months, said administrative librarian Gerry Garzon. 

In another sign of how the world has changed since Sept. 11, the City Council approved an update Tuesday that will include terrorist attacks in Berkeley’s Disaster Preparedness Plan. 

The recommendation from Mayor Shirley Dean calls for local agencies, including the city’s fire, police and health departments, to be trained and equipped to respond to nuclear, chemical and biochemical terrorist attacks. 

“Traditionally the Disaster Preparedness Plan has covered fires and natural disasters,” said Arrietta Chakos, chief of staff to the City Manager’s Office. “Now cities across the country are upgrading their plans to include terrorism.” 

The recommendation, which was unanimously approved by the council, asks the city manager, the Disaster Council and the Fire Safety Commission to develop additional disaster responses and protocols. 

The five-part recommendation was the result of the United States Conference of Mayors in late October. Dean attended the conference with high-ranking city officials from the city manager’s office and police, fire and health departments. Dean said the most predominant issue discussed during the conference was that local agencies will be the first responders to possible terrorist attacks. 

“The action plan formulated at the conference recognizes that cities are in a precarious [situation] in which both people within our borders and our troops on foreign soil are at risk,” Dean wrote in her recommendation report. 

Some of the steps likely to be taken are emergency response training, procurement of v

Monday, Nov. 19

Flu Shots 

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m - 2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Positive Political Theory  

Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Robert Powell, UCB, will talk about his book, “Bargaining While Fighting.” 642-4608 www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Tuesday, Nov. 20

Breakfast with Rev. Sirirat  

Pusurinkham 

7:30 - 9 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Pastor of the Church of Christ in Thailand, a leader in the struggle for economic justice for indigenous minorities, campaigner against international child prostitution. Free. Food service begins at 7:15 a.m. 845-6830 

California Politics Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Nick Bollman, California Center for Regional Leadership, will talk about “California’s New Regionalism.” 642-4608 www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Experimental Mid-life  

Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Street 

Miriam Chaya presents the second of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

Holiday Crime Prevention 

11:15 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Members of the Berkeley Police Department will discuss prevention methods . 644-6107 

Holistic Health 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Elizabeth Forrest discusses Creative Aging in a Holiday Holistic Health talk. 644-6107 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

12 - 2 p.m. 

Alta Bates Medical Center 

2001 Dwight Way 

Monica Nowakowski lectures on holiday stress reduction. 601-0550. 

Wednesday, Nov. 21

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28. 

Stories of Your Amazing Body 

2 p.m. - 3 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

For children aged three to ten years old, escape to the magical realm of health, fun, and excitement of this ongoing storytelling series. 549-1564  

Thursday, Nov. 22

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Friday, Nov. 23

Kwanzaa Gift Show 

12 - 8 p.m. 

Oakland Marriott Hotel 

1001 Broadway, Oakland 

Three-day cultural gift show offers goods and services as well as retail seminars, business workshops, job recruitment, product samples, business opportunities, and entertainment. 

Saturday, Nov. 24

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m. 

The Village 

2556 Telegraph 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Joe Chellman Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Open Center 

10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The Center is open for exercise and lunch. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” will be shown at 1 p.m. 644-6107 

Teddy Bear Festival 

1 p.m., 3 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive Theater 

2575 Bancroft Way 

Children get to march their teddy bears through the theater, and then watch animated teddy bear films. $3.50. 642-1412 

Sunday, Nov. 25

United Genders of the  

Universe 

7 p.m. 

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

An all ages genderqueer group for anyone who views gender as having more than 2 options. 548-8283

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the Berkeley City Council: 

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” 

— Gahndi 

“My country is the world’s largest purveyor of violence in the world.”  

— Dr. Martin Luther Jr. 

First, Americans wonder why our society has kids that shoot up high schools. We have no further to look than at the model we as adults and a nation provide. The United States’ extremely violent and oppressive foreign policy (led by the Pentagon, US multinational corporations and the CIA) is one major aspect of why our kids are so violent. It is estimated that US foreign policy is responsible for at least 8 million dead people worldwide since 1950. 

Imagine how many families worldwide have been destroyed by all our violence.  

We have irrresponsible conservative Talk show hosts and media talking heads urging revenge and violence at home and abroad. Who could blame the kids who shoot up their schools when they are simply modeling the adults’ behaviors/ 

Secondly, where is the evidence that bin Laden and the Taliban actually committed these acts? Our government has presented zero solid evidence of this, only propoganda and fear mongering. It is a fact the U.S. government has been withholding any evicence they may have. 

Thank you so much for your courageous stand against more war and violence. 

You realize how critical it is to humanities’ survival to get off our cycles of more pain and violence onto the firm ground of love, community, and peace. 

I will be patronizing as many local establishments as possible. 

Scott McCandless 

Berkeley

924 Gilman St. Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 19: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 20: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Nov. 21: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 23: Sally Hanna-Rhine and David Tapham; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 24: Carl Garrett Jazz Quartet; Nov. 25: Acoustic Soul; Nov. 26: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 27: Jason Martineau and David Sayen; Nov. 28: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 29: Ed Reed and Alex Markels Jazz Group; Nov. 30: Ann sings jazz standards; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Ashkenaz Nov. 19: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 20: 8 p.m., Tamazgha, $8; Nov. 21: 8 p.m., Tom Rigney & Flambeau, $8; Nov. 22: 6 - 9 p.m., Annual Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast, Free; 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 23: 9 p.m., Ras Michael and Sons of Negus with DJ Tony Moses, $10; Nov. 24: 9:30 p.m., Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, $11; Nov. 25: 9 p.m., The King of Calypso Mighty Sparrow, $15; Nov. 26: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 27: 8 p.m., Creole Belles, $8; Nov. 28: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Intentions, Stairwell Sisters, Clogging with Evie Ladin, $10; Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums w/ Ms. Carmen Getit; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Nov. 19: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 20: Mr. Q, View From Here, $3; Nov. 21: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 22: Ascension, $5; Nov. 23: Solemite, TBA, $5; Nov. 24: Dank Man Shank, Locale AM, $5; Nov. 25: Out of The Ashes, Wonderland Ave., $3; Nov. 26: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 27: PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, Froggy, $3; Nov. 28: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 29: Ascension, $5; Nov. 30: Felonious, TBA, $6; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

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

Freight & Salvage Coffee House Nov. 21: Raun Fables and Noe Venable; Nov. 23 & 24: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Sickafoose; Nov. 25: Sylvia Herold; Nov. 26: Ellen Robinson; Nov. 28: Wake the Dead; Nov. 29: Judith Kate Friedman and Deborah Pardes; Nov. 30: Odile Lavault and Baguette Quartette; Dec. 1: Geoff Muldaur w/ Fritz Richmond; Dec. 2: Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik; Dec. 5: Avalon Blues: Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Bill Morrissey; Dec. 6: Ray Bonneville; Dec. 7 & 8: Rebecca Riots; All shows begin 8 p.m., 1111 Addison St. Call 548-1761 for prices or see www.freightandsalvage.org.  

iMusicast Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., Applesaucer, The Plus Ones, Cutlass Supreme, Salem Lights, Short Wave Rocket, One Step Shift; 5429 Telegraph Ave. 601-1024, www.imusicast.com. 

Jupiter Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Uncle Vanya” Nov. 23 through Nov. 29: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. Nov. 25, 7 p.m. Subterranean Shakespeare’s production of Jean-Claude van Italie’s humorous translation of Anton Chekhov’s romantic masterpiece. Directed by Diane Jackson. Benefits the Forests Forever Foundation. $8-$14. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

This is what it comes down to for the Cal football team this season: even when Stanford played its worst, the Bears couldn’t beat them. 

The Cardinal turned the ball over five times and committed a season high 10 penalties for 90 yards, but Cal handed back four of the turnovers and managed to give up a Big Game-record 568 yards on defense in a 35-28 Stanford win. 

“You can’t paint the Mona Lisa every week,” Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham said of his team’s ugly win. And against Cal, they certainly didn’t need to. 

The Bears had their now-expected pileup of miscues against the Cardinal. Wideout LaShaun Ward dropped five passes, and quarterback Kyle Boller threw two interceptions. Cornerback Atari Callen missed a tackle on Stanford’s Luke Powell that turned a short gain into a 79-yard touchdown, the second-longest in Big Game history, and the Bears let Cardinal quarterback Chris Lewis to throw for a career-high 390 yards and three scores. 

But they were also the victims of two very questionable calls, both at crucial points in the game. 

After blocking a Stanford field goal at the end of the first half to keep the score 21-13 in favor of Stanford, the Bears should have had some momentum to start the second half. But return man Charon Arnold stretched out on the return and hit the ball on the ground, popping it out. The officials ruled it a fumble and Stanford recovered. 

“That (play) was the story of our season right there,” Cal head coach Tom Holmoe said. “We’d get something good going, and a tough break takes us out of it.” 

In the final minutes of the game, Cal was again hit with a tough call. With Stanford up 35-28, the Bears forced a punt. Calvin Hosey, who had just missed blocking an earlier punt, again came through and dove at the ball, just missing it. He landed in a heap at Stanford punter Eric Johnson’s feet. Johnson collapsed on landing, and after a considerable delay, the referee threw a flag for running into the kicker, giving Stanford a crucial first down. A Pac-10 spokesperson said after the game the punter needed a place to come down, and Hosey didn’t give him the opportunity. 

“His foot landed in front of my thigh, and he just fell down,” Hosey said. “It’s up to the refs to make the call, and we just have to live with it.” 

Stanford ran another minute and a half off of the clock before punting again, and the Bears could only manage a Hail Mary pass from midfield which was batted down in the end zone as time expired. 

The Bears are now 0-10, with a makeup game against a 2-8 Rutgers team on Friday their only hope of salvaging a win this season. 

“You want to talk about Rutgers? Sure, let’s talk about Rutgers,” said Holmoe, for whom the game will be the last as Cal head coach. “That game takes on huge, huge significance for us at this point.” 

The win was the seventh in a row for Stanford in the series. Those who feel some of the spark has left the once-rabid rivalry were supported by the scene after the game: the Stanford fans didn’t rush the field as the winners usually do, and only about half of the team stuck around to receive the Axe trophy. Five minutes after the final whistle, both teams were already bunkered into their locker rooms, ready to move on to the next game. 

Cal’s senior class is now the third in a row to leave without ever winning the Axe, a feeling that didn’t sit well with linebacker Scott Fujita. 

“I just didn’t want to leave the field,” Fujita said. “This was my last big game, the last time I’ll play with all of my best friends.” 

There were some bright spots for the Bears. They took a 10-7 lead in the first quarter when safety Nnamdi Asomugha intercepted a Lewis screen pass and took in it for a touchdown from 16 yards out. Lewis was pressured into the poor throw by linebacker Matt Nixon, who had a whale of a game with 10 tackles, including three for losses, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal. 

Boller and Ward hooked up for a 48-yard bomb for the final touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter. But that didn’t make up for the seven dropped passes by Cal receivers. 

“Making some of those catches would have helped,” said Boller, who threw for 278 yards in the game. “We just couldn’t move the ball late in the game.” 

Both quarterbacks were banged up during the game. Lewis was hurt in the third quarter and left for a play, with senior Randy Fasani coming in for his first action in four games. Fasani scrambled for 14 yards on his only play putting the Cardinal within field goal range, but Willingham called for a fake that turned into a botched pass. 

Boller was hit hard in the fourth quarter and came up holding his throwing arm, but he stayed in the game for the duration. 

“I wasn’t coming out unless my arm was broken,” Boller said. 

Most of the Cal talk after the game was how well the team had played, and how the players came together and gave it their best effort. But Holmoe put it best when considering the ramifications of a winless season. 

“Lessons are nice, but wins are sweeter,” he said.

Images of protesters, peace signs and power struggles circled around three generations of women as they discussed their own experiences as activists to a packed room of around 100 people yesterday afternoon. 

The Berkeley Art Center brought the activist panel together to discuss the invisibility of women’s issues through out the world in conjunction with, “The Whole World’s Watching,” an exhibition of documentary photography of the social movements of the 1960s. 

Before the discussion began, the panel gave tribute to Alice Hamburg, the 95-year-old activist who recently died. Author Tillie Olsen who was also scheduled to be part of the panel was unable to attend due to illness. 

The theme of invisibility ran throughout the hour-long panel discussion. Ruth Rosen, a professor of history at UC Davis spoke of the invisibility of the women of Afghanistan, but expressed optimism with the western world leading the fight to aid the women of Afghanistan. 

Susan Griffin, author of “The Book of Courtesans: A Catalogue of their Virtues,” talked about how women in the 1960s faced the invisibility of women’s issues and stereotypes of women as sexual objects and mothers. 

“The real truth was not coming out,” Griffin said. “To think about women’s issues one had to be an activist.”  

This is when women’s studies departments in universities began and eventually evolved into gender studies. 

“Ideas that may seem clichéd now are actually a measure of our success,” she said. 

When Miriam Joffe-Block attended the University of Pennsylvania, she said some university

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean and the City Council: 

I’m writing in support of the General Plan and specifically retention of Policy T-35, including a two-year moratorium on city-sponsored parking studies in the downtown area. It’s my belief and understanding that the TDM study was recently completed, and that there are ample parking studies available. It’s also my belief that there is a basic flaw in the EIR process for development downtown (and elsewhere), often allowing individual developments with the designation of “insignificant” or slight impacts on traffic, parking, and congestion, but that when we only look at individual developments we rarely see the whole. Each individual development adds to and accumulates impacts on a variety of services and needs, including quality-of-life. 

I believe we must begin to look at long-term solutions to traffic, congestion, pollution, and parking. These issues are all interconnected.Further, this country’s dependence on the internal combustion automobile has put us in the untenable position of supporting regimes around the world which are undemocratic and who do not support, endorse, nor apply our values for democracy to their own people. These regimes have included up until very recently the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as the Shah in Iran and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. I find it one of the great hypocrisies of our time that patriotism in this country has not translated into any attempt to wean ourselves from the world oil/gas market. Whenever local or regional policies favor automobiles and car use over other means of transport, we are perpetuating this hypocritical cycle of dependence and repression. 

I would like to see Berkeley fully implement transit passes for all its employees (I am currently working on a district-wide transit policy for the BUSD, and will early next year introduce a similar policy for our district employees), enhanced transit routes and amenities (such as bus-stop shelters, signage for available parking, and perhaps even satellite parking with shuttle service downtown), bike racks at more convenient locations, and increased pedestrian safety and improvements. Until we do everything we can to encourage and acknowledge the need for better public transit and walking and biking I cannot support additional parking studies downtown. 

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important issue. 

John Selawsky 

Director, Berkeley Unified School Board 

Guilliard-Young dominates with 12 blocks for Berkeley 

Going into Saturday’s North Coast Section Division I championship, Berkeley High senior star Desiree Guilliard-Young had failed to accomplish just two things in her career: win an NCS title and beat Bishop O’Dowd. Mission accomplished. 

Guilliard-Young led the ’Jackets to a dominating straight-game victory, 16-14, 15-6, 15-8, over the top-seeded Dragons, banishing the four-year curse O’Dowd has held over Berkeley. The 6-foot-5 middle hitter had 8 kills and an astounding 12 blocks in the match, supported by eight kills by outside hitter Vanessa Williams and seven kills and three aces from Amalia Jarvis. 

“We worked way too hard to get to the final to lose,” said a giddy Guilliard-Young after the match at Berkeley High’s Donahue Gymnasium. “We weren’t going to let anything get in our way tonight.” 

The main obstacle for the ’Jackets was supposed to be O’Dowd outside hitter Nikki Esposito, who dominated last season’s NCS matchup between the two teams, a straight-game win for the Dragons. But she wasn’t a huge force in Saturday’s match as O’Dowd’s poor execution kept her from getting on track. Bad passing allowed her just 16 swings on the ball, and she finished with 10 kills. 

“Nikki’s our go-to hitter, but we just couldn’t get the ball to her early in the match,” O’Dowd coach Lisa Newman. “We put ourselves in a hole and couldn’t dig our way out.” 

Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway and Guilliard-Young had lost to the Dragons five times in the last four years, and had never taken so much as a game from them. Caraway couldn’t put his finger on any specific factor that led to the remarkable turnaround. 

“I really couldn’t tell you what the difference was tonight,” he said. “We just played point by point.” 

Although the Dragons were the team with more post-season experience (O’Dowd won the NCS title two years ago), Berkeley was the more composed team early. The ’Jackets jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the opening game on the strength of five aces, including two each from Nadia Qabazard and Guilliard-Young, and some uncharacteristic O’Dowd passing errors. 

But the Dragons came roaring back to tie the game at 14-14 after a rash of service errors from both teams. Esposito had five kills in the latter part of the game, but made a critical error when she hit the sideline antenna with a spike, putting the ’Jackets up 15-14. Amalia Jarvis hit her jump serve for an ace to end the game on the next point, and Berkeley had a 1-0 lead. 

The ’Jackets took a quick lead in the following game as well, going up 10-4 as Guilliard-Young started asserting herself at the net with three kills and a block for points. The Dragons settled down a bit on defense at that point, forcing three side-outs, but Berkeley outside hitter Vanessa Williams answered right back with three straight side-out kills to keep the score the same, and O’Dowd fell apart again. Riley Rant hit the net on an attempted block, Esposito spiked a ball into the net and a Dragon pass went out of bounds, and the score was quickly 13-4. Jarvis again provided the finishing touch, bumping a free ball into the back corner of the court for the 15-6 win. 

O’Dowd finally managed to get their hitters going to start the third game, taking a 3-0 lead with kills from Vanessa Vella and Esposito, but Williams again came up with two crucial side-out kills to stop the bleeding. With the score 4-2, Guilliard-Young simply took over the game, racking up two kills and three blocks during an eight-point Berkeley run.  

“I told Desiree before the last game, ‘Own the net. Block it all,’” Caraway said. “She came through with an unbelievable game.” 

Setter Danielle Larue put up two aces, then Williams had another to give the ’Jackets championship point at 14-7. O’Dowd pulled a point back, but Guilliard-Young slammed home a spike for side out, then took a short set from Larue and hit the winner right down the middle, setting off a wild celebration in the packed gym and dog-pile of Berkeley players in the middle of the court. 

“When we started the playoffs, we all said we were going to win it for Des,” Williams said. “She’s trained so hard for four years, we owed it to her to get this win.” 

Berkeley now heads to the Northern California tournament, an eight-team elimination for the right to play the Southern California champion on Dec. 1. The fourth-seeded ’Jackets open at home at 7 p.m. on Tuesday against No. 7-seed San Benito (Hollister) from the Central California Section. O’Dowd also made the tournament as the last seed and will travel to Davis on Tuesday.

Not many Boy Scouts — only about one percent — achieve the organization’s highest rank, that of Eagle Scout. Berkeley’s Troop Six has had an exceptionally distinguished year, as four of its members have advanced into the order of the Eagle. 

But even that accomplishment pales beside the award bestowed on one of Troop Six’s own on Saturday, when William Berkey, 18, was awarded the Boy Scouts of America’s National Heroism Award for saving the life of one of his classmates last year. 

About 150 friends, family members and Scouts filled St. John’s Presbyterian Church on College Avenue for the ceremony, a BSA “National Circle of Honor,” to pay tribute to Berkey, who simultaneously received the award and advanced to Eagle.  

And Ale Braga, who credits Berkey with saving her life when disaster struck on a school field trip, was there to personally thank him and present him with the award. 

Assistant Scoutmaster Michel de Latour — who serves as a lieutenant in the Berkeley Police

Editor: 

On Oct. 9 Councilmember Dona Spring tried to place on the council agenda an item asking the council to call for a cessation of the bombing in Afghanistan. She was then misquoted in the Daily Cal to the effect that the bombing of Afghanistan could be considered a terrorist act. Even if she said it, she is only one councilmember. 

Nevertheless, immediately, as if Mayor Dean were just waiting for what she perceived as a wedge issue, the mayor placed on her Web site a message that stated that among other things, she wanted to disavow her “council colleagues (note the plural) who would denounce the United States as a ‘terrorist nation.’” She went on to state that “Spring and her four leftist colleagues ... were advocating for ... a resolution condemning U.S. anti-terrorist activity in Afghanistan . . . .” Regard the mayor’s McCarthyite language (”leftist colleagues”). It was the Mayor’s false and misleading web site language that the press picked up, causing the furor about Berkeley. 

Not only were the mayor’s statements false, but the mayor must have known they were false when she made them. Multiple members of council never called the United States a terrorist nation. And no resolution as described by the mayor was advocated by Spring, let alone any of her “leftist” colleagues. 

And, in fact, the resolution that was placed on the agenda for the Oct. 6 meeting and which was ultimately passed, is a far cry from the wild descriptions of it used to denounce Berkeley from all around the country. And despite her drumbeat attacks on the resolution, Mayor Dean voted for two of its five parts and did not have the moral courage to vote against the other parts; she merely abstained.  

The mayor’s comments, on her Web site and in the press fostered a national perception of Berkeley as unpatriotic and caused the boycott talk. Nor was the false information disseminated by the mayor corrected by her though she had many opportunities to do so; indeed, she kept the first message on her Web site until after the Oct. 6 council meeting, the time when many journalists picked up the story.  

We know that opposition to the city, and talk of boycott lessened, or ceased entirely if people saw the actual text of the resolution. For example, the members of council have been furnished a letter from the conservative Republican from Oregon, a relative of one Berkeley citizen, who criticized Berkeley about the Oct. 6 resolution until he had seen the actual text of it. Then, he wrote, “Well, if that is the resolution, I think your mayor isn’t doing a good job on behalf of the city. Instead of trying to get the City Council to reverse its stand – which appears to be principled, balanced and patriotic – she should be out public defending her council on every television news program and with every publication that has taken issue with Berkeley’s position. Even I could support this resolution. Faced with a boycott it appears your mayor either lacks courage or leadership . . . or both.” 

It is clear we need new leadership in Berkeley, leadership that places the welfare of the city above self-serving petty politics. By that measure, Mayor Dean needs to be replaced, and perhaps that should be done before the next election. 

Malcolm Burnstein 

Berkeley 

Three St. Mary’s runners qualify for state meet 

St. Mary’s High cross country runner Bridget Duffy won her third consecutive North Coast Section Division IV championship on Saturday in Hayward, overtaking Bishop O’Dowd’s Danilla Musante in the last 400 yards to take the title with a time of 18:06, two seconds ahead of Musante. 

Duffy will be joined at the state championship meet by freshman teammate Gabi Rios-Sotelo, who finished the race sixth in 18:37.  

Duffy also won her first NCS title at Hayward High as a sophomore in 1999. 

“It was running through my mind while I was running,” Duffy said of her repeat performance. “I had to win my third.” 

Duffy’s performance is even more impressive considering the fact she was sick last week and couldn’t train for the race for four days. 

“That’s probably the hardest (race) ever because she’s been sick all week,” St. Mary’s coach Denis Mohun said. “Rather than panicking, she stayed in focus of going after (Musante). It was a great race. 

Qualifying for the state meet in Fresno next weekend was St. Mary’s Rudy Vasquez. He finished third in the boys’ race with a time of 15:40. But Vasquez, who won the NCS title last year, wasn’t happy with his performance. 

“It wasn’t what I wanted, not at all,” he said. “I guess I didn’t have it today, but there’s no excuses. Next week is a new race. I’m going to go out next week and run with everything I have.” 

Berkeley High’s Alex Enscoe finished 31st in the Division I boys’ race with a time of 16:45.

Hundreds of students surround the police car holding civil rights activist Jack Weinberg, one moment in a 36-hour protest on the UC Berkeley campus. 

A policeman marches a young, T-shirted antiwar protester down an Oakland street, his club forcing a grimace as it is grinds into the man’s throat. 

Three robust, naked women sculpt designs onto their mud-covered bodies, enjoying the freedom of a 1975 weekend campout. 

These scenes happened long ago, when the Bay Area was the combustible setting for a number of social protests in the 1960s and ’70s. But they have great resonance today, as the popularity of the Berkeley Art Center’s current exhibit, “The Whole World’s Watching,” demonstrates. 

The exhibit consists of 100 black and white photographs that chronicle everything from the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley to the Black Panther movement in Oakland to the Indian occupation of Alcatraz Island. 

Robbin Henderson, the center’s executive director, estimates that 250 people a week have visited the tiny gallery since the show opened in September – many more than usual. And, she said, “our donations are much higher. People are putting fives in there instead of just ones.” 

Henderson attributes the exhibit’s success to two factors: the accessibility of photography as a medium, and the range of movements covered. 

Everyone can relate to a photograph, she said. “They don’t have to figure out anything.” 

But that doesn’t mean the photographs offer only quick, visual images. The first picture visitors see shows a handsome young man looking out peacefully from behind metal bars. It’s almost easy to miss that they’re jail bars, until you read the photo’s caption and learn that the man is Huey Newton. Newton founded the Black Panther movement, whose members armed themselves with rifles to deter police brutality. 

Finally, you might notice that Newton is offering a peace sign with his fingers. 

“A still image – you can look at it for hours,” Henderson said. “You can consider it; you can consider all different things about it.” 

The photographs are arranged in roughly chronological order, reminding visitors that movements built off of and drew inspiration from one another. The Free Speech Movement, for example, was born in 1964 when Weinberg was arrested on Sproul Plaza handing out leaflets advocating civil rights. 

Henderson said those viewing the exhibit are both older people who lived through the movements, and younger visitors learning about them for the first time. She described a group of black boys chaperoned by an older man. They “had the demeanor exactly of the Black Panthers,” she said, but quickly became “absolutely absorbed.” 

“They were looking not just at the Black Panthers,” Henderson said. “They were looking at the American Indian” section of the exhibit also. 

“It represents a lot of different kinds of people who can recognize themselves in these photographs,” she said. 

Joseph Lubow recognized himself right away. Active in both the civil rights and anti-war movements on the East Coast, Lubow drove up from Santa Cruz recently, a double purpose calling him to the exhibit. 

“On one level, it’s coming to learn the history of what my brothers and sisters were doing out here,” he said. But the relevance of the photographs to current events had him in tears. 

“I’m watching our government do a lot of what it did in the ’60s,” Lubow said, “and not looking for substantive answers to what happened on Sept. 11. In some ways this is a reminder of what we put our lives on the line for, and to watch our government do it again makes this even more powerful.” 

UC Berkeley senior Katie Feo was able to draw parallels between photographs on the Feminist Revolution and her work at an abortion clinic. 

“It’s cool to see pictures of when it was a new thing,” she said. 

Her classmate, Holly Haddock, was happy to see a photo of a young girl in a Black Panther school, and another of children taking part in the Black Panther “free breakfast” program. “Those images you don’t see,” she said. “Them caring for their own community.” 

The exhibit was three years in the making, Henderson said. Where the Berkeley Art Center ordinarily spends $5,000 to $7,000 on an exhibit, with another $5,000 to $7,000 on an accompanying catalog, it has shelled out more than $100,000 for “The Whole World’s Watching,” which Henderson hopes to make up in donations and sales of a 150-page catalog. 

After leaving Berkeley next month, the exhibit will tour venues throughout California until at least the beginning of 2004. Henderson looks forward to “a much higher profile in our little pond.” 

“The Whole World’s Watching” runs through December 16 at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Street, Berkeley. 

Editor: 

In contrast to the United States; Canada, France and the United Kingdom, are still actively seeking foreign students. 11,000 more Koreans are studying in Canada than in the United States, already. And the number of American students applying to Canadian universities like University of Toronto, McGill University, Queen’s University, University of Alberta, Western University, and University of British Columbia, has spiked by as much as 25 percent for the class of 2005. According to McClean’s, a Canadian magazine,in addition to the above research-level universities, the best liberal arts colleges are as follows: 1) Mount Allison, 2) St. Francis Xavier, 3) Trent, 4) Arcadia, 5) Winnepeg, and the best universities below the PhD-granting level are as follows: 1) Waterloo, 2) Simon Fraser, 3) Guelph, and 4) Victoria. Prime Minister Tony Blair of U.K. hopes to attract over 40 percent of the entire English-speaking world’s student population that plan to study overseas to come study in that country during his term of office. According to The Times of London, the best U.K. universities are as follows:  

1) Cambridge, 2) Oxford, and 3) University of London, Imperial. And France wants to boost the number of foreign students studying in France from the current 300,000 to 500,000.  

Richard Thompson,  

Visiting Professor, Gwangju University, Korea  

The St. Mary’s High football team’s season came to an end on Saturday with a North Coast Section playoff loss to Campolindo, 23-20. 

Campolindo cornerback Julian Hua intercepted a St. Mary’s pass with 43 seconds left to clinch the win for the sixth-seeded Cougars. Matt Cunha-Rigby provided the winning score with a 27-yard field goal with less than three minutes left in the game. 

St. Mary’s tailback Trestin George ran for 109 yards and a touchdown in his final game for the Panthers, and quarterback Steve Murphy threw for scores of 74 and 46 yards, but the third-seeded Panthers lost in the first round of the NCS playoffs for the second year in a row. 

Campolindo had big plays of its own, as quarterback Sean Phalzer threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Adam Smith and a 47-yard score to Cunha-Rigby in the first half for a 14-6 halftime lead. Cougar running back Justin Bonetto ran for a game-high 124 yards and scored a 19-yard touchdown on a screen pass to put his team up 20-12 early in the fourth quarter before George tied the game with an 11-yard score and ran for the two-point conversion.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation says it is donating a total of $1 million to the University of California campuses in Davis and Berkeley to study Sudden Oak Death. 

Foundation spokeswoman Genny Biggs said UC Berkeley would receive $600,000 and UC Davis would receive $400,000 from the foundation started by Intel founder Gordon Moore and his wife Betty. Scientists can use the money for baseline research, purchasing laboratory equipment and paying lab technicians, she said. 

The donation comes just one month after another major funding announcement in which Gov. Gray Davis approved $3.6 million in state funds to help fight the disease. Introduced by Assemblywoman Carole Midgen, D-San Francisco, the legislation provides the money to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop strategies to combat the disease. 

First discovered in 1995 in Marin County, Sudden Oak Death has spread to trees in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Napa and Sonoma counties.  

Hundreds of thousands of trees have been afflicted. 

In July 2000, a UC Davis professor identified the fungus that causes the disease, but experts are still unsure how the fungus spreads and what affects the disease has on wildlife and native plants.

STANFORD – The No. 6 ranked California men’s water polo team (13-6) upset No. 1 ranked and previously unbeaten Stanford (17-1), 4-3, Saturday in the Big Splash at the Avery Aquatic Center. The upset gave the Bears their third consecutive Steve Heaston Trophy. Heaston was the former Cal water polo coach (1989-98) who led the Bears to three NCAA titles and passed away in 1999.  

Cal senior Spencer Dornin got the scoring started with a goal just over two minutes into the game. Stanford junior Jeff Guyman rallied with a goal at 4:43 in the second period off a deep pass from goalkeeper Nick Ellis. The Bears then tacked on two goals by Greg Panawek and Dornin to make the halftime score 3-1.  

Joe Kaiser chalked up one more goal in the match for Cal, just over a minute into the third quarter. The Bears defense was sturdy and held the Stanford offense to just one goal in the first three periods. Cal goalie Russell Bernstein energized his team 13 saves in the game. Stanford’s Tony Azevedo did not relent, though, and put up two more goals in the fourth quarter to cut the Cal lead to one with three minutes left to play.  

Stanford was unable to capitalize on 6-on-5 possessions throughout the match and the Bears defense was strong limiting the Cardinal to three goals on 31 shots.  

The Big Splash was the final regular season match for Cal and Stanford, who will both compete at the MPSF Tournament, which begins on Friday, Nov. 23 at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley.

S.F. election dept. faces changes 

SAN FRANCISCO – Still under fire for delays in the counting of results from citywide elections earlier this month, San Francisco’s elections department faces extensive changes. 

On Nov. 6, 63 percent of voters approved Proposition E, a measure that creates a new seven-member commission to run the department and hire a director. 

The new commission will replace a system that has produced five directors in as many years and is under investigation by the secretary of state. That could mean the newest elections chief, Tammy Haygood, could be replaced by the new commission. 

The proposition was one of several written by the Board of Supervisors to shrink the power of the mayor, who is in control of the elections office. Mayor Willie Brown’s chief administrative officer, Bill Lee, has chosen the past few elections’ directors, including hiring Haygood a few months ago. 

Lee insists that San Francisco runs clean elections. Few allegations of fraud have been proven, although grand jury studies have found bureaucratic fumbles. 

Developer fees lowered 

RICHMOND – Residential developers must now build affordable housing or pay steep fees, but not as steep as city leaders originally intended. 

This week the City Council gave final approval to an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance that forces developers of 10 or more units to set aside homes for low-income families or pay an “in-lieu” fee. 

The resulting funds will go toward the city’s Infill Housing Program, which offers strategies to transform abandoned and neglected properties into quality affordable housing. 

The fee originally was set at 10 percent of the construction costs for a market-rate home, times the number of units in the complex. Similar ordinances throughout the Bay Area require much lower amounts. 

Fearing developers might abandon the city, Richmond council members lowered the fee to 7 percent of the market-rate construction costs, and stipulated that the City Council evaluate the ordinance after one year. 

District closes school due to sickness worries 

PINOLE – After years of teacher complaints that mold in their classrooms was making them sick, school district officials decided this week to abandon Elizabeth Stewart Elementary School. 

“One of my teachers died of lung cancer,” said Principal Carol Butcher, who suffers from headaches, coughing and sinus problems. “I have two teachers on (worker’s compensation) because they can’t get rid of sinus problems and the coughing. I have one teacher who cannot make it to lunch without throwing up fluid from her lungs.” 

More testing is needed to determine what exactly is happening. Three separate environmental studies have failed to show dangerous levels of mold spores in the school. 

The move was approved Wednesday in an emergency vote by the school board to allow for additional testing of the 1960s-era hillside school. As many as 21 portable units will be trucked onto a grass field and baseball diamond at the back of the campus, at a cost of about $1.5 million in Measure M funds. 

The portable units are expected to arrive in December, but likely won’t be ready for classroom use until late January or early February. 

Kid hacker faces possible jail time 

MARTINEZ – A juvenile computer hacker faces sentencing in January after pleading guilty to defacing NASA and U.S. Army Web pages last summer with his own Web page protesting the music industry’s suit against Napster. 

The hacker, known as “Pimpshiz,” pleaded guilty earlier this month in Contra Costa Juvenile Court to two of the 11 counts filed against him this June. The other counts were dismissed. 

The investigation was conducted by state and federal authorities. 

Sentencing for the hacker is set for Jan. 11.

McPherson dies from gunshot to chest; Willie Brown offers $10,000 reward 

SAN FRANCISCO – The son of a Republican state senator gunned down over the weekend, was shot two blocks from his house by a man who jumped from behind a bush and attempted to rob him. 

Hunter McPherson, 27, died from a gunshot wound to his upper torso early Saturday. He was shot while walking home with his girlfriend, Alexa Savelle, from a nearby friend’s house in the Potrero Hill area, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported Sunday. 

The suspect grabbed Savelle’s purse during the incident, then shot McPherson. He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where he died about 5:30 a.m. Savelle was not injured in the attack. 

San Francisco Lt. Judie Pursell said the neighborhood where the shooting occurred has both residences and businesses. She said it is not known as a high-crime neighborhood. 

Mayor Willie Brown has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect. 

McPherson is the son of Sen. Bruce McPherson of Santa Cruz. The senator told the newspaper his son was “his mother’s pride and joy and his father’s best friend.” 

Hunter McPherson was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as an account executive at BizDevEx, a San Francisco sales and business-development company. He is remembered as an athlete at Harbor High School in Santa Cruz, where he played varsity baseball and basketball. 

After graduating from college, Hunter McPherson spent time in Hawaii before moving to San Francisco about six months ago. 

Bruce McPherson, who represents the 15th State Senate District, has announced he plans to run for lieutenant governor. The district covers a small portion of Santa Clara County, including the cities of Morgan Hill, Gilroy and a portion of the of San Jose. 

Bruce McPherson was editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel from 1982 to 1990. The McPherson family owned the newspaper from 1864 to 1982. 

“I’ve known the McPherson family since before Hunter was born,” said Santa Cruz Sentinel Editor Tom Honig. “From the time he was a little kid, he was the same: friendly, smart and engaging. His death is an unspeakable tragedy.”

SACRAMENTO – The number of nationally certified public schoolteachers in California is expected to jump sharply this year, thanks in part to bonuses the state gives those who earn the honor, state officials said in a conference call with reporters Sunday. 

More than 500 state public school teachers are expected to be certified by the nonprofit National Board for Professional Teaching Standards this year. That will push the total number of nationally certified public school teachers in the state to roughly 1,200. California has 300,000 public school teachers. 

Public school teachers must have a state credential to teach in California. A national credential is not required, but is considered prestigious. Officials will announce Tuesday which teachers earned certification this year. 

During the administration of former Gov. Pete Wilson, California began awarding $10,000 bonuses to teachers certified under the national program. As recently as three years ago, there were only 59 such teachers in the state. 

Since then, Gov. Gray Davis has signed legislation promising another $20,000 to certified teachers who agreed to work for at least four years in low-performing schools. 

“It is a significant financial incentive and I certainly believe it is making a difference,” California Education Secretary Kerry Mazzoni said during the conference call. 

Candidates for national certification must have three years’ experience and are required to submit portfolios of their work, student work samples and other items. State, federal and private funds underwrite nearly the entire $2,300 application cost. 

Since the non-governmental National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, based in Arlington, Va., began certifying teachers in 1995, 9,531 teachers nationwide have earned the honor. About 13,000 more sought certification this year, including 1,033 from California. 

Roughly three dozen other states also offer financial incentives for teachers who win national certification.

SACRAMENTO – State HMO regulators fined the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. $500,000 for failing to give a timely referral to a 19-year-old man who later died. 

Timothy Water’s mother requested a referral to a muscular dystrophy specialist at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, said Daniel Zingale, director of the state Department of Managed Health Care. 

Most children diagnosed with Duchennes muscular dystrophy begin having respiratory problems in their late teens. When Waters’ mother Junette LaLonde noticed her son was having problems breathing, she first called the specialist at UC Davis. 

“They said they couldn’t see him unless they had the referral,” said LaLonde, who lives in Stockton. 

Waters died six days later without a referral, Zingale said. 

“The requirements are for a timely referral and in this case, timely would mean immediate,” he said. “We think it was a failure of the HMO’s system.” 

Waters died in August 2000. 

Zingale said Kaiser officials cooperated “in good faith” during the department’s investigation. 

“But what we haven’t had is an acknowledgment of the system failure and a plan to correct the problem,” he said. 

Kaiser officials said they hadn’t been notified of the fine and couldn’t comment on it. But spokesman Tom Debley said the health plan wanted to “express our sincere sympathy for the family of the young man.” 

Debley said Waters was under the care of doctors at both Kaiser and UC Davis, and that Kaiser was still conducting an internal investigation into the case. 

Zingale said Waters had been treated at UC Davis previously “but in this episode, everyone was acting as if the patient needed a referral. If in fact a referral wasn’t needed, the family certainly needed to know that.” 

The HMO was responsible for ensuring “continuity of care and it failed to do so,” he said. 

LaLonde said she hopes the fine will encourage Kaiser to “change some of their rules.” 

“Tim had special needs and a special case and they should have sent the referal quickly knowing that,” said LaLonde. 

The department has issued fines against HMOs in the past for failing to give a prompt referral, but this is the first related to a fatality, Zingale said. 

Kaiser is California’s largest HMO with 6.2 million members statewide.

SUNNYVALE – Yahoo! Inc. will cut 400 jobs, more than 12 percent of its work force, as it reorganizes in search of “sustainable, profitable growth,” the Internet company told analysts this week. 

The company is condensing 44 business units into six to create a more manageable structure that will help reduce Yahoo’s reliance on advertising and generate new paid services, chairman and chief executive Terry Semel said. 

“There’s nothing wrong with advertising revenue,” Semel said on a stage in Yahoo’s new gray-and-purple headquarters complex. “We believe in it, but you will see this is going to be a much more diversified company.” 

The company also revealed revenue projections for the current quarter and 2002 that are in line with analysts’ estimates. 

Yahoo shares fell 38 cents to close at $14.83 in trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, but were up 13 cents in extended trading. 

Yahoo imposed the first layoffs in its six-year history in April, cutting 420 jobs – 12 percent of its work force. 

This second round is necessary to put resources where they will need to be for the company’s next stage of growth, said president and chief operating officer Jeff Mallett. The cuts also will save the company $30 million to $35 million a year, chief financial officer Susan Decker said. 

Although 400 employees will be cut from Yahoo’s 3,256-member work force, about 100 will be added in new positions created by the restructuring – for a net loss of around 300. 

Analysts were eager to hear details of Yahoo’s plans because the company has reported four straight money-losing quarters and consumers have been lukewarm to its new subscription-based offerings. 

Semel, a Hollywood veteran hired in April to transform Yahoo, was equally excited to explain his strategy in depth. 

“I kind of see it as our coming-out party,” he said. 

Advertising amounted to 90 percent of Yahoo’s $1.1 billion in revenue last year, which proved problematic in the dot-com bust and the economic slowdown. 

Semel said Yahoo will reduce that rate to 76 percent by the end of this year, and he set a goal of making advertising about 50 percent of sales in 2004. 

The company will offer more packages of services to consumers and businesses, and try to make its search engine into a profit producer by letting advertisers pay to have certain keywords bring up links to their sites. The company also will seek more fees from shopping, auctions and Internet access services around the world. 

Yahoo moved toward some of those goals this week by announcing a partnership with Overture Inc. to offer paid listings on its search pages and a deal with SBC Communications Inc. to provide co-branded high-speed Internet access over digital subscriber lines. 

Yahoo counts 218 million registered users — 80 million of whom are considered active users. Semel wants at least 10 million of them to have a “direct billing relationship” with Yahoo, making the company more of a “principal” service provider and not just a distribution “agent.” 

Still, Yahoo was careful to remind analysts it is not neglecting advertising, trumpeting its Internet marketing services and its improved relationships with ad agencies that were put off by what they perceived as Yahoo’s arrogance during the dot-com heyday. 

Analyst John Corcoran of CIBC World Markets said Yahoo’s new management better understands the company’s challenges. 

“It’s no longer a 21-year-old who had been pumping gas and now he’s at a dot-com,” he said. “There’s some gray hair coming in on the sales side.” 

Steve Weinstein of Pacific Crest Securities said Yahoo’s diversified strategy makes good sense — now Yahoo has to execute on it in what remains a difficult economic environment. Weinstein said he does not expect Semel to make any revolutionary changes any time soon. 

“Terry’s a real builder. He’s not going to make rash or silly decisions,” Weinstein said. “It’s going to take a while.” 

Decker said revenue in the current quarter will be between $160 million and $180 million, in line with analysts’ estimates of $168.9 million, according to Thomson Financial/First Call. She said earnings would be break-even or 1 cent per share, excluding one-time events; analysts are forecasting 1 cent. 

For all of 2002, Decker predicted Yahoo would see $725 million to $785 million in sales. Analysts were forecasting $735.7 million, according to First Call.

SACRAMENTO – California education leaders say they expected schools would come under the ax in an attempt to stem an expected $12.4 billion budget shortfall. 

So they swallowed the bitter news of Gov. Gray Davis’ decision to halt $2.24 billion in state spending – including $844 million for school programs – as inevitable. 

“We are not pleased but we are also not surprised,” said Mary Bergen, president of the California Federation of Teachers. 

Claiming he has increased California’s overall education spending nearly 40 percent since he first took office, Davis said last week the state will still spend more for grades K-12 this budget year than last under his plan. 

But the rapid drop in state revenues forced him to make cuts to nearly every area of the budget, he said. 

“These are tough times that require tough decisions,” Davis said Thursday. “My responsibilities are to make sure that we have a balanced budget and we live within our means.” 

A day earlier, Davis froze spending in more than 80 programs until the Legislature holds an emergency session in January to act on $2.24 billion in proposed cuts. The largest piece of the cuts would come from education under his plan. 

The cuts would come from the state’s $79 million general fund – essentially the operating portion of the total $100 billion budget that includes special funds and bond money. 

Among his proposals, Davis would scrap a one-time package to help schools offset rising energy costs and delay $197 million in new grants to help low-performing schools that were approved this year. 

He also proposes cutting in half a performance award program for employees in schools with improved test scores; and cutting a $30 million planned expansion of after-and before-school programs. 

“There is no question that this is going to be a painful, difficult process for school districts,” said Kevin Gordon, executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials. 

The education cuts amount to a small, inevitable fraction of the $33.4 billion in state K-12 funds, officials said. 

Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Association, said schools with poor performance on test scores won’t receive a crucial boost this year. But he said, “it’s out of anybody’s control.” 

Davis’ announcement Wednesday of deeper immediate cuts came hours after Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill said California is facing its steepest decline in revenues since World War II. 

In her yearly report on the state’s fiscal outlook, Hill forecast a $12.4 billion budget shortfall during the two-year period covering this budget year and next. 

State revenues already were sagging before Sept. 11, and analysts have said California’s fiscal health has suffered since because of terrorism-related layoffs and tourism declines. 

Also this week, state tax officials confirmed that a quarter-cent state sales tax increase will kick in Jan. 1. The increase is automatically triggered when the state’s emergency reserves dip too low. 

The hike will translate to about $50 more in sales tax on a $20,000 car and about 5 cents on a compact disc. Government officials estimate it will cost a family of four an average of $120 per year.

More than 80 automobile owners every day drive, tow or roll their problems into the Jim Doten Honda service department. For many Berkeleyans, the Shattuck Avenue auto shop, a department of the family-owned Jim Doten Honda dealership, is the best in the city. 

Mechanics like Jim Courtney and Frank Alvarez – who both grew u in Berkeley and were sons of mechanics – deserve much of the credit for Doten Honda’s service department’s excellent reputation, according to management at American Honda’s northwest division. 

Courtney has spent 27 years fixing cars at Doten; Alvarez has spent 22.  

“We’ve got pride in what we do at this dealership,” said Alvarez. “We feel we’ve got the best technicians in the Bay Area.”  

But, like all 13 mechanics at Doten Honda, they have been working for the last five and a half months without a contract – a situation that has left them more than a little frustrated. 

“Automotive repair is a great business, but the marriage between auto mechanics and auto dealers is a poor one,” said Courtney. “The same people that you buy your car from, we negotiate our salaries with.” 

Doten Honda was for years a member of a regional association of dealerships that bargained with the mechanics’ union, the East Bay Automotive Machinists Lodge, on behalf of all its members. The association would come to an agreement with the union on a contract, and all the dealers would accept the deal. 

Last year, however, Doten Honda dropped out of the association and decided it would bargain with the union directly.  

Kip Siegel, Doten Honda’s general manager, said Friday that he had hoped that dropping out of the association would allow him to negotiate with his employees on a more personal level. He said that he had hoped he could get several of the mechanics – who, today, are usually called “technicians” – to sit with him at the table. 

In any case, while the dealers still represented by the association ratified a four-year contract for their technicians, negotiations at Doten Honda have stalled. 

The problem has caught the attention of executives of the Honda Motor Company. 

On Aug. 31, 2001, John Burke, an assistant manager in American Honda’s Northwest Zone, wrote Siegel to ask him to address the technicians’ concerns. 

“Kip, at our last meeting of the day I was very adamant about the absolute need I see to improve communications between you and the technicians at the dealership,” he wrote. “Quite frankly, your current relations with the technicians are among the poorest I have seen in my 18-year tenure at American Honda. 

“What I find so frustrating about your dealership is the tremendous potential these technicians offer. I told you I was absolutely impressed with the intelligence, professionalism and commitment displayed by all the techs....As I said in our meeting, I look forward to someone putting their best foot forward and demonstrate new leadership to make improvements.” 

Siegel said that the letter was referring specifically to contract negotiations and not to more general employee relations. 

Courtney, who has been the Doten Honda shop steward for 25 years, said that there have been eight proposed contracts that have gone back and forth between management and the technicians. 

One of the major sticking points in talks has been the question of how many “installers” – partially skilled mechanics, usually employed for simple repairs or routine service – the shop will have. 

Installers earn lower wages than regular journeyman technicians, and do not enjoy many of the benefits of apprentice techs. 

Mike Cook, who, as business representative of the East Bay Automotive Machinists Lodge 1546, is in charge of the negotiations between Doten Honda management and the mechanics, said on Friday that the union is “very, very close to closing a new contract.” 

He emphasized that the new contract will include back wages – the extra money that the technicians would have received if the new contract had been approved when the last one ran out. 

“The employer has agreed to make any and all economic improvements retroactive to July 1,” he said. “There are no giveaways. People won’t get hurt by this.” 

Siegel said that the new contract will include raises of $1.50 per hour for the mechanics and would ask for only one new installer. 

But Courtney and Alvarez said that some of the damage has already been done. 

Courtney said he feared that by dragging the contract into the winter – historically, the slowest time for the auto industry – Doten management is attempting to reduce their bargaining power if they decide to strike. 

“The time we have taken to negotiate this contract sets a precedent,” he said. “This could happen every time, now.” 

Cook said that he believed the contract would be acceptable to all parties. 

“We won’t be dealing with a strike here,” he said. 

Alvarez said that technicians were wary when Doten dropped out of the bargaining association. He said that many people put off summer vacations or improvements to their homes. 

“We’ve been preparing financially for a strike, and we’re ready,” he said. 

“Morale is way down because of this,” added Courtney. “In my 27 years, a contract has never taken this long.”

Saturday, Nov. 17

National Children’s Book  

Week 

3 p.m. 

South Branch Public Library 

1901 Russell St.  

Theatre company “Word for Word” in a children’s performance of two stories: “The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling and “Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti” by Gerald McDermott. Geared for children 4 years and up. Free. 649-3943 www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Greg’s Pizza 

2311 Telegraph Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Christy Dana Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Elementary School Panel 

11 a.m.- 2 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St. 

Neighborhood Parents Networks sponsors a panel discussion and fair for Berkeley public elementary schools to offer information for parents entering their children in the public school system. $5 members, $10 non-members. 527-6667 www.parentsnet.org 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m. 

Ashkenaz 

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Day one of the festival focuses on acoustic roots music, with concerts, workshops, a children’s program, and a Saturday night dance with three bands. 

Petite Pooches Playgroup 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Terrace Park 

Terrace Ct., off Neilson St. 

Owners with small dogs. Every Saturday. Rain cancels. 524-2459 

Sunday, Nov. 18

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Raleigh’s 

2438 Telegraph Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Mitch Marcus Trio performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

The Young People’s Chamber Orchestra 

4 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

20th Annual Fall Concert. All-strings orchestra consisting of girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 14. $5 gen., $1 students.  

Ecology Center Booksigning and Slideshow 

4-6 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Michael Branch will read from “John Muir’s Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa”, and Bonnie Gisel will read from “Kindred and Related Spirits”. Free. 548-2220 x223.  

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

3 - 11 p.m. 

Freight and Salvage 

1111 Addison St. 

Day two of the festival features contemporary folk music, with singer-songwriters and original string music. 

Buddy Club Children’s Show 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Comedy and magic with The Flying Calamari Brothers. $7, $6 BRJCC members. 236-7469 

Broadway Meets the Blues 

5 p.m. 

St. Jerome’s Church 

308 Carmel Ave., El Cerrito 

A free concert by the Berkeley Broadway Singers. 525-7815 

United Genders of the Universe 

7 p.m. 

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

An all ages genderqueer group for anyone who views gender as having more than 2 options. 548-8283  

Mosque Open House 

1 p.m., 3 p.m. 

Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California 

1433 Madison St., Oakland 

All are welcome to Open House. 832-7600, www.iccnc.org 

Lose Weight Permanently 

12:30 p.m. 

1831 A Solano Ave. 

“No Sweat” Linda Berry, nutritionist, author, and chiropractor will help you create a plan to eat and exercise for permanent weight loss. $10. 526-6657. 

Monday, Nov. 19

Flu Shots 

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m - 2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Positive Political Theory Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Robert Powell, UCB, will talk about his book, “Bargaining While Fighting.” 642-4608 www.igs.berkeley.edu 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Windmills that pumped water from wells up to a holding tank above were once common backyard structures in Berkeley and they appear in many old photographs. Other sources of domestic water were wells with hand pumps and water piped from hillside reservoirs or springs.  

The earliest modern European windmills appeared in the 12th century and over time were adapted to a variety of tasks including pumping water, sawing wood and grinding grains. 

The water-pumping windmill does not actually pump the water but rather pushes it up a pipe. The rotation of the windmill blades causes a rod (that is inside a cylinder below the water level) to move up and down pushing water up the pipe to a holding tank. The windmill is mechanically simple and dependable. 

Water-pumping windmills were essential to the settlement of the western United States and permitted farming far from streams and rivers. Windmills were used to pump water for the steam railroad trains that once provided the primary source of transportation across the continent.  

In 1870 lighter and more efficient steel blades were developed and in the 1890s small wind turbine generators supplied electricity to rural areas. With the enactment of the Rural Electrification Act after World War II federal funds were used to construct utility power lines in rural areas which brought an end to the use of wind for generating electricity. However, with the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels interest in wind power has been renewed.  

The windmill pictured here is located behind a two-story, corner-grocery styled building at 1201 Sixth St., but can be best seen from around the corner on Harrison Street. The building has a sign on its south wall proclaiming it to be the Grand Food Market, but the market has been gone for decades.  

The building was built in 1908 and it once housed Arcieri Dairy, the last dairy in Berkeley. There were actually cows in the fields across the street, where the new U.S. Postal Service building now stands, until the early 1950s.  

Today there are only two complete windmill structures remaining in Berkeley and three other structures that once served as the base for windmills but have been converted to other uses. The other intact windmill is located at 1129 Francisco St. and dates from about 1892. The remnants of four others can be seen behind 1830 Delaware St., 1141-3 Hearst Ave., and another on Delaware and one on Fulton Street near Blake Street. Are there any others? 

Susan Cerny is author of "Berkeley Landmarks" and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. 

The Berkeley City Council’s 5-4 resolution regarding the bombing in Afghanistan has launched a passionate and continuing debate over the nature of patriotism and whether local government officials should take positions on foreign policy. 

When this topic arises, I’ve found myself asking, What would George B. do?  

No, not George Bush! I mean George Berkeley, the 18th century Bishop of Cloyne and namesake and intellectual patron of our town. 

Although he is best remembered as a philosopher, George Berkeley was keenly interested in his times which were filled with uncertainty. Some of his most trenchant and influential writings concerned economic, political, and social issues. He engaged both the minds and consciences of his contemporaries and left much for future generations to consider. 

While it would be wrong to infer that the views of a man now 249 years in his grave can be precisely applied to our current events, Berkeley’s advice about patriotism is worth considering today. I’ve posed some questions and “answered” them with relevant excerpts from Bishop Berkeley’s circa ‘752 essay, “Maxims Concerning Patriotism.” 

There have been many charges and counter-charges by people who want to judge the patriotism of individual members of the Berkeley City Council. 

“Every man, by consulting his own heart, may know whether he is or is not a Patriot. But it is not so easy for the by-standers.” 

What about those who argue that true patriotism in this crisis lies in steadfastly supporting the current Bush Administration…or, conversely, in vigorously opposing its policies? 

“Being loud and vehement either against a Court, or for a Court, is no proof of Patriotism.” 

How about that lone vote of Congresswoman Barbara Lee against the war resolution? What should one do when faced with a vote on such a matter? 

“To be a real Patriot, a man must consider his countrymen as God’s creatures, and himself as accountable for his acting towards them.” 

And what might one say to those who argue that Congress should have spoken with one voice in a time of national crisis? 

“Were all sweet and sneaking courtiers, or were all sour malcontents; in either case the public would thrive but ill.” 

Might we take that to mean that Lee’s local constituents should all be expected to automatically rally behind her? 

“A Patriot will esteem no man for being of his party.” 

Returning to the Council vote, how about those City Councilmembers who are full of accusations about the motives of their colleagues who voted differently on the resolution? 

“A Patriot will admit there may be honest men, and that honest men may differ.” 

So it’s OK for public officials to be publicly divided, even on an important issue like this? Does that harm the national interest? 

“A Patriot would hardly wish there was no contrast in the State.” 

And what think you of all those letter-writers who have damned the Council vote and continue to fill the opinion pages with the most intemperate language charging that the Council majority was disloyal to the nation? 

“A man rages, roils, and raves; I suspect his patriotism.” 

And how about the local civic leaders who seem to worry most about the potential impact of the Council resolution on the City’s economy? 

“In your man of business, it is easier to meet with a good head than a good heart.”  

Care to elaborate? 

“A man whose passion for money runs high, bids fair for being no Patriot. And he likewise whose appetite is keen for power.” 

Now what about the American involvement in Afghanistan and the bombing that the Council majority wants ended as soon as possible? Are they right that the nation shouldn’t be engaging in military retaliation that can hurt innocents? 

“Moral evil is never to be committed, physical evil may be incurred, either to avoid a greater evil, or to procure a good.” 

Any final advice for those in your namesake city, where civic matters often result in argument, dissent, and demonstration? 

“The fractious man is apt to mistake himself for a patriot.” 

Local historian Steven Finacom is organizing an exhibit and events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of George Berkeley’s death, which falls in 2003.

As soon as the first airplane hit the World Trade Center on the morning of Sept. 11, photographers and ordinary citizens alike grabbed their cameras and rushed toward the scene to record history as it unfolded.  

They stood on rooftops and in city streets to take pictures of smoke rising from the twisted wreckage of the towers, of rescue workers tending to bloodied victims, of people weeping or just staring at the crumbling towers in disbelief. In the days that followed, they photographed hand-drawn leaflets plastered on storefronts by New Yorkers desperate to find their missing loved ones, prayer circles and memorial services. 

Two hundred of the images captured will be on display starting this Sunday at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism as part of a show entitled: “Here Is New York: Images from the Frontline of History.”  

The pictures are part of a much larger exhibit of thousands of photographs taken by professionals and amateurs put together two weeks after the attacks in a storefront in New York’s SoHo district, not far from Ground Zero. 

“Here is a show that came out of this disaster that happened very quickly,” said Professor Ken Light, who along with his wife, Melanie, worked with the SoHo exhibit’s creators to bring the photographs to Berkeley. “It’s based on this wonderful energy of these people in New York who were so moved by what happened that they left their lives behind and have just devoted incredible effort to putting this show together. We’re excited to be a part of that.”  

A number of the photographs in the Berkeley show illustrate the impact of the World Trade Center tragedy on New York City and its citizens. There are pictures of the city before, during and after the attacks, portraits of firefighters and police officers as well as images of people coming to work in the wreckage. Copies of the pictures can be purchased for $25. Proceeds go to The Children’s Aid Society.  

Among the photographs is the last picture taken by photojournalist Bill Biggart before he died in the collapse of the second tower. Biggart’s widow gave his equipment bag to photographer Chip East after it was pulled from the rubble. He was surprised to find that his colleague’s film had survived. East’s photograph of Biggart’s ravaged camera along with his dust-covered press pass is one of the most moving images in the show. 

Although television news has continuously beamed many of these images into American living rooms since the event, this exhibit offers a different way for people to come to terms with the tragedy. 

“With television, the process is fed to you,” said Light. “With a photography show, it allows you as the viewer to decide at what pace you want to take it in. 

“A person can stand in front of a photograph for five minutes or a half an hour and when they’re finished looking, they can move on and they can return to that image if they want.” 

For the show’s organizers in New York, it was important that the exhibit in Berkeley be an exact replica of the original – down to the kind of wire and clips used to hang the pictures. The photographs were to be displayed not with frames or protective casing, but simply hung from silver wire with plain, black clips. The photographs are also anonymous, labeled only with numbers to underscore the idea that each of the pictures, whether taken by a renowned photographer or a regular onlooker, are equally important. 

Light and students from the journalism school have been working since last week to hang all of the images for the show’s Nov. 18 opening.  

“This is an incredible experiment for us,” said Light. “Just putting it up so quickly and disrupting what we’ve been doing and deciding to put this energy into it.” 

Two New York photographers, Susan Watts and Ed Keating, who were both at Ground Zero, will speak about their experiences at the exhibit’s opening. The photographs will be on display through Dec. 24.  

Melanie Light hopes the show will bring Bay Area residents, who are 3,000 miles away from Ground Zero, closer to what happened in New York.  

“We can’t just shove this under the rug, as much as we’d like to,” she said. “This is an important event in our history and we need to come to terms with it personally and as a country.  

“Although we were emotionally rocked, to see these images in an intimate setting and to talk to the photographers who were there on that day just brings us in closer contact.” 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; Nov. 18: Christy Dana Jazz Quintet; Nov. 19: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 20: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Nov. 21: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 23: Sally Hanna-Rhine and David Tapham; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 24: Carl Garrett Jazz Quartet; Nov. 25: Acoustic Soul; Nov. 26: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 27: Jason Martineau and David Sayen; Nov. 28: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 29: Ed Reed and Alex Markels Jazz Group; Nov. 30: Ann sings jazz standards; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Ashkenaz Nov. 17: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., Berkeley Free Folk Fesitval; Nov. 18: 8 p.m., Zydeco Flames, $8; Nov. 19: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 20: 8 p.m., Tamazgha, $8; Nov. 21: 8 p.m., Tom Rigney & Flambeau, $8; Nov. 22: 6 - 9 p.m., Annual Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast, Free; 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 23: 9 p.m., Ras Michael and Sons of Negus with DJ Tony Moses, $10; Nov. 24: 9:30 p.m., Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, $11; Nov. 25: 9 p.m., The King of Calypso Mighty Sparrow, $15; Nov. 26: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 27: 8 p.m., Creole Belles, $8; Nov. 28: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Intentions, Stairwell Sisters, Clogging with Evie Ladin, $10; Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums w/ Ms. Carmen Getit; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Nov. 17: Slaptones, TBA; Nov. 18: The GTF, TBA; Nov. 19: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 20: Mr. Q, View From Here, $3; Nov. 21: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 22: Ascension, $5; Nov. 23: Solemite, TBA, $5; Nov. 24: Dank Man Shank, Locale AM, $5; Nov. 25: Out of The Ashes, Wonderland Ave., $3; Nov. 26: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 27: PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, Froggy, $3; Nov. 28: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 29: Ascension, $5; Nov. 30: Felonious, TBA, $6; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley. edu 

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

Freight & Salvage Coffee House Nov. 17: Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo; Nov. 18: 4 p.m., Berkeley Free Folk Festival: Noe Venable, Dawn McCarthy, John McCormick, Tret Fure, Sylvia Herold, 8 p.m., the Bill Evans band, Evie Ladin and Keith Terry, John Reischman and the Jaybirds; Nov. 21: Raun Fables and Noe Venable; Nov. 23 & 24: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Sickafoose; Nov. 25: Sylvia Herold; Nov. 26: Ellen Robinson; Nov. 28: Wake the Dead; Nov. 29: Judith Kate Friedman and Deborah Pardes; Nov. 30: Odile Lavault and Baguette Quartette; Dec. 1: Geoff Muldaur w/ Fritz Richmond; Dec. 2: Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik; Dec. 5: Avalon Blues: Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Bill Morrissey; Dec. 6: Ray Bonneville; Dec. 7 & 8: Rebecca Riots; All shows begin 8 p.m., 1111 Addison St. Call 548-1761 for prices or see www.freightandsalvage.org.  

iMusicast Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., Applesaucer, The Plus Ones, Cutlass Supreme, Salem Lights, Short Wave Rocket, One Step Shift; 5429 Telegraph Ave. 601-1024, www.imusicast.com. 

Jupiter Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 17: Christy Dana Quartet, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 18: Mitch Marcus Trio, Raleigh’s, 2438 Telegraph Ave.; Joe Chellman Quartet, The Village, 2556 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16-17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Odyssey” Nov. 16: 7 p.m., Nov. 17: 2 p.m., 7 p.m., Nov. 18: 2 p.m., The Splash Circus presents this outer space circus adventure with juggling scientists, acrobatic aliens, aerial acts, tumbling, masked Commedia characters, contortion, pyramids and dance. Youth performers between the ages of 10 - 14. $13, $6.50 for kids under 14. The Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. 655-1265 x202, www.splashcircus.com. 

“Uncle Vanya” Nov. 23 through Nov. 29: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. Nov. 25, 7 p.m. Subterranean Shakespeare’s production of Jean-Claude van Italie’s humorous translation of Anton Chekhov’s romantic masterpiece. Directed by Diane Jackson. Benefits the Forests Forever Foundation. $8-$14. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits  

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Through Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice at UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Nov. 18 through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Nov. 15 through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reception and presentation by the elders Thurs. Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 17: 7 p.m. Graham Hutchings discusses his newly released book “Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., 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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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

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

Freshman named MVP of tourney 

When Cal head coach Ben Braun convinced Jamal Sampson to play for the Bears, he knew Sampson would be an impact player. But no one realized just how quickly that impact would come. 

Sampson was named the Most Valuable Player of the season-opening Black Coaches Association Classic after his first two games as a college player, helping lead the Bears to the tournament title with a 56-27 thrashing of Eastern Washington at Haas Pavilion. The freshman big man had 10 points to go with a team-high 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. 

“(Sampson) is a heck of a player,” EWU head coach Ray Giacoletti said. “You just don’t find a lot of guys like that. We certainly don’t see a lot of that type of athleticism in the Big Sky (Conference).” 

The Bears throttled the Eastern Washington offense, holding the Eagles to 23 percent shooting in the game, including an 0-for-12 whitewash from behind the arc. The Eagles also managed to shoot themselves in the foot by making just 7-of-16 free throws, and they had an astounding single assist in the game, credited to point guard Jason Lewis. No EWU player had more than 6 points. 

The Bears weren’t exactly sizzling on the offensive end either. They shot 40 percent from the field, and Brian Wethers was the player other than Sampson to break double figures with a game-high 13 points. But the Bears hit the offensive glass hard, pulling down 18 offensive boards, including 6 by Sampson and 4 by Solomon Hughes. 

“Our defense and rebounding allowed us to have an off-game offensively,” Cal head coach Ben Braun said. 

Sampson and Hughes also keyed the Cal defense, using their unusual quickness to switch out onto the EWU guards, a rarity in the college game. 

“They’re probably the only team in the country that will switch on defense with (all five players),” Giacoletti said. “You just don’t see that. Shoot, I’ve been in college basketball for 16 years and I’ve never seen anyone do that.” 

The Bears took advantage of early foul trouble for EWU big men Jason Humbert and Gregg Smith to race out to a 20-6 lead in the first half and never looked back as the Eagles went nearly seven minutes without a basket. The score was 27-10 at halftime, the least points for an Cal opponent since 1946.  

The Bears extended the lead to 35-10 before EWU could score in the second half, and it was pretty much garbage time from there on out. Cal took its biggest lead of the game on a Gabriel Hughes dunk in the final minute of the game that made the score 56-25.

Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.  

– Article 9  

The Constitution of Japan 

While some assert that there’s a boycott Berkeley campaign – a reaction to a City Council resolution asking for a halt to the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan as soon as possible – two Japanese parliamentarians came to town this week to thank Berkeley councilmembers first hand for the resolution.  

They are also hoping to meet with Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, to thank her for being the lone Congress person to oppose giving war powers to the president. 

They are Tomon Mitsuko and Renko Kitagawa, both members of the Japanese House of Representatives, the lower house in the Japanese Parliament. Both are members of the Japanese Democratic Socialist Party, a political party that counts 19 members in the lower house and 8 in the upper house. 

“I was so impressed by the speech (Lee) gave to Congress,” said Mitsuko, in an interview Friday morning at the Shattuck Hotel. “In order to end terrorism, I don’t think that force is the best way. There should be some other way.” The focus should be on eradicating poverty, she said. 

The Democratic Socialist Party, which holds 19 out of 480 seats in the lower house and eight out of 252 in the upper house is in the minority. Only the Japanese Communist Party, which holds 20 seats in the lower house, disagrees with the use of military force in Afghanistan. 

The Japanese government has thrown its support behind the United States, despite what Mitsuko says is a clear mandate in the constitution not to use force to settle international disputes. 

In his statement of support Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reportedly emphasized that Japan regards terrorism as “its own security issue.” The Japanese government pledged to help the U.S. in intelligence collection, shipment of supplies, medical services and humanitarian relief and to strengthen protection of U.S. bases in Japan.  

Mitsuki’s party issued a resolution expressing condolences for the loss of lives in the World Trade Center and called for those who participated in the crime to be judged in an international court of law, according to international laws and treaties. “When (the crime) is avenged (by) violence, it causes chains of violence without end and it would not solve the problems essentially,” the resolution says. “It is not forgiven to use military force to deprive people of the right to life, which is the same as terrorism.” 

Both Mitsuko and Kitagawa have been members of parliament for one year only. In addition to working for peace, their party is working to promote growing food without pesticides, fighting against discrimination against Korean-Japanese people and strengthening laws against child abuse and domestic violence. 

Mitsuko has been working for some time on eliminating the U.S. military from Okinawa, where she was formerly vice governor. There are about 25,000 U.S. military personnel. She said they have been a source of crime, including rape, drunken driving and arson. They have also been the source of a number of aircraft accidents, according to a booklet prepared by the Military Base Affairs Office. 

“We are not anti-American. We are anti military,” Mitsuko said. 

Editor, 

I had good fun at the redistricting petition–turning-in rally at City Hall Wednesday. 

Probably the most surreal moment was hearing Mayor Shirley Dean’s latest disinformation officer David Tabb call the council minority and his audience of Dean supporters “Berkeley progressives” (they normally call themselves moderates), and call the majority (the progressives) “far-left reactionaries.” Dean knows most Berkeley voters consider themselves progressive, so she’s determined to keep the waters murky. (Her slogan in her last campaign was “For Real Progress.”) Sad to say, even in Berkeley most voters don’t pay all that much attention to local politics. So disinformation and double-speak will undoubtedly again play a central role in the Mayor’s campaign. Eight years ago she sent out a three-days-before-the-election flyer, just to predominantly African American neighborhoods in south Berkeley, falsely claiming that her opponent Don Jelinek had invented his history in the civil rights movement. Whatever works! 

Meanwhile, the real progressives will be spending their time trying to get real information to the public, with scant financial resources, but with one significant advantage: they don’t have to force it through a filter first. 

Dave Blake 

Berkeley

UNION CITY — As would-be wizards hustled this week to track down tickets for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” warehouse workers were hustling to deliver the film to theaters in hundreds of hefty metal canisters in time for its premiere. 

In Northern California, a pair of warehouses were abuzz as workers sorted and labeled all nine reels of the 2 1/2 hour-long film to prevent the calamity of theaters receiving two endings and no beginning, or vice versa. It took extra hours to load the canisters into vans that sped through the state to get the film out by Thursday night. 

“I’ve never seen anything anywhere near to this,” Dan Emmrich, a local film delivery man with 32 years in the business, told the Contra Costa Times. “I lost more sleep Sunday and Monday just worrying if everything was going to be in on time.” 

Emmrich, 46, helps run his family’s Theatre Transit Company, the largest movie delivery business in Northern California that was charged with delivering 372 copies of the Harry Potter film to 100 theaters. 

At Entertainment Transportation Services, the region’s largest film distribution center, workers also were exhausted by week’s end. 

“We had to work full days last Saturday and Sunday and I came in a couple of days at 4:30 a.m.,” said ETS general manager Mitch Morgan. “It’s killing me.” 

A record 3,672 theaters will splash the boy wizard’s adventures on their screens this weekend, breaking the previous record of 3,653 for “Mission: Impossible 2.” And it will play on a record-shattering 8,200 movie screens, about 1,600 more than “Mission: Impossible 2” and “Shrek,” the previous widest film releases. There are about 36,000 movie screens nationwide. 

All the extra hours were the result of unprecedented orders from theater managers and the size of the film. The nine reels come packed in three canisters that weight about 100 pounds. Emmrich said a typical delivery has him lugging nearly a quarter-ton of Pottermania between his van and the theater lobby. 

STANFORD – Cal ended its season in frustrating fashion, as Saint Mary’s defeated the Golden Bears, 3-2, in the first round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament Friday evening at Stanford.  

The last time Cal won a postseason match was in 1988, and they now have lost six straight tournament games.  

Against the Gaels, Cal junior midfielder Brittany Kirk scored twice, including a goal with three seconds left in the game, but time ran out for the Bears.  

“We fought hard to the end, so it’s appropriate we got one in the last couple of minutes,” Kirk said.  

Cal coach Kevin Boyd, who received a yellow card for complaining to referee Brian Hall about Saint Mary’s physical play, continued to complain to Hall after the match and received a red card.  

“I told our team after the game I thought we played hard,” he said. “We just didn’t have that good of a game. They had a good game.”  

As in these teams’ regular season meeting, won 1-0 by Saint Mary’s, Friday’s match was a physical one. However, Hall whistled Saint Mary’s for just 14 fouls and Cal for nine.  

The Gaels withstood a Cal first-half onslaught that produced four good scoring chances to just one for Saint Mary’s. That one came in the 40th minute, as Saint Mary’s forward Katie Frattone fired a rocket past Cal freshman goalkeeper Mallory Moser to make the score 1-0.  

In the second half, Saint Mary’s put the Bears back on their heels with runs by Frattone and Lucianne Crenshaw. Frattone scored her second goal just two minutes into the half on a left-footed volley that looped over Moser into the net.  

On the other side of the field, Bears star forward Laura Schott saw little of the ball, except when she dropped back to midfield to get it. Saint Mary’s coach Paul Ratcliffe admitted he adjusted the defense after Schott tore through the Gaels in the regular season.  

“We talked about dropping off a little bit and making sure we didn’t let her get behind the defense, and we’ll limit her opportunities,” Saint Mary’s coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “She’s deadly when she gets in one-on-one.”  

Kirk proved just as deadly. In the 51st minute, Bears defender Kim Stocklmeir threw the ball into teammate Kacy Hornor, who headed the ball towards Kirk. Kirk bent the ball around Saint Mary’s goalkeeper Ruth Montgomery into the upper right corner of the net.  

About 12 minutes later, Saint Mary’s answered as Frattone set up Crenshaw for the Gaels’ last goal.  

As the public address announcer counted off the final seconds, a Stocklmeir through ball set up Kirk for Cal’s final goal. Three seconds later, Saint Mary’s was celebrating.  

“Not winning a playoff game the last three years I’ve been here is pretty frustrating,” Schott said. “Every year we’ve had a tough draw, but every year we’ve had a strong enough team, I think, to also get a win, and we haven’t come through yet. But I’m still looking forward to next year.”

The City Council approved $175,000 Tuesday for an emergency housing program at the Flamingo Motel, which serves the most vulnerable homeless – those with serious mental disabilities. 

Councilmember Linda Maio had removed the recommendation from the council’s Oct. 30 meeting agenda because she wanted to know more about the program before she voted on it. The program has been operating out of the 32-room Flamingo Motel at 1761 University Ave. since March.  

“I was unaware of the extent of the program and what services they were offering,” she said. “There has been a rash of robberies in the neighborhood and I wanted neighbors to be assured that there was no connection.”  

Harvey Tureck, manager of the Mental Health Division, said none of the program’s clients has been arrested for any crimes in the area. 

“These are not problem people,” Tureck said. “They are mentally disabled and not the type of people who are usually associated with crime.” 

The council unanimously approved the funding after a short presentation by Tureck and Fred Medrano, the director of the Health and Human Services Department. Now the city will pay motel owner Andy Rosen a tab of $70,000 and continue using the facility through June 30. 

The funding comes from a $3 million grant the city received last November to assist up to 100 mentally ill homeless through November 2003 via a state program called Integrated Services for the Mentally Ill.  

The motel has provided temporary housing for approximately 13 clients since March at a cost of $65 per person per night.  

Medrano said the high cost of the rooms at the motel has been draining too much money from other aspects of the program and will be tapered back to approximately five or six clients per night. 

Maio, who lives adjacent to the motel, organized a meeting with city health officials so she and concerned neighbors could learn more about the program. Medrano and Tureck attended the meeting, along with neighbors James Wemmer and Robert Browning, Maio’s husband.  

Also at the meeting was nonprofit developer Ali Kashani, the executive director of Affordable Housing Associates, which is building 27 units of affordable housing next door to the motel. 

Wemmer said he is less worried about the program since attending the meeting. He said he was relieved to hear the Flamingo program was going to serve fewer people. 

But Wemmer said what really put him at ease was an endorsement of the program by Flamingo owner Andy Rosen. 

“Andy has been there for years and he said he’s had very few problems with the people that are being housed there,” Wemmer said. “They have always run a compassionate motel and Andy said he has known some of the people staying there for years.” 

Rosen said that over the years he has frequently contracted with agencies that provide emergency housing. “In fact, we even donate some rooms to the Salvation Army and the Red Cross,” Rosen said.  

He went on to say that he has worked with the Women’s Drop In Center, Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, the city’s Winter Shelter Program among others. 

“We have always run a benevolent motel,” said Rosen whose father purchased the motel in the 1960s. “If there was any problem with these people you can bet that we wouldn’t participate in these types of programs.” 

Rosen went on to say that the Integrated Services for the Mentally Ill clients were no exception. 

“These are very mild people,” Rosen said. “They have a stigma that’s not deserved.”

Editor: 

I recently returned from South Africa and the Seventh World Wilderness Congress, where I presented a paper on the link between wilderness and the built human habitat. I reported that the citizens in Berkeley are revising the city’s General Plan and that there is a growing show of concern for the environment and the health of cities through support for the Ecocity Amendment – four sustainable land-use policies that will enable us to address some of the ecological imbalances that currently exist in our city. 

The connection between the overall health of the community and the way we build is only now being explored in greater depth. Doctors and researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now report several primary connections between suburban sprawl and public health. Their findings include that increases in vehicle miles traveled has resulted in an increase in air pollution and in the incidence of respiratory diseases. The report also found that lack of pedestrian friendly features in a community becomes a factor leading to illness and even death. In 1997 and 1998, 13 percent of all traffic fatalities – 10,696 people – were pedestrians. They also concluded that residential development can pose unique health and quality of life hazards. 

The way we build not only impacts our lives but the lives of the plants and animals with which we share the land. The impact on the built environment on species extinction has been recently evaluated by the National Wildlife Foundation. Their study found that 61 percent of the threatened and endangered species in California were in that category due to the direct effects of sprawl development. 

But what does Berkeley have to do with suburban sprawl and species extinction? The answer is plenty. We’ve added almost no housing stock to the city since the 1970s, while creating thousands of office jobs. We are the ones that generate sprawl. We’ve allowed our city streets to become crammed with commuters without creating more housing near jobs or pedestrian environments linked with alternative transit options. We’ve done studies on restoring creeks, but we’ve not yet tackled the next step of opening up and bringing nature back into the city. 

We have the opportunity to set long range ecologically healthy goals that will reflect our community’s commitment to making our human habitat far healthier for both people and nature. Over 106 mostly local groups and businesses have endorsed the Ecocity Amendment. The policies call for green design features in buildings, pedestrian centered orientation, ecological demonstration projects and ways to fund environmental restoration within the urban environment. 

Next year, I hope to attend the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and report to the 65,000 people that will be attending that Berkeley is an emerging world leader in demonstrating truly innovative and progressive measures that will begin balancing our built environment with natural systems. The adoption of the Ecocity Amendment will allow these ideas to come to the front of community discussion and implementation, and on behalf of the supporters of the Ecocity Amendment, I am writing to urge our elected officials to support our community’s commitment to the health of cities and nature by including the policies in the General Plan revision. Many of the Earth’s citizens wonder if a first world country, a country that consumes 50 times more resources per person than the average citizen of India, will be able to change enough to make a difference for the basic survival of the rest of the planet. I think we can show them that we can change, and that we can do it in a way that benefits both people, nature and the economy. 

Kirstin Miller 

Berkeley

Osama Saied, treasurer of the Berkeley Masjid Foundation, the only mosque in the city, fasted during Ramadan for the first time when he was a 10-year-old boy in Egypt.  

“It was the first day of Ramadan and I was sent to buy bread,” he recalled. “It smelled so good that I had to eat a piece, five minutes before the fast was over.” 

Since than, Saied, a devout Muslim, has fasted every year during Ramadan, one of the two holiest holidays for Muslims. 

Thursday, he was waiting along with the rest of his congregation for the Islamic Society of North America to declare the beginning of the holiday. This is done by confirming the sighting of the crescent moon, a report than can be made by any believer. The society’s Web site says that such reports will be accepted “as long as such a report does not contradict indisputable astronomical information.” 

The crescent moon was sighted on Friday. 

Muslims will fast from dawn until sunset for a month. During this time period every day, eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities are prohibited. In addition to the regular five daily prayers, Muslims offer eight to 20 Taraweeh prayers each night. They also read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan.  

“In this month you train yourself to avoid anything that is considered to be a sin,” said Saied. “It is a process of improvement, an opportunity to tune into yourself.” 

Saied said that there is no reduction in work productivity during Ramadan. 

“Back home, people are trained to fast from the time they are kids,” he said. “Even farmers who work 12 to 14 hours a day fast.” 

The Berkeley Muslim community purchased its own mosque three years ago, on a site previously owned by a Buddhist group. Less than a month ago, the last revision of the renovation plans was authorized; the work is expected to last at least six months. In the meantime, Friday prayers are held at the YWCA on Bancroft Way. The Taraweeh prayers will be held every evening at a rented location at 2632 San Pablo Ave.  

Saied estimated the number of Muslims in Berkeley at around 500 people.  

“Berkeley is a transient city,” he said. “People come and leave after they finish their studies.” 

Less than 25 percent of the congregation is part of what Saied called the “established community.” The rest are students. Among the permanent members, 40 percent are Indo-Pakistani, 40 percent are Arab and 20 percent are Afro-American, Indonesian and others. In the Bay Area, there are around 200,000 to 250,000 Muslims and at least 30 mosques.  

The Berkeley Masjid Foundation doesn’t have its own Imam, a spiritual leader.  

“The majority of the mosques in North America are based on first generation,” said Saied. Usually the first generation in a new country will not raise a spiritual leader because it is made up of “engineers, doctors or even taxi drivers who wanted to educate their kids about the religion,” Saied said. 

Saied said the first generation only volunteers to maintain the mosques while working to support their families. 

“Maybe next generation will have people who are devoted 100 percent for worship and not based on volunteers like us,” he said.  

Saied doesn’t think more people will attend the prayers this year after the September 11 attacks. “If more people will come it is because of the growth of population and not because of the events,” he said. Saied said the majority of Muslims do not believe that the September 11 attacks were committed by true Muslims. “In our religion there are rules when you can accuse someone. We didn’t get any proof yet that it was committed by Muslims.” 

This is the year 1422 for the Muslim calendar. Since it is counted according to the moon, the Muslim calendar varies from the widely-used Gregorian calendar, which is based on the sun. Each year Ramadan is celebrated in a different Gregorian month.  

The UC Berkeley Muslim students will join the evening prayers at the temporary mosque at YWCA.  

“It’s the first time Ramadan is entirely during the academic year,” said Nadia Yousef from the Muslim Students Association on the UC Berkeley campus. Yousef and at least 300 others will have to fast during the exams. “It will be hard but we are looking forward to it,” she said. “It’s a very enjoyable time with lots of spiritual benefits.”  

The students will conduct their own afternoon prayers on the third floor of the MLK Student Union building for the convenience of the students. 

“The prayers this year will serve other purposes, purposes of unity and comfort,” Yousef said.  

Twelve men were arrested Thursday night during a prostitution-abatement sweep along southern San Pablo Avenue, according to Capt. Bobby Miller of the Berkeley Police Department. 

The men arrested solicited an undercover female officer for various sexual acts near the corner of San Pablo and Heinz Avenue. The officer’s partner performed the arrests. 

The department’s Special Enforcement Unit organized the sting after receiving a number of complaints from residents and homeowners in the area.  

The SEU has said its efforts in the neighborhood will continue until the problem has been solved. 

Seven chameleons were stolen from a West Berkeley reptile shop Monday afternoon, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the BPD. 

Two people, a man and a woman, entered the East Bay Vivarium on Fifth Street at around 3 p.m. Harris said while the woman was completing a transaction for the purchase of crickets, the man allegedly grabbed a box or bag containing the reptiles, which are valued at around $125 each.  

The male suspect is described as African-American, around 40 years old, and five feet, 11 inches tall and 200 pounds. He had brown eyes and brown hair, and wore a gray or black coat and brown slacks. 

The female suspect is described as African-American, around 35 years old, five feet six to five feet ten inches tall and 150 pounds. She was wearing a long black coat and a red print dress. 

The stolen reptiles are “Jackson’s Chameleons” – tree-dwelling, insectivorous creatures native to East Africa. According to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology, the species generally appears in some shade of green, depending on its surroundings, but may turn dark black when frightened. The male of the species displays three rhinoceros-like horns. 

A spokesperson for the East Bay Vivarium told the BPD that he had received information that the suspects had attempted to fence the chameleons to a pet store in San Leandro. 

The BPD is treating the incident as a case of grand theft. 

MARTINEZ — A juvenile computer hacker faces sentencing in January after pleading guilty to defacing NASA and U.S. Army Web pages last summer with his own Web page protesting the music industry’s suit against Napster. 

The hacker, known as “Pimpshiz,” pleaded guilty earlier this month in Contra Costa Juvenile Court to two of the 11 counts filed against him this June. The other counts were dismissed. 

The investigation was conducted by state and federal authorities. 

Sentencing for the hacker is set for Jan. 11. 

RICHMOND — Residential developers must now build affordable housing or pay steep fees, but not as steep as city leaders originally intended. 

This week the City Council gave final approval to an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance that forces developers of 10 or more units to set aside homes for low-income families or pay an “in-lieu” fee. 

The resulting funds will go toward the city’s Infill Housing Program, which offers strategies to transform abandoned and neglected properties into quality affordable housing. 

The fee originally was set at 10 percent of the construction costs for a market-rate home, times the number of units in the complex. Similar ordinances throughout the Bay Area require much lower amounts. 

Fearing developers might abandon the city, Richmond council members lowered the fee to 7 percent of the market-rate construction costs, and stipulated that the City Council evaluate the ordinance after one year. 

PINOLE — After years of teacher complaints that mold in their classrooms was making them sick, school district officials decided this week to abandon Elizabeth Stewart Elementary School. 

“One of my teachers died of lung cancer,” said Principal Carol Butcher, who suffers from headaches, coughing and sinus problems. “I have two teachers on (worker’s compensation) because they can’t get rid of sinus problems and the coughing. I have one teacher who cannot make it to lunch without throwing up fluid from her lungs.” 

More testing is needed to determine what exactly is happening. Three separate environmental studies have failed to show dangerous levels of mold spores in the school. 

The move was approved Wednesday in an emergency vote by the school board to allow for additional testing of the 1960s-era hillside school. As many as 21 portable units will be trucked onto a grass field and baseball diamond at the back of the campus, at a cost of about $1.5 million in Measure M funds. 

The portable units are expected to arrive in December, but likely won’t be ready for classroom use until late January or early February. 

SACRAMENTO – Some familiar names are popping up in the field of candidates for statewide office next year. 

From a former longtime secretary of state re-emerging to try to reclaim her old job to state legislators whose terms are up, the crop of candidates for the state's top offices is shaping up. 

Seventy-seven people from seven political parties have said they intend to run for the state's seven statewide partisan positions. Some are household names, others newcomers to politics. 

The partisan statewide offices up for grabs this election cycle are governor, secretary of state, controller, insurance commissioner, treasurer, attorney general and lieutenant governor. 

Of those posts, Gov. Gray Davis, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Attorney General Bill Lockyer, all Democrats, are seeking re-election. 

The remaining three partisan statewide offices are open. 

The only Republican currently holding statewide office, Secretary of State Bill Jones, is leaving his post because of term limits and running for governor. 

According to a list of potential candidates, here's how the races are shaping up: 

_ The governor's race, the most high profile, has 17 potential candidates. Three Republicans are 

considered serious contenders for the nomination to challenge Davis: Former Los Angeles Mayor 

Richard Riordan, Jones and Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon. 

_ State Sen. Republican Bruce McPherson is the key Republican vying to challenge Bustamante for 

lieutenant governor. 

_ Secretary of state is a crowded field. Former Secretary of State March Fong Eu, a Democrat who 

held the position for nearly two decades before term limits, wants to reclaim the job. Also running 

are Michela Alioto, the 1998 Democratic nominee for the post, and Assemblyman Kevin Shelley, a 

San Francisco Democrat. Former Assemblyman Keith Olberg, a Republican from Victorville, is 

considered the strongest GOP primary contender. 

_ The race for controller is promising a Republican primary battle between state Sen. Tom 

McClintock, a Northridge Republican, and Board of Equalization member Dean Andal, of Stockton. 

Democrats Steve Westly, a former Silicon Valley executive with eBay Inc. and a newcomer to 

politics, and board of equalization member Johan Klehs also are running. 

_ Angelides could be challenged by Phillip Conlon, a Republican and former member of the Public 

Utilities Commission appointed by former Gov. Pete Wilson. 

_ State Senator Dick Ackerman, R-Fullerton, filed papers indicating he might challenge Lockyer. 

Also considered a contender in that primary race is Republican Bill Crosby, an attorney from Orange 

County. 

_ A three-way Republican primary is shaping up for the open seat of insurance commissioner. 

Assemblyman Tom Calderon of Montebello; former state insurance commissioner John Garamendi 

of Walnut Grove; and former state assemblyman Tom Umberg of Orange County, all Democrats, all 

are running. 

The primary election is March 5, and the general is in November 2002. 

Potential candidates have filed declarations of intent. Candidates who file the declarations do not 

have to run for office. They have until Dec. 7 to say whether they want to be on the ballot. 

___ 

On the Net: See a list of the candidates in the elections section of http://www.ss.ca.gov and 

information on some of the candidates can be found at http://www.calvoter.org 

Headline: 

Crop of candidates solidifying for statewide races 

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COMPTON — A box of 1,500 unused absentee ballots from the city’s hotly contested mayoral election turned up missing, adding another bizarre twist to a lawsuit alleging that voter fraud, bribery, perjury and death threats tainted the election. 

It was the first day of a court-ordered review of the June 5 election, in which Eric Perrodin beat Mayor Omar Bradley by 261 votes. The review is expected to take at least three days to process the 10,600 ballots cast. 

Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies were dispatched Thursday to retrieve the ballots, but city officials said they were accidentally left behind at city hall. They promised the ballots would be turned over Friday. 

Outside court, Bradley said the confusion over the missing ballots strengthens his claims that he was cheated out of the election. 

“This is unheard of, unheard of,” he said. 

His attorney, Bradley Hertz said: “In the least, the city clerk has a disorganized office and at most, perhaps, a cesspool of illegalities.” 

Bruce Gridley, the attorney for the city, denied any wrongdoing by the city clerk and said the mistake was made earlier this month when sheriff’s deputies picked up boxes of ballots from another previous election. 

The battle of the ballots began Thursday, with Bradley hoping to prove that Perrodin’s supporters used fraud to claim victory. 

Bradley has filed a civil lawsuit, claiming his challenger conspired with City Clerk Charles Davis and others to defeat him. Hertz said earlier this week at the jury-less trial that he intends to show Perrodin’s supporters pulled guns on voters at precincts, forged ballots from “ghost voters,” bused non-residents to the polls and arranged for dozens of absentee voter applications to languish at a post office. 

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of troubles for the impoverished Los Angeles suburb, which has long been plagued by corruption, violence and poverty. 

In 1993, the state took over a school district marred by mismanagement, corruption and low student achievement. Local control was restored in September. 

In 1995, Democratic Congressman Walter Tucker was convicted of taking $30,000 in bribes while he was mayor in 1991. The same federal probe led to the conviction of Patricia Moore for extorting bribes while on the City Council from 1989 to 1993. 

LOS ANGELES — Three police officers who were arrested during a corruption scandal filed a lawsuit against their employer and the district attorney’s office, claiming their reputations were destroyed and they were publicly humiliated. 

The officers, who faced criminal corruption charges, allege they were falsely arrested, maliciously prosecuted and treated like “common criminals,” said their attorney Etan Z. Lorant. 

“This ordeal has been devastating for them,” Lorant said. 

Officer Paul Harper and Sgts. Brian Liddy and Edward Ortiz were accused of framing a gang member who allegedly placed a gun in the wheel well of a car. The officers arrested Allan Lobos in April 1996 for investigation of possession of a handgun. He later pleaded guilty and served a year in jail. 

Disgraced police officer Rafael Perez informed authorities about the bogus report filed by the officers in exchange for a lighter sentence for stealing cocaine from an evidence locker. The information provided by Perez about corrupt officers, most of whom worked at the Rampart station, led to one of the city’s largest scandals. 

Harper was acquitted on all counts after the trial ended in November 2000. Liddy and Ortiz also were acquitted of some charges, but convicted along with another officer of obstructing justice. Those convictions were overturned by a judge, who ruled that the jury’s verdict was tainted. 

The district attorney has appealed the judge’s decision to set aside the convictions. That appeal is pending. 

Defendants named in the officers’ lawsuit include Police Chief Bernard Parks, former District Attorney Gil Garcetti and Perez. The officers allege that Parks, Garcetti and others conspired to deprive them of their civil rights by searching their homes at gunpoint and bringing them to trial based on evidence taken from convicted felons. 

The officers called Parks and Garcetti “incompetent” and “unfit to perform the duties for which they were employed.” 

A LAPD spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit. The district attorney’s spokeswoman said prosecutors are not swayed by the officers’ recent action. 

“We think we have a strong case on appeal,” said Sandi Gibbons. “We hope to eventually see these officers go to prison.” 

Harper has returned to work while Ortiz and Liddy remain on leave without pay. 

Toll of midnight lures fans to movie theaters

LOS ANGELES — The early word from night owls who caught “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”: Spellbinding, with some reservations. 

Thousands of “Harry Potter” fans waited until a minute past the midnight hour, when they got their first chance to watch a boy wizard on his broomstick. Audiences reveled until 2:30 a.m. in the big-screen adventure about Harry, his freshman year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his battle with the dark wizard Voldemort. 

“I loved it,” said Marilyn Senders, 51, who saw the movie in the Philadelphia suburb of Plymouth Meeting. “I can’t believe it was two-and-a-half hours. It felt like 10 minutes.” 

“It was very faithful to the book,” said Matt Terl, 25, who watched it in Baltimore. “Everything looked the way I pictured it in my head, which is about the best thing you could say about an adaptation.” 

Still, some fans left wanting more, wishing the film ran longer to preserve more from the book. 

“They cut a lot out of it,” said sleepy-eyed 7-year-old Edna Gardza, who saw the movie in Atlanta. “But I liked it still.” 

English teacher Suzie Thetard of Normal, Ill., caught the film in Baltimore, where she was attending a convention. While she loved the movie, “I still love the book more,” she said. “There’s just so much more to it. Little things that don’t make the movie bad but enrich the book so much.” 

“Harry Potter” opens in a record 3,672 theaters on about 8,200 screens, nearly a fourth of the nation’s movie screens. 

The movie is likely to break revenue records this weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. 

The single-day box-office record is held by “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” which took in $28.5 million on opening day in 1999. “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” delivered the best three-day opening ever, grossing $72.1 million in its first weekend in 1997. 

In Boston, about 600 people were lined up for “Harry Potter” 45 minutes before a midnight show started.  

Outside a Manhattan cinema, Carri Linehan, 28, waited in line with a Harry Potter-like lightning bolt on her forehead that a makeup-artist friend had applied.  

The packed house in Plymouth Meeting applauded during the opening credits, the quidditch match played on flying broomsticks and at the film’s end. 

Marc Bianchi brought his sons Phillip, 14, and Ben, 11, for the Plymouth Meeting show. He figured the boys might show up a bit late for school Friday. 

“They won’t do great on their tests tomorrow, but in the long run, it’s nice to do something with my kids,” Bianchi said. 

Directed by Chris Columbus, the film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, and Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as his pals Ron and Hermione. The adult cast includes Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane. 

The movie is heavy on visual wizardry used to create the labyrinthine Hogwarts school, a troll and other creatures, and such highlights as the quidditch match. Some of the movie’s finest effects are its least showy: Owls flocking around the home of Harry’s non-magical, Muggles relatives, candles and floating jack-o-lanterns to illuminate the Hogwarts banquet hall. 

“The quidditch match was intense,” said John Garcia, 21, who attended a screening in Atlanta. “I’ll come watch it again just for that.” 

Like some fans, though, Garcia said the film omitted too much from the book. 

“It was kind of choppy for somebody who hadn’t read the books. It would be hard to follow,” Garcia said. 

Created by British author J.K. Rowling, the “Harry Potter” series debuted in 1997 with “Sorcerer’s Stone.” It had good reviews but only modest sales until readers began talking it up into a phenomenon whose first four books have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. By the time book four — “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” — came out last year, fans lined up in the wee hours at bookstores to grab the first copies. 

People turning out for midnight screenings are the true “Harry Potter” believers, predisposed to like the film, said Tom Kiefaber, owner of Baltimore’s Senator theater, which ran one of the overnight showings. How the film will fare with others is uncertain, he said. 

“It appears that the faithful really loved it,” Kiefaber said. “The people that come to these shows are fervent and fanatical about the film. So when the general public comes, we’ll see.” 

NEW YORK — Homeland security Director Tom Ridge, standing next to rumbling machinery in the World Trade Center rubble, on Friday affirmed the Bush administration’s commitment to $20 billion in aid to the city. 

“I just wanted to assure you on behalf of the President of the United States that his word is as good as gold,” Ridge said after visiting the site of the Sept. 11 attacks with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. “If you need the $20 billion, and you probably will, you’re going to get it.” 

The attacks will cost the city’s economy an estimated $83 billion in capital losses, cleanup and loss of economic output, according a report released Thursday by the New York City Partnership & Chamber of Commerce. 

Ridge spoke on a platform that has been inscribed with messages in pen and marker to memorialize lost loved ones. Excavating machines could be seen moving below ground in a smoking pit, and two giant shards of the facade of the north tower jutted up in the distance. 

“I think those who would undermine our way of life and those who would bring this tragedy to the greatest city in the world have picked the wrong city, the wrong country, the wrong leaders,” he said. 

Ridge walked onto the site with Giuliani, Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen and Richard Sheirer, who oversees the Office of Emergency Management. 

Ridge shook hands with ground zero workers and had his picture taken with several, becoming another of many officials and dignitaries who have toured the site to get a sense of the destruction. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Thursday. 

“It’s good that they all come to see what’s really going on,” construction worker Jimmy Pumilia said. 

Before leaving the site, Ridge signed a banner in memory of the international victims of the attacks, writing the message “Good will triumph over evil. God bless you all.” 

Ridge, who was named to his post by President Bush in the wake of the terrorist attacks, recalled events he had hosted at Windows on the World. 

He said seeing the site in person brought back Sept. 11, when “my stomach was churning and my heart was beating faster.” 

“It affects you in a very real and a very personal and a very emotional way,” he said. 

On Thursday night, Ridge told a town hall meeting on Long Island that a high priority in his office would be improving communications technology, including security on the Internet. He said improvements would also be made in checking visas, work permits and other documents that allow foreigners to enter the United States.

SACRAMENTO — California education leaders say they expected schools would come under the ax in an attempt to stem an expected $12.4 billion budget shortfall. 

So Thursday, they swallowed the bitter news of Gov. Gray Davis’ decision to halt $2.24 billion in state spending — including $844 million for school programs — as inevitable. 

“We are not pleased but we are also not surprised,” said Mary Bergen, president of the California Federation of Teachers. 

Saying he has increased California’s education spending nearly 40 percent since he took office, Davis said Thursday the state will still spend more for grades K-12 this budget year than last under his plan. 

But the rapid drop in state revenues forced him to make cuts to nearly every area of the budget, he said. 

“These are tough times that require tough decisions,” Davis said. “My responsibilities are to make sure that we have a balanced budget and we live within our means.” 

A day earlier, Davis froze spending in more than 80 programs until the Legislature holds an emergency session in January to act on $2.24 billion in proposed cuts. The largest piece of the cuts would come from education under his plan. 

The cuts would come from the state’s $79 billion general fund — essentially the operating portion of the total $100 billion budget that includes special funds and bond money. 

Among his proposals, Davis would scrap a one-time package to help schools offset rising energy costs and delay $197 million in new grants to help low-performing schools that were approved this year. 

He also proposes cutting in half a performance award program for employees in schools with improved test scores; and cutting a $30 million planned expansion of after-and before-school programs. 

“There is no question that this is going to be a painful, difficult process for school districts,” said Kevin Gordon, executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials. 

The education cuts amount to a small, inevitable fraction of the $33.4 billion in state K-12 funds, officials said. 

Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Association, said schools with poor performance on test scores won’t receive a crucial boost this year. But he said, “it’s out of anybody’s control.” 

Davis’ announcement Wednesday of deeper immediate cuts came hours after Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill said California is facing its steepest decline in revenues since World War II. 

In her yearly report on the state’s fiscal outlook, Hill forecast a $12.4 billion budget shortfall during the two-year period covering this budget year and next. 

State revenues already were sagging before Sept. 11, and analysts have said California’s fiscal health has suffered since because of terrorism-related layoffs and tourism declines. 

Also this week, state tax officials confirmed that a quarter-cent state sales tax increase will kick in Jan. 1. The increase is automatically triggered when the state’s emergency reserves dip too low. 

The hike will translate to about $50 more in sales tax on a $20,000 car and about 5 cents on a compact disc. Government officials estimate it will cost a family of four an average of $120 per year. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Facing a potential shareholder revolt against the proposed marriage of their companies, Hewlett Packard Co. CEO Carly Fiorina and Compaq Computer Corp. CEO Michael Capellas have withdrawn from a bonus program that would have paid them $22.4 million for completing the merger. 

Fiorina would have received $8 million, or two times her annual salary and target bonus, upon completion of the deal, according to a merger prospectus filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Capellas would have been paid $14.4 million — three times his annual compensation package. 

The documents didn’t explain why the CEOs turned down the offers from their respective boards of directors. Both CEOs wanted to avoid the appearance of potential conflicts of interest, according to company officials. 

The disclosure of their decision comes at a time when both companies are fighting to hold together the $23.7 billion deal amid opposition from some family members of HP’s founders, William Hewlett and David Packard. 

The family members, who are major HP shareholders, are trying to rally more opposition to the deal, much to the dismay of Fiorina and Capellas. 

Other key HP and Compaq executives would collect huge paychecks if HP fulfills its goal of taking over Compaq by June 30. 

Ten HP executives would receive a total of $33.1 million during 2002 and 2003, according to the SEC filing. 

Palo Alto-based HP also would award new contracts granting raises to six of its executives, including Fiorina. In addition, HP would pay an unspecified number of other key employees bonuses equal to 50 percent of their annual salaries and bonuses if the deal is completed, according to the SEC documents. 

An unspecified number of Compaq executives would be paid a total of $22.4 million if they remain with the combined company through the first anniversary of the deal. 

Although he turned down the merger bonus, Capellas would receive a $14.4 million severance payment if he loses his job during the first year after the deal closes, the SEC filing said. 

Besides outlining the financial interest of key executives in the deal, Thursday’s filing also provides details about the events leading to the endorsement of the merger in September by the companies’ boards. 

Concerned about tougher competition, HP began exploring potential takeover candidates in 1999 and first considered a marriage with Houston-based Compaq then, according to the SEC documents. Early this year, HP hired business consultants McKinsey & Co. to assist in its quest. 

The Compaq talks grew serious in June after Fiorina contacted Capellas about Compaq’s potential interest in licensing HP’s UNIX operating system, according to the filing. Capellas broached the idea of a broader relationship, triggering more than two months of back and forth negotiations, according to the documents. 

The deal nearly fell apart Aug. 5 when Compaq instructed Capellas to halt the talks, based on the offer at that time. At an Aug. 6 meeting, though, HP’s board concluded a Compaq takeover still represented the company’s best option and advised Fiorina to continue pursuing the deal, the documents said. 

The two sides cleared up their differences in an Aug. 10 meeting, clearing the way for the companies to return to the negotiating table. 

HP and Compaq also used the prospectus to restate the reasons why the two technology giants are better off together. The companies said the deal would boost the combined entity’s operating profit by $2.5 billion by April 2004. 

If the companies had been united in the current fiscal year, they would have lost $614 million on revenue of $62.6 billion during the nine months ended July 31, according to the SEC documents. 

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Texas braced for more rain Friday after storms and flooding claimed four lives, left two people missing, turned streets into rivers and spawned several tornadoes. 

Three people drowned after their vehicles were washed away by floodwaters; a fourth died in a weather-related crash. 

Up to 13 inches of rain fell in parts of Texas, breaking daily records in Austin and San Antonio, the National Weather Service said. More rain was expected Friday. 

“The creeks are continuing to rise and flooding continues to be very possible,” said Patty Gonzales, an Austin city spokeswoman. 

Firefighters plucked stranded motorists from cars that bobbed on Austin streets. Businesses near the Capitol were drenched by a flow of muddy water that left about a 2-inch cover of thick mud across the road and parking lots. 

The body of Bertha Vargas, a 32-year-old pregnant woman, was found Thursday, more than four hours after the car in which she was riding was swept off a state highway near Rocksprings, about 90 miles northwest of San Antonio. 

A man called for help after seeing Vargas and three others hanging on to tree limbs above the waters, said Becky Kott, an Edwards County EMS worker. 

“When he went back to the scene, he saw the girl, (Vargas) and her father in another tree,” Kott said. “She was screaming for him to help, and he couldn’t do anything. The water was rising and she was swept away.” 

In Blanco County, 40 miles north of San Antonio, Santos Perez Lasoya, 64, drowned after his pickup truck was swept away as he tried to cross a flooded county road, officials said. His body was found downstream hours later. 

Jerry Shorten, 20, died after his pickup truck hydroplaned across the center line on U.S. 281 in Marble Falls, the Texas Department of Public Safety. The truck crashed into a sedan driven by 71-year-old Annie Mason, who was in stable condition Friday. 

A 30-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, was killed when he attempted to drive across a low-water crossing in Austin, said Kenneth Neafcy, spokesman for the city’s Office of Emergency Management. 

His vehicle stalled, and as he attempted to get out, he was swept underneath. 

Rescue crews searched for two people who were swept away in a car near Farm-to-Market Road 685 in Pflugerville, north of Austin. 

Two police officers were rescued Thursday after being swept into Onion Creek in South Austin, Austin Fire Department Lt. David Belknap said. 

About 37,000 homes were without electric power. 

Tenants in about 20 apartments had to be evacuated after high winds tore off parts of the roof from a building. 

Krista Pera came home from work to find water pouring through her kitchen. She stuffed as many of her belongings into her car as she could fit and headed for a friend’s house. 

“I don’t have renter’s insurance,” Pera said. “That’s why I’m taking everything I can.” 

NEW YORK — A woman was shoved into the path of a subway train, a push so hard that her white clogs remained on the edge of the platform, police said. A homeless man was accused of attempted murder. 

Nursing assistant Latchmie Ramsamy, 40, was in critical condition Friday after she was hit by an oncoming train. 

Ramsamy was on her way to work Thursday when Jackson Roman, 35, allegedly pushed her onto the tracks at Grand Central station. Ramsamy, the mother of two, lost part of a foot and had other injuries, police said. 

Witnesses said some people on the platform panicked, clogging the staircases to the exits. 

Roman waited to be arrested, and police described him as emotionally disturbed. 

In 1999, another woman, Kendra Webdale, was pushed to her death by a man with a history of mental illness. The case prompted a state law known as Kendra’s Law, which lets caseworkers, family members or roommates seek a court order to force a mentally ill patient to comply with treatment. 

In keeping with its namesake, Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park is a monument to hope, to the future. Most days, its most notable feature is the Peace Wall, with its hand-drawn tiles made by children around the world, each wishing for the end of war. 

So passers-by on Thursday may have been somewhat jarred by the sight of 1,200 tombstones lined up in cemetery rows on the west side of the park. 

But really, there was no contradiction. Each of the tombstones stood in for one of 1,200 Americans who die each day from tobacco-related illnesses, and they were placed in the park with the hope that number will someday shrink to zero. 

Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of the Great American Smokeout. The all-day event at the park was both a celebration of that program’s success and a reminder – directed mostly at Berkeley High School students – that smoking still kills. 

The city, along with BHS students, the Associated Students of the University of California and Alameda County agencies, put together the display, and invited a special guest speaker – Debi Austin, a laryngectomy patient whose striking anti-smoking public service announcements have been playing on California television stations. 

Apart from Austin, several speakers perhaps less familiar to teenagers – including their superintendent, Michelle Lawrence, Mayor Shirley Dean and city Public Health Director Poki Namkung – were on hand to make sure the message hit home.  

Namkung, who has spent much of her time lately preparing for the possibility of biological warfare, noted that a far more deadly agent was being sold every day in stores around Berkeley. 

“I find it truly ironic that in this age of bioterrorism, when four people have died from anthrax, 1,200 people die every day from tobacco-related diseases,” she said. 

Namkung also praised the city’s recent efforts to develop guidelines for smoke shops and other vendors of tobacco. The City Council is working on legislation that would prevent shops whose major product is tobacco from locating near schools or city parks, and to develop licensing guidelines for all tobacco vendors in the city. 

“Berkeley is being bashed for a lot of its stands, but this stand is truly extraordinary,” she said. 

Dean said that she was a smoker in college, but after quitting for one day – which is what the Great American Smokeout asks of people – she was able to kick the habit entirely. 

“What Sept. 11 really showed us is how precious life really is,” she said. “In that vein, we need to do more to stop the tobacco industry. It’s no secret that they’re targeting young people.” 

Dean said that she was encouraged by the number of BHS students in attendance, and she asked them to take the day’s message to heart. 

“Enjoy the speakers, enjoy this day and most of all, enjoy your good, tobacco-free health,” she said. 

Anti-tobacco activities continued throughout the day. Several organizations, including the Lawrence Hall of Science, the American Cancer Society and KMEL Radio, provided information, interactive exhibits and party music. 

Austin, whose courageous PSA shows her puffing on a cigarette through a quarter-sized hole in her throat, met with students to talk about her experiences with larynx cancer. 

She said that because she has suffered from the effects of smoking, and because her injuries are so dramatic, teenagers listen to her. 

“You can’t tell someone not to smoke, because that’s the fastest way to get them to do it,” she said. “I just want them to see the other side of the glossy ads.” 

Austin said that after she had her operation, she was approached by lawyers who asked her if she wanted to file suit against tobacco companies. She decided against it, she said, because she didn’t want to spend all that time in a courtroom. 

“It’s a hell of a lot more fun being out here,” she said. “One person will walk away from this event and, because of it, won’t smoke. That’ll be worth a hell of a lot more than any lawsuit.” 

Austin, who was finally able to quit smoking a couple of years ago, said that she was very impressed by the turnout. 

“Not one of these kids has to be here,” she said. “That, more than anything, is awesome.”

Friday, Nov. 16

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Weldon Rucker, City Manager of City of Berkeley, presents “Managing a City Like Berkeley.” $1 admission,  

11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

The U.S. and Mexico: Redefining the Relationship 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

141 McCone Hall 

“Security in the Americas: A New Era” with Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, National Security Advisor and Commissioner of Law and Order to President Vicente Fox Quesada. 642-2088 www.clas.berkeley.edu/ clas  

Crosspulse Farewell Concert  

& CD Release Party 

8 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Center 

1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland 

Crosspulse, a percussion ensemble dedicated to the creation and performance of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural music, dance, film and educational projects, marks its cessation as an on-going touring group. $25-30, children half-price. 559-9797 www.crosspulse.com 

American Political History Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Robert Kagan, UCB Department of Political Science and Law, will talk about his book, “Adversarial Legalism.” 642-4608 www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley High School Jazz  

Ensemble Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Florence Schwimley Little Theatre 

1920 Allston Way  

The Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and combos will give their first concert of the year. $8. 548-8026 www.bhs.berkeley. k12.ca.us/artsperforming/jazz 

Flute Concert 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Public Library, South Branch 

1901 Russell St. 

Mary Youngblood will perform a free solo concert. 644-6860 

Feminist Ijtihad: On Re-interpreting Islamic Gender Rights 

1 - 3 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Moses Hall, Rm. 223 

The Human Rights Center and the Institute of International Studies presents a lecture by M. Siraj Sait, University of East London: Emerging feminist interpretations challenge the selective constructions of Islamic gender rights. 642-0965, rshig@uclink.berkeley.edu. 

Music/Experimental/Improvised 

8 p.m. 

TUVA Space 

3192 Adeline  

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series presents, from the Pacific Northwest, the Griffin-Burns-Dionyso Trio. $0 to $20. td@pixar.com. 

Saturday, Nov. 17

National Children’s Book  

Week 

3 p.m. 

South Branch Public Library 

1901 Russell St.  

Theatre company “Word for Word” in a children’s performance of two stories: “The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling and “Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti” by Gerald McDermott. Geared for children 4 years and up. Free. 649-3943 www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Greg’s Pizza 

2311 Telegraph Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Christy Dana Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Elementary School Panel 

11 a.m.- 2 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St. 

Neighborhood Parents Networks sponsors a panel discussion and fair for Berkeley public elementary schools to offer information for parents entering their children in the public school system. $5 members, $10 non-members. 527-6667 www.parentsnet.org 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m. 

Ashkenaz 

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Day one of the festival focuses on acoustic roots music, with concerts, workshops, a children’s program, and a Saturday night dance with three bands. 

Petite Pooches Playgroup 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Terrace Park 

Terrace Ct., off Neilson St. 

Owners with small dogs. Every Saturday. Rain cancels. 524-2459 

Sunday, Nov. 18

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Raleigh’s 

2438 Telegraph Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Mitch Marcus Trio performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

The Young People’s Chamber Orchestra 

4 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

20th Annual Fall Concert. All-strings orchestra consisting of girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 14. $5 gen., $1 students.  

Ecology Center Booksigning and Slideshow 

4-6 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Michael Branch will read from “John Muir’s Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa”, and Bonnie Gisel will read from “Kindred and Related Spirits”. Free. 548-2220 x223.  

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

3 - 11 p.m. 

Freight and Salvage 

1111 Addison St. 

Day two of the festival features contemporary folk music, with singer-songwriters and original string music. 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the Berkeley Common (sic) Council: 

The Berkeley Common Council’s proclamation against America’s self-defense is offensive. The United States was attacked without provocation and more than 4,500 innocent people were killed. Our nation needs to stop the murderers who desire to kill innocent people.  

Until Berkeley supports its fellow-Americans - the victims of this attack - I will not buy anything from a Berkeley business. I am encouraging my family, friends and business partners to boycott your city as well.  

The Common Council should at least apologize for their insensitivity to the victims.  

Shawn P. O’Donnell  

Pewaukee, Wisconsin  

The above statements are pulled from a recent conversation with teacher and poet Grace Morizawa at her home in Berkeley. 

With a bachelor’s degree in English from Pacific University and a master’s with emphasis in Poetry from San Francisco State, she became a teacher, and has taught in the Oakland Unified School District for 20 years. 

Why? She laughed. “I wanted to work in a variety of spaces. I disliked the idea of sitting in the same spot all the time. In a classroom you get to move around. 

“The truth is, I wanted to be a part of children’s learning. There’s a richness of life.” 

“The people of Oakland remind me of Los Angeles when I was a child”  

Morizawa was born in L.A. and lived there until her father’s death when she was 7. Her mother took her to live with her grandparents in eastern Oregon, where Japanese had established a community outside the Western Exclusion Zone for people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. 

“I didn’t go to the camps but my parents had gone so we heard a lot about them. There were several of them not far from where we lived. People talked.” 

Her mother was raised near Yakima, Wash., where she witnessed the terror directed by whites against Filipinos in the 1930s. They had been brought in to work on the farms and in the apple orchards.  

“Our family hid one of the men. Only men were allowed to come. There were some Japanese as dark as the Filipinos.” Descendants of farm workers are running some of the towns up there now, she added. 

Morizawa so loved growing up in the high desert that she now writes many poems about her life there. 

“People think there’s nothing in the desert, but when you look at it closely, it is vibrant, all this life is present. There is the valley sagebrush, tumbleweed. The growth along the ditch banks (irrigation canals) before people began to weed them. The dramatic weather, thunderstorms. The high desert air frames everything so you can see it clearly. The moon is so big.” 

Morizawa has established herself as an outstanding teacher. One measure of this is her selection as a 1988 Summer Invited Fellow in the Bay Area Writing Project. BAWP was founded more than 25 years ago at UC Berkeley by writing teachers of writing, on the premise that they knew more than scholars or administrators about teaching writing. BAWP has now expanded to sites in every state. 

Its Invited Summer Fellows are successful teachers recommended by their peers. As a Fellow BAWPer (1978, 1994), I was interested in her BAWP experience. 

“Yes, like with you, it was a defining experience for me. BAWP, where writing is an integral part of teaching, helped me integrate my teaching and writing communities. Before BAWP my teaching and writing communities were separate.  

“In BAWP I found a community of teachers who were also writers. 

“As a teacher, you can never know enough – you’re studying how people learn, how they think – that’s interesting. I feel privileged. Kids share precious moments with you. I see how much their parents care for them. 

“Writing is power. Literacy. I want my student writers to connect with this power as  

early as possible. Young children work so hard. If they’re on to something in a story they’re writing, they’ll take it out during recess to work on." 

And your own writing? "I feel myself less a poet than a teacher, but I’ve  

worked at it(becoming a poet) for a long time." 

Though she may be reluctant to claim herself a poet, she has had some  

of her poems published. "A friend sent out some of my work for me, and it got published. I  

do have a lot of work. My best time to write is 3 a. m. And I am planning a collection." 

On loan to the National Center on Education and the Economy, Morizawa has  

for the last two years been working on curriculum development. She is currently writing a curriculum for teaching memoir writing to 3rd graders. 

The memoir? "I want them to reflect on the important moments in their lives." 

Her last school in Oakland was Melrose Elementary. She’ll return to the District next year. 

In closing, I asked her again about her own writing. 

"My father was a composer. I can barely carry a tune so I write poetry in his  

honor."  

Adam David Miller 

November 5, 2001 

Judith, 

Please find a place for the Oakland poem, as a good sample of her work. You should also have photos. If not, or those you have are inadequate, she has some others. 

Hope you are surviving the madness. 

One love, 

Adm 

Oakland Streets 

It’s what you choose to see. 

It’s the corner of International Blvd. 

and 23rd. 

The sun slants at 4 p.m. spreading glazed 

light magnifying stillness 

topping the storefront churches. 

No artist’s palette can capture  

how Hallelujah echoes, 

how the waves of light pour from the bay across the streets, 

rooftops, yards, 

even to the lemon 

trees. 

It’s a light that pierces  

so softly you never have to blink. 

You focus recognizing 

every store name, check cashing sign 

sale poster, every black-tipped sparrow, 

wild mustard plant, or daffodil, 

every person you pass even the homeless 

you want not to know 

It makes you remember  

how it feels to look at your lover’s face. 

how the space between you  

is a light  

that spans without a bridge. 

Grace Morizawa 

10/30/01 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; Nov. 18: Christy Dana Jazz Quintet; Nov. 19: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 20: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Nov. 21: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 23: Sally Hanna-Rhine and David Tapham; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 24: Carl Garrett Jazz Quartet; Nov. 25: Acoustic Soul; Nov. 26: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 27: Jason Martineau and David Sayen; Nov. 28: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 29: Ed Reed and Alex Markels Jazz Group; Nov. 30: Ann sings jazz standards; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Ashkenaz Nov. 16: 9 p.m., Amandla Poets O-Maya, $10 - $20; Nov. 17: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., Berkeley Free Folk Fesitval; Nov. 18: 8 p.m., Zydeco Flames, $8; Nov. 19: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 20: 8 p.m., Tamazgha, $8; Nov. 21: 8 p.m., Tom Rigney & Flambeau, $8; Nov. 22: 6 - 9 p.m., Annual Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast, Free; 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 23: 9 p.m., Ras Michael and Sons of Negus with DJ Tony Moses, $10; Nov. 24: 9:30 p.m., Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, $11; Nov. 25: 9 p.m., The King of Calypso Mighty Sparrow, $15; Nov. 26: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 27: 8 p.m., Creole Belles, $8; Nov. 28: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Intentions, Stairwell Sisters, Clogging with Evie Ladin, $10; Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums w/ Ms. Carmen Getit; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Nov. 16: First Circle, Stonecutters, $5; Nov. 17: Slaptones, TBA; Nov. 18: The GTF, TBA; Nov. 19: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 20: Mr. Q, View From Here, $3; Nov. 21: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 22: Ascension, $5; Nov. 23: Solemite, TBA, $5; Nov. 24: Dank Man Shank, Locale AM, $5; Nov. 25: Out of The Ashes, Wonderland Ave., $3; Nov. 26: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 27: PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, Froggy, $3; Nov. 28: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 29: Ascension, $5; Nov. 30: Felonious, TBA, $6; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley. edu 

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

Freight & Salvage Coffee House Nov. 15: David Mallett; Nov. 16: Jez Lowe and James Keelaghan; Nov. 17: Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo; Nov. 18: 4 p.m., Berkeley Free Folk Festival: Noe Venable, Dawn McCarthy, John McCormick, Tret Fure, Sylvia Herold, 8 p.m., the Bill Evans band, Evie Ladin and Keith Terry, John Reischman and the Jaybirds; Nov. 21: Raun Fables and Noe Venable; Nov. 23 & 24: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Sickafoose; Nov. 25: Sylvia Herold; Nov. 26: Ellen Robinson; Nov. 28: Wake the Dead; Nov. 29: Judith Kate Friedman and Deborah Pardes; Nov. 30: Odile Lavault and Baguette Quartette; Dec. 1: Geoff Muldaur w/ Fritz Richmond; Dec. 2: Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik; Dec. 5: Avalon Blues: Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Bill Morrissey; Dec. 6: Ray Bonneville; Dec. 7 & 8: Rebecca Riots; All shows begin 8 p.m., 1111 Addison St. Call 548-1761 for prices or see www.freightandsalvage.org.  

iMusicast Nov. 16: 6:30 p.m., L3 (Live, Loud and Local) featuring: Big In Japan, The Locals, Jimmy 2 Times, Serial Carpens, Street To Nowhere. All Ages $9. Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., Applesaucer, The Plus Ones, Cutlass Supreme, Salem Lights, Short Wave Rocket, One Step Shift; 5429 Telegraph Ave. 601-1024, www.imusicast.com. 

Jupiter Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 17: Christy Dana Quartet, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 18: Mitch Marcus Trio, Raleigh’s, 2438 Telegraph Ave.; Joe Chellman Quartet, The Village, 2556 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Musicians for Medical Marijuana” Nov. 16: 7 :30 p.m., Dark Star Orchestra, The Flying Other Brothers, MCed by Mountain Girl, doctors and lawyers on hand for consultation. $20. Sweet’s Ballroom, 1988 Broadway, Oakland, 869-5391 www.m4mmj.org. 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

Theater 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16-17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Odyssey” Nov. 16: 7 p.m., Nov. 17: 2 p.m., 7 p.m., Nov. 18: 2 p.m., The Splash Circus presents this outer space circus adventure with juggling scientists, acrobatic aliens, aerial acts, tumbling, masked Commedia characters, contortion, pyramids and dance. Youth performers between the ages of 10 - 14. $13, $6.50 for kids under 14. The Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. 655-1265 x202, www.splashcircus.com. 

“Uncle Vanya” Nov. 23 through Nov. 29: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. Nov. 25, 7 p.m. Subterranean Shakespeare’s production of Jean-Claude van Italie’s humorous translation of Anton Chekhov’s romantic masterpiece. Directed by Diane Jackson. Benefits the Forests Forever Foundation. $8-$14. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits  

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Through Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice at UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Nov. 18 through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Nov. 15 through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reception and presentation by the elders Thurs. Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 17: 7 p.m. Graham Hutchings discusses his newly released book “Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., 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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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

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

Berkeley to face nemesis O’Dowd for NCS championship Saturday 

Two games into their North Coast Section semi-final against Castro Valley on Thursday, the Berkeley High Yellowjackets looked dead in the water. They had lost the opening games in lackluster fashion, looking slow and tentative. Considering the ’Jackets had broken through to win their first NCS game in four years on Tuesday, they couldn’t have been blamed for packing it up and calling it a season. 

But instead of being satisfied with one NCS win, they roared back to make it two, with the final looming on Saturday. With each of the last three games a battle to the end, Berkeley pulled out a marathon win, 7-15, 9-15, 15-12, 15-13, 16-14 in two hours and forty-five minutes. 

The win tested Berkeley’s resolve more than any other match this season. After blowing through the ACCAL undefeated for the second year in a row, Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway wasn’t sure his players had it in them to come back in such a dramatic fashion. 

“Truthfully? No,” Caraway said when asked if he thought his team would come back from a two-game deficit. “I thought you could stick a fork in us, because we were done.” 

Coming up huge for Berkeley was outside hitter Vanessa Williams. The junior, playing on an injured ankle, led the team with 19 kills, including five in the final rally-scoring game and the final point of the match. Usually a complementary hitter to 6-foot-5 middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young, Williams took 42 swings at the ball, more than Guilliard-Young or any other player on the court on Thursday. 

“Vanessa was just huge in the last game,” Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway said. “She’s streaky, and she just has to settle down and play point by point.” 

Guilliard-Young had 14 kills in the match to go with 8 blocks, and outside hitter Amalia Jarvis had 11 kills and 10 digs. Setter Danielle Larue, playing with her right thumb heavily taped due to injury, had 42 assists and 10 digs. The Berkeley offense, designed to go through Guilliard-Young as often as possible, showed unusual versatility against the Trojans. 

Castro Valley, on the other hand, was forced to constantly funnel the ball to senior Alexis Kollias, and Kollias seemed to tire in the final game. Despite finishing with a game-high 22 kills (nearly half her team’s total), Kollias was called for two critical infractions in the last four points of the match. First, with the score tied at 13-13, she brushed the net on a spike, giving Berkeley the point. After the Trojans tied the score again at 14-14, Kollias was called for a double-hit on a pass, and Berkeley had a 15-14 lead. Williams finished the match with a spike right down the middle of the Castro Valley defense, and Berkeley was through to the final. 

Both coaches were unhappy with the officiating in the match, but the questionable calls seemed to even out in the end. 

“The refereeing was very inconsistent, and I think that hurt us more as the younger team,” said Castro Valley coach Shari Cabral. “He made calls periodically that killed the momentum, and it was hard for us to get it back.” 

Caraway agreed that the officiating was inconsistent, going so far as to file a protest during the third game. 

“The referee affected the outcome of the match much more than he should have,” Caraway said. “We got some calls that helped us out, but so did (Castro Valley).” 

The ’Jackets’ opponent in that final will be top-seeded Bishop O’Dowd, which defeated Deer Valley in the other semi-final. The match will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Berkeley High. 

The Dragons have been a thorn in Berkeley’s side for the last two seasons, knocking the ’Jackets out in the first round of the playoffs last year and beating them soundly this season. In fact, Berkeley hasn’t beaten O’Dowd since Caraway became the coach five years ago. 

“We have some kind of mental block when it comes to O’Dowd, but hopefully it’s something we can work through,” Caraway said. “We just have to settle down and understand that we can play with the top teams in the region and come away winners.” 

Guilliard-Young, for one, is confident that O’Dowd’s winning streak over the ’Jackets can end on Saturday. 

“We know exactly what to expect from them,” she said. “If we can beat Castro Valley, we can beat O’Dowd.” 

Better get wishing – if Jiminy Cricket was right, there’s no way your wishes won’t come true this weekend. Astronomers predict this year’s Leonid meteor shower will be the best in 30 years. 

From 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday, viewers will see between 1,000 and 4,000 meteors an hour, qualifying this as a meteor storm, not a shower. That could be as many as a meteor every second during the peak hour.  

The next storm won’t happen until 2099. 

The Leonid shower occurs annually, but this year’s is predicted to be the best shower since 1966, when observers saw more than 100,000 meteors in an hour. The forecast for next year says it will be obscured by a full moon. 

Meteors, or shooting stars, are bright flashes that appear when dust particles or small rocks collide with Earth’s atmosphere. The Leonid shower happens when Earth passes through the stream of dust and debris left by comet Tempel-Tuttle in its 33-year orbit. As it nears the sun, the comet’s frozen surface heats up and ejects some of the dust and gas it is made of. The larger dust particles, from about one millimeter wide to pebble-sized, form a cloud of debris that orbits the sun strung out in a dust trail behind the comet. Tempel-Tuttle last  

came around in 1998. 

Ryan Diduck, director of Astronomy at the Chabot Space and Science Center, admitted that he has never seen a meteor shower with more than 100 meteors an hour, though he has been watching the stars since childhood. 

Aside from the wishing, meteor showers are known as nature’s fireworks and never fail to elicit oohs and ahhs. A meteor shower is special “because it makes people aware of the fact that we don't live in a static solar system,” Diduck said. “When they see a shooting star, it gets people thinking that the sky isn’t the same old sky all the time. Stuff happens out there.” 

His favorite meteor shower has always been the reliable Persieds in August, which consistently produces 50 to 100 meteors per hour. 

“But,” he said, “to see a storm this year will automatically make this my favorite shower.” 

Carter Roberts, president of the Eastbay Astronomical Society, an organization of amateur astronomers, remembers the Leonids of 1998 as the best meteor shower he ever saw. He traveled to China just to observe it, and was treated to a spectacular display in return for sitting out in below freezing weather. 

Meteor predicting used to be more like fortune telling than science, but computer models and more data have made vast improvements. Forecasts for the 1998, 1999 and 2000 showers accurately predicted the time of the peak and number of meteors. So, expect this year’s predictions to be right on the money. 

No special equipment is needed to see shooting stars. “The human eye is the best tool for observing a meteor shower,” said Diduck. “Take a lawn chair, take warm clothes, and just look up!” 

You’ll have a better chance of seeing a lot of meteors if you also get some place as dark and clear as possible, and turn out all white lights so your eyes can adapt to the darkness. Though the shooting stars appear to come from the constellation Leo, don’t look there. Meteors will streak all over the sky. 

“It’s something definitely worth seeing,” said Toshi Komatsu, assistant planetarium director at the Lawrence Hall of Science. “To see all these brilliant lights streaking across the sky, that’s an awesome thing. They’re little bits of the creation of our solar system.” 

The Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland will rope off its staff parking lot from 10 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday for meteor viewing, and have astronomers roaming the crowd to answer questions. The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley will also have their lights off and staff available during the shower, after their normal Saturday night stargazing ends 10 p.m. Call the CSSC at 336-7373 or LHS at 642-5132. 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the City Council: 

For many years I lived in many places in Berkeley while getting three degrees at the big university. I am still a Berkeleyan in thought and spirit, though I now live two blocks over the line into Oakland. 

So I want to say a big THANK YOU for the council’s courageous vote for “bringing the bombing (in Afghanistan) to a conclusion as soon as possible.” 

Of course the right wing is vilifying Berkeley even more than usual - what did you expect? 

To help counteract the ridiculous boycott, from now on I will do all my shopping in Berkeley, and encourage my friends to do likewise. 

This too shall pass. 

Keep up the good work. 

Helene Knox 

Oakland 

Eastern Washington shocks No. 10 St. Joseph’s in BCA Classic opener 

Four players scored in double figures, led by 15 points from junior forward Joe Shipp, as Cal opened the 2001-02 basketball season with a 70-58 victory over Princeton in the first round of the BCA Classic Thursday night in Haas Pavilion.  

The Bears advance to play Eastern Washington, an upset winner over No. 10 Saint Joseph’s, for the championship Friday at 8:30 p.m. St. Joe’s meets Princeton in the consolation game at 6 p.m.  

Cal and Princeton battled back and forth early in the game. With the Tigers ahead 11-10, the Bears scored eight consecutive points to open a 17-11 advantage. The lead ballooned to 32-16 at the 6:05 mark and Cal entered the locker room up 44-28 on Shantay Legans’ 35-foot shot at the buzzer.  

In the second half, Cal pushed its lead to 20 points at 51-31 and kept the margin above 15 points until the closing minutes. The Bears’ largest lead was 64-41 with 6:48 left.  

Cal remained patient with Princeton’s famously deliberate style and capitalized on strong shooting, especially from the outside. The Bears made 7-of-13 shots from three-point range in the first half and shot 51.9 from the field for the game.  

“I don’t think that the average fan knows how much preparation went into this game,” Cal head coach Ben Braun said. “Princeton is a very smart team. You’ll see that team when a lot of basketball games this year.” 

In addition to Shipp, who also had four rebounds and four assists, Ryan Forehan-Kelly and Dennis Gates came off the bench for 11 points apiece and freshman Jamal Sampson finished with 10 points and five rebounds in his Cal debut.  

“Both Dennis Gates and Ryan Forehan-Kelly are playing as well as anybody right now,” Braun said. “If we can continue to get that kind of play off the bench, we’ll be doing pretty good.”  

Konrod Wysocki paced Princeton with 17 points.  

In the first game of the tournament, Eastern Washington edged St. Joe’s, 68-67. St. Joe’s had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Delonte West missed the second of two free throws with three seconds remaining.

Free AC Transit bus passes for students from low-income families may become a reality next year, but only if the Bay Area’s regional transit board votes next month to subsidize a program that will benefit Alameda and Contra Costa counties. 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which represents all nine Bay Area counties, will decide Dec. 19 whether to make bus ridership free for the approximately 30,000 students who participate in free or reduced-cost lunch programs in the two counties. 

Other students would see their bus-pass costs reduced from $27 to $8 per month. 

“The pilot is proposed just in these two counties, but it has implications for all nine,” said Lara Bice, legislative aide to Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. 

But, she said, she could not predict the MTC’s vote. 

The Berkeley School Board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday endorsing the pilot program, but only after the board’s vice president, Shirley Issel, introduced two additional clauses stating that funds should not come from AC Transits’ operating budget. 

“We want the transit authority to stay solvent and maintain service,” Issel said Thursday. The MTC, she said, has a plan to fund the program with other revenue sources “so that service won’t be affected.” 

Carson joined forces with State Assemblymember Dion Aroner and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia to propose the pilot program, the only one of its kind currently up for consideration as part of the MTC’s $81.4 billion December appropriation vote. 

The $12 million cost, Bice said, represents “Less than one hair off their whole head.” 

If approved, she said, students would begin riding free next fall.  

Board director John Selawsky, who is crafting an overall transportation policy for the school district, said the program could make bus travel free for as many as 2,000 students in Berkeley alone and add millions of dollars to the combined budgets of the East Bay’s school districts. . 

“If even a small percentage of those students are missing school because of transportation costs, it adds up over that wide a region,” he said. “How that impacts Berkeley, I haven’t got an analysis.” 

Half-price BART tickets have already been available to Berkeley High School students and teachers for several months, Selawsky said. 

“It’s not very well publicized yet,” he said. 

For now, however, the cheapest option for students at any school to ride AC Transit buses is a monthly pass that costs $27 up front – too steep for many families. 

“It has been shown that students from families of low and moderate incomes who rely on public transit often do not have adequate money for fares at certain periods each month, and thus miss school entirely because of lack of ability to pay bus fare," the board’s resolution noted. 

At the board meeting, student director Sarena Chandler expressed concern at language elsewhere in the resolution that called for a “$95 per year bus pass” for those students not receiving free or reduced lunch. 

“They’re easy to lose,” she said, and “students can profit from them.”  

Bice said that this and other concerns had been taken into consideration. Monthly credit-card billing to parents was one possibility for those students who still had to pay, she said, and rather than getting transferable bus passes, students in the free or reduced lunch program would line up on the first day of school and receive stickers on their regular identification cards. 

In order to reduce the stigma that some might attach to publicly receiving the need-based transit privilege, Bice said, those students “would have their names written in black ink, others in blue ink, something that only the person at the (registration) station would know.” 

Selawsky said he plans to unveil a district-wide transit policy in “about three months or so,” calling for increased use of mass transit, safer dropoff points for the schools where necessary, and “reduced or free BART passes for staff.” 

Parking, he said, is another big concern – especially what to do when construction ends at Berkeley High School and its tennis courts revert from parking back to their original purpose. 

In the bigger picture, the MTC’s vote comes at a time when the region’s public-transit agencies are under growing legal pressure to increase ridership. Though the Bay Area’s population has grown about 30 percent in the last five years, said Selawsky, AC Transit ridership is down and BART ridership has only held steady. 

“A judge in a recent court case ruled (the transit agencies) haven’t made a sincere attempt to increase ridership and they are under a court decree right now to increase it, no “ifs, ands, or buts,” Selawsky said. 

“Specifically with student bus passes, this has been a need for years and years,” Selawsky said. “It seems kind of obvious that kids should have access to transportation to and from school at either very minimal cost or no cost, because that should not be a deterrent to getting to school.” 

Editor, 

President Bush, in asking for the power to establish military courts to try terrorism suspects, is rapidly laying the groundwork for martial law in America – for the suspension of the very rights that make our flag worth defending. Do we trust the people now in control of our government to properly discriminate between real terrorists and those who are, instead, honorable citizens with contrary opinions to express non-violently? The people who now protect us from airborne nail clippers and tweezers will soon be protecting us from members of the Green and Reform parties – then our neighbors and then members of our own families. If this comment seems like a rash overreaction, note that 91 year-old cross-country walker Doris “Granny D” Haddock, who dared suggest that campaign finance reform is needed to clean up the corruption of Congress, is now singled out for hand searches and frisking at every airport. Once it begins, it moves quickly. Surely our freedoms, and the civil rights that guarantee our freedoms, are more endangered by extremists in government than extremists who are, after all, only trying to kill us. 

Dennis Burke 

Phoenix, Arizona

California women’s basketball head coach Caren Horstmeyer announced Thursday the signing of one of the top junior college post players in the country and two outstanding prep athletes. Timea Ivanyi, Renee Wright and Sarah Pool have all signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at Cal beginning with the 2002-03 season.  

“We’re pleased with this class in terms of their overall level of play and the immediate impact they’re all expected to have,” said Horstmeyer. “We set a solid foundation with last year’s recruiting class and have continued to build on our future with this year’s class.”  

Ivanyi, a 6-foot-4 center from Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., chose Cal over Duke, Florida State, Southwest Missouri State and Syracuse. As a freshman at Jefferson, Ivanyi helped lead her team to sixth in the country at the junior college nationals with a 33-3 record. A native of Szeged, Hungary, Ivanyi averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game as a freshman and earned all-conference and all-region honors. The 23-year old comes to Cal with two years of eligibility.  

“Timea is one of the top five junior college posts in the nation,” said Horstmeyer. “She brings size, competitiveness and the best hands of any post I’ve ever had.”  

A 5-10 forward from Center High School in Analope, Wright is listed as one of the top 40 wings in the nation by Mike White’s Scouting Report. Wright holds her school’s season and career records for points and rebounds.  

As a junior, she led Center to the section championship, averaging 20 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. For her efforts, she was named all-state for Division III, league MVP and first team All-Metro by the Sacramento Bee.  

Wright, who was nominated to compete in this year’s first girls’ McDonalds All-America Game, is recovering from an ACL tear and is expected to rejoin her team by the end of December. She also considered attending Colorado State.  

“Renee will be one of the best rebounding small forwards I’ve ever had,” said Horstmeyer.  

Pool, a 5-8 point guard, has helped lead Crater High School in Central Point, Ore., to a combined 49-6 record and the state championship game the last two seasons. She is listed as a Street and Smith’s preseason All-American. As a junior, Pool averaged 15 points, 9 assists and 3 rebounds per game, earning first team all-conference, honorable mention all-state and second team all-tournament at the state championship. Pool chose Cal over Oregon and Oregon State.

The Planning Commission took action on two controversial city issues during its meeting Wednesday night. 

The commission devised new rules for wireless telecommunications antennae and approved a one-year moratorium on office development in the West Berkeley mixed-use/light industrial district. 

In addition, the commission adopted a new timetable for the Southside Plan. 

The commission largely rejected a wireless telecommunications proposal written by concerned citizens. The citizen’s ordinance would have banned new antennae within a 200-foot radius of residential districts. 

Instead, it unanimously approved an ordinance drafted by city staff and heavily revised by Commissioner Gene Poschman. 

Under Poschman’s proposal, most new antennae would have to be approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board. Wireless services providers would have to demonstrate to the ZAB that the proposed antenna is necessary to provide service in an area, and that denying it would be a violation of federal law. 

On Friday, commission chair Rob Wrenn said the Poschman compromise, while not ideal, was in the spirit typical of Berkeley procedure. 

“There’s two ways you can do these kinds of things,” he said. “You can institute really tight rules, or you can make people jump through hoops to convince you on a case-by-case basis.” 

The latter – a method Wrenn called “flexible, but with scrutiny” – allowed for more citizen input on particular projects, he said. 

The commission also rejected city staff’s suggestion that antennae be allowed, under certain circumstances, to exceed the maximum height limit allowed in zoning districts.  

Like all Planning Commission actions, the proposal is only a recommendation to the City Council, which may further refine it or reject it altogether when it hears the matter in the upcoming weeks. 

The other big item on the commission’s calendar – the moratorium on offices in the West Berkeley MU-LI district – passed by a vote of 5-3. 

The commission received a study from a MU-LI subcommittee, composed of Commissioners Poschman, Zelda Bronstein, John Curl and Betty Hicks. The subcommitee’s report recommended that the commission approve the moratorium in substantially the same form as the commission’s January resolution on the matter. 

After reviewing the commssion’s first attempt to pass the moratorium, the City Council asked it to hold further public hearings and consider an exemption for spaces of under 5,000 square feet. 

The subcommittee report, which was adopted by the full commission on Wednesday, did not allow for such an exemption. The report stated that the commission had heard from many artists and artisans – categories that are classified as “light industrial” under the West Berkeley Plan – who said that they could use spaces under 5,000 square feet even if traditional industry could not. 

The new moratorium would, however, allow light industrial businesses to convert some of their space to offices if the offices are designed to support the manufacturing component of the business. 

Commissioners Hicks, Gordon Wozniak and David Tabb voted against the moratorium. Commissioner Susan Wengraf was absent at Wednesday’s meeting. 

The only other topic heard at Wednesday’s meeting was a status report on the Southside Plan, which the commission and planning staff have been working on for the last three and a half years. 

The commission unanimously adopted a proposal by chair Rob Wrenn that would define the Southside Plan as the commission’s top priority for the first half of 2002.  

Wrenn handed out a timetable that he hoped would serve as a guideline for the commission’s work on the plan. The timetable, which called for public release of the latest draft of the plan by the end of this month and completion of the plan by the end of June 2002, was also adopted. 

Several speakers during the public comment period urged the commission to complete work on the plan, push city staff to release its latest draft to the public and resist efforts by the University of California to unduly influence the plan’s direction. 

“I have never in my long political life participated in a process that was so fair and so open,” said Becky O’Malley. “Please finish the Southside Plan as we, the citizens, started it.”

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the City Council: 

I’m writing to defend the mayor’s right to say anything she wants, even on her city-sponsored web page. I firmly believe that anyone who wants to make herself look silly should be allowed to do so, even at public expense if necessary. I do agree that the mayor’s letter on the Web (saying, a la Chicken Little, that the sky is falling because the council majority expressed reservations about U.S. foreign policy) is silly. It looks particularly silly now that the Contra Costa Times has released its poll proving that the majority of Berkeley residents support the council majority on the issue – no surprise to me there, though it’s obviously a surprise to the Mayor. 

But I think that the best remedy for speech we don’t like is more speech. Period. With that in mind, I would like to offer people who disagree with the mayor the opportunity to put their opinions on the web too, not at public expense, but at my expense, on the Berkeley Free Press web page: berkeleyfreepress.com. I’ll try to put up any letters which are e-mailed to me, within the limits of my technical ability, time constraints and available memory on my server. Perhaps the City Council, as a quid pro quo for the city’s provision of free Web space to the mayor, could simply ask city staff to provide a link to the Berkeley Free Press site on the city’s site. 

Becky O’Malley 

Berkele

SAN FRANCISCO — The budget outlook for the University of California is bleak, with cuts likely this year and next that may force officials to cap enrollment and increase student fees. 

Regents approved a 2002-3 state-funded operating budget of $3.65 billion Thursday, an 8.7 percent increase from last year, on the understanding that they could get less when Gov. Gray Davis brings out his proposed state budget in January. 

Davis already has proposed $86 million in cuts for the current fiscal year at UC. 

UC officials have identified a number of areas for making cuts, including: 

• Capping student enrollment growth. 

• Raising student fees. 

• Limiting faculty and staff raises. 

• Cutting programs that have had substantial increases. 

Most of those measures would prove controversial. 

UC historically has promised to find a place on one of its eight undergraduate campuses for all students who meet minimum eligibility requirements. Funding for an additional 7,100 students is needed to keep that promise in 2002, UC officials say. 

Student fees, meanwhile, have been level for the past seven years after jumping sharply during the recession-plagued early ’90s. After California’s economy picked up, the state began funding yearly increases. The increase for next year, on annual fees of about $3,800, would be between 8 percent and 10 percent. 

Regents also are proposing increasing nonresident tuition by 4 percent. 

Regents also approved raises of about 2 percent for about 145 senior managers, the same increase as previously given staff. The board also approved potential salary increases of up to 25 percent for some top managers, but put those raises on hold “considering economic conditions and budgetary constraints.” 

UC officials had defended the big raises as necessary to attract and keep top talent.

Editor: 

Once again, Berkeley, California is paving the way for other communities. Berkeley led the way for students’ rights movements and anti-Vietnam demonstrations in the 1960s, and has recently taken another courageous step. One of the hardest things to do when a nation is caught up in a wave of nationalism is to step back from the situation and publicly voice dissent. Such dissent is rarely popular, and the person uttering it is more likely than not to be dubbed an America-hater, an agitator, or some other word for a person who speaks critically of government policy. 

The current action against the people of Afghanistan is not right. Civilians are being killed, a humanitarian disaster is looming, and the United States is once again trying its hand at nation-building. Military action is not the way to root out terrorism.  

Terror is the weapon of desperate people. Those with any political voice do not resort to it, and conditions of abject poverty, chronic unemployment, and structural violence lead individuals to support it. To stop terrorism, we must address the issues of injustice and inequality that form the foundation of terrorism. The current campaign only exacerbates those conditions. 

The City Council of Berkeley took a brave step when it passed a resolution against the military action in Afghanistan. I sincerely hope that those who condemn the council out of hand will step back from the patriotic furor and consider the importance of this resolution. 

Elizabeth Jordan 

Flint, Michigan

Editor: 

Our community and our nation need access to dialogue and free speech now more than ever. The Pentagon has bought exclusive rights to satellite photos of Afghanistan to keep them from being broadcast. Domestic civil rights are under attack and even lawyer/client confidentiality has been eliminated. The mainstream media has openly declared its willingness to censor any information that contradicts the Bush administration’s line and Dan Rather has announced on the air that he takes his orders from George Bush. 

In the Bay Area we are fortunate to have an alternative source of information on KPFA 94.1 FM. But KPFA and the entire Pacifica network are also under attack by a hostile, corporatist board that is now unable to pay the station’s bills. Telephone, utility and other bills go unpaid by Pacifica (which holds all the purse strings) while high priced lawyers and security guards have drained the foundation of $2 million in the past two years. 

As members of a community that prizes free speech, we need to keep KPFA on the air by paying its bills without providing funding to the corporate controlled Pacifica Foundation. We strongly urge all people who rely on KPFA for news and information to support a listener-controlled station and Pacifica network by writing a check to “Friends of Free Speech Radio,” 925 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710. We can’t afford not to. 

David Eifler and Pat Martin 

Berkeley

Now that the recently-approved redistricting plan has apparently been thwarted, the bitterly divided City Council will have to pick up the pieces and start the process again.  

If the bickering and backbiting that dominated a discussion about redistricting during last Tuesday’s council meeting is any indication, the process, which begins Nov. 27, will be contentious. 

The newly-formed Citizens for Fair Representation collected more than 8,000 signatures to challenge the controversial plan – approved by council on Oct. 16 – mainly because the plan included a population imbalance in District 8.  

The newly-drawn District 8 has 4,500 more residents than the city’s seven other districts, which have an average of 12,800 residents. CFR members have charged that the imbalance violates the democratic tenet “one person, one vote.” 

Assuming 4,000 of the signatures on the petitions are validated, the council will have two choices. It can allow the issue to go before the voters in March or it can repeal the approved redistricting plan and start over.  

Several councilmembers have already indicated they would prefer starting over because of the estimated $100,000 it would cost to put a measure on the ballot. 

One possible redistricting plan councilmembers have discussed is a city staff proposal known as Scenario 5, favored by moderates. Another possibility is a proposal by Councilmember Kriss Worthington, which would alter the existing plan by adding a population differential of 5 percent into each district. 

“I think that what we need to do is lay out the criteria for a plan that will be acceptable and fair,” Mayor Shirley Dean said at Tuesday’s meeting. “But clearly ‘one-person, one-vote’ will have to be central to any plan we adopt.” 

While drawing district lines, the council is tightly bound by the City Charter. According to the city attorney, each of the city’s eight districts must have as close to 12,800 people as possible. Using the city attorney’s recommended 1 percent deviation, each district should have a difference in population of no more than 128 residents. The charter also requires that district lines not be significantly changed. 

Making matters worse, the council will also have to use faulty census bureau numbers, even though it is known there was an undercount of 4,500 people in districts 7 and 8. The city attorney said the Census Bureau has so far refused to correct its mistake and will probably never do so. 

One bit of good news is that the council will not be racing to approve a new redistricting plan by Dec. 31. City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said if the approved plan is repealed, the deadline could be pushed back to April 1. 

The moderates say they favor staff’s Scenario 5 because it takes some of the extra people in district 8 and puts them in District 7, which is represented by Councilmember Kriss Worthington. 

Progressives have said the plan is a problem because it alters the shapes of districts 7 and 8, which they claim violates the charter requirement that districts stay as close to its original 1986 shape. 

“I’d like to see a plan like Scenario 5 that distributes the population more equitably, including the undercount,” Councilmember Miriam Hawley said. “If we have to spread the undercount into three or four districts, that’s fine as long as it’s equal as possible.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring said Scenario 5 does not go far enough to spread out the undercount. 

“All the staff plan does to deal with the undercount is spread it out a little into District 7,” Spring said. “I think we have to keep our options open and try to come up with a creative solution that will fairly distribute the undercount to other districts.” 

Worthington has proposed a plan that would increase the allowable population discrepancy to 640 people, instead of the current charter restriction of 128, in each district. He said by so doing the undercount would be distributed among all eight districts. 

“I believe that would do minimal damage to the concept of “one person, one vote” and it’s the only proposal I’ve heard of that spreads the undercount throughout the entire city.” 

But at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Albuquerque said the proposal would likely be illegal because the City Charter calls for district population counts that are “as equal as possible,” and that a 1 percent deviation has been most commonly used in redistricting since Baker vs. Carr, a 1962 landmark Supreme Court case over apportionment of congressional districts.  

Worthington said that UC Berkeley “redistricting guru” Bruce Cain was convinced that a 5-percent population discrepancy would be legal and has asked to meet with Albuquerque.  

“We have looked at all the Supreme Court redistricting cases,” Albuquerque said. “But if Mr. Cain has one we missed, we would be glad to hear about it.” 

Whatever plan the council adopts it will have to take into consideration the concerns of the CFR, which has vowed to circulate another petition if the council does not significantly change the approved plan.

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the City Council: 

I am appreciative of the City Council’s rejection of the bombing of Afghanistan. Please do not let Mayor Dean force a retraction. Please recognize that the long term gains for Berkeley (international respect, unforseen financial gains, political prestige, civic pride, the ability to look in the mirror with dignity) may balance out the short term losses. 

Joel Hamburger, 

Oakland 

WASHINGTON — The Navy has dropped plans to use an old military base between Big Sur and the Hearst Castle as a practice range for 3,000 bombing missions a year. 

Rep. Sam Farr, D-Salinas, said the Navy decided that it would not save much money in reduced fuel costs, a major reason for considering Ft. Hunter Liggett, 40 miles south of Big Sur, as a bombing range. 

“It’s a great victory,” Farr said Thursday, after getting word from Duncan Holaday, the Navy’s deputy assistant secretary for installations. 

Lt. Pauline Storum, a Navy spokeswoman, confirmed the decision. 

“The Navy has determined that there is no present need to expand our current use of the ranges at Ft. Hunter Liggett,” Storum said. Navy fighter jets currently make 200 to 300 training runs a year at the base, she said. 

The Navy had proposed a tenfold increase in bombing missions at the base, a 165,000-acre expanse amid the state’s most remote and rugged coastal landscapes that newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst sold to the Army in 1940. 

F/A-18 fighter jets from Lemoore Naval Air Station in the San Joaquin Valley and aircraft carriers off the California coast were to have swooped down on the oak woodlands and rolling hills, aiming 25-pound dummy bombs at a 500-foot bull’s-eye painted on the ground. 

The fort is only 76 miles west of Lemoore. Planes currently fly 227 miles to Fallon, Nev., and 159 miles to Superior Valley near Barstow, Calif. The Navy was expecting $3 million a year in reduced fuel costs. 

“But they decided they would just spend more time over the target so they’d burn the same amount of fuel,” Farr said. 

Area residents protested the plans for the bombing range, complaining about the expected noise and the potential damage to tourism on the rustic coast. 

Members of the Salinan Nation Indian tribe said that the area should be left alone because it is where their ancestors first lived. A group of 22 Benedictine monks said they did not want their silence disturbed at the nearby New Camaldoli Hermitage. And the National Park Service said endangered plants and animals, such as condors, must be protected. 

Some residents also worried about the accuracy of the bombs, saying some would inevitably miss the target, possibly straying into their back yards. 

The base was decommissioned in 1995. It is now used mainly as a training site.

Editor:  

The current course of U.S. actions will only perpetuate the endless cycle of violence and cannot lead to a world at peace. It is unconscionable for our national leaders to ignore the urgent pleas of international relief agencies who call for a halt 

in bombing so that humanitarian aid can be distributed to the 7 million Afghan refugees at risk of dying from starvation and exposure to bitter winter cold. How can our government expect us to look the other way while such a catastrophe occurs? And how can our government devalue the sensibilities of 1.2 billion Muslims the world over by planning to drop bombs during the Holy month of Ramadan? These actions are ill-advised and will likely result in a legacy of shame. I applaud the great courage of our Representative, Barbara Lee, who called for restraint and reason during this critical time in history, and I commend the Berkeley City Council for passing a pro-peace resolution that was motivated by a sense of compassion and responsibility for the innocent victims of war.  

Diana Perry  

Berkeley

The day before a citizen’s group submitted a petition with more than 8,000 signatures challenging a recently-approved redistricting plan, the City Council began considering options to prevent U.S. Census Bureau blunders from throwing a highly political process into chaos. 

The city is required by the City Charter to redraw district lines every 10 years to assure that each of the city’s eight districts are as equal in population as possible. The redistricting process was complicated further by an inaccurate census count of 4,500 residents mostly in districts 7 and 8.  

Despite factual evidence of the undercount, the council is bound by the City Charter to use census figures when drawing new district lines, even if they are incorrect. 

Apparently the problem won’t be that east to fix. 

A recommendation by Mayor Shirley Dean, designed to prevent census screw ups from aggravating already contentious Berkeley politics, failed to be approved during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The recommendation lost by a 5-4 vote with the council’s progressive majority prevailing over the council moderates. 

Instead the council adopted a subsequent motion by Councilmember Dona Spring that called for the issue to be further studied and discussed after the first of the year. 

The recommendation was for an amendment to the City Charter that would have pushed back the city’s redistricting deadline by two years, allowing time for the census bureau to correct its mistakes. As an additional backup, in case the Census Bureau was unwilling to correct its mistake, the amendment would have given the city manager authority to verify disputed population counts. 

But City Manager Weldon Rucker made it clear that he did not think it was a good idea to involve his office in such a political issue.  

“I would not want to go into the realm of a population count,” Rucker said. “I understand the logic of the proposal but it would create a dicey situation that would make it very difficult for staff to remain objective, impartial and unbiased.” 

Dean agreed to drop the portion of her recommendation authorizing the city manager to correct faulty population counts. But it was clear she was upset.  

“I thought the city manager and his staff could handle it,” Dean said on Thursday. “But if he doesn’t think he can that’s fine, we’ll find some other way to solve the problem.” 

Dean went on to say that unless something is done undercounts will keep occurring.  

Spring said there were too many questions about Dean’s recommendation to go ahead and put it on the March ballot. She said it made more sense to take additional time to remedy the problem.  

“There are council elections in 2002 that might have to use the old district boundaries and then another round of council elections in 2006, (where people would) vote according to new district lines.” Spring said. “We need to know exactly what that would mean to those voters.”

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to Reid Edwards, chair of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce: 

Several articles in the local papers raise the specter of an economic boycott against our lovely city by those who think that Berkeley is wrong to express concern about this war. I am appalled but not surprised that some of our country’s population would find anything offensive about the mild resolution the Council passed last week. I am also concerned about their economic boycott threats.  

Apparently, the concepts of freedom of thought or of a healthy national debate don’t count for much with some people. It is unfair and small minded of these people to make such threats, and surely they are mostly idle ones. I urge you, when the press calls, and when anxious merchant and manufacturing members call, do what you can do to defuse the issue. Ask if they have read the resolution, and ask what part of the statement they disagree with. If they have not read it, send it to them and ask them to call back after they have considered it. Then, stand by the Council on this one. Rest assured that I won’t ask you to do that in every matter they take up. 

I live in Berkeley, shop in Berkeley, and am proud of my City Council for passing the resolution. Incidentally, I am also a combat Vietnam war veteran, and do not think kindly of people who sell or accept the idea of war lightly. And I believe that simply pausing to ask the question about whether our nation’s current foreign policy trajectory is the right one should be the immediate response of all our people. Unfortunately, at this stage of the conflict anyone who sticks their head up to speak draws fire.  

Six months from now, the city’s resolution may have been simply a matter of premature morality. 

Paul Cox, C. E.  

Berkeley

Nadia El-Guendy faces an anguishing choice: If she doesn’t return to Egypt next month, she may not see her 75-year-old father again. But if she leaves the country, she fears she might not be allowed to return and finish her Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of Kentucky. 

To go home or stay? 

As winter break nears, it is a calculation of deep concern to hundreds of thousands of foreign students from Boston to Berkeley. 

With the Bush administration announcing stricter scrutiny of foreigners, especially those from Muslim nations, students who have come to this country legally fear the wrong answer could change their lives. 

Some have canceled tickets home or decided to spend the holidays in America. Others plan to carry sheafs of extra documents to ply on immigration agents. 

El-Guendy, 32, has not yet decided. Her answer lies with a friend who in December will try to go to Cairo and return to the United States. If he can secure a visa without too much hassle, she will try to do the same. 

“I’m supposed to graduate in spring, and I don’t want to risk it,” says El-Guendy. “I heard rumors that they are not giving any more visas, but I think they are not true. Nothing is confirmed.” 

There were 565,000 foreign students at 4,000 American colleges and universities in 1998, the most recent data available, according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. While not all foreign students go home during breaks, many want to travel — whether to care for a stricken parent, reconnect with their roots, or present an academic paper overseas. 

At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., a weekly newsletter updates students on the latest travel information and tells them how to prepare. Among the advice: bring extra documents such as the latest copy of their transcript, financial documentation showing they can support themselves, their original immigration papers, and even registrar’s receipts showing they are full-time students who’ve paid their bills on time. 

“They ask, ’Will I be able to come back?”’ said Jane Havis, director of RPI’s international student services office. “I tell them, ’As of today there should be no problems, but all hell could break loose.’ We’re dealing with the unknown.” 

Some students will return home no matter what. But many of Northeastern University’s 2,700 foreign students are opting to remain near the Boston campus, says Scott Quint, director of the university’s international student office. 

Travel plans often must be made months in advance. But this year, the clamor for tighter immigration controls following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has made purchasing tickets unusually tough. Lawmakers have seized on the fact that one of the suspected hijackers, Saudi Arabian Hani Hanjour, entered the country on a student visa. 

“We welcome the process that encourages people to come to our country to visit, to study or to work,” President Bush said last month. “What we don’t welcome are people who come to hurt the American people, and so therefore, we’re going to be very diligent with our visas.” 

Last week, the State Department announced that U.S. embassies will slow the visa process for young men from more than 20 Muslim nations so it can search for evidence of terrorist activities. Egypt was among those countries. 

The wait could add about three weeks to visa approvals and further discourage students from countries where interactions with government bureaucrats often are difficult. 

That fact alone convinced Fahd Awad, a junior at Northeastern, not to return to his native Yemen next month. Winter break is just two weeks, and he can’t afford to miss class. 

“I have friends who traveled and when they tried to come back after the incidents that happened Sept. 11 they were delayed,” he said. “I know that stuff’s going to happen to me as well. I am from Yemen.” 

International students keenly are following news reports that federal agents have compiled a list of 5,000 male foreigners, mostly from Middle Eastern countries, and are tracking them down for questioning. They are well aware that more than 200 universities have provided records on their Middle Eastern students to law enforcement. 

To travel or not is the question burning up e-mail exchanges among members of the Egyptian Students Association in North America, whose members have heard conflicting advice from their universities. 

“One office is saying, ’OK everything is fine, you can go,”’ says Gehad Sadiek, a physics Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University who served as the group’s president. “Other offices are more frank and say ’We don’t really know.”’ 

Students from non-Muslim countries also are pausing before making winter break plans. 

In mid-October, Soledad Bos bought a $1,300 ticket to return to Argentina after spending this fall studying public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Two days later, like thousands of her peers, Bos received an e-mail from the university urging international students not to fly home. It cited a proposal by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would have suspended all new student visas for six months. 

Despite pressure from her parents, Bos resolved not to go. 

“I was very scared,” she said. “After all the effort I made to come here, I wasn’t going to jeopardize the possibility of being here to end my master’s studies.” 

Since then, Feinstein’s proposal withered away and Bos decided to keep her ticket, containing her fears about being grilled by federal officials. 

“I’m prepared to answer any other questions that they ask,” she said. “And I think they should do that.” 

——— 

Associated Press Writer JoAnn Loviglio contributed to this report from Philadelphia. 

——— 

On the Net: 

INS: http://www.ins.gov 

RPI travel tips: http://www.rpi.edu/safecampus/questions.htmlAnchor-For-47383 

Editor: 

Bush gave a rousing speech, calling for all of us to volunteer and give our time and money to help strengthen our country against terrorism. It really had me going, until he wrapped his fervor around the so-called economic stimulus bill he’s trying to shove through Congress. What’s this? We are supposed to sacrifice while big corporations and very wealthy individuals get the alternative minimum tax removed? Under this scheme, Bush’s biggest campaign contributors would would pay no taxes. They would even get refunds from past years’ taxes while we are volunteering, sacrificing, and carrying the load. Cynical, Mr. President. Very cynical. It plants doubt into all the good words he had spoken. 

Bruce Joff 

Piedmont

If you have a fireplace mantel, you have the ideal spot to showcase trimmings for the year-end holidays. You also have a firebox below to add holiday glow and sparkle with a crackling fire or with the gentle twinkle of candles. 

The fireplace can be a focus spot for natural greenery to enhance other decorations that are special each year. If you use fresh flowers in your mix, use slim plastic tubes from a florist to hold the stems in water. 

Look to your own yard for natural touches, too, such as leaves, berries, pods and pine cones. For continuity, repeat the colors and textures on the mantel elsewhere in the room. 

Don’t be shy about bucking tradition. Instead of evergreen, how about fashioning a swag of eucalyptus? Work with the style that works best with your home’s design. Extend the life of fresh greens by daily misting with a spray bottle. 

If traditional red and green for Christmas doesn’t work in your room, eliminate one color. Perhaps another tone, such as burgundy, will work better. Or, just work with green. There are no steadfast rules. 

If you have a mantel with an Early American surround, play up the classic spirit. For a Williamsburg-style look, choose greenery, pineapples — the symbol of hospitality — and swags of dried apple slices and strings of cranberries. 

One word of warning: When you decorate the mantel, never have decorations below the upper surface of the mantelpiece. This is especially important when garlands or Christmas stockings hang from the mantel. Do not light a fire in the fireplace during that time. 

Yet another way to add natural glow to a firebox is with a grouping of chunky candles. Shops and catalogs offer iron or other metal candle racks or “trees” available for holding six to 12 pillar candles in staggered rows for making a sparkling statement. Again, do not light the candles if your mantel display includes materials or stockings hanging down. 

Make your own rack by resting each candle on a heatproof base of metal or glass to catch the drippings. Avoid placing candles directly on the hearth. Vary the height of the candles by propping the candle with its accompanying dish on inverted clay flower pots of varying heights. 

These tips will help keep the candle display safe: Limit the number of candles. Open the flue if your fireplace is operable, and leave the glass doors open. Otherwise, move candles toward the front of the firebox. Put a decorative metal screen or tall andirons in front of the candles. Be sure the room is adequately ventilated; candles take a surprising amount of oxygen. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand. Never leave burning candles unattended. 

“Better Homes and Gardens Fireplace Decorating and Planning Ideas” (Meredith Books, $19.95 soft cover). 

Editor; 

Enough is Enough! I am a 35 year resident of Berkeley who is tired of the outside press for knocking my lovely city and its patriotic traditions. There’s more patriotic action here than Superman could find in all of the whole country. 

Berkeley is special. It initiated Earth Day, a whole lot of Ecological innovations, and is the cradle to most of the Progressive movements in the country- for women, the Disabled, Peace and Justice. We are known as compassionate, educated citizens who agree to non-violent dissent. 

A statesman once said that it is not only our right, but our duty to dissent from something that is unwise or unjust. I agree that Barbara Lee and the City Council are well are of this, and acted accordingly. 

As an educator I have been sworn to “Uphold the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” What do I do NOW? 

I am not only against any boycott, but I choose to spend 90 percent of my income after rent and bills in Berkeley. It won’t get me any awards from the mayor and her friends, but it’s honest, hard earned, every cent. 

Take THAT you Berkeley bashers! 

Edith Monk Hallberk  

Berkeley 

It was in the 2000 big-screen blockbuster “Charlie’s Angels” that one angel, Alex, played by Lucy Liu, displayed her lack of baking skills. To woo her boyfriend, Alex whipped up blueberry muffins. The baked goods turned out to be better weapons than enticers. One of the angels hurled one across a room, only to have it lodge in a hollow-core door. The other angels appropriately dubbed Alex’s quick breads “Chinese Fighting Muffins.” 

Muffins aside, if the doors in your home are hollow and you have kids, chances are you’ve had to, or someday will have to, repair a hole in a door. Besides its unsightly appearance, such a hole can be embarrassing. 

Most post-World War II homes have hollow-core doors. The core of the door usually consists of pieces of cardboard crisscrossed on end for rigidity and modest acoustic value. The door is then finished on both sides with a one-eighth-inch layer of veneer plywood or hardboard. 

The method used to repair a hole in a hollow-core door depends upon whether the door is painted or stained. Patching a painted door is easier because the paint does a better job of concealing the repair. That doesn’t mean, however, that patching a stained door is impossible. And although a replacement hollow-core door isn’t particularly expensive, replacing one (mortising for hinges and drilling holes for the hardware) can be complicated. 

Thus, before tossing the damaged door, try repairing it first. 

Begin by removing as much of the damaged material as possible. Use a utility knife with a sharp blade to trim the edge of the hole. Next, loop a cord through a piece of wire screen that is slightly larger that the size of the hole. Push the screen into the hole and use the cord to pull the screen flush to the inside of the door. Holding the cord taut, use a putty knife to apply a quick-drying patching compound to the surface of the screen. Trowel the material to just below the finished surface of the door. Tie the cord to a small wooden dowel or to a pencil that is long enough to bridge the patch. This will prevent the wire screen from moving. 

Once the patching compound has dried, cut the cord and remove the dowel. Apply a coat of spackling compound over the base repair, allow it to dry, and then sand. Since spackling compound tends to shrink, a second coat usually is required. Sand the second coat smooth, spot-prime the area and paint the entire door. 

Our second repair technique uses expandable foam in a can in place of the wire screening. Start by removing the damage, as described earlier. Shoot some minimum-expanding foam into the hole. Use enough to fill the hole, but don’t overdo it. Be prepared for some of the foam to ooze out. When the foam hardens, carefully use a sharp razor blade to trim away the excess so that the foam is slightly below the surface of the door. Finish the job by applying a coat or two of spackling compound over the foam. Sand, prime and paint. 

Both of these repair methods can be used to repair a wood-veneer door that is stained — with one exception. Instead of priming the patch and painting the entire door, spot-prime the patch with a primer tinted to match the stain color. Use a small artist’s brush to “faux finish” the patch to match the grain and stain of the existing finish. Also, wood filler can be used in place of spackling compound when patching a wood-veneer door. Wood filler, however, won’t take stain exactly like the wood around it. 

If a door is badly damaged or you aren’t happy with your repair, apply a new veneer to the door. This is called “re-skinning” the door. Simply pop the door off the hinges and lay it on a couple of saw horses in your garage or workshop. Remove the hardware and hinges, rough-sand the damaged face, and apply contact cement to both the face of the door and the back side of the veneer. Allow the contact cement to become tacky and then place the veneer over the door. Cover the surface with some heavy books to allow the adhesive to set up, then trim the excess with a utility knife or pin router. Sand the edge smooth and stain to match the rest of the door. 

For more home-improvement tips and information, visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com. 

Readers can mail questions to: On the House, APNewsFeatures, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, or e-mail Careybro@onthehouse.com. To receive a copy of On the House booklets on plumbing, painting, heating/cooling or decks/patios, send a check or money order payable to The Associated Press for $6.95 per booklet and mail to: On the House, PO Box 1562, New York, NY 10016-1562, or through these online sites: www.onthehouse.com or apbookstore.com.

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the City Council: 

Thank you for taking the courageous stance of opposing the current war the US is engaged in. This is why I am proud to be a Berkeley citizen. I know you’ve faced passionate opposition and I hope this reaction has no serious deleterious effects on our city. I support you. 

Kathleen Roberts 

Berkeley 

For gardeners, Thanksgiving is a special holiday, a time to celebrate the harvest and put it on the table, just as the Pilgrims did hundreds of years ago. Most gardeners today grow some form of the traditional fare of corn, beans, or squash. But do you know anyone who grows cranberries? 

Even in areas of the country where cranberries are native, they’re found only in specialized habitats, where the soil is very acidic and boggy. If you did not want to recreate these conditions, you could still grow cranberries — by growing one of the many other plants that share this name, even if they are not the real Thanksgiving cranberry. 

Easiest to grow would be highbush cranberry, similar to the Thanksgiving cranberry only in that both plants bear tart, red berries. Our Thanksgiving cranberry is a low, sprawling, evergreen shrub. Highbush cranberry is a deciduous shrub that grows 10 feet high and requires no special soil conditions. 

You can appreciate highbush cranberry well before Thanksgiving arrives and long after it passes. In spring, the plant is awash with clusters of white flowers, which are transformed by late summer into drooping clusters of bright, red berries. In autumn, leaves of this plant turn fiery shades of yellow and red. 

Once the seeds are removed, the berries cook into a glistening red jelly. Two cautions are worth mentioning, though. First, do not be put off by the awful smell of cooking highbush cranberries. The finished jelly should not retain any of that aroma. (And the aroma is not found in berries harvested fully plump.) Second, do not confuse highbush cranberry with its look-alike, European cranberrybush. Fruits of the latter species taste horrible. 

If you want to grow something botanically closer to the true Thanksgiving cranberry, consider lingonberry, also known as mountain cranberry, cowberry, or foxberry. Fruits of this creeping, evergreen shrub are similar to those of the Thanksgiving cranberry, but a bit sweeter. Lingonberry, native to the northern rim of the Old World and Asia, is enjoyed with sauteed reindeer in Finland, eaten raw in Korea, and made into wine and pickles in Japan. To give lingonberry plants the cool summer weather they enjoy, plant them on a northern slope or in part shade. They need an acidic soil that is rich in humus, but a bog is not necessary. 

Lingonberry’s compact stems, densely clothed in what resemble miniature holly leaves, provide a perfect backdrop for the bright, red berries.

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter written to Councilmember Dona Spring: 

Thank you for your courage. personally, I’d rather be in the l percent in peace, than a party to a war on innocents in Afghanistan such as is being waged in the name of those dead in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. I am in solidarity with the city of Berkeley and also the parents of Greg Rodriguez who died at the world trade center, and wrote a letter to the president against military retaliation, saying, ‘not in our son’s name.’ 

Thank you. 

Dorinda Guadalupe Moreno,  

Concord 

SUNNYVALE — Yahoo! Inc. will cut 400 jobs, more than 12 percent of its work force, as it reorganizes in search of “sustainable, profitable growth,” the Internet company told analysts Thursday. 

The company is condensing 44 business units into six to create a more manageable structure that will help reduce Yahoo’s reliance on advertising and generate new paid services, chairman and CEO Terry Semel said. 

“There’s nothing wrong with advertising revenue,” Semel said on a stage in Yahoo’s new gray-and-purple headquarters complex. “We believe in it. But you will see this is going to be a much more diversified company.” 

Yahoo shares were down 41 cents, nearly 3 percent, to $14.80 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

Yahoo imposed the first layoffs in its six-year history in April, cutting 420 jobs — 12 percent of its work force. 

This second round is necessary not only to cut costs, but to put resources where they will need to be for the company’s next stage of growth, said president and chief operating officer Jeff Mallett. 

Although 400 employees will be cut from Yahoo’s 3,256-member work force, about 100 will be added in new positions created by the restructuring — for a net loss of around 300. 

Analysts were eager to hear details of Yahoo’s plans because the company has reported four straight money-losing quarters and consumers have been lukewarm to its new subscription-based offerings. 

Semel, a Hollywood veteran hired in April to transform Yahoo, was equally excited to explain his strategy in depth. 

“I kind of see it as our coming-out party,” he said. 

Advertising amounted to 90 percent of Yahoo’s $1.1 billion in revenue last year, which proved problematic in the dot-com bust and the economic slowdown. 

Semel said Yahoo will reduce that rate to 76 percent by the end of this year, and he set a goal of making advertising about 50 percent of sales in 2004. 

The company will offer more packages of services to consumers and businesses and try to make its search engine into a profit producer by letting advertisers pay to have certain keywords bring up links to their sites. The company also will seek more fees from shopping, auctions and Internet access services around the world. 

Yahoo moved toward some of those goals this week by announcing a partnership with Overture Inc. to offer paid listings on its search pages and a deal with SBC Communications Inc. to provide co-branded high-speed Internet access over digital subscriber lines. 

Yahoo counts 218 million registered users — 80 million of whom are considered active users. Semel wants at least 10 million of them to have a “direct billing relationship” with Yahoo, making the company more of a “principal” service provider and not just a distribution “agent.” 

Still, Yahoo was careful to remind analysts it is not neglecting advertising, trumpeting its Internet marketing services and its improved relationships with ad agencies that were put off by what they perceived as Yahoo’s arrogance during the dot-com heyday. 

Analyst John Corcoran of CIBC World Markets said Yahoo’s new management better understands the company’s challenges. 

“It’s no longer a 21-year-old who had been pumping gas and now he’s at a dot-com,” he said. “There’s some gray hair coming in on the sales side.” 

Steve Weinstein of Pacific Crest Securities said Yahoo’s diversified strategy makes good sense — now Yahoo has to execute on it in what remains a difficult economic environment. Weinstein said he does not expect Semel to make any revolutionary changes any time soon. 

“Terry’s a real builder. He’s not going to make rash or silly decisions,” Weinstein said. “It’s going to take a while.” 

Yahoo was expected later in the meeting to update its financial guidance for the current quarter and beyond. Analysts were expecting earnings of 1 cent per share this quarter, excluding one-time events, on revenue of $168.9 million, according to Thomson Financial/First Call. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.yahoo.com 

Editor: 

Mim Hawley’s letter describing the gerrymandered redistricting effort are truly disturbing, but there are other aspects that should be addressed as well. 

For starters, the document is not very clear; the new districts are not described by actual geographic boundaries - instead they are defined via a list of meaningless voting block numbers. This is a deceitful and undemocratic act meant to confuse rather than to enlighten. 

One of these blocks includes the area in which the US Census missed over 4,400 students. Thus the redistricting plan increases the population of District 8 from 12,800 to 17,000. I would call this stealth gerrymandering of the basest sort. 

The Council majority which passed this redistricting plan, claims that this proposal is about balance because now District 8 is 50 percent students - up from 39 percent. If the council majority is genuinely interested in balance, perhaps boundaries should be redrawn to reflect an equal representation of students in each of the eight districts. 

The redistricting is not about balance but pure political power as was revealed at a recent council meeting where Linda Maio admitted that all of this was only about saving Councilmember Worthington’s seat. 

The truth is that in one stroke the Council Majority sought to disenfranchise students by making it more difficult for them to run a student challenger in the undisputed student district (Mr. Worthington’s), and to undermine Polly Armstrong’s district by disenfranchising voters in District 8 where now their votes count for two-thirds of a vote. 

As Mim Hawley mentioned, there is currently a grass roots effort underway to collect signatures to rescind this deceitful and politically motivated action. 

In the end it will be the democratic process - not the political machine - which will have the last word. 

Robert Cabrera 

Berkeley 

Berkeley Property Owners Association president 

editor’s note: the petition effort has ended and appears success

SAN FRANCISCO — Crippled credit card issuer Providian Financial Corp. endured another Wall Street beating Thursday as investors expressed disappointment with the company’s turnaround efforts and news that its loan losses continued to rise in October. 

Shares in the San Francisco-based company fell 81 cents, or 22 percent, to close at $2.87 on the New York Stock Exchange. The plunge reversed a recent rally from the battered stock’s low of $2 reached last week. The stock peaked at $66.72 last year. 

The latest sell-off reflected a reaction to several announcements that the company made after the stock market closed Wednesday, as well as a Thursday disclosure that the rate of losses in its $32 billion portfolio rose from 10.33 percent in the third quarter to 12.06 percent as of Oct. 31. 

“Obviously, we haven’t seen the bottom with this company yet. It just keeps getting uglier,” said industry analyst Jennifer Scutti of CIBC World Markets. Scutti is worried the company’s loan losses will rise to 14 percent or 15 percent of the portfolio during the next few months. 

Providian officials had been hoping the market would cheer Wednesday’s announcement of $900 million in new financing. Providian’s investment bankers — Salomon Smith Barney and Goldman, Sachs & Co. — are raising the money by selling notes secured by some of the company’s credit card loans. 

But that piece of good news wasn’t enough to ease concerns about a possible crackdown by federal regulators worried about the mounting loan losses at the nation’s fifth-largest issuer of Visa credit cards and Mastercards. 

As of Sept. 30, Providian remained “well capitalized” under the key categories measured by regulators. Nevertheless, regulatory restrictions remain “a threat,” said industry analyst Matthew Park of Thom Wiesel Partners, until the company’s loan losses taper off. 

Regulators are bound to keep a close eye on Providian, Park said, because it held $15.9 billion in government-insured deposits as of Sept. 30. 

Providian depends on the deposits to fund its credit card loans, but the recent revelations about its financial woes are making it more difficult for the company to attract money.  

Depositors pulled $59.1 million from Providian’s bank in October. 

Providian also aggravated some investors Wednesday by backing off management projections of fourth-quarter earnings between 10 cents and 15 cents per share. The company also withdrew its pledge to turn a profit next year. Providian provided the earnings reassurance less than a month ago. 

“This is a company that has fooled us time and time again,” Scutti said. “No one is going to believe what they say anymore.” 

As part of its rebuilding efforts, Providian is searching for a new CEO to replace is longtime leader, Shailesh Mehta. The company hopes to hire the replacement before the end of the year. 

To offset some of its losses, Providian is slashing expenses by closing a Nevada office next month and laying off 700 employees, or 5 percent of its work force. The company also suspended its quarterly dividend of 3 cents per share. Combined, these measures, outlined as part of Wednesday’s announcements, will save Providian $54 million annually. 

Providian also plans to sell $3 billion of high-risk loans that contributed to the company’s miseries.The company will likely have to sell the problem loans at a sharp discount, Park said, a move that threatens to further weaken its balance sheet. 

——— 

On The Net: 

http://www.providian.com 

Editor: 

I appreciate that Mayor Shirley Dean is trying to get people to shop in Berkeley through a special holiday incentive program. To me it seems more than a little ironic, however, that the message seems to be “Buy in Berkeley for the holidays.” Instead, it should be “Buy in Berkeley as much as you can all year round.” 

For many years, and long before the mayor developed a special incentive program, I have had a firm policy of making as many purchases as I can in Berkeley in order to keep my sales tax dollars here at home. That includes groceries, clothing, entertainment, and every other form of spending over which I have some control. 

It’s not just loyalty to Berkeley that makes me shop here. Nothing turns me off more than suburban malls (and I include car-choked Emeryville in that category). In contrast, here in Berkeley we have walkable shopping and attractive, interesting commercial neighborhoods. Unlike suburban malls, those neighborhoods didn’t come from a giant cookie cutter. 

Furthermore, although my primary means of transportation is a bicycle (I’m 61), occasionally my wife and I drive in Berkeley to shop or to attend plays, movies, and concerts. When we do, we never – I repeat, never – have a problem parking. A lot of the people who want more and more parking downtown seem to be thinking that if they just yell loudly enough they’ll be able to turn Berkeley into a sprawling suburb. I hope the City Council has the guts to hold the line and maintain the qualities that make Berkeley such a wonderful and unique place. 

Hank Resnik 

Berkeley 

SAN JOSE — Not many high-tech companies talk openly about the proposed Microsoft antitrust settlement. Even fewer criticize the deal in public, despite private misgivings. 

They still, after all, must work with the world’s largest software maker, which controls the operating systems of more than 90 percent of desktop computers and can play a big role in the fate of their businesses. 

The exceptions are the usual suspects — mainly those companies that possess enough clout, money and muscle to risk a run-in with the software giant. 

The most outspoken critics include database powerhouse Oracle Corp. and Unix server king Sun Microsystems Inc. Both dominate their core markets despite Microsoft’s efforts. 

Larry Ellison, Oracle’s billionaire chief executive, told a crowd at the Comdex computer show in Las Vegas this week that the settlement is “a complete victory for Microsoft, a complete defeat for the government. I give Microsoft credit for keeping a straight face.” 

Sun’s chief, Scott McNealy, also expressed outrage that the Department of Justice — after winning the case — seemed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. 

It’s not just provisions riddled with loopholes or toothless enforcement. The deal indicates an unwillingness of the government to police antitrust crimes, critics say. 

“The only thing I can conclude is either the Justice Department didn’t know what it was doing or they did know and just decided to give up,” said Michael Morris, Sun’s vice president and general counsel. 

Microsoft declined to answer specific questions about the deal, but co-founder Bill Gates has said the company will accept its strictures. 

Most companies that must work with or compete against the software giant either refused to elaborate beyond short written statements, or remained silent altogether. 

Real Networks, which makes streaming media software, declined to comment beyond a short statement, which called the settlement a reward not a remedy. Ditto for AOL Time Warner, Palm and Novell. Others, including software-maker Adobe Inc., computer-maker Apple Computer Inc. and chipmaker Intel Corp. refused to make any statements at all. 

Major PC manufacturers also were silent. 

Only a handful of other high-tech companies would answer discuss specific reasons for their opposition to the settlement. 

Opera Software ASA had little to lose. 

The Norway-based company long ago gave up on persuading PC makers to install its critically acclaimed Web browser on new PCs. Microsoft’s exclusive deals had already shut it out of the market. 

Opera might benefit from the settlement under some provisions that allow computer makers to install non-Microsoft “middleware” such as Web browsers. But only the links to Microsoft software could be removed, not the programs themselves. That means Microsoft could set itself up as the default system despite any agreements with PC and software makers. 

“We’re not being extremely hopeful that this is going to open up a lot of doors in the PC marketplace,” said Jon S. von Tetzchner, Opera’s chief executive. 

At any rate, the same PC makers that won’t comment on the settlement probably aren’t interested in raising the ire of Microsoft, even if retribution is barred in the settlement. 

“There are loopholes,” von Tetzchner said. “And there’s the practice of life. All of those companies will think twice before upsetting Microsoft.” 

The entire debate over what Microsoft can do and cannot do appears to be rendered moot: Under the settlement, Microsoft can define what comprises the Windows operating system “in its sole discretion.” 

Companies also might be reluctant to talk because the deal allows Microsoft to keep from its competitors the critical details about how programs and operating systems can function best in a Windows environment. 

Software programs are intricate tapestries. To function smoothly when running on top of an operating system like Windows, the stitches that link an application with the operating system must be snug and seamless. 

Competitors complain that because Microsoft was not compelled to immediately reveal to them how to make those stitches, it will continue to dominate in such areas as word processing, spreadsheets and e-mail. 

“This settlement does not remedy the monopoly. It legitimizes it,” said Michael Tiemann, chief technical officer at Red Hat Inc., a distributor of a variant of Linux, a competing operating system whose basic code is open and public. 

Microsoft has a history of undermining software projects backed by consortia of major tech companies that aim to create applications that work well with a variety of operating systems, potentially threatening the Windows monopoly. 

The company infuriated promoters of Java when it created Microsoft-specific versions of the programming language in the late 1990s. This year, Microsoft changed and patented a protocol used by Samba, open-source software that lets a Linux machine share files or manage print jobs like a Windows server. 

“The whole concept of a free market is to allow fair and open competition and to permit customers to make choices,” Tiemann said. 

Drew Spencer, chief technology officer of Linux distributor Caldera, worries that Microsoft won’t release enough information to allow alternative platforms to participate in upcoming Web services. 

Steven McGeady, a former Intel Corp. vice president who made headlines during the antitrust trial for testifying against Microsoft, said the deal only reinforces his own, post-Intel business strategy. 

“I still think that competing with Microsoft head-on is a bad business practice,” he said. “And it would be a bad business practice regardless of any of the potential remedies.” 

——— 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Matthew Fordahl, based in San Jose, covers technology for The Associated Press. 

SAN JOSE — Test-and-measurement equipment maker Agilent Technologies Inc. will cut another 4,000 jobs despite meeting Wall Street’s expectations in its fiscal fourth quarter. 

The reductions are in addition to the 4,000 announced in August and are part of a continuing effort to cut costs amid the economic slump. The combined total represents 19 percent of the company’s work force. 

“These latest cost-cutting actions ... are intended to return Agilent to profitability sometime during our third fiscal quarter of 2002,” Ned Barnholt, Agilent’s chief executive, said Thursday. 

For the three months ended Oct. 31, Agilent earned $197 million, or 43 cents a share, compared with $305 million, or 66 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. 

The net earnings were boosted by a $1.1 billion pretax gain from the sale of Agilent’s health care business to Philips. 

Excluding one-time items, the company lost $275 million, or 60 cents a share, compared with a profit of $328 million, or 71 cents a share in the same period last year. 

Analysts were expecting a loss of 60 cents a share, according to a survey by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

Fourth-quarter revenues were down 47 percent, to $1.6 billion. In the same time last year, the company posted sales of $3 billion. 

The company, which was spun off from Hewlett-Packard Co. in 1999, released its results after the markets closed. 

For the year, Agilent earned $174 million, or 38 cents per share, compared with $757 million, or $1.68 per share last year. Fiscal 2001 revenue was $6.4 billion, compared with $10.6 billion last year. 

Agilent shares fell 28 cents, to $25.03, in Thursday trading on the New York Stock Exchange. They were unchanged after hours. 

REDWOOD CITY — Troubled Internet music company Liquid Audio will lay off 15 percent of its work force, the second round of deep staff cuts announced by the company this year. 

News of the cuts came during a week when the Redwood City-based company reported a net loss for the third quarter of $6.1 million, or $0.27 per share, compared with a net loss of $8.9 million, or $0.40 per share, for the same quarter in 2000. 

In May, Liquid Audio laid off about 40 percent of its workers and consolidated facilities. The company offers secure online music distribution services. The May reductions cut the company’s staff of about 200 by 79. This week’s cutbacks will eliminate an additional 18 positions, leaving the company with 104 employees. 

Earlier this month, the company’s board of directors rejected a buyout offer from Steel Partners and BCG Strategic Investors. Those investment firms made a $3 per share offer in a letter to Liquid Audio’s board of directors. 

The board decided the offer was below the company’s cash value. Liquid Audio confirms it has since received two complaints that were filed by stockholders in connection with the rejection of the Steel Partners offer. 

“The company has reviewed the complaints and believes that each of them is without merit and plans to defend them vigorously,” Liquid Audio said in a statement. 

Shares of Liquid Audio fell 9 cents to close at $2.49 Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. 

SAN JOSE — The Santa Clara Valley Water District is slated to receive $46.8 million in federal money for projects to control flooding and protect wildlife and habitat, the district announced Wednesday. 

Projects funded from the 2002 to 2003 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act include $8 million for completion of the $226.8 million Guadalupe River flood protection and environmental restoration project.  

The river runs through the heart of San Jose and caused millions of dollars in damage to homes and roads when it flooded in 1995. 

Thirty million dollars is being allocated for the California Federal Bay-Delta Program, or CalFed, a group of federal, state and local agencies that are currently planning the restoration of ecological health and the improvement of water management for the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin rivers delta. Of that money, $100,000 is reserved for the water district to study improving federal imported water operations. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Santa Clara Valley Water District: http://www.heynoah.com 

SALT LAKE CITY — Networking software company Novell said Thursday it will cut 1,400 jobs — about 19 percent of its work force — in an effort to save money in a weak market. 

The company expects the cuts to be completed by April 2002. 

The cuts came a day after Geneva Steel announced it would temporarily shut down its Utah County plant and lay off about 950 of the company’s 1,200 workers. 

Gov. Mike Leavitt said Thursday the Novell announcement further worsened the state’s slumping economy. The state budget deficit is likely to exceed the $177 million shortfall announced previously. 

Novell didn’t specify which positions would be eliminated. There are about 2,000 Novell employees in Utah. The company also has a presence in the San Jose and San Francisco areas of Northern California. 

“It’s a global action. We’re not cutting out any particular group,” Novell spokesman Bruce Lowry said. The blow may be lighter in Utah.  

Lowry said 6 percent of Novell employees in the state likely will lose their jobs. 

When it’s all done, Novell expects to have 6,000 employees worldwide and save $200 million annually with the cutbacks. 

One analyst said Novell, facing stiff competition from companies such as IBM and Sun Microsystems, hasn’t done a good enough job of marketing its products. 

“I thought (Novell) had a leg up on its competition a year, 18 months ago,” said Drake Johnstone, technology analyst with Davenport and Company. That’s not the case anymore, he said. 

Novell will release its fourth-quarter earnings Nov. 29. Based on preliminary numbers, the company expects revenue of $306 million and earnings of 1 cent per share. The quarter ended Oct. 31. 

Novell says it’s dealing with an overall decline in the information technology market, and in particular an oversupply of IT consulting services. 

“It’s a tough market. We’re not the only ones who’ve been forced to do this,” Lowry said. 

Johnstone agreed that many companies are cutting back their spending on software, making business tough for Novell and other technology companies. 

Novell also is in the process of folding Cambridge Technology Partners, a consulting firm, into its operation. It bought Cambridge in July for $214 million. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Novell site: http://www.novell.com 

A UC Berkeley student organization protested labor violations Thursday by staging a baseball game at Sather Gate: “The Workers” vs. “The Bosses.” Their goal was to raise awareness of workers’ rights 

“The point of the game was to show people that bosses don’t always play by the rules,” said Tarak Shah, a senior who helped coordinate what he called street theater. 

Shah, a member of Students Organizing for Justice in the Americas, said his group intended the mock game to draw attention to the ongoing labor strikes at the New Era Cap Company, which manufactures hats for Major League Baseball and dozens of universities, including UC Berkeley.  

In July, more than 230 workers at New Era’s Derby, N.Y., factory went on strike in response to a wage cut. A report released by the workers’ union, Communications Workers of America, said the company cut sick leave and slashed wages by 30 to 50 percent.  

Many workers got injured on the job as well, according to a preliminary investigation by the Worker Rights Consortium based in Washington, D.C. The consortium is a nonprofit organization that enforces manufacturing codes of conduct for factories producing collegiate apparel. It found that sewing injuries at the Derby plant exceeded the industry average, and a staggering 45 percent of the workers suffered from work-related musculo-skeletal disorders. 

Shah visited the factory in March 2000 as part of a student delegation. He said he interviewed close to 40 workers and was shocked by their stories. 

“One woman told me that she had to wear bandages around her wrists when she slept to keep her from moving them,” he said. “She couldn’t write with a pencil or carry coffee because it hurt too much.” 

Shah said he is outraged that the company makes baseball caps for UC Berkeley.  

“Our university has always had a commitment to stand up for people,” he said. “How can we allow this to happen to people making clothes for us? We have a responsibility to stand up for their rights.” 

UC Berkeley currently has a code of conduct for its clothing vendors. Last year, it became a member of Worker Rights Consortium, the organization that monitors labor practices and investigated New Era.  

However, the university’s membership in the consortium expires this academic year.  

Shah said Students Organizing for Justice in the Americas is concerned the university will consider joining a different monitoring organization, Fair Labor Association. Shah said the school should not become a member of Fair Labor because companies that Fair Labor regulates also serve on its board. 

UC Senior Vice President of Business and Finance Joseph Mullinix who oversees the university’s membership in Worker Rights was not available for comment on Thursday. But university spokesperson Chuck McFadden said the school welcomes students’ concerns about labor codes. 

“Workers’ rights are fundamental to human rights,” said junior Jon Rodney. “If people can’t hold a coffee cup or feed their family, that’s a problem we should all be aware of.”

LOS ANGELES — Saying she “cannot plead guilty when I am not,” 1970s radical Sara Jane Olson renounced her plea agreement stemming from charges of attempting to blow up police cars in a Symbionese Liberation Army conspiracy to murder officers. 

In court documents unsealed Wednesday, Olson asked to withdraw her plea in the 26-year-old case and stand trial. A hearing on the request was scheduled for Nov. 28. 

“After deeper reflection, I realize I cannot plead guilty when I am not,” the former fugitive said in her request, filed under seal the day before. 

Olson, 54, said she was taking the coward’s way out in pleading guilty to two counts in exchange for having three others dropped because she feared she couldn’t receive a fair trial after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

“I understand, given the uncertainty of any jury verdict in any trial that I may be found guilty,” she said. 

Legal experts disagreed Wednesday over whether Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler should honor the request. 

“If you admit your guilt and are advised of the consequences, it really doesn’t matter if you believe in your heart you are innocent,” said Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson. 

University of Southern California professor Erwin Chemerinsky said the Olson case should go to trial. 

“Here’s someone who has protested her innocence,” he said. “It’s within the judge’s discretion and I think the judge should allow her to withdraw her plea.” 

For Olson, he said, “It may be a bad strategic choice, but if she says she’s innocent, let the system prove her guilt.” 

Olson is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 7 under law as it existed in 1976 when she was charged. She would face 20 years to life in prison, with possibility of parole in 5 1/4 years. If tried and convicted on all counts, she would face life with possibility of parole in seven years. 

The attempted bombings occurred in 1975, following a fiery shootout in 1974 that left six members of the radical SLA dead. Pipe bombs were placed under officers’ cars outside a police station and a Hollywood restaurant. Neither detonated. 

Olson, who then was named Kathleen Soliah, was indicted in 1976 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of possessing destructive devices and two counts of attempting to explode destructive devices with intent to murder. 

Her request Tuesday is the latest in a series of bizarre twists the case has taken since Olson was found living as a fugitive in a quiet Minnesota suburb in 1999. 

She entered the guilty plea Oct. 31, but then immediately proclaimed her innocence outside court. When called before Fidler Nov. 6 and asked to explain herself, she reaffirmed the plea. 

“I want to make it clear, your honor, I did not make that bomb. I did not possess that bomb. I did not plant that bomb. But under the concept of aiding and abetting I do plead guilty,” she told Fidler. 

District attorney’s spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said prosecutors believe there are insufficient grounds for withdrawing the plea. 

“It’s a good plea,” Gibbons said. “She agreed to it three times — once in writing and twice in open court — after receiving extensive advice from a battery of lawyers and from Judge Fidler.” 

Citizens for Fair Representation held a press conference on the steps of the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Wednesday to announce the newly formed group had collected more than 8,000 signatures during a petition drive to challenge a redistricting plan, which the City Council approved last month. 

Following the press conference, CFR volunteers filed into the building to hand the petitions over to City Clerk Sherry Kelly, who said she will have a preliminary verification of the signatures in time for the City Council’s Nov. 27 meeting, during which the council will decide a course of action. 

If a few more than half the signatures are verified as registered Berkeley voters, the council will have two choices: put the approved redistricting plan on the March 5 ballot or repeal it and select a new one.  

Several councilmembers, of the moderate and progressive factions, have said it would be preferable to repeal the plan because of the $100,000 to $125,000 in Alameda County fees to put the issue on the ballot. 

About 50 supporters attended the press conference, including Mayor Shirley Dean and moderate councilmembers Polly Armstrong, Betty Olds and Miriam Hawley. Standing amid placards that read: “Play it Fair,” “We won’t be ignored” and “This time do it right,” CFR Chair David Tabb pointed to four white cardboard boxes filled with petitions and announced a political revival. 

“This means a renewed vision of Berkeley, which will once again be a progressive beacon of the West rather than a reactionary ghost of a disenchanted past,” he said. 

Tabb’s comments were well received by supporters who cheered and applauded. 

Progressive Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who also attended the press conference, said he was concerned about the new “vision” for Berkeley. 

“Unless I missed something, I didn’t notice anything that was visionary or progressive in their rhetoric,” Worthington said. “I only saw one African-American, no Latinos, no Asians and very few tenants among their supporters.” 

Instead, Worthington said he noticed many property owners, including Robert Cabrera, the president of the Berkeley Properties Owners Association and Jim Smith, former president of the Black Property Owners Association. 

The CFR was formed after a controversial redistricting plan was initially approved by the City Council’s progressive, five-member faction on Oct. 2. Moderates charged that the plan took advantage of a Census Bureau undercount of 4,500 people, mostly students in districts 7 and 8, to weaken Councilmember Armstrong in District 8 while strengthening Councilmember Worthington in District 7. 

The controversial plan 

The redistricting plan, authored by residents Michael O’Malley and David Blake, put the majority of the undercounted residents in District 8, which according to the faulty census numbers, has 12,800 residents like the other seven district, but in real numbers has over 17,000 residents. 

In addition they accused progressives of making last minute changes to the plan the day before it was voted on, which did not allow the entire council an opportunity to review the modified version. Moderates also charge that the changes were made during a “backroom” meeting between three progressive councilmembers and plan author David Blake. 

Progressives have dismissed the accusations of a backroom meeting and argue that the changes that were made to the plan were minor. 

Progressives also insist the approved plan best fits the City Charter that requires the districts be adjusted every 10 years to reflect population changes – according to the census numbers whether they are incorrect or not – and that the districts lines be changed as little as possible. 

Petition drive 

CFR quickly organized 100 volunteers shortly after the redistricting plan received final council approval on Oct. 16. They announced the drive a short time later and were able to collect nearly twice the required number of signatures in fewer than four weeks. 

The volunteers, which included Dean, Armstrong, Olds and Hawley, collected signatures at locations all over town including supermarkets, the farmers’ markets and at playgrounds.  

During the press conference Armstrong thanked the volunteers for their efforts. “It feels so good to be part of a bunch of people who have the spirit to work weekends to try and make this city sane again.” 

Dean offered her appreciation to an unexpected group. “I want to thank the council majority,” she said. “We were just drifting along, we were cohesive, we weren’t organized and now we are.” 

Dean went on to say that the CFR volunteers insured that a fair redistricting plan would be approved because “you cannot deny 8,000 signatures.” 

What now 

If the council repeals the approved redistricting plan, it will have to reexamine the six plans that were originally submitted for consideration. Moderate councilmembers said they would prefer a plan similar to one drawn by city staff known as Scenario 5. This plan would distribute some of the undercount into District 7, which moderate councilmembers say is more fair.  

Progressives have said they would like to further examine a Worthington proposal that would distribute the undercount throughout the entire city by allowing a population discrepancy of 640 people in each district instead of the 128, which the City Attorney has said is the legal margin according to the City Charter. 

On Friday the Daily Planet will take a closer look a some of the redistricting options the council considered at its meeting Tuesday night.

Thursday, Nov. 15

Berkeley Center for  

Globalization and Information  

Technology 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Inderpal Grewal, SFSU, “Transnational America: Identity, Citizenship and Diasporas in Late-Twentieth Century USA.” 642-4608 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

UK Seminar 

5 p.m. 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall 

John Brewer, University of Chicago, “New Ways in History, or, Talking about my Generation: History and Modernity in the 1960s.” 642-4608 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Storytelling Workshop for  

Senior Adults 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison St., Oakland 

Storyteller, Steven Henegar, leads the workshop. 444-4755 

Falun Gong Introduction  

Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Dwinelle 83 

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese mind and body meditation/exercise system. Free. xrzhang@lbl.gov 

Marijuana: What D.A.R.E.  

Didn't Tell You  

6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Valley Life Sciences Building, Rm. 2050 

David Presti, Jeff Jones, Chris Conrad, and others will address the science of marijuana, medical marijuana, industrial hemp, and marijuana law. Sponsored by Students for Sensible Drug Policy. sswerdlow@hotmail.com.  

Friday, Nov. 16

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Weldon Rucker, City Manager of City of Berkeley, presents “Managing a City Like Berkeley.” $1 admission,  

11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

The U.S. and Mexico: Redefining the Relationship 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

141 McCone Hall 

“Security in the Americas: A New Era” with Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, National Security Advisor and Commissioner of Law and Order to President Vicente Fox Quesada. 642-2088 www.clas.berkeley.edu/ clas  

Crosspulse Farewell Concert  

& CD Release Party 

8 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Center 

1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland 

Crosspulse, a percussion ensemble dedicated to the creation and performance of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural music, dance, film and educational projects, marks its cessation as an on-going touring group. $25-30, children half-price. 559-9797 www.crosspulse.com 

American Political History Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Robert Kagan, UCB Department of Political Science and Law, will talk about his book, “Adversarial Legalism.” 642-4608 www.igs. berkeley.edu 

Berkeley High School Jazz  

Ensemble Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Florence Schwimley Little Theatre 

1920 Allston Way  

The Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and combos will give its first concert of the year. $8. 548-8026 www.bhs.berkeley. k12.ca.us/artsperforming/jazz 

Flute Concert 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Public Library, South Branch 

1901 Russell St. 

Mary Youngblood will perform a free solo concert. 644-6860 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

The Daily Planet received a copy of the following letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: 

I write to offer my gratitude and support for your stance against the killing of innocent people as a response to Sept. 11. On National Public Radio about a week after the attacks, I heard a man (a former FBI agent, I think) say, we don’t really know who did this, but we have to respond. “I’m sure the world will forgive us if we kill the wrong people” because everyone understands how terrible this tragedy is. I was horrified by this man’s calm, confident assurance that murdering innocent people was totally acceptable because of the degree of our injury.  

What kind of insanity is that? For this and other reasons, I’m grateful that you have taken a fair and reasonable stance in your resolution. I take comfort from the pocket of sanity you represent in a country which seems to have gone completely mad. I’m shocked that you have been bombarded with hate calls. I’m sure history will be on your side, however. When we are able to stand back from these events and recognize how distorted, cruel, pointless, and out of date the U.S. military response has been, your resolution will prove you to have been among the few not caught up the fear and hate-frenzy misnamed “patriotism.” How can the most powerful country in the world see the killing of innocent people in a poverty stricken country as an action full of valor? The world is much too small for the kind of vicious, blind, national “patriotism” we are currently suffering. We need a real patriotic sense to be directed toward the whole planet and the peace and safety of all its citizens.  

Rose NajiaSan 

San Rafael 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; Nov. 18: Christy Dana Jazz Quintet; Nov. 19: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 20: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Nov. 21: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 23: Sally Hanna-Rhine and David Tapham; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 24: Carl Garrett Jazz Quartet; Nov. 25: Acoustic Soul; Nov. 26: Renegade Sidemen w/ Calvin Keyes; Nov. 27: Jason Martineau and David Sayen; Nov. 28: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 29: Ed Reed and Alex Markels Jazz Group; Nov. 30: Ann sings jazz standards; 10 p.m., Bluesman Hideo Date; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Ashkenaz Nov. 15: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 16: 9 p.m., Amandla Poets O-Maya, $10 - $20; Nov. 17: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., Berkeley Free Folk Fesitval; Nov. 18: 8 p.m., Zydeco Flames, $8; Nov. 19: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 20: 8 p.m., Tamazgha, $8; Nov. 21: 8 p.m., Tom Rigney & Flambeau, $8; Nov. 22: 6 - 9 p.m., Annual Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast, Free; 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 23: 9 p.m., Ras Michael and Sons of Negus with DJ Tony Moses, $10; Nov. 24: 9:30 p.m., Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, $11; Nov. 25: 9 p.m., The King of Calypso Mighty Sparrow, $15; Nov. 26: 6:30 p.m., Vista College; Nov. 27: 8 p.m., Creole Belles, $8; Nov. 28: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Intentions, Stairwell Sisters, Clogging with Evie Ladin, $10; Nov. 29: 10 p.m., Grateful Dead DJ Nite, $5; Nov. 30: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums w/ Ms. Carmen Getit; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz. com 

Blake’s Nov. 15: Ascension, $5; Nov. 16: First Circle, Stonecutters, $5; Nov. 17: Slaptones, TBA; Nov. 18: The GTF, TBA; Nov. 19: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 20: Mr. Q, View From Here, $3; Nov. 21: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 22: Ascension, $5; Nov. 23: Solemite, TBA, $5; Nov. 24: Dank Man Shank, Locale AM, $5; Nov. 25: Out of The Ashes, Wonderland Ave., $3; Nov. 26: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 27: PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, Froggy, $3; Nov. 28: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Nov. 29: Ascension, $5; Nov. 30: Felonious, TBA, $6; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley. edu 

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

Freight & Salvage Coffee House Nov. 15: David Mallett; Nov. 16: Jez Lowe and James Keelaghan; Nov. 17: Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo; Nov. 18: 4 p.m., Berkeley Free Folk Festival: Noe Venable, Dawn McCarthy, John McCormick, Tret Fure, Sylvia Herold, 8 p.m., the Bill Evans band, Evie Ladin and Keith Terry, John Reischman and the Jaybirds; Nov. 21: Raun Fables and Noe Venable; Nov. 23 & 24: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Sickafoose; Nov. 25: Sylvia Herold; Nov. 26: Ellen Robinson; Nov. 28: Wake the Dead; Nov. 29: Judith Kate Friedman and Deborah Pardes; Nov. 30: Odile Lavault and Baguette Quartette; Dec. 1: Geoff Muldaur w/ Fritz Richmond; Dec. 2: Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik; Dec. 5: Avalon Blues: Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Bill Morrissey; Dec. 6: Ray Bonneville; Dec. 7 & 8: Rebecca Riots; All shows begin 8 p.m., 1111 Addison St. Call 548-1761 for prices or see www.freightandsalvage.org.  

iMusicast Nov. 16: 6:30 p.m., L3 (Live, Loud and Local) featuring: Big In Japan, The Locals, Jimmy 2 Times, Serial Carpens, Street To Nowhere. All Ages $9. Nov. 30: 6 - 11 p.m., Applesaucer, The Plus Ones, Cutlass Supreme, Salem Lights, Short Wave Rocket, One Step Shift; 5429 Telegraph Ave. 601-1024, www.imusicast.com. 

Jupiter Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625 www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 17: Christy Dana Quartet, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 18: Mitch Marcus Trio, Raleigh’s, 2438 Telegraph Ave.; Joe Chellman Quartet, The Village, 2556 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Musicians for Medical Marijuana” Nov. 16: 7 :30 p.m., Dark Star Orchestra, The Flying Other Brothers, MCed by Mountain Girl, doctors and lawyers on hand for consultation. $20. Sweet’s Ballroom, 1988 Broadway, Oakland, 869-5391 www.m4mmj.org. 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16-17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Odyssey” Nov. 16: 7 p.m., Nov. 17: 2 p.m., 7 p.m., Nov. 18: 2 p.m., The Splash Circus presents this outer space circus adventure with juggling scientists, acrobatic aliens, aerial acts, tumbling, masked Commedia characters, contortion, pyramids and dance. Youth performers between the ages of 10 - 14. $13, $6.50 for kids under 14. The Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. 655-1265 x202, www.splashcircus.com. 

“Uncle Vanya” Nov. 23 through Nov. 29: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. Nov. 25, 7 p.m. Subterranean Shakespeare’s production of Jean-Claude van Italie’s humorous translation of Anton Chekhov’s romantic masterpiece. Directed by Diane Jackson. Benefits the Forests Forever Foundation. $8-$14. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits  

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Through Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice at UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Nov. 18 through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Nov. 15 through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reception and presentation by the elders Thurs. Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 17: 7 p.m. Graham Hutchings discusses his newly released book “Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., 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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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

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

The Berkeley High girls’ volleyball team survived a minor scare Tuesday night, coming back from a first-game loss to beat Antioch in the first round of the North Coast Section playoffs in Berkeley. 

The third-seeded ’Jackets recovered from their lackluster start in time to take the next three games behind the hitting of middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young and outside hitter Amalia Jarvis. Young finished with 11 kills and six blocks, while Jarvis racked up 12 kills to go with seven aces on her jump serve. 

The win was Berkeley’s first NCS victory for the current squad, as the ’Jackets fell in the first round in each of the past three seasons. 

Antioch had two factors in their favor: solid serving and middle blocker Jamie Houle, who played the 6-foot-5 Guilliard-Young very well. Houle had 11 kills and four blocks, including three on Guilliard-Young, and also pitched in with three of the Panthers’ 16 aces. Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway installed a new service defense for the playoffs, using two players instead of the usual three to pass, and the ’Jackets looked shaky. 

“The new pattern was marginally successful,” Caraway said. “We knew coming in (Antioch) was a strong serving team, but we came out with a win.” 

The first game was a nightmare for the ’Jackets as they never had a lead and fell behind while allowing five aces, and an old nemesis reared its ugly head as the ’Jackets committed five service errors in the game. Houle finished the game with two aces and a kill at 15-4. Berkeley looked tentative and couldn’t get anything going up front when Guilliard-Young rotated into the backline. 

“It was looking a little scary there in the first game,” Caraway said. “Maybe it was nerves, or the pressure, but we made a ton of service errors. We’d work hard to get the ball back and then give it away.” 

But Caraway’s team regrouped, making just four more service errors in the next three games. Junior Nadia Qabazard nailed two aces early to put the ’Jackets ahead 4-0, and Guilliard-Young slowed down Houle with two blocks in the middle. The Panthers came back to tie the game at 5-5, then again at 9-9, but Jarvis’ jump serve pulled Berkeley through with four aces in the last six points to win 15-9. 

The ’Jackets rolled in the third game, scoring six points on Antioch hitting errors and getting three more aces from Jarvis. 

“We served ‘em off the court in the third game,” Caraway said. 

Antioch had a ray of hope when the Panthers got out to a 5-3 lead in the fourth and final game, but two Guilliard-Young blocks tied the score, and Qabazard threw in two more aces to give the ’Jackets a 10-5 lead. Two aces from Antioch’s Nicole Baptista pulled her team to within 12-8, but Berkeley simply powered its way to the victory, getting a block from sophomore Shirley Dai and a Jarvis kill to end the game. 

Berkeley will face second-seeded Castro Valley, which beat James Logan in the first round, on Thursday at 7 p.m. for a spot in the final. The match will be at Berkeley High, as Castro Valley’s gymnasium doesn’t meet the NCS standards for hosting a playoff match.  

The ’Jackets lost to Castro Valley in three games at a tournament earlier this year.

Thursday, Nov. 15

Berkeley Center for  

Globalization and Information  

Technology 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Inderpal Grewal, SFSU, “Transnational America: Identity, Citizenship and Diasporas in Late-Twentieth Century USA.” 642-4608 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

UK Seminar 

5 p.m. 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall 

John Brewer, University of Chicago, “New Ways in History, or, Talking about my Generation: History and Modernity in the 1960s.” 642-4608 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Storytelling Workshop for  

Senior Adults 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison St., Oakland 

Storyteller, Steven Henegar, leads the workshop. 444-4755 

Falun Gong Introduction  

Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Dwinelle 83 

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese mind and body meditation/exercise system. Free. xrzhang@lbl.gov 

Marijuana: What D.A.R.E.  

Didn't Tell You  

6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Valley Life Sciences Building, Rm. 2050 

David Presti, Jeff Jones, Chris Conrad, and others will address the science of marijuana, medical marijuana, industrial hemp, and marijuana law. Sponsored by Students for Sensible Drug Policy. sswerdlow@hotmail.com.  

Friday, Nov. 16

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Weldon Rucker, City Manager of City of Berkeley, presents “Managing a City Like Berkeley.” $1 admission,  

11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

The U.S. and Mexico: Redefining the Relationship 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

141 McCone Hall 

“Security in the Americas: A New Era” with Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, National Security Advisor and Commissioner of Law and Order to President Vicente Fox Quesada. 642-2088 www.clas.berkeley.edu/ clas  

Crosspulse Farewell Concert  

& CD Release Party 

8 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Center 

1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland 

Crosspulse, a percussion ensemble dedicated to the creation and performance of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural music, dance, film and educational projects, marks its cessation as an on-going touring group. $25-30, children half-price. 559-9797 www.crosspulse.com 

American Political History Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Robert Kagan, UCB Department of Political Science and Law, will talk about his book, “Adversarial Legalism.” 642-4608 www.igs. berkeley.edu 

Berkeley High School Jazz  

Ensemble Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Florence Schwimley Little Theatre 

1920 Allston Way  

The Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and combos will give its first concert of the year. $8. 548-8026 www.bhs.berkeley. k12.ca.us/artsperforming/jazz 

Flute Concert 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Public Library, South Branch 

1901 Russell St. 

Mary Youngblood will perform a free solo concert. 644-6860 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Thursday, Nov. 15

Berkeley Center for  

Globalization and Information  

Technology 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Inderpal Grewal, SFSU, “Transnational America: Identity, Citizenship and Diasporas in Late-Twentieth Century USA.” 642-4608 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

UK Seminar 

5 p.m. 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall 

John Brewer, University of Chicago, “New Ways in History, or, Talking about my Generation: History and Modernity in the 1960s.” 642-4608 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Storytelling Workshop for  

Senior Adults 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison St., Oakland 

Storyteller, Steven Henegar, leads the workshop. 444-4755 

Falun Gong Introduction  

Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Dwinelle 83 

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese mind and body meditation/exercise system. Free. xrzhang@lbl.gov 

Marijuana: What D.A.R.E.  

Didn't Tell You  

6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Valley Life Sciences Building, Rm. 2050 

David Presti, Jeff Jones, Chris Conrad, and others will address the science of marijuana, medical marijuana, industrial hemp, and marijuana law. Sponsored by Students for Sensible Drug Policy. sswerdlow@hotmail.com.  

Friday, Nov. 16

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Weldon Rucker, City Manager of City of Berkeley, presents “Managing a City Like Berkeley.” $1 admission,  

11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

The U.S. and Mexico: Redefining the Relationship 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

141 McCone Hall 

“Security in the Americas: A New Era” with Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, National Security Advisor and Commissioner of Law and Order to President Vicente Fox Quesada. 642-2088 www.clas.berkeley.edu/ clas  

Crosspulse Farewell Concert  

& CD Release Party 

8 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Center 

1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland 

Crosspulse, a percussion ensemble dedicated to the creation and performance of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural music, dance, film and educational projects, marks its cessation as an on-going touring group. $25-30, children half-price. 559-9797 www.crosspulse.com 

American Political History Seminar 

noon 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Robert Kagan, UCB Department of Political Science and Law, will talk about his book, “Adversarial Legalism.” 642-4608 www.igs. berkeley.edu 

Berkeley High School Jazz  

Ensemble Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Florence Schwimley Little Theatre 

1920 Allston Way  

The Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and combos will give its first concert of the year. $8. 548-8026 www.bhs.berkeley. k12.ca.us/artsperforming/jazz 

Flute Concert 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Public Library, South Branch 

1901 Russell St. 

Mary Youngblood will perform a free solo concert. 644-6860 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

A union representing clerical workers and librarians at UC Berkeley issued a strong condemnation of the university’s transportation policies on Wednesday. 

At a rally held above the jam-packed Dwinelle parking lot, the Coalition of University Employees (CUE) spoke, sang and gathered signatures on a petition calling for a “sustainable comprehensive transportation program” for university workers. 

Norah Foster, a university librarian and CUE member, said the university charges its employees $71 per month for parking – “the highest (rate) of any university in the country.” 

Even then, she said, the lots are oversubscribed, and employees have trouble finding parking spaces. 

Foster said scarce parking, and few other options, amounted to a transportation crisis for university employees. 

“UC is notorious for ignoring the needs of employees,” she said. “One of our needs, obviously, is to get to work every day. One would think that would be an issue.” 

CUE – which has received letters of endorsement from other campus unions – calls for free mass transit passes for employees, satellite parking and a “sliding scale” for on-campus parking fees. 

Foster said that the money the university earns from parking would be more than enough to subsidize such a program. She handed out a balance sheet for the university’s parking program. The sheet states that the campus made a profit of over $2.5 million on parking receipts in the fiscal year ending in July 2000.  

Councilmember Kriss Worthington spoke in favor of the union’s demands, and said that the university should follow in the city’s footsteps. 

“I’ve been working for two and a half years to provide free bus passes to city employees,” he said. “I’m pleased to announce that on Dec. 5, every city employee will receive a free bus pass.” 

Worthington said that the program will cost the city only $90,000 per year, and that the university could easily afford something similar for its employees. 

“One of the easiest and most painless solutions for the university is to provide free AC Transit passes for every UC employee,” Worthington said. “If UC can achieve that simple step, the city and the university could go to BART next year and work out a deal for both of us.” 

Worthington noted that such a program would do much to solve the city’s current parking crisis. 

“In the jurisdictions that have given free mass transit passes to city employees, parking in downtown areas has decreased between 7 and 21 percent,” he said. 

“Even a 7 percent reduction in parking in downtown Berkeley would alleviate many of the problems we see here.” 

Howard Chong, a student activist – better known as “the tent guy” for sleeping out in a tent to protest the university building a parking lot rather than housing in a large parcel south of campus – said that students and staff were both “shut out of the system.” 

“(In this petition) is a list of valid grievances that directly affect your lives,” he said. “But I see it more as the first step in getting users of transportation services involved in the decision-making process.” 

John Zupan, a member of another union, University Professional and Technical Employees, affirmed that his union supports CUE’s parking plan, and said that free transportation options would be an easy way of answering other employee grievances. 

“For most of the UC staff, $71 is something on the order of 2 or 3 percent of their incomes,” he said. “Free transportation would be a perfect way to effectively raise salaries on the UC campus without going to the governor or to the legislature or anything like that.” 

Foster said that CUE has gathered 1,500 signatures in support of its demands, and hopes to gather another 1,500 before presenting the petition to the university administration. 

Nadesan Permaul is the director of transportation at the university and says his department would be solidly behind a pass system, such as the students have, “if staff is prepared to pay.” 

At present, all students pay $18 per semester for the “class pass” and some of them sign up and use the unlimited bus service. Permaul warns that AC Transit is asking the students to vote on whether to continue the system, in which case the fees will be doubled. The system for staff would only work only if the entire staff paid the fees, Permaul said. 

While CUE is asking for lower parking fees, the city is asking for them to be raised, to pressure people to get out of their cars. The university charges more for more convenient parking and less for more distant parking, he said. If more parking is built, the university will have to raise rates even more to pay for it, he said. 

As for satellite parking, “It was tried in the 1980s and failed dismally,” he said. The problem is that it is not efficient. The only way it could become efficient would be to put bus-only lanes on major thoroughfares. This has been suggested in the city’s Transportation Management Demand Study and may be implemented. “We’re certainly open to it,” he said. 

Judith Scherr of the Daily Planet staff contributed to this story.

Editor:  

Over the last two months, I’ve been watching a lot of news, and I’m left stupefied. The people who report the news are either wonderful actors, or they actually believe that the war in Afghanistan can end the threat of terror. This must be either inconceivable gullibility, or cynical deception. Terrorists are not confined to Afghanistan, and they don’t have to sit around waiting for Osama bin Laden to send them instructions in order to act, therefore, what are we doing in Afghanistan? We are spending millions of dollars a day, and we tax-payers are going to pay the bills, so what exactly are we trying to accomplish with this expensive destruction? The most disturbing element, to me, is that the intelligentsia seems to be helping to create the delusion that we can stop terrorism by killing a man in an Afghan cave and deposing the Taliban. Can the great journalists of our country really be so naive? I don’t think so. It’s time to muster our outrage against this insanity now before we’ve bombed or starved millions of extremely poor people to death. 

Lance Caselman 

Crocket

Richard Midgley and David Paris, both seniors at 2001 state runner-up Modesto Christian High School, have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at Cal, head coach Ben Braun announced Wednesday. 

Midgley, a 6-foot-1 point guard, and Paris, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound power forward, are both rated among the Top 100 prospects in the country by several recruiting services. 

Paris is the son of former San Francisco 49ers lineman Bubba Paris. As a junior last year, he averaged 16 points and 15 rebounds per game. Paris is rated the No. 2 power forward on the West Coast by PacWestHoops.com and the No. 22 power forward in the country by ESPN.com. He selected Cal after also considering Ohio State, Michigan and Texas-El Paso.  

Midgley, who averaged 19 points and 5 assists as a junior last year, earned No. 93 national rankings from both CNNSI.com and The Sporting News. PacWestHoops.com called him “one of the best point guards on the West Coast.” 

Originally from London, Midgley moved to Modesto before the start of his sophomore year. He chose Cal after also getting interest from Georgia Tech, UCLA, Kentucky and Utah. 

Last year, Paris and Midgley helped Modesto Christian to a 34-4 overall record. They reached the state championship game before falling to Santa Ana’s Mater Dei, led by current Cal freshman forward Jamal Sampson, 57-54. 

The Bears received an oral commitment from Alabama prep star Kennedy Winston earlier this month, but Winston is rumored to be re-thinking the decision. He has not sent a letter of intent. 

Wednesday was the first day that recruits can sign National Letters of Intent. The fall signing period lasts through Nov. 21.

For nine years Ameena Jandali, 41, of El Cerrito has been going out into the community, mostly to high schools, to educate Americans on the basics of Islam.  

After Sept. 11 her task has become easier in some ways and harder in others. 

“We’ve been trying to teach people about Ramadan for years and Mr. Bush did it for us in one month,” said Jandali, who spoke to a group of mostly retired citizens at a Berkeley City Club luncheon last Friday. 

The challenge for anyone like Jandali is that many Americans view Muslim women as oppressed and living like second-class citizens. And the images that people see in the media do little to inform people otherwise.  

“Second only to terrorists is the question of women in Islam as one of the most misunderstood aspects of Islam,” said Jandali. 

In Jandali’s world, women are not oppressed by men. They are equals excelling as doctors, engineers and scientists. They have a separate identity and control any money they might earn.  

“Most of my friends are in the sciences. Women often put their careers on hold when children are young, although some continue to work because of economics,” said Jandali. 

Jandali sees herself as a moderate and acknowledges that there would be some who would condemn her for standing up in front of a group and talking. From her perspective, it is not the Koran that has created the current climate for women, but cultural and political developments. 

“In the last 20th century with the fall of Muslim rulers…the older generations wholeheartedly rejected traditions but the youth are doing the opposite,” said Jandali.  

It is the reaction to the economic and social problems, and the export of western culture that breeds radicalism and a reaction to the west said Jandali.  

She says she experienced the schism when she married her husband, a practicing Muslim from Syria. Initially her mother-in-law was very upset when her son chose a woman who covered herself.  

“She had spent her whole life uncovering,” said Jandali.  

But since their marriage, her mother-in-law has returned to wearing the veil. 

Ironically, it is this same issue that is so controversial among other Americans, even some in her audience at the Berkeley City Club.  

“Why would a woman conceal her body regardless,” commented Dennis Kuby, 68, a Berkeley resident who was in attendance. “Women are worse than second-class citizens.” 

Kuby, a Unitarian Minister by profession, has traveled to Turkey and Bahrain and called himself a long-time feminist. 

Doris Balfour, 73, of Berkeley said she continues to believe some of what she’s read and heard in the media. “I haven’t met too many Muslim people,” said Balfour, “and I think it’s not as rosy as she presents it in the Middle East.” 

Even if questions remained in the audience members minds, many agreed that the talk had been educational given their limited knowledge and access to information about Muslim women. 

“I think she was attempting to describe Islam as she believes it is identified as a religion,” said Linda Gustafson, of Berkeley, “She viewed the practices as cultural in nature and the press doesn’t differentiate what is culturally inappropriate as identified by the religion.” 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: 

I am writing to express my full support and gratitude for the courageous vote of the Berkeley City Council to voice opposition to this “war” that is being manufactured for the American public. I will do everything I can to shop in Berkeley and support the city in any way possible. Opposition to the overwhelming majority opinion at this point in our “democracy,” is becoming more and more difficult and that means it is all the more important that the minority voice be expressed and heard. 

My understanding and love of our Constitution is that it was written to protect the minority in the population. That is why we are NOT a democracy, but a republic. If it were the rule of the majority, it would be mob rule and that is not rule at all, just who can sway opinion at the moment. Which is exactly what appears to be happening right now. Big business has control of the media, the politicians (see the current “tax cut” bill that is passing through the U.S. Congress, e.g.), and public opinion.  

Thank you for voicing my position. This “war” is wrong and is being created for the wrong reasons. Lives are being lost and more will be lost in this attempt to create totalitarian support for any government decision. That is fascism and that is very frightening. 

Forty years ago, an uncle of mine told me that fascism would come to the United States only from the inside. I fear that it has arrived. 

Pamela Miller  

El Cerrito 

Two Berkeley High seniors signed official letters of intent on Wednesday. 

Basketball player Sabrina Keys officially committed to Purdue University in Indiana, while volleyball star Desiree Guilliard-Young signed with Baylor University in Texas. Wednesday was the first day high school players could sign letters of intent. 

Keys, a 6-foot-2 center, committed to the Boilermakers earlier this year. Keys will be the a key for the ’Jackets as they attempt to return to the state championship game this season for the third time in the last four years. 

Guilliard-Young follows in her coach’s footsteps to Baylor. Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway played for the Bears in college. The 6-foot-5 middle blocker spent the past summer playing for the U.S. Under-18 National Team.

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: 

Thanks for your courageous stand against continued bombing in Afghanistan. There are more of us in the US public than are generally reported who support efforts to slow the military response of our national leaders. 

John Erhart 

Mariposa County

SAN FRANCISCO — The Green Party, hoping to continue its growth in California, announced its candidates for the state’s two highest offices Wednesday and said it supports a move toward instant runoff elections. 

Peter Camejo, a former presidential candidate, will be the party’s candidate for governor in 2002. Donna Warren is the candidate for lieutenant governor. 

Camejo, who ran for the presidency in 1976, emphasizes prudent investing and points to the state’s energy crisis as an example of bad investments that he said he would avoid. 

Camejo founded and runs Progressive Asset Management, Inc., which promotes socially responsible investments, and helped set up the Eco-Logical trust for Merrill Lynch. 

Camejo also said he would push for runoff elections to prevent the possibility of election troubles that Florida faced during the 2000 presidential election. 

Warren has run for Congress as a Green Party member and has been working to get the Three Strikes law to apply only to violent crimes. She’s also the lead plaintiff in a suit against the CIA, accusing it of letting drugs into the country. Warren’s son was addicted to crack. 

Both candidates emphasized the Green Party’s work in local elections. 

In the past few weeks, 50 Green Party candidates have been elected to local positions nationwide, said campaign strategist Rebecca Kaplan. 

Much of the party’s support comes not just from Green Party members but from crossover voters — those registered as Democrats or Republicans who vote for Green Party candidates. 

Such crossover support in the 2000 presidential election drew criticism, especially from the Democratic Party. Many Democrats accuse Green Party candidate Ralph Nader of siphoning votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore. 

That’s why the Green Party is pushing for instant runoff elections, Kaplan said. 

The instant runoff would let people rank their top two candidates. If no candidate received a majority, then those people who didn’t list those candidates as their first choice would have their second choices counted, in an automatic runoff including the two candidates who got the most votes overall. 

San Francisco has an instant runoff proposal on the ballot in March, and New Mexico and Alaska also are considering such a plan, Kaplan said. 

The party is growing by 4.6 percent a year in California, party officials said, and now it numbers around 150,000 members.  

By contrast, about 7 million voters are registered Democrats in the state, and about 5.4 million voters are registered Republicans. 

Yokers, Moser second teamers 

Cal junior forward Laura Schott was named to the first team All-Pac-10 soccer team for the second consecutive season Tuesday afternoon. Sophomore midfielder Kim Yokers and freshman goalkeeper Mallory Moser earned second team recognition.  

Schott led the Pac-10 in points (33) and goals (15) for the second-straight season. The Wilsonville, Ore., product posted a team-best four game-winning goals, as well.  

A 2000 first team All-American, Schott has been nominated for the Hermann Trophy and Missouri Athletic Club Award, which are each given each season to the nation’s top men’s and women’s collegiate soccer players. She currently ranks second in Cal history for points (110) and goals (49) and is on pace to break current U.S. national team member Joy (Blefield) Fawcett’s school records for points (133) and goals (55).  

Yokers, who earned her first selection to the All-Pac-10 team, emerged in 2001 as one of the best central midfielders in the country. She finished third on the team with 12 points after posting eight points as a freshman. The Seattle native was second on the Bears with six assists and tied for fifth in the Pac-10 in that category.  

Moser, who hails from Mill Valley, showed this season that she has the potential to be one of the best goalkeepers in Cal history. She had a 0.98 goals-against-average and recorded five shutouts.  

Junior midfielder Brittany Kirk also was honored for the Bears, receiving honorable mention All-Pac-10 recognition for the second straight season.  

Cal takes a 12-6-2 overall record into its first round NCAA Tournament game with Saint Mary’s Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Stanford’s Maloney Field.

Editor: 

The “newly formed” group attempting to nullify the majority-approved district boundaries is being dishonest at best (Daily Planet, Nov. 10). It should be obvious to anyone with one eye open, that this is nothing more than a last ditch effort to save Polly Armstrong’s council seat. It is common knowledge that if the students are allowed to vote, they’ll vote against her in droves. The real question is why are her views so dangerously out of touch with the youth of Berkeley?  

Michael Bauce 

Berkeley

SAN FRANCISCO — Almost half the families visiting Bay Area emergency food services have one or more people working, according to study on hunger released Wednesday. 

The national study, “Hunger in America 2001,” shows continuing need in the world’s richest country. 

More than 25 percent of the people getting food from Bay Area emergency food services have at least some college education, according to the study commissioned by America’s Second Harvest. 

America’s Second Harvest is a network of about 80 percent of the nation’s food banks. The food banks collect donations from farmers, the food industry and others, and distribute the food to community organizations, soup kitchens, day care centers and local food pantries run by churches and other groups. 

While changes in the welfare law and a growing economy meant more people were working, the Bay Area’s high cost of living still left many low-paid workers on the edge of poverty. 

Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco Food Bank said state officials recognize the problem but what they need to do is makes it easier for working people to get food stamps.

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter read to the City Council at a Nov. 6 Public Hearing on the General Plan: 

I am speaking tonight in favor of the height limit provisions, incorporated in the Initiative Ordinance presented to the City Council last week. 

Firstly, it urges a more stringent review process for development on hill sites. 

Secondly, it modifies projects that totally disregard the existing context or scale in cohesive neighborhoods in our built- up city. 

Thirdly, it reduces heights where a state density bonus would exceed the standard for height, approved in the area plans, by allowing additional floors. In addition, it would give greater protection to abutting residences for light and air circulation, and would slow parking and traffic overflow problems generated by commercial disticts. 

A great many zoning districts in the Height Limit Ordinance were left unchanged because up to the present, they have been respected and enjoyed for their human scale. For one example, the Neighborhood Commercial areas of College and Solano Avenues. (Even these areas are targeted for intense development by the Eco-City promoters.)  

Other zoning districts on commercial traffic corridors have many building sites that have been held off the real estate market for years, awaiting the most lucrative time for development. That moment may well have been missed given the current economic downturn. In addition, new statistics show more people are leaving California each month than are entering, suggesting that the population increases projected by ABAG are exaggerated and will benefit only their collaborators. However, the usefulness of these projections becomes quickly apparent when “healthy” corporations often suddenly dismiss thousands of devoted workers. Even Berkeley of all places, now has a sizeable inventory of vacant rental units. Our alternative proposal on page one, suggests that civic attention should be attending to numerous infrastructure deficiencies, such as power and water sources and to improved public transit service. 

A great percentage of Berkeley’s housing stock is appropriately scaled for a city perched on a known seismic fault. One of the goals of the Height Limit Initiative, therefore, is to redirect the General Plan Draft by encouraging the development of alternative plans in which existing height limits are selectively reduced. High rise buildings are not needed to improve the city’s prestige. 

Martha Nicoloff 

Berkeley

This tribute to and obituary of Ted Rosenkrantz was  

written by Berkeley resident Mark Coplan,  

president of In Dulci Jubilo 

Though many of us in the community know who Ted Rosenkranz was, others don’t realize that, with no children of his own, Rosenkranz created In Dulci Jubilo, Inc. to fulfill a life-long dream of helping to inspire our kids.  

He died at 80 of cancer on Friday afternoon.  

In addition to giving more than 23 full years of his life, Ted didn’t do anything part time – he gave more than $500,000 of his own money to the organization.  

He would have no extras for himself, but would write a personal check for $500 to a teacher without blinking an eye. Especially if it was for a garden or a spelling bee.  

And his neighbors will tell you he was truly a legend in his garden, but even some of them didn’t know of his generosity to Berkeley schools and the city’s children. He always insisted that he take no personal credit.  

For all of these years, when I.D.J. sponsored an event, Ted was the quiet guy in the back passing out refreshments.  

During the past two months, as he waited to pass, I had many wonderful opportunities to spend time with Ted. We spoke of many things, like when he was a student at Willard Jr. High, what it was like to be the second family to build a house on Fulton Street and the early days of I.D.J. 

Thursday morning he told me that the time had come and he was waiting to die. He told me that his only regret was that he had not been able do enough to inspire and excite kids. I laughed and reminded him of all that he had accomplished for Berkeley kids. And I assured him that In Dulci Jubilo would continue to make dreams in the classrooms come true, inspiring both teachers and students for the next 23 years.  

After staying low key for so many years, Ted finally settled back and enjoyed the spotlight. He was deeply touched when Mayor Shirley Dean came to his bedside and presented him with a proclamation declaring Ted Rosenkranz Day in the City of Berkeley. He watched Berkeley Community TV from his bed when the School Board proclaimed Ted Rosenkranz Day in the schools. And when the Daily Planet ran a full page article honoring him (2/10/2001), he had the most beautiful, shy smile as I read it to him. Someone brought him a stack of copies and he passed them out to visitors for days. It was beautifully written, and it was a fitting eulogy to one of Berkeley’s greatest sons.  

Ted left knowing that he had made a difference. 

A memorial will be held during the first week of December and will be announced in the pages of the Daily Planet.

SAN FRANCISCO — A University of California regents committee voted Wednesday to start looking at prospective students as more than the sum of their grades and transcripts, taking into account what kind of personal struggles they went through to arrive at those numbers. 

The 13-2 vote by the committee of the university’s governing board of regents sends the issue to the full board Thursday, where it is expected to be approved. 

The policy, known as “comprehensive review,” involves looking at grades and test scores plus such things as whether a student overcame poverty or has special talents or did well in a bad school. It has been criticized as a covert way of reviving race-based admissions, banned by state law, although supporters maintain it is race-neutral, looking at how all students, not just poor students, met challenges. 

Regents added an amendment to the policy saying it would not be used to inject race into the admissions process. 

Comprehensive review already is being used to admit some students to UC’s eight undergraduate campuses. But the campuses presently are restricted to admitting at least 50 percent of their students on the basis of 10 academic criteria. 

Comprehensive review adds four supplemental criteria to that equation, including such things as whether the student pushed himself or overcame adversity. 

Proponents say the switch, already approved by UC faculty, sends a message to California high school students that they can get into UC if they make the most of their opportunities. 

“I have always felt that there has to be a better way than just looking at numbers,” said Regent Sherry Lansing. 

State schools superintendent Delaine Eastin, who is also a regent, said the change helps rectify inequities in California’s public schools. 

Without comprehensive review, UC could lose some potentially great students, Eastin said. 

“We’ll miss Abe Lincoln if we’re not careful. We’ll certainly bypass Oprah and we’ll miss Whoopi Goldberg and we won’t bring Einstein or Edison forward,” she said. All those people, she said, “came from dysfunctional families or had serious learning disabilities.” 

Critics say they’re concerned the plan would make the admissions process a little less fair. 

“We’re rushing this through in order to have it in place by next year and I think that is ill-advised,” said Regent Ward Connerly, although he did vote for the switch after the amendment to keep it race-neutral was added. “I think it’s going to subject this university to an untold amount of disrespect, litigation and questions about the credibility of the process.” 

Comprehensive review would not change the statewide pool of students deemed eligible for entry to one of UC’s eight undergraduate campuses. That is determined by meeting grade and test minimums or by graduating in the top 4 percent of one’s high school class. 

However, it could change enrollment, especially at the top campuses of Berkeley and UCLA, because campuses would be using comprehensive review when they selected students from the pool of eligible students. 

The 50 percent minimum was adopted at the same time UC dropped race from admissions in 1995. Previously, campuses had to admit at least 40 percent of students on academics alone. 

Regents rescinded the 1995 vote in May. The vote was largely symbolic because of a 1996 law dismantling most state affirmative action programs, but did bring the academic minimum up for debate. 

After race-blind admissions went into effect, enrollment of blacks and Hispanics tumbled. The figures have rebounded since then, but there has been a reshuffling, with more blacks and Hispanics going to lesser-known campuses such as UC-Riverside and fewer going to Berkeley and UCLA. 

UC officials say the new policy isn’t backdoor affirmative action because race is taken off applications before they are reviewed and the overall pool of applicants remains unchanged. They say they do not expect the ethnic composition of freshmen classes at any of the campuses to change substantially. 

Berkeley officials reviewed 1,000 admissions from this fall and found that all but 4 percent would have been admitted under comprehensive review. The losers under comprehensive review tended to be students who had good grades but hadn’t done much outside the classroom.

BAKERSFIELD — Cutting down their options, California’s high-speed rail planners discarded dozens of potential route alignments and stations Wednesday and ruled out magnetic levitation trains in favor of slower, more conventional alternatives. 

But the planners, members of the California High-Speed Rail Authority board, delayed until January a decision on mountainous routes between San Jose and Merced and Bakersfield and Sylmar until they get more information about the feasibility of tunneling. 

Board members are also scheduled to weed out potential routes and stations between Sacramento and Bakersfield and the Los Angeles airport and Union Station when they meet in January. 

On Wednesday, the nine-member panel agreed to discontinue evaluations of 23 possible alignments and 24 potential station sites in the Bay Area and between Los Angeles and San Diego. 

They kept alive 16 potential alignments and 59 station locations in those two areas of the state. 

The action was like the first cut made by an athletic team to drop unlikely prospects from its roster. It clears the way for more detailed studies needed before state officials can decide whether to build the 700-mile system, which would link California’s major cities with trains running at top speeds of more than 200 mph. 

Mehdi Morshed, the board’s executive director, said the cuts were a normal part of the planning process and were not dictated by the state’s bleak revenue picture. 

“If we had all the money in the world we would be doing exactly the same thing,” he said. 

Lawmakers gave the board $5 million last year to begin the nearly three years of environmental and engineering reviews. But faced with a state budget shortfall that could hit $14 billion, the Legislature approved only $1 million this year, enough to keep the board’s small staff in place. 

Since then the board has gotten $519,000 in unused transportation bond funds and hopes to get $4.5 million from the federal government to keep at least a slimmed down planning effort on track. 

In making Wednesday’s cuts, the board accepted most of a staff report that cited cost, construction difficulties, environmental damage, impact on residential areas, limited right of way and longer travel time among reasons for dropping route alignments and stations from further consideration. 

The board also discarded the idea of using futuristic magnetic levitation trains, saying they couldn’t share track with conventional trains and that adopting them for the California system would bar high-speed rail service into San Francisco. 

Magnetic levitation, or maglev, technology uses powerful magnets to hold trains off the track and propel them at speeds of up to 343 mph. 

There are no maglev trains in commercial use now, although China plans to have a 20-mile maglev line in place by 2003 to carry passengers to the Shanghai airport. 

Instead of maglev, the board decided to focus on using conventional high-speed trains that run on electricity or diesel and can share track with slower trains in heavily urban areas. 

The board also: 

— Said that sharing track with the slower Caltrain commuter trains was the only “realistic alternative” for high-speed rail between San Francisco and San Jose, although that strategy would reduce high-speed traffic on the San Francisco Peninsula. The commuter trains would move onto sidings to let the high-speed trains pass. 

— Decided that only diesel-powered high-speed trains should be used between San Diego and Irvine, saying coastal communities don’t like the “visual impacts” of the overhead wires required for faster electric trains. 

Electric trains can run at maximum speeds of more than 200 mph. The top speed for their diesel counterparts is 150 mph. 

• SAN FRANCISCO TO SAN JOSE — The board said using the existing Caltrain corridor and sharing track with the slower commuter trains was the only “realistic alternative” even though that approach would reduce the number of daily high-speed trains between the two cities. The board dropped the idea of creating a separate high-speed line in the Caltrain corridor or creating a high-speed line that would follow Highway 101. 

• OAKLAND TO SAN JOSE — The board kept two potential routes for more study. One would follow the Union Pacific’s Hayward line and then use an aerial structure in the Interstate 880 median. The other would follow a series of UP lines. 

• SYLMAR TO LOS ANGELES — One route kept for more study would generally follow the Metrolink-Union Pacific corridor to Union Station or a new station close by. The other would veer off that corridor at Burbank and follow Interstate 5 before going through a tunnel under Elysian Park to the Union Station area. 

• LOS ANGELES TO MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE — One possible alignment would follow the Union Pacific corridor to Colton, then turn south along the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe corridor before following Interstate 215 to the base. The other would follow a different Union Pacific corridor through South El Monte before picking up the Colton corridor near the City of Industry. 

• MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE TO MIRA LOMA — The board selected a “minimizing tunnels” option that would go through Murrieta, Temecula and Escondido along Interstate 15. 

• MIRA LOMA TO SAN DIEGO — There are still four potential routes under study. One would follow Interstate 15, then turn west along Miramar Road to the Los Angeles-San Diego rail corridor and then to south along the corridor or another route to the Sante Fe depot. Another would follow Interstate 15, State Highway 163 and then tunnel under Balboa Park to the Santa Fe depot. A third would cut from Interstate 15 through Carroll Canyon to the Los Angeles-San Diego rail corridor and then turn south. The fourth would follow Interstate 15 and stop at Qualcomm Stadium. 

• LOS ANGELES TO ANAHEIM — The board settled on two possible routes: Following the Los Angeles-San Diego rail corridor with a stop in Fullerton or a Union Pacific branch line, 

• ANAHEIM TO SAN DIEGO — The route would follow the Los Angeles-San Diego rail line, but only slower diesel-powered trains with a top speed of 150 mph would be used south of Irvine because the coastal communities consider the wires needed for electric trains unsightly.  

The board is scheduled to consider routes between San Jose and Merced, Sacramento and Bakersfield, and Bakersfield and Sylmar when it meets in January.

LOS ALTOS — A Los Altos investment banker was aboard American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed into a residential New York City neighborhood Monday, destroying homes and killing all 260 passengers and crew. 

Family and friends are mourning the death of Kathleen Williams, 54, who had taken the Dominican Republic-bound flight to bring equipment to a new medical facility there. 

Cousin Christine England said Williams often worked in Latin America trying to improve the lives of impoverished people. England said Williams was planning to travel to Guatemala when she learned funding had been approved for the Dominican project, prompting her to shift her destination. 

“She told her very best friend on Sunday that this was the happiest time of her life, to be able to go and just affect the lives of so many people,” England said. “She drew people in, she made people feel included, and welcome, and loved, and she will be very missed.” 

Friends called Williams a passionate and dedicated person who was quick to help people down on their luck. Williams raised thousands of dollars with her church congregation to send as flood relief for victims of Hurricane Mitch, and volunteered at her church. 

“She made a difference in our life here in this church,” said friend Lynne McCoy. 

Williams often took her goodwill efforts abroad. She spoke French, Spanish and Portuguese and helped establish Bank of America branches in Latin America. 

“She was true blue,” said her mother, Beverly Tucker. “She was more than a daughter. She was incredible.” 

Williams also was involved in her own community and served as president of the board of trustees at Palo Alto’s Castilleja School, where her 16-year-old daughter, Emily, attends. 

Williams also is survived by her husband, Keith, and three brothers. 

WASHINGTON — The first in a new class of therapy for rheumatoid arthritis won federal approval Wednesday, although studies show Kineret promises just modest effectiveness. 

The Food and Drug Administration said the new drug should be reserved for arthritis patients who have failed today’s best treatments. 

Still, many doctors eagerly were awaiting Amgen Inc.’s drug because there are few options for the more than 2 million sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis. 

This is not the common arthritis associated with the wear and tear of aging. With rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system goes awry and attacks patients’ joints, causing swelling and stiffness as rogue immune cells eat away cartilage and eventually erode bone. It mostly strikes women, usually between ages 25 and 50, and can disable them within 10 years. 

Kineret, known chemically as anakinra, works differently from other treatments, blocking a protein called interleukin-1 that is one cause of the joint swelling. 

Studies show that after six months of treatment, about 38 percent of Kineret patients suffered less swelling and pain, compared with 22 percent who got a dummy shot. 

In contrast, about two-thirds of patients improve with the competing drugs Enbrel and Remicade, which block a different inflammatory immune protein, called tumor necrosis factor or TNF, said the FDA’s Dr. Karen Weiss. 

Prescription-only Kineret will be on pharmacy shelves within two weeks, and will cost about $11,088 a year, said Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Amgen. That is slightly lower than its anti-TNF competitors, which cost around $12,000 a year. 

Kineret’s main side effect is irritation at the injection site. Because it suppresses the immune system, it also causes a small risk of serious infection — 2 percent of Kineret patients versus less than 1 percent of placebo patients. 

Patients should stop taking Kineret if they develop an infection, but can resume the treatment once the infection clears, Amgen said. 

The anti-TNF drugs also cause the infection risk, so patients should not use Kineret together with either Enbrel or Remicade, Weiss said. 

One small study suggested that such combination therapy left 7 percent of patients with a serious infection, and occasionally caused a severe drop in infection-fighting white blood cells.

SAN ANTONIO — SBC Communications Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. unveiled a marketing alliance Wednesday to provide high-speed Internet service and other Web-based products in the 13 states served by SBC. 

The service, to be known as SBC Yahoo, is scheduled to launch in mid-2002. 

The partnership bodes the eventual demise of the Prodigy brand. Earlier this month SBC paid $465 million for all shares of Prodigy, an Internet dial-up service and Web portal with 3.6 million customers nationwide. 

“We believe Yahoo is a stronger brand name,” said James Kahan, SBC’s senior executive vice president for corporate development. 

Employees at Prodigy, based in Austin were told of the SBC-Yahoo alliance at a staff meeting earlier in the day, said SBC spokesman Larry Solomon. 

SBC’s dial-up customers acquired in the Prodigy deal are expected to be switched over to the SBC Yahoo portal by the end of 2002, and then the Prodigy name will be eliminated, he said. 

Solomon said the move will lead to job cuts among both current SBC and Prodigy workers, though he said the extent was still yet to be determined. 

The venture signals Yahoo’s choice of DSL over cable modem as a Internet broadband solution. SBC, with 1.2 million customers, is the nation’s largest DSL Internet provider. 

SBC Yahoo will offer premium services, among them more Internet content and online video capabilities, the companies said. 

SBC and Yahoo officials said they will share revenue from the co-branded service.  

Yahoo, for example, will receive a portion of Internet subscriber fees paid to SBC, while SBC will get a cut of Yahoo’s advertising and e-commerce revenue. 

Shares of SBC were rose 4 cents to $37.44 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange, while shares of Yahoo were up $1.24 to $15.21 in trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.sbc.com 

http://www.yahoo.com 

SAN JOSE — Hewlett-Packard Co. shares rose 9 percent Wednesday after the high-tech giant’s fourth-quarter earnings beat analyst estimates, possibly strengthening the company’s hand as it tries to win support for its $23.7 billion acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp. 

In the three months ending Oct. 31, HP earned $97 million, or 5 cents per share, down 89 percent from its profit of $922 million, or 47 cents per share, in the same period last year. 

Revenue fell to $10.9 billion in the quarter from $13.3 billion a year ago, but that was up from the third quarter’s $10.3 billion. 

Excluding one-time gains and losses, HP reported earnings of $361 million, or 19 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call were expecting earnings excluding one-time events of 8 cents per share, on revenue of $9.9 billion. 

Several analysts said the results were excellent, considering the bad economy.  

Jay P. Stevens of the Buckingham Research Group said the report gives the company momentum in its bid to attract support for the Compaq deal. 

The deal has come under increasing fire, notably from sons of HP’s founders, including Walter B. Hewlett, an HP board member who has hired a proxy solicitation company that can help him fight the deal. 

HP’s largest shareholder, the Packard family’s charitable foundation, is undecided about how to vote its 10.4 percent stake. 

The earnings report did not change the opinion of David Katz, chief investment officer at Matrix Asset Advisors, which has large stakes in HP and Compaq and opposes the acquisition. Katz believes the potential benefits of the deal are outweighed by the risk that the integration will be rocky. 

He said Wednesday’s report likely would solidify chairwoman and chief executive Carly Fiorina’s support from the board and some shareholders, “because she is progressing in a difficult environment.” 

“But the flip side is that it also illustrates Hewlett would do pretty well on its own and doesn’t need the significant cloud in its future,” he said. 

HP said it had relatively good results in its services and printing businesses, though the computing side remains unprofitable. Sales all but recovered within a few weeks of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, though chief financial officer Robert Wayman said “big-ticket items are still a bit soft.” 

Fiorina said the company aggressively lowered inventory and expenses to deal with the economic slowdown, and was so pleased with its performance in the tough environment that it awarded nearly all employees a bonus of two days’ pay. 

“This past year has been a challenging one in a multiyear reinvention effort,” Fiorina said in a conference call with analysts. “While we’ve made solid progress on many fronts in an extraordinarily difficult environment, we know there is more work to do.” 

The results were announced before the stock market opened. HP shares rose $1.85 to $22.08 Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock, which closed at $23.21 on Aug. 31, the last day of trading before the Compaq deal was announced, had fallen as low as $12.50 since then. 

Compaq shares were up 14 percent, or $1.20 a share, at $10.00 on the NYSE. 

Reaffirming her support for the Compaq deal, Fiorina said it would greatly improve HP’s product lineup for business customers, create new services opportunities and lower the company’s costs in key areas. 

“We don’t have the luxury of an incremental approach,” she said. “We need to take a bold step.” 

Wayman, who is also an HP board member, acknowledged in an interview that Compaq’s disappointing recent results have made reaction to the deal more negative than management had expected. Compaq lost $499 million and had a 33 percent drop in revenue in its quarter that ended Sept. 30. 

But Wayman said he sees signs Compaq’s business improved in October. He reiterated his belief the deal can immediately add to HP’s bottom line, especially by eliminating redundant costs. 

Palo Alto-based HP took a restructuring charge of $282 million in the quarter to account for 6,000 job cuts announced in July. About 4,100 of those employees have already left the company. 

HP did not provide specific guidance for fiscal 2002, saying the company is not counting on an economic recovery. In the current quarter, revenue is expected to drop slightly from the fourth quarter, and margins are expected to be about flat because of an “intensely competitive environment,” Fiorina said. 

For all of fiscal 2001, HP showed net income of $408 million, or 21 cents per share, on revenue of $45.2 billion. The net income figure was $272 million lower than it would have been had HP not restated its first three quarters’ results to reflect a change in accounting procedures. 

Those yearly marks all were off fiscal 2000’s results of $3.7 billion in net income, $1.80 a share, on revenue of $48.8 billion. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.hp.com 

SACRAMENTO — California is considering a four-tier system to decide when to warn the public about possible terrorist threats, Gov. Gray Davis’ new security adviser said Tuesday. 

Level Four would be assigned to nebulous, unconfirmed reports, while a Level One would be reserved for credible threats that specify the time, location, target and other details, said Davis security adviser George Vinson. 

The effort predates the debate that followed Davis’ decision earlier this month to make public a private warning by the FBI that terrorists might be targeting bridges in Western states, Vinson said. 

Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio said such a warning likely would have been given the second highest classification because it included a specific time frame and range of targets, but was not corroborated. 

That might not have qualified it for public release under the guidelines outlined by Vinson, though he previously supported Davis’ decision to issue a public warning. 

Davis’ decision spurred a nationwide debate over when such warnings are beneficial. 

Davis had considered closing four California bridges after learning of a threat the FBI later determined was not credible. But Vinson said the governor opted to post extra patrols there instead so as not to interrupt state commerce. 

Vinson said the tiers would function as “a guide for decision makers” who would then advise Davis on making the threat public. 

But Vinson said he would recommend publicizing any Level One threat, most often in cooperation with federal officials. 

The levels are still being developed, but should be finalized “within days,” Maviglio said. 

A Level Three threat will likely be from a source of unknown reliability when there is no corroboration or specifics, while a Level Two would be when the source is believed to be reliable and there is some corroboration, but many details are missing, said Nathan Barankin, a spokesman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer. Lockyer is overseeing the new California Anti-Terrorism Information Center that is reviewing the guidelines. 

The idea for a tiered threat warning system grew out of frustration by local politicians and law enforcement over when to warn the public, said Vinson, a 23-year FBI veteran who headed two West Coast counterterrorism task forces. 

“They were all kind of on their own making these decisions,” Vinson said. 

“We’re dealing with threats every single day,” he said. However, “there is a real thick fog around intelligence” that means some threats are far more credible than others. 

SAN FRANCISCO – Middle East studies scholars say the fundamental Islamist movement won’t end with the capture or killing of suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants. 

“Those networks will still be there. Their diffuse military goal will still be acted on,” said Ann Lesch, a professor of political science at Villanova University. “Their elimination won’t put an end to the movement or the apparent grievances on which it’s based.” 

Lesch spoke to a crowded room Sunday of academics gathered for the annual Middle East Studies Association conference, held this year in San Francisco. About 1,500 people are attending the conference, which runs through Tuesday. 

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, conference organizers added a panel on the implications of the attacks on international relations and a roundtable discussion of Afghanistan. 

Prof. Bahgat Korany, from the University of Montreal and the American University in Cairo, outlined some of the key challenges facing Arab nations in this conflict.  

He said Arab countries’ support for the U.S is marked by reservations, because there is an Islamist threat to their own regimes and public denouncement could lead to political repercussions. 

Korany also reflected on the perception of the al-Quaida network in Arab nations. 

“In contrast to the forces of globalization and corruption, they look like symbols of protest and resistance,” he said. “They seem like mountain warriors — the original Muslim desert troops.” 

Georgetown University Prof. Michael Hudson called the conflict in Afghanistan the first postmodern war. However, he said the U.S is fighting the war with modern techniques against an enemy that doesn’t want territory, but more followers. Hudson said terrorist networks gain more ground through the use of propaganda. 

“The alleged horror being perpetrated by the U.S. appears on their T.V. screens,” Hudson said. “The other side can play the terrorist card too, and I regret to say that are doing it well.” 

Prof. Larry Goodson, of Bentley College, said one of the keys to a more stable Middle East is the rebuilding of Afghanistan following the current war. Afghanistan has a strong influence on neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Russia, Goodson said. 

“The conditions that are present now in Afghanistan are in real danger of returning to the anarchy and war-lording that was present from about 1992 to 1995,” he said. 

Goodson said the elite of Afghanistan — the Taliban — hijacked modernity and eliminated it as an option for the nation and its people. 

“Afghanistan’s culture has been killed,” Goodson said. “Its modern media, ancient monuments, popular culture are gone — women have been denied all freedoms. It’s unclear what of the original culture will re-emerge after the war.” 

Goodson said that a central authority from the outside should be involved in rebuilding the country. 

“We should involve countries that are not interested in occupying Afghanistan, but that want to rebuild its roads, its schools, its resources,” he said.

After making his way through a packed and sweltering Pauley Ballroom Thursday night to give the Mario Savio Memorial Lecture, Dr. Cornell West was concerned that police might shut the event down because it was too crowded. 

“We want the police to know there’s a sweet spirit in this place. They don’t need to worry about nothing.” 

Although the crowd of more than 1,500 people spilled out of the hall and filled the aisles with people eager to see him speak, there was indeed no need to worry: West held the audience enthralled for more than one and half hours. 

The annual lecture is to honor Mario Savio, leader of the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley in the late ‘60s.  

Currently a professor of both Divinity and African-American Studies at Harvard University, West is also the author of 13 books, the most popular and controversial of which, like “Race Matters,” deal with race relations in America.  

The lively crowd was particularly anxious to see West after sitting through a movie honoring Savio’s legacy, and a ceremony at which Jim Keady won the Young Activist Award for his work towards ending sweatshop labor in developing countries. 

After thanking a long list of friends and supporters in the audience, including his mother and several siblings, West then tore into his lecture: “Progressive Politics in These Times: From Vision to Action.” 

He started with a challenge. “I hope and I pray that I say something that thoroughly unsettles you. You can’t talk about being a progressive without being unsettled.” 

Then he got down to unsettling. 

Wearing a black suit with a black tie and gold cufflinks slipping out from under his suit coat as he constantly pointed and gestured for emphasis, West’s delivery borrowed from his Baptist roots. Speaking without notes, and almost without breathing it seemed, his delivery was one part politics, one part philosophy, and all parts electric, secular fire and brimstone.  

It was a call and response between West and the crowd, with people nodding and moaning in affirmation of his pronouncements. The speech was both a scathing indictment of the progressive movement in America for being all talk no walk, and a call to arms for those who count themselves among its number. 

He quoted Socrates’ maxim, “an unexamined life is not worth living,” and then countered it with Malcolm X’s, “an examined life is painful.” Then, he said, that before the left does anything else, it has to confront legacy of racism. 

“The dogma of American civilization begins with white supremacy. We need to question it on every level,” he shouted to cheers of the audience.  

Until that core problem is dealt with, West said all attempts to deal with other societal problems like poverty, sexism and homophobia are fraught with a falsity that can’t be ignored.  

He also told an anecdote of his experience in New York City on September 11. 

“I looked out my (hotel) window and saw a plane crash into the World trade Center. I said to myself, ‘I’m not on crack. What’s goin’ on?’”  

The crowd burst into laughter. 

“You all laugh, but I wasn’t laughing,” he said, citing the frantic search for shelter many went through in the moments after the attack that found strangers in close quarters all over the city.  

“You get three or four folk don’t know each other in a room – that happens in America and you know you got a problem.” 

September 11, West said, has brought about a national mood that is a chance for the progressive movement in America to win over new believers and bring back many who have left the fray over the years because of petty disputes. 

“We are at a moment where the American people are open to something beyond their egos.” West also said he took offense at the media’s casting of the day as a loss of innocence. 

“America’s never been innocent,” he said. If anything, the day was, “the end of American adolescence.” That comment received the largest applause of the evening. 

While some points garnered more enthusiasm from the crowd than others, almost no one left the speech without being moved. 

Lynne Hollander-Savio, wife of Mario Savio and a member of the organization that sponsored the event, said the speech was “beyond expectation,” though the huge turn out was a bit stressful.  

“I only wish we could have accommodated all the people.” 

Decarlo Wilson, a senior in Ethnic Studies said the speech reinforced his idea that West is an “intellectual leader of the new century.” 

Michael Rossman of Berkeley, and a member of the leadership of the free-speech movement with Savio in the 60’s, said he wasn’t particularly taken by West’s style. 

“I was more excited by the people here than by the speech itself,” he said. 

The president-elect of the American Library Association, Dr. Mitch Friedman, said he flew in from New York for the event and that he was impressed by West’s message. 

“The absolute integrity of his position is an idea we all can aspire to.” 

A veteran of the civil rights movement, Sandra Wilson said she was excited to see West at such a critical time, she also said he succeeded in unsettling her. 

“I think his speeches are always just in time.” 

He always, “leaves us uncomfortable,” she said, “That’s his job, he’s a philosopher.” 

West ended the evening on an upbeat note, encouraging people to “throw down for something bigger than you.” 

For his part, he said he was going to go out in style, “like Muhammad Ali, swinging strong and still with a smile on my face.” 

Instead of going out swinging, he was signing. After the speech dozens of fans crowded the stage to talk with him, get his autograph, and have a picture taken. He stayed for more than forty minutes, still there as the chairs were being folded up in the almost empty hall. 

LONG BEACH — Although the nation’s largest public university system is turning out a record number of new teachers, a quarter of them don’t believe they are well enough prepared to teach math and English in kindergarten through eighth grade. 

But about 80 percent of their principals said the graduates were prepared to teach the state’s standard curriculum, according to a survey presented to the California State University Board of Trustees on Wednesday. 

“To us, the overall news is positive,” David S. Spence, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, told CSU trustees. 

Many new graduates feel “a little bit inadequate when they are first starting out. It’s natural,” he said. 

The survey randomly sampled 1,400 new teachers and 1,200 principals and is believed to be the first time CSU has evaluated its teacher training by questioning graduates and their bosses. 

Chancellor Charles B. Reed said it will be conducted annually. 

“We’ll do it again next year and the next year and then we’ll have something more to work with,” he said after the meeting. “Right now, the good news is I think our programs are doing really well. The bad news is we can do better.” 

The report comes after a state commission found that some CSU teacher training programs were lacking, and Gov. Gray Davis warned that training must improve. 

The 23-campus CSU system educates 60 percent of kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers in California. It graduated a record 10,500 teachers after the 1999-2000 academic year. 

The state is estimated to need 250,000 new teachers over the next 10 years to meet classroom demands. 

There are now more than 284,000 full- and part-time public school teachers statewide. About 30,000 are in classrooms on emergency credentials. 

The survey also found: 

—19 of every 20 alumni of the CSU program were working as teachers one year after graduating. 

—67 percent of new teachers said they felt adequately prepared to teach remedial reading skills in grades 9 through 12, and 76 percent of principals felt the new teachers were well-prepared.

Editor: 

This is in response to those who have chosen to boycott purchasing products in the city of Berkeley because of its recent “vote” against the bombing in Afghanistan. 

• I assume you are in favor of the bombing and thus feel we are fighting for the freedom’s that the U.S. offers. Is not the freedom to have differing opinions, whether it be religious or political, one of the most basic, fundamental rights this country stands for? How contradictory to punish those who choose to exercise this right! 

• I am sure Berkeley wants the terrorists to be caught and thwarted as much as any of us. But there is more than one way to skin a cat. 

Why not listen to other opinions? Maybe there is another way to accomplish our common goal without killing thousands of innocent people, those who are as much victims of the Taliban as are we. If you do not agree with this viewpoint, at least you have listened respectfully, not lashed out in anger. 

I have been outraged that people like the Klu Klux Klan are allowed to demonstrate, but realize that this is part of having a true democracy.  

You cannot say that you are fighting for the freedoms this country provides us and then turn around and punish those who are exercising those freedoms. 

Think about it. 

Congratulations to the City Council of Berkeley for expressing their true opinions in spite of so much outside pressure! I will do my best to spend as much money as possible in Berkeley.  

Linda Calbreath 

Chico

Editor: 

The University Village gardeners and their many supporters were pleasantly surprised to learn that the university will spare its three-acre organic community garden and wildlife habitat (“UC Berkeley unveils its latest plans for complex near Albany’s Gill Tract,” 11/9/01) from the developer’s bulldozer.  

While it would be invigorating to believe that the gardeners’ protests were solely responsible for the university’s change of heart, it is likely that economic considerations for both the university and Albany were also important factors in the reversal. 

Nevertheless, the lesson to be learned here by those who question the university’s efforts to expand within the tightly inhabited Berkeley-Albany region is not to be cowed into submission by thinking that the university always get what it wants. It’s an assumption made by far too many that limits or prevents the discussion and development of alternative solutions to university expansion plans. 

In the case of the original University Village master plan, the gardeners’ protests helped to defeat a proposal that would have had significant negative impacts for Albany, the children who play ball on the sports fields, the gardeners and their families, and all the rest of us who are dismayed to see our open spaces rapidly disappearing. Let’s all keep an eye on the new plan to make certain that the university doesn’t make the same mistakes again and to applaud them when they don’t. 

Tom Kelly 

Berkeley

SAN FRANCISCO — Bay Area gasoline prices have plunged to their lowest levels since February 2000 because of the stumbling economy and the recent terrorist attacks, a recent report shows. 

The average price for a gallon of regular self-serve unleaded gas in the Bay Area is $1.66, down 13 cents from the past month, according to a monthly report by the California State Automobile Association. 

The decline is even larger when compared to record-high prices this summer. In June, Bay Area gas averaged $2.04 per gallon, a 38-cent difference. 

Currently, gas prices in San Francisco average $1.78, down 13 cents from October. In Oakland, prices average $1.70, down 14 cents from last month. Suburban areas are a little cheaper, with gas in Concord averaging $1.54, down 15 cents. Tracy has some of the cheapest gas prices at $1.43, down 17 cents. 

Bronwyn Hogan, CSAA spokeswoman said gas prices might increase during the next few weeks because of a surge in travel during Thanksgiving week.