City Councilmember Polly Armstrong, District 8, announced Tuesday that she will not run for re-election in November, ending months of speculation. 

“I just decided that I had done as much as I could for the district and the city,” she said, “and I’m used up.” 

Armstrong, one of four “moderates” on the nine-member council, said she was tired of the constant fighting and gridlock that characterize the body’s Tuesday night meetings. 

“The last 12 months, particularly, have been very dispiriting,” she said. “Every vote was 5-4, whether it was the sun coming up, or the end of the world. I began asking myself if it was a waste of time.”  

Armstrong’s announcement kicked off a flurry of speculation around who might run for her seat. Gordon Wozniak, an Armstrong ally on the Planning Commission, said he is “thinking very seriously about running.” 

Armstrong indicated that she would support Wozniak if he ran for office. 

Becky O’Malley, who serves on the Landmarks Commission, said she is considering a run. “It’s a public service thing,” she said. “People do owe something to the city.” 

O’Malley said she identifies as a “progressive,” but added that she does not believe “that all change is progress.” 

Two others mentioned as potential candidates – Mary Ann McCamant, a former member of the Planning Commission, appointed by Armstrong, and Janice Thomas, president of the Panoramic Hill Association – said they will not run. 

Armstrong said her proudest accomplishments in office include instituting curbside plastic recycling and pushing for transit passes for university students. Armstrong added that she was pleased she could play a role in the “renaissance” of downtown Berkeley, particularly the arts district. 

“The downtown Berkeley that I see today is so different from what was ther eight years ago,” she said. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said she is sorry to see Armstrong go. “Polly has been, always, a valuable member of the council and I’m sorry to see that she will not be running for re-election,” she said. 

“I’ve got to work hard to make sure that the next councilmember in District 8 is an ally,” Dean added. 

Progressive Councilmember Kriss Worthington had muted praise for Armstrong, focusing on her effort, last year, to put orange flags in place at busy intersections for pedestrians crossing the street. 

“It might be dumb,” he said. “But it might be brilliant. If you laugh too much, you might miss something good.” 

Worthington said the race for the vacant District 8 seat should generate heavy interest, as it is one of only a handful of open seat races in the last decade in Berkeley. 

Armstrong said she would like to move into a private sector job when she leaves the City Council. But, she fantasizes about a stint in Paris before taking a new job. 

“On long Tuesday nights, when I’d feel like a bug pinned to a wall,” she said, “I dreamed about another life in Paris.” 

The Berkeley High girls’ basketball team got started on the postseason road on Wednesday night with a 72-30 stomping of Mission (San Jose) in the first round of the North Coast Section Division I playoffs. 

Berkeley guard Angelita Hutton continued her hot shooting of late, scoring a game-high 22 points in limited playing time.  

“Angelita’s got a lot of confidence right now, shooting and playing well,” Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura said. “She’s doing the job we need her to do.” 

Nakamura took advantage of the mismatch to rest his starters for much of the game, and gave significant playing time to his reserves. Freshman point guard Danesha Wright took advantage, scoring 12 points with 3 steals.  

Nakamura brought his five promoted junior varsity players into the game with five minutes remaining, and even the young ’Jackets outscored the Warriors, 6-5. 

“(The promoted players) won their part of the game. They’re still undefeated,” Nakamura said with a smile. Berkeley’s junior varsity was a perfect 25-0 this season. 

The game turned into a rout early, as Berkeley’s defensive pressure completely discombobulated the Warriors, causing 12 turnovers in the opening quarter alone. The ’Jackets had a 15-0 lead when Nakamura pulled his starters, and the lead got to 19-0 before Mission’s Bonnie Chen hit a 3-pointer. The score was 45-11 at halftime, and the second half was a sloppy mess of turnovers and missed shots. 

Berkeley will face San Leandro, which upset Monte Vista on Wednesday, on Friday at 8 p.m. Nakamura expects more competitive games from here on out. 

“We’ll face a bigger challenge from San Leandro on Friday,” he said. “It’ll get tougher, and it’s always dangerous when it’s win or go home.” 

NOTES: The St. Mary’s-Bishop O’Dowd boys’ game on Friday has been moved to Berkeley High’s Donahue Gymnasium. The game will tip off at 6 p.m.... Nakamura said it would “take a miracle” for freshman center Devanei Hampton to play again this season. Hampton has a partial tear of her exterior cruciate ligament... Berkeley guard Shaquita Brown is still troubled by a sprained ankle suffered two weeks ago.

Editor: 

Any plan for Mayor Willie Brown to be an ombudsman would be a big mistake because the first person in that roll sets the general conditions for the whole use of such an office. 

Here in Berkeley a law student was the first ombudsman and garnered the opposition of the League of Women Voters. After he left the phone rang off the wall by frustrated citizens seeking assistance. 

In Australia, the proposal for such an office was widely opposed by newspapers and government employees. Sir Guy Powles, a retired diplomat was the first appointee. Within weeks the word was “why didn't we do this long ago.” Sir Powles helped spread the concept in Canada so that every province has such an office. 

Here in California, Jesse Unruh supported having an ombudsman. By Federal fiat each state has a nursing home ombudsman. 

San Francisco should wait for a more suitable candidate for such an important position. 

Charlie Smith 

Berkeley

924 Gilman Mar. 1: Street to Nowhere, Thick as Thieves, Calimigo, Scociopath, Samsara, Dead in the End; Mar. 2: Funeral Dinner, Betray the Species, The Shivering, Confidante, The Cause, Get Get Go; Mar. 8: Dead and Gone, Drunk Horse, The Cost, Scurvy Dogs; Mar. 9: Not Flipper, The Sick, Lo-FI Niessans, Stalker Potential, Deficient; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

Blake’s Feb. 28: Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Cal Performances Mar. 10: 3 p.m., The Petersen Quartet perform the works of Beethoven, Shostakovich and Ravel. $34; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

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

Jupiter Feb. 28: Spectraphonic; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m., unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

“Soukous Xplosion Tour 2002” Mar. 1: 9 p.m. Madilu Systems, Nyboma, Diblo Dibala & Matchatcha and special guest Daly Kimoko will make the sounds of Africa come alive. $25, $30 at door. California Ballroom, 1736 Franklin St., Oakland, 415-421-8497 

“Cosi Fan Tutte” Through Mar. 3: The Berkeley Opera will perform Mozart’s classic opera. $10 - $30. Call for specific dates and times. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. 841-103, www.berkeleyopera.com 

“In Praise of Music: Berkeley Choral Festival” Mar. 4: 8 p.m., Several local choral groups will join the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in a benefit for the Musicians’ Pension Fund. $25 - $49, $12 students. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 841-2800 

“Splendors of Versailles and Madrid” Mar. 9: 8 p.m., Mar. 10: 7:30 p.m., Jordi Savall conducts the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra as they perform works from the Royal Court composers of Spain and France. $34 - $50. First Congregational Church, Dana & Durant, 415-392-4400 

“Kusum Africa” Mar. 1 & 2: 8 p.m., Sixty artists and four dance companies representing the traditions of the Congo, Republic of Guinea, and Ghana adapt sub-Saharan dance-drumming to tell the story of the occupation of Accra, Ghana to protest British colonialism. $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9988 

“Risk of Falling” Mar. 9: 8 p.m., Mar. 10: 4:30 p.m., Julie Drucker has assembled troupe of dancers ages 24 to 83 to perform an intergenerational dance project that weds improvisational movement and personal storytelling to explore issues of trust, fear, aging and community. $12 - $15, $10 seniors. Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, 286-7922 

“Compania Espanola De Antonio Marquez” Mar. 13 & 14: 8 p.m., Artistic Director Antonio Marquez showcases his dazzling and dynamic program of flamenco. $24 - $36. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9988 

“Culture Clash in AmeriCCA” Through Mar. 3: Check theater for specific dates and times. The comic trio Culture Clash present their latest collection of political, ethnological and socialogical humor written for and about Berkeley. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Divine Comedy: The Dante Project” Mar. 1 through Mar. 10: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A motorcycle and sidecar speeding over the Marsh of Styx, a flying bathtub touring the solar system, and a traveler passing through a wall of fire are some of the more spectacular moments in this comic twist on Dante’s poem. $6 - $12. Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9925, genturc@uclink.berkeley.edu 

“The Golden State” Feb. 23 through Mar. 24: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m., An aging Brian Wilson meets the ruling family of the sea, and a blend of comic book escapade and tragedy follows in the wake. $20, Sunday is pay what you can. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave., 883-0305 

“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. 

“A Fairy’s Tail” Mar. 16 through Apr. 20: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. The Shotgun Players present Adam Bock’s story of a girl and her odyssey of revenge and personal transformation after a giant smashes her house with her family inside. $10 - $25. The Allston Street Theatre, 2116 Allston Way, 704-8210, www.shotgunplayers.org 

Contra Costa Jewish Film Festival Through March 7th. On wednesday Febraury 27th at 7:30p.m. 2736 Bancrfot Avenue - Love, Israeli Style will be playing. On Thursday, March 7th at 7:30 p.m. 2451 Shattuck Avenue - The Search for Peace will be playingg ($5).  

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Through Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Trace of a Human” Feb. 28 through Mar. 30: Jim Freeman and Krystyna Mleczko exhibit their latest works including mixed media sculpture installation and acrylic on canvas paintings. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, gallery709@aol.com 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Through Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center “The Art of Living Black,” an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter. org. 

“Stas Orlovski” Feb. 16 through Mar. 23: New work by Stas Orlovski featuring a series of large paintings and drawings examining the relationships between body and landscape and eastern and western aesthetics. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St., 527-1214 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Earthly Pleasures” assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

Trillium Press: Past, Present and Future Feb. 15 through April 13: Works created at Trillium Press by 28 artists. Tues. - Fri. noon - 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, www.kala.org.  

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

“The Image of Evil in Art” Feb. 7 through May 31: An exhibit exploring the varying depictions of the devil in art. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2541. 

“The Pottery of Ocumichu” Through May 31: A case exhibit of the imaginative Mexican pottery made in the village of Ocumichu, Michoacan. Known particularly for its playful devil figures, Ocumichu pottery also presents fanciful everyday scenes as well as religious topics. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2540 

“Being There” Feb. 23 through May 12: An exhibit of paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed media works by 45 contemporary artists who live and/or work in Oakland. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 12 - 5 p.m. $6, adults, $4 children. The Oakland Museum of California, Oak and 10th St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

“Scene in Oakland, 1852 to 2002” Mar. 9 through Aug. 25: An exhibit that includes 66 paintings, drawings, watercolors and photographs dating from 1852 to the present, featuring views of Oakland by 48 prominent California artists. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 12 - 5 p.m. $6, adults, $4 children. The Oakland Museum of California, Oak and 10th St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

Readings 

Black Oak Books Feb. 27: 7:30 p.m., Author & Activist Randy Schutt discussing his new book "Inciting Democracy: A Practical Proposal for Creating a Good Society." 1491 Shattuck Ave., 486-0698. 

Cody’s on Fourth St. Feb. 27: 6 p.m., Rodney Yee brings “Yoga: The Poetry of the Body”; Feb. 28: Rosemary Wells talks about children, children’s books, and the importance of reading; All events begin at 7 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 1730 Fourth St., 559-9500, www.codysbooks.com.  

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Feb. 25: David Henry Sterry describes “Chicken: Self-portrait of a Young Man for Rent”; Feb. 26: Carter Scholz reads from “Radiance”; All events begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. 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. 

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. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821. 

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

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

Thursday, Feb. 28

Cody’s Evening for Parents  

and Teachers 

7 p.m. 

Cody's Books 

1730 Fourth St. 

Rosemary Wells, children's author of dozens of books including Max and Ruby and Noisy Nora, will discuss children, books, and the importance of reading to your children. 527-6667, www.parentsnet.org. 

Trekking in Bhutan 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seasoned traveler, Ruther Anne Kocour will share slides and stories of her adventures trekking in this majestic country. 527-7377 

Take the Terror Out of  

Talking 

noon - 1:10 p.m. 

Calif. Dept. Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way 

Room 804 

State Health Toastmasters Club is presenting a six-week Speechcraft workshop to help you overcome your fear of speaking in public and improve your communication skills. Cost is $36 for six sessions, Feb. 28 & March 7, 14, 21. 649-7750. 

The Writing Life 

4:30 p.m. 

North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Peter S. Beagle will discuss his works and the life and times of a professional writer. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Photographing the Famous 

7:30 p.m. 

College Preparatory School Auditorium 

1600 Broadway, Oakland 

Michael Collopy will talk about photographing the famous (Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela).  

Our School – Information Night  

for Prospective Parents 

7 - 9 p.m. 

St. John’s Community Center, Room 203 

2727 College Ave. 

An opportunity for parents to learn about Our School and its approach to education, grades K-5. 704-0701, www.ourschoolsite.ws. 

Dancing with Lucretia 

and Haiitian literature 

1:15 - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Free. 232-1351. 

Friday, March 1

Tropical Trees and  

Sustainable Development  

in West Africa  

3 - 5 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

103 Mulford Hall 

Roger Leakey of James Cook University, Australia will present some of his recent work on developing indigenous fruit and nut trees to produce marketable products beneficial to resource-poor rural and peri-urban households in West Africa. Discussion and Q&A. 643-4200, http://cnr.berkeley.edu/BeahrsELP. 

Sexuality & Spirit  

7 - 9 p.m. 

1109 Addison St. 

Join Karin Lichter for an evening of discussion, laughter and truth. 548-6451. 

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft and Telegraph Ave. 

Standing in solidarity with Israeli and Palestinian women to urge an end to the occupation and push the peace process forward. 548-6310, wibberkeley.org. 

Saturday, March 2 

The 2002 White Elephant Sale 

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

White Elephant Warehouse 

333 Lancaster St., Oakland 

The 42nd annual White Elephant Sale, benefiting the Oakland Museum. Free. http://www.museumca.org/events/elephant.html. 

Outdoor Cross Training and  

Conditioning Basics 

2 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

REI’s Kristy Ruocco will draw on her experiences as a certified yoga instructor and nutritionist as she discusses the fundamentals of outdoor cross training and conditioning - different types of workouts, stretching, nutrition and goal setting. 527-4140. 

The Great Rummage Sale 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society 

2700 Ninth St. 

The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society is a “no-kill” animal shelter whose mission is to place adoptable dogs and cats in suitable, loving homes. Our Great Rummage Sale, held the first and third Saturday of each month, helps provide funds toward the operation of our shelter. clamata@berkeleyhumane.org. 

Sunday, March 3

Shaping a Just U.S. Policy in  

the Middle East 

2 - 7:30 p.m. 

International House 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

Join Bay Area peace, social justice and faith-based organizations for a two- day conference focusing on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan and the impact these policies on civil rights and democracy in the U.S. 415-565-0201 x26, www.afsc.org/wagingpeace. 

The Ancient Trees Initiative 

noon 

The Fellowship of Humanity 

411 28th Street  

The Old Growth Tree Initiative of Northern California is a statewide measure that will be submitted directly to California voters in the November 2002 election if 420,000 or more Californians sign the petitions. 451-5818, www.ancienttrees.org. 

The Berkshire’s Second Anniversary Celebration 

2 - 4 p.m. 

The Berkshire Assisted Living 

2235 Sacramento St. 

The public is invited. Tours available. 841-4844. 

English Ceilidh Dancing 

7 p.m. 

Grace North Church  

2138 Cedar St.  

Family friendly, no partner needed, all dances taught and called to live music. $10. 650-365-2913, http://www.bacds.org. 

A proposed shake-up of the Berkeley Unified School District’s Independent Study program, which serves about 200 students, is in flux. 

Pupils in the 10-year-old program receive several hours of one-on-one instruction per week from certified teachers, but do much of their coursework at home. 

Superintendent Michele Lawrence, as part of a $3 million budget cut proposal released Jan. 15, recommended laying off the Independent Study director, moving the program to the district’s adult school on University Avenue, and assigning administrative duties to Berkeley Adult School principal Margaret Kirkpatrick, for a savings of roughly $81,000. 

But Lawrence told the Planet Wednesday that the program, currently housed at Berkeley Alternative High School, will not move to the adult school. 

“It’s clear that moving it to adult education is not going to be a viable option,” Lawrence said. “So it’s back to the drawing board.” 

The superintendent said concerns about adequate space at the adult school and the wisdom of putting young children alongside adult students have convinced her that the University Avenue facility will not work. 

Lawrence originally proposed moving the program from the Alternative High School to make space for a “continuation” school on the campus. 

A continuation school, required by California law, provides academic support and vocational education for struggling high school students.  

Berkeley has not had a continuation school in place for several years, and has attempted to fill the void through programs at the Alternative High School. But Lawrence is insisting on full compliance with the law. 

The superintendent said Wednesday that one possibility would be housing the Alternative High School, continuation school and Independent Study program all on the same campus. 

The idea has drawn mixed reaction. Alex Palau, principal at the Alternative High School, said the facility could not handle all three programs. But Carl Brush, who heads up the independent study program, said all three programs may be able to co-exist on the same site. 

Brush, who will retire at the end of the year, is currently sharing director’s duties with Sara McMickle, an English teacher in the program who spends three days working as an administrator and two days as an instructor. 

Brush, McMickle and independent study teachers said the program will need a full-time administrator next year. Turning over duties to the Adult School principal or any other administrator who already has a full plate would be a mistake, they argued. 

“It would be a catastrophe,” said Doug Healy, a history and English teacher. “Running this program is a full-time job.” 

The director, among other things, meets with parents and students, coordinates professional development and deals with the program budget. 

One of the director’s chief duties is keeping track of the program’s extensive paperwork in order to ensure continued state funding.  

Traditional schools receive state funding based on attendance figures. Because students in the independent study program only meet with their teachers a few hours a week, instructors must quantify the work that students do on their own in order to develop attendance records.  

The director must get all the paperwork in order to ensure that the program passes muster in state audits. 

Independent Study staff said they have concerns about a part-time administrator keeping track of all the documents and ensuring continued funding. 

“There’s this incredible bureaucratic paper trail that we have to keep in order,” said McMickle. 

Lawrence said she is sensitive to that concern. “There needs to be someone, clearly, who monitors the compliance issues,” she said. 

The Independent Study staff has recommended that the district employ a full-time “teacher on special assignment” who would run the program day-to-day, with a credentialed administrator providing oversight and support.  

The “teacher on special assignment,” they argue, would not receive the pay of a credentialed administrator, so the district would still save money. McMickle has expressed interest in applying for such a position. 

Lawrence signaled support for the idea in the Wednesday interview, but suggested several other scenarios, including a part-time teacher, part-time administrator or a highly-paid clerical employee. 

The Board of Education, which must make about $6 million in cuts total to balance next year’s budget, was scheduled to vote on Lawrence’s $3 million in cuts Wednesday night, after the Planet’s deadline.

Squeezing into the bleachers during warm-ups for an early-season St. Mary’s High boys basketball game, a reporter latches onto the fan nearest him and begins peppering him with some preliminary questions about the team. The fan is more than happy to oblige and, indeed, seems to know all the Panther ins and outs: This is the league opener for St. Mary’s, playing without their injured point guard DaShawn Freeman, a key to their Division IV state championship last year. Over there, that’s the head coach, his name is Jose Caraballo - and right there, that’s the player to watch: shooting guard John Sharper, who is shouldering an increased burden while Freeman recovers. He’s also a great student, and he’ll “probably go Ivy League” at the end of this, his senior year. 

From the opening tip, St. Mary’s proceeds to take the opponent completely apart - an 18-3 run kicks off what will become a 90-63 shellacking, and sure enough, John Sharper is in command. As the helpful fan narrates, Sharper (seemingly on cue now) demonstrates the many facets of his game: he calmly buries a 3-pointer from the top of the arc (”he’s got a great jumpshot”) then, seconds later, picks the opposing point guard’s pocket (”I told you - his defense is underrated”) and streaks the length of the floor to feed a velvety-soft bounce pass (”he’s unselfish”) to teammate Chase Moore for an easy bucket. 

Sharper is the story. Grateful for the fan’s help, the reporter introduces himself. 

“Pleased to meet you,” says the fan, “I’m John.” Grinning now: “John Sharper. Senior. Make sure you get that part about his defense - (the papers) always seem to miss that part.” 

Okay, duly noted. 

It is difficult to get to know Sharper, Junior, an only child, without first meeting Sharper Senior. Senior is ever-present as Junior’s number one fan (he never misses a game), lead publicist (see above), and, as evidenced later in the same game, head fashion advisor: Senior spent about one and a half quarters of that contest hollering at Junior to pull up his shorts, which Senior from time to time perceives as sagging too low, a potential hindrance to Junior’s play. While Junior’s crossover dribble did not seem encumbered (think lightning and you’re getting close), Senior could tell that something was amiss - and didn’t hesitate to let Junior know. Eventually, Junior got the message and hiked them up when Senior finally promised to come down on the floor and do the job himself if Junior didn’t. 

“We had a little talk about that after the game,” John Jr. said. “He reminds me every once in a while. He thinks they’re too low and they might slow me down - he’s got my best interest in mind.” 

And what’s on Junior’s mind? The biggest decision of his young life is looming: College - where? 

“That decision is going to have to wait until the playoffs are over,” Junior says simply. 

Amidst a dizzying flurry of names and places (he has received feelers and/or visits from Cal, USC, San Diego State, Florida State, Yale, Princeton and others) Sharper’s focus is right where a team leader’s thoughts should be: on the present, on nothing more than the next challenge. 

That challenge continues on Friday night. The Panthers, who have moved up to Division I this season, opened the North Coast Section playoffs with a 79-52 win against Antioch High, with Sharper scoring a game-high 26 points. St. Mary’s will host Bishop O’Dowd on Friday at 7:30 p.m. 

Sharper has led by example all season. He took over the point with Freeman out early in the year, sublimating his scoring abilities to distribute the ball. Coach Caraballo is not surprised by Sharper’s composure. 

“A leader?” Caraballo laughs. “This year he has been the leader. He leads by example - he does it in the classroom, and he does it on the court. He’s just a fabulous young man.” 

Caraballo, who describes Sharper as “a coach on the floor” due to Sharper’s uncanny understanding of the game, isn’t pulling for one school or another in the pursuit of Sharper, who Caraballo believes will be an impact player wherever he ends up. 

“He’s going to be a steal,” Caraballo says. “An absolute steal. I am going to miss him tremendously.” 

Meanwhile, Junior remains focused on the task at hand and demure about commitments for the future. 

A young man who says he “doesn’t really have a girlfriend right now” but who is “spending time with a few different people” doesn’t change his tone of voice when discussing the huge decision regarding where he’ll be spending the next four years of his life. He loves Cal, but thinks that it is “maybe a little too close to home,” says that he “would love to stay on the West Coast,” but at the same time seems tantalized by the Ivy League. 

Caraballo isn’t pulling for one school or another in the pursuit of Sharper, just wanting him to “end up somewhere that will make him happy.” And neither is Senior, or at least so he says. 

“If he ends up on the East Coast, we’ll probably be spending a lot of money on planes and phone calls,” Senior says, “but I’d be okay with it. That’s the sort of thing that can change your life, and I’ll be tickled.” 

Already accepted academically to Cal, Sharper continues to weigh his options. A 3.4 GPA and an 1100 SAT score are solid numbers for any student, much less a basketball player. And when combined with other numbers like 18 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds per game, it just might all add up to an Ivy League caliber package. 

And if you need more convincing, just call John Sharper, Senior - he’ll be happy to provide you with the details.

Editor: 

For a year and a half Israel and the Palestinians have been locked in a bloody embrace of mutual terrorism.  

As the toll of slaughter and destruction has mounted there have been few heroes on either side. Until now. 

Last month 53 frontline combat soldiers in the Israeli Army publicly announced their refusal to “dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people” in the Occupied Territories. Bearing witness that they have been issued commands “that had the sole purpose of perpetuating” Israeli control over the Palestinian people, they declared that they would take no part in the Army’s “missions of occupation and oppression.”  

During the past few weeks an additional 200 soldiers have added their names to this declaration. They have demonstrated rare courage, stepping out of the lockstep march of violence and hatred – refusing to shoulder arms against children in the name of children. Men and women of goodwill can read the soldiers’ statement of principle and sign a petition of support online at www.seruv.org. 

Joseph Stein 

Berkeley 

To the protesters rallying to improve transit at UC Berkeley Wednesday, trying to park around campus is a savage game of musical chairs. 

A skit during the lunchtime demonstration had UC employees and students wearing cardboard car costumes and elbowing each other for seats. Playful as it was, the skit was meant to direct the attention of university officials to a more serious problem — the difficulty of finding parking spaces on campus and the lack of adequate public transit alternatives. 

“We have to ask for parking permits, but it’s more like a hunting license because there’s not enough space for parking,” said Tanya Smith of Berkeley’s University Professional & Technical Employees Union. 

The Coalition of University Employees organized the rally in front of California Hall on campus to hand over a petition with 1,600 signatures to the Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Services Horace Mitchell.  

Seven labor unions, the Sierra Club, student groups and Councilmember Kriss Worthington joined the ranks. 

Norah Foster, chair of CUE, said the protesters had two main demands: the formation of a task force of students, faculty and staff for unilateral decision-making and an immediate distribution of free “Class Passes” for employees to free up parking space and improve air quality.  

Class Passes, paid for as part of regular tuition fees, entitle students to unlimited rides on AC transit and campus shuttles. 

Mitchell graciously accepted the petitions and told the crowd the university was on their side.  

“The university takes very seriously issues related to transit,” he said. “But it’s complicated. This is not an excuse not to provide parking, but to say that we’re working on different aspects of this problem.” 

Mitchell said his office was ready to open a dialogue with employees’ groups on the proposals his office has been working on. He expects they can all find a solution within a month, he said. 

Smith said now that the unions handed in their petitions, they were prepared to enter into talks with the university. But she was skeptical about how seriously the university would take their demands.  

Although she was heartened by Mitchell’s warm tone, Smith said the university has in the past given her the cold shoulder.  

“UC has always given lip service to transit,” she said. “I wrote in asking for information in a letter dated Oct. 26 and I still haven’t gotten a response from the university.” 

Susana Hinojosa, who works at the library, agreed it was about time the university addressed the traffic situation.  

“For employees, transporation is horrible and traffic is horrible,” she said. “Employees need to get to work. If we didn’t the university wouldn’t run.” 

Speakers at the rally were particularly bitter about the $2.5 million profit the university made from employee parking permits from 1999-2000. The skit showed “Gramma Parking Permit” hoarding her cash and unwilling to give up even just a little wad to pay for more parking or fund bus and BART passes. 

Nadeson Permaul, the university’s Director of Transporation , said UC Berkeley has invested the $2.5 million in long-term projects to build more parking: 150 spaces that should be ready by this summer and another 550 spots for 2004. 

Permaul acknowledged that the university could be doing more. Right now subsidies for transportation only amount to $15 for the first six months and $5 a month thereafter.  

“They are extremely modest,” said Permaul. “The subsidy needs to be bigger to accommodate the cost of living, I agree. But the question is how to fund it.” 

Currently, the City of Berkeley gives each employee an “Eco Pass” for unlimited rides on AC Transit, but Permaul said the $60 per person the city pays is too much for the university. 

He added that the university’s situation is more complicated because it also has to work with BART, which surveys show is the most popular form of public transportation among employees.  

The university does have other transportation programs in place, though. Employees can buy transit passes pre-tax and pay for parking on a daily basis to save money on the days they do not park. 

If employees want a Class Pass, said Permaul, they need to tax themselves just as the students do. “The students have voted to assess themselves mandated fees of $18 per semester. The employees who are using pressure to get the university to pick up the tab. Where is the money going to come from?” 

Although the university ran free shuttles between campus and the Rockridge BART station last year, the pilot program was scrapped in December. Permaul said the shuttle service was not meeting its goal of tempting employees from Contra Costa County to use public transportation. Instead, shuttle riders tended to be local people who used to ride AC Transit to work and now did not pay fares.  

When AC Transit asked for more money to cover these losses, Permaul said the university stopped the program. Even though the program made a lot of locals happy, the shuttle did not achieve its goal and would have become too expensive. 

“We have a financial model,” said Permaul. 

Contact reporter Jai-Rui Chong at chong@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

Editor: 

I am writing as a citizen of Berkeley, who also happens to be a member of the BUSD School Board’s Budget and Finance Advisory Committee. I am also the father of three BUSD graduates and one current BUSD student. I join the community in sharing the deep concern with the proposed budget cuts.  

There is no easy place to cut: class size, music, teacher staff compensation, athletics, under achievers, students with special needs - where is the easy target for the substantial cuts that must come? There is none, and if we think for a moment, we all know it. 

But the need for substantial cuts is clear. There simply is not enough money to continue operations at the current level. But why, many ask, is this suddenly an issue? The answer is simple: the administering of the BUSD has been deplorable. The BUSD is not unique in this respect. One only has to look to neighboring Emeryville to find a district which is now bankrupt and under the control of the state. Berkeley is not far from this fate. The process of budget cutting now can either be done by the community, or it will be done by the state. We, the citizens, get to choose. If we act responsibly, Berkeley will remain in control; if not, the state will make the hard decisions. 

Beyond the hard budget decisions, the BUSD must also address the lack of adequate management resources which has given rise to the current crisis, or more to the point, learn from the mistakes of the past. It would be easy to point fingers and lay blame – there are plenty of potentially culpable players. I have been impressed with how little talk of this nature I have heard. However, if we are to move forward, I believe that it would be helpful if we, the citizens of Berkeley, consider the role that we have played in this developing fiasco.  

The fiscal problems which Michelle Lawrence, the new superintendent, has inherited and is now confronting are ultimately the responsibility of the voters of the City of Berkeley. We, the voters, have chosen and interact vociferously with our government. While school board members may express concern over administrative matters, the dialogue with the citizenry is almost exclusively focused on programs. The school board and school administration regularly encounter highly aroused and outspoken groups who are adamant in the promotion of their particular wishes. The discussion during elections and board meetings focus almost entirely on programs and compensation for teachers. The citizenry are very much in control, if informally, of the agenda. To the best of my knowledge, there has never been an outspoken group on the subject of school administration who has had any real impact.  

During the annual budgetary process, BUSD administration has always served as an easy target. Thus we now have an outmoded computer system, poorly trained and inadequate staff, and a revolving door for management. How can it be a surprise that no one understood school finances? that there is no management information? that there are people collecting paychecks who have long ago left the employ of the district? 

What is surprising is that we have a highly competent, dedicated new superintendent, who in turn has hired a seasoned financial administrator. They are working with the county and state, and addressing the problems head-on. This is a good development. What concerns me is that our community will revert to form when each of our favorite programs is cut as they inevitably will be, that the howl of protests will bring the process to a stand-still, and without the support our new administrators deserve, that we will drive them out of town. That would be a DISASTER. And part of our support must be investing in administration while cutting programs. An unpleasant concept, but essential if we are to move forward as we must. 

Stoicism and a sense of community will get us through this. I also believe that when the voters of this fine city see that the school district can be managed responsibly that they will provide the resources that the school district requires in order to offer the education our children deserve. 

Robert Smith 

Berkeley 

Today is Thursday, Feb. 28, the 59th day of 2002. There are 306 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 28, 1951, the Senate committee headed by Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn., issued a preliminary report saying at least two major crime syndicates were operating in the United States. 

On this date: 

In 1827, the first U.S. railroad chartered to carry passengers and freight, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co., was incorporated. 

In 1844, a 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others. 

In 1849, the ship California arrived at San Francisco, carrying the first of the gold-seekers. 

In 1854, some 50 slavery opponents met in Ripon, Wis., to call for creation of a new political group, which became the Republican Party. 

In 1861, the Territory of Colorado was organized. 

In 1974, the United States and Egypt re-established diplomatic relations after a seven-year break. 

In 1975, more than 40 people were killed in London’s Underground when a subway train smashed into the end of a tunnel. 

In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot to death in central Stockholm. 

In 1995, Denver International Airport opened after 16 months of delays and $3.2 billion in budget overruns. 

In 1996, Britain’s Princess Diana agreed to divorce Prince Charles. 

Ten years ago: Twenty-eight people were injured when an IRA bomb exploded at London Bridge train station. 

Five years ago: Brushing aside congressional calls for a tougher stance against Mexico, President Clinton recertified the country as a fully cooperating ally in the struggle against drug smuggling. In North Hollywood, Calif., two heavily armed masked robbers bungled a bank heist and came out firing, unleashing their arsenal on police, bystanders, cars and TV choppers before they were killed. 

One year ago: A powerful earthquake rocked the Northwest, shattering windows, showering bricks onto sidewalks and sending frightened people running into the streets in places like Seattle and Portland, Ore. A train collision in northeast England killed 10 people and injured more than 70. 

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Billie Bird is 94. Actor Charles Durning is 79. Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Josef Stalin, is 76. Actor Gavin MacLeod is 71. Actor Don Francks is 70. Actor-director-dancer Tommy Tune is 63. Auto racer Mario Andretti is 62. Singer Joe South is 62. Actor Frank Bonner is 60. Actress Kelly Bishop is 58. Football player Bubba Smith is 57. Actress Stephanie Beacham is 55. Actress Mercedes Ruehl is 54. Actress Bernadette Peters is 54. Basketball player Adrian Dantley is 46. Actor John Turturro is 45. Rock singer Cindy Wilson is 45. Actress Rae Dawn Chong is 41. Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 33. Actress Maxine Bahns is 31.

Is that a candy bar in your pocket? 

OCALA, Fla. — Call him the Baby Ruth Bandit. 

A Philadelphia man was in the Marion County jail Tuesday following a weekend crime spree in which he stole a car by pretending a candy bar in his pocket was a gun, police said. 

Jesse Allen Gross, 20, reportedly told a deputy after his arrest on Sunday that he was on drugs when he pedaled a stolen adult tricycle to a convenience store and purchased the candy bar to prepare for the heist. 

Gross said he watched Earl and Carolyn Sue Roberts, both of Umatilla, as they stopped at the store in their 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Sunday morning. Earl Roberts went inside and Carolyn Roberts went to a pay phone. 

Moments later, Carolyn Roberts noticed Gross getting into her car. She pleaded with him not to take their car, according to reports. Roberts said Gross gestured that he had a gun in his pocket. 

The couple ran back into the store and Gross drove off. He was quickly spotted by deputies and abandoned the car. 

Eventually, deputies found Gross and arrested him. He was being held on charges of armed robbery and resisting arrest without violence. 

Block those calls 

LE ROY, N.Y. — George Washington and Thomas Jefferson died before the telephone was invented, but that didn’t keep them from dialing a New York woman — according to her caller ID box. 

The former presidents were among several famous names listed on the ID box of Nancy Crocker one morning last week. Other calls supposedly came from Edgar Allan Poe, Albert Einstein and Ronald Reagan. 

Crocker, a resident of this town 20 miles southwest of Rochester, called her telephone company, Frontier Telephone of Rochester Inc., which said the listed numbers were fake. 

A Frontier customer service representative said a brief power failure or aging equipment may have caused the names to appear. The company sometimes enters fictitious names and numbers when testing the system, she said. 

The phone company said the same thing has happened before, according to Crocker. 

Convict sues for not being arrested fast enough 

BANGOR, Maine — A convicted sex offender who fled into the woods when approached by a detective is threatening to sue, saying he lost a few toes to frostbite because police were slow in arresting him. 

Harvey Taylor, 48, spent at least three nights in the woods after running from a Penobscot County Sheriff’s detective a few weeks ago. 

“If the detective had done his job, I wouldn’t be in here now. I would have been in jail that very same day,” Taylor told the Bangor Daily News in an interview Tuesday from his hospital room. 

Taylor said he has had “two or three” toes amputated on his left foot due to frostbite. He said he wasn’t sure of the number because he didn’t want to look too closely at his foot. 

A hospital spokesman declined to comment on his condition. 

Chief Deputy Glenn Ross of the sheriff’s office said Taylor is wanted in Florida for probation violations linked to his convictions for sexual offenses involving a minor child. 

Ross defended the actions of the detective. 

“He was cautious and professional,” he said. ”(Taylor) made some decisions and he has to live with the consequences.” 

Inmate finds stolen wallet 

MADISON, Wis. — The money was long gone, but the credit cards and family photographs were still there. 

Sociology professor Bert Adams didn’t think he’d ever again lay eyes on his stolen wallet, lifted in 1996 from his office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The wallet was found in a broken refrigerator by a prison inmate. 

Adams happily went through his still-wet wallet Friday after it showed up in the mail from the Fox Lake Correctional Institution. 

Fox Lake officials said the inmate found the wallet when he was moving some refrigerators that the university had donated to the prison’s vocational school program. 

“He turned it in and the instructor looked through it and came up with the name,” said Larry Jenkins, an associate warden.  

“We contacted (Adams) and he seemed quite stunned.” 

Adams said everything was wet but in fine shape, including photographs of his grandchildren, his registration for a 1991 Toyota traded in five years ago and the rain check for a car wash that expired in September 1996. 

SACRAMENTO — Californians will decide Tuesday whether to spend some green — their tax money — on greenery. 

Proposition 40, dubbed the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Act, would spend $2.6 billion on water and air quality, protecting beaches, improving parks, and preserving open space, farmland and wildlife habitat. 

The debt would cost taxpayers an estimated $4.3 billion over 25 years — including $1.7 billion in interest — or $172 million a year from the state’s general fund. 

Supporters including the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation and League of Women Voters of California say that works out to about $5.20 per citizen per year, a bargain. There’s no tax increase; instead, the measure requires the money to be spent from existing tax revenues. 

“California is continuing to grow at a pace of about 500,000 people a year,” said Assemblyman Fred Keeley, D-Boulder Creek, who authored the proposition. “We need to make capital improvements in parks, open space, clean air and water to maintain quality of life.” 

Critics, including the California Farm Bureau, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and National Tax Limitation Committee, note voters approved $4 billion for similar purposes two years ago, when the state and its economy was in much better financial condition. 

“This is not the time to spend another $2.6 billion plus interest to address the same issues,” said Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Pauli. With a budget deficit of about $14.5 billion, critics note the state already is eyeing cuts in services and possible tax increases. 

The critics have raised no significant money to fight the proposition, however, while proponents have spent or were prepared to spend more than $5 million. 

Gov. Gray Davis is counting on part of the money to help plug the deficit hole, as well as to fund natural resources projects proposed in his pending budget. 

State Treasurer Phil Angelides supports the measure, which he says would only marginally affect the state’s budget and borrowing power. And Keeley argues that with interest rates at a 40-year low, borrowing now is a bargain. 

While it’s only two years since the last bond measure, that money went quickly to make up for 12 years with no natural resources bonds approved at all, Keeley said. “It went to take care of the tremendous backlog of need. Proposition 40 is designed to look somewhat forward.” 

Business groups say the cost would be offset by helping maintain the natural beauty that draws millions of tourists to the state each year. 

A November poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed support for the measure by 74 percent of the 2,002 adults surveyed, with an error margin of 2 percent. The support came despite what pollsters noted was a steep drop in consumer confidence, but before many voters knew much about the state’s looming budget deficit. 

More than $1 billion allocated under the proposition would go to state and local parks. 

The Legislative Analyst projects state and local governments would spend of tens of millions of dollars annually to maintain or operate parks purchased with the bonds. But the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs argues more neighborhood parks will provide children with safe places to play. 

About $400 million would go to water quality protection projects, and $300 million to buy and maintain wildlife habitat. Another $50 million to replace older, heavily polluting diesel trucks and buses operating in state and local parks. 

But opponents point to another $375 million that would be spent through private organizations, which could claim part of the money for administrative costs. And the Farm Bureau’s Pauli objects that $75 million for farm and grazing land preservation “continues excessive land acquisition by government that already owns half the state.” 

Since 1980, voters have approved about $7.6 billion in debt for recreation, conservation and water projects, but all but $1.2 billion of that money has been spent. 

Among other projects, passage of the proposition would help the state buy the Cargill Inc. salt ponds in Southern San Francisco Bay. The state wants to add the 13,000 acres to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge and restore it to a tidal marsh.

“The California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Act.” 

Issues $2.6 billion in debt to pay to improve water and air quality; protect beaches; improve parks; and preserve open space, farmland and wildlife habitat. 

Estimated cost: $4.3 billion over 25 years, including $1.7 billion in interest, or $172 million a year from the state’s general fund. Potential annual cost of tens of millions of dollars to maintain or operate parks. 

Supporters include the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, League of Women Voters of California. 

Opponents, including the National Tax Limitation Committee, say the state can’t afford more debt in a faltering economy, and that the money will be spent “on more pork, not ... parks.” They note voters approved $4 billion in bonds for parks and clean water efforts in 2000.

With her strategy and possibly her job on the line, Hewlett-Packard Co. chief Carly Fiorina appealed directly to Wall Street analysts Wednesday for their support of the $21.5 billion purchase of Compaq Computer Corp., calling it vital to the company’s future. 

The acquisition, which would be the biggest in technology industry history, is the subject of a vicious proxy fight headed to a shareholder vote March 19. Though several big investors have come out against the deal, analysts say the race is too close to call. 

In an all-day meeting at a New York hotel that was broadcast over the Internet, Fiorina asked analysts to ignore the fervent opposition of dissident HP director Walter Hewlett. She spent most of her time detailing the deal’s projected financial benefits. 

She said HP will be able to offer more complete packages for corporate customers because of Compaq’s strength in personal computers, Windows-based servers, data storage and services. She played a video with pro-merger testimonials from big customers. 

“PCs are not a bad business,” Fiorina said. “PCs have the opportunity to be a great business. You just have to measure it by the right yardsticks.” 

Still, she also slammed Hewlett and fellow heir David W. Packard, who sponsored independent polls that found widespread employee opposition to the merger at two HP sites. 

She said both men are trying to mislead investors “because they cannot win this campaign on the substance.” 

“Don’t be distracted by the so-called ‘focus and execute’ plan,” Fiorina said, referring to the alternate strategy Hewlett proposes. “It is not a plan — it is a press release.” 

During a one-hour grilling by analysts at the end of the meeting, Fiorina refused to speculate on what would happen to her or the company if the deal is rejected, though she said her team would “go back and look at all of our alternatives again.” 

Befitting the closeness of the proxy fight, Fiorina sometimes sounded like a political candidate on the eve of an election. 

“Do we retreat into the past and surrender our future? Or do we choose to put all of this energy and effort and commitment to work so that we can lead and grow?” she said. “That choice now rests with our shareowners, and we look forward to your support.” 

The meeting featured presentations from other top HP executives as well. Chief financial officer Bob Wayman said HP’s pro forma earnings per share in 2003 could be $1.51 with Compaq, $1.35 without — a 12 percent improvement. 

That estimate actually is quite conservative, said George Elling, a Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown analyst who supports the Compaq purchase. Elling believes HP could earn as much as $2 per share next year if the deal goes through. 

Webb McKinney, the HP executive leading the integration effort, explained how the companies have been preparing to begin working together on April 1, assuming the deal is approved by shareholders and the Federal Trade Commission. 

Hewlett made a big pitch of his own Wednesday, filing a 48-page report with the Securities and Exchange Commission reiterating his position that HP is overpaying for Compaq and that integrating the companies is too risky. He also ran full-page newspaper ads. 

Several analysts said they give the deal a 50-50 chance of going through but added that the key development will be the report expected in the next week from Institutional Shareholder Services. 

The Maryland-based research firm advises investors how to vote and in some cases actually votes for them. Wayman agreed with some projections that as many as 40 percent of HP shares could be swayed by the ISS decision. 

That could be crucial because of the significant bloc of shares already lined up against the deal, notably Hewlett and Packard family interests with 18 percent of HP stock. However, some analysts say ISS will influence much less than 40 percent because of the contested and complicated nature of this proxy fight. 

“It’s not a clear case yet to the investment community on who could win,” said Ari Topper, an analyst with Merger Insight. “It could go either way.” 

Andrew Neff of Bear Stearns said he thought HP did a good job of presenting its case Wednesday but said shareholders still should take note of the fact that most large mergers don’t work out. Either way, he said, HP will face tough challenges. 

Shares of Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP fell 2 cents to close at $20.03 on the New York Stock Exchange, where shares of Houston-based Compaq fell 20 cents to $10.20. 

——— 

AP Business Writer Alan Clendenning in New York contributed to this report. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pro-merger site http://www.votethehpway.com 

Anti-merger site http://www.votenohpcompaq.com 

SAN FRANCISCO — The stock of struggling retailer Gap Inc.’s stock fell by 8 percent Wednesday, driven down by another poor quarterly earnings report and worries the company’s plans to raise $1 billion will depress earnings even if sales rebound. 

Gap’s shares dropped $1.15 to close at $12.40 on the New York Stock Exchange. Wednesday’s trading gave investors their first chance to react to Gap’s fourth-quarter results, released after the market closed Tuesday. 

Besides disclosing its second consecutive quarterly loss, Gap said February sales at its stores open for at least a year — a key industry benchmark known as same-store sales — were so far down by 17 percent from the same time last year. It marks the 22nd consecutive month of declining same-store sales at the San Francisco-based company. 

The Gap is facing its biggest problems at its flagship chain. The February same-store sales at the Gap chain were down by 23 percent through Monday, worse than management projected. On Tuesday, the company’s chief executive Millard Drexler during a conference call promised to return to best-selling basics of the past like stretch pants and ribbed sweaters, but analysts are becoming restless. 

“Reality is setting in. They are clearly having a really tough time at the Gap stores,” said industry analyst Richard Jaffe of UBS Warburg. 

To improve its cash flow, Gap plans to raise $1 billion by issuing debt that can be converted into stock into a later date. The deal may result in an additional 60 million outstanding shares, Jaffe estimated. 

Any increase in outstanding sales will depress the company’s earnings per share. 

Both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service on Wednesday assigned junk ratings to Gap’s $1 billion offering. The services downgraded Gap’s credit rating to junk status earlier this month, citing the company’s sagging sales and expectations that a turnaround is unlikely to occur until the second half of this year, at the earliest.

HONOLULU — Warren Higa is prepared to walk away from the Shell station he has run in Makiki for the past 22 years. 

Shell is asking for a monthly lease that would reach $19,000 after two years, more than twice what Higa pays now. Shell is also asking that Higa sign a personal guarantee for the lease. If Higa were to walk away from the station before the three-year lease expires, Shell could go after his personal property, such as his home, to collect any amount owed on the lease. 

“That’s a real dealbreaker,” Higa said. “It works totally in favor of the oil company and totally against the dealer.” 

A Shell Oil Co. spokesman could not be reached for comment. 

Despite the passage of a 1997 state law that was supposed to protect Hawaii’s gasoline dealers from being replaced by stations run by oil companies, approximately 30 dealers have gone under since, according to the Hawaii Automotive Repair and Gasoline Dealers Association. 

There are various reasons for the decline. For example, Shell scarcely used company-operated stations before a 1998 joint venture with Texaco. 

But some local dealers blame loopholes in the state law, as well as a lawsuit over a portion of the law that restricts the amount the oil companies can charge to dealers for rent. 

Under the law, Higa estimates his rent should be about $14,000. The Shell lease gives him a choice of paying the capped amount of rent. However, if the state loses the lawsuit over the rent cap, Higa would be liable for the difference. 

The oil companies, which oppose the 1997 law, say dealers are going out of business because dealerships are a less efficient way of serving the marketplace. 

“People don’t choose where they buy their gas based upon saying this is a dealer or company-operated station,” said Albert Chee, spokesman for Chevron Corp. Consumers make their choices based on factors such as convenience, the type of services provided and price. 

Plus, the recent arrival of massive gas stations run by retailers such as Costco Wholesale is providing heavy competition. 

“We’re dying,” said Harvey Okamura, whose family has run the Aiea Shell dealership since 1969. His lease nearly doubled to $10,000 a month in 1998, though he plans to hang on. “I’m a diehard,” Okamura said. 

Consumers should be concerned about the situation, because the consequence of fewer dealers and more company-run stations will be higher gas prices, Higa said. Dealers are independent businesspeople, who can offer a variety of discounts and services to beat the dealer across the street, Higa said. 

“If you take out all the dealers, (the oil companies) can price the way they want to price,” Okamura said. 

During recent arguments in the state’s antitrust lawsuit against the major oil companies, attorneys for the oil firms repeatedly said Hawaii has high gas prices because just a few oil firms serve the local market. The companies are naturally discouraged from competing with each other, because they would collectively lose money. 

“I can guarantee that (the price is) going to go up and up and up and the state’s going to suffer,” Higa said. 

Chevron disputes that. There is no evidence of heavy price competition among the dealers to begin with, Chee said. 

Company-operated gas stations are more economically efficient than dealer stations, because the oil companies have more control over operations, said Ken G. Smith, Chevron’s marketing manager in Hawaii. Chevron benefits from the reduced costs and can pass savings on to customers, he said. 

Chevron, one of two companies in the state that refine gas, has increased its number of company-run gas stations. Two years ago, five of Chevron’s 48 stations on Oahu were run by the company, or about 10 percent, Chevron said at the time. Chevron now has nine company-run stations out of 38, or 24 percent. 

Some dealers, even those who have already lost their stations, defend the oil companies. “I don’t blame them,” said Mike Hamada, who walked away from his Shell dealership in November. “They’re in business to make money.” 

The dealers are in business to make money too, but they’re not making as much as they once did. Profit margins, which used to be more than 20 cents per gallon in the 1980s, are now closer to 3 cents per gallon, dealers said. 

“When business was good, nobody was grumbling,” Hamada said. 

Under the 1997 law, oil companies cannot build a new company-operated station within one-eighth of a mile of any dealership on Oahu. On neighbor islands, the distance is one-quarter of a mile. The rule represents a milder form of “divorcement,” a restriction that some states have imposed on company stations. Maryland has had an all-out ban on company-run stations since 1979. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the law. 

Chevron opposes divorcement as a restriction on the marketplace that leads to higher gas prices and poorer service, Chee said. It allows weaker, badly run dealerships to survive competition. 

“This may be hard to believe, but the oil companies are the most efficient player in the marketplace, and with those efficiencies, they are able to offer the best services and the best products at the best price,” Chee said. 

His point was supported by John Umbeck, a Purdue University professor who has studied the Maryland law. Umbeck also plans to testify as Chevron’s expert at the rent-cap trial. 

Divorcement leads to higher prices because it protects dealerships from competition by the leaner company-run stations, Umbeck said. “Typically the capitalist system allows you to come into the market with a better idea,” he said. 

But divorcement isn’t only about gas prices; it’s about protecting the other things that a dealer offers to a community, Frank Young said. A dealer conforms more to local customers than a company that has nationwide policies, he said. A dealer could open customized accounts for business customers or carry local foods. 

“There’s a more intimate relationship,” he said. 

At about 1 p.m. a backhoe digging a drain on the corner of Sacramento Street and Blake Street broke a main high-pressure gas pipeline.  

Police blocked off four city blocks and redirected traffic around the intersection until 3 p.m. when Pacific Gas & Electric workers finally clamped the pipeline. Assistant Fire Chief Ron Falstad said he evacuated residents from the 1 1/2 blocks nearest the gas leak and brought in three trucks and an ambulance as precautionary measures. 

“This is a high-pressure gas line so if it ignites there will be a big plume of fire higher than that telephone pole,” said Assistant Fire Chief David Orth, while the outcome was still unclear. “Normally, they don’t ignite, though.” 

Although the Fire Department can clamp the smaller half-inch pipelines while waiting for PG&E to arrive on the scene, Orth said that the high-pressure 2-inch line was something PG&E had to handle. “Something this major happens three to four times a year,” said Orth. 

In an hour and a half, the six-person PG&E crew to put a vise on the plastic pipeline without any complications. 

Richard Billups, a PG&E supervisor, said they only had to cut off the gas in the immediate area around the leak. PG&E did not have to shut off the gas to any of the houses in the area. Electricity and water were unaffected. 

Orth said there was no health risk because natural gas dissipates quickly. Mercaptin, an odorizer added to natural gas to make leaks detectible, is toxic in high concentrations, but not in this case. Natural gas may also cause suffocation because it excludes oxygen, but will not cause problems if people stay away from confined spaces. 

Still, local residents were worried. “My house reeks,” said Lorraine Taggert, who lives several blocks south of the gas leak and was not evacuated. She noticed the smell at 1 p.m. and came out to consult with neighbors and firefighters about what to do.  

Residents north of the gas leak, however, could not smell the gas because the wind was blowing south. 

Ron, the Berkeley Cement worker who hit the pipeline, said this sort of accident is not uncommon. “It doesn’t take much to break the line,” he explained as he smoked a cigarette. “It’s plastic so it breaks easily.” 

Ron explained that he has hit pipelines before, but he can usually feel them before digging too deep.  

“It’s one of those things that happens–like when you’re digging in your yard to put in a new flower and you hit a sprinkler line. Only this is on a bigger scale,” he said. 

PG&E is still investigating the case to find out who is at fault so that the company can bill them.  

Jason Alderman, a company spokesperson, said that right now it seems to be the fault of Berkeley Cement.  

Johnnie Bryant hit a jumper in the lane with no time left to give Bishop O’Dowd a thrilling 50-49 North Coast Section first-round playoff win over Berkeley High Tuesday night in Oakland. 

Berkeley High ended its season with a 19-8 record, while Bishop O’Dowd improved its record to 23-4 and moves on to the second round of the NCS playoffs, where they will face St. Mary’s High on Friday at 7:30 p.m. 

Twenty seconds before Bryant’s heroics, Lee Franklin had given Berkeley High the lead at 49-48 with a driving layup after he stole the ball from the Dragons’ Dave Brutocao-Kemp in the frontcourt. Bishop O’Dowd then threw the ball away on the ensuing inbounds pass. When Berkeley High inbounded the ball and O’Dowd fouled Dontae Hall with 13 seconds left, the ’Jackets seemed to have sewn up a victory. 

But Hall missed both free throws to set up the final play. 

“It’s a tough loss, but I told them what they should be focusing on now is they should be very proud of their performance and they should be proud of the character they showed tonight,” Berkeley High coach Mike Gragnani. “We kept getting down six, eight points to O’Dowd in a very hostile gym. To these kids’ credit, they kept their composure and they fought and they had a chance to win the game up to five seconds to go in the game.” 

Damien Burns was a force inside for Berkeley, despite playing with four fouls, and led a balanced scoring attack with 9 points. Three players -- Hall, Shaun Burl and Darryl Perkins -- scored 8 points each for Gragnani’s team. 

Burns made two crucial plays late in the game, hitting a turnaround jumper that gave the ’Jackets a 45-45 tie with 1:09 remaining and then passing the ball to Burl for a layup that cut the deficit to 48-47 with 37 seconds left. Burl was fouled but missed the ensuing free throw. 

Bryant led O’Dowd with 16 points, followed by Chris Domin’s 13. Bryant scored 12 of those points in the first half and was slowed somewhat in the second half by Hall’s defense. 

Gragnani was proud of his team’s effort despite the loss. 

“It’s a great season, because of the journey that we went on,” he said. “We had a relatively inexperienced team. It was a bunch of guys who were learning to know each other and learning to play together. I told the kids at the beginning of the season, “Wins, losses, they don’t matter. What will determine whether this was a successful season was whether we’re playing our best basketball at the end of the season.” We have improved tremendously. We had the chance to knock off one of the best programs around here in their gym, and I can’t tell you how gratified I feel and how proud of the team I am.”

Dear Editor: 

I agree with Mr. Nakadegawa that Berkeley should approach zoning in an evolutionary manner, but I disagree with his vision of our future city.  

All new infill development must consider transit services, but it must be contextual to the built environment. 

He asserts Berkeley must become denser to support better transit service. 

Berkeley is already 25% denser than LA (9,823.3 vs. 7,876.8 persons per square mile), the third most densely populated city in Northern California: 37% more than Oakland, and 74% more than Emeryville. Alameda County is the 4th densest county in California. 

Mr. Nakadegawa points to Curitiba, Brazil, with 6-10-story buildings along “transit corridors,” 3-4-stories a block back, and single-family homes beyond. Is this his vision for Berkeley? This implies a transit-corridor reach of at least two blocks to either side. Our General Plan defines a “transit corridor” as any major bus or train line.  

AC Transit’s map reveals that most of Berkeley is within two blocks of a bus line, and therefore would be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled in height and density. Few Berkeleyans would share this dream, stalled in traffic under looming shadows from such buildings, wondering where the views of the Hills and Bay went. 

How dense is dense enough? Perhaps the real problem lies with the quality, routes, and untimeliness of AC Transit service. BART is already at full-capacity in the trans-bay tunnel, and no provision was made to carry 

BART or light rail on the new Bay Bridge. Why can’t public transit work now? 

Carrie Olson 

Berkeley 

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Berkeley Gray Panthers 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Defending and improving Medicare. 548-9696, graypanthers@hotmail.com.  

Berkeley Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Auditorium 

Berkeley mental health clinic. 644-8562. 

Poetry Workshop 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

The Literary Arts Program at the Berkeley Art Center is starting a weekly, 3 month poetry workshop facilitated by Rob Lipton. All levels welcome. 665-1662. 

Thursday, Feb. 28

Cody's Evening for Parents and  

Teachers 

7 p.m. 

Cody's Books 

1730 Fourth St. 

Rosemary Wells, children's author of dozens of books including Max and Ruby and Noisy Nora, will discuss children, books, and the importance of reading to your children. 527-6667, www.parentsnet.org. 

Trekking in Bhutan 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seasoned traveler, Ruther Anne Kocour will share slides and stories of her adventures trekking in this majestic country. 527-7377 

Take the Terror Out of Talking 

noon - 1:10 p.m. 

Calif. Dept. Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way 

Room 804 

State Health Toastmasters Club is presenting a six-week Speechcraft workshop to help you overcome your fear of speaking in public and improve your communication skills. Cost is $36 for six sessions, Feb. 28 & March 7, 14, 21. 649-7750. 

The Writing Life 

4:30 p.m. 

North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Peter S. Beagle will discuss his works and the life and times of a professional writer. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Photographing the Famous 

7:30 p.m. 

College Preparatory School Auditorium 

1600 Broadway, Oakland 

Michael Collopy will talk about photographing the famous (Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela).

State Assemblywoman Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley) and student leaders rallied around a proposed $15 million bond for new student housing at a press conference at UC Berkeley Tuesday morning. 

But Governor Gray Davis and university officials have raised concerns about the politics and language of the proposal. 

The bond gained momentum Monday afternoon when the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee added $15 million for low-income student housing to a larger $2.1 billion housing bond that California voters will likely consider in November. 

The legislature and Governor Gray Davis will have to approve the bond measure before it goes to the voters. 

In order to qualify for the money, universities would have to come up with matching funds, either by dipping into their own budgets or lining up private developers. 

Until now, the state’s public universities have not drawn on taxpayer dollars to pay for housing, depending instead on student fees, donations and other sources. 

Under the current system, Aroner argues, the universities have moved too slowly to address the student housing crisis. If passed, she said, the bond would mark a “paradigm shift” in the way student housing is funded, providing the first-ever direct infusion of public dollars, and stimulating speedier development.  

But the bond amendment faces a number of obstacles. First, Davis has raised concerns about asking the public for too much money in bond issues on the March and November ballots. 

In March, voters will decide on a $2.6 billion parks bond and a $200 million elections equipment bond. In November, the housing bond will likely run alongside a more than $10 billion education bond. 

“You want to have the right amount,” said Sandy Harrison, spokesman for Davis’s Department of Finance. “You want the amount that will do the most good and won’t frighten voters away.” 

Aroner said student housing advocates will have to “be vigilant” to ensure that Davis does not strip away the student housing money. 

Chuck McFadden, spokesman for the University of California system, said UC does not yet have an official position on the student housing bond amendment. 

But he said the university, currently in negotiations with Aroner and State Senator John Burton (D-San Francisco), who authored the larger housing bond, does have some concerns about the language in the amendment. McFadden said the bond should give all UC campuses a shot at the money.  

McFadden would not offer details on the university’s precise concerns with the language. But the amendment, which would provide money to both the UC and California State University systems, gives priority first to development on university-owned land, and second to campuses “suffering from a severe shortage of housing and limited availability of land.” 

Aroner said the “severe shortage” language would likely give a leg up to UC Berkeley, UCLA and other campuses facing the most severe housing crunches.  

Aroner added that only four to five campuses statewide would likely receive bond funding, given the relatively small amount of money involved. She said the state would need to provide about $500 million to address the statewide student housing crisis in a more comprehensive way. 

Another potential concern for the university is the effect of the bond amendment on the rest of the system’s budget. Historically, McFadden said, the university has avoided asking the state for housing money, concerned that it could eat into research and instructional budgets. But he emphasized that the university has not yet raised this concern in talks with Aroner and Burton. 

Students at the press conference said the measure marked an historic step toward addressing a housing crisis at UC Berkeley and at universities statewide. 

“This is a major triumph,” said Josh Fryday, Vice President of External Affairs for the Associated Students of the University of California. “There are students who are living on counches, on the basements of fraternities, who are living in cars.” 

Jimmy Bryant, a fourth-year student at UC Berkeley, said he is sleeping on a couch in a dangerous Oakland neighborhood because it is all he can afford. 

Bryant said that low-income and minority students are the most effected by the housing crunch. 

“This is not just a situation for me,” he said. “You will barely find any minorities living in and around the Berkeley campus.” 

According to a UC Berkeley student survey completed in the fall of 2000, and presented at the press conference, students spent an average of two months looking for an apartment and 55% of their income on housing.  

The St. Mary’s High girls’ basketball team took a 20-point lead in the second half against McKinleyville on Tuesday night in Berkeley, then survived foul trouble and a late push by the visiting Panthers to hold on for a 56-48 win in the first round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs. 

McKinleyville narrowed the St. Mary’s lead to just two points on a putback by Kali Wunner that made the score 47-45 with three minutes left in the game. But St. Mary’s freshman guard Natty Fripp scored on two consecutive drives to give her team some space, and McKinleyville never got within striking distance of the lead again. 

St. Mary’s (21-8) moved on to play BSAL rival Kennedy (Richmond) on Thursday in the second round. Kennedy beat the Panthers twice this season, including a comeback win in the league championship game. Thursday’s game will be at Kennedy High at 7:30 p.m. 

Tuesday’s game looked to be an easy win for St. Mary’s until the fourth quarter. The home side was in foul trouble all night, and starters Heidi Spurgeon and Kamaiya Warren both fouled out within a minute of each other, with Warren earning a technical foul for exhibiting her frustration with several questionable calls. 

“I got very angry,” Warren said. “I don’t know what was going on. Maybe the refs didn’t want us to win.” 

St. Mary’s other starters all had four fouls when the game ended. All the fouls sent McKinleyville (20-10) to the line 35 times, but they couldn’t capitalize, making only 14 of their free throws. 

“We played an ugly game, and we fouled them more than was necessary,” St. Mary’s head coach Don Lawson said. “I had to rely on some young players to play a lot of minutes.” 

St. Mary’s still had a 10-point lead when Warren fouled out, but McKinleyville guards Kaitlinn Solinsky and Danielle Hux hit back-to-back 3-pointers, then Wunner’s putback got them within a shot of the lead. 

“I was just praying the best team would win,” Warren said of watching the attempted comeback from the bench. 

The Panthers have one day of practice to get ready for third-seeded Kennedy, a tall task. Deidra Chatman, Kennedy’s 6-foot-6 center, will be a tough matchup for Warren and freshman forward Shantrell Sneed. Chatman scored 20 points in last weekend’s BSAL championship, which the Eagles won 59-54 after trailing by as much as 13 points in the first half. 

“All I can do is play my best defense,” Warren said. “If I do that I’ll be okay, and I think we’ll do fine.” 

Kennedy will likely be without the services of second-leading scorer Rashonda Abercrombia, who showed up at Tuesday’s game at St. Mary’s on crutches. 

“I think we have a very good shot at beating (Kennedy),” Lawson said. “The sheer factor that we played them so close last time gives us a chance.”

It has become clear to me that a civic dialogue needs to be developed in Berkeley on the subject of residential density. The new General Plan harbors many assumptions, some of which may be more justified than others.  

Among its positive points is an excellent discussion and analysis of projected residential density guidelines.  

This discussion in the Land Use Element is marred by the refusal to apply the guidelines to the assessment of individual parcels, leaving the guidelines without relevance to engendering a shared vision of Berkeley.  

This disconnect is worsened by uncertainty that these guidelines will be implemented in ordinance to any recognizable degree. Only 5 of Berkeley's 18 zoning districts with a residential component actually have a development standard for residential density (R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A and ES-R). One may hope that, spurred on by the General Plan, a residential density development standard, reflective of the General Plan discussion, will be promulgated for each zoning district having a residential component. 

Howard Muir 

Berkeley

WALNUT CREEK — Bob Teachout knows a thing or two about pigeons. He keeps about 400 of them at his Walnut Creek home and has been racing pigeons for 40 years. 

Now if he only had such a deft touch in dealing with his neighbors who say they’ve grown tired of dead birds on their lawns and pigeon droppings speckled across their homes and sidewalks. 

A city zoning official has ordered Teachout to reduce his roost by half, but he’s appealed that decision. Now he’ll see his disgruntled neighbors again Thursday when the Walnut Creek Planning Commission takes another look at the pigeon problem. 

Most homeowners in Walnut Creek are limited to three pets per household but Teachout is exempt from the limit because he had the birds before the city annexed the land from the county. 

“I want to be able to continue doing what I have been doing ever since I’ve lived here,” Teachout said. 

His neighbors, like Vaughan Bargy, say the pigeons are a cooing nuisance. 

“We’ve got pigeon droppings, dead birds started showing up more and more frequently in my yard,” Bargy said. “There are millions of flies in the warm weather,” and the smell kicks into high gear “when the wind blows the wrong way.” 

Bargy is one of four neighbors that banded together and filed a complaint with the city in November about the raucous roost. 

Teachout said the complaint about flies attracted to his birds and their smell is merely a circumstance of living in the great outdoors. 

“We live in the country,” Teachout said. “There is a slight odor, but it’s not offensive.” 

After investigating the neighbors’ complaint, Walnut Creek zoning administrator Victoria Walker ruled in December that the pigeons were indeed a nuisance. 

With two minutes gone in Tuesday’s North Coast Section first-round game between St. Mary’s High and Antioch High in Berkeley, the visiting Panthers were up 4-3. Then the home Panthers turned up the heat. 

A 20-2 run to finish the first quarter by St. Mary’s (26-2) essentially ended the game, as the St. Mary’s press caused turnovers in bunches. Antioch got back within seven points early in the third quarter, but a 10-1 answering run by St. Mary’s ended any hopes of a comeback. The win was St. Mary’s 20th in a row. 

The St. Mary’s guard duo of DaShawn Freeman and John Sharper dominated the game. Sharper scored a game-high 26 points to go with 5 steals, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, while Freeman was all over the court, scoring 19 points while nabbing 8 steals and dishing out 6 assists. Center Simon Knight had 8 points and 10 rebounds. 

Tyrone Witherspoon led Antioch with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks, with Sean Namanny pitching in with 14 points. 

The 20-2 stomping that put Antioch (16-11) away was St. Mary’s at its best. Freeman got things going with a steal and layup, then lasered a pass to Knight for an open layup. Sharper swiped an Antioch pass for an easy score, and third guard Tim Fanning nailed a 3-pointer. Freeman stole another pass for a Sharper layup, and Knight even got into the thievery, grabbing a sloppy pass and finding freshman Larry Gurganious streaking ahead of the pack for a layup that ended the quarter. 

“They’re tough on the ball, and they all play great defense,” Antioch head coach John Radford said of St. Mary’s. “We haven’t seen that kind of pressure anywhere before.” 

St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo was pleased with his team’s effort early, but lashed into them after they allowed Antioch to climb back within nine points at halftime. 

“We pretty much took care of (Antioch) early, but the kids got a little lazy for a while,” Caraballo said. “But the only thing that matters is winning and playing on Friday.” 

St. Mary’s won the Division IV state championship last season, and Caraballo moved them to the top level for a shot at the big boys. The Panthers will face third seed Bishop O’Dowd at home on Friday. The Dragons beat Berkeley High on a last gasp shot in their first-round game, and Caraballo didn’t seem to see them as much of a threat. 

“(O’Dowd) has no height and no speed,” he said. “That’s a bad combo when you’re playing us. The kids are going to be fired up to play them.”

Editor: 

The historic Cerrito Theater, with its incredible Art Deco murals and interior, is one of El Cerrito's hidden treasures. For forty years, Mr. Kiefer stored furniture in this vintage San Pablo Avenue theater. The new property owner wants to lease the space to a new tenant immediately. Very promising negotiations with the owners of Oakland's Parkway Theater recently stalled. But we believe there is still a chance to bring this 1937 theater back to life. 

We have to act quickly, or the opportunity will slip away and this unique artistic and historic treasure may soon become a discount mattress store. Help us convince the property owner and the City Council that this theater is worth saving. Become a Friend of the Cerrito Theater today: send e-mail to friendsofcerritotheater-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or call 232-6466. 

Lori Dair 

Friends of the  

Cerrito Theater 

El Cerrito 

In the minds of some, City Council will be taking a step back in the redistricting process, holding a special meeting at noon tomorrow to consider four proposals — not the original two agreed upon last week. 

“We’re right back in the same position we were in last week,” said Berkeley City Manager Weldon Rucker, dismayed by the recent detour the redistricting process appeared to be taken. “I had hoped that by the end of this meeting, we could come up with — parts of this and parts of that — but that it would equal up to something.” 

Rucker cautioned councilmembers last night that unless they narrowed the playing field of possible redistricting plans last night and gave staff some direction it would be a hardship for them to come up with something before the early April deadline. 

But in the minds of some, especially students of the University of California, Berkeley and Elliot Cohen, the author of the plan approved last week, the step back was both welcomed and necessary. 

“This communication back and forth between two factions of council is exactly what I wanted to achieve when I submitted the Nuclear Free plan. I hope they can resolve whatever differences they have and get to a point where the council can actually adopt a plan and reduce the bickering.” 

Last week City Council approved Cohen’s redistricting proposal which featured the least amount of displacement and deviation from census data by a unanimous decision. They also agreed to further discuss a proposal authored by 16-year-old Nick Rizzo, which was glued together more by the community of interest model. 

Last night, additional plans were submitted by Councilmember Worthington and there were two other plans that folded the objective of university students the existing plans of Rizzo and Cohen. The fourth plan to be pored over tomorrow will be Cohen’s original redistricting proposal. 

Councilmember Dona Spring earlier in the debate over possible proposals expressed her frustration with the fact that council was no closer to agreeing upon a proposal than they had been a week prior, but in the end she too seemed to welcome the possibility for negotiation. 

“This is a very political process,” said Councilmember Dona Spring. “And we have to work together to come up with a compromise. We have to do that. You can’t do that for us Mr. City Manager.” 

Contact reporter: devona@berkeleydailyplanet.net  

Editor: 

While peace talks between the Colombian government and the country's largest insurgency group entered into a critical moment last month, some US policymakers asserted their support for US military aid to Colombia to be used in counterinsurgency efforts.  

Currently the 1.28 billion dollars in military aid allocated for 2000, 2001, and 2002 can only be used for explicitly counter-narcotic operations. Allocating even more money for counterinsurgency use would mean slipping further into the quagmire of an endless guerrilla war. Yet there is no proof that a counterinsurgency effort would ever bring peace and stability to this Andean nation.  

A critical look at history points to a need for a politically negotiated settlement that incorporates the concerns of civil society and addresses the root causes of war. Washington needs to change its tone or chance damaging the peace process further. 

On the surface it may appear logical that the Colombian military, given enough assistance, training, and arms from the United States, could effectively quash the major rebel groups. However, Colombian history seems to indicate that lasting peace will require more than a firm hand. Since at least the early 1800s, when colonists led by Simón Bolivar won independence from Spain, Colombia has found itself embroiled in civil war more often than not.  

Spates of violence between peasant groups have wracked the country time and again, with the result almost always being a brief cease-fire until the next match is thrown into the tinderbox because the underlying issues are not addressed.  

The nature of the current conflict also creates a powerful disincentive to fight it militarily. The insurgents are largely Colombian peasants who inhabit the vast jungle or mountainous terrain. Their most effective weapons are not sophisticated missiles or expensive helicopters but crude bombs made from household gas tanks. To “win” this counterinsurgency war would require such draconian civilian repression by the state and its armed forces that it would effectively sow the seeds of the next insurgency group. Colombian peace advocates point to the last time there was a major counterinsurgency campaign in Colombia under the “soft dictatorship” of Rojas Pinilla in the 1950's. Rather than bringing lasting peace, that era of counterinsurgency led to the founding of both major guerrilla groups currently active in Colombia, the FARC and the ELN. 

So why do some policymakers in DC want to increase US military aid and involvement in Colombia's internal conflict? Numerous actors have influenced the debate, including defense manufacturers that profit from increased military aid, international oil companies that own most of the oil fields in Colombia, and the Colombian military itself. Just last week General Fernando Tapias, the head of the Colombian military, returned from a low-profile trip to DC in which he met with Condaleeza Rice and other high-level defense department officials. In addition to legitimate concerns about the efficacy of strengthening the Colombian military, there is a question as to whether the US should be funding a military that both  

the US State Department and Human Rights Watch have documented as having close connections to a terrorist organization, the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Although the term “terrorist” has perhaps been over-used recently, the AUC paramilitary is clearly responsible for numerous, horrific atrocities against unarmed civilians. 

While the debate in DC continues to center around military options, a coalition of six governors from southern Colombia has proposed an alternate plan, one that focuses on economic and social solutions to the conflict. A viable economic and social solution, designed by local governments and civil society aware of community needs, may just be what Colombia needs to put an end to a long history of violence. It is no coincidence that the most tranquil moments in Colombian history have come during periods of equitable economic boom. The growth of the coffee industry in the early 20th century is indicative of the trend.  

By providing the small farmer a profitable cash crop, coffee helped to create the broadest economic prosperity that Colombia has known-and also the longest stretch of peace in its history. Since then, coffee prices have plummeted, local markets have been “globalized,” and the results are an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor and increased violence throughout the country. 

A military approach to curbing the violence in Colombia has failed in every attempt. Now is the time to consider locally designed economic and social solutions. 

Kirk Jorgensen 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

One hundred years ago, on Feb. 27, 1902, American author John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, Calif. 

On this date: 

In 1801, the District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress. 

In 1807, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine. 

In 1861, in Warsaw, Russian troops fired on a crowd protesting Russian rule over Poland; five marchers were killed. 

In 1922, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that guaranteed the right of women to vote. 

In 1933, Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, caught fire. The Nazis, blaming the Communists, used the fire as a pretext for suspending civil liberties. 

In 1939, the Supreme Court outlawed sit-down strikes. 

In 1960, the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets, three goals to two, at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.) 

In 1972, President Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai issued the Shanghai Communique at the conclusion of Nixon’s historic visit to China. 

In 1973, members of the American Indian Movement occupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. (The occupation lasted until May.) 

In 1982, Wayne B. Williams was found guilty of murdering two of the 28 young blacks whose bodies were found in the Atlanta area over a 22-month period. 

Ten years ago:  

William Aramony resigned as president of United Way of America amid charges of financial mismanagement and lavish spending. Former Sen. S.I. Hayakawa died in San Francisco at age 85. 

Five years ago:  

A jury in Fayetteville, N.C., convicted former Army paratrooper James N. Burmeister of murdering a black couple so he could get a skinhead tattoo. (He was later sentenced to life in prison.) Divorce became legal in Ireland. Legislation banning most handguns in Britain went into effect. 

One year ago:  

President Bush went before Congress with a $1.9 trillion spending plan that would sharply reduce growth in many government programs while leaving room to give Americans the biggest tax cut in two decades. 

Today’s Birthdays: 

Actress Joanne Woodward is 72. Actress Elizabeth Taylor is 70. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 68. Actress Barbara Babcock is 65. Actor Howard Hesseman is 62. Actress Debra Monk is 53. Rock musician Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is 42. Basketball player James Worthy is 41. Actor Adam Baldwin is 40. Actor Grant Show is 40. Rock musician Mike Cross (Sponge) is 37. Actor Donal Logue is 36. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chilli (TLC) is 31. Rock musician Jeremy Dean (Nine Days) is 30. Rhythm-and-blues singer Roderick Clark is 29. Chelsea Clinton is 22. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bobby Wilson (Mista) is 22. 

Editor: 

I am writing in reference to the 2/26 article about a wrongful detention by the BPD. It seems that I often read angry statements by people so wrongfully detained and their friends or relatives, many times with the implication that their race contributed their mistaken detention. 

I am writing to state the obvious fact that mistaken detentions of this sort are an inevitable consequence of having police protection - even effective police protection. Certainly it is important for the police and us all to do what we can to minimize such mistakes and to rectify them as quickly and painlessly as possible, but some such detentions will have to happen if we are to enjoy the safety of police protection in a civilized society. 

I was myself wrongfully detained in connection with a car theft some years ago. In my case my car looked like a car that had been stolen. The fact that I was a young white male (as the police were looking for) contributed to their mistaking me for the thief. I was detained, patted down, handcuffed, interrogated, and ultimately released after the police had a chance to verify my registration information and identity. I found it a more interesting experience than an evening of chips and sodas. 

I find it difficult to understand how comments like "It's not right" and the notion of "seeking satisfaction" after such an incident can be anything but negative for our society. I certainly agree that such an evening is "a real experience", but to say that the detainees were "humiliated" seems to me to go too far. To me it was the victim of the armed robbery who was most traumatized and it was the police (and perhaps again the victim) who were humiliated by their mistake. 

We're all doing the best we can. Live and learn. 

James Donnelley 

Berkeley 

LOS ANGELES — After a litany of testimony from neighbors saying they were terrorized by two huge dogs, prosecutors showed jurors evidence that the dog owners claimed their presa canarios never scared anyone. 

“Did you ever have any incident whatsoever where your dogs lunged at someone?” a prosecutor had asked Robert Noel during grand jury testimony. 

“No,” said the defendant. 

Some 30 witnesses have come forward to say that the dogs which killed a San Francisco woman had confrontations with their neighbors for months — lunging, snarling, growling and once biting someone. 

“Did you enjoy it when your dogs scared people?” Noel was asked. 

“My dogs never scared people,” Noel told the grand jury which indicted him and his wife, Marjorie Knoller, last March. 

Knoller had testified that Bane, the larger dog which mauled Diane Whipple, 33, never pulled her owner in a way that she could not control. Witnesses have told of seeing Knoller dragged along the ground by the dog. 

Knoller, 48, and Noel, 60, are charged in the Jan. 26, 2001, mauling death of Whipple in their San Francisco apartment building. 

Wednesday’s court session was planned as the most dramatic of the trial so far, focusing on testimony from an elderly neighbor, Esther Birkmaier, who witnessed the mauling of Whipple through a limited view from the peephole on the front door of her apartment. Police and paramedics also were to testify about the bloody death scene. 

Knoller, who was present when Whipple was killed, is charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and having a mischievous animal that killed a human being. Noel faces the latter two charges. 

The trial was moved to Los Angeles due to publicity in San Francisco 

Lawyers on both sides of the case said Tuesday that the jury’s decision will hinge on whether they believe that the couple knew their presa canario dogs, which weighed over 100 pounds each, were dangerous. They told the grand jury they saw no such indications. 

Asked if their dogs acted aggressively toward people, Noel testified: “Not that I can recall.” 

But jurors heard otherwise. 

A self-described “dog fanatic” who admired one of the two huge animals at a dog park said she tried to pet the creature but was frightened away. 

“The dog squared off her chest and made an aggressive stance with her hackles raised a little bit,” witness Cathy Brooks said. “The dog’s tail was straight out. Her ears were flat and she was staring me down. I backed away very slowly.” 

Derek Brown, a resident of the building where the defendants lived, testified he and his wife were terrorized by the dogs three times — the animals lunging at them in the lobby while Noel strained to hold them on leashes. 

“The dogs continued to go berserk at us and I uttered (a profanity) and the man kept walking and said, ’Oh, they’re friendly.’ ... We were left there stunned and amazed,” Brown said. 

He said the incident was repeated twice and he and his wife had decided to report it to the apartment management but had not done so before Whipple’s death. 

John O’Connell, a management consultant, said the dogs terrified his 6-year-old son as he walked him to school in December 2000. 

“One of the dogs lunged at him, his teeth bared, growling and barking. Tmo (a nickname pronounce Tee-mo) just freaked. He jumped back. His eyes were wide. He was frozen. He was totally shocked and terrified,” O’Connell said. 

Noel yanked on the dogs’ leashes and yelled something at them, O’Connell said. On cross-examination, he conceded he thought he heard Noel mutter something like “sorry,” but nothing else. 

Knoller’s attorney, Nedra Ruiz, said outside court that it will be important to jurors that none of the prosecution witnesses filed any kind of complaints about the dogs until after Whipple was dead. 

I would like to compliment you and Peter Crimmins on your report on the Promises screening.  

I have just a few quibbles, in one paragraph, Crimmins says there were heated discussion between the filmmakers "as Goldberg and Shapiro are Jewish, leaning to toward the Israeli side...." One can be Jewish or not and be on any particular side in this conflict. In my case, I am also Jewish and would be classified as not being identified with the typical Israeli side. This is true of most members of a Jewish Voice Peace, a Bay Area progressive Jewish group that may be the largest of its kind in the U.S. We think the U.S. supported Israeli illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank is the root cause of the problems in the region.  

Further, if prospects for peace are somehow placed in the hands of children, we might do well in this country to educate our own children in this country on U.S. complicity in supporting the longest occupation in modern history. 

Robert Lipton Ph.D. 

Prevention Research Center 

Berkeley 

SACRAMENTO — Two state senators have introduced legislation to deal with so-called “e-waste,” millions of obsolete computers and televisions that are banned from landfill sites because they contain lead and other toxins. 

California officials on Tuesday estimated more than 6,000 TVs and personal computers end up as detritus every day, many either illegally dumped or relegated to dusty closets before being tossed out. 

“It’s a boom in California,” said Democratic Sen. Gloria Romero, whose Los Angeles-area district includes the nation’s largest landfill. “We shouldn’t be surprised, because it’s Silicon Valley.” 

Romero’s bill, introduced last week, would require manufacturers to initiate collection and recycling programs for hazardous electronic scrap or pay the state to do the job for them. 

A companion bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Byron Sher, would require consumers to pay a fee upfront — much like a bottle deposit — to cover the cost of disposing cathode ray tubes unless their manufacturer offers a free program. 

Manufacturers worry that a California-only fee or disposal requirement could hurt sales in the nation’s most populous state. 

They’d rather the solution wait until the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative — a consortium of government, manufacturing, retailing and environmental interests — compiles its recommendations in another year, said Gino DiCaro of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. 

DiCaro said any program should be voluntary, such as those offered by IBM and Hewlett-Packard. IBM said it sells an average of about 200 “product take-back kits” each month at about $30 per kit, a fraction of the millions of computers it sells in the United States each year. 

Some local governments have started collecting the old devices in a move to stop illegal dumping, but that could cost them — and ultimately taxpayers statewide — more than $1.2 billion over five years, according to the lobby group Californians Against Waste. 

Editor: 

Are you not also alarmed by the escalating abuses of power and the systematic subversion of our democracy since the Bush regime usurped the White House?  

Despite the media insistence on high popularity ratings for George Bush, I do not hear anything but fear and revulsion coming from the citizens of our country, even from people who are usually deceived. Massive protests are occurring every weekend and dictatorship has become a household word.  

Staggering numbers of starving Afghan moms, dads and children have been bombed in the night. Their country is in ruins. Warlords and the Northern Alliance drug dealers now reign supreme, conveniently aligned with US oil interests. The people of Afghanistan were unfortunately born in the vicinity of oil and for this they were murdered and their country destroyed. How many times will this pattern repeat? 

Hundreds of human beings have been kidnapped and caged in 6x8 foot containers in violation of our constitution and the Geneva Convention.  

They had the audacity to defend themselves when their country was bombed and invaded. Lawsuits have been filed in their behalf by conscientious citizens who are true patriots, defenders of human rights and constitutional law, including former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark. 

Why does Cheney refuse to call his captives POW's? Is it because Congress has not approved or declared war and his regime is in violation of the law?  

Does Bush imagine that declaring war on a noun rather than a nation will camouflage his agenda and that by inventing the term “unlawful combatants” he can escape the penalties of criminal behavior?  

Over 1,200 people have been “detained” who have not yet been charged with a crime or given access to legal counsel. After five months their families still do not know where they are.  

They are being held by the US government because of their ethnic origin, without any evidence that they have committed a crime.  

They are living a Nazi nightmare right here in America.  

Bush has repeatedly made reckless public accusations and threats against sovereign nations he plans to attack, without regard for the law and despite repeated warnings from the international community that they will not condone his abuses of power. His aggression has alarmed the whole world and alienated our allies. His answer? “We do not need anyone's permission.”  

Since when is he king of the world?  

The Bush regime wasted no time, capitalizing on the nation's fear, to decimate the Bill of Rights, and our constitution. Ashcroft rammed a repressive reactionary agenda through Congress disguised as a “Patriot Act” legalizing government wiretapping and internet surveillance of private citizens, police searches of their homes without probable cause, seizure of their property and their assets, and detention of citizens without giving them access to legal counsel.  

There is nothing patriotic about this act. This is blatant fascism. 

Constantly pushing for further extremes the Bush regime then announced its intention to install secret military tribunals with no court of appeal and executions of those whom they denounce. Let us not forget that Martin Luther King's group was listed as a terrorist organization by the FBI.  

Next on the list is mandatory ID cards to track the movements of American citizens, and a so-called “Homeland Security” force to control domestic society. Would anyone agree to this fascist agenda without the constantly reinforced fear of “terrorist threats?”  

Laws protect us when emotions are untrustworthy. It is precisely because people are irrational when they are afraid, that we have laws. This is no time to abandon the well thought out laws that have made America safe for democracy.  

For Bush's permanent war on anyone, anywhere, any time he is demanding $450 billion.  

Like his tax cut for the ultra wealthy, this transfer of funds from the public treasury to private coffers will be good for Wall Street, campaign contributors and the billionaire's club.  

Bush plans to pay for his bloated defense contracts with our social security pensions and says cheerfully he doesn't mind at all having a big budget deficit.  

Why should he?  

It won't affect him.  

That Congress would even consider granting this wish is completely outrageous. 

We depend on our representatives to uphold the constitution, spend our money on the public good and protect the earth we all share. We depend on our courts to be rational, fair and undeceived. It has become all to evident in the past fourteen months that our trust has been betrayed again and again. 

Ari Fleischer warned Americans to “watch what you say.” It would be inappropriate to question the regime while they are in the midst of global mayhem and murder.  

When is it appropriate to confront a tyrant?  

There is nothing patriotic about destroying the Bill of Rights. There is nothing patriotic about bankrupting America for a killing spree. There is nothing patriotic about dying for oil. There is nothing patriotic about surrendering to fascism. There is nothing patriotic about remaining silent. Exercise your freedom of speech while you still have it.  

Nancy Alexander 

SALINAS — The town that once labeled homegrown author John Steinbeck a “no-good” is hosting dinners and parties in his honor to celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday. 

Residents and tourists alike were to gather in Salinas and neighboring Monterey on Wednesday to mark the occasion and celebrate the enduring popularity of Steinbeck’s stories. 

“So many people worldwide form a vision of California through Steinbeck’s writings,” said Amanda Holder, director of marketing for the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. “They come to look at the places he wrote about and they’ve seen themselves in the characters.” 

Wednesday’s celebrations begin with city leaders, schoolchildren and Steinbeck’s son, Thom, singing happy birthday at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. 

Later in the evening, the Steinbeck House — a restaurant housed in the roomy, two-story Victorian house where Steinbeck was born and raised — is hosting a $100-per-plate birthday dinner, followed by music and festivities on Monterey’s Cannery Row. 

SAN FRANCISCO — After less than two months on the job, the western regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Monday he was fired. 

After being placed on administrative leave until March 1, Richard Mallory said he received a letter from HUD Deputy Secretary Alphonso Jackson notifying him that his services were no longer needed. 

Mallory said there was no reason for him to be dismissed. 

Based out of San Francisco, Mallory was appointed by President Bush in January to oversee HUD operations in four western states, including California. 

The dismissal comes shortly after Mallory announced he would closely watch the HUD-controlled San Francisco Housing Authority, an organization that provides 25,000 low-income residents with affordable housing. Mallory said Monday he had raised questions about the organizations management and current HUD officials. The organization has been plagued with problems during the past few years. A former Housing Authority official was convicted of selling rent vouchers in 2000. 

SAN JOSE – Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. have cleverly hidden that their chief executives would reap tens of millions of dollars if their $21.5 billion merger goes through, the deal’s leading opponent charged Tuesday. 

With the proxy fight growing ever nastier, HP director Walter Hewlett – a member of the board’s compensation committee – said plans drawn up last fall would bring Carly Fiorina and Michael Capellas a total of $117.4 million over two years. 

HP said no such plans ever existed and accused Hewlett of trying to mislead investors. 

HP and Compaq have revealed that thousands of key employees and executives would get $634 million in bonuses if they remain at the combined company after the deal is completed. The bonuses are an incentive to stay on during the tough integration process. 

The companies also have said HP’s Fiorina turned down the chance to get a post-merger bonus of $8 million, and Compaq’s Capellas rejected a potential $14.4 million, because both wanted to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest as they fight to sell the deal. 

While that may be admirable, Hewlett contends it is not the whole story – because both Fiorina and Capellas would be in line for big pay raises that go far beyond what they could have gotten with those post-merger bonuses. 

Hewlett believes HP shareholders who will vote on the deal on March 19 have the right to know what the CEOs’ compensation could turn out to be, since it might be a significant cost. 

So he disclosed that HP came up with a new two-year contract for Fiorina worth $69.8 million in salary, bonuses and new stock options. The board also drew up plans to give Capellas – who would be president and chief operating officer of the new HP – $47.6 million in salary, bonuses and options over the same period, Hewlett said. 

Fiorina’s salary is $1 million, and her stock options are essentially worthless at HP’s current stock price. Capellas made $1.6 million in 2001. Neither executive received a bonus. 

Hewlett said the packages were agreed upon and approved by the board, and detailed in a “side letter” – separate to the merger agreement – from HP attorney Larry Sonsini to a Compaq lawyer. 

In fact, Hewlett said the minutes of a Sept. 20 meeting of his three-director compensation committee reveal that Fiorina’s new package had been approved, although details on how her stock options were to be priced had yet to be worked out. 

But at some point, Hewlett said, someone added to the minutes that the committee had ultimately decided Fiorina’s entire package would have to be “reconsidered at a future meeting.” Hewlett said he was unaware of any such decision by the committee. 

HP is trying to “hide the ball,” Hewlett said. 

But Sonsini said there is nothing to hide. Capellas and Fiorina floated some general terms for future pay packages, but the board found them unacceptable and decided to put off the talks until after the merger’s completion, Sonsini said in an interview. 

Those early discussions did not include the specific figures Hewlett cited, Sonsini said. 

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, associate dean of Yale University’s School of Management, called the pay packages as described by Hewlett “obscenely high.” 

“I actually have a high regard for Carly Fiorina, but I’m disappointed this information hadn’t been revealed,” he said. 

Sonnenfeld said that if the packages were detailed in the side letter, it could be a binding agreement that should be disclosed to shareholders. Sonsini said the side letter was in no way binding. 

HP shares rose 3 cents to $20.01 on the New York Stock Exchange, where Compaq stock fell 20 cents, nearly 2 percent, to $10.40.

BEVERLY HILLS – A group of independent record labels and small businesses that serve the recording industry believes jobs will be lost if recording artists are allowed to break their contracts before labels recoup their investments. 

The newly formed group calling itself the California Music Coalition said Tuesday its members oppose efforts by high-profile musicians to repeal a state law that prevents recording artists from terminating contracts after seven years. 

The group is backed by the major record companies. But the smaller labels and companies that press compact discs, make packaging and even provide limousines fear hundreds of jobs will be lost if the law is repealed because labels will not have enough money to nurture and support new acts. 

“We’re already in a soft economy, we’re already experiencing cuts and we can’t afford to lose any more jobs,” said Gary Suzuki, who operates a printing press at Ivy Hill Packaging in Vernon, a company of 250 employees that prints inserts that accompany CDs. 

Smaller companies believe it’s unfair for successful musicians such as Don Henley and Courtney Love to paint the major labels as villains who force artists to produce recordings and refuse to let them seek more lucrative deals elsewhere. 

Henley and other artists claim the California law is unfair because it binds musicians to contracts longer than it holds other people who work under so-called “personal services” arrangements. 

The exception was granted after record labels argued it often takes as many as seven recordings, which can take more than seven years to produce, before they recoup their investment on artists. 

Most recording contracts require a certain number of recordings from artists, regardless of how many years it takes to produce them. 

Henley and other artists, including Billy Joel, No Doubt and the Dixie Chicks, were performing a series of benefit concerts Tuesday night in the Los Angeles area to benefit the Recording Artists Coalition. The artists are demanding new relations with record labels, including fairer contracts and more oversight of accounting practices. 

At a time when record sales are plummeting and profit margins are thin, the record companies want assurances that the millions of dollars they spend to promote and nurture new acts will be repaid from the profits generated by the few musicians who find major success.

By Jia-Rui Chong 

Special to the Daily Planet 

Students at University of California, Berkeley were “disgusted and disappointed” by the rejection of their redistricting plan at last Tuesday’s city council meeting, said Josh Fryday, External Affairs Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC).  

The ASUC redistricting proposal, which would have made students 60 percent of the District 7 population, was part of the students’ long-term fight to elect one of their own to the Berkeley City Council.  

“The thing is, this is the first opportunity that has come up in years–because redistricting only comes up every 10 years–for a student to be elected to city council,” said Fryday. “My first reaction was that they’re scared of having a student sitting on city council.” Berkeley citizens were invited to submit their own proposals after the Citizens for Fair Representation successfully challenged the accepted redistricting plan last October. On Feb. 19, the city council decided to approve two of the five plans for further consideration.  

Modifications on the plans drawn up by Elliot Cohen of Nuclear Free Berkeley and Berkeley High School student Nick Rizzo will be heard tonight. 

The proposal drafted by the ASUC would have increased the student population in District 7 by four percent by incorporating part of District 8. Fryday said that this plan represented the best attempt to bring as many students as possible into one district under the constraints of the city charter. Their first proposal was rejected because it did not follow the charter, which says that new district maps must follow established lines as closely as possible. 

Fryday blasted the current plans for trying to divide and conquer students. “The simple truth is, students are just like any other Berkeley neighborhood. We want a chance to have our voice be heard. We want to be kept whole and united. We don’t want special treatment, but we do want fair treatment,” he said. 

“Some people tell me it’s not good for students, but I don’t buy that,” he said. Of the 1000 people moved into District 8 under his plan, he said, only 675 are students. All the proposals except the ASUC’s would also have moved the student-populated Foothill Dormitories into District 8. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who represents District 7 and who is usually the most vocal in supporting student concerns, said that he did not support the ASUC proposal because it was not practical. 

“Someone who is not a good student candidate won’t get elected by four percent,” he said. “A good student could win in District 7 now. A good student could win in District 8 now.” 

Fryday, however, dismissed arguments that the ASUC plan was impractical.  

“The plan submitted met every redistricting criteria established by the city. The only criteria it didn’t meet was that it didn’t continue to promote the current undemocratic, disenfranchising status quo.” 

Mayor Shirley Dean, who said she thought the students’ plan was “fair” and voted for it last Tuesday, put the rejection down to politics.  

“Kriss Worthington doesn’t want a student running against him despite his statements that he wants students to run for council.” 

Worthington, however, defended his support of students and said that his opposition to the ASUC proposal had nothing to do with who would run against him.  

“In one month and in this last year, I’ve involved more students in Berkeley government than she [Dean] has in several decades,” said Worthington. He rejected the ASUC plan, he said, because it made it hurt students who might want to run for office in District 8, where there is a significant student population. 

Councilmember Linda Maio said politics had nothing to do with the way she voted. She abstained because she wanted to support the principle of student participation in local government without giving this particular plan the thumbs up.  

“I didn’t want to discount the students and say, ‘No, you don’t have a role.’ I’m glad they’re coming in and talking and participating. But I knew there were other proposals that kept working constituencies and neighborhoods together.” 

She said she did not like the way the ASUC plan split up the Bateman neighborhood in particular and supported the Nuclear Free Berkeley plan because it drew neater lines. 

“Someone’s ox is going to get gored because we have to balance all of these different interests,” Maio said. 

The ASUC is trying to roll with the punches. At tonight’s council meeting, it will propose revisions that bump up the number of students in District 7 while working within the basic accepted guidelines. It will also keep pushing for a ballot measure to amend the city charter so that completely new redistricting plans can be drawn. 

“Frankly, the reforms that the students want are going to have to go through the charter amendment, not this process,” said Cohen. “It’s really sad that the students are being used as pawns in a political game.” 

Editor: 

Q: What's the difference between the top management of Enron Corporation and the administration of the Berkeley Unified School District?  

A: not much, apparently. In Berkeley, we have a top-heavy politically-correct administration made up of people who cannot add, cannot administer and cannot audit. 

How can you possibly spend seven million dollars that you don't have? Credit card bills? Cell-phone bills? 

Practicing "whole math"(where students were encouraged to invent their own answers in math, as: 2 + 2 = 7)? 

By hiding debt offshore in the Farallon Islands?  

These folks are trying to pass the blame onto “old obsolete computers,” but that argument won't wash. 

Spreadsheets, such as Lotus123 and Excel have been functioning perfectly well for the last fifteen or twenty years. Obviously, some Berkeley school administrators said, “Who cares? Let the good times roll. Its only public money and we can always get more of that from the suckers (tax payers).” 

Computers and computer software are dumb, blind machines. If you put garbage in, you get garbage out. 

Simple. It is obvious that the administrators of the Berkeley Unified School District could not be bother to add, check on software to see that it included all ongoing expenses and then audit the results at the end of each school year. Remedial arithmetic classes are indicated. 

James K. Sayre 

Oakland

Tuesday, Feb. 26

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

The Legal Challenges of Parenting Facing LGBT Couples 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Boalt Hall, Room 100 

An informal wine and cheese reception will follow the panel discussion. 415-551-1275, boaltcaucus@yahoo.com. 

Berkeley Organization for  

Animal Advocacy Presents:  

Dr. Ned C. Buyukmihci 

7 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

204 Wheeler Hall 

Buyukmihci will speak about the ethical dangers of animal experimentation. 925-487-4419, http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~boaa/. 

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Berkeley Gray Panthers 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Defending and improving Medicare. 548-9696, graypanthers@hotmail.com.  

Berkeley Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Auditorium 

Berkeley mental health clinic. 644-8562. 

Poetry Workshop 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

The Literary Arts Program at the Berkeley Art Center is starting a weekly, 3 month poetry workshop facilitated by Rob Lipton. All levels welcome. 665-1662. 

Thursday, Feb. 28

Cody's Evening for Parents and Teachers 

7 p.m. 

Cody's Books 

1730 Fourth St. 

Rosemary Wells, children's author of dozens of books including Max and Ruby and Noisy Nora, will discuss children, books, and the importance of reading to your children. 527-6667, www.parentsnet.org. 

Trekking in Bhutan 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seasoned traveler, Ruther Anne Kocour will share slides and stories of her adventures trekking in this majestic country. 527-7377 

Take the Terror Out of Talking 

noon - 1:10 p.m. 

Calif. Dept. Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way 

Room 804 

State Health Toastmasters Club is presenting a six-week Speechcraft workshop to help you overcome your fear of speaking in public and improve your communication skills. Cost is $36 for six sessions, Feb. 28 & March 7, 14, 21. 649-7750. 

Friday, March 1

March 1 

Tropical Trees and Sustainable  

Development in West Africa  

3 - 5 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

103 Mulford Hall 

Roger Leakey of James Cook University, Australia will present some of his recent work on developing indigenous fruit and nut trees to produce marketable products beneficial to resource-poor rural and peri-urban households in West Africa. Discussion and Q&A. 643-4200, http://cnr.berkeley.edu/BeahrsELP. 

Sunday, March 3

Shaping a just U.S. Policy in the Middle East 

2 - 7:30 p.m. 

International House 

2299 Piedmont Ave. 

Join Bay Area peace, social justice and faith-based organizations for a two- day conference focusing on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan and the impact these policies on civil rights and democracy in the U.S. 415-565-0201 x26, www.afsc.org/wagingpeace. 

It was not exactly the way Reza Mokhtari-Fox had planned to spend the better part of his Friday night. Eighteen-year-old Fox and his two friends went up to the corner store on University and Sacramento for chips and sodas. Shortly after leaving, they were accosted by approximately 13 police officers, six cars and immediately shuttled off to jail.  

The arresting officer, Fox said, though it was difficult to tell with a barrage of white lights in their face, told them they had been positively identified as perpetrators who had just robbed a senior by gunpoint. 

The suspects were three African American males. Fox is Mediterranean. The arresting officer Caucasian. 

“My son called me and told me to come help him,” said Mahmood Mokhtari, Fox’s father. “When I got there they said it was a ‘$20,000 bail.’ I called lawyers. I called bail bonds. I never had to deal with anything like this. I know my son, he would no hurt a fly, not to mention a robbery at gunpoint.” 

After three and a half hours, Fox and his friends were released much to the relief of their families. 

“At first I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t want to make things worse for him, but afterwards I started to get angry. This is my son. He doesn’t even look like a black man. It’s like saying all Mexican’s, all brown people are black,’” Mokhtari said. 

“It makes me think they had just started arresting every group of black kids in the vicinity,” he added. 

Fox, a freshman at Vista Community College said that when the officers questioned him he and his friends combined had less than $30 on their person and no weapons. 

“I also had an alibi for the whole day but it didn’t matter,” Fox said. “When they finally let us go — I mean they didn’t even listen to anyone until my mother, a white woman showed up — they acted as if they were doing us a favor.” 

Berkeley Police Department could not comment yesterday on this incident. But police documents do verify that the three youths were detained and let go after approximately three and a half hours. 

At this point Fox and his father are looking for satisfaction.  

“We are contacting the Police Review Board. We’ve already contacted the NAACP and I’ve spoken with my councilmember Dona Spring. It’s not right,” Mokhtari said. 

“My friends were kind of traumatized by the whole thing,” Fox said. “It’s a real experience to be locked in a jail cell and not know when you are going to get out. 

You don’t think this kind of thing is going to happen, especially here in Berkeley. It is supposed to be the most liberal city — built on freedom or whatever.” 

Ironically enough the incident occurred weeks after Mokhtari had returned from visiting relatives in Iran — where he fled for the sake of freedom. 

“I had just came back from I ran, the Axis of Evil, right? And I come home to this. And of all places, in Berkeley, if a kid can not go down the street and buy a pack of chips without getting busted and humiliated where else do we have to go?” Mokhtari asked. 

Contact reporter: devona@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

Editor: 

Last Tuesday night, some members of the City Council rejected the only redistricting plan that would have significantly increased the chance for a student to be elected to the city council. In doing so, they sent a message to nearly a quarter of the city’s population that politicians, who are only concerned with keeping themselves in power, run this city.  

Kriss Worthington, who likes to call students one of his closest political allies, justified voting against those same students by saying the plan wasn’t "practical."  

In fact, the plan submitted met every redistricting criteria established by the city. The only criteria it didn’t meet was that it didn’t continue to promote the current undemocratic, disenfranchising status quo.  

While Worthington accused other members of the council of paying "lip-service" to the interest of students, his vote sent a message loud and clear that issues students care about – low-income housing, safer streets, and a cleaner city – are not priorities. 

Through their actions, the members of the council have essentially disenfranchised 22% of the city for the next ten years. Even more disgraceful, they have argued that students are actually better off divided and diluted among several districts. It is a sad comment that in one of the most progressive cities in country, members of our city council actually feel comfortable using the same arguments that have been used to fight the Voting Rights Act and to disenfranchise racial and ethnic minorities for decades.  

The simple truth is, students are just like any other Berkeley neighborhood. We want a chance to have our voice be heard. We want to be kept whole and united. We don’t want special treatment, but we do want fair treatment. 

Though individual students come and go from Berkeley, the student commitment to this city has never left. We have to worry about the same tight housing market that forces many to choose between paying the rent and eating dinner. We have to worry about driving on and walking across the same busy streets. We have to worry at night that we may one day become another crime statistic. And just like every other resident in Berkeley, we want to participate in the process of solving these problems. 

Hopefully, in the weeks ahead, the council will teach students a better lesson. They will be able to show that politicians can get beyond petty political gamesmanship. They will be able to show that elected officials can learn to put their own interests after those of the citizens who put them into office. And if they don’t, those same officials may have to learn the lesson that those same citizens can vote them out of office too.  

As a representative of 31,000 students, and 22,000 members of the Berkeley community, I have been fighting throughout this whole re-districting process for fair representation of students. I only hope that now, members of the city council don’t relinquish their responsibility to represent Berkeley students and citizens too. 

Josh Fryday 

University of California, Berkeley 

Tonight a packed City Council agenda includes the appeal of the proposed Library Gardens development and at least one councilmember is saying there’s a good chance the project will soon top its last hurdle towards breaking ground. 

The five-story, 176-unit downtown residential development has been proposed by TransAction Companies.  

The road thus far has been paved with obstacles for the project.  

It had to clear the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Design Review Committee before going to the Zoning Adjustments Board. It also faced some formidable citizen opposition. In addition, this process has been criticized by at least one councilmember. TransAction Senior Vice President John DeClercq, who originally proposed a mix of 196 one- and two-bedroom units of undisclosed rents last June, was originally turned down. Later, he was told by a councilmember, according to Worthington of a decision that was made behind closed doors. 

Six months later, 20-units shy of the original proposal and time for public comment on the proposal, it appears that the city and the developer have come up with something both parties can agree upon. 

“This appears like it is going to be the last hurdle for this project,” said Councilmember Dona Spring. “I think we might be able to finally move forward on this and that will mean 176-units downtown. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said that DeClercq would also include a public plaza, an outdoor children’s’ play area, ground-level retail space and expanded parking underground. 

With its 176 units, the complex would contain nearly twice as many apartments as the recently-approved Gaia Building, which Patrick Kennedy’s Panoramic Interests is building almost directly across Shattuck Avenue. 

In fact, it will be one of the largest housing developments ever built in Berkeley. Twenty percent of the project will be affordable to low and moderate income people.

Editor: 

The recent Zoning Adjustments Board public hearing on Valentines Day evening apparently lasted a "heartbreaking" seven plus hours until well past 2:00 a.m. the following morning. When meetings involving complex civic issues last longer than 4-5 hours, the quality of discourse between board/commission members and with the public is inexorably subject to the law of diminishing returns. 

Most board/commission members, the public at large, and the press are not retired or independently wealthy and therefore work for a living and have worked the day of the meeting and will no doubt work the next day 

-- exhaustion leaps to mind. If a meeting that begins at 7:00 p.m. cannot be completed by approximately 11:00 p.m., then there are too many agenda items prepared for the meeting by City staff. Barring any other rational explanation, then one must question whether this frequent breakdown in process at public meetings is possibly being staged and/or manipulated by city politicians, their staffs, and their principal political/financial supporters to discourage public input and derail adequate press coverage on controversial issues before the boards and commissions. 

The City Attorney should note that this breakdown is a serious matter that is encroaching on the effectiveness of open city government and fairness for the public that merits investigation by appropriate authorities and the press should the City staffs who prepare the board/commission agendas not clean up their act. So I ask the public and the press: Are you being served? If not, speak up now. 

David Olson 

Berkeley

Strong support on the Board of Education may save the music program from substantial cuts. 

Superintendent Michele Lawrence has recommended that the board, which must cut about $6 million to balance next year’s budget, layoff music program coordinator Suzanne McCulloch, assign her duties to one or more elementary school principals and reduce the number of full-time teaching positions from 11.5 to 9.1. 

But, board members say protecting teacher positions will be a top priority, and at least two have raised concerns about cutting the coordinator position, put in place this year. 

“I don’t think there’s any question that the program has benefited tremendously from the coordinator and there needs to be a person to do that work,” said Shirley Issel, president of the school board. “I hate to see a program that’s suffering from a lack of leadership.” 

“As competent as our principals are, they’re also overworked,” said board member John Selawsky. 

Selawsky argued that in the past administration of the program by principals has not worked. 

But board member Ted Schultz cautioned that budgetary realities will play a role in any final decision. 

“This is the first year we’ve had someone as a coordinator and it seems to be making an impact,” he said. “On the other hand, we’re in a budget pinch.” 

About half of the funding for the coordinator’s position comes from the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project, a special local tax, a quarter from state grants and a quarter from private grants. 

One of the private grants, a $10,000 award from the East Bay Community Foundation, will not be renewed next year. 

Chris Lim, associate superintendent of instruction, said McCulloch has done great work, but added that the financially-strapped district is concerned about picking up the $10,000 tab. But Issel said she is confident the district can find money to fill the hole. 

By all accounts, the music program had its share of problems before this year. There was no coherent district-wide curriculum, instruments were lost or went unrepaired, and there were constant scheduling problems, said teachers and parents. 

“The program has improved a lot with the coordinator,” said Rita Kimball, principal of Washington School. 

District music teachers say McCulloch, and her assistant Annette Lys, have done invaluable work by cataloguing instruments, organizing professional development and bringing instructors together. 

Karen Wells, a music teacher at the elementary and high school levels, praised McCulloch for helping to create a unified curriculum. 

“That would never of happened if Suzanne weren’t here,” Wells said. 

“This is the first year that many of us have been evaluated,” added Greg Gomez, who teaches woodwinds and brass at the fourth- and fifth-grade levels. 

“I’m a beginning teacher,” said Madeline Prager, another music instructor. “Suzanne has given me valuable tips.” 

Henry Viets, another music teacher, said McCulloch has been an effective advocate with school principals.  

“Approaching the principal as one music teacher, there an hour and a half a week, is not really effective,” he said. “(McCulloch) has made our lives so much better.” 

But music supporters say preservation of the coordinator position is not enough. Michael Kelley, co-chair of the Music Curriculum Committee, said the program cannot afford to lose 2.4 full-time teaching positions, as proposed by the superintendent.  

“We’re already operating at a bare bones minimum,” he said. 

“If we lose some teachers, we will be overwhelmed,” added Viets. “It will be horrendous.” 

Viets said the prospect of a smaller staff, and a growing workload, already had some teachers looking elsewhere. “Some of us are already preparing our resumes,” he said. 

Teachers also bemoaned the effect of layoffs on students, arguing that music helps to nurture creativity and build self-esteem. 

“You just can’t believe the feelings those kids have when they’re coming off the stage,” said Prager. 

Susan Medak, chair of the Berkeley Arts in Education Steering Committee, which advises the board, pointed to studies showing higher graduation rates, less absenteeism and greater parental involvement when students take part in music and the arts. 

Board members reached by the Planet said they value the music program and will try to preserve as many teachers as they can. Lawrence herself, at a school board meeting last week, signaled her support for music teachers.  

Jesse Anthony, a music teacher for 33 years, said he is confident of Lawrence’s support in the end. “She supports music,” he said. “She understands it.” 

Lawrence could not be reached for this story by deadline. 

Well, the other shoe just dropped.  

Berkeley Unified School District just slashed its budget by almost one-third.  

So much for educating our children. 

Meanwhile, the United States of America, land of the free, easily came up with the mega-bucks necessary to kill thousands of women and children in Afghanistan (probably by raiding our social security reserves). 

As we slide into giving this country's wealth over to total military armament, please remember Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo (the original evil axis):  

While they were out trying to conquer the world, the German, Italian and Japanese people slowly slid into deprivation, devastation and want. 

Now that Bush, Ashcroft and Rumsfeld are trying to convince us to live on munitions stockpiling and media hype also, it's time to ask ourselves -- what will OUR post-war world be like? 

When planning our future, always remember this simple home truth: WAR CREATES NOTHING. WAR IS A HUNGRY BEAST WHO DESTROYS ITS KEEPERS AS WELL AS ITS PREY. 

Jane Stillwater 

Berkeley

Language barriers, poor air quality and a lack of access to quality health care have contributed to an asthma crisis among California Latinos, according to a report released Monday by San Francisco-based Latino Issues Forum. 

“The cases are rising to an epidemic level in California,” said Raquel Donoso, senior program manager at the Issues Forum. 

Berkeley Latinos, however, may be faring better than the statewide community, according to the latest figures compiled by the city. 

According to statewide data from the California Department of Health Services, Latinos were hospitalized for asthma at a rate of 106 per 100,000 between 1995 and 1997, compared to 100 for non-Hispanic whites and 355 for African-Americans, who had the highest rates.  

In Alameda County the overall numbers were similar. But for children 14 and under, hospitalization rates were considerably higher than the statewide average. Among Latinos for instance, 265 per 100,000 were hospitalized for asthma, compared to 183 statewide. 

According to 1999 data compiled by the city, 89 children ages one to 19 were hospitalized for asthma. Forty-nine were African-American, 22 were white, eight were Asian, six were “other,” and only three were Latino. 

Dr. Jose Ducos, medical epidemiologist for the city, said there is no cut and dry explanation for the disparity in Berkeley and county-wide figures. But he noted that the Latino population is comparatively small in Berkeley, composing about 10 percent of the total. 

Ducos added that, according to several medical indicators, Berkeley’s Latino population is relatively healthy. He suggested that low asthma hospitalization rates may reflect that overall health. 

But Ducos and other health care professionals in the area warned that hospitalization figures are an inexact measure. Good preventative care in a given area might prevent hospitalization, a lack of health insurance may keep certain populations away from long-term care and, most important, hospitalization figures reflect only the worst cases, they said. 

Ducos is working on a city-wide mail survey, scheduled to be completed this summer, that will give officials a better idea for the prevalence of asthma and other chronic diseases. 

Medical research on the causes of asthma is inconclusive, but doctors say that dust, cigarette smoke and other pollutants act as triggers for asthma attacks.  

Dr. Sue Haverkamp, associate medical director for pediatrics at La Clinica de La Raza in Oakland, said many of her Latino patients suffer from asthma. 

She attributes the high incidence to socio-economic conditions, noting that low-income patients tend to live in overcrowded and unsanitary dwellings that produce dust, cockroach dander and other asthma triggers.  

According to Donoso, of the Issues Forum, two in three overcrowded households statewide are Latino.  

The Issues Forum report makes several recommendations for reaching out to this population. The Forum calls on the state to develop more Spanish-language asthma information, launch a statewide education campaign and provide money to hire more school nurses, among other things. 

The report also calls on local schools to provide more asthma information and train teachers on the basics. Next year, the Ethnic Health Institute at Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center in Berkeley will conduct public education on asthma in the Berkeley and Oakland schools. The Institute will also work in Berkeley and Oakland public housing. 

Barefoot worms have it rough 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Things aren’t looking good for a barefoot bookworm. 

Robert Neinast has sued the Columbus Metropolitan Library, saying that the ban on going barefoot there blocks a healthy lifestyle and his First Amendment rights. 

During a hearing Friday in U.S. District Court, Judge Algenon Marbley told Neinast, a software writer from nearby Pickerington, that he wasn’t inclined to let the case go to trial. 

The library’s attorney, Philomena Dane, told the judge that the library has the policy to protect patrons’ safety and avoid injury lawsuits. 

Dane said Saturday that Neinast failed to make the case that going barefoot is a form of expression. 

“One doesn’t know what the message is,” she said. 

Neinast wore a dark suit and black shoes in court. 

“As I said in my affidavit, I wear shoes on formal occasions, and it doesn’t get much more formal than this,” he said after the hearing. 

The legal eagle has landed 

NEWARK, N.J. — A legal eagle is coming back to the federal courthouse in Newark. 

The 2-ton, hand-carved limestone eagle, which sat at the base of the flagpole at the old courthouse for decades, will be unveiled March 5 during ceremonies at the federal courthouse. 

The eagle vanished in the late 1930s, around the time when the old courthouse was demolished. However, few were aware of its disappearance until members of the U.S. District Court Historical Society in New Jersey commissioned a comprehensive study of the state’s federal courts. 

During their work, researchers unearthed a 1938 newspaper article about the statue. Investigators soon tracked it to a Montclair home once owned by B. Palmer Davidson, a former writer for The Star-Eagle, a predecessor of The Star-Ledger of Newark. The statue was cemented onto the side of a brick structure attached to a garage wall in his back yard, where it remained for many years. 

The eagle was removed from the home in November and has been refurbished. 

How many students does it take to change a light bulb? 

CHICAGO — The University of Chicago finally has its own answer to a vexing question: How many students does it take to change a light bulb? 

Mary Ruth Yoe, the editor of the school’s alumni magazine, decided students there had gone long enough without a good University of Chicago answer so she asked for contributions. Scores of responses followed. 

“Change it to what?” answered Michael P. Richard. “We were taught to define terms.” 

Another entry argued that the answer depended on whether the students are undergrads or graduate students. 

The answer for undergrads? “Four. One to change it and three to complain about how hard it was.” 

For graduate students, though, the answer was, “Just one. But it takes seven years.” 

Yesterday afternoon the Academy Award –nominated film, “Promises,” up for Best Documentary Feature, screened at the Pacific Film Archive as part of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. It was the first time the film by Berkeley-based filmmakers Carlos Bolado and Justine Shapiro, and San Francisco-based B.Z. Goldberg, had been screened in the Bay Area. 

The film’s distributor, Cowboy Pictures, will give the film a limited theatrical release in March and April. 

Following seven children, both Israeli and Palestinian in the West Bank, the film sought to give voice to the young people and actively attempt to bring them together as a way toward creating peace. The hope, it would seem, lies in trying to bring children together before their political biases become insurmountable. 

The difficulty is that even young children are not clean slates – they are not innocent of war, or the contagious hatred of war. Listening to their elders, throwing stones in the street, and watching their friends and family become "martyrs" (i.e. killed), the 10 year-old kids come loaded with political baggage against their neighbors.  

The next generation, the film suggests, is not more innocent than its predecessor. But it may be more hopeful. They certainly have a better sense of humor than their respective Ministers and Presidents. A playground scene of a Jewish vs. Palestinian belching contest could do more to the peace process than the hot air traded across official negotiation tables. 

Carlos Bolado, editor and co-director of "Promises," spoke to the audience after the screening of the film yesterday afternoon. He said the editing was a year-long process hampered by many difficulties. For one, he had hundreds of hours of videotape of kids speaking Hebrew and Arabic, two languages Bolado doesn’t speak. Also the political nature of the film incited long, heated discussions between the three filmmakers, as Goldberg and Shapiro (Bolado’s wife) are Jewish, leaning toward the Israeli side, and Bolado calls himself a political leftist who tends to side with the Palestinians. 

The film goes beyond documenting the children’s lives, becoming an active participant. After selecting a handful of subjects from as wide a swath of backgrounds as their were able – male and female, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and secular – the directors and co-producers Goldberg and Shapiro arranged for all their conflicting subjects to come together to meet and talk and play. 

Some of the children agreed to the cross-political playdate, and some expressed their indifference and hostility to meeting children from the other side. 

The filmmakers did the bulk of their shooting in the West Bank in 1997 and 1998. Because of the escalating tension and violence there in the past couple years, Bolado said this film could not be made today. Access is largely shut down for citizens and press alike, and parents would not allow their children to take part in a project of this nature in the current climate. 

Criticism came from the audience during a question-and-answer period following yesterday’s screening: The film didn’t explain how more Palestinians have been killed during the land war, and some in the audience felt the oppression on the Palestinians in guarded camps was overlooked. Bolado apologetically admitted that much of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not portrayed in the film in favor of a more balanced, humanist position. 

Bolado said the long, heated discussions in the editing room were about these issues and the filmmaker’s own political interests, but he and the filmmakers decided to narrow the focus of the film on the lives of the children rather than make a political call to arms. He said they wanted the film to be more centrist in order to be seen by as many people as possible and create dialogue. Making the film pro- or anti- Israeli or Palestinian, Bolado said, would be like talking to the same 12 people who think exactly the same way. 

The situation in the West Bank is a complicated one and if leftist sympathies are in favor of the Palestinian plight and against the U.S. government’s military aide to Israeli, Bolado said the conflict’s roots go back many years and not so long ago it was the Israeli’s that were the ones painted the victims. The war has been bred into the citizens on both sides of the conflict for generations. 

The final images of the film are in a hospital maternity ward where families can view the newest additions to their families. After listening to 12 year-old children describe the difficulties they have in overcoming their differences with other kids on the other side of military checkpoints, this coda offers a question to ponder: How young must peace activists go to get children innocent of war? 

When asked by an audience member if he thought the way to make peace in Israel-Palestine is through the children, he evaded a direct answer. He said it’s important to keep people talking to each other, "we have to keep making films… We have to keep doing things."  

BERKELEY — The Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice are holding four joint hearings at the University of California at Berkeley, which began on Monday, to field testimony on issues of patents and competition. 

The university's Haas School of Business is hosting the hearings, which run until Thursday.  

They are part of a national series of hearings being held under the theme “Competition and Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the Knowledge-Based Economy.” 

The hearings will allow members of academia and business to present their experiences to the commission, as it tries to develop a better understanding of how to balance issues of antitrust law with intellectual property policies. 

Thirteen UC Berkeley professors are among those who are expected to testify in the hearings, including Chairman of the Competition Policy Center Joseph Farrell and Director of the Institute of Business and Economics Research Carl Shapiro. 

In the past, both Shapiro and Farrell have served the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division as deputy assistant attorneys general for economic analysis. 

The hearings, which are open to the public, are divided into several categories and topics, including economic perspectives on intellectual property, competition and innovation. 

Other sections of the hearing will allow representatives from several fields of business and commerce -- biotechnology businesses, pharmaceutical companies, software firms, Internet merchants, and those who make hardware and semiconductors -- provide business perspectives on patents.

SAN FRANCISCO — A former high tech executive was sentenced on Monday to two years and 10 months in prison for trying to have sex with someone he met on the Internet who pretended to be a 14-year-old girl. 

Ranjit Singh Sahota, 37, of Fairfax, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for attempting to persuade and coerce a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He was also sentenced to a 3-year period of supervised release. A hearing was scheduled for May 24 to determine the amount of restitution Sahota owes to a girl he allegedly raped in August 2000. 

Sahota was arrested last June at a meeting he set up with an FBI agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. He admitted having online conversations with the agent, telling her he was a college student and he wanted her to be his girlfriend. He also admitted he sent her sexually explicit messages. 

Sahota is the founder and former chief executive officer of MetaTV, a Mill Valley firm that develops portals and formats for interactive Internet television services. He was replaced as CEO of MetaTV in June 2001, just days after his arrest. 

LAS VEGAS — Under fire by some black leaders, MGM Mirage Inc. reported Monday that it is putting more minorities in management and employing more minority vendors and contractors as part of its diversity efforts. 

The largest operator of Las Vegas Strip hotel-casinos acknowledged criticism of its minority business practices when MGM Grand announced its $6.4 billion merger with Mirage Resorts in May 2000. Company officials told state gambling regulators at the time that it would improve after the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People criticized the company’s management. 

On Monday, company officials issued a progress report that detailed the company’s successes and its unmet goals. 

“While more than half of the work force is minority, less than a third of managers and above are minorities,” said Terry Lanni, MGM Mirage chairman, who gave the company’s inaugural diversity report. 

“Hispanics clearly have the largest challenge in upward mobility, although each minority group is underrepresented (in management),” he said. 

MGM Mirage established the gambling industry’s first “diversity initiative,” Lanni said. 

“We recognized the importance of diversity to the success of our business,” he told about 270 minority group and business representatives at a luncheon at MGM Grand hotel-casino. 

As examples, Lanni pointed to the company’s recent hiring of a black woman as a senior vice president and the formation of a diversity committee headed by another black woman — MGM Mirage board member Alexis Herman, former Labor Secretary in the Clinton administration. 

“But that doesn’t mean we’re going to fire every white male,” he added. 

The company’s Clark County resorts spent $445 million on goods and services in 2001. Of that, $24.3 million, or 5.5 percent, was spent with minority and female-owned businesses, Lanni said. “With 28.5 percent of Clark County comprised of minorities, we should be doing one heck of a lot more than 5.5 percent of our total business with women- and minority-owned firms,” he said. “We have got a lot of work to do.” 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A federal judge has ordered handheld computer maker Palm Inc. and its former parent, 3Com Corp., to post a $50 million bond ina dispute with Xerox Corp. over a handwriting-recognition patent. 

The struggling computer maker and 3Com, both based in Santa Clara, Calif., are appealing a Dec. 20 ruling that they infringed on Xerox’s patent of the technology, which allows users to enter letters and numbers into personal-data units with simple, one-stroke motions. 

U.S. District Judge Michael Telesca ordered the bond Feb. 22. 

If the Stamford, Conn.-based company prevails on the appeal, the bond “will ensure that Xerox is able to collect at least some, if not all, of the damages it will suffer as a result of 3Com’s infringement during the appeal period,” he wrote. 

The bond covers only the potential damages that accrue during the appeal period, not the entire infringement period. 

Xerox sued U.S. Robotics, later acquired by 3Com, in April 1997, claiming that the technology marketed as Graffiti and used in Palm, Handsprings and other handheld devices infringed a Xerox patent received on Jan. 21, 1997. 

Telesca ruled in December that Xerox’s patent for Unistrokes technology invented at its research center in Palo Alto, Calif., was valid and was infringed upon by Palm and 3Com in devices that use “Graffiti” language. 

Last week, the judge denied Xerox’s motion for an injunction that would have prevented Palm from selling its electronic organizers during the appeal period. 

A rejection of Palm and 3Com’s appeal by the Court of Appeals would clear the way for Xerox to seek damages. 

“We continue to serve notice that Xerox will always take the appropriate actions to protect its valuable patents from unauthorized use and infringement,” Xerox general counsel Christina Clayton said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — To recover from its worst-ever recession, the high-tech industry needs to create better new products said Intel Corp. chief executive Craig Barrett Monday, while speaking at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. 

He said Intel’s decision to continue spending on research, development and manufacturing during the downturn is paying off as the company is now producing faster and cheaper processors than ever before. 

“The only way to get out of a recession is with new products,” Barrett told about 4,000 attendees of the Intel Developer Forum. “Old technology does not sell. ... You need to continue to invest.” 

FORT WORTH, Texas — Thirteen Parker County families have filed a lawsuit against Chevron Pipe Line Co., alleging it dumped toxic and carcinogenic chemicals at its pipeline booster/pump station east of Brock. 

The families allege chemicals have migrated into the soil and groundwater sources of nearby farms and ranches, Fort Worth law firm Puls, Taylor & Woodson LLP said Monday. 

The lawsuit was filed Feb. 22 in state court in Weatherford. 

Leaks from boosters, sumps, pumps, swab traps and oil water separators on or under the station are cited as sources of the pollution 

A spokesman for ChevronTexaco in Houston, Mickey Driver, said the company hadn’t yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment. 

Chevron Pipe Line Co. is a subsidiary of San Francisco-based ChevronTexaco Corp. 

Brock is about 30 miles west of Fort Worth. 

STANFORD — Stanford University faculty and students mourned the death and honored the life of fallen Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl Monday. 

Pearl, a Stanford alumnus, was remembered as a bright, funny person, who was both a driven and gentle soul. He graduated from Stanford in 1985 with a degree in communications. Nearly 600 people crowded into Memorial Church to remember Pearl. 

“I’m going to miss knowing that he is out there in the world,” said Karen Edwards, who was a classmate of Pearl. 

Stanford President John Hennessy said an endowment would be established in Pearl’s name to benefit communications students. 

Born on Oct. 10, 1963, in Princeton, N.J., Pearl worked for newspapers in Massachusetts after growing up near Los Angeles and graduating from Stanford University. 

Pearl joined The Wall Street Journal in 1990. He spent three years in Atlanta; moved to Washington, D.C., in 1993, where he covered transportation; then moved to London in 1996 and to Paris in February 1998. 

“It was obvious he was destined for a brilliant career,” said Henry Breitrose, a Stanford professor. Based in Bombay, India, for the past year as the Journal’s bureau chief for South Asia, Pearl was on assignment in Pakistan pursuing as part of the newspaper’s coverage of the war on terrorism in neighboring Afghanistan. Nearly a month after his abduction by Islamic extremists, the U.S. State Department confirmed Thursday that Pearl had died. The Journal said it believed Pearl was killed by his captors. 

“I truly like to believe that during the countless hours he was being held by kidnappers, that this also numbed him into thinking clearly, brilliantly and he achieved a state of grace true to his spirit,” said Marion Lewenstein, a Stanford professor. Pearl’s wife Mariane is a French free-lance journalist, who lived and worked with Pearl in Pakistan. She is seven months pregnant with the couple’s first child. 

Berkeley remembers famed attorney Robert Treuhaft  

Few American biographies are so clearly a patchwork of political struggles, and even fewer of us live the majority of our breathing moments struggling for the rights of others, Berkeley said goodbye to one such man this weekend. 

Memorial services were held on Saturday for famed civil rights Robert Treuhaft at H’s Lordship in the Berkeley Marina.  

Treuhaft died in New York on November 11 at the age of 89. Best known for his years of working on the forefront of several battles in American politics, he was also a known communist during the McCarthy era. After relocating to Oakland, he defended the Black Panthers in the 60’s and more recently collaborated with his late wife, Jessica “Decca” Mitford, on her best-selling book “The American Way of Death,” which exposed wide-scale corruption in the funeral industry and resulted in regulatory interventions.  

He also took up defending labor unions, the Free Speech Movement and defending poor victims of police brutality, antiwar protesters, workers' rights, etc. — you name a cause worth fighting for in America and he was right there. 

In the Bay Area Civil Rights movement, he is credited not only for much of the growth of the progressive movement in the 1940’s but also inspired the political awakening of many who are now synonymous with Bay Area politics. 

In 1953, he was dragged out before the House of Un-American Activities Committee in California and branded as one of the most dangerous and subversive lawyers in the country.  

His wife Jessica, in the book the original “Muckraker” credits him as being her inspiration for the “The American Way of Dying.” It was his work defending the widow’s of longshoreman that spawned the original germ for this expose into the funeral industry.  

“The subject perfectly united his fervor on behalf of the economically exploited with her macabre sense of humor: Until his death, morticians' 

luxury catalogues were still arriving at the Oakland house and making him harrumph and chuckle,” wrote Stephanie Zacherak about the famous couple. 

This book helped shape consumer legislation, and it was reported to influence Robert Kennedy’s decision to purchase a modest coffin for his murdered brother.  

From 1962 to 1978 Treuhaft worked on behalf of the East Bay Civil Rights Congress and became the lead counsel for various demonstrators in Oakland as well as Berkeley.  

He remained active, well into his 80’s, and continued the struggle. 

He inspired his younger colleagues to not give up. One such story was retold on Saturday that had originally been told on he and his wife’s 50th wedding anniversary. 

One young black lawyer recalled that Treuhaft had pushed her to finish law school. She was sitting in a bedroom of the Oakland house and said she suddenly felt inspired. It was then that Treuhaft came in and told her that the room had the same effect on Maya Angelou. “It’s where she begun I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” he said. 

The UK Independent, CCB Berkeley Oral History 

and the San Francisco Chronicle contributed to this report 

Editor:  

I would like to address the suspicious and tremendously political process that is going on in regards to the redistricting plans for Berkeley, and further highlight the need for a student member on the city council. 

Over the past few months, a battle has been going on between Progressives, Moderates, and Berkeley students.  

Plans have been approved, rejected and repealed — in a manner that typifies politicking as opposed to good governance that we have come to expect out of the Berkeley government. 

It is imperative that the city council approves a city-redistricting plan that not only represents accurate demographic data but that produces a district that gives the 30,000 UC Berkeley student residents a legitimate chance to have one of their own on the city council. 

While the original ASUC plan of a District 7 student population (ages 18-24) of 71%, may have seemed a bit much to some, it nevertheless stood no chance because of an antiquated city charter law that essentially promotes the status quo by requiring that the lines remain in tact as much as possible. This is a tremendously limiting barrier for the city as it prohibits Berkeley from adapting to the natural demographic changes that occur during the ten years between censuses. Berkeley needs to be organized in a way befitting of its actual make-up.  

The Associated Students of the University of California (the student government at Cal) has a plan that does this. By forming districts based on actual numbers, District 7 will have a student population of 60%. In addition, previous plans proposed drastically undercounted by the 1000’s many of the student residential halls populations. And in response to this, certain council plans called for merely spreading the undercount evenly across districts as opposed to including every citizen in Berkeley. This method is completely unacceptable.  

In addition, it appears as if the Progressive Party is set upon moving some students out of District 7 and into District 8 so that they might have a chance to defeat District 8 representative Polly Armstrong (a moderate). This gerrymandering is not only an abuse of power, but also futile as District 8 will remain predominantly moderate in any redistricting plan.  

The importance of redistricting is unquestionable. It extends back to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and if done properly, can provide a way for underrepresented minority groups to gain political power and leverage. The Berkeley City Council needs to remember this. Having a student-majority district is a natural and needed reality in a city where they represent almost 1/3 of the 96,000 residents. I hope we all remember this in the upcoming meetings regarding this issue, starting with the public debate this Tuesday, February 19th. Redistricting is needed in Berkeley. But it is needed in a way that reflects the demographic structure of the city and not the political wishes of those who vote on it.  

Monday, Feb. 25

A Rose Grew in Brooklyn: Stories from a Jewish Girlhood 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Local author and therapist, Rose Fox reads from her memoir. 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

John Matsasuka presents a lecture entitled “For the Many or the Few: How the Initiative Process Changes American Government”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

U. S. Nuclear Weapons Program 

9 p.m. 

Wesley Student Center  

2398 Bancroft Way 

Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley CAREs, speaks on the U.S. nuclear weapons program, including new, mini-nukes, plutonium shipments to Livermore Lab., the National Ignition Facility project, recent law suits filed against the government. 527-2057.  

Parkinson’s Support Group 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1801 Hearst Ave. 

A support group for people with Parkinson’s, their families and caregivers.  

527-9075. 

Tuesday, Feb. 26

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

The Legal Challenges of Parenting Facing LGBT Couples 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Boalt Hall, Room 100 

An informal wine and cheese reception will follow the panel discussion. 415-551-1275, boaltcaucus@yahoo.com. 

Berkeley Organization for  

Animal Advocacy Presents:  

Dr. Ned C. Buyukmihci 

7 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

204 Wheeler Hall 

Buyukmihci will speak about the ethical dangers of animal experimentation. 925-487-4419, http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~boaa/. 

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Berkeley Gray Panthers 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Defending and improving Medicare. 548-9696, graypanthers@hotmail.com.  

Berkeley Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Auditorium 

Berkeley mental health clinic. 644-8562. 

Poetry Workshop 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

The Literary Arts Program at the Berkeley Art Center is starting a weekly, 3 month poetry workshop facilitated by Rob Lipton. All levels welcome. 665-1662. 

Thursday, Feb. 28

Cody's Evening for Parents and Teachers 

7 p.m. 

Cody's Books 

1730 Fourth St. 

Rosemary Wells, children's author of dozens of books including Max and Ruby and Noisy Nora, will discuss children, books, and the importance of reading to your children. 527-6667, www.parentsnet.org. 

Trekking in Bhutan 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seasoned traveler, Ruther Anne Kocour will share slides and stories of her adventures trekking in this majestic country. 527-7377 

Take the Terror Out of Talking 

noon - 1:10 p.m. 

Calif. Dept. Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way 

Room 804 

State Health Toastmasters Club is presenting a six-week Speechcraft workshop to help you overcome your fear of speaking in public and improve your communication skills. Cost is $36 for six sessions, Feb. 28 & March 7, 14, 21. 649-7750. 

Dennis Gates scored a career-high 17 points as Cal completed a home sweep of the Los Angeles schools by routing USC, 83-64, Saturday afternoon at Haas Pavilion. 

The win improved Cal’s record to 20-6, 11-5 in the Pac-10, and gave head coach Ben Braun his third 20-win season at Cal. USC fell to 19-7, 11-5 in conference, and into a second-place tie with Cal and Arizona. 

Gates was one of four Golden Bears in double figures, including fellow senior starters Ryan Forehan-Kelly (14 points) and Solomon Hughes (10). 

“I’m really happy for them,” Braun said of his seniors. “Their winners by their attitude, by their unselfishness. They’re team guys. I couldn’t ask for a better effort from Solomon, Dennis and Forehan-Kelly.” 

Point guard A.J. Diggs, who started in place of the injured Shantay Legans, chipped in 12 points, four assists and three steals. 

Diggs had his hands full with USC’s Brandon Granville, one of the few Trojans who arrived in Berkeley with his shooting touch intact. The Cal walk-on sophomore did a nice job against USC’s experienced senior point guard, who scored 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting and dished out eight assists. 

“A.J. certainly never backed down from a challenge,” Braun said. “He had a solid game. Not too many people play harder than A.J.” 

The Bears trademark stingy defense made life miserable for the Trojans and star Sam Clancy. The 6-foot-7 center, averaging 19.2 points per game coming into the day, scored 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting. The Bears held USC to just 33.8 percent shooting from the field for the game. 

Freshman Jamal Sampson spent most of the time guarding Clancy, and the freshman outplayed the Pac-10 Player of the Year candidate. 

“I thought this was a big game for him,” Braun said of Sampson. “He’s a guy who takes that challenge [of defending Clancy] on. Jamal was with him step for step.” 

Sampson and the Bears were all over the Trojans during an eight-minute stretch of the second quarter during which Cal outscored USC 12-0. At the 10:52 mark, a Granville free throw tied the game at 24-24, but his team didn’t score again until Clancy hit a bucket with 2:38 remaining in the half. Meanwhile, Sampson scored six points with Clancy guarding him and blocked a shot. Sampson finished with four blocks for the game. 

Joe Shipp had two dunks during the run. The first came off a beautiful behind-the-back, no-look pass from Amit Tamir. The latter had an off-day shooting the ball, making 1-of-7 from the field, but he led the Bears with seven assists. 

‘You can’t measure his worth in just points,’ Braun said. ‘What I was impressed with is he had seven assists and no turnovers.’ 

Cal took a 42-31 lead into halftime. 

USC started out the second half as the more aggressive team, closing to within seven points with a 10-6 run that made the score 48-41. But that was the closest the Trojans would get. Cal slapped them with a 15-7 run, which included six points from Gates and blocked shots by Hughes and Sampson, and the lead swelled to 63-48. 

Cal travels to face the Arizona schools next week with a shot at first place on the line. The Bears need one or both of the L.A. schools to beat first-place Oregon (20-7, 12-4) next week and hope for good results against Arizona State and Arizona. 

But they’ll enjoy this weekend first. 

“They’re big wins,” Braun said of sweeping the L.A. schools. “Playing UCLA and USC in back-to-back games, that’s tough. It’s nice to be getting these wins at the end of the year. I hope it’s indicative of where we’re going.”

Seventy to eighty people gathered in tents outside Oakland airport Tuesday to protest a provision in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act that requires airport security screeners to be U.S. citizens. Organizers predicted that 4,500 workers will lose their jobs in the Bay Area, 400 of them at Oakland airport, and the majority of them Filipino. 

“This is part of an anti-immigrant wave,” said Kawal Ulanday, a spokesperson for Filipinos for Affirmative Action, who sponsored the event.  

He said that American citizenship is unnecessary to perform a screener’s job. The government, he said, is fanning the patriotism that swept the country after September 11. “They are trying to create a climate in which all immigrants are suspicious.” 

In effect as of Tuesday, the act requires that federal security screeners replace private security checkers gradually over the year. It nationalizes airport security entirely by November 19th.  

Because federal employment requires U.S. citizenship, non-citizen screeners, even if legal immigrants, could soon start receiving pink slips, according to Ulanday. 

Ulanday coordinated the Oakland rally with similar protests at San Francisco International and San Jose airports in support of Filipino and other immigrant workers. He said that the new law renders immigrants ineligible for the 28,000 new federal security jobs created by the ATWA, and will affect 15 to 20% of screeners nationwide, and as many as 90% of the screeners at SFO.  

Many of the Oakland screeners have had their jobs for a long time, some as many as ten years, according to Ulanday, and have the experience and competency to retain them.  

Ideally, he would like the new law repealed, but as that is unlikely, he would like to see the current screeners receive the necessary training by the Department of Transportation to bring them up to the new security standards and qualify them for the higher pay.  

The new jobs will start at $20,000 to $30,000 a year, according to Jim Mitchell, a spokesperson at the Department of Transportation.  

They now pay, $7.00 to $11.75 an hour. 

Mitchell said that the law is not designed to keep immigrants from federal jobs, but to create a professional security force and a consistent security system. He hopes that the experienced screeners, once they have their citizenship, will apply for the new jobs created by the airport security act. 

“There are a lot of good screeners out there,” said Mitchell. “We want the best ones to stay with us because they have the experience and probably have a lot of good ideas we could use.”  

The citizenship requirement for federal employment is the law, he said, and it is the most practical way to run background checks on potential employees. It’s more difficult to screen applicants that are not U.S. citizens, he said. 

Editor: 

Berkeley with a Transit First policy should approach zoning in an evolutionary manner.  

As a minimum, for the area along Hearst Street that is clearly within two major transit corridors, University and San Pablo, via a short accessible walk should maintain status quo zoning, not downzone. Actually, Berkeley should increase density to maintain, support and improve transit.  

Last June on a transit study tour, I visited Curitiba, Brazil, a city that United Nation considers the most Livable and Sustainable City. I viewed transit corridors with 6-10 story buildings lining transitways but a block back they had 3-4 story buildings and further beyond were single storied homes. People use transit for 

65% of all their trips, still surprising, they provide 1.3 million trips/day via only a bus system that is not publicly subsidized. 

Here, AC Transit is upgrading the bus service along San Pablo that will be similar to Los Angeles’ Wilshire Metro Rapid Bus. LA, using signal priority with low-floor buses and special boarding stops has attracted over 40,000 additional riders per day with buses operating at 2 minutes intervals during peak periods and still they are crowded.  

The major reason for its high ridership is the high corridor density. With additional riders, transit service need not be subsidized as much.  

Downzoning leads to less access to transit and negates the effort of AC Transit’s attempt to improve transit through Berkeley. If our intent is to be a Transit First City we should support development of higher density transit corridors and educate the public that this is what we are working towards. In the long run, it will provide for the livability, health, environment and viability of the city similar to Curitiba. 

Roy Nakadegawa P.E. 

BART Director, District 3 

Berkeley

The St. Mary’s High boys basketball team executed its game plan perfectly Saturday night and defeated Salesian 69-56 in front of a packed house at Albany High. The win gave the Panthers their second straight Bay Shore Athletic League title and their fifth win the last two seasons over their league rival. 

St. Mary’s guard John Sharper led all scorers with 20 points, including a 3-point rainmaker from NBA range with under two minutes remaining in the game. The hoop, which was the Panthers’ first in more than four minutes, stopped a Salesian comeback run dead in its tracks.  

“We had to make them play our game,” Sharper said after the Panthers’ 19th consecutive victory. “We needed to run and we had to pressure them.” 

Salesian (20-9) knew going into the game that it didn’t want to get sucked into playing St. Mary’s (25-2) up-tempo brand of offense. But the Panthers didn’t give the overmatched Chieftains the option to play any other way. 

“They just wear you down,” said Salesian head coach Bill Mellis. “They get you to play their game.” 

The Chieftains scored the game’s first points on a 3-pointer by 6-foot-3 junior Kevin Richardson, but poor foul shooting (6-of-21) by Salesian and deadly outside shooting by St. Mary’s proved too much for the Chieftains to overcome. The Panthers led by three at the end of the first quarter and stretched it to double-digits at halftime, 33-23.  

Out of the locker room St. Mary’s caught fire, scoring the first seven points and stretching its lead to 55-36 at the end of the third. Salesian staged a rally late in the fourth quarter and pulled to within 10 points, but the sharp-shooting Panthers held on. 

All season St. Mary’s has relied on a trio of senior stars – Sharper, DaShawn Freeman and Chase Moore – to lead the fast-paced offense and pressure defense. Freeman scored 11 Saturday night and Moore, who sat out much of the first half with two fouls, added eight.  

“As long as we kept pushing the ball up court, we knew we’d be fine,” Moore said. “If we gave them an ounce of confidence they were going to take advantage.” 

Fellow St. Mary’s seniors Terrence Boyd and Tim Fanning came up with some key buckets, especially in the second half. Boyd scored nine points, all after the break, including a 3-pointer to open the third quarter. Fanning, meanwhile, came off the bench at the start of the second period and drained two 3’s. In the middle, 6-foot-8 junior Simon Knight tossed in six points, while freshman Larry Gurganious added seven. 

“These kids are tough,” said St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo. “(Many are) seniors, they have a lot of pride. They play like champions.” 

St. Mary’s beat Salesian earlier this season 70-57 and won all three meetings against the Chieftains last year, including a victory in the North Coast Section championship game. 

“It’s always tough to play them because it’s such a rivalry and there’s so much emotion involved,” Caraballo said. 

The Panthers went on to win the Division IV State Championship last season, but won’t repeat this year because they will compete in Division I. 

Caraballo said at the start of the season that he’s set his goals higher for this year and he still thinks that St. Mary’s is one of the best teams at any level. That will be put to the test starting on Tuesday, as the Panthers start the North Coast Section playoffs with a matchup against Antioch High. Caraballo’s squad earned the No. 2 seed and will get a home game in the first round, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. De La Salle High got the top seed. 

After the game Saturday, he wondered what a matchup between two of Northern California’s top teams might yield when the championship game is played at Berkeley’s 12,000-seat Haas Pavilion. 

“Can you imagine us and De La Salle at Haas? How many people we’d have there?” Caraballo said with a grin. “We’ve just got to get there.”

California Public Utilities Commission officials announced they plan to file a complaint with federal authorities today asking them to abrogate or rewrite 44 long-term power contracts that it says are unfair by $21 billion. CPUC officials say commission lawyers will file the complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission tomorrow. 

“It is our hope that the FERC moves expeditiously on this matter to give much-needed justice to ratepayers,'' California commission president Loretta Lynch said. 

“When these contracts were negotiated, the sellers had California over a barrel. Now it's time for the FERC to recognize last year's out of control market prices and lower California's power costs,” she said. 

The complaint, copies of which were made available to reporters on Sunday, says that in January, 2001 “at the height of the California market dysfunction,” the California Department of Water Resources was “thrust into the position of embarking on an unprecedented program of power procurement.”  

That happened, the complaint says, at a time when the market was “dominated by the exercise of market power” by power companies that initial mitigation efforts by the federal officials only made worse. 

“In this environment, despite its best efforts, CDWR was forced to pay unjust and unreasonable prices, and to agree to onerous, unjust and unreasonable non-price terms and conditions, in order to secure the power necessary to ensure that the lights stayed on in California,” the complaint says. 

The complaint says that in many cases, the state was “forced to accept high-priced power for 10 or even 20 years in order to obtain any power at all for the two to three year period in which it sought to focus its efforts.” 

The complaint says the challenged contracts violate applicable law because their prices, terms, and conditions are "tainted with the exercise of market power” and therefore "unjust and unreasonable” under the Federal Power Act. Among the allegedly unfair terms cited are provisions providing for payment priority over bond repayment, a requirement that the water resources department remain creditworthy without a corresponding requirement on the part of the sellers along with other "asymmetrical” terms. 

A spokeswoman for San Jose-based Calpine Corp., one of the companies targeted in the complaint, said Sunday that the action had been expected and “will have no impact on the company's ability to continue to deliver electric power to Californians on the terms of its current contracts with the state.” She said Calpine is “confident that the FERC will find Calpine's long-term contracts with the California Department of Water Resources are just and reasonable.” 

Editor: 

(RE: Daily Planet Newspaper Article, Friday, February 8, 2002) 

To the seven of you who voted to support the City Manager’s measured approach, thank you. Your sensitivity to the possibility being misunderstood by many in this country, which could negatively impact the City, is appreciated. 

John H. DeClercq 

Senior Vice President 

TransAction Financial Corporation 

The St. Mary’s girls basketball team led by as many as 13 points against Kennedy Saturday night, but foul trouble in the backcourt cost the Panthers as the Eagles rallied in the second half to beat St. Mary’s 59-54 at Albany High in the BSAL championship game. 

“We had to help on defense and that got us into foul trouble,” said senior guard Heide Spurgeon, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter. “I wouldn’t say we didn’t match up against (Kennedy center Deidra Chatman), but you definitely have to adjust when you play someone like that.” 

The win gave Kennedy (14-0 BSAL) back-to-back undefeated league seasons and its second straight Bay Shore Athletic League title. 

The two teams could meet again this week in the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs. The Eagles are the No. 3 seed and have a bye in the first round. St. Mary’s earned the sixth seed and face McKinleyville at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at home, with the winner heading to Kennedy on Wednesday. 

Kennedy’s Chatman led all scorers with 20 points on Saturday, including 8-of-13 from the free-throw line, while forward Rashonda Abercrombia added 16. 

Heading into the game as the heavy favorite, Kennedy looked unfocused and lackadaisical early on. Their attention shifted from the game when, midway through the first half, there was some confusion as to how many fouls Kennedy’s Crystal Thomsen had. The scorers listed three, but the Eagles counted only two.  

“We couldn’t get caught up in the officials calls,” said Kennedy head coach Allen Moore. “I told them to work the ball inside and capitalize on (St. Mary’s) foul trouble.” 

St. Mary’s (12-2), who squeezed out a two-point win against Holy Names to reach the finals, got into foul trouble early in Saturday’s game. Spurgeon and freshman Nateanah Fripp each picked up three fouls in the first half and were forced to the bench.  

Fripp and St. Mary’s other freshman, Shantrell Sneed, led all Panthers scorers with 18 apiece Saturday night. Fripp scored 12 in the first half alone and junior guard Meghan Leary added 7 for the Panthers. 

“Our two freshmen really stepped up,” Spurgeon said. 

The Panthers led the entire first half, but got drawn into the Eagles’ fast-paced style of basketball in the second and was unable to set up a half court offense. 

“We like to play a half court game, but we started running because we didn’t think they could rotate well,” Spurgeon said. “We got into serious foul trouble and I think we got a little disoriented.” 

St. Mary’s went up by 13 with 6:08 remaining in the second quarter after Fripp was fouled on a 3-pointer. She nailed all three free throws to give the Panthers a 25-12 edge. Kennedy staged an 11-point run right before the break and narrowed the lead to a single point, 30-29, heading into the locker room. 

Less than a minute into the third quarter Kennedy grabbed its first lead of the game on a bucket by Chatman. The Eagles never trailed again and led by as many as 13 with six minutes left in the game. Kennedy fought off a late St. Mary’s run in which Sneed scored 11 points in five minutes and pulled her team to within four. 

“At halftime our coach started out by telling us what they were doing,” Chatman said. “I asked what we needed to do.” 

The answer: get back on defense, work on positioning and get the ball inside to capitalize on St. Mary’s foul trouble. 

Kennedy accomplished those goals in the second half en route to winning its second consecutive BSAL title.  

“I think our coach might have taken the game a bit lightly, but our team didn’t,” Chatman said. “I was a little nervous when we were down in the first half, but I told my team that I wasn’t going to let us lose.”

Complaints about public sex at Aquatic Park may spark clearing overall changes at marina 

Early Sunday morning Egrets and Blue Herons had gathered onto separate pirches, in the distances the last 500 or so feet of the 3,000 foot long Berkeley pier had faded off into the morning dew and 44-year-old Mondo dropped bread crumbs sparingly to the ground.  

“You never know right,” he said laughingly, not wanting to waste too much of the limited food supplies he received yesterday from a Richmond mission. 

“I’ve been on the streets for five years, after all that time I’d be a fool to be surprised anymore.” 

He was in good spirits that morning because he was anticipating that he would be able to eat breakfast and dinner, and in addition he was asked back to work that day.  

Earlier that morning Mondo was so excited that he was unable to sleep and ended up making the acquaintance with a young woman who had pulled p beside his van in an older model stationwagon. She had three children, he remembered, and had left an abusive situation in Castro Valley.  

“She didn’t know where anything was,” Mondo said. “So I drew her a map — where she could get a meal and some groceries and even programs and stuff. Some places you have to listen to a lot of the gospel but some places you don’t, you can just go in and get yourself together. It’s really hard out here for women.” 

Just on the other side of the freeway in Aquatic Park, a political row brewing over alleged public sex, may change things for Mondo as well as the other handful or so homeless people who have been parking there. 

The issue of public sex occurring at the park has been witnessed by very few. It was brought to the Waterfront Commission’s attention by Claudia Kawczynska, a member, said Brad Smith, vice chair of the commission.  

And since then, members have been navigating politically volatile waters — on one hand not wanting to appear homophobic but on the other hand wanting very much to not allow Aquatic Park to degenerate into seediness. 

“There’s been a request for more police at aquatic park,” Kamen said. “But we’re trying to be very careful about this issue because we don’t want to come off as being homophobic or anything. But public sex there especially with Greenland where there are going to be families using the park, it is just not appropriate.”  

“The demographic of people having public sex there don’t tend to be low-lifes by any stretch of the imagination. They tend to be very much closeted,” he added. Consequently one idea that has surfaced is a possible web cam, videotaping activity at the Park. 

“So you put up the web cam and take away the anonymity,” he explained. “Another idea would be to take the KRE building and turn it into a gay social club. I think it would be a wonderful way to get those guys out of the bushes and give them a place to socialize.”  

Commissioners say they do not want to criminalize the men who go there, but with so many plans facing the entire waterfront area, something must happen to change behavior.  

Meanwhile on the marina side proposed changes also threaten the homeless who use the strip of parking between Skates on the Bay and H’s Lordships to sleep in their cars. H’s Lordships will be renovating and adding on more dining space. Negotiations are also underway for the Doc of the Bay site. In addition, there a walkway is planned to go from Skates to the Berkeley Yacht club. All of this activity will undoubtedly affect just how lenient the city looks on the homeless. 

Smith said he believes sexual allegations about Aquatic Park as well as proposals for the Marina to be the basis for increased attention in the area. 

“I think there’s always been a desire to improve Aquatic Park. It has historically had a reputation for being a little seedy,” Smith said. “The topic of the homeless have come up. I haven’t noticed any difference but I think there is a sense of there being an increase in crime.” 

Kamen said the homeless have been in the area for nearly as long as the park itself and he predicts that the number of people actually camping overnight on the marina to be relatively low. 

“In a way it’s really the best place for it. You’d expect them to camp out there and would prefer it to happen there as opposed to a residential neighborhood,” Kamen said.“It’s generally looked up with some leniency to a certain extent. But it can promote other activities if it is not done discreetly.”  

Editor: 

I want to thank Superintendent Lawrence for beginning the much needed step of reducing BUSD’s top heavy bureaucracy.  

For over two decades the community has been asking the school board and administration to reduce our cumbersome and unproductive administration. BUSD’s management is notorious for bureaucratic sloth. It is this bureaucratic slothfulness that has led us into our current fiscal problem, because the management was not able to produce coherent, consistent and accurate financial information. The reduction of BUSD’s top heavy administration is a much needed step, even if BUSD did not face a fiscal problem. So, thank-you Superintendent Lawrence for beginning this reduction process in the Education Services Division. 

It is this legacy of bureaucratic sloth which gives me grave concern and raises many questions. I have attended both public budget meetings and all Board meetings since last September. The public has been told that one of the main reasons for FCMAT’s intervention is that the numbers in the June, 2001 budget are not reliable nor accurate. We have been told that this inaccuracy is due to BUSD’s antiquated computer and business system. Yet our current financial crisis is entirely predicated upon this antiquated and unreliable computer system because FCMAT’s December, 2001deficit is produced from recalculations of numbers from this antiquated and unreliable computer system. I and members of the public have requested and not yet received an explanation for the $25 million increase in expenditures listed in the December budget figures. 

The Superintendent’s proposed reorganization now before the Board makes sweeping, dramatic and fundamental shifts and cuts. These cuts will change the philosophy upon which our community’s education is based. This is a matter of concern for all of us. 

At the last public hearing on the budget, the Superintendent was specifically asked if there were any comparative analysis of the cost of an elementary school program versus the costs of the high school program. The answer, was no, the computer system could not calculate that. .Given that programs many of us have worked hard to keep face the chopping block, including sports, music, 7 periods at the high school, library, magnet schools and more, I ask that cuts not be made based upon hunches, or estimates. Cuts should only be made based upon correct, accurate facts. 

Before the Board makes any changes and any cuts, it is imperative that the underlying data upon which the FCMAT numbers is based, be made public and a full explanation made as to how the December figures were derived. 

Yolanada Huang 

Berkeley

Saturday’s ACCAL championship game between Berkeley High and Encinal High wasn’t exactly high drama: the Lady ’Jackets stomped the Jets by 21 points two weeks ago in the regular season meeting, and there was no reason to think the rematch would be any different. Berkeley cruised out to a 21-9 lead after one quarter and never looked back, winning the league title with a 59-35 victory. 

The ’Jackets (19-8) earned the top seed in this week’s North Coast Section Division I playoffs. They will face Mission San Jose at home on Tuesday, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura is in an unusual situation, with just 10 active players on varsity. The ’Jackets are usually the deepest team in California, with 15 players used as interchangable parts, but injuries and academic issues have left the bench thin. Nakamura said he plans to promote five junior varsity players for the postseason, but there will be a larger load for the starters to carry. 

Nakamura’s two senior stars, guard Angelita Hutton and forward Sabrina Keys, proved themselves capable of putting the team on their shoulders on Saturday. scoring Berkeley’s first 19 points to grab a 19-8 lead after six minutes. Hutton nailed three of her game-high four 3-pointers during the early going, with Keys doing the dirty work inside. 

Hutton led Berkeley with 18 points and also had 2 blocked shots. Keys scored 16 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter, and she also had 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. 

The Jets, on the other hand, looked like they had never seen a basketball before for much of the game, committing turnover after turnover and chucking up shots from all over the court. They were just 7-for-41 from the field through the first three quarters and shot just 24 percent for the game, giving them no chance of overtaking the ’Jackets. 

Nicole Hornage was the only Encinal player who approached efficiency on the offensive end, scoring a game-high 22 points. But Encinal’s other weapons, Jackie Randolph, Shafon Rollins and Amber English, were a combined 4-for-37 from the field, with Rollins the high scorer with 4 points. Randolph and Rollins were held scoreless in the first half. 

“We know they’re not a great shooting team,” Nakamura said of the Jets. “We wanted to make them play on the outside and not give up offensive rebounds.”

On Feb. 25, 1793, the department heads of the U.S. government met with President Washington at his home for the first Cabinet meeting on record. 

On this date: 

In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated England’s Queen Elizabeth I. 

In 1836, inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver. 

In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan. 

In 1919, Oregon became the first state to tax gasoline. 

In 1948, Communists seized power in Czechoslovakia. 

In 1950, “Your Show of Shows,” starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris, debuted on NBC TV. 

In 1986, President Ferdinand E. Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency. 

In 1990, Nicaraguans went to the polls in an election that resulted in an upset victory for the alliance opposed to the ruling Sandinistas. 

In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. 

In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers. 

The Cal men’s rugby team got their fourth win in seven days with a 47-13 drubbing of University of British Columbia on Saturday at Witter Field. The Bears took a home sweep of Canada’s top two collegiate teams with the victory. 

“It’s been a good week,” Cal head coach Jack Clark said. “The guys were keen for both games, to keep our tradition going.” 

The Bears also avenged their only loss of last season, a 27-25 setback in Berkeley. After a close win over University of Victoria on Wednesday, Saturday’s game was less competitive much more spirited, with several fights and a barrage of penalties slowing the game to a crawl at times. 

“The referee’s contributions weren’t up to snuff, and the game got a little niggly,” Clark said. “We don’t need that. It just distracts us from what we’re trying to do.” 

It took Cal just seven minutes to take the lead, as a lineout deep in BC territory resulted in flyhalf Matt Sherman punching through the defense for a try and a 7-0 lead. The teams traded penalty kicks twice before Cal center Alex Houser scored on a short run for a 20-6 halftime lead. 

All-America loose forward Kort Schubert scored two tries in the second half for the Bears, the first when he went wide into the backline to outnumber the Thunderbird defenders in the 53rd minute. Schubert scored his second try when Sherman broke loose for a long run, then dumped the ball off just 10 yards from the goal line. 

The Thunderbirds did manage to score their only try in the second half on a freakish play. A poor pass from flyhalf Saro Turner slipped through fullback Stan Manu’s grasp, but the ball hit Manu’s foot and flew through the Cal defense. Manu recovered the ball on a full sprint, then threw a blind pass to wing Rob Petretta for the score. But by that time the Bears were comfortably ahead, and the rest of the game was marked only by a full-field dustup between the teams and a pushover try from the Bears.

WASHINGTON — Larry Berman shows off his new building with all the enthusiasm of a real estate agent who thinks he’s about to seal a deal. 

“Come over here,” he said as he stood near the window in the 11th-floor conference room. “Look at that view of the National Cathedral.” 

Berman, a 50-year-old political scientist, is director of the University of California’s Washington program. And his building is the university’s new 11-story Washington Center a few blocks north of the White House. 

The $30 million center, which opened in October, is a combination dormitory and lecture hall for up to 270 students, as well as offices for the university’s eight full-time lobbyists. 

It is the largest operation of its kind in Washington and projects the image of a university that brags about the more than $6 billion a year it gets from the federal government — more than all recipients of federal aid except for a few defense contractors. 

The genesis of the building was “to present a unified image of the University of California in Washington,” said Ellie Ross, UC’s special projects manager. 

The majority of the building is given over to student rooms — rent and parking fees are helping pay for its construction. 

The lobbying operation occupies just one floor but is a critical link between the federal government and the university system, with its nine campuses and three national laboratories. 

“People think of us as being state-funded,” said A. Scott Sudduth, UC’s chief Washington lobbyist. “But we receive as much if not more of our resources from the federal government.” 

The labs at Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos in New Mexico account for nearly half of UC’s federal aid, more than $3 billion. Only half jokingly, Sudduth said UC is the largest employer in New Mexico since the lab’s employees receive UC paychecks. 

Issues of weapons research and security have taken on new importance since Sept. 11, he said. 

The terrorist attacks also are playing an important role in shaping U.S. policy toward foreign students because at least one hijacker entered the country on a student visa. 

“There’s a whole new question post-9/11 of who has access to the American education system in terms of international students,” Sudduth said. 

But the university’s reach extends well beyond the labs and more traditional education policy issues. 

Because three of the university’s five hospitals are so-called safety-net hospitals that serve indigent patients, UC has fought Bush administration efforts to reduce federal payments to the safety-net hospitals. 

The lobbyists also are trying to preserve funding from Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older Americans, to teaching hospitals that train doctors. Proposed cuts could cost the UC hospitals $50 million over five years, Sudduth said. 

He said he’s been asked why UC has such a robust lobbying operation. 

“We receive more R-and-D funding than the Ivy League and Big Ten combined,” he said. 

As federal support of education has increased through student loans and grants as well as research money, lobbying by colleges and universities has increased as well. 

The State University of New York, as part of a push to boost its national profile and double its federal research dollars, last year hired a Capitol Hill lobbyist at a cost of $600,000. 

But SUNY’s goal, to reach $1 billion in research money by 2004, is small by UC’s standards. 

“Because of the national weapons labs, UC has more interaction with the federal government than almost any other university,” said Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education, which represents many of the nation’s universities in Washington. 

Sudduth, 42, who used to run the University of Texas lobbying office and previously worked as a congressional aide, said UC has recruited more experienced lobbyists in recent years, reflecting UC’s desire to influence policy. 

One example is the administration’s science budget. Sudduth said the university is concerned that the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy are being shortchanged, while the National Institutes of Health has had its budget doubled in the past five years. 

“Now we’re the largest benefactor of the increase at NIH,” Sudduth said. “But NIH is strong in the life sciences, and research doesn’t work that way today.” 

Work on the human genome might include contributions from computer scientists and engineers, as well as specialists in life sciences, he said. 

“We want to maximize the overall budget for basic research. Then let us go out and compete for grant money,” Sudduth said. “We feel confident we’ll get our share.” 

UC officials see their new building as a symbol of their strength — a sparkling glass-paneled, technologically advanced edifice. 

The idea for the new Washington center was to consolidate various university operations under one roof, akin to Washington programs run by Stanford, Boston and Cornell universities. 

Students come from the university’s nine campuses for 10 weeks or a semester at a time. By day, they work as interns throughout the federal government. They take classes in the evening. 

Cam-Tu “Cammie” Nguyen, 21, a senior at UC San Diego, works in the Justice Department’s press office, preparation for what she hopes is a career in public relations. 

She loves the location, a few blocks from the lively Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods. But Nguyen said her parents were hesitant about sending her to Washington after Sept. 11. 

“They were a little bit worried,” she said. “But I assured them that no one who was here in the fall quarter went home.” 

The building opened a few weeks after the terrorist attacks.  

UC students have been coming to Washington for internships for years, working in Congress, the White House and federal agencies while living in the suburbs and taking classes in a downtown office building. 

The structure is the envy of Washington campuses. Those that have their own facilities are in older, smaller buildings. 

“I hear Larry Berman has a great view and parking,” said Linda Jarschauer Johnson, who runs Cornell’s program.

Alameda County is using the $20 million a year it receives from the Proposition 10 tobacco tax approved by voters in 1998 to improve the quality of life for children and families through the Every Child Counts program, part of the Children and Families Commission. 

Among other benefits, the program funds early health care and education programs for young children, offers family support services, and reduces exposure to tobacco and other harmful substances, according to Mark Friedman, executive director of the Alameda County Children and Families Commission.  

“We think there’s a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to make sure that we shepherd these resources as best we can,” Friedman said during his appearance Tuesday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. “If we don’t do a good job with these resources, then we won’t get the opportunity again.” 

California voters approved Prop 10, the California Children and Families First Act of 1998, by a margin of one percent. It put a 50 cent per pack surtax on cigarettes and required the counties to use it for community health care services.  

Some $680 million a year is collected with 20 percent going to a statewide commission. The remaining 80 percent is divided among California’s 58 counties using a formula that takes into account birthrates and the number of smokers.  

While Alameda County gets $20 million, San Francisco gets $7 million and Santa Clara County, the largest in the Bay Area, gets $28 million. Marin, San Mateo, and Contra Costa counties receive amounts ranging from four to $13 million.  

Alameda County’s programs support caregivers, promote school readiness, and coordinate local, county and state services. Opponents of Proposition 10 have said that it takes money away from other health and human service programs. Friedman acknowledged that he has heard this complaint before. He said they were referring to Prop 99, an old tobacco tax, which levies a 25 cent tax that goes for education against tobacco use. Since the two taxes have dampened cigarette sales, he said, the money collected from Prop 99 has been reduced. Still, voters appear to support the newer tax. Efforts to repeal Prop 10, have failed.  

“However, the tobacco industry does not go away,” Friedman warned.  

The State of California was named in three lawsuits regarding Prop 10, but thus far, the proposition is still alive. “We think Prop 10 is not be the most elegant way of providing those services, by having to tax tobacco and particularly hurt a lot of low income people who may be addicted to tobacco, but it’s the best vehicle we have right now,” he said. 

“We’re not so arrogant to think that what we’ve designed here is the best way to do things, we just think it’s the best thing we can accomplish right now for children.” Friedman’s talk was part of a series on issues that impact children and families sponsored by the Action Alliance for Children United Way of the Bay Area and Providian Financial. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Two months after the top official at the Presidio stepped down amid allegations of nepotism and spending abuses, redevelopment plans for the verdant national park are moving forward — slowly. 

The board that controls the Presidio must meet a federal profitability mandate that local citizens fear will sacrifice the park’s environmental and historic sanctity. The Presidio Trust hopes to complete that master plan by June, and local opponents of developing the former Army base want to inject their priorities into that document. 

On Saturday, they gathered to renew the development-versus-preservation tug-of-war that began in 1996, when Congress founded the Presidio Trust — and said it had to be economically self sufficient by 2013. 

While Presidio officials explained the outpost’s 220-year history to hundreds of locals at an open house, Bill Henslin stood with a few dozen protesters to denounce what he described as a corporate takeover of the park. 

“The Presidio is not an enclave to the elite,” said Henslin, co-founder of the Friends of the Presidio National Park. “It should be a place for the public and it should emphasize natural and historic values over corporate values.” 

Protesters said the latter was the priority of James Meadows, the Presidio’s executive director who resigned in December after four years and a history of conflict with citizens groups. Several published reports accused Meadows of misspending on Presidio projects and running a patronage system that gave jobs to relatives and allowed subordinates to pay below-market rents for homes on site. 

Meadows also drew fire from preservationists when the trust inked a deal in August with movie producer George Lucas’ Lucasfilm Ltd. to build a 23-acre office and film production facility. That deal creates a 900,000-square-foot campus for 2,500 workers in place of an old hospital. 

“They had disagreements with his style,” Ron Sonenshine, spokesman for the trust, said Saturday. “He’s not here. What’s past is past.” 

The trust, which oversees 729 buildings and nearly 700 acres of open space, hired an executive consulting firm last week to find a replacement for Meadows. His annual salary was about $200,000, Sonenshine said. 

The citizen groups believe relations could get better with Presidio officials, though they say their vision is opposite the trust’s board of directors that will chose the next executive director. They also are asking for detailed federal audits of the trust’s finances. Sonenshine said the General Accounting Office audited the trust in 2001, part of what he described as “intense scrutiny from Congress and the federal government.” 

BURLINGAME — Police arrested a Minnesota woman on suspicion of stabbing her 13-year-old son to death at his father’s house Sunday. 

Donna Anderson, 49, of Shoreview, Minn., was being restrained by her bleeding ex-husband, Frank Burns, at 8:30 a.m. Sunday when police arrived at the home. 

Police said the teen-ager had been stabbed multiple times in the chest and upper torso. 

Police also suspect Anderson of stabbing Burns in the leg with a seven-inch kitchen knife as he tried to restrain her. Burns was treated and released from the hospital for his injury. 

Police said Burns heard a scream and went to see what was happening when he reportedly found Anderson stabbing the boy. 

The woman had brought her son from Minnesota to California so he could visit his father and grandparents, who live in the same house in the small city about 15 miles south of San Francisco. 

Burlingame Police Chief Gary Missel said they do not have a motive yet. 

SAN JOSE — Opponents of a proposed nuclear waste dump are trying to gather support from communities in California and 44 other states in the path of trucks and trains hauling radioactive materials to the site. 

Under one scenario, up to 300 loads of waste from California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant would be hauled by train through San Jose to the proposed Yucca Mountain waste site. Other possibilities would mean hundreds of trucks traveling on Interstate 5 from Southern California. The shipments, encased in hardened steel, lead-lined casks, could begin as early as 2010. Nevada officials and casino owners are spending more than $5 million on a national lobbying campaign warning of the risks of radiation poisoning and cancer. In California, there are four nuclear reactor sites where waste would be removed: Diablo Canyon near San Luis Obispo, San Onofre near San Clemente, and two shut-down locations — Humboldt Bay near Eureka and Rancho Seco near Sacramento. “I would be very concerned if the waste passed through urban areas like ours,” said Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, who said he hasn’t decided how to vote on the dump. “When something is moving like that, it’s vulnerable to terrorists.” 

SAN JOSE — What happened to that old computer after you sold it to a second-hand parts dealer? 

Environmental groups say there’s a good chance it ended up in a Third World dump, where thousands of laborers burn, smash and pick apart electronic waste to scavenge for the precious metals inside — unwittingly exposing themselves and their surroundings to innumerable toxic hazards. 

Now a report being released Monday documents one such “cyber-age nightmare” — a cluster of villages in southeastern China where computers still bearing the labels of their one-time owners in America are ripped apart and strewn along rivers and fields. 

‘Telematics,’ or automotive electronics rev up marketplace 

SAN JOSE — For months now, Nicole Gunther hasn’t heard her 4-year-old daughter whine from the back seat, “Are we there yet?” 

The relief came when Gunther and her husband purchased a Honda minivan with a DVD player and satellite navigation system. Now Disney films keep her child quieter on car trips, and the days of getting lost are over. The Gunthers are the kind of consumers that automakers and high-tech companies prize as they rev up on “telematics” — automobile versions of the communication and entertainment staples of the home and office. 

Telematics gear is fast expanding past navigation devices and rear-seat DVDs, as new technology such as satellite radios gain traction. Within two years, motorists can expect to get traffic reports specific to their location or commute. Advanced vehicle diagnostics would let cars automatically transmit performance data to dealerships. 

Some companies are working on wireless technologies that one day — perhaps in five to 10 years — would allow users to get new movies and songs wirelessly from home, gas stations and convenience stores. Other technologies could control thermostats and lights at home while driving. 

For start-ups and tech giants alike, cars represent untapped frontier. Automakers, meanwhile, are looking to cater to the lifestyle of the digital road warrior. 

“People are used to using wireless communications and having continual contact with office and home, and people are used to using these technologies on the road,” said Dan Garretson, automotive industry analyst for Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research. 

That is why some observers believe the market for automotive electronics is on the verge of a boom. 

Forrester predicts the industry will grow in annual revenues to $20 billion in 2006 from $1.6 billion in 2001. 

Just two years ago, telematics products consisted mainly of navigation systems offered only in a few high-end cars and the fledgling OnStar service from General Motors. 

Today, navigation options are also found in mid-range cars, and factory-installed satellite radios, offered first by Cadillac in two of its 2002 models, are making its way into dozens more 2003 models, including cars by GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler. 

Still, high price tags will keep many features from becoming as standard as AM-FM radios, carmakers say. An in-dash DVD player with rear-seat display or a navigation system typically costs $1,500 to $2,000. OnStar fees range from $200 to $400 a year. 

SAN JOSE — Adobe Systems Inc., the second-largest PC software company, will announce Sunday a major upgrade to its photo editing program, Photoshop. 

Photoshop 7.0, slated to be available in April, is compatible with the newest operating systems from Apple Computer Inc. and Microsoft Corp. — Mac OS X and Windows XP. 

The software, however, is expected to be a boost for Apple, which introduced Mac OS X a year ago. 

Both Apple and Adobe cater strongly to creative professionals, and analysts think many of them delayed buying new Apple machines or upgrading to OS X to wait for more software, notably Photoshop, to run on the platform. 

“It’ll be extremely good for Apple,” said Ron Glaz, analyst with market research firm International Data Corp. “OS X didn’t take off in the graphic artist world because there was no Photoshop for it.” 

But the explosion in digital photography has made Photoshop attractive to consumers as well. Adobe estimates more than half of its Photoshop sales are to hobbyists and nonprofessionals. 

“Your average Joe is even longing for Photoshop products now,” said Ed Lee, analyst with Lyra Research. 

The new version further simplifies the photo editing process and adds many tools to alter images. 

In final weeks until the March 5th  

Primary, assembly hopefuls reveal what  

sets them apart 

Though housing and energy are the pressure points in California politics education appears to be the key. And in the bid for the 14th district assembly seat all three candidates are promoting themselves as “the education candidate.”  

With only a few weeks left until the March 5th primary, the two major candidates appear to be running neck and neck — with West Contra Costa school district board member Charles Ramsey’s headquarters optimistic about Richmond and former Berkeley Mayor Loni Hancock placing her hopes on old stomping grounds.  

The third candidate in this race is Dave Brown, a political analyst, who as a former public school teacher, has his own personal ties to education. 

Educating Ramsey  

“What I bring to the race that no other candidate brings is experience with education. I have done it no one else can say that,” Ramsey said referencing his tenure with the once fiscal insolvent West Contra Cost County School District. “I have experience turning a school district around, recruiting and keeping good teachers and getting results from students,” Ramsey said. 

Last October the Academic Performance Index showed that 33 out of 50 schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District improved their overall schoolwide numbers in 2001. 

Overall, 26 of 39 elementary schools met their schoolwide growth targets, along with three of five middle schools.  

South-west Berkeley was mostly open farm land until the 1906 Earthquake and Fire not only destroyed many manufacturing plants in San Francisco, but drove the companies out of the city permanently. Among the manufacturer's who left and settled in Berkeley were Jackson-Byron Iron Works, McCaulay Foundry, and Pfister Knitting Company. These companies built new manufacturing plants in the vicinity of Seventh and Eighth streets between Dwight and Parker.  

One of the businesses that came to Berkeley as the result of the 1906 Earthquake was the Kawneer Company. This company produced a revolutionary styled metal-framed window which was greatly sought after for the rebuilding of San Francisco. Since the manufacturing plant was in Kansas City, the company built a second plant in Berkeley in 1912 on Eighth Street between Dwight and Parker.  

The designer of these popular metal-framed windows, and founder of the company, was Francis John Plym. When Plym visited the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair he was twenty-four years old and had only a sixth grade education. But the fair inspired Plym to become an architect and he entered the University of Illinois School of Architecture where he successfully obtained a degree.  

By 1906 he was the city architect of Kansas City, and had also patented a design for a metal frame window. Plym called his new product “Kawneer” after the Kansas River, commonly known as the “Kaw.” His window design was widely used in commercial and industrial buildings throughout the world, and became the foundation of today’s modern glass-wall architecture.  

The window factory Plym designed for his Berkeley plant incorporated a series of twenty windows projecting from the roof and letting natural light into the work area. These projecting windows created the distinctive saw-tooth silhouette, which became a common feature in industrial buildings. The Kawneer Company continued to manufacture windows in this building until 1958 when it was sold to the Sealy Mattress Company.  

By 1972 the building had been converted into artists’ studios, and small theater groups performed in some of the spaces. During the 1970s many old manufacturing buildings were being vacated and, like the Kawneer Building, were reused for artists' studios. The spaces were large, open and the rent was affordable. Now, thirty years later, a building like Kawneer is sought after by much more affluent tenants and the artists are being displaced throughout west Berkeley.  

Susan Cerny is author of “Berkeley Landmarks” and writes Berkeley Observed in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.

Editor: 

The Central Library at Shattuck & Kittredge will soon re-open amidst a great deal of Berkeley-style hoopla and enthusiasm. 

Library staff are especially eager to share the renovated and restored “New Central” with the entire community.  

As part of the re-opening gala planned for April 6, we'd like to honor any residents who may have attended the original opening of the Library on January 31, 1931. We're seeking your readers' help in locating those special library patrons. Could anyone who was there on that day, and who'd like to share the fun on April 6, please give me a call at the Berkeley Public Library at 510-649-3947?  

Sayre Van Young 

Berkeley History Room 

Berkeley Public Library 

Self-indulgence, pretentiousness peppers the underdog 

“Big Bad Love” is a small, bad movie about an alcoholic Southern writer who writes about being an alcoholic Southern writer, then drinks more when editors reject his drunken submissions. 

Based on the short stories of Mississippi writer Larry Brown, the film is both incoherent and pretentious. Arliss Howard, who stars as Leon Barlow and directed and co-wrote the script, relies on heavy-handed metaphors and naggingly repetitive imagery. 

Leon tacks up words and bits of phrases on the wall behind his typewriter — we see the words, then we hear him say the words, then we see the words played out in front of us. 

Leon boozes himself into oblivion and passes out, then wakes up hungover and stumbles around chain-smoking all day before repeating the cycle. Sometimes he tries to get back in the good graces of his ex-wife, Marilyn (Debra Winger, Howard’s real-life wife, in her first film role in six years). 

Sometimes his mother (Angie Dickinson) comes by to make him feel guilty about neglecting his pre-adolescent son and young daughter, who’s ill. 

Mostly he sits around drinking Maker’s Mark and cheap beer with Monroe (Paul Le Mat), his buddy from Vietnam, who is wealthy but lives like a slob in true Southern Gothic fashion. 

Leon’s inebriated reality is punctuated by stream-of-consciousness fantasy sequences. He receives an encouraging rejection letter from a New York editor, and pictures her being led through a field on horseback, wearing a sexy black cocktail dress, tossing his pages in the air one by one. 

Marilyn and their children appear to him standing in a doorway in the middle of a field — sometimes they’re in danger, sometimes they just stare at him disapprovingly. 

At least when David Lynch thrusts this kind of imagery at us, it’s interesting and it looks good. 

Howard, with his wiry frame, is reminiscent of Ed Harris as the tormented artist Jackson Pollock in 2000’s “Pollock,” with a cigarette perpetually dangling from his mouth as he hovers over his latest creation. 

And the same things that were wrong with “Pollock” also plague “Big Bad Love.” 

The movie catalogues Leon’s self-destructive behavior without hinting at its origin. We’re simply expected to accept that that’s the way he is, which makes it difficult to sympathize or connect with him on any level. 

And because it’s based on a series of short stories, “Big Bad Love” feels fragmented. There’s no driving story arc — just episodes, then the closing credits. 

Maybe Howard should have made a movie based on a different Larry Brown, the Philadelphia 76ers coach whose run-ins on the court with Allen Iverson would make more interesting movie fodder than Leon’s run-ins with himself. 

“Big Bad Love,” is rated R.

MUSIC 

924 Gilman Feb. 23: From Ashes Arise, Artimus Pyle, Brainoil, Down in Flames, Dystrophy, Scholastic Deth; Mar. 1: Street to Nowhere, Thick as Thieves, Calimigo, Scociopath, Samsara, Dead in the End; Mar. 2: Funeral Dinner, Betray the Species, The Shivering, Confidante, The Cause, Get Get Go; Mar. 8: Dead and Gone, Drunk Horse, The Cost, Scurvy Dogs; Mar. 9: Not Flipper, The Sick, Lo-FI Niessans, Stalker Potential, Deficient; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

The Albatross Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@ mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Feb. 23: Vicki Burns & Felice York, Ducksan Distones Jazz Sextet; Feb. 24: Christy Dana Jazz Quartet; Feb. 25: Renegade Sidemen w/Calvin Keyes; Feb. 26: Con Alma; Feb. 27: Mainstream Jazz Quintet; Feb. 28: Junebug; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Feb. 23: Tang; Feb. 24: Famous Last Words; $3; Feb. 25: The Steve Gannon Band, Mz. Dee, $4; Feb. 26: Boomshanka, Rare Form, $3; Feb. 27: Mindz Eye, $5; Feb. 28: Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Cafe Eclectica Feb. 23: 8 p.m., Hip Hop show: Little Larry, with guest MCs and DJs. A teen cafe "for youth, by youth". All ages, $3 w/HS I.D., $5 w/o; 1309 Solano Ave., Albany, 527-2344. 

Cal Performances Mar. 10: 3 p.m., The Petersen Quartet perform the works of Beethoven, Shostakovich and Ravel. $34; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

Cato’s Ale HouseFeb. 24: Blue and Tan; Feb. 27: Vince Wallace Trio 

Club Jjang-ga Feb. 23: Cheapskate, Eddie Haskels, Resiteleros, Dead Last; 261-1108, savageproductions1@yahoo.com. 

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

Jupiter Feb. 23: Brenden Millstein Quartet; Feb. 27: J Steinkoler Duo; Feb. 28: Spectraphonic; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m., unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Eric McFadden Experience, Mark Growden, $6; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

“Free Men! Free Women!” Feb. 23: 8 p.m., Wing It performs a new a combination of dance, song and story. $12. First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way, 814-9584 

“John Glennon and Erika March” Feb. 24: 5 p.m., A program of French music including the works of Francois Couperin, Chambonnieres, and Muffat. $15 - $18. MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda, 528-1685 

“Soukous Xplosion Tour 2002” Mar. 1: 9 p.m. Madilu Systems, Nyboma, Diblo Dibala & Matchatcha and special guest Daly Kimoko will make the sounds of Africa come alive. $25, $30 at door. California Ballroom, 1736 Franklin St., Oakland, 415-421-8497 

“Cosi Fan Tutte” Through Mar. 3: The Berkeley Opera will perform Mozart’s classic opera. $10 - $30. Call for specific dates and times. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. 841-103, www.berkeleyopera.com 

“In Praise of Music: Berkeley Choral Festival” Mar. 4: 8 p.m., Several local choral groups will join the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in a benefit for the Musicians’ Pension Fund. $25 - $49, $12 students. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 841-2800 

“Splendors of Versailles and Madrid” Mar. 9: 8 p.m., Mar. 10: 7:30 p.m., Jordi Savall conducts the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra as they perform works from the Royal Court composers of Spain and France. $34 - $50. First Congregational Church, Dana & Durant, 415-392-4400 

“Here..Now” Through Feb. 24: Tues. - Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m., 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., 8 p.m., Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs three distinct programs featuring the West Coast premiere of “Here...Now”. $24 - $46. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

“Kusum Africa” Mar. 1 & 2: 8 p.m., Sixty artists and four dance companies representing the traditions of the Congo, Republic of Guinea, and Ghana adapt sub-Saharan dance-drumming to tell the story of the occupation of Accra, Ghana to protest British colonialism. $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9988 

“Risk of Falling” Mar. 9: 8 p.m., Mar. 10: 4:30 p.m., Julie Drucker has assembled troupe of dancers ages 24 to 83 to perform an intergenerational dance project that weds improvisational movement and personal storytelling to explore issues of trust, fear, aging and community. $12 - $15, $10 seniors. Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, 286-7922 

“Compania Espanola De Antonio Marquez” Mar. 13 & 14: 8 p.m., Artistic Director Antonio Marquez showcases his dazzling and dynamic program of flamenco. $24 - $36. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9988

Saturday, Feb. 23

Archaeological Institute of America 

3 p.m. 

Shorb House 

2547 Channing Way 

Lecture by Dr. Stuart Swiny discussing Cypriot rituals surrounding fertility, life and death from the Neolithic to the Roman era. 415-338-1537, barbaram@sfsu.edu. 

Paying for Public Education: 

Whose Job Is It? 

3 - 5:30 p.m. 

Ocean View Elementary School 

Multi-Purpose Room 

1000 Jackson St., Albany 

A forum with Kevin Gordon of the Education Coalition, who will explain state-level funding for K-12 schools. Candidates for the California Assembly 14th District seat debate: Dave Brown (D), Loni Hancock (D), and Charles Ramsey (D). 524-7004, hao_kco@pacbell. net.  

Monday, Feb. 25

A Rose Grew in Brooklyn: Stories from a Jewish Girlhood 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Local author and therapist, Rose Fox reads from her memoir. 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

John Matsasuka presents a lecture entitled “For the Many or the Few: How the Initiative Process Changes American Government”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

U. S. Nuclear Weapons Program 

9 p.m. 

Wesley Student Center  

2398 Bancroft Way 

Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley CAREs, speaks on the U.S. nuclear weapons program, including new, mini-nukes, plutonium shipments to Livermore Lab., the National Ignition Facility project, recent law suits filed against the government. 527-2057.  

Parkinson’s Support Group 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1801 Hearst Ave. 

A support group for people with Parkinson’s, their families and caregivers.  

527-9075. 

Tuesday, Feb. 26

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

The Legal Challenges of Parenting Facing LGBT Couples 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Boalt Hall, Room 100 

An informal wine and cheese reception will follow the panel discussion. 415-551-1275, boaltcaucus@yahoo.com. 

Berkeley Organization for  

Animal Advocacy Presents:  

Dr. Ned C. Buyukmihci 

7 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

204 Wheeler Hall 

Buyukmihci will speak about the ethical dangers of animal experimentation. 925-487-4419, http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~boaa/. 

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Berkeley Gray Panthers 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Defending and improving Medicare. 548-9696, graypanthers@hotmail.com.  

Berkeley Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Auditorium 

Berkeley mental health clinic. 644-8562. 

Poetry Workshop 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

The Literary Arts Program at the Berkeley Art Center is starting a weekly, 3 month poetry workshop facilitated by Rob Lipton. All levels welcome. 665-1662. 

Thursday, Feb. 28

Cody's Evening for Parents and Teachers 

7 p.m. 

Cody's Books 

1730 Fourth St. 

Rosemary Wells, children's author of dozens of books including Max and Ruby and Noisy Nora, will discuss children, books, and the importance of reading to your children. 527-6667, www.parentsnet.org. 

Trekking in Bhutan 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seasoned traveler, Ruther Anne Kocour will share slides and stories of her adventures trekking in this majestic country. 527-7377 

Take the Terror Out of Talking 

noon - 1:10 p.m. 

Calif. Dept. Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way 

Room 804 

State Health Toastmasters Club is presenting a six-week Speechcraft workshop to help you overcome your fear of speaking in public and improve your communication skills. Cost is $36 for six sessions, Feb. 28 & March 7, 14, 21. 649-7750. 

The Writing Life 

4:30 p.m. 

North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Peter S. Beagle will discuss his works and the life and times of a professional writer. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Photographing the Famous 

7:30 p.m. 

College Preparatory School Auditorium 

1600 Broadway, Oakland 

Michael Collopy will talk about photographing the famous (Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela).  

– Compiled by Guy Poole

Team elders score 61 of ’Jackets’ season-high 98 points vs. De Anza 

It was Senior Night at Berkeley High’s Donahue Gym on Friday night, as the ’Jackets played their last home game of the season. But while four of the six seniors honored before the game aren’t used to starting or even playing very much, they put together an inspired performance against the overmatched De Anza Dons, scoring 43 of the team’s 53 points in the first half and nearly breaking the 100-point barrier with a 98-45 win. 

Senior Jesse Alter led the ’Jackets with 16 points, his season-high, with classmate Garland Albert scoring 14, also his top effort of the season. All six seniors scored at least 5 points. 

“This is the first time we’ve gotten to play together,” senior Lee Franklin said. “The key was for us to come out and have fun, and that’s what we did tonight.” 

Berkeley got off to a quick start, running out to a 24-10 lead after just six minutes of play. Franklin hit a breakaway layup to finish the run, the last senior to break into the scoring column. Center Damien Burns, Berkeley’s leading scorer, may have finished with just 8 points, but he got the crowd going early with two huge dunks, and senior guards Madiou Diouf and Daryl Perkins pitched in with 3-pointers before the underclassmen got a shot with 40 seconds left in the quarter. 

“This was their night,” Berkeley head coach Mike Gragnani said of his graduating class. “They worked as a unit all week in practice, and they came out here with something to prove.” 

The seniors were on the bench for just over a minute of game time, as Gragnani didn’t like what he saw from his second unit and put the starters back in early in the second quarter. 

“(The reserves) came in and dropped the ball compared to what the seniors were doing,” Gragnani said. “That’s not acceptable.” 

The seniors pushed the lead to 39-17 before K.K. Alexander scored on a short jumper, the first underclassman to score for Berkeley. The game was pretty well decided by that time, with the Dons simply unable to get quality shots against the bigger, faster ’Jackets. 

They might not have been quality shots, but De Anza’s Tristan Newsome still managed to heave up a truckload of bombs. He was just 9-of-26 from the floor, but Newsome just kept jacking up shots from all over the court, finishing with a game-high 23 points. 

Berkeley almost managed to score in triple figures with a late surge. The seniors returned for one last run with a 86-37 lead with less than two minutes left in the game and came up just one basket short. Albert, who was fouled on two dunk attempts during the last final minute, hit a 3-pointer with just 20 seconds left, but Gragnani ordered his team to back off and allow the Dons to run out the clock. 

“Coach wanted to show some class, so he told us to lay back,” Franklin said. “It would have been nice to get 100 points, though.” 

Berkeley clinched a tie for the league championship with Pinole Valley, but the Spartans get the league’s automatic bid to the North Coast Section playoffs due to a tie-breaker determined before the season began. Gragnani will head to the seeding meeting on Sunday morning to apply for an at-large bid, which the ’Jackets are expected to receive. 

“We’re projected at a five- or six-seed,” Gragnani said. “I’d love the fifth seed, but it doesn’t really matter who we play. It’s how we play that matters.” 

Alter said that while he was “ecstatic” with Friday night’s home finale, he’s anxious to get into the post-season. 

“I’m so ready for playoff time,” he said. “We’re going to play as a team, we’re going to play together, and that’s what it takes to win.”

Berkeley-based Bayer has announced plans to merge its unit that makes blood-plasma products with a rival owned by Aventis of France. 

Bayer said it had signed a letter of intent to take a “substantial majority interest” and management control of the venture, which will have annual sales of more than $2 billion. Bayer also would have an option to buy the stake held by Aventis at a later date. 

Editor: 

There have been many good reports about the "City of Franklin" school. 

It seems to be involved in real practical education. It's an example of a small learning community, which is supposed to be such a good idea. 

Now, with a budget crunch, this good school is said to have too few students and should be closed. 

This is nonsense. Why doesn't this "magnet" school attract an abundance of students? It's centrally located, with access to bus lines coming from all over Berkeley. 

Something is badly wrong with policy here. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

PHOENIX — Shock-rocker Alice Cooper and his wife, Sheryl, are putting on a patriotic show at a Phoenix elementary school this week. The Coopers have been writing and directing the annual Hopi Elementary Variety Show every year since having to sit through what seemed like an endless recital 14 years ago. 

“It was dry as it could be,” Sheryl Cooper said. This year’s show, Hopi Doodle Dandy, mixes the mystery of a missing Declaration of Independence with songs, dances and skits. The show was expected to sell out Thursday and Friday, packing more than 3,000 people into an auditorium for two shows at Arcadia High School. “Alice Cooper will make his annual appearance in the show, as will Sheryl.

Behind a complete game pitching performance by Trevor Hutchinson, a 17-hit attack and seven stolen bases, Cal defeated visiting Boston College, 10-4, Friday at Evans Diamond.  

The Bears improved their record to 6-6, while the Eagles go to 3-1.  

Hutchinson improved his record to 3-1 by pitching 9 innings, giving up 10 hits, four runs, two walks and getting five strikeouts. It was a less-than dominating performance by Cal’s top starter, but it got the job done. 

Cal had several hitting stars on the day. Sophomore first baseman Conor Jackson continued his hot streak, going 4-for-5 with an RBI against the Eagles. Junior left fielder Ben Conley was 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI, sophomore right fielder Brian Horwitz was 3-for-5 with two RBI and senior second baseman Carson White was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Junior catcher John Baker added a two-run homer in the fourth inning and sophomore shortstop Jeff Dragicevich had a double and two RBI.  

The losing pitcher for Boston College was starter Matt O’Donnell (0-1, 3.7 innings, 11 hits, eight runs, one walk, one strikeout). Matt Lederhos and Jason Delaney had two hits apiece for the Eagles, while Brian Macchi had a two-run homer in the fifth inning.  

Cal hosts Boston College in the second game of the three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond. The series finale is on Sunday at 1 p.m.

A combination of two over-the-counter dietary supplements have reduced the effects of aging in rats, and might do the same for an aging population, according to a recent study.  

A team of researchers led by noted scientist Bruce N. Ames, professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley, fed older rats two compounds, acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid, normally found in the body and available as dietary supplements, and noted the rats had improved memory, more energy and improved energy-producing organelles.  

The study was conducted at UC Berkeley and Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and concluded that the two chemicals “tune up” the energy-producing organelles that power all cells, the mitochondria.  

Editor: 

Your article concerning check stealing made me think that you might also like to publicize the fact that mail theft from mailboxes is a problem now. 

I never thought about the fact that my mail sat in my mail box all day while I was at work until recently someone stole my mail. Items such as bank statements, credit card bills, checks and even credit card application forms are sought.  

The post office says that once the mail has been delivered it is no longer a post office affair; it becomes a matter for the police. The police were courteous and filed a report but they really weren't interested. 

However, the fraud department for my credit card pursued the matter. In any case, people should be aware and assess how vulnerable their mailbox is to mail theft. They should take steps to assure that their mail is not stolen. 

Identity theft is a big problem and it is surprising how much information comes through the mail. 

Susan. Libby 

Berkeley 

SAN FRANCISCO — Napster, still stinging from the forced shutdown of its song-swap service last July, enjoyed a small legal victory as a federal judge ordered record labels to produce documents and prove copyright ownership of songs from Elvis Presley, the Beatles and other top artists. 

U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel appointed an expert to review documents the record labels must turn over to show they own the rights to more than 200 “works for hire” — music commissioned by labels and performed by artists under contract. 

Napster had argued that the court must first determine if the music industry actually owns the rights to the works allegedly infringed if the Redwood City-based company is to be held liable for damages for allowing the songs to be traded through its online network. 

“We are pleased that the court granted Napster’s request to examine two critical issues: the record companies’ ownership of artists’ copyrights and anticompetitive behavior that amounts to misuse of their copyrights,” Napster general counsel Jonathan Schwartz said in a statement. 

Major record labels sued Napster in 1999 for copyright infringement. 

Napster admits the record labels that sued the Redwood City-based company in 1999 control 85 percent of all music sales. Patel agreed the labels have likely secured ownership of the songs at issue. 

“However, the court is equally reticent to allow plaintiffs, merely because of the quantity of music they control, to railroad Napster into potentially billions of dollars in statutory damages without adequately proving ownership,” Patel said in her order made public Friday. 

The judge also opened the door to legal discovery on Napster’s claims that the labels misused their copyrights to dominate the growing online music distribution industry. 

LOS ANGELES - In a preview of a first round Pac-10 Tournament game, California fell to UCLA, 58-48, in a defensive battle Friday night at Pauley Pavilion. 

“We had very good ball movement for the first 12 minutes of the first half,” said Cal head coach Caren Horstmeyer. “This was an odd game. We could play so hard and with such passion against Washington and then come out against UCLA, a team we fell we’re better than, and just be out-competed, out-hustled and outplayed. Going into the Pac-10 Tournament, you would like to come out and see a little bit of fire.” 

Cal dropped to 7-18 (2-15 Pac-10) with the loss and UCLA improved to 8-18 (4-13). The Bruins have clinched the No. 8 seed in next week’s inaugural Pac-10 Tournament with the win. Even if Cal wins Sunday against USC and UCLA loses to Stanford, the Bruins will have the tie breaker with the Bears based on their sweep of Cal during the regular season.  

LaTasha O’Keith led Cal with nine points, followed by Leigh Gregory with seven. Gennifer Arranaga came off the bench to pace UCLA with 14 points. Shalada Allen turned in a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Whitney Jones also had 12 points for the Bruins, 10 coming in the first half.  

O’Keith hit a three-pointer to give Cal its biggest lead of the game at 15-11 with 11:23 to play until halftime. The Bruins then tightened up their defense and sliced through the Bears’ defense for numerous lay-ups to grab their biggest lead of the half at 30-21 following a basket from Shalada Allen at the 2:14 mark.  

The Bears didn’t let the Bruins extend their lead to double figures and trailed 32-25 at the half.  

Both teams’ offenses were cold in the second half for long stretches, but UCLA was still able to extend its lead to 13 at 49-36 with about four minutes left in the game.  

UCLA played zone against Cal for almost the entire game, which led to the Bears 22.6 percent shooting for the game. At times, it seemed like there was a lid on the basket as the Bears got good looks but didn’t score enough.  

The Bears substituted for offense and defense situations down the stretch and cut the Bruins lead to nine. But that was as close as they would get.  

“We did not shoot well,” said Horstmeyer. “We had good looks, but we just missed shots.”  

The Bruins also shot a paltry 33.8 percent for the game.  

On a positive note, Cal snared a season-high 49 rebounds, including 19 on the offensive glass, to out-rebound UCLA by one. Senior center Ami Forney had a team-high eight boards for the Bears. Cal also committed only 17 turnovers for the game after having 11 at halftime.

The Bay Area Hemlock Society, led by Berkeley-based Rev. Dennis Kuby, will kick off a new effort to legalize physician-assisted suicide Sunday afternoon with a meeting at Northbrae Community Church. 

“Our people are going to confront the politicians,” said Kuby. “We’re planning to become rather militant about this.” 

Kuby said he is organizing supporters locally and statewide to lobby their representatives on the controversial issue. 

California voters rejected a 1992 ballot initiative, by a 54 to 46 percent margin, to legalize assisted suicide.  

In 1999, 14th District Assemblywoman Dion Aroner introduced legislation to legalize the practice, but it died in committee. 

A discussion group, composed of legislators on both sides of the issue, is currently meeting and will report to the Select Committee on Palliative Care, which is focused on issues of chronic pain, this summer. 

“I’m not naive,” said Hans Hemann, Aroner’s legislative director. “I don’t predict that they will come to a consensus on physician-assisted suicide.” 

Kuby said he supports legislation similar to the Oregon physician-assisted suicide law passed by voters in 1997. That law requires a patient to be 18 or older, capable of communicating health care decisions and diagnosed by two doctors with an illness that will lead to death within six months. 

Dr. Joel Fort of El Cerrito, who advises the Bay Area Hemlock Society, said patients in severe pain should have the opportunity to end their suffering through physician-assisted suicide.  

But, he added that the safeguards built into the Oregon law are essential. “I think it should be screened carefully,” he said. 

Legans out for USC game 

Cal junior point guard Shantay Legans will sit out Saturday’ s game against No. 20 USC Saturday due to a concussion he suffered in Thursday’ s contest vs. UCLA.  

Legans, who averages 7.2 points and 3.9 assists for the Bears, sustained the injury in the closing minutes of Cal’ s 69-51 win over the Bruins. With 2:44 left in the game, UCLA’ s Matt Barnes knocked Legans to the floor with his forearm, and Legans sustained the concussion when his head hit the ground. Barnes received a one-game suspension for the incident.  

Legans’ status for next week’ s games at Arizona State and Arizona will be determined early in the week.  

Cal head coach Ben Braun said that sophomore A.J. Diggs would start in Legans’ place. Diggs started five consecutive games earlier this season.  

Cal officials looking into complaints about coach 

Cal officials are reported to be investigating complaints against former women’s gymnastics coach Trina Tinti, who resigned earlier this week. 

The complaints have to do with an unusually high injury rate for Tinti’ s team. Four Golden Bears were injured in as many weeks earlier this season. 

Cal officials said Tinti’ s resignation was her own decision. Assistant coaches Jennifer Bialosky and Steve Wilken have taken over Tinti’ s duties for the time being.

Editor: 

I want to thank Superintendent Lawrence for beginning the much needed step of reducing BUSD’s top heavy bureaucracy.  

For over two decades the community has been asking the school board and administration to reduce our cumbersome and unproductive administration. BUSD’s management is notorious for bureaucratic sloth. It is this bureaucratic slothfulness that has led us into our current fiscal problem, because the management was not able to produce coherent, consistent and accurate financial information. The reduction of BUSD’s top heavy administration is a much needed step, even if BUSD did not face a fiscal problem. So, thank-you Superintendent Lawrence for beginning this reduction process in the Education Services Division. 

It is this legacy of bureaucratic sloth which gives me grave concern and raises many questions. I have attended both public budget meetings and all Board meetings since last September. The public has been told that one of the main reasons for FCMAT’s intervention is that the numbers in the June, 2001 budget are not reliable nor accurate. We have been told that this inaccuracy is due to BUSD’s antiquated computer and business system. Yet our current financial crisis is entirely predicated upon this antiquated and unreliable computer system because FCMAT’s December, 2001deficit is produced from recalculations of numbers from this antiquated and unreliable computer system. I and members of the public have requested and not yet received an explanation for the $25 million increase in expenditures listed in the December budget figures. 

The Superintendent’s proposed reorganization now before the Board makes sweeping, dramatic and fundamental shifts and cuts. These cuts will change the philosophy upon which our community’s education is based. This is a matter of concern for all of us. 

At the last public hearing on the budget, the Superintendent was specifically asked if there were any comparative analysis of the cost of an elementary school program versus the costs of the high school program. The answer, was no, the computer system could not calculate that. .Given that programs many of us have worked hard to keep face the chopping block, including sports, music, 7 periods at the high school, library, magnet schools and more, I ask that cuts not be made based upon hunches, or estimates. Cuts should only be made based upon correct, accurate facts. 

Before the Board makes any changes and any cuts, it is imperative that the underlying data upon which the FCMAT numbers is based, be made public and a full explanation made as to how the December figures were derived. 

Yolanada Huang 

Berkeley

Wedding goes on despite cold paws 

JACKSON, Mich. – Lucky and Stormy were married, despite the bride coming down with a case of cold paws. 

The therapy dogs at the Summit Park Assisted Living Center were joined in matrimony Wednesday in front of about 40 family and friends. 

They didn’t say ’I do,’ but when Gail Yates, the center’s activities director, read the vows, no one objected and the two didn’t run away. 

Lucky, a part-Brittany spaniel, and Stormy, a large Shetland sheep dog, are now canine man and wife. 

The two have visited the center together for two years. 

“I’m very relieved that the pressure is off,” Shelley Hansen, Stormy’s owner and the self-proclaimed mother of the bride, told The Jackson Citizen Patriot. “Arranging a wedding is a lot of work, and it makes you a nervous wreck.” 

Lucky sported a red bow tie and red top hat. Stormy dressed in a traditional white veil with white seed pearls. 

“I feel that I’ve gained a daughter-in-law,” said June Poleski, the groom’s owner. 

Velna White, a resident, enjoyed cake and lemonade after the wedding. 

“I’m 100 years old, and I’ve been married a lot of years,” said White, a widow. 

Supreme Court Justice wins powerlifting event 

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Justice may be blind. But in Washington state, it’s also buff. 

State Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland proved she’s more than just a legal powerhouse earlier this month when she won the National Powerlifting Championship in Chicago. 

Granted, she was the only one in her age class (59) and weight class (132). Still, you don’t want to mess with a judge who can bench press 110 pounds, squat lift 192 pounds, and dead lift 236 pounds. 

“I felt absolutely elated,” Ireland said Wednesday of her win. Next, she’ll compete in the world championship in Argentina in October — provided it doesn’t conflict with oral arguments. 

Ireland was elected to the state’s high court in 1998. She started working out with weights to rehabilitate her back after a car accident 15 years ago. 

She competed in the national championship last year but failed to make a clean squat lift. 

“I felt like I had something to prove,” said Ireland. “I felt vindicated.” 

How many firefighters does it take... 

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Firefighters have learned that it’s a lot easier to pluck a kitten from a tree than to lift a 200-pound ostrich out of the mud. 

East Olympia Fire District Chief Ettore Castellente said he and four firefighters got the job done Tuesday after a lone Thurston County sheriff’s deputy was unable to free the big bird from a ditch. 

“The family had been digging a trench the day before and didn’t notice that the ostrich fell into the trench,” Castellente said. “They discovered her this morning, and I believe she was in shock.” 

The ostrich, known as Empress, was stuck in the bottom of the trench with her legs tucked underneath. 

Firefighters fashioned a sling from fire hose supports, used it to lasso Empress and then lifted the ostrich to safety with help from the bird’s owners. Empress was not in immediate danger and responded well after being freed, Castellente said. 

“It’s one of those things we’re generally not in the business of doing,” he said. 

Maryland wants to adopt walking as state sport 

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland already has a state sport. A state exercise may be next. 

Four students from a Montgomery County elementary school proposed to a House committee Wednesday that walking be designated as Maryland’s official state exercise. 

“If more people get out of their cars, we’ll have a friendlier, healthier, happier home,” 8-year-old Will Smith told members of the House Commerce and Government Matters Committee. 

Will and his classmates made the trip to Annapolis to back the bill introduced by state House Delegate William Bronrott. 

“Walking is an activity anybody can do at any time. You don’t need any equipment,” said Emily Haislip, 8. 

The students got support from some high-powered health officials, including Barbara Moore, president of Shape Up America. 

Moore told committee members the bill is more than just a symbolic gesture, touting walking as an effective way to reduce obesity and improve the general health of Americans.

The Stanford University community is mourning the slaying of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who graduated from the university in 1985. 

The U.S. State Department said Thursday that the missing journalist had been killed. He was reportedly kidnapped in late January while on an assignment in Pakistan.University President John Hennessy praised the Stanford alumnus. 

“Daniel's pursuit of truth -- even at his own peril -- represents the very highest values of a free press in a democratic society,” Hennessy said. 

Pearl, 38, graduated from Stanford with honors with a bachelor's degree in communication. He later worked at several newspapers in Massachusetts before joining the Wall Street Journal in November 1990. Kristine Samuelson, chair of the Department of Communication said, “We are devastated by the news of Danny Pearl's death. We are in the business of training young journalists to tell the world's stories and we've just lost one.” 

Communication professor Henry Breitrose, who served as department chair at the time Pearl declared his major, said he remembered a young man who was smart, motivated and a strong writer. 

“He had the ability to avoid the conventional wisdom in doing a story and to try and find an angle, something that would illuminate the story rather than follow the template or master narrative,” he said. He said he was not surprised that Pearl excelled in his journalism career. 

“What a good journalist does is find out what he or she is not supposed to know but what the public at large is supposed to know,” Breitrose said. "That's what Danny was doing.'' 

A memorial service for Pearl has been scheduled for Monday at 4 p.m. in Memorial Church on the Stanford campus.

20-year-old woman only defendant released on bail 

SAN RAFAEL – One of the four women in a house full of malnourished children never sought medical help as a “frighteningly small” 19-month-old boy gasped for breath and turned blue before dying, prosecutors told a judge in an effort to keep her behind bars. 

But the arguments weren’t strong enough to keep Kali Polk-Matthews, 20, jailed. She was released overnight Thursday on $100,000 bail, becoming the first member of the cultish Marin County family to get out of jail. She is accused of manslaughter and child neglect while her four adult housemates face second-degree murder charges in the death of young Ndigo Campisi-Nyah-Wright and the alleged mistreatment of his 12 siblings. 

The children lived in a home where they were lashed and forced-fed chili peppers if they misbehaved, according to papers filed with the court where the children’s parents appeared Thursday. 

The surviving children, in protective custody since Ndigo died in mid November, also described harsh punishments for sneaking food during routine three-day fasts. 

One of the girls said she was tied to a playpen at night for two weeks as punishment for eating during a fast, according to the documents. Other children told authorities that discipline included their mouths being sealed with tape and beatings with belts. 

Authorities said they seized a “Book of Rules” from the house where Winnfred Wright allegedly terrorized the children along with four women, according to documents reviewed by a reporter Wednesday but absent from the court’s file Thursday. 

Wright, 45, and the three mothers — Carol Bremner, 44, Deirdre Wilson, 37, and Mary Campbell, 37 — remain in Marin County jail without bail. 

All of the adults were indicted earlier this month and arrested on charges ranging from second-degree murder to manslaughter and child neglect; Polk-Matthews, who only joined the household months ago and did not bear any children, doesn’t face the murder charge. 

Judge Terrence Boren also imposed a temporary gag order preventing lawyers and officials from speaking publicly about the case. He will review that decision March 12 when the defendants are expected to enter pleas. 

“My niece Kali Matthews is a kind and decent person,” Jim Matthews said outside the courtroom. “I hope that she’s able to extricate herself from this matter. It’s a sad affair all around.” 

Ndigo suffered from multiple fractures because he had almost no calcium in his bones, according to forensic child pathologist Gregory Reiber, who did the autopsy on the child. 

“In spite of being faced with the agony of a child gasping for breath and turning blue, she never called for medical assistance,” prosecutors wrote in papers filed Thursday. Those papers also said some of children were “obviously deformed” and Ndigo was “frighteningly small,” but Polk-Matthews did not contact police. 

Medical authorities have said most of the other children were also malnourished, deprived of sunlight and suffering from rickets, a bone-softening disease caused by a lack of vitamin D. 

Just before Boren issued the gag order on lawyers, law enforcement officials and social workers, Wright’s lawyer took a few shots against media coverage of the case. 

“Because the case involves racial and sexual issues and an alternative lifestyle, it creates an atmosphere vulnerable to voyeurism and sensationalism,” attorney Mary Stearns argued in asking wanted Boren to seal any documents related to the case— a motion opposed by a lawyer for the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Boren didn’t order any further sealings in open court, but did in private Thursday afternoon after prosecutors requested affidavits they filed Wednesday be withheld from the public, according to a court administrator. 

Wright has refused requests for interviews. 

Reached at his Sacramento home Thursday night, his father, Leonard Wright, refused to answer questions. 

“I have nothing to say,” Wright said. “Nothing to say.”

SAN DIEGO – A homeless man who allegedly struck and killed an elderly woman who refused to give him money has pleaded innocent to murder and elder abuse charges. 

Eric Martin, 33, entered his plea Thursday and is being held on $1 million bail. 

Eva Lopez, 84, was killed Sunday after Martin allegedly attacked her as she left a Mexican restaurant. 

Police arrested Martin on Monday at a gas station in San Diego. Martin allegedly made incriminating statements to police about the attack, authorities said.

SACRAMENTO – PG&E Corp., the parent company of bankrupt utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric Company, has donated $15,000 to the campaign to extend California’s term limits, state campaign finance records show. 

Proposition 45 has received more than $9 million in contributions by a myriad of special interests, including more than $3 million from the California Democratic Party, according to reports filed with the secretary of state’s office. 

The PG&E contribution puts the company on the same side as California Democrats while many Democratic politicians have shunned utility company contributions. 

PG&E’s contribution is another sign of the influence of special interests trying to dismantle the state’s term-limits law, said Lew Uhler, president of the National Tax Limitation Committee and a Proposition 45 foe. 

Karin Caves, the spokeswoman for the Yes on 45 campaign, said she couldn’t comment on the PG&E donation but said it was made public. The No on 45 campaign, she said, is hiding their contributors. 

The No on 45 campaign has reported more than $100,000 in contributions, mostly from the Americans for Limited Terms, according to reports filed with the secretary of state’s office. 

Renee Parnell, a spokeswoman for the PG&E Corp., said that any contributions the corporation makes comes out of the shareholders fund and not out of rates paid by customers. 

“We believe voters have the right to vote for the person they feel best represents them,” Parnell said. ”(The proposition) gives them the right to petition for a one-time extension and in turn extends the opportunity for choice.” 

Recent polls show the proposition failing to gain the support of a majority of California voters, who passed a term-limits initiative in 1990 to create the current law. 

Proposition 45 wouldn’t repeal term limits but let voters in individual legislative districts sign petitions to extend by one term the limits on their member of the state Assembly or Senate.

Addition of 30,200 new jobs can’t stop rise in joblessness; total tops 1 million 

LOS ANGELES – Even as California’s economy produced 30,200 additional jobs, the state unemployment rate crept to 6.2 percent in January, up from a revised 6.1 percent in December, state officials said Friday. 

“The job generation was impressive, given we’re still feeling the effects of September 11th,” said Michael Bernick, director of the Economic Development Department. 

But the growth, driven by the trade and services sectors, wasn’t enough to offset the number of people looking for work in January. 

With the number of unemployed Californians hitting 1,083,000 in January – 276,000 more than a year earlier – many job seekers said they are finding it hard to remain upbeat. 

“Sometimes I’m hopeful. Sometimes I feel cynical. I try not to get discouraged,” said Charles Gallin, who is trying to find work in San Francisco in an accounts payable department. 

The 34-year-old has been sending out resumes since he was laid off by CMP Media, a publishing and advertising firm, in November and has registered on four Internet job sites. So far, he has only had three responses telling him his application is being considered. 

Gallin is relying on unemployment insurance and some temporary jobs to pay his bills. But he hasn’t had a call in three weeks from any of the six temp agencies with which he’s registered. 

“This is the slowest it’s been for me,” he said. 

The San Francisco Bay area job market remained particularly weak in January, suffering from the technology bust and ongoing weakness in the hospitality industry. In San Francisco County the unemployment rate hit 7 percent, compared with 3.8 percent in Orange County. 

Some San Francisco Bay area residents are considering a move south to find work. 

Jacqueline Breedlove, who lost her job at an AIDS recovery center on Jan. 11, said she sees about twice as many job listings in Los Angeles and is considering leaving Oakland. 

She’s sent out several hundred resumes, but despite a master’s degree and 20 years experience as a social worker, the mother of two has only managed to schedule one interview. 

Breedlove said her savings are gone, and she has had to borrow from her mother and friends. 

“It looks pretty bleak to me at this point. I’m getting very emotional and sometimes want to cry but must contain myself,” she said. 

Economists warn that the employment picture is normally slow to improve coming out of a recession because companies wait for business to improve before adding new jobs. 

Some organizations that help people find work said their caseloads have been rising steadily, even as the economy sends out signals of recovery. 

“Things have gotten worse,” said Katherine Field, a coordinator at the EastBay Works Oakland Career Center. “Our career counselors are hearing that people can’t even get temp jobs at $8 to $10 an hour.” 

Employers have positions to fill, but they are holding off as long as they can, Field said. She is hopeful that some will choose to hire in late March when the center hosts a job fair in downtown Oakland. 

In San Diego, where the county unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, Steve Opp said he’s become more optimistic about the job market in the last few weeks after searching six months for work. 

The 47-year-old marketing executive said firms are rigorous in their selection criteria and slow to make decisions. But he’s starting to see more listings. 

“I think there are plenty of jobs out there right now, it’s just a question of how far people are willing to deviate,” he said.

SAN FRANCISCO – Bankrupt Pacific Gas and Electric Co. intends to forge ahead with its reorganization plan and also appeal a federal judge’s ruling that bankruptcy law does not expressly permit businesses to pre-empt state law while getting back on their feet. 

Separately on Thursday, the official PG&E creditor committee said it could not support an alternate reorganization plan created by state regulators. The utility filed a request asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge U.S. Montali to give PG&E until the end of June to promote its plan without any competitors. 

In a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing, California’s largest utility said it would move forward on several tracks, including amending the plan to take Montali’s concerns into account and arguing that the state has waived its right not to be overruled by the federal government. 

The utility also said it would seek an appeal of Montali’s ruling. 

“The Court’s ruling allowed us to both move forward with the plan of reorganization and file an appeal. We are taking advantage of both options,” said Ron Low, a PG&E spokesman. 

PG&E wants to transfer power plants and transmission lines worth $8 billion into new federally regulated subsidiaries.  

It would borrow against those assets to raise the $13.2 billion it claims it owes creditors. In the process, it would have to pre-empt dozens of state laws and regulations. 

The state Public Utilities Commission is trying to block the plan to avoid control over how much PG&E can charge for the electricity it generates at its power plants.

Parents, students and high school musicians turned out at a Board of Education meeting Wednesday to criticize the district for financial mismanagement and call for the protection of various programs identified by Superintendent Michele Lawrence in a $3 million package of budget cuts. 

“I am absolutely disgusted with what is going on with the school board and the programs they want to cut from Berkeley High,” said Nancy Bissell, a Berkeley resident. 

Board members, who are scheduled to vote on the $3 million package Feb. 27, and must cut $6 million total to balance next year’s budget, expressed general support for the superintendent’s proposal.  

But members raised questions about a few items and worried aloud that, because they are working on a tight timeline, they will be making cuts next week without complete information about the ramifications. 

Lawrence stood by her plan, but suggested that she might alter a controversial proposal to fold administration of the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project, a special local tax, into the district’s business office. An independent body currently administers the BSEP tax, which yielded about $10 million this year for class size reduction and other initiatives. 

Several BSEP advocates spoke during the meeting, arguing that the current structure works and that BSEP administration is a time-intensive task that could overwhelm Associate Superintendent of Business Jerry Kurr. 

“I do worry that this is a lot of responsibility for Jerry,” said Lawrence, suggesting that she might reconsider her proposal. 

The community speaks 

Marissa Saunders, parent of a fifth-grader at City of Franklin Microsociety Magnet School, attacked Lawrence and members of the board for the proposed closure of the school, which would save the district an estimated $326,000.  

“You’re turning your backs on us,” she said. “My daughter is not for sale. She’s not a budget cut.” 

Three Franklin students also took the podium over the course of the night, and asked the board to keep their school open. 

“I do not want the City of Franklin school to close,” said first-grader MacKinzie Castillo. 

Board members said it would be difficult to close the school, but ultimately signaled their approval of the move. 

Lawrence said if the closure goes through, the district might move an overcrowded Jefferson School into the larger City of Franklin building next year, and convert Jefferson into a new district headquarters.  

The district’s central office is currently located at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in property rented from the city. The lease will expire in several years, and city officials have indicated that they would like to reoccupy the building.  

But the Franklin closure was not the only proposal that stirred controversy. Pam Drew, a math teacher in the district’s Independent Study program, spoke against a plan to eliminate the program’s department head. 

Michael Kelly, co-chair of the Music Curriculum Committee, which advises the board, asked the district to protect the music program. 

Kelly got help from a group of high school musicians who played in the hall outside the board’s hearing room until the meeting began. 

“We just wanted to remind people what (the music program) has done for us, and we’d really prefer that it not get cut at all,” said Gene Fielden, a Berkeley High School senior and viola player. 

Lawrence has called for the elimination of the district’s music and visual arts coordinator position and asked the board to notify all the district’s music teachers that they may be laid off next year.  

By law, the district must notify certain types of teachers and administrators by March 15 if they might be let go next year. Lawrence and school board members said they hope to take back some of those notices, if they can find savings elsewhere, by the end of the year. The superintendent suggested that the district will try to spare music teachers.  

But Selawsky said he was skeptical about Lawrence’s plan to eliminate the coordinator position and relinquish administration of the music program to elementary school principals. 

“We’ve worked that model in the past and it’s been, to my mind, less than ideal,” Selawsky said. 

“This is an area that needs more exploration,” replied Chris Lim, associate superintendent of instruction. 

Barry Fike, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, criticized the administration for failing to seek teachers’ input in making suggestions for programmatic cuts. 

“When educational decisions are made without hearing from those at the forefront of instructional delivery and support, they can't help but be decisions made without critical information,” he said. “A number of the decisions you make will therefore inevitably be misguided.”  

Lawrence has argued that, because the district did not know the extent of its financial woes until January, and faces the statuatory deadline of March 15 for layoffs, it has been forced to act quickly, without as much community input as it would like. 

Board members acknowledged that a hastily-prepared budget, with minimal community input, has left them in the difficult position of making decisions without time for full analysis. But, they suggested that the situation may be unavoidable. 

“I’m very uncomfortable with this whole process, but I realize it comes with the territory,” said board member Terry Doran.  

Editor, 

The McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Bill, now awaiting second and final passage in the U.S. Senate after passing the U.S. House with minor changes last week, is being misrepresented in serious ways by the opponents of campaign reform. 

The most important misrepresentation is this: that the McCain reform would limit the free speech rights of issue organizations like the NRA or the Sierra Club. Not true. 

Let’s imagine that the National Rifle Association wants to oppose the reelection of, say, John McCain. Under existing law dating back to Teddy Roosevelt’s reforms of 1907, they cannot use their own corporate treasury money to run ads against McCain – only individuals can make campaign donations. The NRA can easily circumvent the law by running ads that do not use the magic words “vote for” or “vote against,” instead using thinly-veiled alternatives, such as “ask John McCain why he wants to take away your right to...” It’s called an issue advocacy ad. When an ad slamming a candidate is run right before an election, is it an election ad? You bet it is. 

If it is an election ad, should we voters know who's behind it? Indeed we should, for free speech does not mean anonymous speech. If McCain-Feingold is signed into law, here is what the NRA could still do. They could use their own money to send a letter to all their members. It could say, “we have some candidates we want to support or oppose in the upcoming election. Please make a contribution to our political action committee.” With those donations, the NRA political action committee could run ads for or against any candidates of its choosing. No corporate money would be involved in the ads – only the personal funds of the people contributing to the political action committee. Those names would be a matter of public record as campaign contributors. Everything would be in the open. 

Where is the loss of free speech rights? The only thing lost is the ability of special interest organizations to operate from behind a cloak of secrecy. 

It’s time for thoughtful people to stop listening to the gross representations made by the anti-reformers, left and right, and get on with the business of cleaning up our elections. It’s time for serious journalists to stop casually passing along lies and really reading and explaining the McCain bill, which has passed muster with all the nation’s noted constitutional scholars. Far from damaging our free speech rights, the bill helps to return free speech rights to regular citizens. We the people have had our voices drowned out by special interest money, and the McCain-Feingold bill will help us again be heard. 

Doris “Granny D” Haddock 

Dublin, NH 

The announcement of the Academy Award nominees last week inaugurated the annual film buff’s ritual of arguing who will win which award on March 24. From professional critics to café blowhards, to coworkers around the water cooler, to people who don’t let the fact that they haven’t seen the movies stop them from expressing their opinion about them, they all will spend some part of the Lent season proselytizing about Russell or Sean or Denzel, Halle or Nicole or Renee, “Beautiful Mind” or “Gosford Park” or “Lord of the Rings.” 

Few, if any, will ponder which documentary is most deserving of the award. And for good reason. None of the five nominees for Best Documentary Feature has had any kind of theatrical release (and, for the record, they are: “Children Underground,” “Lalee’s Kin: The Legacy Of Cotton,” “Murder On A Sunday Morning,” “Promises,” and “War Photographer”). Few know what these films are about or what rewards they hold. 

This weekend the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival will partially remedy that. Of the nine features playing at the Pacific Film Archive Friday through Sunday as part of a traveling program, two are Academy Award nominees. 

“Children Underground” (screening Saturday, 8 p.m.) follows a group of orphaned and runaway Romanian children living in a Bucharest train station, Piata Victorei. Ranging in age from 8 to 16 years old, the kids sleep on cardboard, beg for change, bathe by water tap, beat each other up out of fear and desperation, and spend the day high on Aurolac, a kind of paint with addictive chemical fumes that the children huff out of plastic bags. 

Without narration or commentary, filmmaker Edet Belzberg followed five selected children with a video camera. It’s similar to what Berkeley filmmaker Steven Okazaki did in the San Francisco tenderloin in his documentary “Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End Of The Street,” or, the more well-known feature narrative “Kids” by Larry Clark where young people run loose and wild in an primal world of their own, oblivious to the rules and customs of the adult world surrounding them. 

Romania has had an explosion of homeless youth since former President Nicolae Ceaucescu tried to bolster the work force for his communist regime by banning contraceptives and abortion. And estimated 20,000 unwanted children now live on the streets, with paltry social services to help them. 

As we see the shoes of adult commuters walking past sleeping ten-year olds ravaged by filth, Aurolac, and insanity, the film shows us that the streets have an addictive lure that eventually gets under the skin of the kids. The few organizations that offer aide to homeless youth want to help, and the children want to be helped, but the mindset the kids develop to be able to survive on the streets cannot accommodate the rules by which the organizations operate. One director of a residential facility says he cannot accept kids who have been on the streets for more a few months. 

The other Academy Award nominated film in the Human Rights Watch festival, "Promises" (Sunday, 3PM) by local filmmakers Justine Shapiro, B.Z. Goldberg and Carlos Bolado, is also centered on children. Seven Isreali and Palestinian children show viewers the Middle East conflict and the careful art of growing up inside it. The film has been picked up for theatrical distribution – opening widely in cinemas yet to be determined – and the filmmakers will be at the PFA in person to speak with the audience after the Sunday afternoon screening. 

The Human Rights Watch is an international non-profit agency dedicated to protecting basic human rights from abuse by governments and regimes around the world. They conduct investigations into suspected abuses with the aim to "embarrass abusive governments in the eyes of their citizens and the world" and advocate intervention. As such, the films in their festival tend to be important – and also bleak, humorless and roughly crafted. 

A third film focusing on children as the end recipients of war and systematic abuse is "Behind Closed Eyes" (Feb 23, 6PM), a multi-part film following four young people from different hot spots around the world: an 18 year-old former Lyberian child soldier must be re-trained before re-entering his village, a refugee from Kosovo lives among a sea of white tents, a one-legged orphan in Cambodia goes away to school, and in Rwanda we see the teenaged mother of a rape baby struggle to raise her child with dignity.  

These children are not as raw as the lawless kids in the Bucharest train station. They are in various stages of rehabilitation and awkwardly try to learn the ways of the adult world. Whether or not this film deserves to be more hopeful, the kids describe their desires for the future and are working toward a stable home. In the case of the Rwandan teenage mother, her vignette in the film has a soundtrack of a radio program featuring women telling of stories and their sorrows, as a kind of social healing. 

Also featured in the festival is the new film by San Francisco filmmaker Lourdes Portillo, a highly regarded documentarian of Latino life whose film "Senorita Extravida: Missing Young Women" just won a jury prize at Sundance.  

"Missing Young Women" (Feb 22, 7PM) goes to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, a NAFTA boomtown where young women migrate from all over the region to get factory jobs at the American companies that have set up shop there. Since 1994, over 200 young women have been kidnapped or killed, turning up in the sands of the desert outside the city as skeletons wrapped in tatters of clothing.  

Portillo’s film is a gracefully crafted investigation into the mysterious string of murders, and to the inconsistent police response to the crimes. The initial police statements are dismissive, implying it is not unusual by the nature of Ciudad Juarez’s nightlife, then it is suggested the deaths might be a serial killer, or ritual killing. But as the film accumulates police scape-goating, botched evidence, and the victim’s clothing mismatched with their skeletons (identifiable by dental records) the film throws a very suspicious light on the police involvement, possibly even complicity, in the string of grisly killings. 

Music 

924 Gilman Feb. 22: Oppressed Logic, Deface, Edddie Haskells, Throat Oyster; Feb. 23: From Ashes Arise, Artimus Pyle, Brainoil, Down in Flames, Dystrophy, Scholastic Deth; Mar. 1: Street to Nowhere, Thick as Thieves, Calimigo, Scociopath, Samsara, Dead in the End; Mar. 2: Funeral Dinner, Betray the Species, The Shivering, Confidante, The Cause, Get Get Go; Mar. 8: Dead and Gone, Drunk Horse, The Cost, Scurvy Dogs; Mar. 9: Not Flipper, The Sick, Lo-FI Niessans, Stalker Potential, Deficient; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

The Albatross Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Feb. 22: Fourtet, Hideo Date; Feb. 23: Vicki Burns & Felice York, Ducksan Distones Jazz Sextet; Feb. 24: Christy Dana Jazz Quartet; Feb. 25: Renegade Sidemen w/Calvin Keyes; Feb. 26: Con Alma; Feb. 27: Mainstream Jazz Quintet; Feb. 28: Junebug; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Feb. 23: Tang; Feb. 24: Famous Last Words; $3; Feb. 25: The Steve Gannon Band, Mz. Dee, $4; Feb. 26: Boomshanka, Rare Form, $3; Feb. 27: Mindz Eye, $5; Feb. 28: Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Cafe Eclectica Feb. 23: 8 p.m., Hip Hop show: Little Larry, with guest MCs and DJs. A teen cafe "for youth, by youth". All ages, $3 w/HS I.D., $5 w/o; 1309 Solano Ave., Albany, 527-2344. 

Cato’s Ale House Feb. 24: Blue and Tan; Feb. 27: Vince Wallace Trio 

Club Jjang-ga Feb. 23: Cheapskate, Eddie Haskels, Resiteleros, Dead Last; 261-1108, savageproductions1@yahoo.com. 

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

Jupiter Feb. 22: Ben Graves Group; Feb. 23: Brenden Millstein Quartet; Feb. 27: J Steinkoler Duo; Feb. 28: Spectraphonic; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m., unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 22: 9:30 p.m., 20 Minute Loop, Kirby Grips, She Mob, $6; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Eric McFadden Experience, Mark Growden, $6; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

“The Sex Indie-stry Show” Feb. 14: 9 p.m., The Pre-Teens, Bitesize, Good for You, Shmoogie, and The Clarendon Hills all perform in a benefit for COYOTE, a rights advocacy group for sex workers. $6. The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, www.stjamesinfirmary.org 

“Concherto Night” Feb. 16: 8 p.m., Empyrean Ensemble perform new American and 20th Century works. $14 -$18. Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College Ave., 925-798-1300, www.juliamorgan.org 

“Love is in the Air” Feb. 16: 6 p.m., Oakland Lyric Opera presents an evening of dinner, candlelight and flowers accompanied by a musical showcase of Broadway tunes, Italian street songs and nostalgic cabaret music. $65 including tax and tip. Sequoya Country Club, 4550 Heafey Rd, Oakland, 836-6772 

“Judi Bari Takes on the FBI” Feb. 16: 7:30 p.m., Alice Littletree and Sherry Glaser perform separately in a benefit to raise money for Judi Bari’s suit against the FBI. $5 - $15 sliding scale. Unitarian Fellowship, Cedar & Bonita St., 415-927-1645 

“Bosch Sisters” Feb. 20: 7:30 p.m., Swiss sisters perform piano concert featuring music by Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Debussy and Poulenc. Donations suggested. UC Berkeley International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. 642-9490 

“Free Men! Free Women!” Feb. 22 through Feb. 23: 8 p.m., Wing It performs a new a combination of dance, song and story. $12. First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way, 814-9584 

“John Glennon and Erika March” Feb. 24: 5 p.m., A program of French music including the works of Francois Couperin, Chambonnieres, and Muffat. $15 - $18. MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda, 528-1685 

“Soukous Xplosion Tour 2002” Mar. 1: 9 p.m. Madilu Systems, Nyboma, Diblo Dibala & Matchatcha and special guest Daly Kimoko will make the sounds of Africa come alive. $25, $30 at door. California Ballroom, 1736 Franklin St., Oakland, 415-421-8497 

“Cosi Fan Tutte” Feb. 22 through Mar. 3: The Berkeley Opera will perform Mozart’s classic opera. $10 - $30. Call for specific dates and times. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. 841-103, www.berkeleyopera.com 

“In Praise of Music: Berkeley Choral Festival” Mar. 4: 8 p.m., Several local choral groups will join the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in a benefit for the Musicians’ Pension Fund. $25 - $49, $12 students. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 841-2800 

“Splendors of Versailles and Madrid” Mar. 9: 8 p.m., Mar. 10: 7:30 p.m., Jordi Savall conducts the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra as they perform works from the Royal Court composers of Spain and France. $34 - $50. First Congregational Church, Dana & Durant, 415-392-4400 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

“La Tania” Feb. 14 through Feb. 16, 6 p.m., 7:15 p.m., Acclaimed Flamenco Dancer, La Tania, performs with members of her dance company. $55 dinner included. Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck Ave. 843-0662, www.cafedelapaz.net 

“The Ravel Project and Other Performances” Feb. 15, Feb. 16: 8 p.m., Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre will premiere the Ravel Project on February 15th and perform separate selections on February 16. $24 - $46. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

“Here..Now” Feb. 19 through Feb. 24: Tues. - Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m., 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., 8 p.m., Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs three distinct programs featuring the West Coast premiere of “Here...Now”. $24 - $46. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

“Kusum Africa” Mar. 1 & 2: 8 p.m., Sixty artists and four dance companies representing the traditions of the Congo, Republic of Guinea, and Ghana adapt sub-Saharan dance-drumming to tell the story of the occupation of Accra, Ghana to protest British colonialism. $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9988 

“Risk of Falling” Mar. 9: 8 p.m., Mar. 10: 4:30 p.m., Julie Drucker has assembled troupe of dancers ages 24 to 83 to perform an intergenerational dance project that weds improvisational movement and personal storytelling to explore issues of trust, fear, aging and community. $12 - $15, $10 seniors. Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito, 286-7922 

“Compania Espanola De Antonio Marquez” Mar. 13 & 14: 8 p.m., Artistic Director Antonio Marquez showcases his dazzling and dynamic program of flamenco. $24 - $36. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9988 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

Oakland Magic Circle hosts its 34th annual Installation Banquet and Stage show, Feb. 5: 7 p.m. Dinner, 8 p.m. Show, Dick Newton, Timothy James, Peter Winch, Dan X. Solo, $20 Adults, $15 Children; Bjornson Hall, 2258 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 420-0680. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

"Human Nature" Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“The Pirandello Project” through Feb. 23: Check venue for specific dates, times and prices. An original presentation of three short works by the Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Luigi Pirandello. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., 841-4082, www.pirandelloproject.org 

“Culture Clash in AmeriCCA” Through Mar. 3: Check theater for specific dates and times. The comic trio Culture Clash present their latest collection of political, ethnological and socialogical humor written for and about Berkeley. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Divine Comedy: The Dante Project” Mar. 1 through Mar. 10: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A motorcycle and sidecar speeding over the Marsh of Styx, a flying bathtub touring the solar system, and a traveler passing through a wall of fire are some of the more spectacular moments in this comic twist on Dante’s poem. $6 - $12. Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-9925, genturc@uclink.berkeley.edu 

“The Golden State” Feb. 23 through Mar. 24: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m., An aging Brian Wilson meets the ruling family of the sea, and a blend of comic book escapade and tragedy follows in the wake. $20, Sunday is pay what you can. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave., 883-0305 

“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. 

“A Fairy’s Tail” Mar. 16 through Apr. 20: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. The Shotgun Players present Adam Bock’s story of a girl and her odyssey of revenge and personal transformation after a giant smashes her house with her family inside. $10 - $25. The Allston Street Theatre, 2116 Allston Way, 704-8210, www.shotgunplayers.org 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Feb: 14: 7 p.m., The Perfumed Garden; Feb: 15: 7 p.m., Rendezvous in Paris, 9:05 p.m., Autumn Tale; Feb. 17: 3 p.m. The Testimony of Taliesin Jones, 5:30 p.m., The Atonement of Gosta Berling; Feb. 19: 7:30 p.m., Prisoners of War; Feb. 20: 3 p.m., The General, 7:30 p.m., Kristin Lucas Simulcast Town Meeting; Feb. 21: 7:30 p.m., Kristin Lucas Workshop; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“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.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Through Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Trace of a Human” Feb. 28 through Mar. 30: Jim Freeman and Krystyna Mleczko exhibit their latest works including mixed media sculpture installation and acrylic on canvas paintings. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, gallery709@aol.com 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Through Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center “The Art of Living Black,” an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Stas Orlovski” Feb. 16 through Mar. 23: New work by Stas Orlovski featuring a series of large paintings and drawings examining the relationships between body and landscape and eastern and western aesthetics. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St., 527-1214 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

Trillium Press: Past, Present and Future Feb. 15 through April 13: Works created at Trillium Press by 28 artists. Tues. - Fri. noon - 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, www.kala.org.  

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

“The Image of Evil in Art” Feb. 7 through May 31: An exhibit exploring the varying depictions of the devil in art. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2541. 

“The Pottery of Ocumichu” Feb. 7 through May 31: A case exhibit of the imaginative Mexican pottery made in the village of Ocumichu, Michoacan. Known particularly for its playful devil figures, Ocumichu pottery also presents fanciful everyday scenes as well as religious topics. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2540 

“Being There” Feb. 23 through May 12: An exhibit of paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed media works by 45 contemporary artists who live and/or work in Oakland. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 12 - 5 p.m. $6, adults, $4 children. The Oakland Museum of California, Oak and 10th St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

“Scene in Oakland, 1852 to 2002” Mar. 9 through Aug. 25: An exhibit that includes 66 paintings, drawings, watercolors and photographs dating from 1852 to the present, featuring views of Oakland by 48 prominent California artists. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 12 - 5 p.m. $6, adults, $4 children. The Oakland Museum of California, Oak and 10th St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

Readings 

Black Oak Books Feb. 27: 7:30 p.m., Author & Activist Randy Schutt discussing his new book "Inciting Democracy: A Practical Proposal for Creating a Good 

Society." 1491 Shattuck Ave., 486-0698. 

Boadecia’s Books Feb. 9: 7:30 p.m., Loolwa Khazzoom reads from her new book “Conseqence: Beyond Resisting Rape” which takes a street savy look at street harassment. The evening will include a screening of the film “War Zone” and several spoken word presentations. Free. 398 Colusa, Kensington, 595-4642 

Cody’s on Fourth St. Feb. 15: Nuala O’Faolain talks about “My Dream of You”; Feb. 19: Tracy Hogg will tell “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers”; Feb. 21: Dan Bessie discusses Alvah Bessie’s Spanish Civil War Notebooks; Feb. 27: 6 p.m., Rodney Yee brings “Yoga: The Poetry of the Body”; Feb. 28: Rosemary Wells talks about children, children’s books, and the importance of reading; All events begin at 7 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 1730 Fourth St., 559-9500, www.codysbooks.com.  

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Feb. 7: Mark Kurlansky considers “Salt: A World History”; Feb. 11: Edward O. Wilson discusses “The Future of Life”; Feb. 12: Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé offer “Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet”; Feb. 15: Cindy Engel describes “Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them”; Feb. 19: Robert Cohen reads from “Inspired Sleep”; Feb. 22: “The Whole World is Watching,” a panel discussion with Harold Adler, Leon F. Litwack, Charles Wollenberg, Hollynn D’Lil, Ronald J. Riesterer and Cathy Cade; Feb. 25: David Henry Sterry describes “Chicken: Self-portrait of a Young Man for Rent”; Feb. 26: Carter Scholz reads from “Radiance”; All events begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Shambhala Booksellers Feb. 3: 7 p.m., William Peterson will read from his latest book “Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris 1990-1994”. Free. 242 Telegraph Ave., 848-8443 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. 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. 

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. - 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.  

Oakland Museum of California Feb. 14: 1 p.m., Diane Curry shares her experiences researching photographic archives for the history of Oakland, free; Feb. 17: 12 - 4 p.m., A family program in which artists engage families in creative projects inspired by the work of California African American artists; 2 - 3 p.m., Artist Raymond Howell discusses his creative process and artistic techniques. $6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID. 10th & Oak St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

Friday, Feb. 22

Grand Canyon Splendor: Rafting the Colorado 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Guidebook author and former river guide, Tyler Williams, presents the dramatic beauty of the Grand Canyon in his slide presentation on rafting the Colorado. 527-7377 

Still Stronger Women 

1:15 - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

Short stories. 232-1351. 

Saturday, Feb. 23

Archaeological Institute of America 

3 p.m. 

Shorb House 

2547 Channing Way 

Lecture by Dr. Stuart Swiny discussing Cypriot rituals surrounding fertility, life and death from the Neolithic to the Roman era. 415-338-1537, barbaram@sfsu.edu. 

Paying for Public Education: 

Whose Job Is It? 

3 - 5:30 p.m. 

Ocean View Elementary School 

Multi-Purpose Room 

1000 Jackson St., Albany 

A forum with Kevin Gordon of the Education Coalition, who will explain state-level funding for K-12 schools. Candidates for the California Assembly 14th District seat debate: Dave Brown (D), Loni Hancock (D), and Charles Ramsey (D). 524-7004, hao_kco@pacbell. net.  

Monday, Feb. 25

A Rose Grew in Brooklyn: Stories from a Jewish Girlhood 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Local author and therapist, Rose Fox reads from her memoir. 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

John Matsasuka presents a lecture entitled “For the Many or the Few: How the Initiative Process Changes American Government”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

U. S. Nuclear Weapons Program 

9 p.m. 

Wesley Student Center  

2398 Bancroft Way 

Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley CAREs, speaks on the U.S. nuclear weapons program, including new, mini-nukes, plutonium shipments to Livermore Lab., the National Ignition Facility project, recent law suits filed against the government. 527-2057.  

Parkinson’s Support Group 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1801 Hearst Ave. 

A support group for people with Parkinson’s, their families and caregivers.  

527-9075. 

Tuesday, Feb. 26

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

The Legal Challenges of Parenting Facing LGBT Couples 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Boalt Hall, Room 100 

An informal wine and cheese reception will follow the panel discussion. 415-551-1275, boaltcaucus@yahoo.com. 

Berkeley Organization for  

Animal Advocacy Presents:  

Dr. Ned C. Buyukmihci 

7 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

204 Wheeler Hall 

Buyukmihci will speak about the ethical dangers of animal experimentation. 925-487-4419, http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~boaa/. 

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Berkeley Gray Panthers 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Defending and improving Medicare. 548-9696, graypanthers@hotmail.com.  

Berkeley Mental Health Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Auditorium 

Berkeley mental health clinic. 644-8562. 

Poetry Workshop 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

The Literary Arts Program at the Berkeley Art Center is starting a weekly, 3 month poetry workshop facilitated by Rob Lipton. All levels welcome. 665-1662. 

Thursday, Feb. 28

Cody's Evening for Parents and Teachers 

7 p.m. 

Cody's Books 

1730 Fourth St. 

Rosemary Wells, children's author of dozens of books including Max and Ruby and Noisy Nora, will discuss children, books, and the importance of reading to your children. 527-6667, www.parentsnet.org. 

Trekking in Bhutan 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seasoned traveler, Ruther Anne Kocour will share slides and stories of her adventures trekking in this majestic country. 527-7377 

Take the Terror Out of Talking 

noon - 1:10 p.m. 

Calif. Dept. Health Services 

2151 Berkeley Way 

Room 804 

State Health Toastmasters Club is presenting a six-week Speechcraft workshop to help you overcome your fear of speaking in public and improve your communication skills. Cost is $36 for six sessions, Feb. 28 & March 7, 14, 21. 649-7750. 

The Writing Life 

4:30 p.m. 

North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Peter S. Beagle will discuss his works and the life and times of a professional writer. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Photographing the Famous 

7:30 p.m. 

College Preparatory School Auditorium 

1600 Broadway, Oakland 

Michael Collopy will talk about photographing the famous (Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela).  

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

In most BSAL matchups, the St. Mary’s girls’ basketball team just wears their opponents out. But on Thursday, Holy Names just refused to go away, taking the Panthers down to the buzzer and losing 37-35. 

The Panthers came close to blowing a six-point lead with just two minutes left to play. Holy Names had three different possessions that could have given them the lead, but the Monarchs just couldn’t quite make it all the way back. 

“It’s hard to play a team three times in one season,” St. Mary’s head coach Don Lawson said. “They figured out how to play us. Their coach is very good, and he did some things tonight that offset our strengths.” 

The main thing the Monarchs did was collapse on the St. Mary’s post players anytime the ball went inside. That strategy helped hold freshman Shantrell Sneed, who averages nearly 20 points per game, to just 12 points, and senior Kamaiya Warren to just 4 points. Sneed often settled for medium-range jumpers rather than going inside, probably a good idea while she recovers from a sprained knee. The freshman also took a hard fall into her own bench early in Thursday’s game, but appeared to be unharmed. 

St. Mary’s opened its largest lead at 18-8 early in the second quarter with a 10-0 run, but the Monarchs cut the lead to 22-18 at halftime. With their inside game handcuffed, the Panthers started heaving up shots from the outside, hitting with irregularity and keeping Holy Names close. Although St. Mary’s pulled out to a 32-25 lead early in the fourth quarter, they just couldn’t put together a finishing run.  

Guard Meghan Leary made a free throw to make the score 37-31 with two minutes left in the game, but that was the last time St. Mary’s would score. Holy Names would get buckets from Johana Padilla and Beth Costa to get within two points with 16 seconds left, and Leary committed a travel to give them the ball back with 11 second on the clock. But Leary made up for her gaffe by stealing the ball back. She was fouled with 0.8 seconds left and missed her free throw, but Junai Dawson couldn’t gather the ball in for a shot. 

St. Mary’s will face top-seeded Kennedy in the final on Saturday. The Eagles blew through the regular season undefeated in the BSAL, leaning on the strength of senior center Diedra Chatman. Lawson thinks his team matches up well with Kennedy. 

“I think we’ll actually have a much better chance to get the ball inside than we did tonight,” he said. “They’ll put Deidra on Kamaiya, but they don’t have anyone else to match up with Shantrell. They’ll try to pressure our guards, so we need good perimeter play.”

Next week the city of Berkeley will step a little closer to reconfiguring its eight electoral districts to better agree with new census information using a plan submitted by Elliot Cohen of Nuclear Free Berkeley. 

Other plans were were also presented by Tim Hansen, University of California Berkeley student Josh Fryday, Nick Rizzo, a 16-year-old Berkeley High School student and Councilmember Dona Spring. 

Council unanimously agreed to further study Cohen’s plan at midnight Wednesday morning after some two hours of heated debate. Rizzo’s plan was also approved for further study by a 5 to 4 vote. 

“My plan draws from the one vote/one person principle which is base don the idea that you want each district to have the same number of voters,” 

Cohen said. “This is not a plan that goes along with my political biases. I did it because I saw what happened last time. 

“So, if there was fighting this time around between council about who gets what, and no one was able to come up with a compromise, I hoped my plan could be used to bridge things and create peace on the Council.” 

This was Cohen’s second shot a creating a plan, and he says this success is based upon a lot of lessons he learned from previous failures. 

A call for redistricting plans was put out to residents in January after the council could not decide on an appropriate plan. 

The City Charter requires new district lines to be drawn every 10 years, following the U.S. Census Bureau’s population count. But because of the bureau’s undercount of about 4,500 residents in districts 7 and 8, a fair redistricting plan was difficult for the council to settle upon. 

Citizens for Fair Representation, who protested against an early plan, commented during the meeting Tuesday night about the fairness of Cohen’s plan in relationship to other plans. 

They were specifically moved by Cohen’s 1 percent deviation from the actual numbers. They also applauded Cohen for being able to put his own legal agenda aside. 

But essentially, the redistrciting is about numbers, communities and politics. 

“I too was looking at this process and trying to figure how this might work out best for me,” Councilmember Linda Maio said. “But I just don’t agree with this.” 

In the end Maio voted for Cohen’s plan because it seeemed to be the most honest of all the plans. Citizens for Fair Representation sokesperson agreed that the plans brought forth this tiem around wer9e much better than previous years. 

“All the plans do much more in an attempted to be nonpartisana,” a spokersperson for the Citizens for Fair Representation said. 

“Do not use the term of community of interest to further narrow political goals,” said John Curl. “The only two that I can see that really equitably distribute the undervount is Nick Rizzo’s and councilmember’s Springs.” 

Dear Editor, 

It is in Berkeley’s best interest to elect Charles Ramsey on March 5, as our Representative in the State Assembly. While we have two excellent candidates in Charles Ramsey and Loni Hancock, who agree on Berkeley’s and California’s problems, it is much better for Berkeley to vote for Charles Ramsey. This conclusion is supported by reviewing the statements in Loni’s campaign mailers! Hancock stresses her insight in our long-standing problems derived from her local public service and her commitment to resolving them as well as the abundant Political connections she has in Washington as well as Sacramento.  

Your vote for Ramsey is best for Berkeley because we get additional energy and perspective to resolving our nagging problems and we get Loni too! Her commitment to Berkeley, political influence will not vanish the day after the election, she will still be able to make Berkeley’s voice heard in Sacramento and Washington, so Berkeley gets both Loni and Ramsey by voting for Ramsey! If the contest between the two to who will best resolve Berkeley’s problems continues, it will be a contest based on accomplishments rather than campaign promises!  

Local public education is an area where a different approach would be of more benefit to Berkeley, Ramsey will represent Berkeley’s educational interests in Sacramento.  

Given Loni is committed to helping Berkeley finally deliver the promise implicit in voluntarily integrating public schools almost 40 years ago, and that Berkeley has supported our schools with massive Bond issues, more than $10 million per year from the BSEP tax as well as other donations of money and time, it seems that the solution to our education problems must be found locally. Loni should be running for School Board, the Board and our children need the benefit of her experience and leadership. 

I realize that there is a third candidate for the assembly, however Dave Brown’s campaign promises merely will dump more single passenger cars and their pollution into 

Berkeley and thus appears not interested in representing Berkeley.  

John Cecil  

Berkeley

The people in the speakeasy in Verona, PA. used to flip young Gwen Avery nickels to play records on the jukebox. 

“It would be B5 or S6 or whatever,” said Avery, now 59 and living in Berkeley. “So that’s how I learned the songs, not by the name of the artist, but by the number.” 

Avery is herself a kind of mix-and-match jukebox, capable of low-down trouble blues, harmonic doo-wop and nimble scats – while accompanying herself on the electric piano. “If you threw in Bessie Smith, Etta James, Satchmo, Ma Rainey, Nina Simone, Esther Phillips, and Mahalia Jackson in a big pot and mixed it up, you’d get me,” she said. 

And there’s no denying that Avery has a special gift when she breaks out into the spiritual “How Long” in middle of her living room with a voice as wide and deep as the Mississippi River. 

“I’ve got a good memory of my roots,” said Avery. “It comes out whenever I open my mouth.” 

For Avery, music is in the bones. She was born into a musical family and sang with her parents until she was 4 years old, when they split. After that, she was raised in her grandmother’s speakeasy , with a crowd that was always drinking, dancing and talking too loud.  

“Naturally I became an entertainer growing up with all those grown-ups,” she said. “They expected me to be something cute.” 

It is this rollicking juke-joint that Avery hopes to recreate when she plays at a benefit concert for Mayoral Candidate Wilson Riles at Humanist Hall in Oakland tonight and when she jams with her Blues Band Sistah’s at the Jon Sims Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Saturday. 

Not only does she want to bring back the dance-out-of-your-seat good times, Avery said, but also the camaraderie that was special in her segregated hometown. 

“It was the only place in town where everybody could mingle,” said Avery. “People of all races would get a beer, listen to music, and talk about their homelands. It was a little tiny melting pot.” 

A search for more of this combination of diversity and intimacy led her to the Bay Area. “The looseness was astonishing,” she said. “The way people would ride public transportation and huddle together!”  

Before she decided to stay in San Francisco, she stopped off in several cities, including Chicago, where she made up her mind to take up singing as a profession. At first Avery and the hippie friends were just taking it all in, astounded that $2 could get them into bars to see the likes of Carol King and Miriam Makeba. 

But then her friends heard her sing and told her she should seriously consider making singing her life.  

“I said, ‘Me?’” 

It didn’t take long before record labels like Decca and Arista started paying attention. “But I wasn’t ready for that regimentation,” said Avery. “I was too much of a free spirit.” 

Lack of a stable finances did mean she had to employ “other skills” to survive in the early days, she said with a chuckle. “I cut hair. I knew how to play pool very well, so I could always hustle. My grandma was a bootlegger so I learned a lot. I knew what I had to do to survive.” 

These days she still cuts albums on an independent record label, practices in her house and loads all of her own musical equipment in the back of her new truck. Avery and Emily Tincher, her manager and partner, may run a small-scale operation that relies on word-of-mouth publicity, but Avery's popularity doesn’t suffer. 

Her schedule is full of gigs at battered women’s shelters, prisons, or black history month celebrations at local colleges. Last year, Outmusic, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered musicians’ organization, named Avery’s “Sugar Mama” New Album of the Year. 

“It’s a slow crank, but I like it that way,” said Avery. “I never craved the big excitement like--what's her name? ... Britney.” 

Seniors lead boys to easy victory 

For the last two seasons, the St. Mary’s High boys’ basketball team has depended on a trio of current seniors. Thursday night against St. Joseph in the BSAL playoffs, DaShawn Freeman, John Sharper and Chase Moore keyed yet another victory to put the Panthers in the league championship game. 

Sharper and Moore each scored 20 points and Freeman dished out 12 assists in the 69-61 St. Mary’s win on Senior Night. Fellow senior Terrence Boyd also scored 12 points. The Panthers (24-2 overall) will face archrival Salesian on Saturday for the BSAL title and an automatic bid to the North Coast Section playoffs. 

Sharper scored 10 of his points in the second quarter as the Panthers started to pull away. A 16-9 first-quarter lead ballooned to 27-12 as the St. Mary’s defense caused turnover after turnover. Freeman ended the half with a penetration kick-out to Sharper, who calmly drained his second 3-pointer of the quarter for a 37-21 halftime lead. 

“The second quarter was big for us,” St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo said. “Our pressure really got to them, and we got our transition game going.” 

The Pilots (21-7) wouldn’t go quietly, however. Senior Ari Warmerdam turned it on in the second half, scoring 22 of his game-high 27 points after the break. The 6-foot-5 forward poured in 14 points in the third quarter alone to drag his team back to within 53-43, but the Pilots would get no closer until a 3-pointer from Murphy Holmes at the final buzzer. 

Warmerdam appeared to be the only Pilot who came ready to play, at least on the offensive end. The second-leading scorer for St. Joseph was Jeff Fuller with 7 points, and while 13 different Pilots scored, no other player had more than 4 points. 

With the playoffs shaking out exactly to form, the Panthers will get another shot at Salesian on Saturday. It will be the second meeting this season, and there’s more on the line than a league title. The Panthers are shooting for two straight undefeated BSAL seasons, not to mention a top seed in the NCS Division I playoffs. Salesian, on the other hand, will be playing more for pride. They have lost to St. Mary’s four times in a row over the last two seasons, and this will be the Chieftans’ last shot at a win over the St. Mary’s seniors. 

“They’re our biggest rival, and they’re going to come out and try to get revenge on us,” Sharper said. “We can’t let that happen.” 

Freeman said his fellow seniors won’t take the Chieftans lightly. 

“Especially us seniors, we want to win this last one,” he said. “It’s a big rivalry, and I want to win it for the school as well as for the team.” 

Saturday’s championship game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. at Albany High’s gym. 

Caraballo said the game plan won’t change much from the teams’ meeting two weeks ago, a 70-57 Panther win. 

“We’re going to play our game and make them adjust to us,” he said. “They’re the ones that lost.”

School and city officials discussed the closure of City of Franklin Microsociety Magnet School, parking tickets at Willard Middle School and the value of city-school symposiums at their monthly “2 x 2” meeting Thursday. 

The Board of Education, which needs to trim about $6 million to balance next year’s budget, has indicated it will likely close Franklin next year, saving the district an estimated $326,000. 

City Councilmember Linda Maio said residents in her district with children enrolled at Franklin have called her with concerns about where they will enroll their kids next year, and asked that the issue be placed on the agenda for a formal, joint City Council-Board of Education meeting scheduled for March 20. 

The two bodies meet in official joint session twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. 

Franklin teachers have asked the board to provide displaced students with first choice in schools next year, and board members have indicated that they would like to give students preference, as long as space and racial balance issues at other schools are addressed. 

Superintendent Michele Lawrence, speaking at the board’s meeting, suggested that if the Franklin closure goes through, the district might move an overcrowded Jefferson School into the larger Franklin building, and move district headquarters into Jefferson. 

Currently, the district is renting the Old City Hall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way from the city for its central office. The lease will run out in a few years, and city manager Weldon Rucker said the city would like to take over the building, seismically retrofit it, and possibly expand it. 

He said city officials and citizen commissions would likely make use of the office space in the historic building. 

Timiza Wagner, project manager at Willard Middle School, said Principal Michele Patterson and other teachers and administrators have had trouble getting parking permits from the city and have accumulated a number of parking tickets. 

“She would like very much to have something done about these tickets,” Wagner said, making reference to Patterson. “She is a servant of the Berkeley Unified School District and the community.” 

Rucker said he would look into the issue and take care of it. 

Joaquin Rivera, vice president of the school board, raised concerns about the value of “2 x 2” meetings and the two joint City Council-Board of Education meetings. 

“They just don’t seem to be useful,” Rivera said, calling for better organization of the “2 x 2” meetings, and more time for serious discussion at the joint sessions. 

Currently, he said, the two bodies meet for only an hour, with a half-hour reserved for public comment at each session. With nine city Councilmembers and five school board members, he said, there is little time for in-depth conversation. 

Editor: 

As a member of the Berkeley rabble in good standing I can speak with authority, or against it. And in the university’s most recent scandal, the voice of authority I’ll speak against ran in a letter to the Daily Californian, our student newspaper. 

“The university was created to exercise the intellect of man, not the emotions of man. As long as my university conducts classes where immature emotions are exercised as ‘academic’ study, I will withhold my support,” wrote Berkeley alumnus Ronald Pavellas. 

By immature emotional classes, Ronald Pavellas means those tied to the sex scandal, where one of the student-taught De-Cal courses allegedly involved orgies and field trips to the Garden of Eden, a San Francisco shack of sin. 

“The alma mater of my father and I is losing its proper focus and is pandering to those for whom the intellect is foreign territory,” he continued. 

First of all, if he meant to sound like a Harvard grad instead of one from Berkeley, he should have written “my father and me.” Besides that, he sounds like a great number of people who simply find themselves outraged by news of the goings-on under the sheets here. 

The administration is looking over the entire 20-year-old program of student-run courses, considering tighter supervision and intervention in what used to be the pride and joy of liberal, democratic education.  

But let me tell you how the students look at it. We know what constitutes a De-Cal course. We knew before the scandal.  

I considered taking a two-unit De-Cal course this semester and asked a friend who teaches one, and who will go unnamed, about it. 

“You can come to class every day drunk and high, or both,” he told me. “You’ll still get an A.” 

And, if the student instructor doesn’t put on airs of being a professor, that’s the classroom policy in a lot of cases. Those that put on airs find their attendance dropping very fast. It would surprise me to discover someone who takes a De-Cal course with sincere intentions of intellectual pursuit. The courses equal units, free of charge. Intellectual pursuit is reserved for lecture halls and 200-pages-a-night reading assignments in professored classes. 

But someone will always bring out a silk handkerchief and rub their glasses and harrumph. They are only kidding themselves, though. 

Any night of the week, there are more of my fellow students than can fit inside a classroom, visiting the strip of clubs on Broadway. 

Any night of the week, there are more of my fellow students than I can imagine doing the unimaginable. 

And any night of the week, there are a great deal of students who stay home and read serious books and make the intellect their domestic territory. 

There’s one thing that both sides of this case need to admit to themselves. In all likelihood, they secretly do. It’s the simple fact that there is a time and place for everything.  

It’s called Berkeley. 

Daniel Velton 

UC Berkeley student

NEW YORK — He may not know it, but when Bob Dylan signals his band to start a song onstage Friday night in Dallas, more than 1,000 people far from the arena are keenly interested in his choice. 

Fans of the veteran troubadour have launched an intricate Internet pool built on their predictions of what Dylan sings in concert. 

The pool reflects both the obsessive interest Dylan still draws 40 years into his career and the way this road warrior has structured his career. He generally plays more than 150 concerts a year. 

For the fans, it’s mostly fun. 

“If I ever got a chance to meet him, I’d say ‘thanks,”’ said one player, Becky Dalton, of Westminster, Calif. “I’m almost 49, and he makes me feel 16 when I go to see him. He’d probably look at us and say, ‘get a life.”’ 

Dylan is into the second decade of what is jokingly called his “Never-Ending Tour.” He’s typically on the road for a month or two at a time, rests for a few weeks, then starts anew. 

There are 1,054 people from 50 countries competing in the Internet pool for his current set of dates, which ends Sunday in Austin. He returns on April 5 in Stockholm for a five-week European swing. 

The pool was started a year ago by 24-year-old Canadian graduate student and computer expert Arthur Louie, and has quickly grown. 

Participants pick a set of songs, which are given point values: low for the songs Dylan plays most frequently, high for the songs he plays rarely. 

It’s a game that could be created around very few artists. For one thing, not many perform as much as Dylan. For another, most acts are so tightly choreographed their set lists change very little, if at all, from city to city. 

The Grateful Dead, while still active, could have probably done it. Phish, now on hiatus, had a similar game going, Louie said. 

Dylan usually plays around 20 songs a night. During a 35-date concert swing last fall, he played 92 different songs, Louie said. The pool has exhaustively catalogued his current tour: “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Honest With Me” and “Summer Days” were played on each of the first 14 dates. 

Twelve different songs, including “Visions of Johanna” and “Simple Twist of Fate,” were performed only once. 

Dylanologists study his set lists posted every morning after concerts for tendencies. They’ve noticed he’s begun most concerts lately with an acoustic cover tune, and has been performing a lot of songs from his Grammy-nominated album, “Love and Theft.” 

That might be expected — artists usually try to promote their latest albums on tour — but it hasn’t always been the case with Dylan. 

His unpredictability is legendary. Larry Shapiro, 46, an environmental attorney from New York City, says he’s moved up to 149th place in the current competition mostly because he’s given up trying to stay a step ahead of the maestro. 

“It’s a frightening thought to think that anybody can think like Bob,” he said. 

Winners of the game can actually win prizes, though Dylan might not appreciate them. The grand prize for the current competition is a CD box set of bootlegged Dylan concerts. 

Does Dylan himself know about the game? That’s cause for speculation on the Dylan pool; his spokesman, Elliott Mintz, thinks not. Mintz wrote down the Web address when told about the game to check it out himself. 

“To my knowledge, he doesn’t spend any time online,” Mintz said. “He’s not a big computer guy.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://pool.dylantree.com 

http://www.bobdylan.com 

Amit Tamir shredded the UCLA defense for 14-second-half points as Cal routed the Bruins, 69-51, last night at Haas Pavilion in a game that got testy down the stretch.  

With the win, Cal improved its record to 19-6 and 10-5 in the Pac-10. UCLA fell to 17-9 and 9-6. Cal moved past UCLA into sole possession of third place in the conference.  

Cal was coming off a disheartening loss at Washington, 75-60. Prior to that game, Matt Lyon, Cal’s assistant vice chancellor for public affairs, who was accompanying the Bears on the Washington trip, passed away of a heart attack.  

“(Thursday) was a huge game for us,” Cal coach Ben Braun said. “This was the biggest game our team has had to face, after a tough loss, a tragic death of a close member of our basketball family. To play under these conditions is really something.”  

The game bore little resemblance to the tight 64-57 loss the Bears suffered to the Bruins down in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. Back then, the Bears struggled mightily against the Bruins’ 2-3 zone. This time, they aggressively attacked the zone in the first half and then made their perimeter shots over the zone in the second stanza. Cal shot 6-of-11 from three-point range in the second half after making just 1-of-9 threes in the first half. The Bears shot 46.3 percent from the field for the game.  

“They allowed us to move the ball a lot more,” Cal guard Brian Wethers said. “They didn’t pressure as much on the wing.”  

“They just got the ball inside and that opened up their outside,” UCLA coach Steve Lavin said. “They took 30-plus threes in the game at Pauley [Pavilion]. Today they came out and established the game in the paint.”  

Tamir led Cal in scoring with 18 points. Wethers (15 points), Solomon Hughes (12) and Joe Shipp (11) also scored in double figures. Shipp and Wethers led Cal with 6 rebounds apiece. Wethers completed his all-around play by leading Cal with 6 assists. Overall, Cal had 21 assists on its 25 field goals.  

UCLA’s Dan Gadzuric tied Tamir for game-high honors with 18 and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, but Cal’s stingy defense held UCLA’s leading scorer Jason Kapono, who averaged 17.6 points per game coming into the night, to just 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting.  

With the Golden Bears up 66-51 with 2:24 to go, UCLA forward Matt Barnes clotheslined Cal point guard Shantay Legans as the latter went up for a rebound. Barnes, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward, knocked the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Legans to the floor, which he hit headfirst. Legans was unconscious for about two minutes and Barnes was ejected from the game. After Legans walked off the court with a likely concussion, Dennis Gates replaced him to sink one of two free throws. Legans’ availability for Saturday afternoon’s clash with USC was unknown.  

“It depends on how severe it is,” Braun said. “If it’s a severe concussion, he may not [play]. That would be very unfortunate. The good thing is he’s okay right now.” 

Hughes and Wethers led the way for the Bears in the first half with 10 points each. In fact, Hughes made his first five shots as Cal bolted out to a 16-7 lead. Cal figured out how to score against UCLA’s zone and also how to shut down the Bruins. Gadzuric was the only Bruin who could get any offensive rhythm, as his team shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the half. UCLA shot 50 percent in the second half to finish with a respectable 42.6 mark for the game.  

In the second half, Cal rode a three-point barrage to open up the game at 55-32. During one stretch, from the 17:03 to the 10:44 mark, Cal slapped a 20-6 run on the Bruins with six threes among the seven made baskets. The other basket was a two-handed dunk from Wethers. Tamir, who shot 2-of-7 overall in the first half and was 0-of-3 from beyond the arc, hit three 3-pointers during the run. Shipp added two from long range and Ryan Forehan-Kelly hit another. Tamir had three of his four assists during the run.  

“Our passing was sharp, crisp,” Braun said. “We played unselfishly. We did everything we had to do to win. I’m proud of our team.”

Today is Friday, Feb. 22, the 53rd day of 2002. There are 312 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 22, 1732, the first president of the United States, George Washington, was born at his parents’ plantation in the Virginia Colony. 

On this date: 

In 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the United States. 

In 1865, Tennessee adopted a new constitution abolishing slavery. 

In 1879, Frank Winfield Woolworth opened a five-cent store in Utica, N.Y. 

In 1889, President Cleveland signed a bill to admit the Dakotas, Montana and Washington state to the Union. 

In 1892, “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” by Oscar Wilde, was first performed, at London’s St. James’s Theater. 

In 1924, Calvin Coolidge delivered the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House. 

In 1935, it became illegal for airplanes to fly over the White House. 

In 1973, the United States and China agreed to establish liaison offices. 

In 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team upset the Soviets at Lake Placid, N.Y., 4-to-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.) 

In 1987, pop artist Andy Warhol died at a New York City hospital at age 58. 

Ten years ago: President Bush renewed his attack on a Democratic tax plan, saying in a radio address that congressional Democrats were choosing “politics over duty.” At the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, American speedskater Cathy Turner won the women’s 500-meter race. 

Five years ago: Cutbacks began under new welfare law limiting childless adults, under age 50 and able to work, to three months of food stamps in any three-year period. Albert Shanker, the leader of the American Federation of Teachers who championed public school reforms, died in New York at age 68. 

One year ago: President Bush held his first full-fledged presidential news conference, in which he defended his tax-cutting and budget-tightening plans and gave FBI director Louis Freeh a vote of confidence following the arrest of veteran agent Robert Hanssen on spying charges. A U.N. war crimes tribunal convicted three Bosnian Serbs standing trial on charges of rape and torture in the first case of wartime sexual enslavement to go before an international court. 

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Sir John Mills is 94. Announcer Don Pardo is 84. Actor Paul Dooley is 74. Hollywood “ghost singer” Marni Nixon is 72. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., is 70. Movie director Jonathan Demme is 58. Actor John Ashton is 54. Actress Ellen Greene is 52. Actress Miou-Miou is 52. Actress Julie Walters is 52. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Julius Erving is 52. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 43. Actress Jeri Ryan is 34. Actress-singer Lea Salonga is 31. Actor Jose Solano (“Baywatch”) is 31. Tennis player Michael Chang is 30. Actress Drew Barrymore is 27.

Friday 

Men’s Basketball – Berkeley vs. De Anza, 7 p.m. at Berkeley High School 

Saturday 

Men’s Rugby – Cal vs. University of British Columbia, 1 p.m. at Witter Field 

Men’s Basketball – Cal vs. USC, 3 p.m.  

at Haas Pavilion 

Girls Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. Kennedy (BSAL final), 5:30 p.m. at Albany High School 

Girls Basketball – Berkeley vs. Encinal (ACCAL final), 6 p.m. at Hercules High School 

Boys Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. Salesian (BSAL final), 8 p.m. at Albany High School 

SACRAMENTO — Republican gubernatorial front-runner Richard Riordan collected twice as much as Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in a high-stakes fund-raising battle in recent weeks, reports released Thursday show. 

Riordan collected $2.1 million during a recent 28-day period, while Davis took in $1.1 million. Both spent heavily on dueling television commercials as the primary race entered its final stretch. 

Riordan will face Secretary of State Bill Jones and Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon in the primary in less than two weeks. The victor will challenge Davis in November. 

The newest reports detail fund-raising and spending between Jan. 20 and Feb. 16. They reflect a crush of spending on commercials and an outpouring of cash by Davis and the two leading Republicans who want to unseat him. 

Riordan took in $250,000 during the four-week period from his top donor Univision chief Jerry Perenchio, who has contributed a total $400,000 to the former Los Angeles mayor. Perenchio also has donated at least $350,000 to Davis since February 2000. 

Both Riordan and Simon collected money from companies or individuals heavily involved in offshore oil exploration. Davis recently has publicly rejected federal efforts to settle a lawsuit over the state’s right to review oil and gas leases off California’s coast. 

Riordan received $20,000 from Hushang Ansary of Houston, chairman and CEO of IRI International, an offshore oil drilling company. Ansary, a former Iranian ambassador to the United States and now a U.S. citizen, has been a major supporter of President Bush. 

Simon received $5,000 from Tesoro Petroleum, a Texas-based company active in offshore oil drilling. 

Davis, meanwhile, continued to lure a stream of donations from an array of donors from corporate heavy hitters to worker’s unions. 

Davis spent $5.7 million in four weeks — mostly on television commercials that aired statewide. Riordan, meanwhile, poured $3.6 million into his bid, mostly for television spots. 

Despite raising cash at a clip of $75,000 a day during the four-week stint, Riordan has faced criticism from his own party, come under attack from Davis and has seen his once-commanding lead in polls shrink. 

Simon — a wealthy investor who went from virtually unknown to gaining on Riordan in recent polls — lent his campaign $1.7 million during the period and raised $686,000 in contributions. Many of his contributions have poured in from donors in his native East Coast and from religious conservatives. 

He also received $25,000 from PMX Industries, a Korean-owned copper and brass recycling mill in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and $1,000 from Susan Lyne, the new president of ABC. 

Simon spent $3 million, mainly on positive ads to boost his profile. His popularity has climbed in recent weeks and he has gained the support of some of the Republican party’s key conservatives, and he launched his first negative ad Thursday critical of Riordan. 

Secretary of State Bill Jones, who has struggled to attract donations and has lagged in polls, raised $484,000 during the period and spent $288,000. 

Davis — who faces no opposition until the general election in November — has made the unusual step of plunging into the campaign before the primary. He has launched a string of ads, many of which directly attack Riordan. But he still has the largest campaign treasury by far: He had $28 million to spend as of Feb. 16. 

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On the Net: 

The campaign finance reports can be found at http://www.ss.ca.gov 

Tuesday was the last day for Californians to register to vote for the March 5 election. But looking at the empty registration tables at City Hall that day, you wouldn’t have known it.  

The Department of Elections was hosting an all day voter registration drive. The nonprofit A. Philip Randolph Institute had even volunteered to shuttle unregistered eligible voters to city hall. But by 3 p.m. only 60 of San Francisco’s thousands of unregistered eligible voters had shown up.  

With a primary gubernatorial slot at stake, an ongoing energy crisis and election reform on the ballot, the city’s chief election officer said she hoped more would register before the drive ended, at midnight.  

“It’s very important every San Franciscan comes out to vote,” Tammy Haygood said. “We’re going to stay open to give everyone the chance to register.” 

Tuesday’s rain was limiting the big gains in registration the department expected, Haygood said. Poll workers planned to set up registration tables outside city hall, in easy view of potential voters. But the weather forced them into the basement. 

But the department can’t blame the rain for low registration, said the co-author of an initiative that would allow people to register to vote the day of an election. “This is not a day that tells everybody, ‘Okay it’s Feb. 19, time to go out and register,’” said Chip Neilsen, an attorney for the Election Day Voter Registration campaign, which is trying to get its initiative on the November ballot. “People should be trying to encourage people to register everyday.” 

Six states allow voter registration on Election Day, and all say it has increased their voters’ participation, according to a report by the think-tank Alliance for a Better Campaign. Two years ago the state legislature changed the deadline for registration, giving Californians an additional two weeks to register.  

Though Democrats generally support last-minute voter registration, Gov. Gray Davis is skeptical of it, said Hilary McLean, a Davis spokesperson. “He does have concerns about the integrity of the voting process,” she said. “He would want assurance that there is adequate protection to the system.” 

Voter registration is intended to prevent ballot stuffing, the practice of rigging an election by having the same people vote more than once. Early voter registration deadlines give a registrar ample time to compile lists of registered voters that can be used to cross check individual voters’ identities.  

But early registration deadlines aren’t the only way to ensure the integrity of an election, said Bruce Cain, chair of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. “It is technologically possible to register on the same day and prevent fraud,” he said. “I’m 100 percent in favor of it. We should have done it along time ago.” 

“It shouldn’t be that you have a waiting period,” said James Bryant, president of A. Philip Randolph Institute, the non-profit that shuttled people who wanted to register to city hall Tuesday. “It’s not like you’re getting a gun permit.” Or maybe it is, he said. 

“It’s a political weapon if you can get your community to vote,” he said. 

Despite occasional bouts with low voter turnout, San Francisco generally lives up to its reputation as one of the most politically active cities in the country, said David Binder, a political consultant based in San Francisco.  

Binder’s 1999 study showed 85 percent of San Francisco’s eligible voters were registered.  

“If you want sunshine and entertainment, you go to L.A.,” Binder said. “If you want that big city feel, you go to New York. If you want to be active in politics you go to San Francisco.” 

But registering isn’t the same as voting. Experts say turnout at the March 5 election is likely to be low again, as it was in the November 2001 election when only 30 percent of San Francisco’s registered voters turned out. Twenty-seven percent of California’s likely voters don’t even know there’s an election March 5, a recent Field poll showed.  

Recent allegations of corruption in San Francisco’s Department of Elections mean more voters are likely to stay away from the polls, said Karen Alexander, co-president of California Voter Foundation. Lost or misfiled ballots led the secretary to state to launch an investigation into the November 2000 election.  

“There’s a chronic perception of chronic election fraud in San Francisco,” Alexander said.

Papers show 13 siblings were abused for misbehaving, force-fed and starved 

SAN RAFAEL — The 13 siblings who lived in a cultish family home where one child starved to death were lashed and forced-fed chili peppers if they misbehaved, according to papers filed with the court where the children’s parents appeared Thursday. 

The 12 surviving children, in protective custody since their 19-month-old brother died in mid November, also described a suburban home with harsh punishments for sneaking food during routine three-day fasts. 

One of the girls said she was tied to a playpen at night for two weeks as punishment for eating during a fast, according to the documents. Other children told authorities that discipline included their mouths being sealed with tape and being bent over a weight lifting bench and beaten with a belt. 

Authorities said they seized a so-called “Book of Rules” from the house where Winnfred Wright allegedly terrorized his children along with four women, three of them the children’s mothers, according to documents reviewed by a reporter Wednesday but absent from the court’s file Thursday. 

Wright, 45, and the three mothers — Carol Bremner, 44, Deirdre Wilson, 37, and Mary Campbell, 37 — remain in Marin County jail without bail. During Thursday’s hearing a judge gave the fourth woman, the children’s self-described home school teacher, a chance to make $100,000 bail. 

When the judge announced the bail reduction, Campbell, who is visibly pregnant, turned to Kali Polk-Matthews and smiled, touching her on the arm. But Polk-Matthews, 20, did not post the money by Thursday night and remained behind bars. 

Judge Terrence Boren also imposed a temporary gag order preventing lawyers and officials from speaking publicly about the case. He will review that decision March 12 when the defendants are expected to enter pleas. 

All five adults were indicted earlier this month and arrested on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and child neglect; Polk-Matthews, who only joined the household months ago and did not bear any children, doesn’t face the murder charge. 

The grand jury indicted Polk-Matthews without a request by prosectuors. 

“My niece Kali Matthews is a kind and decent person,” Jim Matthews said outside the courtroom. “I hope that she’s able to extricate herself from this matter. It’s a sad affair all around.” 

Prosecutors argued that Polk-Matthews’ bail should be set at $500,000 because she did little to try and save a 19-month-old the night he died. 

The boy suffered from multiple fractures because he had almost no calcium in his bones, according to forensic child pathologist Gregory Reiber, who did the autopsy on Ndigo Campisi-Nyah-Wright. 

“In spite of being faced with the agony of a child gasping for breath and turning blue, she never called for medical assistance,” prosecutors wrote in papers filed Thursday. Those papers also said some of children were “obviously deformed” and Ndigo was “frighteningly small,” but Polk-Matthews did not contact police. 

Medical authorities have said most of the other children were also malnourished, deprived of sunlight and suffering from rickets, a bone-softening disease caused by a lack of vitamin D. 

Just before Boren issued the gag order on lawyers, law enforcement officials and social workers, Wright’s lawyer took a few shots against media coverage of the case. 

“Because the case involves racial and sexual issues and an alternative lifestyle, it creates an atmosphere vulnerable to voyeurism and sensationalism,” attorney Mary Stearns argued in asking wanted Boren to seal any documents related to the case— a motion opposed by a lawyer for the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Boren didn’t order any further sealings, though several affidavits prosecutors filed Wednesday were missing from the court’s file. 

The Marin Independent Journal reviewed those affidavits and reported that they provided a chilling account of Ndigo’s last days alive. 

One girl in the house said Ndigo got progressively thinner as he was fed a diet of tea with supplements. Wright told investigators the night the baby died he had a hard time breathing and he was placed in front of a television to stimulate his brain, the paper reported. 

Wright has refused requests for interviews. 

Reached at his Sacramento home Thursday night, his father, Leonard Wright, refused to answer questions. 

“I have nothing to say,” Wright said, “Nothing to say.” 

Q. Fran asks: I have well water in my home and of course the water smells. Someone told me if you take out the “rod” in the water heater, the water won’t smell anymore. But what rod is it and how do I get it out? 

A. The problem occurs when the metal rod in glass-lined water heaters (used to improve the life expectancy of the glass lining) combines with waterborne sulfate-reducing bacteria, resulting in the production of hydrogen sulfide. The water is not dangerous to consume, but is difficult to swallow. It smells like rotten eggs. 

Solution 1: Replace the magnesium metal rod (cathodic protection anode) with one made of aluminum (it might not be available for your brand of water heater). The aluminum rod produces 30 percent less current, and therefore generates less hydrogen gas while causing enough current to adequately protect the glass liner. 

Solution 2: Find the point of origin of the sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), and eliminate it. SRB is most common in new-water supply pipes contaminated by soil during construction. The soil carrying the SRB eventually ends up as solids at the bottom of the water heater. A thorough flushing to remove the dirt, then a second flushing with a dash of chlorine, and finally a third flush — to clean — should do the trick. Hydrogen gas without the presence of SRB will go unnoticed. SRB is not so easy to remove if your water company pumps the bacteria into your home along with the water. This will often be the case as increasingly water districts are reducing or ceasing their use of chlorine. Sulfate-reducing bacteria are devastated by chlorination, but will thrive otherwise. 

It is possible to inadvertently contaminate your own water supply by allowing sulfate-reducing bacteria — not to mention other more dangerous bugs — to enter your water system at your own property. This can happen through your sprinklers if you’re not using anti-siphon sprinkler valves, which prevent backwash. Backwash could also result when a water main in your neighborhood is turned off while your garden hose is running in a muddy puddle. 

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For more home improvement tips and information, visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com. 

Many people are unaware that indoor air pollution can be just as bad as, or even worse than, outdoor air pollution to an individual’s health. 

EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be two to five times, and occasionally, more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. It’s estimated that most people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors — making home, school and the workplace potentially hazardous to one’s health. Health risks probably are higher for infants, the elderly and people with chronic diseases. 

Further, laws designed to improve energy efficiency by cutting down on drafts don’t improve indoor air quality. Tightly sealed homes constructed in the last couple of decades might have diminished the use of fossil fuels, but have wreaked havoc with Americans’ respiratory systems. Homes that can’t “breathe” can’t dilute pollutants contained in building and decorating products. 

Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air-quality problems. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources, and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. This allows concentrations to build up. High temperature and humidity levels also can increase concentrations of some pollutants. 

All these pollutants have one thing in common; they contain chemicals that are part of a larger class of chemicals known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are organic (carbon-based) chemicals that evaporate readily at room temperature. VOCs typically are found in high indoor concentrations in dry-cleaned clothing; chloroform from chlorinated water; benzene from tobacco smoke (one of the leading indoor air pollutants); formaldehyde from fabrics, pressed wood products and insulation; styrene found in adhesives, foam, lubricants, plastics carpets and insulation; methylene chloride from paint strippers; and carbon tetrachloride from paint removers. 

Other potential sources of indoor air pollution are central heating, cooling and dehumidification systems, household cleaning and maintenance products, outdoor sources such as pesticides and biological contaminants such as animal dander, mold and cockroaches. 

While indoor air pollution affects people differently, in general, short-term exposure might cause immediate effects such as headaches, dizziness and allergies. Long-term exposures can result in respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer, all of which can be severely debilitating, even fatal. 

Building-related illness is an identifiable disease or illness that can be traced to a specific pollutant or source within a building. In contrast, the term “sick building (sick home) syndrome” is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but where no specific illness or cause can be identified. Both syndromes are associated with acute or immediate health problems. 

While this is not particularly good news, awareness is the first step in creating a more healthful indoor environment and improving your health. Your best defense against indoor air pollution is a strong offense. First, identify and control sources of pollution to reduce and prevent indoor air contamination. This can range from changing housecleaning products to airing out freshly dry-cleaned clothing to tossing out formaldehyde-containing furniture. Equally important is improving ventilation. Proper ventilation — the mixing of indoor air with outdoor air — can revitalize the air in your home and protect your health. 

Since cigarette smoke is one of the single greatest contributors to indoor air pollution, smoking indoors is a no-no. Similarly, fireplaces and other fuel-burning appliances (water heaters, furnaces, stoves, etc.) should be properly adjusted and vented to the exterior. Doing so will both prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and improve the efficiency of the appliance. 

Adequately sized exhaust fans should be used wherever moisture and combustion are present in the bathroom, laundry and kitchen. A bath fan, for example, will help to dissipate chloroform gas, which is a byproduct of chlorinated water. It also will remove excessive moisture that can lead to mold which can produce yet more health hazards. 

There are other indoor air pollutants that deserve your attention, such as asbestos, lead and radon. The first two were used pervasively in building products before being outlawed by the EPA in the late 1970s. The rule of thumb with asbestos and lead is that it is best left alone if it in good shape and not peeling or crumbling. Asbestos or lead should not be scraped or sanded and should be removed only by a professional abatement contractor with the proper equipment. Moreover, testing should be performed after the abatement process to ensure the air quality is safe. 

Radon, on the other hand, is a naturally occurring gas that is derived from uranium in the ground. Radon can make its way into a home through cracks in foundation or basement walls. Small amounts of radon can be controlled by sealing cracks with a caulking or patching compound. Higher levels might require the installation of an exhaust system to disperse concentrated amounts into outdoor air. 

Do-it-yourself test kits are available for many indoor air pollutants such as lead or radon. Other indoor pollutants such as asbestos require professional testing. In either case, if you haven’t or someone in your family hasn’t been feeling up to snuff, or if you suspect that your home contains more than its share of pollutants, we suggest that you have your home tested by a pro. 

For more information on indoor air pollution and what to do about it visit the EPA Web site at www.epa.gov or the American Lung Association Web site at www.lungusa.org. 

For more home improvement tips and information visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com.

SAN FRANCISCO — PG&E Corp. said Thursday that it might have improperly kept several complex deals off its books, making the power company the latest industry giant to own up to an accounting slip-up following the Enron Corp. scandal. 

The potential problems prompted San Francisco-based PG&E to postpone its scheduled fourth-quarter earnings announcement and raised the specter of the accounting debacle that destroyed Enron, once the nation’s largest energy trader. 

PG&E warned it might revise its financial statements dating back to 1999, but stressed the changes won’t have a major impact on its earnings or its shareholders’ equity. 

The company also sought to distance its off-the-book deals from the murky partnerships that ruined Enron. PG&E said details about all the deals had been outlined in its corporate annual report last year and a Securities Exchange and Commission filing made six months ago by one of its unregulated businesses, the National Energy Group. 

PG&E’s assurances appeared to satisfy the stock market. The company’s shares fell 59 cents to close at $20 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

The stock market is demanding more straightforward accounting from companies to minimize the chances of rude shocks like the one Enron delivered late last year when it acknowledged that it had overstated its past profits by $586 million. 

The pressure has prompted companies to pore through their financial statements for potential trouble. “Every company wants to make sure they have all their ducks in a row before announcing earnings now,” said analyst Carol Coale of Prudential Securities. 

With Enron’s collapse looming in the background, power companies are under the greatest scrutiny. Two other industry giants, Williams Cos. and Reliant Energy Inc., also have delayed their fourth-quarter earnings so they can re-evaluate the way they accounted for certain deals. 

PG&E faces even more daunting issues than questions about its accounting practices. The company’s main source of revenue, Northern California utility Pacific Gas and Electric, remains stuck in a bankruptcy case initiated 10 months ago and state regulators are trying to block its plan for reorganization. 

PG&E’s accounting headache revolves around the company’s approach to building power plants in Connecticut, California and Arizona, as well as the way it obtained some of its power-generating equipment. 

As part of these deals, PG&E formed trusts with other unidentified partners and created “synthetic” leases that allowed the deals to remain off the company’s books. 

For the deals to remain off PG&E’s balance sheet, the other partners have to maintain a 3 percent stake in the trusts, a condition that might have been breached because of “technical” issues, the company said. 

PG&E accountants and the company’s outside auditor, Deloitte & Touche, raised red flags about the deals Wednesday night during a final review of the fourth-quarter financial statements, said PG&E spokesman Brian Hertzog. 

If a more detailed review concludes the leases need to be reclassified, PG&E said it will change financial statements during the previous three years and record the deals on its balance sheet. The revisions might add an additional $1 billion in assets and liabilities to PG&E’s books. 

The possible changes won’t erode PG&E’s profits because the deals are regarded as capital leases, an accounting item that doesn’t affect income. 

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On The Net: 

http://www.pgecorp.com 

LOS ANGELES — Boeing Co. said Thursday it will lay off about 1,000 people from its satellite manufacturing arm in Southern California as it restructures to deal with tough competition in the uncertain economy. 

The announcement came four months after Boeing cut 400 other jobs at the satellite division because of the slowing economy. 

The Chicago-based company has slashed more than 15,000 jobs nationwide and plans to cut as many as 30,000 jobs by mid-year, most of them from its Seattle-based Commercial Airplanes division. The layoffs announced here Thursday are not part of the 30,000 previously announced. 

The new round of cuts include reductions in manufacturing and support staff along with some engineering positions at Boeing facilities in El Segundo and Torrance, said company spokesman George Torres. 

“We are restructuring in general to be more competitive in a very tough market,” he said. 

Boeing acquired the satellite business, which employs about 9,200 people, last year. The unit is the world’s largest producer of satellites for military and commercial markets. 

The weak economy has slowed orders from commercial customers, Torres said. 

The struggling telecommunications industry saw a number of companies such as Lucent Technologies Inc. and Global Crossing Ltd. falter financially. 

Many of those companies were looking to use satellites to help build global wireless communication systems and space-based broadband systems for the Internet. 

“They (Boeing) have been building a satellite a month for a long time, but they’re looking at the future. They’re not seeing the kind of orders they’ve had,” said Marco Caceres, a senior space analyst with the aerospace research firm the Teal Group, 

Boeing hopes the final cuts in Southern California will involve no more than 700 people through efforts to reassign workers to 350 current openings and encourage others to retire early, Torres said. 

But getting a transfer can be tough. 

“When you try to match skills with other parts of Boeing, most of the openings are on the engineering side,” he said. “There aren’t as many in manufacturing.” 

Torres said Boeing remains committed to expanding its satellite business. 

The company intends to proceed with plans for a 35,000-square-feet addition to its El Segundo satellite factory and continue pursuing new military business that could create about 1,300 new jobs by 2005. 

It is also on track to build 12 global positioning satellites for the U.S. Air Force in the fourth quarter of 2002. 

LOS ANGELES — A group of Global Crossing Ltd. shareholders intends to file an alternative rescue plan Friday for the telecom network firm that would save investors’ holdings and kick out many of the top executives. 

The company detailed a bankruptcy plan Jan. 28 under which it confirmed shareholders will likely receive nothing. 

The shareholder group, which is led by Coburn Meredith, a small investment firm in Hartford, Conn., and includes a grass-roots collection of individual investors, intends to file its bid with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. 

The proposal involves raising about $1 billion by issuing warrants that would guarantee holders the right to buy Global Crossing shares at a set price in the future, sources familiar with the bid said. Coburn Meredith faces a quiet period until the filing. 

Lawyers for the group will try to convince Judge Robert Gerber that there would be sufficient demand for the warrants. 

Several independent experts called the effort extremely unusual. They expressed doubt the plan would succeed, saying bankruptcy law favors a company and its creditors and that few investors are likely to bet more money on Global Crossing. 

“This company is very far gone. I don’t see any ability to raise equity capital,” said Harry DeAngelo, professor of finance at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. 

Although the shareholders are not trying to buy out Global Crossing, they do want to gain control of the majority of seats on the board. 

John Schmidt, a spokesman for Global Crossing, said the company was not aware of the shareholders’ efforts but is obligated to consider other offers. 

As part of Global Crossing’s own bankruptcy plan, two Asian firms would receive 79 percent of the company in return for investing $750 million. Creditors would jointly own 21 percent and receive $300 million in return for forgiving about $12.4 billion of debt. A court hearing on the sale procedures is scheduled for March 7. 

It isn’t clear how much shareholder who support the plan will receive, but many shareholders interviewed said they still believe Global Crossing’s fiber optic network linking 27 countries is a winning investment. 

They said the assets had been mismanaged by a team of executives who misled investors. 

“They would not have that network without the shareholders,” said Diana Conley, an investor in Houston, Texas, who spent about $9,000 buying shares during the last year. 

“This is a public company. They have no right to treat us like a personal piggy bank. The shareholders own the company, although (chairman) Gary Winnick may act like he owns it,” said Jay Province of Charlottesville, S.C. 

The 44 year-old Web developer said he invested $25,000 in Global Crossing last September as part of a plan to save for his two children’s university education. 

A common complaint among shareholders is that even though they knew the risks of investing in telecommunications, they never knew ahead of time that Global Crossing was bolstering revenues by swapping network capacity with its own customers. 

An internal letter by Global Crossing’s vice president of finance in August said the practice needed to be investigated because it appeared to intentionally mislead investors. 

Global Crossing never made the concerns of Roy Olofson public and didn’t inform its auditors until late January. Schmidt said the company adheres to all generally accepted accounting principles and determined an investigation was not merited. 

But shareholders said they would not have invested if they had the information. 

“If I’d known, absolutely I would have gotten out,” said Gene Ray, a retired pastor in Miami who invested about $200,000 in Global Crossing over a two-year period ending last October. 

Some said they invested after comments in the fall by John Legere, the company’s new chief executive, that the firm was fully funded through 2002 and that bankruptcy was not a possibility. 

“We can’t make intelligent investment decisions based on lies,” Conley said. 

Schmidt responded that the company tells shareholders what it knows to be true at the time. 

The shareholders also expressed doubt that regulators and any amount of new laws can prevent future flameouts like Global Crossing. Instead, they say shareholders have to exert more control over the executives who are managing their investments. 

Global Crossing will be a crucial test case, said Province. 

“I really want to fuel the fire and get people motivated. Otherwise we’re going to have falling capital markets and a lot of angry people,” he said. 

Some independent experts agree that the collapse of large, seemingly well-run firms like Global Crossing and Enron Corp. will undermine the stock market unless shareholder confidence is protected. 

“There’s a risk here that there could be a long-term impact if enough investors become unwilling to invest,” said Christine Rosen, professor of business history at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Two employees called in sick. As if that wasn’t enough, the payroll had to be done. No matter. Juanita McMullen, program manager of YouthWorks and a community- service veteran with 29 years of experience in this field, took it in stride. 

“Youth service providers have always had to be extremely creative,” McMullen said.  

Youth employment programs around the country may soon have to get even more creative, at least as far as finding funds. With national unemployment rates rising, the recent Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies report found Americans younger than 24 years old have been especially hurt by the economic slowdown. And in January, the Bush administration announced plans to cut federal funding for youth opportunity grants from $225 million to $45 million, effective in 2003.  

Berkeley has been sheltered from those cuts because unlike most cities, which rely heavily on state and federal funding for their programs, it provides more than 85 percent of the budget. 

“I love this city,” McMullen said. “We are lucky the city has always been supportive. Say ‘thank you’ to those folks from me.” 

The city clearly appreciates YouthWorks’ accomplishments. In McMullen’s McKinley Avenue office, a bookshelf covered with framed awards sits near her impeccably organized desk. That’s probably because she and her staff have helped thousands of young people find jobs. 

This summer — as it has for several summers running — the program will help 400 14- to 25-year-olds find jobs and apprenticeships in a variety of fields, including biotechnology, city services and technology. To apply during the weeks after March 1, applicants need to be Berkeley residents who have photo identification and a Social Security card. 

During the year, they run an after-school work-program where several dozen students are enrolled.  

McMullen and her crew of four career counselors also help clients create resumes and prepare for job interviews. 

Some students have never seen a resume before or panic at the thought of a job interview. Tahira Warner, 23, said she was really nervous about starting to apply for jobs, until McMullen rallied behind her. YouthWorks and high-school counselors helped her finish her first resume and start applying. 

“Juanita was always around campus,” said Warner. “She’s always energetic. She makes you more confident that you can find a good job.” 

That confidence helped her get two internships at the Port of Oakland and a third with the City of Berkeley. Warner now wants to talk to other students as an example of a YouthWorks success story. 

YouthWorks provides job development and placement, resume preparation, career counseling, work site monitoring and job skills training. Counselors also monitor job performance and help young people work on their strengths and weaknesses. 

Warner is a classic program success-story. She was hired full time by the city of Berkeley when she graduated five years ago. She now works for the city’s mental health services office and “absolutely loves it,” she said.  

Berkeley Unified School District has worked closely with the YouthWorks program to help students like Warner think about their careers while in high school.  

Like students, program employees say much of the program’s success is due to McMullen’s dedication. 

“She comes in weekends and attends every ceremony honoring our kids,” YouthWorks employee Jenny Seay said. “She has a genuine love for each and every student. A lot of them call her ‘Mama Bear’ or ‘Auntie.’” 

In her purple head-wrap and matching top, the 54-year-old Oakland native seemed like she would be anyone’s dream aunt. As she talked, she referred to clients and even reporters as “good baby” and “sweetie.” 

Despite her energy, McMullen admits economic troubles have hurt employment services in the past.  

“When I was most worried was when you were going to choose between helping the child or parent finding a job,” she said, referring to her early days in the field. “But we have so many resources for youth now.” 

She said she has “heard rumblings” about new budget cuts and the affects they will have on youth services. In the Bay Area, where unemployment, now at seven percent, has grown much faster than in Southern California, some local youths say they’re not sure if they’ll be able to find work.  

“I don’t know if I’ll have a job this summer,” 15-year-old Glenda Reyes said, as she sat with her friend Juana Castro outside Berkeley High School. Both said they have friends who have found jobs through YouthWorks, and so they too may apply to the program.  

So far, Reyes has worked for her mother, a janitorial supervisor, but she isn’t working currently. Castro does office work at a local chiropractic office.  

Jeré, another Berkeley High student, who declined to her full name, said she wanted to apply to the program. 

“I’m 14. I didn’t think there is anywhere where I can work,” she said. 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Good grief, Elizabeth Taylor is 70! 

The girl from “National Velvet” has gone through eight marriages and seven divorces, one widowhood, two Oscars, several life-threatening illnesses and she’s still here. And celebrating. 

“I had a party last night,’ Taylor, who turned 70 on Wednesday, said Tuesday night. “I’m having one tomorrow. And I think I’ll have one over the weekend. 

“I feel like 45,” she continued. “I don’t look too bad for someone my age, with my history of illnesses and operations and all those anesthetics. When they knock you out, it gives you time to catch up on your beauty sleep.” 

Taylor, who became a 12-year-old star in “National Velvet,” won best-actress Oscars for “Butterfield 8” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” 

About turning 70: “I like it. It’s no different from being 69. It’s a round number, and there’s something about roundness that has always appealed to me.” As for future plans, she’ll continue raising money to fight AIDS. 

“AIDS is challenge enoughtuntil they find a cure,” she said. “It’s the challenge of a lifetime for anyone. And I’m not going to give up until there is a cure.” 

Taylor is also willing to do another movie, not one for TV, but a “movie movie.” But, she added wistfully, “When you’re 70, they figure you should be out to pasture. And I don’t really give a damn what they think.  

Editor: 

We appreciated your February 23-24 front page article on the Hemlock meeting. 

But it was unfortunate and misleading to include in the caption a statement by someone completely opposed to our movement. To include the statement in the article was legitimate but not to put it in the caption. Many people would simply have read the caption and not the entire piece. 

Nancy Ward 

Hemlock Society 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

Two hundred years ago, on Feb. 26, 1802, French literary giant Victor Hugo was born in Besancon. 

On this date: 

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from the Island of Elba to begin his second conquest of France. 

In 1848, the Second French Republic was proclaimed. 

In 1919, Congress established Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. 

In 1929, President Coolidge signed a measure establishing Grand Teton National Park. 

In 1940, the United States Air Defense Command was created. 

In 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified. 

In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb. 

In 1962, after becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn told a joint meeting of Congress, “Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge have always paid dividends in the long run.” 

In 1987, the Tower Commission, which probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Reagan for failing to control his national security staff. 

In 1993, a bomb built by a group of Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. 

Ten years ago:  

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that sexually harassed students may sue to collect monetary damages from their schools and school officials. The Supreme Court of Ireland cleared the way for a 14-year-old girl to leave the country for an abortion. 

Five years ago:  

President Clinton defended White House fund-raising tactics as “entirely appropriate,” a day after the disclosure of documents putting Clinton at the center of all-out fund-raising efforts. Israel’s Cabinet voted to build a new Jewish neighborhood in disputed east Jerusalem. “Change the World” won four Grammy awards, including record of the year; Celine Dion’s “Falling Into You” won album of the year and best pop album. 

One year ago: 

A U.N. tribunal convicted a Bosnian Croat political leader (Dario Kordic) and a military commander (Mario Cerkez) of war crimes for ordering the systematic murder and persecution of Muslim civilians during the Bosnian war. 

Today’s Birthdays:  

Actor Mason Adams is 83. Actor Tony Randall is 82. Actress Betty Hutton is 81. Singer Fats Domino is 74. Political columnist Robert Novak is 71. Singer Johnny Cash is 70. Country-rock musician Paul Cotton (Poco) is 59. Actor-director Bill Duke is 59. Singer Mitch Ryder is 57. Rock musician Jonathan Cain (Journey) is 52. Singer Michael Bolton is 49. Actor Greg Germann (“Ally McBeal”) is 44.

LOS ANGELES — Academy Award-winning animator Chuck Jones, best known for making Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig and other beloved characters come to life, died Friday of congestive heart failure. He was 89. 

Jones worked on more than 300 animated films in a career that spanned more than 60 years. Three of his films won Academy Awards and he was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1996 for lifetime achievement. He also received an honorary life membership from the Directors Guild of America. 

Jones also produced, directed and wrote the screenplay for the animated television classic “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” 

One of Jones’ most popular films, “What’s Opera, Doc?” was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1992 for being “among the most culturally, historically and aesthetically significant films of our time.” 

Three of Jones’ films won Academy Awards: “For Scent-imental Reasons,” “So Much for So Little” and “The Dot and the Line.” 

After graduating from Chouinard Art Institute (now the California Institute of Arts), he began making a living drawing pencil portraits at a Los Angeles marketplace. He landed his first job washing animation cels in 1932, working for legendary Disney animator Ub Iwerks. 

A few years later, he became an animator at the Leon Schlesinger Studio, which was later sold to Warner Bros. He headed his own unit at the Warner Bros. Animation Dept. until it closed in 1962. 

The Berkeley High boys’ basketball team received an at-large bid to the North Coast Section Division I playoffs on Sunday. The sixth-seeded ’Jackets will face No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd in a first-round game at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The game will be played at either Bishop O’Dowd’s gym or at Chabot College in Hayward, with the venue to be decided today.

SAN JOSE — A small airplane hit a fence, clipped a tree and crash landed in a field near a high school Friday. 

No one was injured in the crash, according to a San Jose Fire Department employee. 

One man who witnessed the accident, Rich Williams, said he saw the plane bank hard, plow through a fence and hit a tree before coming to rest near Del Mar High School shortly after 6 p.m. 

The plane barely missed some high-voltage power lines in the area, Williams said. The plane also struck bleachers on an athletic field and finally spun to a stop near some baseball batting cages. 

“I saw this guy coming into the northwest struggling and sputtering,” Williams said. “He did a sharp bank heading south and he was out of fuel and I said ‘this guy is coming down.”’ 

The plane was intact after the crash and fire crews were on hand, though no fires broke out and damage in the area was minimal. Federal Aviation Administration investigators were at the scene late Friday, but the cause of the emergency crash landing had not been determined, local authorities said. 

LOS ANGELES — Family and friends of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl mourned their loss Thursday, as news of his death reached the San Fernando Valley, where Pearl grew up and his parents still live. 

The State Department confirmed Thursday that Pearl, 38, was killed by the Pakistani kidnappers who abducted him Jan. 23. 

“Danny’s senseless murder is beyond our comprehension. Danny was a beloved son, a brother, an uncle, a husband and a father to a child who will never know him,” Pearl’s parents and two sisters said in a statement issued from their home in the Encino area of Los Angeles. 

Pearl grew up in the San Fernando Valley in northwest Los Angeles, graduating with honors in 1981 from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys. 

Caprice Young, president of the Los Angeles Unified School Board, called the death of her former Birmingham classmate “terrible news.” 

“He was a really great guy, really smart,” said Young, 36. “I like to think Americans are safe when they go abroad. Obviously, he was not. It’s terrible news.” 

At the suburban high school, faculty, staff and students observed a moment of silence after they were told of Pearl’s death. The school also has established a memorial scholarship fund in his name that will go to a journalism student. 

“We as a faculty and students are really very saddened by this,” Principal Doris Lasiter said. “We’ve been watching these events on a regular basis.” 

Yearbook pictures of Pearl show a high achiever who was a national merit finalist and a participant in the school’s Knowledge Bowl academic competition. 

The front page of the student newspaper, The Stars & Stripes, carries photos of Pearl and the headline: “BHS Alumnus Defying Death.” 

Michael Saunders, 38, a classmate of Pearl’s from elementary school through high school, said many of Pearl’s peers looked up to him. 

“I just remember he was very much a leader and very sharp, but no one ever said anything bad about him,” said Saunders, who lives in Westlake Village and is a vice president of investments for UBS PaineWebber. “He was a popular, nice guy, but a little on the reserved side... He was brilliant as far as scholastics go.” 

Classmate Diane Hirshberg said Pearl was intellectually “a level beyond” other students throughout elementary and high school. 

“But he was definitely more of a well-rounded person, not someone you saw as being completely isolated and bookish,” said Hirshberg, now an education policy analyst who lives in Berkeley. “He was always extremely smart, very funny, and one of the nicest people we were growing up with.” 

Pearl graduated from Stanford University in 1985 with a degree in communications. He later worked in western Massachusetts before joining the Wall Street Journal in Atlanta in 1990. 

He later reported from Washington, London and Paris — where he wrote about the Middle East — before moving to Asia as the newspaper’s South Asia bureau chief. 

Pearl’s wife, Mariane, is seven months pregnant with the couple’s first child.