The take-home message at an impassioned citizens’ forum Wednesday night was that police brutality exists in Berkeley and there’s little that residents can do about it. 

A crowd of nearly 50 UC students and Berkeley residents shared repeated testimony of violent choke-holds and misuse of pepper spray by the UC Police Department, and said that oversight of the controversial conduct was negligible. 

“You and I have no say in how we’re policed,” said Andrea Prichett, a volunteer of the citizen oversight group Copwatch and featured speaker at Wednesday’s gathering. “You try to tell someone you don’t like the way you’re policed, it will fall upon deaf ears.” 

Critics at the jointly-sponsored forum, sponsored by Copwatch and the university’s Student Advocate Office, acknowledged that the campus police department has a board to review citizen concerns but charged that the board is only symbolic, with no intention or power to critique police action. 

UC police, though declining an invitation to attend the forum, disagreed with this assessment. 

“We’ve always thought our review process was adequate,” said Captain Bill Cooper prior to Wednesday’s forum. “I don’t know what has caused the need for this [gathering].” 

Cooper explained that his department has recently enacted a number of “self-analysis” policies. Among them are requiring police to testify before the review board, which was initially optional, and adding a community member to the board. The new policies are slated for review and improvement in 2003, Copper said. 

But critics claim the police board still falls short of its mission. 

“The police review board does not have an office. They do not have a phone number. They do not have a place where complaints can be filed,” explained student Alex Kipnis, a member of the university’s Student Advocate Office and featured speaker. 

“I wish there was a review board, something real, not this Mickey Mouse act,” stated audience member and Berkeley resident Michael Diehl. 

UC’s Cooper conceded that the current police review board is not in full working order, noting that the board has no chairperson to lead it and lacks certain resources. 

Cooper passed responsibility for staffing the board and bringing it up to speed, though, to the university’s chancellor’s office. 

Vice Chancellor Horace Mitchell, who oversees campus police and was invited to speak at Wednesday’s forum, was out of town this week and not available for comment. 

“I know they’re working on getting a chair [for the review board],” Cooper noted. 

But critics say the university has moved too slow and, this week, drafted a letter urging Mitchell to take more immediate action. The letter demands that the police review board be given greater muscle, that citizens observing police action not be unduly restricted, and that choke-holds and pepper spray be prohibited. 

The letter comes as community demonstrations are on the rise in Berkeley given the Middle East conflict, and with it, the possibility of questionable police intervention. 

The April 9 demonstration at the university’s Wheeler Hall resulted in 79 arrests and numerous concerns about excessive force, buckling the radar of activist groups. 

“While Berkeley’s municipal police department and even the California Highway Patrol have discontinued the use of chokeholds, the UC Police Department continues to employee this dubious practice,” the letter to Mitchell states. 

Likewise, UC police continue to use pepper spray though city police are not prevented from doing so, the letter adds. 

Wednesday’s forum ended with a pledge among the attendees to remain united and committed to their demands of the university. 

“I hope this is going to turn into something,” said Berkeley resident Aimee Durfee, who said she has lost her faith in police accountability. 

Berkeley Councilmember Kriss Worthington, also present at Wednesday’s forum, vowed his support for civilian rights and sympathized with the group’s demands on police. 

“It’s shocking that they have to ask for this,” he said.

To the Editor: 

A recent announcement from the office of City Councilmember Dona Spring calls for citizen participation in a convention to select a “progressive” candidate to run against current Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean. (The convention took place Saturday, May 4.) This announcement proudly asserts that the last time such an event  

occurred it resulted in the election of two-term Mayor Loni Hancock. 

Given that Dona Spring, who deserves to be known as the Green Party's brown thumb, is the source for this call, this should make the whole process suspect from the beginning. 

Loni Hancock was an unmitigated disaster for Berkeley. 

Her hand-picked choice for city manger, Michael Brown, militarized the Berkeley Police. He embarked on a campaign against dissent in Berkeley and created the police unit known as “The Crowd Management Team.” During that time, supposed progressive City Council members voted for the use of crowd control munitions (rubber and wooden bullets) by BPD. 

These had been used on crowds protesting construction of volley ball courts on People’s Park. At the City Council meeting where the deciding votes were cast, City Manager Brown stood on the stage of the Berkeley Community Theatre and pointed out community activists to be dragged out and arrested, some notable activists such as Carol Denney were hog-tied like farm animals.  

The progressive City Council and Mayor Hancock did nothing to intervene in this gross violation of civil rights and liberties. Loni Hancock pushed through legislation that allowed the most notorious developer in Berkeley, UCB, to ok its own Environmental Impact Report findings, giving up the city's right to review them. 

The City Council committed a clear violation of the voters’ will when it passed Measure N in the mid ‘80s. This ballot measure commanded city officials to take every possible measure to ensure UCB's compliance with existing zoning laws and the General Plan. So far, not one city official has made any effort to enforce the will of the voters expressed in Measure N. 

Mayor Hancock was totally complicit in the university's construction of volleyball courts on People's Park and lied about her involvement repeatedly. A public records request revealed letters from the mayor to the UC Chancellor that detailed cooperative planning efforts between the city and UCB for the construction of the volleyball courts. 

Ms Spring’s record is total anathema to what the Green platform is supposed to stand for.  

Unfortunately, the local Green Party is nothing more than a reelection vehicle for Dona Spring and will not do anything to hold her accountable to the Green Party platform. Ms. Spring was on the committee that drafted the "poor law" proposals used to further legitimize and codify Berkeley's war against the homeless. Further, Ms. Spring, at the behest of local merchants who complained about homeless folks camping out on a bench on Shattuck Avenue, personally ordered city workers to remove the offending piece of outdoor furniture. She voted for the privatization of the city parking garages, depriving union workers of jobs. To avoid offending downtown merchants she voted against HUD money to be used to create low income housing in downtown Berkeley. 

In many critical votes on progressive issues where it came down to her as the swing vote she waffled by abstaining, thus allowing items to defeated by council “moderates.” 

When it comes down to walking the talk, Berkeley “progressives” remain hobbled at the starting line by their own self-serving tendency to compromise at the first hint of opposition and timorous fear of being portrayed as being too radical rather than standing on principle. Not one supposed “progressive” on the City Council has denounced the illegal labor practices employed by certain city of Berkeley departments. Part-time employees of the city do not receive benefits and are limited to fewer than 30 hours per week, the break point between part-time and full-time.  

If a part-time employee works more than 30 hours, they are ordered to carry the extra time over to next week’s time card so they will not move up to full time status and thus become eligible for benefits. Nor have any “progressive” City Council members called for the firing of City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque who, among her many notable endeavors, has done her best to legally justify city actions against the homeless and the undermining of the Brown Act (open meeting laws) by city departments and commissions. 

Anyone who plans to attend this convention should be aware of the hypocritical history of the “progressive left” in Berkeley and how they have attacked, marginalized, and silenced community activists who were  

working for a truly just social agenda and vision. This whole process may be nothing more than an attempt by Ms. Spring to position herself to be selected as the “progressive” candidate for mayor or create a “mandate” for a late entry candidate such as Tom Bates. Ultimately this campaign may be doomed to failure due to the lack of a truly viable candidate, its late start, and the machine-like efficiency of the Shirley Dean campaign to raise funds and consolidate its base of support. Tom Bates would continue the legacy of the Bates/Dellums  

machine which dominated and controlled Berkeley “progressive” politics for the last 15 years. 

- Stephen Dunifer 

Berkeley 

Friday, May 10

New Sculpture & Paintings by Jody Sears & Michele Ramirez 

Opening reception: Saturday May 11, 5 to 8 p.m. 

Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Ardency Gallery 

709 Broadway 

Oakland 

836-0831, e-mail: gallery709@aol.com 

Free 

Saturday, May 11

Low-cost Hatha Yoga Class 

6:30 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center 

1720 8th St. 

$6 per class. 981-6651 

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament 

Fun for everyone, whether competing or watching. At the New Gym at Albany High in Albany. Hosted by and benefiting Athletics at Albany High School. Players sign up today to play in one of four divisions. 64 teams compete for $500 First Prize & $250 Second Prize in each division with final game to be played Sunday, May 12 

525-2716 

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

530-0551 

$3 

Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) Events 

Paper Flower Making 

Get ready for Mother's Day with the Klutz "Tissue Paper Flower" kit and learn to make tissue paper flowers. Age 8 and up.  

LHS Film- Happy Birthday, Mr. Feynman 

Film Plays Continuously from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. 

To celebrate the birthday of Nobel laureate, maverick physicist, author, and teacher extraordinaire Richard Feynman, 

LHS presents the film, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out. This fifty-minute film presents Feynman telling fascinating 

stories from his life and research. Produced by Christopher Sykes. 

LHS- The Idea Lab 

Opens May 11 

See what LHS is developing as new hands-on exhibits. Test out exhibit prototypes of activities and give your opinion of them. Testing and experimenting is the idea behind the Idea Lab. This new permanent exhibit begins with explorations of magnetism.  

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

$8 for adults; $6 for youth 5-18, seniors, and disabled; $4 for children 3-4. 

Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time UC Berkeley students. 

LHS is on Centennial Drive- 

above the UC Berkeley campus 

Parking is 50¢/hour. 

LHS is accessible by AC Transit 

and the UC Berkeley Shuttle. 

33rd Annual California Wildflower Show 

Exhibit with 150 species of freshly gathered native flowers 

Saturday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1-888-OAK-MUSE 

$6 general admission, $4 senior and students with ID, free for five and under.  

Jurassic Park: Dinosaur Auditions 

Live Science Demonstrations 

In this directed activity, children "audition" to be a dinosaur in an upcoming dinosaur movie. They learn about the variety of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park exhibit as well as dress up, act, and roar like a dinosaur. These demonstrations explore recent discoveries, fossils, and how scientists know what they know about dinosaurs 

Monday-Friday at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. 

Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m. 

$8 for adults; $6 for youth 5-18, seniors, and disabled; $4 for children 3-4. 

Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time UC Berkeley students. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive-above the UC Berkeley campus 

Parking is 50¢/hour. 

LHS is accessible by AC Transit 

and the UC Berkeley Shuttle. 

Sunday, May 12

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in Spanish) 

Shows at 1 & 3 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

530-0551 

$3 

Kathy Kallick Mother's Day Concert 

1 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$6.50 kids, $7.50 adults 

The Bungalow - Tradition & Transformation 

seminar by Barry Wagner 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Monday, May 13

Jai Uttal with Bhima-Karma 

A Celebration of Devotion: An Evening of Chanting and Dialogue 

7:00 p.m. 

California Institute of Integral Studies 

1453 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 

For questions and tickets: 415-575-6150 

www.ciis.edu 

or e-mail info@ciis.edu 

$20 

Jewish Partisans: The Unknown Story 

Thousands of Jews escaped the ghettos and work camps and took up arms against the Nazi War machine. 

3 to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

848-0237 X 127 

Free 

Crossing the Bridge- positive ways to face change & transition. Reflective & energizing workshop rooted in Jewish and cross cultural stories with Ariel Abramsky facilitating. 

May 13, 20 & June 3 

7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

848-0237 X 127 

$45 

Book Discussion Group Forming 

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library 

7:30 p.m. 

Claremont Branch, Berkeley Public Library 

2940 Benvenue St. 

Free 

Buying Land 

seminar by real estate agent Dan Maher 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Friday, May 10 

Live Music - Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

The Waybacks 

Acoustic mayhem, album release celebration 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Saturday, May 11 

W. Hazaiah Williams Memorial Concert, “The Art of the Spiritual” 

Featuring African-American Spirituals sung by mezzo soprano Vanessa Ayers, tenors Samual McKelton and William Brown, Baritone Autris Paige and bass-baritone Benjamin Matthews, and pianist Dennis Helmrich. 

7:30 p.m. 

Calvin Simmons Theater 

10 Tenth Street 

Oakland 

For tickets: SASE to PO Box 507, Berkeley, 94701, or e-mail: fourseasonsconcerts@juno.com with your name, address & phone number to have tickets held at the box office or call 510-451-0775  

Free - Reserved Seating Required 

Robin Flower & Libby McLaren 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Live Music - Classic Jazz Singer Robin Gregory with Bliss Rodriguez on piano 

2nd show: Ducksan Distones Jazz Sextet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Due West 

Dynamic traditional bluegrass 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Live Music- Choro Time, Vintage Brazilian Music (20’s), Ron Galen & Group 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Saturday, May 11 

Word Beat Reading Series 

Entertainers of all kinds come together . Featuring readers Rita Flores Bogaert and Ann Hunkins 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

For more information: 510-526-5985, www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat 

Free 

English Song Recital  

featuring Kirk Eichelberger, bass, with Christopher Luthi, piano  

7:00 p.m.  

Valley Christian High School, 100 Skyway Drive, San Jose.  

Tickets are available for a $100 tax-deductible donation.  

All proceeds benefit the Discovery Center's educational therapy program. 

“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. 

“Re: Figuration” May 10 through Jun. 8: A two-person exhibition by Jody Sears and Michele Ramirez. S ears presents sculpture made from wood, and Ramirez showcases her paintings of Oakland, its streets, people and geography. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” 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 

“Masterworks of Chinese Painting” Through May 26: An exhibition of distinguished works representing virtually every period and phase of Chinese painting over the last 900 years, including figure paintings and a selection of botanical and animal subjects. Prices vary. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-4889, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Marion Brenner: The Subtle Life of Plants and People” Through May 26: An exhibition of approximately 60 long-exposure black and white photographs of plants and people. $3 - $6. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“The Image of Evil in Art” 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” 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 

“East Bay Open Studios” Apr. 24 through Jun. 9: An exhibition of local artists’ work in connection with East Bay Open Studios. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., Oakland, 763-9425, www.proartsgallery 

“Solos: The Contemporary Monoprint” Apr. 26 through Jun. 15: An exhibition of two modern masters, Nathan Oliveira and Matt Phillips, as well as monoprints from other artists. Call for times. Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, ala@kala.org 

“Komar and Melamid’s Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project” Through May 26: An exhibition of paintings by elephants under the tutelage of Russian-born conceptual artists Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid. $3 - $6. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Perpetual Objects” Through Jul. 10: An exhibition of seven large-scale sculptures and two collage drawings by Dennis Leon. Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Gallery 555 City Center, 12th and Clay, Oakland. 

“Scene in Oakland, 1852 to 2002” 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 

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.

Repeat performance means end of line for ’Jackets 

The Berkeley High boys’ tennis team went into Thursday’s North Coast Section matchup with De La Salle with a pretty good idea of what they were facing. Unfortunately, the ’Jackets couldn’t figure out how to change history. 

After losing 4-3 to the Spartans two weeks ago in a tuneup for the playoffs, fifth-seeded Berkeley (12-4) fell by the same score on Thursday at Club Sport Valley Vista in Walnut Creek, ending their season. The distribution of wins and losses was identical, with fourth-seeded De La Salle (21-2) claiming victory in the No. 1 and 2 singles and doubles and Berkeley cleaning up with wins from their No. 3 and 4 singles and No. 3 doubles team. 

The outcome of the match was decided early, as the Spartans won four of the first five completed matchups. Jim Pucetti was the first to claim a win, beating Jonah Schrogin 6-0, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles spot.  

Next to fall for Berkeley was top solo Nicky Baum, beaten by Mike Reiser 6-2, 7-5. Baum had taken Reiser to a third set in their first meeting, but just couldn’t get going on Thursday. Each player started the match by breaking their opponent twice, but Baum tailed off as Reiser got stronger. 

“I think I could have won either match, but it just didn’t happen for me today,” Baum said. “I broke him a few times, but he just happened to break me right back.” 

The top doubles match was the next to end, with De La Salle’s Ian Hardey and Nick Campbell beating Berkeley’s Ben Chambers and Quincy Moore 7-5, 6-2. The Berkeley side had a good shot at winning the first set, going up 5-4 and holding serve, but some untimely errors gave the Spartan team the next three games for the set. 

“We had a big opportunity there, but I just couldn’t get my serve in,” Moore said. “After that we just lost focus and went down.” 

Breaking the monotony of Spartan victories was the Berkeley No. 3 doubles team of Tak Katsuura and Nick Larsson, who downed Steven Jones and John Voluntine 6-4, 6-4. But just moments later, Ryan Cousins and Pat Tool finished off any hopes for a Berkeley comeback with a 6-4, 6-4 win of their own over Adam Akullian and Shahaub Roudbari in the No. 2 doubles slot, assuring the Spartans of victory. De La Salle will face top-seeded San Ramon Valley, which knocked off University (San Francisco) 6-1. 

“We match up pretty well with San Ramon, although they’re a little deeper than us,” said De La Salle head coach Lenny Lucero. “It won’t be an easy match for them.” 

This is Lucero’s first venture into NCS territory with De La Salle after five years with the program. He said the preview match with Berkeley gave him a pretty good idea what to expect on Thursday. 

“I knew our one and two singles were pretty much sure things, and I was pretty confident in our doubles teams,” he said. “But we barely beat ‘em.” 

The team score was made closer by the final two matches of the day. Both Nate Simmons and Peter Logan knew their team had no chance to win as they entered their third sets, but both had something extra on the line: neither player had a loss on their record this season. 

“It crossed my mind, but I tried not to think about it,” Simmons said of his perfect season. “I just wanted to win to make the score more respectable for my team.” 

Logan finished off James Bloomburgh in a tiebreak, 9-7, beating an opponent who had played at Berkeley High for two years before transferring to De La Salle before his junior year. Logan, however, is a sophomore and never played with Bloomburgh. 

The Simmons-Kevin Schweigert match was the marathon of the day, taking nearly 2 1/2 hours to finish. Their final set didn’t even start until every match but Logan’s was completed. After losing a tiebreak in the second set, Simmons used his conditioning and athleticism to take the third 6-3. 

“I feel like we played well, but (De La Salle) just played a little better,” Berkeley head coach Dan Seguin said. “We were close and I felt like we had some opportunities in the doubles matches, but we just didn’t execute.” 

Berkeley should have a strong team again next season, with Baum, Simmons and Logan all returning, along with the team of Katsuura and Larsson. Seguin said the experience of getting to the second round of the NCS for the first time in several years should help the returning players, and he hopes to provide some better competition next season. 

“Other good teams have a big advantage over us since they play in stronger leagues,” Seguin said. “The ACCAL is all screwed up. Some teams can’t even fill their lineups. I think we do a great job competing with schools like De La Salle when we don’t have the kind of facilities or competition that they do.”

Two new candidates declare for school board 

The Berkeley Unified School District will not pursue a second round of layoffs in August – contrary to reports earlier this week – Superintendent Michele Lawrence said at an eventful Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. 

In other developments, the Board voted unanimously to cut the hours of food service employees despite the pleas of several workers; and two new candidates declared for the November school board race. 

Berkeley High School discipline dean and long-time chair of the African-American Studies Department Robert McKnight said he will run. Seventeen-year-old BHS senior Sean Dugar also threw his hat into the ring. 

Layoffs 

The issue of August layoffs is tied to a Tuesday decision by administrative law judge Jonathan Lew.  

Lew sided with several Berkeley teachers who claimed that the district had improperly calculated their seniority and as a result issued improper layoff notices in March.  

Associate Superintendent of Administrative Services David Gomez told the Planet Tuesday that the ruling had thrown a wrench in the district’s plan to cut $5.4 million and balance next year’s budget. Lew’s finding, he said, had prompted the district to consider a second round of layoffs in August. 

Berkeley Federation of Teachers president Barry Fike criticized the district Wednesday for considering August layoffs, arguing that it could lead teachers worried about job security to leave. But Lawrence said definitively that the district will not pursue further layoffs this summer. 

“There is not going to be an August layoff,” she said. 

After the meeting, Gomez said his Tuesday comments on the potential for August layoffs had been misinterpreted. 

Layoff update 

In March, the district issued layoff notices to 91 temporary teachers and 82 probationary teachers. Temporary instructors are generally new teachers, often on an emergency credential. Probationary teachers are generally first- or second-year teachers with a preliminary or full credential.  

The district started rescinding many of the layoff notices for probationary teachers in April. Some of those who still held pink slips challenged the district in layoff hearings April 18-19, and the Lew decision affects those teachers. 

Lawrence said the district would restore sixteen of the teachers affected by Lew’s ruling. She said her “gut feeling” is that the district will be able to restore all the probationary teachers who have received layoff notices and still balance the budget.  

But the union plans to go to court over layoff notices for as many as 40 temporary teachers in the near future.  

Board candidates 

McKnight, in a surprise announcement Wednesday night, said he will run for the school board in November. 

“We have moved beyond the era of protest to the era of process,” he said, declaring that it was time to become more directly involved in the district’s decision-making process. 

In an interview after the meeting, McKnight said he will focus on boosting student achievement if elected to the board. He said the board’s decision this year to cut into double-period science was worrisome and could harm student achievement. 

McKnight said he has deep roots in Berkeley and has received strong support from various African-American community groups.  

Dugar, one of two representatives from the senior class on the high school’s leadership team, said he is running to give students a greater voice. 

“Student empowerment is the solution to the attendance problem, the achievement gap and many other issues facing the district,” said Dugar, who has been sharply critical of Lawrence and the board this year. 

Incumbents Shirley Issel and Terry Doran are up for election this fall. Board member Ted Schultz, who would also be up for re-election in November, will retire at the end of his term, leaving a vacant seat. 

Activists Derick Miller and Nancy Riddle have also declared their candidacies, and nutrition advocate Joy Moore has indicated that she is interested. 

Food workers 

Union representatives and food service workers vigorously protested cuts in workers’ hours Wednesday night, arguing that salary and benefit cuts would be too painful and that workers wouldn’t be able to complete all their tasks with less time on the job. 

“You can’t cut the hours,” said Debra Smith, a food service worker at Thousand Oaks Elementary School. “It’s physically not possible to do the work we need to do.” 

Althea Trotter, who works at Jefferson elementary, said a cut from seven to three-and-a-half hours per day would hit her hard in the pocketbook. 

“The three-and-a-half hours can’t pay my rent,” she said. 

Workers and union representatives called on the district to eliminate a new administrative position in the department and reduce the pay of food services director Karen Candito rather than cut back on workers’ hours. Several directly criticized Candito for the hour reduction plan. 

But Lawrence and members of the board vigorously defended Candito’s management. 

“I think our food services director has done an incredibly wonderful job,” said Lawrence, crediting Candito with skillfully handling several hits to the food services budget this year. 

Lawrence said the cuts approved Wednesday were necessary to balance the district’s cafeteria fund. But she acknowledged the effects on employees. 

“I want to continue to tell our community and our employees how very much I regret the budget crisis we’re in,” she said. 

The district will have to negotiate the affects of the cuts with the workers’ new union representatives from Local 39. The new union took control of a portion of Local 1’s Berkeley membership after an election that drew to a close this week. 

One of the chief concerns raised by the employees was that cuts in hours would lead to only partial coverage of benefits. Lawrence suggested that the district and union might explore combining two part-time jobs into one full-time job to ensure full benefits. The draw-back, she said, is that less people would have jobs.

To the Editor: 

Many of us are wondering why the news media seems so biased against Israel and as anti-semitic incidents are on the rise here in Berkeley it is especially disheartening for all of us to see the media continually portray Israel in such a negative light. 

Therefore, it is important to point out that it is known that Saudi Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud owns over a billion dollars worth of stock in Disney and AOL-Time Warner (which owns CNN, AOL and Time Magazine, to name a few of its entities). He also owns large stakes in Italy's Mediaset, Germany's Kirch Media, Arab Radio and Television and Australia's News Corp. In addition, most of us think of the BBC as being impartial but apparently in Britain it's an open secret that BBC's main reporter in Israel is married to a Palestinian. So much for neutral reporting! 

So next time you hear a Suicide Bomber called a Palestinian "activist" or see the Saudi's slick public relations ads on CNN, the bias won't seem so odd. Please, carefully scrutinize any and all public relations ads and news reports from anywhere in the world. 

Rachel Schorr 

Berkeley, CA 

To listen to filmmaker Kevin Epps, the director of “Straight Outta Hunter’s Point,” is to watch him move. He paces, glides, leans and lunges while fielding questions with sometimes elliptical, sometimes impressionistic answers. 

The 33-year-old filmmaker grew up with the players and hustlers on the streets of Hunter’s Point, where communication is based as much on a rapper’s jive and prattle as it is on the way one stands, stares, and moves hands to conceal or infer. Life on the street can be a dance or a hunt, and Epps says he can’t stay away from it. 

The small section of San Francisco usually notable for its toxic Superfund site and its disturbing homicide rate is the home of rivals gangs – West Mob and Big Block – battling for turf and rap status. Epps’s film shows rap music is both the glue and the fuse for the young people living in HP. 

Epps was able to move among and between the two gangs with his camera. He said it was hard, but he is one of them. Or was. When asked how far he has been involved in the “business” of the streets, he kicks his feet behind him, like a cat burying its own mess. Since he was 13 years old he’s been running on the streets of Hunter’s Point, he said, and he still hangs on the block to feel the energy and danger. But he’s a filmmaker, he insists, and not a thug.  

He got into filmmaking through the Film Arts Foundation, a non-profit San Francisco-based film and video makers’ support organization. There he learned the basics of video production, and through determination and serendipitous networking got “Straight Outta Hunter’s Point” completed. 

The video documentary has been shown around the Bay Area at various venues, and this weekend it begins a week-long run at the Fine Arts Cinema in Berkeley. The film documents the troubles and the vitality of the often-overlooked black community isolated on a spit of land jutting into the bay, across 3rd Street from San Francisco.  

“Some of these people have never crossed 3rd Street,” said Epps, adding that without jobs or prospects they don’t have much to live for. Nevertheless, the film shows it is still a community. Among the crack cocaine, handguns, and “thug business” are families rooted for generations, businesses, and ambition. Some of the ambition is for crime and a singular drive to make money; others, like Epps, aspire to improve life where they are living. 

The film lays out both the shame and the dignity of Hunter’s Point, from the Pacific Gas and Electric plant polluting the area and the nearby shipyards officially decreed a Toxic Superfund site, to the rappers and hustlers on the street signaling their hometown pride for the camera. 

The streets, Epps said, are a place where anything can happen. His handheld camera is a frenetic eye and ear roaming the housing projects and the corner liquor stores looking for the gesture and the word to describe the fear, injustice, humor, and exuberance of Hunter’s Point. A young man threatens to do ultimate harm on another man if he ever crosses his path again. On a hot summer day a few HP denizens stalk the streets armed for bear with Super Soakers – the bazooka of water guns – ready for a satisfying water fight. Epps delivers a sequence of cars peeling out and turning hot rod donuts through intersections and parking lots. 

And the images are bumped along by a soundtrack, featuring such HP rappers as RBL Posse and Baby Finsta.  

Initially completed last fall, the version of “Straight Outta Hunter’s Point” that will be screened at the Fine Arts Cinema has been re-edited. The film is slightly longer (by seven minutes) and now includes more historical footage of the naval shipyards and accounts of a significant riot in the ‘60s when the citizens rose up against the police. Epps said he wanted to show that the plight of Hunter’s Point hasn’t changed much in 40 years. 

The historical photographs and interviews with journalists and activists fighting for the community anchor the film’s message with thoughtful commentary, whereas the emotion and vitality come from the sometimes incoherent raps and slurs outside. Epps said he included interviews with old winos spending their time watching life from bus stop benches. You can’t watch the street for 50 years, said Epps, and not know something. 

Amid the excitement of the film is a sense of waste, of lives without direction and squandered energy. An inter-title says that during the production of “Straight Outta Hunter’s Point” there were 100 shootings, one of which was captured by Epps’s camera. One of the central tragedies of the film is that Epps’s friend and crew member, Bumper Joe, was killed during production. His funeral is the final act of the film. 

The film has been screened at the Bay View Opera House – the neighborhood theater in Hunter’s Point – and Epps said members of the rival gangs showed up. There was no trouble, he said, as he convinced both sides that the film is about the whole community and “You ain’t got to bow down.” 

He hopes people watching the film will pay attention to gentrification, and wake up to the way blacks are being displaced so that maybe Hunter’s Point will survive Hunter’s Point. 

“Straight out of Hunter’s Point” plays at the Fine Arts Cinema at 2451 Shattuck Ave. May 10 through May 17.

Want a ride to work? 

That is the question being put to all city employees as part of an effort to throttle traffic and parking problems downtown. 

At City Hall Thursday, police officers, finance experts, and solid waste managers showed up at a public transportation rally, seduced by the prospect of a free, all-you-can-ride bus pass. 

“It’s convenient to have, and I can use it as a back-up in case my car breaks down,” said city employee Matthew Shiu, who commutes from Oakland every day. 

City transportation planners are proceeding with a trial policy of handing out AC Transit passes to employees, in the hope that the recipients will leave their cars at home. The giveaway, which has attracted 615 employees since it began in December, is part of a year-long experiment to see what role public transit can play in civic life. 

AC Transit is tracking ridership of the employees, via the magnetic strip on the back of each free pass, and will assess the popularity and effectiveness of the program at the end of the year. 

The city of Berkeley, in similar fashion, will determine whether the number of applications for parking permits drops. 

“Everyone who has the pass has been consistently happy,” said Nichele Ayers, senior marketing representative for AC Transit, noting success with the program so far. But Ayers said that having the pass is one thing and using it is another. 

“Our goal now is to get more people to take it out of their wallet and put it in the fare box,” she said. 

Employees lining up for passes Thursday shared the usual list of public transit grievances, and said why they might be disinclined to use the bus system. Topping the list were long rides and infrequent service. 

AC Transit Manager of Public Affairs Victoria Wake was on hand at City Hall to listen to complaints and assure the commuters that public services were improving. 

“We take your suggestions seriously,” she said. 

The city is paying $60 per year for each transit pass given out plus administrative fees, with a cap of $100,000 on the amount that can be paid to AC Transit annually. The face value for each pass is $90 per month. 

City Transportation Planner Cherry Chaicharn said the program is a worthy investment. 

“It’s a good incentive to get people to start realizing their transportation options,” said Chaicharn, noting long-term benefits to traffic, parking, and the environment. 

The transit pass, known as the Eco Pass, is modeled in name and concept after a similar pass originating in Denver, Colo., AC Transit officials said.

Millions of moviegoers across the country cued up last weekend to see Spiderman crawl up buildings and swing through New York City on a strand of webbing. What they did not see, what the filmmakers took great pains to make sure they did not see, was the World Trade Center. Eight months after the Twin Towers fell, who wants to see them? Last fall the media was flooded with horrific images of our nation under terrorist siege; now director Sam Raimi and the studio powers-that-be can hardly be blamed for editing footage of the NYC skyline out of their light entertainment. 

Jay Rosenblatt and Caveh Zahedi, however, are asking viewers to re-experience the arc of the national grieving process in their compendium of short films, plotting the initial shock and subsequent personal, spiritual, and political aftermath. 

Two weeks after the 9/11 attacks, San Francisco-based filmmakers Rosenblatt and Zahedi put a call out to experimental filmmakers across the country to create a one- to 10-minute film or video. The artists’ reactions range from crippling sadness to anger and bewilderment to blame, and an array of associated emotions. Rosenblatt and Zahedi compiled select entries into “Underground Zero,” two 70-minute programs, both of which will be screened for a week-long run at the Fine Arts Cinema in Berkeley beginning Friday May 10. 

When major motion picture companies were fretting about how to remove the Twin Towers from their movies, Rosenblatt and Zahedi were preparing to look at them straight-on, this time without the hysteria of news media. “Underground Zero” is not without its own agenda – both Rosenblatt and Zahedi said they have not seen an acknowledgment of America’s responsibility for the attacks in its involvement in foreign countries – and the programs express a need to complicate patriotism and reclaim the power of images. 

“I think after Sept. 11 firemen, fire trucks, policemen, everything has taken on new meaning,” said Rosenblatt in his San Francisco living room. Innocent images of a young child’s birthday party in a park is infected with dread when the partygoers get a tour of a fire engine. The context of Dan Weir’s “Fear Itself” is enough to render the fire engine an icon of martyrdom, and the soundtrack of a flight attendant reciting emergency disaster drills drives the feeling home. 

“New York” by Chel White is a gentle meditation on urban stillness. The gorgeously photographed skylines at dusk are quiet and motionless, save for an occasional speck of airplane moving across the sky in the distance. “After Sept. 11,” said Rosenblatt, “you couldn’t look at buildings and airplanes – especially in the same frame – ever again in the same way.” 

“New York” opens the second program. The two programs differ by their difficulty and accessibility. The selections in the first directly address the attack or the following war on terrorism. The one that does this the most powerfully is “Voice Of The Prophet,” an interview with army veteran Colonel Rick Rescola, filmed in 1998 on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center when he worked as head of security at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. After recalling his days in Vietnam combat, he predicts future wars will be terrorist in nature, and warns “we can’t be the world’s top cop.” The tragedy comes at the end via a title card announcing Rescola died on Sept. 11. 

The films of the second “Underground Zero” program point their focus away from Manhattan for a more impressionistic expression of feelings toward buildings, airplanes, television news, and the innocence and vulnerability of children. There are films like Marcel Jarmel’s “Collateral Damage,” wherein she compares the escalating tension in Afghanistan with the growth of her own children; and “End of an Era,” Lucas Saben’s NASA airplane crash-tests overlayed with jubilant, goofball songs by 14 year-old musicians Frankie and Jordan, who sing “Ralphy My Invisible Friend” and “Tongue For A Thumb” (“…everything is A-OK!”). 

“There’s something antithetical between war or violence, and kids,” said Zahedi about the child-oriented films coming out of the terrorist attack. “The juxtaposition of destruction and a child’s consciousness – and, really, beauty of soul – said something about what was going on.” 

Many of the experimental filmmakers – a group of people who are generally politically left-leaning – took on the tricky question of patriotism in a time of crisis. "Strange Mourning" briefly documents an impromptu pro-America demonstration at a Los Angeles intersection three days after the attacks; the cheerleading and "Born In The USA" blaring from a car stereo turned the display of national pride into something akin to a high school pep rally. 

"We saw more patriotism than I expected," said Zahedi about the films submitted, "but we generally didn’t like them. The ones we tended to prefer didn’t have that mainstream, knee-jerk reaction." 

Zahedi’s own piece in the program, "The World Is A Classroom," is a critical look at America’s unapologetic attitude for its own forieng policy crimes. The video documents a class he taught at the San Francisco Art Institute which came to a halt due to a dissenting student. The disruption was appeased by an apology from Zahedi himself. "My film is an allegory for what should be done," explained Zahedi. "I feel there needs to be a respect for and a responsibility taken toward these other people. My film is an attempt to speak out about the lack of that happening." 

Rosenblatt also has a film in the program suggesting a need for more understanding between Americans and Muslims. “Prayer” uses Rosenblatt’s signature technique of manipulating found footage to draw out and impregnate nuances of gesture and expression. Images of Muslim’s at prayer are intercut with those of Western schoolchildren doing the same. “I was trying to find something to have faith in and assuage how I was feeling,” said Rosenblatt. “It’s a film about faith and fear, and there’s a fine line between the two.” 

Although the call for entries went across the country, Rosenblatt said most of the submission came from the Bay Area. The fact of which does not show so much the health of the local experimental film community as it does the inability of New York filmmakers to take up the challenge. Most of the NYC filmmakers felt they did not have the distance from the subject to be able to adequately create something of it, said Rosenblatt. 

Eva Ilona Brezsky’s “China Diary” has the filmmaker suffering from too much distance. The New Yorker was in China the day of the attacks and tried to cut her vacation short to be able to return to Manhattan and ground zero. Rosenblatt could relate. “I’m from New York, myself. There was a feeling of ‘those are my people there.’” 

After 8 months, remembering the single most devastating attack to our national safety since the Civil War might remind us why we might want to step into “Spiderman” to forget about it once in a while. Rosenblatt says, however, there was a range of mixed emotions. 

“Momentarily, it brought the country together. There was actually a nice feeling of collectivity and community. I don’t think it lasted, but it was there initially.” 

The short montage of simple water imagery that makes up Nancy Kates “Vale Of Tears,” is preceded by a quote from Aeschylus which seems to defend the entire program: “…the pain of pain remembered comes again. So does ripeness.” 

“Underground Zero” plays at the Fine Arts Cinema at 2451 Shattuck Ave. May 10 through May 17.

Today is Friday, May 10, the 130th day of 2002. There are 235 days left in the year. 

Highlight: 

On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. 

On this date: 

In 1774, Louis XVI ascended the throne of France. 

In 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, N.Y. 

In 1865, Union forces captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Irwinville, Ga. 

In 1899, movie musical star Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Neb. 

In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was given the job of FBI director. 

In 1933, the Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany. 

In 1940, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government. 

In 1968, preliminary Vietnam peace talks began in Paris. 

In 1977, actress Joan Crawford died in New York. 

In 1994, the state of Illinois executed convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murders of 33 young men and boys. 

Ten years ago: 

Astronaut Pierre Thuot tried but failed to snag a wayward satellite during a spacewalk outside the shuttle Endeavour (however, three astronauts succeeded in capturing the Intelsat-6 three days later). 

Five years ago: 

President Clinton signed modest drug-fighting and trade agreements with Caribbean leaders in Barbados. Lebanese of all faiths welcomed Pope John Paul II on his first visit to their country. A powerful earthquake in northeastern Iran claimed at least 2,400 lives. 

One year ago: 

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to withhold some back U.N. dues until the United States was reinstated on the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. The Justice Department handed over thousands of documents it said should have been provided to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh’s attorneys; because of the blunder, McVeigh’s execution, set for May 16, was postponed. Boeing chose Chicago as the site for its new headquarters, replacing Seattle. The World Wrestling Federation announced it would fold the upstart XFL football league. 

Today’s Birthdays: 

Sportscaster Pat Summerall is 72. TV and radio personality Gary Owens is 66. Rhythm-and-blues singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 64. Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is 58. Singer Donovan is 56. Singer Dave Mason is 56. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ron Banks (The Dramatics) is 51. Rock singer Bono (U2) is 42. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 39. Model Linda Evangelista is 37. Rock musician Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) is 37. Rapper Young MC is 35. Actor Erik Palladino is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jason Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 22. Singer Ashley Poole (Dream) is 17.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” leads with 11 nominations; “Urinetown” and “Into the Wo ods” receive 10 each 

NEW YORK — Big musicals, as usual, collected the most 2002 Tony nominations Monday, with “Thoroughly Modern Millie” receiving 11, followed by “Urinetown” and the revival of “Into the Woods” both with 10. 

Yet it’s a competitive, wide-open race for both best play and best musical on Broadway. And the nominations for best play couldn’t be more diverse. 

“Topdog/Underdog,” Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a murderous sibling rivalry, goes against “Metamorphoses,” Mary Zimmerman’s evocative retelling of the myths of Ovid; “Fortune’s Fool,” an adaptation by Mike Poulton of a comedy by 19th century Russian playwright Ivan Turgenev, and Edward Albee’s “The Goat,” a disturbing yet often funny look at a most unusual love affair. 

“It’s like comparing apples and oranges,” Albee said Monday, musing about best-play nominations. “And since all awards are comparative, how do you do pick one? I think they should nominate the four most interesting and leave it at that.” 

Winners will be announced June 2. 

For best musical, “Millie,” the saga of a fresh-faced Kansas girl trying to make it in 1920s New York, faces “Urinetown,” the sardonic spoof about paying to use bathroom facilities; the ABBA-inspired London hit “Mamma Mia!” and “Sweet Smell of Success,” a dark tale of a vindictive New York gossip columnist. 

Both “Millie” and “Sweet Smell” are based on well-known films, while “Mamma Mia!” found its inspiration in the pop hits of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, both of whom received Tony nominations for best orchestrations. 

Unlike “The Producers,” last year’s record winner, none of this year’s musical nominees got unanimously favorable reviews, so taking the top musical prize would boost their fortunes. Only “Mamma Mia!” — the story of a young woman’s search for her real father — has proved to be a hot ticket in New York and on the road. 

Competition will be fierce in the best-actor category, too. Alan Bates, who scored with a riotous drunk scene in “Fortune’s Fool,” was nominated along with Billy Crudup, who plays the touching title character in “The Elephant Man; Liam Neeson, an honorable Pilgrim farmer in “The Crucible”; Alan Rickman, a bored yet deeply in love sophisticate in “Private Lives” and Jeffrey Wright, one of the two brothers in “Topdog/Underdog.” 

Kate Burton received two Tony nominations — one in the actress category (for playing “Hedda Gabler” in a revival of the Ibsen classic) and a second in featured-actress slot (for portraying a sympathetic English actress in “The Elephant Man”). 

Burton also has an interest this year in another Tony — the prize given to best regional theater, which will go to the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. Her husband, Michael Ritchie, runs it. 

“It was a good morning in our household,” Burton said with a laugh. 

Burton’s competition for best actress: Lindsay Duncan, “Private Lives”; Laura Linney, “The Crucible”; Helen Mirren, “Dance of Death”; and Mercedes Ruehl, “The Goat.” 

“Morning’s at Seven,” which received nine nominations, previously won the revival award in 1980. The gentle Paul Osborn comedy, first seen on Broadway in 1939, could do so again. The other revival nominees are “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller’s drama about the Salem witch trials; the British farce “Noises Off,” and Noel Coward’s “Private Lives.” 

The musical-revival category is sparse, with only the Trevor Nunn-directed production of “Oklahoma!” and “Into the Woods,” the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical in competition. 

Vanessa Williams, who plays a glamorous witch in “Into the Woods,” received a best actress-musical nomination, her first. The others in the category: Sutton Foster, an ambitious flapper in “Thoroughly Modern Millie”; Louise Pitre, the iconoclastic mother in “Mamma Mia!”, and two stars of “Urinetown,” Nancy Opel and Jennifer Laura Thompson. 

John Cullum, who already has two Tonys, is up for a third for his role as the villain in “Urinetown.” Also nominated in the actor-musical category: Gavin Creel, “Thoroughly Modern Millie”; John Lithgow, “Sweet Smell of Success”; John McMartin, “Into the Woods”; and Patrick Wilson, “Oklahoma!” 

Among those passed over for nominations were Kathleen Turner and the rest of the cast of the much-maligned stage version of “The Graduate,” Andrew Lloyd Webber and his little musical “By Jeeves,” and such critically lauded performers as Ian McKellen and Bill Pullman. 

The Broadway season began disastrously last September after the attacks on the World Trade Center. An aggressive marketing campaign by the League of American Theatres and Producers helped revive business as Broadway got ready for a busy spring. Yet business has not rebounded as buoyantly as expected; so the New York theater looked for another hit as big as “The Producers” — and none arrived.

Students play with their food 

TUCSON, Ariz. — University of Arizona students who would rather toss tortillas than their mortarboards during graduation are being urged to leave the edible disks at home. 

University President Peter Likins has asked students not to bring the tortillas to fling into the air at Saturday’s ceremonies because he said it’s a waste of food and is culturally offensive to some people. 

Patti Ota, the school’s vice president for executive operations, will try to talk students out of their tortillas at the door, using food bank boxes to play on their guilt. 

Tortillas emerged at commencement ceremonies during the late 90s, university officials said. 

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was greeted with flying tortillas as she addressed the class of 1999. Later she told graduates at Georgetown University about her Arizona experience. 

“There, the solemn tradition is to throw tortillas around like Frisbees during the commencement speech. It’s a little unusual, but it does keep you alert,” she said. 

Candidate can’t spell ‘accountability’ 

BOSTON — It wasn’t quite Dan Quayle misspelling “potato,” but Democratic gubernatorial candidate Shannon O’Brien made her own spelling goof last week. 

O’Brien, the state treasurer, was at a debate when another candidate, Steve Grossman, said most city politicians are so out of touch with voters they don’t even know how to spell the word “accountability.” 

The comment wasn’t specifically directed at O’Brien, but she took the bait to prove she could spell it — and got it wrong. 

O’Brien, a former state lawmaker whose husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather have all worked at the Statehouse, left out the second “i” in accountability. 

Later in the day, O’Brien admitted her mistake. 

“I am so embarrassed,” she said. “I just hope that my sixth grade teacher doesn’t read about this, because I was a star speller in his class.”

BERKELEY — It’s an event that may have “the cool of scratched LPs, plaid polyester pants or schnauzer-shaped salt and pepper shakers,” frets organizer Pat Schwieterman. 

Still, the read-aloud “Beowulf” marathon is an epic gathering, especially this year as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, more or less (hey, things got a little fuzzy in the ’60s), at the University of California, Berkeley. 

“Part of what’s so entertaining about the ’Beowulf’ marathon is exactly the fact that there’s nothing traditionally entertaining about it — just a bunch of people reading in a language none of them can really understand ... for hours,” says Schwieterman, a graduate student in English. 

First, a primer for those who don’t have “The Medievalist’s Handbook” on their night stands. 

“Beowulf” is the first known major poem written in a European vernacular language, Old English to be precise. It was spoken long before that, so it’s not clear exactly when it was composed. The only known manuscript is a 1,000-year-old battered relic at the British Library that was licked by the flames of a 1731 fire. 

The story follows the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from a man-eating monster named Grendel and from Grendel’s even more unpleasant mother. The warrior becomes a leader and then, at the end of his life, musters his strength for one last stand against a fierce, gold-guarding dragon. His allies turn tail, save for Wiglaf, the valiant youngster who helps Beowulf win his last battle. 

“It’s a poem about heroism that takes the hero seriously but also it’s not ironic, which is such a relief in the 21st century,” says Michael Drout, a “Beowulf” fan and assistant professor of English at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. 

Drout, partly inspired by the Berkeley event, helped organize a read-aloud “Beowulf” event at the International Congress on Medieval Studies held at Western Michigan University this month. Drout wasn’t too sure what reception he would get but found himself “absolutely swamped with e-mail.” 

The No. 1 query: “Can I bring mead?” 

“It’s a stereotype, but an accurate stereotype of the Anglo-Saxonist,” Drout says cheerfully. 

Schwieterman, who doesn’t drink, will admit to no more than a “certain conviviality” at the Berkeley event. 

These “Beowulf” readings can get rather loopy. 

One professor who “was apparently quite a ham,” would act out portions of the story as the reading progressed, complete with props. “He would have little packets of ketchup ready that he would pop at the right moment when someone had just taken an ax blow and just fall flat to the floor.” 

Melodrama can be tricky, though, especially for those with an imperfect grasp of Old English. 

A few years ago, a participant who read with more style than comprehension thought he was reading Beowulf’s big moment, “so he delivered it in this booming, stentorian voice. After, everyone was chuckling and it was, ’What? What?”’ 

The poor fellow had been reading the part of the Danish queen. 

Chuckles are allowed at the marathon; smirks are frowned on. “I won’t say that nobody has ever smirked but it’s certainly not encouraged,” says Schwieterman. “The marathon is a thoroughly democratic event.” 

Some marathons have crossed over to anarchy. 

One year, the event fell on May 5 — the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo — so in recognition, organizers started the reading in Spanish. 

“Then other people insisted on reading in French and Italian and German languages. So we had the famous multilingual ’Beowulf’ that year. After a few hundred lines, all but one stubborn participant settled down and read the Old English. One person persisted in reading in French ’til the end.” 

This year’s event starts Friday at 6:30 p.m., and is expected to take the usual four hours. 

It’s the 50th anniversary, based on accounts of a 1952 event, but it may not be the 50th marathon — it has been said that anyone who remembers the 1960s wasn’t there and that appears to be true for “Beowulf” marathon history. No one seems to know much about whether the marathon was a regular event during the 1960s, a time when students were campaigning for Free Speech and against the Vietnam War in thoroughly modern English. 

Schwieterman is hanging his hat on the 1952 event. Beyond that, he says, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” 

Attendance has swelled in recent years, particularly after a recent translation by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney cracked the best-seller lists. 

In the mid-1990s, as few as five people showed up. Last year, there were close to 50. This year, Schwieterman is thinking about rationing the poem’s 3,182 lines; the usual system is to have people sit in a circle and read until they get tired. 

The secret to the poem’s appeal is that “frankly, it’s a masterpiece of literature,” says Schwieterman. “It really is brilliant. There’s a musicality to the language, a vigor in the alliterative lines that you just don’t have in modern English language poetry. That’s one of the things that reading the poem out loud brings out — this rugged music the poem has.” 

Beautiful, but strange.

SACRAMENTO — California’s Little Hoover Commission added itself Wednesday to a chorus of voices vilifying California’s shortage of housing that average residents can afford. 

The commission, concluding a year-long study, criticized state government for failing “to seize every opportunity to spur the development of homes, particularly for low income-Californians.” 

In doing so, the commission joins groups such Housing California, the League of California Cities and the Building Industry Association of California in growing alarm over conditions afflicting millions of residents. 

While acknowledging the effects of economic prosperity in driving up housing costs, the commission — an independent state oversight agency — put most blame for the housing shortage on “mounting consequences of failed policies.” 

Commission Chairman Michael E. Alpert, a retired San Diego securities lawyer, noted, “It is not too late and the problem is not insurmountable.” The Little Hoover Commission calls for a state crackdown on cities that don’t accept their share of housing, recommends more housing on former industrial sites known as “brownfields” and urges smarter use of federal and state subsidies. 

“The state can no longer simply encourage and hope that more than 500 local jurisdictions collectively do what is in the best interest of California and some of its most vulnerable citizens,” the report states. State government, it adds, “must assume a far more assertive stance than it has in the past.” 

State housing officials say California, second only to Hawaii in housing costs, is falling nearly 100,000 units short of annual demand. The shortage is greatest in apartments and condominiums for lower-income renters, forcing more than two-thirds to pay more than half their income for rent. Nearly all spend more than 30 percent of their monthly paychecks for housing. 

Among options, the commission points to a bill pushed by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, to withhold state funds from cities that block affordable housing. The bill, SB910, passed the Senate last year, but has been stalled for months in the Assembly. 

Dan Hancock, retired president of the Bay Area building firm, Shapell Industries of Northern California, acknowledged opposition to the bill by cities and counties intent on controlling how they grow. But he said the economic downside of unaffordable housing for millions of California workers is equally critical. 

The commission cited the Bay Area city of Emeryville as a role model for putting new housing on old industrial sites.

LOS ANGELES — Family, friends and coworkers know Riad Abdelkarim as a dedicated doctor and father of four who eats too much fast food, roots for the Anaheim Angels and has a caring bedside manner with patients. 

His name also carries a new connotation: suspected terrorist. Abdelkarim remains detained in Israel after his arrest following a 10-day visit to a decimated Palestinian refugee camp. 

Israeli officials won’t reveal the evidence against the Orange County doctor, citing security concerns. But a judge’s statement recorded in a U.S. State Department memo said Abdelkarim is “being accused of membership in a terrorist organization and attempting to fund terrorist organizations.” 

Those who know him are perplexed and angered by the accusation, but his past provides some clues as to why Israeli authorities may have taken an interest in the 34-year-old doctor of internal medicine. 

Abdelkarim is a frequent commentator on Middle East issues who was questioned by the FBI after the terrorist attacks and wrote an opinion piece in which he condemned being singled out because of his ethnicity or political beliefs. 

He also is a former board member of the Holy Land Foundation, which had its assets frozen in December after the Bush administration charged it as being a front for the militant group Hamas. The group is responsible for the Tuesday suicide bombing that killed 15 at a pool hall in a Tel Aviv suburb. 

Dr. Basim Abdelkarim of Torrance does not believe his brother’s past affiliation with the group is cause for his arrest in Israel. He said U.S. authorities have not arrested any members of Holy Land, the largest Islamic charity in the United States. 

“I think that’s an excuse,” he said. “He was a board member for the group for one year. He stepped out of that organization ... My brother was not there to represent this group.” 

Rather, supporters said Abdelkarim was on a mission to assess medical needs in the Palestinian territories for the Los Angeles-based International Medical Corps and his own recently founded children’s charity, Kinder USA. 

They say the trip was consistent with a lifetime of civic responsibility for the former high school valedictorian who graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles before attending medical school at UC San Diego. 

After medical school, he completed his residency and internship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in his hometown of Torrance. 

In September 2000 he became a partner in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group in Anaheim. 

His brother said Abdelkarim keeps so busy he survives on a diet of In-N-Out burgers and chicken nuggets, but he still finds time to attend Angels baseball games and go to the movies with his family. 

“Other people would rather be on the golf course,” said Khalid Turaani, 36, of Washington, D.C., who sits with Abdelkarim on the board of the group American Muslims for Jerusalem. “I see him as a humanist. He has his own career. He writes. He is verbal about his concerns. He writes about other issues besides the Palestinian issue.” 

In correspondence home, Abdelkarim said his visit to the Jenin refugee camp, where Israeli forces last month killed at least 52 people, had a profound effect on him. He described “a horrible, foul, spine-tingling odor,” as well as and a sense of shame. 

“I feel an uncomfortable mixture of sadness, grief, anger and shame. I also feel guilt,” he wrote in an e-mail sent to family and colleagues. “My tax dollars helped pay for those bullets... When I tell camp survivors that I’m from the United States, I am ashamed. I, too, am responsible for this.” 

Nobody could have witnessed the destruction without having a strong reaction, said Rushdi Cader, a San Luis Obispo doctor who invited Abdelkarim to accompany him on the fact-finding mission for the medical organization. 

Cader also was detained at Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday but was freed after six hours. 

“When we went to Jenin, all I can say is that place is like Ground Zero. They bulldozed buildings with people still inside them. When you go through there, you smell rotting corpses,” he said. “I am an emergency room doctor. When I went through that camp, I could not go through without crying.” 

Cader rejects the suggestion that the emotional experience may have pushed Abdelkarim from activism to terrorism. 

Instead, he believes Israel may have wanted to suppress the information the doctors gathered — including detailed accounts of casualties — at a time when U.N. investigators were prevented from conducting a probe. 

Susan Cassidy, 47, a registered nurse who has worked with Abdelkarim the past two years, called him an exemplary doctor who travels to the Middle East to help despite the risks. 

“He spends a lot of time with each patient that he sees. A lot of physicians don’t do that,” she said. 

She spoke out to show “there are other people who believe in him and are concerned about him besides Middle Easterners.” 

His four children, ages 12, 9, 5 and 3, had blown up balloons for their father’s welcome home party Sunday and were waiting for their mother, Wijdan, to pick up a cake when Israeli authorities called to say he had been arrested. 

Since then, family friend Kathy Mostafaie has pitched in to try to ease tensions. 

“His 5-year-old, Ali, is constantly asking me, ’Why is my dad not home?,” she said. “His 12-year-old daughter needs help with her homework. ... They are frightened; they need their dad.”

LOS ANGELES — Changes in census forms between 1990 and 2000 led to huge undercounts of several Hispanic nationalities, a study released Thursday estimates. 

Without the changes, more than 1 million Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans and people of other nationalities would not have identified themselves in Census 2000 simply as “other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino,” according to the study by the Pew Hispanic Center, a Latino think tank. 

In greater Los Angeles, the number of people of Central American ancestry is nearly 50 percent higher than Census 2000 reported, the study found. 

“We knew all along there were a lot more of us than the census counted,” said Carlos H. Vaquerano, executive director of the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund in Los Angeles. 

Representatives of some Hispanic ethnic groups have said that their lower-than-expected Census figures could have implications in areas including public funding, political representation and immigration policy. 

Census 2000 surprised many observers because nearly 18 percent of Latino respondents put themselves in the generic “other” Latino category. In other government surveys, only about 10 percent of Hispanics identified themselves that way. 

The study said the reason for the difference was likely a change in the way the census asked the question of Hispanic origin. 

In both 1990 and 2000, Hispanics who were not Cuban, Mexican or Puerto Rican had to write down their ancestry — instead of just making a check mark — for their national origin to be counted. 

But in 1990, the write-in space was accompanied by these instructions: “Print one group, for example, Argentinian, Colombian, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on.” In 2000, the space simply read, “Print group.”

SACRAMENTO — The state Assembly approved a bill Thursday that would suspend rules requiring California’s two largest telephone companies to share part of their profits with their customers. 

The California Public Utilities Commission opposes the bill, by Assemblyman Rod Wright, D-Los Angeles, saying it would restrict its ability to regulate SBC Pacific Bell and Verizon. 

“The Legislature is getting itself involved in ratemaking” which is the job of the PUC under the state Constitution, said Commissioner Jeff Brown. 

The bill would freeze until 2007 a regulatory framework that’s currently in place for Verizon and Pac Bell, the companies that provide phone service for most Californians. It would turn into law a 1998 PUC decision to suspend the profit-sharing rule for one time. 

But the PUC and other opponents say the bill would suspend a tool regulators can use if they find the companies have made too much money off ratepayers. 

Wright said the PUC won’t be powerless to rein in telephone rates because it can still review the companies’ finances and use that information to set rates. 

“As the Legislature, we should say what the policy is, and it’s the job of the PUC to implement that policy,” Wright said. 

Assemblyman Fred Keeley, D-Boulder Creek, also supported the measure, because he said the bill shifts the risk to shareholders and away from ratepayers if a company doesn’t perform financially. 

The measure was sent to the Senate on a 64-1 vote. 

Brown said Wright’s bill would take authority away from the commission “and places it in the hands of the Legislature, which is not a rate-setting, rate-designing body.” 

But a former PUC commissioner who helped design the new framework in the late 1980s said it was a radical departure from the earlier cost-of-service rate system, and was meant to evolve. 

“It was clear from the outset that sharing was a temporary thing until we got a handle on how things were going to work in practice,” said Mitch Wilk, a PUC commissioner appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian in 1986. 

The new framework was designed to protect ratepayers from any losses by the phone companies, Wilk said. 

“As soon as you reintroduce sharing into something like this, you put ratepayers right back on the hook for the risk,” he said. 

Every three years, the PUC audits the companies and makes changes to the framework. In its latest triennial audit of Pac Bell, the PUC found the company had understated their 1997-1999 earnings by nearly $2 billion and should refund $350 million to its customers. 

The Office of Ratepayers Advocates, the independent arm of the PUC that represents consumers, has pushed to reinstate the profit-sharing rule because of those audit results. 

Pac Bell disputed the audit’s finding, and said the framework has benefited California customers.

DETROIT — Connecting employees to each other is one of the most important factors in making a business competitive, Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive of Sun Microsystems Inc., said Thursday in a speech peppered with jabs at the software company’s rival, Microsoft Corp. 

McNealy, who outlined his plan for competing with Microsoft by creating a more flexible office network, gave a keynote speech at the Michigan IT Summit in Detroit. 

He also offered his vision for an office with a virtual, downloadable desktop accessible anytime, anywhere. 

“I have access to 100 percent of what I need to run Sun from a Java browser,” he said. “I love it because I get a lot more work out of employees.” 

The advantage over Microsoft’s network, he said, is that employees would be able to access it with multiple interfaces — not just Microsoft programs, the way Microsoft’s office network is set up. 

“They have a secret handshake for every piece,” he said. 

A message seeking comment was placed Thursday with Microsoft. 

McNealy has been a vocal critic of Microsoft. Earlier this year, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Sun filed a lawsuit against the software giant, claiming it was using a monopoly position to damage Sun’s Java programming language. 

McNealy also stressed the importance of building an online directory of customers. 

“Every company needs to beat its competitors into getting all the rich and/or smart folks into that directory,” McNealy said. “If you can react faster, you’re going to win.” 

Sun, which makes high-end networking computers and software, was hard hit as dot-coms collapsed, telecommunications companies slowed spending and competition increased. 

“I’m kind of happy the bubble’s over,” McNealy said. “There was a something-dot-com for everything.” 

McNealy said part of the dot-com collapse was companies’ failures to build customer directories properly, by beginning with their own employees. 

“The big mistake is that everybody wanted to go sell something online,” he said. “The employees are the most important.” 

The company expects to return to profitability in the current quarter. 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

My wife owns a 2001 Lexus RX300. Recently, we received a letter from Lexus on the subject of “engine oil gelling.” The following is an exact quote from the letter: “Engine oil gelling occurs when old, dirty oil becomes thick and no longer adequately lubricates the engine. If not properly maintained, it can lead to severe engine damage. Oil gelling is solely a maintenance issue, and we are not aware of any situation in which a properly maintained vehicle has experienced mechanical problems associated with this condition.” I have never heard of “engine oil gelling.” I am wondering whether this is a smokescreen for Lexus dealers who have used a higher-viscosity oil than is recommended by the manufacturer? What is your opinion on “engine oil gelling”? -- Reinhold 

RAY: What's our opinion on engine oil gelling? We're in favor of it! Hey, we've got boat payments to make, too. 

TOM: This is not a smokescreen for Lexus dealers, Reinhold. It's a smokescreen for the Toyota Corporation (makers of Lexus), which seems to be having a problem with its most popular engines. 

RAY: What it's tastefully calling “engine oil gelling,” other people are calling “sludge.” The facts are in dispute. As you state, Toyota says “Sludge Happens” -- and that it only happens to people who don't change their oil and who do a lot of stop-and-go driving.  

TOM: But other independent engineers claim that there is a design problem that causes some Toyota engines (mostly 3.0-liter V6s) to sludge more frequently than other manufacturers' engines. And furthermore, it shouldn't happen on low-mileage engines. What happens is that the oil turns into a paste, and the engine dies due to lack of lubrication.  

RAY: We haven't done any engineering analysis ourselves, so everything we say about this is simply our opinion (are you Toyota lawyers happy now??), but it certainly looks like -- whatever the cause -- Toyota handled it poorly by trying to blame it on its customers. 

TOM: Well, the customers didn't like that, and they kept on complaining. Eventually, Toyota decided that the bad PR it was getting from all the noise about its sludgy engines wasn't worth what it would pay to fix the engines, so it changed its policy.  

RAY: Now Toyota says that, even though it's STILL your fault, it'll fix any sludged engine for free for eight years if you attest that you've changed the oil on time.  

TOM: Toyota has also announced that it's making a manufacturing change to the V6 engine at the factory to help prevent its customers from ruining future engines. Not that there was any problem with the engine. It's just fixing it anyway. 

RAY: The vehicles covered are any Toyota or Lexus from model years 1997 to 2002 that use the 3.0-liter V6 engine, and any Toyota from 1997 to 2001 that uses the 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine. 

TOM: It's worth keeping in mind that, at least so far, Toyota reports about 3,400 sludgy engines out of about 3.3 million sold. So these are still excellent cars, in our opinion, and we'll continue to recommend them.  

RAY: Still, Toyota should have come out right away and said: “We're sorry. You bought a Toyota because you thought it would be worry-free. This is an unusual problem on a new car, and it shouldn't have happened. We'll fix it.” It took Toyota too long to do that.  

TOM: We don't expect car makers to be infallible. We just expect them to own up to their mistakes. Hey, how hard can that be? We have to do it every week!  

Dear Tom and Ray: 

I have a solution to the tailgating problem. I've heard that you can make flames shoot out of your exhaust pipe by drilling a hole and putting a spark plug a few inches from the end. Then, by connecting it to the battery and a switch, you could make a sort of flamethrower. I would just like to know if this is a bunch of baloney or not, without having to ruin my exhaust to find out. -- Kwong 

TOM: It's an interesting idea, Kwong, but unfortunately, it's a bunch of baloney. 

RAY: There are two problems. One is that, on modern, fuel-injected cars, by the time the exhaust gets to the end of the tailpipe, there's nothing in it to burn anymore. Cars are so efficient these days that all of the hydrocarbons have long been burned up by then. 

TOM: And the second problem is that, even if there was gasoline to burn in the exhaust, the battery wouldn’t provide enough power to fire a spark plug. You need about 20,000 volts, which normally come from the coil. 

RAY: So I suppose if you really wanted to make this work, you could tap another spark-plug wire off the coil and run it back there.  

TOM: And a fuel line, too! 

RAY: Unfortunately, Kwong, this really doesn’t make sense. So if you really want a flamethrower, skip the auto-parts emporium and drive right to the army-surplus store.. 

Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack in care of this newspaper, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk section of cars.com on the World Wide Web. 

(c) 2002 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman

Q: Marty asks: My well pump does not hold pressure unless the water is in use. The well is about 25 feet from the pump and that line is laying (running) flat on the ground about four inches below the grass. The pump and the tank are new. What is making it not hold pressure? 

A: When a pump system isn’t holding pressure it usually means there is a leak or the foot valve is clogged or faulty. All it takes is a pinhole-sized leak to bring your system down. Your local well company can pressure-check the system for holes and usually make the proper repair in a few hours. If all or part of the system is new, it probably is still under warranty. Most warranty repairs are free. That your supply line is four inches beneath the surface alarms us. It should have been laid at least 18 inches below grade. Shallow pipes often are damaged during annual and semiannual cultivation. 

Q: Jeff asks: I have stripped the paint from and sanded the woodwork in my bathroom. I am having a problem with a small amount of paint bleeding through the stain. It was not visible before I applied the stain, but appears as the stain dries. How can I solve this problem? 

A: You are now a bona fide wood refinisher. You have learned how difficult it is to completely remove all the paint from wood. Fact is, two to three coats of paint stripper must be applied and brass-brushed away after you are certain that you’ve removed all the paint. This is because narrow strips of paint always remain beneath the surface and between the wood fibers. 

ST. GEORGE REEF, Calif. — First, the fog delayed the volunteers trying to restore a 110-year-old lighthouse by carrying a 5-ton lantern by helicopter over the cascading Pacific Ocean. 

Then came the rain, and the plan to move the lantern which had been shattered two years earlier during a similar effort was put off again. Volunteers were left to wonder when they would have another chance. 

But the next morning, Guy Towers and the rest of his restoration team saw the rain weaken. They made their move, and soon the helicopter hovered in the drizzle, picked up the lantern room and carried it to St. George Reef Lighthouse as about 100 spectators huddled in the Crescent City harbor. 

For fans of a lighthouse that has seen plenty of disasters, it was what they hoped was more than a break in the weather. They hoped it would signal the revival of a lighthouse that once steered seafarers away from the ship-eating reef. 

If successful, the restoration by the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society could create a tourist attraction in a forgotten corner of California whose logging and fishing industries have long faded. 

Sitting six miles off the far northwestern coast, the 150-foot lighthouse cost $704,000 to build and started operating in 1892. Named after the dragon-slaying St. George, it sits surrounded by the “dragon rocks” that tore the bottom from the steamer Brother Jonathan in 1865 and killed 166 passengers and crew. 

The lighthouse built to tame the rocks was the most expensive built by the federal government. The deadliest, too. 

Between then and 1975, when it was replaced by a buoy, the lighthouse saw five of its workers die, including three U.S. Coast Guardsmen killed in 1951 when their boat capsized as they left the rock. 

Replacing the 16-sided, 12-foot-high lighthouse dome has bedeviled Towers and the other volunteers. Bad weather kept them from making the helicopter trip; no one wanted to risk $60,000 for the cost of the dome and the helicopter for a failure. 

When it’s done, the society will have turned the St. George Reef Lighthouse into the only one of three offshore lighthouses in the world that will be open to the public. Once there, visitors will learn more about its turbulent history. 

Crescent City’s other lighthouse, the Battery Point Lighthouse, still lights the harbor. It’s an easy walk to the museum there, but it’s only accessible at low tide. 

The only way to the St. George Reef Lighthouse is by a six-minute helicopter ride low over the ocean. 

The iron railings that once surrounded the deck of the lighthouse have rusted into the sea, leaving an ideal landing pad for the helicopter. 

There are seven levels from the basement where the original coal-fired engines ran the lighthouse to the lantern at the top that housed the rotating lens. 

Inside, the old paint peels in large patches from the damp ceilings and cement walls. Much of it was lead-based, so the workers have to be careful while removing the paint, volunteer Terry McNamara said. 

The upper deck just below the lantern room is more than 130 feet above the rocks, encircled by bands of rust that 110 years ago were scrolling cast-iron railings. 

Lightbulbs are run off a gas generator. When they sputter, Towers or one of the volunteers who happen to be on hand race down the 90 narrow, spiraling stone steps to refill the fuel. If the lights go out, the steep stairwell goes as dark as a mine. 

A retired social worker, Towers first became interested in lighthouses in the early 1980s when he discovered the Punta Gorda lighthouse in Humboldt County. He then embarked on a two-decade obsession, in which he once spent three years cataloging the world’s lighthouses. 

In 1986, after he had moved to Crescent City, he learned the government readied to sell the lighthouse as scrap. Towers and several friends formed the nonprofit preservation society and then spent 10 years getting government approvals to take jurisdiction over the lighthouse. 

He worked closely with Bob Bolen, a retired airline mechanic who was instrumental in removing and transporting the lighthouse’s giant Fresnel lens in 1983. The 18-foot rotating lens now sits in the Del Norte County Museum. 

Bolen, who gets around in a wheelchair these days, paid the $24,000 the society needed to finish the restoration work on the dome and hire a helicopter to bring it back to the lighthouse. 

For that, he got the best view of the lantern room’s return — the front seat of the chase helicopter trailing the sky-crane. 

It was the second time the dome was transported in the past two years. 

In April 2000, a donated helicopter lifted the lantern room from the lighthouse and carried it to shore. But as the sky-crane lowered the dome, the helicopter came in too low, dragging the iron and glass room along the beach in Crescent City harbor. 

“It was a crumpled mess,” said Alice Towers, Guy’s wife. 

But that disaster turned into a blessing, Towers said, as the publicity led to more donations. Also, the room had broken in the right places. 

Its top survived, and the rest of the room was rebuilt with stainless steel, not cast iron, and polycarbonate, not glass. That saved about 5,000 pounds, Towers said, although it still weighs a hefty 10,000 pounds. 

As the helicopter lifted the lantern room for its second flight, Towers and a half-dozen volunteers waited on the rock at the top of the lighthouse for the sky-crane to hover, then lower the dome. Cables trailed from the room that would be threaded through holes in the ledge to guide it to its proper position. 

Towers grabbed the first line and wrapped it around his arm. The helicopter rose, taking Towers with it. 

“It was like I was ringing a bell, riding the bell up and down.” 

The 32 bolt holes lined up perfectly. “The sweetest sound I’ve ever heard was when that lantern room set and it made that ’clunk,”’ he said. 

After the lift, Bolen was helped out of the helicopter, all smiles. 

He and other volunteers will start raising money to replace the rusting railings in time for a planned opening this fall. 

Wildlife officials restrict travel to the lighthouse between June 15 and Oct. 15 when sea lions are mating so tours will be offered in the spring and fall. Towers hopes to eventually have a helicopter stationed in Crescent City to take visitors for day trips. 

The time and money to revive the lighthouse will be worth it, Bolen said. 

“To me, they’re monuments to our forefathers who came to our country and to the men who didn’t make it,” Bolen said. “They didn’t make it because they didn’t have lighthouses.” 

On the Net: 

St. George Reef Lighthouse: http://www.northerncalifornia.net/culture/lighthouses/sgrlps/

Tulips often disappoint after their first show of blooms. That first show reflects the skill of the commercial bulb grower because the flower buds form the season before blooms open. 

After that first season, you have to provide conditions for good repeat bloom. The healthier the leaves and the longer they can do their work, the better the blossoms will be the following season. 

Tulip leaves have a relatively short time in which to do their job. Anything that prolongs the time they remain green will help pump more energy into the bulbs. This is why so many bulbs are grown in Holland, where springs are long, cool, and moist. Over on this side of the Atlantic, a good site will keep the leaves healthy and productive. The best site is sunny, with soil that is well-drained and reasonably fertile. 

Following bloom, allow the foliage to naturally yellow and wither. The leaves will look unsightly, so some gardeners plant annuals to hide the aging bulb foliage from sight, or bind the bulbs’ leaves into a compact, unobtrusive bundle with rubber bands. However, both these techniques sacrifice to some degree next spring’s blooms because the leaves no longer are bathed in maximum sunlight. The only way to avoid the sight of the yellowing leaves without harming next year’s blossoms is to dig up each bulb with a good ball of earth and replant temporarily in an out-of-the-way, sunny spot. 

Even under the best of conditions, tulip flowers still will diminish with time as daughter bulbs that form around each mother bulb begin to crowd each other. Garden tulips are so prone to fizzling out after a season that many gardeners grow them as annuals, replanting new ones each autumn. (This also solves the problem of unsightly foliage — just cut off the leaves after the bulbs finish flowering.) 

Overcrowded bulbs can be revitalized by dividing them. When the foliage has just about disappeared, dig up the bulbs, separate them and store them dry for replanting in autumn. Undersized bulbs will not flower for a couple of years growth, so are best planted in a nursery row. 

An alternative is to plant tulips that more reliably bloom year after year without fuss. “Species” tulips are famous for their capacity to bloom year after year. Even among “garden” tulips, certain varieties, such as Clara Butt, William Copeland, and Reverend Ewbank, bloom for many years without division — if growing conditions are good.

NEW YORK — The Rolling Stones staged an eye-popping spectacle that drew fans and media from around the globe — and they haven’t even gone on tour yet. 

The rockers, whose tours have been among the top-grossing concerts ever, announced another jaunt around the world in grandiose fashion Tuesday, circling New York’s sprawling Van Cortlandt Park in a yellow blimp emblazoned with their red tongue trademark. 

“We had a very interesting first-time experience on the airship,” Mick Jagger said after emerging from the blimp. “We had a really good time on it.” 

The tour, their first since their top-grossing 1999 tour, will mark the band’s 40th anniversary. It will kick off on Sept. 5 in Boston. 

When asked why the band was heading out once again — they haven’t even begun working on new material for the album — Jagger joked: “Either we stay at home and become pillars of the community, or we go out and tour. We couldn’t really find any communities that still needed pillars.” 

The tour is expected to rake in millions of dollars. The Stones already hold the record for the highest-grossing concert tour ever with their 1994 tour, which brought in $121.2 million, according to Gary Bongiovanni of Pollstar, a concert trade magazine. 

“Any year that they have toured, they have produced the biggest tour of that year,” said Bongiovanni. 

This time around, the band will play clubs as well as stadiums and arenas. 

Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ron Wood looked as if they were having plenty of fun even before the news conference began. The foursome boarded the blimp at the park and circled the area for about 15 minutes before landing. 

They had even more fun at the news conference, cracking jokes as reporters asked questions. 

When one asked if they would do any songs from the past, Richards said: “The set list is a bit down the road. It just depends if we can remember them.”

One hundred Berkeley parents, students and school officials joined 1,000 Bay Area activists at the State Capitol Wednesday calling on Governor Gray Davis and the state legislature, who face a deficit as high as $22 billion, to avoid education cuts. 

“We’re here to remind our state representatives that we won’t tolerate this and it’s unacceptable,” said Board of Education member John Selawsky, discussing the potential for cuts. “We have to fund our public schools.” 

In January, Davis proposed a small increase in K-12 education funding for next year. But the governor will release a budget revision May 14 that will serve as a new blueprint for the legislature. With estimates of the state’s deficit growing, activists fear he will recommend education cuts.  

Hilary McLean, Davis’s chief deputy press secretary, played down the activists’ concerns. 

“(Davis) has pledged on numerous occasions that he is going to do his best to protect the investments we’ve made in education,” she said.  

There is talk in Sacramento that the governor may ask the legislature to suspend Proposition 98, which provides a baseline of funding for the public schools, in an effort to make cuts. Again, McLean played down the idea. 

“It’s certainly something the governor doesn’t want to see happen,” she said. 

Activists had strong words for Davis and the legislature in speeches from the Capitol steps. Barry Fike, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, mocked the notion of a “shortage” of state funds. 

“This is the sixth largest economy in the world,” Fike said. “What we do have is a shortage of wisdom in how to distribute the wealth.” 

But McLean said activists, including dozens of students, should recognize everything Davis has done to fund education since he took office. 

“Hopefully these are students who are up on their history and up on their math,” McLean said, noting that education spending has increased by 34 percent under the Davis Administration. 

Berkeley activists had appointments with staff members of several state legislators. In meetings throughout the day, Berkeley residents called on representatives to raise taxes on the wealthiest two percent to help close the deficit, avoid education cuts and, in the long run, increase per pupil spending from roughly $7,000 to $12,000 per year. 

Staff members were generally receptive, activists said, but in some cases were reluctant to endorse tax increases. McLean said the governor does not want to raise taxes this year. 

State Assemblywoman Dion Aroner has endorsed a temporary tax increase on the wealthiest 2 percent and cancellation of the vehicle license fee rebate. But these measures and other “revenue enhancements” would raise $7 to $8 billion, Hemann said, and would only partially offset cuts – in education and everywhere. 

“A lot of things are on the table,” Hemann said. “We’re attempting to get our hands around a huge deficit.” 

The rally drew activists from Oakland, San Francisco, Albany and Contra Costa, tied together in a loose coalition called The Coalition to Pay Schools Now and Fix School Funding. Some thought the rally was a bit chaotic. 

“It wasn’t necessarily as organized as it should have been,” said Tiffanie Hester, a senior at Berkeley High School who made the trip to Sacramento. 

But organizers said they got their message across. 

“It was a good start,” said Derick Miller, president of Berkeley’s PTA Council and candidate for school board. Miller said the challenge will be to build long-lasting relationships with legislators. 

Selawsky said he hopes the coalition will continue to make lobbying trips to the Capitol, and build a regional movement for education funding. 

“That’s our job right now,” he said.

Today is Thursday, May 9, the 129th day of 2002. There are 236 days left in the year. 

Highlight: 

Five hundred years ago, on May 9, 1502, Christopher Columbus left Cadiz, Spain, on his fourth and final trip to the Western Hemisphere. 

On this date: 

In 1913, the 17th amendment to the Constitution, providing for the election of U.S. senators by popular vote rather than selection by state legislatures, was ratified. 

In 1926, Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett became the first men to fly over the North Pole. 

In 1936, Italy annexed Ethiopia. 

In 1945, U.S. officials announced that a midnight entertainment curfew was being lifted immediately. 

In 1960, the Food and Drug Administration approved a pill as safe for birth control use. (The pill, Enovid, was made by G.D. Searle and Co. of Chicago.) 

In 1961, Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton N. Minow condemned television programming as a “vast wasteland” in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters. 

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee opened hearings on whether to recommend the impeachment of President Nixon. 

In 1980, 35 motorists were killed when a Liberian freighter rammed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida, causing a 1,400-foot section to collapse. 

In 1994, South Africa’s newly elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the country’s first black president. 

Ten years ago:  

President George H.W. Bush, back in Washington after a visit to riot-torn Los Angeles, promised in a radio speech that he would work with the Democrat-controlled Congress on proposals to help American cities. 

Five years ago:  

During a visit to a rain forest in Costa Rica, President Clinton urged nations not to sacrifice their environment in pursuit of economic gain. 

One year ago:  

China sought U.S. understanding for its refusal to allow a damaged U.S. Navy spy plane to fly home, saying public sentiment would be outraged if the aircraft flew again over Chinese territory.  

“There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, and not as many separate ones.”  

— Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt (1918-1981) 

Today’s Birthdays:  

CBS News correspondent Mike Wallace is 84. Actor-writer Alan Bennett is 68. Actor Albert Finney is 66. Actress-turned-politician Glenda Jackson is 66. Musician Sonny Curtis (Buddy Holly and the Crickets) is 65. Producer-director James L. Brooks is 62. Singer Tommy Roe is 60. Singer-musician Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield and Poco) is 58. Actress Candice Bergen is 56. Singer Clint Holmes is 56. Actor Anthony Higgins is 55. Singer Billy Joel is 53. Rock singer-musician Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) is 52. Actress Alley Mills is 51. Singer Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) is 40. Rapper Ghostface Killah is 32. Singer Tamia is 27. Rock musician Dan Regan (Reel Big Fish) is 25. Actress Rosario Dawson is 23. 

- The Associated Press

To the Editor: 

As the Daily Planet reported, last Thursday the banned Students for Justice in Palestine – using the subterfuge of another student organization's name – held a rally at UCB. Having been in the audience, I can safely say that the verbiage spouted there stood reality on its head. 

The loaded term “genocide” was attributed to the Israelis. Yet while Israel chooses not to use its modern air force to decimate Palestinian civilians, the PLO's covenant, along with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, calls for the elimination of Jews from the Middle East. Indeed, you will find advocacy of genocide against the Jews in grade school books from Syria to Saudi Arabia to Gaza. 

SJP brands Israel an “apartheid society,” yet it is the sole country in the Middle East where Arabic women are permitted to vote. On the other hand, as in other Arabic societies, women are treated as third-class citizenry in Gaza and the West Bank. Indeed, the real apartheid is the treatment of Palestinian women. This includes the not uncommon “honor murders” of daughters who transgress the wishes of their fathers. In Israel, such homicides are punished, while in Palestinian-dominated Jordan and the territories, the murder of said teenagers is either ignored or the perpetrator is given a slap on the wrist. In sum, if SJP is going to brand a society as “apartheid,” they need look no further than the treatment of women in the Palestinian territories. 

Finally, SJP bandies about “human rights violations” with every other sentence. But while they wring their hands over the alleged massacre in Jenin, the investigative group Human Rights Watch has disclosed that this is nothing more than typical Palestinian propaganda. 

In fact, true human rights violations lie elsewhere. The abrogation of human rights is manifest in the treatment of Palestinian children who, from kindergarten on, are both taught that their sworn duty is to “kill Jews” and that there is no higher calling than that of the suicide bombing “martyr.” Given this measure of child abuse, can there be but little wonder that Palestinian children volunteer to be suicide bombers when they become teenagers? 

In sum, the Palestinians have created a pathological society where women and children are regularly abused by their own people. So when SJP uses such toxic terms, they should look first to apply them to those on whose behalf they provide such noxious propaganda. 

- Daniel C. Spitzer 

Berkeley

Wednesday, May 8 

Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

849-ANNA 

Y'All & David Roth 

Traditional, original & topical, contemporary folk music 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Thursday, May 9 

Live Music - Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

849-ANNA 

The Waybacks 

Acoustic mayhem, album release celebration 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Shana Morrison 

Celtic / blues acoustic fusion 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

David Widelock Jazz Duo, guitar and bass 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

849-ANNA 

Friday, May 10 

Live Music - Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

849-ANNA 

The Waybacks 

Acoustic mayhem, album release celebration 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Saturday, May 11 

W. Hazaiah Williams Memorial Concert, “The Art of the Spiritual” 

Featuring African-American Spirituals sung by mezzo soprano Vanessa Ayers, tenors Samual McKelton and William Brown, Baritone Autris Paige and bass-baritone Benjamin Matthews, and pianist Dennis Helmrich. 

7:30 p.m. 

Calvin Simmons Theater 

10 Tenth Street 

Oakland 

For tickets: SASE to PO Box 507, Berkeley, 94701, or e-mail: fourseasonsconcerts@juno.com with your name, address & phone number to have tickets held at the box office or call 451-0775  

Free - Reserved Seating Required 

Robin Flower & Libby McLaren 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Live Music - Classic Jazz Singer Robin Gregory with Bliss Rodriguez on piano 

2nd show: Ducksan Distones Jazz Sextet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

849-ANNA 

Due West 

Dynamic traditional bluegrass 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Live Music- Choro Time, Vintage Brazilian Music (20’s), Ron Galen & Group 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

849-ANNA 

Wednesday, May 8 

Robert Boswell reads from "Century's Son" 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody's Book Store 

2454 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley 

845-7852 

Free 

Saturday, May 11 

Word Beat Reading Series 

Entertainers of all kinds come together . Featuring readers Rita Flores Bogaert and Ann Hunkins 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

For more information: 526-5985, www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat 

Free 

English Song Recital  

featuring Kirk Eichelberger, bass, with Christopher Luthi, piano  

7:00 p.m.  

Valley Christian High School, 100 Skyway Drive, San Jose.  

Tickets are available for a $100 tax-deductible donation.  

All proceeds benefit the Discovery Center's educational therapy program. 

Exhibits  

“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. 

“Errata” through May 4: An exhibition of the photographic work by Marco Breuer, focusing on the gaps, mistakes and marginal events that occur in daily life. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Traywick Gallery, 1316 10th St., 527-1214 

“Open: Objects” through May 4: An exhibition featuring sculptural objects by Los Angeles artist Karen Kimmel. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Traywick Gallery, 1316 10th St., 527-1214 

“Urban Re-Visions” Through May. 4: A two-person exhibition featuring the colorful anthropomorphic sculptures of Tim Burns and the figurative/narrative paintings of Dan Way Harper. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, gallery709@aol.com 

“Quilted Paintings” Through May 4: Contemporary wall quilts by Roberta Renee Baker, landscapes, abstracts, altars and story quilts. Free. The Coffee Mill, 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland 465-4224 

“Re: Figuration” May 10 through Jun. 8: A two-person exhibition by Jody Sears and Michele Ramirez. S ears presents sculpture made from wood, and Ramirez showcases her paintings of Oakland, its streets, people and geography. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” 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 

“Masterworks of Chinese Painting” Through May 26: An exhibition of distinguished works representing virtually every period and phase of Chinese painting over the last 900 years, including figure paintings and a selection of botanical and animal subjects. Prices vary. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-4889, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Marion Brenner: The Subtle Life of Plants and People” Through May 26: An exhibition of approximately 60 long-exposure black and white photographs of plants and people. $3 - $6. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“The Image of Evil in Art” 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” 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 

“East Bay Open Studios” Apr. 24 through Jun. 9: An exhibition of local artists’ work in connection with East Bay Open Studios. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., Oakland, 763-9425, www.proartsgallery 

“Solos: The Contemporary Monoprint” Apr. 26 through Jun. 15: An exhibition of two modern masters, Nathan Oliveira and Matt Phillips, as well as monoprints from other artists. Call for times. Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, kala@kala.org 

“Komar and Melamid’s Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project” Through May 26: An exhibition of paintings by elephants under the tutelage of Russian-born conceptual artists Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid. $3 - $6. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Perpetual Objects” Through Jul. 10: An exhibition of seven large-scale sculptures and two collage drawings by Dennis Leon. Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Gallery 555 City Center, 12th and Clay, Oakland. 

“Scene in Oakland, 1852 to 2002” 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 

Poetry 

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 

Oakland Museum of California “33rd Annual California Wildflower Show” An exhibition featuring native flowers gathered in the field, brought into the museum and sorted, identified and labeled by botanists. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free children age 5 and under. May 11: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., May 12: 12 - 5 p.m. 

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. 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Jurassic Park: Dinosaur Auditions Live Science Demonstrations” A directed activity in which children “audtion” to be a dinosaur in an upcoming movie. They’ll learn about the variety of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park exhibit as well as dress up, act, and roar like a dinosaur. Through May 12: Mon. - Fri. 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.; Sat. - Sun. 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. 3 p.m. $8 adults, $6 children. Centenial Dr. just above the UC campus and just below Grizzly Peak Blvd. 642-5132 

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.

Wednesday May 8 

Germbusters Puppet Show 

2:30- 3:00 P.M. 

Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Puppet show for children age 3 to 10 to learn about germs and their effects on the body. Free.  

For more information: 510-549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org 

Thursday, May 9 

FBI & Local police: Partners in Repression 

Forum, Speakout & Music 

7 p.m. 

Unitarian Hall, 1924 Bonita 

Berkeley 

For Info: Copwatch, 510-548-0425 

$5-$15  

Consumers’ Rights, Problems and Legislation 

Speaker Tom Vacar, consumer editor, KTVU, Channel 2 

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Albany Public Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Albany 

For more info: 510-843-8824 

Free 

Community Budget Workshop 

Berkeley Unified School District 

Budget & Finance Advisory Committee 

Subject: California State Budget Process & the J200 Budget Format 

6:30 p.m. 

Longfellow Arts & Technology Magnet Middleschool 

Auditorium 

1500 Derby St. (at California) 

Berkeley 

Free 

Native Californian Cultures 

A major focus of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology has been the Native peoples of California. Today, with 260,000 catalogue entries, the museum preserves the world's largest and most comprehensive collection devoted to the region. In this gallery, we present an overview of Native Californian cultures demonstrating the great diversity of the Californian peoples. 

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall at the corner of Bancroft Way and College 

The phone number is (510) 643-7648. 

Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and $.50 for  

children 16 and under- Free to the public on Thursdays. 

Judeo-Christian Values in Islam? 

What are the humanistic values inherent in Islam? How has history colored western views of Islam? etc. 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

510-848-0237 X 127 

$5 

Friday, May 10 

New Sculpture & Paintings by Jody Sears & Michele Ramirez 

Opening reception: Saturday May 11, 5 to 8 p.m. 

Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Ardency Gallery 

709 Broadway, Oakland 

510-836-0831, e-mail: gallery709@aol.com 

Free 

Saturday, May 11 

Low-cost Hatha Yoga Class 

6:30 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center 

1720 8th St. 

$6 per class. 981-6651 

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament 

Fun for everyone, whether competing or watching. At the New Gym at Albany High in Albany. Hosted by and benefiting Athletics at Albany High School. Players sign up today to play in one of four divisions. 64 teams compete for $500 First Prize & $250 Second Prize in each division with final game to be played Sunday, May 12 

510-525-2716 

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

33rd Annual Calif. Wildflower Show 

Exhibit with 150 species of freshly gathered native flowers 

Saturday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1-888-OAK-MUSE 

$6 general admission, $4 senior and students with ID, free for five and under.  

Jurassic Park: Dinosaur Auditions 

Live Science Demonstrations 

In this directed activity, children "audition" to be a dinosaur in an upcoming dinosaur movie. They learn about the variety of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park exhibit as well as dress up, act, and roar like a dinosaur. These demonstrations explore recent discoveries, fossils, and how scientists know what they know about dinosaurs 

Monday-Friday at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. 

Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m. 

$8 for adults; $6 for youth 5-18, seniors, and disabled; $4 for children 3-4. 

Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time UC Berkeley students. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Drive-above the UC Berkeley campus 

Parking is 50¢/hour. 

LHS is accessible by AC Transit 

and the UC Berkeley Shuttle. 

Low-cost Hatha Yoga Class 

6:30 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center 

1720 8th St. 

$6 per class. 981-6651 

Sunday, May 12 

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in Spanish) 

Shows at 1 & 3 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

Kathy Kallick Mother's Day Concert 

1 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$6.50 kids, $7.50 adults 

The Bungalow - Tradition & Transformation 

seminar by Barry Wagner 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Monday, May 13 

Jai Uttal with Bhima-Karma 

A Celebration of Devotion: An Evening of Chanting and Dialogue 

7:00 p.m. 

California Institute of Integral Studies 

1453 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 

For questions and tickets: 415-575-6150 

www.ciis.edu 

or e-mail info@ciis.edu 

$20 

Live Music - Renegade Sidemen, with Calvin Keyes, Dave Rokeach & friends 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Jewish Partisans: The Unknown Story 

Thousands of Jews escaped the ghettos and work camps and took up arms against the Nazi War machine. 

3 to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

510-848-0237 X 127 

Free 

Crossing the Bridge- positive ways to face change & transition. Reflective & energizing workshop rooted in Jewish and cross cultural stories with Ariel Abramsky facilitating. 

May 13, 20 & June 3 

7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

510-848-0237 X 127 

$45 

Book Discussion Group Forming 

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library 

7:30 p.m. 

Claremont Branch, Berkeley Public Library 

2940 Benvenue St. 

Free 

Buying Land 

seminar by real estate agent Dan Maher 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Tuesday, May 14 

Brown Bag Career Talk 

Ask a Career Counselor 

Noon- 1 p.m. 

YMCA Turning Point Career Center 

2600 Bancroft Way 

Berkeley 

$3 

Open Mike for Singers, with Ellen Hoffman Trio 

8 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849- ANNA 

Open Mic - Northern California Songwriters Association 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

Wednesday, May 15 

Live Music - Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Kane's River plus Don't Look Back 

Bluegrass double-bill 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Thursday, May 16 

Ben Bonham Farewell Party 

Leading lap & pedal steel guitarist says bye to the Bay Area. 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Just Friends Jazz Quartet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

An evening with Woodcarver Miles Karpilow 

Carver of the Berkeley Public Library new local history room gates. 

7 p.m. 

2090 Kittredge St. at Shattuck 

Community Room 

Free 

Business After-hours Mixer 

Sponsored by Emeryville Chamber of Commerce & Industries Association 

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto 

1919 Forth St., Berkeley 

ECCIA members $10, Prospective members $20 

Friday, May 17 

Poet Piri Thomas and drummer Owen Davis featured for an evening of poetry, music and spoken word with Open Mike. 

7:30 - 10 p.m. 

Fellowship Hall Cafe 

1924 Cedar St. 

Berkeley 

$5 - $10 requested 

Live Music 

Anna De Leon & Ellen Hoffman- Jazz Standards, 2nd show: Bluesman Hideo Date, guitarist 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Tom Rush 

Classic Folk 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$18.50 advance, $19.50 at the door 

Basic Electrical Theory & National Electrical Code 

Seminar by Redwood Kardon 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Saturday, May 18 

Word Beat Reading Series 

Featuring readers Dancing Bear and C. J. Sage 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

For more information: 510-526-5985, www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat 

Free 

Strawberry Tasting & World Harmony Chorus 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Children's Movies 

Fern Gully (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

Writer as Publisher: Independent Publishing Seminar 

Learn how at this all day seminar. 

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Asian Cultural Center 

Pacific Renaissance Plaza 

388 Ninth Street 

Oakland 

510-839-1248 or www.writeraspublisher.com 

The Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus third annual spring concert, "Turn the World Around" Celebration of spring and welcome to summer with love songs and traditional favorites. 

May 18, 8 p.m., Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland and 

May 19, 7 p.m., Crowden School, 1475 Rose St.  

Suggested donation is $15 at the door; $12 in advance. (510) 239-2239, ext. 2576, www.oebgmc.org.  

Music Fair & Special Family Concert 

A delightful day of free performances, demonstrations, contests and entertainment! Oakland Youth Chorus, Purple bamboo Orchestra, Skyline High School Jazz Combo, Tim Cain, Instrument Petting Zoo & More. Explore musical Instruments, music schools & camps, Local Choirs & orchestras and other music resources. 

Family Concert 2 p.m.  

Calvin Simmons Theatre 

Music Fair Noon-5 p.m. 

Henry J Kaiser Convention Center Arena 

Oakland  

510-444-0801, www.oebs.org 

Concert $7 adults, $5 under 18, music fair- Free 

Margie Adam 

Singer, composer, pianist, activist 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$17.50 advance, $18.50 at the door 

Saturday, May 18-19 

3rd Annual Satsuki Arts Festival and Bazaar 

The Berkeley Buddhist Temple 

Featuring Bay Area and National Taiko drumming ensembles and Kenny Endo from Hawaii 

Sunday, May 19 

Jazz On 4th 

6th Annual jazz on Forth, a benefit for Berkeley High School Performing Arts. Balloons, Raffle, Face Painting. Free Live Performances by The Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble & Combo, Big Belly Blues Band, Jenna Mammina Quartet, Jesus Diaz with Sabor A Cuba. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

Forth Street Between Hearst and Virginia 

For more information 510-526-6294 

Free 

Hurricane Sam with Matt Eakle 

Blues, jazz, boogie-woogie piano 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Children's Movies 

Fern Gully (in Spanish) 

Shows at 1 & 3 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

Monday, May 20 

Live Music- Renegade Sidemen, with Calvin Keyes, Dave Rokeach & friends 

8 p.m., 2nd show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Build Your Dream-House for a Song 

(and own it free & clear in 5 years), author David Cook. 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Tuesday, May 21 

The Art of Practice with Tom Heimberg 

Violinist with the SF Opera, Tom offers an overview that applies to all instruments. 

Musicians Union Local 6 

116 Ninth St. at Mission 

San Francisco 

415-575-0777 

$10 and free to local 6 members 

Strawberry Tasting 

Tasting & cooking demonstrations 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Derby Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way  

Free 

Open Mic 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

Wednesday, May 22 

Yonder Mountain String Band  

Hard Chargin' bluegrass 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$19.50 advance, $20.50 at the door 

Healthful Building materials 

Seminar by Darrel DeBoer 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Thursday, May 23 

Berkeley Opera Presents 

Vivian Fine’s The Woman in the Garden 

One of America’s most highly regarded composers, Vivian Fine, has crafted a libretto from the writing of four women artists; Emily Dickinson, Isadora Duncan, Gertrude Stein and Virginia Woolf. Solos, duets, trios, and quartets express these innovative, non-conforming rebels, individual musings and struggles, revealing both social isolation and spiritual community of their artistic lives. Singers are supported by a nine-piece chamber ensemble 

8 p.m.  

Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar (at Arch St.) 

$30 General, $25 Senior, $15 Youth and Handicapped, $10 Student Rush 

Charge by phone: 925-798-1300 

Information: 510-841-1903, www.berkeleyopera.com 

An Evening of Poetry: Aidan Thompson 

7:30 p.m. 

Claremont Branch Library 

2940 Benevue Ave. 

Free 

John Reischman & the Jaybirds 

Mandolin virtuoso & red-hot bluegrass ensemble 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Fishbowl: "Everything you always wanted to know about the opposite sex but were afraid to ask" An opportunity to ask anonymous questions in a confidential and supportive environment. 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

510-848-0237 X 127 

$8-$10 

Attic Conversions 

Seminar by architect Andus Brandt 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Saturday, May 25 

Word Beat Reading Series 

All kinds of entertainers come together. Featuring Kera Abraham and Ruth Levitan 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

Free 

Alice Waters "Chez Panisse Fruit" book signing 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Children's Movies 

Pinnochio (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

6th Annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival 

Everyone's welcome to participate in covering Solono's sidewalks with chalk art. Featuring refreshments and entertainment.  

Registration at Peralta Park, 1561 Solano Ave. Berkeley. 

For more information: 510-527-5358, www.solanoave.org. 

Free 

Cain & Abel- 1st Annual Stop the Violence Gospel Festival 

In Memory of Children Killed by Senseless Violence 

St. Andrews Baptist Church Gospel Choir, Family in Unity Gospel Choir, Our lady of Lourdes’ Men Gospel Choir, Lorrain Taylor, Michael Nelson, Praise Dancers, Testimonials, Display of Homicide Quilt, presentation by Students of Malcolm X Academy, Sermon by Rev. Ishmael Burch Jr., LeDoursey’s “Gone But Not Forgotten” Sky, Ronald DeVoyce Blackburn’s From-the-Cradle-to-the- Grave memorial candles, The Homicide Names Banner and Holman “Bob” Turner’s photographs of parents at the graveside or location where their child was killed. 

Noon- 6 p.m. 

St. Andrews Baptist Church 

2565 Post Street (at Lyon) 

San Francisco 

415- 292-5157 or 415-346-6500 

Free- contributions and donations appreciated 

Saturday & Sunday, May 25 & 26 

19th Annual Himalayan Fair 

Outdoor celebration of the great Mountain Cultures! Authentic Himalayan Art, craft, Music & Dance, exotic food & stage entertainment. Benefits Himalayan Grassroots projects. 

Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5:30 

Live Oak Park 

Shattuck & Berryman 

$5-$7 Donation 

Children's Movies 

Pinnochio (in Spanish) 

Shows at 1 & 3 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

Wednesday, May 29 

Paul Geremia 

Country Blues 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Thursday, May 30 

Bob Dylan Song Night 

An evening of Dylan Songs revisited 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$12.50 advance, $13.50 at the door 

Friday, May 31 

Paramount Movie Classics-  

Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, 1958 

Doors at 7, Mighty Wurlitzer at 7:30, Newsreel, Cartoon, Previews, and Prize give-away game Dec-O-Win and feature Film 

2025 Broadway 

Oakland  

$5 

Blue Riders of the Purple Sage 

Classic cowboy harmonies 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Saturday, June 1 

50th anniversary of the Little Train at Tilden Regional Park 

Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas in Berkeley 

For more information, call 544-2200 

Sand Castle and Sand Sculpture Contest 

9 a.m. for participants registration 

9- 12 p.m. (Judging starts at noon) 

Crown Beach, Otis and Shore Line Drives 

Alameda 

For more information, call 521-6887 or 748-4565 

Free 

The Bluegrass Intentions 

Innovative traditionalists 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Sunday, June 2 

Diablo Symphony Orchestra 

Verdi Spectacular! 

Soloists: Lyric soprano Karen Anderson, soprano Aimee Puentes and tenor Min-sheng Yang. Conducted by Barbara Day Turner 

2 p.m. 

Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts 

1601 Civic Center at Locust Dr. 

Walnut Creek 

925-7469, website: www.dlrca.org 

Tickets $8, $15 and $18 

Casey Neill 

Celtic American folk roots 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Anthropology Museum Opening  

Native Californian Cultures - Family Day 

Sunday, June 2, 1:30 PM- 3:30 PM  

Hearst Museum Courtyard 

Storytelling, children's games and basketry 

with Julia and Lucy Parker. Julia Parker, a cultural  

interpreter, supervises the Indian Cultural Program  

in Yosemite. Lucy Parker is a traditional artist who 

crafts jewelry and baskets as well as games. 

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall at the corner of Bancroft Way and College 

The phone number is (510) 643-7648. 

Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and $.50 for  

16 and under- Free to the public on Thursdays. 

Thursday, June 6 

Spencer Bohren 

New Orleans Bluesman 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Friday & Saturday, June 7 & 8 

Cats & Jammers 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Sunday, June 9 

Traditional Persian Music Concert  

Hossein Alizadeh and Madjid Khaladj 

Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College Avenue, Berkeley 

7:30 PM 

$22 

925-798-1300, www.theatrebayarea.org. 

Austin Lounge Lizards 

Unbashed Texas Lunacy 

5 p.m. & 8 p.m. shows 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

JUNE 9-12 

The 2nd Annual California Bluegrass Association MUSIC CAMP 

Nevada County Fairgrounds, GRASS VALLEY, CA  

INSTRUCTORS: 

Banjo-- Pete Wreck and Avram Siegel, Fiddle-- Laurie Lewis and Jack Tuttle, Mandolin--John Reischman and Tom Rozum, Guitar-- Jim Nunally and Dix Bruce, Dobro-- Sally van Meter Bass--Trisha Gagnon, Old-time fiddle-- Bruce Molsky, Old-time, guitar-- Tom Sauber, Old-time banjo-- Evie Ladin, Autoharp-Ray Frank 

Beginner and intermediate instrumental classes; jam classes; electives including vocal harmonies, music theory, band rhythm, critical listening, clogging, and more! 

http://www.cbamusiccamp.org 

Monday, June 17th 

Lesbian, Gay, Bi- Sexual, Transgender National Day to Honor loved ones lost on 9/11  

The LGBT National Day of Honor, about creating a Day when all Lesbian,  

Gay, Bi- Sexual, Transgendered, & questioning people and our supporters,  

can come together to help further our fight against continued second class  

citizen treatment in the United States.  

For more information, call 802.859.9604 

Friday, June 21 

Paramount Movie Classics-  

The Mummy, with Boris Karloff, 1932 

Doors at 7, Mighty Wurlitzer at 7:30, Newsreel, Cartoon, Previews, and Prize give-away game Dec-O-Win and feature Film 

2025 Broadway 

Oakland  

$5 

Saturday, June 22 

Summer Solstice Celebration 

Live Music & Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Friday, June 28 

Paramount Movie Classics-  

The General (1927), starring Buster Keaton, a silent film with live Wurlitzer organ accompaniment by Jim Riggs, playing his original score. 

Doors at 7, Mighty Wurlitzer at 7:30, Newsreel, Cartoon, Previews, and Prize give-away game Dec-O-Win and feature Film 

2025 Broadway 

Oakland  

$5 

Saturday, June 29 

David Brower Day 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Stanford Jazz Festival, June 29-August 10 

Early Bird jazz for kids and families with Jim Nadel & Friends 

10:30 a.m. kids 7 & under, 11:30 a.m. kids 8-12 

Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford Campus  

Free 

July 6 

Stanford Jazz Festival 

Hirahara/Sickafoose/Amendola Trio 

8 p.m. 

Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford Campus  

With Art Hirahara on Piano, Todd Sickafoose on Acoustic Bass and Scott Amendola on drums, this Bay-Area based Trio draws on the eclectic influences and masterful playing of its members to re-interpret jazz standards and bring fresh, new compositions to the bandstand. 

$20 General, $18 Students/Seniors/PAJA members 

Saturday, July 13 

Peach / Stone Fruit Tasting 

Tasting & cooking demonstrations 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

15th Anniversary Derby Street Farmers Market 

Live music and & stone-fruit and peach tasting 

Tasting & cooking demonstrations. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Derby Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way  

Free 

Saturday, August 10 

Tomato Tastings 

Tastings and cooking demonstrations 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Tuesday, August 13 

Tomato Tasting 

Tasting & cooking demonstrations 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Derby Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way  

Free 

Saturday, August 24 

Cajun & More 

Four Live Bands, crafts fair, Cajun food, dance lessons, micro-brewery beer & dance floor. 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday, September 8 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday, October 12 

Indigenous People's Day Pow Wow, Indian Market & Fall Fruit Tasting 

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Tuesday, October 15 

Fall Fruit Tasting 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Derby Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way  

Free 

Saturday, October 26 

Pumpkin Carving & Costume Making 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday December 7, 14, 21 

Holiday Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday December 14 

Holiday Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday December 21 

Holiday Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Free

The St. Mary’s High baseball team clinched second place and a first-round bye in the BSAL playoffs with a dramatic 7-5 win over Piedmont on Wednesday. Joe Storno shook off a first-inning three-run blast by Piedmont’s Peter Boyle to go the distance for the win. 

St. Mary’s (12-12 overall, 8-3 BSAL) got the meat of their runs in the fourth inning, scoring five times despite getting just two hits. Moore led off with a single and Storno walked, but Tom Carman hit into a third-to-first double play, and it looked as if Piedmont starter Nikhi Aurora would get through the inning unscathed. But the hurler’s control problems came back to bite him as he walked Jeff Marshall and Marcus Johnson on eight pitches to load the bases. 

Up stepped shortstop Manny Mejia, the bottom of the St. Mary’s order. The diminutive Mejia had a great at-bat, fouling off three two-strike pitches before hitting a bouncer that Piedmont third baseman Danny Rossi couldn’t handle, allowing Storno to cross the plate with the Panthers’ first run of the game. Chris Morocco followed with a long single off of the short rightfield fence, driving in Marshall and Johnson to tie the game. 

Aurora should have been out of the inning already, but more bad defense turned the tide. Pete McGuinness hit a flyball to left-center, and centerfielder Rand Thygeson called off his leftfielder before muffing the ball, setting off a wild sprint by the St. Mary’s baserunners that ended with two runs scoring for a 5-3 Panther lead. 

Aurora put the blame for the rough inning on himself. 

“I just lost my control and couldn’t get it back,” he said. “After walks, that’s when bad defense happens because the defense relaxes. It was all my fault.” 

Boyle’s first-inning home run, a massive shot over the high fence in rightfield, started things off on a sour note for Storno and the Panthers, but Shimabukuro said he wasn’t worried about his pitcher. 

“I wasn’t worried about Joe, I was worried about us putting the ball in play and getting some runs,” Shimabukuro said. “Our offense didn’t do as well as it could. We were swinging defensively early in the count and not getting any good shots.” 

The Panthers chased Aurora in the fifth. Moore and Storno started things with back-to-back singles, and Aurora walked Carman to load the bases before leaving the game in favor of Alex Danoff. Danoff got out of the inning with minimal damage, with Moore scoring the only run on a Marshall groundout. 

The Highlanders (14-7, 7-3) tried to mount a comeback of their own in the fifth, but could only get two runs across. Mac Conn led off with a double that kicked up chalk on the leftfield line, and Storno lost Olson on a free pass, bringing Boyle to the plate with a chance to tie the game. Storno’s steady diet of outside fastballs and curves paid off with a strikeout, and Ryan Tovani popped out for the second out, but Jay Carson hit a cheap double off of the shallow rightfield fence, scoring Conn and Olson to get the Panthers within a run. 

Morocco added an insurance run in the sixth, leading off with a solo homer to left off of Danoff for his third RBI of the day.  

With a little extra breathing room, Storno made the lead stand up, although the Highlanders did get two runners on in the bottom of the seventh before Jon Cox struck out to end the game. Mejia also made a huge play in the seventh, taking a one-hop screamer from Boyle and turning it into a double play. 

Storno had a typical outing, giving up 10 hits and two walks but fighting every inch of the way after getting a break from pitching last week. The first-round playoff bye is probably more important to the Panthers than any other team, since Storno is their only experienced pitcher. He will throw in the semifinal game on Wednesday, and if St. Mary’s advances to the championship game, even Shimabukuro couldn’t say who will take the mound for the Panthers. 

St. Mary’s almost had to wait until Friday to learn their postseason fate, thanks to an odd bit of scheduling that has half of the BSAL’s teams playing 12 games and half playing 11. If Salesian had beaten first-place Albany on Wednesday, they could have claimed second place with a win over John Swett on Friday, as they would have had an extra win. But the Chieftans made it easy on the Panthers, falling 7-2 to Albany.

Developers of a planned housing project, slated to add 40 affordable units to Berkeley’s limited housing stock, are convinced that city officials are giving them the runaround and say seniors are bearing the brunt of the delays. 

“We’ve redesigned our project four times [as a result of city board and committee recommendations] only to have it thrown out the window at the Council level,” said Kevin Zwick, project manager for the nonprofit Affordable Housing Associates. 

AHA’s pending project calls for senior-only rentals at 2517 Sacramento St. that will go for as little as $200 per month, and at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the project’s consideration was postponed two weeks. 

“With every delay, we see the most at-risk seniors at greater risk of being homeless,” Zwick claimed. He also said the project’s approval is running up against a summer deadline for valuable state funding subsidies. 

Council’s unanimous decision to push the project to their May 21 meeting came after three hours of heated debate over whether the project is designed adequately. 

Several dozen residents of the south Berkeley neighborhood, who have tracked the project through its three years of development, were present Tuesday to make their case that the development, in its current manifestation, is too dense and too tall. 

“Neither myself nor other opponents of this project object to affordable housing,” said neighbor Howie Muir. “The chief problem with the project lies in the overwhelming and inappropriate physical scale of the project.” 

Neighbors claimed that the size of the project wasn’t in keeping with the area and would present a host of parking problems. 

After Tuesday’s meeting, Muir expressed sympathy for the developers and the changes they have been required to make, but said that during the planning process, neighbors have not always been kept abreast of what was going on and deserve to have their concerns addressed. 

“In December, they added more units and another floor [after meetings with the city],” he said. “The city can’t do that without a hearing.” 

The estimated $8 million project currently stands at four floors, with the newly-planned level bumping the total number of units up from 35 to 40. 

Also on hand at Tuesday’s meeting were dozens of members from Berkeley’s senior community, who took the project delays personally. 

“I don’t know why [the neighbors] are complaining about parking now. It’s never been an issue before,” said Fredia Smith, a 50-year Berkeley resident and member of the city’s Commission on Aging. 

“We need more senior housing,” echoed Lanora Young, also on Berkeley’s Commission on Aging. “I can’t tell you when the last time a senior housing project was approved but its been more than three years.” 

Fatigued after 56 speakers worth of mixed opinion, City Council recommended that a mediator work with neighbors and housing advocates over the next two weeks to seek agreement. 

“I think there is an opportunity to reach a compromise between both sides,” said Mayor Shirley Dean. “But we don’t have a lot of time,” she added, noting that the deadline for state housing aid is approaching. 

Developer Zwick applauded the mayor’s diligence, but was not as thrilled about the idea of compromise. 

“We’ve been making neighborhood and design considerations for years,” he said. “Any private-market developer would have walked away be now.” 

Neighbors were also a bit leery. 

“I think there is room for compromise,” said Muir. “But I don’t understand why the developers are hanging fire over five units.” He hopes that the next two weeks will result in the elimination of plans for the five-unit fourth floor.

Suspect brings 

drugs to court 

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — A suspected drug dealer must not have had anywhere to stash his crack cocaine and marijuana, authorities said, so he brought it with him — to court. 

Duron Ford, 19, had a court appearance Monday on drug possession charges. Knowing Ford was due in court, officers approached him in the courthouse to serve a warrant on an unrelated case. 

As police closed in on him, Ford reportedly said, “Man, I got the blow on me.” 

After 10 police officers corralled Ford in the hallway of the Fayette County courthouse, they found he was carrying about two grams of crack cocaine and some marijuana. 

“We would hope that they have enough brain cells to know not to bring illicit drugs into the courthouse,” said Ford’s court-appointed attorney, Jeffrey Witeko. 

Cucumbers contain pot 

ONTARIO, Calif. — Cucumber boxes — filled with tons of marijuana — spilled from a produce truck that overturned as it exited a freeway, police said. 

After the truck dumped its entire load of cucumber boxes, Ontario police found the boxes concealed nearly 5,000 pounds of marijuana. 

Police are searching for two men who fled from the truck, which was involved in a hit-and-run accident shortly before it overturned. Nobody was hurt in the accident. 

- The Associated Press

To the Editor: 

The city's ability to challenge UC expansion is not as weak as some would have us believe. 

The recent decision not to sue over north-side development is an excellent example. The city attorney claims that Berkeley can do nothing to stop the development because the university enjoys sovereign immunity, which permits it to develop without city permission. 

But sovereign immunity does not prevent the city from suing over environmental impacts. If Berkeley had filed suit over environmental impacts, even with a weak case, we could have done better.  

An important thing to keep in mind about sovereign immunity is that it cuts both ways. Yes, the university can develop without our permission, but it also must bear responsibility for that development. Berkeley has no obligation to provide free or subsidized services, and could control the expansion by simply insisting that the university pay its fair share. I do not suggest Berkeley cut off emergency services, but non-emergency services are a different story. 

For example, Berkeley spends approximately $44 million for sewers every five years. With a population of 100,000 people, approximately 30,000 of whom are students, the university should pay approximately one-third – over $14 million dollars! But under sweetheart deals approved by the city attorney, the university will pay less than $1.5 million during that five-year period! This means Berkeley homeowners subsidize the university to the tune over $4 million annually – and that's just for sewer service. 

To make matters worst, deferred sewer maintenance is a disaster waiting to happen. If sewers are not properly maintained, damaged pipes could flood neighborhoods, harm the environment and spread disease. 

While the City Council has foolishly agreed not to sue the university on environmental grounds, Berkeley still retains the right to raise other issues, such as having the university pay full cost for city services, and limiting expansion to what was promised in the university's 1990 Long Range Development plan. But the agreement was written up to say the city would not sue on any aspect of the north-side expansion. The City Council should therefore insist the agreement be rewritten. If the university refuses to agree to rewrite the agreement, the city could selectively stop providing non-emergency services until it pays up. 

Those in government – such as Linda Maio, who made the substitute motion that we not sue the university; and City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque, whose sweetheart deals are costing taxpayers a fortune – have a lot to answer for, especially to homeowners, whose hefty sewer bills are helping finance university expansion. 

Insisting the university pay its fair share would discourage further expansion, and enable Berkeley to free millions of tax dollars for parks, libraries, health care and other services, and that would benefit all Berkeley's residents, including the students. 

- Elliot Cohen 

Berkeley  

An emotional day in the Earth First! trial against the FBI and Oakland Police Department concluded Wednesday with videotaped testimony from the late Judi Bari, one of two environmental activists suing the FBI and OPD for mishandling their 1990 car bombing in Oakland. 

In the video Bari, who died of cancer shortly after concluding her taped testimony in 1997, expressed the lingering pain and fear she experienced as a result of the bombing.  

“I now know pain is physical. I never knew pain like that in my life,” said Bari. 

Bari explained that being wrongfully accused as a suspect in the bombing, a charge later dropped due to lack of evidence, led to a loss of credibility among environmental groups and destroyed much of her work involving Redwood Summer, an environmental campaign planned for the summer of 1990. 

Attorneys for Bari and fellow Earth First! activist Darryl Cherney said Bari's videotaped testimony shows that there were damages as a result of the FBI and OPD's mishandling of the case. 

“Part of our assignment is showing damages. The failure to protect her [Bari] was part of why she was still terrified,” said Tony Serra, an attorney for Bari. 

The 80-minute tape, played both Tuesday and Wednesday, along with tapes of news reports on Earth First! shortly after the bombing in 1990, concluded the plaintiffs portion of the case. 

The tape also included Bari's fears over continued death threats and the distress caused by two searches of her residence by the FBI and OPD. 

Defense counsels for the FBI and OPD objected to many points on the Bari tape but did not directly ask Bari any questions at the time of her testimony. 

After the Bari taped concluded, the defense counsel gave opening arguments, denying conspiracy charges, and called witness Albert Brewer of the OPD to the stand. 

Maria Bee, attorney for the OPD defendants, questioned Brewer, an officer for 21 years at the time of the bombing, about his involvement in the case. 

As the first officer at the scene, Brewer said he asked the occupants of the car if they were injured. Brewer also testified that the passenger in the car said to him “someone threw a bomb in the car.” 

Attorney for the plaintiffs, Robert Bloom questioned Brewer about his memory of the conversation with the occupants in the car and also asked Brewer whether or not he tried to find suspects while at the scene. 

Attorneys for the plaintiffs claim that both the FBI and OPD failed to thoroughly investigate the crime scene and possible leads in the case, leaving Bari as the lone suspect in the bombing, citing Brewer's failure to canvass the scene for suspects until 30 minutes after he arrived. 

Captain Tim McKinley, a former Special Agent with the FBI, testified Wednesday that he was the first member of the FBI to respond to the scene. 

When asked by the defense why he would respond to a report of a car bombing, McKinley explained that a bombing “might well fall into the interest of the FBI.”  

Though the plaintiffs in the case have made efforts to show that the bomb was planted under the front seat of the car and ripped through the front floorboards, McKinley testified that the hole was under and to the rear of the front seat. 

The location of the hole is a critical part of the trial because the FBI claim that the bomb was knowingly being transported by Bari and Cherney in the back seat of their Subaru and not planted under the front seat as the plaintiffs claim. 

In an attempt to diffuse any conspiracy theory, that the FBI was involved in planting the bomb, McKinley explained that he was a “minimal presence at the scene” and had never heard of Earth First! or Judi Bari before the day of the bombing.  

McKinley explained that at the time of the bombing he had been working on a case involving organized crime, narcotics and specifically the Hell's Angels motorcycle group. After hearing the news bulletin about a bombing on Park Boulevard in Oakland, and knowing that a number of Hell's Angels members lived just a few blocks away, McKinley decided to proceed to the scene.  

McKinley also testified that after arriving at the scene he made phone calls to the Oakland FBI office and was told that “some people with Earth First! were traveling to Santa Cruz and were going to do something big.”  

Serra concluded his questioning of McKinley Wednesday by asking whether a rivalry existed between the FBI and the ATF or the police for jurisdiction at a bomb scene. McKinley denied that a rivalry existed and added that the FBI often takes the lead in such an investigation. 

“It could well lie in the primary jurisdiction of the FBI,” said McKinley. 

The defense plans to call several more witnesses Thursday. The case is expected to go to the jury for a final decision by the middle of next week.

To the Editor: 

I attended Saturday’s Mayoral Convention, and I found City Councilmember Betty Olds’ depiction of the event in Tuesday’s Daily Planet interesting. 

As far as I know, Ms. Olds did not attend the event, yet she described it as “disgusting.” 

The convention I attended was uplifting, beginning with songs in both English and Spanish, followed by Reverend Marvin Peoples’ invocation. Respected members of our diverse communities – including the arts, neighborhoods, commissions, and boards – stepped forward to share their reasons for wanting a new leader for our beloved city. 

Citizens of integrity who had put their names forward as potential candidates were nominated and gave speeches. Each candidate, including one who announced at the convention, spoke of her/his visions for a better city government.  

The convention was one of hope. As UC Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Emeritus Russ Ellis said when he introduced Tom Bates, there are moments in history when the time is right for change. 

“It is Berkeley’s time! It is Tom's time!” 

I knew of Tom Bates when I was still living further south in Santa Barbara. Environment was a topic of regional concern in the 701s, and we environmental pioneers followed the records of state legislators. Assemblyman Tom Bates stood out as a leader in sponsoring and supporting bills to protect the environment. When I moved to the Bay Area, living in San Francisco for most of the 801s, I envied my friends across the Bay who could elect and re-elect representatives of stature like Ron Dellums and Tom Bates. After Tom left the state assembly in the mid 901s, he quickly offered his experience and energy to projects designed to help our local communities. As a participant in the movement to bring better nutrition to Berkeley residents and specifically to school-aged children, I have had the pleasure of working with Tom as he lends his incredible talents to this effort.  

What distinguishes Tom from other successful politicians is his compassion and his graciousness. When I witness Tom interacting with Berkeley citizens, no matter who they are, he engages them with respect. I am so thrilled that he has stepped forward as a candidate for all the people of Berkeley and will bring that respect to our government. 

- Pam Webster  

Berkeley 

A 25-year-old woman was probably happy to receive a citation Wednesday from the Union Pacific Police, particularly since she was alive and well enough to accept it. 

Oakland resident Nikkca Young drove her silver Toyota Corolla around the railroad crossing arm at 3rd and Addison streets around 12:15 p.m., ignoring the flashing red lights, and within a moment felt the impact of a freight train traveling at 48 mph. 

The southbound Burlington Northern local train stopped further down the tracks from the crossing where it cruised through the tail-end of Young’s vehicle, and fortunately no-one onboard was injured. After a brief examination by the Berkeley Fire Department, Young herself was released. 

“To walk away from something like that with no serious injuries is remarkable, but I wouldn’t count on it happening again,” said Union Pacific spokesman Mike Furtney. “People should not think that surviving such an accident is a common occurence.” 

Union Pacific investigator Ed Jesus, who has only been on the Alameda County beat for the last two months, said it is the second such accident he has seen in Berkeley. 

Though a crowd of Berkeley’s police responded quickly to the scene and made the initial inquiries, the case fell within Union Pacific Police’s jurisdiction, so Jesus took over. When asked how frequently such accidents occur here, one officer responded “with irritating regularity--but don’t quote me on that,” and winked.  

The explosive sound from the incident brought workers from local businesses, who gathered around to survey the scene. “Never race a train,” admonished one bystander.  

According to a study done by the California Public Utilities Commission in 1999, the last available year for railroad accident statistics in the state, 204 railroad crossing accidents were reported, with 23 resulting in fatalities and 73 injured. California holds the second place in the nation for the most vehicle-related railroad accidents.

A law degree from the University of California Berkeley may soon turn into a huge headache for Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl. Former student activist and current environmental attorney Rick Young has filed a lawsuit against the chancellor claiming that he has made fraudulent statements to the public about parking and housing issues. 

To some the lawsuit may seem a bit like tit-for-tat, as the university recently sued Young over some of his more zealous protesting activities — which include the sledge-hammering of an automobile near campus. University spokesperson Marie Felde characterized it as “a very curious lawsuit.” 

And Young himself has even conceded that it is in part a “payback” for being sued by the university. 

But the point of law, if proved by Young, could potentially have larger implications.  

Young is accusing Berdahl of lying and misleading the public about how much housing the university has created for its students and how many parking spots it has been forced to give up.  

“I’ve told both of these guys (Chancellor Berdahl and Transportation Director Nadesan Permaul) they need to rectify their errors, and they’ve chosen not to do that — so I’m suing,” Young said. “You can’t say anything that’s likely to mislead. He told the public that the university lost 1,000 parking spots but they lost 64 parking spots. He also said ‘we’ve achieved 3,200 to 3,400 beds’ and that is entirely untrue.” 

Young says he believes the university has a responsibility to be a role model in the community and make an effort to create housing along transportation corridors and cut down on commuter traffic — from both students as well as staff. He also says he has attempted to get the chancellor to correct past statement but that the chancellor was largely unresponsive. 

“He didn’t even give me an answer. He just says what he wants and does what he wants because he thinks there’s nothing anyone can do about it,” Young said. “ But I’m doing something about it.” 

From the university’s standpoint, the lawsuit has not been viewed yet, so there was very little to comment on.  

But Felde did say, however, that she believes winning the lawsuit is not Young’s purpose for filing it. 

“[Young] seems to have something of a personal crusade against Chancellor Berdahl,” she said. 

Winning in court would be an uphill battle for Young.  

Jan Whitaker of the First Amendment Coalition said she is unsure if the “fair business practices” rule that Young uses as the basis for his “fraud” lawsuit would necessarily apply to statements made by the chancellor. 

The spirit of the law protects consumers from companies that make false claims about products. It is unknown whether a judge would extrapolate that to apply to intangibles such as housing.  

“He’s clearly trying to cast himself in a very positive light,” Young said about Berdahl’s statements. “And the truth needs to come out. 

“It’s incredibly significant that the leader of the university has said something that is not true and has refused to run a statement clearing it up,” he added. 

However, the spoken word, printed words and product guarantees are not measured the same.  

If Young is successful in proving his case that an official statement made by Chancellor Berdahl was “fraudulent,” a conscious attempt to mislead the public and an overstatement of services provided to the public, it would seem that the same rule would apply to cross the board — appointed and elected officials, police officers, corporate execs and perhaps even mail carriers would then be held “legally” responsible for telling the truth. 

Another obstacle would simply be whether or not Berdahl ever made the statements.  

University documents do not show that Berdahl has ever made the assertion that the university has created 3,200 new housing units. But documents do show that the university has prematurely counted unfinished units into its overall housing stock.  

Young says he will be serving the Chancellor with papers within the next 30 days.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Plans to move juvenile hall to Dublin may be on hold following an announcement by Alameda County’s sheriff that he’s closing the North County adult jail in Oakland. 

The surprise announcement by Sheriff Charles Plummer at a budget meeting sparked debate among county and city officials over whether the juvenile facility should be moved into the North County jail instead. 

Oakland City Manager Robert Bobb was against the idea. 

“I would lead the protest against that idea personally,” Bobb said Tuesday. “To put it in a high-rise facility is about as inhumane and insensitive as I can think of.” 

But county officials were willing to discuss the idea. Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker said Tuesday she wanted to know if there would be adequate space for classrooms, and what the cost of bringing the building up to code would be. 

The county has a $33.1 million state grant to build the new juvenile hall facility in Dublin. It’s unclear whether the grant could be used to remodel the adult jail.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Personal finance software maker Intuit Inc. said Wednesday it will buy small business payroll processor CBS Employer Services Inc. for $78 million in cash and stock. 

Mountain View-based Intuit plans to give its small business customers the option of using the payroll service with its QuickBooks software. 

Intuit’s shares rose $2.41 to $39.56 during early trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

Founded in 1966, Fort Worth, Texas-based CBS Employer started as a small business accountant before it branched into payroll services during the 1980s. The company’s CBS Payroll subsidiary has about 13,000 small business customers. 

The deal, expected to close by July 31, will increase Intuit’s annual revenue by more than $30 million, but it isn’t expected to affect the company’s earnings during the first year after the takeover. 

CBS Payroll will be blended into Intuit’s existing payroll services, a process that could result in layoffs, Intuit said. The company said it’s still too early to tell how many workers might lose their jobs as it eliminates overlapping operations. 

The combined payroll processing center will operate major processing centers in San Bernardino and Reno, Nev.

SACRAMENTO — Attorney General Bill Lockyer returned $50,000 in campaign donations Wednesday to the Oracle Corp., saying he didn’t want the money to undermine his investigation of a state contract signed by the computer company. 

Lockyer said the donations didn’t create a conflict of interest for him, but he also said he didn’t want Republican criticism of the contributions to weaken public confidence in his office. 

“Full, fair, nonpartisan and nonpolitical investigations have always been the standard for this office,” he said in a written statement. “Returning the campaign contributions from Oracle will help ensure that partisans don’t undermine public confidence in the integrity of the ... investigation.” 

Lockyer is looking into a $95 million, no-bid contract that Oracle signed last year to provide the state with database software. The deal was initially touted as a way for the state to save at least $16 million through volume purchases. 

But the state auditor says the contract could end up costing the state up to $41 million more than if it had not signed the contract and kept its previous software supply arrangements. 

The agreement has also come under fire because Oracle gave Gov. Gray Davis a $25,000 contribution a few days after the contract was signed last year. 

Davis said Wednesday that he would wait “until all the facts are in on Oracle” before deciding whether to return his donation. He has denied there was any link between the contribution and the state’s willingness to sign the contract. 

Lockyer made his announcement as Davis’ budget director, Tim Gage, met with Oracle representatives for about 90 minutes to talk about rescinding the contract. 

“We are proceeding promptly and carefully to unwind this contract and we appreciate Oracle’s cooperation in this effort,” Gage said. 

More meetings are planned but have not been scheduled, said Sandy Harrison, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance. 

Lockyer received a $25,000 donation from Oracle in December 2000 and another $25,000 contribution from the Redwood Shores-based company in June 2001. 

Lockyer’s Republican opponent in the November election, state Sen. Richard Ackerman, R-Fullerton, said last week that Lockyer should drop his investigation because of his campaign support from Oracle. 

Other GOP lawmakers have urged the U.S. attorney’s office to launch its own investigation of the contract.

NEW YORK — Crude oil and products futures rallied sharply on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday as U.S. crude inventories declined and Middle East tensions flared anew after two Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel. 

The nearby June crude contract soared $1.22 to $27.85 a barrel. Gasoline for June delivery rose 0.49 cent to 78.77 cents a gallon, while heating oil gained 1.54 cent to 67.40 cents a gallon. 

The American Petroleum Institute reported late Tuesday that crude inventories fell by a surprisingly large amount in the week ended May 3. The U.S. Department of Energy reported an even larger draw early Wednesday. 

Crude stocks declined by 4.5 million barrels to 321 million — slightly above last year’s level — as imports fell by 686,000 barrels a day and refinery utilization rose 0.3 percentage point to 93.2 percent of operable capacity, the American Petroleum Institute reported late Tuesday. Early Wednesday, the Department of Energy reported that crude stocks fell by 5.5 million barrels, while refinery utilization jumped by 1.8 percentage points to 96.3 percent of capacity. Total stocks reverted to a deficit, the DOE said, and are now 5.5 million barrels below the 325.5 million reported last year. 

The market shrugged off bearish gasoline data. Gasoline stocks rose 3.9 million barrels to 214.4 million, the API reported, more than most analysts expected. Gasoline stocks increased as demand fell to 8.3 million barrels a day from 9.3 million barrels a day a week earlier, the API said. The DOE reported a more moderate increase in gasoline stocks of 2.2 million barrels. 

Fears that the fragile Israeli peace process may unravel in the wake of the latest deadly suicide bombing also permeated the market, increasing the war premium. 

“You hit good inventory numbers and you’ve got more tensions in the Middle East,” said analyst Bill O’Grady, of AG Edwards. 

Natural gas futures for June delivery rose 7.3 cents to $3.746 per 1,000 cubic feet on Nymex. In London, Brent crude from the North Sea was trading 62 cents higher at $26.03 per barrel. 

WASHINGTON — Ignoring protests from Nevada, the House on Wednesday overwhelmingly embraced President Bush’s decision to bury tens of thousands of tons of nuclear waste in volcanic rock 90 miles from Las Vegas. 

The lawmakers by a three-to-one margin approved a resolution to override a veto by Nevada of Bush’s plans to develop Yucca Mountain as the central repository for 77,000 tons of used reactor fuel and other highly radioactive waste accumulating in 39 states. 

Opponents, including Rep. Dick Gephardt, the Democratic leader, argued that it would be too risky — especially after last September’s terrorist attacks — to ship the waste across the country by truck and rail. 

But supporters of the radioactive dump argued that the waste poses a greater risk if it remains at more than 130 locations, including at 103 commercial power reactors. Half of the House Democrats joined all but a handful of Republicans in supporting the president’s decision, approving the resolution 306-117. 

“Where are my colleagues who are advocates for states’ rights, local control?” asked Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. He maintained that the Energy Department has failed to ensure that the waste would be kept safely isolated for the expected 10,000 years some of its isotopes will be dangerously radioactive. 

In Nevada, Gov. Kenny Guinn, a Republican, said, “We will continue our battle in the U.S. Senate and on parallel track in the courts.” Three lawsuits already are in the courts, challenging the Yucca plan. 

After Bush announced in February he would seek a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for the Yucca facility, Nevada vetoed the selection under a provision of the federal nuclear waste law. Congress must override the veto by late July if Bush’s decision is to stand. 

“Certainly the Senate will take note of the overwhelming bipartisan support the Yucca Mountain project has received in the House,” said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. He expressed confidence that the Senate will endorse the project and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will find that it meets standards for health and safety. 

Supporters of the site said Yucca Mountain had been studied for two decades at a cost of nearly $7 billion. 

It is “scientifically proven safe” and as a single, central storage facility is preferable to “the current hodgepodge” of locations now holding the waste, said House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois. His state has 11 power reactors, most of any state, and a growing waste problem. 

But Gephardt argued that even with the Nevada dump “we’d still have nuclear waste stored around the country decades from now” and thousands of shipments of nuclear material on highways and rail systems. 

Abraham called the concerns about waste transport “baseless allegations” and said that over the past 30 years nuclear waste has been carried more than 1.6 million miles without a harmful release of radiation. 

“Currently more than 161 million people live within 75 miles of a nuclear waste storage site,” said Abraham. 

Power reactors generate about 2,000 tons of used reactor fuel annually with about 40,000 tons already kept in reactor pools and — in a small number of cases — concrete bunkers. Several thousand tons of waste also is kept at federal facilities as part of the nuclear weapons complex. 

BUSD recovery plan thrown into chaos 

An administrative law judge issued a ruling Tuesday siding with more than 20 Berkeley teachers who have challenged their layoff notices, wreaking havoc on the district’s $5.4 million recovery plan. 

Judge Jonathan Lew found that the district made a number of errors in determining the teachers’ seniority, according to district and union sources who saw the ruling, throwing into doubt the district’s ability to lay them off. 

Layoffs are at the center of the district’s plan to make up an estimated $5.4 million shortfall next year and Associate Superintendent of Administrative Services David Gomez worried that the Lew ruling may prevent the district from following through on eight to 10 layoffs. 

“We’re sweating bullets here,” said Gomez, noting that the district will have to search for alternative cuts. 

Gomez, who emphasized that Berkeley Unified will not have a full grasp on the ramifications of the ruling until officials meet with legal counsel on Thursday, said the district may have to initiate a second round of layoffs in August to make up for the reversal. 

Earlier this year, the district pushed to meet a March 15 legal deadline to inform certificated employees, including teachers, that they may be laid off next year. 

LAYOFFS/From Page 1 

But Gomez said state law allows the district to layoff certificated personnel in August if the state provides a “cost of living adjustment” in state funding of less than two percent. Gomez said that adjustment is scheduled to be 1.6 percent. 

Further program cuts are also a possibility, he said, but officials will attempt to avoid them. 

“We’re already down to the bone marrow,” Gomez said. 

Barry Fike, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, said the union was “quite pleased” with the ruling. He said the district can avoid further layoffs if it provides strong retirement incentives, inducing veteran teachers to leave the profession early. 

Superintendent Michele Lawrence said the district would offer incentives a few weeks ago, in the form of lump sum payments, but has not provided details. Fike urged the district to talk specifics, especially in the wake of the Lew decision. 

“The results here underscore the need for the district to come out with an announcement on retirement incentives and leave incentives immediately,” he said. 

Board of Education President Shirley Issel said she was worried about the prospect of a new round of layoffs in August. 

“It introduces new uncertainties for current staff,” Issel said. “If we can be issuing layoff notices as late as August, it would seem to me it could make people feel very insecure about their positions.” 

Issel said that sense of insecurity could hurt the district’s ability to retain current staff. 

To the Editor: 

If the Berkeley Party has its way, planning for the future in context with the rest of the world won’t be allowed anymore. 

The Berkeley Party, a group mostly comprised of local architectural preservationists who seem to want to return to the first half of the 1900s, is circulating a height initiative that would be more appropriately called a “short” initiative. This group would make it a law to keep all the buildings in town at no more than four stories. They want this in order to stave off anything they would consider out of scale with their tastes. 

Their lack of concern for anything except their own particular aesthetic is alarming, provincial and even elitist. They even try and wrap their antiquated logic in green by telling people that keeping things low is better for the environment! (Of course, when the Berkeley Party talks about the environment, they are referring exclusively to their own front and back yards.) 

If Berkeley were the only city on the planet, then perhaps the Berkeley Party could one day almost return to the past. Everyone could live in little bungalows and play tennis in the afternoons. All the low-income people who live in apartments – students, artists, other people needing housing and real environmentalists who care about humanity’s future on a larger scale – would magically disappear once and for all. Complex issues like the dynamics and reality of sprawl, global warming, species extinction, commuting, housing, jobs, children growing up, diversity, culture, vitality and commerce wouldn’t bother them anymore and interrupt their pleasant lives. 

But the rest of the world isn't going away, and Berkeley can't return to the past. However, it could eventually become an even more pleasant and healthy city than it was in 1900. What the Berkeley Party COULD be secretly enjoying in the future is reduced traffic and congestion throughout the city and a more pedestrian, vital, lively and vibrant community with even quieter and more peaceful neighborhoods. This can begin to come about if we place some taller, well-designed, car-free-by-contract buildings in the city transit centers where people will be able to live and work without depending on the automobile. 

There are many of us in Berkeley who are advocating for appropriate density and diversity where people can live car-free lifestyles. We picture a range of heights that are “in scale” with the type of form and function that works for a particular place. A height of 20 stories wouldn’t be right for Berkeley, but a few building of 10 or 12 stories would be right in the downtown, alongside other buildings of various heights. Would you rather have row upon row of only four stories, or a variety of heights clustered in central transit areas, some one or two, some five or six, and a few ten or twelve? Which sounds more interesting, and in fact, better at providing views and different sun angles and allowing for diversity and creativity in design and function? 

Some people love to study the past and preserve as much of it as they can in an attempt to honor and celebrate what came before. Of course, someday TODAY will be the past too, and what will we have to show for it? Will we be accused of trying to return to a distant past that is no longer in context with our time while we flat out ignore the real needs of the people of today? The Berkeley Party is itself out of context with the rest of the community and is certainly out of touch with the rest of the world. 

Those of us who honestly care about people, housing, diversity, the environment and the future, here and everywhere, should join with other land use, transit, housing and environmentalist groups to tell the Berkeley Party that their height initiative is elitist and exclusionary, anti-environmental, and plain old boring. If only they would open their minds a little bit more and be able to realize that a few taller buildings in town will actually help bring about more of what they really want to see in their neighborhoods – reduced traffic and the potential to save and even create more open space elsewhere. 

- Kirstin Miller 

Berkeley  

Wednesday May 8

Germbusters Puppet Show 

2:30- 3:00 P.M. 

Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Puppet show for children age 3 to 10 to learn about germs and their effects on the body. Free.  

For more information: 510-549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org 

Thursday, May 9

FBI & Local police: Partners in Repression 

Forum, Speakout & Music 

7 p.m. 

Unitarian Hall, 1924 Bonita 

Berkeley 

For Info: Copwatch, 510-548-0425 

$5-$15  

Consumers’ Rights, Problems and Legislation 

Speaker Tom Vacar, consumer editor, KTVU, Channel 2 

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Albany Public Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Albany 

For more info: 510-843-8824 

Free 

Community Budget Workshop 

Berkeley Unified School District 

Budget & Finance Advisory Committee 

Subject: California State Budget Process & the J200 Budget Format 

6:30 p.m. 

Longfellow Arts & Technology Magnet Middleschool 

Auditorium 

1500 Derby St. (at California) 

Berkeley 

Free 

Native Californian Cultures 

A major focus of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology has been the Native peoples of California. Today, with 260,000 catalogue entries, the museum preserves the world's largest and most comprehensive collection devoted to the region. In this gallery, we present an overview of Native Californian cultures demonstrating the great diversity of the Californian peoples. 

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall at the corner of Bancroft Way and College 

The phone number is (510) 643-7648. 

Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and $.50 for  

children 16 and under- Free to the public on Thursdays. 

Judeo-Christian Values in Islam? 

What are the humanistic values inherent in Islam? How has history colored western views of Islam? etc. 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

510-848-0237 X 127 

$5 

Friday, May 10

New Sculpture & Paintings by Jody Sears & Michele Ramirez 

Opening reception: Saturday May 11, 5 to 8 p.m. 

Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Ardency Gallery 

709 Broadway 

Oakland 

510-836-0831,  

e-mail: gallery709@aol.com 

Free 

Saturday, May 11

Low-cost Hatha Yoga Class 

6:30 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center 

1720 8th St. 

$6 per class. 981-6651 

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament 

Fun for everyone, whether competing or watching. At the New Gym at Albany High in Albany. Hosted by and benefiting Athletics at Albany High School. Players sign up today to play in one of four divisions. 64 teams compete for $500 First Prize & $250 Second Prize in each division with final game to be played Sunday, May 12 

510-525-2716 

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) Events 

Paper Flower Making 

Get ready for Mother's Day with the Klutz "Tissue Paper Flower" kit and learn to make tissue paper flowers. Age 8 and up.  

LHS Film- Happy Birthday, Mr. Feynman 

Film Plays Continuously from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. 

To celebrate the birthday of Nobel laureate, maverick physicist, author, and teacher extraordinaire Richard Feynman, 

LHS presents the film, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out. This 50-minute film presents Feynman telling fascinating 

stories from his life and research. Produced by Christopher Sykes. 

LHS- The Idea Lab 

Opens May 11.

Wednesday, May 8 

Robert Boswell reads from “Century’s Son” 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Book Store 

2454 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley 

510-845-7852 

Free 

Saturday, May 11 

Word Beat Reading Series 

Entertainers of all kinds come together . Featuring readers Rita Flores Bogaert and Ann Hunkins 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

For more information: 510-526-5985, www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat 

Free 

“Long Day’s Journey Into Night”  

Apr. 12 through May 11: Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Actors Ensemble of Berkeley presents Eugene O’Neill’s story of the Tyrone family. Directed by Jean-Marie Apostolides. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave., 528-5620, www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com.  

“What Cats Know”  

Saturday, May 4 - June 9. 

By Lisa Dilman. Directed by Rebecca J. Ennals. Four thirty-somethings play a game of gotcha with unexpected consequences.  

Thursdays- Saturdays 8 p.m. $20, 

Sundays 7 p.m.- Pay what you can 

Transparent Theater 

1901 Ashby Avenue 

883-0305 

www.transparenttheater.org 

Impact Theatre’s “Love Is The Law” 

May 10 - June 8. 

La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 

World-premiere of Impact Theatre’s new romantic comedy play featuring David Ballog. 

For more information and reservations: 464-4468, www.tickets@impacttheatre.com 

$12 general, $7 students  

“Time Out for Ginger”  

May 10 through Jun. 1: The Actor’s Studio presents the famous comedy that sketches the tumult in a family that includes three teenage daughters, one of whom insists on trying out for her high school football team. $12. Check theater from dates and times. The Actor’s Studio’s Little Theatre, 3521 Maybelle Ave., Oakland 

“Homebody/Kabul” Apr. 24 - June 23: Berkeley Repertory Theatre presents Tony Kushner’s play about a women who disappears in Afghanistan and the husband and daughter’s attempts to find her. $38-$54. Call ahead for times, 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org.  

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

Wednesday, May 8 

Y’All & David Roth 

Traditional, original & topical, contemporary folk music 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Thursday, May 9 

Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

The Waybacks 

Acoustic mayhem, album release celebration 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Shana Morrison 

Celtic / blues acoustic fusion 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

David Widelock Jazz Duo, guitar and bass 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Friday, May 10 

Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

The Waybacks 

Acoustic mayhem, album release celebration 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

’Jackets face rematch with De La Salle in second round on Thursday 

The Berkeley High boys’ tennis team won its first North Coast Section game in at least three years on Tuesday, beating Montgomery High (Santa Rosa), 5-2. 

Berkeley’s deep roster once again made the difference, as the fifth-seeded ’Jackets (12-2) lost the top two singles matches but rallied to sweep the doubles matches and win the No. 3 and 4 singles. Every match went just two sets, including two doubles matches that ended on tiebreaks. 

Nate Simmons used his topspin serve to dominate Mike Marinelli at the No. 3 singles, winning 6-1, 6-2. Also a basketball player for Berkeley High, Simmons came to the net often and used his athleticism to get up for Marinelli’s lobs. When Simmons stayed on the baseline, he ran his opponent all over the court with accurate groundstrokes. 

“I wanted to come into the net as much as possible, and I was pretty effective moving him from side to side,” Simmons said. 

Berkeley’s other singles victory came in a baseline battle, with Peter Logan coming out on top, 6-3, 6-0, over Montgomery’s Justin Strachan. Logan played patiently, returning nearly every shot Strachan hit and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. Logan’s win clinched the victory for Berkeley, putting the ’Jackets into the second round for the first time under coach Dan Seguin. 

“Our matches usually don’t come down to me having to win,” Logan said. “But after I won the first set, I didn’t really feel any pressure. I felt like I had (Strachan) down.” 

The ’Jackets were happy to get a home NCS match for the first time, as postseason trips to powerful Campolindo ended the past two seasons. Montgomery (12-4) came in unseeded as the North Bay League champs, while Berkeley earned the No. 5 seed by going undefeated in ACCAL play. 

Seguin said the home match had another effect: the presence of the Berkeley High administrator (required for all NCS matches). 

“All the time I’ve been here, this is the first time we’ve gotten anyone from the school at one of our matches,” Seguin said. “And today it was just because someone had to be here.” 

Although the Vikings kept the match close with wins from No. 1 single Henry Hasegawa and No. 2 Justin Neel, Berkeley’s dominance of the doubles matches made the matter moot. Berkeley’s top team of Ben Chambers and Quincy Moore made short work of Steve Houghton and Matt Huntsberger, 6-2, 6-4. 

The most dramatic matchup came at the No. 2 doubles, where Adam Akullian and Shahaub Roudbari needed a second-set tiebreak to down Montgomery’s Matt Moorehead and Greg Neel. After winning the first set 6-3, the Berkeley team went up 3-0 to start the tiebreak, but Moorehead and Neel came back for a set point at 6-5. But Akullian and Roudbari rallied to win the next three points, giving the ’Jackets a much-needed victory. 

“I thought we were going to go to a third set for sure,” Akullian said. “But I think we got more focused as the tiebreak went on, when we really needed it.” 

With a Berkeley win already sewn up, the No. 3 doubles match didn’t have much drama. The Berkeley team of Nick Larsson and Tak Katsuura won regardless, 6-4, 76 (7-4). 

The ’Jackets’ opponent in the second round will be De La Salle High (Concord), the No. 4 seed. The two teams met two weeks ago, with the Spartans pulling out a 4-3 win with victories in the top two singles and doubles matches. Seguin thinks the match could go either way. 

“(De La Salle) is the deepest team we’ve played this year. They’re like us: solid all the way through the ladder,” Seguin said. “But we could’ve easily won two of the matches we lost. I feel like we could have played better, and it was still close.” 

The second round match will be played at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Club Sport Valley Vista in Concord, De La Salle’s home court.

An outpouring of soccer dads and youth donning baseball caps at Old City Hall Tuesday night was not enough to persuade city leaders to push for more athletic fields in the community, at least where the sports activists wanted them. 

In a decision split largely along political lines, City Council adopted a recommendation by progressive Councilmember Dona Spring urging more sports fields along Berkeley’s waterfront, but discouraging fields on neighboring Albany shores. 

“I don’t think it takes into account all the needs of youth in Albany and Berkeley,” said Berkeley resident Federico Chavez, a member of the Albany-Berkeley Soccer League. Citing a need for more sports fields, Chavez claimed Berkeley’s Council should have recommended fields in Albany, not just Berkeley. 

Council’s recommendation comes as a regional planning team finalizes plans for an 8.5-mile-long park along the East Bay waterfront, dubbed the Eastshore Park and in development for decades. 

Park planners are in the process of soliciting comments for the park’s development from the cities that the park will pass through, which include Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond. But because the land is state-owned, recommendations by City Councils are not binding, only advisory. 

Berkeley’s call for no sports fields at the Albany Plateau, while criticized by some, was praised by a newly-formed grassroots group called “Let it Be.” 

The group wants the area, once a landfill and now a primitive, yet popular recreation point, to remain the way it is now and claims to have circulated a petition garnering 1,200 signatures. 

“It’s been functioning the way it is now for years,” said Berkeley resident Sasha Futran, noting its heavy use by hikers, kayakers, dog-walkers, and birders. Futran applauded Council’s recommendation to not develop the land. 

Council’s position comes in direct contrast to the current plan put forth by the Eastshore Park planning team. Currently, sports fields are slated for the Albany Plateau and not in Berkeley. 

Park planner Donald Neuwirth said that a variety of factors such as the suitability of conditions for sports fields as well as habitat-preservation goals played into their current, though tentative, plan. 

Berkeley’s recommendation for sports fields along its shores identified the privately-owned Golden Gate Field properties, the North Basin, and Brickyard Cove as possible sites. 

Council’s recommendation also urged planners to minimize the number of parking lots, eliminate the possibility a high-impact promenade and increase the level of protection of the sensitive Berkeley Meadow, near the Berkeley Marina. 

Last night’s meeting was the last of the comment sessions held by park planners on the current plan. A revised plan is expected this fall, which will be up for final consideration by the California Department of Parks and Recreation in November. 

In addition to State Parks, the East Bay Regional Park District and the California State Coastal Conservancy are partnering agencies involved in the park’s 20-year development. 

Contact reporter: 

kurtis@berkeleydailyplanet.net

To the Editor: 

Congratulations to the Berkeley City Council in recently voting 9 to 0 in support of support of the California Native Tree Initiative for the protection of old growth forests on state and private lands in California. Similarly strong leadership from the Council is needed right here in Berkeley, right now by representing the interests of all Berkeley residents in your support of the Eastshore Park and its preservation, conservation, and recreation objectives. 

Having such a unique and naturally rich park developed as part of the urban landscape of the East Bay will be a treasure to residents and visitors alike for decades to come. The vision of the Eastshore Park and its strategy of using high-value natural areas for preservation, moderate-value natural and man-made lands for conservation and environmental improvement, and low-value man-made landfills for multi-use recreational purposes including sports fields is laudable. 

The Eastshore Park vision is very fitting to the mixed natural, unnatural landfills, and urban/industrial setting that exists within and immediately adjacent to the park boundaries, respectively. 

As a parent and resident of Berkeley, a member of the Albany-Berkeley Soccer Club Board of Directors (ABSC), and President of the Alameda-Contra Costa Youth Soccer League (ACCYSL), which provides recreational soccer opportunities to almost 3,000 boys and girls of Berkeley and surrounding communities, I am very excited about having the Eastshore Park in our community. The local soccer community is on the order of 10,000 to 15,000 members in size and is supportive of developing limited landfill areas at portions of the Albany Plateau and Berkeley Lands North Basin Strip as part of the Eastshore Park. Petitions supporting the Eastshore Park and limited sports field improvements to landfill areas as part of the park will be delivered to the City Council illustrating the breadth of community support for the Eastshore Park, its objectives, and limited development of 'inland' portions of existing landfill areas at the Albany Plateau and North Basin Strip on Berkeley Lands. 

A city of Berkeley study determined that 11 more recreational sports fields were necessary to adequately serve the recreational needs of its population. Only two fields have been built since that study was completed. Nine more fields are needed in Berkeley! Yet, there are only a couple potential field sites that might practically be developed in the densely, well-developed, urban setting of Berkeley. Therefore, improving the inland portions of landfill areas at the Albany Plateau and Berkeley's North Basin Strip is not optional, it is a mandatory need of this community.  

Please add your voice to the City Council's support of the Eastshore Park Concept Plan with recreational sports fields at the North Basin Strip. The residents of Berkeley and the youth of the Bay Area will benefit for decades to come. 

- Guy Petraborg 

Albany-Berkeley Soccer Club 

One in 10 Alameda County residents suffered from asthma in the past year, well above the statewide average, according to a new study released Tuesday. 

The California Health Interview Survey, conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the California Endowment and the California Department of Health Services, found that 10.1 percent of adults and children in Alameda County report experiencing asthma symptoms at least once a year, compared to 8.8 percent statewide. 

“That does seem striking to us,” said E. Richard Brown, director of the UCLA center and co-author of the study. 

Brown said there are no definitive explanations for the higher rate in Alameda County. But statewide, the study found that blacks and low-income adults are more likely to suffer from asthma.  

Dr. Poki Namkung, Berkeley’s director of public health, said a large African-American population and concentrations of poverty in Alameda County probably play a role in the higher-than-average rate. 

“Asthma clearly is a disease of poverty,” she said, suggesting that inadequate access to health care and poor living conditions play a role. 

Scientists do not know what causes asthma, but have identified several environmental “triggers” for attacks, including air pollutants, dust mites and cockroaches. 

Namkung pointed to a recent study of asthma hospitalization rates, by census tract, which indicates that West Berkeley residents have higher incidences of asthma than other Berkeleyans. Namkung said proximity to the highway, and vehicle pollutants, is partly to blame. 

The 2001 California Health Interview Survey found that, while 8.8 percent of Californians, or approximately 3 million adults and children reported experiencing asthma symptoms in the last year, a full 11.9 percent report that they have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives. The nationwide average is 10.1 percent. 

The survey also found that African-Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives living in California reported that they had been diagnosed with asthma at much higher rates than whites, Latinos and Asian-Americans. 

Over 21 percent of African-American adults said they had been diagnosed, compared to 14.3 percent of whites, 11.7 percent of Asian-Americans and 9.7 percent of Latinos. 

The study also found that 136,000 adolescents, ages 12-17, who experienced asthma symptoms missed one or more days of school per month. 

The report called for expanded health care coverage to cope with asthma, warning that a lack of adequate management of the disease only leads to expensive emergency room visits. The study also called for improved surveillance of the disease on the state and local levels, and a concerted effort to reduce exposure to asthma triggers. 

The California Endowment, one of the study’s co-sponsors, officially launched its $12 million, three-year Community Action to Fight Asthma initiative Tuesday with the release of the survey. 

The Endowment is providing a $450,000 to twelve different projects around the state, including the Oakland/Berkeley Asthma Coalition based at the Ethnic Health Institute at Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center. 

The coalition plans to offer asthma education in the Berkeley and Oakland public schools and in Oakland public housing. Dr. Michael Lenoir, an Oakland allergist involved in the project, said education is a vital tool. 

“Most people suffer needlessly because they don’t know they can be better,” Lenoir said. 

Megan Webb, director of the Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Initiative in Berkeley, which is overseeing five local projects funded by The California Endowment, said the programs will also include removal of environmental triggers and attempts to shift the policies of local institutions to accommodate asthma sufferers. 

Changing a school’s schedule for mowing the lawn, for example, can have a marked effect, Webb said. 

Contact reporter at: scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net

Who thought the voter redistricting process was over? Not Merrilie Mitchell. 

The Berkeley resident has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that boundaries set for City Council districts in March were unjustly established and thus should be reconsidered. 

The suit resurrects a debate argued earlier this year about how to best redraw council jurisdictions, given new census data, to equalize their size and protect political blocs within them. 

The new districts are slated to be put into effect for the first time this November, with four City Council positions up for vote. 

Mitchell argues, in her state Superior Court suit received by the city on Friday, that the newly-drawn districts are based on inaccurate census information. Furthermore, she contends that the City Council did not hold the legally-required public hearings before the new districts were approved. 

But City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said Mitchell’s suit has “no merit.” She claimed the city redrew the districts in compliance with the law, and that the two public hearings held on the matter were a sufficient number. 

“[Mitchell] seems to be saying that because the council responded to the public and made changes [to the redistricting plan] that they should have had another hearing. I don’t read the law that way,” Albuquerque said. 

In regard to Mitchell’s claim that bad information was used to make the districts, Albuquerque said that the city had no choice. 

“The charter requires us to use the census numbers. We have no discretion,” she said. 

In the suit, Mitchell claims that census inaccuracies were “well known to the City of Berkeley since the City of Berkeley has filed a lawsuit to challenge the undercount,” estimated by some to be between 4,000 and 10,000 residents. Yet, the city proceeded to draw new districts despite bad information, she said. 

Councilmember Dona Spring, though the most outspoken critic of the redistricting process in March, said the “paths and battle scars” from the debate need to be left behind. 

“Holding it up in court is no solution,” she said. 

Spring acknowledged that the census numbers were probably inaccurate, but agreed with Albuquerque that nothing could be done about it at this point. 

“The census department is not going to give us new numbers,” she said. 

The city has 30 days after the April 26 filing to respond to Mitchell’s suit, and Albuquerque indicated every intention of fighting it. 

Mitchell was not available for comment yesterday. 

Contact reporter: 

kurtis@berkeleydailyplanet.net

Today is Wednesday, May 8, the 128th day of 2002. There are 237 days left in the year. 

Highlight 

On May 8, 1945, President Truman announced in a radio address that World War II had ended in Europe. 

On this date: 

In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River. 

In 1846, the first major battle of the Mexican War was fought at Palo Alto, Texas, resulting in victory for Gen. Zachary Taylor’s forces. 

In 1884, the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, was born near Lamar, Mo. 

In 1886, Atlanta pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invented the flavor syrup for “Coca-Cola.” 

In 1958, Vice President Nixon was shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru. 

In 1962, the musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” opened on Broadway. 

In 1970, construction workers broke up an anti-war protest on New York’s Wall Street. 

In 1973, militant American Indians who’d held the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks surrendered. 

In 1978, David R. Berkowitz pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn courtroom to the “Son of Sam” killings that had terrified New Yorkers. 

In 1987, Gary Hart, dogged by questions about his personal life, including his relationship with Miami model Donna Rice, withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. 

Ten years ago:  

President George H.W. Bush wound up two emotional days in riot-ravaged Los Angeles, promising to work harder in Washington to enact a “common-sense agenda” of conservative proposals to help urban America. 

Five years ago:  

President Clinton assured Central American leaders during a summit in Costa Rica that they need not fear mass deportations of immigrants who’d sought refuge in the United States during U.S.-backed conflicts. After months of railing against Democrats for taking foreign money, the Republican Party announced it had returned $122,400 in contributions from a Hong Kong company. 

One year ago:  

China protested the resumption of U.S. surveillance flights off its coast and said it would refuse to let the United States fly out a crippled Navy spy plane. Pope John Paul II began the final leg of a historic pilgrimage as he arrived in the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. 

Today’s Birthdays:  

Comedian Don Rickles is 76. Environmentalist Sir David Attenborough is 76. Author Peter Benchley is 62. Singer John Fred (John Fred and His Playboy Band) is 61. Actor James Mitchum is 61. Country singer Jack Blanchard is 60. Jockey Hall-of-Famer Angel Cordero Jr. is 60. Singer Toni Tennille is 59. Jazz musician Keith Jarrett is 57. Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire) is 51. Rock musician Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) is 51. Rockabilly singer Billy Burnette is 49. Actor David Keith is 48. Actor Stephen Furst is 48. Rock musician Alex Van Halen is 47. Actress Melissa Gilbert is 38. Rock musician Dave Rowntree (Blur) is 38. Country musician Del Gray is 34. Rock singer Darren Hayes is 30. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 27. Singer Ana Maria Lombo (Eden’s Crush) is 24. Actress Julia Whelan (“Once and Again”) is 17. 

OAKLAND — Earth First! activist Darryl Cherney strummed a guitar and sang “Spike a Tree for Jesus” as he finished testifying Tuesday in a lawsuit claiming he and fellow activist Judi Bari were framed by police and FBI agents. 

Cherney and Bari were injured in May 1990 when a bomb went off in their car. Bari, who was at the wheel, suffered a crushed pelvis. 

The two were arrested within hours, but no charges ever were brought. 

Cherney and Bari subsequently filed a federal civil lawsuit against nine current and former Oakland policemen and FBI agents alleging false arrest, illegal search, slanderous statements and conspiracy. 

Bari died of cancer in 1997, but her estate is pursuing the lawsuit. 

Since the trial began in early April, the Cherney-Bari team has tried to show that investigators were “out to get” the activists, ignoring evidence indicating they weren’t responsible for the bombing. 

At the time of the arrests, for instance, officials said the bomb was in the back of the car where it would have been visible to Bari and Cherney. But an analysis later showed the bomb had been shoved under the front seat. 

Attorneys representing the investigators have tried to show that at the time of the bombing Earth First! had a reputation for dangerous behavior such as driving spikes into tree trunks that could shatter a logger’s chain saw. 

Testifying Tuesday, Cherney tried to play down the group’s reputation, saying he had never engaged in sabotage and he and Bari had publicly renounced tactics such as tree spiking. 

Cherney admitted telling the news program ”60 Minutes” that if he had a terminal illness he would strap dynamite to himself and blow up a dam or the corporate offices of a lumber company after hours. But he said he immediately regretted and retracted the statement. 

In cross examination, Justice Department attorney Joseph Sher tried to show that Cherney did support sabotage. 

Sher showed the jury copies of album covers made by folk singer Cherney, including one called “They Don’t Make Hippies Like They Used To,” that showed cartoon figures of Cherney and Bari, who played fiddle on the tape, with a burning bulldozer in the background. 

Among the songs on that tape was “Spike a Tree for Jesus,” which Cherney sang for the jury under redirect questioning from his attorney, Dennis Cunningham. 

The song, which derives its title from the assertion that “loggers killed Jesus,” since wood was cut down to make the cross, was warmly received by the many Cherney-Bari supporters in the audience. But there were some unsmiling faces on the jury. 

Earlier, Cherney testified he was stunned when investigators said they suspected him of bombing his own car. 

“I have never lit a firecracker in my life, and to be accused of being a bomber was completely incredible,” Cherney said in federal district court. 

When the bomb went off, “there was a crack. There was a noise, a loud sound, and my head started to ring,” Cherney said. “It was like a sitar was in my head.” 

Two young people ran up to the car yelling, “It’s a bomb!” Cherney said. “That’s when it clicked in my mind that somebody had tried to make good on one of those death threats.” 

Cherney is one of the last witnesses in the case. His attorneys began showing a videotaped deposition of Bari and planned to finish showing the tape Wednesday.

OAKLAND, CA — Following the trial hearings on Thursday, a press conference will be held in front of the Oakland Federal Courthouse (1301 Clay St.) featuring members of the Judi Bari Solidarity Coalition: Medea Benjamin Global Exchange, San Francisco; Randy Hayes, Rainforest Action Network; Gar Smith, Earth Island Institute; and Juliette Majot, International Rivers Network. 

The speakers will voice support for the plaintiffs in the current lawsuit and discuss the larger implications for civil rights in America. 

In addition to the speakers, written statements of support will be provided from Bonnie Raitt, Holly Near, Jello Biafra, Starhawk, Howard Zinn, Faith Petric, and other public figures.

SAN FRANCISCO — According to the tobacco industry, sick or dead smokers in California cannot sue cigarette manufacturers for any smoking-related injuries sustained before 1998. 

The industry made that argument Tuesday to the California Supreme Court. The court’s seven justices, during two hours of argument, seesawed on whether the industry’s interpretation of vague legislation was correct. 

The outcome of the dispute could certify California as the nation’s most tobacco- friendly state. Or it could place the Golden State in line with the rest of the nation’s states, which allow the sick and the estates of the dead to sue the companies for smoking injuries. 

A Morgan Stanley industry research paper released Monday said if the industry were to “suffer a complete loss” before the high court, “manufacturers would technically be no worse off in California than they are in any other state.” 

The report, however, added that a loss could result in a larger caseload against the industry and perhaps expose it to “liberal” juries of San Francisco and Los Angeles, where panels have already awarded millions of damages against the industry. 

Those awards are on hold pending the outcome of Tuesday’s arguments. A decision is expected within 90 days. 

California’s highly convoluted tobacco dispute begins with a 1988 state law, pushed by the industry, that immunized cigarette manufacturers from suits by smokers. But a decade later, California lawmakers changed the law, citing evidence alleging that the tobacco industry made cigarettes more addictive and that it marketed to youth. 

At issue is whether the 1998 change was retroactive to allow smokers to sue for injuries sustained during the 10-year period between 1988 and 1998. Also in dispute is whether that 1988 law banning suits altogether applied retroactively to all times before 1988. 

“It’s unfair to change the rules after the game has been played,” argued Joseph Escher III, a lawyer for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc. The attorney for the maker of Camels argued that, since the new laws were so vague, the companies must be immune for all injuries before 1998. 

But the justices were unsure. 

Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar said smoking illnesses normally take decades to manifest. Under the industry’s interpretation, lawsuits couldn’t be filed for years after 1998, she said. 

“How can this statute be effective?” she asked. “You have to wait 20 years to pass to sue?” 

Justice Marvin Baxter suggested it may be unfair, or “fundamentally wrong” to allow suits to proceed against the industry for a time period when the government said they were immune. 

Attorney Madelyn Chaber, who represents a dead Santa Clara smoker whose estate is seeking the right to sue, told the justices that the 1998 law said smokers could sue for damages for any time period. The legislation, she said, was “to right that wrong.” 

Other justices suggested that smokers might be able to sue for injuries sustained at any time except for the 10-year period between 1988 and 1998. 

SACRAMENTO — A bond measure to begin construction of a 700-mile high-speed rail system linking California’s major cities easily passed its first test Tuesday, but the plan faces bigger obstacles down the road. 

The proposal by Sen. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, was approved 8-1 by the Senate Transportation Committee despite claims by one critic that it would “suck taxpayers into a boondoggle of mind-boggling proportions.” 

Supporters countered that high-speed rail has worked well in Europe and Japan and will be badly needed in California if, as predicted, the state’s population explodes over the next several decades. 

“I applaud this effort,” said Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena. “I think it’s the wave of the future.” 

The system would link the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento areas with trains running at top speeds of more than 200 mph. 

Costa’s proposal, if approved by lawmakers, the governor and voters, would allow the state to borrow money by selling bonds to help pay for the first leg of the system, between Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

Costa hasn’t yet amended the measure to specify the amount of bonds that could be sold, but he and other supporters have described it as a $6 billion plan that would pay for construction of about half of the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line. 

Proponents expect the rest of the money to come from the federal government and possibly private sources. Revenue from the first link would pay for extensions to San Diego and Sacramento, they predict. 

“If you look at examples in Europe and Japan, they never built all of their systems at once,” Costa said. “You never have the financial wherewithal to build it all at once.” 

Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Northridge, contended the plan would lead taxpayers into a “boondoggle of mind-boggling proportions,” saying the money would be better spent on building more freeways. 

But Scott said the trains would be safer, more convenient and less polluting than airplanes or cars for long-distance travel. 

He said it would be quicker to travel between Sacramento and his Los Angeles-area district by high-speed rail than to fly, counting the time required to get in and out of airports. 

Costa’s legislation could face tougher tests down the road. 

The bill only needed a simple majority to get out of the 15-member Transportation Committee, but it will have to get two-thirds votes to pass the full Senate and Assembly. That means it will need some Republican support, which may be difficult to muster. 

There is also concern at the Capitol that lawmakers have already put more than $15 billion in bond measures on this November’s ballot and that it might be better to delay the high-speed rail proposal until 2004.

SACRAMENTO — A fight between public-interest groups and the powerful accounting industry is building in California’s Legislature, following Congress’ approval of a bill consumer advocates call a “red herring of reform” of auditors and accountants. 

At issue are three bills, all inspired by the collapse of energy giant Enron and the alleged accounting fraud, that would change accounting rules and limit the activities of accountants and auditors. 

An Assembly committee approved one bill Tuesday, and consumer groups hope the other two will pass the Assembly Appropriations Committee Wednesday. 

But the accounting industry is doing everything it can to stop them, as it has unleashed a mass letter-writing and telephone call campaign to legislators. Assembly members on the Business and Professions Committee have received hundreds of letters from accountants — from sole practitioners and employees from four large accounting firms. 

“It’s a truly impressive lobbying effort,” said Jerry Flanagan of the California Public Interest Research Group, “except that they all say the same thing.” 

Flanagan said his group and others are pushing for the California bills, because a bill passed last month in Congress “lacked any new reforms. California is our chance to get these reforms into place.” 

Anything passed in California could then ripple across the nation, said Assemblyman Lou Correa, an Anaheim Democrat who chairs the Business and Professions Committee. “As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation.” 

If passed and signed by Gov. Gray Davis, the bills would prohibit some consulting-auditing relationships that firms have now and require them to keep records for seven years. 

Correa, author of one of the bills targeted by the accountants, compared the lobbying effort to “thermonuclear war. Every day I turn around and they’ve hired a new lobbyist.” 

Correa’s committee approved a bill by Assemblyman Howard Wayne, D-San Diego, on a 6-3 vote. That bill mirrors recommendations from the state Board of Accountancy and would prohibit auditors from going to work for publicly traded companies they have audited for two years after they performed those services. 

Assemblyman John Campbell, R-Irvine, an accountant, called the Wayne and Correa bills a “political ploy” and an attempt to regulate companies under federal jurisdiction. 

Congress, not California should made the necessary changes in accounting, Campbell said. “California doesn’t have separate accounting standards than the rest of the nation, nor should it.” 

State legislatures throughout the nation are considering accounting and auditing bills, said Sheri Bango of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the national trade organization that sets professional standards. 

States shouldn’t have “different standards than other places in the country,” Bango said. “Especially where it may conflict with what Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed.” 

The SEC considered a “global ban” of non-auditing services by accountants as part of reforms it passed last year, but rejected that idea, said Jesse Choper, a professor at University of California, Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. 

Choper testified Tuesday against a fourth bill, this one offered by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, which would ban those relationships in state law. 

Choper testified on behalf of four major accounting firms — Deloitte and Touche, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst and Young. Burton’s bill, he said, would violate the U.S. Constitution because it would interfere with federal regulators’ oversight of the industry. 

That shouldn’t keep California from enacting a tougher law “to protect our people,” Burton said. “To think the SEC is the fount of all wisdom boggles me.” 

California’s status as the world’s fifth-largest economy makes it necessary for the state to protect investors, Flanagan said. 

Congress’ efforts to strengthen investor and consumer protections have “turned to mush,” Correa said, and state lawmakers “are here to do what’s good for the state of California. And frankly, I don’t know how having better audits could be bad for business.” 

The accounting industry, however, said the bill would force “nearly every California business to hire at least two CPAs to obtain the same services now performed quite aptly by one — doubling business costs and resulting in significant inefficiency.” 

Correa disagreed, saying that businesses who need both services are already paying for both. 

Accountants aren’t fighting a bill by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, which would require auditors and accountants to save records for seven years, said Michael Ueltzen, past president of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Cal-CPA represents 27,000 accountants in California, about 2,000 of which work for the “Big Five” firms. 

There is no state requirement that accountants or auditors save documents. The industry’s standards are generally such that papers should be saved for at least five years, but the state has no way to enforce that. 

“If that restores some trust, then that’s fine,” Ueltzen said. “But it’s interesting, there’s only one state in the U.S. that has a record retention regulation and that’s Texas.” 

The law obviously didn’t keep records from being shredded at the Houston headquarters of Enron, the corporate bankruptcy that inspired these bills, Ueltzen said.

UC Berkeley officials reinstated Students for Justice in Palestine Monday afternoon, but only after issuing an official admonishment to the group that led the April 9 occupation of the university’s Wheeler Hall. 

In a separate development, activists rejected an offer by Alameda County Assistant District Attorney John Adams to drop trespassing charges against 71 of the 79 protesters if they pled guilty to a disturbing the peace infraction, which would carry a small fine and no jail time. 

“We would have to plead no contest or guilty, and we’re not guilty,” said SJP leader Hoang Phan, describing the decision to reject the plea bargain. “We have right on our side.” 

The university temporarily suspended the group April 24 pending an investigation of the Wheeler Hall takeover. Under the terms of the suspension, the group was not allowed to reserve classes or space on campus to meet or protest, and could not set up an informational table on Sproul Plaza.  

The group flaunted the restrictions in recent weeks, setting up a table one day and reserving space to demonstrate under the name of a different student group. 

In a statement to the press Monday, UC Berkeley announced that it had concluded its investigation and decided to admonish SJP for “the disruption of classes” in Wheeler Hall. But, the statement read, “the group’s priveleges as a registered student group were reinstated.” 

“I can’t say that I’m grateful to the university because it did the wrong thing in the first place,” said SJP member Will Youmans. “Hopefully this represents a change in the way the university deals with student groups.” 

Although the university reinstated SJP, Director of Student Judicial Affairs Neal Rajmaira wrote in his letter of admonishment that the group had violated five sections of the Student Code of Conduct, including “unauthorized entry to, possession of, receipt of, or use of any University property” and “obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration, student disciplinary procedures or other University activity.” 

The decision to reinstate the group will have no bearing on the university’s handling of the individual students arrested at Wheeler Hall. Those students face disciplinary action ranging from probation to a one-year suspension. 

Students made up 41 of the 79 arrested April 9. 

Plea bargain  

Last week, 71 of the 79 protesters were arraigned on charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace. Seven defendants were also charged with resisting arrest and one, 23-year-old student Roberto Hernandez, was charged with assault and battery. 

Adams offered the plea bargain to the 71 protesters facing lesser charges Friday afternoon during a pre-trial conference with lawyers for the defendants and Alameda County Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan. Adams did not offer a plea bargain to the other eight defendants. 

Half of the defendants appeared in court Monday afternoon and Brosnahan set a June 10 trial date in the Oakland branch of the Alameda County Superior Court. She indicated that she will set a June 3 trial date for the other half this afternoon. 

Eighty protesters gathered at the Downtown Berkeley BART station an hour before the Monday hearings and marched on the courthouse. 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington attacked the university and district attorney for pursuing the case and said the City Council will vote on a resolution May 14 calling on the district attorney to drop the charges. 

Former Berkeley mayor Gus Newport also spoke out for the group and called on students and residents to step up pro-Palestinian protests. 

“We ought to close that goddamn university down,” he said. “If Berkeley can’t mount a movement at this time, the United States is doomed.”

Today is Tuesday, May 7, the 127th day of 2002. There are 238 days left in the year. 

Highlight 

On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France. 

On this date: 

In 1789, the first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President and Mrs. George Washington. 

In 1812, poet Robert Browning was born in London. 

In 1847, the American Medical Association was founded in Philadelphia. 

In 1915, nearly 1,200 people died when a German torpedo sank the British liner Lusitania off the Irish coast. 

In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. 

In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded “Chattanooga Choo Choo” for RCA Victor. 

In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces. 

In 1963, the United States launched the Telstar 2 communications satellite. 

In 1975, President Ford formally declared an end to the “Vietnam era.” In Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover. 

In 1994, Norway’s most famous painting, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, was recovered almost three months after it was stolen from an Oslo museum. 

Ten years ago:  

President Bush visited riot-scarred Los Angeles. The space shuttle Endeavour blasted off on its maiden voyage. A 203-year-old proposed constitutional amendment barring Congress from giving itself a midterm pay raise received enough votes for ratification as Michigan became the 38th state to approve it. 

Five years ago:  

The Army accused its top enlisted man, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Gene McKinney, of sexual misconduct. (At his court-martial, McKinney was acquitted of sexual misconduct, but found guilty of obstruction of justice.) Chrysler Corp. and United Auto Workers agreed to a new contract, ending a damaging 28-day engine-plant strike. 

One year ago:  

“Great Train Robber” Ronnie Biggs, who had eluded capture for decades following his prison escape in 1965, returned to Britain, where he was arrested and jailed to complete the 28 remaining years of his sentence. California electricity grid operators ordered statewide rolling power blackouts. 

Today’s Birthdays:  

Actor Darren McGavin is 80. Singer Teresa Brewer is 71. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is 70. Football Hall-of-Famer Johnny Unitas is 69. Singer Jimmy Ruffin is 63. Singer Johnny Maestro is 63. Actress Robin Strasser is 57. Singer-songwriter Bill Danoff is 56. NBC newsman Tim Russert is 52. Actor Robert Hegyes is 51. Movie writer-director Amy Heckerling is 48. Actor Michael E. Knight is 43. Rock musician Phil Campbell (Motorhead) is 41. Rock singer-musician Chris O’Connor (Primitive Radio Gods) is 37. Actress Traci Lords is 33. 

To the Editor: 

Perhaps a short review of the history of the Middle East is in order. 

The Jews have been organized as a religion and have lived in stable agricultural settlements in the Middle East for thousands of years. When the Roman conquerors showed up about two thousand years ago, they renamed Judea as “Palestine” in an attempt to erase the Jewish domination of the region. 

Over the last two thousand years many different groups have invaded and dominated the region. Among these invading groups were the Romans, the Byzantines, the Persians, the Arabs, the Oomayyad Caliphs of Damascus, the Abbassid Caliphs of Baghdad, the Fatimid Caliphs of Cairo, the Byzantines (again), the Seljuq Turks, the Christian Crusaders, the Mameluk Sultans of Egypt, the Mongols and most recently the Ottomans in 1517. 

After the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1918, the League of Nations awarded Britain the Palestine Mandate, which encompassed the region bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. Two years later, the British split off the region east of the Jordan River, which comprised about eighty percent of the original land area of the Palestine Mandate, called it Transjordan, and bestowed it to Emir Abdullah idn Hussein and his descendents to rule. It should be noted that this new country, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, was largely peopled by native Palestinian Arabs. Thus was born the first Palestinian state back in 1920.  

After World War II, the new United Nations organization authorized the creation of a Palestinian state and the Jewish state of Israel from the remaining western portion of the Palestine Mandate. The neighboring Arab countries: Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, decided to militarily oppose this U. N. action. They told the resident Palestinian Arabs to leave their homes after which the Arab armies would “drive the Jews into the sea.” They almost succeeded, but finally the Israelis won their war of independence and were firmly established their new country in the Middle East. When you start a war and then lose, you may lose some or all of your original territory. Thus, in 1949, the Arab Palestinian refugees were confined to Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank areas. 

Again in 1967 and 1973 the Arab countries attempted to invade and destroy Israel. They failed again. In the 1940s the Arab countries refused to take in the Palestinian refugees, although there was room for additional settlers and immigrants in Syria and Iraq. The Arab countries much preferred to keep the Palestinians in refugee camps, festering on the borders of Israel.  

The Arabs have a long tradition of antipathy towards the Jews and of treating the Jews as second-class citizens. The Muslim religion sanctified this prejudice into its religious text, the Koran. In that writing, the Muslims were given explicit permission to raid Jewish settlements and to steal from Jewish homes. Please see Joan Peter's brilliant book, “From Time Immemorial” (Harper & Row, 1987) for extensive documentation of this and other information. 

In the late 1940s, as Israel was being created, the Jews were being forced to flee from Arab countries in the Middle East. Jews fled from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Aden. In Saudi Arabia, the Jews had long since been killed off or driven out. The Jews were forced to leave their homes, their businesses and much of their personal property without any compensation. To date there has been no movement towards compensation to the Jews who were forced to leave the Arab countries in the late 1940s. 

Perhaps it is time for the Palestinians and other Arabs to grow up and recognize Israel’s legitimate right to existence in the Middle East. It is time for Palestinian schools to put Israel on their maps. Hatred is a dead–end street. It is time for Palestinians to start to build their own society and stop trying to destroy that of their neighbor. 

– James K. Sayre 

Oakland 

Monday, May 6 

Renegade Sidemen, with Calvin Keyes, Dave Rokeach & friends 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Tuesday, May 7 

Live Music - Singers’ Open Mike, Ellen Hoffman on piano 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Wednesday, May 8 

Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Y’All & David Roth 

Traditional, original & topical, contemporary folk music 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

Thursday, May 9 

Shana Morrison 

Celtic / blues acoustic fusion 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$15.50 advance, $16.50 at the door 

David Widelock Jazz Duo, guitar and bass 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Friday, May 10 

Live Music - Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

The Waybacks 

Acoustic mayhem, album release celebration 

Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage  

1111 Addison St. 

510-548-1761 

$16.50 advance, $17.50 at the door 

Saturday, May 11 

W. Hazaiah Williams Memorial Concert, “The Art of the Spiritual” 

Featuring African-American Spirituals sung by mezzo soprano Vanessa Ayers, tenors Samual McKelton and William Brown, Baritone Autris Paige and bass-baritone Benjamin Matthews, and pianist Dennis Helmrich. 

7:30 p.m. 

Calvin Simmons Theater, Oakland.

Tuesday, May 7 

Finding & Assessing "Fixer-Uppers Seminar 

Led by Michael Hamman 

7 to 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St., Berkeley 

$35 

Robert Boswell reads from "Century's Son" 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody's Book Store 

2454 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley 

510-845-7852 

Free 

The Real Abraham Lincoln: A Debate 

The Independent Policy Forum, Harry V. Jaffa  

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

100 Swan Way, Oakland 

RSVP 510-632-1366 

$10 (members), $14 (non-members), $35 (including book) 

Wednesday May 8 

Germbusters Puppet Show 

2:30- 3:00 P.M. 

Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Puppet show for children age 3 to 10 to learn about germs and their effects on the body. Free.  

For more information: 510-549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org 

Thursday, May 9 

FBI & Local police: Partners in Repression 

Forum, Speakout & Music 

7 p.m. 

Unitarian Hall, 1924 Bonita 

Berkeley 

For Info: Copwatch, 510-548-0425 

$5-$15  

Consumers’ Rights, Problems and Legislation 

Speaker Tom Vacar, consumer editor, KTVU, Channel 2 

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Albany Public Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Albany 

For more info: 510-843-8824 

Free 

Community Budget Workshop 

Berkeley Unified School District 

Budget & Finance Advisory Committee 

Subject: California State Budget Process & the J200 Budget Format 

6:30 p.m. 

Longfellow Arts & Technology Magnet Middleschool 

Auditorium 

1500 Derby St. (at California) 

Berkeley 

Free 

Native Californian Cultures 

A major focus of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology has been the Native peoples of California. Today, with 260,000 catalogue entries, the museum preserves the world's largest and most comprehensive collection devoted to the region. In this gallery, we present an overview of Native Californian cultures demonstrating the great diversity of the Californian peoples. 

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall at the corner of Bancroft Way and College 

The phone number is (510) 643-7648. 

Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and $.50 for  

children 16 and under- Free to the public on Thursdays. 

Judeo-Christian Values in Islam? 

What are the humanistic values inherent in Islam? How has history colored western views of Islam? etc. 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley 

510-848-0237 X 127 

$5 

Friday, May 10 

New Sculpture & Paintings by Jody Sears & Michele Ramirez 

Opening reception: Saturday May 11, 5 to 8 p.m. 

Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Ardency Gallery 

709 Broadway 

Oakland 

510-836-0831, e-mail: gallery709@aol.com 

Free 

Saturday, May 11 

Low-cost Hatha Yoga Class 

6:30 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center 

1720 8th St. 

$6 per class. 981-6651 

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament 

Fun for everyone, whether competing or watching. At the New Gym at Albany High in Albany. Hosted by and benefiting Athletics at Albany High School. Players sign up today to play in one of four divisions. 64 teams compete for $500 First Prize & $250 Second Prize in each division with final game to be played Sunday, May 12 

510-525-2716 

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) Events 

Paper Flower Making 

Get ready for Mother's Day with the Klutz "Tissue Paper Flower" kit and learn to make tissue paper flowers. Age 8 and up.  

LHS Film- Happy Birthday, Mr. Feynman 

Film Plays Continuously from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. 

To celebrate the birthday of Nobel laureate, maverick physicist, author, and teacher extraordinaire Richard Feynman, 

LHS presents the film, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out. This fifty-minute film presents Feynman telling fascinating 

stories from his life and research. Produced by Christopher Sykes. 

LHS- The Idea Lab 

Opens May 11 

See what LHS is developing as new hands-on exhibits. Test out exhibit prototypes of activities and give your opinion of them. Testing and experimenting is the idea behind the Idea Lab. This new permanent exhibit begins with explorations of magnetism.  

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

$8 for adults; $6 for youth 5-18, seniors, and disabled; $4 for children 3-4. 

Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time UC Berkeley students. 

LHS is on Centennial Drive- 

above the UC Berkeley campus 

Parking is 50¢/hour. 

LHS is accessible by AC Transit 

and the UC Berkeley Shuttle. 

33rd Annual California Wildflower Show 

Exhibit with 150 species of freshly gathered native flowers 

Saturday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1-888-OAK-MUSE 

$6 general admission, $4 senior and students with ID, free for five and under.

Steve Nash and the Dallas Mavericks silenced the cowbells by beating the Sacramento Kings at their own thrilling game. 

Nash scored a career playoff-high 30 points and had eight assists, and Dirk Nowitzki added 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Mavericks evened their Western Conference semifinal series with a 110-102 victory Monday night over the top-seeded Kings. 

Game 3 is Thursday night in Dallas. 

Until the Kings fell into a 3 1/2-minute scoreless drought in the final minutes that allowed the Mavs to pull away, it was a constantly entertaining, end-to-end game — the kind everyone expected from the NBA’s highest-scoring teams, even under playoff pressure. 

Raef LaFrentz, who was terrible in Game 1, broke a 93-93 tie with a dunk and a layup set up by Nash with 3:07 left. LaFrentz finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. 

As Chris Webber complained after missing the Kings’ next shot, Nash motored to the other end for an acrobatic layup. A minute later, Nash fed Nowitzki for a dunk that gave Dallas a prohibitive lead, though the teams traded free throws for the final three minutes. 

Every minute seemed to bring another alley-oop dunk or a long jumper, and every fan at Arco Arena — dozens of them packing the cowbells that brought complaints from the Mavericks in Game 1 — must have left the building hoarse. Point guards Nash and Mike Bibby both had outstanding games, with Bibby recording 22 points and seven assists. 

Neither team grabbed a significant lead in the second half, but Sacramento’s defensive breakdowns made the difference. The Mavs, fueled by good ball movement, got dozens of open shots and uncontested rebounds to win for the fourth time in five games at Sacramento. 

Webber had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento. The Kings’ three-game winning streak ended with their fifth loss in their last eight home playoff games dating to last season. 

Held to 12 points in Game 1, Nash came out firing along with his teammates. He hit four 3-pointers and was 12-of-18 from the field, trading baskets with Bibby in the first three quarters before taking over in the fourth. 

Nick Van Exel scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half for Dallas. Michael Finley went 2-for-10 from the field, but had 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

Peja Stojakovic, who had 26 points in Game 1, went 5-for-19 from the field and finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu had 15 points in a reserve role. 

Dallas coach Don Nelson threw the Kings a changeup in the starting lineup when he substituted veteran forward Johnny Newman for Eduardo Najera, who broke his thumb during warmups before Game 1. 

But Newman and his teammates didn’t stop the Kings from opening the game with a fearsome display of offensive firepower. Bibby, whose first trip to the playoffs has been encouraging but inconsistent, had his streaky jump shot in top form, hitting three 3-pointers among six consecutive baskets.

Jubilation from the weekend’s mayoral nomination of Tom Bates is being tempered by the critical reactions from political opponents. 

Centrists in Berkeley’s political community are criticizing Saturday’s nominating convention – held by a more progressive constituency – as combative, unnecessary and unproductive to city politics. 

“To start the campaign off the way they did is just disgusting,” said Councilmember Betty Olds. The centrist councilmember cited incriminating remarks made at the convention, labeling the mayor as “vicious” and “vindicative.” Olds called the tone of the meeting “wrong.” 

The progressives are setting the stage for an ugly race, she said. 

The nomination of Bates, a former state Assmeblyman, came Saturday with an overwelming majority of nominating ballots from the Coalition for a New Mayor. The decision ended a long and anxious search among progressives for a candidate who could run competively against eight-year incumbent Mayor Shirley Dean. 

Selection of the 20-year Sacramento vetaran not only prompted centrist opponents to take the defense this week, but instilled uncertainty as to whether the mayor would stack up against the long-time Assemblyman. 

“Certainly, Mayor Dean would have walked all over the other people who are being considered,” said Councilmember Polly Armstrong. Now it’s going to be a race, she said. 

Armstrong called Bates a “good man”, and acknowledged his experience as a state legislator, but said the long-time politician may not be be mainstream enough to defeat Dean in November. 

Dean, maintaining the alleged high ground of her colleagues, has refused to comment about her opponent, and said she would run a stong campaign regardless of the competition. 

But criticism emerged from the center about the Bates family having too much control over Berkeley politics. Bates is married to Loni Hancock, two-term Berkeley mayor and Democratic candidate for the District 14 state Assembly seat, Bate’s former position. 

“Do they want to look like the Clintons or what?” challenged Councilmember Olds. “I don’t think it’s right for one family to have all that power.” 

Political analyist Bruce Cain, director of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Government Studies, said family ties would likely work to Bate’s advantage this November. 

“Berkeley was a key base for Loni [in the Assembly race primary] and presumably a lot of the same people can be mobilized for the city race,” he said. 

Cain noted Bates is the “best shot” that the progressives have of unseating Dean in November. He said how Bates decides to position himself, in regard to the issues, will determine the strength of his appeal. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who has pledged the support of his large and vocal progressive following to Bates, stood by Saturday’s criticism of the mayor. 

“The reason we put together a convention [in the first place] is because there are hundreds of people who are eager to have a new attitude [in the mayor’s office],” he said. 

“And the incumbent’s negative campaigning has been going on week after week, month after month,” he added. 

Worthington noted that Bates did not attack his November rival at the convention, but merely stated his opposing viewpoints.

Payback not enough 

SIMPSON, Pa. — More than 50 years ago, a thief stole $20 from Michael Langol’s college room. The money has been returned but Langol isn’t satisfied. 

Langol is now obsessed with tracking down the remorseful thief. He hasn’t even cashed the money order yet. 

In January, Langol got a money order for $500 — along with a note in which the sender confessed to the crime but only identified himself as a former classmate at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn. 

Langol traced the money order’s serial number to the Cleveland area. He then contacted Tusculum’s alumni office to get a list of fellow students who might fit the bill. 

The search has so far proved fruitless. 

“I think I have it narrowed down to two guys,” said Langol, now 70. “My wife doesn’t want me to, but I’m going to find out who it is.” 

Langol said he had reported the missing cash to college authorities, but the investigation turned up no suspects. Soon after, he dropped out, got married, started a family and owned and operated a successful masonry business in northeastern Pennsylvania. 

But he never forgot about the stolen cash. After all, $20 was a lot of money in 1951. 

“Back then, $20 was like a day’s pay,” he said. “I remember buying a seersucker suit in Tennessee for $17.” 

Unpaid bill gets costly 

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — A $6.34 plumbing bill nearly cost a World War II veteran the roof over his head. 

Before an alert friend noticed, James Provensano, 81, was almost evicted from his subsidized apartment because he neglected to pay for repairs. 

The friend paid the bill, and the eviction notice for Provensano’s home at Garden Apartment was rescinded. The notice arrived on April 12, giving two weeks for payment, and was paid on the 17th. 

“When they start doing things like that, I get furious,” Provensano said last week. “I was furious, I was mad.” 

Eviction proceedings are initiated if a tenant does not pay a bill — regardless of the amount — and does not ask for a hearing within 14 days, said Frank Chavers, executive director of Brevard Family of Housing Authorities. 

Provensano said he had a leak from a kitchen drain, which was fixed. Months later, the notice of eviction came, showing he had failed to pay the $6.34 bill. 

Grass greener with paint 

SANTA FE, N.M. — The drought-stricken city of Santa Fe — which has restricted outdoor watering to once a week — doesn’t have to worry about the green grass at the Santa Fe Auto Park. 

With good reason — it’s paint. 

“The grass sod we put in last year has more or less died, and we just had it colored green with some paint,” said George Woolard of Santa Fe Chevrolet. “It’s not a whole lot of grass. It’s just a little bit of grass. But now it’s green.” 

Monty Mitchell, general manager of Premier Motorcars, said the four automobile dealerships that own the park decided to paint the grass to save water. 

It looks so realistic Mitchell expects complaints. 

“I’m sure we’ll wind up with a few phone calls from citizens concerned about water use,” he said. 

Last week, a painting crew freshened the landscape, spray-painting about 2,500 square feet of dead or dying grass at the business’ entrance. 

To the Editor: 

My name is Murray Bruce. I live and vote in Berkeley. I have two daughters who both play soccer and I have been a volunteer coach for six years. There is an acute field shortage in Berkeley and Albany. An ideal location for additional fields is west of Interstate 80 where the air is fresh. 

Our children our most precious resource. Let's help them when we can. This is a great opportunity to improve their lives. Please do your best to help new fields become a reality. 

- Murray Bruce 

Berkeley 

Curtis Williams, paralyzed from the neck down while playing football for the University of Washington in October 2000, died Monday. He was 24. 

Williams died at his brother’s home in Fresno, Calif., Washington athletic department spokesman Jim Daves said. 

Williams, who played safety, was injured in a helmet-to-helmet hit in a game against Stanford. He had spinal-cord surgery and was left with no voluntary muscle movement. 

The Washington Huskies dedicated their victory over Purdue in the Rose Bowl in January 2001 to Williams, wearing his initials on their jerseys. Williams attended the game. 

Williams returned to the school last month to watch the Huskies’ annual spring game, his first trip back since the injury. 

He was six classes short of earning his degree from Washington in American Ethnic Studies.

With the state facing a deficit as high as $22 billion, about 250 Berkeley residents are expected join over 1,500 Bay Area activists in Sacramento Wednesday, calling on the state legislature to spare the education budget. 

“It is important, in this budget climate, for Sacramento to understand how passionate the community is about funding for education,” said Berkeley Board of Education President Shirley Issel, who will make the trip. 

Issel said she is concerned that state cuts could force the district, which is already slated to chop $5.4 million next year, to make deeper reductions. 

“The idea of making further cuts is just unthinkable,” she said. 

Busloads of officials, activists and students from the Oakland, San Francisco, West Contra Costa and Albany school districts are expected to join in the Wednesday action. 

Governor Gray Davis has already proposed $487 million in cuts to K-12 education next year. With estimates of the state deficit growing, the governor will issue an eagerly-awaited budget revision on May 14. 

“The governor has always said his top priority is education, and we’re going to do what we can to protect it,” said Sandy Harrison, spokesman for the governor’s Department of Finance, declining to offer any specifics about the revision. 

Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, said she expects the governor to recommend further education cuts.  

Aroner said she will push for two “revenue enhancements” that would prevent the need for cuts. First, she called for a temporary increase in taxes on the wealthy, generating $1.5 billion. Second, Aroner said the state should rescind the vehicle license fee rebate during the budget crisis, yielding about $4 billion. 

Julie Chervin, a parent activist who has been coordinating the Berkeley lobbying effort, said many participants will endorse the revenue enhancements on Wednesday. The group will also call for an increase in per pupil spending, in the near future, from roughly $7,000 to $12,000. 

Chervin and other activists acknowledged that an increase in spending is not likely soon, given the budget deficit. But they said they are confident they can prevent cuts next year. 

“I think consumers always have an impact on the legislature and the governor,” Aroner said, arguing that a large teacher rally two years ago led to an increase in education funding. 

Berkeley residents will also push for legislation, authored by Aroner, that would forgive a $1.16 million fine the district owes the state and pour the money into fiscal consulting services and reform. 

The bill, which also provides targeted relief to the Emery Unified School District, has already passed the Assembly’s Education Committee and will be up before the Appropriations Committee Wednesday. 

Aroner’s legislative director Hans Hemann said he expects the Appropriations Committee to endorse the bill by May 23. 

Buses will leave from Berkeley High School and all three of the district’s middle schools Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. Organizers are asking for a $15 donation, but will not turn away people who can’t afford the fee. 

Berkeley board member John Selawsky, a chief organizer of the Wednesday event, said activists will have to keep up the pressure after the lobbying day. 

“We have to continue lobbying and not have it be the flavor of the month,” he said. “That’s the risk we face – you have a big event and then everyone goes home.”  

To the Editor: 

I commend Patrick Kennedy for his insight and vision in regard to the theater/apartment complex downtown (the “Gaia Building”), particularly because it will be largely accessible to the disabled. The New Arts Theater will be another contribution to create more “Berkeley Space.” Berkeley space is cultural space, artistic space, space for low-income residents, and accessible and livable space for the disability community. 

As a disabled resident it gives me great pleasure to see an active developer like Kennedy creating space for low-income/disabled students and residents to find nearby, affordable, and livable housing. His work is vital for me and others. Twenty percent of his units are set aside for low-income and disabled residents. 

Graduating from Cal and trying to join the community is not easy. Finding 

accessible housing in Berkeley is very difficult and finding livable accessible apartment near campus is next to impossible. The spaces that Panoramic Interests have created are award winning designs that have taken access seriously. 

We can not overlook that quality of life that starts with the home. And it is this quality of life that Kennedy brings to our disabled community members. We should all support the creation of this space because for some of us this space did not exist before. 

- Victor Pineda 

Berkeley 

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, among the NBA’s leaders in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, has won the league’s Most Valuable Player award, a league source said Monday. 

The five-year veteran outpolled New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd by a narrow margin, the source said on condition of anonymity. 

Voting by a panel of 126 media members took place before the playoffs began.Duncan’s selection will be made public on Thursday.

Earth First! activist Darryl Cherney took the stand for the first time Monday in his high-profile case against members of the FBI and Oakland Police Department. 

Cherney and fellow Earth First! activist Judi Bari were injured and arrested as suspects in a car bomb explosion in Oakland in 1990 before later having charges against them dropped due to lack of evidence. Their suit claims that law enforcement officials mishandled their case and wrongfully arrested them. 

During his first day of testimony, Cherney explained that he and Bari, who died of cancer in 1997, had been romantically involved as well as allied in their legal battle against the FBI and OPD. 

“We were Siamese twins joined at the lawsuit,” said Cherney. 

Dennis Cunningham, lead attorney for Earth First!, questioned Cherney regarding his past and the nature of the Earth First! movement, perceived by some members of the FBI and OPD as an environmental terrorist organization. 

Cherney detailed his work as a politician, folk singer and environmental activist with the Earth First! movement, a movement without strict organization or a board of directors. He explained that Earth First! participated in rallies, demonstrations and campaigns against local logging companies such as Maxam Corporation and Pacific Lumber Company. 

Susan Jordan, former attorney for Bari, also testified Monday as one of the plaintiff's final witnesses in the case. Cunningham questioned Jordan regarding Bari's condition following the bombing.  

According to Jordan, Bari was under extreme distress following her injuries and repeated searches of her residence by the FBI and OPD. 

Robert Sher, lead counsel for the FBI, questioned Jordan regarding Bari's request for immunity during the investigation. Jordan explained that Bari wanted to consult with her attorney and have questioning videotaped.  

Monday's testimony also included a videotape of FBI Agent Walter Hemje, supervisor of the Oakland bomb investigation.  

Cunningham questioned Hemje as to whether the FBI regarded Bari as a witness or victim or suspect in the case. According to Hemje, Bari was regarded as both a witness and victim as seen appropriate during the investigation. Cunningham continued to question Hemje regarding Bari's status in the investigation in an attempt to prove that Bari remained the only suspect in the case despite the fact that charges against her had been previously dropped due to a lack of evidence. 

Cunningham also questioned Hemje regarding efforts made by the FBI to evaluate death threats made against Bari. According to Hemje, a number of the threats presented in case held little value. When asked whether a picture of Bari with rifle cross hairs across her face might have been a threat, Hemje explained it could be perceived that way.  

In an attempt to refute charges the FBI failed to investigate other leads, Hemje testified that many of Bari's associates with Earth First! were uncooperative during the investigation. Hemje claimed that both Betty Ball and Michael Sweeney, associates of Bari, would not speak to investigators without first speaking with an attorney.  

Under questioning from Sher, Hemje also claimed that evidence in the form of an anonymous letter submitted to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat claiming responsibility for the bombing was less than authentic. 

"My recollection is that it was contrived," said Hemje. 

Hemje further disputed claims that the FBI was not interested in following leads in the case by explaining that not all leads were recorded.  

"We don't keep a record of weak leads. If it is a strong lead then we will," said Hemje. 

Cunningham finished his questioning of Hemje by asking whether there ever was evidence at any time during the investigation to show Bari to be a suspect in the case. Hemje responded by saying no.  

Cherney's testimony will conclude Tuesday and will be followed by three additional witnesses and finally a videotape of testimony given by Bari. According to Cherney, attorneys for the defense did not want the video tape to air, feeling that it would be very emotional and moving for the jury. 

Cherney added that attorneys for the defense object to almost each point on the video, interrupting each sentence in Bari's testimony. 

The video of Bari will conclude the plaintiff's portion of the case. Attorneys for the FBI and OPD plan to call approximately 18 witnesses in the next three to four days. Jury deliberations are expected to start by the middle of next week. 

The trial takes place at the Federal Courthouse, 1301 Clay Street, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. 

A jury upheld an eviction order against long-time Berkeley resident Larry Menard, despite claims that Menard and his family are being forced out in an attempt to remove residents and raise rents at the 2327 Prince St. apartment building. 

The 12-member-jury, in Alameda Superior Court, voted unanimously to uphold Berkeley landlord Behrouz Mazandarani’s order to quit, served to Menard and his family in December of last year. 

According to Behrouz, the eviction order was based on a series of nuisance charges against Menard. He claimed that the 18-year resident had broken the lock on the front door of the building, removed plywood and broken a door to the roof and failed to keep his golden-retriever mix, Flammeche, on a leash inside the building. 

Neighbors, along with the Menard family, have protested the eviction order, signing petitions and writing letters to Behrouz in support of Menard, his wife Cathy and their 15-year-old son, Loic.  

Members of the Halcyon Neighborhood Association urged Mazandarani to reconsider his eviction order citing Menard’s good reputation and his participation in improving the Halcyon neighborhood, organizing park cleanups and crime watch activities. 

"They have been wonderful assets to our neighborhood. I’m very upset to see this injustice take place and it is clearly an injustice," said Nancy Carleton, HNA co-chairperson. 

Menard claims that Mazandarani, who purchased the building in November of 1999, has served five separate eviction notices since taking over and is systematically evicting all long-term residents in the building. 

Behrouz, however, denies charges that he is seeking to evict long-term residents and raise rents, emphasizing that he has charged below market rent on a number of units in the building. 

“The claims are completely untrue,” says Mazandarani.  

Mazandarani claims that Menard’s case is not a part of larger conspiracy but about Menard’s repeated destruction of property, violations of building policy and charges that Menard has intimidated other residents and Mazandarani himself. 

“I’m afraid he would harm me. I’m afraid he would harm other residents,” said Mazandarani. 

According to Menard’s lawyer, Ira Jacobowitz, Mazandarani is blaming Menard for destruction of property caused by a previous tenant, Zach Henderson, already evicted by Mazandarani.  

Jacobowitz says that Menard has admitted to removing plywood nailed to the door leading to the roof but that inspectors from the Berkeley Fire Department had ordered that the plywood be taken down because it created a fire hazard. 

Mazandarani claims that the support of neighbors and character issues are irrelevant in this case because Menard’s neighbors do not know all the facts.  

According to John Barry, a current resident of the building, he did sign the petition supporting Larry Menard but was concerned most about the welfare of Menard's family, not Menard himself. 

“I'm not a huge fan of Larry's. I do like the family. I wish they were staying and I wish Behrouz would cut them some slack,” said Barry. 

Barry also said that he offered to act as a mediator between Menard and Mazandarani but that Menard told him not to talk to Mazandarani. 

According to Mazandarani, only the opinions of the members of the jury count in this case. 

“The case of eviction usually takes two days but this jury had eight days to hear evidence from every angle, to examine everything from the boiler to the roof to the front door. The result was a unanimous decision,” said Mazandarani.  

According to Mazandarani, Menard was caught on tape tampering with the front door and walking on the roof by a camera Mazandarani set up himself. Mazandarani says the tape was not used in court because Menard agreed to admit to tampering with the door. 

Both Menard and his wife Cathy Aubron claim Mazandarani lied continuously while in court adding that he repeatedly changed his accusations as the trial went on. 

“Not to be trapped in his own lies he became very evasive,” said Aubron. 

According to Mazandarani, Menard’s work as a tenant’s rights supporter made him a difficult resident to deal with. Mazandarani explained that Menard’s contribution to the building was to gather support against him and not to improve living conditions. 

“He has certain needs to be against landlords. He has needs for making landlords look bad and making himself the savior of the tenants,” says Mazandarani. 

Menard, with the support of neighbors and family, says that he has worked to make the building safer and cleaner and that Mazandarani is the one that has allowed for conditions to deteriorate. 

“He wants to make life as difficult as possible, to intimidate you, to make you have no rights,” said Menard. 

In response to accusations of past eviction orders, Mazandarani notes that he was able to quickly resolve a dispute with a previous tenant. Mazandarani claims this resident owned a pitbull and that the animal had had a history of four attacks on humans. According to Mazandarani, the resident rid herself of the animal and was allowed to stay at the residence and Mazandarani dropped the eviction order. 

Neighbors, including Carleton, tell a different tale, accusing Mazandarani of bribing long-term residents with money in order to leave, a claim Mazandarani denies. 

David Arnold, the previous owner of the building at 2327 Prince St., says he has mixed feelings toward Menard.  

"I found him to be a good tenant in that he paid his rent on time and kept his place neat, but found him very abrasive also," says Arnold. 

Arnold claims that Mazandarani did pay Henderson to leave the building but that Henderson willingly agreed to take the money and leave. 

The Superior Court denied Menard and his family a stay on the eviction, forcing them out by Monday. 

The Menards managed to secure a new residence in downtown Oakland on Sunday.

OAKLAND, Calif. — City leaders are looking for solutions after a rash of unrelated weekend slayings left six young black men dead. 

“There are far too many African American men being killed in our city,” said city manager Robert Bob, who added Monday that the city’s black community should take more responsibility. “Our enemy is inside us. It’s not the KKK of years past. It’s in us and we have to rise up and take charge of our destiny.” 

Bob said homicide detectives heard residents laughing and partying across the street from the scene of one of the slayings Saturday, where 18-year-old Lamar Brown was killed and two others were seriously wounded. 

That brings the number of homicides this year to 37, which is 12 more than at the same time last year. The city is on pace to have more than 100 homicides this year, up from about 87 homicides last year. The city had 175 homicides in 1992. 

The increase threatens to mar the city’s 150th anniversary and to reverse Mayor Jerry Brown’s four years of crime reduction in the city once known as a West Coast capital of drugs and murder. 

“It’s our goal and the mayor’s goal and the city manager’s goal to see that cut by 50 percent,” said Police Chief Richard Word. 

To combat the rising homicide rates, Word said police would begin stepping up patrols in West Oakland, where at least one of the weekend shootings happened. He also asked for help from community organizations. 

“We are not reaching the young men in high-risk situations,” he said. 

Police had made no arrests in any of the cases by noon Monday. Word said five of the six homicides were drug related, and three of the six victims were on probation. 

“That’s a bug in my side,” Word said, noting that about 7,000 probationers are on the street unsupervised. 

Word said drugs are connected to about 80 percent of crimes in the city and have been a clear trend in this spring’s homicides. He notes stronger drug enforcement by police sometimes make competition and tensions higher among drug dealers and users. 

“We are seeing a lot of robberies of drug users or dealers that are going unreported,” Word said. “Then we are seeing retaliation.”

SACRAMENTO — A lawyer for the state Department of General Services testified Monday that she had grave concerns about a $95 million software contract with Oracle Corp. that she first saw the day it was signed. 

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee hearings led by Assemblyman Dean Florez, D-Shafter, examined the state’s six-year, $95 million, no-bid contract to buy and administer database management software from Oracle. 

A state auditor’s report criticized the contract, saying it could waste as much as $41 million — not save $111 million as Oracle claimed. 

In addition, there was pressure to complete the deal by the end of Oracle’s fiscal year on May 31, 2001, said Cynthia Curry, a senior staff counsel for the Department of General Services, one of three state agencies that signed off on the contract. 

Several top aides to Gov. Gray Davis were slated to testify Monday about how the botched deal was reviewed before it was signed, and whether the governor was told about it. Among them was Elias Cortez, the state technology chief suspended last week. 

The deal was one of “literally hundreds of transactions” the state makes each month without his approval, Davis said Monday. “So this is one of scores of those transactions that take place without my knowledge.” 

The hearings come as the state’s finance director began talks with Oracle Corp. to discuss killing the contract. 

Finance Director Tim Gage will meet soon with Oracle executives to negotiate an end to the state’s contract, said Steve Maviglio, press secretary for Gov. Gray Davis. The talks could take up to two weeks. 

“I am determined to rescind this contract so the taxpayers don’t have to pay one additional penny and I’m confident we can do that,” Davis said. 

A legal adviser to the General Services Department, one of the three state agencies to approve the contract, Curry said she first saw it at 5:30 p.m. on May 30, 2001, the day it was signed. 

“There was no way I could review that contract in any manner of time to advise DGS,” said Curry. “It was just not a good document for the state to move forward on.” 

The contract was “cut and pasted” from other documents, with conflicting language, Curry said. 

Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-San Fernando, asked Curry why she hadn’t called the governor to stop the contract if she had concerns. 

“If my job is to throw myself in front of the director’s pen and stop this ... I don’t think I’m in the position to stop people appointed by the governor from doing what they think is their jobs,” Curry said. 

Republican critics have suggested the contract is at least an example of incompetence by the Davis administration and that it may also involve corruption. 

State campaign finance records show Davis’ re-election campaign reported a $25,000 contribution six days after the contract was signed. The contribution check was delivered by an Oracle lobbyist, Ravi Mehta, in a Sacramento bar to Arun Baheti, Davis’ chief technology adviser. 

The governor’s office has a written policy against administration officials accepting campaign donations. Baheti has since resigned, as did DGS chief Barry Keene, who signed the contract. 

Curry testified that she had to ask Mehta to leave a meeting between state officials and Oracle in July, as the parties worked to amend some terms of the contract. 

Last week, Oracle officials said they would end the contract with the state, and on Saturday officials from Logicon Inc., the company packaging the software with Oracle, said they, too, would drop the contract. 

Logicon, which stands to earn $28.5 million from the contract, prepared the cost-saving estimates that state officials relied upon when negotiating the deal, State Auditor Elaine Howle said. 

Oracle has disputed Howle’s report, saying she severely underestimated the state’s future database needs. 

The state Senate could vote this week on a bill by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey, that would prohibit technology consultants from bidding on contracts they helped draft, legislation that would specifically deal with Logicon’s role. 

Davis and his predecessor, Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, have vetoed similar bills.

Former Assemblyman wins progressive nomination at Saturday’s convention 

A nominating convention called to consider several possible candidates to run against Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean in November transformed into a giant pep rally on Saturday as roughly 225 people filled the South Berkeley Senior Center to declare support for veteran politician Tom Bates. 

Chants of “Run Tom Run” gave way to optimistic cries of “Win Tom Win” after the former state Assemblyman stepped to the microphone and accepted the mayoral nomination. 

“I want a city government that I can be proud of,” said Bates who presented himself as a conciliator who would reach across factional lines. “I want to take my experience, knowledge and energy and put it together for the people of Berkeley.” 

Bates’ acceptance of the nomination ended weeks of speculation about whether or not he would run. Before his confirmation, progressives had long debated who, if anyone, would be the best candidate to beat the two-term moderate incumbent. 

At the Saturday’s convention, Bates outlined a vision for Berkeley in which neighborhoods are livable and defended from the incursion of chain stores, pedestrians and bicyclists can move about safely, affordable mixed-use developments replace unsightly or abandoned buildings, and the city restores its claim as an innovator in the environmental movement and education. 

Bates represented Berkeley in the state Assembly from 1976 to 1996 until term limits forced him to retire. 

He is married to Loni Hancock, the former two-term Berkeley mayor and current Democratic Party nominee for Bates’ former Assembly seat.  

Bates touted the usefulness of his connections in lobbying for the city. “Berkeley needs a mayor who understands the problems and can go to Sacramento and Washington to make sure our schools are sound and our children get the best possible education,” he said. 

If elected, Bates promised that his first priority would be to enact public campaign finance reform, which was recently defeated by Berkeley’s City Council.  

“It is time to take the corruption out of the system,” said Bates, who will oppose an incumbent in Dean with a hefty campaign war chest. 

In the weeks preceding the convention, it was uncertain whom the progressives would select to face Dean in November.  

Councilmember Kriss Worthington had widespread appeal among progressives, but with his seat up for election this year, he would have had to surrender his council position to run.  

A Worthington loss, coupled with a moderate victory in his district could have catapulted Dean’s faction into a 5-4 majority in council. Currently, the progressives maintain a 5-4 majority on the council. 

Faced with this prospect, the progressives led by Worthington made a full court press to get Bates into the race. 

“Tom’s been deluged with hundreds of people calling him up begging ‘you have to do this for the sake of the city’,” Worthington said.  

After consulting with family and friends, Bates finally decided last week to heed the call. “I love this city very deeply and I want to make a contribution,” said Bates who had worked during his six year retirement from politics to improve children’s nutrition in the Berkeley and Oakland public schools, and to lobby BART to provide discounts for students under 18. 

For the progressives, Bates appears to be an ideal candidate. My not running is a testament to the talent and character of Tom,” said Worthington. 

Bates’ connections and name recognition achieved through more than 20 years in politics should enable him to raise funds to run a competitive campaign, and having previously won his assembly district with as much as 80 percent of the vote, he stands out as someone who can reach out to unaffiliated voters, while maintaining the support of the more ardent progressives. 

Unifying the progressives has never been a simple task. In every mayoral election since 1982 there has been at least one fringe candidate on the left, and in 1994, the participation of three leftist candidates contributed to Dean’s ultimate victory in a runoff.  

“It’s absolutely critical to unseat an incumbent to have a unified group of people,” said Bates. “I’m flattered I’m the person they’ll rally behind.” 

In maintaining his base of support, perhaps Bates’ surest ally is the level of disenchantment for Dean among those on the left.  

The convention was the largest political gathering in Berkeley in over ten years, according to Rob Wren, planning commissioner. Those in attendance enthusiastically applauded when speaker after speaker criticized the current mayor’s policies, and derided her as a divisive force in Berkeley politics. 

“Tom is more moderate than some of the progressives, but people are more ready to embrace that to defeat Shirley Dean,” said Wren. 

The attendees clearly came to embrace Bates. However, when Russ Ellis, vice chancellor emeritus of Undergraduate Affairs at U.C. Berkeley gave Bates’ introductory speech and repeated the refrain “It’s Tom’s time!” many convention-goers had to wonder exactly what time Bates had because he had yet to arrive on the premises. 

After the convention voted to nominate Bates by acclamation, there was a brief moment of confusion about what to do in the nominee’s absence. But Bates then strode into the hall, smiling, wearing a Panama hat, ready to take the progressive mantle against Dean in November. 

The mayor, after hearing the news of Bates’ candidacy, appeared unaffected, noting that in her estimation, the progressives have always been united. “It doesn’t matter who my opponent is,” Dean said. “I’m going to run hard on what I’ve done and what I plan to do.” 

To the Editor: 

I am not sure what Mayor Shirley Dean was thinking with her latest round of appointments to the Peace and Justice Commission. 

One of the them, Micki Weinberg, plans on joining the Israeli military after he graduates. He said it was “a moral responsibility.” 

This statement is testimony to a willingness to be on the firing end of a bullet that kills an innocent Palestinian child. 

Just yesterday, an Israeli tank officer shot a woman and both of her kids because he saw shadows lurking in the bushes. Amnesty International wrote that the same army Weinberg plans on joining is known for its regular“unlawful killings, destruction of property and arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment.” All of these are violations of “international human rights and humanitarian law.” 

In a recent opinion piece, he wrote Israel must “purge” the Palestinians. “Arafat” and even civilian “perpetrators” of the Palestinian uprising “must be rooted out.” His plagiarism of George Bush is just one of the many indications of his antipathy to peace and justice. 

After Colonel Micki Weinberg is done demolishing a home in a Palestinian refugee camp, I will pay for Mayor Dean to fly there to explain to there-displaced refugee family what an advocate of peace and justice he is. 

-Will Youmans 

Berkeley

Monday, May 6

Landmarks Preservation Commission 

Proposed landmark designation to the UC Theater, 2018-2036 University Ave. Public Hearing to consider designation.  

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst at Martin Luther King 

Free 

Live Music 

Renegade Sidemen, with Calvin Keyes, Dave Rokeach and friends 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave., Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Tuesday, May 7

Live Music  

Singers’ Open Mike, Ellen Hoffman on piano 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave., Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Wednesday May 8

Germbusters Puppet Show 

2:30- 3 p.m. 

Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Puppet show for children age 3 to 10 to learn about germs and their effects on the body. Free.  

For more information: 510-549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org 

Live Music  

Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave., Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Thursday, May 9

FBI & Local police: Partners in Repression 

Forum, Speakout & Music 

7 p.m. 

Unitarian Hall 

1924 Bonita, Berkeley 

For Info: Copwatch, 510-548-0425 

$5-$15  

Consumers’ Rights, Problems and Legislation 

Speaker Tom Vacar, consumer editor, KTVU, Channel 2 

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Albany Public Library 

1247 Marin Ave., Albany 

For more info: 510-843-8824 

Free 

Live Music  

David Widelock Jazz Duo, guitar and bass 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave., Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Community Budget Workshop 

Berkeley Unified School District 

Budget & Finance Advisory Committee 

Subject: California State Budget Process & the J200 Budget Format 

6:30 p.m. 

Berkeley High Alternative High School 

Multi Purpose Room 

2701 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Berkeley 

Free 

Friday, May 10

Live Music  

Pete Englehart / Doug Brown Jazz Duo 

Second show: Bluesman Hideo Date 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave., Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

New Sculpture & Paintings by Jody Sears & Michele Ramirez 

Opening reception: Saturday May 11, 5 to 8 p.m. 

Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Ardency Gallery 

709 Broadway, Oakland 

510-836-0831, e-mail: gallery709@aol.com 

Free 

Saturday, May 11th

W. Hazaiah Williams Memorial Concert, “The Art of the Spiritual” 

Featuring African-American Spirituals sung by mezzo soprano Vanessa Ayers, tenors Samual McKelton and William Brown, Baritone Autris Paige and bass-baritone Benjamin Matthews, and pianist Dennis Helmrich. 

7:30 p.m. 

Calvin Simmons Theater 

10 Tenth Street, Oakland 

For tickets: SASE to PO Box 507, Berkeley, 94701, or e-mail: fourseasonsconcerts@juno.com with your name, address & phone number to have tickets held at the box office or call 510-451-0775  

Free - Reserved Seating Required 

9th Annual KFOG KABOOM! 

Free Concert- Headliner Boz Scaggs along with Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise and Zero 7. Expo area of food, drinks interactive sponsor exhibits and continuous performances for families on the Children’s stage. At 9 p.m. more than 7 tons of Fireworks burst over the Bay, choreographed to a soundtrack on KFOG 104.5 San Francisco and 99.7 San Jose. 

4 p.m. 

San Francisco Piers 30-32 

Free 

Impact Theatre's Love Is The Law 

La Val's Subterranean Theatre 

World-premiere of Impact Theatre's new romantic comedy play featuring David Ballog. 

For more information and reservations: 510-464-4468, www.tickets@impacttheatre.com 

$12 general, $7 students  

English Song Recital  

featuring Kirk Eichelberger, bass, with Christopher Luthi, piano  

7:00 p.m.  

Valley Christian High School, 100 Skyway Drive, San Jose.  

Tickets are available for a $100 tax-deductible donation.  

All proceeds benefit the Discovery Center's educational therapy program. 

Word Beat Reading Series 

Entertainers of all kinds come together . Featuring readers Rita Flores Bogaert and Ann Hunkins 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

For more information: 510-526-5985, www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat 

Free 

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament 

Fun for everyone, whether competing or watching. At the New Gym at Albany High in Albany. Hosted by and benefiting Athletics at Albany High School. Players sign up today to play in one of four divisions. 64 teams compete for $500 First Prize & $250 Second Prize in each division with final game to be played Sunday, May 12 

510-525-2716 

Children's Movies 

Beauty & the Beast (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave., Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

W. Hazaiah Williams Memorial Concert, “The Art of the Spiritual” 

Featuring African-American Spirituals sung by mezzo soprano Vanessa Ayers, tenors Samual McKelton and William Brown, Baritone Autris Paige and bass-baritone Benjamin Matthews, and pianist Dennis Helmrich. 

7:30 p.m. 

Calvin Simmons Theater 

10 Tenth Street, Oakland 

For tickets: SASE to PO Box 507, Berkeley, 94701, or e-mail: fourseasonsconcerts@juno.com with your name, address & phone number to have tickets held at the box office or call 510-451-0775  

Free - Reserved Seating Required 

Live Music  

Classic Jazz Singer Robin Gregory with Bliss Rodriguez on piano 

Second show: Ducksan Distones Jazz Sextet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave., Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA

The Berkeley High girls’ lacrosse team defeated Bishop O’Dowd, 6-1, on Saturday to clinch the Golden Gate-Shoreline Lacrosse League title with an undefeated league season. Senior Elena Krieger led the way for Berkeley with three goals. 

O’Dowd (4-2 GGSLL) actually got the scoring started at Cal’s Memorial Stadium when Anne Marie Cecconi found teammate Tiffany Lee open in front of the Berkeley net after a long stretch of pressure. But that was the last goal the Dragons would get as Berkeley goalie Rosie Gibson had a stellar second half with nine saves, including three on penalty shots. 

“I wasn’t really worried when (O’Dowd) scored,” Berkeley head coach Rebecca Meyer said. “The only thing I was worried about was that we might mentally psych ourselves out. But I knew we could be strong and come back and score.” 

Gibson did an excellent job of not giving up rebounds, but the same couldn’t be said for O’Dowd goalie Jovan Tucker. Tucker did a good job on initial shots, but often couldn’t get the ball to stay in her cradle. Berkeley scored its first goal on a rebound, with Krieger picking up the loose ball and firing it past Tucker. 

“Elena was the key today,” Meyer said. “She played great on offense and defense.” 

The Lady Yellowjackets (10-4 overall, 6-0 GGSLL) also took advantage of the slower O’Dowd players with fastbreaks. Off of a quick restart, Veronica Searles passed to Sacsha Atkins-Loria, who raced up the sideline before dumping the ball to Kate Walstead. Walstead dropped the ball, but had time to pick it back up and score for a 2-1 edge. 

Another restart found Walstead feeding Atkins-Loria for an easy shot, then Joanna Hoch bounced a shot past Tucker just before halftime, and Berkeley was up 4-1. 

The second half was a defensive battle, with nearly 20 minutes going by without a score. Gibson was on fire coming out of halftime, making eight saves during the scoreless stretch to make sure the Dragons couldn’t cut the Berkeley lead. 

Two goals in 32 seconds sealed the deal for the ’Jackets. First Atkins-Loria put the ball to the front of the O’Dowd goal, where Krieger made a great catch before turning and beating Tucker high. Krieger finished her hat trick on a penalty shot seconds later, and Berkeley had the league championship all sewn up. 

Berkeley will now enter an eight-team postseason tournament. Possible first-round opponents include Monte Vista, Miramonte and Thatcher.

Recycling is theme 

at Berkeley art show 

Visitors to Saturday’s Trash to Treasures reception discovered a miniature bed spread made entirely of used tea bags, a giant bug made of assorted metals hanging from the ceiling, and a mysterious looking woman with a snake in her hands, holding court in the back corner on a throne of objects that she finds too many uses for to ever throw away. 

The annual junk-art exhibition is put on by the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse and what it lacks in pomp, it more than makes up for in energy, originality, and eco-consciousness. 

The 10th annual exhibition, on display through May 17 at the Outback Store in Berkeley, at Sacramento and Dwight streets, showcases 123 works by children, adults, families, and professional artists, all of whom use materials that would have usually found their way to the local landfill or dump.  

The organizers worked with local schools and sent out community-wide invitations for entries, which were ultimately selected by a panel of judges. Winners were selected in eight categories ranging from early elementary school student through professional artist.  

“This is meant to be a venue of diverse people that all see with a vision of how to transform trash into treasure,” said Valerie Raps, event co-coordinator.  

Emma Ramstad, who recently moved from Minnesota, was excited to contribute. She used cardboard and broken CDs to create a miniature art car parade, a technique she first learned as a child when she accidentally crushed a farmer’s lawn mower under her tractor and made him a replica mower out of cardboard.  

“It’s so cool to have the East Bay Depot to make recycled art and then to get a place like this. It’s very exciting,” said Ramstad.  

This is the first year the exhibition is at the Outback Store. Its nine-year affiliation with the Oakland YWCA ended when that building’s gallery space was converted for other uses.  

The site has been vacant for over a year, while Berkeley leaders decide what to do with the land, but in keeping with Trash to Treasure’s theme the organizers are creatively re-using it for this year’s show. 

The site also provides extra space to accommodate the exhibition’s first performance art installation by Orunamamu, which means “Morning Star” in a Nigerian dialect. 

Orunamamu is a retired Berkeley teacher, who became a full-time storyteller operating from the porch of her Rockridge home. For the exhibition, she has moved many on the objects from her home to the art space to show children that there is a story, and a hidden significance behind many of the objects people throw away.  

“A lot of things that are wasted could be used if we re-imagine what we could do,” said Orunamamu who flaunted a small snake on hand and a small mat or “magic carpet” woven from magazines in the other. 

Asked if she considered herself a pack rat, the storyteller replied that she was a collector, because pack rats pick up anything, but a collector only takes things to use for a purpose. 

A central theme of the exhibition is collaborative art, especially among adults and children. Joyce Slim, an art instructor at Franklin State Preschool, and an entrant in past shows decided to work with her 3- to 5-year-old students, and her friend Sherron Longfeather for this show. 

Their project, “What A Wonderful World” is a tribute to Louis Armstrong’s famous song, and features a figurine of the jazz great on top of a bike rim, set above seven figures of children made from tin and plastic containers, each representing a different theme from the song. 

Slim has been recycling art with children for several years, and has found that even preschoolers can understand the message embedded in the art. “Their concept light turned on when they saw the things being attached,” said Slim. “They made the connection that ‘hey that’s my apple juice box.’”  

Slim is hopeful that in addition to giving a stage for this inventive art, Trash to Treasure will change the perspectives of visitors of all ages. “These things are around us and we can use them to create something to bring joy to others.”  

To the Editor: 

Last week’s protest by university group Students for Justice in Palestine was none other than a true testament to the fact that the group has already lost its credibility and is desperately trying to gain more supporters after alienating much of campus with their repeated disruption of classes. SJP has really hit rock bottom when they are trying desperately to make a connection that this is turning back to the pre-1964 no-free-speech days on this campus. SJP had the right as a student group to reserve one of the many reservable campus places such as Sproul every day of the school year and protest every single day under the code of conduct for student groups. They instead chose to violate the campus rules and are upset when the university has taken action against them. So what is their current action? A speaker at the rally, Hatem Bazian, a leader in the MSU, gets up on Sproul and tells the crowd “to take a look at the type of names on the building around campus --- Haas, Zellerbach and decide who controls this university.” Therefore when all else fails for them and they refuse to take responsibility for their own actions, they blame the Jews. Hey why not? It worked before. 

-Maya Aizenman 

U.C. Berkeley student

Panthers shine at MOC 

The St. Mary’s High track & field squad had a good day at the Meet of Champions in Sacramento on Saturday with four wins, including three from the boys’ side. 

Solomon Welch pulled off yet another double win with first-place finishes in the long jump and triple jump, although Robert Banks of Woodcreek jumped an identical 46’05” in the triple jump. The biggest surprise of the day was a win by the boys’ 4x100 relay team, which finished in a blazing 41.87, their fastest time of the year and the seventh fastest in the state this season. 

Kamaiya Warren was her usual dominating self, winning the discus and taking second in the shotput. Danielle Stokes continued her season-long duel with Talia Stewart of Logan High, finishing behind the sophomore in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles to finish second and third, respectively.  

Berkeley girls finish second at ACCAL championship  

The Berkeley High girls finished second at the ACCAL track & field championship on Saturday in Hercules, while the boys limped home with a fourth-place finish. Alameda High swept the meet, more than doubling Berkeley’s point on the girls’ side and topping Pinole Valley, 153-120, on the boys’ side.  

Berkeley’s Alex Enscoe continued his dominance in the distance events, winning both the 1,600 and 3,200. 

Individual performances not enough for ’Jackets  

Berkeley High’s swim teams both came in second behind Alameda at the ACCAL swimming championships at Contra Costa College on Saturday. 

Berkeley sophomore Dominic Cathey won by four seconds in the 200 individual medley, taking more than a second off of his personal best with a time on 2:00.38. Cathey also won the 500 freestyle. Nick Easterday also won two events for the ’Jackets, nipping Alameda’s Terry Fukichi in the 50 free and 100 free.

Worshipers seeking a spiritual lift at the Salvation Army service yesterday came up a bit short. 

Sunday-morning regulars were greeted with news that their 13-year facility, at 1535 University Ave., may soon be up for sale. 

According to chairperson of the Berkeley Salvation Army Advisory Board Bill White, administrators from Sacramento informed the board this weekend that low attendance would likely be grounds for closing the center. 

“This is a step backward for us,” he said. “When people think about the Salvation Army, they have always thought Berkeley and all the work that’s been done here.” 

Salvation Army administrators are expected to make a formal announcement about the closing on Wednesday, White said. Officials at the Sacramento divisional headquarters could not be reached for comment. 

The Berkeley Salvation Army, in addition to its regular Sunday morning worship service, provides a number of resources for the community. Access to free food, shelter, and clothing, counseling on employment and personal issues like drug addiction, and direct monetary aid and vouchers are among their services. 

Once the group’s facility is sold, White said the organization will likely move to a smaller, rented space somewhere in town. 

However, White added that the chaplain and manager of Berkeley’s Salvation Army, Captain Terrance Wright, would be transferred to a new post, and 

the organization’s new quarters would likely discontinue worship services. 

“And the sale is not only going to affect the Salvation Army,” he continued,” but other programs as well.” 

Berkeley’s Head Start, a nonprofit serving children of low-income families, as well as the city’s Police Activities League, a program also serving youth, operate out of the Berkeley Salvation Army building too. 

Berkeley’s Salvation Army board is planning an “emergency” meeting for Tuesday to develop a strategy to counter Wednesday’s expected announcement. 

White said he hopes Sacramento officials will reconsider selling their facility, but said he’s doubtful that Wright would stay and worship services would continue. 

To the Editor: 

A recent announcement from City Councilmember Donna Spring called for citizen participation in a convention to select a progressive candidate to run against current Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean. This announcement proudly asserted that the last time such an event occurred it resulted in the election of two-term Mayor Loni Hancock. Given that Donna Spring, who deserves to be known as the Green Party's brown thumb, was the source of this call, this should make the whole process suspect from the beginning. 

Loni Hancock was an unmitigated disaster for Berkeley. Her hand-picked choice of City Manger Michael Brown militarized the Berkeley Police. He embarked on a campaign against dissent in Berkeley and created the police unit known as The Crowd Management Team. During that time, supposed progressive city councilmembers voted for the use of crowd control munitions - by police. These had been used on crowds protesting construction of volley ball courts at People’s Park. At the City Council meeting where the deciding votes were cast, Brown stood on the stage of the Berkeley Community Theatre and pointed out community activists to be dragged out and arrested. Some notable activists such as Carol Denney were hog-tied like farm animals. The progressive City Council and Mayor Hancock did nothing to intervene in this gross violation of civil rights and liberties. 

Loni Hancock pushed through legislation that allowed the most notorious developer in Berkeley, the university, to OK its own EIR findings, giving up the city's right to review them. This proved a clear violation of the voters’ will, as expressed with passage of Measure N in the mid 80's. This ballot measure commanded city officials to take every possible measure to ensure U.C. Berkeley’s compliance with existing zoning laws and the General Plan. So far, not one city official has made any effort to enforce the will of the voters expressed in Measure N. Mayor Hancock was totally complicit in the University's construction of volley ball courts at People's Park and lied about her involvement repeatedly. 

Spring’s record is total anathema to what the Green platform is supposed to stand for. Unfortunately the local Green Party is nothing more than a reelection vehicle for Spring and will not do anything to hold her accountable to the Green Party platform. Spring was on the committee that drafted the "poor law" proposals used to further legitimize and codify Berkeley's war against the homeless. Further, Spring, at the behest of local merchants who complained about homeless folks camping out on a bench on Shattuck Avenue, personally ordered city workers to remove the offending piece of outdoor furniture. She voted for the privatization of the city parking garages, depriving union workers of jobs. To avoid offending downtown merchants she voted against HUD money to be used to create low income housing in downtown Berkeley. In many critical votes on progressive issues where it came down to her as the swing vote she waffled by abstaining thus allowing the item to be defeated by council moderates. 

When it comes down to walking the talk, Berkeley progressives remain hobbled at the starting line by their own self-serving tendency to compromise at the first hint of opposition and timorous fear of being portrayed as being too radical rather than standing on principle. Not one supposed progressive on the City Council has denounced the illegal labor practices employed by certain city of Berkeley departments. Part-time employees of the city do not receive benefits and are limited to less than 30 hours per week, the break point between part time and full time. If a part-time employee works more than 30 hours, they are ordered to carry the extra time over to next week’s time card so they will not move up to full-time status and thus eligible for benefits. Nor have any progressive city councilmembers called for the firing of City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque who, among her many notable endeavors, has done her best to legally justify city actions against the homeless and the undermining of the Brown Act by city departments and commissions. 

-Stephen Dunifer 

Berkeley

Cal put forth its best effort but was swept at the Big Meet for the second year in a row Saturday at Edwards Stadium. On men’s side, the Cardinal won 94-69, marking its first victory at Cal since 1966. The Cardinal women posted a 101-62 victory.  

“(The streak) meant a lot to the kids on different teams,” said Cal Director of Track and Field Erv Hunt. “You always want to win, but it’s amazing that it’s been that long of a time (since Stanford won in Berkeley). To win something that many times is pretty amazing.”  

The Golden Bears had less athletes entered than Stanford in many events, but those that competed had arguably their best meet of the year. Among those that scored, 18 personal bests were set by Cal athletes. Additionally, the Bears posted three of the six Big Meet records set Saturday. The teams also combined to set three school records - two for Cal and one for Stanford.  

“Kids really stepped up and did a great job,” said Hunt. “Stanford just had too many people. There were a lot of really good performances. You can’t ask for them to do better than their best.”  

The most impressive of all of the records set in the 108th Big Meet (23rd for women) came from Cal senior Jennifer Joyce. The Vancouver product broke her own Canadian record and school record in the hammer by winning the competition with a throw of 214’0”, bettering her previous Canadian record of 212’7” set two weeks ago at the Mount SAC Relays. Joyce, who ranks second in the nation in the hammer this year, also shattered her previous hammer Big Meet record of 200’4” from 2000.  

Three other seniors and one junior accounted for the several of the other Cal highlights. Senior Bubba McLean won the pole vault by eclipsing the 18-foot mark for the first time in his career. He cleared an NCAA provisional 18’0.5”, becoming only the third Cal athlete to ever clear 18 feet. McLean broke the previous Big Meet record of 17’8.5”, set in 1991 by Brent Burns. Burns and Clarence Phelps are the other two 18-foot pole vaulters in Cal history.  

“You kind of knew (an 18-foot clearance) was coming,” said Hunt. “This was a good time to get it. It was pretty exciting.”  

Senior Marielle Schlueter finished second (NCAA provisional: 10:22.38) in the 3000-meter steeplechase and bettered her previous Cal record by almosts eight seconds.  

Senior Erin Belger, who entered the meet with the second-best mark in the nation in the 800, easily won the event Saturday with a new personal best and NCAA automatic time of 2:04.39. Stanford’s Ashley Wysong was second in 2:06.94.  

“She wasn’t pushed really,” said Hunt of Belger. “She can go faster. That’s for sure. She’s setting herself up to make a run at the NCAA championship.”  

Cal swept two events Saturday - the men’s javelin and the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Junior Joe Berro claimed top honors in the javelin with a modern era Big Meet record of 220’2”. That distance was a personal record, an NCAA provisional qualifier and ranks second on the Bears all-time list. Sophomore Deanna Slaton also posted a PR of 1:00.05 to take first in the 400-meter hurdles.  

Overall, Cal won 12 events - six men’s and six women’s - and nine of the victories came with personal best performances.

Twelve years after two Earth First! activists were arrested in the bombing of their own car, investigators facing accusations of false arrest have sharply different recollections of the case. 

Two of the three Oakland police officers named in the suit filed by Darryl Cherney and Judi Bari say they were heavily influenced by FBI agents who came to the scene of the 1990 bombing and told them the two victims were tied to domestic terrorism. 

FBI agents, meanwhile, maintain it was Oakland police who pushed for the swift arrests. 

Cherney is expected to take the stand Monday in Oakland federal court as his attorneys wrap up their case. Attorneys for the lawmen expect to call only a few more witnesses and the case could go to the jury by mid-month. 

Bari and Cherney were driving in Oakland in May 1990 when a bomb went off under Bari, who was at the wheel. She suffered a crushed pelvis and Cherney suffered cuts. 

Hours after the bombing, the two were arrested and named as the main suspects. However, the district attorney later determined there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute and no one was charged in the bombing. 

Bari and Cherney’s civil suit claims false arrests, illegal searches, slanderous statements and conspiracy. 

Attorneys for Cherney and Bari’s estate — Bari died of cancer in 1997 — have tried to show that FBI agents rushed to the scene and took the lead in the investigation, telling police Cherney and Bari were linked to power line sabotage. 

At the time of the arrests, officials said the bomb was in the rear of the car where it would have been visible to Bari and Cherney. 

But jurors have heard from David Williams, the FBI’s former chief bomb technician at the agency’s crime lab in Washington, D.C., who said it was clear the device had been shoved under the driver’s seat. 

Williams testified that a switch, a cheap pocket watch and a motion device would have all had to be triggered before the bomb could detonate. The Cherney-Bari team says the pair would have been crazy to drive around on top of the bomb with the switch pulled and the timer activated. 

Two of the three Oakland policemen named in the suit testified they relied heavily almost exclusively on FBI information. 

However, retired FBI agent Frank Doyle denied Oakland police claims he told them the bomb must have been clearly visible. He also denied telling officers that nails found in the back of the car matched nails wrapped in duct tape around the bomb. 

On Thursday, former Oakland Police Lt. Mike Sims testified Oakland police did take the lead in the investigation. 

Sims, now working in the Tracy department, said he still believes Bari and Cherney knew the bomb was in the car but didn’t realize it was armed. 

STANFORD – In a game that followed the pattern of the series, the Cal baseball team played No. 9 ranked Stanford well through the first few innings but couldn’t hold off the Cardinal, losing 8-5 Sunday at Sunken Diamond.  

The Bears, who have lost seven games in a row, go to 26-26 overall and 8-13 in the Pac-10, while the Cardinal improve to 32-13 and 9-6 in conference. Cal lost to Stanford, 8-4, Friday night and 13-6 Saturday.  

The scored was tied 4-4 after four innings. The Bears had scored three runs in the third inning on a solo home run by Nick Medrano, a solo home run by Conor Jackson and an RBI single by Brian Horwitz. Cal added another run in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Justin Nelson.  

Offensively Stanford scored a run in the second off of Bear starter Matt Brown on a solo home run by Scott Dragicevich. The Cardinal added three more runs in the third on a two-run triple by Carlos Quentin and a sacrifice fly by Brian Hall.  

Stanford finally pulled ahead by scoring three runs in the fifth off of Brown. Sam Fuld led off with a home run, Hall had a sacrifice fly to center field and a throwing error by Cal shortstop Jeff Dragicevich allowed another run to score. The Bears tacked on another run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by John Baker and the Cardinal had another run in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run by Arik VanZandt for the final 8-5 margin.

Today 

Today is Monday, May 6, the 126th day of 2002. There are 239 days left in the year. 

Highlight in History 

On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German dirigible Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 35 of the 97 people on board and a Navy crewman on the ground. 

On this date 

In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union. 

In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower. 

In 1910, Britain’s King Edward VII died. 

In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating. 

In 1942, during World War II, some 15,000 Americans and Filipinos on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese. 

In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. 

In 1960, Britain’s Princess Margaret married Anthony Armstrong Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. (They divorced in 1978.) 

In 1962, in the first test of its kind, the submerged submarine USS Ethan Allen fired a Polaris missile armed with a nuclear warhead that detonated above the Pacific Ocean. 

In 1987, CIA Director William J. Casey died at age 74. 

In 1996, the body of former CIA director William E. Colby was found washed up on a riverbank in southern Maryland, eight days after he’d disappeared. 

Ten years ago 

Former Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., where Winston Churchill had spoken of the “Iron Curtain.” Gorbachev said the world was still divided, between North and South, rich and poor. Actress Marlene Dietrich died at her Paris home at age 90. 

Five years ago 

President Clinton wrapped up his visit to Mexico as he and Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo pledged closer cooperation on immigration and drug smuggling. 

Army Staff Sgt. Delmar G.Simpson was sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping six trainees at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. World chess champion Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue computer played to a draw in game three of their six-game match. 

One year ago 

John Paul II, during his visit to Syria, became the first pope to enter a mosque as he called for brotherhood between Christians and Muslims. American businessman Dennis Tito ended the world’s first paid space vacation as he returned to Earth aboard a Russian capsule. 

Today’s Birthdays 

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays is 71. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is 68. Rock singer Bob Seger is 57. Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 57. Actor Ben Masters is 55. Actor Gregg Henry is 50. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 49. TV game show host Tom Bergeron is 47. Actor George Clooney is 41. Actor Clay O’Brien is 41. Actress Roma Downey is 39. Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 38. Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 35.

Tuesday 

Tennis – Berkeley vs. Montgomery (NCS first round), 3:30 p.m. at King Middle School 

Boys Lacrosse – Berkeley vs. Branson, 4 p.m. at Branson High, Ross 

Wednesday 

Baseball – Berkeley vs. Hercules, 3:30 p.m. at Hercules High 

Baseball – St. Mary’s vs. Piedmont, 3:30 p.m. at Piedmont High 

Softball – Berkeley vs. Hercules, 3:30 p.m. at Hercules High 

Thursday 

Track & Field – BSAL Finals, 3 p.m. at Piedmont High 

Friday 

Baseball – Cal vs. Oregon State, 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond 

Baseball – Berkeley vs. Encinal, 3:30 p.m. at Encinal High, Alameda 

Softball – Berkeley vs. Encinal, 3:30 p.m. at Encinal High, Alameda 

Boys Lacrosse – Berkeley vs. Piedmont, 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley High

Berkeley’s annual Cinco de Mayo festival had a new address and a new attitude this year, as organizers chose to shed the holiday’s rollicking party image in favor of a more subdued block party setting. 

The holiday commemorating the Battle of Puebla, in which Mexican fighters defeated an occupying French force in 1862, had been celebrated annually in Berkeley’s Civic Center Park. However this year, local Latino leaders decided to try something new. 

“We are trying to change the focus from a concert venue to a family day,” said Carlos Rios, a festival organizer from the Duran organization, explaining the decision to move the festival to James Kenny Park at 8th and Virginia streets in the heart of Berkeley’s largest Latino neighborhood. 

“The downtown venue was not attracting the local community,” said Rios. “We thought that if we had it in the neighborhood that a larger concentration of Latin people would attend.” 

He was right. The park was filled with local Latino families enjoying food, music, face painting and two giant bubble castles. 

The convenient location and family friendly attitude was appreciated by seemingly everyone at the festival. “I love the family orientation that it has. Over there [civic center park] it seemed to be more of a tourist thing. Here it is for the community,” said Rosalia Wilkins.  

In addition to food and fun, the festival provided free medical services. For the first time the La Raza Health Fair was partnered with the Cinco de Mayo celebration, offering local residents an opportunity to get on-the-spot eye, blood pressure and diabetes exams. 

The health fair, which is usually held independently in April, is organized by the Chicanos Latinos in Health Education (CHE), a UC Berkeley student group that works with volunteers from the UC San Francisco Medical Center and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health to provide health services for local Latinos in need. 

“A lot of men won’t go to the doctor but they will go here because it’s non-threatening,” said Beatriz Leyva Cutler of Bay Area Hispanic Institute for Advancement, an organization that operates two child care centers.  

The health fair is especially important for Latinos because, according to Nirav Kamdar of CHE, 33 percent of adult Latinos have diabetes but most do not know it. We are trying to empower people to be their own doctor,” said Kamdar, who stated that after the Pima Native American tribe, Latinos have the highest risk of diabetes of any ethnic group in the world. 

The new Cinco de Mayo festival was the collaborative work of several different local Latino groups. Adelante, a non-profit Latino organization had sponsored the festival for several years, but after the organization folded last year, Duran, an organization that provides scholarships to Latino students and promotes the arts stepped forward. 

Duran along with BAHIA and CHE pooled their resources to organize this year’s festival, which has included a weakling schedule of educational and cultural events that put a different spin on the holiday. 

“Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity for the community to celebrate itself. A day to celebrate and reflect on everything,” Rios said. 

One item the organizers noticeably decided to leave out was alcohol. Many festival goers expressed mixed reactions about the recent commercialization of the holiday, but were overwhelmingly supportive of the decision to keep the festival dry.  

“Cinco de Mayo has become the Latino version of St. Patrick’s day, said Ricardo Gomez a graduating UC Berkeley senior and member of CHE. “I’m glad there’s a general recognition of the Latino holiday, but it’s gotten co-opted. It going to get commercialized no matter how you do it.”  

Andrea Vargas, who was visiting from Castro Valley, concurred stating that although she thought she could look at the media portrayal in two ways, she considered some of the Cinco de Mayo television commercials degrading. “This event celebrates it the best way we can celebrate it: By bringing good people and families together.” 

Rios considered the new festival an unabashed success, and was already thinking of new activities for children next year. “This year was just an experiment to see if the change would work,” said Rios, who was considering horse rides among other activities. “If we can achieve that children come to the festival and they enjoy it, they will have something to remember Cinco de Mayo by.”

Accompanied by brass bands and flag-waving school children, members of Mexico’s military celebrated the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla on Sunday, marking the country’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. 

Speaking during the ceremony, which was also attended by President Vicente Fox, Gen. Rigoberto Castellejos Adriano said the battle “demonstrated to the world our wish to exist as a free and sovereign nation.” 

“The Battle of Puebla shows that Mexico knows how to resolve with determination and strength its problems and the most adverse situations,” he said. “It shows that with unity and patriotism as Mexicans, we have overcome the most difficult circumstances that throughout time have tested our will.” 

The celebration marked the day when, on May 5, 1862, Mexican soldiers defeated French troops in Puebla, a colonial town 65 miles southeast of Mexico City. 

A year later, however, troops sent by Napoleon III took control of Mexico City, forcing the government of Benito Juarez to flee. 

Not even an official holiday in Mexico, May 5 is barely recognized by most Mexicans living south of the Rio Grande. But those living in the United States have adopted the date as a holiday to celebrate their heritage with everything from backyard picnics to street fairs. 

On Saturday, President Bush celebrated Cinco de Mayo by praising immigrants for their “strong values and their determination to create a better life for themselves and their children.”

SANTA ANA — Two friends from Pakistan, who hoped for opportunity in the United States but instead found themselves jailed in a post-Sept. 11 roundup, are heading home after spending more than six months in custody. 

Ahmed Atta and Salman Hyder, both 19, were detained Oct. 6, as federal investigators checked out an anonymous tip that Atta had a link to the al-Qaida terrorist network. Atta recently was sent back to Pakistan, while Hyder remains in custody pending his return. 

In separate interviews with the Orange County Register, Atta and Hyder, described how they were detained, interrogated for weeks and taken to court appearances in chains. 

“I was scared as hell,” Atta said. 

Hyder said he, too, was terrified as agents repeatedly asked the same questions about possible links to terrorists. 

“I was shivering when those agents were questioning me,” Hyder said. “During those first two months, we were terrified because we knew our case was not a normal case.” 

Both men did not have an attorney during the interviews. 

Although no links to terrorists were ever found, Atta and Hyder were convicted of minor visa violations involving working without proper papers or permission. Both were sentenced to time served and ordered to either leave the county voluntarily or be deported. 

Atta said he regretted the lost opportunity to make his fortune in America. 

“I came to spend the rest of my life here,” said Atta. “I know (the INS) won’t want to hear this. But that’s the truth. I would love to live here. It is the land of opportunity.” 

Hyder was eager to return to his family. 

“I like the U.S., but I’m dying to go back to Pakistan,” he said. “I know it will be hard, but my home is better than jail.” 

Hyder and Atta lived in a Fountain Valley condominium and attended Irvine Valley College. Both came to the United States believing there was more opportunity to prosper her than in the Middle East. 

Hyder arrived in January 2000 on a student visa, but dropped out of school after only one semester in violation of federal rules. He had to work, Hyder said, because his father was unemployed and could no longer afford to support him. 

Atta applied for a job at Fry’s Electronics in Fountain Valley last year. Atta said he had to work to support himself for what he called “an opportunity of a lifetime.” 

Hyder was born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents. Atta was born in Pakistan but, like Hyder, grew up in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital. 

Atta’s attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, said the prosecution of the roommates was unprecedented. “He (Atta) was arrested for immigration offenses that I had never seen prosecuted before as a criminal matter,” Kaye said. 

SACRAMENTO — While a legislative committee investigating the state’s software contract with Oracle Corp. meets Monday, Gov. Gray Davis’ finance director and Oracle officials will discuss killing the contract criticized as wasteful. 

Finance Director Tim Gage will meet with Oracle executives to negotiate an end to the state’s six-year, $95 million, no-bid contract to buy and administer database management software from Oracle, Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio said Sunday. 

Meanwhile, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee hearings led by Assemblyman Dean Florez will feature at least eight Davis administration officials Monday, Florez said. A Democrat from Shafter and committee chairman, Florez will focus on the roles of two Davis aides — Cynthia Curry, a top lawyer in the General Services Department, and Kari Dohn, a Davis policy adviser. 

Curry will be asked how the contract was reviewed before it was signed, Florez told the Orange County Register. Dohn will be asked if Davis was told about the contract. 

On Friday, Davis said he didn’t know about the contract before it was signed. 

Also testifying will be Elias Cortez, the suspended state technology chief, and Betty Yee, the chief deputy director of the Department of Finance. 

Originally touted as a way for the state to save money through volume software purchases, the contract has turned controversial as a state auditor report says it would cost taxpayers as much as $41 million more than if the state had relied on previous suppliers. The state and Oracle had said the contract would save the state $16 million. Oracle has disputed Auditor Elaine Howle’s report, saying she severely underestimated the state’s future database needs. Last week, Oracle officials said they would end the contract with the state, and on Saturday officials from Logicon Inc., the company packaging the software with Oracle, said they, too, would drop the contract. On Sunday, Maviglio welcomed the Logicon offer but said that while Gage will meet Monday with Oracle, no meeting with Logicon has been arranged yet. 

MISSION VIEJO — A Mission Viejo park was temporarily closed Sunday after several half-dollar sized pieces of broken glass were found near a child’s slide, officials said. 

The broken glass was found underneath a slide and it’s stairwell about 1:50 p.m. at Crucero Park and may have been placed there intentionally, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. 

Amormino said the broken glass was found “at exactly the same places” as 17 nails found Friday at William M. Beebe Park, also in Mission Viejo, and 30 razor blades and 30 nails found Thursday at Vista Park in Laguna Niguel. 

It’s unclear if the nails were left in the park by the same people. He said those responsible for placing sharp objects in the parks may have switched to glass from nails to elude metal detectors.

Bilingual cooperation just one example of network’s ideas for Spanish-language integration 

LOS ANGELES – When WNBC reporter Darlene Rodriguez finished filing a report on the recent meeting of U.S. bishops at the Vatican, she switched hats and filed a second report in Spanish for the Telemundo network and its New York affiliate. 

That kind of bilingual cooperation is just one example of the way NBC hopes to work with Telemundo, which it bought last October for $2 billion. 

The relationship will most likely bear its first fruits behind the scenes, with the networks eliminating duplicate back office operations and combining some of its sales staffs, even housing some NBC and Telemundo affiliates in the same building. 

But NBC president Andy Lack hinted at broader moves recently at a news conference announcing that Telemundo had hired away Maria Celeste Arraras, a top newscaster at dominant Spanish-language network Univision. 

Arraras is expected to contribute occasionally to NBC’s Dateline and news shows on NBC’s other cable channels. 

“There aren’t going to be any walls between NBC and Telemundo,” Lack said. 

Media companies and advertisers are waking up to the buying power of Hispanics, whose numbers in this country have grown nearly 60 percent in the past decade to 35.3 million, according to the 2000 census. 

Over the next 20 years, that figure is expected to grow to 55 million. Their purchasing power could grow at three times the rate of the rest of the country, analysts say. 

But crafting the right strategy to capitalize on that market is still a work in progress, with tact and sensitivity key considerations. 

“When we start trying to hit each other over the head with ethnic hammers, nobody is listening,” said comedian George Lopez, who stars in his own sitcom on ABC. 

To help reach Hispanic audiences, NBC executives are asking Telemundo for advice on casting pilots for the upcoming season while examining a new Telemundo reality series and popular telenovelas, or soap operas, for ideas. 

“We may have a programming opportunity in daytime, where soap operas are so strong,” Lack said in an interview. “Latino viewers have a passion for that genre, and we can go to school on picking up some good programs there. 

“We may want to cast actors and actresses who are bilingual if it works on some of our programming,” he said. “A Latin star of a Telemundo soap opera might find him or herself as a guest star on some of our programming if the language capabilities are there.” 

Telemundo has little to lose in joining NBC. It has long languished in the shadow of rival Univision. 

Being part of NBC holds the promise of greater advertising revenue, which could be used to lure top talents like Arraras. The chance to appear on NBC from time to time is also seen as a recruiting tool, especially for newscasters. 

“I think there is a large market for crossover anchors and reporters,” said Jim McNamara, president and chief executive of Telemundo. “We’re not going to promise someone a gig on NBC. But the fact is that as part of Telemundo, you are part of NBC.” 

McNamara said as many as 40 percent of Telemundo’s news reporters are fluent enough in English to file a breaking news report. And many NBC journalists, especially in major markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami, are bilingual. 

“I don’t think it’s a driving force behind the deal,” McNamara said. “But it’s an obvious byproduct.” 

Executives at Univision are taking a different tack by trying to reach even more Spanish speakers and bilingual Hispanics who have been watching English-language television because of a lack of compelling Spanish programming. 

“We’ve developed an expertise in the Hispanic market,” said Ray Rodriguez, president and chief operating officer of Univision Networks. “Our strategy is not to Americanize our network.” That strategy is in line with the findings of a recent study on ethnic media in California, one of the first states in the nation where minorities are a majority. 

The study showed the strength of ethnic media — especially Hispanic and Asian newspapers and television — and revealed that a growing number of minorities in California prefer to read publications and listen to broadcasts in their own language. 

Lopez, however, believes Hispanics will respond to English-language programming that has quality, regardless of whether it features Hispanic performers or newscasters. 

“I’ve always felt the way to get us to be mainstream is in small increments,” he said. “The success of a Marc Anthony and a Shakira is the way America will finally come to understand we are talented people, we can help the system economically and not deplete it like you see so much of on the news.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Police officers are conflicted about whether to return marijuana to someone who’s legally entitled to use the drug for medical reasons. 

Under federal law, marijuana use for any reason is illegal, but under state law, growing and using pot with a doctor’s recommendation is legal. 

In at least three cases in Northern California, police have balked at returning marijuana to people who successfully pleaded that they shouldn’t be prosecuted because their pot use is covered under Proposition 215. Police argue that giving back the pot could leave them liable to prosecution under federal law against distributing illegal drugs. 

“There is no legal answer to this conundrum,” said Rory Little, a professor at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and a former federal prosecutor. 

In Yuba County, Sheriff Virginia Black defied an order by a judge last week to return 37 medicinal marijuana plants to Doyle and Belinda Satterfield, who were arrested in August but later had marijuana charges against them dismissed. 

“If I deliver marijuana to the Satterfields, technically I place myself in violation of federal law, and I’m not inclined to do that,” Black said. “So I find myself in a Catch-22.” 

Jesse Choper, a constitutional law professor at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, agreed with the sheriff. “I think it’s pretty clear to me that they could be charged under federal law,” Choper said. “It’s unlikely, but technically it’s possible.” 

That leaves the Satterfields wondering whether they’ll get their marijuana back. Doyle Satterfield, 52, said he uses marijuana for insomnia and arthritis, and his wife has used it for chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. 

Under state law, controlled substances are usually destroyed after trial, or if charges are dismissed, unless they were found to be “lawfully possessed” by the defendant. 

That supports the return of medicinal marijuana. And, in fact, onetime defendants in Ventura, Placer, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Joaquin counties have all gotten their pot back, according to Justin Scott, Satterfield’s lawyer. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Former actor John Barrymore III is recovering after being beaten inside his home by teenagers who were allegedly trying to steal his stash of marijuana, police said. Six teenagers pulled up to Barrymore’s upscale house in Mountain View in a Volkswagen van Wednesday, said police spokesman Jim Bennett. When the couple opened the door, they were beaten with a metal trailer hitch slung in a sock. Barrymore, 47, is the grandson of the Shakespearean actor and silent film star with the same name. Now dabbling in high-tech work, he has had minor roles in several movies and he is the brother of Drew Barrymore.

Routine, superstition and will power guide students as  

they attempt to stay on the ball during final exams 

If UC Berkeley sophomore Lauren Keller wants to do well on her finals next month, she has to have a seven millimeter mechanical pencil with a white eraser.  

“The pencils I get weird about,” the cognitive science major said. “It’s gotta be seven millimeter lead — not five millimeter.”  

Keller writes her exams in the thin, blue books the university requires, but they throw her off, especially during math finals. “I really don’t like them because they’re wide ruled,” she said. “I like to have graphing paper to write on if it’s a math final.” 

Keller’s friend, Tissa Richards, a sophomore majoring in Mass Communications, teases Keller for being eccentric. But Richards admits she has her own quirks when it comes to preparing for exams. 

RITUALS/From Page 1 

First she has to consume a cup of green tea with milk and sugar, on the floor of her bedroom, in a cross-legged fashion, the night before the exam. Then when she goes to the exam room, she has to sit on the left side. “I’ve read it several times,” Richards said. “You get used to a place and you’re less likely to be distracted.” 

As the campus heads into finals week this month, many Berkeley students swore by the value of their exam rituals. “When you establish a routine and you’re successful, you just associate success with whatever kind of silly habits you’ve cultivated,” said Michelle Goldberg, a junior without a declared major. 

Keller ageed. “There’s so much to stress about,” if you have one easy consistent thing it relaxes you,” she said. “This (the mechanical pencil) is one little thing. I’m not turning around five times before I stir my tea.” 

No one at the Free Speech Movement café yesterday said they prepared their tea that fastidiously during finals, but many said they and their friends have rituals they take seriously. 

Jasmine Dillon, a junior majoring in business needs a magic pencil. “I can’t use anyone else’s pencil,” she said. “I have to use my own.” She had been relying on the pencil she used to ace her accounting exam her sophomore year, but she lost it. “That’s why everything’s going down hill,” she joked. “I need to adopt another one.” 

Whereas Richards said it’s best to sit on the left side of the exam room, Brie Betz, a first year undergraduate studying environmental science said it’s best to sit in the back. “I just try to be in my own little world,” she said. “I usually need to have some space to not feel so intimidated by people finishing early.” 

Some people wear special clothes to exams. Goldberg said she has a friend in mechanical engineering who wears t-shirts he wore to represent his high school in science competitions to his science exams. When he takes a physics exam, he wear his physics t-shirt, never his chemistry t-shirt, she said. “He got a 200 out of 200 on his last midterm,” she said. “It just gave him confidence.” 

Goldberg uses chocolate to reward herself during exams, she said. She takes a bar of it and breaks it up into bits. When she finishes a section of the exam, she drops a bite into her mouth. She developed that ritual while doing homework. “I’m constantly eating half of the time,” she said. “I’m eating instead of doing my work. I figured I should use it as a reward system.”

Berkeley's first electric streetcar lines were established in 1891 and ran from Oakland to Berkeley along both Grove Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) and Shattuck Avenue. Blue cars ran on Grove Street displaying the sign "Lorin" on the front; red cars ran on Shattuck Avenue with the sign "Shattuck." In 1892 a connection was made between these lines by way of the university, and an electric streetcar line was also opened on Telegraph Avenue.  

By 1903 many of the competing railroad and streetcar companies in Alameda County were consolidated into the Oakland Transit Company (later known as the Key System) by Francis Marion "Borax" Smith, the successful and wealthy Death Valley miner famous for his "20 Mule Team" borax products. The new coordinated streetcar service brought expanded development opportunities to outlying areas which had earlier been serviced by horse-drawn trolleys.  

One of the areas served by the new and expanded electric street car lines was the undeveloped land on either side of College Avenue. Improved transportation and the influx of refugees from the San Francisco earthquake and fire after 1906, contributed to a growing population and had profound effects on the community and its architecture. The periods of growth and the patterns of residential development are clearly reflected by the type of homes found in the various neighborhoods. 

The Kearney Tract, located between College Avenue and Warring Street, south of Dwight Way to Parker Street, was one of these almost instant "street car suburbs". The Kearney Tract was almost entirely built between 1900 and 1918. With the exception of a few 19th century homes and several apartment houses built after the Second World War that replaced earlier houses, the streets of the Kearney Tract are excellent examples of an early 20th century Berkeley neighborhood. 

Many of the homes here are variations of the Colonial Revival style, popular between 1893 until around 1910. Inspired by the Classic Revival theme of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, the Classic, Colonial Revival style became instantly popular across the nation. Since this was also the era of the new electric streetcars in most American cities, this style is associated with turn-of-the-nineteenth century streetcar suburbs. In Berkeley, and especially in this neighborhood, these houses were often shingled in keeping with the "building with nature" tenets of the Hillside Club. Interspersed between the Colonial Revivals are houses designed by architects such as Julia Morgan. 

Discover a Berkeley streetcar suburb on Sunday May 5th from 1-5. . A ticket booth will be open the day of the tour between 12 and 4 on the lawn in front of the entrance to the Clark Kerr Campus (formerly the Deaf School) at the corner of Warring and Parker Streets. 

Susan Cerny is author of Berkeley Landmarks and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural heritage Association.  

To the Editor: 

Free speech is under attack by corporate real estate interests in south Berkeley. 

The Business Improvement District (BID) of Telegraph Avenue has a zero tolerance policy on free speech. They tear down legally posted printed matter on a daily basis. They use highly toxic substances that endanger the public, pets, and especially the workers. The torn-down flyers are left in ugly piles on the street. Ironically, these legally posted flyers are not even recycled. 

Is the BID attempting to subvert the popular culture and vital history of Telegraph Avenue? The predominantly African American workers are given less than a living wage to implement this gentrification and political white washing program of removing postings, particularly political postings. 

Shirley Dean’s last mayoral campaign falsely claimed sales on Telegraph Avenue were down (they were up) to justify criminalizing homelessness and street culture. Now Telegraph culture is being attacked on a daily basis by her same conservative agenda, for which the workers suffer. 

One woman I see is unnecessarily and improperly using a highly toxic aerosol substance known as "Goof Off" graffiti remover on a daily basis to remove water-based postings (which would remove with water). She douses the flyers wearing just a dust mask, which cannot protect her from the Xylene and Toluene contained in the spray. The spray may cause cancer and birth defects, and is a neurotoxin. Wherever she works, a thick, caustic cloud forms, which persists throughout the operation. The excess runs across the pavement where children and pets walk, and runs into the drain to the Bay. 

Going by the BID office at Haste and Telegraph (to find a locked door), I found many empty cans of "Goof Off". These workers are being harmed and abused in order to survive. The BID is not returning my phone calls imploring them to stop these practices. 

Our city funds the BID, which is violating many of our policies and principles. This must stop. 

- Jason Meggs 

Berkeley 

“Pericles, Prince of Tyre” Through May 4: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m., William Shakespeare’s tale of lost hopes and love regained. Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe. $14. La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, 234-6046. 

“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” Apr. 12 through May 11: Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Actors Ensemble of Berkeley presents Eugene O’Neill’s story of the Tyrone family. Directed by Jean-Marie Apostolides. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave., 528-5620, www.actorsensembleofberkeley.com.  

“Time Out for Ginger” May 10 through Jun. 1: The Actor’s Studio presents the famous comedy that sketches the tumult in a family that includes three teenage daughters, one of whom insists on trying out for her high school football team. $12. Check theater from dates and times. The Actor’s Studio’s Little Theatre, 3521 Maybelle Ave., Oakland 

“Homebody/Kabul” Apr. 24 - June 23: Berkeley Repertory Theatre presents Tony Kushner’s play about a women who disappears in Afghanistan and the husband and daughter’s attempts to find her. $38-$54. Call ahead for times, 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org.  

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

“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. 

“Errata” through May 4: An exhibition of the photographic work by Marco Breuer, focusing on the gaps, mistakes and marginal events that occur in daily life. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Traywick Gallery, 1316 10th St., 527-1214 

“Open: Objects” through May 4: An exhibition featuring sculptural objects by Los Angeles artist Karen Kimmel. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Traywick Gallery, 1316 10th St., 527-1214 

“Urban Re-Visions” Through May. 4: A two-person exhibition featuring the colorful anthropomorphic sculptures of Tim Burns and the figurative/narrative paintings of Dan Way Harper. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, gallery709@aol.com 

“Quilted Paintings” Through May 4: Contemporary wall quilts by Roberta Renee Baker, landscapes, abstracts, altars and story quilts. Free. The Coffee Mill, 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland 465-4224 

“Re: Figuration” May 10 through Jun. 8: A two-person exhibition by Jody Sears and Michele Ramirez. S ears presents sculpture made from wood, and Ramirez showcases her paintings of Oakland, its streets, people and geography. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” 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 

“Masterworks of Chinese Painting” Through May 26: An exhibition of distinguished works representing virtually every period and phase of Chinese painting over the last 900 years, including figure paintings and a selection of botanical and animal subjects. Prices vary. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-4889, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Marion Brenner: The Subtle Life of Plants and People” Through May 26: An exhibition of approximately 60 long-exposure black and white photographs of plants and people. $3 - $6. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“The Image of Evil in Art” 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” 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 

“East Bay Open Studios” Apr. 24 through Jun. 9: An exhibition of local artists’ work in connection with East Bay Open Studios. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., Oakland, 763-9425, www.proartsgallery 

“Solos: The Contemporary Monoprint” Apr. 26 through Jun. 15: An exhibition of two modern masters, Nathan Oliveira and Matt Phillips, as well as monoprints from other artists. Call for times. Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, kala@kala.org 

“Komar and Melamid’s Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project” Through May 26: An exhibition of paintings by elephants under the tutelage of Russian-born conceptual artists Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid. $3 - $6. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Perpetual Objects” Through Jul. 10: An exhibition of seven large-scale sculptures and two collage drawings by Dennis Leon. Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Gallery 555 City Center, 12th and Clay, Oakland. 

“Scene in Oakland, 1852 to 2002” 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 

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. 

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. 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Jurassic Park: Dinosaur Auditions Live Science Demonstrations” A directed activity in which children “audtion” to be a dinosaur in an upcoming movie. They’ll learn about the variety of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park exhibit as well as dress up, act, and roar like a dinosaur. Through May 12: Mon. - Fri. 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.; Sat. - Sun. 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. 3 p.m. $8 adults, $6 children. Centenial Dr. just above the UC campus and just below Grizzly Peak Blvd. 642-5132 

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.

LOS ANGELES — When WNBC reporter Darlene Rodriguez finished filing a report on the recent meeting of U.S. bishops at the Vatican, she switched hats and filed a second report in Spanish for the Telemundo network and its New York affiliate. 

That kind of bilingual cooperation is just one example of the way NBC hopes to work with Telemundo, which it bought last October for $2 billion. 

The relationship will most likely bear its first fruits behind the scenes, with the networks eliminating duplicate back office operations and combining some of its sales staffs, even housing some NBC and Telemundo affiliates in the same building. 

But NBC President Andy Lack hinted at broader synergies recently at a news conference announcing that Telemundo had hired away Maria Celeste Arraras, a top newscaster at dominant Spanish-language network Univision. 

Arraras is expected to contribute occasionally to NBC’s Dateline and news shows on NBC’s other cable channels. 

“There aren’t going to be any walls between NBC and Telemundo,” Lack said. 

Media companies and advertisers are waking up to the buying power of Hispanics, whose numbers in this country have grown nearly 60 percent in the past decade to 35.3 million, according to the 2000 census. 

Over the next 20 years, that figure is expected to grow to 55 million. Their purchasing power could grow at three times the rate of the rest of the country, analysts say. 

But crafting the right strategy to capitalize on that market is still a work in progress, with tact and sensitivity key considerations. 

“When we start trying to hit each other over the head with ethnic hammers, nobody is listening,” said comedian George Lopez, who stars in his own sitcom on ABC. 

To help reach Hispanic audiences, NBC executives are asking Telemundo for advice on casting pilots for the upcoming season while examining a new Telemundo reality series and popular telenovelas, or soap operas, for ideas. 

“We may have a programming opportunity in daytime, where soap operas are so strong,” Lack said in an interview. “Latino viewers have a passion for that genre, and we can go to school on picking up some good programs there. 

“We may want to cast actors and actresses who are bilingual if it works on some of our programming,” he said. “A Latin star of a Telemundo soap opera might find him or herself as a guest star on some of our programming if the language capabilities are there.” 

Telemundo has little to lose in joining NBC. It has long languished in the shadow of rival Univision. 

Being part of NBC holds the promise of greater advertising revenue, which could be used to lure top talents like Arraras. The chance to appear on NBC from time to time is also seen as a recruiting tool, especially for newscasters. 

“I think there is a large market for crossover anchors and reporters,” said Jim McNamara, president and chief executive of Telemundo. “We’re not going to promise someone a gig on NBC. But the fact is that as part of Telemundo, you are part of NBC.” 

McNamara said as many as 40 percent of Telemundo’s news reporters are fluent enough in English to file a breaking news report. And many NBC journalists, especially in major markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami, are bilingual. 

“I don’t think it’s a driving force behind the deal,” McNamara said. “But it’s an obvious byproduct.” 

Executives at Univision are taking a different tack by trying to reach even more Spanish speakers and bilingual Hispanics who have been watching English-language television because of a lack of compelling Spanish programming. 

“We’ve developed an expertise in the Hispanic market,” said Ray Rodriguez, president and chief operating officer of Univision Networks. “Our strategy is not to Americanize our network.” 

That strategy is in line with the findings of a recent study on ethnic media in California, one of the first states in the nation where minorities are a majority. 

The study showed the strength of ethnic media — especially Hispanic and Asian newspapers and television — and revealed that a growing number of minorities in California prefer to read publications and listen to broadcasts in their own language. 

Lopez, however, believes Hispanics will respond to English-language programming that has quality, regardless of whether it features Hispanic performers or newscasters. 

“I’ve always felt the way to get us to be mainstream is in small increments,” he said. “The success of a Marc Anthony and a Shakira is the way America will finally come to understand we are talented people, we can help the system economically and not deplete it like you see so much of on the news.” 

Benny Goldenberg said he’s never hit a ball so far in his life. 

“I was just trying to hit the ball hard,” he shrugged. “I just trusted my hands and tried to stay back. I can’t believe it went out.” 

The Berkeley High centerfielder’s first homerun of the season, a no-doubt-about-it shot well over the wall in leftfield, capped a four-run fourth inning and paced the Yellowjackets to a 9-1 victory over Alameda High Friday afternoon at Cal’s Evans Diamond.  

Goldenberg added a single and a double in four trips to the plate – falling a triple short of a cycle – while senior lefthander Cole Stipovich pitched five innings of one-hit ball to raise the first-place ’Jackets to a 9-1 mark in the ACCAL and 16-4 overall. The result also guarantees that Berkeley will own at least a share of the top spot going into next Friday’s showdown with second-place Encinal. 

The Hornets fell to 15-4, 6-4 in league play. 

Alameda actually drew first blood, plating a run in the top of the second on an infield single, an error by third baseman Chris Wilson, and two groundouts.  

But Berkeley quickly wrested control of the game from the Hornets with three runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, designated hitter DeAndre Miller singled, and after leftfielder Clinton Calhoun was hit by a pitch and first baseman Matt Toma walked to load the bases, Goldenberg struck a hard ground ball to third. Alameda third baseman Jordan Flores attempted to force the runner at home, but his throw was a little high and wide, causing catcher Mark Gillman to pull his foot off home plate.  

Shortstop Jason Moore followed with a seeing-eye single through the right side of the infield, driving in Calhoun, and two batters later catcher Jeremy Riesenfeld beat out a squibber between the pitcher’s mound and third base, scoring Toma. 

The ’Jackets then put the game to bed with a little lightning and thunder in the bottom of the fourth. After a groundout by Wilson, leadoff man Lee Franklin singled sharply to right and proceeded to put on a clinic on how to rattle an opposing pitcher that would have made Rickey Henderson proud. 

Dancing off the first base bag, the spry second baseman drew three consecutive pickoff throws from Hornets’ hurler Michael Gillman before stealing second and third base on back to back pitches. The senior then scampered home on a ball four wild pitch to Miller.  

Hornets star Cody Nelson replaced Gillman on the mound, but to disastrous effect. With two down, Toma blooped a single to centerfield, and Goldenberg deposited an 0-1 inside fastball over the leftfield wall for a commanding 7-1 lead. 

’Jackets starter Stipovich said the longball gave him and his teammates all the juice they needed to close out the game. 

“I wasn’t looking when he hit it,” the southpaw said. “I just saw it go up and take forever to come down. That was the point when we said, okay, we can kind of take it home. I went out there the next inning with a lot more confidence.” 

The ’Jackets added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, while Stipovich and relievers Ethan Friedman and Matt Sylvester allowed only one more Alameda runner to reach base, on an error.. 

“We knew we were going to get good pitching from our guys,” Berkeley head coach Tim Moellering said. “Plus, everybody in the lineup can hit. The other pitcher never gets a break. We get one or two hits and a walk, and it just opens up the floodgates.” 

Goldenberg said the solid win, especially coming off last week’s loss to DeAnza, had Berkeley back into the swing of things going into next week.. 

“If we can get those two games, we’ll be right on track for taking the league,” he said. 

The man of the match had only one regret for his career day. 

“I just wish I’d slowed it down out there,” he said of his homerun trot, laughing. “It was way too fast.”

A federal judge ruled against several medical marijuana clubs Friday, and in favor of the federal government, possibly indicating a wider clamp-down on medical marijuana use. 

The summary judgment favored the U.S. Department of Justice in a lawsuit it initially filed against several Northern California marijuana clubs back in 1998. The defense lawyer for the Oakland Cannabis Buyer’s Cooperative, one of the groups named in the suit, says the group will definitely appeal the ruling. 

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that “there is no genuine material dispute that defendants violated [federal drug law] several times in 1997 by distributing marijuana,” but stopped short of granting the permanent injunction against the clubs the government requested. 

The judge was following through with his intention to remedy the case, which he first made clear during a hearing on April 19. He did not rule on many of the key arguments presented by defense, instead basing his decision on deference to the federal Controlled Substances Act.  

The timing of the ruling coincides with a Cannabis Freedom Rally scheduled from noon to 6p.m. today at San Francisco’s UN Plaza. Some say the ruling is part of a fresh wave of marijuana prosection by the federal government. 

“In light of this summary judgement, we expect further DEA raids in the Bay Area,” said California NORML (National Organzation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) coordinator Dale Gieringer. “We’ve seen a lot of activity — people following patients around and spying on clubs, not to mention raids on minor offenders.”  

A study by NORML shows that the number of medical marijuana prosecutions in California is on the rise since Sept. 11th. DEA chief Asa Hutchinson has publicly stated his support for President Bush’s anti-drug policy, which links casual drug use to terrorism. Over 20 people are currently on trial for cultivating medical marijuana, and the DEA has raided and shut down a Los Angeles cannabis resource center and a clinic in El Dorado County in 2002 alone. Local authorities have by and large not been involved in medical marijuana arrests and raids. 

The attorney for the Oakland Co-op believes the group stands a good chance in appeals court. “We will be appealing the decision. We feel we have a good shot at success in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,” said attorney Robert Raich. “Judge Breyer ignored or misconstrued numerous facts and legal arguments we presented. By focusing only on a remedy to the case, he allowed no discussion of the key issues.” 

Raich cites numerous issues that weren’t fully addressed in court, including states’ rights, individual rights under the Ninth Amendment, and applicable commerce laws.  

Though California voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996 to allow medical marijuana use for cancer, AIDS, and other chronic illnesses, the Supreme Court since ruled that federal drug laws not only supercede state law but that there is no basis for a medical exception to current federal drug laws. 

Questions to the U.S. Department of Justice about the case were referred to Washington, D.C.-based spokesman Charles Miller, who preferred to keep his comments short and sweet: “Based on what we’ve heard, we’re pleased with the ruling, and that’s all we have to say at this time.”  

Of the six clubs initially named in the suit, only three remain in existence: the Oakland Cannabis Buyer’s Cooperative, the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana and the Ukiah Cannabis Buyer’s Club. The Oakland club has been operating under a temporary injunction that forbids it from distributing pot but allows it to issue identity cards to verified medical marijuana patients. 

To the Editor: 

It pleased me that Kriss Worthington put a recommendation on the April 16 City Council agenda: “Vandalized Berkeley Hillel and Other Incidents Aimed at the Jewish Community. He proposed that we follow up on our designation of Berkeley as a hate-free zone by bringing together representatives of different groups and individuals that have been the target of hate actions in Berkeley, in a city-sponsored public event embracing all the affected communities.” (This item was pulled by Council member Armstrong and held over to April 29.) Then on April 16th, Kriss Worthington submitted a Council item proposing a hate crime unit in the Berkeley Police Department. 

I was saddened but not surprised to read a Daily Cal headline, “Violence Directed At Jews Prompts Mayor To Propose Hate Crimes Unit”: 4/26. It is apparent that the Mayor is now trying to take Councilmember Worthington’s ideas and take credit for them. Worthington’s proposal has already generated over 100 e-mails in support of the idea. 

While it is desirable for the Mayor to support this idea, it is unfortunately divisive and negative to claim it is her proposal without crediting Kriss and many others already working on this. Can’t we all just work together – on those issues where we agree? 

Dona Spring 

- Berkeley City Council

St. Mary’s scores 14 runs on just 10 hits as Alfert goes deep in the first inning 

After dropping three straight BSAL games to drop out of first place, the St. Mary’s High baseball team stumbled into the perfect prescription: two games against winless St. Elizabeth. 

After pounding the Mustangs 14-5 at home on Wednesday, the Panthers headed down to San Leandro Ballpark for the rematch on Friday and put in a repeat performance, scoring nine runs in the third inning to key a 14-1 win in five innings. 

“We got two easy wins, but they kind of put us to sleep,” St. Mary’s head coach Andy Shimabukuro said. “We didn’t get all that many hits.” 

Indeed, the Panthers (11-12 overall, 7-3 BSAL) needed just 10 hits to score their barrage of runs on Friday. Their cause was aided by nine walks and a hit batsman by St. Elizabeth (0-10 BSAL) pitchers Warren Sanders and Matt Marquez, not to mention some shoddy fielding by the Mustangs.  

Chris Alfert jump-started the Panthers in the first inning with a three-run bomb that hit the face of an overpass behind the leftfield wall. Sanders got out of the inning with no additional damage and cruised through the second, but didn’t record an out in the third before being pulled after six batters. 

Marquez came in from centerfield to relieve Sanders, but immediately walked in two runs before surrendering a bases-clearing triple to Chris Morocco that gave the Panthers an 11-1 lead. Morocco would score on a Pete McGuinness triple, but Jeff Marshall hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded to end the inning. St. Mary’s left nine runners on base in the game. 

Alfert said the Panthers had trouble raising their usual intensity against the Mustangs, who played without a single bench player on Friday. 

“We don’t bring the same intensity against these guys that we do for big games,” Alfert said. “We still play hard, but it’s just not the same.” 

The Panthers added two more runs in the fifth. With the bases loaded yet again, Marshall hit a groundball to shortstop. Instead of trying for the double play, Marcus Flentroy threw to first badly, allowing Marcus Turner and Joe Storno to score. 

While the Panthers were strolling around the bases, three St. Mary’s pitchers combined to give up just two hits. McGuinness got his first start of the season on the mound and threw two shutout innings, striking out the side in the second. Freshman Scott Tully gave up the only Mustang run in the third, walking Marquez to force in Flentroy. Tully settled down and went three up, three down in the fourth before Marcus Johnson did the same in the fifth to end the game. 

Shimabukuro took advantage of the easy week, resting ace Storno from his pitching duties. Storno is the team’s only reliable pitcher, but his tendency to have high pitch counts influenced Shimabukuro to save his arm for the season finale against Piedmont next Wednesday. 

“I was just trying to get through today without having to pitch Joe,” Shimabukuro said. “He needed a break from pitching.” 

Storno agreed with his coach’s decision. Piedmont is one of three teams sitting atop the BSAL with two losses, and a win would assure the Panthers at least a No. 3 seed for the league playoffs. 

“I wanted a rest. Piedmont is a huge game for us, so I want to be rested,” the senior lefthander said. “I’ll throw in the bullpen on Monday, and by Wednesday I’ll be as good as I can be.”

A Berkeley web site that has funneled more than 330,000 letters to Israeli, Palestinian and American policymakers urging peace in the Middle East is facing a financial crisis. 

“I’ve gotten closer to the edge than I wanted,” said Steve Freedkin, a member of Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission who operates the web site, www.progressiveportal.org. 

Progressive Portal, founded in May 2001, facilitates grassroots letter-writing campaigns on a variety of progressive issues.  

WEB/From Page 1 

The Middle East campaign has generated local press coverage and tripled the site’s mailing list from 3,600 to nearly 10,500. 

Freedkin has relied on over 100 volunteer researchers, writers and designers, and has dipped into his own savings to the tune of $10,000, to operate the site. Thus far, the site has not generated an income for Freedkin. 

“The period of time where progressive Portal can function without paying me a salary is running out,” he said. “At some point, I’d have to get a job.”  

Freedkin has sent an appeal to people on his list in recent weeks asking for pledges of $31.25 per month for a year to keep the site afloat. 

“The initial response was a little on the slow side, but it has picked up over the last few days,” he said. 

Freedkin has received donations of varying sizes. He said he will need the equivalent of 120 year-long pledges, at $31.25 per month, to keep the site at its current size. He has received the equivalent of 21 pledges thus far. 

Freedkin’s ultimate goal is 365 pledges. With that money in hand, he said, he could hire an assistant and expand from his current nine letter-writing campaigns to 100. 

He said he will need a large number of campaigns to generate enough traffic and attract the advertising he will need to maintain the site long-term. 

While the Middle East campaign focused on a high-profile issue, most Progressive Portal campaigns have focused on issues that fall below the radar screen and do not tend to generate public pressure. Freedkin says he plans to continue with this strategy in the future. 

Local users of the site said they hope it stays afloat. 

“I like what they’re doing,” said Berkeley resident Alan Davidson, who noted that he will consider a donation. “There’s so little news about the issues they’re covering.” 

Norma Harrison, another Berkeley resident who has used the site, was also supportive but said tight finances would prevent her from donating to Progressive Portal. 

To the Editor: 

Two years ago I had the privilege of leading a delegation of five buses and 50 cars to Sacramento, to demand more funding for California's public schools. Many of you went with me & the PTA Council that day, and many others wrote the checks needed to make it happen. Ten thousand people showed up, Governor Davis heard our plea, and he released over $1.5 billion into the education budget.  

What a day that was. I delivered thousands of signatures to the governor's office from people from all around the state, who indorsed a statewide petition that we created here in Berkeley. While I addressed the rally of 10,000, many of you circulated through the crowd passing out petitions & gathering more signatures.  

What a day that was. And our 5 buses & 50 cars represented the largest delegation at the rally!  

What a day that was, when the parents, teachers, community, School Board & City Council Members, along with Mayor Dean joined ranks and made a difference. 

This year’s PTA Council is asking us to get back on those busses and return to Sacramento on May 8, just a few days from now. With buses leaving from Berkeley High, and each of the middle schools, you can reserve a seat now at www.berkeleypta.org. I have reserved seats for my son & I on the Willard bus, and I encourage you to do the same.  

Our voices counted then, and they can make a difference now. Be it going to Sacramento on Wednesday, providing the PTA Council with needed donations, or waving the buses off; we need to all pull together to make a difference in Sacramento. 

Send checks to Matt Wong, Treasurer Berkeley PTA Council, 1311 Santa Fe, Berkeley 94702. 

Mark A. Coplan 

- Berkeley 

Boys’ lacrosse on track for home field advantage in first round of Northern California playoffs 

The Berkeley High boys’ lacrosse team will probably share the Shoreline Lacrosse League title, the Yellowjackets’ head coach said Friday. 

Berkeley split the season series with Bishop O’Dowd, but the ’Jackets would win a tie-breaker based on goal differential. Berkeley outscored the Dragons 11-10 in two games. 

But according to Berkeley head coach Jon Rubin, the teams will most likely be declared co-champions of the first-year league. Both teams will make the Northern California postseason tournament in two weeks, so Rubin doesn’t consider the league championship a huge issue. 

“I don’t really care if we’re named champions or co-champions,” Rubin said. “I don’t know if the team cares, but we’re focusing on the playoffs now.” 

The seeding of the postseason tournament, to be determined at the end of next week, is key for the ’Jackets. Eight teams will be entered into the draw, with the top four seeds earning home games in the first round. The semifinals will be held at neutral sites, with the championship slated for Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. 

A home game in the first round is well within Berkeley’s grasp. The seedings will be determined according to Laxpower.com ratings, and the ’Jackets are currently third in region. But O’Dowd could jump over them with a win over No. 2 University, which beat Berkeley early this season, on Tuesday. Berkeley faces No. 7 Branson on Tuesday and wraps up its SLL season with Piedmont on Friday. 

“Homefield would be pretty big for us, but we’ll probably be facing the top team from the lower echelon,” Rubin said. “It’ll probably be a team we’ve beaten, but probably a vastly improved team.” 

The ’Jackets beat the fifth- and sixth-ranked teams, Marin Catholic and Acalanes, by big margins during the preseason. Two of their three losses came on the road, with top-ranked St. Ignatius the only team to beat Berkeley on its own field.

Forget about license plates.  

According to a UC Berkeley study released this week, mattresses, wood products and prunes are some of the top-grossing items produced in Bay Area state prisons. 

The study, which draws on date from fiscal year 1997-1998, found that San Quentin State Prison and California State Prison Solano sold $10.4 million in goods produced by inmates.  

The Bay Area facilities also spent $7.5 million locally on raw materials, operating costs and salaries, and generated some 200 jobs at the prisons and in local industry, according to the study. 

The Bay Area figures are part of a larger study conducted by UC Berkeley economist George Goldman for the California Prison Industry Authority, analyzing the economic impact of prison work statewide.  

Across California, the study found, state prisons sold $151 million in goods in 1997-1998 and generated a ripple effect of $230 million in sales by local industry. 

“It’s not a major, major economic impact on the state,” said Goldman, referring to the $151 million in direct sales by the prisons. “But it does produce spinoff effects.” 

Under state law, the Prison Industry Authority may only sell its products and services to government agencies. The California Youth and Adult Correctional Agency is the authority’s largest customer, accounting for over half of sales. 

Inmates earn between 30 and 95 cents per hour for their work, with up to 20 percent deducted for court-ordered fines. 

Frank Losco, a PIA spokesman, said the work enables inmates to make a contribution to the state economy and helps reduce prison violence by keeping inmates occupied. 

Goldman said PIA production has the added benefit of keeping certain types of manufacturing in the state. 

“This is particularly true for metal, wood and paper products, which would likely come from the Midwest states if the PIA were not manufacturing them here,” he said. 

According to the study, the San Joaquin Valley region felt the greatest impact of prison industry in 1997-1998, with $49.5 million in sales and 812 jobs in the local economy. 

Contact reporter at: 

scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net

To the Editor 

We have seen signs all over Berkeley expressing concern about anti-Islamic actions. We certainly expect support of threatened people. 

Since the outbreak of anti-Jewish actions we expect to see similar signs expressing support for Jews. Where are they? 

- Allan Feinstein 

Orinda 

The Berkeley High girls’ lacrosse team will take on Bishop O’Dowd High on Saturday at Cal’s Memorial Stadium with a lot on the line. Berkeley beat the Dragons by one goal in the teams’ first meeting, and Saturday’s game will determine the Shoreline Lacrosse League champion. 

Berkeley, with a record of 8-4 overall, is undefeated in SLL play, with O’Dowd winning their other games in the league. 

“This is just a huge game for us,” Berkeley head coach Rebecca Meyer said on Thursday before the ’Jackets’12-8 trouncing of University (San Francisco). “To be playing at Memorial Stadium with the championship on the line, you couldn’t ask for much more.”

Today is Saturday, May 4, the 124th day of 2002. There are 241 days left in the year. 

Highlight 

On May 4, 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded. 

On this date: 

In 1626, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on present-day Manhattan Island. 

In 1776, Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted. 

In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an eight-hour work day turned into a riot when a bomb exploded. 

In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. 

In 1945, during World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender. 

In 1961, a group of “Freedom Riders” left Washington for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation in interstate buses and bus terminals. 

In 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others. 

In 1980, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia, died three days before his 88th birthday. 

In 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed a historic accord on Palestinian autonomy that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. 

Ten years ago:  

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton toured riot-ravaged Los Angeles streets, blaming the destruction on what he called 12 years of Republican neglect. 

Five years ago: IBM’s Deep Blue computer defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, evening their six-game series at one game apiece. Cerefino Jimenez Malla became the first Gypsy beatified in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. 

One year ago:  

Pope John Paul II began a visit to Greece, where he issued a sweeping apology for the “sins of action and omission” by Roman Catholics against Orthodox Christians. Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car near a restaurant in Los Angeles (Blake and his bodyguard, Earle Caldwell, were arrested April 18 in connection with Bakley’s death). 

Today’s Birthdays:  

The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is 74. Jazz musician Maynard Ferguson is 74. Opera singer Roberta Peters is 72. Jazz musician Ron Carter is 65. Rock musician Dick Dale is 65. Singer-songwriter Nick Ashford is 60. Actor Paul Gleason is 58. Pop singer Peggy Santiglia (The Angels) is 58. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 51. Country singer Randy Travis is 43. Actress Mary McDonough is 41. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 35. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 30. Rock musician Jose Castellanos (Save Ferris) is 25. Singer Lance Bass (’N Sync) is 23. 

To the Editor: 

As an East Bay renter, I appreciated the article on rent decreases throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Your chart neglected to say what size place the column of Rents for March 2002 referred to though (e.g. two-bedroom apartment? three-bedroom house?). I think that would be of interest to your readers, as well as information on rents in the city of Berkeley. 

- Maureen Dixo 

East Bay

Saturday 

Track & Field – Meet of Champions, 10 a.m. at Hughes Stadium, Sacramento 

Track & Field – Cal vs. Stanford, 11 a.m. at Edwards Stadium 

Baseball – Cal vs. Stanford, 1 p.m. at Sunken Diamond, Stanford 

Swimming – ACCAL Championship, 1 p.m. at Contra Costa College 

Girls Lacrosse – Berkeley vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 4 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, Cal 

Sunday 

Baseball – Cal vs. Stanford, 1 p.m. at Sunken Diamond, Stanford

OAKLAND, Calif. — A federal judge on Friday denied an effort by commercial fishermen, American Indian tribes and environmental groups to release more water into the dwindling Klamath River. 

The Klamath straddles the California-Oregon state line and its waters irrigate crops and provide a home to fish such as the threatened coho salmon, a candidate for California’s list of endangered species. 

A drought last year forced farmers and other river users to battle over the shrinking water supply. This year, the Bush administration opted to earmark more water to Klamath Reclamation Project farmers, leaving less for young salmon headed toward the ocean. 

Commercial fishermen filed suit April 24 against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service, demanding the federal government release more water to the river. In recent days, biologists and U.S. Forest Service employees have rescued hundreds of baby salmon and other fish stranded in puddles along the Klamath’s banks. 

But U.S. District Judge Saundra B. Armstrong ruled Friday the groups lack enough scientific evidence to block the federal government’s plans. However, she scolded the Bureau of Reclamation for giving the NMFS so little time to review its springtime operation, and urged all parties to try to compromise on water use rather than resolve their concerns through the courts. 

Dan Keppen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Asssociation that represented farmers during the court teleconference, released a statement saying, “We are pleased that rushed and rash behavior has not been rewarded by Judge Armstrong.” 

Kristen Boyles, an attorney for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations that filed the suit, said a decision about whether to appeal the judge’s ruling will not be made until she sees the written ruling. 

“The sad part is, we have salmon being stranded right now. We have fish being rescued,” she said. 

In March, Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman told the Bureau of Reclamation to begin full irrigation deliveries to the 1,400 farms on the Klamath Reclamation Project. 

They were responding to pleas from farmers who were cut off from irrigation water last year due to record drought. Last year, the bureau sharply cut back irrigation to maintain water levels set under the Endangered Species Act for endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake and coho salmon in the Klamath River. 

The suit claimed springtime flows for the Klamath River this year have been as little as 60 percent of the water required for salmon to survive, and sought an increase to at least the same amount that was provided last year. 

The Bureau of Reclamation exceeded the bounds of the Endangered Species Act by separating springtime operations from the rest of the year and giving the NMFS only a day to review the springtime operations, the suit said. 

The case is Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations v. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, C02-2006-SBA. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations: http://www.pcffa.org/ 

Klamath Basin Irrigators: http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org/ 

If the minister of a Protestant church falls in love with a consenting adult from his congregation, professional ethics dictate the minister offer his resignation to pursue the relationship. It may sound strange. But it happened this way at a Disciples of Christ church in Lafayette, just 10 miles east of Berkeley, where a minister and associate minister fell in love.  

This story has a s happy ending for the lovers: When they offered their resignations, the church refused to accept them. But that was unusual, said Bill McKinney, president of the Pacific School of Religion, the largest, Protestant seminary in Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. “That really broke all the rules,” he said. 

Though ministers of Protestant churches are allowed to marry, the scrutiny to which they must submit their romantic life — even in the most progressive denominations – is the hidden cost. “Whether you’re a pastor or a priest you live in a fishbowl,” said Jim Latimer, a 44-year-old single student at the Pacific School of Religion. “If you can’t stand that get out of the profession.” 

Protestants attending the Graduate Theological Union, which consists of two Protestant seminaries and three Catholic ones, are willing to undergo this scrutiny and believe much of it is well-intentioned. But as the American bishops confront the sex abuse scandal and contemplate stiffer punishment, some of the students of the Pacific School of Religion talked recently about the unique pressure and conflicts they face.  

Since the sex abuse scandal broke, the students said, public scrutiny of their romantic lives has intensified and become more perverse because the scandal has tainted them too. “When I tell people I meet on the street I’m in seminary, they assume I’m going to be a priest,” said Latimer, who is also in a romantic relationship. 

Though marriage is optional, the students said unmarried ministers are often pressured to marry, even in progressive denominations like the United Church of Christ.  

“People think single people shouldn’t be sexually active,” said Erin Gilmore, a 28-year-old student in a romantic relationship who is studying to be a Church of Christ minister. “There’s never been a policy. It just sort of sticks in people like they don’t approve.”  

When Gilmore was interviewing with churches in South Dakota for internships she was hesitant to mention her boyfriend. “I felt like I had to keep that much more undercover,” she said. 

Marriage is considered a sign of maturity, said Elizabeth Dilley, a 25-year-old engaged student, who is also studying to be a Church of Christ minister. Before Dilley got engaged, she felt too ashamed to tell the churches where she was interviewing for her internship that she had a boyfriend. “I felt very junior high,” the 25-year-old said, adding that they might not have taken her seriously if she said she had a boyfriend. 

McKinney, the seminary’s president, agreed churches are biased toward marriage. He said he knew a minister in a remote area near Hartford, Connecticut who was told he was had been put there to keep a low profile to deflect rumors he was gay. “You’re 35-years-old and not married,” the church said, according to McKinney. “Go find yourself a young woman and marry her.” 

At the Graduate Theological Union, the students said, the bias toward marriage is reinforced. The only way domestic partners registered with the county can live in married student housing is if they are gay. “People think relationships ought to be consecrated” and straight people do that through marriage, McKinney said.  

In addition to the pressure to marry, ministers must also accept restrictions on their choice of mates. The rule of thumb is “you don’t date anyone who is under your pastoral care,” Latimer said. But often, members of the congregation want to make special exceptions to that rule, he said. “Congregation people are wanting to set you up with their son or daughter,” he said. 

Ministers who strictly avoid dating their parishioners find their congregation feels rejected, the students said. “People have a way of sensing whether a minister would be a part of a church if they weren’t paid to be,” McKinney said. If you’re not willing to date them, McKinney said, “they think you don’t love them.”  

That pressure creates problems for single ministers who may already be spending most of their waking hours with their members, Dilley said. “You meet someone,” she said. “You spend 60-70 hours per week with these people.” 

When a minister ends a marriage, the congregation’s scrutiny of him does not, the students said. For that reason some divorced ministers feel they must avoid the topic entirely. Latimer, who is himself divorced, said he is watching his minister at Berkeley’s First Congregational Church go through this.  

The best way to handle it is to be forthcoming, he said. He’s finishing seminary this semester and looking for jobs as a Church of Christ minister. “I want them to know that about me because it’s an important part of who I am,” he said.

OAKLAND (BCN) – With the banner of “No More Secrets,'' the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is launching a ministry program to help those who have been sexually abused by priests. 

The Ministry for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse will hold its first event Sunday in Lafayette at the Diocesan Youth Retreat Center. The retreat will bring together victims of sexual abuse by clergy, church leaders and sex abuse survivors to celebrate the founding of the ministry and to dedicate and bless a tree with a plaque that reads, “Rooted in the Truth, Growing Toward the Light.'' 

The ministry seeks to provide support for victims of sexual abuse, offering counseling and spiritual direction to the victims and their families.  

At the same time, the ministry will work with church officials to help change attitudes about sexual abuse and ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions. 

The ministry will launch a hotline and an e-mail address through which victims who want support will be able to receive it. The phone number is (510) 267-8373, and the e-mail address is survivors@oakdiocese.org. 

Although the launching of the ministry comes as the Catholic Church finds itself mired in controversy due to several high-profile cases of alleged abuse by priests and accusations of cover-ups, the ministry is not a response to those events, says Sister Barbara Flannery. 

“We're very concerned that this not be portrayed as a spin response to the current crisis in the church,'' she said. Instead, it is the result of three years of planning, and of a growing dialogue between sexual abuse survivors and the diocese, the sister said. 

It is also a reinforcement of the goals that Bishop Joseph Cummings announced during a reconciliation service he held in March of 2000. In that service, the bishop and church leaders acknowledged that they had “preferred comfort rather than health, illusion rather than truth'' protecting priests and doing nothing to help the victims. 

Diocese leaders promised then to respond to all allegations of misconduct, and to put offending employees on administrative leave and comply with civil law. 

Even though the Oakland Diocese was one of the first to address sexual misconduct, Sister Flannery is wary of terms like “innovative'' or “ahead of the time'' being used to describe the ministry program. 

“We are not ahead. We are 10 years behind, maybe 20,” Sister Flannery said. “For some reason we are where we are today.'' Terrie Light, who was abused by a priest and is one of the volunteers who will help counsel victims at the ministry, agrees. 

“The Oakland Diocese is not doing something special,'' Light said. “They’re doing what every church should be doing.’’

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) – Cinco de Mayo festivities may have lost some sizzle in San Francisco’s Mission District this year, since there’ll be no street parade leading into the Civic Center festival. 

Organizer Patricia Aguayo, of the Mission Economic Cultural Association, said today that a tough financial year sank the parade that has gone on “forever’’ in her hometown. She said the group lost about $100,000 last fall when its celebration of Mexican Independence Day drew little interest in the wake of Sept. 11 attacks and fund-raising has been hard ever since. 

Aguayo, who grew up in the area herself and said she remembers relatives being crowned as queens and princesses over the years, is hoping to see floats and festivities in the Mission again next year if more money becomes available. About one-quarter of the funds come from city grants and the rest has to be raised privately. 

“Tradition is nice,’’ she said, “but people have to sort of put their money where their mouth is.’’ 

Police Capt. Greg Corrales, of the Mission Station, said today he still expects Sunday to be busier-than-usual around the largely Latino Mission District, as many celebrate the date of Mexico’s victory over French invaders in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. “Some people are going to abuse the holiday and drink to excess,’’ he said. 

Although officers have indicated that incidents of violence and gang-related problems have risen in the Mission during previous Cinco de Mayo parades, the captain said he did not see the problem as a reason in itself to call off the parade. 

San Jose – where dozens were arrested five years ago during a crowd confrontation with police – and Berkeley and Oakland are all sites for parades this year. In the South Bay, authorities said an expanded venue is actually expected to draw more people this time. 

In San Francisco, the organized festival featuring music and folkloric dancing is scheduled to get under way outside City Hall at 11 a.m. Children under 5 years old will be admitted for free, and a children’s play area has been set up. 

Corrales said police and others in the community are already gearing up for a Memorial Day weekend parade slated as part of the annual Carnaval celebration.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao wrapped up his week-long U.S. tour Friday with a meeting at Intel Corp., highlighting the deepening connection between China and the American high-tech industry. 

It is no secret that companies such as Intel, the world’s largest maker of computer chips, are hungrily eyeing China’s burgeoning market, especially with U.S. technology spending still in a slump. 

Intel has invested $500 million in research and testing facilities in China. EBay Inc. has made initial steps toward bringing Internet auctions to China’s 1.3 billion people. 

But, quietly, China’s high-tech future also is being forged by lesser-known players — thousands of immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China who have come to Silicon Valley over the past few decades to work as programmers and engineers. 

Many have since formed a sort of entrepreneurial class in waiting, honing skills and generating capital here, developing business relationships with people back home and waiting until infrastructure and market conditions in China become more hospitable to technology startups. 

“There is a large population of Chinese-Americans here that have a natural interest in what is going on in China and see it as an opportunity,” said George Koo, director of the Chinese services group for Deloitte & Touche. 

In fact, 73 percent of the Chinese immigrants in Silicon Valley would consider returning home to start their own businesses, according to a recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California. Chinese entrepreneurs here commonly have subsidiaries or partnerships in Taiwan, but many have established business ties in mainland China, especially in the exploding urban centers of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. 

AnnaLee Saxenian, a University of California professor who wrote the report, said the conventional notion of a “brain drain” from Asia to the United States is off base. The better description would be “brain circulation,” she said. 

Chinese immigrants here are not the only ones taking part. China’s opening-up — enhanced by its entry into the World Trade Organization — has encouraged capital and talent to return from Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, said Franck Wiebe, chief economist for the Asia Foundation in San Francisco. 

There are some rough spots in China’s high-tech growth. Restrictions on transferring money out the country make it difficult for overseas financiers to cash out on investments in new enterprises there, said Kenneth Fong, who came to America from Hong Kong in 1966 and ran a Silicon Valley biotechnology company for 15 years. He now heads Kenson Ventures, a venture capital firm not directly involved in China. 

“American capitalism works because we have a very, very supportive system for investing capital,” Fong said. “You can’t just build that overnight in China.” 

Indeed, 58 percent of the Chinese entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley surveyed by Saxenian said regulations and bureaucracy in China would deter them from starting a company there. The other most commonly cited problems involve the legal system and political or economic uncertainty. 

However, Chinese officials say they are working to remove obstacles to technology investment. 

“The economy is so dynamic,” said Koo of Deloitte & Touche, who was in San Jose to chair a conference of the Committee of 100, an organization devoted to China-U.S. relations. “What you knew about the Chinese market last year is already outdated.” 

Hu’s meeting at Intel — with founder and chairman Andrew Grove, CEO Craig Barrett and other executives — was requested by the Chinese government, Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said. 

The Intel brass showed Hu a blazing fast 3-gigahertz Pentium 4 chip, a new pen with Intel software that recognizes Chinese characters and can enter them in a computer, and a handheld computer for Chinese officials to use at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 

“It was a relationship-building visit,” Mulloy said. “He stressed the import of the technology sector for that marketplace and he expressed gratitude for the investments we’ve made.” 

Hu headed back to China after his swing through San Francisco and Silicon Valley. That concluded a trip in which he also met with President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cabinet members, congressional leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. 

LOS ANGELES — SonicBlue, the maker of the ReplayTV digital video recorder, will challenge a court order to track the viewing practices of customers and send the data to TV networks and film studios, the company said Friday. 

U.S. District Court Magistrate Charles Eick told SonicBlue to create software within 60 days to monitor every show customers watch, every commercial they skip and any programming they transmit to others via the Internet. 

The Santa Clara-based firm must then turn over the data to networks and studios that are suing SonicBlue for contributing to copyright infringement. 

“This forces us to spy on our customers,” said Ken Potashner, chairman and chief executive of SonicBlue. “We have to give them individual files they could align with identities, which is a blatant violation of privacy.” 

The court order requires SonicBlue to gather information on each viewer and log that data under a unique identification number. 

Laurence Pulgram, SonicBlue’s lawyer, called the order “utterly unprecedented.” 

Digital video recorders store TV programming on a hard drive instead of video tape. SonicBlue’s ReplayTV 4000 also connects to the Internet and allows users to send material over the Web. 

The studios and networks want the user information to determine the extent of what they consider theft of copyrighted programming. 

Potashner said the company will argue that the ruling violates the firm’s confidentiality policy. It has no intention of changing ReplayTV features, he added. 

But a spokeswoman for Walt Disney Co., one plaintiff in the case, said the order is in line with SonicBlue’s existing privacy policy, which advises viewers the firm collects anonymous audience data. 

“Replay’s statement that its users’ privacy rights are being violated is a deliberate and completely misleading characterization of the court’s order,” said Michelle Bergman. “We are simply protecting our copyrighted content and all whose livelihoods are dependent on it.” 

Pulgram conceded the company’s privacy policy allows for collecting data on users. But he said the policy is out of date and “does not represent what we do.” 

SonicBlue only considered the idea of collecting data for its own use, not for third parties, he said. The plan was abandoned after rival Tivo angered privacy advocates with a similar proposal, the lawyer said. 

Potashner said the music industry’s failure to shut down file swapping sites with litigation against Napster shows that innovative technology cannot be suppressed. 

Instead of filing lawsuits, studios and networks should partner with SonicBlue and create new services like targeted advertising and video on demand, he said. 

“In a perverse way, they are driving awareness as to what we can do,” he said. 

Saturday, May 4

Word Beat Reading Series 

Featuring "Press 62" starring Johanna Mangahas, You-Fong Benedicte Chang, Anthony Scott and Jason Zahorchak 

7-9 p.m. 

458 Perkins at Grand, Oakland 

For more information: 510-526-5985, www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat 

Free 

Shelter Operations: Emergency Preparedness Class 

Learn how to take care of yourself before the disaster. 

9 a.m. - noon 

Office of Emergency Services 

997 Cedar Street 

Berkeley 

to register: 510-981-5605 

Saucy Sounds Community Event 

Oakland Youth Chorus Preview Concert  

2 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th & Harrison 

Oakland 510-287-9700 

Free 

Children's Movies 

Tom & Jerry, The Movie (in English) 

Shows at noon & 2 p.m. 

The Actor's Studio 

3521 Maybelle Ave. 

Oakland 

510-530-0551 

$3 

The Oakland Symphony Chorus 

STYLES SAMPLER Workshop. Three music workshops presented on Spirituals with Trente Morant, Barbershop with Dr. Robert Campell and Feasts and Seasons, Music of Spain and America with Juan Pedro Gaffney. Morning snacks and lunch will be provided.  

8:45 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. 

6013 Lawton Ave., Oakland. 

$30. $25 in advance. 465-4199. 

Berkeley Rep/UC Berkeley Joint Symposium inspired by HOMEBODY/KABUL 

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

Berkeley Repertory Theatre 

2025 Addison St., Berkeley 

Free & open to the public, call 510-647-2966 for reservations (not required)  

Low-cost Hatha Yoga Class 

6:30 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center 

1720 8th St. 

$6 per class. 981-6651 

RAWA- Kabul to Pindi 

Recent (March) journey to Afghanistan slides and talk 

4 to 6 p.m. 

1924 Cedar St. 

Berkeley 

Meet the Candidates Convention 

For a new Berkeley Mayor 

Chris Worthington, Rob Wrenn, Elliot Cohen, Barbara Lubin and Tom Bates have been invited & asked to share their vision for Berkeley's future. 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK) 

Berkeley 

510-540-8543 

Free 

Native Californian Cultures 

A major focus of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum 

of Anthropology has been the Native peoples of California. Today, with 260,000 catalogue entries, the museum preserves the world's largest and most comprehensive collection devoted to the region. In this gallery, we present an overview of Native Californian cultures demonstrating the great diversity of the Californian peoples. 

Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall at the corner of Bancroft Way and College 

The phone number is (510) 643-7648. 

Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and $.50 for  

children 16 and under- Free to the public on Thursdays. 

Live Music  

Classical jazz singer Vicki Burns. Second show: Ducksan Distones Jazz Sextet 

8 p.m., second show 10 p.m. 

Anna’s Bistro 

1901 University Ave. 

Berkeley 

510-849-ANNA 

Norway Day Festival  

The Festival is a fun day out for all age groups to eat, enjoy, be 

entertained, shop, learn and exchange.  

San Mateo Expo Center  

South Delaware Street 

San Mateo 

The 9th Annual Benicia Artists Open Studios 

Over sixty local artists will display their work from many different art forms including drawing, painting, photograph, collage, jewelry, glass works, digital art and video.  

10 a.m.- 5 p.m. 

Benicia Chamber of Commerce 

601 First Street 

For more information contact Marie Muscolino at 707-747-0131 or artsbenicia@aol.com 

Free 

CONCORD, N.H. — The only time most people forage for food is when the cupboards are bare and they find themselves scrounging through the refrigerator, struggling to turn a can of peas, moldy bread and ketchup into dinner. 

“Wildman” Steve Brill prefers to do it the real way. 

This self-taught foraging expert heads backs to nature daily to find his food. And when he goes out to eat, he isn’t bringing back burgers and fries. He’s feasting on plants most people consider weeds. 

Now he’s ready to teach you to do it, too. His new book, “The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook” (Harvard Common Press, 2002, $29.95) contains more than 500 recipes using plants you’re not likely to find in a grocer’s produce section. He lists more than 150 of such wild plants in detail. 

Brill is talking about milkweed (tossing it with pasta), acorns (serving them refried, similar to beans), and purple-spore puffball (a type of mushroom he serves fried and baked with dairy-free Parmesan). 

For Brill, the world is full of food. Most people don’t realize that many of the plants they try so hard to rid their yards of not only are edible, but can be turned into delicacies with little effort. 

Foraging for food may not be common in the United States, but Brill says people around the world rely on it for stocking their pantry with seasonal greens and other goodies. 

“Anywhere but America,” he said recently, talking by phone from his home in Mamaroneck, N.Y. “The Germans, the Italians, the Chinese, the Indians. Any culture ... where TV and entertainment aren’t the only ways to live, foraging is still common.” 

Brill, who has been vegan since 1990, got turned on to foraging back in 1979. 

“I was bicycling, riding past a park in Queens, New York, near where I lived, and there were these ethnic Greek women picking something in the park,” he said. “I asked them what they were doing and it was all Greek to me. But I came home with grape leaves and I was excited to have something I could cook with.” 

From there, Brill’s fascination with found food flourished. But grazing on public property wasn’t always easy. 

In 1982 he began giving foraging tours in downtown New York. Four years later, he made national headlines when he was arrested for eating a dandelion in Central Park. The charge? Removing vegetation. 

A month later the city dropped the charges and, instead of prosecuting, offered Brill a job as a naturalist, to lead teaching tours showing other New Yorkers the bounty that grows around them. 

Brill acknowledges that not everyone will be comfortable foraging. That probably has to do with the fear of eating something that will cause a slow, painful death. 

But, he said, commonsense and a good field guide are all that are needed for safe and succulent foraging. 

“Learn a small number of easy-to-recognize plants really well and you will build up your knowledge and do this safely,” he said. “Don’t pick near heavy traffic or near railway rights of way where they spray, and always wash everything first.” 

There is one area where Brill’s book, chock-full of tempting and unusual recipes, is lacking — there are no illustrations to help the novice forager differentiate between the yummy and the deadly. 

Coincidentally, he has written a field guide, “Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not so Wild) Places” (Morrow, 1994, $21.95), which he recommends for this purpose. 

Not everything in Brill’s book, which is organized by season, is unusual. Some of the recipes call for ingredients such as berries that can be found just as easily in grocery stores as in the backyard. 

For an easy early-spring dish that doubles as great weed control for the lawn, try Brill’s curried dandelions. Be certain not to use dandelions from lawns or fields that have been sprayed with herbicides or insecticides. 

Dandelion leaves are best when they are very young. Bitter even then, they become distastefully so as they age. The best leaves are harvested well before the plants flower. 

Curried Dandelions 

(Preparation time 25 minutes) 

3 tablespoons oil (corn, peanut, sesame or olive) 

9 cups common dandelion leaves 

4 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic 

1 1/2 cups water 

3/4 cups drained soft, silken tofu 

2 tablespoons mellow (light-colored) miso 

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice 

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the dandelion leaves and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning. 

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the puree to the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Makes 6 servings. 

For another wild spring edible, try cattails, which grow in marshes and wetlands and look like, well, cats’ tails. 

Brill said the immature flower heads on cattails can be harvested when green in the early spring and cooked like corn on the cob. Because this comes out a little dry, he suggests serving it with a sauce. 

Try eating the tender white shoots in the following recipe, too. 

Cattail Fried Rice 

(Preparation time 15 minutes) 

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

1/2 cup peeled and chopped cattail shoots 

1 cup shallots, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

3 cups cooked brown rice 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1 tablespoon chili paste or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the cattails, shallots and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the rice is hot. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. 

Makes 4 servings. 

(Recipes taken from “Wildman” Steve Brill’s “The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook,” Harvard Common Press, 2002, $29.95) 

SAN FRANCISCO — Evidence of insurance polices for the lives of slaves surfaced in records that six companies submitted to the California Department of Insurance. 

The department issued a report Wednesday on slave insurers and also released a separate database with the names of about 675 slaves and more than 300 slaveholders. Activists were excited about the new documents, which they say could bolster the case for reparations for descendants. 

The insurance department said in its report that Aetna, AIG, New York Life and Royal & Sun Alliance provided records indicating they or their predecessors may have issued policies insuring the lives of slaves. 

ACE USA submitted an Aetna Life policy on a slave, which it said was written after Aetna Life and ACE’s corporate predecessor parted ways. Penn Mutual also submitted a policy, but it had no corporate name attached to it. 

AIG submitted a magazine article that contained a “replica of a policy issued to a slaveholder in the amount of $550.00 on the life of one male slave known as ’Charles,”’ according to the report. 

ACE reported that it found a copy of a slave policy written in 1855 by Aetna Life and issued in Mississippi, insuring the life of a slave laborer named Peter. 

The report “adds to the databases of organizations that are working on lawsuits, and it adds to the information about African-American history,” said Jean Damu, chairman of a California group that is trying to build support for black reparations. 

The insurance department also found evidence the practice of insuring workers was not limited to Africans. Manhattan Life provided one policy that insured shippers for their cargo of 700 Chinese laborers on a journey from China in 1854, the report said. 

The workers were valued at $120 each. After three of the “coolies” jumped overboard and 11 others died of disease, Manhattan Life paid $408, according to a 1961 speech made by the company’s president, the report said. 

California appears to be the first state to require insurance companies to submit data on slave policies they issued, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. 

About 1,350 life, property and casualty insurance companies doing business in California were required to report to the insurance department under a law that took effect on Jan. 1, 2001. About 92 percent of the companies have responded, said Leslie Tick, the agency’s senior staff counsel. 

The companies had to report whether they or their predecessors issued insurance policies to slaveholders before 1865, providing coverage for damage to or death of slaves. 

Although the companies were licensed to do business in California, the policies they or their predecessors wrote were issued elsewhere, Tick said. 

“Slavery was a significant component of the overall economic system for two centuries,” said Richard America, who is part of a group that plans file a lawsuit against the federal government seeking reparations. It wasn’t just plantation owners who were connected to the slave trade, he said. 

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said he plans to urge other states to initiate similar legislation requiring companies to report on slave policies. “Much more research must be done to understand the full breadth of the insurance industry’s involvement,” he said 

In early April, three slave descendants filed suit against Aetna insurance company, FleetBoston Financial Corp. and railroad giant CSX on behalf of themselves and millions of other blacks, claiming the companies — or their corporate predecessors — unjustly profited from slavery. 

Aetna spokesman David Carter said the company regrets the existence of the policies. “We believe it’s important to move from this point and focus on where our company is today and where we can be tomorrow,” Carter said. 

New York Life spokesman William Werfelman said the company “abhors the practice of slavery historically and currently, and we profoundly regret that our predecessor company, Nautilus, was associated in any way with it for even a brief period of time.

Global sea levels are likely to rise higher this century than previously predicted according to calculations made by glaciologists at the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

No one factor can account for the nine-inch increase caused by glacial melt, said Mark Dyurgerov, one of the researchers, but warmer temperatures are partly responsible. “Glaciers immediately respond to this climatic change,” he said. 

Nine inches may seem insignificant when ocean depth is measured in thousands of feet. But a few inches’ rise in sea level could mean considerable damage for coastal areas, such as cities and ports, wetlands and beach areas.  

“A one-foot rise in sea level typically will cause a retreat of shoreline of 100 feet more,” said UC-Boulder glaciologist Mark Meier, “which would have substantial social and economic impacts.” This is particularly threatening for small nation islands that are only a few feet above sea level to begin with, he said. A sea level rise could engulf them entirely. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made the earlier prediction in a 2001 report. The IPCC comprises the world’s top climate scientists and is the leading scientific body for assessing the consequences of climate change. The 2001 report presents the most current research in related fields, such as biology, glaciology and environmental science.  

The new figures on glacial melt, combined with the rise in sea level for other processes, such as ocean warming, could mean sea levels will rise by as much as three feet by the end of the century.  

A rise in sea level alone could have devastating effects. But the world’s oceans don’t exist in isolation. They are part of an integrated ecosystem system, said Ted Sambos, an UC-Bolder researcher. Scientists have no way to predict every consequence of a major climate disruption, even with the best climate models.  

The IPCC reported in September that the expected rise in sea level due to glacial melt was between a fraction of an inch and nine inches. Dr. Meier and Dr. Dyurgerov have calculated a range between eight and eighteen inches. 

Dr. Meier said at a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science that the panel’s estimates needed revision because data from some regions were unavailable at the time of the September report. 

As a result, the September report underestimated the influence of large glaciers in Alaska, smaller glaciers around Antarctica and Greenland, and left out data on increases in ice melt since the late 1980s. Glacial melt has accelerated since then, according to Dr. Meier. 

“The rate of ice loss has more than doubled since 1988,” said Dr. Meier. “Some glaciers are smaller than they’ve been in the last 1,000 years.”  

At the time of its report, the panel was unable to consider data from difficult to measure glaciers in Alaska and the West Coast of Canada. These glaciers are isolated and tricky to measure. The combination of the glacier’s size and snow or rainy weather makes flying a helicopter over them nearly impossible. However, in the early 1990s, the University Alaska at Fairbanks developed new surveillance techniques using light airplanes and a laser altimeter system. This enabled better measurements of glacier elevation and as a result, changes in glacier volume. The details of the study will be submitted for publication, said Craig Lingle, a geophysicist at the UAF, but early analysis indicate a trend. 

“Glaciers and ice fields of Alaska, Yukon, and Northwestern British Columbia are melting more rapidly than previously assumed,” said Lingle. “They’re making a contribution to rising sea level that is significantly larger than previously estimated.” 

Dr. Meier agreed. “The large glaciers of Alaska and adjacent Canada currently are contributing to about one-half the rate of global ice loss,” excluding the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets, which are the largest in the world, he said. 

The revisions on glacial melt do not discredit the panel’s climate model, said Sambos. Climate models are complex, he said, and, by nature, present a general trend of the changing environment. The panel created a model with the best data available at the time. As monitoring technologies improve and more data from regional areas become available, he said, the picture would become more refined. He says that he and his colleagues support the panel’s other predictions.  

“That the glaciers will continue to retreat world-wide, we are very confident,” he said. That climate will continue to warm - very confident. Whether sea level will rise exactly seven inches or eleven inches, it’s a much tougher call. But no doubt, sea level will rise.”

is muscular arm covered up to the elbow in massive, ink-stained gloves, delivery driver Jose Gomez pointed toward a long row of his nemesis — Berkeley’s parking meters. More specifically, Berkeley’s broken parking meters. 

“I’ve been victimized by them,” said Gomez, a seven-year veteran courier who blames a glove compartment full of tickets on malfunctioning meters. “They’re just deceased, dead. There are more in Berkeley than in the other cities. I don’t know how many.”  

Neither does the city of Berkeley, but its been counting. And it says that vandals are to blame for the rising numbers of broken meters in town that costs the city about $1 million each year. That’s why police recently announced an “enhanced enforcement” program to prevent vandalism. 

What makes the police suspect vandals? 

“Foreign objects placed in meters,” Lt. Bruce Agnew of Berkeley’s traffic bureau said. “Basically, we find anything that fits in that coin slot. You name it.” 

Agnew said the new enforcement program means the department is committed to stricter surveillance of its parking meters, especially in “harder hit” areas downtown and near campus. 

But last week, one month after police launched the program, streets on the north side of the UC Berkeley campus showed severe meter malaise. A row of six broken meters lined one side of Euclid Avenue, some covered with plastic bags, others with masking tape. A note taped to one malfunctioning meter read, “Out of Order. This meter steals money!” Across the street another read, “Broken smokin.”  

Thirty-two meters out of 55 counted near the Hearst-Euclid intersection were broken. All flashed “FAILED” and showed a “P” with a diagonal line through it.  

Cars had slipped in front of nearly all of them. 

Across campus on Bancroft Way, the meter malfunction epidemic was even worse. In a two-block south campus area between Telegraph Avenue and Ellsworth Street, 31 meters flashed FAILED. Seven persisted. 

Two women were buckling an infant into the car seat of their SUV, which was parked in front of a broken meter near campus. 

“It’s great when they’re broken,” said Maria, who declined to give her last name. “Then you can park for free.” 

That’s what she thinks. But Gomez, the mail courier could tell her otherwise. Officer John Walker suspects a lot of drivers feel like Maria, but they’re wrong. Walker, a parking enforcement representative, tickets cars in front of broken meters. Especially when drivers leave them there for hours.  

“We chalk the tires, and ticket them if they exceed maximum time,” he said, reaching for a bright green parking ticket envelope and walking toward a truck parked illegally on Telegraph Avenue. 

Now the city hopes to pass an amendment to the Berkeley Municipal Code that will allow multiple citations to drivers who continuously overstay posted time limits, at both broken and functioning meters. Police say they hope it will make breaking meters less appealing. 

Despite what seems to be a growing epidemic, talk of broken meters in Berkeley is nothing new. The problem gained national attention two years ago, after an 11-year-old girl challenged a parking ticket she and her mother received on a visit to Berkeley. During an ensuing science project she found nearly 30 percent of the city’s meters were broken—and short-timing people.  

Inspired by Berkeley’s meter trouble, the girl, Ellie Lammer, helped pass “The Lammer Law,” which gives counties in California the right to monitor city meters for accuracy. 

“I would say they’re lazy,” UC Berkeley student Johanna Rohr said, when asked about Berkeley’s perennial broken meters. “I think they just need to get new meters” 

While walking to class yesterday morning, the 22-year-old economics major said she got one ticket because of a broken meter, and now leaves signs when she parks in front of them. Rohr said parking on Shattuck Avenue is much easier, thanks to its newer meters. 

The newer “Reino” meters, made by an Australian meter manufacturer, are multi-space meters and specially designed to be tamper resistant. But Berkeley police say vandals, not technology, are to blame.  

Berkeley’s Lt. Agnew said the damaged “Duncan” meters are only three years old, and he believes they would be fine if it weren’t for the numerous foreign objects people jam inside of them. Police said it’s become much more common than the older strategy of chopping off meter heads. Vandals beheaded several hundred years ago, but that was before jamming the coin slots became the popular technique. 

Have officers caught anyone in the act since its enhanced enforcement program began?  

“I’m not aware that we have,” Agnew said. “I don’t know how much time we have spent so far. But it’s something we are going to do.” 

Others doubt that Berkeley’s meter problems can be blamed on criminal activity. UC Berkeley Graduate student Gabriel Spitzer said he spent “a lengthy period of time” looking for a parking space yesterday morning, and checked to make sure the meter was working. But he said that once he dropped his coins into its slot, the meter “self-destructed and started yelling fail, fail, fail.” 

“They say it is people who are sabotaging the things,” Spitzer said. “But in reality, they don’t need anyone’s help to break.” 

Computer monitors, surfboards, desk lamps and the other detritus of the school year will soon begin to appear on Berkeley streets in an end-of-the-year ritual that irks the university and the city.  

While students study for final exams and prepare for their trips home, they often neglect to leave time to pack up, sell or donate their belongings. Instead, they move them into the street, says Adam Weinert, the recycling operations supervisor for the Campus Recycling and Refuse Services at UC Berkeley. 

“They're lazy, and they don't want to deal with it,” he said. 

Weinert helps make sure that the belongings students abandon, from common trash and clothing, to kitchen appliances and stereos, get picked up at the end of the year when the garbage load is far heavier than usual.  

While on a typical day the school's refuse service collects about 35 tons of garbage, it grows 43 percent the day after finals, to about 50 tons. This year, that day is Saturday, May 25, and Weinert expects the service's fleet of four trucks to head out for trash twice.  

During the week leading up to Saturday, the refuse service will be finding books, clothing, lamps and other abandoned items as they troll around in a flat-bed truck. They will bring what's still usable it to the Reuse Center, a thrift shop in Lower Sprawl Plaza where all items are free to university faculty, staff and students.  

But all of that comes only from dorms and graduate housing: residences for about 5,500 students. Then there's all the people moving out of homes unaffiliated with the University, like more than 60 fraternities, sororities and co-ops, which the City of Berkeley Public Works department serves.  

The public works department typically adds extra dumpsters near the fraternities and sororities. It's setting up 13 this year a few days before May 25.  

“There's tremendous demand on trash disposal,” said Becky Dowdakin, the public works recycling program manager. Dowdakin said public works paid about $8,000 in overtime last year for the same day. 

She said the public works department schedules its annual Bulky Waste pickup around the area of fraternities and sororities on May 25 so it coincides with the university's move-out day. It's the first week of ten weeks over the summer when Berkeley residents can leave their sofas, futons, rugs and other large household goods on the curb. 

For those items that are still in good condition, public works tries to inform the fraternities and sororities to leave out reusable stuff on Friday, May 24. That's when trucks from East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Urban Ore and Good Will wander the area seeking merchandise to resell at a bargain. Then on Saturday, public works gathers whatever's left behind. 

Joseph Ayankoya, the Public Work's senior refuse supervisor, has collected working televisions, beds with frames, and washers and dryers that students have left in the past. He said that the students from out-of-town prefer not to bring everything back with them. And many don't care to donate.  

Ayankoya said that the most common items he sees left on the street are mattresses. His department hauled away 80 on the same day last year. 

“When they finish their finals, they just want to go,” he said.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Catholic Diocese of San Jose announced Friday it had begun to form a task force that will review the diocese’s policy regarding clergy sexual abuse. 

Bishop Patrick J. McGrath has asked San Jose businessman Michael Fox and former San Jose mayor Tom McEnery to co-chair the task force. 

The bishop hopes to have the full task force in place within the next 10 days. 

At least one member of the team will be a “victim survivor,” McGrath said. The task force will also include experts in psychology, law enforcement and human relations. 

Word of the task force formation comes after 10 men who attended the St. Martin of Tours parish school, a Catholic grade school in San Jose, told The Mercury News that former pastor Joseph T. Pritchard repeatedly molested them and other young boys. 

Some of the students say they suspect church officials transferred Pritchard to St. Nicholas church in Los Altos in 1978, where he served as pastor until he died of cancer in 1988, because of sexual-abuse allegations. 

Church officials say they have no records indicating there was a problem. Nonetheless, McGrath apologized to the alleged victims. 

“These young men took appropriate action. I do not feel that this was an attack on the church, rather, it was a step toward positive change,” McGrath said. 

McGrath also appointed a liaison to head an outreach program for the pastoral care of victims and their families.

LOS ANGELES — A libel lawsuit filed against Erin Brockovich by her ex-husband has been settled, Brockovich’s attorney said Friday. 

“The parties just decided to get on with their lives and put it behind them,” said David Weeks, an attorney for Erin Brockovich. 

Reno stockbroker Steven Michael Brockovich filed the lawsuit in March 2001, alleging the legal assistant immortalized in a Hollywood film falsely claimed in two publications that he failed to pay child support for their daughter. 

He said the articles hurt his reputation in Reno, causing his business to drop. 

Weeks declined to provide any details of the settlement, saying the terms are confidential. 

An attorney for Steven Brockovich declined to comment. 

The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accused Erin Brockovich of libel, slander, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

Brockovich and her boss, Ed Masry, won $333 million in compensation from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for 650 residents of the town of Hinkley, where water was found to be contaminated with chromium 6.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Police who received 22 sex-abuse allegations from the Diocese of San Bernardino last week have forwarded most of them to law enforcement in 16 other communities. 

On April 25, the diocese presented the San Bernardino Police Department with reports of priests who allegedly molested children between 1957 and 1995. 

The list includes four priests who were still active in the diocese when church officials gave their names to police. All four have since left their parishes. 

After sorting through the reports, investigators found that only three were reported to have occurred in the city, police said in a press release issued Friday. 

The department said investigators faxed to California enforcement agencies reports of abuse in Belltown, Blythe, Colton, Corona, El Cajon, Fontana, Hemet, Highland, Hollywood, Mission Hills, Montclair, Ontario, Riverside, Victorville. 

Police also forwarded abuse reports to Donaldson, Ind., and St. Louis, and are working to determine the proper jurisdiction for another report of abuse that allegedly occurred somewhere in Massachussetts.

OAKLAND, Calif. — “No More Secrets” is the motto of a groundbreaking effort by Roman Catholic priests and survivors of clergy abuse in the Oakland diocese to work together to forgive and heal. 

A priest is leading a “survivors retreat” this summer. They also have an official Web site and the whole effort is headed up by a nun. 

When Oakland’s Catholics began this endeavor two years ago, they thought every diocese in the country would soon do the same. 

The reality is that in many other dioceses, church officials and laity remain bitterly divided when it comes to opening up about abusive priests. 

In Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law’s reluctance to involve lay people in discussions of abuse is disturbing, according to Svea Fraser, member of a grassroots church reform group called Voice of the Faithful. 

“There’s great confusion because there hasn’t been dialogue,” she said. “We have no structure or arena to be able to talk to him. We hear from him through the front page and he hears from us the same way.” 

A spokeswoman for the Boston diocese did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment on this story. 

Since the scandal broke, most bishops have either publicly apologized for abuse, held penance services or urged victims to come forward. But advocates for victims continue to press dioceses to give them a greater role in overseeing the church’s response to abuse claims, to ensure that victims are treated with sensitivity and given proper support. 

Fraser ooh-ed and aah-ed when she heard about Oakland’s cooperative efforts. 

“It sounds to me what’s happening in Oakland is the very thing we’d like to make a reality here,” she said. “It feels like we’re bleeding, we’re hurting, we need some help. We’re not hearing anything back (from church leadership) and the things we are hearing aren’t very supportive.” 

In Oakland, one former priest and two inactive priests have been investigated since the nationwide sex abuse scandal broke in January. One of the inactive priests is the Rev. Robert Freitas, charged with molesting a teen-age boy 23 years ago. 

In Boston, nearly 500 people have claimed they were abused by priests, and the archdiocese has given prosecutors the names of 87 accused priests. 

Law, who stands accused in lawsuits of ignoring evidence of abusive priests, has reiterated the archdiocese’s commitment to protecting children and reaching out to victims. 

But when some church members floated the idea of forming a coalition of lay people and priests to foster communication about the handling of the scandal, Law ordered his priests not to cooperate. 

“I would love to hear, ’We’re in a terrible crisis. How can we all help and move through this? We’d like your help,”’ Fraser said. 

“We’ve got energy. This is not a faith crisis,” she added. “People are beginning to understand what authority we do have. We have rights and responsibilities.” 

That sort of empowerment is exactly what happened in Oakland, where Bishop John Cummins plans a service Sunday marking the creation of a special ministry dedicated to providing support to sex abuse victims and to reviewing diocesan abuse policies. 

Terrie Light, who was sexually assaulted by her pastor in Oakland in the 1950s, called the diocese an “oasis” that only began implementing changes after years of increasing pressure from victims. 

“This is where we got hurt,” she said. “The church is supposed to be this warm, compassionate, consoling parent. If the church can provide that forgiveness it feels better for a lot of us.” 

Light met other church abuse victims through the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a national support group. She was sought out in 1994 by Sister Barbara Flannery, who had just been appointed the diocese chancellor, the Bishop’s top aide. 

Flannery said she believed Light — who got so frustrated by the church’s official response that she began picketing in 1993 — had been treated poorly. They began meeting regularly, and reaching out to survivors in other dioceses. 

“When you begin to hear their stories, you begin to get a glimpse of their pain,” Flannery said. “We decided we’re not going to just say the words, we’re going to follow up with actions.” 

Light was delighted. 

“She was willing to meet and willing to listen and willing to have a couple of us hammer at her,” Light said. “She’s not part of the good ol’ boy network and these are not her compadres that she went through seminary with.” 

Since then, the diocese has kept in constant contact with its parishioners about abuse issues, and Flannery, one of very few women in the United States who holds such a high position in the church, has kept her boss informed about abuse cases. 

CHURCH/From Page 22 

Flannery and Cummins had hoped that these claims were isolated cases, but they soon realized that nationwide, hundreds of Catholics had stories of abuse to tell. 

“When I first heard about it I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It was unimaginable. It’s a monstrous thing,” said Cummins, who made a point of listening more than talking in his meetings with survivors. In Oakland at least, “there was a kind of openness to the seriousness and magnitude of the issue.” 

In 2000, Cummins apologized for past abuses and for the church’s “tendency to retreat into denial and self-protection.” 

Now, the effort has developed into a Web site offering resources to survivors of abuse, the upcoming retreat and a steady stream of updates through letters and articles in the diocese newspaper. 

“We’ve been willing to go there, but they’ve been willing to open the door,” Light said. “In other places, they have the gates pulled up and they have archers at every entrance and they’re knocking people off as they get there.” 

The 51 names added Friday to the Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial in the Washington suburb of Arlington, Va. All these journalists were killed in 2001. The country in parentheses indicates the nationality of the journalist’s news organization: 

AFGHANISTAN — Ulf Stroemberg, TV4 (Sweden), Nov. 27. Harry Burton, Reuters (Britain), Nov. 19. Azizullah Haidari, Reuters (Britain), Nov. 19. Julio Fuentes, El Mundo (Spain), Nov. 19. Maria Grazia Cutuli, Corriere Della Sera (Italy), Nov. 19. Johanne Sutton, Radio France Internationale (France), Nov. 11. Pierre Billaud, RTL Radio (Luxembourg), Nov. 11. Volker Handloik, free lance (Germany), Nov. 11. 

ALGERIA — Fadhela Nedjma, Echourouk El Youmi (Algeria), June 14. Adel Zerrouk, Al-Rai (Jordan), June 14. 

BANGLADESH — Nohar Ali, Anirban (Bangladesh), found April 20. 

BOLIVIA — Juan Carlos Encinas, free lance (Bolivia), July 29. 

BRITAIN — Martin O’Hagan, Sunday World (Britain), Sept. 28. 

CHINA — Feng Zhaoxia, Gejie Daobao (China), Jan. 15. Zhao Qunli, Phoenix TV (Hong Kong), Sept. 2. 

COLOMBIA — Flavio Bedoya, Voz (Colombia), April 27. Jorge Enrique Urbano Sanchez, Mar Estereo radio (Colombia), July 8. Jose Duviel Vasquez Arias, La Voz de la Selva (Colombia), July 6. 

COSTA RICA — Parmenio Medina Perez, La Patada (Costa Rica), July 7. 

GEORGIA — Georgy Sanaya Rustavi-2 (Georgia), July 26. 

GUATEMALA — Jorge Mynor Alegria Armendariz, Radio Amatique (Guatemala), Sept. 5. 

HAITI — Brignol Lindor, Radio Echo 2000 (Haiti), Dec. 3. 

INDIA — Gopal Bisht, Aaj Tak television (India), Sept. 30. Ranjan Jha, Aaj Tak television (India), Sept. 30. Anju Sharma, Hindustan Times (India), Sept. 30. Sanjiv Sinha, The Indian Express (India), Sept. 30. Moolchand Yadav, free lance, in India, July 30. 

KUWAIT — Hidaya Sultan Al-Salem, Al-Majales (Kuwait), found March 20. 

LATVIA — Gundars Matiss, Kurzemes Vards (Latvia), attacked Nov. 15, died Nov. 28. 

MALI — Massa Kane, ORTM (Mali), Sept. 8. Adama Traore, ORTM (Mali), Sept. 8. 

MEXICO — Jose Luis Ortega Mata, Semanario de Ojinaga (Mexico), Feb. 19. 

MONGOLIA — Tsevegmid Batzorig, Gamma (Mongolia), Jan. 14. Takahiro Kato, NHK (Japan), Jan. 14. Minoru Masaki, NHK (Japan), Jan. 14. 

PARAGUAY — Salvador Medina Velazquez, Nemity radio (Paraguay), Jan. 5. 

PHILIPPINES — Candelario Cayona, DXLL (Philippines), May 30. Rolando Ureta, DYKR (Philippines), Jan. 3. 

RUSSIA — Eduard Markevich, Novy Reft (Russia), found Sept. 18. 

SPAIN — Ruben Cortijo Marin, Euskal Irrati Telebista (Spain), May 21. Inaki Pangua Akasuso, Euskal Irrati Telebista (Spain), May 21. 

THAILAND — Kaset Puengpak, Thai Rath (Thailand), May 2. Witayudh Saengsopit, free lance, April 10. 

UKRAINE — Ihor Oleksandrov, Tor television (Ukraine), July 7. 

UNITED STATES — William Biggart, free lance, Sept. 11. Jeff Cole, The Wall Street Journal (USA), Jan. 24. Robert Stevens, The Sun (USA), Oct. 5. Bill Teegins, Oklahoma State Radio Network (USA), Jan. 27. 

UZBEKISTAN — Marc Brunereau, free lance, Sept 5. 

YUGOSLAVIA — Kerem Lawton, Associated Press Television News (United States), near the Kosovo-Macedonia border, March 29. Milan Pantic, Vecernje Novosti (Yugoslavia), June 11. 

The Planning Commission continued to methodically digest the Southside Plan at its Wednesday night meeting, ruminating over several amendments aimed at liberalizing zoning rules and discussing the just- releasedstaff review of the plan’s impacts on land use and housing. 

The plan will set guidelines for development, safety, traffic and transportation in a roughly 30-block area immediately south of the UC Berkeley campus, bounded by Bancroft and Dwight ways and Prospect and Fulton streets. The area is home to about 12,500 residents, most of whom are UC Berkeley students. 

The preliminary staff review raised as many questions as it tried to answer. The report, which was not released to the public, estimates that implementation of the plan would increase the area’s housing stock by roughly 3,000 units. 

However, several commissioners questioned the report’s methodology. The planner based his estimate on a “scorched earth” scenario, in which the entire area would have been rebuilt under the proposed zoning laws. 

Since this scenario is unlikely, commissioners questioned whether the projections were too optimistic. 

“It’s an odd way of calculating development,” said Commissioner Gordon Wozniak, who cited that existing development and the protections granted to historic buildings could limit opportunities to increase the housing stock. 

One amendment approved Wednesday could help to alleviate the student housing shortage.  

The commission voted unanimously to drop language requiring no more than one person for every 350 sq. ft. in group living arrangements, such as student co-ops, fraternity houses, and boarding houses. 

Faith Stein, UC Berkeley ASUC Tenants Rights Director agreed with the decision citing that in such arrangements, the residents do not need so much space, since they share a common kitchen and living area. 

The deleted requirement had blocked the construction of proposed student housing developments, according to Andy Katz, ASUC Director, City Affairs Lobby and Housing Commission. 

The commission also agreed to relax zoning rules regarding soft story buildings. These complexes, built above parking garages to accommodate drivers, are considered more earthquake-prone than other structures.  

The amended plan will be designed to permit property owners to retrofit or rebuild structures to their existing heights, even if the buildings are in a zone that only permits three-story buildings. 

“We don’t want to demolish existing housing,” said Commissioner Wrenn, “but we need to find a way of allowing owners of these buildings to rebuild the existing number of units to existing heights so there is no disincentive to deal with seismic problems.” 

To satisfy the concerns of various residents, the Plan establishes a “step down” approach towards zoning in which the several areas immediately south of the UC Berkeley campus, and along Telegraph Avenue would be targeted as high-density areas, zoned to permit five-story buildings, while the neighborhoods closer to Dwight Way would require smaller buildings and less intensive development. 

“The plan strongly wants to encourage the development of additional housing for students and university workers near the campus and on Telegraph,” said Wrenn. 

To facilitate this in designated high density areas, the plan includes removing parking requirements for new buildings, changing the set-back rules, allowing buildings to be located closer to the curb and to one another, and utilizing a state incentive program whereby developers that designate an specified portion of a building’s floor space for residential use and a specified percentage of residential units for low-income housing, will be permitted to exceed the current four story 

height limit and build a fifth floor. 

There is still a long road ahead before the plan’s ultimate approval.  

Before a finalized plan can go before the City Council, it must undergo an independent environmental impact report, followed by a new round of public hearings. 

Commissioner Wrenn had hoped that the commission would finish the plan by September, but due to repeated staffing turnover, he acknowledged it probably wouldn’t be ready for the environmental report until October, and wouldn’t reach City Council until early 2002. 

The Planning Commission will resume discussion on May 15, tackling some of the plan’s unresolved transportation issues.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — When a group of New England explorers set sail more than 200 years ago, they brought back souvenirs from the indigenous people they encountered, hoping to inspire later generations. 

Founded in 1799, the East India Marine Society had gathered so many baskets, masks, blankets, headdresses, weapons and other American Indian items that they established a museum in Salem, Mass., 26 years later just to keep it all. 

The Peabody Essex Museum now has more than 20,000 pieces in its Indian collection, and can display only a fraction of them — one of several injustices curators of a new exhibit at Stanford University are hoping to counteract. 

A hundred items collected from the indigenous peoples of North and South America are included in “Uncommon Legacies: Native American Art From the Peabody Essex Museum,” on view through Aug. 11 at the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts. 

Rarely seen treasures from the 17th through 20th centuries include headdresses of blue and red macaw plumes worn by Brazilian chiefs, and a Chilkat goat wool blanket depicting clan symbols that initially could only be made or worn by wealthy Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest. 

The show also tries to erase stereotypes and ethnocentric viewpoints by depicting the everyday lives of Indians a centuries ago, said Tom Haukaas, a Lakota artist from the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota who consulted on the show. 

Marine Society members collected pipes, clubs and other symbols of warfare. However, for this exhibit, Haukass and other Indian consultants made a point of including such items as hats, baskets, food ladles and a baby carrier made by Plains tribes in 1850s. 

“We were trying to de-romanticize, to show the breadth of our cultures and still present pieces of great aesthetic appeal,” Haukass said. “Reality is sitting at home.” 

Early marine society members, on the other hand, apparently saw themselves as bold adventurers exploring dark corners of the globe. 

One of several early American maritime groups, the society had a unique purpose: form a museum of natural artifacts from beyond the Cape of Good Hope of South Africa and Cape Horn of South America. To be a member, marine men had to sail around both continents. 

The seafarers met inhabitants of the Amazon forests while trading for rubber in South America. Guano and silver trades brought them to Peru, and a need for lumber drew them into northern New England and Canada. The fur trade — particularly sea otter pelts in demand in China — was the attraction in the Pacific Northwest. 

The indigenous people soon saw a way to make money off the visitors, creating items solely to be traded, such as human face masks and black argillite smoking pipes made by the Haida, said curator John Grimes at the Peabody Essex. 

The marine men kept detailed records, although they more often recorded their own feelings than the customs they encountered, said those who have studied their journals. 

Society members often documented their collections in their journals, recording dates, places and the tribe involved. 

Many other American Indian collections of the time lack such documentation, said Manuel Jordan, a curator at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center. 

Thanks to the record keeping, at least one tribe, the Mohegan in Connecticut, have requested four items for repatriation, including a historic picture box. 

Under the 1990 Native American Graves and Repatriation Act, museums that receive public money are required to release a list of their holdings to Indian tribes. The museums are also obligated to negotiate with tribes if they have sacred religious objects, items used for the ongoing practice of religion, or items important to a nation’s identity. 

In 1997, the Peabody Essex returned a round picture box that represented one of the few surviving written language records of the Mohegan. The box, made of elm, is carved with designs that document the migration of the tribe’s members to Oneida, N.Y. 

Besides the Mohegan, native Hawaiians and Cayuga in New York are the only tribes to request items from the Peabody Essex since museums made their holdings public in 1992, Grimes said. 

Grimes understands this exhibit may stimulate conversations about repatriating some objects, and he said museums should be proactive about sharing their collections with native communities. “We’re open to that and welcome it,” he said. 

The same kind of thinking prompted the curators to include American Indian input for this exhibit, he said. 

“There is no reason that a museum at this date and time should be presuming to speak for native communities and interpreting native art without the interpretation of native artist and scholars and curators,” Grimes said.

The ongoing labor dispute between workers seeking to unionize and the Claremont Resort and Spa has now gone federal in the form of a National Labor Relations Board complaint against Claremont for unfair labor practices. The Labor Board has scheduled a hearing for August 26.  

The complaint comes after the Labor Board reviewed several charges of labor violations made by the Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union, Local 2850, against Claremont management and parent company KSL Recreation Corporation.  

The Board found those charges to be sound enough to issue its own complaint, for which Claremont/KSL is charged to respond by May 14 or be found guilty of all allegations made. The allegations made by the Labor Board against Claremont include: “Promulgating and maintaining overly broad rules restricting employees in the exercise of their rights [to organize]; making unlawful statements to employees; and discriminating against and disciplining employees because of their union activities.” 

Specific incidents cited in the complaint include interrogation by Claremont management of employees about union activities, promises to address grievances if employees ceased attempts to organize, threatening of employee benefits, disciplining employees for union activities through written warnings and suspensions, and barring off-duty employees from being at the workplace. Claremont also allegedly beefed up on security, and had at least on one occasion escorted off-duty workers from the premises and engaged in surveillance of employees organizing on public property. 

Claremont has filed a counter charge against the Local 2850, but the Labor Board has yet to draw any conclusions regarding it. While Claremont did not initially reply to calls from the Planet over the last week, it did fax a statement on Wednesday. “We support our spa employees’ right to make an informed decision on the issue of union representation,” the statement read. It also claims that the union is stalling negotiations of the food and beverage employee contract. 

There are currently two groups of workers at Claremont seeking a union contract. The food and beverage workers union, represented by Local 2850, was inherited under contract by KSL when the group purchased the Claremont a few years ago, but that contract expired in January. Many spa workers have also been active in organizing, and though an apparent majority of spa workers have signed union cards, Claremont refuses to recognize them as unionized, claiming they must hold a secret ballot election. 

The dispute between management and both groups of workers is over how, and maybe even whether, a union is recognized. If management accepts the counting of union cards as sufficient, then it must negotiate with the union as representative of the workers. As the card count is quick, it doesn’t take long to recognize the union. The secret-ballot election, another method of gaining union recognition, is a process that includes not only a vote but numerous possibilities for appeal and litigation, a process known to take several years. 

“While neither method has legal superiority over the other, card counting is more traditional,” said Richard McCracken, a lawyer representing the Local 2850. “While ultimately the effect is similar, the difference between the two is the length of time the parties are given to bargain for a contract without any outside interference. I’ve had card counting result in unionization in a year, while I’ve seen the election process take anywhere from three to 17 years,” he said. 

One of the sticking points in the food and beverage contract is the workers’ desire for a neutrality agreement that would allow the card counting method. Meanwhile, the spa workers cannot get recognized until Claremont management accepts their union cards or gets them to agree to the election process. 

“The food and beverage workers and the spa workers are basically engaged in a unity camp,” said Local 2850 spokesperson Stephanie Ruby. “Employees have repeatedly shown unity in their demand for a card check,” she said. 

In addition to the initial charges filed, over 70 Claremont workers have signed a petition to boycott the hotel and spa until the labor dispute is settled. The executive board of the Central Labor Council of Alameda County has endorsed the boycott, and will be holding a delegate meeting to ratify the endorsement. “Our delegates will be unified,” said CLC political director Robert Dhondrup. “We will ensure that none of our unions will eat, meet, or sleep at the Claremont.” Dhondrup says the ratification meeting will take place in the next two weeks, and that the motion to boycott might move to the state level and come before the California Federation of Labor. 

Meanwhile, Claremont workers have scheduled a rally for May 19th, at 11 a.m., to take place in front of the hotel, where the workers will be offering the public health and spa services.

Busch tags fish for contest 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Dig out the waders: There’s a fish out there worth $1 million to the angler who reels it in. 

In a contest to promote its Busch brand of beer, Anheuser-Busch Inc. has tagged 40 fish and placed one into each of 40 bodies of water around the United States. 

A $1 million grand-prize tag has been attached to one of the fish, named Big Jake. The remaining 39 have been tagged for secondary prizes of $1,000. 

The second-annual “Catch Big Jake” contest started Saturday and runs through June 4. It is supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit organization that was created to help conserve and manage fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats. 

An angler who lands a tagged fish will be directed to call a special telephone number and find out whether it’s Big Jake. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Californians continue to disapprove of Gov. Gray Davis’ performance, and they believe state lawmakers will reduce the budget deficit better than the governor, according to a new poll. 

The state’s residents also believe California is heading in the wrong direction again, ending a short period of optimism seen after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the Field Poll released Sunday. 

Fifty percent of those surveyed believe the state is seriously off track, while 43 percent feel it’s headed in the right direction. 

Overall, 49 percent of Californians surveyed disapproved of Davis’ performance while 42 percent approved. That’s down from the first two years of his tenure when his favorable ratings ranged from 56 percent to 61 percent with relatively small unfavorable ratings. 

With seven months remaining before Davis faces Republican Bill Simon in the November election, his support among registered voters is even worse. They disapprove of his work in office by 55 percent to 39 percent. 

The poll was taken before the Davis administration was hit by the scandal over a $95 million, no-bid contract with Oracle Corp. that a Davis aide negotiated while accepting a $25,000 campaign contribution. 

Since May 2001, the height of the state’s energy crisis, the Democratic governor has seen consistently low approval marks in Field polls. 

The state now faces an estimated $20 billion budget shortfall. 

More than 80 percent of Californians believe the shortfall is somewhat or very serious, the poll shows. The numbers remained similar among Democrats and Republicans. By almost a 2-to-1 ratio, Californians would trust the Legislature over Davis to reduce the budget deficit. 

The latest survey of 1,021 adults was conducted by telephone between April 19 and 25. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

Richard Nixon is dead, Katharine Graham is dead, even Linda Lovelace is dead. But what about Deep Throat?  

Still alive, and still a secret more than a quarter-century after his guidance helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein break the Watergate story and unseat a president. 

John Dean says he knows Deep Throat’s identity. And the former White House counsel, whose testimony against Nixon was itself a key moment in the Watergate saga, says he will reveal all in “The Deep Throat Brief.” The electronic book will be published June 17, the 30th anniversary of the Watergate break-in. 

“He’s pretty certain he knows who it is,” said Scott Rosenberg, managing editor of the online magazine Salon, which will offer Dean’s book. 

Of course, Dean was pretty certain in 1975, when he said Deep Throat was Earl J. Silbert, an original Watergate prosecutor. And he was pretty certain in 1982, when he named Alexander Haig, who was eventually Nixon’s chief of staff and Ronald Reagan’s secretary of state. 

Silbert and Haig denied it. This is to be expected. Everyone denies being Deep Throat. 

Including, Woodward says, Deep Throat. 

The shadowy source “was risking a great deal personally and professionally,” he said in 1997. “You may assume that in the course of this he was not truthful with colleagues and family members and he denied that he had provided information.” 

Washington cannot abide a secret, especially one Dean has called “the best-kept secret in the history of the capital.” So while the particulars of Deep Throat’s exploits have faded in memory for many Americans, for others — politicians, historians, journalists — speculation about his identity remains a favorite parlor game. 

Nixon was not immune. Monica Crowley, a young aide to the former president for four years before his death in 1994, quoted Nixon as saying Deep Throat was “someone on the inside. ... One person who thought he had a lot to gain by spilling his guts to those two guys,” someone who wanted to be seen as a liberal because he wanted “a media career.” 

“Woodward had a source in the Executive Branch who had access to information at CRP (the Committee to Re-elect the President) as well as at the White House. His identity was unknown to anyone else,” the book says. 

Woodward promised he would never identify the source or quote him, even anonymously. The source would confirm information secured elsewhere, and might “add some perspective.” 

When he talked with his editors, Woodward called the source “my friend,” until managing editor Howard Simons dubbed him Deep Throat after the porn film in which Lovelace starred. When Woodward wanted to meet, he moved a flower pot with a red flag to the rear of his apartment balcony. When Deep Throat wanted to meet, he got hold of the newspaper delivered to Woodward’s home, circled the number on page 20 and drew clock hands in the circle. Usually, they met at 2 a.m. in an underground parking garage. 

And we assume Deep Throat is still alive. Woodward has said he will reveal Deep Throat’s identity only after the source is dead, because if he did it sooner, sources he deals with today might question whether he can keep a confidence. 

Oakland company  

creates future shopping 

SEATTLE — At the West Seattle Thriftway, if you touch it, you buy it. 

In addition to using cash, checks or charge cards, shoppers can now pay for groceries by touching their finger to an electronic sensor and linking to their credit cards or checking accounts. 

The new system, operated by Oakland, Calif.-based Indivos Corp., gives customers a convenient and secure way to pay for groceries, store owner Paul Kapioski said Wednesday. 

“It is a hassle to have to pull out your cards,” said Pearl McElheran of West Seattle. “This will be much more convenient.” 

Philip Patten joined hundreds of other customers to enroll in the new system Wednesday. Patten placed his index finger on a small scanner several times, allowing the system to record several points on the pad of his finger. After typing in his phone number and swiping a debit card through a reader, he was able to use the “pay-by-touch” program. 

The store has sensors used to scan fingerprints installed at each of its 14 checkout stands. The sensors cost about $150 each. 

Customers using the program felt secure supplying the company with their fingerprints and credit card numbers. 

“I figure they must have perfected it or they wouldn’t be doing it,” said Judy Waring.