Ching “Christina” Sun doesn’t consider herself a developer: she would rather do without the label’s implied power, without the antipathy it often evokes. -more-

TUESDAY, MAY 27 -more-

EMERYVILLE BOOM -more-

TUESDAY, MAY 27 -more-

It’s a deadly disease that could be heading to California, and it isn’t SARS. -more-

The following letters were exchanged between Aran Kaufer and Planet Executive Editor Becky O’Malley: -more-

The Romare Bearden mural that has served for nearly 30 years as a backdrop to the drama of Berkeley city politics is going on a two-year tour with the National Gallery of Art as the centerpiece of a Bearden retrospective. -more-

For anyone living in Berkeley in the fifties and sixties, the “ticky tackys” of that time today seem luxurious apartments when compared to the cramped, high-density living quarters built by developers of late. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — In barrios, inner-city communities and immigrant enclaves nationwide, ethnic media reporters cover stories often ignored by mainstream newsrooms. Now, with a media deregulation plan being formulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), critics fear that ethnic media’s civic role may be undermined. -more-

Berkeley’s Mayor Tom Bates needs to brush up on the history of the city of Berkeley’s and community members’ relationship with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) as well as the democratic process known as Roberts’ Rules of Order. -more-

In one universe, George W. Bush is soaring from victory to victory. His wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, waged with solid domestic support, each ousted unsavory regimes at a cost of relatively few U.S. casualties. He has prodded a historic series of tax cuts through Congress. -more-

America’s college graduates are entering the worst job market in 20 years. With few good jobs on the horizon, many graduating seniors think it is time to get an advanced degree. They should think again. -more-

I took a flight into Kennedy International Airport, got myself through security, grabbed a shuttle into Manhattan, made my way to the Port Authority, bought a bus ticket for Atlantic City and called my parents in New Jersey from a pay phone to say I’d be arriving in three hours. -more-

The following is an excerpt of an article on the 10-year anniversary of Berkeley’s first municipal elections, 125 years ago this month, published in the Berkeley Advocate on April 18, 1888: -more-

The short version of this review is that the Shotgun Players’ new production, Dylan Thomas’ “Under Milk Wood,” is terrific. If you have any interest or response or even curiosity about the famed Welch poet, his poetry or maybe just 20th-century literature, go get a ticket. -more-

The following is adapted from a Clemens Lecture presented in April for the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Conn. -more-

Two documentary filmmakers held an impromptu showing of their award-winning film, “Bums’ Paradise” Sunday night in a Berkeley pub courtyard after the East Bay Regional Park Police shut down an unofficial showing at the Albany Landfill the previous night. -more-

The Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA) presents Summer Noon Concerts 2003, a unique series of nine free concerts, Thursdays at noon in June & July, beginning June 5th. From Rhythm & Blues to Brazilian capoeira, these concerts at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza (Shattuck Ave. at Center St.) are a showcase of the culturally rich performing arts in Berkeley. This outdoor summer celebration of Berkeley-based musicians & dancers is just a small sampling of the performing arts happening nightly in clubs, cafes, schools, theaters and concert halls in Downtown Berkeley. -more-