BERKELEY HIGH GRADUATES celebrate at the Greek Theater after Friday’s diploma ceremony.
BERKELEY HIGH GRADUATES celebrate at the Greek Theater after Friday’s diploma ceremony.

Page One

Berkeley High School Graduates Take a Bow and Look to Future

By MEGAN GREENWELL
Tuesday June 17, 2003

Most Berkeley High School seniors who graduated last week will begin their studies at a college or university this fall. Others will work or travel. One will study ballet in Russia, another plans to move to India and a third will try his luck auditioning for Broadway plays in New York. -more-



Letters to the Editor

Tuesday June 17, 2003

CRUCIAL COOPERATION -more-



Local Girls’ Team Drives, Shoots and Scores On Its Way to National Championship

By JARED GREEN
Tuesday June 17, 2003

A Bay Area basketball team, including four girls from St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, is on its way to the national basketball championship next month in Tennessee if the players can raise enough money to get there. -more-



Parents Pass Hat To Combat Deficit In School Funding

By DAVID SCHARFENBERG
Tuesday June 17, 2003

Faced with heavy teacher layoffs and cuts in sports and music programs, a series of parent-led fund-raising groups are asking the city’s heavily taxed residents to pour more money into the schools. -more-



Medgar Evers Fought With Relentless Force In Civil Rights Struggle

By DENISHA DeLANE
Tuesday June 17, 2003

1963 became a watershed year in American History. -more-



Festival Honors Liberation of Country’s Last Slaves

By WANDA SABIR
Tuesday June 17, 2003

Berkeley celebrated its 17th annual Juneteenth festival on Sunday. Sponsored by the Adeline-Alcatraz Merchants Association, the day was one of both celebration and education. -more-



By Returning to Party Roots Democrats Can Effect Change

By ZELDA BRONSTEIN
Tuesday June 17, 2003

In the first week of June, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a conference on taking back America from the radical Right. I went in search of signs that progressives are capable of mounting a serious challenge to the Republican gang that’s ravaging our country. One such sign, I’d become convinced, would be evidence of a concerted effort to move the Democratic Party to the left. -more-



AC Transit Commuters Sound Off On Discount Passes, Fare Changes

By MEGAN GREENWELL
Tuesday June 17, 2003

If the AC Transit board of directors votes to eliminate discount monthly passes, Charles Menton said he will stop riding the bus. -more-



Blockbuster Leaves Behind Vacant Space, Broken Promises

By CAROL DENNEY
Tuesday June 17, 2003

One of former Mayor Shirley Dean’s clean-up events took place at the corner of San Pablo and University avenues, where brooms and trash bags were handed out to mostly non-area participants for a highly photographed moment. Blockbuster Video was just laying its controversial foundation. -more-



Council Holds Final Budget Hearing

By JOHN GELUARDI
Tuesday June 17, 2003

Tuesday is the last opportunity for the public to sound off on next year’s proposed budget, which seeks to counter a $4.7 million deficit by raising parking fines and continuing a city hiring freeze. -more-



Features

State Cancels Exit Exam, At Least For This Year

By ANGELA ROWEN
Tuesday June 17, 2003

Students who have still not passed both sections of the high school exit exam may soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Under intense pressure from teachers and civil rights advocates who say the high-stakes exam unfairly punishes students for the inequalities in the educational system, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced that he was canceling the July administration of the test and recommending that the State Board of Education vote to postpone the requirement until 2006. -more-


Salvation Army Dissolves Board, Will Sell University Avenue Property

By JOHN GELUARDI
Tuesday June 17, 2003

The Salvation Army dissolved its Berkeley Board of Advisers last Tuesday, a few months after the board recommended the organization sell their University Avenue property to a nonprofit agency that would either develop a senior service center or affordable housing. -more-


Pacifica Radio Moves Back With Heavy Baggage in Tow

By DAVID SCHARFENBERG
Tuesday June 17, 2003

On Monday at noon, a big white moving truck stopped in front of the downtown offices of public radio station KPFA, 94.1 FM, and unloaded 11 nondescript boxes and a whole lot of symbolism. -more-


Zoning Board Postpones Blood House Decision

By ANGELA ROWEN
Tuesday June 17, 2003

The potential demolition of the historic Ellen Blood House on Durant Avenue was supposed to be addressed at last Thursday’s Zoning Appeals Board meeting, but the matter was misstated on the agenda and postponed until next week. -more-


Police Blotter

By JOHN GELUARDI
Tuesday June 17, 2003

Central Works’ ‘Wyrd Sisters’ Is Mutated Offspring of the Bard

By BETSY HUNTON Special to the Planet
Tuesday June 17, 2003

First, let’s make it clear that “The Wyrd Sisters,” which opened June 13 at the Berkeley City Club, couldn’t be any newer or more modern in its creation. This is important to remember since the play itself is so strongly reminiscent of an earlier period of playwriting. -more-


Ongoing Exhibitions

Tuesday June 17, 2003

EXHIBITIONS -more-


Arts Calendar

Tuesday June 17, 2003

TUESDAY, JUNE 17 -more-


Summer Noon Concerts in Downtown Berkeley

Tuesday June 17, 2003

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-


Editorial

Residential Parking Fees May Increase

Tuesday June 17, 2003

Berkeley may soon have the most expensive neighborhood parking in the Bay Area. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Residential Parking Fees May Increase 06-17-2003

Alice Arts Center Deflects Mayor’s Attack 06-13-2003

News

Berkeley High School Graduates Take a Bow and Look to Future By MEGAN GREENWELL 06-17-2003

Letters to the Editor 06-17-2003

Local Girls’ Team Drives, Shoots and Scores On Its Way to National Championship By JARED GREEN 06-17-2003

Parents Pass Hat To Combat Deficit In School Funding By DAVID SCHARFENBERG 06-17-2003

Medgar Evers Fought With Relentless Force In Civil Rights Struggle By DENISHA DeLANE 06-17-2003

Festival Honors Liberation of Country’s Last Slaves By WANDA SABIR 06-17-2003

By Returning to Party Roots Democrats Can Effect Change By ZELDA BRONSTEIN 06-17-2003

AC Transit Commuters Sound Off On Discount Passes, Fare Changes By MEGAN GREENWELL 06-17-2003

Blockbuster Leaves Behind Vacant Space, Broken Promises By CAROL DENNEY 06-17-2003

Council Holds Final Budget Hearing By JOHN GELUARDI 06-17-2003

State Cancels Exit Exam, At Least For This Year By ANGELA ROWEN 06-17-2003

Salvation Army Dissolves Board, Will Sell University Avenue Property By JOHN GELUARDI 06-17-2003

Pacifica Radio Moves Back With Heavy Baggage in Tow By DAVID SCHARFENBERG 06-17-2003

Zoning Board Postpones Blood House Decision By ANGELA ROWEN 06-17-2003

Police Blotter By JOHN GELUARDI 06-17-2003

Central Works’ ‘Wyrd Sisters’ Is Mutated Offspring of the Bard By BETSY HUNTON Special to the Planet 06-17-2003

Ongoing Exhibitions 06-17-2003

Arts Calendar 06-17-2003

Summer Noon Concerts in Downtown Berkeley 06-17-2003

Two Retirees Bid Farewell To Classroom By DAVID SCHARFENBERG 06-13-2003

Berkeley This Week 06-13-2003

Letters to the Editor 06-13-2003

Arts Calendar 06-13-2003

Adult School Move Stirs Controversy In Neighborhood By DAVID SCHARFENBERG 06-13-2003

A Call to Action: Reform Education System 06-13-2003

City Stops Work on South Shattuck House Expansion By ANGELA ROWEN 06-13-2003

Bush Touts ‘Success’ Abroad To Divert National Attention From True Threats at Home By KEITH CARSON 06-13-2003

Seniors Too Fast to Catch By MEGAN GREENWELL 06-13-2003

The Sacred Cow Of the City Budget By BARBARA GILBERT 06-13-2003

UC Students Question Position Of New President on Initiative By DAVID SCHARFENBERG 06-13-2003

Fossils Reveal Early Ancestors David Scharfenberg 06-13-2003

Residents, Artists Tussle Over Future of MULI By JOHN GELUARDI 06-13-2003

Bates Pushes Parking Fine Increase By JOHN GELUARDI 06-13-2003

California Arts Council Gives Coveted Fellowships To Five Berkeley Artists By FRED DODSWORTH Special to the Planet 06-13-2003

Summer Noon Concerts in Downtown Berkeley 06-13-2003