If you live in South Berkeley, chances are you’ve met Bill Bahou. For 22 years, he’s run Roxie’s Delicatessen on the corner of Shattuck and Ashby, serving quality, affordable sandwiches to one and all and offering a helping hand wherever he can. 

Like many in South Berkeley, I find myself in his store at least once a day. 

I look forward to walking down the street from the office and being greeted as soon as I walk in the door with a genial, “Hey, how are you doing Ya’kub,” Bill’s Arabic rendering of my name. 

Before I can walk to the back of the store to grab a drink, Frances or Marina are already busy behind the counter, whipping up my regular, the Roxie D (short for Delight) of turkey, avocado and feta cheese—for me, no mayo or jalapenos, served up on sourdough roll. 

Five dollars later, after a little friendly chatting with Bill, I’m headed back to work, smiling. 

I’m not the only customer on a first-name basis with Bill, or whose sandwich preferences are known by heart by Frances and Marina. Everyone who walks in gets the same treatment, the same great deal on a sandwich. 

And, just like me, most keep coming back. 

You have to experience Roxie’s to really know how wonderful the place is. In a world of hostility, formality, greed, and impersonal relationships, Bill’s store is a rare treasure. 

And I probably don’t even know the half of it. 

It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it is that makes Roxie’s such a treat, but trust certainly plays a big role. 

For example, many customers use store credit. Operating like a general store from times long gone, Bill has established a system where those who can’t always afford to pay can buy on credit and repay him whenever they can. Some pay every few days, some pay weekly, and others by the month. 

Bill says he can’t stomach turning people away who don’t have enough money. “If you want a sandwich but you don’t have enough money, what am I supposed to do? I’m not Safeway. I have a relationship with my customers.” 

Care is written on his face whenever he talks about people without enough money to eat. Confronted with a customer in need, he’s quick to cut the prices on his already affordable sandwiches. 

Take schoolchildren for example. 

“So many kids don’t have pocket money; their parents are working and they don’t have food when they get home. So I make them a sandwich big enough to last them through dinner and charge them two dollars.” 

He always works in whole numbers. A sandwich is not $4.23, it’s $4.00. Add a soda and its $4.50 or $5.00, not $4.83 or $5.14. 

He has incredible stories about the way the store works. 

Consider the neighbor who used to come into the store daily to buy groceries on credit. A contractor who lost work as the economy declined, he finally left town without paying his $162 tab. Bill was resigned to the loss, figuring he’d never see the money. 

Then, a few days ago, the customer returned, walking in with an apology and every penny he owed. He had been off looking for work and feeling terrible about his debt. 

As we sat in the store talking, another patron dropped off $400 dollars to cover a $387 tab. Bill showed me the receipt while the customer ground his coffee, then signed for more credit. 

“I have good customers; they never cheat me. I never worry. Many of these people have given me business for years, they always pay me back on time.” 

Bill says that a handful of people have left and never come back to pay their bills, but not many. ”It’s a risk, I know, it’s 50-50, but for me it’s 90-10.” 

While Bill seems to have become a community beacon as proprietor of a corner market, his real training came as an engineer. 

Born in Palestine, Bill was educated first in Israel and then Perth, Scotland, where he studied engineering for 18 months. For years before he came to the United States Bill worked for an American oil companies on the Arabian Peninsula and in Kuwait and as an aircraft mechanic in Germany. 

He had visited the United States several times, but came permanently in 1981 at the behest of his sister, who had been living here for several years. He opened the store soon after arriving, using donations from his family. The rest is history. 

Bill’s worldliness adds to the store’s appeal. Several customers, myself included, can always count on Bill for friendly banter about world politics. He’s also “way smarter than your normal store owner,” said one customer.  

He speaks three languages fluently—English, French and Arabic—and he’s picked up little Spanish, too. 

Bill’s devotion to Roxie’s hasn’t come without sacrifice. His commute from the other side of the Bay and the long hours he put in at the store—from 5:30 a.m. till late into the afternoon—means that he spends more time at work than with his family. To see his eldest son, who is also busy, he says has to leave messages asking when they can meet—even though they live under the same roof. 

At 60, he’s agile and still quick on the draw, engaging every customer who comes in, joking with them and inquiring about their families. On those rare days when he’s tired or just not feeling well, customers never know it. 

Don’t take my word. The real testaments come from all his customers. 

Consider Jeff Selbin, the director of the East Bay Community Law Center, who for years has been calling in his lunch order to Bill—who delivers. 

“He’s always been an incredibly friendly and helpful part of the neighborhood. He’s served hundreds of people at the office and probably thousands of our clients. He’s a warm and generous guy who has made South Berkeley a happier place,” Selbin said. 

In the end Bill says that his store has been a success even with all the sacrifices because it has allowed him to provide for his family and put his kids through school, his two top priorities. He says he’ll never retire because that “only you makes you die quicker.” 

Bill’s departure, I’m sure, would unsettle many people who have come to depend on him, not only because of his generosity, but also because of his charm. Until that time however, I—like so many others—will continue to look forward to my daily trips to Bill’s, happy that he’s there, ready to lend a helping hand.

FRIDAY, OCT. 10 

“Berkeley’s Creeks,” with Robin Grossinger and Carol Schimmerling, at 7:30 p.m. at Spenger’s, 4th and University. Lecture is part of the 150th Anniversary of Ocean View, Berkeley’s earliest settlement, sponsored by The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association and Berkeley History Society. Tickets are $12. For information call 841-8562.  

Daniel Ellsberg on “Should the President Lead a War on ‘Evil’?” at 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd. Kensington. Donation of $10 requested, $7 seniors and students. 528-3417.  

Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace, with Rami Elhanan, a seventh generation Jerusalemite whose daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber, and Ghazi Brigieth, whose brothers were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. At 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker, 1640 Addison Ave. A $10-$20 donation is requested, no one turned away. For more information call 464-4911 or email bayareapeacetour@ 

yahoo.com, www.rcnv.org 

Literary Friends meets from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. The topic is Leni Riefenstahl: Correspondence, Life and Documentary “Olympia.” 232-1351. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Jack Citrin, Ph.D., professor Political Science, on “Clashing Civilizations.” Luncheon 11:45 a.m. $11.50 - $12.50. Speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020. 

Berkeley Critical Mass Bike Ride meets at the Berkeley BART the second Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 496-6000, ext. 135.  

Berkeley Hillel 75th Anniver- 

sary Shabbat at 6:30 p.m. at 2736 Bancroft Way. 845-7793.  

SATURDAY, OCT. 11 

Shellmound Run Gather at 7:30 a.m. at University and 4th St. The route is along Strawberry Creek to the shoreline, then to the Pow Wow at MLK Civic Center Park. Sponsored by the Indigenous Peoples Day Committee and the City of Berkeley. 595-5520. www.red-coral.net/Pow 

Indigenous Peoples Day PowWow and Indian Market from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Civic Center Park, with arts and crafts, Native California dancing and Native American foods. Sponsor- 

ed by the City of Berkeley. 595-5520. www.red-coral.net/Pow 

East Bay Earth Charter Community Summit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 27th St. and Harrison. Program includes performance art, presentations by local activists and commentators, an ecologically prepared lunch, and workshops. Free. For information call 655-8252. www.earthchartersummits.org.  

Rockin’ in Berkeley Visit seven parks in Berkeley featuring an- 

cient volcanic rock formations. Climb up (optional) for great views. Walk through neighborhoods and see rocks incorporated into buildings and landscapes. From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For information call 415-255-3233. www.greenbelt.org 

Free Emergency Preparedness Class on Disaster Mental Health for anyone who lives or works in Berkeley, from 9 a.m. to noon at 997 Cedar St., between 8th and 9th Sts. Register on-line at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes or by calling 981-5506. 

Quaker FunRaiser to benefit the Friends Committee on Legislation, a lobby for just and compassionate lawmaking. Live entertainment, art, children’s activities, books, baked goods and more. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St., 1 block north of N. Berkeley BART. 547-2099, 486-1391. 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of the Gilman Street Industrial Area. Begins at 10 a.m. Reservations and a donation of $8 required. Please make check payable to Berkeley Historical Society, and mail to P.O. Box 1190, Berkeley, CA 94701-1190. 848-0181. 

Green Living Series: Green Interior Design Topics will include cleaners, paints, sealers, furnishings, flooring, energy efficient systems and products. Bring a rough plan of your space if possible. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., near Dwight Way. Cost is $10 Ecology Center members, $15 others, no one turned away for lack of funds. Call to pre-register. Drop-ins OK. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

“So How’d You Become an Activist?” with David Harris, author, Vietnam War resister, and Jeff Patterson, Conscien- 

tious Objector, First Gulf War, Organizer, “Not in Our Name,” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St., at Bonita. Suggested donation $5. 528-5403. 

Daniel Ellsberg seminar on ending the cycle of violence and banning nuclear weapons from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd. Kensington. Donation of $10 requested, $7 seniors and students. 528-3417.  

A Better Chance Annual Independent School Fair for students and families of color. This free event will take place at Samuel Merritt Health Education Center in Oakland from 3 to 6 p.m. 496-1151. 

Pet Adoptions, sponsored by Home at Last, from noon to 5 p.m., Hearst and 4th St. 548-9223. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

Yoga for Seniors at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St., on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. The class is taught by Rosie Linsky, who at age 72, has practiced yoga for over 40 years. Open to non-members of the club for $8.00 per class. For further information and to register, call Karen Ray at 848-7800. 

Kol Hadash, Northern California Community for Humanistic Judaism Brown Bag Family Shabbat with Rabbi Kai Eckstein: “A Celebration of Sukkot," from noon to 1:30 pm at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring lunch for your family, and (finger) dessert to share; juice provided. We also collect non-perishable food for the needy. For information call 428-1492 or email kolhadash@aol.com 

SUNDAY, OCT. 12 

The Soil Is Alive Come explore our homegrown compost, meet our worms, and take some home to care for and start your own compost pile, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Tilden Nature Area, in Tilden Park. 525-2233.  

Plant Walk in People’s Park with naturalist, Terri Compost. Meet at 1 p.m. in the West End Community Garden. Heavy rain cancels. 658-9178.  

Fall Festival at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, ethnic food, dancing, music, art and fun for children from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

Afternoon Tea Honoring the Women's Club Movement, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center. Reservations recommended. 528-3284. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/  

Tibetan Buddhism, “What is Knowledge of Freedom “ with Abbe Blum at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 13 

Indigenous People’s Day  

City offices are closed. 

“Aftermath: Unanswered Questions From 9/11” video screening followed by discussion, at 8 p.m. at Grand Lake Neighborhood Center, 530 Lake Park Ave., Oakland. Wheelchair accessible. $1 suggested donation, no one turned away. Sponsored by East Bay Community Against the War. www.ebcaw.org 

Home Owners Support Group meets to discuss what to do when your house needs painting, at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Gray Panthers, 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center, volunteer training, every second Monday of the month, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 5741 Telegraph Ave. To sign up call Emily at 601-4040, ext. 109. emily@wcrc.org 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 6 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, OCT. 14 

Fall Fruit Tasting at Berkeley’s Farmers’ Market, Derby St. at MLK Jr. Way, from 2 to 4 p.m. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org  

Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters (BACH) meets at 7 p.m. at the Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave., near Rockridge BART. 835-6303.  

The Wellstone Democratic Club meets at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Alternative School, MLK and Derby, to assess the results of the October 7 elections.  

Tuesday Tilden Walkers We are a few slowpoke Seniors who walk between a mile or two each Tuesday, meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the Little Farm parking lot. To join us, call 215-7672.  

“Introduction to Islam” with the Arab Association of the Bay Area at 7:30 p.m. at Interna- 

tional House, Home Room, Piedmont at Bancroft. 642-9460. 

“Israel Yes, Occupation No” with Marcia Freedman, former Israeli Parlimentarian, and founder of the Alliance for Peace and Justice, at 7 p.m. at 30 Wheeler Hall, UC Campus. Sponsored by Tzedek. 845-7793. 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Anna Swardenski from the Coalition for Seniors and People with Disabilities will speak about Emergency Preparedness for seniors. 845-6830. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 525-3565. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15 

Gray Panthers Night Out with Alison Wier, co-founder, “If Americans Knew: Information on Israel and Palestine.” Political discussion and light supper at 7 p.m. at 1403 Addison St. All welcome. 548-9696. 486-8010. 

Prose Writers Workshop meets 7 to 9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut, at Rose. For information call 524-3034. 

Free Marketing Workshops, sponsored by Sisters Headquarters, for women entrepreneurs, every Wed. from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 643 17th St. Oakland. For information call 238-1100. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Vigil at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities. 

com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Amnesty International Berkeley Community Group meets at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1606 Bonita Ave., at Cedar St. 872-0768. 

Berkeley CopWatch open office hours 7 to 9 p.m. Drop in to file complaints, assistance available. 548-0425. 

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7:15 a.m. at Hide-A-Way Café, 6430 Telegraph Ave. For information call Fred Garvey, 925-682-1111, ext. 164. 

Community Dances, traditional English and American dances, at 8 p.m. every Wednesday, $9. 7 p.m. first Sunday, $10. Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. 233-5065. www.bacds.org 

Free Feldenkrais ATM Classes for adults 55 and older at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut at Rose. For information call 848-0237. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 16 

“The Ohlone Culture,” with Beverly Ortiz, naturalist, at 7:30 p.m. at Coyote Hills Regional Park Visitors Center. Lecture is part of the 150th Anniversary of Ocean View, Berkeley’s earliest settlement, sponsored by The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association and Berkeley History Society. Tickets are $12. For information call 841-8562.  

“Peace Zones: The Philippine Experience” with Renia Corocoto, Rotary Peace Scholar, at 7:30 p.m. at International House, Home Room, Piedmont at Bancroft. 642-9460. 

UC Botanical Garden Docent Training at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fee and registration required. 643-1924.  

Faith, Land, and Agriculture: A GTU Faculty Panel, the second of a Series on Topics in Ecology, Theology, and Ethics 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the GTU Dinner Board Room. Panel includes Drs. Marvin Chaney (SFTS), Lisa Fullam (JSTB), and Naomi Seidman (GTU, Center for Jewish Studies). 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2560. 

Stop Breast Cancer Where it Starts - Stop Toxic Pollution Find out how pharmaceutical and chemical company Astra Zeneca conceived of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to increase their sales of tamoxifen, a drug given to women after they are diagnosed with breast cancer, and that is also on the Prop 65 list of cancer causing chemicals. From 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 540-2220 ext. 233. www.ecologycenter.org 

Stroke Prevention and Treatment, a free community workshop offered by the Ethnic Health Institute of Alta Bates Summit at 6:30 p.m. at the Health Education Center, Samuel Merritt College, 400 Hawthorne Ave. For informations and reservations please call 869-6737. 

Improving the Chemotherapy Experience a free, open session for cancer patients, their families and friends, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Auditorium, 2450 Ashby Ave. For more information call Jill Bender at 415-625-1135.  

League of Women Voters meets at 6:45 p.m. at the South Branch Library to discuss the October 7 election. 843-8824. 

Simplicity Forum, “Take Back Your Time” Speaker and attendees will share about the impact of time deprivation and ways they are getting back time in their lives. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. For more information, call 549-3509, or go to www.simpleliving.net.  

Lawyers in the Library at 6 p.m. at the Claremont Branch, Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6280. 

Berkeley Liberation Radio 104.1 FM holds public meetings for all interested people first and third Thursdays, 7 p.m. at the Long Haul Info Shop, 3124 Shattuck Ave. 595-0190.  

ONGOING  

UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan Public Comment Period has been extended to Oct. 10. For more information on the plan, visit http://ldrp/berkeley.edu Written comments can be emailed to 2020LRDP@cp.berkeley.edu or mailed to Jennifer Lawrence, Principal Planner, Capital Projects, 1936 University Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94720-1382. 

Flu Shots will be offered at a number of Berkeley locations during the month of October, by Sutter VNA and Hospice. For a location near you call 1-800-500-2400 or visit www.suttervnaandhospice.org 

“Berkeley Speaks” a community program for activists and artists on Berkeley Community Media, BETV Channel 25. For information on being on the program please call 848-2288. or visit www.betv.org 

East Bay Center for International Trade Development (EBCITD), part of the Economic Development Program at Vista Community College, offers seminars to assist companies, professionals and entrepreneurs with international trade related issues. Foe details on the seminars, visit http://eastbay.citd.org or call 540-8901, ext. 23.  

Acting and Storytelling Classes for Seniors, offered by Stagebridge. Wednesdays and Fridays, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison St., close to BART and AC Transit. 444-4755. www.stagebridge.org 

Free Smoke Detectors for City residents and UC Berkeley students who live off-campus. Applications are available from the Environment, Health & Safety office of UC Berkeley, at any Berkeley Fire Station, or at the Fire Admin. Office located at 2100 MLK, Jr. Way. 981-5585.  

Free Energy Bill Payment Assistance The City of Berkeley has money to help low-income households pay their gas and electric bills. For applications contact the Energy Office at 644-8544. TDD: 981-6903. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/energy 

Fair Trade Week Oct. 6-12. Products bearing the Fair Trade Certified(tm) label, such as coffee, organic tea and chocolate will be featured at Andronico's Markets. www.transfairusa.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Sherry M. Kelly, city clerk, 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Oct. 15, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Katherine O’Connor, 981-6601. www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/commissions/humane 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., Oct. 15, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Lisa Ploss, 981-5200. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/aging 

Commission on Labor meets Wed., Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m., at Berkeley Work-Source, 1950 Addison St., Suite 105. Delfina M. Geiken, 644-6085. www.ci.-berkeley.ca.us/commissions/labor 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed., Oct. 15, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Marianne Graham, 981-5416. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/welfare 

School Board meets Wed. Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. Queen Graham 644-6147 or Mark Coplan 644-6320.  

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Anne Burns, 981-7415. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/designreview  

Fair Political Practices Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Prasanna Rasaih, 981-6950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/faircampaign 

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7000. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/transportation

For many, the nightmare of trying to survive on low wage jobs just about anywhere in America remains just that, a nightmare. One person who’s lived to tell what it’s really like to try to live on a little over $5 an hour is journalist Barbara Ehrenreich, author of “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.” 

The book recounts her struggle to make ends meet working at Wal-Mart, as a waitress, a maid and at other jobs on the fringes of our economy. Published in 2001, it became a runaway bestseller—and now it’s been turned into a play of the same name. 

“Nickel and Dimed” opens Saturday night at Brava Theater Center in San Francisco. 

Commissioned by the Seattle-based Intiman Theatre Company last year, veteran San Francisco Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden, a Berkeley native, was chosen to adapt the book for the stage. Holden has written and collaborated on over 28 of the Mime Troupe’s left wing political shows, usually held in Bay Area parks. Longtime Mime Troupe actress Sharon Lockwood, who lives in Berkeley, plays the Ehrenreich character. 

Ehrenreich found out the hard way that you can’t make it on $5.15, the minimum wage in 1998 when she did her research. “You can eat, but you can’t pay your rent. You have to have two jobs or you have to be sleeping on somebody’s couch or your husband or boyfriend has to be working to make it. But to make it on your own on one low wage job is not possible in America,” says Holden.  

While that conclusion may come as no surprise, the alienation Ehrenreich experiences on the job in low wage America should. 

“It’s this constant—not only deprivation, but constant immolation and really fascistic alienating work environment with ridiculous rules. Drug tests and interrogations and constant suspicion that you’re stealing,” says Holden.  

“She (Ehrenreich) finds that what it’s like to work for a giant chain like Wal-Mart run by assistant managers according to rules that are from some far away corporate headquarters—it’s a really alienating working environment where workers are consistently disrespected.” 

While Holden’s version of “Nickel and Dimed” is true to the original, for the purposes of whittling the book down to a play the other actors joining Lockwood on stage take on multiple rolls to create over 35 characters. Featured cast members include Julia Brothers, Elizabeth Carter, Cat Thompson, Cristina Anselmo and Darren Bridgett. The play also boasts a jazz score performed live. 

“Nickel and Dimed” has been performed at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and most recently at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts on what Holden refers to as the affluent Peninsula. But even there, the play’s message may be having an impact. 

“About halfway through the run one of the actors was in the café outside the theater and asked the girl there if she’d seen the show yet and she said ‘No, I haven’t seen it yet, but something’s definitely going on cause our tips have tripled.’ That’s trickle down. But that makes a difference in people’s lives,” says Holden. 

Ultimately Holden would like to see the play have an effect on efforts to increase the minimum wage. Right now it’s $6.25, but there are ballot initiatives in San Francisco and elsewhere to raise it from $9 to $10. At discussion groups held after the play, many in the audience are saying they had no idea about the problems of low-wage workers. 

“What are these people going to go out and do? You only hope that maybe they won’t have such a knee jerk reaction to living wage legislation when it comes around,” says Holden. “The next time somebody says it’ll ruin the business climate you go wait a minute, Wal-Mart is not going to leave the country if it has to pay $9 an hour instead of $6. Sorry. Not going to happen.” 

While she admits that the reaction of the San Francisco audience may be akin to preaching to the already converted, Holden sees a place for that as well. “In Mountain View we were evangelizing,” says Holden. “So, if you take that metaphor of the evangelist there’s two jobs: one is to spread the word and the other is to do revivals for the faithful. The Mime Troupe in the park is doing revivals for the faithful, but that’s actually important work because the faithful will get very tired and discouraged. They need energizing. They need events that remind them why they care.” 

“Nickel and Dimed” runs through Nov. 9. Saturday night’s performance features an after-party with Ehrenreich. The Brava Theater is located at 24th and York Streets in San Francisco. For more information, call (415) 647-2822 or go to www.brava.org.

FRIDAY, OCT. 10  

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

Gardens Showcase Gallery Reception from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. featuring 21 resident artists from Redwood Gardens, a community development providing affordable housing for senior citizens and disabled adults. 2951 Derby St.  

FILM 

Heddy Honigmann: “O Amor Natural” at 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Holy Land” about life in the Middle East opens at Landmark’s Shattuck Cinema.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Terry Pratchett reads from his new novel, “Monstrous Regiment,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Festival Antiqua, classical, folk, and devotional music of Turkey and Eastern Europe, at 8 p.m. at the Parish Hall, St. Alban’s Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany. Tickets are $15 general and $12 students and seniors. 486-2803 or 524-7952. www.timrayborn.com/Festival 

The Ives String Quartet, “Inspired By,” three string quartets inspired by other artists’ works. Robin Sharp and Susan Freier, violins; Scott Woolweaver, viola; and Stephen Harrison, cello. At 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $20 general, $10 students, and are available from 415-883-0727. 

Ollin, at 9 p.m., at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Harry Best and Shabang, Tropical Vibrations perform caribbean/reggae at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Rosin Coven and Japonize Elephants perform at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9.  

841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Leonard Thompson at 9:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Nac One, featuring DJ Gigs, at 8 p.m. at the 1923 Teahouse. 644-2204. 

Stairwell Sisters perform old-time stringband music at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Quarteto Sonando, Latin jazz at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Dwarves, The Frisk, This is My Fist!, Scattered Fall at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Lycanthrope Lounge Pre-Halloween Bash with Nommo Ogo, David Seagull and more, 10 p.m. at The Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. 540-0751. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 11  

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Juanita Ulloa, original and traditional songs from Mexico, at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

FILM 

New Latin American Cinema: “Crane World” at 5:10 and 9:20 p.m. and “Japón” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Enter the Dragon,” classic Bruce Lee, at 8 p.m. at the Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. Wheelchair accessible. 540-0751. www.thelonghaul.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Saul Landau discusses “The Pre-emptive Empire: A Guide to Bush’s Kingdom,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

www.codysbooks.com  

Shelly Rivoli reads from her novel “I Was a Vacuum Cleaner Salesman,” the story of a young woman trying to earn money for tuition, at 7:30 p.m. at Boadecia's Books, 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184. 

Rhythm and Muse with Avotcja at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center. 644-6893.  

www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Poetry Lovers Unite! Poetry Book Club meets to read from “American’s Favorite Poems,” edited by poet laureate Robert Pinsky at 7:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 981-6280.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Face Orchestra, “Fish Pond,” installation by Mantra and music by Dan and Mantra Plonsey, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Headquarters, 2110 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 665-9496.  

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 2 and 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Facing East, East/West fusion group, performs at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 415-703-0330. www.facingeast.com 

Café de la Paz's 10th Anniversary and Flamenco Celebration Dinner show at 8 p.m., seating at 6 p.m. for $40-$47, or late show at 10 p.m. for $20-$27. Reservations encouraged. 843-0662. cafedelapaz.net 

Julia Tsitsi Chigamba and the Chinyakare Ensemble, performance of Zimbabwean music on traditional instruments, at 8 p.m. at the Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance, 729 Heinz Ave. Cost is $12-$15. 845-2605. 

Jolie Holland sings at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $7-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Larry Schneider Quintet performs at 8 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Married Couple, alt-jazz ensemble, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Edlos perform a cappella at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ze Manel, from Guinea-Bissau, performs at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Schloss, Brian Kenney Fresno, Fear of Sleep, Three Piece Combo perform at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Frank Jackson at 9:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Nicole McRory at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. becketts- 

irishpub.com 

Hammers of Misfortune, Bread and Water, Garuda, Abandon, A Sleeping Irony at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 12 

Berkeley Potters Guild Tour and Demonstration Members of the guild will demonstrate potters’ wheel throwing and hand building techniques, at 1 p.m. at the Potters Guild, 731 Jones St. at 4th. 524-7031. 

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

Berkeley Arts Festival Exhibition Opening, drawings and prints by Carol Brighton, Mari Marks Fleming, Debra Jewel, Sylvia Sussman, Sandy Walker, Audrey Wallace Taylor, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2324 Shatttuck Ave. 665-9496. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Women's Cancer Resource Center, “Roots - Art” by Renata Gray and Rae Louise Hayward. Reception with the artists from 1 to 4 p.m. 5741 Telegraph Ave. 601-4040. wcrc@wcrc.org 

FILM 

New Latin American Cinema: “Japón” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pa- 

cific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry at Cody’s with Kate Gale and Tracy K. Smith at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Power of Poetry: A Celebration at 7:30 p.m. in the Domin- 

ican School of Philosophy and Theology lounge, 2401 Ridge Rd. Featuring Wayne Daniel Berard, winner of the Sixth Annual New Eden Chapbook Contest. cjrenzop@yahoo.com 

Guided Tour: Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics, at 2 p.m., Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Genes, Texts, and Tropes: A Space between Fiction and Fact,” lecture by Evelyn Fox Keller at 3 p.m. in the Museum Theater, Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Jazz Latino: America’s Music, a lecture demonstration with John Santos from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Jazzschool. Free, registration suggested, call 845-5373. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Live Oak Concert with Nan- 

ette McGuiness, soprano, and William Ludtke, composer, pianist, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center. Tickets are $10 general, $9 students/seniors and $8 BAC members. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Music from Scotland, England and Beyond with David Francey at 7:30 p.m. Donation of $12 in advance, $15 at the door. For reservations and location email sally@greenberg.org 

Xicano Moratorium presents Indigenous People’s Day, with activists, music and culture,  

at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

California Friends of  

Louisiana French Music Dance Jam from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance workshops from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $5 for members, and $8 non-members. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Austin Lounge Lizards at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Americana Unplugged, with Cabin Fever at 4 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

MONDAY, OCT. 13 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Susan Choi introduces her new novel, “American Woman,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Martin Kersels discusses his “performative objects,” exploring the themes of gravity and the human form, at 7:30 p.m. at 160 Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. 642-2582. 

Poetry Express, open mic featuring Phil Taggert from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sarah Cahill and Innovative Piano Program, featuring a special performance of Frederic Rzewski’s “Coming Together,” commemorating the Attica prison uprising, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2324 Shattuck Ave. 655-9496. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Bill Staines performs traditional folk at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

TUESDAY, OCT. 14 

FILM 

The Cinema of Ernie Gehr, Program 2, with the filmmaker in person, at 7:30 p.m at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is  

$4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jonathan Raban reads from “Waxwings” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. www.codysbooks.com 

Best of Open Mic Invitational and Showcase at 7:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7, $5 with student i.d. 841-2082. 

www.starryploughpub.com 

The Whole Note Poetry Series, with Alan Clay and Selene Steese, at 7 p.m. at The Beanery, 2925 College Ave., near Ashby. 549-9093 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Blue” Gene Tyranny, composer/pianist in a rare West Coast appearance, will play pieces from his new album, “Take Your Time” for electromagnetically-stimulated piano, and “Spirit” for computer-edited harmonics and piano, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2324 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 665-9496. 

Mimi Fox, solo guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Courtableu performs at 8:30 p.m. with a Cajun dance lesson with Diana Castillo at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dayna Stephens House Jam at The Jazz House. Donation $5. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15 

FILM 

Heddy Honigmann: “Good-Bye” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Molly Ivins reads from “Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush’s America” at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way, entrance on Dana. Sponsored by Cody’s Books and the Graduate School of Journalism. Tickets are $5. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Artists Forum “One Struggle, Two Communities: Late 20th Century Political Posters of Havana Cuba and the San Francisco Bay Area,” with Lincoln Cushing at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Poetry Reading with Art Goodtimes and friends at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220 ext. 227. www.ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Poetry Slam special anniversary theme with birthday cake and prizes at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7, $5 with student i.d. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Emmy Werner on the “Conspiracy of Decency: Rescue of the Danish Jews during World War II” at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. www.brjcc.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, Alexandra Roedder, cello, Adam Scow, violin and Tiffany Shiau, piano, perform Bach and Turina at the Chevron Auditorium at International House, corner of Bancroft and Piedmont Aves. Admission is free. 642-4864. 

Brenda Boykin and Big Soul Country perform West Coast Swing and R&B at 9 p.m. with a swing lesson with Nick and Shanna at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Baby Gramps, vo-calisthenics and stunt guitar, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Nicole McRory at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. beckettsirishpub.com 

Jules Broussard, Bing Nathan and Ned Boynton at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Sarah Manning Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 16 

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

Addison Street Windows, “Natural Forces” paintings by Bill Douglas, Corrine Innis and Orlonda Uffre, opening reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 2018 Addison St. 658-0585.  

FILM 

Genetic Screenings: “Tecknolust” with filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson in person, at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Community Reading of “Grass Roof, Tin Roof” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Publc Library’s Central Community Room, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6233. 

Guided Tour: Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics, at 5:30 p.m., Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Mark Baldassare discusses public polling and voter behavior, drawing on his book “A California State of Mind: The Conflicted Voter in a Changing World” at 7 p.m. at UC Press, 2120 Berkeley Way. Free. Part of the series “Minds on Fire: Conversations with UC Press Authors.” 642-9828. 

Tim Holt, author of “Songs of the Simple Life,” will speak on his philosophy of living at 7 p.m. at the North Branch of the Public Library, 1170 The Alameda. 981-6250. 

Rick Atkinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History, reads from “An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa 1942-1943,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. www.codysbooks.com 

Word Beat Reading Series at 7 p.m. with featured readers N-Side and Avotcja, at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985.  

Alison Wright, photojournalist, introduces her new book, “Faces of Hope: Children of a Changing World,” at 7:30 p.m. at Easy Going Bookstore, 1385 Shattuck Ave at Rose, 843-3533. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Multi Media Concert Chris Jonas and Lolly Sturgess in a performance for voices and instruments at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Headquarters, 2110 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 665-9496. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

The Starry Plough’s 30th Anniversary with the Cowlicks, Loretta Lynch and Yardsale at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Free. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Daniel Pearl Music Day, A tribute to Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Bob Norman and Alan Senauke, songs of social change at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10, $8 students and seniors. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Steve Baughman and Robin Bullock, Celtic guitar summit, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Shots, traditional Irish, American bluegrass, at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. beckettsirishpub.com 

Keni El Lebrijano, flamenco guitar, at 8:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

West Berkeley neighbors say they hope the recent police raid of a notorious drug den will finally clear the drug dealers and loiterers from a long-blighted intersection. 

“It’s been hell living here with guys hanging out on the corner dealing drugs, shooting dice, throwing their trash everywhere,” said one neighbor, who—like every neighbor interviewed—refused to give his name for fear of reprisal. 

The corner of Ninth Street and Allston Way has long been an epicenter of drug peddling and loitering. But neighbors said this year has been the worst in recent memory, and they claim the corner house at 2135 Ninth Ave. has served as the clubhouse and refuge for the dealers that plague their neighborhood. 

“Until that house is vacated I don’t see how the corner will really be clean,” said one neighbor, who added he would drive his children to a friend’s house a few blocks away just so they wouldn’t have to cross the corner.  

After months of surveillance, police executed a search warrant Tuesday at the house, arresting four 19-year-old Berkeley residents for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Only one of those arrested—Thirland Ross, one of the owner’s sons—lived at the house. 

That is telling, said neighbors, who have complained that the house has been the scene of an endless, raucous party, with strangers driving up to the home, blasting souped-up car stereos and otherwise making noise into the early morning. 

“One night they had boxing matches in the street,” a neighbor said. “There were about 40 guys in a circle surrounding two guys fighting with gloves on.” 

Neighbors turned to police, but since Berkeley does not have an anti-loitering law, officers could not order the men off the corner unless they were seen breaking the law. 

The house had garnered such a reputation that one city official said that people arrested for drug sales often claimed the house as their residence even though they didn’t live there. 

The home belongs to James Ross and his six children. Drug dealing at their corner predates Ross’ arrival on the block more than fifteen years ago, but neighbors said that since the death of his wife last year, Ross, despite numerous city and community interventions, has been unable to control what goes on at his house. 

The city could move to seize the property, but Michael Caplan of the city’s Problem Property Team said he would rather solve the problem through mediation. 

“Our job is not to get people out of their house,” he said, adding that not all the problems at the property were the fault of Mr. Ross, who works in Berkeley and is not able to keep tabs on everything happening at the home. 

The city has facilitated meetings between Ross, his minister—Pastor Gordon Choyce of the Missionary Church of God in Christ—and Councilmember Margaret Breland, but the problems continued.  

Neighbors said that drug dealing at the corner has been cyclical. 

After a police sweep last May netted 20 arrests, the block was quiet, but by winter, dealing and loitering resumed, with Ross’ house again serving as a safehaven where dealers could use the bathroom and hang out. 

The situation grew violent this past spring and summer. 

On April 27, an arsonist set fire to the home of a neighbor who had complained about activity on the corner. Then on July 4, a M-80 firecracker set inside a porchlight shattered the front window of another vocal neighbor.  

Neighbors blamed the men hanging out on the street, but police have not linked them to the crimes. 

Police did work with neighbors who called in reports of drug dealing, while police conducted surveillance. Ultimately their work resulted in a search warrant for Marques Hill, his car, and Ross’ house—where Hill was known to hang out. 

Police executed the warrant at 2 p.m. Tuesday arresting Hill, Lawrence Williams, Sherman Montgomery and Thirland Ross for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Although neighbors say they have seen crack dealing at the corner, police found no trace of it at the house. 

Neighbors hope that the sting will usher in a new era of calm to the corner. 

Wednesday night police officers in two black-and-white patrol cars manned the corner, discouraging anyone from hanging out there, and there was no sign of the five or six men one neighbor said would typically have been loitering there. 

City officials and community members are still working with Ross to rid his home of outsiders that Caplan said have taken advantage of him.  

“All indications from [Ross] to me is that he is not contributing to the situation,” said Pastor Choyce. “What we say back to him is if you’re not contributing, you need to be more proactive.” Ross did not respond to his door bell last night for an interview. 

If Ross does not clean up his property, he may face multiple lawsuits. Caplan said about 20 neighbors have threatened to sue Ross in small claims court for creating a nuisance. If they all won $5,000 claims, Ross could face a lien on his property.  

A few years ago a woman on the corner of Tenth Street and Allston faced similar charges and ultimately was pressured to sell her house. 

Choyce said Ross had recently agreed to go to Berkeley Dispute Resolution Services to work with neighbors.  

Some neighbors seemed open to the idea. “The ideal solution is to have a nice community with him here,” said one neighbor. “No one has a personal vendetta against him.”

FRED LUPKE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Fred Lupke was a wonderful person. We are saddened by his passing in September from injuries sustained when a vehicle struck his wheelchair on Ashby Avenue near the South Berkeley Senior Center. 

As an activist Fred helped improve our community and was pleasant to work with. Fred contributed to pedestrian safety efforts along with many other important activities. He helped the pedestrian safety tax Measure L gain a majority of votes in the 2002 election. 

We appreciated his help. Unfortunately, Measure L did not receive the necessary two thirds vote and thus funds for improving disabled access as well as other much needed pedestrian safety improvements are in short supply. Although fewer than 25 percent of registered voters opposed Measure L, many voters did not vote on L at all and so it failed.  

Half the traffic fatalities in Berkeley are pedestrians: Fred has joined this number. We already miss Fred Lupke. 

Wendy Alfsen,  

Walk & Roll Berkeley 

• 

VOTE TALLY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Those who have heard about possible problems with hacking of the code used to count votes in the Diebold voting machines may be interested in the following statistics from Tuesday’s vote. 

Schwarzenegger received 3,694.436 votes. McClintock received 1,014,895 votes . Yet only 4,188,199 voted for the recall. This leaves at least over half a million voters (521,132 or 6.8 percent) who voted for a Republican replacement for Gray Davis yet voted to keep Mr. Davis in office.  

Food for thought. 

George Palen 

• 

NO MANDATE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Tuesday’s vote is no landslide mandate for Arnold. Three and a half million people voted against the recall to keep Davis and 3.5 million voted for Arnold. 

Tom Lent 

• 

STRAWBERRY CANYON 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Janice Thomas says she is “bewildered” by my letter about development in Strawberry Canyon (Daily Planet, Oct. 7-9), but that is obviously because she didn’t bother to read it carefully.  

First, she did not even get my name right. It is Siegel, not Spiegel.  

Second, I said clearly that one resident of Strawberry Canyon creates a greater environmental impact than one employee there. That obviously does not mean that the 265 residents create more of an impact than the 4,000 employees there, as Thomas claims. It does mean that it is hypocritical for residents to say they love the wildlife in the canyon, when they are actively degrading the habitat of that wildlife.  

Third, she says she is mystified by the point of my reasoning. Am I saying that saving what remains of the canyon is a lost cause? Or am I saying that the labs and neighborhood should go away? Or am I “just saying that the neighborhood should go away”? 

Since I said there should be no development in Strawberry Canyon, my point should be obvious. As our immediate goal, we need to stop all new 

development in the canyon. As our long-term goal—though it may take a century or more—we should try to remove existing development from thecanyon.  

We should begin by removing the development that restores the most land at the least cost. Some activists have already suggested that Memorial Stadium should be removed. But it would probably be more cost-effective to remove the residences there, as the first step toward restoring the canyon.  

We could use a study of all the options for removing development from the canyon, to find which would be most be cost-effective. If we start planning to remove development and restore the canyon as open space, that will be the strongest statement we could possibly make against any new development there.  

Charles Siegel 

• 

XXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

A similarity between George Washington and Arnold Schwarzenegger occurred to me when I hear Arnold’s apology to women he had harassed, after the complaints about his behavior had become known. According to legend, Washington had proclaimed that he would not lie when he was found with a hatchet in his hand, next to a hacked up cherry tree and when he hardly had the choice of not confessing the deed. Arnold has already become a politician.  

Max Alfert 

Albany 

• 

XXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding “Oakland’s Murderous Summer” (Daily Planet, Sept. 26-29): The frequency of murder in Oakland is an ongoing tragedy. 

During the 20 years (1975-95) I worked there, the city averaged 100 murders per year—a total of 2,000. This going to be another “average” year. 

Realistically, it can’t be said that the Oakland Police Department is ever indifferent to murder. It solves an unusually high number of homicides, no matter where they happened in the city. This is an outstanding achievement, but it is a limited one: Killers are arrested, convicted, go to prison do their time, and some come out again; the victims stay in their graves. Police investigations by their very nature cannot prevent murders; they begin after the death. It is part of our social tragedy that a successful investigation can only repair part of the social fabric torn by a murder. It cannot restore the victim, nor (except while a potential recidivist is in prison) can it prevent other crimes. 

People in Oakland do cooperate with their police department. If the solution to the murder rate were only better police-community relations, the murder rate would be back to 10 or 20 a year, as in the 1940s, and the community would not live in fear. 

Major parts of the problem must be solved elsewhere than in Oakland. Put simply, there are too many guns in circulation, and too much ammunition—ammunition with a practically unlimited shelf life. For the common good, our state and federal governments have a duty to adopt serious gun control (and gun elimination) programs. Ultimately, our goal should be to have cities that can be patrolled by police officers who (as in England) do not need to carry guns. 

And we need to put our minds in order: Owning a gun in the city should be as socially unacceptable as driving a humvee or chain smoking in church. 

Phil McArdle 

On a recent afternoon at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center on Telegraph Avenue, Maria gets a tender embrace from Mary Tunison, the center’s executive director. 

“There’s lots of hugs around here,” says Tunison. “Women know how to take care of women. It’s an intrinsic part of who we are and some of that is made manifest here.” 

The atmosphere of emotional support is what makes the center a rarity—and why thousands of women a year come here for help. Maria, who has been a resident and community activist in North Oakland for the past 32 years, is visiting WCRC for the first time today, just two days after undergoing a mastectomy. 

Maria (who preferred not to give her last name) walked here from her home—just eight blocks away—to learn more about the support groups the center offers. “I’m in denial,” she says. “There’s so much information. I’m really overwhelmed and scared.” 

Like most women who use WCRC’s services, Maria says she heard about the center through a friend and wanted to find out what kind of support groups the center offers. “There’s the loss of control and the fear of death,” she says. “I’m getting used to crying.” Maria is accompanied by a long-time friend, Oakland city council member Jane Brunner. 

“Everyone knows it’s a wonderful place,” says Brunner, who was also visiting the center for the first time that day. “People highly recommend it. People rave about it.” 

It’s not difficult to see why. In its 17 years of existence, the center has offered free services to women with all types of cancer, and have specifically reached out to women who are more likely to be underserved in mainstream health system—women of color and lesbians. 

The center houses a 3,000-volume library that carries texts on conventional and alternative treatments, cancer as it affects specific communities, and the environmental causes of cancer. WCRC offers eleven support groups, including those focused on lesbians, African Americans, Latinas and Chinese women. It also operates a peer referral network, which links up women with similar medical diagnoses and backgrounds, and runs a help line to provide callers with information on treatment options and referrals to physicians. 

“A cancer diagnosis can be so incredibly isolating,” Tunison said. “No matter how much a spouse loves you, it’s just not the same. We link them up with someone who can help them walk the cancer walk. We provide them with someone who’s been there.” 

The kind of in-depth care the center offers is a breath of fresh air for most people in the mainstream health care system. “The average HMO allows only seven minutes for an appointment with a doctor,” Tunison said. “How do you process that information? How do you begin to educate yourself?” 

One program specifically helps Latinas with limited English skills by providing them with patient advocates to help them traverse the complex health care system. Another offers in-home support services to clients. The center also administers the East Bay Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance to low-income women with breast cancer who live in Alameda and Contra Costa County. 

The other component to WCRC is its public policy focus, which centers around raising awareness about the environmental links to cancer. Its most recent campaign involves the Bay Area Working Group on the Precautionary Principle, a Bay Area collaborative formed to promote the use of less harmful substances by government entities. 

Catherine Porter, an attorney who works as WCRC’s public policy coordinator, describes the precautionary principle as a “common sense approach” to decision-making related to the use of potentially hazardous materials. She cited as an example the rampant use of toxic pesticides, when simple cleaning with soap and water will often solve the problem of pests 

WCRC is one of the organizations lobbying to get the Berkeley City Council to adopt a precautionary principle resolution. The council will decide on the issue at its Oct. 14 meeting. The next step, Porter says, is to get City Council to adopt an ordinance that specifically develops a preferable purchasing policy that will require the city to use safer substances in the city’s cleaning and janitorial products. 

“There’s so little that we know about so many chemicals and many cancers seem to have environmental links” said Porter. “We can start being part of this cultural shift of saying ‘is there a less toxic way to deal with this?’”

As a tenant the proposal to increase homeowners taxes by $250 annually will cost me nothing, but I oppose it because it is wrong. It is wrong to scare Berkeley residents with polling questions threatening to cut off emergency services unless we agree to increase taxes. It is wrong because homeowners are not all rich, some struggle to get by or are dependent on fixed incomes. But mostly, it is wrong because it is unnecessary. 

A mayor who ran on a platform of making Berkeley an environmental leader should consider environmental taxes, such as added parking permit fees for SUVs, hefty fines for improper disposal of old computers, and point of purchase taxes for plastic containers and disposable lighters. Aside from bringing in tax revenue, in the long term such taxes reduce city expenses by diminishing the volume of waste we pay to landfill, because those seeking to avoid the tax curtail their use of polluting disposables. And speaking of revenue based on sound environmental policy, why isn’t the city doing more to get UC to pay their fair share?  

The city may not be able to tax UC but we need not subsidize them either. The city’s decision not to sue over North Side development or the Molecular Foundry are excellent examples. The city attorney claims Berkeley is helpless because UC is sovereign and can develop without city permission. But sovereignty does not prevent the city from suing over environmental impacts. If Berkeley had sued we would do better, because sovereignty cuts both ways. Yes, UC can develop without our permission, but they also must bear responsibility for that development. Berkeley has no obligation to provide free or subsidized services. We could control UC development by simply insisting they pay their fair share. Payment for city services is a legitimate legal demand, which is why “mitigation agreements” provide compensation for specific city services. The fact that UC pays less for these services than it costs to provide them is due to bad negotiation, not the city’s hopeless legal position. 

Sewer services are an excellent example. Under federal law, every thirty years sewer systems need to be replaced and upgraded. Some estimate the city has deferred nearly a billion dollars in maintenance, meaning some sewer lines are in horrible shape. According to the city budget, over the five-year period running from fiscal years 1999 to 2005 the city will spend approximately 39 million dollars on sanitary sewer maintenance and replacement, with over 4 million more going to storm sewers. In total, Berkeley spends approximately 44 million dollars 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 fourteen million dollars! 

But sweetheart deals approved by City Council have UC paying less then two million dollars during that five year period! This means Berkeley homeowners subsidize UC to the tune of approximately four million dollars annually—and that’s just for sewer service. It doesn’t begin to cover what UC owes us for costs associated with other environmental impacts, such as increased traffic. To make matters worst, deferred sewer maintenance is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. If sewers are not properly maintained damaged pipes can burst and flood neighborhoods, spreading pollution that can cause serious disease.  

Bad legal advice has caused the city to settle for chump change. City Council should renegotiate and demand UC pay for the full cost of city services, both now, and as the cost expands due to further UC development. If UC refuses the city should selectively stop providing non-emergency services. If UC sues, the city can have the court determine the true cost of city services and seek equitable relief, pleading, if necessary, malpractice on the part of the city attorney. 

Those in city government, including council members and the city attorney, whose sweetheart deals are costing taxpayers a fortune, have a lot to answer for, especially to homeowners, whose taxes they want to increase despite the fact that hefty sewer fees are helping subsidize UC development. Insisting that UC pay their fair share would discourage further expansion, eliminate the “need” to increase homeowner taxes, and enable Berkeley to free millions of tax dollars for parks, libraries, health care and other services.  

Elliot Cohen practiced law in New York City for seven years. He is presently serves on the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission.

In response to vocal concern about a rapidly rising crime rate in North Oakland neighborhoods, the chief of the Oakland Police Department admitted last week that his office “made a mistake” in diverting elite officers from North Oakland and West Oakland last summer. 

Chief Richard Word told an audience at Oakland Councilmember Jane Brunner’s regular monthly Community Advisory Meeting at Peralta Elementary School that he cut North and West Oakland patrols of the Crime Reduction Team (CRT) in half in order to control nuisance youth auto “sideshows” in the city’s eastern neighborhoods.  

In a followup interview, Sergeant Peter Sarna, Chief Word’s chief of staff, said that during the summer, the North Oakland and West Oakland CRT patrols diverted to East Oakland on Friday and Saturday nights, leaving them in North Oakland only on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

Councilmember Brunner, a New York native, said that violence in North Oakland this year was the worst that she’d seen since she came to the city. Violent crime is up sharply in North Oakland in the past year, with homicides alone rising 200 percent. Berkeley police believe that some of the North Oakland murders may be connected with South Berkeley homicides, and may be part of what has been described as a possible “turf war” crossing the boundary of the two cities. 

A furious daylight gunbattle last August on Sacramento Street in Berkeley came one day after the shooting death just on the Oakland side of Shattuck Avenue. It followed similar, back-to-back, Berkeley/Oakland shootings in June. 

Oakland’s CRT units are roving patrols designed to concentrate on the city’s street level drug-dealing and felony crime trends. The city operates six such teams, each assigned to patrol its respective district each night from Wednesday through Saturday. Police Lieutenant Lawrence Green, who heads up the North Oakland CRT, reported to the Brunner meeting that his unit was responsible for 1,000 arrests, including six homicide arrests over the past 13 months. Green said that his unit has been “working closely with the Berkeley Police Department on the Shattuck corridor shootings.”  

Oakland’s sideshows are loosely defined as late-night, roving gatherings of youth and young adults who commandeer intersections to do car stunts. Because they are spontaneous gatherings and because there is no clear or legal definition as to what constitutes a sideshow, there is considerable controversy among Oakland residents as to how much violent or illegal activities can be attributed to the events. 

Chief Word told the Brunner meeting last weekend that “sideshows have resulted in two deaths.” However, earlier this summer, Word told a meeting sponsored by East Oakland Councilmember Desley Brooks that no deaths had occurred at sideshows. The discrepancy may be in the difference between “resulted in” and “at.” Two automobile accident deaths in Oakland have occurred in the last two years after drivers fled from police who were breaking up sideshows. 

Participants at the Brunner meeting broke up into groups to discuss proposed suggestions for a crime reduction program in North Oakland. Brunner said that the suggestions would be compiled into a single document and presented to the police department at a later date.

Let’s give a cheer for good old Arnie— 

Though we may not give a darn he 

Won it hands down, fair and square, nearly 

Half those still up to voting clearly  

Think the man is not, as often charged, uncouth 

But someone set to speak power to truth. 

Make no mistake: neath his silk tuxedo 

he is seen as nearly pure libido, 

a man who freely grabs and squeezes 

when-, where-and whom-ever he pleases 

is the people's choice. Sheer muscular force, 

teeth like diamonds, he rides the popular horse 

of strength and joy. Program? Old blood depart! 

Taxes? Fall. Economy? Not grow, jump start! 

Arnie pushing, then leaping in to pop the clutch 

And roar off at special fx speed, much 

As he does in movies. And so the android 

Who would be governor will fill the void 

Left by recalled Gray, a governor who seems  

A bit android himself. An agent dreams 

Of millions if he can only get Davis to 

complete the switch. No way it can miss you 

see, ‘specially with senior guys and chicks: 

Gray Davis starring in Terminator Six. 

Peter Solomon

Volunteer poll workers mistakenly barred a Daily Planet reporter from watching them handle data chips embedded with thousands of electronic votes shortly after the polls closed on election night. 

Jesse Taylor was reporting on the election at the polling station at City Hall, but when the time came for poll workers to remove memory cards from the station’s seven electronic touch screen voting machines, the head poll worker—against state law—ordered Taylor out of the building. 

The worker, according to Taylor, said that only poll workers were allowed in the room when the data cards were removed from the machines. Taylor eventually was forced to stand between two sheriff’s deputies in a hallway where he could not view poll workers handling the pocket-sized memory cards embedded with the day’s votes. 

Although no fraud was alleged, voter rights advocates said denying public access to any part of the voting process casts a cloud of skepticism over poll numbers. 

“When the memory cards are taken out unobserved it’s a big problem, because how would you know that the memory card transported to [election headquarters] is what came out of the voting machine,” said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation. 

Alameda County Assistant Registrar Elaine Ginnold said the poll workers had misinterpreted state election law. “Every scrap of what we do is open to the public,” she said. A poll worker can require a citizen to stand a certain distance from the workers, but the worker cannot keep the citizen from viewing the proceedings, she said. 

Touch screen voting machines record votes onto a memory card. When the polls close, a poll worker removes a pocket-size card and places it into a package in the presence of the other workers and they all sign a certificate declaring that they witnessed the process. 

Sheriff deputies are always stationed at polling stations during closing, Ginnold said, to make sure that no one tries to steal or destroy paper ballots or the memory cards. 

Ginnold said that cases of poll workers overzealously guarding privacy are not uncommon, even though they are instructed during their training to allow public observation of the entire process. 

“This isn’t something they do every day,” she said. “Sometimes they mistakenly think the closing process has to be closed.” 

For Taylor, who has spent more than 30 years in the political arena, it was only the second time he was tossed from a polling station. 

The other instance was in Selma, Ala., in 1966, when the notorious Sheriff Jim Clark booted Taylor and other volunteer poll watchers with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

Berkeley librarians insist that embedding their books with a state-of-the-art monitoring device despised by privacy advocates will not grant Big Brother a glimpse at patron’s reading material. 

“We’re not going to fight the Patriot Act this hard and then just give away information,” said Berkeley Director of Library Services Jackie Griffin, who added that, after careful study, she planned to purchase Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) before next June. 

The technology replaces magnetic bar codes that need to be scanned by hand with a microchip often as small as a grain of sand that sends radio waves picked up remotely by a scanner. Because each object can be traced by a unique code, businesses and libraries have lauded the technology as a way to prevent theft and better manage inventory. 

In June, Wal-Mart asked its top 100 suppliers to attach RFID chips to the cartons they ship to company warehouses. But, a month later, the retailer canceled an experiment to embed the chips into consumer packages of Gillette products, in part due to concerns lodged by privacy rights groups. 

“The current position of industry is to gloss over privacy issues,” said Lee Tien, a lawyer with the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation. He said he feared that if the chips were eventually planted in clothes, books and other goods, scanner-equipped police could have more clues to identify people. 

But Griffin said RFID chips used by the library posed no privacy risk because the chips store only enough memory to read a library bar code for the book. “There would be no way to attach the information to a person,” she said. 

Even if someone had a scanner, she added, the spy would need the library’s software and book codes—and even then all he would get would be the name of the book, not any information on the person checking it out. 

“It would be more effective to follow someone around,” she said, than to use a scanner to pick up the frequency. 

Griffin envisions RFID revolutionizing library checkouts. Instead of waiting on long lines for librarians to zap the bar code, with RFID patrons could easily check out materials themselves by stacking as many as six books on a RFID radio frequency sensor and inserting their library card into a scanner. The radio frequency would reach only about a foot, she said, to protect against possible spies with scanners and prevent unwanted books near the sensor from inadvertently getting checked out.  

The technology, which Griffin estimates will cost about $600,000 to implement, will save the library money by cutting down on theft. On average the library loses about 700 volumes a year because its magnetic security system is only about 80 percent accurate. RFID is nearly 100 percent accurate and if the thief runs past security, the library won’t try to recover the book, Griffin said, but at least librarians will know which book was stolen so they can replace it. 

Karen Rollin Duffy, Director of Library Services for the city of Santa Clara, recommends the system, which she said had dramatically reduced thefts in the two years since her library became the first and only one in California to implement RFID. 

More important to Griffin than security is the health of her librarians, who have to manually check out approximately 1.3 million items annually. 

“The repetitive motion is causing incredible damage to the staff,” said Griffin, and several librarians have developed carpal tunnel syndrome. With RFID, Griffin envisions assigning just one librarian to the checkout line, while others are put into more direct public service. 

However, privacy advocates fear the technology’s short-term productivity gain will result in long-term privacy losses. 

“You don’t need to be personally identified to have your privacy violated,” said Beth Givens, a former librarian who serves as Director of the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. She said that in a world where RFID tags were commonplace, police could tag RFID markers in the clothing or books of citizens attending political protests. Although the information would not by itself identify specific individuals, she said it would give police additional information to link protesters to the event. 

Tien acknowledged that presently the technology isn’t advanced or pervasive enough to pose wide threats to privacy, but cautions that without rigorous analysis it could soon be too late to stop RFID scanning.  

“It’s a folly to base all expressed privacy concerns based on how they are today. They will get better,” he said. Once stronger scanners and more powerful chips are on the market, he added, the system will already have some measure of social acceptance and it will be too late to stop it. 

Tien fears that libraries—with their reputation for upholding privacy rights—will serve as the gateway for RFID manufacturers. 

“Libraries can be the poster children for RFID. People will think if they’re OK here, they’re OK anywhere else,” he said. 

Griffin said that inside the library RFID would actually benefit privacy. For patrons like a teenager exploring his sexuality or an adult facing bankruptcy who are embarrassed by their reading choices, RFID will allow them to withdraw books without a librarian seeing their selections, she said. 

Griffin said she doesn’t take privacy concerns lightly and explored various scenarios with the four companies she is considering as suppliers of the chips, making sure they’re aware that Berkeley residents are sensitive to privacy concerns. 

“I think we have been responsible,” she said. “If someone says we overlooked a huge issue, we’ll look at it.”

The nationwide Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary—otherwise known as BAMN—returned to UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza Wednesday to celebrate California’s decision to vote down Proposition 54. 

“Tuesday was the day these racist ballot measures came to an end in California,” said Jodi Masley, a national organizer from BAMN, to a small but enthusiastic crowd. “People have said we are not going to accept a policy of colorblind racism.” 

BAMN, one of several organizations from the Cal campus involved in the anti-54 fight, had been organizing full steam since the summer to defeat the proposition. 

Two weeks ago, the coalition organized a march attended by a number of high school students from around the East Bay which traversed the campus and parts of downtown Berkeley, at one point taking over Bancroft Avenue. The group had originally planned to hold a rally to protest the appearance by Proposition 54 author Ward Connerly at Cal for a debate about the proposition, but a medical emergency forced Connerly to back out. 

Organizers at the rally, while in high spirits, said that the work is far from done. The next step they say, is to remove Connerly from the UC Board of Regents, where he is in the tenth year of a 12-year appointment. 

“We’re going to strike while the iron is hot,” said Josie Hyman, a junior at Cal and one of the organizers working with BAMN. 

Hyman and Masley said BAMN’s next big action is planned for the Nov. 17 Regents meeting in Los Angeles, where they hope to let Connerly know that they want him out. They also said that they will continue to gather signatures to join the 6,000 already gathered for their petition demanding Connerly’s immediate removal.  

For more information on BAMN, see their website: www.bamn.com.

Police May Bring Back Dogs 

At the request of Mayor Tom Bates, the Chief of the Berkeley Police Department has issued a preliminary written proposal to reinstate the department’s canine unit. 

Mayoral aide Cisco DeVries confirmed that Bates had expressed interest in a possible reviving of the controversial program. 

After complaints by members of the city’s African-American community, Berkeley’s police canine program was suspended by City Council in 1982, but the use of dogs borrowed from other agencies was permitted on a case-by-case basis upon the approval of the city manager. Revival of the program would require City Council action. 

Chief Roy Meisner forwarded the 13-page “Berkeley Police Department Canine Patrol” proposal to City Manager Weldon Rucker, Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz, and City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque on Sept. 23. The chief also presented the proposal to members of Berkeley’s Police Review Commission at their Oct. 8 meeting. 

Under Meisner’s proposal, canine units could be deployed when police believed that a suspect posed an immediate threat, when the suspect was hiding in a narrow, enclosed location—such as a crawl space or under a porch or deck—where entry by officers might pose a danger to their safety, when a suspect was physically resisting arrest, and in searching warehouses or buildings where a burglar might be present. Dogs could also be deployed in narcotics and explosives detection and scent tracking. 

Meisner’s proposal would prohibit using police dogs in crowd control. 

Commission member Jackie DeBose said that several Commission members expressed concern about the proposed canine program, but decided not to take a formal position. Instead, the Commission voted to seek public input at meetings to be held throughout the city over the next four months. Commission members also requested that Meisner present the plan at the department’s Police Community Forum next month. 

—J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 

City Website Hacked 

The City of Berkeley’s website was hacked this week, but a city computer expert said that there was little, if any, cause for concern. 

Earlier this week, a virus containing links to a video poker website appeared on several pages of the city’s site. City of Berkeley E-Government Manager Donna LaSala said that the links were visible on some browsers, but not on others. She said her department was systematically going through and erasing the links from the city website’s code. As late as Thursday evening, portions of the code were still present on the city’s site. 

“This is really a non-event,” LaSala said. “They didn’t hack into our internal network. Then we’d be really concerned. But this one is pretty routine, as these things go. Not very sophisticated.” 

LaSala said that the Berkeley website gets hacked once every couple of months. “Some bright, burgeoning, whiz-kid tries to jump on. We usually detect it within the first couple of seconds.” 

—J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 

NLRB Sets Berkeley Bowl Vote 

The National Labor Relations Board has scheduled an election for Oct. 30 when workers at the Berkeley Bowl will decide whether or not they want to be represented by United Food and Commercial Worker (UFCW) Butcher’s Union Local 120. 

Jeremy Plague, an organizer for the union, said management has been making concessions to workers in an effort to sway the vote, including easing restrictions on health insurance eligibility. 

Workers are looking at the new health care policies as a victory but are skeptical about the motives. 

“I’ll take it,” said Nicholas Brown, one of the employees who became eligible. “If they are going to give health insurance, sure no problem, thanks. But I’m still going to vote yes when the union comes.” 

Meanwhile, Bowl workers and the union are planning a weekend event to help garner support from the community in the face of what they say is a growing anti-union campaign being run by management. 

Plague said that management has come on strong since the filing, recently telling employees that they are not allowed to talk about the union at work, a right that he says is protected by the NLRB. 

“It’s against the law but all they have to do is post a little paper next to the time clock,” said Plague in reference to a previous ruling handed down by the NLRB that found the Bowl guilty of other infringements. The store’s only obligation under the ruling he said, was to post a memo acknowledging their wrongdoing. 

Plague said the Berkeley community has been very supportive. “We have to take advantage of the fact that the Berkeley Bowl is in Berkeley,” he said. 

Union event will be distributing flyers outside the store from 2-6 p.m. Sunday. 

—Jakob Schiller 

When Rush Limbaugh’s drug problem first surfaced in various website chatter, I was intrigued. When it made the evening news, I admit I felt a moment of joy. Limbaugh is the icon of brutish, cheap-shot conservatism and his entertaining style has spawned a vast legion of broadcast talkers even nastier than he. How could one not find some pleasure in his fall from grace? As we learned from the unmasking of other righteously destructive rightwingers, hypocrisy is their middle name. 

My feeling passed and the story disappeared from the news (at least for now). But I was led to reconsider my reactions to Limbaugh’s troubles by a surprisingly compassionate editorial in the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ is a leading purveyor of brittle condescension and scorn, the first apostle of hard-ass conservatism. But the Journal asked its readers to feel human sympathy. 

What an odd suggestion from that source. American culture has been severely coarsened during the last generation, not so much by the rightwing talkers, but by the brutish practices of modern capitalism and by institutions like the Journal who lead cheers for the ideology of take no prisoners, throw the losers over the side. Winners and losers are the natural order in life, winners should merely push them aside and get on with it. 

The anger and shame that now permeate this society were planted in large part by the callousness of Wall Street finance and major corporations. They routinely pursue self-interest by trampling others and call it “efficiency.” The victims are often their own employees or shareholders (not to mention welfare mothers and people too weak and poor even to afford shelter). The right embraces this new definition of manliness (even the so-called Christian right). Liberals who hold back are ridiculed as bleeding-heart sissies. 

Business is business. The dominant culture tells young people their only choice in life is between hard or soft. Despite what they are taught, a lot of young people reject that choice, but many also succumb. Who wants to be a loser? 

Repairing our damaged culture is a difficult and longterm task, but maybe social change can start in odd places like the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Their Limbaugh editorial cited the New Testament parable of the adulterous woman—he who is without sin may cast the first stone—“to remind us that we are all human, failed creatures.” President Bush, it added, responded compassionately to Rush’s troubles, perhaps because he himself fought a drinking problem not too long ago. Yes, indeed, we are all human, failed creatures. 

We are not all compassionate beings, however. The Wall Street Journal and right-wingers in general are very selective in where they choose to bestow human sympathy. Usually, it is reserved for other rightwingers or for business guys who find themselves in trouble with the law. When the WSJ recently reviewed my new book, it peppered it and me with the usual disparaging wisecracks. That’s expected. I don’t go to their church and, indeed, I regularly attack their religion. 

But what really angered me were the scornful wisecracks the review directed at the organization called Solidarity described in my book. It is a temp agency in Baltimore owned and run by the temp workers themselves in cooperative fashion. They earn a dollar or two more per hour than other temp workers, they have health-care coverage, they share the profits. And nearly all of them are recovering narcotics addicts and/or former prison inmates. I explained how their mutual struggles with addiction give them a shared sense of self-discipline (no one can con a fellow member of Narcotics Anonymous who’s been through the same fire). The reviewer quipped: “Apparently, being stoned together breeds camarderie.” Yuk, yuk. 

The Solidarity workers are of course black. The WSJ would not make drug jokes about white guys in suits—corporate executives struggling to overcome alcoholism or the bond traders afflicted by cocaine habits (indeed, it seldom writes about these addicts). The Journal needs to work on its own human sympathy. “The quality of mercy is not strain’d,” Shakespeare taught us. “It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven...” 

Maybe, when the full story becomes known, Rush Limbaugh will find the courage to express a more encompassing sympathy for other human beings. No one should expect Rush to change his politics or eschew cheap-shot jokes (he would be boring without them). But, the next time someone has stumbled and fallen, either wrestling with personal demons or crushed by error and ill fortune, the first question Limbaugh (and the rest of us) might ask is: Doesn’t anybody feel sorry for the poor bastard? 

William Greider is the author of “The Soul of Capitalism.”

On Monday night the Oakland A’s played the Boston Red Sox in the final baseball game of their American League Division Series. A win moved them one step closer to a World Series title; a loss ended the season. It was a big game. I wondered if Oakland’s playoff fever stretched north to Berkeley. 

Part pub-crawl, part census report, my approach was simple: nine Berkeley bars in nine innings. I wanted to know the whereabouts of Berkeley’s hardcore baseball fans.  

1st Inning: Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse 

Baseball aficionados applaud the first pitch of a game, especially during the playoffs. At Triple Rock, though, the first pitch provokes not a sound. Strike one.  

“Some A’s fans were in here earlier,” says Annie, the bartender. “They said they were going to the game and told me to meet them at their white Subaru in the parking lot.” 

With a total of six people in the bar, I consider heading for the Subaru. Luckily, though, the inning speeds by. And before Annie can offer me another pickled egg, I’m out the door and peddling south on Shattuck. 

2nd Inning: Beckett’s Irish Pub and Restaurant 

If Beckett’s owners hoped to recreate a classic Irish pub, they succeeded. It’s dark, there are lots of men, and nobody gives a damn about baseball. A projector TV screens a Monday Night Football pre-game show. A smaller TV towards the back airs the ballgame. A young man with glasses sits alone watching it. 

I approach and ask, “Did you come to watch the A’s?” 

“Nope,” he says, “I came to drink a Guinness.” His hand grips a half-finished pint.  

Disheartened by the lack of fans, I shove my notebook aside and order myself a beer. But even this decision backfires. It’s another quick inning and as I chug the remainder of the glass, Guinness-boy asks, “Does your writing get better or worse as the game goes on?”  

3rd Inning: The Bear’s Lair 

From Shattuck, I bike east on Bancroft to The Bear’s Lair, the lone bar on campus. It’s a mellow crowd, but a crowd nonetheless. I notice a group of young men huddled around one TV in a corner. I’m convinced this is an A’s crew. Wrong again. These are participants in the Madden 2004 tournament, a football video game for Play Station 2.  

Hope is not lost, though. There are a few students donning A’s hats. David Ha, a fourth year student from San Jose, is one of them. An A’s fan all his life, he decided to skip his political science class in order to watch the game. Finally, a young man with his priorities in order.  

“This is game five,” Ha says. “You can’t miss game five.”  

I agree, and after another scoreless inning, head towards Durant.  

4th Inning: Henry’s in the Hotel Durant 

The half-filled bar contains a handful of diehards. As Boston leads off the inning with an infield hit, I hear moans from a table nearby. Tim Wortham, 35, and Robert Wong, 37, are sharing a pitcher of beer and a basket of hot wings drenched in sauce. Crumpled napkins lay scattered on the table.  

The last time they watched a ballgame together was Game 6 of last year’s World Series, when San Francisco lost to the Anaheim Angels.  

“We’re trying to reverse fortune,” says Wortham, a San Francisco resident, who—not surprisingly—didn’t want to talk about his Giants’ playoff performance this year.  

“The A’s can’t lose three straight—there’s no way,” says Wong, from Berkeley. 

“Unless it’s against the Yankees,” ribbed Wortham.  

Moments later, the duo is pounding on the bar, celebrating the A’s first run of the game. The score: A’s 1, Red Sox 0.  

5th Inning: La Val’s Pizza 

La Val’s is packed—and all chairs face the big-screen TV. Folks are drinking beer, screaming at the umpire, and drinking more beer. This is playoff fever. I feel like I’m in the bleachers. The crowd explodes as A’s centerfielder Chris Singleton throws a Boston runner out at second base.  

“I had old school parents that took me to the games,” says Ken Washington, 48, an Oakland fan since the early 70s and one of the crowd’s more vocal leaders.  

Washington used to be homeless and said LaVal’s always treated him with respect. So he’s loyal to the Durant hangout.  

“You know, the north side of Berkeley has everything we got over here, but it’s quieter. This is the south side,” he says proudly. “We watch a lot of Raider games here, too.”  

I believe him. And, as the inning ends, I fight the urge to ditch the article and grab a bleacher seat at La Val’s.  

6th Inning: Kip’s 

Disaster strikes in the 6th inning. The Red Sox score four runs. And I chose Kip’s, where the TVs nearly outnumber the patrons 

At one point, after Manny Ramirez’s homerun, Fox’s television coverage flashes to a packed bar in Boston. I’m envious and wonder if the words “nostalgia” and “La Val’s” have ever been used in the same sentence.  

Eric, one of Kip’s’ bartenders, has just taken a break to eat some chicken fingers. Sitting down next to me at the bar, Eric claims he’s an A’s fan. But I’m not seeing the pain. He’s enjoying those chicken fingers a bit too much.  

Fortunately, Oakland picks up one run in the bottom of the 6th. The score: A’s 2, Red Sox 4.  

7th Inning: Blake’s 

The A’s retire the Red Sox 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th. I am at Blake’s, a busy Telegraph Avenue bar.  

In the bottom half of the inning, Boston’s Johnny Damon and Damian Jackson collide while chasing a pop fly. (Damon starred for Oakland in 2001.) Immediately, I hear clapping from the bar’s balcony. Investigating, I find an unsympathetic pocket of A’s fans crowded into the small room. 

“If you leave Oakland for a punk-ass team like Boston, you get what you deserve,” says Justice Israel, 21, one of Blake’s bartenders. The playoffs can make people nasty, especially when their team is losing. It’s the misplaced anxiety of the true fan. I love it.  

8th Inning: Raleighs 

The A’s are down 4-2 with two innings left. The first guy I try to interview won’t even make eye contact with me. That’s a good sign.  

David Orlando, 48, summed up Raleighs this way: “Good crowd, good beers…it’s close.” His first A’s memory was an inside-the-park home run Reggie Jackson hit to win a game in the early 70s. He’s been a fan ever since.  

The bar looks like the waiting room at a maternity ward: lots of stressed out men hoping for good news. When McMillon singles to right, the A’s score to make it 4 to 3, and the bar jumps to life. Strangers high-fiving strangers. People yelling, “One more! One more!” 

But the run doesn’t come. And when Boston makes the final out of the inning, the energy of the bar deflates. Heads shake. Brows get massaged. It’s a nine-inning roller coaster of emotions, and the ride ain’t over.  

“It’s close,” says Orlando. “Don’t count them out yet.” 

9th Inning: White Horse Inn 

The legendary White Horse is known for many things; baseball is not one of them. But the game is being shown on a projector TV at the back of the bar. And for the handful of people watching, the 9th inning mesmerizes.  

In storybook-fashion, the bases end up loaded with two outs and a full count to Terrence Long. An entire season boils down to one game, one inning, one at-bat, and—finally—one pitch. And then the A’s lose. And that’s it. Season over.  

“I’m taking all the stickers off my truck,” shouts bartender, Mara Pelaez, 36. “I need a new team.” 

Despite Pelaez’s anger, the White Horse Inn does not dwell on the loss. Just moments after the final pitch, the TV screen flashes blue, lyrics appear, and a pudgy, older man starts singing.  

And while Berkeley didn’t prove to be the greatest baseball town—I had to agree—there’s nothing more cathartic than karaoke.  

Final Score: A’s 3, Red Sox 4.  

Violent Hotel Guest 

Police dodged a barrage of flying furnishings to arrest a man holed up in his Berkeley hotel room Saturday afternoon. Police received a telephone call from the Doubletree Hotel in the Berkeley Marina at 2:05 p.m. complaining that a guest had refused to check out and that they smelled drug-laden smoke coming from the room. When officers cut through the chain lock the guest hurled a lamp and a glass picture frame their way, but neither missile hit its mark. The officers summoned backup, then wrestled with the guest before finally subduing him. A search of the man, the room and his car yielded 13 rocks of crack cocaine as well as a stash of stolen hotel towels. Ronald Williams, 49, of Oakland was arrested for possession of narcotics for sale, possession of stolen property and parole violation. 

Attempted Getaway 

As a police officer watched, as a woman drove into a car parked in the 1200 block of Harrison Street Saturday. When she started to walk away from the accident, the officer told her to get into her car so she could back away from the car she hit. The woman backed up—and kept going. A quick check of the license plate revealed that the vanishing car was stolen, so the policeman followed her to the 2800 block of Acton Street, where again she plowed into a parked car. She fled on foot, but not fast enough. Lateesha Perkins, 19, of Berkeley was apprehended behind a house on the block and arrested for car theft, resisting arrest and hit and run. 

Drug Bust 

Police raided a house on the 2700 block of Sacramento Street Wednesday night, snagging 28 rocks of crack cocaine. The Berkeley Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit (SEC), operating on a probation warrant, found the individually wrapped pieces of cocaine hidden throughout the property—including a car and the inside of a disabled smoke detector. Berline Covey, 43, of Berkeley, was charged with possession of narcotics with the intent to sell and violating parole. 

Botched Car Robbery 

A car thief was leaving with a prize catch when a chance run-in with the vehicle’s owner spooked him into flight on foot. According to police, the thief entered a car in a garage in the 2400 block of Prospect Street Monday afternoon, started the ignition and began backing out when the owner appeared. Stopping, the would-be thief bolted out the diver’s side door and jumped into a small blue car parked nearby, where a waiting friend drove him away. No arrests have been made. 

Robbery 

Police arrested a teenager they say was part of a pack of youths who robbed a woman walking at California and Hearst streets Sunday evening. According to police, the victim was walking on California Street when several teenage boys grabbed her while another boy on a bike ripped off her backpack. After the boys ran off, the woman went to a friend’s house and called police. Just three minutes later, police acting on her description, picked up a boy on a bicycle, who the woman then positively identified as the one who had snatched her backpack. The 15-year-old did not have the backpack when he was caught.

On the day after the recall election, a couple of my more politically-involved friends asked—in no small state of befuddlement—how Californians could simultaneously overwhelmingly defeat Proposition 54 and elect Arnold Schwarzenegger governor.  

The answer, I suspect, is that the defeat of Mr. Connerly’s 54 is not so liberal an event as progressives might hope, and, at the same time, Mr. Schwarzenegger’s election is not quite the hard-right mandate as our conservative friends would now have us believe. California, like the country, remains delicately—some might say precariously—balanced right on the middle of the political spectrum.  

Figuring out the Prop. 54 side of it is easy. More than anything else, the get-the-government-out-of-the-business-of-cataloguing-by-race initiative lost on the argument that its passage would undercut medical research and treatment. Neither the left nor the right has a monopoly on that concern.  

The rapid elevation of Mr. Schwarzenegger to the governorship is more difficult for progressives and liberals to fathom. The major problem, I believe, is that many progressives and liberals looked at Schwarzenegger’s candidacy through the fog of the right-wing coup theory, the belief that the recall election was merely a continuation of a recent string of radical conservative attempts to nullify the will of the voters. Thus, the original sin theory of many of my progressive-liberal friends: Since Schwarzenegger came to the governorship through the unholy vessel of the hard-right recall, his victory signals a sharp turn to the right in California politics.  

That theory assumes we were somewhere to the left during the regime of Gray Davis, evidence of which is somewhat thin, even after five years’ observation.  

But it also assumes that that those Californians who voted for Mr. Schwarzenegger did so on the belief that he will advance the right-wing cause. If that is their belief, it came about with little or no help from Mr. Schwarzenegger himself.  

In fact, the brilliance of Mr. Schwarzenegger’s campaign was that he managed to get himself elected without promising much of anything at all, or revealing much of anything that he intends to do in his three years of stewardship. But like the folks back home—my Southern home—used to say, the same thing make you laugh, make you cry. That which allowed Mr. Schwarzenegger to roll to victory will now present his greatest difficulty as he sets about trying to govern.  

During the campaign, Mr. Schwarzenegger presented himself as a blank screen upon which the voters were allowed to pretty much project their own thoughts about his agenda. About his platform there could be little argument. No new taxes, unless a fiscal crisis absolutely mandated them. Cut government inefficiency. Bring jobs back to the state. Protect education. Close your eyes, alter the accent just a bit, and you can easily imagine those same promises coming equally from Gray Davis, Cruz Bustamante, Arianna Huffington, Peter Camejo, and (if you leave out the “unless fiscal crisis” caveat), Tom McClintock. Mr. Schwarz-enegger painted in broad strokes...we were left to fill in the details of implementation ourselves, to our own particular fancies. But as they also say, the devil is in the details.  

Mr. Schwarzenegger’s first bit of difficulty will come—and come quite soon—with the car tax increase, which he loudly promised to repeal.  

If he manages to rescind the car tax increase, he must immediately come up with some $4 billion to shore up the resulting leak in the budget, or else make the appropriate cuts to a budget already reeling and out of balance. 

There has been some talk that Mr. Schwarzenegger intends to try to make up a portion of that amount from Indian gambling interests. Under the deal being talked about in the press this week, the Indian gambling folks would give the state $1 billion in return for the right to expand their casino operations in the state. An odd twist, here. During the campaign, Mr. Schwarzenegger (also loudly) criticized Mr. Bustamante for taking campaign contributions from the Indian gambling interests. And why were the Indian gambling interests giving so much money to Mr. Bustamante? Because if he were elected governor, it was their hope that the present Lieutenant Governor would allow them to—guess what?—expand their casino operations in the state. Oh, yes, it’s going to be fun listening to the explanation on this one. And that still leaves $3 billion left to go.  

And besides the math problem, Mr. Schwarzenegger cannot afford to fail on the car tax. Not the Last Action Hero. Bill Clinton flubbed on health care reform in the first days of his presidency, and his presidency survived and even prospered thereafter. Mr. Schwarzenegger does not have that luxury. He came to us as the movie idol who parachutes into the Colombian jungles, wipes out the cartel army with homemade weapons, and brings out his kidnapped daughter, unharmed. Many California voters—knowing nothing of the man except what they have seen in his movies—expect such miracles, and will be dearly disappointed in anything less. How can the man who whipped the seven-foot alien Predator not take down the stoop-shouldered, professorial John Vasconcellos?  

With every step—or misstep, as it were—Mr. Schwarzenegger risks a significant portion of his recall majority. From here on down, as Pogo used to say, it’s uphill all the way. This may be more interesting than you think.

In light of a continuing string of wheelchair pedestrian accidents, including Fred Lupke’s recent death, the Berkeley Commission on Disability’s subcommittee for transportation met Wednesday to draw up requests asking the city to revisit what they say are important safety measures proposed for the city’s general plan. 

Commission Chair Emily Wilcox said that the meeting did not produce a definitive proposal for City Council but instead was a preliminary way to address several of the most important issues commissioners said have been continually brought up before the city but never incorporated into the general plan.  

Wilcox said the subcommittee discussed a litany of issues, including a request for the police department to develop a code that would track pedestrian accidents involving people who use mobility devices or are self-identified as disabled. 

“Currently we have no numbers to support our impression that significant numbers of people involved in pedestrian accidents are disabled,” said Wilcox. “And I believe we’ve made this request several times.” 

Other issues included a request for the city to develop a policy that would set the maximum allowable slope and cross-slope for sidewalks and the development of minimum amount of vertical and horizontal vegetation clearance.  

Wilcox said that if, for example, a sidewalk’s slope is too steep, a person using a wheelchair or walker could tip over or be thrown off balance and that often trees and bushes on sidewalks are overgrown, presenting numerous problems for disabled pedestrians. 

There is no set date for when the commission will present the issues discussed to City Council because Wilcox says there is still more work to be done. She said other city commissions including Public Works and the Commission on Aging have taken an interest, expanding the scope and helping push the issue forward. 

The commission is set to make a presentation to City Council during the Oct. 14 meeting about the city-issued taxi permits for wheelchair users, but Wilcox said the city manager is expected to request that the agenda item be held back until the November meeting.

While some Indian jewelry and saree stores are rumored to have taken off for Los Angeles and more lucrative markets, new Indian stores and restaurants are opening almost monthly on and around University Avenue. Indian Americans travel from San Jose, Fremont, Palo Alto, Yuba City, and even Los Angeles to shop here. 

UC MBA graduate Kirpal Khanna, who opened the first Indian store on University in 1971 as a grocery store, has expanded twice and added a variety of merchandise including screens, inlay boxes, hair tassels, glass bangles, musical instruments, videos, and a fascinating book and card store adjacent to the original storefront. Here you can find extensive selections of books on Ayurveda, the science of self-healing, cookbooks, Sikhism, Hindu gods and goddesses, cookbooks, and travel guides to India. 

As president of the University Avenue Association, Khanna hosts a veritable community center in his incense-infused store and says all the Indian stores work in a friendly competition, helping each other. 

In the same block, Fiji Indians are converting Ramson’s Discount Depot futon shop to a full service Indian and western clothing shop offering alterations on site. 

On the north side of University, Gold Palace Jewelers (1085 University Ave.), is the Tiffany of Indian jewelry stores, with security buzzing in and out the curious. In an elegant, slightly untrusting atmosphere, Gold Palace offers Delhi- and Calcutta-made 22 karat gold jewelry, as well as Rolex, Omega, Movado, Gucci, and Rado watches—all under lock and key. Flyers advertising Vik S. Bajwa (Dem) for Governor adorn a table near the exit. 

India uses 783 tons of gold per year, according to Maulin at Bombay Jewelry Company. Indians believe in investing in gold as a good investment and as an asset. Even poor families buy what they can afford as part of their family security, and brides and children receive gold, so Gold Palace sells small earrings and bracelets from $25 and up. 

G&H International Emporium, 1027 University Ave., is another neighborhood Indian community center in this location since 1981, providing $25 full saree outfits from Punjab in northern India, bolts of fabric, gold and silver trim, incense, rice cookers, food blenders, DVD players, boom boxes, and irons. On the south side of University, India Chaat & Sweets (824 University Ave.) offers a lunchtime buffet ($6.99) and a cozy dining room with parking just off University on Sixth Street. 

Milan Imports (990 University Ave.) blasts visitors with curry aroma at the doorway, emanating from scores of bins of spices sold in bulk at the lowest prices available in the Bay Area. 

Unusual delicacies used in the cuisines of India, Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan available here include $2.99 a pound whole almonds (one-third the normal retail price), Indian cornflakes, chapati flat breads, whole wheat roti, chick pea twigs, four varieties of ground coconut, garbanzo flour, white and yellow corn flours, mace power, sumack, yellow garlic powder, 22 varieties of dal (lentils) and other beans, international teas, whole nutmeg and star anise, green Ethiopian coffee beans, Patak and Laxmi chutneys, Ahmed mango pickles, ghee (clarified butter), and mustard oil for massage use only. 

At this location since 1975, Milan owner Mahinder “Mike” Parmar, born near Bombay, carries Indian movies, CDs and tapes (many $2-$3), and Indian movie posters, and tempting sweets from his Bombay Cuisine Restaurant Café next door at 2006 Ninth Street. Parmar also sells Spanish saffron at the best price around, $21 an ounce. 

All saree stores here are having big sales as a run-up to Diwali, the Indian New Year celebrated this year on Oct. 25. Boasting Sharon Stone as a regular client, Sari Palace specializes in fabulous Indian bridal outfits (langas) for women that include 15 yards of fabric and can weigh up to 15 pounds including sequins and jewels, and cost up to $3,000. Women traditionally wear red for their weddings, but may wear any other color for the wedding reception, which means two outfits. 

Salwaar Kameez outfits are more casual and include pants, three-quarter or short tops, and scarves. Shawls contain a mere two yards of material, and Sari Palace even sells the silk scarves separately for $15. Men’s jodhpuri suits run from $125-$150. 

Bombay Spice House (1036 University Ave.) is a clean, small, family store where visitors are greeted by displays of samosas, fresh teas, and chai. Frozen imported Indian vegetables include cluster beans, methi-fenugreek beans, parwal, and violet yams. Bombay Spice House offers packaged spices, incense burners, mediation books, pestals and mortars, Indian cooking utensils, metal serving trays, and statues of Ganesh, the Hindu God of Wisdom and good thinking (believed to remove life’s obstacles), and of Laxmi, Goddess of Prosperity and money. 

Berkeley Music House has thousands of Indian and Pakistani CDs, tapes, and movies, with customers flocking from throughout California for their unusual collection. 

Bombay Jewelry Company is smaller than Gold Palace, but sells lots of gold bangles to Indians, because “You collect all the gold you can because you don’t know when your husband is going to die.” Maulin weighs all 22 karat pieces to arrive at a price, which varies daily. 

Roopam Sarees and Sari Boutique owner Chhabildas Khatri (1044 University Ave.) was born in Fiji and has the busiest store on the street. Roopam sarees range from $25-$500, and come in French or Japanese chiffon, with shoes and colored glass bangles to match ($3 for 12), and sequined earrings and necklaces from $15. Children and belly dancers also get outfits here! 

While in the neighborhood, venture a half block north on San Pablo to Indus Food Center and Halal Food Market, both Islamic providers of Halal meats, poultry, and produce. Indus’s meat prices are fabulous, with leg of lamb at $3.25 a pound, goat leg at $3.99, and chickens at $.99 a pound.  

Halal Food Market supplies Middle Eastern, Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Indian and other groceries, as well as lamb, goat, beef and organic-raised chicken. Customers are treated as guests here, first offered sage-spiked tea from an urn on the deli meat counter, which comes with a dose of interesting and friendly conversation, all led by owner Naime Ayyad and manager Zafar Khan. Expanding after one year in business, Halal offers sweet butter, cheeses, yogurts, and a plethora of Islamic books. 

Just south of University on San Pablo is a real find, new restaurant, Priya (2072 San Pablo Ave.), serving South and North Indian cuisine and “all halal meats.” Clean, slightly elegant, peaceful and festive, Priya is already packed with new fans. Its lunchtime and Sunday brunch buffets ($6.99/$10.99) feature many vegetarian and meat entrees, including goat, lamb, and chicken curries, with an unusual abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits. Owner Parvata Reddy Seelam has 20 years’ experience in the restaurant business, and it shows. 

One of Berkeley’s best known Indian food merchants, Vik’s Distributors (726 Allston Way), offers products other markets don’t, including Bedekar’s pickled sauces, White Gold Basmati rice at only $5.99 for ten pounds, French and English digestive crackers, and ZEN chili pastes, Chirag garlic ginger pastes, and Gits curry mixes. 

Indira Chopra’s Vik’s Chaat’s Corner is the steal of the day, taking up half of Vik’s warehouse and due to expand before the end of the year. Chaat (“snacks”) are $3, and weekday specials, both vegetarian and not, max out at $4.99. The only utensils are plastic spoons and Indian breads.

How smoothly last Tuesday’s recall election went in the city of Berkeley depends upon which end of the process you observed. Poll workers reported a nearly flawless experience by voters using the Diebold touch-screen voting machines throughout the city. But there were glitches in the vote compiling process. 

And while Alameda County preliminary vote totals were available early Wednesday morning, precinct or even city results weren’t—even as late as Thursday afternoon. 

Elaine Ginnold, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office, said that county election officials were delaying the printing of the precinct result report because of its unusual size, which she estimated to be at 1,000 pages. 

Ginnold said that the enormous number of pages was needed because the vote totals for each gubernatorial candidate—all 135—had to be listed for 1,092 precincts in the county. 

But Ginnold said that she was at a loss to know why compiled city results (such as the number of votes for each candidate and for or against each issue in Berkeley) were not available two days after the election. She said that such results are normally available to the public on the night of the election. 

At Berkeley City Hall on election night, four Diebold voting machines were set up to upload Berkeley’s precinct results to the county election headquarters in Oakland. A county election worker explained at the time that while only one regular machine was actually needed to upload the results, four had been supplied by the county “in case we get really busy and have to transmit on more than one machine at a time.” It ended up being a fortunate bit of foresight. Three of the voting machines malfunctioned, leaving only one to transmit the data. 

Ginnold said she had no information as to why the Berkeley machines malfunctioned, but said that in other upload centers in the county, some of the uploads failed when workers plugged the modem into the wrong slot. 

But around the city, voting itself went on without major problems. Berkeley City Clerk Sherry Kelly and local NAACP spokesperson Denisha DeLane both said they’d heard of no significant election difficulties by either voters or election workers. DeLane, however, said that this report was preliminary. 

Janet White, who worked at the North Berkeley Senior Center on Hearst, said that the recall election went smoother than last year’s general election. However, White said she noticed a larger amount of provisional ballots this year, a fact she attributed to “a lot of lost souls who weren’t picked up by the online registration process.” 

Provisional ballots, which are filled out by voters by hand, are required when a voter says that they have registered for a particular precinct, but their name does not show up on that precinct’s registration list on election day. White said that her precinct had “a box full of these ballots.” 

Barbara Allen, a first-time poll worker who worked at the Redwood Gardens Community Hall on Derby Street, was bubbling over about the experience. “It was so exciting to see 18-year-olds come in and vote for the first time,” she said. “Some of them said they were going to tell their grandchildren about the experience.” Talking before the election results had been released, Allen called the recall election “historic, no matter how it comes out.” 

At the Berkshire Retirement Home on Sacramento Street, a poll worker reported only one problem, an elderly voter “who insisted that I read off the names of every one of the people running for governor to him.” 

“All 135?” 

“All 135,” he said, with a grimace. Otherwise, the worker said he detected no problems with voters using the touch-screen voting machines. “This is Berkeley, after all,” he said. “We’re used to computers.” 

Precinct workers at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue on Bancroft Way and the University Christian Church on Le Conte Avenue also reported no problems with the election. 

Spot checks at various precincts across the city—including the South Berkeley Branch Library on Russell Street, the Berkeley Unified School District Building, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Lobby (Precinct 207600)—all showed steady voting throughout the day. 

The greatest number of problems appeared to occur in precincts serving the UC Berkeley population, probably a combination of the consolidation and changing of precinct locations and a mobile—and forgetful—student population. At the Westminster House on College Avenue, where two precincts were consolidated, crowds of student voters were being screened by two workers who had never operated polls before. 

The major confusion concerned voters who could not identify their voting precinct, including students who reported that they were registered as far away as San Jose. A poll worker at the YWCA on Bancroft Way called the process at her precinct “incredibly confusing. This is the first time they’ve consolidated two precincts like this, and some of the people who voted at this location last November are not supposed to be voting here now.” 

City Clerk Kelly said that Berkeley had 70 voting locations during the Oct. 7 election, a reduction from the 110 voting locations open during normal elections. Voting locations were consolidated all over the state because of the short amount of time available to organize the recall election. 

The city clerk said that the county registrars office attempted to make up for the reduction in voting locations by increasing the number of voting machines in some locations. She said that seven voting machines were in operation at City Hall during the Oct. 7 election, up from the normal number of four. 

Around the city on election day, electoral activity was low-key. An elderly Asian man in a straw hat mounted himself on an upturned bucket on top of a wooden folding chair at the Sproul Plaza entrance to UC Berkeley, surrounded by a slew of barely readable signs, working his fingers in and out and calling out over and over “Yeah! I’m Arnold! I groped them! I squeezed them! Vote for me!” Little different than any day on campus. 

As for pre-voting in the two weeks before the election, Kelly said that it “went smoothly,” with more than 500 citizens taking advantage of the opportunity to cast ballots at City Hall. Pre-voting was allowed at City Hall from Sept. 15-26. 

Kelly said that 66 ballots were cast on the first day of early voting, dropping dramatically to 12 on the second day from the confusion that resulted after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals threatened to halt the recall election. 

She said that early voting later picked up, with 100 ballots cast in each of the last three days of pre-voting. 

The Elections Division of the California Secretary of State’s office reported that as of the afternoon before the election, close to 85,000 absentee ballots had been turned in from Alameda County, and about 100,000 from Contra Costa County.

Berkeley Police officers escorted Alison Weir, founder of If Americans Knew, into her organization’s South Berkeley office Monday afternoon, three days after a voicemail threat warning her to stay away from her office at 2 p.m. Monday or risk losing her life. 

Weir was one of four panelists who spoke during a debate Thursday on the UC Berkeley campus where participants presented contrasting views of the Israeli/Palestinean crisis—with Weir as a representative of the Palestinian perspective. 

She said If Americans Knew was created to inform and educate the American public about issues she says are unreported, underreported, or misreported in the American media. 

The anonymous caller claimed to have attended the campus debate and expressed outrage at Weir, who he claimed was helping to “destroy Israel.” The voice on the message—which she replayed for reporters—sounded young, American, and intense, with long heavy breaths in between words. 

“Hi. I heard your speech today in UC Berkeley; the debate. And I’m telling you this right now. On Monday, at 2 p.m., you better not be in your office. Because me and my buddies, who were trained in the Israeli Army, will come and kill every single one of you sons-of-bitches for what you are doing to destroy Israel. So watch out, this is not a joke. On Monday you better watch out. Don’t come to work. And close your organization or you’re going to die,” the message said. 

After contacting the Berkeley Police and the FBI, Weir asked all other employees to stay home, but she decided to show up herself to demonstrate that she was not intimidated. 

“I’m not going to be silenced,” Weir said. 

Several supporters, including UC Dean of Students Karen Kenney—moderator of the UC debate—and Kriss Worthington from the Berkeley City Council, came to join her at the group’s second floor Adeline Street offices for the designated time. 

“This is the bullying action of cowards,” Weir said. “I think it represents that fanaticism with which people defend Israel. It also shows how weak their cause is in a public debate.” 

The debate was the result of a challenge from a San Francisco State student who had asked Weir to defend her claims against pro-Israel speakers. Weir agreed, and sat on the pro-Palestinian side with Hatem Bazian, a lecturer in UC Berkeley’s Near Eastern Studies Department. David Meir-Levi, head of the Israel Peace Institute and Eric Sirkin, a Palo Alto technology firm executive, spoke for the Israeli position. 

Kenney said the debate was extremely well attended and, for the most part, orderly. Organizers had structured the event scrupulously to prevent interferences that are common at events surrounding the conflict in the Middle East. 

“I thought the event went very well—a two on a scale of one to 10, with one being the best possible,” said Kenney.  

Kenney said she was repulsed by the death threat and felt obligated to accompany Weir to her office. She said UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl had also asked her to appear and comment on the threat. 

“We want the community at large to know that anyone who comes to Cal should feel safe,” she said. “We’re an open and caring community and actions that would infringe upon anyone’s safety are absolutely unacceptable.” 

Weir said she suspects that the caller was a student, but not necessarily from Cal. 

After escorting Weir into her office, Berkeley police officers sat across the street in patrol cars to monitor the scene. Other officers had patrolled the area throughout the morning. 

“Every threat we get we take very seriously,” said Kevin Schofield, Public Information Officer for the Berkeley Police department. “Death threats are something that are not uncommon, but they are not always at high-profile events like these.” 

Weir attributes the threat to the pro-Israel side’s frustration over the debate, which she says they lost. “Since they didn’t win the debate, they thought they would just kill us,” said Weir. 

She said there is a history of threats against pro-Palestinean activists from groups like the Jewish Defense League (JDL), whose chairman was indicted Jan. 10 on charges of conspiring to bomb the office of Congressman Daryl Issa. The group was also investigated for the 1985 murder of the West Coast Regional Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). 

When the appointed hour rolled around, nothing happened—other than the arrival of additional Weir supporters, who found seats in the stairwell and office. 

“I hope they’re out there to see this” said Weir, in reference to whoever had made the threat. 

Weir, who said she was initially shaken by the threat, said she is refusing to let the call hold her back and has pledged to continue her work.  

“When you hear this sort of thing, you say, I think I’ll work on the environment. All this is going to do is make me work harder,” she said.

TUESDAY, OCT. 7 

“Observation on the Political Process,” with Tom Campbell, Dean, Walter A. Haas School of Business, at noon in the South Hall Annex. Sponsored by the Center for Studies in Higher Education. 642-7703. lapiz@uclink.berkeley.edu 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers We are a few slowpoke Seniors who walk between a mile or two each Tuesday, meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the Little Farm parking lot. To join us, call 215-7672.  

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 525-3565. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

Morris Dancing Workshop Learn the basics of an English ritual dance form that predates Shakespeare, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. at Oxford. www.talamasca.com/berkmorris 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 

Speaking Truth to Empire: End the Occupation of Iraq! with Norman Solomon, director, Institute for Public Accuracy, and Michael Parenti, author, Democracy for the Few, and a military family from Military Families Speak Out! At 7 p.m. in 145 Dwinelle, UC Campus. The event is free; donations will be accepted at the door. Sponsored by Berkeley Stop the War Coalition. www.berkeleystopthewar.org 

“Understanding the Americans and Understanding the French” with Pascal Baudry at 7:30 p.m. at the Haas School of Business, Anderson Auditorium. Sponsored by East Bay French-American School. 549-3867. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Sta- 

tion, corner of Shattuck and Center. Vigil at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geo 

cities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Urban Permaculture Benefit Three teachers will show slides to raise awareness that another way of life is possible in the city. From 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $5-$20 sliding scale. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

EmbracingDiversityFilms and the Albany High School PTA co-host the screening of “Breathing Lessons” at 7 p.m. in the Albany High School Multipurpose Room, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany. A discussion will follow. Free. 527-1328. 

Prose Writers Workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut, at Rose. We focus on issues of craft. Novices welcome, experienced facilitator. 524-3034. 

Community Dances, traditional English and American dances, 8 p.m. every Wednesday, $9. 7 p.m. first Sunday, $10. Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. 233-5065. www.bacds.org 

Free Feldenkrais ATM Classes for adults 55 and older at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut at Rose. For information call 848-0237.  

Berkeley CopWatch open office hours 7 to 9 p.m. Drop in to file complaints, assistance available. For information call 548-0425. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 9 

Lights On Afterschool! Kick-off Event on afterschool programs and the threat of budget cuts, at 5 p.m. at Rosa Parks School. 

Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace, with Rami Elhanan, a seventh generation Jerusalemite whose daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber and Ghazi Brigieth, whose brothers were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. At 7 p.m. at 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. For more information call 464-4911 or email bayareapeacetour@yahoo.com www.rcnv.org 

“The Fantasy War: Liberation, Weapons of Mass Destruction, & Democracy,” with Robert Fisk, foreign correspondent recently returned from Baghdad, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison, 5 blocks from North Berkeley BART. This is a benefit for the Middle East Children's Alliance. Tickets are $20, but nobody will be turned away. Buy tickets via Paypal, www.mecaforpeace.org For more information call 548-0542. 

“A Doctor in Chechnya” Khassan Baieva talks about his new book, “The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire,” written with the assistance of Ruth and Nicholas Daniloff, at 7:30 p.m. at Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore, 1385 Shattuck Ave at Rose, 843-3533. 

“Hunger and Globalization” with Judith Lewis, UN Director of the World Food Program at 7:30 p.m. at International House, Home Room, Piedmont at Bancroft. 642-9460. 

League of Women Voters meets at noon at the Albany Public Library. Polly Armstrong, former Berkeley Councilmember will speak on “Wheelchairs for Iran.” 843-8824. 

Empowering Democracy Conference “Challenging Corporate Power & Deman- 

ding Accountability!” Skills training by and for corporate campaigners with the intent of sharing the skills necessary to challenge corporate rule, held Oct. 9-11 at the First Unitarian Church, 685 14th St., Oakland. To register call 512-479-7744. www.empoweringdemocracy.org  

UC Botanical Garden Docent Training at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fee and registration required. 643-1924. 

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers meets at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Community Center, 59 Arlington Ave. Bob Coates, a hydrologist, will speak about his stream restoration work. 547-8629. 

rorlando@uclink4.berkeley.edu  

St. John's Prime Timers Tap Dancing class meets on Thursday mornings at 9:15 a.m. at St. John's Presbyterian Church at 2717 Garber St. Gil Chun, well-known Berkeley dance teacher is the instructor. Class is free and open to anyone over 50. 527-0167. 

East Bay Mac User Group meets on the second Thursday of the month from 6 to 9 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Room, Berkeley Central Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Free, all welcome. http://ebmug.org 

Lawyers in the Library, at 6 p.m. in the South Branch, Russell at MLK Jr. Way, 981-6260. 

FRIDAY, OCT. 10 

“Berkeley’s Creeks,” with Robin Grossinger and Carol Schimmerling, at 7:30 p.m. at Spenger’s Fish Grotto, 4th and University. Lecture is part of the 150th Anniversary of Ocean View, Berkeley’s earliest settlement, sponsored by The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association and Berkeley History Society. Tickets are $12. For information call 841-8562.  

Daniel Ellsberg will speak on “Should the President Lead a War on ‘Evil’?” at 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd. Kensington. Donation of $10 requested, $7 seniors and students. 528-3417.  

Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace, with Rami Elhanan, a seventh generation Jerusalemite whose daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber, and Ghazi Brigieth, whose brothers were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. At 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker, 1640 Addison Ave. A $10-$20 donation is requested, no one turned away. For more information call 464-4911 or email bayareapeacetour@ 

yahoo.com, www.rcnv.org 

Literary Friends meets from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. The topic is Leni Riefenstahl: Correspondence, Life and Documentary “Olympia.” 232-1351. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Jack Citrin, Ph.D., professor Political Science, on “Clashing Civilizations.” Luncheon 11:45 a.m. $11.50 - $12.50. Speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020. 

Berkeley Critical Mass Bike Ride meets at the Berkeley BART the second Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. People of all traditions are welcome to join us. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 496-6000, ext. 135. www.bpf.org 

Berkeley Hillel 75th Anniver- 

sary Shabbat at 6:30 p.m. at 2736 Bancroft Way. 845-7793.  

SATURDAY, OCT. 11 

Shellmound Run Gather at 7:30 a.m. at University and 4th St. The route is along Strawberry Creek to the shoreline, then to the Pow Wow at MLK Civic Center Park. Sponsored by the Indigenous Peoples Day Committee and the City of Berkeley. 595-5520. www.red-coral.net/Pow 

Indigenous Peoples Day PowWow and Indian Market from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Civic Center Park, with arts and crafts, Native California dancing and Native American foods. Sponsor- 

ed by the City of Berkeley. 595-5520. www.red-coral.net/Pow 

East Bay Earth Charter Community Summit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 27th St. and Harrison. Program includes performance art, presentations by local activists and commentators, an ecologically prepared lunch, and workshops. Free. For information call 655-8252. www.earthchartersummits.org.  

Rockin’ in Berkeley Visit seven parks in Berkeley featuring an- 

cient volcanic rock formations. Climb up (optional) for great views. Walk through neighborhoods and see rocks incorporated into buildings and landscapes. From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For information call 415-255-3233. www.greenbelt.org 

Free Emergency Preparedness Class on Disaster Mental Health for anyone who lives or works in Berkeley, from 9 a.m. to noon at 997 Cedar St., between 8th and 9th Sts. Register on-line at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes or by calling 981-5506. 

Quaker FunRaiser to benefit the Friends Committee on Legislation, a lobby for just and compassionate lawmaking. Live entertainment, art, children’s activities, books, baked goods and more. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St., 1 block north of N. Berkeley BART. 547-2099, 486-1391. 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of the Gilman Street Industrial Area. Begins at 10 a.m. Reservations and a donation of $8 required. Please make check payable to Berkeley Historical Society, and mail it to P.O. Box 1190, Berkeley, CA 94701-1190. 848-0181. 

Green Living Series: Green Interior Design Topics will include cleaners, paints, sealers, furnishings, flooring, energy efficient systems and products. Bring a rough plan of your space if possible. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., near Dwight Way. Cost is $10 Ecology Center members, $15 others, no one turned away for lack of funds. Call to pre-register. Drop-ins OK. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

“So How’d You Become an Activist?” with David Harris, author, Vietnam War resister, and Jeff Patterson, Conscien- 

tious Objector, First Gulf War, Organizer, “Not in Our Name,” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St., at Bonita. Suggested donation $5. For more information call 528-5403. 

Daniel Ellsberg seminar on ending the cycle of violence and banning nuclear weapons from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd. Kensington. Donation of $10 requested, $7 seniors and students. 528-3417.  

A Better Chance Annual Independent School Fair for students and families of color. This free event will take place at Samuel Merritt Health Education Center in Oakland from 3 to 6 p.m. 496-1151. 

Pet Adoptions, sponsored by Home at Last, from noon to 5 p.m., Hearst and 4th St. 548-9223. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

Yoga for Seniors at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St., on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. The class is taught by Rosie Linsky, who at age 72, has practiced yoga for over 40 years. Open to non-members of the club for $8.00 per class. For further information and to register, call Karen Ray at 848-7800. 

Kol Hadash, Northern California Community for Humanistic Judaism Brown Bag Family Shabbat with Rabbi Kai Eckstein: “A Celebration of Sukkot," from noon to 1:30 pm at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring lunch for your family, and (finger) dessert to share; juice provided. We also collect non-perishable food for the needy. For information call 428-1492 or email kolhadash@aol.com 

SUNDAY, OCT. 12 

The Soil Is Alive Come explore our homegrown compost, meet our worms, and take some home to care for and start your own compost pile, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Tilden Nature Area, in Tilden Park. 525-2233.  

Plant Walk in People’s Park with naturalist, Terri Compost. Meet at 1 p.m. in the West End Community Garden. Heavy rain cancels. For information call 658-9178.  

Fall Festival at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, ethnic food, dancing, music, art and fun for children from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

Afternoon Tea Honoring the Women's Club Movement, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center. Reservations recommended. 528-3284. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/  

Tibetan Buddhism, “What is Knowledge of Freedom “ with Abbe Blum at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Eckhart Tolle Talks on Video Free gathering at 7:30 p.m. to hear the words of the author of “The Power of Now” at the Feldenkrais Ctr., 830 Bancroft Way. 547-2024.  

MONDAY, OCT. 13 

Indigenous People’s Day  

City offices are closed. 

“Aftermath: Unanswered Questions From 9/11” video screening followed by discussion, at 8 p.m. at Grand Lake Neighborhood Center, 530 Lake Park Ave., Oakland. Wheelchair accessible. $1 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. Sponsored by East Bay Community Against the War. www.ebcaw.org 

Home Owners Support Group meets to discuss what to do when your house needs painting, at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Gray Panthers, 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center, volunteer training, every second Monday of the month, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 5741 Telegraph Ave. To sign up call Emily at 601-4040, ext. 109. emily@wcrc.org 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 6 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

ONGOING  

UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan Public Comment Period has been extended to Oct. 10. For more information on the plan, visit http://ldrp/berkeley.edu Written comments can be emailed to 2020LRDP@cp.berkeley.edu or mailed to Jennifer Lawrence, Principal Planner, Capital Projects, 1936 University Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94720-1382. 

Flu Shots will be offered at a number of Berkeley locations during the month of October, by Sutter VNA and Hospice. For a location near you plaese call 1-800-500-2400 or visit www.suttervnaandhospice.org 

“Berkeley Speaks” a community program for activists and artists on Berkeley Community Media, BETV Channel 25. For information on being on the program please call 848-2288. or visit www.betv.org 

Acting and Storytelling Classes for Seniors, offered by Stagebridge. Wednesdays and Fridays, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison St., close to BART and AC Transit. 444-4755. www.stagebridge.org 

Free Smoke Detectors for City residents and UC Berkeley students who live off-campus. Applications are available from the Environment, Health & Safety office of UC Berkeley, at any Berkeley Fire Station, or at the Fire Admin. Office located at 2100 MLK, Jr. Way. 981-5585.  

Free Energy Bill Payment Assistance The City of Berkeley has money to help low-income households pay their gas and electric bills. For applications contact the Energy Office at 644-8544. TDD: 981-6903. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/energy 

Fair Trade Week Oct. 6-12. Products bearing the Fair Trade Certified(tm) label, such as coffee, organic tea and chocolate will be featured at Andronico's Markets. www.transfairusa.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Commission on Disability meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Paul Church, 981-6342. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/disability 

Homeless Commission meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/homeless 

Library Board of Trustees meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. at 1901 Russell St. Jackie Y. Griffin, 981-6195. www.ci.ber- 

keley.ca.us/commissions/library  

Planning Commission meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Ruth Grimes, 981-7481. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/planning 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Barbara Attard, 981-4950. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/policereview 

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. Cliff Marchetti. 644-6376 ext. 224. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/waterfront 

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Thurs., Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Marianne Graham, 981-5416. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/earlychildhoodeducation  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 9, at 6:45 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. William Rogers, 981-5344. www.ci.ber- 

keley.ca.us/commissions/health 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. ww.ci.ber- 

keley.ca.us/commissions/zoning

SCHOOL SWAP 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I want to thank Matthew Artz for his accurate reporting of the issues surrounding the lawsuit filed against the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) by the Friends of Franklin (FOF). 

As a party in this suit, I feel that it is important to state that this action was undertaken solely as a last resort, in order to protect the quality and character of the neighborhood surrounding the Franklin School site. It is not in any way meant to be retaliatory, vindictive, or punative. 

Neighbors of both the Franklin School and West Campus (the current location of Berkeley Adult School) have engaged in dialogue with BUSD for many months. These meetings, while initially encouraging, have now resulted in feelings of mistrust, frustration, and disillusionment with the school district and its staff. It is our contention that the district has inadequately addressed our concerns regarding the likely environmental impacts of this project, and have thereby violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In addition, they have failed to connect the relocation of the Adult School to other foreseeable and related projects, also a violation of CEQA. 

We, the FOF, believe that it is possible to protect the integrity of our neighborhood and the interests of the Adult School students and faculty, if all concerned parties engage in honest and meaningful communication. That it takes a lawsuit to accomplish this is indeed unfortunate. 

When all is said and done, not just the Franklin neighbors, but all of the people of Berkeley will have to live with the outcome of the district’s decisions regarding the use of its properties and facilities. The FOF would like to ensure that due process is adhered to with regard to such decisions, and the district be held accountable for its actions. 

If, in this case, a court decides that due process has been circumvented and project funds are compromises as a result, that indeed would be a terrible waste. However, the school district chose to condone this move in opposition to overwhelming neighborhood sentiment, which asked for the final decision to be postponed in order to better evaluate the entire plan. The district then will have to look no further than itself and its representatives for a reason as to why that outcome came to pass.  

Carrie Adams 

• 

PAMPHLET-BRAINED 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While ISM member Jim Harris characterizes my letter condemning the Berkeley City Council’s call for an investigation of Rachel Corrie’s death as a “diatribe,” it’s telling that neither he nor fellow critic Gray Brechin respond to the substance of my commentary. 

As reflected in Mother Jones’ current issue, I noted that the ISM was kicked out of its shared office space by the International Red Cross in Jenin for hiding an Islamic Jihad soon thereafter arrested for plotting four homicide bombings. No response on this from Mr. Harris. Moreover, Harris made no mention of the subsequent distancing of NGO’s from his organization after they “socialized” with two Pakistanis of British citizenry who shortly thereafter blew themselves and a dozen innocent Israeli citizens up. 

At least Mr. Harris, despite his calls for “human rights,” didn’t deny what Joshua Hammer found when he investigated the ISM for his Mother Jones piece: that a good number of ISM members “embrace” Palestinian homicide bombers as freedom fighters. Were he being truthful, this is something Mr. Harris could hardly deny and therefore, he didn’t.  

And neither Mr. Harris nor Mr. Brechin deny that the ISM sent photos to Reuters of Rachel Corrie, saying that they were taken just prior to her death when in reality they were taken several hours before, thereby alienating much of the international press. They can’t pretend the ISM tried to lie to the world because through Reuters, we now know this to be a matter of public record. 

Finally, Harris and Brechin call Rachel Corrie’s death “murder,” despite the fact that the primary witness—a fellow ISM member—says it may well have been an accident. 

Of course, like a vocabulary-challenged teenager who absolutely must utter the “F-word,” Mr. Brechin can’t resist tossing in that old Pravda cliché, “Zionist imperialism.” Such language will do fine affirming his affinity with ideologues like the ISM, but like Mr. Harris, Brechin’s willingness to eschew facts for slogans confine him and his comrades to the bargain basement of Berkeley’s pamphlet-brained. 

A question for our fine progressive City Council majority: If you are going to take up the case of Rachel Corrie, how could you ignore the fact that 43 Americans have fallen victim to Palestinian suicide bombs? Is that not also worthy of investigation? Why not? It couldn’t be because they were Jews, could it? 

Dan Spitzer 

• 

PUT ‘EM BACK 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

While some street and sidewalk improvements to better provide for wheelchair users may take a long time to bring about in Berkeley, there is one improvement that the city can make right away. 

The city could immediately instruct and require sanitation and recycling workers to place emptied garbage cans, plant debris, and other recycling containers so they do not obstruct the sidewalk. 

In my neighborhood, for instance, residents are usually very good about putting out their containers where they won’t block the sidewalk. Every pick-up morning one sees neat lines of gray, green, and blue containers carefully placed either in the “verge” (the area between curb and sidewalk, or in driveways, off the sidewalk. 

Once the city workers pass by, however, the sidewalks are cluttered with containers that have been emptied and hastily swung, pushed, or tossed aside. 

This creates obstacles to pedestrians and wheelchairs throughout the day, because many residents are away at work and aren’t there to move the containers out of the sidewalk until evening. 

The city’s Public Works Department could and should require that its workers not only bring containers back to the curb but also place them where they are not blocking the sidewalk. Usually this would mean the simple act of putting a container back where the resident originally placed it for pick-up. 

The city should also make allowances for the increases in time required to do this work with care. My impression has been that the sanitation workers are typically moving so fast down the street—presumably to stick to a schedule—that they don’t have time to do more than quickly drag or swing a container aside once the contents have been dumped into the collection truck. They perform an intricate and energetic ballet, but the end result is often sidewalk clutter. 

It was only about two decades ago in Berkeley that sanitation workers routinely came into yards, picked up garbage cans from storage areas, emptied them, and then carefully returned them to the place they came from. While the days of yard pickup are gone (in part because of the back problems caused by carrying heavy cans), it is not too much to expect that the part about “putting it back where it came from” should be among the city’s axioms for sanitation workers. 

Steven Finacom 

• 

DECISIVE ACTION 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Berkeley’s problem of black-on-white violence and racism will be tackled meaningfully in the same way white racism against blacks was tackled in the South: by the victimized class awakening, throwing off internalized self-hating ideas, and taking decisive action to change the existing culture. 

Al Durrette 

• 

VOTE TO IMPEACH 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Hey, Berkeley. Wake up! Santa Cruz and Arcata have risen to the top of the progressive communities charts by taking action on the impeachment of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Ashcroft. This imperial quadrumvirate must be impeached for their heinous crimes: i.e. manipulation of intelligence (lying) about weapons of mass destruction in order to rationalize the illegal preemptive war against Iraq; designating citizens as “ enemy combatants” and subjecting them to indefinite detention without charge or access to counsel; ordering and condoning assassinations, secret detentions, torture and generally violating the rights of individuals under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and furthermore, withdrawing from International treaties, e.g. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, without consent of the legislative branch. 

These and other allegations of our civil, political and human rights make it mandatory that “President” Bush and his cronies are summarily impeached. 

Even Oakland has surpassed Berkeley with this message having been posted on the Grand Lake Theatre Marquee: “ What is an impeachable offense? 

Lying about sex. NO. Lying in order to go to war. YES” 

Vote at www.votetoimpeach.org 

Gene Bernardi 

• 

XXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

It is with great sadness that I read and watch the daily updates of my native state’s recall election. What first began as my mild amusement at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign has turned into terror that a serial sexual predator will be California’s next governor. Schwarzenegger has publicly apologized for his sexual misconduct by referring to it as “bad behavior” that has “offended people.” Such an apology leads one to believe his actions were as minor as a teenager talking during class. 

Multiple women have claimed that Schwarzenegger grabbed their breasts, pinched their nipple, or otherwise engaged in what is legally considered second-degree sexual assault under the California penal code. While the mainstream press published allegations of Schwarzenegger’s history of sexual assaults just last week, the first report of his sexual misconduct surfaced in 1977. It did not end there. A 2001 article in Premiere referenced several incidents that allegedly occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s. This information was published two years before the current recall election. Therefore, this is not a smear campaign; this is a pattern of sexual abuse  

towards women. 

My older brother and I grew-up watching Schwarzenegger movies and quoting his best-scripted one-liners. My brother still lives in California, with his wife, son, and two daughters. He, like many men in the state, needs to make a decision Tuesday about what means more to him: his long-time movie hero, or a strong statement that he will not tolerate, much less reward, sexual attacks on women. 

The only pragmatic way to vote against Schwarzenegger is to vote against the recall. Please search within yourself and consider this option. 

Amber Novak 

Austin, Texas 

• 

XXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Charles Spiegel’s response (Daily Planet, Sept. 30-Oct. 2) to my plea to “Save Our Canyons” (Daily Planet, Sept. 26-29) leaves me bewildered. He advocates for “no development in Strawberry Canyon” as opposed to “no new development in Strawberry Canyon” and then mistakenly suggests that the development impacts from the Panoramic Hill neighborhood are worse than the development impacts from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Hill Area Campus of UC Berkeley.  

The conclusion or point of this line of reasoning leaves me mystified: Is he saying that since there already is development that saving what’s left is a lost cause? Or is he saying that we all—i.e. neighbors, LBNL labs, UCB labs—should go away? Or is he just saying that the neighborhood should go away?  

It seems the latter is his intent as he illogically compares the traffic generated by the persons living in 265 dwelling units as worse than the traffic generated by the 4,000 employees who work at LBNL and those uncounted others who work in the Hill Area Campus of the UC Berkeley labs. And he mentions not at all the relative construction impacts from the houses in the neighborhood to the construction impacts from the numerous huge buildings at the industrial park in our city’s backyard.  

From my perspective, the real question is how worse the collective “we” will let things become. Instead, he and perhaps others will get into a pissing contest about which entity (labs or neighborhoods) is worse or better and thus fritter away a chance to save what little we have left of what is wild.  

But animal habitat arguments aside, building in an area of very high-risk earthquake-induced landslides might not be such a great place for large concentrations of humans. There are many reasons for preserving our canyons as open space.  

Janice Thomas 

It seems unlikely that UC’s Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies bribed the Nobel Prize Committee to choose Oct. 3 to announce they had awarded the world’s most high falutin’ literary prize to South African author J.M. Coetzee. But there must have been at least some dancing in the hallowed academic corridors when the word came over the news. It happened last Friday, the same day that Assistant Professor Peter Glazer’s beautifully staged adaptation of Coetzee’s novel “Foe” opened at Zellerbach Playhouse. 

Coetzee based his book on Daniel Defoe’s great standard of childhood fiction from 1719, “Robinson Crusoe.” But before you rush out to take the kids to Glazer’s fine production—he directs his own adaptation—you might check to see how skilled they are at deciphering postmodern thought. For that matter, there are a couple of bedroom scenes which, though not designed for erotic titillation, are probably more explicit than anything you may want to explain after the show. 

It should be made quite clear that although both the novel and this play are based, or adapted from “Robinson Crusoe,” the plot and the characters vary significantly from the original story. Indeed, what remains of the traditional plot is over and done with by the end of the first act. That’s where we have “Cruso” (Daniel Etcheverry) and the black “Friday” (David Moore) stranded on a desert island, (both very well played parts) but they are wildly different from the pair we may remember from our childhoods. Cruso is a grumpy old man who has no interest in leaving his island, or “civilizing” Friday. That concept is carried by “Susan” a significant addition to the original pair. She is another survivor from an ocean disaster, who assumes the production’s lead role. 

The short version of the differences between “Foe” and “Robinson Crusoe” is that Coetzee’s novel is definitely adult intellectual fare, described by more than one critic as “the archetypal postmodern novel.” Thus the play, the result of years of work on Glazer’s part, is challenging. There is, for example, the fact that for no very clear reason the role of Susan is played simultaneously by three different women, distinguished mainly by the color of their dresses: “Susan in White”( Amy Delores Hattemer) who seems most clearly to carry the plot line, “Susan in Brown” (Stacy Tillett), and “Susan in Green” (Caroline Barad).  

The three versions of Susan always appear on the stage simultaneously and all of them seemingly present pretty much the same aspects of the character. Since they are all quite effective actresses, it does raise some question about why they are all there. Admittedly, they serve a real purpose in breaking up what might otherwise be extraordinarily long speeches if delivered from only one mouth. Rather nice, actually.  

The second and third acts take place back in Great Britain after Susan and Friday are saved (poor Cruso didn’t survive). This part of the play is primarily concerned with Susan’s (all three of her ) efforts to get the author, “Mr. Foe” (Ken Jensen) to write a novel about Cruso’s and Friday’s (and presumably her own) experiences on the desert island. The author sees it as being an idea which is headed in the wrong direction and wants to make a very different kind of book.  

A theme which was mentioned but not significantly developed in the first act appears rather abruptly as a significant factor in the second and third: A young girl (Khloe Alice Lin) abruptly arrives and claims to be the daughter from whom Susan had been separated and for whom she has searched. Curiously, Susan insists that the girl could not possibly be her child and goes to great lengths to get her to go away.  

It’s another of the issues that are raised and left with no clear resolution. This is, after all, a theater piece created from a novel by a master of postmodern fiction.  

Fair warning: Coetzee, who is, of course, the guy behind all of this, gave a lecture at Stanford in 1997, where he was asked if his book “Boyhood” was fiction or a memoir. He responded: “Do I have to choose?” 

With an attitude like that, do you expect a play based on his work to have a really clear beginning, middle and an end? 

“Foe” will be performed at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 19 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Playhouse. For tickets go to www.ticketweb.com or call 866-468-3399.

TUESDAY, OCT. 7 

FILM 

The Cinema of Ernie Gehr, Program 1, with the filmmaker in person at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Judy Collins dicusses the death of her son in “Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival, and Strength,” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Turtle Island String Quartet David Balakrishnan, violin; Evan Price, violin; Danny Seidenberg, viola; Mark Summer, cello; perform jazz, classical and a little of everything else, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club. 525-5211. www.berkeleychamberperform.org  

Brass Menagerie performs Balkan music at 8:30 p.m., with a dance lesson with Gerry Duke at 7:30 p.m., at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Dayna Stephens House Jam at The Jazz House. Donation $5. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

Mimi Fox, solo guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 

FILM 

Heddy Honigmann: “Mental and Melancholy,” at 7:10 p.m. Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Exhibiting Signs of Age, Panel Discussion at 4 p.m. in the Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall, UC Campus, with Thomas W. Laqueur, Interim Director, Townsend Center for the Humanities; Guy Micco, M.D., Director, Center on Aging, and Director, Center of Medicine, Humanities, and Law, UC Berkeley; Beth Dungan, Exhibition Co-curator, Ed Kashi, Photographer; and Julie Winokur, Writer/Producer. 642-0808.  

www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Curator’s Talk, “One Struggle, Two Communities: Late 20th Century Political Posters of Havana Cuba and the San Francisco Bay Area,” with Lincoln Cushing at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Café Poetry and open mic, hosted by Kira Allen at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Gregory Edmont introduces “Spotted in France: A Dog’s Life ... on the Road” at 7:30 p.m. at Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore, 1385 Shattuck Ave at Rose. 843-3533. 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7,  

$5 with student i.d. 841-2082.  

www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert Robert Calonico, clarinet and Jacqueline Chew, piano perform Brahms and Milhaud at the Chevron Auditorium at International House, Bancroft and Piedmont Aves. Admission is free. 642-4864. 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Sauce Piquante at 8:30 p.m. with a dance lesson with Cheryl McBride at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jules Broussard, Bing Nathan and Ned Boynton at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Flowtilla plays a blend of psychedelic world groove funk-jazz at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277.  

THURSDAY, OCT. 9 

FILM 

Genetic Screenings: “The Snowflake Crusade” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Daughter from Danang,” a film by Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco, at 7 p.m. at 2060 Valley Life Sciences Building. Sponsored by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. 642-3609. cseas@uclink.berkeley.edu  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ceramic Folk Art of Ecuador Gallery talk with Richard Burkett, professor of Ceramics at San Diego State University, at noon at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way at College Ave. 643-7648. www.gal.berkeley.edu/~hearst/ 

Lois Banner discusses her new biography, “Intertwined Lives: Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict and Their Circle,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Word Beat Reading Series at 7 p.m. with featured readers Mark States and Chokwadi, followed by an open mic, at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave., near Dwight Way. For information call 526-5985 or 205-1749.  

Gallery Tour of Junko Chodos “Requiem for an Executed Bird,” with the artist at 4 p.m. followed by a talk, “Spirituality and the Process of Creating Art” at 5 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541.  

Guided Tour: Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics, at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m., Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Curator’s Talk, “Aging and the Body” with Beth Dungan at 12:15 p.m. in the Theater Gallery, Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

New Century Chamber Orchestra, “A Musical Halloween” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Tickets are $28-$39 and are available from 415-392-4400. www.ncco.org 

Grateful Dead DJ Night from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Festival, with Patrick Landeza, Dale Miller and Teja Gerken at  

8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Nourish the New Brazil! An evening of news updates, with author Angus Wright, and Brazilian jazz and funk by Voz e Vento at 7:30 p.m., at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

May Pole, J. Othello (The Love Rino) and Poor Bailey perform at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

www.starryploughpub.com 

Keni El Lebrijano, flamenco guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

FRIDAY, OCT. 10  

FILM 

Heddy Honigmann: “O Amor Natural” at 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Holy Land” about life in the Middle East opens at Landmark’s Shattuck Cinema.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Terry Pratchett reads from his new novel, “Monstrous Regiment,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Festival Antiqua, classical, folk, and devotional music of Turkey and Eastern Europe, at 8 p.m. at the Parish Hall, St. Alban’s Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany. Tickets are $15 general and $12 students and seniors. 486-2803 or 524-7952. www.timrayborn.com/Festival 

The Ives String Quartet, “Inspired By,” three string quartets inspired by other artists’ works. Robin Sharp and Susan Freier, violins; Scott Woolweaver, viola; and Stephen Harrison, cello. At 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $20 general, $10 students and are available from 415-883-0727. 

Ollin, at 9 p.m., at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Harry Best and Shabang, Tropical Vibrations perform caribbean/reggae at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Rosin Coven and Japonize Elephants perform at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9.  

841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Leonard Thompson at 9:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Stairwell Sisters perform old-time stringband music at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Quarteto Sonando, Latin jazz at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Dwarves, The Frisk, This is My Fist!, Scattered Fall at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Lycanthrope Lounge Pre-Halloween Bash with Nommo Ogo, David Seagull and more, 10 p.m. at The Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. 540-0751. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 11  

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Juanita Ulloa, original and traditional songs from Mexico, at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

FILM 

New Latin American Cinema: “Crane World” at 5:10 and 9:20 p.m. and “Japón” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Enter the Dragon,” classic Bruce Lee, at 8 p.m. at the Long Haul, a reading room, library and community center in South Berkeley located at 3124 Shattuck Ave. Wheelchair accessible. 540-0751. www.thelonghaul.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Saul Landau discusses “The Pre-emptive Empire: A Guide to Bush’s Kingdom,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

www.codysbooks.com  

Shelly Rivoli reads from her novel “I Was a Vacuum Cleaner Salesman,” the story of a young woman trying to earn money for tuition at 7:30 p.m. at Boadecia's Books, 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184. 

Rhythm and Muse with Avotcja at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center. 644-6893.  

www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Poetry Lovers Unite! Poetry Book Club meets to read from “American’s Favorite Poems,” edited by poet laureate Robert Pinsky at 7:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 981-6280.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Face Orchestra, “Fish Pond,” installation by Mantra and music by Dan and Mantra Plonsey, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Headquarters, 2110 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 665-9496.  

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 2 and 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Facing East, East/West fusion group, performs at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 415-703-0330. www.facingeast.com 

Married Couple, alt-jazz ensemble, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Café de la Paz's 10th Anniversary and Flamenco Celebration Dinner show at 8 p.m., seating at 6 p.m. for $40-$47, or late show at 10 p.m. for $20-27. Reservations encouraged. 843-0662. cafedelapaz.net 

Jolie Holland sings at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $7-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Larry Schneider Quintet performs at 8 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

The Edlos perform a cappella at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsal- 

vage.org 

Ze Manel, from Guinea-Bissau, performs at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jolie Holland sings at 8 p.m. at the 1923 Teahouse. Suggested donation of $7-$12. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Schloss, Brian Kenney Fresno, Fear of Sleep, Three Piece Combo perform at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Frank Jackson at 9:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Nicole McRory at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. becketts- 

irishpub.com 

Hammers of Misfortune, Bread and Water, Garuda, Abandon, A Sleeping Irony at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 12 

Berkeley Potters Guild Tour and Demonstration Members of this 32 year old, 20 member guild will demonstrate potters’ wheel throwing and hand building techniques, at 1 p.m. at the Potters Guild, 731 Jones St. at 4th. 524-7031. 

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

Berkeley Arts Festival Exhibition Opening, drawings and prints by Carol Brighton, Mari Marks Fleming, Debra Jewel, Sylvia Sussman, Sandy Walker, Audrey Wallace Taylor, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2324 Shatttuck Ave. 665-9496. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Kazumi Cranney, “Japanese Haiga Paintings” Reception from 2-4 p.m. at Takara Sake. Exhibit runs to Oct 16. Free. 540-8250. 

Women's Cancer Resource Center, “Roots - Art” by Renata Gray and Rae Louise Hayward. Reception with the artists from 1 to 4 p.m. Exhibition runs Oct. 12 - Nov. 14. 5741 Telegraph Ave. 601-4040 ext. 111. wcrc@wcrc.org 

FILM 

New Latin American Cinema: “Japón” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4- 

$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry at Cody’s with Kate Gale and Tracy K. Smith at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Power of Poetry: A Celebration at 7:30 p.m. in the Domin- 

ican School of Philosophy and Theology lounge, 2401 Ridge Rd. Featuring Wayne Daniel Berard, winner of the Sixth Annual New Eden Chapbook Contest. cjrenzop@yahoo.com 

Guided Tour: Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics, at 2 p.m., Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Genes, Texts, and Tropes: A Space between Fiction and Fact,” a lecture by Evelyn Fox Keller at 3 p.m. in the Museum Theater, Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Jazz Latino: America’s Music, a lecture demonstration with John Santos from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Jazzschool. Free, but registration suggested, call 845-5373. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kirov Ballet and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42-$110, and are available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu  

Live Oak Concert with Nan- 

ette McGuiness, soprano, and William Ludtke, composer, pianist, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center. Tickets are $10 general, $9 students/seniors and $8 BAC members. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Music from Scotland, England and Beyond with David Francey at 7:30 p.m. Donation of $12 in advance, $15 at the door. For reservations and location email sally@greenberg.org 

Xicano Moratorium presents Indigenous People’s Day, with activists, music and culture,  

at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

California Friends of  

Louisiana French Music Dance Jam from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance workshops from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $5 for members, and $8 non-members. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Austin Lounge Lizards at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Americana Unplugged, with Cabin Fever at 4 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

MONDAY, OCT. 13 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Susan Choi introduces her new novel, “American Woman,” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Poetry Express, open mic featuring Phil Taggert from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sarah Cahill and Innovative Piano Program, featuring a special performance of Frederic Rzewski’s “Coming Together,” commemorating the Attica prison uprising, with speaker Dean Sanomieri and Steed Cowart conducting a mixed ensemble, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2324 Shattuck Ave. 655-9496. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Bill Staines performs traditional folk at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org

Berkeley is one of the older cities in the Bay Area and the majority of Berkeley’s approximately 40,000 buildings are more than 60 years old. The city’s built environment gives it a physical quality not found in the newer California communities where the majority of the state’s population lives. With the exception of areas just south of the University Campus, Berkeley escaped the massive urban clearances that other older cities experienced. 

Over the years Berkeley has made a strong commitment to preserve the diversity and quality of its architectural heritage in all sectors of the city: residential, commercial and institutional. The city’s Master Plan states: “Berkeley’s residents have always had a deep attachment to the physical character of the city.”  

Some mistakenly believe and complain that “only in Berkeley” would cultural resources be designated and protected, but the preservation of cultural resources is a nationwide mandate from the Federal Government.  

During the era of massive redevelopment, extending from the mid-1940s through the 1960s, many cities experienced the demolition of entire neighborhoods. 

The preservation movement, beginning with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, was a response to this destruction. In the words of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “Preservation is not creating museum houses...preservation is rooted in an appreciation of the value of history...the business of saving special places and the quality of the life they support...a partnership that makes for orderly growth and change between the past, present and future.” 

The Preservation Act of 1966 established the National Register and state cultural resource surveys. The act also created the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which reviews federally funded projects for adverse effects on cultural resources.  

In 1992 the State of California Governor’s Executive Order W-26-92 reaffirmed the Federal Preservation Act at the state level, and declared: “all state agencies shall recognize and preserve and maintain the significant heritage resources of the State.” 

To identify the nation’s cultural resources each state has established a cultural resource inventory process that is usually conducted at the local level.  

In 1977-79 The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association in conjunction with the city prepared a State Historic Resources Inventory for the State Office of Historic Preservation. Berkeley’s was one of the first state inventories in California.  

The more than 700 survey forms were reviewed by the State Office and each property was rated as to its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The state survey produced a representative rather than a comprehensive inventory. It was thought that representative buildings identified in the survey would serve to identify others of a similar period and cultural significance. Copies of these forms are available at the Shattuck Avenue branch of the Public Library.  

Berkeley’s Landmark Preservation Ordinance was passed in 1974 establishing a nine-member commission appointed by each of the nine council members. 

The ordinance goes further than just mandating the preservation of buildings with special architectural character. It also asks the commission to consider structures and sites that have “special historical interests or value” by preserving “...unique and irreplaceable assets to the city and its neighborhoods, or which provide for this generation and future generations examples of the physical surroundings in which past generations lived.” 

The ordinance is specific and broad as to what may be considered a cultural resource, and designated a landmark or structure of merit. 

The Hunrick Grocery located at 2211 Rose St. was designated a Structure of Merit in 1988 because it provides “this generation and future generations examples of the physical surroundings in which past generations lived” and its designation conforms to the purpose and criteria of the ordinance.  

The building was constructed as a grocery store and residence by George Hunrick in 1908. Hunrick had come to California to study banking with A. P. Gianinni, but never returned to Germany. He moved to Berkeley in 1906 and set up his first store at 2120 Shattuck Ave. In 1908 he moved his business and home to 2211 Rose St. Prospects were good in this location at the time as the north Berkeley hills were just being developed and a streetcar line was extended up Spruce Street in 1910.  

Residential areas were linked to downtown and the rest of the Bay Area by streetcars and trains. The Berryman Station shopping area, where the Hunrick Grocery Store is located, had many small specialty shops. 

According to the late Louis Stein, whose father owned a butcher shop on Vine Street, it was customary to send employees out early in the morning to take orders since there were no telephones, and then make deliveries late in the afternoon by horse and wagon.  

Hunrick operated the store at this location from 1908 until 1923, when he moved his home to Woolsey Street and opened a grocery on College and Ashby. 2211 Rose St. served as a small convenience store until 1966. The distinctive architectural feature of the now dilapidated building is its Mission Revival false-front parapet. 

Susan Cerny is the author of the book “Berkeley Landmarks.” 

UC Berkeley graduate student instructors Friday staged a walkout to protest university bargaining practices they blame for a contract impasse. 

United Auto Workers Local 2865, which represents 12,000 University of California student teachers, graders and tutors, called for the one-day system-wide strike Wednesday just hours after its three-year contract expired. 

Although union leaders said the walkout was needed immediately to demonstrate their sense of urgency for a new contract, they gave themselves just two days to mobilize their 2,200 UC Berkeley members and garner support from sister unions.  

No other campus union called for a sympathy strike Friday, and by noon only about 60 UAW members walked the picket line. 

UC spokesperson Carol Hyman said the campus was functioning as usual, and early reports indicated that most graduate instructors taught classes Friday. Twenty of the 31 graduate-instructed math classes were taught, she said, while the other 11 were rescheduled.  

Union spokesperson Rajan Mehta said he assumed the majority of graduate instructors honored the picket lines. 

In September, the union charged the university with 64 unfair labor practices, which they insisted gave them the legal right to stage Friday’s walkout. 

“The university sends negotiators to the table who don’t have the authority to make a deal,” said Mehta, who noted that other unions had charged the university with using the same stalling tactic in previous negotiations. 

The union’s unfair labor practice claims will ultimately be settled by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). 

UC Spokesperson Paul Schwartz called the union’s claims baseless and labeled the strike illegal because the union failed to exhaust all bargaining recourses—including a formal declaration that negotiations were at an impasse. “A strike must be used as means of last resort, not as a bargaining tool,” he said. 

Neither side would reveal details of the negotiations, but the union said the university’s demand that it surrender its right to stage sympathy strikes with other university unions was the main stumbling block. 

Last year, the graduate student union—along with other campus and local unions—honored picket lines of striking university clerical workers and lecturers. While the university argued the three-day sympathy strikes violated the union’s no strike clauses, officials never received definitive word from PERB that the sympathy strikes were illegal. 

“It’s a legal gray area,” said Schwartz. “We think no strike means no strike. We pay them wages and uphold our end of the bargain.”  

The university ultimately won the concession from lecturers, but clerical workers refused to include a no-sympathy-strike clause in their new contract. 

“The university is trying to put this union in this closet and this union in another closest so they can gang up on us,” said Claudette Begin, a clerical worker who joined the picket line. 

Judy Goff, executive secretary and treasurer for the Central Labor Council of Alameda County AFL-CIO (CLC) said UC was the only local employer seeking to bar sympathy strikes. “The right to respect the picket line is a basic tenant of the union movement,” Goff said. “No one should be coerced into signing a contract to give that up.” 

While the graduate instructors said they picketed to defend sympathy strikes, their quick decision to walk out prevented other unions from honoring their picket lines.  

“I’m just finding out about [the strike] today,” said Janice Fox-Davis, one of four UC Berkeley nurses who joined the picket line. She said a sympathy strike by the university’s 30 nurses could have been called had they received more notice. 

John Zupan, president of University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) Local 1, said the strike caught him by surprise, and that he and most other UPTE members worked Friday, even though his union e-mailed members Thursday afternoon encouraging them to honor the pickets. 

Mehta said graduate student union members authorized a strike last spring should their contract expire, so the union did not need to poll members this week, as move he said might have bought time to coordinate efforts with other unions. 

The graduate students also had trouble getting the word out to local unions who do business with the university. The union won strike sanction from the CLC late Thursday, but unionized delivery and construction workers continued to work at the university, saying they were unaware of any picket lines. 

“They have to come here and tell us,” said Joaquin Deanda from Teamsters Local 853, who was working on a new dormitory complex at Durant and College Avenues. “We would have stopped if we had known.” 

Undergraduate students interviewed were ambivalent about the strike. “I wished they’d give out more details”, said Senior Nikki Bhargava. “They haven’t told us why they are striking. The only e-mail we got was from the chancellor.” 

Graduate instructors, who say they conduct 60 percent of all face-to-face university teaching, have a contentious labor history with the university. They struck three years ago, winning their first contract, and staged numerous walkouts during their seventeen-year fight to win university recognition. 

The union negotiates benefits packages, instructor salaries for some departments and represents members who complain they’re work load is not reflected by their income. 

All graduate students interviewed said they supported the union, but the picket line was packed with humanities students, who, on average, receive less funding than science students.  

Paul Murphy, a Ph.D. candidate in the English Department who rides on a wheelchair, said that without the financial and medical benefits negotiated under the last union contract, he would not have been able to attend UC Berkeley. 

Science students—who often receive independent funding and are given a stipend in exchange for prearranged teaching requirements—are not as dependent on the union. 

“I think the union bargains are very important for the humanities grad students, but it seems to me like the sciences are very different,” said one student who declined to give her name. She noted that the past union contract complicated the pay scheme for science students, making the university give them a higher proportion of their stipend during those semesters when they were teaching. Figuring out the payment schedule has been a logistical nightmare she said, resulting in incorrect and late paychecks.

In memory of Fred Lupke 

You done sure showed us 

How far we could see 

Whether the physic was lax or limit 

Mattered not. 

That lesson was profound 

Even more by the fact 

That your own law of physic 

Was more limit than most. 

And your faith in us was more 

Than we sometimes thought deserve, 

But how genuine it was 

So we dared prove you right. 

Yet a glitch always comes 

And the glitch in this case 

Was they went and cut your string 

After only fifty-eight. 

Garrett Murphy 

Oakland 

The West Nile Virus is heading for Northern California and will probably reach Alameda and Contra Costa counties within the next two years, according to an infectious disease expert with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). 

Since its introduction to the eastern seaboard of the United States in 1999, the virus has spread westward as far as Imperial County in the extreme southeastern corner of California. The virus is mainly carried from location to location by migrating birds, and is passed on to humans primarily by bites from infected mosquitos. 

While 20 percent of individuals exposed to the virus only develop flu-like symptoms and 80 percent develop no symptoms at all, a small portion—less than one percent—develop severe, central nervous system diseases, some of which resemble polio, and some of which cause death. Last year 284 people died from West Nile Virus.  

Local, state, and federal health officials are currently conducting detailed monitoring of the virus’ presence in mosquitos, birds, humans, and other animals in every county in the nation. 

In an address last week to the Graduate School of Journalism at the UC Berkeley, CDC Acting Director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases Dr. Lyle Petersen said that with only four years of data to work from, U.S. health officials do not know how severely the virus will hit this country, or what kind of pattern it will develop. 

“It [the West Nile Virus] is worrisome because it can be spread over a prolonged season and a wide geographic range by a variety of hosts,” Petersen said, noting that 43 mosquito species, 170 bird species, and 18 other animal species—including cats, dogs, squirrels, chipmunks, rats, and zoo animals—have all been identified as carriers. 

He estimated that “in a couple of years, every county in the United States will have West Nile Virus.” He also predicted that the virus would spread to every area of the Americas “except for the extreme northern and southern portions.” 

Petersen also said he was “not hopeful” about prevention efforts that have surfaced so far. 

“You can’t get rid of every infected mosquito,” Petersen said, adding that widespread pesticide spraying of adult of larval mosquitos has both limited impact on the mosquito population and widespread detrimental effects on the environment. “The best thing you can do is lower your chance of infection.” To that end, researchers are looking at such therapies as antiviral drugs and the injection of serum containing the virus antibodies. “But so far,” he cautioned, “there’s no treatment on the horizon.”  

Petersen suggested that until something better is developed, the best defense was the standard mosquito bite prevention regimen: Wear protective clothing and use mosquito repellent if you have to be out at twilight or at night, when mosquitos are biting. The doctor should know. Chatting with his mailman out as his mailbox one evening this summer, he was bitten by a mosquito and contracted a mild form of the virus himself.  

So far this year, health agencies report that they have identified 127 deaths among the more than 6,000 individuals in 41 states who they have identified as having been exposed to the virus. The bulk of the deaths have occurred in Colorado (38), Nebraska (15), and Texas (13). There was one report this summer of a woman hospitalized in Alameda County with a severe neurological disease after contracting the virus during a visit to Colorado. 

Two of the major potential mosquito carriers of the virus are the Western Encephalitis mosquito (Culex tarsalis) and the Northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens), both of which are widespread in both Alameda and Contra Costa counties. 

The virus can also be contracted through infected blood transfusion. 

After the CDC confirmed 23 cases of blood transfusion infection in 2002, screening of the nation’s transfusion blood supply for the virus was instituted. While researchers have also detected what Petersen calls a small number of cases of transmission of the virus through breast feeding, he said that “the great benefits of breast milk for babies far outweighs any risk. I wouldn’t recommend that any woman stop breast feeding.” 

Petersen also said that researchers have uncovered one case of transmission of the virus from an infected mother to her embryo through her placenta. “We’ve also found three cases where the embryo did not contract the virus from the infected mother,” he said. “It looks like transplacental transmission is the exception, rather than the rule.” Petersen also said that he knows of one report of what he called “a claim” of the spread of West Nile Virus through sexual contact, which he discounted. He concluded that although the disease can be spread from human to human, he said such incidents are minimal.

In 1891, Charles Keeler and Bernard Maybeck met on the 5 p.m. commuter ferry from San Francisco to Berkeley. Keeler was 20 and worked at the California Academy of Sciences. Maybeck was 29 and employed at the architectural firm of A. Page Brown. Four years later Maybeck designed Keeler’s home--the first house on Highland Place, in the Daley’s Scenic Park tract just north of the university campus. 

Years later, Keeler reminisced about the building of his house in “Bernard Maybeck: A Gothic Man in the 20th Century.” 

“So our home, which was his first, created much attention and comment...When it was done, with a green dome of the live oak back of it, we thought we’d never seen so simple and yet so uniquely charming a home, blending with the landscape. 

‘But,’ I said to Mr. Maybeck, ‘its effect will become completely ruined when others come and build stupid white-painted boxes all about us.’ 

‘You must see to it,’ he replied in his quiet, earnest tones that carried conviction, ‘that all the houses about you are in keeping with your own.’” 

This was the germ of the Hillside Club, an organization of neighbors that was highly influential in the cultural life of Berkeley and whose mission was “to protect the hills of Berkeley from unsightly grading and the building of unsuitable and disfiguring houses; to do all in our power to beautify these hills and above all to create and encourage a decided public opinion on these subjects.” 

Fifteen years ago I came to live in Daley’s Scenic Park. My partner and I thought it was paradise. If the past 15 years have taught us anything, it’s that an urban paradise doesn’t make itself. You must see to it, as Maybeck said. 

Since we moved here, there have been many occasions to exercise the “seeing to it.” Our neighborhood is the oldest in north Berkeley and faces inexorable encroachment by the ever-expanding UC campus. Much here was destroyed in the 1923 fire, but much remains, including an open stretch of the north fork of Strawberry Creek, a collection of turn-of-the-century architectural gems, and the legacy of the Hillside Club: a system of street improvements comprising retaining walls, divided roadways, planted median strips, stairways, and elevated sidewalks that form a continuous line stretching over blocks, including Le Conte, La Loma, LeRoy, Virginia, La Vereda, and Hilgard Avenues, as well as portions of Hearst Avenue and Arch Street. 

The Hillside Club Street Improvements were designated a Berkeley Landmark in July 1983. In the 20 years that elapsed, periodic animosity would erupt between those wishing to protect this unique public resource and those concerned primarily with their private property rights. On three occasions, attempts have been made to demolish retaining walls in the Hillside Club Street Improvements for the purpose of replacing a portion of hillside with a driveway or a garage, always with the object of jacking up a property’s selling price. It worked the first time. The third case, in 1997, involved the City of Berkeley in a protracted lawsuit lodged by a developer. The city won, but the case, since then dubbed “The Wall,” has become an oft-cited excuse for a do-nothing approach in the face of endangered historical resources. 

Few are those who adhere to the Hillside Club’s conviction that “There is a need of realizing civic pride and making sacrifices for it, sinking personal prejudices for the benefit of the whole.” Thus it came as no surprise when a recent anti-preservation article in the East Bay Express (“Berkeley’s Hysterical Landmarks,” Sept. 17 led off with a skewed story of “The Wall,” told from the point of view of the developer who had sued the city and lost. Other cases  

cited were treated in similar one-sided fashion. The Express has not seen fit to print any letters correcting the article’s numerous misrepresentations. 

Was it sheer coincidence that as soon as the Express article appeared, the list of designated Berkeley Landmarks on the city’s website disappeared? That list, fraught with errors, had not been updated since July 2000. Upon inquiry, I was told by Donna Lasala, Electronic Government Manager: “I am 99 percent sure that the Planning Department (along with our GIS staff) is currently updating the information.” 

Maybeck’s words came to mind: “You must see to it.” 

The result is a new Berkeley Landmarks website. It includes a complete and accurate listing of all designated landmarks, many linked to photographs and additional information. 

In the “Preservation Discourse” section, there are illustrated articles and letters on polemical issues, including responses and corrections to the Express article. Your contributions are welcome. 

Daniella Thompson is webmaster for the Berkeley Landmarks website: http://brazzil.com/daniv/berkeley/landmarks.html.

Some nights a blue light shines in South Berkeley. If you’re in the know, when the light is glowing, you’re in for an enchanting evening at one of Berkeley’s newest hot spots for the underground arts scene, the Jazz House. 

Located at the nexus of Adeline and Martin Luther King Boulevard, this six-month-new performance space serves straight up and experimental jazz, community drumming, open jam sessions and avant-garde theater. The lack of signage (except for the blue light that shines when the venue’s open) and the lack of advertising are not the only unusual aspects of this venue. It’s alcohol and smoke free. 

It’s open to all ages, and the revenues from this nonprofit performance space fund children’s arts programs throughout the Bay Area. 

Run without compensation by two San Franciscans, executive director Rod Woodworth and all around hands-on facilitator Kathryn Golden, the Jazz House hosts John H. Doyle’s production of “The Dutchman” by Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) starting Thursday, Oct. 9. 

“We’re here for the community,” said Woodworth when asked why the Dutchman is playing at the Jazz House. “When John came to me and said, look I really want to do this play. I think I can get people through the door. It’s a great intimate space. I love what you’re doing here. Would you consider doing a play? I said, why not? Let’s do it.” 

“We have had ‘peAktimes’ here,” said Golden. “They’re an improvisational performance art group with music [riffing off today’s headlines]. It’s kind of a play. It’s an improv play. There’s a great demand for that and we thought this would be one additional element of that type.  

“I’m very excited to see this and I’m hoping he’s able to pull a great mix of people both from the community and beyond,” Golden continued. “He’s been great to work with and I’m looking forward to it.” 

Theatrical performances at the Jazz House are the exception, not the rule. More typical events held in the last six months include the Nels Cline Singers, Donald “Duck” Bailey, the James Lick Jazz Combo (SF middle school), Tryone Hill of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Berkeley Alternative High Poetry Slam, Larry Ochs and the John Schott Typical Orchestra.  

“The East Bay has a poverty of places one can hear this kind of music,” said band leader and guitarist John Schott. “Especially places where people under 21 can hear this kind of music. I have a good feeling about this space and especially about the people who are running it.”  

Woodworth works days for a San Francisco ticketing agency and until recently Golden was director of training for SERA Learning, an educational foundation serving at-risk youth. Because of the economic downturn her job was eliminated and she’s currently unemployed.  

“All the money that’s raised goes to the kids’ nonprofit groups—opportunities for youth and music combined. Whether they’re the opening act for a band, or getting a clinic or workshop on a weekend afternoon,” said Woodworth. 

“The nonprofit’s been around for awhile but when the space became available we saw this as another way to raise funds for the nonprofit. This is more a place for kids to actually perform as opposed to sitting in the classroom, reading the notes.” 

Asked why they’d spend their few free hours volunteering for programs that benefits youth, Woodworth explained: “Basically my love of music had a lot to do with it. I’ve seen a lot of kids, especially at the middle school level, who, if they were lucky they might have gotten one performance event a year at their school and that would be only for their parents. I just felt like there was a lot of talent out their in that age bracket who couldn’t get into the bars to play, who really had no where else to go. There needs to be a place where kids could get out there and really, really show what they’ve got.” 

“There are not a lot of places for kids to go,” agreed Golden. “There’s also not a lot of places where parents and their kids can go to hear music together. What we really wanted to create here is a space where anybody can go. They could bring their kids of any ages, and hear music. Kind of the way it was in the old New York loft scene in the 70s—an intimate space where anyone could come hear music and sit very close to the performers. That was what attracted me to it, creating an all-ages place that was about music. It’s not going to a restaurant and it’s the background noise. Or a bar and it’s a background noise. This truly is a destination for music fans of all ages.” 

“The Dutchman” will be performed at the Jazz House Oct. 9-12, and Oct. 16-19. 3192 Adeline Ave., Berkeley. For more information: www.thejazzhouse.com.

Having to put Jesse Jackson on hold so I could take a call from Al Gore. 

Those early body-building photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger; I’ll never feel weird again. 

Hearing both Cruz Bustamante and Gray Davis acknowledge that it would be insulting to expect anybody to get to work on time if they had to take the  

bus, revealing that public transit is just a myth. 

Having the East Bay Express definitively prove its allegiance to sensationalism by arranging for the candidacy of Gary Coleman. 

Arianna Huffington’s decision to drop out of the race, proving that at least one third party candidate can do what she called “third grade arithmetic.” 

Having the Green Party prove yet again to the nation that they can’t do third grade arithmetic. 

Hearing that Democratic strategists thought focusing on Schwarzenegger’s sexual misconduct was “doing the smart thing,” thus allowing him to get away with a policy-free platform, and proving that Democratic strategists have all the depth and foresight of a rear-view mirror. 

Watching local Berkeley strategists make the same error, as though Schwarzenegger voters were people lusting for a moral compass from a body-building film star. 

Watching the Republicans close ranks behind Schwarzenegger. 

Being surrounded one morning in West Virginia by people who had heard that Schwarzenegger had declared his candidacy and just wanted to see my face when I heard the news. 

Carol Denney was the editor of the late lamented Pepperspray Times.

NEW DELHI, India—With Indian tech workers no longer wanted in the United States, the buzz here is all about teachers.  

A shortage of up to 700,000 teaching instructors in the United States has drawn U.S. school administrators looking to plug the gap to India. The reasons, according to the recruiters, are the same ones that caused high-tech companies to hire Indian engineers during the dot-com boom: Indians, they say, work well and work hard for salaries that are low by U.S. standards. And their knowledge of English is good enough to teach American kids.  

George Noflin, principal of Greenwood High School in Greenwood, Miss., visited India recently and interviewed 85 teachers. He hired three for his school. “The quality of teachers in India is unbelievable,” Noflin says.  

The number of Indian tech workers heading to the United States has dropped sharply compared to previous years. The high demand for teachers comes as thousands of Indian H1-B visa holders—a temporary, specialized work visa—in the United States are returning home.  

The teaching shortage in the United States is attributed to the profession’s low regard, dismal pay and high turnover. “No one wants to teach these days,” Noflin says.  

According to the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a third of new teachers in the United States leave the profession within three years—and half leave after five years.  

Survesh Rudra, a middle-level Indian government official, recently returned to India with his son after a yearlong scholarship in America. His wife chose to stay after she was offered a teaching job in Texas.  

“Because she has more than five years experience, her salary is more than $35,000,” Rudra says. “That’s dismal by U.S. standards, but great by Indian.”  

In India, Rudra’s annual salary would not be more than $2,400, with little ability to save. Even accounting for the high cost of living in the United States, Survesh Rudra says, his wife can still save a minimum of $12,000 a year. Indians, especially women, Rudra says, are great savers. If his wife can hold onto her job in America for three years, her family will be able to afford a reasonably good lifestyle in India for the rest of their lives.  

Indians leaving to teach in the United States look somewhat different than the tech workers who headed west for green cards, U.S. citizenship and possibly American wives. The teachers are predominantly housewives who take up teaching jobs not only for the money, but to accompany their kids to school and keep themselves mentally occupied.  

“There is a new-found respect for the teaching community,” says Sunita Saxena, who teaches at the Delhi Public School Vasant Vihar, in New Delhi, and has been on several teaching stints to the Middle East. “For many of us who have been seen as people who barely contributed a supplementary income, the prospect of earning dollars opens new vistas.”  

However, there is a flip side. A few years ago, a shortage of teachers in the United Kingdom encouraged a large number of recruitment agencies to hire teachers from India. But soon the demand dried up, and the teachers found themselves without jobs or stuck in appalling working conditions as they entered other employment to support families back home used to the largesse from abroad. Many ended up being deported.  

In fact, despite their happiness at being back among family and friends, Indian tech workers returning from the United States have had difficulty adjusting to significantly lower salaries—typically 25 percent of what they made in the United States—and the resulting lifestyle changes. Many would return to America if given the chance.  

But for now, it seems that Indian teachers have nothing to fear. The teacher shortage in America is huge. The writing is there on the blackboard for all to see: techies out, teachers in.

Sometime in the next three weeks, Berkeley renters and landlords will learn how much next year’s rents will increase, after the city’s rent board negotiates its way through a legal and political minefield to pick a number almost certain to make someone unhappy. 

At the heart of the problem are two numbers: a hike of nearly three percent tenatively arrived at earlier by rent board members themselves and a one percent figure set by a formula agreed to earlier by landlords and the board. 

As the final arbiter of annual rent hikes—known as the Annual General Adjustment (AGA)—the Berkeley Rent Stabilization board has until the end of the month to make what they admit will be a difficult judgment call. 

After settling a lawsuit brought by a landlord group that claimed the board’s past rent hikes were too low, this was to be the first year that the unabashedly pro-tenant board skirted the political and legal pitfalls of setting the rent increase. 

The rent board-landlord pact signed in February called for scrapping the current system—which gives the popularly elected nine-member board discretion over rent hikes—in favor of a fixed formula granting owners 65 percent of the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI).  

Other rent-controlled California cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, West Hollywood and Santa Monica, use similar formulas based on the CPI. 

Voters must approve the agreement on next November’s ballot, but both sides consented to instituting the formula this year so long as the formula didn’t vary too far from the rent board’s detailed report that factors in numerous owner expenses. 

But a large discrepancy is exactly the case this year, said representatives of the Berkeley Property Owners Association (BPOA), which struck the deal with the rent board.  

The rent board study recommended a 2.8 percent rent hike for tenants in Berkeley’s estimated 19,000 rent-controlled units, whereas the CPI-based formula would authorize only one percent. Tenants who moved into private homes after 1996 or live in buildings constructed after 1980 are not covered under rent control. 

Higher energy bills, unforeseen costs from the city’s new rental housing safety program and a $12 per unit increase in rent board fees raised the price of renting in Berkeley, but did not register on the CPI. 

“We absolutely insist that the new fees have to be addressed [in the AGA],” said BPOA Secretary Stephanie Hayes.  

Most onerous to owners was the rental housing safety program, which requires property owners to pay a $17 annual fee and get a gas heater inspection every three years.  

The inspections were to be done free of charge by PG&E. But Berkeley Housing Director Stephen Barton told the rent board last week that PG&E couldn’t meet the demand to perform all the inspections so about half of Berkeley landlords had to hire independent contractors to do the inspections at a cost of roughly $75 per unit.  

The PG&E district manager told Barton that while Berkeley comprises about one-fifth of the district’s population, the city accounted for about two-thirds of all inspection requests. 

The BPOA has threatened to sue the city over the program, but Wilson said that if the fees were passed along equitably to tenants, the BPOA would be less inclined to go to court. 

“We don’t want to sue anyone,” Wilson said. “If [the fees] are passed along to tenants that means the whole community can conclude that it’s a pointless program.” 

While the dollar differences between the two proposed rent increases seem relatively minuscule—a tenant paying $700 per month would see a $7 per month increase if the board enacted a one percent hike and a $19.6 per month increase with a 2.8 percent increase—both sides say that more is at stake.  

“If you’re just thinking this is a few dollars per month and, say, $48 bucks a year, is that worth a lot of fighting about, the answer might be no,” said Rent Board member Matthew Siegel. “But if you add up all the rental units you’re talking about $500,000 going from tenants to landlords and then it becomes a larger issue.” 

Wilson said failure by the rent board to pass along fees to tenants would again poison relations between the two sides, after the settlement in February offered hope of constructive relations. 

The AGA has been mired in politics and litigation since Berkeley instituted rent control in 1980. After a decade of complaining that the pro-tenant board denied them fair rent hikes, landlords won a lawsuit in 1989 granting them retroactive rent increases. 

Two years later, the first ever pro-landlord board majority instituted 26 percent rent hikes. 

Since tenants regained a board majority in 1994, they have argued the need for keeping rent increases lower to compensate tenants for the high rent hikes of the early 90s. 

Rent Board members indicated they were open to a compromise. 

“We want to be fair to landlords that have had big increases in expenses,” said Rent Board Commissioner Paul Hogarth. He proposed a two-tier rent increase based on whether the landlord had utilized a 1995 state law, the Costa-Hawkins Act, which ended rent control on vacant units beginning in 1999.  

Hogarth said landlords whose units had remained occupied since Costa-Hawkins—and therefore received below market rent—should get the 2.8 percent increase, while those landlords who raised rents to market rates after their units became vacant should be limited to one percent. 

More than half of Berkeley’s rentals have been brought to market rates since Costa-Hawkins went into effect. 

“I’ve been proposing this for the past few years; this might be the one year people are going to listen to me,” Hogarth said. 

Siegel said he had not yet made up his mind, but seemed inclined not to veer too far from the one percent raise called for under the CPI formula. 

“If you follow the terms of the settlement agreement, it’s one percent. That’s what everyone agreed to,” he said, adding that he might vote to raise it above one percent to cover cost increases from the rental safety program.  

Landlords who want the 2.8 percent increase face an obstacle built into board rules: Any rent increase above 45 percent of CPI must be approved by six of the board’s nine members. 

“I think there are enough votes on the board to keep [the increase] under 2.8,” Siegel said. “But we’ll have to wait, it could be interesting.” 

The rent board will hold a public hearing on the AGA at the beginning of their next meeting scheduled for Oct. 20. The board could decide on a rent increase during the meeting, and must reach a decision by the end of the month.

After watching the PBS special on Mark Twain, I became obsessed with the idea of moving close to the Mississippi River. Maybe if I could spend time along its muddy waters the muse I had lost would return and I’d be able to churn out one marvelous, witty paragraph after another, just like Samuel L. Clemons.  

I found an artist retreat located close to the Mississippi River. It was in Minnesota, far north of Hannibal Missouri, but I decided to take a chance. “The river is long and wide,” I told myself. “Somewhere beside its banks I’ll find the creativity I’m looking for.  

A year went by before my residency began. I dreamed of sunny days along the rolling waterway, waving to the not-so-far-off paddleboats, angling for fat catfish and smoking old stogies while lounging on a homemade raft floating inspiringly toward New Orleans.  

When the day of my departure arrived, I packed carefully: special pens and fancy writing papers, straw hat and baggy dungarees. I was a middle-aged, wrinkled Becky Thatcher. I’d find my Tom Sawyer in Red Wing, Minnesota.  

On my first morning at the retreat I asked the director, “Which way to the Mississippi?” 

He gazed at me thoughtfully. “Far,” he said. “ In fact, you really can’t get there from here without driving down the highway and turning left toward Wisconsin.” 

I stared at him in disbelief. “The brochure said ‘located adjacent to the pristine Mississippi’. I thought I’d be able to see it from my garret window.” 

“Well, yes,” he said carefully, “the brochure did say that. We are artists here, as you know and employ creative license. Bottomland is all around us, and the river was once where we are now standing a mere few thousand years ago.” 

I pondered how I would get inspiration when my incentive had receded before the Ice Age. I needed to come up with a new plan and get rid of that dorky Becky Thatcher hat. 

In the mornings I took time-consuming walks beside a small stream. I jogged down country roads, went swimming at the local Y, broke bread with my fellow residents, argued about politics, religion and the A’s and the Twins. 

I drank lots of red wine and ate too much iceberg lettuce, a Minnesota favorite. I sipped many cups of coffee at the local café and wondered how waitresses in this state can wear hairnets and smile at the same time. For motivation I read good books, bad poetry and awful translations. I tried not to think about sex, but it didn’t work. 

The muse did not arrive. 

One day I took a bike ride along an abandoned railroad track. I pedaled slow against the oncoming winter wind, brushed fallen leaves from my hair, listened for the sound of gray squirrels chattering within the crisp forest, watched honking geese fly overhead, passed three whitetail deer in a nearby field.  

“Maybe I’ll just keep going,” I said to myself, “until the muse finally shows or a sign of some sort tells me to turn back.” 

The trail was flat and smooth, the scenery brown and breathtaking and so I pedaled forward. A great blue heron by the edge of a still pond spread its wings. I wondered if it was the signal I was looking for but I kept going. 

Over a small bridge above a sweet stream I considered reversing my course but didn’t. Passing by a dilapidated train station I continued to pump the pedals. Just when I decided to bike westward to Berkeley, a shot rang through the forest, and then another and another. It was the sign I’d been waiting for. I turned my bicycle around and swiftly pedaled back toward the Anderson Center. 

Inspiration had finally arrived. It didn’t take the mighty Mississippi to turn me on. A loaded 12-gauge shotgun somewhere in the sheltering woods, carried in the arms of an amateur hunter, stalking wild things two weeks before the official start of hunting season had given me the muse I was searching for.

When the Oakland Tribune and other ANG Newspapers withdrew their endorsement of Arnold Schwarzenegger for governor over the weekend, citing recent sexual harassment allegations against the actor, the news brought cheer to a group of East Bay female politicians who had pressed the paper to make the retraction. 

“We can no longer in good conscience recommend him for governor,” read the editorial, published in the Tribune’s Saturday edition. 

The retraction followed a protest Friday by the National Women’s Political Caucus of North Alameda where caucus members and female politicians from the East Bay Area called for the paper and other publications in the ANG Newspapers chain to rescind the endorsement.  

The protest was one of many that have sprung up against Schwarzenegger since the Los Angeles Times reported last Thursday the stories of six women who say Schwarzenegger fondled them. The alleged incidents occurred from the 1970s through 2000.  

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is a sexual predator,” Caucus Chair Patricia Dilks told the small crowd gathered at the County Administration Building in Oakland. “He’s admitted that himself.”  

Dilks gave out copies of the letter she wrote to ANG Newspapers asking for the Oakland Tribune to reverse its endorsement of Schwarzenegger. “It is absolutely untenable for the Oakland Tribune to sustain its endorsement of an admitted sexual predator for governor of California,” the letter read.  

The caucus said it would give the Oakland Tribune “the benefit of doubt” since the endorsement was published Sept. 27, before the sexual harassment allegations were printed. However, Dilks said that if the paper doesn’t retract the endorsement she would personally write letters to local businesses asking them to pull their advertising from the Tribune.  

A few women in the small crowd also began to yell that they would cancel their subscriptions.  

Tom Tuttle, ANG Editorial Page Director, said Friday he had not yet received any complaints from the caucus and insisted that Saturday’s statement would not be in response to the Caucus’ protest.  

“It was of our own initiative,” Tuttle said.  

The latest recommendation, which was also published in the San Mateo Times on Sunday, still urges readers to vote against the recall as it did last Sunday, but now suggests that voters abstain on naming a replacement.  

“Although allegations of his abusive and disrespectful behavior toward women had surfaced earlier,” the editorial read, “the latest revelations reported in the Los Angeles Times and Schwarzenegger’s convenient but seemingly insincere admission that ‘I have behaved badly sometimes,’ alienates a significant proportion of the state’s population, male and female.”  

Schwarzenegger made a public apology Thursday, admitting that he has behaved badly toward women. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that Schwarzenegger told a crowd at the San Diego Convention Center that in the past he thought his “rowdy” behavior on movie sets was playful, but now realizes that he offended people.  

The women at Friday’s rally, however, remained unmoved.  

“Should we have a governor who thinks it’s playful to touch women in inappropriate ways and who believes that if he apologizes it just goes away?” Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett asked. Corbett went on to say that by regarding his behavior as playful, Schwarzenegger showed that he doesn’t realize that the humiliation, pain and suffering that sexual harassment victims endure is real.  

Several of the speakers at Friday’s rally said that Schwarzenegger’s behavior not only shows his lack of respect for women but also his lack of understanding of sexual harassment.  

Schwarzenegger doesn’t understand that in a true work environment he would be “terminated” for his behavior, Oakland City Council member Jane Brunner said, evoking cheers from the audience.  

Other speakers also questioned Schwarzenegger’s understanding of the law.  

“It makes me wonder whether he knows the difference between movies and real life,” Wilma Chan, Majority Leader of the State Assembly, said. “In real life, you can’t treat women this way.”

Tom Lehrer, the ideological mentor of my teenage years in the fifties, said that political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He himself stopped performing in 1967, a long time ago now, and yet he is still regarded as a fountainhead of political wisdom by young people of a certain type who were raised in homes with old Tom Lehrer songbooks on the piano. The Onion, one of his spiritual descendants, interviewed him in May on the occasion of the release of his boxed CD set, which has been selling well.  

Political satirists like Molly Ivins and Al Franken are doing fine these days, even though political reality at first blush would appear to be beyond satire. What fun can we make of a California electorate which voted in record numbers for the man my 89-year-old mother calls “Governor Groper”? Television has been a lost cause for years now, but what can be said about a print press which seems to have converted itself into People Magazine? Acres of pages in the Hearst Comical which formerly contained at least a modicum of news now are devoted primarily to displaying the very prominent teeth of the Schwarzenegger/Kennedy/Shriver family.  

On the other hand, it’s hard to engage in sober political commentary about why voters appear to despise William Jefferson Clinton for a bit of sex play with a willing partner, but cheerfully elect Arnold Schwarzenegger although he confesses to manhandling unwilling victims. The answer in this case may be the difference between California and Rest-of-World—perhaps Californians really do care more about their auto licenses than about anything else, including celebrity sex.  

One positive result of the election coverage is that it has just about put an end to the Beserkely stories which were formerly a media staple. It’s hard to make fun of Berkeley for debating the Middle East when it’s one of the few locations which emphatically rejected the recall circus. (We don’t really have the precinct returns to confirm that, but we know it’s got to be true.) The East Bay’s tackiest entertainment weekly, owned by a Phoenix media conglomerate, tried a Beserkely cover story in the middle of the recall campaign, but it lacked credibility coming from the publication which financed Gary Coleman. 

Berkeley types are now saying in hushed tones that Schwarzenegger is an Actual Fascist. He might be, but the end of the world has been predicted after so many elections in my lifetime that I’ve given up listening for the final trumpet. If the state of California survived Ronald Reagan, we’ll survive the Schwarzenegger regime (or the regime of whoever will really be calling the shots in Sacramento.) “Springtime for Hitler” was probably a funny show, and at least this Arnie doesn’t have an army.  

Unlike the Wolfowitz regime in Washington, the one satirists are starting to have trouble making jokes about... It’s one thing to make fun of George W. Bush, but as it becomes increasingly clear that poor dumb Dubya isn’t running the show, it gets harder to laugh about his cronies. Ed Holmes’ career as the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s comic Dick Cheney may be at an end.  

The U.S. Government, with its unlimited ability to borrow against the resources of future generations, can do a great deal of harm in a short time, and the people in charge seem to be doing it. All of us in Berkeley who are afflicted with the conviction that we’re in charge of saving the world have our work cut out for us as we look toward the next federal election. We might as well forget about California for while. It’s time, as they say, to Move On. 

A story from Berkeley High which is now making the rounds shows that Berkeleyans in the next generation are ready to do their part, and with a bit of humor too. A vigilante from out of town has lately insisted that American and California flags be prominently displayed on our high school campus. The morning after the election, thanks to someone who hasn’t stepped forward to take the credit, those flags were at half mast. 

Becky O’Malley is executive editor of the Daily Planet.  

Burglar Cornered in Car 

Police arrested a man for attempted auto burglary after the owner of the car and his friends trapped the suspected burglar inside the car. According to police, someone forced through a window of a car parked on the 2500 block of Etna Street Wednesday at 9:46 p.m. The owner heard someone outside, saw the man inside the car and the owner and his friends surrounded the car, holding him until police arrived. Police arrested Daniel Kiehn, 20, of Berkeley. 

Prowlers 

Police arrested a 44-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy Sept. 29 after a purse was reported stolen from a home on the 900 block of Hearst. According to police, the resident couldn’t find her purse, which she had left near a sliding glass back door that she found open. As she continued to search, she heard her car alarm go off and spotted two people standing by her car. She called the police and started following the pair as they casually walked away. When she pointed them out to police, officers arrested the pair on suspicion of burglary. The purse was eventually found near the car where the pair was standing. 

Robbery 

The resident of a home in the 1500 block of Oxford Street was sitting in his back yard last Wednesday afternoon while a robber entered the dwelling through the front, making off with a laptop computer and cash. According to police, the victim said he then saw a suspicious looking man walking past him on Oxford and when he went back inside his home, he found the front door pried open and his computer and $700 cash missing. Police have no suspects.