The Berkeley City Council went into extra innings on the Sprint cellular facility appeal last Tuesday night, using up four separate ballots before finally upholding Sprint’s application to put three antennas on the roof of a commercial building at 1600 Shattuck Ave. After all of that voting, it was actually a single non-vote—an abstention by Mayor Tom Bates—that was the deciding factor. -more-

FRIDAY, FEB. 20 -more-

FRIDAY, FEB. 20 -more-

Tears were shed Wednesday after the Berkeley School Board approved a fiscal emergency plan that slashed $3.2 million from its general fund and killed a 31-year-old program serving teenage mothers and their children. -more-

The University of California has drafted a policy explicitly forbidding student governments from lobbying on state ballot initiatives, setting the university on a collision course with UC Berkeley student government leaders. -more-

On Wednesday a California Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Berkeley attorney that aimed to increase security measures on electronic voting systems before the March 2 primary. -more-

The controversy over who will represent Berkeley’s interests in the early stages of development of the proposed downtown UC hotel complex—the Planning Commission, the city council, or the mayor alone—continued to simmer even as the Planning Commission’s Hotel Task Force moved forward with the stated blessing of the UC hotel’s project manager. The mayor, a city councilmember, and representatives of both the task force and UC all weighed in on the representation issue at this week’s task force meeting in exchanges that ranged from the testy to the “let’s all get along.” -more-

The three Claremont Resort and Spa workers suspended last week had their suspensions changed to verbal warnings and are back at work with back pay. -more-

A student group lost a bid before the California Supreme Court Thursday to invalidate Gov. Schwarzenegger’s reduction in the vehicle license fee and corresponding cuts to education and other programs. -more-

Robbery Suspect Caught -more-

The Stitches West Knitters Convention is only a few miles from my home, but in truth it is worlds away. Held annually in the large Oakland Marriott City Center, it features three days of knitting workshops and seminars covering everything from beginner’s basics to Russian lace, to color theory and designing your own socks. -more-

Tyranny, our conservative friends remind us, is like hot tar poured from a limitless source. To describe it as greedy misses the point, as even the largest stomach eventually gets filled. Tyranny is more insatiable. Its own weight compels it on, overwhelming even the part of it that first comes through the breech, and it never stops of its own accord. Either it chokes off all the available space, or you have to walk over and turn off the spigot. Our conservative friends are wrong about a number of things. But not about this. -more-

MISLEADING CONCLUSIONS -more-

Mr. Haggerty writes that “[c]ontrary to Mr. Allen-Taylor’s statements, ABAG’s Finance Authority regularly monitors borrowers, and enforces strict compliance with Federal and State regulations for tax-exempt bond financed multifamily housing project. Ther e are no exemptions to these requirements as stated in the article.” -more-

THE CONNECTION -more-

It’s a good thing Cal has some outstanding undergraduate players, because the last home game of the season is Saturday, and the seniors will be moving on. American players, including the talented La Tasha O’Keith, will presumably stay in the United States, but three of Cal’s best are from other countries, and two are due to graduate. Guard Nihan Anaz plans to return to her native Turkey, where she is on the roster to play for the Turkish National team. Basketball in Turkey? NBA player Hidavet Turkogla told a reporter, “you should see the young players in Turkey! They are amazing.” -more-

George Bernard Shaw was a very smart man. -more-

Peas can be grown twice a year in Berkeley: in early spring and early fall. Seed germinates rapidly when conditions are right, sown either in six-packs or directly into the ground. It is best to pre-soak seed overnight, and sow in moderately damp, not soggy soil. It is crucial to refrain from watering until leaves appear, or seed will rot. Nurseries carry every conceivable variety of pea plants, too, and these will transplant easily and thrive. Just remember to loosen the roots gently before dropping them into holes four inches apart. Now is the time to water, regularly. Peas fix nitrogen from the air with adapted roots. Water is all they need for growth. -more-

Soak peas overnight if dry. If they are still green, cook immediately or soak for a few hours. Simmer or pressure cook as little water as possible, adding peeled garlic and a couple of cloves. When the peas are soft, remove the cloves and blend the peas, adding salt sparingly. Stir in finely-chopped mint before serving piping hot. A ham steak or a thick slice of pate de campagne make fine accompaniments, as do crusty bread and cheese, or a green salad.› -more-

If you are thinking of selling your home, there is no time like the present. Buyers are swarming Berkeley listings. Interest rates are still alluringly low, allowing buyers to offer more than they would otherwise be able to afford. -more-

On Wednesday a California Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Berkeley attorney that aimed to increase security measures on electronic voting systems before the March 2 primary. -more-

In a memo that City Councilmember Dona Spring calls “shocking” and “the kind of letter that you’d expect from a UC attorney,” the assistant attorney for the City of Berkeley appears to have advised Mayor Tom Bates on strategies to amend Berkeley’s zoning ordinance to fit UC’s needs for the proposed downtown hotel and conference complex. According to Assistant City Attorney Zach Cowan, a “side benefit of including zoning amendments is that we can amend whatever is necessary to bulletproof any City approval.” -more-

TUESDAY, FEB. 17 -more-

TUESDAY, FEB. 17 -more-

From: Cowan, Zach -more-

After more than 30 years of struggle for a home of their own, Vista College officials acknowledge their new campus set to rise in downtown Berkeley is a victim of bad timing. -more-

The California Unemployment Appeals Board ruled recently that Arturo Perez, a produce worker at Berkeley Bowl who was fired last September during an unsuccessful union organizing drive, is eligible for unemployment. Perez who has a charge pending with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accusing the Berkeley Bowl of firing him illegally, can now use the ruling by the appeals board to boost his claim. -more-

The long-delayed saga of the North Berkeley Sprint cellphone facility comes to a definite close at tonight’s (Tuesday, Feb. 17) regular 7 p.m. city council meeting—that is, unless the council rules against Sprint and the cellphone company sues the city. In addition, the city council will take on several long-range zoning and development issues tonight. -more-

In the first of several scheduled city council working sessions on ways to balance Berkeley’s beleaguered budget, City Manager Phil Kamlarz has recommended four immediate sources of new revenue that, if implemented, could bring in as much as $3.8 million a year to the city. Kamlarz made the proposals at last week’s city council meeting. The city manager has set an April 20 public hearing on the new fees. -more-

A UC Berkeley journalism lecturer’s 32-year-old photograph of future Democratic U.S. Senator and presidential candidate John Kerry has wound up in a forgery that suckered the New York Times. -more-

BAGHDAD, Iraq—Maysoon al-Damluji is a member of an elite club, but one that’s trying hard to become a lot less exclusive. As Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Culture, al-Damluji is one of a small handful of Iraqi women entrusted with real political power in the country today. -more-

The Claremont Resort and Spa suspended three workers last week after they participated in a pro-union rally outside the resort on Tuesday. -more-

Whenever my husband Ralph is admitted into the hospital, those of us who take care of him go a little crazy. And Ralph’s current visit to Oakland Kaiser has almost done us in. Now in his forty-second day in Room 335 of the intensive care unit, we are growing cranky and impatient. -more-

Editor’s Note: Berkeley residents must feel lately like they are pawns in a giant game of Monopoly. Not only have buyers been feverishly bidding up prices on residential properties, it seems that anyone who has the wherewithal to purchase a city lot also wants to buy a building to put on the site. In the last couple of weeks, hotels in particular have been in play in Berkeley Monopoly. The ownership of the landmark Claremont Hotel, just over the Oakland border, will be transferred from Conglomerate A to Megacorp B. Downtown, the Shattuck Hotel will become a single room occupancy facility for international students. In the old days, international students used to stay at the UC hotel on University Avenue, but that’s become an SRO for people in need of help. With downtown’s last big hotel going, the University of California, which has been busy buying up most of the lots on the board in the last few years, now wants to buy itself a big new hotel. None of this action is necessarily bad, but it’s unsettling to many. The Planning Commission has created a task force to study the hotel scheme, which will hold a public forum tomorrow, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. In preparation for the forum, there was a site tour last week led by a UC planner. The Daily Planet asked attendees to describe what they saw, and these are some responses. -more-

Telegraph Avenue neighbors and merchants are wise to oppose AC Transit’s proposals to take over much of Telegraph, Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue, as the Daily Planet reported on Jan. 30 (”Bus Lane Plans Provoke Telegraph Neighborhood”). -more-

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE -more-

A powerful alliance of police and city hall interests have joined to promote a canine patrol unit. But many are asking, have the alternatives been thoroughly explored? -more-

In August 2001 I’d just taken a buyout from the Contra Costa Times after 18 years reporting and editing, hoping to freelance about topics of personal interest—including historic preservation. -more-

For the group who gathered at the South Berkeley Senior Center (SBSC) last Wednesday, Black History month did not mean reading about times past, it meant reliving them. -more-

Driver Rampages Through Campus -more-

While looking for burrowing owls down at the Berkeley Marina a few weeks ago, I was surprised to run into a pair of black oystercatchers working the riprap along Cesar Chavez Park. Maybe I shouldn’t have been. I’ve always associated these birds with the wave-bashed rocks of the outer coast, but I’ve since read that in Washington State, at least, oystercatchers are beginning to colonize more sheltered shores. Maybe that’s happening in San Francisco Bay as well. -more-

“MILWAUKEE, Feb. 18 — Howard Dean ended his bid for the presidency on Wednesday, leaving John Kerry and John Edwards battling over free trade and jobs as the Democratic presidential contest veered into a more combative two-man struggle.” -more-

Today, Feb. 17, my parents have been married for 65 years. They are still living in their home by themselves, at 89 and 91. Our family is very lucky to have them still with us, still in good spirits and relatively good health. -more-