Sunday night found more than 30 friends and family members of Berkeley teenager Miguel Caicedo gathered beside a Bancroft Street memorial in his honor at the spot where he died a little more than two days before. Candles bearing the images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary illuminated empty bottles of whiskey, cans of Budweiser, stuffed animals and a red bandana. -more-

TUESDAY, FEB. 24 -more-

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE -more-

TUESDAY, FEB. 24 -more-

Berkeley developer Panoramic Interests owes the city another $200,000 in taxes on four properties the firm built and manages—and the city’s Finance Department is implementing procedures to ensure that such properties don’t slip under the tax radar again. -more-

The March 2 election date is fast-approaching and many Berkeley voters have already received their absentee ballots. So many of you have called me and asked my opinion about Propositions 57 and 58, that I am distributing the remarks I gave on this subject to the Berkeley Democratic Club earlier this month. -more-

Yesterday, while I was attending a memorial service at the University of California, a tragedy was happening in my own neighborhood. A happy-go-lucky teenager rode a go-cart down an alley onto Bancroft Avenue, right into the path of an oncoming truck. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Highland Hospital. Sixteen-year-old Miguel Caicedo was the beloved cousin of the African American student who walks my dog, and he used to pass by my house frequently. -more-

TRUTH TO POWER -more-

One of the most prolific non-profit developers in Berkeley is calling it quits, at least temporarily. And at least from non-profit developing. -more-

In an escalation of the labor dispute that has engulfed southern California for almost five months, the California Labor Federation this week announced an official boycott of all Safeway stores throughout the state. Safeway is the largest of the three supermarkets at which Southern California workers have been striking for several weeks. -more-

Downtown Fight -more-

Having successfully navigated the potential roadblocks at Berkeley’s Transportation Commission, AC Transit’s controversial plan to keep its buses from getting bottlenecked on Berkeley’s streets is now set for environmental review. -more-

With one of its more controversial decisions behind it—last week’s long-awaited vote on the North Berkeley Sprint facility—and difficult budget-cutting choices coming up, the Berkeley City Council will be lifting a light load at tonight’s meeting (Tuesday, Feb. 24). -more-

An Alameda County Superior Court Judge is expected to rule next week on a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a Berkeley school desegregation plan. The plan assigns elementary students to schools based partly on race. After a 30 minute hearing last Friday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Richman declined to decide immediately on a motion filed by the Berkeley Unified School District to dismiss the suit. -more-

A small majority of Haitian Americans believe Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide should remain in office despite an armed uprising and opposition protests demanding his resignation, a new poll shows. -more-

Why can the large national chain store afford to offer lower prices than the locally owned small business? Taxes are part of the answer. Small businesses pay too much in taxes, and big businesses pay too little. Why should Annie’s Family Restaurant pay a higher share of their revenue than McDonald’s? -more-

In his new book “American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush” (Viking, $25.95), historian and political commentator Kevin Phillips, a populist social critic who has decried the growing gap between rich and poor, writes a scathing assessment of the four-generation Bush dynasty that includes the forty-third President George W. Bush. Phillips follows the Bush family preoccupations with the finance industry, oil and covert operations, and the scandals they have been attached to, from Iran-Contra to Enron. -more-

At the front door of a modest bungalow in the Richmond flatlands, a robust young man greets me warmly. His name is Jesse Graham, and his mother, local author and resident Meredith Maran, has recently published a non-fiction book entitled Dirty, A Search for Answers Inside America’s Teenage Drug Epidemic. In Dirty, Maran follows the daily struggles of three teenage drug users as they navigate through high school, the juvenile justice system, and various recovery programs. Interspersed throughout the book are glimpses of Jesse’s own turbulent teen years and Maran’s fight to keep her son safe, in school and out of jail. -more-

All too often these days, regret is publicly expressed about historic buildings or urban blocks that used to lend charm and character to their cities but have been needlessly demolished, often replaced by impersonal structures that contribute little to local atmosphere and identity. -more-

The Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) will decide on Feb. 26 whether to demolish the 1891 Ellen Blood House at 2526 Durant Ave., a City Structure of Merit, to make way for a new project. -more-

It’s happened every one of the 30 Februarys that I’ve lived here: The first flowering plums bloom in my neighborhood, and I remember why I endure gray, muddy winter. There are a few days of teasing, when the plum behind the recycling yard starts to show white, and then a few more scattered trees join it, and almost immediately the pink plums add their note, almost too sweet. The one that reaches over the back fence starts scenting up the yard and dropping petals over the car, so when I back out and take off down the street I leave a merry trail of mud from the tires and confetti petals from the roof, the hood, the windows. Even on a gloomy day it’s weirdly, bridally festive. -more-

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-

Under fire from a loose coalition of citizens, city commissioners, and councilmembers, Mayor Tom Bates presented a newly toothless version of his control-of-City-Commission-items proposal to the City Council Agenda Committee last week. Since the proposal seems to rise like Dracula from its grave every few weeks, it remains to be seen whether this will be the final stake to the heart. -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-