By Matthew Artz -more-

TUESDAY, MARCH 2 -more-

The deposed President of the Caribbean island nation of Haiti has charged that he was forced out of office by a United States-orchestrated coup d’etat, and that view has been affirmed by Bay Area Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-Oakland). On Sunday of this week, under pressure from a rebel army which Lee characterized as “thugs,” Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Haiti under U.S. military escort. From temporary asylum in the Central African Republic, Aristide told CNN that “I was told that to avoid bloodshed, I’d better leave.” Aristide repeated that charge in telephone conversations Congressmembers Maxine Waters and Charles Rangel (both members of the Congressional Black Caucus) as well as with Randall Robinson, a respected African-American expert on African affairs. -more-

Berkeley-based Fantasy Records, which owns many of the greatest recordings from the Golden Age of jazz, is for sale, according to a report in Billboard magazine. -more-

A headline in last Friday’s Commentary section incorrectly stated -more-

Neighbors of the defunct Franklin Elementary School have reached a tentative settlement with the Berkeley Unified School District, clearing the way for BUSD’s plan to shift its Adult School to the Franklin campus this fall. -more-

The Zoning Adjustment Board gave the green light Thursday to Library Gardens—the largest development ever planned for the city center. But a ruling on the equally controversial Blood House development was postponed for two weeks while city staff analyze an independent proposal to spare a Berkeley landmark. -more-

By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR -more-

“I’ve enrolled Jernae in gymnastic class,” I said to my friend David. “I think she has potential.” -more-

Attack at King Middle School -more-

Climb down the stairs inside La Val’s Subterranean Restaurant on Euclid Avenue (half a block away from the university’s North Gate) and you might think you’ve abruptly space-traveled into one of New York’s Off-Off Broadway theaters. It’s the kind of place where you wouldn’t be overly surprised to see a version of “Hamlet” in which Laertes is played by a golden retriever. (I swear I saw that performed in New York in what could have passed for the Subterranean’s twin sister.) -more-

The UC Berkeley committee overseeing changes to the student code of conduct voted Thursday night to accept revisions that would prevent students from using lawyers to represent them in on-campus cases—unless it was deemed necessary by the University. -more-

TUESDAY, MARCH 2 -more-

For two weeks running the Daily Planet has run sensational and inflammatory headlines about the Berkeley Public Schools while, in my mind, burying the real stories. Is it the Daily Planet’s intention to turn our community against the Berkeley public schools or is it to try and constructively report the conditions under which public education must exist in this time of declining revenues and state and federal support? On Feb. 20 you ran a story about the schools, “BUSD Kills Program For Teen Mothers.” Then on Feb. 27 your story reads “ BUSD Losing Big Bucks On Food Service Program.” Both stories highlight and focus on one aspect of what happened and fails miserably to give the public the main thrust of the events being reported. -more-

Six cowhide trivets. Five napkin rings. Four serving trays, three yearbooks, two end tables…and a photograph of Yosemite. -more-

By freeway from Berkeley, take I-880 south past Downtown Oakland and exit at the Fruitvale/29th Avenue ramp. As you reach the bottom of the exit make a hard right onto Derby. The WES warehouse is two blocks ahead (and a block long) at the edge of the water. Parking is very limited. Quite possibly you’ll need to walk blocks. Make sure you park legally, and don’t block driveways or other cars. -more-

• Dedicated shoppers arrive early to get close-in parking and good places in the line, which can swell to hundreds before the doors open. You can come later and avoid the long line, although the selection will be smaller. Just be sure to give yourself a few hours inside because the place is big. -more-

El Cerrito resident Charles Amirkhanian is a composer with an impressive resume. He’s been at it a long time, and has broken new ground along the way. He’s also one of those rare artists who acts as more than a champion of his own work. His considerable skills as a communicator and organizer have been harnessed to advance a great deal of daring music by others. As director of the Speaking of Music series at the Exploratorium in San Francisco from 1983 to 1992, then as music director of KPFA from ‘69 to ‘92, he’s been in the trenches for a long time, fighting the good fight. In other words, he’s in favor of music that doesn’t sound like everything else. And that’s what the Other Minds Festival is all about. -more-

The Scottish seaside town of Stonehaven, birthplace of the deep-fried Mars bar, now has a second claim to fame. Mike Newman, an Aberdeen bus driver and amateur palaeontologist, recently discovered the fossil remains of the oldest known land animal there. The half-inch-long creature has been named Pneumodesmas newmani in his honor. Although some might not consider it an honor: P. newmani is, after all, a millipede. -more-

POLICE DOGS -more-

A proposal has emerged that will certainly engage the attention of thoughtful Berkeley residents. Should Jefferson School be renamed because Thomas Jefferson was a slaveholder? -more-