Jakob Schiller: 
              
              Sandra Bailey, an employee of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, uploads votes from Berkeley City Hall accumulation site to the Alameda County headquarters.
Jakob Schiller: Sandra Bailey, an employee of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, uploads votes from Berkeley City Hall accumulation site to the Alameda County headquarters.

Page One

Berkeley High Gets Tough On Chronic Absentees

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Friday March 05, 2004

After racking up 50,000 periods of unexcused absences last year, Berkeley High students are sure to show up Wednesday evening when the school board considers adopting a policy that will automatically lower the grade of chronic absentees. -more-



Berkeley This Week

Friday March 05, 2004

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 -more-



Voting Machine Foul-Ups Delay Local Count

By JAKOB SCHILLER
Friday March 05, 2004

Berkeley voters ran into a number of glitches Tuesday when the machines that clear voter cards after they are used malfunctioned throughout the day, forcing several precincts to move to paper ballots which quickly ran out and had to be re-supplied by the county. -more-



Breland To Decide Fall Council Race

By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR
Friday March 05, 2004

In the midst of widespread speculation that District 2 Councilmember Margaret Breland will be leaving Berkeley City Council at the end of her term this year, an aide to the ailing councilmember said that Breland will make a decision in the next few weeks on whether she will run for re-election. -more-



Gaia Building CriticizedFor Lack of Arts Tenants

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Friday March 05, 2004

Three years after the Gaia Building opened, the first tenant may soon be moving into the ground floor space developer Patrick Kennedy built to help him win city approval to add extra floors to one of the city’s most controversial buildings. -more-



Gaia Building Criticized For Lack of Arts Tenants

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Friday March 05, 2004

Three years after the Gaia Building opened, the first tenant may soon be moving into the ground floor space developer Patrick Kennedy built to help him win city approval to add extra floors to one of the city’s most controversial buildings. -more-



Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Instant Runoff

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Friday March 05, 2004

Berkeley voters, at least those who showed up to the polls Tuesday, won’t need a second ballot to let the city and county know how they feel about Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). By a whopping 72 percent, Berkeley passed Measure I, which—if ever implemented—would allow Berkeley voters to rank candidates by preference in the general election and eliminate the need for costly runoff elections. -more-



Features

Fate of English Language Program Debated

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Friday March 05, 2004

All hope is not lost for Berkeley Extension’s English Language Program that was terminated by campus officials in January. -more-


Youth Reporter Phones in Story From Haiti

By JOHNNY Pacific News Service
Friday March 05, 2004

EDITOR’S NOTE: Johnny (last name withheld for his safety), 18, is a former youth reporter with Radyo Timoun (Children’s Radio) 90.9 FM in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This week rebels looted and burned it along with the Aristide Foundation For Democracy in which the station was located. Johnny told his story to PNS contributor Lyn Duff via telephone from Port-au-Prince. -more-


Police Blotter

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Friday March 05, 2004

Police Shoot Dogs -more-


UnderCurrents: Bush And Media Mark Up Blank Haitian Slate

J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR
Friday March 05, 2004

Like most Americans, I find that I know very little about Haiti. -more-


Arabs Watch U.S.-Backed Channel With Skepticism

By GREGORY D. JOHNSEN Pacific News Service
Friday March 05, 2004

SANA’A, Yemen—The expensive, new U.S. television channel aimed at Arabs in this part of the world, looks like a bust. Since beginning Feb. 14, the station’s limited broadcasting time, tacky promos, and documentaries in English with clumsy Arabic subtitles, have all contributed to a growing sense of disappointment among viewers with the latest, and most expensive, U.S. overture to the Arab world. -more-


Letters to the Editor

Friday March 05, 2004

INAPPROPRIATE PHOTO -more-


IMPEACH BUSH

Hank Levin San Rafael
Friday March 05, 2004

IMPEACH BUSH -more-


Seagate Plan Shortchanges the Arts

By BONNIE HUGHES
Friday March 05, 2004

In a performance straight out of Alice in Wonderland, Seagate Corporation came before the Civic Arts Commission at our February meeting to deliver a message: “We are here to show you something we do not want you to examine” and “we are asking for your approval which we assure you we do not care about.” And, as if the message were not sufficiently clear, they brought a visual aid in the form of an enormous, expensive, elaborate model of their project and its environs which was designed not to be seen. -more-


Too Much Good News Imperils Democracy

By Ann Graybeal
Friday March 05, 2004

Director Doran, you are wrong. -more-


Deciding Which Mortgage Plan Meets Your Needs

By Heather Sittig Special to the Planet
Friday March 05, 2004

Although interest rates continue to be astonishingly low, the conservative 30-year fixed rate loan seems to be going the way of the Brontosaurus. According to the folks at Cohn’s Loans in North Berkeley, roughly two thirds of buyers are choosing alternatives to the 30-year fixed loans. Buyers are attracted to the low rates and flexible programs offered by adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). This low cost financing gives consumers greater buying power. -more-


Young Maestro Emerges From the Shadows

By JANOS GEREBEN Special to the Planet Special to the Planet
Friday March 05, 2004

George Thomson, an otherwise sensitive, highly intelligent artist, collects tapes of Perry Mason episodes. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) Does he see a pinnacle of thespian excellence in Raymond Burr’s work? No, his interest has to do with the similarity between the structure of the TV show and Haydn symphonies: -more-


Central Works Turns ‘Duel’ Into a Gripping Production

By BETSY HUNTON Special to the Planet
Friday March 05, 2004

All right, this is going to sound like heavy duty stuff—and, in a way it is, of course. -more-


One-Stop Solar Shop Energizes Berkeley

By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Special to the Planet
Friday March 05, 2004

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series about people and businesses that make things in Berkeley. -more-


Election Section

Arts Calendar

Friday March 05, 2004

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 -more-


DeLeon’s New Club Could Be Gaia Tenant

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Friday March 05, 2004

Jazz is more than a passing fancy for Anna De Leon, a singer/composer who is currently wrapping up the mixing of her latest CD. The restaurateur/perfomer also holds two UCLA degrees in painting, and she was president of the Berkeley arts commission for three years. She also holds a law degree and once headed the Berkeley school board. -more-


Nisei Leaguers Still Rolling Along in Albany

By JAKOB SCHILLER
Friday March 05, 2004

Sitting in Albany Bowl last Wednesday, watching several life-long friends enjoying their weekly bowling leagues, Nobu Asami remembered a time when bowling was one of the few recreational sports Japanese Americans were allowed to participate in after World War II. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Friday March 05, 2004

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Quiche in the Sky, By and By

Becky O'Malley
Friday March 05, 2004

The pages of the Daily Planet have been full of controversies about what constitutes appropriate speech in the past month or so. To partisans in the various discussions, their own case probably seems unique, but there are common threads which unite them. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Quiche in the Sky, By and By 03-05-2004

Fred Lupke Memorial Held on Sunday 03-02-2004

News

Berkeley High Gets Tough On Chronic Absentees By MATTHEW ARTZ 03-05-2004

Berkeley This Week 03-05-2004

Voting Machine Foul-Ups Delay Local Count By JAKOB SCHILLER 03-05-2004

Breland To Decide Fall Council Race By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 03-05-2004

Gaia Building CriticizedFor Lack of Arts Tenants By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 03-05-2004

Gaia Building Criticized For Lack of Arts Tenants By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 03-05-2004

Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Instant Runoff By MATTHEW ARTZ 03-05-2004

Fate of English Language Program Debated By MATTHEW ARTZ 03-05-2004

Youth Reporter Phones in Story From Haiti By JOHNNY Pacific News Service 03-05-2004

Police Blotter By MATTHEW ARTZ 03-05-2004

UnderCurrents: Bush And Media Mark Up Blank Haitian Slate J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 03-05-2004

Arabs Watch U.S.-Backed Channel With Skepticism By GREGORY D. JOHNSEN Pacific News Service 03-05-2004

Letters to the Editor 03-05-2004

IMPEACH BUSH Hank Levin San Rafael 03-05-2004

Seagate Plan Shortchanges the Arts By BONNIE HUGHES 03-05-2004

Too Much Good News Imperils Democracy By Ann Graybeal 03-05-2004

Deciding Which Mortgage Plan Meets Your Needs By Heather Sittig Special to the Planet 03-05-2004

Young Maestro Emerges From the Shadows By JANOS GEREBEN Special to the Planet Special to the Planet 03-05-2004

Central Works Turns ‘Duel’ Into a Gripping Production By BETSY HUNTON Special to the Planet 03-05-2004

One-Stop Solar Shop Energizes Berkeley By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Special to the Planet 03-05-2004

Arts Calendar 03-05-2004

DeLeon’s New Club Could Be Gaia Tenant By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 03-05-2004

Nisei Leaguers Still Rolling Along in Albany By JAKOB SCHILLER 03-05-2004

Berkeley This Week 03-05-2004

UC Plans Threaten Albany Cheap Housing By Matthew Artz 03-02-2004

Berkeley This Week 03-02-2004

Barbara Lee on Haiti’s Crisis By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 03-02-2004

Fantasy Records Up For Sale By Matthew Artz 03-02-2004

Correction 03-02-2004

Franklin Lawsuit Settled By Matthew Artz 03-02-2004

Zoning Board Approves Huge Library Gardens Project; Blood House Ruling Delayed By MATTHEW ARTZ 03-02-2004

Mayor’s Proposals to Limit Public Comment on Hold By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 03-02-2004

From Susan Parker: Building Confidence in Gymnastics Class Susan Parker 03-02-2004

Police Blotter By MATTHEW ARTZ 03-02-2004

An Evening with Satan By BETSY M. HUNTON 03-02-2004

Students Denied Lawyers by UC By JAKOB SCHILLER 03-02-2004

Arts Calendar 03-02-2004

Daily Planet Trashes Berkeley Schools—Again By TERRY DORAN 03-02-2004

Oakland Hosts an Elephant of a Garage Sale By STEVEN FINACOMSpecial to the Planet 03-02-2004

Getting There 03-02-2004

Survival Tips For the WES 03-02-2004

Decade-Old Music Festival Still Breaking Ground C. SUPRYNOWICZ 03-02-2004

Unlovable Millipedes: Nature’s Ultimate Survivors By JOE EATONSpecial to the Planet 03-02-2004

Letters to the Editor 03-02-2004

Jefferson Grappled With Crime of Slavery By ROB BROWNING 03-02-2004