Features

CRYING ‘WOLF’ 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a Berkeley resident since 1985, I find it distressing that so many people feel that they must state their opinions in the form of nasty personal attacks. Epithets such as “racist,” “pro-developer,” “Zionist,” “elitist” and “anti-Semite” (to name a few) are used so loosely in debates, leaflets, letters to the editor, and public meetings that they lose their meaning. It is like the boy who cried “wolf.”  

In my view, an opinion is more persuasive if stated clearly without insults. 

Eric Weaver 

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GREEK THEATER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I hear that the Greek Theater is going to increase the number of its concerts (“Clear Channel Loses Greek Theater Concerts,” Daily Planet, March 30-April 1). The Greek is a venue designed for acoustic events, but rare it is that an acoustic event is held in it. I can think of a couple of such events, such as the real Greek drama held there in the recent past. Most “concerts” are amplified, at noise levels far beyond what is required for the audience to hear. (But may be levels enjoyed, or required, by those high on drugs.) The levels of noise measured in the city of Berkeley are far higher than what is allowed by the Berkeley noise oridinance without a special permit, but we all know the almighty University of California, the largest corporate entitity in the state (at least it was when I last looked) and protected by its own section of the Consitution of the State of California, does not have to follow a puny city’s laws. 

Rather, the noise frequently blasts people attempting to live peaceful lives in their homes until 11 p.m. I know. I live on Panoramic Hill. And I find out from friends on the north side that sometimes they get the brunt of noise. What the university doesn’t realize, and from my experience certainly wouldn’t care even if they knew, is that not all persons living in neighborhoods impacted are young and healthy. Some are old. Some are sick on the night of the concert. Some want to go to sleep before 11 p.m. Shut out the noise? How? Most of these concerts are held in the late summer and early fall. Close the windows on a hot night and let the indoor temperatures rise above 100 degrees?  

Most certainly this noise never reaches the ears of the chancellor. And heaven forbid, if it ever should reach the ears of the president, Robert Dyne, whose residence is far from the Berkeley campus. Perhaps then something would be done. But frankly, I doubt it. 

Ann Reid Slaby 

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SISTERNA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks so much for doing the article about the Sisternas (“Sisterna Named City’s Newest Historic District,” Daily Planet, March 9-11).  

Rosario was my great-great-great grand father. 

Rosario’s son was Phillip, Phillip’s son was Arthur (the youngest) whose son was Arthur, my father. I am Toni Louise Sisterna, now Toni Spiegelberg 

Some time ago I wrote to the Berkeley Historical Society, asking about some history I had heard of from relatives about my family. I heard nothing from them, and as time went by forgot about it. I always felt they should be remembered. Thanks again.  

Toni (Sisterna) Spiegelberg 

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NOTES ON BUSD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I recently had a conversation with Superintendent Lawrence about bullying at Longfellow and my recent petition to the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury to investigate BUSD’s Food Services Department for losing $2.4 million dollars over three years.  

The bullying involves a Muslim boy who is beaten and stolen from almost daily and is chased around the school yard to taunts of “Osama, Osama” So far there has been no action on that score. 

As to the petition to the Grand Jury, Ms. Lawrence claimed that the numbers in my petition was “old data,” and that she looked forward to making a “fool” out of me. I would love it if BUSD could make a fool out of me. I hope that they really didn’t lose $2.4 million serving lousy salt laden old storage and prepackaged food to our precious children.  

What I am asking is for BUSD to open its books, all of them, and allow a fair, independent and thorough examination of its numbers. 

I urge every parent to have lunch at school with your child.  

Boardmember Terry Doran calls that stuff “fresh, healthy and nutritious.” What do you call it? Every parent should know what the school district is feeding their kids, and why. 

Ray Couture 

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CORRECTIONS REQUIRED 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’m writing in response to Zelda Bronstein’s commentary (“Bates, Stoloff and UC: Dean to the Extreme?” Daily Planet, March 26-29). Ms. Bronstein denigrates the mayor and at least half-a-dozen members of the City Council and the Planning Commission through innuendo, erroneous information, and disingenuous attempts to link unrelated events. 

I want to set the record straight about Tim Perry, one of her targets. I appointed Mr. Perry to the Planning Commission and I have always been proud that he was my appointee. He made substantial, positive contributions to the work of the Commission. His resignation was due to the pressures of his job, which at that time demanded a great deal of his time and energy.  

Councilmember Breland has demonstrated her good judgment by reappointing Mr. Perry to the Planning Commission, and I am confident she, too, will bepleased with his work. 

Mim Hawley 

Councilmember, District 5 

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THE GROVE STREET DOCK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

John Kenyon’s fine article “Drawing and Painting the Oakland Estuary” (Daily Planet March 30 -April 1) stirred memories of my nights as a security guard on the Grove Street Dock in the 1970s. I was working two jobs and needed the night work as a place to rest. The darkened and rotting dock was just to the south of the giant scrap yard where ships met their doom. I could see the flare of cutting torches and the lights of large crane magnets hoisting the metal into ocean-going barges and rail cars. The only valuable thing on my dock was a sea-going crane that was destined for San Diego. It had been vandalized and set adrift once, and the owners wanted it guarded until it was moved. My first night, the guard from the scrap yard came over and recommended that I arm myself because Grove Dock was the favorite route of violent drug smugglers. Knowing that a sidearm would limit my options, I instead brought my son’s dog Sarah the second night. She was a husky with a suspected strain of wolf and was afraid of our cat. But she looked the part, and in case of trouble, she could run as fast as I. We would sit on the dark, silent end of the dock, guarding the looming crane, I fishing for small sharks until catching them palled. Then I would find a shadow and bed down with Sarah nearby. She barked at anything that moved, and we were left alone. In those dreamy nights it never occurred to me to buy the dock. Who could have seen the giant container hoists shipped in from China and the rise of that part of Oakland as a premiere port? Sleepy security guards don’t see these things. 

Barry Smith 

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UNIVERSITY AVENUE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On a recent foray into the shattered buildings and decaying manufacturing plants of Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica Queens, New York in February, I saw what could be University Avenue 20 years from now: a stretch of land stretching to the water devoid of human feeling and quality. Sitting smack in the middle of Queens and leading from the center of the borough to the East River, Jamaica has been victimized by a stunning failure to modernize zoning laws to meet the needs of the local, immigrant-oriented community. 

Berkeley is facing that same fate. 

On University Avenue, Berkeley and its citizens have an opportunity to build a centralized mass transit oriented zone that welcomes residential and commercial denizens alike. The shortcomings are more traffic and higher density. But if we are to reduce sprawl and keep the economy moving forward, it is necessary to allow both. The City Council is in the bad position of being historically over-zealous on the issue of high-density housing; passing projects that raise questionable issues about the use of state matching dollars for low-income housing construction while failing badly to preserve the sentimental qualities of The City’s historic structures. This means that any opportunity to raise population and meet the growing demand of residents and the University of California for space for its students, faculty, and visitors while enticing commercial investment will only be met with doubt by community interest groups. The real community interest, the same one I encountered in Queens is that Berkeley meet the large demand to force developers to provide commercial services and space to businesses along with any housing being considered. The City Council must force developers to reserve space for commercial tenants and bring state legislators into the act to bring an exemption to the ‘bonus system’ of giving extra space to builders willing to house low-income residents. Needless to say, creating an incentive for a community-wide, fee-based parking lot on the site of the former Smart and Final would be an excellent way to allow for growth along the vital University-San Pablo Corridor. 

Everyone in Berkeley should understand that it is in the state’s best interest to allow the exemption: the state would earn far more from the taxes of small businesses than they would simply off building owners alone, who are likely to gain a large tax concession from any deal. 

The real cost will come later, years from now when Berkeley will be faced with problems stemming from its terrible administration of its public schools, which will probably be stressed to their limits by the inflow of children whose parents will live in these proposed University Avenue developments. But that’s for another column. 

John Parman 

Berkeley and New York 

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POWERBAR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The untimely passing last week of PowerBar magnate Brian Maxwell got me thinking once again about his big yellow legacy atop the eastern face of Berkeley’s tallest downtown building. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if downtown Berkeley could avoid the fate of that no-man’s-land in The Great Gatsby? 

…above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. 

I can think of no finer tribute to the memory of this energetic entrepreneur than to remove the PowerBlight sign at once. After all, since March 2000 we’ve been gazing at an appendage of breastfeeding pariah Nestle SA. 

Jim Sharp 

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PARKING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Developers have begun building large, overbearing housing blocks throughout Berkeley. These buildings steal light, privacy and parking from adjacent neighborhoods. They are replacing viable businesses, with poor retail spaces, increased traffic, noise and pollution. 

Housing advocates, developers and self-appointed urban reformists say they will avoid these problems by reducing parking in their projects. Berkeley officials agree. Berkeley City Planners Mark Rhoades and Dan Marks recently told the Planning Commission that they believe Berkeley’s parking requirements are the lowest required by any US city. They added that it is Berkeley’s official goal to reduce traffic by eliminating parking. 

Rhoades and Marks argue that people will give up their cars and use public transit if they can’t find parking. Several Planning Commissioners questioned this argument. When asked, Marks and Rhoades were unable to cite statistical support for the city’s parking policy. They explained that they know of no study that supports the city’s policy. 

When similarly challenged others are less candid. Livable Berkeley members readily cite the quality of life found in European cities as support for Berkeley’s parking policy. They argue that the high population density, job proximity, public transit found in European cities reduces traffic by eliminating the need for cars. This in turn provides a better city. 

Unfortunately, such references are vague and lack supporting detail. European cities simply fail to support such conclusions. I have been visiting Bilbao Spain, my wife’s hometown, regularly for the past 10 years. It is about the same size as San Francisco. It has excellent transportation with well integrated subway, rail and bus networks. These networks are well explained in readily available brochures and signs. Public transit is thoroughly used. One is lucky to find seats day or night. 

Bilbao also has unrelenting traffic. The traffic is so intense that sensors are used to monitor traffic. Their readings are shown on electronic flow maps located throughout the city so that drivers can respond to real time information while selecting how to get around. 

Bilbao’s parking is quite difficult and getting harder every year. People often park their cars as much as a 15 minute walk from their apartments. The problem is so pressing that many old buildings have had multi-level basements excavated for parking. Vertical access is provided by auto elevators operated from within the car! 

Despite all this and $5 a gallon gas prices Bilbao’s cars continue to proliferate. Great public transportation doesn’t mean that people will stop using cars. People want to leave the city on weekends and holidays; they travel evermore often to the city’s periphery to shop in growing shopping centers. Cars make this possible. 

In conclusion one can not equate removing parking with traffic mitigation. Doing so is simplistic, without precedent and contrary to actual experience. Removing parking, judging from European examples, will increase congestion, reduce commercial viability and encourage road rage. Failure to provide sufficient parking for future development will harm our neighborhoods for decades to come. 

I urge all who agree to engage the city in a broad debate on parking, traffic, and development. Failure to do so will lead to added congestion and flood our neighborhoods with overflow parking. 

Jon Alff 

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OAKLAND VIOLENCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the March 19-22 Daily Planet there was an article called “A Teenager Looks At Oakland’s Murderous Row.” I feel really bad for the girl whose father was shot in Oakland, but some of the comments made were very prejudiced. I am African American and I have lived in East Oakland all my life. I am now 17. One of the girls commented that “black people are crazier that any other race.” That is a very ignorant comment because people are individuals and you cannot blame a whole race of people for the actions of a select few. Believe me I do understand where those girls are coming from because up until I was five my whole family used to live in East Oakland.  

However, they all moved to the Sacramento area when my 16-year-old cousin was shot and paralyzed from the waist down. My family got scared and, just like the young girl who wrote the article, thought that Oakland was a violent city and if they just went somewhere else things would get better.  

But contrary to popular belief they did not. Eight years later my 19-year-old cousin was shot and killed in Suisun Valley by a group of Mexican boys. Now I could be prejudiced and say, “I’m not surprised because you know, Mexicans are crazier than any other race.” I do not do this because I know that killings happen no matter what skin color you are or what city you are in. People do not come to Oakland and then get the sudden urge to kill. It is not fair to single out a specific group of people in a specific area. The blame lies solely on the person who pulls the trigger—no more, no less. 

Andrea Page 

Oakland 

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CERRITO THEATER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing in praise and thanks for your great article, written by Dave Weinstein, on “Saving the Cerrito Theater.” It appeared in your Feb, 17 issue, but I didn’t get around to writing this letter until now.  

This beautiful theater must be saved! It is just too beautiful to be torn down to make way for another B.U.B. (Big Ugly Building). We here in Berkeley have already way too much of that! 

These “developers” tear down older buildings which are perfectly good, and in far too many instances, absolutely charming old buildings. 

The article described breathtakingly beautiful murals, many of them depicting gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman mythology, done in silver leaf! Imagine the energy and painstaking hard work that went into the project when the theater was built! And now, some guy that owns a furniture store was using the Cerrito Theater for storage for furniture. How crass! 

It was mentioned in the article that there are married couples who went to the Cerrito Theater for a film, on a date, and fell in love because of it. It must have a lot of meaning in their lives. How will tearing down the Cerrito Theater impact their lives, when they have a place in their hearts for the place they first fell in love? It just does not seem right at all to tear down this theater. 

I am sure that this theater can be retrofitted to make it “earthquake resistant.” I know that it could also be renovated with a modern theater audio dolby digital/DTS surround sound system, just like other cinemas. Imagine how awesome!  

The Cerrito Theater should be preserved. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” 

Thank you for the wonderful article about this. It is a part of California history and heritage. “”A city without a past lacks a soul.” (Weinstein). All the best, 

Dave Yandle