Richard Brenneman:
              
              Workers prepare the final assault on Congregation Beth Israel. ›
Richard Brenneman: Workers prepare the final assault on Congregation Beth Israel. ›

Page One

Local Politicians Lead Effort To Open Domestic Violence Center

By JAKOB SCHILLER
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Services for victims of domestic violence exist in various agencies throughout Alameda County, and that is part of the problem, according to representatives from several local social service organizations. Trying to piece those services together to serve a domestic violence victim can be a time consuming and convoluted process. -more-



Synagogue Demolished, But Where’s the Permit?

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Tuesday May 18, 2004

The 83-year-old building housing the oldest traditional synagogue in the East Bay and the largest Orthodox congregation in Northern California is no more—and two city commissioner think that just might not be. . .appropriate. -more-



Brower Center, Budget Issues on Council Agenda

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Tuesday May 18, 2004

The City Council tonight (Tuesday, May 18) is scheduled to review and vote on the latest plan to transform the city-owned parking lot on Oxford Street (between Allston Way and Kittredge Street) into the largest affordable housing complex in the city and a mecca for environmental activism and education. -more-



Berkeley This Week Calendar

Tuesday May 18, 2004

TUESDAY, MAY 18 -more-



UC Reclaims Field, Demands Removal of Abandoned Sculptures

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Tuesday May 18, 2004

For sculptor and former trucking company owner Richard Katz, and many others like him, West Berkeley’s Harrison Fields used to be their playground. -more-



Features

State Misses Lead Poisoning’s New, Immigrant Face

By Mary Jo McConahay Pacific News Service
Tuesday May 18, 2004

SEASIDE, Calif.—Elevated levels of toxic lead are being found in the blood of children at a small airy clinic in this central coastal town of 33,450 people. The culprit may be grasshoppers captured 2,000 miles away in Mexican villages, lovingly fried with garlic, salt and lime and sent by the pound in care packages to family members here. -more-


Fire Department Log

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Tuesday May 18, 2004

The East Bay fire season got off to an extraordinarily early start at 8 a.m. Monday, sparked by a combination of dry hillsides and winds. -more-


Pumpkins Perfect for Foggy Berkeley

By SHIRLEY BARKER Special to the Planet
Tuesday May 18, 2004

As with many newcomers to Berkeley, I thought summers here would be hot. Dreams of heat-loving, even tropical, vegetables floated through my mind. The reality is cold July fog and not a ripe tomato this side of the hills. Of those that do well, beans are predictable, zucchini monotonous, and winter squash culinarily challenged. These last two members of the Cucurbitaceae family do have one outstanding relative that qualifies as a seasonal necessity, not just a ritual: the pumpkin. -more-


PUMPKIN SOUP

Tuesday May 18, 2004

PUMPKIN SOUP -more-


Torture Photos, Videos a Time-Honored CIA Tradition

By PETER DALE SCOTT Pacific News Service
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Shocking visual images have dominated the Iraq news in the past weeks. First, of criminal torture of prisoners by Americans, and then of the beheading of American Nicholas Berg by a group the CIA alleges is headed by the Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Many stories have raised the rather absurd question of whether the practice of torture by Americans is an aberration. There is abundant proof, however, that both the abusive interrogation practices and the photographic documentation of them are techniques that the CIA has sanctioned and taught over more than 30 years. -more-


Letters to the Editor

Tuesday May 18, 2004

INCONCEIVABLE -more-


A More Reasonable Interpretation of the Density Bonus Law?

By ROBERT LAURISTON
Tuesday May 18, 2004

From a recent Daily Planet story on University Avenue zoning: “For buildings that include affordable housing ... state law allows [developers] to build 25 percent more space than allowed under zoning requirements.” This is a succinct statement of Berkeley city staff’s interpretation of state law. It is not, however, exactly what the law says. -more-


Torture? Hard to Believe? Hardly

By ROGER BURBACH and PAUL CANTOR
Tuesday May 18, 2004

“The whole thing is disgusting and it’s hard to believe,” said California Senator Dianne Feinstein referring to the torture of Iraqis by U.S. military personnel. -more-


Closing Derby for a Baseball Field Will Create Traffic on Nearby Streets

By DOROTHY BRYANT
Tuesday May 18, 2004

On April 23 the Berkeley Daily Planet published a report by Matthew Artz on a meeting of the school board at which, Artz wrote, the board announced their plan to build a “multipurpose athletic field,” at Derby and MLK Way for soccer and softball, for the use of three schools, without installation of lights. -more-


Reviewer Pans UC’s Latest LRDP Release

By SHARON HUDSON
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Hooray! Every book club in Berkeley has now had ample time to read the university’s new 2020 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). Despite our eager anticipation, however, I regret that this reviewer must give this ponderous tome an unequivocal “thumbs down.” Despite some intriguing raw material, the authors fail to reveal even a kernel of truth that would make this book either meaningful or useful. Anyone looking for a fresh approach to the topic will be sorely disappointed, and I fear that few readers will be able to make it through the entire 1000-page volume without reaching for the Pepto-Bismol. -more-


Will the University’s Transportation Policies Be Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

By ROB WRENN
Tuesday May 18, 2004

The University of California is a top university with a wealth of talent and knowledge and you might assume that some of that brainpower would be employed to ensure that further university development is undertaken in an environmentally sound, sustainable fashion. -more-


From Susan Parker: On Drugs and Dogs And Dumb Questions on a Corner

From Susan Parker
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Andrea, the woman who helps me take care of my husband, walked down to the corner liquor store to buy cigarettes one night around 9 p.m. Although the store is only a block from my house, I never patronize it as there’s too much questionable activity going on around its parking lot. Instead, I drive my car a mile to the closest full-service grocery store. Andrea doesn’t have a car and so she does not have that option. -more-


A No Commercial Interruption

By PETER SOLOMON
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Experts on communication have noted with approval the increasing number and variety of public channels of information—media without a commercial message, open to almost anyone. -more-


Election Section

Pagans on Parade Cavort in Downtown Berkeley

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Bay Area tree-worshippers, Goddess-worshippers, gay and straight wiccans, Shinto devotees and their kindred—many of them clad in lavish costumes—gathered in Berkeley Saturday for the always colorful Pagan Pride Parade and Celebration. -more-


Exhibit Shows Iraqi Children’s View of Invasion

By Jakob Schiller
Tuesday May 18, 2004

On one of the walls of the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) in downtown Oakland, there is a drawing of the Tigris River running red, a crude picture of a young girl next to a map of Iraq with the word “why” as the heading, and a colorful picture of a helicopter gunship and tank shooting at a field of flowers, with the misspelled statement, “We are not gilty.” -more-


Arts Calendar

Tuesday May 18, 2004

TUESDAY, MAY 18 -more-


Thrush? Modest Coat Belies Brilliant Skills

By JOE EATON Special to the Planet, Photo by: Peter LaTourrette
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Here’s a suggestion: Take an early morning or late afternoon walk in Tilden Park, along the trail that starts at the Lone Oak picnic area and follows Wildcat Creek. This time of year you’ll be surrounded by birdsong—black-headed grosbeaks, warbling vireo s, Wilson’s warblers—but one voice in particular will stand out. The performance may start with a soft “whit,” likened by some listeners to the drip of water into a bucket. Then the Swainson’s thrush, newly returned from its Mexican and Central American w intering grounds, will get serious. From somewhere in the oaks and bay laurel will come what Alexander Skutch, who has heard these birds warming up in Costa Rica, called “slender liquid spirals of song.” The smooth notes flow in an ascending scale, with a reedy effect as the pitch rises. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear several males with adjacent territories matching voices, the song-duels echoing off the cliffs that rise above the creek. -more-


Cartoon

Justin DeFreitas
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Cartoon by Justin DeFreitasfl -more-


Editorial

‘Throatox’ Shot Gives Voice a Lift

By BLAIR GOLSON Featurewell
Tuesday May 18, 2004

Has your voice turned a bit raspy over the years? If so, it's likely that your vocal cords have gone the way of your chin: slack and draggy. But now that injecting botulism into your neck have spruced things up in the face department, why not give the vocal cords a little firming up? -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

‘Throatox’ Shot Gives Voice a Lift 05-18-2004

Editorial: Taking an Acrimony Break 05-14-2004

News

Local Politicians Lead Effort To Open Domestic Violence Center By JAKOB SCHILLER 05-18-2004

Synagogue Demolished, But Where’s the Permit? By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-18-2004

Brower Center, Budget Issues on Council Agenda By MATTHEW ARTZ 05-18-2004

Berkeley This Week Calendar 05-18-2004

UC Reclaims Field, Demands Removal of Abandoned Sculptures By MATTHEW ARTZ 05-18-2004

State Misses Lead Poisoning’s New, Immigrant Face By Mary Jo McConahay Pacific News Service 05-18-2004

Fire Department Log By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-18-2004

Pumpkins Perfect for Foggy Berkeley By SHIRLEY BARKER Special to the Planet 05-18-2004

PUMPKIN SOUP 05-18-2004

Torture Photos, Videos a Time-Honored CIA Tradition By PETER DALE SCOTT Pacific News Service 05-18-2004

Letters to the Editor 05-18-2004

A More Reasonable Interpretation of the Density Bonus Law? By ROBERT LAURISTON 05-18-2004

Torture? Hard to Believe? Hardly By ROGER BURBACH and PAUL CANTOR 05-18-2004

Closing Derby for a Baseball Field Will Create Traffic on Nearby Streets By DOROTHY BRYANT 05-18-2004

Reviewer Pans UC’s Latest LRDP Release By SHARON HUDSON 05-18-2004

Will the University’s Transportation Policies Be Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution? By ROB WRENN 05-18-2004

From Susan Parker: On Drugs and Dogs And Dumb Questions on a Corner From Susan Parker 05-18-2004

A No Commercial Interruption By PETER SOLOMON 05-18-2004

Pagans on Parade Cavort in Downtown Berkeley By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-18-2004

Exhibit Shows Iraqi Children’s View of Invasion By Jakob Schiller 05-18-2004

Arts Calendar 05-18-2004

Thrush? Modest Coat Belies Brilliant Skills By JOE EATON Special to the Planet, Photo by: Peter LaTourrette 05-18-2004

Cartoon Justin DeFreitas 05-18-2004

Task Force Criticized For Lack of Diversity By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

Cabbies Win NLRB Union Ruling By JAKOB SCHILLER 05-14-2004

UC Tax Exemptions Rooted In Law and Court Rulings By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

Berkeley This Week Calendar 05-14-2004

Wozniak Seeks Changes in Parking Enforcement By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

Residents Blast UCB’s Long-Range Expansion Plan By MATTHEW ARTZ 05-14-2004

Survey Boosts Funding for Berkeley Homeless By MATTHEW ARTZ 05-14-2004

Confusion Surrounds University Avenue Zoning Plan By MATTHEW ARTZ 05-14-2004

Briefly Noted 05-14-2004

Artists Challenge Proposed Animal Shelter Location By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

Tireless Music Man Awarded Teacher of the Year By JAKOB SCHILLER 05-14-2004

Commission Denies Landmark Status to Amos Cottage By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

UnderCurrents: Rethinking Assumptions About Oakland’s Violence J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 05-14-2004

Letters to the Editor 05-14-2004

Comprehensive Health Care Is A Basic Right, Not A Privilege By Congresswoman Barbara Lee 05-14-2004

Berkeley’s Housing Authority Administers Section 8, Public Housing By HELEN RIPPIER WHEELER 05-14-2004

Why Am I Not Surprised? By CAROL POLSGROVE 05-14-2004

Readers Respond to News From Iraq 05-14-2004

The Dead Have A Right to be Seen 05-14-2004

Fire Station Sparks More Controversy 05-14-2004

The Truth About Delays and Costs By PETER CUKOR 05-14-2004

‘Acis’ Continues Berkeley Opera’s Excellent Run By OLIVIA STAPPSpecial to the Planet 05-14-2004

Notes From The Underground: UC Program Gives Young Musicians Something to Sing About C. SUPRYNOWICZ 05-14-2004

Arts Calendar 05-14-2004

Jarvis Intended To Bring Chaos To Government By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 05-14-2004

Marin’s Samuel Taylor Is a Throwback To The 19th Century By MARTA YAMAMOTO Special to the Planet 05-14-2004

Cartoon Justin DeFreitas 05-14-2004