Jakob Schiller:
               
              Johanna Herrera, caregiver at Alta Bates Medical Center, chants picket songs during a candle-light vigil outside the hospital’s Berkeley campus Thursday evening. ?
Jakob Schiller: Johanna Herrera, caregiver at Alta Bates Medical Center, chants picket songs during a candle-light vigil outside the hospital’s Berkeley campus Thursday evening. ?

Page One

Sutter Locks Out Striking Workers By RICHARD BRENNEMAN and JAKOB SCHILER

Friday December 03, 2004

Sutter Health carried out its threat against nurses and other union members who staged a one-day walkout Wednesday and refused to let them go back to work Thursday morning, the start of a four-day lockout. -more-



Peralta Makes Exclusive Pact To Plan Laney Development By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN TAYLOR

Friday December 03, 2004

Over the strong objections of the Laney College president, Laney College staff representatives, and Trustee-elect Nicky González Yuen, a lame-duck session of the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees has authorized a free-of-charge, one-year agreement with an Oakland development firm to negotiate possible commercial development of certain Laney College and Peralta District properties. -more-



Pickets Target Toxic Site Plan By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday December 03, 2004

Richmond residents, business folk, environmental activists and newly elected City Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin braved the 40-degree cold Wednesday morning to picket one of the entrances to Campus Bay, protesting ongoing operations at the site. -more-



Jubilee Stripped of City Funding By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday December 03, 2004

City officials Tuesday froze funds to Jubilee Restoration Inc., its third largest non-profit housing developer, after reports submitted by the organization in response to a federal probe revealed that the organization had diverted federal funds. -more-



Elmwood Theater Renovations to Last Into New Year By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Friday December 03, 2004

Problems with renovation work are expected to delay opening of Berkeley’s Elmwood Theater until past the first of the year, but a local engineer involved in seismic retrofit of the theater building says his portion of the project is not to blame. -more-



Features

Police Review Director Attard Bolts For San Jose By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday December 03, 2004

Longtime Berkeley Police Review Commission Director Barbara Attard announced her resignation this week to become San Jose’s police auditor. -more-


Mylar-Induced Power Outage Hits Southside By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday December 03, 2004

Balloons made of Mylar and aluminum don’t mix too well with power lines, as more than 4,000 South Berkeley customers of PG&E’s electric service discovered abruptly at 9:06 Saturday morning. -more-


Shelter Warms Hearts of City’s Homeless Youth By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday December 03, 2004

T-Rex, 25, says he has been living on Berkeley streets since he was eight. Wednesday night, however, he and his dog escaped the bitter winds blowing through their wooded hillside squat to take refuge in the city’s shelter for homeless youth. -more-


Body of Transient Found Under Max Anderson’s Deck By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday December 03, 2004

Linda Olivenbaum, spouse of newly elected Berkeley City Councilmember Max Anderson, Jr., made a gruesome discovery in her back yard when she went to move her car recently. -more-


Two Groups Battle for KPFA Listener Board By JAKOB SCHILLER

Friday December 03, 2004

In a hotly contested election race that ends Monday, two groups are vying for nine open seats on KPFA 94.1 FM’s Listener Station Board. -more-


ZAB Approves University Avenue Project, Bids Adieu as Capitelli Heads to Council By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday December 03, 2004

Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board members greenlighted a five-story University Avenue condominium project Monday, saying they were delighted that the developer would be offering units to low-income residents. -more-


20 Years After Bhopal, Women Fight For Justice SANDIP ROY

Pacific News Service
Friday December 03, 2004

Twenty years down the road, if anything good has come from the terrible gas leak in Bhopal, India, it is the birthing of a new generation of unlikely heroes. -more-


Election 2004: Another Look At the Disputed Vote Count By BOB BURNETT

Special to the Planet, NEWS ANALYSIS
Friday December 03, 2004

Four weeks after the presidential election, there continues to be a controversy about the difference between the exit poll projections and the actual results. Almost daily, conspiracy theories surface on Internet blogs, only to be refuted a few hours later. -more-



Letters to the Editor

Friday December 03, 2004

BERKELEY TAXES -more-


Brown’s Police Chief Choice Could Help Him in ‘06 Campaign By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

UNDERCURRENTS OF THE EAST BAY AND BEYOND
Friday December 03, 2004

The Oakland chips are beginning to fall in place for Mayor Jerry Brown’s run for California attorney general in 2006, and if you thought the whole purpose of the effort was for the Oakland chips to fall in place for the rest of us in Oakland, you went and slept through part of this production, didn’t you? -more-


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday December 03, 2004

Nondescript Slasher -more-


A New Hit From the Past: Berkeley Rep Performs Hurston’s ‘Polk County’ By KEN BULLOCK

Special to the Planet
Friday December 03, 2004

Against Thomas Lynch’s set of “life on this sorry sawmill camp”—great beams hold up roof and sidings of rusted metal, flanked by a two-story tall iron wheel, with a ragged line of treetops painted on the backdrop—Lonnie (Kevin Jackson) comes out at dawn and sings the Shack Rouser Song “Wake up . . . Day’s breakin’.” -more-


Proposed UC Bridge is Wasteful, Unnecessary By NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION and BERKELEYANS FOR A LIVABLE UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT

COMMENTARY
Friday December 03, 2004

On Tuesday, Dec. 7, the City Council will vote on the Foothill Bridge, which UC Berkeley proposes building on upper Hearst Avenue, at the intersection of La Loma, Hearst, and Gayley Road. To build this bridge, UC Berkeley must obtain an encroachment permit (airspace approval), from the city. -more-


The Irresponsibilities of Religion By THOMAS ULATOWSKI

COMMENTARY
Friday December 03, 2004

Since there is no worldwide religious consensus, the belief in divine revelation produces this devastating dichotomy: Either God is not almighty because He was incapable of making Himself clear regarding the existence of one true religion, or the Almighty created mostly defective people who can’t recognize His clear message. Consequently, faiths based on a revelation by a god who claims to be both omnipotent and omnibenevolent must either inculcate a prejudice against nonbelievers or an aversion to impartial consideration. -more-


Election Section

For Sure-to-Please Gifts, Look to West Berkeley By ZELDA BRONSTEIN

Special to the Planet
Friday December 03, 2004

Go West, ye seekers of gifts. To be precise, go to San Pablo Avenue, to Fourth Street, and to venues nearby and in between. Here are some choice possibilities that turned up on a recent random tour of shops on the west side of town. -more-


A Play Forgotten 60 Years Ago Comes To Life in Berkeley Rep Production By BETSY M. HUNTON

Special to the Planet
Friday December 03, 2004

Berkeley Repertory is joining in a production called Polk County with Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, and here it is, the East Coast cast, same director, same staging, same everything. It sounds as if the Rep is getting off pretty easy. But it turns out that it isn’t all that easy at all, as we’ll get into later. The question now is, what’s the reason for all the hoopla? -more-


Day Trip to Sonoma, Home of the Bear Republic By MARTA YAMAMOTO

Special to the Planet
Friday December 03, 2004

It’s a beautiful, crisp morning in the town of Sonoma. Sunlight reflects off color-saturated autumn foliage and whitewashed adobe buildings. From the park in Sonoma Plaza, a pleasant walk leads you past Sonoma State Historic Park, charming boutiques, enticing eateries and beautifully restored Victorian homes. A perfect day for an extended “paseo” in the heart of wine country. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Friday December 03, 2004

FRIDAY, DEC. 3 -more-


Editorial

Shop & Live: One Stop By BECKY O'MALLEY

EDITORIAL
Friday December 03, 2004

It’s become a staple Christmas Grinch feature for small town papers, metro dailies, and even NPR: The Salvation Army’s familiar bell ringers with kettles for donations are banned from yet another collection site. This year’s villain is the Target chain, which gets a fair amount of favorable publicity at other times of the year from its foundation’s support of a variety of charitable causes. Target’s excuse is that if they let the Salvation Army collect, everyone else wants to do it too. Sorry, but that’s not good enough. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Shop & Live: One Stop By BECKY O'MALLEY 12-03-2004

Smart Growth Backlash Threat: By BECKY O'MALLEY 11-30-2004

News

Sutter Locks Out Striking Workers By RICHARD BRENNEMAN and JAKOB SCHILER 12-03-2004

Peralta Makes Exclusive Pact To Plan Laney Development By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN TAYLOR 12-03-2004

Pickets Target Toxic Site Plan By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-03-2004

Jubilee Stripped of City Funding By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-03-2004

Elmwood Theater Renovations to Last Into New Year By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 12-03-2004

Police Review Director Attard Bolts For San Jose By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-03-2004

Mylar-Induced Power Outage Hits Southside By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-03-2004

Shelter Warms Hearts of City’s Homeless Youth By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-03-2004

Body of Transient Found Under Max Anderson’s Deck By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-03-2004

Two Groups Battle for KPFA Listener Board By JAKOB SCHILLER 12-03-2004

ZAB Approves University Avenue Project, Bids Adieu as Capitelli Heads to Council By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-03-2004

20 Years After Bhopal, Women Fight For Justice SANDIP ROY Pacific News Service 12-03-2004

Election 2004: Another Look At the Disputed Vote Count By BOB BURNETT Special to the Planet, NEWS ANALYSIS 12-03-2004

Editorial Cartoons By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 12-03-2004

Letters to the Editor 12-03-2004

Brown’s Police Chief Choice Could Help Him in ‘06 Campaign By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR UNDERCURRENTS OF THE EAST BAY AND BEYOND 12-03-2004

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-03-2004

A New Hit From the Past: Berkeley Rep Performs Hurston’s ‘Polk County’ By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 12-03-2004

Proposed UC Bridge is Wasteful, Unnecessary By NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION and BERKELEYANS FOR A LIVABLE UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT COMMENTARY 12-03-2004

The Irresponsibilities of Religion By THOMAS ULATOWSKI COMMENTARY 12-03-2004

For Sure-to-Please Gifts, Look to West Berkeley By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Special to the Planet 12-03-2004

A Play Forgotten 60 Years Ago Comes To Life in Berkeley Rep Production By BETSY M. HUNTON Special to the Planet 12-03-2004

Day Trip to Sonoma, Home of the Bear Republic By MARTA YAMAMOTO Special to the Planet 12-03-2004

Berkeley This Week 12-03-2004

Vista Plans Bash To Help Fund Expansion: By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 11-30-2004

Jubilee Report Reveals Questionable Expenditures: By MATTHEW ARTZ 11-30-2004

Vote Count Protests Blast Media Silence: By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 11-30-2004

Alta Bates Walkout Met With Five-Day Lockout Threat: By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 11-30-2004

New Councilmembers’ Appointments Could Set Tone for City’s Development: By MATTHEW ARTZ 11-30-2004

MBNA Switches Cal Alumni Credit Card Without Member’s Approval: By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Special to the Planet 11-30-2004

Bush Victory Makes Europeans Ponder Religion: By PAOLO PONTONIERE Pacific News Service 11-30-2004

The Future of MoveOn: By RANDY SHAW NEWS COMMENTARY 11-30-2004

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Holds Holiday Craft Fair: By STEVEN FINACOM SPECIAL TO THE PLANET 11-30-2004

Letters to the Editor 11-30-2004

Editorial Cartoons: By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 11-30-2004

Police Blotter: By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 11-30-2004

Taking AC Transit Again, AfterVowing to Stay Off the Bus: By SUSAN PARKER COLUMN 11-30-2004

Hate and Lies: By DEAN METZGER COMMENTARY 11-30-2004

Principles for Progressives: By MICHAEL KATZ COMMENTARY 11-30-2004

Juana Alicia’s Murals Set Walls Aglow With Color: By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 11-30-2004

Free Speech and Censorship During Wartime: By JOHN DENVIR Special to the Planet 11-30-2004

Berkeley Author Investigates Iraq War Profiteers: By JUDITH SCHERR Special to the Planet 11-30-2004

Arts Calendar 11-30-2004

Native Live Oaks Host an Array of Species: By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet 11-30-2004

Berkeley This Week 11-30-2004