Richard Brenneman: 
              The “flying cottage,” a Shattuck Avenue home elevated atop two stories built last year, was roundly assailed by neighbors, who want to see the structure scaled down to fit into their neighborhood of century-old one- and two-story homes. o
Richard Brenneman: The “flying cottage,” a Shattuck Avenue home elevated atop two stories built last year, was roundly assailed by neighbors, who want to see the structure scaled down to fit into their neighborhood of century-old one- and two-story homes. o

Page One

Design Panel Slams Latest ‘Flying Cottage’ Plan By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday December 21, 2004

City Design Review Committee (DRC) members got their first glimpse Thursday at the latest plans for the “floating cottage” at 3045 Shattuck Ave., and they didn’t like what they saw. -more-



Complaints From Residents Spark Changes at Senior Home By MATTHEW ARTZ

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Rita Garcia knew the senior housing complex where she lived couldn’t go much longer without a resident manager the day she locked her keys in her apartment last August. -more-



Landlord Sweetens the Deal for Tenants By MATTHEW ARTZ

Tuesday December 21, 2004

When it comes to Berkeley landlords, Mark Tarses breaks the mold. -more-



Parents Fume Over Oakland School for the Arts Miscues By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday December 21, 2004

A group of disillusioned parents of students at Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) charter school have issued a scathing “Report Card 2004” on the school, blasting OSA for everything from unqualified teachers to undisclosed fees to what it calls “academic labeling of students.” -more-



Critics Win New Victory in Campus Bay Cleanup By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday December 21, 2004

The constant flow of heavily loaded trucks scheduled to move out of Campus Bay this week marks a second partial victory for critics of the marshland cleanup at the heavily contaminated Richmond site. -more-



Features

BUSD Wins Measure A Funding For 3 School Nurses By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday December 21, 2004

An Alameda County bond measure passed this year primarily to shore up Highland Hospital will now be used to put three nurses in Berkeley public schools. -more-


Supervisors Back County Detox Center By MATTHEW ARTZ

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Alameda County took a big step last week towards building a detox center when the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to set aside $2 million to fund a program. -more-


Levine Ridicules Challenges to Point Molate Casino Plan By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday December 21, 2004

“Ridiculous,” said Berkeley developer James D. Levine when asked about the latest legal challenges to his plans to build a major tribal casino, resort, shopping center and entertainment complex at Richmond’s Point Molate. -more-


Claremont Employees Stage One More Picket By JAKOB SCHILLER

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Claremont workers said they hope the 12-hour picket line they staged at the hotel on Friday will be their last. -more-


Bayer Backs Out of Genetic Engineering in India By PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK UPDATE SERVICE

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Greenpeace India announced in November 2004 that Bayer CropScience has ended efforts to commercialize genetically engineered (GE) crops in India. Bayer’s announcement came after weeks of protests, including an 11- hour protest in Mumbai, during which Greenpeace activists chained themselves to Bayer headquarters and unfurled banners proclaiming, “Bayer Poisons Our Food.” -more-


Campaign 2004: Are There Signs of Life After Death? By BOB BURNETT News Analysis

Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 21, 2004

Dante wrote that the gates of Hell bear the admonition “All hope abandon, ye who enter here!” This phrase aptly conveys the feelings of many Americans as we prepare to enter four more years of the Bush administration. -more-


Another Water Revolt Begins in Bolivia By JIM SHULTZ Commentary

Pacific News Service
Tuesday December 21, 2004

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia—Five years ago the issue of water privatization exploded here when massive public protests forced out a consortium of firms led by the California engineering giant, Bechtel. Within weeks of taking over the city’s public water company, Bechtel hiked up rates by as much as 200 percent, far beyond what the city’s poor could afford to pay. -more-


Letters to the Editor

Tuesday December 21, 2004

MARIN AVENUE -more-



Teaching a Child to Swim: A Fun, Wholesome and Righteous Activity By SUSAN PARKER

Column
Tuesday December 21, 2004

One of the first columns I wrote and published was about teaching my friend Jernae to swim at the Emeryville Public Pool. I described how I was the only adult in the water, and how children surrounded me, wrapped their skinny arms around my neck and hollered at me to watch them as they did multiple cannonballs in my face. Most of the kids did not know how to swim and were therefore relegated to the shallow end of the pool. The deep end was empty, serene, and placid; the three-foot section was crowded, wild and noisy. Within the middle of this storm I attempted to instruct Jernae on the finer points of the doggie paddle. -more-


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Cyclist Badly Hurt in Hit-and-Run -more-


Why Unhappy People are Voting Against Things By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Commentary

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Rarely does an elected official publicly broach spot-on analysis of so delicate a topic as the defeat of the four city tax measures that the Berkeley City Council placed on last November’s ballot, especially when that analysis puts the onus on his colleagues, their staff and himself. -more-


Invasion and Reconstruction: It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again By NEIL COOK, Commentary

Tuesday December 21, 2004

I’ve got to admit it: There were parts of American history back in high school that simply bored me to sleep. So I probably slept through extensive parts of the subject. Recent events have, however, awakened an interest. -more-


Surviving Suprematism: Lazar Khidekel By PETER SELZ

Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 21, 2004

An exhibition of art and architecture by the Russian artist and architect Lazar Khidekel is currently on view at the Judah L. Magnes Museum. It is entitled “Surviving Suprematism” and the drawings, watercolors, sketches and photographs of Khidekel’s buildings are indeed examples of survival. -more-


Election Section

Arts Calendar

Tuesday December 21, 2004

TUESDAY, DEC. 21 -more-


Celebrating the Spectacle of the Returning Grebes By JOE EATON

Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 21, 2004

The grebes are back on the bay: the chunky eared and horned grebes, the elegant javelin-beaked Clark’s and western grebes. The eared and horned have traded the golden plumes of the nesting season for winter black and white, the permanent pattern of the two larger species. A couple of days ago at Cesar Chavez Park I was watching an eared grebe just offshore as it submerged with a forward leap, then popped up like a cork a few yards away. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Tuesday December 21, 2004

TUESDAY, DEC. 21 -more-


Editorial

Seasonal Cheer at the Berkeley Flea By BECKY O'MALLEY

Editorial
Tuesday December 21, 2004

Right about now things are starting to slow down a bit for some people (especially public employees who are taking advantage of optional holiday days off) and speed up for others (Santa Claus and the harried folks who help him out, especially mothers and fathers who have jobs they can’t escape even during the holidays). Last weekend was the countdown weekend for busy people who like to give gifts but don’t have much time to shop. And it was also the only pre-Christmas weekend for parties and such, given that the holidays are on Saturdays this year. There are those, of course, who pride themselves on using the solstice period as an opportunity to demonstrate that they can even be self-absorbed in the midst of the frenetic efforts to connect that motivate others at this time of year. While those about them are wrapping presents and singing carols, such people are taking long solitary walks on the beach. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Seasonal Cheer at the Berkeley Flea By BECKY O'MALLEY 12-21-2004

The Market Speaks: Can Berkeley Hear? By BECKY O'MALLEY 12-17-2004

News

Design Panel Slams Latest ‘Flying Cottage’ Plan By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-21-2004

Complaints From Residents Spark Changes at Senior Home By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-21-2004

Landlord Sweetens the Deal for Tenants By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-21-2004

Parents Fume Over Oakland School for the Arts Miscues By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 12-21-2004

Critics Win New Victory in Campus Bay Cleanup By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-21-2004

BUSD Wins Measure A Funding For 3 School Nurses By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 12-21-2004

Supervisors Back County Detox Center By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-21-2004

Levine Ridicules Challenges to Point Molate Casino Plan By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-21-2004

Claremont Employees Stage One More Picket By JAKOB SCHILLER 12-21-2004

Bayer Backs Out of Genetic Engineering in India By PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK UPDATE SERVICE 12-21-2004

Campaign 2004: Are There Signs of Life After Death? By BOB BURNETT News Analysis Special to the Planet 12-21-2004

Another Water Revolt Begins in Bolivia By JIM SHULTZ Commentary Pacific News Service 12-21-2004

Letters to the Editor 12-21-2004

Editorial Cartoons By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 12-21-2004

Teaching a Child to Swim: A Fun, Wholesome and Righteous Activity By SUSAN PARKER Column 12-21-2004

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-21-2004

Why Unhappy People are Voting Against Things By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Commentary 12-21-2004

Invasion and Reconstruction: It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again By NEIL COOK, Commentary 12-21-2004

Surviving Suprematism: Lazar Khidekel By PETER SELZ Special to the Planet 12-21-2004

Arts Calendar 12-21-2004

Celebrating the Spectacle of the Returning Grebes By JOE EATON Special to the Planet 12-21-2004

Berkeley This Week 12-21-2004

Critics Assail Proposed West Berkeley Bowl By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-17-2004

Controversial Laney College Contract Put on Hold By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 12-17-2004

Challenge to Point Molate Casino Filed by Open Space Advocates By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-17-2004

Oakland Village Offers a Glimpse of the Past By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-17-2004

Council Postpones Marin Avenue Plan, Approves Expansion For Elmwood Clothier By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-17-2004

Council Calls for Presidential Vote Investigation By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-17-2004

Around Town Jakob Schiller 12-17-2004

New City Fire Chief Ready for the Challenge By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-17-2004

Interim Report Says School Budget is Back on Track By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 12-17-2004

Locals Open Wallets for Berkeley Public Library By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-17-2004

Independent Study Program Offers Model for State By ANNIE KASSOF Special to the Planet 12-17-2004

Let’s Name All the Bridges By GAR SMITH Special to the Planet 12-17-2004

Cody’s Workers Approve Contract By JAKOB SCHILLER 12-17-2004

Homefinders Bankrupt By MATTHEW ARTZ 12-17-2004

Letters to the Editor 12-17-2004

Editorial Cartoons By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 12-17-2004

The Battle for Control of Oakland’s Public Schools By J.DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR UNDERCURRENTS OF THE EAST BAY AND BEYOND 12-17-2004

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 12-17-2004

They Say Kofi Annan is Scandalous? By NICHOLAS SMITH Commentary 12-17-2004

Rent Control is Fully Constitutional And Good Public Policy By PAUL HOGARTH Commentary 12-17-2004

Holiday Gift Ideas From Two Berkeley Neighborhoods, and Then Some By ZELDA BRONSTEIN Special to the Planet 12-17-2004

Local Merchants Promote ‘Green’ Holiday Gifts By PATRICK GALVIN Special to the Planet 12-17-2004

Arts Calendar 12-17-2004

Literature of the Plant Hunters in the Giving Season By SHIRLEY BARKER Special to the Planet 12-17-2004

Berkeley This Week 12-17-2004