Two issues not listed on the agenda—a teacher “work to rule” slowdown and a proposed plan for the district’s Derby Street field—dominated discussion at this week’s meeting of the board of directors of the Berkeley Unified School District. -more-

Trying to lower consumer energy bills and increase its use of renewable energy, Berkeley, along with other Bay Area cities, is considering jumping into the energy business. -more-

Backed by a coalition of activists and endorsed by their county’s leading public health official, Richmond City Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin’s call for a change in oversight at two toxics-contaminated shoreline sites won the unanimous endorsement of her colleagues Tuesday. -more-

A group of six Oakland residents were arrested in the offices of Randolph Ward, the state school administrator, Tuesday evening after demanding a meeting with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell over plans to close adult education. -more-

A member of the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education is calling the proposed charter takeover of a West Oakland elementary school “illegal” and the justification for the takeover “to put it nicely, untrue.” -more-

Proposed revisions to the city’s Landmarks Preservation Ordinance hit a minor stumbling block Wednesday when a Planning Commission subcommittee couldn’t agree on what to change. -more-

Two months after threatening to shut down Berkeley’s historic ice rink, city officials are giving a tentative thumbs up to Berkeley Iceland’s plan to upgrade its operations. -more-

The Library Board of Trustees will likely hold off voting on a controversial reorganization plan that would mean pink slips for an estimated 12 employees. -more-

Plans for the proposed Ed Roberts Center for the disabled took a major step forward Wednesday when a key congressional committee endorsed a $3 million funding package for the Ashby Bart Station project. -more-

The hotly contested March 8 mayoral race in Los Angeles has put a spotlight on the contentious issues of urban racial balkanization, white flight, surging Latino voter strength, declining black political power and police abuse. Two of the top challengers in the race, California State Sen. Richard Alarcon and Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa are politically savvy and nationally known Latino candidates. Villaraigosa was a national co-chair of Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign. -more-

It’s a hundred-million-dollar-a-year business, a business that provides outstanding benefits for its 147 employees, that engages in many practices to protect the environment, supports community building around laudable causes, avidly promotes participation in sports—and produces something indescribably delicious and outrageously healthy. -more-

PUBLIC LIBRARY -more-

Click here to view the latest work by Planet cartoonist Justin DeFreitas -more-

What should be the role of the police in our community? -more-

Last summer my then-14-year-old daughter Liana and her friend Jen walked up to Telegraph Avenue to participate in the all-time favorite teen pastime: hanging out. As defined by Liana, “hanging out can mean anything. Going to a friend’s house and sitting around, watching TV or playing video games, going in the backyard or just talking about stuff. Basically, hanging out is this: -more-

Imagine you are walking downtown with the two kids in tow. It’s Saturday afternoon. The streets are bustling with people. Suddenly, The Noise, louder than anything you’ve ever heard, blasts your attention. It sounds like the pulsing pressure of a motorcycle, grating like a car alarm, with the intensity of a foghorn blasting right into your ears. What the? It’s so LOUD! Gotta get away. Where is it coming from? People on the street are running every which way, hands glued to their ears, eyes squinting with pain. Not that way. Not there. Try inside the building. Where’s Susie? You look down at her terrified face. Blood is trickling from her ears. Her eyes are about to explode. You can’t bend down to carry her because your hands are locked over your ears. It doesn’t help. The Noise is blaring inside your head. You head into the building. The pulsing. The grating. Machine guns are shooting into your ears. People are falling over each other. You can’t hear their screams. You only feel the pulsing pain. And the warm blood running down your neck. -more-

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia—The U.S. government is demanding that the Bolivian Congress approve an agreement that would grant immunity to U.S. troops and officials accused of human rights violations, exempting them from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. That effort, which includes a threat to withhold financial aid and access to free trade, seems to be backfiring. -more-

Attempted Murder -more-

As the City of Berkeley and the University of California tackle the problems of the LRDP 2020, it seems they are both avoiding the real issue of cooperation to solve the problems it creates. It is useful to see how other large public universities manage their relationships with their host cities, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor provides a good example. -more-

Berkeley is becoming the poster child for the Brave New World of radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking tags in library materials, and helping to legitimize a potential billion-dollar RFID industry—unless citizens take action to stop it. A piece in the jigsaw puzzle of the surveillance society is now being installed at public expense at the Berkeley Public Library—with little public discussion beforehand and a library administration selling it with information that is incomplete, misleading, and at times simply wrong. -more-

The challenge that confronts the working class in America is mounting. Unprecedented levels of military spending and tax cuts for the wealthy have left federal, state and local governments scrambling to address growing budget deficits. The result has been widespread layoffs of public sector employees and the privatization of well paying public sector jobs with union representation. With an emphasis on profits and market share, private sector employers must cut costs to remain competitive, and these costs include workers’ wages, retirement, and health care. Attempts by workers in the private sector to organize are often met with strong resistance by employers who seek to stave off workers’ demands. This shift from public to private and the accompanying “de-unionization” of the workforce has been disastrous for working people: real income continues to decline for workers while the richest one percent in the U.S. now own as much wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined; over 40 million Americans lack basic health care and those with coverage face soaring costs; and retirement security is being threatened for working people across the country. -more-

Don’t let the title fool you. The San Francisco Chamber Ensemble’s American Classics program this weekend pays due homage to both Europe and America, the past and the future, crabbed age and youth. -more-

When Nancy Schimmel is invited to perform for a fourth grade California History unit, she tells stories using her mother Malvina Reynolds’ experiences in the 1906 quake, then sings “Heroes,” a song Nancy wrote about acts of courage in crisis by ordinary people. -more-

A prime candidate for Berkeley’s most under-recognized asset may well be the University’s Theater Department. (Actually the academic title is the mouthful “Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies” but, for the nonce, you’ll probably forgive the abbreviation). -more-

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 -more-

Lacey, a pitbull mix, enjoys the afternoon breeze in West Berkeley Thursday afternoon. Lacey was rescued by Kathy Kear, a dog trainer who specializes in working with abandoned pitbulls. -more-

Rain or shine, a good place to be in Berkeley this weekend is indoors, listening to a memorable musical performance. -more-

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 -more-