Anne Wagley: Photos of Meleia Willis-Starbuck adorned a shrine on College Avenue near Dwight Way where the Berkeley 19-year-old  was shot to death early Sunday morning..
Anne Wagley: Photos of Meleia Willis-Starbuck adorned a shrine on College Avenue near Dwight Way where the Berkeley 19-year-old was shot to death early Sunday morning..

Page One

Friends Mourn Slain Berkeley Teenager By MATTHEW ARTZ

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Meleia Willis-Starbuck always stood up for herself and loved ones, her friends said. -more-



Council to Review Landmarks Law, Fire Protection By MATTHEW ARTZ

Tuesday July 19, 2005

The City Council is poised Tuesday to restore fire service after an uproar earlier this month over the closure of the Berkeley hills fire station. -more-



KPFA Staffers Say ‘No Confidence’ By JUDITH SCHERR Special to the Planet

Tuesday July 19, 2005

The only way for listener-sponsored KPFA radio to move forward is to show General Manager Roy Campanella the door, according to the 70 members of the station’s paid and unpaid staff who have signed a letter of no confidence in Campanella. -more-



Controversy Surrounds Laney Africa Trip By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Even though she is not a professional tour guide or travel agent, West Oakland resident Rehema Gueye was not surprised when a Laney College student approached her earlier this year about arranging a student educational trip to West Africa. -more-



UC Regents Consider Fee Hike This Week By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday July 19, 2005

With University of California Regents preparing to vote on proposed increases in professional degree fees at this week’s meeting, four UC professional degree students have filed a class action lawsuit in San Francisco against the regents to prevent those increases. -more-



Features

Scoping Session for Bowl Project Slated for July 27 By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

The proposed new Berkeley Bowl planned for 9th Street and Heinz Avenue in West Berkeley is nearing the initial phase of the environmental review process. -more-


State Compromise Leaves BUSD Budget Uncertain By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday July 19, 2005

The recent 2005-06 California State budget passed by a legislative conference committee and signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated the governor’s shift of teacher retirement costs to local school districts, but what effect it will have on Berkeley Unified School District’s finances is yet to be determined. -more-


ZAB Ponders City’s Approach to Density Bonus By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Members of the Zoning Adjustments Board’s subcommittee on the city’s controversial application of the density bonus are beginning to see the light, they told fellow ZAB members Thursday. -more-


Heinz Avenue Landmark Building Owner Abandons Her Fight to Halt Demolition By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

After calling a temporary halt to plans to demolish the landmarked building she owns, Kathleen Garr said she’s about to give up—forced to surrender by the heavy costs she’d incur should she break her contract with developers. -more-


Four Die in Freeway Crashes By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Four people were killed in two fiery weekend collisions on I-80. -more-


Design Panel to Consider Senior Housing Project By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

If all goes well in a Thursday night hearing at the Design Review Commission (DRC), construction of an 80-unit low-income senior housing project at 1535 University Ave. can start soon. -more-


Letters to the Editor

Tuesday July 19, 2005

MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY -more-



Column: The Public Eye: "Planners' Alchemy" By ZELDA BRONSTEIN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

It’s not often that I discover a rich new metaphor in a bureaucratic memo. So it was a pleasant surprise to come across the image of the planner as alchemist in the California Senate Local Government Committee’s analysis of Assemblymember Loni Hancock’s Assembly Bill 691. -more-


Column: The Wild, Blue Eggs of Idaho By SUSAN PARKER

Staff
Tuesday July 19, 2005

I’m sitting in the middle seat of an Alaska Airline flight from Seattle to Oakland. An hour ago I arrived at SeaTac on a much smaller prop plane that had taken off from Spokane. Before that I was in the backseat of a Ford Explorer “taxi” owned by the Moose Express. I’ve been in Sandpoint, Idaho, for a week visiting friends. Now I’m heading home. -more-


Fire Department Log By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Range fire -more-


Commentary: God Bless a Free Press By BARBARA GILBERT

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Our lively and well-read local Berkeley newspaper, the Berkeley Daily Planet, and its eminences grises, the O’Malleys, are apparently under sustained assault by some city politicians and officials who do not like their attitude and who neither understand nor respect the role of a free press. Newsracks and newspaper copies have mysteriously disappeared, city public noticing has been pulled, certain insider local businesses have pulled advertising (or decline to advertise in the first place), and there is extensive and inappropriate badmouthing of the paper and its management. -more-


Election Section

Commentary: Wasting Money, Increasing Taxes Riles Citizens By YOLANDA HUANG

Tuesday July 19, 2005

Unfortunately, the only thing that can be said for the school district in how it goes about wasting our tax monies in doing construction is that it does not learn from past mistakes. -more-


Commentary: Center for Independent Living Employees Deserve Fair Treatment By IRIS CRIDER

Tuesday July 19, 2005

A proud history of evoking an entire disability movement for equal rights is coming to shame at the Center for Independent Living. Its executive director, Jan Garrett, seems bent on abandoning doctrines of fair treatment for employees and absolute fairness, efficiency and dedication to providing excellent service above all—in favor of wielding personnel policies, overlooking inefficiencies and making the bottom line the primary consideration in decision making. -more-


Commentary: A Case for War By TOM LORD

Tuesday July 19, 2005

While some of the specific intelligence regarding Iraq has proven false, and some of it controversial, it may be helpful to look at just the intelligence that nobody seems to disagree with. The controversies make the front page more often but the non-controversial material is heavy stuff. -more-


Commentary: Enforce Compliance Before Occupancy By MARY CIDDIO

Tuesday July 19, 2005

I live on Spruce Street between Cedar and Vine. As a result of construction for the Beth El Temple, many, many construction vehicles, trucks and heavy equipment trailers are going up and down our residential street at very early hours of the morning—before 8 a.m. I am further concerned that there will be more through traffic on Spruce as a result of the exit planned onto Spruce from Beth El. -more-


Central Works Stages Imaginative ‘Grand Inquisitor’ By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet

Tuesday July 19, 2005

At one end of the room by the patio in the Berkeley City Club that serves as theater for Central Works Ensemble, a rough-hewn cross studded with spikes adorns the wall above a gothic chair, a wooden ecclesiastic throne. A lamp hangs by a chain, guttering. To Gregorian chanting, a wry, acerbic figure in plain habit and shaved head looks upward, fixedly, as if staring at the light from a mullioned glass window we see reflected on the walls. -more-


Arts Calendar

Tuesday July 19, 2005

TUESDAY, JULY 19 -more-


Celebrating the Red, Red Summer Glow of Coral Trees By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet

Tuesday July 19, 2005

As far as I know, there’s only one Erythrina crista-galli living as a street tree in Berkeley, though I’m sure there are others in people’s gardens. There used to be another in front of a house just over the Oakland line on MLK—just south of the infamous “Here/There” sculptures—but it got taken out for construction. A pity; most of the year that one looked like an accident in a stick factory, but when it bloomed, wow. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Tuesday July 19, 2005

TUESDAY, JULY 19 -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Guns Make Murder Too Easy By BECKY O'MALLEY

Tuesday July 19, 2005

An old reprobate, a heavy-drinking veteran of many barroom brawls, once told me why he favored knives over guns when he needed to get out of a tight spot. Anyone who knows how to use knives, he said, knows that you can always put your thumb half-way up the blade, so you can just stick the guy, not kill him by accident. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Guns Make Murder Too Easy By BECKY O'MALLEY 07-19-2005

Editorial: Regaining the Public Trust with Truth By BECKY O'MALLEY 07-15-2005

News

Friends Mourn Slain Berkeley Teenager By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-19-2005

Council to Review Landmarks Law, Fire Protection By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-19-2005

KPFA Staffers Say ‘No Confidence’ By JUDITH SCHERR Special to the Planet 07-19-2005

Controversy Surrounds Laney Africa Trip By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-19-2005

UC Regents Consider Fee Hike This Week By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-19-2005

Scoping Session for Bowl Project Slated for July 27 By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-19-2005

State Compromise Leaves BUSD Budget Uncertain By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-19-2005

ZAB Ponders City’s Approach to Density Bonus By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-19-2005

Heinz Avenue Landmark Building Owner Abandons Her Fight to Halt Demolition By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-19-2005

Four Die in Freeway Crashes By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-19-2005

Design Panel to Consider Senior Housing Project By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-19-2005

Letters to the Editor 07-19-2005

Letters: Readers Respond to Department of Peace Commentary 07-19-2005

Column: The Public Eye: "Planners' Alchemy" By ZELDA BRONSTEIN 07-19-2005

Column: The Wild, Blue Eggs of Idaho By SUSAN PARKER Staff 07-19-2005

Fire Department Log By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-19-2005

Commentary: God Bless a Free Press By BARBARA GILBERT 07-19-2005

Commentary: Wasting Money, Increasing Taxes Riles Citizens By YOLANDA HUANG 07-19-2005

Commentary: Center for Independent Living Employees Deserve Fair Treatment By IRIS CRIDER 07-19-2005

Commentary: A Case for War By TOM LORD 07-19-2005

Commentary: Enforce Compliance Before Occupancy By MARY CIDDIO 07-19-2005

Central Works Stages Imaginative ‘Grand Inquisitor’ By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 07-19-2005

Arts Calendar 07-19-2005

Celebrating the Red, Red Summer Glow of Coral Trees By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet 07-19-2005

Berkeley This Week 07-19-2005

Wanted: Tales of Richmond’s War-Time Housing By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-15-2005

Jeers Greet Downtown Plan Session By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-15-2005

State Backs Preservationists in Dispute By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-15-2005

Berkeley Teens Seek Ballot Measure to Win Right to Vote By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-15-2005

Owner Calls Halt to Heinz Ave. Project; Developer Pushes Ahead By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-15-2005

Oakland City Council Passes Modified Version of Sideshow Law By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-15-2005

Correction 07-15-2005

Commission Designates Two New Landmarks By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-15-2005

Half-Price Books Moves From Solano to Downtown By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-15-2005

City Council Calls for Berkeley Honda Boycott By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-15-2005

Berkeley’s Best: Berkeley Minicar By MICHAEL KATZ 07-15-2005

City Hall ‘Detains’ Japanese Council Members By STEVE FREEDKIN Special to the Planet 07-15-2005

London, July 7, 2005 By DAVID SUNDELSON Special to the Planet 07-15-2005

Peralta Trustees Question Vista Construction Overcharges By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-15-2005

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 07-15-2005

Letters to the Editor 07-15-2005

Column: The View From Here: Frontal Exposure: When It’s More Than Indecent By P.M. PRICE 07-15-2005

Column: Undercurrents: A Neighborhood Comes Together Over July 4 Fireworks By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-15-2005

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-15-2005

Commentary: Department of Peace Deserves Support By ALAN MOORE 07-15-2005

Commentary: Bobby Sands and Akbar Ganji By HOMAYON 07-15-2005

Commentary: Get Real About Wheels By CAROL DENNEY 07-15-2005

Commentary: West Campus Neighbors Need City Protection By RUCHAMA BURRELL 07-15-2005

Commentary: LPC Preserves Neighborhoods Too By CARRIE OLSON 07-15-2005

Berkeley Opera Takes on Wagner By OLIVIA STAPPSpecial to the Planet 07-15-2005

Women’s Will Makes Richard III a Day in the Park By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 07-15-2005

PFA Celebrates the Third Genius of Silent Film Comedy By JUSTIN DeFREITAS 07-15-2005

Arts Calendar 07-15-2005

Columns

Berkeley This Week 07-15-2005