Richard Brenneman: The Starbucks Coffee on Solano Avenue was a mess Tuesday after a man drove his SUV through the front doors.
Richard Brenneman: The Starbucks Coffee on Solano Avenue was a mess Tuesday after a man drove his SUV through the front doors.

Page One

SUV Smashes Into Starbucks By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday July 29, 2005

An SUV driver battered his vehicle through the doors of the Starbucks at Solano and Colusa avenues Tuesday morning, scattering a dozen or more customers who leapt out of the way and jumped through open windows as he backed up and tried it again. -more-



City Confronts Brower Center Cost Overruns By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday July 29, 2005

The City Council learned Monday that the greenest project ever planned for Berkeley might leave the city in the red. -more-



Driver in College Ave. Slaying Makes Bail By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday July 29, 2005

Christopher Wilson, the 20-year-old Berkeley High graduate police say drove the getaway car in the Meleia Willis-Starbuck shooting, was scheduled to be released Thursday on a $326,000 property bond in to the custody of family friends. -more-



Skaters Fuming Over Skatepark Tickets By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday July 29, 2005

The way Berkeley skateboarder Sean O’Loughlin tells it, one moment last April he was racing down the eight-foot bowl at Berkeley’s Harrison Skateboard Park, and the next, police officers had turned the fenced-in park into a holding cell. -more-



Peralta Mulls Plan for Joint Use of Kaiser Center By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Friday July 29, 2005

A Peralta College proposal for joint use with the Oakland Library of the soon-to-be-closed Oakland Kaiser Convention Center left some Peralta trustees and staff members angry and some encouraged at last Tuesday’s trustee meeting. -more-



Features

Scharffen Berger Chocolate to be Bought by Hershey By CASSIE NORTON

Friday July 29, 2005

The Hershey Co., the nation’s largest candy maker, announced Monday that it plans to purchase Berkeley-based Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc. -more-


Brower Sculpture Still In Need of a Home By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday July 29, 2005

The search for a home for the Brower Ball, as some wags have dubbed “Spaceship Earth”—a massive sculptural memorial to the late Berkeley environmentalist David Brower—took another twist Monday when Ohlone Park was crossed off the list. -more-


Regulatory Change At Field Station Will Cost $20 Million, Says UC By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday July 29, 2005

Hazardous waste cleanup operations at UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station are expected to cost the school an additional $20 million, according to a document recently posted on the university’s website. -more-


OSA Will Now Include Middle School By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Friday July 29, 2005

Without any public fanfare, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) has quietly moved from a charter high school to a charter middle and high school. -more-


Commission OKs Gilman Fields, Hears Bowl Critics By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday July 29, 2005

A short-handed Planning Commission Wednesday endorsed the Gilman Street ballfields and set a Sept. 14 hearing on the proposed West Berkeley Bowl. -more-


Alleged Berkeley Gang Members Arrested in Richmond Slayings By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Staff
Friday July 29, 2005

Richmond police have arrested two Berkeley men and are seeking two other city residents—all described as gang members or associates—in a June 27 double slaying in Richmond. -more-


Be Your Own Boss, Join a Collective By LYDIA GANS Special to the Planet

Friday July 29, 2005

The Bay Area is home to several dozen worker cooperatives, or collectives, in which every member is at the same time a worker and an owner of the enterprise. Some are thriving and others are struggling, but they are all enterprises dedicated to the notion that there is a better way to do business than business as usual. -more-


Nabalom Bakery Plans to Close By MATTHEW ARTZ

Friday July 29, 2005

The Nabolom Bakery, Berkeley’s second oldest collective, will almost certainly shut its doors at the end of August, said Jim Burr, a member of the cooperative and former chief financial officer. -more-


Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS

Friday July 29, 2005

http://www.jfdefreitas.com/index.php?path=/00_Latest%20Workì -more-


Letters to the Editor

Friday July 29, 2005

GROVE MARKET -more-


Letters to the Editor: Berkeley Honda

Friday July 29, 2005

GROVE MARKET -more-


Letters to the Editor: City Advertising Dollars

Friday July 29, 2005

CITY ADVERTISING DOLLARS -more-


Column: The View From Here: Say Her Name: Meleia Willis-Starbuck By P.M. PRICE

Friday July 29, 2005

Just before my daughter and I enter Berkeley High School’s gymnasium for Meleia’s memorial service, I see her mother, Kimberly, encircled by loving arms, red-eyed sorrow and whispered words of comfort. Our daughters, although three years apart, attended Park Day School together and my daughter looked up to Meleia like a big sister. Meleia always greeted her with hugs and praise. -more-


Column: Undercurrents: Making Sense Out of East Bay Violence By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Friday July 29, 2005

We may never know for certain what Meleia Willis-Starbuck said to the two Chris’s—her friends Chris Hollis and Chris Wilson—to get them to drive out to College Avenue on the tragic night that Ms. Willis-Starbuck was shot and killed. The case has already entered into the realm of our judicial system, which may be concerned with exacting justice but is not always equipped to discover truth, not feeling the one is necessarily dependent upon the other. -more-


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday July 29, 2005

Dirty Harry? -more-


Election Section

Commentary: ‘Faith-Based’ a Cover for Fanaticism By NEIL A. COOK

Friday July 29, 2005

It’s interesting how the English language has been altered and rearranged to obscure the truth. When we don’t like the way something sounds and believe it to be too clear an expression of reality we just change the words and assume it also changes realit y. -more-


Commentary: Arts Coverage Found Wanting By ROBIN HENDERSON

Friday July 29, 2005

How appropriate that Richard Brenneman’s article “Brower Sculpture Decision Could Come Monday” appeared next to the “Corrections” box! As if the innuendo and lack of objectivity of the article weren’t bad enough, the misinformation and errors delivered in faux 19th century voice are characteristic of the writer’s careless diction and inaccuracy in reporting. Unless they were promised anonymity, it would be instructive to know the sources of Brenneman’s coverage, which is an embarrassment to the Berkeley Daily Planet, and a disservice to its’ readers. -more-


Commentary: Commission Changes Are Justified By JOHN GERTZ

Friday July 29, 2005

I agree that the business of the Peace and Justice Commission should be to promote world peace. But this mission was sadly perverted when the commission began to pass one-side resolutions concerning the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The divestiture resolution was their first attempt. Cynically, as the Daily Planet points out, that resolution called for a boycott of both Israel and Palestine. However, on the day it came before the City Council, hundreds of pro-Palestinians turned out to urge its passage. They and everyone else involved knew that, whereas Palestine exports virtually nothing to the U.S. (except perhaps, jihad), tiny Israel has more companies listed on NASDQ than any other, except the U.S. itself. Enactment of this resolution might, for example, have led to Berkeley shutting itself down, since, most computers contain chips designed or manufactured in Israel. The old Peace and Justice Commission was quick to jump on Israel, but passed not one resolution condemning suicide bombing, Darfur, Wahhabism, Arab mistreatment of women and gays, or Palestinian cleptocracy. The old Peace and Justice Commission was setting Berkeley’s citizens against one another by condemning one side, and one side alone. I have spoken with some of the commission’s newer members, and agree that some of them are unlikely to support anti-Israel resolutions. But, very importantly, neither are they inclined to put forth pro-Israel or anti-Palestinian resolutions. I can’t speak for them, but my sense is that, consistent with the principles of the Peace and Justice Commission, they are waging a peace campaign--they want peace to return to Berkeley on this issue. -more-


Commentary: How Karl Rove Got Where He Is Today By ISAAC GOLDSTEINBy ISAAC GOLDSTEIN

Friday July 29, 2005

The past few weeks have yet again shone the spotlight on President Bush’s chief political advisor, Karl Rove. It turns out that “Turd Blossom,” as the president so affectionately calls him, allegedly leaked the covert identity of an active CIA agent to strike back at her husband, Joseph Wilson, a political opponent of the administration while they were cooking intelligence to trick Americans into invading Iraq. While lawyers bandy questions back and forth over whether Rove actually broke the law, and operatives from both sides prepare to protect or decimate America’s most powerful political aide, we should remember that this isn’t the first time Rove got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. -more-


Commentary: Why I’m Boycotting Walgreens By Alyss Dorese

Friday July 29, 2005

It has been about five years since I had my problems with Walgreens and its pharmacy in Cathedral City, Ca. I felt that was a serious matter—so serious that the California Board of Pharmacies got involved and Walgreens was fined. I’ve moved on since then and recently came up to Berkeley.  -more-


Arts: Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years By JUSTIN DeFREITAS

Friday July 29, 2005

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year by looking back and looking ahead. -more-


Arts: The Ugly American Makes Himself Heard By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet

Friday July 29, 2005

When Mike Daisey begins his solo piece, The Ugly American, he is sitting at a table on the Thrust Stage at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, facing the audience. He is sitting there at the conclusion, too. -more-


Arts Calendar

Friday July 29, 2005

FRIDAY, JULY 29 -more-


Berkeley Sailing School Tackles The Waves By ELLEN GALVIN Special to the Planet

Friday July 29, 2005

Can a sailing school in Berkeley change the world? Anthony Sandberg, 56, the Founder and President of Olympic Circle Sailing Club, believes that the answer is an emphatic “Yes!” -more-


Berkeley This Week

Friday July 29, 2005

FRIDAY, JULY 29 -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Talking Through the War on the World By BECKY O'MALLEY

Friday July 29, 2005

The most appalling aspect of the bombings in Spain, in England and in Egypt in the past weeks is that the choice of victims is indiscriminate. Though it appears that the bombers have some general connection to the Islamic religion, many of the victims, perhaps most of them, do too. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Talking Through the War on the World By BECKY O'MALLEY 07-29-2005

Editorial: Talking Through the War on the World By BECKY O'MALLEY 07-26-2005

News

SUV Smashes Into Starbucks By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-29-2005

City Confronts Brower Center Cost Overruns By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-29-2005

Driver in College Ave. Slaying Makes Bail By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-29-2005

Skaters Fuming Over Skatepark Tickets By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-29-2005

Peralta Mulls Plan for Joint Use of Kaiser Center By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-29-2005

Scharffen Berger Chocolate to be Bought by Hershey By CASSIE NORTON 07-29-2005

Brower Sculpture Still In Need of a Home By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-29-2005

Regulatory Change At Field Station Will Cost $20 Million, Says UC By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-29-2005

OSA Will Now Include Middle School By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-29-2005

Commission OKs Gilman Fields, Hears Bowl Critics By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-29-2005

Alleged Berkeley Gang Members Arrested in Richmond Slayings By RICHARD BRENNEMAN Staff 07-29-2005

Be Your Own Boss, Join a Collective By LYDIA GANS Special to the Planet 07-29-2005

Nabalom Bakery Plans to Close By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-29-2005

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 07-29-2005

Letters to the Editor 07-29-2005

Letters to the Editor: Berkeley Honda 07-29-2005

Letters to the Editor: City Advertising Dollars 07-29-2005

Column: The View From Here: Say Her Name: Meleia Willis-Starbuck By P.M. PRICE 07-29-2005

Column: Undercurrents: Making Sense Out of East Bay Violence By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-29-2005

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-29-2005

Commentary: ‘Faith-Based’ a Cover for Fanaticism By NEIL A. COOK 07-29-2005

Commentary: Arts Coverage Found Wanting By ROBIN HENDERSON 07-29-2005

Commentary: Commission Changes Are Justified By JOHN GERTZ 07-29-2005

Commentary: How Karl Rove Got Where He Is Today By ISAAC GOLDSTEINBy ISAAC GOLDSTEIN 07-29-2005

Commentary: Why I’m Boycotting Walgreens By Alyss Dorese 07-29-2005

Arts: Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years By JUSTIN DeFREITAS 07-29-2005

Arts: The Ugly American Makes Himself Heard By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 07-29-2005

Arts Calendar 07-29-2005

Berkeley Sailing School Tackles The Waves By ELLEN GALVIN Special to the Planet 07-29-2005

Berkeley This Week 07-29-2005

Willis-Starbuck Remembered At Berkeley High Memorial By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-26-2005

Developer to Buy Drayage, Owner Says By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-26-2005

Newcomers Remake Peralta College Board By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-26-2005

Fugitive Hollis Contacts Coach, Wilson Makes Court Appearance By MATTHEW ARTZ and J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 07-26-2005

LRDP Settlement Survives Challenge; Appeal Planned By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-26-2005

South Richmond Toxics Panel Meets Thursday Night By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-26-2005

ZAB to Hear Preview of Blood House Plans By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-26-2005

City Made to Pay Attorney Fees in Development Suit By MATTHEW ARTZ 07-26-2005

Major Decisions Confront ZAB, Planning Commission By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-26-2005

Correction 07-26-2005

Reporter From Besieged Mexican Newspaper Describes Union Attack By EDUARDO STANLEY Pacific News Service 07-26-2005

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 07-26-2005

Letters to the Editor 07-26-2005

Column: Karl Rove: The Public Eye: George Bush’s Alter Ego By BOB BURNETT 07-26-2005

Column: First Person: Summer Fun Down Home on Virginia’s Eastern Shore By WINSTON BURTON 07-26-2005

Column: Finding a Bit of Comfort in a Horizontal Household By SUSAN PARKER 07-26-2005

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 07-26-2005

Commentary:Residents Wronged By False Forum By SHIRLEY STUART 07-26-2005

Commentary: RFID is a Slippery Slope By WANDA CROW 07-26-2005

Commentary: Bush Tactics at the Local Level By GENE BERNARDI 07-26-2005

Commentary: Let’s Build Clarity Into the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance By STEVEN DONALDSON 07-26-2005

Commentary: Vigilance Needed to Thwart Power Grabs By ALAN TOBEY 07-26-2005

Commentary: Landmarks Website Provides Answers By DANIELLA THOMPSON 07-26-2005

Commentary: Hands-On Experience is Unnecessary By RICHARD HOURULA 07-26-2005

Commentary: Life in a Company—I Mean, University—Town By NEAL BLUMENFELD 07-26-2005

Books: Three Voices From the Underground By DOROTHY BRYANTSpecial to the Planet 07-26-2005

Fellowship Theater Guild Takes Jesus For a Ride By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 07-26-2005

Arts Calendar 07-26-2005

Inescapable Predation: Part Of Life in the Food Chain By JOE EATON Special to the Planet 07-26-2005

Columns

Berkeley This Week 07-26-2005