In the wake of a 215-190 vote in the U.S. House of Representatives this week defeating a bill by Rep. Barbara Lee to rename the main Berkeley Post Office after former Berkeley Councilmember Maudelle Shirek, a spokesperson for Lee said that she has not given up on the idea. -more-

While the world-wide proletariat struggle may have seen better days, there is a museum in Oakland making sure socialism’s bygone era will never be forgotten. -more-

While not conceding that Christopher Hollis fired the bullet that killed his friend and former Berkeley High School classmate Meleia Willis-Starbuck, his attorney John Burris said the 21-year-old Berkeley native had confirmed earlier press accounts of the shooting. -more-

Despite a signed agreement barring schools and day care centers on a toxics-laden South Richmond site, minority students of the Making Waves academic preparation program meet regularly on the site. -more-

Ignoring the wishes of several city commissions, the City Council gave itself the task Tuesday of forming an advisory committee to oversee the development of new downtown zoning laws. -more-

An article in the Sept. 27 issue mistakenly reported that Abdulalaziz Saleh, Behjat Yahyavi and Johnny Shokouh were owners of Dwight Way Liquor. According to Shokouh, he and Yahjavi own the property at 2440 Sacramento St. and Saleh owns the store. -more-

The Draft Ron Dellums For Oakland Mayor Campaign played its last act this week, with members hoping that next week there will soon be a political campaign to work on. -more-

Berkeley planning commissioners looked at three thorny issues Wednesday night and decided they didn’t have enough information to make a decision. -more-

To view Justin DeFreitas’ latest editorial cartoon, please visit -more-

GROVE LIQUOR -more-

Following Norway’s Sept. 12 elections that saw a green-red coalition turn out a pro-business, anti-immigrant center-right government, the German daily, Die Tageszeitung, mused that “perhaps people in Germany could learn something from this.” It appears they did, and what they learned is likely to be repeated in Italy and France next spring. -more-

“Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people peaceably to assemble…” -more-

Disaster standby -more-

There are countless examples of media word-storms but the deluge from Hurricane Katrina in sound and print copiously illustrated is over the top, the coverage pushing aside a newly named chief justice of the Supreme Court and also the violence in Iraq. Every conceivable point of view floods the perspective leftward and rightward far beyond previous limits. Katrina and her aftermath aroused sympathy and outrage, finger pointing and frustration; it created a swirl of passions that changed an ordinary word-storm into a rampaging tornado. Everyone with access to viewer/reader no matter how poorly or well qualified, close or distant, illiterate or eloquent contributed; the word-twister touched down, cleared existing terrain and revealed along with its real debris a bounty of dumb observations and idiotic pronouncements. -more-

The anti-war movement continues to put up great resistance to the reactionary cannon balls constantly being lobbed into our lives. However, a larger, more visionary action plan has been lacking. As a result of no apparent handle to organize around a comprehensive, inspiring political agenda, the anti-war movement has steadily spiraled into a strategic dead end. -more-

Karen and Tom Klaber started what is now known as The East Bay Monthly in their home 35 years ago. -more-

Forget moveable feasts. How about a moveable gallery? -more-

FRIDAY, SEPT. 30 -more-

FRIDAY, SEPT. 30 -more-