Regents Give 3 Percent Raise to Top UC Brass 

Higher fees will hit University of California students for the fifth year in a row as the Board of Regents voted Wednesday to increase costs by as much as 10 percent. The board also voted Thursday to increase salaries of hundreds of top university administrators by about 3 percent. 

  The unusual move to approve a UC budget in November, two months before the governor releases his proposed state budget in January, followed an accord the regents made in 2004 with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. That deal, in which regents agreed to a lower level of UC funding in exchange for no further cuts, was made at the height of Schwarzenegger’s power despite protests from the UC students’ association (UCSA). 

  State Assembly speaker and UC regent Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) proposed on Thursday to postpone the vote until January in hopes of garnering more state funding. Núñez’s proposal, along with one from Regent George Marcus to eliminate graduate student fee increases, was overturned. The regents approved the budget 17-2.  

  The student fee hikes will bring resident undergraduate tuition costs to about $7,300, roughly an 80 percent increase since 2001-2002. Tuition will increase by 10 percent for in-state graduate academic students, 8 percent for instate undergraduates, and 5 percent for graduate professional students.  

  The budget includes the provision that if the legislature can work to fill UC’s funding gaps in the January state budget, the fee hikes will not go forward. Núñez said he would commit to that effort. 

  “We will work to discuss the budget with the governor and Don Perata (D-East Bay) to ensure this fee hike doesn’t happen,” said Richard Stapler, a spokesman for Núñez. 

  UCSA president Anu Joshi pledged to work with Núñez to prevent the fee hikes. 

  “UC can find the money to fill the budget gap. It’s ridiculous that undergraduate fees have gone up so much, especially with all of this information coming out about executive salaries,” said Joshi, referring to recent revelations about hidden compensation to top university brass. 

  “It’s not that we think they shouldn’t make that much, it’s just that we shouldn’t have our fees raised to pay for it,” she said. “They need to be honest about why they’re raising fees.” 

  Many regents, including ex-officio regent and UC president Robert Dynes, expressed some regret at raising fees but said funding levels at UC are simply too low to maintain its competitive academics.  

  “We still have serious ongoing funding gaps—relating to the student-faculty ratio; relating to salaries, which are now significantly behind the market for both faculty and staff; and relating to the libraries, technology, and other infrastructure that support the academic enterprise,” Dynes said.  

  “Make no mistake: This university’s quality, and the magnitude of this university’s contribution to California, are still at risk today,” he added. 

  Citing the need to bring salaries for top university officials up to national standards, the regents approved “annual merit” increases averaging about 3 percent. Dynes’ salary will increase from $395,000 to $405,000; Senior Vice President Joseph P. Mullinix’s salary will rise from $350,000 to $358,000, and Senior Vice President Bruce Darling’s pay will from $269,000 to $275,700.  

  Theses figures still lag behind those of officials at other top public universities, UC representatives said. Mary Sue Coleman, of the University of Michigan system, will make $724,604; fifty-three of 139 presidents surveyed by the Chronicle of Higher education will receive at least $400,000 in total compensation. 

But for many students, those numbers may not mean much. 

“This is definitely rough because my family gets stuck paying more for my tuition every year,” said UC-Berkeley sophomore Charles Banh, a biology major from Los Angeles who may be joined at Cal next year by his younger brother. 

“For my parents, that’s a burden times two,” he said. “Most of all, I think people get frustrated because they don’t really know why the fees are going up. I’m sure there’s a good reason but we’re all in the dark about it.” 

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Labor and student activists held a series of on-campus demonstrations at the UC Berkeley this week coinciding with the two-day meeting of the UC Board of Regents on the Clark Kerr campus. 

But with distractions ranging from the Cal-Stanford Big Game Week celebrations to Laotian Awareness Day folk dancers to the unseasonably warm fall weather, demonstrators found it hard to get the attention of most UC students. 

On Wednesday, the Coalition of Union Employees (CUE) held an hour-long noontime Sproul Plaza rally protesting low wages for UC workers. On Thursday morning, students organized by the statewide Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) marched up the hill from Sproul Plaza to Clark Kerr and held a morning demonstration on the lawn outside the regents meeting to protest the regents’ decision to raise university student fees. 

While the Clark Kerr protest was going on, a group of high school students organized by the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights And Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) led a march through the UC campus to the steps of Haviland Hall to call for the firing of an UC Berkeley undergraduate advisor accused of using racist and sexist language against a UC student. 

At the Clark Kerr demonstration, while most protesters held up banners stapled to sticks, one creative student carried a loose cardboard sign with the notation “Sold The Stick For This Sign To Pay For My Tuition.” 

Inside their meeting at Clark Kerr, regents approved stiff fee increases for both undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students. 

The CUE rally on Wednesday featured a pig motif, with demonstrators rattling pink plastic piggy banks, a paper maché pig head with dollar bills dripping from its mouth to symbolize the UC administration, and signs with winged pigs reading “When Pigs Can Fly UC Labor Relations Will Never Lie.” 

Many students seemed oblivious to the rally, however, walking through the demonstrators as they marched in a circle in front of Sather Gate. 

Four years ago, affirmative action demonstrations involving high school students devolved into incidents of violence and vandalism along Telegraph Avenue, and Berkeley police officers were on prominent display during Thursday’s BAMN activities on the main campus. 

Officers on foot and on bicycles congregated at the Telegraph Avenue entrance to the campus, and officers on bicycles—as well as an officer on foot operating a \ the BAMN demonstrators as they marched through the campus. There were no reported incidents.t

Richmond’s largest employer may soon have more eyes looking over its shoulder after the City Council voted to repeal an ordinance that since 1992 has allowed Chevron to inspect its own projects with little independent oversight.  

In its previous arrangement with Richmond, Chevron was allowed to appoint its own, city-approved inspector and was only subject to occasional audits by the city building official. Proponents say the inspection program was the easiest way of inspecting the scores of routine projects generated by the complex industrial giant. 

Chevron currently employs Black and Veatch, a Kansas-based engineering firm, to conduct its inspections. “These are qualified engineers that know the refinery business,” testified city building official Fred Clement. 

But critics contend that in the arrangement with Chevron, city auditors would only get around to reviewing projects after construction had started, or in some cases, had already been completed. The lack of oversight, they say, allowed the company to evade labor, environmental and zoning regulations. 

“What’s the point of them looking at the work after the city signs off?” said Councilmember Maria Viramontes, one of four co-sponsors for the repeal measure. “Let’s put this old idea aside and figure out where to go from here.” 

Since the self-inspection program began few violations have been cited. Earlier this year, however, the Contra Costa Building and Trades Council began an independent investigation into possible labor violations at Chevron.  

“Because the city hasn’t known when a project has begun, Chevron often brings in their own labor force and circumvents the city’s labor code,” said Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin, another sponsor of the repeal. 

A more thorough investigation showed that in many cases the city reviewed projects only after construction had been started.  

“Chevron issues permits to itself. It then proceeds to inspect itself. The city learns after the project is complete—sometimes two or three years later. As a result the community never gets an opportunity to weigh in,” said Richard Drury, an attorney for Adams Broadwell Joseph & Cardozo, a law firm that worked with the trades council to obtain project-related documents from Chevron.  

The council chambers were packed on Tuesday night as dozens of community members turned out to support the self-inspection repeal. Many took turns voicing their opinion to the commission. Among those were a group of labor supporters, several of whom stood at the back of the council chambers holding seven-foot high banners critical of Chevron. 

“We who live two blocks away from the place can’t even get a job there. Something is wrong with that,” said Antwon Cloird, a Richmond worker and union representative from Local 324. 

Others also expressed concerns over environmental protections. McLaughlin cited Chevron’s failure to adhere to the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, which requires the developer of any significant project to study its effects on the environment. 

“Chevron has not had projects go through a CEQA review in 13 years,” said McLaughlin. 

Chevron External Affairs Manager Dean O’Hair defended his employer, arguing that the self-inspection program was not unusual—though Chevron is the only oil refiner in Contra Costa County allowed the privilege.  

“Whatever the program, we’ll do what we’ve always done,” he said, his comment eliciting snickers from the heavily pro-repeal audience in attendance. 

Responding to the possibility of repeal, O’Hair issued a warning to the council, saying, “Regardless of the outcome of the city’s decision, I hope each of you understands the consequences and ramifications.” 

The council’s vote was unanimous despite the warning, and the fact that several on the council have received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Chevron. The council called on their staff to draft a new ordinance that would officially repeal the 13-year-old self-inspection ordinance. It will likely be introduced before the end of this year. 

Earlier in the evening, a Chevron representative made a $100,000 donation toward the city’s troubled public library system. While Richmond’s mayor accepted the money, the gesture was met with cynicism by several others. 

“Chevron made $3.2 billion in profit this quarter,” said Andres Soto, a Richmond community activist. “I think they could shave off a few more crumbs and get the entire library system up and running.” 

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The City Council this week grappled with the debate over installing electronic identification devices in public library books. 

The council on Tuesday had two proposals before them regarding the RFIDs, as the devices are known, one from Councilmember Kriss Worthington and the other from Councilmember Dona Spring. The discussion opened with Spring moving for adoption of her proposal, and then Worthington immediately seconded her motion. 

Spring’s proposal called on City Manager Phil Kamlarz to send a letter to library Director Jackie Griffen and the Library Board of Trustees to respond to letters from the Service Employees International Union Local 535, which represents library staff, seeking answers about the costs of installing the technology, service impacts on the public and whether the RFID technology serves the interests of the public. 

The proposal also directed the city attorney to look into the RFID installation contract.  

After Worthington seconded Spring’s motion, Councilmember Gordon Wozniak offered a proposal of his own to have the matter studied further that would have delayed any action on the issue by six months to a year. 

Wozniak also called for the council “to reaffirm that the work of the library board should be to return to the level of services offered before November 2004,” packaging that with his other suggestions as a substitute motion. 

After considerable by-play and a series of testy exchanges, notably between Worthington and Mayor Tom Bates, the board agreed to call for the restoration of services to the level before last year’s cuts. 

Councilmember Linda Maio offered the final compromise: Refer the labor management issues to a joint committee of library staff and management. 

“People want to believe it is settled and benign, but I’m not all of that mind,” said Councilmember Max Anderson. 

Other action 

• On a split vote, councilmembers approved the first reading of legislation that would extend Ellis Act protection for all tentants evicted by landlords seeking to take a rental property off the market. 

Currently, Berkeley requires landlords to pay $7,000 in relocation fees for elderly, disabled and low-income tenants. The new measures provides a basic payment of $4,500 for all tenants to help with relocation, with an additional $2,500 available to units with low-income, disabled and senior tenants. The low-income payment would be shared by all occupants of the unit, but the disabled and senior payments would be divided up only among the disabled and/or senior tenants. 

• The council overturned a Zoning Adjustments Board decision denying an appeal by neighbors who had protested their approval of plans to demolish a small single-floor house at 1532 Martin Luther King Jr. Way and its replacement by a two-unit apartment and a cottage at the rear of the lot. 

Residents, many carrying signs, complained that the house would overshadow neighbors—especially the home of Emily Rogers. Rogers said she would be cast fully into shadow during parts of the year. Other neighbors raised privacy and drainage issues. 

On an unanimous vote, the City Council agreed to grant them a hearing. 

• The council denied an appeal of a ZAB decision to allow a small addition to a home at 2235 Derby St., but city staff promised that all construction debris from the project would be covered. 

• The council overturned a decision by the Landmarks Preservation Commission designating an early 20th Century Victorian at 2901 Otis St. as a structure of merit, one of the city’s two historic resource designations. 

Councilmembers also ap-proved construction plans by developers Eric Geleynse, Xin Jin and Danny Tran to raise a three-story, three-unit condo project on the site—although a neighbor who opposes the project has made an offer on the property which could render the construction issue moot.

With its roster finally decided Thursday, the advisory group that will work with city and UC Berkeley officials on a new downtown plan is ready for its first session Monday night. 

The meeting of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, which begins at 7 p.m. with the swearing in of the panel’s 21 members, will be held in the General Purpose Room of the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave., at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

The Planning Commission elected three of its own members and each city councilmember named two, with Councilmember Kriss Worthington naming his two appointments Thursday afternoon—Patti Dacey and Jesse Arreguin. 

A member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, Dacey also serves on the city Public Works Commission and the LeConte Neighborhood Association Board of Directors. 

“She also served on the board of directors of Berkeley Tenants’ Union number seven back when we had tenants’ unions,” said Worthington. 

His second pick was Arreguin, who bridges the town/gown gap by serving as a Berkeley Rent Board commissioner, as a city housing commissioner and is a UC Berkeley student. 

Mayor Tom Bates appointed the chair, Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Executive Director Will Travis.  

The Downtown Area Plan was mandated by the settlement of the city’s lawsuit against the university, filed after the school revealed its Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), for 2020. 

Matt Taecker, a planner hired just to work on the plan, said he looks forward the meeting. 

“We’re ready to bring people up to speed, and I think we’re going to have a good meeting,” he said. 

The agenda, which is available on the committee’s website at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/dapac, allows three-and-a-half hours for the initial session. 

After a presentation by Taecker and other city staff, the meeting will feature a 45-minute public comment period, followed by a discussion of the existing downtown plan and an overview of the tasks ahead for the commission. 

Taecker said the committee will take a walking tour, with the public invited, through the planning area from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. Details will be posted on the city’s website. 

The committee is charged with completing its work by November 2007. The resulting plan, after more work by city and university planners, must be presented to the City Council by May 25, 2009. 

Two lawsuits challenging the settlement—and therefore the legitimacy of the planning process—are now pending further action in the courts. o

In a repudiation by a majority of its members, the Peralta College District Board of Trustees voted 5-1-1 Tuesday night on a modified resolution to censure board member Marcie Hodge for “behavior that is out of compliance with the laws and regulations governing trustee conduct and the established policies of the Peralta Community College District.” 

The only no vote was from Hodge herself. Trustee Nicky González Yuen abstained. 

The censure resolution was sparked by a contentious Sept. 13 trustee meeting and an Oct. 18 Laney College Faculty Senate meeting in which Hodge called for the abolition of the district’s controversial International Education Department. But the resolution also included long-simmering grievances by fellow trustees that Hodge “is deficient in fulfulling her responsibilities as a trustee.” 

The amended resolution was slightly toned down from the original version that appeared in the board packet, with allegations of Hodge’s “uncouth verbal outbursts,” for example, changed to “uncivil verbal outbursts.” But the substance of the resolution’s charges remained the same, including charges that Hodge is “often substantially late for board meetings and workshops, has never attended the board committee meetings to which she has been assigned as a specific part of her board obligations, and is frequently absent from the workshops and general sessions at state and national conferences that she attends at taxpayer expense.” 

In a written statement read before the vote, Hodge did not answer any of the specific charges in the censure resolution, but instead characterized the resolution as an attempt to silence her on the International Education Department issue. 

In the statement, Hodge said that she was “shocked and disappointed that some members of this board would consider censuring me for fighting to curb abuse in Peralta’s Office of International & Global Education.” 

Saying that the department “has been the source of problems, public criticism and abuse for many years,” she noted that “as of today, the administration can provide no credible data to show that the office has recruited any of the foreign students attending one of our community colleges.” 

Directing her remarks to fellow trustees, Hodge said that “while investigating this department, I have been met with resistance and hostility from some of those sitting in this room. Trustees: you are on the wrong side of this issue.” 

Hodge originally said that she wanted the International Education Department abolished because of allegations of mismanagement and lack of accountability. She has since said that she would support the continuation of the department if it were reorganized and made more accountable. 

During her presentation, Hodge held up a packet of what she said was “several hundred cards” she said she had received in support of her position on the International Education Department. 

In addition, a handful of public speakers spoke against the censure motion, including her brother, former Oakland school board member Jason Hodge, her sister, and her mother. 

Jason Hodge asked trustees to “reject this frivolous, personal and unprofessional resolution,” which he said “look like retaliation” for his sister’s request for investigation of the International Education Department. 

“I wish you would become as excited about investigating the sinister things that are going on in the bowels of this organization,” he said. 

Trustees voted on the censure measure without comment and none would speak on the record for this article, saying they feared an outburst from Hodge. 

At the Sept. 13 meeting, Hodge refused to stop speaking when ruled out of order several times by Board President Bill Riley. 

Four days before that Sept. 13 meeting, the district hired a new Vice Chancellor for Educational Services—Margaret Haig—whose duties include supervising the International Education Department and its director, Jacob Ng. At the meeting, Haig said that she had initiated a review of the International Education Department. She is scheduled to report back the results of that review to trustees in January. 

One trustee said following the meeting that the board was waiting to see the report before deciding whether any action would be needed. 

Peralta Federation of Teachers President Michael Mills said his organization is cooperating with Haig’s review of the International Education Department. 

“We believe it’s a positive step for the district,” Mills said. 

This is an almost entirely new board since the time when the International Education Department came under attack in the media and by the Alameda Civil Grand Jury for sending the former Chancellor—Ron Temple—and several trustees on expensive international trips. 

Linda Handy was elected three years ago in part because of a backlash over Temple’s involvement in the International Education Department scandal, and four new trustees—Bill Withrow, Cy Gulassa, Yuen, and Hodge—were elected last November after incumbent trustees chose not to run for re-election for various reasons. 

The new board has established a track record for establishing fiscal and program accountability in the district. New checks and balances include requiring the district’s fiscal manager and general counsel to sign off on most contracts before the come to the board, keeping a running accounting of the district’s bond expenditures, and hiring an inspector general to report directly to trustees on district problems. 

In addition, trustees have increased scrutiny over construction cost overruns—particularly those involved with the Vista College construction project in Berkeley—and over the district’s Internet Technology Department, which is currently in the midst of a massive phase-over to a new Internet administrative system.o

Many who came to see controversial Boalt Hall law professor John Yoo on a panel Monday night, also came to be seen. 

Yoo was welcomed to the discussion billed as “American Foreign Policy, War and the Constitution” with signs, banners and T-shirts that read: “Torture is never OK,” “Shame on Yoo,” “Don’t Kill Democracy,” and “Hey Yoo, Stop Torture.” 

Two hooded men dressed as prisoners and another who looked like their jailer and torturer were among the crowd.  

Yoo is well-known for a memo he wrote as a Department of Justice aide in 2002, arguing that fighters captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan are not covered by the Geneva Conventions, which are treaties that embody laws of war and make mistreatment of prisoners of war illegal. 

With Yoo on the panel sponsored by Black Oak Books and the Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center was moderator Jeffrey Brand, dean of the University of San Francisco Law School, Gordon Silverstein, political science professor at UC Berkeley and Peter Irons, political science professor at UC San Diego. A participant in Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement of the 1960s, Irons is best known for his role in the 1983 overturning of the conviction of Fred Korematsu, the Japanese-American man who refused orders to go to an internment camp during World War II.  

Early in the discussion, Irons drew audience applause when he put a personal face on U.S. foreign policy. 

“I’m probably the only person on this panel, who has been threatened with death by sadistic prison guards, and shackled hand and foot and around the waist and paraded in front of … crowds by shotgun-wielding guards because I refused to take part in war,” he said. 

Yoo kept to the role of theoretician, laying out his position on the Geneva Conventions. Treaties are made between nations, he said. 

“Al Qaeda is not a nation,” Yoo said. “It has not signed a treaty. In fact, there’s a specific provision in the Geneva Conventions that says even if you haven’t signed the treaty, you can unilaterally declare it. Al Qaeda has never invoked this provision. They have no desire to obey the laws of war.” 

And so the rules of war as stated in the Geneva Conventions do not apply to al Qaeda, he said. 

Further, Yoo argued that to protect national security, there may be times when interrogators need to go beyond the constraints of the Geneva Conventions. For example, when the No. 3 man in al Qaeda was captured, it would be important to extract information from him. 

“If there was one person who knew what the coming attacks on the United States would be, it’s this fellow,” he said. “I’m not saying we ought to torture him, although there are people who do. What I am (asking) is: is the United States limited to the Geneva Conventions in interrogations even though it’s not legally required?”  

The audience gave Yoo a unanimous: “Yes!” 

Irons countered with a case recently in the headlines where a U.S. prisoner was hung upside down and beaten until he died. 

“The man who conducted this homicidal torture is known to the Justice Department and I can guarantee you that under this administration, absolutely nothing will be done to prosecute him,” Irons said. 

Underscoring that the military does not want to abrogate laws precluding torture, Silverstein addressed the question of precedent. 

“Once the United States is seen as a nation that picks and chooses when it will and will not observe these accords, other nations will feel more easily like they can do the same,” he said. 

There are, however, times that the need for intelligence prevails, Yoo argued. “What the military has to balance is, as you said, the precedent, versus getting the information that’s going to prevent a 9/11 attack. I think that’s a policy-maker’s decision.” 

Much of the exchange revolved around the question of which branch of government makes the decision to go to war—Congress, the president or the courts. 

“The framers were crystal clear: Congress has the power to declare war,” Irons said, noting that since Truman’s presidency, the United States has gone into war, both small wars like invasion of Grenada and bigger wars like today’s Iraq War, “without any constitutional sanction.” 

Yoo argued that one should look at how the balance of power works on a practical level. The United States has gone to war 130 times and there have been only five declarations of war, he noted. So, in practice, Congress does not, in fact, necessarily declare war.  

But Congress does hold the ultimate authority, the power of the purse. Congress can stop war by withholding appropriations. 

“Funding is the ultimate check,” Yoo said, chiding legislators for refusing “to take political responsibility about something which is uncertain, that could be very popular or very unpopular. They must be re-elected every two years. They’re more than happy to let the president take responsibility or to take blame.” 

The argument can be extended to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, he said. 

“If Congress did not want Guantanamo Bay to exist, it could simply defund Guantanamo Bay.” 

Oakland attorney Walter Riley, who was among those listening to what Yoo had to say, said, “John Yoo doesn’t discuss constitutional law.” 

Yoo’s assertion that the president can do what he wants until Congress stops him with the power of the purse is not a constitutional argument, Riley said. “It’s a political argument.”t

The photographer of the persimmons on the back page of the Nov. 15 issue was misidentified. Joni Diserens took the photograph.

On Wednesday night, the Berkeley school board voted to proclaim Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day. During the public comment period, Rosa Parks Elementary School students lined up to speak in favor of the honor. 

“I am proud to be a Rosa Parks student,” said one student. “Rosa Parks deserves our respect and we need to show that we still have her in our hearts.”  

The board agreed. 

“Rosa Parks was one of my heroes,” said Shirley Issel, a member of the board. “She is a lesson to all of our students.” 

Following the public comment period and comments from the directors, the board voted unanimously to approve the consent calendar, thereby passing the measure to proclaim Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day. 

California standard tests report 

The majority of the board meeting was spent on looking at student achievement data from the standardized tests, such as the CAT 6 and the California High School Exit Exam (CASHEE). There was comprehensive data on English-Language Arts and Mathematics, some of which compared the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) to the state in general. 

MPR associates, the company that administered the study, found that while Berkeley students had a higher proficiency level than the state as a whole, the gap between the two was narrowing. MPR also concluded that the BUSD has “large and persistent achievement gaps in student sub-populations.” 

For example, students with disabilities (in the Berkeley High class of 2006) had only a 30 percent pass rate on the CASHEE. Another test that spiked controversy was the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). 

“Children who speak a language other than English at home are required to take the initial CELDT,” said MPR associate Robin Henke. The results found that only 3 to 4 percent of BUSD students took the initial CELDT. 

“It’s kind of surprising,” said school board President Nancy Riddle. 

Some board members were unhappy with the results and felt that others were taking the results too lightly. 

“This is a shocking report and we just can’t ignore this,” Issel said. “I just have to point out that only 22 percent of African-Americans in high school score proficient on English-Language Arts and only 5 percent of African-Americans score proficient in Math. The trends are down. If it were up to me, I’d declare a public health emergency.” 

Board Vice President Terry Doran responded, “I look at this data with skepticism. MPR told us also that many students look at some of the tests as ‘low-stakes’ tests.” 

In the end, everyone agreed that they needed to do more things in order to close the achievement gap. 

Youth Commission appointments 

Prior to the regular board meeting, the school board completed interviewing for candidates to fill two spots in the Berkeley Youth Commission. One position was an appointment by School Board Director Joaquin Rivera, and the other was a board-at-large position. 

On Tuesday, Rivera announced that he selected Calvin Young, a sophomore, to fill his position. The board choose Sophie Bridgers, a senior, to fill the at-large position. 

Rio Bauce is a Berkeley High sophomore. He can be reached at baucer@gmail.com.

Soya and her volunteer tutor were getting together recently for one of their regular meetings at the West Branch library on University Avenue. Soya, who has an infant daughter, was born and raised in Nepal and came to the United States in 1998. 

Although she speaks English, she wanted to improve her reading and writing skills. A friend told her about the Berkeley Public Library’s Adult Literacy Program called Berkeley Reads. After an interview and a reading assessment with the program director, Linda Sakamoto-Jahnke, she was assigned a qualified tutor. 

Her tutor came to the program originally because she needed to fulfill 40 hours of community service. She has since completed the requirement but finds being a tutor so rewarding that she has volunteered to continue. She’s helping Soya attain her short-term goals of being able to “read newspapers and books and understand what they mean, and to write letters to family and friends.” 

At present, Soya works for a family caring for their children. Her longer-term goal is to enter a nursing program. 

“We have over 100 trained volunteer tutors who work one-on-one with our students,” Sakamoto-Jahnke said. “What we’re looking for in a volunteer is enthusiasm, flexibility, a willingness to go with the flow” 

Sakamoto-Jahnke recently come back to her home town library after 10 years running a literacy program for another East Bay library. She said she is delighted to now be with a public library that funds most of the literacy program.  

Next to the office is a spacious community room which houses the Berkeley Reads computer lab that provides instructional software to help students improve both their literacy and computer skills. Though the Berkeley Reads program is headquartered at the West Branch, Linda wants to expand its visibility throughout the library system and into the community. 

“We’re serving adults who test at eighth-grade or below in reading skills,” Sakamoto-Jahnke said. “Some students need to understand the DMV pamphlet so they can get a driver’s license. Others want read and write well enough to able to apply for a job or write a good resume. Parents want to read to their young children and later be able to help them with their home work.” 

“Though the relationship between tutor and student is certainly the heart of the Berkeley Reads program, we’re committed to reaching adults of various ages, abilities, and with a wide range of needs,” Sakamoto-Jahnke added. 

Consider a recent week in the life of the Berkeley Reads Program: 

Monday: A volunteer at the Women’s Shelter spoke about setting up a workshop. The volunteer brought along some free books for the kids so they would have one for a bedtime story. 

Tuesday: A staff member held an outreach meeting at the Berkeley Options program housed in the downtown Veterans’ Building. A small group of homeless people, some with substance abuse problems, discussed some of their literacy needs. 

Wednesday: A local real estate broker came in during the morning to the West Branch to make a donation to Berkeley Reads, telling a staff member that his new assistant was a graduate of the program. In the afternoon, a small group of students met at the community room to focus on a specific literacy skill. 

Thursday: The staff conducted a tutor-training workshop—one of four offered each year for volunteers—all of whom are required to be over 18 and have a high school diploma. 

Friday: Linda, with her assistant, Sherry, put aside some of the day to write grant proposals for some special projects. William, a recent applicant who served in the Army for 12 years and now has a two-year-old daughter, dropped by hoping he will soon be matched with a tutor. 

Saturday: Berkeley Reads held one of the family literacy events with a well-know story teller. After snacks, the kids selected some of the free books to take home to help build their personal library. (This is one of several literacy programs the Friends of the Library helps fund.) 

And every day of the week, somewhere—maybe on a park bench, at a coffee shop, at the local library or even at a BART station—a dedicated tutor and a dedicated student are working together. 

For more information about Berkeley Reads Adult and Family Literacy Program, call 981-6299 or e-mail berkeleyreads@berkeleypubliclibrary.org. You can visit the program office at the Berkeley Public Library West Branch, 1125 University Ave., during library hours. 

Phila Rogers is a board member of Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. 

Soft story collapse 

The occupant of a home at 1519 Oregon St. got a first-hand lesson in the dangers of soft-story housing at 11:30 Sunday evening when somebody dropped the house out from under him. 

The second floor resident, who lives above a garage and workspace, managed to escape the incident unharmed, said Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth. 

Soft story buildings—structures with housing above open spaces like garages—lack sufficient support to make them earthquake worthy. The city is currently considering legislation about what steps to take to make owners of such properties render them safer for residents. 

“A bearing wall that was being worked on collapsed,” said Orth. The construction had been undertaken without a building permit, he added. 

When the building collapsed, the remains lay against the side of a neighboring residence, causing the fire department to red tag both structures, with the fate of the neighboring house pending an evaluation of possible structural damage caused by the collapse. 

The collapse did remove at least one unit from the city’s list of soft story buildings. 

Cycle goof 

Rule number one for motorcyclists: Don’t park it in a closed space near a gas water heater. 

The occupant of a residence in the 1600 block of Kains Street learned the lesson the hard way Sunday afternoon when gas fumes from the two-wheeler made contact with the flames from the nearby basement water heater. 

Firefighters quickly contained the fire, limiting the structural damage to $10,000 and damage to the contents—including the cycle—estimated at $5,000.

To view Justin DeFreitas’ latest editorial cartoon, please visit  

www.jfdefreitas.com To search for previous cartoons by date of publication, click on the Daily Planet Archive.

ENOUGH REDUX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We’ve had enough! It’s time our neighborhood stood up for our quality of life. It’s not fair that one house with far too much emotion about global-local pollution issues can continue to erode our health and peace every single day. We are captive in our houses to their vocalized ramblings, their pamphleting of our sport utility vehicles, and their crass demonstrative behavior in our city’s newspaper. Their loud anti-automobile aggression wakes us up with their noise at all hours of the day. Nana wants to be able to have a nice afternoon nap without a protester on the front walk. Their noise and placard pollution ends up in our yards and in our gardens, and their signs and organizing are eyesores that take up public space. Enough is enough. Our health and happiness are threatened. Our children are greatly endangered whenever they play in the neighborhood. It’s just not fair! The activities of this family threaten the very peace and stability of the country and the planet. 

We know the family has been in the house a long time and no one believes the grandmother is a protest singer (she only complains about having to do the composting) but she seems to have no control over her children who are obviously unable to connect with just going over the road and politely talking to their neighbors about their transportation choices. We demand that this mindless protesting in our neighborhood stop or we will sue! We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior in Berkeley. No longer shall these thoughtless activities of individuals be allowed to disrupt life for the rest of us. 

Join Polite Conversation Please (PCP). 

John Parman 

• 

SOLANO CONDOS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Solano Avenue Safeway condos. Wow! What a great idea. Better yet, Albany should request/demand, as part of the project, a public open space/ park along Solano so all people can play in it. 

Richard Splenda 

• 

WORLD CAN’T WAIT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I find it fascinating that Rio Bauce’s Nov. 11 article “BHS Students Rally Against Bush” manages to spend an entire column describing the “World Can’t Wait” movement without mentioning that it is a Maoist group calling for a worldwide Communist revolution. Or perhaps Rio—obviously an intelligent 10th-grader—wasn’t aware of this fact? If so, he has the excuse of youth. But no such excuses can be made for Principal Jim Slemp and the teachers at Berkeley High School who encouraged their students to join a Maoist cult in the name of hip political correctness.  

Imagine the outcry if a high school principal allowed his students to ditch school en masse to attend a Ku Klux Klan rally, accompanied and encouraged by teachers who agreed with the KKK’s message. Yet the Revolutionary Communist Party—the group that organized the World Can’t Wait rally—justifies the murder of tens of million Chinese, glamorizes the most brutal dictator since World War II, and functions essentially as a Communist brainwash cult with calls for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government and the entire capitalist system, to be replaced by a global “Cultural Revolution” to extinguish the middle class. And Principal Slemp has no problem allowing the Communist teachers on staff at Berkeley High leading his students into this maelstrom of political psychosis.  

Where is the outrage? Oh right, this is Berkeley, where we just love Chairman Mao. 

Rio Bauce and the other students can be morally excused, due to their age and ignorance of history. Principal Slemp and the teachers he helped have no such excuses, and should be fired immediately. 

Aileen Duroc 

• 

DERBY STREET FIELD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

TJ Wagner wrote a letter to the editor regarding closing Derby. His letter contained a number of common misperceptions about the project. First, while the Berkeley High Baseball team is a primary beneficiary of closing Derby, pulling BHS out of San Pablo Park will allow the COB to annually provide about 7500 hours of neighborhood after school recreation to the mostly low income children who live around the park. Had the Berkeley City Council acted upon this project when it first came before them about six years ago by now we would have provided over 35,000 hours of after school recreation for these children. Second, the Farmer’s Market would suffer no negative impacts. In fact the physical facility proposed for them at the closed Derby site is larger and has superior 

visibility to the space they now occupy. The construction can be done so the Farmers’ Market will have a new space prior to the destruction of their old space. Third, the reason why the Hearst Street area is so underutilized is that the neighbors surrounding this park has been VERY vocal about limiting its use by organized sports. The field users have been asked by them and the Parks Department to minimize organized use of this field so that it can be made available for the very neighborhood pick-up games that TJ Wagner supports. Finally, BUSD has no means of transporting its athletes to daily practices. To suggest that the community is better served by not building a field that is within walking distance of the school in favor of continuing to have these students pile into their fossil fuel gobblers, and drive even further to get to Gilman, is counter to the fairly clearly defined environmental traffic reduction mantra that is oft heard.  

Doug Fielding 

Chairperson, Association of Sports Field Users 

• 

MORE ON DERBY FIELD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I found Terry Doran’s Nov. 15 commentary “We Want It For The Kids” both laudable and appalling at the same time. While I do admire Mr. Doran for many of his stances and his consistent support for youth, I feel that his commentary is not factual and that it misleads the common, well-educated Berkeley resident. 

First let me say that Mayor Bates’ office has promised that the Gilman Street fields can be used by the Berkeley High Baseball Teams. They further said that the varsity baseball team should contact their office to schedule pricing and practice times. This is a regulation size baseball field. Berkeley has poured so much money into this, so why not utilize it for our baseball team, rather than say that we want more and more and more? 

Let me further say that the headline presented in this commentary was disrespectful to myself. I am a kid. I go to Berkeley High. And let me tell you, I have been fighting this field for years—I held a sign at the School Board meeting seven years ago to protest this and I will fight against it now. I don’t think Mr. Doran, nor other proponents (who mostly live outside of the community), know of the impacts of the field, probably because they won’t have to deal with the impacts. They won’t have to live with the litter, they won’t have to live with the noise, they won’t have to live with the overcrowding of our neighborhood, they won’t have to live with the Farmers’ Market being severed (several farmers have said that they wouldn’t come back if they were relocated). I just don’t understand the hysteria regarding closing Derby Street, when our neighborhood has bent over backwards for everyone...Not to much mention that the money to build this field isn’t here. I would actually like to have a field at Derby, so I the neighborhood kids could use it as well. I hope that the City Council heeds the word of the people and not the special interests. Build a multi-purpose field now! 

Rio Bauce 

• 

THE WORKING CLASS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Larry Hendel of the SEIU (Nov. 16, “Time to Kick Butt”) has it right when he says the Democrats “suck at the same corporate teat for campaign funds as the Republicans,” and therefore, remain unable to move forward on a meaningful agenda for working people. Now that we have managed to fend off the latest corporate attacks that Schwarzenegger enabled, let’s not fall back into the same trap that we just came out of. Labor unions must break away from the corporate two-party system in a hurry. 

As a nurse activist who sees how piecemeal reforms championed by Democrats have let millions of Californians fall through the cracks of health care “system,” I believe the hope for the future of working class America lies in the building of independent political organizations like the Green Party. We simply cannot be satisfied to wait for corporate politicians to dole out crumbs so we can thank them for not starving us. 

We need proportional representation or at least instant run-off voting, public financing of political campaigns, single payer healthcare, and a reinvigorated economy based on social and ecological justice principles. Labor leaders should unite around these principles and join with the Greens to build a livable, just society for the next generation. 

Kevin Reilly, RN 

Oakland 

• 

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I had the unfortunate experience of having to go before the Berkeley City Council, this time on a Zoning Adjustments Board appeal. The Council rubber stamped a phony ZAB decision, which had typically lied about the facts and the law. The councilmembers lied about the facts and the law, except for Dona Spring, who spoke up on my behalf. Had I not been afflicted with a life-threatening illness, I am sure none of them would have departed at all from their typical cold-hearted bureaucratic treatment. Even in spite of my condition, we got the usual bureaucratic put-down from the few other councilmembers who even bothered to comment and from the city manager. Lots of promises were made that are probably not legally binding. What was legally binding was the staff recommendation, which was a pack of lies. 

I don’t feel like a free man—I feel like a slave to the whims of dictators. So, what is wrong with this society? In my opinion it is endemic to America, but concentrated at grass-root levels like the City of Berkeley. The problem is that the emphasis is on politics, rather than law. Supposedly, we are a nation of laws, but that is not my actual experience. I suppose the adage is true enough when laws are being applied cold-heartedly in the interest of big business or big groups that have political clout. But the individual person will never find that to be true. He will find his fate controlled by forces that render his rights under the law and in a democracy of no effect, or in point of fact virtually non-existent.  

The two-party political system was meant to introduce adversarial controversy into the business of making and administering laws. But the emphasis was still meant to be on the laws and not on the politics. The politics were meant to be a means to an end, not an end in itself. I maintain that democracy in America is deeply flawed, and not just because it is perverted by capitalism. It is deeply flawed in and of itself, because there is nothing to assure that politics will not overwhelm and minimize or even annihilate individual rights under the law. The courts are not adequate to this task, because the legislative and administrative bodies can become too politically dominated, until the courts themselves succumb to the political pressures. These problems would continue and be exacerbated by any transition to socialism or communism, as we have seen in the societies which have attempted the transition. Socialist societies quickly revert to state capitalism and fascism. That is now the fate of the so-called People’s Republic of Berkeley. 

Peter Mutnick?

In 1980, Johnny Lee had a crossover hit with “Lookin’ for Love (In All the Wrong Places).” Democrats would do well to remember the first verse, 

“I’ve spent a lifetime looking for you… 

Playing a fools game, hoping to win 

Telling those sweet lies and losing again.” 

For many of us, it has been a lifetime since the Dems presented voters with a solid alternative to the Republicans. Heading for 2006, the party of FDR needs to take a clear position on Iraq, to quit “playing a fools game, hoping to win.” 

The latest CNN polls carried encouraging news for the party. Fifty-four percent of responders indicated that they would support any congressional candidate that opposes President Bush. The problem, of course, is that it’s not always clear that a particular Democrat opposes Bush, particularly when the subject is Iraq. Because of the Dems ambivalence about the occupation, the electorate remains wary of the party. The public seems to understand what the GOP stands for—strong defense, free markets, lower taxes, small government, and family values—but are confused about the core principles of the Democrats. 

In the 2004 presidential election, the electorate didn’t see much difference between the Iraq policy of George Bush and that of John Kerry. In January, Time columnist Joe Klein observed that Kerry didn’t bring up Bush’s authorization of the torture seen at Abu Ghraib, because he was afraid that if he did, the Republicans would paint him as being weak on the war on terrorism. 

For similar reasons, Kerry didn’t take advantage of obvious problems with Bush’s war: failure to find WMDs, manipulation of intelligence data before the Congressional authorization, loss of focus on Al Qaeda, to name only a few. 

The timidity of the Democrat’s presidential candidate is symptomatic of a deeper problem in the party: the obsession with short-term results. In this sense, the Dems adopted the Republican morality that winning justifies the means. Beginning in the Clinton era, Democratic leaders focused on tactics rather than elaboration of the party’s unifying principles. The “Clintonista” wing of the party continues to exert great influence and, as a result, the Dems lack a distinct morality and a clear strategy. 

To form a coherent position on Iraq, Democrats would do well to ponder principles that differentiate them from the GOP. Three come to mind: telling the truth, defending the United States, and restoring national honor. 

One of the most obvious problems with the war in Iraq is that its justification relied upon misrepresentations and outright lies by President Bush and his representatives. The administration manufactured a case for the invasion so that Republicans would have a winning issue in the 2002 congressional elections. 

While this stands as a particularly egregious example of GOP immorality, it also signals their vulnerability: the electorate no longer trusts them because they are seen as liars—a recent Washington Post poll indicates that Americans feel the level of honesty and ethics in the government has declined under the Bush administration. Therefore, one principle that Democrats can use to differentiate themselves is honesty. They should cease their doubletalk about fighting a smarter war in Iraq, “establishing milestones,” and begin telling the truth: the occupation is a quagmire, a moral black hole. We should withdraw our troops. 

The public clings to the perception that Republicans are better on defense. The irony is that the Bush administration has based our homeland security on a devil’s bargain, betting everything on a flawed strategy, “We are fighting these terrorists in Iraq so we don’t have to face them in our own cities.” The Oct. 26 report, “Combating Catastrophic Terror,” repudiates this notion and argues that Bush has systematically weakened America. The report asserts that Democrats actually have the best principles and ideas for defending the homeland, for example, serious preparation for an attack. 

Finally, there is the honor of the United States. A few months ago, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told a French reporter that America was “the most hated nation” in the Middle East. As a result of the Bush strategy for the war on terror, the worldwide esteem of the U.S. has been ravished. During the war in Iraq, America has used banned weapons, torture, and death squads; all of these actions have defiled our reputation, sullied our image as the “shining beacon on the hill.” Democrats should take the position that to regain our national honor we must end the bloody occupation, and rethink the war on terror. 

It’s hard to represent honor, truth, and real security, until you convince voters that you value integrity, an adherence to a strict code of ethics. The Democratic leadership must represent integrity. This is what attracted voters to the Dean campaign in 2004; Howard may be rough around the edges but he has integrity. Observing a well-defined morality means that Democrats quit being wishy-washy about Iraq and separate themselves from Clinton-era ethics where winning was all that mattered. 

Dems must cease, “Playing a fools game, hoping to win, telling those sweet lies and losing again.” To distinguish themselves from Republicans, Democrats have to adopt a set of moral principles, and then apply them to Iraq, and America’s other problems. 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer and activist. He can be reached at bobburnett@comncast.net.X

When a powerful politician voluntarily agrees to give up power, watch your back. When a powerful politician voluntarily agrees to give up power immediately after a smashing political victory, watch your back while keeping your hand firmly on your most important possessions (you decide which possessions you consider the most important). While there are rare instances when politicians voluntarily give up power, they are so rare that one has to treat each such occurrence with extreme skepticism. 

And, so, I am skeptical when I hear reports that our own State Senator Don Perata, the Senate Democratic leader, has announced that he will work with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to remove the responsibility of legislative redistricting from the state Legislature and put it in the hands of something Mr. Perata is calling an “independent commission.” (Independent from whom, one asks.) House Speaker Fabian Nuñez has also expressed interest in the idea. My skepticism rises because both Mr. Perata’s and Mr. Nuñez’s willingness to advance this issue comes immediately after California voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 77, the initiative that would have put redistricting in the hands of a panel of three retired judges. Why do California’s top Democratic legislative leaders want to even consider taking redistricting out of the Legislature’s hands, now that the public pressure to do so has eased off? 

For most citizens, going through the legislative redistricting process is like taking our car to an auto mechanic. We know we’re getting screwed. We’re just not sure exactly how. 

This is a complicated subject, too much to explain in a short column, so let’s just share some preliminary thoughts. 

In Oakland, as a good example, there are seven city councilmembers elected from what is called “single member districts” (that is, one councilmember is elected for each district). (There’s also an eighth councilmember elected by all of the voters in the city.) By federal and state law and numerous judicial decisions, each one of these councilmember districts must represent roughly the same number of citizens. Therefore, at its very basic stages, the drawing of district lines is relatively simple. All you have to do is find out the total population of Oakland and divide that number by seven (for the purposes of this discussion, let’s say Oakland has a population of 450,000; that means each district must have a little over 64,000 people in it). To draw those seven 64,000-person council districts from scratch, you would take a map which includes population figures, start somewhere-say, at the Berkeley border-and draw a line around a geographic that includes 64,000 people, and name that council District 1. Then you’d move to the next portion of the map, draw a line around the next group of 64,000 people, and so on, until you complete the seven districts. 

If that was all there was to it, you could get the average high school class to draw council districts, state legislative districts, and Congressional districts, and be done with it. But drawing representative districts is a political process—it is, in fact, the very essence of the political process, since it involves how we are politically represented—so it is impossible to keep politics out of it. Keep that thought in mind, always, or you won’t be able to understand any of the things that happen during this exercise. 

When Oakland went to a single-member district system in electing seven of its councilmembers, the people who were drawing the districts made certain political decisions in how those districts were drawn that have an enormous effect on representation on Oakland’s City Council that go far beyond the interests of any single city councilmember. 

You can easily see the course of this decision if you look at an Oakland council district map and concentrate on the last three districts running to the southeast, Districts 5, 6, and 7 (for clarification purposes we’ll identify these as the districts currently represented by councilmembers Ignacio De La Fuente, Desley Brooks, and Larry Reid; the drawing of these districts lines, however, occurred long before any of these people got into office). 

These three districts all run roughly east to west (or hills to estuary) as they go from the downtown area to the San Leandro border. That means that each of these districts take in a portion of the hills, the foothills, and the flatlands. Oaklanders have voted in these districts for so long, that many people think this is the natural way for them to be drawn, the only way for them to be drawn, in fact, and cannot imagine them being drawn in any other way. 

I wasn’t around when these district lines were being drawn, but you can imagine people at the time arguing that drawing these districts in this way would mean that each of the three councilmembers—Districts 5, 6, and 7—would have to represent a cross-section of racial and economic neighborhoods (the hills tend to be whiter and richer, with neighborhoods getting darker and poorer as you drop down into the flatlands), and that would make for more representative government in the city. In theory, it means that each of these three councilmembers has to pay at least some attention to each of these three completely different types of neighborhoods. 

(There’s an argument to be made that under this configuration, the hills actually end up getting better representation in Oakland because of their wealth and racial makeup and better organization, but that’s a discussion for another day. For now, let’s just stick with the theory.) 

It’s actually pretty easy to imagine a completely different way of drawing the last three Oakland City Council lines that would end up with a completely different makeup of the City Council. Instead of drawing the lines of the three southeastern districts hills-to-estuary, suppose you decided to draw them east to west, that is, Lake Merritt-to-San Leandro? Drawing the districts that way, you would end up with one long district at the top roughly representing the hills, a second one representing a long foothill area with, say, MacArthur or Foothill boulevards running through its heart, and a third one representing the flatlands with International Boulevard at its core. 

Drawing Oakland’s City Council district lines in this way would completely change the makeup of the City Council. Would it make it a better council? I’m not arguing that point one way or the other, right now. But it would make it different type of council. And that would be the case, regardless of who was elected to represent those newly-drawn City Council districts. In fact, it would determine who could even run for those council districts, and who could not. 

The discussion around the recently defeated Proposition 77—and the discussion around the infamous mid-census redrawing of the Texas Congressional districts—all focused on the issue of whether district lines benefit Democrats over Republicans, or vice versa. 

In fact, the decision on where district lines are drawn is far more important than that—it’s a decision on which communities get represented, which economic interests get represented, which races get represented, and which ones do not. 

So far, recently, it’s conservatives and Republicans in California who have been making the most noise on this issue. It’s time for people who call themselves progressives to start paying more attention, particularly with Mr. Perata and Mr. Nuñez on board this train. 

More on this subject, later. 

Dismissing the alternative of a reduced size store that would reduce the impacts on the neighborhood, the West Bowl EIR currently before the planning commission states that a store smaller than the proposed 91,060-square-foot megastore (54,735 square feet of groceries, 28,805 square feet of storage, 4,120 square feet of office space) would not fulfill the applicant’s intent of “a full service supermarket,” and that the applicant’s original proposal of a 65,815-square-foot development consisting of a 26,625-square-foot marketplace, 5,330-square-foot corner store, 5,050-square-foot office, and 28,810-square-foot warehouse “was not intended to be a full service supermarket” (Page VI-17). By that standard, there are no “full service supermarkets” in Berkeley. The average of all existing Berkeley supermarkets is 30,297 square feet (including storage and office). The Andronico’s on University Avenue is 26,000 square feet; the Safeway on Shattuck and Rose is 28,763 square feet; the Andronico’s on Solano is 23,200 square feet; the Andronico’s on Shattuck and Cedar is 36,200 square feet; Whole Foods on Telegraph and Ashby is 28,000 square feet; the Andronico’s on Telegraph is 27,700 square feet; the existing Berkeley Bowl is 42,150 square feet, the largest supermarket in Berkeley. But the applicant claims that anything less than his proposed megastore is not “a full service supermarket,” and the EIR blithely supports this absurdity. This is but one example of the attitude that infuses every page of the EIR. The distinguished experts seem to think that their job is not to present an impartial analysis, but to spin cherry-picked nuggets of data to reach foregone conclusions in support of a project that is consistent with neither the General Plan nor the West Berkeley Plan. I will leave it for others to detail the numerous inadequacies and tendentious excesses of the document. 

I urge Berkeleyans to not be blinded by the thick reams of verbiage and spinning statistics. Instead, I urge you to go to the site yourselves and visualize the impacts that 50,000 cars per week will have on the neighborhood. Believe your own eyes. 

Look at the larger picture, and take it into consideration. The West Bowl is not a stand-alone project, but an anchor in an attempt to change the entire west Ashby corridor to retail. The very fact that the applicant is asking for a zoning change rather than a variance is tied to his knowledge that the mayor is pushing to dismantle the industrial zones on Ashby and Gilman. 

The precedent of zoning changes to accommodate this project will have far-reaching effects, and encourage further rezoning.  

Rezoning industrial land to commercial undercuts the West Berkeley Plan. One of the Plan’s central policies is to maintain the integrity of the industrial zones, because industries provide numerous unique benefits to the entire city. The stability of all of West Berkeley hinges on the industrial zones. Without industrial zoning protections, industries, artisans, artists, industrial suppliers, and lower-income residents would be pushed out of the area by retail, office and upscale housing, which generate greater rents and profits. 

West Berkeley plays a key role in maintaining diversity in the city. Rezoning the industrial zones to commercial will take the lid off rental values. It will diminish the ethnic and economic diversity in all the adjoining residential districts. Drive industry, artisans and working artists out of West Berkeley and they are driven out of the city. There is no other place for them to go. Drive lower income residents out of West Berkeley, and they are driven out of the city. Does Berkeley want to stop being a real city, and become just an oversized college bedroom town? Berkeley has a history of fighting for social justice, not pushing diversity beyond city limits. 

The plan recognizes that West Berkeley is not a blighted area, but a successful and unique community. While other cities were dismantling their industrial zones over the last two decades, Berkeley held fast to ours, and thus maintained economic stability while other cities’ economies staggered when the dot-com bubble burst. Now much of America is starting to become aware of the long-term consequences of becoming a nation that manufactures nothing. We are already far out of balance. America’s largest manufacturing export today is weaponry. The continuing export and globalization of American manufacturing is leading to an unsustainable society, with an increasingly marginalized and impoverished working and middle class. 

But Berkeley is still doing a lot better than much of the country, because we still have industries here. As the American people become aware of this growing crisis, Berkeley has a unique opportunity to be in the forefront of the greening and renewal of American industry. 

The West Berkeley Plan was written with the participation and unanimous approval of the stakeholders, the people in the affected area. It represents their voice. So when the mayor said, “The West Berkeley Plan took 10 years, and I don’t have time for another West Berkeley Plan,” what he was really saying was that he doesn’t want to hear the voices of the affected people, because he is afraid they will be saying something that conflicts with his ambitions.  

While the distinguished experts in the EIR insist that the proposed West Bowl “would not result in any significant or unavoidable impacts,” an unbiased study would conclude the opposite. The West Berkeley Plan prioritizes the maintenance of industry and clearly states that development in West Berkeley should take place on a scale and in a manner that will not have serious harmful impacts on other existing uses. The West Bowl as proposed does not meet that criteria. Let Emeryville and Albany keep their shopping malls. We should treat our industrial zone as an irreplaceable environment that we plan to pass on to our grandchildren.  

I urge the planning commissioners, city council and city staff to refuse to do the developers’ bidding, to refuse to lead the charge to dismantle the industrial zones. I urge you instead to protect the quality of life of our entire city by supporting the integrity, maintenance, and improvement of the West Berkeley industrial zones. I urge the planning commission to expose the EIR for what it really is, to deny the zoning change, and send the applicant to ZAB to request a variance. 

John Curl has owned a West Berkeley woodworking business since 1973. He is a former member of the original West Berkeley Plan Committee and a former member of the Berkeley Planning Commission. 

?

Battle lines are being drawn in what may prove to be an epic conflict—one that pits small-town Albany against a wealthy and powerful developer from LA. 

Across the nation, malls of various designs have taken root, devastating small business districts, changing the character of cities large and small, and exercising an unchecked political and economic influence, one that threatens our nation's democracy. 

Caruso Affiliated is the latest incarnation of this trend with one difference: Their projects create “new downtowns,” and are known for their attention to style and detail. Yet a mall is a mall, regardless of whether it is elegant or poorly planned. The impact they have is the same—small businesses get battered, cities lose their charm and identity, and political power—even on the local level—is dominated 

by big money. 

Supporters of the Caruso mall contend “there is no retail to speak of in Albany,” suggesting the existing small business district be abandoned and converted into one that is “service-industry oriented.” 

The fact is there are over 65 retailers on San Pablo and Solano Avenues in Albany, most of them independently-owned-and-operated. There are also 64 restaurants in town, the vast majority family-owned. 

If an L.A. mall was built beside the Bay, what would happen to those businesses? Most would be hurt, many may be closed and boarded up. 

Consider this: When El Cerrito Plaza was completed three years ago, most merchants in Albany experienced an immediate drop in business. Retailers and restaurants also felt a dramatic decline in sales after Bay Street in Emeryville opened their doors. The only thing that has kept small businesses alive is Albany's small town ambiance and the fact that small merchants and restaurateurs offer unique merchandise, creative cuisine and personal service not available elsewhere. 

Rick Caruso and his spokesman, Matt Middlebrook, have asserted that wherever they built “town centers,” such as “the Grove” in L.A., businesses within a five mile radius have prospered. 

It defies logic to believe an upscale theme-park mall built beside Golden Gate Fields would have a positive impact on small companies in the East Bay. How could small business districts possibly compete with a corporate mall that would have a million dollar view of the bay, unlimited parking, and firms that have multi-million dollar advertising budgets? 

When there was a measure on the ballot in Glendale, California, to prevent Mr. Caruso from building a mall there, his firm spent $1.8 million to defeat it. How much will they spend to get their way in Albany? 

One cannot help but also be concerned about the potential impact an LA-size mall would have on the Bay, the wetlands, and on traffic on I-80 and the San Pablo Avenue corridor, already experiencing gridlock. 

That being said, Albany would not be Albany without Golden Gate Fields. In the past it has contributed to community organizations and provided the largest source of local tax revenue. Small businesses have also supported community organizations in town, and pay more than their fair share of taxes. And unlike big corporations, mom-and-pop shops spend their earnings locally. 

There are alternatives to the Caruso plan, one being a hotel and conference center built along the scale of the Doubletree in the Berkeley Marina. The remaining property, as much as 30 acres currently blacktop, could become a park. 

Cities receive 100 percent of hotel taxes compared to one percent of sales tax. Golden Gate Fields would benefit from such a development, as would the city. Tourists and horse racing aficionados would have plenty of reasons to shop and dine at local small businesses. 

Many believe big corporations cannot be stopped and that the Caruso plan is a “done deal.” That simply is not the case. We can—we must—prevent the East Bay from becoming another L.A. To do so we must seize the reins of our democracy and demonstrate that when citizens speak up and get organized, it is the people who talk and big money that walks. 

James Carter is the former executive director of the Albany Chamber of Commerce. 

I am not sure what the final accounting will be, but I have seen credible reports that the special election that most Californians didn’t want cost upwards of $300 million, about $50 million that the state spent putting on the show and at least $250 million in private money for or against the propositions. Not one child got educated, not one person received health care, not one solar roof was installed—in short, no services were provided by this incredible waste of money. 

And we have the 2006 gubernatorial and legislative shopping sprees to look forward to. In 2002, Gray Davis spent almost $78 million on his gubernatorial campaign, setting a new record for the most ever spent by a candidate in a non-presidential campaign. It looks like that record has now been broken by billionaire Mayor Bloomberg, who spent $100 million of his own money on his re-elec-tion campaign for Mayor of New York, but I feel confident that California will regain the record for most dollars down the drain once the 2006 campaign really gets underway. 

When Schwarzenegger complained that deep-pocketed special interests controlled California poli-tics, his message resonated with a lot of people, which enabled him oust Davis in the recall elec-tion, but now Schwarzenegger has shown that he can raise money with the best of them, so the problem is worse than ever. Candidates, unless they are rich themselves, need rich donors to finance their election campaigns, and then they are accountable to the interests who “brung them.” This explains why normal Californians don’t get support for the kinds of things they want from Sacramento—access to health care, public transportation, reduced emissions, quality education, investment in our crumbling infrastructure. The energy companies, big ag, pharmaceutical companies, HMOs, insurance, real estate developers don’t want what your average Californian wants, and they are the ones who fund the lawmakers’ campaigns. 

It doesn’t have to be this way, and in fact it isn’t this way in Arizona and Maine, two states that have full public funding for election campaigns for statewide and legislative offices. The buzz word for a system of full public financing for election campaigns is Clean Money. In 1996, Maine became the first state ever to pass Clean Money for candidates for state office and now, almost 80 percent of the Maine state legislature consists of representatives who ran “clean.” In Arizona in 2002, 10 out of 11 of Arizona’s statewide offices are held by candidates who ran “clean.” Maine and Arizona have balanced budgets. They have more seats being contested, compared to the days before they had Clean Money, and they have more women and minorities running for office. Maine recently passed a version of universal health care, which had been impossible before Clean Money reduced the influence of the insurance lobby. 

Our own Assemblywoman Loni Hancock has introduced a Clean Money bill into the California State Assembly—AB 583—which will be voted in this January. Hancock’s bill is modeled on the Maine and Arizona systems, and this is how it works. To qualify for public funding, candidates must show a broad base of support by gathering a specified number of $5 contributions and signatures from residents in the district they are running in, agree to strict spending limits, and forego any private campaign funding. The number of signatures depends on the office, from 500 for an Assembly seat up to 25,000 for governor. The system is voluntary; in other words a candidate can choose to run with public financing or not. In cases where non-participating (unclean) candidates or attack ads by outside groups exceed Clean Money expenditure limits, the state provides ample additional public funds to Clean Money candidates so they can respond immediately. 

There are Clean Money campaigns in just about every state, and a lot of cities are adopting Clean Money for municipal elections. Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque, New Mexico have Clean Money, and just this week, by a unanimous 11-0 vote, the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution instructing the city’s chief legislative analyst to generate a Clean Money proposal for the City of Los Angeles. 

Lest you still be basking in the defeat of the propositions last week and thinking that private campaign financing isn’t always so bad, keep in mind that working people aren’t going to be able to keep up the level of campaign funding that we just witnessed. In the long run, unions will never be able to outspend the corporations, and in fact they rarely do. Private campaign financing is just a bad system that makes elected officials accountable to corporate donors instead of to the voters. Let’s replace it with Clean Money and then we will start to see some real progress in Sacramento. 

Lynn Davidson is a Berkeley resident and a volunteer with the California Clean Money Campaign. For more information about Clean Money, see www.caclean.org. 

The conflict in Palestine and Israel is surely one of the best documented in human history. Every twist and turn in the struggle has been recorded and analyzed in scores of books, articles, websites, and films.  

The problem is that hardly any of this information, except what the corporate media choose to present, gets to the average American. 

In Berkeley, however, that’s no longer completely true. Since late last month Berkeley Community Media has been running a series of top-notch documentary films that offer a critical perspective on Israeli policy, and a sympathetic look at the travails of the Palestinians, on B-TV Channel 28, one of the two local public-access television channels the non-profit group operates. For those who have Internet access but no cable subscription, the shows are also streamed from the Berkeley Community Media website, www.betv.org.  

Among the movies in the series scheduled to run this weekend are: 

• Palestine Is Still the Issue, an overview of the conflict by the award-winning Australian-British journalist John Pilger. (Next showing: Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 a.m.) 

• Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land, an analysis of the way the mainstream media typically distort the issues, by the Media Education Foundation. (Saturday, Nov. 19, at 5:40 a.m.) 

• Wall of Shame, a 2003 look at the wall Israel is building through the West Bank (Friday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m.) 

Other titles shown previously include the acclaimed Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear and the Selling of American Empire; The Loss of Liberty, a recent look back at the 1967 attack by Israeli forces on the U.S. Navy ship Liberty; and interviews with Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu, historian Ilan Pappe, and UCSF Professor Jess Ghannam, a leader of the Bay Area’s Palestinian-American community.  

In addition, Ch. 28 is currently showing extras from the DVD versions of Hijacking Catastrophe and Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land, including extended interviews with Noam Chomsky, Palestinian leader Hanan Ashrawi, Village Voice journalist Alisa Solomon, Rabbi Michael Lerner, and British author and Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk. 

For complete scheduling information, go to www.betv.org, click on the “B-TV 28” link, then on “Schedule.” Unfortunately, there’s no weekly programming grid; click on the calendar to get the schedules for upcoming days.  

The showing of these films on public-access TV is an outgrowth of a grass-roots movement that began in 2003 to get KQED-TV to air Palestine Is Still The Issue. Despite a sustained pressure campaign that included such innovative tactics as projecting the film on the outside wall of the station’s San Francisco headquarters, KQED executives have steadfastly refused to show the Pilger film, but as a sort of consolation prize they did run Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land in 2004. (For more on the campaign, see www.palkqed.com.) 

In the wake of that semi-success, one of the campaign’s leaders, Fred Shepherd of Global Information Services in San Anselmo, came up with the idea of assembling a series of films on Palestine and related issues that could be shown on public-access TV channels. He has so far collected 11 films that can be broadcast without paying fees (thanks in some cases to special permissions Shepherd secured from the producers).  

I submitted the full set on DVD to Berkeley Community Media, which has done a great job getting them on the air. Meanwhile, Shepherd and other activists have arranged to get them shown on public-access channels in other communities, including San Francisco, South Marin County, Novato, and Oahu. 

Getting movies like these shown occasionally on public-access TV is no substitute for what we really need: media that would routinely tell the truth about what’s going on in Palestine, Iraq, Haiti, and other world trouble spots. But given the increasing corporate control of the mainstream media, it’s remarkable that it’s at all possible for ordinary citizens to get critical perspectives on the air at all. In that sense, my hat is off to Berkeley Community Media, and I hope many Daily Planet readers will take advantage of the rare opportunity the group is currently offering to learn more about the Middle East. 

(If you’d prefer to obtain the films on DVD, for your own use or to send to a friend who will submit them to a public-access station in another community, contact Shepherd at altencon@aol.com or 415 459-8738. Individual titles cost $15 to $25, and the full set is available for $159.) 

Former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Henry Norr has spent three and a half months in Palestine over the last three years..

Why the hell is Berkeley Citizens Action siding with the drug dealers in my South Berkeley neighborhood? Speaking on behalf of the BCA Steering Committee, Linda Olivenbaum (Commentary, Nov. 11) endorses the charges of racism leveled against me and 13 of my neighbors who are suing a local drug house in small claims court and chastises us for pursing “narrow, short-sighted solutions.” Our problem, BCA suggests, is that “when newer, often white and more affluent residents moved in as gentrification has proceeded” they neglected to notice “what’s going on around them and to acknowledge the dynamics and strengths of the existing community.” 

I love it when self-styled “progressives” who don’t live next to crack houses talk about drug-dealing and the attendant violence as though it were just part of African-American culture—like Juneteenth, maybe, except that it goes on all year. Here’s a heads up to BCA: No one here in South Berkeley not involved in the drug trade is ready to acknowledge drug-dealing as part of the “dynamics and strengths” of our community. The drug culture has torn this neighborhood apart for decades, ruining the lives of countless kids. The notion that drugs are “just life in the ’hood” is a large part of the reason why those lives continue to be ruined.  

A vivid example of this attitude was on exhibit last Tuesday, when pwog scold Bill Hamilton wouldn’t even grant that it would be a good thing if our suit succeeded in curtailing the dealing in our neighborhood. Why? Because then “the many relatives and friends of Lenora Moore would have even fewer resources to work with.” So here’s the progressive solution to our dilemma: We’re supposed to allow drugs to be openly dealt in front of our homes and teach our kids to step around the dirty needles and used condoms and crack baggies, just so as to provide gainful employment for drug dealers. If there are further difficulties, Hamilton suggests we “form a network of informal social connections with each other to monitor and modify personal behavior and direct resources to problems.” Only in a very special sort of fantasy land does this pass for a practical solution to dealing with drug dealers with semi-automatic pistols. No thanks, I’ll just take my chances in court.  

I want to say something about that court case that a lot of people who know better are pretending not to understand. We are asking for monetary damages for the fear and suffering that persistent drug dealing at 1610 Oregon Street has caused us. We don’t know if we will win. We have presented our evidence, the defendant has presented hers, and Commissioner John Rantzman will decide. If he decides for us, the defendant can appeal to Superior Court. There is no coercion involved, let alone the “force or violence” suggested by Hamilton. We are taking this approach because we have tried everything else. We will succeed or fail based on the law, not (thank God) on what our patronizing Berkeley betters have to say about it. 

It doesn’t have to be this way, you know. On Oct. 24, Oakland announced the conclusion to a very similar situation:  

“Oakland City Attorney John Russo and City Council President Igancio De La Fuente said today that a family of drug dealers has agreed to sell a house that they say has terrorized a Fruitvale District neighborhood for 20 years. . . .Russo and De La Fuente said Ruby Harris, whom they described as the matriarch of a drug-dealing family, agreed in a settlement filed in Alameda County Superior Court today to sell her home in the 3000 block of School Street and move out by Dec. 20. 

“In its lawsuit, the city attorney's office alleged that Harris ‘allowed her home to be a drug nuisance, permitting the unlawful use, sale, storage and manufacturing of controlled substances since at least 1987.’ 

“Russo and De La Fuente said the city has tried for years to get Harris to control the behavior of her children and grandchildren through signed settlements, but Harris’ family members have violated the agreements. . .[N]ow the Harris Family, in order to stave off hundreds of thousands of dollars in public nuisance fines from the city, will have to move out and the residents will be able to take back control of their street.” 

Why can’t we do that? Berkeley citizens might well ask. And for a good start, my many friends in Berkeley Citizens Action might well ask their leadership why it is participating in smearing good people who are only trying to rid their neighborhood of a notorious source of drugs and violence.  

Paul Rauber is an editor at Sierra Magazine and a former columnist for East Bay Express.

The Prometheus Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. This remarkable musical institution began as an outgrowth of Randy Hunt’s choral music program at Merritt College—when it was still downtown on “Grove Street” in Oakland. Randy needed instrumentalists to perform with his singers, for scenes from operas, oratorios, and such. He turned the orchestra into a Merritt College class, where he was on the music faculty, and began a rigorous performance schedule. A showman at heart, he not only presented concerts but also involved the orchestra in a number of exciting performance adventures.  

Notable in those early years was a collaboration with the Oakland Ballet, which is also celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. Working with dancer and company founder, Ron Guidi, the group played for ballet performances of Hansel and Gretel, and Faure’s Requiem, in what is now Calvin Simmons Auditorium, and with the San Francisco Lamplighters as the pit orchestra for Oakland performances of Die Fliedermaus. Deciding that “Merritt College Orchestra” sounded a little pedestrian, Randy chose the name Prometheus Symphony Orchestra. The Greek god Prometheus, best known in mythology as the creator of fire was also the god of music. 

International award-winning pianist Roy Bogas, who had recently performed as concerto soloist was appointed conductor for the orchestra in 1972. The late Sally Kell, principal cellist with the Oakland Symphony, took the podium for the next few years, and brought with her a new level of musical excellence. She continued the operatic tradition, and Prometheus participated in a fully staged production of Poulenc’s Dialogue of the Carmelites.” The group even went on tour to Berkeley, San Rafael and as far as Monterey. It also played in the pit for the Berkeley Ballet’s Nutcracker. 

Prometheus matured with a regular five-concert season in the dozen years that Jonathan Khuner held the baton (1980-1991). Under his tutelage, the orchestra benefited not only from performing some of the most demanding symphonic literature but also from Jonathan’s associations in the opera world and the remarkable singers he invited to perform. He was, and still is, on the staff of the San Francisco Opera and he currently conducts the Berkeley Opera. Semi-staged productions of Chabrier’s Etoile, Weber-Mahler’s Die Drei Pintos and performances of arias from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Verdi’s Otello were highlights of those years. The orchestra also took on master works such as Mahler’s 1st Symphony, Brahms’ 4th and Bruckner’s 8th. 

With Jonathan came his remarkable father, violinist Felix Khuner, who modestly sat in the back of the violin or viola sections, and on occasion could be heard to hum the part of an absent wind player during rehearsals. He played with the orchestra into his 90s. The annual Felix Khuner Concerto Competition for young musicians (18 and under) is a highlight of the Prometheus season, with one or two superbly talented young people performing each year since 1991. Several have gone on to careers as professional musicians (and at least one conductor, Jack Bailey,) and they thank Prometheus for the experience of playing with a full orchestra to a live audience.  

Prometheus arrived at its 30-year celebration during a six year association with the noted young Bay Area conductor, George Thomson, who is well known to Bay Area music lovers as Associate Conductor of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and former conductor of the “new music” group Earplay. George expanded the group’s repertoire and appreciation of contemporary works. During his tenure, Prometheus was happy to be able to reestablish its association with Merritt College, which is now its permanent rehearsal site. 

Each of these conductors is a remarkably gifted musician, and the members of Prometheus learned much from their direction. Good fortune again prevailed when Eric Hansen took up the baton in 1997. A lecturer at UC Berkeley and East Bay (Hayward) State University and a guest conductor with leading regional orchestras around the nation, Eric has brought to the Prometheus a superb balance of his own extraordinary musicianship, patience with the foibles of tired musicians with day jobs, and a natural talent as a teacher. He is a treasure trove of knowledge about music history and theory, to the great benefit of musicians and audience alike. The orchestra has grown in many ways under this leadership. Eric and his father had both played with Prometheus in earlier years. 

Under Hansen’s baton the orchestra has performed over 100 demanding works, covering the complete range of compositional styles from Bach. Mozart and Vivaldi through several of the Beethoven Symphonies to the Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique, and most of the major composers in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, works from Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorak, Mahler, Elgar , Shostakovich, Stravinski and Hindemith. A 1992 composition from the East Bay’s own Peter Josheff currently takes the prize for “most recent venture into contemporary music.”  

Little did the motley crew of musicians that Randolph Hunt gathered together in 1965 know that they were starting a musical institution that would be thriving some 40 years later. One of that original group—hornist Akos Vass—is still on the Prometheus roster, as is bassoonist Bonnie Bogue who joined in 1966. Many others can claim membership of 20 years or more. Players come from all walks of life—teachers, office workers, lawyers, accountants, doctors, computer scientists, professors, homemakers, university students, parents with young children and more than a few grandparents. All of them put aside every Monday night to come to practice, sometimes struggling to meet the demands of the great composers yet always rejoicing in the experience. 

A birthday performance for the Prometheus Symphony Orchestra is planned for on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 116 Montecito Ave., Oakland. The concert will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 and Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with guest performers Robin Hansen, violin, and Anna Kruger, viola. Admission is free and donations are accepted.

FRIDAY, NOV. 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley ” Six Degrees of Separation” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. through Nov. 19. Tickets are $10. 649-5999.  

Aurora Theatre “Marius” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Dec. 18. Tickets are $28-$45. 843-4822.  

Backstage Productions “All in the Timing” at 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Choral Rehearsal Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center, UC Campus. Tickets are $6-$8. 642-3880. 

Berkeley Rep “Brundibár” A musical fable staged by Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak at the Roda Theater through Dec. 28. Ticekts are $15-$64. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Black Repertory Group “Dance with my Father Again” a musical biography of Luther Vandross. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Dec. 4. Tickets are $7-$15. 652-2120. 

Central Works “Achilles & Patroklos” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Nov. 20. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381.  

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Noises Off” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Dec. 10. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)” Thurs. through Sun. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Dec. 10. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468.  

Masquers Playhouse “Dear World” Jerry Herman’s musical, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Dec. 17 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

UC Dept. of Theater, “Harvest” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Durham Studio Theater, UC Campus. Tickets are $8-$14. 642-9925. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The Gift of Art” Reception for the artists at 6 p.m. at the Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809D Fourth St. 549-1018. 

FILM 

International Latino Film Festival “Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano” at 9 p.m. La Peña. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Battles of Sam Peckinpah “The Wild Bunch”at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” at 6:15 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets and book can be purchased in advance from Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Selling Democracy: Films of the Marshall Plan, 1948-53 Symposium on Productivity and Propaganda in the Service of American Foreign Policy at 2 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland East Bay Symphony performs works by Mussorgsky, Galinso and Rachmaninoff at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Pre-concert talk at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $15-$60. 625-8497.  

San Francisco City Chorus and Vox Dilecti “An Evening of Vaughan Williams” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $13-$20. 415-701-7664.  

Mazula Woodwind Quintet at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $10. 848-1228.  

Akira Tana Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373.  

Eric Swinderman Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Nevile Staples, Chris Murray, The Soul Captives, Monkey, ska, rock at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054.  

Blame Sally at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Bobbe Norris & Larry Dunlap Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Lauren Murphy and Rupa Marya at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Spaceheater, John Schott’s Dream Kitchen at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Shadowboxer, Lobstrosities, K.B.H. at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

40 Watt Hype, world music, dub, rock, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

Swoop Unit at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Val Esway’s Acoustic Onslaught Series at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10.  

SATURDAY, NOV. 19 

CHILDREN 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Los Mapeches at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Phillipe Ames introduces “Meow Said the Mouse” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Enrique Martinez Celaya: Works on Paper opens at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. Slide show and discussion with the artist at 11 a.m. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

THEATER 

“Dick ‘N Dubya Show: A Republican Cabaret” Sat and Sun. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2118 Allston Way. Tickets are $10-$22. 800-838-3006.  

Woman’s Will “Happy End” by Bertolt Brecht, Thurs. and Sat. at 7 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Luka’s Lounge, 2221 Broadway at Grand Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$25. 420-0813.  

FILM 

Taisho Chic on Screen “The Neighbor’s Wife and Mine” at 5 p.m., “Our Neighbor, Miss Yea” at 6:30 p.m. and “Zigeuner 

weisen” at 8:10 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Robert Fisk introduces his new book, “The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East” at 7 p.m. at King Middle School Auditorium, 1781 Rose St. Tickets are $25, no one turned away. Benefits Middle East Children’s Alliance. 548-0542. www.mecaforpeace.org 

Adam Phillips explores sanity in “Going Sane: Maps of Happiness” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Ika Hügel-Marshall describes “Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black in Germany” at 4 p.m. at Hand to Hand, 5680 San Pablo Ave. 430-2673. 

Rhythm & Muse Open Mic Series “Peace Jungle Story Swap” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trinity Chamber Concerts, Jason Emanuel Britton, cabaret singer, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. http:// 

trinitychamberconcerts.com  

“Dancin’ with a Piano” with Bryan Baker, piano, Rod Lowe, tenor, and Deborah Schmidt, flute, at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $15-$50. 525-0302.  

“Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” with the Berkeley Broadway Singers at 8 p.m. at St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St. Free, but donations will be sent to MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. 604-5732. www. 

berkeleybroadwaysingers.org 

Oakland Chamber Ensemble “I’m Talking to You” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$17. 595-4691. 

Andy Cohen, acoustic blues and roots, at 7:30 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. Tickets are $10. 237-1960. 

Billy Mintz, Grossman-Vlatkovich Duo at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10-$15. 652-7914. 

Moment’s Notice A salon for improvised music, dance and theater at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 Eighth St. Cost is $8-$10. 415-831-5592. 

Gaucho at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473.  

Pillows, Persephone’s Bees, Jason of Papercuts at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Robin Gregory & Bill Bell Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. 

Jamie Laval & Hans York at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

La Lesbian Karen Williams, comedy, at 9 p.m. at at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

Evolutionary Patterns and the Lonely Owl, interactive dance, music and video at 7:30 p.m. at Mad Horse Loft, 2200 Adleine St., Ste. 125. Donation $5-$10. 535-2504.  

Madeline Eastman at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kotoja, Afrobeat at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Josh Workman Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Renée Asteria and Daryl Scairiot at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Urban Monks at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Persephone’s Bees, Pillows at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Famous Last Words at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. www.epicarts.org 

Harold Ray, King Kahn BBQ Show Riff Randells at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Skip Hop at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 20 

THEATER 

“Tellabration” National storytelling event hosted by Stagebridge at 3 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. at 27th, Oakland. Tickets are $12-$15. 444-4755.  

EXHIBTIONS 

Art in Progress Open Studios and Group Exhibition in the landmark Durkee Spice Building. Painting, photography, archival prints, sculpture, mixed media from 2 to 5 p.m. at 800 Heinz Ave. 845-0707. 

MATRIX 219 Wilhelm Sasnal new works by the Polish artist opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Artists talk at 4 p.m. 642-0808. 

“Taisho Chic: Japanese Modernity, Nostalgia and Deco” guided tour at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. 642-0808. 

FILM 

Taisho Chic on Screen “Castle of Wind and Clouds” at 5 p.m. “Walk Cheerfully” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Gallery Talk with Artists from Day of the Dead Exhibition at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200.  

Poems Against War at 3 p.m. in the Morrison Library, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Architecture Dept. 

Bill Mayer and Larry Felson, local poets, read at 8 p.m. at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Poetry Flash with F. D. Reeve and Madeline Tiger at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” with the Berkeley Broadway Singers at 4 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Church, 400 Alcatraz Ave. Free, but donations will be sent to MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. 604-5732.  

Volti and soprano Christine Brandes in “No More to Hide: An American Wedding Cantata” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft. Tickets are $15-$20. 415-771-3352.  

Prometheus Symphony, 40th Anniversary Concert at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito St., Oakland. Free, donations requested. 415-864-2151. 

Deborah Voigt, soprano, at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68, available from 642-9988.  

Contra Costra Chorale with New Millennium Strings at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $5-$10. 524-1861. www.ccchorale.org 

University Wind Ensemble at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Organ Music for Four Hands with Paul Tegels and Dana Robinson at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $5-$15. 845-8630. 

Juanita Ulloa and the Picante Ensemble at 2 p.m. at St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church, Mountain Blvd. at Keller, Oakland. Admission by donation. 635-4949. 

Carlos Olioveira & Brazilian Origins at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Tsygankov & Shevchenko at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

T-Rex Elite, Panda, Hunazee, Burmese Crowd, rock, teen bands at 3 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054.  

Echo Beach, jazz, at 10 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Shook Ones, Ceremony at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, NOV. 21 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jerome Karabel introduces “The Chosen: The Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale and Princeton” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Poetry Express with Juan Sequiera at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. tickets are $3-$10. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Harry Manx at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

TUESDAY, NOV. 22 

CHILDREN 

Flute Sweets & Tickletoons “I Hopped Out of Bed and Jumped for Joy” An evening of songs and stories at 7 p,.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “Group Hallucinations: Anger, Jacobs, Snow” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

John Harrington explains “The Challenge to Power: Money, Investing and Democracy” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. 

Ellen Hoffmaan with Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Crooked Still at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Music for the Spirit with Lenora Mathias, flute, at noon at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555.  

Calvin Keys Trio Invitational Jam at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Ned Boynton Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Balkan Folkdance at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Lessons at 7 p.m. Cost is $7. 525-5054.  

La Verdad, salsa, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

FRIDAY, NOV. 25 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Marius” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Dec. 18. Tickets are $28-$45. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org  

Berkeley Rep “Brundibár” A musical fable staged by Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak at the Roda Theater through Dec. 28. Ticekts are $15-$64. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Black Repertory Group “Dance with my Father Again” a musical biography of Luther Vandross. Fr. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Dec. 4. Tickets are $7-$15. 652-2120. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Noises Off” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Dec. 10. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)” Thurs. through Sun. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Dec. 10. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

Splash Circus “The Snow Queen” Fri. at 7 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 925-798-1300. 

Masquers Playhouse “Dear World” Jerry Herman’s musical, Fri. and Sat at 8 p.m. through Dec. 17 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

ACCI Gallery Holiday Exhibition opens with works by over 100 people at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. www.accigallery.com 

Holiday Art Show with works by Rik Olson, Soo Noga, Julian Shaw and Mylette Welch at Nexus Gallery, 2701 Eighth St., from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 29. 

“Justice Matters: Artists Consider Palestine” An evening with Ziad Abbas at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. 644-6893. 

FILM 

Marcel Pagnol’s Provence “Harvest” at 7 p.m., “The Baker’s Wife” at 9:25 p.m. at 9:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skilet Lickers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Yaelisa with Caminos Flamencos Dance Company at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Gery Tinkelenberg and Deborah Crooks at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Propagandhi, Greg MacPherson at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

Inspector Double Negative, funk, hip hop, soul at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$7. 548-1159.  

Du Uy Quintet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277.?

FRIDAY, NOV. 18 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Norm J. Szydlowski, Refinery Division, Chevron Corp., on “Iraq Reflections” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

“Taking on Bush’s Wars at Home and Abroad” with Cindy Sheehan, Peter Camejo and others at 7 p.m. in Room 2050, Valley Life Sciences Bldg., UC Campus. Cost is $10. Sponsored by Berkeley Stop the War Coalition. 

“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” documentary screening and conversation at 8 p.m. at The Living Room, 3230 Adeline St. RSVP to livingroomgallery@gmail.com 

“Target Market” with psychologist Allen Kanner and market researcher Nick Russell about how corporations target youth at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $10. 528-5403. 

“Black Against Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Black Panther Party” with Prof. Waldo Martin and UCLA graduate student Joshua Bloom at 6 p.m. at Free Speech Movement Café at Moffitt Library, UC Campus. 642-0813. 

“German-Jewish Relations: A German Perspective” with Rolf Schütte, Consul General of Germany at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Bth El, 1301 Oxford St. 848-3988. 

“Lessons in Confronting the End of Life” with Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt at 7:15 p.m. at Beth Jacob Congregation, 3778 Park Blvd., Oakland. 482-1147. 

Wellness Open House Complimentary consultations and healing sessions in exchange for non-perishable food donations to benefit Berkeley Food and Housing Project, at 6:30 p.m. at 828 San Pablo Ave., Suite 115, Albany. 526-1559. 

Three Beats for Nothing sings early music for fun and practice at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 655-8863. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 19 

Kid’s Garden Club for ages 7-12 to explore the world of gardening, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Fall Planting for the Wild Things Join us for a morning of planting to restore a marsh, and provide food and shelter for birds and other animals that live along the edges of San Francisco Bay in Pt. Richmond. From 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a naturalist’s talk at 1 p.m. To register and receive directions or for more information, email Bayshorestewards@thewatershedproject.org or call 665-3689.  

Help Save the Bay Plant Native Seedlings from 9 a.m. to noon at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. Gloves, tools and snacks provided. 452-9261, ext. 109. www.savesfbay.org 

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets at 9:15 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Sproul Conference Room, 1st Floor, 2727 College Ave. www.berkeleycna.com 

Asthma and Avian Flu Town Hall Meeting from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the West Oakland Library, 1801 Adeline St. at 18th St. Free. Sponored by the Alta Batess Ethnic Health Institute. 869-8224. 

“Green Jobs - Not Jails” A youth training program, for ages 16 - 25, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ella Baker Center, 344 40th St. Oakland. Free. 415-577-3530. www. 

reclaimthefuture.org/training 

BHS Communication Arts and Sciences Calendar Sale Wall, desk and enagement calendars on a variety of topics for only $5, from noon to 2 p.m., also on Sun. at 2310 Valley St., 3 blocks west of Sacramento St., off Channing Way. 843-2780. 

“The House on Mango Street” Community Reading with The Mixed Bag Storytellers, Mayor Tom Bates and Darryl Moore at 11 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis. 981-5180. 

“Walking in Two Worlds: Black Native Americans,” with Rafael Jesús González, essayist from El Corazón de la Muerte, dancing by Medicine Warriors Dance Troupe, drumming by All Nations Singers and music by Abdi Jibril and Balafo, at 1 p.m. at Oakland Main Public Library, West Auditorium, 125 14th St., Oakland. 

“The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East” with Robert Fisk at 7 p.m. at King Middle School Auditorium, 1781 Rose St. Tickets are $25, no one turned away. Benefits Middle East Children’s Alliance. 548-0542. www.mecaforpeace.org 

California Writers Club meets to discuss “The Rewards of Fellowship” with Ann Parker, Ginger Wadsworth, and Laurel Anne Hill at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. 482-0265. www.berkeleywritersclub.org  

Holiday Craft Market with jewelry and beads, hand-crafted leather goods, ceramics, and gourmet chocolates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2501 Harrison St., Oakland. Cost is $3. All proceeds benefit Magical Acts. 

Friends of the Albany Library Special Book Sale with rare and collectible books and records, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Edith Stone Room, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 5. 

Mandala Drawing A workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Bring a bag lunch and something to share. Cost is $35. To register call 525-8879. 

Softball Clinic for girls in grades 2-9, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Grove/Russell field, Martin Luther King Jr Way and Russell St. Free. Registraion required. clinics@abgsl.org, www.abgsl.org 

Flu and Pneumonia Shots from noon to 4 p.m. at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, 1744 Solano Ave. Cost is $25 and $35. 527-8929. 

Holiday Baking for Your Pet at 3 p.m. at Rabbitears, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Donation $20.525-6155.  

SUNDAY, NOV. 20 

Salamander Hike Enjoy wet habitats on a search for slow moving amphibians at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tiden Park. 525-2233. 

Eat More Chocolate! Learn the natural history and health benefits of this amazing bean at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $12-$14. Registration required. 636-1684. 

School of the Americas Watch Candlelight Vigil at sunset on the steps of St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Bring a candle. Sponsored by the Fr. Bill O’Donnell Social Justice Committee of St. Joseph the Worker.  

Santa Paws & Holiday Photos Benefit for the East Bay Humane Society from noon to 4 p.m. at Holistic Hound, 1510 Walnut St. Photos cost $25. Call for an appointment 843-2133. 

Arts and Crafts Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Congregation Beth Israel, 1630 Bancroft Way. Works by local artisans as well as entertainment for children. 

The Globalization of Baseball with Jules Tygiel and Amaury Pi-Gonzalez at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Benefit for Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters with a concert by Dana Lyons, silent auction and refreshments, at 6 p.m. at Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar St. 548-3113. www.HeadwatersPreserve.org 

Family Explorations: Ghost Memories at noon p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Carving Your Thanksgiving Dinosaur” Learn how your bird is related to dinosaurs at 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science. Free with museum admission. 643-8980. 

Berkeley Cybersalon “Just Say No to Microsoft” with author Tony Bove at 5 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St.Cost is $5-$10. www.hillsideclub.org  

Berkeley Biodiesel Collective Harvest Mixer with presentations, demonstrations, dancing to live music, eco-ed activities for children and more from 5 to 9 p.m. La Peña. 849-2568.  

“British Literature and the Torah” with Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt at 7 p.m. at Beth Jacob Congregation, 3778 Park Blvd., Oakland. 482-1147. 

“Hebrew: the Ideal Programming Language” with Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh on Kabbalah and computer science at 8 p.m. at MLK Student Union, Tilden Room, UC Campus. Donation $18. Reservations appreciated 540-5824. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712.  

MONDAY, NOV. 21 

“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” A screening of Robert Greenwald’s new documentary, with Rep. Barbara Lee, Global Exchange and Media Alliance at 6 p.m. at the Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $15. 415-255-7296. 

Women of Africa “Love, Labor Loss” a documentary on obstetric fistula, the severe childbirth injury, followed by panel discussion, at 6 p.m. at Maxwells Restaurant & Lounge, 341 13th St., Oakland. Free. 868-1711. www.wafrica.org 

Sing-A-Long from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. 524-9122.  

Beginning Bridge Lessons at 11:10 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Cost is $1. 524-9122. 

School Boardmember John Selawsky will hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. the Berkeley Main Library, 3rd floor meeting room. 848-0305.  

Satsang with Pamela Wilson, meditative inquiry and dharma talk at 7:30 pm at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Donation of $15, no one turned away. 295-9794.  

TUESDAY, NOV. 22 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult. We will hunt for spiders if the weatheris nice, if not we’ll learn about the water cycle, from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Birdwalk on the MLK Shoreline from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. to see the shorebirds here for the winter. Beginnners welcome, binoculars available for loan. 525-2233. 

“Becoming Hevajra” An overview of the meditative and ritual practice with Prof. Harunaga Isaacson, Univ. of Penn. at 5 p.m. in the IEAS Conference Room, 6th flr., 2223 Fulton St. 643-6492. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Flu Shots for Berkeley Residents age 60 or over or “high-risk” from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Health Clinic, 830 University Ave. For information call 981-5300. 

Introduction to Buddhist Meditation at 7 p.m. at the Dzalandhara Buddhist Center in Berkeley. Cost is $7-$10. Call for directions. 559-8183. www.kadampas.org 

Free Handbuilding Ceramics Class 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Also, Mon. noon to 4 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Materials and firing charges not included. 525-5497. 

Family Story Time at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Branch Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free, all ages welcome. 524-3043. 

Berkeley PC Users Group Problem solving and beginners meeting to answer, in simple English, users questions about Windows computers. At 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St. corner of Eunice. All welcome, no charge. 527-2177.  

“Ask the Social Worker” free consultations for older adults and their families from 10 a.m. to noon at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. To schedule an appointment call 558-7800, ext. 716. 

Brainstormer Weekly Pub Quiz every Tuesday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Pyramid Alehouse Brewery, 901 Gilman St. 528-9880. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave.. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23 

“Chavez, Venezuela and the New Latin America” A documentary at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donations of $5 accepted. 393-5685. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Action St. 841-2174.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Healthy Eating Habits A seminar with hypnosis at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 465-2524. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Sing your Way Home A free sing-a-long at 4:30 p.m. every Wed. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Prose Writer’s Workshop An ongoing group made up of friendly writers who are serious about our craft. All levels welcome. At 7 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. georgeporter@earthlink.net 

Stitch ‘n Bitch Bring your knitting, crocheting and other handcrafts from 6 to 9 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, NOV. 24 

Reduced City Services Today Call ahead to ensure programs or services you desire will be available. 981-CITY. www.cityofberkeley.info 

East Bay Food Not Bombs Give Thanks Vegetarian Potluck Feast from 6 to 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. Free. Please bring donations and a vegetarian dish to share. 658-9178. 

Vegan Potluck at 4:30 p.m. Bring vegan (no eggs or dairy) food to share. For location and to RSVP, call 562-9934.  

FRIDAY, NOV. 25 

Demonstration at “The Dead Mall,” Bay Street Emeryville built on the Ohlone burial ground, from noon to 6 p.m. 841-8562. 

“Native Americans and Thanksgiving” with Zachary Running Wolf and Thunder at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Suggested donation $10. 528-5403.  

Three Beats for Nothing sings early music for fun and practice at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 655-8863. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. People of all traditions are welcome to join us. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 655-6169. www.bpf.org 

SATURDAY, NOV. 26 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Women of Color Arts and Crafts Show from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at La Penna Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

“Playing With Fire” Berkeley Potters Guild Holiday Sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 731 Jones St. at Fourth St. www.berkeleypotters.com 

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For a map of locations see www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Spirit Walking Aqua Chi (TM) A gentle water exercise class at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $3.50 per session. 526-0312. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552 

ONGOING 

We Give Thanks Month Dine at a participating restaurant, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Berkeley Food and Housing. Restaurants include Bendean, Poulet, Rose Garden Inn, La Note, Skates on the Bay and Oliveto’s. www.bfhp.org 

Warm Coat Drive Donate a coat for distribution in the community, at Bay St., Emeryville. Sponsored by the Girl Scouts. www.onewarmcoat.org 

Albany Berkeley Girls Softball League is looking for girls in grades 1-9 to play softball. Season runs March 4-June 3. To register, email registrar@abgsl.org or call 869-4277. Early Bird registration ends Dec. 31. Registration closes Feb. 1. Scholarships available. www.abgsl.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. Nov. 21, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon., Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Pam Wyche, 644-6128 ext. 113. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/rent 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/planning/landuse/Creeks/default.html 

Downtown Area Plan Committee meets Mon. Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7410.?

During inspections, I often hear people refer to old houses as having “good bones.” This is such a trigger for me that I have to duct tape my mouth shut to keep from launching into a day-long lecture on what’s good AND bad about old houses. Luckily for me, there’s no duct tape on my keyboard so I can rant all day. Or as long as space permits, anyway. 

The problem with the notion of good bones, to draw a further anatomical analogy, is that it lacks any discussion of the viscera. The bloodstream, neurology or fascia that flesh out, protect and inhabit this skeletal system. Also, the notion that old houses have good bones, presumably the framing or wooden members, is often wrong. This is untrue often enough to fairly state that not all older houses have good bones. Also, it is unreasonable to assume, by contrast, that newer houses are lacking in a decent skeletal system. 

To widen the attack on this notion, I think we have to examine assumption behind the term “good bones,” which is, I believe, that old houses are better built—that they used better materials and that they were built with more care and by persons with better knowledge of construction. 

This is true just enough of the time and in enough areas of the trades that the notion has never been fully debunked. But let’s break it down, take it by domain and see if we can inject some sense into where this old husband’s tale comes from and to what degree it may be true. 

If we take a typical house from, say, 1915, and another typical house from 1975 and compare them, we will certainly find that the older house is fairly well-framed. Often these older houses used very good lumber, which seems not to be as prevalent in the modern house. Wooden members have gotten smaller, for given dimensions over the last century (2x4s are now 1-1/2” x 3-1/2”) and the quality of the wood used has diminished somewhat. However, a house from 1915, in many areas, would have used smaller pieces of wood as well as having spaced them further apart.  

A roof framing from 1915 would typically have been made up of 2x4s spaced about three feet apart. While the wood used may have been of good quality, this framing can’t compete with the 1975 house which will probably have 2x6s spaced about two feet apart. The latter framing is stronger by any objective standard.  

One thing that will almost certainly bear in the favor of the older house will be the quality of the nailing. Nails were often of larger sizes, were generally better installed (yes, those carpenters pounded them all in by hand with huge hammers and powerful triceps—even the little guys) and more were put in at each joint. Again, this is not consistent but it is often true. 

I remember reading a story about a development in Florida built in 1970s which, when hit by a hurricane, pancaked. These houses just fell to pieces. Forensics done in the aftermath of the tragedy showed that only a small fraction of the mandated nailing had been done and that this was clearly the reason for the widespread failures. Images of tight budgets, poor inspections and framers under the influence come to mind, although proof of the particulars is hard to come by. Nonetheless, the general notion of cheapness as an element of late 20th century construction clearly fits. 

Before moving on from the issue of framing in a comparison of our 1915 vs. 1975 houses, I do think it’s worthwhile to point out that that the floors and walls of both houses are quite similar but do favor the older house much of the time. The place where the framing differences really manifest themselves are in those areas that we think of as being of seismic relevance. The very bottom part of the framing in the older house does not have the interconnectedness of the modern house. For some odd reason, builders and building designers were not thinking about how houses fail during earthquakes even 20 years after the great San Francisco quake.  

Another 60 years passed before significant measures were taken to change the way houses respond to earthquakes. These changes have to do with bolting of houses to foundations, the nailing of exterior cladding and the way in which various parts of the house are attached to one another.  

This is one of those areas where I tend to say that the bones of the older house really aren’t that good. Well, the bones may be good but the tendons and ligaments are lousy. Even though houses built since the 1960s show increasing signs of cheapness, ignorance and lack of integrity, the technologies have advanced and houses are better for them. I would never trade in a 1975 reinforced concrete foundation for the soluble brick foundation of 1915 and were I to buy one of those glorious painted ladies, would make the replacement of the foundation my first task. 

As is so often true, this subject deserves 10 times the space of this column, but let me finish briefly with a few other areas of comparison.  

Electrical wiring is so much better today than in 1915 that it’s hardly worth discussing. Many safety features have been added as well as pure utility in the form of lighting, zillions of outlets and safety features like the GFCI. 

Heating has advanced greatly as well with the advent of insulation and thermal windows. Plumbing systems are no longer corroded steel with their advanced cases of arteriole sclerosis. If you’ve ever showered in an older house when someone flushed the toilet, you know what I mean. Modern copper piping is a small wonder and no matter how marvelous that old Victorian is, until you upgrade the plumbing, your wife will continue to threaten divorce. 

I’ll answer the question that I’m sure at least some of you are asking yourselves at this point by saying that I live in a 1922 house. The foundation has been replaced, as has the wiring, plumbing and heating. This is my personal answer to the dilemma of old vs. new. I don’t care for most newer houses I see. The architecture and lack of detailing often leave me cold and I’m never sure which room I’m in. I can’t tell the foyer from the laundry room. On the other hand, an old house without modern upgrades is a daily trial. 

So I suggest a new version of an old ditty: Good Bones, Good Heat, Good Pipes, That’s Sweet. 

I went down to the East Bay Nursery 

I saw the tchotchkes there 

Hangin’ from the walls and ceiling 

Christmas madness everywhere 

I’ll indulge in a clichéd, complaining rhetorical question: Did the big Christmas sales slam always start this early? No, you can’t fool me; I’m so old I remember when merchants were somehow honor-bound to hold off until about Thanksgiving.  

OK, that’s out of the way. Now for East Bay Nursery’s annual holiday ornament extravaganza. There are whole shops given over to Christmas, and probably somewhere there’s a megastore with acres and acres of this glitz. But somehow this one’s more concentrated, more intense. Maybe it’s because the whole thing is crammed into the small indoor shop section of a good-sized city nursery, a place otherwise given over to orderly rows of live green things.  

When you’ve been fondling plants, sticking your fingers in the soil, picking up gallon cans to look for rootlets and all, and then walk into this little gilt-and-glass fantasy, you can get to feeling a bit grubby. (I felt that way once when accidentally sharing a hotel with the Mrs. America pageant. Mother of pearl, those tootsies had four-hour makeup seminars.) There’s that urge to put your hands behind your back—and eventually another urge, for a dose of insulin. 

Still, this year’s crop has nothing musical, nothing spinning giddily and tinkling out that odious Drummer Boy thing. There are the assorted birds, beasts, pastries, Santas and other folks, angels, abstractions, at least one gator and one accordion, and, oddly, a very Hallowe’enish black bat on a purple globe. Somewhere in Berkeley there’s a person who needs this for their tree, no doubt. 

Most of the year, I think of East Bay Nursery, generic name and all, as the Andronico’s of local nurseries. It’s a family affair a couple of generations deep; it’s also the find-everything supermarket. When it’s early in the morning you can count on running into a pro landscaper or two on their way to a client’s, picking up a six-pack of annuals and a dozen eggplant starts, chatting up the staff and vice-versa.  

It’s got those rows and rows of goods, too, like a supermarket, all the better to maneuver your market-type cart through. Sometimes you can even find food, if you were to shoplift—or buy the whole tree in the back row just for the figs it’s bearing. It’s a good way to be sure you have a fertile tree and you know what kind of fig it will give you, what the heck.  

This is one of the few places I know where you can still buy a Schinus molle, the “California” peppertree that’s been around, allegedly, since the Mission days and now is being hit so hard by disease. There’s also space for little obsessions and innovations, like the grand slam of sages that starred here a few years ago, or those odd-colored foliage plants arranged in geometric patterns.  

The place is far from boring, and between the live goods and the pots and tools—always something different—it’s the place for one-stop shopping.  

East Bay Nursery 

2332 San Pablo Ave. 

Berkeley 

845-6490 

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday 

Closed Sundays and Mondays 

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People’s Park has a new freebox and this one, say supporters, has been built to last. 

Following the destruction of two previous incarnations of the freebox earlier this year, volunteers gathered on Saturday to put together the support rods and sheets of steel that now make up a new eight-by-four-foot free-item exchange bin. 

Billed as the “Freebox Fashion Show,” the event drew more than 100 people to the park for an afternoon of live music, protest and a street theater dition of The Three Little Pigs, complete with a big, bad (Cal) bear—all in support of keeping the freebox up and running.  

In February, fire damaged a pre-existing, straw-made freebox, which in some form has been a part of the park since long-time activist Bob Sparks started the tradition in 1989. UC Berkeley police finished the job in September by tearing up the box’s foundation after volunteers attempted to build a more permanent structure, which is located near the basketball courts at the park.  

A few days later UC police also dismantled two wooden crates put up to replace the burned box. Given the history of contention with the university, park and homeless rights activists are now holding their breath to see if the new structure will last longer than its predecessor. 

“It’s something that ties the community together,” said Dan McMullan, a volunteer from Friends of Peoples Park, a group that advocates for the park. “It offers the chance for an act of giving from people that have to people that don’t have that makes both parties feel good.” 

When asked if he thought campus police would dismantle the freebox McMullan responded cheerfully, “Probably, but we’ll just build another one.” 

In fact, freebox supporters have reason to worry. UC officials have expressed their disdain for the box, claiming that the freebox is a nuisance, and that its users often fight over items and leave them strewn about the park. Others, they say, take what they can from the box of donated items to stores where they can sell the items for profit. 

In an interview last September, Irene Hegarty, UC Berkeley director of community relations, told the Berkeley Daily Planet that it would block freebox advocates from rebuilding at the park. As of press time, however, no action had been taken to dismantle it. 

Perhaps one sign to suggest better future cooperation between the university and park advocates is the recent decision to reinstate the People’s Park Community Advisory Board, which had operated since the mid-1990s, but was shutdown by the university last year. Comprised of community members, students and activists, the advisory board offered a line of communication between the two sides—both of whom claim ownership of the park. 

“It’s a bureaucratic dance,” said former advisory board member and local activist Terry Compost, who hopes to regain a seat on the university-appointed board. “But the real power struggle is going on right here [at the park].” 

“It used to be that the city and university did things together,” added Berkeley City Councilmember Kriss Worthington. “The university kicked the board out of the process.” 

Worthington points out that the park is virtually the only open space within the densest part of the city. He said it is therefore vital to continue to support park advocates and to recreate the lost line of communication offered by the advisory board. 

Volunteers from Friends of Peoples Park said they spent over $300 to purchase materials for the new freebox and that they received donations and words of support from all over the country once news broke of trouble with the preexisting freebox. 

“UC thought this would be a good opportunity to tear it down while people weren’t looking,” said McMullan, “but today proves that people are looking.”.”

Members of the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees have introduced a resolution censuring fellow trustee Marcie Hodge for what the resolution calls “behavior that is out of compliance with the established Peralta Community College District policies” of “civility and mutual respect” and accusing her of “emotionally ºviolent behavior.” Trustees are prepared to vote on the censure resolution at Tuesday night’s regular trustee meeting. 

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Peralta Administrative Headquarters, 333 East Eighth Street in Oakland. 

An informal survey of board members revealed that the censure motion appears to have at least three votes for passage. If all seven trustees vote, the measure would need four votes to pass. 

Sources on the trustee board would not reveal who had written or introduced the resolution or what path it had taken to get on Tuesday’s agenda, other than to say that trustees had been advised by Peralta General Counsel Thuy Nguyen that the resolution could not be handled in closed session. Other than Hodge, no trustee agreed to talk about the resolution on the record, saying they would reserve public comments for Tuesday’s meeting. 

A copy of the proposed resolution itself was included in the background agenda material released by the Peralta administrative office in advance of Tuesday’s meeting. 

Hodge was elected to her Area 2 trustee seat last November, representing the extreme southeastern end of Oakland from Seminary Avenue to the San Leandro border. While it has been widely reported and assumed that she is running for the Oakland City Council in next year’s election for the 6th District seat currently held by Desley Brooks, Hodge has said that she will not consider such a race until the beginning of the year.  

The resolution harshly criticizes the first-term trustee for actions Hodge took during a September trustee meeting in which she called for the abolition of the district’s International Education Department and severely criticized its director Jacob Ng, as well as for accusations against both Ng and fellow trustee members that Hodge allegedly made during an Oct. 18 Laney College Faculty Senate meeting. The resolution also accuses Hodge of being “deficient” in “fulfilling her responsibilities as a trustee,” including being “regularly, substantially late for board meetings and workshops,” adding that Hodge “virtually never attends assigned committee meetings of the board.” In addition, the resolution accuses Hodge of “reading magazines and working on matters totally outside the realm of Peralta” during board meetings. 

If passed by the board, the charges of non-attendance and inattention at meetings could be particularly politically harmful to Hodge in a possible run for the Oakland City Council next year. 

But reached by telephone a day before Tuesday’s meeting, a defiant Hodge said the proposed censure resolution “trivial and has no merit. They can censure me, but they can’t silence me. What is it that they don’t want me to uncover about what is going on with the International Education Department? Why are they hiding Jacob Ng?” 

Several trustees have been expressing private concerns to reporters for weeks about what they call Hodge’s failure to attend committee meetings and chronic lateness to the closed sessions that regularly precede the board’s public sessions, but up until now, they have been unwilling to go on the record with such complaints. 

What dramatically changed the situation, sources on the trustee board say, and caused them to go public was the September 13th trustee meeting. 

The censure resolution incorrectly puts the date of that meeting as Sept. 27. 

Hodge had requested that Ng attend that meeting to present a report on the activities of the district’s International Education program. But Ng did not appear at the meeting, instead sending in a written report that was presented by his supervisor, Vice Chancellor for Educational Services Margaret Haig, who had only been on the job for four days. Visibly agitated that Ng was not present, Hodge aired a series of charges of mismanagement and malfeasance against the International Education Department in general, calling Ng by name specifically several times and criticizing his job performance. 

Allegations of financial improprieties in the International Education Department were the subject of an Alameda Civil Grand Jury investigation several years ago. 

Trustees tried unsuccessfully several times to stop Hodge from using Ng’s name in her charges at the Sept. 13 meeting, telling her that board policy prohibited trustees from publicly criticizing staff members by name. She continued talking even after Board President Bill Riley repeatedly ruled her out of order. At one point, Hodge and Riley got into a virtual shouting match. 

The censure resolution says that district personnel matters should be discussed in closed session, adding that having such a discussion in open session “could expose violators to court-ordered damages and any legal costs... [that] would not be financially covered by the District.” 

The censure resolution cites Hodge for what it calls “uncouth verbal outbursts [that] castigated the character” of Ng and of Peralta Chancellor Elihu Harris. The resolution also charges that Hodge’s treatment of Vice Chancellor Haig at the Sept. 13 meeting as Haig tried to present Ng’s written report “is considered to have been demeaning, intimidating, threatening and an emotionally violent behavior.” 

The resolution also alleges that at a meeting of the Laney College Faculty Senate in October, Hodge repeated her charges against Ng by name, and called her six fellow trustees the “lap dogs” of Chancellor Harris. 

At the Sept. 13 meeting, at least two other trustees—Bill Withrow and Cy Gulassa—said they were in support of Hodge’s call for greater accountability for the International Education Department, but balked when Hodge called for the immediate abolition of the program. Vice Chancellor Haig reported at the Sept. 13 meeting that she was initiating a review of the department, and would report her findings back to the board when it was completed. 

Hodge said Monday that she was “absolutely not satisfied” with that review. Saying that it was “almost like a free-for-all over there” at the International Education Department, she said that she was “concerned about the whole process at the department. My concern is still the same as it was in September. I want answers. I want to know the actual numbers of international students who are coming to Peralta as a result of recruitment by the department. I want to know the linkage. My focus is on that. I’m not going to get sidetracked.” 

But Hodge backed off her call for an immediate abolition of the International Education dDepartment, saying that she would support its retention “if it is run right. It could be beneficial.”›

Safeway plans to tear down its 1500 Solano Ave. store in Albany and replace it with a new store and 40-or-so-units of condominiums—signaling a major shift in the focus of the giant grocery retailer. 

The proposal has received mixed reviews, evoking fears of increased traffic and density among residents who live near the market. 

While residential neighbors expressed almost unanimous opposition during a Nov. 2 meeting with the developer, citing features of congestion and parking woes, nearby merchants welcomed the proposal. 

Executive Director Lisa Bullwinkel of the Solano Avenue Association (SAA), a group that represents merchants along the popular commercial strip, welcomes a revitalized Safeway. 

“I think the plans are great, it will be a good thing for the street,” she said. 

While SAA members haven’t taken a formal position on the project, Bullwinkel said, “They all seemed to think it was a good thing” when she presented an update on the development at the association’s most recent meeting. 

Former Albany Mayor Robert Cheasty, whose law office is just up the street at 1604 Solano Ave., said he has serious reservations about the appropriateness of the project along the popular commercial street. 

“It looks on its face as if it will change the character of the neighborhood significantly, overwhelming the local residents,” he said. “This is no small and compatible project.” 

Neighbors, who met with the developers on Nov. 2, offered almost unanimous opposition, citing the bulk of the proposed structure, traffic congestion and potential impacts on parking. 

The developers 

As currently envisioned, the project will feature the store at ground level, with two floors of housing above and two levels of parking below. 

Safeway spokesperson Jennifer Webber, director of public relations for the chain’s Northern California division, said “Our newest store in San Francisco at the corner of Fourth and King streets was built with housing over ground floor retail,” she said, “and other store in the city was built that way several years ago.” 

The chain built a similar project in Portland in 2003, which featured apartments above and behind the store and parking beneath, and opened a similar store in downtown Sacramento a year later, according to newspaper reports from those cities. 

Asked if the shift to infill development—housing built over commercial uses—was part of shifting development strategy by the chain, Webber said, “it varies according to the site and the community.” 

The chain’s developer for the project is Security Properties Inc. (SPI), a low-profile, privately held, Seattle-based developer with projects in all but 12 of the contiguous 48 states. The company buys, sells and builds affordable and market-rate apartments and condos and, through a subsidiary, is building subdivisions as well. 

John Marasco, SPI’s managing director for development, said the firm built a similar project to their Albany proposal on a nearly identical lot in Seattle two years ago, though the zoning at the Seattle site allows for a taller project. 

“Since then, we are working on a dozen similar projects in Seattle and the Bay Area. Maybe four of them will turn into developments,” Marasco said. 

The store 

“This sudden interest in development may be the result of Safeway’s failure to keep up with the competition,” Cheasty said. 

“Andronico’s is doing fine, and so is Whole Foods. If you go to Trader Joe’s in El Cerrito on a Saturday you can barely squeeze a cart through the aisles. But it’s not that way at Safeway. 

“They could do a better job with organic produce and other commodities that appeal to the community’s health-conscious shoppers. Maybe before they go into development, Safeway should look first at its core business.”  

For the most part, Bullwinkel agrees with Cheasty’s critique of the existing store. 

“That store was built in the 1960s, and everything else in the area has been upgraded. The competition’s getting stiff, and they really need an extreme makeover,” she said. 

Marasco agrees. “It’s obvious the store has been let go. There are so many things they could do to improve the current situation. 

The new store will be markedly different from the existing facility, she said, complete with an in-store restaurant and other amenities. 

Unlike the existing store, which is set well back from the street by a large parking lot, the new design will bring the store right up to the sidewalk, a move Bullwinkel praises. 

“It brings life to the street instead of all that dead parking space,” she said. 

But that street-level parking may be missed by neighboring retailers, Bullwinkel acknowledges. “Safeway has been very gracious in allowing customers of other merchants to use their lot,” she said, “and we hope they’ll continue to be.”  

Uncertain future 

Marsaco, whose firm Safeway approached to develop the project, acknowledges that serious obstacles remain. 

“We didn’t get the warmest of receptions,” he said of the neighborhood meeting. “The neighbors, for a variety of reason, say that Safeway doesn’t meet their needs—and most of the criticisms we heard were about Safeway. But they also don’t want any more development on the street. It wasn’t a question of the quality of the residential units. They didn’t want anything at all.” 

Marasco said his firm has a good history of working with neighbors, and he feels their proposal to add townhomes along the rear of the lot should ease a lot of the concerns that neighbors have about crime in the existing alleyway that would be closed should the project win approval. 

But Cheasty and other opponents are organizing and developing a wide range of issues to challenge the project. 

As one example, Cheasty cites health risks that could accompany putting parking underground to replace the lot sacrificed to the development because of the mold that could result in an area rich with underground springs.  

Marasco notes that plans are anything but complete. The initial proposal calls for a C-shaped development, built around a courtyard at the center rear of the site. But the number of housing units is undecided. 

“While it could range between 40 and a maximum of 60, it will very likely be less than 40,” to provide a reduced number of higher-priced condos to help ease concerns of neighbors. 

“We do specialized niche development, one-off projects that reflect the needs and concerns of the neighborhood as well as our own,” he said.t

Alameda County voters got their first look at life in the paper-trail, electronic voting era when four companies showed off their machines Monday at the Alameda County Conference Center in Oakland. 

A change in state law requires that as of the beginning of next year, all electronic voting machines in California must include a verifiable paper trail that provides a hard copy. 

Alameda County Registrar of Voters Elaine Ginnold estimated that the purchase of the new paper-trail machines could range between $6 million and $20 million, depending on the system eventually chosen. 

A steady crowd of poll workers and voters walked through the conference center on Monday, asking questions and doing sample voting on the voting machines of the four companies—Sequoia, Hart, Diebold, and Election Systems & Software (ES&S)—which submitted bids to supply Alameda County’s next generation of machines. 

Participants were asked to rate the four types of machines. Ginnold said that the citizen evaluations are an “important part of the overall evaluation process.” She said that the county currently has an election committee which is reviewing the four proposals and will receive the citizen evaluations. The committee will eventually rank the machines and based upon their evaluation, the Alameda County Purchasing Office will make a recommendation to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to vote on the voting machine purchase at its December 13 meeting. 

The four machines displayed Monday have many things in common, but with slight differences that could be important to voters.  

All of them display the ballot on a computer screen similar to the method used by the Diebold machines used by Alameda County in the last election. Three of the machines allow voters to cast their votes by touching the screen. But one of them, Hart, does not operate with the touch-screen method, instead using a manual plastic wheel and enter button below the screen that functions similar to a mouse and keyboard. 

All of the demonstrated machines have a paper trail in the form of a continuous-roll cash register type receipt that prints out each ballot and retains the record in the voting machine. Voters have the opportunity to compare the printed ballot to the vote they have recorded on the screen. Once the ballot is cast, the receipt rolls on, hiding the previous voter’s ballot from the next voter and displaying only a blank tape. 

All of the machines allow a voter to go back and change a vote, even after the paper ballot has been printed, but before the vote has actually been cast. Three of the machines print the full ballot and, if the voter decides to make a change, prints a “VOID” mark at the bottom of the ballot and then prints an entirely new ballot with the voter’s changed choices. One of the machines, ES&S, prints the actual keystrokes as the voter goes along, including any corrections. Thus if an ES&S voter marks a vote for a particular candidate and then decides to change that vote, the machine marks a “VOID” on that particular vote, then prints a second line that indicates the corrected vote. 

A spokesperson for ES&S at Monday’s demonstration said the company’s machine provides a “paper audit log that records every keystroke the voter makes. You can go back and see exactly what was done as it was done by the voter.” 

Several of the vendors said that in addition to a written record of the vote, their machines also printed bar codes of each voter’s entire vote on the paper-trail ballots that could be used by scanners to electronically count the paper ballots in the event of a recount. 

The Diebold machines also included a separate keypad and earphones to be used by the visually impaired.

University of California Regents come to the UC Berkeley campus this week for a series of rare regular meetings, and unions and student activists have planned a traditional Berkeley-type welcome of protest demonstrations. 

On Wednesday at noon while rege nts are meeting on the Berkeley campus, university employees and student activists plan to hold a rally against the regents at Sproul Plaza, with a second rally by university students from across the state planned for Thursday, also at noon at Sproul Plaz a. 

The meetings will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Clark Kerr campus, with regents tackling, among other things, the sensitive issue of raising student fees. The meetings are open to the public. 

Regents generally alternate their quarterly, two-d ay general meetings between northern and southern California, with the northern meetings usually held at UCSF-Laurel Heights. Situated far from downtown San Francisco and without Berkeley’s spacious plazas, UCSF is not the easiest location to hold a demon stration protesting regents’ actions. At the UCSF meetings, activists have been relegated to making short, timed presentations inside the regents’ meetings themselves, with strict access limits and under the watchful eye of campus police. 

The last four n orthern California regents meetings have been at UCSF, and all three northern California meetings for next year are scheduled at the campus. 

The Wednesday rally, co-sponsored by the Coalition of University Employees (CUE), which represents clerical worke rs at the nine UC campuses as well as the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, will protest what CUE representatives call low wages for university employees and “escalating tuitions” for students. 

“One reason we’re having a joint effort with students is to show that t here are common issues between the students and the workers,” said CUE representative Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie by telephone. “The regents keep telling the students that they have to raise student fees in order to pay staff, but that’s a bold lie. What the u niversity is actually doing is cutting operational services while they’re giving the extra money to high-level administrative officers.” 

Alaji-Sabrie said that university students “have always been supportive” of efforts by the union to increase worker p ay, and said that the Wednesday demonstration is “a joint effort by both groups to demand that the regents rethink their priorities.” 

Another purpose of the Wednesday rally, according to a CUE press release, will be to protest “the university’s bargaining demand that unions must agree to allow management to discipline or fire any worker who honors another union’s picket line.” 

The CUE release called that a “hypocritical and unconstitutional gag order” that “flies in the face of UC’s mission as a public institution and repeated claim to being a proponent of academic freedom and ‘Home of the Free Speech Movement.’” 

The Thursday protest is expected to address the regents’ plans to raise fees for undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students. T he university says the money is needed to offset the continuing state budget crisis, to put back into a financial aid fund for low-income students, and, at the professional school level, to make the university’s schools more competitive with private insti tutions. 

On Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., the Regents’ Committee on Finance is scheduled to discuss the recommendation by UC President Robert Dynes to raise undergraduate student fees by 8 percent and graduate student fees by 10 percent, as well as a 5 pe rcent increase for professional school students. 

That translates to a $462 increase for resident undergraduates, $504 for nonresident undergraduates, $660 for resident graduate students, and $684 for non-resident graduate students. 

For professional stud ents, the increases range from $545 for the UC Berkeley Public Health and Public Policy schools to $2,095 for the UCLA Business School, $1,993 for the UC Berkeley Business School, and $1,991 for Boalt Law School. 

If approved, the fee increases would take place beginning in the 2006-07 school year. 

The professional fee increase recommendation comes on top of a 10 percent increase in those fees approved by the regents last year. In addition, last July, the regents approved a temporary two-year professiona l fee increase totaling $1,800 to pay for an injunction granted by plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed in 2003 by professional school students protesting a previous fee increase. That lawsuit was filed by students who had enrolled in 2002 or previously. 

A second, similar lawsuit was filed earlier this year in Superior Court in San Francisco by UC professional school students enrolled in 2003. The students in both lawsuits alleged that their enrollment contracts with the university stipulated that their fees would not be increased while they attended professional school in the UC system.>s

Minority students blasted UC Berkeley’s administration Thursday for not taking bolder steps to diversify the student body. 

They spoke out during a public hearing in UC Berkeley’s Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union. Without a critical mass of underrepresented students, they argued, the social conditions at the university will deteriorate. 

The passage of Proposition 209, the legislation that banned affirmative action in the UC admissions policy, has created a hostile environment for underrepresented students, they said. 

In 1998, the first year that Proposition 209 took effect, the entering freshman class had 126 African-American students compared with 257 the year prior. The number of Latino entering freshmen dropped from 390 to 191 the same year. By 2004, the entering freshman class had 250 Latinos, but the number of African-American freshman had shrunk to 108. 

“I dread walking into those lecture halls, where I have to defend my right to be, where professors look past me when I raise my hand,” said sophomore Erica Williams, an African-American. “I should feel lucky to be here, but my sense of wonderment about being here, at the finest public university in the world, has disappeared.”  

The group plans to rally Thursday morning at the UC Regents meeting, followed by a march from Clark Kerr campus to Sproul Plaza.  

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, who only attended a portion of the hearing, has declared his commitment to addressing inclusion, calling the issue “a moral obligation” and “a fight for the soul of the university.” 

The 2005 admissions figures, Birgeneau’s first year at the helm, show a slight increase in minority enrollment with 18 more African-American freshman, and 94 more Latinos. He has made the issue the centerpiece of his administration, and he has called for a repeal of Proposition 209. 

But, says Pat Hayashi, former UC Berkeley director of admissions, the focus on affirmative action is misguided and doesn’t get at the root of the issue. He doubts that Proposition 209 will ever be overturned. 

“Instead we need to work on the architecture of the eligibility requirements,” said Hayashi in a seminar on campus earlier this fall. The current eligibility system only allows into consideration approximately 4 percent of California’s African-American and Latino high school seniors, he says. 

Ron Williams, spokesperson for the Black Graduate Student Assembly, warned at last week’s hearing that the low numbers of minority enrollment will discourage underrepresented students, even those who meet the eligibility requirements, to consider UC Berkeley. 

“They won’t want to face this isolation and hostility,” he said.  

Two local high school students, both weighing their college options, agreed. 

“My friends ask me why would I want to go to Cal when there won’t be any other blacks there,” said Jocelyn Eastman, a senior at Oakland Tech who is in the process of applying to UC Berkeley. 

After a tour of the campus she is having second thoughts. 

“The first thing I noticed was the segregation,” she said. “Why do everyone’s friends look like each other here?” 

A Berkeley High sophomore compared the diversity he sees in his high school with his perspective on UC Berkeley. 

“It’s a privilege to go to Berkeley High, an integrated school,” said Derwyn Johnson. “It’s too bad you don’t see that here on this campus. ... Even though this campus needs more students like me who will stand up and fight for better minority enrollment numbers, I’m not sure if I want to put myself in such a segregated place.” 

Berkeley’s newest addition to the National Register of Historic Places overlooks the first, a small laboratory in the attic of one of the smaller buildings on the UC Berkeley campus. 

With the addition of the Panoramic Hill neighborhood to the prestigious list on Oct. 21, the city now boasts 57 national landmarks. 

“We’re delighted,” said Janice Thomas, who owns one of the landmarked homes and helped organize the drive to win federal recognition. “It’s a great relief.” 

With a commanding view of the Bay Area and homes by legendary designers, the slope that rises between the main UC Berkeley campus and the Clark Kerr campus has attracted its share of luminaries. 

And it was, in part, changes now afoot at the university that that led Thomas and neighbor Fredrica Drotos to prepare the recognition proposal they submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, an agency of the National Parks Service. 

They and other Panoramic Hill residents have battled the proposed installation of permanent lighting at Memorial Stadium, the 80-year-old coliseum where the UC Berkeley Golden Bears play. 

Their efforts in 1999 stalled the installation of the lights, and the university has used portable lights instead. But that will end soon, university officials revealed last Thursday. 

UC Berkeley Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said plans for a massive retrofit of the stadium will include permanent nighttime lighting. 

“We have the opportunity to take advantage of technology that will minimize light spill” into adjoining neighborhoods, she said, adding that the lights will be relatively unobtrusive. 

“It will be a win-win for everyone,” Barbour declared. 

Neighbors have also been concerned that the university would use the stadium to host other events. The last such performance was a Paul McCartney concert to benefit the homeless held there in 1989, drawing angry protests from surrounding neighborhoods. 

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau said Thursday that stadium would continue to host only their own events. 

The university’s Long-Range Development Plan for 2020—the same proposal that has sparked at three lawsuits—confirmed their fears. Volume IIIA of the plan listed potential historic resources that could be impacted by future development, declaring that none existed in their neighborhood. 

Thomas and Drotos prepared at 62-page application, which the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission endorsed on Jan. 10. The next step in the approval process came on Feb. 4, when the state Historic Resources Commission voted to endorse the proposal and forwarded it to the National Register. 

One day before the vote, Birgeneau gave extra urgency to their drive by announcing plans for a $120-plus million retrofit of Memorial Stadium and a $100-plus million expenditure to build a new academic building near the stadium—the same project unveiled last week.  

The final approval of National Register status for the district now means the university will have to consider impacts on the project under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act. 

However review under federal law is only mandated if any of the funds used in the projject are from federal appropriations, grants or loans, said Paul Lusignan, the National Register historian in charge of landmark designations in western states. 

“The federal funding has to be for the specific project, or for something directly related to the project, such as widening a road to give access to the project,” he said. 

Unique locale 

Along the narrow winding roads that thread their ways up the hillside, Nobel laureates and other noted academics have lived in stately homes designed by such architectural luminaries as Julia Morgan, John Hudson Thomas, Bernard Maybeck, Ernest Coxhead and William Wurster. 

Their spectacular views of the UC Berkeley campus are part of a panorama stretching from the Richmond/San Rafael bridge to the northeast and the Peninsula to the southwest. And just visible from many of the homes is the university’s Gilman Hall, where the attic houses the laboratory dubbed Room 307—declared Berkeley’s first national landmark on Oct. 15, 1966. 

It was in the confines of that room in February 1941, that physicists Arthur C. Wahl, Glenn T. Seaborg and Joseph W. Kennedy discovered plutonium. 

Panoramic Hill is Berkeley’s second national historic district. The other, the Berkeley Historic Civic Center District, was listed on Dec. 3, 1998, and encompasses the buildings bordering Civic Center Park. 

Federal law grants tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic landmarks in conformity with their historic character, and California’s Mills Act grants some property tax relief for the expenditures. Federal grant money may also be available for some rehabilitation projects, and the state has a historic building code that eases some requirements to ensure that the historic character of the structure can be preserved. 

x

Evictions, RFIDs, the Drayage, the infamous Downing Street Memo and by-right additions are just a few of the items on Tuesday night’s City Council agenda. 

Councilmembers will consider a measure, adopted unanimously by the Rent Board on Aug. 29, to require property owners to pay relocation fees to tenants evicted when owners decide to remove buildings from the apartment rental business. 

Current city law requires tenants be given 120 days’ eviction notice, one year required for the disabled and those 62 and older. 

The only relocation fees currently required are for low-income tenants, those who are 60 or older and the disabled. 

According to a study by Jay Kelekian, executive director of the Rent Stabilization Program, if the last census is any indication, 59.3 percent of tenant households in Berkeley would meet the legal definition of low income. 

While Berkeley and Oakland offer no payments to other tenants, San Francisco requires a payment for all tenants of $4,500 each with a maximum of $13,500 per apartment. 

On top of the flat fees, additional monies are levied if tenants belong to specific categories. 

Similar flat and additional fees are also levied in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and other Southern California cities. 

Under the measure the council will consider, each rental unit would qualify for a $4,500 payment to be divided up equally by all occupants of the dwelling. 

An additional $2,500 would be available to units with low-income, disabled and senior tenants. The low-income payment would be shared by all occupants of the unit, but the disabled and senior payments would be divided up only among the disabled and/or senior tenants. 

The council will also hear other items, including: 

• An appeal by Drayage owner Lawrence White, who is contesting $157,500 in fines imposed after tenants refused to leave after city building and fire inspectors notified him and them that the warehouse units at Addison and Third streets were unfit for occupancy. 

• Alternative proposals to change the city’s by-right home addition ordinance, which currently allows owners to add 500 square feet to an existing structure without public notice to neighbors. 

• An ordinance authorizing purchase of an abandoned sliver of land in the middle of Codornices Creek between Fifth and Sixth streets to enable completion of the creek restoration project. 

• A request by Councilmember Kriss Worthington that the council adopt a resolution to encourage its members to appoint commissioners from a more diverse range of backgrounds. The resolution also calls for a semi-annual diversity review to ensure its success. 

• A resolution calling on City Manager Phil Kamlarz to submit a grant application to the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency for up to $3 million in funds to help build the Ed Roberts Center at the Ashby BART station. The center will provide a home for disability organizations, training programs and other services. 

• A request by Worthington and colleague Dona Spring that the city manager send Berkeley Library Director Jackie Griffin and the institution’s board of trustees a letter requesting that they respond to letters from the Service Employees International Union—which represents most library workers—seeking answers to questions about the library’s controversial RFID (radio frequency identification) programs. 

• A Peace and Justice Commission resolution directing the city to send a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to answer questions about a British government memo indicating that Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair had made a secret agreement to attack Iraq using “cooked” intelligence to mobilize public opinion.

Homeless organizers began sleeping openly in Berkeley’s Martin Luther King Jr. Park Sunday night to protest the lack of space where homeless people are allowed to sleep in the city. 

Bob Mills of the East Bay Homeless Union and Michael Diehl of the homeless advocacy group BOSS said they presented Mayor Tom Bates with a flyer announcing the sleep-in Friday while he was speaking at a Veterans’ Day ceremony in the park. 

“He was very unhappy about it, but maybe it was about something else,” Mills said. 

Bates did not return calls seeking comment for this article. 

City Manager Phil Kamlarz walked by the developing illegal campsite Sunday afternoon. He said he didn’t know anything about it and went into the park to discuss the matter of a permit with Mills, who said he did not object to getting a permit as long as it didn’t cost anything. 

“We can’t afford it,” Mills said. “We’re homeless.” 

Organizers said a pledge had been signed by campsite residents, requiring neatness, respect for other residents and prohibiting alcohol or drugs at the campsite. 

Kamlarz said: “I don’t know how long that one’s going to last.” 

A Berkeley policeman arrived at 8:30 p.m. to announce that the park would close at 10 p.m. and that it was illegal to camp there. A number of homeless people who ordinarily sleep discreetly in the park packed up and left. 

“That was a shame,” said Yukon Hannibal of the Berkeley Homeless Union. “(The police) are constantly pursuing homeless people and chasing them off. Last week, they went around and chased them out into the rain.” 

Two policemen drove their police car into the park at 10:30 p.m., accompanied by two people from the Berkeley Mental Health Crisis Intervention program. 

“The police said they were doing their routine jobs and told us we were in the park illegally,” Mills said. “They said they’d be back at 2 or 3 or 4 to tell us the same thing.”  

They returned at 4 a.m. 

About a dozen people slept overnight in the park. Homeless campsites, though, tend to grow rapidly. The last one staged in the park in 2002 lasted two weeks and housed 65 people before it disbanded. 

“These are political protests. There’s no intent to stay,” Mills said. 

In addition to their pledge-of-good-behavior forms, organizers came this time with a proposal, which was presented to City Council members last month. 

“What we want basically is for the city to designate unused parcels of land and give individual homeless people permits to use it,” Mills said. “All these pieces of property that have grass growing and are full of trash, we’ll come in and clean it up.” 

›

Downtown parking, perhaps Berkeley’s favorite complaint subject after George W. Bush and the Bush administration, tops the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting of the Transportation Commission. 

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center at 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Commission Chair Rob Wrenn said the first item will consider raising the Oxford parking lot flat rate evening fee from the current $2 to the same $5 rate charged at the city’s downtown parking structures. 

“I came downtown one Saturday night and I noticed that people were wrapped around the corner at Oxford street waiting to get into the lot, even though the sign said it was full,” said Wrenn. “When I drove to the Center Street parking structure there was no one there and I was able to find a parking spot right away.” 

Wrenn said it didn’t make sense to him that the city should be charging two different rates, so he has scheduled the hearing to consider charging the same, higher fee at the Oxford Street lot. 

The second hearing, scheduled at the request of the Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA), will consider expanding the time limits on the new downtown “pay and display” meters that have seemingly resolved the city’s long-standing problems with meter vandalism. 

DBA Executive Director Deborah Badhia said her organization is still formulating its position on whether the maximum time allowed should be 90 minutes or two hours. 

“Hardly anyone can do anything downtown and be in and out in an hour,” the current maximum parking time allowed at the new pay stations, Badhia said, “Whether it’s a chiropractic appointment or a shopping trip or even a lunch.” 

A longer time limit would place the downtown on a more even footing with North Shattuck Avenue’s Gourmet Ghetto and other shopping areas in the city, she said. 

The final decision on both proposals will be made by the City Council. 

While it’s not on Thursday’s agenda, Wrenn said the city should also look at raising meter rates to be more in line with other cities in the Bay Area. 

Meter parking in and around the San Francisco urban core costs from $2.50 to $3 an hour, with a $2.50 rate at Fisherman’s Wharf and $1.50 in other areas of the city. 

Oakland charges $1.25 at meters in the central business district and $1 in other areas. 

The Berkeley rate? Seventy-five cents an hour. 

H

When President Jean Bertrand Aristide was forced out of Haiti Feb. 29, 2004, every township in the nation was touched. 

Cote de Fer in southeast Haiti was no exception. Bolivar Ramilus had represented the region in Parliament, but because of his affiliation with Aristide, Ramilus had to flee Haiti for his life. The development work he had been doing for 20 years, first as a community organizer and then as a government official, came to an abrupt halt. 

One of the limited number of Haitians to have obtained political asylum since Aristide’s ouster, Ramilus will be in Berkeley Nov. 19 to speak about the turmoil in his home country and to raise money for the Vanguard Public Foundation’s Haiti Relief Fund.  

On Feb. 29, 2004, U.S. officials plucked Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide from his home, put him on a plane and sent him into exile, claiming they were saving him from the some two hundred former military men who had taken control of several towns and were planning to march on the Haitian capital. Democratically elected in 2000, Aristide called his removal a “kidnapping” and a “coup d’état.” U.S. officials said Aristide wanted to leave. 

Elected to Parliament in 2000, Ramilus broadened the work he had been doing for nonprofits, striving to improve the lives of peasants in the Cote de Fer region. “I needed the political power of the state behind me to advance the work of the community,” he said, speaking in Creole through translator Pierre Labossier, in a recent phone interview from Florida where he is now living. 

Ramilus explained why he ran for office as a member of Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas party; “This was the only political organization that was carrying the people’s demands. This is the only organization that would help me implement what the people wanted,” he said. 

In Parliament he helped bring electricity and a telephone system to Cote de Fer for the first time; he created an irrigation system for peasant farmers and had 23 miles of new roads built in the area. All of these projects supported local economic development. In addition, he helped start a project raising fish in reservoirs and an industry fabricating briquettes from scrap paper and cardboard to help stop people from cutting down trees for fuel. He also had a hand in extending local schooling through the last year of high school.  

The central government didn’t plan these projects. “What is most important to understand is that it wasn’t the government that brought the electricity (and other projects) there, it was the people of the area. What was great was that we had the space to organize under my leadership, to make it happen as a community effort.” 

Aristide’s ouster unleashed a powerful backlash against his supporters. The U.S.-backed interim government has incarcerated thousands of Aristide supporters—and people from areas of strong support for him—in putrid, sweltering jail cells; many have been there for more than a year, most not accused of any crime. News reports, Amnesty International and studies from Harvard and Miami University detail extrajudicial executions at the hands of United Nations soldiers, the Haitian police and civilians working for the police. Unknown numbers of people are in hiding within Haiti and still others, like Ramilus, have fled for their lives. 

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently visited Haiti, underscoring the U.S. position that new elections would reintroduce democracy; election dates, however, have been revised at least three times and there is presently no firm schedule for the vote. 

Leaving his country was a difficult decision for Ramilus, who wanted to stay near the people he had worked with for so many years. But after the fourth assassination attempt against him, he was compelled to leave. He said that because he was able to show that the assassination attempts were clearly political, he was able to obtain asylum as a political refugee. 

With the country’s leadership in jail, in exile or dead, development projects begun under the Aristide administration have stopped. “Things have gone backwards,” said Ramilus, who maintains regular phone contact with home.  

A new school building to house the high school in Cote de Fer had been planned, “but the coup d’etat put an end to that,” he said; the fish-raising program was halted. Plans to expand irrigation have been set aside. An adult literacy project has folded. 

Born in 1956, Ramilus was a child of poor peasants in Cote de Fer. Neither of his parents could read or write, but they managed to send him to primary school. He then went to a French-funded trade school where he learned construction and worked building houses in the region. 

But he wanted to do more for his community and became an organizer for various nonprofits, including the Red Cross/Red Crescent. His projects focused on sanitation, including building public and individual toilets, providing clean water and dispensing health education, especially for pregnant women. “Doing this work I became very much aware of the situation of the peasants. That led me to be active politically, so that I could change the situation.” 

Ramilus’ exile places a personal burden on him. “I would like to be able to go back and see my dad.” His father, Dorestan, is 105 years old. “The worst thing that could happen to me is not to be able to see him in his last moments or attend his funeral.”  

The exile also means that his community work has been placed on hold. “The people of Cote de Fer and the people of Haiti for the first time participated in this great opportunity to impact directly on their own development. This coup d’etat was a blow to this movement.” 

But Ramilus says the people have not given up: “Their great dream is to start their projects again, to get back into a space where they can develop their own country and have the space to participate in the development of their local community and the country as a whole.” 

Addressing the situation in Haiti, Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission unanimously passed a resolution Nov. 7 stating, in part, that since the “coup d’etat that toppled the elected government of Jean Bertrand-Aristide in Haiti, Haitians’ human rights have been violated, constitutional government has been dismantled with most of the approximately 7,500 elected government officials forcibly removed, thousands of Haitian civilians have been killed, tens of thousands have been driven into exile, … activists … have been imprisoned in inhumane conditions without due process.” 

The resolution directs the city to lobby federal officials to change U.S. policy toward Haiti, exercising its influence to free political prisoners, stop the campaign against Aristide, stop the police and death squad killings, and support the return to constitutional governance. 

The fundraiser for the Vanguard Public Foundation’s Haiti Emergency Relief Fund will be 2 p.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. The fund offers humanitarian relief to Haitian grassroots organizations and individuals impacted by the violence of the coup d’état. 

›

We’re in a seismic season. From the recent South Asian disaster to the approaching Centennial of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, earthquakes are attracting increasing public attention. 

In particular, numerous local activities are being planned to remember and memorialize 1906, one of the defining years in regional history. Organizers aim not only to tell the story of that great earthquake but to apply its lessons to personal, institutional, and community planning for major earthquakes to come. 

One activity is an eight-lecture series at both UC Berkeley and Stanford University, running through March 2006. Journalist and author Malcolm Barker gave the second lecture in the series on Oct. 26 at Sibley Auditorium on the Berkeley campus. 

Barker is the author of Three Fearful Days: San Francisco Memoirs of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, which recounts the story of the disaster through the writings of eyewitness survivors.  

The raw statistics still compel attention. In San Francisco, some 500 city blocks spread over 4.7 square miles were destroyed and more than 3,000 people killed. 28,000 buildings were ruined or burned and more than half the population—some 225,000 out of 400,000—left homeless.  

Barker offered up some powerful accounts gleaned from his research, such as the recollections of a resident of a downtown hotel. Clutching the knob of the jammed door to his fourth-floor room, he rode the building down as it collapsed floor by floor beneath him. Only seven of some 50 people in that building survived, Barker said. 

Throughout downtown San Francisco, people hopelessly trapped by building collapses died in the fires, sometimes begging would-be rescuers to shoot them before the flames arrived. 

Elsewhere, “those who lived away from downtown weren’t too aware of what was happening downtown,” Barker said. “It was just another earthquake.” 

Walls and chimneys cracked and objects fell in the outer residential districts, but most houses stood largely intact. Some residents were shaken awake then, unperturbed, went back to sleep. Even the mayor, after surveying his house for damage, calmly sat down to breakfast. 

Down at the Stanford campus, which suffered major damage, visiting philosopher William James, who had been told an earthquake was a California experience not to be missed, initially thought the shaking was “pure delight and welcome.”  

Fire quickly disabused San Franciscans of similar thoughts. “The quake was bad enough, but what destroyed the city was the fire,” Barker emphasized. Only here and there did rescuers—often office workers and homeowners—save scattered buildings.  

The Old Mint (still standing a century later, and now slated to become a San Francisco history museum) and the Main Post Office were preserved by the efforts of employees. At the stone-faced Mint the heat was so intense that “the windows didn’t break or crack, they melted like butter from the heat,” said Barker. 

Immediate disaster relief included the quick arrival of nearby troops, including Army units from then active posts at Fort Mason and the Presidio and naval units. Regular police, National Guard units, specially deputized civilians, and the Cadet Corps from the University of California—600 students shipped across the Bay on ferries—completed the temporary face of order and authority although, contrary to popular belief, martial law was never actually declared.  

Not all went well. “These young soldiers took their orders too seriously,” inflexibly carrying out forced evacuations of threatened districts, rousting those who wanted time to save their valuables or fight the fire. “If people had been left there, they could have done it,” Barker said. 

Some soldiers also became drunk, executed suspected looters with little evidence, or looted themselves. Later investigations criticized the authorities. 

“Only the Berkeley Cadets escaped without blemish,” Barker noted, to laughter and applause from the largely Berkeley audience at his talk.  

Tens of thousands of homeless San Franciscans of all classes found themselves camping outdoors in parks and squares. Social strictures relaxed. 

“I’ve added hundreds to my acquaintance without introductions,” wrote one 17-year-old girl, enthusiastic about the opportunity to mingle without formal etiquette.  

Some 5,000 small wooden cabins were erected for refugee families, reminiscent of the mobile homes and trailers now headed for the hurricane-devastated Gulf coast. Some of these were later moved to city lots and became the nucleus of larger, permanent, houses; a few still survive. 

Economic disparities quickly reasserted themselves. Wealthier refugees found surviving houses to buy or rent, rebuilt quickly, or were taken in by friends with larger homes, while many of the poor were stranded for months in tents. “Rains came and turned their floors into mud baths.”  

Racial tensions arose over land use, as in today’s New Orleans. Influential white San Franciscans promoted the idea of moving Chinese residents to then-rural Hunter’s Point, clearing the traditional site of Chinatown for other development. San Francisco’s Chinese retaliated by threatening to move to Los Angeles or Seattle, drawing lucrative East Asian trade to those ports instead of San Francisco.  

Other aftereffects included “lots of tourists (who) poured in from across the Bay” to see the ruins, drawn in part by lurid newspaper accounts based on distorted stories gleaned from the first wave of fleeing refugees. 

“Talk about media hysteria,” Barker mused.  

The joint UC Berkeley/Stanford earthquake disaster lecture series features six free talks to come. Most will be given at both campuses. At Berkeley all are at 7:30 p.m. in Sibley Auditorium, unless otherwise noted. 

Nov. 16: Room 155, Dwinelle Hall. Professor of Architecture Stephen Tobriner, “Engineers, Architects and the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.” 

Jan. 17, 2006: (Stanford only, Kresge Auditorium). Chris D. Poland, “A Tale of Three Seismic Projects at Stanford.” 

Feb. 1, 2006: USGS seismologist Mary Lou Zoback, “Lessons Learned, Lessons Forgotten, and Future Directions” from 1906. 

Feb. 15, 2006: Engineer Eric Elsesser, “Improving Seismic Safety and Performance of Buildings Through Innovative Structural Engineering.” 

March 1, 2006: Kathleen Tierney, “Social Dimensions of Catastrophic Disasters.”  

March 15, 2006: Professor of Architecture Mary Comerio, “Designing for Disaster — U.C. Berkeley Looks Ahead.”  

For more information on UC Berkeley’s 1906 commemorative events—including talks, tours, and exhibits and even a disaster film series at the Pacific Film Archive—visit http://seismo.berkeley.edu/1906. Events are open to the public.  

Another excellent resource is the website of the 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance, www.1906centennial.org/, a consortium of dozens of local museums, educational institutions, historical groups, and scientific organizations. Click “activities and events” for an ever-expanding list of local commemorations, exhibits, and programs, including a major exhibit at the Oakland Museum.  

The Berkeley Historical Society will also stage an exhibit, “On the Doorstep of Disaster,” exploring the events of 1906 from the local perspective. If you have 1906 family stories, artifacts, or other accounts with relevance to Berkeley circa 1906, the curator would welcome hearing about them. Contact Steven Finacom by e-mail at stuart60@pacbell.net, or by mail via the Berkeley Historical Society at P.O. Box 1190, Berkeley, 94701. 

To view Justin DeFreitas’ latest editorial cartoon, please visit  

www.jfdefreitas.com To search for previous cartoons by date of publication, click on the Daily Planet Archive.



DRUG DEALERS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am pleased to see the ongoing discussion regarding the attempt to oust drug dealers from one Berkeley neighborhood. Sara DeWitt’s letter was disturbing. She said, “After seeing that we were serious about bringing a civil suit, our absentee landlord has reformed and no longer takes in SSI tenants.” Excuse me? Perhaps I am missing something but it seems Dewitt is encouraging illegal discrimination. It is just this kind of bigotry that inspired the law specifically barring a landlord from discriminating based on source of income. 

The situation with the Moore house does not involve tenants. One can’t help but wonder why the police are unable to control the situation. One letter writer mentioned dangerous dogs wandering the neighborhood. Has anyone called Berkeley Animal Services about these dogs? Are our laws insufficient, or is it the enforcement of the laws that is insufficient? I remain confused. Why is it so difficult to curtail obvious illegal activities? 

Another important point that has arisen is this—Where does it stop? If people are successful in their attempts to remove “problem” citizens from a neighborhood, will this sort of tactic increase? The letter from DeWitt suggests it will. She speaks of her landlord “no longer taking in SSI tenants.” SSI is largely for disabled and elderly citizens. SSI and drug dealing are not synonyms. Segregation of the elderly and disabled from those more healthy does not seem a practical solution. 

Let the discussion continue. 

Georgette Wrigley 

• 

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We’ve had enough! It’s time our neighborhood stood up for our quality of life. It’s not fair that one house with their two large SUVs can continue to erode our health and peace every single day. We are captive in our houses to their exhaust. Their engines wake us up with their noise at all hours of the morning. Their pollution ends up in our yards and in our gardens, and their vehicles are eyesores that take up public space. Enough is enough. Our health and our happiness are threatened. Our children are greatly endangered whenever they play in the neighborhood. It’s just not fair! The activities of this family threaten the very peace and stability of the country and the planet. This behavior is a gateway to war and global warming. 

We know the family has been in the house a long time and no one believes the grandmother is a gasoline addict (she walks) but she seems to have no control over her children who are obvious heavy users. We demand that this use of SUVs in our neighborhood stop or we will sue! We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior in Berkeley. No longer shall these thoughtless activities of individuals be allowed to disrupt life for the rest of us. 

Join SUVs Out of Our Neighborhood. 

Tierra Dulce 

• 

NEEDLESS ELECTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

At a time when many California towns cannot afford to provide basic public services, it was very disturbing to hear Gov. Schwarzenegger joke to reporters yesterday about his needless special election. 

I’ve written him, as perhaps others will do, to say that if he takes full responsibility for it, as he said on Nov. 10, he will go back to his wealthy donors and raise the $50 million or more that it cost and reimburse California counties and taxpayers. 

Charlene Mayne Woodcock 

• 

TIME TO KICK BUTT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Many throughout the labor community in the state are now enjoying the afterglow of beating back Gov. Schwarzenegger’s attempts to crush us in the last election. The media, after advertising our declining potency for the last decade, is now lionizing the labor movement as a mighty beast reborn. And it feels good. 

But unless we move forward, the pleasure we are feeling today will be like finding your car keys after you’ve lost them—you feel great, but in reality you’re no better off than when you started. 

So let’s make it a real victory. Let’s demand for the passage next year of the Rob Reiner/Wilma Chan efforts for guaranteed health care and pre-school for all Californians under the age of 5. Let’s demand the passage of Sheila Kuhl’s Single Payer Bill, so working people (and employers) can be liberated from the death grip of ever-increasing health insurance premiums. And let’s back up these demands with real actions, in our workplaces and communities. 

Let’s equalize our finances. Working people pay a much greater percentage of their income in taxes to Sacramento than do rich people. The legislature needs to restore the tax rates for upper-income Californians that were reduced in the mid-90s by Pete Wilson. And we have to amend Proposition 13 (there, I said it) so that commercial property gets taxed on its true value. Both would generate billions, perhaps enough to eliminate the deficit. 

Will the Democrats push hard enough for any of these things? I doubt it. 

Just as Republicans always go too far, Democrats never go far enough. Democratic elected officials often suck at the same corporate teat for campaign funds as the Republicans. They’ve become reluctant to antagonize rich people too much, in spite of their populist rhetoric. 

Our job in labor is to keep pushing the members of both parties. We can bask for a while over Tuesday’s victory. But working families in California are still being clobbered on a daily basis. Let’s take advantage of the right wing’s election day fumble. It’s time for us to pick up the ball and run for the goal line. Let’s make November 8th a true victory. 

Larry Hendel  

East Bay Director of SEIU Local 790 

Vice President of the Alameda County Central Labor Council 

• 

PROPOSED FIELD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Normally I would wholeheartedly support the creation of a new sports field such as the proposed baseball field on Derby Street. I certainly appreciate the Berkeley City Council pushing towards such a positive objective, despite pressure from reluctant home owners. However, I oppose this particular project largely because of the reasonable alternatives that exist to spending $3 million of our taxpayer money to unnecessarily close Derby Street, largely for the benefit of the Berkeley High School baseball team. 

One of the immediate negative impacts would be felt by the Tuesday market. The market is more than the sum of its fresh peaches and organic breads. Access to local food is great, but the market also plays a valuable role in building and maintaining that elusive thing we like to call community. It has a social dimension that is not easily quantifiable. 

It’s rather ironic that while people such as Prince Charles are flocking to Berkeley to learn about our approach to community markets and agricultural/nutritional education, we are busy trying to push it to the fringes. Rather than essentially evicting them, we should be moving towards increasing support for the market and the number of days that it occurs. 

One of my other concerns is the project’s unbalanced cost-to-benefit in terms of community sports. As a young, working adult who is not part of the university campus, I can think of several ways that such a large sum of money could be better used to benefit the city’s recreation options. Most importantly, there is a critical shortage of open spaces for pickup games—as not everyone has the desire or ability to join a highly organized team, whether youth or adults. 

Having lived on Hearst Street, I have observed that the Ohlone Greenway lots extending from Milvia to Sacramento are vastly under-utilized. Despite the demand for well-maintained, informal sports spaces that don’t require a one-year advance reservation with Berkeley Recreation and Parks, the turf on these lots have been allowed to sink into disrepair. 

I therefore urge the council to put their admirable interest in youth sports into the above suggestion, while ensuring the BHS team has a spot at the new Gilman Fields and pushing for a speedy completion of the multi-use East Campus fields. 

TJ Wagner 

• 

YELLOWSTONE BEARS 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Having helped raise a pair of bear cubs here in California and having read extensively about the habits of bears east and north of here, I’m not sure bringing Yellowstone bears to California is such a good idea. Our flora are unique and bears here are adapted to it. Strangely enough, the flora have adapted to the bears, too. All the native berries tolerate the pruning habits of bears while they eat. A Prunus in the Sierra range has developed toxic sap more irritating than Fig latex or ushuriol (poison oak) to keep bears from destroying them as they harvest the fruit. Bears from the Rocky Mountains are not going to have grown up learning about this tree. This is just one example of the problems bears not raised here will encounter. As wonderfully playful, smart and exuberant as our bears are, their needs for large territories to roam and forage in has always limited their numbers and makes preserves for them a necessity. It would be a great shame to bring bears here only to lose them to the great differences of environment that they would be stressed by. If we concentrate on preserving the populations we have now and allow them to develop naturally, we should not have a problem seeing their numbers grow slowly and sustainably to a larger, but manageable, level that will allow us to coexist with them well into the next century.  

Linus Hollis 

• 

BRUNDIBAR UP IN SMOKE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Tobacco giant Altria/Philip Morris is the lead sponsor of the “family opera for the holidays,” Comedy on the Bridge/ Brundibar, now playing at our Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Loved ones of Philip Morris’s customers might find that bitterly ironic. Holidays spent in hospital rooms full of grief, pain, and human drama—thanks to Philip Morris’s addictive product and relentless marketing—is a family opera that we can do without. Soliciting tobacco industry funding for the arts is no different than wearing a blood diamond. I hope the Berkeley Rep reconsiders its new partnership with Altria/Philip Morris, the company largely responsible for the suffering and death of millions of smokers and nonsmokers, and the pain endured by their families. Tobacco use is far and away the number one cause of preventable death in our country and is unique in that regard. It’s lonely at the top, and Berkeley Rep certainly should not let Big Tobacco buy legitimacy and credibility through sponsorship. There are many “controversial” industries that support the arts, but there is nothing controversial about tobacco companies. They have no place in community theater. 

Bronson Frick 

• 

UNIVERSITY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We read with interest about the forum to discuss the university as a neighbor to be held Monday night, Nov. 14. But the schedule conflicts with our separate volunteer commitments in Berkeley that night. 

We both have lived here, raised our families here, and worked for the university for a long time, and find little that is more intriguing than the state of University and community relations, as characterized by some.  

For the record, we’re glad to have interesting jobs with an institution dedicated to public education, research and service, the option to hear David Lynch and see the Winter’s Tale on campus on a weekend, and to live with the university’s struggles to address diversity and equity. We also welcome our short commutes. As you and your writers think of “the people who live and work in Berkeley,” we hope you’ll consider our viewpoints, as well. 

Jennifer Lawrence 

Emily Marthinsen 

• 

VICIOUS ATTACK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In answer to Gray Brechin’s vicious attack on my letter about Israel, I must, of course, go ad hominem. First off, what kind of a name is Gray? Immediately and obviously, I’m suspicious of anyone called Gray. Second, he uses the word “meretricious” to describe the victimhood of Jews. Well, Gray, the dictionary says “meretricious” means “befitting a prostitute.” Knowing this, how could you use it about a serious subject? Have you no shame? Third, Gray sounds to me like a guy who uses fancy words like “meretricious” and “reprise” to intimidate persons with whom he disagrees. A nasty tactic. Well, excuuuuse me, Gray, I may not be as educated as you, or have access to a thesaurus, but that doesn’t mean that you’re right and I’m wrong. 

Robert Blau  

• 

MOVING TO TEL AVIV 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Iran’s new president threatens Israel with annihilation, and the whole world understands that by this they mean nuclear annihilation. As President Ahmadinejad correctly notes, the annihilation of Israel has been Iran’s official policy for years. That’s why Iran is the major financial backer of Hizbollah and Islamic Jihad. And that’s why one of Iran’s ruling Mullahs recently mused aloud that just one or two well-placed nukes would do the trick for tiny Israel, which is, after, all only about the size of New Jersey.  

Leave it to the Daily Planet’s Conn Hallinan to insist that this is “just wind.” Sometimes people actually do mean what they say. Mein Kampf, as it turned out, was not “just wind,” but gave the world years of forewarning. I suggest that the Daily Planet and its staff move to Tel Aviv, Iran’s intended ground zero, and report so smugly from there in coming years, as Iran goes nuclear, that it’s all just wind. I’ll bet that soon enough they will be praying that that wind does not blow fallout upon their heads. 

John Gertz 

?

Berkeley police responded to a call of an argument on 1418 Curtis St. around 7 p.m. Monday. 

Upon arriving at the scene, police found the door of the residence open. A man came out with a gun and began firing at the officers, according to Officer Joe Okies, who arrived at the scene later. 

No one was injured and Okies said it was not immediately known whether the police fired back at the man. 

Berkeley police set up a perimeter around the block and a police negotiator was brought in. California Highway Patrol, UC police and the Berkeley police SWAT team also arrived at the scene. The man surrendered after a standoff of more than an hour. 

—

Bank robber sought 

Police in three cities are seeking a heavy-set robber who walks into banks wearing a bright orange construction worker’s vest and a billed cap and proceeds to rob them. 

Albany Police want him for a heist on April 27, 2004, and Richmond police want him for a Dec. 23, 2004, robbery in their city. Berkeley officers want to slap the cuffs on him for a similar caper at the 1095 University Ave. Wells Fargo branch on Oct. 20. 

He is described as a chunky African American male in his late 20s to early 30s, who stands about 5’10” and sports shoulder length dreadlocks and a goatee. 

Anyone with information on the vested bank robber is requested to call the BPD Robbery Detail at 981-5742 or e-mail the department at police@ci.berkeley.ca.us. Anonymity is allowed. 

Carjack 

Responding to several calls of “loud reports” (cop-speak for suspected gunshots) in the 1600 block of Russell Street shortly after midnight Nov. 6, police arrived to find the 24-year-old victim of a carjacking, said Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. 

The young man said his car had been stolen at gunpoint by a group of several other young men, and he’d last seen his wheels rolling westbound on Russell. 

Belted 

Officers arrested a 38-year-old woman on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and being drunk in public after she reportedly took a belt to a 20-year-old woman in the 3300 block of King Street about 1:15 a.m. on the 6th. 

Robbery duo 

Two robbers, one armed with a pellet or BB gun, shot an 18-year-old man and robbed him and two others of a cell phone, cash and a wallet around 12:50 a.m. Nov. 7 in the 1100 block of Gilman Street. 

Foiled heist 

A man approached a woman who was in her parked car in the 2600 block of College Avenue at 4 p.m. on Nov. 7 and tried to take her wallet. The woman escaped by the simple expedient of stepping on the gas and departing. 

Teens on teen 

Thirty minutes later, two teenagers robbed a third at in the 800 block of Dwight Way. After landing a punch, they absconded with his portable video gaming device, said Officer Okies. 

Laptop bust 

Five minutes later, a quick response by officers to the report of the strongarm robbery of a 23-year-old woman’s laptop computer in the 2300 block of Ellsworth Street landed the 29-year-old suspect in jail and the laptop back into the hands of its owner. 

Hit and run 

Police are seeking a woman in her 40s who struck a 16-year-old girl near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Haste Street about 1:15 p.m. last Tuesday. 

The woman was reportedly driving a burgundy colored older American car, said Officer Okies. He was unable to provide further details on the victim. 

iJacker busted 

Responding to a caller who reported two males engaged in fisticuffs in the 1800 block of Fourth Street, officers arrived to discover that the caller had just witnessed a strongarm robbery, in which 16-year-old had been deprived of his iPod by a 17-year-old, who was then busted for the crime. 

More iJackers busted 

Police arrested two juveniles for robbing a young man of his iPod and backpack in the 2500 block of Dwight Way shortly before 8 p.m. last Tuesday. 

Oops 

Police arrested a 35-year-old man on charges of possession of burglary tools and drug paraphernalia after a routine pedestrian stop in the 1400 block of University Avenue just before midnight Tuesday. He was also held on a variety of outstanding warrants from earlier offenses. 

Hear heist 

A knife-wielding bandit robbed the till of Hear Music at 1809 Fourth St. just before 6 p.m. Tuesday. He was gone by the time officers arrived. 

Johns busted 

Acting on complaints of San Pablo Avenue residents and merchants, Berkeley Police staged a John sting Wednesday evening, resulting in the arrests of eight fellows willing to pay for fleeting companionship. 

In one instance, the arresting officer detecting the strong aroma of Cannabis wafting from the suspect’s car, and a subsequent search turned up more than two ounces of marijuana and hashish, 24 very young pot plants and $10,000 in cash. 

Beaten, robbed 

Police are seeking two men who robbed a 52-year-old man of his cash after punching him as he walked along the 2900 block of Ellis Street shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday. 

Oops again 

Officers doing an area search after a burglary was reported in the area of the 2400 block of Derby Street at 8:06 a.m. Thursday nabbed two trespassers, who on closer examination were found to be in possession of loot from the burglary as well as tools police believe they used to commit the caper. 

Knife caper 

A knife-wielding bandit clad all in white and wearing a white do-rag robbed a pedestrian of his cell phone in the 2500 block of Channing Way about 12:55 p.m. Thursday 

Campus caper 

A young robber clad in blue jeans and a black hoodie punched a pedestrian in the face and robbed him as he was walking on a pathway near the Valley Life Science Building about 10:15 p.m., reported UC Berkeley Campus Police. 

Assaults cop 

Officers responded to a home in the 900 block of Euclid Avenue at 6:49 a.m. Friday after a resident called police to report that a man had been standing on the porch, and after a request to leave, he had started vandalizing the back yard. 

When officers arrived, the 45-year-old suspect attacked one officer with a deadly weapon and punched the other, earning two other charges on top of the original trespassing complaint—plus a quick trip to the pokey. 

Trojan assault 

Police are seeking the two fellows clad in USC garb who assaulted a 20-year-old with a bottle near the corner of Haste Street and College Avenue at 10 p.m. Saturday. 

Campus burglary 

Campus Police report that four juveniles burglarized a university-owned building at 2240 Piedmont Ave. at 11:12 p.m. Saturday and made off with computer hardware in the process of ransacking several offices. 

Another beating robbery 

Police were called to a local hospital minutes before midnight Sunday, after a nurse called to report that a patient had been beaten and robbed. 

The 67-year-old victim told police he was attacked and robbed of his wallet about 90 minutes earlier in the 600 block of Gilman Street in the area of the railroad tracks. He was unable to describe his attacker.›

All the elements for the outbreak of youth rebellion are present in Western Europe. Hardly unique to France are the marginalized second or third generation immigrants out of place in their parents’ old countries but not fully accepted by their own. So are unemployment, social discrimination and underclasses packed in dismal neighborhoods of despair.  

The question is where the next conflagration will be, and when. There are usually warning signals, if anyone cares to listen.  

In France the powder keg is in the banlieues, suburban neighborhoods conceived at the beginning of the 1950s to provide modern housing to low and moderate-income families. But yesterday’s brilliant solution has become today’s nightmare.  

As white families’ incomes improved, they moved out of the banlieues, and ethnic immigrants moved in. Pied-noirs (black feet, a derogatory term used for Algerian French of mixed blood), Sub-Saharan Africans and French-speaking subjects from the former colonies were the bulk of the new arrivals. As their numbers increased, the state’s investment in the banlieue decreased.  

These neighborhoods, counterparts of the American housing projects, plunged into profound decline. Today, they can be compared to decrepit ghettoes where youth unemployment can reach 40 percent and crime is rampant.  

France’s current crisis was foretold. In 1981 a series of riots against police brutality erupted in the banlieues, resulting in special state programs for the restoration of disadvantaged areas and special educational initiatives.  

The 1981 uprising also led to an alliance between French extra-parliamentary groups and North African immigrant organizations, which would eventually give rise to SOS Racisme, a nonprofit institution to counteract racism and prevent acts of violence against immigrants.  

By 1983 SOS Racisme was successful in bringing the problem of racial discrimination to the forefront of the French political debate, organizing a Marseille-to-Paris march of hundred of thousands of people. In 1989, more than 60 North Africans were elected to office in various French cities. Former SOS Racism and France Plus (another immigrant rights group) activists were elected to the European Parliament.  

It seemed that great strides were being made in race relations in France. The gains were symbolized by the French national soccer team, which won the World Cup in 1998, and was composed mostly of children of immigrants from the former French colonies. While after Sept. 11, 2001, anti-Arabism raged across Europe, Droits Devants, a confederation of French organizations advocating for labor rights and housing for Sans Papiers (undocumented immigrants), helped lead a continent-wide campaign supporting the rights of illegal immigrants.  

France also rode high on sympathy for its opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But war brewed at home. Ceaseless run-ins between ghetto youths and overbearing police became a corrosive common occurrence, filling the banlieues with pent-up resentment.  

After the London terrorist bombings, France’s situation really nose-dived. Old fears simmering under the lid of political correctness boiled over. Security forces constantly pursued potential threats arising from Muslim communities. On Oct. 27, in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, this pursuit turned deadly: two French-Arab kids reportedly being chased by the police sought refuge in an electrical sub-station and were electrocuted to death.  

Some 300 cities in revolt, 2,000 torched vehicles, one death and hundreds of arrests later, everybody in France and in the rest of Europe is seeking an explanation. More often than not the finger points to the Muslims, Arabs and the Africans, the bad immigrants—as if the rebels were not French themselves—who don’t want to integrate, who insist on gender-segregated physical education classes and wearing head scarves.  

But if in France the bad guys are the Arabs, in Germany they are the Turks, in Italy the Albanians, in England the Pakistanis. Every European country has its own enemy within and a mainstream united in their fear of Islam.  

Muslims are experiencing widespread discrimination across Europe, reported the Helsinki Federation, which was founded by 44 human rights groups. In 11 of the 25 EU countries, Islam is equated with terrorism, a federation study found.  

Far-right parties in Italy, Belgium and Austria depict Muslim immigration as a security threat. In the Netherlands, a majority believes that Muslim schools undermine integration efforts, while 80 percent of Germans associated the word “Islam” with “terrorism” and “oppression of women.”  

In Sweden and France people with Arabic-sounding names have a reduced chance of landing a job interview, regardless of their qualifications for the position. Animal rights groups, like those in Denmark, are even asking for a ban on Islamic ritual animal sacrifice.  

“Media accounts very often use stereotypical and negative descriptions and tend to contribute to a popular perception of Muslims as aliens and dangerous,” says Aaron Rhodes, executive director of the Helsinki Federation.  

This trend, if not reversed, doesn’t bode well for France and the rest of the continent, which could soon be swept by the fires of ethnic unrest. Recent car burnings in Brussels and Berlin indicate that the fire is already lapping at other powder kegs.  

Paolo Pontoniere is a correspondent for Focus, Italy’s leading monthly magazine. ›

For two hours last Friday I was home alone. This may not seem remarkable to most people, but for me it was an unexpected miracle. My husband’s attendant and a former attendant decided, on their own initiative, to take Ralph shopping. 

This has never happened before. Oh sure, there were some ulterior motives. Andrea wanted to shop for herself, but she had no transportation. And since she doesn’t have a driver’s license, she recruited Hans to ferry her in our van. This required some fiscal negotiations between them. 

I was so moved by their semi-altruistic philanthropy, I offered financial restitution for the self-motivated scheme. 

They helped Ralph out of bed, dressed him and secured him in his wheelchair. They assisted him in getting inside the van. Then they waved goodbye to me and departed. 

I was left on the sidewalk in front of our house, utterly alone in the middle of North Oakland, un-tethered, and free of any responsibilities. Whiskers, our dog, was with me, but she is like a small piece of furniture, requiring nothing from me but occasional butt and ear scratches. 

I went inside the house. It was implausibly quiet. I looked around. Familiar things appeared unfamiliar in the eerie silence. I went upstairs, checked my e-mail, flopped down on the couch, got up and looked out my bedroom window. What was I going to do by myself? 

I called a friend. “I’m alone,” I said. 

“What do you mean?” she asked. I explained to her that the last time I was alone in my house was over two years ago, when I came home to rest while Ralph was a patient in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente. Neither of our live-in attendants had been in at the time. But the pleasure of being alone was lost in the sea of anxiety and responsibility I felt for Ralph’s health and well-being. 

Today was different. I wasn’t worried about Ralph. He was in relatively good health and with people who knew and cared about him. 

“What should I do?” I asked my friend. 

“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe you should sit still and listen to what your heart tells you.” 

I hung up the phone and sat still. I could almost hear my heart beating, and 

the sound of my rhythmic inhales and exhales was disconcerting. I listened closely. What were my heart and lungs saying to me? I wasn’t sure, but my head instructed me to do something familiar and comforting. 

I called my sister-in-law and offered to take care of my nephew and niece for the weekend. Then I called Clyiesha’s grandmother and invited Clyiesha to spend the night. By the time Ralph, Andrea and Hans returned from their adventure, the house was full. Clyiesha’s cousin Bobby had arrived with her. Our housemate Willie had returned from his job at Doug’s Barbecue. Andrea and Hans got Ralph ready for bed. Andrea flipped on the overhead lights and Ralph’s three television sets. Then she went upstairs and turned on her TV. 

Willie was already in his room, listening to his boom box. Clyiesha, Bobby and Bryce ran through the house while my niece, Kanna, struggled to keep up. I was no longer at loose ends. I had a home full of kids, two housemates, a dog, a husband, four TVs, and one radio to distract me. I couldn’t hear myself think, or my heart and lungs pulse and pump. But I was gratifyingly frazzled and oddly content; truly happy for the first time in hours. 

3

The United States Justice Department is reviewing the proposed merger between New Times and Village Voice Media, a deal that would create a 17-paper alternative newspaper chain and do incalculable damage to the alternative press in this country. There’s a chance that the federal regulators will recognize the obvious media-concentration and anti-competitive issues and delay or block the deal. 

But this is not an administration known for its close scrutiny of big corporate mergers, and most observers say that the biggest and most damaging consolidation in the history of the alternative press will sail through Washington, D.C., unimpeded, without a full investigation and without public hearings. That’s why it’s absolutely critical that California Attorney General Bill Lockyer—who also has jurisdiction over the deal—step in to stop it from happening. 

Lockyer’s office was a party to the consent decree that VVM and New Times signed in 2003, after the Justice Department and the attorneys general of California and Ohio intervened to halt an illegal market-allocation scheme involving papers in Los Angeles and Cleveland. New Times had agreed to close its paper in Los Angeles, giving VVM an alt-weekly monopoly in that market, and in exchange, VVM closed its Cleveland paper, which had competed with a New Times publication. 

That decree includes clear language that should bar the merger from going forward. It requires that the two parties notify the California attorney general before entering into any joint business ventures in the state and directs that: 

“Each defendant, its officers, directors, agents, and employees, acting or claiming to act on behalf and successors and all other persons acting or claiming to act on its behalf, are enjoined and restrained from, in any manner, directly or indirectly, entering into, continuing, maintaining, or renewing any market or customer allocation agreement, or from engaging in any other combination, conspiracy, contract, agreement, understanding or concert of action having a similar purpose or effect, and from adopting or following any practice, plan, program, or device having a similar purpose or effect.” 

What the legalese means is that New Times and VVM can’t conspire to allocate markets in an anti-competitive way in California—and the merger would amount to exactly that. 

Four of the markets that would be most directly affected—San Francisco, the East Bay, Los Angeles, and Orange County—are in California. New Times operates SF Weekly and the East Bay Express, and VVM owns the LA Weekly and the OC Weekly, in Orange County. New Times also has business interests in the San Jose and San Diego markets: The alt-weeklies there are members of the Ruxton Group, the national advertising sales outfit owned by New Times. 

In fact, the merged company would reach 29 percent of all alt-weekly readers in California. That’s more market dominance than Knight-Ridder, which reaches roughly 27 percent of all daily readers in the state. 

Nationally, the New Times-VVM company would reach between 22 and 25 percent of alt-weekly readership. Gannett, the largest daily chain, reaches only 13.8 percent of daily readers. 

So the merger would give the new company extensive reach—and through Ruxton, it would be able to allocate customers and share revenue within some of the biggest and most important media markets in the state. 

More important, New Times has made it very clear that the goal of the company is to eliminate competition and control entire markets. That’s what the L.A.-Cleveland deal was all about, and that’s what New Times is trying to do in San Francisco, where the Bay Guardian has been forced to sue to stop a pattern of illegal predatory pricing. 

It all sounds exactly like what Lock-yer complained about in his original Jan. 27, 2003 complaint, which charged that the actions of New Times and VVM “have the further result of depriving the economy and the general public of the benefits which accrue from healthy competition.” 

If this merger goes through, a company with a proven pattern of anti-trust violations would be in a strong position to increase media concentration, damage competition, and hurt readers and advertisers in at least two California markets. It would add to the homogenization of media in the state and damage the vigorous marketplace of ideas envisioned in the First Amendment. One example: New Times, by its own admission and proclamation, will wipe out the endorsements and editorials at the LA Weekly, thus depriving the community of a strong voice for progressive causes and against the war. 

Since the Bay Guardian was founded, in l966, the alternative press has become a vigorous and indispensable part of the politics and culture of California, a state dominated by out-of-state chain dailies. There are more alternative papers in California than in any other state, 23 in total, from the Chico News and Review in the north, to the San Diego Reader in the south. And most, in their own ways, have been on a special First Amendment mission, working to be alternatives to and competitive with the local monopoly daily paper and working in their communities to be a major force for positive change. 

The Bush administration would be happy to wreck all that, to see that the alternative press is subsumed into a neo-con corporate-chain culture and the independents jacked up against the wall. 

California’s attorney general doesn’t need to take his lead from Bush and doesn’t need to let New Times and VVM make a mockery of the original complaint, consent decree and moratorium on further conspiratorial, antitrust and anti-competitive activities between the two chains. Lockyer needs to do the right thing, employ the logic and rationale of his 2003 arguments, and exercise his power to stop the merger.  

Bruce Brugmann is editor and publisher of the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Are horticultural freedom of expression and Mother Nature both currently outlawed by the vegetation section of the “blight” ordinance of the City of Oakland? This highly intrusive law needs to be severely pruned back to allow a breath of horticultural freedom in Oakland.  

The present wording of this ordinance actually encourages local busybodies and bullies to complain to city officials about neighboring properties. Many of Oakland’s other laws encourage freedom, diversity, civil liberties and the respect for differing opinions and attitudes of others. However, this blight ordinance encourages conformity and uniformity and rewards bigotry and prejudice in the suppression of neighbors landscaping of their own yards and gardens. 

Arbitrary city rules limit heights, trimming, types and character of yard and garden plantings by Oakland residents. Neighbors are even allowed to snoop and peer into neighboring backyards from their upstairs windows and then report your alleged horticultural peccadilloes to city officials, even though the backyards are completely hidden from public view. This system of informants smacks of the totalitarian tactics used in the former communist regime in East Germany.  

If you are a gardener who respects and encourages Mother Nature, your efforts may be labeled as “blight” by the City of Oakland and then summarily trashed and destroyed. Under this blight ordinance, the city has voted itself vast police powers to secretly observe, document, photograph and track the appearance of your yard and garden. Busybody neighbors can call into city officials and complain about the appearance of your yard and garden. This is the rule of Others, with the concept of “private property” being tossed out. After sending you a written notice of complaint, the city can then send in private contractors to “clean up” your yard.  

In the case of my Rockridge home, the title is still in the name of my late parents, who lived out of town and who both passed away some two years ago. So when the city mailed their notices to the “property owner of record,” they were never forwarded to me since the one-year post office forwarding order had already expired. It is funny though that the Alameda County property tax bills from the same county recorder’s office have been arriving to my address in fine form. (Incidentally, I have been paying the property taxes promptly.) Obviously, the method of notifying owners and residents about possible property blight violations needs to be broadened to ensure that all interested and responsible parties have been contacted. 

On Friday, Oct. 14, a half-dozen men from a contracting “debris removal” service showed up unannounced and began trashing my yard and gardens. My protests were to no avail; I was told by the supervisor of the group to “call the City of Oakland.” What a Kafkaesque nightmare. I called the Oakland police, my City Council representative and left messages with several city officials. Meanwhile I anxiously stayed in my house while this crew devastated my yard and gardens for several hours. They were armed with chain saws, pruning shears and weed whackers. Many fine healthy specimen ornamental plants were severely pruned, debarked or killed and tromped on by this crew of ignorant workers. It took several days for me to find out what had happened and why I never received any written warning.  

Killed in the front yard: Blue Dawn perennial morning glories, fuchsia, acacia, roses, lavender, black bamboos, Himalayan blackberry, licorice plant, pink rockroses and a black cherry tree.  

Killed in the back yard: Anise Hyssop, avocado seedlings, Bartlett pear, blue gums, blue gum seedlings, scarlet-flowered gum seedling‚ pignut hickory, cardoon, a dozen cherry tomato plants, chives, feverfew, hydrangea, Himalayan blackberry, coast live oak seedlings, loquat seedlings, nasturtium, parsley, peppermint, red Gravenstein apple seedling, spearmint, thread agave, yarrow and a white Dr. Van Fleet rose.  

Severely pruned in the front yard: agave, bamboo, bottlebrushes, tulip tree, jade plant, Pride of Madeira, ferns, golden dewdrop, Abraham Lincoln rose, heavenly bamboo, salvia, pink pussy willows, sago palm, cabbage palm and English hawthorn.  

Severely pruned in the back yard: toyon, jade plant, lapin cherry, Santa Rosa plums, Fuji apples, braeburn apples, akane apples, Royal Blenheim apricots, kangaroo paw, rosemary, foxglove, ivy, blackberries, rhubarb, cardinal flowers, wire vine and even a potted scented geranium. 

Now my yard looks devastated; no natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina hit here, just the City of Oakland and its sloppy careless hired contractor workers. Were the many plants that were either killed outright or severely pruned all considered fire hazards, aesthetic threats to a conformist mentality? The Rockridge-area property values are already obscenely high; surely my front yard landscaping did not present a threat to them. Or was this invasion and destruction of my yard payback for my several-year front windowpane postings of protest signs against the illegitimate Bush regime and its dirty war on Iraq?  

I believe that it is the right of any Oakland resident to make their landscaping bird-friendly. Hummingbirds, bushtits, house finches, scrub jays, English sparrows, brown towhees used the hawthorne tree, the tulip tree, fuchsia and coyote brush for roosting, perching and as sources of insects. I believe that horticultural and landscaping is part of our freedom of speech and is thus protected by the U.S. Constitution. The vegetation section of the Oakland blight ordinance needs severe pruning. Oakland gardeners need a horticultural and landscaping Bill of Rights. If you would like to help in this matter, please contact me. I’m in the book and on the web.  

James K. Sayre is an Oakland resident.

If politics is comparable to making sausage, then I was placed in a meat grinder last Tuesday—my first time working as a clerk at the polls. 

The process was rather mundane and the whole day seemed uneventful. I arrived at 6 a.m. and, with three others, set everything up just in time to open at 7. The flow of voters was slow but steady. The line was rarely longer than three or four people, and not once was a person told to wait because a voting machine was unavailable. 

By 8 p.m. the polls were closed and we began packing away the equipment and signing off on various receipts the machines printed out. Two people are required to take the electronic cards, which store the voter information, to the drop-off station and so I accompanied the inspector. 

The overall mood of the election was cheerful caution. With only a few exceptions, people were polite, made jokes, and were excited to receive their “I Voted” stickers when they were done. Also prevalent was a sarcasm that masked their legitimate reservations and fears about voting on machines that leave no paper trail. “That sticker should say ‘I think I Voted’” was a common remark. 

I expected these reservations before I took the job, but two things I had not predicted. Firstly, I was surprised at the number of people who used  

provisional ballots. The reason for the provisional ballots included people either losing or never receiving absentee ballots, changing addresses, going to the wrong polling places, or registering to vote through the DMV—an organization with a well-deserved reputation for delay. 

There were about 50 provisional ballots used, compared with approximately 400 electronic and paper ballots submitted. One in eight may not  

seem like a lot but when you consider the number of potential voters who believed themselves to be disenfranchised for the reasons above and simply did not show up to the polls, the number rises much higher. 

Secondly, I was surprised at how many people told stories about why their friends, neighbors, or family members were unable to make it to the polls.  

Everyone seemed to know someone who was not showing up for good reasons—contingencies they had no way of anticipating. Being stuck in traffic or held late at work is something that is difficult to plan for and a situation undeserving of blame. 

Though not all contingencies can be avoided and some people will not go to the polls no matter how easy, an annual poll holiday would resolve a lot of the difficulties. What better way to honor veterans, for example, than to help democracy work on the second Tuesday of November in their honor, while keeping Veterans’ Day celebrations on Nov. 11? 

Voter registration should be the responsibility of the state and not the individual. Berkeley, in particular, is home to a large student population and housing prices that keep people on the move. The need to re-register is common enough that we must find a public solution for it and not simply assert it as a matter of personal responsibility. There is no reason why anyone qualified should ever not be registered to vote—casting that vote is the matter of conscience. State registration of voters is already practiced in many industrialized countries, and there is no reason for the United States, especially California, to lag behind. 

Instructions to voters must be clear: “No matter your status, go to the polling place and vote.” Virtually all of the people using provisional ballots will have their votes counted, so long as they were being truthful, and everyone using a provisional ballot will be automatically re-registered. This will save a lot of confusion their next time at the poll. 

With a few simple changes, we can raise turnout rates and help many exercise their rights. 

Gene Zubovich is a North Berkeley resident. 

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Berkeley may pass up a golden opportunity to enhance the quality of life for our children by not moving to build the largest possible, multi-purpose field at Derby Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. We are not talking about a “Big League” baseball field, but a multi-purpose field to be used by high school soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and baseball players, as well as the neighbors. Money, of course, is the key, but I can’t believe our community cannot come up with a creative means to fund this great project by using already committed school district funds, City of Berkeley funds and money from both public and private organizations. 

The Berkeley Unified School District, in our master facilities construction plan for the entire district, dedicated $1.6 million for a playing field on our Derby Street property. We have already removed the old buildings and graded the land. The cost figures, presented to the School Board on Oct. 5 estimated the remaining costs to build the largest possible multi-purpose field to be $2.7 million, not $4.9 million. This means that with approximately $1.5 million more, we can complete this project.  

Right now hundreds of children around San Pablo Park are deprived of recreational programs in their neighborhood because of the overuse of this park by city users and sports teams from Berkeley High School. Innumerable studies have been conducted by the City of Berkeley documenting the abysmal lack of playing fields and recreational facilities in our city that adversely affect our children. And these studies, over a 15-year period, have identified the land around Derby Street as a prime source of starting to rectify this tragic situation. And central Berkeley needs more open space, the larger, the better. 

By closing Derby Street and moving the farmers market to a dedicated spot along Martin Luther King Jr. Way between Derby Street and Carelton Street (which would be larger than its present location just a few feet away), a multi-purpose field could be built that compliments the existing, small athletic facilities at Berkeley High School, reduces dramatically the overuse of San Pablo Park, and provides a new, beautiful park in Ccentral Berkeley. 

Of course, when there are changes in land use and the closing of a street, the impacts must be studied and any negative results of these changes must be addressed. And the concerns of neighbors must be seriously taken into account, and they have been and will continue to be addressed. 

However, we must also make our decision based on the best interests of our city as a whole because this will be a city treasure, not just a neighborhood entity. 

I, for one, along with four out of five of the other School Board members (this includes the student member of the school board), have made our position known by voting to work with the city and the wider community to close Derby Street and build the largest possible multi-purpose field for our children, and their children. 

Please join with us in making this possible. Let your elected officials know you want the best for our children and help us find the will, and the money, to make this possible. 

Terry Doran is a member of the Berkeley School Board.

I have never been to the South. I never went to the Jazz Festival or Mardi Gras. So working with an East Bay city in developing a program to respond to the needs of evacuees is paradoxical. I am grateful to have worked with such a resilient group of people and saddened by the entire tragedy. I cannot capture in writing the experience that these people have endured. I can only imagine, and with certainty fall short of the mark, in terms of understanding their sense of loss, grief, anger and exhaustion. When I try to imagine being there, some specific accounts come to mind:  

• Floating on a refrigerator and watching an alligator navigate the newly flooded Ninth Ward. 

• Being plucked off a rooftop by a helicopter and deposited on a freeway overpass only to wait for three days without food or water.  

• The Convention Center appearing “gory” with human waste piling up along the perimeter walkways and no police in sight.  

• Losing a grandmother because she had been abandoned while being treated for a leg infection in a New Orleans medical center.  

It seems to me now that there were two disasters that the hurricane victims endured: The first was the hurricane and the failure of the levees. The second was the illusion that help would arrive and normalcy would resume.  

When was the last time you lost everything? When was the last time you slept on someone else’s couch for three weeks? What if your only hope for relief was dependent on a phone call you had to make. But the last 10 times you dialed you were put on hold for 30 minutes only to find out you had to call back later because the “computers were down.” Then consider the fact that many of these people have been victims all of their lives. Living in poverty and socially marginalized for generations. A town where despite corrupt police and dilapidated schools, the people of and around New Orleans made a home for themselves and made a community. New Orleans: The town where art and life, fantasy and reality, pleasure and suffering stew in the same steamy caldron. Now it appears as if New Orleans may just become folklore history itself.  

After three weeks of traveling, sleeping on couches, in cars and convention centers, about 30 families made it into our agency. Several came via Houston only to be chased out by another storm (Rita) a few weeks later. They came here because they knew someone who lived here. Some had grown up here and gone to Berkeley High School. They arrived with the shirts on their backs and bags under their eyes. Most had not had time to think about what they lost, but you could see it in their faces.  

FEMA and other disaster relief agencies seem to have a fast food approach to treating disaster victims: If we just give them cash and a trailer, then our job is done. Indeed the Red Cross is rolling up the tents and FEMA is trying to close down the disaster trailer parks. Unfortunately, many never got the trailer and many still have not received the money.  

The coming months are perhaps the most risky for these individuals and families. The Red Cross reports they are providing hotel rooms for 2,000 families in the Bay Area. Most of these rooms are in Alameda County. The vouchers for the rooms expire Dec. 1, days after Thanksgiving. One could predict that 500 families may be out on the street during the wet season if our community leaders and local government aren’t proactive. Additionally, the evacuees are at risk for a myriad of mental health issues as a result of their trauma. If further alienation can be mitigated and some restoration of stability and normalcy can happen, these risks can be minimized. But if we adopt the “get over it or go somewhere else” approach, we weaken the very fabric of our own community. The imagery that we saw a month ago on the news is fading. The press conferences and photo ops are over. There is little political capital in making right so much that went wrong. And yet we need to do the right thing.  

Berkeley resident W. Spence Casey holds a master’s degree in social welfare. 

By a strange coincidence, two of the brightest young stars in jazz are both from Motown, both born in the ’60s and both named Carter: saxophonist James and violinist Regina. Because of their incredible promise and virtuosity, it is painful to admit that both have been known to falter occasionally in the heat of improvisation. Still, it is always worth catching either of them whenever they appear locally. Whatever momentary failures they may experience, they have more than enough personal incandescence to carry the flame of jazz into the future. 

Regina Carter was born in 1966 and began playing piano at two, switching to violin and the Suzuki method of instruction at four. At first, she only knew classical music, but it did not take long in Seventies Detroit for her to discover R&B, soul and funk. It was not until the ‘80s though, when she got to high school, that she discovered jazz in the form of French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. 

The way he played violin pulled her sleeve, so in college, first at the New England Conservatory of Music and then at Oakland University in Michigan, she began formal study of jazz. She followed this by jamming all over town with local Motor City jazz players like trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. Since then she has worked with some of the top musicians in jazz, most notably saxophonist Oliver Lake, drummer Max Roach and her landsman, James Carter. 

Regina, who appears at Yoshi’s from Wednesday through Sunday of this week, was last at the Oakland club in June 2003. At that time, she played some wan, attenuated pieces from Fauré and Ravel and bossa nova composer Luiz Bonfa’s “Manha de Carnaval” from Black Orpheus, all from her Paganini: After a Dream CD; as well as Lucky Thompson’s “Prey Lute” and Milt Jackson’s “For Someone I Love” from her Motor City Moments CD; and Richard Bona’s weak “Mandingo Street” from her Rhythms of the Heart CD. 

The performance fell between two stools with neither the classical nor the jazz ever becoming fully realized. Also, her percussionist Mayra Casales chewed up the scenery in a grandstanding, attention-getting way through the whole set. This kind of disappointment often occurs in a music as volatile as authentically improvised jazz. 

On the other hand, her 2001 Freefall CD with Kenny Barron displays some of her best recorded playing, especially on the Sigmund Romberg/Oscar Hammerstein standard “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” Thelonious Monk’s “Misterioso” and Johnny Hodges’ “Squatty Roo.” Those who saw her 2002 Boston Pops concert with classical violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Celtic/folk fiddler Eileen Ivers, would probably agree that she blew her compeers out of the water. Her improvisational skills came to the fore allowing her to display the kind of genuine, spontaneous invention that is usually missing in, if not beyond the capability of, classical and folk players.  

This week’s gig promises to be more straight ahead jazz with the excellent drummer Alvester Garnett the only holdover from the 2003 band. Her current group also includes Xavier Davis on piano, Matthew Parrish on bass and Steve Kroon on percussion replacing the incongruous Casales. Carter has been heralded for the unique mix of musics that make up her consciousness, but that is not unusual in our post-modern world. What is unusual is her ability when she is at her best to meld that salmagundi of musical flavors into some genuine hot, swinging jazz violin.  

Regina Carter appears at Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, Nov. 16 -20,  

8 p.m. and 10 p.m., except on Sundays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, call 238-9200 or visit www.yoshis.com.

Coming into the Ashby Stage for the Shotgun Lab production of Cry, Don’t Cry (running through this Thursday), the audience has to wonder: “What sort of show are we in for?” 

Or is it a show at all? Opposite the ascending pews of the auditorium is a memorial altar, heaped with items ranging from personal taste (a bottle of Lismore Scotch) to vaguely magical props (colored dice) to the whimsical or incongruent (a jar of pickles next to cat’s ears for a costume party), as well as exotic flowers in a vase and a candle burning. Is it really a service? A ritual reenactment? We’ve been asked to contribute origami testimonials to the altar. 

There’s a question of tone, anyway, as the five people onstage talk to the audience rather normally at first, if in slightly hushed, reverent voices, thanking them for coming. Indeed, it almost seems there’s a sixth up there with them—the dear mutual friend, departed, we’ve all gathered to celebrate. But who’s the absent friend? 

The doctor of the deceased introduces himself and the family, friends, neighbors standing around him, asking if anyone else wants to be recognized. There’s been music, percussion with a little flatback mandolin strumming, sort of a processional to the neotraditional Sephardic “O Senor” and then a song about the departed’s life and exploits, from a playground tune, “Don Gato.” 

This just about tears it, though in a soft way. More riotous stuff comes later, if intermittently. Is it a pet funeral? Nothing’s ever quite clear. At the “talk-back” after the show, so integral a part of Lab productions, one of the performers mentions that director Christine Young remembered the song, and that “you can hear it sung by middle school kids sometimes.”  

The troupe of professional and eccentric mourners is Bale Techlorico, which “blends traditional, folkloric performance with contemporary urban sensibilities.” Is a shaggy dog (or cat) story traditional or contemporary? What is particularly folkloric about all this, as “the service” proceeds through testimonial, song, dance (a wild fandango), sharing secrets, puppetry (staged on a shrouded figure recumbent on an upright piano) and audience participation? Is the approach to real humor rather than improv comedy? The “service” more-or-less follows the program (though “due to the volatility of emotions ... things may change at a moment’s notice”), developing into routines of grief and remembrance, as eccentric as the characters, if not quite grotesque or really very “dark.” 

Like much of what happens at Shotgun Lab, Cry, Don’t Cry is a work in progress. The various “scenes,” primal or otherwise, segue smoothly into each other, though the piece as a whole feels charged with the dynamics of improvisation, a too-familiar dynamic, which often flaccidly replaces form in shows ranging from sketch to physical theater. Unfortunately, the improv dynamic has become so familiar, it often stifles the spontaneity it was meant to foster. 

But the humor of characterization is what really underpins the show. The cast (Daveed Diggs as Dr. Suchnsuch; Janaki Ranpura as Don Gato’s daughter, Merry; Parker Leventer as the Don’s secret love, Elena Margerita; Nicole Lungerhausen as neighbor Madame Bienvenue, who hears voices; and Greg Beuthin as Mortimer, the hired musician who specializes in Bar Mitzvahs and gay weddings, and generally acts like a drummer) are all skilled performers, multi-tasking in this collective effort, a close-knit ensemble. They are what this kind of self-generating theater is really about. 

H

TUESDAY, NOV. 15 

CHILDREN 

Celebrate Children’s Book Week with illustrator Philippe Ames at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

THEATER 

Shotgun Theater Lab, “Cry Don’t Cry” Tues.-Thurs. at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Nov. 17. Tickets are $10. 841-6500.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Ship’s Sides” Abstract photography by Klaus opens at Lange Z Cafe, 2735 Broadway, Oakland. 663-2905. 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “La région centrale” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Daniel Wilson explains “How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Against the Coming Rebellion” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bandworks at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $4. 525-5054.  

Ellen Hoffman and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Tuesday Night Jazz with Atmos Trio at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Terry Rodriguez, solo piano, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Aesthetics of Ecology: Occupying Space for Sustainable Living” Reception at 6 p.m. at the Tecoah Bruce Gallery, Oliver Art Center, California College of the Arts, 5212 Broadway. 415-703-9595. 

FILM 

Busy Signals: Telephonic Art in Motion “Rotary” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Café Poetry hosted by Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568.  

Hyder Akbar talks about returing to his family’s country in “Come Back to Afghanistan” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Mary Felstiner reads from her new book “Out of Joint“ at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Whiskey Brothers, Old Time and Bluegrass at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Calvin Keys Trio Invitational Jam at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Ned Boynton Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Red Archibald & The Internationals at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Karl Perrazo, Edgardo Cambon, Carlos Carro at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Matt Heulitt Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The McKassons & Laura Cortese at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

THURSDAY, NOV. 17 

THEATER 

“Dick ‘N Dubya Show: A Republican Cabaret” Thurs., Sat and Sun. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2118 Allston Way, through Nov. 20. Tickets are $10-$22. 800-838-3006.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Taisho Chic: Japanese Modernity, Nostalgia and Deco” guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. 642-0808. 

FILM 

International Latino Film Festival “Promedio rojo” at 7 p.m. and “Tudo azul” at 9:10 at La Peña. 849-2568.  

Selling Democracy: Films of the Marshall Plan, 1948-53 “Program Three: True Fiction” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Stained Glass Illuminations: Rennovations of the Jesuit Cathedral in Shanghai” at 7 p.m. at GTU Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. Reservations recomended. 549-5051. 

Berkeley Treasures: An Evening with Marcia Donahue at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park.  

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Word Beat Reading Series with Sanford Dorbin and Bob Coats at 7 p.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mosaic Vocal Ensemble “Fire and Light” at 6 p.m. at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

Tania Libertad, Afro-Peruvian singer, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988.  

Jeffrey Foucault at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Con Alma at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Sean Smith, Steve Mann with Janet Smith at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. 

David Ross MacDonald, acoustic guitar, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Dhol Patrol at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Bhangra dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $8. 525-5054.  

Interactive Crew at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

FRIDAY, NOV. 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley ” Six Degrees of Separation” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. through Nov. 19. Tickets are $10. 649-5999.  

Aurora Theatre “Marius” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Dec. 18. Tickets are $28-$45. 843-4822.  

Backstage Productions “All in the Timing” at 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Choral Rehearsal Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center, UC Campus. Tickets are $6-$8. 642-3880. 

Berkeley Rep “Brundibár” A musical fable staged by Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak at the Roda Theater through Dec. 28. Ticekts are $15-$64. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Black Repertory Group “Dance with my Father Again” a musical biography of Luther Vandross. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Dec. 4. Tickets are $7-$15. 652-2120. 

Central Works “Achilles & Patroklos” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Nov. 20. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381.  

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Noises Off” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Dec. 10. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)” Thurs. through Sun. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Dec. 10. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468.  

Masquers Playhouse “Dear World” Jerry Herman’s musical, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Dec. 17 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

UC Dept. of Theater, “Harvest” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Durham Studio Theater, UC Campus. Tickets are $8-$14. 642-9925. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The Gift of Art” Reception for the artists at 6 p.m. at the Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809D Fourth St. 549-1018. 

FILM 

International Latino Film Festival “Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano” at 9 p.m. La Peña. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Battles of Sam Peckinpah “The Wild Bunch”at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” at 6:15 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets and book can be purchased in advance from Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Selling Democracy: Films of the Marshall Plan, 1948-53 Symposium on Productivity and Propaganda in the Service of American Foreign Policy at 2 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland East Bay Symphony performs works by Mussorgsky, Galinso and Rachmaninoff at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Pre-concert talk at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $15-$60. 625-8497.  

San Francisco City Chorus and Vox Dilecti “An Evening of Vaughan Williams” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $13-$20. 415-701-7664.  

Mazula Woodwind Quintet at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $10. 848-1228.  

Akira Tana Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373.  

Eric Swinderman Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Nevile Staples, Chris Murray, The Soul Captives, Monkey, ska, rock at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054.  

Blame Sally at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Bobbe Norris & Larry Dunlap Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Lauren Murphy and Rupa Marya at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Spaceheater, John Schott’s Dream Kitchen at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Shadowboxer, Lobstrosities, K.B.H. at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

40 Watt Hype, world music, dub, rock, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

Swoop Unit at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Val Esway’s Acoustic Onslaught Series at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10.  

SATURDAY, NOV. 19 

CHILDREN 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Los Mapeches at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Phillipe Ames introduces “Meow Said the Mouse” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Enrique Martinez Celaya: Works on Paper opens at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. Slide show and discussion with the artist at 11 a.m. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

THEATER 

“Dick ‘N Dubya Show: A Republican Cabaret” Sat and Sun. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2118 Allston Way. Tickets are $10-$22. 800-838-3006.  

Woman’s Will “Happy End” by Bertolt Brecht, Sat. at 7 p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Luka’s Lounge, 2221 Broadway at Grand Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$25. 420-0813.  

FILM 

Taisho Chic on Screen “The Neighbor’s Wife and Mine” at 5 p.m., “Our Neighbor, Miss Yea” at 6:30 p.m. and “Zigeuner 

weisen” at 8:10 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Robert Fisk introduces his new book, “The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East” at 7 p.m. at King Middle School Auditorium, 1781 Rose St. Tickets are $25, no one turned away. Benefits Middle East Children’s Alliance. 548-0542. www.mecaforpeace.org 

Adam Phillips explores sanity in “Going Sane: Maps of Happiness” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Ika Hügel-Marshall describes “Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black in Germany” at 4 p.m. at Hand to Hand, 5680 San Pablo Ave. 430-2673. 

Rhythm & Muse Open Mic Series “Peace Jungle Story Swap” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trinity Chamber Concerts, Jason Emanuel Britton, cabaret singer, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St., between Durant & Bancroft. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. http://trinitychamberconcerts.com  

“Dancin’ with a Piano” with Bryan Baker, piano, Rod Lowe, tenor, and Deborah Schmidt, flute, at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $15-$50. 525-0302. www.uucb.org 

“Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” with the Berkeley Broadway Singers at 8 p.m. at St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St. Free, but donations will be sent to MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. 604-5732. www. 

berkeleybroadwaysingers.org 

Oakland Chamber Ensemble “I’m Talking to You” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$17. 595-4691. 

Andy Cohen, acoustic blues and roots, at 7:30 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. Tickets are $10. 237-1960. 

Billy Mintz, Grossman-Vlatkovich Duo at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10-$15. 652-7914. 

Moment’s Notice A salon for improvised music, dance and theater at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 Eighth St. Cost is $8-$10. 415-831-5592. 

Gaucho at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473.  

Pillows, Persephone’s Bees, Jason of Papercuts at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Robin Gregory & Bill Bell Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. 

Jamie Laval & Hans York at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

La Lesbian Karen Williams, comedy, at 9 p.m. at at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

Evolutionary Patterns and the Lonely Owl, interactive dance, music and video at 7:30 p.m. at Mad Horse Loft, 2200 Adleine St., Ste. 125. Donation $5-$10. 535-2504.  

Madeline Eastman at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kotoja, Afrobeat at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Josh Workman Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Renée Asteria and Daryl Scairiot at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Urban Monks at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Persephone’s Bees, Pillows at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Famous Last Words at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. www.epicarts.org 

Harold Ray, King Kahn BBQ Show Riff Randells at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Skip Hop at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 20 

THEATER 

“Tellabration” National storytelling event hosted by Stagebridge at 3 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. at 27th, Oakland. Tickets are $12-$15. 444-4755.  

EXHIBTIONS 

Art in Progress Open Studios and Group Exhibition in the landmark Durkee Spice Building. Painting, photography, archival prints, sculpture, mixed media from 2 to 5 p.m. at 800 Heinz Ave. 845-0707. 

MATRIX 219 Wilhelm Sasnal new works by the Polish artist opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Atrists talk at 4 p.m. 642-0808. 

“Taisho Chic: Japanese Modernity, Nostalgia and Deco” guided tour at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. 642-0808. 

FILM 

Taisho Chic on Screen “Castle of Wind and Clouds” at 5 p.m. “Walk Cheerfully” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Gallery Talk with Artists from Day of the Dead Exhibition at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200.  

Poems Against War at 3 p.m. in the Morrison Library, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Architecture Dept. 

Bill Mayer and Larry Felson, local poets, read at 8 p.m. at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Poetry Flash with F. D. Reeve and Madeline Tiger at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” with the Berkeley Broadway Singers at 4 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Church, 400 Alcatraz Ave. Free, but donations will be sent to MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. 604-5732.  

Volti and sporano Christine Brandes in “No More to Hide: An American Wedding Cantata” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft. Tickets are $15-$20. 415-771-3352.  

Prometheus Symphony, 40th Anniversary Concert at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito St., Oakland. Free, donations requested. 415-864-2151. 

Deborah Voigt, soprano, at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68, available from 642-9988.  

Contra Costra Chorale with New Millennium Strings at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $5-$10. 524-1861. www.ccchorale.org 

University Wind Ensemble at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Organ Music for Four Hands with Paul Tegels and Dana Robinson at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $5-$15. 845-8630. 

Juanita Ulloa and the Picante Ensemble at 2 p.m. at St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church, Mountain Blvd. at Keller, Oakland. Admission by donation. 635-4949. 

Carlos Olioveira & Brazilian Origins at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Tsygankov & Shevchenko at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

T-Rex Elite, Panda, Hunazee, Burmese Crowd, rock, teen bands at 3 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054.  

Echo Beach, jazz, at 10 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Shook Ones, Ceremony at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926.

Got fruit? 

It’s coming on winter, and in our part of the world that means fall and winter fruits show up on our trees—apples are almost done, and for most of us, backyard peaches are a fond memory. 

But there are persimmons on our trees along with their blazing foliage, and the lemons are ripening; those of us with other citrus trees like Oro Blanco grapefruit are looking forward to harvest too. It’s been such a weird season—I just swatted a mosquito in my office, for pity’s sake, in November!—that, who knows? We might get another round of attempted summer. 

Or there might be a frost before this column runs, four days after it’s written. I’m no prophet; I’m not even Pat Robertson, to threaten small towns with divine vengeance over their school board elections, let alone a plague of unseasonal plums. 

Many backyard orchards yield an embarrassment of riches. Unless we’re goddesses of grafting, or have huge households, there’s too much fruit from our mere tree or two to use before it spoils. We can make jam or marmalade till we turn blue, but some years we can’t keep up. 

So who gets it? The raccoons and the rats? (Yes, fallen fruit does attract rats.) We can compost it, but ouch, what a waste. 

A group called Village Harvest will get your surplus fruit to a local food bank or shelter and if you can’t get up those trees yourself any more, their volunteers will pick it for you. In fact, they’ll pick it, give you as much as you want of it, and donate the rest. 

Village Harvest is a commendably efficient enterprise. “We’re all volunteer, and all virtual,” organizer Joni Diserens told me. “We have the website, the free phone number, and some donated storage for our tools. Since the idea is to get fresh fruit to people fast, we don’t need any warehouses for what we pick. We just take it to the people.” 

Village Harvest is based and does most of its picking in the Santa Clara valley, logically enough; many of us remember when that was a center for orchards, not computers. Aside from trees from the old days, there are lots of small backyard orchards. 

“We have better soil down here than you do in the East Bay,” alleges Diserens—well, OK, it is nice alluvial stuff. “So a lot of these yards are incredibly productive.” 

Village Harvest is an offshoot of a project of Diserens and friends and local kids, preserving backyard fruit. Overwhelmed with the amount of fruit they were given, they started the new project, a fast success, says Diserens: “The first year, we had about 50,000 [yes, fifty thousand] pounds of fruit.” Their total so far this year is 100,201 pounds. 

Berkeley’s harvest is much smaller. “About 100 to 300 pounds, and we definitely want more,” says Diserens. 

“We donate Berkeley’s harvest to Harrison House. For the people there, what we deliver is most of their fresh fruit for the week.” Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency’s Harrison House is a transitional home for people who, after overcoming various setbacks, are moving from street life to homes of their own. 

If you’re in the East Bay, especially Berkeley or Oakland, and have surplus fruit in your garden, call Village Harvest’s toll-free line, (888) FRUIT 411—(888) 378-4841—(leave a message) or email your name, address, phone number(s), and email address; the type, number, and size of your trees; and when the fruit will be ripe. Besides picking your fruit if you can’t, they’ll give you a receipt so you can deduct the value of the fruit from your taxes. 

Notify your neighbors. Diserens laughs that “The police are always getting called by suspicious neighbors. They know us now, and we always give them some fruit—it’s better than doughnuts!” 

If you can pick your own and/or have a small amount to give, Diserens suggests you drop it off at Harrison House, 711 Harrison Street, Berkeley—or, try any other shelter, halfway house, or transitional place you know. Call them first. 

Also, visit the Web site at www.villageharvest.org for suggestions on ladderless harvesting, preserving, and backyard orchard techniques in general.›

TUESDAY, NOV. 15 

Birdwalk on the MLK Shoreline from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. to see the shorebirds here for the winter. Binoculars available for loan. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Garden Club “Careful Gardening Means Care for the Earth” with Christopher Shein, permaculture instructor at Merritt College, at 1 p.m. at Epworth Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. 527-5641. 

“High School Dropout Rate Crisis” with Assemblymember Loni Hancock at 9:30 a.m. at Richmond High School Little Theater, 1250 23rd St., Richmond. 559-1406. 

Flu Shots for Berkeley Residents age 60 or over or “high-risk” from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Health Clinic, 830 University Ave. 981-5300. 

University Press Books Book Party celebrating a new book by Roger Hahn at 5:30 p.m. at 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of a Low Price” a film by Robert Greenwald at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña, 3501 Shattuck Ave.. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Darfur, Sudan: The Violence Continues; How Long Can We Ignore?” A panel discussion and slideshow lecture, at 8:30 p.m. at Booth Auditorium Boalt Hall, UC Campus. 220-8481. 

Choosing Infant Care A workshop at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave. Babies welcome. Registration required. 658-7353.  

American Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation at 6 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. 594-5165. 

“Weight-Loss Surgery: Is It For You?” at 6 p.m. at Alta Bates Summit Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave., Oakland. Free, registration required 869-8972. 

Berkeley Salon Discussion Group meets to discuss “Travel, Surveying the Empire” from 7 to 9 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 527-1022. 

“Ministry in the Eye of Disaster” at 7:30 p.m. in the Tuscan Common Room, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Rd. Cost is $10-$15. to register call 204-0720. 

“Nutrition for Wellness and Harmony” Part of “Healing Therapies for Pain and Energy” at noon at Maffly Auditorium, Herrick Campus of Alta Bates, 2001 Dwight Way. 644-3273. 

Free Small Business Class on Opening a Restaurant at 5 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, Community Room, 2090 Kittredge St. Registration required. 981-6148. www.sfscore.com 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Free Handbuilding Ceramics Class 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Also, Mon. noon to 4 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Materials and firing charges not included. 525-5497. 

“Ask the Social Worker” free consultations for older adults and their families from 10 a.m. to noon at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. To schedula and appointment call 558-7800, ext. 716. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll hunt for spiders, or learn about the water cycle if it is cold out, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Mid-day Meanders to discover the newts. Meet at 2:30 p.m. across from the Tilden Botanical Garden, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Time for an Oil Change” A lecture on dietary fats at 10:30 a.m. at Alta Bates Summit Merritt Pavilion, Cafeteria Annex B, 350 Hawthorne Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5. RSVP to 869-6737. 

“Llaguno Bridge: Keys to a Massacre” Venezuelan documentary at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. 393-5685. 

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters welcomes curious guests and new members at 7:15 a.m. at Au Coquelet Cafe, 2000 University Ave. at Milvia. 435-5863.  

Entrepreneurs Networking at 8 a.m. at A’Cuppa Tea, 3202 College Ave. at Alcatraz. Cost is $5. For more information contact JB, 562-9431.  

Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College Open House at 6 p.m. at 2550 Shattuck Ave. Tours of classrooms and clinics and information for prospective students. To RSVP call 666-8248, ext. 106.  

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Action St. 841-2174.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. 548-9840. 

Prose Writer’s Workshop An ongoing group made up of friendly writers who are serious about our craft. All levels welcome. At 7 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237.  

Sing your Way Home A free sing-a-long at 4:30 p.m. every Wed. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Stitch ‘n Bitch Bring your knitting, crocheting and other handcrafts from 6 to 9 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/ 

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, NOV. 17 

Public Hearing on Parking Fees and Time Limits Downtown at the Planning Commission meeting at 7 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7010. 

LeConte Neighborhood Association meets at 7:30 p.m. in the LeConte School, Ellsworth and Russell. 843-2602. 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll hunt for spiders, or learn about the water cycle if it is cold out, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

“Albatross: On the Wings of Antarctic Ocean Wanderers” with naturalist Ted Cheeseman at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society. www.goldengatesudubon.org 

“The Lodgepole Needle Miner in Yosemite Park” with forest entomologist Tom Koerber at 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Rainforest Conservation in the Ecuadorian Amazon,” on the Amazanga community, an indigenous-run biological reserve, at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2200 Piedmont Ave. Donation $10. 235-4313. 

Healthy Food and Health Care A conference on sustainable and nutritious food, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Oakland Marriott City Center. Cost is $85. 843-2222. www.foodmed.org 

“Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination” with Anne Allison at 4:30 p.m. in the IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton St., 6th flr. 642-2809. 

Flu Shots for Berkeley Residents age 60 or over or “high-risk” from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Health Clinic, 830 University Ave. For information call 981-5300. 

“Update on What’s New in Parkinson’s Care” with Carol Evans, RNC, at 10 a.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center.  

Food Drive and Tree Lighting Ceremony with children’s activities and holiday entertainment at 6 p.m. at Bay Street in Emeryville. Bring canned goods to donate to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. 

Spanish Book Club meets at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, NOV. 18 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Norm J. Szydlowski, Refinery Division, Chevron Corp., on “Iraq Reflections” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

“Taking on Bush’s Wars at Home and Abroad” with Cindy Sheehan, Peter Camejo and others at 7 p.m. in Room 2050, Valley Life Sciences Bldg., UC Campus. Cost is $10. Sponsored by Berkeley Stop the War Coalition. 

“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” documentary screening and conversation at 8 p.m. at The Living Room, 3230 Adeline St. RSVP to livingroomgallery@gmail.com 

“Target Market” with psychologist Allen Kanner and market researcher Nick Russell about how corporations target youth at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $10. 528-5403. 

“Black Against Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Black Panther Party” with Prof. Waldo Martin and UCLA graduate student Joshua Bloom at 6 p.m. at Free Speech Movement Café at Moffitt Library, UC Campus. 642-0813. 

“German-Jewish Relations: A German Perspective” with Rolf Schütte, Consul General of Germany at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Bth El, 1301 Oxford St. 848-3988. 

“Lessons in Confronting the End of Life” with Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt at 7:15 p.m. at Beth Jacob Congregation, 3778 Park Blvd., Oakland. 482-1147. 

Wellness Open House Complimentary consultations and healing sessions in exchange for non-perishable food donations to benefit Berkeley Food and Housing Project, at 6:30 p.m. at 828 San Pablo Ave., Suite 115, Albany. 526-1559. 

Three Beats for Nothing sings early music for fun and practice at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 655-8863. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 19 

Kid’s Garden Club for ages 7-12 to explore the world of gardening, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Fall Planting for the Wild Things Join us for a morning of planting to restore a marsh, and provide food and shelter for birds and other animals that live along the edges of San Francisco Bay in Pt. Richmond. From 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a naturalist’s talk at 1 p.m. To register and receive directions or for more information, email Bayshorestewards@thewatershedproject.org or call 665-3689.  

Help Save the Bay Plant Native Seedlings from 9 a.m. to noon at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. Gloves, tools and snacks provided. 452-9261, ext. 109. www.savesfbay.org 

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets at 9:15 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Sproul Conference Room, 1st Floor, 2727 College Ave. www.berkeleycna.com 

“Green Jobs - Not Jails” A youth training program, for ages 16 - 25, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ella Baker Center, 344 40th St. Oakland. Free. 415-577-3530. www. 

reclaimthefuture.org/training 

“The House on Mango Street” Community Reading with The Mixed Bag Storytellers, Mayor Tom Bates and Darryl Moore at 11 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis. 981-5180. 

“Walking in Two Worlds: Black Native Americans,” with Rafael Jesús González, essayist from El Corazón de la Muerte, dancing by Medicine Warriors Dance Troupe, drumming by All Nations Singers and music by Abdi Jibril and Balafo, at 1 p.m. at Oakland Main Public Library, West Auditorium, 125 14th St., Oakland. 

“The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East” with Robert Fisk at 7 p.m. at King Middle School Auditorium, 1781 Rose St. Tickets are $25, no one turned away. Benefits Middle East Children’s Alliance. 548-0542. www.mecaforpeace.org 

California Writers Club meets to discuss “The Rewards of Fellowship” with Ann Parker, Ginger Wadsworth, and Laurel Anne Hill at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. 482-0265. www.berkeleywritersclub.org  

Holiday Craft Market with jewelry and beads, hand-crafted leather goods, ceramics, and gourmet chocolates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2501 Harrison St., Oakland. Cost is $3. All proceeds benefit Magical Acts. 

Friends of the Albany Library Special Book Sale with rare and collectible books and records, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Edith Stone Room, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 5. 

Mandala Drawing A workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Bring a bag lunch and something to share. Cost is $35. To register call 525-8879. 

Softball Clinic for girls in grades 2-9, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Grove/Russell field, Martin Luther King Jr Way and Russell St. Free. Registraion required. clinics@abgsl.org, www.abgsl.org 

Flu and Pneumonia Shots from 1 to 5 p.m. at Phamaca Integrative Pharmacy, 1744 Solano Ave. Cost is $25 and $35. 527-8929. 

Holiday Baking for Your Pet at 3 p.m. at Rabbitears, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Donation $20.525-6155.  

SUNDAY, NOV. 20 

Salamander Hike Enjoy wet habitats on a search for slow moving amphibians at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tiden Park. 525-2233. 

Eat More Chocolate! Learn the natural history and health benefits of this amazing bean at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $12-$14. Registration required. 636-1684. 

School of the Americas Watch Candlelight Vigil at sunset on the steps of St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Bring a candle. Sponsored by the Fr. Bill O’Donnell Social Justice Committee of St. Joseph the Worker.  

Santa Paws & Holiday Photos Benefit for the East Bay Humane Society from noon to 4 p.m. at Holistic Hound, 1510 Walnut St. Photos cost $25. Call for an appointment 843-2133. 

The Globalization of Baseball with Jules Tygiel and Amaury Pi-Gonzalez at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Benefit for Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters with a concert by Dana Lyons, silent auction and refreshments, at 6 p.m. at Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar St. 548-3113. www.HeadwatersPreserve.org 

Family Explorations: Ghost Memories at noon p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Carving Your Thanksgiving Dinosaur” Learn how your bird is related to dinosaurs at 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science. Free with museum admission. 643-8980. 

Berkeley Cybersalon “Just Say No to Microsoft” with author Tony Bove at 5 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St.Cost is $5-$10. www.hillsideclub.org  

Berkeley Biodiesel Collective Harvest Mixer with presentations, demonstrations, dancing to live music, eco-ed activities for children and more from 5 to 9 p.m. La Peña. 849-2568.  

“British Literature and the Torah” with Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt at 7 p.m. at Beth Jacob Congregation, 3778 Park Blvd., Oakland. 482-1147. 

“Hebrew: the Ideal Programming Language” with Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh on Kabbalah and computer science at 8 p.m. at MLK Student Union, Tilden Room, UC Campus. Donation $18. Reservations appreciated 540-5824. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712.  

MONDAY, NOV. 21 

“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” A screening of Robert Greenwald’s new documentary, with Rep. Barbara Lee, Global Exchange and Media Alliance at 6 p.m. at the Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $15. 415-255-7296. 

Sing-A-Long from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. 524-9122.  

Beginning Bridge Lessons at 11:10 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Cost is $1. 524-9122. 

School Boardmember John Selawsky will hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. the Berkeley Main Library, 3rd floor meeting room. 848-0305.  

Satsang with Pamela Wilson, meditative inquiry and dharma talk at 7:30 pm at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Donation of $15, no one turned away. 295-9794.  

ONGOING 

We Give Thanks Month Dine at a participating restaurant, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Berkeley Food and Housing. Restaurants include Bendean, Poulet, Rose Garden Inn, La Note, Skates on the Bay and Oliveto’s. www.bfhp.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., Nov. 15, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900.  

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6601.  

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7533.  

Commission on Aging meets Wed. Nov. 16, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. William Rogers, 981-5344.  

Commission on Labor meets Wed., Nov. 16, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7550.  

Disaster Council meets Wed., Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. 981-5502.  

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed. Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Kristen Lee, 981-5427.  

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415.  

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Prasanna Rasaih, 981-6950.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Nov. 17, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7000. ›

The theme of the week’s news is lying. President Bush and Vice-President Cheney have now shamelessly adopted the Big Lie technique perfected by Nazi propagandists. They have jointly and severally repeated not once but often their latest Big Lie, that they didn’t tell Congress earlier Big Lies in order to coerce a yes vote on going into Iraq. Senator Reid is calling them on it, though I haven’t yet seen Reid quoted as using the L-word, possibly because American politics tends toward genteel euphemisms. The British, who can be seen in parliamentary debate on late-night TV, have no such scruples. Tony Blair has been called a liar by members of his own party, by the British press, and by British bloggers, one of whom branded a particular Blair statement as “utter bollocks.” In fact, a Google search on “bush liar” or “blair liar” produces many charges against each of them.  

On the state level, the discussion about who authorized a big relocation payment for UC provost M.R.C. Greenwood has produced a good crop of charges and counter-charges. Former regent Velma Montoya has a letter in Thursday’s San Francisco Chronicle which stops just short of applying the L-word to UC’s president: “In his current distortion of the facts in an attempt to avoid responsibility for this unwise appointment, President Dynes has exposed his even more serious misrepresentation of the facts to the UC Board of Regents at the time of the Greenwood appointment. “  

“Distortion of the facts” and “serious misrepresentation” seem to have become part and parcel of public life these days. It happens all the time in Berkeley—one local official is called “Pinocchio” by his fans because he has the bad habit of “misrepresenting” and “distorting” even trivial, inconsequential and easily checked items of fact in public meetings.  

Lying has always been part of public discourse. What’s changed is that now it’s possible to fact-check almost any statement quickly. There will be a video-tape or an e-mail to document what was actually said, and there will be an ardent blogger to report the results of checking the facts, and perhaps even a conventional (“MSM” in bloggerspeak) media outlet willing to out a liar. That’s not to say that rapid-fire electronic information transmission doesn’t produce its own share of distortions, misrepresentations, untruths and outright lies, of course, compounded by acceleration of dissemination.  

“What is truth?” That’s Pontius Pilate’s cynical question to Jesus Christ, posed right before pronouncing a death sentence. It has provided fodder for centuries of theological and philosophical discussion, with still no obvious conclusion. Are candidates telling the truth when they promise to cut taxes and increase services? Are they lying to the electorate? Does it change things if they’re lying to themselves as well? Political puffery has always been winked at, but is puffery on the part of non-elected officials more serious? Is it worse for Scooter Libby to lie under oath while he’s feeding at the public trough than it is for George Bush to lie in his infrequent press conferences? Is it worse for Bill Clinton to lie about adultery than for Bush to lie about weapons of mass destruction?  

In the face of all this outright lying, the job of the media becomes even more confusing. Is it enough simply to report what was said by the person in authority, or must the responsible reporter take it one step further and independently check the truthfulness of the statement? And if the conscientious journalist is supposed to go beyond mindless acceptance of statements from officials, whether made in press releases or off-the-record, how is this to be done? It’s difficult, it’s expensive, and sometimes it’s not possible even with the best efforts. So if a reporter suspects that someone is spinning him or her, is the remedy just not to publish the spin? These are all questions that Bob Woodward should be asking himself right about now. Or that he should have asked himself in mid-June when he first got wind of the Valerie Wilson spin story. His answers will be interesting. 

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Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor for the CIA leak case, makes $140,300 a year in his job with the U.S. attorney’s office, according to Slate.com’s excellent “Explainer” column. Besides his Washington case, he’s also handling the prosecution of a former Illinois governor in Chicago. If he were instead holding on to a lucrative private practice while serving as a special prosecutor, he might be making something like the million dollars reported to have been paid to Kenneth Starr by his tobacco in dustry clients while he was Clinton’s special nemesis.  

Are we to conclude that a better prosecutor than Fitzgerald could have been obtained if the government had paid more? No. Starr—the big cheese from the private sector—ended up looking foolish and l o sing his case. 

So what are we to make of the San Francisco Chronicle’s weekend revelations about the high salaries and astounding extra perks awarded to the University of California’s top brass? Did the citizens of California get better people than Fit zg erald just by coughing up big bucks? Are today’s U.C. executives much better than their predecessors because they’re now paid as if they were captains of industry? Are the 2,000 or so U.C. employees who make at least twice as much as Patrick Fitzgerald tw ice as competent? Doubtful.  

It has become an unfortunate characteristic of U.S. executives that they grossly overvalue their own services when their own pay is on the line. This has been true in the private sector at least since the eighties, and no w th is theory has entered the public sector as well. Thus the Chronicle quotes U.C. Regent John Moores: “The senior folks at UC are under market, and there are a lot of bad things that can happen from that. You don’t get to look at the best people in the market … It is almost like there is a Marxist notion that it is bad that we give raises to bring people to market rate.” Moores is also chairman of the San Diego Padres baseball club, in another sector that has been widely criticized for compensation creep. 

And Moores is probably some sort of a Democrat, since he was appointed by Gray Davis and serves on some of Jimmy Carter’s charity boards. The Republicans could be worse. Moores has at least opposed private fundraising to boost salaries even more, an unlovely concept being pushed by some U.C. administrators to increase the compensation of those already in the +$350k category.  

The equation of high pay with excellent job performance hasn’t been proved, though it’s loudly asserted by those who benefit from it. The fiction of a “market” in public service jobs has gotten badly distorted—the best people, believe it or not, are not necessarily the greediest people.  

For that matter, is Berkeley’s Assistant City Attorney Zach Cowan anything close to as com peten t as Patrick Fitzgerald? Their salaries are about the same. And Berkeley City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque makes even more. A local counter-example: Wes Boyd and Joan Blades, who continue to live modestly even though they did well in the software in dustry. They don’t even take a salary for their invaluable public service founding and running MoveOn.org.  

Many observers believe that one reason for the precipitous decline in America’s manufacturing sector is the wide disparity in pay for those at the top a nd the bottom of the ladder. A 1999 Business Week survey calculated that America’s CEO’s, on average, took home 476 times the average worker’s pay, and it’s only gotten worse since then. Do we believe that the University of California will do a bet ter job of educating young Californians because it’s now trying to emulate industry’s worst practices? I don’t. 

Perhaps that’s because I got my education at a time when both my excellent teachers and the administrators who made it possible for them to do their jobs were happy with standard upper middle-class salaries. But now those who are doing the heavy lifting in California’s university classrooms are paid a fraction of what California’s university administrators are paid.  

For example, a tenured sci ence pr ofessor at a California State University campus, teaching four classes a week, makes less than $60,000 a year. And at the same time we are raising student tuition to levels which are beyond the reach of many. I talked over the weekend with an African-Amer ican grandmother who can no longer afford to support her two granddaughters in attending the CSU system, even though they are well qualified academically to benefit from the education. She’s raised them after the death of their mother, and she’s managed t o see that their aunt got through college, but today’s tuition has finally gotten beyond her ability to pay or their own ability to finance their studies with part-time jobs. So they’ve dropped out of school. And U.C. Berkeley is even worse.  

A s citizens of California, it’s in our best interest to make sure that young women like this can complete their education. Topping off the already luxurious compensation packages of California’s educational elite won’t contribute anything to this result. T here are t hose, probably some U.C. regents among them, who say that the major goal of higher education in California should be supporting industrial research of the kind that already seems to have become the primary mission of the University of Californi a at Berkel ey. It’s not, but why is a topic for another day.