Photo by Stephan Babuljak:
              George Klimacek, owner of the Berkeley Collectible Shop, shows a collector a gold necklace. 
              Klimacek collects and sells mainly silver, jewelry, coins and stamps and has been in business 
              for 18 years.
Photo by Stephan Babuljak: George Klimacek, owner of the Berkeley Collectible Shop, shows a collector a gold necklace. Klimacek collects and sells mainly silver, jewelry, coins and stamps and has been in business for 18 years.

Page One

Small Businesses Thrive in Berkeley’s Downtown Niches By Al Winslow Special to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Small-business niches are scattered through downtown Berkeley, occupied by people who know things the rest of us don’t. -more-



Black & White Liquor Not a Nuisance, Says City Zoning Board By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday January 31, 2006

The Zoning Adjustments Board handed a reprieve to Black & White Liquors Thursday night, declining to declare the 3027 Adeline St. store a public nuisance. -more-



New Witness To Testify in Willis-Starbuck Hearing By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Testimony is expected to continue on Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland in a hearing to determine whether two friends of 19-year-old Dartmouth College student Meleia Willis-Starbuck should be bound over to trial for her murder on a Berkeley street. -more-



Anderson Seeks to Allay Ashby BART Anxieties By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Spurred by neighborhood concerns, Max Anderson is asking his fellow city councilmembers to agree to limit the statutory powers to be used in building a proposed housing project at the Ashby BART station while re-affirming their support for a planning grant application for the site. -more-



Residents, Environmentalists Debate Albany Mall By MARK SCHNEIDER Special to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Albany residents and other environmentalists packed the multi-purpose room of Albany High School Thursday to voice their opposition to Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso’s proposal for a massive shopping plaza on what is now the parking lot for Golden Gate Fields racetrack. Proponents introduced an initiative calling for a community planning process to guide development of commercial and park areas on the Albany shore. -more-



Features

Ethics Issues Raised in Oakland School District Hiring of Reporter By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Alex Katz, the longtime education reporter for the Oakland Tribune, has been hired as the new press secretary for the Oakland Unified School District, continuing to report for the newspaper on school district matters while he was being recruited for his new job. -more-


Hancock’s Clean Money Bill Vulnerable to Veto By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday January 31, 2006

California State Assemblymember Loni Hancock’s (D-Berkeley) public campaign finance bill passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week on a straight-line party vote, leaving it vulnerable to a possible veto by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. -more-


Backyard Bird Count to Be Held Presidents’ Day Weekend By JOE EATON Special to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

The Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is a hallowed tradition and a valuable exercise in citizen science—but it’s not for everyone. Counts take place as scheduled, rain or shine, and shine is never guaranteed. As often as not, you wind up standing in a downpour, feeling the cold rain run down your neck, as you try to sort out very small, very active birds way up in a Douglas fir, or slogging through an alder swamp in search of whatever’s hiding in there, or bracing yourself against the winds off the ocean as you scope for seabirds. -more-


Jean Siri: Wild Woman of the West County By SUSAN PRATHER Special to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Jean Siri told it like it is and had a vision of how it should be. Former El Cerrito City Manager Pokorny said that Siri “had the courage to tell those who elected her and those who served with her, what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.” Unfortunately, those abilities are so rare these days they are described as “refreshing.” -more-


News Analysis: U.S. Instigated Iran’s Nuclear Program 30 Years Ago By WILLIAM O. BEEMAN Pacific News Service

Tuesday January 31, 2006

White House staff members, who are trying to prevent Iran from developing its own nuclear energy capacity and who refuse to take military action against Iran “off the table,” have conveniently forgotten that the United States was the midwife to the Iranian nuclear program 30 years ago. -more-


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Firefighter porn bust -more-


Public Comment

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS

Tuesday January 31, 2006

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


Letters to the Editor

Tuesday January 31, 2006

WARM POOL -more-


Commentary: Cloning Fraud: Just a Korean Scandal? By M.L. Tina Stevens and Diane Beeson

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Ongoing investigations into cloning researcher Hwang Woo Suk’s apparently fraudulent results are seeing American researchers and bioethicist apologists disavowing any connection between Korea’s scandal and the integrity of embryonic stem cell research more generally. Hwang, so recently honored as a hero in the field, is an aberration we are told now. The scientific community bears no taint. Distancing Hwang’s project from the larger cloning effort, Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology scolds that “while (Hwang) played his games…” cures have been held up. Biotech-industry favored bioethicist Laurie Zoloth soothes that “We can hope that with good codes…, good oversight…, good law and a good scientific process …the story (scientists tell us) is true.” -more-


Commentary: Mistaken Beliefs Regarding Creeks Task Force and Creeks Ordinance By TOM KELLY

Tuesday January 31, 2006

The Berkeley Daily Planet reported on the joint Planning Commission-Creeks Task Force (CTF) workshop that took place on Jan. 25. As a member of the CTF who has attended every CTF meeting—save one—over the past year, I found myself surprised at some of the conclusions and opinions that were expressed by those interviewed for Richard Brenneman’s Jan. 27 article. Speaking only for myself and not the Creeks Task Force, allow me to point out where I think Mr. Brenneman and those he interviewed are either wrong or have mischaracterized what we have so far achieved on the CTF. -more-


Commentary: Oak Ordinance Violations Ignored By City Staff By DANIELLA THOMPSON

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Around noon on Sunday, Jan. 29, I watched two laborers with apparently no arborist credentials in the process of cutting down a large coast live oak in the Fulton Street yard of the historic Bartlett house at 2201 Blake St. When I arrived on the scene, the trunk was still there, but the majority of the upper branches and most of the canopy were gone. -more-


Commentary: Santa Claus and the History of Welfare Reform By WINSTON BURTON

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Once there was a kindly old elf named Santa Claus, who knew when everyone was sleeping, who knew when they were awake and who knew whether they’d been bad or good, and would leave them a gift if they’d been good, and nothing if they’d been bad. Thus he was the one who set up the first performance-based contract. -more-


Editorial

Two City Meetings Eye Landmarks By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Historic resources will be on the agendas of two city commissions meeting this week. -more-


Columns

Column: Righting the Unrightable Wrong By SUSAN PARKER

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Dateline New York Times, Jan. 29: “Memoir,” Ms. [Nan A. ] Talese said, “is a personal recollection. It is not an absolute fact. It’s how one remembers what happened.” -more-


Finding Food Can Be Tough Work for a Falcon By JOE EATON Special to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

I know: it’s another birds-of-prey column. But when the gods drop a subject into your lap, it would be an act of rank ingratitude not to use it. -more-


Arts & Events

Books: William Everson: The Poet as Mystic By PHIL McARDLESpecial to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

When the poet William Everson (1912-1994) came to Berkeley shortly after World War II, he earned his living as a fine art printer and, at one time, as a janitor at the UC Press. He became part of the group known collectively as the Berkeley Renaissance—Ro bert Duncan, Mary Fabilli, Josephine Miles, and others. Despite local objections, critics fold the Berkeley Renaissance into the San Francisco Renaissance, which in turn is subsumed by the Beat Generation. In little more than a decade, however, he created a new identity for himself and stepped clear of such categories. -more-


Books: Garden Inspiration From California Native Plants By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet

Tuesday January 31, 2006

At long last, there’s a worthy companionc—or successor—to Marjorie Schmidt’s indispensable Growing California Native Plants. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Tuesday January 31, 2006






Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Two City Meetings Eye Landmarks By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-31-2006

Editorial Oakland’s Charms Often Unappreciated By BECKY O'MALLEY 01-27-2006

Cartoons

Correction 01-27-2006

Public Comment

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 01-31-2006

Letters to the Editor 01-31-2006

Commentary: Cloning Fraud: Just a Korean Scandal? By M.L. Tina Stevens and Diane Beeson 01-31-2006

Commentary: Mistaken Beliefs Regarding Creeks Task Force and Creeks Ordinance By TOM KELLY 01-31-2006

Commentary: Oak Ordinance Violations Ignored By City Staff By DANIELLA THOMPSON 01-31-2006

Commentary: Santa Claus and the History of Welfare Reform By WINSTON BURTON 01-31-2006

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 01-27-2006

Letters to the Editor 01-27-2006

Commentary: Is a Transit Village Economically Feasible? By Robert Lauriston 01-27-2006

Commentary: Karl Marx Was Right By Alan Christie Swain 01-27-2006

Commentary: The Destruction of Lake Merritt By James Sayre 01-27-2006

News

Small Businesses Thrive in Berkeley’s Downtown Niches By Al Winslow Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Black & White Liquor Not a Nuisance, Says City Zoning Board By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-31-2006

New Witness To Testify in Willis-Starbuck Hearing By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 01-31-2006

Anderson Seeks to Allay Ashby BART Anxieties By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-31-2006

Residents, Environmentalists Debate Albany Mall By MARK SCHNEIDER Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Ethics Issues Raised in Oakland School District Hiring of Reporter By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 01-31-2006

Hancock’s Clean Money Bill Vulnerable to Veto By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 01-31-2006

Backyard Bird Count to Be Held Presidents’ Day Weekend By JOE EATON Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Jean Siri: Wild Woman of the West County By SUSAN PRATHER Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

News Analysis: U.S. Instigated Iran’s Nuclear Program 30 Years Ago By WILLIAM O. BEEMAN Pacific News Service 01-31-2006

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-31-2006

Council Approves Loan For Brower Center By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-27-2006

Boom Ends For South Asian Shops Competition Heats Up in Berkeley’s ‘Little India’ By Riya Bhattacharjee Special to the Planet 01-27-2006

Focus on West Berkeley Getting the Job Done By MARTA YAMAMOTO Special to the Planet 01-27-2006

Density Bonus Committee Explores Retail, In-Lieu Fees By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-27-2006

Report: Oakland May Be Closer to a Teacher Strike By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 01-27-2006

Planners Ponder Creeks, Car Dealers, Transportation Fees By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-27-2006

Captain Yee: The Truth About Guantanamo By Pacific News Service 01-27-2006

The Paper Ceiling By NICK GUROFF Pacific News Service 01-27-2006

Fire Department Log By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-27-2006

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 01-27-2006

Columns

Column: Righting the Unrightable Wrong By SUSAN PARKER 01-31-2006

Finding Food Can Be Tough Work for a Falcon By JOE EATON Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Column: The Public Eye: The Death of the Triumphant Individual By Bob Burnett 01-27-2006

Column: Undercurrents: Debating the Future of Oakland By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR Staff 01-27-2006

About the House: Detailed Inspections Can Benefit Sellers By MATT CANTOR 01-27-2006

Garden Variety: Garden Preparation Means Getting to Know the Dirt By RON SULLIVAN 01-27-2006

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 01-31-2006

Arts: Bluegrass and Old Time Festival Comes to the East Bay By Mark Schneider Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Arts: Bluegrass and Old Time Festival Comes to the East Bay By Mark Schneider Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Arts: Berkeley Opera’s ‘Falstaff’ Never Quite Takes Off By OLIVIA STAPP Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Arts: Positive Knowledge At The Ashby Stage By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Arts: Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Makes His Broadway Debut By KEN BULLOCKSpecial to the Planet 01-31-2006

Books: William Everson: The Poet as Mystic By PHIL McARDLESpecial to the Planet 01-31-2006

Books: Garden Inspiration From California Native Plants By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Finding Food Can Be Tough Work for a Falcon By JOE EATON Special to the Planet 01-31-2006

Berkeley This Week 01-31-2006

Arts Calendar 01-27-2006

Arts: A Graceful and EvocativeOne-Woman Performance By KEN BULLOCKSpecial to the Planet 01-27-2006

Arts: A Cappella Contest A Treat for the Ears By STEVEN FINACOM Special to the Planet 01-27-2006

About the House: Detailed Inspections Can Benefit Sellers By MATT CANTOR 01-27-2006

Garden Variety: Garden Preparation Means Getting to Know the Dirt By RON SULLIVAN 01-27-2006

Berkeley This Week 01-27-2006