Judith Scherr: Protesting the death penalty, vocational nurse Cynthia Johnson of the Berkeley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship takes part in a mock execution at San Quentin’s east gate on Tuesday.
Judith Scherr: Protesting the death penalty, vocational nurse Cynthia Johnson of the Berkeley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship takes part in a mock execution at San Quentin’s east gate on Tuesday.

Page One

Death Penalty Foes Fête Partial Victory By Judith Scherr

Friday February 24, 2006

They had prayed and protested, gone to jail and gone to the media. On Tuesday, death-penalty foes celebrated a partial victory: the life of Michael Morales, the man who had stabbed, raped and bludgeoned to death 17-year-old Terri Winchell in 1981, would be spared—for a few months at least. -more-



Father: Young Man’s Death Was Senseless By Judith Scherr

Friday February 24, 2006

Keith Stephens was “a good kid, very kind-hearted and giving,” said Latisha Stephens, his oldest sister. -more-



County Medical Center Trustee Dismissed By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Friday February 24, 2006

A controversial trustee on the Alameda County Medical Center Board of Directors has been removed by the president of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors because of complaints from fellow board members, but there is question whether Supervisor Keith Carson has the legal authority to do so. -more-



Telegraph Business Owners Fume Over Excess Motorcycle Parking By Suzanne La Barre

Friday February 24, 2006

Lucky for diners at Le Bateau Ivre, there’s ample parking available right out front. For motorcycles, that is. -more-



Council Orders Closure of Dwight Way Liquor By Richard Brenneman

Friday February 24, 2006

Berkeley City Councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to order the closure of Dwight Way Liquors, ending a decade-long and often confusing regulatory battle. -more-



Features

Instant Runoff Voting Stalled, UC Reps on Downtown Planning Panel By Richard Brenneman

Friday February 24, 2006

Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and UC Berkeley’s representation on the panel helping formulate a new downtown plan were among the issues confronted by the City Council Tuesday. -more-


Skepticism, Questions Greet UC Officials’ Presentations By Richard Brenneman

Friday February 24, 2006

Members of four city panels filed into the North Berkeley Senior Center Wednesday night to hear the university’s first formal presentation of its plans for the Memorial Stadium area. -more-


Planning Commission Delays Action on Condo Ordinance By Richard Brenneman

Friday February 24, 2006

Planning commissioners Wednesday voted to delay extending a provision of the city’s condominium ordinance setting cost levels for mandated “inclusionary” units. -more-


Housing Authority Welcomes New Acting Manager By Suzanne La Barre

Friday February 24, 2006

Less than a month after Director Sharon Jackson hastily departed from the Berkeley Housing Authority, a new chief has stepped in to lead the agency through tough times. -more-


Police Review Commission Finds Officers’ Acts Improper By Judith Scherr

Friday February 24, 2006

It was one of those beautiful sunny days in Berkeley that makes you want to take the longest route to the Saturday morning farmers’ market. -more-


Police Review Commission Lacks Chief Administrator By Judith Scherr

Friday February 24, 2006

One of the important functions of the Police Review Commission is to recommend policy changes, based on the complaints the commission sees, according to Deputy City Attorney Sarah Reynoso. -more-


Table Tennis Championship Tour Takes Berkeley by Storm By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday February 24, 2006

Table tennis is coming of age in America, according to players and coaches who descended on Berkeley from around the world last weekend. -more-


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday February 24, 2006

Help Sought -more-


Public Comment

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS

Friday February 24, 2006

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


Letters to the Editor

Friday February 24, 2006

CASTING ASPERSIONS -more-


Commentary: Progressives Have Conceded the Heckler’s Veto By OSHA NEUMANN

Friday February 24, 2006

It feels like a bad dream. Poorly drawn cartoons in an obscure Danish newspaper spark deadly riots. In northern Nigeria at least 16 people die, many of them Christians, when rioters torch churches, shops and vehicles; in Libya 10 people die in clashes with police; in Afghanistan 12 people are killed and 20 injured. The Danish consulate is burned in Beirut. 300 Palestinian protesters attack an international observers’ mission in Hebron throwing rocks and bottles. Riot police in Delhi fire tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of student protesters; in Kashmir a general strike is called. And a Pakistani Imam announces his mosque will give $25,000 and a car to anyone who kills the single cartoonist he believes produced the offensive drawings. He says a local jewelers’ association would give another million. -more-


Commentary: Fighting for Clean Air By WILLI PAUL

Friday February 24, 2006

Cleanaircoalition.net is now signing up people and families from the communities of Berkeley, Albany and El Cerrito. There is a growing number of individuals who feel it is necessary to turn up the heat on Pacific Steel Company (PSC). Specifically, we intend to file multiple lawsuits through Small Claims to force PSC to give us a better solution than the “settlement” BAAQMD has arranged or, failing that, make us pay us for PSC’s constant black air. We have contracted with Neighborhood Solutions and they are on board working and consulting with us to help this move forward quickly. -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Exercising Social Responsibility By BECKY O'MALLEY

Friday February 24, 2006

Daily Planet reporter Judith Scherr received a literate and thoughtful letter this week from a Contra Costa Avenue resident about the stabbing which occurred recently at a teen party on that street. The writer said that “I would like to offer a question that is worth some commentary. The question is—did the neighbors in the homes adjacent to the party exercise any social responsibility in contacting the Berkeley Police Department prior to the party getting out of hand and in offering assistance immediately after the stabbing?” -more-


Columns

Column: The Public Eye ‘Why We Fight’ Doesn’t Go Far Enough By Bob Burnett

Friday February 24, 2006

Eugene Jarecki’s documentary Why We Fight is playing at several Bay Area theaters, including downtown Berkeley’s Shattuck Cinemas. Although it won the grand jury prize for documentaries at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and made a much-touted appearance on the BBC, for a considerable period it appeared that the film wouldn’t be seen in the United States. Finally Sony agreed to distribute Why We Fight and it opened nationwide on Feb. 10. -more-


Column: Undercurrents: Anti-Arab Racism Haunts Dubai Port Deal By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Friday February 24, 2006

There is a certain boy-caught-with-matches quality to the Bush administration’s reactions regarding the U.S. port terminal transfers, like the little kid who has been busy setting fires all over the neighborhood and then finds, to his horror, that his own playhouse is suddenly threatened. -more-


Exploring Berkeley’s Southside By MARTA YAMAMOTO Special to the Planet

Friday February 24, 2006

Symbiotically, the University of California and the city of Berkeley are partners, not always in harmony. Since 1873 when students, professors and their educational accouterments moved from downtown Oakland to the new site above Oceanview, both have prospered. -more-


Gorman Building Rehab a Genuine Success Story By JOHN ENGLISH Special to the Planet

Friday February 24, 2006

For an object lesson in preservation go to the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Parker Street where the old Gorman building has emerged from an exemplary rehab project. This historic structure with roots deep in the 19th century can now ably serve the 21st. -more-



Garden Variety: Tips For Finding the Right Tree for Your Garden By RON SULLIVAN

Friday February 24, 2006

We’re nearing the end of bare-root tree season, but we can buy and plant a tree any time of the year here, lucky us. But picking out the right tree in a nursery can be confusing, and a tree is (one hopes) an investment that we’ll be living with for years. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Friday February 24, 2006





Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Friday February 24, 2006

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Exercising Social Responsibility By BECKY O'MALLEY 02-24-2006

Not Much Celebration Over UC Clerical Raise By JUDITH SCHERR 02-21-2006

Public Comment

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 02-24-2006

Letters to the Editor 02-24-2006

Commentary: Progressives Have Conceded the Heckler’s Veto By OSHA NEUMANN 02-24-2006

Commentary: Fighting for Clean Air By WILLI PAUL 02-24-2006

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS 02-21-2006

Letters to the Editor 02-21-2006

Commentary: Historic Buildings Make City Unique By JANE POWELL 02-21-2006

Commentary: Reflections of a New American By Nitzan Goldberger 02-21-2006

Commentary: Where Has All the Parking Gone? By ED YOUNG 02-21-2006

News

Death Penalty Foes Fête Partial Victory By Judith Scherr 02-24-2006

Father: Young Man’s Death Was Senseless By Judith Scherr 02-24-2006

County Medical Center Trustee Dismissed By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 02-24-2006

Telegraph Business Owners Fume Over Excess Motorcycle Parking By Suzanne La Barre 02-24-2006

Council Orders Closure of Dwight Way Liquor By Richard Brenneman 02-24-2006

Instant Runoff Voting Stalled, UC Reps on Downtown Planning Panel By Richard Brenneman 02-24-2006

Skepticism, Questions Greet UC Officials’ Presentations By Richard Brenneman 02-24-2006

Planning Commission Delays Action on Condo Ordinance By Richard Brenneman 02-24-2006

Housing Authority Welcomes New Acting Manager By Suzanne La Barre 02-24-2006

Police Review Commission Finds Officers’ Acts Improper By Judith Scherr 02-24-2006

Police Review Commission Lacks Chief Administrator By Judith Scherr 02-24-2006

Table Tennis Championship Tour Takes Berkeley by Storm By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-24-2006

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 02-24-2006

Portraits of Mills College By ROBERT McDONALD Special to the Planet 02-21-2006

School Board Revises Exit Exam Policy By SUZANNE LA BARRE 02-21-2006

Derby Field Environmental Impact Report Approved By SUZANNE LA BARRE 02-21-2006

Condos, Landmarks Liquor Store Crowd City Council Agenda By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 02-21-2006

Richmond Quarries Cited For Code Violations By SUZANNE LA BARRE 02-21-2006

UC, City Commissions to Discuss Stadium Area Plans By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 02-21-2006

Peralta Board Critic Silent As Officials Praise Program By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 02-21-2006

Oakland School District Union Backs Out Of Contract Agreement By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 02-21-2006

Berkeley High Beat: BHS Students Push For Attendance Policy Changes By Rio Bauce 02-21-2006

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN 02-21-2006

Columns

Column: The Public Eye ‘Why We Fight’ Doesn’t Go Far Enough By Bob Burnett 02-24-2006

Column: Undercurrents: Anti-Arab Racism Haunts Dubai Port Deal By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR 02-24-2006

Exploring Berkeley’s Southside By MARTA YAMAMOTO Special to the Planet 02-24-2006

Gorman Building Rehab a Genuine Success Story By JOHN ENGLISH Special to the Planet 02-24-2006

About the House: What to Look For When Replacing a Roof By Matt Cantor 02-24-2006

Garden Variety: Tips For Finding the Right Tree for Your Garden By RON SULLIVAN 02-24-2006

Column: Andrew Boyd: A Guy With a Lot of Projects By SUSAN PARKER 02-21-2006

Canary Island Pine Trees Find a Home in East Bay By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet 02-21-2006

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 02-24-2006

Oakland Museum Holds Annual White Elephant Sale Next Weekend By STEVEN FINACOMSpecial to the Planet 02-24-2006

Arts: Monologist Recounts the Travels of Fools By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet 02-24-2006

Moving Pictures: Film Documents Rising Tensions In 2004 Falluja By JUSTIN DeFREITAS 02-24-2006

Moving Pictures: Love and Loneliness Along the Border By JUSTIN DeFREITAS 02-24-2006

Exploring Berkeley’s Southside By MARTA YAMAMOTO Special to the Planet 02-24-2006

Gorman Building Rehab a Genuine Success Story By JOHN ENGLISH Special to the Planet 02-24-2006

About the House: What to Look For When Replacing a Roof By Matt Cantor 02-24-2006

Garden Variety: Tips For Finding the Right Tree for Your Garden By RON SULLIVAN 02-24-2006

Berkeley This Week 02-24-2006

Arts Calendar 02-21-2006

Arts: Local Soloists Featured with Oakland Symphony 02-21-2006

Canary Island Pine Trees Find a Home in East Bay By RON SULLIVAN Special to the Planet 02-21-2006

Berkeley This Week 02-21-2006