Full Text

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.
 

News

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. 

“This gives hope to our whole country, because this is torture, this is absolute torture and that’s why we have to get rid of the death penalty,” said Cynthia Johnson of Kensington, who had come to San Quentin Tuesday evening with other members of the Berkeley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to protest what was to have been Morales’ execution.  

“This is fantastic that one man’s life has been saved and that we’re one step further to eliminating the death penalty,” said Jes Richardson, with the St. Geronimo-based Ghandi Peace Brigade.  

Morales’ execution was first delayed Tuesday morning just after midnight when two anesthesiologists, who had agreed to monitor the execution by injection of a three-drug sequence, learned that they would have to intervene if Morales regained consciousness.  

The execution was canceled around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday. Earlier that day, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel had ordered that Morales would be executed with a single drug, a massive dose of sodium pentothal. Tuesday afternoon, however, the judge added that the drug must be administered directly into Morales’ vein by a medical professional and not administered by others through an intravenous tube. No medical professional could be found who was willing to carry out the procedure.  

Fogel scheduled a hearing for May 2 and 3 on constitutional questions regarding the lethal injection procedure. Until that time, there will be no executions in California. 

“This makes our argument very strong that lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment,” said Crystal Bybee of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty. “It’s great news for Michael Morales to get a stay of execution, but it also means something for people on death row.” 

Dr. Sureya Sayadi, who had joined the 40 or so other death penalty foes at San Quentin Tuesday evening and had protested at noon the day before with the group from the Berkeley Fellowship, was particularly outraged at the idea that doctors were being asked to help put people to death. 

Doctors learn to “do no harm, they learn how to help patents,” she said. “Even in times of war, if you see a patient from the other side, you take him as your patient.” 

On Monday, a dozen protesters from the Berkeley Fellowship blocked the east gate at the prison; three among them, Hal Carlstad and Cynthia Johnson of Kensington and Berkeley Peace and Justice Commissioner Phoebe Anne Sorgen, were arrested.  

Sorgen spoke to the Daily Planet by phone Monday soon after her release. “I can’t stand it that our state is an executioner, setting an example for our children and the world,” she said. “The U.S. did not choose to join the world in opposition to the death penalty.” 

The European Union has abolished the death penalty and all countries that wish to join the union must abolish it as well. Canada has outlawed the death penalty; Mexico did so last year.  

Sorgen said that at noon on Monday, about a dozen people blocked San Quentin’s east gate, in a symbolic gesture preventing entry of the medical personnel, who were to participate in the execution. When asked to stop blocking the gates, Carlstad, Johnson and Sorgen refused, were arrested and taken to the Marin County Jail, where they were cited for trespassing on state property and obstructing a public thoroughfare. They were released after being cited. 

Others would learn of their action through the media, Sorgen said. “People won’t feel such despair. It will give people cause to think and might push people to do something (against the death penalty).” 

Also on Monday, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in El Cerrito, some 50 people of various faiths gathered to pray, light candles and speak about how to end state-sanctioned murder. Many then went to join the vigil of about 250 people at San Quentin. 

While TV stories show the pain and hurt of the families of the victims—Terri Winchell’s family spoke out, saying Morales’ death would bring closure to the family—two people spoke at St. John’s about their personal loss to violence. Murray Richardson’s son was beaten to death when he was 10 years old. 

“Years later, I was able to forgive the killer of my son,” he said. “My firm belief is that killing is wrong.” 

Deacon Thom McGowan remembers when he got the news that his grandson was shot to death on the streets of Richmond. Vengeance and more violence is not the answer, he told the gathering. 

“The cycle of violence in which someone decides to take revenge is contagious. That’s something we seem not to have grasped clearly. We need to follow God’s rules.” 

Father John Maxwell is pastor at St. John’s, where vigils are held before each execution. “Even with bad people like Michael, life is sacred,” he said. “We can be protected by throwing away the key (to the jail.)” 

St. John’s parishioner James Vaughn asked the congregation to sign a petition calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. The idea is to take a time out from executions “until we can figure it out,” he said.  

A bill, AB 1121, proposed by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, died in the Assembly last year. On Tuesday, however, State Assembly members Sally Lieber, D-San Jose, and Koretz introduced Assembly Bill 2266 that would allow voters to decide whether to establish a temporary moratorium on executions in California. 

The moratorium would take effect in January 2007. The legislation must first be passed by the State Legislature then signed by the governor before going on the ballot..


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.  

Stephens, 24, had his life cut short Sunday night, killed, according to police, by a rifle or shotgun blast at close range at around 7:10 p.m. on the 1200 block of Carrison Street.  

Latisha believes the murder of her brother, a popular football player when he was at Berkeley High, was related to an argument about a car, but police say they are not sure.  

Latisha said she talked to Keith about 20 minutes before the murder. 

“He was the youngest, but he was the strongest,” said Latisha. That Sunday, she called Keith on his cell phone to ask him for some advice about how to handle her 9-year-old son. A single mother, Latisha says Keith was a father figure to her son. 

But when she reached Keith, he had something else on his mind. 

“Tish, I’m so mad,” she said he told her. “I’m so tired of people using me.” 

Keith had sold a car to an acquaintance, giving the new owner time to pay him for it, but he hadn’t gotten the money. Instead the buyer had sold it to someone else and still hadn’t paid Keith what he owed him. 

Latisha advised him to go to his friend’s on Carrison Street to get away from the argument. His friend had a new baby. Latisha said that while he was at his friend’s there was a knock on the door and he went out. That’s when he was killed. 

He’s become a statistic, said Keith’s father, Kenneth Stephens. “Another young black man getting killed in the Bay Area,” he said. “It’s senseless. People don’t care about human life.” 

Kenneth said that people need to focus on what’s happening in their neighborhoods, rather than on the other side of the world. 

“People need to appreciate other people’s lives,” he said. “They need to say, ‘excuse me, I’m sorry.’” 

Police are not saying very much about the case. 

“I’m not sure if we interviewed the person who had a fight with him,” police spokesman Edward Galvan said, also noting that the coroner’s report has not been released, because it is part of the investigation. 

Stephens was featured in Class Dismissed, a book by Oakland author Meredith Maran in which she followed three students at Berkeley High. Maran said that in her book, “I tried to make the life of young men like Keith more comprehensible.”  

Maran underscored the support Keith always had from his family. “His mom was calling me on her cell phone three times a day to make sure he was in class,” she said.  

Stephens is the third young life taken by violence in Berkeley within seven months. On July 17, 19-year-old Dartmouth College student Meleia Willis-Starbuck was killed near UC Berkeley, allegedly by a friend whom she had called for help. On Feb. 10, Juan Carlos Ramos, 18, of El Cerrito was fatally stabbed at a house party on Contra Costa Avenue. 

And 15-year old Berkeley High School sophomore Alberto Salvador Villareal-Morales was killed Jan. 14 in a drive-by shooting in Oakland’s Fruitvale District. 

Keith Stephens’ funeral will be held March 3, at 11 a.m., at the Liberty Hill Baptist Church, 997 University Ave., Berkeley. 

 

 


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. 

The Alameda County Medical Center includes Highland Hospital in Oakland—which serves the majority of Berkeley trauma and emergency patients—as well as San Leandro’s Fairmont Hospital, John George Psychiatric Pavilion, and three county outpatient clinics. The center is overseen by an 11 member board of trustees chosen by the County Board of Supervisors. 

Carson announced the removal of Dr. Gwen Rowe-Lee Sykes effective this coming Monday in a terse Feb. 15 letter to trustees that gave no cause for his action. 

But in a telephone interview, Carson called Sykes “a knowledgeable person who has raised a number of concerns” at the Medical Center, but said that “a majority of her colleagues said they were having a difficult time conducting business” because of Sykes’ actions on the board. 

“There was always a conflict about issues” between Sykes and other trustees, Carson said, adding that the conflicts “preceded over more than a year.” 

Sykes, who was appointed to the trustee board by Carson in March 2004, is the executive director of the Oakland nonprofit Bay Area Consortium for Quality Health Care, an organization that provides HIV/AIDS counseling as well as other health services in the Bay Area. 

She has chaired the Alameda/ Contra Costa County HIV/AIDS Planning Council and has been a board member of the Berkeley Women’s Health Center. In announcing Sykes’ appointment three years ago, Carson was quoted in the Oakland Tribune as saying that “she has the ability to look at things from a wide view. She understands the financial aspects of community-based organizations.”  

But Sykes says it was her delving into the financial details of ACMC operations that got her out of favor. 

“I was bringing out a lot of things that were critical about the medical center’s operations,” she said. “I was looking into ways to resolve our financial difficulties. My take was different than others, and that caused people to call Keith Carson with complaints about what I was doing. Ultimately, Keith told me he couldn’t handle the people calling him. I like Keith. I was floored by the way he was handling it.”  

Sykes called the financial situation at the medical center “bleak.” 

Sykes, who served as co-chair of the trustee board’s human resources committee and had recently been asked to join the finance committee, called her removal “an act of retaliation.” 

She said that Carson told her “that I had done things inappropriately. He told me that he didn’t want me to raise any more issues.” 

She added that when Carson appointed her in 2004, “he specifically told me to uncover bad management at the medical center. That’s what I was doing. I would never have gotten on the board if I knew it was all a set-up to massage the public.” 

Sykes added that while Carson’s letter put the effective date of her removal as Feb. 27, “I consider my last day was” Feb. 15. “He’s made his decision.” She did not say whether she would appeal her removal. 

Asked who authorized Sykes’ removal from the board, Carson said that he did on his own. 

“She was my appointee,” Carson said. “Supervisors make several such appointments to boards and commissions, and all of the people who are appointed understand that they serve at my pleasure.” 

That assertion is not supported by Alameda County government documents, however. 

An online list of board and commission vacancies posted by the Alameda County Clerk’s office notes that the ACMC’s trustees are “appointed by majority vote of the Board of Supervisors.” 

And the bylaws of the ACMC board, amended in 2003, state that “a Trustee may be removed by the Board of Supervisors during his or her term with or without cause … only upon the affirmative vote for removal of at least four members of the Board of Supervisors.” 

The Alameda County Counsel’s office could not be reached for comment on the issue of appointment or removal of Alameda County Medical Center trustees. 

The Medical Center has run into intense financial and managerial difficulties in recent years, with a deficit reaching as high as $70 million in 2003. The center went through nine CEOs in the past 11 years, including three in one week in 2003. 

In response to those difficulties, trustees cut $23 million from its budget, closed two of its five clinics, and fired the center’s CEO in the summer of 2003. Immediately after the vote, five trustees quit in protest.  

In November of 2003, Alameda County voters approved Measure A, a half-penny sales tax increase to generate $70 for the medical center.  

In February 2004, shortly before Sykes was appointed to the board, trustees installed Tennessee-based turnaround specialist Cambio Health Solutions to analyze the center’s finances at a cost of $3.2 million over 18 months. Cambio later came under criticism from the center’s unionized workers for its management practices, with Service Employees International Union members holding a one-day walkout and picket in August of 2004 to protest staff cutbacks. 

Cambio’s involvement with the medical center ended with the appointment of Wright Lassiter as ACMC CEO last September. 

In 2004, the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury issued a scathing report on the Alameda County Medical Center, noting that “the [Alameda County] Board of Supervisors and later the [medical center] board of trustees allowed top managers over the years to ignore efficiency and responsibility.” 

“As a result of turnover in the CEO position,” the report continued, “the administration is in shambles. ... Entire departments of employees have not received sufficient training or supervision to be able to adequately perform their duties.” 

 

 


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. 

Late last year, Le Bateau Ivre owner Thomas Cooper noticed the two parking spaces in front of his restaurant on Telegraph Avenue at Carleton S treet had been re-designated a “Motorcycle Parking Only” zone. 

He also noticed that the lanes running along Telegraph from Dwight Way to the Oakland border were repainted to curve in at intersections. Along those bottlenecks: more motorcycle parking. The number of times Cooper said he has seen motorbikes park in front of his business: twice.  

“It was a bad idea,” he said of the reconfiguration that has replaced about 20 metered car spaces with free parallel parking for motorcycles. “There have been nume rous, numerous, numerous people who have tried to come into the restaurant, but couldn’t find a parking space.” 

Cooper isn’t the only Telegraph merchant reeling. Several shopkeepers have complained the loss of parking spots has hurt business and they wan t car parking reinstated. 

“Let’s get [the spaces] restriped and back with meters that work,” said David Howard, owner of the Caribbean Cove Restaurant on Telegraph at Blake Street. He claims he has yet to see a motorcycle park in front of his establishme nt, and patronage is down as a result. 

“Now I have fewer customers, my business suffers and the city of Berkeley suffers,” because it’s losing revenue from paid meters, he said. 

The Office of Transportation released a statement saying that the motorcycl e parking and wavy striping were installed as part of an effort to broaden Telegraph Avenue’s bike lane and parking space zone from 11 feet to 12 feet from the sidewalk curb. The extra foot aligns Berkeley with state standards aimed at ensuring the safety of bicyclists.  

But because concrete medians at some intersections prevent lanes from widening to 12 feet, city staff said they had to shrink adjacent parking spaces. Instead of red-curbing the areas, they installed motorcycle parking, so that “at least some parking use would be made of them,” the statement said.  

The Office of Transportation does not keep statistics on the number of motorcyclists in Berkeley. 

According to Traffic Commission Chair Sarah Syed, the reconfiguration was the brainchild of Associate Traffic Engineer Peter Eakland, who did not return a call for comment. The restriping was an attempt to fix the mistakes of a private contractor who incorrectly drew Telegraph’s bike lanes three years ago, she said, but the effort was misguided. 

“We now have 500 percent more motorcycle parking than we need,” she quipped. 

Syed said the project failed to achieve its ultimate goal: to make Telegraph’s bike lanes—which are not part of the city’s bike plan—safer. To add new lane stripes, workers ha d to ground out the old ones, leaving grooves in the road that are potentially hazardous to bicyclists, she said. She said she prefers to ride her bike on other streets. 

Opponents said they want the transportation staff to consider changing Telegraph’s current configuration to reinstate old parking spaces or to accommodate compact cars. Some have suggested trimming the concrete medians at intersections where pedestrians stop. 

And they want more involvement in the process. 

“None of us got told this was going to happen,” said Councilman Kriss Worthington, who represents the portion of Telegraph affected, in a phone interview Thursday. “It seems to me like it was not a smart thing to do. Why wasn’t anyone asked?” 

Some merchants echoed his sentiment, lame nting that they weren’t consulted before the parking spaces were removed.  

The Transportation Commission, which advises the City Council on transit issues, was also not consulted. Syed pointed out, “The Transportation Commission doesn’t review every single thing the city does.” 

But it will review this. The City Council unanimously approved a recommendation Tuesday, put forth by Worthington, that implores the commission to look into fixing Telegraph’s striping problems—again..


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. 

The vote was 8-0-1, with Councilmember Darryl Moore, whose council district includes the store, unable to participate because his domestic partner operates a business next door to the troubled store. 

“I’m very happy,” said Richard King, an architect and neighbor who has been working for the store’s closure for nearly five years. 

David Bryden, the attorney who said he represented the owners of the liquor store at 2440 Sacramento St., near the intersection with Dwight Way, had little to say after the vote beyond, “I’m disappointed.” 

Asked if the owners would file an appeal, Bryden said, “Mr. Saleh will make a decision whether he wants to go to court or not.” 

But just who owns the store remained a question that city officials spent a long time trying to answer, ultimately without definitive results. 

While the records of the state department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) list only one owner, Bryden told councilmembers the store was owned by a partnership. 

Gregory Daniel, the city code enforcement officer who has been working on the case for more than a year, said that if the store was owned by a partnership, then the owners were violating state licensing law because only one name—Abdulaziz Saleh Saleh—appears on the license. 

State law, he said, requires that the true owners—all of them—appear on the document. 

ZAB members also tried to find out who else owned the store, but they had no luck either—though Bryden said it was because they hadn’t made “a formal request.” 

When Councilmember Dona Spring suggested that no such document existed, Bryden replied, “There exists a written partnership agreement between Mr. Saleh and Mr. Nagi. I’m sure it could be produced.” 

Nagi is Nasr Mosleh Nagi, who held the liquor license at the store from 1995 through November 1999, when it was transferred to Abdulsalam Mohamed Jobah after the store was cited for sale to a minor and failure to remove graffiti. The license was then transferred to Saleh on May 2004, following its suspension by the ABC for sales to a minor. 

ABC recorded three violations of Saleh’s license between April 16, 2005 and Jan. 8, each for violation of conditions that the agency had imposed on the license as a result of violations by the previous owners. Berkeley Police recorded 12 incidents of violations on one of the conditions—sale of single beer and malt liquor bottles—between August 2004 and August 2005. 

“In each case, Mr. Saleh himself made (the) sale,” noted a report by Daniel. 

Berkeley police reported 34 calls at the store between May 2004 and August 2005, including three for battery and two for alcohol poisoning.  

ZAB made the nuisance finding on Oct. 27, 2005. 

Bryden said he was willing to concede that “your staff initially responded in an appropriate way to legitimate concerns residents in that area” have raised, but said “we feel we should have been given an opportunity to abate” because the store is properly licensed “and the sole source of income to a handful of people.” 

“I have no sympathy for these gentlemen,” said Councilmember Betty Olds, “especially because one of them spit on a couple of people who testified” before the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB), which voted for the public nuisance finding the council upheld Tuesday. 

“It’s a good thing I don’t live down there because I couldn’t stand it. I’d either be dead or . . .” 

“I want them to stop today,” said Councilmember Laurie Capitelli. 

“It’s been going on way too long,” said Councilmember Gordon Wozniak. “They’ve had an opportunity to clean up their act . . . we have to send a message that this is not tolerated in Berkeley.” 

Upholding ZAB “is the right thing to do,” said Dona Spring, who noted that after the store’s license had been suspended for selling to a minor, “an undercover officer went in the store and the owner cracked off the lock of the liquor cabinet and sold to him.” 

While Olds criticized ABC for allowing the store to operate so long, Daniel and Police Chief Douglas N. Hambleton were quick to praise the ABC agents who had worked with the city to develop evidence against errant liquor stores. 

“For the last year and a half, Berkeley Police has been working very closely with ABC,” said Daniel. 

“ABC has a limited number of agents and they rely to a great extent on local law enforcement,” said Hambleton. He pointed to three recent ABC enforcement grants totaling $180,000 the city has received from the agency for targeted enforcement programs. 

While the audience was dominated by neighbors who held aloft signs protesting the store, only three spoke at the hearing, including King. All asked the council to uphold ZAB’s finding, as did Marie Bowman, who spoke on behalf of the Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (BANA). 

Bowman praised the city-ABC efforts, and said the store has “a city-wide impact as a public nuisance.” She faulted the owners for failing to respond to the city’s questions, and declared that “shuffling of licenses is not acceptable.” 

Neighbors have reported finding bottles and drink paraphernalia in their yards and other intrusions directly related to the store. The signs they held up bore the slashed circle over phrases like “Dwight Way Liquors,” “Brawls in Our Streets” and “Urination in Our Yards.””


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.  

Councilmembers approved a recommendation by the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC) to ask UC Berkeley to appoint three ex-officio members to the panel, which is charged with helping to draft a new plan for the city center. 

The plan was mandated in the settlement of the city’s suit against the university’s Long Range Development Plan for 2020, which proposes a major expansion of university offices into the downtown area. 

The council rejected (6-2-1) a motion by Kriss Worthington to include a student and a staff member among the three and to require that the university name three DAPAC members to participate in its planning processes for their downtown additions. 

Only Dona Spring supported his motion and Max Anderson abstained. All three voted for the main motion, which carried unanimously, with the addition of a phrase urging the university to include city representation as it plans its expansion. 

 

Instant runoff voting 

Instant Runoff Voting, endorsed overwhelmingly by Berkeley voters in 2004 and hailed as a way to make elections more democratic, isn’t proving so instant. The process of making it happen in Alameda County has been paved with roadblocks. 

The council also delayed action on a Worthington proposal to place a measure on the June ballot amending Measure I, the 2004 ballot initiative approved by 72 percent of Berkeley’s voter endorsing so-called instant runoff voting (IRV). 

That measure approved adoption of IRV so long as it didn’t cost the city money, but the Alameda County Counsel’s office has said that IRV can’t be conducted in a regular consolidated election, while three city attorneys in the county—including Berkeley’s Manuela Albuquerque—disagree. 

If the city ran its own IRV election, costs could run as much as $300,000 to $400,000, said City Clerk Sara Cox. It would cost $80,000 to put Worthington’s proposed measure on the June ballot, said City Manager Phil Kamlarz.  

The council will take up the issue again on March 7.  

 

Other matters 

In other action, the council: 

• Upheld a Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) decision dismissing homeowner Merilee Mitchell’s appeal of its decision to approve an addition to a home at 1616 Delaware St. 

• Raised the price of flat-rate evening parking in the city-owned Oxford Street lot along Oxford between Kittredge Street and Allston Way from $2 to $4. The Transportation Commission had recommended $5—to match the charge at other city lots—but the council decide a 100 percent raise was enough. 

The lot could be closed as early as late autumn if all the needed funds have been raised to begin construction on the David Brower Center and Oxford Plaza housing that are scheduled to rise on the site. The project’s use permits require replacement of the existing parking spaces in an underground lot. 

• Approved two resolutions designating the Ed Roberts Center as the city’s first choice to be the recipient of a total of $5 million in funding from two federal agencies. The votes are in support of grant applications by the non-profit center for disability organizations that has been approved for construction on the eastern parking lot of the Ashby BART station. 

• Passed an ordinance allowing owners of Accessory Dwelling Units (otherwise known as mother-in-law apartments) constructed in garages or as additions to homes to tear them down without filing for a special permit from the city. 

Worthington and Spring voted no, saying they didn’t want to permit destruction of housing, but the council agreed with the planning commission, which had held that the ordinance would actually encourage creation of more such units. 

• Approved fee increases at city summer camps in Tuolomne County, at Echo Lake near South Lake Tahoe and the city day camp held at the Berkeley Marina. 

The highly popular camps are always booked, with Berkeley residents getting the first call on openings. The new fees will gradually eliminate reduced rates for Berkeley residents and make the camps more financially self-sufficient. 

• Agreed to hold a March 7 workshop on the city’s participation in the Community Choice Aggregation, a program created that allows cities to bundle commercial, residential and other electric power consumers for the purposes of buying bulk power at a discount.  

The program was created by state legislation in 2002 as a result of the California power crisis in which energy traders nearly bankrupted the state. Councilmembers said they want the workshop because they have questions they want answered before investing more city money in the program. 

• Directed the Transportation Commission and city manager to look into rectifying the impacts of new striping along Telegraph Avenue that merchants claim may be costing them customers. 

• Directed the city manager to report back to the council on whether or not Department of Homeland Security (DHS) computers tested by the city may have rendered city data bases vulnerable to federal snooping. 

According to privacy rights advocate Gene Bernardi, one server tested by the city is to be installed at the San Ramon Fire Department to provide location data in event of emergencies, and she said another server had been installed at city hall. 

The resolution was jointly sponsored by Wozniak and Spring..


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.  

On hand were members of the Planning, Landmarks Preservation and Transportation commissions along with the Zoning Adjustment Board’s Design Review Committee. 

The university’s representatives included Emily Marthinsen, interim assistant vice chancellor for physical and environmental planning; Jennifer Lawrence, a principal planner in Marthinsen’s division, Catherine Koshland, vice-provost for academic planning and facilities; Robert De Liso, vice president of the university’s project management firm URS Corp, and Darryl Roberson, a principal of Studios Architecture in San Francisco, one of the designers of the stadium area projects. 

The stadium had been designated seismically unsafe in 1997, but plans for a retrofit had been on hold because state funds couldn’t be used for the project, Marthinsen said. 

Renewed interest came a year-and-a-half ago, “and it has to do with the success of the football program,” she said. 

Left unsaid was the demand by Cal Bears Coach Jeff Tedford that the stadium be renovated, as a condition of getting his signature on a five-year, $1.5 million annual salary contract. 

Also included in the plans is a structure across Piedmont Avenue from the Stadium where Boalt Hall School of Law and Haas School of Business have proposed a joint “connection” building to house offices and a common meeting area. 

Wednesday’s presentation focused on four projects, two planned in the immediate future and two planned for later.  

The immediate projects are a 180,000-square-foot Student Athlete High Performance Center (SAHPC) along the stadium’s western wall and a four-level, 800-to-850-space underground parking lot at the site of the Maxwell Family Field immediately to the north of the stadium. 

Koshland said the SAHPC would house specialized training for the football teams and 12 to 13 other intercollegiate athletic teams.  

A seismic retroift to the stadium, including the addition of new seats, permanent lighting and other features will reduce seating from 72,000 to 60,000. Much of the reduction is to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Koshland said. 

 

Public Comments 

None of the public speakers who followed the university representatives enthused about the plans. 

Doris Willingham raised fears about the project’s impact on landmark structures. “The university apparently intends to demolish ... venerable, beautiful old buildings in its efforts to bring us what appears to me a high class office park,” she said. 

Frederica Drotos of Friends of Piedmont Way said she worried about the projects’ impacts on that streetscape—a city and state landmark—designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. 

Drotos lamented the apparent intent of the university to sacrifice a large stand of trees to the SAHPC, a point reinforced by Joanna Dwyer, who read off a list of species and numbers, which included 46 Coast Live Oaks and five mature redwoods. 

Zelda Bronstein, former Berkeley planning commission chair, called the event “a one-stop dog-and-pony show.” She said informed comment was almost impossible because the university had provided no detailed information. 

“What we’re reduced to is sound bites. It causes anger and distrust,” said Janice Thomas, another project neighbor. “My neighborhood is at risk for being destroyed.” 

Noting that the underground parking structure would house twice the number of cars as the city’s five-story Center Street parking garage in a difficult to access area, Panoramic Hill resident Bill Robbins said the project didn’t make sense from a transportation planning perspective. 

Daniella Thompson, a member of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, noted that stadium architect John Galen Howard hadn’t wanted to locate his stadium at the site. “It was one of the reasons he was fired,” she said. 

Thompson decried the projects as evidence of the university’s “megalomania, growth at all costs ... the community is not going to benefit in any way.” 

 

Official Questions 

Because the university has mentioned opening up the stadium and the common area of the law and business schools’ connection building to public events, landmarks commissioner Patti Dacey—also a member of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee—asked just what the events might be. 

“We’re struggling with this too,” said Marthinsen, who then noted that graduations had been held in the stadium and that John F. Kennedy had delivered an address there during his presidency. “We’re looking at it as a place for other very specific campus-related and community events. We are definitely not looking at it as a venue for rock concerts.” 

As for the venue across the street, Marthinsen said that events there would probably be informal interactions between students of the two schools—though gubernatorial debates were suggested by university officials during an earlier press briefing. 

“Why can’t the parking structure be located in a more sensible area?” asked Transportation Commission Dave Campbell. 

UC planner Lawrence said that location meets all the university’s goals, adding that the upcoming draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the projects would look at alternatives, including one in downtown Berkeley. The document would also examine the possibility of locating the athletic training center closer to the downtown as well, she said. 

Design Review Committee member Burton Edwards asked the university to provide more specific views of the projects, including elevations seen from the street, 

“I find it really hard to think about and talk about Piedmont Avenue and Gayley Way without knowing what’s going to happen to the row of important historic structures,” he said. 

Planning Commissioner Gene Poschman said that had the project been within city limits, officials would have demanded “a thousand times the information” presented at the meeting. 

What are the actual hours of use of the planned facilities, and the number of people who will be coming and going?, he asked. How many cubic yards of earth would be excavated during construction of the parking lot and training center? 

Poschman also asked if the university would be providing answers to a lengthy letter city Planning Director Dan Marks had sent the university in December during the solicitation of information to be considered in the EIR. Marks had blasted the school for providing few details and questioned the university’s honesty. 

The response, he was informed, would come in the EIR. 

While Planning Commission Chair Harry Pollack said he hoped the city would be able to respond with one voice, Poschman said he was skeptical that could be achieved. 

Landmarks commissioner Lesley Emmington said Marks’ questions needed to be addressed in the EIR. “We need to see the answers to that letter,” she said. 

 

Future events 

Marthinsen said the public’s next opportunity to learn more about the project would come on March 13, when the stadium would be made available for tours starting at 5:45 p.m. 

“There will be opportunities to talk with consultants and the occupants of the building,” she added. 

The university will reveal a draft EIR on the project in May, followed by a 45 day period in which the public and officials will be able to make comments to be considered in the report’s final draft..


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. 

Those units, required by state and city law, are designed to make housing affordable to those who might not otherwise be able to buy a residence. 

The previous requirement that units be made affordable to would-be buyers making 120 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) expired on Feb. 19, along with four other provisions in the ordinance. 

Developer Aran Kaufer asked commissioners to extend the provision, saying that a project the commission approved that same evening at 2700 San Pablo Ave. couldn’t have been built had the law mandated the units be affordable to those making less. 

But Housing Advisory Commissioner Jesse Arreguin and Rent Stabilization Board member Jason Overman urged that the units be priced so they are affordable at 80 percent of AMI. 

Zoning Adjustments Board member Andy Katz, speaking as a private citizen, made the same plea. 

The three argued that only by lowering the affordability could the city ensure that homeownership was more broadly available to working people.  

Commissioners voted to make permanent the other provisions of the law which had expired because of sunset provisions, but voted to hold off on setting the income level to allow the Housing Advisory Commission time to make recommendations and give city staff an opportunity to comment. 

The commission also approved the condominium map for the 2700 San Pablo Ave. project, which features 30 resident units, four ground floor live/work spaces and a small commercial unit. 

Commissioners elected Vice Chair Helen Burke to step up the position of chair, as Harry Pollack’s term at the helm ended. David Stoloff was elected to fill Burke’s former slot..


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. 

On Tuesday, Housing Department Director Stephen Barton announced that Beverli Marshall will fill the role of acting manager for the Berkeley Housing Authority, the governing body for Berkeley’s Section 8 housing assistance program and 75 public housing units. The authority is composed of city councilmembers and two tenant representatives. 

“I see this a great opportunity to make change for the better,” Marshall said of her new job Tuesday.  

Marshall, an employee of the city of Berkeley since 2003, has worked as the senior management analyst for the Parks Recreation and Waterfront Department and most recently as the finance manager for the Berkeley Public Library. Her work experience also includes employment for housing agencies in Alaska and San Francisco. 

She takes on the director’s position at a crucial moment in the authority’s history, as a deadline to revamp the city’s Section 8 program—or risk dissolution—fast approaches. 

Last year, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department, the federal agency that funds Section 8 vouchers, branded the Berkeley Housing Authority “troubled,” and demanded that it better manage its Section 8 program or surrender oversight duties to another agency like the Alameda County or Oakland Housing Authority. 

Among the deficiencies cited, the Berkeley agency has failed to meet annual deadlines re-certifying Section 8 recipients, has not completed ample unit inspections in a timely manner and has insufficiently reported its activities to HUD.  

Matters were further complicated when a recent audit revealed that someone logged false data on the incomes of 61 Section 8 clients. 

Jackson, who directed the authority for two years, announced Jan. 17 that she was under investigation for the incident then tendered her resignation. At the time, no causal connection between her departure and the allegations was found. Jackson has since gone on to direct the Benicia Housing Authority. 

Housing Department staff corrected the erroneous data, but at a cost. They will expend $17,000 to install a new security system. 

To meet the gamut of HUD’s requirements, the authority is expected to spend a total $60,000 on security, new software and personnel pay, Barton said. 

HUD attaches point values to its mandates, and according to a Feb. 21 report, the Berkeley Housing Authority must have 77 percent of the total points possible. It currently has 43 percent. The deadline for compliance is June 30. 

On Tuesday, Mayor Tom Bates asked Marshall if it was possible for the authority to meet its goals. She said yes, but when he asked if it was probable, she hesitated. 

“It’s too soon to commit to that,” she said in a phone interview Wednesday. 

Marshall has high hopes for a new data system that will automate reporting and lighten administrative duties for employees. It’s slated for installation March 6. 

By March 21, Marshall expects to have a clearer picture of the future of the Berkeley Housing Authority. 

Councilmember Darryl Moore hopes prospects are good. He fears that if the city loses control of its Section 8 program, “It will mean that we had failed at our public assistance housing program,” he said. “It’s a black mark on the city.” 

Though as a local entity, the authority is in a state of disarray, he said that appropriation by a federal agency leaves Berkeley Section 8 recipients vulnerable to too many unknowns, such as how cases will be managed and where residents will turn when they need further assistance. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, Moore, who has worked with Marshall in her capacity at both the Parks Recreation and Waterfront Department and the public library, said Marshall has “a Herculean effort” before her, but that “she is the person who is up to the task.” 

He said, “Hopefully, Beverli will be able to pull us out of this fire.””


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. 

This is what Elliot Cohen decided to do one day last April. He was walking along Shattuck Avenue and thinking about a news article he’d just read about a drive-by shooting in the area. And so, he said, his curiosity was piqued when he saw four squad cars parked in random fashion near the corner of Shattuck and Durant avenues. His trajectory took him near the police officers, who seemed to be questioning an African-American woman with a shopping cart.  

Wondering what was going on, Cohen stopped and watched at a distance of about 20 feet from the officers and the woman.  

That’s when the police began to harass him, according to complaints Cohen filed with the Police Review Commission (PRC). On Jan. 30, a PRC hearing board sustained three of the four allegations: one complaint of discourtesy, one of abuse of discretion and one of an implied threat; one complaint of improper physical contact was not sustained. 

Berkeley attorney Osha Neumann said complaints such as discourtesy should be taken seriously and should not be ignored as a kind of police misconduct, he said. 

“It can be an early warning sign of other forms of police abuse.” he said. “It’s connected to attitude.” 

“The attitude of police who feel they can use their power in a negative manner starts with discourtesy,” said Annie Chung, PRC chair and member of the three-person panel that heard Cohen’s case.  

As he tells it, after Cohen had been observing the scene for several minutes, the woman being questioned by police called over to him, claiming that he had caused police to arrest her. 

Cohen was about to yell back that she was mistaken when Police Officer Mary Ann Jamison approached and asked Cohen if she could help him. 

Cohen said he told the officer he was “just watching.”  

According to the complaint Cohen lodged with the PRC, Officer Jamison responded to Cohen saying something like, “Didn’t your mom teach you any respect, dude?” Cohen called this response discourteous and the three hearing board members agreed. 

A charge of abuse of discretion stemmed from a verbal exchange between Cohen and Jamison. Jamison asked Cohen if he was OK and whether he needed a paramedic. While Jamison claimed the question stemmed from the fact that Cohen seemed agitated, the hearing board found the question inappropriate. 

A charge of discourtesy because of an implied threat was also sustained against a second officer, Malissa Kelly. Cohen had told Jamison that he didn’t need a paramedic but may need a lawyer (because of the alleged physical contact.) Jamison then told Cohen her sister was a lawyer and suggested he hire her. 

But when Cohen told Jamison he didn’t want to hire her sister, Officer Kelly responded, asking Cohen if that was because Jamison was African American. The board found it inappropriate to insinuate race into the discussion. 

“Unless Mr. Cohen made a racial remark or showed some bias against Officer Jamison, it was improper for Officer Kelly to ask if his actions were motivated by race,” the hearing board findings stated. 

The complaint was categorized as a threat because Cohen felt that the officer was setting up a scenario in which he could be called a racist if he brought a complaint against the department.  

A claim of improper physical contact was related to a charge that Jamison physically impeded Cohen from approaching the person being questioned. Jamison denied touching Cohen at all. The board found, however, that even if there had been physical contact, it had only been enough to stop Elliot from physically interfering in the situation, so improper physical contact against Officer Jamison was not sustained.  

Now that these allegations have been sustained, the officers have the right to contest the findings before an administrative law judge from the California Office of Administrative Hearings. The hearing and the findings are public and will be shared with the PRC, the police department and the city manager, according to Deputy City Attorney Sarah Reynoso. 

“In theory they could impose discipline,” Reynoso said. 

However, for the administrative law judge to impose discipline, complaints would have to have come to the judge within 120 days of the original complaint. In the case of Elliot Cohen, for example, the complaint was filed in April, the PRC hearing was not held until Jan. 30; the findings were released Feb. 17. If the officers appeal the findings, they will appear before the judge significantly beyond the 120 day limit. 

The process, however, is important, even if discipline is not imposed, Reynoso said. 

“The fact of having to appear and answer to the PRC is a deterrent,” she said, adding that if the PRC sees that there is a pattern with certain problems, they can recommend policy changes. 

Simply creating a public record of police officers’ records of complaints against them may cause them to change their behavior, said PRC Chair Chung. “If you can hold (the officer) accountable, you can prevent more severe problems.” 

For example, Jamison’s record shows there have been six complaints brought to the PRC against her. Three of those were not sustained and three were. In addition to Cohen’s two complaints against her, the PRC hearing board sustained a complaint of abuse of discretion in 2000 against the officer. 

In Kelly’s case, three complaints have been brought against her—one was dismissed, she was exonerated in another case and found to have been discourteous with an implied threat in Cohen’s case. 

Chung added that, even though he is not required to do so, the police chief will look at an officer’s complaint record when considering promotions. And if an officer with a number of complaints is promoted, the community, armed with the record, can protest the promotion. “The community can use the record as a measure,” she said. 

The PRC work is important in advocating both for the community and the Police Department, said Sharon Kidd, a PRC commissioner, who served on the panel that heard Cohen’s complaints. 

“There is no law enforcement agency that is perfect,” Kidd said. “If you make mistakes, you should accept the mistakes, so the problems won’t mushroom. If problems occur affecting one police officer, it should not tarnish the whole force.””


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. 

But for a year the PRC has lacked someone in the position of a Police Review Commission officer, a professional to head the PRC.  

Because there is no permanent professional in that position, “a lot of policy issues have been tabled,” said PRC Chair Annie Chung, pointing in particular to a need for new police policies with respect to citing homeless people sleeping in front of businesses. 

The PRC also should be looking at the police department’s mutual aid pact, in relation to dealing with terrorist suspects, she said. 

“We need an officer to initiate research,” she added.  

PRC Commissioner Jonathan Wafer agreed. 

“(The vacancy) is a gaping hole,” he said. “We need it filled to work in a timely fashion.” 

Commissioner Sharon Kidd was adamant, charging that city staff is keeping the commission out of the loop, with respect to hiring the PRC officer. According to Kidd, a member of the commission sat in with the hiring team—the city manager, the deputy city manager, and the city attorney—up until the hiring team reduced the applicant pool to the top five. At that point, the commission member was excluded. 

Kidd says she does not know why city staff did not choose one of the finalists. 

“Out of five people, is no one qualified?” she asked, adding that she thinks, since the PRC officer works with the commission, two commissioners should be part of the hiring team, up until the time the officer is hired. 

Chung said she wants the City Council to discuss the longtime vacancy and put some pressure on city staff to find a professional to fill the position, which pays $87,000 to $115,000 annually. 

Deputy City Manager Lisa Caronna said the city wants to hire a person in that position. 

“It’s about finding the person with the most well-rounded overall qualifications,” she said. “We just try to be as cautious and careful as possible. Sometimes, it’s not a speedy process.” 

At the same time, Caronna said she feels the PRC is functioning well as it is. 

“We have somebody in that position now,” she said, pointing to acting officer Dan Silva, an investigator with the PRC. 

“We try to give people internally the opportunity for these positions,” she said, adding, “People internally have an opportunity to grow.” 

 

 


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. 

Just don’t call it ping pong. 

Sixty players, some among the best in the world, came to the two-day tournament to battle for the title of Western Open table tennis champion. 

By Sunday evening the tournament was down to two players. Defending champion Stefan Feth of Germany defeated 2001 U.S. Nationals Men’s Singles champion Eric Owens of Texas Wesleyan University in four straight games. 

Twenty-six-year-old Feth was the tournament favorite although other table tennis pros from around the world were in the hunt for their share of the $5,000 in prize money. Ranked 187th in the world, Feth recently won against the 49th world-ranked Danny Heister in the German Professional Bundesliga leagues. 

UC Berkeley’s Recreational Sports Facility, with its spacious wooden floors and common areas provided the players with perfect playing conditions, said Allen Williams, marketing director for North American Table Tennis, LLC, (NATT) the event organizer. 

The brainchild of Richard Lee, a former U.S. Junior Table Tennis Champion and Junior Olympic Gold Medalist, NATT currently is the top table tennis event management company in the United States. It has handled the U.S. Open Championships and the U.S. National Championships for the USATT since 2003.  

Williams said that since it is often difficult to make a living out of a sport like table tennis, cash prizes at tournaments encourage youngsters to participate by helping them to raise money for equipment or overseas training. 

Keith Evans, coach for the Texas Wesleyan University Table Tennis Team, stressed on the importance of the sport as a morale builder for young people. 

“It is good to see kids getting more enthusiastic about the sport every day,” he said. “This tournament in particular is a good one and is helping table tennis become more professional.” 

Kingston Gee of San Francisco, who runs the Lincoln Square Table Tennis Club in Oakland, agreed with him. 

“Tournaments like these are definitely good for the sport,” he said. “A lot of kids are drawn to it since the Bay Area is one of the major table tennis hotspots in the country.” 

Williams said it is best to start really young. 

“To be a world class player you need to be really quick and in complete control of your reflexes,” he said. “Any move which is less than one tenth of a second could spell disaster. Most players retire by 30.” 

After winning the tournament, Feth told The Planet that he was satisfied with the way things had shaped up during the finals but admitted that he had to be focused during every second of the game.  

Although Feth plans to retire from professional table tennis this year he will be moving to the United States to coach junior and local players in the Bay Area. 

“I want to take American professional table tennis to new heights,” he said. “I think there is a lot of untapped talent here. To become a top player requires a lot of practice and discipline and sometimes you have to give up other good stuff like parties and friends.” 

The 2006 North American Table Tennis Tour, sponsored by the Swedish sporting goods company STIGA, returns to Berkeley in September for the Berkeley Open. For more information, see www.natabletennis.com. 

 

 

 

Photo by Riya Bhattacharjee 

Competition was fierce at the Western Open Table Tennis Championship. 


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday February 24, 2006

Help Sought 

Berkeley police are asking the public’s help in identifying the man who hijacked a cab in San Francisco on Feb. 5. While he held a knife to the cabbie’s throat, the kidnapper had his victim drive to a parking lot on San Pablo Avenue, where he forced the driver to hand over his valuables. 

The suspect is described as an African American or Latino male between the ages of 40 and 50 who stands about six-feet tall, weighs about 190 pounds and has a light beard. 

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Berkeley Police Robbery Detective Steve White at 981-5900 or to email police at police@ci.berkeley.us. 

 

Outboard gone 

The California Department of Fish and Game called Berkeley police on Feb. 16 to report that during the previous eight months, persons unknown had swiped an outboard motor from one of their boats stored in the Berkeley Marina. 

 

Robbed 

A 23-year-old Hayward man told Berkeley police that he was robbed that same day in Civic Center Park by a strongarm holdup artist who relieved him of his cash. 

 

Cell swiped 

A woman who was walking along the 1300 block of 67th Street late last Friday afternoon was struck in the face by one of two teenage bandits who then made off with her cell phone. The victim declined medical attention, said Officer Galvan. 

 

Takes on cop 

A 23-year-old man decided to take on an officer assigned to Berkeley PD’s Drug Task Force he encountered in the 1400 block of Ashby Avenue just before 6:30 p.m. last Friday. 

As a result, he now faces charges of battery on a police officer, interfering with a police office, a probation violation and a fourth count that could send him back to the slammer to finish out the rest of the sentence he was on probation from. 

 

Holdup pair 

Two men clad in black robbed a 40-something man of his cash as he walked along the 800 block of Shattuck Avenue last Saturday at 6 p.m. The bandits were last seen fleeing the scene on foot. 

 

Bandit bust 

Quick action by police ended in the arrest of a 16-year-old male officers say was one of the two suspects who robbed a 51-year-old Richmond man in front of the Long’s Drugs at 2300 Shattuck Ave. at 6:17 p.m. last Saturday. 

The second suspect remains at large. 

 

Shakes Spear? 

Police arrested a a 71-year-old man early Saturday evening after he was reported to be walking along the 1900 block of Hearst Avenue, brandishing a spear. 

He was booked on one count of possession of a dangerous weapon. 

 

Snoozes, loses 

Responding to a report of an apparently comatose and non-responsive fellow nodding behind the wheel of a parked vehicle with its engine running, police officers and an ambulance rushed to the 1700 block of La Loma Avenue at 9:26 a.m. Sunday. 

What they found was not a medical emergency, however. Further investigation revealed the fellow was in possession of a dangerous weapon, burglary tools and a quantity of Cannabis indica—the latter, perhaps, accounting for his deep sleep. 

 

Truck assault 

Police arrested a 38-year-old man just before 9:30 Sunday night after he rammed a stolen pickup truck in to six cars parked in the 1200 block of Gilman Street, said Officer Galvan. 

Because at least one of the cars was occupied by a Berkeley woman, police booked the suspect on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, as well as vehicle theft, probation violation and possession of marijuana. 

 

Armed robbery 

A 45-year-old Berkeley woman was robbed by a gunman who accosted her in the 1800 block of Solano Avenue at 4 p.m. Monday, said Officer Galvan. 

The gunman then fled in an older model car, possibly a Cadillac. 

 

Heist foiled 

A masked man carrying what his 31-year-old victim told police may have been a plastic gun failed to convince the San Francisco woman to fork over her valuables after he confronted her in the 800 block of Dwight Way just before 5 p.m. Monday. 

He departed in an older model car, possibly a Saturn. 

 

Home invasion 

A resident of the 1200 block of Hopkins Street answered the door late Monday afternoon, only to be confronted by two women, who forced their way into the dwelling and grabbed a laptop computer before heading back out the door and fleeing in a purple sedan, possibly a Cadillac. 

The suspect didn’t see a weapon, said Officer Galvan. 

 

Gang heist 

A woman called police at 8:41 p.m. Tuesday to report that she had just been confronted by a gang of youths, at least one of whom may have been carrying a small handgun, who relieved her of a backpack containing a laptop computer and an assortment of computer games. 

 

Robbed again 

Roxie Food Center at 2250 Dwight Way was the target of its third armed robbery in recent weeks just before 10 p.m. Tuesday when a man in a red jacket, his face covered by a stocking cap and carrying a pistol walked into the store and demanded the contents of the till. 

He was last seen fleeing on Ellsworth Street with his loot. 

 

Unhappy Heist 

A young gunman with what a clerk described as a large-framed semiautomatic pistol and with his face concealed by black nylon stocking, burst into Happy Donuts in the 1000 block of Gilman Street at 1 p.m. Wednesday and demanded cash. 

After the clerk complied, the gunman departed. 

?


Portraits of Mills College By ROBERT McDONALD Special to the Planet

Tuesday February 21, 2006

“A Portrait of Mills: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham,” like other significant art exhibitions, instructs while it gives pleasure. Visitors will find in it, to their satisfaction, some of the iconic images for which the artist has long been famous as well as images with which they are unfamiliar. 

The artist (1883-1976), who long graced the Bay Area with her active presence, ranks among our nation’s most important photographers for her role in establishing the medium as a fine art and may still rank as our most important female photographer.  

The title is ambiguous, for this is not only an exhibition of photographs that Cunningham took of the Mills campus and of some of its faculty, it includes images from the college’s permanent collections.  

Director Stephan Jost initiated the exhibition but, having accepted a new directorship in Vermont and having been devoted to student involvement in the Mills Museum, asked senior student Pamela Caserta to assume responsibility for completing its organization. 

As curator, Caserta, having had previous museum experience at the highly respected Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, brought a practiced eye to her task. Her resources were the museum’s substantial holdings of Cunningham materials and the college library’s collection of “snapshots.” Caserta also made use of the several indispensable volumes about Cunningham, including the work of Richard Lorenz, who subscribed to the tradition that all works of art in whatever medium are self-portraits of the artists. 

So it was with Cunningham. Despite arguments that photography is a cool and objective medium like no other and despite divergencies and eclecticism in the work of a very long-lived artist, there was a relatively consistent vision that ranks her among our master photographers. 

The occasion for the exhibition is the 100th anniversary of the firm of the Ratcliff Architects, headquartered in Emeryville. Led by patriarch Walter Ratcliff (now deceased), this firm was responsible for the design of the Mills music building and its art museum, surely one of the most beautiful and satisfying exhibition spaces in the Bay Area. 

Its proportions, while grand, are, nevertheless, humane in scale. Its ceiling of panes of frosted thermoplastic, permitting the use of natural light (now supplemented by artificial illumination) is supported by a beautiful grid of Spanish Baroque inspiration. The building’s exterior was also initially designed to be a Spanish Baroque fantasy rather than the minimalist form that appears in one of the several photographs of the structure appearing in the exhibition.  

Among the iconic images of great personalities, visitors will find formal portraits of poets Theodore Roethke and John Masefield, painters Morris Graves and Lionel Feininger, the artist’s father Isaac Burns Cunningham and photographer Alfred Stieglitz standing in front of a painting by his wife Georgia O’Keefe. Missing, unfortunately, is any image of dancer Martha Graham, a pivotal figure in the invention of modern dance and an artist whose career was closely linked to Cunningham’s throughout their long lives.  

Why should viewers concern themselves with images that have often appeared in books and catalogues? Because they will find in them a presence that is absent from reproductions, no matter how skillfully printed. Cunningham’s works permit person-to-person communication.  

The same observation holds true for portraits of other subjects, although unknown, probably, to most viewers. For example, Alfred Salmony, Chinese art scholar at Mills; Joseph Sheridan, painter, whose image with its network of rectilinear and curvilinear elements, including furrows in the subject’s forehead, may owe something to the influence of photographer Man Ray; German Olympic Fencer Helene Mayer, who taught German at Mills during the 1930s and 1940s. 

Informal portraits of faculty—scientists, humanities professors and artists—include French composer Darius Milhaud working with two students at a piano keyboard. The focused concentration is palpable, though music is the most evanescent of the arts.  

Cunningham’s images of the Mills campus convey the serenity that is still characteristic of the college today—at least in comparison with most other Bay Area campuses. “Patio of the Tea Room” (1940) with students in dresses, skirts and blouses and professors in suits and ties; “Music Building and Pond” (ca. 1940); “Amphitheater” (ca. 1920), a classic study of curving minimalist forms in which shadows appear as substantial as concrete; and “Lake Aliso” (ca. 1930), which now seems to be disappearing because of environmental abuse—all convey the ethos of a time seemingly gentler than our own.  

Five works in particular, however, make direct connections to the present and enduring themes of life, and not just in the Bay Area, specifically sex and politics. 

In “Mills Nursery School” (ca. 1950), a small boy and a somewhat larger and ostensibly more aggressive girl play in a sand box. In “Sunbathing/Legs” (ca. 1950) viewers see nothing more than the erotically charged, inverted V’s in four two-inch square snapshots assembled two-by-two in a work of art improvised by curator Caserta. 

“Election Week” will resonate especially with those who experienced the struggles for civil rights and free speech in the last century. An automobile of circa 1920 is crowded with and followed by jolly young ladies wearing what appear to be uniform jumpers and straw hats. Banners, streamers and balloons decorate the automobile. On the back of the photograph is written, “Down with Student Government”—which has been crossed out! 

Finally, two images of magnolia blossoms (1925), though often reproduced, are, here on the museum walls, such definitive statements of erotic beauty that they must ravish any viewer who is not dead. That is truly an awesome experience of art. 

 

“A Portrait of Mills: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham,” is on view through March 12 at the Mills College Art Museum, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. For more information, call 430-2164 or see www.mills.edu. 


School Board Revises Exit Exam Policy By SUZANNE LA BARRE

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Berkeley students who don’t pass the high school exit exam may still walk with their peers on graduation day, the school board ruled Wednesday. 

Board members voted unanimously to support a proposal that grants seniors who meet all graduation requirements but have not passed the high school exit exam to participate in graduation ceremonies.  

The decision could affect as many as 74 Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) students who are on track to graduate but have not yet passed the test. 

The test assesses proficiency in math and English language arts at a seventh- to 10th-grade level.  

Students still will not receive diplomas or certificates of completion, and they must meet a number of additional criteria. They must pass and enroll in enough classes to meet standard graduation requirements, they must to take the exam on all but one of the dates when it’s offered and must take advantage of after-school tutoring. 

Those who still do not pass by the end of the school year can re-test one more time after graduation. They are also eligible to enroll in summer classes at Berkeley High School or the Adult School. 

The proposal was designed to encourage students to continue striving to pass, said Educational Services Director Neil Smith in an item submitted to the Board of Education. 

Board Director Shirley Issel commended the motion. 

“It requires the administration to provide support to ensure that the students can succeed and it encourages students to continue striving to succeed,” she said. 

Board colleague John Selawsky agreed. 

“I think kids who do the work and meet our graduation requirements and have not yet passed (the test) should still be able to walk the stage with their peers,” he said. “To deny them is cruel and unusual punishment.” 

The board will hear a final proposal to change board policy at the next meeting.  

This year marks the first year California students must by law pass the exam to graduate. The law has prompted backlash from parents, students and teachers who say the test is unfair, particularly for disabled students and English language learners.  

A lawsuit settled last year prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to grant a year-long exemption to disabled students who don’t pass the test. On Feb. 8, a group of parents and students filed suit against the state Department of Education on behalf of general education seniors. It alleges that the exam is unfairly biased against English language learners, fails to analyze alternatives to the test and deprives students of a fundamental right to an education. 

While legal recourse is pending, schools in the Bay Area have devised alternatives to the state mandate to recognize the efforts of students who would otherwise graduate if not for the test.  

In Alameda, the Board of Education ruled in November that students who have not passed the test are eligible to take part in graduation ceremonies and earn a certificate of achievement. 

In Albany, Superintendent William Wong said the board is considering granting students concessions, though specific details have not been laid out.  

Staff members of the West Contra Costa Unified School District are drafting a plan comparable to Berkeley’s that would allow eligible seniors to walk on stage with their classmates, so long as they meet specific requirements and “show an effort to try to pass the test,” said district spokesman Paul Ehara.  

The district, which serves Richmond, Hercules, Pinole, El Cerrito, San Pablo and several unincorporated areas, may also consider granting some form of certificate, but Ehara said details have not been spelled out. 

A student from West Contra Costa is the chief litigant in the lawsuit filed Feb. 8 against the state DOE. She reportedly has a 3.84 grade-point average and is a top member of her class, but as an English language learner, she’s failed the test’s English language arts section. 

Ehara said the district has multiple measures in place to assist struggling students.  

“We’re on a 13-year plan for getting all students to pass the CAHSEE (the exit exam),” he said. “We have been doing a lot of work to help students get over this hurdle.” 

 


Derby Field Environmental Impact Report Approved By SUZANNE LA BARRE

Tuesday February 21, 2006

The Berkeley Board of Education approved an environmental impact report (EIR) of the East Campus/Derby Street field Wednesday, re-igniting debate over whether a baseball diamond will be built there.  

Board directors voted 4-1 to grant a consulting firm $100,000 to conduct an environmental analysis of the East Campus, a school district-run expanse surrounded by Ward and Carleton streets, and Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street. The report is expected to shed light on a proposal to close Derby Street between MLK and Milvia to develop a regulation-sized baseball field, a proposal supported by the majority of the board. 

A second option would involve a mixed-use athletic field, and Derby Street would remain open. The street currently hosts the Berkeley Farmers’ Market.  

Because the Berkeley City Council has exclusive rights to close Derby Street, BUSD has beseeched the council to share EIR costs, which may run as high as $200,000.  

School Board Director Shirley Issel says it’s worth it. 

“I’m very interested in knowing what the environmental effects would be if we were to close the street, because I think that’s the preferred option,” she said.  

The Berkeley High School men’s baseball team currently practices at a San Pablo Park on Russell and Mabel streets. Building a diamond at Derby Street would provide players with a regulation-size field that’s walking distance to campus, proponents say. 

“I think it’s a legitimate expectation on the part of Berkeley citizens that our students would have access to a full-sized baseball field,” Issel said. “I think that’s kind of a standard expectation.” 

Opponents of development of a regulation-size diamond say the area would be better served if the street is left open and the field is able to serve multiple athletic activities. 

School board Director John Selawsky, who lives in the neighborhood, said he opposes “shoehorning a baseball field into a neighborhood that already has many things going on.” 

Selawsky was the board’s lone voice of dissent against the EIR Wednesday. 

Furthermore, he pointed out that at present, the school district doesn’t have enough money to build a field, which calls into question the necessity of conducting an environmental report at all. 

“There’s no money for it,” Selawsky said, “so why are we even debating it?” 


Condos, Landmarks Liquor Store Crowd City Council Agenda By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Berkeley’s city councilmembers face an array of business tonight (Tuesday), starting with a workshop on condo ordinance changes, then moving on to a regular meeting that will feature landmarks, a liquor store and ADUs. 

The workshop begins at 5 p.m. and the regular council meeting starts two hours later. 

One item conspicuously absent from the regular agenda is Councilmember Max Anderson’s resolution calling on the City Council to reaffirm its vote to support a state grant application to fund planning of a controversial development at Ashby BART. 

A proposal to build a large housing project with ground floor commercial space on the BART station’s western parking lot has aroused concern and opposition from neighbors and development critics. 

The council approved a resolution in December that endorsed an already filed grant application for state funds to do a project proposal. 

After a heavily attended Jan. 17 meeting called by project critics, Anderson had called for the council to re-endorse the application, a vote that was delayed once and rescheduled for tonight’s meeting. 

Anderson did not return calls about why the item is not on the meeting agenda. 

The council will also hold another discussion of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. 

During a public hearing a week ago, the council majority seemed willing to make changes in parts of the ordinance challenged by developers and their attorneys, who claim the law is being used as a means of blocking their projects. 

Only councilmembers Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington have voiced strong support for the current ordinance and the structure-of-merit designation which developers say has been their particular bane. 

Preservationists say the category and its protections are needed to protect historic homes and the character of neighborhoods in the Berkeley flats. 

The council is also scheduled to hear an appeal from the owners of Dwight Way Liquor at 2440 Sacramento St., asking them to overturn an Oct. 27 Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) decision to declare the store a public nuisance and order its closure. 

The council will also look at accessory dwelling units, so-called “mother-in-law apartments,” often garage conversions. The ordinance would allow demolition of the units or their conversion to previous uses so long as the actions didn’t require eviction of a tenant.  

 

Other business 

City councilmembers will also consider: 

• A proposal to hike the price of a flat-rate space at the city’s Oxford Street parking lot from $2 to $5. The move would bring the price in line with rates at other city-owned lots. 

• Two resolutions asking UC Berkeley to name three representatives to serve as ex-offico members of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC). 

While DAPAC simply asked for UC representatives to work with their committee, an alternative resolution from Councilmember Kriss Worthington asks for three DAPAC members to serve as ex-officio advisors to the university on their plans for development in Berkeley. 

And while the city staff’s proposal asks the university to appoint three senior faculty members and/or administrators, Worthington’s resolution asks for one of the representatives to come from the student body and another from UC staff. 

• Two resolutions supporting applications for federal funds to build the Ed Roberts Center at the eastern parking lot at Ashby BART, each for $2.5 million. One would come from the federal transportation budget and the other from the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education budget. 

To date, supporters of the center—which would provide homes for agencies and programs serving the disabled—have raised $30 million of the estimated $47 million construction costs. 

• A lease approving a major increase in the rent the city pays to UC Berkeley to lease space for storage of city records at the Marchant Building at 6701 San Pablo Ave. 

The city had signed a $1-a-year lease with the university in 1990 for 10,000 square feet at the building as a condition for accepting the accepting the university’s 1990 Long Range Development Plan. The agreement had been extended through the end of last year. 

The university now says it eventually wants the space back, and the new agreement covers $24,000 in rent plus $1,490 in other expenses—to cover the period from April 1 to Dec. 31. 

• An update on crime in the city from Police Chief Douglas M. Hambleton. The report includes figures on crimes for the first six months of 2005 showing that of seven East Bay cities (the others are Oakland, Richmond, Fremont, Hayward, Vallejo and Concord), Berkeley had the highest rate of property crimes and ranked third in violent crimes, though at 26.3 incidents per 10,000 residents, the rate was well below the 64.2 per 10,000 for Oakland and the 60.5 per 10,000 in Richmond. Fremont was the lowest at 13.8 incidents per 10,000 residents. 

Berkeley’s property crime rate was 379.1 per 10,000 residents, compared with 291.9 in Richmond, and 254.2 in Oakland. Vallejo ranked lowest at 80.7›


Richmond Quarries Cited For Code Violations By SUZANNE LA BARRE

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Two Richmond quarries are a threat to public safety, a Richmond councilmember and a state agency both say.  

Routine inspections conducted by the State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB) late last year revealed numerous code violations at the sites, including dangerous sliding slopes, negligent revegetation and rehabilitation activities, and operation without a use permit. 

The board and the city of Richmond have entreated mine operators to come into compliance, but results have yet to surface. 

 

The Richmond (Chevron) Quarry 

One of the quarries, the Richmond (Chevron) Quarry, has a carved-out hill that is vulnerable to landslides and borders a field of potentially flammable tanks, said SMGB Executive Officer Stephen Testa. 

Richmond City Councilmember Tom Butt, who publicized the issue on his website last month, said he fears a rockslide plummeting into the tank farm could spell disaster. 

“I could imagine 1,000 tons of rock going down the hill, knocking over one of those tanks. It could be a huge mess,” he said. “It could explode.” 

Brian Peer, the general manager for site operator Dutra Materials, said such a scenario isn’t likely. 

“Talking to my engineering firm and engineers from Chevron [which owns the land], they agree the slope had moved a period of time ago, but now it’s stable,” he said. “As far as a cataclysmic slide, they said that’s not going to happen.” 

The quarry is used as an asphalt plant; mining activities no longer take place there. 

SMGB, the lead agency regulating Richmond’s mines, also found that the Richmond Quarry has not accurately revegetated the grounds. 

If not dealt with, the SMGB could slap Dutra with fines of up to $5,000 a day. 

The agency notified Dutra of the infractions on Dec. 22, 2005, and gave the company 30 days to heed board demands. So far, requirements have not been met, Testa said. 

“We’re working on it,” Peer said, adding that he didn’t receive written word of the violations until Jan. 4.  

 

The Point Richmond (Canal Boulevard) Quarry 

The other mine under fire has been cited for six violations and six corrective measures, Testa said. Among them: slope instability and active slides, inadequate revegetation, a dated topographic map and an expired use permit.  

The Point Richmond Quarry, also known as the Canal Boulevard Quarry, is maintained predominantly as a materials recycling facility by Bauman Landscape—though it does not have a permit to do so. 

Richmond’s planning department confirmed that Bauman Landscape is operating illegally. According to Butt, the city could levy fees as high as $1,000 a day.  

An owner for Bauman Landscape, Michael Bauman, did not return calls for comment.  

Both city and state agencies have notified the company of its breaches. “They have not complied to date,” Testa said. 

He added, however, that the company expended some energy cleaning up soil erosion and other small offenses. 

 

Taking action  

The state board will address operators of both quarries at its March 9 regular business meeting in Sacramento. There was some talk of moving the meeting to Richmond to allow for public input, but Testa said there are scheduling conflicts. 

The city is also taking action. Planning Director Richard Mitchell sent letters to Bauman and Dutra last week, urging cessation of illegal activity by March 1. In an e-mail, the Richmond city manager advised fellow staff members to be prepared to pursue “additional legal remedies against Bauman and Dutra” in the event that the companies fail to clean up their act.  

 

Mining for negligence 

Butt said he is pleased to see some progress made toward better enforcement of the quarries, but thinks the city should have been more proactive. The Richmond City Council granted the Point Richmond Quarry a land-use permit in 1996, but Bates said there was never any follow-up. He claims the state tried to communicate with city officials over the neglected areas as far back as 1998—though Testa could not confirm this—and that city staff knew about the latest batch of misdeeds five months ago. 

“This is another sad example of how Richmond all too often goes through a protracted process of approving some kind of land use permit and then simply disappears, allowing the permittee to do whatever he wants to without regulation or consequence,” he wrote online.  

Neither the city manager nor the planning director returned calls for comment.  

Butt said he is developing an ordinance to align the city with state mining standards. He plans to present a draft at Richmond’s Feb. 28 City Council meeting.  

 


UC, City Commissions to Discuss Stadium Area Plans By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday February 21, 2006

UC Berkeley officials will give the public and three city commissions a brief presentation of their plans for development at and around Memorial Stadium on Wednesday evening. 

The session, which starts at 6 p.m., will be held at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Members of the Planning, Landmarks Preservation and Transportation commissions will be joined by the Zoning Adjustments Board’s Design Review Committee as they hear about the university’s plans for the stadium, a massive new underground parking lot and changes to Piedmont Avenue and Gayley Way. 

Stadium plans include construction of a 132,500-square-foot student athlete high performance (training) center along the stadium’s western wall and a complete seismic retrofit and upgrade of the stadium itself—which would include the addition of luxury sky boxes, a press box level above the stadium rim, as well as permanent night lighting. 

The $60 million, 845-space underground parking lot would be built just north of the stadium at the site of the Maxwell Family Field, which would be reincarnated atop the structure when construction is done. 

The university’s plans represent only part of the institution’s development proposals in the immediate vicinity. Not up for discussion is the major new construction project immediately to the west of the stadium across Piedmont Avenue, where a new office building and meeting venue is planned that would link the university’s law and business schools. 

Also not listed in the agenda is a proposal that could lead to the conversion of Bowles Hall, a landmarked residential hall just across Stadium Rim Way from Maxwell Family Field. 

The hall is one of two possible sites named by the university for a business school program for working corporate executives. Bowles was the first residence hall on the UCB campus, and opened in 1929. 

The university has been parsimonious with information about the project, much to the annoyance of Berkeley Planning Director Dan Marks. 

Wednesday night’s agenda calls for the university presentation to be followed by comments and questions from the commissioners, followed in turn by a public comment period. 

Presentations to the city commissions about university development projects were mandated as part of the settlement of a city suit against the university’s Long Range Development Plan for 2020. 

The university isn’t obligated to heed the comments, however. 

 

Planners look at condo law 

Following the joint meeting, the planning commissioners will hold their own regularly scheduled meeting starting at 7:30 p.m. At that session, it will consider approval of amendments to the city’s Zoning Ordinance governing condominiums. 

Two items are on the table. The first is a one-year extension of an interim ordinance approved in 2004 that provided for increased prices on units in condo projects built under the inclusionary ordinance. 

That law, which calls for 20 percent of new apartment and condominium units to be reserved for people with lower incomes, had been amended to raise the price level to one affordable by households earning 120 percent of the area’s median income, rather than the 80 percent level that had been specified in the existing ordinance. 

That provision expired Sunday, and a Planning Commission approval of an extension would clear the way for a City Council vote that must occur before the extension can happen. 

A second item on the commission’s agenda would make permanent other amendments that expired at the same time, including ones requiring marketing of the reduced rate units to tenants with Section 8 vouchers and authorizing the city manager to set regulations establishing allowable rents and sale prices for inclusionary units. 

 

ZAB meeting 

The Zoning Adjustments Board will meet Thursday night at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers at the Maudelle Shirek building (Old City Hall) on the second floor at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

Among the items on the agenda will be the election of a new vice chair for the board. 


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

Tuesday February 21, 2006

The Peralta Community College District brought out the big guns to the district Board of Trustees meeting last week, with presentations by Chancellor Elihu Harris, two vice chancellors, and the chief financial officer to try to end the continuing controversy over the district’s office of International Affairs. 

“The office has been under not only some scrutiny and criticism but also under a microscope,” Harris told trustees. “The perceived excesses of the previous chancellor and trustees continue to haunt us.” 

But Harris said that past problems with the international affairs office have ended, that the office is “important and valuable to the district,” and the district is embarking on a program to make the office “stronger and more viable.”  

Along with Harris, trustees heard presentations by CFO Tom Smith, Vice Chancellor Margaret Haig, and Associate Vice Chancellor and International Affairs Office Director Jacog Ng, explaining Harris’ recently released 40-page report on the state of the office. 

The report contained no specific program recommendations. Harris’ office said earlier that the chancellor may present specific recommendations as part of its budget request for the next fiscal year. 

Ng told trustees that the purpose of his office was to “expose our students to cultures from around the world,” while Harris said that it was “vital to our educational program at Peralta to include students from other countries as well as afford our students the opportunity to travel abroad.” Both activities, he said, were carried out by the international office.  

“Most of our expenses involve support for international students once they are here,” Harris said. “This is not a travel junket program. Since I became chancellor, only a small portion of the budget is spent on international travel.” 

A chart included with the report showed that the office’s recruitment and travel budget peaked in 2000-01 at $78,700 out of a $480,000 total budget during the time when the office was under investigation, but by 2004-05 had dropped to $17,000 out of a total budget of $395,000. 

The International Affairs Office was developed in 1997 by Ng, who began his professional career 17 years ago as a counselor at Laney. The office first operated a program out of Vista College in Berkeley, now Berkeley City College, recruiting international students. 

International student tuition is an important part of the Peralta budget, bringing in some $2.5 million a year. 

Harris’ report noted that international students pay a minimum of $4,700 per year to the district on a $164 per unit tuition fee and a $26 per unit enrollment fee on their mandatory minimum of 12 units. Resident students pay no tuition fees, but only the $26 per unit enrollment fee.  

In addition, while the resident student fees are paid to the state with a portion siphoned back to the district, international student fees are paid directly to the district, and remain with the district. 

Haig told trustees that the international recruitment area was “a tough market. We hope to be extremely competitive in it.” 

The chancellor’s office has set a goal of 700 international students for the fall of 2011, up from the present 480. 

The chancellor’s report and administrative presentations were a carryover from the explosive September 2005 trustee meeting in which Trustee Marcie Hodge first leveled criticisms of the International Affairs Office. 

Ng did not appear at that meeting, leaving the reporting to his supervisor, Haig, who had only been on the job for 10 days at the time. Hodge’s criticisms of Ng by name at the September meeting led to her later censuring by the Board of Trustees. 

Harris made a backhand reference to that September meeting on Tuesday night, introducing Haig to trustees by saying that “unfortunately, she had a rude welcome to Peralta.” 

Hodge sat silent during Tuesday night’s presentations and did not ask any questions. Hodge did not respond when Smith made a point-by-point rebuttal of “travel excess” criticisms made by Hodge in a mass mailing to constituents in her Area 2 trustee district and in Oakland City Council District 6, where Hodge is challenging incumbent Councilmember Desley Brooks in the June election. 

In a telephone interview when the chancellor’s report was released two weeks ago, Hodge had said that she believed the chancellor “is beginning to put systems of accountability in place as a result of my criticism and the criticisms of other trustees,” but added that “I’m still not satisfied. A lot of questions remain.” 

In his report, CFO Smith spoke directly to Hodge’s original allegations about waste and mismanagement in recruitment-related travel, noting that “at my direction, Jacob now uses the IRS-based method of accounting, in which he documents everything he does every day he is overseas. I review every expense report submitted by Jacob, and I see no discrepancies.” 

Smith also pointed to a section of the chancellor’s report that outlined several audits and investigations of the International Affairs Office by outside agencies and the Peralta District in the past several years. 

Smith said that there had been “no adverse findings noted” in reviews by an internal Peralta audit, an external auditor’s review, and a California State Chancellor’s audit review. Smith also said that an Alameda Grand Jury investigation into the International Affairs Office ended with “no report or findings … issued.” 

The chancellor’s report also detailed a 2004 district investigation of Ng and the international office “upon receiving information from an anonymous source” of a conflict of interest within the department. 

Though it was not mentioned in the chancellor’s report, the allegations made against Ng were that he was working for pay for a college in China while he was supposed to be recruiting students for Peralta. 

The report said that Peralta General Counsel Thuy Thi Nguyen “concluded that Associate Vice Chancellor Ng did not violate the state law and district’s policy on conflict of interest,” but that another employee was disciplined as a result of the allegations and investigation and later resigned. A report by Vice Chancellor Trudy Largent on the matter had been turned over to both the board of trustees and the press. 

One of Hodge’s complaints in recent weeks has been that she was not given access to reports from that investigation. 

ô


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

Tuesday February 21, 2006

With a possible teachers strike looming over stalled contract talks, the state-run Oakland Unified School District received a blow this week when the Service Employees International Union backed out of a tentative contract agreement that would have run through 2008. 

SEIU represents roughly 1,100 clerical workers, security officers, instructional assistants and early childhood education professionals in the Oakland district. 

SEIU and district officials had reached a tentative agreement last month that, in part, would have balanced proposed salary increases with a district-employee sharing of health care costs. 

At the time of the tentative agreement, OUSD State Administrator Randolph Ward praised “the hardworking men and women of SEIU … for working tirelessly to achieve a timely resolution that allows Oakland Unified to keep its commitment to improving classroom instruction and keeps us on the road to fiscal recovery.” 

But after SEIU officials reviewed district financial information contained in an independent fact-finder’s report on the district-teacher dispute, the union said that the proposals offered by the district were inadequate. It was not immediately known at this time as to when talks might resume. 

Meanwhile, the OUSD-teacher conflict continued to escalate. 

On Wednesday, teachers held an afternoon informational picket at the corner of International Boulevard and Fruitvale, passing out leaflets and holding up “Support Teachers” picket signs. 

And the Oakland Unified School District, which has been virtually inaccessible to the public since the state takeover and the hiring of Randolph Ward as administrator, began posting on its website what it calls a Daily Briefing of “the latest update on negotiations between Oakland Unified and the union representing Oakland teachers.” 

The briefing is produced by Alex Katz, recently hired as OUSD press secretary from his job as education reporter for the Oakland Tribune. In this week’s briefing, Katz disputes the independent fact-finder’s conclusions in the teacher’s dispute,  

In an item entitled “Fact Finder Flubs Basic Math, Badly Miscalculates District Finances,” Katz writes, “What the fact- finder report states regarding the district’s available finances is—in fact —incorrect. It suggests using one-time grants from the private sector as well as ‘restricted’ funds for salaries. To do either would be both illegal and financially unsound (and isn’t that how we got here in the first place). So, the district will continue to rely on financial data provided by the fiscal experts with the statutory authority to review and audit district finances.” 

 

?


Berkeley High Beat: BHS Students Push For Attendance Policy Changes By Rio Bauce

Tuesday February 21, 2006

In the past week, Berkeley High School (BHS) student leadership has made changes to the school’s controversial attendance policy. 

Previously, a student had three days after an absence to clear it. After the three days, the student would be unable to excuse the absence and it would be marked as a “cut,” otherwise known as an “unexcused absence.” 

“Under the old attendance policy,” said Noah Praskins, BHS sophomore and school senator, “if you were absent for a four-day period, the first day would be marked as an unexcused absence. Now, you have five full school days after you return to school to clear your absence. This makes the system more student-friendly, as it should be.” 

Praskins is part of student leadership at BHS. Teal Miller, student representative for the School Board, meets with students every Monday to discuss issues that affect them. 

For a while, there was very little response to the pleas of Miller to students asking them to bring their concerns to her. Finally, the leadership had an idea that history teachers would pass out cards to their students and the students would write down issues that they want student leadership to deal with. 

“We got a relatively small amount of feedback,” remarked Praskins. “However, remarks about the attendance policy were helpful. Many kids were unhappy about the fact that they didn't have enough time to excuse their absences. It was something that we actually had power over.” 

And so Miller, Praskins, and other senators worked on an item for the Shared Governance Committee (a committee which consists of BHS department heads, the principal, and the vice principals that focuses on school issues). 

Praskins noted, “Everyone was in full support. If I can recall, the vote to approve the modified attendance policy was unanimous.” 

Following the vote of the Shared Governance Committee, the item went to the school board, where it was well received and approved. 

Some students didn’t see the necessity for attendance policy reform. 

“I didn’t really have a problem with the attendance policy before,” said sophomore Anna Akullian, “but I think that it is good that people have longer to clear their absences now. But I don’t know how much of a difference it'll make.” 

Nonetheless, this is seen as a measure to make the attendance system at BHS more friendly and many see this as a big improvement in the right direction. 

 

Rio Bauce is a sophomore at Berkeley High School. Comments, suggestions, and story ideas may be submitted to baucer@gmail.com. 

 


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Belated report 

A San Francisco watchmaker called Berkeley police late in the afternoon on Feb. 10 to report that he’d been robbed of a laptop computer, a watch and some of the tools of his trade four days earlier in the 2700 block of San Pablo Avenue. 

The man said he’d finally been moved to report the heist for insurance reasons, said Officer Galvan. 

 

Shots fired  

Responding to calls of shots fired in the area of the 2900 block of Acton Street, Berkeley police officers found two shell casings and vague reports of people running on the street and a dark, two-door American car last seen heading away on Ashby Avenue. 

No victims of the shooting or any bullet holes were found. 

 

Robbery 

A 25-year-old man reported that he was robbed of a small amount of cash by another man shortly before midnight Feb. 10 in the 2700 block of Ellsworth Street. 

 

Unjust desserts 

A man carrying a note threatening violence if he wasn’t given cash walked into Gelato Milano at 3170 Shattuck Ave., downtown Berkeley’s newest ice cream store, just before 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 11. 

After ordering a young woman behind the counter to lie face-down on the floor, the bandit cleaned out the cash drawer and escaped, said Officer Galvan. The clerk was not injured, he said. 

 

Bowled over 

A man who robbed a Berkeley Bowl customer of his food outside the store on the afternoon of Feb. 12 was apprehended by officers who discovered that he had leapt over a fence into the courtyard of a building on Emerson Street nearby. 

The 38-year-old suspect, a homeless man, was taken into custody without further incident and booked on suspicion of robbery. 

 

Drive-by bust 

Summoned to the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Emergency Room at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 by a report that a gunshot victim had appeared at the hospital, Berkeley police found a man with a gunshot wound to the right elbow and little to say. 

“He refused to talk,” said Officer Galvan. 

Further investigation revealed that the man was one of two occupants of a car that had been involved in a drive-by shooting in Richmond earlier in the day and who had been fired on in return by a Richmond police officer. 

Berkeley officers kept the man in custody until he could be treated and handed over to their counterparts in Richmond. 

Stabbed but silent 

Berkeley police rushed to the 1400 block of Alcatraz Avenue just before midnight Feb. 12, responding to a caller who said a man had just been stabbed in the back by his girlfriend. 

Arriving at the residence, officers found the 28-year-old victim, who had next to nothing to say to them. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. 

Officers still want to question the missing companion, who is 25. 

 

Hot stuff 

A West Berkeley contractor with offices in the 900 block of Pardee Street called police Feb. 13 in the morning to report that sometime over the weekend, persons unknown had entered his property with a lock-cutter and made off with a $10,000 gas welder. 

 

Faked out 

Later that afternoon a man wearing a beanie and pointing a fake handgun proved less than convincing to the folks at the Chevron station at 1201 The Alameda, who refused to part with their cash. 

Frustrated, the faker fled. 

 

Knife threat 

Police took a 14-year-old boy into custody for brandishing a deadly weapon after he threatened another teenager in the 2800 block of Ellsworth Street just before 7 p.m. that evening. 

 

Two bandits 

A pair of robbers, at least one of them carrying a pistol, robbed a 27-year-old woman of her cash in the 2700 block of Claremont Avenue just before noon on Feb. 14. The woman was not hurt, said Officer Galvan. 

 

Rat packed 

A group of seven or eight teenagers from the Berkeley High School campus robbed a 16-year-old from Oakland of his iPod as he walked along the 2000 block of Kittredge Street last Wednesday afternoon, said Officer Galvan. 

 

Two carjacks 

A Richmond-based gang staged two carjackings in Berkeley last Wednesday, one successful and the other not. 

The first incident began near 1099 Murray St. where an Oakland man was approached by a gunman who ordered him out of his car, then got behind the wheel and sped away. The vehicle, a Honda, was later recovered on El Portal Drive in Richmond, said Officer Galvan. 

Those suspects remain at large. 

In the second incident, two bandits commandeered a car at 753 Hollis St. near the Emeryville border, then sped away. 

As they made their getaway, they managed to crash into the fence at Ashby Lumber at 824 Ashby Ave., where the duo—one 20 and the other 17—was taken into custody by Berkeley police and booked on suspicion of carjacking. 

Galvan said the two incidents were likely the work of the same gang.


Opinion

Editorials

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?” 

It’s a good question, but the answer is not as easy as it looks. The Planet has not been able to obtain police call logs for the time period immediately preceding the stabbing, but our reporter believes, based on conversations with officers, that no calls were made earlier. This might mean that neighbors were reluctant to call, but it might also mean that the party wasn’t noisy, and the houses are not close together, so they weren’t aware of the problem. Some witnesses report that there was foot and automobile traffic, but that could also be the case for a harmless, well-supervised party. 

The letter writer has a theory: “In my own view, this lack of a sense of neighborly responsibility and involvement is a sad reflection on the deteriorating fabric of our urban society. Due to the time demands of work and family, and the frequent changes of residence based on employment changes, we have lost a sense of neighborhood and feel unconnected to those around us.” But 40 years ago, the stabbing murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens provoked a similar outcry, sparked by a newspaper story claiming that there were many witnesses to the attack who did nothing.  

The New York Times lead: “For more than half an hour 38 respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens.” A number of subsequent reports said that the original Times story contained many factual errors. It now seems to most commentators that the 38 citizens didn’t actually know what was happening, and that the police were called as soon as someone realized that the attack was in progress. Nonetheless, the incident gave rise to a new theory of social alienation called the Genovese syndrome. 

Alienation is a common theme in discussions of modern life, going back at least as far as Marx. But it’s hard to believe that just as many unobserved crimes did not take place in pre-modern pre-urban society, or that they are not now taking place in rural society as well as urban society. Matthew Shepard was murdered on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming, population 27,000. And any reader of Thomas Hardy knows that rural societies where too much is known about everyone can be oppressive in different ways. 

This kind of crime has, thank goodness, been rare or almost non-existent in the Berkeley hills, which in many ways are more like suburbs than like the East Bay flatlands, where similar incidents among hot-blooded teenagers are all too frequent. A Berkeley young man, liked by his friends and beloved of his family, was shot to death in the flats just last weekend. But even in the well-heeled suburbs (Orinda, Lafayette, in recent memory) murders take place, usually without neighbors knowing about them.  

Our correspondent’s letter raises one more important question about connectedness in society. He or she ends with this paragraph: 

“Because I live on Contra Costa Avenue (but a good distance from the party house), I would rather not identify myself. I will say that I was aware of a lot of teenage foot traffic that evening, and that a party was occurring somewhere on the street. In that sense, I do not hold myself entirely blameless.” And the signature is “A Contra Costa Avenue Resident.” 

The letter was addressed to Scherr, not submitted to the opinion section for publication. If it had been, it would not have been published, because we have a firm policy against publishing anything for which the author is not willing to take responsibility. In rare cases, we agree to withhold from print names of people who face credible threats of serious retaliation, but even then we insist on knowing the name. That’s why this comment is based only on excerpts, though the letter was well-written and deserves publication in toto. 

Anonymous complaints can also be destructive to the social fabric—just ask anyone who has been harassed by the nameless neighborhood busybody who calls the police or the health department at the drop of a hat. Part of social responsibility is having the courage to attach your own name to your opinions. This particular letter writer was not reluctant to mention the names of some physicians living nearby who perhaps did not offer assistance to the stabbing victims. That’s unfair—they might not even have been home at the time. “Consider the source,” as my grandmother used to say, is always a good practice when evaluating criticisms of any kind. 

 

 


Not Much Celebration Over UC Clerical Raise By JUDITH SCHERR

Tuesday February 21, 2006

UC Berkeley clericals will get pay raises of about 12 percent—the first increase since 2002—but they’re not dancing in Sproul Plaza. 

“The university has not been fair to the people who deliver critical services,” said Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie, chief negotiator for the Coalition of University Employees, an independent system-wide union that includes all 10 campuses, five medical centers and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

“It’s a terrible indictment of a university that purports to be the best in the world,” Alaji-Sabrie said. 

Had the union held off for a greater increase, however, the rising cost-of-living would have eaten up the benefits, Alaji-Sabrie said. The union ratified the agreement Feb. 16 with 92 percent in favor. 

“We’re very happy that we finally reached an agreement,” said UC spokesperson Noel Van Nyhuis. 

While recognizing that employee salaries continue to lag, Van Nyhuis expressed satisfaction that the clerical workers will get “much-deserved raises.” 

There are about 2,000 clerical workers at UC Berkeley and the office of the president, and 16,000 others system-wide who will see wages go up. The agreement, that went to mediation after a three-day strike in June, gives a 3.5 percent increase retroactive to October, another 3.25 percent next October and a 4.5 percent increase in October 2007. 

These raises, the first since 2002 when workers got a 1 percent increase, were critical and are still inadequate, Alaji-Sabrie said. Some clerks, for example, earned as little as $1,587 per month (which over a year would amount to $16,200) before the raise. (Median rents for a two-bedroom apartment in Berkeley is $1,350, according to Rent Stabilization Board figures.) 

Headlines of late have reported huge payments to UC faculty, such as the $355,000 paid to former UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl for a year sabbatical, even though he plans to quit before fulfilling his teaching commitment and a $300,000 payout to another employee who hired a business partner and, when confronted with the inappropriate action, went on leave. 

Asked to compare these kinds of payouts to the clerks’ salaries, Van Nyhuis said that UC “tries to pay market compensation.” He conceded, however, that a study showed UC was lagging in many instances. In response the Regents instituted a plan to bring compensation up to market rates over 10 years. 

Among the clerical workers affected are those who do telephone surveys for researchers, answer phones, process transcripts, prepare proposals and “support the university’s public service mission,” Alaji-Sabrie said. “People are dedicated and loyal to the institution.”  

Library assistants will receive an additional 5.1 percent raise retroactive to October 2005. 

“They earn about 15 percent lower than a comparable class at the state university system,” Alaji-Sabrie said, noting, for example that a library assistant currently earns $1,976 per month. 

“The workers come every day, but they’re living on the edge,” Alaji-Sabrie said. 

 


Public Comment

Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS

Friday February 24, 2006

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.

 

?


Letters to the Editor

Friday February 24, 2006

CASTING ASPERSIONS 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

These days it’s so easy to dash off an e-mail. Easy, convenient, and irretrievable. I’ve got to believe that the writer who commented on the Hamas electoral victory (Letters, Jan. 27) must have dashed off his unkind missive in a fit of fury, pushed “send” and then thought better of it.  

When someone paints an entire group of people as “filled with hatred and steeped in the culture of suicide bombing,” it surely calls for an apology. What if he had substituted Jews, or African Americans, Mexicans, or Canadians for his judgment on the entirety of Palestinians? Would that be acceptable?  

Palestinians are not just a group in a far-away place who might never read his harsh letter. They are our neighbors in this community. They operate grocery stores, businesses and their children go to school with our children. They are our friends.  

Barbara Henninger 

 

• 

ASHBY BART AREA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding the Ashby BART debate: No one seems to remember that area used to be businesses with housing above. My boyfriend (later my husband) lived above the business on the southeast corner of Ashby and MLK when we met. I can’t say yes or no to this particular proposal, because I’m not currently living in South Berkeley. I can say I’d rather see housing instead of a parking lot almost anywhere in Berkeley. Could Adeline Street (Ashby to the next signal light) be closed on the weekends for the flea market? 

Carol Beth 

 

• 

EDUCATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Recent editorial columns praise “President” Bush’s call for increased funding of education in mathematics and science. Recently the Charlie Rose program featured two prominent “science” personages to discuss the possibility that in the near future the United States may disastrously fall behind China and India in scientific discovery, invention, and technological innovation. 

While expressing strong belief that improvement in our grades K-12 are crucial, the Merck Company’s notable underlined that annually nearly half the recipients of U.S. universities’ Ph.D. degrees in the exact sciences soon take to other countries, usually of the students’ birth, their new U.S.-learned knowledge. 

In immediate reaction to this warning of—if not a brain drain—at least of the lessening of higher education slots for U.S. citizens, the other savant decried how the State Department assists in this dilution of our competitive edge in science: Students overseas who seek visas to enter the U.S. for advanced studies are asked whether they intend ultimately to return home, or will stay in the United States. Those who express a wish to remain in the United States receive visas less often than do those who intend to leave after completion of studies—often taken for personal economic advancement, rather than to serve needy homelands! 

Tie this with the fact that (at least the University of California, and probably at other public Ph.D. mills) foreign students pay appreciably higher tuition than that of state residents. Then contrast the complaints of teaching staffs, resident students and applicants with the complacency of overpaid administrators courted by prestige-greedy businessworld regents. 

Judith Segard Hunt 

 

• 

SMART GROWTH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Much praise to Jane Powell (Daily Planet, Feb. 21) for saying what is too seldom said: “smart growth” does not prevent suburban sprawl. Those who invoke such words as “urban infill,” “smart growth,” “elegant density,” “transit village,” etc. give a feel of good environmentalism cover to developers and their current crop of allied Development Democrats such as Perata, De La Fuente, and Brown (J. and W.). Meanwhile, sprawl and infill continue apace, side by side, unabated. 

A connection could be established between the two. It’s conceivable that some sort of arrangement between urban areas and suburban/exurban areas could be reached such that if urban areas allowed a certain amount of infill then nonurban areas would restrict sprawl. At present there is absolutely no mechanism for this, which is, of course, the point.  

Until there is a way to connect urban infill with restrictions on sprawl, the structuring of which would have to come at the state level, then no further urban infill should be accepted on the basis of sprawl prevention. Any developer or environmentalist making such a claim should have to show exactly what sprawl, both amount and location, is being forestalled. Otherwise, such claims for urban infill housing are only a rationale for, in Ms. Powell’s words, out of control development. 

Ray Kidd 

Oakland 

 

• 

JACK LONDON SQUARE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing in response to the Daily Planet’s Oct. 25, 2005 cover story entitled “Commercial Growth Lags Behind Oakland’s Downtown Housing Boom,” by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor. 

The article talks about vacant commercial properties and other properties located in and around Jack London Square. It has long been my theory that there’s a missing off-ramp on the 880 Freeway, that causes traffic to bypass Jack London Square. 

When a freeway goes through town, the city gives the freeway access rights through the city. In return, certain concession are normally granted. In nearby Emeryville, for instance, the freeway wanted to widen itself in the City of Emeryville, they said, “Fine, as long as we get an overpass over the railroad track from the shopping center where Home Depot is located around to the shopping center where Ikea, Trader Joe’s and other stores are located.” Caltrans, in order to go through Emeryville, had to make that concession. We see that they have a ramp over the railroad tracks from 40th Street to the Frontage Road. 

In the City of Oakland, when one goes on 880 past the main post office on Seventh Street, there’s only one other off ramp, and it says, “To Alameda, Jack London Square, Downtown.” Anyone who knows where Jack London Square, Alameda, and Downtown are located would feel “That can’t be true! Downtown is two or three miles away!” That off ramp is indeed for the Port of Oakland, the city gets nothing! One goes around the curve from there thinking there has to be another off ramp. However, you quickly learn that City Hall, Downtown Oakland, Jack London Square and Alameda, have no off ramp. 

You are confronted with the logjam of 880 and 980 freeways before you can wave to the people of Oakland, as you pass though town on your way to the suburbs. There is no way to get off the freeway at that point. Curses and more to the responsible parties. Who did this? Sixteenth Street is the closest off ramp and that is a hell of a long ways from Downtown. That missing off ramp is just an oversight on the part of those brilliant freeway designers. 

There should be an off ramp at Jefferson Street. But no, that may interfere with the Port of Oakland’s on ramp. It is as if “What’s good for the Port of Oakland is good for Oakland.” Oops, I am sorry. You have to be careful what you say about the port. They will have the police shoot you in the face with some wooden bullets or maybe put some pepper spray in your eyes. Just fool with the Port of Oakland and you’lll be sorry. 

Jack London Square and downtown Oakland are suffering from the city fathers’ oversight. There is no through traffic. One only has to look at Chinatown and North Beach in San Francisco. Both had freeway off ramps until the ‘89 earthquake. They are now just a shell of their former selves. 

Catrans, the Port of Oakland and the city fathers have played anther cruel joke on the people of Oakland and the greater Bay Area. They have made me change my travel patterns. I never go to Jack London Square anymore. I really had some good times there. 

Richard Worthy 

 

• 

ESSENTIAL HISTORY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Don’t think for a minute that the issue of landmarks preservation is not a class issue.  

The hills neighborhoods have larger, fancier buildings, built by famous architects, architects with names which stir recognition and favor in society and history. Large, impressive structures built by famous people tend to garner signatures and political support with elegant ease.  

The flatlands, where Berkeley’s first settlements began, might more often have been farmland, factories, tin sheds, and smaller structures where less famous but more typical lives laid the first foundations of the town we know today. These people’s victories, and the places where they organized and worked, should be granted as much respect as the structures which celebrate our wealthier, well-connected ancestors.  

The pioneers of a geographical setting often had harder roads, literally, and harder lives. The more we strip our landscape of the structures of merit which are often the best reflection of the more common history of our neighborhoods, the more we erase even the possibility of remembering and appreciating the lives that came before us, lives that resemble our own more truly and more clearly than any pantheon of trophy buildings built for and lived in by the rich and famous.  

Mayor Tom Bates wants to eliminate the structure of merit designation, the only hope available for preserving the smaller, less impressive structures which reflect working people’s history, perhaps not realizing the danger which the few remnants of our history face without this minor protection.  

Some towns have three tiers of landmark protection out of recognition of the necessity of somehow recognizing , celebrating, and protecting historical elements in our landscape from the scalding onslaught of profit-driven developments, an idea the mayor has yet even to consider.  

The developers will always be there, waving money in front of politicians’ noses, ready to bulldoze and build. Our history will always be there, too. We just may slowly become blind to it, as politicians sometimes are, without the rare signposts that signal our sensibilities that we are just a moment in the passage of time.  

Carol Denney 

 

• 

IN DEFENSE OF ED CHURCH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I find it disturbing that in a city with Berkeley’s reputation for free speech and healthy debate, Ed Church’s integrity, qualifications, and honesty are under attack rather than the decision making process regarding the Ashby Bart Transit Village. Is it necessary and appropriate for people who don’t agree with your opinion or proposals to attack your character before they know all the facts? 

I‘ve known Ed for over 12 years, and have collaborated with him on several boards, committees and special projects. In the past he has been instrumental in leveraging substantial amounts of funding which have supported programs for both homeless and low income persons. I will admit we haven’t always been on the same side, and don’t agree on several issues, but he has always proven himself to be someone I can count on to give an honest answer whether I like it or not. I happen to believe him, and the mayor, when they recently said the planning process is open-ended, starts with a blank slate, everything is on the table and no specific number of units are predetermined.  

It’s fine to be impassioned over neighborhood issues (so am I), unfortunately it seems that some people live in a world that’s only black or white. If you don’t agree with them you’re the enemy and they will lob grenades at anyone that doesn’t join them in their foxhole. Can there be no gray area? Or since where in Berkeley how about green area (blue and gold, Cal’s colors, make green). As some people say, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game!” 

Winston Burton 

• 

UNIVERSITY AVENUE PROJECT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding your Feb. 17 story, “Neighbors Confront Developers over Project Proposal.” 

I was at the meeting about the proposed project at University Avenue and Martin Luther King Way, and (your headline notwithstanding) I was pleased that the meeting seemed more cooperative than confrontational.  

Several neighborhood people said the architectural design is handsome, and it is obviously a big improvement over the earlier design for the site.  

Many people wanted changes in details of the project. The most important of these was larger setbacks on Berkeley Way to avoid shadowing neighboring homes, and the developers seemed receptive to this suggestion.  

I didn’t hear people saying that they wanted to stop the project, rather than to improve some of its details. Maybe someone in the neighborhood wants to kill the project and preserve the Kragen parking lot and grease pit currently on the site, but I didn’t hear that at the meeting.  

I hope this cooperative tone continues when the project comes to the Zoning Adjustments Board, so we can get a design that works for the developers and for the neighbors.  

This project would be an immense improvement to this intersection. I hope it can move through ZAB quickly, and is not delayed so long that we lose the Trader Joe’s.  

Charles Siegel 

• 

PACIFIC STEEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The real story regarding Pacific Steel Casting is something you won’t read about in any newspaper. Judith Scherr reported on the recent community meeting regarding the 72-year-old long-time east bay polluter (Feb. 17). 

Some would like to characterize this battle as between jobs and the environment, others would say its a David and Goliath tale between a neighborhood and a stinky giant. Others would say it’s all about the money; Pacific Steel is very profitable and the city benefits from the tax revenue. Still others would say it’s a battle between workers and residents, or property owners vs. industrial workers. The truth is Pacific Steel is in business and they will do whatever it takes to stay in business. That’s what companies do. They fight for survival. The real story of the evening is that 200 workers showed up for the first time since this battle heated up and there is only one plausible explanation: Pacific Steel (with advice from Dion Aroner’s PR firm) told its workers ... “You had better be there...your jobs are on the line.” What else could the workers do? How else do you explain their appearance? It’s the first and probably only time any workers will appear. Pacific Steel is pushing the “neighbors vs. the workers” theme because it takes the pressure of Pacific Steel to clean their dirty business. 

Don’t be fooled and don’t take your eye off the ball. Pacific Steel is a long time polluter that has affected the quality of life and the health of residents in West Berkeley for over 72 years. It’s time for them to clean up and no amount of “spinning” the story is going to change that.  

Andrew Galpern 

 

• 

BROWER CENTER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In agreement with all Glen Kohler (Letters, Feb. 17) had to say, I’d like to add a few comments of my own. Isn’t it lovely that our city government, in cahoots with the mayor’s buddies, the developers, is honoring David Brower with a massive, nine-story building downtown? Does anybody remember that what David cared most about was preserving open space? 

I’d also like to propose that in the future, all discussions about transit villages call them what they really are: transient villages. As developer Chris Hudson of the “Kragen project” arrogantly announced, we’re getting a five-story building, like it or not, with small apartments that are not intended for families. Does anybody else find it ironic that in a window on this very site sits a poster thanking Berkeley’s citizens for passing a measure for school bonds? How do you think Berkeley will vote next time around, with the erosion of our single-family community? 

Finally, to our Ashby BART friends, keep fighting. You are in our thoughts, and when they come after the North Berkeley BART station, we’ll be ready for them. 

Carolyn Sell 

 

• 

ASHBY PARKING IMPACT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Has anyone considered the impact construction on both Ashby parking lots will have on BART riders? Where will they park? In the neighborhoods beyond the lots? At the Berkeley Bowl? And how will riders get to and from the station? Are the planners aware how inconvenient it is to pick one’s way around a construction site particularly while wearing a suit? In a wheelchair? Pushing a stroller? Since construction on projects of the size proposed generally goes on for years, isn’t it likely regular riders will stop using BART and go back to their cars thereby contributing to BART’s already diminishing ridership which will in turn lead to more fare hikes and even funkier service? Isn’t this antithetical to what BART and transit villages are supposed to be about? Rather than building both projects at the same time, wouldn’t it be less disruptive to fully complete one before beginning the other? Or, if we really need a transit village in Berkeley sooner, wouldn’t it be better to build it at the North Berkeley station? Or is one planned for there, too, that we don’t know about yet? 

And what about our crumbling infrastructure? Is it wise to build more housing, add more people and more pressure when our sewers are about to collapse? Shouldn’t we fix that first? Is it true this will cost billions? And how many new police, firefighters and teachers will we need for our expanding population? Who is going to pay for all of this? Homeowners? Shouldn’t the developers be expected to compensate the city for the long-term infrastructure costs which their projects will entail? And what about the state? Shouldn’t it be expected to reimburse the city for infrastructure costs necessitated by (over)development on state land? What are our representatives in Sacramento doing to make sure this will occur? 

Will the high-end market continue to flock to our shores when faced with skyrocketing taxes, snarled traffic and backed up sewage on the floors? And will all those new firefighters, library workers and teachers be content to live (and raise a family) in a box in a concrete Village and BART to work while the people they serve live in real houses with real yards and drive real cars? 

These are just a few of the things I would like to know. 

Joanne Kowalski  

 

• 

TRAFFIC CALMING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’ll second Myrna Sokolinsky’s comment in your Feb. 14 edition concerning the city’s intention to spend a further $200,000 on what it refers to as “traffic calming” circles. First, because I’ve never seen or heard any evidence for the necessity of calming traffic in my neighborhood. Second, because I regularly see evidence of them being potentially dangerous obstructions. Third, because Berkeley has many more really important needs on which $200,000 could be spent. And fourth, because, as a low-income citizen, I’m struggling to pay the tax demanded by the city simply to renew my business license. I could go on, but will only add that I hear people complaining about them all the time. Where’s the outrage, Berkeley? 

Whatever traffic needs calming is in areas of Berkeley with documented accident rates. I’m sure they are not in my West Berkeley neighborhood, which makes me wonder why we are getting so many.  

I think the traffic circles are a disgraceful waste of taxpayers’ money, which is especially galling as the city endlessly cries poor!  

Nicola Bourne 

 

• 

MARIN AVENUE UPDATE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Okay, have we had enough of the Marin Avenue reconfiguration experience? Maybe the bicyclists are happy—but I’ve seen only two bicyclists on Marin since the change—and I use Marin frequently. 

Maybe the residents are happy, but I don’t see why they should be because they have substituted traffic jams for speeders. (As for speeders, traffic officers could calm traffic and add to Albany’s coffers.) 

I used to live on Marin Avenue and kept my small children and pets out of traffic. I accepted that Marin was quite appropriately a four-lane thoroughfare and enjoyed its easy access to the freeway and local destinations. Now it’s a crowded mess. Anyone else for changing it back? 

Carolyn Bradley 

 

• 

CREEKS ORDINANCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Paving or building right next to a creek may expose it to contamination. Channelization reduces or eliminates creek and riparian habitat. Daylighting sounds great. I understand these basic points, but what I haven’t seen explained, and don’t understand, is why 30 feet from the creek centerline is a magic number within which construction of a roofed structure is not allowed. When a stream cuts a deep channel you often have little riparian area, and there is no obvious reason why 60 feet (both sides) is needed everywhere.  

Why isn’t it possible to build within five or 10 feet of a creek without causing significant contamination of it? Do we need 30-foot clearances on both sides for flood plain control? Is there no compensatory value in the non-riparian land freed up when building next to the creek?  

Fallingwater has been described as the “... supreme example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s concept of organic architecture, which promotes harmony between man and nature...” but it probably wouldn’t be legal in Berkeley. Perhaps we should think a bit more about what it takes to make a healthy environment for both creek and people.  

Disclaimer: My backyard is a seasonal swamp, but my property does not abut a creek or culvert. The opinions expressed above are my own, and to my knowledge I have no conflict of interest with any LBNL policies (see Mark McDonald’s Feb. 17 letter to the editor).  

Robert Clear  

 

• 

TRANSIT VILLAGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding Redwood City resident Nicholas Kibre’s question (Letters, Feb. 17) why South Berkeley residents’ opinions on appropriate development at Ashby BART should outweigh those of others who “might like to live” in our neighborhood, that’s certainly debatable. 

However, Caltrans, BART, the City of Berkeley, and the controversial grant application all agree that they should. The Caltrans grant program is called Community-Based Transit Planning. The specific community is, per BART policy, a half-mile radius around the station. The grant application says that its “essential process is community-based action and public participation.” And the City of Berkeley’s resolution supporting that grant application says “a community-based planning process ... can help define appropriate development parameters for the site that meet ... community interests.” 

Kibre has a point that it’s unfair to cut nonresidents out of the planning process. One big defect in the grant application is its arbitrary and inappropriate exclusion of the several thousand Oakland residents within the half-mile radius. One flaw in Berkeley elected officials’ conduct of the process to date has been an apparent lack of interest in the concerns of our Oakland neighbors, some of whom live only a block or two from the station. 

Mr. Kibre, if you feel that you have a personal stake in planning for development at Ashby BART, I invite you to take an active part. However, since home prices and rents are cheaper in South Berkeley than in Redwood City, why not just move here? 

Robert Lauriston 

?


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.  

What are we (by “we” I mean us unbelievers—hippies, atheist Jews, anarchists, unrepentant wacko Surrealists, dogmatic leftists, liberals, and “progressives”) to make of all of this? As in a bad dream we have trouble orienting ourselves. We debate ad nauseum the balance between rights and responsibilities and end up sounding disconcertingly like our president who, sitting next to King Abdullah of Jordan informed the world: “We believe in a free press,” but “we also recognize that with freedom come responsibilities. With freedom comes the responsibility to be thoughtful about others.” He went on to say that the reaction to the cartoons “requires a lot of discussion and a lot of sensitive thought.”  

 

The best lack all conviction, while the worst 

Are full of passionate intensity 

 

We would not call ourselves “the best,” nor those enraged bearded men we see on TV waving their fists in the air “the worst.” We do not think that. But it does seem that only those to whom truth is pumped in a direct pipeline from God are filled with passionate intensity, while those of us whose values derive from some less certain source lack something in conviction. We have difficulty explaining how we get “ought” from “is.” We ring our beliefs with caveats and qualifications, and often retreat into a self-contradictory relativism. It is as if we’re a little ashamed that our rhetorical commitment to democracy and freedom—we would say “real” democracy and “real” freedom—and to human rights is expressed in language that is not that different from the rhetoric our leaders deploy before the bombs start dropping. 

It was not always so. It was not always only the God besotted who spoke with passion, whose eyes shone, whose voices cracked with emotion. Once the left was more certain of itself. It owned the opposition to the system. It defined that system—capitalist, racist, imperialist. It championed solidarity. It spoke the language of universals. It appealed to reason rather than revelation. It had its heroes—the Zapatas, and Che Guevaras, and Ho Chi Minhs and Mandelas. The religious leaders who marched in its ranks, the Martins and the Malcolms, did not attempt to impose on the rest of us an all-embracing religious orthodoxy.  

Now the left shares the stage uncomfortably with a third force we can not embrace, but cannot ignore. The inability of secular democratic movements to deliver on their promises opened the door to fundamentalism. The leaders of the free world were all too happy to see clean shaven communists and socialists tortured and killed by men with beards shouting “God is Great.”  

These days it sometimes seems as if the huddled tribe, the narrow coven of the faithful, has replaced the open circle, universally inclusive, inscribed by reason. Reason is tainted by its association with the irrationality of market driven consumerism. Those who wage holy war against the system frame their opposition as a jihad, a religious war against “Jews and crusaders.” They would not necessarily discriminate between Dick Cheney and me. The rebels and the plutocrats, the corporations and their critics, forces of law and order and the perpetually civil-disobedient, are all in their eyes corrupted with the virus of modernity. We on the left fight in the name of a justice that does not rain down from heaven, but grows from the soil beneath our feet. We fight, also, in the name of a liberated desire. We want to sing and dance and shake our bodies, blaspheme and offend. When our leaders speak of “responsibility” we know the police will soon be knocking on the door. None of us would look good in bourkas. 

Not that long ago we were all Salman Rushdie. We deplored Khomeini’s fatwa. Fellow writers rushed to his defense. Bookstores refused to remove his book from their display cases, never mind he had offended Islam by suggesting that mischief making devils might have inserted a few Satanic Verses into its sacred text. Unlike the unremarkable cartoons that are at the center of this current outburst, Rushdie’s novel had considerable artistic merit. But even bad art deserves a defense. And we have grown timid and responsible.  

“Beloved imagination, what I most like in you is your unsparing quality,” wrote Andre Breton in the Manifestos of surrealism. “All power to the imagination,” shouted students on the barricades in Paris in 1968. It’s hard to see the Danish cartoons as works of the imagination. They’re pretty pedestrian. But it may be that “First they came for the bad artists, then they came . . .” 

There is a concept in First Amendment jurisprudence called “the heckler’s veto” The concept is easy to illustrate: A speaker gets up on a soapbox, begins an oration and gathers a crowd around him. Certain members of the crowd angered at what the speaker is saying, begin to heckle loudly and cause a disturbance. The police are called. They observe that the speaker is riling up the crowd, which has become unruly, loud, and potentially violent. The police go up to the speaker and tell him that he must stop because he’s provoking a disturbance. What the police have done is given the hecklers a “veto” over what the speaker is saying.  

We’ve given the Muslim rioters a heckler’s veto. Sometimes it’s a wise decision to stick your speech in your pocket, pick up your soap box and get out of town before things really get out of hand. But we shouldn’t pretend we’re acting on principle, that we are hightailing it out of town because of our tolerance, our desire not to offend, our respect for cultural difference. Call it what it is—intimidation. For if we keep going down this road, there’s no telling where we’ll end up. 

 

Osha Neumann is a civil rights lawyer, muralist, and sculptor. 


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. 

BAAQMD and PSC recently settled on a partial toxic reduction plan but the community does not want to settle for the tiny steps offered. We were never included in the process. We weren’t asked to consider this settlement last December. We are literally being made ill on a daily basis and we cannot afford to wait for a substantive change to happen at this rate. We hope the suit will bring PSC back to the table—and answer to the community this time. 

Cleanaircoalition.net would like to share the following quotes from citizens who are now part of our mass claims action. Our members are sick and tired and feel that the settlement agreement has not protected the neighborhood’s interest: 

“We do not spend time out of doors when we smell the odor. We have decided not to cook outside with our barbecue and decided not to purchase a patio furniture set because we would not be able to use it on a consistent basis.” 

“I am angry and stressed about the potential long-term health effects of the noxious fumes. We experience burning eyes, nose and throat. We can’t go outside into our own yard and so stay confined to a stuffy, sealed up house. I will add that our sleep is affected nightly when the bag house is roaring at 2 a.m. and on through the night. We know that the odor will be present the next morning about 11:30 like clockwork. I am concerned about my property value. I certainly would not have bought in this area if the smell had been present in 1993.” 

“It’s difficult to enjoy outdoor activities in yard, riding bike to work, I gag.” 

“This afternoon,... I complained to BAAQMD about the noxious odors from Pacific Steel. Mr. Frederick Johnson came and initially told me he did not detect these odors despite their being present at the time. At my insistence he did offer to walk around the house and the odor was especially noticeable at the side of my house. He then agreed that there was ‘a faint odor’ and that he would attempt to track it down. I told him that I wouldn’t characterize the odor as ‘faint’ but, regardless, I didn’t wish to breathe toxic air pollutants. He then told me so much that I was wasting my time complaining because PSC has entered into an agreement with BAAQMD to address the problem and that complaining wouldn’t make them move any faster. I told him that, on the contrary, the settlement agreement provides for penalties each time PSC violates BAAQMD’s odor requirements and that, in my opinion, additional fines and penalties could very well serve as an incentive for PSC to do more and to address the problem quicker.” 

“The air stinks, it makes me feel unhealthy, like I’m being poisoned without my permission. It has made me nauseous, made my eyes burn, sore throat, and hurt my lungs. It lowers the quality of life in my neighborhood, makes me not want to go outdoors or spend time in the yard. I don’t think its right for anyone to wreck the air in neighborhood.”  

Please join cleanaircoalition.net to demand clean, fresh air for everyone! 

 

Willi Paul is the found and project director of cleanaircoalition.net. 


Editorial Cartoon By JUSTIN DEFREITAS

Tuesday February 21, 2006

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.

 




Letters to the Editor

Tuesday February 21, 2006

BLUE MEETING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Barbara Gilbert’s Feb. 14 letter mischaracterized the nature and substance of the BLUE meeting held on Feb. 8. Berkeleyans for a Livable University Environment did hold its regular monthly meeting on that date, with Marie Bowman and David Wilson attending as guests of Dean Metzger. 

After the official BLUE meeting was concluded, we held an informal discussion about possible mayoral candidates for the November election. Both Dean Metzger and Zelda Bronstein were mentioned during this discussion, but neither one was endorsed or discouraged from running. In fact, although one person did indicate support for Ms. Bronstein, the consensus of those present was that no candidate ought to receive any endorsement without clearly stating his or her positions on the critical issues facing Berkeley. 

It is understandable that Ms. Gilbert felt the need to protect herself from the ridiculously inaccurate reporting of Fred Dodsworth of the East Bay Daily News. But in doing so, there was no need for her to make inaccurate statements about the Feb. 8 meeting or take swipes at BLUE as an organization. In fact, Ms. Gilbert’s work on the city budget and other issues has been outstanding, and we in BLUE have particularly appreciated her long-standing opposition to UC’s unchecked growth and the city’s failure to address it. However, it is also true that Ms. Gilbert’s interests do not always coincide with the primary mission of BLUE, which is to improve the quality of life for those impacted by UC’s operations and continuous expansion. 

What is most interesting about this whole matter is how many people in different groups and different areas of the city are vigorously seeking a candidate to run against Mayor Bates in the coming election. I can hardly go to a public meeting anymore without this issue coming up at least once. And what is more striking is that people in groups that don’t often talk together have begun to realize that they share many of the same concerns about how the city is being run. It should be an interesting campaign. 

Doug Buckwald 

 

• 

DOWNTOWN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read an article last week that bemoaned all of that new development slated for Berkeley; the author listed the projects as if the development pipeline is an indictment in and of itself. Ironically, that argument against was more like an argument for: Berkeley may actually become cool to live in in the next couple of years. 

I live downtown, and if you want to preserve it unchanged then yeah, hold on tight to the streets clogged with students, litter, and mediocre restaurants. There is no quality retail, and no place to shop for food. The public art is terrible (what’s up with the tuning fork?!), and the BART plaza is ugly. So bring on the new Vista, and condos, and apartment buildings, and especially the museums. 

People around here seem to believe that they live in some bucolic small town, but the reality is that this is a city, and not such a great one to live in, really. I live in the Gaia building, and although there are too many Cal students for my taste, Gaia is one of the better things in downtown. Downtown shopping and dining is weak, and there’s too much jazz. If anyone wants to develop a downtown club/bar for live music that’s not jazz or world music, please do so!  

Also, people of Berkeley, please stop walking and driving as if you were the only lucky little soul that lived here, and no more naked yoga in the YMCA sauna. That shit is nasty. It’s called a city. Act accordingly. 

Lauren Giniger 

 

• 

UC EXPANSION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read with interest in the Feb. 16 New York Times that the dean of engineering at UC Berkeley, A. Richard Newton, “is trying to get Tsinghua University in Beijing and some leading technical universities in India to set up satellite schools linked to Berkeley. The university has 90 acres in Richmond, Calif., that [Newton] thinks would be an ideal site.”  

Meanwhile, the university administration’s 2020 Long-Range Development Plan calls for one million square feet of new development somewhere in downtown Berkeley. Instead of turning the city’s downtown into a UC office park, and quite possibly removing more land from the city’s tax rolls, why not put some of those million square feet, particularly the portions dedicated to research (as opposed to classroom instruction) on the 90 acres in Richmond?  

Zelda Bronstein  

 

• 

ANARCHISTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

By Becky O’Malley’s own account, the Santa Cruz artists seem like regular Americans who believed all that talk about civil disobedience in high school history class. The folks who organized a parade outside the bounds of the law were people with a strong sense of what is good and proper when confronted with the capriciousness of institutionalized power and its loyal opposition. Characterizing their politics as “somewhat rudimentary” and “tending toward anarchism” might make a smug bourgeois feel satisfied in her own illusions about the state and their watchdogs (the police), but it really says more about O’Malley’s prejudicial stereotypes about anarchism. While anarchists have always been weak on political economy, we have almost to a person been on the cutting edge of analyses of power and its effects on those who wield it and those who fall victim to it. 

For example, one will come away amazed at the prescience of Bakunin and Malatesta when they wrote of the certain future of a Marxist-controlled state (i.e. that it would be more despotic than the tyrannies the Marxists proposed to replace). This is hardly “rudimentary.” And what anti-anarchist could resist repeating that old ironic de rigueur slam, claiming that anarchists oppose organization? While it is true that most anarchists remain highly skeptical of organization for organization’s sake, we also know that without organization, nothing can be accomplished. Such a simpleminded and misleading characterization (as if the only kind of useful or successful organization has to be hierarchical and based on authority) is no less annoying for its ubiquity. 

C. Boles 

 

• 

DISHARMONY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I witnessed the most strident neighborhood disharmony imaginable when the doughty Urban Creeks League joined hands with the Berkeley Board of Education to unearth the course of Blackberry Creek on the property of Thousand Oaks School in North Berkeley in 1995. 

The creek became a painfully divisive issue that led to acrimonious debates and outright estrangements among people that had lived as neighbors for decades. 

The pivotal issue turned out to be a $110,000 federal grant that “had” to be applied for before the end of the year. At stake was a flat portion of the block bounded by Solano Avenue, Colusa Street and Ensenada Street that was regularly used by parents with small children, and Tai Chi adherents and that supported a very large redwood tree that was loved and appreciated by all park users. 

In the end the School Board proceeded despite vocal requests by neighborhood residents with young children to reconsider. So there came to be a deep, open ditch running a few yards before diving back underground, where it now threatens to bedevil Berkeley homeowners! 

During the fracas that became characteristic of the neighborhood meetings, the science teacher at Thousand Oaks School painted an impassioned picture of students busily studying the “life of the creek.” An “Awwww!” moment for sure; one could just picture Doonesbury’s scuba-masked Zonker Harris lounging in Walden Pond! 

Reality interceded shortly after the project was complete: E. Coli bacteria were found in the water, which was then put off-limits to the eager young minds, whose days did not appear to be irretrievably darkened. Let’s don’t forget that before the creeks were buried in culverts, there were not thousands of homes and businesses and ever-growing UC Berkeley emitting organic and chemical wastes into the sewer system! These days there is literally no telling what may crop up in Berkeley’s creekwaters, including radioactive waste once detected in Strawberry Creek from Cal! 

In view of the difficulties that open-creek enthusiasts are wont to create for communities, perhaps the City of Berkeley should be urged to consider this “issue” with all of the leisure at its disposal! 

Glen Kohler 

P.S.: The last public meeting on the issue of updating the Creeks Ordinance will take place on March 22 at the North Berkeley Senior Center at 7 p.m. 

 

• 

ALBANY PARKS COMMISSIONER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As Albany Park and Recreation Commissioners we were surprised by fellow Commissioner Brian Parker’s attack on the new Commission Chair Alan Riffer in his letter which appeared in the Feb. 3 edition of the Daily Planet. Brian’s letter asserts that Chairman Riffer has “politicized the commission” and “quash[ed] open debate… by offering Rick Caruso a special meeting of the commission.” We attended the same meeting as Commissioner Parker where the special meeting was discussed and it was explained that the city had asked Caruso to meet with several Albany commissions before Golden Gate Fields presents any proposal for the waterfront. The meeting was not instigated by Chairman Riffer. In the commission Meeting that preceded the special meeting, Commissioner Parker had the opportunity to ask that the meeting date be changed to accommodate his schedule—which the commission agreed to do—and the opportunity to argue that any special meeting should also include representatives for alternate plans for the waterfront. After the other commissioners present voted down his proposal to expand the special meeting to include Caruso and others, we stated that we would be prepared, if requested, to convene a second special meeting for others to present their waterfront plan, Commissioner Parker asserted that he was being “railroaded” and walked out of the commission meeting. Mr. Parker’s letter also faults Commission Chair Riffer for allowing the special meeting to be held at City Hall. The commission’s clear intent was to allow as many Albany residents as possible to attend a meeting that we expected to be standing room only. The meeting was as crowded as expected but, despite Mr. Parker’s concerns, un-televised. We enjoyed serving with Commissioner Parker and were sorry to see his resignation but even sorrier to see him make this parting and entirely undeserved slap at Commission Chair Riffer.  

Roger Carlson, John Kindle, Geoff Piller 

Albany Park and Recreation Commissioners 

 

• 

CREEK ORDINANCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing to urge the Creeks Task Force to adopt a creek ordinance that is respectful of responsible property use and of our natural resources. 

My name is Jane Kelly. I am the spouse of Creeks Task Force member, Tom Kelly. I am a long-time employee of Moore Iacofano Goltsman, (MIG), Inc., a Berkeley based planning and design firm that has directed and facilitated a large number of projects involving urban waterways. In my tenure at MIG I have seen repeatedly that an understanding and protection of the watershed is the key to protection of property rights. I fear that this simple principle is being obscured by misleading information that I am hearing from some city residents. The attitude that is engendered by these misunderstandings leads me to be very concerned that Berkeley will be pressured into adopting a regressive creek ordinance when we should instead be creating a progressive ordinance that is protective of both property and creeks. Other municipalities like San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and Oakland are heading in that direction. Hopefully, the ordinance that we craft will incorporate the best ideas that these cities have developed and apply them in a way that is consistent with the values of the Berkeley community. 

Why does protection of our creeks benefit property owners? Here are some of the reasons: 

1. Structures that are significantly set back from the waterway are protected from erosion. We cannot consider anything less than a 30-foot setback from the centerline to be sufficient. I have personally witnessed creeks undercutting banks and putting homes in jeopardy because the homes were built too close to the creek. As the CTF knows, there is a prime, and current, example of this on Strawberry Creek at Strawberry Creek Lodge on Addison Street in Berkeley. In only the last six years, I have also witnessed Strawberry Creek at the Lodge shift its course at certain points by more than 1 foot. I would be glad to lead a tour to this site for any CTF member who has not yet seen it or who would like to revisit it. 

2. Respecting a 30-foot setback from the centerline gives the creek a better chance to reach full capacity without causing flooding or other water damage to homes. 

3. The riparian corridor created by the establishment of the setback provides habitat for birds, butterflies and other creatures and it provides a tranquil, green space for us. The property is beautified, the home is safe from erosion, and the value—to the owner and to the environment—is enhanced. 

I appreciate all the incredible work you are doing for our city on this important issue and am hopeful that you will provide a series of recommendations to the city that will reflect the thoughtfulness and values for which Berkeley is so renowned. 

Jane Kelly 

 

• 

CARTOON RESTRAINT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for not hurting the sensibilities of millions of Muslims by reprinting the offensive and provocative Danish cartoons in your paper. Thank you for using your freedom of speech in a responsible manner. While we as Muslims are deeply hurt, we are also embarrassed by the foolish reaction of some ignorant Muslims who had been incited by their violent religious leaders or mullahs. Their behavior is totally against the teachings of the Quran and the conduct of our beloved prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. 

Muslims around the world are burning flags, setting foreign embassies on fire and threatening more violence because they consider the printing of those cartoons blasphemy. This behavior is against the very definition of a Muslim. A Muslim is one who is at peace with him/herself and is at peace with all the creatures of the world. By definition, there should be no danger of any sort from a Muslim. 

I’ll mention one example of how Prophet Muhammad behaved when Abdullah bin Obeye bin Sulool blasphemed against Muhammad during his lifetime. Muhammad’s companions became furious and offered to kill bin Sulool, but Prophet Muhammad forbade them. Then bin Sulool’s own son, who was a Muslim, came forward an d sought permission to kill his father. He thought that the prophet probably did not allow anyone else to kill him because he might be hurt. But Muhammad forbade bin Sulool’s son, also. One of his companions, Hazrat Omar came forward and reminded prophet Muhammad of the Quranic verse telling him, “O prophet of God, don’t you know that Allah has said that He will not forgive bin Sulool even if YOU seek forgiveness for him 72 times.” Prophet Muhammad said, “Omar, I’ll seek forgiveness for him more than 72 times.” This was the noble character of the founder of Islam and his treatment of his enemies. He kept praying for his forgiveness. No violence can be attributed to him.  

Thus, whereas on the one hand I request the free press to use its freedom responsibly, I also humbly urge my fellow Muslims to instead pray for those who hurt their sensibilities and work to conduct themselves in the true spirit of Islam and follow in the footsteps of its great founder, the prince of peace and educate your communities about his excellent character. 

Saleem Qadir 

San Jose 

 

• 

THINK 2 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the Feb. 14 edition I challenged Becky O’Malley’s assertion that religious belief is in essence “silly.” I asked her to think thrice concerning that claim, and proffered think 1 at that time. Here I proffer think 2.  

The Lord hath annointed me to preach the good tidings to modern man. Man now has the rudiments of scientific knowledge and some grounding in the scientific approach to knowledge. He is now ready to understand the true criteria by which we can know who and what God is. The first criterion is of course love. Do you love God? However, this is premised on another question. Do you have even the faintest idea of who and what God actually is? If not, how can you love God? It would be sheer hypocrisy. Now, let’s be very clear—I have not yet had the experience of God, so I do not love God, but I have had the experience of the impersonal feature of God, known as the Great Emptiness in Buddhism and Brahman in Hinduism. In Christianity it is known as the Great White Light of the Christ and in Judaism it is known as Ain Soph Uhr, the crown of creation. I confess ignorance of Islam and cannot tell you what it is in that religion, but I am certain there is a corresponding element. 

The second criterion by which we can know the genuine God from mere imposters is absolute scientific knowledge of how the creation is put together. Miracles, healings, etc., cannot possibly prove the Presence of God, because even an advanced creature may be capable of doing extraordinary things and yet not be fully cognizant of how he does them. Only God possesses omniscience in this fundamental sense, not of events in the outer world, which could also be known by an advanced creature, but of the very essence of the creation and how it works at all levels. That is the summum bonum of the credentials of God. Man is now ready to receive this knowledge and this proof of the existence of the true God. 

Even as I am possibly dying from what man considers to be an absolutely fatal disease without treatment, namely cancer of an especially deadly variety, the Lord has annointed me to prepare His Way by beginning to reveal the absolute scientific knowledge, or what Nobel prize winner Steven Weinberg calls “dreams of a final theory.” 

Are you prepared to download this absolute knowledge? 

Peter J. Mutnick 

 

• 

ATMOSPHERIC  

CONDITIONS 

I have a theory where the frigid breezes blowing across the Bay originate. It is caused by Global Warming of course. Icebergs that break loose from the Arctic float down the Pacific Ocean a couple hundred miles off our west coast. When they arrive opposite the Golden Gate they tend to be sucked towards the San Francisco Bay on the incoming tidal currents. But wait, the bay’s in and out flushing action abetted by the current pouring out of the Delta, move the bergs back out. The resulting ebb and flow catches passing bergs in an eddy which causes them to bunch together. Shoreward winds from the northwest are cooled as they pass over the icy bergs; thus we are shivering outdoors and wearing ski clothes around town.  

How about that? 

Ken Norwood,


Commentary: Historic Buildings Make City Unique By JANE POWELL

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Since buying my first bungalow in Berkeley 19 years ago, I have restored eleven other houses, consulted on many others, and written six best-selling books about bungalows, including Bungalow Kitchens, Bungalow Bathrooms, and Bungalow: The Ultimate Arts and Crafts Home. 

What I’ve learned in my travels for these books is that historic buildings are just about the only thing that makes cities unique or gives them a sense of place. America now has a terrible sameness—everywhere the same chain stores, fast food, same dense new construction, all designed to “revitalize downtown” or whatever. But what is even more important than historic buildings is those buildings in context. For instance, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana-Thomas house in Springfield, Illinois, one of his finest Prairie houses, is now surrounded by ugly brick apartment buildings. My own house in Oakland, a 1905 Arts and Crafts mansion, has had its context destroyed by a 1952 fourplex resembling a double-wide trailer built only 10 feet from the north side. And I’m sure when all these things were built, the excuse was the same as now: We need more housing. 

Everyone seems to have drunk the smart growth Kool-Aid—“density in the inner cities will prevent the paving of farmland in the Central Valley.” Except the only real connection between density in cities and paving farmland in Turlock is money—the same developers lobbying for density in Berkeley are also paving farmland in Turlock—because there is money to be made. I’m sure it is developers who are lobbying for changing the Landmarks Ordinance. Explain to me exactly what is sustainable about tearing down buildings which are built with hundreds of board feet of old-growth timber, which have lasted 80 to 100 years or more, in order to throw up overly dense buildings with toxic vinyl windows, built from crappy second-growth lumber and fake stucco. As Russell Baker said, “Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things.” 

Trophy buildings are not enough. I’ve been to the cities that have nothing left but trophy buildings and strip malls. Other cities have Berkeley envy; people tell me things like, “Oh, Berkeley, they have such beautiful buildings there.” That should not be thrown away for some perceived short-term gain because you can’t ever get it back. 

There seems to have been a lot of hysteria in the past couple of years—“Oh my God, the preservationists are out of control!” I would submit that it is developers who are out of control, it is population that is out of control, it is politicians and city planners who are out of control. Preservationists are merely trying to defend the very things that make Berkeley a desirable place to live.  

Why is it always historic buildings that are threatened? Why doesn’t anyone ever want to demolish the cheaply built and architecturally dreadful buildings from the ‘60 and ‘70s that blight this city?  

John Ruskin, writing in the 19th century, said this, “Old buildings are not ours. They belong, partly to those who built them, and partly to the generations of mankind who are to follow us. The dead still have their right in them: that which they labored for… we have no right to obliterate.” 

The mayor’s plan to remove structures of merit from the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance merely takes away one of the few tools that ordinary citizens have to protect the historic fabric and context of their neighborhoods. A tiny bungalow, a working- class Victorian, a small commercial storefront, or an old warehouse has just as much right to protection as an elaborate building by a famous architect. Those who say otherwise have an agenda, and that agenda is money. 

Those who want to destroy cities or neighborhoods always say that change is inevitable and must be accepted. They lie. The kind of accelerated and usually awful change they promote is not inevitable, it is not progress, it is merely their moneymaking agenda. Never forget that. 

 

Jane Powell is the author of many books on Arts and Crafts architecture. 


Commentary: Reflections of a New American By Nitzan Goldberger

Tuesday February 21, 2006

I took the oath to become an American citizen this week. Presidents’ Day is a perfect time to take the monumental step of becoming a citizen of this great country. After all, on Monday Americans celebrate the birthday of two men who helped form the America that made it possible for this to happen.  

The ceremony marked the end of a long process of deliberation. I was not always convinced I wanted to be an American citizen. I immigrated to the United States from Israel as a teenager, and over the years I became concerned about the foreign policy decisions the United States was making that affected my family in Israel and the Arab world. Reaching a decision about applying for citizenship was all the more difficult when friends in Israel and Europe began questioning me about pledging my allegiance to a consumerist America that supports the policies of the Bush administration and drives gas-guzzling SUVs.  

After all, the American people had voted for a president and Congress that approved going to war in Iraq, despite the fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction and Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were not linked as was suggested by the government. Americans continued to consume large amounts of oil that put more money in the pockets of authoritarian regimes instead of supporting political reform. And America’s financial support to Israel did not come with requirements to halt settlement expansion, a policy pursued by Israeli governments to the detriment of both Israelis and Palestinians.  

But I soon realized that even behind bad policies were Americans with honorable intentions. For example, Americans chose to invade Iraq in 2003 because they were misinformed, not because they wanted to see Iraqis suffer. Their leaders may have gone to war under the guise of democracy, but the fact is that Americans agreed to it because they truly believe in the principles of democracy and wanted Iraqis to enjoy that universal right.  

America’s unyielding dedication to being a democracy is what allows its citizens to live their lives in freedom. The American dream allows you to work your way out of poverty to a better life. And Americans are gregarious, fun-loving people who pride themselves on the fact that their country is a refuge for foreigners who want to live in a free and democratic country.  

The U.S. exists in part thanks to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays we celebrate this Presidents’ Day. It was Washington who led the revolutionary troops to independence, and who refused to establish a kingdom after his victory. He created a system of checks and balances and set the precedence for a two-term limit for presidents. Abraham Lincoln led America through one of the most difficult periods of America’s history, fought to end slavery and maintain national unity. These men worked hard to make sure that America is a country of the people, by the people and for the people.  

Appreciating America’s principles of freedom, justice and liberty does not mean being naïve about the things America does that fuel criticism. But the experiences I have had with kind, open-minded and passionate Americans have led me to believe that America stands for something powerful. As I looked out over the crowd in the oath ceremony at the United States District Court, I saw men and women wearing saris and head scarves. By coming to the United States, they have been able aspire to rewarding careers, speak freely, practice their religion and recognize their heritage. And for that reason it is an honor to be celebrating my first Presidents’ Day as an American citizen.  

 

Nitzan Goldberger is a research assistant at the Washington D.C.-based Foundation for Middle East Peace. 


Commentary: Where Has All the Parking Gone? By ED YOUNG

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Have you noticed there is a concerted effort on the part of the city to eliminate public parking? The idea of demolishing one of the best downtown parking lots (Hink’s) in the city, and replacing it with scores of housing units that have half as much parking as they will need for themselves and none for the public. Brilliant! Oh, and while we are at it, let’s eliminate half of the parking lot for the Ashby BART station (does anyone really use BART anyway) and install more housing and businesses, using the same model of no public parking. Is the strategy for downtown revival to provide a captive audience of shoppers within these housing developments only and to heck with shoppers from the rest of the city or other areas of the East Bay? Have you ever tried to find parking downtown on a rainy winter evening to do any shopping? And we wonder why businesses are closing and leaving? 

Where do all the extra cars park from the new housing developments, BART commuters, shop owners and employees, and shoppers? That’s right, in your neighborhoods. In addition to this growing problem, there is another one that is becoming more evident as we try and analyze where to park our cars: the problem of households accumulating more cars than they have drivers or off-street places to park those extra cars.  

I am very much interested in having the City Council discuss and perhaps publish for distribution as an agenda item, this topic for open discussion at the next City Council meeting. 

The topic is “Too Many Extra Cars in the Neighborhood.”  

At the Feb. 7, 2002, Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association general meeting, I related the issue in a rhetorical question that really is how bad things have deteriorated and how little has been accomplished.  

“If a household has more vehicles than drivers, and these vehicles are not parked in that household’s driveways or garages, but parked on the streets, in front of their and their neighbor’s houses throughout the neighborhood, is this being considerate of the neighbors or the neighborhood?” 

The obvious answer is “No!” This is just how selfish, thoughtless, and irresponsible we have become with respect to our automobile addiction. The issue is not just the consideration of being able to park in front of your own house. Because those of us that actually do use our garages are at risk of not seeing oncoming traffic as we back out because invariably there is the ubiquitous, and voluminous Stupid Useless Vehicle parked on the street blocking our view.  

Our love affair with the automobile has morphed into a full-blown neurotic co-dependant relationship, with people, neighborhoods, and the environment as the ultimate casualties. Ironic how we as Californians espouse the virtues of healthy outdoor living and clean air, but flock to car dealers for the latest, biggest, rolling eco-criminal vehicles the automobile industry has to offer. We swallow those ads hook, line, and sinker. Those poor pathetic posers who derive their persona through their vehicle, or worse yet, collecting vehicles believing this gives them some sort of class or status. No one ever lost money overestimating the stupidity or ego of the automobile buying public.  

My challenge is this, Berkeley: Let your councilmember know what a problem this is in your neighborhood and come up with a win-win solution to rid this city of the extra vehicles. If your idea can generate income from the scofflaws that litter the city with their extra cars, so much the better. Maybe if the city sees a significant public outcry, they might actually put some energy into your solutions. In a city whose public sector has enormous intellectual resources, can we as neighbors, intelligent human beings, work to some kind of reasonable solution to this epidemic, or do we need to use existing and new city and/or state ordinances to bring about responsible change? If we can accomplish this, just think of the possibility of pressuring the city and merchants to have their employees use mass transit and not monopolize parking in our neighborhoods. First things first.  

This city deserves better than the look of a less desirable high density, industrial/commercial auto row district. As a 40-year resident of Berkeley, and 20 years in my neighborhood, I have seen this problem grow and the desirability of my neighborhood decline. In my one block alone, four households contribute seven extra, not regularly used, vehicles to the street. We can do better.  

 

Ed Young is a certified green building professional with 10 years of service in the environmental community in Berkeley. 


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. 

Given all the advance publicity and considering the importance of its primary subject, the dominant role of the military-industrial complex in the American economy and worldview, the film is surprisingly disappointing. It has such a heavy-handed propaganda tone that it is unlikely to be taken seriously by anyone who is not already part of the anti-war movement. More importantly, it raises important questions without bothering to answer them. 

The documentary is organized around President Dwight Eisenhower’s famous farewell address to the nation. On his last day in office, the former five-star general warned, “We have been compelled to create a permanent armament industry of vast proportions… The total influence, economic, political, even spiritual, is felt in every city, every state house, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development, yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” 

Jarecki interviewed Eisenhower’s son John, who remembers his dad’s concern, “God help the United States when someone is elected president, who doesn’t know how to deal with [the military-industrial complex].” Of course, since Eisenhower, no military professional has been president. The implication is clear: the military-industrial complex has out-maneuvered every president since Ike and, in the process, turned America into a permanent war economy, to our great detriment. The film hints at this conclusion but doesn’t make it clear or say what citizens should do about it. 

There are several threads that Jarecki could follow to illustrate the perfidy of the military-industrial complex. One would be to focus on the issue of “smart” bombs. The film’s most compelling footage is of a retired New York cop, Wilton Sekzer, who lost his son on 9/11. Sekzer supported the invasion of Iraq, going so far as to persuade the Pentagon to inscribe his son’s name on one of the new generation of smart weapons—bunker-busters—dropped on Iraq in the initial bombing runs.  

Jarecki followed this story to its conclusion. He interviewed two F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter pilots who bombed supposedly key Iraqi military facilities in two Baghdad locations early in the morning of March 20, 2003. The pilots explained how sophisticated their planes were and the accuracy of their EGBU-27 laser-guided bunker-busters, which had added satellite and inertial navigation. They’re convinced that in the opening salvo of the invasion they pummeled a major military facility, possibly killing key Iraqi leaders. 

The documentary follows up on their attack and reports that the bombs missed the intended targets and, instead, hit nearby civilian residences. Jarecki interviews a grandfather whose son and two grandchildren were killed in the attack. While the audience gets the point, the director misses the irony that a bomb sent to avenge one grieving father caused another to suffer. 

Next, Jarecki cut to TV footage of Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, boasting that in the Iraqi invasion, America’s new bombing technology is 90-95 percent accurate. Rumsfeld claimed that there would be very few civilian casualties; our ordinance is only killing bad guys. Then the documentary flashes a graphic on the screen: Approximately 50 new-generation smart bombs were used in the opening days of the Iraq war. All missed their targets. 

What happened? Was the technology faulty? Was Rumsfeld deliberately lying? Was the military actually targeting civilians? Was the intelligence bad? Was it all of the above? Jarecki doesn’t provide answers. He followed a provocative thread but didn’t tie off the end. The writer-director failed to provide what seems to be the obvious conclusion: America’s military-industrial complex tricked the Department of Defense into paying zillions of dollars for weapons that don’t work.  

That’s illustrative of the general problem with Why We Fight. It asks important questions, but doesn’t provide substantive answers. Most of the probable audience for the film already knows that the military-industrial complex is bad for America; they just don’t know what to do about it. Nor, apparently, does Eugene Jarecki. 

 

See Page Seventeen for a review of Occupation: Dreamland, a documentary following the 82nd Airborne in Falluja in early 2004, just before the city became a major battleground in the Iraq war.  

 

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


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. 

For those who missed the story—and to do so, you would have had to stop watching cable and network news for the past several days and toss the front section of your daily newspaper—a company run by the United Arab Emirates has received U.S. government approval to purchase the London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, a deal which would give the Emirate company—Dubai Ports World—operational control over most port operations in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore, and New Orleans. 

Does that mean U.S. security at those six ports will be less than it was before the Dubai Port World purchase? We’ll get to that, in a moment. Maybe. 

The story has its positive effects, one of them being a running geography lesson as our national leaders take us into new and interesting parts of the world. Google searches exploding all over the nation informed us that the United Arab Emirates is a collection of seven small countries—Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah—bordering on Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Instruction in the world economy is also taking place, as we have discovered this week that actually, “foreign-based companies already control more than 30 percent of the port terminals” according to the New York Times, including the operation of terminals in Oakland and Los Angeles by Singapore government-controlled APL Limited (you’ve probably seen the APL ships and trucks if you live in the Bay Area; you probably just never knew about the Singapore government connection). We learn in the same New York Times article this week from Philip Damas, research director at Drewry Shipping Consultants of London, in fact, that “the location of the headquarters of a company in the age of globalism is irrelevant.” 

Apparently not irrelevant to everyone. The proposed Dubai Port World U.S. port operation takeover—now scheduled for early March, but that could change—has come under intense criticism from national politicians of both parties in the United States, with the Republican governors of both New York and Maryland threatening legal action, Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, among others, releasing a letter that read in part that “our port security is too important to place in the hands of foreign governments” and Republican Senate leader Bill Frist stating that “if the administration cannot delay this process, I plan on introducing legislation to ensure that the deal is placed on hold until this decision gets a more thorough review.”  

In response comes the almost poignant notation in the New York Times this week that “some administration officials, refusing to be quoted by name, suggested that there was a whiff of racism in the objections to an Arab owner taking over the terminals.” 

Well of course there’s a “whiff of racism” here, which those unnamed “administration officials” ought to recognize, since it’s the same one that’s been gleefully fanned by the Bush administration over the past four and a half years to fuel its “war on terror.” 

This gets complicated, so let’s try to walk through it slowly. 

The Bush family is not anti-Arab, not by any means. The family’s long-held personal ties to the Saudi royal family in particular and Arab-operated oil companies in general is well documented (see Kevin Phillips’ Bush family exposé American Dynasty for a good rundown of the Bush/Saudi family connections). 

But to raise popular support for the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration had to covertly encourage the ugly, anti-Arab sentiment that peaked in the United States following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And so we had Mr. Bush’s famous post-9/11 remark that “this crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while.” The president later “apologized” for using the loaded term “crusade,” which recalled Christian Europe’s several military invasions of the Middle East to seize the Holy Lands from the Muslims, and some commentators at the time tried to pass it off as one of Mr. Bush’s many dubya-dumbisms. Myself, I tend to think it both calculated and clever, and wink-and-nod signal to his religious right base that he was reviving the old Christian-against-Muslim/Arab Holy Wars, and with it the old cries of “death to the Saracens” and “on to Jerusalem.” 

In more formal settings and speeches, Mr. Bush has repeatedly denied and denounced the anti-Arab, anti-Muslim tendencies that began to rise in earnest in this country as far back as the first Gulf War. In a speech last October to the National Endowment For Democracy in Washington, for example, he tried to draw a distinction between Islam and terrorism, stating that the terrorists he is battling “serve a clear and focused ideology, a set of beliefs and goals that are evil, but not insane. Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant Jihadism; still others, Islamo-fascism. Whatever it’s called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam.” 

In such a manner did many Southern white politicians and civic leaders announce—in the dark days of the ‘20s and the ‘30s—that they were not “anti-Negro,” they were only against those “nigger brutes who lay in wait to rape white women.” Their hands washed pure and clean, these politicians and civic leaders were then able to pretend that they had no connection to—or responsibility for—the mobs who lynched innocent black men from Southern oak trees, burning them while still alive and then picking their “strange fruit” to keep souvenirs of fingers and ears in pickle jars on Mississippi mantelpieces. 

Thus, too, do Bush administration officials deny that they have any responsibilities for such things as the dungeons of Abu Grahib, the atrocities at Guantanamo, the declaration by Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Lieutenant General William Boykin that he was once able to defeat a Muslim Somalian leader because “I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol,” the denial by Christian religious right leader Pat Robertson that Islam was a peaceful religion because “the founder of Islam preached violence” (ignoring the violent roots of Christianity which you can look up in the Bible), all reflecting the simmering, seething, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim sentiment in many areas of the country, resulting, in one small example, in the attacks by American terrorists on American Sikhs because Sikhs wear turbans and grow long beards and so can “easily” be mistaken by the careless and the thoughtless for Arab Muslim terrorists. 

But having sewn the wind of anti-Arab racism, as the old-time preachers used to say, the Bush administration is now reaping the whirlwind.  

Back to the original question: will U.S. security at those six ports will be less than it was before the Dubai Port World purchase? If that’s the only question that’s being asked, we’re missing what’s going on here. 

 




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. 

University trustees wanted a solid community of homesteaders to exist outside campus boundaries, subdividing non-campus land on streets laid out in grids, those running north-south named after men of science, east-west after men of letters. Carried by horse-drawn trolley down Telegraph Avenue, students disembarked at the site of today’s Sproul Hall. Slowly, businesses catering to their needs blossomed: rooming house and hotel, café and restaurant, butcher and grocery, Chinese laundry. Southside was born. 

Today Southside Berkeley is home to diverse communities. Telegraph’s magnetic forces draw across the board but as you travel south, homes, businesses and needs quiet and mature.  

Named after the first telegraph line in the East Bay, today’s Avenue is a student’s dream. For those around longer than a university stint, it represents much more. Combining the fight for individual rights with history and a strong independent streak, Telegraph pulses with change while hanging on to the ‘60s voices of Free Speech and Power To The People.  

Strolling the six-block length carries you past historic landmarks, book and music shops, clothing both vintage and contemporary, a cornucopia of street vendors and over fifty eateries and cafes. A hive of free spirit and creative expression by artists, poets, musicians and the disenfranchised. Something for everyone. 

Many Telegraph merchants reflect new trends: Addidas and Shiekh, Hot Topic and Wicked, crepes and curry, shawarma and falafel. Others, like Bill’s Men’s Shop and Rexall Drugs, have endured through turmoil and peace. 

Moe’s Books occupies five floors, signaling both new and quality used offerings with a striking red and white striped awning, almost next door to Cody’s Books, able to satisfy every esoteric need. Across the street, Shakespeare Books retains the old style, used-book atmosphere. Multiple cases cram every dark space, the old book smell perfuming the air. 

Vintage is in, as evidenced at Mars Mercantile, where white tennis shorts share space with beaded evening gowns, netted petticoats and an entire rack of Brokeback Mountain denim jackets. Model your latest find by descending the black iron spiral staircase.  

Amoeba Music will buy, sell or trade, new and old. The whimsical metal assemblage band of musicians occupying front stage elicits instant smiles. Composed of washboards, hubcaps, rakes, hoses, molds and spoons, their music is faint but distinct. Rasputin’s draws you in with posters for the music of your choice, whether indies, punk, goth, soul, reggae or international. For music in person, Blake’s is renowned. Move your body and satisfy your soul. 

When hunger strikes, choices are vast. Café Intermezzo is packed, and for good reason, with huge portions at reasonable prices. Blondie’s and Fat Slice allow you to carry away lunch for $2 plus change. Mario’s La Fiesta has been serving authentic flautas, menudo and grilled burritos since 1959. 

Coffee cravings are easily met in a myriad of styles. The Mediterraneum seems quiet now, faded blue and white awning and black and white tiled floor unchanged. At The Musical Offering, classical CDs occupy the back of this long, narrow space while an airy convivial café fills the front. At Cafe Strada every outdoor table is always occupied. Espresso drinks crowd the tabletops while students crowd the benches. 

The heart of Telegraph’s history is People’s Park. A small stage sits before an expanse of lawn, verdant trees and shrubs. Room for vegetables, basketball and quiet repose barely echo the effort required to secure this sacred ground. Here the symbolism equals the land. For a graphic depiction of this struggle, the “People’s History of Telegraph” mural tells the story, required viewing for all Telegraph strollers.  

Southside Berkeley extends all the way to the Oakland border, serving multiple communities. Here Berkeley’s working classes have their physical and cultural needs met by a rich variety of venues. Among brown shingles, stick-Eastlake cottages, Victorians and recent constructions, residents’ work, play and thrive. 

Want to know what Berkeley’s all about? Show up at Berkeley Bowl Saturday morning when the parking lot is filling up and a peaceful crowd of almost 100 waits for the doors to open. These are Berkeley’s faces—all ages, all ethnicities, pure and mixed, as varied at the choices within.  

Inside, produce rules. More than 30 varieties of apples, same for citrus. Organic, heirloom, fancy, extra fancy, pesticide-free—take your pick. Want something esoteric? Try abalone, wood ear, black trumpet and yellow foot mushrooms. Carts converge, merge and intersect, not unlike an L.A. freeway. Patience is recommended. 

Beyond produce are hundreds of bins offering bulk grains, nuts, beans and exotic combinations. Marinated olives, fresh salmon, free range chicken, triple cream brie, dark chocolate brownie, pugliese, deep blue irises, all the way to laundry soap and toilet paper. A full service grocery plus atmosphere. 

When sated with the smells and tastes of food, activity is required. Within a 2,000-square-foot, Art Deco rink, Berkeley’s Iceland has been issuing skates since 1939. Forever a kitschy winter wonderland, with snow-capped trees and holiday lights, this gymnasium with floor of ice has a monthly calendar crowded with choices from morning till night. 

My recent visit seemed a step back in time, zamboni gliding over the ice, young girls laughing and skating. Classes, youth hockey, synchronized skate, birthday parties and school fundraisers are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Ready to remodel, prune or just repair the fence? A Berkeley Public Library card will get you in the door of the Tool Lending Library where the variety of possible rentals is vast. Coping saw, circuit tester, lopping shear and drain snake could be in your hands next weekend. Well-packed, peg-boarded, and binned, this library distributes banter as well as tools, both equally valuable. 

When food for the soul beckons three choices lead to different cultures. The Thai Buddhist Temple offers services and cultural events, another full calendar. To be transported to a Thai bazaar head to the back. Under blue and white awnings, corrugated metal and green plastic, tables fill every square inch, including alleyways. They’re necessary for the famous Sunday brunch where tokens are traded for a delicious array of Thai delicacies and hearty fare. 

The fare at the Black Repertory Group stirs the soul. Inside the distinctively painted theater, aglow in purple, orange and mustard, Mainstage Productions presents the work of black writers. Mentoring, apprentice and internship programs reach out to young adults; summer camp and acting classes help instill the “theater bug” in the young, providing instruction and a creative venue for expression. 

La Peña Cultural Center is at the heart of Berkeley’s life philosophy. A place where all cultures are welcomed, somewhere newcomers feel acceptance. Opened in 1975, La Peña offered refuge to thousands of South American exiles, many from Chile. With them came the tradition of La Peña, a gathering place for art, culture and discussion. 

From the vibrant front wall mural and the art filled Café Valparaiso to the halls where performances and discussions take place; La Peña is fulfilling its goals. Seeing the children of yesterday become today’s volunteers is proof the message has been absorbed.  

From the Gateway to the University to Oakland’s borders, neighborhood quietly hum. A stroll through bohemia, a latte and Bach, grocery bags brimming with goodies, public skate under disco lights, theater for the mind, Cuban music for the soul. Just a sample of life in Berkeley’s Southside. 

 

 

Berkeley Bowl: 2020 Oregon St., 843- 6929, www.berkeleybowl.com.  

Iceland: 2727 Milvia St., 647-1606, www.berkeleyiceland.com. 

Tool Lending Library: 1901 Russell St., 981 6101, www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/tool. 

Thai Buddhist Temple: 1911 Russell St., 849 3419.  

Black Repertory Group Theater: 3201 Adeline St., 652 8030, www.blackrepertorygroup.com. 

La Peña Cultural Center: 3105 Shattuck Ave., 849 2568, www.lapena.org.


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. 

The city didn’t formally designate it as a landmark till about 2000, but the building had been a prominent feature along Telegraph for a nearly a century. Constructed in stages from 1880 to 1906, it housed for nearly all of its life what became Berkeley’s oldest continuing business. The firm that had been founded by John Gorman in 1876, and was renamed J. Gorman & Son in 1890, continued to sell furniture in Berkeley throughout the 20th century before moving to Oakland. 

Unfortunately at mid-century the building—like so many other historic structures during that period—was crudely “modernized.” The distinctive witch’s cap over the southwest portion was lopped off. The northern portion’s ornamental parapet was removed. The facades’ wood siding, and some of the windows, got covered over by asbestos siding.  

Several years ago plans were drawn up to rehab the old building. But that project stalled and for a while the structure sat forlornly empty. Then David Clahan bought the property and, with revised plans, energetically got the work done. Kudos to him for the result.  

It was a pleasure to watch the rehab work proceed as the building steadily came back into its own. Off went the asbestos, liberating to view the old wood siding behind it still in surprisingly good condition. The witch’s cap and the ornamental parapet were recreated to match their appearance in old photos. Tastefully repainted and with historic features revealed or compellingly restored, the building now sparkles. 

On the ground floor the rehab has created two commercial spaces. One of them has already been occupied by neighborhood standby Krishna Copy, which reportedly is doing quite well in this new location. On the upper floors a total of four apartments have been created that are big enough to house real families. Subdivision approval has been obtained for selling each of the commercial spaces and apartments as condo units. 

Landmarking doesn’t mean that nothing can change. To remain a living part of the community, and make good contemporary use feasible, landmarked buildings often need some alterations. This has been true with the Gorman’s rehab where, for instance, new doors have been created facing Telegraph that give access to the northerly commercial space and the upstairs apartments. But these have been placed and detailed to sensitively fit within the building’s overall design. 

With its historic feel strongly regained, the building now eloquently reminds us of the Southside’s past. It also speaks to the future. 

The reinvigorated building is a valuable catalyst within an interesting segment of Telegraph Avenue—from about Blake Street to Derby Street or so—for which a distinct character of its own seems to be subtly crystallizing. This stretch has the longtime and upscale anchor of Andronico’s, the familiar Le Bateau Ivre restaurant and coffeehouse, and such newer eating places as Unicorn. During recent years two sizable new mixed-use buildings have risen here, and a third is now under construction.  

The Gorman’s case illustrates that while rehab of a historic structure generally is well worthwhile, the road to achieving it isn’t necessarily smooth or fast. Patience is needed—and vision.  

A few years ago the property’s former owner and a would-be developer of it gave some concerned people a guided tour through the then-empty building. During the tour serious structural problems were pointed out and it was clear that the decrepit interior would need to be largely gutted. 

A staffer from the city’s Office of Economic Development grumped approximately, “What’s the point of keeping some ghost of this building’s former self?” 

Well, to slightly paraphrase a classic retort by Churchill, “Some ghost!” 

 

John English is a longtime resident of the Willard neighborhood. 




About the House: What to Look For When Replacing a Roof By Matt Cantor

Friday February 24, 2006

Dear Matt Cantor, 

Your information has been so helpful that I’ve have a question for you. I have to get a new roof on my four-bedroom, two-story, step-roofed house. The old roof has to be completely taken off. What should I look for in the roofers’ estimates? 

Thanks so much. 

—Nancy Ward 

 

Dear Nancy, 

Can you tell me a little about your roof, including approximate slope, type of roofing you currently have, the approximate age of the house and anything else you thing is relevant (where it has leaked, etc.). 

—Matt 

 

Dear Matt, 

My house is 79 years old. I can’t tell you the approximate slope but the upper part is very steep. It’s all composition shingles and has had partial roofing done many times but it hasn’t had a complete reroofing in the 40 years I’ve been here. I believe that parts of it have four layers. The part that leaked was on a part that was not the steepest. That has been repaired. 

Thanks.  

—Nancy 

 

O.K., here goes. 

There are lots of issues so take notes. The first thing is that four layers is too much. Roofing weighs a lot. There are a few of you out there who have surely helped install a roof and may recall climbing that ladder over and over again with bundles of shingles that seemed to weigh 40 pounds a piece. If you multiply that by 60 or so bundles on a roof (about 33 square feet to the bundle) and then times four layers (give or take some for varying material), you get a huge amount of weight. 

If you’ve ever been in an attic, you’ll note that the framing is often quite delicate. Roof framing has gotten beefier in the last 60 years or so but much of our housing stock has roof framing that uses 2x4’s laid out at wide spacing with very long spans. In short, far wider than we would ever allow for a floor. 

The presumption was that the roofing material was going to be the only weight and that high winds, snow or multiple layers never happened. The reality is that these things all happen and one thing more that we all need to be very much aware of: earthquakes. 

Earthquake forces interplay with heavy, weak or multi-layer roofs in interesting ways. First we need to remember that when earthquakes occur, it’s the earth moving, not the house. Actually, that’s the problem, if the house moved easily with the earth, it would do well. It’s the dissonance or struggle that’s the problem. 

The less flexible the house or the heavier the house, the more resistance there is to moving easily with the earthquake. Take a house and load the very top with a huge amount of excess weight and what happens? It has more inertia, more resistance to moving with the earth. So the bottom moves rapidly and the top is dragging behind and what this does is tear up or “shear” the section in the middle. This may be the walls, the “cripple” walls below the floor or the roof framing itself. 

So having less roof weight, fewer layers for example, is one way to decrease damage to the house during an earthquake. Therefore, when you replace your roof, take everything off except for the framing itself. 

In fact, I even recommend removal of the “skip” sheathing that is used to hold the original wooden shingles to the framing prior to installing plywood. You might have these skip sheathing boards and if you do remove them, you’ll end up with a better connection between the plywood sheathing and the framing. Plywood can actually increase the cohesion of an old roof framing if it’s well nailed and decrease damage in an earthquake. 

When you’re replacing your roof, be sure to replace all of the “flashings.” These are mostly metal components and are designed to prevent leakage between surfaces of different shapes or orientations. Some are used where pipes or chimneys penetrate a surface. Some are used in valleys where two surfaces coincide. Some are also used at edges to prevent water from reaching the edge of the sheathing material. These are cheap to install when you’re doing a complete roofing job there’s no good reason to short change this portion of the roofing job. 

If you have joints between a wall and a roofing surface, it’s wise to install wall-to-roof flashings here and make sure they ascend the wall behind the wall finish (shingle, stucco or what-have-you) at least a few inches. This often means removal and replacement of some of this surface. Leave a gap at the bottom so that splashing or wind-driven water can’t get under the siding edge. A couple of inches is best. 

You mentioned that you were thinking about replacing a “part” of your roof. It’s really best to do the whole roof at the same time if you are financially able. Now, sometimes I’ll see one part of the roof that’s just fine and I’ll know that there are viable methods to integrate one part into another but roofs, in general, are not like skin. They don’t heal and the joints between portions are vulnerable to leakage. 

A good roofer, under the right circumstances may be able to replace a portion of a roof and give reasonable assurances that the interconnect won’t leak but as a rule, it’s best to replace all of the roof at once because of the methodology of roofing. 

Roofs are made up, generally, of multiple layers from the wood decking, through underlayments and flashings through finished layers. These tend to be installed in a process that involves “stepping” up the incline and overlaying all the preceding vulnerabilities. 

When you cut through this or try to replace one part, you violate the protocol that does so much to keep things dry. This is one of the reasons that skylights often leak. They are often added after the fact and the joints around them don’t integrate into the roofing system adequately. So think about doing the whole thing if you can manage it. 

Lastly, consider the right material for the job. If you have steeply sloped portions, almost any roofing type will work and composition shingle is a good choice for low cost and good longevity. Although this kind of roof can be used on relatively shallow slopes as well, it is less reliable and I recommend switching to something like a “modified bitumen” roof for lower slopes and what we call “flat” roofs. 

Built-up roofs, like “tar and gravel,” can work but have shorter lives and are harder to fix. Also, I find that many of the installers of tar and gravel don’t pay close enough attention to the details.  

Choose a roofer who seems smart. One who can write a contract and speak intelligently about the way the roof will be done. Ask lots of questions and don’t pick the cheapest guy. The best person is almost never the cheapest, although they might not be the most expensive. 

If you can replace the gutters and downspouts at the same time, that’s worthwhile as well.  

One more thing to add to your list of things to think about when you’re roofing is to add or subtract anything that penetrates the roof at the time of the roofing. 

If you have an unused chimney flue (from the 1910 coal burner or stove), consider taking it down below the roof line prior to reroofing. Remove any other flues or vents that are no longer in use. If the bath fan vents to the attic, run it through the roof during the job. This is also the best to time to add a skylight, attic ventilation or a vent opening for the bath fan you’ll add next year. 

Talk to your neighbors in advance about the noise and mess. They’ll be less upset when things go wrong and ask the roofer to keep things clean (including the attic).  

I hope these thoughts will help you and your roofer produce a better product and avoid some of the potential dilemmas. 

 

 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor, in care of East Bay Real Estate, at realestate@berkeleydailyplanet.com.ª


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.  

It’s always tempting to grab a bargain tree at from the warehouse store, along with that gallon of paint. But it pays, especially for beginners, to buy from people we can trust. A good nursery that values its client base and reputation will be careful to steer you right. Even there, it helps to be informed.  

Choose a tree with bigger caliper—the diameter of the trunk—over a taller one, even if Shorty costs a bit more. Look for healthy green foliage. 

Leaves, if they’re in season, shouldn’t be yellow-edged or mottled (unless it’s a variegated cultivar!) or brown-tipped. A yellowing conifer is a bad gamble: conifers tend to be dead before they even look sickly. The nodes that buds and twigs and branches emerge from should be relatively close together.  

It’s OK if it’s been pruned a bit to establish shape, but there should be no stubs, big scars, or torn bark. Unless you’re looking for special bonsai-type effects, a tree should be fairly symmetrical, and not conspicuously topped. All its twigs should be plump, resilient, and unwrinkled.  

Touch it; its leaves should be a little cooler than the air around it. This is subtle, and it helps to touch a lot of trees to educate your senses. Go ahead and fondle the foliage every time you’re in the park. (You do know what poison oak looks like, right?) 

If it’s a conifer, feel for needles as stiff and prickly or pliable and bouncy as its particular species ought to be. (Research that, too.) Broad leaves shouldn’t be drooping or, in most plants, sticky. Look underneath them for bugs.  

We don’t bother much with balled-and-burlapped trees around here, and we buy bare-root trees mostly because they’re cheaper, not of necessity. Nursery plants of all sorts do just fine in containers in our mild climate, so we have lots of choices. We still have to pay attention to the rootball.  

There should be no visible gap between the soil and the sides of the container; a gap allows water to run off without wetting the roots and suggests that the plant was allowed to dry out a lot at some point, which hurts and shrinks the rootball. 

It shouldn’t be easy to wiggle the tree in its pot, either; that suggests a very newly potted-up plant, “a four-inch plant in a gallon pot.” There are exceptions—some trees and others resent having their roots even slightly crowded—but you should get the size you’re paying for.  

Comparison shopping helps, and so does learning what’s healthy for the species you’re buying. The best idea is to find a flourishing individual of the species you want, in the wild or in someone’s garden, and have it in mind as a benchmark.  

 

 




Column: Andrew Boyd: A Guy With a Lot of Projects By SUSAN PARKER

Tuesday February 21, 2006

My friend Andrew is back in town for some high-level, covert schmoozing. I last wrote about Andrew Boyd in 2004 when he was in the Bay Area directing a street theater effort against the Bush administration’s economic policies. Andrew is the founder of Billionaires for Bush, a do-it-yourself grassroots media campaign using humor and drama to expose politicians who support big business interests at the expense of everyday Americans. 

Within the organization, Andrew is known as Phil T. Rich. While stomping against corporate greed, Andrew wears a top hat and tails, guzzles champagne, throws fake money around, and smokes an obscenely large cigar. 

Fresh from political action of a different kind in Kansas City, Andrew had scant time to talk with me about his current activities. But on Friday morning, while still in my pajamas, I was able to corner him in my kitchen for a few minutes to hear about his recent escapades. 

Last spring Andrew was involved in the Leave My Child Alone coalition, created by Working Assets, Mainstreet Moms and ACORN to protect high school students from unwanted military recruiting. Since the coalition was launched on Mother’s Day 2005, concerned parents nationwide have held over 450 “opt out” events, and thousands of kids have been removed from the lists public high schools turn over to military recruiters. 

Returning to New York midsummer, Andrew pursued his writing career, working on a humorous manifesto-advice book for men about how to be sexy and anti-sexy at exactly the same time, and a second manuscript about his 2005 trip around the world. 

Last month he worked with the Ruckus Society and ACORN on a campaign opposing Wal-Mart. While 6,100 Wal-Mart upper management employees met at a media-blacked-out gathering at the Kansas City Convention Center, Andrew and his fellow protesters (dressed in hazmat suits, dust masks, and rubber gloves) surrounded Bartle Hall with 5,000 yards of yellow caution tape and served the attendees with notice of quarantine. The action was created in an effort to bring public scrutiny to Wal-Mart’s employee health care policies. 

“Full-time Wal-Mart employees lead the Medicaid roles in 16 states,” Andrew told me over a bowl of Raisin Bran. “We got some good local media coverage and Wal-Mart’s attention.” 

Less you think I normally interview high-powered lefties in my flannel pajamas, let me explain. Andrew is staying at my house while visiting the Bay Area. I provide him with a roof over his head and clean linens when he’s in town and he provides me with a sense of political purpose. 

Below is Andrew’s personal website and the web addresses of some of Andrew’s favorite political organizations. Check them out. 

• Andrew Boyd (a guy with lots of projects): www.wanderbody.com. 

• Billionaires for Bush (you have nothing to lose but your job): www.billionairesforbush.com. 

• Leave My Child Alone (a family privacy project): www.leavemychildalone.org. 

• Working Assets (Founded on the belief that building a business and a better world aren’t mutually exclusive. Working Assets has been helping busy people make a difference by contributing over $50 million in donations since 1985 to nonprofits working for peace, equality, human rights, education and a cleaner environment): www.workingassets.com. 

• Mainstream Moms (The MMOB is an education-in-action project committed to big change through the accelerated engagement of women, particularly as they identify and self-organize as mothers): www.themmob.com. 

• ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is the nation’s largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities): www.acorn.org. 

• The Ruckus Society (The Ruckus Society provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training, and support needed to achieve their goals): www.ruckus.org. 

 

 

 

 


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

Tuesday February 21, 2006

You’ve probably seen Canary Island pines around Berkeley, though I don’t know of any that are official street trees. They’re spotted in groups around the UC campus—there’s one near the Campanile—and they show up in various civic plantings, on big lawns and open spaces. They’re big trees—the largest pine native to the “Old World”—with a soft look when they’re mature. 

That soft look comes mostly from their big, rather droopy needles, held on flexible horizontal branches. They’re less stiff than the average pine’s, so much so they move independently in the wind and sound more like a sigh than like oncoming traffic. The reddish bark laced with golden irregular grooves adds a glow to the deep-green foliage. Altogether romantic in a gentle, almost tropical-island way.  

They’re not quite tropical; they do in fact hail from the Canary Islands, just off north Africa, which have a Mediterranean climate. Several plants from the Canary Island and nearby are common in our landscapes here. Just offhand, there are these Pinus canariensis pines; Phoenix canariensis, Canary Island date palms; those big bush blue- or pink-flowered echiums, E. fastuosum, “pride of Madera” and E. wildpretii, “tower of jewels,” also called “pride of Tenerife.” Well, someone ought to be proud, that’s quite a plant too. 

The pines originate in the altitude belt just above the fog influence and below the alpine mountainous parts of those volcanic islands, but they don’t seem to mind living in the fog here, and in the decidedly non-volcanic clay soils we have.  

The Canary Islands, by the way, aren’t named after the domestic songbird canaries; they’re named after dogs,—remember “Cave Canem”?— and canaries are named after the islands. So Tweety is a bird named after a dog’s namesake. Stuff like this makes etymology almost as much fun as entomology.  

They’re mostly ornamental plantings here, but are used for lumber in other parts of the world including their homeland. Predictably, it’s escaped cultivation to become an invasive species in Australia and South Africa. The tree’s not hardy below 10 or 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The red heartwood of Canary Island pines, at least in their original range, is so dense it sinks in water—unusual in any tree, more so in “softwoods” like pine. They stump-sprout easily, and so recover from wildfires.  

Knowing a tree as an individual is one thing; in a forest anchored by its species, whole new aspects of its character show themselves. The original pine forests on Tenerife and Gran Canario are the world’s only habitat for a handsome little bird, the blue chaffinch, Fringilla teydea, in the Canaries also called “Teide finch.” It’s so determinedly resident in these western-Canaries forests that the only extralimital records that my references have are in the eastern Canaries. By way of perspective: we get extralimital birds here all the time; there’s a tufted duck in Aquatic Park right now that came, at a conservative guess, from Siberia to Berkeley instead of to Japan or south China for the winter; and a northern waterthrush that ought to be in eastern Mexico. 

Learning that the “true” chaffinch, F. coelebs, has a couple of subspecies there, and of course the more widely distributed Tweety canary, Serinus canaria, exists there as a wild bird with an intricate song (if a more subtle yellow-brown plumage) suggests it might be fun to bird the place. It has interesting plants, too, related to some of our landscape favorites: a rockrose, a different echium, some pretty legumes.  

That will be easier to do now that restoration efforts are happening. Also predictably, much of the old forests got clear-cut, taking who-knows-what unique systems with them. But Canarians are catching on to nuances like the place of the pines in their water cycle, catching rain and holding it in effective soil reservoirs, nurturing an understory that does the same. On small, rocky volcanic islands in saltwater seas, this might get attention faster than on a big soil-rich continent. Let’s hope the powers that be in our own place—that’s us, theoretically—catch on and act to preserve and restore, before we lose more of what we thrive on.  


Arts & Events

Arts Calendar

Friday February 24, 2006

FRIDAY, FEB. 24 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “The Master Builder” Wed. through Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through March 12. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “9 Parts of Desire” about women in war-torn Iraq, at 8 p.m. at the Trust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through March 5. Tickets are $30-$59. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Black Repertory Group “The Piano Lesson” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St., through Feb. 25. Tickets are $7-$15. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “One Flew Over the Cockoo’s Nest” Fri. and Sat at 8 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave. at Moeser Lane, El Cerrito, through Feb. 25. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Impact Theatre, “Hamlet” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through March 18. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

The Marsh Berkeley “Strange Travel Suggestions” monologue by Jeff Greenwald, Thurs. and Fri. at 7 p.m. through March 3, at 2118 Allston Way. Tickets are $15-$22. 800-838-3006. www.themarsh.org 

Masquers Playhouse "Over the River and Through the Woods" Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Feb. 25 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

The Sun & Moon Ensemble, “Luna” a multi-media performance, Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. through Feb. 26, at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Avenue at MLK Jr. Way. Tickets are $10-$15. 415-621-7978. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Snap” The Art of Living Black Satellite Show, in conjunction with the Richmond Art Center at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Reception at 6 p.m. 601-4141, ext. 111. www.wcrc.org 

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Video Letters” Program 1 at 7 p.m. and “Justice” at 8:35 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Maile Meloy reads from her new novel “A Family Daughter” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Julie Orringer will read from her short story collection, “How to Breathe Underwater” at 8 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Barbara Keesling introduces “Sexual Healing” at 4 p.m. at Good Vibrations, 2504 San Pablo Ave. 841-8987.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland East Bay Symphony performs Mozart’s Overture to “Lucio Silla” and Dvorák’s “Stabat Mater” at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Pre-concert lecture at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $15-$60. 652-8497.  

Rising Phoenix Brass Band with Ron Stallings and Berkeley High School Students at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$14, $7 for students. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Sweet Honey & the Rock at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $24-$46. 642-9988.  

Marvin Sanders, flute, Lena Lubotsky, piano at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont at Ashby. Cost is $12. 848-1228. www.giorgigallery.com 

The Castrati, Mr Loveless at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Bud Spangler All-Star Reunion Band at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

King Wawa & the Oneness Kingdom Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Listen, 4Hz beating patterns and guitar drones, at 8 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $10-$18. www.studiorasa.org 

Cascada de Flores, Mexican traditional music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ojalá, Jme* Isman, Evelie Posch and others in a benefit concert at Changemakers for Women, 6536 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Donation $10-$100. RSVP to 655-2405. 

Ben Adams Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Wayblonde and Gery Tinkelberg at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Go it Alone, Verse, Deadfall, The First Step at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

John Howland Trio, Phonofly at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$8. 548-1159.  

Joe Rut, Goh Nakamura and The Great Auk at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Joseph’s Bones, trombone reggae, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Hiromi at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $16-$22. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, FEB. 25 

CHILDREN  

“Junie Jones and A Little Monkey Business” theater for ages 5 and up, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $13-$18. 925-798-1300. 

Derique the Clown at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Celebrate Mardi Gras the Cajun way from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

African American Quilters of Oakland Demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. 238-7352.  

THEATER 

Central Works “Shadow Crossing” opens at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., runs through March 26. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381.  

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Winter Soldier” at 5 p.m., “Occupation: Dreamland” at 7 p.m. and “State of Fear” at 8:40 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Frederick Douglas on Slave Music” with historian Dr. P. Sterling Stuckey at 3:30 p.m. at West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St. Oakland.  

“A Retrospective in Black & White and Color” with photographer Susan Sai-Wah Louie at 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Bay Area Photographers Collective with Berkeley photographer Margaretta K. Mitchell on Ruth Bernhard at 2 p.m. at Harvey Milk Photography Center, 50 Scott St., downstairs, at Duboce St., SF. 415-554-9522. 

Lupe Jacobson, age 10, will sign her new book, “My Grandma Has a Blackberry” at 3 p.m. at Analog Books, 1816 Euclid. All proceeds from the book will go to the U’ilani Fund for breast cancer patients. 843-1816. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kensington Symphony Orchestra “American Portraits” at 8 p.m. at 25 Northminster Presbyterian Church, 545 Ashbury Ave., El Cerrito. Tickets are $10-$15. 524-9912. 

Sacred & Profane “Works with Organ” at 8 p.m. at St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St., at Cornell. Tickets are $12-$18. 524-3611.  

Medea Sirkas Dance Theater at 1:30 p.m. at the Golden Gate Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 5606 San Pablo Ave., in celebration of Black History Month. 597-5023. 

Amrit Dhara Pouring Nectar Odisi dance at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $12-18. 486-9851. 

Rhythm and Muse with Tres Santos, Chokwadi, Mark G. and Muteado, followed by open mic, at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

John Richardson Band at 9 p.m. at Circus Pub, 389 Colusa Ave., Kensington. 

Mareda Gaither-Graves, soprano, at 7:30 p.m. at Regents’ Theater, Holy Names Univ., 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $25-$40. 601-7919.  

Sacred and Profane, works for chorus and organ, at 8 p.m. at St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman at Stannage. Tickets are $12-$18. 524-3611.  

Nika Rejto Quartet, CD release party, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Kotoja, Afro-beat at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. 

La Peña Commnity Chorus at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

The Tenders, Gayle Lynn, The Hired Hands at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Andre Bush Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Chookasian Armenian Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. 

Unauthorized Rolling Stones at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886.  

Guaranteed Swahili at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Benny Lackner Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

EOTOE at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Hali Hammer & Randy Berge at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7-$10. 558-0881. 

Trainwreck Riders, Lampshade Seranade at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 26 

THEATER 

Vagina Monologues will be performed in American Sign Language, and voiced in English at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater. Benefit for Deaf Hope. contact@deaf-hope.org, http://deafvday.tripod.com 

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Living Rights” at 3:30 p.m. and “Video 

letters” Program 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Prelim #3, for youth aged 13-19, at 7 p.m. at Youth Up Rising, 8711 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $4-$6. 415-255-9035, ext. 22. www.youthspeaks.org  

James P. Moore speaks on his new book, “One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America,” with music by pianist Peter B. Allen, at 3 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 2619 Dwight Way. Cost is $10, benefit to Roof Fund. 925-376-3908.  

Poetry Flash with Sarah Arvio and W.S. Di Piero at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Progression of Black Music featuring Faye Carol in celebration of Black History Month at 4 p.m. at McGee Avenue Baptist Church, 1640 Stuart St. 843-1774.  

The Half Note Club—Then and Now at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, in celebration of Black History Month. 238-2200.  

Young Peoples Chamber Orchestra Winter Concert, at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College. Free. 595-4688. www.ypco.org 

College of Alameda Jazz Band at 2 p.m. at Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Free, families welcome. 748-2213. 

Nigah: Indian Classical Dance and Music at 4 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $7-$15. 925-798-1300. 

Patrick Street, Irish music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Mauro Correa, Brazilian soul, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

A Class Act, Fine by Me, I Voted For Kodos at 5 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. All ages show. 848-0886.  

Joel Dorham Latin Jazz Octet at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Adrian West at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe. 595-5344.  

MONDAY, FEB. 27 

EXHIBITIONS 

African American Inventors and Scientists at the Junior Center of Art and Science, 558 Bellvue Ave., Lakeside Park, Oakland, through April 8. 839-5777. www.juniorcenter.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Chilifiya Safaa will read from her new novel, “A Foreign Affair” on relationships through the Black Diaspora, at 7 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Ave. 597-5017. 

John Nielson discusses “Condor: To the Brink and Back: The Life and Times of One Giant Bird” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Poetry Express with Theme night: Hope, at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

CSU East Bay Jazz Ensembles with guest vocalist Jamie Davis at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$25. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, FEB. 28 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “The Digital Film Event” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

POV Bay Area Animation Festival at 9:15 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. http://povanimationfestival.blogspot.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jürgen Vsych reads from “The Woman Director” and shows clips from her films at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Bill Merritt describes “Fool’s Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Larry Vuckovich, jazz piano, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Ellen Hoffman Trio and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Chris Potter Underground at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Focusing on Photography” Vintage photographs from the Ames Gallery, 2661 Cedar St. 845-4949. www.amesgallery.com 

“Titled / Untitled” New works by Carol Dalton, Yvette Molina, Emily Payne and Michael Shemchuk opens at Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809-D Fourth St., and runs through April 2. 549-1018. www.cecilemoochnek.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

William Fox describes “Terra Antartica: Looking into the Emptiest Continent” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988.  

Music for the Spirit with Ron McKean on organ at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Boradway. 444-3555. 

Bruce & Lloyd’s Tri Tip Trio at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $18-$20. 525-5054.  

Jules Broussard Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

3 Strikez at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Orquestra Sensual at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Karen Casey Band, Flook at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Whiskey Brothers, old time and bluegrass, at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473.  

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 

EXHIBITIONS 

Works by Ahmed Said, Egyptian sculptor at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

THEATER 

Traveling Jewish Theater “Family Alchemy” opens at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $12-$35. 415-522-0786.  

FILM 

Women of Color Film Festival “Stepping Out” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Free screening. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Stephen De Staebler: The Winged Figure” opening lecture with Dore Ashton at 6 p.m. at the Pacific School of Religion Chapel, 1798 Scenic Ave. Reception at 5 p.m. at the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. Exhibition runs through May 15. www.gtu.edu 

Richard Tarnas describes “Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. 

Trailer Park Rangers Sextet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. 

Magnes Music Salon with guitarist John Scott at 6:30 p.m. at Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. 549-6950.  

Kiran Ahluwalia at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Pieta Brown & Bo Ramsey at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Alexa Weber Morales at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$9. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Eric Swinderman, solo jazz guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

ô


Oakland Museum Holds Annual White Elephant Sale Next Weekend By STEVEN FINACOMSpecial to the Planet

Friday February 24, 2006

Start your spring cleaning and decluttering early. There’s less than a week left to get rid of your extra and unwanted, but useable, belongings by giving them to the White Elephant Sale (WES) at the Oakland Museum of California  

On Saturday and Sunday, March 4 and 5, thousands of shoppers will converge on the WES’s block-square warehouse on the Oakland Estuary waterfront looking for discounted treasures. 

Many of the items they buy will have arrived just days before, donated by those who wanted to enjo y a less publicized aspect of the sale—the opportunity to shop early, without crowds.  

Why go at all to this gigantic garage/rummage/estate/indoor flea market/Antiques Roadshow reject sale? Because you’ll discover things there that you always wanted or w on’t realize you want until you see them.  

Some people go with very specific goals in mind. On recent visits I crossed paths with a woman whose sole destination was the shoe section, and a man looking for additions to his collection of vintage airline silverware.  

The shopper in line behind me had stocked up on lampshades. Another was buying wicker baskets for a community gardening project. A third had a box of old trophies she intended to recycle, with new winner’s names applied, to her Cub Scout pac k. 

Others go for the serendipity and fun. A used bicycle? An early 20th century wooden sideboard with original beveled mirror? Sewing machines from virtually any era? A board game you haven’t seen since childhood? Persian carpets and luxurious comforters? A bag of homemade or vintage Christmas ornaments? A framed David Lance Goines poster? Stuffed animals? Chairs made out of wine barrels? Or a new entry for bragging rights about who owns the oddest or ugliest table lamp?  

All those things, and more, wer e for sale at the warehouse this past weekend. 

Here’s how to donate. 

The warehouse is open for donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through this Saturday. 

To shop during those hours, all you need to do is arrive with donations with a cumulative value of at l east $50 per person in your group. Your contributions will earn you a one-time, same-day, shopping pass. 

The volunteer staffers make a quick assessment of whether your donations are acceptable, but don’t assign specific values to them. So meeting the $50 minimum is up to you.  

Bring your donations to the Derby Street end of the warehouse, off Glascock Street, where there’s a large, roll-up, gate and concrete ramp. A red-vested volunteer will direct you inside to the donation counter.  

Parking for pi ck-ups and drop-offs only is allowed next to that entrance, so you’ll also need to find a place to park on nearby streets.  

If you’ve never been to the WES before, it’s arranged a bit like a department store. Take a quick walk around to familiarize yours elf with the location of each department—toys, housewares, books, electric, music, clothes, furniture, art, and so forth. 

When you select items to purchase, take them to the counter in the same department. The volunteer staffers will total prices, bag yo ur purchases, and give you a receipt. You’ll pay later. 

Leave by the main exit mid-way on the Glascock Street side of the warehouse with all your items. Volunteers will collect the receipt tags from your bags, total them up, and you pay for everything at on ce. Lines grow long, but also move fast, as each shopping day ends. 

There’s also a 10 percent surcharge added to the total price, in recognition of the privilege of “buying early.”  

A few do’s. Get a receipt form, which you fill out yourself, at the ent rance if you need a record that you made a donation. Keep track of your shopping badge, since it can fall off with the small pins provided. If you make a large or bulky purchase, there are metal shelves near the exit to store it until you’re ready to leav e. 

Some quick don’ts. Don’t bring children (although they’re allowed at the big March sale). Don’t bring food (you can’t eat it indoors there).  

Don’t lose the receipts stapled to your purchases; you’ll need them to check out. And don’t forget what your purchases look like. One friend spent a considerable time selecting a bag of books then, after getting home, discovered he had paid $16 for someone else’s bag of baby clothes he’d hurriedly picked up off the storage shelves. 

When parking outside, pay at tention to street signage and don’t block driveways, sidewalks, doorways, or railroad tracks on nearby streets. 

Finally, don’t bring useless junk to donate. The sale is for useable items, not your broken-down castoffs. And some sorts of donations—compute rs, for instance—can’t be accepted for various reasons. It’s very helpful to check the WES website to see the full list of unacceptable items. 

Everything goes to a good cause and a new home and your gift will make you feel good—and also make room for all the new things you’ll be bringing back home. 

 

 

The White Elephant Sale Warehouse is at 333 Lancaster St. in Oakland. Take 880 to the southbound Fruitvale Avenue exit. Immediately at the bottom of the exit ramp turn right onto Derby Street and go straight ahead three blocks to the warehouse door. 

Check the White Elephant Sale website at www.museumca.org/events/elephant.html for details and updates. 

?


Arts: Monologist Recounts the Travels of Fools By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet

Friday February 24, 2006

Travel writer Jeff Greenwald, primed to be the raconteur of stories from his books, improvised on the spot in answer to Strange Travel Suggestions, climbs the stage at The Marsh-Berkeley, and begins to explain his props: a gameshow-like wheel, the rim covered with odd symbols—and a huge Tarot card, featuring the romanticized image of The Fool from the Rider Pack, carrying a bindle on a stick and proceeding trippingly over a cliff while dandling a rose, as a little dog prances by his side ... 

“The Fool’s dressed as if he’s going to Burning Man, wearing Dr. Seuss boots,” Greenwald quips, and then states that the esoteric card is the perfect image of the traveler beginning the trip—the little dog, who some see as warning The Fool, being to Greenwald that impulse we all have that says “take me along!” 

(Research on the iconography of the Tarot has shown much of it to be drawn from the Carnival procession, and The Fool a zany who’d run alongside the triumphal cars—“trumps”—beating on them with his stick, an even more essential allegory of travel. The card game itself, Tarocchi, is thought by some scholars to have been invented by clerical diplomats, like Nicholas of Cusa, as “serious play” to kill time while traveling to, and during delays at interminable ecclesiastic conferences.)  

The game show wheel, Greenwald explains, is from another Tarot card, The Wheel of Fortune. The symbols on it are of his own invention; there’s a key in the program, and he requires a “co-Fool” to spin it, to come up with the Strange Travel Suggestions from such hieroglyphic cues as “The Birdbath of Memory,” “What’s That Smell?” or “Unexpected Gifts.” 

More to the point, and as a kind of appetizer, he offers two anecdotes: S. J. Perelman, after winning the Oscar for the script of Around the World in 80 Days, suggesting a producer take a trip around the world, only to get the reply, “but there’re so many other places I’d like to see!” (“The traveler versus the tourist: the traveler sees the world; the tourist sees what he came to see.”)—and the reply to Greenwald’s question to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, as they saw the full moon rise over La Brea Boulevard in Los Angeles, if he ever got nostalgic looking at the moon. “Just another place I got dust on my boots,” Aldrin said, humorlessly. 

The preliminaries over, and the mood of the upcoming tales established—a little bit playful, a bit mysterious—Greenwald gets audience members to spin the wheel. There’s a little reluctance, though much enjoyment of the proceedings. On finding out his second “co-fool” is son of the first, he quips, “It’s like a mafia here.”  

The rambling intro has now become, with the selection of the themes, a different kind of ramble—Greenwald pacing the stage, recounting tales, stringing vignettes together: the flash of recognition he had at a painted cave in India, like a revelation of a past existence, which later seems to get activated knowingly by a guru Greenwald interviews on camera. Within the bigger story are pictures, portraits: the wise man, Papa-ji, a former wrestler, soldier at Partition and avid cricket fan, cures a disciple’s fear of dogs by giving her a puppy and commanding her to raise it ... Or the fellow traveler on a Himalaya trek who becomes enamored of his map, and Greenwald’s attempt later to emulate him, only to find semanticist Korzybsky right: “The map isn’t the territory”—or at least not until it’s suffered the spills, stains and tears of handling during the trek; a pristine chart’s just a soulless topographic image. Or the little Italian captain with regal bearing (and a pungent stench) Greenwald meets on a tour ship like a floating Vegas, to whom the odor of garlic is “the smell of freedom” ... 

As a raconteur, Jeff Greenwald’s affable, engaging—even kind of the hale fellow, well-met ... but a mite precious. His chatty recountings get stuck sometimes between the grand gesture to the romance of travel (“they besought the deep blue sea to roll,” Henry James said of the Romantics) and the banality of so much of it, but without always getting the sense of the daily coin of small talk, like a good cabdriver or bartender. 

“Not the big notes, gentlemen, just the small change, please!” philosopher Edmund Husserl used to gently admonish his students of Phenomenology. The bits and pieces of Greenwald’s tales sometimes gleam through the the words he seems to be sifting. In time, mannerisms can become style. Like the map that isn’t the territory, the story’s different told to a familiar ear, on the page and from the stage. It’s an old literary conceit to travel only to discover what’s in your head. What’s interesting is the paradox of how far you have to go to find that out. In the first known account of climbing a mountain “because it’s there,” Petrarch stands on the summit of Mt. Ventoux and reads a passage at random in St. Augustine’s Confessions that casts doubt on his alpine enterprise. Paradoxes of that sort would make Greenwald a better metaphysical voyageur. 

And a little less false naivete—he has enough charm when he gets down to business, or even just jokes around. He ends with a benediction to the audience: “May all your travels make fools out of you.” 

 

Strange Travel Suggestions plays at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays through March 3 at The Marsh, 2118 Allston Way. $15-22. (800) 838-3006 or www.themarsh.org.›


Moving Pictures: Film Documents Rising Tensions In 2004 Falluja By JUSTIN DeFREITAS

Friday February 24, 2006

Early on in the documentary Occupation: Dreamland, soldiers of the 82nd Airborne are seen patrolling the streets of Falluja, talking with the city’s residents along the way. At one point an Iraqi man stands before a soldier and tells him that the Iraqi people simply cannot accept colonialism, that resistance is an innate part of the Iraqi identity. “Bear with me,” he says to the soldier. “This is something that is pent up inside our hearts … know it, record it, transmit it.” 

That line informs the film and the filmmakers, for directors Garrett Scott and Ian Olds do just that, removing themselves from the action and allowing the soldiers and Iraqi people to tell the story.  

The documentary follows members of the 82nd Airborne’s Alpha Company in Falluja in early 2004, before the city became a major battleground. Pacific Film Archive is screening the film at 7 p.m. Saturday as part of the traveling exhibition of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. Occupation: Dreamland received much critical praise upon its release in 2005, including numerous awards, and is now available on DVD at www.occupationdreamland.com. 

We get to know the soldiers along the way; we learn their backgrounds, their politics, their plans for the future. There is no censorship here; the soldiers clearly have no reservations about expressing their opinions of their mission and of the war itself.  

On the homefront, the Left declares the war unwinnable and calls for these young men to be brought home, out of harm’s way. The Right tries to stifle criticism of the war by claiming that it undermines the morale of the soldiers on the front lines. But these young men hardly exist in a jingoistic vacuum.  

What Occupation: Dreamland makes clear is that it is not the opinions of the Cindy Sheehans and Bill O’Reillys that make them doubt the value of their mission; it is the murky justifications for and logistics of the mission itself. Whether they agree with the politics or not—and both sides are represented in Alpha Company—it is the danger and futility of their work that chips away at their resolve. 

As in Vietnam, the soldiers must fight an unseen enemy. Every day they roam the streets in search of a shadowy insurgency that is inflamed by the sight of soldiers roaming the streets. It is part of the madness of war, a Catch-22 that Joseph Heller’s Capt. John Yossarian could appreciate: Alpha Company venture forth from their barracks to put down an insurgency that is only provoked by the company’s visibility. 

“What exactly are we securing?” a company commander asks during a debriefing after an insurgency attack. The company had been providing security for a Falluja city council meeting when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) exploded on the road in front of them. “Raise your hand if you think they’re going to RPG the sheiks and all the important people in Falluja.  

“So what are we securing then? We’re securing, essentially, ourselves. So what exactly are we protecting? I don’t know.” 

Occupation: Dreamland provides a first-person glimpse of a city of rising tensions, just before it erupts into widespread violence. It is a harrowing portrait of the uncertainty of war and of the uncertainty of the young men we send to fight it.  

 

 

Human Rights Watch International Film Festival  

 

7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24:  

Videoletters, Program 1 

 

8:35 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24:  

Justice 

 

5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25: 

Winter Soldier  

 

7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25 

Occupation:  

Dreamland 

8:40 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25: 

State of Fear  

 

3:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 26: 

Living Rights 

 

5:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 26: 

Videoletters, Program 2 

 

 

For more information: www.bampfa.berkeley.edu?


Moving Pictures: Love and Loneliness Along the Border By JUSTIN DeFREITAS

Friday February 24, 2006

At 20 paces Ivan Thompson is a dead ringer for the late Hunter S. Thompson—a lean figure in jeans and 10-gallon hat, mysterious and rugged with eyes concealed by large dark sunglasses. However, Ivan—the self-styled “Cowboy Cupid” of director Michèle Ohayon’s documentary Cowboy del Amor, opening today at Shattuck Cinemas in downtown Berkeley—has none of the gonzo journalist’s mumbled, eccentric rapid-fire cadences. Instead he is a plain-spoken, down-to-earth southwesterner with the twangy, no-nonsense voice of a man who has spent his life on ranches, working hard and scraping by amid the tumbleweeds and dust. 

Yet his business has a certain gonzo flair: Thompson makes his living finding Mexican brides for lonely American men, placing ads in Mexican newspapers and shuttling his clients across the border to interview prospective mates. It’s as if Doonesbury’s opportunistic Uncle Duke has come to life, mining human frailty and geopolitical realities for mercenary gain. 

The film walks a moral borderline as well as a literal one, and consequently provokes mixed emotions. On the one hand, the people are sympathetic—it is easy to understand their pain, their loneliness, their need to find something new and their willingness to resort to such means to get it. On the other hand, the inherent misogyny of the operation is unsettling. The men, it seems, are looking for docile Mexican dolls to sit by their sides, to comfort them and prop them up, to come live in their homes and to generally behave themselves, while the women are looking for respect, love, security, equality and, perhaps most importantly, a shot at the American Dream.  

Doubtless there are success stories—Thompson has apparently made several dozen matches over the years—but it’s difficult to see how these conflicting desires could mesh for very long. The women are looking for a means to an end; their path is an upward trajectory, and marriage is just a first step. The men, however, are generally headed downward; their goal is simply to find someone to share their final years with, or perhaps to help slow the descent and level it off.  

Thompson himself is something of a harbinger of what’s in store for these couples. Already once divorced, he met and married a young Mexican beauty only to learn later that she had four children from a previous marriage. He managed to absorb that shock, but the second shock was insurmountable: Chayo wanted to learn to speak English. This was too much for Thompson; his wife was becoming “too American.” The conflict is a fundamental one: Chayo’s desire to reach her potential and fully engage with the American world in which she was living clashed with her husband’s desire to keep her as merely a part of his own private world.  

But Thompson doesn’t seem to fully grasp the significance of his experience and is all too eager to share the fruits of his mixed results with others. And there are plenty of takers. 

What kind of man is tempted by a billboard to hand over $3,000 to a broker to find him a Mexican bride? Well, pretty much just the kind of man you’d guess: middle-aged, perhaps older, with either a history of failure with women or no history with women at all; a man no longer ambitious, but rather resigned and disconsolate, desperate to gain some measure of control over his life and environment. These are lonely, broken men, “men without women,” as Hemingway called them, and the minimalism of the phrase aptly reflects the men it describes: dull, uninspired, uncertain and insecure. They are for the most part simple men, men who speak simply with simple words, if they speak at all. If there are fires burning in their bellies, they’ve long since learned to tamp them down and just get along. 

The women, on the other hand, are quite complex. They come from all walks of life; they are housewives, doctors, lawyers, secretaries. During the interviews they walk a delicate line, attempting to appear feminine and desirable while trying to subtly communicate their needs and backgrounds in non-threatening ways. It is only when Ohayon’s camera catches them alone that we begin to glimpse their real personalities. 

If you didn’t know going in that the film was directed by a woman, you’d soon deduce it from the scenes that follow. The women, away from the awkward casting-couch interview process, suddenly open up in private conversations in a way they didn’t and couldn’t before the scrutinizing eyes of Thompson and his clients. The cautiousness disappears, the flirtatiousness subsides, and we see these women relaxed, honest and contemplative, dropping the pretense and talking, woman to woman. And here we see their complexity and their pain—the pain of broken marriages and family tragedies, the longing for a better life, or at least another life, and the strained loyalties as they prepare to move away from the only homes and families they’ve ever known. 

Despite the charisma, kindness and humor of Ivan Thompson, the film is permeated with a certain sadness—the sadness that comes with the acknowledgment that life is not a story with a fairly-tale ending, but a series of compromises, of people making do with what they have. And the sadness is compounded by the realization that for these women, their only path to independence is through dependence on a man; and that these men, being American, believe that they can simply buy the happiness they’ve thus far been unable to find.  

There is at least one happy ending among the match-ups depicted in the film, yet that does not go very far in masking the film’s essential tragedy: wounded women trying to become Something after rising from Nothing, only to find themselves in the arms of men with a deep-seated need to keep them there.  

Though they may find consolation in having found a partner, in having someone to walk hand in hand with through that dusty, desolate landscape, we are left with the feeling that these couples are destined to always walk with an inviolable border between them. 

 


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. 

University trustees wanted a solid community of homesteaders to exist outside campus boundaries, subdividing non-campus land on streets laid out in grids, those running north-south named after men of science, east-west after men of letters. Carried by horse-drawn trolley down Telegraph Avenue, students disembarked at the site of today’s Sproul Hall. Slowly, businesses catering to their needs blossomed: rooming house and hotel, café and restaurant, butcher and grocery, Chinese laundry. Southside was born. 

Today Southside Berkeley is home to diverse communities. Telegraph’s magnetic forces draw across the board but as you travel south, homes, businesses and needs quiet and mature.  

Named after the first telegraph line in the East Bay, today’s Avenue is a student’s dream. For those around longer than a university stint, it represents much more. Combining the fight for individual rights with history and a strong independent streak, Telegraph pulses with change while hanging on to the ‘60s voices of Free Speech and Power To The People.  

Strolling the six-block length carries you past historic landmarks, book and music shops, clothing both vintage and contemporary, a cornucopia of street vendors and over fifty eateries and cafes. A hive of free spirit and creative expression by artists, poets, musicians and the disenfranchised. Something for everyone. 

Many Telegraph merchants reflect new trends: Addidas and Shiekh, Hot Topic and Wicked, crepes and curry, shawarma and falafel. Others, like Bill’s Men’s Shop and Rexall Drugs, have endured through turmoil and peace. 

Moe’s Books occupies five floors, signaling both new and quality used offerings with a striking red and white striped awning, almost next door to Cody’s Books, able to satisfy every esoteric need. Across the street, Shakespeare Books retains the old style, used-book atmosphere. Multiple cases cram every dark space, the old book smell perfuming the air. 

Vintage is in, as evidenced at Mars Mercantile, where white tennis shorts share space with beaded evening gowns, netted petticoats and an entire rack of Brokeback Mountain denim jackets. Model your latest find by descending the black iron spiral staircase.  

Amoeba Music will buy, sell or trade, new and old. The whimsical metal assemblage band of musicians occupying front stage elicits instant smiles. Composed of washboards, hubcaps, rakes, hoses, molds and spoons, their music is faint but distinct. Rasputin’s draws you in with posters for the music of your choice, whether indies, punk, goth, soul, reggae or international. For music in person, Blake’s is renowned. Move your body and satisfy your soul. 

When hunger strikes, choices are vast. Café Intermezzo is packed, and for good reason, with huge portions at reasonable prices. Blondie’s and Fat Slice allow you to carry away lunch for $2 plus change. Mario’s La Fiesta has been serving authentic flautas, menudo and grilled burritos since 1959. 

Coffee cravings are easily met in a myriad of styles. The Mediterraneum seems quiet now, faded blue and white awning and black and white tiled floor unchanged. At The Musical Offering, classical CDs occupy the back of this long, narrow space while an airy convivial café fills the front. At Cafe Strada every outdoor table is always occupied. Espresso drinks crowd the tabletops while students crowd the benches. 

The heart of Telegraph’s history is People’s Park. A small stage sits before an expanse of lawn, verdant trees and shrubs. Room for vegetables, basketball and quiet repose barely echo the effort required to secure this sacred ground. Here the symbolism equals the land. For a graphic depiction of this struggle, the “People’s History of Telegraph” mural tells the story, required viewing for all Telegraph strollers.  

Southside Berkeley extends all the way to the Oakland border, serving multiple communities. Here Berkeley’s working classes have their physical and cultural needs met by a rich variety of venues. Among brown shingles, stick-Eastlake cottages, Victorians and recent constructions, residents’ work, play and thrive. 

Want to know what Berkeley’s all about? Show up at Berkeley Bowl Saturday morning when the parking lot is filling up and a peaceful crowd of almost 100 waits for the doors to open. These are Berkeley’s faces—all ages, all ethnicities, pure and mixed, as varied at the choices within.  

Inside, produce rules. More than 30 varieties of apples, same for citrus. Organic, heirloom, fancy, extra fancy, pesticide-free—take your pick. Want something esoteric? Try abalone, wood ear, black trumpet and yellow foot mushrooms. Carts converge, merge and intersect, not unlike an L.A. freeway. Patience is recommended. 

Beyond produce are hundreds of bins offering bulk grains, nuts, beans and exotic combinations. Marinated olives, fresh salmon, free range chicken, triple cream brie, dark chocolate brownie, pugliese, deep blue irises, all the way to laundry soap and toilet paper. A full service grocery plus atmosphere. 

When sated with the smells and tastes of food, activity is required. Within a 2,000-square-foot, Art Deco rink, Berkeley’s Iceland has been issuing skates since 1939. Forever a kitschy winter wonderland, with snow-capped trees and holiday lights, this gymnasium with floor of ice has a monthly calendar crowded with choices from morning till night. 

My recent visit seemed a step back in time, zamboni gliding over the ice, young girls laughing and skating. Classes, youth hockey, synchronized skate, birthday parties and school fundraisers are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Ready to remodel, prune or just repair the fence? A Berkeley Public Library card will get you in the door of the Tool Lending Library where the variety of possible rentals is vast. Coping saw, circuit tester, lopping shear and drain snake could be in your hands next weekend. Well-packed, peg-boarded, and binned, this library distributes banter as well as tools, both equally valuable. 

When food for the soul beckons three choices lead to different cultures. The Thai Buddhist Temple offers services and cultural events, another full calendar. To be transported to a Thai bazaar head to the back. Under blue and white awnings, corrugated metal and green plastic, tables fill every square inch, including alleyways. They’re necessary for the famous Sunday brunch where tokens are traded for a delicious array of Thai delicacies and hearty fare. 

The fare at the Black Repertory Group stirs the soul. Inside the distinctively painted theater, aglow in purple, orange and mustard, Mainstage Productions presents the work of black writers. Mentoring, apprentice and internship programs reach out to young adults; summer camp and acting classes help instill the “theater bug” in the young, providing instruction and a creative venue for expression. 

La Peña Cultural Center is at the heart of Berkeley’s life philosophy. A place where all cultures are welcomed, somewhere newcomers feel acceptance. Opened in 1975, La Peña offered refuge to thousands of South American exiles, many from Chile. With them came the tradition of La Peña, a gathering place for art, culture and discussion. 

From the vibrant front wall mural and the art filled Café Valparaiso to the halls where performances and discussions take place; La Peña is fulfilling its goals. Seeing the children of yesterday become today’s volunteers is proof the message has been absorbed.  

From the Gateway to the University to Oakland’s borders, neighborhood quietly hum. A stroll through bohemia, a latte and Bach, grocery bags brimming with goodies, public skate under disco lights, theater for the mind, Cuban music for the soul. Just a sample of life in Berkeley’s Southside. 

 

 

Berkeley Bowl: 2020 Oregon St., 843- 6929, www.berkeleybowl.com.  

Iceland: 2727 Milvia St., 647-1606, www.berkeleyiceland.com. 

Tool Lending Library: 1901 Russell St., 981 6101, www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/tool. 

Thai Buddhist Temple: 1911 Russell St., 849 3419.  

Black Repertory Group Theater: 3201 Adeline St., 652 8030, www.blackrepertorygroup.com. 

La Peña Cultural Center: 3105 Shattuck Ave., 849 2568, www.lapena.org.


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. 

The city didn’t formally designate it as a landmark till about 2000, but the building had been a prominent feature along Telegraph for a nearly a century. Constructed in stages from 1880 to 1906, it housed for nearly all of its life what became Berkeley’s oldest continuing business. The firm that had been founded by John Gorman in 1876, and was renamed J. Gorman & Son in 1890, continued to sell furniture in Berkeley throughout the 20th century before moving to Oakland. 

Unfortunately at mid-century the building—like so many other historic structures during that period—was crudely “modernized.” The distinctive witch’s cap over the southwest portion was lopped off. The northern portion’s ornamental parapet was removed. The facades’ wood siding, and some of the windows, got covered over by asbestos siding.  

Several years ago plans were drawn up to rehab the old building. But that project stalled and for a while the structure sat forlornly empty. Then David Clahan bought the property and, with revised plans, energetically got the work done. Kudos to him for the result.  

It was a pleasure to watch the rehab work proceed as the building steadily came back into its own. Off went the asbestos, liberating to view the old wood siding behind it still in surprisingly good condition. The witch’s cap and the ornamental parapet were recreated to match their appearance in old photos. Tastefully repainted and with historic features revealed or compellingly restored, the building now sparkles. 

On the ground floor the rehab has created two commercial spaces. One of them has already been occupied by neighborhood standby Krishna Copy, which reportedly is doing quite well in this new location. On the upper floors a total of four apartments have been created that are big enough to house real families. Subdivision approval has been obtained for selling each of the commercial spaces and apartments as condo units. 

Landmarking doesn’t mean that nothing can change. To remain a living part of the community, and make good contemporary use feasible, landmarked buildings often need some alterations. This has been true with the Gorman’s rehab where, for instance, new doors have been created facing Telegraph that give access to the northerly commercial space and the upstairs apartments. But these have been placed and detailed to sensitively fit within the building’s overall design. 

With its historic feel strongly regained, the building now eloquently reminds us of the Southside’s past. It also speaks to the future. 

The reinvigorated building is a valuable catalyst within an interesting segment of Telegraph Avenue—from about Blake Street to Derby Street or so—for which a distinct character of its own seems to be subtly crystallizing. This stretch has the longtime and upscale anchor of Andronico’s, the familiar Le Bateau Ivre restaurant and coffeehouse, and such newer eating places as Unicorn. During recent years two sizable new mixed-use buildings have risen here, and a third is now under construction.  

The Gorman’s case illustrates that while rehab of a historic structure generally is well worthwhile, the road to achieving it isn’t necessarily smooth or fast. Patience is needed—and vision.  

A few years ago the property’s former owner and a would-be developer of it gave some concerned people a guided tour through the then-empty building. During the tour serious structural problems were pointed out and it was clear that the decrepit interior would need to be largely gutted. 

A staffer from the city’s Office of Economic Development grumped approximately, “What’s the point of keeping some ghost of this building’s former self?” 

Well, to slightly paraphrase a classic retort by Churchill, “Some ghost!” 

 

John English is a longtime resident of the Willard neighborhood. 




About the House: What to Look For When Replacing a Roof By Matt Cantor

Friday February 24, 2006

Dear Matt Cantor, 

Your information has been so helpful that I’ve have a question for you. I have to get a new roof on my four-bedroom, two-story, step-roofed house. The old roof has to be completely taken off. What should I look for in the roofers’ estimates? 

Thanks so much. 

—Nancy Ward 

 

Dear Nancy, 

Can you tell me a little about your roof, including approximate slope, type of roofing you currently have, the approximate age of the house and anything else you thing is relevant (where it has leaked, etc.). 

—Matt 

 

Dear Matt, 

My house is 79 years old. I can’t tell you the approximate slope but the upper part is very steep. It’s all composition shingles and has had partial roofing done many times but it hasn’t had a complete reroofing in the 40 years I’ve been here. I believe that parts of it have four layers. The part that leaked was on a part that was not the steepest. That has been repaired. 

Thanks.  

—Nancy 

 

O.K., here goes. 

There are lots of issues so take notes. The first thing is that four layers is too much. Roofing weighs a lot. There are a few of you out there who have surely helped install a roof and may recall climbing that ladder over and over again with bundles of shingles that seemed to weigh 40 pounds a piece. If you multiply that by 60 or so bundles on a roof (about 33 square feet to the bundle) and then times four layers (give or take some for varying material), you get a huge amount of weight. 

If you’ve ever been in an attic, you’ll note that the framing is often quite delicate. Roof framing has gotten beefier in the last 60 years or so but much of our housing stock has roof framing that uses 2x4’s laid out at wide spacing with very long spans. In short, far wider than we would ever allow for a floor. 

The presumption was that the roofing material was going to be the only weight and that high winds, snow or multiple layers never happened. The reality is that these things all happen and one thing more that we all need to be very much aware of: earthquakes. 

Earthquake forces interplay with heavy, weak or multi-layer roofs in interesting ways. First we need to remember that when earthquakes occur, it’s the earth moving, not the house. Actually, that’s the problem, if the house moved easily with the earth, it would do well. It’s the dissonance or struggle that’s the problem. 

The less flexible the house or the heavier the house, the more resistance there is to moving easily with the earthquake. Take a house and load the very top with a huge amount of excess weight and what happens? It has more inertia, more resistance to moving with the earth. So the bottom moves rapidly and the top is dragging behind and what this does is tear up or “shear” the section in the middle. This may be the walls, the “cripple” walls below the floor or the roof framing itself. 

So having less roof weight, fewer layers for example, is one way to decrease damage to the house during an earthquake. Therefore, when you replace your roof, take everything off except for the framing itself. 

In fact, I even recommend removal of the “skip” sheathing that is used to hold the original wooden shingles to the framing prior to installing plywood. You might have these skip sheathing boards and if you do remove them, you’ll end up with a better connection between the plywood sheathing and the framing. Plywood can actually increase the cohesion of an old roof framing if it’s well nailed and decrease damage in an earthquake. 

When you’re replacing your roof, be sure to replace all of the “flashings.” These are mostly metal components and are designed to prevent leakage between surfaces of different shapes or orientations. Some are used where pipes or chimneys penetrate a surface. Some are used in valleys where two surfaces coincide. Some are also used at edges to prevent water from reaching the edge of the sheathing material. These are cheap to install when you’re doing a complete roofing job there’s no good reason to short change this portion of the roofing job. 

If you have joints between a wall and a roofing surface, it’s wise to install wall-to-roof flashings here and make sure they ascend the wall behind the wall finish (shingle, stucco or what-have-you) at least a few inches. This often means removal and replacement of some of this surface. Leave a gap at the bottom so that splashing or wind-driven water can’t get under the siding edge. A couple of inches is best. 

You mentioned that you were thinking about replacing a “part” of your roof. It’s really best to do the whole roof at the same time if you are financially able. Now, sometimes I’ll see one part of the roof that’s just fine and I’ll know that there are viable methods to integrate one part into another but roofs, in general, are not like skin. They don’t heal and the joints between portions are vulnerable to leakage. 

A good roofer, under the right circumstances may be able to replace a portion of a roof and give reasonable assurances that the interconnect won’t leak but as a rule, it’s best to replace all of the roof at once because of the methodology of roofing. 

Roofs are made up, generally, of multiple layers from the wood decking, through underlayments and flashings through finished layers. These tend to be installed in a process that involves “stepping” up the incline and overlaying all the preceding vulnerabilities. 

When you cut through this or try to replace one part, you violate the protocol that does so much to keep things dry. This is one of the reasons that skylights often leak. They are often added after the fact and the joints around them don’t integrate into the roofing system adequately. So think about doing the whole thing if you can manage it. 

Lastly, consider the right material for the job. If you have steeply sloped portions, almost any roofing type will work and composition shingle is a good choice for low cost and good longevity. Although this kind of roof can be used on relatively shallow slopes as well, it is less reliable and I recommend switching to something like a “modified bitumen” roof for lower slopes and what we call “flat” roofs. 

Built-up roofs, like “tar and gravel,” can work but have shorter lives and are harder to fix. Also, I find that many of the installers of tar and gravel don’t pay close enough attention to the details.  

Choose a roofer who seems smart. One who can write a contract and speak intelligently about the way the roof will be done. Ask lots of questions and don’t pick the cheapest guy. The best person is almost never the cheapest, although they might not be the most expensive. 

If you can replace the gutters and downspouts at the same time, that’s worthwhile as well.  

One more thing to add to your list of things to think about when you’re roofing is to add or subtract anything that penetrates the roof at the time of the roofing. 

If you have an unused chimney flue (from the 1910 coal burner or stove), consider taking it down below the roof line prior to reroofing. Remove any other flues or vents that are no longer in use. If the bath fan vents to the attic, run it through the roof during the job. This is also the best to time to add a skylight, attic ventilation or a vent opening for the bath fan you’ll add next year. 

Talk to your neighbors in advance about the noise and mess. They’ll be less upset when things go wrong and ask the roofer to keep things clean (including the attic).  

I hope these thoughts will help you and your roofer produce a better product and avoid some of the potential dilemmas. 

 

 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor, in care of East Bay Real Estate, at realestate@berkeleydailyplanet.com.ª


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.  

It’s always tempting to grab a bargain tree at from the warehouse store, along with that gallon of paint. But it pays, especially for beginners, to buy from people we can trust. A good nursery that values its client base and reputation will be careful to steer you right. Even there, it helps to be informed.  

Choose a tree with bigger caliper—the diameter of the trunk—over a taller one, even if Shorty costs a bit more. Look for healthy green foliage. 

Leaves, if they’re in season, shouldn’t be yellow-edged or mottled (unless it’s a variegated cultivar!) or brown-tipped. A yellowing conifer is a bad gamble: conifers tend to be dead before they even look sickly. The nodes that buds and twigs and branches emerge from should be relatively close together.  

It’s OK if it’s been pruned a bit to establish shape, but there should be no stubs, big scars, or torn bark. Unless you’re looking for special bonsai-type effects, a tree should be fairly symmetrical, and not conspicuously topped. All its twigs should be plump, resilient, and unwrinkled.  

Touch it; its leaves should be a little cooler than the air around it. This is subtle, and it helps to touch a lot of trees to educate your senses. Go ahead and fondle the foliage every time you’re in the park. (You do know what poison oak looks like, right?) 

If it’s a conifer, feel for needles as stiff and prickly or pliable and bouncy as its particular species ought to be. (Research that, too.) Broad leaves shouldn’t be drooping or, in most plants, sticky. Look underneath them for bugs.  

We don’t bother much with balled-and-burlapped trees around here, and we buy bare-root trees mostly because they’re cheaper, not of necessity. Nursery plants of all sorts do just fine in containers in our mild climate, so we have lots of choices. We still have to pay attention to the rootball.  

There should be no visible gap between the soil and the sides of the container; a gap allows water to run off without wetting the roots and suggests that the plant was allowed to dry out a lot at some point, which hurts and shrinks the rootball. 

It shouldn’t be easy to wiggle the tree in its pot, either; that suggests a very newly potted-up plant, “a four-inch plant in a gallon pot.” There are exceptions—some trees and others resent having their roots even slightly crowded—but you should get the size you’re paying for.  

Comparison shopping helps, and so does learning what’s healthy for the species you’re buying. The best idea is to find a flourishing individual of the species you want, in the wild or in someone’s garden, and have it in mind as a benchmark.  

 

 




Berkeley This Week

Friday February 24, 2006

FRIDAY, FEB. 24 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Frik Scott on “Overview of the Turmoil in Central Asia and Caucasus Region.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

McGee Family Night, in celebration of Black History Month at 6:30 p.m. at McGee Avenue Baptist Church, 1640 Stuart St. 843-1774.  

“Spiritual Enlightenment in Classical Islam” with Sufi Master Shaykh Hisham Kabbani at 7 p.m. at the Graduate Theological Union’s Starr King School, 2441 Le Conte Ave. 654-7542. 

How’d You Become Activists? What Now? with Peter Camejo of the Green Party and Jennifer Kidder, long-time peace, labor and voting rights activist, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Donation of $10 requested. 528-5403.  

Chechnya’s Past and Present: Russia’s “War on Terrorism” with Professor Michaela Pohl, Vassar College and Musa Khasanov, Public Interest Law Initiative fellow and Grozny-based human rights lawyer, at 6:30 p.m. at Vista College, Room 1, 2020 Milvia St. 415-565-0201, ext. 12. 

American Sign Language Conversation Group at 4 p.m. at 604 56th St at Shattuck. A Free Skool class. www.barringtoncollective.org 

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 School classes for students in grades 1-8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 1581 LeRoy Ave., room 17. 843-0150. 

Berkeley Chess Club 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. 548-6310, 845-1143. 

“Jews In The Modern World,” the third annual Scholar-in-Residence Weekend Seminar, sponsored by Kol Hadash and the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, through Feb. 26 at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. The fee for the series for non-members is $100. Individual sessions are $40 each. 415-543-4595. 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Shabbat with Madrikha Susan Averbach, at 7:30 p.m., Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring finger dessert to share, and non-perishable food for the needy. Info@kolhadash.org 

SATURDAY, FEB. 25 

“Honoring Our Community Legends” A Black History Month Celebration with music and performances, at 1 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 981-6674. 

African American Quilters of Oakland Demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. 238-7352. www.oaklandlibrary.org 

Haiti Resistance Two Years After the Coup with Duclos Benissoit, President, Federation of Public Transport Workers of Haiti, a message from Father Gerard Jean-Juste, and music, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donation $5-$10. 483-7481.  

“World Social Forum: Report Back” with Earl Gilman at 2 p.m. at the Niebyl Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 

Puppet Theater Workshop for ages 8-11 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Party with a dramatization of “Green Eggs and Ham” at 11 a.m. at the Kensington Community Center, 59 Arlington Ave. Tickets required. 524-3043. 

Disaster Preparedness Workshop on Neighborhood Organizing from 10 a.m. to noon at 997 Cedar St. Sponsored by the Office of Emergency Services. To register call 981-5506. 

“Healthy Schools Inside and Out” A workshop for Alameda educators, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tyrrell Elementary, 27000 Tyrrell Ave., Hayward. The cost is $25, and scholarships are available. 665-3430. www.thewatershedproject.org 

“Energy Efficient Homes” from 9 to 11 a.m. at Truitt and White Conference Room, 1817 Second St. Free, but registration required. 649-2674. www.truittandwhite.com 

Vegetarian Cooking CLass “Demystifying Tofu and Tempeh” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $45. Registration required. 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com 

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. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Sylvia Gretchen on Compassion Teachings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. Cost is $80, registration required. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

QiGong Healing Energy Session with Master Zi Sheng Wang at 7:30 a.m. at Chinese Garden Center, 275 Seventh St., Oakland. Cost is $35. 415-983-5303. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 26 

A Cover Up! Learn about the new spring ground covers and new leaves on the trees on a guided hike at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Frederick Douglas on Slave Music” with Dr. P. Sterling Stuckey at 3:30 p.m. at the West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St. Oakland. 

“The Half Note Club, Then and Now” at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. A Black History Month presentation. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Bay Area Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement Panel discussion with Jimmy Rogers, Chud Allen and Donald Jelinek at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

“Teens Touch the Earth!” Habitat Restoration work and fun. Meet at 10 a.m. at Skyline Gate of Redwood Regional Park, Oakland. RSVP to 636-1684.  

“One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America” with author James P. Moore and music by Peter B. Allen at 3 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 2619 Dwight Way at Bowditch. 925-376-3908. 

Report from the Front Lines of Struggle: West Africa, Venezuela and St. Petersburg, Florida with Gaida Kambon, National Secretary of the African People’s Socialist Party at 4 p.m. at Uhuru House, 7911 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland. 569-9620. 

“Have a Heart for Farm Animals” Benefit at 5:30 p.m. at New World Vegetarian, 464 8th St., Oakland. 925-487-4419.  

“Creating An Ecological House” with Skip Wenz on modeling houses on ecosystems, natural building materials, solar design and alternative construction methods, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610. 

Berkeley City Club free tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. 848-7800. 

Wu-Wei Acupuncture & Healing Center Community Workshop about health and wellness from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 2880 Sacramento St. 704-0593. 

Interfaith Families at the Movies: “Rashevski’s Tango” at 4 p.m. at Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Rosalyn White on “Tibetan Sacred Art” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, FEB. 27 

Neighborhood Meeting on Center for Independent Living’s development of its Telegraph Ave. property at 6:30 p.m. at CIL, 2539 Telegraph Ave. 704-0130. 

“Jamaica: The History, Politics and Culture of the Black World” at 11 a.m. at Merritt College, Building A., Room 218, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland. 434-3935. 

East Bay Impeach Bush Meetup at 7 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. 527-9584. 

“How do Tissues Turn into Tumors?” The role of the Microenvironment in breast cancer with Dr. Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff, at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2015 Addison St. 486-7292.  

Kensington Library Book Club meets to discuss “The Dive From Claussen’s Pier” by Ann Packer at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Positive Parenting Classes begin at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 658-7353. www.bananasinc.org 

World Affairs Discussion Group for seniors at 10:15 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center. Cost is $2.50. 

Free Business Loan and Business Plan Writing Boot Camp Mon. and Fri. from 9 a.m. to noon at 519 17th St., 2nd Floor, Ste. 200, Oakland, through March 31. 395-6003. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, FEB. 28 

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

Return of the Over-the-Hills Gang Hikers 55 years and older who are interested in nature study, history, fitness, and fun are invited to join us on a series of monthly excursions exploring our Regional Parks. This month we’ll visit Sindicich Lagoons. Meet at 10 a.m. at the north entrance to Briones Park on Briones Road. For information and to register call 525-2233.  

BHS Site Council meets at 4:30 p.m. at BHS Library to discuss Safety and Attendance Data, Small Schools Data, and Academic Choice update. 525-0124. 

Cragmont Elementary School Afro American Celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. at 830 Regal Rd., with a New Orleans potluck dinner and performances. Free, but donations for Katrina relief welcome. 644-8810. 

“African Roots of Beijing” film screening with director Luke Mines at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $5. 642-9460. 

Kalimba Interactive Assembly with Carl Winters on the African thumb piano, in celebration of Black History Month at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. All ages welcome. 597-5017. 

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with Scott Williamson at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Balancing Hormones Naturally” with Dr. Jay Sordean at 7 p.m. at Curves, 701 University Ave. Sponsored by the Doctors Speakers Bureau. 849-1176. 

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.  

“Our Spiritual Crisis: Recovering Human Wisdom in a Time of Violence” with peace scholar and activist, Michael Nagler at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. 

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to come join us the 2nd and 4th Tues, of each month, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. to sing (any voice will do), help plan our next gig, or write outrageously political lyrics to old familiar tunes, and have fun at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St., in Andronico’s mall. 548-9696. 

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

Yarn Divas Basic Knitting at 7:30 p.m. at Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave. Especially, but not exclusively, for women with cancer. Experienced participants are welcome. 420-7900, ext. 111. 

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. In case of questionable weather, call around 8 a.m. 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. 

Healthy Eating Habits Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 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. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 

“Explore Santa Fe Right of Way” with the Berkeley Path Wanderers on an easy walk covering the history and future of the Santa Fe Right of Way, from beginnings as a faltering narrow-gauge railway to exciting new community efforts. Meet at the north side of the BART station at 10 a.m. Bring water and a snack. 848-9358. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Berkeley Pedestrian Master Plan Open House to identify specific ways to improve our streets for a safe and comfortable walking experience at 7 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-7062. 

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association Lecture “UN Reform” with Richard Sklar, former ambassador to the UN at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Cost is $40 for the eight lecture series. 526-2925. 

Bookmark Book Group meets to discuss “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” by Thomas L. Friedman at 6:30 p.m. at 721 Washington St., Oakland. The Bookmark is the bookstore for Friends of the Oakland Public Library. 444-0473. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

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.  

Meditation and Discussion at 7 p.m. near the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. No commitment to a particular religious or philosophical viewpoint is required. Free. www.heartawake.com 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton 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. 548-9840. 

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.  

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/ 

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 

Meeting on Burrowing Owl Habitat with the City of Albany Waterfront Committee to review a proposal for a burrowing owl habitat at the Albany Plateau. The plan would result in the creation of a protected area (fenced off) comprising about 10 acres of this approximately 20-acre site. At 7:30 p.m. at Albany City Hall, 1000 San Pablo Ave., Albany. 528-5760.  

“Ecological Gardening: Native Plants = Wildlife Magnets” with Corinne Greenberg at the Oakland Bird Club meeting, at 7:30 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. 444-0355. 

Organic Beekeeping with Les Crowder who maintains over 100 hives without chemicals, contraptions or expense. At 7 p.m. at The Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Seed Paper Making at 4 p.m. at 604 56th St at Shattuck. A Free Skool class. www.barringtoncollective.org 

“Considering Program Choices for Berkeley Schools’ Future” at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley High School Library, enter on Allston Way, near Milvia St. We will discuss establishing educational priorities and funding for Berkeley Schools Excellence Project (BSEP) Measure and Measure B (the Bridge Measure) which will end in fall 2006. Child care provided. Spanish language translators available. If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to make a comment, please email publicinfo@berkeley.k12.ca.us or call 644-8549. 

Berkeley Public Library’s Teen Services invite teen readers to come and discuss classic and contemporary science fiction and fantasy titles, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue (at Ashby). We will discuss L. Frank Baum’s Oz books as political allegory, and debate the distinctions between science fiction and fantasy. 981-6133. 

“The Academy Awards Night with Harry Chotiner” at 7:30 pm. at the College Preparatory School, Buttner Auditorium, 6100 Broadway. Cost is $5-$10. 339-7726. 

“Buddhism and Environment: The Birth of Flood Control Politics, and Disaster Management in the Battle for the National Sanctum of Tibet” with Per Sorensen, Professor, Institute of Central Asian Studies, University of Leipzig, at 5 p.m. at 341 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus.  

Historical & Current Times Book Group meets on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1249 Marin Ave. 548-4517. 

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 

ONGOING 

Free Tax Help—United Way’s Earn it! Keep It! Save It! program provides free filing assistance to households that earned less than $38,000 in 2005. To find a free tax site near you, call 800-358-8832 or visit www.EarnitKeepitSaveit.org 

Albany Library Free Drop-in Homework Help for students in third through fifth grades, Mon. - Thurs. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Emphasis is placed on math and writing skills. No registration is required. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/planning/landuse/Creeks/default.html 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. Feb. 27, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., Feb. 27, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Virginia Aiello, 981-5158. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/parksandrecreation 

Solid Waste Management Commission Mon., Feb. 27, at 7 p.m., at 1201 Second St. Tania Levy, 981-6368. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/solidwaste 


Arts Calendar

Tuesday February 21, 2006

TUESDAY, FEB. 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Modernism in Israel: Works on Paper” opens at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St., and runs through July 9. 549-6950. 

“Ansel Adams: Inspiration and Influence” opens at the Lindsey Wildlife Museum, 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. 925-935-1978. www.wildlife-museum.org 

FILM 

Women’s Preservation Film Fund with Alice Guy-Blanché, Meredith Monk, and actresses Grace Cunard and Francine Everett at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Alan Halsey, Geraldine Monk at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Prelim #1, for youth aged 13-19 at 7 p.m. at Berkeley High School, 2223 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Tickets are $4-$6. 415-255-9035, ext. 22. www.youthspeaks.org   

Kenji Yoshino describes “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sauce Piquante at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Mike Marshall & Hamilton de Holanda, mandolins, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazz 

school at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Measure of Time” with works by Marcel Duchamp, Jackson Pollock, Robert Brer, Dennis Oppenhiem and many others, opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Ave. 642-0808.  

FILM 

Film 50 “The Murderers Are Among Us” at 3 p.m. and Weird America “Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea” at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sister Helen Prejean talks about “The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account to Wrongful Executions” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Prelim #2, for youth aged 13-19 at 7 p.m. at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. Tickets are $4-$6. 415-255-9035, ext. 22. www.youthspeaks.org  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

UC Jazz Ensembles 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.  

Candela at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Benny Lackner Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Mary Gauthier, American gothic orginals, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, FEB. 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The White Album” works in varying shades of white, at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. Exhibition runs through March 25. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

“Charles Criner: A Colorful History” in honor of Black History Month. Reception at 4 p.m. at the LunchStop Cafe, Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 101 Eighth St., Oakland. 817-5773. 

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Mardi Gras: Made in China” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Measure of Time” Curator’s talk with Lucinda Barnes at 12:15 p.m. in Gallery 5, at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Ave. 642-0808.  

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Taylor Branch presents the final volume of his history of Martin Luther King Jr. and the history of the civil rights movement, “At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68” Reception at 6:15 p.m. followed by talk at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $20, or $12 with purchase of the book. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Word Beat Reading Series with Lenore Weiss and Diana Q. at 7 p.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave., near Dwight Way. 526-5985. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

New Century Chamber Orchestra “Baroque Festival” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $28-$42. 415-357-1111. www.ncco.org  

Sheldon Brown Group at 8 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10-$15. 701-1787.  

Zion-I, Crown City Rockers, Serendipity Project, reggae, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Stephen Bennett, harp guitar, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. 

Soul Jazz Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

The Seventh Season at 10:30 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St., Emeryville. All ages, free.  

Mark Little and Ricardo Peixoto at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Jessica Williams at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$6. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, FEB. 24 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “The Master Builder” Wed. through Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through March 12. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “9 Parts of Desire” about women in war-torn Iraq, at 8 p.m. at the Trust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through March 5. Tickets are $30-$59. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Black Repertory Group “The Piano Lesson” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St., through Feb. 25. Tickets are $7-$15. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “One Flew Over the Cockoo’s Nest” Fri. and Sat at 8 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave. at Moeser Lane, El Cerrito, through Feb. 25. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Impact Theatre, “Hamlet” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through March 18. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

The Marsh Berkeley “Strange Travel Suggestions” monologue by Jeff Greenwald, Thurs. and Fri. at 7 p.m. through March 3, at 2118 Allston Way. Tickets are $15-$22. 800-838-3006. www.themarsh.org 

Masquers Playhouse "Over the River and Through the Woods" Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Feb. 25 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

The Sun & Moon Ensemble, “Luna” a multi-media performance, Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. through Feb. 26, at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Avenue at MLK Jr. Way. Tickets are $10-$15. 415-621-7978. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Snap” The Art of Living Black Satellite Show, in conjunction with the Richmond Art Center at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Reception at 6 p.m. 601-4141, ext. 111. www.wcrc.org 

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Video Letters” Program 1 at 7 p.m. and “Justice” at 8:35 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Maile Meloy reads from her new novel “A Family Daughter” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Julie Orringer will read from her short story collection, “How to Breathe Underwater” at 8 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Barbara Keesling introduces “Sexual Healing” at 4 p.m. at Good Vibrations, 2504 San Pablo Ave. 841-8987.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland East Bay Symphony performs Mozart’s Overture to “Lucio Silla” and Dvorák’s “Stabat Mater” at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Pre-concert lecture at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $15-$60. 652-8497.  

Rising Phoenix Brass Band with Ron Stallings and Berkeley High School Students at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$14, $7 for students. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Sweet Honey & the Rock at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $24-$46. 642-9988.  

Marvin Sanders, flute, Lena Lubotsky, piano at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont at Ashby. Cost is $12. 848-1228. www.giorgigallery.com 

The Castrati, Mr Loveless at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Bud Spangler All-Star Reunion Band at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

King Wawa & the Oneness Kingdom Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Listen, 4Hz beating patterns and guitar drones, at 8 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $10-$18. www.studiorasa.org 

Cascada de Flores, Mexican traditional music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Ojalá, Jme* Isman, Evelie Posch and others in a benefit concert at Changemakers for Women, 6536 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Donation $10-$100. RSVP to 655-2405. 

Ben Adams Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Wayblonde and Gery Tinkelberg at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Go it Alone, Verse, Deadfall, The First Step at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

John Howland Trio, Phonofly at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$8. 548-1159.  

Joseph’s Bones, trombone reggae, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Hiromi at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $16-$22. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, FEB. 25 

CHILDREN  

“Junie Jones and A Little Monkey Business” theater for ages 5 and up, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $13-$18. 925-798-1300. 

Derique the Clown at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

African American Quilters of Oakland Demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. 238-7352.  

THEATER 

Central Works “Shadow Crossing” opens at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., runs through March 26. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381.  

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Winter Soldier” at 5 p.m., “Occupation: Dreamland” at 7 p.m. and “State of Fear” at 8:40 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Frederick Douglas on Slave Music” with historian Dr. P. Sterling Stuckey at 3:30 p.m. at West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St. Oakland.  

“A Retrospective in Black & White and Color” with photographer Susan Sai-Wah Louie at 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Bay Area Photographers Collective with Berkeley photographer Margaretta K. Mitchell on Ruth Bernhard at 2 p.m. at Harvey Milk Photography Center, 50 Scott St., downstairs, at Duboce St., SF. 415-554-9522. 

Lupe Jacobson, age 10, will sign her new book, “My Grandma Has a Blackberry” at 3 p.m. at Analog Books, 1816 Euclid. All proceeds from the book will go to the U’ilani Fund for breast cancer patients. 843-1816. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kensington Symphony Orchestra “American Portraits” at 8 p.m. at 25 Northminster Presbyterian Church, 545 Ashbury Ave., El Cerrito. Tickets are $10-$15. 524-9912. 

Sacred & Profane “Works with Organ” at 8 p.m. at St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St., at Cornell. Tickets are $12-$18. 524-3611.  

Medea Sirkas Dance Theater at 1:30 p.m. at the Golden Gate Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 5606 San Pablo Ave., in celebration of Black History Month. 597-5023. 

Amrit Dhara Pouring Nectar Odisi dance at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $12-18. 486-9851. 

Rhythm and Muse with Tres Santos, Chokwadi, Mark G. and Muteado, followed by open mic, at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

John Richardson Band at 9 p.m. at Circus Pub, 389 Colusa Ave., Kensington. 

Mareda Gaither-Graves, soprano, at 7:30 p.m. at Regents’ Theater, Holy Names Univ., 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $25-$40. 601-7919.  

Sacred and Profane, works for chorus and organ, at 8 p.m. at St. Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman at Stannage. Tickets are $12-$18. 524-3611.  

Nika Rejto Quartet, CD release party, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Kotoja, Afro-beat at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. 

La Peña Commnity Chorus at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

The Tenders, Gayle Lynn, The Hired Hands at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Andre Bush Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Chookasian Armenian Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. 

Unauthorized Rolling Stones at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886.  

Guaranteed Swahili at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Benny Lackner Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Hali Hammer & Randy Berge at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7-$10. 558-0881. 

Trainwreck Riders, Lampshade Seranade at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 26 

THEATER 

Vagina Monologues will be performed in American Sign Language, and voiced in English at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater. Benefit for Deaf Hope. contact@deaf-hope.org, http://deafvday.tripod.com 

FILM 

Human Rights Watch “Living RIghts” at 3:30 p.m. and “Videoletters” Program 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Prelim #3, for youth aged 13-19, at 7 p.m. at Youth Up Rising, 8711 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $4-$6. 415-255-9035, ext. 22. www.youthspeaks.org  

James P. Moore speaks on his new book, “One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America,” with music by pianist Peter B. Allen, at 3 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 2619 Dwight Way. Cost is $10, benefit to Roof Fund. 925-376-3908.  

Poetry Flash with Sarah Arvio and W.S. Di Piero at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Progression of Black Music featuring Faye Carol in celebration of Black History Month at 4 p.m. at McGee Avenue Baptist Church, 1640 Stuart St. 843-1774.  

The Half Note Club—Then and Now at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, in celebration of Black History Month. 238-2200.  

Young Peoples Chamber Orchestra Winter Concert, at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College. Free. 595-4688. www.ypco.org 

College of Alameda Jazz Band at 2 p.m. at Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Free, families welcome. 748-2213. 

Nigah: Indian Classical Dance and Music at 4 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $7-$15. 925-798-1300. 

Patrick Street, Irish music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761.  

Mauro Correa, Brazilian soul, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

A Class Act, Fine by Me, I voted For Kodos at 5 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. All ages show. 848-0886.  

Joel Dorham Latin Jazz Octet at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Adrian West at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe. 595-5344.  

MONDAY, FEB. 27 

EXHIBITIONS 

African American Inventors and Scientists at the Junior Center of Art and Science, 558 Bellvue Ave., Lakeside Park, Oakland, through April 8. 839-5777. www.juniorcenter.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Chilifiya Safaa will read from her new novel, “A Foreign Affair” on relationships through the Black Diaspora, at 7 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Ave. 597-5017. 

John Nielson discusses “Condor: To the Brink and Back: The Life and Times of One Giant Bird” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Poetry Express with Theme night: Hope, at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

CSU East Bay Jazz Ensembles with guest vocalist Jamie Davis at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$25. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

 

Ÿ


Arts: Local Soloists Featured with Oakland Symphony

Tuesday February 21, 2006

Two local singers who are starting to make their mark in the national and international opera world will come back to Oakland as featured soloists in Friday’s Oakland East Bay Symphony concert, conducted by Michael Morgan at the Paramount Theater in Oakland.  

Soprano Hope Briggs grew up in the Bay Area, has lived in San Francisco and Berkeley, and was a Metropolitan Opera national finalist in 1997. 

She appeared in Busoni’s Dr. Faustus with the San Francisco and Stuttgart operas, and in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera with Festival Opera in Walnut Creek. After her Oakland performance she will be going to Frankfurt, Germany, to sing the role of Dona Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, a role she will repeat for the San Francisco Opera in July 2007. 

Kalil Wilson, a tenor whose family lives in Oakland, is an alumnus of the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley and the Oakland Youth Chorus. 

Though he is only 24, he has won many competitive scholarships and awards, including first place in the Palm Springs Opera Guild of the Desert Vocal Competition, second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Region Auditions, and first place in the Los Angeles Young Artists of the Future competition.  

He is now a Gluck Foundation Fellow in the UCLA Music Department. This summer, he is to sing the title role in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring at the 2006 Aspen Summer Music Festival. There last season, he sang the lead tenor role of Egeo in Cavalli’s Giasone. 

Briggs and Wilson will sing Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the Oakland Symphony Chorus. Stabat Mater is a moving choral piece written by Dvorak during a time when he had lost all three of his children in a short period of time. He used the composition to work through his own grief by attempting to understand the suffering of Mary contemplating the crucifixion of her son.  

Also on the program will be the operatic overture to Mozart’s rarely performed Lucio Silla. The performance is at 8 p.m. For more information, call 444-0801 or see www.oebs.org


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

Tuesday February 21, 2006

You’ve probably seen Canary Island pines around Berkeley, though I don’t know of any that are official street trees. They’re spotted in groups around the UC campus—there’s one near the Campanile—and they show up in various civic plantings, on big lawns and open spaces. They’re big trees—the largest pine native to the “Old World”—with a soft look when they’re mature. 

That soft look comes mostly from their big, rather droopy needles, held on flexible horizontal branches. They’re less stiff than the average pine’s, so much so they move independently in the wind and sound more like a sigh than like oncoming traffic. The reddish bark laced with golden irregular grooves adds a glow to the deep-green foliage. Altogether romantic in a gentle, almost tropical-island way.  

They’re not quite tropical; they do in fact hail from the Canary Islands, just off north Africa, which have a Mediterranean climate. Several plants from the Canary Island and nearby are common in our landscapes here. Just offhand, there are these Pinus canariensis pines; Phoenix canariensis, Canary Island date palms; those big bush blue- or pink-flowered echiums, E. fastuosum, “pride of Madera” and E. wildpretii, “tower of jewels,” also called “pride of Tenerife.” Well, someone ought to be proud, that’s quite a plant too. 

The pines originate in the altitude belt just above the fog influence and below the alpine mountainous parts of those volcanic islands, but they don’t seem to mind living in the fog here, and in the decidedly non-volcanic clay soils we have.  

The Canary Islands, by the way, aren’t named after the domestic songbird canaries; they’re named after dogs,—remember “Cave Canem”?— and canaries are named after the islands. So Tweety is a bird named after a dog’s namesake. Stuff like this makes etymology almost as much fun as entomology.  

They’re mostly ornamental plantings here, but are used for lumber in other parts of the world including their homeland. Predictably, it’s escaped cultivation to become an invasive species in Australia and South Africa. The tree’s not hardy below 10 or 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The red heartwood of Canary Island pines, at least in their original range, is so dense it sinks in water—unusual in any tree, more so in “softwoods” like pine. They stump-sprout easily, and so recover from wildfires.  

Knowing a tree as an individual is one thing; in a forest anchored by its species, whole new aspects of its character show themselves. The original pine forests on Tenerife and Gran Canario are the world’s only habitat for a handsome little bird, the blue chaffinch, Fringilla teydea, in the Canaries also called “Teide finch.” It’s so determinedly resident in these western-Canaries forests that the only extralimital records that my references have are in the eastern Canaries. By way of perspective: we get extralimital birds here all the time; there’s a tufted duck in Aquatic Park right now that came, at a conservative guess, from Siberia to Berkeley instead of to Japan or south China for the winter; and a northern waterthrush that ought to be in eastern Mexico. 

Learning that the “true” chaffinch, F. coelebs, has a couple of subspecies there, and of course the more widely distributed Tweety canary, Serinus canaria, exists there as a wild bird with an intricate song (if a more subtle yellow-brown plumage) suggests it might be fun to bird the place. It has interesting plants, too, related to some of our landscape favorites: a rockrose, a different echium, some pretty legumes.  

That will be easier to do now that restoration efforts are happening. Also predictably, much of the old forests got clear-cut, taking who-knows-what unique systems with them. But Canarians are catching on to nuances like the place of the pines in their water cycle, catching rain and holding it in effective soil reservoirs, nurturing an understory that does the same. On small, rocky volcanic islands in saltwater seas, this might get attention faster than on a big soil-rich continent. Let’s hope the powers that be in our own place—that’s us, theoretically—catch on and act to preserve and restore, before we lose more of what we thrive on.  


Berkeley This Week

Tuesday February 21, 2006

TUESDAY, FEB. 21 

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

Berkeley Garden Club, “Great Underused Garden Plants” with Bobbie Feyerabend, Landscape Architect, at 1 p.m. at Epworth Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. 527-5641. 

The Sudan and Human Rights Law with Mark Massoud, Vision of Hope Essay Contest winner at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $5. 642-9460. 

“Runner’s High” with ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Apartment Management Class begins at the Building Education Center. Cost is $250 for five sessions. For information call 525-7610. 

“Tax Hypocrisy and How it Can Work for You” with Randy Silverman, tax specialist, at 7 p.m. in the third floor Community Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Aquatic Park, 700 Heinz Ave., Building F., and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Claremont Resort, 41 Tunnel Rd. Sign up online at www.BeADonor.com  

Berkeley Salon Discussion Group meets to discuss unexpected pleasures from 7 to 9 p.m. at the BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 601-6690. 

Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Course begins at 6:30 p.m. at Keller Williams Office, 4341 Piedmont Ave., second floor, Oakland. Class runs for 8 sessions. Free, registration required. 531-2665. 

Mardi Gras History and Costume Making at 7:30 p.m. at Nabolom Bakery, Russell St. at College.  

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. 

A Hard Days Knight Activities to learn about the Middle Ages for ages 5 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

“Insight and Inner Peace” a lecture on on Sufism by Nahid Angha at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Ave. 527-2935. 

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

Stress Less Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

“Sufism: Living in the Spirit of Surrender” with Seyedeh Nahid Angha, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley. 527-2935. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.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. 

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

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22  

UCB’s Proposed Southeast Campus Expansion Plans will be presented at a sepcial meeting ot the Planning, transportation, Landmarks Preservation and Design Review Commissions a 6 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. The public in encouraged to attend and comment. 981-7474. 

“A Taste of Urban Perma- 

culture” at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

“The Truth and Lies of 9/11” at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Free, but $5 donations accepted. 704-0268. 

“California Cleanup: Get the Money Out of Politics” A discussion of AB583 at the Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers meeting at 1:30 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center. 548-9696. 

“Let’s Get Conscious” on the role of youth in today’s activism, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Merritt College, Building A, Room 129, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland. Hosted by the Black Students Union. 703-3990. 

Bayswater Book Club meets to discuss “Empire of Debt” by William Bonner at 6:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, El Cerrito Plaza. 433-2911. 

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. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

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, FEB. 23 

Public Hearing on Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Proposed Amendments at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5420. 

“Dead Man Walking: The Journey Continues” with Sister Helen Prejean at 7 p.m. at 2050 Valley Life Sciences Bldg., UC Campus. Sponsored by International and Area Studies. ias.berkeley.edu 

African American Heritage Dinner & Gospel Extravaganza at 5:30 p.m. at International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $8.50 for the dinner, Cost is $5. 642-9460. 

Report from the Front Lines of Struggle: West Africa, Venezuela and St. Petersburg, Florida with Gaida Kambon, National Secretary of the African People’s Socialist Party at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. 569-9620. 

UnPlug Clear Channel Community meeting to turn 106.1 KMEL into a real People’s Station at 4 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Donation of $3 suggested. 849-2568.  

“Arctic Melting: ... Destroying One of the World’s Largest Wilderness Areas” with Chad Kister, Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., near Dwight Way. 548-2220, ext. 223. 

Question 9/11 A Call to Activism with a film and presentations in a benefit for Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave. Oakland. Donation $10. 339-9358. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Ask a Union Mechanic every Thurs. from 4:30 to 6 p.m., at Parker & Shattuck, until the Berkeley Honda strike is settled. They will offer advice on all makes of cars. 

Easy Does It Disability Assistance Board of Directors Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. All welcome. 845-5513. www.easyland.org 

“Understanding Senior Care Options” Learn about residential care facilities and how to find the right one, residents rights and other services, from 2 to 4 p.m. at North Oakland Senior Center, 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, at 58th St., Oakland. 638-6878, ext. 103. 

“Dogs and Children” at 7:30 p.m. at dogTec, 5221 Central Ave., #1, on the border of El Cerrito and Richmond. Free, but donations appreciated. 644-0729. www.openpaw.org 

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, FEB. 24 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Frik Scott on “Overview of the Turmoil in Central Asia and Caucasus Region.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

McGee Family Night, in celebration of Black History Month at 6:30 p.m. at McGee Avenue Baptist Church, 1640 Stuart St. 843-1774.  

“Spiritual Enlightenment in Classical Islam” with Sufi Master Shaykh Hisham Kabbani at 7 p.m. at the Graduate Theological Union’s Starr King School, 2441 Le Conte Ave. 654-7542. 

How’d You Become Activists? What Now? with Peter Camejo of the Green Party and Jennifer Kidder, long-time peace, labor and voting rights activist, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Donation of $10 requested. 528-5403.  

Chechnya’s Past and Present: Russia’s “War on Terrorism” with Professor Michaela Pohl, Vassar College and Musa Khasanov, Public Interest Law Initiative fellow and Grozny-based human rights lawyer, at 6:30 p.m. at Vista College, Room 1, 2020 Milvia St. 415-565-0201, ext. 12. 

American Sign Language Conversation Group at 4 p.m. at 604 56th St at Shattuck. A Free Skool class. www.barringtoncollective.org 

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 School classes for students in grades 1-8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 1581 LeRoy Ave., room 17. 843-0150. 

Berkeley Chess Club 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. 548-6310, 845-1143. 

“Jews In The Modern World,” the third annual Scholar-in-Residence Weekend Seminar, sponsored by Kol Hadash and the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, through Feb. 26 at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. The fee for the series for non-members is $100. Individual sessions are $40 each. 415-543-4595. 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Shabbat with Madrikha Susan Averbach, at 7:30 p.m., Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring finger dessert to share, and non-perishable food for the needy. Info@kolhadash.org 

SATURDAY, FEB. 25 

“Honoring Our Community Legends” A Black History Month Celebration with music and performances, at 1 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 981-6674. 

African American Quilters of Oakland Demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. 238-7352. www.oaklandlibrary.org 

Haiti Resistance Two Years After the Coup with Duclos Benissoit, President, Federation of Public Transport Workers of Haiti, a message from Father Gerard Jean-Juste, and music, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donation $5-$10. 483-7481.  

“World Social Forum: Report Back” with Earl Gilman at 2 p.m. at the Niebyl Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 

Puppet Theater Workshop for ages 8-11 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Party with a dramatization of “Green Eggs and Ham” at 11 a.m. at the Kensington Community Center, 59 Arlington Ave. Tickets required. 524-3043. 

Disaster Preparedness Workshop on Neighborhood Organizing from 10 a.m. to noon at 997 Cedar St. Sponsored by the Office of Emergency Services. To register call 981-5506. 

“Healthy Schools Inside and Out” A workshop for Alameda educators, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tyrrell Elementary, 27000 Tyrrell Ave., Hayward. The cost is $25, and scholarships are available. 665-3430. www.thewatershedproject.org 

“Energy Efficient Homes” from 9 to 11 a.m. at Truitt and White Conference Room, 1817 Second St. Free, but registration required. 649-2674. www.truittandwhite.com 

Vegetarian Cooking CLass “Demystifying Tofu and Tempeh” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $45. Registration required. 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.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. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Sylvia Gretchen on Compassion Teachings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. Cost is $80, registration required. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

QiGong Healing Energy Session with Master Zi Sheng Wang at 7:30 a.m. at Chinese Garden Center, 275 Seventh St., Oakland. Cost is $35. 415-983-5303. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 26 

A Cover Up! Learn about the new spring ground covers and new leaves on the trees on a guided hike at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Frederick Douglas on Slave Music” with Dr. P. Sterling Stuckey at 3:30 p.m. at the West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St. Oakland. 

“The Half Note Club, Then and Now” at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. A Black History Month presentation. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Bay Area Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement Panel discussion with Jimmy Rogers, Chud Allen and Donald Jelinek at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

“Teens Touch the Earth!” Habitat Restoration work and fun. Meet at 10 a.m. at Skyline Gate of Redwood Regional Park, Oakland. RSVP to 636-1684.  

“One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America” with author James P. Moore and music by Peter B. Allen at 3 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 2619 Dwight Way at Bowditch. 925-376-3908. 

Report from the Front Lines of Struggle: West Africa, Venezuela and St. Petersburg, Florida with Gaida Kambon, National Secretary of the African People’s Socialist Party at 4 p.m. at Uhuru House, 7911 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland. 569-9620. 

“Have a Heart for Farm Animals” Benefit at 5:30 p.m. at New World Vegetarian, 464 8th St., Oakland. 925-487-4419.  

“Creating An Ecological House” with Skip Wenz on modeling houses on ecosystems, natural building materials, solar design and alternative construction methods, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610. 

Berkeley City Club free tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are sponsored by the Berkeley City Club and the Landmark Heritage Foundation. Donations welcome. The Berkeley City Club is located at 2315 Durant Ave. For group reservations or more information, call 848-7800 or 883-9710. 

Wu-Wei Acupuncture & Healing Center Community Workshop on about health and wellness from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 2880 Sacramento St. 704-0593. 

Interfaith Families at the Movies: “Rashevski’s Tango” at 4 p.m. at Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Rosalyn White on “Tibetan Sacred Art” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, FEB. 27 

“Jamaica: The History, Politics and Culture of the Black World” at 11 a.m. at Merritt College, Building A., Room 218, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland. 434-3935. 

East Bay Impeach Bush Meetup at 7 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. 527-9584. 

“How do Tissues Turn into Tumors?” The role of the Microenvironment in Breast Cancer with Dr. Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff, at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2015 Addison St. 486-7292.  

Kensington Library Book Club meets to discuss “The Dive From Claussen’s Pier” by Ann Packer at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Positive Parenting Classes begin at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 658-7353. www.bananasinc.org 

World Affairs Discussion Group for seniors at 10:15 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center. Cost is $2.50. 

Free Business Loan and Business Plan Writing Boot Camp Mon. and Fri. from 9 a.m. to noon at 519 17th St., 2nd Floor, Ste. 200, Oakland, through March 31. 395-6003. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

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. 

ONGOING 

Free Tax Help—United Way’s Earn it! Keep It! Save It! program provides free filing assistance to households that earned less than $38,000 in 2005. To find a free tax site near you, call 800-358-8832 or visit www.EarnitKeepitSaveit.org 

Albany Library Free Drop-in Homework Help for students in third through fifth grades, Mon. - Thurs. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Emphasis is placed on math and writing skills. No registration is required. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., Feb. 21, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Mary Ann Merker, 981-7533.  

Disaster Council meets Wed., Feb. 22, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. William Greulich, 981-5502.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434.  

Fire Safety Commission meets Wed., Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m. at 997 Cedar St. David Orth, 981-5502.  

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Thurs. Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Pam Wyche, 644-6128 ext. 113.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410.   

?