Several new projects, including a major hotel, a changed BART plaza and street closures, are being considered for the Shattuck Avenue/Center Street intersection. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.
Several new projects, including a major hotel, a changed BART plaza and street closures, are being considered for the Shattuck Avenue/Center Street intersection. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.

Extra

Flash: Council Kills Landmark Law Revisions Pending Election

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday July 25, 2006

In an abrupt reversal, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to table the revised Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO) it had passed on first reading July 11. -more-


Flash: Fast Action Douses Blaze in Tilden Park

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Thanks to alert citizens and a prompt response by Berkeley firefighters, a Tilden Park hills fire was extinguished before it could spread Tuesday night. -more-


Flash: Movement Begins to Draft Shirley Dean for Mayor

Judith Scherr
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Shirley Dean’s name popped up late Friday on the City Clerk’s list of candidates who have taken out mayoral papers. -more-



Page One

Downtown Plan Panel Revolts Over UC Project

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday July 25, 2006

The citizens guiding the shape of Berkeley’s new downtown plan staged a second revolt last week—this one focusing on UC Berkeley’s planned hotel complex. -more-



Objections To OUSD Land Deal Increase

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday July 25, 2006

The growing battle over Oakland’s valuable waterfront property development sharply escalated this week, with the coalition opposing the sale of the OUSD downtown properties moving their target from the powerless OUSD Board of Trustees to the powerful Oakland City Council and opponents of the massive nearby Oak-to-Ninth development filing a lawsuit against the project as well as launching a petition drive for a ballot measure to block its implementation. -more-



Parking Reversal on Telegraph

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Removing Telegraph Avenue parking last fall to correct substandard bike lanes was a “colossal blunder,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington. -more-



Council Looks at UC Student Election

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak says getting the City Council involved in controversial student elections at UC Berkeley is council business as usual, but others say it is an attack on the independence of student government. -more-



News Analysis: Why So Many Public Opinion Polls?

By Marc Sapir, Special to the Planet
Tuesday July 25, 2006

They are everywhere, trying to grab our attention. And they succeed. Public opinion polls claim to adapt statistical research methods to the measuring of beliefs. Scientific? Perhaps, but polling also operates with hidden goals because it is part of the marketplace. -more-



Features

Kitchen Democracy Donation Draws Scrutiny

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday July 25, 2006

A proposed $3,000 donation on today’s (Tuesday) City Council agenda to Kitchen Democracy from Councilmember Gordon Wozniak’s council office budget has provoked questions on the appropriate use of city funds. -more-


Embattled Housing Authority To Review Status Update

By Suzanne La Barre
Tuesday July 25, 2006

The Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA) board meets tonight (Tuesday) for an update on the status of the troubled local housing agency. -more-


Piedmont Avenue Closure Planned

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Major repairs and renovations will keep alternating lanes closed on Piedmont Avenue for the next three weeks, said Kenneth Emeziem, supervising civil engineer for Berkeley’s Public Works Department. -more-


Selawsky Considers Bid for City Auditor

By Suzanne La Barre
Tuesday July 25, 2006

The race for Berkeley’s city auditor has gone uncontested for eight years. School Board Director John Selawsky wants to change that. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday July 25, 2006

BUSD -more-


Commentary: From Tehran: Lebanon Bombing Prelude to Iran Action

By Homayon
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Two weeks ago marked the beginning of a new round of Israeli-Palestinian violence due to which a neighboring country, Lebanon, soon became the victim of this confrontation. -more-


Commentary: Library Director Should Not Act As Trustee Board Secretary

By Shirley Stuart
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Berkeley relies on the Board of Library Trustees (BOLT) to safeguard its library system, and we, the citizens and taxpayers of Berkeley, along with the people who staff our libraries, should have some influence on their decisions. -more-


Commentary: Declaration of Human Rights Should Be Law

By Jacqueline Sokolinsky
Tuesday July 25, 2006

What exactly is the United States’ position in national and international laws of peace and human rights? -more-


Editorial

Mysterious Telephone Poll Targets New Landmarks Law

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Someone is polling Berkeley residents by phone, targeting issues revolving around competing landmark ordinances and the upcoming mayoral election. -more-


Columns

Column: The Public Eye: Take Me To Our Leader

By Bob Burnett
Tuesday July 25, 2006

It’s a famous cartoon setup: Aliens descend from a space ship, walk up to a human, and demand, “Take me to your leader.” If aliens actually did land in Washington D.C., they’d probably be taken to meet George Bush. After all, he’s the nominally elected president of the United States. Ah, but is he our leader? -more-


Column: Thank You for the Opportunity

By Susan Parker
Tuesday July 25, 2006

I’m not a spokesperson for anyone, but myself. I once thought I might have some insights to share with and about the disabled community but this has turned out not to be true. When an organization that represents this community was looking for local authors to speak at a fundraising event, I imagined I was the perfect candidate. -more-


Mockingbird Jazz: The Evolutionary Roots of Bird Song

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday July 25, 2006

I just finished a book called Why Men Won’t Ask for Directions, which despite the title is not another pop-psychology tract about gender differences. The author, Richard Francis, is an evolutionary neurobiologist, and the book is a rousing polemic against the sociobiologists and their intellectual heirs, the evolutionary psychologists: scientists who believe that just about every aspect of human behavior is an adaptation to something or other. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Tuesday July 25, 2006

Books: Max Brand: The Agatha Christie of the B Western

By Phil McArdle, Special to the Planet
Tuesday July 25, 2006

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Tuesday July 25, 2006

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Mysterious Telephone Poll Targets New Landmarks Law 07-25-2006

Editorial: Ignoring The Geneva Conventions 07-21-2006

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 07-25-2006

Commentary: From Tehran: Lebanon Bombing Prelude to Iran Action By Homayon 07-25-2006

Commentary: Library Director Should Not Act As Trustee Board Secretary By Shirley Stuart 07-25-2006

Commentary: Declaration of Human Rights Should Be Law By Jacqueline Sokolinsky 07-25-2006

Letters to the Editor 07-21-2006

Commentary: One Nation Indy-Visible By Raymond A. Chamberlin 07-21-2006

Commentary: Keeping the Arts In the Public Eye Proves Challenging Every Year By Robbin Henderson 07-21-2006

News

Flash: Council Kills Landmark Law Revisions Pending Election By Richard Brenneman 07-25-2006

Flash: Fast Action Douses Blaze in Tilden Park By Richard Brenneman 07-25-2006

Flash: Movement Begins to Draft Shirley Dean for Mayor Judith Scherr 07-25-2006

Downtown Plan Panel Revolts Over UC Project By Richard Brenneman 07-25-2006

Objections To OUSD Land Deal Increase By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 07-25-2006

Parking Reversal on Telegraph By Judith Scherr 07-25-2006

Council Looks at UC Student Election By Judith Scherr 07-25-2006

News Analysis: Why So Many Public Opinion Polls? By Marc Sapir, Special to the Planet 07-25-2006

Kitchen Democracy Donation Draws Scrutiny By Judith Scherr 07-25-2006

Embattled Housing Authority To Review Status Update By Suzanne La Barre 07-25-2006

Piedmont Avenue Closure Planned By Richard Brenneman 07-25-2006

Selawsky Considers Bid for City Auditor By Suzanne La Barre 07-25-2006

Evictions for Condo Conversion Targeted By Judith Scherr 07-21-2006

News Analysis: Winning OUSD Proposal Failed to Meet Goals By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 07-21-2006

Developer Declares Albany Mall Plan Dead By Richard Brenneman 07-21-2006

UC’s Plans to Remove Trees from People’s Park Raise Concerns By Riya Bhattacharjee 07-21-2006

Council Hears Project Appeal, In-Lieu Fees, New LPO By Judith Scherr 07-21-2006

Warm Pool Replacement Will Not Make November Ballot By Judith Scherr 07-21-2006

Berkeley Man Wins Honor For Penning Awful Prose By Suzanne La Barre 07-21-2006

PRC Begins Investigating Case of Cop Stealing Drugs By Judith Scherr 07-21-2006

UC Berkeley Unions Plan Rally Against Transportation Fee Hikes By Rio Bauce, Special to the Planet 07-21-2006

Suit Served Against Pacific Steel By Suzanne La Barre 07-21-2006

HUD Renews Redwood Garden Senior Housing Subsidy By Rio Bauce, Special to the Planet 07-21-2006

Phantom Paintball Attacks Continue for Second Month By Richard Brenneman 07-21-2006

Stolen Car Chase Ends in Hills With Possibly Another Stolen Car By Richard Brenneman 07-21-2006

Harrison Announces Intention To Run For School Board Seat By Suzanne La Barre 07-21-2006

Berkeley Housing Authority Names New Acting Manager By Suzanne La Barre 07-21-2006

Mall Foes Face Legal Battle with Initiative By Richard Brenneman 07-21-2006

Fire Department Log By Richard Brenneman 07-21-2006

Columns

Column: The Public Eye: Take Me To Our Leader By Bob Burnett 07-25-2006

Column: Thank You for the Opportunity By Susan Parker 07-25-2006

Mockingbird Jazz: The Evolutionary Roots of Bird Song By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet 07-25-2006

Column: Dispatches from the Edge: Poverty, Aid and Africa: A Devil’s Brew By Conn Hallinan 07-21-2006

Column: Undercurrents: Doing ‘Something’ About Violence in Oakland By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 07-21-2006

Calatrava’s Sundial Bridge Puts Redding on the Map By Dorothy Bryant, Special to the Planet 07-21-2006

Choosing Not to Play the Updating Game By Jane Powell 07-21-2006

Imagining a Berkeley Under Water By Matt Cantor 07-21-2006

Think Twice Before You Reach for the Bug Spray By Ron Sullivan 07-21-2006

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 07-21-2006

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 07-25-2006

Books: Max Brand: The Agatha Christie of the B Western By Phil McArdle, Special to the Planet 07-25-2006

Mockingbird Jazz: The Evolutionary Roots of Bird Song By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet 07-25-2006

Berkeley This Week 07-25-2006

Arts Calendar 07-21-2006

Moving Pictures: Tributes to Gaynor, Borzage at PFA By Justin DeFreitas 07-21-2006

Moving Pictures: When Soccer Almost Conquered America By Justin DeFreitas 07-21-2006

The Theater: ‘Human Paper Doll’ a Real Cut-Up at the Berkeley Rep By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 07-21-2006

Calatrava’s Sundial Bridge Puts Redding on the Map By Dorothy Bryant, Special to the Planet 07-21-2006

Choosing Not to Play the Updating Game By Jane Powell 07-21-2006

Imagining a Berkeley Under Water By Matt Cantor 07-21-2006

Think Twice Before You Reach for the Bug Spray By Ron Sullivan 07-21-2006

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 07-21-2006

Berkeley This Week 07-21-2006

Correction 07-21-2006