Bring the Troops Home
              Jane Jackson and Ivan Olsen have been staging a hunger strike in front of Oakland’s Ron J. Dellums Federal Building for 36 days. The protest coincides with an ongoing demonstration outside the White House calling for U.S. troops to be brought home from Iraq. Photograph by Riya Bhattacharjee.
Bring the Troops Home Jane Jackson and Ivan Olsen have been staging a hunger strike in front of Oakland’s Ron J. Dellums Federal Building for 36 days. The protest coincides with an ongoing demonstration outside the White House calling for U.S. troops to be brought home from Iraq. Photograph by Riya Bhattacharjee.

Page One

City Landmarks Bevatron Site, Not Bevatron Building

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday August 08, 2006

The battle over landmarking the Bevatron building ended Thursday when a city panel voted to bestow the honorific not on the structure itself but on the ground beneath. -more-



PowerBar Moves To Southern Cal

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Nestle USA’s announcement last week that it was moving its PowerBar business from Berkeley to Glendale, Calif., has received mixed reactions from the local community. -more-



Opposition to Oakland School District Property Sale Grows

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday August 08, 2006

With the state’s office of the superintendent for public instruction announcing an interim Oakland Unified School District administrator to replace the outgoing Randolph Ward, opposition to the sale of the OUSD downtown properties got a boost in the past few days when two more Oakland public officials came out against the sale. -more-



City Studies Internet Access for All Residents

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Berkeley city officials, residents, and local independent wireless providers continue the search for the perfect Internet system that will provide city-wide Internet access to people who live, work, or recreate in Berkeley. -more-



Candidates Chosen for Rent Stabilization Board

By Rio Bauce, Special to the Planet
Tuesday August 08, 2006

On a sunny afternoon last Sunday, Berkeley residents picked Lisa Anne Stephens, Howard Chong, Chris Kavanagh, Pam Webster and David Blake as candidates for the Rent Stabilization Board. Bob Evans, current Rent Stabilization Board member, although given high marks by the Rent Board’s screening process, was not selected to be on the slate. -more-



Features

Library Board Considers Moving South Berkeley Branch

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Should the South Berkeley branch library at Russell and Martin Luther King be moved to the new Ed Roberts campus to be built at the corner of Woolsey and Adeline? The Berkeley Library Board of Library trustees in Berkeley has allocated close to $25,000 for a consulting firm to do a community needs-based assessment for the South Berkeley library branch this month in an attempt to answer this question. -more-


Race May Become an Issue In Peralta Trustee Campaign

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Although the candidates may not raise it themselves, the battle between Latinos and African Americans for political power in Oakland and the East Bay has already become an issue in the race for the Peralta Community College District Area 7 trustee seat. -more-


Neighbors Blast Plans for Garr Building Site

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Artists living in one of the city’s last West Berkeley creative havens said they fear impacts of a planned new building at 740 Heinz Ave. could end their idyll. -more-


National Youth Rights Meeting Discusses Ageism, Promotes Youth Voting

By Rio Bauce
Tuesday August 08, 2006

This past Sunday, youth rights activists from around the country, from as far as Washington, D.C., came to the National Youth Rights Association’s (NYRA) annual meeting (www.youthrights.org) in San Francisco to discuss ageism in the community and what progress the individual regional chapters have made to combat it. Five people from NYRA’s Berkeley chapter, including myself, attended the meeting. -more-


State’s Heat Wave Takes Toll On South Asian Farmers

By Viji Sundaram, New American Media
Tuesday August 08, 2006

MARYSVILLE, Calif.—First it was the long wet spring that took its toll on Sarbjit Johl’s peaches. Then the 10 straight days of triple digit temperatures last week, California’s deadliest hot spell in five decades, cooked the fruit on the trees. -more-


Activists Stage Hunger Strike, Call for Troops to Come Home

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday August 08, 2006

For septuagenarian Jane Jackson, fasting is a way of life. -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Armed officers storm home; suspect gone -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday August 08, 2006

THE PARTY LINE -more-


Commentary: In Defense of Library Administration Criticism

By Ben Reitman
Tuesday August 08, 2006

In regard to recent criticism of press coverage of the takeover of the library by a serial carpetbagging, Bush water-carrying, ex-director Jackie Griffin, I must add the information Loren Linnard (Letters, July 21) left out of her unwarranted criticism of Judith Scherr. -more-


Commentary: Criticizing Israel = Anti-Semitism

By Howard Glickman
Tuesday August 08, 2006

I should not be surprised that the Daily Planet joins in the Arab-European “blame Israel first” school of journalism, but after reading Becky O’Malley’s diatribe against the State of Israel in Tuesday’s edition, I was startled that the paper would publish such an obviously incorrect editorial, so viciously slanted in favor of those who wish to destroy a sovereign nation and its inhabitants. Before throwing her sympathies to the murderers and terrorists, Ms. O’Malley should check the Israel Defense Forces policies regarding military operations in areas with civilian populations, which are the strictest, most moral in the world. She should consider that when the IDF accidentally kills civilians in a military operation, the operation is considered a failure, and everyone in Israel mourns the loss of innocent life. When Hezbollah kills civilians, the operation is considered a success and a cause for celebration. Instead of doing a web search for “dead children,” perhaps Ms. O’Malley should do web search for the IDF Code of Ethics, which includes the doctrine that “[T]he IDF servicemen and women will use their weapons and force only for the purpose of their mission, only to the necessary extent and will maintain their humanity even during combat. IDF soldiers will not use their weapons and force to harm human beings who are not combatants or prisoners of war, and will do all in their power to avoid causing harm to their lives, bodies, dignity and property.” Would Hezbollah or Hamas make the same commitment? -more-


Commentary: Zionist Crimes in Lebanon

By Kurosh Arianpour
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Some people who usually brand Berkeley Daily Planet and Executive Editor Becky O’Malley anti-Semitic have turned up their diatribe to silence a few voices that decry the crimes committed in Lebanon by the Zionist regime. All around the world, there have been demonstrations and protests against the genocide of civilians and children in the hands of Israeli forces. Have you not seen the photos coming from Lebanon? Have you not seen the photos of dead toddlers some with their pacifiers around their necks? Most probably not, because the complicit corporate media in the United States conceals these killings. The media only magnifies news of rockets fired by Lebanese fighters; rockets that are incomparable with the military hardware of the Zionist regime. But know this: So far some 800 Lebanese, mostly civilians and children, have been killed, compared to 80 Israelis, mostly Zionist soldiers. The U.S. media is hard at work to divert the attention of Americans from the destruction of Lebanon by the Zionist regime. You mostly find irrelevant stories, such as same-sex marriage, drunken Mel Gibson, etc., in the U.S. media. While Americans are amused with such stories, the U.S. Congress almost unanimously passed a resolution for full support of the Zionist regime and killing of more Lebanese civilians. Even your favorite politician, Barbara Lee, remained silent when the resolution was put up for vote. -more-


Commentary: Religious Texts vs. Faith

By Jacqueline Sokolinsky
Tuesday August 08, 2006

The problem of morally ambiguous religious texts is something I’ve given a great deal of thought to in the past few years. I attended a Jewish seminary from 1996 to 1999, where I struggled to understand the troubling texts, and after graduating life handed me a real and painful spiritual ordeal. I underwent a transformation of my ideas. -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Two Fine Days on the Oakland Scene

By Becky O’Malley
Tuesday August 08, 2006

We get a lot of Chicken Little letters around here. For those of you who are folklore-challenged, Chicken Little was the character who thought being hit on the head by an acorn meant that the sky was falling. He put a lot of effort into running around convincing all the animals in the forest to panic, with mixed results. It’s traditionally the job of the press to play the Chicken Little role, so we really can’t complain when our readers tell us to write more about climate change, or the on-going struggles in the Middle East, or the attempt by Bush II to dismantle the Constitution of the United States of America. Yes, we’re worried, worried, worried about all of these, and more. This time the sky might really be falling, and what are we going to do about it? But every so often, it’s a good idea to check into what’s going right—all worry and no fun makes Jill a dull girl. -more-


Columns

The Public Eye: Notes on NIMBYism

By Sharon Hudson
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Part I: To NIMBY, or Not to NIMBY? That is the Question -more-


Column: The Public Eye: The Liberal Response to the Failure of Conservatism

By Bob Burnett
Tuesday August 08, 2006

History will record that the Bush administration was the high-water mark of conservatism, note that during Dubya’s reign conservatives had their chance and failed. What remains to be seen is how liberals will respond: will they continue to be “conservative lite” or will they reformulate liberalism? -more-


Column: Fleas, Chiggers, Greenheads And Sunbathing in the Nude

By Susan Parker
Tuesday August 08, 2006

I forgot to give my dog, Whiskers, her flea medication and as a result she got fleas. Whiskers sleeps in my bed, so it didn’t take long for me to get the buggers, too. Thus began a three-week spiral into insecticide hell. -more-


A Little Respect for the Red-Breasted Sapsucker

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday August 08, 2006

About this time last week I was at Yuba Pass in the northern Sierra, swatting the insatiable mosquitoes and watching a family of red-breasted sapsuckers. (There is a Berkeley connection here: some of these birds spend the winter along the coast, and they’re likely to begin showing up in Tilden Park in a couple of months). -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Tuesday August 08, 2006

The Theater: ‘Typographer’s Dream’ a Fruitful Collaboration

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Tuesday August 08, 2006

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Tuesday August 08, 2006

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Two Fine Days on the Oakland Scene 08-08-2006

No Pay Cuts Yet for Absentee Teachers 08-04-2006

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 08-08-2006

Commentary: In Defense of Library Administration Criticism By Ben Reitman 08-08-2006

Commentary: Criticizing Israel = Anti-Semitism By Howard Glickman 08-08-2006

Commentary: Zionist Crimes in Lebanon By Kurosh Arianpour 08-08-2006

Commentary: Religious Texts vs. Faith By Jacqueline Sokolinsky 08-08-2006

Letters to the Editor 08-04-2006

Commentary: Where Have All the Environmentalists Gone? By Merrilie Mitchell 08-04-2006

Commentary: Throwing Stones By Bill Hamilton 08-04-2006

Commentary: Bates and the Bowl: Some Inconvenient Truths By Zelda Bronstein 08-04-2006

News

City Landmarks Bevatron Site, Not Bevatron Building By Richard Brenneman 08-08-2006

PowerBar Moves To Southern Cal By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-08-2006

Opposition to Oakland School District Property Sale Grows By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-08-2006

City Studies Internet Access for All Residents By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-08-2006

Candidates Chosen for Rent Stabilization Board By Rio Bauce, Special to the Planet 08-08-2006

Library Board Considers Moving South Berkeley Branch By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-08-2006

Race May Become an Issue In Peralta Trustee Campaign By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-08-2006

Neighbors Blast Plans for Garr Building Site By Richard Brenneman 08-08-2006

National Youth Rights Meeting Discusses Ageism, Promotes Youth Voting By Rio Bauce 08-08-2006

State’s Heat Wave Takes Toll On South Asian Farmers By Viji Sundaram, New American Media 08-08-2006

Activists Stage Hunger Strike, Call for Troops to Come Home By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-08-2006

Police Blotter By Richard Brenneman 08-08-2006

City’s Political Candidates Rake in the Campaign Cash By Judith Scherr 08-04-2006

Shirley Dean Veers Off Mayoral Campaign Trail By Judith Scherr 08-04-2006

Council Sends Landmark Initiative to Ballot By Richard Brenneman 08-04-2006

Berkeley Hosts a Successful National Night Out By Rio Bauce, SPecial to the Planet 08-04-2006

Salem Sets the Standard for Nursing Home Care By Carol Polsgrove, Special to the Planet 08-04-2006

Watchdogs Demand Release of Pacific Steel Report By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-04-2006

Half of City’s Economic Team Soon to Depart By Judith Scherr 08-04-2006

Collective’s Departure Marks Another Berkeley Arts Loss By Richard Brenneman 08-04-2006

Court Orders State Universities to Pay for Impacts By Richard Brenneman 08-04-2006

Judge Kills Initiative by Albany Mall Foes By Richard Brenneman 08-04-2006

Richmond Residents to Share Memories of Macdonald By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-04-2006

Lebanese Woman Reflects on Her Homeland By Judith Scherr 08-04-2006

Two Cities, Two Approaches to Waterfront History By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-04-2006

Columns

The Public Eye: Notes on NIMBYism By Sharon Hudson 08-08-2006

Column: The Public Eye: The Liberal Response to the Failure of Conservatism By Bob Burnett 08-08-2006

Column: Fleas, Chiggers, Greenheads And Sunbathing in the Nude By Susan Parker 08-08-2006

A Little Respect for the Red-Breasted Sapsucker By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet 08-08-2006

The Public Eye: Why I’m Not Running for Mayor of Berkeley This Time By Shirley Dean 08-04-2006

Column: Dispatches From The Edge: Of Treadle Pumps and Grandmothers By Conn Hallinan 08-04-2006

Column: Undercurrents: Oakland Night Out Welcomes (Some) Citizens By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-04-2006

About the House: Granite, and Some Other Boring Things By Matt Cantor 08-04-2006

Garden Variety: Antiques, Nurseries and a Coffee Break in Alameda By Ron Sullivan 08-04-2006

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 08-04-2006

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 08-08-2006

The Theater: ‘Typographer’s Dream’ a Fruitful Collaboration By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-08-2006

A Little Respect for the Red-Breasted Sapsucker By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet 08-08-2006

Berkeley This Week 08-08-2006

Arts Calendar 08-04-2006

Moving Pictures: Revisiting Orson Welles’ ‘Mr. Arkadin’ By Justin DeFreitas 08-04-2006

Moving Pictures: Impressionistic ‘Brothers of the Head’ Compelling, Flawed By Justin DeFreitas 08-04-2006

Theater: The End of the World Comes to John Hinkle Park By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-04-2006

About the House: Granite, and Some Other Boring Things By Matt Cantor 08-04-2006

Garden Variety: Antiques, Nurseries and a Coffee Break in Alameda By Ron Sullivan 08-04-2006

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 08-04-2006

Berkeley This Week 08-04-2006