A nearly century-old black acacia tree in Live Oak Park, for years home to a family of Cooper’s hawks, was chopped down Saturday. Photograph by David Gelles.
A nearly century-old black acacia tree in Live Oak Park, for years home to a family of Cooper’s hawks, was chopped down Saturday. Photograph by David Gelles.

Page One

Hawk Habitat Destroyed

By David Gelles, Special to the Planet
Tuesday September 12, 2006

A black acacia tree in Live Oak Park, nearly 100 years old and for years home to a family of Cooper’s hawks, was removed Saturday as neighbors looked on. -more-



Oak to Ninth Opponents Plan Legal Challenge To Petition Denial

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday September 12, 2006

A member of the Oakland coalition that sought a citizen referendum on the controversial Oak to Ninth project says that the group “is, of course, planning a legal challenge” to an Oakland city attorney’s ruling throwing out referendum petitions. -more-



Safety, Housing at Center of District 7 City Council Race

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Both Telegraph Avenue area candidates, incumbent Kriss Worthington and challenger George Beier, wrap themselves in the “progressive” mantle, but the two are distinguished by their support within the community and by their approaches to issues affecting students, particularly public safety and housing. -more-



Governor Signs Bill Establishing Fines for Stealing Free Newspapers

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Just because you don’t plunk down 50 cents for your Daily Planet or your Daily Cal, that doesn’t mean free newspapers are without value. That’s the basis of AB 2612, authored by George Plescia (R-San Diego) and signed by the governor. -more-



Oakland School Property Sale Negotiations Extended

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Negotiations over the sale of 8.25 acres of Lake Merritt area Oakland Unified School District property will be extended for another 90 days, according to a representative of the East Coast developers involved in the negotiations. -more-



Features

Pacific Steel Emission Reports Turned Over to Air District

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Pacific Steel Casting handed over their emissions inventory report to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District early last week, according to PSC spokesperson Elizabeth Jewell. -more-


To Live and Let Live in South Los Angeles

By Rene P. Ciria-Cruz, New American Media
Tuesday September 12, 2006

“Day to day we all get along,” assures community leader Arturo Ybarra, unintentionally alluding to Rodney King’s famous post-riot plea, “Can we all get along?” -more-


Berkeley Cooperative Grocery

Tuesday September 12, 2006

Many readers requested contact information for the Berkeley Cooperative Grocery, following the article in the Sept. 8 issue. The website for the co-op is www.berkeleycog.org. -more-


Genetically Modified Food Bill Dies in State Legislature

By Rio Bauce, Special to the Planet
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Sept. 1 was a day of victory for environmentalists, organic farmers, and local government around the state, as a bill that would have barred cities and counties from passing laws that restrict genetically modified foods (GMOs) did not come to a vote in the State Senate, effectively killing the bill. -more-


Berkeley High Beat: Start-of-the-Year Worries at BHS

By Rio Bauce
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Could you imagine being a student who didn’t have a math class for five days? Could you imagine being a student desperately trying to switch out of a class of 50 students? Could you imagine being a student who signed up for Latin 5/6, but ended up in Spanish 1/2? -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday September 12, 2006

PARKING -more-


Commentary: Campaign for Universal Health Coverage

By Kay Eisenhower and Robert Lieber
Tuesday September 12, 2006

History was made in the California State Legislature last month when it sent SB 840 to the governor’s desk! Sen. Sheila Kuehl’s single payer health care bill would extend coverage to all California residents for less than what is spent collectively now by employers, consumers and local, state and federal government. Patients would choose their own doctors or providers, pre-existing conditions would be covered, all needed services, drugs, hospital stays, therapies and medical equipment would be covered, and there would be no co-pays or deductibles for at least the first two years. -more-


Commentary: An Invitation

By Laurence Schechtman
Tuesday September 12, 2006

This is Berkeley’s season for political endorsements. But there is only one group which is actively inviting all progressives to attend, to debate and to vote, and that is the Berkeley Progressive Coalition. All are invited to the candidates convention from 2-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at Washington School at MLK and Bancroft. -more-


Commentary: De-Gassing Our 78,000 Commuters

By Alan Tobey
Tuesday September 12, 2006

A recent regional study by the Bay Area Council contains some eye-opening statistics about Berkeley working and commuting patterns. According to the BAC, of Berkeley’s 71,172 jobs in 2005, only a third (33.1 percent) were held by Berkeley residents, meaning two-thirds commuted to work here, while more than half of the city’s 54,421 employed citizens (56.7 percent) commuted to jobs out of town. Taken together, this means that nearly 78,500 workers—not counting students—commute into or out of Berkeley every workday. And the large majority of them still do so by private automobile. -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Unlearning Anti-Semitism: A Few Pointers

By Becky O’Malley
Tuesday September 12, 2006

The Planet has received a second commentary (opinion essay) from Kurosh (Cyrus) Arianpour, a student who is Iranian by nationality, Zoroasterian by religion, used to live in Berkeley and is currently studying physics in Bombay and learning English. Publication of his first letter upset many Planet readers and others who saw it quoted elsewhere. Since his second letter is substantially similar to the first one, we will not print it in full. In summary: he says he’s outraged by Israel’s actions in Lebanon and in Gaza, and that many others throughout the world are also angry. He thinks critics of the Planet’s printing his first letter should instead be condemning Israel because of the civilian deaths in Lebanon. He quotes a writer who believes that Zionists are controlling Americans. He repeats the charges from his first letter: that Israel’s current policies are characteristic of the behavior of what he calls “Jews/Zionists” throughout history and around the world, and as such are the cause of anti-Semitism. We’d like to take the opportunity now to set him straight about a few of his most egregious misconceptions: -more-


Columns

Column: Waiting for the Creative Mousse On Dover Street

By Susan Parker
Tuesday September 12, 2006

The phone rang, as it always does on Sunday afternoon. “Susan,” said the voice on the other end of the line, “this is your mother.” -more-


A Vireo of Your Own: The Immortality of William Hutton

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday September 12, 2006

By Joe Eaton -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Tuesday September 12, 2006

The Theater: Oscar Wilde’s ‘Salome’ Takes the Stage at the Aurora

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Tuesday September 12, 2006

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Tuesday September 12, 2006

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Unlearning Anti-Semitism: A Few Pointers 09-12-2006

Editorial: Singing the Blues About Cal Dems 09-08-2006

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 09-12-2006

Commentary: Campaign for Universal Health Coverage By Kay Eisenhower and Robert Lieber 09-12-2006

Commentary: An Invitation By Laurence Schechtman 09-12-2006

Commentary: De-Gassing Our 78,000 Commuters By Alan Tobey 09-12-2006

Letters to the Editor 09-08-2006

Commentary: Sunshine is the Best Antidote for Bigotry By Zoia Horn 09-08-2006

Commentary: Hatred Begets Hatred By Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski 09-08-2006

Commentary: Don’t Shoot the Messenger By Alexander Mac Donald 09-08-2006

Commentary: Panhandlers — Not Aggressive Enough By Carol Denney 09-08-2006

News

Hawk Habitat Destroyed By David Gelles, Special to the Planet 09-12-2006

Oak to Ninth Opponents Plan Legal Challenge To Petition Denial By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 09-12-2006

Safety, Housing at Center of District 7 City Council Race By Judith Scherr 09-12-2006

Governor Signs Bill Establishing Fines for Stealing Free Newspapers By Judith Scherr 09-12-2006

Oakland School Property Sale Negotiations Extended By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 09-12-2006

Pacific Steel Emission Reports Turned Over to Air District By Riya Bhattacharjee 09-12-2006

To Live and Let Live in South Los Angeles By Rene P. Ciria-Cruz, New American Media 09-12-2006

Berkeley Cooperative Grocery 09-12-2006

Genetically Modified Food Bill Dies in State Legislature By Rio Bauce, Special to the Planet 09-12-2006

Berkeley High Beat: Start-of-the-Year Worries at BHS By Rio Bauce 09-12-2006

Japanese Buyer Vows To Strenghten Cody’s By Judith Scherr 09-08-2006

New Food Co-op in the Works By Melissa Mixon 09-08-2006

OUSD Trustees Reject Property Sale By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 09-08-2006

Berkeley Rally Adds to Call for Immigrant Rights By Judith Scherr 09-08-2006

Cops: No Leads Yet in Case of Dead Man at Sorority House By Judith Scherr 09-08-2006

Judge Rejects Challenge To Measure J Language By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 09-08-2006

Haiti Delegation to Present Views of UN Aggression By Judith Scherr 09-08-2006

Three Arrests in Pot Cookie Incident at Cloyne Court Bay City News 09-08-2006

Hit and Run Propels Car into Royal Grounds Cafe By Susa Lim, Special to the Planet 09-08-2006

DAPAC Talks Parking Issues By Riya Bhattacharjee 09-08-2006

The Best $5 Meals Around Campus By Jacob Horn, Special to the Planet 09-08-2006

Columns

Column: Waiting for the Creative Mousse On Dover Street By Susan Parker 09-12-2006

A Vireo of Your Own: The Immortality of William Hutton By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet 09-12-2006

Column: The View From Here: Forget Derby Street — Do Something About MLK By P.M. Price 09-08-2006

Column: Undercurrents: Using Music to Unite a Community By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 09-08-2006

Strolling Down Solano Avenue By Marta Yamamoto, Special to the Planet 09-08-2006

East Bay Then and Now: Shipping Magnate’s Mansion Is Rare Survivor on Oxford Street By Daniella Thompson 09-08-2006

Why I Hate Norm Abrams By Matt Cantor 09-08-2006

An Interesting Nursery Close to Lake Merritt By Ron Sullivan 09-08-2006

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 09-08-2006

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 09-12-2006

The Theater: Oscar Wilde’s ‘Salome’ Takes the Stage at the Aurora By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 09-12-2006

A Vireo of Your Own: The Immortality of William Hutton By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet 09-12-2006

Berkeley This Week 09-12-2006

Arts Calendar 09-08-2006

Arts: Monterey Jazz Promises Ideal Excusion for Next Weekend By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 09-08-2006

Moving Pictures: Carol Reed’s ‘Fallen Idol’ Finally Comes to Berkeley By Justin DeFreitas 09-08-2006

Moving Pictures: Global Lens Film Series at Grand Lake By Justin DeFreitas 09-08-2006

Strolling Down Solano Avenue By Marta Yamamoto, Special to the Planet 09-08-2006

East Bay Then and Now: Shipping Magnate’s Mansion Is Rare Survivor on Oxford Street By Daniella Thompson 09-08-2006

Why I Hate Norm Abrams By Matt Cantor 09-08-2006

An Interesting Nursery Close to Lake Merritt By Ron Sullivan 09-08-2006

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 09-08-2006

Berkeley This Week 09-08-2006