Berkeley will challenge a four-year-old police union suit against the city, said City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. -more-
New plans for some of Berkeley’s more notable landmarks were presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Thursday, with two receiving qualified but unofficial endorsements. -more-
The proverbial playing field on which the Berkeley mayoral and City Council races are being played—at least as far as campaign cash is concerned—is far from level, according to the most recent financial filing statements released Oct. 5. -more-
Berkeley City Council candidate and UC Berkeley student Jason Overman believes in affordable housing and wants to restore funding for the city’s police and fire departments if he gets elected this year. He also spends a lot of time making friends on Facebook.com. -more-
Ten minutes before opening time at the Milo Foundation’s Solano Avenue pet adoption store on Wednesday morning, volunteers are busy taking care of Petey, the 1-year-old yorkshire terrier diagnosed with canine flu. -more-
Today’s (Tuesday) Berkeley City Council meeting will meet in closed session for a continued discussion of the lawsuits that caused the city attorney to suspend all Police Review Commission hearings on complaints against Berkeley police officers. -more-
Discovery of radium in the soil at Richmond’s Booker T. Anderson Park and the results of other radiation testing along the city’s southeastern shoreline will lead off a Thursday night meeting at the Richmond Civic Center. -more-
UC Berkeley’s choice of an architect for a new downtown museum and film center complex won only big thumbs up from those who commented on it at last week’s meeting of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC). -more-
What looks like a light agenda for Wednesday night’s Planning Commission meeting—only two action items are listed—may prove anything but. -more-
As anticipated, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill last week that would have given increased notification to California high school students and parents of their right to block their contact information from going to military recruiters. -more-
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters office acted quickly this week to try to convince the public that voting in next month’s elections will be secure, inviting reporters on Monday to tour the county’s downtown vote-counting facilities and releasing an independent contractor’s “vulnerability assessment” of the county’s new voting system. -more-
Berkeley residents have taxed themselves to buy good schools for the kids of the community. We have talented teachers, good physical facilities, and a population that is world famous for its love of peace and ideas. So why are many classes overcrowded? Why are there cutbacks in academic curriculum, continuous incidents of violence and why do a third the students fail to gain a minimal education? I believe that with the many accomplishments of Berkeley’s schools there are also a string of failures and that these are understandable results of policies that have created a sub-culture of failure. We need policies that turn that around to promote new accomplishments. -more-
School boards are always dealing with maintenance issues—essential to maintaining and expanding the status quo; teaching to retain the present structures, as though those, if done right, could serve us all, evidence to the contrary ... extensive evidence to the contrary. -more-
I am a candidate for the School Board because as a parent of two sons in Berkeley schools, I see the promise of what the BUSD can be—a model urban district that uses our vast community resources to provide our children with the opportunity and support to bring out their personal best and prepare them for the challenges of our 21st century world—academically strong and ready to thrive. And, as a long time volunteer in the school district and as a senior manager in local government, I have the proven leadership, skills and experience necessary to bring about this vision. -more-
I am running as an incumbent for a third term on the Board of Education. My husband and I raised our two children in Berkeley, and they are graduates of Berkeley public schools. I have also provided clinical social work services to Bay Area families for over 35 years. These experiences have given me a good appreciation for the real needs of children and families as well as a deep understanding of the change process and what is needed to promote healthy growth and development—in individuals and organizations. I seek re-election because I believe my continued leadership is needed to insure that we maintain the progress we have made and push forward on critically needed improvements in teaching and learning. -more-
Thank you Berkeley Daily Planet for this opportunity! My Name is Nancy Riddle and I am running for re-election to the Berkeley School Board. -more-
Some pedestrians using the crosswalk at Ashby and Piedmont avenues said they feel endangered crossing the street during busy traffic hours, because the Santa Rosa lights at that intersection have been dismantled. -more-
Two days after the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) sued Berkeley Unified School District, charging it with violating California’s Proposition 209 by racially discriminating among students during placements at elementary schools and at programs at Berkeley High, school district officials said they will not change their policies. -more-
While incumbent Mayor Tom Bates, with 20 years in state office and four years as mayor, has accumulated the lion’s share of endorsements and buckets of cash—about $74,000 according to his Oct. 5 filing—challenger Zelda Bronstein is running a relentless community campaign, while raising about one-third—$24,000—the amount Bates raised. -more-
After 21 years of organizing, planning, cajoling and fund-raising, Eastshore State Park became a reality Wednesday, fulfilling the dreams of a coalition of environmentalists, politicians and organizations. -more-
While Berkeley may have been known as the free speech capital of the world, the city now lags behind seven other jurisdictions that operate under “sunshine” laws that expand California’s open government statutes. -more-
Concerns about the city attorney’s abrupt mid-September shutdown of the public process addressing complaints against police drew about a dozen people to the open portion of the joint City Council-Police Review Commission closed session Tuesday. -more-
Berkeley voters will have the chance to settle the fate of Berkeley’s Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO) when they vote on Measure J. -more-
A “Wanted—Jack O’Connell” flyer was posted to the Oakland Public School Parents email list this week, taking the State Superintendent to task for what it called “crimes against democracy.” -more-
The City of Oakland has three local measures on the November ballot, all them placed by a vote of the Oakland City Council. Two of them—Measures M and O—are amendments to Oakland’s city charter. One of them—Measure N—is a bond measure. -more-
With the cities of Berkeley and San Leandro already approving the use of instant runoff voting (IRV) whenever the Alameda County voting system can accommodate it—and Oakland voters scheduled to decide on an IRV ballot measure next month—the Alameda County registrar’s office has set up tentative plans for an IRV conference later this month with representatives of the county’s municipalities and other interested parties. -more-
Police seeks suspects in two sexual assaults -more-
The U.S. government’s Gulfstream jets are back in the news. -more-
Saturday morning at the Farmers’ Market the Green Party’s Pam Webster handed me a flyer with a picture on it of the house where I’d lived as an undergraduate. I’d forgotten just what a fine house it was. There was the big bay window of the high-ceilinged front room where we had many fine parties. The glassed-in front porch was a perfect place to store our bikes. My housemates and I had three bedrooms on the first floor, which housed three to six of us depending on whose boyfriends were in (unauthorized) residence. Upstairs in the garrett lived mysterious seldom-seen older men (at least 30 years old) by reputation jazz musicians who played for beatniks in North Beach. On the far right could be glimpsed some foliage which might have been the enormous and prolific fig tree in the large back yard. I was surprised and pleased to learn that the house’s comfortable design was attributed to a woman architect (Ida M. Legal), and that it had been built in 1889. We paid big bucks in 1959 to live in this marvelous residence: $90 a month, split three ways. The only problem: next to the picture was the ominous legend in big black type: DEMOLISHED 1963. -more-
Many readers seem to assume that the Planet will automatically endorse former Planning Commission Chair Zelda Bronstein, who is on leave from her job as one of the Planet’s Public Eye columnists, in her campaign for mayor of Berkeley. But it’s not that simple. We do have enormous respect for Bronstein’s experience and expertise in all matters related to the current and future state of the city fabric, and for her keen intelligence and quick mastery of new ideas. Since she’s been contributing to the paper, she’s become a friend as well as a colleague. But that shouldn’t be the whole story. Following the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” theory of management, it is appropriate to see what Tom Bates has done with his opportunities before deciding whether to support a change. He’s generally conceded to be personable and friendly, but is that enough? Under our charter, the mayor of Berkeley is able to establish a tone and a direction for the efforts of the City Council, but he or she must lead by example and exhortation rather than by exerting power. -more-
The people of Berkeley will be pleased to learn that the work of the Creeks Task Force (CTF) is drawing to a conclusion. After two years of twice-monthly meetings, public hearings, presentations, and the give-and-take of Berkeley-style debate, city staff are following the guidance of the CTF to put the finishing touches on a new Creeks Ordinance. The Public Works and Planning commissions will soon provide their comments on the proposed ordinance—the Planning Commission will hold a hearing on Oct. 11—and the ordinance will be presented to the City Council in November for possible action. -more-
If Berkeley’s Measure A, the parcel tax, goes down, it is likely that so will property values. “It’s clear that if school quality is reduced, housing values decrease. It’s a direct correlation. One of the reasons the city of Berkeley has such high values relative to Oakland is because of the perceived quality and reputation of the schools,” observes Teresa Clarke, senior project manager for Affordable Housing Associates. “It’s very interesting to note that in the late ’70s, before any of the parcel tax measures were passed, Berkeley schools had a terrible reputation.” -more-
By Shirley Dean -more-
By NANCY CARLETON and -more-
By Carol Denney -more-
I tend to take house finches for granted, as I suspect most birders do. But there’s more to these ubiquitous little birds than meets the eye. -more-
Voters will determine 33 Senate seats in 2006. According to veteran DC prognosticator Charlie Cook, 17 incumbent senators are all but guaranteed reelection. In order to regain control of the Senate, Democrats will have to win at least six of the eight Republican seats that are in play and retain all eight of the contested Democratic sets. -more-
This fall brings an enormous lesson in civics and how to understand the secret and inner workings of our government. Sometimes in the rush surrounding a particular event or action or piece of legislation, details get lost or overlooked, and it is only with the passage of time, and patient digging, that we begin to learn the truth of how a particular government action came to be. Thus it is with our emerging understanding of the actions of the Bush Administration with regard to terrorism both before and after the September 11th attacks. -more-
There was a time not too long ago when “Jamabalaya” was just a Hank Williams song. The rich cuisine of southern Louisiana—Cajun, Creole, and their hybrid offspring—wasn’t well known outside the region. Then, as fiddler Michael Doucet recalls, -more-
It’s funny that humanity ever had trouble identifying itself as part of the continuum of animal life on this planet. Anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of a dog or cat must realize that there is as much of a person inside that creature as can be found in you or me. -more-
I must have passed this place a thousand times without going in. I think it used to be called “The Windmill Nursery” and it still has the eponymous windmill, an old but still unrusted Aeromotor, evidently not in current use. -more-
How’s Your Earthquake Knowledge? -more-
Temescal might just be the Pluto of North Oakland neighborhoods. -more-
Here, time stands still. There is only music, and the movement of children through space. -more-
Back at the dawn of Berkeley’s food revolution, before the first bit of artisan bread was dipped in extra-virgin olive oil, L. John Harris, a former Cheese Board collective member and waiter at Chez Panisse, published The Book of Garlic. -more-
I tend to take house finches for granted, as I suspect most birders do. But there’s more to these ubiquitous little birds than meets the eye. -more-
The late Arthur Miller’s last play, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, a kind of stereoscopic screwball marital comedy, just opened at the San Francisco Playhouse, a block off Union Square, with the fine direction of Berkeleyan Joy Carlin. -more-
The Berkeley Video and Film Festival makes its annual appearance this weekend, starting today (Friday) and running through Sunday evening at the Oaks Theater on Solano Avenue in Berkeley. This year’s program features more than 50 works, from brief clips by budding filmmakers, running just a few minutes in length, to full-length features by established directors. -more-
Often the most compelling dramas are not found in novels or Hollywood movies, but in everyday life. This is the charm and allure of The Up Series, an extraordinary documentary film project now in its fifth decade. -more-
The Jazz House, formerly on Adeline, will present a bi-weekly “Free-Jazz” series on the first and third Fridays of the month, starting at 8 p. m. tonight (Friday), at 1510 Eighth St. in Oakland, a block from the West Oakland BART station. -more-
There was a time not too long ago when “Jamabalaya” was just a Hank Williams song. The rich cuisine of southern Louisiana—Cajun, Creole, and their hybrid offspring—wasn’t well known outside the region. Then, as fiddler Michael Doucet recalls, -more-
It’s funny that humanity ever had trouble identifying itself as part of the continuum of animal life on this planet. Anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of a dog or cat must realize that there is as much of a person inside that creature as can be found in you or me. -more-
I must have passed this place a thousand times without going in. I think it used to be called “The Windmill Nursery” and it still has the eponymous windmill, an old but still unrusted Aeromotor, evidently not in current use. -more-
How’s Your Earthquake Knowledge? -more-
