After Berkeley firefighters rescued her from her burning home Monday night, a Berkeley woman took out a cigarette lighter and tried to set herself ablaze. 

Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth said firefighters responded to a 7:37 p.m. call to 1431 67th St., where they arrived to find flames shooting from the second floor windows of the two-story duplex. 

“The resident had set multiple fires throughout the interior of her unit,” said Orth. 

Firefighters rescued the woman from the burning building, and were looking after her on the sidewalk outside “when she tried to set herself on fire,” Orth said. 

The woman, who Orth said was in her 40s, was taken into custody because the fire was determined to be a case of arson. 

The flames did an estimated $70,000 in damage to the structure and destroyed contents valued at $15,000, as well as displacing the residents of the downstairs unit, Orth said. 

“There was no connection to the arson fires in Oakland that same night,” said the deputy chief. 

While the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce is raking in thousands of dollars to battle for candidates and oppose ballot measures, there’s no record on file anywhere to show who’s giving or getting the money—and there probably won’t be until right before or after the Nov. 7 election. 

Meanwhile, the likely targets and beneficiaries of the chamber’s largess have all filed extensive statements tracking every dollar they’ve raised and spent. 

Why the disparity? The simple reason is that the chamber is raising its funds through a PAC, a Political Action Committee, which has yet to make any endorsements—even though its parent, the chamber, has already taken stands on local candidates and ballot measures. 

“It’s outrageous. The citizens of Berkeley have a right to know” said former mayor Shirley Dean. “It appears that someone is trying to hide something.” 

The Chamber of Commerce’s political campaign financing arm is not likely violating city election laws, although it has in the past.  

But ambiguities and differences in two regulatory regimes—the city and county—may have reduced any potential infraction to a violation of the spirit rather than letter. 

The PAC—Business for Better Government (BBG)—held a $250-a-head fundraiser Sept. 21, attended by 37 or so chamber members and invitees to an event described in the invitation as “one of the most important fundraising events for the future of Berkeley.” 

Mayor Tom Bates and two City Council candidates attended at least part of the meeting—Raudel Wilson, who is opposing incumbent Dona Spring, and George Beier, who is challenging incumbent Kriss Worthington. 

In part, discussion focused on how much of the funds raised were to be used to oppose Measure J, the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance initiative, according to event organizer Jonathan DeYoe and others. DeYoe is listed in the Chamber’s fall newsletter as the incoming Chairman of its Governmental Affairs Committee, and organized the event for BBG. 

It took place at 720 Channing Way, property owned by Michael Golden, an outspoken foe of Measure J, the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance initiative opposed by Mayor Bates. 

While DeYoe, a self-employed wealth management consultant, said BBG hadn’t decided on candidates or measures it would support, the chamber itself has already come out in opposition to Measure J and in support of Bates, Wilson, Beier and Gordon Wozniak for the mayoralty and city council. 

“We’re opposing Measure J,” confirmed chamber President Roland Peterson.  

One of those in attendance for the September event was Oakland Attorney Rena Rickles, a land use attorney frequently hired by developers working on projects in Berkeley. Rickles said she contributed because she opposes Measure J. “It’s a good government question,” said Rickles, whose daughter runs the Beier and Wozniak campaigns. 

Rickles said she didn’t know what comments were made about council race endorsements because “as soon as they started talking about the council races, I went out of the room.” 

Bates, the leading opponent of Measure J, said he attended to support the fight against the measure. If they talked about candidates, Bates said, it wasn’t in his presence. “It would have been inappropriate to be there,” he said. 

Wilson said he attended the event briefly, but during that time they were not discussing candidates, he said. The mayor confirmed Beier’s presence. Beier did not return Daily Planet calls. 

Miriam Ng, the realtor who chairs the Business for Better Government PAC, said she couldn’t comment about the event because she’d been out of the country at the time. She said the members of the PAC get together to decide which candidates or measures they will fund. 

Know nothings? 

But by not stating who it plans to support, the chamber’s PAC appears to have skirted the city’s campaign reporting requirements, which are more focused on donations to candidates and issues rather than on PACs. 

One thing is certain: BBG filed no campaign report with City Clerk Sherry M. Kelly by Oct. 5, by which time Measure J. Proponents had filed two detailed reports listing all of their contributors and expenditures. 

Nor has BBG filed any reports with the city since 2002. Instead, the reports the group filed were lodged with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The reason? “We may want to support assembly candidates,” said DeYoe.  

Lowell Finley, a Berkeley attorney who specializes in campaign finance, said it is appropriate for the PAC to file in Alameda County if BBG does, in fact, fund measures or candidates outside the city. But if it funds only city measures, it should register in Berkeley, he said. 

DeYoe, whose name appears on the invitation of the event, said he didn’t know which candidates or ballot measures the group might support, nor who runs BBG. 

“I’m sure I know all of them, but I don’t know who is on the board,” he said. 

The chamber itself issued endorsements earlier this week, and those originated in the Government Affairs Committee which DeYoe chairs. 

Asked if BBG had ever supported anyone the chamber hadn’t, DeYoe responded, “I don’t know.” 

DeYoe also said he didn’t know anything about the filing requirements, beyond his understanding that BBG had made the appropriate filings. He referred the Daily Planet to Stacy Owens, the PAC’s accountant. 

“My understanding is that there are appropriate windows in which activity reports are filed, but I don’t know what those windows are,” he said. “But the requirements are there for a reason, and we believe in” following the requirements. “We’re following the requirements as they are set up.” 

But a search for who has to file what, where and when can resemble a stroll through a convoluted wilderness of legislative and regulatory mirrors. 

Different rules require different filings with different agencies. 

Anyone can walk into the Berkeley City Clerk’s office or sign onto the clerk’s website to see who is funding Measure J and where the campaign is spending its money. 

But the Measure J opposition is shrouded in mystery. That’s because BBG has been filing with Alameda County, rather than with the city. Under the county’s looser requirements, BBG doesn’t have to disclose the money it takes in until it spends it—even though it has been raising big bucks for the defeat of Measure J. 

In races for city offices and for city ballot measures “if an organization is a committee and is raising money and making expenditures of more than $500, they are obligated to make a disclosure,” said Deputy City Attorney Kristy van Herick, who serves as secretary to the city’s Fair Campaign Practices Commission (FCPC). 

But the county requirements set the trigger at $1,000, twice the city level. 

DeYoe and PAC accountant Stacy Owens said they would file candidate and ballot measure expenditures of more than $500 on Oct. 26 with Alameda County and with Berkeley. They file regular twice-yearly reports with the county if no expenditures on candidates or committees are made. 

Their latest county semi-annual report listed an $800 in-kind contribution by Owens, the value of accounting services donated to the PAC. No similar filing was made with the city. 

One question still to be answered is the cost of the September event. 

DeYoe said he didn’t know how much the fundraiser had cost, but the invitations were printed in color—a not inexpensive process, though BBG cut their costs by using a non-union printer, evidenced by the lack of a union bug on the invitation, normally considered a faux pas in Bay Area politics. 

Campaigns typically list donated space as an in-kind contribution, and the invitation also announced that cocktails and light refreshments were served, another potentially significant expense. 

When to report?  

One issue further complicating reporting requirements in the Berkeley code is that BERA doesn’t apply the same standards to PACs as to candidate and initiative committees. 

Under BERA, rigorous reporting requirements kick in only when a PAC gives to a candidate or a ballot measure committee, and not when the committee takes in money. 

In the Nov. 7, 2000, general election, BBG clearly ran afoul of BERA. 

Meeting on Nov. 16, 2000, the city’s Fair Campaign Practices Commission heard from staff that BBG had breached regulations twice in that year’s elections, failing to meet deadlines of Oct. 5 and Oct. 26 in an election when BBG had already made donations during the reporting period. 

The required documents were eventually submitted Nov. 3, four days before the election, though the commission had sent a mailing to all committees reminding them of their filing obligations, according to the minutes of the FCPC’s Nov. 16, 2000 meeting. 

Rachel Rupert, then as now BBG’s legal agent, appeared at a Dec. 14 FCPC meeting, saying she hadn’t realized the group had to file pre-election campaign disclosure statements. 

In the 2002 election—the last recorded BBG filing with the city—the group did file on time, recording an $8,500 contribution to Coalition for a Livable Berkeley, the group that led the successful fight to defeat Measure P, which would have limited building heights outside the core downtown. 

That donation was recorded on Oct. 24, the day after the coalition logged the donation on its books, as required by city statute, but the organization made no filings disclosing the source of the contributions. 

No donations were reported to the city during the 2004 election cycle. 

According to records on file with the California Secretary of State, BBG filed its incorporation papers on Jan. 19, 1998 with offices at 1834 University Ave.—the chamber’s address. 

During the past legislative session, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders (primarily Sen. Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez) reached an agreement to put four bond measures on the ballot to fund various projects in California. 

Three of them (Propositions 1B, 1C, and 1D) are reviewed below. The fourth, Proposition 1E, will be reviewed in a later issue along with Proposition 84, which was put on the ballot by citizen initiative. Prop. 84 has the governor’s support, and both 84 and 1E deal with issues of water supply and flood control. 

Proposition 1B:  

Transportation Bonds 

This proposition would allow the State of California to issue $19.9 million in bonds in order to fund various transportation improvements and repairs. 

By far, the bulk of the money—$11.3 billion—would go to highway and road improvements. $4 billion would go to public transportation, $3 billion to improving the movement of goods within the state (including reduction of emissions), and $1.5 billion for transportation safety and security. Most of this money is for ground transportation, with a small portion of the safety and security money ($100 million) going towards ports, harbors, and ferry facilities. 

To vote yes on this measure, a California voter would have to answer a series of questions: 1) Are the transportation improvement needs in California great enough to justify almost $20 billion in new spending? 2) Does Measure IB provide the best mix of projects for that spending? 3) Is a bond measure the best way to finance these projects, and, if not, are there reasonable alternatives? 

The first question seems easy enough to answer. California’s transportation system was once the envy of the nation, whether it was the red-car light-rail trolleys, wide streets that took advantage of the enormous spaces available in the west, or a well-built highway system. That world of easy transportation in California has clearly been long over, caught in a pincer between exploding population and imploding finances. Given the critical relationship of transportation to our lives—everything we want or need has to get to us by some means, or we have to get to it—spending $20 billion to break the logjams and open the chokepoints and ensure a smooth flow seems more than justified. 

But is the mix in Measure 1B (56.4 percent of the money going to roads and highways, 20.1 percent going to public transportation) the best way to address that problem? Does building more roads and highways only encourage more driving and, therefore, should we encourage the use of public transportation by putting more money into it? Or should transportation tax dollars reflect the marketplace, where citizens have shown that they would rather use cars than buses and BART? If you haven’t already made up your own mind, there’s more than enough literature floating around on the internet and in the library to help you make a decision. 

Finally, is a bond measure the best way to finance these transportation projects? The cost of a bond is steep, with the state Legislative Analyst estimating that you can add $19 billion in interest payments to the actual $19.9 billion bond principal, making the real cost of Measure 1B $38.9 billion over the 30 year repayment period. Opponents of Measure 1B say that this is a bad way to finance government, doubling the cost and tying up money for years into the future because the legislature doesn’t want to either raise taxes or free up the necessary money out of existing revenue to pay for the improvements out of the regular budget. 

If that assertion is true—and it’s hard to argue against it—would the legislature bite the bullet (either on its own or under pressure from voters) and move the necessary money around in the regular budget to buck up the state’s transportation system if Measure 1B doesn’t pass? And if that doesn’t happen and California’s transportation system continues to deteriorate, would such a deterioration do severe and ireedemable harm to California’s economy and its citizens? 

You be the judge. 

Proposition 1C: Housing And Emergency Shelter Trust Fund 

In a perfect world, voters would be able to go down the list of projects in a bond measure, pick out the ones they want, toss out the ones they don’t. Until we reach that perfect world, voters will be faced with bond measures like Proposition 1C, which tries to increase chances of passage by mixing two different types of housing programs that may be popular with two somewhat different voting constituencies. 

In addition, there is a sort of “truth in advertising” issue in Proposition 1C. While the measure bills itself as being a “Housing and Emergency Shelter” proposition, more than a third of the money does not specifically go for housing, but for grants to cities for the building of parks and infrastructure, as well as for environmental cleanup to facilitate urban infill. While it can be argued that you can’t have housing without those other projects, it’s difficult to argue why Prop. 1C include “emergency shelter” in its title when only $50 million out of its $2.85 billion goes for the development of homeless shelters. 

The details: $625 million (or 21.9 percent) of Prop. 1C’s $2.85 billion goes to existing state homeownership programs, providing loans and downpayment assistance to low-income and moderate-income homebuyers, as well as grants to organizations or local governments which provide assistance to such low-income and moderate-income homebuyers. 

An additional $775 million (or 27.2 percent) goes to existing programs to help in the building of housing for “in need” communities, with the bulk ($345 million) going to housing developments for low-income renters, the rest spread between homeless shelters, housing for farmworkers, and housing targeted specifically to homeless youth. 

But almost half of the money ($1.35 billion, or 47.5 percent of the total bond) goes to new projects. Among them is $850 million for grants to develop urban infill development (the parks, water and sewer systems, and transportation projects mentioned above), $200 million in grants for parks, and another $300 million in grants and loans to local governments and developers to encourage development near public transportation. 

Encouraging development near public transportation is the new mantra for many public officials in California, perhaps making up for years of the disintegration of public transportation in areas where the people already are. 

In the East Bay, that means lots of public money for transit villages around the various BART stations, which are sometimes in convenient locations, but sometimes aren’t. There are those who like the idea of BART transit village, arguing that it’s the way to encourage the use of public transit; there are others who dislike the BART transit villages, thinking the Fruitvale Transit Village is a bust, or that the Ashby or North Berkeley BART transit village are simply bad ideas. In either case, because of the low amount of such money in the bond measure (only 10.5 percent of the total), this may not be enough to tip the balance either way. 

Proposition 1D: Public Education Construction and Modernization Bond 

This is another one of those bond measures that hopes to gain voter approval for new programs and projects by slipping them in alongside items that voters have already approved in the past. 

The $10.416 billion in construction and building modernization bond money would be split between higher education and K-12 facilities, with vastly different rules for how the money would be allocated for each. 

For the $3.1 billion going to the higher education facilities ($1.5 billion to community colleges, $690 million to the California State University system, and $890 million to the University of California system), no specific programs or building projects are listed in the bond. Instead, the Legislative Analyst’s Office only notes that “the Governor and Legislature would select the specific projects to be funded by the bond monies. 

The $7.3 billion in Prop. 1D money going to K-12 facilities, however, are divided between seven specific projects. Four of them—money for modernization, new construction, charter school facilities, and joint-use projects—are already in existence (joint-use projects are typically such things as gymnasiums, libraries, and child care facilities that are located on school campuses but are used for both school and non-school activities). School districts or charter schools receiving these funds through the state School Facilities Program (SFP) normally have to put up between 40 percent and 50 percent in local matching funds. 

Without these state funds, facilities modernization and new construction would be virtually out of the reach of most school districts in the state. 

Meanwhile, Proposition 1D allocates state money for three new categories of SFP funding: overcrowded schools ($1 billion), career technical facilities ($500 million), and environment-friendly projects ($100 million). 

The relatively small amount for “special incentive grants” for environment-friendly projects appears to be part of a compromise just to get the provision in. Considering that this provision promotes construction practices the maximize the efficient use of energy and water that would eventually lowering the overall financial needs of the district, “green construction” supporters of this provisionappear to be hoping that support for such environment-friendly building practices will catch on, and so this eventual part of the state school building bond money as well.  

Meanwhile, an estimated 20 percent of schools in the state would be eligible for the overcrowded facilities funds, which aims at replacing the number of portable classrooms with permanent facilities. 

And the career technical facility portion of the bond grants monies for construction of or modernization at existing career technical programs within school districts. Roughly 50 percent of the districts in the state have such career technical programs, and so would be eligible to apply for the grant money. 

As with other bonds, the cost for this program is steep as opposed to paying for school construction out of the yearly state budget. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that paying off the principal and interest on Proposition 1D over a 30-year period virtually doubles the cost of the bond, adding $9.9 billion to the original $10.4 billion allocation. 

A law intended to increase construction of affordable housing units was invoked at Tuesday’s Berkeley City Council meeting by attorney Rena Rickles, in an attempt to push the council to approve a controversial mixed-use housing and commercial development at San Pablo Avenue and Harrison Street. 

The council put off a decision on the project and will hold a special meeting to discuss it on Monday. 

Also, at Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved construction of nine traffic circles to slow circulation in southwest Berkeley and called for a hearing on a proposed sunshine ordinance, the intent of which would be to open the processes of city government to the community beyond what state law mandates. The council also put off deliberation on cultural uses at the Allston Way Gaia Building. 

The five-story San Pablo and Harrison development proposes 30 condominium units, of which six would be affordable as defined by state law. The plan is to build the condos above retail space. 

In an Oct. 10 letter written by Rickles to Mayor Tom Bates and the council on behalf of project developer Jim Hart and delivered on the day of the meeting, Hart rescinded recent project modifications, concessions he had given neighbors who said the project was too dense.  

Concessions that would be off the table included reducing about 500 square feet of the project’s upper two floors, pulling them farther away from neighboring residences and adding 18 parking spaces, Rickles said.  

Rickles’ letter said Hart now would offer the affordable units to people earning 80 percent of the area median income ($67,040 for a family of four) rather than to those earning 120 percent of the area median ($99,600 for a family of four), which had been written into the earlier project. 

The new offer triggers a state law which mandates that only health and safety issues can be considered for the council to deny the project, according to Planning Director Dan Marks. 

“The [Rickles] letter narrows our ability to deny the project,” Albuquerque said.  

Calling Rickles’ move a “brilliant legal maneuver,” Councilmember Max Anderson contended: “This is obviously intended to put us in a box.”  

But Councilmember Betty Olds argued for the project, saying she did not see how the council could refuse to accept the benefit of the low-income housing.  

To the applause of about a dozen of the proposed project’s neighbors who had come to the meeting to oppose it, Councilmember Dona Spring called for modifying the project. “There are other options,” she said. “We don’t have to accept the project the developers are giving us.” 

And Councilmember Linda Maio, participating in the meeting via telephone from Hawaii, argued that it was inappropriate for the developer and his attorney to place “an 11th hour letter” before the council.  

Maio called on the council to reject the letter and Hart’s newest proposal. The council was about to vote on that option when Mayor Tom Bates called on the body to put off a decision for a week, allowing the developer to meet one more time with neighbors and come to a mutual agreement. 

The council will continue to discuss the project at a special meeting, for that purpose only, at 7 p.m. Monday in the 6th floor conference room at 2180 Milvia St. 

At the Tuesday meeting the council briefly discussed a proposed sunshine ordinance and a number of enhancements and decided to hold a workshop/public hearing on provisions that might become part of the ordinance. The workshop date has not been set. 

In this internet-dependent age, when less than a month before a runoff election an incumbent officeholder’s website [www.roland4auditor.com/] has no photo, no qualifications, no campaign platform, no endorsement information, no contact number, and reads only “Site under construction—check back for more information”—well, then, you know that incumbent is in some political trouble. 

Two-term Oakland auditor Roland E. Smith is in some political trouble. 

Last June, four people chose to challenge him for the auditor’s position, including one of his former deputies. Smith came in second, with 31 percent of the vote, to East Bay Conservation Corps Chief Financial Officer Courtney Ruby’s 39 percent. 

Ruby’s endorsement list manages to bring together groups or individuals who are often at odds with each other—Oakland City councilmembers Desley Brooks, Jane Brunner, Pat Kernighan, Nancy Nadel, and Larry Reid, for example, as well as the Oakland Tribune and the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the pro-business OAKPAC and SEIU Local 790, which represents many of the city’s workers. 

In addition, she’s run the table of the local Democratic club endorsements—John George East Oakland Democratic Club, the Metropolitan-Greater Oakland, East Bay LGBTQ Democratic Club, Wellstone, and the East Bay Young Democrats, as well as the politically powerful Black Women Organized for Political Action. Ruby has also nabbed the grand prize of local endorsements—Congressmember Barbara Lee—while managing so far to keep Oakland mayor-elect Ron Dellums neutral in the race. 

For his part, we could find no listed endorsements for Mr. Smith, since his website is not up. There don’t seem to be many major ones left, in any event. 

Does all this mean that the challenger, Ms. Ruby, is the best candidate for the auditor’s post over the incumbent Mr. Smith? Hard to say, because the auditor’s position naturally brings on political enemies, if it’s properly done. 

Among other things, the city auditor audits the books and bank accounts of all of Oakland’s departments and agencies, reviews the soundness of financial transactions and financial internal controls, and makes public reports on these matters. That can mean stepping on some powerful toes, if the job is done right. 

Last year, for example, Smith released a scathing report on what he called the poor management of credit cards by city employees. Shortly after that report was released, the City Council and the Oakland City Administrator essentially shut down the audit department by defunding six of the nine audit department employees, transferring them to other departments. Smith said it was retaliation for his criticism of the city’s fiscal management; councilmembers said it was to protect staff members who had complained of harassment by the auditor. Smith sued, but before the lawsuit could be heard the council restored his staff. 

As for their qualifications, the 69-year-old Smith is a certified public accountant with 30 years experience in auditing. He promises to continue issuing performance audits targeting the quality levels of city services, as well as establish Citizen Investigation Study Groups “for studies addressing vital community needs.” 

The 39-year-old Ruby is also a CPA, who promises to reform the auditor’s office to “establish higher standards of professionalism and accountability” as well as promising to “protect Oakland from waste, fraud and mismanagement through effective financial and performance audits.” 

The DellumsWatch blog [http://dellums.blogspot.com], which bills itself as “eager supporters of Ms. Ruby,” described a recent Smith-Ruby debate by saying “Ruby convincingly made her case for change in the auditor's office from her opening statement. I found her emphasis on benchmarks and copying successful practices in other cities (such as San Jose) very persuasive. She also suggested that the auditor place more of an emphasis on performance evaluation of city programs and grants, rather than double-checking parking tickets. Roland Smith pointed to clear improvements in the city auditor's office since he took over in 1999, including migration to a sophisticated Oracle payroll system and an overall increase in the number of audits. He defended his work to refund parking tickets to citizens and increase revenue from city-owned parking lots, and blamed the council for not supporting him. (Ruby responded that San Jose found that business and sales taxes are better targets of city revenue audits than parking lots.)” 

Meanwhile, the Oakland Post, which is supporting Smith, wrote recently that “Smith, unable to reduce a backlog of reports after staff reductions by the City Council and the mayor’s staff, said he wants to see more fiscal transparency at City Hall when Mayor-Elect Ronald V. Dellums takes office in January. ‘My office can advise him on what changes need to occur for more transparency in city agencies,’ said Smith. ‘The city should also issue monthly financial reports and put them online. The city’s Finance Agency can do that. They pay the bills and handle the transactions. It’s the accountant for the city.’”  

Assembly, AC Transit 

Two other local races in the November election should get brief mention, only because they are not expected to be very competitive. 

Incumbent Loni Hancock (former mayor of Berkeley) is running for her second and final term, (under term limits) as 14th District assemblymember from Berkeley, Richmond, Albany, El Cerrito, Emeryville, a portion of North Oakland, and a few other cites. 

Her Republican opponent is Leigh N. Wolf, a computer technician who says that California “needs young blood and fresh ideas to break the log jam in Sacramento. Career politicians have done nothing but pander to special interests and spend your money in irresponsible ways. With your vote I can go to Sacramento and lay waste to the bureaucracy and begin to mold a more efficient, honest and open government.” 

Running in a district that is 59 percent registered Democrat and only 18 percent registered Republican, however, Mr. Wolf may be going to Sacramento next month, but most likely still as a private citizen. 

Incumbent Rebecca Kaplan is running for re-election to one of the two at-large seats on the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District Board of Directors. A Green Party member, Ms. Kaplan lost six years ago to incumbent Henry Chang in a run-off for the Oakland City Council at-large seat. Kaplan’s opponent, paralegal James Muhammad of Oakland, lost to H.E. Christian Peeples in 2004 for the other at-large AC Transit seat, winning less than 10 percent of the vote. 

What started off as a discussion differentiating creeks and culverts at the Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday went on to become a heated debate about the ambiguities and inaccuracies of the proposed amendments to the Creeks Ordinance. 

A majority of the residents at the meeting were in favor of a culvert-free creeks ordinance and said that culverts should be regulated separately.  

The commission decided that they had a problem with the wording of the ordinance revisions and asked the staff to come back with an updated version at the next planning meeting. 

“Ever since culverts have been included in its creeks ordinance, thousands of property owners have faced an impenetrable prohibition against the enjoyment of their right to remodel their homes or add an extra bathroom to accommodate their growing families,” said Eric Wasserman, a Berkeley resident. 

“The current revised ordinance should not regulate development near culverts and ought to unambiguously state this. To do less again will again lead to property owners rights being unfairly curtailed, injuring them and their families, and provoking another firestorm of controversy and public discord such as we are experiencing now,” Wasserman said. 

No other city includes culverts in its creeks ordinance, a fact that the city Creeks Task Force acknowledged. 

“We had been promised at the May 30 City Council meeting that culverts would be taken out of the creeks ordinance,” said Terry Mandel, a Berkeley resident. “It is unfortunate that even after that promise, residents are here today making that same request over and over again.” 

Creeks Task Force Chair Helen Burke said that although other cities did not have culverts in their creeks ordinance, Berkeley, being an older city, was different. 

Planning Chair David Stoloff said that culverts were legally required to be in the city’s creeks ordinance. 

Residents at the meeting also complained about the inaccuracy of the city system to map and measure the groundwater. 

Joan Bajsarowicz, a resident of Del Mar Avenue, said that she had received several notices from the Planning Department informing them that their property fell within the Berkeley Creeks Zoning Ordinance, but that was not the case. 

“When we informed them about their mistake, we received from the City Deputy Planning Director verification that indeed their were no creeks on our property,” Bajsarowicz said. “But the creek buffer was mapped to show properties within 40 feet of a mapped creek, and the city map buffers were extended to 40 feet to reflect ‘a level of uncertainty in our GIS mapping.’ In other words, the city maps are not accurate, or at best, they are vague approximations.” 

She added that since it was almost impossible to accurately map and measure all the groundwater that flows under our feet, unmappable groundwater should be excluded from the Berkeley Creeks Ordinance. 

Burke said getting a 100 percent accurate mapping system was difficult and would be a very expensive process. 

Former mayor Shirley Dean recommended changes to the revised creeks ordinance and amendments to the Zoning Ordinance on behalf of Neighbors on Urban Creeks. 

Besides advocating for the removal of culverted creeks from the Creeks Ordinance, NUC recommendations included asking the commission to adopt an unconditional use permit instead of a variance with respect to setbacks required for new construction. NUC also said that there was no reason not to allow owners to rebuild without a public hearing whether their property was destroyed by fire, earthquake, flood or dry rot, as long as the structure was rebuilt in its original footprint, height, and mass, and complied with current applicable building codes. 

Telegraph zoning 

The board voted 6-3 to approve the staff changes recommended on the Telegraph Avenue economic development assistance package, that a vendor parking fee be removed and the hours of operation allowed on the avenue be till 12 a.m. without a use permit and till 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday with a use permit. 

The majority of the board members recognized the need for businesses on Telegraph to stay open late to increase foot traffic in the area and to cater to students late at night.

After years of grappling, construction on the long-awaited multi-use playing field at Derby Street and Martin Luther King finally started on Oct. 1. 

The Berkeley school district will be spending $800,000 from construction bonds on the playing-field that will be used by students from Berkeley High, Longfellow and B-Tech (formerly Berkeley Alternative High School) next spring. 

The BUSD-owned East Campus/ Derby Street field has been the subject of debate over whether to close Derby to allow enough space to build a regulation high school baseball field or to renovate the East Campus lot for general playing fields. Some community members have urged the city not to close Derby Streeet and allow the baseball field on the site, saying they do not want the neighborhood disruption which would be caused by closing the street, relocating the Tuesday farmers’ market and allowing high school baseball games on the field. 

“We don’t have the funds to build anything else on the land at the moment, so we will be sticking with the interim plan of having a temporary athletic field,” said BUSD spokesperson Mark Coplan. “Leveling and drainage work will require a lot of time because we don’t want the field to turn muddy every time it rains. Hopefully construction will be completed in the next few months.” 

School board director John Selawsky said at Wednesday’s ceremony marking the start of construction he was glad the process has begun no matter the final decision on the baseball field. 

“The new playing field will not only be an athletic field but also a community one,” he said. “Future plans include an EIR and more community meetings about what neighbors want. Nothing has been set in stone yet and we urge you to keep giving your input. No matter what your thoughts are about construction in the field, please don’t forget to vote for Measure A. Measure A funds go directly to our classroom-- it has nothing to do with the fields.” 

In June, members of the East Campus Neighborhood Association (ECNA) drafted a plan that allows a regulation-sized baseball field to coexist with an open Derby Street. The plan, named “Curvy Derby,” because it would bend a portion of the street to accommodate the field, has not yet been viewed by the district. 

Councilmember Max Anderson said at the celebration that he was happy that this “hallowed” ground was going to be home to things that would edify and build the community. “I hope the Curvy Derby solution will be one that will keep the street open, maintain the farmers’ market and also host a full-sized baseball field,” he sad. 

Susi Marzuola, the designer behind the Curvy Derby plan, said that it was important to have more B-Tech parents involved in the plans. “There are so many other needs of the children that this field could fulfill. Baseball is one, but there are others,” she said. 

Linda Lagan, Farmers’ Market program manager, said that they were excited about the Curvy Derby plan and hoped that the market would continue to serve the community from its current location on Derby Street. 

Last Friday, Ivery McKnight-Johnson left behind her legacy as Berkeley High School’s (BHS) Student Activities Director to go work as a middle school counselor in the Central Valley. 

“My experiences at Berkeley High were life-changing,” said McKnight-Johnson, who has worked at BHS since 1996. “It was a wonderful learning experience for me.” 

McKnight-Johnson is a member of the 1990 graduating class at Berkeley High School (BHS). After graduating from college and teaching in Maryland for one year, she came back to BHS. 

When asked why she came back, she responded, “I came back to give back to the community. The students really are the best. It is so wonderful to see the impact that I was having in their lives.” 

Primarily, the job of the Student Activities Director is to coordinate school activities, plan special events, track school clubs, and run student government. 

“We would not have a student activities program if it were not for Ivery,” said BHS Principal Jim Slemp, referring to McKnight-Johnson. “She had the charisma and the creativity to make activities successful. For me, this is a huge loss.” 

Slemp isn’t the only one who misses McKnight-Johnson. Many students echoed his thoughts. 

“We are sad to see her go, since she was such a wonderful person,” said Senior Class Deputy Kenny Watts, who has served on student government for four years. “She was great working with students. As far as leadership goes, it will be hard to work without her. Despite that, events and performances will still go on, but we will miss her.” 

Pasquale Scuderi, vice principal at BHS and McKnight’s former boss, says that they are in the process of finding someone to fill Ms. McKnight’s position as Student Activities Director. 

“The job was posted last week,” said Scuderi. “We are looking at a couple of candidates. The problem of finding someone new is that Spirit Week is next week (October 16-20). Given the deadlines with Spirit Week, I feel that it would be better for me to take over the responsibilities that Ms. McKnight-Johnson had until the week is over.” 

McKnight-Johnson wanted to give advice to her replacement at BHS, so that they can make the activities successful for students. 

“You need to be prepared for anything and be able to adapt to change,” commented McKnight-Johnson.” You also should make sure to develop great relationships with students, the administration, the custodians, etc. But most importantly, be prepared for anything.” 

Scuderi assured students that they will hire a student activities director as soon as they can, but that he doesn’t want to rush the process. 

“I think that it is important to have the right person, rather than just trying to fill the position,” said Scuderi. “I would say with certainty that we will have someone before Thanksgiving vacation is over.” 

A hearing on a four-year-old police union suit against the city is slated for Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. in Alameda County Superior Court Dept. 31. 

City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque reported out a unanimous decision to go forward with contesting the suit at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, following a closed joint meeting of the council and the city’s Police Review Commission. 

The suit alleges that PRC hearings “violate the statutory and contractual rights of the officers” who are compelled to appear publicly at the inquiries. The Berkeley Police Officers Association says these hearings involve personnel matters, which should be confidential. 

The city will argue that, since the city manager and police chief are responsible for disciplining officers, the BPOA complaint is invalid. Only the disciplinary measures are confidential, Albuquerque says. 

Police Review Commission hearings on complaints against officers were suspended last month in response to a California Supreme Court decision, Copley Press vs. San Diego County, which, Albuquerque says is similar to the BPOA case. Albuquerque says in both cases mandatory confidentiality in personnel matters applies only to the discipline an officer receives, not to the review of the complaint against an officer which the PRC does. 

If the city’s challenge to the suit is successful on Nov. 14, hearings on complaints against police officers will resume after that date.  

Meanwhile PRC Chair Sharon Kidd underscores that the public should continue to submit its complaints and they will be investigated. 

However they will be heard by the PRC Board of Inquiry only after resolution of the BPOA case. 

“We’re willing to wait until Nov. 14 to see exactly what will come out of this,” Kidd said in an interview Wednesday.  

The PRC will also continue its regular meetings and is holding a public hearing on Oct. 25 jointly with the police oversight advocacy group, Copwatch. The Oct. 25 hearing will give the public a chance to express itself on the suspension of the PRC police complaint hearings. 

Meanwhile, a PRC workshop to look closely at the Cary Kent case—the Berkeley police sergeant who pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the police evidence room—has been delayed, while the PRC addresses the suspension of its hearings, Kidd said. 

Gas fire 

A residential fire was reported at 7:20 p.m. Wednesday at 740 Euclid Ave., where firefighters discovered a small blaze in a kitchen wall triggered by a leaking gas line. 

The flames were quickly quenched, limiting damages to $2,000 to the building and $1,000 to contents, said Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth. 

Caught on camera 

After smelling smoke for four hours, a Berkeley resident finally called for help at 7:19 Thursday morning. 

Arriving firefighters couldn’t find any flames at first, but like the resident of the home at 1401 Scenic Ave., they also smelled smoke. 

To located the source, firefighters deployed one of their latest high-tech tools, a thermal imaging camera that detects hot spots inside walls otherwise invisible to the human eye. 

The camera found the source, a slowly smoldering fire that was burning inside the wall, apparently ignited by a torch being used to heat roofing materials during work on a deck at the home. 

“We found the fire and we had it quickly extinguished,” said Orth. “The camera really came in handy.” 

The department has two of the devices, he said.

This is part one of a two-part series 

EL PASO, Tex.—The terror attacks of Sept. 11 are widely blamed on the failure of American intelligence to detect and apprehend potential terrorists entering the country. Today, the language of fighting terrorism has replaced the language of immigration enforcement, border policy and even drug interdiction. The effects are visible all along the 2,100-mile border with Mexico, and obvious here in West Texas. 

The Border Patrol, variously housed over 80 years in the Departments of Labor, Treasury, or Justice, now operates under Homeland Security. A Border Patrol spokesman in El Paso says, “Our primary objective now is preventing terrorists and instruments of terrorism from entering.” 

Last May, President Bush sent 6,000 National Guard, many recently returned from Iraq or on their way there, to support the Border Patrol along the border in what he called Operation Jump Start. Today, soldiers in camouflage look for would-be border crossers from windowless camera rooms, or in armed skyboxes that rise on hydraulic legs. 

“I was doing basically the same thing in Iraq, looking for suspicious activity,” said a 33-year-old Texas National Guard soldier back from Tikrit as he scanned multiple screens in a windowless room. “There they were penetrating the wall around our base. This is like they’re penetrating our home. We don’t want terrorists to come in.” 

The post-9/11 shift from policing the border to considering it a frontline in the terror war has influenced local law enforcement. In late 2005, Gov. Rick Perry authorized Operation Linebacker, distributing $10 million to 16 border sheriff’s departments to improve public safety and “national security.” “Al-Qaeda leadership plans to use criminal alien smuggling organizations to bring terrorist operatives across the border into the U.S.,” said Perry’s security overview. Rick Glancey, spokesman for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department, now says its job is the “same as the Border Patrol, preventing terrorism.” 

In his downtown office, Sheriff Leo Samaniego looks like a courtly grandfather, tall, 70-ish, smiling, at ease with his reputation as master of one of the best-regarded departments in the country. Between January and June, his deputies detained over 800 persons, some with deep roots in local communities, and turned them over to the Border Patrol. For many it was an ominous use of Linebacker, jumping the firewall between local policing and federal law enforcement in the name of anti-terrorism. Rights groups say it undermines public safety because the tactics make locals fearful of approaching local law enforcement for any reason. Samaniego said he halted his “traffic stops” only temporarily, to “cool off” rights groups and citizens’ complaints. The fact is that 9/11 has “definitely” changed his job, the sheriff said. “I’d rather be accused of overstepping my authority than sitting on my butt and doing nothing while we’re in war.” 

Department spokesman Glancey puts it this way: “Every day you have drugs coming in duffel bags. Today narcotics, tomorrow weapons of mass destruction. Since Sept. 11 we’ve seen the border is perfect for someone to take advantage of the United States. We will not let this happen on our watch, Mr. and Mrs. America, you can be sure of that.” 

West Texas looks a lot like Iraq, making it ideal for training soldiers in desert warfare. Units have arrived to assist the Border Patrol before going to the Middle East. “You can bet it can be beneficial to them,” said Border Patrol spokesman Douglas Mosier. “They’re getting used to a desert environment you can’t get at a base in the East or the Midwest.” Troops bring advanced military technology. “Equipment such as that tried and tested in the Middle East can be beneficial in this kind of topography,” Mosier said. “If that technology is applicable and feasible (there is) no reason to think it won’t be considered for future use” here, on the border. 

For Mosier, having soldiers on the border is not militarization, but “homeland security in support of a very real and vital mission.” He points out that soldiers in Operation Jump Start have no direct law enforcement duties. They are here to provide force protection, free up Border Patrol agents until more can be trained, and to be “more eyes and ears.” 

How effective these efforts are in staunching the flow of undocumented immigrants, let alone illegal drugs, is less clear. Nearly half the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States entered legally and overstayed visas. Most illegal drugs enter in otherwise legitimate cargo and traffic. Meanwhile, the poor of Mexico and Central America continue to cross any way they can. “It’s like two tsunamis, one coming up from the south, and increased militarization coming from the north, set to clash at the border,” says University of Texas at El Paso political scientist and border researcher Tony Payan. “There is a need for a way to accommodate the flow.” 

In a new study, “The Three U.S.-Mexico Border Wars: Drugs, Immigration, and Homeland Security,” Payan suggests that the focus on militarization and anti-terrorism puts not only crossers but those who live in the area, mostly Mexican Americans, at risk. What has changed toward undocumented workers since 9/11, as Payan puts it, is “the perception of intentionality,” that “this is not someone coming to take a job, but someone who will harm America.” 

NAM Contributing Editor Mary Jo McConahay reports on the border for The Texas Observer.

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. 

A court hearing on the challenge is slated for Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. in Alameda County Superior Court. 

Albuquerque was reporting out a decision made jointly in closed session by a unanimous council and Police Review Commission. 

The suit against the city alleges that PRC hearings “violate the statutory and contractual rights of the officers” who are compelled to appear publicly at the inquiries. 

The Berkeley Police Officers Association says these hearings involve personnel matters, which should be confidential. 

The city will argue that, since the city manager and police chief are responsible for disciplining officers, the BPOA complaint is invalid. Only the disciplinary measures are confidential, Albuquerque says. 

Police Review Commission hearings on complaints against officers were suspended last month in response to a California Supreme Court decision, Copley Press vs. San Diego County, which, Albuquerque says is similar to the BPOA case. 

Albuquerque says in both cases the privacy of personnel matters applies to the discipline an officer receives, but not a review of the complaint against an officer, as performed by the PRC. 

If the city challenge is successful on Nov. 14, hearings on complaints against police officers will resume after that date.  

Meanwhile PRC Chair Sharon Kidd underscores that the public should continue to submit its complaints and they will be investigated. They will be heard by the PRC Board of Inquiry, however, only after resolution of the BPOA case. 

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. 

Act I & Act II 

While architects are laboring to design extravaganzas for the north side of Berkeley’s most heavily traveled block, Patrick Kennedy’s designers are planning a smaller project on the south. 

That northern side of Center Street between the UC Campus and Shattuck Avenue receives the most pedestrian traffic of any roadway in Berkeley and is already the target of major UC expansion plans. 

Both a new high-rise hotel and a lavish museum complex are now in the design stage, and the street itself may undergo radical alterations depending on the work of the citizens helping to draft a new downtown plan. 

The building before the LPC is the old Ennor’s Restaurant Building at 2128-2130 Center St., which, until its March 26 closing, housed the Act I & Act II Theater. 

LPC members got a sneak preview of one concept for Kennedy’s restoration of the structure, minus the two additional stories his representative said are being considered. 

The presentation included a photograph of the theater as it now stands, alongside a digitally created image showing the facade opened and the first floor transformed into a restaurant. 

Kennedy has agreed to buy the venerable turn-of-the-last century structure, and escrow is expected to close within the next two months, said Cara Houfer, who works for Kennedy’s Panoramic Interests. 

The landmarking application was drafted by preservationist and retired planner John English, who said that “One reason I enjoyed writing it” was because “in recent decades I attended dozens of screenings” in the theater. 

The structure is already listed on the State Historic Resources Inventory, along with the two structures immediately to the west. 

“We do not have any interest in removing the historical aspects of the building,” said Houfer. “We want to restore some of the more interesting aspects and make it more lively.” 

Kennedy, Berkeley’s biggest developer over the last decade, had asked commissioners to postpone action on English’s application until their Nov. 2 meeting, and the LPC agreed. 

Freight & Salvage 

The commission also got a look at architect Donn Logan’s plans for the new home of Berkeley’s ever-popular Freight & Salvage Coffee House, which will be relocating 10 blocks north from its current home at 1111 Addison St. to two buildings at 2020-2026 Addison. 

Though neither of the two buildings is a city landmark, 2020 Addison—the old Stadium Garage, built in 1928—is listed on the SHRI, a fact that brought it before the LPC for review. 

“This is a really thrilling project,” said LPC member and architect Gary Parsons. 

“It’s a perfect addition to the district,” said colleague Steven Winkel. 

“I think it’s a really cool project,” said Burton Edwards, a preservation architect and LPC member. 

“It will be really great to have you guys uptown,” said Lesley Emmington, perhaps the LPC’s staunchest preservationist. 

The 38-year-old non-profit is a mainstay of the Berkeley entertainment world, and its new location across from the Berkeley Repertory Theater brings the popular music venue into the heart of the downtown arts and entertainment district. 

Logan’s design calls for joining the interiors of the two structures and raising the rear of the new conjoined building. 

Elmwood Hardware 

More praise, some of it modestly qualified, came for Tad Laird, owner and operator of the landmarked Bolfing’s Elmwood Hardware at 2947-93 College Ave. in the heart of Berkeley’s Elmwood district. 

Built in 1923 and in continuous service as a neighborhood hardware store the last eight decades, the store would be restored to its former glory, and topped by new floors that would add storage and three residential units above the store. 

Laird and his architects, Charles Kahn and Todd Poliskin of Kahn Design Associates of Berkeley, have been working closely with an LPC subcommittee to refine their design prior to submitting the project to the city for permits. 

“The main goal is to design this with a public space focus,” said Laird. “It’s an important building in the heart of the neighborhood and we are posting all the designs and drawings on the Kitchen Democracy web site because it has been our intention from the start to get as much feedback and comment from the public as possible.” 

That information is available online at www.kitchendemocracy.org/berkeley/elmwood_hardware/experts. 

Downtown plan 

LPC Chair Robert Johnson reported on the commission’s role in creating the new downtown plan mandated by settlement of the city’s lawsuit challenged UC Berkeley’s 2020 Long Range Development Plan. 

The Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC) and the LPC have formed a joint subcommittee to work on landmarks issues to be addressed in the plan, and that body met once in September and will meet again on Oct. 25. 

The city has hired Architectural Resources Group (ARG) of San Francisco to work with DAPAC on identifying historic structures and resources in the downtown, and John English told the commission he had reviewed the matrix ARG is preparing to map downtown resources “and I found several dozen mistakes.” 

Johnson said he would raise the issue during the subcommittee’s next meeting.

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.  

In the mayoral race, incumbent Mayor Tom Bates, who’s raised about $74,000, has netted about three times the funds of his challenger, former Planning Commission Chair Zelda Bronstein, who has picked up about $24,000 in donations. Another challenger, Christian Pecaut, has raised $250 and Zachary Running Wolf has filed no campaign finance statement.  

In Berkeley a donor cannot contribute more than $250. 

A close look at statements filed last week, covering July 1 to Sept. 30, shows that Bates picked up $25,299 from 147 contributors, while Bronstein raised $7,188 from 64 donors. Bronstein ended September with about $5,400 on hand, while Bates still had $53,500 in the bank.  

The bulk of Bates’ contributions come in the $200-$250 range (56 percent of the contributions) while Bronstein has the bulk of hers in the $100-$199 range (41 percent of her contributors). 

Bates has strong support from 13 people identifying themselves as developers or realtors. Most of them gave the maximum $250 donation. Of note are several individuals associated with Richmond developer Oliver & Company: Steven Friedland, construction manager; Richard Spickard, another construction manager; and Josh Oliver, senior vice president. In Berkeley Oliver & Company’s projects include the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Pyramid Brewery, senior housing and others. 

Other developer-donors include Patrick Kennedy, of Panoramic Interests; Carle Hirahara and Takeo Hirahara, director and CEO, respectively, of Lamorinda Development; and John Gordon of Gordon Commercial. 

There are at least 10 university professors among Bates’ contributors, including Fred Collignon, of UC Berkeley’s planning department and a former councilmember, and Alan Gould. While Gould and Collignon put up $250 each, most of the others donated around $100. 

Another category of mostly $250 donors to the Bates campaign are elected officials and their staffs or their spouses and aspiring elected officials. The Planet counted nine donations in this category. Contributors include Wilma Chan, Oakland assemblymenber; Tony Thurmond, a candidate for the Richmond City council; Carol Liu, assemblymenber from Pasadena; Sheila Kuehl, state senator from Pasadena as well as a check from her chief of staff. Councilmember Max Anderson also contributed to Bates. 

Other contributors of note are Berkeley Bowl owners Diane and Glenn Yasuda, who gave $250 each; environmentalist Norman La Force; progressive activist Judy Ann Alberti and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers. 

The bulk of Bronstein’s support appears to come from neighborhood activists, including Rosemary Vimont, Janice Thomas, Jim Sharp, Clifford Fred and Prakash Pinto. Other donors of note are environmentalist Jill Korte, Urban Ore managers Mary Lou Deventer and Dan Knapp, and the Progressive Democrats of the East Bay. 

A former university professor herself, Bronstein has five faculty members on her list of contributors, including Mark Nicas of UC Berkeley and Cynthia Brown of UC Santa Barbara. 

District 7 

Fundraising in District 7 is also lopsided, but in this case, challenger George Beier has the bulk of the funds ($44,000), $12,000 of which comes from loans from himself and another $6,000 from other loans. During August and September, Beier raised about $22,000 in donations. 

Incumbent Kriss Worthington has raised $19,000 total, having picked up $6,000 this period. He has debts of $207. 

Beier has contributions from at least 14 people self-identified with the real estate industry, including Donald Yost and Robert Cabrera. Four members of the Lineweaver family—John (in real estate), Andy (in property management), Rose (a homemaker) and Hans (in property mortgage)—each contributed $250. 

Three of Beier’s contributors are students.  

Beier also has donations from Councilmember Betty Olds and School Board member Shirley Issel. 

About 45 percent of Beier’s 190 contributions are from donors giving less than $100 and 24 percent come from those contributing $200 to $250. 

Worthington received funds from 46 contributors, with 37 percent coming from people who donated less than $100 and 26 percent donating $200 or more. 

Among the elected officials from whom he received funds are Councilmembers Dona Spring and Darryl Moore and Alameda County School Board member Gay Cobb. He also got funds from Assemblymember elect Sandre Swanson, Andy Katz, running for EBMUD director, and Pam Webster, running for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board. 

Funds also come from community activists, including Michael Katz, Juliet Lamont, Carrie Olson, Judy-Ann Alberti and Sharon Maldonado. 

Worthington also got a donation from the Progressive Democrats of the East Bay. 

While Worthington turned in his Oct. 5 statement on the morning of Oct. 6, Beier admits that he has yet to rectify accounting for a $6,500 poll done by David Binder Research in June. (His forms indicate that he has paid part of what he owes Binder, but do not indicate when he contracted with the researcher.) 

Worthington has spent some $8,000 on literature and lawn signs and paid about $1,800 for office rent. His campaign manager for the first two months was Nancy Carleton, a part-time volunteer. Worthington says he will have a full-time manager for the remaining month of the campaign.) 

Beier has spent about $9,000 on three campaign staffers and $6,000 on MSHC, a political consulting firm specializing, according to its website, in “mail, targeting, internet.” He’s spent about $500 on ads in the on-line website, Facebook. 

Beier has spent about $750 for three months of rent for the Telegraph Avenue office he shares with Councilmember Gordon Wozniak. 

District 8 

In the District 8 race, in which incumbent Councilmember Gordon Wozniak faces challenger Rent Board member Jason Overman, Wozniak has a large cash advantage, having raised $34,000 so far for the race. He got about $10,000 from 71 people in contributions during the recent filing period and has a balance of about $7,500.  

Overman, who entered the race late, received only about $4,000 from 23 contributors and borrowed $10,500 from himself.  

His contributors include councilmembers Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington, six students and his parents, Ted and Julie Overman. He also got a contribution from the Committee to Defend Affordable Housing and Progressive Democrats of the East Bay. 

He has spent about $1,000 on literature, and has about $13,000 in hand.  

Among Wozniak’s contributors are several UC Berkeley professors, including Fred Collignon, political science professor Gene Rochlin and computer science professor Richard Fateman.  

Other Wozniak donors are realtors Faye Keogh and Anne Van Dyke of the Grubb Company and landlord John Koenigshofer. 

Also contributing are Francis Macy, educator with the Earth Island Institute, and Jeanne Smith, an attorney with the city of Berkeley. Wozniak points out that 80 percent of his donors live in District 8. 

Wozniak has spent about $1,200 on four months rent for the office he is renting from Ed Munger. Wozniak said he and Beier split the $500 per month rent. “It’s market rate for a temporary office,” Wozniak said. 

Wozniak also has paid about $15,000 in salaries to his campaign staff, three of whom are the same staffers Beier is using: Nara Dahlbacka, R.J. Kaufman, and B. Frederick. He noted that only two of the staffers are currently on the payroll. 

The Daily Planet will look more closely at the District 4 and District 1 races, including campaign finance statements in subsequent editions. 

Complete finance statements are posted on the city clerk’s web site at http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/elections/candidates/default.htm 

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. 

However, Overman is not the only candidate who is spending time on Facebook—the popular social networking site that has become ubiquitous at schools across the country—to connect with students before the Nov. 7 election. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing it too, and so are hundreds of politicians all over the United States. 

All four Berkeley City Council candidates running in the two districts that cover most of the UC Berkeley community have staked out ground on Facebook. 

As e-mail has become an important way to campaign, Facebook is an additional way a lot of candidates are getting their message to potential student voters this year. With more than 9.5 million registered users spread across 40,000 networks, primarily connected with schools, Facebook is the seventh most trafficked website in the country today. 

“Facebook is the future of campaigning,” Overman said. “It has taken elections to an entirely new level. There’s nothing like using technology that is popular with the present generation in order to reach out to them.” 

Incumbent Gordon Wozniak, Overman’s opponent in the District 8 council race, also has a personal account on Facebook as a UC Berkeley alumni but doesn’t have a political group yet. 

“Students are very wired these days,” Wozniak said. “I am thinking of setting up a group soon.” 

George Beier, running for the District 7 Berkeley City Council seat, has 207 members on his Facebook site, with which he said he began to communicate with students who lived in the district. 

“Students have always been a challenging constituency to reach,” he said. “Facebook allows me to effectively share my plans to reduce crime, revive Telegraph and establish a student district. So far I have been getting some great feedback from them.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, running against Beier, also has a group on Facebook. 

“Students for Kriss was set up by students working on my campaign,” Worthington said. “I gave them the freedom to create it because I think it’s important to use every kind of communication to answer people’s questions. However it still remains to be seen how successful a campaign method this turns out to be.” 

Overman, registered as a UC Berkeley student with Facebook, created the group “Elect Cal Student Jason Overman to Berkeley City Council” two months ago. His site claims 374 members consisting of students from UC Berkeley, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and several other universities. 

“Eighteen- to 25-year-olds have the lowest voter turnout in the country,” Overman said. “Since Facebook has an election section now, I think it’s a great way of letting them know that their vote is important.” 

Overman added that although community members often feel that UC Berkeley students do not feel invested in the local community, this was not the case. 

“Maybe they don’t have time to attend city hall meetings, but that’s another reason why we need to reach out to them more often,” he said. “I get messages from students on Facebook who want to talk about crime and affordable housing. UCB students are one of the most vulnerable groups in the case of an earthquake in Berkeley. They want to know more about disaster preparedness. We haven’t heard about their concerns before because they were never given an outlet for them. Facebook is helping to bridge that gap between students and the local residents. How can we have a local election and leave out students who form one of the most important sections of our community?” 

Anna Thongthap is one of the UC Berkeley students who joined Jason Overman’s Facebook group. Students care about Berkeley neighborhoods issues, she said. 

“We have a major investment in what goes on in local politics, but we don’t always know how to make a difference,” Throngthap said. “When campaigns target voters, they often write off our generation as not worth their effort. We are seen as a generation that doesn’t vote. But we vote when we are given a reason to, and believe me, I am voting this year.” 

Alan Lightfeldt, a political economy of industrial societies major at UC Berkeley, has indicated his support for District 7 candidate Beier on Facebook. 

“I joined the group because I know George and I have supported him all along,” he said. “I want to show people where I stand.” 

There are others, like UC Berkeley freshman Elizabeth Hopper, who are skeptical about Facebook as a vehicle for political action. 

“The campaigns that are up there haven’t changed my mind about whom I want to support because there’s not enough information about the candidates and their policies,” she said. 

According to Beier, students started joining his group after student group meetings organized by the ASUC and others. 

“It’s a more environment-friendly and cost-effective way of campaigning,” he said. “The bad thing about Facebook is if I spend more time on it, it takes away time from the other parts of my campaign.” 

Worthington, who said he has helped more students get appointed and elected to city positions than any other Berkeley councilmember, said that students have contributed immensely towards his campaign this year, and his Facebook site is an extension of that effort. 

“It’s their ideas I look forward to hearing,” he said. “The enthusiasm they are bringing to my campaign is just amazing. Getting young people involved is one of the first steps towards creating a better community.”

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. 

“We almost thought we would lose him because he had most of the symptoms of leukemia, but thankfully it’s just the flu,” said Milo founder and director Lynne Tingle, as she handed a raw-hide bone to Guyus, the bull mastiff pup who had been found starving on Berkeley’s streets. 

Volunteers at the pet adoption store said they are gearing up to face the many challenges that they and the animals might face in the coming months. 

“It’s not just the harsh winter we are worried about,” Tingle said. “We are also concerned about weathering the political storm of being on Solano Avenue in Berkeley—with dogs.” 

A group of neighbors have protested Milo’s operation on Solano, arguing that the non-profit has sullied the neighborhood with all-hours barking, drainage problems and dog feces. 

On Sept. 19, Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board delayed granting Milo a use permit to authorize the adoption agency’s continued use and plans for 1575 Solano Ave. and 1572 Capistrano Ave. 

Milo was asked to come back to Thursday’s ZAB meeting with concrete plans for the proposed project and address some of the neighbors’ concerns about noise and cleanliness in the meantime.  

If the adoption agency gets the permit on Thursday, it will be able to have a new door, window and landscaping on the Capistrano facade, a new driveway gate, an open space area, and new windows on the Solano facade. 

Tingle said she had sent out a letter to neighbors about ways Milo will try to make the service more compatible with the community. She said she had given out her cell phone number so that neighbors can reach her at any time if they hear barking.  

“Insulated, double-pane windows will be installed in the Capistrano building by mid-October,” Tingle said. “We want to build an internal wall that will divide the storefront and the back space on Capistrano that will help contain the sound, but we need the building permit to do that.” 

Neighbors, however, continue to view Milo as a nuisance and have asked ZAB to shut it down.  

Kristen Schnepp, a resident of Miramar Avenue, said that residents were still facing problems from odors, traffic, and parking problems.  

“Those who walk by the Capistrano side of Milo are assaulted by odors, most noticeably in warm weather,” she complained to ZAB. “Feces left on sidewalks and in yards are often not picked up by the Milo volunteers.” 

Tingle, however, told the Planet that efforts had been stepped up to clean up animal waste in the Milo backyard as well as on neighborhood sidewalks. 

“Neighbors complain that we don’t clean up after our dogs,” she said. “However, it could also be feces left over from other dogs being walked in the neighborhood.” 

Volunteers have also been sent out with “poop scoops” and bottles to spray Natures Miracle on lamp posts, fire hydrants, and other places that dogs frequent. 

Jane Tierney, another resident of Solano, said that she was worried about the health risks the fecal matter and urine presented for the public.  

“Unless Milo is able to create the functional means to maintain their facility as other professional shelters do, they should not house animals,” she said.  

Milo has also discontinued using the driveway as a dog enclosure and romping space. Once they receive the permit from ZAB, Tingle said she wants to create two sound-insulated and ventilated rooms downstairs on Capistrano to contain dogs and puppies at night. Ventilation systems with filters to keep the animals comfortable and prevent odors are also being planned. 

“We are going to do everything we can to bend over backwards and keep the dogs quiet and the neighborhood clean,” Tingle said. “We love our work. It is everything for me and most of the volunteers who work here. All we are asking is a chance from the city and our neighbors to help make it better.” 

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. 

The discussion will be closed to the public, although the community can speak at a comment period beginning at 5 p.m. The meeting is on the sixth floor of the city administration building at 2180 Milvia St. 

Gaia cultural use 

On its regular agenda, which starts at 7 p.m., the council will address the controversy around cultural uses at the Gaia Building, 2116 Allston Way. The city allowed Gaia developer Patrick Kennedy to build two stories higher than normally permitted in exchange for promising cultural uses at the building.  

Questions have arisen, however, around the definition of “culture use,” the number of cultural uses mandated and how many cultural events must be held on weekends.  

City planning staff is calling on the council to legalize work performed on the building without permits and to accept a defined time that must be reserved for performances, and the number of performance days that must be allocated for weekends. 

The staff report concludes: “Non-cultural uses are allowed provided the performance standards are met and cultural performances have priority in scheduling.” 

Anna De Leon, owner of Anna’s Jazz Island, located in the Gaia building, argues that Kennedy is being permitted to report various events as cultural uses which should not qualify, such as church services and dinners for UC Berkeley’s journalism and business schools. 

“It’s absurd,” De Leon said, in a phone interview. “It’s asking the fox to look over the chickens.” 

In a letter to De Leon, Gaia arts manager Gloria Atherstone argues that the church meeting on the premises is “open to the public” and “incorporates music, literature and spiritual regeneration to the community at large.” It further argues that De Leon “incorrectly classifies several functions as private, when in fact they are cultural (including) … educational seminars, non-profit meetings, non-profit fundraisers…” 

Other matters 

The council will also discuss: 

• Approving permits for construction of a commercial-residential structure at Harrison Street and San Pablo Avenue, opposed by a number of neighbors. 

• The outline and elements of a sunshine ordinance—an ordinance to expand state laws opening community participation in local government. 

• Funding a campus neighborhood watch program. 

• Appropriating funds for the winter shelter program. 

• Approving nine traffic circles including one at Mathews and Oregon streets, one at California and Fairview streets and one at Ellis and Fairview streets. 

• Waiving permit fees for installation of solar panels as a local incentive to solarization. 

• A resolution calling on California’s congressional representatives “to not violate the U.S. Constitution by ignoring the U.S.-signed 1994 International Convention Against Torture.” 

The City Council will meet as the Berkeley Housing Authority at 6:20 p.m. It will focus on the status of the agency whose deficiencies have been cited by the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD). 

The council meeting and the Housing Authority meeting will take place in the council chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. 

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. 

The gathering is one of the ongoing monthly meetings of the Community Advisory Group (CAG) created by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to advise on ongoing cleanup of contaminated sites, most notably Campus Bay and the UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station. 

Those two adjoining properties were contaminated with a variety of lethal and cancer-causing chemicals in the course of a century of manufacturing. 

DTSC was given jurisdiction over the properties after many of the same citizens later named to the CAG organized in protest of the state Regional Water Quality Control Board’s jurisdiction. 

Thursday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Richmond Civic Center, 403 Civic Center Plaza. 

The first agenda item is a report by the CAG’s Toxic Committee, which will feature discussion of the discovery of radioactive compounds at the site. 

According to tests conducted by a consultant hired by DTSC, radium levels found at the park are more than 40 times the allowable limit for residential areas. Higher levels are allowed for non-residential areas, where people are not present for extended periods. 

Dr. Michael S. Esposito, a retired researcher from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who reviewed the findings for the CAG, has criticized the testing methods used. 

“We would like to see more extensive testing done because Dr. Esposito has told us that the results indicate that more refined tests are needed,” said Sherry Padgett, who works in a business next to the Campus Bay site. 

Dr. Jean Rabovsky, a retired toxicologist who heads the CAG Toxic Committee, will lead the discussion. 

Barbara Cook, chief of DTSC’s Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program, will report on the latest developments at several sites under the CAG’s purview. 

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). 

But committee members’ own, often conflicting, visions for the downtown skyline sent thumbs twitching in all directions, some of them aimed at city planning staff. 

The event was the latest gathering of the panel responsible for formulating concepts for a new plan for the heart of Berkeley. 

BAM/PFA 

Kevin Consey, director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA), offered the latest in his series of pitches for the $125 million project planned at the site of the UC Press Building. 

“This will be the largest investment in downtown Berkeley since the 1973 BART station,” he said. 

Museum officials picked Japanese architect Toyo Ito to design a building that will occupy the western half of the block between Oxford Street on the east, Shattuck Avenue on the west and Addison and Center streets of the north and south, respectively. 

“I find it really exciting that we are looking at such really exciting architecture,” said DAPAC member and former City Councilmember Mim Hawley. 

“Our intent is that it will be an architectural landmark for the East Bay,” replied Consey. 

While architecture seems inherently most akin to sculpture because it’s three- dimensional, Consey said the building might embody the two-dimensional filmed image as well through “an animated skin facade that could be used to broadcast films and shorts.” 

With three theaters inside instead of the current one, Consey said, the Pacific Film Archive will be screening films during its entire schedule of opening hours, now envisioned as 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

The new building, which will replace the landmarked UC Press Building, will enclose 138,000 square feet above ground, almost precisely half of the allowed 275,000, Consey said. 

A preliminary design should be ready by February, he said. 

Juliet Lamont, a DAPAC member who is an environmental consultant and urban creeks advocate, said she hoped DAPAC members would be able to share their concerns with the architect, including visions of a Center Street plaza that might include a daylighted Strawberry Creek. 

“Mr. Ito is fully aware of all the machinations and inputs related to the downtown and the planning process,” Consey said, including views of the city task force that offered recommendations for the hotel and conference center the university is developing at the western end of the same block. “He will make presentations during the design phase to DAPAC and the landmarks commission and all appropriate entities for comment,” said the official, who added that “it is very much our desire to have it in a green space,” permitting outdoor programs from spring to summer. 

Consey said museum officials have had several meetings with Carpenter and Co., the Boston firm picked by the university to develop the hotel complex. The two developments will share some basic infrastructure elements, he said, including common utility hookups and entrances to the underground parking facilities planned for both. 

Visions on paper 

While Consey’s presentation went smoothly, conflicts emerged among attendees when Matt Taecker, the city planner hired to work on the new plan, presented graphics offering the staff’s translation of some of the visions for downtown laid out earlier in essays submitted by DAPAC members.  

While two alternative visions for a greener downtown—“Nature in the City” and “City Beautiful”—sparked some mild disagreement, discussions turned more critical when it came to alternative visions of the future of Berkeley’s skyline. 

City staff had prepared a PowerPoint presentation with slides showing the impact of both the current downtown plan and the alternatives proposed by DAPAC members. including several choices for the placement of high-rise buildings in the urban core. 

Though the city has a nominal five-story limit in most of the area, exceptions derived from the state-mandated inclusionary housing bonus and the city’s own cultural density bonus can result in higher buildings. 

The nine-story Gaia Building incorporated both, as does the Arpeggio, now being built on Center Street across from the new Berkeley City College building. 

Those examples sparked another in the ongoing disputes over the allocation of bonuses, with Planning Commissioner and DAPAC member Gene Poschmann leading off. 

“If Rob Wrenn were here he would have exploded by now,” said Poschmann after Planning Manager Mark Rhoades had explained the application of the bonuses. 

Wrenn, a former planning commissioner now serving on the Transportation Commission, has been a critic of the application of the cultural bonus, which Poschmann said “is being administered entirely differently than was envisioned in the General Plan and in the Downtown Plan.” 

He singled out the Arpeggio, which he said was being allowed to build an additional 65,000 square feet of residential space in exchange for building 10,000 square feet of cultural space. 

“That’s crazy,” said Poschmann, noting that staff had concluded that the Arpeggio’s builders were in fact entitled to build 14 floors. 

One slide that elicited gasps from several members depicted a 10-story building at the northwest corner of the intersection of University and Shattuck avenues, a project that could be made feasible by a combination of bonuses. 

“If you’re actually talking about increasing height, you’re really talking about going above 14 stories,” said Wendy Alfsen. 

Retired UC Berkeley administrator and DAPAC member Dorothy Walker, who has said that she favors taller buildings at some locations, said the group should be focusing on where the taller structures should rise. 

Taecker said the existing downtown plan favors “more of a low-rise scheme” in its call for preserving the scale and historic character of the existing area. 

While some members criticized city staff for offering variations that included more high-rises, particularly in the area surround the BART station, Travis said “This is not staff setting the agenda. This is staff giving us back what we said.” 

Lisa Stephens said she favored a five-story limit along Shattuck, while Hawley said that the downtown could handle “quite stunning buildings that are tall.” 

Patti Dacey said that cheaper building materials used because of skyrocketing building costs meant that new buildings wouldn’t be first rate or be built by first rate architects. She cited a PG&E energy expert’s report stating that five-story buildings were the most energy efficient. 

By the end of the session no consensus had been reached, leaving the discussion open for renewal early next year.

What looks like a light agenda for Wednesday night’s Planning Commission meeting—only two action items are listed—may prove anything but. 

That’s because one of the items is the proposed new Creeks Ordinance, a measure that impacts more than 2,000 Berkeley owners and which has proved more than capable of generating heated comments and prolonged debate. 

The commission will look at zoning ordinance amendments that address mandatory setbacks from open creeks and regulations governing the city’s miles of buried creeks. 

The rules also govern rebuilding of existing homes on or near creeks after they’ve been destroyed by natural disasters and fires. 

The second item on the agenda is a hearing on new zoning regulations designed to serve as incentives for businesses on economically troubled Telegraph Avenue—which has been plagued by a growing number of vacancies. 

Among measures being considered are revisions to allow owners to subdivide existing business spaces and increasing the types of business allowed on the avenue. 

Wednesday’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

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. 

In returning Assemblymember Sally Lieber’s (D-Mountain View) AB1778 “release of pupil records bill” without signature, Schwarzenegger wrote, “I believe that schools should maintain the flexibility to develop their own procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal laws without the state dictating how procedures are implemented.” 

The proposed law, which was co-sponsored by Assemblymember Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) was a response to President George W. Bush’s federal No Child Left Behind Act, which contains a provision that local school districts must give military recruiters access to high school student contact information unless the student or the student’s parents sign a form requesting that the contact information be withheld. 

Proponents of the bill argued that notification of this right to “opt-out” of the military recruitment process is often overlooked by parents or students because it is buried in the back of student handbooks or included in the midst of large numbers of papers that school districts regularly send to parents. AB1778 would have required that the military “opt-out” notification be included on emergency notification cards, which parents must fill out each year and return to the school. 

Proponents argued that in school districts which included the military “opt-out” language in its emergency notification cards, the numbers of students and parents choosing to block contact information going to military recruiters rose dramatically. 

While the bill passed both the Assembly and the state Senate by wide margins, it never gained enough Republican support to overcome a gubernatorial veto. 

Punched for cell 

A pair of bandits rained fists and feet on a 29-year-old Berkeley man at 1:18 a.m. on Sept. 29. A caller told police he’d just seen a pair of attackers pounding another man near the corner of Lincoln and Milvia streets. 

The victim had been yelling, “I don’t have anything,” said the witness. 

But the victim did have something—his cell phone—and once they had it, the baddies, a pair of heavy-set toughs in their late teens to early 20s, boogied. 

Pushing bandits 

A trio of bandits stole the purse of a 42-year-old Berkeley woman after first shoving her to the ground in front of her home in the 1400 block of Cypress Street on the morning of Sept. 29, said Officer Galvan. 

The woman told officers that the robbers, a trio of three men between the ages of 19 and 25, had driven by her home minutes earlier. 

Took the bus 

Two young bandits who claimed they hailed from Richmond robbed a 15-year-old Berkeley youth on the afternoon of Sept. 29 of his iPod and cell phone after they first punched him twice in the back of the head and once in the mouth near the corner of Bancroft Way and McKinley Street. 

The pair then headed for the wheels, an AC Transit bus. 

Gang banged 

The week’s two most serious assaults occurred on Sept. 29, with the first report coming to an emergency dispatcher at 9:17 p.m. 

Officers and emergency workers rushed to the 1700 block of 10th Street, where they found a young man reeling and bleeding from a head wound. 

Questioning revealed that the man had been assaulted with a hammer by his father, who had been drinking heavily. The father, 46, was taken to the county lockup at Santa Rita. 

The attacker’s grandson had witnessed the attack, said Officer Galvan. 

The second assault occurred about 20 minutes later outside Iceland, Berkeley’s endangered skating rink at 2727 Milvia St. 

The victim, a 17-year-old from Richmond, said the incident began earlier in the evening when he was approached on the ice by a group of fellow skaters clad mostly in red who demanded, “What gang do you belong to?,” said Officer Galvan. 

“I’m not saying,” he answered, and the group faded away. 

After he’d packed up his skates and walked into the parking lot, the quartet suddenly reappeared, at least one of them carrying a metal pipe, and began beating him, knocking him to the group and making off with one of his tennis shoes as he lay unconscious. 

He was taken to an emergency room for treatment of his injuries. 

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. 

It was the first day that the registrar’s office was accepting absentee ballots for the November election. 

Last Wednesday, the non-profit Voter Action organization filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court in Oakland against the county and the registrar of voters office, claiming that independent security testing had not been done on the new Sequoia voting machines as required by county supervisors. The lawsuit named three Alameda County voters—Rita Lewis, Sukwah Bernstein, and Jon Barrilleaux—as plaintiffs. 

On Monday, Acting Registrar Dave MacDonald released a 22-page report by Pacific Design Engineering of Pleasanton, concluding that “from a technological perspective, the Sequoia Electronic Voting system acquired by Alameda County, along with the processes and countermeasures planned by Alameda County for Election Day, can be considered secure. No practical, realizable vulnerabilities were uncovered that could not be eliminated through appropriate countermeasures.” 

MacDonald said that the Pacific Design Engineering report had not been available at the time the Voter Action lawsuit was filed. He said he planned to release the report to Alameda County Supervisors on Tuesday morning at the supervisors’ regular meeting. 

But release of the PDE report did not satisfy the Voter Action organization. 

Berkeley attorney Lowell Finley, co-director of Voter Action, said by telephone Monday following the report release that “no testing has been done on the Alameda County Sequoia machines. What PDE did was an assessment, which was done simply by reviewing documents and interviewing people at Sequoia. That is very different from what was called for by the county superivisors when they authorized the Sequoia contract on June 8. They specifically called for testing, which means independent attempts to break into the machines and alter the votes. That’s what we are asking for in the lawsuit—for the registrar’s office to meet the requirements made by the supervisors.” 

In its report, Pacific Design Engineering mentioned no independent testing, saying only that its assessment began with “the development of a catalog of potential attacks against electronic voting systems. … After the attack catalog was assembled, PDE performed an in-depth analysis of the Alameda County voting system in three major areas: Electronic Voting System Architecture, Vote Count Room Security, and Electronic Voting System Processes.” 

MacDonald did not comment on the Voter Action lawsuit today. He only said that while he had scanned it, he had not read it thoroughly. 

However, he downplayed the tampering danger to electronic voting that has been the substance of much community concern in recent years. 

“I’m unaware of any election where electronic voting has been tampered with,” MacDonald said. “There have been a lot of allegations. But if there’s some actual proof, I’d like to see it.” 

While voting in Alameda County’s November election will be similar in some ways to the June vote, it will also differ significantly. As in June, most voting will be done on paper ballots, with touchscreen electronic voting machines available at each of the county’s 825 precincts for those who either need or wish to use them. 

Unlike last June, however, when the paper ballots were all scanned at a central location in Oakland, voters in the November election will put their paper ballots in the new Sequoia vote-scanning machines in each precinct. 

The look of the ballot is different as well, with voters now being asked to make a mark in an open space between two arrows to mark their choices. Last June, voters were asked to make a mark in a box.  

MacDonald said that while the scanning of ballots at each precinct will make the count of November’s election faster than last June’s, “speed is not my number one priority. Security and accuracy come first. Speed of counting is third in line.” 

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. 

The most distinctive policy of failure is the inability to control false registration. Observers of the schools from diverse ideological perspectives agree that a defining characteristic of Berkeley schools is the large number of false registrations. Cheating in registration is the natural result of BSEP and other measures that have raised the quality of local education through local funds. Failure to acknowledge and deal with such mass theft is a betrayal of the public trust.  

Who are the losers of the status quo? The very first group must be Berkeley’s own at-risk population. There is no doubt, based on extensive research, that a leading factor determining whether at-risk students succeed or fail is the accomplishment rate of surrounding students. Berkeley’s extensive busing program is based on this realization. As well-intentioned school leaders have increased the achievement gap through under-enforcement of residency, they have jeopardized the population most in need of support. Simply, a one-third underperforming cohort generates more negative force than intervention can hope to alter. Only half this cohort is predicted from the census to reside in Berkeley.  

The second loser group is of course taxpayers. They have generously supported the schools with the promise that education would become better for Berkeley’s kids. As funding is increasingly raised from local sources, the problem of parents outside the city wanting to access city schools can only increase. I fully support Measure A. Our schools would be worse without such funding. But we must recognize the ramifications of our tax policy in the surrounding region.  

Third, Berkeley is starving programs that benefit its own population by misplaced priorities. Sad is the parent of a child qualified for GATE who then reads in the congratulations letter that there actually are no real funds allocated to teach accomplished children. 

Finally, the community as a whole loses as resources are drained to service the larger East Bay. Schools ought to have the resources to serve as playground, park, and cultural center. Yet as resources are diverted to serving as the alternative schools for the much larger East Bay, this function also is drained. 

I am encouraged that since I raised this issue there has been an awakening of awareness. I believe that the leadership of the district is ready to construct a validation policy that protects the tax-payers and students of our city.  

In this computer age, one information technology staff person could easily generate comprehensive residency for all students. In-district false residency remains easy to fabricate. Out-of-district actual residency can no longer be hidden from simple data based scrutiny. All that is lacking has been the will to protect Berkeley schools. I believe that has turned around. 

Moving on to just one more issue, it is time to reconsider placement policy in grade school and at Berkeley High. I say this not just because the current policy must continue to result in frustration, a sense of injustice and litigation, but because the district ought to prize in placement only the best interest of each individual child. It is time to end the possibly illegal and certainly dysfunctional lottery for placement at Berkeley High. Children respond to challenges. It is much better to set up the conditions that allow a child to earn the right to high school placement than run a stacked lottery system that mocks both achievement and fairness. Surely we can achieve the level of administrative competence that allows programs to grow and shrink according to student preference. Student interest rather than administrative convenience should be the driving value.  

I propose that every eighth grade child in public school be allowed his or her first choice of schools in Berkeley High if all classes are passed with a grade of “C” and all state exams are passed with a score at least of “basic”. This encourages all of the desirable behaviors. Berkeley residents are encouraged to choose public school. Middle schools kids are rewarded for effort and achievement. Rewards are linked to accomplishment rather than lottery or special privilege. 

Students who are entering the system or who do not achieve these standards are sent to private conference. The first priority is to determine if the student is entitled to district service. If the student is entitled to service and is low achieving, the conference tries to ascertain with the parent the causes of low achievement. With a councilor the student and parent then co-choose a school.  

Grade schools placement needs much process and discussion. Ultimately I hope to maximize choice and respecting preferences while minimizing expensive transportation. Before we continue expensive litigation I hope we have a clearer consensus that the status quo is so perfect that it must be defended regardless of cost. 

With a move away from failure oriented policies Berkeley schools can become as fantastic as this amazing city! 

My credentials for this office include: 22 years as a professor of political science, service as a department chair, three published books on public policy and reform, and two kids in the public schools. Please join me in establishing a culture of accomplishment and community pride in our city’s public schools. 

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. 

My campaign is the effort to make available a forum to explore, develop and experiment with ways to use education for transformation, not reproduction of society. 

The present social structure is, as we know, deleterious to life, to Earth. 

School feeds into that. School cannot correct racism, financial stratification, alienation—disinterest because of the disconnect between society and school. School is a plastic institution, like the excesses of colorful toys, designed to divert real interest, the desire to participate as just a member of society—to work, to study, to play, relax, by young people. Capitalism does not allow the available labor force just to do our work. It separates us using whatever mechanisms become the totems for that segregation. Now it’s by age.  

You remember when it was by race.  

It’s also by income. While people of different financial means go to the same schools, their experiences differ widely. There is no correction possible for that within the framework of the schools. 

In fact, the stratification increases throughout the years of schooling. In high school one’s road is pretty clearly mapped, from drop-out to post graduate degree.  

Today, though, the evidence of the place of schooling has become clearer; even doctoral degrees no longer guarantee people of any job, let alone a ‘good’ job. 

There is no available structure within the civic bodies that enable recognition that no adjustment, no reform, no amount of increased funding, no extension of union rights, no increase of ‘educational facilities’ are going to change school from an uncomfortable—often hated, enforced requirement.  

I propose forming the forum for that discussion within the framework of the conventional body, the school board. 

Drawing on the resources of the community, we could expand the advances already being tried and done in the schools, to engage us all to change how study, learning, teaching are done. It’s necessary to counter State and Federal regulations about how public education is to be conducted, so we can examine alternatives instead of trying to abide kindly by the impossible regulations. Such reformation could take until “the revolution.” So could the objective of letting us utilize the truth that we are all teachers and students, we learn and exchange information and ideas all our lives; that the alienation of “being” one’s “job” is offensive and needs addressing, again, to let us bring ourselves toward comfortable relationships with our communities, and with ourselves. 

But we need some forum for these discussions, in addition to the continual maintenance efforts. I want to make that space. 

Age segregation is a basic pain; leaving our children daily is not a pleasant sensation. It’s wrenching. But if they and all of us mingled in a natural flow wherein we’d do our chores, our food and health care provisions, our building or removing structures as necessary, our meeting and discussing, our working things out in the community, providing us our needs and pleasures, the ages could mix according to interest. Skills would grow as we’d encourage interest by everyone to do what needs to be done to provide for our pleasure, including our needs. 

Separating work from play, relaxation from daily activity is a false division. Those intermingle, as should we, with each other. Interest to learn skills—to read, to engineer buildings and water-ways happens because we need those, we want those. We deny such natural developments to us, categorizing them to be done by a few, pretending that only specialized work can be done by properly trained people. But there’s a lot more room for more people, less experienced, to become capable, and to contribute to the process because of their own concern to contribute over one and another project. 

School is a series of redundancies, excesses here and voids there. Learning to read can happen virtually overnight. Just being with readers creates readers. 

Now comes the argument, well, we don’t all live among skilled, capable, literate people. Yes, that’s the point; it’s why we should mingle—to share our skills. School has become a remediation for dysfunction. The home, the society don’t work. So school is to fix that. Well, while school IS a refuge for people who are besieged elsewhere it is also overly limited in what it can offer. The attacks on homes and families are economic, as you know. Capitalism creates the material deprivations and the resultant human aberrations with which we live; anger, confusion, chaos, street crime, even the automobile accidents—results of loss of self-preservation and inability to care gently for neighbors…. 

School cannot fix that—unless of course we’re able to use it to teach for the revolution—which’d be great!! That kind of approach can become like church!! ... hopeful!! … delightful in its planning for that new world—that world of economic justice, eradication of profit, of competition for profit. Now, however, school is only able to funnel people into the places already laid out for them, from fitting in to this abusive world, whether joining or working to oppose it, to functioning marginally in it—low paid, irregularly employed, and the consequences of such insecurity; to armed opposition—murder, etc. 

The gamut of life as we know it is reflected in the schools. We want to use that to change life so that it can be lived pleasantly, for ALL of us, securely, unto our children’s children, in gentle care of Earth. The constant reproduction of the status quo only undergirds continuation of the system as it stands. I’d like to afford us, the framework for the opportunity to carry forward a struggle for our benefit. It needs the funding of such as measure A, so we can meet and talk and try the efforts necessary, to see what works, to revise what doesn’t, and to enjoy ourselves while we try. 

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.  

I have been an active parent in the school district for 10 years and have a track record of bringing together diverse school communities toward common actions that benefit our youth—most recently, last year as co-president of the Berkeley High PTSA. I have held many other leadership positions, both at the school site and district-wide level, including serving on the BSEP (school tax measure) Planning and Oversight Committee, the District Advisory Committee, and the governance councils of Washington Elementary and Longfellow Middle Schools. And, I am currently on the Yes on Measure A, School Tax Renewal Steering Committee and urge everyone to vote for Measure A.  

As a senior manager in local government, I have extensive budget, policy, and organizational development experience and have regularly facilitated community-based planning efforts and interest based negotiations. I have secured millions of dollars of private and public funds -through grant writing and developing agreements—working with public agencies, non-profits, and the business community. And, I have established relationships with our local, regional and federal elected representatives that can form the basis for expanding the resources available to help our children succeed. I am also a graduate of Brown University (Asian Studies/Comparative Politics) and have a graduate degree from UC Berkeley in Political Science/Public Administration.  

Why is this relevant? Because, if elected, I have the demonstrated ability to tackle complex and/or sensitive issues that I can draw upon to address district issues such as continuing educational reforms at the high school so that all of our students are challenged and supported to do their personal best, addressing our students’ declining math scores, successfully implementing inclusionary education for students with special needs, bettering relationship between the district and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, narrowing the achievement gap between Whites/Asians and African-Americans/Latinos in a manner that unites rather than divides our various school communities, dealing with safety/discipline, and addressing the District’s land-use issues such as the warm pool, sports fields, West Campus, and underutilized and/or seismically unsound facilities such as Oregon Street and Hillside. 

If elected to the School Board, I will have three priorities:  

1) Work with our school and wider community to develop a district-wide student achievement plan that sets educational priorities and determines core programs so that all of our students are challenged and supported to do their personal best—whether they are students with special needs, underachieving students, average students, or academically gifted students, that is supported by relevant teacher/staff training and which is tied to a sound fiscal plan that includes partnerships with local government, private foundations, the university and community colleges, non-profits, businesses, and community groups. The plan would also incorporate the role of visual and performing arts, libraries, and mental/emotional and physical wellness (including nutrition and exercise) in supporting academic achievement as well as fostering student self-esteem, self-discipline, and a joy of learning. 

2) Facilitate a community discussion, that includes our various school communities as well as organizations that work with youth of color within our city, on what our district can do to bridge the achievement gap between White/Asian and African-American/Latino students, so that all of our students can reach their personal best and that is incorporated into the proposed District-wide student achievement plan. The fact that African American students in Berkeley public schools have one of the lowest achievement rates in Alameda County is a local disgrace. I believe, we can and must do a better job in setting high expectations, training teachers in how to motivate and educate our diverse student body, recruiting teachers and staff of color, and building family-school-community partnerships so that students of color are achieving academic excellence. 

3) Facilitate the creation of a much more open and inclusive school district, by insisting on a user-friendly district budget format; advocating for the institutionalization of public advisory and oversight committees; and stressing two-way communication with the community around district finances, educational priorities/programs, safety/discipline, and other issues. 

My ability to work with and gain the support of our diverse communities to achieve common goals is further evidenced by the wide range of endorsements I have received. I have been endorsed by the Berkeley Federation of Teachers as well as Congresswoman Barbara Lee, State Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Mayor Tom Bates, City Councilmembers Linda Maio, Darryl Moore, Max Anderson, Dona Spring, Laurie Capitelli, Kris Worthington, Gordon Wozniak, former City Council members Maudelle Shirek and Ann Chandler, Alameda County Schools Superintendent Sheila Jordan, Alameda County School Board members Gay Plair Cobb and Jacki Fox Ruby, Peralta Community College Trustee Nicky Yuen-Gonzales, School Board member Terry Doran, Former School Board members Pamela Doolan and Miriam Rokeach Topel; organizations including the Alameda County Democratic Party, Green Party of Alameda County, Berkeley Democratic Club, Wellstone Democratic Club, National Women’s Political Caucus: North Alameda, Alameda County Central Labor Council, and United In Action; a spectrum of our school community, including Janet Huseby (former PTA President of Berkeley High, King, Rosa Parks, and Cragmont), Dan Lindheim, (President, BSEP school tax measure Planning and Oversight Committee), Michael Miller (Executive Director, Parents with Children of African Descent-PCAD), Berkeley High School Site Council Vice President Carol Lashof, Jessica Seaton, and Rebecca Herman; as well as community members such as Pastor Emeritus George Crespin, Johnnie Porter (past President NAACP), Bob Brauer, Louise Brown, Betty Hicks, Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, Pam Hunt, Roxanne Fiscella, Viki Davis, and Royce Kelley. 

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.  

The school district has come a long way since I was first elected. In 1998, our public schools were in a state of administrative and financial crisis. I ran to turn that situation around—and here are some of the key changes I’ve worked hard to help make.  

• Policy, not politics, now guides our actions.  

• We are fiscally solvent and use modern data systems.  

• Our high school has outstanding, stable leadership after years of administrative turn-over.  

• Funding has increased in the critical areas of maintenance and safety.  

• I have partnered with Mayor Tom Bates and other Berkeley leaders to bring substantial new resources and more relevant supports to students facing barriers to learning. 

Over the years, I have asked many times for your patience while we focused on fixing our broken administrative systems. Now the time for patience has passed. With the renewal of our parcel tax—Measure A on the November ballot we will finally have the financial stability and organizational strength we need to focus on improving student achievement. I pledge to continue to use my skills as a professional social worker and leader in education reform to build on the substantial progress we have made and put improvements to teaching and learning squarely on center stage:  

• Research tells us the most important variable in student learning is effective teaching. Measure A enhances funding for professional development.  

• It is well understood that policy makers need student achievement data to make good decisions and so do teachers. Measure A provides funds to gather data and train us to use it.  

• I am passionate about the need for our schools to partner with other community agencies to build comprehensive, relevant and affordable systems of supports for children facing barriers to learning. Toward this end, I have taken a leadership role in the highly promising Berkeley Integrated Resources Initiative (BIRI). I have worked with Mayor Tom Bates, the Berkeley Alliance, County officials, staff and other youth providers to bring significant new and stable, State and County dollars to BUSD and the City to support these efforts. I have also played a key role within the District and on the board to develop and communicate a common vision concerning Special Education and the whole child. The BIRI initiative, in concert with our Special Education reforms promises to deliver more relevant and comprehensive supports to families and children that need them, resulting in improved student attendance, engagement, and achievement.  

There is great concern with in our community about achievement gaps. To properly address this issue we must separate the question of what schools can do to improve student achievement from what communities must do to address achievement gaps.  

What schools can do to improve student achievement can be summarized in following 4 part formula: clear, high standards plus timely data + continuous professional development plus comprehensive student supports equals improved student achievement. Adopt high standards and explicit goals; provide teachers with high quality professional development in curriculum and instruction; use assessment to identify and remediate gaps in learning; provide students and teachers with supports to address barriers to learning. Research demonstrates and experts agree that these focused efforts will result in increased academic achievement. Some people (e.g. authors of No Child Left Behind ) believe that these efforts will also close achievement gaps. I do not. In my view, achievement gaps will only close when school reform is combined with changes to the ways in which young children are prepared to learn. This means income supports, stable housing, and comprehensive health care, preschool, and informed parents. In Berkeley, we have enjoyed success by taking a public health approach to social problems like teen age pregnancy, smoking and hypertension. I believe that the achievement disparities that we see in our students warrant the declaration of a public health crisis and I call for the development of a long term, comprehensive public health initiative to address class based disparities in Kindergarten readiness.  

I have been elected twice to the Berkeley Board of Education, and I believe my record demonstrates that I have served the community with energy and integrity, using my Social Work skills to bring people together and find solutions that work. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about school governance and established many trusting relationships with Berkeley leaders who strongly support my candidacy. Among them: Mayor Tom Bates, former Mayor Shirley Dean, Shirley Richardson and Salvador Murillo of the YMCA, Council members Olds, Wozniak, & Capitelli, fellow school board members Rivera and Selawsky, the Berkeley Democratic Club, Alameda County Green Party, National Association of Social Workers—California Chapter and Assemblywomen Wilma Chan and Lonnie Hancock.  

There is not only support for my candidacy in Berkeley, but hope for our initiatives. It is my commitment to this work, the hopes that we all share for change, and a belief that I can make a difference that leads me to seek re-election. I ask for your vote for Measure A and my candidacy so that we can continue our important work together on behalf of Berkeley’s children. To learn more about my candidacy, please go to: www.smartvoter.org/vote/shirley_issel. 

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. 

I grew up in San Francisco in the ’60s and ’70s where I attended public schools and graduated from Lowell High School. I then moved across the Bay to Berkeley to attend Cal where I took my first steps in leadership as president of the Sherman Hall student co-op and as a member of UC’s Prytanean Honor Society—a women’s academic and leadership honor and service organization. I earned both an MBA and undergraduate degree in business from Cal. I am a CPA and I currently work as the Chief Financial Officer for Monster Cable Products. I have two teenage daughters—youngest is a Berkeley High senior and my eldest graduated Berkeley High in 2004 and is a junior at Willamette University.  

Prior to serving on the Board, I spend over a decade volunteering in our schools and chairing district wide committees including the Title I Advisory Committee and the BSEP parcel tax Planning and Oversight Committee. I also served as Vice-Chair of the Budget Advisory Committee and as a parent activist on the District’s Student Assignment Advisory Committee working to protect and improve our voluntary integration plan.  

Four years ago our schools suffered severe State and Federal funding cuts and at the same time our district’s base information systems were undergoing a difficult conversion. We were truly facing a fiscal crisis but I am proud that our School Board responsibly retained local control of our schools and made them stronger. We faced our financial challenges squarely and we cut $14 million in expenses. This was painful and I have great appreciation for our children’s teachers, all our staff, our administrators and our superintendent for their dedication, understanding and pure hard work during this very difficult period.  

Our community strongly urged us not to let our children suffer amidst the financial crisis and, consequently, the School Board brought Measure B to the voters in 2004 as a bridge measure to sit on top of our existing BSEP measure. I Co-Chaired the successful Measure B campaign with parent Dan Lindheim (respected chair of our BSEP parcel tax Planning and Oversight Committee) which brought essential resources into our classrooms. 

Today, our school district’s audits are clean and our budget is balanced. We have maintained strict oversight of our parcel taxes and school facilities bonds. Independent program and operational reports document solid improvement and we also have established an independent citizen audit committee. 

Our school finances are stable but still fragile and we need to pass Measure A for our schools this November. Measure A is not a new tax and it is not a tax increase. Measure A simply renews the two existing school measures (BSEP and B which sunset together at the end of the 2006-2007 school year) at existing levels. This local funding is crucial to supporting our children by maintaining smaller class sizes, music and library programs, teacher training and a number of school based programs that directly support student achievement. Please visit www.BerkeleyMeasureA.org.  

During the last four years the board has also instituted more rigorous and data driven school achievement plans with clearer goals and accountability. Thanks to the generosity of our community our building program continued with the opening of the new wing at Berkeley High and the new Adult School. Our high school is under stable collaborative leadership and last year received a very strong accreditation renewal. We also updated our historic integration plan, expanding our view of diversity in this community. 

I have served as board president, board vice-president and also as co-chair of the Joint City-School District 2x2 Committee. To strengthen my governance skills I completed the California School Boards Association Masters in Governance Program and I am an officer and active member of the Alameda County School Boards Association. 

There is good and thoughtful work ahead of us. Our schools have launched specific programs to directly address barriers to student learning. The next School Board must focus on effective execution and evaluation of these efforts including: the small schools and two large school programs at Berkeley High, nutrition and wellness programs, a more effective special education model, improved parent outreach with greater sensitivity to all communities in Berkeley, math and writing focus at the middle schools and continued strong support of the promising program changes at B-Tech. The board must continue to hold the administration accountable for implementation of rigorous measurable student achievement plans reinforced by provisions under Measure A for enhanced teacher training and program evaluation. Finally, we must carefully rebuild our general fund reserves and continue to bolster an open and transparent budget process that reflects the values of our community and focuses resources on student achievement. 

On Nov. 7 I urge you to vote yes on Measure A and to please support me for a second term on the Berkeley School Board.  

My endorsements include: Alameda County Democratic Party, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, Mayor Tom Bates, Council Members Laurie Capitelli, Linda Maio, Dona Spring, Kriss Worthington & Gordan Wozniak, Vice-President Alameda County Board of Education Jacki Fox Ruby, Peralta Trustee Nicky González Yuen, School Board President Terry Doran, School Board Vice-President Joaquin Rivera, School Board Director John Selawsky, Former School Board Directors Lloyd Lee, Miriam Rokeach Topel & Pamela Doolan, Current and Former Student School Board Directors Mateo Aceves & Teal Miller, PTA Council President Wanda Stewart and Past President Roia Ferrazares, BSEP Planning & Oversight Chair Dan Lindheim, BUSD Facilities Safety and Maintenance Oversight Committee Chair Bill Flounders, School Construction Oversight Chair Bruce Wicinas, Teacher George Rose, Retired Teacher Josie Gerst, BHS Development Group Co-Chair Susan Henderson, Parents of Teens e-list Founder Sally Nasman, Berkeley Democratic Club, Berkeley Citizens Action, Green Party of Alameda County, Berkeley Progressive Coalition, National Women’s Political Caucus Alameda North (partial list). 

THE DAILY PLANET ENDORSES: 

Mayor: Zelda Bronstein 

District 1: No endorsement 

District 4: Dona Spring 

District 6: Kriss Worthington 

District 8: Jason Overman 

Measure A: Yes 

Measure I: No 

Measure J: Yes 

More to come... 

A lot of requests have come in from people on both sides of two hotly contested Berkeley ballot measures, Measure A and Measure I, for the Planet to endorse one side or other. Proponents and opponents of ballot measures are traditionally offered many column inches of space in this publication to put forward facts and figures supporting their points of view. We also provide an impartial review of most ballot measures in our news columns, so there’s really no excuse for going to the polls (or marking your paper vote-at-home ballot) uninformed.  

But even with the best factual information, making a decision can be hard for the voter who isn’t really involved with the issue at hand. Measure I, for example, is about allowing rental properties to be sold as condominiums. For the voter who already owns a personal home but is not a landlord, the decision has to be mostly a matter of principle, an academic decision on which vote would be better for someone else. Similarly, voters who have no kids to send to the Berkeley public schools and whose share of property taxes is disguised as rent might think that Measure A is really not their problem. But both of these measures should be analyzed at a higher level by everyone who’s eligible to vote. We should all try to figure out what kind of decision would be best for the social fabric and mark our ballots accordingly, even if we have no personal stake in the outcome. A few simple points should help most voters make up their minds on measures which don’t directly affect them.  

First, let’s tackle the question of school taxes. We’ve had a lot of letters and comments over the years from well-meaning public-spirited people who think that voting against school tax measures is the right way to express your opinion on how well the local public schools are performing. That’s just plain wrong, bad reasoning.  

There’s no need to once again recount the statistics which are well known to most Berkeley voters: California schools spend much too little per pupil as compared to other states. Mississipi? Alabama? Which impoverished and benighted state spends less? It doesn’t matter, California spends too little. Period. Few would disagree.  

Some argue that Berkeley has raised more extra money to supplement the meager state allowance than some other cities. So? Is it more than is needed? Few would argue that Berkeley public schools students are frolicking in luxurious environments unknown to the poor wretches in, for example, Palo Alto. If you think that, visit a local school site some day. Overall, no one can seriously argue that per pupil spending in Berkeley is excessive. 

But maybe the priorities are wrong? Administrators paid too much, teachers too little…high school baseball instead of elementary school soccer…gourmet meals instead of basic nutrition…too many computers, too few pencils…too little toilet paper in the bathrooms. Lots of points to argue here, all irrelevant. The way to address school management or mismanagement questions is not cutting funds by voting against ballot measures. Measure A simply continues past funding levels—it doesn’t even increase them.  

The school directors, popularly called the school board, are supposed to make sure that the always inadequate pie is divided up as well as possible, and if they don’t do their job right they should be replaced. If it looks like no one is in charge at BUSD, that means you are. If you don’t like any of the candidates, you should be running yourself, not voting to cut revenues.  

And what about Measure I? Measure I would just make it easier for rental property owners to cash out, but it wouldn’t be good for everyone else. This is a city that needs more affordable rental housing, not less, particularly since the University of California continues to underpay its service workers to a shocking degree. Most of them have to commute long distances to their jobs because they can’t afford to live here, adding to the automobile traffic burden on our city streets. Condominiums as “investments” are out of the reach of the working poor, and they’re bad investments for most people in that their re-sale value is dicey. Many disabled and elderly tenants who couldn’t afford to purchase their own units would face eviction if Measure I passes. The Berkeley City Council has just passed a condo conversion ordinance which isn’t perfect, but which solves a number of problems and protects many vulnerable tenants. Further refinements are possible. All of the council has come out against Measure I except Olds and Wozniak, the two most conservative council members, and Wozniak’s progressive opponent Jason Overman has also come out again the measure. We too think you should vote no. 

Endorsements by elected officials aren’t the only basis for making decisions on measures, however. In the last analysis voters have to make up their own minds. But it is worth noting nevertheless that absolutely no local officials or organizations have come out against Measure A. Even the uber-con chamber of commerce, which takes no position on Measure I and opposes Measure J, endorses Measure A. As do we.  

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. 

I left Berkeley when I graduated in 1961. When we came back in 1973, we went to see what had happened to the old house. In its place stood a seedy (even after only 10 years) little apartment building optimistically named “The William Penn Apartments.” Clearly someone with good intentions thought he was doing the world a favor by demolishing our old building, which had survived in good shape for sixty years, and replacing it with a modern one. Now, almost fifty years later, houses like that are still considered jewels by many of their tenants at more than 100 years of age, but the newer replacements are going steadily downhill, and many of them are earthquake hazards. 

Should our house have been a “landmark”? Even by today’s standards, probably not—it was not remarkable for its time, just a solid, well-designed family home, built to last from irreplaceable old-growth redwood. The architect’s name is known, but “Anonymous was a woman,” and many good buildings probably designed to a canny housewife’s specs don’t have architect names attached. A fair number of such houses still survive in the Bay Area, some of them restored to jewel-box perfection, but many others are just hanging in there as comfortable housing that doesn’t have to rent for top dollar. The architectural features—bay windows, porches, compact yards—of these old houses are now stylish additions to the “new urbanist” McMansions that are gobbling up farmland in Fairfield, but if you live in one of these which remain in Berkeley you can have it all and walk to work to boot.  

This is the kind of house which is now designated as a “structure of merit” under Berkeley’s Landmark Preservation Ordinance, enacted in 1974 to stop the assaults on Berkeley’s housing stock of the preceding decades. Along with its partner Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance (1973), which was aimed at saving housing regardless of historic or architectural merit, the LPO has been responsible for keeping Berkeley livable. It’s ironic that the new group which is now lobbying hardest to trash the LPO calls itself “Livable Berkeley”—an oxymoron if ever there was one.  

It’s also sad that Councilmember Linda Maio, who got her start in local politics (under the name of Linda Veneziano) as one of the early backers of the NPO, is now speaking (albeit with a notable lack of fervor) against Measure J, which re-enacts the LPO as a bullet-proof citizen initiative with a few needed updates. It’s hard to understand how Maio, who’s safely ensconced in a comfortable but unpretentious Julia Morgan house in the flats, or for that matter Tom Bates, who lives in a pleasant turn-of-the-last-century frame house on the southside, could have lost touch so badly with what people still want and need—the same kind of housing they wanted when they were young. The pressure from developers who see old houses like theirs as building sites is just as bad as it was in the ’60s, but it needs to be resisted just as firmly now as it was then. Berkeley’s older housing stock is the principal source of affordable housing these days, which both Bates and Maio claim to support, and “re-use” is the greenest of housing options.  

Which brings us, in a roundabout way, to the question of endorsements for Berkeley’s first City Council district. On the one hand, Maio’s full record, looked at as a whole going all the way back to the NPO, certainly qualifies her for re-election. She’s obviously intelligent and thoughtful, well able to grasp the information which a good councilmember should understand. She’s spoken up courageously on international human rights issues, despite empty threats from bombastic partisans of one Middle East sub-faction to bury her in the next election. But since Tom Bates was elected and started his mad dash for the middle of the road, she’s been all too willing to go along with his various anti-democratic schemes. Voters in her district who know her well maintain the hope that sooner or later she’ll come to her senses, and perhaps she will.  

Her opponent, Merrilie Mitchell, is an exceedingly valuable civic gadfly. She goes to all the meetings, and if anything nefarious is up, she lets the world know about it. She’s obviously not a candidate fronted by the blowhards who threatened to bury Maio, but is her own woman all the way. Nevertheless, it might be too soon to give up on Maio, and it would be a real shame to lose Mitchell to the ranks of the elected establishment. We can’t decide between them.  

Readers of recent editorials have complained that they’ve been so subtle that it’s hard to know who we’ve endorsed. Let’s make it perfectly clear, one more time: 

First: Send money and do work for Jerry McNerney, running against the odious Richard Pombo out towards Tracy. 

Second: Vote yes on Berkeley’s Measure J, endorsed by everyone except pro-development shills as the best way to keep Berkeley Berkeley. 

Third: Zelda Bronstein for mayor, Worthington, Spring, Overman for City Council…the genuine progressive democrats in this election. 

Fourth (and this is new): No endorsement in Berkeley’s District 1.  

More to come.  

FAILING OUR STUDENTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

FCMAT’s recent findings that Oakland’s schools are still not being run well after three years of state control, should require an immediate takeover of Oakland’s schools by our voters and taxpayers. 

Since Jack O’Connell’s office has been running Oakland schools: 1) they have gone deeper into debt than under local control and are poised to dispose of precious assets that took Oakland taxpayers years to fund; 2) students and teachers are fleeing the district in much greater numbers than ever before; and 3) no clear financial plan has ever been posed to our elected officials nor to the electorate as a whole. It’s clear that the state is failing our students! 

Pamela A. Drake 

• 

EASTSHORE PARKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Please permit me to comment on your two articles about Eastshore State Park. 

The part of the park that is in the Berkeley Marina is not open to the public. It is actually the private property of a few special interest groups who have gained control of the area and excluded the public from it, as you can see by the fence and the signs that read “Keep Out. Restricted Area.” True, there is a single fenced-in path but it is so unpleasant that no one has yet to walk on it since it was opened. 

This area as you know had been a kind of wilderness that many people had enjoyed for many years, especially those who live in Berkeley. It is a large area and there was no reason that people and nesting birds could not share it. If there was a problem with dogs it could have been solved without such draconian measures. 

I wrote to East Bay Regional Parks and to the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club asking them to explain why such measures were taken but have received no reply.  

I have spoken with many people who also oppose these measures, all of whom miss strolling through the wilderness that had been such a joy for so many years. It is heart breaking to go there now, and it is even a little shameful, don’t you think, to have it called a “park”? 

Peter Najarian 

• 

DECEIT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Deceit must be called for what it is. I do not know nor understand the motives of the NEBA steering committee, but I do know that they badly misrepresented the public school parcel tax Measure A to their members last week, did not allow that same membership to discuss nor vote on the recommendation from the steering committee, and according to one steering committee member who is a parent of a student at our high school, did not inform all members of the steering committee about the meeting where the recommendation was generated (including himself). Again, I do not know nor understand their motives, but deceit must be called for what it is. 

In the NEBA newsletter sent out to the NEBA membership, this same steering committee made several baldly deceptive statements, and seemingly made up others. Stating that the BUSD “has the longest horizon for renewal—10 years—of any school district tax in the area” is simply untrue. The NEBA steering committee argues for a four-year measure. A simple web search turns up these facts: Albany Unified, three parcel taxes, two of which have no sunset; Orinda, three parcel taxes, all with no sunset; Lafayette, three parcel taxes, all eight years. Many other districts have parcel taxes ranging in duration from six to eight years. Only one district, Piedmont, is listed as having a four-year measure. 

The NEBA steering committee states that BUSD the largest achievement gap in the county. Simply and utterly untrue. They further state “we refuse to support a measure that “may” or may not be used for smaller classrooms.” In fact Measure A is very exact and very clear on this point: 66 percent of the funds generated from Measure A will go directly to fund classroom teachers to ensure class-size reduction, no ifs, ands or buts. These funds are overseen by a citizen’s Planning and Oversight Committee, and are audited annually by an independent auditor and the county Office of Education. There is far more oversight over these funds than any city or county program or expenditure. 

Please do not be deceived by people who distort the facts. Read the measure, talk to students, parents, and community members about the measure, read the independent analysis in the voter pamphlet and other sources: Please get the facts. A simple reading of the text of Measure A will put many of the claims of the NEBA steering committee members recommendation to rest. 

And remember: Measure A is not a new tax. Residents of Berkeley are already assessed this amount, and will not be paying anything additional. 

John Selawsky 

Director, Berkeley School Board 

• 

BAGGINS’ PLACEMENT SYSTEM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In his statement published in the Oct. 10 Daily Planet, School Board candidate David Baggins writes: “There is no doubt, based on extensive research, that a leading factor determining whether at-risk kids succeed or fail is the accomplishment rate of surrounding students.” A few paragraphs later he argues for doing away with the lottery system currently used to place students in smaller learning communities within Berkeley High. Instead he proposes that “every eighth grade child in public school be allowed his or her first choice of schools in Berkeley High if all classes are passed with a grade of ‘C’ and if all state exams are passed with a score at least of ‘basic.’” Such a placement system would further isolate struggling students, as well as students new to the district, from those among their peers who have already learned how to succeed in our public school system. According to Baggins’s own argument, we ought to place at-risk students in classrooms where they will be surrounded by high achievers. His proposal to do otherwise is at odds with his purported concern for Berkeley’s “at-risk kids.” 

Carol S. Lashof 

• 

UNTRUE ASSERTIONS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was shocked when I received Caryl O’Keefe’s latest campaign flyer. In it she states Albany faces budget deficits in 2007-2008. O’Keefe must know her assertion is not true. I watched the same council meeting that she and her husband Allen Riffer attended when the city updated their budget. The city reported increased revenues, no expected deficits and a balanced 2007-2008 budget. The Journal reported this on Oct. 6. 

O’Keefe also misrepresented the truth or didn’t understand what she was talking about when she stated during the League of Woman Voters candidates forum that Albany had only $185,000 in unrestricted budget reserves. 

She claimed the balance of the city’s $2.5 million in reserves was dedicated to Workers’ Compensation insurance and was off limits. That is simply wrong. At that same council meeting a $2.5 million unrestricted reserve was confirmed. 

Our city is doing quite well and I wonder why O’Keefe wants it to seem otherwise? 

It appears Carol O’Keefe is more interested in being elected to the Albany City Council then telling the truth. Fiscal responsibility starts with honesty. 

Caryl O’Keefe is running on a platform of “fiscal responsibility.” I think we deserve better than this type of election year fear mongering. 

Brian Parker 

Albany 

• 

MEASURE A 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

One assumes that it was not the intent of Margot Pepper (“Measure A Will Impact Property Values,” Oct. 12) which gave data showing that the voter-approved parcel tax made Berkeley property over $112,000 on average more expensive than similar properties in Oakland) to give an argument to those citizens with a serious interest in promoting more affordable housing in Berkeley (without development) for an easy, concrete thing to do, i.e. vote no on Measure A. 

Now it is obviously true that reducing an average Berkeley home’s selling price by $112K still leaves it far from being “affordable,” but there is no denying the direction which prices would tend if the researchers Moore quotes are correct. 

Further, for those involved citizens interested in reducing the number of Berkeley school students who actually do not live in the district and attend under false pretexts. one cannot help but wonder if this data also would not encourage them to cast a no vote. The logic would seem to run: no parcel tax implies lower housing prices which implies it would be easier to buy a home in Berkeley implying buyers could send their children to Berkeley schools legally. 

Additionally of course, one has this causation: no parcel tax implies Berkeley schools quality decreases implying less incentive to send children to Berkeley schools illegally. Which of course implies fewer students in schools and possibly student-teacher ratios could decline. This is, according to Moore, a major factor in parents’ decision-making of where to buy. 

The point is voting for Measure A may have consequences for other policy objectives (which may affect the objective of Measure A itself) and voters have to weigh carefully the costs and benefits, and causes and effects. 

D. Mayeron 

• 

WARM POOL ADVOCACY GROUP 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It has recently come to our attention that some group(s) and/or individuals have included our group and/or used our name in their movement in opposition to Measure A. 

Please be advised that the One Warm Pool Advocacy Group has not and will not take a public position and/or endorse any political candidate or issue. Our main purpose for existing is to facilitate the securing of a warm pool for the children, seniors and disabled members of our community. It is toward this end that we will continue to focus our energy and activities. 

One Warm Pool Advocacy Group 

Jo Ann Cook, Co-Chair 

Juanita C. Kirby, Co-Chair 

Ronnie Spitzer, Secretary/Treasurer 

• 

GEORGE BEIER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

George Beier made a point to reach out to me pursuant to my letter to the editor published in the Daily Planet a few weeks back about Telegraph Avenue. He came to my business and spent two hours chatting with my business partner and I about the challenges we see on Telegraph Avenue. We told him about the student specials, direct mail, WiFi Internet access, flyer deliveries, print and online advertising, special events—just to name a few—we’ve executed to drive traffic to our business. He took notes. He offered feedback and asked meaningful questions. I haven’t seen Kriss Worthington since our grand opening. 

David Howard 

Alameda 

• 

WORTHINGTON UNWORTHY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Elections are about holding elected officials accountable for their performance. After many years in office, Kriss Worthington simply has not performed. He’s promoted higher taxes, has been ineffectual at fighting crime and he’s been one of the problems in addressing Telegraph Avenue issues. Our neighborhood deserves fresh ideas and new leadership. I’ve been impressed with George Beier’s commitment to improving his own neighborhood and his energy in reaching out to other neighborhoods and those with diverse ideas throughout the district. I respectfully ask voters to seriously consider making a change, and supporting George Beier for City Council. 

David M. Fogarty 

Prince Street 

• 

WORTHINGTON SPEAKS FOR ME 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the summer following my last year of middle school, I went to the San Francisco Mime Troupe to see their show at Willard Park. There, I met a maverick named Kriss Worthington. I was astounded by the knowledge and expertise that Kriss possessed. Over the next couple months, I saw Kriss at different events in Berkeley, where he talked to me about city issues and listened to my concerns. I was in complete and utter awe. Before this, I had never seen a politician talking in a serious manner to a high school student. 

Over the years, Kriss has inspired my political activism. When I was in ninth grade, I wanted to get involved in city politics. Kriss encouraged me to join the City of Berkeley’s Youth Commission and I was then appointed by School Board Director John Selawsky, which gave me a start in city politics. 

At the time, I thought that my time in politics would be short-lived, but I soon realized that politics will be part of my life forever. Kriss led me through the ropes of Berkeley politics, has become a mentor to me, and empowered me to participate in the democratic process. 

I have a greater understanding that young people have a means to get their issues heard, despite not having the right to vote. Kriss listens to the ideas of anyone who approaches him. When you call him, not only does he call you back but he does so with candor that no other politician can match. 

Kriss’s opponent claims to be as progressive as Kriss. There are 15 progressive organizations that have given endorsements and all fifteen have endorsed Kriss Worthington. How progressive can Kriss’ opponent be? His opponent’s only notable endorsements are the moderate Berkeley Democratic Club, Shirley Dean, Councilmembers Gordon Wozniak, Betty Olds, and Laurie Capitelli. 

In fact, the Berkeley Property Owners’ Association (BPOA), an organization campaigning for Measure I (the Condominium Conversion Ordinance), gave praise to Kriss’s opponent at their May 18th “Special Dinner Meeting". How can his opponent say that he is supportive of affordable housing, while having the support of the BPOA, which campaigns against affordable housing? 

Kriss’s opponent shares an office with GW (Gordon Wozniak), arguably the most conservative member of the City Council. Wozniak has proposed to raise rents on students seven times, while having the support of the head of the BPOA. In addition, Wozniak was the only member of the City Council to vote against a resolution opposing Gov. Schwarzenegger’s unpopular special election. 

If Kriss’s opponent is elected, our council is going to shift the agenda in the wrong direction. I urge anyone who wants Berkeley to head in a groundbreaking progressive direction to vote for Councilmember Kriss Worthington, from District 7, on Nov. 7. 

Rio Bauce 

• 

A DIFFERENT OPINION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In their “10 Reasons” commentary, Nancy Carlton and Susan Hunter describe their friend Kriss Worthington as being responsive to the urban woes of their own neighborhood, Halcyon. Indeed, Kriss even found time one morning to bring over their morning paper! 

It’s a lovely anecdote. But as a resident of another part of District 7, I have formed a rather different opinion. You see, Mr. Worthington is not my personal friend—he is simply my council representative. And what I observe around me leads me to doubt his ability to respond to the full district’s needs. 

I have lived on Telegraph Avenue for the last few years, close to the commercial core. This area’s crime rates are among the highest in the city (as I started experiencing as soon as I moved here). Telegraph itself is falling apart. Stores I once patronized are gone, and others are struggling. The street is not fun, or funky. It’s depressing. And it’s right outside my door. 

Worthington has had a full 10 years to leave his mark on District 7. And this is it? While other communities advance, ours declines. And Worthington and his vocal supporters offer rationalizations and excuses. Sorry, I don’t buy the spin. Either Worthington is not up to the job, or he has other priorities. 

Is “activism” his claim to distinction? Social commitment is good, of course. I too have volunteered to work with the homeless, and to provide educational opportunities to children in a distressed neighborhood. I have supported parks, historic preservation, the environment, the arts. I care about these issues, and many more. But I also care about my partner, my home, my surroundings. 

By being on City Council, a person accepts a fundamental obligation—to maintain and improve the essential quality of life in the district and the city. From my viewpoint, Worthington fails to meet that obligation. Ten years is long enough. 

Indeed, from where I sit, those 10 years may be 10 reasons not to support Kriss Worthington. 

Alan Selsor 

• 

ACTION, NOT INVECTIVE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We’ve learned from the last two issues of the Planet that it’s easier for a leopard to change his spots than for Kriss Worthington to refrain from nasty ad hominem attacks on his political opponents. As usual, he leaves his dirty work to his favorite attack-chihuahua, Chris Kavanaugh. And, as usual, the chihuahua misses his mark. 

Kavanaugh/Worthington urges voters to ignore all of George Beier’s ideas for District 7. Instead, he says Beier should be judged (and condemned) for who his friends are. One of the friends Kavanaugh singles out is my husband. Kavanaugh says my husband is one of George’s biggest supporters, even though my husband has never publicly supported George’s candidacy. 

Well, I’ve got news for you, Kriss and Chris: women vote too. The person who supports George Beier in this household is me. I’m the person responsible for the check to George Beier that bears both my name and my husband’s. And the reason I’m supporting George in District 7 is because I’ve known him as a friend, and worked with him in business, for nearly eight years. 

I’m the one who goes running with George twice a week. That’s how I know what an incredibly understanding and supportive human being he is. From dropping anything to help a friend or employee, to donating countless hours to organizations and individuals in need, George is a compassionate, generous, ethical man. That’s how I know he’ll never, ever, stoop to the kinds of negative personal attacks that have already driven away so many of Worthington’s supporters---including the Mayor. 

I also consulted for George’s business for six years. So I know that George can read a balance sheet. And that he knows how to meet targets and grow a business. And that he understands what it takes to create and sustain real jobs in the City of Berkeley. And that he works absolutely ungodly hours when he commits to something. 

So Kriss and Chris: if you want the voters in District 7 to vote against George Beier because of who his friends are, then at least do it right. I’m the one you want to attack. Say something nasty about me—make it up if you have to. Do anything in your power to distract voters from the real issues. I can’t think of a greater sign of weakness. 

Laurel Leichter 

• 

DISTRICT 7 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Re Gregory S. Murphy’s statement that “District 7 residents deserve a councilmember who is willing to come out clearly on controversial issues and vote accordingly” (letters, Oct. 6), I hope voter will remember that George Beier, while substituting for Dean Metzger at the Zoning Adjustments Board, cast the crucial vote in favor of planning staff’s legally specious argument that no use permit was required for 3045 Shattuck (the infamous “flying bungalow"). In contrast, Kriss Worthington has been a consistent opponent of that project. He’s also been a consistent defender of the zoning code as written (rather than as creatively interpreted by staff), and is one of only three members of the City Council who doesn’t blindly go along with whatever staff or Mayor Bates want. 

Robert Lauriston 

• 

PROP. 83 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Not often does the inventor of a product vote against his or her own invention. But that is what I will be doing on Nov. 7. I participated with my twin brother in research at Harvard in the 1960s using the first electronic monitoring system with offenders (patent # 3,478,344). 

No one wants sex offenders preying on children. Unfortunately, the measures included in Proposition 83 are expensive, impractical, and ineffective in preventing the sex related crimes we want to prevent. Among other things, the proposition requires life-long electronic monitoring of some sex offenders. According to a 2000 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, only 7 percent of juvenile victims are assaulted by strangers. Dangerous sexual repeat offenders already face sentences of 15 or 25 years to life in prison. 

Even the most advanced monitoring systems (using GPS technology) are not up to the task of providing around-the-clock protection. There are numerous “dead spaces” (such as the inside of buildings) and “small spaces” (such as the distance between floors of an apartment building) where monitoring equipment does not function properly. The ankle bracelets can be cut off by the offender if he is really intent on committing a crime. Also, mounds of data will be generated, and a supervising officer will be required to sort through all this in order to verify an actual offense. 

I do like high-tech gadgets, but I have to suggest that some of the ex-offenders on lifetime monitoring--particularly those in wheelchairs--should be fairly easy to spot without the use of a satellite-linked transceiver. In my opinion, here are numerous practical and cost-effective uses of offender monitoring. Lifetime monitoring of sex offenders, at an estimated cost of tens of million of dollars, is not one of them. 

Robert Gable 

• 

NO ON MEASURE A 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It seems that the only bright spot in Berkeley public schools news is the food program headed by Ann Cooper. Unfortunately, this bright spot has come about due primarily to the funding and efforts of Alice Waters (kudos to Alice!). The school district for many years had a Nutrition Advisory Committee that shook the world with its organic food policy. Yet, despite the fact that over six years ago, community volunteers Beebo Turman and Yolanda Huang, pioneered cooking from scratch with their soup and salad program at Oxford, BUSD’s administration was unable to do more than reheat transfat corn dogs and pizza. When the chorus of complaints got too loud, BUSD summarily dissolved this committee. 

Fortunately, Alice Waters, who is committed to high quality food, to nutrition, to children and maintaining high standards, was able to implement this program because she recruited a highly skilled and knowledgeable administrator, namely Ann cooper. and provided the second necessary ingredient, the funding. After the hire of Ann Cooper, in less than 6 months, the food at BUSD was transformed. 

Berkeley schools have had plenty of the second ingredient, funding. For 20 years we have paid for BSEP. And yet, our children’s education is not thriving. What is very clear is that BUSD does not have a commitment to high quality education and to maintaining high standards in educational programs. BUSD lacks at the top, a highly skilled and knowledgeable administrator who is committed to children, passionate about learning, and able to stir up the passion in children for learning. 

I am concerned when the current superintendent of BUSD’s trained is as an art teacher. Is she really able to address our students’ needs with math and English? How can it be that 75 percent of all African American students are not proficient in grade level English, when Toni Morrison, an African American writer has been selected by the New York Times poll as the most significant American writer of the second half of the 20th century (for the novel Beloved). The prior superintendent was interested in construction, and so BUSD constructed. Understanding that for the past decade and a half, we have not had a superintendent who had as his or her first priority, children and their education, explains why student achievement is declining, the achievement gap is increasing, and BHS’ drop out rate is 30 percent higher than the county average (including the drop out rate for white students). 

This is why I am voting no on Measure A, and asking the school board to rewrite Measure A. Measure A must include performance standards and independent performance evaluations for the district and its administrators, especially the superintendent. These performance standards must include student learning as a priority. The School Board needs to do more than just give raises. The school board needs to maintain high standards in all aspects of the district’s responsibilities, but especially in learning. Every student should receive a good education. Please join me in voting no on Measure A. 

J. Haven 

• 

IRAQ WAR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The purpose of the Iraq war puzzles me; almost none of the reasons given ring true, seem credible. It’s been suggested that the party in power feels such intense emotion about (against) the federal government that they would do anything to bankrupt it. The mounting deficit level suggests that our government can be bankrupted by (irresponsible? deliberate?) over-spending, similar to current ongoing spending rates. 

Congress and the courts are systematically neutralized; the media almost neutered. Should we just go ahead and give up our present Constitution? We could quickly become a monarchy, with aristocracy powered mostly by wealth. If our (collective?) goal is simply to dominate the planet, and methodically strip it of its resources for our benefit and luxury, enslaving all others, then monarchy joined with theocracy may be the simplest, easiest way. Deep in our hearts, millions of (the richest) Americans may feel such is the proper (preordained?) path. 

Congress might simply vote itself out of existence, with benefits, or maintain itself as a façade, somewhat in the current mode. 

What would be best? It could be done so easily; we’re almost there. Just close your eyes, it won’t hurt a bit. 

Terry Cockrell 

• 

NO ON ARNOLD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am just incredulous that during the governors’ debate Arnold Schwarzenegger said he has the “highest respect” for police officers, after all, he claimed his dad was a police officer. Lest the public forget the governor’s father was a member of the Nazi storm troopers also known as the brownshirts. A Nazi is who Arnold looks up to. Earlier this week he insulted the Mexican-American population. 

This man has no cultural sensitivity and does not deserve to represent us. Please California do not put this man back in office. 

Karen Green 

Alameda 

• 

MEASURE N 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

You wrote of Oakland’s Measure N, the $148 million bond issue, “The rest of the bond money not expended on the main library move would go to expansion and upgrades of several existing branch library facilities. Voters should check the actual ballot language to see which branch facilities will be upgraded.” 

Sorry, the “actual ballot language” is not binding. There is a list of projects appended, and it is bad enough, showing that the palace library would suck up two dollars for every dollar split among all the neighborhood libraries. But nothing commits the City to the precise breakdown shown. The palace project is almost sure to go over budget, at which time the council will “postpone” neighborhood items of its selection. Of all the state and local bond issues on the ballot for Oakland voters, Measure N is by far the most expensive per capita, the most wasteful, and the worst choice of priorities.  

For more information on Measure N, see www.orpn.org 

Charles Pine 

Oakland 

• 

CONFUSED BY U.S. ELECTIONS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’m baffled by my experience of the U.S. electoral process: a strange homogenous breed of men I’ve never seen before dressed in expensive suits, some in toupees, and a smattering of women with cardboard hair begin to appear on the television and in the papers. These are the candidates, I’m told. 

Some belong to this party, some to the other. I’ve chosen to be a member of my party not because I agree with its policies, but because the other party’s policies are even worse or ineffective. I wonder why I’ve never been invited to attend a meeting of my party and whether such meetings exist, though everyone says all I have to be is interested. Well frankly, I was once, now I’m not so sure. 

I’m briefed on the candidates’ careers, after which they begin to argue, engage in name-calling, accuse each other of being cowards in wars, cheating on their spouses or swindling money from the government. I wonder where they get their millions for prime time TV exposure of such absurdities; whether my local school district might not have gone bankrupt had the gonorrhea debate been shorter. It turns out you have to be filthy rich to run or sell your soul to a corporation who will foot the bill. But time is up, now I must make my choice. 

There is a candidate who does represent many of my own views, but if I vote for that one, the one I fear most will be elected. I consider voting for the corporate middleman whose domestic and foreign policy is likely to result in less deaths per year than the competition. 

Disgusted, confused, indifferent or disenfranchised, two thirds of my compatriots decide to voice their opposition to the lack of choice by abstaining or can’t vote because they’re illiterate or homeless and therefore can’t register. The other third, which always seem to have more money than me, votes. In the end, the winners are chosen by a minority of the eligible voting population.  

Is my confusion unique? I can’t understand how the United States has proclaimed itself the international elections watch dog and model of democracy for the rest of the world. 

Margot Pepper 

• 

ARCTIC REFUGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

When the majority of Americans go to the polls on Nov. 7, one of the issues that should be a concern for them is the fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The refuge is home of the Gwich’in people who live their own way of life. They know how to preserve water and take care of the animals there. 

If the Republicans retain control of both branches of Congress on Election Day, they will try again to seek an amendment to any legislation that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. That would be a disaster for the Gwich’in people who would have to drink the water toxified by oil. I hope that the majority of voters in this country would think about the fate of the Gwich’in people when they go to the polls on Nov. 7. 

Billy Trice, Jr.  

Oakland 

• 

FOR GEORGE BEIER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I expect those who represent me at all levels of government display leadership and a point of view. I might not always agree with them, but at least would want to know where they stand and that they have been diligent about researching the issues. Kriss Worthington has not done this. He has avoided several important votes on the council including the recent use permit for the Berkeley Bowl. He has not taken a position on Measure J (historic buildings issue). That is why I am supporting George Beier. I want someone who takes and articulates a position. 

Joseph Halperin 

• 

CONCERNED 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’m really concerned about what’s been happening. I mean in Berkeley. For example, if Mayor Bates is re-elected, he will push hard to convert the west Ashby and Gilman corridors into Emeryville-style shopping centers, which would create disastrous traffic jams at the freeways, draw business away from our other shopping centers, and damage our light industrial and arts and crafts community. His reason for promoting this is his own failure to maintain the health of our existing commercial centers, resulting in decreased tax revenues. He wants to destroy a successful neighborhood to compensate for his own failures. This will hurt the city even further. Bates’ plan to promote upscale development in West Berkeley, our last affordable area, would set off rapid gentrification, pushing many of our long-term lower-income residents and businesses out of town, and diminishing our economic, ethnic, and racial diversity. The industrial zone acts as a protective umbrella for diversity. Dismantle the industrial zone block by block and the city would be well on its way to being just an upscale college bedroom community. 

Bates ran as a progressive candidate. But what does being a Berkeley progressive mean today? The city has been waving a green flag at almost any development, regardless of impacts. Folks look out, because the foxes are setting up for a big party in the hen house. If you consider yourself a progressive, I propose that you think about this, and consider leaving the mayor line of the ballot blank. Vote for one of the other candidates or Vote for Nobody. A low vote turnout can at least slow the developers down. For the sake of the future of a sustainable progressive community, we’ve got to stop this push of rapid gentrification. To protect the integrity of our community, we need to support neighborhood preservation, rent stabilization, and industrial retention. Consider not voting for Mayor Bates. Berkeley can do a lot better. 

John Curl 

• 

MEASURE O 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am very happy that Measure O, which would bring instant runoff voting (IRV) to Oakland, is on the ballot. This is a needed election reform. By eliminating a runoff election, Oakland could move its local elections to November, when turnout is nearly 60 percent higher, on average. A ranked choice ballot would also encourage people to vote sincerely, instead of having to worry about “wasted votes” or “spoilers.”  

I did take issue with statements made by the opposition to Measure O in the Oct. 6 Berkeley Daily Planet article. The article states: “Opponents say that it is unfair to ask voters to make a second or third choice of candidates, when all they want is to pick their top choice.” This is simply false. Under Measure O, voters have the option of ranking as many candidates as they want or can choose to only vote for one candidate. Opponents also claim that IRV will confuse voters, but offer no evidence to back up this claim. Two exit polls conducted after San Francisco and Burlington (VT) held their first IRV elections found that around 90 percent of voters reported understanding IRV. 

Nicolas Heidorn 

Oakland 

• 

THE PFA CROWD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive is one of the few venues where quality films, past and present, can be seen. 

Curiously, however, the reaction of the of the audience suggest that they would rather be more attuned to mainstream 2006 trivia as personified by Tom Cruise and the earlier efforts of the governor. 

The screening of the 1956 study of drug addiction Bigger Than Life ortles from some obviously immature members of the audience. 

This was a well-made film by a reputable American director, Nicholas Ray. Even allowing for different attitudes and values in 2006, Bigger Than Life was never intended as humor. 

Ross Norton 

• 

PACIFIC STEEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Have you heard that our “good neighbor” Pacific Steel Casting has opted to delay the health risk assessment that was mandated by its backdoor “settlement” with Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)? And that PSC has refused to comply with the Air District’s order to obtain another air pollution source test? Is PSC paying BAAQMD’s $10,000 per day fine as a result of their lawlessness? Who cares? 

We do. And we need to get to the Big Picture here quickly to turn the tide. There is a four-headed toxic spin machine spewing caustic air and ugly lies on Second Street. In cahoots are: PSC, for their decades of dirty profits and “careless” excuses; BAAQMD, for its closed-door/pro-industry/anti-community actions and stupid complaint tricks; AJE Partners, as PSC’s media relations mirror, for falsifying the facts and lying to us; Linda Maio, for her endless lack of courage and absolute failure to protect us. 

In an April 16 letter from Michael P. Wilson, researcher at the UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, to Dion Aroner, AJE Partners, Mr. Wilson writes: 

“A lack of trust has developed between Berkeley residents and PSC. During the last several years, over 50 articles and letters to the editor have appeared in Bay Area papers expressing criticism, and dismay, over PSC’s emissions of toxic air pollutants. This record appears to illustrate not simply a series of isolated events but rather a general pattern of neglect on the part of PSC with respect to its relations with the Berkeley community. It is important to recognize that a worsening public perception of the plant, and a gradual loss of the plant’s social license to operate, could occur over time as growing numbers of residents and workers in Berkeley and surrounding areas become aware of, and frustrated with, increasing emissions of toxic materials from the plant.” 

Social license? PSC-related phenols, benzene and other cancer causing chemicals are up 100 percent over the past three years. We want direct action! 

Shut down PSC until they prove that their manufacturing processes have no health impacts on the community. Support Merrilie Mitchell in her bid to defeat Maio for the District 1 City Council seat this November. Wake up Tom Bates at City Hall and tell him to stop taking money from these morons. And don’t believe any of the crap coming out of Dion Aroner’s mouth. 

Willi Paul 

• 

FASCIST STATES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

How will we know if fascism comes to the United States It could come well before mass roundups of Berkeley type people. As pointed out by Lenore Veltford in her Sept. 26 letter to the editor, during Hitler’s rule her town of Darmstadt in Germany had an “independent book store.” She believes that for people of her town the growth of the Nazi repression was incremental. It was four years into the Fueher’s rule when the Jewish owner of the Darmstadt book store had to sell. New owners kept it going through the war. There continued to be gatherings of book lovers in the store. Perhaps after state rule here there will continue to besignings and talks in our independent book stores. 

About six years into Hitler rule it became necessary in Darmstadt that the gatherings in the book store be in the back room. Will we have people gathering in the back room under fascism USA? Will those in the room voice their complaints as Lenore Veltford notes complaints against Hitler were voiced in the store in Darmstadt? 

It would seem that since it is difficult to define exactly when fascism has come, it would be best to lop off whatever tentacles we can identify. Who knows, we might have a fascist state that allows not only independent book stores, but peace vigils and Sunday meetings at the Unitarian Church. 

Ted Vincent 

• 

BOB’S BLANKETS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

My old Volkswagon square-back had the metal letters FORD across the back, so neatly placed that they looked natural unless you were someone like Bob Nichols, someone with an eye out for very subtle humor. That car could pack a lot of stuff, so one December Bob asked me to drive to the Army Surplus store in Oakland where he bought every wool blanket they had. 

We stacked the blankets like olive green and gray cordwood in the back of my car. He spent about two hundred dollars, and ended up with forty or fifty clean, warm, used blankets. Then he gave them away. He’d take one with him on the way to work and hand it to anyone who seemed to need it. He knew a lot of people who panhandled. He knew a lot of drunks, junkies, and crazy people. He wasn’t bothered by craziness, or incompetence, or repetitive, self-serving stories, or addiction. He knew people were cold. 

He gave away a lot of money in quarters and ones and fives. He bought people sandwiches and smokes. He knew it wasn’t enough, but he knew it mattered. 

Bob is gone now; he died in his sleep almost a year ago. The blankets are probably still out there, because the people are. Some of them died, but most of them have moved around, traded corners, found housing and lost it. They’ll be there come December, waiting for Bob and the blankets. Bob will be there, too, handing out cigarettes and trading jokes. If you see him, tell him hi. Tell him I miss him. And tell him thanks.  

Carol Denney 

• 

BATES AND THE  

FIRST AMENDMENT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In her editorial examining the Tom Bates years, editor Becky O’Malley lists three main examples of Bates screwing around with the First Amendment. 

The three vary greatly; their bona fides as attacks on the First Amendment are not at all equal. Moreover, they demonstrate the problems with taking “think globally, act locally” literally in every situation. First, I think it was a mistake to publish the famous anti-Semitic letter in the Planet, but it’s equally untenable to jump with such abandon all over the Planet, no matter how good that might make people feel or how much political capital there is to be had. The protest that Bates and others signed is not an attack on the First Amendment as much as opportunistic piling on, and that’s the real problem. 

To keep picking at this is just another Berkeley-style self-indulgence, and typically lazy. It avoids dealing with the anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinian racism and imperialism that are alive and well out there; that’s where the fight is, it’s not here, at least not now, not with this issue. We should just let this episode slink off into history. 

Ms. O’Malley is correct that the support of Bates and others for the awful N and O anti-homeless measures—besides simply being cruel and a cheap wedge issue—created a frontal attack on the First Amendment rights of the people asking for money. The First Amendment survived. But Ms. O’Malley led this section of her editorial with the shop-worn melodrama over Bates’ late-night trashing of copies of the Daily Californian when it endorsed his opponent in the last election. She says it was a “foolish temper tantrum ... (but) Berkeleyans who consider the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution to be their political gospel were well and truly shocked.” 

Oh, come on. Ms. O’Malley is right on her take on this, if not the prominence it’s given in the editorial. Tom Bates went silly when under pressure; everyone over the age of 5, raise your hand if you’ve never done the same. That’s all it was. Wishing for a Battle Grande over our Latte Grandes won’t make it so.  

We should always watch what’s happening around us. Even “progressive” politicians need watching—maybe especially them, since we can’t seem to believe they’d act like other pols. 

But if we really want to be righteous warriors, we really should get out more. 

James Day 

My name is George Beier and I am running for City Council for Berkeley’s District 7, the district that includes Telegraph Avenue. I am grateful to the Planet for this opportunity to tell you about myself, why I am running and what I hope to do for this city. 

I came from humble beginnings. My father was the youngest of 16, from a farming family in Topeka. I grew up in Maryland, the youngest of 5 kids, and learned responsibility early as the family cook. My father was overseas much of the time and my mother traveled the Midwest selling farm equipment. 

When I was 14 my family moved to New Delhi, an incredible, mind-altering experience to a kid from outside Baltimore. In India, I developed a deep and abiding appreciation for other cultures and ways of life. I also learned the value of people over things, of communalism over commercialism, and of service to others above self. 

I came to Berkeley when I was 18, as a transfer student. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa in economics and then came back for an MBA in finance from the Haas School. I worked my way through school (not easy that last semester, when I took 25 units!). In 1989 I met my partner, John Caner, and we settled into our house on Derby Street. In 1993 we put our life savings into a software company I had started out of the back of our house, learning how to program this new thing called “windows” out of a book.  

And, ten years and a lot of hard work later, our dreams came true. We sold the company and entered into a life of public service. John runs Rebuilding Together Oakland (which used to be called “Christmas in April”) and spends his time rehabilitating homes for the disabled and the elderly. It’s a family affair. My sister is the treasurer and I’m pressed into service as a volunteer coordinator. I joined the Waterfront Commission, became the president of the Willard Neighborhood Association, joined the People’s Park board and also the board of Options Recovery Services, which provides an abstinence-based, drug and alcohol recovery program in downtown Berkeley.  

It quickly became clear that District 7 was headed in the wrong direction. We have the highest crime rates in the City, particularly property crime. Crime is also too high in our public schools. I spoke to a parent two weeks ago who told me that she buys a YMCA pass for her son at Berkeley High so that he has a safe place to go to the bathroom. 

Sales on Telegraph Avenue have fallen 30 percent over the last 13 years. I would like you all to take a walk with me up Telegraph. I would introduce you to the owner of a restaurant who has trouble hiring women because the last two were attacked on the way to their cars. We would pass by People’s Park, where we found 1,000 needles in the last eight months. We’d come to Cody’s Books, the once-proud, now-closed, heart and soul of Telegraph. And when we lose Cody’s (or Clif-Bar or Habitot), we lose more than just a store or a large taxpayer. We lose part of our identity, what it means to be a Berkeleyan itself. I must admit I shed a few tears that day. And finally I’d take you to the huge, fenced-off hole of the old Berkeley Inn, an open wound on the Avenue, which burned down in 1986. Twenty years ago. 

I am running because Telegraph breaks my heart. I am running because I love our funky, alternative, artistic, and progressive city. I am running to prove that we can be progressive and safe and prosperous at the same time.  

If I am elected to city council, I’ll start by creating a Telegraph Task Force, focused on revitalizing the Avenue. We’ll step up free drug and alcohol outreach, improve lighting, obtain more parking, and build affordable workforce housing on Telegraph to get more “eyes on the street.” 

We’ll rework the relationship with the University in an effort to build a long-lasting, trusting partnership. We’ll tighten existing ordinances for blighted properties, trash, graffiti, and sidewalk camping. We’ll take a hard look at the quota system, which required Peet’s (classified by the City as “fast food”) to get two variances (a high hurdle) before obtaining a permit. We’ll put the applications for new Telegraph businesses on the top of the pile. 

We’ll also continue the efforts to transform People’s Park. I’m convinced we can find a way to celebrate its history and make it a safe park for the entire community. Some early ideas: a commitment to open space, a small museum or café in the park, raising the creek, implementing a more open landscaping plan similar to Yerba Buena park in San Francisco. People often ask me “well, what about the homeless?” My answer is that if you are homeless and have no place to go, the park is as good a place as any. 

Berkeley needs to do what San Francisco is doing, build permanent housing for the homeless coupled with a multi-service center and give folks the keys. This is known as the “housing first” approach. It’s more humane, it works, and it is a lot less expensive then managing the homeless in our civic areas and parks. 

Four years from now, I hope to walk you down a very different Telegraph Avenue. It will be diverse and lively and fascinating. You’ll browse in its interesting mom and pop shops as you stroll with your children down to a performance at Zellerbach. Or you might spy one of Berkeley’s Nobel laureates at Café Med. Or play some ultimate Frisbee in People’s Park. Or you might simply sit and have a quiet cup of coffee and watch the world go by, on an Avenue proud of its past and looking towards its future.  

I hope to see you there. 

Diversity, creativity, and a commitment to promoting new ideas are what make Berkeley such a wonderful place to live and work. For the past ten years on the City Council I’ve been a progressive leader on a wide range of issues. I’ve had to walk a thin line between maintaining my sense of where Berkeley should be going while pragmatically getting things done in the here and now. Here are the areas I’ve focused on: 

The environment 

I was an environmental activist before I was elected to City Council, serving as Northern Alameda Chair and Executive Committee member of the Sierra Club, and the health of the environment remains my area of strongest activity. I’ve worked to put Berkeley back in the forefront of environmental policy by strengthening waterfront habitat protection, shepherding Zero Waste and the Precautionary Principle through the maze of City politics and bureaucracy (these groundbreaking eco-policies now serve as nationwide models for other cities), and saving and enhancing funding for parks. I’ve increased funding for transit, bicycle, and pedestrian uses, got City employees out of their cars with the Eco-Pass, and pushed to expand the program to include UC employees, BART, and Telegraph. (Please vote Yes on Measure G to reduce greenhouse gases.)  

I’ve defended biodiversity by protecting native plants, breeding areas for migratory birds, and habitat for the Coopers Hawk, and strengthened waterfront habitat protection. I’m Berkeley’s representative on the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency and the Waste Management Authority, where I strategize with environmentalists on how best to channel community organizing and grassroots lobbying into winnable campaigns. I’ve worked to get Campaign Finance Reform enacted on State and local levels to dilute the impact of the huge developer contributions which have led directly to environment-threatening policies. I’ve expanded biodiesel, solar, and composting in Berkeley, and encouraged the City to work with EGRET, the group restoring native habitat in Aquatic Park. 

Telegraph Avenue 

My greatest commercial responsibility, besides sharing with all other Councilmembers our desire to make our downtown vibrant and successful, is to maintain the viability and appeal of Telegraph. I’ve vigorously opposed cuts to police and social workers, led a successful charge to restore police, social workers, and parking on Telegraph. I wrote a proposal to fix the permit process to get vacant storefronts filled more quickly. I’ve pushed to implement a Buy Berkeley policy for City contracts and purchases, and to unbundle large City contracts so small business receive the cash flow they need to thrive, and I’m working to get the Planning Commission to expedite the permit process for neighborhood-friendly businesses, while keeping room for public input. Thanks to my efforts the City now issues quarterly reports on job creation, unemployment, and sales tax revenue by business district, as well as tracking office and retail vacancy rates. I got previously cut police positions restored, expanded neighborhood watch networks both south of campus and on the northside, got students involved in partnerships with businesses and long-term residents. I’ve led the charge for targeted drug enforcement not only on Telegraph but on nearby streets, so that problems aren’t just pushed from one place to another. I promote Berkeley and Telegraph as tourist attractions regionally and internationally, and encourage “Only in Berkeley” as an effective promotional theme for the great products and services offered by our unique businesses. 

Transportation and traffic 

I got city employees out of cars with the Eco-Pass and pushed to expand program to include UC employees and BART. I got truck and van traffic reduced on residential streets, and increased funding for accessibility, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian uses. I’ve supported traffic calming to reduce speed on neighborhood streets. 

Housing  

Dona Spring and I (and Max Anderson, who’s not up this election) are the city’s strongest supporters of rent control (as you can easily see by checking out the donation lists of our opponents). I have worked hard to defeat the Eviction by Condo ordinance on this ballot (Please vote no on I!); my opponent waited to oppose it until it was safe three weeks ago, after the major conservative organization in Berkeley, the Berkeley Democratic Club, voted to take no position on it, and just before he came before Berkeley’s two major progressive organizations seeking their endorsement. (Which I got.) I also worked to get millions directed to the Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing on transit corridors. 

Crime 

I support community policing, and I initiated the expansion of Neighborhood Watch near campus and citywide.  

Student issues 

I’ve appointed more students to city commissions than any councilmember in Berkeley history. I fought for more student housing close to campus, and got funding to improve disabled access to student housing. 

Peace and social justice 

I led the Council in opposing the Bush war in Iraq (and wherever else we’re going next) and his attacks on civil liberties. I initiated and coordinate the City’s Holocaust Remembrance Day program. 

Open government 

I sponsored Berkeley’s Sunshine Ordinance. I support campaign finance reform and Instant Run-off Voting (IRV). 

Constituent advocacy 

My persistence in helping constituents cut through red tape is, legendary. I get sidewalks repaired, potholes filled, and illegal trash removed. I’ve worked fiercely on my neighborhoods’ behalf to stand up to UC and Sutter Corporation executives. In my tenure District 7 has always gotten its fair share of resources for street and sidewalk repairs, lighting, and storm drain upgrades. 

Fiscal responsibility 

I’m a social progressive but a fiscal conservative. No one has fought harder than I have for proper stewardship of taxpayers’ dollars. 

I think I deserve my hard-won reputation as Berkeley’s hardest-working Councilmember. This election I’ve also had to become Berkeley’s hardest-fundraising Councilmember; as of September 30 my opponent has already spent $44,000 (more than I’ve ever spent on an entire campaign), a pace which will make his campaign the most intensive investment in a Council seat in Berkeley’s history. (See? I’m working at it right now!) I will continue and expand the work I’ve done over the last decade if the voters of District 7 see fit to return me to office. 

The name of my campaign committee is Dona Spring for City Council. Residing in Berkeley for the past 34 years, I graduated from UC Berkeley with honors with a B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology. 

Before being elected to the City Council in 1993, I worked in nonprofit services to seniors, disabled, healthcare reform and on environmental and animal protection issues.  

I attended UC in the early 70s, a time when consciousness was being raised on the political, social, cultural, environmental and spiritual frontiers.  

My interest in local politics intensified in 1984 when I attended a council meeting to protest the deplorable conditions reported at the City of Berkeley’s animal shelter and the proposal to balance the budget by cutting the low-cost spay neuter clinic. In the next years I got involved in efforts to save the Berkeley waterfront as open space for wildlife habitat and for recreational uses. I helped write articles for the Council of Neighborhood Association and also for a community weekly newsletter called Grassroots. In addition, as a tenant, I connected to the tenant’s rights movement, which started in the early 80s with the advent of voter approved a rent control.  

In 1986-88 I was elected to the County Democratic Central Committee and to the Green Party County Council ‘90-’92. In 1994,  

I was elected in 1992 and have served as the Vice Mayor of Berkeley. I was appointed by the Council in 1996 to serve as the City of Berkeley’s representative on the Alameda County Solid Waste Authority and to the Alameda County Recycling Board and served as president on both boards. I also served as the county’s representative on the hazardous waste committee of All Bay Area Government (ABAG) where we set regional standards for green businesses and disposing of hazardous waste including electronic waste.  

While serving on the City Council for almost 14 years I have sponsored hundreds of pieces of legislation. For example, in 1994, I introduced legislation to require labeling of food products containing genetically modified organisms such as recombinant bovine growth hormone. My latest item on the Council agenda is to have the City of Berkeley waive the permit fees for insulation of solar panels. 

I am widely supported by progressive activists as well as neighborhood leaders. I can be counted on to support and sponsor progressive legislation on the environment, social justice issues and neighborhood issues such as public safety prevention and disaster preparedness. In this past term, I have provided leadership on voter approved Instant Run off Voting which I first introduced to the City Council in 1993. 

I am known to be one of the most accessible Councilmembers who champions progressive causes such as building housing affordable to those at the lower end of the economic ladder. During my time on the Council, I have worked for funding and approval of hundreds of units of affordable housing. Despite how real estate/prodevelopment opponents attempt to portray me as anti-development, that’s misleading since I have voted for the majority of development projects that come before the Council. I am one of the few Councilmembers who fights to get developers to fully provide the affordable housing that is required by inclusionary and state density bonus requirements but seems to get “value engineered” away. Also, I represent the community’s interest in pushing developers for building designs that are compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhood with setbacks. 

In this past term, I have successfully led the Council and commissions in an effort to reform the way the density bonus laws are interpreted by city staff in development projects. In 2003, many of the residents close to University Avenue were distressed at the massing and scale of new buildings going in on University. I got the Council to refer the decade old University Avenue Strategic Plan for codification in the zoning code. My excellent Planning Commissioner helped provide the analytical skills to get the job done. (In addition, he demonstrated that the city has already met its ABAG housing requirements and thus no longer had to approve all housing projects to comply with their interpretation of state code—unfortunately that was sidetracked.) It took a year, but eventually Zoning Commission and Councilmembers created a subcommittee to reform the way is the state density bonus requirements were implemented. Vote no on State Proposition 90 so that effort can be continued. 

In this election, I urge voters to vote yes on all the Berkeley ballot measures except for Measure I, the condo conversion ordinance. Measure I is a countermeasure to the condo conversion ordinance passed by the Council which allows up to 100 rental units to convert to condominiums with long-term Berkeley tenants exempt from paying a mitigation fee to help create more affordable housing opportunities. The Council condo conversion ordinance helps to protect sitting tenants from eviction. 

Measure I gives property owners an incentive to evict tenants so their rental units can become condos and thus profits doubled.  

Vote yes on Measure J to save our Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. Historic preservation advocates collected signatures to save the “structure of merit designation” which the mayor wanted to eliminate. This change would have wiped out almost all future protections for saving historic resources in Berkeley’s neighborhoods. It was only after the signatures had been submitted that the mayor tried to make a compromise which restored the structure of merit designation. But, once signatures have been submitted for a ballot measure, they cannot be withdrawn. Contrary to ballot arguments against Measures J, it was not a long public process leading to the Bates proposal. In fact, over 50 people living in all of Berkeley’s neighborhoods testified against the mayor’s proposal to gut the current ordinance. In addition, there have not been legal problems with the current ordinance. The State Historic Office has found that Berkeley’ s current Landmark Preservation Ordinance is compliant with all state laws. A vote for Measure J is a vote to preserve our affordable housing stock. Many rent control units are in older buildings and houses. If those buildings can be easily demolished instead of restored and expanded, then we lose rent-controlled housing and get expensive market rent housing in their place. Also, it is environmentally friendly to reuse the buildings instead of demolishing and land filling them. (One of the biggest portions of our landfill is going to construction and demolition debris.) Reusing buildings also helps conserve natural resources including trees. 

It’s a privilege to represent the people of Berkeley who are some of the most intelligent and socially conscious on the planet. This term I want to see our new animal shelter constructed with funding from a successful 2002 ballot measure and the Berkeley High School warm water pool saved (preferably rehabilitated in its current location as two thirds of Berkeley voted funding for in 2000). I also want to help more residents become prepared for a natural disaster. 

I urge people to support Kriss Worthington’s reelection to the City Council as well. He’s going up against a multimillionaire opponent who is spending big bucks against Kriss. Visit my web site at DonaSpring.com. My campaign telephone number is 644-3662. 

My name is Raudel Wilson and I am running for City Council in District 4. I am proud to say I have been married to my wife, Grace, for the past nine years and I am the proud father of two young boys. My oldest son “Little” Raudel started Kindergarten this month at Washington Elementary School. My youngest son, Albert, is 2-years-old. He spends his day with my wife enjoying Habitot Children’s Museum and a wealth of local parks. My family and I live in the neighborhood just west of the Downtown. Each morning I have the privilege of walking my son to school on my way to work. 

I fell in love with Berkeley as soon as I began working on Shattuck Avenue in 1997. Berkeley has such a diverse community. I believe that much of our rich environment comes through Berkeley’s many non-profits. I have had an opportunity to serve as a board director for Options Recovery Services, a Downtown drug treatment program. I served as President of the Downtown Berkeley Association. I am an active member of the Berkeley Rotary Club and I currently serve as a board director for the Berkeley Albany YMCA.  

I have also been able to get a look at many of the issues concerning Berkeley through various civic duties. I currently serve as a commissioner for the Zoning Adjustments Board. I have served on this board since January 2005. As a zoning commissioner I voted to declare Dwight Way Liquors, The Berkeley Market, and Black & White Liquors as public nuisances. Each of these stores had their own story of why I felt they no longer properly served our neighbors. In the case of Dwight Way Liquors, the store was cited for numerous violations such as selling alcohol to minors, allowing drug dealing in front of their store, and allowing neighbor’s yards to become dumping grounds for drug paraphernalia and liquor bottles. I voted for their immediate closure. This helped end the living nightmare that the neighbors had been putting up with for years. This is the type of business Berkeley does not need. I am also serving as a commissioner for the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee. We are currently working on updating a development plan for our Downtown. We are dealing with issues that will shape the future of Downtown Berkeley. These commissions have given me a wealth of experience in planning and land use issues. I am proud to say I have worked vigilantly to protect our neighborhoods.  

As a parent I am very concerned about our public schools. All of our children deserve the very best we can offer them. We need to work on bridging the achievement gap both within and between schools. There needs to be a clear path for our high school graduates who want to enter college and those who want to enter the work force. I will work to forge that path. As your councilmember I will work closely with the Superintendent’s office and the School Board to help improve our public schools.  

As a tenant I am concerned about the affordability of housing. As your councilmember I will work to build more affordable housing in Berkeley. I want to see affordable housing that is both for rent and available for purchase. I want to see housing for all groups of people. Our elderly, working people, young people, and families. All demographics need to be represented in order to keep Berkeley the unique City that it is. I want to see more family friendly housing built. I want to see more 2 and 3 bedroom units planned. I want to see housing that will allow our bright high school and college graduates to remain in the community they have grown up in. With everything these young people have to offer Berkeley can’t Berkeley offer them housing in which they can afford to live? 

As the son of a firefighter, as a father, and a husband public safety is very important to me. Our emergency services need our support. Growing up in a firefighter home I have direct knowledge of the harm rolling “brownouts” can do to our community and to these men and women that give us so much of our lives. This plan passed by the current City Council proposes to close fire stations, on a rotating basis, for 24 hours at a time. This policy puts our residents at risk by increasing response time and creating a domino effect of inadequate coverage for our City. I feel that emergency services for our residents should be non-negotiable. 

Finally, as someone who has worked on Shattuck Avenue since 1997, I want to help revitalize our Downtown. For the past decade I have watched business after business leave our Downtown. I have watched store fronts stay empty for years. Currently, the Downtown district is the lowest generator of tax revenue in the City. That means that every other area in the City generates more tax revenue than our own Downtown. This seems completely out of balance and unacceptable. As your councilmember I will work to renew relationships that will result in a new wave of long standing businesses. This will help revitalize our ailing Downtown. We need a family friendly Downtown. A clean place where you can bring your family and friends. A place to play, eat, and shop. A Downtown full of unique shops, exceptional foods, and the spirit that has made Berkeley famous. I will fight to bring our Downtown back to life and make it a Downtown we can be proud of! 

I hope I have addressed your concerns. I have been knocking on doors and I have been listening. I believe that talking to individuals is the best way to know what matters to my neighbors. I feel that your concerns are mine. So if you see Little Raudel and myself walking down your street or knocking on your door please say Hi. Tell me what you think should be changed, what you think should stay the same, and what you think could be improved. I want to know and I am listening. 

To learn more about me and my campaign for change please visit www.raudelwilson.com 

I write regarding Robert Cheasty’s Sept. 26 commentary, which is so riddled with untrue statements and outright falsehoods that I feel compelled to respond. 

I have been the general manager of Golden Gate Fields for over 25 years. I have had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with hundreds of Albany residents over the years, and the racetrack has had the honor of supporting numerous deserving programs that serve Albany children, seniors and other citizens. It is with this respect for Albany voters and the obligation I feel for providing them the truth regarding Golden Gate Fields that I write today. Here are the facts: 

1. Magna (the owner of Golden Gate Fields) has no plans to add casino gambling in Albany. 

2. Our proposal to build a mixed use development on a portion of our 33-acre unused parking lot has been withdrawn. 

3. The race track is not closing. The truth is much of wagering on horse races is now done on the internet which reduces the number of patrons who come to the track. We have spent more than $5 million in the last several years to upgrade and renovate the grandstands, along with building a new state-of-the-art equine medical facility for the 1350 horses on our ground. 

4. Golden Gate Fields is the city’s largest employer and its largest source of revenue. Each year the track contributes over $1 million dollars into the city’s budget, and over a half of a million dollars to the school district. When Cheasty says the city wouldn’t miss the revenue generated by the track—don’t believe him. The only way that revenue would be replaced is out of the taxpayers’ pockets or to severely cut back programs. 

5. According to Cheasty, “environmentally sensitive” development could occur between the track and the freeway. His proposal would put a hotel right on top of Cordornices Creek. 

6. Cheasty misleads Albany residents with his phony proposals that rely on the California State Parks Department or the East Bay Regional Park District to buy our land and convert it to open space. Both agencies have stated they cannot afford to buy, restore, enhance, or maintain any additional property in the Eastshore State Park. 

7. Cheasty and his cohorts are trying to sell the idea of an “open planning process” for Albany’s waterfront. How “open” could it be when the process does not include the landowner? That’s like having your neighbors deciding what they want to do with your house without you being able to participate.  

Don’t be fooled by all the rhetoric and rumor-mongering going on concerning Golden Gate Fields. The truth is no development can happen on our property without your approval. Albany’s Measure C requires voter approval of any zoning change at Golden Gate Fields. Robert Cheasty doesn’t want Albany voters to vote on changes at Golden Gate Fields because he worries voters will not support his narrow vision. 

We at Golden Gate Fields are familiar with horse manure. Robert Cheasty’s diatribe is more of the same. 

Peter Tunney is the general manager of Golden Gate Fields. 

Opinions expressed in Daily Planet commentary and letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Daily Planet or its staff.

The Daily Planet recently published a commentary from Mary Hurlbert, an employee of the Berkeley Unified School District’s downtown staff, supporting the school district’s proposed parcel tax on the November ballot. However, what’s wrong with the new measure A are its very troubling consequences for our children’s’ future, namely no guarantees that the money will be spent to benefit children’s education, while giving administrators a free hand to spend the money for “all costs,” including hefty salary increases for administrators. 

Everyone should read the measure’s actual language. California courts have ruled that campaign literature cannot be enforced in Court. Only the actual language of a measure is enforceable. While the campaign literature talks about “class size reduction” the actual measure states that class size reduction is only a “goal”. There are no consequences in the measure if the “goal” is not met [Ballot Measure Section 3(A)(ii)]. 

The measure also does not contain any ceiling or limit on how large a class can be. It talks about averages. Therefore, one special education class of five averaged with a class of 47 produces the “goal” of 26 as the average class size for elementary school classes. 

The measure also contains a giant loophole—which allows the school district to keep all your tax money, and ignore even the “goal” of class size reduction. And this loop hole provides that when the school district has over shot its budget, it can declare a “Severe Fiscal Emergency” [Ballot Measure Section 3(A)(iii)]. And the school district did just that in two of the last four years. Even now, Board member Nancy Riddle has publicly stated that BUSD’s finances are “fragile.” This means BUSD is still not managing its money well. 

The ballot measure also contains no specifications on how the money should be spent and contains nothing that directs the school district to be concerned about, or to spend funds to improve student learning. The ballot measure allows the school district to spend these monies “for all costs attendant to them, including operational and professional development costs, and other costs associated with the opening or maintaining of classrooms to reduce class sizes” [Ballot Measure Section 3(A)(iv)]. 

Last year, teachers received a 2.5 percent pay raise. One month after the teachers’ union contract was negotiated, top administrators started receiving 15 percent pay raises. They accomplished this by giving themselves new job titles with higher salary rates, while they continued performing the same jobs. Between 2001 and now, Superintendent Michele Lawrence’s salary has increased from $150,000 a year to $195,000 a year. And this doesn’t include a $300,000 interest free loan courtesy of the school district. And this is a perfectly legal way of spending this “enrichment tax”. 

As the icing on top, the school district has made Measure A a 10-year tax. The school district claims that they need the “stability” of a long term tax and then they justify all the holes in the measure’s language as “flexibility” during this too long period. Ten years is almost the entire time a child spends in school. It’s too long a period to go without voter review. The standard period for a tax measure is four years.  

It would be one thing if BUSD schools were among the top, but BUSD schools are not performing well. Nine of the 16 schools have not met federal education achievement standards. Berkeley High School, which in 2000 was in the top 10 percent of high schools in the state, has fallen 20 percent, so that it is now only in the 70th percentile. The drop- out rate, according to the California State Department of Education, is 30 percent higher than the county average.  

Berkeley schools have the widest achievement gap in the county. Berkeley schools have a high absentee rate. There’s a very high cost for special education, while many parents of special ed students do not feel their children are receiving quality services. In the meantime, PE is being cut. The much lauded arts program gives children one half hour of visual art, if that, a week. The list of issues goes on. 

We believe in public funding of public school. What we want to insure is that these funds actually benefit children’s education. We can do better than Measure A. A better measure on the March Ballot means BUSD will not lose one dollar in funding. Please join us in asking the school district to write a better measure for the March ballot, one we can all support. Vote NO on Measure A.  

Yolanda Huang is a member of BeSmaart.  

Opinions expressed in Daily Planet commentary and letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Daily Planet or its staff.

At a recent campaign appearance, mayoral candidate Zelda Bronstein said that the people of Berkeley should oppose “government by fiat” and instead encourage more “community-based decision-making.” That’s a great idea—and all who agree with it will vote against Measure J, the anti-democratic landmark preservation initiative. 

For the last six years the City Council has been managing a community-wide effort to update and improve our well-regarded Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO). That effort, in typically democratic Berkeley style, has required dozens of commission meetings, workshops and public hearings; discussion at more than ten meetings of the City Council; hundreds of hours of expensive city staff time; and thousands of hours of citizen participation.  

The resulting revised ordinance was accepted on supermajority 7-2 votes by both the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City Council (as a first reading) in July. It makes modest changes to the existing ordinance, only two of which remain controversial (see below). This “community-compromise” ordinance involved hard bargaining among passionate citizens groups—ably facilitated by Mayor Bates and LPC commissioner Carrie Olson—who all yielded some ground so as to meet in the middle. 

However, fearing the worst from a City Council they have deemed to be “pro-developer,” a small group of hyper-preservationists wrote and submitted an LPO initiative petition that has now become Measure J. Written by just two concerned citizens with some input from the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, the petition was never made available for community discussion. Precisely zero public meetings were held to ask for feedback or suggestions for improvement. If passed, Measure J would enact an outmoded version of the LPO that could only be changed by another ballot vote—the main aim of this special interest group who seem to disfavor change of any kind. 

Only the submission of the petition, and the related private threat of a referendum campaign to repeal the community-compromise version if enacted, has prevented the City Council from turning its own ordinance into law by approving the second reading. 

Given tight electoral timelines, the Measure J petition had to be submitted before the City Council acted on its own ordinance. The submitters’ attitude therefore had to be “whatever the City Council might pass, we’re against it.” That was especially unfortunate: helpful negotiations among councilmembers and concerned citizens continued right up to the time of the council vote. Those difficult discussions removed most of the objections and all of the potential loopholes that had made earlier drafts imperfect. Many of the perceived and purported “dangers” of the community-compromise ordinance were modified or simply eliminated in favor of a beneficial consensus result – but not in time to prevent the initiative petition being filed. 

As a result of this maneuvering, we citizens of Berkeley are now left with a choice between two proposed revisions of the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. If Measure J fails, the Council will speedily enact the community-compromise version. Let’s therefore look at how the proposed revisions are similar, and how they are different. 

Measure J adds to the existing LPO just six revisions that had been suggested by the State Historic Preservation Office in 1990. Four of those are uncontroversial improvements to legal phrasing. Beyond that, Measure J proposes two functional improvements: 1) it gives the LPC for the first time the authority to deny proposed demolitions of designated historic resources; 2) it includes as part of the decision criteria for landmarks the state-mandated concept of “integrity” (basically the need for a proposed historic resource to tell its story in a way that’s still detectable). 

Both of these improvements, however, have also explicitly been included in the community-compromise ordinance, meaning that defeating Measure J will leave neither of its improvements on the table. In addition, both Measure J and the community-compromise version retain the secondary preservation category of “structure of merit.” Though Mayor Bates and others had proposed significantly weakening this category, the discussions led to no substantive changes. Measure J was originally touted as a means to “save structure of merit;” but that will now happen regardless of the ballot outcome.  

That leaves two main proposals in the community-consensus ordinance that significantly go beyond what Measure J envisions: 

1) Elimination of last-minute initiations by petition. The two versions differ to minor degrees in the amounts of time provided for normal LPC decision-making, though both allow enough time for careful consideration of properties and sufficient public input. The community-compromise version, however, would eliminate one controversial part of current law: the ability to initiate a property for landmarking up to the last minute in the use-permitting process, which has sometimes added another 9 months or more to the timeline. Instead, citizens are allowed to initiate by petition at any time up until 20 days after the LPC has reviewed a property but declined to initiate on its own. And the signature requirement on such petitions has been reduced from 50 to 25. 

2) Addition of a “request for determination” (RFD) procedure. This would allow any property owner to request a neutral evaluation of the property’s landmark qualifications, and would grant a two-year moratorium from revisiting the question if landmark status is not conveyed. Foreknowledge of historic status would help property owners consider how any future permit applications should be handled. 

Measure J proponents have called RFD “an open door for developers to destroy historic properties” by filing applications with inadequate information in order to gain illegitimate temporary exemptions. That might have been a possibility in the community draft as late as last spring, but the continuing discussion removed a couple of loopholes and ensured that any RFD will be accompanied by a detailed historical analysis from an objective LPC-approved consultant. 

As a summary, therefore, Measure J offers no improvements to our preservation capabilities that the community-compromise version won’t also deliver, while the community-compromise version adds some additional useful—but certainly not dangerous—new procedures to improve the fairness and efficiency of the law. And Measure J would lock the ordinance into a version that could be revised only via another expensive ballot vote. 

In the end, we have a clear choice— approve an attempt at hyper-preservationist government by fiat, or support an ordinance based on the hard work and consensus of the whole community. Please help us support the democratic process in Berkeley—and strengthen the preservationist cause—by voting no on Measure J. 

Alan Tobey, a retired technologist, has lived in Berkeley since 1970. He is a board member of Livable Berkeley, which opposes Measure J. 

Opinions expressed in Daily Planet commentary and letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Daily Planet or its staff.

Like many who read the just-mailed North East Berkeley Association newsletter, I had to check twice to see if this was really a mailing from the old and respected neighborhood organization, or just a Republican hit piece. 

The NEBA board has apparently taken a position against Measure A, the school tax renewal—which is their right—but the arguments used to support this position in the President’s Letter are so distorted, loopy, or just plain false, that they need to be publicly corrected: 

Argument No. 1: “The measure states that 200 million dollars “may” (NEBA’s caps) be used for smaller classrooms. It may not, just as easily.”  

The actual text of the measure reads: 

“Available revenues raised by the measure are to be allocated to the following purposes and shall be deposited in restricted accounts for these purposes: Smaller class sizes, expanded course offerings, and counseling—66 percent.” 

None of the 66 percent can be spent for expanded course offerings or counseling until the stated class sizes of the measure are met—which means never, as anyone familiar with the current school finances knows. Section 5Bi provides for community oversight of the funds; section 5D provides for a yearly independent audit to determine that funds have been spent as specified in the measure.  

The “may” so glibly emphasized by the President occurs in the measure with the stricture that “After resultant class sizes meet the goals stated above, additional teachers may be added first to allow for expanded course offerings and then for program support...” 

The claim in the president’s letter that the funds “may not, just as easily,” be spent on class size reduction is not just a willful misreading; it is simply false. Nothing in the measure supports it. 

Argument No. 2: “The initiative’s language is vague on this point (class size reduction)” 

On the contrary, Measure A sets out with perfect clarity the percent of money to be spent on class size reduction (66 percent) as well as the actual class sizes to be met. If this is the president’s idea of vague it would be interesting to know what she calls precision. 

Argument No. 3: the renewal period for BSEP, 10 years, is too long; “Albany, Kensington, and Oakland,” according to the NEBA president, “use a four-year renewal schedule.”  

Reality: Albany has 3 parcel taxes, totaling $500 per parcel. About half of it, $260, has no sunset; it is forever—longer than four years, by anybody’s math. The remaining $250 has a seven-year schedule. Oakland’s is five years; Kensington is not a school district, but West Contra Costa, of which it is a part, has a six-year schedule. 

The rest of the newsletter contains a flurry of insults and slurs (“What does the superintendent of the worst-performing school district in the county [Berkeley] earn?”)  

The worst-performing school district in the county? Excuse me? The high school where our students—of all colors—outscore their group at any other school in the county? Which Newsweek placed in the top 2 percent of high schools nationwide? 

A better question might be, what is a superintendent worth who takes on a district on the verge of insolvency, a dysfunctional accounting system, a multimillion dollar debt to the state, a high school about to lose its accreditation—whose principal jumps ship—(those are just the high points) and turns around all those problems in the space of five years? 

But I stray from the point. The president’s letter in the NEBA newsletter is the height of irresponsibility for a neighborhood group, whose role should be that of careful arbiter, not shrill partisan. To make it worse, the Measure she has chosen to smear is vital to the future of 9,000 schoolchildren. The NEBA piece, in a close election, could cause it to fail. If the NEBA board does not act quickly to retract and correct the misstatements in this mailing, NEBA will suffer a complete loss of credibility. But that is really nothing to what they will have caused Berkeley children to lose. 

Laurie Snowden is a Northeast Berkeley resident and member of the BUSD audit committee. 

Opinions expressed in Daily Planet commentary and letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Daily Planet or its staff.  

REALITIES AND ILLUSIONS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In a recent Berkeley Daily Planet editorial, Becky O’Malley commented on the sad state of Berkeley “progressives.” It’s refreshing for once to read a clear and concise description of the complacency that many old guard members of Berkeley Citizens Action exhibited by endorsing Mayor Tom Bates, while at the same time ignoring his role in the “economic cleansing” of this city by UC and other moneyed interests.  

There seems to be a very disturbing trend happening here in the Bay Area regarding our political leadership. Candidates come forth sincerely expressing how “progressive” they are. They say that they will stop big money and the special interests. However, once in office, they radically change their opinions, and suddenly start supporting the very special interests that they once condemned. The reasons they give are to the effect that they must be “realistic” and “pragmatic.” Recent examples of this are the sudden shifts in the loyalties of Jerry Brown, Ignacio De La Fuente, and, of course, Tom Bates. 

Why is this occurring? Let me offer an example. Recently, a member of the Berkeley City Council was asked why the council did not more aggressively challenge the university in its expansion plans. The reply was words to the effect that “They have too much power in Sacramento.” Statements like this show that, even in “Progressive Berkeley,” it is unelected bodies who are answerable to no one who make the real decisions that affect our lives. Knowing that the up-front oppression of the Republicans won’t work in a place like the Bay Area, the powers that be have instead used more devious methods to keep us in line. Candidates will preach unity and recite a litany of accomplishments during an election. But while they are in office, they must without question follow the bidding of these powerful interests or face the end of their political careers, or worse.  

To quote Lakota activist and poet John Trudell: “We know about the reality of freedom, and the illusion of freedom.”  

It’s one thing to condemn Bush and his cohorts, but let’s clean up our own house first. The immediate thing we can do is to support by whatever legal means possible the campaigns of independent candidates who are not beholden to the Democratic Party, UC, or other representatives of the monied interests. The time has come to turn our backs on the Democrats and other tired political groups, and to build a genuine independent movement of citizens throughout the Bay Area. Publications such as the Berkeley Daily Planet are at the forefront of this, and do deserve our continued support. 

John F. Davies 

• 

WE CAN’T HAVE IT ALL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am not going to use this valuable space to lament the increased traffic congestion, pollution, leakage, threat to small business or any of the other tangible and very relevant arguments against Target and other major developments that are proposed here in Alameda. You’ve heard them all by now. My argument is about what is intangible; the part of Alameda that will be permanently altered if this enormous store is built. It’s a change that cannot be represented in graphs, or charts, on fiscal reports or even environmental impact reports. Alameda is so special and it is naïve to think that you can make big changes in its landscape and not have it trickle down into all aspects of life here on the island. 

While our current leaders and their developers are claiming to be progressive in their development tactics, truly progressive developers are spending trillions of dollars trying to create perfect housing developments around the country. These developments are pedestrian friendly, have central parks, create community spirit and are an attempt to revive neighborhoods that have been ravaged by a strip mall mentality. These progressive developers are trying to duplicate what we already have right here! 

We can’t have both. We can’t be quirky and quaint and safe and have all of life’s modern conveniences. The problem is that once we find that out it may be too late. Is a trip to San Leandro that big a deal if it protects something so special? The change will be gradual and some of you may not even notice it, but it will still affect you in ways you may not even recognize. A little busier, a bit more crowded, a few more minutes to park, stress levels rising just a bit, increases in petty crime, noise levels up, and missing that conversation with the regular clerk you knows your name and makes you feel important. I’m not just demonizing Target alone. It’s the whole “bigger is better” mentality that accompanies “closer is better” too. 

Please consider these words when you visit the polls. I am for the “Action Alameda” slate, but there are other great candidates who also support careful growth. Our current city council and our Mayor are not listening to what we as citizens of Alameda have said. I sat through many meetings regarding our general plan and big box retail was NOT what we said we wanted here on our island.  

I’ll leave you with a final example. In my past life I was an editor. I would put together a video montage for my clients and they would always walk in and say “Wow that is awesome. I love what you did- Can we just change that one shot?” I would oblige and then they would request we change one more. This would inevitably continue until they stood back, I pressed play and they said “I hate it!” I would always save the first version and at the moment where they thought all was lost I would pull up the original and punch play. “Perfect!” they would always say.” Keep it just like that.” If only we could keep a version of Alameda to revert back too. 

Susan Older 

• 

FCMAT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

J. Douglas Allen-Taylor’s Oct. 6 article about Fiscal Crisis and Management Team (FCMAT) makes some excellent points; however, he left out one part of the story. That is, the role of county superintendent of schools. By law, that official is supposed to oversee budgets of local school districts and prevent them from overspending so that FCMAT would not be needed. 

In Alameda County the superintendent of schools has allowed two school, districts to go bankrupt: Emery and Oakland, and several others are in serious financial trouble: e,.g., Berkeley, Hayward, Livermore. 

The Grand Jury has looked into this, and in several of its reports have pointed out that the problem is that county superintendents are elected officials and need not have any expertise in school finance to run for and hold office. 

Not only in Alameda County, but in other counties as well, the county superintendents frequently do not act swiftly enough to intervene in local school districts’ budget crisis. And this is where the legislature came to their rescue, by passing legislation which established FCMAT. FCMAT is the cavalry coming in when the county superintendents fail in their duties.  

FCMAT has a cozy relation with county superintendents, and they have carte blanche hiring consultants. They don’t have to go out to bid. For a governmental agency it has unprecedented independence. Frequently, the consultants they hire are recommended by the county superintendents and they belong to the “old boy/girl” club; e.g, California School Boards Association, Association of California School Administrators. These same groups have well-paid lobbyists who happened to have lobbied for Perata’s Oakland bailout bill. Is that what is called “conflict of interest?” 

No one oversees FCMAT. It was never audited until Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg in 2003 insisted that there be an audit of FCMAT finances. She was concerned that FCMAT’s budget had ballooned from $562,000 in 1993 to $36.5 million, 2001. And it keeps on growing. 

Ernest Avellar 

Hayward 

• 

LET THE SPIN BEGIN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Rick Hutchinson of City CarShare wants everyone to know how wonderful Patrick Kennedy is to donate one of his parking spaces at UC Storage for a City CarShare truck. What they don’t tell you is that Mr. Kennedy’s business is already operating with less than half required the parking and none of the required off-loading areas. Also not mentioned is the fact that UC Storage is not zoned for this use. a battle neighbors fought and won several years ago when the business began illegally renting out Ryder Trucks, turning our neighborhood into their Ryder Truck Lot. Contrary to Mr. Hutchinsons claim, neither City CarShare, Mr. Kennedy or the City of Berkeley had any discussions with, or sought input from nearby neighbors. The City CarShareTruck and signs appeared illegally the same way the Ryder Trucks did. The fact is since acquiring the property in January Mr. Kennedy has been building on stop at the site. Generators running at all hours, Trucks illegally double parking and off loading on Ward Street. Work even began on the cell phone antennas before the matter even went to the ZAB, let alone approved. It does not matter how wonderful City CarShare is, given the fact that it’s a prohibited use at a site already lacking parking and loading areas, being stuffed once again down neighbors throats the same way it was done before, like it or not, it’s wrong. Donating heavily to the campaigns of many of our elected officials has bought Mr. Kennedy free reign in Berkeley. Lets remind City Officials this is Berkeley, not Kennedyville and it belongs to us.  

Mark Danes 

• 

DOES IT MATTER WHO IS MAYOR? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I never engaged in local politics before I moved to Berkeley. Had I been asked for an opinion about the office of mayor for any of the scores of other towns or cities in which I resided previously, my response would have been a shrug. Berkeley changed my mind. 

Shirley Dean was, and is, a fantastic person. I came to know her when I appealed to the city for help in stopping the drug-related violence that plagued South Berkeley. It amazed me to find that her door was always open, and her responses were always direct and practical. Both Mayor Dean and her entire staff were invariably kind, sensible and organized. She listened to everything I had to say, and while she didn’t agree with everything that fell out of my mouth, I always left her office knowing that she listened well. I strongly believe that, had Shirley Dean been mayor of anywhere else than Berkeley, her hard work and reliable ethical standards would have been much better appreciated. I told her then, and I still maintain, she provided better leadership than Berkeley deserved. 

An impasse devolved, often enough, from the scenario in which a rational mind tried to arbitrate the disparate voices of conflict. Assuming a leadership role in Berkeley is like trying to herd cats. It was not hard to understand why a slim majority of Berkeley voters would be drawn to Tom Bates. He talks their talk, he knows their lingo. He is comfortable with the political cant that masks backroom deals. He knows how to use the disorganization of the city to his advantage. When Tom Bates was elected Mayor he succeeded in providing, at long last, the leadership Berkeley deserved. When Tom Bates stole all available issues of the Daily Cal on the eve of the election, we learned everything we needed to know about the man. What you see is what you get. 

Over the past years of the Bates administration, I stayed away from local politics. I spoke up only when policies were floated (or worse, implemented) with the potential for disastrous effects on the community. Open and frank discussions with public access became a thing of the past, and opacity of public government a memory in Berkeley. Taken together, 10 years’ worth of observations of these two mayors have taught me the following:  

• Elect a person of honesty, whose behavior reflects integrity and reliability.  

• Elect a person you can talk with, who both communicates and listens well. Encountering double-speak or questionable ambiguities from a candidate ought to set off warning alarms. 

• Ask, what are the top five agenda items each candidate hopes to accomplish as mayor? No one can do it all, nor can they complete too many goals well. Are the candidate’s objectives and priorities in line with yours? And yes, it does matter. 

I am supporting Zelda Bronstein as the next mayor of Berkeley. I find in her an honest person, approachable and friendly. She listens very well, and her responses are always reasonable. My opinion is that Zelda is a rational problem-solver who will be good for the whole of Berkeley. 

Sam Herbert 

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. 

The CTF was created by the City Council to review the Berkeley Creeks Protection Ordinance (BMC Chapter 17.08) and to develop recommendations for its improvement. The existing ordinance, which dates to the late 1980s and was one of the first efforts in the country to protect urban creeks and riparian habitat, has had a controversial history. The interpretation and implementation of the ordinance proved challenging to city staff and left both property-rights proponents and environmentalists unsatisfied. Members of the task force understood from the start that the challenge of revising the ordinance would be to achieve a reasonable balance in preserving and protecting environmental resources, public safety, drainage infrastructure, and property rights. After hundreds of hours of study and discussion in a completely public and transparent process, the CTF recommendations embody this balance. 

Protecting Berkeley’s natural and community resources is a critical quality-of-life issue for both present and future generations. Expert testimony stressed both the property protection values and the ecological values of protected creeks and naturally vegetated stream buffers. Unfortunately, the existing development pattern in Berkeley does not permit establishing a setback wide enough to preserve or restore the full natural function of Berkeley’s creeks; in fact, the proposed setback distance is less than one-third the setback recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for urban streams. However, requiring some setback will at least preserve an undeveloped buffer zone that will help protect water quality, provide important habitat to birds and animals, and minimize the hazards often caused by building too close to creek banks (including flooding, erosion, and bank failure). Ultimately, a solid majority of CTF members voted to recommend keeping the existing 30-foot setback of permanent structures from the centerline of open creeks but to allow development as close as 25 feet under some circumstances.  

Many property owners expressed their fears of losing value and control of their creekside property. The proposed ordinance eliminates their cause for concern by explicitly allowing them to rebuild their homes after a disaster (such as a fire, earthquake, or flood). Also, the proposed ordinance will not prevent upward or downward expansions of existing homes even if they violate the required setback distance. Moreover, for culverted (i.e., underground) creeks, the revised ordinance will only require a setback sufficient to protect safety and provide access for maintenance; for most property owners near culverts, this will substantially reduce the limitations on how they can develop their property compared to the current 30-foot required setback from creek culverts. 

Some would like to water down the CTF’s ordinance recommendations to appease a vocal minority of property-rights advocates. Others would prefer an ordinance that is more protective of creeks. Although we lean heavily towards creek protection, we do fully support the CTF recommendations as the best workable compromise. As CTF members (although this commentary represents our personal opinions), we are proud of the work we have done and of the time, energy, and commitment shown by our fellow task force members. We urge the City Council to adopt the proposed ordinance as currently written. 

Joshua Bradt, Tom Kelly, and Phil Price are members of the Creeks Task Force.

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.” 

For the last two decades Berkeley homeowners have chosen to pay a couple hundred bucks or so more in taxes each year in exchange for better schools. What they may have overlooked is that the small fee of maintaining top-notch schools is also a big factor in keeping their communities safer and their property values among the highest in the nation. For home owners, the return on their investment is astonishingly high since school quality is one of the strongest influences in persuading new home buyers to purchase, driving up market prices. 

A public opinion poll conducted by the California Public Education Partnership in 2000 indicates that residents rank improvements in public education higher than environmental quality and crime reduction. 

Citing the study in Growth and Change, Economist Dr. David E. Clark and William E. Herrin assert that “After controlling for a wide range of housing characteristics and neighborhood features, the findings of the study indicated that the school district does significantly influence the real sale price” of real estate—with average class size by far the strongest influence. “There is some evidence to suggest that the benefits of additional teachers likely outweigh the costs.” Berkeley citizens couldn’t agree more. In response to the shortages caused by Proposition 13, beginning in 1986 voters repeatedly approved what have become two primary sources of funding to the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), both of which will sunset at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. Measure A on the November ballot renews the sources. Together, the $19 million a year parcel taxes have maintained Berkeley’s reputation for small class sizes under the state average; teacher training; parent outreach; special services like speech, group therapy, counseling, and a myriad of enrichment programs echoing those in private schools. Such programs include computer labs, science, poetry, drama, pottery and other art classes, writing support, capoeira, P.E., sports classes and after-school tutoring. The two previous measures combined have been providing more funds to the Berkeley school district than does the federal government. BUSD Superintendent Michele Lawrence notes, “If Measure A doesn’t pass, it will lead to Berkeley schools’ swift demise and bankruptcy. More than a third of our teachers will be laid off. The schools will lose their music and fine arts programs and the libraries will close. The district won’t help but resemble neighboring bankrupt districts like Richmond and Oakland. The state underfunds public education. Fortunately, Berkeley citizens have been giving public education a strong voice through their support with local taxes.” And, according to real estate figures, the investment of Berkeley homeowners is paying off. “In general, the perceived quality of the local schools definitely affects prop values,” says Broker Betsy Thagard with Green Planet properties. Thagard points out that because Oakland has neighborhood schools, homes corresponding to Crocker Highland elementary school are more valuable than other Oakland houses due to the school’s reputation. 

Property values for similar houses just blocks from one another, separated only by the Oakland-Berkeley border, demonstrate this phenomenon quite vividly. A random comparison of a dozen comparable houses along the Berkeley border with Rockridge in Oakland sold over the last two years found that on average for that period, Berkeley homes sold for $77,000 more than Oakland homes. A more reliable measure is dollars per square foot. Looking at this measure, a two-bedroom Berkeley house next to an Oakland home is worth $86 more per square foot. This means that an average two-bedroom, 1,300-square-foot home in Berkeley is worth $112,375 more than its Oakland neighbor, even when all other variables remain constant. If one averages in all the homes that were larger than two-bedrooms and one bath sold since 2005 in that area, the difference in dollars per square foot of Berkeley homes nearly doubles to $161 a square foot more than Oakland homes. 

That’s quite a generous return for a tax which will cost only about 23 cents per square foot for private properties. Measure A would also levy a tax on commercial properties at 34 cents per square foot, together yielding a total of $19.5 million. 

Of the houses surveyed, most were just blocks within each other on the same street such as Colby or Hillegass. Some were actually on the same block. All homes had the same general accessibility to the same BART station, Rockridge shops, restaurants and groceries. The appearance, landscaping and ethnic makeup of their blocks were also very similar. The principal variable in the comparison was the school district. The houses in the survey were sold or compiled by Red Oak Realty, Coldwell Banker and Herman Sun and Marvin Gardens Real Estate. This year, 6015 Colby St., a five-bedroom Craftsman built in 1911 in Oakland, was offered at $749,000. A less desirable house with one less bedroom at 5829 Colby St. was offered at $1,020,000—over a quarter of a million dollars more. Again, the most outstanding distinguishing characteristic: Berkeley public schools. 

There is concern among Berkeley school parents and teachers that homes in Berkeley are so costly now, new residents might be too wealthy to care about the cost of maintaining public schools and too self-interested to approve a parcel tax. The 10-year measure needs a two-thirds majority vote to pass. 

But 23 cents a square foot is a modest premium to insure the health of Berkeley schools and of the community, preserving the very assets that make a Berkeley home so prized. Judging by the figures, it’s in the financial self-interest of all homeowners, parents or not, to support a school parcel tax. And, perhaps more importantly, less fortunate students, whose parents can’t afford homes, also come out winners. 

Margot Pepper is a journalist and author whose work has been published internationally by the Utne Reader, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, City Lights, Hampton Brown and others. Her memoir, Through the Wall, was a top nomination for the 2006 American Book Award.

The coup in Thailand was treated by most of the U.S. media with profound confusion over what was at stake, coupled with a certain admiration at its bloodless efficiency. Photos of soldiers being handed roses and children posing in front of tanks were all the rage on front pages and the six o’clock news. But if the Sept. 19 putsch turns out to be the coup de grace for Thailand’s young democracy, a major culprit in the whole sordid business will be the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  

According to Walden Bello, Professor of Sociology at the University of the Philippines and author of “The Siamese Tragedy: Development and Disintegration in Modern Thailand,” the current coup finds its roots in the role played by the IMF during the 1997-2001 Asian financial crisis that devastated economies throughout the region. 

In fact, the crisis was largely a result of IMF pressure to institute the neo-liberal “Washington Consensus” of opening financial markets to foreign investors, privatizing social services and cutting public spending. According to Bello, when the government of Barnharn Silipa-Archa resisted, the IMF engineered its ouster in 1996 and got the compliant—and deeply corrupt—government of former general Chavalit Yongchiyudi. 

The 1997 crisis was sparked when foreign investors pulled up their stakes and sent the Thai economy into free fall. Because the economic checks and balances, along with the social safety net, had all been dismantled, one million Thais were pushed below the poverty line. 

The $72 billion “aid bailout” that the IMF offered was predicated on Thailand accelerating its acceptance of the Washington Consensus. The Thais agreed, but never saw a penny. Instead of using the aid to shore up the desperately damaged economy, the IMF used it to pay off foreign creditors. 

If most Thais concluded the IMF had hijacked their country, they were essentially right. Bello points out that the IMF did pretty much the same thing in the Philippines and Pakistan, and in both cases ended up undermining people’s commitment to democracy. Why vote or care who is in power if someone in Washington is making all the decisions?  

Billionaire Thanksin Shinwatra was elected in 2001 on an anti-IMF platform with promises of a debt moratorium for farmers, low cost loans, and health care. While he did institute these measures, he also began to systematically undermine the constitution, amass enormous political power, and enrich himself and his supporters.  

Thanksin’s populist policies won him wide support among the rural and urban poor, but his authoritarianism further weakened the democratic institutions already damaged by the IMF. While the military stayed on the sidelines, he summarily executed some 2,500 drug dealers, escalated the oppression of ethnic Malays in Southern Thailand, and garnered yet more assets for his family and supporters. But when he tried to pack the military with his own supporters, the generals struck. 

Bello says the coup’s long-term effects are likely to be deeply damaging to Thailand’s democracy. After 14 years during which the military stayed out of politics, the army is back in charge. And the new government, led by General Surayud Chulanont, a member of King Bhumidol Adulyadej’s Privy Council, announced that it would appoint the drafters of a new constitution. 

But the old one was a genuinely democratic document. “The only thing wrong with Thailand,” Senator Somkait Onwimm told the Financial Times, “is that we tend to have a lot of bad people, and good laws.” 

As Bello points out, the Thai coup is the second high-profile collapse of an “elite-democracy” since the 1999 coup in Pakistan. “It may not be the last,” he warns.  

Will the Wolfie survive? World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz took a shellacking at last month’s joint meeting between the Bank and the IMF over his policy of ranking the fight against corruption higher than the alleviation of poverty.  

British International Development Secretary Hilary Benn fired the first broadside when he suspended a $94 million pledge to the Bank unless Wolfowitz agreed to stop making “onerous demands” on poor countries. “Our job, and the job [of the bank] is to help eliminate poverty,” Benn said. “This means we should not walk away from our responsibilities to poor people, whatever the behavior of public officials and politicians in the countries where they live.” 

Benn went on to say that “rich countries” must share some of the blame for corruption, pointing to companies “who provide the bribes or offer opportunities to hide stolen assets.” 

Wolfowitz has come under increasing criticism for what critics charge are his arbitrary actions around corruption. He cut off aid to Congo because he read newspaper reports that its president ran up extravagant hotel bills during last year’s United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. He killed $800 million for a maternal and children’s health program in India because there were allegations of corruption. 

Bank officials who objected have been sidelined. “He presumes that anyone who opposes him is either incompetent or corrupt,” Roberto Danino, a former senior vice-president of the Bank, and ex-prime minister of Peru, told the New York Times. 

When Wolfowitz proposed making the UN’s goal of reducing poverty by 50 percent over the next nine years secondary to fighting corruption, the representatives of the Bank’s shareholder governments slapped him down. Instead, they voted that they, not Wolfowitz, will have the final say over the anti-corruption campaign. 

Wolfowitz’s leading critics are European countries, which are increasingly nervous about their waning power to influence the world’s economy. Many Asian nations were so angry at the Bank and the IMF for their roles in the 1997 financial crisis, that they created the Chaing Mai Initiative, a parallel lending group to bypass the huge lending institutions. 

The U.S. and European countries dominate the IMF and the World Bank. As one critic pointed out, the basic problem with both institutions is that those who have the votes don’t need the money, while those who need the money, don’t have the votes. 

Part of the uproar is about Wolfowitz himself. He owes his position to President George W. Bush and, like the White House, runs things from the top down, relying on a small cadre of neo-conservative Republican activists. As the Financial Times editorialized, “This is no way to run a railroad; and it is not the way to choose the head of the premier development institution.” 

Rafael Correa, the leftist frontrunner in Ecuador’s Oct. 15 election, took sharp issue with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s calling President George W. Bush “the Devil.” Speaking on Quito’s Channel 8 television, Correa said, “Calling Bush the Devil is offending the Devil. The Devil is evil, but intelligent. I believe Bush is a tremendously dimwitted president who has done great damage to his country and the world.” 

Correa is running 11 points ahead of his nearest rival, center-left candidate Leon Roldos. Correa needs 40 percent in the first round to avoid a runoff, something no presidential candidate has ever accomplished in Ecuador. 

A former finance minister, he is calling for closing the huge U.S. military base at Manta, and renegotiating the nation’s oil contracts and free trade agreements. He delivers many of his speeches in Quichua, the indigenous language of the highlands.

The recently-released Assessment and Recovery Plan Fourth Progress Report on the Oakland Unified School District by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assessment Team (FCMAT) takes us into Alice-In-Wonderland/Bizarro world territory, friends. Concluding that the office of the State Superintendent’s office has messed up the Oakland schools for three years and counting without Oakland’s input, our friends at FCMAT continue to assert that this proves Oakland is not ready to run Oakland’s schools. The logic of that assertion escapes me, but it’s all perfectly legal and all built into SB39, the Don Perata-authored legislation that authorized the Oakland school takeover in 2003. 

But to paraphrase Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, calling it legal don’t make it right, boss. 

SB39 says that along with other criteria, local control can be returned to the Oakland schools in five separate areas—community relations and governance, pupil achievement, financial management, personnel procedures, and facilities management—if “for at least the immediately previous six months the district has made substantial and sustained progress” in that area. In its recent report, FCMAT said that the district has only made such progress in one area: community relations and governance. All of this raises a number of questions. 

1. Since the Oakland school takeover occurred solely because of fiscal problems, why must the district achieve “substantial and sustained progress” in four other areas besides fiscal management before being allowed to return to local control?  

SB39 reads at Section 3, after all, that the takeover was necessary “because of the fiscal emergency” and that state control is necessary “in order to ensure the return to the district of fiscal solvency.” That being the case, why didn’t the SB39 language simply read, as Fresno Assemblymember Sarah Reyes suggested in the 2003 Assembly Education deliberations on the bill that “in two years, if you have a payback plan and FCMAT certifies your payback plan, you can have your district back.” 

Nobody asserted in 2003, after all, that Oakland was screwing up in the four other areas. In fact, SB39 noted that before the takeover, “the Oakland Unified School District has made demonstrable academic improvements over the last few years, witnessed by test score improvements, more fully credentialed teachers in Oakland classrooms, and increased parental and community involvement.” 

2. Since FCMAT has concluded that Oakland has made “substantial and sustained progress” in community relations and governance for more than a year, why hasn’t local control been restored by State Superintendent Jack O’Connell to Oakland in that area? 

In many ways, FCMAT’s assessment in the area of community relations and governance borders on the paternalistic. The FCMAT report says, for example, that “in its advisory status, the board has continued to demonstrate a desire to be involved in establishing the district’s direction,” that “the board has worked to demonstrate its readiness to resume some areas of authority through working to define its role in the district’s Expect Success and Community Plan for Accountability in Schools campaigns,” and, finally, that “the conduct of board members at meetings continues to be respectful.” They might as well have said that Oakland’s school board members work well with other children, too.  

Still, despite the fact that the September, 2006 FCMAT report notes that “FCMAT has determined that [community relations and governance] is appropriate for the governing board of the Oakland Unified School District to assume,” and, further, that “FCMAT recommended to the Superintendent of Public Instruction in September 2005 that consideration be given to the return of this operational area to the district governing board,” State Superintendent O’Connell has chosen to ignore this recommendation. 

Of course, to give back control to the Oakland school board in one area would give the board authority and status at a time when the school board is opposing Mr. O’Connell’s plan to sell off valuable Oakland school property. So perhaps that is one reason he wants to hold off on that, for a bit. 

3. Finally, since fiscal problems were the stated reason Oakland Unified was taken over by the state, is putting Oakland Unified’s fiscal house in order Mr. O’Connell’s top priority? It wouldn’t seem so. 

SB39, at Section 4, required that the state administrator to be hired by the state superintendent to run Oakland’s schools “shall have recognized expertise in management and finance.” 

Did Randolph Ward meet the “finance” part of that qualification when he was hired by Jack O’Connell in 2003 to run the Oakland schools? Mr. Ward had worked for two years as state administrator of the Compton Unified School District, and had been a fellow at the Eli Broad Academy that trains superintendents, so perhaps he picked up some information there on financial management. But his college studies tended to the educational part of education rather than the financial part, with a B.S. from Tufts University in Early Childhood Education and Mental Health, an Ed.M. in School Leadership from Harvard and another in Educational Administration from the University of Massachusetts and an Ed.D. in Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Nothing in this résumé would suggest that Mr. Ward had “recognized expertise” in the field of finance. 

So what was Mr. Ward’s financial record at OUSD? 

Although failure to balance OUSD’s budget was the reason local control was seized from Oakland in the first place, upon his hiring Mr. Ward immediately announced that balancing the budget was going to be a difficulty. Then-Oakland Tribune reporter Alex Katz (he’s now the OUSD Public Information Officer) reported in June of 2003 that “Ward differed from [former OUSD Superintendent] Chaconas on the need to balance the budget right away, which would be ’very difficult if not impossible for next year without decimating the entire school district,’ he said.” 

In January of the following year, when Ward announced a budget that was $21 million in the red, reporter Robert Gammon, then with the Tribune, wrote that “Ward, his top financial adviser and a FCMAT official … essentially [said that] former Superintendent of Schools Dennis Chaconas and the school board slashed too much from last year’s budget. ‘They cut too far,’ Ward said… Barbara Dean, a FCMAT official being paid by Oakland, agreed, adding: “Last year, the focus in this district was 'Let’s not get a state loan.’ ” 

That was then, this is now. 

Now FCMAT is painting a devastating picture of Ward’s fiscal tenure at OUSD. “The reforms undertaken by the district have not always been compatible with the goal of fiscal recovery and the return to local governance,” FCMAT concludes in its September 2006 report. 

And—“The size of the district’s long-term debt has increased and the district has not remedied its previous pattern of deficit spending.” 

And—“The State Controller made a disclaimer of opinion in the 2003-04 financial audit based on the district’s recording errors and lack of sufficient supporting documents for many items, including accounts payable.” 

And—“Very little progress has been made to address the deficiencies in the internal audit function. The district did not implement the general recommendation regarding the establish of an audit committee.” 

And on and on and on, such a gloomy fiscal picture that FCMAT rated Mr. Ward’s fiscal management of OUSD at a 4.00 on a 10 point scale, the lowest rating of the five operational areas it was assessing. 

Given this dismal fiscal record, you would think that when Mr. Ward resigned earlier this year, Mr. O’Connell would give Oakland the fiscal expert it needs as his replacement. Instead, Mr. O’Connell appointed Kimberly Stathan to succeed Mr. Ward. It was the popular choice, winning praise from several board members and staff and some community members, but was it the best choice? While Ms. Stathan is universally considered to be a really nice person who is easier to work with than Mr. Ward, her background is in education, not finance. 

That would seem to put Mr. O’Connell directly out of compliance with both the letter and spirit of the SB39 state takeover legislation, which concluded that Oakland Unified was having a severe fiscal crisis, and called for the hiring of an administrator with recognized financial expertise. 

At the board/administrator presentation of the FCMAT report this week, one citizen said that we were watching the “systematic dismantling of the Oakland Unified School District” before our eyes, a downward spiral with dwindling enrollment and finances as the state botches the running of a local school district. Hard to argue with that. Hard to wonder why we—the citizens of Oakland, as well as the citizens of the State of California—are allowing this to happen. 

Oakland Unified made one mistake—granting a needed teacher pay raise that it couldn’t afford—and Oakland has been paying for it, dearly, for the past three years. Who pays for the many mistakes made by FCMAT and the Office of State Superintendent Jack O’Connell during their time at the wheel? Unfortunately, Oakland, again. 

In Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, the only architect worth his salt is the individualist who tosses all historic precedents onto the trash heap. Published in 1943, the novel was a battle cry for the revolution of modernism, which was expected to take hold from then to eternity. 

In retrospect, modernism, like all fashions and movements, enjoyed its time in the limelight, to be replaced by newer trends. In the process, it was revealed that even modern structures are not created in a vacuum. 

Inspiration can proceed from natural or built environments, from the old or the new, from the familiar or the foreign. The following 20th-century structures demonstrate the diversity of precedents that influenced their design. 

Chapel of the Cross, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley (1965) 

Situated above Grizzly Peak Blvd. at 2770 Marin Avenue, the secluded nine-acre PLTS campus combines the lands of the former Dobbins and Nash estates, anchored by two Spanish Colonial Revival mansions built in 1923 and 1931, respectively. Overlooking expansive vistas to the east, north, and west, the hilltop site is surrounded by trees. 

Into this context, architect James Leefe inserted a chapel modeled on another hilltop chapel, Le Corbusier’s famed Nôtre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, built in 1955. 

Only ten years separate the model from the progeny, a testament to the profound shockwaves Corbusier’s chapel—a monument dedicated to nature and signaling a break with cubist modernism—unleashed on architecture worldwide. 

As in Ronchamp, the walls are thick and curved, surmounted by a monumental hollow concrete roof. Illumination is provided via slits below the roof. But here the resemblance ends. The Chapel of the Cross is an urban adaptation that lacks the earth-grown appearance of the original. 

Also lacking is advantageous siting. The chapel stands at the lower, southwestern end of the seminary campus, where it is surrounded by the back yards of neighboring houses. The building turns its back on the campus, and all its access doors are located toward the rear, theoretically enabling worshippers to walk directly from campus into chapel. 

The downside of this arrangement is multifold. The prow of the chapel is invisible from the campus. With invisibility comes neglect, so the only landscaping at the southern end consists of a dead lawn. This is also the area assigned for visitor parking, which stamps it as dead space. 

6356 Broadway Terrace, Oakland (1993) 

This playful house replaced a 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival residence that had burned in the 1991 hills fire. In a neighborhood chock-a-block with insurance-fuelled Hatter’s Castles and mini McMansions, the 1,400 square-foot building is both a refreshing exercise in modesty of scale and a rare statement of creativity. 

For a difficult site, both hilly and narrow, Ace Architects took as their model Bernard Maybeck’s innovative portable masterpiece, Hearst Hall (erected in 1899, burned in 1922), whose vast central Gothic arch utilized laminated wood. Two false towers sporting exterior struts flanked the arched façade. 

The Broadway Terrace house echoes Maybeck’s arched hall in an asymmetric arrangement utilizing a single tower (when it was being built, the neighbors referred to the house as “that church with a privy”). 

The arched mass is faced with copper-clad asphalt shingles, which impart a vague maritime effect harking back to Norse seafaring sagas. Arching struts descend from the tower roof, a lighthearted reference to Maybeck’s struts, while dragon’s head beam-ends in the trellises are a direct quotation of Maybeck’s signature. 

Sunol Water Temple (1910) 

From the mid-19th century until 1930, supplying water to San Francisco was a monopoly held by the Spring Valley Water Company. Prior to the construction of the Hetch Hetchy pipeline, as much as 50% of the city’s water came from a 600-square-mile watershed in Alameda County, converging in Sunol before being directed to San Francisco through Niles Canyon. 

In 1908, a major share in the Spring Valley Water Co. was secured by William Bourn, owner of the Empire mine and the foremost patron of architect Willis Polk. For Bourn, Polk designed in the 1890s a grand clinker-brick town house in Pacific heights, as well as the Empire Mine “cottage” in Grass Valley. In 1915, he would design Filoli for Bourn. 

Seeking to overturn Spring Valley Water’s reputation for rapaciousness, Bourn engaged in a public image campaign that included the building of an elegant water temple in Sunol. For the design, he turned to Polk. 

Polk’s inspiration came from a classic precedent: the ancient Roman Temple of Vesta in Tivoli. Like Sunol, Tivoli is a watery place, located at the end of the Aniene river valley, where the river forms a series of cascades through a gorge. 

Built in the first century on a precipice overlooking the river, the Temple of Vesta—a graceful round pavilion surrounded by 18 Corinthian columns—is the subject of numerous old-master paintings, including several by Piranesi. The composer Hector Berlioz, who visited Tivoli in 1831, described in his diary “the lovely little temple of Vesta, which looks rather like a temple of Love.” 

Polk’s pavilion, 18 meters high, girdled by twelve concrete Corinthian columns, and crowned by a conical wood-and-tile roof, was a popular sightseeing and picnic destination for decades, until severe damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake led to its closure. Now restored, the temple, which is owned by the San Francisco Water District, is open for visitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

week). 

Photograph by Daniella Thompson 

Chapel of the Cross, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, is modeled after Le Corbusier's Nôtre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp.

Pete Veilleux wrote something to the California native-plant mavens’ mailing list the other day: “It’s October! Time for squirrel stomach pie—my memere’s specialty. She called it poor man’s toot cake.” 

Before I got to ask him whether the squirrel stomachs involved were full of acorns, or how many squirrels it would take to make a pie, or even the recipe (because the Eastern fox squirrels have begun to root up my stuff again, which means it’s time for another layer of red pepper from the Korean supermarket, which in turn might make those squirrels even more interesting to eat) he’d posted something even more attention-getting to the group.  

His East Bay Wilds nursery is opening to the public.  

“We’re finally going to be opening our nursery at our new location in Castro Valley,” he wrote. “Come for the plants Stay for the inspiration.” 

You are invited to the opening celebration and sale at east bay wilds native plant nursery in Cull Canyon, Castro Valley. 

Join us on our opening day and enjoy the real beauty of Bay Area native plants in their fall glory.  

Saturday, October 21st, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., East Bay Wilds Nursery, Cull Canyon Road, Castro Valley. From 580, Oakland: Take the Crow Canyon / Center Street exit. Turn left at end of exit ramp. Turn right at first light (Crow Canyon). Turn left on Cull Canyon (at second light).  

There are small mileage markers on the right hand side of the road (white posts w/ black numbers]. Enter the open gate at mile marker 2.45. There will be a large sign. Enter gate and park just up the hill in the marked location for parking. Then follow the signs up to the nursery.  

Drive all the way up to the nursery only if you are unable to walk up and you have either 4wd or excellent traction. We will have a 4wd vehicle for transporting plants and people who need assistance up to the nursery as necessary. It’s a 10 minute walk up through a Laotian cornfield (complete w/ numerous unusual scarecrows) to get to the nursery. There are no restrooms at the nursery yet, but there are some nearby woods. 

The setting is spectacular—well worth a drive to see. We have close to 45,000 plants—most of which are for sale. We’ll be offering 15 percent off all prices on that day only. We’ll have some munchies, lots of information, and we’re offering free five-minute (more or less, depending on time constraints) consultations with naturescape designer Pete Veilleux. Bring specifics about your site including photos, scale drawings, and sketches (include polar directions and slope aspects if you can). 

Pete has landscaped more than 60 sites here in the Bay Area over the last five years. 

He’s been gardening with native plants “since I was about five years old, growing up in New England.” (That’s an Acadian squirrel stomach pie—“mostly nuts,” Pete says.)  

To see some examples, go to www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/ 

The “urban conversion” site is on 56th Street west of MLK, and easy to spot among the more conventional lawns and camellia hedges on the block.  

The nursery will have regular hours next year; to visit now, email pete@eastbaywilds.com or call 409-5858 to arrange a time. 

Ron Sullivan is a former professional gardener and arborist. Her “Garden Variety” column appears every Friday in East Bay Home & Real Estate section. Her column on East Bay trees appears every other Tuesday in the Berkeley Daily Planet.

The anniversary of the Loma Prieta is upon us once again and still so little has been done to prepare for our earthquake. That’s right. Loma Prieta wasn’t ours. It was in the mountains of Watsonville nearly 100 miles to the south. 

The way the news media works tends to blow things out of proportion and if you watched the news following that quake, it made it seems as the though it were 1906 all over again. It wasn’t. That quake was devastating for the very few houses that were nearby and it actually threw a few houses in the mountains near the epicenter several feet (or yards) from their foundations. Also, the downtown of Santa Cruz nearly collapsed and it was some miles away.  

We were so much further away that even brittle structures like chimneys were barely affected in most of the Berkeley/Oakland area. 

When we think about failures like the Bay Bridge and the Cypress structure, it’s easy to imagine that Loma Prieta was like a Big One but for us it wasn’t even close. These structures, as well as houses located in the Jiggly-land of the Marina district in S.F. are true exceptions and should not be how we gauge failure. When the Hayward finally slips, it might be several thousand times the shaking force of Loma Prieta for us.  

Berkeley seems to get it’s share of Richter scale 4’s and something closer to a 5 once in a great while. Most of us have never experienced anything more than about a 4 in Berkeley and that would be about 1/30,000 of the size of a Richter 7 in the same place. Most people assume that the Richter scale of seismic magnitude is a decimal scale with each number being 10 times greater than the last. It is, in fact, a logarithmic scale with each number being about 30 times that of the last, so a 6 is about 1,000 times that of a 4 and a 7 is about 30,000 time the same. 

So it’s a fair statement to say that the East Bay hasn’t really been hit by an earthquake of any significance since long before the oldest houses now standing were built. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can’t retrofit a house and withstand the shaking force of an earthquake. There’s a lot of science going on today that says that we can, in fact, built to withstand really big earthquakes and we can also retrofit houses to withstand a large force. So like Nike says, “Just Do It.” It ain’t all that much money and it’s better than giving it to the insurance companies (although you’re welcome to do that TOO if you insist … and if you believe they’ll be able to pay up after it’s all gone down, so to speak). 

Now, I’m not going to go into a whole retrofitting thing today and in my usual circuitous fashion, I’m finally getting around to the point I’ll like to make, that being, that in an earthquake, it’s fire that you need fear most of all. 

It’s actually quite unlikely that you’re going to die by being crushed under the weight of a falling building during an earthquake. These wooden packing crates we house ourselves in, seem generally to stay fairly intact during even very large earthquakes, although they may have crushed the basement or crawlspace in the process (so the basement might not be the best place to be). BUT, when gas lines break, they can fill up the interiors of houses, basement or garages and result in explosions and fires.  

If you followed the damage done during the Northridge earthquake near L.A. in 1994, you know that most of the damage was done by fires caused by gas explosions. Water heaters were found everywhere except where they’d been installed and some were found 30 feet away. Although data is harder to gather on the 1906, it looks as though a significant portion of damage was also caused by the same thing. 

This is why two special laws have been enacted in California in the past decade. One regarding the strapping of water heater and one regarding automatic seismic gas shut-off valves. The first is state-wide and pertains to the sale of all houses. A homeowner is required to properly (there’s a magical word if ever there was one) strap the water heater prior to delivery to the new owner. This is almost never done right and you can get a document from the state that has nice clear drawing that will clearly show just how wrong your strapping might be. 

The second law applies to the city of Los Angeles and is the first in the nation to require the insulation of an automatic seismic gas shut-off valve on any house being sold. Hooray for L.A. 

Allstate insurance is apparently beginning to make the installation of some type of gas safety valve a requirement for their customers and I think that’s a good thing. I also think that L.A. and Allstate are not going to be isolated in these requirements for long. Alameda county has a toothless law that I’ve never seen enforced in any way as does Marin and Contra Costa.  

Although these laws (mostly dating from the early 2000’s) haven’t seen much daylight yet, I’m happy to say that I think it’s just a matter of time. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Berkeley, Oakland or El Cerrito started making these devices requisite on new construction any time now. 

These devices fall into two categories. There is a seismically activated type which responds to shaking force and a flow type which senses excessive flow. 

The first type usually contains a ball which rests in a socket of some sort. When shaking hits 5.4 on the Richter scale, the ball falls out and a mechanism of some sort triggers the valve to close. It’s actually very simple.  

Most of the valves sold today have some sort of reset device built right onto the valve so that you can take a little screwdriver and turn your gas back on. Be sure to get help and check the whole house thoroughly, including the crawlspace at the time to reactivate the gas. Utility reps will be in short supply so you’d best be able to do this yourself after we’ve had a quake. 

The second type is designed to sense breakages in the piping. When we run the stove and the water heater and the dryer, we still only allow for a limited rate of flow through the main pipe. When a pipe breaks completely, the flow will be greater than that and this is what these valves sense. When this occurs they plug shut. It’s another simple mechanism that involves a spring loaded plug that requires enough wind to drag to the shut position. I don’t favor these for us due to the fact that you can get many small breaks in your gas piping and not set them off. When an earthquake occurs, a seismically activated valves will go off regardless of the size or number of leaks created. 

There are a number of valves that are approved and most are quite cheap (mostly under $100). The Little Firefighter is a favorite of mine, although I also like the Northridge and the Vanguard. You can search them online and you can also check out our own Berkeley supplier, gasvalvedoctor.com. Boaz Levanda (843-3275) is a nice chap who’ll be happy to sell you one. He’s also been a one man legal squad trying to get the permit requirements reduced so that they can be installed for fewer bucks.  

A plumber is the right person to install such a device and the cost seems to be around $200-$300 for installation (plus the valve). It’s usually quite simple but can be more complex in some cases. If you’re in a condo or apartment complex, you’ll need one for each unit. 

So, If you have only $300 or $400 to spend on earthquake preparedness and don’t want to put a single bolt into anything, please, oh please go get one of these. 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor at mgcantor@pacbell.net

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. 

Biologists have been teasing out the details of their social lives, learning how females—the choosy sex, as is often the case in birds—pick their mates. And a recent study goes farther to examine 

the consequences of mate choice: how females stuck with a substandard male endow their eggs with compensatory resources. 

Mate choice, of course, was a major theme of Darwin’s Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (which, as David Quammen points out in his new Darwin biography, is really two books smooshed together). Female birds of many species show definite preferences for males with brighter colors, longer tails, more elaborate plumage. 

All these traits may be indicators of various kinds of fitness, like resistance to parasites. When females with a genetically-based predilection for gaudy males mate with those males, they’ll produce male offspring with their father’s feathers and female offspring with their mother’s tastes. Carry this runaway sexual selection out long enough and you get the baroque extravagances of the pheasants or the birds of paradise. 

It’s simpler for female house finches. According to Geoffrey E. Hill of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, who has studied these birds for years, what they look for is redness. That’s a variable trait in males, and it seems to be determined by diet. In the wild, male house finches range from yellowish through orange to red. 

The colors come from carotenoid pigments, the same substances that make carrots orange and flamingos pink. Three different chemicals are involved: beta-carotene produces yellow feathers, isocryptoxanthin produces orange, echinerone produces red. Biologists have established the carotenoid connection by manipulating the diets of captives. 

Male house finches in Hawaii, probable descendants of northern California birds, are on the yellow end of the spectrum. Some ingredient that mainland birds have access to is missing in the islanders’ diets. Hawaiian house finches have been dubbed “papaya birds” because of their fondness for the fruit, but papayas apparently don’t have the right carotenoids. 

In any case, female finches look for degree of redness and color saturation in potential suitors. Hill says females will actively chase off males that don’t meet their criteria. And whatever color says about the male’s genetic dowry, there’s a direct payoff: brighter males bring more food to their nestlings. 

But what if there aren’t enough bright red males to go around? The females apparently have another card to play. Female birds—and I’m not at all clear on the mechanism here—can vary the level of hormones and vitamins in their eggs. In species that had previously been studied, like the zebra finch, the eggs of females mated to more colorful males get an extra dose of testosterone, which promotes growth.  

When Kristen Navara, a reproductive physiologist at Ohio State University looked at house finches, she found the opposite pattern: females paired with the less attractive males laid eggs with more testosterone and antioxidants (vitamins A and E) than those of females with brighter red mates. Antioxidant levels in the first group were 2.5 times higher than in the second. These substances counter the tissue-damaging effects of free radicals. 

So a female saddled with a loser—a drab male who won’t be as attentive a provider as a brighter one—can slip her offspring a little biochemical insurance. Navara relates this strategy to the house finch’s life span, which is short even by small-bird standards: a year or two at most. That limits a female to only a couple of breeding attempts in her lifetime—all the more reason to give the kids extra resources. 

Not that any of this involves conscious calculation on the female finch’s part, of course. It’s all done with hormones (exactly how remains to be determined). I don’t know whether anyone has figured out how it works on the male’s side: why brighter males should be better providers. Do the carotenoids affect their energy level or general vigor? Let’s hope some Ph.D. candidate is already working on that one.  

FRIDAY, OCT. 13 

THEATER 

Antenna Theater, “High School” An interactive theatrical walking tour of Berkeley High, 1980 Allston Way. One audience member enters the show every minute. Walk lasts about 45 minutes. Fri. and Sat. from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sun. from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $8 students. Reservations required. Runs through Oct. 29. 415-332-9454. www.antenna-theater.org/highschool.htm 

Berkeley Rep “Mother Courage” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St., through Oct. 22. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

California Shakespeare Theater “As You Like It” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through Oct. 15. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “The Orchid Sandwich” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Oct. 21. at 951 Pomona Ave. El Cerrito. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Colorado” A dark comedy about celebrity worship, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. Runs through Oct. 28. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

Shakespeare in the Yard “Mack, A Gangsta’s Tale” WordSlanger’s version of Macbeth, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. at Sister Thea, an outdoor theater at 920 Peralta St. Oakland Tickets are $5-$20. 208-6551. 

Shotgun Players “Love is a Dream House in Lorin” by Marcus Gardley, inspired by true stories of Berkeley’s historic Lorin District, Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Nov. 5. Sliding scale $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

UC Dept. of Theater “Suburban Motel” six plays by George Walker at Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Campus, through Nov. 19. Tickets are $8-$14. For schedule see http://theater.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fiber 2006” Featuring eight Bay Area artists. Opening Reception at 6 p.m. at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. Exhibit runs to Nov. 4. 843-2527. 

“The Black Panthers” Photographs by Stephen Shames and posters from the archives of Alden Kimbrough on display at the Oakland Asian Resource Gallery, 310 8th St., Oakland., through Nov. 30. 532-9692. 

“Recycled Runway” An installation by Artist in Residence artists Sandy Drobney and Daphne Ruff opens at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. Runs through Nov. 5. 763-9425. 

“Full-Plate Tintypes: Painted Puzzles” at The Ames Gallery, 2661 Cedar St., through Jan. 10, Mon.-Fri. 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 845-4949. www.amesgallery.com 

FILM 

A Theater Near You “Overlord” at 6:30 p.m. and Ousmane Sembene “Ceddo” at 8:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lee Grue, New Orleans poet with musician Eluard Burt and local poet Adam David Miller, a community-building poetry-and-music program in support of the rebuilding of New Orleans at 7 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Meeting Room, Berkeley Public Library, Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Elisha Cooper reads from “Crawling: A Father’s First Year” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

K.E. Silva reads from her novel “A Simple Distance” at A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 LaSalle Ave., Oakland. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Opera “Les Enfants Terribles” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro Opera House, 201 Broadway, through Oct. 22. Tickets are $32-$36. www.oaklandopera.org 

Eisa Davis “Cockleburrs in my Sock” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $$10-12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Hypnogaja at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Hurricane Sam & the Hotshots at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

New Life Band, traditional and contemporary music of Tanzania at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Jack Williams, Tim Mason opens, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Jim Grantham Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

The Nomadics at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Fish Ranch Road, The Bittersweets, Victoria George at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Acts of Sedition at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Albino, afro beat, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Zoe Ellis, soul, funk, jazz at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Laudanum, Silentist, Silentist, Times of Desperation, Cropduster at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Ray Brown 80th Birthday Salute with Marlena Shaw, Benny Green, John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, OCT. 14 

CHILDREN  

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day” at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$18. 925-798-1300. 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Gary Laplow at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Lissa Rovetch introduces her two new books on Hot Dog Bob at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Educate to Liberate: A Retrospective of the Black Panther Community News Service” Exhibition in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party, on display in the Oakland History Room at the Oakland Main Library, 125 14th St. 238-3222. www.oaklandlibrary.org 

“The Face of Poetry” Photographs by Margaretta Mitchell on display at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., through Oct. 30. 981-6100. 

“Looking for Hope” Photographs by Matt O’Brien with text by students in the Oakland Public Schools opens at the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park Museum Gallery, 2465 34th Ave. Gallery open Thurs.-Fri. 4 to 6 p.m. and Sun. noon to 4 p.m. to March 31. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org 

Paintings by Mary Ann Hayden opens at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave. Reception at 3 p.m. Runs through Dec. 9. 421-1255. 

“Masks, Myths, Magic and Witches” Group show reception at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. Exhibition runs through Oct. 31. 644-4930. 

Trent Burkett “New Work in Salt and Wood” at Trax Ceramics Gallery, 1812 Fifth St. Exhibition runs to Oct. 15. 540-8729. www.traxgallery.com  

“Geographic Premonitions” Group show of fifteen emerging artists. Reception for the artists at 4 p.m. at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. Exhibition runs through Nov. 11. 620-6772. www.therichmondartcenter.org 

20th Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 5630 Bay St., through Oct. 29. Free. 652-6122. www.EmeryArts.org 

Blown Glass Pumpkins on display at the Cohn-Stone Studios, 560 South 31st. St. near the Regatta Blvd., exit from the 580 Freeway, Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 29. 234-9690. 

THEATER 

Central Works “Andromache” opens at the Berkeley City Club at 8 p.m. and runs through Nov. 19. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1382. 

FILM 

A Theater Near You “Overlord” at 6:30 p.m. and Ousmane Sembene “Xala” at 8:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Judy Yung on “San Francisco’s Chinatown” slide talk at 3 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. 

Jane Poynter talks about her experience in “The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Readings from “Modern Words: a thoroughly queer literary journal” with Gary Kong, Jim Nawrocki, David Scronce, and others at 7:30 p.m. at Laurel Book Store, 4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 531-2073. 

Open Mic at the Marina with poetry, music and spoken word at 7:30 p.m. at Cal Adventures. Sponsored by the 886 Collective. 439-9777. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Pacific Collegium “Music of the English Renaissance” at 8 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $8-$18. 848-5107. 

Roberta Piket Trio plays original jazz compositions, at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $15. 845-1350. www.hillsideclub.org  

“Best of Brazzissimo” concert at 8 p.m. at Piedmont High School Auditorium, 800 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont. Cost is $5-$10. 408-529-2120. www.brazzissimo.com 

Gamelan Sekar Jaya at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

“Moment’s Notice” improvised music, dance and theater at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 8th St. Cost is $8-$10. 649-1791. 

Fuga! at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Big Thing Live with Funkyman at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $10. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Larry Vuckovich Latin Jazz Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Fela Kuti Birthday Tribute with Sila & The Afrofunk Experience, Baba Ken and Afro Groove Connexion at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Taiko Drumming with Kelvin Underwood at 7 p.m. at the Capoeira Arts Cafe, 2026 Addison St. Cost is $10.  

Ira Marlowe and Kenny Dinkin at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Doppler Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Reilly & Maloney at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Flyhead, The Wearies, Animal Underground at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Kat Parra at 8 p.m. at the Jazz 

school. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

“Babshad” Barbara and Charles Hadenfeldt at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Hali Hammer, folk rock, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7-$10. 558-0881. 

Antiquia, The Wayward Monks at 10 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Onion Flavored Rings, Peelander-Z, Ghost Mice at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 15 

THEATER 

“An Evening with Leonardo da Vinci” with Rob Weiner at 7 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$12. 848-0237. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “Human, All Too Human” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Strictly Speaking with Paula Poundstone at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $24-$46. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Poetry Flash with Elline Lipkin and Lisa Sewell at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Poets for Peace with Susan Rich, Robert Lipton and Ilya Kaminsky at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

California Bach Society “Die Familie Bach” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. 415-262-0272. www.calbach.org 

Bluegrass for the Greenbelt Benefit Concert with Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Phillips, Eric and Suzy Thompson, The Backyard Party Boys at 3 p.m. at Coventry Grove, in the Kensington Hills. Tickets are $50-$65. 415-543-6771. www.BluegrassForTheGreenbelt.org 

Vagabond Opera, theatrical mix of eclectic music, at 8 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center. Tickets are $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Rahim Al Haj, Iraqi oud master, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Na Leo Nahenahe Hawaiian Chorus at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$15. Children under 12 free. www.naleosf.com  

Gift Horse at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Tango Number 9 at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged: The Mercury Dimes at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Stephanie Bruce at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Ziyia, traditional Greek music, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 16 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

PlayGround Six emerging playwrights debut new works at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $18. 415-704-3177. www.PlayGround-sf.org 

Soyhel Dahi and Sharon Doubiago read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Meg Tilly and K. E. Silva read from their new novels at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Francine Prose introduces “Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want to Write Them” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with Marsha Campbell at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, with Valery Gergiev, conductor and Alexander Toradze, piano, at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$86. 642-9988.  

Bil Staines at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Khalil Shaheed, all ages jam, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.. 

Blue Monday Jam at 7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Marta Topfera at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, OCT. 17 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “War and Video Games” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Aftermath” large-scale photographs of post 9/11 destruction in New York by Joel Meyerowitz. Lecture at 7 p.m. at Sibley Auditorium, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Graduate School of Journalism. www.fotovision.org 

Isaiah Wilner reads at 7 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Rachel Whalen, Diana Murphy and Cheryl Cohen-Greene in a panel on Breast Cancer at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Jeffrey Goldberg decribes “Prisoners: A Muslim and A Jew Across the Middle East Divide” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Swamp Coolers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Ellen Hoffman and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Super Heavy Goat Ass, The Distants at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Benefit for Oaktown Jazz Workshops with the Bay Area Music Educators Band and others at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $25. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 

THEATER 

“The Secret Circus” Wed. and Thurs. at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, through Oct. 19. Cost is $10-$20 sliding scale. 800-838-3006 www.themarsh.org  

EXHIBITIONS 

Photo Exhibit of Foster Children and Youth sponsored by the Bay Area Heart Gallery on display at the Berkeley Public Library central lobby, 2090 Kittredge St. and Downtown Berkeley YMCA, 2001 Allston Way, through Oct. 31. www.bayareaheartgallery.com 

“Grapefruit” Yoko Ono’s instruction paintings opens at at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way, and runs through March 28. 642-0808. 

Allen Ruppersberg “The Singing Posters” A tribute to Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. and runs through Dec. 10. 642-0808. 

Walter Berman and His Circle at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. and runs through Dec. 10. 642-0808. 

FILM 

Pirates and Piracy “The Pirates of the Great Salt Lake” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Wild Cursive and Modern Chinese Calligraphy, a panel discussion at 6 p.m. at the Women’s Faculty Club Lounge, UC Campus. 642-2809. 

Morton Felix will read from his novel, “In Quest of Another's Suicide” at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$20. 848-0237. www.brjcc.org  

Andy Stern, SEIU President, on “A Country That Works: Getting America Back on Track” at 6 p.m. at 2221 Broadway at Grand Ave., Oakland. 

Emily Wu and Larry Engelmann describe growing up in Mao’s Cultural Revolution in “Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in Chaos” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Peter S. Beagle reads from his book of stories “The Line Between” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, chamber music, at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Acoustic Africa, featuring Vusi Mahlasela, Habib Koité and Bamada, and Dobet Gnahoré at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$42. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Whiskey Brothers Old Time and Bluegrass at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Calvin Keys Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Bernard Anderson and the Old School Band at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. West Coast swing dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is TBA. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Sugar Shack, soul, R&B, funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Carpathian Folk Quartet at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Christian Scott at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, OCT. 19 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The Secrets of Ousiders” Mixed media paintings by Diego Rios, oil paintings by Bernadette Vergara Sale and acrylic paintings by Liz Amini-Holmes at the Estaban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St. at Telegraph, Oakland. Runs through Nov. 1. 444-7411. www.estebansabar.com 

THEATER 

Fusion Theater “Beauty and the Beast” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Tickets are $3-$10. 464-3544. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “Spinning Up, Slowing Down: Industry Celebrates the Machine” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Films by Jerry Abrams from the 1960s, including “Berkeley Peace March” at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $5-$15. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

George Lakoff introduces his new book “Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

Monique El-Faizy describes “God and Country: How Evangelicals are Transforming America” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congragational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Suggested donation $10. 559-9500. 

“The Washington Post at War” with Rajiv Chandrasekharan, author of “Imperial Life in the Emerald City” and former Baghdad Bureau Chief for the Washington Post at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $5. 642-9988. http://journalism.berkeley.edu 

John Moe discusses “Conservatize Me! How I Tried to Become a Righty with the Help of Richard Nixon, Sean Hannity, Toby Keith, and Beef Jerky” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Savage Jazz Dance Company “Everything’s Everything” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $14-$20. 415-256-8499. savagejazz.org 

Ba-Tu-Ke at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8-$10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Chris Smither at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Manuel Morena & Quejerema at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Danny Allen’s High Diving Horses, Liz Pappademas, Courtney Fairchild at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Earl Klugh at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Selector: Petri Disk Showcase at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Showtime @ 11 Hip Hop at 10 p.m. at the Golden Bull, 412 14th St. at Broadway, Oakland. 893-0803. 

Last year Schultze Gets the Blues, a German film, played in Berkeley theaters for just a week and to generally small audiences. After one matinee screening, a group of women walked out casting sideways glances at each other and rolling their eyes. “What did you think?” one asked another. “I don’t knowwwww…..” was the response.  

Taste is subjective of course, but I couldn’t help but feel that an opportunity had been missed, for Schultze is a film of rare intelligence and grace, the sort of film that is not often made in America today. It is not only an excellent film and a far deeper one than may be first evident, but a superb opportunity for the film novice who is just beginning to take an interest in the possibilities of cinematic language. Schultze is full of simple, subtle visual cues—composition, lighting, editing and juxtaposition—expertly used to reveal character, plot and subtext.  

And now that the dust has settled around the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, having been kicked up by the media rushing back into the beleaguered city for a series of breathless updates, it seems a good time to revisit the image of New Orleans that we had before disaster struck; a chance to look back, with affection, nostalgia and sadness, at the myths and legends of the city, myths and legends that we once believed in and hope to one day believe in again.  

The story itself is simple: Schultze, a staid, unadventurous man, retires after a life spent working in the salt mines of Germany only to find that he has little to occupy his time. Until, that is, he discovers Zydeco music, a happy accident that leads to a life-altering journey. 

Our first glimpse of the man comes in the film’s opening shot. A solitary windmill turns slowly above a flat horizon as Schultze, in silhouette, traverses the frame on his bicycle. We then get a series of scenes with little dialogue that establish Schultze as something of a non-entity. His two friends do most of the talking while Schultze sits silently and watches. He is merely a sidekick to more charismatic men, a mute witness to the lives and passions of others. He is inscrutable, distant, dutiful and bland, his face often concealed by the brim of his hat, and expressionless when not. Director Michael Schorr composes his frames carefully, often keeping the horizon and this characters low in the frame to show that it is a big world and Schultze is just one small part of it, an inconsequential figure amid a vast landscape.  

It is a good 25 minutes before we finally get a good look at his face. When Schultze discovers Zydeco he comes into the foreground for the first time and finally looms large before us, his face illuminated by the glow of the golden light of the radio dial: the magic of Zydeco by way of a magic Philco. He has finally become a presence, a personality rather than a mere figure occupying space. 

And suddenly life begins to take shape for him. He immediately picks up his accordion to play his usual polka, but soon begins playing faster and faster until he has achieved something resembling Zydeco. He is no longer merely a vessel for the continuation of his traditional polkas and waltzes; Zydeco has transformed him.  

Eventually Schultze makes his way to America to play in a Texas music festival, but Texas doesn’t have what he’s looking for and he soon heads for New Orleans. The fact that he manages to secure himself a boat and sets off down the Mississippi River is the cue that the film has now taken another direction. This is no longer a simple road trip but a hero’s journey into a mythical city. Schultze becomes a sort of Huck Finn, or even a Marlowe perhaps, but he is not venturing into some dark and brooding heart of darkness but deeper into his own dreams and hopes in search of the joy and love and music and passion that has lain dormant within him for so many years. He has risen from the dark of the mineshaft into the golden light of music, and is finally releasing himself into the lowdown, muddy swamps of pleasure and camaraderie.  

Once the river journey begins it may it may seem that Schorr is indulging in stereotypes, as Schultze is taken in by an earthy black mother of a fatherless child, a woman who welcomes him without question and cooks him soul food—the very picture of the spiritual African-American so often idealized in trite Hollywood movies. But bear in mind here, this is no longer a trip through the American South or through the Louisiana Delta as it truly exists, but rather through the delta as seen through the prism of folklore. We are witnessing the South as seen through the eyes of a man who has never before left his German homeland and who has only vague and romanticized notions of what he may find. Whether his vision is true is hardly the point; it only matters that it is true for him, that he has found a world in which he wants and needs to believe, a sort of final reward for a life of duty, hard work and quiet diligence.  

Schultze’s stay in New Orleans concludes with a wistful closing shot of silhouettes dancing in silence to the joyous rhythms of Zydeco and fades out with a gentle sigh, the contented exultation of a man who has seen the promised land and found peace. It is a glimpse of the myths and legends of the New Orleans we believed in until the levees broke and reality came flooding in. Schorr then finishes the film as he began it, with the steady, timeless whirl of the windmill above a landscape as silhouetted figures continue on their way, a quiet reminder that life goes on, and that the gentle, impish spirit of joy and passion will endure. 

SCHULTZE GETS THE BLUES (2003) 

Written and directed by Michael Schorr. Starring Horst Krause. In German with English subtitles. Paramount. 114 mimutes.  

$29.98 

Photograph: Horst Krause plays a staid, unadventurous man who becomes enthralled by Zydeco music in Schultze Gets the Blues.

Candace Johnson can belt out a Mozart opera aria with the soul of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. A chancellor’s postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley’s music department, Johnson dazzled an audience at her debut vocal recital on campus in September.  

Johnson, 33, infuses classical music with jazz, spiritual, and improvisational elements in a repertoire rich with African-American art songs. 

“I sing the music that represents what I have to say,” Johnson said. Her latest program, which consisted of works by African-American composers, gave her that very opportunity.  

“I enjoy singing all classical music, and I chose to specialize in works by African-American composers,” she said. “This body of literature is rich and beautiful, but unfortunately is infrequently performed.” 

One series of songs, entitled “Three Dream Portraits,” includes verses written by Langston Hughes. “These powerful words are couched in this sweet-sounding music,” she said.  

Her music advisor Olly Wilson said Johnson has successfully put the art form within a cultural context. 

“A real serious interest in scholarship in the tradition feeds her performance,” Wilson, an African-American composer and UC Berkeley professor emeritus, said.  

The Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, a two-year program designed to increase minority representation in university teaching positions, is awarded to four people annually. 

“Candace has an incredibly unique background in terms of not only her discipline, but also as a remarkable performer,” said Cristina Perez, facilitator of the prestigious fellowship. “Her work crosses so many boundaries. It makes your heart stop, it’s truly beautiful.” 

Johnson began singing at the age of 5 when she volunteered to perform in a church concert in her hometown of Jackson, Tenn. She continued to sing in local churches and took music lessons in elementary school.  

“Singing was always my first love because it felt very natural to me,” Johnson said. 

Johnson’s mother, who served as her daughter’s first voice coach, helped develop her skills. “My mom knew how to cultivate talent,” Johnson said.  

Growing up, Johnson never thought she would make classical music a part of her life.  

“I expanded from church music to inspirational and light pop. Classical wasn’t in the picture. I thought I was going to be the next Whitney Houston,” she said. 

But when Johnson entered a NAACP-sponsored singing contest in high school, a judge saw her potential for singing classical music. 

“This was the first person who helped me realize there was a difference in the way you sing classical. I didn’t really know what it was because you don’t really see a lot of African-Americans singing classical. You tend to do what you’ve already seen,” she said. 

Soon after Johnson watched a DVD concert of two popular African-American classical singers, she started to become more interested in this musical style. “I became entranced with what I saw. I could relate to this because they were singing spirituals, which is part of my cultural heritage. They were singing it in a way that was glorious.”  

She decided to study voice at Vanderbilt University, where she was confronted with a dilemma: whether to give up the style of singing she grew up with in order to further her classical career. Her instructors told her she couldn’t do both since it would strain her voice. 

“I had a struggle going on in my heart,” she said. “I wanted to do what I loved, which was gospel and inspirational while studying classical. I really believed I could do both.” 

During her doctoral studies in Michigan, Johnson discovered that art songs could combine soulful, spiritual expressions with the European classical tradition. So, she decided to make that her focus. 

Though she enjoys the academic part of studying music, she remains a performer at heart. “I wanted to do something with music that would touch people’s lives,” she said. 

Not only does Johnson reach out to audiences through her singing, but she also instructs a new generation of singers as a teacher for underprivileged children in the Young Musicians Program. 

“She has the god-given gift to inspire young children to want to learn classical music,” said Daisy Newman, Director of the Young Musicians Program. 

Johnson, who has enjoyed teaching from an early age, hopes to influence young people. 

“Historically, classical music was a tradition designed by and for affluent people. I want to make classical music accessible to everyone, from the inner-city person who listens to rap to the rural person who listens to folk.” 

She plans to audition for regional opera houses and continue performing. “I enjoy acting, so I’ll definitely do opera. It demands a lot of energy.” 

Photograph by Sonia Narang  

Candace Johnson, a chancellor’s postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley’s music program.

In Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, the only architect worth his salt is the individualist who tosses all historic precedents onto the trash heap. Published in 1943, the novel was a battle cry for the revolution of modernism, which was expected to take hold from then to eternity. 

In retrospect, modernism, like all fashions and movements, enjoyed its time in the limelight, to be replaced by newer trends. In the process, it was revealed that even modern structures are not created in a vacuum. 

Inspiration can proceed from natural or built environments, from the old or the new, from the familiar or the foreign. The following 20th-century structures demonstrate the diversity of precedents that influenced their design. 

Chapel of the Cross, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley (1965) 

Situated above Grizzly Peak Blvd. at 2770 Marin Avenue, the secluded nine-acre PLTS campus combines the lands of the former Dobbins and Nash estates, anchored by two Spanish Colonial Revival mansions built in 1923 and 1931, respectively. Overlooking expansive vistas to the east, north, and west, the hilltop site is surrounded by trees. 

Into this context, architect James Leefe inserted a chapel modeled on another hilltop chapel, Le Corbusier’s famed Nôtre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, built in 1955. 

Only ten years separate the model from the progeny, a testament to the profound shockwaves Corbusier’s chapel—a monument dedicated to nature and signaling a break with cubist modernism—unleashed on architecture worldwide. 

As in Ronchamp, the walls are thick and curved, surmounted by a monumental hollow concrete roof. Illumination is provided via slits below the roof. But here the resemblance ends. The Chapel of the Cross is an urban adaptation that lacks the earth-grown appearance of the original. 

Also lacking is advantageous siting. The chapel stands at the lower, southwestern end of the seminary campus, where it is surrounded by the back yards of neighboring houses. The building turns its back on the campus, and all its access doors are located toward the rear, theoretically enabling worshippers to walk directly from campus into chapel. 

The downside of this arrangement is multifold. The prow of the chapel is invisible from the campus. With invisibility comes neglect, so the only landscaping at the southern end consists of a dead lawn. This is also the area assigned for visitor parking, which stamps it as dead space. 

6356 Broadway Terrace, Oakland (1993) 

This playful house replaced a 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival residence that had burned in the 1991 hills fire. In a neighborhood chock-a-block with insurance-fuelled Hatter’s Castles and mini McMansions, the 1,400 square-foot building is both a refreshing exercise in modesty of scale and a rare statement of creativity. 

For a difficult site, both hilly and narrow, Ace Architects took as their model Bernard Maybeck’s innovative portable masterpiece, Hearst Hall (erected in 1899, burned in 1922), whose vast central Gothic arch utilized laminated wood. Two false towers sporting exterior struts flanked the arched façade. 

The Broadway Terrace house echoes Maybeck’s arched hall in an asymmetric arrangement utilizing a single tower (when it was being built, the neighbors referred to the house as “that church with a privy”). 

The arched mass is faced with copper-clad asphalt shingles, which impart a vague maritime effect harking back to Norse seafaring sagas. Arching struts descend from the tower roof, a lighthearted reference to Maybeck’s struts, while dragon’s head beam-ends in the trellises are a direct quotation of Maybeck’s signature. 

Sunol Water Temple (1910) 

From the mid-19th century until 1930, supplying water to San Francisco was a monopoly held by the Spring Valley Water Company. Prior to the construction of the Hetch Hetchy pipeline, as much as 50% of the city’s water came from a 600-square-mile watershed in Alameda County, converging in Sunol before being directed to San Francisco through Niles Canyon. 

In 1908, a major share in the Spring Valley Water Co. was secured by William Bourn, owner of the Empire mine and the foremost patron of architect Willis Polk. For Bourn, Polk designed in the 1890s a grand clinker-brick town house in Pacific heights, as well as the Empire Mine “cottage” in Grass Valley. In 1915, he would design Filoli for Bourn. 

Seeking to overturn Spring Valley Water’s reputation for rapaciousness, Bourn engaged in a public image campaign that included the building of an elegant water temple in Sunol. For the design, he turned to Polk. 

Polk’s inspiration came from a classic precedent: the ancient Roman Temple of Vesta in Tivoli. Like Sunol, Tivoli is a watery place, located at the end of the Aniene river valley, where the river forms a series of cascades through a gorge. 

Built in the first century on a precipice overlooking the river, the Temple of Vesta—a graceful round pavilion surrounded by 18 Corinthian columns—is the subject of numerous old-master paintings, including several by Piranesi. The composer Hector Berlioz, who visited Tivoli in 1831, described in his diary “the lovely little temple of Vesta, which looks rather like a temple of Love.” 

Polk’s pavilion, 18 meters high, girdled by twelve concrete Corinthian columns, and crowned by a conical wood-and-tile roof, was a popular sightseeing and picnic destination for decades, until severe damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake led to its closure. Now restored, the temple, which is owned by the San Francisco Water District, is open for visitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

week). 

Photograph by Daniella Thompson 

Chapel of the Cross, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, is modeled after Le Corbusier's Nôtre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp.

Pete Veilleux wrote something to the California native-plant mavens’ mailing list the other day: “It’s October! Time for squirrel stomach pie—my memere’s specialty. She called it poor man’s toot cake.” 

Before I got to ask him whether the squirrel stomachs involved were full of acorns, or how many squirrels it would take to make a pie, or even the recipe (because the Eastern fox squirrels have begun to root up my stuff again, which means it’s time for another layer of red pepper from the Korean supermarket, which in turn might make those squirrels even more interesting to eat) he’d posted something even more attention-getting to the group.  

His East Bay Wilds nursery is opening to the public.  

“We’re finally going to be opening our nursery at our new location in Castro Valley,” he wrote. “Come for the plants Stay for the inspiration.” 

You are invited to the opening celebration and sale at east bay wilds native plant nursery in Cull Canyon, Castro Valley. 

Join us on our opening day and enjoy the real beauty of Bay Area native plants in their fall glory.  

Saturday, October 21st, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., East Bay Wilds Nursery, Cull Canyon Road, Castro Valley. From 580, Oakland: Take the Crow Canyon / Center Street exit. Turn left at end of exit ramp. Turn right at first light (Crow Canyon). Turn left on Cull Canyon (at second light).  

There are small mileage markers on the right hand side of the road (white posts w/ black numbers]. Enter the open gate at mile marker 2.45. There will be a large sign. Enter gate and park just up the hill in the marked location for parking. Then follow the signs up to the nursery.  

Drive all the way up to the nursery only if you are unable to walk up and you have either 4wd or excellent traction. We will have a 4wd vehicle for transporting plants and people who need assistance up to the nursery as necessary. It’s a 10 minute walk up through a Laotian cornfield (complete w/ numerous unusual scarecrows) to get to the nursery. There are no restrooms at the nursery yet, but there are some nearby woods. 

The setting is spectacular—well worth a drive to see. We have close to 45,000 plants—most of which are for sale. We’ll be offering 15 percent off all prices on that day only. We’ll have some munchies, lots of information, and we’re offering free five-minute (more or less, depending on time constraints) consultations with naturescape designer Pete Veilleux. Bring specifics about your site including photos, scale drawings, and sketches (include polar directions and slope aspects if you can). 

Pete has landscaped more than 60 sites here in the Bay Area over the last five years. 

He’s been gardening with native plants “since I was about five years old, growing up in New England.” (That’s an Acadian squirrel stomach pie—“mostly nuts,” Pete says.)  

To see some examples, go to www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/ 

The “urban conversion” site is on 56th Street west of MLK, and easy to spot among the more conventional lawns and camellia hedges on the block.  

The nursery will have regular hours next year; to visit now, email pete@eastbaywilds.com or call 409-5858 to arrange a time. 

Ron Sullivan is a former professional gardener and arborist. Her “Garden Variety” column appears every Friday in East Bay Home & Real Estate section. Her column on East Bay trees appears every other Tuesday in the Berkeley Daily Planet.

The anniversary of the Loma Prieta is upon us once again and still so little has been done to prepare for our earthquake. That’s right. Loma Prieta wasn’t ours. It was in the mountains of Watsonville nearly 100 miles to the south. 

The way the news media works tends to blow things out of proportion and if you watched the news following that quake, it made it seems as the though it were 1906 all over again. It wasn’t. That quake was devastating for the very few houses that were nearby and it actually threw a few houses in the mountains near the epicenter several feet (or yards) from their foundations. Also, the downtown of Santa Cruz nearly collapsed and it was some miles away.  

We were so much further away that even brittle structures like chimneys were barely affected in most of the Berkeley/Oakland area. 

When we think about failures like the Bay Bridge and the Cypress structure, it’s easy to imagine that Loma Prieta was like a Big One but for us it wasn’t even close. These structures, as well as houses located in the Jiggly-land of the Marina district in S.F. are true exceptions and should not be how we gauge failure. When the Hayward finally slips, it might be several thousand times the shaking force of Loma Prieta for us.  

Berkeley seems to get it’s share of Richter scale 4’s and something closer to a 5 once in a great while. Most of us have never experienced anything more than about a 4 in Berkeley and that would be about 1/30,000 of the size of a Richter 7 in the same place. Most people assume that the Richter scale of seismic magnitude is a decimal scale with each number being 10 times greater than the last. It is, in fact, a logarithmic scale with each number being about 30 times that of the last, so a 6 is about 1,000 times that of a 4 and a 7 is about 30,000 time the same. 

So it’s a fair statement to say that the East Bay hasn’t really been hit by an earthquake of any significance since long before the oldest houses now standing were built. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can’t retrofit a house and withstand the shaking force of an earthquake. There’s a lot of science going on today that says that we can, in fact, built to withstand really big earthquakes and we can also retrofit houses to withstand a large force. So like Nike says, “Just Do It.” It ain’t all that much money and it’s better than giving it to the insurance companies (although you’re welcome to do that TOO if you insist … and if you believe they’ll be able to pay up after it’s all gone down, so to speak). 

Now, I’m not going to go into a whole retrofitting thing today and in my usual circuitous fashion, I’m finally getting around to the point I’ll like to make, that being, that in an earthquake, it’s fire that you need fear most of all. 

It’s actually quite unlikely that you’re going to die by being crushed under the weight of a falling building during an earthquake. These wooden packing crates we house ourselves in, seem generally to stay fairly intact during even very large earthquakes, although they may have crushed the basement or crawlspace in the process (so the basement might not be the best place to be). BUT, when gas lines break, they can fill up the interiors of houses, basement or garages and result in explosions and fires.  

If you followed the damage done during the Northridge earthquake near L.A. in 1994, you know that most of the damage was done by fires caused by gas explosions. Water heaters were found everywhere except where they’d been installed and some were found 30 feet away. Although data is harder to gather on the 1906, it looks as though a significant portion of damage was also caused by the same thing. 

This is why two special laws have been enacted in California in the past decade. One regarding the strapping of water heater and one regarding automatic seismic gas shut-off valves. The first is state-wide and pertains to the sale of all houses. A homeowner is required to properly (there’s a magical word if ever there was one) strap the water heater prior to delivery to the new owner. This is almost never done right and you can get a document from the state that has nice clear drawing that will clearly show just how wrong your strapping might be. 

The second law applies to the city of Los Angeles and is the first in the nation to require the insulation of an automatic seismic gas shut-off valve on any house being sold. Hooray for L.A. 

Allstate insurance is apparently beginning to make the installation of some type of gas safety valve a requirement for their customers and I think that’s a good thing. I also think that L.A. and Allstate are not going to be isolated in these requirements for long. Alameda county has a toothless law that I’ve never seen enforced in any way as does Marin and Contra Costa.  

Although these laws (mostly dating from the early 2000’s) haven’t seen much daylight yet, I’m happy to say that I think it’s just a matter of time. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Berkeley, Oakland or El Cerrito started making these devices requisite on new construction any time now. 

These devices fall into two categories. There is a seismically activated type which responds to shaking force and a flow type which senses excessive flow. 

The first type usually contains a ball which rests in a socket of some sort. When shaking hits 5.4 on the Richter scale, the ball falls out and a mechanism of some sort triggers the valve to close. It’s actually very simple.  

Most of the valves sold today have some sort of reset device built right onto the valve so that you can take a little screwdriver and turn your gas back on. Be sure to get help and check the whole house thoroughly, including the crawlspace at the time to reactivate the gas. Utility reps will be in short supply so you’d best be able to do this yourself after we’ve had a quake. 

The second type is designed to sense breakages in the piping. When we run the stove and the water heater and the dryer, we still only allow for a limited rate of flow through the main pipe. When a pipe breaks completely, the flow will be greater than that and this is what these valves sense. When this occurs they plug shut. It’s another simple mechanism that involves a spring loaded plug that requires enough wind to drag to the shut position. I don’t favor these for us due to the fact that you can get many small breaks in your gas piping and not set them off. When an earthquake occurs, a seismically activated valves will go off regardless of the size or number of leaks created. 

There are a number of valves that are approved and most are quite cheap (mostly under $100). The Little Firefighter is a favorite of mine, although I also like the Northridge and the Vanguard. You can search them online and you can also check out our own Berkeley supplier, gasvalvedoctor.com. Boaz Levanda (843-3275) is a nice chap who’ll be happy to sell you one. He’s also been a one man legal squad trying to get the permit requirements reduced so that they can be installed for fewer bucks.  

A plumber is the right person to install such a device and the cost seems to be around $200-$300 for installation (plus the valve). It’s usually quite simple but can be more complex in some cases. If you’re in a condo or apartment complex, you’ll need one for each unit. 

So, If you have only $300 or $400 to spend on earthquake preparedness and don’t want to put a single bolt into anything, please, oh please go get one of these. 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor at mgcantor@pacbell.net

FRIDAY, OCT. 13 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with The League of Women Voters on the Nov. 7 Election. Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925.  

“Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War” A documentary by Robert Greenwald at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Cost is $5. 

“Political Prisoners: 40th Anniversary Reunion of Black Panther Party” A forum to learn about political prisoners in the US and elsewhere at 4 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., at 14th St., Oakland. 393-5685. 

Circle Dancing at 8 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. at University Ave. Beginners welcome, no partners needed. Donation $5. 528-4253. 

Womansong Circle with Betsy Rose A participatory circle of song for women at 7:15 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Small Assembly Room, 2345 Channing Way. Cost is $15-$20, no one turned away. 525-7082.  

Kol Hadash Non-Theistic Family Shabbat at 6 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Please bring simple child-friendly food to share. 428-1492. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 14 

Livable Berkeley's Candidate’s Forum Mayoral Candidates at 11 a.m., City Council Candidates at noon at the West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234.  

Walk in Honor of Our Ancestors Meet at 8 a.m. at the El Cerrito BART Station on San Pablo Ave. Walk goes down San Pablo and up University and ends at 1 p.m. at Krober Hall at the University for a memorial for the human remains stored at the Phoebe Hearst Museum. 575-8408. www.vallejointertribalcouncil.org 

Toddler Nature Walk We’ll look for spiders, insects and other fascinating creatures from 2 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“The Big Buy” film and discussion at 2 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. Continuing discussion Mon. at 7 p.m. 525-9450. 

“Alameda's Pivotal Election 2006” A program of the Alameda Public Affairs Forum at 7 p.m. at the Home of Truth, 1300 Grand Street, Alameda.  

“Temescal Creek and the Interstate Bakery Property” A presentation on the development of the Interstate Bakery Property at 53rd At. and Adeline, at 10:30 a.m. at Temescal Creek Park Amphitheater, 47th Street, corner of Adeline & 47th Street, Emeryville. 434.3840.  

Tour of the EBMUD Water Treatment Plant To learn about sewage treatment and its role in Bay water quality, from 10 a.m. to noon. For details and to RSVP please call 452-9261 ext.109. www.savesfbay.org/bayevents 

“Iraq For Sale: the War Profiteers” Documentary at 5 p.m. at CodePINK East Bay, 1248 Solano Ave., Albany Not handicap accessible. To RSVP call 524-2776. 

Africa Matters in Zimbabwe A fundraiser and presentation on Africa Matters Scholarship Fund at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. 655-4528. 

The East Bay Bonsai Society presents its 45th Annual Show and Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat. and 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sun. at the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue, Oakland. 521-9588.  

Vegetarian Cooking Class “Comfort Foods for Chilly Nights” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St., at Castro, Oakland. Cost is $50. To register, please call 531-2665. www.compassionatecooks.com 

Maven Urban Design and Craft Fair for women artists from noon to 5 p.m. at 1700 Dwight Way at McGee. www.mavenfair.com 

Great War Society monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. at 640 Arlington Ave. The discussion topic will be “Military Strategy of the Germans & British, 1914-1918” by Robert Deward. 527-7118. 

Berkeley Branch NAACP meets at 1 p.m. at the Church by the Side of the Road, 2108 Russell St. 845-7416. 

Reiki for Post Partum Women at 10 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Dramatically Speaking” with Paul Rowan and Tevis Thompson, Jr., on Commercial Acting and Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech at 9 a.m. at 1950 Franklin St., Oakland. Free, but RSVP required. 581-8675. 

The Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society will hold its 19th Annual USA Symposium on Sat. and Sun. from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Seaborg Room, Faculty Club, UC campus. The theme of the weekend is “Know Yourself.” Fee, donations accepted. 415-250-1817. www.ibnarabisociety.org 

San Francisco Chapter of the Romance Writers of America with agent Jessica Faust at 8:30 a.m. at Pyramid Restaurant, 901 Gilman St. Cost is $30. Reservations requested, email dginny1942@cs.com 

Lead-Safety for remodeling, repair and painting of older homes. HUD & EPA approved class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention, 200 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. For information call 567-8280.  

A Better Chance Independent School Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Education Center, 2825 International Blvd., Oakland. www.abetterchance.org 

Non-Anesthetic Teeth Cleaning for Dogs and Cats from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $35. To make an appointment call 525-6155. 

Produce Stand at Spiral Gardens Food Security Project from 1 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon St. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732.  

Yoga for Peace at 9:30 a.m. at Ohlone Park, MLK at Hearst. Bring a yoga mat, warm blanket, and peace sign.  

Adult Fast Pitch Softball at noon. For location call 204-9500.  

Spiritwalking: Aqua Chi(TM) at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Also Wed. at 3:30 p.m. Cost is $5.50, $3.50 seniors & disabled. Bring your own towels. 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. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 15 

Oakland Heritage Alliance House Tour of the Temescal neighborhood. The self-guided tour begins at Acorn Kitchens and Baths, 4640 Telegraph Ave. Tickets are $25-$35. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Partners in Preservation Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. at multiple locations in the East Bay. For details see www.partnersinpreservation.com. 415-365-8532. 

Bike Ride to the Open House at the Watershed Project Meet at 11 a.m. at the El Cerrito Plaza, west parking lot to bike to the open house at the Watershed Project. En route visit the tidal sloughs of 4 local creeks, where the watersheds empty into the Bay. Bicycle and rider should be in good shape, and riders must wear helmet.  

Richmond: Celebration by the Bay with the Watershed Project with tours, bird watching, food and drink, from noon to 3 p.m. at the garden at the Richmond Field Station. For more information and directions call 665-3430. www.thewaatershedproject.org 

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park Indigenous People’s Day Celebration from noon to 5 p.m. at Peralta House and Park, 2465 34th Ave., corner of Coolidge and Hyde, Oakland. Live entertainment features the Amah-Ka-Tura Ohlone dancers of Santa Cruz, youth performers from Calvin Simmons Middle School and music by Phoenix and Afterbuffalo. Other activities will include children’s crafts, free guided tours. www.peraltahacienda.org 

“What Does it Mean We Don’t Have a Vote Anymore?” An open conference and discussion at 3 p.m. at Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377.  

Meditation Walk Walking meditation, quiet sitting and poetry writing. Meet at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Felt Mask Making Learn the soapy, slippery and fun art of making felt, for ages 6-12, accompanied by an adult, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $7-$9, registration required. 636-1684. 

Mayan and Aztec Medicinal Plants Tour at 11 a.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $8-$12. Registration required. 643-2755.  

Black Panther Party Reunion with videos and photographs at 1:30 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. 238-6718. 

Fundraiser for City Slicker Farms A local grassroots nonprofit that converts empty lots in West Oakland into high yield urban farms, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Mama Buzz Café, 2318 Telegraph Ave., at 23rd, Oakland. Cost is $15, no one turned away. 763-4241. 

The Friends of the Kensington Library Booksale from noon at 4 p.m. at Kensington Library. 524-3043. 

Kensington Pumpkin Parade and pumpkin pie-eating contest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Arlington Ave. at Amherst. kensingtonfm@yahoo.com 

Halloween Pumpkin Painting for children at 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Friends of Albany Seniors Pasta Dinner Fundraiser to support the senior center, from 4 to 7 p.m. at 846 Masonic Ave., Albany. Cost is $8, children under six $3. 534-9122. 

“25 Years of Culinary Creations” A commemorative lunch to benefit Berkeley Food and Housing Project at noon at Oliveto’s. Tickets are $100. 649-4965. 

6th Annual Crabby Chef Competition at 2 p.m. in Spenger’s parking lot. 845-7771.  

“Dreamgirls: Girls and Women in Sports” with talks by women athletes and a screening of the film “Dare to Dream” at 1 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Bike Tour of Oakland Explore Oakland its history and its visionaries and scoundrels. Meet at 10 a.m. at the 10th St. entrance of the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Participants must be over twelve years old and provide their own bikes, helmets and repair kits. Free. 238-3514. www.museumca.org 

Saint Ambrose Parish “International Night” Fundraiser for its sister parish in India, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 1145 Gilman St. Food, music, dancing, and humor from all parts of the world. Cost is $5. For reservations call 525-2620. 

Don’t be Six Feet Under Without a Plan A free workshop to learn more about the complexities and costs of Creating a Living Will, Powers of Attorney, End of Life Planning and Services at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. at Pleasant Valley Rd. 562-9431. 

Adult Sunday Sing-Along at 3 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Chinese Medicine for Meopause Relief at 11:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Ausar Auset Society Open House with introductions to the I-Ching, from noon to 2:30 p.m. at 5272 Foothill Blvd.,Oakland. 533-5306. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. 

“10,000 Christs...” with David Fitzgerald on the search for the historical Jesus at 9:30 a.m at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

“Judaism Without God? Understanding Humanistic Judaism” at 10 a.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Cost is $5.  

MONDAY, OCT. 16  

“What We Want, What We Believe” DVD showing and conversation with Newsreel archivist, Roz Payne and former Black Panthers at 7:30 p.m. at the AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

“Never Again” Photographs and discussion of the physical and human consequences of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at 4 p.m. at the Bade Museum of the Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave.  

“Last Atomic Bomb” Benefit screening with producer Kathleen Sullivan at 6 p.m., film at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave, Oakland. Benefit for Western States Legal Foundation, working for peace and justice in a nuclear free world. Cost is $25 for reception and film, $10 for film only. 839-5877. www.wslfweb.org 

“The Shocking Truth About Gluten: Why Bread Eaters Get Sick” A new film by Ann Marks at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For information call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

CodePINK Monthly “Eat and Greet” at 6 p.m. at Nabalom Bakery, 2708 Russell St. at College Ave. Donation $20 no one turned away. 524-2776. www.bayareacodepink.org 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people aged 60 and over meets at 9:45 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Donation $3. 524-9122. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Lead Abatement Repairs Find out about funding for lead hazard repairs for rental properties with low-income tenants or vacant units in Oakland, Berkeley or Emeryville, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2000 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. 567-8280. 

TUESDAY, OCT. 17 

Tuesday is for the Birds An early morning walk for birders through Bay Area parklands. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. This week we will visit Point Isabel. For meeting location or to borrow binoculars, call 525-2233.  

Berkeley Garden Club “Georgeous Gardens Made Easy” with Kim Haworth, producer of KRON4’s “Henry’s Garden” at 2 p.m. at Epworth Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. 524-7296. 

Willard Neighborhood Association Candidates Forum featuring the candidates for the Mayoral, District 7 and District 8 City Council races at 6:45 p.m. at the Willard Middle School, Auditorium 2425 Stuart St. 

Fall Fruit Tasting at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market, Derby at MLK, from 2 to 7 p.m. 548-2220. 

“Saving the Animals in Afghanistan” with Pamela Constable, a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post in Afghanistan, who has helped stray dogs and cats in Kabul find shelter, veterinary care and happy adoptive homes, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Street. Donation $20. Reservations requested. 594-1613. ruphotos@earthlink.net  

“Rainwater Harvesting” Brad Lancaster explains tools and techniques for implementing sustainable water systems for your home, landscape, and community at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2240. www.ecologycenter.org 

“The Reality and Legacy of the Iraq War” with Ivan Eland, Senior Fellow at The Independent Institute and author of “The Empire Has No Clothes” and Mark Danner, author of “The Secret Way to War,” and Professor of Journalism at U.C. Berkeley, at 6:30 p.m. at The Independent Institute Conference Center, 100 Swan Way, Oakland. Cost is $10-$15. For tickets please call 632-1366. www.independent.org 

Panel Discussion on Breast Cancer with Rachel Whalen, Diana Murphy and Cheryl Cohen-Greene at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Torture Teach-in and Vigil every Tues. at 12:30 p.m. at the fountain on UC Campus, Bancroft at College. 

American Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. Various East Bay opportunities available. Advanced sign-up is required; please call 594-5165.  

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Discussion Salon on Should Voting be Mandatory? at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut.  

Sleep Soundly Seminar A free class on how hypnosis can help you sleep at 6:30 p.m. at 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. To register call 465-2524. 

Handbuilding Ceramics Class from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Free, except for materials and firing charges. For information call Diana Bohn, 525-5497. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 

“A Glimpse of South Berkeley” with Belva Davis on “Newsroom and Beyond” at 7:30 p.m. at South Berkeley Community Church, 1802 Fairview St. at Ellis. Tickets are $10 and benefit the church’s restoration efforts. 652-1040. 

South Berkeley Mayoral Debate at 7:30 p.m. at B-Tech Academy auditorium, 2701 Martin Luther King Jr., Way at Derby. 849-4319. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around the restored 1870s business district. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of G.B. Ratto’s at 827 Washington St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Neighborhood and Community Green Space with Susan Schwartz on “The Santa Fe Rigth of Way” Meet at 1 p.m. at Spiral Gardens, 2850 Sacramento St. at Oregon.  

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll have our annual nature treasure hunt, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

“Kayaking the British Columbia Coast” with John McCormack at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Music in the Community Fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. at Kimball’s Carnival, 522 Second St., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$15. 444-6979. 

Current Events Discussion Group meets at 7 p.m. at the Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Oakland. 597-4972. 

Gray Panthers Movie Night showing “Wag the Dog” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Gray Panthers Office, 1403 Addison St. Berkeley Gray Panthers Office, 1403 Addison St. 

New to DVD “United 93 ” Film and discussion at 7 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

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. 548-9840. 

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 

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, OCT. 19 

Mayoral Candidate Debate Between Tom Bates and Zelda Bronstein at 7:30 p.m. in the Le Conte School cafeteria, Russell St. entrance. Sponsored by the LeConte Neighborhood Association. All are welcome. www.neighborhoodlink.com  

“Global Warming: What Can California Do About It?” with Dr. Stephen Schneider of Stanford at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Clean up the Air Pollution from Pacific Steel with Lois Gibbs, Executive Director of the Center for Health and the Environment at 7:30 p.m. at West Berkeley Senior Center, 6th and Hearst.  

“The Washington Post at War: Reporting From Baghdad” with a panel of reporters and editors from The Washington Post at 7 p.m. in Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Sponsored by The Graduate School of Journalism. Tickets are $5 available from 642-9988. http://journalism.berkeley.edu/events 

An Evening with Robert Scheer Author and columnist at 7:30 PM at the Piedmont Gardens, 110 41st St., Oakland. Sponsored by MGO Democratic Club. 834-9198. www.mgoclub.org 

“The Current Gandhian Movement in India” with Dr. M.P. Mathai, author of “Mahatma Gandhi’s World View” at 7 p.m. at 166 Barrows Hall, UC Campus.  

Breast Cancer Update Learn about the latest research in diagnosis and treatment at 6:15 p.m. at Summit Campus, Peralta Pavilion, Markstein Cancer Center, 430 30th St., Oakland. Registration required. 869-8735. 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll have our annual nature treasure hunt, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Environmental Film Series “Thirst” on corporate attempts to buy up local water supplies, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Simplicity Forum with Rachel Laws on “Neighbors: Celebrating the Folks on the Block” at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, Claremont Branch, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 549-3509. 

Community Shabbat with singer Gary Laplow at 6 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $12 adult, $5 chidren. 848-0237. 

Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 p.m. at at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. Free, all are welcome. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

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 

CITY MEETINGS 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. Oct. 16, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. 

www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon. Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Pam Wyche, 644-6128 ext. 113. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/rent 

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/peaceandjustice 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., Oct. 18, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. William Rogers, 981-5344. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/aging 

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed. Oct. 4, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 

Library Board of Trustees meets Wed., Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6195. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/library  

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Oct. 19, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Katherine O’Connor, 981-6601. www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/commissions/humane 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Anne Burns, 981-7415. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/designreview  

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Prasanna Rasaih, 981-6950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/faircampaign 

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 19, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7010. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/transportation 

TUESDAY, OCT. 10 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “Warhol Screen Tests” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Framing the Struggle: The Black Panther Party in Black and White” with photographers Stepehn Shames, Jeffrey Blankfort and Ilka Hartman at 6 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, West Auditorium, 125 14th St. 238-3134. 

Bart Ehrman describes “In the Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Suggested donation $10. 559-9500. 

Michael Parenti and Salim Lamrani talks about “Superpower Principles: U.S. Terrorism Against Cuba” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Barry Lopez describes, “Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Huun Huur Tu, Tuvan Throat Singers, at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054.  

Crooked Still at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Ellen Hoffman Trio and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

John Patitucci Trio 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, OCT. 11 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts” An exhibition for Dias de los Muertos opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

THEATER 

“The Secret Circus” Wed. and Thurs. at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, through Oct. 19. Cost is $10-$20 sliding scale. 800-838-3006. www.themarsh.org  

FILM 

Pirates and Piracy “Madame X, An Absolute Ruler” at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sylvan Brackett and Sue Moore discuss “The Slow Food Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez talks about “Haters” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Cafe Poetry with host Kira Allen at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattck Ave..Donation suggested. 849-2568. 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Vagabond Opera, Bohemian cabaret, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Wednesday Noon Concert, with Gabriel Trop, cello, Jim Prell, piano, Jessica Ling, violin, Inning Chen, piano at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Jazzalicious at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Eddie Fitzroy, Dennis De Menace at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. 525-5054.  

Orquestra Liberacion 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.  

Taarka, gypsy jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Hippe Granade at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8. 848-0886.  

Hijack the Disco, Head Like a Kite, Elephone, indie rock, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100. 

The Connie Doolan Quartet at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

John Patitucci Trio at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, OCT. 12 

FILM 

Discovering Syrian Cinema: Three by Omar Amiralay at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Dramatic Results: The Role of Regional Theater” with Tony Taccone, Jonathon Moscone, and Brad Erickson at 7:30 p.m. at The College Preparatory School, 6100 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $12.50 in advance, $15 at the door. 652-011. www.college-prep.org/livetalk  

Maxine Hong Kingston and veterans of the Vietnam and Iraq wars present “Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace” at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St.. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Jeff Norman describes “Temescal Legacies: Narratives of Change from a North Oakland Neighborhood” at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $8-$10. Sponsored by Oakland Heritage. 763-9218. 

George Katsiaficas on “Victories and Defeats: Autonomous Movements in South Korea” at 7:30 p.m. at AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

Cathy Davidson on “36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mac Martin & the California Travelers at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Erik Jakobsen Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Ray Brown 80th Birthday Salute with Marlena Shaw, Benny Green, John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Harvey Cartel, Shaken, Dig Jelly at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Selector: Black Edgars Musicbox at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Showtime @ 11 Hip Hop at 10 p.m. at the Golden Bull, 412 14th St. at Broadway, Oakland. 893-0803. 

FRIDAY, OCT. 13 

THEATER 

Antenna Theater, “High School” An interactive theatrical walking tour of Berkeley High, 1980 Allston Way. One audience member enters the show every minute. Walk lasts about 45 minutes. Fri. and Sat. from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sun. from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $8 students. Reservations required. Runs through Oct. 29. 415-332-9454. www.antenna-theater.org/highschool.htm 

Berkeley Rep “Mother Courage” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St., through Oct. 22. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

California Shakespeare Theater “As You Like It” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through Oct. 15. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “The Orchid Sandwich” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Oct. 21. at 951 Pomona Ave. El Cerrito. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Colorado” A dark comedy about celebrity worship, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. Runs through Oct. 28. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

Shakespeare in the Yard “Mack, A Gangsta’s Tale” WordSlanger’s version of Macbeth, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. at Sister Thea, an outdoor theater at 920 Peralta St. Oakland Tickets are $5-$20. 208-6551. 

Shotgun Players “Love is a Dream House in Lorin” by Marcus Gardley, inspired by true stories of Berkeley’s historic Lorin District, Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Nov. 5. Sliding scale $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

UC Dept. of Theater “Suburban Motel” six plays by George Walker at Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Campus, through Nov. 19. Tickets are $8-$14. For schedule see http://theater.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fiber 2006” Featuring eight Bay Area artists. Opening Reception at 6 p.m. at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. Exhibit runs to Nov. 4. 843-2527. 

“Recycled Runway” An installation by Artist in Residence artists Sandy Drobney and Daphne Ruff opens at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. Runs through Nov. 5.  

FILM 

A Theater Near You “Overlord” at 6:30 p.m. and Ousmane Sembene “Ceddo” at 8:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lee Grue, New Orleans poet with musician Eluard Burt and local poet Adam David Miller, a community-building poetry-and-music program in support of the rebuilding of New Orleans at 7 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Meeting Room, Berkeley Public Library, Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Elisha Cooper reads from “Crawling: A Father’s First Year” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

K.E. Silva reads from her novle “A Simple Distance” at A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 LaSalle Ave., Oakland. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Opera “Les Enfants Terribles” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro Opera House, 201 Broadway, through Oct. 22. Tickets are $32-$36. www.oaklandopera.org 

Eisa Davis “Cockleburrs in my Sock” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $$10-12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Hypnogaja at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Hurricane Sam & the Hotshots at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

New Life Band, traditional and contemporary music of Tanzania at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Jack Williams, Tim Mason opens, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Jim Grantham Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

The Nomadics at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Fish Ranch Road, The Bittersweets, Victoria George at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Acts of Sedition at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Albino, afro beat, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Zoe Ellis, soul, funk, jazz at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Laudanum, Silentist, Silentist, Times of Desperation, Cropduster at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Ray Brown 80th Birthday Salute with Marlena Shaw, Benny Green, John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, OCT. 14 

CHILDREN  

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day” at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$18. 925-798-1300. 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Gary Laplow at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Lissa Rovetch introduces her two new books on Hot Dog Bob at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Educate to Liberate: A Retrospective of the Black Panther Community News Service” Exhibition in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party, on display in the Oakland History Room at the Oakland Main Library, 125 14th St. 238-3222. www.oaklandlibrary.org 

“The Face of Poetry” Photographs by Margaretta Mitchell on display at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., through Oct. 30. 981-6100. 

“Looking for Hope” Photographs by Matt O’Brien with text by students in the Oakland Public Schools opens at the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park Museum Gallery, 2465 34th Ave. Gallery open Thurs.-Fri. 4 to 6 p.m. and Sun. noon to 4 p.m. to March 31. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org 

Paintings by Mary Ann Hayden opens at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave. Reception at 3 p.m. Runs through Dec. 9. 421-1255. 

“Masks, Myths, Magic and Witches” Group show reception at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. Exhibition runs through Oct. 31. 644-4930. 

Trent Burkett “New Work in Salt and Wood” at Trax Ceramics Gallery, 1812 Fifth St. Exhibition runs to Oct. 15. 540-8729. www.traxgallery.com  

“Geographic Premonitions” Group show of fifteen emerging artists. Reception for the artists at 4 p.m. at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. Exhibition runs through Nov. 11. 620-6772. www.therichmondartcenter.org 

20th Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 5630 Bay St., through Oct. 29. Free. 652-6122. www.EmeryArts.org 

Blown Glass Pumpkins on display at the Cohn-Stone Studios, 560 South 31st. St. near the Regatta Blvd., exit from the 580 Freeway, Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 29. 234-9690. 

THEATER 

Central Works “Andromache” opens at the Berkeley City Club at 8 p.m. and runs through Nov. 19. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1382. 

FILM 

A Theater Near You “Overlord” at 6:30 p.m. and Ousmane Sembene “Xala” at 8:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Judy Yung on “San Francisco’s Chinatown” slide talk at 3 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. 

Jane Poynter talks about her experience in “The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Readings from “Modern Words: a thoroughly queer literary journal” with Gary Kong, Jim Nawrocki, David Scronce, and others at 7:30 p.m. at Laurel Book Store, 4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 531-2073. 

Open Mic at the Marina with poetry, music and spoken word at 7:30 p.m. at Cal Adventures. Sponsored by the 886 Collective. 439-9777. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Pacific Collegium “Music of the English Renaissance” at 8 p.m. at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $8-$18. 848-5107. 

Roberta Piket Trio plays original jazz compositions, at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $15. 845-1350. www.hillsideclub.org  

“Best of Brazzissimo” concert at 8 p.m. at Piedmont High School Auditorium, 800 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont. Cost is $5-$10. 408-529-2120. www.brazzissimo.com 

Gamelan Sekar Jaya at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

“Moment’s Notice” improvised music, dance and theater at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 8th St. Cost is $8-$10. 649-1791. 

Fuga! at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $&7-$10!. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Big Thing Live with Funkyman at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $10. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Larry Vuckovich Latin Jazz Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Fela Kuti Birthday Tribute with Sila & The Afrofunk Experience, Baba Ken and Afro Groove Connexion at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15$18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Taiko Drumming with Kelvin Underwood at 7 p.m. at the Capoeira Arts Cafe, 2026 Addison St. Cost is $10.  

Ira Marlowe and Kenny Dinkin at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Doppler Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Reilly & Maloney at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Flyhead, The Wearies, Animal Underground at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Kat Parra at 8 p.m. at the Jazz 

school. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

“Babshad” Barbara and Charles Hadenfeldt at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Hali Hammer, folk rock, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7-$10. 558-0881. 

Antiquia, The Wayward Monks at 10 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Onion Flavored Rings, Peelander-Z, Ghost Mice at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 15 

THEATER 

“An Evening with Leonardo da Vinci” with Rob Weiner at 7 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$12. 848-0237. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “Human, All Too Human” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Strictly Speaking with Paula Poundstone at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $24-$46. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Poetry Flash with Elline Lipkin and Lisa Sewell at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Poets for Peace with Susan Rich, Robert Lipton and Ilya Kaminsky at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

California Bach Society “Die Familie Bach” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. 415-262-0272. www.calbach.org 

Bluegrass for the Greenbelt Benefit Concert with Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Todd Phillips, Eric and Suzy Thompson, The Backyard Party Boys at 3 p.m. at Coventry Grove, in the Kensington Hills. Tickets are $50-$65. 415-543-6771. www.BluegrassForTheGreenbelt.org 

Vagabond Opera, theatrical mix of eclectic music, at 8 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center. Tickets are $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Rahim Al Haj, Iraqi oud master, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Na Leo Nahenahe Hawaiian Chorus at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$15. Children under 12 free. www.naleosf.com  

Gift Horse at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Tango Number 9 at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged: The Mercury Dimes at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Stephanie Bruce at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Ziyia, traditional Greek music, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 16 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Soyhel Dahi and Sharon Doubiago read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Meg Tilly and K. E. Silva read from their new novels at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Francine Prose introduces “Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want to Write Them” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with Marsha Campbell at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, with Valery Gergiev, conductor and Alexander Toradze, piano, at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$86. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Bil Staines at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Khalil Shaheed, all ages jam, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Blue Monday Jam at 7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Marta Topfera at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com  

Temescal might just be the Pluto of North Oakland neighborhoods. 

Not only does it lie outside the orbit of tonier, cozier, better-known residential districts—Rockridge, Piedmont Avenue, Montclair—but some might even argue that it’s not a neighborhood at all, just another stretch of the flatlands between the hills and Emeryville. 

Even its name has been banished in recent decades by some realtors who persist in assigning imaginary appellations such as “Lower Rockridge” to this distinct district 

But, rather like Pluto, Temescal has its ardent defenders, including residents of the neighborhood and the Oakland Heritage Alliance (OHA).  

Temescal is indeed a real neighborhood, a vibrant and historic part of the East Bay, and it’s worth a lingering visit, not simply a passing glance from the freeway.  

Such an opportunity is provided this Sunday during this year’s OHA historic house tour, “A Take on the Temescal.” 

The afternoon tour will visit historic houses, from an 1880 Victorian Italianate to early 1900s Classical Revival, bungalows, and even a “mid-century modern.” 

Some of the 10 properties on the tour display unusual features and contents including a water tower, Chinese antiques, and several eras-worth of historic renovations. 

Organizers also note that the neighborhood has become somewhat of an informal center of “alternative communal or cooperative living situations,” two of which will be on the tour. 

Most expansively interpreted, the Temescal district runs roughly from Oakland’s stretch of Shattuck Avenue east to Broadway and from MacArthur north to Claremont and College.  

That’s a broad area, but the tour itself will concentrate in a smaller zone, including homes on Glendale, Avon, and scattered between 51st and 41st streets.  

Drive along 51st Street between Broadway and Telegraph and you’re bisecting the tour district. 

The Thursday evening before the tour, Temescal resident Jeff Norman will give a talk on his new book, Temescal Legacies; Narratives of Change from a North Oakland Neighborhood. 

The roots of Temescal lie in a Huchiun-Ohlone native settlement going back for thousands of years on the gentle littoral of the North Oakland plain. 

The name itself derives from a Spanish word for a native lodge house found along the banks of the creek that once defined the area, before streets and freeways. 

Spanish soldier and California immigrant Luis Marie Peralta gained the district—and most of the rest of the East Bay, west of the Berkeley Hills—in a land grant from the Spanish Crown.  

In the 1830s, the enormous ranch was divided between Peralta’s four sons and the youngest, Vicente, took up his share in what is now North Oakland. He built an adobe house along Temescal Creek 170 years ago. 

The Peralta dwelling is long since vanished, but the site lies on Telegraph Avenue, just south of the Grove-Shafter freeway overpass, where a historical plaque stands at the sidewalk edge of a gas station parking lot. 

Peralta cattle roamed the fields, and orchards and gardens were planted along the nearby—now largely culverted—creek.  

After the United States acquisition of California and the Gold Rush, the Peralta holdings dwindled as American settlers, speculators, and swindlers began to lay claim to the fertile plain. 

American era settlement in Temescal began in 1855, the same year that Oakland incorporated as a city. 

Soloman Ellsworth Alden, “a successful San Francisco restaurateur,” began to purchase property in the area and, by 1868—the same year that the University of California was established—had laid out the town of Temescal and put lots on the market.  

In 1870 the Oakland Railroad Company ran a streetcar line up to Telegraph and 51st Street and Temescal Creek. 

Not long thereafter, the University of California moved from downtown Oakland to the future Berkeley. The streetcar line was extended north to Strawberry Creek, and Temescal became a residential outpost of the new and then rural campus.  

The University Echo newspaper noted in the fall of 1873 that the few rooms to be had for rent in Berkeley were “scarce and costly,” and that “a party of hilarious seniors and juniors have taken a home at Temescal.”  

That home was presumably one of the Victorian houses, large and small, that dotted the North Oakland landscape by the 1880s.  

A surprising number of those Victorian era dwellings—some included on the tour—survive amidst more numerous houses of later periods. 

“The Temescal region began to thrive as a commercial and residential area with close ties to both Oakland and Berkeley,” writes historian Michael Crowe in an introduction to the neighborhood. 

Temescal was an independent community at the time, but many extra-urban settlements in the United States were “eager for the police and fire services, schools, and other institutions found in the nearby larger city,” Crowe adds.  

Overtures to join with Oakland failed in 1885 and 1894. A sweeping annexation succeeded in 1897, and Temescal officially became part of Oakland.  

By the end of the 19th century the district was also becoming identified as an Italian immigrant neighborhood, a character that still persists in some blocks and a few street names and businesses. 

In the early 20th century, Temescal built up along the streetcar lines.  

Houses in a wide variety of styles—including Arts and Crafts, Shingle, Spanish and Mission Revival, and “Tudoresque”—filled in the residential blocks. 

In the 1960s modernity cut a literal swath through Temescal when the construction of the Grove-Shafter Freeway—Highway 24—and BART carved away and built barriers across parts of the neighborhood. 

In recent years, however, Temescal has resurged as a residential district and undergone some of the gentrification—positive, benign, or unwelcome, depending on your viewpoint—that has spread through much of North Oakland and South Berkeley. 

The commercial district around Telegraph and 51st Street has been spruced up with new construction, renovations, and an array of old and new businesses. 

The Temescal House Tour runs from 1-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15. Start in front of Acorn Kitchens and Baths, 4640 Telegraph Ave.  

Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 on the day of the tour, and $25 for OHA members.  

Refreshments are provided at one of the houses along the “self-guided and easy-to-walk” tour route. Most houses have stairs. Volunteers for the tour are sought and will receive complimentary admission. 

Contact 763-9218 for information or to make a reservation, email info@oaklandheritage.org, or visit www.oaklandheritage.org. 

In a related event, Jeff Norman presents highlights from his newly published book, Temescal Legacies: Narratives of Change from a North Oakland Neighborhood, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12, at the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland. Tickets are $8 OHA members, $10 general public. 

Proceeds benefit the Oakland Heritage Alliance. 

Photograph by Steven Finacom  

This handsome early Oakland home, complete with backyard water tower and marble-lined entry staircase, is one of the buildings on Sunday’s Temescal tour. 

Here, time stands still. There is only music, and the movement of children through space. 

—Philip Glass 

Three Steinways line up parallel to the apron of the stage at the Metro on Broadway, facing the podium to the right. Onstage is a pair of iron-frame beds, draped in magenta sheets, while a vertiginous flight of gold-orange steps leads up towards the flies, past a mezzanine to an aqua door. 

These are the playing fields for The Game which brother and sister play in The Room, an autosuggestive and incestuous symbolic game that remakes the world they escape, yet spreads like poison into their tiny coterie in that world as they grow up. 

Oakland Opera Theater’s production of Philip Glass’s Les Enfants Terribles, after Jean Cocteau’s 1929 novel and later play, with musical direction by Deirdre McClure and stage direction by Tom Dean, is reset in Saigon from Paris, which eliminates the ever-falling snow of the original and suggests a colonial ambiance to the milieu and action. 

Glass conceived the opera with ballets, and Oakland Opera is collaborating with the dynamic dancer-choreographer Danny Nguyen and his company, who provide the fantastic activity that surrounds and amplifies the dreams and perceptions of the little circle that feed off their own caprices. 

Glass’ music, originally scored for three pianos, has an alternately horizontal or vertical quality of attack, with the recurrent figures, the “suspended animation” (in McClure’s words) of building, resolution, and building again. But there’s something different, peculiarly enjoyable about this piece in comparison to the composer’s excursions into setting libretti in Sanskrit and Ancient Egyptian. 

Densely melodic, following the quick exchanges of the singers/characters (“cat and mouse,” in baritone Axel Van Chee’s words; there are no duets, trios or ensemble singing), the score deserves Glass’s preferred designation of “theater music,” and seems to be something particularly close to the composer’s heart, may be hearkening back to his days in Paris as student of Nadine Boulanger. 

There are moments when the playing (excellently performed by Skye Atman, Paul Caccamo and Kymry Esainko, with Daniel Lockert alternating) reminded the audience of études, perfect for a tale of overextended pubescence that starts with slingshots and a dirtclod (originally snowball) fight after school. It may also remind one of Glass’ story of submitting period stylistic exercises to Boulanger, who reprimanded Glass for “not composing in the way Mozart made music,” Glass then realizing his aesthetic or academic correctness was merely the imitation of art. 

That’s not the case here in this fluid but difficult work, melodic brightness counterpointed by a libretto of constant verbal battles. The company has found fine collaborators to essay the support and principal roles: Paul’s schoolboy friend Gerard (Ben Johns, alternating with Jonathan Smucker), secretly in love with Elizabeth; Cary Ann Rosko as Agathe (and posed on the steps with a sling as Paul’s schoolboy crush, Dargelos); and as brother and sister, superb Axel Van Chee and fascinating, feline Joohee Choi extracting the maximum out of a doomed incestuous love that’s expressed by lolling on beds in dusky light through blinds or squabbling in front of their friends, even in the bathtub, as Gerard spies on them. 

Cocteau, object of surrealist scorn, had a precise sense of the strange mix of tragedy and soap operatic melodrama that descended from Racine into modernism, through Victor Hugo and Baudelaire. This production of “Monsieur Jean’s” Les Enfants Terribles pushes that extreme disparity of display and concealment to the limit, maybe revealing some conceptual problems in Glass’s otherwise excellent vision of the work. 

Nguyen and his dancers, especially Sarah Pun-Richardson (who doubles Elizabeth, alternating with Tara Macken and Emily Mizuno) and Peggy De Coursey (in her mannequin death throes as The Mother)—and Nguyen himself, strange Angel of Death and shade of colonial war—are admirable in their sometimes-manic activity, but sometimes it’s too much and obscures the principals, whose real action is admittedly internalized, but isn’t that what modern opera’s good at representing, especially for Cocteau’s cultish brother and sister? 

This goes for the narration too, which (taken from the novel) worked well on the film soundtrack in Cocteau’s ongoing elegant tones. But Larry Rekow’s voice can’t always cut the wall of music and is frequently flat in his handling of the translated poetic passages from the original book. These seem to be, again, cases of the composer not cutting back on the adapted material to allow the unspoken (unsung, unstaged) elements space to grow, like the shadow from The Game (and, presumably in this interpretation, the rising tide of war) that engulfs the lives of its players and their spectators. The choreographer, dancers and narrator deserve praise for their participation in an exciting production—so typical of this remarkable company-on-a shoestring—as do the designers: Rob Anderson, lights; Garrett Lowe, set: Margaret Lawrence, costumes; and Asa Hoyt, credited for “The Theatre of the Two Beds,” as Cocteau described them. 

LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES 

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 22 at the Oakland Metro Opera House, 201 Broadway. $32-$36 

www.oaklandopera.org.

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. 

He went on to found Aris Books in 1980, and to bring out a long list of single-subject cookbooks celebrating ginger, goat cheese, olives, peppers, mushrooms, calamari—40 titles in all. If you’re a serious cook, you probably have a couple on your own shelves. 

This Sunday, Harris and Maggie Blyth Klein, co-owner of Oliveto in Oakland’s Rockridge district, will host an Aris Books Author Reunion, Feast, and Cookbook Auction at Klein’s celebrated restaurant. It’s a benefit for the Berkeley Food and Housing Project, kicking off their annual “We Give Thanks Month” in which local restaurants dedicate some of their proceeds to the 35-year-old nonprofit’s seven homeless assistance programs.  

Harris and Klein promise delicious food from Oliveto’s chef Paul Canales, inspired by some of the Aris cookbooks, plus a silent auction and a drawing for “a wonderful and unusual culinary adventure.” A dozen or so Aris authors will be on hand: Klein herself (Feast of the Olive), Georgeanne Brennan (New American Vegetable Cookbook), Isaac Cronin (California Seafood Cookbook, International Squid Cookbook), Michele Jordan (Good Cook’s Book of Mustard, Cook’s Tour of Sonoma), Jim Burns (Women Chefs), Linda Burum (Asian Pasta) and Jay Harlow (The Grilling Book).  

“When, in 1981, Harris asked me, then an editor at Cal Berkeley, to write a cookbook about olives and olive oil, neither of us knew that the project would change the course of my and my TV-producer husband Bob’s lives,” says Klein. Their research for Feast of the Olive involved immersion in Tuscan cuisine and culture and inspired them to open their own restaurant. Oliveto will turn 20 this December. 

Many of the other participating authors are still very much engaged with food. Brennan is practically a one-woman cookbook industry, whose other projects include a cooking school in Provence, gardening books, and the Bon Marché line of seeds. Cronin runs a public relations company representing specialty food accounts. Jordan has a food-related radio program in Sebastopol. Other Aris alumni are now food critics, artisanal food makers, specialty farmers, or restaurateurs. 

The Aris output also included books by MFK Fisher and Bruce Cost. What was special about them? “We featured unusual single subjects,” Harris recalls. “And they were more sophisticated subjects: olive oil, ginger, squid, garlic. They were more of a reading experience than standard cookbooks. We were like armchair travel books: you could get pleasure reading about food.” 

Some, like Klein’s Feast of the Olive and Cost’s Ginger East to West, were enormously influential. “Feast of the Olive launched the whole thing of tasting extra-virgin olive oil”, says Harris. “The Grilling Book was the first book to feature mesquite grilling.”  

Harris, now a filmmaker (his documentary, Divine Food: 100 Years in the Kosher Delicatessen Trade, has appeared on PBS), sold Aris in 1991. But he held on to his inventory, and it occurred to him that the books could be used to help the Berkeley Food and Housing Project. He had worked with the group before, making connections with restaurants that now participate in the “We Give Thanks” program. Berkeley Food and Housing Executive Director Terrie Light was delighted with the reunion idea, and Maggie Klein agreed to provide a venue for the event. 

How often do you have a chance to meet culinary celebrities, taste extraordinary Mediterranean food, and assist a worthy local cause?  

Tickets ($100) are available through Oliveto; call 547-5356. 

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. 

Biologists have been teasing out the details of their social lives, learning how females—the choosy sex, as is often the case in birds—pick their mates. And a recent study goes farther to examine 

the consequences of mate choice: how females stuck with a substandard male endow their eggs with compensatory resources. 

Mate choice, of course, was a major theme of Darwin’s Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (which, as David Quammen points out in his new Darwin biography, is really two books smooshed together). Female birds of many species show definite preferences for males with brighter colors, longer tails, more elaborate plumage. 

All these traits may be indicators of various kinds of fitness, like resistance to parasites. When females with a genetically-based predilection for gaudy males mate with those males, they’ll produce male offspring with their father’s feathers and female offspring with their mother’s tastes. Carry this runaway sexual selection out long enough and you get the baroque extravagances of the pheasants or the birds of paradise. 

It’s simpler for female house finches. According to Geoffrey E. Hill of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, who has studied these birds for years, what they look for is redness. That’s a variable trait in males, and it seems to be determined by diet. In the wild, male house finches range from yellowish through orange to red. 

The colors come from carotenoid pigments, the same substances that make carrots orange and flamingos pink. Three different chemicals are involved: beta-carotene produces yellow feathers, isocryptoxanthin produces orange, echinerone produces red. Biologists have established the carotenoid connection by manipulating the diets of captives. 

Male house finches in Hawaii, probable descendants of northern California birds, are on the yellow end of the spectrum. Some ingredient that mainland birds have access to is missing in the islanders’ diets. Hawaiian house finches have been dubbed “papaya birds” because of their fondness for the fruit, but papayas apparently don’t have the right carotenoids. 

In any case, female finches look for degree of redness and color saturation in potential suitors. Hill says females will actively chase off males that don’t meet their criteria. And whatever color says about the male’s genetic dowry, there’s a direct payoff: brighter males bring more food to their nestlings. 

But what if there aren’t enough bright red males to go around? The females apparently have another card to play. Female birds—and I’m not at all clear on the mechanism here—can vary the level of hormones and vitamins in their eggs. In species that had previously been studied, like the zebra finch, the eggs of females mated to more colorful males get an extra dose of testosterone, which promotes growth.  

When Kristen Navara, a reproductive physiologist at Ohio State University looked at house finches, she found the opposite pattern: females paired with the less attractive males laid eggs with more testosterone and antioxidants (vitamins A and E) than those of females with brighter red mates. Antioxidant levels in the first group were 2.5 times higher than in the second. These substances counter the tissue-damaging effects of free radicals. 

So a female saddled with a loser—a drab male who won’t be as attentive a provider as a brighter one—can slip her offspring a little biochemical insurance. Navara relates this strategy to the house finch’s life span, which is short even by small-bird standards: a year or two at most. That limits a female to only a couple of breeding attempts in her lifetime—all the more reason to give the kids extra resources. 

Not that any of this involves conscious calculation on the female finch’s part, of course. It’s all done with hormones (exactly how remains to be determined). I don’t know whether anyone has figured out how it works on the male’s side: why brighter males should be better providers. Do the carotenoids affect their energy level or general vigor? Let’s hope some Ph.D. candidate is already working on that one.  

TUESDAY, OCT. 10 

Tuesday is for the Birds An early morning walk for birders at Bear Creek Staging Area in Briones. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. This week we will visit. For meeting location or to borrow binoculars, call 525-2233.  

“Reclaiming Democracy Through Election Reform” at 7:30 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St., at Castro. 415-561-3013. www.uuba.org 

“The World According to Sesame Street” A documentary on the social impact of the Muppets, followed by a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak. 

“Adventuring in Australia” with Eric Armstrong and Sarah Baughn at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Berkeley High School Governnace Council meets at 6 p.m. in the Community Theater Lobby. 644-4803. 

University of California Press Sidewalk Sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2120 Berkeley Way. www.ucpress.edu 

“The Role of Climate on Water Institutions in the Western Americas” with Justice Greg Hobbs of the Colorado Supreme Court at 5:30 p.m. at Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 250, 2607 Hearst Ave. at LeRoy. 642-2666. 

Batopia Learn the truth about bats with Maggie Hooper and her flying friends at 10 a.m. at the Golden Gate Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 5606 San Pablo Ave. 597-5023. 

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Torture Teach-in and Vigil every Tues. at 12:30 p.m. at the fountain on UC Campus, Bancroft at College. 

“Senior Options to Remain in Your Home” A panel discussion at 1:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 981-5190. 

Handbuilding Ceramics Class from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Free, except for materials and firing charges. 525-5497. 

”Living with Threes and Fours” Informational night for parents at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 658-7353.  

Albany Library Homework Center is open from 3 to 5 p.m., Tues. and Thurs. for students in third through fifth grades.1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext 17. 

How to Eat Well and Not Wear It at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Sleep Soundly Seminar A free class on how hypnosis can help you sleep at 6:30 p.m. at 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. To register call 465-2524. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11  

Walking Tour of Historic Oakland Churches and Temples Meet at 10 a.m. at the front of the First Presbyterian Church at 2619 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. For reservations call 238-3234. 

“Healthy Homes” Learn about less toxic alternatives to commonly used housecleaning and home pest control products, at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser, El Cerrito. 665-3546.  

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 3 to 4 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Poetry Writing Workshop with Alison Seevak at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

“Protect Yourself from Identity Theft” with Timothy Yee, financial advisor at 6 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, First Floor, 125 14th St. 238-3134. 

Spirited Child Series Learn how temperament affects children’s behavior and how to best live and work with inborn traits at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. To register call 752-6150. If you need child care, at $5 per child, call 658-7353.  

”Choosing Infant Care” A workshop for new parents at noon at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 658-7353.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. 548-9840. 

Current Events Discussion Group meets at 7 p.m. at the Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Oakland. 597-4972. 

New to DVD “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” Film and discussion at 7 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

“In God’s House: Asian American Lesbian & Gay Families in the Church,” A documentary at 7 p.m. at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 849-8260. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 12 

A Creek in Downtown Berkeley? Helen Burke, Kirstin Miller, and Gus Yates discuss costs/benefits to “daylight” Strawberry Creek and close Center St. to traffic between Oxford and Shattuck, at 7:30 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. 549-8790. 

“Temescal Legacies: Narratives of Change from a North Oakland Neighborhood” with author Jeff Norman at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Peidmont Ave., Oakland. Donation $8-$10. Sponsored by the Oakland Heritage Alliance. 763-9218.  

Environmental Film Series “The Future of Food” on genetically engineered foods, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220. 

Richmond Southeast Shoreline Community Group meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Richmond Convention Center, Bermuda Room, 403 Civic Center Plaza at Nevin and 25th Sts. 367-5379. 

“The Anza Trail and the Settling of California” with Vladimir Guerrero at 1 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200.  

“Oil and Global Warming Today: Voices from the Front Lines” with Ben Namakin, an environmental educator with the Conservation Society of Pohnpei, at 6 p.m. at the Free Speech Movement Cafe, UC Campus. 643-6445. 

An Evening with Margo Okazawa-Rey, feminist anti-militarist and scholar at 7 p.m. at Tehilla Synagogue, 1300 Grand Avenue, Piedmont. Donation $5. Sponsored by Bay Area Women in Black and the Women of Color Resource Center. info@bayareawomeninblack.org 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session from noon to 3 p.m. 524-2319. 

Safety and Self Defense Seminar for Women at 1 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $5. 848-0237. 

Veterans Reflecting on War and Peace with Maxine Hong Kingston and war veterans at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $5. 848-0237. 

Poetry Workshop with Donna Davis from 9 to noon at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. An ongoing class offered by Berkeley Adult School.  

FRIDAY, OCT. 13 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park, ongoing on Fridays until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with The League of Women Voters on the Nov. 7 Election. Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

“What Does it Mean We Don’t Have a Vote Anymore?” An open conference and discussion at 3 p.m. at Redwood Gardens., 2951 Derby St. 

“Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War” A documentary by Robert Greenwald at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., between Broadway and Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 

“Political Prisoners: 40th Anniversary Reunion of Black Panther Party” A forum to learn about political prisoners in the United States and elsewhere at 4 p.m. at Malonga Casque- 

lourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., at 14th St., Oakland. 393-5685. 

Womansong Circle with Betsy Rose A participatory circle of song for women at 7:15 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Small Assembly Room, 2345 Channing Way, at Dana. Cost is $15-$20 at the door, sliding scale, no one turned away. 525-7082.  

Kol Hadash Non-Theistic Family Shabbat at 6 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Please bring simple child-friendly food to share. 428-1492. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 14 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Walk in Honor of Our Ancestors Meet at 8 a.m. at the El Cerrito BART Station on San Pablo Ave. Walk goes down San Pablo and up University and ends at 1 p.m. at Krober Hall at the University for a memorial for the human remains stored at the Phoebe Hearst Museum. 575-8408. www.vallejointertribalcouncil.org 

Toddler Nature Walk We’ll look for spiders, insects and other fascinating creatures from 2 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Alameda's Pivotal Election 2006” A program of the Alameda Public Affairs Forum at 7 p.m. at the Home of Truth, 1300 Grand Street, Alameda.  

Tour of the EBMUD Water Treatment Plant To learn about sewage treatment and its role in Bay water quality, from 10 a.m. to noon. For details and to RSVP please call 452-9261 ext.109. www.savesfbay.org/bayevents 

“Temescal Creek and the Interstate Bakery Property” A presentation on the development of the Interstate Bakery Property at 53rd At. and Adeline, at 10:30 a.m. at Temescal Creek Park Amphitheater, 47th Street, corner of Adeline & 47th Street, Emeryville. 434.3840. temcrk@mountaincurrent.net 

Africa Matters in Zimbabwe A fundraiser and presentation on Africa Matters Scholarship Fund at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. 655-4528. 

The East Bay Bonsai Society presents its 45th Annual Show and Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat. and 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sun. at the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue, Oakland. 521-9588.  

Vegetarian Cooking Class “Comfort Foods for Chilly Nights” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St., at Castro, Oakland. Cost is $50. To register, please call 531-2665. www.compassionatecooks.com 

Maven Urban Design and Craft Fair for women artists from noon to 5 p.m. at 1700 Dwight Way at McGee. www.mavenfair.com 

Great War Society monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. at 640 Arlington Ave. The discussion topic will be “Military Strategy of the Germans & British, 1914-1918” by Robert Deward. 527-7118. 

Berkeley Branch NAACP meets at 1 p.m. at the Church by the Side of the Road, 2108 Russell St. 845-7416. 

Reiki for Post Partum Women at 10 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Dramatically Speaking” with Paul Rowan and Tevis Thompson, Jr., on Commercial Acting and Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech at 9 a.m. at 1950 Franklin St., Oakland. Free, but RSVP required. 581-8675. 

The Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society will hold its 19th Annual USA Symposium on Sat. and Sun. from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Seaborg Room, Faculty Club, UC campus. The theme of the weekend is “Know Yourself.” Fee, donations accepted. 415-250-1817. www.ibnarabisociety.org 

San Francisco Chapter of the Romance Writers of America with agent Jessica Faust at 8:30 a.m. at Pyramid Restaurant, 901 Gilman St. Cost is $30. Reservations requested, email dginny1942@cs.com 

Lead-Safety for remodeling, repair and painting of older homes. HUD & EPA approved class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention, 200 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. For information call 567-8280.  

A Better Chance Independent School Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Education Center, 2825 International Blvd., Oakland. www.abetterchance.org 

Non-Anesthetic Teeth Cleaning for Dogs and Cats from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $35. To make an appointment call 525-6155. 

Produce Stand at Spiral Gardens Food Security Project from 1 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon St. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Urban Releaf Tree Tour of Oakland and workshops in urban forestry that teach tree planting, maintenance, GIS/GPS systems, and community advocacy. For information call 601-9062. www.urbanreleaf.org 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Yoga for Peace at 9:30 a.m. at Ohlone Park, MLK at Hearst. Bring a yoga mat, warm blanket, and peace sign.  

Adult Fast Pitch Softball at noon. For location call 204-9500.  

Spiritwalking: Aqua Chi(TM) at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Also Wed. at 3:30 p.m. Cost is $5.50, $3.50 seniors & disabled. Bring your own towels. 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. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 15 

Oakland Heritage Alliance House Tour of the Temescal neighborhood. The self-guided tour begins at Acrodn Kitchens and BAths, 4640 Telegraph Ave. Tickets are $25-$35. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Partners in Preservation Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. at multiple locations in the East Bay. For details see www.partnersinpreservation.com. 415-365-8532. 

Bike Ride to the Open House at the Watershed Project Meet at 11 a.m. at the El Cerrito Plaza, west parking lot to bike to the open house at the Watershed Project. En route visit the tidal sloughs of 4 local creeks, where the watersheds empty into the Bay. Bicycle and rider should be in good shape, and riders must wear helmet.  

Richmond: Celebration by the Bay with the Watershed Project with tours, bird watching, food and drink, from noon to 3 p.m. at the garden at the Richmond Field Station. For more information and directions call 665-3430. www.thewaatershedproject.org 

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park Indigenous People’s Day Celebration from noon to 5 p.m. at Peralta House and Park, 2465 34th Ave., corner of Coolidge and Hyde, Oakland. Live entertainment features the Amah-Ka-Tura Ohlone dancers of Santa Cruz, youth performers from Calvin Simmons Middle School and music by Phoenix and Afterbuffalo. Other activities will include children’s crafts, free guided tours. www.peraltahacienda.org 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377.  

Meditation Walk Walking meditation, quiet sitting and poetry writing. Meet at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Fundraiser for City Slicker Farms A local grassroots nonprofit that converts empty lots in West Oakland into high yield urban farms, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Mama Buzz Café, 2318 Telegraph Ave., at 23rd, Oakland. Cost is $15, no one turned away. 763-4241. 

Felt Mask Making Learn the soapy, slippery and fun art of making felt, for ages 6-12, accompanied by an adult, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $7-$9, registration required. 636-1684. 

Mayan and Aztec Medicinal Plants Tour at 11 a.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $8-$12. Registration required. 643-2755.  

Black Panther Party Reunion with videos and photographs at 1:30 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. 238-6718. 

The Friends of the Kensington Library Booksale from noon at 4 p.m. at Kensington Library. 524-3043. 

Kensington Pumpkin Parade and pumpkin pie-eating contest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Arlington Ave. at Amherst. kensingtonfm@yahoo.com 

Halloween Pumpkin Painting for children at 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Friends of Albany Seniors Pasta Dinner Fundraiser to support the senior center, from 4 to 7 p.m. at 846 Masonic Ave., Albany. Cost is $8, children under six $3. 534-9122. 

“25 Years of Culinary Creations” A commemorative lunch to benefit Berkeley Food and Housing Project at noon at Oliveto’s. Tickets are $100. 649-4965. 

6th Annual Crabby Chef Competition at 2 p.m. in Spenger’s parking lot. 845-7771.  

“Dreamgirls: Girls and Women in Sports” with talks by women athletes and a screening of the film “Dare to Dream” at 1 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Bike Tour of Oakland Explore Oakland and learn about the incredible history of Oakland and its visionaries and scoundrels. Meet at 10 a.m. at the 10th St. entrance of the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Participants must be over twelve years old and provide their own bikes, helmets and repair kits. Free. 238-3514. www.museumca.org 

Saint Ambrose Parish “International Night” Fundraiser for its sister parish in India, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 1145 Gilman St. Food, music, dancing, and humor from all parts of the world. Cost is $5. For reservations call 525-2620. 

Don’t be Six Feet Under Without a Plan A free workshop to learn more about the complexities and costs of Creating a Living Will, Powers of Attorney, End of Life Planinng and Services at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. at Pleasant Valley Rd. 562-9431. 

Adult Sunday Sing-Along at 3 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Chinese Medicine for Meopause Relief at 11:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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 

“10,000 Christs...” with David Fitzgerald on the search for the historical Jesus at 9:30 a.m at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

“Judaism Without God? Understanding Humanistic Judaism” at 10 a.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Cost is $5.  

MONDAY, OCT. 16  

“What We Want, What We Believe” DVD showing and conversation with Newsreel archivist, Roz Payne and former Black Panthers at 7:30pm at the AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

“Never Again” Photographs and discussion of the physical and human consequences of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at 4 p.m. at the Bade Museum of the Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave.  

“Last Atomic Bomb” Benefit screening with producer Kathleen Sullivan at 6 p.m., film at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave, Oakland. Benefit for Western States Legal Foundation, working for peace and justice in a nuclear free world. Cost is $25 for reception and film, $10 for film only. 839-5877. www.wslfweb.org 

“The Big Buy” film and discussion at 7 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. 525-9450. 

“The Shocking Truth About Gluten: Why Bread Eaters Get Sick” A new film by Ann Marks at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043.Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For information call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

CodePINK Monthly “Eat and Greet” at 6 p.m. at Nabalom Bakery, 2708 Russell St. at College Ave. Donation $20. no one turned away. 524-2776. www.bayareacodepink.org 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people aged 60 and over meets at 9:45 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Donation $3. 524-9122. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

Lead Abatement Repairs Find out about funding for lead hazard repairs for rental properties with low-income tenants or vacant units in Oakland, Berkeley or Emeryville, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2000 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. Sponsored by Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 567-8280. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Commission on Disability meets Wed., Oct. 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Don Brown, 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345.  

Homeless Commission meets Wed., Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426.  

Planning Commission meets Wed., Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. J981-7484.  

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. 981-6740.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 12, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 12, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7010.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Oct. 12, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410.