The Week

Contributed by Ellen Gailing.
          Richmond residents Dolores Garcia and Eduardo Carrasco practice for Saturday’s Dance Swap at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond.
Contributed by Ellen Gailing. Richmond residents Dolores Garcia and Eduardo Carrasco practice for Saturday’s Dance Swap at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond.
 

News

Flash: Hard Fought Berkeley Races End in Victory for Incumbents, Measure J Defeated

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 07, 2006

More than half a million dollars later, campaign weary incumbent mayoral and council candidates Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmembers Gordon Wozniak, Kriss Worthington, Dona Spring and Linda Maio will retake their familiar seats on the council dais. -more-


Flash: Issel, Riddle, Hemphill Win School Board Seats, Measure A Approved By Huge Margin

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Incumbents Nancy Riddle and Shirley Issel and challenger Karen Hemphill have won the three open seats on the five-member Berkeley Board of Education. -more-


Richmond Recruits Youth to Help Restore Its Past Glories

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday November 07, 2006

In Richmond they call it the Iron Triangle, a hard-core, high-crime neighborhood bound by railroad tracks and—to outsiders, at least—long abandoned of hope. -more-


THE DAILY PLANET ENDORSES

Tuesday November 07, 2006

Berkeley Mayor: Zelda Bronstein. Berkeley City Council: District 1: no endorsement, District 4: Dona Spring, District 6: Kriss Worthington, District 8: Jason Overman -more-


Campaign Cash Flowed As Election Approached

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 07, 2006

With the latest loan to his campaign of $26,000, District 7 challenger George Beier has broken Berkeley’s record for financing a City Council campaign. -more-


PAC’s Last Postcard: SuperGeorge Licks Phantom Crime Wave

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 07, 2006

The Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee outdid itself with a last-minute mailer that hit District 7 mailboxes Monday. -more-


Techie Innovations Draw Qualified Praise, Criticisms

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 07, 2006

In the last days of the contentious Berkeley City Council District 7 race, challenger George Beier has won praise and attracted criticism for his innovative attempts to tap into the student vote. -more-


Commission Adds 2 Landmarks, Urges Preservation of BHS Gym

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday November 07, 2006

In their final meeting before voters decide on their future role in city government, Berkeley commissioners added two new landmarks to the city’s legacy. -more-


Downtown Area Committee Pauses For a Vision Check

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Citizens charged with guiding the creation of a new downtown plan called a halt to discussions last week, deciding instead to tackle “the vision thing.” -more-


Candidates Join Forces to Host Election Night Parties

Tuesday November 07, 2006

The schedule of election night parties traditonally provides clues for alert observers about shifting alliances among candidates. All festivities are scheduled to start after the polls close, around 8 o’clock tonight (Tuesday). -more-


City Goes to Court to Re-Open Police Complaint Hearings

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Should the Berkeley Police Department be held accountable to the public when its actions are called into question? -more-


Hudson-McDonald Presses ZAB For 148-Unit Trader Joe’s Building

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 07, 2006

The Zoning Adjustments Board will review the Kragen/Trader Joe’s project at 1885 University Ave. on Thursday. -more-


Berkeley School Board Reaffirms Commitment to Integration

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 07, 2006

The Berkeley school board passed a resolution last week supporting Brown v. Board of Education and the Seattle, Wash., and Louisville, Ky., public school integration plans, both of which have been challenged by Sacramento-based non-profit Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF). -more-


Planners to Ponder New Laws For Milo Foundation, Designs

By Ron Sullivan
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Planning commissioners will decide regulations rather than specific projects when they meet Wednesday. -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Hooded bandit -more-


Immigration Trumps War for Many Ethnic Voters

By Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, New America Media
Tuesday November 07, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO—Many ethnic voters will troop to the polling booths on Tuesday with one thing in mind: immigration. And there are indications from ethnic journalists that their communities are leaning toward the Democratic ticket to get the kind of comprehensive immigration reform law they want. Some fear that the issue will get swept under the rug until the new Congress starts in January. -more-


10 Questions for Councilmember Max Anderson

By Jonathan Wafer, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

1. Where were you born and where did you grow up, and how does that affect how you regard the issues in Berkeley and in your district? -more-


First Person: The War on Ourselves

By Winston Burton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

We have met the enemy and it is us. -more-


Rally Slams Chamber PAC’s ‘Big Lies’

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 03, 2006

Slamming what they called the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce’s Karl Rove approach to local elections, some 125 people demonstrated Wednesday on the steps of Old City Hall to “say no to big money and big lies.” -more-


Late Breaking Election Letters

Friday November 03, 2006

BATES ON DEVELOPMENT -more-


University EIR Denies Criticisms From Stadium-Area Project Foes

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 03, 2006

UC Regents will be asked this month to approve the first of a major series of projects at Berkeley’s Southeast Campus. -more-


THE DAILY PLANET ENDORSES

Friday November 03, 2006

THE DAILY PLANET ENDORSES -more-


Panoramic Hill Residents Say UC Stadium Plans Are Illegal

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 03, 2006

Do UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium area development plans violate a state law created to save lives in major earthquakes by limiting new construction? -more-


More Last Minute Chamber Mailers Hit Mailboxes

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 03, 2006

While speakers at a noontime rally at Old City Hall were protesting a spate of Chamber of Commerce hit pieces received by voters over the past week, new mailers containing what Councilmember Dona Spring called “more brazen lies” were appearing in District 4 and District 7 mailboxes. -more-


Peralta Trustee Race Raises Questions on Bond Money

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday November 03, 2006

Reaction to a Peralta Area 7 trustee candidates debate has raised questions about what local voters committed themselves to in last June’s Peralta Measure A bond vote. -more-


UC Student Election Forum Debates City Races

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 03, 2006

Student votes could play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the District 7 and 8 Berkeley City Council races, according to UC Berkeley students who attended a local elections forum at Dwinelle Hall Wednesday. -more-


Maybeck Church Wins First in Internet Preservation Contest

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 03, 2006

Berkeley’s first landmark has proved the Bay Area’s most popular—at least of the 25 structures Internet voters could pick to receive preservation funds. -more-


KPFA Listeners Race for Station Board Spots

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 03, 2006

The turn-of-the-century battle cry “Whose station? Our station!” echoed through Berkeley streets as KPFA listener-supporters fought in daily demonstrations for control of the left-leaning flagship Pacifica radio station. The resistance to an attempted takeover by the national board was won in the courts where, among other guarantees, local listeners got the right to elect local station boards. -more-


KPFA Independents Enter Fray

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 03, 2006

Eight candidates are running for the board as independents. -more-


Students Rally for Schools Measure

Photograph by Erik Pearson
Friday November 03, 2006

Cragmont Elementary students Alice Pearson Rickenbach, Emma Gordon, Katherine Gordon and parent David Adamson greet cars as they swing around the Marin Circle at a rally for Measure A on Monday. -more-


District 7 Tactics Similar to SF Supes Race

By Paul Hogarth, BeyondChron.org
Friday November 03, 2006

In San Francisco and Berkeley, progressive incumbents are under siege by heavily-funded campaigns for being “soft on crime.” In San Francisco, Supervisor Chris Daly has been barraged with hit-pieces by the Police Officers Association and challenger Rob Black. In Berkeley, City Councilman Kriss Worthington is on the receiving end of the most expensive campaign in that city’s history. Like Black, Worthington’s challenger (George Beier) has blamed the incumbent for a high crime rate in the district, filthy streets and a struggling economy. By making crime and quality-of-life issues a central theme of their campaigns, Black and Beier have both attacked the incumbents on an issue where any individual supervisor or city councilmember has little control. Beier has already spent $72,000 of his own money on mail pieces and free beer for Cal students, and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce has kicked in an extra $9,000 in independent expenditures. All of this in a race where you need just 2,000 votes to win an election. -more-


A Look at State Props. 1A, 84, 1E, 89

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday November 03, 2006

Proposition 1A—Transportation Funding Protection -more-


Richmond Mayor Candidate Statement: Irma L. Anderson

By Irma L. Anderson
Friday November 03, 2006

Every city in California is struggling to maintain financial health after years of state takeaways. I’m most proud to have saved Richmond from the brink of financial disaster by firing management, bringing in the State Auditor, and making unpopular decisions to dramatically reduce our operating expenses to save our City from bankruptcy. Today, our City is in the black with a balanced budget and new leadership that I helped recruit, including our City Manager, our Finance Director and our Police Chief. -more-


Richmond Mayor Candidate Statements: Gary Bell

By Gary Bell
Friday November 03, 2006

I’ve achieved many of the things that I’ve wanted to achieve in life. I’m happily married, have a beautiful family, run a successful business, and have an amazing circle of friends. I want to give back to Richmond, the city that has given me so much. -more-


Richmond Mayor Candidate Statements: Gayle McLaughlin

By Gayle McLaughlin
Friday November 03, 2006

Richmond can be a great place … It is possible! In 2004 the City of Richmond was hit by a 35 million dollar tidal wave of a deficit that swept away over 200 city jobs and the few public services that Richmond residents could count on . In the throes of this disaster, I ran for the Richmond City Council offering a new vision and a new direction. I was elected with an overwhelming approval of the voters, and without taking a single dollar from corporate America. The people of Richmond were tired of decades of corruption, collusion, mismanagement and carelessness. -more-


ZAB Continues Hearing On Milo Foundation

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 03, 2006

The Zoning Adjustments Board decided last week to continue Milo Foundation’s hearing for a use permit to allow neighbors more time to mediate with the Solano Avenue pet adoption store. -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 03, 2006

Hands off -more-


Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Election Proves Times Are A-Changin’ in Berkeley

By Becky O'Malley
Tuesday November 07, 2006

For an editorial published on election day, we have two choices. We can ignore the election, thus insuring ourselves against the embarrassment of incorrect predictions in the eyes of Wednesday and Thursday readers. The downside of this choice is that many if not most votes are cast on Tuesday, election day itself, the first day this issue is on the newsstands, which means that undecided readers who turn to the Planet for last-minute guidance will be disappointed. Alternatively, we can, one more time, re-hash the issues which became important during the campaign, getting in one last word about our take on the action. -more-


Editorial: Hit Pieces Damage Chamber’s Reputation

By Becky O’Malley
Friday November 03, 2006

The arrival of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce’s latest Measure J hit piece in mailboxes all over town on Wednesday generated a remarkable explosion of outrage from Berkeley citizens—it’s jammed our e-mail box. We’ve printed the largest Planet ever today, but it hasn’t got room for everything. You can read last-minute contributions on the web and in Tuesday’s paper, if you’re still undecided. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday November 07, 2006

CHAMBER HIT PIECES -more-


Commentary: Hurricane Katrina, the CNA and our Community College

By Stephen Kessler
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Sitting before our TV’s witnessing the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, the nation stunned, incredulous, in shock. Conversation, public and private, a mix of anger and disbelief. How could the flood victims—disproportionately poor and black—be treated so badly, deserted, left to fend for themselves, to die? The Bush administration went AWOL—absent without leave—revealing itself as having committed what can fairly be called malign acts of criminal negligence. This was in sharp contrast to the generous outpouring of volunteer help and contributions from around the country. A prime example: hundreds of RNs went down to New Orleans within days to respond to the horrible plight of the flood victims. -more-


Commentary: My Jail Term

By Rob Browning
Tuesday November 07, 2006

The most diverting feature of my jail cell was the handsome stainless-steel console attached to one wall that cleverly combined the functions of washbasin, drinking fountain, and toilet. In its economy of line, its satisfying serviceability in all its functions, and its efficient and hygienic separation of those functions, it was the kind of thing one might encounter in the design galleries of the Museum of Modern Art. A very distant second place goes to the disposable toothbrush. After removing it from its sanitary package, I followed instructions to push the handle toward the brush head, which broke a seal and squeezed rather tasty toothpaste up into the bristles. My cell offered three of these. But even in the tedium of my two and a half hour confinement I used only one. -more-


Commentary: Will Our Votes Count?

By Jinky Gardner, Helen Hutchison and Susan Schroeder
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Will our votes count in this election? The short answer is yes. -more-


Commentary: A Student For Beier

By Evan Bloom
Tuesday November 07, 2006

As a fourth year student at Cal I have never voted in a local Berkeley election. I never cared too much for the local style of sandbox politics and seemingly little action. From my perspective, and other students I’ve spoken to, Berkeley politicians don’t really do all that much. But then again, why should I care? I’m here four years and then I’ll never live in Berkeley again. However, recently a chance encounter with City Council candidate George Beier has changed my mind. -more-


Commentary: Prop. 89 a Chance for Clean Elections

By Steve Koppman
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Many Californians dread the mass of complex propositions on every imaginable subject that confronts us every statewide election. This November, though, features a system-changing initiative that must not be allowed to get lost in the clutter, a measure that offers fundamental change to the system of legalized bribery that has too long passed in this state for representative democracy. -more-


Letters to the Editor

Friday November 03, 2006

ANIMAL SHELTER -more-


Commentary: Let’s Talk About Development...

By Tom Bates
Friday November 03, 2006

Those of us lucky enough to live in Berkeley celebrate its unique character—beautiful tree lined streets, craftsman houses, parks, shoreline, and much else. But the uniqueness of this place is more than just its appearance. We are all enriched by a vibrant arts and music scene, by a strong activist community, and by the diversity of people, cultures, and ideas. As this city evolves and changes with time, it is important to protect both parts of Berkeley’s heritage. -more-


Commentary: Bates Plays Politics With Voters, Animal Shelter and School District Finances

By Zelda Bronstein
Friday November 03, 2006

In November 2002, 68 percent of Berkeley voters said yes to Measure I, which authorized the city to issue $7.2 million of bonds for an urgently needed new animal shelter. Given that the other four city tax measures on the ballot failed to get the necessary two-thirds approval, Measure I’s victory was particularly impressive. Yet four years later, the city has not even secured a site, much less broken ground, for a new facility. Nothing. -more-


Commentary: Affordable Housing for Berkeley: Yes on Measure I

By Fern Leaf
Friday November 03, 2006

Home ownership remains a cornerstone of the American Dream. In 1993, unable to afford a San Francisco broom closet, I crossed the bay to purchase a sweet bungalow under $200,000. Today, Berkeley starter homes list at $600,000-$700,000. -more-


Commentary: Measure I is a Cruel Hoax

By Loni Hancock
Friday November 03, 2006

I have lived in Berkeley for over 40 years and care deeply about its future. I want my city to preserve its economic and cultural diversity and its commitment to basic fairness. For this reason, I have joined Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Sierra Club, and many other community leaders and organizations in opposing Measure I, the eviction for condo ordinance. -more-


Commentary: Measure A Continues Our Commitment to Our Children

By Dan Lindheim
Friday November 03, 2006

Measure A gives Berkeley voters a clear choice: keep things financially as they are (a yes vote) or drastically cut school budgets by 25 percent (a no vote). -more-


Commentary: Measure A Directly Supports Berkeley Students

By Jodi Levin
Friday November 03, 2006

I’m a Measure A supporter and co-president of the PTA at Emerson Elementary. I’ve been out campaigning for Measure A on weekends and following the letters to the editor here in the Daily Planet. I’d like to address this letter to those Berkeley residents who may be on the fence about whether to support Measure A. -more-


Commentary: How the City Council Has Hurt Local Businesses

By Elliot Cohen
Friday November 03, 2006

With most Berkeley campaigns focusing on development, an important issue receiving too little attention is what City Hall is not doing to support local businesses. -more-


Commentary: Measure J and its Exemption From Proposition 90

By Laurie Bright
Friday November 03, 2006

The one thing that Mayor Bates and the Chamber of Commerce PAC won’t bring up in their campaign against Measure J is the fact that Measure J would be exempt from Proposition 90. -more-


Commentary: Saying Yes to the Future

By Shirley Dean
Friday November 03, 2006

Thirty-two years ago right here in Berkeley hundreds of wonderful old brown shingles, stucco bungalows, and Queen Anne Victorians were being torn down to make way for apartment buildings designed so poorly they were referred to as “refrigerator boxes.” Thousands more wonderful structures were threatened with plans to widen and connect streets, expand the University, and combine lots in the heart of residential neighborhoods so that taller apartment buildings, sometimes up to 10-stories, could be built. No neighborhood was safe, and it seemed no one could do anything to stop it. -more-


Commentary: Where’s the Free Speech?

By Ted Preisser
Friday November 03, 2006

The Patio is my favorite pub in all the world. Great food (one of the owners is a chef and the other’s a damn good cook), great conversation from owners and (some) customers, alike, and great beer. So why is this place going out of business? -more-


Commentary: Say No to the Cost of Oakland’s Measure N

By Jane Powell
Friday November 03, 2006

Everyone supports libraries—it’s like Mom and apple pie. But hardly any of the Measure N money is going to the branch libraries- instead it is going to build a new main library in a building that wasn’t meant for that purpose, for an unbelievable amount of money. This year I will be paying $77.42 per year on my prop tax bill for “City Library Serv.”—not a bond measure, but an assessment we were sold a few years ago in order to keep the libraries open and fully staffed. Meanwhile, the number of top-level managers has almost doubled—from eight in 2002 to fourteen now—does Carmen Martinez need that much help? -more-


Commentary: Buying a City Council Seat

By Rob Wrenn
Friday November 03, 2006

As the Daily Planet has reported George Beier is the biggest spender in this year’s local elections. In fact he has set a record for the most money ever spent on a City Council race. He had spent $72,150 as of Oct. 21. It’s quite likely he will top $100,000 before he’s done. To put this in perspective, Mayor Tom Bates had only spent $52,375 by October 21 and he is running citywide in all eight districts. -more-


Columns

Column: I am Thankful, I am Blessed, And You Are So Aloha

By Susan Parker
Tuesday November 07, 2006

I’ve never had so many visitors in my life. Within hours of Ralph’s death, my friend Ann arrived from Idaho. My parents flew in from the East Coast, and in a few days the house was full: a brother from Minnesota and another from New Jersey, Ralph’s twin from San Diego and an ex sister-in-law from Seattle. More followed: people I hadn’t seen in years, friends of friends, former co-workers, links with the distant and not-so-distant past. Most had known Ralph when he could walk, move his fingers and toes, pick up a sandwich and take a bite, swing a hammer over his head, or expertly read a backcountry ski map. It was both wonderful and sad—consoling to see so many friends, disappointing not to have Ralph here to share in their visits. -more-


Coyote Point Museum Offers Rewarding Excursion

By Steven Finacom, Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Only about an hour’s travel southwest of Berkeley, there’s a little piece of bayside nature where you can view some seldom-seen native treasures, learn about the Bay Area’s natural environment, and appreciate the ongoing struggle to save it. -more-


Tarantula Season: In Search of the Bay Area Blond

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Another season has come and gone, and I still have not connected with the tarantulas of the East Bay Hills. Mount Diablo in October was supposed to be a sure thing. So I hiked about a mile up Mitchell Canyon at dusk, scanning the trail ahead for dark objects that might be wandering male tarantulas. (Dusk and dawn are when the questing males are most active, and dawn was not in the cards.) But all the dark objects turned out to be pinecones or piles of horsecrap. -more-


Column: The View From Here: Confronting the Role Models of Hallowed Gangsters

By P.M. Price
Friday November 03, 2006

On the eve of Halloween while teaching a Berkeley class of second graders, the discussion naturally turned to the costumes the kids planned to wear on Halloween day. One of the boys grinned, with arms crossed and head tilted to the side. -more-


Column: Undercurrents: Brown Violates His Own Principles in AG Run

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday November 03, 2006

Some time ago, maybe more than once, I wrote in this column that in his campaign for California attorney general, Mayor Jerry Brown was going to use his Oakland track record in a different way than most politicians usually do. Politicians generally spotlight their positive achievements in office, and in his race against State Senator Chuck Poochigian, Mr. Brown has certainly done that. But in areas where Mr. Brown has failed in Oakland—and there were many such failures—he has excused those failures by putting the blame on Oakland. In effect, he’s been telling California voters that Oakland was so bad, nobody could fix it, and he wants voters to give him points for even giving it a good try. -more-


Undercurrents: Brown Violates His Own Principles in AG Run

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday November 03, 2006

Some time ago, maybe more than once, I wrote in this column that in his campaign for California attorney general, Mayor Jerry Brown was going to use his Oakland track record in a different way than most politicians usually do. Politicians generally spotlight their positive achievements in office, and in his race against State Senator Chuck Poochigian, Mr. Brown has certainly done that. But in areas where Mr. Brown has failed in Oakland—and there were many such failures—he has excused those failures by putting the blame on Oakland. In effect, he’s been telling California voters that Oakland was so bad, nobody could fix it, and he wants voters to give him points for even giving it a good try. -more-


Cal Ink: Etched into the History of the 20th Century

By Susan Cerny
Friday November 03, 2006

During the first 75 years of the 20th century, West Berkeley was the location of many manufacturing plants that produced diverse products from vegetable oil to ink, and from huge hydraulic pumps to tanned hides. -more-


The Worms Go In, The Worms Go Out

By Ron Sullivan
Friday November 03, 2006

I was working with a couple of young volunteers from UC’s redoubtable Habitat for Humanity group last weekend when one of them exclaimed, “Yuck! I found a worm.” -more-


Quake Tip of the Week: What Are We Thinking?

By Larry Guillot
Friday November 03, 2006

There’s an old saying ... “Da Nile ain’t just a river in Egypt.” No, denial is alive and well right here in the Bay Area. -more-


About the House: The Merits and Problems of Pressure-Treated Wood

By Matt Cantor
Friday November 03, 2006

The construction world is in love with novelty. Every year, trade shows display the latest inventions and materials with promises of low cost, easy installation and life-long service. Of course, these things never turn out to be as true as presented and the buyer must always beware. -more-


Arts & Events

Arts Calendar

Tuesday November 07, 2006

TUESDAY, NOV. 7 -more-


Around the East Bay

Tuesday November 07, 2006

SCIENTIST-AUTHOR TELLS US “WE ARE THE TRUTH” -more-


Walton, Turre Team Up at Yoshi’s

By Ira Steingroot, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Cedar Walton may not be a household name to everyone, but in his half-century as a professional jazz pianist, Walton’s talents have been called upon by almost every major jazz musician. -more-


The Theater: Masquers Brings ‘Company’ to Point Richmond

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

“It’s my childhood, all over again!” one playgoer gushed, as the canned strains of a Blood, Sweat & Tears number came over the sound system at the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond, followed by other pop radio tunes circa 1970, before the curtain went up on Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company. -more-


Coyote Point Museum Offers Rewarding Excursion

By Steven Finacom, Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Only about an hour’s travel southwest of Berkeley, there’s a little piece of bayside nature where you can view some seldom-seen native treasures, learn about the Bay Area’s natural environment, and appreciate the ongoing struggle to save it. -more-


Tarantula Season: In Search of the Bay Area Blond

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 07, 2006

Another season has come and gone, and I still have not connected with the tarantulas of the East Bay Hills. Mount Diablo in October was supposed to be a sure thing. So I hiked about a mile up Mitchell Canyon at dusk, scanning the trail ahead for dark objects that might be wandering male tarantulas. (Dusk and dawn are when the questing males are most active, and dawn was not in the cards.) But all the dark objects turned out to be pinecones or piles of horsecrap. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Tuesday November 07, 2006

TUESDAY, NOV. 7 -more-


Arts Calendar

Friday November 03, 2006

FRIDAY, NOV. 3 -more-


Around The East Bay

Friday November 03, 2006

50 YEARS OF GREAT ARTHOUSE CINEMA -more-


Moving Pictures: ‘Jonestown: The Life and Death of People’s Temple’

By Justin DeFreitas
Friday November 03, 2006

Oakland director Stanley Nelson will attend screenings tonight (Friday) at Shattuck Cinemas for his new film, Jonestown: The Life and Death of People’s Temple. -more-


The Theater: Dysfunctional Crime Family at TheatreFIRST

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday November 03, 2006

Quentin Tarantino once reminisced about the strange compliment that old master of maverick filmmaking, Sam Fuller, gave his heist film, Reservoir Dogs at an early screening. “So, you made that film about morons? That’s good; it’s been awhile since anyone’s made a film about morons.” -more-


Music Without Borders by Del Sol Quartet

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday November 03, 2006

The Del Sol String Quartet will present ‘Premieres Without Borders,’ pieces by the late Marc Blitzstein (famous for The Cradle Will Rock), New Zealander Jack Body, Persian-American Reza Vali and West Coast native Eric Lindsay, at 8 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 7 at the Ashby Stage. -more-


Staged Readings at Buriel Clay Playwright’s Festival

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday November 03, 2006

The First Annual Buriel Clay Playwrights’ Festival will play all next week, Monday through Saturday evenings, Nov. 6-11 (Mon. at 7:30 p.m., Tues.-Sat. at 8 p.m.), at the African American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton St. (at Webster) in San Francisco, featuring the work of local playwrights, as well as participants from Sacramento, Los Angeles and New York. -more-


Cal Ink: Etched into the History of the 20th Century

By Susan Cerny
Friday November 03, 2006

During the first 75 years of the 20th century, West Berkeley was the location of many manufacturing plants that produced diverse products from vegetable oil to ink, and from huge hydraulic pumps to tanned hides. -more-


The Worms Go In, The Worms Go Out

By Ron Sullivan
Friday November 03, 2006

I was working with a couple of young volunteers from UC’s redoubtable Habitat for Humanity group last weekend when one of them exclaimed, “Yuck! I found a worm.” -more-


Quake Tip of the Week: What Are We Thinking?

By Larry Guillot
Friday November 03, 2006

There’s an old saying ... “Da Nile ain’t just a river in Egypt.” No, denial is alive and well right here in the Bay Area. -more-


About the House: The Merits and Problems of Pressure-Treated Wood

By Matt Cantor
Friday November 03, 2006

The construction world is in love with novelty. Every year, trade shows display the latest inventions and materials with promises of low cost, easy installation and life-long service. Of course, these things never turn out to be as true as presented and the buyer must always beware. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Friday November 03, 2006

FRIDAY, NOV. 3 -more-