News

Green Candidate’s Lead for Richmond Mayor Grows

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 17, 2006
While the voting tally isn’t final and her opponent won’t concede, Gayle McLaughlin is confident she’ll be the new mayor of Richmond. -more-

Downtown Hotel Plans Call for 19 Stories

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 17, 2006
Builders of the hotel planned for the heart of downtown Berkeley want to build a 19-story building that at 205 feet would tower above the current reigning monarchs of the urban skyline, the Power Bar and Wells Fargo buildings. -more-

Richmond Council Drops Chamber Membership

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 17, 2006
The Richmond City Council voted Nov. 14 to drop its membership in the Richmond Chamber of Commerce “to avoid potential civil or criminal penalties for using public resources to pay for memberships in organizations that participate in local political activities,” according to an e-mail from Richmond City Council-member Tom Butt. -more-

UC Regents Delay Vote on Stadium EIR

By Richard Brenneman and Judith Scherr
Friday November 17, 2006
Despite promised lawsuits by the City of Berkeley and project neighbors, UC Regents voted Tuesday to approve a massive athletic training center along the western wall of Memorial Stadium. -more-

Oakland Battles Over Condo Conversions

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday November 17, 2006
With the failure of Berkeley’s Measure I in this month’s general election, the East Bay battleground over the hotly-contested issue of condominium conversions shifts across the border into Oakland, and the attempt by a coalition of three councilmembers to change some of the provisions of that city’s condo law. -more-

Judge Hears Arguments on Open Police Complaints

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 17, 2006

Library Director Finalists Named, Will Face Public Saturday

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 17, 2006

People’s Park Group Prepares To Defend Park From UC Plans

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 17, 2006

City Council Approves Revised Creeks Ordinance

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 17, 2006

Capitelli Challenges Creeks Vote

Friday November 17, 2006

Council Reviews City’s Financial Health, Gaia Building

By Judith Scherr
Friday November 17, 2006

Toxic Trucks: Smog Means Asthma For Low-Income Californians

By Viji Sundaram, New America Media
Friday November 17, 2006

Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Friday November 17, 2006

BUSD President Terry Doran Leaves With Warm Wishes

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 17, 2006

BUSD Applauds Strong Support for School Bond

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 17, 2006

BAM/PFA Gets Grant to Help Students Use Film Resources

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 17, 2006

Report: California Lawmakers Fail to Bridge Racial Divide

By Andre Banks, ColorLines
Friday November 17, 2006

2006: Anything But ‘The Year of the Black Republican’

By Hazel Trice Edney, New American Media
Friday November 17, 2006

Richmond Mayor-elect Gayle McLaughlin speaks to fellow members of the panel advising on the cleanup of toxic wastes in South Richmond last week. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.
Richmond Mayor-elect Gayle McLaughlin speaks to fellow members of the panel advising on the cleanup of toxic wastes in South Richmond last week. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.

Editorials

Editorial: Free Press, Free Papers and Free Advice

By Becky O’Malley
Friday November 17, 2006
We’ve gotten communications from a couple of supporters of winning candidates in the recent election who claim to be shocked at the decision of the Planet’s publishers to print extra copies of our record 44-page pre-election issue and distribute them door-to-door instead of just placing them in boxes for reader pickup. Both letter writers seemed to be charging that this distribution was part of a management plot to enhance the fortunes of particular candidates. There are a number of responses which should be made to such assertions—we’ll take them in no particular order. -more-

Reader Commentaries

Letters to the Editor

Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: Public Library Director Selection Process: Bad Process, Wrong People, Outsourcers

By Peter Warfield and Gene Bernardi
Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: Pelosi’s Connection To AIPAC Deplored

By George Aid
Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: The Pre-Election Distortions of the Chronicle, Tribune

By Paul Rockwell
Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: Bulldozer Threat to People’s Park Berms

By Terri Compost
Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: ‘Wait Until After Election Time...’

By Carol Denney
Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: Police Display Unnecessary Violence

By Jaime Reyes
Friday November 17, 2006

Commentary: A Glimpse at What It’s Like To Be Homeless

By Glen Kohler
Friday November 17, 2006

Columnists

Column: The View From Here: Dare We Dream About Democracy?

By P. M. Price
Friday November 17, 2006


News Analysis: America’s Election: Daddy’s Swagger vs. Mommy’s Care

By Ruth Rosen, openDemocracy.net
Friday November 17, 2006

East Bay Then and Now: This West Berkeley Landmark Is a Proud Survivor

By Daniella Thompson
Friday November 17, 2006

Garden Variety: Attack of The Mildew Kingdom

By Ron Sullivan
Friday November 17, 2006


Arts & Entertainment

Arts Calendar

Friday November 17, 2006


Arts: SF Symphony Takes a Lighter Approach

By Justin DeFreitas
Friday November 17, 2006

Arts: Ackerman’s ‘Ice Glen’ at Aurora Theatre

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday November 17, 2006

Moving Pictures: Examining the Most Notorious Expletive

By Justin DeFreitas
Friday November 17, 2006

Moving Pictures: PFA Screens a New Wave Classic

By Justin DeFreitas
Friday November 17, 2006

Events Calendar

Berkeley This Week

Friday November 17, 2006