The Week

Country Joe McDonald led celebrants in a chorus of the “Hokey Oaky” Saturday, his own version of the venerable children’s song with the words tweaked to support the tree-sitters protesting the removal of coast live oaks from a campus grove. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.
Country Joe McDonald led celebrants in a chorus of the “Hokey Oaky” Saturday, his own version of the venerable children’s song with the words tweaked to support the tree-sitters protesting the removal of coast live oaks from a campus grove. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.
 

News

Cheerful Crowd Celebrates Stadium Grove Tree-Sitters

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Though the thermometer hovered in the upper 40s and seemed even cooler beneath a mantle of oak leaves and an overcast sky, the crowd that gathered near Memorial Stadium Saturday was anything but cold. -more-


Zoning Board Approves Trader Joe’s Building, Project Foes Planning Lawsuit

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Rejecting the pleas of angry neighbors and threats of a lawsuit, the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) voted 5-3 early Friday to approve the “Trader Joe’s Building.” -more-


Drayage Demolition Moves Forward; ZAB OKs Bus Yard, Condos

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday December 19, 2006

A marathon Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) session Thursday ended with approvals for two major housing projects, new bus yard, a new home for Freight & Salvage and demolition of the Drayage. -more-


Oakland School Takeover Investigation Gets Key Support

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Oakland’s newly elected state assemblymember, Sandré Swanson, has proposed setting up a Select Assembly Committee to investigate state takeovers of California schools, and the idea has already gotten support from key legislators from the affected districts. -more-


Army Subpoenas Oakland Journalist in Watada Court Marshal

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Freelance journalist Sarah Olson does not want to testify at First Lt. Ehren Watada’s court marshal in February. At around 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, she received a subpoena from the U.S. Army telling her to do so. -more-


Woodfin Workers Protest Pre-Christmas Suspension

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Woodfin Suites housekeeper Alma Cruz has spoken out at City Council meetings, walked picket lines and talked to co-workers about the need for Emeryville’s Living Wage Law for hotel workers to be enforced. Voters approved the law—Measure C—in November 2005. -more-


Problems With Measure A, Says Former Peralta Counsel

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday December 19, 2006

The former bond counsel to the Peralta Community College District says that the list of projects in the Peralta’s troubled Measure A bond ballot statement last June may not be specific enough to have qualified the measure under the Proposition 39 requirements under which it was passed. -more-


Curt Flood: 10 Years Later and No Closer To the Hall of Fame

By Bill Fletcher, Jr., New America Media
Tuesday December 19, 2006

2007 marks 10 years since the passing of baseball legend Curt Flood. Many of today’s sports enthusiasts, including those who follow baseball, have little sense of the man and his contributions to the sport of baseball. -more-


Law Students Help Score Win for Immigrants in Supreme Court

By Rene P. Ciria-Cruz, New America Media
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Immigrants whose lives are upended by unfair rules and arbitrary law enforcers should thank the day electrical engineer Jayashri Srikantiah decided to leave Intel to become a lawyer. -more-


Tree Protesters Cited, Banned From Campus

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 15, 2006

UC Berkeley Campus Police have cited two of the tree-sitters protesting plans to cut down a grove of Oaks for the new Memorial Stadium, including former mayoral candidate Zachary Running Wolf, and served court orders barring them from campus. -more-


Council Adopts New Landmarks Ordinance

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 15, 2006

A number of citizens urged the Berkeley City Council Tuesday not to approve the second reading of the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance, which will make landmarking older structures and sites more difficult. -more-


Preservationists Will Challenge New LPO at Polls

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 15, 2006

Even before the second and final City Council vote Tuesday establishing a more developer-friendly Berkeley landmark law, opponents were preparing their counterattack. -more-


Kennedy Threatens Lawsuit, Wins Gaia Culture War

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 15, 2006

The city may have dodged one bullet by going along with developer Patrick Kennedy’s notion of how much time to devote to culture at the Gaia Building—Kennedy threatened to sue the city over the question—but by doing so, the city may be running head-on into a lawsuit Kennedy tenant Anna de Leon has promised to file. -more-


Without UNICEF Cards, U.N. Store Shuts its Doors

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 15, 2006

With the Hallmark Card takeover of UNICEF cards, Berkeley’s United Nations Association Center that has carried the popular cards for almost half a century, is shutting its doors tomorrow (Saturday)—hopefully a temporary closure to change the center’s focus, says UNA volunteer Mary Lee Trampleasure. -more-


Judge Allows Oak-to-Ninth Referendum Lawsuit to Proceed

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday December 15, 2006

In what can only be considered good news for opponents of the proposed massive Oak to Ninth development in Oakland, a Superior Court judge has tentatively ruled that a lawsuit filed by the Oak to Ninth Referendum Committee can go forward, at least for now. -more-


Peralta Faces Funding Cuts, Federal Investigation

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday December 15, 2006

The newly constituted board of directors of the Peralta Community College District acted swiftly to tighten up spending procedures at the four-college district, sending back to district administrators $17 million of a $5 million Measure A bond project authorization request after complaining about details missing from the request papers. -more-


A Telegraph Avenue Holiday Shopping Guide

By Steven Finacom, Special to the Planet
Friday December 15, 2006

Holiday shopping unfinished? Unwilling to make one more trip to a multitude of malls or to … Emeryville? -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 15, 2006

Threatened, robbed -more-


Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: PC or Not, Trader Joe’s is Coming

By Becky O’Malley
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Over the weekend, talk at parties was how the project now known as Trader Joe’s got the green light from Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board to set up shop on University Avenue, accompanied by several stories of market-rate condos-in-waiting and a big parking garage. One Berkeley-reared guest at Saturday night’s event thought Trader Joe’s was a nice addition to Berkeley because it’s owned by a southern California family, and expands by bootstrapping, one store at a time. Well, no, we said. Since 1979 it’s been part of a German billion-dollar conglomerate, though the whole empire is indeed owned by two German brothers in a family trust. She seemed shocked, almost disbelieving, so cleverly has TJ’s (as it’s called by its devotees) marketed its downhome image. Founder Joe is long gone. But it treats its employees very well, she said. Well, yes, as long as they don’t try to organize a union, we said. That also seemed to surprise her. -more-


Editorial: Winter Whine is Back in Season

By Becky O’Malley
Friday December 15, 2006

It’s the time of year when the lower-middle-brow fashionistas who inhabit the pages of the magazines I sneak peeks at in supermarket checkout lines say we should be wearing Winter White. That’s as it may be, but it certainly is the season for Winter Whine. Winter Whine is the sound you hear emanating from everyone who is dissatisfied with their relationship to winter holidays, or with other people’s mode of marking the winter solstice. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday December 19, 2006

ABAG GUIDELINES -more-


Commentary: Examining the Opposition to the New LPO

By Alan Tobey
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Now that the City Council has passed its community-compromise LPO, after more than six years of stalling and resistance by the hyper-preservationist community who brought us Measure J, we’re faced with the bad dream of a referendum campaign and up to 23 more months of additional delay. And for what? Basically, it comes down to objection to the “request for determination” provision of the new law. So let’s look at RFD and its alleged dangers: -more-


Commentary: The 2008 Presidential Primaries: Another Inconvenient Truth

By Thomas Gangale
Tuesday December 19, 2006

The 2006 elections are over, and the 2008 presidential race has begun. Most news coverage will focus on personalities, and once in a while on issues. What will go mostly unreported is the fact that we have a serious structural flaw in the presidential selection process that renders the issues and personalities almost superfluous. The “inconvenient truth” is that the primary/caucus system is an unfolding disaster, a bad process that produces presidential nominees who are less than America’s best. -more-


Commentary: Who’s Being Served?

By Erin Wolfe
Tuesday December 19, 2006

The holiday season seems to open the flood gates of compassion, with volunteers and resources pouring in during the one time of the year the less fortunate are fed, clothed, and remembered. Meanwhile economists monitor the sales temperature, hoping feverish shoppers will exceed the boiling point and consumerism will bring balance to a system delicately suspended by a few coins in either direction. -more-


Letters to the Editor

Friday December 15, 2006

PEOPLE’S PARK -more-


Commentary: The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth

By Anne Wagley
Friday December 15, 2006

The Berkeley city attorney has stated that false claims have been made against the city in the lawsuit over the settlement agreement with the University of California (Friberg v. Bates, case no. 05230715). -more-


Commentary: How To Enjoy Using People’s Park

By Chris Kohler
Friday December 15, 2006

In 1969, I was among the many that originally built the park. I’m afraid (or delighted) that we didn’t have either a committee nor, unfortunately, the university’s permission. What we did have was... people. People directly affecting the park. Voting with their presence and participation. -more-


Commentary: Not On the Agenda? Sit Down!

By Doug Buckwald
Friday December 15, 2006

I have been quite busy ever since three tree-sitters climbed into the trees at Memorial Oak Grove in the pre-dawn hours Saturday before the Big Game between Cal and Stanford. Our group, Save the Oaks at the Stadium, did not know of this plan in advance, but we support the tree-sitters fully in their endeavors and we will do everything we can to make sure that they are safe and have everything they need. It takes real courage to take such an action, and I believe that each one of our tree-sitters is a true hero. -more-


Commentary: Auto-Oriented Center Would Not Comply With LEED

By Roy Nakedegawa
Friday December 15, 2006

It is good to hear that the Hotel and Conference Center (HCC) will adopt LEED’s principles to the optimum in its design. As I understand the LEED principles, the project is supposed to show “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.” The HCC is located in the heart of downtown Berkeley where it is in Berkeley’s most transit-intensive area. The Downtown Berkeley BART station, which has the second-highest station ridership use of East Bay stations, is just across the street. The BART station is utilized by more than 11,000 patrons per day and 10 AC Transit bus routes stop right at this area. Also there is a planned Bus Rapid Transit system similar to Boston’s Silver Line that will terminate in this locale. This BRT is projected to handle well over 60,000 riders a day over its route and could be extended down University to the Amtrak Station in the future. -more-


Commentary: Do Benefits of Drug War Outweigh the Costs?

By Travis C. Ash
Friday December 15, 2006

EDITOR’S NOTE: This commentary originally appeared in the Daily Planet’s web edition on Oct. 17. -more-


Commentary: History Repeats Itself in Korea

By Peter Schurmann, New America Media
Friday December 15, 2006

As news coverage focuses on the upcoming round of six-party talks this Monday aimed at resolving the standoff with North Korea, I am reminded of an historical event that occurred more than 100 years ago. -more-


Commentary: Mexico: A Look at the New Calderon Administration

By Eduardo Stanley, Translated by Elena Shore, New America Media
Friday December 15, 2006

Mexico’s new president Felipe Calderón took office on Dec. 1. In a televised inauguration, congressmen could be seen fighting for control of the podium where Calderón was to be sworn in—some attempting to block him, others to ensure that he was able to take his oath of office. Calderón and outgoing president Vicente Fox, both members of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), entered through the back door and hastily carried out the oath of office amidst shouting that made it impossible to hear what they were saying. -more-


Columns

Column: Christmas in Las Vegas, Part One

By Susan Parker
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Friday, 4:30 p.m.: Arrive at Oakland International Airport with sister-in-law, one four-year-old and one two-year-old. Stand in line to check in bags. Stand in line to pass through security. Stand in line to view flight schedule. Learn that all Southwest Airline flights to Las Vegas are delayed by at least two hours due to bad weather in the Pacific Northwest. Stand in line at gate to see if tickets can be changed to fly out on 4 p.m. flight that is now leaving at 6 p.m. -more-


Crow Talk and Chickadee Alarms: What Birds Are Saying

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 19, 2006

I’ll admit that I don’t have much of an ear for the language of crows. Ron says they have a specific call that means “Raven!,” uttered when the crows are harassing one of their larger relatives or escorting it out of the neighborhood. This wouldn’t surprise me at all, since they do have an extensive vocal repertoire. -more-


Column: The Public Eye: Designing an Ideal UC Art Museum: Back to the Future

By Michael Katz
Friday December 15, 2006

Next Tuesday morning, UC’s Berkeley Art Museum will host a public discussion of goals for its planned new downtown site. Attending will be Toyo Ito, the Tokyo architect whom the museum has engaged to design its new building. With this internationally renowned designer on board, and a downtown location on the map, BAM and its visitors face exciting possibilities. -more-


Column: Undercurrents: Behind the Scenes With Actor-Politician Jerry Brown

Friday December 15, 2006

In a scene in the Civil War movie Gettysburg, a Confederate spy named Harrison is sent out on a night mission to scout out the position and strength of the Union army encamped in the Pennsylvania valley. The spy, identified in the movie as a former Mississippi stage actor, takes the assignment, but tells the general “but I must confess, sir, the thing that bothers me about this job [spying] is the absence of an audience. When you do it right, no one knows you’re doing it. Nobody watches your work. It’s very hard on an actor.” -more-


East Bay Then and Now: Charles Manning MacGregor, Indefatigable Builder

By Daniella Thompson
Friday December 15, 2006

Between 1900 and 1910, Berkeley’s population more than tripled, from 13,214 to 40,434 inhabitants. Much of the growth was stimulated by the flight of thousands of San Franciscans to the East Bay following the 1906 earthquake and fire. -more-


About the House: The General Contrator Problem

By Matt Cantor
Friday December 15, 2006

I met a nice couple the other day. Sadly, they were clearly in some distress over the fortunes of their remodeling process. They’d engaged a GC (builder-speak for general contractor) last year to do a rather sweeping and costly rehab on a mid-sized house in the hills of Oakland and things hadn’t gone quite as well as they’d hoped. -more-


Garden Variety: Gift Houseplants That Don’t Give Tsuris

By Ron Sullivan
Friday December 15, 2006

Oh my, this is a touchy time of year, all those cultural sensitivities waiting to be stepped on. Wishing someone “happy holidays” would seem universal enough, but I read a newswire piece the other day in which a guy was quoted as bragging that he’d bullied some hapless WalMart clerk into wiping that phrase off a window because, “It’s supposed to be ‘Merry Christmas!’” Honestly, sometimes it makes me miss good old Saturnalia. -more-


Arts & Events

Arts Calendar

Tuesday December 19, 2006

TUESDAY, DEC. 19 -more-


Arts and Entertainment: Around the East Bay

Tuesday December 19, 2006

SOLSTICE CELEBRATION -more-


Arts: Hits and Rarities From the Cole Porter Songbook

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 19, 2006

“Both a little naughty and a little nice” is the apt description for husband and wife cabaret team Billy Philadelphia and Meg Mackay’s holiday season show, A Little Cole in Your Stocking, featuring hits and rarities from Cole Porter’s songbook (as well as a few “traditional and non-traditional holiday songs”), playing evenings at 8 p.m., Dec. 20-23 and 27-30, at the Aurora Theatre, where it debuted last year. -more-


Arts: Mussorgsky’s ‘Khovanchina’ at First Congregational Church

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 19, 2006

A 16th-century Russian conspiracy swept Boyars and Old Believers last Friday night into the First Congregational Church at Dana and Durant, where they put on a private show of Modest Mussorgsky’s opera, Khovanchina, for an audience of friends and family. -more-


Crow Talk and Chickadee Alarms: What Birds Are Saying

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday December 19, 2006

I’ll admit that I don’t have much of an ear for the language of crows. Ron says they have a specific call that means “Raven!,” uttered when the crows are harassing one of their larger relatives or escorting it out of the neighborhood. This wouldn’t surprise me at all, since they do have an extensive vocal repertoire. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Tuesday December 19, 2006

TUESDAY, DEC. 19 -more-


Arts Calendar

Friday December 15, 2006

FRIDAY, DEC. 15 -more-


Arts and Entertainment: Around the East Bay

Friday December 15, 2006

MUSIC FROM THREE GREAT COMPOSERS -more-


The Theater: Shotgun Players Bring ‘The Forest War’ to Ashby Stage

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday December 15, 2006

At the outset of The Forest War, Mark Jackson’s new play (which he also directs), produced by the Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage, a doddering old Grand Lord Karug (Drew Anderson) and his retinue slide out onto the stage, facing the audience, in an impression of Kabuki. -more-


East Bay Then and Now: Charles Manning MacGregor, Indefatigable Builder

By Daniella Thompson
Friday December 15, 2006

Between 1900 and 1910, Berkeley’s population more than tripled, from 13,214 to 40,434 inhabitants. Much of the growth was stimulated by the flight of thousands of San Franciscans to the East Bay following the 1906 earthquake and fire. -more-


About the House: The General Contrator Problem

By Matt Cantor
Friday December 15, 2006

I met a nice couple the other day. Sadly, they were clearly in some distress over the fortunes of their remodeling process. They’d engaged a GC (builder-speak for general contractor) last year to do a rather sweeping and costly rehab on a mid-sized house in the hills of Oakland and things hadn’t gone quite as well as they’d hoped. -more-


Garden Variety: Gift Houseplants That Don’t Give Tsuris

By Ron Sullivan
Friday December 15, 2006

Oh my, this is a touchy time of year, all those cultural sensitivities waiting to be stepped on. Wishing someone “happy holidays” would seem universal enough, but I read a newswire piece the other day in which a guy was quoted as bragging that he’d bullied some hapless WalMart clerk into wiping that phrase off a window because, “It’s supposed to be ‘Merry Christmas!’” Honestly, sometimes it makes me miss good old Saturnalia. -more-


Berkeley This Week

Friday December 15, 2006

FRIDAY, DEC. 15 -more-