News

‘Drop Everything And Read’

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday March 16, 2007
The smiles, gasps and cries of delight from the kindergartners sitting in their classroom at Washington Elementary School Tuesday morning were evidence of a morning well spent. -more-

City Concerned Over UC Lab, Campus Plans

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 16, 2007
For the city, it’s both too much and too little—too much building by UC Berkeley and too little consideration of its potentially profound impacts on the surrounding community. -more-

‘Commons for Everyone’ Excludes Homeless, Some Charge

By Judith Scherr
Friday March 16, 2007
Mayor Tom Bates’ proposal to crack down on people engaged in “prolonged sitting” or yelling in public spaces near businesses got Berkeley City Council approval (5-2-1) in concept Tuesday night—and sharp condemnation from the several dozen residents who came to the meeting to demand that the council not criminalize homelessness and drug addiction. -more-

City Council Agrees to Limit Commissioner Terms

By Judith Scherr
Friday March 16, 2007
Berkeley City Counclimember Laurie Capitelli said an ordinance approved 6-3 Tuesday night to limit the time commissioners can serve on key commissions and to restrict service to just one of these commissions at a time is good government. -more-

Peralta Trustees Approve ‘Concept’ of $10 Million Laney Complex

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday March 16, 2007
The ghost of construction deals past stalked the Peralta Community College District trustees meeting this week, with a sometimes-bitter clash between trustees and district staff over a $9.7 million proposal to build a new physical education complex on the Laney College campus. -more-

Planners Pick New Chair, Hear Economic Report

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 16, 2007

BUSD Reviews Summer School Program Options

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday March 16, 2007

Hawking Inspires Students at UC Lecture

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday March 16, 2007

Weekend of Anti-War Events

By Judith Scherr
Friday March 16, 2007

Mayor Tom Bates reads to fifth graders in Hilary Mitchell's class. Photograph by Mark Coplan.
Mayor Tom Bates reads to fifth graders in Hilary Mitchell's class. Photograph by Mark Coplan.

Editorials

Editorial: Berkeley Businesses Need to Accentuate the Positive

By Becky O’Malley
Friday March 16, 2007
A young friend told me that she’d made the mistake of watching the city council on cable on Tuesday night. Her verdict? “Pathetic!” she said. “Most of the time they didn’t even seem to know what was going on.” Sadly, I agree. -more-

Reader Commentaries

Letters to the Editor

Friday March 16, 2007


Commentary: Public Space Should Be Enhanced, Not Closed Off

By Teddy Knight
Friday March 16, 2007

Commentary: Oakland’s Waterfront Deserves a Better Plan

By Akio Tanaka
Friday March 16, 2007

Commentary: The Inconvenient Few

By Nancy Carleton
Friday March 16, 2007

Commentary: Independent Study Program at Risk

By Wendy Walker-Moffat
Friday March 16, 2007

Commentary: What We Can Do to Stop an Attack on Iran

By Cynthia Papermaster
Friday March 16, 2007

Columnists

Column: Dispatches from the Edge: A Tale of Malice and Mold

By Conn Hallinan
Friday March 16, 2007

Column: Undercurrents: Taking on Don Perata’s Take on Term Limits

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday March 16, 2007

East Bay Then and Now: Guy Hyde Chick, the Man Behind the House

By Daniella Thompson
Friday March 16, 2007

Quake Tip of the Week

By Larry Guillot
Friday March 16, 2007


Arts & Entertainment

Arts Calendar

Friday March 16, 2007


Jazz Legend Randy Weston at Yoshi’s

By Ira Steingroot, Special to the Planet
Friday March 16, 2007

Berkeley Opera Reinvents ‘Seraglio’ at Morgan Center

By Olivia Stapp, Special to the Planet
Friday March 16, 2007

The Theater; Virago Theatre Brings Kessler’s ‘Orphans’ to Alameda

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday March 16, 2007

Events Calendar

Berkeley This Week

Friday March 16, 2007