Local News and Opinion from The Berkeley Daily Planet

News

Inaugurating the Maudelle Shirek Building

By Judith Scherr

Friday March 23, 2007

Maudelle Shirek, 96, an eight-term Berkeley city councilmember who served until 2004, was joined by dozens of friends and supporters at the ceremony Thursday afternoon changing name of Old City Hall to the Maudelle Shirek Building. -more-

Artists Plead for City Help to Fight Rent Hikes

By Judith Scherr

Friday March 23, 2007

The last time Rick Goldsmith stood before the City Council was in 1996, when he was honored for an award-winning documentary film. -more-

West Oakland Zoning Change Plan Causes Uproar

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Friday March 23, 2007

In the wake of a sudden, sharp increase in public interest sparked by a local media report that the City of Oakland was considering zoning map changes that might further shrink its already depleted cache of industrial properties, the Planning Commission staff has pulled a report recommending changes to West Oakland industrial lands, and a commission subcommittee has postponed considering the rezoning until a larger group of city residents and officials can enter the discussion. -more-

Corporate-Academic Web Entangles UC-BP Proposal

By Richard Brenneman

Friday March 23, 2007

At least two leading proponents of the $500 million alternative fuels program now being negotiated between UC Berkeley and BP (the former British Petroleum) have created companies that could profit from the research. -more-

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Turns 25

By Judith Scherr

Friday March 23, 2007

Manuel De Paz has a job and a community college degree. With his extended family, he is buying a home and he has dreams of investing in a family business. -more-

Willard Students Construct Outdoor Clay Pizza Oven

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 23, 2007

City Council Backtracks on Limits for Commission Members

By Judith Scherr

Friday March 23, 2007

BUSD Surplus Committee Looks to Add Community Members

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 23, 2007

Remembering ‘The Waving Man’ on His 97th Birthday

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 23, 2007

Elmwood Neighbors Unite Against Wright’s Garage Plan

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 23, 2007

New Plan to Tackle Downtown Parking

By Richard Brenneman

Friday March 23, 2007

AC Transit Approves Purchase Of Additional Van Hool Buses

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Friday March 23, 2007

Peralta Holds Forum on Campuswide Sustainability

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Friday March 23, 2007

Lecture Series Celebrates Artistry of Mills College Landscape

By Steven Finacom, Special to the Planet

Friday March 23, 2007

Maudelle Shirek at the inauguration of the Maudelle Shirek Building, formerly Old City Hall. Photo by Judith Scherr.

Editorials

Editorial: Educating Artists the Hard Way

By Becky O’Malley

Friday March 23, 2007

March is Arts Education Month, according to press releases from the City of Berkeley, Alameda County and county education superintendent Sheila Jordan. It’s a cause everyone can get behind: kids and arts, what’s not to like? We’d like to get on the bandwagon too, before it’s too late. We believe that art is good for kids, and kids are good for art. We’ll even endorse the slogan some creative PR firm dreamed up: “Art IS education.” Of course it is. -more-