“Heloise Golightly,” five o’clock shadow and all, offered a bit of seriocomic relief during Wednesday night’s environmental comments session devoted to two new buildings at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab—one of which will house the $500 million agrofuel research program funded by BP, the former British Petroleum. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.
“Heloise Golightly,” five o’clock shadow and all, offered a bit of seriocomic relief during Wednesday night’s environmental comments session devoted to two new buildings at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab—one of which will house the $500 million agrofuel research program funded by BP, the former British Petroleum. Photograph by Richard Brenneman.

Page One

Few Defend UC Lab in Heated Meeting on EIR

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 10, 2007

Berkeley residents came to share concerns about the fuel on the hill Wednesday night, and by the time the meeting had ended, only one voice had been raised in its unconditional defense. -more-



Overflow Crowd Mourns Slain Journalist

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday August 10, 2007

Oakland laid its secondmost famous native son journalist to rest on Wednesday morning, with an overflow gathering of more than 500 city officials, leaders and citizens packing the pews and aisles of St. Benedict Catholic Church in East Oakland for the funeral of Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey. -more-



Supervisors, Children’s Hospital Clash over Bond

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday August 10, 2007

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors and Children’s Hospital of Oakland appear to be on a collision course over a proposed Children’s Hospital Special Tax Initiative tentatively scheduled to be placed on the February ballot. -more-



Obama Mops Up in Oakland

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 10, 2007

Pauline Beck isn’t absolutely sure who she’ll be voting for in the February presidential primaries, but after spending the morning with the man she called her “co-worker”—Sen. Barack Obama, candidate for president—the 61-year-old homecare worker, said she’d “probably vote for Obama.” -more-



D.A. Examines Charges, Kavanagh Hires Criminal Attorney

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 10, 2007

Rent Stabilization Board Member Chris Kavanagh, an elected official embroiled for a second time in controversy around his place of residence, has engaged criminal attorney James Giller of Oakland to defend him—if need be. -more-



Features

The Shipyard Isn’t Dead Yet, Say Architect, Official

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 10, 2007

Don’t be sounding any death knells yet for The Shipyard, one of West Berkeley’s last remaining hangouts for techno and steampunk artists. -more-


Downtown Landmarks Debate Revived

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 10, 2007

Members of the two city citizen panels hammering out policy guidelines for the new downtown plan will meet Monday night to finalize a key section of the document. -more-


Dump Truck Kills Berkeley Cyclist

By Bay City News
Friday August 10, 2007

A 55-year-old Berkeley woman was struck and killed by a dump truck this morning [Thurs.] as she was attempting to ride her bicycle through an Oakland crosswalk, the Alameda County coroner's bureau reported. -more-


New Housing Authority Board in Training Saturday

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 10, 2007

The new Berkeley Housing Authority board will be in training for most of the day on Saturday, learning about the history of public housing, the role of the housing authority and the various programs the authority governs. The meeting is public and begins with public comments at 8:45 a.m. -more-


BHS Grad Honors Slain Colleague Through Film

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 10, 2007

Community Hosts Sunday Fundraiser for Canon Jones Memorial Scholarship -more-


Teenagers Speak Out on Social Issues

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 10, 2007

Mahaliyah’s If Concrete Could Speak was one of many films that screened May 31 at the Berkeley High School Film Festival, films that deal with topics often considered taboo even today. -more-


Jazz Fest Still Lacks African American Artists

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 10, 2007

There have been a few African American artists added to the line-up at the Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival since attention was called in June to the festival’s lack of African American participation. -more-


Spring Turns In Last of Her Campaign Amendments

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 10, 2007

Councilmember Dona Spring turned in the last of her 2006 campaign statement amendments to the Berkeley City Clerk’s office Thursday. -more-


English Speakers Desired: America’s ESL Challenge

By Khalil Abdullah, New America Media
Friday August 10, 2007

WASHINGTON—Had President Bush been able to enact an immigration bill that legalized undocumented immigrants this year, the result would have produced “a one-time shock to the ESL (English-as-a-second-language) training system” in the United States, according to Michael Fix. -more-


First Person: A Shout Out to Non-Moms

By Sonja Fitz
Friday August 10, 2007

It’s all about the children. -more-


Healthy Living: Yield to Oncoming Traffic

By Erin Ehsani
Friday August 10, 2007

Yes, you’re losing grip.” This is how my acupuncturist, Bronwyn, responded to my complaint of an increasing numbness in my right arm that was hampering my ability to maintain grasp. I could barely write a sentence without losing hold of the pen, my hand creating unintentional squiggly lines because I refused to let go. Ha ha body. I get it. Damn metaphorical translations. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Friday August 10, 2007

MORE STORIES ON KALW -more-


Letter: West Berkeley Community Benefits District

Friday August 10, 2007

Editors, Daily Planet: -more-


Commentary: West Berkeley Improvements—Benefits for Everyone

By Steven Donaldson
Friday August 10, 2007

I have to thank Sarah Klise for including my name with some of the larger property owners in West Berkeley. I guess she sees me as a “big shot” now, controlling the fate of West Berkeley! I own two Victorian buildings and operate my branding design studio on Fifth and Addison. Oh, I also live in West Berkeley and my kids have gone through elementary school here. -more-


Commentary: The Legacy of Mark Rhoades

By Stephen Wollmer
Friday August 10, 2007

The departure of Mark Rhoades from his positions in the Planning Department has been met with private sighs of relief from Berkeley residents and even some a public celebration (Café La Paz, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13). As the City of Berkeley’s zoning officer for the last five years, Mark has used his febrile and fertile imagination to bend and twist the Zoning Ordinance beyond recognition in favor of the developers who fund his department but to the dismay of current residents, who believe that the City should be defending their rights to equal treatment before the law. -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Planners Come and Go, But the Department Never Changes

By Becky O’Malley
Friday August 10, 2007

The announcement that Mark Rhoades is leaving Berkeley’s Planning Department for greener pastures has been greeted in many parts of the city with expressions of enthusiasm—they’re, in a phrase, jumping for joy. One group of citizens, the kind who would sign their letters “Outraged” if the Planet allowed it, is even hosting a party at Café de la Paz on Monday night to celebrate his departure. The paper has received a number of caustic letters about his track record, a few so caustic that the opinion editors breathed a sigh of relief when the senders had second thoughts and withdrew them. We don’t really like to print personal attacks on private individuals, but we don’t like to censor letters either. And it’s hard to top an earlier correspondent’s “duplicitous insect” appellation for Mr. Rhoades—anything more is piling on. -more-


Columns

Column: Undercurrents: The Speculation Over the Murder of Chauncey Bailey

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday August 10, 2007

The assassination of Oakland Post editor and long-time Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey on a daytime downtown Oakland street—now exactly one week ago, as of the time of this writing—is a test for Oakland, under a national spotlight. Some of us are passing it. Some of us are not doing so well. -more-


Column: The Public Eye: I’m Trying to Get On the Bus

By Zelda Bronstein
Friday August 10, 2007

I had my transit-oriented epiphany one morning in late May as I was making my way to a conference at the UC Student Union. I live in north Berkeley near the intersection of Solano and Colusa. Loathe to pay $20 to leave my car for six to eight hours in the city-owned Telegraph-Channing garage, I decided to look for a free space on a Northside street and walk from there to the conference. But as I motored through neighborhoods north of Cedar above Shattuck, my fantasized unregulated spot failed to materialize. Everywhere I looked, I saw two-hour parking signs. Time was wasting, and I was getting further and further from my final destination. I returned home, left my car in the driveway and, feeling both chastened and virtuous, caught the bus. -more-


East Bay Then and Now: Buyer Sought for Historic West Berkeley Church

By Daniella Thompson
Friday August 10, 2007

Westminster Presbyterian Church, which changed hands last year, is on the market again. The third landmark designated by the City of Berkeley, the church at 926 Hearst Ave. and Eighth Street is the second oldest in town, having been built in 1879—a year after the neighboring Church of the Good Shepherd went up. -more-


Garden Variety: Seize the Time, Pet the Kittens at Westbrae’s Paradise Pottery

By Ron Sullivan
Friday August 10, 2007

Now that Clay of the Land has gone out of business—the likable and savvy owners lost their lease to a developer, how novel—I guess I ought to mention other local marvelous discount pottery places. Here’s one to get to before the high-rise axe descends upon its lot, as there’s been a for sale placard there right from the start. -more-


About the House: Retrofitting a Lousy Foundation

By Matt Cantor
Friday August 10, 2007

We had a little shaker a few weeks ago and I was faced with the same series of encounters in the ensuing days that I’ve faced so often over the last 20 years. They tend to go something like “Hey, that was a pretty big quake we had the other day, eh? But you know, there weren’t any cracks in my walls or anything. Not as bad a Loma Prieta.” And I get started… “Well, the fact is that what we had the other day was tiny.” Then comes the math. “Did you know that a 7.2 on the Richter is roughly 30,000 times bigger than a 4.2 (the one we just had)”…faces go blank, people wander away wondering why they bothered talking to me in the first place. Maybe I’m just not a people person. Oh well, my kids love me. -more-


Quake Tip of the Week

By Larry Guillot
Friday August 10, 2007

Playing in the Traffic? -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Friday August 10, 2007

Hungarian Actor Finds a Home in Berkeley

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday August 10, 2007

Take a Walking Tour of Berkeley’s Best Art Deco

By Steven Finacom, Special to the Planet
Friday August 10, 2007

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Friday August 10, 2007

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Planners Come and Go, But the Department Never Changes 08-10-2007

Editorial: Let’s Talk About What the Media Can Do 08-07-2007

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 08-10-2007

Letter: West Berkeley Community Benefits District 08-10-2007

Commentary: West Berkeley Improvements—Benefits for Everyone By Steven Donaldson 08-10-2007

Commentary: The Legacy of Mark Rhoades By Stephen Wollmer 08-10-2007

Letters to the Editor 08-07-2007

Commentary: Shame on Governor For Vetoing Universal Health Care Bill By Jessica Rosen 08-07-2007

Commentary: Rotating Primaries: An Eternally Bad Idea By Thomas Gangale 08-07-2007

Commentary: Do Berkeley Police Have It In for Bicyclists? By Michelle Lerager 08-07-2007

News

Few Defend UC Lab in Heated Meeting on EIR By Richard Brenneman 08-10-2007

Overflow Crowd Mourns Slain Journalist By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-10-2007

Supervisors, Children’s Hospital Clash over Bond By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-10-2007

Obama Mops Up in Oakland By Judith Scherr 08-10-2007

D.A. Examines Charges, Kavanagh Hires Criminal Attorney By Judith Scherr 08-10-2007

The Shipyard Isn’t Dead Yet, Say Architect, Official By Richard Brenneman 08-10-2007

Downtown Landmarks Debate Revived By Richard Brenneman 08-10-2007

Dump Truck Kills Berkeley Cyclist By Bay City News 08-10-2007

New Housing Authority Board in Training Saturday By Judith Scherr 08-10-2007

BHS Grad Honors Slain Colleague Through Film By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-10-2007

Teenagers Speak Out on Social Issues By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-10-2007

Jazz Fest Still Lacks African American Artists By Judith Scherr 08-10-2007

Spring Turns In Last of Her Campaign Amendments By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-10-2007

English Speakers Desired: America’s ESL Challenge By Khalil Abdullah, New America Media 08-10-2007

First Person: A Shout Out to Non-Moms By Sonja Fitz 08-10-2007

Healthy Living: Yield to Oncoming Traffic By Erin Ehsani 08-10-2007

A Fresh Start for Berkeley’s Aquatic Park By Riya Bhattacharjee and Rio Bauce 08-07-2007

Developer Plans More Projects for Iceland Block By Richard Brenneman 08-07-2007

AC Transit Directors Approve Bus Transfer By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-07-2007

Local Attorney Now Heads Community Law Center By Rio Bauce 08-07-2007

Popular Car Wash Faces Eviction By Judith Scherr 08-07-2007

Oakland Police Say Bailey Murderer Did Not Act Alone By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-07-2007

Southside Rapist Strikes in Apartment Building Lobbies By Richard Brenneman 08-07-2007

War and Peace Notes: Grand Lake Screens New Documentary on Media’s Role in U.S. Wars By Judith Scherr 08-07-2007

Fire Department Log By Richard Brenneman 08-07-2007

Landmarks Commission Debates Significance of 19th-Century Home By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-07-2007

Battle of Marin Avenue Nears Key Court Ruling By Richard Brenneman 08-07-2007

Historic Blood House Back on Zoning Board Agenda By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-07-2007

Plants to Grow Beyond the Pale By Shirley Barker, Special to the Planet 08-07-2007

Healthy Living: A Passion for Exercise and Healthier Food Choices By Wendy Stephens 08-07-2007

Columns

Column: Undercurrents: The Speculation Over the Murder of Chauncey Bailey By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-10-2007

Column: The Public Eye: I’m Trying to Get On the Bus By Zelda Bronstein 08-10-2007

East Bay Then and Now: Buyer Sought for Historic West Berkeley Church By Daniella Thompson 08-10-2007

Garden Variety: Seize the Time, Pet the Kittens at Westbrae’s Paradise Pottery By Ron Sullivan 08-10-2007

About the House: Retrofitting a Lousy Foundation By Matt Cantor 08-10-2007

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 08-10-2007

Column: The Public Eye: Giuliani: ‘It’s Great to Be Rich” By Bob Burnett 08-07-2007

Green Neighbors: The Madrone: The Red Jewel of Our Pacific Forest By Ron Sullivan 08-07-2007

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 08-10-2007

Hungarian Actor Finds a Home in Berkeley By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-10-2007

Take a Walking Tour of Berkeley’s Best Art Deco By Steven Finacom, Special to the Planet 08-10-2007

East Bay Then and Now: Buyer Sought for Historic West Berkeley Church By Daniella Thompson 08-10-2007

Garden Variety: Seize the Time, Pet the Kittens at Westbrae’s Paradise Pottery By Ron Sullivan 08-10-2007

About the House: Retrofitting a Lousy Foundation By Matt Cantor 08-10-2007

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 08-10-2007

Berkeley This Week 08-10-2007

Arts Calendar 08-07-2007

The Theater: ‘Three Musketeers’ in Full Swing at Hinkel Park By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-07-2007

Green Neighbors: The Madrone: The Red Jewel of Our Pacific Forest By Ron Sullivan 08-07-2007

Berkeley This Week 08-07-2007

Clarification 08-07-2007

Correction 08-07-2007