A worker power washes the sidewalk Tuesday morning on Telegraph Avenue. Sprucing up the sidewalks is part of a plan to bring business back to The Avenue. Photograph by Judith Scherr.
A worker power washes the sidewalk Tuesday morning on Telegraph Avenue. Sprucing up the sidewalks is part of a plan to bring business back to The Avenue. Photograph by Judith Scherr.

Page One

First Person: Telegraph 2007: Making it Work

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 17, 2007

I didn’t go up to Telegraph Tuesday to find mellow—to watch flowers bursting out in carefully tended gardens at People’s Park, to hear merchants talking happily about businesses growing or to watch the moms and dads with kids in tow join students and graying elders moving in and out of shops. -more-



Putting Telegraph in Perspective

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 17, 2007

The hysteria of Cody’s closing having subsided, merchants and city officials have had time to evaluate what’s caused customers to frequent Telegraph Avenue less often. Chain stores going belly up, high rents and city bureaucracy are among the problems cited. -more-



Library Gardens Sold

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 17, 2007

The year 2007 will go down as the year downtown Berkeley’s biggest developments passed into the hands of some of America’s biggest corporations. -more-



Controversial Planner Hailed On Departure

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 17, 2007

Mark Rhoades, Colossus of Berkeley? -more-



St. Joseph School’s 130-Year History Comes to an End

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 17, 2007

There will be no pitter-patter of tiny feet at St. Joseph the Worker School this fall. No giggles or hushed whispers along its long winding corridors. -more-



Features

Berkeley Schools Gain in State Standardized Testing

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 17, 2007

At first glance, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) showed a point gain over last year in the 2007 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program released by State Superintendent Jack O’Connell Wednesday. -more-


Berkeley, Albany Win Marin Avenue Lawsuit

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 17, 2007

A California tribunal handed an unqualified defeat this week to Ray Chamberlin and his lawsuit challenging the reconfiguration of Marin Avenue by Berkeley and Albany. -more-


Richmond Activists Fight Cell Phone Antenna Installation

By Will Allen
Friday August 17, 2007

A fight between community activists and real estate developers partnered with a cellular phone carrier is shaping up in Point Richmond. The point of contention is a recently installed high-power cellular phone antenna array on an apartment complex on a hilltop at 260 Water Street in Point Richmond, disguised by an orange-painted flat case which is visible from far away. -more-


UC Sets Sept. 11 Deadline for BP Fuel Project Lab Bids

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 17, 2007

UC Berkeley issued a final call for bids today (Friday) on the building designed to house the $500 million alternative fuel project funded by a British oil company. -more-


Youth March Against Violence in Southwest Berkeley

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 17, 2007

Armed with trash bags, notepads and pens, thirty teens walked the streets of Southwest Berkeley Wednesday to protest rising violence in the neighborhood and to bridge divisions within the community. -more-


SF Supervisors Landmark UC Buildings

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday August 17, 2007

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to landmark three of the buildings at the UC Berkeley Extension Laguna Street Campus at the San Francisco City Hall Tuesday. -more-


DAPAC Tensions Continue Over Downtown Landmarks

By Richard Brenneman
Friday August 17, 2007

With their deadline fast approaching, eight Berkeley citizen-policymakers are setting the stage for an almost certain showdown over the fate of old buildings in the new downtown. -more-


Oakland School Board Asks State for New Fiscal Plan

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday August 17, 2007

With Oakland Unified school board president David Kakishiba calling his district’s financial situation “precarious,” the newly-empowered OUSD school board issued a sharp criticism last week of the district’s fiscal condition under state receivership, directing state-appointed administrator Dr. Kimberly Statham to adopt a new five-year financial recovery plan to put OUSD’s fiscal house in order. -more-


Bailey’s Alleged Murderer’s Confession Challenged

Bay City News
Friday August 17, 2007

The attorney for the man accused of murdering journalist Chauncey Bailey two weeks ago claimed today that his client is innocent and was ordered by a Your Black Muslim Bakery associate, in the presence of Oakland police, to take the fall for the shooting incident. -more-


Conference Strives to Break Walls of Silence

By Judith Scherr
Friday August 17, 2007

Hatem Bazian of UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, Phyllis Bennis of the Institute of Policy Studies, and Sandy Tolan of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and author of “The Lemon Tree” will highlight a weekend conference entitled “Breaking Down the Wall of Silence: Voices We Need to Hear.” -more-


Media Blames Black Mayors for Rising Homicides

By Randy Shaw
Friday August 17, 2007

As federal budget priorities starve urban America, the outcome has been predictable: rising murder rates from Newark, New Jersey to Oakland, California, and virtually no low-income African-American or Latino neighborhood has been spared. Who is to blame for this problem? According to the media, it is the nation’s black mayors. From the New York Times castigating Mayor Booker in Newark to the San Francisco Chronicle’s absurd attack on Oakland’s Ron Dellums, the message is clear: black mayors, not the white elite in Washington D.C., are failing to serve the needs of minority communities. Where is our Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak out against such nonsense? -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Friday August 17, 2007

TAXPAYER WASTE -more-


Commentary: Bus Rapid Transit Means Reduced Traffic, Reduced CO2

By Rob Wrenn
Friday August 17, 2007

In his latest attack on AC Transit’s planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, Doug Buckwald (Planet Aug. 14) once again misstates the facts, this time claiming that the environmental impact report (EIR) for BRT “shows” that BRT will not lead “many people at all” to shift from driving to taking the bus. -more-


Commentary: Planning in Berkeley: Doing Our Job

By Dan Marks
Friday August 17, 2007

Mark Twain is supposed to have said “never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.” I have followed that adage for most of my career, choosing not to respond to articles and editorials in newspapers, and especially not the Daily Planet, which has shown antipathy for my department, my staff and my profession. Despite my concern with the forum, as the director of Planning and Development for the city, I feel compelled to respond to Ms. O’Malley’s editorials of Aug. 7 and 10 and Mr. Wollmer’s commentary of Aug. 10. -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Clinton v. Obama Shapes Up

By Becky O’Malley
Friday August 17, 2007

First, let me vaccinate myself: “The left is ... easily distracted, currently by the phantasm of impeachment. Why all this clamor to launch a proceeding surely destined to fail, aimed at a duo who will be out of the White House in 16 months? Pursue them for war crimes after they’ve stepped down. Mount an international campaign of the sort that has Henry Kissinger worrying at airports that there might be a lawyer with a writ standing next to the man with the limo sign. Right now the impeachment campaign is a distraction from the war and the paramount importance of ending it.” -more-


Columns

Column: Dispatches from the Edge: Targeting Africa with Guns and Free Trade

By Conn Hallinan
Friday August 17, 2007

When President George W. Bush announced the formation of a military command for Africa (AFRICOM) this past February, it came as no surprise to the Heritage Foundation. The powerful right-wing organization designed it. -more-


Column: Undercurrents: Oakland Police Catch Citizens in Criminal Sweeps

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday August 17, 2007

Three years ago, I wrote a column about a friend of mine, Frank, whose family has been living across from mine in the same flatlands neighborhood for more than 30 years. With my family having moved here before the U.S. entry into World War II, our two families are, by far, the longest continuous residents on this block, by far. -more-


Healthy Living: Using Sugar to Prevent Tooth Decay

By Melissa Harmon
Friday August 17, 2007

The bridge in my mouth was bad. The engineer of the bridge was a dentist in a hurry who had already busted a cap in my mouth... so to speak. (one of his crowns had failed ). So I didn’t want to go back to him. Besides, the bad bridge had cost $1,500 back in 1999, and I couldn’t face another dentist who would now charge gangsta prices of $3,000 and up. -more-


Garden Variety: Picking Winners at the Nursery

By Ron Sullivan
Friday August 17, 2007

As it’s almost planting time (for leisurely values of “almost”) I’ll talk about how to pick your posies. Some of us are on-the-ball enough to do all our planting from seeds and/or divisions and cuttings of our own, but most of us are the sort of people who keep nurseries in business by letting them do the early stuff. -more-


About the House: No Professionals Need Apply

By Matt Cantor
Friday August 17, 2007

Every once in a while I meet someone who reinvigorates my excitement about what I do. This encounter reminds me that remodeling is not so much a business as it is a passion for a lot of people like me. -more-


Quake Tip of the Week

By Larry Guillot
Friday August 17, 2007

A Week Without Your Bathroom? -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Friday August 17, 2007

Goat Hall Cabaret Opera at Oakland Metro

By Jaime Robles, Special to the Planet
Friday August 17, 2007

Cal Poet Laureate Al Young and Barry Gifford Read at Moe’s on Monday

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday August 17, 2007

Two Fine Photographers on Display at Berkeley Art Museum

By Peter Selz
Friday August 17, 2007

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Friday August 17, 2007

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Clinton v. Obama Shapes Up 08-17-2007

Editorial: Cynicism Damages Tenant Cause 08-14-2007

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 08-17-2007

Commentary: Bus Rapid Transit Means Reduced Traffic, Reduced CO2 By Rob Wrenn 08-17-2007

Commentary: Planning in Berkeley: Doing Our Job By Dan Marks 08-17-2007

Letters to the Editor 08-14-2007

Commentary: Psychologists Protest Professional Association Over Ethics By Ruth Fallenbaum 08-14-2007

Commentary: Criticisms of BRT Workshop Are Unfair By Fran Haselsteiner 08-14-2007

Commentary: Local Communities Are Not Dumping Grounds By Keith Carson 08-14-2007

Commentary: Your Black Muslim Bakery (Or What’s Left Of It) By David Nebenzahl 08-14-2007

Commentary: Independence for Kosovo? Why? By Fred E. Foldvary 08-14-2007

Commentary: Bus Rapid Transit Debate — Any Takers? By Doug Buckwald 08-14-2007

News

First Person: Telegraph 2007: Making it Work By Judith Scherr 08-17-2007

Putting Telegraph in Perspective By Judith Scherr 08-17-2007

Library Gardens Sold By Richard Brenneman 08-17-2007

Controversial Planner Hailed On Departure By Richard Brenneman 08-17-2007

St. Joseph School’s 130-Year History Comes to an End By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-17-2007

Berkeley Schools Gain in State Standardized Testing By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-17-2007

Berkeley, Albany Win Marin Avenue Lawsuit By Richard Brenneman 08-17-2007

Richmond Activists Fight Cell Phone Antenna Installation By Will Allen 08-17-2007

UC Sets Sept. 11 Deadline for BP Fuel Project Lab Bids By Richard Brenneman 08-17-2007

Youth March Against Violence in Southwest Berkeley By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-17-2007

SF Supervisors Landmark UC Buildings By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-17-2007

DAPAC Tensions Continue Over Downtown Landmarks By Richard Brenneman 08-17-2007

Oakland School Board Asks State for New Fiscal Plan By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-17-2007

Bailey’s Alleged Murderer’s Confession Challenged Bay City News 08-17-2007

Conference Strives to Break Walls of Silence By Judith Scherr 08-17-2007

Media Blames Black Mayors for Rising Homicides By Randy Shaw 08-17-2007

Pagodas? on Telegraph? By Richard Brenneman 08-14-2007

Dynes to Leave Top UC Post, Replacement Search Begins By Richard Brenneman 08-14-2007

Coalition Protests Museum Changes By Judith Scherr 08-14-2007

UC Students Tapped for City Commissions By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-14-2007

Locked-Out Workers Picket West Berkeley Store By Judith Scherr 08-14-2007

Media News Ends Newsroom Union’s Status By Richard Brenneman 08-14-2007

Oakland School Board Considers Censure Resolution Against Dobbins By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-14-2007

Nelson Mandela’s Daughter to Speak at Event Commemorating Tookie Williams By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-14-2007

Zoning Board Approves Fidelity Bank Building Plan By Riya Bhattacharjee 08-14-2007

The Dangers of Reporting on Your Hometown By Abi Wright, New America Media 08-14-2007

A Bounty of Rosy, Crunchy Fruits By Shirley Barker, Special to the Planet 08-14-2007

Healty Living: Staving Off Alzheimer’s Through Improvisation By Mary Barrett 08-14-2007

Columns

Column: Dispatches from the Edge: Targeting Africa with Guns and Free Trade By Conn Hallinan 08-17-2007

Column: Undercurrents: Oakland Police Catch Citizens in Criminal Sweeps By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 08-17-2007

Healthy Living: Using Sugar to Prevent Tooth Decay By Melissa Harmon 08-17-2007

Garden Variety: Picking Winners at the Nursery By Ron Sullivan 08-17-2007

About the House: No Professionals Need Apply By Matt Cantor 08-17-2007

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 08-17-2007

Wild Neighbors: Developers Strike Back: Arrowhead Marsh at Risk Again By Joe Eaton 08-14-2007

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 08-17-2007

Goat Hall Cabaret Opera at Oakland Metro By Jaime Robles, Special to the Planet 08-17-2007

Cal Poet Laureate Al Young and Barry Gifford Read at Moe’s on Monday By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-17-2007

Two Fine Photographers on Display at Berkeley Art Museum By Peter Selz 08-17-2007

Garden Variety: Picking Winners at the Nursery By Ron Sullivan 08-17-2007

About the House: No Professionals Need Apply By Matt Cantor 08-17-2007

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 08-17-2007

Berkeley This Week 08-17-2007

Arts Calendar 08-14-2007

The Theater: Calshakes Stages ‘The Triumph of Love’ By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-14-2007

The Theater: SF Theater Group Brings Noir Classic to the Stage By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 08-14-2007

Wild Neighbors: Developers Strike Back: Arrowhead Marsh at Risk Again By Joe Eaton 08-14-2007

Berkeley This Week 08-14-2007

Correction 08-14-2007